CHAPTER 2

Sonic, Silver, Tails, Knuckles and Rogue were standing on a small hill overlooking the prison, trying to think of what to say to the many guards. One wrong move and their search for answers would come to a close.

And so, with a terrible plan in mind, they approached the terrifying building.

"What do you want?" A bored-looking soldier asked, sitting outside the main doors in a lawn chair with a rifle across his lap. "This isn't open for the public. We've got dangerous criminals here."

"What do you know about Shadow the Hedgehog?" Rouge demanded.

The guard scratched his head. "I know that he murdered lots of innocents and he's somewhere inside these walls," He jerked a thumb at the prison. "But everyone knows that."

"Exacally. We're hoping you can tell us a little more about where you found him." Silver piped up.

"That's classified, I'm afraid."

"Even from me?" Rouge held up an identity card while giving the guard a glare.

"Yep. Sorry."

The group stood, not exacally sure what to do. Then Tails started crying, tears matting his fur down.

"What's the matter?" The guard asked, looking a bit guilty.

"Sir…it's just…It's just…" He hiccupped. "Shadow killed my mother. I just want to confirm that he's…that he's really behind bars for good now!"

He continued the sob, Sonic getting into the act. "It's all right, little buddy. If the guard says he's locked up, then he's locked up. I guess we'll just get our news somewhere else…"

"Hold on a minuet," The guard muttered. "I suppose I can get you inside, But just for a few minuets. I'm already breaking regulation by talking to you this long. Sorry, kid…It's just that I knew people who were killed by him also…I feel safer now with him locked away."

The guard stood, unlocking the doors with a key. Tails turned to Sonic and whispered, "Now I feel a little guilty,"

"Hey, we had to do something…" Sonic shrugged.

"This way." The guard motioned.

They walked down a very dimly lit hallway, coming at a stop at what appeared to be a receptionist's desk built behind a pane of thick glass. The walls behind the glass and desk were old; and in a few places looked as though someone had taken a gun and shot everything they had at it.

Sitting behind the desk was a Mobian Guinea Pig. Her fur was white except for around her face, a single black band surrounding her dark eyes. She wore a GUN uniform, tailored for her height. Just by looking at her, the group knew she was tall. She looked up as the group approached.

"What're they doing here?" she demanded.

"This one here claims his mother was killed by Shadow. He wants to confirm with his own eyes that he really is locked up." The guard said.

"What part of 'top-secret, high security prison' do you not understand, Matthew?" The Guinea Pig shouted. "We can't just be bringing in people off the streets!"

"Bandit, I saw someone killed by him with my own eyes." The guard hissed.

"That doesn't mean you just take people in here-"

"This way." The guard pointed to the left.

Bandit's yelling faded off as they entered into a thick steel door. Beyond that point, there were two ways to go. Down, or straight. The guard continued on straight.

"What's down there?" Silver asked, staring down into the blackness.

"Probably something terrible. These last couple of days; down there's all anyone's talking about." The guard continued on. "Coming?"

Knuckles' shoe hit him upside the head, making him lose his balance and crash into the wall. Silver slammed his fist into the guard's forehead, snapping his head back. He didn't move.

"He's not dead, is he?" Tails asked softly.

"No. But we don't have much time. Tails; you, Rouge and Knuckles go that way. Silver and I'll go down. Be alert." Sonic said.

"Can I not go down there?" Silver squeaked, casting a look down into the darkness. "Can Knuckles go instead?"

"Oh, HELL NO." Knuckles growled.

"If you find any prisoners, ask them about what they may know. Something about this whole story is very suspicious…I wouldn't believe a word if they didn't have live footage," Sonic started down the steps. "Come on, Silver. Do I need to hold your hand?"

"Shut up," Silver hissed. "Let's go."

The two of them headed down the foreboding staircase while the others continued along on the same floor.

"What do you think we'll find?" Tails asked.

"Hopefully some answers or a good explanation. Possibly both, but I doubt it," Rouge muttered.

Rows of doors appeared along the halls; pure white doors looking very out of place set into the old, darkened walls. Many of the doors had small windows set at about human height, but they were tinted and kept the light from inside from spilling out. Rouge knocked on the first door and loud wailing pierced the quiet.

Tails jumped. "Who's that?"

"Someone not quite right in the head." Knuckles pointed to the small note taped to the door handle. " 'Mentally insane.'"

"Maybe we're on the right track." Rouge stepped away from the door and the screaming stopped, like whoever was in there knew the visitor had left. The second door was also labeled 'Mentally insane', so they voted to skip that one.

But the third was different.

" 'Spy'?" Knuckles asked out loud. "I wonder who this could be."

"Hello? Hello, is anyone out there? Can you hear me?" A muffled female voice called. "Let me out! This is madness! I didn't do anything! I know you've probably heard that a thousand times, but this is true!"

"You're a spy?" Rouge asked clearly in the loudest voice she dared.

"Yeah…sort of. A spy for the sane part of GUN. But the insane people found out about me and locked me away in here. Who're you? I haven't heard your voice before. Are you new here? If so, get out!"

"I'm Rouge the Bat. I'm also a spy."

"Yeah, right. Rouge was killed. Don't taunt me."

"What do you mean, killed?" Knuckles asked.

"Killed, as in d-e-a-d. Dead. Don't play dumb."

"How was she killed?" Tails piped up.

"The insane GUN members caught her and I think shot her. But I'm not sure. I've also heard she was drowned. And clubbed to death. And something else not very morally right."

"What's your name?" Rouge asked.

"I'm Ginny the Guinea Pig. Just call me Ginny. So what's your real name?"

"I told you, I'm Rouge." Rouge sighed. "And with me is Tails the Fox and Knuckles the Echidna. Have you heard anything about Shadow the Hedgehog? He was supposedly brought here a week ago."

"Oh, yeah. He was also working for the sane part of GUN…until the other guys caught him. I managed to overhear some of their conversations, and his fate doesn't sound that good. You see, in the basement here there's a 'rehabilitation unit' that's more commonly known as the 'torture chamber'. Last I heard, he was brought down there for 'treatment'."

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"This place is giving me the creeps." Silver whispered, his quiet voice magnified by the cold, stone walls. This basement was new compared to the rest of the building, adding to the mystery of the place.

"I'm glad I'm not psychic, then." Sonic muttered.

"At least I glow." Silver held up his hands, where the faint glow of his aura pulsed. "So you can see me."

"As can the security cameras."

Silver stopped and whimpered for a few seconds before Sonic kicked him in the kneecap to make him get a move on. The two of them kept going down the darkened stairs until Sonic's foot connected solidly with the ground. "All right, we've reached the bottom,"

"Finally." Silver said hoarsely.

Down at the bottom was even worse than going down the staircase. Not a pinprick of light shone from the darkness. Silver found the wall and they followed that down deeper into the interior of the prison, ready for anything.

"I'm seriously regretting watching all those horror movies over the years." Silver growled. "And reading all those horror novels and playing all those Sci-Fi games. I'm ready for something to jump out at me and take my head off at any second."

"Same," Sonic agreed. "So let's just focus on the situation at hand."

That was when the unearthly, strangled sound rose from in front of them. It sounded like a rough choke combined with a strangled scream of the dead. It only lasted for about thirty seconds, but it was long enough to chill both hedgehogs to the bone.

"What…the…hell…was…that?" Sonic whispered.

"Exacally that. Hell," Silver answered. "This place has lead us straight to Hell."

"Good guess, but Hell is more merciful." A cold, unknown voice answered.

All right…just for clarification: Ginny and Bandit are my two pets in real life, both girl Guinea Pigs who I love a lot :D and they're awesome so they're now in my story because I wanted them to be in this. Don't worry, minimal OCs.

So what do you think? Remember, that REVIEW button is right there…And who do you think the cold, mysterious voice is? (HINT: not an OC) What's going on with GUN? Find out in the next chapters!

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