Chaos Born

35 Minutes And A Fire

COUNTDOWN TIL SELF-DESTRUCT: 35 MINUTES 50 SECONDS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

"Rouge?" Shadow frowned, both amazed and relieved. "You're lucky you can get a signal. It's getting harder and harder to keep in contact with everyone the deeper into this place we go."

"Where's Knuckles?" It wasn't obvious when Omega was smirking but Shadow could always sense it and it was out in force right now.

"...He's fine," the Ultimate Lifeform stiffly answered.

"So you don't know." She sounded surprisingly calm.

"Specific coordinates are unknown, that's true," Shadow swallowed. "But he's okay."

"Or as well as he - and indeed all of you - can be considering you're STILL wandering around in a building about to explode."

"We haven't found Sonic."

There was radio silence for a moment. The regret and worry could be felt over the comms.

"...I know." Rouge's voice was quiet now and, unknown to Shadow, was actually fending back stress tears. "I, um... I'm not asking you to abandon him. I was... I was only going to say that tickets off this island are in high demand and in limited supply. And... Well, I'm worried that not everyone is guaranteed a seat."

Shadow felt sorry for her. She was in a situation where she couldn't directly help with her own two hands and there was no worse feeling than feeling useless.

"...Let me take care of that," he told her calmly. "How soon until everyone is off?"

"Another half hour?"

"Copy that. Good work." Then he rang off.

Omega was watching him closely and Shadow turned to him with anxious eyes. "That's going to cut things close."

- - - - -

(Ira's fires were growing steadily, building in size and getting stronger and stronger as every minute passed.)

- - - - -

"Hello? HELLO? Is anyone there?"

It was Shade, broadcasting on an open frequency.

"That you, Shade?" Charmy's voice then spoke after her. It appeared that they had temporarily lost Silver's team but had gained the Chaotix.

"About time!" Shade heaved a breath of relief. "I've been trying to get a hold of you guys for ages! What's going on?"

"This place keeps cutting signals," Shadow explained as he and Omega hurried along the corridor in an attempt of ditching the robots that were after them. "We haven't been able to get in contact with each other, let alone anyone... Wait, where are you?"

"That's what I was trying to get a hold of you about!" Shade told them. "I've found our ride!"

"Ride?"

"Omega has a plan of this place, right?" Omega gave a whirr of agreement. "Get him to lead you to the hangers - Eggman has aircraft down here!"

"Someone needs to tell Tails and co," Espio said. "They must be further in than we are. No-one has heard from them in ages."

Shade seemed to hesitate a bit. 

"You do that," she then whispered. "I've a feeling I'm in for some company."

"Shade?" Shadow worriedly called into his wrist. "Wait for backup, you hear me?"