catfished

ch 5; memories

It was a warm and beautiful spring day where the flowers danced in the gentle wind.
Shadow knelt down and plucked a white flower.
"Hi Shadow..." The girl said next him.
The hedgehog stood up. Looked asking at her.
She looked worried at him. One of few humans whom treated him as a person, not a thing. A weapon.
"Do you feel alone?" She asked with blonde strands bouncing with the wind. She pulled a strand of hair behind the ear.
"Alone?" Shadow asked and tilted the head. He didn't understood the question. He wasn't alone. He had her, Maria.
She smiled a bit sadly at him.
"Yeah-... You are the only one who are like you... Don't you feel sad? Don't you want a partner?... Someone to love?" She asked before coughing in the hand.
Maria stared at the blood on her palm.
The hedgehog widened his eyes shocked. Yet not surprised since she has always been ill.
Shadow looked sadly down at the flower. Someone to love-... A partner...
He nodded.
"Yeah-..." he said in low voice.
"That would be cool..."

A few months later he got a partner.
Gerald Robotnik was very excited over the new immortal life he has created. A partner for Shadow, and hopefully a step forward to cure his dear granddaughter.
"He will work as your partner, Shadow... His name is, Mephiles"
Shadow raised an eyebrow and looked bewildered at the hedgehog who looked liked him. But instead with black and red fur, he was black and blue furred.
Shadow's eyes looked asking down at Mephiles muzzle. It's empty. No lips.
"He doesn't has any mouth?"
The scientist shook his head.
"No-... But he can still speak... I'm sure you two will have a lot fun together"

"Shadow-..." Mephile said one day.
"Yes?" He answered and looked asking at his partner.
His partner looked sadly at him.
"I don't want you to hang around Maria and Gerald anymore..."
Shadow stood hastily up. Obvious upset.
"What?...No! I won't stay away from them..." he told him.
Mephiles grabbed his hand and pulled him back down.
"I heard them..."
Shadow raised a brow.
"You heard what?" He grunted.
Mephiles leaned against him.
"They are planning to break you apart..."
Shadow gasped.
"No way..." he answered a bit trembling.
Mephiles nodded.
"Sadly yes... It turns out, they don't find you as perfect as they thought you were... According them, you are a mistake. So, they are planning to take you apart and make a new life from the parts of you..."
Shadow shook the head. No way his friends would betray him. Not after all that time, they've had spent together...
Mephiles' blue eyes stares wickedly into his.
"Please my love... Run away with me... I promise... I will never betray you. You will always be perfect in my eyes..."
Shadow couldn't believe him.
"No-... I won't..." he said and dropped Mephiles' hand.
Then the other hedgehog glared at him in envy and in a boiling anger Shadow has never seen him with.
"Fine-... Suit yourself..." Mephiles growled and stood up before he walked away...

Around a week later, GUN ambushed them in the lab. Believing Shadow was a dangerous weapon they needed to turn off. And that, Gerald and Maria were behind the idea of using Shadow against the humans. So, these two needed to be taken care of as well.
"Shadow...I'm afraid..." Maria said.
Shadow smiled at her.
"Don't worry Maria... I will protect you, no matter what" he promised and grabbed her hand.
She nodded with tears in the eyes.
Shadow nodded back and started running forward while holding her hand.
They were almost out from the lab. Shadow was only typing the code to open the door when a soldier came from nowhere.
He heard the sound from the boots on the floor.
Shadow was about to turn around and save Maria when he saw the bullet in the corner of the eye.
The silver bullet passed him and went through Maria's chest.
"NOOO MARIAAA..." He shouts while she gasped and fell on the floor with blood soaking her blue dress.
Shadow knelt down at the floor while the soldier moved the gun to aim at Shadow instead.
The hedgehog took Maria's hand in his and held the other arm against her back.
The girl smiles at him.
"I'm sorry Shadow... It seems... You must live without me now...Thank for being my friend..." she said and coughed more blood.
Shadow started tearing up.
"No-... Don't... Don't leave me" he cried.
The soldier was about to pull the trigger and shoot him when Mephiles came and killed him.
Shadow jolted and looked shocked at his partner.
Mephiles ran toward him where he yanked his arm and forced him to stand up and follow him.
"We must run..." Mephiles told him.
"Eh?" Shadow looked confused at him and then over the shoulder at Maria who lies at the ground. Barely alive.
"M-maria..." he stuttered.
Mephiles snorted.
"She is soon dead anyway..."he muttered.
Shadow shook the head. He couldn't believe that. So, he started struggling to get off Mephiles' grip. But the more he struggled, the harder Mephiles held him and pulled him forward. Further away from the lab...