Return of Gerlad's Legacy

Chapter 8: Where are you?

The limousine pulled up to the White House with absolute punctuality. They had arrived with absolute precision and now the Ultimate Life Form would be able to regale his story to the President.

Shadow, Sonia, Sonic, Tails, Cm. Sharon Loveless, and Cm. Robert Eclipse stepped out of their respected limos, went inside the building and through the search detail. The long hallways seemed like a flash in Shadow's mind. No he did not speed through them. That was not permitted. For thirteen he had to stare at the same three walls, these were nothing to him.

When they entered the Oval Office, the president had his back to them as he looked out the window. The rain pattered against the reinforced glass like the sound of mice chattering. Shadow looked at the President with anticipation. This man was the only president to be elected five times. Shadow could easily see that the stress of office had done to the man. His hair was a definite steel grey and he was even to start o go bald. He had not noticed them enter.

Cm. Eclipse approached the President and said his completely monotone voice, "Mr. President, Mr. Shadow Hedgehog and party have arrived for the meeting."

The President turned on his heel to face the party. His eyes themselves were full of the stress that the man was under but the rest of his face did it's best to hid this. He wore a jolly smile of an old grandfather meeting his grandchildren. 'Shadow, it is a joyous to finally see you again. After all these years, I fully believe that you had in fact died. I am delighted to find that I was wrong."

Shadow let lose one of his rare smiles. "You must have thought I was dead. It not usual when a living man gets own monument." The President laughed. "It is good to see you though my old friend." Shadow stretched his hand to shake the great man's hand.

The President grasped the hand without hesitation. "Although, I think I'm becoming too old to be doing this job." They each sat down in a chair. "Now, Mr. Hedgehog, regale us. Where were you? You've been gone thirteen years."

Shadow's smile disappeared. "Should have known what this visit was truly about. Well the best place to start this story would be at the beginning. As you all know my team and were sent to take out the Shadow Android Factory created by the Doctor. We found and entered the factory with minimal difficulty. What we found inside the factory was indeed androids, but also there were Black Arms soldiers. They were armed the same way the soldiers now are armed. The team split up to try to divide and conquer the invaders as we had done in the past. But the Arms had changed. They did use their favored mass strikes and were not confused by our separation and attacks. They immediately copied our movements and counter attacked. I had paired myself with Agent Prower and we lead them into a storage area for the android parts. My fellow Agent shot through the rope holding a large crate from falling and it landed upon our adversaries. But immediately following that, we were slammed down on to the hard metal floor. I looked up to see a draconic like figure with Black Arms skin, a long robe similar in design to the robe that Black Doom wore, it had three fingers, opposable thumbs, and claws, on his back were two dragon wings and in his hand was a large wooden staff with a blood red gem at the top. But what I looked at first was his eyes. They were blood red like mine yet were filled with more anger and fury than I've ever seen." Shadow paused. "Wait; there was one who had the same fury: Black Doom."

The entire room went cold at the name. Robert Eclipse took out a brief case and brought out a small holographic disk and placed in the middle of the floor space between them. He punched a button on the side and a picture of the exact image Shadow had described appeared. "This him?" Eclipse said with utmost confidence.

Shadow looked at the young Commander. "How did you get this?"

Eclipse smiled. "You'd be surprised what an experimental spy plane can dig up when our assailant is making his rounds. The new SR-103 was able to take this picture. I don't even think he knows that his picture is in our most wanted."

"Well," Shadow continued, "he raised his hand and a red orb appeared in his hand and fired at my face. The blast hit its mark and knocked me back into the wall. He spoke to me in such a cold voice I thought I had been plunged into a bucket of liquid nitrogen. 'You will not stand in my way, bastard child. This factory is consolation prize next to this planet. I will not be denied what I came for.' He raised his staff and an energy blade appeared out of the top of it. He and I battled while Agent Prower provided cover for me I think he shot down forty black Arms infantry. However my problem was this one Black Arms. He seemed to be able to block both my and Prowers' attacks. He not only used the energy blade but when I got far enough away, he would launch large waves of electricity. 'Sit still you infernal hedgehog,' he yelled at me in rage. 'You are only making it far more difficult on yourself.' He pulled all the electricity back and launched it at the main reactor of the factory. 'Let's find out of fast you truly are.' He then disappeared in a flash of light. I grabbed Prower and took him to the exit. I then went back and recovered the rest of my team. But I had forgotten something inside the soon to destruct factory. The red Chaos Emerald had been dropped during the fight with the dragon Black Arms. I went back into to the building to recover the emerald. I found it in the hands of the dragon Black Arms. He held it like it was a first born child. 'I thought you might want this, child. I believe that this too much of a dangerous object for such a child as yourself.' He rammed forward at me knocking me to the ground. My gold bracelet broke off in force of the blast. The next thing I knew, I was held in Black Arms restraints. From there on for thirteen years I was tortured for information. They used special whips that had spikes on them and they would wrap them around my body and then poison would be released out of the whips into my bloodstream. I was always weak. They were merciless. It was even worse since I was immortal as I've been told. Multiple times, I wished for them to end my life. But I wouldn't tell them anything. They asked countless about where the other Chaos Emeralds were. I never told them. But I hated every second I was there. They then took my most precious possession." Shadow pulled off his left glove to reveal his hand.

Sonic looked at the hand in utter confusion. "Uh . . . Cuz, What exactly am I suppose to be looking for?"

Eclipse sighed. "It what's not there, Mr. Hedgehog."

Shadow nodded. "My ring. They took my wedding ring."

The President spoke with complete sincerity. "We can replace the ring, Shadow."

"No," the Ultimate Life Form spoke firmly. "There will be no replacement. I want to pluck my ring from Umbra's cold dead hands."

Commander Eclipse broke into applause. "I am fully behind you, Shadow. I will help you bring him down, whatever the cost."