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"description": "Chapter 4 of my ShTH adaptation, \"The Miracle of Love\", is here at last! The ShadAmy pours in as Shadow, Amy, and Charmy chase down Cream in Eggman's amusement park. There, they find more than they bargained for in some powerful enemies... and unlocked memories. Hope you all like it! Put a lot of love into this, so leave a comment or fav to show me some love!",
"description_bbcode_parsed": "Chapter 4 of my ShTH adaptation, "The Miracle of Love", is here at last! The ShadAmy pours in as Shadow, Amy, and Charmy chase down Cream in Eggman's amusement park. There, they find more than they bargained for in some powerful enemies... and unlocked memories. Hope you all like it! Put a lot of love into this, so leave a comment or fav to show me some love!",
"writing": "[b]The Miracle of Love\n\nChapter 4: Memories of Love\n\nDISCLAIMER: This fan fiction contains instances of profanity, extreme violence, nightmare-inducing imagery, and sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised. \n\nAll characters and settings are property of SEGA and Sonic Team.\n\n----\n\nNOVEMBER 16, 2015\n\n5:10 PM - GUN GLOBAL HQ - AREA 99[/b]\n\nEspio and Sonar had been fighting across the GUN Fortress for about five hours at this point. The Ninja's tricks only had so much effect, and the GUN agent couldn't shoot effectively when her target moved so fast and stealthily. For most of the time, the two had been resorting to using close combat, of which they were equally skilled in. Espio's chops were lethal, but Sonar?s kicks hurt like hell and back. By now, however, the two were getting exhausted. Fighting for this long was beginning to take it's toll on the duo. The only positive was that they were able to get a good look at each other. Espio would not show it, but he found himself attracted to the fox. She moved like a warrior princess, which was the kind of woman Espio always dreamed of. Sonar, conversely, thought the chameleon was kind of cute. [i]'I bet he's pretty good with his hands, too.'[/i] She thought. \n\n``I must admit... you aren't too bad, for a GUN agent.'' Espio said, trying to catch his breath. ``You're a... noisy ninja. But... skilled enough.... To put up a fight... call it a draw?'' Sonar panted, extending a hand. Espio was reluctant to accept the gesture. For all he knew, this could be a feint to lure him into a false sense of security. ``I'm not falling for that. I know an alluring trick when I see one.'' He said. ``It's not a trick, dude. I'm calling it a tie. You and I can't fight each other further without killing each other, and I?d rather not spill any blood on the floors.'' Sonar replied. ``You have enough strength to stand up, so you could potentially knock me out any moment.'' Replied Espio. ``But I'm not. Look, you're sexy, we?re both beat, and my arm?s gonna fall off any moment. Are you gonna shake my hand or not?'' she asked. Espio blushed a bit when she called him that. He kind of liked that. When he looked her in the eyes, he saw nothing but sincerity, and an undying spirit. It was kind of cute, and endearing to him.\n\nWith a moment of pause, Espio took her hand and shook it. Sonar smiled and introduced herself. ``Agent Sonar of GUN.'' She said. ``Detective Espio of Team Chaotix.'' He returned. ``So what's a ninja hunk like you doing hacking our formerly compromised mainframe?'' she asked. ``I been digging information regarding Shadow the Hedgehog. I figured you guys might know at least one thing.'' Espio said. Sonar crossed her arms, pressing them underneath her breasts. ``You never thought to ask one of us?'' she asked. ``GUN is known for some shady practices. There's little here we can trust.'' He explained. ``I don't blame you. To be truthful, there's a lot of stuff that the Commander and the higher-ups won't even tell me. Like why he hates Shadow so much that he wants to kill him first, and his allies second.'' she said. This caught Espio by surprise. ``You mean anyone aligned with him? Even if they aren't Black Arms?'' he asked. ``'fraid so. I personally think he's lost his mind.'' Said Sonar. \n\n``Clearly. You?d think stopping this invasion would be priority one.'' Said Espio. This was bad for him. If they were prioritizing killing Shadow and anyone close to him, then he feared Charmy and Amy may be in grave danger. ``I don't know how much help I can be, but maybe I can access the database easier and help your investigation. No strings attached.'' Said Sonar. ``I appreciate your generosity. This is a pro bono case we are handling and it is dangerous for you to be doing this, knowing the risks. Are you sure about this?'' he asked. ``Without hesitation. I joined GUN because I want to prove myself and help others in need.'' She answered, leaning in almost teasingly, ``And you look super needy.'' Espio grinned as he blushed. ``You perhaps moreso, Sonar. But I can help you in more ways than you know.'' She giggled in a cute way and walked over to the computer room. She had to work fast, and if Espio was as good at other aspects than combat and stealth, then it would be worth it. \n\n----\n\n[b]6:09 PM - CIRCUS PARK - OUTSIDE CRYPTIC CASTLE[/b]\n\nShadow and Charmy had caught up to Amy. Their little scuffle with the Black Arms and GUN scared off little Cream and her Chao, Cheese. Black Doom tried calling Shadow back to kill Sonic, but Shadow ignored him. The blue hedgehog was not his priority and not worth it. At least that's what he told himself.\n\nDeep down, there were more ulterior motives to defying Black Doom. Something in him that told the Ultimate Life Form to deny the Black Arms and chase after that pink girl, but he couldn't understand what it was. He just felt strange when seeing her, like he was meant to be with her. These emotions were eating up at him, he wanted to know them. Right now was not the time. Shadow, Charmy, and Amy stood outside the centerpiece of Dr. Eggman's amusement park - the Cryptic Castle. ``Cream must've gone in here.'' Said Amy. She got chills just looking at the place. If Egan was going for a creepy-ass haunted house attraction, he seemed to have nailed it downpat. Charmy knocked the door, thinking it would just open. It didn't. Shadow wasted little time, firing a Chaos Spear and blasting the door down. ``Knock knock.'' He said. \n\n[i]``Ho ho ho ho! Welcome to my Cryptic Castle!''[/i] said a voice over an intercom. They all recognized it as the voice of the eccentric but sadistic Doctor Eggman. [i]``The main attraction of my greatest amusement park, and will be sure to leave you with - WHAT?! Shadow?!''[/i] Shadow grinned, looking up as he and the others entered the castle. ``Long time, no see, doctor. You sure fell on hard times.'' He said. ``Wait, is he seriously recording all this live?'' asked Amy. [i]``That depends, are you going to mind your own goddamn business for once in your miserable life?''[/i] Eggman quipped. ``Hey, Baldy McNosehair! Where the hell?s our money!!'' shouted Charmy. [i]``You don't get any money, kid. Normally, I save the scares for later on in the ride. But since you're all here, and because I have those damn Black Aliens intruding as well, I'm holding nothing back. Come into my humble abode... and meet your doom!''[/i] Eggman laughed. Shadow stepped forward, ready to take on the challenge. ``Bring it, doctor!''\n\nShadow stepped forward, into the castle grounds, running with his allies to find Cream. In little time they came across some Egg Pawns. Shadow took their guns and blasted them apart with it. Amy swung her hammer and decapitated the last couple. The hedgehogs grabbed a pumpkin-shaped balloon and rode it across, while Charmy flew up. Amy looked over to Shadow and saw a determined gaze in his eyes. It was almost a turn on for her. She never seen a guy with the kind of drive and determination like Shadow did. It felt nice. Just then, Shadow grabbed her waist and jumped off the balloon, landing on the entrance to a large jack-o'-lantern like thing. ``H-hey, what was that for?!'' she exclaimed, blushing. ``That balloon was just going to return us to where it started. We don't have time to lose.'' He replied, setting her down and proceeded forward. \n\nCharmy flew up to them and looked around the lantern. It was mostly plain, except for a huge lantern in the center. What got them curious was a fire fight between Eggman's forces and the Black Arms. ``You deliberately disobeyed me, Shadow...'' said a voice. Amy screamed at the sight of Doom's Eye floating down towards them. [b][i]``SWEET MOTHER OF CHAOS, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!?!''[/i][/b] she yelled out. ``Well is your ass well after blue's raping in Westopolis?'' Shadow smirked. ``Do not attempt to be funny, Shadow! I gave you a direct order and you ignored me. Now the humans have retaken the city, and Black Bull has been lost! Your insubordination has cost me dearly!'' Doom yelled. His voice sent shivers down Amy's spine. She could only assume that this was Black Doom, the one influencing Shadow to do all these atrocities. ``If you can't handle one little hedgehog, Black Doom, then I don't be see need to be helping you.'' Shadow said, not a hint of fear in his voice. Charmy even got in on it and flipped him off. \n\nAmy was amazed how Shadow showed zero fear for this abomination. She would have ran for the hills a long time ago, but here the black hedgehog was being a cocky bastard. Almost like Sonic, except cooler and in a hotter voice. [i]'Wait, what did I just say?'[/i] she thought. ``You would be wise to not incur my wrath. You may redeem yourself by completing this objective. This castle is under the influence of a foolish scientist called 'Eggman', and he cannot be left to his devices.'' Doom explained. ``Yeah, we got that part, jackass. Now how do we get him out?'' Charmy asked annoyed. Doom's Eye turned to the giant lantern. ``There are five giant lanterns scattered across the castle grounds. When all five are lit, the castle shall burn down and all within it shall perish. Ignite the lanterns and watch as the scientist perishes with his toys.'' He explained. Amy and Charmy gasped, both looking in horror and surprise. They didn't like Eggman, but they never wished him dead. That isn't even touching the fact that Cream was still in the castle, the one person neither of them wanted to lose. \n\nShadow crossed his arms and remained stoic. ``Okay, how the hell am I supposed to do that?'' he asked. ``Use your imagination. As punishment for your insolence, I shall give you no assistance. Do not fail me!'' Doom's Eye said, as it floated away. Amy approached Shadow as he looked at the lantern. ``Shadow, you aren't seriously considering this, are you?'' she asked. ``He isn't making my job any easier, but I don't have much of a choice.'' He answered. ``Uhh, yeah. You can tell him to piss off like you did before!'' said Charmy, ``Cream is still inside, and you said you don't kill kids!'' Shadow remained stoic. ``Look, the minute we find Cream, then Amy here can take her out of here. After that, we burn this fucker to the ground.'' Shadow said. Amy still wasn't having it. ``What the hell you got against Eggman that you'd wanna kill him?!'' she asked. [i]``I can think of a few reasons. Conquering the world, kidnapping and forcing robotization, blowing up half the moon, unleashing God to flood Station Square. It's all in the Eggman Museum of my greatest accomplishments, opening at Eggman Land in about two years time.''[/i] Noted Eggman. ``NO ONE ASKED YOU!!'' screamed Amy. \n\n``Shad, I like ya dude, but this is where I gotta put my foot down! You told Doom you have other ways to find out about your past, so don't do what he says! Besides, you should know how I feel about Cream...'' Charmy pleaded. Shadow wasted no time putting his hand on the kid's shoulder. ``That's why you're rescuing her. I burn the doctor's castle, you get the girls out, and we get what we want or need. Everyone wins. Except the doctor, of course.'' He reassured. Amy and Charmy chuckled a little bit at that last bit. They were still unsure, but at least Shadow could keep them entertained. The trio noticed that the Black Arms were pushing back Eggman's Badniks. Shadow checked his surroundings. He noticed a nearby torch and began brainstorming. He looked over to Amy. She paused, knowing what he was implying. Helping Black Doom was the last thing she wanted to do, but she could still make the Black Arms pay. Amy went around a Black Warrior, tapping him on the back, then smacking it with her hammer into the large lantern. Shadow grabbed the torch and approached the lantern. ``Consider yourself fired.'' He said to the alien, then threw the torch into the lantern, igniting a fire and burning the Black Warrior alive. The alien screamed as it felt itself get burned into ash. ``That was real lit, eh Shad?'' asked Charmy. Shadow smirked and gave the kid a fist bump. \n\nAmy blushed. Cliche though it may have been, it actually sounded badass. Almost like something James Bond would say. The Egg Pawns ran away the instant they saw Shadow. The Ultimate Life Form took out the Egg Gun he stole and shot at them, blasting them apart. He didn't get a chance to notice it before, but he saw something come out of the remains. He, Charmy, and Amy were taken aback when they saw small Chao fly out of the Egg Pawn remains. Amy knew the mad scientist liked to use small animals to power his robots, but now using Chao was an option too? This was a new low even for Eggman! ``If Eggman is using Chao to power his Badniks now, then Cheese might be in trouble!'' shouted Amy. ``We may need to move fast to save them.'' Shadow said, grabbing Amy's hand and running up into another part of the castle. Amy couldn't help but notice this newfound aggression in Shadow, like he was being driven by some strange will to do this. Shadow jumped up into the air and down into a tower, Charmy flying after. However, Amy saw an endless amount of skull ghosts rising from the ground as they made their landing.\n\n``EEEK!! GHOSTS!!'' she screamed, clutching onto Shadow tightly, her breasts pressing into his furry chest. Shadow stepped backwards until he was pressed against the wall, unable to really react properly to what Amy was doing. What was this gesture? And why were her boobs so big and... soft. Feeling her embrace felt nostalgic, and very nice. He kind of liked it. Amy looked up to Shadow and blushed, pulling away stuttering. ``S-Sorry, it was... i-i-it's a reflex!'' she apologized. Shadow said nothing, but he noticed Charmy had a suggestive grin when he looked at them. ``What are you grinning about?'' he asked. ``The fact you two are definitely gonna fuck before this fanfic ends.'' Charmy replied. Now Amy was blushing harder and ran off ahead. Shadow sighed and caught up with her a moment later, breaking a door down and searching the surroundings. [i]``By this point, any foolish SonAmy fan is having a fucking field day here. Don't worry, folks. It's only getting worse...''[/i] said Eggman over the intercom. ``Does this guy ever shut up?'' Shadow asked. \n\nCharmy flew around the room, looking for even the smallest sign of Cream, but there was nothing. She could have been anywhere in this castle and the usually cheery bee was getting more and more worried. Shadow had to calm him down every few minutes and keep telling him that she will be found. Suddenly, there was an explosion behind them. He was dismayed at the sight of GUN Troops, led by Agent Topaz Tanaka. ``Thought you could give us the slip, eh Shadow?'' she asked, pulling out her pistol. ``Not my fault you guys can't handle some black dicks.'' Shadow smirked. ``Oh ha ha ha, real funny asshole! You won't be laughing when I put a bullet in your fucking skull!'' she replied. Amy got inbetween the two. ``Hold up, Topaz! Shadow isn't our enemy, it's those Black Arms monsters!'' she shouted. ``Sorry Amy. My orders come from the top, and Commander Tower wants Shadow the Hedgehog killed on sight. So stand aside, or you will be under arrest!'' Topaz warned. Amy did not move, instead drawing her hammer. ``You're gonna need a forklift to move me. Shadow is being manipulated, he isn't at fault!'' she said. The GUN soldiers stood by, looking at each other. They had orders to shoot any sympathizers for Shadow, but their squad leader was not ordering a kill signal. \n\n``Amy... do not make me do something I'm going to regret...'' warned Topaz. Shadow looked on. He knew that these guys meant business, that they could easily shoot and kill Amy at any moment. He could easily let them do that, but he didn't want to. He enjoyed being with her. His heart was telling him to protect her. He quietly slipped out his uzi and spoke up. ``Then I'll do it for you.'' He said and shot at the ground, causing dust to get in the way and blocking the soldiers' vision. Shadow and Charmy took the time to grab Amy and bolt to the hallway and leap out the window. By the time the dust settled, the trio had already escaped, with GUN taking the long way to try finding them. They landed near a dead end, with a clear view of the rest of the castle far away. Cream had to be deeper inside. [i]``Be afraid, my hedgehogs. Be very afraid. Many dangers await in my Cryptic Castle, but true terror lies at the very heart of it... Ahahahaha!''[/i] Eggman laughed. Shadow rolled his eyes. \n\nThey had evaded GUN, but now they had another problem. There was a long way to the castle, only accessible by flight. Under these situations, Shadow could easily ask Charmy for a lift and he could fly the Ultimate Life Form to the other side no trouble. That is if it was just the two of them. However, he also had to count for Amy. Charmy may not be able to carry that much weight for such a long distance. He could also attempt Chaos Control, but that may be what the doctor [i]expects[/i] him to do. If he did that, they could easily be walking into a trap. ``There must be some other way...'' he thought out loud.\n\nThen, a Black Hawk swooped down to attack them. Shadow pushed Amy out of the way when it aimed at her. He got up and started shooting it wildly. As Amy dusted herself off and hoped for her blush to fade, she looked at the alien flyer and got an idea. Perhaps if they could tame it, they could use it to get across to the castle. ``Guys, you think we can use this thing to fly over there?'' she suggested. Shadow looked to her. This wasn't a bad plan actually, but he wondered how they would go about doing that. ``We have tame it first. That may be tricky...'' he said. Charmy pondered himself. He looked everywhere for something to use. Anything that could be good for taming it. He saw some kind of skeletons nearby, but he went against it. He knew that wouldn't tame the Black Arms bestial appetites. \n\nThat's when Charmy got an idea. He read in a book that sometimes, if one were to find a whip and lash it at a castle wall, some kind of meat would appear. He didn't understand it, nor did he think it would work, but it may have been their best bet. The young detective found a metal whip on a tree and cracked away at the walls. As he hummed the song ``Vampire Killer'', he found a piece of turkey in the walls. ``Oh cool, it worked!'' he shouted, grabbing the meat and flying over. Shadow and Amy were trying to hold back the Black Hawk, until Charmy called out to it. ``Hey buddy! Dinner time!'' he yelled. Shadow gasped; he thought Charmy had lost his mind. The Hawk flew over to the bee and was ready to bite. Shadow was about to attack, but then he noticed that the creature stopped short of his prey. Charmy pointed down as if the creature was a pet. ``Okay, sit boy. Heel...'' he commanded the Black Hawk, ``You want this tasty turkey, doncha?'' Shadow and Amy were aghast. Amy had officially seen it all, but Shadow didn't know what to make of this. \n\nThe Black Hawk landed and slowly sat, eying the food in Charmy?s hand. The bee still had the whip in his other hand to smack the creature if it stepped out of line. It squawked in anticipation, but Charmy wagged his finger in denial. ``Fetch boy!'' he said, throwing a skull. The Hawk flew a bit down at it and returned to Charmy, gnawing at the skull. ``Good boy! Here ya go, Blacky!'' said Charmy, giving it the turkey. The Black Hawk dropped the skull and ate it, enjoying it's meal. ``Okay, Blacky. Here's the deal. Me and my friends need to get to the castle over there. You give us a lift, and I'll get ya more meat, okay?'' he told it. ``Charmy, that thing isn't a pet.'' Said Shadow. ``Well you needed it tamed, I got it. So you two have fun and I'll meet ya there!'' Charmy replied and flew off to the castle. \n\nThis left Shadow to climb onto the Black Hawk, which Charmy affectionately nicknamed 'Blacky'. Amy got on behind him, holding onto his waist. ``Okay. Hold on tight, Amy.'' He told her and grabbed it's horns, moving it a bit to get it to fly off. `Blacky' took to the skies and flew with tremendous speed towards the castle. Amy gasped and held Shadow tighter, her chest pressed against his spine. Shadow blushed madly at how she was so close again, but that wasn't all. He could feel her head on his shoulder and her hands moving up, her index fingers touching the fur on his chest. She faintly blushed at the feel of him. It was soft like a teddy bear, and he smelled good. She didn't intend to smell him, of course; it was just something that happened. Amy could feel her heart pounding like crazy. But for Shadow, who was concentrating on flying the beast, he could feel some familiarity in this gesture.\n\nIt was then his eyes widened. He started to remember something. A memory thought to be lost, of him... and Amy Rose...\n\n----\n\n[i]Everything was going according to plan. Dr. Eggman had neutralized the GUN forces on Prison Island. Their mission was fairly simple: rush inside, grab the Chaos Emeralds, and then blow it all sky high before they have a chance to retaliate. Easier said than done, theoretically. Prison Island was one of the most fortified places on the planet. Not a single person had been able to break in or out of the facility. This was where the first phase of the plan came in. Eggman would distract GUN?s armed forces occupied, while Shadow and Rouge slip onto the Metal Harbor and by the main building, where the Chaos Emeralds were. Rouge would get the Emeralds, while Shadow would set a dynamite pack into the armory, blowing the entire island to bits while they escape. \n\nPhase one was complete. The forces were wiped out, or at least distracted enough that the two were able to get onto the harbor. Eggman used his Egg Walker's bazooka to blow a hole through the facility. ``This was even easier than before! I can just feel those Chaos Emeralds now!'' laughed Eggman. Shadow and Rouge got into position. ``Okay, you two ready? Let's move out at once!'' he ordered. Shadow grinned a bit. He was one step closer to his revenge. Nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling Maria's promise. \n\n``OH SONIC, YOU'RE OKAY!!'' \n\nJust then, he felt a tight grip from behind him. He barely flinched or moved, but Rouge turned over as if to say `what the fuck?'. Shadow didn't budge or try to escape from the grips of whatever was holding him. ``Oh my darling Sonic, I missed you so much! I'm so glad you're okay! I knew you would make it out... I just knew it!'' yelled the girl behind him. Her voice was loud, yet somehow soothing. Her grip was very tight but sweet. It reminded him a bit of Maria. The Ultimate Life Form could feel his heart beating a bit, he had never felt like this in nearly fifty years. Shadow's face melted to a warm smile as he felt her body press against his, and her hands feel his chest.\n\nThat's when he chose to look over his shoulder. That's when he saw the softening smile of a pink hedgehog, who looked at peace. That was until she realized she was holding his chest. She looked surprised and then looked up to him and the two locked eyes. Shadow's face turned to stoic, not wishing to be seen as weak by the girl, but the hedgehog looked shocked. It was as if something was wrong. She very quickly released her grip of Shadow and stepped back, almost horrified. ``You... you're not Sonic! Who are you, imposter?!'' she yelled. Shadow looked down, almost dejected. He should have known. This girl had no interest in him; she was after that blue faker he saw in Central City. What was so special about him? Why did she worship him and call Shadow the imposter?\n\n``I should be asking you that!'' yelled Eggman, turning to the girl and looking annoyed, ``Oh it's you!'' The girl gasped. ``Doctor Eggman!? AAAH!!'' With that, she yelled and ran in the opposite direction. ``What the fuck was that?'' asked Rouge. ``That was Amy. She's Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend and a real nuisance. She's not your concern. You two go on ahead, I'll deal with her!'' said Eggman, taking his walker in the opposite direction as Shadow and Rouge entered the facility. Shadow couldn't get his mind off that girl though. He didn't understand what about her made him so warm. ``What the hell is so special about that blue hedgehog?'' he wondered out loud. Rouge smirked and elbowed Shadow. ``Is that jealousy I detect there, Shadow?'' she asked, teasingly. ``Why the hell would I be jealous of that imposter?'' he asked, ``He's not even that special.''\n\n``Admit it, you got eyes on pinky.'' She said. Shadow ignored her, continuing their run towards the destination. ``Tell ya what: once we get the Chaos Emeralds, we can take the girl up to the ARK and she can be all yours. Not a bad deal huh?'' she proposed. Shadow remained silent for a moment until they reached the point they had to depart. ``I'll think about it. You just worry about getting those damn four Chaos Emeralds!'' he said. ``Actually, there's only three here. But we can get the last one later. See ya `round, hun!'' she replied, flying off to the vault and Shadow made his way to the armory. He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting funny with that pink girl. Amy, was it? He actually made up his mind already. ``Once this job's done and I have those Emeralds... I'll take that girl as my bride.'' He said with a smirk.[/i]\n\n----\n\n[b]6:57 PM - CRYPTIC CASTLE[/b]\n\n``Shadow? Shadow!!''\n\nShadow shook his head and saw Amy still holding him. ``We're here.'' She said. He looked and saw `Blacky' arriving near the entrance to the remainder of the castle. He quickly got off it, helping Amy off as well, then turned to the Black Hawk. ``Thanks for the lift. You're not half-bad... for an alien.'' Said Shadow. The creature squawked in delight and then licked his face, making Shadow shiver but Amy giggled a bit. Charmy gave the beast another turkey and petted it. ``Thanks again Blacky! You're now free to go, but we'll never forget you!'' he said. `Blacky' smiled a bit and flew off. Amy turned over to Shadow, who was trying to regain his composure. He also looked a bit stiff. She blushed, wondering if she inadvertently made awkward advances on him. ``You okay, Shadow? You kinda zoned out during our flight.'' She asked. \n\nShadow looked over to her and sighed. ``Amy... our flight... it unlocked memories. Memories of when we first met, back on Prison Island.'' He explained. Amy was happy to hear this. ``Wait, so your memory is returning to you?'' she asked. ``Slowly... but why did you think I was Sonic? What do you see in him anyway?'' he replied with his own asking. Amy looked down, a little embarrassed to have to discuss that again. ``I thought he was everything a girl could want out of a boyfriend... that's what I thought, anyway.'' She said, sadly, ``It's not important now. What else do you remember?'' Shadow looked at her, still skeptical about her condition. But he still answered her. ``I remember you hugging me, thinking I was... [i]him[/i]. You ran off when you realized I wasn't, then I went inside to plant the bombs. That's it. I can barely remember anything before that, and hardly anything after.'' He said. ``Well, at least ya remember you got a hard for her.'' Chimed Charmy, causing them both to blush. Shadow maintained his composure, but Amy looked like she was going to smack the little bastard with her hammer. ``S-S-STOP THAT!! WE ARE NOT A THING, AND I AIN'T HIS FUCKTOY!!'' she screamed. ``I didn't say that, you did.'' He teased. This made Amy blush harder, but the strangest thing was he wasn't too far off. \n\nShadow shook his perverse thoughts away. He knew she wanted Sonic and he couldn't change that, no matter how much he wanted to. ``Let's get moving. Cream's waiting for us...'' he said, walking forward into the caste. Amy and Charmy went after him, but the pink hedgehog couldn't help but feel he sounded more bitter now than before. When they opened the door and crossed the halls, they noticed the Black Arms poisonous fruits and slime strewn about. But that wasn't all. They noticed small red pulsating blobs with three spikes and a yellow eye. Amy completely freaked out at the sight of them. ``EWW, WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS?! THEY'RE DISGUSTING!!'' she screamed. ``Judging by the fact the Black Arms have tagged this hall, I'd say these are their larvae or spawn.'' Shadow said. ``I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY ARE! GET RID OF THEM!!'' she screamed louder. Charmy started stinging the things, while Shadow just kicked them aside as if they were cans of cola. \n\nAmy, however, was wildly swinging and smacking her hammer down in total panic. She hated the sight of these things and wanted them gone. But her panic-induced fury caused her to miss more than hit. A couple ended up sliding onto her boots and latched onto her legs, some near her belly, and one in her privates. Amy screamed and moved around to get them off, but they were all latched tight. She found herself hanging onto a wall. Slowly, she felt her legs weaken. No, her whole body was weakening. Shadow looked over and noticed this. He recalled the Black Arms eating habits and didn't take long for him to realize what was happening. They were sucking her flesh and blood like vampires. Without hesitating, Shadow sped up to her and took out his pistol. ``Amy, hold still!'' he shouted and shot bullet upon bullet on the Death Leeches, being careful not to shoot Amy. The ones on her legs and dress were dealt with, but the last one was unaccounted for. Shadow carefully wrapped both hands underneath her dress and yanked the leech off before stomping on it. ``No kids allowed.'' He said.\n\nAmy fell to her knees, her face red and trembling. She was panting heavily, trying to collect her breath. She couldn't believe she gave in to panic like that, but she did not expect something like that. Shadow knelt down to check on her. ``Are you alright?'' he asked her. ``Th... thanks to you... Shadow...'' she said weakly, ``But... I still... feel weak...'' Shadow looked at the spots they bit. He started massaging her legs, hoping to ease the pain. She let out soft cute moans as he did that, blushing as he massaged them. ``How does that feel?'' he asked. ``B-Better... you're... surprisingly good at massages....'' She said. ``Just base instincts. Now for the stomach.'' He said. He began rubbing her stomach, at the parts of her dress torn by the leeches. He rubbed in circles to ensure she didn't feel any pain. Amy twitched a little bit so Shadow stopped. ``Are you alright?'' he asked. ``It... just stung a bit... I'll be fine.'' She nodded. \n\nShadow looked at her. He knew there was one spot he missed: her groin. He dared not touch that, not without Amy's approval. Even if he wished to, she was already claimed by that blue hedgehog. Just thinking that made him sick. He wanted her, but she wanted that faker instead. He turned over to her. ``Think you'll be okay to walk?'' he asked. Amy thought for a moment. A small part of her wanted him to go further, but she knew it was wrong. She digested the question and nodded. ``I think so.'' She said and slowly stood up, Shadow helping her up. His recent kindness was a breath of fresh air. She had never seen Shadow so sweet and selfless before. ``Shadow, I know this amnesia has been difficult for you, but... are you sure you're alright? I never seen you so... concerned for others like this.'' She said. ``Would you prefer me leaving you and the kids to die?'' he asked, only slightly sarcastically. ``N-no! That's not it! It's just... strange, yet... nice...'' she replied as the two locked eyes. \n\nFor a moment, it seemed like the whole world around them froze in place as they looked at one another. Shadow looked at Amy's face, and he could have sworn he saw an angel before him. One that he wished to hold onto and never let go of. In a way, Amy looked and felt like Maria. How he wished he could remember more to compare. The pink hedgehog felt her heart racing as she was close to him. Yet she couldn't stop herself from wanting him. The line between love and lust was becoming a blur to her. Looking at him felt so right, even if it may have been wrong. She thought she wanted Sonic, but now, she thought maybe not. Maybe her real lover had been standing there all this time. Their faces began drawing closer and closer, Shadow's eyes beginning to close. Just a few more inches...\n\n``AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!''\n\nA loud feminine scream from afar broke their gazes. They blushed and moved away, realizing that voice. ``That was Cream!'' shouted Charmy flying off into the distance. ``Dammit, Charmy! Wait!'' Shadow yelled as he gave chase, Amy running after them. Shadow was almost glad for that interruption. He was so lost in his passion for her, he almost stole Amy's first kiss. Granted, Amy was just as lost in the moment as he was, but he could have taken something irreplaceable from her. Memories of her had completely screwed his psyche. He thought that he hated all the Earthlings, but every time he even looked at Amy, he felt weakness. What was this feeling? What's more is why Amy refused to talk about why she was so sad the other day. She was clearly hurt, so why not confide in him?\n\n``CREAM!? WHERE ARE YOU?!'' shouted Charmy. Shadow was snapped out of his thoughts as they entered what appeared to be a large ballroom, a large chandelier hanging above them. The trio looked around, but they saw nothing. No cute rabbit girl or pet Chao in sight. Charmy tried flying around the room, but there was no trace of anyone. ``I know I heard her voice from in here. She couldn't have just disappeared...'' he said. Shadow looked around curiously. They heard Cream's voice too, but something was amiss. That's when it hit him. ``She didn't. In fact... I don't think she was ever in this room to begin with.'' He concluded. \n\nThen suddenly, the doors behind them shut on their own, and the chandelier came crashing down. Amy jumped up and pulled Charmy away before it could hit him. They had walked right into Eggman's trap. [i]``I can't believe you idiots fell for that! Imitate the little girl's sound patterns and you bolt right for the source without true confirmation. It's pathetic, really.''[/i] Gloated Eggman. ``Well Doctor. Now that you have us, what do you plan to do? Gas us to death? Smash us with anvils? Make us watch you trying and failing to rape Lindsey Thorndyke?'' Shadow asked, sarcastically. [i]``No, no, and HELL no! It will be even worse. I wanted to let you live Shadow and help lead my empire, but since you and Sonic's ex can't keep your hands off one another, that option is clearly off the table!''[/i] Eggman said. Shadow looked over to Amy in confusion, who just looked away in sadness. [i]``Instead, let me introduce you three to my latest and greatest creations!''[/i]\n\nAt that moment, steam filled the room. Not knowing what he was planning, the three covered their mouths. This could have been poisonous gas for all they knew. However, a minute passed and Shadow's eyes widened at what he saw. It was a silhouette of a familiar figure. It was him. As the smoke cleared, there stood a living reflection of Shadow. It had his basic likeness downpat, but its eyes lacked an iris and looked lifeless, its muzzle was slightly darker, and the movements it made were more stiff, more robotic. Shadow stared at this abomination before him, who pointed at him. ``Huh? Who are you?! What are you?!'' he asked. The being gave no response. [i]``That is the last prototype of my Shadow Androids, my dear Shadow.''[/i] Explained Eggman. ``Shadow... Android?!'' Shadow exclaimed. [i]``Created from your likeness and genetic structure after I recovered your body, these androids are designed to copy and outperform you in every conceivable way. This one - who I have dubbed `Terios' - is you in every single possible way!''[/i] said Eggman. Shadow grinned with confidence. ``Well then, let's see if it can feel fear!'' he said and threw a punch at the android. Terios, however, caught it effortlessly. Then he jerked his arm left, sending Shadow flying. \n\nShadow crashed into a solid wall. Slowly getting up, he rolled up into a spin dash and pushed forward, but felt himself be ricocheted upwards, then pounded downwards into the floor. When he looked up, he saw another one that resembled him. However, this one was different in that his eyes were orange, and his red markings and shoes were colored yellow. The new faker smirked at the original in pride. This one seemed more capable of speech than Terios. ``Hmph! This is the Ultimate Life Form from which I was bred? This must be some kind of sick joke! He's weak and worthless!'' he boasted. Shadow tried getting up but swift punches to his stomach by this yellow Shadow, with a fiery kick to the side of his head. Shadow thought he was nearly concussed. ``I am Blight, the Ultimate Battle Life Form! I am your superior, greater than the original Shadow in every conceivable way! You're nothing but an obsolete piece of shit!'' mocked the yellow one. ``How's [i]this[/i] for obsolete?!'' shouted Shadow, pulling out his auto rifle. \n\nHe pulled the trigger and tried shooting, getting a couple shots in until a metal body got in his way. The figure also had the same likeness of Shadow, but was radically different as well. Its body was completely metallic, with a chrome titanium color, and the markings were colored pink. In addition, its eyes were more of an LED screen, with red eyes to simulate eyesight, and its left arm was replaced with an attached double-barrel laser gun, similar in appearance to the Black Arms' Flash Shot. The pink android shot wildly at Shadow and the area around him, knocking some laser bullets into him but also wrecking the room a bit. [i]``Arin! I told you to watch it while shooting in here! This shit's expensive!''[/i] yelled Eggman. ``Piss off, doc! Killing the original is too good a chance to keep things tidy!'' said the android identified as Arin. He kept firing at Shadow, who was barely able to roll out the way. He turned around and caught a punch from another android, with the same model as Arin, but his markings came in blue. [i]``Well since the formalities keep coming, here is Gareth. I know you'll like trying to hit him! Key word being trying!''[/i] laughed Eggman. \n\n``You're too weak. I won't kill you, Shadow.'' Said Gareth. That made Shadow angry. ``Who're you calling weak?!'' he exclaimed and headbutted his metal imposter. Gareth's gun transformed into a beam blade and he slashed at Shadow, making the Ultimate Life Form stumble. Terios jumped from behind and unleashed a few homing missiles at Shadow. He had no time to react or dodge and took massive damage. Shadow was barely standing, his body bruised and bloody. ``Come on, Shad! Don't let these knock-offs beat ya!'' cheered Charmy. Amy was not going to just sit back and do nothing. She drew her hammer and charged into battle, but was stopped by a trail of fire in her way. A maniacal laugh echoed across the room as a fifth android dropped down. This one was also metallic with orange markings, but his arm weapon was different, wielding what appeared to be a bazooka than a normal gun.\n\nThe orange Shadow laughed as his bazooka shot out flamethrowers, burning Shadow's legs. Then he fired off a rocket about two feet from the original, causing a massive scream in pain. ``How's that shit feel, bitch?! The name's Ignis, and your ass just got burned!'' he laughed. Shadow crawled to a table to stand up but a plasma shot right to his back sent him back down to the floor. From a balcony came down the last one, the same body type as Ignis but in green marks and his gun had a scope. [i]``And last, but not least, I give you my resident sniper, Scourge! I had to just through some rings of fire to get the trademarks settled on that name.''[/i] said Eggman. ``How pathetic. The Ultimate Life Form brought down to the mercy of those superior to him!'' Blight mocked, kneeling to a blood-covered Shadow, ``You are old technology, Shadow. We are the future of the Earth. We are the new leaders of this planet; of this empire! My brothers and I shall make this planet tremble! No one can stop us, not even you!''\n\n``That does it!'' Charmy had enough. He charged at the androids to provide backup, but Terios caught him and smacked his face into the floor several times. The poor kid's face was a bruised mess. Shadow was getting pissed now. Ganging up on him was one thing, but harming Charmy was going a little far. With the little power he had left, he got to his feet and threw weak punches at Terios to hold him back. ``Don't you... hurt... my brother!'' he yelled. Blight grabbed Shadow by the throat, shaking his head in mockery. ``Such heroic nonsense.'' He said, punching him into a wall. Then Terios let go of Charmy, and he and the metal androids fired off a barrage of plasma shots and missiles at him. An explosion occurred, and as the dust cleared, Shadow collapsed in pain. ``SHADOWWWW!!!!'' yelled Amy. Shadow was lying in a puddle of blood, cuts and wounds covering his body. Amy needed to think of something. If she didn't do something, they were going to kill him. \n\nAmy noticed a fire extinguisher nearby. She was grateful Eggman at least had the decency to follow emergency regulations. That's when she had an idea. She took the extinguisher and charged forward. The androids were unaware of her pleasant. ``Goodbye forever, Shadow the Hedgehog!'' said Blight, ready to strike with an electric punch. Amy fired off the extinguisher onto the androids. The six Shadow copies shorted out and had their vision obscured. Charmy recovered and ran to Shadow. Amy shot out the extinguisher, then tossed it to the side and grabbed Shadow onto her shoulder. ``Hang in there, Shadow! We're gonna get you out!'' she said and led Charmy and the nearly-dead Shadow out of the room, smashing a door to get out. \n\nWhen the Shadow Androids regained their bearings, the three were all gone. Their quarry had escaped along with the kid and his girlfriend. ``Damn! They got away!'' shouted Arin in frustration. ``Do not fear, brother. They can't have gone far. Not in the shape our template is in.'' said Scourge. ``Let him go. He's weak, not worth the time! Besides he and his friends have to come out some time, and when they do, they're ours!'' declared Blight. Eggman himself was pleased. Even though Shadow had escaped, the field test for his Shadow Androids was a complete success. Now he had the power of the Ultimate Life Form at his fingertips. The world would be his, and not even Sonic would stop him! \n\n----\n\n[b]7:09 PM - OUTSIDE CRYPTIC CASTLE[/b]\n\nSonic the Hedgehog had been looking around Eggman's joke of an amusement park for over an hour. Most of the hour was fucking about and trashing the park, destroying the Badniks that got in his way. He hoped to find Shadow by this point, or at least the Chaos Emeralds, but there was no sign of either. There was one place he hadn't checked: Cryptic Castle. Eggman seemed to have a knack for the haunted house sorta thing, but it wasn't exactly inviting. He rushed through the castle grounds to find even the smallest traces of any hedgehogs. What he found was GUN troops locked in combat with the Black Arms. Sonic rubbed his nose and sped off, hitting homing attack after homing attack on the Black Arms until GUN unloaded the last rounds to kill the aliens. \n\n``That should be all of them, for now. Thanks Sonic! We owe you again.'' Said Topaz. ``No prob! But what's GUN doing at Eggman's theme park?'' he asked her. ``We tracked Shadow down to this castle. Orders are to take him down and anyone that sympathizes him. Which sadly includes Charmy and your girlfriend.'' She explained. Sonic's eyes widened. Even though she wasn't his girlfriend and never will, he knew exactly who Topaz meant. ``Amy's here too?! Why? How? And what's she doing with Shadow?!'' he asked. ``No idea, but she was willing to defend him. Think you might be getting cucked.'' Said Topaz. \n\n``Amy isn't my girlfriend, and I made it clear to her last week. But if Shadow's with her, that isn't good at all! She might be in trouble!'' said Sonic. He may not have feelings for Amy, but that didn't mean she wasn't his friend. Shadow was going to pay now, if he tried anything funny with her. He knew about his amnesia, sure, but this didn't stop him from thinking Shadow was getting off easy. ``I'll help ya nail him! If he did anything to hurt Ames, he's gonna pay!'' he said. ``Thanks Sonic. Give us a call once you find him!'' said Topaz, giving him a walkie. Sonic winked and ran off into the castle. Shadow, Eggman, and Black Doom were going to pay now!\n\n[b]TO BE CONTINUED...[/b]",
"writing_bbcode_parsed": "The Miracle of Love
Chapter 4: Memories of Love
DISCLAIMER: This fan fiction contains instances of profanity, extreme violence, nightmare-inducing imagery, and sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.
All characters and settings are property of SEGA and Sonic Team.
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NOVEMBER 16, 2015
5:10 PM - GUN GLOBAL HQ - AREA 99
Espio and Sonar had been fighting across the GUN Fortress for about five hours at this point. The Ninja's tricks only had so much effect, and the GUN agent couldn't shoot effectively when her target moved so fast and stealthily. For most of the time, the two had been resorting to using close combat, of which they were equally skilled in. Espio's chops were lethal, but Sonar?s kicks hurt like hell and back. By now, however, the two were getting exhausted. Fighting for this long was beginning to take it's toll on the duo. The only positive was that they were able to get a good look at each other. Espio would not show it, but he found himself attracted to the fox. She moved like a warrior princess, which was the kind of woman Espio always dreamed of. Sonar, conversely, thought the chameleon was kind of cute. 'I bet he's pretty good with his hands, too.' She thought.
``I must admit... you aren't too bad, for a GUN agent.'' Espio said, trying to catch his breath. ``You're a... noisy ninja. But... skilled enough.... To put up a fight... call it a draw?'' Sonar panted, extending a hand. Espio was reluctant to accept the gesture. For all he knew, this could be a feint to lure him into a false sense of security. ``I'm not falling for that. I know an alluring trick when I see one.'' He said. ``It's not a trick, dude. I'm calling it a tie. You and I can't fight each other further without killing each other, and I?d rather not spill any blood on the floors.'' Sonar replied. ``You have enough strength to stand up, so you could potentially knock me out any moment.'' Replied Espio. ``But I'm not. Look, you're sexy, we?re both beat, and my arm?s gonna fall off any moment. Are you gonna shake my hand or not?'' she asked. Espio blushed a bit when she called him that. He kind of liked that. When he looked her in the eyes, he saw nothing but sincerity, and an undying spirit. It was kind of cute, and endearing to him.
With a moment of pause, Espio took her hand and shook it. Sonar smiled and introduced herself. ``Agent Sonar of GUN.'' She said. ``Detective Espio of Team Chaotix.'' He returned. ``So what's a ninja hunk like you doing hacking our formerly compromised mainframe?'' she asked. ``I been digging information regarding Shadow the Hedgehog. I figured you guys might know at least one thing.'' Espio said. Sonar crossed her arms, pressing them underneath her breasts. ``You never thought to ask one of us?'' she asked. ``GUN is known for some shady practices. There's little here we can trust.'' He explained. ``I don't blame you. To be truthful, there's a lot of stuff that the Commander and the higher-ups won't even tell me. Like why he hates Shadow so much that he wants to kill him first, and his allies second.'' she said. This caught Espio by surprise. ``You mean anyone aligned with him? Even if they aren't Black Arms?'' he asked. ``'fraid so. I personally think he's lost his mind.'' Said Sonar.
``Clearly. You?d think stopping this invasion would be priority one.'' Said Espio. This was bad for him. If they were prioritizing killing Shadow and anyone close to him, then he feared Charmy and Amy may be in grave danger. ``I don't know how much help I can be, but maybe I can access the database easier and help your investigation. No strings attached.'' Said Sonar. ``I appreciate your generosity. This is a pro bono case we are handling and it is dangerous for you to be doing this, knowing the risks. Are you sure about this?'' he asked. ``Without hesitation. I joined GUN because I want to prove myself and help others in need.'' She answered, leaning in almost teasingly, ``And you look super needy.'' Espio grinned as he blushed. ``You perhaps moreso, Sonar. But I can help you in more ways than you know.'' She giggled in a cute way and walked over to the computer room. She had to work fast, and if Espio was as good at other aspects than combat and stealth, then it would be worth it.
----
6:09 PM - CIRCUS PARK - OUTSIDE CRYPTIC CASTLE
Shadow and Charmy had caught up to Amy. Their little scuffle with the Black Arms and GUN scared off little Cream and her Chao, Cheese. Black Doom tried calling Shadow back to kill Sonic, but Shadow ignored him. The blue hedgehog was not his priority and not worth it. At least that's what he told himself.
Deep down, there were more ulterior motives to defying Black Doom. Something in him that told the Ultimate Life Form to deny the Black Arms and chase after that pink girl, but he couldn't understand what it was. He just felt strange when seeing her, like he was meant to be with her. These emotions were eating up at him, he wanted to know them. Right now was not the time. Shadow, Charmy, and Amy stood outside the centerpiece of Dr. Eggman's amusement park - the Cryptic Castle. ``Cream must've gone in here.'' Said Amy. She got chills just looking at the place. If Egan was going for a creepy-ass haunted house attraction, he seemed to have nailed it downpat. Charmy knocked the door, thinking it would just open. It didn't. Shadow wasted little time, firing a Chaos Spear and blasting the door down. ``Knock knock.'' He said.
``Ho ho ho ho! Welcome to my Cryptic Castle!'' said a voice over an intercom. They all recognized it as the voice of the eccentric but sadistic Doctor Eggman. ``The main attraction of my greatest amusement park, and will be sure to leave you with - WHAT?! Shadow?!'' Shadow grinned, looking up as he and the others entered the castle. ``Long time, no see, doctor. You sure fell on hard times.'' He said. ``Wait, is he seriously recording all this live?'' asked Amy. ``That depends, are you going to mind your own goddamn business for once in your miserable life?'' Eggman quipped. ``Hey, Baldy McNosehair! Where the hell?s our money!!'' shouted Charmy. ``You don't get any money, kid. Normally, I save the scares for later on in the ride. But since you're all here, and because I have those damn Black Aliens intruding as well, I'm holding nothing back. Come into my humble abode... and meet your doom!'' Eggman laughed. Shadow stepped forward, ready to take on the challenge. ``Bring it, doctor!''
Shadow stepped forward, into the castle grounds, running with his allies to find Cream. In little time they came across some Egg Pawns. Shadow took their guns and blasted them apart with it. Amy swung her hammer and decapitated the last couple. The hedgehogs grabbed a pumpkin-shaped balloon and rode it across, while Charmy flew up. Amy looked over to Shadow and saw a determined gaze in his eyes. It was almost a turn on for her. She never seen a guy with the kind of drive and determination like Shadow did. It felt nice. Just then, Shadow grabbed her waist and jumped off the balloon, landing on the entrance to a large jack-o'-lantern like thing. ``H-hey, what was that for?!'' she exclaimed, blushing. ``That balloon was just going to return us to where it started. We don't have time to lose.'' He replied, setting her down and proceeded forward.
Charmy flew up to them and looked around the lantern. It was mostly plain, except for a huge lantern in the center. What got them curious was a fire fight between Eggman's forces and the Black Arms. ``You deliberately disobeyed me, Shadow...'' said a voice. Amy screamed at the sight of Doom's Eye floating down towards them. ``SWEET MOTHER OF CHAOS, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!?!'' she yelled out. ``Well is your ass well after blue's raping in Westopolis?'' Shadow smirked. ``Do not attempt to be funny, Shadow! I gave you a direct order and you ignored me. Now the humans have retaken the city, and Black Bull has been lost! Your insubordination has cost me dearly!'' Doom yelled. His voice sent shivers down Amy's spine. She could only assume that this was Black Doom, the one influencing Shadow to do all these atrocities. ``If you can't handle one little hedgehog, Black Doom, then I don't be see need to be helping you.'' Shadow said, not a hint of fear in his voice. Charmy even got in on it and flipped him off.
Amy was amazed how Shadow showed zero fear for this abomination. She would have ran for the hills a long time ago, but here the black hedgehog was being a cocky bastard. Almost like Sonic, except cooler and in a hotter voice. 'Wait, what did I just say?' she thought. ``You would be wise to not incur my wrath. You may redeem yourself by completing this objective. This castle is under the influence of a foolish scientist called 'Eggman', and he cannot be left to his devices.'' Doom explained. ``Yeah, we got that part, jackass. Now how do we get him out?'' Charmy asked annoyed. Doom's Eye turned to the giant lantern. ``There are five giant lanterns scattered across the castle grounds. When all five are lit, the castle shall burn down and all within it shall perish. Ignite the lanterns and watch as the scientist perishes with his toys.'' He explained. Amy and Charmy gasped, both looking in horror and surprise. They didn't like Eggman, but they never wished him dead. That isn't even touching the fact that Cream was still in the castle, the one person neither of them wanted to lose.
Shadow crossed his arms and remained stoic. ``Okay, how the hell am I supposed to do that?'' he asked. ``Use your imagination. As punishment for your insolence, I shall give you no assistance. Do not fail me!'' Doom's Eye said, as it floated away. Amy approached Shadow as he looked at the lantern. ``Shadow, you aren't seriously considering this, are you?'' she asked. ``He isn't making my job any easier, but I don't have much of a choice.'' He answered. ``Uhh, yeah. You can tell him to piss off like you did before!'' said Charmy, ``Cream is still inside, and you said you don't kill kids!'' Shadow remained stoic. ``Look, the minute we find Cream, then Amy here can take her out of here. After that, we burn this fucker to the ground.'' Shadow said. Amy still wasn't having it. ``What the hell you got against Eggman that you'd wanna kill him?!'' she asked. ``I can think of a few reasons. Conquering the world, kidnapping and forcing robotization, blowing up half the moon, unleashing God to flood Station Square. It's all in the Eggman Museum of my greatest accomplishments, opening at Eggman Land in about two years time.'' Noted Eggman. ``NO ONE ASKED YOU!!'' screamed Amy.
``Shad, I like ya dude, but this is where I gotta put my foot down! You told Doom you have other ways to find out about your past, so don't do what he says! Besides, you should know how I feel about Cream...'' Charmy pleaded. Shadow wasted no time putting his hand on the kid's shoulder. ``That's why you're rescuing her. I burn the doctor's castle, you get the girls out, and we get what we want or need. Everyone wins. Except the doctor, of course.'' He reassured. Amy and Charmy chuckled a little bit at that last bit. They were still unsure, but at least Shadow could keep them entertained. The trio noticed that the Black Arms were pushing back Eggman's Badniks. Shadow checked his surroundings. He noticed a nearby torch and began brainstorming. He looked over to Amy. She paused, knowing what he was implying. Helping Black Doom was the last thing she wanted to do, but she could still make the Black Arms pay. Amy went around a Black Warrior, tapping him on the back, then smacking it with her hammer into the large lantern. Shadow grabbed the torch and approached the lantern. ``Consider yourself fired.'' He said to the alien, then threw the torch into the lantern, igniting a fire and burning the Black Warrior alive. The alien screamed as it felt itself get burned into ash. ``That was real lit, eh Shad?'' asked Charmy. Shadow smirked and gave the kid a fist bump.
Amy blushed. Cliche though it may have been, it actually sounded badass. Almost like something James Bond would say. The Egg Pawns ran away the instant they saw Shadow. The Ultimate Life Form took out the Egg Gun he stole and shot at them, blasting them apart. He didn't get a chance to notice it before, but he saw something come out of the remains. He, Charmy, and Amy were taken aback when they saw small Chao fly out of the Egg Pawn remains. Amy knew the mad scientist liked to use small animals to power his robots, but now using Chao was an option too? This was a new low even for Eggman! ``If Eggman is using Chao to power his Badniks now, then Cheese might be in trouble!'' shouted Amy. ``We may need to move fast to save them.'' Shadow said, grabbing Amy's hand and running up into another part of the castle. Amy couldn't help but notice this newfound aggression in Shadow, like he was being driven by some strange will to do this. Shadow jumped up into the air and down into a tower, Charmy flying after. However, Amy saw an endless amount of skull ghosts rising from the ground as they made their landing.
``EEEK!! GHOSTS!!'' she screamed, clutching onto Shadow tightly, her breasts pressing into his furry chest. Shadow stepped backwards until he was pressed against the wall, unable to really react properly to what Amy was doing. What was this gesture? And why were her boobs so big and... soft. Feeling her embrace felt nostalgic, and very nice. He kind of liked it. Amy looked up to Shadow and blushed, pulling away stuttering. ``S-Sorry, it was... i-i-it's a reflex!'' she apologized. Shadow said nothing, but he noticed Charmy had a suggestive grin when he looked at them. ``What are you grinning about?'' he asked. ``The fact you two are definitely gonna fuck before this fanfic ends.'' Charmy replied. Now Amy was blushing harder and ran off ahead. Shadow sighed and caught up with her a moment later, breaking a door down and searching the surroundings. ``By this point, any foolish SonAmy fan is having a fucking field day here. Don't worry, folks. It's only getting worse...'' said Eggman over the intercom. ``Does this guy ever shut up?'' Shadow asked.
Charmy flew around the room, looking for even the smallest sign of Cream, but there was nothing. She could have been anywhere in this castle and the usually cheery bee was getting more and more worried. Shadow had to calm him down every few minutes and keep telling him that she will be found. Suddenly, there was an explosion behind them. He was dismayed at the sight of GUN Troops, led by Agent Topaz Tanaka. ``Thought you could give us the slip, eh Shadow?'' she asked, pulling out her pistol. ``Not my fault you guys can't handle some black dicks.'' Shadow smirked. ``Oh ha ha ha, real funny asshole! You won't be laughing when I put a bullet in your fucking skull!'' she replied. Amy got inbetween the two. ``Hold up, Topaz! Shadow isn't our enemy, it's those Black Arms monsters!'' she shouted. ``Sorry Amy. My orders come from the top, and Commander Tower wants Shadow the Hedgehog killed on sight. So stand aside, or you will be under arrest!'' Topaz warned. Amy did not move, instead drawing her hammer. ``You're gonna need a forklift to move me. Shadow is being manipulated, he isn't at fault!'' she said. The GUN soldiers stood by, looking at each other. They had orders to shoot any sympathizers for Shadow, but their squad leader was not ordering a kill signal.
``Amy... do not make me do something I'm going to regret...'' warned Topaz. Shadow looked on. He knew that these guys meant business, that they could easily shoot and kill Amy at any moment. He could easily let them do that, but he didn't want to. He enjoyed being with her. His heart was telling him to protect her. He quietly slipped out his uzi and spoke up. ``Then I'll do it for you.'' He said and shot at the ground, causing dust to get in the way and blocking the soldiers' vision. Shadow and Charmy took the time to grab Amy and bolt to the hallway and leap out the window. By the time the dust settled, the trio had already escaped, with GUN taking the long way to try finding them. They landed near a dead end, with a clear view of the rest of the castle far away. Cream had to be deeper inside. ``Be afraid, my hedgehogs. Be very afraid. Many dangers await in my Cryptic Castle, but true terror lies at the very heart of it... Ahahahaha!'' Eggman laughed. Shadow rolled his eyes.
They had evaded GUN, but now they had another problem. There was a long way to the castle, only accessible by flight. Under these situations, Shadow could easily ask Charmy for a lift and he could fly the Ultimate Life Form to the other side no trouble. That is if it was just the two of them. However, he also had to count for Amy. Charmy may not be able to carry that much weight for such a long distance. He could also attempt Chaos Control, but that may be what the doctor expects him to do. If he did that, they could easily be walking into a trap. ``There must be some other way...'' he thought out loud.
Then, a Black Hawk swooped down to attack them. Shadow pushed Amy out of the way when it aimed at her. He got up and started shooting it wildly. As Amy dusted herself off and hoped for her blush to fade, she looked at the alien flyer and got an idea. Perhaps if they could tame it, they could use it to get across to the castle. ``Guys, you think we can use this thing to fly over there?'' she suggested. Shadow looked to her. This wasn't a bad plan actually, but he wondered how they would go about doing that. ``We have tame it first. That may be tricky...'' he said. Charmy pondered himself. He looked everywhere for something to use. Anything that could be good for taming it. He saw some kind of skeletons nearby, but he went against it. He knew that wouldn't tame the Black Arms bestial appetites.
That's when Charmy got an idea. He read in a book that sometimes, if one were to find a whip and lash it at a castle wall, some kind of meat would appear. He didn't understand it, nor did he think it would work, but it may have been their best bet. The young detective found a metal whip on a tree and cracked away at the walls. As he hummed the song ``Vampire Killer'', he found a piece of turkey in the walls. ``Oh cool, it worked!'' he shouted, grabbing the meat and flying over. Shadow and Amy were trying to hold back the Black Hawk, until Charmy called out to it. ``Hey buddy! Dinner time!'' he yelled. Shadow gasped; he thought Charmy had lost his mind. The Hawk flew over to the bee and was ready to bite. Shadow was about to attack, but then he noticed that the creature stopped short of his prey. Charmy pointed down as if the creature was a pet. ``Okay, sit boy. Heel...'' he commanded the Black Hawk, ``You want this tasty turkey, doncha?'' Shadow and Amy were aghast. Amy had officially seen it all, but Shadow didn't know what to make of this.
The Black Hawk landed and slowly sat, eying the food in Charmy?s hand. The bee still had the whip in his other hand to smack the creature if it stepped out of line. It squawked in anticipation, but Charmy wagged his finger in denial. ``Fetch boy!'' he said, throwing a skull. The Hawk flew a bit down at it and returned to Charmy, gnawing at the skull. ``Good boy! Here ya go, Blacky!'' said Charmy, giving it the turkey. The Black Hawk dropped the skull and ate it, enjoying it's meal. ``Okay, Blacky. Here's the deal. Me and my friends need to get to the castle over there. You give us a lift, and I'll get ya more meat, okay?'' he told it. ``Charmy, that thing isn't a pet.'' Said Shadow. ``Well you needed it tamed, I got it. So you two have fun and I'll meet ya there!'' Charmy replied and flew off to the castle.
This left Shadow to climb onto the Black Hawk, which Charmy affectionately nicknamed 'Blacky'. Amy got on behind him, holding onto his waist. ``Okay. Hold on tight, Amy.'' He told her and grabbed it's horns, moving it a bit to get it to fly off. `Blacky' took to the skies and flew with tremendous speed towards the castle. Amy gasped and held Shadow tighter, her chest pressed against his spine. Shadow blushed madly at how she was so close again, but that wasn't all. He could feel her head on his shoulder and her hands moving up, her index fingers touching the fur on his chest. She faintly blushed at the feel of him. It was soft like a teddy bear, and he smelled good. She didn't intend to smell him, of course; it was just something that happened. Amy could feel her heart pounding like crazy. But for Shadow, who was concentrating on flying the beast, he could feel some familiarity in this gesture.
It was then his eyes widened. He started to remember something. A memory thought to be lost, of him... and Amy Rose...
----
Everything was going according to plan. Dr. Eggman had neutralized the GUN forces on Prison Island. Their mission was fairly simple: rush inside, grab the Chaos Emeralds, and then blow it all sky high before they have a chance to retaliate. Easier said than done, theoretically. Prison Island was one of the most fortified places on the planet. Not a single person had been able to break in or out of the facility. This was where the first phase of the plan came in. Eggman would distract GUN?s armed forces occupied, while Shadow and Rouge slip onto the Metal Harbor and by the main building, where the Chaos Emeralds were. Rouge would get the Emeralds, while Shadow would set a dynamite pack into the armory, blowing the entire island to bits while they escape.
Phase one was complete. The forces were wiped out, or at least distracted enough that the two were able to get onto the harbor. Eggman used his Egg Walker's bazooka to blow a hole through the facility. ``This was even easier than before! I can just feel those Chaos Emeralds now!'' laughed Eggman. Shadow and Rouge got into position. ``Okay, you two ready? Let's move out at once!'' he ordered. Shadow grinned a bit. He was one step closer to his revenge. Nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling Maria's promise.
``OH SONIC, YOU'RE OKAY!!''
Just then, he felt a tight grip from behind him. He barely flinched or moved, but Rouge turned over as if to say `what the fuck?'. Shadow didn't budge or try to escape from the grips of whatever was holding him. ``Oh my darling Sonic, I missed you so much! I'm so glad you're okay! I knew you would make it out... I just knew it!'' yelled the girl behind him. Her voice was loud, yet somehow soothing. Her grip was very tight but sweet. It reminded him a bit of Maria. The Ultimate Life Form could feel his heart beating a bit, he had never felt like this in nearly fifty years. Shadow's face melted to a warm smile as he felt her body press against his, and her hands feel his chest.
That's when he chose to look over his shoulder. That's when he saw the softening smile of a pink hedgehog, who looked at peace. That was until she realized she was holding his chest. She looked surprised and then looked up to him and the two locked eyes. Shadow's face turned to stoic, not wishing to be seen as weak by the girl, but the hedgehog looked shocked. It was as if something was wrong. She very quickly released her grip of Shadow and stepped back, almost horrified. ``You... you're not Sonic! Who are you, imposter?!'' she yelled. Shadow looked down, almost dejected. He should have known. This girl had no interest in him; she was after that blue faker he saw in Central City. What was so special about him? Why did she worship him and call Shadow the imposter?
``I should be asking you that!'' yelled Eggman, turning to the girl and looking annoyed, ``Oh it's you!'' The girl gasped. ``Doctor Eggman!? AAAH!!'' With that, she yelled and ran in the opposite direction. ``What the fuck was that?'' asked Rouge. ``That was Amy. She's Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend and a real nuisance. She's not your concern. You two go on ahead, I'll deal with her!'' said Eggman, taking his walker in the opposite direction as Shadow and Rouge entered the facility. Shadow couldn't get his mind off that girl though. He didn't understand what about her made him so warm. ``What the hell is so special about that blue hedgehog?'' he wondered out loud. Rouge smirked and elbowed Shadow. ``Is that jealousy I detect there, Shadow?'' she asked, teasingly. ``Why the hell would I be jealous of that imposter?'' he asked, ``He's not even that special.''
``Admit it, you got eyes on pinky.'' She said. Shadow ignored her, continuing their run towards the destination. ``Tell ya what: once we get the Chaos Emeralds, we can take the girl up to the ARK and she can be all yours. Not a bad deal huh?'' she proposed. Shadow remained silent for a moment until they reached the point they had to depart. ``I'll think about it. You just worry about getting those damn four Chaos Emeralds!'' he said. ``Actually, there's only three here. But we can get the last one later. See ya `round, hun!'' she replied, flying off to the vault and Shadow made his way to the armory. He didn't want to admit it, but he was getting funny with that pink girl. Amy, was it? He actually made up his mind already. ``Once this job's done and I have those Emeralds... I'll take that girl as my bride.'' He said with a smirk.
----
6:57 PM - CRYPTIC CASTLE
``Shadow? Shadow!!''
Shadow shook his head and saw Amy still holding him. ``We're here.'' She said. He looked and saw `Blacky' arriving near the entrance to the remainder of the castle. He quickly got off it, helping Amy off as well, then turned to the Black Hawk. ``Thanks for the lift. You're not half-bad... for an alien.'' Said Shadow. The creature squawked in delight and then licked his face, making Shadow shiver but Amy giggled a bit. Charmy gave the beast another turkey and petted it. ``Thanks again Blacky! You're now free to go, but we'll never forget you!'' he said. `Blacky' smiled a bit and flew off. Amy turned over to Shadow, who was trying to regain his composure. He also looked a bit stiff. She blushed, wondering if she inadvertently made awkward advances on him. ``You okay, Shadow? You kinda zoned out during our flight.'' She asked.
Shadow looked over to her and sighed. ``Amy... our flight... it unlocked memories. Memories of when we first met, back on Prison Island.'' He explained. Amy was happy to hear this. ``Wait, so your memory is returning to you?'' she asked. ``Slowly... but why did you think I was Sonic? What do you see in him anyway?'' he replied with his own asking. Amy looked down, a little embarrassed to have to discuss that again. ``I thought he was everything a girl could want out of a boyfriend... that's what I thought, anyway.'' She said, sadly, ``It's not important now. What else do you remember?'' Shadow looked at her, still skeptical about her condition. But he still answered her. ``I remember you hugging me, thinking I was... him. You ran off when you realized I wasn't, then I went inside to plant the bombs. That's it. I can barely remember anything before that, and hardly anything after.'' He said. ``Well, at least ya remember you got a hard for her.'' Chimed Charmy, causing them both to blush. Shadow maintained his composure, but Amy looked like she was going to smack the little bastard with her hammer. ``S-S-STOP THAT!! WE ARE NOT A THING, AND I AIN'T HIS FUCKTOY!!'' she screamed. ``I didn't say that, you did.'' He teased. This made Amy blush harder, but the strangest thing was he wasn't too far off.
Shadow shook his perverse thoughts away. He knew she wanted Sonic and he couldn't change that, no matter how much he wanted to. ``Let's get moving. Cream's waiting for us...'' he said, walking forward into the caste. Amy and Charmy went after him, but the pink hedgehog couldn't help but feel he sounded more bitter now than before. When they opened the door and crossed the halls, they noticed the Black Arms poisonous fruits and slime strewn about. But that wasn't all. They noticed small red pulsating blobs with three spikes and a yellow eye. Amy completely freaked out at the sight of them. ``EWW, WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS?! THEY'RE DISGUSTING!!'' she screamed. ``Judging by the fact the Black Arms have tagged this hall, I'd say these are their larvae or spawn.'' Shadow said. ``I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY ARE! GET RID OF THEM!!'' she screamed louder. Charmy started stinging the things, while Shadow just kicked them aside as if they were cans of cola.
Amy, however, was wildly swinging and smacking her hammer down in total panic. She hated the sight of these things and wanted them gone. But her panic-induced fury caused her to miss more than hit. A couple ended up sliding onto her boots and latched onto her legs, some near her belly, and one in her privates. Amy screamed and moved around to get them off, but they were all latched tight. She found herself hanging onto a wall. Slowly, she felt her legs weaken. No, her whole body was weakening. Shadow looked over and noticed this. He recalled the Black Arms eating habits and didn't take long for him to realize what was happening. They were sucking her flesh and blood like vampires. Without hesitating, Shadow sped up to her and took out his pistol. ``Amy, hold still!'' he shouted and shot bullet upon bullet on the Death Leeches, being careful not to shoot Amy. The ones on her legs and dress were dealt with, but the last one was unaccounted for. Shadow carefully wrapped both hands underneath her dress and yanked the leech off before stomping on it. ``No kids allowed.'' He said.
Amy fell to her knees, her face red and trembling. She was panting heavily, trying to collect her breath. She couldn't believe she gave in to panic like that, but she did not expect something like that. Shadow knelt down to check on her. ``Are you alright?'' he asked her. ``Th... thanks to you... Shadow...'' she said weakly, ``But... I still... feel weak...'' Shadow looked at the spots they bit. He started massaging her legs, hoping to ease the pain. She let out soft cute moans as he did that, blushing as he massaged them. ``How does that feel?'' he asked. ``B-Better... you're... surprisingly good at massages....'' She said. ``Just base instincts. Now for the stomach.'' He said. He began rubbing her stomach, at the parts of her dress torn by the leeches. He rubbed in circles to ensure she didn't feel any pain. Amy twitched a little bit so Shadow stopped. ``Are you alright?'' he asked. ``It... just stung a bit... I'll be fine.'' She nodded.
Shadow looked at her. He knew there was one spot he missed: her groin. He dared not touch that, not without Amy's approval. Even if he wished to, she was already claimed by that blue hedgehog. Just thinking that made him sick. He wanted her, but she wanted that faker instead. He turned over to her. ``Think you'll be okay to walk?'' he asked. Amy thought for a moment. A small part of her wanted him to go further, but she knew it was wrong. She digested the question and nodded. ``I think so.'' She said and slowly stood up, Shadow helping her up. His recent kindness was a breath of fresh air. She had never seen Shadow so sweet and selfless before. ``Shadow, I know this amnesia has been difficult for you, but... are you sure you're alright? I never seen you so... concerned for others like this.'' She said. ``Would you prefer me leaving you and the kids to die?'' he asked, only slightly sarcastically. ``N-no! That's not it! It's just... strange, yet... nice...'' she replied as the two locked eyes.
For a moment, it seemed like the whole world around them froze in place as they looked at one another. Shadow looked at Amy's face, and he could have sworn he saw an angel before him. One that he wished to hold onto and never let go of. In a way, Amy looked and felt like Maria. How he wished he could remember more to compare. The pink hedgehog felt her heart racing as she was close to him. Yet she couldn't stop herself from wanting him. The line between love and lust was becoming a blur to her. Looking at him felt so right, even if it may have been wrong. She thought she wanted Sonic, but now, she thought maybe not. Maybe her real lover had been standing there all this time. Their faces began drawing closer and closer, Shadow's eyes beginning to close. Just a few more inches...
``AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!''
A loud feminine scream from afar broke their gazes. They blushed and moved away, realizing that voice. ``That was Cream!'' shouted Charmy flying off into the distance. ``Dammit, Charmy! Wait!'' Shadow yelled as he gave chase, Amy running after them. Shadow was almost glad for that interruption. He was so lost in his passion for her, he almost stole Amy's first kiss. Granted, Amy was just as lost in the moment as he was, but he could have taken something irreplaceable from her. Memories of her had completely screwed his psyche. He thought that he hated all the Earthlings, but every time he even looked at Amy, he felt weakness. What was this feeling? What's more is why Amy refused to talk about why she was so sad the other day. She was clearly hurt, so why not confide in him?
``CREAM!? WHERE ARE YOU?!'' shouted Charmy. Shadow was snapped out of his thoughts as they entered what appeared to be a large ballroom, a large chandelier hanging above them. The trio looked around, but they saw nothing. No cute rabbit girl or pet Chao in sight. Charmy tried flying around the room, but there was no trace of anyone. ``I know I heard her voice from in here. She couldn't have just disappeared...'' he said. Shadow looked around curiously. They heard Cream's voice too, but something was amiss. That's when it hit him. ``She didn't. In fact... I don't think she was ever in this room to begin with.'' He concluded.
Then suddenly, the doors behind them shut on their own, and the chandelier came crashing down. Amy jumped up and pulled Charmy away before it could hit him. They had walked right into Eggman's trap. ``I can't believe you idiots fell for that! Imitate the little girl's sound patterns and you bolt right for the source without true confirmation. It's pathetic, really.'' Gloated Eggman. ``Well Doctor. Now that you have us, what do you plan to do? Gas us to death? Smash us with anvils? Make us watch you trying and failing to rape Lindsey Thorndyke?'' Shadow asked, sarcastically. ``No, no, and HELL no! It will be even worse. I wanted to let you live Shadow and help lead my empire, but since you and Sonic's ex can't keep your hands off one another, that option is clearly off the table!'' Eggman said. Shadow looked over to Amy in confusion, who just looked away in sadness. ``Instead, let me introduce you three to my latest and greatest creations!''
At that moment, steam filled the room. Not knowing what he was planning, the three covered their mouths. This could have been poisonous gas for all they knew. However, a minute passed and Shadow's eyes widened at what he saw. It was a silhouette of a familiar figure. It was him. As the smoke cleared, there stood a living reflection of Shadow. It had his basic likeness downpat, but its eyes lacked an iris and looked lifeless, its muzzle was slightly darker, and the movements it made were more stiff, more robotic. Shadow stared at this abomination before him, who pointed at him. ``Huh? Who are you?! What are you?!'' he asked. The being gave no response. ``That is the last prototype of my Shadow Androids, my dear Shadow.'' Explained Eggman. ``Shadow... Android?!'' Shadow exclaimed. ``Created from your likeness and genetic structure after I recovered your body, these androids are designed to copy and outperform you in every conceivable way. This one - who I have dubbed `Terios' - is you in every single possible way!'' said Eggman. Shadow grinned with confidence. ``Well then, let's see if it can feel fear!'' he said and threw a punch at the android. Terios, however, caught it effortlessly. Then he jerked his arm left, sending Shadow flying.
Shadow crashed into a solid wall. Slowly getting up, he rolled up into a spin dash and pushed forward, but felt himself be ricocheted upwards, then pounded downwards into the floor. When he looked up, he saw another one that resembled him. However, this one was different in that his eyes were orange, and his red markings and shoes were colored yellow. The new faker smirked at the original in pride. This one seemed more capable of speech than Terios. ``Hmph! This is the Ultimate Life Form from which I was bred? This must be some kind of sick joke! He's weak and worthless!'' he boasted. Shadow tried getting up but swift punches to his stomach by this yellow Shadow, with a fiery kick to the side of his head. Shadow thought he was nearly concussed. ``I am Blight, the Ultimate Battle Life Form! I am your superior, greater than the original Shadow in every conceivable way! You're nothing but an obsolete piece of shit!'' mocked the yellow one. ``How's this for obsolete?!'' shouted Shadow, pulling out his auto rifle.
He pulled the trigger and tried shooting, getting a couple shots in until a metal body got in his way. The figure also had the same likeness of Shadow, but was radically different as well. Its body was completely metallic, with a chrome titanium color, and the markings were colored pink. In addition, its eyes were more of an LED screen, with red eyes to simulate eyesight, and its left arm was replaced with an attached double-barrel laser gun, similar in appearance to the Black Arms' Flash Shot. The pink android shot wildly at Shadow and the area around him, knocking some laser bullets into him but also wrecking the room a bit. ``Arin! I told you to watch it while shooting in here! This shit's expensive!'' yelled Eggman. ``Piss off, doc! Killing the original is too good a chance to keep things tidy!'' said the android identified as Arin. He kept firing at Shadow, who was barely able to roll out the way. He turned around and caught a punch from another android, with the same model as Arin, but his markings came in blue. ``Well since the formalities keep coming, here is Gareth. I know you'll like trying to hit him! Key word being trying!'' laughed Eggman.
``You're too weak. I won't kill you, Shadow.'' Said Gareth. That made Shadow angry. ``Who're you calling weak?!'' he exclaimed and headbutted his metal imposter. Gareth's gun transformed into a beam blade and he slashed at Shadow, making the Ultimate Life Form stumble. Terios jumped from behind and unleashed a few homing missiles at Shadow. He had no time to react or dodge and took massive damage. Shadow was barely standing, his body bruised and bloody. ``Come on, Shad! Don't let these knock-offs beat ya!'' cheered Charmy. Amy was not going to just sit back and do nothing. She drew her hammer and charged into battle, but was stopped by a trail of fire in her way. A maniacal laugh echoed across the room as a fifth android dropped down. This one was also metallic with orange markings, but his arm weapon was different, wielding what appeared to be a bazooka than a normal gun.
The orange Shadow laughed as his bazooka shot out flamethrowers, burning Shadow's legs. Then he fired off a rocket about two feet from the original, causing a massive scream in pain. ``How's that shit feel, bitch?! The name's Ignis, and your ass just got burned!'' he laughed. Shadow crawled to a table to stand up but a plasma shot right to his back sent him back down to the floor. From a balcony came down the last one, the same body type as Ignis but in green marks and his gun had a scope. ``And last, but not least, I give you my resident sniper, Scourge! I had to just through some rings of fire to get the trademarks settled on that name.'' said Eggman. ``How pathetic. The Ultimate Life Form brought down to the mercy of those superior to him!'' Blight mocked, kneeling to a blood-covered Shadow, ``You are old technology, Shadow. We are the future of the Earth. We are the new leaders of this planet; of this empire! My brothers and I shall make this planet tremble! No one can stop us, not even you!''
``That does it!'' Charmy had enough. He charged at the androids to provide backup, but Terios caught him and smacked his face into the floor several times. The poor kid's face was a bruised mess. Shadow was getting pissed now. Ganging up on him was one thing, but harming Charmy was going a little far. With the little power he had left, he got to his feet and threw weak punches at Terios to hold him back. ``Don't you... hurt... my brother!'' he yelled. Blight grabbed Shadow by the throat, shaking his head in mockery. ``Such heroic nonsense.'' He said, punching him into a wall. Then Terios let go of Charmy, and he and the metal androids fired off a barrage of plasma shots and missiles at him. An explosion occurred, and as the dust cleared, Shadow collapsed in pain. ``SHADOWWWW!!!!'' yelled Amy. Shadow was lying in a puddle of blood, cuts and wounds covering his body. Amy needed to think of something. If she didn't do something, they were going to kill him.
Amy noticed a fire extinguisher nearby. She was grateful Eggman at least had the decency to follow emergency regulations. That's when she had an idea. She took the extinguisher and charged forward. The androids were unaware of her pleasant. ``Goodbye forever, Shadow the Hedgehog!'' said Blight, ready to strike with an electric punch. Amy fired off the extinguisher onto the androids. The six Shadow copies shorted out and had their vision obscured. Charmy recovered and ran to Shadow. Amy shot out the extinguisher, then tossed it to the side and grabbed Shadow onto her shoulder. ``Hang in there, Shadow! We're gonna get you out!'' she said and led Charmy and the nearly-dead Shadow out of the room, smashing a door to get out.
When the Shadow Androids regained their bearings, the three were all gone. Their quarry had escaped along with the kid and his girlfriend. ``Damn! They got away!'' shouted Arin in frustration. ``Do not fear, brother. They can't have gone far. Not in the shape our template is in.'' said Scourge. ``Let him go. He's weak, not worth the time! Besides he and his friends have to come out some time, and when they do, they're ours!'' declared Blight. Eggman himself was pleased. Even though Shadow had escaped, the field test for his Shadow Androids was a complete success. Now he had the power of the Ultimate Life Form at his fingertips. The world would be his, and not even Sonic would stop him!
----
7:09 PM - OUTSIDE CRYPTIC CASTLE
Sonic the Hedgehog had been looking around Eggman's joke of an amusement park for over an hour. Most of the hour was fucking about and trashing the park, destroying the Badniks that got in his way. He hoped to find Shadow by this point, or at least the Chaos Emeralds, but there was no sign of either. There was one place he hadn't checked: Cryptic Castle. Eggman seemed to have a knack for the haunted house sorta thing, but it wasn't exactly inviting. He rushed through the castle grounds to find even the smallest traces of any hedgehogs. What he found was GUN troops locked in combat with the Black Arms. Sonic rubbed his nose and sped off, hitting homing attack after homing attack on the Black Arms until GUN unloaded the last rounds to kill the aliens.
``That should be all of them, for now. Thanks Sonic! We owe you again.'' Said Topaz. ``No prob! But what's GUN doing at Eggman's theme park?'' he asked her. ``We tracked Shadow down to this castle. Orders are to take him down and anyone that sympathizes him. Which sadly includes Charmy and your girlfriend.'' She explained. Sonic's eyes widened. Even though she wasn't his girlfriend and never will, he knew exactly who Topaz meant. ``Amy's here too?! Why? How? And what's she doing with Shadow?!'' he asked. ``No idea, but she was willing to defend him. Think you might be getting cucked.'' Said Topaz.
``Amy isn't my girlfriend, and I made it clear to her last week. But if Shadow's with her, that isn't good at all! She might be in trouble!'' said Sonic. He may not have feelings for Amy, but that didn't mean she wasn't his friend. Shadow was going to pay now, if he tried anything funny with her. He knew about his amnesia, sure, but this didn't stop him from thinking Shadow was getting off easy. ``I'll help ya nail him! If he did anything to hurt Ames, he's gonna pay!'' he said. ``Thanks Sonic. Give us a call once you find him!'' said Topaz, giving him a walkie. Sonic winked and ran off into the castle. Shadow, Eggman, and Black Doom were going to pay now!
TO BE CONTINUED...",
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