Chapter 8: Shadow's Reality

Note: This chapter will follow the rest of the Episode Shadow story where Shadow will run into Infinite, which will then lead to the actual main story of the game.

While Eggman has been planning, Sonic has returned to the G.U.N HQ to meet with Shadow and the others. He rushes into the base, hoping for some good answers.

"Hey there, big blue. How are Amy and the little rabbit doing?" Rouge asked, welcoming him back.

"Oh, they're doing fine." Sonic replied. "I told Amy to go meet up with Tails and Vector for some more info. Hopefully help us.

"Well at least you got a good start compared to us." Rouge said.

"I brought back a sample from the doctor's lab. But it self-destructed. The doctor must have thought this would happen just in case." Shadow added.

"Wow. For once, Eggman is learning from his own mistakes. He's normally so short-sighted, which is something Tails isn't. Where's Omega by the way?" Sonic asked.

"I found an Eggman Base hidden in the desert. Where he kept a hidden shuttle and space teleporter. I've been there before when we first came across Shadow. Eggman revived it and is making a factory out of it. That must be where his new weapon should be." Rouge pushed a button, bringing up an image of the pyramid.

"Which I personally think it's a bad idea. You sent him on a recon stealth mission. Who knows how long that will last?" Shadow said. By the sound of his tone being, it sounds like he doubts that this will work.

"The bad news is that was our clue. We still don't know what he's planning." Silver said.

Silver turns and his eyes widened when he sees Knuckles walking in greatly injured and having a hard time standing.

"Knuckles?!" Sonic runs over to help Knuckles up followed by Rouge. "What happened to you?!

"It's official. Eggman's back. So is Metal Sonic. I couldn't beat him. He had some sort of new power that I couldn't get past." Knuckles answered, falling to his knees.

"What did it look like?" Silver asked.

"Well, there were those strange noises, like you and Sonic came across. Then he suddenly changed his size and made himself two times bigger and recharge quicker than before. Then he just summoned robots and metal around him out of thin air." Knuckles described.

"Huh. Metal hasn't been able to do any of that before." The blue blur said.

"That's not all. Eggman apparently has a new buddy. I don't know the guy's name. But he looked like some Jackal in a mask and wore a gem on his chest. He just hovered there beside Eggman like a creep." Knuckles chimmed in.

"A jackal? But that should not be possible. I wiped them all out. Maybe one of them survived.

"Shadow. We just got a report from the Intelligence Division. Omega has made it to the Pyramid Base. There's a large-scale troop presence." Rouge showed the hundreds of enemies onscreen.

"Too large for a place with no strategic value. Can't imagine the doctor would do something like this." Sjadow said.

"Do you think you could back Omega up at the base?" Rouge asked.

"This won't be your garden-variety recon mission, Rouge. I'll handle things my way." Shadow prepared.

"Do it to it, Shadow. Omega said the same thing. You two go together like chili and hot dogs." Rouge quipped.

Sonic smirks at the joke. Shadow turns to both Sonic and Silver and nods to them before he quickly dashes off to the Pyramid Base in the desert.

"Wait. Something isn't right."

"Why? What's the matter?" Silver asked.

"For some reason, I'm seeing desert, giant robot sand worms all in Green Hill Zone." Rouge said. Another satellite image appears onscreen. Green Hill Zone is shown, but there is no water there. Just sand.

"What? But I was there a day ago. There was a blue sky, rivers, oceans and waterfalls earlier. How is that there all of a sudden?" Sonic expressed great confusion. Of course, he's not alone.

"I don't know. Eggman must not really like the environment." Rouge shrugged.

"I'm gonna head over there and check it out. Be careful you three. Make sure you take care of Knuckles and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." Sonic teased.

"Hey! I heard that." Knuckles breifly glared. "You better watch it, Sonic, or you'll be sleeping for three days."

Sonic just smirks and smiles. He loves to tease everyone, especially Knuckles since he is such an easy target. Knuckles has always been gullible and reckless. Sonic runs off to check on Green Hill Zone.

"Be careful out there, Sonic. Who knows what Eggman is up to this time."

Knuckles grunts in pain from his fight against Metal Sonic.

"Knuckles. You need to rest. If things get worse, we may need you to form a Resistance." Silver helps Knuckles get to a nearby infirmary room for him to rest. Silver's heart is filled with anxiety. So far, they haven't found any ideas on how Eggman is doing all of this. And he wonders who is this new ally of his. Could it be the same figure from Silver's future?

The Hidden Pyramid has been untouched for many years. Eggman first used it before he discovered Shadow's existence. He has since revived it after Super Sonic and Super Shadow saved the earth from the ARK crashing into it and wiping out all of humanity. Eggman is now converting the base into a factory for more robots and presumably the new weapon. What else he is building is beyond everyone right now.

Omega has already made it to the base on Rouge's instructions. The bad news is he is doing the exact opposite Rouge instructed him to do. Destruction of Eggman robots has always been the one thing on his mind. An explosion occurs outside the base as Omega fires a missile at the door.

"Omega! What do you think you're doing?!" Rouge shouted through the comms.

"Extermination proceeding without incident. No problems to report." Omega simply replied.

Omega proceeds to shoot bullets at many robots as well as flamethrowers with little to no trouble. His hatred for Eggman is never going to be forgotten at any point.

"Extermination?! I told you this is supposed to be a stealth mission! You can't just go and make a big scene when you like!" Rouge bangs her head against the keyboard.

Shadow, who is making his way over to the base as backup, listens in on the conversation and comments. He briefly stops and facepalms.

"I knew this was a bad idea. I warned you about sending Omega on an op like this one. Looks like I'm gonna have to bail him out again." Shadow ruffed in mere annoyance.

Shadow makes his way past the city, destroying any robots that get in his way. As he makes his way to the desert, Omega proceeds to commit more destruction. But his creator is watching and he is not happy.

"Why that hotheaded robot! I just revived this place and he already to decides to trash it." Eggman said in anger.

"And he appears to be on his way to you boss." Orbot said.

"Oh you think? Tell me, Orbot. What was your first clue?!" Eggman sarcastically asked.

"Oh, I know! Because he hates you! That's why!" Cubot hopped.

"For once, Cubot got it right despite him being a dimwit. I can't let Omega trash this place. I need it." Eggman clenched his fist. Then something hit him. "Wait. If Omega is here, than that means he will be here as well. Yes. Sometimes I love perfect timing."

"Should you send in Zavok?" Orbot asked.

"Tempting. But no. I'm prepared in case he tries to betray me again. Besides, I have other ideas for him, Chaos and Metal Sonic. Oh, Infinite. Front and center!" Eggman called.

What is your command, doctor?" Infinite asked his master.

"Take care of that annoying traitorous jerk, will you? It's time to get some revenge, my friend." Eggman ordered.

"Heh. I got this one covered." Infinite quietly chuckled.

Omega grabs a robot by its head and crushes it to pieces and shoots another two missiles at two more robots. He aims his arm at Infinite, who appears right in front of him.

"New enemy detected. Identification unknown. My mission is to defeat Eggman. All who stand in my way will be exterminated." Omega stands his ground.

"Teh. You have spirit, robot. I will give you that. I will show you what I can do. But it will be the last thing you will ever see." Infinite said.

Omega gets his robotic claws out and charges towards the new enemy. Infinite spreads his arms open and a red flash engulfs both him and Omega.

Rouge, watching the whole thing, sees the monitors go to static and tries to get in contact.

"Unknown hostile encountered. Rouge, come in! Position coordinates lost! Current location unknown!" Omega shouted, trying to get her attention.

"Omega? What's going on? Respond!" Rouge types on the keyboard to get the camera monitors back online to see what Omega is seing, but nothing is coming up. "Shadow! I lost Omega's signal. Head to his last location and provide support!"

"Already on it. Heh. So much for recon."

Shadow dashes forward, homing attacks a flying saucer robot and makes his way on platforms and he kicks an unstable marble door open. He homing attacks and destroys more enemies as he goes higher and higher to reach the hill and get to the base. He sees four robotos surrounding him. Shadow thinks quickly and jumps behind him, stomps on the robot and destroys it, fires two chaos spears at two more on his left and right and boosts forward and pushes a robot into the wall. Shadow turns left and proceeds further. He dodges laser fire and fires more chaos spears and wall jumps between pillars to climb up further. But he suddenly hears Omega's voice once again.

Omega: This is E-123 Omega. Sensors offline, damage to parietal lobe region. Rouge has fallen. Shadow must be eliminated.

"Omega?! What are you trying to say?!" Shadow tries to reach him. Of course, Omega doesn't hear him.

"System intrusion alert! Emergency withdrawal! I am E-123 Omega the most powerful—-"

Omega's comms are completely knocked out. Shadow puts on a more serious face as he hurries. Shadow boosts around a loop and hits a spring. He boosts past two spiked balls swinging in fast circles without a scratch on him. Shadow wall jumps up marble walls and is getting close. He sees a line of buzzbombers coming his way. Shadow spins in place and charges up energy. Shadow glows orange and uses his own Lightspeed attack and destroys every last one of them. In the air, he homing attacks two of the flying robots and grabs a third one and forces it to fly over the top of the sand hill. Shadow sees the Pyramid Base. He remembered the place back to when he worked for Eggman. Shadow makes his way inside the base and hopes to find Omega.

Shadow looks around and sees the place trashed, but not completely. Omega would never leave anything unturned or moving. This definitely raises Shadow's suspicions, but he could not think about it as hears noise.

"So much for the ultimate robot. It was not even a challenge compared to Crabmeat. Just as I thought. This power is without peer, my ultimate strength. And now here, you are. Shadow the Hedgehog." Infinite hovers above him.

"Who are you? And what have you done to Omega?" Shadow demanded.

"Why, he's right here of course."

Infinite snaps his fingers and Omega's now deactivated body lumps backwards right in front of Shadow's eyes. Part of his head is damaged, one of his eyes is cracked, and several circuits are exposed and his arms are drawing smoke as well as his shoulders. Shadow is now angry.

"He was a weakling. Served of no consequence. I have been waiting for you, Shadow."

"That mouth of yours is of no consequence. I don't even know who you are. You're going down. You and the doctor."

Infinite laughs.

"I suppose you would think so. I am Infinite. I remember you very well. And you don't remember me. But you will."

Infinite raises his hand in the air and a sphere appears and spins in his palm. Shadow wonders what he is doing and the sphere extends and all of a sudden, their surroundings change. Shadow looks around and recognizes this place. It's the Mystic Jungle and the lab he last went to.

Shadow sees the Jackal Leader trying to defend the lab from the black hedgehog. He then sees himself easily defeating the leader, destroying his sword and blinding his right eye. He hears himself say the last words to the leader before teleporting away. Shadow then sees the Jackal Leader being carried away by Metal Sonic and the experiment he goes through to become who is he today. Their surroundings change back to the inside of the Pyramid Base.

"You. You're still alive. Surprised that the doctor chose to let you live." Shadow recognized.

"That day. I gave up my old face. I let go of the old me. I was too weak to protect my brothers and sisters, and I promised I would fight for them. And I became anew. My new master gave me the power to make all those yield to my will and his. I. Was. Reborn. I became who I am today because of you, Shadow. I have obtained unlimited power. Became even stronger." Infinite said.

"Changing your appearance doesn't frighten me, Infinite. Neither does obtaining power. I defeated you before. I can do it again."

"Don't be so certain. Now...Take THIS!"

Infinite puts two red spheres together and throws a giant one to the ground. The light was so bright, Shadow was forced to cover his own eyes while listening to that strange sound that Silver and Sonic told him about.

After the noise stops, Shadow opens his eyes. He gasps and his eyes widened as he takes a few steps backwards. He is back in the one place where he thought he would never have to come back to again. His home. The Space Colony Ark.

"The Space Colony Ark? But how? Why am I here? Answer me! Is this an illusion?" Shadow asked as he looks around his home. The place where he was created.

"This is augmented reality, Shadow. Your reality. The doctor told me everything about you. Your past. Your origins. And…. Your creators and your only friend. Yes. A friend died over 50 years ago aboard this station." Infinite answered.

"Shadow! Where are you?"

Shadow gasps again and swiftly turns to see a girl's voice. He turns and see another version of him and a girl.

"Maria?" Shadow asked.

Maria doesn't hear him. She instead approaches the fake Shadow. He looks just like the real Shadow.

"Maria. What is it? What's wrong?" The Fake Shadow asked.

"Grandfather. He has some news for us. He's planning to call for the government to send a shuttle to bring us home. All of us, you included." Maria held her dear friend's hand.

"But your illness. You mean the professor has found a cure?"

"Yes. He wants the approval so he could use it. We're hoping for an answer tomorrow. So I can see the planet for the first time. It's been my dream forever."

"That is excellent news, Maria. I promise you we will live on the earth together. Me, you and the professor. I will protect you both as long as I live."

"You are the ultimate life form, Shadow. You are in my eyes. You always will be to my grandfather too."

Shadow and Maria smile at each other, treating each other like best friends. But before Shadow could say anything, his surroundings changed once again. This time, near the laboratory with all of Gerald Robotnik's experiments. This time, the professor is there with some scientists, with their hands up as the military has them at gunpoint.

"Hold it! You are all under arrest! The government has ordered a cease and desist! To stop on your Project Shadow! We caught word that you were experimenting on a robot known as a Gizoid! To destroy us!"

"Please. It didn't mean any harm. Leave these men. They're young. I take full responsibility. Spare them. Take me instead. I'm so close to finishing the project and curing my own granddaughter. I can't live without her. I need her. I love her." Gerald pleaded.

"Don't move, professor. He has ordered everything and everyone to be contained. Including your project Shadow and your granddaughter Maria. You will be put on trial for endangering lives and encountering with aliens."

Maria gasps and accidentally knocks down some tools and flasks, causing them to hit the ground and break. This gains some soldiers attention as they spotted Fake Shadow and Maria spying on them.

"Take them! Arrest them! The professor comes with us!"

"Run! Maria! Shadow! Run for your lives!" Gerald held his hand out to him.

Fake Shadow and Maria run, with the former holding the latter's hand. Several soldiers chase them with guns in hand. Shadow scoops Maria off her feet and he dashes off towards the shuttle, but the doors suddenly shut. He can hear commons saying that they have taken control of the doors and systems. Shadow and Maria make it to the viewing room with the capsule and controls. Shadow seals the doors and shuts them, buying them time.

"Shadow. The way out is through that center. Let us step on the circle."

Shadow steps onto the center and turns to see Maria standing close to the controls.

"Maria. What are you doing? Come with me." Shadow holds out his hand to her.

Maria looks at him with sad eyes as she doesn't listen and pushes a green button. A capsule suddenly comes down and surrounds Shadow. He is trapped.

"Shadow. Please. Do it for me. For a better future. For all the people down on that planet. Give them a chance to be happy."

"Maria! No!"

Maria is about to grab the lever to release the stasis capsule and have it sent to earth for Shadow's own protection. But as she is using her strength to pull the switch, the doors suddenly open. She gasps and sees a soldier come in and aims at her.

"You! Step away from the switch, young lady." The soldier ordered her. "Don't make me have to do this. Please. Step away from the switch and I won't hurt you."

Maria looks at him and then looks at her only friend Shadow. Maria closes her eyes for one moment and then opens them with a couple of tears flowing out of her eyes. She smiles for the last time.

"Sayonara….. Shadow…. The hedgehog."

Maria closes her eyes and pulls the lever, releasing the capsule.

Shadow and Fake Shadow: MARIA!

The capsule releases and the trajectory is making its way towards earth as Shadow slowly falls asleep because of the stasis capsule.

Everything returns to reality as Shadow falls to his knees. He felt his hands shaking and his eyes widen. He did not think he would have to go back to his own past. His own haunting past that he chose to move on from.

"M-Maria." Shadow was shaken. His hands shake with fear from that tragic day. The day he lost his closest friend. A memory he long moved on from has returned to haunt him. A memory that became his worst nightmare.

"The ultimate lifeform? More like the ultimate failure." Infinite continued. This comment causes Shadow to tighten his fists and stands up to face Infinite. "If you were the ultimate lifeform, you would have saved her. You would have saved that professor. He is weak. He is nothing compared to Eggman. That girl was foolish to give up her life to save yours."

"Maria loves this planet! She chose to sacrifice herself for me! The professor created me with purpose! To defend the planet! He made the right choice and sacrificed everything to ensure Maria's life! You keep her name out of your big mouth!" Shadow dashed towards him.

Shadow jumps up and attempts to kick Infinite, but he swiftly moves, grabs Shadow by the ankle and throws him to the ground. Infinite fires a laser, but Shadow teleports and recovers.

"Now you know my pain, Shadow. You made me suffer when I saw my brothers and sisters suffering, so I made you relieve your own pain." Infinite claimed.

"Shut it!" Shadow began to lose his temper.

Shadow tries to boost into Infinite, but much to his surprise, Infinite dodges backwards and fires red cubes at Shadow, causing him pain as he flings backwards.

"Tell me. How does that make you feel, Shadow?" Infinite mocked.

"I said SHUT IT! CHAOS CON–"

Infinite suddenly dashes up to Shadow, again to his surprise and grabs his wrist with the red Chaos Emerald.

"You won't be needing this anymore. Now take this!"

Infinite fires a sphere at Shadow's chest point blank and sends him into a wall, nearly making a hole in it. Infinite grabs him again and throws him. Shadow recovers and tries to do a roundhouse kick on Infinite, but he blocks the attack and punches Shadow in the chest. Shadow teleports and eagle kicks Infinite in the head. He isn't dazed by this and continues to fight. Shadow jumps to do a swing kick, but Infinite bends backwards, trips Shadow, scooping him off of his feet and kicks him in the back. Shadow gets back up, jumps and does a dive kick, which Infinite blocks. Shadow teleports behind him and kicks him in the back, briefly stumbling Infinite. Shadow boosts in and tries to do a backflip kick, but Infinite dodges, fires a sphere at Shadow in the air and Infinite slams both fists down on Shadow, head. He gets sent to the ground, making a crater.

"Oh, this power. Before we even tuned it. It is unrivaled! Not even Sonic will stand against me now! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Shadow struggles to get up. He looks up at Infinite and hears everything he said. WHat caught him off guard is he mentioned Sonic.

"Sonic? What are you plotting, Infinite?"

"Oh, you will see, Shadow. You will see, I promise. But first. I think it's time you need some rest after that workout. It was quite a wonderful fight. Soon, Sonic will feel what you have gone through, but it will be worse."

Infinite holds out another red sphere at Shadow. The hedgehog glares at Infinite with hatred. All Shadow can do is hope that Sonic may be able to stop him.

Note: So that was the rest of the Episode Shadow DLC. Now here, instead of Shadow going through an illusion reality version of Green Hill, he instead goes through his horrible past on the Space Colony Ark, where he was created, where his friend Maria was killed and his creator was arrested and later executed. This happens because I wanted Infinite have some actual personal revenge on Shadow and fight him, to prove that he is an even bigger threat than anyone could think, with Shadow being one of the strongest characters and give Infinite more development. Also, I'm very excited to hear that Sonic Generations is being remastered.