The start of The Ultimate Life Form Arc:

I hope you'll enjoy the chapter!

Entry 4

Project Shadow

''Rolling around at the speed of sound! Got places to go, gotta follow my rainbow! Can't stick around, have to keep movin' on! Guess what lies ahead, only one way to find out!''

– Escape From The City by Sonic Adventure 2 (NateWantsToBattle Cover)

xXxXxXx

''Project Shadow has been a success, a true scientific masterpiece. We will be finally able to control and study an Irregular. He will help us revolutionize AR Field and ARNav technology.''

Shadow the Hedgehog suddenly opened his crimson eyes, which briefly glowed in an orange tint, staring ahead with grim focus. He gazed down, realizing that his arms, legs and torso were cuffed with steel shackles. However, a moment later, the stasis pod slowly opened and he was released from his restraints.

He stepped out of the stasis pod, taking a look at the room as he tried to remember the owner of that voice, but winced when he found a bolt of sharp agony spreading through his body. Memories of the past flashed in his mind, but the only clear ones were those of the pain he felt, of a strange man in a lab coat looming over him, and the paralysis he had experienced.

''They say that you are too dangerous, but they have no idea what you are really capable of. You are what humanity needs. You are Shadow, the Ultimate Life Form.''

Shadow shook his head. No, it wasn't just a paralysis. He had been restrained and held down, feeling inexplainable rage and a desire for destruction. He looked at his surroundings once again, realizing that this place wasn't as unfamiliar as he thought first. This was where he was created and studied. Another memory flashed in his mind, but this time, it made his heart race.

''They say it was just an accident, but I know better. Your powers are far more than anyone could've predicted. She may be gone, but we now have the opportunity to study your new abilities.''

Shadow rubbed his temple, feeling a pounding headache. His memories were still hazy, but they were slowly returning to him and he wasn't pleased with any of the information.

From what he could remember, he was the resulting creation of Project Shadow. The project's purpose was to create an Irregular ARNav, short for Irregular Augmented Reality Navigator, that could be controlled and studied in a safe space at the underground Codex Research Facility, with the project being overseen by Professor Hiroshi Sakamoto. This was due to the increasing number of Irregulars that would start turning up and causing chaos across the entire Starpoint Area by attacking humans and leeching of their BioEnergy, their life force, leaving many comatose and some even dead. Shadow was supposed to be the answer to this ongoing issue.

The black-furred hedgehog took a look at his surroundings, trying to remember more of what had happened, but his memories were only flashing images in his head, not making much sense. Instead of answers, all they did was to give him a headache. He decided to focus on the room again, but this time, he would try to find any evidence of what had happened here. He had no idea how much time had passed, but the condition of the machinery told him that this room hadn't been visited in a long time, despite still having power.

Shadow walked out of the room, wandering through the facility, hoping to come across some kind of hint of what happened since he had been left in the stasis pod. He entered a hallway, his nose wrinkling at the stale, musty smell in the air and the fine layer of dust and cobwebs. He simply had to wonder just how long he had been here; did only months pass… or years? He had no idea, but either way, it was clear that no human soul, or ARNav for that matter, had been here. Shadow's quills bristled when he slowly realized that he had been abandoned in this facility.

Should that really be a surprise, though?

Shadow made his way down a corridor as more memories flooded his mind. Before the facility had been abandoned, he would often see other people and ARNavs walking through it, all of them busy with some project. While Codex had mainly focused on research concerning Irregulars and BioEnergy, they would also cover other fields, like genetics, medical research, renewable energy and even possible weaponization of AR technology, although the latter was supposed to be just a rumor. Admittedly, Shadow wasn't interested in those rumors either, so he never investigated whether they were true or not. Even if he tried to, none of the researchers was particularly fond of him due to his status as an Irregular, so they probably wouldn't tell him anything either. If they didn't have to interact with him, they would avoid him, but not without giving him a steely gaze.

''Hey, Shadow, are you okay?''

Touka…

Shadow's eyes narrowed as he heard a different, feminine voice, recognizing the owner immediately. During his time at this place, whenever he wasn't needed by Prof. Sakamoto or the other researchers, he would spend his time with a teenage girl named Touka. She was his best friend during that time, making every difficult day a bit more bearable. She was kind, compassionate, but also mischievous, trying to find a way to pass the boring days at the research facility and dragging Shadow into whatever scheme she came up with. He would usually try to keep her grounded and out of trouble, but he always felt happy and loved when he was around her. He had decided to take up the duty of her guardian, with Prof. Sakamoto approving of their close bond. Admittedly, Shadow had no idea why she had been allowed to be part of the project, as she was just a normal teenager with seemingly no relation to anyone, but he was grateful for her presence.

But, even that didn't last… Shadow closed his eyes, clenching his fist as he started shaking, another painful memory invading his mind. He could feel a sense of rage and regret inside him as he remember his last days in this facility before his own imprisonment. It had been a day like any other at the facility, and neither he nor Touka knew what awaited them.

''I wonder when Prof. Sakamoto is going to finally allow us to leave,'' Touka said as they walked through a hallway. Her eyes sparked up as she glanced at the black-furred hedgehog. ''I would love for you to go outside and experience what the world has to offer.''

''I don't know whether that is even a good idea. After all, the Professor had told both of us that I'm staying here because the humanity isn't ready for me,'' Shadow replied. ''You know what he told us about how they view and treat Irregulars.''

''True, but you are the proof that not all Irregulars are bad,'' Touka told him in an encouraging tone. ''I'm sure that, once Project Shadow has reached its conclusion, you'll be free to go wherever you want.''

''Then, my purpose would be fulfilled, wouldn't it?'' Shadow said in a quiet tone, with Touka giving him a look of surprise. ''What am I supposed to do afterwards?''

''Well, you are my partner, meaning that you'll be obviously coming along with me,'' Touka pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone. She smiled excitedly. ''Then, we can spend all of our time doing fun stuff outside the facility.''

''That sounds good.'' Shadow nodded. Having spent so much time contemplating what his life outside Codex would look like, he came to the conclusion that he wanted it to spend with Touka. She was his best and only friend, his family, so it was only natural that he would stay with her. Admittedly, Shadow was worried that Prof. Sakamoto wouldn't approve of this, but Shadow had already made up his mind about leaving. He wouldn't let anyone stop him from doing what he believed was right.

Suddenly, they were alerted by a blaring siren, followed by red flashing lights. Touka and Shadow looked at each other, both stunned, their hearts racing when they heard the following line: ''IRREGULAR ESCAPED! LOCKDOWN PROTOCOL INITIATED!''.

''We need to leave!'' Shadow grabbed Touka's hand, dragging her down the hallway.

They ran, hearing the doors around them shut down. They knew that they needed to find a room to hide during the lockdown, but so far, the ones they came across were already closed. Their eyes widened when they came across an intersection, with an Irregular appearing from the other hallway. The Irregular, which had the appearance of an anthropomorphic canine, snarled the moment it saw them, its mouth widening and showing off a row of sharp teeth teeth. Its eyes were glowing a haunting red and it lunged at the two. Gritting his teeth, Shadow ran up to the Irregular, using his air shoes to give himself a boost and kicking the Irregular away.

''This way!'' Shadow grabbed Touka's hand, pulling her away. They kept running, eventually coming across a room that wasn't locked. They quickly closed the door, with Touka looking around to find a place to hide. Shadow, on the other hand, stepped away from the door, waiting for the Irregular. He clenched his fist. I won't let it hurt Touka, no matter what.

Shadow's eyes narrowed as the Irregular barged into the room, slamming the door open, snarling like a feral animal. The Irregular's gaze turned towards Touka, who gasped when it lunged at her. However, before it could get to her, Shadow landed a punch, knocking it down. He knew that the Irregular was after Touka's BioEnergy and if it succeeded, the sole process of absorbing her BioEnergy would kill her.

Shadow dodged the Irregular as it lunged at him, grabbing its tail and hurling it across the room, right into a cabinet. Using his air shoes, he gave himself another boost, going after the Irregular. However, the canine-like ARNav seemingly anticipated this attack, as it dodged Shadow's attack and bit into his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain. The Irregular then clawed at Shadow, another kick sending him back.

''Shadow!''

Touka's cry of concern drew the Irregular's attention, along with Shadow's. As he tried to get up, he felt a hand on his shoulder, realizing that Touka was trying to help him. Both heard the Irregular snarling viciously, with Shadow sensing a surge of energy crackling through his body and empowering him. His eyes started to glow in an orange and red, with the energy surging through him and there was only one thought on his mind – he needed to protect Touka.

That is my mission!

Suddenly, everything became a blur of red and black, interwoven when screams and cries of agony. Shadow's mind went completely blank, as if he was in a trance or more of a frenzy, as he focused on his one and only mission, unable to comprehend what was going on until everything was over. When he came back too his senses, he realized that he was breathing heavily, the Irregular lying on the ground, so badly beaten it was flickering in and out of existence. As he looked up at his surroundings, he saw that the entire room had been destroyed, the surface being covered in scorch marks.

What have I done?

Shadow felt his blood freeze in his veins when he saw Touka lying on the ground, her face pale as snow. He ran over to her. ''Touka, wake up! Please, wake up!'' he pleaded, trying to shake her awake, his eyes widening when he felt a weak pulse. ''No, please! Wake up! Wake up!'' Shadow felt the corners of his eyes watering as he tried to figure out what to do to help her.

''Sha-dow…''

''Touka…'' Shadow gasped when he saw Touka opening her eyes slowly, at first relieved, only to realize that her pulse was slowly weakening. ''Touka, please stay awake! I'll get you help!''

''It's not… your fault… Shadow…'' Touka forced a weak smile. Shadow stared at her in dismay, a tear flowing down his cheek. The feeling of hope he had was crushed by cold reality when Touka closed her eyes, her pulse vanishing.

That day… I had promised I would protect her, but there was nothing I could do to save her. Shadow clenched his fist, holding it up to his chest and closing his eyes, shaking. He had been in a state of shock, not even realizing that the security guards and Prof. Sakamoto had entered the room until they started to scream at him and drag him away from Touka's pale body. Shadow had been returned and locked up in his room, traumatized and emotionally scarred by his experience. The vivid image of Touka's last moments haunted him, playing in his mind over and over again as he paced across the room, overwhelmed by guilt. One moment, we were just talking and in the next, all hell breaks loose… Shadow shook his head, feeling an uncomfortable shiver as he remembered the destruction he had caused. There is no way that she is dead, right? The Professor had found us just after the battle. He might be able to save her.

This was the only hope Shadow had and he was holding on it for dear life. At this point, everything that had happened felt like a nightmare and he hoped that someone would finally wake him up from it. Minutes felt like days, but eventually, Prof. Sakamoto arrived to talk to him.

''Professor, how is Touka? Have you managed to help her?'' Shadow desperately asked him, but Professor Sakamoto remained silent, his expression unreadable. Shadow immediately backed off, wondering if the Professor was angry at him. It wouldn't be surprising, considering what he had done. He lowered his head, casting his gaze to the side, his ears folding. ''I… I didn't mean for this to happen. I was only trying to protect Touka and… and things got out of control. But, she…'' Shadow clenched his fist, looking back at the Prof. Sakamoto. ''She is going to be okay, right… Right?!''

''You won't see her ever again. Your actions, the absorption of her BioEnergy, resulted in her demise.''

These words caused Shadow's blood to freeze. At that moment, something shattered inside of him. Prof. Sakamoto continued talking, but Shadow didn't listen, still in a state of shock. He couldn't believe that his only friend, the only person in this whole facility who had genuinely cared about him, was dead… and it was all his fault.

''…despite the unfortunate circumstances, your energy output had been quite impressive. Uncontrolled, but impressive nonetheless. I am quite certain that we will find a way for you to learn how to perfect your combat skills,'' Prof. Sakamoto said, not even registering the fact that Shadow's emotional state changed from pure shock to tranquil fury, his quills bristled. ''You will follow me back to the lab. We still have a couple of tests to go through…''

''No.''

''What was that?''

Shadow still remembered Prof. Sakamoto's cold glare as he faced the hedgehog. Did this man really not care that someone so close to him had died? Did he really believe that Shadow would act as if Touka's existence meant nothing to him?

''I said no, Professor. I refuse to participate in any more of this research project.''

Shadow felt his blood boiling, cold fury flowing through his body. Why would these people even care? To them, he was just a science subject. All they wanted were results, not giving a damn about how he felt, how Touka felt…

''I will not stand for this insolence, Sha-agh!'' Prof. Sakamoto found himself flying through the entrance and hitting the wall in the hallway after Shadow had punched him hardly. The black-furred hedgehog slowly walked up to him, observing his creator as he coughed up blood.

''I have enough!'' Shadow's eyes started to glow in a red-orange colour as he gathered up energy, sensing Prof. Sakamoto's BioEnergy and slowly absorbing it. Suddenly, the sirens started blaring, startling Shadow for a moment. His ears twitched and he saw several scientists and security guards running into the hallway, realizing that Prof. Sakamoto must've somehow called them. He turned towards them, the dark red and black energy crackling in his hand, his mind lucid.

That night… There was nothing but a massacre.

Shadow remembered the blind rage and the sense of loss as he fought against his attackers. He didn't care anymore about what would happen to him or to those who tried restrain him, he just wanted to get out of Codex. There was nothing left for him at this place and he refused to stay any longer than necessary, taking out anyone who stood in his way.

Unfortunately, I don't remember how I had ended up in the stasis pod. Shadow pressed his hand against his temple, the memory hazy. All he knew was that someone had managed to restrain him and imprison him in the stasis pod in the hidden part of the facility, where he remained until now.

Until someone had freed me.

Shadow had to admit that he was curious about who had freed him. He did take into account the possibility that the system that kept him inside the stasis pod had failed, but he was also willing to bet on the idea that he was freed by someone or something. However, if he was right about the latter part, it appeared that the person or people who had released him decided to bail. Frankly, it didn't matter to him. Instead, he made his way over to the main control room, figuring that it would probably hold some kind of information about what had happened at the facility.

Everyone at Codex kept daily logs about their research and activities at the facility, as per protocol. There has to be something.

Once he entered the main control room, he sat at the main computer, not even surprised to see that it still worked. He initially searched for the daily logs, figuring that someone had made an official report regarding what had happened, but frowned when he realized that the data had been deleted. He tried to see whether there were any other files stored, but it appeared that someone had wiped the computer clean.

''Hmph, I should've figured that would happen,'' Shadow muttered under his breath. He forgot to take into account that, whenever the facility had been abandoned, that the researchers would take everything they could with them and delete whatever remained. It was also possible that Prof. Sakamoto and the other researchers wanted to cover up what had happened. Feeling frustrated, Shadow started searching for any hidden files. He refused to believe that everything had been deleted, hoping that at least something had survived.

Fortunately for him, his persistence had payed off after he decided to search for files regarding Project Shadow. He rose an eyebrow when the monitor turned red, requiring an authentication and activating an AR Field within the room. The AR Field acted like a scanner, disappearing a moment later and granting Shadow access to the files that had been hidden away. Shadow's eyes narrowed as he started reading through the files. However, when he had finished, he wished he hadn't.

The initial information elaborated what Project Shadow was, a project dedicating to developing an Irregular ARNav that could be controlled and studied, something Shadow had been told by Prof. Sakamoto after his creation. What Prof. Sakamoto hadn't told him was that he wasn't the first of his kind. There were other Irregular ARNavs, but all of them had been deemed failures and terminated due to their violent nature. Shadow was the only one to be seen as a success.

I guess that was something that should've been expected.

Interestingly, Prof. Sakamoto's account revealed that after another Irregular had been terminated, he had been contacted by someone whose name he kept anonymous, who had provided him with the necessary data and material that would allow him create ''The Ultimate Life Form''. To Shadow's shock, this data also included Prof. Sakamoto using Touka as part of the project, as well as revealing that there was another purpose to his existence – that being a weapon of mass destruction.

Eyes narrowing in rage, Shadow read the following entries about how Irregulars not only feed off BioEnergy, but that it could also be weaponized. However, for that, the Irregular had to develop a bond with a human partner, even calling them a ''Living Battery''. The stronger the bond was, the greater the energy output would be. However, even that wasn't enough for Prof. Sakamoto as he feared that the human partner might die after exhausting their BioEnergy. Supposedly, the solution had been provided by his benefactor, but it hadn't been elaborated on.

''Damn it!'' Shadow gritted his teeth, slamming his fist against the desk. To say that he was furious was an understatement. While he personally didn't care about being treated like an experiment, the fact that scientists treated Touka as one enraged him. She had done nothing to deserve this!

What is this? Shadow's eyes narrowed as he read the next log, which only added more fuel to the fire. He realized that the Irregular that was released might not even have been an accident at all. As a matter of fact, Prof. Sakamoto had put them through a similar situation before, only to erase their memories when Shadow didn't use Touka's BioEnergy to protect her. Shadow then tried to find the last few logs, specifically the ones that detailed what happened before he was put in the stasis pod and afterwards, but unfortunately, there wasn't much. It appeared that Prof. Sakamoto had either deleted those logs or hidden them away beyond Shadow's reach.

''Here is the last log,'' Shadow muttered as he started reading it, '''I am counting my last days at the Codex Research Facility, as rumor has it that it will be closed down soon. While I had declared Project Shadow a success, it was still far from over. I was able to create an Irregular of ultimate power, but unable to control it. The Irregular's emotional response in a situation of great duress is flawed, making him imperfect as a weapon, and if I had more time, I would've removed those inhibitions. I don't believe the authorities will discover the stasis pod, nor these logs. I refuse to let anyone destroy my work. I know that, if I had the opportunity, I would have found a way to bring my creation under my control. To whomever finds these logs, finish what I had started. Let the Ultimate Life Form fulfill its purpose – to serve the will of humanity as a tool of destruction'.''

Frustrated, Shadow got up, slamming his hands against the table as he felt nothing but pure hatred towards not only his creator, but towards humanity in general. Vivid memories of Touka's last moments filled his mind and he clenched his fists. Touka may have died at his hands, but if it weren't for this facility, for Prof. Sakamoto, she still would've been alive. She had never done anything to deserve such sad fate, to be seen as just another research experiment. He was disgusted by the scientists' selfishness and lack of empathy, and the fact that their priority was their own cruel ambition.

Had the Project been completed, we would've become mindless weapons; tools for humanity to use as they saw fit. Shadow's eyes narrowed as he stared at the screen, now showing him a map of Starpoint Area, Neos City in particular. If this is what humanity wanted me to be, then so be it. However, I won't let them use me. They will never control me.

He was the Ultimate Lifeform, an Irregular whose powers and abilities were beyond anything humanity has seen. He had nothing left to lose and nothing to live for, as the only person he cared about was gone. What would happen to him, he didn't know, but there was one thing he was certain about. Orange and red energy sparked up in the palm of his hand.

The humans will pay.

xXx

''So, that's why you nor the rest of the team weren't that shocked when you saw Metal Me,'' Sonic said, with Lucas nodding. The two were currently on their hoverboards, racing through the streets of Neos City as evening fell and the sky grew dark, with Lucas having just explained to the blue hedgehog Irregular that he actually was quite familiar with Metal Sonic, albeit for different reasons.

''Well, yeah… We don't know him personally or anything, but we know his character,'' Lucas replied, giving Sonic a nervous look and scratching his cheek with his finger. Admittedly, it was a bit weird to discuss stuff like that from a certain perspective, even if the types of ARNavs like Sonic or his friends were taken for granted.

Sonic smirked, giving Lucas a knowing look. ''So, when were you going to tell me that Tails, Knux, Ames, Silv, Metal and I were based on characters from a video game franchise?''

''Eh, I guess I would've told you that at some point,'' Lucas replied, rubbing the back of his head. ''Admittedly, I was more concerned with the fact that you are an Irregular.''

''Well, we've already discussed that,'' Sonic responded as they took a turn towards Cosmo Bridge.

''We also have a lot more to discuss, specifically the ability of sharing my BioEnergy between us and whether it can be done again,'' Lucas replied, only to think about it. ''Although, Warren and Tails wouldn't be happy if we tried doing it without their supervision.''

''We could visit them tomorrow and practice at their workshop,'' Sonic suggested. ''Anyways, back to those video games…''

''I piqued your interest, didn't I?'' Lucas asked sarcastically, realizing that Sonic wouldn't be dropping the subject of his namesake video games so soon.

''Hey, I may not be the same hedgehog as the one from the video games, but I wouldn't mind knowing more about them,'' Sonic replied. ''Were they great? Was I cool? Have you even played any of them like a true gamer or got only information second-hand?''

''Ehhh, let's just say that some were great, some were bad, and some were really divisive,'' Lucas replied, giving Sonic a sheepish look. ''I did play a few, as a matter of fact, but I wasn't a hardcore gamer or expert in the franchise's lore.'' He fell silent for a moment. ''Although, now that I think about it, maybe I should do some detailed research, just in case another Irregular pops up that looks like they could be your friend… or enemy. I'm not sure whether that is going to help us much, since none of you are the same as your counterparts, but I guess it would be worth having some additional information, just in case.''

''That's the kind of thing I would expect from you,'' Sonic commented. ''Don't forget to give me a heads up in case we encounter more ARNavs that are part of the same franchise as I am.''

''Dully noted. Anyways, I forgot to add that a lot of the games are decades old and kind of… faded out of the public interest,'' Lucas said, shrugging. ''Also, when it comes to ARNavs based on video game characters in general, they are not as common as one would think, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist.''

''Heh, I guess that explains why no one has recognized me, or at least treated me like I was celebrity,'' Sonic said in a joking manner.

''Honestly, I think that's for the better. The last thing we need is unnecessary…'' Lucas trailed off when he and Sonic saw several Irregular Hunters stepping in front of them, holding up their hands to stop them, ''…trouble. What is going on now?''

''I don't think they're my fans,'' Sonic replied, just as confused as Lucas. He then gave the latter a thumbs up. ''Don't worry, just play it cool. I'll talk to them.''

Lucas had a bad feeling about this, but nodded, him and Sonic getting off their hoverboards and placing them under their arms. Sonic then casually strolled up to the leader of the Hunters. ''Hey, what's up with the barricade?''

''You are a hedgehog ARNav, aren't you?'' the leader, a grey wolf-like ARNav wearing a black jumpsuit and dark brown boots, asked. Sonic rose an eyebrow.

''Uh, yeah?'' Sonic said, nonplussed as he pointed at his head. ''Don't you see the quills?''

''I am Commander Loki, and me and my unit are here to find the troublemaker who had devastated one of our Hunter Units and wreaked havoc in Neos City,'' the wolf ARNav growled, giving out an order, ''Arrest the Irregular!''

Sonic and Lucas were baffled as the Hunters suddenly charged at Sonic.

''What?!''