The Light That Never Comes

by 2627354

It's been several years since the heroes of earth split up, and Shadow the Hedgehog is one of GUN's most famous agents. However, when he is framed for a bloody attack on a space station, he finds himself cornered, with both allies and foes against him. Will he fight his way out with old friends and enemies, or fail and face the death that waits for him and all who help him?

2. Chapter 1: Hospital Escape

A/n: Howdy, fanfiction readers! Here's the first chapter of The Light That Never Comes! As with most fanfictions, I don't own anything but the OCs! Enjoy!

Shadow awoke with a jerk, flinching in pain at the bright light above him. He tried to bring his hands up to his head, only getting pain in his wrists in return for his effort. Unable to do anything else, he just yelled in pain. After he finished yelling, he tried opening his eyes again. All that met him was harsh white fluorescent light. Finally his vision cleared and he could see his surroundings. As he looked around he was met with a pair of electric blue eyes.

"Hello, you are Shadow, yes?" the owner, a pale human woman with short black hair and a Russian accent, asked. She had her slender arms crossed and seemed to be giving him a disapproving stare.

"Uh… I think so." He said, looking down at his body to see handcuffs around his wrists and ankles, keeping him restrained to what appeared to be a hospital bed. Bandages crisscrossed his entire body, with thick bandaging going around his lower torso, especially at his bullet wound. He could hear what sounded like urgent crowds outside his room. "Where the heck am I?"

"You are at the Grand Eiffel International Hospital." The nurse replied. "I am Natalya Belinski, and I am here as part of the International Tutoring Program."

"That would explain why a Russian doctor is in a French hospital…" Shadow replied, idly struggling against his restraints.

"That, and it is an international hospital, idiot." She muttered, rolling her eyes as he struggled uselessly.

"You do realize-" Natalya immediately swore in Russian as Shadow jerked his body and immediately regretted it, flinching in pain.

"YOU DIDN'T TAKE THE FREAKING BULLET OUT?" he yelled, sweating in pain as he lay on the bed.

"I would've, but GUN wouldn't let us do anything more than make sure you lived." She informed him unhappily, "And sadly, that bullet isn't deadly as yet." The Russian doctor's frown got even deeper as Mulder poked his head in through the door, his eye still swollen almost shut.

"They let you take the bullet out yet?" He asked her, eyebrow raised.

"Nyet."

"'lright… Lemme know if that changes." The fox muttered before leaving again. Natalya turned back to Shadow with an eyebrow raised. The black hedgehog looked up, meeting her questioning stare as his pain finally dulled to a throb.

"We used to be partners… Before…"

"Before someone framed you for attacking that space station?" She finished for him. "At least, that's what my friend keeps telling me, 'Shadow's a hero' this, 'He would do no such thing' that."

"Who is your friend?" he asked, flinching as several doctors ran past, rolling a crying bomb victim on a bed down the hall.

"Here she is, now, actually." Natalya replied, before stepping out of the room. Shadow's breath caught and his heart skipped like a CD player on a gravel road as he saw who walked in. Amy Rose… Has officially grown up.

"Uh… Um…" Was all Shadow could say, stumbling like a schoolboy for words.

"Hello, Shadow." Amy replied, smiling at him. She was wearing green scrubs and had a paper mask pulled down to her neck. Shadow couldn't help but notice how pretty she was… And how shapely her body had gotten since the team had split up…

Shadow blushed and shook the thoughts from his mind, looking up to meet the pink hedgehog's emerald eyes. They shone with a lively energy, but Shadow could see the fatigue lying underneath.

"So… Are you a nurse now?" he asked, stumbling over his words as he tried to speak to the pink hedgehog.

"Actually… I'm a surgeon." She replied, earning a double take from the Ultimate Lifeform.

"Well…"

"You didn't expect me to be smart enough to be a surgeon at twenty-two, did you?" She said, smiling knowingly.

"Well, no, it's just… Yes." Shadow said, flustered as he tried not to offend the pink hedgehog. He had had many painful lessons from various female GUN agents during his career, and he wasn't keen on getting another one from Amy's hammer.

"Don't worry, I won't smash you this time…" She told him. "I just wanted to let you know that I don't believe it was really you that did either of those things. I'm on your side, Shadow, and I'm going to help you, whether you want me to or not." She immediately pressed her hand against his mouth as he tried to object.

"Shut it. Your friend Mike already contacted me. You'll find my phone and bluetooth on the bedside table, and you can use the paperclip on these papers here to pick your handcuffs." She informed him, setting a stack of papers on the bed next to his hand. Before she could leave, however, Shadow noticed something about her hands and wrists.

"Rose, wait…" He said, cocking his head to the side at his discovery. "Are your arms… Pink now?"

Amy looked down at her hands and giggled. "Yeah, turns out fashion in France can even be about fur on your arms! I had my peach colored fur changed to pink!" Shadow raised an eyebrow at her.

"Females and fashion… I will never get it." He muttered to himself as she laughed and walked out of the room. He watched through the large window by the door as Amy started to flirt with the guards. The hedgehog (who Shadow had to admit was pretty attractive) quickly got their attention and drew it away from the wall-spanning window next to his door. Shadow quickly pulled the paperclip off the stack of papers, thinking about how Amy could have put it a little closer to his hand, and picked the lock on the first handcuff. He sat up and looked out the window, watching the guards as he absentmindedly picked the lock on the other handcuff without looking. Reaching down to his ankles, the ebony hedgehog flinched as his bullet wound was compressed. Once the handcuffs on his ankles were off he jumped off the bed, landing silently.

Reaching for the phone on the table, he glanced over the bed, seeing the two guards still flirting with Amy. Feeling himself start to glare involuntarily, he put the bluetooth in his ear as he questioned the anger in his chest. She's a friend, but… you don't feel that way. Shadow thought to himself as he covertly pulled the curtain around the bed, hoping that the guards wouldn't think any different of it. Do you? He immediately got a call on the phone as Amy finished flirting and walked away.

Hiding behind the curtains, he crouched and answered the call, before putting Amy's phone, a pink and black iPhone 4, in the pocket of his hospital pants.

"Howdy, loser." Came a deep, rough voice dripping with sarcasm. "Climb out the window and go along the ledge for five rooms to your left. It should be empty."

"Should?" Shadow asked as he crouch-walked to the window. "You're not making me feel very confident in your plan, Mike."

"Hey, did my plan work with that mission in the White House a couple of years ago?"

"No."

"Oh… Well, this will, so stop complaining." Mike told Shadow as he stepped out onto the ledge, the entire front half of the Ultimate Lifeform's feet sticking out from the ledge. Swearing at the cold, he began to shimmy to his left, thanking the Hospital's architect for leaving the entire side of the outside of the wall flat except for the ledge.

"What do I do once I get in there?" Shadow asked as he shimmied, trying not to look down.

"You'll bandage your face up and put on the paper dress… Gown, whatever. You'll sneak your way out." Mike informed him.

"Alright…" Shadow replied, breathing rather heavily.

"Wait, are you afraid of heights?" Mike asked him. "I can see you specifically keeping your eyes pointed up from here…"

"Not afraid of heights, just falling… If my feet actually fit on the ledge, I'd be perfectly fine." Shadow told his friend, flinching as a small chunk of the ledge fell off.

"Oh… Well, you're on the 56th floor."

"You piece of s***!" Shadow exclaimed angrily, starting to sweat as he shuffled along faster. The black hedgehog truly wasn't afraid of heights, but he was telling the truth when he said he was afraid of falling, ever since the ARK. He never admitted it to anyone, but he almost died of a heart attack while he was helping Sonic to defeat the Biolizard.

"If it's any comfort, you'd easily survive the drop." Mike told him, his voice letting Shadow know he was grinning his head off.

"Not really… It just tells me that I'd be in pain…"

"So, you gloat about being the Ultimate Lifeform every chance you get, yet when you get up on a 56th-floor ledge, you crap your pants?" Mike asked him, his voice incredulous.

"Sure, why not." Shadow replied, getting a snicker from Mike as he opened the window and climbed through.

"Nice butt, by the way."

"Shut it, moron." Shadow muttered as he finished climbing through, slipping and falling to the ground as he did so.

"Way to biff it, idiot." Mike snickered.

"How can you see me anyway?"

"I'm on a rooftop nearby."

"Nice… May need you for extraction later." Shadow replied, looking around the dark room.

"The blinds are closed and the curtain over the door window is pulled. You have all the privacy you need for disguising yourself." Mike informed him as he (unknowingly to Shadow) checked the Features on iFunny.

"Thanks… And I can hear you snickering, get off iFunny." Shadow told him angrily.

"Fine." Mike muttered in reply. "You'll find some bandages to cover your face and quills and a hospital gown to cover your body. Get to work dude, it won't be long before those idiots notice you're gone."

"Workin' on it… How'd you get this stuff in here?" Shadow asked as he grabbed a roll of gauze and started wrapping it all over his head. "Did you actually go in here earlier? I thought that the new Commander didn't let you do jack anymore, cause he hates you."

"Yeah, but your beautiful lady friend was all too willing to help with the plan when she could."

"She's not my lady friend." Shadow muttered quietly, pulling the gauze tight so that his quills would remain close to his head.

"Yeah, but from your voice I'm guessing you wish it was otherwise?" Mike questioned, his voice dripping with sadistic glee.

"Shut it." Shadow growled, slipping on a hospital gown before looking through the blinds on the door window, checking for anyone standing outside. Other than the usual doctors and nurses rushing past, dealing with a severe terrorist attack (a terrorist who Shadow couldn't wait to make suffer) there was no one there… Except a certain pink hedgehog, no doubt waiting for him.

"Before you ask, yes she's there." a new, less gruff voice informed him. "You know better than anyone we plan everything out."

"Yeah, Alex… I know." Shadow replied as he opened the door, smiling slightly in return to Amy's bright smile.

"Hey." She greeted, taking his hand in hers. "I'm glad you're okay." Shadow noticed she was glancing around, and realized that she was bluffing to appear like a normal girl finding her friend who survived the bombing.

"Thanks…" Shadow replied quietly, gently squeezing her hand and smiling. He didn't intend to stare, but found her emerald eyes strangely hypnotic…

"Amy!" a voice called called. The two turned as Natalya walked towards them, clipboard still firmly in hand.

"Yes, Natalya?" Amy asked, pulling Shadow to her side.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you and… your boyfriend, but one of those agent guys wants to talk to you." Natalya informed her apologetically, her eyes darting between Amy and Shadow.

"Thanks. I'll head right there." Amy replied. Natalya nodded and walked away to finish checking on the other patients on that floor.

"Alright, Jack," Amy said, turning to Shadow, "Your brother's are waiting outside the lobby downstairs. I trust you can get there without me?" Shadow nodded in reply.

"It was only a minor concussion, so you should be fine. I love you, sweetie." She said to him, before standing up on her toes and planting a kiss on the taller Shadow's cheek. Before standing down she whispered into his ear, one of the only things left exposed by the gauze. "You do have a concussion, but only something minor. Just fair warning."

"Thanks for the heads up." The Ultimate Lifeform whispered back. Amy gave him one last reassuring smile before walking down the hallway. However, as she rounded the corner, Shadow was hit with a frightening realisation.

"Wait… When Natalya said Agents, did she mean…" Shadow trailed off, staring wide-eyed down the hall.

"I don't know for sure, but I did hear a rumor that Grays would be there." Alex informed him, his rapid-fire typing easily heard in the background by Shadow's sensitive ears.

"I heard there might be Colors as well, after the bomb attack." Mike added, also typing now.

"Wait… You mean there's more than Red now?!" Shadow asked, starting to walk quickly down the hall.

"Yeah… But it's assuredly a Gray they'll have ask her the questions." Alex replied.

"That's not a comfort in any way…" Shadow whispered, hurriedly walking back towards Natalya. Seeing her walk past a utility close, he quickly closed the distance to the human and, taking a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching (or at least not watching closely) he grabbed her arm and yanked her into the utility closet, closing the door behind him. She immediately began protesting in Russian as he held her against the wall by her shoulders.

"Where did Amy go?" Shadow asked angrily, glaring into Natalya's eyes.

"Why? Are you some kind of stalker?" Natalya snapped back, her own defiant glare not wavering for a second.

"You honestly can't recognize my eyes and voice?" Shadow asked, raising his bandage covered eyebrow.

"Shadow?!" Natalya questioned incredulously.

"Yes, and unless you tell me where she is, she could be in danger." Shadow informed her, letting go of her shoulders.

"Why would she be in danger?"

"Did the agent you were talking about look like me?"

"Yes… I did think that was rather strange." Natalya commented as she avoided Shadow's glaring ruby eyes.

"Well, they're part of a special forces experiment, and trust me, they're allowed to do anything they want." The Ebony Hedgehog informed her, his eyes filled with the unusual (at least, to him) emotion of worry. "And I mean, anything."

Natalya gulped, her eyes wide, before quietly whispering "Okay… I'll tell you where she's going.

Amy tapped her foot impatiently as the elevator slowed to a stop, before slipping through the opening doors as soon as she could fit. Walking briskly down the hallway, she found a surgery room that had been set to the side for talking to witnesses. What seemed like a clone of Shadow, the only difference being his stripe was gray as opposed to red, was standing right outside the door. He stepped to the side and let her in as she approached, a sinister smile on his face.

"Greetings Ms. Rose, I am Agent Smith." He greeted, following her into the room and shutting the door behind them. Amy snorted in response.

"I highly doubt you've got that level of martial arts skill anyway…" She muttered. "And also, if the government has special agents identical to Shadow, how are we supposed to believe it was truly Shadow that did those things?"

"Well, honestly, we only suspect it was Shadow who blew the s*** out of that mall, but we have an eyewitness against him at the Space Station." Smith informed her, grinning at her as she shuddered, taking a step back.

"An eyewitness?" She asked, keeping a nervous eye on Smith as he followed her a she continued to back away, frightened by the naked bloodlust showing on his face.

"The only survivor." Smith replied, his grin growing ever wider as Amy found her back against the wall, Smith closing the gap between them.

"Uh…" The pink hedgehog stammered as the agent stood so close she could feel his warm breath on her muzzle.

"What's the matter?" He whispered harshly, cocking his head to the side as he placed one hand on the wall over her shoulder and the other on her hip, before leaning in close. "You scared?"

"Who wouldn't be…" Amy whispered back, praying he wouldn't notice as she slowly reached for the scalpel on a nearby table with surgical tools. She flinched as he slowly moved his hand up, moving her shirt up and gently stroking the soft, somewhat thick layer of pudge he found there. As he continued to violate her personal space, Smith leaned in and whispered in her ear "I know he's here and I know you helped."

Shadow walked down the hall as fast as he could. Avoiding the elevator had been a mistake, but with the two soldiers that had been in it, he couldn't take the chance, especially since his escape could be discovered at any moment.

As the black hedgehog trotted down the hall, he noticed a full fireteam of French soldiers marching his way, followed by a fireteam of soldiers from NGW (Next-Generation Warfare), the PMC employed by the new GUN Commander. He immediately slammed through the door of the closest restroom (thankfully the men's) and hoped that the soldiers didn't notice a rather suspicious patient strangely rushing through a door.

Hiding next to the door, he listened closely as the heavy boots pounded fast, hoping for info as much as a lack of soldiers smashing into the bathroom.

"What's the rush for?" One soldier asked in a French accent.

"Apparently someone dangerous was spotted in the hospital." A voice with an American accent, most likely from the NGW, replied, fading rapidly. "They're sending us to check it out. I heard someone say it was a McAlister, whatever that means." McAlister? Shadow thought to himself as they passed.

"Mike? Were they talking about you?" Shadow asked, trying to hear the bluetooth. All he got in reply, however, was static. Wondering what was going on, he pulled out Amy's phone and clicked the screen on, only to see Amy and Cream's bloody, mutilated corpses grinning back at him. His eyes wide at this discovery, this elicited a reaction from him that had only happened once before. Shadow screamed in horror as he dropped the phone, which cracked as it bounced off the tile floor.

Falling to the ground, Shadow crab-walked backwards, panting heavily, until he collided with the sink. Staring wide-eyed where the phone lay on the ground, Shadow almost screamed again when he felt a finger tapping him on the shoulder. Falling forward, he rolled over as fast as he could, looking with wide eyes as he found… Nothing. He was imagining things.

Hey, buddy. Up here.

Or, maybe he wasn't. Looking up into the mirror, Shadow saw a glimpse of pink there, pink that wasn't a reflection. Standing up, he looked in the mirror. There he saw himself, standing there with… Amy Rose in his arms. Both had wedding rings and loving smiles on their faces.

This could be you.

Shadow flinched, staring at the "reflection." He couldn't admit it even to himself, but for some reason, that image, that happy life… did seem appealing.

But it never will be.

Shadow stared in fear as the image changed, slowly and rapidly at the same time, making itself much more like that on the phone. Reflection Shadow's jaw rotted and fell off. Amy's skin mottled and shrank, tearing in various places. Maggots started going everywhere as the two bodies rotted away.

Now almost whimpering, Shadow fell to the ground again, crawling backwards until he found a corner to hide in, unseen hands, clamming and ragged, started pulling at his arms and the bandages on his head. Hoping it would all end soon, Shadow started to wish for death.

You'll never be happy.

You'll Suffer your whole life.

THEY ALL WILL!

Just as Shadow was about to scream, he felt something human grip his arm, and a comfortingly gruff voice came to his attention.

"Hey, kid, you okay?" The voice of an older man asked. Looking up from where he had his head between his knees, Shadow saw a somewhat short human with graying brown hair and thin spectacles, sporting a slightly bloodied bandage around his head.. Sniffing slightly, Shadow stood up, picking the phone up off the floor.

"Yeah… I was just having…" Shadow found himself at a loss of words, unable to explain what he saw.

"War leave you with some problems?" The man asked, looking Shadow over. The black hedgehog immediately began to form ideas inspired by the old man's question.

"Yeah… I thought all this stuff would leave me when I left the Army." Shadow replied, scratching at the back of his neck.

"Don't worry kid." Said the man, patting Shadow's shoulder. "It'll be tough at times, but your friends will always be there to help."

"Thanks… Speaking of which, I need to go find my friends now." Shadow smiled, giving the man a slight hug.

"Good luck kid."

"You too." As Shadow walked to the door, his mind went back to the image of his and Amy's corpses. What the hell was that? He thought to himself as he placed his hand on the door, before shaking it from his mind and walking out.

Practically jogging down the hall now, Shadow finally reached the room that Natalya had told him the agents had wanted Amy to report to. Having been unable to call Mike again after the… Episode in the bathroom, Shadow pulled the bluetooth out of his ear. Clenching his fist in preparation for a fight, he swallowed his dread and walked through the door. What he found left him surprised and worried.

Ignoring the bloodstained body of Smith on the floor, Shadow dashed to where Amy stood wide-eyed, staring at Smith's body.

"Rose? You okay?" He asked, worriedly glancing at her blood-coated scrubs. She slowly turned to see him, before looking down at the bloody scalpel in her hand, forcing her fingers open.

Flinching as it clanged to the floor, she replied "I'm fine… But… But…" Tears welled up in her eyes as Shadow reluctantly wrapped his arms around her.

"It'll be okay, Rose…" He whispered gently into her ear.

"But… I killed a man… I killed him!" Amy exclaimed, tears falling freely now.

"Rose… It was self-defense." Shadow replied, taking her by the shoulders and looking her in the eyes. "And trust me, if you hadn't killed him, he would've done far worse to you and gotten away with it."

"I know…" Amy whispered. "He was touching me, right before I stabbed him… Touching me, and threatening me…" Shadow's eyes began to shine with anger as he looked down at the body of the agent, still grinning up at them.

"Rose, those guys… They'll be our enemies from now on." Shadow informed her. "They're a super-soldier experiment based on my DNA. There's the Grays, like him, who are less powerful, but easier and cheaper to make. Then there's the Colors, now, apparently, besides just Red. Their stripes are colored, and they're each alot more powerful… Maybe even more so than me." He admitted, looking down.

"So… I'll have to deal with those guys often now?" Amy asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.

"Yes, but what I was trying to say, is… They're nothing like me." He told her, kneeling next to Smith's body and pulling the Agent's handgun holster and clip carrier from his belt. "They're womanizing, violent-Well, maybe I'm violent, but not as much as them-vicious, under-handed SOBs that are willing to do anything not just to get the job done, but to please themselves as well." He informed her, sticking the holster in the front waistband of his hospital pants, under his paper gown. "Do not hesitate to kill them, Rose. Cause they won't hesitate to pull the trigger on you."

Sniffling, Amy whispered "Okay…" Before drying the rest of her tears. Taking a deep breath, she put on a defiant expression and straightened up. "They won't get away with framing you for those crimes!"

"Actually, they might not necessarily be involved with framing me, but I got a phone call from someone who is right before the mall exploded." Shadow informed her as Amy tried to wash the blood from her scrubs. Giving up, she sighed and asked "Who?"

"I don't know, some guy called The Doctor."

"Who?"

"He called himself The Doctor, I don't know who he actually…" Shadow glanced at Amy and saw her sly smile. "You were referencing Doctor Who, weren't you?"

"Eyup!" Amy replied in a deep voice.

"And there's a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic reference." Shadow sighed.

"And how would you know that?" Amy laughed, looking at him.

"Me." Came a deep voice. Looking around, the two couldn't see anyone else in the room.

"In your pocket, idiot. I hacked her phone and put it on speaker." Alex's voice added, causing Shadow to pull it out and set it between his and Amy's ears… Where Amy could see the screen.

"Wait… WhatthefrickhappenedtomySCREEN?" Amy practically screamed, glaring at Shadow, who backed away.

"Uh…" The Ultimate Lifeform was at a loss for words as Alex snickered over the phone. "Um…" His face flushed red as he fought for words. "I dropped it in the restroom I hid from soldiers in… When… I had a nightmare of sorts."

"Wait, what kind of nightmare?" Alex asked, immediately serious. "Frightening images? Corpses? Voices talking about suffering and dreams?"

"Spot on…"

"S***. It's a kind of spell, or curse, weak now, but… It can be used to cause you to enter a hallucinatory world, getting stronger every time until it reaches the point where its creations can kill you." Alex informed him.

"Well, we'll have to find that out later, 'cause those PMC guys are coming!" Amy yelled, peeking out the door.

"Oh, yeah, the plan!" Alex remembered. "When we lost contact with you, Shadow started heading in. You're on the 50th floor now, right?"

"Yes."

"Mike found a trash chute on the 48th floor that you can use to reach the the first floor. He's heading your way, but you're gonna have to go loud." Alex told him as Shadow pulled the holster out, then removed the pistol, a .40 S&W Glock, and pulling the slide.

"By the way, go non-lethal."

"Really?"

"Everyone but NGW." Alex ordered, earning an involuntary nod from Shadow.

"That's what I was planning." Shadow replied, watching as the NGW soldiers passed. "I think they found me missing."

"Wait, why do you not care about NGW casualties?" Amy asked, her eyebrow raised.

"They have a shady history, under different names." Alex informed her as Shadow stuck his head out the door, looking for more soldiers.

"Ooooooh." the pink hedgehog replied as Shadow ducked back in, bullets smashing the door frame.

"You know, just 'cause I said you're going loud didn't mean you had to take the bandages off, idiot." Alex sighed. "I saw you stick your head out like a numbskull. Hospital needs better firewalls for their cameras." Sighing, Shadow ignored the shrapnel flying from the door and wall and took the phone off speaker, reactivated the bluetooth, and shoved the device (gently) into Amy's ear.

"Here, annoy her." He said, handing the phone to Amy.

"Alright, you'll head to your right down the hall." Alex informed Amy, who relayed the info to Shadow. Waiting for the moment of a reload, Shadow found the pause and leaned out past the ruined wall and door frame, firing the entire 15 round magazine at the soldiers, killing one and injuring the other. Running out, he rapidly approached the injured soldier, who was trying to crawl away, and pistol whipped him.

"You just knocked that guy out?" Amy asked, looking down at the bodies as she approached. Shadow shrugged.

"I prefer not to shoot the injured. He wasn't a threat." he replied, before reaching down and taking their weapons and ammo. He grabbed one of the 9mm Glocks the soldiers used and placed it to the side. Pulling the bulletproof vest off the dead soldier, he handed it to Amy.

"Here, put this on." He told her. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm not gonna see you get hurt!" Shadow exclaimed. Sighing, Amy quickly put on the vest.

"Thirty seconds until reinforcements arrive." Alex informed him. "More NGW."

Wondering if he was going crazy, Shadow handed Amy the soldier's belt as well, containing his sidearm. He also handed her the soldier's main weapon, a Heckler and Koch MP5, with non-adjustable stock, attached flashlight and Navy trigger grouping.

"Please don't shoot me." He asked, before pushing her towards the staircase down the hall.

"Fifteen seconds."

Taking off the gown and putting on the other soldier's vest, Shadow picked the other glock off the ground, along with the other soldier's HK416 carbine, with angled foregrip and Aimpoint sight.

"Ten seconds."

Spinning on his heels and turning, Shadow sped towards the door to the stairs, where Amy stood. Just as he reached her he heard Alex say "Zero seconds." Shoving Amy to the side, he whipped around and raised the 416, assessing the situation. One soldier was diving into a room on one side of the hall and one of his comrades the other, with three soldiers standing in the center still, weapons raised. Letting off two three-round bursts into the center soldier, the Ultimate Lifeform fell backwards as a fusillade of bullets tore the doorway apart. Rolling backwards down the stairs, he grunted as he hit the bottom.

"Shadow, you okay?" Amy called down, worry clouding her features.

"Yeah… I'm fine…" Shadow replied, picking himself off the ground as the bullets stopped. Peeking through a rather large bullet hole in the wall, Amy saw three of the soldiers slowly advancing with their weapons raised. The one that Shadow shot was lying on the ground, with the final soldier trying to treat his injury. Amy quickly flipped the light off, making it so the only light in the room came from the hall and bullet holes in the wall. Pushing herself into the corner of the T-shaped stairwell (two utility closets flanked each side) and laid on her back, her head propped up by the wall, and aimed between her knees. Smiling as Shadow silently jumped up in the downwards side of the staircase, jumping off the wall a second time and pressing his legs outwards, propping himself up in the classic Splinter Cell splits-jump, his weapon aimed just over the rail.

"Okay, Amy." Alex told her, "Your MP5 has armor piercing bullets, so not only will your weapon be fairly efficient, it will go through the wall better. This is good, as the guys will have one peek in and the other two unload through the wall where he got shot from, so you'll have to shoot them as well.

"Don't worry, they'll just be on either side of the doorway, so you'll just have to sweep side-to-side. Nod if you understand." Nodding, Amy took aim at the door. "Okay, they'll be there in a second. Get ready."

Silently watching, the three soldiers approached the door. The one in the center walked through, and Shadow held up three fingers.

Three.

Two.

One.

Firing full auto, Amy and Shadow swept their weapons across the doorway repeatedly, unleashing a deafening rain of bullets on the soldiers. The one in the door didn't stand a chance, cut down seconds after the gunfire started. The other two put up more of a fight, actually firing their weapons, but in vain as they too were gunned down in the hedgehog duo's bulletstorm.

Click.

On the floor lay three bodies, each of them riddled with bullets. One hundred and twenty bullet casings littered the tile, some still rolling.

"Extended mags. Gotta love 'em." Alex commented as he saw the spectacle over the camera.

"Yeah. C'mon Amy." Shadow said, bringing his legs together and dropping down. Amy quickly got up and ran down the stairs, glancing apologetically through the door at the last soldier, who was to scared to follow.

"So, why'd we take those guys out, instead of just running?" She asked as he stopped her by the door to the 48th floor.

"They would've chased us down the stairs, and we wouldn't have had the same tactical advantage we had there. Let me reload your MP5." He told her, holding out his hand. He watched in awe as she quickly locked the bolt back, replaced the magazine, and slapped the bolt back into place.

Noticing his inquisitive stare, she informed him "I play lots of videogames." Grinning, Shadow pushed the door open a crack, checking for guards or soldiers. Finding none, he found the hallway eerily empty, except for a dark figure standing down at the end, a red glow surrounding it. Fearing another hallucination like in the bathroom, Shadow looked to his side, where Amy was still standing.

"Rose…"

"Yeah, Shadow, it's still me and Alex is still blabbing." She said, taking his hand with a comforting smile. Sighing in relief, Shadow looked back down the hall where the figure stood. Recognizing its tall, muscular stature, he walked forward, his head cocked to the side.

"Mike?" He called out.

"Yeah, hurry your a**es up!" the figure, Mike, replied. Jogging forward, Amy and Shadow approached the figure, who grew into better definition as they approached the shadows where he was standing. He was a tall brown hedgehog, wearing a black Linkin Park T-shirt, a black trench coat, blue jeans, and neon green and black Filas. He wasn't overly large, but he was quite muscular, enough so that Amy would guess he was either a soldier or a baseball player.

"C'mon, we don't have long." He muttered, grabbing Shadow and throwing him into the trash chute, before standing aside to let Amy through. "Make sure you gun is on safe, just in case." Amy nodded and flicked the fire selector, before climbing in the chute. Holding up the lid, Mike leaned back to enjoy the view.

"Stop checking my a** out." Amy said as she lowered herself down, following Shadow, who had gone a lot further due to Mike throwing him.

"Yes ma'am." Mike replied, averting his eyes while Amy shimmied down. Looking down again, he noticed she had shimmied far enough down the chute for him to fit. Climbing in after her, he grunted as his shoe got caught on the edge of the lid of the chute. Pushing his foot back out and turning it sideways, he pulled it back in. Now shimmying down with Amy, he tried leaning his head back.

"Try to check me out again and I'll make sure you never have kids." Slamming his chin back down to stare straight ahead, Mike muttered an apology, watching the metal pass by his face.

"Oh, and Shadow?" Mike called.

"Yeah?" Came the faint reply.

"We have a slight problem."

"What?"

"Alex and I can't access our demon powers, for some reason."

"WHAT!?" Shadow and Amy yelled in unison, Shadow because this was bad news, Amy because she learned that it had been a demon that was checking her out a few moments ago.

"Yeah… We don't know what happened." Mike admitted sheepishly. "We also suspect you can't use your chaos powers."

"Great, just great." Shadow muttered, his voice growing louder as they drew closer to him.

"Shadow, please explain to me why I'm shimmying down a trash chute with a demon climbing right behind me!" Amy exclaimed, her voice several pitches higher.

"Well, if you didn't want him checking your butt out, you should've made him go first!"

"That's not the biggest point, the biggest point is he's a demon!"

"He's a good demon." Amy sighed, and looked back at Mike, who gave her a thumbs and a reassuring grin, which wasn't so reassuring when he was just holding himself up with one hand and his feet.

"Alright…" She muttered.

"If I may say so-" Mike started, only to get cut off by the pink hedgehog.

"Yes, I know, it's very nice. Plenty of creeps around the hospital tell me everyday." Amy muttered with a sigh.

"Actually, you're about to lose your phone." Mike said, before reaching out and grabbing the phone as it slipped out of her pocket.

"Thanks." Amy said as he slipped it into a buttoned pocket on his coat, which strangely was defying the laws of physics and refusing to fall down around his body, which Amy noticed as she looked down… Well, up.

"How does your coat stay like that?" She asked Mike. The demon grinned in return.

"When I say we can't use our demon powers, that doesn't mean we can't do small things, like control how fabric moves, or-"

"Or create an aura?" Amy finished.

"Yeah, we can create an aura still. I did that to keep ordinary people out of that hall for when you got there." Mike informed her.

"Ah. Say, Shadow, where are we? My arms are starting to hurt…" Amy whimpered, looking up, er, down at the Ultimate Lifeform.

"We just passed the tenth floor." He replied, eliciting a groan from the rose hedgehog. Laughing lightly, Shadow put his hands on the metal bottom of the shaft, lowering himself to the bottom, where there was a flat area just wide enough for a single person right before it gave way to a long incline.

"Be sure you don't slip and fall." He called up to Amy, who was a slight ways away still, before climbing through the opening.

"Wha? Oh, you suck!" She called, realizing he had duped her about the distance left.

After Amy and Mike had reached the bottom and climbed out, they found themselves right next to a janitor's closet in a dimly lit corridor.

"Where's this?" Mike asked, looking around.

"They were running out of places to put dead bodies, so they set aside some halls where they'd use the rooms to keep them." Amy informed them sadly. She and Mike looked at Shadow, who stared down the hall with anger and sorrow raging in his eyes.

"How big was the explosion?" He asked, his voice vibrating with his barely contained emotions.

"I don't know for sure, but scorch marks and fire damage extend far beyond the radius which the store they found you in was, and damage from the shockwave further than that." Mike informed him, wrapping an arm around Shadow's shoulders.

"We're lucky you survived." Amy told him, taking his hand in hers. Looking down at her, he saw her eyes shining up at him.

So beautiful… He thought, smiling slightly.

"I'm glad I have you guys." He told them, yanking them both into a hug. Amy was surprised, but Mike understood, knowing Shadow wasn't himself when he had sleep deprivation. Which he did.

"I hate to break up the love, but you guys really got GUN P.O.'d." Alex informed them, once again forcibly speaking from the speakerphone. "They've got a Gray leading a squad coming at you fast."

"Alright, lead us to the lobby, Rose." Shadow said, setting his face into a mask of business again. He and Mike ran after her, right as a soldier rounded the corner, his eyes down on a clipboard. Shadow sighted his head before he could react and pulled the trigger.

Click.

Swearing, Shadow hit the magazine release. I knew I forgot something! However, Mike had him covered as he pulled out a Colt .45 and aimed it at the soldier, who was with the French Army, as opposed to NGW. He immediately put his hands up and started speaking in rapid French. Mike just conked him on the head with his .45 and dragged him out of the way.

"No point in senseless casualties." He noted, gaining a nod from Amy. The trio continued on towards the lobby, sending various doctors and nurses fleeing at the sight of their weapons. As they reached the lobby, they heard someone yell "HALT!"

Turning around, they saw a Gray, with the same black fur, gray stripe, black suit, black tie, and black .40 S&W Glock aimed at them, three NGW soldiers at his side.

"S***..." Mike muttered, pulling his .45 out again. The three of them took aim, and the people who had shown up to visit relatives in the hospital watched nervously to see who would fire first. Turns out, Mike would as he fired and landed three throat-shots on the soldiers, prompting the Gray to dive out of the way, firing his own handgun at the trio, with Amy diving to the floor and Shadow ducking and taking aim. Flinching as bullets stitched their way up his chest, Mike fired twice at the Agent's chest, landing two shots near his heart. As the Gray recovered Shadow turned around and pushed Mike, who was clutching his chest in pain, towards the door, Amy following close by, clutching her shoulder where a bullet had hit her..

"Stay close, Rose!" Shadow yelled as the Gray got back to his feet, firing his Glock at them even after the door closed, tearing the glass and metal apart. Holding his chest, he slapped a reload in before following them out the door, where they'd be trapped.

They'll kill me, assuredly, but McAlister'll be injured and the girl's brains will decorate the pavement. He thought to himself as he raised the sidearm, aimed right above Amy's nose as she turned around and took aim. Before anyone could fire, however, a '67 Chevy Impala screeched up to the pickup area where they were standing. As the four stopped and watched it, the wheels locked and the car slid to a stop five feet away, driver's side door facing the Gray. Eyebrow raised, the Gray found his eyes widening in surprise as a tall, thin brown hedgehog wearing a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic shirt, camo cargo pants and sneakers, stepped out the second it stopped, aimed a revolver and fired it into the side of the Gray's neck.

"Get in!" Alex yelled at Shadow, Amy and Mike. Shadow ran to the drivers-side back door and yanked it open, throwing Amy in and climbing in himself as Mike, defying his injuries, slid over the hood and jumped in the passenger seat. Alex climbed back in and sped off as the Gray clutched the side of his neck, trying to staunch the blood flow as he used his other hand to aim and fire at the fleeing Impala. Firing until all fifteen bullets were spent, he dropped the pistol as his vision went fuzzy, falling to his knees and looking at his arm, which was soaked through with his blood, the arm of his suit turned maroon by the substance. As his vision tunneled out, he thought only one thing.

They're gonna use all the experiments they can to kill them… And it won't be pretty.

As they sped away, Alex glanced over at his brother as he pulled the bullets out, sticking them in an ashtray as his wound slowly healed itself.

"You're lucky he didn't use silver bullets." Alex told him.

"Or cursed bullets." Shadow added.

"Or the Pope's Blessed Bullet's." Amy added, earning an inquisitive glance from the other three. "What? I'm kinda nerdy…"

"Yeesh, looks and nerdiness… You're perfect for Shadow." Alex commented, getting a blush from the two hedgehogs in the backseat. Shadow cleared his throat.

"So… Are we heading for a safehouse?"

"Yeah." Mike replied, pulling the last bullet out. "We have a place back in the states we'll use as our base of operations, but we have a safehouse… Well, it's just a garage, but we can use it to change clothes and rest for the night." He said, noticing the tired stares of the two. They nodded and Alex sped out of the city, into the French countryside.

At a small building that was part of an abandoned gas station, Mike was changing his bloodstained shirt for an undamaged one, while Alex fiddled with the dashboard and Shadow and Amy got ready for bed.

"So, these guys are your friends?" Amy asked as she changed in a stall, Shadow changing in the stall next to her.

"Yeah. I met them before the group split up, while working for GUN." He replied, pulling a pair of jeans on. He heard a grunt, before a sigh.

"Cool, but… I need your help." She told him.

"What's that?"

"I can't get my bra on with my shoulder hurt like this…" She trailed off, her voice oozing her embarrassment. Shadow blushed and opened his stall door, as Amy opened hers, walking out and turning away from Shadow, holding the clips with her left hand. They had bandaged her injured shoulder, but she was unable to bend her arm back. Shadow gently took the two sides and clipped them together, his black-furred fingers gently stroking the fur on her back as he did so.

Blushing, Amy let out a small smile as she turned around. It was Shadow's turn to blush again as he saw her, wearing a pair of skinny jeans but no shirt, and observed her body. Quite shapely, but he also noticed that, while fit, she also had a layer of soft pudge covering her body.

"Yeah… You're noticing how soft I am, aren't you?" Amy asked as she pulled her shirt on, causing Shadow to come to his senses and stop staring. Amy smiled.

"It's fine. I exercise to stay healthy and fit, but I don't try to watch my weight." She said, pulling on the Green Day shirt.

"Well, you look perfect." Shadow said, his eyes widening as he realized what he said. Amy giggled.

"Thanks, Shady. You look perfect to." She said, eyeing his six-pack before walking out, leaving Shadow standing there blushing. He finished dressing and walked to the car, where they would sleep for the night. Before sleep could claim him, however, one last thought annoyed him.

Wait… Shady?

A/n: So, who cursed Shadow? Was it The Doctor from the Prologue? Or is it someone else? And does Shadow actually like Amy? Let me know any theories you have in a review, and if you notice any problems with my story (Whether it be Grammar or Plot Holes I need to patch up) let me know! Read and Review!