A Horrifying, Yet Miraculous, Absolution

Ch. 17

[×]

Gerald fixed the bow tie on his body before bending down and accomplished the same for Shadow's. "Would you mind tilting your head back? I'm sorry if this bothers you." He was careful to avoid touching the base of the child's neck-to-shoulder region and was relieved he did not seem to sadden the boy – well, any more than the afternoon had already placed. The bright red cloth [that Maria had chosen] around the 'Mobian's' throat was rather ridiculous and silly, but the little piece of fashion was meant to look as such. Refined. Gentle. Unassuming. Not at all dangerous or powerful.

It also hid holographic distortion machines that required so much precise Chaos Energy to function that the only way it could be so compact in the first place was the fact the child was feeding them as a battery.

The bandaged idea was not the best in isolation – those wings were visually hidden, not gone. "I'll try my upmost to keep you away from people, my boy."

There was a careful nod.

"I placed little dark brown marks on the wooden floor where you will have the best radius of movement without running into anything. It also includes a six-inch buffer zone in case something comes close to your backside that will make you have to move out of bounds."

A black ear flicked at the sound of Dr. Tower cursing in the next room. His red eyes remained on his creator, nonetheless. "I will be able to spot it, Professor."

"Good. Also, don't forget: the holograms cannot handle fast movement." His subordinates had spent the entire past three days to get those beta-tested items ready for Shadow's usage, but the boy only had minimal time to get to play with them and learn their limitations. The damn DNA farce took just too long for the machines to get the better care that they deserved. As it was, the quartet of researchers had to run and restart the main computer in the server room twice just this past week.

Gerald frowned internally. Even if Shadow had been able to pull in his wings without hurting himself, his own shadow still had them splayed wide and unmistakable on the floor. Seeing that would have been a supreme shock if not for the fact the child had doubled over and required immediate care. Sadly, if Robotnik had caught that image, there was no way no one at G.U.N.'s 'party' would miss it, either. Asking for the request was a mistake and learning about Shadow's shadow was not ultimately worth it. He should have just believed they were permanent. As it was, the holograms were not just for the surface area, but also to cover up the silhouette of places Shadow walked over.

"If… you think the machines are going up break, I'd rather have you teleport away than have your wings exposed." Gerald was worried that 'The Devil' confession from the old Commander Fortis would be something the new one would recognize. Or worse – be something she was specifically looking after. Showing off Shadow had teleportation was the better choice if he was forced to be in a position to choose one or the other. The Prototype was able to pull it off under extreme duress when fueled to the nines with Chaos Energy. In terms of devastation of losing secrets, well, there were worse things. [That was basically twice he told that to himself. Oh, boy. It was going to be a night.]

The door opened, and for a brief moment Gerald saw the other three researchers talk excitedly. The noise soon vanished when the barrier closed once again. His precious granddaughter was now in his room, looking like a sparkling jewel: a soft Celestine-colored gown with fine lace on the cuffs, her hair perfectly combed with a lily from the botanical gardens slipped into it, and black shined shoes with a little bit of platform suitable for girls. Dr. Eruba had helped immensely to make Maria very pretty for the dinner.

… A dinner that had everyone on Project: SHADOW invited was understandable. The fact the letter addressed to Gerald basically told him to bring Maria there or else was not. It gnawed his stomach when he got the piece of paper last night – clearly, G.U.N. had their own plans. Perhaps they wanted to pressure him more, aware that without "2.018" making a good impression, he was going to lose-

Gerald shook his head. He couldn't change that. Best to praise what he could. "You look very beautiful, Maria. Mind if I take a picture to send to your parents?"

The only thing wrong with her getup was actually her expression. It was quite sour, but she threw no temper tantrum. His granddaughter greatly disliked [had she grown enough to tragically understand hate now?] the fact she and Shadow were to be at the showcase in the first place, even though she understood why. "Not tonight. I'll dress up again, later."

"Of course. I understand."

Her shoes tapped-tapped on the flooring as she reached the boy. Her fingers rubbed the bow tie around his throat, which seemed to give her a small smile for a little while. "Looking good, Shadow."

The hedgehog gave the girl a crook of the mouth before he returned to a flat look. Most of the negativity he owned was hidden. Shadow truly had too much skill in locking his emotions behind an ice wall of 'go away' for his age. In fact, Gerald would argue the child was better at it than himself in certain scenarios.

"I'll be cheering you from the sidelines. If you ever feel like you're getting too pissed or angry or other such stuff, just look at me." Maria's fingers cupped the boy's chin and lifted it to give each other a shared connection. "I know you'll do the right thing."

The ears drooped. "I'll make you proud."

Gerald had a feeling Shadow was as apprehensive as the scientist was. "Alright, you two. I am afraid we need to get going. Dinner starts at 1800 Zulu and then the QnA at 1945."

'QnA…' Hah.

What a label.

[x]

Shadow was playing with his Inhibitor Rings around his wrists as the trio entered the small room towards the side where Dr. Guzman, Dr. Tower, and Dr. Yadev were still arguing. They were aware of the dangers brought upon by lying to G.U.N. and comprehended exactly what they had done – that wasn't the problem. Rather, the viscous cycle of discussion had to deal with 'bad results: the afterwards.' Devil's Advocates were whom they were playing as, with Dr. Tower claiming the part of the military.

Maria's friend's father had crossed arms and displayed a grave expression. "-I would demand immortality for my soldiers without hesitation and take 2.018 away from Dr. Robotnik the second I hear about it."

The female voice of Guzman countered. "It's impossible they'll just force us away from the Project! Without us, there's no way for the military to get data as your own non-Project: SHADOW researchers suck ass. I'll counter and say if you want immortality, you have to keep me in charge because we corrupted the genome. My ace in the hole is that the only complete copy that exists is one I own in my head."

Ah. She had been characterized as 'Gerald.'

That left Yadev as 'Shadow.' "The smart thing for me to do when put into this situation would be dependent on my viewpoint. If you," he pointed to Tower, "can manipulate me, then I'll be willing to let you use my blood for the pursuit of the Fountain of Youth. It would be easy because of my lack of social and political knowledge as I am a sheltered being. However, I have enough strength locked within me to terminate you if you came at me the wrong direction as you are a mere human and I the Ultimate Lifeform."

The three didn't know the Robotniks had entered their area, otherwise they would have stopped their theoretical talks. Gerald flinched and rubbed the bridge of his nose at Yadev's comment-

A deep voice interjected. "I suppose it's a good thing I do understand many aspects about the issues of the United Federations and it's military. Although, you wouldn't be wrong in that I could be manipulated if I had no memories of myself."

One could hear a pin drop.

The first one to react was his granddaughter; lily almost flew out of her hair. Cyan furrowed into the red streaks of quills as the boy had his face away from her. "We are so going to talk later tonight."

Silence was her answer.

Tower returned his state of awareness next. "Dr. Robotnik. Apologies. We were too caught up in the moment." The researcher's eyes never trailed away from the boy's – to be fair, none of the scientists' gaze did. It had been a long while since the two parties had seen each other.

Yet, that didn't make Shadow pause. Rather, the child looked at them with the sense of familiarity, which struck Gerald as odd. The boy had only met them once before falling back into the deep folds of his own uninhibited Chaos Energy – and he was basically drugged out of his mind when he was able to talk. There really shouldn't be so much clarity in the here and now…

His precious granddaughter took her hand into the hedgehog's and she tugged him, making sure to always keep the boy behind her. She was aware of how much space those hidden wings took the most out of everyone. Her movements were second nature. "I still don't like this, for the record."

Neither did her grandfather.

Slowly, the group left the side rooms and hallways. Went between the dead, preserved carcasses of PSULs past. Scurried around equipment stacked to the ceiling. Each step only made their shoes louder and louder, save one. Maria took another glance at Shadow's feet as Gerald held onto her hand on the opposite side of the boy: the strictly normal footwear still impossible to hear. The Air Shoes she had created with his spare experimental parts were wisely keep out of sight: the mere fact the boy used them would make others wonder how something with Chaos engines could work on a being that wasn't supposed to have much – if any – innate control.

"People will look at you enroute," Gerald gave one last warning. "Be aware. They should be professional enough to only look, however." This would be Shadow's first occurrence meeting and seeing so many humans at once; of running around the lit hallways of the ARK; of being able to explore the place of his creation for the first time. There was more to the station than just the observatory, floor seventeen, the lab, and the server room. The only good thing about finally admitting "2.018's" existence was that this would finally give the hedgehog the opportunities he hadn't yet claimed.

"Don't worry. Shadow's got this," Maria had confidently responded. Strangely, it lacked the cheerful giddiness the words would normally offer. Rather, they felt more like absolute knowledge…

[The gears in Gerald's mind added another cog.]

[x]

"It's cuter than I expected."

"Look at its coloring!"

"So small~"

"What's with its eyes?"

"A Mobian? Aren't robots cheaper?"

"That is supposed to a prototype?"

"Do you think it's as soft as it looks?"

"Doesn't appear like a weapon to me."

"Aww, it's close to Maria!"

"That thing glared at me?"

The whispers [and more overt sentences] filled each hallway as the core members of Project: SHADOW walked along from corridor to corridor past the hoard. The majority of the themes were repeated area after area, with the humans filled with an innate need to settle their curiosity. Dr. Gerald Robotnik had announced earlier that morning that if anyone wanted to see some early results of what they were working towards, all they had to do was come outside. The masses did show up, indeed. Each voice carried exactly what he wanted: the fact so many eyes saw "2.108" walk with no restraints or aggression.

However, that had not mean that the boy was calmed. The head scientist could feel the way Shadow's eyes watched every single item that moved within twenty feet of him. Maria was underneath a similar vein of struggling – gone was the genuine smile she flashed earlier. In its place was the uptick of her mouth in a position that… was fake. Her excited hand waving around to the onlookers? Fake. The way she spoke out, "Oh! His name is Shadow! He's a little shy, so please don't get too close!" "He's able to give the warmest hugs! Robots can't do that!" "Of course his fur is so soft! Like a fluffy blanket~!" "Silly! That's not his glare. That's just how a Mobian's face can rest at – I would know, my teacher gave me a lesson about the sentients on the earth!"

The words she spoke were real to herself. To the boy. To Gerald.

But the way she spoke it to the others?

All fake.

It hurt he knew the exact moment she learned that from him. Whether it was on purpose or her subconscious, Maria had assimilated a lesson from Gerald with a 100% stamped on the proverbial page.

A young girl's mouth was hidden behind a cupped hand as it went right next to Shadow's ear. Maria whispered something towards the boy that must have calmed him down [or forced him to] because the stern expression shifted back to neutral once more.

"-emeber. You are cute and not aggres-"

Ah. Gerald had enough context clues off that.

[x]

The chamber was used for ceremonies: enlisted celebrated a rank up for more pay and responsibility; contractors were recognized for their clandestine efforts of subjects that remained off the books; officers held events to others in bids to gain the upper hand in politics. Everything held here was underneath the canopy of the celestial diamonds that burned like overseers. The majority of the crowd below had a minimum of Lieutenant Colonel: silver maple leafs, silver eagles, and silver stars hung on various chests. More men than women due to sheer statistics, the hoard was easily segregated into the researchers and those whom were not. At the head, by the platform where Gerald had placed his markers, resided a singular table big enough to fit eight.

A label of The Robotniks & PSUL2.018 was in calligraphy that any lesser person would consider 'wedding' in style. Gerald understood what this whole affair was: it was designed to overwhelm the senses, to make one believe they were truly being honored; something as fake as Maria's smile that had only grown to a point where she had begun rubbing her own cheeks in pain. G.U.N.'s veil over his eyes could have – might have; probably would have – even worked if not for the children having had stabbed the thoughts of suspicion into him first.

Subtle movement in the background caught his gaze. Vast banners with G.U.N.'s red, white, and blue emblem hung gracefully behind the raised dais where the 'QnA' was to be had, moving slightly in the HVAC currents. That had not been there for the 'dress rehearsal' the scientist made for himself to warn Shadow and Maria, but it was not a surprise for the military to have them in the first place…

Dr. Guzman shuffled close to her boss. "Dr. Towers already checked. Just for show. Apparently, there was a major incident last night with one of the enemy nations that went a little hotter than expected. So G.U.N. is feeling antsy." At the end of her update, she returned back to her seat the table over.

That was not good news. At the same time, it gave a reminder to the scientist that despite the grief and stress and disappointment the military were giving him right now, with all the wars on the planet, it was G.U.N. that was keeping the United Federations safe enough for people's lives [his two Earthern sons] to continue in peace. The United Federations weren't throwing money at the ARK for armistice, but they weren't at least using them for world domination.

[The thought of them resurfaced. Gerald had already, on paper, traded away the planet for a chance to heal Maria. In what manner could he judge the military's desire for a new weapon to fight future foes – specifically, galactic warlords? Well, apparently enough. Shadow was his good s-! No one would claim him away, aside Maria!]

"Grandpa?"

Curses. He had gotten sidetracked. Not the time, nor the place. Carefully, he pushed back one of the fancy chairs for her. "Sorry."

A spare hand gave his own a tight squeeze. "You got this, too."

It should not have calmed him as much as it should have – where was Gerald's confidence in his planning skills? The self-assurance of his own genius? Emotionally drained, that was what. These feelings have been having a habit of overriding him recently…

A white glove with a golden band moved between the two humans towards a stool that Maria had given to Gerald [whom had given to Dr. Yadev whom had snuck it in here under the pretense that the style of chairs this room had were too uncomfortable for "2.018's" back]. With the two other Robotniks flanking his sides, and the raised platform in the background, they had created a 'zone of no trespassers.' If someone not of Project: SHADOW's in-the-know did arrive, the boy could turn around and have his wings move out of the way into Maria's and Gerald's personal spaces.

"I still don't like this," his granddaughter grumbled [once again… again] under her breath as she pulled up a piece of paper that had the Schedule of Events to hide behind. There was one by every sitting position. "They're looking at Shadow like vultures."

"That's an insult to the bird," the boy muttered too softly to be carried far as he made sure to keep his face stilled. Soon, he lifted his gems to gaze at everyone.

The same everyone that was staring right back.

There was a reason why the sound of the crowd was the loudest in the room only due to numbers and not volume from the individuals.

"Recall: you are cute," Maria stressed. "Adorable. Lovable. Remember what we practiced."

There was a deep sigh from within Shadow's chest. "I'm glad no one isn't here to see this…" The complaint made no sense. There was nothing but people.

And then… a smile – fake, just like his dear's – danced. It wasn't as 'brilliant' as the girl's. In fact, it was quite small and almost a smirk-

"Relax your eyebrows," Maria hissed.

"I'm trying."

"This is why you're not a drama actress like me, but that's okay as you are my action star instead," the nervous banter continued as Maria moved the schedule to cover the hedgehog's face to 'fix it.' "Still, you have to accomplish the Operation Don't Let Them Get Suspicious! And your glare is exactly that!"

"I'm fighting against… a long-established standard."

But the eyebrows rose. The smile almost stayed. Was it the nicest or most gentle face Gerald had seen on the boy? Goodness, no! But was it good enough to look polite to the growing sets of eyes upon them?

… The scientist hoped so.

The placard for 'Commander' sat across from the trio at the round table. Also in a fine cursive, out splayed her title and last name – incredibly short, considering. He had known the Major General was to be at here as well – because why wouldn't she? If the head of Project: SHADOW were to claim "2.018" was indeed not a rampaging [almost dead] lizard with no way to be 'controlled,' she was foolish enough to want to see "it" up close herself. Unlike the others, though, that woman was one of the few he couldn't deny such access.

Speaking of the military brass, just because Shadow was deemed 'harmless' didn't mean the individuals on the station were without protection. At the corners and walls of the room were many Security Forces individuals wearing their dress uniforms, but Gerald knew underneath the top coat were many guns only a second away from being aimed at one certain boy.

He hoped the child didn't know that.

… He begged the universe Maria didn't, either.

There was a sudden shift in the background as a military member bellowed out, "Attention!" At that, everyone stood – Gerald glad he remembered to tell his granddaughter about the military's tradition when that word was uttered. Those of civilian backgrounds didn't have to be in a certain pose, but he took note of how every G.U.N. individual had straightened their backs and placed arms straight towards the side. "Commander of the ARK, Major General Kirkendall!"

It seemed no one was going to 'pretend' that the ARK was not officially G.U.N. property. Not the people in this room.

There that maniac stood by the entrance. He would recall that damned grin anywhere. Gerald was very aware of where she stepped; whom she walked by. Each person she spoke with, on her way towards the table, he cataloged as something short of a threat to familial peace: there was the man in charge of long range weaponry; the woman in command of encryption departments; the man who controlled the enlisted who actually crunched the budgetary numbers; the military scientists that had done the bloody human experiments with Chaos Energy; the man in charge of the experimental robotics division. If it was anyone else, he would assume she was doing the normal meet and greet Commanders did on events. With her, the Robotnik's mind attempted to link them together.

He had to be – was, even – prepared in case 'QnA' was actually her attempt to do 'Show n Tell.'

Eventually, the woman waved someone away towards the table. The guest hidden behind her leg soon came into view – a short one. A Mobian. Dressed in simple, yet well built, garbs, the Prussian Blue hedgehog creature was very busy staring at Shadow-

[Who was this?]

"Well, that's not normal," the high-pitched male voice cut in, not bothered at the lack of introduction. "Tsk. Not a single speck of a pupil. So, this 'Lifeform' is… blind. Not very 'Ultimate,' is it?"

The boy understood sneering and sarcasm very well.

Gerald heard that disgust.

As for Maria, she was fighting a frown based on how her expression was desperately attempting to not collapse. Didn't mean she wasn't going to defend Shadow in a biting [oxymoronic], pleasant tone. "Salutations, sir. He's the most recent and successful prototype," the girl emphasized carefully as she pointed to the ebony mass.

The Mobian's glare narrowed. "With such a color scheme, it certainly is an artificial construct."

His granddaughter was quick. "He's just cuter this way."

"Cute? You, small human, are unquestionably blind, too. Those are clearly markings of poison or venom or danger. All three?"

Gerald cut into this… whatever this was and placed his left hand upon Shadow's topmost quill. "Sir, I can assure you that 2.018 doesn't spit acids or toxins. Don't be ridiculous."

There was a twitch of floppy ears as aged, mean eyes changed target. "Ah. You're the insane Professor Robotnik playing God. That taller female pack leader told me about you."

Gerald ignored that jab as context clues floated past. The results were… disliked, but no surprise. Like the two children, he ensured to remain cordial even though he was certain his spectacles were hiding much. "I am Professor Gerald Robotnik, indeed. You must be a geneticist from the southern hemisphere, I gather?"

The hedgehog waved his hand. "Yes; yes. I'm only here to look, listen, describe, and then forget everything I saw to get my family out of that war torn hellhole. You know the drill, I assume?"

A family man driven for protection. You want me to connect with this person, General. "Perhaps." A Mobian here, on the ARK where humans lived, could only mean that Shadow's fake DNA was to get analyzed because G.U.N. was suspicious. Good. Let the intruder try.

"Well, I'll be going. Keep that fake thing to itself." With that, feet scurried away and left the table.

Maria folded her hands closer to the boy and fluffed up a few side quills. "He just doesn't know you, Shadow. Don't get sad."

A scoff. "Sad? He's a moron. It's not worth spending my time worrying about what he thinks." The boy shook his head. "A proper scientist would have a vastly more creative word choice for an insult, too."

Was… Shadow upset at being called 'fake?'

Maria caught sight of the top part of the General's bun shifting closer. Because she was so short, the girl probably was only catching the movement just now. "I think this is An Important Person coming up. Remember to smile!" his granddaughter pulled at a tan muzzle.

There was a 'hmph,' but the face had reset again nevertheless.

The calm returned before the next visitor – a little more permanent than the Mobian – slipped by. Platinum blonde hair carefully manicured; blue dress uniform perfectly adorned with organized medals and ribbons; the words 'Kirkendall' in a dark blue tag above her left bosom; pale hands opening in a greeting at…

His granddaughter?

Who had lost her smile and was now confused herself?

"In the middle of a divorce, but legality is legality," the woman added while she fixed her seat and tapped the name tag. Those green eyes flicked to Gerald, ignoring how Maria seemed to go pale and quiet. Her hand reached out to a cup filled with water and she sipped it, which only made the young girl's silence more apparent. "Good evening, Professor." A gaze floated towards "2.018." Something played in the corners of her mouth. "Why, isn't it adorable? Having two children by your legs certainly must be tiring with all the chaos they can bring, correct, Doctor?"