-Chapter 143-
Last Chance
Space Colony ARK
Robotnik fired on the X-Cyclone, which leapt into the air and returned fire.
"You've tried my patience for the last time, Tails!" Robotnik roared. "Remember, you brought this on yourself!"
"You killed my best friend!" Tails screamed. "I'll never forgive you for this, Eggman! And if it's the last thing I do, you'll pay!"
"I don't recall asking for forgiveness, anyway!"
Tears in his eyes, Tails launched himself forward, screaming. They exchanged fire. Eventually, the X-Cyclone and Egg Walker were nose to nose.
"Engaging Power Laser!" Tails cried. "This is for Sonic, you son of a b-!"
A massive multicolored beam fired from the X-Cyclone, blasting both mechs into the opposite walls. The Egg Walker was utterly toast, the X-Cyclone not in much better condition. Tails pulled himself free, grabbing the real seventh Emerald from the now totaled engine.
"I did it, Sonic," he let out. "I did it for you…"
He gripped the Emerald with determination. "Now to finish the job."
At that moment, Robotnik emerged from the wrecked Egg Walker, charging forward and spear-tackling Tails into the wall. Tails yelped, kicking and thrashing in an attempt to free himself from Robotnik's grip
"Let go of me!" he shouted.
"As soon as I get what's rightfully mine!" Robotnik shouted, wrestling with Tails over the Emerald.
Tails tried everything to keep a grip on the Emerald, but Robotnik had size and strength on his side. He pried the Emerald from Tails' hands, then tossed the fox aside.
"You gave it a good try, kid," he remarked. "Better luck next time!"
With that, he made his getaway.
Hope ran down the halls of the ARK, tears still streaming down her face. She could barely see through them, just running blindly as she tried to put as much distance between herself and Shadow. As she rounded a corner, she slammed hard into something green and covered in scales, falling flat on her butt.
"Hey!" came Vector's voice. "I'm walkin' here!"
He then saw what had hit him and gasped, dropping his part of the Emerald. The rest of Chaotix quickly crumbled under its weight as Vector picked up Hope, holding her under her armpits.
"Hope!" he exclaimed. "It's you!"
"Hope?!" Kat let out.
She and Knuckles quickly doubled back, seeing Hope in Vector's grip. Kat immediately rushed over, snatching Hope out of the crocodile's arms.
"Oh Aurora, you're okay!" she exclaimed. "Everyone's been worried sick about-!"
She cut off when she felt something wet on her shoulder. Hope was clinging to her, sobbing into her shoulder.
"Hope?" she let out. "Hope, what's wrong?"
Hope pulled away, wiping her eyes.
"Sonic…" she hiccuped. "Eggman, he... got him in some kinda explosive trap. Kat, he's…"
"No…" Knuckles shook his head. "No, you're wrong. Sonic can't be-!"
Hope just shook her head, burying her face again. As despair began to overwhelm the group, a bright glow suddenly appeared above them. All eyes turned up as Sonic came falling down with a yell, landing on the Master Emerald and bouncing off with the fake Chaos Emerald in hand.
"Okay, ow…" he managed, rubbing his butt. "Well, I'm alive, so it worked."
"SONIC!" everyone cried.
Hope and Kat both tackled the hedgehog, hugging him tightly.
"You're alive…" Hope managed. "You're alive! You're alive!"
"Good to see you as well, Hope," Sonic wiggled free, taking her by the shoulders. "Eggman and Shadow didn't hurt you, did they?"
"No, no," Hope shook her head. "Shadow was actually pretty protective, and Eggman wouldn't hurt me either."
She perked. "But how are you-? Sonic, I saw and heard you get blown up!"
"It was a close thing," Sonic held up the Emerald. "But I decided to take a page out of Shadow's book and use Chaos Control. This thing may be a fake made by Tails, but it got the job done."
Knuckles blinked. "You pulled off Chaos Control with a fake Emerald? That's impossible!"
"Knux, we eat impossible for breakfast," Sonic pointed out, standing up. "Now, we can debate all this later. I need to get to the cannon before Eggman gets an itchy trigger finger."
"Sonic, if you run into Shadow, please knock some sense into him," Hope requested. "He's mad with anger and grief over his friend and I know that if he was thinking clearly, he'd never do any of the things he's done. I don't approve of his actions, but I understand them. And if he was really as evil and vengeful as he claims, he wouldn't have saved my life."
Sonic debated it before nodding.
"I'll try, Hope," he said. "Can't promise it'll work."
"That's all I ask," Hope responded.
Sonic turned to the others. "Can I leave Hope to you guys?"
"We will keep her safe," Espio assured.
"Yeah!" Charmy cheered. "Go save the planet, Sonic!"
"That's what I do best, Charmy."
With that, Sonic took off.
In the server room, Rouge had just finished the download when Shadow threw the door open, storming in and looking mad as a hornet.
"Oof, let me guess," Rouge remarked. "Hope's still mad at you and probably ran away from you when you proved yourself to be an even bigger asshole than before."
Shadow slammed his fist on the console, Rouge not even flinching.
"Temper temper," Rouge said calmly. ""Then again, I wouldn't expect an artificial Mobian to know about impulse control, much less a knockoff of the original."
Shadow turned to her. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Rouge brought up a Project Shadow progress report. "According to this, the body for the original creature was sealed off fifty years ago."
"So?" Shadow dismissed. "That was just a prototype. I was the official model created afterwards."
"Are you certain of that?" Rouge questioned. "It says here there were two capsules ejected from the ARK when the facility was shut down. Apparently neither of them was ever found, on or off the record. And if those two capsules were never found, then how did you end up on Prison Island?"
Shadow just stared Rouge down, growling. That's when his comm went off.
"Shadow, I got ahold of the final Emerald and I'm making my way to the cannon," came Robotnik's voice. "However, I'm almost certain the Freedom Fighters will try and stop me. Keep them at bay no matter what!"
"Copy that. I'm on my way," Shadow ended the transmission, turning to Rouge. "Don't get any ideas into that head of yours. If you know what's good for you, stay away from the Chaos Emeralds."
"You're still doing what he says?" Rouge asked. "Don't you realize you're not even the real Shadow?"
"Says you," Shadow retorted.
"Nothing about you is real! Not even your memories!"
Shadow looked away for a minute before steeling himself.
"Even if that is true, they're all I have. And I will fulfill my promise to Maria. That's the only thing that matters to me now."
He walked off. Rouge sighed, shaking her head.
"Stubborn jackass…"
Somewhere in the ARK, Sally's group was running down one hallway. Tails was flying down another, and the Chaotix was tearing through a third. These three halls ended up converging and they all ended up colliding.
"For Aurora's sake!" Vector griped. "What is this, a damn freeway?"
"Knuckles!" Sally exclaimed. "HOPE!"
"GUYS!" Hope shouted.
A round of hugs and relieved crying came before Tails cleared his throat.
"Hate to interrupt the reunion, but we're in trouble. Eggman snagged the real Emerald off me."
"Don't worry, Sonic's got this." Hope assured.
"Hope, Sonic's-" Sally began.
"Alive," Kat cut in.
"The guy somehow used Chaos Control with a fake Emerald," Knuckles added. "Literally appeared out of thin air right on top of us."
"It's true! We all saw it!" Charmy chimed in.
They all took that in.
"What?!" Tekno exclaimed. "But how is that possible?!"
"Who cares how?" Amy insisted. "He's not dead, that's what's important!"
"Sonic's alive…" Sally fell to her knees, sobbing in relief. "Thank Aurora, he's alive…"
Nicole patted her back, a relieved smile on her face. Omochao floated over, landing on Hope's head.
"Should we go back him up?" asked the robo-Chao.
"Nah," Keith shook his head. "He's got this. We just need to find Eggman and keep him away from the Eclipse Cannon."
Meanwhile, Sonic was approaching the Eclipse Cannon on a conveyor belt. He heard footsteps approaching, and turned to see Shadow behind him.
"You never cease to surprise me, Sonic," he noted. "I could have sworn the Doctor scattered you across the cosmos not too long ago."
"What can I say? You can knock me down, but I don't stay down," Sonic displayed the fake Emerald. "In fact, I owe you for getting outta that one."
"You used Chaos Control... with that?" Shadow blinked in disbelief.
"Yep," Sonic grinned. "Never would have gotten the idea if not for you. By the way, thanks for keeping an eye on Hope."
"Save your thanks. I didn't do it for you. Now, I'd say it's time to finish this, wouldn't you say?"
"Guess so," Sonic agreed. "Though I did promise Hope I'd try and talk some sense into you. I don't know why, but she has a lot of faith in you. Do you really want to let her down?"
Shadow was silent before shaking his head.
"I'm giving you the chance to end this peacefully, Shadow," Sonic informed him. "This doesn't have to get any messier."
"Of course it does," Shadow retorted. "I've come too far for anything else."
Sonic sighed. "Well, can't say I didn't try."
He sparked with blue lightning, Shadow giving off red lightning. They ran along the conveyor belts, clashing repeatedly.
"Shadow, listen to me!" Sonic called out. "I know what happened fifty years ago! Maria, the massacre, everything! I know you're in pain, but this isn't the way to handle it!"
"Ever since that day, Mobius has misunderstood me," Shadow retorted. "Tormented me. Rejected me! Took everything I ever loved away! And now it's my turn!"
"And letting Eggman take over Mobius is your move?!" Sonic demanded. "Will that really make you happy?! Will that make your pain go away?! Is that what Maria would want for-!"
"Shut up!" Shadow screamed. "You have no right to use that name!"
He threw a Chaos Spear at Sonic, who narrowly dodged.
"You know of my suffering, of what happened to my loved ones, and you judge me?! If our positions were reversed, Sonic, would you dare try to justify yourself?"
"Newsflash, Shadow!" Sonic shot back. "Our positions were reversed! I watched my uncle get roboticized in front of me! An entire village was slaughtered because I made a mistake! I have seen my own friends stare in fear at me because I let my rage and grief get the better of me! I know your pain, and I know how easy it is to lose yourself to it! But that's not the way! This isn't the way!"
"Yes, I've heard of your past from the Doctor," Shadow noted. "But you're overlooking one crucial detail, Sonic. You got your uncle back. And while he isn't a Mobian anymore, Maria simply isn't."
"It doesn't matter!" Sonic shot back. "What you're doing is wrong! And deep down, I think you know that. Why else would you save Hope? Why protect her like you have? Sure, she looks like Maria. But that can't be the only reason."
For a brief second, Shadow faltered, and Sonic used it to launch a Spin Attack right into his stomach. He pinned Shadow by the shoulders, looking him in the eyes.
"Look, what happened to you sucks. I won't deny that," he admitted. "But you don't get a free pass because your best friend was murdered! You're becoming the same kind of monster that killed the people here fifty years ago! Don't you see that?"
"I don't care!" Shadow roared. "I made a promise, and I will not go back on it!"
He kicked Sonic off, charging a Chaos Spear. Looking at the cannon, Sonic got an idea and ran up it as Shadow unleashed his rain of attacks, weaving side to side as they impacted the Eclipse Cannon.
Meanwhile, Robotnik had inserted the final Chaos Emerald and was typing away on it as Amino looked on.
"So, what will be your first target, Ivo?" he asked. "Station Square? Central City? Empire City? Perhaps Mobotropolis?"
"All of the above, Nigel," Robotnik answered. "And more.
He finished the launching sequence and grinned. "Thus dawns the beginning of the Robotnik Empire!"
He laughed maniacally as the Chaos Emeralds began to glow, pulsing through the Eclipse Cannon. Suddenly, it all ended as soon as it began. A thick panel closed over the Emeralds, sealing shut with an authoritative thunk.
"What is this?!" Robotnik demanded. "Why isn't the cannon firing?!"
One by one, all of the monitors began to flicker on. Half of them were taken up by a timer counting down, the other half showing a video of Gerald. He was sitting chained to a chair, locked in what appeared to be a cell covered in calculations and mad graffiti, and it wasn't just in the control room. All across the ARK, and all over Mobius, this same timer and image took over every screen.
"Gerald?" Dr. Amino let out, utterly confused. "What in the name of-?"
The colony began to shake, Sonic and Shadow pausing their fight as they nearly lost their footing. Shadow smirked, satisfaction, and more than a little resignation, in his eyes.
"I'm afraid you're too late, Sonic. It's time."
"Time for what?" Sonic questioned.
Shadow didn't answer, instead taking off. Sonic went to follow, then saw a screen with the timer and the image.
"What's going on here?" he pondered. "I better get to the others ASAP."
Meanwhile, as the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix regrouped, Rouge came running in.
"You again?!" Julie-Su demanded.
"Easy, kiddo," Rouge held up a hand. "I'm not here to fight. I just got a message from my boss. The Space Colony ARK is currently approaching Mobius at an incredible velocity."
"What?!" Tails exclaimed. "That's impossible! The ship's well maintained and orbital decay shouldn't happen for-"
"It's not orbital decay," Rouge cut in. "Every single thruster in this place just went into overdrive, aimed right at the planet."
They took that in silently.
"Well… we're in deep shit, aren't we?"
All eyes turned as Sonic entered the room.
"Sonic?!" Sally exclaimed.
"Sorry to keep you waiting-"
Sally immediately tackled him. With tears in her eyes, she kissed him full on the mouth. Sonic's eyes widened before he leaned into it. Everyone looked on, Amy with more than a little heartbreak.
"Well... it's about time." Tails said casually.
Knuckles cleared his throat, gaining the lovebirds' attention.
"As nice as it is that you two are finally admitting your feelings, need I remind you that we are on a collision course with the PLANET?!"
They parted at that.
"Right," Sonic nodded. "Save the hugs and kisses for later." He turned to the various monitors, pointing. "Who's this old dude on the screen?"
"That's Great-Grandpa Gerald," Hope answered. "But what's going on?"
Gerald began to speak, every word tinged with hatred and pain.
"This is a death sentence for every creature on Mobius. If my calculations are correct, the Space Colony ARK will impact the planet in twenty-seven minutes, fifty-three seconds. All of you will be destroyed, along with your beloved world."
Gasps sounded at that.
"I plan to give you a taste of my revenge after seven Chaos Emeralds are collected. Once I initiate this program, it cannot be disabled. All of you ungrateful humans, who took everything away from me... will feel my loss and despair!"
"Is there anything else you want to say?" Someone, most likely a GUN soldier, asked offscreen.
"No…" Gerald replied, sitting up as best as his restraints would allow.
"Ready!" the soldier shouted.
Everyone gasped as guns were cocked. Amy immediately grabbed Cream, pulling her into a hug and covering her eyes as gunshots sounded and Gerald's chest was painted with red circles. He choked and gasped before slumping over, dead.
"Oh Aurora…" Sally managed.
"We need to get to the cannon controls, now!" Sonic insisted.
Rouge led them to the central control room, where Robotnik was pounding on the console.
"He tricked me!" the doctor ranted. "My own grandfather!"
"Eggman!" Sonic snapped.
"Oh great, you're alive," Robotnik sighed bitterly. "Just perfect. As if this couldn't get any worse."
"I knew this was your fault!" Knuckles shouted. "Do something!"
"Don't you think I've been trying?!" Robotnik shouted. "I wanted to rule Mobius, not destroy it! Why would my grandfather even do this?!"
"I might have the answer," Rouge offered, holding up the flash drive. "While hacking the colony's mainframe, I found a diary kept by Gerald himself. From the dates, he continued posting even after the ARK was shut down. Just maybe, it can shed some light on all this."
Sally took it, plugging it into Nicole's handheld. The holo-lynx appeared, deciphering and reading it as she went.
"I don't quite know what happened or what went wrong. Was it a mistake to create the ultimate life form? I thought it would be something that would benefit mankind. But then the military guards landed on the colony that day. They were sent to destroy the research project that I had been working on. My colleagues at the research facility, my granddaughter, Maria. I hope you are all safe."
She switched to the next entry, dated several months later.
"The colony was completely shut down, probably to keep the prototype from falling into the wrong hands. The ARK was shut down under the premise that there had been an accident. However, I learned the truth through the reports. A tip was provided by Dr. Nigel Amino about the prototypes created for the project. He'd spun a horrifying tale of monsters and doomsday weapons, wanting me pulled from the project. I knew he resented me for taking his place as project leader, but to cause so much death and destruction... he truly is a monster."
All eyes turned to Dr. Amino, who was in the midst of sneaking out the door. A plasma ball from Chris' Nitro Glove stopped him in his tracks.
"And just where are you going?" he spat.
Robotnik grabbed him by the shoulder, spinning him around.
"So that was your scheme!" he roared. "Use me to get into Prison Island so you could steal my grandfather's research out from under my nose!"
The doctor gulped.
"...Yes." he admitted. "I figured I could make use of your facilities to continue my research in peace. I never imagined the finished product was still alive, much less just how deep Gerald's insanity went."
"Why?!" Sonic demanded. "Why would you do that?!"
Amino scowled at that.
"Ever since university, I was always second banana to Gerald. He never appreciated my genius. He just stood atop it and called himself a giant! I was only elected project leader because that fat imbecile initially refused to push the boundaries of science and where Project Shadow was headed. Bullshit! 'Things man was never meant to tamper with'... Did he truly think the people of Mobius came this far and advanced to such an extent by avoiding all that seems dangerous?"
He took a deep breath, composing himself.
"I finally had the chance to be the big shot. To get all the glory. But Gerald usurped me yet again just because the Biolizard was flawed; I could have easily corrected them, but he refused to give me the chance. After everything I did for him, he still disgraced me! So I sought to return the favor. But I never anticipated that GUN would go to such lengths to cover their tracks. I only expected them to take Gerald off the project, so I could take over."
"It seems Agatha was right about you," Robotnik growled. "I was a fool to ever consider you an ally."
"Hey!" Knuckles cut in. "Throttle the guy later! We're on a time crunch here!"
Robotnik nodded, releasing Amino. "Once this crisis is over, I'll figure out what to do with Dr. Amino personally."
Nicole continued reading at that.
"I found Maria's name among those who died when the ARK was shut down. She meant everything to me! And I couldn't bear the thought that she died because of my research. I lost everything! I had nothing more to live for! I went insane! All I could think about was avenging her! Somehow, someway! I got scared as I no longer was able to control my thoughts. All I could think about... was that I wanted it all to end."
She skipped to the final entry, which was much colder than the others.
"Based on my original projections, I was able to complete my project; Shadow. I designed its mind to be perfect, pure... I will leave everything to him. If you wish, release and awaken it to the world... if you wish to fill the world with destruction."
Nicole's eyebrows furrowed.
"Hang on... I think this last entry was tampered with. Sections are missing. Give me a moment to see if I can recover the original version." She went still for a moment, her handheld beeping and clicking before she straightened back up. "Found it."
She read the restored entry.
"I do not know how they did it, but these government dogs somehow managed to find Shadow. He must have been ejected from the ARK before the men had a chance to destroy him. Now, they want me to mutilate my creation, turning a being meant to heal into an ultimate weapon. Well, they got what they wanted. Based on my original projections I was able to complete my project; Shadow. I designed his mind to be perfect, pure, and with a single goal in mind: vengeance. I will leave everything to him. If you wish, release and awaken him unto the world. While he may do what you wanted first, he will only have one true mission, one promise to fulfill. So you government fools, if you wish to fill the world with destruction, then use the weapon you wanted. You know where to find him."
They took that in silently.
"So I was wrong," Rouge remarked. "That is the real Shadow, the same one from the ARK fifty years ago."
"Only brainwashed into carrying out my grandfather's revenge," Robotnik added.
"The promise that he thought he made to Maria…" Hope perked. "I have to find Shadow!"
"Hope, Shadow's not going to listen," Sonic insisted. "Whatever Gerald did to him, it's too deep for anybody to break. Not even you."
"I have to try!" Hope said. "I have to believe that the real Shadow is still in there! And if he is, he may be the only one who can help us stop this and save everyone!"
"Alright," Sonic gave in. "I trust you."
Hope nodded before hurrying off.
"In the event she fails, we need to work out a plan to stop the colony's collision," Amino said.
Robotnik examined the computer. "The core of the Eclipse Cannon is now highly reactive and explosive. The energy of the Chaos Emeralds is overpowering it. If the colony collides with Mobius, it will shatter into pieces like my grandfather predicted!"
"So stop the energy, and we stop the colony's collapse," Tails deduced.
"The Master Emerald!" Kat exclaimed. "We can use it to siphon off the Chaos energy from the Chaos Emeralds! No Chaos energy, no power!"
Knuckles nodded. "It's our best shot at saving the world."
"Then we better hurry," Sonic said.
As they prepared to head off, Keith took Kat's hand.
"Kat…" he began, "there's something I need to tell you, in the event we can't stop this."
"What is it?" Kat questioned.
Keith blushed, tugging at his collar.
"I just want you to know... you're a good friend of mine. I really care about you, and I... uh…" he sighed. "Oh, screw it."
He drew her close and kissed her. Kat was completely stunned, then she grabbed him and dipped him, kissing him right back. After a minute, they parted, faces red and smiling.
"Well, actions speak louder than words," Keith mused. "And technically, as the guy, shouldn't I be dipping you?"
"Dude, like I care about general roles," Kat scoffed. "Now let's fix this mess."
They hurried along, Knuckles and the Chaotix lugging the Master Emerald. At Sonic's look, Chris smirked, holding up his phone.
"Hope would never forgive me if I didn't take a photo of that moment," he said quietly. "Neither would Aunt Laura."
Hope raced through the halls of the ARK, trying to find Shadow.
"C'mon…" she said. "I'm almost certain it's down this hallway."
At the end of the hall, her efforts bore fruit when she came to Maria's room. She opened the door to see the music box on the nightstand was open, showing a small figurine of Alice holding the Cheshire Cat as a simple version of "In a World of My Own" played. Shadow was seated on the bed, his back to Hope as he looked out the window.
"I'm finally here, Maria…" he said to himself. "Our promise fulfilled…"
"Shadow." Hope spoke up.
Shadow perked, turning to her. "What do you want?"
"Shadow, it's not too late," Hope insisted. "We can still save everyone."
Shadow just scoffed, turning his head away.
"We found my great-grandpa's diary," Hope went on. "Dr. Amino sold the Project Shadow team out to GUN. He's the reason for the raid. Your memories were tampered with so you'd follow his desire for vengeance. Everything you've been doing is based on a lie."
"First the bat tells me my memories aren't my own, then you tell me they're fake," Shadow shot back. "She could not deter me, what makes you think you can?"
"Because I've seen the real Shadow," Hope replied. "The one who was created to help humanity rather than destroy it. The one who saved my life in Station Square when he could have just as easily let me die. And I know he's still in there somewhere."
"That Shadow died the day the ARK fell," Shadow retorted.
"Then why save me? Why show me mercy?"
Shadow gritted his teeth. "It's useless, Hope. I made a promise to Maria, and I'm keeping it!"
"How can you blame people alive today for things that happened fifty years ago?" Hope demanded. "Can't you see it's not fair?!"
Shadow jumped to his feet, scowling.
"Don't talk to me about 'fair'!" he screamed. "Not after what happened here! Maria was my only friend! A sickly girl who posed no threat to anyone! And GUN stormed the ARK and murdered her without a second thought! WHAT'S FAIR ABOUT THAT?!"
"It's not!" Hope agreed. "It's not fair, but that doesn't make you the one in the right! And this promise you keep speaking of... what exactly was it?"
"That the people of Mobius would pay for what they did that day."
"If that's so, why is her bookshelf full of atlases?" Hope pulled one off the shelf, showing it to him. "All of these books contain pictures of Mobius, of its wonders and treasures. Every single drawing on these walls is of you and her down there, exploring everything Mobius has to offer. Aunt Maria wanted to see the world, not destroy it."
"Yes, she did," Shadow said bitterly. "But she'll never get the chance because of the people living there. Do you honestly think that's a planet worth saving?!"
"Believe me, I get where you're coming from," Hope admitted. "We're flawed, people are. We're damaged. We come into the world nearly perfect, naked, and happy and then life delivers the beatdown. It kicks our asses and makes us feel like crap. It does permanent damage. Bad luck, people, our own mistakes. Yes, there are a lot of bad people on Mobius, but there are just as many good people like me, Chris, Keith, Kat, and so many others. People who work hard at things they love, that find the good, that try to be the kind of people who fix instead of break!"
"Maybe they're the exception to the rule," Shadow allowed. "But it doesn't change anything. The acts of a few people don't redeem the sins of their kind, Hope. They must all pay."
"Damn it, Shadow!" Hope yelled. "This is wrong and you know it! Aunt Maria wouldn't want you to be a killer! She'd want you to give people a chance!"
That rang through Shadow's mind. He jolted as memories of that fateful day came back in full force…
Flashback
The gunshot was still ringing in Shadow's ears as he watched Maria fall, clutching the bullet wound in her gut.
"MARIA!" he screamed.
Schmitz looked, the blood draining from his face as he saw what he had done. The gun fell out of his hands, and he doubled over, retching in disgust and horror. Shadow grabbed the gun, aiming it at Schmitz with pure rage and grief.
"You…" he scowled. "You monster!"
His hands were shaking like crazy.
"No…" Maria managed. "Shadow, don't…"
He turned, seeing her struggling to stand.
"Please... don't hurt him. You're better than that…"
Shadow was panting and sobbing as he turned back to Schmitz, then he dropped the gun. He then gathered Maria in his arms running down the hall.
"In there…" she pointed to the escape pod room. "Hurry…"
Shadow obediently headed for the room, setting her down.
"Go… to the circle," Maria instructed.
Shadow obediently did so, only to be enclosed in a capsule. He turned to see Maria had hobbled over to the control panel, standing at it.
"No!" Shadow shouted, pounding on the glass. "Maria, please don't do this! We can both still get out of here! I can help you!"
"It's too late for me…" Maria managed. "Even if this wound didn't kill me, I'd never survive on the planet. But you… you can live. You can survive this, and you must."
Shadow shook his head. "No…"
Maria was struggling to stay upright, the blood stain on her dress growing by the minute. It was obvious she didn't have long.
"Shadow, I beg of you…" she said. "Do it for me, for all the people on Mobius... Give them a chance to be happy."
Shadow clenched his fists. "They don't deserve it. Not after this."
"Maybe not... But you can be better than them," Maria insisted. "Please... Promise me you'll give them a chance. That's the reason you were born."
Shadow nodded, tears in his eyes. "Alright. I promise."
Maria gave him one last, gentle smile. "Sayonara… Shadow the Hedgehog."
With her last ounce of strength, she flipped the switch, and Shadow was ejected into space.
Flashback Over
Hope looked at the spaced-out Shadow in concern, waving a hand in front of his eyes only to yelp in surprise when he grabbed her wrist.
"You were right…" he said at last. "You were right all along. Maria didn't want this and never would. I'm a fool."
"Then help us stop the ARK," Hope pleaded. "It's not too late. You can still do the right thing."
Shadow nodded. "And I will. Thank you, Hope."
With that, he hurried off, praying he wasn't too late. Hope smiled, collapsing back on the bed in relief.
"I did it…" she sighed. "We might have a chance after all."
Author's Note:
Yep, that's Amino's role in things. He was the one who triggered the ARK raid fifty years ago. What a bastard.
Also, finally! The big damn Sonally kiss. Kept you waiting, huh?
Next chapter is the finally of the Sonic Adventure 2 adaptation.
Please R&R. Until next time!
