Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It doesn’t matter how many times she’d been down this hallway, every time she’d think to herself that it was all so dreadfully drab. Which is something that is a surprise to say, considering where she spent the majority of her childhood. At least there, colorful lights and patterns were abundant, if forever industrial. Here? The beige-gray walls only highlight every imperfection to be seen. Dents in the walls, scratches, everything able to be spotted by her keen eyes. Surely not all military offices were like this? No, more likely, it was definitely just this section of the building, considering who she was about to see. The only thing she regretted in the upcoming performance was not wearing dress shoes. She could only make so many sacrifices today, and comfortable shoes were not one of them.

When she reaches the secretary’s desk she makes a quick observation. The young woman is a temp. Her mousey brown hair in a ponytail was different to the gray curls that had been behind the desk ever since he’d been promoted. The regular’s desk decorations, knick-knacks and family pictures were still there. With the awareness of the stress in the brows of the young woman’s face, she put on her most polite and practiced smile. One that looked genuine if you didn’t know where to look. 

“Hello. I need to see Commander Tower, please.” 

The secretary, whose ID badge read ‘Sara’ looks up with an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry he’s not seeing anyone today.” Of course. 

“Oh, that’s quite alright dear.” She didn’t have any grandchildren and she wasn’t even that old, but ever since her hair had mostly grayed she’d played the ‘old lady’ card semi-frequently. “I’m on The List .” 

“The list?” Sara questions. 

Oh, she really was a temp. The List was a very exclusive one that included the president, the Commander’s family, and herself. She detaches the ID card from the side of her messenger bag, and hands it over. 

“Oh, um…” Sara’s eyes widen as she reads the card, “Doctor Robotnik ?”

“Or Professor, but really due to several family associations, most everyone just calls me Maria.” No matter how degrees or qualifications she had, neither Doctor or Professor seemed to work. Both held odd feelings to them anyway. The former more so, anyway, due to her cousin. So, she grins and bears 'Professor’ more often, but still it never feels like her; not truly.

“Oh-”

“Now dear, before you go panicking and call security due to a last name, type that number on the card there or scan it.” It was something that had happened once or twice in the beginning of her cousin’s…career. 

“Right, sorry, ma’am- Doctor? Um-”

“Just scan the card.”

She put it in the card reader on her desk which took a few seconds long enough to be slightly annoying. Then it beeps in a tone of affirmation, and the secretary leans closer to her computer screen. “Okay. Well, I'll just call the Commander-” 

She waves her off, taking the card with a light touch off of the desk. “By scanning it it sent an automatic alert to his pager.” 

The secretary seemed to deflate in front of her eyes, shoulders low. Her hands anxiously rub together. 

“Oh dear,” Maria’s face softens, a small smile appearing, “Don't worry; this is nothing against you- I've just known the Commander a long time and have gone through this business a few times. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.” 

“Ah.” She wrings her hands together before she takes a deep breath, “Alright, thank you ma’am.”

“You're doing a good job, Sara.” She says with a nod. And she was- she had no idea about the long standing history and politics of the place. She was just a young woman filling in for a seasoned worker. 

To not let the conversation linger, Maria starts briskly walking down the hallway once more. It was still slightly amusing that after all this time with his promotion when he could have the pick of any office in the building, Abe chose one tucked away in a back corner. Even the nameplate on the door was underwhelming. Small and bronze, a font that would look better on tax filings. As she stands before the door, she takes a small breath. Then another. She holds it for a moment longer- and- no she didn't need her inhaler at this moment. The tightness in her chest was something else. It restricts her breathing with an undeniable anxiety. She pushes the feeling away, re-adjusts her glasses, squares her shoulders, and opens the door. 

He is sitting behind his desk, nose pinched between two fingers. As she steps in, his hand lowers, and she sees Commander Abraham Tower’s striking eyes again for the first time in two years.  She knows she’s personally responsible for some of the lines that have gathered there. She shuts the door behind her quietly, taking a few steps to the chair in front of the desk, leaning on the back of it. The rough fabric still has just the right amount of texture to make it satisfying to run her fingers over. 

“Hello, Abe.” She says softly. 

He sighs, all coming out from his nose, harsh and loud, “Hello, Maria. Have you ever considered making an appointment?”  

“You wouldn’t have let me make an appointment today , anyway.” 

It was funny, how the man acts as if he was the only one who lost everything. A lot of people had lost things that day. No one came out unscathed. 

“No… No I suppose I wouldn’t have. Sit down, will you?” He gestures to the chair with a stiff movement, “You’re making me feel like a bad host.”

“Hm.” Maria sits, crossing her ankles, and adjusting her pack to sit by her hip, “How’s the family, by the way?” 

“They’re fine. We got your cards for holidays and birthdays… though I think my wife would have appreciated it if you had just come and talked.”  That was one good moment of judgement that he had made. His wife was a wonderful person and definitely easier to get along with. It was a shame that whenever this happens she has to limit interactions with her.

“We weren’t talking.” That was the whole point, when they didn’t talk. They’d done this rigmarole so many times over the years. The first time was when he had joined GUN. That argument had been explosive- her throat had been raw from yelling for the following week after. 

“I’m aware.” He was as much of an instigator of the silence between them as her. 

“When was the last time we talked again?” She asks, hypothetically, fully aware of when they last talked. 

Abe sighs again, adjusting his uniform, “The Station Square Incident, I believe. We,” meaning GUN, that is, “contacted you to help with cleanup, and specifically research.”

“Yes, I did a lot of communication work with the archeological team in particular. An odd bunch, them.”  The team did have new information on the Mystic Ruins and Angel Island, but they were also, quite frankly, a mess. She had never heard of any archeology project losing a team in the jungle , but they had. Then there was also the explorer unrelated to the team who had been in the jungle for twenty five years. After she had worked with them, she realized exactly why they had lost their funding shortly before everything went to hell. 

“Your work was excellent.” Abe says flatly. 

 Her lip twitches in a small smile, “Yes, I agree. So, why did we fight, again?”

He frowns, briefly closing his eyes, “Must I explain?” 

“I want to hear you say it.” 

“Fine. We fought because of our discussions on how to deal with that blue hedgehog and crew.” 

“They didn’t need to be dealt with. They were just kids, Abraham.” They were still kids, really. Still, over the years, the threats got bigger and bigger, and she’d had to watch as the innocence on their faces melted away with something else besides growing up. 

“I understand that- I was under a lot of pressure at the time however to take some sort of action-” 

She crosses her arms, but then decides against it and smooths down the front of her shirt, “I know. I just don’t want you to be a military pawn.” 

“I’m not, I promised you that.” There’s a bit of hurt that is in those eyes. If she wanted to, she could take the knife and twist it further. She’s unfortunately had to over the years. It scares her sometimes, the ruthlessness that comes far too easily if she lets it. 

“Alright. Alright. So then, now we come to today.”  Her fingers want to stray towards her bag, to open it, but she resists. Timing is important. 

As if sensing her urges, Abe’s eyes trace down to the bag at her side and narrow, “Yes, we do. I have to question what exactly is so important that has made you break the silence. Dare I say that usually it’s not something unimportant.”

“You’re right, it’s not unimportant at all, it’s very, very important in fact.” She flips open the top of the bag, the folders inside holding thick bundles of paperwork. The thousands of words, all written in legalize are unseen currently, but she swears she can hear them all the while. “You are aware of the citizen’s rights to request secret government information given enough time has passed?”

“I’m more than aware, Maria. Get to the real reason.” The tone has an order to it. She ignores it. 

Maria pulls out the thick folders, placing them on her lap first, “You’re not going to be happy.”

Abraham looks like he’s ready to pinch the bridge of his nose again, “I’m already getting there at this rate.” 

“Alright.” She places the stack of folders on his desk, her sleeve catching on his name plate for a single moment.  Commander  rings out to the world in gold. Her heart is caught in her chest. If she closes her eyes, she might just see the barrel of a gun pointed at her. 

“Maria…?” 

“I want my brother back, Abraham.” She taps the folders with an aggression that manages to mask the nervousness. 

“Your…” He eyes the files, “Your brother- You mean Project Shadow!?   How in any way is releasing him a release of information?!” 

“I’ve had lawyers look over everything.  This is the easiest way, unless you’d like to go to court for unjustly holding someone without trial for fifty years.”

“Wh-”

“I am going to free Shadow whether you like it or not, it just depends how much fighting you want to do.” 

He stands up, walking away from his desk and towards the wall, “You’re being serious? Do you have any idea what he’s capable of? Or the aliens-”

“The aliens are eventually going to be a problem no matter what Abe, even if you'd like to deny it,” She waves it off with a huff, “But Shadow doesn’t have anything to do with them.” 

He doesn’t respond, his anger going to his face making it beet red. It’s been a long time since she’s seen him this genuinely angry. That anger is only one half of the equation and the rest of it is easy to guess. 

“I know you were scared of him as a kid, but that’s the thing. You were a child. You’d never met any other Mobians before, it was just humans on the ARK, of course you were scared. The aliens didn’t help either, but whether or not you were scared doesn’t mean Shadow deserves it. Shadow has been stasis this whole time. He hasn’t even had a chance to make mistakes to actually be angry at.” 

She can see the way that her words are starting to break through to him, but still he keeps his mouth shut, likely so that he can think through what he says first. It gives her an opportunity to say something she hasn’t even said aloud to herself before, let alone another person. 

“I want to see Shadow again before I die, Abraham.” Saying it feels almost like she's choking. It's quiet and loud all at the same time. Her inhaler is ready to be used at any time but it's not her lungs that make it hard to say. It's all emotions.

That finally gets Abraham’s anger to cool off in favor of shock. It uncurls from his shoulders as he finally turns back towards her, a question in his eyes first before he asks, “What do you mean? Isn’t your medicine working?”

“The medicine isn’t a cure-all, it’s just management. I’m lucky to have it. The fact Grandfather was able to create it from memory while imprisoned- due to data he got from Shadow, by the way, but-” Maria’s breath wavers, “The oldest person with NIDS passed away six months ago. They were sixty five. And I’m-”

“Sixty two. I’m aware. Which means that you’re…” How long has it been since he's looked so truly frightened? How long since something has broken through that military mask and made him look like broken glass?

“The oldest surviving person to have NIDS, yes. So, I don’t know how long I have left. And if you want to be selfish about it, think about it this way, maybe if Shadow is willing to when he gets out he can contribute more to research.” She doesn’t want to force him. She doesn’t even know if she really needs to live that much longer once he’s free. It would be nice, but she had never expected to live past twenty. Everything else had been a gift, living her life to the fullest with the time she had. Now she wants to give back. She wants to finally give Shadow a chance at life. Years and years of trying to figure out a way to get him out, always pushed to the background. Now, despite the thick file of legal possibilities, this is her coming to one of her last options. Asking. Just asking. 

His face goes through many emotions in a short amount of time. One might describe it as the stages of grief. She's known him too long to know that it's far from it. It's analysis. It's weighing the options. It's the remnants of the boy raised by scientists.

“Alright. Alright. When do you want to go get him?” 

The world freezes. Time drips like molasses. No fighting? No debates?  

It all resumes with a halting breath, before she puts on a smile that is coy enough to mask everything else. “I'm free today.” 

Chapter Text

If you grow up on a space station, there's lots of little things that people take for granted that you won't when you get planetside. A perfect example is wind. It's an invisible force of nature, but it's beautiful nonetheless. It's something Maria had always appreciated ever since she felt it again. She'd been far too young when she'd left for the ARK to remember anything clearly. They were memories of someone else's memories. Even now, after being on the planet for fifty years, she's thankful for the wind.

However, space station or not, if you grow up in a place with minimal wind, you won't know exactly how to deal with it when it starts to pick up at extreme speeds. The airstrip they had previously been standing on had no wind blocks. The ocean wind was particularly strong today. She was lucky she didn't topple over. Instead she'd held tightly onto Abe’s hand, wishing she'd brought her crutches. So, when they got into the building and into the first of many elevators, she'd been relieved. Even Abe had looked a little frazzled, especially with his messed up hair. She was sure that she matched him, hair crazed in a way that no amount of coaxing it to lay flat would work without a brush. 

Now, she’s getting a bit tired of all the elevators. This was the third- no - fourth one they'd been in.

“So, how many elevators are there in this place?” She asks over the ambience of the air system. 

“Too many. This should be our last. I took a more direct one.” That explains why he’d entered more passcodes than she could count. Not to mention the handprint scanner. Everyone else had to continue through the labyrinth. More elevators and more passcodes. 

Though, at the very least, the metallic walls hold a modicum of comfort despite their icy cold. She’s biased. 

“I’ve noticed a lot of robots here, compared to when I was a kid.” That had been such a brief visit to Grandfather. She had been sick out of her mind and the memory is still blurred. It had hit her so much harder on Earth than on the ARK. Perhaps they could have waited on the execution until after she’d gotten over her illness at the end of the week? He'd lost weight, his face more gaunt than she'd ever seen him. It was then he had given her the news of the medication. He'd never lived to see if it would work.

“There’s no reason to keep as many human personnel this deep in anymore.”

“Hm. Still running on Chaos Drives?” 

Abe hesitates, “Yes.” 

Whatever emotion he’s expecting from her, she doesn’t show. It’s just the irony is thick enough to wade through. Commissioning Grandfather to make them a power source to use in their weapons. These same robots in the halls of his eventual jail. There’s an extra element to it all too. The leg braces she’s been wearing all day to forgo her crutches  are also using Chaos Drives. Rather than using them like power sources for machines she had been inspired by Chao. Many Chao owners would use Chaos Drives as a quick energy boost to help them in various ways. So she had constructed the first prototype some years ago. Which had developed into the ones she’s wearing now. All sleek metal and fabric underneath her pants. The Chaos Drives sat in a power casing on the back of her calves. It made her able to walk around longer without crutches and give her muscles an extra boost. She’s never been comfortable enough to bring them to market despite all of that. The biggest problem she’s found is that they tend to leave bruises all over the legs where specific points meet the skin. Minor ones, but it happens consistently. Wearing it consecutively was also extremely hard on the body as well. One of her earliest tests where she’d worn them for a week straight had left her essentially bed bound afterwards. 

So she saves them for special occasions. Like having to look able-bodied for her longtime friend so he’ll take her seriously. It’s not like he doesn’t usually… Abraham could be so fickle sometimes. When she had made her ‘battle plans’ it was important to play a part. To construct a shield. To be reminiscent of the girl he’d known as a child who didn’t need mobility aids so frequently. 

“Still, that doesn’t explain the lack of prisoners.” She ponders, running her tongue along the back of her teeth. 

Abe looks almost embarrassed, “Prison Island, despite the name, is less of a prison now-a-days.  It’s more of a secondary location for transporting supplies. Prisoners are occasionally kept here if they’re high profile and need extra protection.”

“Hm. An odd change to make.” 

“It’s not good to isolate everyone on an island. It creates an unhealthy power dynamic, and makes rehabilitation harder. Prisoners couldn’t get visitors in person easily either. It was a mess to organize planes of civilians in and out so frequently.”  There’s an air to his voice that has the quality of being practiced. An alternation of his initial pitch, maybe. 

Maria takes a long look at him and the way he stares off into the elevator’s door. It does not acknowledge him, as it is ever inanimate. 

“You really have made a good deal of changes to GUN, haven’t you?” 

“I do try.” 

Maria pauses and then bluntly says, “I still don’t like the military.” 

He lets out a long suffering sigh, “I am well aware.” 

There’s only a few more moments of silence between the both of them. The elevator proceeds to stop, her stomach flying up into her chest.  She closes her eyes, and pushes up her headband.

“You alright?” 

She opens her eyes, “Fine, thank you.” 

He nods only once, and then enters another code into the elevator panel. The doors slide open with a satisfying hiss, revealing a dark hallway. Ominous, empty and entirely abandoned. No one had been here in years if she was guessing correctly. She's sure there's robots lurking around somewhere, but it's frighteningly absent of any recent sign of life. Would the ARK look like this if she were to return? Low lighting hesitantly turns on, as if unsure that it still works. They both walk in, her own footsteps muffled by the rubber of the sneakers, but the military issued dress shoes let out enough sound for the both of them. It's the longest walk in the world. Or the shortest. Time’s strings sing out a discordant song as the bow graces across them. How she longs to play it herself at this moment.

Soon, they stand in front of one of the largest doors she's ever seen. Perhaps it's the same size as the previous doors in the facility and she's the one who's smaller.

The Commander reaches out a hand to the door’s console,“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Absolutely.” Maria replies without a second of hesitation. 

Abraham puts in yet again another security code. He might've reviewed them in the interim of waiting for the plane to be prepared or it was all simply stored in his lockbox of a brain. Either way, as the door slides open, she's thankful that no door had objected to their entry yet. They walk in, carefully, as if it was a sacred sanctum. No prayers were done here in this forgotten place. The console in the room glows with a myriad of lights. Beyond it, a pit sits innocuously, industrial pipes and tubes running down into it.  She recognizes her Grandfather’s design principles immediately. They had gotten him to design this prison while he was imprisoned himself it seems. Her hands flit across the holographic screens, familiar enough despite the years it had been since she'd interacted with similar interfaces. Soon, it is asking for a password.

“I hope you know the password for this one. This isn't one I know.” Her dear friend says quietly.

Oh, they really had gotten her Grandfather to do this. It's a wonder that GUN didn't die out as an organization with their questionable decisions.  Her hand pauses for a moment before the digital keyboard. Then she enters the password.

MA-RI-A

It gives an affirmation and then requests something else. Something with a special compartment. He really had gone all out on this. They had wanted security and he had given it to them. She hums, clicks her heels together three times and sticks her hand into the golden slot for a legendary jewel. Chaos Energy runs from the bottom of her legs all the way up to her head, giving her a pleasant buzz. Maria feels some of it leave through her hand and into the console, and the computer accepts it. Abe makes a small sound of surprise. It probably looks like a magic trick to an unknowing spectator.

The tubes that run into the pit in the center emit harsh noises of the movement of air. A light shines from the pit. Maria makes slow movements to the front console. Her legs might be shaky if it were not for the braces she wears. The mechanical sounds are like a symphony to her ears. Though in the midst of it all she catches movement out of the corner of her eye. 

“Keep your hand off your firearm, Commander.”  She has to raise her voice over the noise. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Professor.” Abraham’s hand slips off from his holster and back to his side, hesitation in his whole body. 

She pays him no mind. The most important thing is the cryo chamber rising up. Smoke rises along with it, and hopefully, it’s supposed to do that, and they haven’t caused a fire due to fifty years of no maintenance. It stops with a hitch that echoes in her breath.  Then there’s no motion, and the worst case scenario occurs to her. What if he’s- 

Motion exits the cryo chamber faster than anything in this entire facility.  The sound of jet boots. He lands in front of her, only a few strides away. His body language screams confusion and fright, and his eyes dart around the room looking for an escape.

“What-?” Even his voice is the same, not aged at all in the decades past. Anyone else might have had cryo sickness of some kind, but he’s just the same, as if he’d walked out of a picture.  For years all she had was a few sepia toned photos that she wasn't supposed to have to begin with. The dull browns and fading of the pictures couldn't capture the vibrant obsidian and ruby before her.

“Shadow!” Her voice scrapes the back of her throat as it makes its way out. Maria lands on her knees, sharp pain shooting up to her hips. A little pain is fine, it doesn’t matter because her brother is right there. He’s there and he’s alive.

His crimson eyes land on her, and at first no recognition is there.  She wants to scream at the stolen time between them. Then, he takes a half-step back as he makes eye contact with her. 

“Maria…?”  His voice is soft. 

“Yeah, yeah, it’s me-” Tears are gathering in her eyes, and the spit is thick in her mouth making it hard to talk, “Hi Shadow. It’s- it’s really you. Oh dear Chaos, it’s you…” 

Maria has had dreams of this moment. All these years she’s always pictured herself as the young girl that she had been when they had been separated. Now her hair is gray, but Shadow is still a teenager. He seems even smaller than she remembers. He takes a step forward, then another, and another. Soon he’s standing before her. She makes no movements, not wanting to scare him away. He reaches out a hand with an almost imperceptible shake. He cradles Maria’s face as if she would break with a touch, but she leans into it. Her baby brother… 

“I thought they’d killed you.” It’s a whisper. The last moment they had had together, she had assumed she would be dead too. She had been a bit self sacrificial, but that's something that happens when you know you'll die early anyway. She had asked him to do something huge for her; a promise.

“No, no, heh-” She laughs, a touch delirious, and guides his hand towards her shoulder, “It didn’t hit anything vital.”  She presses his hand against the old bullet wound, a gentle pressure so he can feel it through the fabric of her jacket. Too much blood, and a broken clavicle that still causes her shoulder to ache. Of all the scars she'd earned that day it was the physical one that was the least damaging.

“Maria…” He murmurs her name again in disbelief, “You- You’re- How long has it been?” 

Her laugh turns bitter, “Too long. Fifty years.”  The world has changed in many ways since then. A lot of good changes, some bad, some neutral, and Shadow hadn't seen any of it. He hadn't even seen what the Earth had initially been like to begin with when they were last together.

His ears turn downwards, and a frown crosses his face, “Fifty years…”

“Yes-  I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out sooner-”

“Don’t apologize for a second.” He interrupts, “The fact you’re alive-”

“Can I hug you?”  

It zips his lips closed instantly. Hesitancy is in those thoughtful eyes that she’d missed so much. Then Shadow nods slowly. She launches herself at him, gripping him in a bear hug. He might’ve expected something more fragile, but hugs have always been the least fragile thing about her.  Maria squeezes as tight as she can, and while at first he’s stiff, he slowly relaxes into her.  His head nuzzles into her shoulder, and she can feel shuddered breaths. Showing his emotions had been discouraged by the scientists, even her Grandfather. She knows what she feels, for the most part happiness, but it must be even stranger from his perspective.

She's unprepared for when he suddenly tenses and pushes her away albeit gently. Shadow growls, lowly, his eyes razor sharp. 

“What is he doing here?” He asks, a defensive hand reaches out in front of her. 

Maria turns her head, “Ah.” She'd forgotten about him, “Shadow, it's alright, it's- you remember little Abe right?”

His shoulders lower, a brief glance at her and then the man. Abraham does one of the most awkward waves she's ever seen before in her entire life. He still looks ready to grab his pistol at any moment.

“You joined them?”   Shadow lashes out. Static electricity makes some of Maria's hair stand on end as it emanates from her brother.

Something about that makes the soldier relax a bit, a familiar look on his face replacing his stress, “I've had this conversation with Maria many times, I joined GUN to prevent what happened on the ARK from happening again.”

Maria leans forward, a slight conspiral look on her face, “By ‘conversation’ he means fight. Many fights over the years. I'll never agree with his choice.”

For a moment then, they're like children again, bickering all the while. Maria would always drag them into trouble- and Abe would always follow even if he was frightened by the hedgehog. Shadow himself was content to follow her lead, but as he matured, (all too quickly for her tastes) he became a voice of reason. Now, Shadow looks quickly between them both, an assessment in progress. Then something settles on his face that she can't recognize at first. Then, when she does, it's all too obvious. Grief. Her brother is feeling grief.

“I've missed so much.”  

Maria reaches out, and rubs at his shoulder in an attempt at comfort, “I know, but we have today, and every tomorrow after that to live, okay?”

A steely determination lights in his eyes and he nods. 

She smiles wide, face aching from the motion, “Alright. Let's go home.” 

Chapter Text

The first time Shadow sees the sky is standing on the rough tarmac of one of the airstrips on Prison Island. It is endlessly vast, and on the horizon it meets the sea. Blue upon blue. He finally understands why many years ago sailors thought they'd fall off the edge. Shadow had known that the Earth was blue, but it's so odd to see it. He’s surprised by how empty it feels. “No clouds.” Maria tells him. She’s been telling him a lot of things, but he hasn’t been so eloquent in his own responses. Short, blunt and to the point  It’s hard to give any when everything is so overwhelming. She doesn’t seem bothered at least. Though the sky is liminal and empty, before they enter the plane that’s supposed to take them ‘home’ he spots a distant pair of birds.  Their silhouettes are dark against the sky. He’s never seen a bird before, let alone two. Shadow’s going to be thinking that a lot apparently. 

The plane they’re in is meant for cargo, as evidenced by the space they sit in being the only open seats, framed by boxes. His stomach churns at the thought of what could be in them. Anything from rations to guns. It's not what one would call first class. “Short notice.” Not-so-little Abe tells him. Whenever Shadow looks at him, the dark gray uniform contrasted by red and blue stripes, his mind screams traitor .  Maria may not have died but she very well could’ve. If that bullet had strayed a little bit farther in… And what of the man’s own family?

The plane ride feels longer than it actually is. He can feel every movement all the way down to his bones. It is also far too loud for his tastes. Even Maria doesn’t try to make conversation during the flight. Still she holds his hand tight the whole time, occasionally squeezing it in reassurance. Maybe she holds on so he doesn’t float away. It’s altogether possible. The Ultimate Lifeform as fragile and light as a feather, ready to float into the unknown. He wasn’t made to be like this. He wasn’t built to break.

When they land, he can't help but notice how green the surrounding area is around the military airport. Trees, grass and other plants swaying in the light breeze. That's a thing too, the invisible force that just caresses them gently. Shadow’s felt the movement of air from fans and vents before but this is different. It somehow feels more alive. He has to be careful, all his senses threatening to be overwhelmed by new stimuli.  Fifty years of suspended animation probably doesn't help.  The military personnel that start to unload cargo don't even throw a second glance at him. On the ARK they always did, wary and suspicious. To them he's just… another regular Mobian. Any looks thrown his way are more curiosity than anything because they don't recognize him.

Maria in the meantime is exchanging harsh tones at a whisper with Abraham. He could listen in if  he wanted to, but he trusts Maria. He isn't going to eavesdrop on what is clearly some sort of scolding towards the man. Maria is still standing up for him. It's a miracle he'd recognized her to begin with. A face matured from years of life. It's foreign in many ways. Except for the voice and the eyes. They were dead giveaways. That inherent love that she held for him was unmistakable.  On the flight he'd studied her face, finally truly recognizing her. Her face no longer held the baby fat of childhood, replaced now by fine lines that indicated a life of happiness. Crows feet that accentuates her smile. Glasses that made her eyes brighter. Her hair had turned to a gray that still held echoes of gold. She still wore it the same. Then there were the differences. She was wearing a pantsuit for one, though still her favorite blue- though that could've just been that Prison Island wasn't exactly dress worthy. She wore sneakers instead of flats or being barefoot, and there was something around her legs that had a higher Chaos Energy signature. It felt more mechanical, so he had to assume there was some sort of device there. With all of that, he can't help but feel a painful sense of loss. Missing time with her. He hadn't aged while in stasis either so he didn't even match. Even if the data showed he'd slow or even stop aging entirely when he entered adulthood.  Shadow has to wonder if and when she looks at him if he's almost risen from the dead. A ghost made living flesh. Part of him certainly feels that way. 

Maria has made her way over to him, and she's smiling apologetically, and he's trying to memorize this new-old face as fast as possible, “Sorry about that. Abe is a dear friend, but he's probably the person I argue most with.” 

“Funny, it used to be me he'd want to pick fights with.”  Shadow replies absently. Some clouds are finally curling into view. Cirrocumulus . 

“ Yes, well, if he wanted me to argue with him less often he should make better choices!” Her smile turns mischievous.  The same smile that would convince him to pull pranks on unsuspecting scientists. 

“Hmph. You're right. He should.” His tone is flat, but his eyes sparkle in amusement. Shadow knows it gets across when she laughs lightly in return.

“C’mon,” She says with a light squeeze to his shoulder, “You can come see my questionable minivan.” 

By questionable standards it's not the worst. There are certainly some odd choices. Mainly the amount of bumper stickers on the back, that makes him wonder if it's even street legal to do that. Maria tells him with a large smile that they're mostly gifts. Snowballed to the point that anyone she knew got her stickers and magnets for the car. They're encroaching onto the sides. When he gets into the passenger seat, it becomes apparent why she chose a minivan. It's rigged out with a ramp and such for when she's using her wheelchair.  The glove compartment also has little stickers over it. It’s not overwhelming by any means, but it is what he would consider, a lot. 

The motion of the vehicle blurs the world around them. Colors smear into each other, and part of it is that it’s hard to focus on anything particular when there’s just so much . Shadow must look overwhelmed, because Maria just talks slowly the whole time. She doesn’t have any kids, has never been married and is fine with that. She’s the godmother to Abraham’s children however. She has a few degrees, but her main one is archeology- she’s taught at colleges and universities all over the world. Strange that now she’s Professor Robotnik. The world turned upside down. There’s a young boy she’s somewhat mentoring named Tails. He’s not sure why the boy is named that, and at the moment his mouth doesn’t want to cooperate with the words in his head. She likes gardening, even though she doesn’t think she’s very good at it.  It’s a full life, and a good one, and Shadow has it ringing over and over in his ears that it’s been fifty years . 

They’re not on the ARK anymore, and no one is around to schedule his life. No tests of ability or medical varieties. He can’t even go to the Professor- Gerald-  for help or advice. No matter how complicated their relationship was as creator and creation there was some sort of… father and son bond there. 

And Maria is alive. 

“It's funny, there's not a lot of research on what I specialize on specifically, made getting through college a little more difficult that first time around,” She's still explaining, “there's a few others who specialize in studying Chaos Energy historically as a bit of a side thing, a man I've worked with before, Professor Pickle who primarily works in literature has studied the gods Light Gaia and Dark-”

“I'm sorry,” Shadow interrupts, finally talking for the first time in half an hour, “Did you just say his name is Professor Pickle??”

She laughs, and flicks the turn signal with a quick flick, “Yes, and honestly that's not the oddest part about him.”

He can't help it, a laugh of his own escapes, quieter but still present. The joy present on Maria’s face dissuades his usual attempt to hide it.  

“So,” He pauses, thinking of how to phrase his question, “You specifically study and teach about the cultures and history affected by the Chaos Emeralds?”

“Yes. It's far more broad than I anticipated, it turns out they have an odd habit of traveling. Almost like they have a mind of their own. Which means it's a lot of research. I've been hoping that by teaching I can get more people interested in it specifically.”

He doesn't have to stretch his imagination far to picture her teaching. Maria taught him some of the things the scientists could never do. As a skill, she probably only got better at it as she got older.

“You had no interest in pursuing robotics or science of any kind?”  His air shoes feel heavy on his feet. It was one of the only times someone had made something for Shadow as a genuine gift. She made sure they were comfortable too.

“Ah, well… one of my degrees is technically in robotics but it was more of a back burner one. There's a few reasons why I didn't prioritize it.” Her tone has layers to it that he can't discern, histories he hasn't learned yet, “It's a lot to get into on your first day back. I mean I've already talked too much, if I overwhelmed you…” 

Maria can only make brief eye contact before she has to focus once again on the road.  The quick glance is nervous either way.

“No. Not at all.”  Shadow wishes he could make eye contact, but compromises with a quick touch to her shoulder, “You always have known when I've needed silence. And right now, hearing your voice is exactly what I need.”

Shadow doesn't cry; won't let himself cry but he does take in a shaky breath that rattles his whole body. He was right about her knowing when he needed silence. The last part of the ride is silent, aside from the AC. Not even the radio is on, though Maria glances at it several times, debating. It wouldn't have been the worst, the music would've blended together and became a white noise. He appreciates the thought all the while.

They pull up to a terracotta color ranch style house, tucked away from the nearby city. Still easily acceptable but he imagines that it wouldn't be easy to find if you didn't know where to look for it. There's enough trees around the place it feels like a miniature forest, which might be the intention.  Flowers of all types are in a small garden as well as various pots dotted around. Even a window planter has flowers who stretch towards the sun. It's nice. It's completely opposite to what was on the ARK. Maria could only go into the plant room for limited times there, the limited pollen often irritating her lungs. There weren't many flowers either. It was less of a place of study and more of a way to get fresh food that wasn’t dependent on the monthly supply shipments.

“Well,” she taps her fingers on the steering wheel, “Home sweet home as they say.” 

Shadow has no response as a million thoughts go through his head. The idea of a home was strange. In some ways the ARK was his home. In other ways it was simply just a place he existed. A workplace, a hospital, a lab…

“Well, let's go.” Her gaze softens before she opens her door, “It'll be okay, Shadow.” 

He is once again silent. 

The ground is odd beneath his feet, the grass and dirt beneath is not as solid as what he was expecting. It squishes slightly, and small droplets of water escape the blades of grass as he moves. He has to conclude that it rained recently. Maria unlocks the front door quickly and holds the door open for him. Shadow has been trained to fight in battlefields. This can’t be that difficult. The room he enters is illuminated by natural light from the windows and is… just a living room/dining room combo. It’s just like how it looked in tv shows and movies. A smile flickers across his face. He can remember the two weeks when the entire station had suffered when they’d temporarily lost access to their ‘stories’.  For Shadow it was one of the only ways to see what life on Earth was like at all. The room before him is definitely less flat feeling than what was on those shows. Three dimensional. 

It’s also so soft looking. All the furniture seems to curve and there’s cushions. So many cushions.  The dining room table has a thick tablecloth that has little faint stains all over it.  There’s little kitschy souvenirs on shelves, and art on the walls. The most notable one hangs towards the centerpiece of the room. He recognizes it immediately. The view of The Earth from the ARK. 

“Do you like it? I had it commissioned oh… it’s been a long time. After I got my first paycheck, I think.” 

“It’s… beautiful.”  Shadow feels like he could just reach up to touch the painting and he’d be touching a thick pane of glass. 

“It’s one of the things I miss the most. That view.” Maria says fondly. 

They would hang out in front of the observation windows for hours upon hours.  So many memories in his short life are in front of that window. 

“Anyway, I need to change into something more comfortable but I want to show you your room first.”

“My room?”

She quirks an eyebrow at him, “Did you think I was just going to make you sleep on the couch?”

“Ah.” The couch does look comfortable. 

“I’m not making you sleep on the couch.”

“If you’re sure-”

“I’m sure, Shadow.”

Maria leads him down the hallway in the house. She points out where the bathroom is, and informs him that the kitchen is in its own room because she didn’t want to be able to see her dirty dishes while she was watching her evening shows on her tiny tv.  There’s a home office (“With a home computer! They’re so small now!”) and the utility room and the storage closet- The bedrooms are actually at the end of the house, as far away from the ‘noisy’ parts as they could be. There’s three bedrooms, Maria’s own, a Guest room, and… 

She pushes the nondescript door open and gestures with some gusto, a smile on her face. Shadow takes a hesitant step in, feeling like the floor could fall under him at any moment. It’s just… it’s just a bedroom. A regular bedroom. The bed is bigger than any bed he’s ever seen, but the bedding is a plain black. He presses a hand against it, feeling the plushness of the comforter. There’s a bookshelf to the right side of the room; he recognizes a few books he read on the ARK. The ones he told Maria he liked. She remembered. To the left side, there’s a dresser, upon which a record player sits.  Beside the dresser there’s a box, holding a small collection of vinyls. 

He immediately is drawn to it, and thumbs through several. It’s all music by artists he knows, though not of the albums. Nat King Cole appears several times- Peggy Lee- a compilation album… 

Shadow glances back up to Maria. She’s smiling softly. 

“I thought you’d like something familiar. We’ll ease you into what the ‘kids’ are listening to now-a-days with their MP3 players…” Her voice eases into a facade of a cranky older person that is betrayed by her humor. 

He takes another glance around the room, once again glancing at the bookshelf. There’s a photo frame on there- and he spots one of the rare photos of him, Maria and The Professor.  It shows signs of being crumpled and creased but has been carefully folded out and preserved.  

She walks over to the nightstand, hand reaching for a half-domed object that was dark in color. “I wish I had one of these when I first came down planetside, so I made sure to get one for you.” She presses in on it softly and it clicks, lighting up blue. It casts stars and galaxies throughout the entire room. It's more fantastical than the view they had from orbit, but as the images slowly turn around the room, he understands why she got it for him.  She presses the dome again and it clicks off, and she turns to him with a smile. 

For some reason all of this together only rings alarm bells for him. There's too many things here. His room on the ARK had been nondescript. Exceedingly plain. He hadn't even had a blanket or pillow at first- he can remember the Professor snapping at an intern about it. Something about maintaining experiments to get accurate results. It had been one of those overtly clinical times of his, with a gaze that made him feel like an object. There were a lot more of those times when he was essentially a child. Somewhere along the way, maybe because of Maria, the Professor’s heart seemed to soften towards him. Even so, despite the added bedding, the room hadn't been one of comfort. Shadow had never asked for anything more.

His heart beats fast enough that he can hear it in his ears, “You didn’t need to do this for me.” 

“No, I didn’t need to, but I wanted to.” 

“I just- it could have just stayed a guest room.” Surely someone else could have used these niceties other than him 

Maria took in a harsh breath, her eyes glancing away, “It’s… Shadow, I planned this house’s layout when I decided to build my own. This was always planned to be your room, even in that blueprint.”

“It was?” 

“Yes.” There is no hesitance in her voice.

He pauses, “You had hope I’d return after all this time? How?” 

Maria shrugs, “Hope is a tool. You have just got to learn how to  use it.” Fifty years of hope and kindness. She’d never let her feelings turn to hate about what happened. Shadow doesn’t know if he can do the same. 

 A wave of exhaustion briefly rolls over her, yet her smile stays strong, “Now, I’m going to go change. You can stay in here as long as you like or go anywhere else in the house. No one is ordering you what to do now.” Which might be part of the problem, he thinks, as the door shuts behind her. 

He feels entirely aimless. All he has to do is make a small decision at this moment. Shadow has to clear his mind as it threatens to become overwhelmed. Simple choice. He goes to the bathroom (his own bathroom? He doesn’t need one. Nevermind the fact each bedroom has its own.) and finds himself looking into the mirror. Fifty years… he hasn’t aged a day. Literally. Even with his projected slow aging he should’ve looked like an adult instead of a perpetual teenager if he’d lived the life in those years. His eyes harden their gaze in the reflection, an accusation. If he squinted, could he iron out that baby fat? Could he picture his own set of crow's feet around his eyes? Shadow sighs, turning away and breaking the staring contest. Both him and his reflection lose. He should shower, the smell of the cryo chamber clings to his fur and quills. It’s not a bad smell, per say, it’s quite clean actually. It’s just- clinical. Which is overwhelming in this little homey bathroom that’s been prepped for him. 

All of the towels have embroidered blue flower patterns on them, and are plush and thick. They're far more luxurious than the ones he was used to. The ones on the ARK were still usable but they were cheaply bulk ordered. They'd rip often. Which meant they'd have to get the quartermaster to order more. The only time he'd see this quality of fabric were some of the ones used in the labs and the time one of the experimental medications Maria had reacted badly to. She'd broken out in terrible hives and rashes, forcing immediate emergency care in response. The supply shipment had luckily been around the same time, and the towel order was changed slightly. Softer towels for fragile skin. The medication’s results hadn't even been that promising. One of the scientists had broken out into sobs when the Professor had snapped at her.  

Shadow opens the shower curtains with an air of trepidation and it's… a normal shower. There's a handrail there, and a built-in shower chair, but it looks about what he expected it to be. The soap holders even have been stocked. There's several brands of body wash, shampoo and conditioner, all specialized for Mobians and quills. Correction; overstocked.

Hope is a tool. 

The shower he takes is nice. Aside from the annoying buzz of paranoia. He goes for the unscented soaps for this time, the need to experiment feeling too odd for the moment. After he gets out and dries himself off he realizes he has nowhere to put stray quills that had fallen during the process. Before, he would put them in a box in the shower for the scientists to retrieve after. It was considerably less painful than yanking them out for samples. More pleasant for everyone involved. So, instead, he places them on the counter of the sink. He momentarily eyes the trash can, but it feels too wrong to just dispose of them. 

After some idle poking around in the bedroom that's supposed to be his, Shadow does find some fresh gloves and socks to put on. The fabric feels much softer, having not been artificially frozen for so long. He doesn't have to wear his shoes, but he does anyway. Shadow finds that the familiar weight offers a small amount of comfort, though he'll have to be careful of the carpets and hardwood floors. Everything around him seems far more fragile than the metal walls he grew up with. Most things in the house seem to be constructed of wood. Do the trees that are around the property mourn those that are used within? Or do they rejoice that they will live lives and provide happiness even when their roots no longer take water from soil. Could he learn to adapt? Could he restructure his life? It's not that simple. He's not some antique dresser. Though at this point, apparently, he's a perfectly pristine antique. New old stock. 

Shadow has to physically shake his head to draw himself out of his spiralling thoughts before he heads out of the bedroom. It's becoming a habit he'd like to avoid as much as possible.  

The smooth tones of music dances through the air, getting louder until he reaches the living room. He recognizes Nat King Cole but not the song itself. It’s coming from a roundish device on a side table by where Maria is. She leaned back in the recliner, eyes closed in appreciation. Her clothes are much looser now, far more relaxing than the previous business ready outfit. As Shadow practically tiptoes into the space she stirs, sitting up some. Maria reaches towards the music device, similar to record players in that its speakers are built in. Perhaps it is a record player. 

“CD,” she says by way of explanation before elaborating, “Like the data disks we used on the ARK. Only took them a few decades to catch up.” Data disks were only to be used by the scientists. Now these similar ones are used for simple enjoyment. 

Maria nods her head behind him, “Kitchen table. Figured you’d want to see it.” 

Shadow resists the urge to grumble. She wants him to see a lot of things, and this one she doesn’t even specifically say what it is. It’s almost too much. He heads through the door anyway. The kitchen, like everything in this house, is almost disgustingly homey. Oh, how he yearns for cold unfeeling metal. He shoves the feeling away and heads straight to the kitchen table where a box awaits.  It’s mostly nondescript, but there’s an overcomplicated word on the side of it in bold text, along with a whole paragraph of much smaller text. He flicks open the top and within is individually wrapped packages. Something alarming flashes in his mind, and Shadow picks up one with care. Within the thin plastic is a mechanized needle, the casing thick in plastic as well. The injector button is large, easy to press. A small clear window shows the medicine inside. It’s clear, mostly, with a green tint to it. His own deeper green blood seems to flow faster, and Shadow can hear it rushing through his ears. 

He picks up the whole box, reading the list of instructions and warnings. He disregards the latter; they list every small side effect to the fact that you might die. If you have a condition that’ll kill you anyway, it’s a risk that most people will take even if they’re going to get something like dry skin. Apparently, Maria had left the box out because the instructions specifically said so. Keep refrigerated otherwise. He puts the whole box back into said refrigerator while keeping the singular needle. It feels heavy in his hand. 

Maria is entirely too casual when he enters back into the room. She has reading glasses on, and she's browsing a shopping catalogue. As she glances up she smiles, and she exchanges the reading glasses for the ones she was wearing previously that sat upon her head. His steps feel entirely too loud before he stands before her chair.

“What is this?”  Shadow hates the way his voice sounds as he asks.

“My medication.” She responds, too calm for his tastes.

“It's just-” He looks at it in his hand, it doesn't care about his feelings, “it's not a cure .”

She sets her shopping catalogue on the CD-thing, along with her reading glasses, “No, it's not.” She raises an eyebrow, eyeing his hand.

Shadow wants to scream, though his voice remains level, “You take this everyday?”

She laughs lightly, “Oh no, I actually am lucky in that regard- only three days a week every other day. Gives me a break from how I can get a bit more tired on after-shot days.”

She’s so casual about it. It's infuriating.

“It's still not a cure - you're still sick-” He shakes it in his hand, still careful to not break it all the while, “I failed.” Day after day of testing to try and find answers. Blood, saliva, fur, quills, spinal fluid - anything and everything. His body was broken apart over and over again and put back together for research. He gladly did it for her and would do it again.

If it's possible to see heartbreak in someone’s eyes it's her reaction to Shadow saying that, “Oh, Shadow. You didn't fail at all.”

“It's my purpose to cure you. It's why I was created. If this medication only treats your NIDS then…” His eyes widened, eyebrows raised, “then you could still die from it.”

Maria reaches out a hand, clasping his free hand, “I could die from a lot of things, Shadow. Fifty years ago I could've died from a gunshot wound if it was in a more deadly spot. Or if I hadn't gotten proper care for it. You didn't fail at all. Due to you this medication wouldn't have existed at all, and that's good enough for me.”

“I…” 

“Listen, Shadow, you don't exist just to fulfill a purpose someone else set out for you. All the people who wanted you to do something are either dead or retired.” She waves it off.

He tightens his hold on her hand, “You asked me to give everyone a chance to be happy, the last time I saw you.” 

She laughs quietly and squeezes in return, “There's a lot of ways you can do that by just living your life. Whatever choice you make I know that it'll make people happy, because you make people happy just by existing, Shadow.”

He's quiet for a moment, “How do I live without any directions?” 

Maria hums lightly, thinking it over, “Well, lots of parents want their children to grow up to be doctors or lawyers. Things that pay well, things that will give them security. Despite that, living life doesn't revolve around the choices other people make for us. Someone could tell you what your favorite food is, but that's not going to make it your favorite. It's not going to be easy, but you'll learn.” Her hand drifts to the one holding medication, “And it might not be a cure, but it's fulfilled the most important thing. It's allowed me to live.”  

“I’m not sure if I can learn.”  Shadow’s voice is low, doubtful.

Maria blinks, then rolls up her sleeve, exposing her shoulder, then guides his hand towards her,  “Here, administer it. You’ve helped me live my life, take the first step to living yours.” 

Shadow briefly bites the inside of his cheek briefly.  A medication derived from the research done on him, saving the lives of others. He wouldn’t need to be studied any further unless he made the choice to. Obviously, his sister had lived all this time, the medication must work. He doesn’t know about his other purpose, that of being a weapon- how he would ever  fulfill it.  If he even needed to. No predestination. Just Shadow the Hedgehog. Whoever that is. 

He takes off the cap to the device, presses the injector side firmly into her skin, and presses the release trigger. 

Chapter Text

Two months. Two months and about three or so days, since he’s been out of stasis. Shadow is trying not to obsess over the time he’s living, and in his own opinion, he thinks he’s getting better at it. It’s a slow process- trying not to constantly count every minute he’s been out. Maria has been an endless source of help. If he hadn’t had someone to lean on, he might’ve lost it. She’s the one that continues to push him to keep going on, when he finds that it becomes the hardest to do so. And introducing him to many things in a steady trickle. New hobbies, new foods, new music- though some of it is actually old music at this point- all brand new. She never overwhelms despite it all. It’s gentle pushes. 

One of the first things that she had gotten him to do was join her in gardening. Part of the process had been taking him out to a local plant nursery, picking out flowers he liked. He’d gravitated towards a purple color scheme, lilacs, hyacinths, lavender… Then they’d gotten down and into the dirt. “It’s not gardening until you get dirt everywhere.” Maria had said. He questions if that’s really true, but it is consistent. She had worn gardening gloves at first, before ripping them off at some point. She didn’t care about getting it under her nails. He didn’t see the appeal of that, specifically, but seeing the garden and its organization come together had been very satisfying. Though he’d had to tut on Maria about taking more breaks so she wouldn’t strain herself. He apparently ‘worried too much’, and that was probably right but someone had to do it. Even if she wouldn’t listen. Some things never changed.  This is abundantly clear that on her wheelchair days, she’s convinced him to take her out and push her with extreme speeds using his air shoes. It’s not something he thought he would still be doing after fifty years. 

He's also tried to find hobbies for himself to varying success. One of his most successful is reading again. He tends to go to the library multiple times a week, often speed reading unintentionally. It gives him a chance to (timidly) socialize with other people as well. He also has frequented a local second hand book store to try and fill his book shelf. Shadow has been very selective with what he's decorating and putting in his room. Maria taking him ‘thrifting’ is interesting, and they had found a place that sold good quality records for reasonable prices. It was harder to find them now due to the transition to tapes and CDs. Maria was insistent that they would come back in style eventually. Shadow wasn't so sure.

Often in the mornings and evenings, Shadow takes the time to go through various training exercises through the local area. He appreciates that her (their?) house is far enough away from curious eyes.  He goes through the various moves he was taught on the ARK to keep his skills sharp. It also allows him to get some restless energy out. It's rather fun, actually. The terrain varying in many ways offers a unique challenge that he couldn't have had before. Each time Shadow goes further out. Just little bits at a time, still ever careful. It's thrilling, but he's still distrustful of GUN finding out his activities. Finding an excuse to lock him away again. He also can't exactly use his Chaos Abilities because of that either. Though he does want to. Shadow wants to stretch his abilities and what he can do without a Chaos Emerald. In the meantime he'll wait until he's less paranoid and GUN hopefully gets distracted by something else.

Then, there's also the World Wide Web. Also known as the internet. It's very different to the intranet they had on the ARK, not confined to the information on their servers which was mainly science related.  It is far slower, but not so much that it's irritating. He's fond of simply exploring different websites. He's even thought about trying to make one himself. There have been a few coding books that he has spotted at the library before. It’s definitely something to contemplate for the future. 

On one of these days in this new life, Shadow finds himself sitting in the living room, reading the latest newspaper.  It’s a little boring today, and the crossword is. Bad. He’s done better ones. Maria sits at the dining table, cross referencing some lighter research. She’s been thinking of teaching at some local colleges in the coming fall, but is still debating it. Due to her condition, she often has to see how it’ll go. It’s why she only rarely teaches overseas, but she had metaphorically nudged Shadow that it would be easier with a companion to do it. Seeing another country is another can of worms, but there is a certain appeal to it. That, and getting access to a huge university’s library sounds tempting, even more so than access to a community college’s.  

It’s in this calming midday when a ringing alarm goes through the house. It’s almost ear splitting, and Shadow shoots to his feet. It’s definitely not the normal doorbell, which is a delightful little sound, and not this- this klaxon that reminds him of the panic at the ARK, soldiers everywhere. 

Maria curses, shooting to her feet and swaying a little. She grabs her cane off the back of the chair, and uses it to push herself forward at astounding speed. 

“What is-!?”  He manages. 

“Shadow, I need you to go into the safe room.”

“We have a safe room?”

His sister is pushing the hutch that contains a bunch of knick knacks forward. He can see now that it's on metal guides that make it easier to push.  The darkness from within looms ominously. 

“You didn’t think to mention this before?” He can’t keep the disbelief from his voice. 

“I don’t use it very often.” She gestures to the darkness, “I need you to go in, lock it behind you. It’s claustrophobic but it’s not meant for long use. That’s what the basement one is for.”

“ Two saferooms? ” 

“Shadow.” Maria’s voice is flat and serious, “Please.”

“What about you-?” He heads towards it anyway.

“Me? I’m going to have an awful conversation.” 

Before he can ask more, she pulls the hutch over the doorway again. He’s left in darkness before his eyes quickly adjust, and a small light is visible from the other room is visible. It’s a peephole. Shadow leans close, keeps his breath steady, and waits. 

Chapter Text

Maria makes with frenzied haste as she steps back from the hidden entrance to the safe room. She hasn't thought to mention either safe room, because if she was being honest, it wasn't something she thought about often. It wasn't something she needed often. The basement one was more just in case of something like a tornado anyway, but this one was for quick, temporary hideaways. There was a light in there somewhere, and nonperishables in the very back, but it would be a brief stay for Shadow anyway so he shouldn't need them. That and his night vision for the first one. She slips her reading glasses off, grateful she was wearing the ones that she put the holding chains on. She tied her housecoat closed in an effort to look more put together than she actually was. While she had gotten dressed today, she hadn't been prepared to go out on the town, and was wearing a mismatched ensemble mainly for comfort. She's currently regretting that, if only because it leaves her without an extra shield against the man behind the front door. Maria propels herself towards it with her cane to give herself some extra speed.  The security panel hidden under a nondescript picture frame was easy to flip up, the buttons making happy noises as she shut off the warning klaxons. Then, Maria stepped in front of the door properly, took a breath and opened it.

“Ivo!” She said with a brightly colored tone, “You caught me unawares.”

Dr. Ivo Robotnik was a tall man. While Maria herself was neither short nor very tall, he made her feel small. It was less about the height itself. It was the way the man loomed over others, looking down at them. It felt like an over exaggeration to call his presence ‘pure evil’ but it sometimes felt apt. It was always more complicated than that though, she herself had seen glimpses of something more than just that in their brief encounters throughout the years.  It was always hard to tell, his eyes obscured by opaque sunglasses. The worst part, perhaps, was the way she could see their Grandfather in him. Not only the physical aspects of his physical build and magnificent mustache, but that very energy he exuded. Grandfather had always been careful to hide that side of him from her. That cold ruthlessness. While Grandfather had been kind at heart but twisted over the years by forces around him, as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, Ivo… Ivo had never fought with it like her Grandfather had. Never took a step back to evaluate. When she was present with Grandfather and he would be too harsh with Shadow, too clinical, she would make a comment. And she would see him realize what he had said or done.

Gerald Robotnik wasn't as good of a person as she'd hoped when she had a child. She had seen signs of it then of course, but hindsight and the experience of life made it all the more bittersweet. At least, despite his mistakes, he still tried until the very end. Though her thoughts had often danced around the idea of what would've truly pushed her Grandfather off the edge. If that bullet had hit a vital organ ….

Ivo had no such excuses. No finding a cure for a sick relative or government agencies had twisted his morals. He has chosen to live his life this way. Maria had seen the destruction of Station Square herself, standing in its soaked streets. He wasn't a good man. Which was really, quite sad. He didn't live a happy life.

“Ah, you'll have to forgive the intrusion, but you know how these things go…” He drawls, entirely unapologetic.

She stands to the side, letting him in, “Well, yes, dear cousin, but if you let me know ahead of time I could've made a proper lunch to share.” She wouldn't have. She closes the door, eyeing him warily, “Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? I've been getting into it lately, even have one of those fancier machines now.  I have quite a few different types of beans if that's to your liking.”

In reality, it was due to Shadow that there were so many types in the kitchen, and the new coffee machine. While he still likes them plain, he still couldn't deny that having them as an actual beverage was good. She'd even gotten him to try different types of creamer and sugars. Despite that,  at the end of the day, they both preferred their coffee black and their teas sweet.

“No, no, this should only be a quick visit, Maria.”  Oddly enough, she has no doubts about that being the truth.

She sits back where she was previously, fingers dancing across her research. It's all light reading, nothing that her cousin couldn't find himself. It's mostly just cross-referencing different cultural stories. Finding links about the Chaos Emeralds around the world.

When Ivo sits, a brief sneer crosses his face as he observes the room, “I see you're still revoltingly homey.”

“Metal doesn't keep heat in well.” She replies. 

“Hmph.” He briefly raises his eyebrows, “I suppose I should cut to the chase. I recently got my hands on our Grandfather's journal, dear cousin.”

Maria’s heart hammers in her chest. Ivo shows no signs of lying either. That was the worst part about him. Most of the time he was serious with her. She wasn't sure if it was some sort of familial obligation, or if it simply didn't benefit him to lie. 

“How did you even get your hands on it…? I would've imagined that in particular would've been destroyed.” She can remember the man writing in it. She had always been curious about it, but it was far more personal to him than anything else. It was one thing to sneak looks at scientific projects. It was another to spy on someone’s personal thoughts laid in ink and paper. Still, in this moment, Maria’s mind screams at her to ask to see it. She can't. It isn't that simple.

Ivo waves her off, “The where and how is the least important part of it all.” 

She scoffs, and narrows her eyes, “And I can't imagine that you're telling this to me out of the goodness of your heart, cousin.” 

“No.” He runs a gloved finger tip across the tablecloth, tracing the faint pattern it had, “I'm telling you this because of information I learned. A top secret weapon he designed. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?” 

Fear went throughout her entire body. Shadow. She forces herself to remain calm.

“Grandfather was commissioned by GUN to make a lot of things. Mostly the same robots they use even now. I was a child. It wasn't something they wanted to just show me openly.” She lies.

“That's funny .” Ivo’s voice darkens, “Considering I discovered that two months ago you met with the Commander at GUN.” 

Despite the stress of the conversation she huffs out a laugh, “I was just repairing my friendship with the man. He's too stubborn to do it himself.”

“Just that?” He presses, leaning forward, “What about your little trip to Prison Island?”

Maria leans backwards in her chair, crossing her arms, “He wanted me to look at some recovered artifacts and give my opinions. They busted some sort of illegal smuggling routine. Apparently Prison Island is a transit station of sorts. I'm sure you already knew that, though.”  

The other Robotnik growls, his face tightening in anger, and slams his fist down, “You know where the weapon is, don't you?” 

“There is no secret weapon on Earth designed by our Grandfather.” Her tone is deadly in a different way, sharper, “So whatever you're looking for you won't find.” Shadow isn't a weapon to be used.  

There's several possible reactions she's expecting. More anger, for one. Silence maybe. Instead, she can't quite hide the surprise at the way a laugh starts slowly out of the man. It curls out into a dreadful sound that makes her hair stand on end.

“What's so funny?”  She asks with a curled lip. He's acting like she's told the funniest joke he's heard in ages.

“Ah, dear cousin, you just revealed your hand.” He makes a sweeping gesture towards the painting of the view from the ARK. “There's no weapon here on Earth .”

“ No .” The way Maria’s voice rings hollow only confirms her freudian slip. 

The Eclipse Cannon. 

Even if it hadn't been a weapon that GUN had pressured Grandfather into making (funding could be cut at any moment), it was needed for the inevitable return of the Black Arms. It wasn't something they would have to worry about for a few years and even then she would do it herself if Shadow didn't want to do it. Ivo doesn't even know what it is specifically, but he doesn't need to. He always finds out. 

Ivo stands in one fluid motion, and she can't help but look up, still in an odd state of shock.  She should do something. There's nothing she can do at the moment. 

“Now, when all this is said and done, I'll make sure to save a place for you in the Eggman Empire. Family's family after all.” It's so smug. He'd keep her around to force her to watch the world she loves crumble under his hands. An amusement. Whatever form of love he could have is layered in cruelty.

“You should get out before I do something we'll both regret, Ivo.” Maria spits. They're both like their grandfather in this moment.

“Ha! I do enjoy when you get angry, Maria.” He twirls his mustache and then makes his way back towards the door. 

She stands up, light pain shooting up her legs. It's all stress related. “This isn't over, cousin.” I'll stop you, she doesn't say. Somehow. 

“Oh, it never is with you.” Eggman grins, “that's what makes it so much fun!”

The door closes.

Her own breathing sounds so loud now in the room. Maria rises to her feet to go to a window. Ivo’s Eggmobile has just risen to the sky, and she can see the delight on his face even as he gets further and further away. She hits the glass with a flat hand, only enough to make a muffled ‘clunk’ noise and to send a bit of pressure up her arm. The contrasting cold of the glass soothes just a tad.

When the Eggmobile finally disappears from her sight, she turns back towards the room. It's with a small sigh that she lets her shoulders drop from their tense position. “You can come out now, Shadow.”

A pause, before a clunk -chik- clunk emits from the hutch. Then it slides back open, and she's staring into crimson eyes. 

“Who. Was. That?”  Shadow’s voice is protective but hints at violence to come. 

Her voice has a distinct weariness, “That was Doctor Ivo Robotnik. My- our cousin. Also known as Dr. Eggman.”

Shadow blinks slowly. 

Maria holds up a hand, palm facing him, “I know, I know.  It was a rude nickname that he’s trying to reclaim now. His ambition in life is to try and take over the world.” 

Her brother holds a tight fist, “Then, if he gets ahold of the Eclipse Cannon… we have to stop him.” 

“I agree, but we can’t at the moment. Not until he starts making his move.” 

He scoffs, “What-!? Why?” 

“Well. If there’s anything the Station Square Incident proved it’s that interrupting Ivo and Sonic’s game of cat and mouse often leads to worse consequences.” Maria frowns, “Or I suppose, hedgehog and man? Hrm.” 

“Does everyone in this time have odd names?” Shadow mutters to himself, then louder, “Who is Sonic?” 

Maria can’t help but do a double take, “You haven’t heard of Sonic the Hedgehog?”

“Should I have?” And that confusion is all genuine. He really hasn’t heard of him. 

She hums a little, “Well I suppose both of them have been quiet the past few months…” She really should encourage him to get out more. He’s been doing good, but the fact he doesn’t even know Sonic the Hedgehog shows that he’s got a long way to go. She shakes her head lightly, “I should go check if he’s left any presents for me outside. He knows better than to leave bugs in the house ever since the time he left one and I disabled the remote deactivation and attached it to a roller coaster at Twinkle Park.” 

Shadow’s eyes sparkle with both horror and admiration.  Choosing kindness often produced incredible amounts of passive aggression. 

“You should go to my office. Use Yahoo! and look up Sonic.” Whatever would happen with Ivo, the hedgehog wouldn’t be far behind.  

“I could help you search for anything he left behind.” Shadow offers. 

She smiles crookedly, “Oh, I know, but, I know what to look for, and you’re going to want to find out about him. The filing cabinet right next to the desk has all my files on the Station Square Incident. It has a fair amount of pertinent information about Ivo and Sonic as well.”

Chapter Text

The worst part of using the internet was undoubtedly when the computer would scream its displeasure at connecting with the phone line. It had been essential as a child, however brief his time as a child was, for him to learn how to deal with sounds with his exceptional hearing. Still, Shadow didn’t have to like the cacophony of noises. As he waits for the computer to sort out its business between itself and the phone, he opens up a file he had sought out from the cabinet. Maria could’ve afforded to be a tad bit more specific when it came to what files would be the most helpful.  The one he had chosen was more worn than some of the others, obviously taken out quite often. 

It was full of newspaper articles. One of the ones on top was about a hero of Station Square- but not this so-called Sonic the Hedgehog. ‘ Tails Prower was given the Chaos Emerald. ’ read the headline. ‘ Station Square saved from a life-threatening missile attack. The city has awarded its famed prize to the boy who saved Station Square. Miles “Tails” Prower was given the Chaos Emerald as a testament of his heroic deed at a ceremony held at city hall.’.  And so on. Apparently Maria had neglected to mention that her mentee was not only a genius who helped prevent a missile from destroying an entire city but he was also eight years old.  Though, that didn’t help much since the city would still be wrecked by a giant water monster. ‘Chaos, God of Destruction’ was quite a title. It was easy to see why, even with the blurry black and white photos in the print. 

Shadow didn’t think that Maria was trying to frustrate him. Only that, there were fifty years he was missing. She was trying to acclimate him as best she could. If he could just take all the information he’s missed and upload it directly to his brain, that would be preferable.  When the internet finally gets itself in working order, Shadow starts the hunt properly. He alternates between files and searches. He crawls through online forums and flicks through manilla in tandem. One then the other. 

It's time to find out who this Sonic the Hedgehog is.

Which…turns out to be not as easy as he originally assumed. Apparently he didn't exactly stop for interviews often. He's finding many discussions talking about the lack of information about him.  No known parents; supposedly is from Christmas Island; the young fox is always in tow. Pictures of him often are just blurs of blue. Shadow finds himself getting distracted momentarily in his search for information stating at one of the photos. Some small news station had snapped one in such a way that the blur of his red shoes looked like a perfect figure eight. 

The mystery only makes him more determined.

He avoids reporters, which makes it even more difficult. There's more stories told by bystanders online anyway. Significantly less professional sources, but the storytelling could be intriguing. Older posts describe him as ‘silent’. Newer ones describe him as ‘loud’. He scrolls onwards.  It takes nearly an hour before Shadow finds a picture that isn't blurred because of running. 

On a rather niche forum, user ‘supercat’ writes ‘ Hi can anyone provide a clear picture of Sonic the Hedgehog? local highschool freshman here. Teacher assigned the class local celebrities to do presentations on, from our area. idk why he was in there since I don't think he's actually from stationsquare but I guess he counts ┐⁠(⁠´⁠ー⁠｀⁠)⁠┌ anyway I can't find any good pictures of him. harder than finding information of him. I just wanna get a good grade. thanks .⁠·⁠´⁠¯⁠`⁠(⁠>⁠▂⁠<⁠)⁠´⁠¯⁠`⁠·⁠. ‘

Another user ‘mightytravels’ replied, ‘ he might hate me for this xD but honestly he'd want you to get a good grade :P ‘ 

The picture was very candid. The setting was a beach and Sonic the Hedgehog was sitting underneath a parasol table, sunglasses sitting on top of his forehead. His legs were crossed, and he was looking over to the side as if someone had called his name. He was reaching towards a colorful turquoise drink with a lemon slice that Shadow could only hope was non-alcoholic.  The smile stretched across his face was… captivating. 

He had been staring so intensely at the picture on the screen that Shadow didn’t realize he’d slowly been leaning forward until his nose brushed against the screen. The feeling of static dances it, and he wrinkles his nose and leans back. For some reason, something about the image compels him. It’s the clearest photo of the blue hedgehog he’s seen so far. It’s also the most… irritating for some reason. It makes something fuzzy hammer in his chest, and he does not like it .  Shadow wants to wipe that smile off the hedgehog’s face. 

It’s then he pauses, and then scoffs under his breath. He didn’t exactly like acknowledging that he was physically, including brain chemistry wise, still a teenager. The random burst of anger - (or whatever it was) - was completely irrational.  Shadow shakes his head, trying to clear away his thoughts, and sends another glance at the photo. He wishes that in the photo, that those brilliant green eyes were glancing towards the camera instead of to the side. What would it be like to make eye contact with him? Ridiculous. 

Shadow turns back to files. He’s gotten to yet another folder, this one full of high quality printed glossy photos. It’s incredible that color-photos are so much easier to get developed now. Cheaper. Maria and him had snuck into the darkroom on the ARK once. Its eerie red lighting seemed easy to drown in.  Now there's the expensive ‘digital’ cameras. It was all together rather fascinating. 

The photos are of a variety of subjects. It also appears they're from a variety of different sources from the varying picture quality.  An ice stone, wind stone, whatever those are, an ancient temple- Pictures of an airship labeled the ‘Egg Carrier’. It's towards the middle of the stack of photos he gets to the destruction. Compared to the photos printed in the news clippings, these are so much more visceral. The sky is an overcast gray as it looks over broken skyscrapers. Water as high as the eye can see. People clambering in high places for safety. In color, Chaos only looked more terrifying. Absolutely huge, making the wrecked buildings look tiny in comparison. Its green eyes have slitted pupils. On the hunt. Shadow has to let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. The Artificial Chaos on the ARK were small. Annoying, really. He always hated training against them. He had known the Professor had based them on a myth of an old god.  Shadow hadn't thought to give that serious thought at the time. The Professor had a tendency to make remarks like that often.  With him, it was about picking battles about what to get him to explain. 

He flips to the next photo.

A gold blur streaks across a gray sky. After searching through different photos, the blur looks strikingly familiar, despite the change in color. He flips to the next photo. A clearer shot. It's the hedgehog. Golden and intense, ready to strike at the God of Destruction. He exhales shakily, and can't help the flash of a memory. A different photo. One the Professor showed him. Low quality, not even the original copy. A photograph of an ancient mural done by a people long gone. A golden aura surrounding a blue hedgehog. Facing against a creature holding - one that looked like a man , like Maria’s cousin, really… That mural was one of the reasons that Shadow was created. The Professor had assured him that the colors didn't matter. A stylistic choice.  Not that he could've chosen other colors with his Black Arms DNA. After the failure of the Biolizard, Professor Gerald had gone back to the basics. Earlier research. When he had rediscovered the photo, he had decided to use Mobian hedgehog DNA as a base instead. Based off of an ancient hero depicted by a long gone people. Now, Shadow contemplates the very modern photograph of a golden hedgehog, that maybe instead of history it was prophecy. He isn't even sure if he believes in prophecy. 

“I was made in your image.” He murmurs, tapping his finger against the glossy surface of the photo. He flinches away after he stares too long, and closes the manilla folder with haste. Enough. 

There was only so much research one could do on something like this. If he hesitates to put it all away and shut down the computer, there's no one around to see it.

Chapter Text

Two days. Two days of waiting, and Shadow pretending (and failing) that it wasn't driving him mad at an accelerated pace. There was at least some solace in the fact that Maria had some sort of anxiety practically rolling off her in waves. On that first day after the Doctor’s visit, she had brought out the most crumpled piece of paper that he might have ever seen. She would read through it periodically, lips mouthing the words, but eyes not truly seeing them. She already had them memorized. Passwords for the computer systems on the ARK, written in a far more childish hand a lifetime ago. The act is more an exercise in nerves than anything. If she notices Shadow occasionally glances at the paper himself, also silently recommitting the words to memory, she doesn't say anything. Even so, despite her anxiety, Maria seems to still be made of steel. Steel crafted from hope and optimism. It truly was a finely honed craft she had mastered.  Never did her doubts truly over take her.

Shadow was trying to do the same.

It didn't make it any less difficult. Especially going through the most mundane ordinary gestures as always. Like now; he's bringing in the mail. Bringing in the mail and a good way to ensure going outside; to get fresh air. There's something exciting about seeing whatever has may or may not have made its way to their mailbox. His nerves now do not help the usual nice activity. For all he knows, the Doctor could mail a bomb to their mailbox. Ticking away waiting for his cousin to open it. Maria, of course, tells him that he wouldn't do that. For some reason, despite the fact the Doctor wants to put humanity under his thumb and recreate the world in his image, he has a soft spot for his cousin. A disturbing, twisting soft spot that ensures that Maria will not die by his hand purposefully. The worst part is that when she had informed him of that, for some reason his mind had flashed to the Professor.  It didn't make sense because the Professor would never do anything like that. He would never purposefully try and destroy the world. Right? 

There's the usual bits of mail. Official looking things for Maria’s research, junk mail ready to be sorted into compost, and a few that needed to be opened to discover what was really inside. Then there was the package. The box was nondescript. There was no return address. Though there was something about it that made Shadow’s quills prickle. He poked it idly with an extension of his own Chaos Energy, and found that the box felt muffled in response. Like the Chaos Energy within was being dampened, somehow. Not completely unheard of, really. Shadow’s inhibitor rings worked on an adjacent principal. So, an artifact of some sort wasn't off the table. He wasn't so quick to completely discount the bomb idea either. Still, it seemed to lack the flare that Doctor Robotnik was known for. 

He steps through the entry way into the house. The journey over the threshold is becoming old hat. It's odd how quickly it's happened. 

Maria is sitting on the couch, though her focus is on folding laundry. There's something amusing about the amount of blue in the basket. Well, if someone has a favorite color they might as well express it either way.  When Shadow thinks of the color blue he thinks of Maria, of the sky, the sea, and most recently of- well-  It didn't matter.

“Maria, this package-” 

“ Flash! Bam! Alakazam! I got a look at you!”  Her mobile phone’s (a flip phone as it was so called), ringtone interrupts him. The tinny nature of the speaker distorts the song. She holds up a finger, ‘hold that thought’, and flips it open. 

“Hello? Maria Robotnik speaki-”  She winces and pulls the phone away from her ear, and Shadow can hear the loud indistinguishable voice of someone. An edge of panic.

“Woah, woah, woah, hold on kid, I'm having trouble understanding you.” She holds up a hand as if she could gesture to the caller to slow down, “I'm going to put you on speaker okay? My brother Shadow is here with me.”

Something twinges in his chest. A brief smile flits across his face. He puts the mail on the table, and sits.  Always such love; but that was what family could be. He wasn't made to have family but somehow Maria made it seem easy.

“Alright.” Maria continues saying, “Try and speak slower and not so loudly. Alright. Uh-huh. I'm putting you on speaker, Tails.”

She presses a button and holds the phone aloft. 

A young voice, Tails, says loudly but at a slightly slower pace than what Shadow had discerned before, “ Sonic got arrested!”

Maria sighs. 

“Alright, do you know the phone number of which police station is holding him? I’ll call them for you-”

“ No! It’s not like the regular police. You told me that if the military ever bothered us to call you, Professor!! ”

Maria’s entire posture straightens. Her eyes narrow ever so slightly. A subtle anger that Shadow only spots because he’s looking straight at her. 

“I did tell you that, didn’t I?” She taps a few fingers on her knee, “What excuse did they have to arrest him?”

“ It’s Metal Sonic! Eggman gave him a Chaos Emerald and yesterday caused a bunch of trouble! Sonic went to investigate… maybe he got arrested on purpose? But- Then- Well, he escaped and then they captured him again!! ”

“A Chaos Emerald? Did the Doctor upgrade Metal’s chassis at all for it?”

“ Well, the footage isn’t very clear, but… he’s done better- ” There’s a nervous little giggle on the other end, colored by static.

She thinks about that information for a moment and then says, “Alright, I’m going to make a call, okay, Tails? While I’m doing that, you’ll want to look up 'Prison Island’ in their system.”

“ Ah- How did you know I was already in their system? ” All ‘hand caught in the cookie jar’ in that tone, though Shadow was more often partial to ‘caught in the coffee beans jar’ himself.

“You’re a kid-genius and a computer-wiz, it’s not that hard to guess.” Her voice is fond, “Keep your line open, Tails, I’ll call back in a moment.”

“ Roger! Thanks Professor! ” 

She smiles as she ends the call, though it contrasts with the irritation with every button push on her phone.  Shadow watches with some curiosity, trying to remain calm. It seems like things are finally in motion. Less sitting and waiting and more doing. 

She holds the phone to her ear, and waits. With each moment, she seems antsier.  Then, she frowns, “Voicemail? Seriously!?”  She pulls the phone away from her face to check the screen incredulously, then puts it back against her ear, “Abraham Tower, I know for a fact that you are at work right now and have your phone on you. I may be a kind person, but dear Chaos, Abe, you’re not going to like the conversation that’s coming when this is all over.” Maria huffs, flips her phone closed, and closes her eyes. 

“What would GUN want with the hedgehog?” Shadow can’t help but ask, the memory of the photo still etched into his memory. 

She keeps her eyes closed as she answers, “To study him. Why else?” 

His quills bristle, and he feels his lip curl, “I thought GUN was supposed to be better than it was.”  

Maria opens her eyes, “It is . In other ways…” She shakes her head in distaste, “it hasn’t changed at all.” 

She flips her phone back open, dialling the boy again. 

“Does the robot copy of the hedgehog count as the Doctor ‘making his move’?” Shadow muses to the ceiling. The ceiling doesn’t reply, not that he expected it to. 

“ Professor! ” The young voice spills from the phone, there had been no delay in the boy answering her call, “ You were right! This Prison Island is where they’re keeping Sonic! ” 

“I had a funny feeling about that being the case, Tails.” She replies, “Unfortunately we don’t have the time for the bureaucratic process.” 

“ Ah! Well. I guess I’ll get the Cyclone ready! ”  

She nods to herself, a clear thought process crossing her face, “Alright. We’ll meet you there, kid. We’ve got our own transport there.”

“ Okay! See you there, Professor! ”

She closes her phone once more, then makes eye contact with him. Shadow can’t help the skepticism in his voice, “We do?” 

“Hmmm, it’s not the most traditional form of transportation.” She stands to her feet, rubbing at her knees to warm them up a bit, “Crutches or cane, do you think?” 

“Why not your braces?” He raises an eyebrow, “Something tells me I won’t like your idea of transportation.”

“No idea how long we’ll be gone. I’m thinking crutches.” She rubs her chin with the knuckle of her pointer finger, “And honestly, I think you will like my idea of transportation once you get over your shock.”

Shadow narrows his eyes, “‘My shock’? That’s not the reassurance you think it is.” 

Maria nods to the pile of mail in front of him, “Open the box.”

“Hmph.” He slides a finger under some of the tape holding the package closed and then pulls. It struggles a bit, but packing tape is no match for him. Then, he slides out the object inside. It's a box, within the box. He raises his eyebrows towards Maria, but she only points at it with an eager motion as she's in the middle of an exercise for her legs. She leans forward in half-lunges, holding for a moment and then leaning back. The box within is made of some sort of metal, and is an extremely dark gray, almost black color. He removes the top.

Almost instantly he feels the rush of pure energy that enters the room, and he has to take a breath at the way it seems to hit him in the face. There, in all its glory, the green Chaos Emerald sits. He can feel the way it seems to curl and sizzle on the roof of his mouth, his body readjusting to the surprise energy. He's glad his inhibitors had survived the years of stasis, as they prevent his body from trying to absorb too much at once. 

Shadow turns his head back to her, his tone as dry as a desert, “You had a Chaos Emerald shipped in the mail .” 

“It's not so bad. It's not like they're breakable.”  She leans, her weight shifting to the foot behind her. 

“Do you realize how powerful they are? And you had it mailed. ” 

Maria shrugs, “If the Emerald had any qualms about it, it could've just transported itself to a Special Zone.”

Shadow makes a high pitched skeptical tone, and turns back to it. There's a note inside he had neglected to see in his earlier shock. He picks it up, the cardstock is a nice quality, and the curling cursive has what he can only describe as a feminine quality accentuated by a lipstick print by it. It might've been an old fashioned assumption of him to make, but it was one he had made nonetheless.

“‘ Always a pleasure working with you, Professor Robotnik. Just remember it's only a loan, as all the world’s jewels belong to me. -RTB.”   He scoffs, “That sounds incredibly suspicious.”

“She's extremely reliable. I've worked with her before. I don't just go around ordering Chaos Emeralds from any catalogue I see.” She straightens up, finishing, “Trust me? I'm not a child anymore, Shadow.”

He almost wants to snap- accuse her of saying that he still is a child- but in a way, he is. Instead, he takes another deep breath, and replies, “I trust you. And I know you always try to make the best choices. However, that doesn't mean I can't judge them when they're occasionally questionable.”

“Ha! Unfortunately that's a Robotnik trait, Shadow.” Her eyes sparkle, “Wait and see. It'll sneak up on you, and you might just be ordering a Chaos Emerald in the mail.”

He highly doubts that. 

“So? Think you could do a bit of Chaos Control?” 

He pauses.  

“If you could drive us closer before I have to teleport us across the ocean, I think I can manage.”

She grins widely. 

Chapter Text

It's odd, but something about the weather- or maybe the taste of excitement-  reminds Maria of her first real fieldwork. She had still been a student at the time, chosen to go to Soleanna’s Old Kingdom site. That of course, was a bit before it had officially became the Old Kingdom at all- it would take a few years before the royal family would move due to mysterious circumstances. The dig site had once held an old Chapel to the god Solaris. That was before her knees had become worse, and she could be on them for hours, carefully sifting and brushing away soil. She can remember a piece of mosaic floor the team had uncovered and the way pieces of stone formed a picture of a Chaos Emerald. It had felt like fate for that to happen. Hundreds of images of Solaris throughout the Old Kingdom, and yet in this old religious site, there it had been. 

Standing here, once again, on Prison Island, was technically not at all like that time. There is no careful slow peeling back of rich dirt. Tarmac surrounded by ocean. The feeling that pounds along with her heartbeat is all the same. 

A jet flies overhead, the noise it leaves behind snapping Maria back to reality.

“So,” Shadow pockets the Chaos Emerald into his quills, “Where is the boy- Tails? ” 

She squints looking around, “Well he said he was taking the Cyclone, formerly the Tornado III,” She taps her right crutch on the ground, at the moment they're not really needed, so she doesn't have to put weight on them yet, “It's blue and yellow.  It'll be easy to spot.”

Shadow seems to think about that for a moment, before his eyes widen, “Maria. There's Chaos Emeralds on this island.”

She blows air through her teeth, “That might've just made our prison break a little harder.” The Eclipse Cannon needed all seven Chaos Emeralds to work, or an equivalent amount of energy. Grandfather had never found anything that was equivalent to them, though. “Do you know how many?” 

Shadow closes his eyes, concentrating. His fingers flex, as if he could reach out and attempt to grab one of the Emeralds. Then he huffs in frustration, and opens his eyes, “I don't know the exact number. At least more than one, not counting the one I have. If I were closer I'd be able to differentiate them more clearly.”

She drums her fingers at the handles of her crutches, “I have a funny feeling our timetable just got tighter.”

He goes to reply, but he’s interrupted. 

“Sonic!! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Her brother is practically tacked by a blur of pink and red. She can’t help but huff slightly in fondness. The pink blur solidifies into a familiar presence, Amy Rose. A sweet kid; if a bit forceful sometimes, considering her iron grip on her brother.  

Shadow pushes the girl off with a half-growl, “What are you-!?” 

“Oh!” Amy takes a few steps back, surprise lighting her face, “I’m sorry! I thought you were Sonic!”

He looks between Amy and Maria once, then twice, “ How…? I’m not blue-!? I don’t look anything like that hedgehog .” His voice is full of outrage. 

“Oh, I don’t know. You just-” She waves a hand back and forth, gesturing all the way from his head to feet, “look like him.”

Before Shadow’s irritation can transition into full rage, Maria interrupts, “Shadow, this is Amy Rose. Amy, my brother, Shadow.”

“Your brother!” Amy looks over to her, seeming to register that she’s there for the first time, “Oh Professor! I didn’t realize you had a brother!” Her hands flex in what Maria recognizes as a need to touch. Amy is extremely hands on with people, especially hugging or, sometimes tackling. She’s restraining herself if only because she doesn’t know him. 

“Well, I don’t see you very often, dear.” 

“Oh that’s true, Professor! I’ve been really busy lately- I’ve been babysitting lately and-”

Shadow interrupts, frustrated, “We have a goal here. You two can catch up later.” 

Amy only seems to smile wider, “Oh, sure! I’m here to rescue Sonic too!” She puts her hands on her hips, “That is what you two are here for, right?” 

“Yes.” She replies, a thought forming, “Actually, why don't you and Shadow team up and go find him, while I stay here?”

“ Maria .” He half hisses half whispers.  

She steps forward to put a hand on his shoulder, “It'll be good for you to be with someone closer to your own age. Besides, she isn't going to bite, and she's the best at finding things; especially Sonic.”

He looks slightly doubtful. Maria can't help but smile a little, “Amy, do try and not break my brother. He's a bit out of practice with socializing.”

Shadow looks offended but doesn't deny the fact. Amy nods as if she's a soldier that's been given an order from a commanding officer, taking it absolutely seriously. She grabs hold of his arm and gives him a tug (Shadow makes a sound of surprise at the girl’s strength) and starts running towards the buildings. Maria notes with some satisfaction that she's going towards the entrance that she and her brother had stepped out of into the sun only a few months before.

Despite the circumstances she can't help but be a little pleased. Worst case scenario he could've performed a Chaos Blast, second worst, he could have bitten someone. Instead it was neither of those things and he would have to interact with someone other than her for a good amount of time. A success, in her book.  She starts going towards the other end of the runway, keeping her eyes peeled for Tails.  It’s honestly a surprise that he isn’t here already. 

“Well, well, well! I hadn’t expected you to interrupt my plans so soon, Maria!” The voice is accompanied by a whirring of machinery. 

She turns, using her crutches to make the turn faster. She sighs, “Dear cousin, would you believe me if I told you that I’m not even here for you?”

Ivo sits in a modified Eggmobile, though instead of floating through the air, it has legs. There’s also the very noticeable guns, one sitting behind him, and one to the side of the vehicle. It’s definitely more suited for on ground missions. What was the one he used to attack Station Square? Ah, right the Egg Walker. She can see similar design principles, though far smaller here, and minus two of the legs.The position of the cockpit forces her to look up at him even more than usual.  A high pitched noise sounds through the air, and she winces. His hands move across his controls- a red laser dot appears on her chest. 

Maria raises her eyebrows, “I don’t imagine you’re going to kill me.” 

“No, but it is a threat.”  The red dot dances upwards, and flashes into her eye. She has to blink rapidly as it brands an afterimage into it. 

“Obviously.” She says dryly. 

A separate mechanical noise sounds from above, and both Robotniks look up. Blue and yellow metal, a contraption that echoes the Egg Walker- though it's a design that has a tad more aesthetic appeal than Ivo’s. The mind of a child going for sleek lines and bright colors. The Cyclone is a beautiful work of machinery. The pilot of it? Tails, with no exaggeration, boy wonder. 

Maria smiles, “Good timing, kid!” 

“Stand back, Professor! I've got this!”  A gun of his own extends from the Cyclone.

She takes the order seriously enough, darting towards cover. The closest cover happens to be one of the garages in the nearest building. At the last moment, one of her crutches catches on an edge of the pavement, and she almost falls, but manages to catch herself on a wall. Her face pressing against cool metal, she's extremely glad that she didn't manage to fall and hurt herself. She didn't particularly want to explain the circumstances to her doctor about how any injury came to be. 

Tails and Ivo circle each other in a way that reminds her of historical duels. And in a way, it is a duel, except in strange vehicles and well, guns. Both of which have laser targeting systems that have high pitched noises that make her teeth hurt and hair stand on end. She's going to have to talk to the kid about that design choice. Truly, though, it's easy to see that Tails has fought Ivo almost his entire life, just in the way his vehicle echoes the other. Unintentional, of course, but all the way from the two legs to the weapons, it's a warped mirror image.

The Cyclone dashes to the side, half close to the Egg Walker, and launches the front of the machine forward. It hits the side of the vehicle, and then it snaps back into the Cyclone. Ivo growls, hits a button on his console with a violent motion, and a dozen missiles emerge from it- the Cyclone jumps backwards, but still manages to get hit by a few. The legs of it shake a bit. 

Maria can’t help the gasp that happens.  

Still, as the Cyclone starts to smoke, Tails maneuvers it with grace. He goes up a few times again, shooting the grappling hook like an attack from before, hitting it a few times from the sides. She’s pretty sure that her cousin is now cursing the boy out, but it’s difficult to hear over the lock on sound. He shoots at Tails, but then the boy uses his own lock-on, and shoots at him back.  Ivo’s vehicle shakes, struggling to still stand.

Back and forth it goes- one will hit, the other will dodge, and then vice versa.  At some point she raises her hands to her ears to block out the sound of explosions, metal on metal, and the high pitch of the lock-on.

Finally, both of them stand silently, both vehicles smoking, a bit of a worrying sight. She steps forward, readjusting her crutches, making her way to the Cyclone’s side. Ivo’s forehead is drenched in sweat. 

He points at the boy with a growl, “This time, I'll let you go. But the next time we meet-You won't be so lucky!”  

The two of them watch as the Egg Walker limps away. When he’s out of sight, Tails leans over and flips up a section of the Cyclone, revealing the engine. She can see already that it’s been constructed with redundant parts to ensure that it wouldn’t stop when damaged. He digs under his seat, and pulls out tools. She hauls herself up onto the wing-part on the leg, and the boy hands her a tool automatically, he presses a button on his console. A small door pops open on the back part, and she sets to work.

“You did a good job, Tails.” 

“It was just a stalemate…”  His voice comes out a bit gruff as he’s bent in half to fix bits of engine. 

Maria manages to get a warning light to turn off rather quickly. Despite the smoke, it’s actually not that hot. The heat must all be in the engine. It allows her to use her bare hands to dig around, though they gather dirt faster than Sonic the Hedgehog himself. 

“A stalemate isn’t automatically a bad thing-” The machine hisses at her, “Besides it bought us more time.” 

“More time?” He turns half around to face her, an arm still deep in the machine. 

“Yes. My brother and- I’m sure it won’t be that big of a surprise- Amy are already on their way to find Sonic.” 

Tails nods seriously. It’s extremely cute. She wants to pinch his little cheeks sometimes. “Then we better fix this up- Even if they find Sonic first, it’ll help to destroy some GUN bots and security with the Cyclone.”

“Atta-boy, Tails.” She grasps his shoulder and squeezes. He grins crookedly.

Chapter Text

Back on the ARK, soldiers ran Shadow through drills constantly. While with the scientists there were a midst of reactions to his existence- excitement, curiosity, and the dreaded disgust- the soldiers didn’t care. They were there to train their weapon. They had an assignment and they followed it without question. No one questioned their orders on that last day either. 

All this to say, despite all that training, he didn’t react as well as he expected with Amy Rose. She’s small, younger than him, and wore a style of clothes that he had assumed leaned more towards fashion than function. This was all a cruel deception designed to torture him for making such harsh judgements about someone. Amy drags him through the facility with a strength that seems to rival his own. His arm feels like it’s going to pop out of its socket. Her grip is so strong she probably could rip his arm off if she really wanted to. She does not. Instead they move with haste, both relying on her odd sense of direction. He could no longer judge it unfairly given the prior evidence of her other abilities. All the while she talks: about how she decided to rescue Sonic, about Maria, a few questions here and there to him that luckily require only one word answers. Despite the steady flow of words they never blend into a mix of indecipherable nonsense. With their speed, even though he’s slowing himself considerably for her sake, it’s impressive.

They slide to a stop when they reach a door that Shadow cannot simply homing attack. He’s out of practice with Chaos Spears but he’s ready to throw one, when Amy places a hand on her hip and heads straight to a side door he hadn’t even noticed.

It’s inaccurate to say that the spark of energy that comes next is overwhelming. Instead it is yet another surprise that leaves Shadow floored. It’s a quick pop of energy, subtle, and he’s not sure those less attuned to Chaos Energy would be able to sense it. However… one doesn't need to sense what happens as long as they can see it. The girl pulls out a giant red and gold hammer out of mid air. It is as if she’s unsheathing a much lighter weapon from nowhere at all. Though the hammer clearly has some weight- he can see her posture change- her incredible strength makes it appear no lighter than a regular sized one. Amy takes it and swings it at the locking mechanism of the door. It dies an unpleasant death with unpleasant electric sounds to match. Then she strolls into the room like all of that was normal. The hammer disappears with a similar energy as to when it appeared. Quick in a matter of seconds and not without an element of practiced ease. 

Shadow follows her into the room, “What was that?”

The room looks discomfortably empty. There are signs that someone had once worked here, but not for a long time. There’s a calendar on the wall from twenty years ago. The desk chair is half askew. There’s empty spaces where unknown objects once lived. An uneasiness creeps up his spine. 

“Huh- oh! That was my Piko Piko Hammer!” Amy has started rummaging through the desk drawers.  

“Right.” He contemplates asking more about the subject, but instead what pops out of his mouth is “Why did you mistake me for Sonic?”

Amy turns her head towards him, and an eyebrow raises, “Well. You look alike.”

He reigns in his indignation.

She course-corrects, “Well yeah, visually technically you don’t, but you both-” she makes a gesture with one hand that is half jazz hand half gripping. Like she’s miming fireworks. He remembers seeing the fuzzy New Year broadcasts of them. 

“I don’t see it.” He mutters, thinking of the carefree beach photo. 

Amy abandoned her search, stepping closer to him, “Well you haven’t met him yet, but there’s also your eyes.”

“My eyes?” Sonic’s eyes are more similar to her’s. Amy’s are a slightly different shadow of green, but essentially the same.

“Yes, it’s like-” She’s so close now, staring directly into his eyes, the subject matter, “Like you have the entire weight of the world on your shoulders…” Her tone takes a dreamy turn, “You do it when no one’s watching. You’re afraid of people learning that your foundations aren’t as steady as you present.”

His mouth feels dry, “I…” 

She blinks, and steps back, a bashful look crossing her face, “Sorry. I know that can get intense. That’s why I started reading cards instead of people.” 

“Reading cards? Like fortunes?” 

“Heh, sort of! It’s not that simple. They’re not always that simple.” 

He clears his throat, starting to look around the room properly, “Well. If you read cards as good as people I suppose you’re very talented at it.”

Amy beams, and the thought occurs to him that maybe they could be friends eventually. Then her eyes narrow, a sort of predatory look as if there’s prey in the room. She practically dashes to the back of the room. A coat, hung on a hook, long abandoned. The coat is promptly dethroned from its long held home, and she holds up the treasure she finds from it. A keycard.  

And he might not have as wide of a smile as the one she gives him, he does manage one.