Chapter Text
“I think you overcooked the popcorn..” Maria said as she looked at the more than slightly burnt popcorn in her bowl. Shadow looked at her, “I like the popcorn a little burnt.” Maria looked at Shadow with a deadpan face “Shadow these almost look like when you accidentally burned a hole through the scientists coats with your skates”
Shadow gave her a look of confusion “There air shoes” Maria laughed so hard she was crying.
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Shadow clenched his fist. Again. Again. And again. These memories keep popping up. He doesn't want to forget her, but these memories repeating and repeating over and over.
Shadow tried to awake from this hell several times but none had been successful enough to even alert the machines of his attempts. This time though, he felt something pulling him out of this hell. Shadow heard… footsteps? He's not sure because he's still in a coma-like state.
“Project Shadow? Can you hear me?” Shadow instinctively moved his body away from where he thinks the bold and harsh voice is coming from. “I'll take that as yes” the footsteps walked closer to his tube “You have a guest, someone sort of like you.” Shadow's confused by this, someone? Like him? “You'll be awoken shortly but please keep your… aggressive tendencies aside for this” The footsteps walk away and a door is heard opening and closing.
Shadow felt his senses coming back to life. He moved his hands and legs, it's easier to move now. Shadow opened his eyes, he could finally see something other than the bittersweet memories. “Bring in Project S” Project S? What the fuck is Project S? Shadow stepped out the tube after all the water had drained out, he moved his sore body a bit. Staying still and floating isn't the best for a body, even for the ultimate lifeform.
Shortly after he stepped out, a door had started opening. Shadow moved his fist up, ready to defend himself against anything that might attack him. Soft footsteps were walking toward him, it didn't sound like shoes or heels, then he saw the person or well, hedgehog making the soft footsteps noise. The hedgehog walking towards him almost looked like him.
If he was blue and had his quills facing more down and…had a.. collar?
Shadow just looked at the hedgehog who was walking to him. He suddenly felt like he was a mess, his quills were out of place, he was still soaking wet, and probably looked like he had fought ten bears and somehow lost. He unconsciously moved his hands to his quills to try and brush them to look presentable, then he looked at his chest to see his fur was also pretty messy.
He was so focused on his appearance that he hadn't noticed the hedgehog had stopped in front of him. The hedgehog simply stopped in front of him, tilting his head, confused of his actions.
Shadow looked up to see green eyes looking at him and flinched back “Who are you” he stated more than asking. The hedgehog didn't say anything, simply looking at him, then looked down “This is Project S” it was the same voice as before. Shadow looked up to see the glass with stairs leading to doors on each side, separating them two to a group of scientists and soldiers. His eyes glowed, ready to fight and moved towards the stairs leading glass. He stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head slightly back to the hedgehog who was stopping him.
Was this hedgehog working for them?
“I'm sorry” the voice was raspy and dry, the hedgehog moved in front of him and the stairs in a blink of an eye. He turned back to look to see the hedgehog, he growled “Don't stop me” . The people who kept him imprisoned were right there.
“Project Shadow, how nice of you to grace the world of your dangerous problems again” said a woman scientist behind the glass. She sounded a bit British and had brown hair tied in a bun.
Shadow glared at her.
“Do not harm Project S, unlike you, it actually serves its intended purpose and does not kill children” Shadow teleported in front of the glass, he heard a raspy gasp down from the stairs. Shadow channeled his chaos energy to his hand and curled it up to a fist.
He saw a flash of blue in the corner of his eye and suddenly the hedgehog was in front of him holding his fist, he was barely showing any struggles, only a bit of shaking of his hand to his shoulders. Shadow jumped back to the floor, the hedgehog followed him and landed just a few feets away from shadow.
“Move out of my way” Shadow said more angrily.
The hedgehog looked at him with pity in his eyes “I don't want to fight. Please don't fight, it's what they want”
“I do what I want, so get out my way before I-”
The blue hedgehog quills and eyes glowed to a brighter more cyan color, just like when he prepares to fight or run with his chaos energy. Shadow made confused noise, not expecting the hedgehog to have same chaos energy as him
“Just back off. I told you already. Don't fight, you'll only make it worse for the both of us” His voice was cracking and still was raspy.
“ You’re in no condition to fight me so, get out of my way” shadow growled. He didn't want to fight the hedgehog and to be honest, wanted to help him. He seemed ill or sick.
“Please, I don't want to fight. Not in front of them at least” The hedgehog pleaded.
“If he wants to fight, engage Project S” the woman scientist said.
“But-”
“Engage Project S”
The hedgehog looked back to the glass to look at the woman. Shadow was confused, was the hedgehog like him? Trapped in the hands of scientists with no choice. If so, he’ll free him.
The hedgehog looked back to him and glanced at the floor, he opens then closes his mouth. The hedgehog was conflicted it seemed.
“No. No, I can't. Why do i gotta do this, he didn't do anything wrong” The bright cyan He looks back at the scientist, turning his body fully to face them. Shadow thinks he's a bit of an idiot turning his back against an enemy.
Was shadow considered an enemy here?
Another scientist, a guy with long blonde hair in a ponytail walks up to the glass right beside the woman scientist. He reaches in pocket and brings out a remote with only one green button on it.
“Just fight the hedgehog, Project S” the male scientist says, voice completely unprofessional and bored.
“Why do you guys call me that? I've told you I'm not ‘Project S’ , ‘S’ or ‘Project’. I will never be a 'Project". Y'know my name, i"m soni-”
The hedgehog suddenly fell to the floor, his collar glowing red. Shadow took a step forward, wanting to help the pained hedgehog. The blue hedgehog clawed at the collar and his face in pain, breathing hard and whining.
“Your name isn't important Project S” said the woman looking coldly at the hedgehog in pain below then looked at Shadow.
Shadow didn't really care what they were trying to play and ran to the hedgehog. He bent down to take a look. Shadow looked at the collar and brought his hand to it, ready to crush it.
“I wouldn't do that, Shadow. The collar isn't the only thing we have to harm the pesky rodent” the woman scientist said as she giggled a bit. The male scientist also laughed at this. The hedgehog suddenly widened his eyes. The doors started opening.
Shadow tensed and quickly moved in front of the hedgehog, trying to protect him. The woman scientist made a hum of interest. The male scientist beside her looked at Shadow with a look of disgust
“Ugh, really? This hedgehog?” the male scientist said with full blown disgust and boredom. The woman scientist glanced at him “hmm this might turn out interesting. Let go of the button”. The hedgehog behind Shadow let out a breath and only shook a little. Shadow glanced at the hedgehog with worry.
Suddenly, soldiers came out of the doors with weapons, cuffs, and cages. Shadow felt his quills rise up in defence. Shadow thought of just teleporting out of here but remembered the hedgehog. If this hedgehog was like him, he won't leave him behind.
“Project S, you know what to do” Said the woman scientist. The hedgehog let out huffs of air and shakely then got up. He looked like he was in guilt. The hedgehog leaped on top of Shadow.
Shadow tried to get the hedgehog off him. The two hedgehogs were fighting and rolling over the floor. Shadow tried to think why the hedgehog was suddenly attacking him. Is this hedgehog being used, do they have leverage of some kind? That woman did say about using other methods.
Shadow was slammed into a wall. A wall that.. had bars? Shadow realized that it was cages he saw earlier. He looked at the hedgehog who had locked the cage already. The hedgehog then was pushed away by the guns the soldiers had. The hedgehog tensed and let the soldiers push him.
“Move it along, freak!” one of the soldiers said. Shadow watched as the hedgehog only tried to curl into themselves, to appear small as the rest of the soldiers laugh.
Shadow narrowed his eyes at the hedgehog as he left through the doors. Shadow thought of the hedgehog, wanting to meet again if possible. But he’d have to get out of G.U.N ‘s grasp. The male scientist made his way to the doors leading to shadow and the soldiers. He put his hands in his pockets, feeling around for a bit and brought out a pink gassy vile. The soldiers salute and walk up the stairs to the doors in perfect formation. Shadow moved forward to get closer to the male scientist. Shadows hands were on the bars, trying to break them.
“Tell me, rodent.” The scientist said with a mischievous smile “Do you like the other? The other hedgehog. Are you thinking of his nice blue quills?” he laughed. He dropped the vile on the ground, the vile didn't break though. “It’ll be nice to experiment something new around here, so that's good.” He stepped on the vile and quickly left.
Shadow tried to get away from the gas that was slowly moving towards him.
“It's no use” the women scientist said.
“Yeah, goodnight!” the male scientist cheerily said.
Shadow felt his conscious fading. He fell to the ground, he tried to get up but his muscles felt weak and heavy.
Shadow slowly closed his eyes, still thinking of the hedgehog.