Shadow the Hedgehog of the Colossus
Chapter 9: Hydrus
It was almost dusk now as the sun was beginning to set behind the mountains of Mobius. Shadow spent most of the day slaying six Colossai. He should be able to squeeze in one more before the day is out.
Around this time Mobians haven't got much on their plates. Some are either taking early naps, chilling, hanging out with others, or simply running around like a certain blue hedgehog everyone knows and loves.
Most don't mind the silence, but if there's anyone who isn't ok with it it's the three members of Team Chaotix, Espio, Vector, and Charmy. They were just sitting quietly in their small house, which acted as their detective office, bored out of their minds. They're all waiting for the office phone to ring or a knock on the front door, anything that guarantees a case that needs to be solved. They've been open all day but not one client required their services.
To pass the time, Vector was kicking back in his office chair listening to his tunes on his headphones, nodding his head along to the beat. Espio was sitting in the corner with his legs crossed, doing some meditation. As for Charmy, he was midair pacing back and forth across the room whilst looking through the mail they'd received today desperately hoping he'd come across a letter from a client. But all he could find were a couple of bills and a letter from their former teammate Mighty the Armadillo.
"Hey, guys! We got another letter from Mighty!" Charmy declared excitedly, though the other two didn't share his enthusiasm. "He says it was nice seeing us again at the Christmas party and he's sorry he couldn't stick around, said he's still got places to be and people to help, same stuff as always."
"Sounds like him," Espio muttered to himself without taking his focus off the meditation.
"You know, Vector, some people have been asking me why Mighty isn't with us. Saying stuff like you fired him. Heck, one guy thought you ate him in your sleep, hahaha!"
Triggered by this, Vector stood up from his chair, turned off his music and growled at Charmy in annoyance. He's heard that rumour way too many times to the point he couldn't stand it any longer.
"I did NOT eat Mighty! Why does everyone keep thinking that? How did a rumour like that even start?"
Charmy casually looks away and whistles to himself, acting innocent. It was clear to Espio that it was the mischievous bumblebee that started it all, trying to get under their leader's skin. Unfortunately, the supposed greatest detective was too oblivious to connect the dots himself. Had he left just like Mighty, they would never survive. He was the only brain in their operation.
"Besides, I didn't fire Mighty. That jerk ditched us." Vector responded sternly.
"He didn't ditch us, he just quit. People quit, Vector." Espio corrected him. The four of us used to be an amazing team. But Mighty didn't like the idea of us staying in one place and starting a detective agency here. He's always been a traveller. Staying in one place was never his thing."
"Yeah, I remember the day he told Vector he was leaving. Vector pretty much exploded all over the place like lasagne in a microwave. Kablam!" Charmy joked which only made Vector angrier.
"He ditched us while we were in the middle of an important case!"
"Vector, you overreacted. It was a mission to get a cat out of a tree." Espio interrupted him.
"That cat was strapped to an explosive! The whole city could've gone up!" Vector quickly defended himself.
"Clearly you're still not over him leaving," Espio muttered as he takes the letter from Charmy and reads through it himself. "At the end of the day, Mighty is just one case we can't solve. But his latest letter says he's doing fine and he's still solving cases on his travels. You need to get over it eventually."
"Yeah yeah, I'm trying to." Vector takes the letter from Espio and places it in the top drawer in his desk with the other letters they've received from Mighty. "Still, it would be nice if that jerk would come and visit more often… Can we change the subject?"
Just as he asked that there was a sudden knock on their front door. Finally, a client, they all thought. The perfect distraction from the whole Mighty situation. Vector practically rushed to the door to answer it, excited to finally get some action after doing nothing but sit around all day.
When he opened the door he was not expecting to see Vanilla standing there holding what appeared to be a basket full of muffins. There were a variety of muffins from chocolate chip, to blueberry, to raspberry. But none of the proved sweeter than the warm smile the young mother rabbit was giving the blushing crocodile.
Espio and Charmy giggled quietly in the background. They both knew that Vector had a huge crush on Cream's mom. It was painfully obvious with his cheeks turning redder than Knuckles and the jittering in his words.
"Good evening, Vector."
"M- Miss Vanilla, what a surprise. Wh- What can we do for you on this fine day?"
"I have a job that only you and your friends can pull off." She stated. "Mind if I come in?"
"Be my guest." Vector quickly steps aside, allowing the young mother to enter the office.
Once inside, Vanilla went straight to business and told them everything about Tails, Knuckles, Silver, and Blaze being held prisoner by the remnants of the Colossus Clan, a tribe thought to have been long forgotten by time. She didn't know why they were there in the first place, nor did she know about Shadow and the Colossai. All she told them was that they were locked up and required extract.
"… And that's why I've come to you. Team Chaotix is the best detective trio in the world. If anyone can find them it's you three."
"You've made the smart choice, Miss Vanilla," Vector assured her. "We'll find Tails and the others and bring them back home safely."
"But, Vector, we don't even know where they are?" Charmy pointed out.
"That may be true, but it won't stop us from using our detective skills to track them down and find their location." Vector arrogantly replied.
"Or we could just use this."
The others all look in Espio's direction. He was holding a tracking device in his left hand. It was hidden underneath all the muffins in the basket. He then switches the device on, which started making a beeping sound that played alongside a little yellow dot that was flashing on the tiny screen. It was clear to them that the dot was Tails and the others. The beeping rhythm was drastically slowed down, implying that they are far away from their current location.
"Yeah, that works too." Vector sheepishly responded, feeling slightly embarrassed in front of Vanilla. "We still could've found them without it."
"The only thing you're good at finding is computer rooms" Charmy teased.
"Don't make me shut you up!" Vector snapped at the pesky 6-year-old bee.
Changing the subject again, Espio approached Vanilla and told her the price of going on a rescue mission to save four people from a civilisation they know nothing of. Something this big would most likely be well out of her price range.
Vector noticed the pressure being weighed down on her and opted to step in and put her mind at ease. He started speaking for the whole team, declaring they were more than happy to do this job for free. Espio and Charmy were not pleased with this.
"We're not a charity, Vector. We need the money. If we start working cases for free we won't have any money left to pay the rent." Espio reminded him.
"Yeah. Eggman cheated us out of a free rescue mission once. We're not gonna let that happen again!" Charmy backed him up.
"I know, guys. But we can't force the nice young lady to pay straight up when she doesn't have enough yet. We should-
"It's ok, Vector." Vanilla interrupted. "I appreciate the kindness, but it's only fair that I pay you just like everyone else… Once I make enough money at the bakery, I will pay you at once."
"How about this? Because I like you so much, and these guys are our friends, we can put out a tab for you. You can pay us back for our services little by little. We'll even throw in a 20% discount in return for these delicious muffins you made for us."
Vanilla smiled and took hold of Vector's right hand.
"You have a big heart, Vector. I am so proud to have a friend like you. Thank you so much."
Vector's eyes widened with shock as his cheeks starts to redden again. "Y- You're very welcome my dear. Just leave it to us. We'll find our friends and bring them home safely. Right boys?"
"Yes sir!" Charmy saluted his leader enthusiastically.
"Roger." Espio nodded. Though part of him was annoyed about the whole tab suggestion.
"Then we shall set out at once." Vector places his arm around Vanilla's shoulder and gently escorts her out of the building. "Now go home and get some rest, Miss Vanilla. Leave this to the professionals."
Vanilla smiles and waves back at them as she walks away from their house and back to her little cottage in the meadows. Once she was gone Espio takes hold of the tracking device and switches it back on. The yellow dot was pointing north, though it did not say how far they would need to travel.
"How far are they exactly?" Charmy asked Espio.
"Not sure, but it's too far to walk. We'll need some mode of transportation to get there fast."
"Not to worry boys. I know a way for us to get wherever it is we're going fast… I think it's time we collect what we're owed from that no-good Doctor Eggman." Vector declared.
Shadow finds himself in a cemetery surrounded by many tombstones. The next chapter in Maria's backstory took him here because she, Gerald, and Ivo were visiting the graves of Maria's beloved parents, Geraldo Robotnik and Meredith Sanders. Maria appeared to be 3 years old now. Her golden hair had already grown out. The young Eggman was now in his mid-teens. He had an undercut haircut with the edges dyed turquoise.
They were standing over a single headstone made of pearly white marble. It read "Here lies Geraldo and Meredith Robotnik. Beloved husband and wife, and parents".
In the end the poor, heartbroken Geraldo couldn't pull through from his coma and ended up dying in his sleep. The cause of death was a rare condition known as broken heart syndrome. A condition where someone can die from losing someone they love. According to Gerald's research that Shadow glossed over one time, Geraldo's love for his wife was so strong that it almost acted like an addictive drug. So when she died so suddenly without warning, his heart released a series of chemicals that weakened him severely, causing him to fall into a coma.
Shadow had never fallen in love before. He's not even sure if he physically can. Rouge is the only female he's close with, other than Maria. But he's always viewed her as a close friend and ally, nothing more. The only love he's experienced is his love for Maria. But it's the kind of love a brother would have for his sister.
Only Gerald could fully understand his son's feelings for his wife. As they were standing over their grave, Maria asked her grandfather how they met in the first place.
Gerald told her that it was love at first sight for his son. They met in high school and clicked immediately when they were studying the theory of relativity. He was already won over when Geraldo first introduced her to him. He already viewed her as his future daughter-in-law.
Maria smiled for only a second before she started crying again. She couldn't help but feel guilty, thinking it was her fault her parents died. Her birth caused the death of her mother, which led to the demise of her father.
Ivo places his hand on her shoulder and reassures her that their deaths had nothing to do with her.
"Don't blame yourself, Maria. I was the one who didn't appreciate all your fathers had done for me… The last time I ever spoke to him, we argued. I mocked his intelligence. I never even thanked him for taking me in when my own parents didn't want me." Ivo lowered his head as he explained the mistakes of his past.
"Stop it, both of you," Gerald spoke up, forcing his grandchildren to look up at him. "We've come here to pay respects to our dearly departed family members. They would not want any of us to feel bad about what was out of our control. We need to honour their memory. Focus on all the good they've done for us, not on what could've been done. Do you understand?".
The two of them nod in unison. Maria takes a step forward so that she could place a bouquet of flowers on the grave, paying her respects to the parents she never got the privilege of meeting.
but as she was about to stand back up Maria started coughing a lot, forcing her to stay kneeling on one leg. Gerald kneeled to her level and places his hand on her back.
"Grandpa, what's wrong with Maria?"
He presses the back of his hand against Maria's forehead, feeling her body temperature. "She's got a fever. No wonder, we've been standing out here in the cold for hours now. I should've paid more attention to the time." Gerald answered as he glances over at his worried grandson.
"Ivo, could you go get the car over by the graveyard entrance, please? It'll save her the trouble of walking all the way back."
"Of course, Grandpa." Ivo nodded obediently before rushing down the hill and out the front entrance.
"Are you alright, Maria?"
Maria lightly nodded in response. Gerald decided to make things easier on her by carrying her back the way they came. It was the least he could do for making his 3-year-old granddaughter stand out in the cold too long without even thinking of the possibility of catching a cold… At least he hoped it was a cold.
As they were leaving, Shadow stayed back to get a proper look at Maria's parents' grave. He bowed in respect to the people who gave Maria life. As he lowered his head he noticed little splatters of red staining the white marble.
He knelt to get a closer look and was shocked to see that they were drops of blood. Blood that originated from Maria's mouth.
"This was no common cold… This must be the disease she contracted aboard the ARK. The same one I was created to help cure. This was where it began." Shadow commented to himself.
It was then that the bright white lights returned and he woke up back inside the shrine of worship. The statue of Barba had fallen and the now six Shades have disappeared.
Once he was back on his feet again he awaited the next instructions from Dormin.
"Thy next foe is… A ruin hidden in the lake… A ripple of thunder lurks underwater."
Shadow glances over at the next statue on the left side of the shrine. The next Colossus he needed to defeat was a sea serpent-like giant named Hydrus. He was afraid he'd come across a Colossus like this at some point. After battling a Colossus that can fly, it only makes sense there's one that can swim too.
Losing the power to teleport will make this next fight difficult. If there were no spots of land anywhere near the lake there's nowhere for him to go. Thankfully his hover shoes have a function that allows him to stand, walk, and run on water. But it won't be of any use to him if this Colossus chooses to stay submerged in the lake.
But instead of standing around and wondering what this next battle will entail, he calls Agro to his side and rides her full speed out of the temple.
The beam of light pointed them in the same direction he took to get to Quadratus. Across the smaller stone bridge across the gorge where the beach he fought the giant bull on was.
As they crossed it, Shadow notices Quadratus's body still laying in the spot he killed him in. Almost his entire body was now covered in sand with some vegetation growing out of it. As unusual as it was for a corpse to decay this fast, Shadow didn't question it. Ever since he'd first set foot in these lands there have been things that didn't make a lot of sense. The Colossai's very existence is abnormal by human standards. No creature exists whose body was made of earth with no blood or internal organs.
These Colossai some may argue aren't even properly alive. They only serve as vessels to contain fragments of Dormin's power. But Shadow considers them living creatures. Only living things can suffer and fear death. Though they have no facial features he can tell they express emotions like fear, anger, and a will to keep on living. Or else why would they fight so hard against him to stay alive? He thought.
Shadow and Agro soon find themselves back at the large platform he battled, and defeated, Gaius at. Turns out Hydrus was only located a few meters away. Most likely in the centre of the huge lake.
Agro follows the path along the shore and between two walls of a mountain until the two of them come across what he can perceive as an ancient stone-built equivalent of a dam. One built by the Colossus Clan to provide their people with fresh water for many years.
The dam was completely isolated. From where he was standing it looked like a massive bowl full of water. There was only one way in and out of that part of the lake and that was through a man-sized archway that led to a bridge which leads to a tall tower with a curved staircase around it. Probably served as a lookout point for whoever was put in charge of maintaining the dam.
Shadow dismounts Agro, crosses the bridge, and climbs the stairs to the top of the tower. He has a good view of the entire lake. All the edges were cut off so if Hydrus was hiding under the water there is no channel for him to retreat through once the battle begins.
There was no sign of the Colossus anywhere. The water was completely still apart from the occasional small ripples caused by the wind. Hydrus must still be dormant at the bottom of the lake. In order to awaken it, Shadow drew the sacred sword and opted to try something.
The sun was setting behind him. It'll be dark soon. Time seemed to have completely flown past him. He'd spent the whole day finding and killing Colossai that he hadn't considered the problems the night could bring. The biggest one being the sword can't shine its tracking beam without the aid of the sun. He quickly raises the sword high into the air and uses what little light he has left to try and locate Hydrus somewhere in the lake.
The light from the sword shone through the water's surface and managed to locate the dormant sea Colossus. Upon feeling its warmth, blue swirling lights appeared within the empty sockets. The whole lake bottom started shaking, causing the water to increase the ripples. Shadow pinpoints the centre of the change in current and spots some faint orange lights appearing under the surface.
Those lights came from three spiked protrusions sticking out of its head and lower back. There were a couple of smaller lights alongside the edges of its sides. Hydrus was a serpentine Colossus whose appearance was like a cross between an eel and a catfish, with its long whiskers. Sparks of electricity were building up within the three spikes, causing a short-range electrical burst.
The bio-electricity made it easier for the black hedgehog to spot his current location. Hydrus has woken and is swimming to the surface. Time to kill his next target.
He leaps off of the furthest point of the tower and dives straight into the lake. He landed only a few feet away from the giant catfish/eel. Fortunately, its orange lightning had a very limited range so he didn't have to worry about the whole lake becoming a deathtrap.
Shadow's hover shoes allow him to hover atop the surface as he searches for his prey. Most Colossai tends to attack him head-on once they spot him. But Hydrus was doing the opposite. He was retreating into the depths when he spotted the sword attached to his back.
"The creatures diving! I can't let it get away!"
Shadow skated across the water as fast as he can. As fast as a Human can run at least since he'd lost his super speed. Hydrus continued to dive as he got closer. He needed to ensure he stays close to the surface. But how?
"You're not getting away from me! Chaos Blast!"
Shadow attempted to unleash his most destructive chaos power to scare Hydrus into resurfacing. But nothing happened. The Chaos Blast was the next power he had lost. The timing of it all couldn't have been more horrendous even if he'd tried.
Hydrus inevitably reaches the bottom of the lake and starts to circle Shadow. Its eyes change orange as it begins to dash him from below. Shadow tries to get away but Hydrus's lightning strikes him as he got close enough to the surface, stunning him long enough for the giant eel to smack him away with its snout.
Shadow ends up landing on a small piece of broken platform sticking out of the water. A lucky break. Luckily his healing factor was still intact and his body recovered significantly fast.
He takes a few deep breaths and calms his mind before making the next move. Attacking the symbols directly won't work this time, not with those three electrical spikes generating a defensive shield around it. He'll have to take those out first.
Hydrus circles as it swam, back to the surface again, searching for the tiny intruder. The sword reveals the only symbol on Hydrus which was atop its head. But to get there he'd have to travel down its snake body, take out the spikes, and hold on tight in case he decides to dive again, and that's assuming Hydrus isn't intelligent enough to stay on the surface long enough for him to carry out those tasks. It was a gamble, but it was the only plan Shadow can come up with that could actually work.
Shadow jumps back into the lake and manages to land right atop Hydrus's tail as it surfaced. He runs like hell across its body until he reaches the furthest spike. There were a few cracks near the base. Seemed like a good spot to strike. Sword drawn, Shadow plunges it into the base of the spike, severing the nerves that allowed the electricity to flow out of it. This cause it to go dark as the energy faded out. Phase 1 of his plan worked, now he just needed to repeat the process twice more before attacking the head.
Hydrus lets out a moan as it partially submerged itself, trying to shake him off. Its moans sounded like a whale in distress. But Shadow pressed on to the next spike and struck the same spot again, cancelling out the second spike and increasing the Colossai's distress.
Hydrus begins to dive down once again starting with its head. Shadow uses the momentum of its body beginning the plunge to propel himself to the last spike. He plunges the sword into the crack upon landing and manages to take out the final spike just as it was going under.
Shadow took in a deep breath and held on for dear life as the catfish Colossus sunk deeper and deeper. The weak point was only a few feet away from him, but it didn't look like Hydrus will be surfacing again anytime soon.
He channels all of his strength into his hands as he slowly, but surely, crawls across Hydrus's back to reach its head, using its navy blue fur to maintain his grip. The current was unbearably strong against him and it only grew in pressure the deeper they went. Just how deep is this lake, he thought.
When he finally reaches the head Shadow was starting to feel dizzy from holding his breath for such a long period of time. His face started turning purple. He needed to exhale urgently. But if he lets go now he might not get another chance to finish Hydrus off. There's also a likelihood that its spikes will heal and it'll start generating electricity again. That's a risk he wasn't willing to take.
With the last of his strength nearing its end, Shadow plunges the blade deep into Hydrus's head in the centre of the symbol, causing the sea monster to let out another whale-sounding groan.
Its body starts to go limp and began to sink further down into the depths. The lights on its body start to fade away alongside its eyes as the life was flooding out of its wound.
Shadow instantly let go and swims to the surface, letting out the captured oxygen he'd been storing in his lungs for what felt like hours. Had his body not been weakened from the black substance coming out of the Colossai he wouldn't have struggled so much with holding his breath.
Speaking of which, said black substance started rising out of the fresh water and possesses his body without warning. He didn't see them coming as they blended in with the depths of the lake.
Shadow attempts to fight their possession so that he could swim over to the platform, but he had no such luck. He ends up passing out from the black smoke while still in the water. Shadow's unconscious body starts to sink into the lake. Under normal circumstances, this would mean death by drowning. But the Ultimate Lifeform held onto the hope that he'll be transported back to the shrine of worship long before that happens.
To Be Continued