This chapter to way too long to write and I'm sorry for the slight delay.
I won't bore you with my troubles and hope this chapter is worth the wait.
Shadow stretched and yawned, the first light of the morning playing on his face. With a grunt he rolled over and promptly fell off his sofa. He looked up in annoyance at the edge of the sofa from his prone position on the floor.
Grumbling to himself, Shadow picked himself off the floor and sat back down on the sofa. Rubbing at his eyes Shadow began wondering why he had slept there when a perfectly comfortable bed was just in the other room. He looked over at the door in realisation and smiled.
"That's why." He muttered as memories of the previous evening flowed back through his mind.
Stifling a yawn he stood up and scratched at an itch on his right shoulder. He dawdled into his kitchen and turned on the coffee percolator, opening a cupboard he picked out two rarely used mugs. The creak of a door told him that his guest had woken and was now moving around.
"Morning!" He called and was answered with an unladylike grunt. Shadow chuckled. "How do you have your coffee in the mornings?"
"With a dash of milk please." Cassie replied sleepily as she joined him in the kitchen.
"Do you take sugar?" Shadow asked without looking up, his back still towards her.
"Thanks Shadow, but I'm sweet enough." Shadow chuckled again.
"Bringing out the corny lines already, eh Cassie?" He turned around and upon seeing her, his cheeks flushed red and his eyes bulged in their sockets.
All Cassie was wearing was the same sleeveless tank-top from the night before, thus revealing her lacy black knickers. She stretched her arms above her head, the action revealing her cream midriff to the enraptured hedgehog.
"Uhm… Cassie, do- I don't want to seem rude, but uhh…" He gestured at her in hopes she would get what he was coming to. Confusion changed to understanding and a slight pink shade appeared on Cassie's cheeks.
"Oh! Sorry Shadow I… Well force of habit I guess." She smiled sheepishly as he finished pouring the coffee's and handed one to her. "Although your awkwardness is rather entertaining."
Shadow growled and her grin grew wider. "I'll be back in a bit Shadow."
She turned and walked away, intentionally swaying her hips provocatively. Shadow watched, captivated until she disappeared back into his bedroom. Shadow turned and slammed his head down onto the kitchen side.
"Get a hold of yourself Shadow!" He thought as he rubbed at his now throbbing forehead. "All right, think! You've got an attractive young woman in your home, who just so happens to have no shame or qualms about how she looks. She's already sort of expressed her feeling for you and its clear you like her, so why are you acting like this!"
He paced up and down his small kitchen, busying his hands by grabbing the various things he would need to cook a good breakfast. "You're the Ultimate Lifeform! You've defeated an entire Alien race and saved the world! You're one of the most powerful creatures on all Mobius! So why can't you- UGH!"
He rubbed at his face and looked up at the ceiling. "Maria, if you can hear me… I really need some help."
He was unsurprised when he didn't receive an answer. He looked back down at the kitchen worktop before him and grimaced at the mess he had made.
"Maybe we should pick some breakfast up on the way in!" He called as he backed away from the mess and into the living room.
"I know a nice little café just off Main Street, we could grab something there!" Cassie shouted back. To eat away the time, Shadow preceded to clear away the debris of the previous evening.
The smell of their Chinese takeaway still permeated the air and he began munching on the few remaining prawn crackers as he worked. By the time Cassie emerged washed and fully dress, Shadow had cleaned everything away and had straightened the room up. He chucked over her jacket which she caught with a smile.
"Shall we head out?" Shadow asked, jerking his head towards the door.
"Well I'm all ready, but what about you?"
"What about me?" Cassie smirked at him.
"I wanted to ask you when we first met but it would've been rude of me."
"Asked what?" Shadow snapped. Cassie frowned at his outburst.
"You do know you're walking around naked right? I mean bare furred blokes were all well and good a few years back, but come on! Gotta move with the times." Shadow gaped at her, his mouth moving but no sounds coming from it. "But we're wasting the morning, let's go Shadz."
She walked briskly to the door and opened it, looking back to see Shadow had yet to move an inch. "I've got your car keys by the way."
Shadow's eyes focussed on the jangling set she held between two fingers before she disappeared through the open door. After a few moments of stunned silence Shadow's brain finally caught up with events.
"No-one complained before!" He gave chase, slamming the door closed behind him. "And I'm driving!"
"So you've never had a girlfriend?" Cassie asked in disbelief as she stared at him over a large stack of pancakes. Shadow shrugged and sipped at his coffee.
"I've never seen the reason to."
"Uh huh…" She sounded unconvinced. He sighed.
"Alright. Truth is, I lost someone very dear to me many years ago and since then, well…" He looked up from his plate of bacon, eggs and beans and into her hazel eyes. "I've tried not to build any strong… attachments to anyone."
"This persons name wasn't Maria by any chance, was it?" She asked cautiously. Shadow froze at Maria's name and stared at the lavender hedgehog sat opposite.
"How do you know that name?" His voice was low and dark, making Cassie feel slightly uncomfortable. She shifted under his stare like she had been caught in a lie or forging paperwork.
"When you vanished, leaving me on top of that building, I went to Amy to get to know you better. She told me." Shadow raised an eyebrow but said nothing, and after a moment Cassie continued.
"You see, I've read all the reports and files on you that I could get, and even then a lot of them were smothered in black ink. And I wanted to find out more about the real you, from people who know and trust you."
"So you went to talk to Amy."
"It was Knuckles' idea." She said quickly. "But I though it was a good one."
"So what did you learn?" Shadow asked after a moment of silence. Cassie looked away and gnawed at her lip.
"Not much about you, but a lot about me." She looked into his crimson eyes and Shadow realised immediately what she meant, all feelings of distrust and anger vanishing like they had never been there.
"Cassie, I think you're great." He said slowly. "But I don't know how these things work."
He looked down at his almost empty plate and sighed.
"Maria was my closest friend, and I failed her. We lived onboard the ARK Space Colony, the only place where Maria could live with her disease." Although Cassie had read about this, she kept quiet and let him tell her in his own words.
"I was created by merging the DNA of a chaos touched hedgehog and the blood of Black Doom, using the power of a Chaos Emerald as a catalyst. I was brought into being to help Dr. Gerald Robotnik find a cure for Maria. We were so close…"
Cassie reached across the table and gently laid her hand on his. Shadow smiled at her gentle caress, a warm comforting feeling flowing up from where their hands met.
"I know Shadow, and I'm so sorry."
"You don't have to be, but thank you." Cassie smiled and went back to her tower of pancakes, happy in the knowledge that they had reached something of an understanding. Shadow watched as she ate, taking the occasional sip from his coffee. His thoughts trailed back to those final moments onboard the ARK.
"So I was thinking." Shadow shook himself out of his memories and looked over at Cassie, who was dabbing her mouth with a napkin. "With the guys we caught from the body heist, we should be able to get some Intel on who's behind all this."
Shadow rubbed at his chin in thought. "Agreed. We have little else to go on in any case."
"Next stop, headquarters." She waved over a waitress and singled for the bill. Shadow smirked and fished his wallet from his quills. "Oh no! You paid for the Chinese last night, I'll pay for breakfast."
"If you insist."
Her heart was pounding with both excitement and trepidation as she led her small scout force across the rickety wooden bridge.
Shade had chosen five of the best scouts of the Nocturn military to accompany her into Mobius. Each one had sworn loyalty to her and pledged to follow her every command during this mission. The plan was simple. Scout the immediate area and report back any significant findings before venturing further afield into this new world.
Each Scout wore the lighter armour of the Nocturnus military, built for speed and stealth, not durability. Each Scout was armed with a basic hand-blaster and combat blade and unlike the other warriors of Nocturn, bore no glowing marks which would give them away.
She signalled her troop to split up and secure the area with swift curt hand gestures. Until she was sure they were secure, Shade had ordered radio silence. As the echidnas spread out along the cliff edge, she scanned the area through her helmet.
No visible signs of intelligent life except for a couple of cave entrances running into the darkness beyond. She looked back over the bridge, once again marvelled by the view of the ocean and the feel of the breeze. She took a deep breath and turned away, signalling her scouts to form up she led them into the depths of one of the caves.
After several minutes they emerged from the cave system at a large opening in the cliff side. A small set of stairs had been fashioned out of the rocks that had fallen a few years ago.
Blinking in the rising sun, Shade's eyes took in all they could see. A wide expanse cut into the mountain. The first thing that she saw was the large stone built train bridge that cut across the area in great arches. A sturdily constructed wooden platform extended up the side to provide access to the tracks. A few small wooden shacks were scattered across the expanse, including a larger, more modern house near the edge of the cliff.
Stepping cautiously down the steps, Shade sent her team to scout of the area and to ascertain whether any threat was nearby. She guided her feet towards the large, majestic waterfall that tumbled glistening into the basin below.
Standing at the edge of the basin, Shade touched the symbol of her helmet and it retracted. Instantly she felt the cool wind on her face and the misty specks of moisture that rose from the waterfall. She closed her eyes and stood their in a feeling of total bliss and calm.
"Area secure." Crackled the voice of her second in command, the Veteran Scout Tilus, over her wrist communicator. She looked over to where the Scout Master stood, at the top of the wooden platform next to the stone construct.
"Thank you Tilus." She responded simply.
"Most of these building serve little use other than shelter, although the one at the cliff side is obviously more advanced, I'd suggest we take a closer look." Shade began walking towards the modern looking building.
"There seems to be tracks running the length of this construct, heading deep into the mountains." Tilus continued as she made her way underneath one of the broad arches. "It also appears to be the only way out of this area."
"Very good, Tilus. I want you to gather the Scouts together and meet me at the building at the cliff edge."
"Understood."
Shade started climbing the long stone staircase, her boots scraping dirt and grit away with each step. As she reached the top she paused to marvel at the view. The blue ocean spread out before her, the sound of the lapping waves distant and serene, the call of birds as they swooped by and the sound of the wind.
Hurried footsteps behind her heralded the arrival of the Scouts. She pointed at two.
"You two, check the building. The rest of you, survey the area." Orders given, Shade turned and walked a few paces away before activating her communicator. "This is High Praetorian Shade calling Nocturn."
"Affirmative High Praetorian, we have you. What is your report?"
"We have reached a large area on the other side of the mountain range. It is sparsely populated; we are yet to encounter any locals. We have however located a travel hub, akin to that of the Kron mining tracks. We'll follow these tracks to see where they lead."
"Received and understood High Praetorian. We await your next report." With that, Shade deactivated her communicator and looked out over the blue ocean.
Imperator Pir'Oth Ix picked up his golden cane and left his study. Since meeting with the intruder he had been working on a number of designs and plans. He had contacted the inventor and medical genius Doctor Zachary, who had been thrilled at the opportunity to examine a Mobian echidna.
As the Imperator strode along the corridors towards the dungeons, other Nocturnus echidnas scrambled out of his way. The Imperator was both respected and feared by his people. They knew he was prepared to do anything to ensure their survival, but it was that cold determination that brought shivers to all but the most strong willed.
He stopped in his stride at the top of the long flight of cold stone steps into the bowls of Nocturn and waited. He didn't have to wait long, as a nearby wall opened up and through it stepped the aging echidna scientist Doctor Zachary.
In his youth, Doctor Zachary had been a strong and capable warrior, and despite the ridicule and distrust his distinctive white fur brought him, he quickly and mercilessly defeated any and all opponents. But behind this once great warrior was a truly brilliant scientific mind. It was him who created the Gizoids, and with some aid he also perfected the process of cybernetic enhancements and replacements.
He wore nothing to hide the albino pigmentation of his fur, except for a golden pendent around his neck, a pair of golden bracelets and purple and gold boots.
"I am eager to see this new echidna, and to find out what has got you so fascinated with him." Said the elderly Doctor, a strange gleam in his purple eyes.
"Then let us not waist time, Zachary. Come." Pir'Oth Ix led the way down the stair, the Doctor a few paces behind.
As they disappeared from view, Julie-Su frowned, the obvious question of what they were up to flooding her mind.
First steps all round!
And three guesses where Shade and the Scouts might be heading.
What's in store for Knuckles?
How will the world react to the arrival of the echidnas?
And can I actually get Shadow and Cassie to solve the case that started this fic in the first place?
Your guess is as good as mine.
In other news, to all those who read FntS: Rise of the Daemon, this weekend heralds the publishing of my new story FntS: Forlorn's Duty.
Check it out and follow the journey of the last Forlorn as he steps out into the unknown.
Shameless advertising over.
This is Corrupt TE.
See you on the flip-side.