After discreetly returning Sonic to Earth, the intel of the Death Egg was passed on to the Resistance, who sent a task force to destroy it; however, with resources having been stretched so thin at the time, the best they could do was put it out of commission so that it could no longer manufacture weapons of war. Now, the remains of it orbit the planet alongside the derelict ARK and damaged moon, an edifice some view as a monument to their victory over Eggman, while others see it as a grim reminder of what they suffered and lost. 

Teleporting to the ruins via Chaos Control, Shadow and Sonic landed in the outer port of the station--the same place Shadow had landed months ago when he went to retrieve Sonic. It was the only area he knew that definitely survived the attack by the rebels and had access points into the base.

However, their progress was hindered the moment they arrived as Sonic froze in place. Although his cell was deprived of any windows to gaze out into the vastness of space, the artificial gravity produced by the station was unpleasantly familiar. The feeling turned his stomach as he couldn't shake it nor ignore the memories it sparked. He began trembling, a nauseous sensation suddenly formed in the pit of his stomach and threatened to exit right then and there. He cupped his mouth while breathing rapidly and swallowing hard, doing everything he could to control the onset panic attack that was gradually gripping his body. 
Shadow quickly noticed this and grabbed his shoulders to steady him. "Sonic--Sonic slow your breathing."

He pressed their foreheads together until their noses were touching, "Breathe with me," he said as he calmly inhaled and exhaled in long stretches. Sonic followed suit and eventually found some sense of control. His trembling began to ease while he found himself being grounded in the breath and arms of his partner.

"We don't have to do this, not right now," Shadow stated as he looked into those green shining eyes, eyes that were once so hollow because of this place. It was only natural for the black hedgehog to fear losing that shimmer again. 

"I'm alright," Sonic replied as he removed his hand from his mouth and pulled Shadow into an embrace, "I can't move on until I face this....so....let's just get it over with. Okay?" 

He pulled away from Shadow with a big smile on his face, like the hug recharged his confidence and restored his courage. Still, Shadow couldn't help but see that smile for what it was, like all his other smiles have been since coming back from this place--a mask to hide his fear.

"You'll have to lead the way," the hero declared, "I never got the grand tour while I was here."

Shadow grimly nodded and proceeded to take point in front, guiding Sonic through the docking bay and down the multiple winding corridors. Despite the station being out of commission, some of the reserve power still operated with remnants of the robot guards functioning as well. The two hedgehogs picked and chose their battles, disabling the obstacles as discreetly as possible so as to not set off any remaining alarms that may draw too much attention to them. Their mission was for the hero to confront that which haunts him in order to find closure--there was no need for any distractions. 

Some of the hallways were familiar to Sonic, whom traversed them during the few times he attempted to escape either of his own will or through the depraved trickery of his warden. The mixed feelings he had in these areas made him shudder since none of them ended well.

They eventually passed a large octagonal cell whose door was still open. The blue hedgehog couldn't help but pause and step slowly inside, being drawn into it like a piece of metal to a magnet. Shadow, whom had been glancing behind him periodically throughout this venture, noticed this side-quest and followed behind. This was the first cell Sonic was brought to, where he got the beating of a lifetime. Infinite and Eggman practically competed to see who could hurt him more. After he was injured, they let him try to defend himself from further attacks for their sick entertainment. There were only a handful of other times he was brought here, mostly for his master's more elaborate 'lessons' that required the extra room. The stench of it all still hung in the air. His blood still stained the floors and walls. Infinite refused to allow the maintenance robots to sanitize this space, because he found serenity in the pain produced here and joy in the reminders the remnants left behind. 

Shadow could smell it all as well. It was far too evident to ignore. Through the sight and odor of the place, he could practically hear Sonic's screams echo from the distant past like a ghost, despite him standing right in front of him, silently. 

There were no solutions here. Nothing to draw closure from. Only horrid memories written in blood and tears. 

"Sonic. We should go." He said as he stepped closer to his partner. Though they were inches apart, he might as well been miles away. Sonic's mind was only focused on what was. His legs twinged from the memories of them being broken, his flesh stung from the cuts, stab wounds, and burns that littered his mind, and his stomach churned from the feeling of tentacles swirling inside of him, threatening to rip his organs to pieces. IT WAS ALL TOO MUCH! Every detail was so vivid, every feeling so real--the walls began closing in--spinning--he began shaking all over, unable to hold it in. He dropped to his knees coughing, hurling up anything within his stomach. Shadow quickly rushed to his side and began rubbing his back, not knowing what sparked this sudden sickness. 

"Sonic--are you alright?" He asked urgently.
Slowly, the room began to return to normal. The dizziness subsided, and though the discomfort remained, Shadow's presence assured him that it was only his mind playing tricks on his body. 
Gasping and sniffling, the blue hedgehog nodded. 

"We don't have to go any further," Shadow stated as he helped Sonic to his feet, "we can find another way to help you."

Sonic merely took Shadow's hand, squeezed it gently, and gave a weak smile before walking past him out the door, returning to the path they were originally heading. 
As much as the black hedgehog wanted to protect him, he couldn't shield his partner from the demons this place summoned, nor could he convince him to abandon this mission. It wasn't just his stubborn nature he was contending with, it was a mirror image of himself. Shadow knew if he were in Sonic's position, he would be doing exactly what they're doing right now--seeking answers to put the past behind him. He had to respect his decision to follow through on his goal and stay true to his own vow to be there for him no matter what. 
However, after witnessing his behavior, he couldn't help but be concerned and hope that what they encounter next will be beneficial to him as opposed to finish breaking what's left. 


The station seemingly felt colder as they went deeper, like a haunting chill that grew with the darkness. The flickering lights illuminated the way enough, but it also added a frightening ambiance to the atmosphere, as if some ghoul were lurking within the bowels of the horrific prison. While the air also felt thicker to Shadow, to Sonic, it was home. The recycled oxygen, though pure enough to breathe, still carried that lingering musky aroma. Eventually they made it to the ventilation shaft Shadow had used before, but instead of going that route, Sonic tapped on his shoulder and pointed down the corridor. "It's this way," he said in a monotone voice. 

Shadow surmised the blue hedgehog must have been moved around in this area from time to time, at least enough for him to survey the layout. 

But it wasn't that. 

Sonic could sense it was that way. That anguish. Those nightmares. He lost of a piece of himself in that cell and he could feel it was still there, withering away. 

It didn't take long before they stood outside of the heavy, reinforced door. There were no bars, no windows, not even a gap around the frame of the entry. It was a completely sealed chamber, isolated from all existence. A cruel design to cage one of a free spirit. Sonic recognized the door. It looked the same on the outside as it did on the inside. He knew how many rivets and far apart each were spread to the centimeter because of how many countless hours he stared at that door, waiting to see someone burst through it to save him. He still sees this door in his dreams as well. It always barricades him in, blocking him from reaching his friends or his home. With a gulp, he tentatively put his hand on the padlocked handle.

"Wait," Shadow stated before he could turn the lever, "remember, you're not trapped here." He put his hand on his shoulder assuringly, "No matter what you see or what you feel, it has no control over you. You can walk away at any time."

His words gave the hero the courage he needed to follow through. With a deep breath, he twisted the handle and let the door sway open, the metal creaking inevitably making his quills bristle like it always used to. Stepping inside, they were welcomed by the pungent odor of decaying flesh. While trying to squint through the dark as they cautiously ambled inside, Sonic felt a metal ping against his shoe--a large fragment of Infinite's mask. In the dim light, he could see the silver shine stained with dried blood. Examining the mask made him feel conflicted. This was the face of his nightmares, and while its visage filled him with dread, seeing it in such a state didn't. It was supposed to make him feel at ease to hold the broken thing in his hands, knowing the owner was no more, but instead, he still felt unexplainably anxious. 
Shadow walked past him to the far wall of the small cell where the fumes of death were the strongest. Kneeling down in front of a slumped over figure in the darkness, he grimly began to study the body.

"Is that....him?" Sonic asked, hesitant to follow. 

In the silence before another word could be spoken between the two, a deep, ominous voice resounded, "Who else would it be?"

A lightning bolt of fear gripped Sonic as he recognized that voice. The voice he could never escape. "SHADOW!!! GET AWAY FROM IT!!!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

Within the blink of an eye, purple and black hues of energy burst from the corpse, propelling the ebony hedgehog back through the door, which proceeded to slam shut behind him. Sonic threw the helmet to the floor and began desperately trying to break through the door with multiple spin attacks, only for the design to hold true to its intention. He began screaming while frantically banging his fists on the metal plating, "SHADOW! SHADOW CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" 

"I can hear you," the voice spoke again from behind. It was strange, it was like it was coming from two different sources in the same room, the echoes bouncing off of one another. The hero began to shrink as it approached him, the single glowing red eye piercing into his soul like it did every single time he saw it. "Nice of you to visit," it continued, with each step sending another shrill through Sonic's heart, "--and they say you can never come home again."

He was trapped. Sealed within this horrible place again. Stuck with him. 

"No--you're dead. Your...your body is right there!" Sonic tried to shout, only for the words to come out rather meekly. The visage of the jackal turned to the slumped form against the wall, but dismissed it with a scoff as he returned his attention to pet. 

"As if death ever truly ruled over me. You should know that better than anyone. But if you need convincing....how about an impromptu lesson?"