The Miracle of Love
Chapter 5: Sadistic Choices
DISCLAIMER: This fan fiction contains instances of profanity, extreme violence, nightmare-inducing imagery, and sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.
All characters and settings are property of SEGA and Sonic Team.
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NOVEMBER 16, 2015
7:15 PM - CRYPTIC CASTLE
It seemed like they were in a sci-fi horror flick with Arnold Schwarzenegger. This seemed too unbelievable for them. Yet here they were: Amy Rose and Charmy Bee, carrying a barely conscious Shadow the Hedgehog through the halls of Dr. Eggman's castle. They thought Shadow was nigh invincible, that he was able to take down anyone. That was until the mad doctor sent a surprise: six Shadow Androids which replicated the Ultimate Life Form in every way, and were more powerful than him. They all completely destroyed him. Only Amy's quick thinking allowed them to escape. But if it was anything like that sci-fi flick, they would be back. They would not stop until Shadow was dead. Amy and Charmy had to find a good place for him to rest his wounds before those machines could find them.
Amy looked at the end of the hallway. It was a dead end, nothing but vases and sideboards against the wall. It looked like they were stuck, unable to continue. ``There's no escape, my pretties. My Shadow Androids will find you very soon, and you won't be able to get away!'' laughed Eggman. But Amy refused to accept that. She looked around for something, anything, that would resemble a trap door or a way out. Charmy flew over to feel the walls. He had to think there was some secret passage as well. As he placed his hand on a stone, he saw a part of the wall slide open. He motioned for Amy to head inside. The two took Shadow inside, then closed the stone door behind them. Inside there was a room that seemed dimly lit. There was a heart-shaped mirror, a nightstand, and a love seat amongst the major noticeable features of the room. Amy wondered what it was all for but shook those thoughts off. She didn't even want to entertain what sick fantasies the doctor had.
Amy quietly and hastily laid Shadow on the sofa, being careful not to harm him. It was then that he began to stir in pain. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Amy and Charmy looking over him, concerned. Amy breathed a sigh of relief when he woke up. ``A... Amy...? Charmy...?'' he whispered, trying to sit up. ``Don't try to move, Shadow... you took a hell of a beating. Just rest, please.'' She said in a comforting tone. Shadow coughed, looking down. He was in deep shit. Scars and wounds covered his whole body, blood was pouring out of every one of them. Perhaps he should be thankful that he was the Ultimate Life Form. Any other man or Mobian would have been dead by now. ``Where... am I...?'' he asked.
``Think we're in a hidden porn studio. It was the only place we could find to hide it out.'' Said Charmy. Shadow chuckled, looking at his partner. ``Glad you're okay...'' he said. ``Shadow... you called me your brother. I heard you, but... did ya mean it?'' asked the little bee. ``Every damn word of it...'' said Shadow, weakly. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. The injuries were getting worse. ``FUCK!'' he yelled. Amy was getting more worried. If they didn't find a way to fix up Shadow quick, he would die. She looked around the room for anything resembling a medical kit. There was nothing useful. She punched a wall in frustration. This had to be the worst week of her life. First Sonic rejects her feelings, then she loses sight of Cream, and now Shadow is going to die. ``WHY?! Why is this happening to me?!'' she screamed in despair.
``You are taking too long, Shadow.'' An ominous voice loomed over the room. Amy looked over and freaked as the transparent image of Black Doom floated from beneath the floor. He looked even more intimidating and horrifying than she imagined. The alien warlord looked displeased at Shadow's condition. He had been keeping watch at his progress, even witnessing the fight with the Shadow Androids. His agent looked pathetic. ``Hmph. How disappointing. To be left in this state by a group of cheap knock-offs, for the sake of these worthless Earthlings. You have lost your edge, Shadow.'' He said. ``Hey, Shad was ambushed! He was fighting to his best, and I didn't see your ass anywhere trying to save him!'' snapped Charmy. Amy was too afraid to speak. The terror this Black Doom gave off was too much for her to even whisper a sentence. ``I told him that this mission is one he must do on his own. Shadow, you have passed at least two unlit lanterns. Get back up and find them!'' ordered the Black Arms leader. Shadow tried sitting up, groaning in pain.
``In case ya haven't noticed, Shad's been fucked up all over! He's in no condition to be doing anything, not even for you, Doomy!'' Charmy said. Black Doom had hoped the bee would stop being such an annoyance to him. Clearly that was not happening. ``Is he still breathing?'' he asked. ``No thanks to you, Darkseid Phil!'' shouted Charmy. ``Then he is still capable of the task I gave him. So long as he still draws breath, he is still of use to our cause.'' Said Black Doom, with extreme apathy. Charmy gritted his teeth. There was zero reasoning with this tyrant. He really didn't care about what happened to Shadow, or even if he died. When Doom said this, Amy darted her head up and glared at the alien.
All the fear she had for Black Doom was replaced with anger and rage. It was bad enough that Doctor Eggman and Professor Gerald had used Shadow as a tool for their own goals, but now this extraterrestrial bastard was doing the same. It infuriated her. Shadow was more than just a tool for revenge or conquest, but only she and Charmy saw that. Amy stepped forward and looked at the three-eyed dictator. ``Who the fuck do you think you are?!'' she exclaimed. Doom turned to look at the pink hedgehog. ``Do you have an issue, sow?'' he asked, condescendingly. ``You're damn right I do, asshole! Shadow isn't your tool to use for destruction! He's a hero! A person with feelings, just like the rest of us! He's not in any shape to help you, but you don't give a shit! You wanna exhaust him until he can't even stand anymore for your own fucked up ambition!'' she screamed. Charmy ducked behind the sofa. He was aware of how deadly an angry Amy was. Shadow looked at her almost in surprise. He didn't realize she cared about him so much, even knowing she was with Sonic.
Black Doom's expression did not change. In fact, he seemed amused by the girl's vigor. ``You are quite the nosy interloper, yet intriguing. Blinded by such rage over a being you know nothing about. Strange, yet amusing as well.'' He chuckled, ``However, your bravado will not deter us. The Black Arms will have this planet, and Shadow will obey us. Or the ramifications of his disobedience shall be severe! Shadow, you have until the end of the night to complete your assignment. There will be hell to pay if you fail!'' Black Doom descended into the ground, just as Amy tried bringing her hammer down onto the clear image of him. ``UGH! Bastard! Shadow's not in any condition to help the likes of him!'' she yelled. ``Got... no choice...'' said Shadow, trying to stand.
Amy rushed up to him and shoved him back on the love seat. ``You aren't going anywhere! I don't give a shit who that guy is, he isn't your boss! And you aren't his pet!'' she said, ``Charmy, you go look around the castle. There has to be some kind of first aid kit around somewhere. Soon as you find one, get back here. I'll look after Shadow.'' Charmy looked a little unsure. He wanted to help Shadow, no doubt, but there was another problem they were already dealing with. ``What about Cream? We can't just forget she's in this hellhole somewhere!'' he argued. ``I didn't say we were, but she isn't dying of gun wounds right now!'' Amy replied. ``And what if she is?! She could be scared shitless right now! What, with those Black Arms and Androids running around!'' Charmy said. ``Look, I'm worried about her too, but we need Shadow alive and well if we're gonna have any hope of seeing her again!'' said Amy.
Charmy wanted to argue, but he knew she was right. Shadow was his best bet at seeing Cream again. Besides, he had been having so much fun spending time with the black hedgehog, he couldn't process a thought that he could die at any given moment. Charmy was not letting his friend; nay, his brother die on him like this. ``I promise that I'll be right back.'' Said Charmy and began to fly off. ``Charmy...'' said Shadow, ``If you see her... get her out of here. I'll be fine... I promise.'' Amy slapped him across the face. ``DON'T YOU DARE SAY THINGS LIKE THAT, SHADOW! Charmy, if anything happens to him... this will be on your hands!'' she said, breaking down. Charmy frowned and carefully exited the room, flying off to find something to save Shadow.
``You should go. No point in... letting you get hurt. Not over me...'' said Shadow. Amy looked to him, sadness in her eyes as tears started swelling. ``Don't say that, Shadow! I'm not leaving you! I have lost enough this past week, I am not losing you!'' she said, trying her best to fight back the tears. ``Why... do you care? Don't you have... him?'' he asked, weakly. Amy knew exactly who Shadow meant and looked hurt. It was as if Dark Cupid shot a giant arrow right through her heart. She was trying her best to not let her talk with Sonic get to her, or even talk about it. But each passing day, it was becoming more and more difficult to keep it bottled up. It needed to burst at some point. ``Me and Sonic... we never...'' she began to say but stopped herself. Shadow looked at her, curious. ``You never what?'' he asked. She looked away. ``We... never were... in love. I wanted us to be. I really did. But Sonic... he...'' she said.
Shadow saw tears forming in her eyes. With the strength he had and despite the pain, he wiped the tears off. Amy looked right at him, seeing him hold his ribs. ``No tears, please. They ruin your look.'' He said with a smile. Amy was stunned. Shadow had been treating her more like a queen than Sonic ever had. It warmed her heart to nuclear levels. She tried holding back tears, but couldn't and buried her face into him. ``Shadow, please! Don't leave us! We need you here... we love you! You were a hero. You... are our hero!'' she cried. Shadow comforted her, coughing a bit. But her words echoed in his head. Voices from his memories were beginning to overtake him. He was remembering again, the kindness of the girl in red.
``Amy... Maria... now I remember...''
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Everything had gone according to plan.
Shadow the Hedgehog smirked as he looked out from the window of the lab he spent his days, his purpose twenty minutes from being completed. Professor Gerald's plan for revenge, fifty years in the making, was close to fruition. The Space Colony ARK would impact the planet Earth and destroy it, wiping out all the humans and Earthlings that took Maria and the others away from him. Shadow used that fool Dr. Eggman and that whore Rouge to gather the Chaos Emeralds for him, under the belief they would use the Eclipse Cannon to conquer the planet. Even that faker Sonic the Hedgehog couldn't halt his plans. They merely delayed the inevitable. His promise to Maria - promise of revenge - would finally be fulfilled.
As he watched as the colony grew every closer to the planet, he looked at the reflections in the glass. There he saw the girl, Amy Rose, running behind him. He had almost forgotten his vow to make her his bride. Today got even better. ``Come to see the Earth one last time, Rose?'' he asked, with a smirk on his face. ``No thanks, I had my chance earlier. Shadow, we need your help! Please help us stop the Chaos Emeralds!'' she pleaded. His smile faded and turned to a frown. The Ultimate Life Form still refused to face her, crossing his arms. ``Hmph. Why should I? Everything has gone according to plan. Nothing can stop me and the professor now. Besides, these humans don't value life. There's no real reason to save them...'' he said. ``But there has to be! I know how much Maria meant to you, but revenge isn't going to bring her back! This isn't what she would have wanted!'' she argued. ``Hmph. Why are the most beautiful always the most naive?'' he said.
``Look... I know that there are lots of bad people on this planet. People that are selfish, arrogant, greedy, and fight over the most trivial things. The Professor was right about that...'' she began, ``But... for all the bad people in this world, there's also a lot of good. There are people that are trying their hardest to make the world a better place. And all of them, whether they're good or bad, has a chance to make a change for this world. They all deserve to live to their fullest and have a happier life. No one should have the right to take that away from them! Please... I beg of you! If not for me, then for Maria!''
As her words began to echo, Shadow's eyes widened. He remembered being trapped in the pod that Maria released down. He could recall it fully now. The fake memories that Gerald implanted were dissipating, and the truth was coming out. Maria's true final words: `Shadow, I beg of you. Please hear me... for all the people that live on that planet, grant their one wish. Give them a chance to be happy. Let them live on and fulfill their dreams. That was why you were created. It was to bring life and happiness to everyone. Never forget that... Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog...'
It finally became clear to him. Her wish wasn't of revenge, it was of happiness. ``That's right... I promised her, to make everyone on this planet happy. To protect the planet and its people... it's what she wanted all along. I'm a fool.'' He whispered, shedding a single tear in regret. Amy reached out to him in concern. She saw him suffering, as if he was unhappy. ``Shadow...?'' she asked. But Shadow shook his head and looked at her. ``I have to go. I must keep my promise! To Maria... and you!'' he told her, then ran off. ``Promise? Shadow, wait!'' she said. But Shadow wouldn't. He ran as fast as his legs could take him. He had to correct his mistake and fulfill Maria's true wish... and keep his own promise to Amy.
``I promise you, Amy... That I....''
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7:25 PM - CRYPTIC CASTLE
Charmy flew from hallway to hallway. It was a race against time to find any kind of first aid before Shadow succumbed to his injuries. Much easier said than done. He flew high and low, he ran left and right. He zig-zagged, rotated, spiraled around the whole castle, but found nothing. He should have expected much. Dr. Eggman, though far from the sociopathic jackasses like Black Doom and Metal Sonic, always put his robots first and human lives second. Worse still, he still hadn't found any sight of Cream. Now he was afraid of what might have happened. Then he noticed something on the ground and picked it up. It was the NiGHTS plush he gave Cream earlier. She had to have been close now. Just then, he heard some snarls from nearby and went to investigate. He saw a wounded Black Warrior surrounded by two more. The warrior had lost a leg and was bleeding out. Charmy thought he could easily get the jump on them and kill the wounded one. He'd have to be sneaky though.
Then, Charmy saw one of them pull out a big capsule-like machine, with a blue core in the middle of it. The minute it threw the capsule onto its fallen comrade, the capsule broke, unleashing a blight light that surrounded the wounded Black Warrior. In mere seconds, the wounds were healed up and its leg was regenerated. Charmy couldn't believe his eyes. He hid as the three left. The little bee began to think if there was any other of those large capsules. If he could find at least one, maybe he could use it to heal up Shadow. He emerged from hiding and started looking around, feeling the walls up for any secret room.
As he looked around, he noticed a trail of blood. Now was the time to put his junior detective skills to the ultimate test. He followed the blood trail through the hall until he came to a place in the wall. He noticed there was a crack in the wall, looking weak enough to break with something. ``Someone has to be here.'' He said to himself. Charmy looked around for something to break the wall. He found a large dynamite pack and picked it up. It weighed a lot, but Charmy was able to barely lift and chuck it at the wall, causing it blow up. When the debris and dust cleared, there he saw her. The beige rabbit of his dreams, holding Cheese close to her. ``Cream! You're okay!'' he said, running to her in relief.
``Charmy? You saved me? Wh... where are the others?'' asked a scared Cream. ``We'll talk later. We gotta get the hell outta here before those aliens or androids find us!'' he said and grabbed her hand as he ran off. Cream was surprised at Charmy's sudden change in demeanor. He had always been a rather cheery and carefree soul that never let anything get to him. This was different. He was focused and a bit aggressive, running with her as fast as their legs could take them. At the end of a hallway they came to a fork with a few windows in front of them. Charmy knew his one option: he couldn't prolong a possible chase and get lost. He needed to get Cream out of this hellish castle as soon as possible.
``Look, it's Shadow?s sidekick!'' shouted a voice to their left. The two turned to their left and saw Topaz and a few GUN troops, weapons drawn, with the healing canister from before. Charmy gave a shocked look. He was so happy to see Cream, he had completely forgotten about Shadow. The canister could heal his wounds, however he knew GUN had gone past a point of no return. They were more than willing to kill anyone directly aligned with the Ultimate Life Form, even the kids. Charmy had to make a tough choice. He looked at Cream, who looked worried. ``Cream, take cover! I?ll be right back!'' he said, flying over to Topaz?s squad. ``Charmy, no! It's too dangerous!'' she yelled. But Charmy did not stop. ``Shoot at the legs or wings. Wound, but do not kill!'' Topaz commanded her troops. The soldiers opened fire, aiming for the wings.
Charmy frowned in determination, flying over and through the gunshots. He dove down and bicycle kicked a soldier to knock him down, then stung another through the heart. The last two of Topaz's squad pointed their guns right at his head, hoping to scare him. Charmy instead kicked the weapons out if their hands and uppercut them into the ceiling. Getting desperate, Topaz pulled out a combat knife and swung at his wings from behind. The kid detective did a one eighty turn and hit a spinkick, sending her into a wall. Then he charged at her and held his stinger to her neck. ``Close shave, eh corporal?'' he said, then flew over to the canister. Charmy picked it up, it was very heavy. Looking on the over, he noticed small print describing it as a ?Heal Unit?, with a small disclaimer reading 'Property of Gerald E. Robotnik'. Now he knew for sure that it could help Shadow. But part of him was getting worried at his new problem. The weight of this thing would make it impossible to carry it and Cream at once. He seemed to be in a jam.
Just then, he heard a scream from around the corner. Charmy and Topaz ran over and saw Cream & Cheese being restrained by Gareth, Ignis, and Scourge. Charmy's fears came to fruition. While he was busy beating up Topaz's squad from the front, the Shadow Androids snuck from behind and took Cream. They looked ready to take her away. Topaz pointed her handgun at the androids. She knew she couldn't shoot without potentially harming Cream or Cheese, and Charmy didn't have anything to help at present. ``I normally do not harm children, but resist and the girl will pay.'' Said Gareth. ``She will make a good addition to the empire...'' said Scourge. Charmy glared at them, ready to act. But then he remembered the Heal Unit he was holding. His tough choice from before was pretty easy. Now he was in a jam.
The only thing Charmy knew that could save Shadow was in his hands. GUN was down and Topaz immobilized. He could just make a run for it, bring the device over to Shadow, and he would be safe and alive. But if he did, Cream would escape him. These androids were brutal towards Shadow, Chaos knows what they could do to her. Her safety and love was important to him above all. He loved Cream with all his heart. If anything happened to her, Charmy wouldn't know how to live with himself.
But on the other side of the spectrum, he could drop the Heal Unit, giving it to the androids or GUN. Then, he would fly up, grab Cream, and leave this park in the dust. She would be safe, and he would be her hero. Charmy would finally get the girl of his dreams. But if he did that, he would be abandoning Shadow and Amy. Shadow would die of his wounds and he would be at blame. GUN was a non-option, they want him dead. He respected and loved the Ultimate Life Form too much to see him dead. Charmy recalled what Amy told him: 'If anything happens to him... it will be on your hands!' He could not bare with that. Not after the short but amazing adventures the two had.
It was a sadistic choice for someone so young to make: save Cream but lose Shadow, or save Shadow but lose Cream. There was no winning here. Even if he did save her, she and Amy would probably hate him for leaving Shadow for dead just for the sake of his feelings. That's when it hit him. He wasn't just putting Cream above Shadow; he was putting his own desires first. He now felt even more of an idiot. The brief time he spent with Shadow was the best times of his life. That black hedgehog called him his brother; he never had anyone treat him like family to such a degree before in his life. Charmy didn't want to let go of that, not for anything. He took one last look at Cream, who was scared for her life, as if pleading to save her. Cheese looked unhappy with Charmy for some reason, as if he knew the choice the young one was going to make. Charmy looked at the Heal Unit and sighed. ``Cream... I'm sorry...'' he said.
In a moment's time, he gripped the Heal Unit, lifted it over his head, and ran the opposite way. ``What the?! You thieving little shit!'' yelled Topaz. ``Charmy, where are you going?!'' Cream exclaimed. Charmy looked over his shoulder, back to Cream one last time. ``Shadow needs my help Cream. I can't just let him die, not even for you! But I will be back to rescue you, I promise!'' he yelled and ran off, going in the direction he went. Ignis pointed his launcher at Charmy, willing to shoot the kid, but Gareth stopped him. ``Let him go, brother. He can do nothing to us, and he will be too late to save his friends.'' He said, ``And you, Corporal, would be wise not to get in our way. You are hardly worth the effort anyway. Now... it is time our new sister is initiated...'' The Androids grabbed Cream and dragged her away, as both she and Topaz are stunned by what had just transpired.
Topaz grabbed her radio in anger and pushed the button. ``Sonic, do you read me? You are not going to believe what just happened...''
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7:35 PM - CRYPTIC CASTLE - SECRET ROOM
``You remember now?'' Amy asked a dying Shadow.
It had taken her a good five minutes for her to process what Shadow had said. It took another ten just to explain everything to her. He now remembered everything from when he was found on Prison Island to the moment that he talked with Amy. The fights with Sonic, the atrocities he committed with Eggman, being controlled by his late deluded creator. All of it. Before that, however, he only recalled small instances of his time spent with Maria. But that was it. Yet all of that was more than enough to know how foolish he was, but how he intended to make things right. ``Yes. I promised Maria... to make everyone happy... you helped me... remember that, Amy...'' he replied, smiling at his beloved. Amy thought it was the sweetest smile from the edgiest of hedgehogs. It felt more sincere and loving than Sonic's smiles.
``So, you remember your promise to me? You never told me what it was...'' she asked. Shadow looked down, as if hiding something from her. ``I do. But... you'd laugh or hate me...'' he said, coughing at the end of his sentence. Amy was on edge now. If Charmy didn't come back sooner, then Shadow wasn't going to make it. `He better not have ditched us to get tail. I love Cream too, but Shadow is counting on him...' she thought, then turned to Shadow. ``I can't laugh like this. It's eating at me, for some reason. Please, Shadow. Just tell me and I won't think less of you.'' She told him. Shadow sighed. He thought maybe he ought to tell her. ``I promised... that I would...''
``AMY! Where are you?!''
Amy and Shadow recognized the voice outside. It was Sonic. Amy was reluctant to answer. Not only because of the last time they saw each other, but it could have been another trap from Eggman. If they fell for it again, it would be over for them both. Shadow was barely holding on and Amy could only do so much, even with a hammer as strong as hers. ``Sonic... he wants to finish it.'' Shadow said, trying to stand up. ``Shadow, please! You need to rest! Don't strain yourself anymore!'' Amy pleaded. ``I'll be fine... ACK!!'' Shadow collapsed to his knees, blood pouring out. He was on his last breaths. Amy didn't want to see him die. Her heart was aching seeing him like this. ``Shadow... I promise I will be right back.'' She said, with determination in her voice. She pulled out her hammer and began to step out, looking back at Shadow with sincere concern. ``Don't you dare die on me...'' she said as she left. The only consolation to seeing her leave was a good shot at her rear. ``Nice ass....'' He said to no one in particular.
Amy slowly slid the door back in and surveyed her surroundings, looking left and right at every turn. She needed to make sure it wasn't a false alarm and Sonic was really outside. She saw nothing, at least at first. Just then, she looked forward and saw a blue light moving towards her. Now she knew it wasn't a trick. Or was it? ``Ames! Long time, no see! Glad I found ya!'' said Sonic, as he ran to her, ``Got the hammer ready for me? Was wondering how long it took to miss me.'' Yep, it was definitely Sonic. She recognized the attitude and cocky grin anywhere. Amy sighed and put her hammer away. ``Funny, I think it should be you that's missing me. Seeing as how you conveniently start looking for me the minute I start thinking of other men.'' She said. ``Amy, are you trying to guilt me again? I thought I made it clear. I'm not interested in you, so you can quit the sexual tension. It ain't working.'' Said Sonic. ``I didn't expect you to. But I find it odd you're the one running to me this time.'' She quipped. ``Hey, we may not be lovebirds, but I still think you my friend.''
``Oh sure I am. That's why you haven't talked to me in a week... wait, why am I having this conversation with you right now?! What do you need?'' she asked bitterly. ``I need to find Shadow. He may be amnesiac, but he's also pretty dangerous, now that he's siding with the Black Arms. Has he done anything to you?'' he asked. ``Only saved my life and made me realize how much of an ass you are!'' she replied. Sonic rolled his eyes. He was not going to like where this was headed. ``Look, whatever he said isn't true. Do you know where he went?'' he asked. ``What are you going to do to him?'' she asked, concern in her voice. ``Relax, I?m not gonna hurt him. Like I said, he's lost his memory. I just wanna talk to him, get him to surrender to GUN, and maybe he can help take ou - ''
``I'm gonna have to stop you right there!'' she snapped. Amy should have guessed GUN put her ex crush up to this. ``I'm not even giving those fuckers my Halloween candy, let alone Shadow, who can't fucking defend himself!'' she exclaimed. Sonic was taken aback. He had seen her angry before, but not to this extent. Not only that, but how she described Shadow's condition. ``Ames, he has like twenty guns. What do you mean he can't defend himself?'' he asked. ``Eggman's made six Shadow Androids from his data. They completely overpowered him, he?s barely hanging in there!'' She explained. ``Say no more. I?ll let Topaz know and get some docs to check on him.'' Sonic said. ``No, Sonic! Don't call them! GUN?ll just kill him the second they see him!'' said Amy. ``You're overreacting, Ames. They aren't gonna kill him just cuz he?s with the Black Arms.'' Said Sonic. ``YES THEY WILL, BECAUSE THEY TRIED TO!!'' Amy yelled. ``You don't know that, Amy.'' Argued Sonic. ``I SAW THEM TRY SHOOTING HIM, AND ME, CREAM, AND CHARMY TOO!!''
Sonic was stunned at what his once crazed admirer just told him. He thought he misheard Amy for a bit. No, he prayed he did. ``They... they what...?'' he asked, quietly. Amy nodded sadly. ``The first GUN squad that came to the park fired a warning shot at Charmy, and ordered Shadow to stand against Eggman's tent, or they would start shooting... with me and Cream still nearby!'' she explained, ``Then Topaz's squad tried shooting Shadow, and we're going to arrest me. At least that's what she said. I doubt they actually were gonna do that. GUN pulled all those troops out of Westopolis to devote most of their resources to tracking down and murdering Shadow!'' Sonic could see her voice cracking, her face swelling up. She was clearly distraught and upset by all this. Amy Rose was many things to him: delusional, hopeless romantic, bratty, persistent. Among other words he dared not utter in public. But he knew liar was not one of them. He couldn't believe what he heard. GUN?s activities had always been sketchy, but this was downright scandalous.
``Sonic, come in! Sonic, do you read me?'' Topaz's voice on the radio snapped him out of his thoughts. Amy looked in shock when Sonic pulled out a radio and answered. ``I'm here, Topaz! What's up?'' he asked. ``You are not going to believe what just happened... Charmy stole one of our Heal Units and abandoned Cream the Rabbit!'' she announced. ``WHAT?! He ditched Cream?! Wait, where is she?'' Sonic asked, incredulously. ``Dr. Eggman's robots captured her. Charmy instead grabbed a Heal Unit and ran off! He's going to use it to heal Shadow, who's apparently on death's door!'' she explained. Amy?s reaction was both relief and horror. On one hand, she's glad Charmy didn't abandon them like she feared he would. On the other, he effectively ditched Cream and left her at the mad scientist?s mercy. However, she wasn't there for the full context, so she can't be angry or judge him too much.
Sonic, however, was totally furious. That punk spending so much time with Shadow had been brainwashed to do everything he needs and ignoring everyone else. Shadow was someone he didn't wish death on, but he thought something worse now. Speaking of which, Amy looked over Sonic's shoulder and saw Charmy running behind Sonic, holding the Heal Unit. Sonic turned around and saw Charmy. Clenching his radio tight in anger, he looked just about ready to tear the youngster apart. And he did. ``You left Cream behind?!'' he exclaimed at Charmy. The little bee did not look happy to be having this talk. ``I didn't want to, but there was only enough time to take one! I had to choose, Sonic!'' he argued. ``And you chose Shadow?! Listen, I don't want him dead either, but he's basically the edgiest example of bad influence!'' argued Sonic. ``That's what it's about? Shadow's a perfect influence! He?s super cool and awesome, but he's more than that! But you wanna ignore all the good he's done?!'' said Charmy.
``What he's done is irrelevant! He used you to ditch Cream so you could suck his dick!'' said Sonic. Now Amy was ready to raise her hammer. That was low on Sonic's part. ``NO THE FUCK HE DIDN'T!!'' yelled Charmy, on the verge of tears. ``Why else would he send you to get that thing?'' asked Sonic. ``Shadow didn't send him, Sonic! I did! And neither of us were there, so you?re in no position to judge!'' said Amy. Sonic was still a bit skeptical, still not forgetting his state. ``Even so, don't tell me he didn't at least want to be saved.'' He said. ``HE DIDN'T, SONIC!! HE WANTED ME TO DITCH HIM AND SAVE CREAM!!!!'' screamed Charmy at the top of his lungs.
Sonic stopped himself when Charmy yelled that out to him. The young bee looked down, very upset, and tears forming in his eyes. ``He wanted me... to leave him. To rescue Cream... leave this place... and be happy. So I tried. But...'' he said, the tears falling down his cheeks, ``I remembered the good times we had today and yesterday. The way he put up with me... how he opened up... the fun we had. He... he called me...'' Charmy's tears streamed down and onto the floor. His voice was cracking as he broke down. ``He called me his brother, Sonic! HIS BROTHER! NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN THAT CLOSE TO CALL ME FAMILY!! I COULD NEVER LEAVE BEHIND SOMEONE LIKE THAT, NOT EVEN FOR MY OWN HAPPINESS! WHEN THE ANDROIDS GRABBED CREAM, I HAD TO MAKE A HARD CHOICE. IT WAS EITHER LEAVE SHADOW OR CREAM! I COULDN'T SAVE BOTH AT ONCE, AND I COULD NEVER LEAVE SHADOW AND LIVE TO FORGIVE MYSELF!!!''
Sonic and Amy looked at the little bee, tears flowing down like a river. The ground where he was standing had become a puddle. Amy could truly sympathize with him. There was little room for him to choose, and she thought he did the right thing. Before then, she would trade anything for her former beloved, but days have passed since then. Now she realizes she was being selfish and inconsiderate to others, putting her goals over everything else. Sonic looked at Charmy with sadness. Now that he knew both sides of the story, he felt like a dick for yelling at Charmy. He would do the same thing if he were in his shoes. But he also felt angry, particularly at GUN for fooling him into nearly killing Shadow. He trusted his friends words over the military?s any day.
``Alright, guys... You got me. I can't forgive him, but I won't let him die. Hell, if you can get him to turn over a new leaf, we may need him to end this invasion.'' Sonic sighed, smiling sympathetically, ``I just hope you don't end up regretting this...'' On that note, Sonic ran off in the distance, hoping to confront GUN, leaving Charmy to dry his tears and Amy to collect her thoughts. The hedgehog opened the secret door, Shadow laying there nearly emotionless. Charmy didn't bother to let his tears dry. With all the strength and will he could muster, he threw the Heal Unit at Shadow. At first, I didn't look like it did anything. But the blue light that enveloped the Ultimate Life Form made Shadow feel well. The blood was cleaned up, his wounds closed up, bruises disappeared, and Shadow could feel his strength returning to him. Slowly, he began to stand up, stumbling a bit and crashing right on top of Amy.
``M-my apologies, Amy.'' He said, blushing. ``Are you okay?'' Amy returned his gaze and blush. ``I should be asking you that, Shadow... You scared me.'' She replied. ``Just a bit dizzy, but I?ll manage. Thanks to you and Charmy.'' He said. After a moment, Shadow took her hand and lifted them both back up. But Amy wished it could last forever. She hated to admit it, but she was falling in love with the brooding savior. Shadow turned to see Charmy smiling, wiping the tears from his face. ``I heard what you did, Charmy. You shouldn't have had to be put in a position that you had to make such a difficult decision. That's why I told you to take Cream and run.'' He said to his surrogate brother. ``I couldn't leave you, Shad. You're family now, remember?'' Charmy replied, with a sad smile. Shadow grinned and chuckled. ``Yeah. We are. But now, we need to put the reunion on hold. We have some droids to fuck, and a bunny to pluck!'' he smirked.
Amy was happy, but now got concerned. They barely managed against the Shadow Androids at full power last time. She wondered if they even had the strength to stop them at this point. ``Can we really afford to try? We barely escaped with our lives last time against those six!'' she said. Shadow looked at her and cocked his rifle. ``We have no choice, Amy. If we?re gonna rescue Cream, we must be prepared to face the worst. Besides... I brought protection this time.'' he said. From out his pocket, he pulled out the green Chaos Emerald and held it out. The Emeralds could turn one?s thoughts into power. All they need do is imagine Cream and they would find her. With a heavy heart of determination, Shadow held it over their heads and teleported them out, intent on rescuing Cream and Cheese.
``CHAOS CONTROL!!''
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8:08 PM - CRYPTIC CASTLE
Topaz Tanaka hadn't heard a reply from Sonic the Hedgehog in some time. She was tending to her soldiers as she thought of the possibilities of what could have happened. The Blue Blur was not a part of GUN and they barely saw each other, but she put her trust in the Blue Devil to track down Shadow, and she had massive respect for Sonic. Topaz decided to check back in with him. ``Sonic, this is Topaz. Do you copy?'' she asked into her radio. ``Yeah, I hear ya.'' She heard Sonic's voice from behind her. He did not look to be in a good mood, frowning with his arms crossed. Topaz could have sworn it may have been Shadow instead with the attitude.
``Sonic! Thank Chaos, did you find Shadow?'' she asked. Sonic was not happy in his reply. ``No. And if I did, I wouldn't be giving him, not when you were planning to put a bullet in his or Amy's skulls!'' he said. Topaz looked at him with a shameful face. She was afraid Sonic would find out what they planned for Shadow, or what was ordered of them. ``Amy told you, didn't she? That we tried to kill her?'' she asked somberly. ``And Shadow & Charmy too! Listen, I'm not Shadow's best friend either, but even I don't want him dead! But now you guys wanna shoot people just because they're friends with him?!'' exclaimed Sonic. ``My orders come from the top, Sonic. I don't agree with Commander Tower's orders, but there's nothing I can do.'' Answered Topaz. She shook her head, clearly unhappy with her place. ``So you're content with murdering scapegoats or people that have nothing to do with this?'' he asked.
``I never said I was. Shadow is dangerous, but the murdering Charmy and Amy thing is something the other squads are following through. I'm having mine incarcerate them. I don't like this either, but it's not like I can just disobey direct orders.'' She said. ``Still real shitty for you guys to resort to this! Besides, I'm willing to give Shadow the benefit of the doubt. For no reason other than the fact that Amy and Charmy trust him. Hell, maybe even love him!'' Sonic said. He was not taking any of GUN's shit. ``You have that much faith in them, huh? I'm kind of jealous. I can't openly do that...'' Topaz said, after a nod from Sonic. She really wished she could be as optimistic or trusting to others, especially in such grave times. With a heavy heart, she returned to healing up her men and reloading her ammo. ``I'm putting Cream's life in their hands. Unlike you guys, I know he won't let me down!'' replied Sonic, with some bitterness as he departed. Topaz frowned a bit in disappointment when he said that. ``He fucking better...'' she whispered.
TO BE CONTINUED...
