Ch.2
I am not sure how long we were running, but I knew we were going to be caught real soon. "Cassie, you still remember the way to the shelter?" I asked as we both ran franticly down the hall. "Yeah! Its-Its right down here!" she gasped. She stopped bluntly causing me to get jerked back a bit. "Ouch." "Sorry…" she whispered as she tried unlocking the door. "Cassie! We wont make it! What's wrong with it?" I snapped. She hissed in frustration. "Its jammed!" I then got worried. I knew Shadow or Eggman would catch up in a matter of seconds…I then got a crazy idea. "Cassie! We need to get into the shafts!" she stared at me like I was insane, and then said in shock, "WHAT?" I grabbed her arm and hoisted her up onto the side of the lockers. "I'm serious! He wont find us as easily up here! Quick, push the ceiling up." I whispered as I nervously looked around. Cassie did and smiled, "I got it! Give me your hand!" I reached out, and just then I heard the sound of fast moving feet. "Hurry!" she said again." I got up on the locker, and then we both climbed into the ceiling and pushed the side back.
"This is gross." I heard Cassie whisper as we crawled along the bars in the ceiling. "Just hang in there. If we can just get by-" my words were cut off as I plumped through the ground I was on, and onto the floor of the building. Fragments of the ceiling fell on me. I growled in disgust and then tried standing. I yelped in pain. "Ouch…" "CLAIRE! ARE YOU OK?" Cassie whispered in worry. I stood and rubbed my shoulder. "Yeah, I am alright. Just a bad landing." I answered. I looked up to see Cassie trying to get out. "Here, reach, and I will get you down." I whispered. "Ok.." Cassie locked her foot into the side, and gave me her hand. "Alright, now, just let go-OW!" Cassie and I both collapsed on the ground. I groaned with ache in my back. "Oww…" I moaned laying down. Cassie stood up and leaned against the wall. "I'm sorry…" "It isn't your fault…" I answered as I leaned up. It was silent until I heard a quiet clapping noise. Both Cassie and I looked over to see Shadow. His eyes pierced through me as he came up to us both with a grin on his face. He sighed and leaned against the locker. "That was quite a performance there girls." He laughed. Cassie knelt down and began helping me to my feet. "I was going to take it from you the hard way, but it looks like you just made my job easy."
He was half right on that note. I felt exhausted and sore. I looked fine on the outside, except for some bruises. Cassie was shaking a bit from the fall as well. I stood all the way up but fell back to my knees grabbing my stomach. Shadow stepped up a bit, but Cassie growled at him to stay back. He was silent for a moment until Eggman came up from behind. "Hello Girls. I am going to make this as brief as I can. I need those emeralds…But it seems you made enough trouble to get them." He chuckled. I looked up feeling the piercing pain in my stomach. Shadow had his eyes shut and arms crossed looking down. I gasped a bit and then stood all the way up. "Are you going to be ok?" Cassie whispered to me. I smiled a bit at her. "I been in worse." Eggman snapped his fingers and robots then surrounded us again. "I am giving you once chance to give up your emeralds. If you don't, I will pursue you." He said quietly. I looked at everyone and then sighed. "Cassie, I think we are in too much of a bind to get out now."
Cassie's mouth opened and her eyes filled with tears. "But Claire-" 'Cassie I know these are important but I think its best we hand them over." "Claire we cant! It-" "Cassie please understand, this is the only way out of this." "But Claire! My chaos emerald is gone!" Cassie cried. I stared at her in complete dis-belief. Eggman arched an eyebrow as he listened. "What do you mean?" I said leaning up a bit more. "I think when my emerald re-acted it…I don't know!" she said alarmed. I looked at her and then I dug through her purse. It was gone. I then froze. I dug through mine and as well, no emerald. I turned back around to Shadow and Eggman who were watching us intently."I see what has happened…your emeralds might of been absorbed by you both." Eggman said. Both me and Cassie looked at each other. "Shadow, can you check just to make sure there not hiding them somewhere else?" Eggman mumbled. Shadow nodded and stepped up. Cassie and I grabbed each other worried. He looked at us in thought and then said, "They did absorb them."
My heart sank. We absorbed them? I froze and then looked at Cassie. "Claire I'm scared." She whispered. "Me too…" I said turning my attention back to Eggman. "Well, the only thing we can do is take you along for the ride! Ha-ha!" Eggman laughed. That's when I was truly afraid. "Hold up! There is no way we are both going with you!" I snapped. Eggman gave Shadow a look and he then grabbed me firmly behind the back. "Hey! You let me go this minute! You hear me Shadow! This is a violation! I demand to be released!" Cassie watched in shock as I was shoved away. "If your smart girl you will go." Cassie gave a worried glare but then walked along in defeat. Cassie turned around and saw there was at least 10 robots in behind them all. She then looked up at Eggman and then me. "You better watch over your friend there. I don't have a lot of patience for…pests." And with that, we were pushed away.