SonicSonic54321: I love writing about Tails! I don't even kow why, but his personality is so easy to work with, I guess! And the original Tornado, the one in Sonic 2, 3 and Knuckles, (and I guess Sonic 4...) and Sonic Adventure was Sonic's, not Tails'. When it was destroyed halfway through Sonic Adventure, Tails replaced it with the blue Tornado 2, and every plane henceforth has belonged to Tails. :P
Cf96: Hmm, I...actually can't remember the meaning of Chapter 20's title! I know it had something to do with Shadow's progress of his adventure, but I don't remember the specifics! This...is a first. ^^;
Chapter 20: And the Dream Continues
~Stupefaction's End~
Alternate GUN Headquarters-
The President curretly sat poised in his seat, watching all the soldiers in the room work relentlessly to keep tabs on the Black Arms. He was surrounded by six bodyguards- after the attempt on his life at Central City, no one wanted to leave him without protection any longer.
Still, his country was under annihilation; and the world along with it…just sitting here uselessly was unbelievable!
The most he could do was put all his trust into the GUN Commander, but even that was a questionable move. The Commander seemed more concerned with wiping out a certain hedgehog than holding back the Black Arms…
"Kill them all," he'd grumble over and over again, staring at the screens that showcased the many battles his troops were fighting. "Anything black and red that moves…I want it dead."
All the soldiers were unsettled at this, including the President, but as long as the orders were to get rid of the Black Arms…
…and me, but obviously that hadn't been accomplished yet.
The President sighed- it was getting later and later with every passing minute, and soon enough, a counterstrike would be rendered impossible. He knew everyone was doing what they could, but was it enough?
"I just wish…" the President murmured, shaking his head. "…that I were more like them."
The picture he had poised on his desk was still a strong memory, even though it had been destroyed in the blast from the Eclipse Cannon. He was well aware that Sonic and his friends were pushing through the oppression…and despite the GUN Commander's insistence and everything that had happened…
He still had some faith in me.
Even eight months ago, when the world was about to end then, a certain call from the ARK had made him see things so much more differently…
XxX
He'd been in his private limo with no one but his secretary, quietly awaiting the end of civilization. He had been contacted by Doctor Eggman just the day before, giving the President a twenty-four hour deadline for surrender, and he had almost given it to him…
If Sonic hadn't appeared out of nowhere and declared that he would stop the doctor in time.
But now, a little over a day later, the end was almost upon them, plummeting down from the once blue sky and set to crash into the planet. The President hung his head in shame, having been powerless to prevent disaster.
"The space colony is still accelerating toward the planet," his secretary informed him, typing away on her laptop. "In five minutes, there will be no way to stop it."
The President's eyes softened, sadly shaking his head. "Nothing can stop the colony now…"
And then, a few lengthy seconds later, a voice of hope crackled to life on the President's commutation screen.
"Mr. President, don't give up just yet! Sonic and his friends can still help us!"
The voice belonged to Rouge, one of GUN's best soldiers and a close agent of the President himself.
"We've been doing our very best to reach the core of the ARK, all of us working together…" her voice became laced with a hint of sadness. "But in the process, the prototype of the ultimate life form had been released, and that's what pulling the Space Colony ARK towards the planet!"
"What…?!"
"Sonic and Shadow have ventured out into space as a last effort to stop it from crashing," Rouge assured, sounding more secure this time. "They are now the planet's last hope…but I know they can do it!"
"I've located the two hedgehogs in the lower quadrant," the secretary announced, confirming Rouge's claims. "The space colony has entered Earth's atmosphere and is indeed accelerating. The two hedgehogs seem to be slowing it down, but it doesn't seem to be enough..."
"That's ridiculous!" the President had insisted, not believing it for a second. "There's no way two hedgehogs can stop the colony now!"
"They can; I believe in them! Together they can do it; I just know it!"
A different voice had crackled to life, this one belonging to a young girl Rouge had called Amy Rose. The President stared at the static screen, frowning slightly.
"How can…you be so positive…in the face of disaster?"
"If anyone can do it, it's Sonic and Shadow!"
That had been Tails, sounding just as chipper as Amy.
"There's no way they're going out in vain at this point!"
Knuckles, after that.
"Yes…my grandfather may have had intents of destroying the world, but his own creation is seeing to it that such ambitions will not come to be…"
Doctor Eggman, of all people, was rooting on the hedgehogs, and the whole fiasco had been his fault to begin with!
The President contemplated this silently, feeling remorseful at their undying faith for the hedgehogs. But there was less than two minutes left- what could two hedgehogs possibly do to-?
"There's an emergency message from the space bureau!" The secretary snapped him from his thoughts, sounding sharp, urgent, and excited. "They are tracking the colony's reentry trajectory, and it seems to have reappeared in quadrant L-1…!"
She looked up from her laptop and at the President, a few happy tears stinging her eyes.
"We're alive…the world is saved!"
The laptop slipped into the seat next to her as she hugged the President out of relief, the man just sitting there with utter shock displayed on his face.
Two hedgehogs had just saved the planet…?
"Miracles….they are possible," he'd whispered under his breath as the secretary let him go, laughing giddily. He glanced up into the sky, seeing that yes, the ARK had indeed returned to where it belonged in space, no longer dangling imposingly in the sky. The sounds of cheers all up and down the street of Central City echoed inside the limo, a celebration of unison that resounded all around the world…
And finally, the President smiled.
"You know, when I was a kid, I used to dream about heroes like them, and their heroic deeds…" his smile was nostalgic, yet somewhat proud. "When I was first elected president, I'd never though such a crisis would befall the country…nay, the planet. Even though I lacked the initiative to take action for my people…it's good to know that there's still someone willing to risk their lives for others out there. You don't see many like those two anymore…"
"Mr. President, that's why YOU should be like them," his secretary said softly, a smile crossing her face. "You almost gave up hope there, but if you just believe, anything can happen, as those two have just proven. Never give up…and believe in your dreams."
And the President took it to heart ever since.
XxX
Now, a second threat to the world was on the President's door step, and while he had indeed taken more action this time, he still believed in the heroes who had saved the world before. He quietly glanced at the Commander, silently hoping that he would come around just as he had…
A door rapidly sliding open and another captain stumbling in caused a stir in the HQ, with everyone turning around to face the newcomer.
"Captain, report, stat!" the Commander demanded, not in one of his best moods. The captain instantly stood straight and saluted.
"Sir, yes sir! COM Sector B3 is reporting that a large group of black aliens have successfully been driven into the forest, and it was reported that they shot down Miles 'Tails' Prower's aircraft!"
"What!?" howled the Commander, narrowing his eyes. "And the boy's Chaos Emerald…?"
"He is well and alive, sir, but no word on where his plane landed or on the whereabouts of the Chaos Emerald," the captain continued. "We are gathering more information on the topic as we speak!"
"…very good. Anyway, where have these aliens scum been corralled to?"
"After all the casualties that we've suffered…erm, we have contained them in said forest and they're completely cut off from the rest of their support."
"That's excellent!" cried the President, causing his bodyguards to instantly change position due to his movement. "Erm, sorry…please continue."
"…well done, Captain," the Commander praised, although he voice turned grave afterward. "…what about Shadow?"
Everyone in the room shared a silent yet simultaneous groan. The Commander pretended not to notice.
"Our aerial troops have confirmed that Shadow had indeed been seen heading into the forest…but we are unaware of his reasons."
"Alert all field commanders in Sector B. I'm authorizing full use of all tactical weapons."
All men in the room and the President gasped.
"I want both black aliens and Shadow stopped and buried. Failure is not an option."
"…yes sir," the Captain replied, sprinting back out of the door.
The Commander laughed quietly as the President and everyone else watched him from over their shoulders.
"It's over, Shadow…you will finally be exposed and eradicated for the evil that you are!"
Death Ruins-
"All right! I am so good at what I do!"
Rouge the Bat was just on her way out of Death Ruins, a bright blue emerald perched in her hand. She was in the middle of staring at it longingly when her communicator went off. Begrudgingly, she stowed away the emerald and answered the call.
"I told you guys I'm on my way already, what could you possibly-"
"Agent Rouge, this is Captain Carter," the voice on the other side announced. Rouge instantly went pale and sounded remorseful.
"Ah, ha ha ha…hello there, Captain. I was just wondering how the President was doing, believe it or not!"
"The President is fine, but I'm not quite sure about the Commander. Our radar shows that you are currently stationed in Death Ruins?"
"That is correct," Rouge replied, a smirk on her face. "My treasure hunting skills kicked in the minute I came close to this place, and I managed to pick up the sixth Chaos Emerald! How dandy is that? I almost forgot what holding one of these felt like-"
"Hold on, sixth Chaos Emerald…?"
"Yes," Rouge said with a bit of pout. "That cute little fox boy just alerted us that Shadow now has the yellow Chaos Emerald, meaning that he has secured Tails' Emerald and now has five. He also told us that he got a tip that the seventh Chaos Emerald is now in space, which is why he needs the Emerald I have to power his space ship so we can go retrieve it."
"All right, thank you for that status update. However, the Commander has a direct order I'm supposed to pass on to all soldiers who are stationed in the forest."
"Okay, spill it, Sugar."
"A large quantity of black alien soldiers have been herded in your general direction, and cut off from calling for backup. All GUN members are advised to take them all down…along with Shadow the Hedgehog, who is on his way there as we speak."
Rouge made a face and sneered at her communicator. "What does he still want with Shadow?! He needs to just leave him alone for crying out loud!"
"He refuses to say, although all of us here are getting concerned. That's all I have- over and out."
"Roger," Rouge sighed, ending the call. "That GUN Commander…I know we're under alien attack, but he was never so…bloodthirsty before, especially toward Shadow."
She started flying on, only to see me skating straight through the ruins with solid determination. She instantly gulped and sank back down.
"Aw, I really need to get this emerald to Tails…but if I don't warn Shadow, it could turn ugly…"
Rouge looked thoughtful for a few moments, torn on what to do.
. . .
I had wasted no time in teleporting in Death Ruins, scanning every inch of the place for signs of Rouge or the Chaos Emerald, and then I'd have to head up into space.
Space…even just the word made me wince for whatever reason.
"I hope Rouge hasn't found it yet; prying it from her will be difficult otherwise…" I murmured to myself.
As I raced along the path, I could see traces of the Black Arms, that's for sure. Red scars crisscrossed through the mossy trees and hung down from the branches, and tons of loud roars reverberated through the forest.
"Why are there so many of them here…?"
"I can tell you, hon!"
I leapt forward and struck a fighting pose, turning around to face Rouge grinning eagerly at me. I looked at her curiously as she floated nonchalantly in front of me.
"That's a weird way to say hello, you know."
"I suppose it wasn't classy," Rouge agreed, tossing her head back. "But, I am glad to see you still alive and kicking, darling."
"Enough small talk," I stated, as Rouge lowered herself to the ground and folded her arms. "Why are there a bunch of Black Arms clustered here?"
"Because GUN forced them to retreat here, as I just found out a few minutes ago," Rouge explained. "I'm supposed to help take them out once and for all, but I do have a few important errands I need to complete."
"Would one of them happen to involve a Chaos Emerald?" I asked dangerously, and she laughed, albeit nervously.
"Well, if there does happen to be one here, I certainly would love to pick one up!"
My face was blank. "Don't lie to me, Rouge; you have it already, don't you?"
Rouge bit her lip and looked away. I waited impatiently for an answer.
"…fine; I can't lie to you," she finally sighed. "I do have a Chaos Emerald, but you can't have it-"
"Rouge-"
"Hear me out!" she exclaimed, jumping back and into the air. "Tails really needs this emerald so we can finally bring an end to Black Doom- we need it so we can go into space."
"I know that," I said gruffly, shaking my head. "You're looking for the seventh Chaos Emerald that Black Doom stole from Sonic!"
"Eek!" Rouge flinched in midair as if I'd wounded her just by saying so. "How'd you know that!?"
"Who do you think told Tails about Doom taking the emerald? He was in his plane the whole time, cut off from communicating with anyone, until I found him in Circus Park after his plane was shot down."
Rouge's ears drooped slightly. "He didn't tell us his plane was shot down…you didn't do it, did you?!"
"Of course not!" I hissed back. "I knew he had the emerald but I had no idea it was in his plane…I figure the Black Arms must've finally caught up with him and tried to bring him down, and I assume that the fiends responsible must've been the ones who were chased into this forest."
Rouge looked like she wanted to believe me, but she still held onto her emerald like it was her last lifeline.
"…still, I need to give this emerald to Tails…" she whispered. "…as much as I want to keep it for myself."
A sudden angry thrashing came from up ahead, both of us turning our heads toward the sound. Five alien brutes emerged from around the corner, clawing and growling at a group of cowering soldiers. Rouge instantly jumped into action, spinning around in air and kicking two of the aliens in the head. She then landed stylishly on the ground, with the soldiers practically bowing at her feet.
"Agent Rouge! Thank goodness you're here!" they cried. "We're out matched! Please lend us your assistance!"
"Relax, boys," Rouge smirked, waving it off as if it were nothing. "A few alien monsters are nothing for a gal like me!"
"Oh please," I scoffed, loading up the Shadow Rifle and firing it. Rouge and the soldiers ducked as soon as I pulled out the rifle, with the shot sailing through the air and dispatching the five aliens at once. The soldiers gawked at the instant destruction, then instantly turned fire on me.
"Whoa, wait a minute!" Rouge wailed, skidding in front of me. "He just saved you and you're going to shoot him dead?! What kind of soldiers are you!?"
"Soldiers that actually follow orders!" the one in the back barked. "The Commander has told us countless times to take down Shadow the Hedgehog-"
"But why?" Rouge asked, snarling at the soldiers who had been on her side just seconds ago. "Will getting rid of him really help you win this war? We only have a few hours left to live and you're going to waste that precious time by going after Shadow?!"
The soldiers were completely stunned; I was just appalled that they hadn't thought this through before now.
"Ungrateful good for nothings…" Rouge mumbled, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me forward. The glare she wore dared the soldiers to take a shot; their hands remained perfectly still on their guns.
"See, this is why I lost faith in humanity."
"Keep quiet, Shadow, and stop giving them reasons to attack you."
. . .
Our little rendezvous with the GUN soldiers did nothing to repair our moods, but as we jumped over bushes, made our way around branches, and worked our way through the ruins, I tried to bring Rouge up to speed with everything that had happened on my end.
"Yeah, Shadow, I haven't heard from you since the incident at the GUN Fortress," Rouge said, hands folded behind her head as she trotted behind me. "Seeing as you now have five Chaos Emeralds, you can't possibly tell me that nothing happened…"
"You already know plenty," I insisted, staring straight ahead. "I 'raided' the Air Fleet, teamed up with Knuckles for a while, went to Prison Island, and infiltrated Eggman's base with Omega. There's not much to tell…"
"No new memories stirred while at Prison Island?" Rouge asked ambivalently, and I just glanced at the ground.
"Yeah…I remembered that I was the cause for the whole island detonating…"
Rouge sucked in her cheeks and glanced away. "…yeah, that was pretty bad."
"What I don't understand was why you were there," I mumbled, and her wings suddenly spread open. "I know you have an unhealthy admiration for jewels, but I don't think you'd be gung-ho enough to give your life for them…"
"That was a snag in the plan," she huffed, shaking her head. "I didn't even want to team up with Eggman, but I had to…in order to…"
The words caught in her throat, her deceptive and selfish actions of the past resurfacing again. I looked at her curiously, watching flashes of pain cross her face. Eventually she bit her lip again and refused to make eye contact with me.
"I'd forgotten…how selfish I was…" she mumbled, shaking her head.
"I told you before that you're not selfish," I countered, frowning slightly.
"I know, but I still acted that way in the past…the past that you can't remember," she continued, almost with a wince. "I…had been hoping to fulfill my mission and get my hands on the Chaos Emeralds…but in the end, I ended up with neither."
"Rouge, what's this about?"
She looked as though she wasn't sure of how to put it; conflicted twitches of her ears gave that away. Rouge finally glanced at me and sighed.
"Initially, I was sent by GUN to gather information on the ultimate life form, just after Eggman had awakened you from Prison Island," she explained feebly. "In the process, you wanted to collect the Chaos Emeralds for whatever reason, and in order to stay close to you, I had to agree with the plans you and Eggman were making…and I thought I'd make out with jewels and information in the end."
I went slack-jawed, and she grinned incredibly sheepishly at me.
"You…had only helped me…as an order by GUN?!"
"Yes," she admitted, and I growled in her direction.
"Well, that was a particularly important piece of information that you chose to conceal from me! I bet the only reason you're even close to me now is just to deliver the inside scoop to GUN and that's why they keep following me and attacking me, and you're just putting on a façade in order to-"
"Of course not," Rouge shot back, cutting my rant off. "You found out that I was a member of the government and you would've probably destroyed me on the spot, had it not been for Sonic and his friends infiltrating the ARK…if Knuckles hadn't saved me from falling off of that ledge, I might not have realized what was truly important in life…"
Well, that explains why she held Knuckles so high in regard.
"I had taken you for granted, and it wasn't until you sacrificed yourself did I realize that…" she huffed, turning away from me. "…and I never got the chance to say I was sorry."
I was prepared to yell at her again until she said that, and all my rising anger quickly deflated again. It was silent between us for longer than I would've liked, but eventually I sighed and gestured for us to get going.
"…well, standing around here isn't going to help us out much. If we're going to get that Chaos Emerald to Tails, we need to clear out these Black Arms soldiers and get out of here…"
Rouge's ears perked up, stunned that I hadn't retaliated, but she wasn't about to question it. Instead, she fiddled with her earpiece for a few moments and then punched something into her communicator.
"According to HQ, they managed to horde fifty of the aliens in the forest, and we've already taken care of five. With that nifty rifle of yours, we should be able to wipe them all out easily!"
"Yeah," I replied, spinning it around in my hand. "Hopefully it won't get broken this time around…"
Recalling what when down in the GUN Fortress made me sick to my stomach, but I pushed the sensation away and marched on, with Rouge hovering behind me.
. . .
Death Ruins grew danker and less pleasant the deeper we infiltrated it. I knew it was beginning to grow late again, but the lack of light in the place was a bit discouraging.
"It's the aliens' influence," Rouge explained, after I had voiced my thoughts to her. "All that red stuff they're leaving everywhere absorbs light easily, according to GUN reports. Apparently they thrive more in darkness."
"Which explained why the Black Comet was so dark when Knuckles and I were there," I recounted.
Our small talk came to an end when a flash of fire was spewed in our direction, apparently originating from a plant of some sort. Some soldiers were firing at it, but as usual, the creature just shrugged it off like it was nothing.
"Rouge, you might want to tell your coworkers that they need better arms," I stated casually. Rouge glared at me for a second before gesturing towards the giant plant.
"That thing they're shooting at is some kind of alien plant," she told me, ducking under another attack. "It apparently can breathe fire…"
"Maybe it can breathe gun fire too," I murmured, shooting at it with my rifle. All the soldiers screamed and ducked at the sound, with the plant howling in pain before instantly withering away. However, its dying call attracted a whole squadron of Black Arms. Rouge saw her opportunity and instantly jumped in front of me.
"About face, men!" she ordered, even yelling into her earpiece. "The enemy stands before us! Fire on command!"
I was sure that all the soldiers were going to go careening off, but to my surprise, they all lined up in attack formation behind her.
Since when did she have all this authority…?!
Ten alien brutes came marching through the ruins, tearing down rotten trees, leaping over cliffs, and simply leaving a trail of dismay behind them. The leader of the pack seemed to snarl in my direction, but regardless, Rouge and company stood their ground, with Rouge raising her arm afterward.
The soldiers adjusted their bodies, becoming more alert and focused. It was a stark contrast to the flailing and screaming they'd been doing when the mutant plant was spewing fire, but at least the change somewhat proved their ranks.
"On standby," Rouge ordered under her breath, no one moving an inch. I looked completely out of place, gaping on the sidelines while everyone else was waiting for command. Out of self-consciousness I got down on one knee like the rest and took aim with my rifle.
The horde of Black Arms approached like a mad pack of gorillas, and the moment they saw us, they leapt into the air to attack. All I could recall after that was Rouge's arm flashing forward as she called out "FIRE!"
Although my gun was the only one that did any damage, naturally, the GUN soldiers gave it their all when they fired, some of them shouting cries of dedication to their country and the planet. Determination and dedication radiated from every last one of them; something I certainly hadn't noticed before…
The humans had as much drive as Sonic, Rouge, or any of the group, and I had been taking them down and counting them out the whole time…
"Hmm."
"Die, alien scuuuuum!" the soldier next to me cried, clearly one of the younger members of the group.
Our onslaught was incredibly effective –thanks only to the Shadow Rifle- but the ten aliens were shot right out of the air and destroyed on the spot, no longer threatening anything in the vicinity. Rouge relaxed and looked a little proud of herself while the soldiers worked themselves up into a unanimous cheer.
At least, until they noticed me standing with them.
We all exchanged an awkward look upon realizing we'd been on the same side; I was uncomfortable with the fact that I had actually worked with them while they were concerned that they'd gone against the Commander's orders.
Of course, this went over Rouge's head.
"Well, well, well boys! We just took out that group fabulously, no?" she asked, throwing her arms around me and the younger soldier. "In fact, it's just given me an idea!"
Here we go…
Rouge flew on top of an overturned crate and pointed at the GUN soldiers.
"Men! How would you all like a recommendation for a promotion to captains, huh?"
All the soldiers started buzzing excitedly.
"Yes, ma'am!" "Certainly, Agent Rouge!" "Of course!" "I've wanted this my whole life!"
"Then listen up," she barked, taking charge and gaining a tone of leadership. "The world is in its last hours, and if Shadow and I don't deliver this emerald to the Sonic Heroes in time, we all meet our maker, if you know what I mean."
"What will you have us do, then, Agent Rouge?" one of the taller soldiers asked while saluting. Rouge grinned mischievously
"If we want to rendezvous with the gang in time, we might need an escort through Death Ruins," she explained. "If you lot get us to the other side in record time, and not attack Shadow, I'll see to it personally that it's worth your while."
The soldiers huddled up and discussed the proposal. I just wanted to know where in the world Rouge was going with all this.
Eventually, the tall soldier stepped out from the rest of the group, and nodded in Rouge's direction.
"This may go against the Commander's orders, but I'm afraid to admit that his decisions are going to cost humanity," he admitted, glancing toward the ground with shame. "But…I'd rather feel his wrath tomorrow than to not have a tomorrow at all."
Everyone was a bit silent at the statement, until one person broke the silence with a small applause.
"…well said, soldier," I stated, clapping my hands together. "I'll admit, you have earned my respect just now."
The soldier appeared a bit surprised, but he eventually smiled. "And you…just might be what we need to get out of this mess in one piece."
"Perhaps, but this is where the real test will begin," I warned, a dark smile crossing my face. "…let's see if you all can earn my trust."
Everyone was a bit taken aback, but the tall soldier grinned again and saluted at me. "…it'll be an honor to serve by your side, Shadow."
Now I was appalled, but the soldier wasted no time. He whirled around and instantly distributed orders.
"Okay, men! We have with us the world's last stand! It will be our honor and pleasure to assist them in getting the heck out of this forest!" he announced. "Everyone, diamond formation!"
"Yes, Private Morgan!" they all exclaimed, quickly surrounding Rouge and I in a diamond shape, guns at the ready. Rouge was beaming as she clenched her fist.
"If any Black Arms threaten to attack us, just leave it to me and Shadow!" she exclaimed. I shot a glance at her.
"I don't have much of a say in this…?"
Rouge gave me a really big grin with clenched teeth. "Not if you want these guys to bring your head on a stick back to the Gun Commander…?"
I held my hands up and turned away. "All right, point taken."
She continued to smirk at me.
"…and fine, they're not as bad as I thought."
Rouge winked at me and started leading the charge, the soldier surrounding us like a protective barrier.
"Just what I wanted to hear, Shadow."
. . .
Death Ruins was trampled through instantly, with the soldiers yelling things to each other and keeping Rouge and I on our toes. They'd tell us to watch out for obstacles and warn us when an alien was approaching from whatever side, in which Rouge would knock them out with a Tornado Kick and I'd finish the job.
"We've made excellent progress," Morgan announced. "We should be reaching the other side of the forest in T-minus five minutes and counting!"
"And we've already cleared out thirty of the aliens," Rouge added happily. "We're making great time!"
"…which makes it all the more likely something's going to go wrong," I hummed under my breath. Rouge easily overheard me and nudged my shoulder.
"Must you be negative as soon as things start looking up for you?"
I shrugged. "I thought I was being realistic."
We kept moving at all costs, and the more scenery we passed, the more I realized that there really was some signs of ruins scattered about. Most of them were in the form of tall yet withered pillars, with water trickling out of them and falling into the abyss below…
"These ruins ARE a fine discovery. I thought it was a river, but it's actually an ancient canal! I can't believe it's still working," stated Rouge contemplatively, and with a bit of mischief. "If those creatures weren't here, I'd be treasure hunting a little longer!"
"I wonder just what the rest of these ruins once were…" I mused aloud.
"Maybe Knuckles knows something," Rouge pondered with a small smile. "After all, maybe his ancestors built these or, you know, something…"
I turned to look at her for a moment; her eyes were glazed over with a strange mix of admiration and sadness. A bit of realization washed over me and I tilted my head.
"You…seem to be really interested in Knuckles," I stated, and I'd never seen her mood whiplash like it did then. Her ears flattened against her head as she went from white to red and balled her fists in my direction.
"I-I…don't know what you're talking about," she stuttered, obviously flustered. "Besides…even if I was 'interested', Knuckles…isn't. At least, I don't think…"
I went to respond, only to find that some of the soldiers had ran ahead to take on another set of ten aliens. Some were Black Hawks and some were larvae, but the soldiers readily took them on.
"Go on without us!" they exclaimed, firing rapidly. "We'll hold them off; you guys get out of here!"
"Are you sure?" Morgan asked, looking concerned. The soldiers nodded.
"We can handle this, no problem! Time is of the essence, after all!"
Morgan seemed to understand and gifted the small group with a salute. "Your sacrifice will not go unforgotten, soldier! Men, move out, and provide cover fire!"
Rouge stayed close to me as the remaining soldiers nudged us on, firing in all directions and keeping any stray aliens at bay. Morgan led the charge with his gun at the ready, marching through and over any obstacles that happened to be in the way.
"GUN has this area well-defended; you can be sure of that," Rouge said.
If only they had this kind of defense everywhere…
Up ahead we ran into another fire breathing plant, and all the remaining soldiers ran in front of us and held up fireproof shields. I ended up gawking at them.
"HEY! Where were those before!?"
"They caught us off guard last time," insisted Morgan, pushing back the flames. "But not anymore…"
"I'm on it, then!" called Rouge, flying above everyone and taking off toward the plant. She spun around in the air, almost looking like a drill, and striking the plant right in its 'head'. It sputtered a bit, very clearly stunned, but rose again to try and take a snap at Rouge. She elegantly dodged out of the way, giving me an ample opportunity to spin dash into the stalk.
My quills sawed right through the stalk easily, severing the head from the rest of the plant and leaving it completely defenseless. I landed back on the ground shortly afterward, with the soldiers quickly getting back into diamond formation.
"Good work, Shadow," Morgan told me quickly, before directing his attention on organizing his team again. I lost my chance to say something back after that…but that was okay, since I was too confused on how to respond anyway.
. . .
"Exit to Death Ruins will be reached momentarily," Morgan announced as we approached an area when the trees and ruins finally started to thin out. He turned to Rouge and I and smiled. "We'll have you out of here in no time."
"We are forever in your debt, Private Morgan," Rouge said. "Consider that promotion as good as yours!"
I stayed quiet, far too suspicions of the sounds I continued to hear around us. It was almost as if we were being followed, but I couldn't see where the noises were originating from.
Perhaps I could take some pinpointing lessons from Espio…
We were almost at the exit, when I knew I heard the sound of a gun being cocked. Just as soon as I turned my head, I felt myself being pushed to the ground.
"GET DOWN!" shouted Morgan, throwing up his shield in front of Rouge and I. A whirlwind of shots came from behind us, belonging to a throng of black aliens.
"The last ten aliens…!" Rouge exclaimed, stunned.
"It's a terrorist post!" I yelled, watching as they all started closing in on us. "They led us right here; we're completely surrounded!"
I started to get back up, but Private Morgan pushed me back down again.
"I said get down!" Morgan shouted. "I'll try to clear you an-ARGH!"
Rouge gasped as a stray shot from one of the alien's firearms hit Morgan in the shoulder, causing him to take a knee as some of his teammates provided cover. I was utterly horrified, not just at the wound…but at the fact that it almost would've been me had I jumped up and attacked.
"Private! Are you okay?!" Rouge yelped, trying to help him up. Morgan pushed her away and shook his head.
"It's just…a flesh wound…" he blatantly lied, grabbing his shoulder with pain in his eyes. "But listen to me…when my men create an opening…you two are going to run for the exit. It's just beyond that stone path up ahead-"
He broke into a coughing fit, with Rouge's concern growing by the second.
"We can't leave you like this-!"
"If you don't, you may not make it back to your friends in time," he stated weakly, before interrupting himself to shout an order. When he was done, Morgan turned back to me and smiled faintly. "Go on ahead…and make sure there's still a world that we're fighting for tomorrow, okay?"
"We've almost got them down!" the youngest soldier yelled, whacking an alien worm repeatedly with the blunt side of his rifle. "As soon as this creepy crawly goes down, you two go, do you hear me?!"
Rouge and I exchanged a simultaneous nod- we weren't going to let Morgan's sacrifice be in vain, just like the soldiers that volunteered to stay behind.
"Ready?!" the soldier yelped, conking the worm one last time before it went limp. "GO!"
Rouge and I wasted no time in sprinting out of the circle of terrorist ambushers, but when we were far enough, I dared to turn back around and throw Morgan one more message.
"Private Morgan!" I called, getting his attention instantly. He looked up with his helmet lopsided over his head, but I could still see the look in his eyes. "…you've earned my trust."
He threw a thumbs up in my direction- inadvertently reminding me of Sonic- before he slumped to the ground, and some of the extra soldiers rushed to his aid. I hesitated in going back, but Rouge grabbed my wrist and gave me a soft look.
"We've gotta keep moving," she urged me on, understanding in her eyes. "I know it's hard…"
"It's just so weird," I admitted, as the two of us got a move on again. "Just yesterday, I was hating the humans…but today, I learned that maybe there really are some people out there that are worth fighting for."
Rouge smiled a bit, staring ahead.
"They've always been out there…it just took you longer to figure that out, is all."
I was silent, rolling the statement around in my head for a bit. And eventually, I discovered Rouge was right.
Maybe she always had been.
. . .
Just as Private Morgan has told us, the opening to the forest was just on the other side of the marble path. Granted, it was overgrown with moss and plants in general, but it was a path.
And a very high one, at that.
Rouge and I were dead focused on getting out of Death Ruins as fast as possible, but as always, nothing could be so simple. I was so focused on the path ahead that I had tunnel vision, and when something slammed into my side hard and fast, I was completely unprepared for it, and I went tumbling over the edge of the path, and landing somewhere down below. Rouge saw the flash of whatever had struck me, causing her to break to a stop and fly after me.
"Shadow!"
I yelled all the way down, crashing rather uncomfortably in a different area below. My limbs had been twisted in ways that they really shouldn't have been, but regardless, I righted myself…just in time to be eye to eye with Doom's Eye.
Needless to say, but he was pissed as usual.
"Heh, heh heh…" I chuckled in spite of myself, folding my arms and simpered as best I could despite the soaring pain in the right side of my body. "Having a little trouble with the GUN soldiers, are we? That's why you're resorting to low tactics such as pushing me off a bridge of sorts?"
"They're a pitiful bunch, which is precisely why you fit in with them so well," he retaliated, and I crouched into a fighting position.
"What'd you say?"
"Believe it or not, we're not here to exterminate those poor creatures," he stated mockingly, and I took that with a pinch of salt. "On the contrary…"
"Whatever!"
This came from Rouge, who flew down from above and landed behind me. She folded her arms and glowered at Doom's Eye with a ferocity I'd never seen.
"What are you talking about anyway?!"
"Yes, what nonsense ARE you saying," I added acidly. Doom acted like he'd had the upper hand the whole time, yet still didn't plan on revealing all of his cards.
"All will be revealed…in just a few hours," he chortled, burning a hole into me with his gaze. "Our surface operations are complete. We have altered the planet life here to suit our own purposes to take over the world!"
"That still doesn't reveal just how you plan on doing that, big guy!" Rouge hissed, bloodthirsty for all the details.
Must've been the gossip in her…
"Details or not, I won't let you get away with trying to take over this planet!" I cried. Doom would've probably smiled darkly if he had a mouth, and the look in his eye told more than enough.
"Oh, Shadow, you should take these last few hours to get some rest…because you'll definitely need it for the ritual," he warned me and sounding pretty pleased with himself.
"You scum," I spat, clenching my fist. "You're going down!"
Doom started hovering out of reach. Noticing him trying to flee, I started running after him. However, something giant and utterly ugly blocked my way, forcing me to come to a stop. Rouge seemed even more horrified than I was.
"Ugh! What…is that!?"
"Black Bull," I murmured, staring murderously at the abomination. "We meet again way too soon…"
"Man, what an ugly beast!" Rouge bellowed, visibly repulsed. "Let's finish this up quickly-"
"No," I stated, stepped between her and the beast. Rouge suddenly looked confused.
"S-Shadow-?!"
"Rouge," I stated seriously, staring her in the eyes. "I can handle this thing; I've beaten it before. You need to get that emerald to Tails as soon as possible so we can head to the ARK."
"But, Shadow," her ears drooped, and she looked somewhat upset. "How will…you get there?"
"Before you head into space," I explained. "Tell Tails to swing by here and pick me up in Death Ruins. I know it's risky, but someone has to go into space and get the seventh emerald back…even if it isn't me."
Rouge gasped and covered her mouth, and once again I told her to go.
"You want the world to survive this invasion, right? Then go…and make sure that dream continues."
Eventually Rouge nodded, starting to fly back up to where we had been leaving. After flying a certain height, she turned back down at me, and I could see her holding her inhibitor ring. I blinked, and in that moment she had left, leaving me to wrestle with the Black Bull a final time.
It was already charging at me, snarling and snorting, so I knew I had to make this quick.
I jumped out of the way of its gnarly attack, landing on some ivy up above and giving me a perfect vantage point for its one weakness. It fluttered about in confusion, leaving me to take out my rifle and aim carefully at its eye.
"Fool me once, shame on me; fool me twice…well, that's not going to happen," I sneered, hitting my bull's eye dead on. "If you think you have a chance at me this time…"
I lightly pressed the trigger.
"…you're sorely mistaken."
And I went loose on it.
Alternate GUN HQ-
The President and his bodyguards were still in a bit of concern about the GUN Commander, given his actions the last time someone reported to him an update. He was currently marching around impatiently and growling with distaste. Suddenly, the communications went off, and one of the tech men put the message on hands free for the convenience of the commander.
"Cadet Jackson!" the Commander barked, speaking to the young solider that had been next to me at one point. "Report on COM Sector B3, NOW."
"Yessir!" Jackson responded, the sound of a salute in his voice. "All black aliens have been dispatched from the Death Ruins area, sir! We have five injuries and one on the verge of casualty, but we're tending his wounds immediately."
"Who's on the verge?" the Commander demanded to know.
"Private Morgan, sir! He performed like a true hero, sir! Highly recommended by Agent Rouge!"
"I don't have time for recommendations, but I'll keep it in mind." The Commander then took on a grave look. "And Shadow? Is he disposed of yet?"
Silence on the other end, and the pause itself was enough to drive the Gun Commander into a rage.
"…no, sir, he is not," Jackson squeaked.
"WHAT?!"
A loud thud echoed throughout the HQ, making everyone within flinch instinctively. The Commander had punched a wall, just before angrily thundering over to the communicator, effectively pushing the tech guy out of the way.
"Where is he headed now?!"
"D-Dah, dah, um…well, I don't know exactly, but I heard some of the other soldiers say that he and the Sonic Heroes were planning on going to the ARK-?"
"End transmission," the Commander announced, a new inferno of fury raving inside of him. The President and everyone present instantly turned to gape at him. "Someone, get me my private jet to the desert area, right now!"
…And then there was whole new level of confusion.
"Allow me an interruption," the President stated, standing up. He could sense people sighing with relief at his interjection. "…why in the name of all that is good and holy do you want to go to the desert at a time like this!?"
Light applause followed this, but the GUN Commander ended it all with a wave of his hand.
"Mr. President, you have all the authority and right to question my actions…but don't," he challenged, and the room gasped. "Shadow the Hedgehog is headed to the ARK…the very place where he ruined my life! And as we learned from the previous ARK incident eight months ago, Doctor Eggman rigged a teleporter in his pyramid base that can bring anyone straight to the room of the accursed Eclipse Cannon…"
Everyone was slackjawed. The Commander clenched a fist, looking more determined than ever as he reached beneath his desk and pulled out a very powerful-looking revolver.
"If you want something done, you're going to have to do it yourself…" he mused, staring at the gun like it was his long lost love. "…and this is something I should have done fifty years ago!"
He snapped his fingers before marching out the door in a thunderous rage.
"Escorts, NOW!"
Four soldiers wasted no time in flinging out of their seats and taking off after the Commander. The President simply gaped at him as he left, eventually slumping back in his chair and holding his head in his hands.
And the whole room felt the same way.
Yes, I skipped over the second Black Bull battle...because if it truly matters, I'd rather go back and add it later if I have to than put it in there to begin with and suffer potential repetition (which I try to avoid in adaptions at all costs, especially with Speak With Your Heart...).
Next time, Shadow, at long last, reunites with the heroes, getting ready to fly straight into what may be the planet's last stand...but at the same time, Shadow can't resist the lure of the Chaos Emeralds, and taking the sixth one may end up being a little bittersweet...