The Box - Sonadow Fanfiction

The Missing Doctor

Sonic arrived at the coast, shaking impatiently as he watched the X Tornado approach from the horizon, quiet as a mouse. Tails had no need to land as Sonic spin-jumped high into the air and landed perfectly on the wing of the plane, having had years of practice in doing so.
"Where to?" Tails asked, turning the plane around.
"Take me to Eggmans lair." Sonic said assertively. Whether he was doing the right or wrong thing he did not want to think about, as far as he was concerned if there was even a one percent chance of someone he cares about being in danger, he would hop into action.
Still, he couldn't deny the curiosity and worry of the doctors absence was overpowering him, surely Shadow would understand. He wasn't necessarily after answers to that day, he was just being himself, a hero, and whatever he found along the way was collateral.
He thought back to the black hedgehog he had given a sleeping pill to, feeling awful. Rouge agreed something had to be done, even Stix kept asking occasional questions that Shadow continuously shot down.
"Got it, Eggmans lair. We'll be there quick, get me up to speed." Tails sped the plane and the wind pounded at their faces, shaking their fur in all directions.
"Contacting the others now-"
"No, Tails!"
Tails looked at Sonic, eyebrows raised, "what why?"
"It's gotta be a solo mission, once you get me there you should leave."
"No way. How do you plan to disarm any traps without me?" Tails smirked, looking forward.
Sonic smiled gratefully, Tails always had his back.
"Alright. Rouge gave me some intel, Eggmans got a file about Shadow, we can't get into it but he could be in danger."
"So he's meeting us there?"
Sonic gulped, "no.. uh.. he doesn't want to go.."
Tails shook his head, "you're going behind his back? Sonic!"
"I know, Tails! But how can I sit around if he's in danger?"
"Because he asked you to!"
"Why are you suddenly on his side?"
"I'm not, Sonic. But when someone trusts you.."
"But it isn't just about him! Eggman is hiding in there, plotting something big. I can feel it."
Tails knew his friend was trying to justify his treachery. He felt bad for Shadow, but he was always on Sonics team, so he pushed forward.
"OK, Sonic. I believe you. We'll enter through the water grate located at the base of the lair, we've been watching it and it seems Eggman didn't close it off like everything else."
"That must've been how Rouge got in."
"Thats not our only option though. We can enter the way you got in a month ago, I just don't know where that was."
Sonic thought about it and realized, "I just.. walked in through the front."
Tails pressed buttons on his screen and brought up an exterior map of the lair.
"Well, since then it's been barricaded. He's definitely in there, no doubt about that."
They discussed their plan for once they got inside, which they didn't have much time for.
They speedily approached the rocky bottom of the base, Tails put the X Tornado in water mode, and they landed gently on top of flailing water. Sonic spin-jumped over the small gap between the plane and the grate entrance, while Tails flew after him.
The bars were spread apart enough that the pair could easily slip through.
The light faded quickly as they dashed deeper in the drain, Tails using his communicator as a flashlight while also following a holographic blueprint of the building.
"We close?"
"Just up ahead, there's a sharp right and then a vent that leads into what appears to be a storage area. Probably leftover Badniks in there, so be careful."
"You to."
Approaching the vent, Tails chuckled at something written beside it.
"What is it?" Sonic asked, peering closer.
The words 'Rouge was here' were burned into the concrete roof.
"Gotta hand it Knuckles, at least she's funny." Sonic smiled, lifting the vent.
The team both jumped through the hole getting into defensive positions, ready to guard off any robots, but nothing happened.
The room was large, dark and empty except for old parts and trashed boxes. The air was eerily forgotten.
"It's so.. creepy." Tails shuddered, signaling Sonic to follow him as he guided their way through the maze that was Eggmans lair.
Sure, Sonic and the team had been here countless times but Eggman was always adding or destroying sections and changing floorplans to keep them on their toes. And it had been months since his last attack, so there was plenty of time for the building to feel like a completely different place, which it did.
Dust was sprinkled on every surface, hallway lights wouldn't turn on, doors were trapped shut and the few that were open led into rooms overgrown with abandonment.
"How could he still be here?" Tails asked as he watched a spider run along the ceiling.
"It's a big place. Lots of places to hide." Sonic said, his guard never failing.
"Tell me what it is exactly you think he's doing." Tails waited as Sonic sawed his way through a metal door, allowing them access to a steep set of staircases.
"I have theories. Most of them are about Shadow, can't lie. The only two pieces of evidence we have for his master plan are that he lured Shadow here, and he has that hidden file. He probably hasn't made another move because.." Sonic looked at his friend and smiled confidently, "Shadow's been glued to my hip most of the time."
Tails stuck his tongue out, "I'll say. I'm surprised you got a chance to sneak away."
Sonic furrowed, how was he supposed to tell Tails what he did?
"Well.. he was busy tonight, GUN stuff."
"Lucky you."
They continued on, up staircases into many hallways, checking every room they manged to get into. They worked their way up the base, Sonic checked every piece of paper for a mention of Shadow, but they were always old schemes.
"There's only two floors left. The top one has a big empty area, maybe that's where he's made camp."
Sonic looked at the map. The area looked familiar, even though barely any detail could be seen.
"If he's not here, what next?" Tails asked.
"He's here. I can smell it."
The fox sniffed the air, "smells old." He shrugged, carrying on his path.
When they opened the door to the second last floor, they were not-so-happily surprised to see it had all its lights on, every door was blinking green and it looked like it had been freshly scrubbed.
"What did I say?" Sonic growled, pushing Tails behind him.
"Freaky, it's still super quiet." Tails pointed out.
"Let's get this over with." Sonic stood tall and called out "Eggman! Come out! Your little game of hide and seek is over!"
He waited for no reply and zipped through the floor, speedily looking through every room with his fists up.
He ran into the last room at the end of square hallway, seeing a beige folder sitting neatly and alone at a metal desk. He gingerly approached it.
"No.." he breathed as he picked it up.
"Tails! Come here!" He heard the whirring sound the two tails made and soon enough Tails was reading the document over his shoulder.
"'Project S- 423 Beta', this is what Rouge found? But wasn't hers digital?" Tails asked.
Sonics ears perked, and he instinctively pushed Tails away from him as a glass tube came down on top of him. The metal doors slammed shut behind them and he could feel the floor beneath his feet begin to rise.
A trap. They had let their guard down and fell into the most obviously planted trap Eggman could come up with.
"Sonic!" Tails shouted, pressing at his communicator, which did nothing as it began to glitch on his wrist.
"Tails! Wait there! I'll make this quick!" Sonic demanded.
Tails nodded firmly as he watched Sonic dissapear into the final floor, the document still tightly in his fist.
Sonic was raised to the open space he had recognized earlier, having finally put a memory to it.
It was the same room he and Shadow got stuck in, only this time lit with violent white lights and blinking monitors.
The floors and wall shared the same metallic blue, red stripes painted across them. On three sides were giant doors which Sonic assumed opened upward, and in front of him was an entire wall of computer, beeping and clicking.
Next to the overdone computer was someone Sonic had been waiting to talk to for ages. He sat in a floating chair looking joyfully towards the blue rodent, Dr. Eggman had finally shown himself.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here," he said happily, pressing down a button which released Sonic from the tube.
Sonic was taken aback, "why'd you let me go?"
"Oh I have no intention of fighting anyone today. Your little fox friend is already being escorted out of the building by Cubot and Orbot."
Sonic glared, "what's with all the pageantry then?" He said suspiciously.
"You know me, I'm not one to not make an entrance, come on now, it hasn't been that long."
Eggman glanced at the document Sonic held, "you won't need that, by the way. It's all blank."
Sonic opened the folder and was angered by the absence of any writing.
"What have you been doing all this time? It's been months." He said, tossing the folder behind him and crossing his arms.
"Research, mostly. I'm sure you're very curious to what the bat came across. Got to hand it to her, it was well hidden."
"Yeah I am. I want answers."
"I know you do. But what about Shadow?"
Sonic got unreasonably angered by this, "what do you want with him?"
"Nothing anymore. He got too close to you, I'm not stupid enough to continue the project now." Eggman shrugged and turned to his computer, clicking wildly away until a file appeared on the giant screen.
"This is what you're after." He turned back to Sonic.
"You were not meant to be there that day, that trap was designed for the ultimate life form, not some blue interfering rat. You ruined my plans, so I let you go."
"You haven't even told me what your plans are!"
"Now now, relax. They aren't technically my plans."
"Get to the point!" Sonic uncrossed his arms and rolled his fists, his eyes sparked.
"They're my dearest grandfather's, of course. He was the one who dedicated his life to Project Shadow, not me," Eggman raised his arms angelically, like he was gesturing Chaos himself, "but how could I, as a genius scientist, allow such brilliance to be put to rest?" He put a fist over his heart and closed his eyes, "it was my solemn duty to carry on his research, and to complete his mission."
Sonic roared, "you're stalling Eggman!"
Eggman looked to Sonic compassionately, "oh no, you're stalling, Sonic." He gestured to the file, "it's here. All your answers, everything you've wanted to know, what are you waiting for?"
Eggman backed away his chair, watching as Sonic approached the screen.
He went to open the file, but froze.
He now knew Shadow wasn't in any danger, and that's what he came here to discover, he didn't need anything else. He could turn away right now and carry on his happy life with Shadow, return to the GUN headquarters and lay his head back down on the furry black lap.
But an infuriating itch clicked down on the mouse.
Dozens of documents exploded out onto the screen, pictures of Shadow in water with tubes coming out of him, blurred images of a yellow ball bouncing around, stills of the rocket shoes being crafted and finally a vial of a pink liquid. Sonic read underneath it

'Reproductive Serum 003'
Currently in Beta testing. Specimen remains unreactive to the liquid. Numerous methods and re-works have been administered, but Project Shadows DNA continues to fight off the chemical.
Thus far, the only flaw with Project Shadow is the inability to reproduce, though I am overjoyed by its ability to fend off all my attempts.
I guarantee the final test will be successful.
-Dr. Gerald Robotnik, Head Engineer.

Sonic read the next log.

Due to GUN interference, we will be unable to continue the Reproductive Experiments until further notice.
Contained in this document will be the equation to the serum, as I believe to have finally perfected it, in order to resume testing once GUN agents leave the Ark. I stow it here for protection, in case the stupid soldiers break anything while they're here. I want to give Shadow everything a natural life has.
-Dr Gerald Robotnik, Head Engineer.

There were no more entries. Sonic knew why.
He was always under the impression that Shadows testing was completed long before the Ark tragedy, he was devastated to discover it had never stopped.
"You never got the chance to do it." Sonic turned to Eggman, "you couldn't have."
Eggman shook his head and looked away, "yes and no. You see, Shadow would never have trusted me the same as he did my grandfather, so I knew I couldn't inject the serum through a needle. I had to be clever."
Sonic listened, disgusted by all he was hearing.
"So I turned it into a gas and.. you can assume the rest."
"What is it meant to do to him?"
"Shadow's sperm cells are dead, it was meant to revive them."
Sonic guffawed, covering his mouth.
Shadow was right, he never should have come here. This was horrifying.
Eggman rested in his hand, "I believe it had other side effects as well."
"Like what?" Sonic asked, although he didn't really want to know.
"Like making you confuse the desire to reproduce as the desire to.. love." Eggman shuddered, "you shouldn't have gone snooping around."
Sonic slammed his fist down, breaking the console below him, sparks crackled around his hand.
"That's wrong!" He shouted, "it didn't do anything to me! It didn't work!"
"Then how do you explain it rodent? Your sudden infatuation with a rival you never gave a second look to?"
"That's not true!"
Eggman sighed, looking behind Sonic, "that's not what he thinks."
Sonics heart dropped as he turned to see Shadow staring up at Eggman. He had a way of always showing up in the worst moments.
"Sh-Shadow!"
Sonic rushed towards him, arms up, but Shadow waved them off.
Sonic felt his heart fall into his stomach.
There was a long moment of silence between the three of them, before Shadow broke it.
"You drugged me and came here," he had to collect himself before carrying on, "you broke your promise."