Let it be said that real world responsibilities aren't without their pitfalls. Anyway, I was thinking I'd take a departure from the horizontal lines that I've used in everything I've written in the past. The different spacing methods used by writers like Primordial Vortex are apparently easier to manage with on websites like FFN. Given the lack of response for my introduction chapter as it were, I've decided to show Zahradnik in a preparation for Sonic Adventure 2, after all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog, or any of its associated characters and lore.

[ZTB]

Part of a Team

[ZTB]

Aboard the Space Colony ARK, Zahradnik had slept for over half a century in a stasis pod no different than the one that had encased Shadow on Prison Island, until he awoke suddenly upon sensing a massive surge of Chaos energy from the Earth below. Upon escaping from his pod with much force and learning that the G.U.N. authorities left not even a skeleton crew to oversee the ARK, Zahradnik made his way to the room he shared with Shadow and the Robotniks and found that his personal computer remained hidden and intact. Using it to survey the modern world's primary database followed by a backchannel into the G.U.N. mainframe, he discovered the current date and that a mutated Chao known as Chaos destroyed the Earthbound city of Station Square at the exact same time he awoke. But all that paled in comparison to the aftermath of that dreadful raid decades ago.

It wasn't enough that G.U.N. raided his home out of paranoia and wrote history to paint Professor Gerald as the antagonist in that moment, but they also killed Maria when she helped Shadow escape and by the time they executed the professor, he was already dead on the inside. After taking a moment to come to terms with the passing of his creator and surrogate sister, Zahradnik eventually discovered a video that depicted Gerald's final moments. To say that he looked brokenhearted would've been an understatement, but what really drove the point home for Zahradnik were Gerald's last words. Words that he took to heart without fail.

"All of you ungrateful Humans, who took everything away from me, will feel my loss and despair!" As the professor said at one point.

No matter what would happen to himself, Zahradnik would avenge the tragedy that was brought upon by what G.U.N. clandestinely referred to as ARK's Indestructible Seal.

"The entire Earth will perish in fear, Professor Gerald." He vowed. "This I promise."

But first, he would need help.

[ZTB]

"To conquer the world or fail once again?" Doctor Eggman rhetorically asked as he paced in his pyramid base's control room. "That is the question all right."

It had been some time since that craziness at Station Square had died down, and it was back to the drawing board for Eggman once more. Unfortunately, he was indecisive about what to do next to accomplish his dream of world domination.

"Upgrade Metal Sonic? No, I fear he'll be too unpredictable in regards to his loyalty. Launch a systematic assault on prominent cities the world over? No, I'd be stressing my Badnik Horde so vast I'd have to plug my mind into a computer to manage it all. Use my corporate fronts to help trigger an economic collapse? No, it's just not flashy enough."

"Why not use your inheritance instead?" Said a new voice which spooked Eggman on the defensive to the source, a large reptilian with a self-assured, if wicked, smirk.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?"

The oversized lizard just chuckled.

"No need for the hostility, Ivo." Said the lizard. "I'm here to help. I promise I'm trustworthy."

"Huh." Stated Eggman as he relaxed somewhat. "No one's bothered to call me by my real name for some time. Regardless, who are you and what did you mean by my inheritance?"

"You may call me Zahradnik the Biolizard. And I was referring to the legacy of the man we both owe our existences to."

"What?" Asked Eggman in confusion as Zahradnik's smile grew wider and more sinister.

"Tell me, Ivo, what do you know of a Project Shadow your grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik, worked on?"

[ZTB]

And I think I'll leave it at a cliffhanger and leave those interesting to expand upon as they wish so long as they follow my earlier stated guidelines. I know, I should've made it longer, but with how things are for me in the real world, I just wanted this up on Pat-r-eon by the end of March. I hope everyone understands and decides to explore these thoughts just as I plan to show a few things that are more divergent than some regarding the different Biolizard idea. If you all have an idea on what I can do in the future, please give me a PM.