Soul Eater but it's Sonic

Chapter 49

Sonic didn't hesitate to dash after Shadow. The two moved through an alleyway into the next cobblestone street. Shadow ran up a stack of crates near a cluster of buildings so he could access the rooftops of the closely knit houses. While jumping from building to building, he could hear that Sonic wasn't far behind.

Shadow needed his motorcycle, which was parked in a vehicle storage garage on the edge of town. He was much more familiar with the different routes that led there, so he had an advantage. The main problem was that Sonic could just follow whichever route he took. He needed enough of a lead on his meister so that he'd have time to start up his motorcycle and take off.

Another issue was that Sonic could sense souls, so he could track Shadow if necessary. He had improved his soul perception a lot over a short period, but that also meant he had yet to properly refine the ability. Shadow was aware that Sonic needed to calm down and focus before he could reliably use his soul perception on someone he wasn't clashing wavelengths with. All this running plus his current emotional state weren't going to make that any easier. He didn't have a weapon to resonate with and enhance his soul perception either.

An idea hit Shadow. Since Sonic wasn't entirely sure where to go, Shadow could choose a route that would give him an advantage. He knew of a particular spot that had great potential. Shadow jumped down from a shorter building to continue onto his new route.

Sonic followed, keeping an eye on the black hedgehog's path while searching for ways to be more efficient. If Shadow made the slightest mistake, he would capitalize on it in an instant. Each additional mistake would accrue over time until it was over.

Sonic saw Shadow weave into a compact alleyway. It was very dark, and navigating this area required a lot of twists and turns. Sonic was worried he might lose track of Shadow's path when he heard the sound of metal trash cans being knocked over. He turned the corner, running past the containers to reach the next area.

After searching around, he realized Shadow wasn't here. Back in the alley, he saw Shadow emerge from an alcove hidden in the dark. He'd been tricked. Sonic growled after seeing the distance between them had increased.

Shadow ran back through the route he'd just taken. Sonic hadn't even noticed that he was being led off course into a trap. Shadow made it back to the proper route. He could see the parking garage in the distance now, it was a straight shot. Just a little further.

"Shadow!"

His meister had made it out of the alleyway, but Shadow knew he had too much of a lead. He kept moving with his gaze locked on his destination. The sound of Sonic running behind him continued, and almost seemed to be getting closer. Shadow assumed he was being paranoid. They had competed a lot when they first met, but stopped after they started doing missions together. Shadow had consumed ninety nine corrupted souls since then, and understood that those souls should make him much stronger. Despite knowing this, the sound of his meister behind him still seemed to be approaching.

Upon reaching the parking garage and seeing his motorcycle off in the distance, the sound of Sonic's footsteps entered the area soon after. Fear built inside Shadow. His ears weren't deceiving him. Sonic was catching up. It wasn't possible. Shadow was nearly a death scythe now; well beyond the abilities of a normal person. Unfortunately the power of all the souls he'd consumed seemed so far away. If anything, they were weighing him down now. He tried pushing beyond his limit, but Sonic was right behind him. He futilely reached a hand out towards his escape vehicle that was only a few more steps away.

A hand grabbed onto Shadow's other arm and he slowed significantly. It wasn't hard for Sonic to wrestle his weapon to the ground like this. He pinned Shadow onto his back while pressing down on both of his arms. The two stayed there for a minute or two, panting without speaking a word. Shadow kept his head turned away, refusing to look at his meister. He could still feel Sonic staring down at him. His face burned, as if the intensity of his meister's glare were searing him directly. Shadow weakly uttered one word.

"How?"

Sonic continued looking at his weapon for a few more seconds before getting up.

"I was chasing something more important,"

Shadow sat up, glancing only in Sonic's general direction. He watched his meister walk slowly over to the motorcycle, then sit on the back. Shadow tried making sense of the different emotions running through his body, but gave up quickly, letting them run wild instead. He stood up and got on the bike as well. Sonic wrapped his arms tightly around his weapon in case he might try running off again.

Shadow had no intention of doing so. He took out the envelope that Zero had given him and read it with Sonic looking over his shoulder. Being with their heads so close together made the thick quills of their hair press against each other. Such was the hedgehog's dilemma. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but neither minded.

The motorcycle's engine awoke. The two left Death City, heading toward their destination.

A place called ARK.

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Starline stumbled his way back through the streets of Death City. This whole place seemed like a maze now. Each darkened street led him into an unfamiliar corridor, and he hadn't thought of any solutions for this dilemma. Despite the lack of results, continuing forward was all he could think to do. The place where he belonged must be around here somewhere.

The professor moved down yet another vacant street when a woman stepped into his view. She seemed familiar and wore a smile that suggested she knew Starline too, but her name eluded him.

"Who are you?"

Her smile widened. "Don't tell me you've forgotten?"

Starline groaned while rubbing his eyes. "Sorry. There's something in the air lately,"

The woman laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm an old friend,"

"Hmmm," Effort from the recall wrinkled Starline's brow. "Yes, I have one of those. You're here to look after me then?"

The woman thought for a moment. She nodded. "Why don't you come with me?"

Starline proceeded with a newfound confidence. He was still feeling tired and confused, but he wasn't so uneasy now.

Tikal was feeling more upbeat as well. Her plan had just become a lot simpler.