Chapter Text
1500 years ago...
Running. That was all they had been doing for the past hour. Run, Stop, Turn, Dodge, Run. The cycle was endless. But all they knew was that they had to get out of the facility. This was their last chance for freedom, and they knew it.
There were five of them, three boys and two girls, and all of them were mobians. One was a purple chameleon with golden eyes and a horn to match. He was always silent, meditating, honing the power he had been given. But now he was running noiselessly, watching out for anyone that would come up behind them with a shuriken in his hand.
Above him was a white bat with turquoise eyes and black wings. A tight black jumpsuit hugged her hourglass figure as she flew, her pink, heart-shaped breastplate and white boots with matching tips standing out from the rest of her outfit. She took on any form of security they came across to help slow down the ones tracking them.
The second male was a dark gray jackal with white hair. A white stripe that almost appeared to be a scar ran across his left eye, accenting his mismatched eyes. He stayed close to the chameleon to aid him should he need it and would cut through any defenses that blocked their way.
The two final runaways were a pair of hedgehogs, one carrying the other to save time. The female was a soft golden color with gentle, sickly blue eyes that matched her loose dress. She clung to her rescuer tightly, feeling that she would faint any second.
The one holding her, and the leader of the small group, was a black hedgehog with crimson stripes on his quills, arms, and legs. His ruby eyes darted everywhere as they ran. He wouldn't dare skate with the weak girl in his arms. The intensity could kill her. So he stayed with the others, but he knew they were running out of time before they could get out. They had to be close though. He could feel it. Soon they would be free from their captors, free from enslavement, and free from the procedure that made him into the monster he was.
"We're almost there," he whispered to the girl in his arms as a natural light appeared ahead of them. But just as they were about to reach it, a large metal door slammed shut, trapping them inside.
"NO!" the jackal cried as he punched the door. The male hedgehog didn't blame him. He would be doing the same if not worse were his hands not otherwise occupied. The bat landed beside them, and together the five tried to find a way to open the door.
"Halt!" they heard someone say behind them. An entourage of the ones who would someday be known as the Ancients stood behind them with their weapons raised. The five escapees stood with their backs to the door, and the black hedgehog tightened his grip on the girl in his arms.
"Release us!" the jackal demanded as he brandished his scimitar. The chameleon beside him reached into his glove to retrieve five more shurikens, and the bat pulled out a detonator she had stolen during their escape. The striped hedgehog glanced at his companions and slowly set the blond hedgehog on the floor behind him to protect her. She was far too weak to fight, but he would die before they ever laid a finger on her again.
"Stand down," one of the guards ordered with his massive gun raised and aimed at the small group, "We do not wish to harm you."
"Yeah, right," the bat scoffed, fanning her wings to emphasize her point.
"Not anymore than necessary," another soldier finished, but his sneer suggested that he wouldn't mind a fight. The striped hedgehog, chameleon, and the jackal bent down simultaneously, preparing to strike. They would be leaving the base one way or another, but the sound of slow, methodical clapping silenced everyone.
"Well done. I didn't expect you to make it this far," a voice began as a giant serpentine body slithered past the guards. He was a dark green snake with large yellow eyes. A metal suit he created protected his head and was even equipped with artificial, mechanical arms, the source of the droning claps.
The yellow hedgehog sniffed, and her dark protector stood in front of her defensively. They had to find a way out, but he couldn't see it. They were literally backed against a wall.
"Lyric," the jackal spat, and his bi-colored eyes narrowed. The black hedgehog bared his canines in a similar way his white bat companion was doing with her fangs.
The metallic snake slowly drifted closer to the group, sensing their unease, but his eyes were set on only one prize. The only one who came through the operation successfully. "Now now, there is no need to be so hostile. I only desire Project 005. The rest of you are free to go. I have no use for you."
"We will not abandon our friend so quickly," the chameleon stated calmly, and the others echoed in agreement.
"You will let all of us go, or we will have to use force," the white bat hmphed, challenging the giant before her. Lyric chuckled darkly.
"And what makes you think you will survive, Project 003? You are a failure, just like the others, and yet you protect the only one who has surpassed you. You defend the only success! I would have thought that you, out of all the others, would have been the first to report the escape," the serpent hissed, although he made it clear he was speaking to all of them, not just the bat.
"I don't backstab friends," she retorted with her arms crossed, resembling a very sassy child, "You, on the other hand, I would do in for free."
"Leave them alone, Lyric," the ebony hedgehog ordered, striding out of the group before a fight could break out. If he couldn't save himself, he would save the others, "I'm the one you want. Let them go, and no one gets hurt. I won't resist."
"What!?" the four cried, and the yellow hedgehog gasped and ran to grab his arm, "Please don't do this! We can all get out. I know it."
"Sorry, sis, but I'll see you again. I promise," he said as he gave her one last hug before walking up the mechanical snake, who was grinning madly.
"Touching. Disgusting too, but I'll let you keep your moment. After all, it's the last you will ever see of your little friends, 005."
"What?!" he glared just as Lyric lifted his hand to reveal a circular device that reminded him of one of the controllers he had seen throughout the base. With a snide smirk, he pressed the center button and ordered the guards to get back.
The five mobians stood together, expecting something drastic to happen. They glanced at each other, the stillness throwing off their momentum.
"Is this some kind of joke?" the jackal demanded, brandishing his curved blade as he did so. However, there was one who felt what was coming, and he tried everything he could to stop it.
The black and red hedgehog groaned as his chest began to tighten. He couldn't breathe correctly, and he panted for air as his vision swam. What was happening to him?! Then he felt it. Unrestrained energy began to build up inside of him, and he saw his form begin to glow. He could faintly distinguish voices frantically asking him something, but he couldn't understand them. All he knew was that the energy was wanting to break out of him, and it was painful to resist. There was a massive explosion of green light and power erupting from him before the pain finally subsided. But as soon as he opened his eyes, his four friends...they were gone. And it was all his fault...
Present
Shadow jerked awake from his makeshift bed on the cavern floor, the memory all too vivid, even though it occurred centuries ago. That moment had changed his life, and not for the better. As soon as Lyric pushed that button, he had lost the only people he ever cared about. He became his name, only a shadow of his former self, not that there was much to begin with. He pushed anyone and everyone away, afraid of potentially hurting them, but also afraid he would lose them too.
As the years since that incident passed, and him finally gaining his freedom after sealing Lyric away years later, he had soon noticed that age had no effect on him. Was this a side effect from the procedure? He couldn't tell, but it was just another reason to remain alone. He would lose anyone he opened up to regardless. If they weren't killed, he would outlive them, and he wasn't sure which was worse.
The striped hedgehog shook his head to dispel the depressing thoughts that clouded his mind. He still had a few hours before the sun would rise, meaning he could slip into the village without being seen, or possibly visit the beach without running into the neighborhood do-gooders. He stood and stretched, rubbing any sense of tiredness out of his eyes.
"Might as well. There's no way I can sleep after reliving that," he said to himself and rubbed a hand over his face, "I just really hope today will be a quiet day."
With one last look at his most recent campsite, he clicked on his hoverskates and glided out into the jungles of Bygone Island. With the sun not yet risen, he was virtually invisible, apart from the red streak that trailed behind him.
"I see him," a voice said over a com link. The figure waited a few seconds and listened to the other's reply. "Understood. Ending link," the voice stated and turned their hand away from the ear piece, "We will meet again soon, Shadow the Hedgehog, Success of the Ancients."