"I've checked down that way. As far as I know, there's no one present, but I didn't notice anything else," Shadow says lowly, pointing to our left. "I think Andrews is right, but I don't know what to look for or where. Nothing's stood out so far."
"I'm not sensing anyone, either," I reply, breathing deeply through my nostrils. "But, you have no idea what this secret is?"
"No. I don't even know for sure if it exists. But, no one would design a fortress this twisted just for fun. They know full well that G.U.N. isn't going to be fazed if the early troops can't win the place, so they're trying to buy time to do something. What that is..." He trails off, shrugging.
"Helpful," I comment, stretching my back quickly. "So, we're looking for anything not like the rest?"
"That's the idea," Shadow responds, and I nod. I drop to the floor, startling him somewhat, but I hold up a hand to quiet him as I press on of my sensitive ears to the metal. All sorts of vibrations drum through it, and I concentrate, listening for anything unusual. Gunfire, the tramp of feet, shouts and screams--many sounds roar in my ear, but none of them sound like they're traveling around a large room, and none sound like an unknown piece of machinery.
"Nothing," I sigh, standing up. "I don't think it's here, if it exists."
"Any suggestions where we should go?" Shadow asks, crimson eyes watching me alertly. I frown, tail cutting through the air as I think.
"Well, if I were going to hide something, I would create a ruckus away from it. I definitely wouldn't engage the enemy on top of it," I mention, and he crosses his arms, tapping his fingers distractedly.
"Possible. Personally, I would keep soldiers around it, to guard it and to keep someone from sneaking around and finding it. The best hiding place is plain sight--I wouldn't want anything noticeably different about the area."
"Good point," I admit, thinking. "In which case, I still wouldn't want most of the fighting there, lest the blows of combat revealed the hidden object."
"Especially with Chaos Creatures trashing the place," Shadow agrees, brow furrowing.
"I would want to be able to move whatever is there without being seen. My first thought would be underground, but that's a double-edged sword. If it's underground, it's impossible to escape with once the enemy has the ground floor."
"G.U.N. has the entire outer part of this compound surrounded," Shadow reminds me, gesturing outwards. "They wouldn't be able to get it out no matter where it is."
"Well, how quickly can tunnels be constructed? It's possible this compound was built with some," I point out, and he frowns, looking worried.
"That's true. In which case..."
"They'd be around the edge of the building, so they don't intersect with the sublevels of the compound."
"Spider Troupe hasn't really focused on the edges of the building," Shadow notes, nodding. "I think you might have something."
"Then we need to find the edge of this Chaos-forsaken box," I say cheerfully, and he smirks.
"Let's." We start down one of the hallways, going right. Moving more quickly than I had with Spider Troupe, I can tell that the tunnels are twisted slightly, a good observation from Shadow. We go until we reach a turn, which we pause at.
I carefully inspect the wall, having a feeling there's something hidden by the turns in this building.
"That didn't feel like half the width of this place," Shadow observes, and I nod.
"Is there a hallway parallel to this one?" I ask, pointing down the turn with my tail. Shadow follows my gaze, then glows blue. Before I can even exclaim, he's teleported, and I hear his voice echo from the wall.
"There is," he calls, and I breathe a sigh of relief. I teleport to join him, not enjoying the expenditure of energy but deciding it's necessary.
"Chaos, I thought you were going to tear yourself into atoms or something," I shudder, appearing next to him with a sharp crack.
"You can't teleport into solid objects. If you try, you just get hurled out. Didn't you know that?" Shadow inquires, looking surprised.
"Um, no, I didn't, because I was never stupid enough to try," I reply, and he grins.
"Well, now you know. Why did you ask about the hallway?"
"Because I don't think it's possible to walk to the corners of this building. The hallways aren't on a grid, so there's got to be space where they're not next to the outer wall." I stride to the next corner, where the hallway turns off to the right like the last one did. Getting a good stance, I stab with my tail and puncture through the wall next to the turn, feeling emptiness on the other side. Dragging it down, I cut through the metal, continuing until I have a large slit. Shadow, catching on quickly, helps me yank it to the side, exposing a sort of crawl space.
"I knew you'd be good at this," he smiles, the praise making me tinge green slightly.
"Of course," I reply, turning to hide my flushed cheeks. "I don't know where their entrance is, but we don't need it now."
"Let's check it out," he suggests, peering through it. He puts at hand on the bottom sill and hops through, with me following a moment later. It's dark, but my infrared night vision makes do. I can tell Shadow is having some trouble seeing as we run forward stealthily, and I give him access to what my eyes are taking in.
"Remind me to never fight with you at night," he comments, his astoundment at my sight clear through the hivemind. It's not the easiest system, as he keeps mistaking where he is and whacking into me, but it's better than leading him, so I tolerate his occasional bumbles.
"Do you think it matters which corner we go to?" I ask in a low tone, not wanting to mess up his tenuous vision by sending a thought.
"Probably," he replies, glancing back and forgetting he can't see by himself. "Darn it, Eclipse."
"It's not my fault," I say, but I check our rear for him. "Maybe you should have better eyesight."
"Maybe you should have better instincts for when to be serious."
"Touche," I grin, bounding forward as I see a light glowing faintly ahead.
"Wait!" Shadow hisses, hurrying to keep pace with his limited senses. "Be careful!"
"I am being careful. The scent of humans is faint; no one seems to be in any of the attached corridors."
"Still... There could be traps or ambushes," he worries, gliding along as quietly as he can. I wait for him to catch up about twenty paces from the light, which I can see now is a reflection from around a corner.
"Don't remind me," I groan softly, grimacing. "Maybe we should be farther apart."
"Not a bad idea. Do you think you could recognize a covert entrance?"
"Of course," I reply, miffed.
"I'll wait here, then," he nods, slowly sinking to the floor as his shoes whir to a quiet halt. "If you don't find anything, we should move locations."
"Got it," I say, slipping back into my old hunting instincts. Engineered control calms my limbs as I peer cautiously around the corner, checking my senses were right. I sidle into a dimly lit room with a ceiling that disappears off into the dark far above; it must span the height of the building. Only a few lonely girders interrupt the climb, and I make a mental note that it would be an effective place to lose human pursuers.
I scan the floor, dropping to all fours so that my hands, feet, and tail are searching, too. With the thorough system, it's not long until I find a discreet groove a few feet from the wall.
I think I got something, I think to Shadow, who's finally able to see thanks to the weak light.
Alright. Hang on. He silently appears around the corner, gliding again so his shoes don't echo through the halls.
Here. A crease, I show him, pointing and crouching down to look at it.
That's rather small... I don't see a handle. Magnetized, perhaps?
I don't know, I shrug, looking at him.
Only one way to find out, then, he says, and I move back as I feel his energy condense.
He disappears with a crack that seems far too loud in the silence, and I flinch as it echoes of the walls. Seeing that he's succeeded, I follow suit, not wanting to be found here by anyone who heard the sound of teleportation.
We're good, Shadow informs me as I arrive several floors down, and I glance around to see two sides to the hallway, with doors spaced along. I'll take right and you take left?
Sure, I think, creeping towards the first one and carefully checking the air for any traces of nearby humans.
The rooms are generally small, most of them storage closets as far as I can tell. We both keep our guards up as we walk, though, Shadow with a Chaos Spear held an instant from summoning and me tensed to pounce. The oppressive silence of the corridor is unnerving, far from the combat above.
As we near the last doors, my ears pick up on one with the quiet hum of machinery behind it. Shadow glances at me, wordlessly agreeing we should both approach it. He takes the lead, but I follow close behind, ready to lend a helping hand if needed.
He blows the keypad with Chaos--this door was the only one locked--and flings the door wide, ready for retaliation. I hear no sign of alarm from inside, but Shadow freezes, Chaos Spear dissipating like it never was.
Something in his unnatural stillness unnerves me, and I tentatively reach out to his mind to see what's wrong when his voice stops me cold.
"Eclips--"
Shadow's throat closes before he can even complete my name, the hoarse tone the closest I've ever heard him come to a plea for help. I stiffen instinctually, feeling nothing but sheer horror from his mind.
"Shadow?" I force my legs to take a few steps towards him; Shadow starts, as if he's only now remembered my presence. He moves in front of me, using his body to block the door frame as much as it can.
"Don't," he croaks, swallowing sharp gravel. I pause, hand resting just barely on his shoulder in an attempt to coax him to the side.
"Shadow?" I ask again, eyes flicking to his face. The room is lit from within; all I can see of his expression is a dark silhouette, mouth twisted down more grimly than I've ever seen it. An icy hollow starts forming in my chest, but I'm not about to hide behind him for fear of what he's already witnessing.
I grip his shoulder and push, steeling myself. He stumbles, legs forgetting to work.
As I look in, I understand why.
My knees hit the ground, suddenly weak like gelatin. My head spins like I haven't breathed in years, and I sway as my vision turns black. I can still feel my body, but my brain refuses to process the signals my eyes send, and I'm almost grateful.
"Why?"
My voice startles me, and I finally focus my teary eyes to look up see Shadow crouched down, holding me from behind in a protective hug. I can tell from his distraught face how I sound, how I look. It's as if the greatest possible pain has taken over my body, muscles warped by pulling taughter than they ever have. His worried eyes reflect my massive grimace, his instinct to comfort having overcome his own horror.
The look that passes between us is one of wordless pain and despair. After only a few moments, it becomes too much for me, and I screw my eyes shut as the dreaded image flashes in my mind. Thoughts start slow, then increase like my panicking heart rate, galloping out of control and tripping on themselves as my brain struggles to comprehend this.
"No..." I groan, wrenching away from the hedgehog slightly. My legs move of their own will, and I stand up with nearly uncontrolled strength, gravity more of a suggestion than a theory. I shove Shadow off, staggering as helplessness and rage fight simultaneously to paralyze and move me. Before a coherent thought can even form, I've lashed out at the steel wall, putting my fist through it with what feels like minimal effort. The sharp metal cuts my hand as I yank it back, sending pale blood dripping down, but I feel nothing.
"Eclipse--"
"NO!" I roar, swiping my bleeding hand through the air. My acidic blood splashes Shadow in the face, but he doesn't flinch, instead looking at me with eyes the color of a raw, exposed heart. I've dropped to all fours, fangs bared in a primal display of indescribable pain, and still he doesn't move.
I pant as I glare at him, lungs taking ragged, rasping breaths. His own breathing is controlled--the same self-mastery I've found so impressive before now enraging me. How dare he have recovered so quickly, how dare he be able to pretend the scene here doesn't break him!
"Eclipse--"
"DON'T!" I thunder, rearing back onto two legs and turning with a screech as my claws tear the floor. My chest heaves, and I find myself thinking of more ways to destroy things, more ways I can show the utter rage inside me. But, returning to my bipedal stance reminds me not of the life I lived before but the one I have now, and I feel my anger turn to aching.
"Eclipse," Shadow says softly, his low timbre shaking the tears from my eyes.
"Don't!" I wail, but it's too late. Hot tracks burn down my cheeks, and I bury my face in my hands as he walks closer. I don't know whether I fall into him or whether he pulls me off my unsteady legs, but it's only a moment before I'm sobbing into his quills.
I know only despair for several long minutes, unable to experience anything other than this awful confusion as my past and present wrestle, tearing my heart in half. Shadow stays through it all, gently supporting me as I cry.
I don't know what gives me the strength to stand back up, to wipe my salty eyes and raise my gaze back to the things that have so broken me, but a tiny chip from my shattered mind lodges in my upper heart and strengthens its beats. On inspection, it might be the love I've experienced here, or it might be my determination to continue, but it soothes like ice on a deep burn, a simple comfort in the face of unbelievable agony.
My bloodshot eyes, streaked with green veins that trace across the black and amber in high relief, clear themselves at last. At first blurry, my vision soon throbs with a clarity like no other, my mind recording this sight to carry for the rest of eternity.
Before Shadow and I are large tubes, glowing eerily in the half-light. In each one, an unresponsive being floats. Warriors, Assassins, Volts, even a few Wings... The many varieties of my species float before me, only several feet away.
Shadow says nothing as I approach one of the chambers, pressing my injured hand to it with a mournful reverence. I can see the defects better up close, the small deformities caused by the ignorant human scientists here.
"We can't save them, can we," I mourn, sighing with deep grief as Shadow shakes his head. He joins me at the glass, eyes flickering an odd orange in the green light.
"No," he replies equally quietly, turning his head to scan the room.
"I thought so. But..." I bite my lip, taking a deep breath through my nose to stem the reforming tears.
"I know," he says simply, speaking lowly. Now that it's calm, I can hear the soft humming in the background, the machines supporting this malformed life.
"What, then?" I ask, voice cracking at the possibilities.
"We give them the best mercy we can," Shadow replies gravely, and I'm surprised to see sorrow etched in his face. "I'm going to tell Andrews, if you could keep guard here." He returns towards the door, taking my silence as assent.
As soon as he's out of sight, my muscles lapse, and I slump against the glass tube. I slide to the metal floor, hands covering my eyes as my breath hiccups. I know Shadow left to make that communication because he knew I was barely holding it together, but I appreciate that he did, anyways. I don't want him to see me like this.
Minutes pass, but I live an eternity, knees hugged to my chest as I let my thoughts drain out. Words are insignificant; all that matters is emotion. The ache in my bones, my mind. The absence of my brothers felt as clearly on the day I lost them.
When my blurry eyes open, the clarity of the world shocks me. The ambient glow of the room fills my vision, forming more tears where they just ran dry, and I become aware of where I am. I climb to my feet, unsteady but determined to calm myself. We're still on a mission; I have a duty to my comrades that I need to be fulfilling.
Shadow rounds the doorway on cue, and my feelings lurch on their newly built stability. My eyes sting, and I look towards the side of the room, unable to bear seeing him. This isn't his fault, but there's no question that his presence here is as much painful as it is reassuring.
"Andrews said to draw out what people we can. We won't do anything with them yet," he says, voice abrasive on my sensitive emotions. I take a deep breath, controlling its escape while I nod.
"Alright," I croak, immediately clearing my throat. "How do we draw people out?"
"Like this," Shadow says simply, pulling back his fist and decimating the most expensive-looking machine with a swing too fast for even me to see. The strike is particularly violent, and I'm reminded that Shadow has feelings on this tragedy, too. I stand and watch as he destroys several more, alarms blaring and echoing off the walls.
"That should do it. I know you're upset, and I understand, I really do," he murmurs, crimson eyes glancing up at me from their downcast gaze. "But you need to hold it together for a while longer, alright? There's time for pain later."
"I know," I warble, hating the shakiness in my voice.
"Good. Steel yourself--we're going to have company," he warns, and I pick up at last on the footsteps thundering toward us. I must be in an awful state to not have heard them.
I wipe my eyes and nose, looking forward in a fierce stare. I wall my emotions behind adrenaline, hardening into the creation I'm meant to be.
As the first human rounds the doorway, weapon raised, I leap towards him in a complex, dodging assault.
It's time for vengeance.
Author's Note: Hey, guys! I hope you were surprised by the reveal--I'd love to hear what you thought was going to happen. Stay tuned for the effects this blast from the past is going to have on Eclipse, as well as what's going to go down between this organization and G.U.N. Don't forget to comment with what you thought and how you felt! Hearing from you all makes my day!