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“You finally figured it out, I see.”
Shadow raised a brow, but otherwise didn’t acknowledge her. Perhaps he was used to ominous half questions. She was growing soft, then.
“I think you’ll need to clarify a bit more. I’ve figured out quite a few things this week alone.”
“Like how to use the printer at G.U.N.?” She sits in the love seat across from him, crossing her legs at the ankles, and leaning her head on her hands, head titled ever so slightly. Shadow was used to her little games, her dances and sugar coated words, but there is something unnerving about her full attention being given to him so freely. Her eyes stare into him, and Shadow glances away, covering his nerves with agitation, crossing his arms and feigning annoyance.
“That’s not what you’re talking about, however, is it? Because I rather tire of hearing you mock me.”
She grins, sharp teeth flashing. They were situated in the apartment above her club, and Shadow could hear the steady thrum of a beat playing down below. Her apartment was rather dim, though it’s not surprising, considering she was nocturnal by nature.
Rouge had invited him inside to let him rest, after all the events that transpired. After watching Emerl die by the hands of Sonic, as reluctant as he was, Shadow was too exhausted to deny Rouge. It was a very emotionally taxing few days, dealing with that weapon with a soul. Shadow saw a lot of himself in Emerl, and only hopes that what occurred over the past few days wasn’t a foreshadow to his own inevitable demise.
“I don’t think I would ever tire of mocking you, but admittedly, that’s not what I’m talking about. I think you know what I really mean.”
“I can’t read minds, Rouge. Spit it out.”
“You figured out you aren’t the original Project Shadow.”
He’s known for about two weeks now, but hearing it spoken aloud still stings. He glares at her, making sure his eyes are as icy as possible, but Rouge doesn’t so much as flinch under the weight of his gaze. In fact, she almost appears amused, which only serves to tick him off even more.
“Yes.” The admittance hurts almost worse than the accusation, but Shadow’s also had two weeks to finally come to terms with the truth. He’s gone over every piece of evidence, poured every bit of his fabricated heart into this bizarre goose chase, and came to the indisputable conclusion.
Well, perhaps not indisputable. There’s still quite a lot of mystery surrounding Project Shadow, no matter how much digging he tries. There are questions only scientists aboard the ARK could answer, only Gerald Robotnik himself could answer, and they are all long gone. Massacred by men with an insatiable taste for power and control.
“When did you figure it out?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“So it’s still fresh. Explains everything about your interactions with Emerl. You did a lot of self projecting on to him, I might add.” Rouge watches him with a lazy gaze. “You aren’t like him, though.”
“No, I’m not.”
“When did you begin to suspect the truth?”
Shadow glances away. He might as well be honest. There’s nothing Rouge can use in this conversation to blackmail him, anyway. They both already know the answers. It’s always just a game for her. Shadow’s still willing to play, as long as she sacrifices a pawn or two.
“Aboard the ARK, after our first conversation. You accused me of not being the real Project Shadow. I realize now you were under the impression the Biolizard was the real Project Shadow, but the conversation had me thinking... especially after Sonic escaped death using the fake Chaos emerald, which even Miles confirmed would have been impossible.”
Shadow glances away. “It added up, in all honesty- you and Eggman had been under the impression that I was a weapon solely made to carry out Gerald’s revenge, not a cure for Maria. That I perhaps wasn’t even created on the ARK at all. And how my memories were altered or even implanted. You certainly sowed a seed of doubt in my mind. But after I lost my memories and regained them... the drive to properly seek out more concrete information about my past wasn’t long after the alien invasion. I had concerns over Gerald’s true intentions.”
The Commander once told him that even the best of intentions can still lead to the worst of consequences. Sonic once told him the reverse was true, too.
“Didn’t Black Doom confirm that you were made aboard the ARK?” Rouge hums. “And weren’t you immune to the neurotoxins of his kind?”
Shadow raises a brow. “Are you playing Devil’s advocate?”
“I’m curious as to what made you believe so concretely in this... theory that made you revert back to your assumption you were just built for revenge.”
Shadow glances away again. “Gerald could have easily falsified my memories. He’s not a reliable source of information. Eggman only wanted to ensure I wouldn’t let the Black Arms destroy the world. He isn’t a reliable source of information. Black Doom only wanted my help in destroying the world. Whether I am the true ultimate lifeform or not doesn’t matter to him in the slightest. For all we know, the neurotoxin plot could have been staged. Either way, he most certainly isn’t a reliable source of information. And you of all people know how important sources are for fact checking.”
Rouge’s fangs flash. “Very good. So what else?”
“It’s a culmination of things, perhaps. The uncertainty of everything, despite having my memories back. And truthfully, I don’t have very many memories to name. I have a few of Maria, but mostly, I only recall her death.” That was a particularly startling realization, to know that he only has a handful of actual memories, despite the fact his memory should have returned. He remembered everything aboard the ARK after he had been realized, but his supposed childhood aboard the ARK was still shrouded in mystery. “And... I had found the report you wrote, right after the incident of Gerald’s attempted revenge.”
“My, my. I don’t think you have clearance for that?”
“But you do.”
“Insinuating you stole my key card for the security clearance?” Rouge grinned when she saw him glance away. “If you feel guilty, don’t bother. I noticed you took it. I was too curious to see what you would end up doing with it to mention it.”
Of course she would notice. Stealing from a master thief was honestly not one of his brightest moves, but it was his only option. “I read your report. You had corroborated with multiple sources, and you mostly confirmed everything I already knew. But there was something you mentioned that I couldn’t stop thinking about... that the escape pod Maria launched during the raid was never actually found.”
“Mmhmm.”
“If the escape pod was never found...” Shadow glances up at her, eyes staring dead into hers. “Well, it’s quite obvious I shouldn’t have been found on Prison Island, then.”
“Very good. I’m still proud of you for having the initiative to steal, you know.”
“It began to line up... your theory that I was created as a means for revenge, instead of as the true ultimate lifeform, began to... seem less like a theory.”
Rouge nodded. “Spying is more of a side hustle to me- my first love will always belong to jewels. But my second love will always belong to gossip. And it may surprise you, but I take all of my hobbies very seriously.”
“You know more about this situation than I do, however. I want to hear what you know.”
“Still more questions? Well, you’ve got the bare basics down quite well. I suppose I’ll indulge a bit.” She hums. “Remember, most of what I say is simply theory, based on the scraps of information I received from G.U.N. Whether you are the original or not is still... Debatable.”
“But unlikely.”
“That’s up to you to decide. In any case, there were mainly two stages to the development of Project Shadow- two projects, almost. They both started with the desire to create a species that could replicate Chaos control; being able to manipulate the Chaos emeralds was a driving force behind Gerald’s research. I suspect he had spent time on Angel Island and found the mural of Perfect Chaos. That's what inspired the Chaos drives, when Gerald was still beginning his research and created Artificial Chaos.
“Then, the Biolizard. It was another attempt to replicate what Robotnik thought was the true ultimate lifeform, only this time, he used both salamander DNA sequencing and DNA he received from the Black Arms. It grew out of control far too quickly and was deemed too aggressive and violent to be a success.
“From these two research projects stem two other research projects- the true Project Shadow, and the false copy. The research line that remained separate from Black Doom’s DNA created the true Project Shadow, the Shadow who actually witnesses Maria’s death. The research line that created the Biolizard creates the false copy- you.”
Rouge leans forward, her complete attention centered on Shadow now, watching him with a gaze so sharp it could cut diamonds. “Gerald wasn’t interested in creating a cure when he created you. Point blank, you were meant to be an instrument of revenge. You were meant to be a weapon. Perhaps he gave you the same AI as he did in Emerl, but during his mad spiral into vengeance, he gave you false memories for that AI to latch on to. You were given emotions, only for him to manipulate them into giving you motivation to end the world.
“You didn’t need to be made as powerful as the first and true Shadow. Your goal was to simply collect all the emeralds and bring them to the ARK. The ARK would then do the rest- decimate humanity in a single collision. And if all else failed. Gerald at least knew that Black Doom would come back and terrorize the earth, likely searching for your help. He set you up either way, to wipe out humanity, just as he pleased.”
Rouge leans back in her love seat, curling her legs on the seat, thumb rubbing over the plush velvet of her chair. “You were made with Black Doom DNA, in the hopes of producing something aggressive and bloodthirsty. Gerald wanted to create a weapon of revenge. Not a cure, not a saviour. And his vision for revenge became a reality when he developed you on Prison Island, sealing you away with an encryption G.U.N. couldn’t unlock even fifty years later.”
Shadow remains silent.
“Are you happy, finally knowing the truth?” Rouge watches him lazily. “It might not even be the truth, you know. It’s mostly theory.”
“But you know it’s true.”
“And how would I know that?”
“Because Eggman gave you Gerald’s diaries back on the ARK. And I know you didn’t give that back.”
Again, Rouge’s lips curl in a sly smile. “Good job. I won’t tell you what’s on those files, though.”
“Why not? I have more right to those files than you.”
“You already have everything laid out before you. You don’t need more puzzle pieces when the pictures almost complete. Though there’s a corner piece I think you’re missing. What do you think happened to the real ultimate lifeform?”
Shadow has thought of this question, long and hard, ever since he began to question his identity. What could have happened to the original, if that wasn’t him? Shadow has a theory, but he’s curious if Rouge would share hers. “Perhaps he drowned in the ocean.”
“You don’t actually believe that.” Rouge tsked. “I’ll give you a crumb. Gerald estimates that the pod landed somewhere near this tiny little island not far from South and West Side Island. Have you ever heard of Christmas Island?”
“Sonic’s home.”
“Correct.” Rouge hummed, moving her legs again, so she was laying in the loveseat, legs overhanging the side of the armchair. “I always thought it was so interesting, that moment when Eggman first met you. I re-watched the security footage at least ten times. He releases you from the stasis, and yet his immediate thought was to assume you were Sonic.”
“We look alike.”
“And isn’t that another thing to contemplate?” She gives him a lazy grin. “But do you understand what I mean? Why would Eggman assume you were Sonic, when he had traversed through a highly guarded, maximum security prison to unleash his grandfather’s weapon... unless, perhaps, Eggman had done something similar with Sonic?”
“Sonic! I think I've discovered what the Ultimate Life Form is... It might be you!”
Shadow’s eyes widen. “Rouge-”
“It’s interesting food for thought, isn’t it?” Rouge gets up out of her loveseat, idly checking the clock behind her. “Oh my, I think it’s time I head back to my club. A party isn't really a party without me, after all.”
“Rouge, you can’t just drop this and ditch!”
“Oh, but can’t I?” Rouge is already at her door, keys jingling in her hands. She turns to face him, and gives a very lazy shrug. “It’s all just theory, after all.”
She opens the door, and Shadow has half a mind to grab her and make her tell him everything she knows. Instead, he stands frozen in place in her apartment. Rouge is about to close the door when she adds, “You can stay here as long as you’d like, you know. I never cared what you were or whatever. A weapon, a cure, a fraud, an ultimate lifeform... it never mattered to me. I recommend that you start thinking the same.”
"... There are some things you’ll never get answers to, Shadow.” She glances away. “Now, don’t trash the place while I’m out. There’s Mountain Dew in the fridge.”
With that, she shuts the door behind her.
Shadow shudders in a deep breath, and pulls out a Chaos emerald.
In the long term, she’ll be right. After the alien invasion, Shadow had been determined to not let the past definite him, to let go of all his tragedies and start anew. What he was didn’t matter, as much as what he is does. He only started rooting around in his past again when things felt like they weren’t adding up. And Emerl was only kerosene to the burning fire in his soul, to his wayward identity crisis.
He saw far too much of himself in Emerl, assuming all of his theories had been true, assuming all of his research was right. A machine without a heart, a weapon of vengeance. It was like his grief had been reopened again, an old scar freshly sliced through again. Emerl taught him that one’s past doesn’t define them, that intentions behind creation don’t matter as much as one does with their life. He’ll agree with that sentiment not long after this conversation, when he reaches dead end after dead end, when the answers he’s looking for remain just out of reach.
But right now?
Shadow has research to do.