Chapter 56: Salvation
"I'm impressed, Shawn Robotnik," Black Doom said with bemusement. "It seems I underestimated your own willpower."
"You're not talking to Shawn anymore," Shadow said as he walked slowly toward Black Doom. "I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, The Ultimate Life-Form and your demise."
Black Doom's three eyes widened and he quickly waved his hand before Shadow.
Shadow flinched slightly, but he kept walking.
"How is this possible? You should be halting in your tracks right now."
"Just because I inhabit Shawn's body doesn't mean I'm susceptible to your mind-tricks as well," Shadow replied and rushed at Black Doom.
In a flash of light, Black Doom vanished. The Chaos Emeralds, however, were still floating. As the ceiling above started to implode followed by menacing laughter on the outside, Shadow closed his eyes and focused on the seven Chaos Emeralds above him. A bright light surrounded Shadow as the Chaos Emeralds circled around him, and then when it was over he was glowing as his hair had gone from black to bright-yellow with red highlights. Noticing an opening near the top, Super Shadow lifted himself off the ground and flew up to it.
Once he was outside, he saw three root-like things had lodged themselves into the ground from the Black Comet which were pulsing with energy. The area around the Black Comet consisted of the decimated buildings of a city with fire and smoke clouding the crimson-colored skies. On top of the Black Comet sat a monster with two dragon-like heads and one eye on each of them, which roared with laughter upon seeing Super Shadow.
"You took the Chaos Emeralds just as I had predicted," said the monster in Black Doom's voice. "Now prepare to meet your doom!"
As the dragon took flight, Super Shadow followed. Once they were above the clouds, Black Doom raised his hands causing cars, cinderblocks, and even whole buildings to levitate around him. While Black Doom threw these things like projectiles, Shadow managed to avoid being hit by them and charged at Black Doom's front eye with an energy bolt shaped like a spear.
"Chaos Spear!" Shadow cried as he impaled Black Doom's eye.
While the front head of Black Doom roared in pain, Shadow quickly flew to the rear head and did the same thing. Unfortunately, two Chaos Spears weren't enough to take down Black Doom as he quickly regenerated. So Shadow was forced to use the same technique several times with each strike becoming more faster than the other. Eventually, Black Doom was unable to heal in time before Shadow's Chaos Spear impaled him not just through the front head but also the rear one. As the projectiles fell below the clouds, Black Doom tried to stay aloft but was unable to.
"Impossible," Black Doom murmured as his wings finally gave out. "I have been defeated not once, but twice by a puny…little…hedgehog."
Once Black Doom had crashed on top of the Black Comet, which managed to support his deadweight and was still absorbing energy from the planet, Shadow flew underneath the Comet and touched its underside with both hands. He tried to lift it, but the Comet wouldn't budge. So Shadow closed his eyes and pictured outer space as he shouted, "Chaos Control!"
In the blink of an eye, the Black Comet was orbiting the planet Mobius. Shadow then saw the ARK orbiting nearby and flew towards it. He used one more 'Chaos Control' to get into the control-room where he placed the Chaos Emeralds into the machine and then after setting the coordinates on the Black Comet, Shadow fired the Eclipse Cannon. In a matter of seconds, the Eclipse Cannon fired a bright-green energy beam at the Black Comet which shattered into fragments that flew in every direction with some parts raining down through Mobius' atmosphere.
I did this for you, Gerard and Marie, Shadow thought as he changed back into Shawn. You were the only people who accepted me for who I was, and for that I'm grateful to you. But now, I need to move toward the future and leave the past behind for my sake as well as yours.
The last thing Shawn saw was the door to the control-room opening before blackness clouded his vision.
###
When Shawn woke up, he found himself in one of the medical facilities onboard the ARK which he recognized from the white walls, the lack of sheets on the bed he lay on, and the monotone hum of the engines. Surrounding him were Sonny, Amelia, Miles, Chuck, Rouge Baxter, Victor, Charles, and Espen who looked at him with concerned faces. But once they saw him looking at them, they all sighed with relief.
"What…happened?" Shawn said weakly.
"Well, apart from saving the world you collapsed in the control-room," Rouge answered. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Not really," Shawn replied. "I feel really drained and stiff."
"That's because we had to extract a lot of blood from you in order to remove Black Doom's blood from your body," Dr. Robotnik said, appearing behind Rouge. "It seems that once Black Doom died, the blood died as well and it would've killed you if we had not been here."
"I see. That's why I'm no longer possessed by Shadow," Shawn said as he tried to move, but failed to. "So how did you guys get onboard?"
"We used the teleporter Eggman had installed in his pyramid base," Victor answered.
"Of course, the base had been put under G. U. N.'s control since Eggman was no longer using it," Espen added. "This allowed us to get onboard and search the ARK's data-files for information on the Black Comet."
"Then while we were doing that, Sonic, Amy, Rouge, Tails, and Knuckles snuck onboard the Black Comet to destroy it from the inside," Charles said.
"Unfortunately, the Black Comet released some kind of gas that paralyzed them and so we had to transport them back here to wait for further instructions from the Commander," replied Espen.
"We thought all was lost until you showed up and started kicking Black Doom's butt!" Sonny said with enthusiasm. "Then when you warped here, the others wanted to help but Sonic told them not to because he knew this was your fight and Shadow's as well."
"All the same, I'm glad we were here," Miles noted. "Once I figured out how to use the ship's medical equipment, it was a synch to remove the alien blood from your system."
"Now what I would like to know is why the blood caused Shawn to get permanently possessed by Shadow," Amelia said abruptly.
Dr. Robotnik cleared his throat as he answered. "That's because the blood was meant to control Shawn so that he would do Black Doom's bidding once the Black Arms returned to the planet, but Shadow's spirit intervened and permanently possessed Shawn in order to prevent the blood from completely taking over. However, once Shadow had relinquished control over Shawn after the incident with the ARK in January Shawn became vulnerable to Black Doom's manipulation when he actually appeared. That's why Shawn's body stiffened during his confrontation with Black Doom onboard the Black Comet which stopped as soon as Shadow took over."
When Shawn gave Dr. Robotnik a confused look, Charles said, "In case you're wondering how we know, it's because the Doctor had the curtesy to send special robots into every part of the Black Comet with cameras attached to them prior to the infiltration."
"Oh," Shawn said reflectively. "But how are you not possessed by Eggman right now, Ivo?"
"I convinced the mad fool that in order to ensure the destruction of the Black Arms and the planet's safety, so it could be taken over at some point, it would make sense for me to take over," Dr. Robotnik responded.
Shawn looked around the room and asked, "Is the Commander onboard?"
"I am," the Commander said, stepping forward from the shadows. He took a deep breath and said, "Shawn…I'm sorry for the way I treated you and I was wrong to accuse Professor Gerard of being a traitor. Is there anything I can do to make amends?"
Shawn hesitated for a moment, and then he said, "Yes, there is something you can do."
"Name it, and I shall do what I can," the Commander answered.
"I want you to find Marie."
###
It had been two weeks since the Black Comet was destroyed, and there had been no other disturbances. While Eggman had escaped G. U. N. prison once more, he seemed to be inactive for the time-being. Sonny and his friends had resumed attending school in Central City, which had been attacked by the Black Arms but it wasn't nearly as damaged compared to Westopolis. As a result of the Black Comet's impact, the city was a desolate wasteland of its former self with rescue teams working day and night to rescue as many people from the ruins as possible. Fortunately, Sonic and the others were helping G. U. N. with these efforts including Shadow and Rouge which made the progress of rescuing trapped Westopolis civilians much quicker.
As the autumn breeze made the trees shed their colorful leaves, Shawn was looking solemnly down at a pair of gravestones on a lone hill in the middle of Central City park. While the one on the left said, 'Gerard Robotnik 1883-1951' the other gravestone said, 'Maria Lambert-Travis 1939-1965'. Reaching into his jacket-pocket, Shawn pulled out a photograph of Gerard and Marie sitting together that he took himself a long time ago. After tearing it in half, he put the half with Gerard on Gerard's grave and the one with Marie on Maria's grave respectfully.
"So, Marie, you decided to rename yourself after the girl you were reincarnated from after the capsule had crashed onto the property of Mr. and Ms. Lambert, who became your adopted parents after you'd decided to keep quiet about the events that happened onboard the ARK in exchange for regular medical treatment from G. U. N.," Shawn said staring intensely at Maria's grave. "Though you died at twenty-six, that's still pretty impressive for someone with NIDS, and you even managed to find a cure for NIDS in that time as well. I guess you must've inherited Gerard's genius, just like Ivo did before Eggman possessed him. Now I feel bad for teasing you back then about not being as smart as I was, because you've clearly surpassed me.
"Although if Shadow hadn't launched you out into space when he did, none of this would've happened. But…I can't help but thank him for giving you the opportunity to live a full life here on Mobius despite how short it was, and making me realize how special I was despite all the suffering I went through. Now, I know I'm kind of rambling at this point, but I just thought I'd drop by to say that I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you needed me and yet...I will always remember you as I move toward the future. You may not have been my real sister, but you were the closest thing I had to one."
While Shawn paused to briefly wipe his eyes, he heard soft footsteps approaching him. He turned around a spotted a girl about his age carrying a bundle of flowers in her hands and walking up the hill towards him. She looked a lot like Marie except her blonde hair went down past her shoulders, and she was wearing a navy-blue coat with a matching knee-length wool skirt, black stockings, and bright-blue dress-shoes. Once the girl saw Shawn, she blushed slightly and turned to walk away.
"Wait," Shawn said, causing the girl to stop. "Why are you leaving?"
The girl paused and then she walked up to Shawn. "I'm sorry, it's just that I'm not used to seeing other people in front of my grandmother's grave."
"Grandmother?" Shawn looked back at Marie's gravestone and then back at the girl. "So you're related to…Maria Lambert-Travis?"
"Why, yes," the girl answered and adjusted the flowers. "I'm her granddaughter, Maria."
Shawn's eyes widened and then he looked away as his own cheeks flushed red.
"Is something wrong?" Maria asked hesitantly. "It's my name, isn't it? Being named after my own grandmother and all."
"No, I was just thinking of something else," Shawn answered, looking back at Maria. He quickly cleared his throat and held out his hand. "I'm Shawn Douglas, and I know your grandmother's work pretty thoroughly."
"Are you a medical student?"
"No, I'm…more of a fan."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Maria exclaimed. "I've never met anyone who is a fan of my grandmother's work before. Tell me what you like about her as soon as I pay my respects to her."
"Uh, sure," Shawn replied and walked a little ways down the hill.
As he watched Maria lay down the flowers and kneel before Marie's gravestone in a prayer-like stance, he felt something flutter inside his chest. Once he realized it was his heart pattering, Shawn tried to calm himself down in steady rapid breaths. However, his heart-rate spiked up the moment he saw Shadow appear before him in a transparent form.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Shadow asked rudely. "Don't tell me you find her attractive."
"Well, she is cute, but—
"She's your adopted grandniece, even if you were put into suspended animation fifty years ago when you were sixteen."
"I know that, but I wasn't expecting to run into her."
"Who are you talking to?" Maria asked looking at Shawn with a confused look.
"Um, no one," Shawn said, ignoring Shadow for the time-being.
To be continued…