Shadow the Hedgehog of the Colossus

Chapter 17: Argus

Shadow was startled awake within his dream/memory of his past by the loud noise of an alarm system sounding throughout the ARK. A red light above him continuously flashing in sync with the alarm.

He was standing in what he considered his favourite room on the station, the Viewing Room. A place with huge windows all around him, giving him a perfect view of the Earth and space. The floors even had some strong glass in them, providing him with a downside view. Whenever he had free time and wasn't taking part in Gerald's experiments, he'd often come here and stare out into space, watching the planet rotate on its axis.

But his usual peace and quiet had now been disrupted by the ARK's alarm systems, implying there was danger. Past Shadow was just standing there confused as to what was going on while Present Shadow knew exactly what this was. He'd visited this memory before when he stole the Chaos Emerald from Sonic's ship like taking candy from a baby. It was the time the ARK fell under threat of the new experiments Gerald and his team had been working on. The Artificial Chaos.

With Gerald's ultimate goal to cure Maria accomplished, he had the freedom to use his scientific expertise to work on other projects that could benefit the human and Mobian races. One of them involved trying to create cyborg copies of the original Chaos creature that Sonic defeated before his awakening on Prison Island.

Chaos was an immortal, mutant Chao whose body was liquid and acted as a guardian of the Chaos Emeralds and the Chao until he was angered by the Ancient Echidnas Knuckles descended from. Though he was no longer of this world, Gerald was able to make clones using a sample of its liquid. The first attempts were failures until Black Doom provided Gerald with material from the Black Comet to act as the power source.

With the aid of the Chaos Drives – crystallised Chaos Emerald energy created during Project Shadow – the creatures were brought to life. Unfortunately, the Black Arms DNA made them vulnerable to Black Doom's mind control. Shadow didn't know it at the time, but it all made so much sense now.

"Shadow, help me!"

Past Shadow quickly turns around and addresses Maria as she comes to a halt a few feet in front of him. Her hands were on her knees as she was getting her breath back from running all the way here. It didn't take long for her to recover and look into the black hedgehog's eyes with desperation.

"Maria? What's wrong?"

"Please, Shadow, I need your help! My grandfather's experiments… something's gone horribly wrong!" She closes the gap between them and takes his gloved hand as she pleads with him.

"What is it?" He asked.

"The research lab… It's going to be destroyed. Something must be done! Please, Shadow, I beg of you! Help Grandfather and those aboard the ARK! Please!"

Past Shadow places his free hand atop hers and caresses it gently. "I'll be there, Maria. I swear, whatever it takes. I'll take care of the ARK and the Professor."

Present Shadow watched as his past self ran throughout the ARK with Maria at his side. He kept at a slow pace so that she could keep up with him, remembering that humans can't run as fast as he can. Everywhere they looked, they could see G.U.N soldiers, armed with all kinds of advanced weaponry, standing their ground against the rogue Artificial Chaos.

Universally, the experiments' appearance resembles that of Chaos 0. Their heads are robotic with red markings on the ends similar to Shadows. They had smaller machines with their liquid bodies that helped shape and mould the water however they pleased.

According to Maria's explanation on the way out, the experiments' purpose was to be used as their own weaponised Chaos monsters to fight in wars on Earth. But the creatures became smart enough to question why they should take orders from the likes of humans. The situation got so bad that G.U.N had to send soldiers up to the colony to personally deal with the problem.

The soldiers seemed to be struggling against them. The experiments' bodies just absorbed their bullets and spat them back at them. Those who didn't get hit by their own rounds received a severe slash across the chest from their long-range tentacle swipe or got blasted by the laser beams emanating from their glowing green eyes.

There were two types of Artificial Chaos. Some were skinny and glided across the ground, while others were hovering off it in a big ball of water. Those were the ones the soldiers had the most difficulty with as the higher ground made it difficult for them to aim for the head, which was their weak spot according to Maria.

Past Shadow intervened and grabbed one of the dead soldier's discarded assault rifle. Using a series of wall jumps, he was able to reach the flying experiment and unleash a fury of bullets into its cybernetic skull.

This was the only time G.U.N got to see the Ultimate Lifeform in action. His speed, agility, expertise in firearms, bladed weaponry, and Chaos powers both impressed and frightened them. Present Shadow took notice of this. Even though their faces were covered by helmets, he could tell what was going through their minds. This was the moment they decided the ARK, and all within it, were too dangerous to be left alive.

Present Shadow continued to observe as his past self and Maria scoured as much of the ARK as possible to exterminate the other experiments. Gerald only created ten of them, yet somehow the creatures were intelligent enough to produce more of them. Some of them even managed to exit the station and are now floating in space.

Shadow had to use the Gun Lifts to go out there and destroy them. These lifts were used as an everyday means of transit. Maria always wondered why they were equipped with heavy artillery. It couldn't have been for the Artificial Chaos. They'd been constructed long before they were even made. Gerald must've had another reason for them.

That reason is the inevitable return of the Black Arms in fifty years. Gerald must've known about Black Doom's meddling with the Artificial Chaos, Shadow thought. It was what led to him recording that message for him during his final confrontation with the alien leader. It is also why he built the Eclipse Cannon.

Eventually, Past Shadow was able to eliminate around 35 of the Artificial Chaos. Those who survived were captured by G.U.N and imprisoned within the capsules from which they were born. They still wished to use them on Earth and ordered Gerald to undo whatever it was that caused them to go berserk. Shadow would not encounter them again until the next fifty years when he and Doctor Eggman infiltrate the ARK, awakening them from their silent solitude.

Once the dangers passed and things quieted down, Present Shadow follows Maria down one of the hallways they've battled the experiments in, passing by many soldiers and medics covering up the bodies of those who were killed by the Artificial Chaos. She was fortunate none of the civilians got hurt. They were all locked in the bunker, including her friend, Abraham. She was with her grandfather in his office when the alarm went off. Now she was heading back there to see if he was doing alright. Past Shadow was assisting the soldiers with the clean-up though they don't seem to appreciate his help, not that he cared what they thought.

When Maria reaches Gerald's room, she catches him in the act of recording a video message with a camera on a tripod stand. He readjusts his glasses, straightens out his white moustache, and clears his throat before voicing his concerns.

"Shadow, my son… If you're listening to this then the worst has happened… You need to know the truth."

"I remember this. This was the last message broadcasted from the ARK I saw on the Black Comet. He's been here recording it while I dealt with the experiments… I understood why you kept this hidden, Professor. Had G.U.N intercepted this when they invaded the ARK, I never could've learned my purpose and overcome Black Doom's mind control." He thought to himself.

"The government plans to shut down this research facility. They plan to cease all of our research and imprison all who know about you. I made a terrible mistake, Shadow. It's all my fault, making contact with that comet… Now, listen very carefully."

Maria peered in from behind the open door, listening in on Gerald's recording. The professor was aware of her presence but chose not to stop. He felt she needed to hear this as well. Should anything happen to him, he can rely on her to ensure Shadow gets this message.

"In 50 years, the Black Comet will return. They plan to harness its powers to destroy this planet. The only way to stop them was to develop a way to use the very power they intended to use against them."

Shadow wanders into the room and stands in front of Gerald as he is wrapping up the recording. Though he was standing in front of the camera he doubted it would capture his image. He's nothing more than a ghost wandering the chapters of Maria's past. He felt the next memory he would be forced to relive after defeating the second-to-last Colossus would be the one he dreaded the most. He wanted to get one last proper look at Maria and Gerald before that time came.

"Shadow, it's up to you, and only you can stop them. I developed the Eclipse Cannon. It's the only weapon that can destroy that Black Comet… Shadow, you are the only hope to save mankind as we know it… The future of this planet depends on you."

It was at this moment that Maria decided to walk in and embrace her grandfather with a smile. "Don't worry, Grandfather. Shadow and I will protect this planet." She turns to the camera and looks directly into the lens, unaware that she's also looking into Present Shadow's eyes. "Right, Shadow?"

Shadow nodded in response. "As I promised you, Maria. I will protect this planet AND you."

The whole room started to brighten with white all around him. His dream sequence was coming to a close. There's only one more memory left to revisit once he's defeated the next Colossus. Though he is not looking forward to it.

"Until next time, Maria. Professor." He uttered before being consumed entirely by the light.

Now fourteen Shades were watching him as he weakly stirred in his sleep. Light escaped through the cracks spreading throughout the statue of Cenobia before shattering into chunks of stone. The Shades disappear as Shadow is regaining consciousness.

By now the second potion's effects have completely worn off, making the act of getting back up all the more difficult for the Ultimate Lifeform. The paling of his red highlights has gotten worse. They went from a brighter shade of red to more pinkish white.

Agro trots on over to her master and uses her snout to push him onto his feet and position him upright. Shadow acknowledges her assistance and gently pats her head. He soon gazes at the red on his arms and exhales a long, burdened sigh.

"It's getting worse. My body feels tired to the point where simply standing is too much work. Mortality is the worst." He complained to himself.

Agro nudges the satchel resting on his side, opens the lid, and gives off a light neigh, suggesting he uses the last elixir to boost his strength and stamina.

"No. There's only one left and two more Colosai to defeat. I'll save it for the last one… something tells me it'll be the most challenging one yet."

He closes the satchel and picks up his discarded sword, placing it back in its sheath. He looks up at the hole in the ceiling and impatiently awaits Dormin's next instructions. As they speak, the sun's rays shine down on the last statue on the right side of the shrine.

"Thy next foe is… A giant has fallen into the valley… It acts as a sentry to a destroyed city…"

Agro lays down on the cold, stone floor to allow the black hedgehog easier access to her back. It was best he saved what little energy he currently had left for the next Colossus named Argus according to the plaque.

Shadow raises his right hand with the sword in his grasp to his eyes to block out the sun as Agro exits the shrine. He can't help but wonder if his eyes were affected by the smoke too. He can still see fine, though he now has difficulty seeing further. His eyes were made like a hawk, allowing him to see danger from miles away when he was in his prime. But not anymore. He can't help but wonder, if his eyes were losing their effectiveness, what about his other senses? His hearing? Sense of smell? Things will go from bad to worse if he loses those too.

No, he can't think about that now. He needed to focus on which direction the blue light beam was pointing them. The light was pointing back towards the giant bridge again. By now they knew which direction they needed to go and followed the same path they took to reach some of the other Colossi.

As they rode along, Shadow admired the many beams of light shooting up into the sky. Each beam marked the decaying corpse of the Colossi he killed. He wondered if those lights were a part of the Forbidden Spell. Once all sixteen are activated the ritual can begin, he assumed.

He also wondered if Dormin really would keep their word and bring Maria back. Not that he trusted them to begin with. Even if this was all a trick as he suspected, he'd gone too far to stop now. He can't undo what he's done. Whatever happens, he'll at least die knowing Sonic and the others will be around to stop Dormin should they try anything evil.

Agro grunted as slows her pace, letting her rider know that they'd reached their destination. At the far-right end of the desert biome was another ruined building, possibly one of the largest structures either of them had seen. Dormin said it was a ruined city like the one he fought Cenobia in. Perhaps the Echidnas that once lived here had multiple cities inhabited by multiple tribes. Maybe they all lived separately until Dormin arrived, forcing the tribes to unite against them.

Whatever the case it didn't matter anymore. He's learned a long time ago to leave the past behind him. He can't afford to look back and risk messing everything up after coming so far. All his focus should be on the path ahead of him.

Agro carried him through the city's entrance as far as she could before being forced to stop. Yet another obstacle was blocking the path, preventing her from going any further. Once more, Shadow was left with no choice but to continue on alone and she was forced to return to the shrine and wait for him to be summoned back.

The black hedgehog climbed up and over the large pillar and slowly made his way inside, still conserving his energy for the battle itself. It took him a painfully long time to get up the huge flight of stairs to the main area. Unlike the last location he visited, this one was surprisingly empty. There were no pillars for him to climb onto should he need to get the higher ground. On both sides of the building were archways that provided anyone standing within a good view of the area. Three bridges connected them high above him, though he could see no way of getting up to them. This place was built more like a fortress than a city.

The sword's light was pointing him at the other end of the open area. Without his enhanced eyesight, it looked way further away. Getting there may take some time in his weakened condition. But as infuriating as this is, he still refuses to drink the last elixir until he faces the last Colossus.

He steadies his sword hand as he closes the distance between himself and the edge of the opposite end. As he got closer, he could hear a low grumbling sound coming from below. A curious being would've inched towards the edge and peered down to see what it was, but Shadow was smarter than that. Curiosity is said to kill the cat, but it won't kill the hedgehog.

The ground started to shake as he could hear Argus make his way up the cliffside. The tremors got more intense the closer he got until eventually his giant left hand appeared in his line of sight and latched onto the edge. His right hand followed shortly after, clutching what appeared to be a giant stone cleaver. Argus then pops his head over the side as he pulls himself up, glaring at the tiny little pest that wandered into his domain.

He was another bipedal giant like Valus and Barba. It had been a while since Shadow fought another bipedal. The majority of Colossi he fought walked on four legs. He fought two that can fly. One that can swim. And one that could burrow underground.

His appearance was also similar to Valus. He had stone armour covering his legs, arms, torso, and left shoulder. This made climbing his back difficult. His fur was black, and his mask was designed in such a way that it looked like he had an angry expression.

His blue glowing eyes changed to orange upon seeing the Ultimate Lifeform. Without warning, Argus slams his massive stone cleaver down on the ground hard, trying to squash him. Shadow barely had enough time to dodge it. The shockwave blasted him to the right and into the wall.

Argus quickly closed in on his location and attempted to stomp on him with his gigantic hoof. Shadow rolls to the side just as he brings it down on the unstable platform, tilting it up against the wall. The sudden impact catapulted the black hedgehog into the air and through one of the archways. He was now inside the wall.

Argus groaned as he tried to reach in for him. But Shadow dive-bombed out of the way and rolled towards the bottom end of the stairs. Though he was weak, the adrenaline of the battle gave him enough strength to dart up the stairs and reach the top. Argus reels his right arm back and swings his cleaver to the side at the pillars, hoping to bring the building down on him.

He waited for the dust to clear and peered in through the arches to see if he could spot the intruder's body. Since it was nowhere to be seen, the giant minotaur assumed he succeeded in killing him.

But Shadow was not out yet. Before the structure came down, he dived into another set of stairs that led him to the very top of the building where the bridges connected. He backs himself up against the wall so he can get his breath back and think up a strategy.

"This one is more aggressive than the others. It must know who I am and what I've done to its brethren." He holds the sword up high and reveals the weak spot on the Colossi's back. "Its eyes have reverted back to blue. He must think I'm dead. Now's my chance to get the jump on him… I have to be very careful. If I miss, I'm dead."

Shadow slowly picks himself back up and inches towards the closest bridge. He positions himself directly above Argus and takes a couple of calming breaths. The Colossus hadn't noticed him yet. The moment he jumps onto his body he'll need to hold on tight. He no longer had the grip strength he had when he fought Valus and Barba. He can't afford to wait around. He has to finish him now.

Without hesitation, Shadow jumps off the side of the bridge and lands right on top of Argus's right shoulder. Argus's eyes change back to orange almost immediately as he starts shaking his body from side to side. Shadow grabs onto his fur tight and carefully makes his way up to the top of his head where the symbol is.

Argus furiously nods, flinging the black hedgehog's body all over the place, though his fingers remain locked around the strands of fur he's clutching. The moment he stopped shaking was when Shadow drew his sword and plunged it into the centre, forcing a pain-filled groan to escape the giant.

But the fight wasn't over yet, far from it. According to the sword, there were two more symbols for him to pierce. One on his left pec and one in the palm of his right hand where the cleaver was resting. This was gonna be tougher than he thought.

Argus could feel the tiny pest climbing down his front and couldn't resist the urge to swat at him with his free hand. Shadow quickly let's go and grabs the edge of his torso armour just as Argus's left hand impacts his body.

Shadow was barely holding on by this point as he could feel his grip strength fading from his fingers. He's not sure how much longer he can maintain it. What made matters worse was that Argus was attempting a second swat at him. This time he can't just let go to avoid it, otherwise he'd have to find another way to climb back up again. And he doubted Argus would fall for the same trick twice.

Without a moment to spare, Argus swings his hand at his torso. Shadow channels almost all of his remaining strength into his legs and leaps upwards. He was now directly on the symbol. Before Argus could get in a third strike, Shadow stabs it, forcing Argus to take a few steps back in response to the pain. Black smoke was blasting out of both stab wounds like blood. Too bad a severe loss of it doesn't cause him to collapse and die like how all living beings would if they lose too much blood.

Now that remained was the symbol on his right hand. Though getting to it was gonna be difficult as there was still a cleaver in the way. He'll have to get him to drop it first. Though he is unsure how to do that?

"Find its hidden vitals". Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Dormin's voices spoke to him in his mind, causing Shadow to lose his grip and fall to the ground. Fortunately, Argus was too preoccupied with the pain to notice him.

"Why do you choose to help me now?" Shadow questioned. Until now, Dormin didn't bother to give him any tips on how to battle the Colossi, so why start now?

"We need thou alive to complete the spell. Thou's body is weak, and this Colossus is strong… Attack it's vital in its right arm. Only then can thou disarm it."

"What do you mean by that?" Shadow demanded of them. But there was no response from the entity. He was on his own again. And to make matters worse, he'd just alerted Argus to his location.

The giant, black-furred minotaur raises its right arm once more and attempts a second downward strike at the ground. Upon dodging it a second time, Shadow notices a couple of cracks on its elbow. Red smoke was seeping out of them and there was a blue light emitting from within.

"That must be its vital spot." He thought to himself.

Before Argus was about to bring his arm back up again, Shadow jabs the blade tip through one of the cracks. Argus growled in response and dropped his cleaver. He clutches his elbow with his left hand in a vain attempt to stop the pain. His right hand was now exposed to the Ultimate Lifeform.

Shadow raises the sword forward and charges for the open palm right in front of him. But before he could plunge it in deep enough, Argus closed his grip around him and managed to grab the little hedgehog. He holds him up to his face so that he can look him straight in the eyes as he squeezes the life out of them.

Shadow struggled against his grip. Without his super strength, there was no way for him to overcome it. He'll be dead in a matter of moments… Unless he can kill him first.

The sword was still partially embedded in his palm in the centre of the symbol and his foot was resting against the handle. With one efficient kick, he manages to plunge the sword deeper into the palm, forcing Argus to roar out in pain and drop him.

Shadow clutches his sides as he coughs on the ground. His whole body was in pain after being on the verge of getting crushed to death. He could barely move.

"Damnit! I think I broke a few ribs!"

As bad shape as Shadow was in, at least he was still breathing, unlike the 15th Colossus he'd just dispatched. This was bad. He's currently positioned behind Argus. If he falls on him then it's all over.

Fortunately, Argus ended up falling forward, hitting the ground with a deafening thud. He dropped to his knees first, followed by his body, and finally his left arm. His eyes in the sockets go dark as the last of the black smoke exits his body and enters Shadows. He was too weak to get away from them. He saves the tendrils the trouble and lays down first. He needed to rest. The good news is his passing out will take his mind off the pain his body is in. The bad news is he'll soon be forced to relive his most painful memory of all… the death of Maria Robotnik.

To Be Continued