Every footstep Della made reverberated through the big empty room. I know I should have been listening to what she was saying, but it was such a perfect scene.

Right out of an action movie. I thought to myself, watching as if I'm just a viewer looking down at the situation. The girl who requires saving, the protagonist threatened with a gun while the antagonist gives a cliché speech as she paces about the room. I would've laughed if it weren't Shadow who had the gun to his head.

Aside from that thought, I couldn't help but notice the familiarity of our surroundings. It was a room I had to have been in before. The cracked glass wall from which I had entered, the broken stasis tube standing tall near the glass, the machinery sprawled casually about the room. The stainless steel panel that read... what did it say?

That's when it hit me.

"Project: Shadow"

The stories that Shadow and Della had told on his birthday came flooding back to me immensely.

But why did Della come here anyway? I wondered, realizing I probably should have been listening to her story. But then I thought, Why do we always wait around while the bad guys are distracted? Why don't we attack them during their story? Well, because we're either being held hostage with a weapon or imprisoned, of course. But it's not like she would react quickly enough if I was to try something, right?

When I bothered to look away from my surroundings I realized that Shadow was way ahead of me, trying to secretly pry a nail from the floor.

"...And so that's when I realized that Shadow and you, being the little troublemakers you are, would find out that I'm actually selling the government secrets. I made up the illusion that I 'cared about you two' or whatever, and that brings us around to my plans to kill you..." We only half-payed attention while Shadow and I exchanged glances of agreement. From what I could tell, he was going to throw the nail at her and we were going to make a run for it... something like that.

I didn't blame him for being hesitant, though. He had many chances to kill her that he didn't take. I mean, he wasn't a murderer, and he did grow up with this woman. Finally, as she began to talk us through the explosion, he took a golden opportunity and the nail embedded itself between her eyes. Not before she could fire the gun as her dying action, though. I screamed at the top of my lungs as Shadow attempted to evade.

Attempted.

I scrambled over to him as I saw him grip his side. "No, no no no no, Shadow...?" I whispered in denial as blood began to ooze through his fingers. "Shadow...?" I asked again, mentally begging God to erase this moment from time as I stared into his fear-filled eyes.

He just shook his head, saying, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"No. I refuse to believe this is really happening." I picked him up in my arms, not caring if there was going to be a big red stain on my nightgown.

I began to run out of the room but stopped before I even reached the doorway. A huge pain struck me right in my temples and I nearly dropped Shadow as I fell to my knees. "Maria?" He asked, "Are you okay?"

"Shut up." I replied, "You shouldn't be asking that question."

He tried to chuckle, but it sounded more like a choked sob. Then he said, "Is it your head?"

I nodded, closing my eyes as if that would relieve the pain. A scientist walking by in the hallway then saw us through the glass and rushed in.

I can't remember much more of that scene because that's when I blacked out.

But I do remember waking up in the same hospital bed as before, and this time Shadow was in a neighboring bed. I was hooked up to the damn cardiac monitor again, but it made me feel a little better when I saw that Shadow was stuck with one too. I remember my thoughts blurring together, not really connecting the way they should. "Why is that a why?" I asked, soon realizing that made no sense.

"What?" Shadow asked, trying to laugh again but failing the same way as before.

"I-I don't know." My head was hurting so badly that I hardly cared if I was speaking gibberish.

"A-am I going not?"

"Excuse me?"

"Am I going in-insane?" Shadow turned his head to me. His expression was so blank, as if he had just given up. He had a big bandage that covered his side and it made me wince just looking at it.

He didn't give me a yes or no answer. Just grabbed my hand in his and said, "We made it this far."

"Hm." I wanted to say yes, but couldn't see any joy in the situation other than the fact that we were alive.

"I won't be coming back." I mumbled. "Sorry, I mean, I won't be recovering from this, will I?"

"Don't think like that."

"It's such a thing."

I could tell he'd given up on making sense of me. Just stared at the ceiling. The same nurse as before entered soon after.

"Ms. Robotnik, I'm sorry to say we have some bad news."

"Go do some."

"We had a feeling your speech would be... ruptured. That's partly why we're here. Okay, so your brain has taken severe damage, and this strange virus is still spreading through it. I'm sorry, but you won't live to see tomorrow." She took a pause for it all to soak in, and the only thing I could think to do was see how Shadow was taking it. He had his hands folded across his stomach and continued to stare at the ceiling, but I could hear his monitor spike and his ragged breathing. He was trying not to burst into tears.

"The process has already started, with the headaches and occasional loss of consciousness. Soon, mood swings will begin to show, followed by vomiting, and then death. We're sorry, Ms. Robotnik."

They left and Shadow and I were alone again. What was I supposed to say? We sat in silence. Cold, dark, unforgiving silence.

"Well damn, Shadow, this was all worth it. I swear."

He looked to me with horror on his face, but continued to be silent. Finally, he responded with, "Whatever you say, Maria."

Hey readers! Sorry if this wasn't that great of a chapter, I've been procrastinating about writing this for a while and decided I needed to continue it, so I did what I could. I hope you enjoyed it, because I lost the data twice! Seriously

-TheVideoGamer