Chapter 2: Geared up
3 AM local time. Shadow the hedgehog was preparing his weapons, equipment, along with a digital camera for his recon mission to search, locate and rescue GUN prisoners inside Eggman's jungle. On the airfield's runway, a black jet was warming up to fly the black hedgehog over the drop zone before Shadow have to parachutes into the thick jungle canopy. Shadow loaded his pockets and his backpack with necessary survival gears and weapons for self defense, he went from the locker room to the runway with commander Towers. "Good luck Shadow, and remember, let technology do most of the work for you." Towers tapped Shadow's shoulder to give him some luck before the rescue mission, "Come on Shadow, let's go." Shadow hop on to the sleek, black jet and close the door. The airplane started to roll its wheels on the runway, slowly accelerates its speed, the pilot pull the control stick backward, thus lifting the plane up into the air and set its course to the Eggman's jungle. "Will he find anything, POWs? I doubt it." Maddock commented his doubts on Shadow's capability to actually locate any prisoners left alive in Eggman's captivity. But Towers trusted his Ultimate Life Form to accomplish the job no matter what the cost nor hazardous condition.
2 hours of flying over the jungles and mountains without being detected, Shadow step out to the door for his version of HALO jump, "Approaching target, time till deployment: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Go!" Upon hearing the Pilot go code and saw the green light to jump, Shadow jumped off the airplane at 900 meters above ground. He slowly descended down to the ground from 900 to 600 then at 500 meters, he activates the jet engines in his boots allowing him to slow down his descend to a halt and finally hit the dirt without a scratch. Shadow quickly navigate his way through the thick jungle fully loaded with trees, rivers, bushes, even avoiding the jungle's animals like snakes, jaguars, panthers, tigers,... He look into his map and judged that he is only 50 meters away from his meeting point with the contact. He went further and finally arrive at the rally point, at an old ruins of the ancient pyromancers Mobian, whose fame power is to control fire.
He knew he was being stalked, someone was looking at him from the bushes, Shadow slowly look around him, turning his back around, gently pulling his knife out. Swiftly he turned 180 degrees grabbing the masked stalker, pinning the stalker to the wall and unveil the black mask that protects its wearer true identity. It turns out that Shadow's stalker is a female lavender Mobian cat. She was princess Blaze the cat, the last of the Mobian Pyromancer civilization. "You...you're the informer?" Shadow asked, gently loosen up his grip over her neck. "Yes, you must be the combat specialist they said." Blaze's charming eyes and cool, calm nature forced Shadow to let go of her neck, now that they have met each other, Blaze lead Shadow through the jungles down to a river bank where a band of pirates were staying with a small wooden boat to fare anybody who pay them the highest bid. "Malik, Malik! Come here, i got the passenger that i said, now here's your money. This is your part of the bargain." Blaze handed the weasel a pack 500 Mobians, those are the best payment in a place that's filled with Eggman related dangers.
"Okay, i'll get you up river like you said and fare you back the next day. Got it." Malik the weasel knows that the money was too good to pass up, but payments like that is certain to bring unwanted dangers. But for a Mobian whose only concern is money to buy his way out of this hell hole, he would take the risk without hesitation. He took Blaze and Shadow up river on his wooden boat, Shadow sat down on the back of the boat watching the scene of a lush tropical jungle in front of his eyes, green was the only color on both sides of the river. No reflective metallic colors, no Eggman's signature red background with black symbol of his face anywhere. It was like a natural paradise. One that he can't stay to enjoy. "It's dangerous here on the water, Eggman's river rine patrols could spot us anytime." Blaze said to Shadow, warning him of the dangers that are lurking on this river. "How do you come prepare?" Shadow was twitching about Blaze and the pirates battle ready capabilities, he move his left leg while still planting it firmly on the straws beneath him. It reveals a crate with military designation, OZB 117 ATGM. Malik the weasel opens another crate inside the boat's cabin and pick up an RPG7 V2 to show Shadow just how will they prepared themselves to battle with Eggman's river patrols if necessary, "No worries. Old Malik here got it all covered."
"My father was the ruler of the Pyromancers here in this jungle, he died fighting to protect my people. Now I'm the only survivor, my people are either dead or legionized. I guess it was thanks to this lucky my mother gave me. I think after this, i'll live a quiet life. Far away from here. What about you Shadow what gives you luck?" Shadow shows Blaze his knife, the weapon that has been with him ever since his first mission as a special force. "This thing." He said to her as the boat continues its journey up stream to the prison camp where Eggman imprisoned his human prisoners.
