Somewhere on Earth a black and red blur was speeding through a forest towards his target. Shadow the Hedgehog was running through a forest towards a strange energy signal that GUN picked up. He was sent to investigate this energy signal, and it was him because GUN wasn't sure if it was a powerful foe or just an energy surge. Whatever it was, Shadow was ready to deal with it. After all he faced all kinds of powerful opponents such as Black Doom, Infinite and more. As he ran through the forest, he soon arrived at the base of a mountain where a metal door covered in vines can be seen. Shadow grabs his scanner that GUN gave him and the signal is inside the mountain, meaning he needs to find a way to get this door open.
"This must be it." Shadow said.
"Yo, Shadow!" An energetic voice called out as it rapidly approached.
Shadow sighs as he recognizes the voice, but he turns around anyway and soon sees Sonic arriving on scene.
"What are you doing here, Sonic?" Shadow asked.
"Tails picked up a strange energy reading and sent me to investigate, figured it had something to do with Eggman." Sonic answered. "I take it GUN picked it up too?"
"Yes, and they sent me." Shadow said.
"Just you?" Sonic asked.
"Yes."
"Great! That means whatever is inside this mountain won't stand a chance!" Sonic said enthusiastically.
"Don't get your hopes up, it could be nothing." Shadow said as he walked towards the metal door.
"I don't think so, so far this place screams adventure." Sonic countered as he followed Shadow.
They stop walking as they now begin to inspect the door to find a way to open it. Shadow noticed what looked like a large button covered in vines. He steps closer and moves the vines and sees a button. He looks at the door before pressing the button and thankfully the doors open. The metal was groaning and screeching as it slid open. Sonic almost covered his ears from the sound of the door. Shadow steps away from the button and looks down the dark hallway that soon lit up with lights coming from the ceiling. Within the hallway were purple crystal spikes coming up out of the ground and on the walls.
"Well… that's not ominous." Sonic comments.
"Let's get this over with." Shadow said as he walked into the strange facility.
Sonic followed him. As they trek down the hall, they find more strange crystals and Shadow can just feel power coming from them, meaning they are some kind of supercharged crystal with an energy output. Perhaps this is what caused the energy signal. They soon came up to a new door that was in much better shape than the first door, so Shadow immediately began to look for a button as they got closer. But as they approached the door opened on its own. Sonic—having no need for worry—walks right into the chamber that was on the other side of the door. Shadow followed him inside and the two see a large circular chamber with a ring-like structure in the middle of it. More of the purple crystals dotted the chamber. Control consoles scattered the chamber, and they seemed to be online.
"Huh, wonder what happened in here." Sonic said.
"Let's just find that energy signal." Shadow said.
Suddenly the chamber began shaking as the crystals began glowing. This caused both Shadow and Sonic to get ready for whatever was coming. Crystals broke through the ceiling of the chamber and humanoid crystal monsters emerged from the holes, dropping down into the chamber. Shadow counts twelve of them. The creatures let out a screeching roar before charging towards the two hedgehogs. Sonic grins before he uses his Spin attack to destroy one of the creatures before bouncing off it and hitting two more of the creatures. Shadow dodges a clawed attack from one of the creatures before he punched it square in the chest knocking it back. He then jumped up and spin kicked the next creature before he threw a Chaos Spear into the third. The creatures crumble to pieces upon death. Seeing three more rushing towards him, Shadow used his Spin Dash to plow right through them, destroying them. He stops his momentum and looks over to Sonic.
Sonic dodges clawed strike after clawed strike with a grin on his face.
"Missed me!" Sonic said before dodging again. "Ooh, so close!"
Sonic then proceeds to eliminate the two creatures fighting him. One of the creatures snuck up behind him and Shadow saw this.
"Sonic behind you!" Shadow called out.
Sonic looked behind him as the creature tried to attack him, but Shadow came flying in and drop kicked the beast into one of the consoles.
"Thanks for the save, buddy!" Sonic said.
"I'm not your buddy." Shadow corrected.
"So, what were those things?" Sonic asked as he looked at the broken remains.
"I don't know, but they're related to these crystals and this facility." Shadow said.
"Wonder what that ring thing is supposed to do." Sonic said, now looking at the ring-like structure in the middle of the chamber.
As he said that, the console that was hit by the creature suddenly let out a beeping sound as the ring structure activates. A blue vortex forms in the middle of the ring amazing both Sonic and Shadow.
"Woah, Tails is gonna want to hear about this." Sonic comments.
The crystals around the portal began flickering and the vortex turns purple and it begins to pull things towards it including Sonic and Shadow.
"Woah!" Sonic yelped.
He and Shadow turn and attempt to run out of the chamber but as the Ultimate Lifeform flees, the vortex latches onto him and holds him in place before lifting him into the air. Sonic notices this.
"Shadow!"
He was about to rush towards him to help free him before a blue barrier appeared in his way. He runs into it and stumbles back.
"Ouch!" Sonic winces before he returns his attention to Shadow. "Hold on buddy, I'll get you out of there!"
Shadow tried to fight against the vortex's hold, but purple lightning emitted from the portal, and it shocked him causing him to let out pained shouts.
"Hold on, Shadow!" Sonic called out. "I'll think of something!"
Shadow is then pulled towards the portal and is pulled through it. This shocks Sonic.
"No!" Sonic cried out as he banged his fist on the barrier.
The portal ring cracks and explodes, sending shrapnel all over the chamber but Sonic dodges the shrapnel as the barrier drops. The crystals then emit energy before they look like they want to detonate.
"Uh oh."
Sonic then books it for the exit at high speeds as the crystals detonate in purple fiery explosions. He left the facility and halted his movement before he turned to look at the entrance to the facility as purple flames shoot out of it before the stone above collapses and closes the entrance.
"That… cannot be good." Sonic said before he speeds off to tell the others about what happened to Shadow.
[Unknown Location]
Within a quiet and peaceful forest, the peace is disrupted as a purple vortex like portal opens up and Shadow is shot out of it. He hits the ground and rolls a few feet before stopping beside a clear river. Shadow groans in pain before he sits up as the pain fades away quickly. He then looked around and wasn't sure where he was. He quickly notices something though, he feels different. He looked at his legs and was shocked to see human legs before he looked at his hands. He then looked at the river and crawled over to it before seeing his reflection. He…. He was Human! His eyes widened seeing this drastic change. He pushed himself off the ground, getting onto his feet before looking at his hands in shock at his transformation.
"What… happened to me?" Shadow asked. "What is this?"
He calms himself down before he crosses his arms as he went into deep thought.
"Something feels off, almost like I crossed dimensions." Shadow whispers. "But why do I look human?"
He ran through the theories in his head, maybe he crossed dimensions and that changed his appearance. But he was curious, does he still have his powers. He forms and throws a Chaos Spear which confirms he still has his powers which was good. But he needs to figure out where he is and how he got here, so first he needs to find civilization and ask questions. So, he takes off in a random direction at high speeds.