Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap,
Shadow eyes slowly opened at the sound of fingers tapping on glass around him. The tapping continued soft but annoying making Shadow feel irritation and he slowly twisted in his containment tank… wait containment? He just pushed that thought to the back of his head as he looked for the source of the sound, noticing a young girl standing in front of his containment tank a curious look within her ocean blue eyes that made him pause.
"Maria, please don't disturb him, He's still developing." An older yet kind voice scolded the girl softly as he tapped on a console while the girl gave Shadow a sheepish grin rubbing the back of her head and turned to look at the old man.
"Oh, sorry Grandpa I guess I got a little excited… So when can I meet him?" Maria asked and the man chuckled.
"Don't worry, give it a few more months Maria. Soon Shadow will be fully developed. Then you may speak to him as much as you want." The man replied and the girl smiled brightly, turning back to Shadow.
"That would be great." Maria said, staring into Shadow eyes. He felt his head cocking to the side slightly confused by what Maria meant. But Maria's smile softened, becoming more fond. No fear, no malice, just pure affection and happiness. She placed a hand on the glass right in front of Shadow. Shadow was confused for only a moment until he looked at his own hand before mirroring her actions and she gave him a blinding smile.
"I can't wait to meet you properly Shadow." Shadow couldn't help but smile back at Maria as everything started to go dark. Was this… happiness? It was nice, like the warm sun inside his heart. He wished this could continue but everything became pitch black.
"Shadow… Shadow… SHADOW!!" Shadow eyes slowly opened to the sight of Rouge standing over him clearly annoyed.
"Was that… all a dream… no it felt too real. A memory?" Shadow thought as he sat up with Rouge nodding her annoyance disappearing as she tossed him a bag of supplies Stone gave to them. Rouge was already in her new outfit. She now wore a sleek, tight fitting dark purple catsuit that came with a hood and ensemble with a zipper that goes to her stomach and a small dark purple heart shaped jewel on the middle of her zipper and chest, with small dark purple heart shaped jewels on her thigh high heeled dark purple boots' with black soles. She also had arm-length white gloves with pink finger pads.
"Good to see you're awake. I was starting to think you were in a coma. Well, I already have all the things I got from Stone, the rest is yours Handsome. So hurry up and get dressed so we can get on the move. The bathroom is down the hall and to your left, you can't miss it." Rouge told him as she walked over to her kitchen. Shadow watched her leave then turned to the still powered down Omega tapping his armored shell but no response. He shrugged assuming he would turn on soon and turned walking to the bathroom and began to get dressed removing the skintight outfit he wore before and changing.
After a minute Shadow stood in front of the mirror in Rouge's apartment, finishing suiting up. The new gear Stone provided was sleek tactical but also comfortably fitted like a second skin. A matte-black turtle neck reinforced combat shirt with long sleeves. He wore a Black leather jacket that was opened with red highlights on the sides. It also had two bold lines running from his shoulders to his wrist and a red zipper accompanied by a fluffy white fur collar. It was finished with combat jeans and like the rest of Shadow's clothing it had red highlights going down the sides and around the ankles. He also had a pair of white gloves with black finger pads and kept the same shoes he found in that facility discarding the ones that came with the outfit. Finally he placed the laser pistol into a pocket inside of his jacket out of sight but easily accessible.
As he stepped out into the living room, Omega's systems hummed, his red eyes flickering to life as his mechanical body stood up making the floor beneath him creak from his weight as it turned his head to face Shadow.
"You have achieved full combat readiness. Excellent. Now we may commence the annihilation."
"Easy there, Omega," Rouge said as she walked over holding a folder in her hand and a Plum in the other. "We're not blowing up the world or anything." She finished taking a bite out of the Plum and walked over to the table.
Shadow crossed his arms. "Where are we heading?"
Rouge tossed him the folder she printed out from one of I.R tips. Inside were surveillance photos of a facility, marked as abandoned but the satellite images told a different story.
'(Facility: Blackrock Site 03 — Former G.U.N Archive Vault.)'
"If you're wondering, it's not just a vault," Rouge explained, sitting on the couch. "I.R says it used to store rejected research failures, forgotten prototypes, memory cores, and AI fragments. If anything in the world has a lead on what they did to you or why you were locked up, it's there. In return we need to find some robot that's within the base."
"Who's I.R?" Shadow asked and Rouge shrugged.
"Honestly don't know, he's been a help to my heist for the last few years and paid me in advance for getting out unscathed. He was the one to give me your location and this place. I also met Stone through his connections but never met the guy in person."
"Then why did you pay for the supplies?"
"Stone is a business man and won't give away his tech for free… Anyways this is a G.U.N base and we're after any information that might reveal your past and any hidden jewelry." Rouge said, crossing her arms or her chest and turned to Omega as his eyes scanned the file.
"So, have you got its location yet, Omega?"
Omega's voice boomed as he finished his scan. "Coordinates locked. Shall we proceed with vehicle theft?"
Rouge chuckled. "Don't worry. I got us a ride."
[Highway I-15 || En Route to Nevada]
A matte black hover SUV barreled down the desert highway. Shadow sat silently in the passenger seat, gazing at the road ahead in silent compilation of the dream he had.
Rouge glanced over at him, noticing the far away look in his eyes. "You good?"
"..I remembered something," he said, softly. "A girl… Maria. And a man. Her grandfather. I think I was created in a lab."
Rouge's brows furrowed. "That lines up with what we've seen so far. It wasn't just a prison they had you in. It was containment. You're not just some soldier they lost like the Captain in red and blue spandex. You were something else."
Omega, from the back barely fitting. "Possibly, Shadow is a genetically engineered bio-weapon. Designation 'Ultimate Lifeform' supports this hypothesis."
Shadow's fists clenched at the name. "Then why does remembering her hurt so much? And why do I take pride in that title?"
Rouge didn't answer immediately. "Because maybe… you weren't just a weapon to them. Maybe someone saw you as more."
Silence returned, only broken by the low hum of the engine before Rouge spoke again with more confidence.
"As for your title it's because you were given the title you didn't mark yourself as the Ultimate Lifeform. You find pride knowing people gave you that title with such certainty." Rouge said, giving him a grin. Shadow couldn't help but huff but understood what she meant.
"Yes, I was labeled the best combat robot. And I take pride in knowing my enemies will get their bones snap like twigs under my might. And will battle any robot who tries to steal my title." Omega announced with a vigor that a robot shouldn't have. Rouge chuckled and Shadow cracked out a small smirk at Omega's announcement.
As the hover SUV raced towards the Nevada desert, Rouge kept glancing at Shadow with a mix of concern and curiosity. Pushing down on the accelerator, Rouge focused on the road ahead.
Suddenly, Omega's metallic voice cut through the air. "Approaching the drop-off point in 500 meters. Adjusting course to the coordinates provided."
Rouge nodded and veered off the main highway, bouncing along a narrow dirt path that stretched out before them. In the distance, the silhouette of a towering structure emerged from the haze of the desert heat.
[Blackrock Site 03 || Perimeter Fence]
The sun was just beginning to set as the trio arrived. The substation was disguised as a weather monitoring outpost, but the armored drones and concealed turrets gave it away. Shadow crouched beside Rouge on a high hill overlooking the perimeter.
"Looks like I.R wasn't kidding, look over there," Rouge pointed out at disguised guards and then a small panel next to the entrance as a guard typed on it the door shutting close and the rest of the facility seeming to go on lock down."Main access terminal. If I can get close I can unlock the rest of the facility. Shadow, you're on guard duty and big guy… do what you do best ."
"Assignment understood I will initiate chaos," Omega said flatly, already stepping toward the front gates and tearing it down.
And chaos he did initiate. A single blast from his arm cannon took down a guard tower. Sirens blared, troops mobilized, and Omega began laying waste to the defenses with brutal efficiency.
Shadow and Rouge moved like shadows in the confusion scaling walls, slipping through service doors, disabling cameras. They reached the inner corridor just as Omega's bombardment shook the facility.
Rouge tapped on the small heart on her outfit as a USB seemed to appear out of nowhere. She grabbed the USB override and jammed it into the terminal. "I need a few minutes. Keep watch."
"Tch, I don't need you to tell me what to do." Shadow muttered as Rouge continued the process of getting in the facility while Omega rained literal hell onto the guards no one being a challenge. That was until something smashed into Omega sending him flying into the side of the facility.
"Oh, they sent one of those things." Rouge groaned out in annoyance as a Giga Trooper stood there tall and proud. Shadow glared as it leveled its gaze upon the two.
"Continue what you're doing." Shadow said, rushing at the giant mech as it started to fire at him. Shadow dodged the bullets before sliding between its legs. As the mech turned only for Shadow to jump and slam a punch into its head causing the glass to crack and he then flipped over it kicking the back of its knee forcing it to one leg as Omega got up and fired at the Giga shredding its armor like paper.
The Giga Trooper staggered from Omega's onslaught, sparks and oil spurting from its exposed joints. Shadow, without hesitation, sprang forward, vaulting off a nearby wall and slamming both feet into the mech's chestplate. Suddenly a charge of Amber electricity formed around Shadow feet as a burst of flames came out the jets in the shoes. The robot started to short circuit the blow cracked its power core, a sickening whine emitting from deep within the machine.
"Core destabilizing," Omega reported. "Suggestion: detonation imminent."
"Shit!" Shadow muttered as he ran over to Rouge not wanting to get caught up in the explosion, while Omega slowly walked away as the Giga Trooper convulsed, internal lights flashing violently red then exploded in a massive fiery burst that shook area. Omega walked through the flames with ease following Shadow.
Inside the corridor, Rouge didn't even flinch as Shadow made it back to her. The explosion rocked the console, but her override was finally completed.
`ACCESS GRANTED.`
`ARCHIVE CORE — ONLINE.`
"Got it!" she called out, grabbing her drive and opening the doors. But her breath hitched as the core doors opened revealing it. A cold, pristine vault chamber filled with dust-caked prototypes, glowing cylinders of locked data cores, and most disturbingly... rows of broken pods eerily similar to the one Shadow had awoken from a d servers everywhere all glowing a eerie red glow.
Shadow stepped inside slowly. His eyes scanned the room, and noticed a backroom. Shadow walked up to it and slammed a kick into it the door flying off its hinges as he walked in their was a pods had a scorched tag on it, still half readable:
`PRO-: ULTIM- SERIES_GIZOID``PRO-: ULTIM- SERIES_GIZOID`
`E.M.E.R.L. - Adaptive We- Con-ruct`
"Alright let's see what's in here." Rouge said as she took out a hard drive and placed it into the console. Just like what happened with Shadow containment pod it automatically hacked in the password being H.E.A.R.T.S.O.U.L and it opened but the Emerl fell face forward.
It was a humanoid, mostly mustard-yellow, robot. He possessed five-fingered olive-brown hands and feet in the shape of shoes with orange soles. His upper arms, abdomen and thighs were olive-brown, and he had spherical orange joints as shoulders and pelvis-legs joints. He also had relatively thick armor around his forearms and lower legs (each one possessing orange cuffs), thick kneecaps, and some kind of jetpack on his back. On his chest, he had three beige circles. Lastly, he possessed a spherical head with a beige mouth plate, orange caps for ears, and a curved orange horn with a concealed blue eye on it on his forehead.
Omega immediately shifted his arm into a mini gun and leveled it at the robot laying on the ground. "Exterminate!!" Omega exclaimed only for his hand to be grabbed by Rouge. "Hey, Hey, easy big guy! If it's nothing important then you can go tear it to pieces. But we need to make sure this isn't what we're looking for okay?"
Omega paused before slowly lowering his hand as Rouge smiled. She walked over to Shadow who never took his eyes off the robot since it got out of the pod.
"Let me guess a memory?"
"Hmph… Yes. It's blurry but it's there." Shadow said, staring at it… what Rouge wasn't seeing was the blue energy running through its insides going from its arms to its legs. The most concentrated energy source was in its chest and Shadow couldn't tear his eyes away.
"I see… well maybe we will get answers about what it is." Rouge bent down to the robot and placed a small disc against its metal frame and it seemed to absorb the disc. Its eyes light up a light blue for a second before it shuts back down.
"So any idea about that weird lightning you use? Or how, those shoes work?"
"..."
"Alright, got it. That amnesia is quite annoying when trying to figure out things huh. Haha… So mind trying to restart this guy." Rouge said, standing up and taking a step back. Shadow frowned as he stepped forward. His hand lit up with the same amber lightning crackled around his hand. He bent down and pressed his hand against it and then with a surge of energy a small `KRA-ZAP` the Robot jolted up immediately flipping to its feet slamming a kick into Shadow's stomach sending him flying to the far wall.
"Show... power... OR I sh...all ob...ey... Sha...ll conqu...er a...ll…" Emerl spoke, its voice broken and incoherent. Rouge turned to Omega.
"Big guy"
"No."
"What do you mean no?!"
"You said to exterminate if it's not important."
"He just kicked Shadow like a soccer ball and that's what you're worried about?!"
"I want you to say it..."
"Fine, Omega Exterminate."
"Observation: Tear it to shreds!!"
Omega mounted his guns and fired only for Emerl to dodge it with reflexes that rival if not surpass Shadow's. Then its arm formed an arm cannon and fired Omega doing the same and firing causing a white flash of light. Omega turned only to get sent flying by Emerl kick. Rouge came in from the air going to slam a kick into Emerl only to get grabbed by the leg and slammed into the ground and then tossed away.
Shadow got up as Emerl rushed at him and Shadow did the same both going for a right hook and both punches connecting to the other's jaw. Shadow took a step back dodging another strike and went for a back elbow that Emerl not only blocked but copied and succeeded in doing Shadow staggering to the side rubbing the bruise. Shadow then grabbed Emerl arm and slammed a kick into its metallic gut only for Emerl to take the strike and throw Shadow onto the ground. Emerl then turned and grabbed a bomb Rouge tossed at him before throwing it at Omega causing a small explosion. Omega ran out the fire as Shadow held Emerl in place and Omega sent a punch strong enough to send Emerl flying through multiple walls.
It immediately recovered, rushing back into the room only to get dropped, kicked by Rouge. Emerl barely flinched, never noticing the small device Rouge tossed on to his foot. This battle continued for a few more minutes until Emerl was once again sent flying by a kick from Shadow.
Shadow wiped a small bit of blood that escaped his lips and looked down at it with surprise. Omega armor was dented and small sparks flew off him as oil came out of his arm. Rouge was the least injured but rubbed her back from getting slammed to the floor. But Emerl walked out the walls he made in the wall, his metal shell seeming to heal on its own. Then he looked at the team and dropped into a fighting stance only for him to start short circuiting as his eyes went from blue to red.
"New orders from Master." Emerl said as it looked up and fired at the roof causing it to collapse. The Emerl flew away leaving the team of three in silence.
"Observation: my pride has been injured." Omega somehow muttered looking at the ground while Shadow scowled looking at the spot Emerl once stood and turned to Rouge pointing at the spot.
"What the HELL was that?!"
"Oh the murderous robot that kicked our asses in the spam of five minutes? I DON'T KNOW!! I thought I.R. would be a smart guy and not have the robot attack us. I wasn't expecting it to try and kill us." Rouge replied tapping her foot thinking over the situation. Shadow continued to scowl as he walked around Omega watching silently as the team recovered from their recent beat down.
Shadow looked up and noticed the Helicopter circling the base. "We got to go." Shadow commented and Rouge looked up nodding in agreement. Rouge grabbed Shadow and flew out the hole while Omega simply jumped out all landing on the base top as the light shunned on them. Shadow growled as he felt his hand spark. He looked at his hand then he threw it out sending a spear of energy at the Helicopter hitting the tail fin of the helicopter.
"Holy shit! How did you do that?!" Rouge exclaimed while Omega rescanned Shadow.
"Not the time Rouge we should get out of here before anything else happens." Shadow said as he ran towards the edge and jumped grinding down one of the rails while Rouge and Omega followed.
As they moved more G.U.N robots of different shapes and sizes blocked their path. Shadow glared as he changed movement going from running to sliding on the ground and nearly tripped over himself when the shoes activated. It took him only a second to adjust as he dodged the gun fire as Omega from behind opened fire while Rouge dropped a few bombs. Shadow got up close destroying robots with simple kicks and punches. The robots piled up as the team destroyed every single robot in sight until dawn appeared.
The helicopter spun out of control, plummeting towards the base. Shadow and Rouge raced across the compound on foot, with Omega lumbering behind them, his robotic legs clanking heavily against the pavement. They could hear the scream of metal twisting and the roar of flames erupting from the crashing helicopter behind them before a thunderous boom shook the ground.
Shadow skidded to a halt as he made it to a hill side. Rouge landed beside him, panting heavily. Omega also skidded to a halt, barely being able to slow down.
Alarms blared and sirens wailed in the distance, the sound of approaching vehicles and the thump of rotor blades filled the air. Shadow glanced at Rouge and watched the aftermath as even more G.U.N dispatch arrived.
"Well that was a complete failure." Shadow muttered but Rouge turned to him with a grin pulling out a USB drive.
"Found this small baby while we walked through the facility near the Emerl chamber." Rouge said tossing it over to Omega who caught it between his fingers and placed it in his head to process the data saver.
"Let's head back to Stone, I bet he will be able to explain whatever is going on with you and that, Emerl." Rouge said her wings extended as she took to the air. Shadow huffed and skated to keep up while powerful rocket thrusters propelled Omega forward to keep up.
[London || G.U.N HQ]
The commander walked through the halls with a scowl as the other members of G.U.N made a path for them knowing why he was in such a bad mood. With the recent news of Shadow, Omega, and Emerl escapes the Commander has been hard at work trying to figure out what was going on.Everything from the base a scavadge from the fence to the smallest amount of blood on the ground nothing was untouched. As the commander made it to his office he blinked at the green haired woman that sat in his seat. Then his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Agent Brand."
"Commander Towers, been a while," Abigail Brand responded, staring at Abraham Towers with barely contained anger. "So mind explaining what the fuck happened at those two G.U.N bases and what just escaped?"
"That is none of your concern."
"Kinda is when you decided to share files and while I was looking through the files I found information on Project: Shadow... A being created on the ARK and was referred to as the Ultimate Lifeform that has been sealed away for let say fifty years that just woken up and his location is Unknown. It's also my problem when I dive deeper and find out that there was also a Robot no, a Gizoid that might be responsible for the destruction of THE FIRST FOUR CIVILIZATIONS. Not to mention the Space Colony ARK, something classified as destroyed, is still in space and still has the PROTOTYPE of the Ultimate Lifeform inside it and the Eclipse Cannon which we can speak about later." Abigail showed five data files that she found in G.U.N and S.W.O.R.D shared data base and Abraham rubbed his temples. He knew that eventually Shadow would be exposed but he was wishing he could have retired. But the last one was a DNA test.
"So, I had my agents find blood samples of Shadow from the base Emerl escaped from and you want to know what they found?"
"Listen we--"
"You want to know what they found? The X Gene meaning Shadow is a MUTANT. You do know if Xavier or Cyclops figured this out he would have been released years ago. How you managed to keep him hidden for so long I don't know... Then there's another source of DNA that is definitely alien so don't blame me for being interested. G.U.N killed everyone on the ARK meaning no one has an idea what Alien race he's part of except… you. You were the last survivor and now a high ranking member of G.U.N. if anyone knows what's going on it's going to be you." Abigail waited for Towers to explain himself. As a half-alien half-mutant hybrid herself she found this to be way more personal than she would admit. They now had an alien threat on earth and they had only one lead to find him before something could threaten earth again.
"...We don't know what race Professor Gerald used for Shadow's creation. All I know is that it involved the Black Comet."
"Are you talking about the comet that passes earth every fifty years? The one that will be coming back to earth next week? That Black Comet has alien life on it and you didn't find it necessary to inform SHIELD or SWORD about it?"
"Profesor Gerald never confirmed it. After the ARK raid I was told he went into a deep depression and eventually executed. We tried to locate the comet for alien life but came out empty. And since it only circles earth for a week before disappearing for fifty more years we never had time to locate life. The only time they broke that rule was fifty years ago when they stayed for over a year but Gerald managed to convince GUN not to bother with a supposably empty comet."
"... Fine I will let this slide because we got time to prepare for the Black Comet and whatever is on it." Abigail finally decided standing from the commander's seat and walked ready to leave but stopped right next to him.
"But if you forget to inform us of a possible threat that has been studying the earth for who knows how long I will make sure G.U.N gets dismantled and you retired. Now I'm heading back to base. I've already been gone long enough."
With those pardoning words she left, leaving Towers to clench his fist as he sat at his desk rubbing his temples. "Lola I will need a lot of coffee." He called his secretary as he brought up files on the only one who can possibly know of Shadow and Emerl. Ivo Robotnik the grandson of Gerald Robotnik and one of the most brilliant minds on the planet. Ashamed he was imprisoned for multiple acts of terroism against both mutants and Inhumans wanting to see if his robotic creations could surpass them.
At least 67 inhumans and 182 mutants were killed and they caught him five times but he always found a way out. Then Ivo's research led to ancient powers that weren't meant to be wielded by humans nearly caused disasters if the Avengers didn't interfere. Then after the Mutant population was nearly wiped out because of the Scarlet Witch they placed him on the Raft to make sure he didn't try anything. Now, with mutants returning after The Phoenix disappeared it made sense. He was trying to do something to get himself out.
Now he had to find Emerl and Shadow before the Black Comet returned to earth. Abraham felt himself shiver slightly remembering when he saw that THING speaking to Gerald. He remembered it clearly it was his first time ever seeing a true beast.
[Fifty Years ago || Space Colony ARK]
Abraham ran through the ARK dodging the scientists that were walking through the hallways. With his sixth birthday just passing he was feeling great and also began to learn from the scientist. He stopped at a door and walked in as a young blond girl sat in a hospital bed only about ten years old. She turned, hearing the door close and smiled at Abraham.
"Oh Abraham, how are you today?" She asked, giving him a smile but was clearly tired and weak. Abraham walked over and sat next to her.
"Great, dad started to teach me about the earth's ecosystem. Like the different plants and animals, and how they all fit together in the ecosystem," Abraham said, his eyes full of interest at the subject he was finally allowed to learn. The girl nodded slowly, her smile softening.
"That sounds wonderful. I wish I could see it someday." She commented sadly but Abraham reached out gently, holding her hand. This was his sister in everything but blood and seeing her so fragile hurt him deeply.
"Will you be okay Maria, You've been in here for the last few days?" Abraham asked worried for her health. Maria's smile dampened slightly but rubbed his hair affectionately even as her hand shaked from the effort.
"Don't worry, I'm fine, just very tired. I should be out by the end of the week." Maria gave Abraham her brightest smile that could rival the most beautiful sunflower.
"Grandpa is still working on a cure. But he will find one." Maria assured while Abraham frowned. It's been two years since Gerald research began. He didn't know much about what Gerald was doing… but he did know where his lab was. Maybe he should pay him a visit. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.
"Hey, I'm going to visit Mister Gerald. Do you want me to tell him anything." Abraham asked.
Maria's eyes sparkled with a faint hope. "Tell him… tell him I miss him and to take care of himself. And that I believe in him. He's the smartest person I know, and I know he'll find a way to fix this."
Abraham nodded gently, feeling the weight of her words. "I'll tell him. Please stay healthy Maria."
As Abraham stood to leave, Maria reached out and squeezed his hand softly. "Be careful, Abe. And… don't forget about the plants. I want to hear all about them when you come back."
Abraham chuckled softly, a rare warmth in his normally aloof and rude voice. "You got it. Plants and all. I'll see you soon."
Abraham ran off to find Gerald. He wondered what the old man was doing for Maria's condition. Professor Gerald, was an enigma normally cooped up in his office and didn't speak to many of the other scientists. But he always treated him and Maria well, usually bringing them small gifts like Maria's Guitar and his toy gun. But, there was always something… off with him.
He never stopped working on a cure for Maria, usually having a cup of coffee in hand and could be confrontational when someone accuses Maria of not being ill. He kept the worst of her illness a secret he only found out because Maria told him. On the best days she was able to walk around the ARK gardens with him, talking about Earth, singing softly with her guitar, and pretending they were on a field trip together. But on the worst days, she couldn't lift her head off the pillow. Those were the days Abraham hated most, the days where she couldn't smile, where her voice trembled when she spoke. It hurt deep down and could only hope Gerad could fix it.
As Abraham made his way through the long metal corridors, the hum of machines and flicker of fluorescent lights gave the station its cold, sterile feeling. He passed familiar labs filled with odd-looking devices and vials of glowing liquid, eventually arriving at a large reinforced door at the far end of the research wing.
The nameplate read: "Professor Gerald Robotnik – Research Lead"
He hesitated. He wasn't really supposed to be here without permission. But this was for Maria. That made it important.
He knocked once. Silence.
Twice. Still nothing.
He reached up and tried the door panel. It was locked but because of his curiosity he decided to look through the glass panel. But his body still, his eyes widening in horror at what was next to Gerald. It could only be described as a demon. It was massive compared to Gerald with a jet black and legless body with a trio of red-orange bestial eyes, twin wide horns with red tips, a set of spines on its scalp, three-fingered hands that have claw-like nails and no visible facial features. It wore a dark brown worn robe with black-brown shoulder pads and golden accents, a maroon drape scarf with tattoo markings hanging from the back, golden chains with a set of gold-spiked medallions possessing a gem, and a double black cord necklace with red, blue, yellow, and purple ornaments on one and golden and silver pendants on the other.
Abraham's breath caught in his throat. His small fingers trembled against the edge of the glass, unable to look away from the thing standing across from Professor Gerald. It towered over the man, who stood calmly too calmly amidst glowing monitors and humming machinery. Gerald didn't flinch. He wasn't scared. He was talking to it.
The creature, despite its grotesque and regal appearance, wasn't lashing out or destroying anything. It stood still, arms folded behind its back, head bowed slightly as if in conversation or negotiation. He could finally make out what they were saying.
"Are the preparations ready?"
"Yes, Black Doom… But your DNA isn't enough to allow the use of Chaos Energy let alone being able to use Chaos Control. Shadow needs more than just your DNA."
"Then why not use those new humans... What are they called? Mutants, yes."
"It's not that simple, the Mutant Gene is still so new to our society. We don't know what ability he will end up with if given. It could be energy absorption or just having an extra hand. The power is random unless passed down from a parent which will be a fifty fifty percent chance he would gain the ability."
Black Doom's eyes narrowed, the eerie glow of their red-orange hue intensifying ever so slightly.
"You disappoint me, Gerald," he rasped. His voice was like a winter breeze, cold, patient, yet menacing. "You've promised results for years now. Your granddaughter's time runs short."
Gerald's hand clenched tightly around his mug, the ceramic surface cracking slightly under the pressure. "I know that!" he snapped with sudden fury, but immediately composed himself. "That's why I've been pushing the research faster. Shadow is nearly complete. With your DNA forming the core structure and if possible I will use the mutant gene to try and stabilize the Chaos Drives… he will not only survive he'll thrive. But I will need to find a mutuat willing to help my cause."
Black Doom tilted his head ever so slightly. "And the girl?"
"... Better,"
Black Doom floated forward, talons clicking against the steel plating of the lab table. "Do not forget our arrangement, Gerald. You need me… and soon, I will need him. He will serve the Black Arms when the time comes."
"No," Gerald whispered, almost to himself. "He'll be more than that. He's not your puppet."
Black Doom paused, his gaze sharp and knowing. "He is mine, whether you accept it or not."
At that moment, young Abraham stumbled back from the door, heart hammering in his chest. He turned and sprinted, his mind racing, his breath short. Maria was dying he knew that but… whatever Gerald was doing to save her it was costing more than anyone should ever pay.
He nearly fell as he clutched his head. The sound wasn't loud, but it echoed in his skull, unnatural and vast like a chorus of voices speaking as one. It wasn't Gerald. It was that thing.
He ran.
Down the hall, past the labs and humming lights, never once looking back. His legs burned, his throat tightened, but he didn't stop. He returned to Maria's room and slowed to a walk. He couldn't tell Maria what he saw but her eyes still searched his face as if she could feel something had changed.
"You okay, Abe?" she asked gently.
"Yeah…" he lied, trying to smile. "I just got lost for a bit."
She giggled softly, clearly not buying it, but too tired to press. "You better not run off too far. I want to hear more about your studies next time."
He nodded. "You will."
But inside, Abraham made a silent promise. He'll protect Maria. No matter what. Even if it meant watching Gerald more closely… and figuring out just what his creation was truly meant to be.
[Present Day || London — G.U.N HQ — Sub-Level Archives]
Commander Abraham Towers stood in the cold, dim archives far below the main headquarters. The flickering lights of ancient CRT monitors and humming data servers gave the room an eerie atmosphere appropriate, considering the ghosts stored in its files.
Nothing… absolutely nothing on Shadow or Emerl. The original commander of GUN wiped out everything possible that was on the ARK, nothing on Shadow or Emerl. Then how did Abigale get the information she got when even GUN didn't have any more archives about his creation.
Commander Towers rubbed his temples and stared at the empty screen in front of him. The database had been scrubbed clean with an almost surgical erasure of any records tied to Shadow, Emerl, or the ARK Colony itself.
He slammed his fist lightly on the console, frustration boiling beneath his calm exterior.
"This isn't just a cover-up," he muttered to himself. "It's an eradication of anything on those two…"
The door hissed open behind him. A shadowy figure stepped in Lola, his loyal secretary walking in handing him a coffee that Abraham took a sip.
"You found nothing?" she asked quietly, sensing the weight of his mood.
"Nothing. Like it never existed. I will be visiting the Raft next week. Ivo is currently the only other person who might know where Emerl is." Abraham replied and watched as Lola left and when she was gone he sighed. If he was going to find anything on Gerald's work he needed to ask the only other Robotnik alive. It was time to visit Ivo and get answers.