Eclipse felt coldness... He was laying on his stomach, touching metallic floor underneath. His eyes weren't focusing on anything. He had a strange sensation in his body filling him with an emptiness.
'Where... am I?' He slowly examined the imminent surroundings. The room was relatively small, empty and completely made of metal. His fingers twitched, slowly recovering from numbness, that was the reason for his empty perception. Slowly, millimeter by millimeter he lifted himself on all fours, gradually shaking his head in an attempt to clear it.
He squinted, noticing the last wall is made of an energy field. He winked, focusing on it, finding he can't remember how he got here. He rubbed his eyes, yawning, before jerking.
"Wait, where are Dark arms?" He looked around not seeing them. The panic filled his mind, he abruptly stood up. "Blurk! Rhygenta! Where are you!" He was calling them, spinning on the spot made his head dizzy.
"Don't bother calling them," said familiar voice he hated.
"You!" he shouted seeing his brother behind the barrier. "What have you done to them!!" He leaped at him, ignoring the shield to his pain. He shrieked, falling back, feeling numbness in half of his body.
"For an ultimate answer to me you aren't much clever," noted his failed attempt Shadow, crossing his arms. "Now listen to me!"
"Shut up!" Eclipse tried to use his Chaos Control to warp outside when his body was mercilessly shocked. The alien's body jerked so much, it made backward somersault landing on the face. His eyes were wide open and his body twitched.
"Wha..." he silently muttered, unable to properly speak.
"That's why I told you to listen to me. I would inform you there is a special shocking collar around your neck. It activates the moment you try to use chaos powers or your monstrous transformation." He put his hand on the waist. "Don't think we didn't take any countermeasures while you were out."
Eclipse with all strength he had lifted his head, killing his brother with his eyes. "Dark... Arms... what have you..." he had a problem to talk.
Shadow for a quick second averted his eyes. "They are alive... For now. And their future fate depends on your behavior."
Eclipse tried to get up, but his body soon gave up, falling on the floor.
"You are already lucky you are still alive. Since you survived our last encounter, G.U.N. has decided to keep you as their agent. You will work with me."
Eclipse scratched the floor surface.
"Don't think about escaping. There is a tracking chip in your body as well. We will know where you are and if you try anything funny..." Shadow let his sentence to be unfinished as Eclipse's eyes told him, he knows the rest.
"You wouldn't... they are your... family..." he muttered. The numbness was slowly leaving his body, allowing him to get on his elbows.
"Family?" he growled. "My family was Maria and doctor Gerald, and I shall fulfill their wish to protect this planet." He waved his hand in dismissing manner. "We are only connected by blood I never asked for. We have never been a family!"
"But at the comet...!"
"Be quiet!" Shadow barked. "You only brainwashed me! Forcing your will on me! It was never my decision neither intention to join you!"
"How... can you be so cold to your own kin!" Eclipse started to cry. "Black Death was right! I was a fool for trying to bring you back home."
Shadow slightly closed his eyes, it was hardly noticeable, "You weren't the only fool," his voice sounded bit softer. He turned back, talking over his shoulder. "Now be a good captured alien and do what you are told and your little weapon pets won't meet any harm." He walked away.
Eclipse was left alone. He gradually got on all fours, gasping for an air. He noticed he is getting hungry. He wiped his tears with a clenched fist. He was angry... so angry he wanted to kill Shadow. He touched the cursed collar, attempting to take it down. He shrieked as new electric shock run thru his whole body.
Once it stopped, his body continued to uncontrollably twitch for few seconds on the floor with electric sparks covering his body. He had no strength in his body and drools were dripping on the floor. He was like that for long minutes and the floor turned soaked with his tears as well. There was no escape for him. He had no idea where his Dark Arms were. He couldn't use his chaos abilities either to transform. He was robbed of all possibilities.
The survival of his race was crushing him down even more, more than ever before. One false move has meant immediate annihilation. Getting rid of the numbness was painful. His body was throbbing, screaming... or maybe it was just Eclipse's painful moaning. For another while, he had a problem to stand up and even longer it took to start walking normally.
He slid down into a corner, occasionally sobbing while scratching the walls and floor with hardly leaving any mark. How long was he sitting? For minutes? For hours? He had no idea, there was no sense of time in this small chamber. No one was walking in front of it either. There was nothing he could concentrate on, making his mind empty and sluggish.
The only thing that gave him the impression of flowing time was his grumbling stomach. Every time he felt it's getting worst and worst. He curled up, holding it, pressing it and cursing Shadow with his every breath. Occasionally he dozed off, shattering any flow of time he may still have. The hunger got so big... he stopped feeling it.
After a time, he noticed there is Shadow approaching his cell. In his hands, he had a bowl and a bottle. Eclipse's mind was foggy and sluggish, and his body was weak. Once was Shadow just a meter from the barrier, he used Chaos Control to warp on the other side. "I have brought you some food---Guh!" He made a step back, as Eclipse leaped at him grabbing a big brown ball with his mouth.
The bowl fell on the ground and other balls were scattered. He acted like a wild animal and before he started to chew, he spat the ball out, coughing. "Ugh... Ack... So bitter..." he silently uttered as his throat was dry.
"Get used to it, this is all you will get. One ball has enough nutrition to keep a human awake and full of energy for a weak."
Eclipse cried, feeling the disgusting taste on his tongue to linger. "Shadow... bro... how can you...?"
Shadow turned away. "If you prefer death, I will inform commander to start with eliminating Dark--"
"No!!" screeched Eclipse resulting in him choking with his own saliva. "Not them! Anything but them!" He crouched, gasping for an air.
"Then you know what to do," reminded him Shadow, leaving the bottle with a water on the ground and warping outside of the cell. He walked away with his ears twitching as he heard Eclipse's sobbing.
The lonely alien, got on all fours, hearing his stomach to roar for food. He picked the ball he spat, putting it back to his mouth and forcing himself to chew it and not to spit it out. Swallowing it was even worst as his stomach was rejecting it, resulting in puking a minute later.
He coughed, his head was getting dizzy and the occasional pang in his it reminded him he is dehydrated. He picked the bottle, opening it and gobbling the liquid, spilling it around and on his body. He coughed and the bottle fell down, spilling the rest of it. He tried to catch the water with his hands in futile attempt to get it back. He ended up licking it from the ground as his thirst was hardly quenched.
Then he tried to eat another ball as the one puked out was way too disgusting. He took only a bit of it and he easier forced his stomach to accept it. Between the balls he licked the water or dipped the ball into it, making it easier to swallow. His silent meal lasted for long minutes before he could finish it. As soon as he finished it, he crawled back to his corner, curling up.
His hunger was partly satisfied but he still had a headache. His body was wet and dirty from the sticky gooey mass the balls were formed. He didn't pay it any attention. He only solely stared in front of himself, until he fell asleep.
When he woke up, the cell was cleaned and the endless cycles of nothingness, sleeping, and occasional meal continued. Eclipse lost any will to resist, accepting his sad fate with lowered head, not being able to look into his brother's eyes whenever he brought him the food. Even his stomach stopped complaining about the bitter taste, accepting it. The days slowly passed.
"Eclipse, meal time," called him Shadow when he came. This time he had one more ball and two bottles of water. Eclipse was curled up in the corner, not reacting. Shadow put it all down, walking to him. He shook his body, noticing his eyes are open, but not focusing. His will was broken, he was nothing more than soulless puppet now.
"Eclipse, you have to eat," urged him silently Shadow. He made him sit, but there was hardly any resistance in his body. "Can you hear me?"
Eclipse silently whispered. "Kill me... but please... let them go..." Silent big tears were rolling from his eyes. "They are... so small... they don't... represent any danger... to you..."
Shadow sighed. "Eclipse, I and Team Dark are leaving for a mission in a half hour. Do well during it and you will be allowed to see your Dark Arms."
Eclipse's head slowly twitched as he was lifting it. His eyes gazed at Shadow, not believing what he has heard.
"Yes, help with the mission and you may see them." Shadow stood up, moving the bowl and bottles closer. "Now eat." He slowly left, hearing Eclipse munching the balls.
[Sometime after the mission]
Eclipse was panting. He was forced to not use his chaos abilities, relying solely on his physical strength. He and his brother were now in one cargo wagon.
"Shadow to HQ. Do you read me? Over." he said to his ear-com piece.
"HQ to Shadow. You are coming clear. What's the status? Over."
"The mission was successful. We have got control over Eggman's cargo train. Over."
"Good job. Head to the rendezvous point SF 5.9. Over."
"Roger that..." Shadow glanced at Eclipse who froze.
He did good, right? Or not? He missed two robots, he once fell from the train roof and Shadow had to save him, he couldn't beat the E-series robot on his own... He was trembling, scared he messed it up big time.
"Eclipse did a good job. Over."
"Copy that. HQ out." The transmission ended.
Eclipse slid on his butt. His heart was beating like crazy. He didn't mess up...
"Let's go," said Shadow heading to Rouge and Omega who were ahead in the locomotive.
Eclipse jerked, quickly getting on his feet and equally fast falling down. He hit his legs with a fist, to force them to cooperate, following his brother, constantly tumbling over his own legs.
[Back to HQ]
Eclipse was walking behind Shadow. He felt the excitement. He will see his Dark Arms! He missed them so much. They walked into a bigger room with one glassed wall. Eclipse's eyes shined... his family... was unharmed. He dashed toward the glass, hitting it with his body, kneeling down as his darklings gathered in front of him. They called him, but the glass was sound-proof. He talked to them as well, not noticing he isn't hearing any answers.
"It's five minutes." Shadow put his hand on his shoulder. "Let's go."
Eclipse turned his head, pleading him with eyes to let him stay. Shadow clenched his shoulder a bit. "We have a deal. You do a good job and you will see them again," he sounded inexorable. He gently but strongly pulled Eclipse away.
The alien didn't stop looking at his family even when they were behind metallic walls. Eclipse walked into his cell with lowered head and crying. Shadow activated the shield, watching how his younger brother half-fell half-collapsed at the floor, curling up.
His life in G.U.N. captivity has begun.