CHAPTER 06:
The next morning, Shadow was up bright and early. He hadn't heard from Sonic all night and wanted to make sure he was alright. He walked up to his door and knocked on it.
After a few moments, and several series of knocks with no answer, Shadow texted the door to see if he could open it.
It seemed that Sonic trusted people not to break into his home.
Shadow opened the door and walked in, calling out. “Sonic?”
No answer.
Shadow began to look around, wondering if he could find a clue of where he went. Rounding a corner, Shadow found something in the common room: some kind of strange device. It had a circular base, with four poles supporting a similar round top. Shadow took a moment to inspect it. “Sonic, you been busy...”
He didn't like this. It looked to be some kind of machine, with some eerily similar designs to the roboticizer. What to do? He could go to Uncle Chuck and ask him, since he invented the roboticizer. But the idea that he went into Sonic's house without permission may rub the roboticized hedgehog the wrong way. Yeah, that's the last thing he wanted, if he wanted to be friends with Sonic.
Shadow sighed and continued to search the house for any clue of Sonic's whereabouts. In a wastebasket in Sonic's bathroom, Shadow found oil-soaked bandages, and oil-stained gloves on the floor. He picked them up and inspected them. “That's...weird.”
He was getting increasingly worried about Sonic. Just how badly did his presence affect Sonic? Not to mention the rest of the planet. If only he could get back to Robotropolis and get some more answers!
There was also the thought of trying to find a chaos emerald so he could get back to his own time. But then how messed up would his own time be?
Has he ever mentioned how much he HATES time travel?
Shadow groaned again and pressed his forehead against the medicine cabinet mirror. “Why me...” he moaned.
Finally he got an idea, and left the house.
In the village center, Shadow headed for the community hall, and sure enough, he saw Tails getting breakfast. He approached him. “Excuse me, Tails?”
Tails looked up from where he was eating at the table, watching the hedgehog sit down. “Uuuh, yeah? Hey, you're that guy that fell from the sky and hurt Sonic.”
Shadow rubbed the back of his neck. “That was an accident.”
Tails sighed. “I know. I'm just worried about Sonic. He's been acting weird ever since you showed up.”
Shadow nodded. “I know. I'm trying to do what I can to help him. Actually, that's why I came to see you.”
“Me? What can I do? I mean, I'd do anything to help Sonic!” Tails said rather quickly.
Shadow nodded. “I know. You're his best friend and little brother after all. First off, have you seen Sonic this morning? He wasn't home when I went to check on him.”
The two-tailed fox paused for a moment. “I did see him briefly. He was heading out for a bit, but he didn't say where. He was rather in a hurry, didn't really talk to me.”
Shadow frowned at this. “Hmm, makes me wonder...”
“What?”
Shadow looked at the questioning kit and shook his head. “I don't have a solid answer yet, but there is something else you can help me with.”
“Yeah?”
Shadow paused, trying to choose his words carefully. “When Sonic didn't answer the door, I went in JUST to make sure he wasn't unconscious in the house or anything-” he said quickly, trying to assure the fox that he wasn't breaking and entering. “Anyway, when I was looking around for him, I saw a strange device in the common room. Something he apparently...built.”
Tails' ears perked up. “Sonic made something?”
Shadow nodded. “I was thinking that maybe you could look at it, try and figure out what Sonic was trying to make.”
Tails nodded, immediately getting to his feet. “This I gotta see. I knew Sonic was acting weird, but making machines? Now I KNOW something's off.”
Shadow nodded and took Tails out to Sonic's place, bringing him inside to look at the device. Tails circled it, gazing at it in awe. “...whoa...Sonic made this???”
Shadow nodded. “Any idea what it could be?”
Tails took a closer look, trying to look at the mechanics of the device. “Well, while it looks to be in similar shape as a roboticizer, it seems to function as some kind of neutralizer. Not quite like an electromagnetic pulse, but similar...more precise a focus. But the machine is unfinished. It doesn't work yet.”
Shadow frowned. “Is it possible that Sonic went out to get more parts of the machine?”
“Well...its a thought, but Sonic would need to go to Robotropolis to get any parts...”
Shadow looked back at Tails. “Now that I think about it, Sonic DID bring home parts from the city yesterday. This must be what he did with them.”
“But why? Why is he making this?” Tails asked.
Shadow shook his head. “I don't know, but I got to get back to Robotropolis to find him.”
Tails looked to Shadow before stepping in front of him. “Take me with you. Maybe I can help figure out what's going on with Sonic. He IS my big bro, after all.”
Shadow frowned. “...Princess Sally would KILL me if she found out I took you to the city.”
Tails sighed. “Aunt Sally always treats me like a baby. I'm able to do things on my own. I was able to before!”
“Oh believe me, I know what you can be capable of,” Shadow said. He then sighed. “Don't tell her I brought you with me, alright?”
“I won't if you won't,” Tails promised, before heading outside with Shadow. “Let's get going!”
IN THE GREAT FOREST
Tails flew through the air as Shadow jetted across the ground. The kit called down to Shadow. “So you say things may be different in the city?”
“Yeah, the temporal storm seems to have affected time outside of Knothole. Be aware of anything that's different and tell me. I'm not used to this time frame.”
Tails nodded before they made it to the city edge. Shadow ducked down behind a wall, before the two began to scan the area. “Normal activity here.”
“Let's edge our way to the junkyard. That's where Sonic most likely would be if he was looking for parts.” Tails suggested.
“What's to stop him from taking the parts from working machines?”
“He probably doesn't want to risk drawing attention again,” Tails concluded.
“Good point. Let's get to the junkyard,” Shadow agreed.
When they got back there, Shadow and Tails looked around. “How are we going to find him?” he asked Tails.
Tails frowned. “Maybe start with what's left of Uncle Chuck's hideout? He had a lot of tools and parts there.”
Shadow nodded and headed in that direction. He sighed. “I really wish there was a simpler way to fix all this.”
“Nothing's easy, Shadow. Even I know that,” Tails piped up. “You just gotta do your best and move forward.”
“I know, I know. In fact it seems like my whole life has been nothing but a series of missteps and mistakes. I was kinda hoping that maybe, while I was here...I could get a fresh start,” Shadow admitted. “Especially with Sonic.”
“Why's that? Were you not friends with Sonic in the future?”
Shadow shook his head. “Not really, no. As a matter of fact, we started out as enemies, before things happened, and we became rivals. I'd work with him every now and again, but to say we were friends? Not so much.”
“Actually that sounds eerily similar to what happened between Sonic and Knuckles. I would ask if Robotnik was involved, but he's gone now...”
Shadow walked on silently, causing Tails to stop and look at Shadow. “...right?”
Shadow eventually stopped at this, but didn't respond, causing concern for Tails. “...Shadow?”
“Yeah...right...” Shadow slowly said, but the tone alone wasn't enough to convince Tails.
The fox sighed. “I know, you can't say anything about the future...that's not gonna stop me from worrying now...”
Eventually the two continued forward towards the ruins of the hideout. Shadow stopped short and held his arm out to stop Tails as well, lifting his other hands to place a finger against his lips, signaling the fox to remain quiet.
The two stood there for a moment, listening before hearing clanking sounds from inside.
Shadow started to reach to his side, grasping at empty air before he looked down. Oh, right...he didn't have his gun.
Shadow began to creep forward, waving for Tails to follow him. Together, the two silently approached the blasted open entrance and peeked inside.
They could make out a hedgehog shape trying to dig through the mess, like he was trying to look for something.
Shadow hesitated and began to call out, before he was interrupted by Sonic. “Not exactly the most silent approach.”
Shadow frowned as he came in with Tails. “We just had to be sure it was you in there.”
Sonic's figure paused for a moment without looking up. “It's me...but you may not like what you see...”
Shadow cautiously approached. “...what's happened?”
Sonic waited a moment before getting back to digging. “They weren't all destroyed. The chaos energy neutralized some...hitched a ride on you..in your fur, your quills. I'm surprised they haven't been able to affect you...”
Shadow blinked, taking a moment to absorb what Sonic just said. “You're talking about the nanites...”
“As far as I can tell, the ones on you right now are still dormant...but I don't know how much longer. The chaos energy has corrupted their programming...made them more dynamic.”
Shadow stood there, debating on moving closer. “How do you know this?”
A wry chuckle from the blue hedgehog. “As I said...they were on your quills...and when you came through the temporal portal...”
It suddenly dawned on Shadow. “....they got in your body when I accidentally jabbed you with my quills.”
“Mm...” Sonic responded, looking up towards them. All the two could see were lightly red glowing eyes. “Shadow...Tails...”
He stepped into the light, showing off his half roboticized body, with mechanical legs, an arm, and his eyes were a glowing red. “...I'm being roboticized.”
