A/N: The destruction of Station Square is upon the Sonic world, but all the while, Shadow must forget about Maria. Wow, I haven't updated in forever. I'm so sorry. To be honest, I'm not sure what I was thinking when I wrote this. I may delete this chapter in a bit if it is too confusing or dark. Constructive criticism is appreciated. - vulpixzii325

Chapter 12 - Redemption

His hands were clutched around a pistol. Humans were running by, letting their screams trail behind them. The sounds of gunshots and crying filled his ears.

This was the world that Maria had left for him. He had both attempted to save it and destroy it countless times...and all for what? He would never hear her say the words he so longed to hear - "I'm proud of you, Shadow. You kept your promise to me after all those years."

"Shadow, Shadow, Shadow," he heard them call. They had cheered for him - they had hated him. He wanted to kill them.

"Shadow?"

That voice was different, yet familiar. He had pushed that voice away countless times, yet, somehow, it always came back to haunt him. He ignored her that time.

He was stuck in his own world while everything around him was chaos.

"Shadow? Do you hear me?"

A man fell to the ground in front of him. He looked up at Shadow. The man's hands were clutched to his knee. "Help me, please!" He looked around frantically and began to sob.

"I cannot."

"Shadow, get down!" A G.U.N. agent yelled.

Shadow leaped away from the man on the ground. He dashed behind a turned-over bus. He suddenly felt the earth shake beneath him as a flash of orange engulfed him. The screaming became more terrified, more continuous.

This was the world G.U.N. had made.

"How can you let innocent people die?"

The riots started after Station Square issued marital law. People were unhappy. Then, once G.U.N. realized the riots were out of control, they retaliated with force. It was nearly the apocalypse.

"This isn't what you promised me," Maria whispered into his ear.

"It's useless. It doesn't matter anyway," Shadow muttered.

"Shadow! Get back out there!" The same G.U.N. agent screamed. Shadow didn't respond. He simply ran back out into the fray.

"How can you let good people die?" Her voice echoed all around him, but it wasn't important. He had to get her out of his mind, and this was the only way. He had to redeem himself in G.U.N.'s eyes. Besides, she was gone.

Soon they would nearly all be gone.

A/N: Yeah, I don't know. I also have no idea what happened to the line thing I used to break up my author's notes and the actual stories. Oh, well. Thank you for reading! - vulpixzii325