Maria

Imprinting

Maria was used to getting up at incredibly late times to take medicine that never worked, but Gerald seemed pretty set on taking her somewhere else. Half asleep and half awake, Maria followed her grandfather down rows of hallways that all looked the same to the live specimen room. When Maria realized what she was doing in there and why her grandfather wanted her there so badly, admittedly, Maria's heart sank.

This was where it was being stored.

"There he is Maria," Gerald said, showing the disinterested girl the comatose hedgehog within the status chamber, "Today is the day we will awaken him and he will start curing the incurable!"

"But why did you bring me?" Maria asked with a yawn- whether it was from exhaustion or boredom could be held up for a debate. Gerald sensed this, but shook it off without much thought.

"Project Shadow was developed with you in mind Maria," Gerald told her, expressing so much excitement Maria feared he would pass out, "So, it would only make sense for you to do the honors."

Maria looked up at Gerald's smiling face and grimaced as she started to pull down the lever that would release it from status. Maria and Gerald watched as the cryogenic fluid to keep it in suspended animation drained out of the chamber, then watched as the chamber's glass casing came down as well. Gerald nudged Maria to walk closer to the specimen. Grudgingly, Maria walked forward as the glass casing completed its descent.

The creature inside started to stir and move about as he woke. He felt his head as he tried to walk on wobbling and less controlled legs. The creature tried to move forward, but tripped. Maria, out of instinct and not voluntarily, reached out to catch the creature before he fell to the ground. Drowsily, the creature looked up at her and gave a rather distinct smile before closing his eyes again. Maria stared at the creature with mixed feelings now.

Hate was a strong word, but she still didn't like him.

. . .

From the Desk of Gerald Robotnik

Date: Omitted

Subject: Imprinting Failure?

Text:

Perhaps I made an error on Shadow and Maria's imprinting. Not with Shadow, who imprinted as according to plan, but with Maria. To think of it, I have made many miscalculations on Maria's response to Shadow. If the imprinting had worked properly, Maria would have taken Shadow's wakening a lot differently than what she had. She seemed distant and did not care much. Perhaps I will ask her later on her feelings on Shadow, but for now we must extract a portion of Shadow's blood and inject it into Maria to see how it effects her condition.

Earlier tests have proven that Shadow could be the key to improve Maria's condition. But the girl's body is far more complex than the body of a mere Rattus norvegicus- as I have now learned the hard way, it may take several rounds of this new 'medication' to become effective, but the lifetime rewards would be more substantial if all goes well.

However, if Maria was not able to imprint on Shadow, could she also reject his blood as well?

. . .

"Who's Maria?" Rouge asked with a completely innocent, yet still mischievous, smile. Shadow grimaced.

"No one that effects you." Shadow told her.

"But if she didn't know you, maybe I wouldn't have known you." Rouge reasoned, "Therefore, it does effect me when you think about it."

Shadow shook his head and groaned in displeasure. Although Rouge didn't know it, she had a completely valid point. But it wasn't going to allow him to tell her anything at the moment because he didn't feel like it, nor was he going to let her bully him into saying it.

"There's a computer right there," Shadow pointed out, "You can find out yourself. I'm going to bed."

"Alright." Rouge said with a shrug. "Good night."

Shadow grimaced before taking his leave. Rouge watched him with a particular little smirk before taking a glance at the computer console. She could go through the files GUN had on whoever this Maria chick was, but where was the fun in that?

Pestering Shadow always got better results any way.

. . .

Maria watched as her grandfather did some final diagnostics on the creature. Finally and fully awake, the thing looked at her with piercing red eyes as Gerald ran the tests needed to know that the creature could roam freely. The longer the creature stared at her, the more Maria started to feel sympathetic... or scared. She couldn't discern from the two at the time.

"Now," Gerald then said as he concluded the creature's tests and went to get a syringe, "Please watch closely, you two, after this run you will be monitoring the process on your own. Understand?"

Maria nodded, but a look on the creature's face illustrated that he was not satisfied with such a simple gesture.

"Understood professor." the creature spoke in a voice that was low and nearly toneless. To hear a voice like that coming out of the creature, it made Maria jump a little in surprise. The creature saw her reaction and smirked a bit as if the display had amused him.