It is hot. Very hot. He jumps to his feet as the sand burns his skin. Shadow looks around, confused.
"Where… am I?" he mutters, scanning his surroundings. Only sand and unbearable heat greet him. He starts walking with no end goal in mind. He is tired, thirsty, and hungry. His vision blurs, but he pushes on. Beyond the dunes, buildings appear. They are no ordinary buildings; they look like cages, but made for humans.
"What is that? What is this place?"
He steps on something. Crack.
It's a human skull.
As he continues, the horror unfolds. Barely alive prisoners are locked in cells, some more skeleton than man. A weak hand grabs his arm through the bars.
"Wa…water. Please."
Shadow gently removes the hand and keeps walking.
"Sonic! Silver!" he yells. No response. The thought of being alone in this hell creeps into his mind. No… not again, he thinks.
More cages appear. Prisoners beg Shadow for food and water, as if he were some kind of savior. He can't even help himself, yet they expect something of him. Ahead, a man is crucified, long dead. His body is almost completely decomposed. The stench is unbearable.
Shadow walks for about thirty minutes, finding no food or water. His stomach aches, his throat is dry, his skin burns. A laugh catches his attention.
"Who's there?" he asks, turning quickly.
Behind a collapsed pillar stands a little blonde girl in a blue dress. Shadow's heart sinks.
"It's… impossible. It has to be in my head."
The girl turns and runs away, laughing. Shadow chases her around a stone wall, but she vanishes. He lifts his head and takes a deep breath.
"I need to stay focused and find a way out."
As he takes a step, a net hidden in the sand snaps upward, trapping him. A small man appears, flanked by armed guards with pitchforks. The man wears a white suit, a white hat with horns, and has small black wings on his back.
"Who are you and what do you want with me?" Shadow asks, annoyed.
"I should be asking you that, mister hedgehog," the man replies. "I have no record of a mink like you in this prison. How did you get in?"
"I… I don't know."
The man raises an eyebrow. "Well, it doesn't matter. You're not getting out. You just ruined your life by coming here. I need your name for the system."
"Who are you, and where am I?" Shadow asks coldly.
"You think you're in a position to ask questions?" The man shrugs. "I'm Saldeath, one of the chief guards of this great prison Impel Down."
"Prison?"
"Yes. Did you get hit in the head, young man? You don't seem to realize the trouble you're in."
How did I end up in a prison? Shadow thought. I have to get out. Sonic and the others might need me. Who knows where they ended up after that explosion…
"How do I get out of here?" he asked, staring into Saldeath's eyes.
"There is no getting out. Once you're here, it's over. Escape is impossible." He tried to ignore what happened with the Straw Hat captain.
"You'd better tell me how to get out before I get out of this net. If I do…" Shadow pressed his face against the ropes so Saldeath could see the fire in his eyes. "…I'll burn this place to the ground."
The chief guard kept a stoic expression, but his heart pounded.
"Guards. Put him in a cell and throw away the keys."
Large men in blue uniforms approached, pitchforks aimed at Shadow.
"Remember… you had the choice."
Shadow's eyes glowed orange, and he vanished. The blue gorillas looked around, confused.
"Where is he?! Find him!" Saldeath shouted, clutching his weapon tightly. Who is this guy? he thought.
Behind him, an explosion shook the ground, followed by screams. Smoke and sand filled the air. More explosions erupted. Bodies flew. A black-and-red blur appeared for a second, then vanished and each time, more guards disappeared with it.
Saldeath put the side of his pitchfork to his mouth and blew like a flute. Moments later, a horde of blue gorillas stormed the battlefield. It was useless. For every gorilla that rushed in, two were thrown out unconscious.
As Saldeath kept playing, a flash of orange light appeared above him. Then another. And another. Soon, twenty glowing spears hovered in the smoke.
They rained down.
The chief guard ran for cover, but the spears impaled his allies. One grazed his head, sending blood dripping down his face. He groaned in pain.
Silence. No screams. No explosions. Only the sound of footsteps in the sand. Slow. Rhythmic. Growing louder.
Orange dots appeared in the smoke. A dark silhouette advanced.
Saldeath could barely breathe. He reached for his pitchfork only for it to be destroyed by a glowing spear.
"What… what the hell are you?" he asked, trying to sound brave.
"My name is Shadow the Hedgehog. I am the ultimate life form."
The smoke cleared, revealing impaled bodies lit by orange light. Shadow pressed his foot against Saldeath's chest.
"Before I destroy this place… is there anything else you needed to put in your system?"