Enjoy!

Entry 72

Darker Side Of Me

''I should've never stеpped away from all the hardships I have savеd! Fell into all these cruel mistakes, reliving all I've ever paved! In all the choices led astray to all the outcomes of today, you know I won't become the darker side of me (darker side of me)!''

– Darker Side Of Me by Victor McKnight ft. Johnny Gioeli of Crush 40 (Sonic the Hedgehog 3)

xXxXxXx

Shadow took a deep breath as he landed in front of the Codex Research Facility, his wings folding as he stared at the derelict building with an unreadable expression. This place was the source of his most painful memories and experiences, and he disliked returning here unless it was completely necessary. He didn't need to relive any of those horrible moments where he was treated as less than a living being who had his own feelings and desires, his own hopes and dreams.

I won't be staying here for too long. I just need to find the Chaos Emerald.

With this resolve, Shadow walked into the building. He hadn't noticed Doom's Eye having caught up to him, observing him carefully as the dark hedgehog vanished into the facility. The alien was well aware of Shadow's connection to this place and the traumatic events he had experienced. This was something that he could take advantage of, as the anger and bitterness that fueled Shadow would serve as a way to make him lose himself, allowing for Black Doom to take control of him. Doom's Eye quickly followed Shadow inside the building.

xXx

Touka sighed in annoyance, feeling irked that she had to resign herself to her fate of being imprisoned on the Black Comet in the middle of the Black Arms invasion of Neos City, leaving Team Neos without her support and Shadow being forced by Black Doom to collect the Chaos Emeralds in order to keep her safe. Touka was well aware that Shadow was under immense pressure to save her, knowing that he would be suffering from a one-track mind and refuse any offer of help from any of their friends or allies. She silently hoped that Shadow would accept any help he was offered, as this wasn't something he could do on his own. Her little brother might be incredibly mistrustful towards people, but he had been opening his heart little by little, so even if she couldn't be there for him, she was certain that there was someone who would remind Shadow that he wasn't alone. A weak smile spread on her lips, as she knew that Sonic would be the one to knock some sense into Shadow, given their close relationship and Sonic's refusal to let Shadow spiral.

She wished there was a way for her to escape the Black Comet, but she knew it would be impossible to do that without having some aid. There were Black Arms everywhere, and while Black Doom said that she would be safe, she had a feeling he wouldn't be so merciful if he saw that she was gone. So, in the end, there was absolutely nothing she could do, besides trying to survive for Shadow's sake.

Touka lifted her head when she heard footsteps, wondering who it was. To surprise, Eclipse was the one who walked into the room. She did feel a little relieved that it wasn't Toshiro or Mephiles, because she wasn't in mood with dealing with these two. As she took a closer look at Eclipse, she noticed the bruises, with the little alien clearly being in pain. Considering how the last time she had seen him was just before he was sent to confront Shadow, she had a good idea how that encounter went.

''You're Eclipse, right?''

Eclipse was startled when he suddenly heard someone calling for him, wondering if it was the hive mind, only to realize that it was Touka. He frowned, shooting a glare at her for snapping him out of his thoughts. He had been occupied with the defeat he had suffer at Shadow's hands, as well as Black Doom's reaction to his defeat. The leader of the Black Arms had expected that Shadow would be the superior one, but was still disappointed by the fight Eclipse put up, calling it pathetic. It left Eclipse in a sour mood, as he knew that he should be an equal to Shadow, but it felt as if he was light years away. He was actually wondering how he could improve, when he heard Touka call for him.

''What do you want?'' he growled, his response bitter. He knew that Shadow cared Touka a lot, and according to Toshiro and Mephiles, they referred to each other siblings. It baffled him that Shadow would associate himself with humans, let alone call one of them his sister, and he detested Touka because of that. He felt as if she had brainwashed Shadow into supporting humans rather than the Black Arms, his own kin, which left him with nothing but hatred for her.

Touka was silent for a moment, observing Eclipse. It was clearly that he had a chip on his shoulder and she doubted that anything she'd say would calm him down, but currently, he was her only source of information. She was good at reading Shadow and his thoughts, and she hoped that, despite knowing nothing about Eclipse, she'd be able to get a proper read on him as well. ''You have fought Shadow, haven't you?''

Eclipse furrowed a brow, wondering where she was going with this question. He knew that Touka saw him getting orders from Black Doom to confront Shadow. ''I did. So what?''

''I suppose he was quite furious when you got in his way,'' Touka said, with Eclipse giving her a look of surprise, wondering how she knew that. ''Knowing Shadow, nothing will stop him from getting on the Black Comet and saving me.''

This seemed to have pissed Eclipse off, as he snarled, ''Why does Shadow even care about you?! You're nothing more but a pathetic human! Why would he call you his family if you're not even related by blood?!''

Touka was startled by Eclipse's sudden outburst. Truth to be told, she hadn't expected him to be so emotionally invested in this whole family thing, having believed that Eclipse referred to Shadow as his ''brother'' out of mockery or desire to control him, similarly to Black Doom. However, it appeared that the little alien wholeheartedly believed that Shadow should call him his brother, simply because they descended from Black Doom. While Touka could understand such belief, it had also irked her.

''Shadow cares about me because I care about him. We basically grew up together, so it shouldn't be surprising that we would be so close, especially in an environment where people ignored or even hated us,'' Touka replied in a calm tone, shooting Eclipse a glare. ''Shadow won't accept you just because you're biological related. He doesn't know you, and you won't exactly gain his trust by keeping me imprisoned.''

''If Shadow would just listen to me…'' Eclipse started, only for Touka to interrupt him.

''Eclipse, you are aware that Toshiro is my biological brother, right?'' she asked. Eclipse gave her a confused look, wondering why she was bringing that up, but nodded. ''Then you know that, despite being biologically related, Toshiro wants nothing more but destroy me, be it emotionally or just outright killing me. Do you really think I would want to call someone like that my own brother?''

Eclipse fell silent for a moment. He understood what Touka wanted to tell him, but he wasn't about to give in so easily. He huffed, folding his arms. ''To make it clear, I don't like him either.''

Touka sighed. ''At least we agree on something.''

''That's the only thing we'll ever agree on,'' Eclipse snarled, pointing at Touka. ''I will make sure that Shadow forgets everything about you! He will see the Black Arms as his only family!''

''If that ever happens, will you be happy?'' Touka suddenly asked. Eclipse stopped, staring at her in silence. ''If you want Shadow to believe you and the Black Arms are his family, you will have to mentally and emotionally break him, wipe out all of his memories, destroy everything that makes him his own person, crush his sense of self… If all of that happens, will you be happy that your brother is mindless husk controlled by Black Doom?''

''I-I…'' Eclipse sputtered, caught off-guard by Touka's question. ''He'll be one of the Black Arms...''

''He will,'' Touka agreed, her tone calm and cold. ''But he won't be Shadow anymore.'' She lowered her head. ''This is why I refuse to let any of you take him. I don't care what you do to me, but I do care what you do to Shadow.''

''Why?!'' Eclipse asked through gritted teeth. ''Why do you care?!''

''Because he is my little brother and I'm his older sister!'' Touka shouted, her eyes blazing with fury. ''I was always the one who protected him! I was the one who kept him company! I was the one who comforted him, who encouraged him when things got tough! Do you know why?! Because as the older sibling, that was my responsibility! I have already been through so much hate and neglect, and I refused to let Shadow experience the same! I refused to let him share my burden! It was always us against the world! That was what we told ourselves! That is why I can't let go of him and that is why I won't let Black Doom control him! I promised myself that if anyone tried to hurt him, I would break them first!'' Touka breathed heavily, her voice hoarse, but she still continued, her tone now more quiet, ''Shadow doesn't deserve any of this. He may be aloof and closed-off, the supposed weapon everyone was talking about, but deep down, he is kind and sweet, and even afraid of what he could become if he lost himself in this darkness. Even if you used your hive mind to read his thoughts or to sense his emotions, you will never know him like I do! You can control Shadow, but he will never acknowledge you as his family!''

''Shut up!'' Eclipse bellowed, and Touka felt a sharp sensation on her right cheek, followed by something hot and wet. She could see her own blood dripping from the cut Eclipse left after scratching her in anger.

Touka's gaze then shifted from the red droplets to Eclipse, whose claws were red from her blood. The little alien was shocked to see what he had done. He had gone against Black Doom's orders and hurt the human, and he feared that he would be punished for this. Even though he knew that Touka would eventually end up as food for the larvae, for the future soldiers, Black Doom made it clear – if they wanted Shadow, Touka was not allowed to even suffer a scratch. But, Eclipse didn't listen. He didn't follow the order. He knew that, if he couldn't follow orders, he was useless to Black Doom, and if he was useless…

''Eclipse…?''

Touka's voice snapped Eclipse out of his shocked state, and he stared at her with wide eyes. He expected hatred, anger, revulsion… any kind of negative emotion from her, but instead, he was met by a look of pity. Not only that, but her voice was different, far more gentle than just a moment earlier. He didn't understand… He couldn't understand any of this. He couldn't understand why Touka was like this, why she hated him in one moment, giving him a whole speech about it, and in the next, she was bleeding from an injury he inflicted on her and showed nothing but pity.

Eclipse couldn't handle it anymore. He shook his head, trying to shove away all of those emotions he felt, all the confusion and hurt he experienced, and he ran as far away as he could. He made the decision to find Shadow and tell him- convince him to be part of his family, so Touka would never have him.

Touka could only stare at Eclipse as he vanished from her vision, then sighed, feeling exhausted. She ignored the injury on her cheek, despite the constant stinging, thinking about Eclipse's reaction. She knew that Black Doom didn't give a damn about anyone but himself and his conquest, and she had a feeling that he would be more than willing to sacrifice his own soldiers as long as he reached his goal, and given Eclipse's reaction, it seemed that she was correct in that assumption, at least to some extent. She could also understand his emotional reaction to her rant, the despair of trying to convince Shadow that they were family, only for reality to constantly deny him that possibility.

After all, she became Shadow's sister because she too wanted to be part of a family.

xXx

Amy lunged at the nearest Black Arms soldier, smashing its head with her Piko Piko Hammer, her own power boosted via Chaos Surge. Not too far from her, Minami knocked another soldier into a building with her own pink energy hammer. Both of them were in Westoru, having gone into battle the moment the Black Arms appeared. They have gotten Lucas' message, assuming their leader had a plan in regards to how to deal with the Black Arms, with Minami filling in Amy on all the details about the Black Arms. Nevertheless, despite the faith they had in their friends, things weren't easy for them.

''I just hope reality isn't breaking around us,'' Minami said, taking note of the cracks in the air, which only spread further. She had no clue what they were, but she knew that they weren't good news.

''Never mind reality, how are you doing?'' Amy asked, smashing another alien with her hammer.

''I'm fine!'' Minami replied, blocking the a sword, with Amy running to her aid and knocking the alien away. Minami took a deep breath, holding up her hammer with a smirk on her expression. ''As long as you don't use my BioEnergy, I know I can keep fighting like this all day.''

''I hope that you're right!'' Amy said, slamming her hammer into another alien.

Despite having the will to fight, the two had to admit that it was getting difficult the crowd of Black Arms aliens that invaded this part of Neos City was never-ending. The moment they were done with one street, they heard screams from another. They knew that they needed to help to save as many people as possible until all of this was over.

Minami shattered the arm of a Black Oak who attempted to grab a woman and drag her away, with Amy finishing the alien off by a slam to the head, causing it to stumble back and fall over. The woman was crying, freaked out by what had happened, but things got worse. Minami and Amy looked up when they heard an explosion, realizing that the Black Arms managed to break a part of a building, with a huge piece of debris falling towards them. They gasped, but before they could move, they were suddenly grabbed by water vines, dragging them backwards, with the piece of debris falling right where they stood only a moment earlier. This was followed by a bolt of lightning dashing through the streets, blasting through the remaining Black Arms. Minami and Amy were stunned when they recognized who had saved them.

''Surge! Kit!''

Kit put the three down, while Surge stood before them with her head held high and a look of pride on her expression. ''Guess you two can't even handle fighting some black things without us.''

''It's nice to see you too, Surge,'' Amy said, giving Surge an exasperated look. The tenrec was as boastful and confident as ever, with the fennec fox keeping a careful eye on their surroundings, making sure that she was protected from any harm. ''What are you two doing here?''

''We were in the neighborhood when those weird things-''

''The Black Arms,'' Amy said.

''Yeah, right,'' Surge said in a dismissive tone, continuing, ''We were in the neighborhood when the Black Arms attacked us, so we fought back. I got no clue what they want from us, but beating them up is fun.''

Both her and Kit were suddenly startled when they got approached by the woman they had saved earlier, who gave them a grateful look. ''Thank you so much for saving me! If it weren't for you and your friends, I would've been long dead.''

Surge and Kit stared at the woman, who then quickly left, trying to find a proper place to hide. Both Amy and Minami turned to the two, an identical knowing grin forming on their expressions when they saw Surge and Kit's reactions, with Amy then putting up a sweet smile as she addressed them.

''I'm really glad that you're helping in our efforts against the Black Arms,'' she said. Surge huffed.

''Don't think too much of it, Pinky. We're just here because the Black Arms make for a good punching bag,'' she responded in a haughty tone.

''I see. I thought you were trying to be heroes,'' Minami said, acting surprised by the reveal. She knew that it would be a good idea to push both Surge and Kit towards a less villainous path, and this was the perfect opportunity. Meanwhile, Surge and Kit exchanged stunned glances, both trying to process what Minami just told them.

Technically, they were created to be heroes and replace Sonic and Tails, so it would make sense to follow this programming, whether they liked it or not. However, they didn't even realize that they did technically do something heroic by fighting against the Black Arms and, as a consequence, saving the people who fell victims to the aliens. This whole situation just felt weird to them.

''Are we… heroes?'' Kit gave Surge a confused look, hoping that she would have the answer they needed. Obviously, whatever Surge decided to do, he would follow her lead, but he needed a proper confirmation.

Surge, on the other hand, felt a little conflicted. Obviously, she didn't go into the fight to save people left and right, but she couldn't deny that the woman thanking her and Kit for saving her didn't leave a warm feeling in her chest. Trying to push away that sensation, she gave another dismissive huff instead. ''If that's what you define as being a 'hero', then Sonic and his so-called heroism is overrated.'' This response seemed to have confused everyone, with Surge then turning to Kit, adding, ''I bet we can do much better than Sonic and Tails.''

''Yeah! We absolutely can!'' Kit encouraged her, his eyes sparking as he imagined himself helping Surge out in whatever she defined as 'being a hero'. After all, he was there to do what Surge wanted, and he would've remained by her side whether she decided to become a hero or a villain. Amy, on the other hand, remained a little exasperated.

''I don't think that being a hero includes competing with other people to figure out who the better hero is,'' Amy said.

''Who cares? So long as I get to beat that blue boyfriend of yours, I'll do this hero thing with no fuss,'' Surge replied, with Amy puffing her cheeks, shooting a glare at the tenrec.

''For the last time Surge, Sonic is not my boyfriend!'' Amy shouted, feeling rather annoyed about this whole thing. ''I've been telling you that only because my counterpart is lovesick, that doesn't mean that I…''

''Yeah, yeah, whatever, Pink,'' Surge said as she cleaned her ear with her pinky finger, not really caring that much about how frustrated Amy was, as well as slightly amused that she managed to rile her up. ''Can't we skip this and go to the part where I get to be awesome and kick ass?''

Amy sighed, just staring at Surge in disbelief as the tenrec located more Black Arms, quickly perking up as she dashed towards them. Kit followed her, but not before giving Amy a stern, if blank look, his tone serious, ''Please, refrain from shouting at Surge in the future. Even if she wasn't upset, I am.''

Amy was a bit startled by his serious tone, watching him as he joined Surge in the battle. She couldn't help but feel discontented by Surge's attempts at messing with her like this. But, at the same time, she was intrigued. She knew that there was more to both Surge and Kit, especially Surge, and she wasn't going to let the tenrec make her lose her nerve.

A look of resolve appeared on Amy's expression. She was going to make this work.

xXx

Shadow felt a sense of dread as he walked through the empty corridors of the Codex Research Facility. Despite knowing that the facility was completely abandoned, he was still on high alert, as it was always possible that someone may have broken into the building and made it their own. Admittedly, Shadow didn't believe that that would be possible, since not many people knew about the Codex Research Facility's location, even with the information Team Neos had leaked during their confrontation with ARMS, but he was ready to face any kind of intruder.

However, it became soon apparent that he was completely alone inside the building. Besides some busted doors, courtesy of Amy's Piko Piko Hammer back when Lucas and his friends tried to find Touka, nothing appeared to be disturbed. Still, that didn't ease Shadow's nerves, his paranoia still running high. He tried to focus on sensing the Chaos Emerald within the building, but he had trouble pinpointing its exact location. All he knew was that it was deep inside the facility and that he would have to go further than he wanted in order to find it.

''Hey, Shadow… What would you like to do when we finally are allowed to leave this place?''

Shadow stopped for a moment as a memory resurfaced in his mind. He could see Touka giving him a curious look, starting a conversation they had so many times before.

''I would do whatever you want to do,'' Shadow responded in a matter-of-fact tone. He had not much of an interest in exploring the world outside what Touka desired. After all, if the world was going to treat him the same way as everyone at the Codex Research Facility did, what was the point of getting to know it? It appeared to be the wrong answer, though, because Touka gave him a slightly disappointed look.

''That's a boring answer,'' she said, only to perk up. ''You know what? Once we're outside, the first thing we'll do is to find something that would interest you.''

''Why don't we do something that interests you? You already have a list of things you want to do once you're outside,'' Shadow pointed out.

''Yeah, I do, but I think it would be more fun to explore your interests. You know, get you a hobby or maybe even find some friends…''

''I don't want any friends.''

Touka stared at Shadow in stunned silence, with the dark hedgehog lowering his head, well aware of how cold his statement came across. He then added, ''I'm happy with just being with you, so I don't need any friends or even acquaintances, especially if they're going to treat me the same way as everyone here. You know as well as I do that people will never trust an Irregular, and I don't have a need to befriend more people who might betray me.''

''Shadow…'' Touka got on her knees to be at his eye-level, wrapping her hands around his shoulders and pulling him close. ''If you feel like that, that's fine… In fact, if we ever came across someone who wanted to befriend me without wanting to befriend you, I would give them my piece of mind about how much of a hypocrite they are.''

Shadow couldn't help but smile weakly at Touka's statement, having already seen her many times Touka defending him from anyone who harassed him for little to no reason. He felt Touka burying her forehead into his, tightening the hug as he sighed in resignation.

''It is us against the world, isn't it?''

Touka didn't answer. The Shadow in the present wondered if she hadn't answered that question because she still hoped that they would meet people who would be genuine about befriending them, regardless of their origins. He felt a sting of pain in his chest, mixed with a sense of longing. He wished that Touka was here to talk to him, to assure him in his mission. But, she was gone now, and if Shadow didn't succeed, he knew that he would never see her again.

''It must be quite frustrating to be here, Shadow.''

Shadow's eyes widened as he suddenly sensed the presence of Doom's Eye and turned around, observing the starfish-like alien with resentment. The alien didn't appear to care about the fact that all Shadow needed was a good reason and he would obliterate it on spot, continuing instead, ''This is the place where those humans have betrayed you. It is a place of anguish, a place of lies and loss…''

''Get to the point,'' Shadow growled, his tone icy as he glared at Doom's Eye.

''There are memories of your life here that you cannot recall.''

Doom's Eye suddenly glowed, with Shadow suddenly falling on one knee as he felt a skull-splitting headache, crying out in pain and pressing his hands against his temples. It was as if Doom's Eye, or rather, Black Doom himself, reached through the hive mind into his head, clawing for the memories that were buried deep inside him and bringing them to the surface.

Shadow inhaled deeply as the pain subsided, feeling his heart pound against his ribcage. He took a look around, only to be shocked to see the empty corridors suddenly bustling with people. Scientists were walking around or discussing their latest research, trying to meet deadlines or simply suggesting improvements on the current projects.

''H-How?'' Shadow was stunned, staring in disbelief at what was going on. A few people walked past him, completely ignoring his presence. This is a memory, right? But, it feels so real, as if I had been brought back to the past…

Fortunately, he got his answer soon, because he heard someone shout, followed by a laugh as someone ran past him. It was Touka, or rather, her past self, closely followed by a wingless self of Shadow, both of them being pursued by an angry scientists. Present Shadow followed them, wondering why Doom's Eye wanted to show him this memory. He wasn't particularly sure whether it was a memory worth remembering, but he assumed that Doom's Eye had its reasons for picking this particular memory.

''Over here!'' Touka grabbed Shadow's hand, pulling him into another corridor, followed by another and another. The Shadow from the present continued following them, taking note of just how maze-like the facility was, and how often Touka took advantage of that to hide from whoever became the victim of her pranks.

''Did you really have to do that?'' Shadow asked, with Touka giving him a firm, if mischievous look.

''Dr. Endo deserved getting his computer crashed after calling you a 'disgusting creature'. Nobody's going to insult my little brother and get away with it,'' she said. However, past Shadow was still worried.

''You'll get in huge trouble when he finds you,'' he pointed out.

''Then I'll make sure to avoid him as long as it takes for him to forget about this…'' Touka replied, remaining unflappable. Past Shadow sighed, while present Shadow couldn't help but smile. He knew well that nothing would stop Touka in protecting him, not in the past, nor in the present. Suddenly, all three of them stopped as they entered another area, this one being completely empty save for several monitors and devices strewn across it. ''I guess we can hide here… What's that?''

''Touka, I don't think this is a good idea…'' Shadow warned her when she walked over to a monitor, staring at the data displayed on it, only to join her when he realized that she suddenly went silent. The Shadow from the present followed them, being just as curious as this was an event he couldn't recall.

''There is something about you here,'' Touka said, sitting down on the chair, with Shadow grabbing another one to sit next to her. Present Shadow, on the other hand, remained standing, craning his neck to get a better look at the monitor as Touka started to read the information displayed on the monitor. ''I think this is Prof. Sakamoto's research notes. 'My research on the creation of an Irregular that can be controlled has brought me further than I had thought. Subject S-2005, also known as Shadow the Hedgehog, is showing an unusually close bond with Touka, to the point that I had heard them label each other as siblings on many occasions, despite my own objections.'.'' Touka huffed at that. ''So what if I call you my little brother? It's not like it's hurting anyone. 'Admittedly, this label might not be too far from the truth. After all, I am the one who gave life to both of them.' What?!''

''What does the Professor mean by that?'' Shadow asked, giving Touka a stunned stare. Both of them knew that Shadow was an Irregular ARNav created by Sakamoto, but they had no clue that Touka had a connection to him besides the fact the Sakamoto was her guardian. Present Shadow, on the other hand, scoffed, already knowing the dark truth of Touka being an artificial body created to save Sakamoto's real daughter, Tomoe; an experiment that resulted in failure. Touka then quickly continued reading the research notes.

'''However, I cannot take full credit for all my research efforts in regards to Subject S-2005. The process itself had been long and fruitless, and the only reason I had a breakthrough was because of my contributor, who had provided me with the data that allowed me to create the first artificial Irregular. According to my contributor, whose name will remain redacted as per their request, they too wished to see the birth of an Irregular they titled 'The Ultimate Lifeform'. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why they would call an Irregular that, but they assured me that ARMS would be satisfied with my project, just like their spiritual predecessor, an organization they referred to as G.U.N. I had decided not to pry into matters that didn't concern me, but my contributor insisted on providing me with more information on Project Shadow. According to them, I wasn't the first one to create a creature like this, and that my research was based on the research of another man, known as Prof. Gerald Robotnik. I have tried to find that man in our database, but nothing came up, so I don't know how much of this is the truth. My contributor had also told me that Subject S-2005 is a hybrid with powers beyond anything I could imagine, and that the Subject's data, or rather, biodigital DNA, had been partially taken from an alien warlord called Black Doom, making him ultimately a hybrid. I have to admit, all this talk had been quite confusing, as whenever I tried to research the names that have been brought up, I couldn't find any information. It is as if those people never existed. In addition to the provided information, my contributor suggested that in order to unleash Subject S-2005's full power, I should ensure that he was emotionally bound to someone – in this case, Touka. According to them, once the Subject had formed a powerful bond, it would be able to use Touka's BioEnergy in a way I could never imagine. He had also advised me that, when the Subject achieves this stunning display of power, to immediately put him through traumatic experience of losing his supposed older sibling, as the mental breakdown that would occur would allow me to fully control the Subject. I don't really see how that would be possible, but I believe I can trust my contributor, as their advice hasn't failed so far. I will be deleting this log, though, as I don't believe it is necessary for anyone to know the truth behind the experiment tomorrow, and some of the information I was given appears to be trivial.' What is Prof. Sakamoto talking about? Who is Gerald Robotnik? Who is Black Doom? What is this experiment he's talking about?'' Touka asked in disbelief, both her and past Shadow shocked to read this. Even Shadow from the present was shocked to hear that Sakamoto had actually been informed about the lore surrounding his origins, yet dismissed them as information that had absolutely no meaning to him.

''That is enough.''

Touka and the two dark hedgehogs were startled by a calm voice coming from behind them, only to see Hiroshi Sakamoto, alongside a pair of security guards, staring at them. Sakamoto gave them a cold gaze, adding, ''Seize them!''

Touka gasped as one of the security guards grabbed her, holding her by her neck to make sure she didn't ran away. Shadow's quills bristled, as he was about to fight the other security guard, but a glance at Sakamoto made him realize that if he tried anything, Touka would suffer. This is why he allowed the man to grab his arm, twisting it behind his back.

Sakamoto then walked up to the computer, deleting the research notes that had been displayed. ''Whatever was written here is completely unimportant.''

''What do you want from us?!'' Touka asked through gritted teeth, trying to break out of the security guard's grip. Sakamoto stared back at her in quiet contemplation.

''I suppose I can tell you this now, since we're close to ending the experiment,'' he said, reaching for something in the pocket of his lab coat. ''The military branch, ARMS, who is funding this research, has asked me to create an Irregular they could control and use as a weapon, that being Subject S-2005, or Shadow, as you decided to call him. As it turns out, he is quite attuned to your BioEnergy, meaning that his power will grow significantly if he absorbs it. There are only a few more tests that need to be done, but once this is over, you will both will be sent to ARMS to work as their agents.''

''What if we refuse?'' Shadow growled.

''You have no other choice,'' Sakamoto replied, taking out a pair of syringes from his pocket. ''Of course, I need to make sure that you don't remember any of this, as your knowledge about the experiments will only get in the way of the results. Fortunately, this wasn't the first time I had to deal with your antics, so I'm well prepared for this.''

He then turned to Touka, who stared at him in horror as he brought the syringe to her neck, stabbing her.

''No! Touka!''

Both Shadows cried out in anguish as the girl screamed in pain and fear, but their pleas remained unanswered. Touka fell unconscious, being carried away by the security guard. Shadow managed to break out of the security guard's grip, focused on getting to Touka, only for a hand to grab him from behind, followed by a sharp sense of pain. Moments later, everything went black, and present Shadow found himself kneeling on the floor, his eyes wide in shock.

While he was overwhelmed by the sudden stream of information, what genuinely broke him was Touka's cries for help and the fear in her eyes, as well as the cruel way Sakamoto had treated both of them. He knew that they meant nothing to the man, that they were just experiments to him, but still, having a memory like this resurface left him shaking in terror.

''Do you understand now?'' Doom's Eye suddenly spoke. ''Those humans who created you, they will continue to pursue you until they can use you or until they destroy you. You already have experience with that, haven't you?''

''Shut up…'' Shadow growled, trying to get up. Doom's Eye was persistent, though.

''They don't care about you. Even if they have promised to leave you alone, it only takes one tragedy to go back to how things used to be. Do you really think they won't start blaming you for all of their shortcomings?'' the alien continued.

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

Shadow felt cold as another memory resurfaced, this one clear and familiar. It was the one that gave him nightmares for many nights, the one where Sakamoto unleashed an Irregular they kept captive so Shadow would fight him and, in his despair, absorb Touka's BioEnergy to defeat the Irregular. This was followed by more lies about how Shadow killed his sister – the only person he cared about.

Shadow's ears twitched as he could still hear the blaring alarms of the facility, indicating that an Irregular had broken out and was loose inside the building. Only, that Irregular was him, and he had left a bloody path of bodies behind him as he attacked every person in sight. He could hear the screams of anguish as the scientist fell at his hands, one by one. He didn't care whether they were alive or dead, all he wanted was for this pain to stop. All he wanted was for Touka to be avenged.

''Agrh!''

Shadow punched a nearby wall in fury, leaving a crack in it. His eyes were glowing red, and he could see the black mass forming around his arm. His mind was filled with anger and hatred, frustration and despair, fear and self-loathing. He hurt so many people, but all of those people hurt him. He never wanted to be created, but they forced his creation. Shadow fumed, suddenly turning his attention when he sensed a spike of Chaos Energy, following it, until he came to a familiar room.

There it was, lying inside the pod he once was trapped inside, the white Chaos Emerald he had been searching for. He took it, feeling its power, but at the same time, his senses were numb. His glowing crimson eyes were reflected in the Chaos Emerald, painting the white surface in a hue of blood.

He had hurt so many people, so many of which deserved to be hurt… He had the power to do it again, to make those who lied to him, who put him through so much torment, suffer just how he had suffered. Shadow closed his eyes, feeling a searing sensation spreading through his chest, forcing himself to ignore it.

When he opened his eyes, they were still glowing, but his mind was finally clear. He turned on his heel, focusing on his mission, on finding the Chaos Emeralds. Behind him, Doom's Eye laughed darkly, aware that Shadow's emotional turmoil would bring him one step closer to becoming a true champion of the Black Arms.

xXx

Dr. Eggman grumbled at the sight of the chaos depicted on his monitor. He was still at the Egg Base hidden within the Tamago Corporation, having taken all precautions to make sure the Black Arms wouldn't break inside, tapping on the desk as he looked down at the blue gem that appeared inside the building.

As much as he wanted to use the Chaos Emerald to conquer Neos City, he knew that the current situation didn't allow for such a brazen plan. What would he gain from conquering a city if it was already weakened by the Black Arms invasion? He shook his head, aware that he needed to first get rid off the Black Arms if he wanted to do anything, but the issue he encountered was that he had no way of causing destruction on such a massive scale, even if he used all of his resources. Suddenly, his glasses flashed as he looked up at the monitor, furrowing a brow.

''Maybe there is a way to destroy the Black Arms… But, that would include…'' He suddenly grinned in a devious manner. ''Hohoho, I guess I could take advantage of the current situation with the AR Fields. Black Doom- No, not even Team Neos has any idea what's coming!''