Out of the Slump~Shadamy

Waste of Air

Authors note: I combined some of the different ways Maria was shown to die here in order to make the story a bit more tragic😅

Shadows Pov

I run down the hall basically dragging Maria behind me. I can hear nothing but sirens and the pounding of my own heart. Behind us are five soldiers holding guns and yelling for us to stop. As much as I know this is too much for her I plead with Maria to just keep going a little longer.

"It's just a bit farther, Maria." I can see the room containing the escape pods in the distance.

"I can't run anymore, Shadow." She's practically gasping for air.  Her heart condition makes it hard for her to do anything physically exhausting. Even someone scaring her a bit too much can affect her drastically, but right now the only choice we have is to run. It's either that or we die.

"You can do it, Maria we're almost there."  Now we're right in front of the door. I let go of her hand for a second and quickly jam the numbers for the code in. I practically pry the door open with my bare hands to get us in quicker.

"Go in." I say directing her with a nod of my head.

She quickly walks through. I follow swiftly behind and slam the emergency close button on the left side of the door. It not only closes the door but puts another large sheet of metal over it to delay anyone's entry. Panting, I turn to face Maria whose face is twisted in horror as she stares at something deeper into the room.

"What is it?" I ask. She doesn't answer, I have to turn and I see that there is only one remaining escape pod. All of the other escapees must have taken the rest. I let out a long and heavy sigh. I hoped that we could both get out alive. But no matter how I tried things just kept getting in the way.

"Get in, Maria." I say.

Her shocked expression now turns to me.

"W-what?" She stammers.

"One of us has to survive, and that someone should be you." I try to smile in a way that will quell her worries but they only seem to grow.

"No!" She shouts. "Why would you say something like that? You have just as much right to live as anyone on this ship. We can make it together!" Her voice cracks, she's on the verge of tears.

"Maria there's only one pod and someone has to be on the outside to set the coordinates and launch the pod." I look away. I hate seeing her cry.

Before she can reply there's a loud bang and shouting that comes from behind the door.

"They're going to break through! Get in the pod, Maria!" I yell as I run toward to control console. But something pushes me. Before I know it my back slams into the glass walls of the escape pod and it begins closing. 

I try to regain my composure in time to get to the exit but I'm too late. In front of me stands the blue-eyed blond-haired girl who looks worse for wear, giving me a teary-eyed smile.

"Maria!" I bang on the glass trying to escape. But Robotnik had in-forced the walls of the pods in case of emergency, I wasn't strong enough to break free.

She turns away and begins setting the coordinates into the console. I know exactly where she's sending me.

"Please stop, we said we'd go together. You promised me we would!" I myself am practically crying at this point. Her hand inches toward the lever. 

"I beg you Shadow." 

"Maria!" I slam harder on the glass.

"For all of the people who are living on that planet..."