(Sorry for late posting, I've been REALLY busy lately. I started re-reading Harry Potter, so I've been doing that, and, well, I just keep getting distracted by You Tube and other stuff.
This chapter might just reach 3,000 words! (All of them have been under or just under 3k.)
Last time on In the Dark…
Finally, Sally and Shadow have arrived back at their own time. But it appears that things have gotten worse in their absence. The only safe place they knew of has been destroyed, but a message was written on the ruins; "IF YoU'RE ALIVE, nONe HAVE SUrVIVEd." After a narrow escape from some Exes, Sally discovered that there was a message hidden inside the phrase; "First Road." Shadow and Sally teleported to the very road where they found an address painted on the street sign. It led them to an apartment building and eventually into a secret passage. In an underground facility, a large group of people have found a way to survive. Can these people be trusted? Will Shadow and Sally stay with them? Or will they head out into their dangerous world in search of their own way to survive? Find out in this chapter of In the Dark!)
When we arrived, some of the group members looked up. Then the one closest to us whispered something in the next person's ear, then they whispered it in the next, and so on until it got to a middle-aged human sitting on a cot in the corner of the room, reading what looked like an old newspaper. Next to him was his very pregnant wife, who was reading over his shoulder. When the whispered message reached them, they both looked up at us, then stood and came over to where we were standing. The man bowed low when he saw me.
"Princess Sally," he said. "It's an honor to see you alive."
I blushed slightly. "You don't need to be so formal," I said. "I'm just another person trying to survive out here. I don't think I'd be considered the princess with Dark in control."
"You're still our Princess," the woman reassured me. I smiled.
The man looked at Shadow, who was still observing the place.
"You're Shadow the Hedgehog, right?" he said. "I've heard a lot about you on the news."
Shadow simply nodded.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the stranger continued. "I'm John Stigmont, and this is my wife Gina, founder and co-founder of this little…organization. We set up this place as a refuge for people trying to get away from the Darkness outside. In fact, that's what this place is called; The Refuge. We spread the word the same way we did for you…sorta. Sometimes the messages were easier to understand, but not quite so easy that any Exe on the street could read it. Then again, they're not very smart."
"So…were you the ones who demolished the building?" I asked.
John shook his head. "It was like that when we got there. I think the shadow things took it down to find you guys. You're high up on Dark's "Wanted" list. He's killing off anyone close to Sonic. Did you see that today he took out Dr. Eggman?"
Shadow looked at him for the first time. "The faker killed the doctor?"
I looked down, ignoring him. "Yeah, I did. Who else close to him has he murdered?"
"Rotor and Eggman are it so far. I think he's managed to catch Rouge, Amy, Knuckles, and Geoffrey St. John. Most of the others are either here or someplace else. There are other safety camps around the area."
He was right. When I looked around, I saw Bunnie Rabbot, a half-roboticized Freedom Fighter, going into one of the adjoining rooms, and Antoine D'Coolette watching us, polishing a sword with a bloodstained cloth. I wondered how many Exes he'd had to kill with that thing. As I looked around some more, I saw other former Freedom Fighters and people I knew. All seemed to be in relatively good health. I turned back to the man.
"So you brought us here…why?"
"Well, I figured since you two hadn't been captured, you must be trying something against Dark," he explained. "That's kinda what we're all doing. We were gathering the Chaos Emeralds to see if they could help, but…" He lowered his voice. "To be honest, we don't have a real plan, and none of us here can control them."
"Shadow can control them," I said. "Maybe we can do something with them. I'll have to think up a plan. Anyway, how many do you have?"
"We have two Emeralds right now."
"Perfect, we actually have three. Two left."
"And we know the location of one." John smiled. "I think you'll be a big help."
I returned his smile. "I hope we will. When were you planning on setting out to get the sixth?"
"Actually, people are getting ready now," Gina spoke up, "but we weren't planning on going until we had you guys. But we saw you coming."
"How?" Shadow asked abruptly.
Gina nodded toward a room marked Surveillance. "We hacked into the city's main security camera system. There were some surviving cameras at that base."
I raised my eyebrows. "Impressive."
John nodded. "We're one of the more advanced safe houses."
"Why don't you take a look around while we finalize a few details?" Gina suggested.
I smiled and nodded. I walked past them, but at the last moment turned and added, "Oh, by the way, thank you very much."
They both smiled.
"No problem," John said.
I spent the next hour or so taking a tour of the The Refuge led by a young Freedom Fighter no older than twelve. It took up the entire basement to the apartment building and the adjoining one. The Rest Area (as I was told the room we had dropped into was called) and the Cafeteria were the two largest rooms. There was also a living room/auditorium, called the Rec Room, where the Stigmonts held meetings, made announcements, and where the Refugees watched the news Dark broadcasted from a projector. Apart from those rooms, there were two ten-stall bathrooms, one for girls and one for boys, a kids' area, extra supplies, and a passage leading outside. There were also several locked rooms the twelve-year-old tour guide didn't tell me about. I tried not to give a second thought about them; we all have our secrets, surely these Refugees do too. The kid was just showing me how they got water from a purified fountain in the city square when a three-tone bell sounded. Following the kid's instructions, we met in the Rec Room. All the Freedom Fighters and Refugees were sitting on mismatched couches and chairs facing the front, which had a podium. I took a spot next to Shadow, who barely acknowledged that I was there. Bunnie sat on my other side, but we only had time to wave and smile at each other before the meeting began.
"Let's cut to the chase," John began, standing at the podium. "Some of you may have noticed the newcomers. Princess Sally, Shadow, could you please stand?"
We did as he said. The Refugees clapped, and a few even whistled. I smiled and we both sat back down, and all the while Shadow remained expressionless. What in the heck does he think about that keeps him so…stony?
"These two are here to help us defeat Dark, or we're helping them," John continued once the applause died down. "They possess three Chaos Emeralds, and we have two. Today, our mission is going to the Havok-Foxx building to retrieve the sixth. Who would like to be assigned to this mission?"
Several Refugees raised their hands, including Antoine and Bunnie. Sheepishly, I raised my hand, not quite sure if I was supposed to. John counted the people with their hands raised. I looked around and noticed that two-thirds of the group was volunteering, even a few teens and kids.
"Alright, how about Ice, Michael, Bunnie, Haley, Antoine, and of course Sally, Shadow, and myself," John said, jotting something down on a pad of paper. "You seven, take ten minutes to get what you need, then meet me in the Rest Area. Meeting dismissed."
The Refugees dispersed. Immediately, I stood and Bunnie and I hugged, squealing. Shadow gave us a look of disgust before walking off. I distinctly heard him mutter, "Girls."
"Where've you been, Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked in her country drawl once we pulled away.
"Oh, I've been around," I said, smiling. "Y'know, traveling against my will."
She gave me a puzzled expression.
"I'll explain in a minute," I said in response to her reaction.
"Ah've been wonderin' if you were even still around," Bunnie said. "Things have been so chaotic lately."
"I can imagine," I sighed.
"So tell me what you've been doin'!" she quipped.
So I launched into the story of how I was involved in the Sonic crisis, including the interference that caused us to go to the future. I didn't spare any details, and the story spanned the whole ten minutes. Before I knew it, John stuck his head in the room to call us in.
We spent five minutes double checking supplies and going over a sketchy plan. Soon, we were on the road to the Havok-Foxx building, which was a huge office building on the south side of the city. While we walked, I continued talking animatedly with Bunnie and started talking to Antoine. We had already walked a few miles when I noticed the surprising lack of Exes. I decided to bring it up with John, who was leading.
"Most of them are called in during the day to witness what Dark calls 'executions,'" John explained. "You'd think with that name, the victims would've done a crime to land themselves there, but no. Anyway, they're not really out during the day. It's at night that you have to worry about."
I nodded in understanding.
I estimated that we had been walking for two or three hours already when John led us into an alleyway. We walked along it, and right in front of the opening (which was blocked by dumpsters) was the Havok-Foxx building. About a dozen Exes and shadows guarded the entrances and broken windows, and I could only imagine how many there could be inside, remembering last time. Even now, the security may have heightened because Shadow and I had escaped with the Chaos Emerald then. I frowned. At least this time we have more support.
"Here's what we do," John began. "Bunnie, can you shoot those guys at the entrance and draw the rest of them to the front?"
"Can do, sugah," she said, transforming her robotic arm into a cannon.
"Ice, you freeze them," John continued.
"Got it!" replied a male, pale blue hedgehog who's quills looked like shards of, well, ice.
"Once they're frozen, Antoine, you can take them out."
"Wi! I can be counted on!" Antoine saluted.
"Do you think we can draw some of the guards out on the inside out into the open?" I put in.
"I could go around the perimeter of the building and distract them to get most of them out if Plan A goes wrong," Shadow said, speaking for the first time since we set out.
"That'd be perfect," John smiled. "Once all that's done, we'll storm the building and take out the remaining ones. Got it?"
"Got it!" We all chimed.
"Alright then, Bunnie, on three," John said to her. "One…two…"
"Three," Bunnie finished, stood up, and fired several rounds at the guards, the sound of the cannon reverberating around the small area.
"If that doesn't draw them out, I don't know what will," I murmured.
Sure enough, dozens of Exes wandered out from behind the building and through the entrance, where the front doors were hanging off their hinges. Some of them even fell from broken windows and landed with loud thuds on the pavement and didn't get up. By now, there were a couple dozen of them outside.
"Keep shooting, Bun," I said. She nodded and followed my instructions.
"Here," said John, handing me a blaster gun. "You'll need it."
I nodded. "Thanks." I stood up behind the dumpster and began helping Bunnie out, shooting the Exes down. They had found where the gunshots were coming from and were now coming this way, and more were spilling out of the building. They were coming up slowly, but in great numbers. The two of us wouldn't be able to hold them off. The crew noticed our strain and joined the fray. John began shooting beside me, and Ice jumped over the dumpster and began sending jets of ice at the Exes, freezing them. Antoine followed, holding two double-bladed swords and smashed the frozen Exes into a million pieces. Soon the entire group was fighting, and in minutes all the Exes were on the ground, most of them dead.
"C'mon," John said, and hopped out behind the dumpster and charged into the building, followed by the seven of us.
The main floor was empty. It appeared that we had drawn all the Exes out. We had probably killed a good couple hundred of them outside. The elevator was out of order, so we took the stairs. We proceeded in silence, guns and weapons drawn, prepared for an assault. We had probably gone up three or four floors in safety when we heard the groans and moans of the Exes, a staircase above us. Each of us hushed one another as we crept up the steps. John took the lead as we rounded onto the next flight, and were met by a very disturbing sight.
Seven or eight Exes were hanging from nooses, the ropes attached to the staircase above us, right in our path, all alive and revolving slowly. Some of them had missing limbs. When one of them saw us, it snarled and reached out toward us, swiping, trying to get us, but couldn't free itself from the rope around its neck. Its growls alerted the others, and they imitated its behavior, shrieking and snarling like a feral animal. To prevent them from alerting the rest of the Exes in the building, we shot them, one by one, until we reached the next staircase. However, right when we shot the last one, a fire alarm went off, red lights flashing in the stairways.
"Shit!" John cried. "I didn't know there were alarms!"
In a rush, we headed up the next flight of steps. At the top, there was a row of hanging Exes, blocking our way. We all stopped dead.
"Oh mah…" Bunny whispered, her hand to her mouth.
These ones were smaller, and I almost threw up, realizing that they were only children, the youngest looking to be about the size of an eight-year-old. It was hard to tell, though, because they were so unrecognizable. I looked around and noticed that some of the other of our crew looked like they were going to be sick as well. Hesitantly, though, I stepped up and shot them, one by one, in the head, not to get past, but to end their misery, if they were still somewhat…human. But that little thought was doubtful. Without further hesitation, I took the lead and ran up the steps, followed moments later by the rest of the crew.
"There's no point in stealth now!" John cried right behind me.
I could hear doors opening up and down the staircase on the landings, and with every new floor we came to, we had to shoot more Exes, and more shadows.
"What floor is that Emerald on?" I shouted over the commotion after we passed the third landing full of Dark's minions.
"Level 17!" John replied.
We hadn't even made it to the next landing when we heard a piercing scream; a live scream. I stopped and looked back. Haley had been grabbed by an Exe on one of the lower levels. I raised my gun to shoot, but the Exe was too close to her head, I'd risk shooting her. Before I could decide if I should risk it, the Exe sunk its teeth into her neck, and the light drained from her eyes as blood stained her front. I froze in horror. I can't continue. I can't. I'll die. Someone else will die. They'll become one of them. This whole mission will be pointless.
"GO!" John cried, snapping me back to reality. He shoved me forward, causing me to stumble on a step, and we continued.
Level 14…more attackers. Level 15…Michael was cornered at a broken railing and pushed over the side, falling 15 floors. Level 16…I was too numb to do anything but shoot. Level 17…we pushed through a horde of shadows and Exes and made it onto the floor.
The floor was all one big room and looked like it had once been an auditorium or meeting room. The front of the room had a carpeted raised platform, and folding chairs were scattered everywhere, thrown around, some broken, and others still in line. The pink Chaos Emerald was sitting on a pedestal similar to the frozen, dead human we saw at the last building we went to, but this one was a human. But that wasn't what struck me as odd. The remaining Exes and shadows had either been killed, or were lined up against the wall. Standing by the Chaos Emerald, with his back to us, was a navy blue, almost black hedgehog with raised quills, a dark aura around him, and he had his hands behind his back. I stopped dead, the others running into me.
Slowly, the hedgehog turned his head, revealing glowing white eyes with no irises or pupils. Dark grinned.
"I've been expecting you," he said in a low, quiet voice.
My eyes narrowed angrily. "What are you doing here?" I growled, my voice shaking slightly. It didn't sound like my own.
Dark turned to face us. "Why, I'm here to meet you, aren't I? I know why you're here."
"Get out of the way…" I snarled.
He ignored me. "You're here for this little baby, arencha?" he continued, plucking the Emerald out of the dead human's hands. His voice was creepily calm. He examined the Emerald in his hand. "Hm…should I give it her?"
The Exes and shadows screamed in disapproval. I looked at the ones directly behind Dark and realized that all of them were pinned to the wall by machetes or swords, stuck straight through their abdomens. My eyes flicked back to the Emerald in his hand.
"How'd you know we were coming?" I asked, my voice steadying.
"Alarms," he replied simply, gestured to the flashing red lights, which cast an eerie glow on the bloodstained room. "And a little bird told me in advance." He grinned. "I see you're hanging with a new crowd. But weren't there eight of you instead of six? A shame, really." His voice changed to mimic Sonic's perfectly. "Whatever happened to Amy, Sal?"
That did it. I screamed and lunged at him, but I'd only gone a few steps when both Bunnie and Shadow seized my arms and held me back. Dark stepped back a few paces to a broken window.
"I see you really want this Emerald," he said. "Think it'll help you return this world, and Sonic, to normal? HA!" He held his arm out the window, holding onto the Emerald with just his fingertips. I ground my teeth in anger. His smile taunted me.
"Come and get it," he smirked, gesturing us closer. "Come to your death."
I screamed again and wrenched myself from my friends' grasp and charged at him. But Shadow was faster. He raced ahead of me in a black and red blur, snatched the Emerald and shoved Dark out the window. I caught the briefest glimpse of a look of surprise and – unless I imagined it – fear in his eyes before he tripped over a shard of glass still in the window frame and fell through. I ran to the ledge and looked down, but I didn't see Dark falling. In fact, the only thing I saw was a brief flash of light. No Dark.
"He escaped!" I cried.
"Maybe, but we got the Emerald, didn't we?" Shadow said coolly. I rounded on him.
"And what if he didn't escape?!" I shouted. The Exes were now disturbed by the commotion, but I didn't care. "That's Sonic, you idiot! You hurt Dark and you're hurting Sonic too! Don't you realize that?!"
Shadow glared at me and took a breath to argue, but was cut off.
"We have more important things to worry about!" John cried, and pointed toward the door. More shadows and Exes were swarming into the room. Worse still, some of them on the walls had pulled the swords and knives from their chests and were advancing on us.
"Everyone over here!" Shadow cried. We ran forward and grabbed onto each other and him. I seized Bunnie's metal hand and, rather reluctantly, onto Shadow's arm. He raised his other arm, holding the Emerald high above him.
"Chaos—"
Someone screamed. Ice had been grabbed by one of the Exes and was pulled away from the group, his hand slipping out of John's.
"NO!" I cried, but it was too late.
"—Control!"
We disappeared, our original eight now down to five.
(You know what's ironic? Sometimes my own stories make me sick. I'll try to tone down the descriptions of dead people and Exes from here on out.
3,000 words! 3,633 at this point to be exact. I could've split the chapter, but…nah. XD
I FINALLY FINISHED THANK GOD AND CHAOS AND IDK ANYMORE.
Uh….bye. XD)
~SonicTheHedgehog-Nerd