Shadow shoved Magnus into the empty cell, the scientist stumbling against the far wall. The door clanged shut with a metallic finality.
"Please, Shadow. You're not like him. You're better than this." Magnus gripped the bars. "Maria wouldn't want-"
Shadow's hand shot through the bars, grabbing Magnus's collar. "Don't say her name."
Magnus's words died in his throat as Shadow released him and turned away. The hedgehog froze, his eyes fixed on the cell where he'd last seen Blaze. Fiona lay inside, bound with thick cable ties, a bruise darkening her cheek.
Shadow approached the specialized bars, his fur bristling at their proximity. Even without touching them, he felt their energy repelling his chaos powers. He reached for the lock but jerked back as pain shot through his hand.
"Where are they?" Shadow's voice cut through the dim cell block.
Fiona's ear twitched, but she remained silent.
"Tell me what happened." Shadow paced in front of the cell, his shoes clicking against concrete. "Did Rouge get her out?"
A smirk played across Fiona's lips. "Worried about your princess?"
"Answer me!" Shadow slammed his fist against the wall beside the cell, leaving a crater in the concrete.
"Better hope Scourge doesn't find them first." Fiona shifted, wincing at her restraints. "He wont too happy about their little escape attempt."
Shadow's chest tightened. His eyes darted to the corridor leading deeper into the facility. Somewhere in these tunnels, Rouge and Blaze were trying to escape - and Scourge was hunting them.
Shadow glared at Fiona through the specialized bars, his crimson eyes burning with barely contained rage. He spun around at the sound of footsteps, his breath catching in his throat.
Scourge stood in the corridor, a gun pressed against Rouge's temple and another aimed at Blaze's head. Both women were bruised and bloodied, their arms twisted behind their backs in Scourge's grip.
"You've been very naughty, Shadow." Scourge's grin stretched wide across his face. "Going against our deal like that. But don't worry - I've got the perfect punishment in mind. You get to pick which girlfriend gets to live."
Shadow's eyes darted between Rouge and Blaze, his fists clenching at his sides. His foot brushed against something - Fiona's dropped gun lay just outside her cell. In one fluid motion, Shadow snatched it up and aimed at Fiona through the bars.
"Let them go," Shadow's voice was ice. "Or your partner dies."
A laugh echoed through the cell block. Before anyone could react, Scourge fired a single shot. Fiona slumped against her restraints, blood blooming across her chest.
"What partner?" Scourge smiled at Fiona's lifeless body. "She was getting too attached anyway. Started having second thoughts about our plan."
Shadow's gun clattered to the floor. His crimson eyes locked onto Scourge, taking in the casual way the green hedgehog looked at Fiona's body. Blood pooled beneath her, seeping across the concrete in a dark stain.
"You-" Shadow's voice shook with fury. His chest heaved as chaos energy crackled around his hands. "You killed her without hesitation. Your own partner."
"Aw, feeling sentimental?" Scourge pressed his guns harder against Rouge and Blaze's temples. "That's your problem, Shadow. You let people get too close. Makes you weak."
"You're not even worth the dirt under her shoes." Shadow's quills bristled, his rings glowing with barely contained power. "You're nothing but a monster wearing a cheap copy of Sonic's face."
"Monster?" Scourge's smile vanished. "I learned from the best. Your precious ARK scientists. The Sol Kingdom's experiments." He yanked Blaze's head back by her hair. "Her family's legacy of torture and manipulation. But sure, I'm the monster."
"At least they thought they were working toward something greater." Shadow's fists clenched tight enough to draw blood. "You? You're just a sadistic creature who enjoys causing pain. You don't even have the excuse of believing in a cause."
"And what about you?" Scourge's eyes narrowed. "Standing there judging me while you helped kidnap Magnus. Face it - you're just like me. One threat to someone you care about, and all those precious morals crumbled."
"No." Shadow's voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "I'm nothing like you. I might compromise to protect the people I care about, but I'd never murder them in cold blood. You're not even worthy of being called a monster - you're just empty inside."
—
Blaze's vision swam as Scourge yanked her head back. Her wounds from earlier throbbed, each heartbeat sending waves of agony through her body. Through blurred eyes, she glanced at Rouge. The bat's injuries were superficial - bruises and cuts, nothing fatal. Rouge could survive this. Blaze wasn't sure she would, even without a bullet to the head. Her earlier injuries were too severe.
The syringe glinted in Scourge's pocket. The same serum her father and Magnus had used in their twisted experiments, burning through test subjects' veins like molten metal until they found the perfect combination to create her - their pyrokinetic heir. Her stomach churned at the thought of what that serum had done to so many innocent people.
In that moment, clarity cut through her pain. For the first time since her capture, Blaze saw a way to take control. To make her own choice instead of being someone else's pawn or leverage.
With every ounce of strength left in her battered body, Blaze lunged sideways. Her fingers closed around the syringe in Scourge's pocket. Before anyone could react, she plunged the needle into her arm and pushed the plunger down.
The syringe clattered to the floor as Blaze slumped forward, her fur already slick with sweat. Scourge's grip on her loosened in shock, his eyes widening before a sinister grin spread across his muzzle.
"Well, well. Crazy bi-"
"NO!" Shadow's roar echoed through the cell block. His shoes scraped concrete as he lunged forward, only to freeze as Scourge pressed the gun harder against Rouge's temple.
Blaze's body convulsed, her breath coming in short gasps. The serum burned through her veins like liquid fire, worse than any flame she'd ever wielded. Her vision blurred, colors swirling together as her legs gave out.
"Too late, Shadow." Scourge released his grip, letting Blaze collapse to the floor. "Princess here just injected herself with the same serum they used on all those test subjects. The one that killed hundreds before they perfected it on her."
Shadow's chest heaved, chaos energy crackling around his hands as he watched Blaze writhe on the ground. Her usually composed features twisted in agony, claws scraping against concrete as another wave of pain tore through her.
"Why?" Shadow's voice cracked. "Blaze, why would you-"
"Enough!" Scourge cut Shadow off with a snarl. He yanked Rouge closer, pressing the barrel harder against her temple. "Your princess just signed her own death warrant. But look on the bright side - at least you locked Magnus up nice and tight for me."
Rouge struggled against Scourge's grip, but froze as the gun dug deeper into her skin.
"This changes nothing." Scourge's eyes gleamed with malice as he watched Blaze convulse on the floor. "Actually, this makes things even better. Now I've got bat-girl here as insurance while we finish what we started." He jerked his head toward Magnus's cell. "And thanks to you playing along so nicely, our dear doctor is right where I want him."
Shadow's fists clenched as he stood trapped between Rouge and Blaze's prone form. Chaos energy crackled around his hands, but he didn't dare move.
"The princess is as good as dead now." Scourge's grin widened. "That serum killed hundreds before they got it right. And even then, it only worked because they engineered her from birth. So how about we get back to business?" He stepped backward, dragging Rouge with him.
"We've got more scientists to round up, and now you know exactly what happens when you try to play hero."