cf6: It's a surprise! :P

SonicSonic54321: I see them more in a brother-sister sort of relationship, but I can't say I don't enjoy a good story starring Maria and Shadow. ^^

Chapter 5: Along With My Home

~Disappointed in Humanity~

I had originally intended to teleport with Knuckles, even though I'd probably be in an ever bigger mess of trouble, but Black Doom somehow managed to redirect my destination without me even realizing until it was too late.

I only knew it had been him because, well, what else would it have been?

I didn't dare ask how he managed to do that- he was probably pretty ticked at me for even using Chaos Control to begin with.

Instead of my originally planned destination, I found myself floating above the planet, looking gloriously blue in all its splendor…and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had seen the exact same view before.

Maybe some memories were finally kicking in.

Also in the sky was half a moon, along with a space station of sorts, and I felt they were important to me too.

But why?

"So you've finally come to realize just how abominable these humans really are," Black Doom rumbled, opting to keep the topic over what had happened in Central City "hush hush" for the time being. I stayed silent in the meantime, gazing at the structure while floating in place. "It's time to make initial preparations for the ritual tomorrow night…when the Black Comet is in optimal position for the Day of Reckoning…"

Day of Reckoning. Forgot about that.

"Hidden inside that Space Colony ARK is the most powerful weapon, able to pierce stars…the Eclipse Cannon."

"Piercing…the stars…" I echoed aloud, despite the sudden throbbing pain in my head. His words were resonating with me…

"That's right. The seven Chaos Emeralds are needed to demonstrate its full power or tomorrow's prosperity ritual will all be for nothing!"

"Prosperity Ritual…tomorrow?"

"What fools…" Black Doom murmured, disregarding me. "Humans created the Eclipse Cannon to protect themselves from terror…but instead, it will be used to destroy mankind!"

He then waved his arm, summoning a Black Volt to swoop by and carry me over to the ARK.

Guess he really didn't want me using Chaos Control.

"Now, GO! You will meet me in the Eclipse Cannon Control Room so we may launch our next act of supremacy against the planet!"

On the back of the alien bird, I couldn't help but look over my shoulder and stare at Doom questioningly.

"But…the Eclipse Cannon?!"

And the memories began to surface.

XxX

"I've been waiting for you, Doctor…"

I realized that I was the one who had said that, envisioning myself turning to face none other than Dr. Eggman. I inwardly gasped in disbelief- what in the world was I doing? "Now, I will show you the glorious achievement of what the world's leading scientist, Professor Gerald, has created…"

We were in what I could only assume was the Eclipse Cannon Control Room that Doom had been speaking of, thanks to the plethora of controls in the area. I held my hand dramatically toward the supercomputer situated behind me as it roared to life.

"The ARK was the first space colony created by mankind. Not many people know that the ARK contained a top secret research facility, where weapons of mass destruction were created…"

Eggman took note that at "weapons of mass destruction", the 'supercomputer' began to change and expand. I whisked myself to its front and started pressing buttons and throwing switches, playing t like it was an instrument. He was taken aback at the creational genius of it all while I operated it flawlessly.

"…this is one of them, a weapon capable of destroying an entire planet. Code named: the Eclipse Cannon…"

I had noticed that Eggman suddenly looked apprehensive, but I continued to drive the cannon.

"But…it's been deactivated for some time now…" I carried on, gazing at the green Chaos Emerald in my hand.

It felt like I was reminding myself of how it worked, rather than to Eggman…and I still had no idea why I was explaining such important information to him to begin with.

I had placed the Chaos Emerald in the center of a panel-like device, attached to the Eclipse Cannon. "To reactivate it, large amounts of energy are necessary."

The machine emitted a green wave of energy from contact with the Chaos Emerald. The pure technology and genius that went into this invention…Eggman was simply bedazzled by it all.

I would be too, except I apparently knew all about the Cannon already.

"So that's why we need the Chaos Emeralds…" Eggman trailed, mind still buzzing from the gloriousness of the Eclipse Cannon.

"Exactly! To reactivate the machine, we need the seven Chaos Emeralds. Once you have that, then you have the ultimate power of destruction to use as you please. And then…the world could be yours!"

"Sounds like a plan! I like the way you think, Shadow!"

I stared mischievously at Eggman as he burst into an evil laugh. The doctor thought he was going to take over the world, or destroy it, and he thought I was his underling, but I knew it was quite the contraire…

I was playing Eggman like a fiddle, and I was planning on getting revenge on the world in my own way…

XxX

The vision I'd received, as usual, raised a lot of questions to me, but it did reveal one very important thing that was absolutely crystal clear.

I know how to operate the Eclipse Cannon.

The ARK-

I would have loved to talk to myself to analyze one of my newest cryptic memories, but I had to fly a golden armored alien bird through a space colony in an area that was also starting to stir up a sense of familiarity.

"Shadow, the promised time is nearing," Doom's Eye had told me once again, hovering alongside me as I cruised the exterior of the ARK. "Our forces are amassing to take the ARK. Destroy the defense systems so our attack can get through…"

I really didn't want to- if the Eclipse Cannon could pierce stars, it had the potential to decimate the entire planet…and to think I myself had almost done that, if the vision was anything to go by…

I wondered if I could still-

No. I wasn't going to destroy the world. I didn't have any idea why I had wanted to in the first place.

"Unless…maybe it was to make the humans pay," I whispered to myself, realizing that Black Doom may have been on to something. After all, they had tried to take my life, and they took the life of that Maria…

And I apparently had cared for her very much, by the way I had yelled her name.

The perfect place to dwell on things was when you were riding an alien creature in between the structures of a space colony, with the ability to look down and see the blue marble of a planet shining below you. I would have just liked to go back to my tree and think while there was still a sunset, but it was already night, so I knew my prime opportunity for mulling was over.

"Of course it's night," I sneered to myself, taking a nosedive on my Black Volt. "It's always night in space."

Finally getting back on track, I soared around, looking for the first of the defense systems that were preventing my entrance into the ARK. I doubted that they still worked, considering that the ARK was over fifty years old, but I guess Doom wanted to take no chances.

A few sparking squares were in my flight path, and just by the way they looked I chose to avoid them.

"Those are barriers created by the ARK's defense system," Doom explained. "Just another obstacle on our road to conquest…"

It's all about the conquest with this guy...

The first one had to be close, considering the number of barriers in my immediate area. I swerved around lasers that were constantly being fired in my direction, all the while taking in my surroundings.

Everything had looked so worn- bits and pieces of the structure were broken off, evidence of grind rails lingered about, all of them now snapped or hardly still intact. I watched space rocks careen through the sky, striking parts of the ARK and causing more damage.

I had a feeling they were aimed to cause me damage, though.

"I…I really do know this place…I've been here before…"

I know I've been on the ARK before- that's where the Eclipse Cannon was located, after all. But the particular area I was flying through…I had been there, back in a time when it wasn't as run down as it was now.

"Y-Yeah…it was after I activated the cannon, but-"

"There's the first defense unit! Destroy it!" Doom suddenly blared, knocking my thoughts way off track.

Damn it, Black Doom!

"Not like I was finally remembering something or anything!" I growled under my breath, veering the Black Volt to my right. Doom didn't even seem the least bit remorseful.

I landed on a platform below me, where it had a perfect, undeterred view of the defense unit. It was strangely shaped, like a sea urchin with its many prongs sticking out, but it was a sickly green in color.

"Huh," I muttered, staring up at the object. "I wonder how I'm supposed to bust it up…"

By a pure miracle, I was blessed with wonderful object known as a firearm, resting just a short distance away from me.

Maybe it had been left behind by a solider after a raid or something of the sort.

Not questioning why the gun was on the ground, I kicked the handle, flipping it into the air and into my grip. Adjusting my hold, I spun around and fired at the defense unit. It only took a few rounds to put it out of commission, so I tucked the gun in my quills and hopped back on the Black Volt, off the take care of the next one.

"One down..." Doom's Eye whispered to me, flying alongside me. We were currently headed in a downward direction, where the view of the planet below was visible again. Its blue glow silhouetted amongst the stars was rather breathtaking, but to me…it just reminded me of a sense of longing…and how I felt when the white Chaos Emerald showed me the two images of Maria before.

XxX

The two of us were in the ARK, somewhere, gazing out one of its many windows at the only view it had.

The painstakingly bright blue planet.

"Shadow, what do you think it's like on Earth?" Maria had asked me, her equally blue eyes reflecting the image in the glass.

Now, I knew exactly what it was like on the earth. It was full of filthy, greedy humans that waged war over trivial things, left others in the dust for their own gain, poisoned their own air with miscellaneous chemicals and gases and harming all the life on the surface…

But I knew by the way she asked the question that she wanted to go down there anyway, whether she knew about the bad parts or not.

"The professor said his life's work was dedicated all of those who live down there," I had replied, staring solemnly out the window as well with an unflinching look. "He once told me that the reason for his existence was making people happy through the power of science."

Maria was surprised by my choice of words, as they hadn't directly answered her question. "Shadow…"

"Maria…I just don't know anything anymore. I often wonder why I was created, what my purpose is for being here. Maybe if I go down there, I…I will find the answers. Maybe…"

I then got a sad look in my eyes.

"Maria…"

Well, I was down here, and I still didn't have my answers.

XxX

"Soon, the earth will cease to be blue…" Doom promised me, knowing what I was looking so intently at. "It will be nothing but a black and red sphere by the time we're done with it…"

Red and black suited me quite nicely. The planet? Not so much.

I tried to picture the entire planet with red skies and black clouds, but I couldn't. I could hardly imagine it under the control of the Black Arms…

I could, however, imagine it completely destroyed with the way things were going now. Perhaps it wasn't fit to survive anyway, with the way humans behaved...

"So the humans have finally played their hand, have they?" Doom's voice pulled me out of my thoughts once again, with me quickly veering out of the way of GUN drones that had just now appeared. "Another squadron prepares to attack us…how bold."

"Just wait until I attack back," I replied hastily, spiraling out of the way once again and whipping out the gun I had picked up.

Of course, he had to chastise me for that.

"Do not waste time with taking out the turrets…just find the defense units!"

And I thought I was never satisfied.

Growling, I put the gun away again and continued to dodge the deathly projectiles being launched in my direction. Too bad none of them managed to hit Doom's Eye, because his unflinching floating around was hardly fair.

"There's still a ways to go, but our troops have secured the area. Stay out of their way and locate the rest of the defense units."

I just gritted my teeth and kept my mouth shut as I searched for the second defense unit, wanting to just get this over with so I could return to the planet and search for the Chaos Emeralds. I only had one so far, Tails had one, I knew the location of a few others…

Out of the others, GUN had two, and one of them was within GUN Fortress, which I had found out during my trip through Digital Circuit.

Finally I came across the second defense unit, hidden behind a mass of barriers that it was creating. I leapt off the Black Volt again, alighted on a stable platform, then let loose with my fire power. Just like before, the defense unit was surprisingly rather weak, bursting upon a few contacts with some bullets.

Then again, it was old, even if it was still working.

"Two down…soon, the ARK's defense system will collapse!" exclaimed Doom.

I tossed my current gun and picked up another, this one being longer and loaded with a lot more ammo. It had the Black Arms logo on both sides of it, so I imagine that one of Doom's troops had dropped it. Out of curiosity, I took aim at an ARK turret and fired at it, taking it out in a single shot.

"Wow," I said, lowering down the gun. Doom hovering down to me and leaned over my shoulder.

"Do you like that gun?" he whispered to me, his voice coated with desire.

"It's all right, I guess…" I replied, surprised at how natural holding it was for me.

"It can be yours…" Doom continued, trying to entice me with it. "So long as you use it against the humans…we'll even call it it…the Shadow Rifle!"

"I don't care what it's called." I walked over to the Black Volt and jumped on it again. "As long as it helps get the job done, I wouldn't care if all it shot was water!"

"Fine by me," Doom simpered afterward, contently hovering behind me with a coy air about him.

. . .

The more I flew among the ARK, the more familiar it felt, and surprisingly, I felt more at ease.

However, I wasn't completely at ease.

"What's taking you so long, Shadow- there're still two more defense units!" Doom nagged without pause, growing increasingly furious. "I even gave you an all-powerful weapon, and you're still taking way too long-"

I sighed and tried my best to ignore him. If he wanted these units destroyed, he could go pull them apart with his tentacles.

When I came up to the third defense unit, I didn't even get off of the Black Volt. I just pulled out my 'Shadow Rifle" and let loose, destroying the unit on the spot.

"That was much faster than before," I stated, tucking the gun away and flying off again.

"Only one remains…" Doom reminded me, and that trace of eagerness was evident in his voice once more. With how deep and raspy it was, I was still surprised that he could even pull off sounding eager.

I flew through loops and dodged spiraling space debris, hell-bent on finding the final defense system and reaching the Eclipse Cannon. I didn't locate it until the Black Volt took me into a tunnel of sorts; completely pitch black except for the small lights dotting the walls. The fourth defense unit was casually floating in the middle of the area…but not for too much longer.

There was no place to land and fire at it, so I had to trust in my skills and continued to fly while taking aim with the rifle, all the while avoiding the counter attacks that the defense unit was conjuring up.

This was my last chance to turn back…if I destroyed this defense unit, the Black Arms would have complete access to the Eclipse Cannon…

I snuffed out the thought and pulled the trigger, firing more rounds than necessary. Doom's Eye burst out into a mad cackle, celebrating with, "The ARK is now defenseless!"

I could feel the sense of security lower considerably, and now that the dispatching job was done, I put away the gun and continued to fly on the Black Volt, looking for a proper place to land. I located an area that looked like it was an unloading dock or something, with a runway of sorts leading into the main structure.

"I can get into the ARK from here."

I brought the Black Volt closer to the floor, leaping off once it was within my reach. At long last, the Black Volt flew off without me- I no longer required its services.

I was actually alone for a moment, without Doom's Eye hounding me, no Eggman, and none of Sonic's friends at risk of getting caught up in what I had gotten myself into. Aside from the dark deeds I was slowly being consumed by, I finally remember something key.

"The ARK…yes. This is where it all began…"

The ARK…I think it was my original home. It would explain why I was with Maria before she died, why I was with her when she died, why I knew how to operate the Eclipse Cannon…and while it also explained why the ARK as a whole felt familiar, it did not explain what my actual connection with it was.

There were still a few pieces missing to this dark and twisted puzzle…a lot, to be in fact.

. . .

I pondered over myself and the ARK as I let my dormant memories carry me to the control panel for the Eclipse Cannon. It didn't take all that long to find it, but I found something else along with it.

I demand to know how GUN could have possibly beaten me to this room when I'm pretty sure they had no idea I was here to begin with.

"ARK to Headquarters! ARK to Headquarters! Come in!" shouted the soldier within one of GUN's many funky-looking battle robots.

At least Eggman had the class to make them look like him.

"Shadow's penetrated the ARK!" he continued to holler. "He's headed towards the control room of the Eclipse Cannon!"

"Come in, Eclipse Cannon!" the GUN Commander blared back. "He must be stopped at all costs!"

"Detain him as soon as possible without killing him!" Rouge's voice added afterward.

"Not now, Rouge…" The GUN Commander grumbled. He then coughed and followed up with, "Take him out…that's an order!"

"10-4, copy that!" replied the soldier. "This is ARK Defense Unit Blue Falcon! I am engaging the hedgehog!"

In all honesty, he really wasn't all that engaging.

"Shadow, let your lust for revenge give you the power you need! Strip him of his weapons and use them for yourself!"

"No need to tell me twice," I stated, pulling out the Shadow Rifle and firing instantaneous shots at the hover tank. I aimed at the rocket launchers, hoping to dispatch them from the Blue Falcon and use them for myself.

In the process, the soldier shouted, "Charging particle beam cannon!"

Somehow, it managed to blast me, causing me to start flashing red after almost being knocked off the battle area. I stood straight again, glaring at the Blue Falcon and lifting the Shadow Rifle in his direction.

"I hope you enjoy your last few moments of consciousness knowing that you are the reason humanity is about to suffer," I snarled, firing ceaselessly.

The soldier within, the coward he was, flinched and whimpered, ducking away as I shot off one of his rocket launchers, running over the very moment it clattered to the ground.

"This is Blue Falcon! I am under attack from the hedgehog!"

I hurried to the upper section, where I had a better angle on the Blue Falcon and let loose with the missiles loaded into the rocket launcher. The Blue Falcon lurched and sparked with every missile detonation, and I could sense the soldier within fearing for his life with every passing second.

"This is Blue Falcon! Situation critical! Requesting assistance! He's…too…STRONG!"

"Foolish human!" I yelled, firing the last of the missiles in the rocket launcher. "You're in space, where no one can hear you scream! …except for me."

Metal warped and twisted on the Blue Falcon, slowly exposing the vulnerable soldier within bit by bit by bit…and I wouldn't stop until the entire defensive shell of the Blue Falcon had been cracked.

"Y-You still won't get away with this, whether I'm alone or not!" the soldier within insisted. "Charging up another particle beam!"

"That particle beam has a 360 degree firing radius," Doom stated. "Be on guard to avoid it."

"I've dodged it once," I sneered back, bending over backwards and watching a halo of blue washing harmlessly above my head. "I think I know what I'm doing at this point."

I tossed away the ammo-lacking rocket launcher, hoping to claim another as I took out the Shadow Rifle. The Blue Falcon was hardly battle-able at this point, a second rocket launcher falling from its base. I rushed over and scooped it up, spinning around on my heel and taking aim.

At this point, I could see the look of the soldier's face, an expression of true fear shining through the visor of his helmet.

He was terrified of the expression on my face, one that was stark raving mad…

What happened to me?

I let out a misanthropic laugh, firing the next round of rockets that were sure to be enough to take down the Blue Falcon. The contraption began to smoke like a bonfire, and the screams from the soldier within were deafening.

"HQ, do you read? HQ!" he desperately cried, missiles still going off all around him. "WAAAAH!..."

"The planet-piercing Eclipse Cannon..." I trailed, tossing away the rocket launcher and watching the defeat of the Blue Falcon before my eyes. "Humanity…there is no hope for you now."

The Blue Falcon just hurdled slowly toward the planet.

. . .

"We are the Black Arms…we are here to take rule of this planet…"

Black Doom's raspy demonic voice echoed all over the face of the planet, informing every living being crawling on its surface of the Black Arms' takeover. The defeat of the Blue Falcon had freed him up to take control of the Eclipse Cannon, broadcasting his spiel to the world.

"Any attempts to resist are futile and will result in death…You humans are SO pathetic."

GUN HQ was paying one hundred percent attention to the message, especially after what Central City had been reduced to, with buildings blown in half, flaming tanks, crushed cars…fallen soldiers….

"Damn you," the GUN Commander grumbled incoherently, clutching his fist and staring scornfully at the sky.

"As of today, this planet is MINE!"

"You're crazy!" shouted the President from the confines of his office in the White House. "We will not-"

"Now we will begin to exterminate all of the world's leaders who resist."

The pupils of the President began to shrink. "Wha…What?!"

He was set to be the first target.

. . .

I reluctantly handed Black Doom my only Chaos Emerald, under the promise that I would get it back. He dunked it into the Eclipse Cannon, and even though it was only being powered by one gem, he assured me that it would have enough power to prove his point.

Doom told me that the bombs we detonated certainly destroyed Central City, but also effectively missed Doom's intended target…which was the White House.

With the Eclipse Cannon, missing the target wasn't going to be much of an issue.

I simply folded my arms behind my back, walking to the edge of the platform we were on and stared down at the planet below. I felt a wicked grin cross my face, one that I wasn't sure I was even capable of.

"Annihilation for this planet is now! It is time to embrace the dawn of your demise and despair!" Black Doom finished announcing, firing the Eclipse Cannon to life with a shockingly green beam.

Not quite the full potential it possessed, but the beam would still strike its target…and strike fear into the humans.

I gave the world beneath me the best condescending look I could muster up.

"Say your prayers, you disgusting humans."

. . .

One Chaos Emerald was all it took to take point at one particular spot, one particular spot on the entirety of the planet…

The laser drove right through the middle of the White House, splintering its roof and collapsing it on the spot.

The aftermath washed over Central City. If it had been destroyed before, it was completely decimated now. Like Black Doom had said, Central City was destined to become nothing but a crater.

Disgusting humans, say your prayers indeed.

Next time, the destruction of the White House has sent the government into a frenzy, and Shadow's having second thoughts about his more recent actions...can he stand up to Black Doom, or will he be pushed into more regretable actions regardless?