Running up the stairwell one level at a time was a little more challenging than Shadow would ever admit. His wounds were still healing, his chaos energy was still replenishing, and he was carrying Sonic's listless form in his arms. The pads of his paws were beginning to become sore as well, making him realize just how spoiled he had become with his air shoes. Still, with each platform they reached, they were another step closer to freedom, and that gave him the drive to push onward. 

He could feel his partner snuggle in his chest, even snoring once or twice. Hearing, seeing, and feeling him rest comfortably in his arms continuously traced a smile on the black hedgehog's face and further fueled his determination. As they neared the top, he instinctively slowed down to consider what awaited them. What sort of security measures were in place on this level? Sentry bots? More constructs of the Phantom Ruby? It would be foolish to underestimate Infinite at any interval, especially at this crucial time. Ten steps below the door, he sat Sonic against the wall as smoothly as possibly, but the shuffling unavoidably awakened him anyway.

"Hmmm...w-what?" he asked groggily, unable to move much on his own. 

"I'm going to check ahead and see if it's clear. I'll be back," Shadow assured. 

However, the blue hedgehog quickly latched onto his wrist before he could move away. Though his grip was feeble, he held it as hard as he could, his fear of being left alone fully awakening him and superceding any physical weakeness. "N-no...w-we go...t-together," he grunted, glimpsing up with bloodshot eyes. 
Shadow could see him trembling, frightened at the possibility of being left alone, but he knew what he had to do. With a sigh, he gently placed his hands on Sonic's cheeks, keeping his wobbly head still so not only could he understand what was said, but he would believe it. 

"Sonic, look at me. I promise I'm going to get us out of here, but I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

After a few moments of deep thought, gazing into those warm crimson irises, the broken hero's eyelids closed on their own as he slowly nodded, "Y-yeah....j-just be quick ab-about it...o-okay?" 

Shadow then squeezed his hand in assurance as he stepped away, climbing up the final stairwell to the door while the his partner attempted to watch through squinting eyes from below. First, he examined the doorframe, looking for any sort of alarm or hidden traps. The door wasn't in any way reinforced since it served as a customary entry point for personel. Knowing this, the black hedgehog reared back and spindashed through to the roof, where he was greeted by numerous badniks patrolling the otherwise vacant helipad in the dead of night. 
The robots immediately turned their attention to him, casting beams of light over the area as they resounded the alarm.
"ALERT--ALERT--PRISONERS HAVE BEEN LOCATED--REPEAT--PRISONERS HAVE BEEN LOCATED. TARGET--SOUTHEAST ROOFTOP OF BUILDING C--ALL UNITS REPORT---ALL UNITS---" 
Leaping into action, the Ultimate Life Form began taking out the patrols in consecutive attacks, bashing his way through multiple targets as he evaded their blasters. 

Hearing the calamity alarmed Sonic, whose mind flashed to horrid images of Shadow being torn apart in front of him. He shook his head, trying to ignore the dark concoctions of his corrupted imagination. "N-NO! I c-can't th-think like that...but...I c-can't st-stay here."

Summoning all his strength, he crawled up the stairwell until he could witness the brawl. Noticing a seemingly downed badnik taking aim on his unsuspecting partner, the blue hedgehog immediately gathered every fiber of energy he could amass and spindashed across the helipad into the enemy. It had been a long time since the broken hero had been in a fight, and though his attack wasn't exactly graceful, it still worked. The sound of the crashing metal behind him caught Shadow by surprise, "SONIC!" he shouted as he finished off the last of the sentries before racing to the blue blur's side. 

"I thought I told you to wait," he scolded while rolling him on his back.

"C-couldn't let you have all the f-fun," he replied with a raspy laugh followed by a few short coughs, "m-man, I didn't r-realize I was th-that out of sh-shape....s-so...how do w-we get out of here?"" 

"As fast as possible," Shadow stated while pulling him to his feet before lifting him bridal style. 

"Y-you d-don't have to c-carry me," Sonic uttered, embarrassed by how dependent he had become. The black hedgehog knew his partner's independence was always important to him, and after having lost so much of himself, the last thing he wanted to do was make him feel like an invalid. However, given the circumstances, there wasn't much choice except to give him a good reason.

"I promised to take care of you. Don't turn me into a liar," he declared forcefully. 

Sonic couldn't deny he was suffering physical limitations that were testing his patience, but he also knew Shadow was injured as well and pushing himself to protect him. He hated that he couldn't do more; however, at the same time, he was strangely happy. He knew it was selfish, but he couldn't help feeling joyful for someone to put his needs first for once. To care for him and his welfare. To do everything possible to ensure his safety. And after all this time, to finally be rescued. 

Realizing this and letting the feeling overtake him, he looped his arm over Shadow's shoulders, leaning in to embrace his savior. 
"Th-thank you," he said gently as he nuzzled his face into his neck. 

The black hedgehog couldn't help but grin and discovered he's been smiling quite a bit in the last short while since he had his Sonic back, which made him reciprocate the gesture with an extra tight loving squeeze. However, they couldn't afford to linger any longer. With reinforcements inbound, Shadow had to find a way off the roof and a means for them to escape this slice of hell. Unfortunately, there weren't any fire escapes or scaffolding on the edge of the building for them to descend. Through the night, Shadow could see some trees just below the northwest corner that seemingly grew to at least half the height of the structure. Although this would be the ideal method rather than a non-stop descent that would ultimately end with a splat on the ground, it was still quite a drop to the tree, and knowing they'd most likely crash through the branches, it wasn't going to be a pleasant ride. 

"We're going to have to jump," he informed, letting Sonic peer over the edge at the attended point. 

He appeared complacent, while many things frightened him in his currently warped state of mind, heights wasn't one of them, "R-ready when you are," he replied as he tightened his grip over Shadow's shoulders. 

Sonic's tone of confidence was all they needed to take the leap of faith together. With anxiousness making the descent seem a lot faster than normal, within a second, the two hedgehogs were smashing through brittle limbs, smacking against those more sturdy, and whipping through the danling vines while the innertia carried them downward faster and faster until they finally slammed into the dirt among raining leaves. Throughout the entire ordeal, Shadow did his best to shield Sonic and take the blows himself, and though he couldn't prevent some branches from scraping against him, much to his relief, he was otherwise unharmed. The broken hero slid off of his partner a bit to give him room to breathe after the wind was knocked out of him, but upon seeing the bewildered expression on Shadow's usually serious face from being a living pinball against nature, Sonic couldn't help but giggle. 

"M-my darling Tarzan," he joked as he started picking twigs out of the black hedgehog's quills. 
Caught on a breath, Shadow immediately sported a pout that just as quickly turned into a mischevious smirk, "Does that make you Jane or the gorilla?" 
The sarcasm sparked that competitive part of the blue blur that they both thought had expired long ago, leading to his trademark humor reering its head once more, "I'd r-rather be the monkey...I c-can't run in pumps like y-you." 

They both burst into an array of laughter from the sheer silliness of the conversation, a sound that had become almost alien to each of them; however, the glee from the exchange faded like a candle snuffed out by a heavy breeze as Sonic studied what he had just said and genuinely couldn't calculate how long it had been since he actually ran like the wind. The feeling of it was so fleeting, like it was in another life and far out of his reach; the ache of losing that part of him led to him wondering if he would ever be able to do it again. Before all of this, he thrived on living in the moment, but the uncertainty of the future honestly worried him. 

Seeing the troubled thoughts invading his partner and painting sadness across his face, Shadow firmly held his shoulder and pulled his focus from the encroaching demons, "We'll take it one step at a time," he said sincerely, as if he read his mind and knew exactly what to say. "Y-yeah...", Sonic agreed hesitantly before the sound of whirring motors approaching quickly reminded them of their situation, forcing all other concerns to take a backseat since escape was priority. 

Shadow hopped up and pulled Sonic from the ground, ready to carry him away to safety like a knight in shining armor. The broken hero wanted nothing more than to stand on his own two feet and help either fight or evade their pursuers, but the trauma and damage he sustained had not even begun to heal, whereas the Ultimate Life Form's body was making steady progress in recovering from the wounds every minute. Resigned to his condition, he accepted what he couldn't change and held on as the duo headed into the thick, lush jungle.

The land was bathed in tropical scents of all varieties that brushed against their fur and left their mark. The smell and texture of the plants were reminiscent of Green Forest, where Sonic couldn't help but think about his encounter with Shadow back then and how far they had come since. Despite all the rocky ups and downs in their relationship, they found something special within one another, and being together amplified the best in them. The blue hedgehog clung to those memories as an anchor for his sanity, doing everything possible to maintain control of his mind since he couldn't make his body obey. He tried to stay sharp and alert, so that if nothing else, he could watch Shadow's back.

In navigating through the untamed wilderness, small beeps resonated under the thicket and within the tree trunks that made their ears twitch. 

BOOBYTRAPS! 

Wherever they were had extra security measures surrounding the facility either to recapture prisoners or prevent intruders. Whichever the reason for such devices, they were EVERYWHERE! Shadow was forced to dodge and weave as laser fire blasted in their direction, pitfalls gave way beneath his paws, and nets sprang from the darkness of the canopy. Although he was a little winded, he kept the pace to maintain the distance from the robots behind them. He felt strong enough to stand his ground and fight back, but due to the unpredicatable environment, it wasn't safe to leave Sonic unattended and a wiser decision to simply get out of the area. 

As he leapt over a small dried stream onto a bed of leaves, he unknowingly entered the line of sight from a silent attack.
"L-LOOK OUT!!!" Sonic shouted while a wave of tranquilizer darts flew as quietly as dandelions in the wind. 

He jerked his body forward in order to make Shadow duck, but couldn't avoid getting hit with one of the darts himself. The two tumbled down a steep hill into the mud in close proximity of stationed patrols. The black hedgehog quickly looped his arms under his counterpart and kicked back to hide them within a large burrow, narrowly avoiding the sentries as they hovered overhead, scanning each and every rock and bush in a chorus of electronic buzzing and beeps. Shadow watched intently as the sentries continued to move onward, the lights fading from view beyond the tendrils of the wilderness before he felt Sonic start to quiver in his arms.

"Th-that was f-fun...c-can we do it ag-again?," the blue hedgehog quipped, his stutter becoming more slurred and drunk-like as the drugs began taking effect, "h-hey Shads, di-did you kn-know y-you have red stripes ev-er-ywh-where ex-except on your back qu-quills---wh-where'd they go?" Sonic began tugging at Shadow's back as if to find something hidden in them, which greatly surprised the Ultimate Life Form. Looking over his partner's body to find the cause of his sudden strange behavior, he came across the errant dart on his forearm with a huff, "Grrr...this is the last thing we needed..." he stated as he yanked it out quickly. 

"OWWW! B-bad Charmy!" Sonic mumbled as his head started bobbing, the world spinning before his eyes, his limbs feeling even heavier than before while a sickening sensation formed in the pit of his stomach, "Sha-Shads...I d-don't feel so good..." 
Shadow pulled him in close and held him tightly, speaking with a strong tone to tear through the fog growing in the blue blur's mind. "It's the effects of the tranquilizer. Don't fight it. Go ahead and rest." 

With a mumble, Sonic had no choice but to surrender to the persuasive drug coursing through his system and slumped into his loved one's body. Shadow sighed and took this moment as an opportunity to collect himself, allowing his energy to replenish his stamina in preparation for the whatever laid ahead. While resting, he couldn't help but stare at the sleeping form of his partner. How even in the darkness, the shades of red and purple from his injuries were reflecting through his blue fur under the layers of dirt, grass, and mud. He had been through so much and it seemed like things just kept getting worse for him, yet still, here he lay with a small crooked smile forming as the result of the black hedgehog's gentle touch on his cheek. "You didn't deserve this," Shadow thought to himself before leaning down and whispering into Sonic's ear, "I'll help you get better, no matter how long it takes." 

After peeping out from the burrow to see the coast was clear, he swaddled Sonic once more in his arms and took off into the thicket of wild plant life. As he continued onward, he began hearing the familiar sounds of brushing waves across fields of sand and detected the scent of salt air. Were they on an island? On the coast of one of Eggman's conquered countries? There was no way to tell, but traversing a beach to freedom was a much safer option than a trap-ridden jungle, even if it left them exposed. 

"A-are we th-there yet?" Sonic groaned incoherently as he was jostled around, slipping in and out of consciousness. 

"Soon enough. Just hang in there a little longer for me," Shadow stated, patting his shoulder with his fingers upon finally exiting the greenery. The stars shined beautifully through the clear sky as they reflected on the calm sea waters, almost melting into one within the scope of the horizon. The gentle breeze soothingly brushed through their filthy quills as if nature was giving them a welcoming kiss. 

However, that wasn't the only thing welcoming them. 

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get this far," the familiar, ominous voice resounded as it hovered from above, making the black hedgehog's blood run cold while he whipped his head upward to see the forboding enemy clad in the crimson energy of his powerful gem glare down at them. "My, aren't you both a pathetic sight."

Shadow gritted his teeth at the sight of the jackal, his blood now boiling hotter than lava. HE WANTED TO RIP THAT BASTARD'S HEART OUT! However, as much as he yearned for vengeance, he had to keep Sonic safe first and foremost. He held him even closer to his body, practically shielding him like an animal would their cub while he tried to weigh their options as quickly as possible. 

"Protective. How endearing," the mercenary chimed as he lowered himself a little more in the air, "but you and I have unfinished business, Shadow, and we wouldn't want any dead weight to interfere." With a wave of his hand, Infinite tore Sonic from Shadow's grasp and flung him back into the jungle like a ragdoll. 

"NO!!!" the Ultimate Life Form screamed in horror as the limp blue hedgehog disappeared into the darkness of the green while the force of the energy that drove them apart knocked the Shadow into the shallow salt waters behind him. 

Infinite chuckled at the desperation of this prey as he watched his broken toy fly out of view, "Now that the distraction has been taken care of, where were we?"

The Ultimate Life Form wasted no time in disgarding his inhibitor rings before the jackal could use them to hinder his power. Now eminating incredible energy of orange, yellow, and red hues that only grew with his rage and determination, Shadow blew out of the ocean and headed directly for Infinite. 

The mercenary anticipated his attack and quickly countered, the two locking hands and unblinking glares "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Shadow declared, his eyes burning as brightly as that of the jackal's. 

This duel was destined to happen sooner or later and it was clear that there would only be one survivor in the end.