Shadow allowed a heavy sigh to escape him once he was in the Back Hall. but something felt different. He no longer felt at ease, but he wasn't sure why. He walked back up, but more voices halted him.
"How is this possible?! He fled when Sonic blew up his base!" He heard himself growl.
"I have no idea!" Another male voice replied. It wasn't a deep voice, but not high-pitched either.
"Robots ambushed us and-and… Charmy stopped them from getting to me!" A young female voice cried. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Shadow! This is my fault!"
"He must have left the emerald there on purpose knowing someone would go after it." The unknown male explained.
"We must go. If Eggman planned all of this then we don't have much time." Espio said who he could hear was stood next to him. His voice seemed oddly calm, but maybe that was just a cover up.
The hedgehog could only breathe past it as he re-entered the main room of the Back Ball. He went back to the fountain first to clean the minor wound to his head when he noticed a human corpse in the water.
"Wha-what?!" He questioned, having no idea how it could've got there. He hadn't seen one 'normal' human at all since he had been here. Sighing, he refused to get cleaned up and decided to go up the grand staircase to his next destination, the Guest Room.
As soon as the door closed, more voices spoke through his ears.
"His base is miles away! Why would you ever consider going this far out?! Chaos Emerald or not!" Espio's voice was angry, but Shadow could tell that he was just worried.
"I'm sorry, Espio… we should've been more prepared." Tails told him.
"No! You shouldn't have gone at all!" Espio snapped back. Shadow felt himself put a hand on his shoulder.
"Espio… getting angry won't change anything. Just like you always tell me, you've got to focus. Charmy's our little fighter and he won't let Eggman take him that easily." With a sigh, Espio replied.
"I know Shadow… thank you."
"He's 'our' little fighter?" Shadow repeated now wondering if Charmy was more than just his nephew.
The Guest Room was a mess. It was as if a tornado had torn its way through. Chests of drawers, books and furniture were scattered all over the floor. There was another room to the left through and open doorway and a room to the right behind a closed door. Shadow checked the desk in front of him first and found only a note.
'I found out that Charmy had been taken. We were told by Tails and Cream, who handed us a note that was written by him that had a small message and the location of where he was being held.
I'm worried… I admit it and Espio is as well, but I'll stay by his side no matter what and we will save Charmy.
If that bastard lays a finger on him, he will be sorry.'
The black mammal could almost feel the same anger he knew he would've felt as he wrote it. With nothing else to go on, he searched the bedroom. There was another large desk in front of the window which had a crowbar and a lighter.
"Now you're talking." Shadow grinned as he picked it up and held it tightly in his hand. Another note was placed on a smaller desk next to the current one. With the other hand, Shadow picked it up and read it.
'We made it to the heap of metal also known as Eggman's old base… or so we thought.
Tails had his scanner with him and it was going crazy as if another Chaos Emerald was in the area. Tails seemed greatly confused by this. He was there when Charmy took it… could Eggman have put it back to lure someone else?
We didn't have time to ponder the many theories that surrounded the situation and quickly entered the destroyed base with the help of Tails and Cream flying us in. They led us to the room where the emerald was the first time, but it was locked by a huge steel door.
I told everyone to stand back as I effortlessly Chaos Blasted the door to pieces.
To our amazement, a Chaos Emerald was placed perfectly in the centre of the room; the same one Charmy had retrieved.'
The hedgehog grew more concerned with each note he read.
"He better have made it out." Shadow growled to himself. He checked a closet and some drawers, but found nothing.
The last place to check in here was the area that was closed off by the door. Shadow tried to open it, but couldn't. The lock had been broken, meaning that he would have to force it open. He grunted as he looked at the crowbar in his hand. Chances are that it would break, but it was his only option after trying to kick the door down to no avail. He placed the crowbar between the door and the frame and pulled it back until it suddenly flew open and Shadow fell onto his back.
"I guess I'm stronger than I thought." Shadow commented, feeling smug. An annoyed look was soon on his face when he saw the crowbar in two pieces on the floor.
"Would've been a crappy crowbar anyway." He thought, trying to shake off his disappointment. He picked up more oil, which he noticed on a bookshelf, before heading inside. Just as he entered, he heard something else.
"HAHAHAHAHA! You really thought I would just leave it there? You're all going to have to do better than that!
If you're that desperate as to risk your lives for this brat, then come to the base that is more than ready to handle the likes of you!"
Shadow was more confused by this one. It was that loud voice again, but he couldn't be sure what he was talking about. He shook it off once more and went inside. What lay behind the door was a small closet room. There were two sets of drawers in the middle with a wardrobe on either side of them. Shadow searched through each of them until he came to the final wardrobe…
*Growl*
…where a groan came from the other room.
"Shit!" He whispered as he jumped into the wardrobe and shut both the doors, hoping with everything he had that the creature wouldn't find him. His ears remained alert as they listened to each and every footstep, but Shadow wasn't sure if they were getting closer or further away. With caution, he opened the wardrobe door slightly to have a look through, but jumped back in fright when the creature began breaking down the door to the room.
In just a few hits, it burst in and began filling the room with its inhuman growls. Sweat made its way down the back of Shadow's neck as he stood stiff against the back of the wardrobe. The tension was driving him crazy and all he wanted to do was burst out and rip the creatures head off for having him literally backed into a corner, but he knew he had some restraint. He closed his eyes and tried to steady his inconsistent breathing, so that he wouldn't become light-headed. Before he knew it, the beast had turned and confirmed it was leaving by slamming the door. Shadow slumped to the ground in much needed relief before getting up and returning to a note that he didn't have a chance to pick up before the monster's arrival.
'Of course! I knew it was all too damn easy! Eggman and Charmy weren't in the base! They weren't even near!
Chaos damn it all!
A recording had been left, which Tails got working, and informed all of us that the scheming fucker had indeed captured Charmy! He showed him to us, with his typical sinister grin. He was in a horrid state with a clear black eye and cuts all over him! I had never seen Espio so enraged and I felt the same.
He is dead! That tyrant has gone too far! I will do what Sonic never had the courage to and send him back to the Underworld for eternity!
No longer will he lay a finger on anyone else, especially not Charmy!'
The hedgehog's fist clenched with the note still in his hand.
"How fucking dare he…" His cold voice whispered. He took several breaths to stop himself tearing the room apart and turned to leave, when he noticed a painting that had now been knocked off the wall. He assumed the monster's break-in had done it, revealing a hidden glass jar with a key inside it.
With ease, Shadow smashed the jar and retrieved the key. The tag read 'Machine Room'. The mammal knew he hadn't been anywhere that had anything even close to machinery, but just like the elevator, the Ultimate Lifeform assumed it would be in the Back Hall somewhere. Being satisfied with what he had found, Shadow exited and headed straight into the next room which was just to his left, the Study.
It was absolutely silent, minus the occasional cry of what sounded like a dying dog. Shadow didn't like it one bit, he felt as if he was back in the Archives. He was in a narrow corridor with bare floorboards, which contrasted greatly to the polished, wooden walls that held many paintings. It was dimply lit with a few candles above him, but it was at least enough that he could spare his oil.
He came to two rooms, one left and one right, which he explored briefly. The right wielded only a few lighters amongst the array of items and furniture that were carelessly scattered on the floor whilst left had only a note.
'My plan could not have gone better! Even I had not been prepared for the tidal wave of good luck that has befallen me!
I have the teen still captive, but now I am about to have four more join my cause! Tails and Cream I knew would soon return, but I did not expect Shadow and Espio to follow!
HOHOHOHOHO!
Truly stupendous! Absolutely terrific! I could sing and dance right now! The Ultimate Lifeform and a ninja are about to succumb to my wrath!
I can only wait until they reach me, but until then, my bones are trembling with excitement!'
"Cocky bastard…" Shadow commented to himself, while his thoughts travelled back to two familiar words.
"Ultimate Lifeform…" What did that mean? Was he something special? Perhaps stronger than average or more intelligent? He couldn't be sure with the little bits of information he had, so he pushed the idea to the back of his mind and continued back into the corridor.
He turned left and towards several large windows, one of which had a pot of oil in front of it. As he went to pick it up, the cry of the 'thing' after him echoed from the forest outside. The sound was enough to crack the window and send more chills through the mammal's body. He was startled further by another dog's cry in a separate room behind him. Slowly, he approached and opened the door. What lay before him had his jaw hanging.
"What sick bastard would do this?!" His eyes wandered over the pools of blood that littered a large table in the centre. In the corners, were the corpses of animals, a dog and rabbit to be precise, which had clearly been sliced apart and stitched back together. A horrific smell accompanied the sight and he was again launched back into memories of the Wine Cellar. Shadow forced anything coming up his throat back down with several hard swallows before heading towards another room in the back.
Before he got to the door, a note caught his eye on the edge of the crimson-stained table.
'I have been testing the new and improved Grape Chambers with some hostages that my robots have captured and so far, they work perfectly! Draining their life force and ultimately ending them!
I will test now to ensure that the glass that holds my subjects will not be broken by a certain azure pest or… to be more appropriate, an ebony one.
I cannot believe my luck, if this keeps up; I'll have the world in the palm of my hand in a week!'
"Disgusting." Shadow said bluntly upon reading the frail piece of paper. He moved into the back room, hoping to stop himself from getting worked up all over again. He searched a desk and jumped back when human bones rolled out of the side compartment. Shadow was more confused than anything else, wondering why they were there at all. He searched further, finding a lighter in the second drawer and another note on a small desk in the corner.
'Just as I had hoped, the glass of the chamber is near indestructible!
I had my robots gather every weapon I had and fired them all at once. Not even a scratch! I'd like to see that pathetic rodent get through it now! Not even a Chaos Blast will save his precious bee!'
"Bee?!" Shadow exclaimed as his memory seemed to jump.
"Charmy Bee… I know that name… he's not my nephew. He's… my son!" The black hedgehog was unsure whether he should celebrate at remembering something or be deeply concerned that he now knew that it was his son that had been captured. It was an odd in between, but it did give him more of a purpose. There must be something behind all this. With haste, he left the room and was about to whiz past the windows again, when he stopped suddenly. He felt drawn to it, the cracks especially. Perhaps he could break it and escape. A hard punch cast the glass into the trees below. The hedgehog then realised how high up he was and frowned knowing he couldn't get out this way. A light from a few windows to his right caught his eye. The ledges of each window were thick enough for him to jump across, allowing him access.
He avoided looking down as best he could as another roar caused a tree nearby to fall. He then dared a peek to notice webs of flesh joining a few of the trees together. His head shook slightly in disbelief as he moved towards the light. The window to this room had already been broken, by the distant beast Shadow assumed, and he was quick to start looking around. The first thing he noticed was another strange cylinder. The last time he found one of these was way back in the Laboratory.
Without warning, his entire vision turned red, as if his eyes were stained by blood. Shadow clawed at his face like some animal. He had no idea why, until the red faded and his vision returned to normal. Everything about those few seconds made him nervous, it had never happened before and he hoped it wouldn't happen again. His breaths were deep as he reached out again.
"I want to scream at you! To tell you that it is you who is blinded! Yet I can't… as if any rights I had have been robbed from me. No apology can change this, nor do I want it to change. As wrong as it all feels, the situation is right."
It was again his own voice, but it gave him nothing in the way of answers or perhaps nothing that he could understand quite yet. He sighed and put on a determined look, whilst keeping hidden that he was still anxious. Two more rooms were in the back, the first contained a barrel, which again contained a decent amount for his lantern, a glowing green rod, which Shadow remembered being mentioned in a note he found in Storage, and a note next to it. It explained how the elevator worked, should it break down again.
"Bingo." Shadow thought as he kept the note handy. The second room had a large chest with only two lighters in it. He rolled his eyes thinking there would be more before returning to the broken window.
As he hopped back to the main part of the Study, he took more caution than he did before, fearing that the creature would try to knock him off. The roars did indeed return, this time having no mercy.
They created a slight quake, which caused Shadow to lose his balance and fall. In panic, he extended his arm hoping to grab onto the nearest thing. Luckily, he caught the ledge and held on for dear life. The creature roared again as if it was lurking in the depths, waiting patiently for its prey to fall.
Shadow, now feeling angered, denied the monster the privilege and pulled himself back up. He didn't stop until he was back on solid ground. His bruised and battered body laid there for a few minutes. He could feel the stress getting to him now. Were it not for the thought of Charmy and Espio, he was sure he would've given up long before now. After staring at the ceiling for a minute, the hedgehog, with some difficulty, got to his feet and returned to the Back Hall.
