Ark Fox Chapter 3

Thanks to jakeroo123, prowerboy and Sierra Zanimalini14 for reviewing the last chapter.

And damn it prowerboy get a proper profile so I can thank you personally like I do everyone else.

I decided that since there hasn't been much humour since the prologue that I'll try to make this a funny chapter, I was intending to have Shadow stalk Tails and Sonic until Shadow had a chance to kidnap the unfortunate kit. But this idea seemed better even if it is a set up for next chapter which will be hilarious... I hope.

Don't own any characters, if I did, Sonic games would still be epic.

"So where do you think Shadow went Sonic?" Tails asked

"I don't know Tails, but knowing him he's most likely gone off to work with Eggman again." Sonic answered.

"Come on lets go find him." pleaded the entheastic Fox "Whoa there big guy, you may be pretty damn fast now... but that doesn't mean you should go running everywhere all the time." Sonic simply stated

Both of them managed to hold their respective blank faces for a full five seconds before bursting out in hysterical fits of uncontrollable laughter.

Shadow watched both the hedgehog and fox make complete idiots of themselves. It would be so easy to jump on Sonics Head right now and knock him out cold and take the fox straight to Eggman, but as soon as he regained consciousness he would go looking for Tails and who knows how much time Eggman needed to implement his horrible plan... whatever it was he needed the fox for.

But following them without being seen would now be a lot harder with Tails being able to fly like that. "Sometimes the wolf has to dress like a sheep, if he wants to have a meal." If he was to join them and act all friendly-like he could wait for the opportunity to present itself to complete his mission. He jumped off the cliff, and landed before them.

"Hey Shads how's it?" "Hey Shadow!" the pair both said. This next part could be the matter of failure or success for Shadow. This was certainly going to be one of the most difficult things Shadow had ever done. "Um... how's it... um... going... guys!"

"Whoa major personality change." Laughed Sonic, Tails scoffed at this. "Shut up faker." Shadow said, smacking Sonic on the back of the head. "And I told you not to call me 'Shads' again" he continued smacking him around the other side of his head. "And just like that he's back to normal." Sonic said.

"Hey Shadow." Tails said, still shaking with adrenalin from flying here "Yes Tails?" "Um... is your speed caused solely because of your shoes?" he questioned. "yeah" Shadow replied, Sonic started laughing.

"pfffftt is your speed caused solely because of your shoes... ha ha ha" Sonic said loudly, before falling over.

"Ha ha, I didn't notice that." Tails let out a few chuckles before continuing. "Anyway Shadow you can keep up with Sonic, could I possibly study the propulsion system on your shoes sometime to see how it works? They seem to always work, although they wouldn't be able to hold much propellant. What kind of fuel do you use?" Tails questioned, unconsciously chewing the tip of one of fingers with his sharp canines, while his tail's moved around him furiously.

"No! You can't study them!" before Shadow continued, the questions caught up with him, his shoes had never been refilled. He remembered when he got them on Space Colony Ark 50 years ago, Maria had given the shoes to him as a present.

Flashback

Shadow was sitting in his room, a White Wash padded room, almost resembling a cell at an insane asylum. His tests for today were done; his blood was taken, he had to run on a treadmill for a bit, and was then told to demonstrate his 'Chaos Spears' for some cameras.

After breaking the needle with his skin, breaking the treadmill with his running and breaking the wall with his Chaos Spears (showering several scientists in the dining area behind the wall with debris) He was told to go to his room by very red Gerald Robotnik, he seemed to have guests.

The door opened and Maria walked in. "Hey shadow, how are you feeling today?" she asked in her normal well mannered even voice. "I'm feeling well, a bit tired, but doing well." Shadow told her the truth. He always wondered why she worried about him so much, but all was forgotten as his attention was instantly drawn to a box Maria was unsuccessfully hiding behind her back.

"What's in the box Maria?" Shadow queried, getting up. "Um" Maria didn't like the fact she had been found out so easily, she knew Shadow had never a birthday before, and was looking forward to the really surprised effect on his face. Still maybe if she showed him the shoes, before explaining the situation to him.

"Look Shadow!" showing the confused Shadow the shoes, her voice completely dripping with enthusiasm. "Shoes?" Shadow questioned. "Yes silly, shoes, your feet must get awfully cold having to walk around on the Arks cold metal with your bare feet all the time so I..."

End flashback

The memory cut out. "Damn amnesia!" Shadow growled angrily. "Shadow you ok? You spaced out like Tails just now." Sonic asked, concern on his face, Shadow did his best to suppress his urge to smack him across his face right here and now. The end result was his arm spasing out while he fell to the ground. He would have quickly regained his composure, had a certain two tailed fox not gotten in his face and started asking about his shoes.

"No... go away Tails they're special to me, been with me since the ark, you understand better than anyone else could I'm sure." Shadow replied, shoving the kit out of his face. He didn't want him to know the real reason was because it was one of the few things he had left of Maria.

"Yeah I know, I hate it when someone fly's the tornado without permission... *mutters* cream wouldn't know anything about THAT *normal tone* ...but you never answered how often you fill them up, or what fuel you use?"

"Well actually... I've never filled them up with any kind of fuel." Shadow told the fox whose reaction was quite hard to describe; joy, disappointment, confusion, wonder, curiosity... all filled his face, making it scrunch up like a piece of paper handed to a 5 year old.

"What!"

"Which is also part of the reason I don't want you to pull them apart. Last time I checked you were a mechanic, not a loafer." Shadow expertly retaliated to the fox's question.

"Hmm well then I challenge you to a race. Prize is I get to look at them, no screwdrivers or anything."

"What!" Sonic yelled.

"What!" Shadow yelled.

"Tails simply because you have those new shoes, doesn't mean you have an actual chance against Shadow or for that matter... Me, cos if there's a race I'm in!" Sonic said matter of factly hiding a challenge, a challenge the challenger wanted to challenge the challenger who would challenge the challengers challenge again then later challenge in the challengers challenge, by a challenge. This all went on in Sonic's head and nearly made his brain explode.

"Scared Sonic, because I was holding back, back then... and you were going at close to your top speed!" Tails said, trying to talk himself up. "That wasn't anywhere near my top speed, I was holding back too 'little bro."

"You guy's both seem pretty fast, but only one of you two can be second in speed to the ultimate lifeform." Shadow proudly stated.

"Even if you were able to beat me or my main fox Tails here..." Sonic began, pointing to Tails "... as he stated before, you don't count since it's cheating!" he finished his gloating. Before being shot down by his 'main fox Tails'

"Since when was it cheating Sonic, rules haven't even been established yet! Fastest overall including mechanical shoes, prize is I get to look at those shoes" Tails said defiantly.

"And what if I win, fox" Shadow inquired

"Hmmm, well I got a spare Chaos Emerald" Tails answered "Done." was the simple reply

"What about me, the obvious winner." Sonic said. More than a little annoyed at the fact Tails just wagered a Chaos Emerald for the chance to look at a pair of shoes.

Now he had to win the race. Tails was fast enough as it was, and should he get any cleaver ideas from those shoes he could be a real threat to his speed, and he didn't want to see Shadow earn himself a chaos emerald.

"A chilli dog?" Tails asked.

"A chilli dog?" Shadow questioned.

"A chilli dog... hell yeah let's race!" Sonic yelled.

"Can we do this tomorrow?" Shadow asked before continuing "I've never been on this planet before so I wouldn't know any major landmarks."

"Well... Castle Acorn seems fitting for a race like this." Sonic pointed out. Tails seemed to agree with this. "We'll start here tomorrow at nine o clock sharp" and with that Sonic showed the route they would be taken to the Castle tomorrow.

The race started in the Green Hill zone, went through the Mystic Ruin's and them through an unnamed forest, proceeded to go over Hill Top zone then proceeded to go onto floating Angel Island which had moved into the canyons of Hill Top, the original plan was to run down one side of Hill Top and go through some more forest to the eventual castle. But the temptation of annoying Knuckles was too great for Sonic and Tails, who didn't tell Shadow the fact the echidna lived here and would be less then pleased at their presence.

Shadow was suspicious however, after being told that they would jump onto the island and go through it, instead of actually doing it now, even if the castle was visible from this altitude.

With that Sonic and Tails invited Shadow to stay the night at theirs, with Tails adrenalin rush now well and truly over and was looking quite the worse for wear. Shadow reluctantly agreed because of his mission, even if his mouth said "only to make sure you two idiots don't plan anything funny."

Don't get him wrong however, he actually enjoyed the day, he just wasn't used to this kind of treatment, any kind of treatment that could in anyway be defined as 'nice' was foreign to the hedgehog. He only ever experienced nice by these guys and their friends however... most of the time anyway.

Hey just thought I'd point out that this story is going to go to end up heading to Earth, so does anyone want to see Chris T. Should he be there, or die a horrible horrible death perhaps.

I don't actually mind him but a lot of people do... so rate and review... you.

On the note of characters. Most of the Sonic X crew will be seen in two to three chapters if you guys were wondering when they would turn up.

also I Know the zones are probably no where near each other, Castle Acorn is definitely not in the vicinity of Hill Top, and Knuckles wouldn't move Angel Island to an area where Sonic and co could easily jump onto it. but I'm saying now that this is now officially an AU (author universe) with aspects of whatever I said in previous chapters (mostly Sonic X) so if you complain about it your point or points are invalid.

... also Knuckles is a clown at times so who knows what kind of stupid he's capable of.