limiterrings | (no subject)

[ there's a twitch of his fingers against that patch of fur, a thumping sensation underneath that shouldn't be there. if anything, maria should be a lifeless husk with no chances of living. but... that beating, that's not maria, is it? he fingers weave within the fur, flinching a bit thinking he should draw away in case he accidentally breaks whatever it is he's supposed to be feeling.

there's something about someone there, they're right there, and it's with a shake of his head and a frustrated growl that he looks away.

it doesn't last long, his palm remaining there, feeling the heart that beats underneath. the sensation reminds him of something else, a moment in time, one where his own ears shift down against the top of his head almost ashamed at forgetting. his body remembers, his mind that was clouded feels a little clear, and that apparition that haunted him slowly fades away showing him the reality in front of him.

that kid, the one that shows more sadness than he should looking right at him with his own hand placed atop of his, keeping a hand against his chest.

he had died... no... he's alive, he's right there. ]

You...

[ what did he call him, yes... seven... ]

You shouldn't... be here...

[He stands there, waiting. Watching. He thought for a moment it wasn't going to work, until he could see a shift in their eyes. A weight that slowly lifts within them. They...they're looking right at him. Recognition. His heart might have skipped a beat when they started speaking, to him! His eyes brighten for only a moment, but it returns to concern. No, he doesn't think they're back just yet. Their claim has him puzzled, tilting his head.]

Where is here? [Were his other still seeing something, or talking about the current reality?]

[ here is... for once his eyes look around to take in the darkness around them, done light filters from the ceiling but it's not enough to make out their surroundings.

shadow clicks his tongue, irritated still, angry still, but he holds it back in favor of what's going on here. ]

Black Doom is... [ here? ] I felt him... but also... you can't be here.

[ this place, there's something wrong with it.

it's like a poison to him, the other seems comparatively fine, but there's this tingling sensation like a warning.

but why would it warm shadow against himself? ]

This place will...

[ he's trying to get himself together not knowing that the one before him is already privy to his life. only that anger and hatred didn't consume him at all. ]

[...Ah. The hand holding his other's falters for a second. But then, he decides to let him go after a moment. His other seems to be with him now, aware of their surroundings. He's starting to feel anxious though, worried about where this could go. He can't hide what he is, he doesn't want this to start another fight between them. Not until they locate that masked individual. After that, then...]

...He's not here. He never was. [He couldn't quite meet his others eyes as he assures him. It's not a lie though, he would have known as well.] There was someone else who was here. A...masked faced? I think they're the ones responsible for bringing us together. [He tries to move the subject, but he already knows that is likely ineffective. All he can do, is be ready for whatever his other decides to tell him, or do.]

Edited 2025-03-24 01:47 (UTC)

...?

[ the answer causes shadow to look in the other's direction. how would he know who that is, and if he's sure of that enough to say so. what does he know. he can see the suspicion grow in shadow's eyes as he looks at the child before him.

... ]

Then.

[ there's something still there, a small piece of a foreign matter that runs though his body. he thinks to crush it instantly, but his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room and then fall onto the other. ]

Who all were here?

[ a simple question.

a rhetorical question, but he wants to hear it from him. ]

...Just us when I came to. The masked face, they weren't actually here. Just an illusion. [He's still not looking directly at them, but he can feel their eyes on him.]

When we got separated...I fell into your memories. [He sounds apologetic about it, eventhough it wasn't his intention to see into his memories. Memories that trigger old ones to return. His ears fall back slightly.] You must have been in mine. You...you were still trapped in them when I saw you again.

[ it's extra words that mean little to him, his own irritation flaring when he's given who was here. the mask doesn't matter, but what he felt at that time, that intrusion of power that only ticks him off even more.

did it come from him? is that foreign matter that's going through his body at the moment all because of him? being trapped within memories, it's pathetic on his behalf... the fact that it was fueling his hatred, but somehow that look of suspicion remains in his eyes as he stares at the other.

he's searching for something, a tell, one that the other isn't speaking on. ]

Don't tell me what I already know.

[He turns his head slightly at that, frowning. Were they just fishing for a certain answer from him? Expect him to say something that will give them a reason to do...something? His brows furrow, eyes managing to meet theirs once more.]

...Why don't you tell me what's troubling you first? [He wants to hear what they really want to say to him.]

[ only the guilty won't come clean, but the way the other turns away for that brief moment only to return his gaze. ]

I don't have troubles. [ he can neat it in his voice, the way he sounds irritated as he continues. ] I have enemies.

[ did he expect the other to be one? no, but maybe that's what's unfortunate about who he is in any place. ]

[Because he remembered how his other assaulted him the moment he spoke about how he arrived on Earth. Telling him anymore makes him uneasy. Would they do the same thing again if he told them how he remembered where he came from before? What he had done? His reason for his existence and why he arrived on Earth in the first place? He wouldn't say their relation is that of friend, but he doesn't want to lose whatever they have right now. He...doesn't want to be alone again.

His left hand sparks for a moment as he flexes his fingers. His other will immeditely notice the feeling of that little intruder in their body is gone soon after. He can only sense his other's presence and nothing more.]

I'm not your enemy.

[ that foreign substance dissipates thereafter into something else, whether it heightens shadow's senses of what's before him, or if it's supposed to matter doesn't show on his face. that suspicion remains as he looks at the child before him, his brows furrowing, crimson eyes staring right at the other.

he may have assisted in pushing that fog from shadow's eyes, but that feeling of what he didn't trust simply disappearing by such a subtle movement.

it was him all along, that vile presence that he despised is nothing more than this child. ]

All Black Arms are.

[ it's a connection that should have been severed, every black arms annihilated upon black doom's death. how it should have been, but it's with certainty that shadow pulls away, leaving a gap between them.

of course, the sound of propellers ring out overhead, like something is coming their way. the air units from before thats to hunt them down most likely, this was probably the calm before the storm. there's voices, the ones from before as they chant that they have to capture the escapees or the battle royal will be ruined. they're in here, they're here. heed to the prophet. ]

[...Stop looking at him like that. Like the scientists and soldiers did. He didn't ask for this, he didn't have a choice upon creation. It hurts, seeing his other look at him with distrust and putting this space between them. He can't refute what is the truth. He was purely made to be Black Doom's perfect soldier. His other...even if the professor used the Black Arm's DNA, they were created with good intentions in mind. They are different.

He doesn't understand why. Why does he care anymore what others think? Isn't learning who he is what he always wanted? He could go back to the way things were. Commanding all of Black Arms, see the other before him as nothing more than a defector, a failure. His objective was clear and straight forward back then. Eliminate the problem. He didn't need to think or consider feelings from his victims.

But his heart is tainted, touched by all the people he has met and learned from, the good and bad. He's not who he was before landing on Earth anymore. He can't take any of it back, but he doesn't know if he can keep taking all this pain. A quiet realization. If anyone learned of what he is, there will only be more. He can't go back. Staying wherever here is, might mean Doom may never arrive to his Earth. There's...no where for him.

He closes his eyes for a moment.] ...Then- [His ears twitch, picking up the new sounds entering the area. The captors have caught up with them it seems. Rather than take action, Shadow remains standing there, waiting on their approach.]

[ there's no other way for shadow to look, not when he's always destroyed every one he has came across. it's like breathing to him, considering what they've done to the planet, what they tried to utilize him for, the confusion that shadow had suffered during that time. how else is he supposed to look at him when this copy is no different than a mirror.

the path shadow himself had took was bloody, lives were lost, he acted on his own whims, but before him? why did that connection to black doom feel so close, what has he done with him, none of the memories filled that in at all and shadow can only wonder.

where do their differences meet when it comes to this?

the sounds of their hunters grow, shadow's ears twitch, and he clicks his tongue in annoyance as he stands there to look at the other who remains in place. shadow won't stay. ]

Give me the Chaos Emerald.

. . . [The Chaos Emerald that was left with him. The little bit of trust the other was willing to give him, now being given back. Or maybe he was just seeing something that was never there to begin with. The emerald reappears in his hands. He doesn't need it, something in his mind tells him. Staring at it for a moment, power still weak. Sparks come from his hands as he imbues it with some chaos energy before passing it to his other without incident.

His expression is nondescript. Someone lost in their thoughts, thinking.] Aren't you going to finish the job? [Why haven't they done anything now that they know Doom's blood runs through him? It's unlike them, considering what happened before at the mere hint of the Black Arms.]

[ there's part of him that doesn't want the chaos emerald, he could sneer, he could say how he doesn't need him for anything else. shadow stares at the emerald, eyes looking away in the distance as though annoyed from the action. he probably is, when did he ask for any of his energy, when did he ever ask for his support? ]

Gladly.

[ a light flashes overhead, covering them both in a brightness that should be blinding. shadow has been under the veil of spotlights, ignoring it as he's quick to manifest a chaos spear into the palm of his hand. it glistens from the added exposure of the light around them, his bracelet sparkling — ]

Die.

[ from the air units, a couple of red dots wiggle down against their body possible for aiming purposes. what lingers at his back comes another that rests against the forehead of his copy, shadow raises his arm— the sound of shots are fired, red lines manifesting from the darkness behind them, it was smart to utilize. with his free hand, shadow's quick to cross-chop the other at his neck, knocking him to the side briefly to avoid the headshot.

shadow moves forward, the first flurry of bullets barely missing his spines as his other hand throws the chaos spear in the direction behind his copy. it comes into contact with the wall, exploding upon impact. the barrage of bullets (or what seems to be, it's best not to get clipped shadow finds by the smell of them as they disperse into some gas) rain down, but the hand that he used to hit the other in one swift movement has come to the emerald, pressing it against the chest of the hedgehog as they both hold onto it, expanding on the power. ]

Chaos...... Control!!

[ he yells out. the once weak emerald begins to pulsate, a bright light manifesting between him and the other. it swallows them whole, time having stopped and sparks generating from the usage.

rather than stay in position, they disappear and reappear, the jewel sputtering out sparks and traversing right to the center of the stadium in mid-air. shadow holds onto the other as they fall down, a quick kick forward to activate his air shoes to hove down without incident. the same location where they began their journey, where they met, destroyed by the other's destruction, but with no one here it tends to work in their favor. ]

[...It's like being back on the moon again, but there's no conflict of interest. It's finite coming from his other. The world around him feels distant, everything muffled except for the crackling sound of a chaos spear forming, his other's voice. Nothing will matter in a moment. The pain will end and his existence won't be a blight to anyone anymore.

That is, instead of being met by the smite of a chaos spear, he felt a sharp pain from the neck that spreads to the rest of his body.] -!? [He falls over as expected, the ringing sound of gun shots being fired reaching his ears. He's stunned, by the non lethal strike, and confused by the other's action. He feels bullets barely missing him, a strange smell reaching his nose. His vision blurred that he couldn't tell what was going on. Where his other went. Why though?

He suddenly senses their presence beside him, something solid being pressed against him. He heard those familiar two words his other taught him and suddenly he felt like he was being pulled. His energy resonating with the chaos emerald as he felt a familiar sensation when he teleports, but amplified. They've gone far, that's all he can gather. Soon as the world returns, he feels his other holding onto him, dropping down from above somwhere. The...is this the stadium? He shakes his head, trying shake off that tingling sensation out of his system.] W-What...? [His feet touch ground as he wobbles slightly. There are so many questions and none of them should even matter when he should be dead??? ]

[ with them in the stadium, back to square one, shadow turns his back to his dumbfounded copy only to ignore him. there's no reason to make amends, or to have conversation, he won't even follow up on what they should do next. what it comes down to is him riding solo for the time being.

the copy will find the chaos emerald is still in their hand, something shadow hadn't taken.

playing everything smart would be to kill him off, he knows that, but as long as his suicidal tendencies stray from getting captured in this world then shadow doesn't care. this place is separate from everything, he's on his own.

he's back to being on his own. ]

[The lack of a response is upsetting, irritating. Why? Is he not the enemy to them? He doesn't understand why they're just walking away, leaving him with the chaos emerald as well. Leaving him.]

That's it? You're going to just walk away? [The grip on the emerald tightens. He wanted to just chuck it back at them in frustration.]

[ does that warrant a response? his copy has eyes, he can see what shadow is doing, he can see that the hedgehog isn't turning around to follow up.

he can do whatever he wants with the emerald, he can wander this place as much as he wants. ]

Do not be stupid. I told you I'm going to finish the job.

[ he is an enemy, but there are other matters to look into, like the person who brought them here is the biggest threat. ]

. . . [His other can't see it, but something forms beside Shadow, a small dark portal. He tosses the emerald into it as it'll reappear in front of his other through another portal. It rolls along the ground toward them. He did not recharge it this time.] I won't be needing that. [It's not a bluff. Fully aware of his own capabilities now, he doesn't need that emerald as much as his other might. In a blip, he's gone before they can do anything about it. Leave it or take it, not his concern anymore.

His other has chosen to take on another priority before coming for him, knowing he won't run when the time comes. "They're making a mistake" is what goes through his mind. But fine. He can't sit around and wait, so that only leaves him to focus on one thing. That masked face. Unfortunately, he never got anything out of his other to know who they even are. Other than they really want one of them dead, or both. Felt personal how they were egging him on to kill his other.]

[ as if shadow needs it, there's nothing he can do with a dud emerald that has no use — if sonic were here, knowing him, he could possibly recharge it.

because he doesn't need it doesn't mean it won't prove useful in the future for something else. he leans down, picking up the gem as it disappears once he accepts it.

he's already dashing off, his eyes glancing at the wreckage behind them. to find this person, who they call the prophet, then shadow has only so many choices. he could run around in search of them, or he can allow himself to be captured.

they're on the radar of these creatures anyway. willingly playing captive isn't his first choice, but it'd probably do better than running around blindly. with that other version of him gone from the field, shadow jumps onto the point of a collapsed pieces of the stadium, looking around to see where he can find the most lights. ]

[Shadow is likely to come around to the same conclusion eventually. He reappears just outside of the stadium, where they had originally escaped from the underground. The remains of the helicopters were still there...or are they? It's faint, but they seem to be glitching in and out of existence. It puzzles him, so he comes closer to investigate. A hand press against the debris, and every so often, phases through it.

An illusion, like that mask hovering above them before.

No one had been here for some time, so whomever is the mastermind must be conserving resources to where the action was. Not thinking anyone would return to the crime scene. All of this, a fabrication? Just for them? For the other?

He crosses his arms. They want them to fight, kill the other. If they don't, there's repercussions. Or...if he waits long enough and keep away from the other, maybe the culprit will reveal themselves to handle it, like before. He can still sense his other's presence from here. It may be best not to go far, be ready to strike when they think he's not paying attention. Unless they come for him. Then he's sure his other will catch on.]

[ he could be right.

staying apart might drive the culprit to needing to handle things themselves, while the younger hedgehog decides to go the route where there's hardly anyone, biding his time. shadow takes advantage at making himself known, it's not the best plan, but it's one that gives his enemy the advantage to think they've captured him.

the youngest shadow will hear a glitching sound behind him, as if something is there, watching and waiting for him to turn around.

if he does, he'll find nothing, but he'll know something is nearby. ]

[He's pacing around the area, looking for the building he had initially taken himself and his other to escape these copters. Was he imagining it, or could he no longer locate it? His ears perk up at a sound behind him. He stops in his tracks, waiting for a moment. Left hand crackles with energy as he turns...to nothing.

He doesn't relax though. Something about the area is starting to feel off. Brows furrow as he lets out some air. He will need to call on that power. If this is an illusion, then he can break it. His ears swerve around, locating the one spot with a lot of noise, static...] Show yourself. [He pulls a spear practically out of thin air and slashes on his target spot. It cuts through the fabric of space, cracks forming around the area. An unsettling darkness creeping out from the opening. He can't fully break this world's illusion, but he can atleast make pockets. Flush whatever is there out, unless they want to be trapped in that world.]

[ don't worry, they fully understand the position they're in. forcing him out of hiding is quite the option, quickly, the glitching grows louder until a body appears a polite distance away from the void created to swallow him whole. what appears is a young gentleman, a confident chuckle as he bows forward — a familiar mask, a glaring red eye, white hair draped branched out onto his back.

"ha ha, how brave you are, little one."

the jackal's tail sways from behind, amused by how much quick progress has been made thanks to his own interference.

"i've only come to talk, surely you have time."

that's all anyone has here in this place, besides, playing with them endlessly was the plan until someone started to break his things, those illusions. the phantom ruby pulsates in the creeping darkness around them, but the prophet stands in wait. ]