CHAPTER 4
The Artificial Chaos weren't hard to find. Using his newly discovered powers, Shadow disposed of three before Maria caught up to him, out of breath and looking worried.
"G.U.N.'s after us again,"
"Tell me something I don't know." Shadow sighed, heading toward another door, which opened up into the ceiling with a loud whoosh. They were greeted by another failed experiment which shot at them the second it picked up traces of Chaos energy.
"Watch out, Maria!" Shadow shoved her out of the way and sent a torrent of Chaos Spears at the head of their attacker. It flew backwards where it lay, dead.
"That was close." Maria gasped. "Maybe I should wait back at the lab. I'd just be a burden to you if I come along."
Shadow motioned to something lying in the middle of the room. Maria's eyes grew wide as she realized that the 'something' was a 'someone'. She ran to the G.U.N. guard and screamed, "Are you all right? Speak to me!"
"He's dead. There's no way he could have survived from an attack." Shadow picked up the fallen soldier's gun. "You're going to need this if you're coming."
Maria held the firearm awkwardly, like she wasn't quite sure about that idea. But then again, there were no other options than to leave her friend and report back to the lab. She nodded, saying, "All right then…let's go."
Into another room, but on finding it empty, they left. A corridor proved to be more ominous than the room they exited, but Shadow destroyed the Artificial Chaos with three well aimed Chaos Spears. The two of them continued on.
As they entered another spacious room, something missed Maria by just a few inches. She threw herself out of the way as the blue energy underneath the failed experiment shot out and hit the wall, leaving scorch marks. Shadow hit it at least six times, but it still didn't die. The blue mass underneath it just got smaller.
Maria figured she had better use the gun sooner rather than later. She opened fired on the Chaos, blowing it to bits and sending it crashing, lifeless, to the ground.
"Good job." Shadow said. "I have to admit, I didn't see that coming."
"Me neither."
"Are you ready to go?"
"When you are."
The two of them waited a few more seconds before they slowly walked towards an elevator. Shadow activated it and they ascended to the second level. Proper safety rails had not been fitted along the edges, so they were careful that they didn't get too close to the drop-off. To another elevator they went, going upwards to the third level…
…and right in front of another experiment.
With both Maria and Shadow's combined efforts, it was destroyed before it even had a chance to realize what was going on. The two of them stepped off the elevator and glanced around, making sure than no other Artificial Chaos were lurking around.
The room ahead brought the danger. As soon as they entered they were greeted by the sound of gunfire, shouts, and the experiment's screams as its companions died.
Three G.U.N. soldiers were taking cover behind shields, but as Maria watched, the Artificial Chaos' arms pierced through one and the soldier behind it, killing him instantly. The other soldiers began to open fire on the two remaining ones, which were growing bigger and bigger out of seemingly nothing.
Maria began firing at one while Shadow attacked the other. One of the G.U.N. soldiers wheeled around and shouted into a radio, "Send in backup! Project S.H.A.D.O.W. is here!"
Maria's gun made a weird clicking noise and not another shot was fired. She threw her now useless gun at the Chaos, but it dodged easily and started drifting towards the group at surprising speed.
"MARIA!"
The experiment's arms caught on one of the other shields the soldiers were hiding behind, throwing off its aim and just barely brushing Maria's shoulder. Just that slight touch left a blistering burn that Shadow could see from halfway across the room. He threw everything he had at the Chaos, but it seemed to absorb his attacks, growing off Maria's strength.
Its arms lashed out again, this time catching one of the soldiers. He screamed and dropped to the ground, his torso smoking from the energy, but still very much alive. Maria shrank back towards the wall, leaving only Shadow and one other guard.
The experiment lashed out again, this time destroying one more shield and piercing Shadow's chest. He was thrown backwards into the wall, where he sank to the floor. He felt so drained he could barely move, yet alone destroy the threat or even stay conscious. The soldier was screaming for backup again.
"Shadow! Get up! Please get up!" Maria's voice was scared. There was no way Shadow would let her die because of the Artificial Chaos, or any other threat. Her voice gave him the power he needed to struggle to his feet and turn towards the Chaos, power building in his clenched fists.
"Chaos Blast!"
A fiery blast of red and orange light exploded around the room. Maria and the remaining unhurt soldier had taken refuge behind the last shield, which gave out under the force of the blast. But they were unhurt. That was all that mattered.
The Artificial Chaos emitted a long scream and died in the fire. Shadow collapsed and curled into a small ball, trying to at least stall the blood that was flowing out of his chest where the experiment had hit him. The skin around his wound was burned terribly and he could barely touch it without sending a hot flash of agony through his body.
The soldier was holding Maria back from rushing to his side. "Shadow! Shadow! No!"
"Don't go near him! He killed that soldier!" The man screamed.
And he was right. But the soldier had been badly wounded by the Chaos, unable to take shelter behind the shield along with Maria and the other recruit. He, with no doubt, died.
There was the swish of the door and the stomping of boots as soldiers ran into the room, all armed to the teeth and ready for battle. When they caught sight of two of their dead comrades and then Shadow, who was slowly being surrounded by a pool of blood, they trained their guns at him.
"Should we shoot?" one of them asked.
"NO!" Maria screamed. "Leave him alone! Call my grandfather! He'll know what to do!"
One of the soldiers stepped forward and buried a steel-tipped boot in Shadow's side, sending him slamming into the wall. He didn't even try to escape the wrath, but the pain in his eyes was unmistakable. The soldier stepped forward again and brought his boot back again…
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Maria shouted so loudly and with so much ferocity that the soldier stumbled and backed off. Maria tore away from the recruit's grasp and rushed towards her fallen friend.
"Shadow? Shadow! Answer me!"
The only sound she got out of him was a long, agonized whimper. She turned towards the soldiers and said pleadingly, "Please! Radio the professor!"
One of them hesitantly picked up his radio and pressed a button on its side. "Yancy to Commander. Get the professor and head down here. You yourself might want to come. We've brought down Project S.H.A.D.O.W., but the girl refuses to let us kill him."
"We'll be right there." The Commander's voice was full of cold victory. Maria ignored the cruelty in his voice and turned her attention back to Shadow. She pressed her hand over his wound, making him moan slightly.
"Come on, Shadow. Just a few more minuets. Grandfather will take care of you." Maria could feel his heart pounding hard in his chest, pumping his blood up and out of him.
The doors opened and the Commander, flanked by three more soldiers and the professor, entered the room. Her grandfather instantly dropped down next to her to assess the damage done both to her and Shadow from the Artificial Chaos.
"Maria, get down to the lab now. John will get you something for that burn." His voice was so full of authority that she just nodded and headed out the door followed by a soldier.
"What happened in here?" The Commander demanded when they left.
"Artificial Chaos, sir," One of the soldiers answered. "Two of them. One killed him." He motioned to the soldier that had been killed. "And Shadow killed the other."
"He did?" The Commander couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes. Surprise…and was that triumph? "I told you, professor. That thing is dangerous. We should put it out of its misery right now!"
"If you even glance at your guns I will personally kick you all off the ARK!" The professor roared. He pulled out a radio from one of his lab coat's pockets and said, "Bring me a stretcher. We're going to need it."
"If you insist on treating that murderer I must suggest keeping him in a well guarded area. One of the conference rooms, for example. It's secure and nearly escape proof if a guard is around." The Commander suggested, a terrible gleam in his eye. "I'll supply the guards."
"I need to get him in the lab! It's the only place he can be properly taken care of!" Gerald hissed.
"Only under one condition," The Commander growled. "you keep him restrained and sedated at all times. I will not permit another catastrophe like this."
The professor was about to argue that this 'catastrophe' could have been entirely avoided if the commander of G.U.N. was a reasonable person: not one who calls in thirty five failed experiments if one just seems too powerful. But two scientists rushed in carrying the stretcher between them right at that moment. Gerald went to work carefully lifting Shadow onto it, trying not to hurt him even more.
XxXxXxXx
John had put some type of ointment on Maria's burn, causing it to stop throbbing with pain and instead go slightly numb. He then wrapped it tightly in gauze and announced that she was good to go.
"What about Shadow?"
John opened his mouth but quickly shut it again. After a few seconds he found words, but they weren't very encouraging. "I don't know. The Artificial Chaos are meant to kill."
Maria sank into a nearby chair. "He was very badly wounded."
"Hey, brighten up. Your grandfather won't give up on him."
"I'm still worried."
"We all are."
Before long the group of scientists returned, with the professor leading them. He directed them in the back room and forced the G.U.N. soldiers to wait outside.
"John, I'm going to need you for this." Gerald said urgently. "Maria, you should go to your room until we send for you again."
"Sure, Grandfather." Maria tried to give him an encouraging smile but she just couldn't get past the sad tone in her voice. She turned and headed out of the lab, walking slowly down the hall. A few G.U.N. soldiers passed her, carrying armloads of guns for destroying the remaining Artificial Chaos.
She wondered if she would be once again be friendless after an hour or so.
XxXxXxXx
"How is he?"
Her grandfather hesitated. "Very weak," He finally said. "he's lucky to be alive. Severe burns, a punctured lung, several broken ribs…the list goes on for a while."
"Will he pull through?" Maria asked, concern written all over her face.
"He's lived this far, so why shouldn't he?" Her grandfather sighed and glanced at the guard stationed outside the second door in the lab. He didn't have a regular gun, just a very powerful Tazer-like device. In more ways than one, Gerald thought that would do more damage to anyone than a gun would. "Listen, why don't you go and see him if you really have nothing else to do. I'm busy elsewhere and I would prefer it if there was someone on our side in the room with him so he won't be at the mercy of the guard."
Maria nodded and quickly passed the guard and entered the small back room, latching the door behind her.
Instead of the table in the back of the room, her grandfather had replaced it with a very uncomfortable looking hospital bed. Shadow lay on it, restrained by thick leather belts even though he didn't even look capable of breathing by himself. Maria pulled up a chair from the front of the room and sat next to him.
"Hi, Shadow," She whispered. "you saved us."
Shadow didn't react at all. Maria sighed and slipped her hand into his, trying to let him know that he was safe. "You're going to heal, and Grandfather and I will clear your name with the Commander."
"Is that so?"
Maria jumped and spun around to see the Commander enter the room. "I thought that you could use a real friend." He smirked. "So I requested that my nephew come up to this part of ARK and visit."
He stepped to the side to let a boy enter the room. He had sandy blonde hair and wide, excited eyes. Maria couldn't place it, but something seemed odd about him…
"I'm Abraham." The kid said. "And you're Maria?"
Maria nodded.
"I'll leave you two to talk." The Commander left after shooting Maria a look that seemed to say, 'no matter what you do, I will always win.'
Abraham caught sight of Shadow and walked a bit closer, asking, "What happened to him?"
"He was nearly killed trying to save us." Maria responded icily. "But your uncle won't listen to anyone."
"He said that he should be killed," Abraham said simply. "because he has some sort of power that can kill millions more."
"Even if he had that power, he wouldn't use it for evil." Maria hissed. "The Commander is wrong and he deserves to be fired."
"He does not!" Abraham nearly yelled, staring Maria straight in her eyes. That was when she realized what seemed so sinister about him. One eye was blue, the other brown. "He just wants to see that Earth's safe!"
"And I just want to see that my friend's safe." Maria retorted. "He can't go living the rest of his life like this."
Abraham took a small step backwards. "I hope you never get to see Earth,"
He left, slamming the door behind him.
Maria sighed heavily, turning her attention back to Shadow. She knew that the IV running into his arm was giving him a constant supply of some sort of tranquilizer…and she knew how to turn it off.
Within ten minuets Shadow's eyes opened slightly and he glanced around like he was surprised he was still alive.
"The Commander ordered that you be sedated at all times." Maria said softly. "I'm really sick of that man."
"Why…why can't I move?" Shadow groaned. "Maria, what's going on? What happened? Did they get all the Artificial Chaos? Where am I? What are they going to do to me?"
"Nothing at the moment. Relax!"
"What if he walks back in here and sees what you did?"
"He won't."
Shadow drew in a shaky breath and muttered, "I thought I heard yelling before I woke up. Who was that?"
"The Commander's nephew." Maria responded. "He sure takes after his uncle."
There was a shout outside the door. Maria reached up to the IV to turn it back on. "Maria, please don't leave the lab." Shadow pleaded. "I don't want the Commander to get a reason to hurt you too."
"He doesn't even have a reason now." Maria assured him. "And besides, John is watching out for both of us."
"Maria, please…" the drug immeadentally began to take effect. "…Don't…"
"I won't. I promise. I'll be right here by you." She whispered before Shadow once again fell unconscious.
XxXxXx
For the rest of the day Abraham avoided Maria at all costs. If she walked into the same room he was in, he left muttering excuses along the lines of, "I have to go to the bathroom,"
Maria didn't care one bit. She was usually in the lab anyway.
But the words he spoke to her kept coming back to haunt her.
I hope you never get to see Earth…