Shadow is prepared for anything at this point. The robot makes the doors of the elevator close and sends the elevator upwards, as that was the only direction it could go being that they are on the first floor. It seems to take a while for the elevator to get to the top floor but at least there was one part of the trip here to Metropolis that was quiet. Not even the robot operating the elevator made a sound, eerily. In fact, it doesn`t even seem to care that a non-robot creature was here. It does not even look to his direction.

Shadow is starting to feel on edge; Eggman was incompetent at times, but he wasn't stupid, nor would he simply allow Shadow to steal Maria away from him. As the elevator comes to a stop, Shadow carefully steps off the elevator and starts to step into the room. The only source of armament on him that one could see outright is a heavy looking metal pipe. The look on his face is one of dark suspicion as he surveys this new area.

The elevator door remains open, oddly enough, nor does it make any moves to go back down. Is the robot waiting for Shadow to return after whatever his mission is?

Unlike the first floor Shadow was on, which had hallways and multiple rooms, this one was one giant room. It has many support beams to keep the ceiling from caving in on the floor. It has computers all around the room like the first floor, but this time they have monitors accompanying them. They show images of various parts of Metropolis and even the news channel is tuned in on one of them. Shadow doesn`t really tune in to the news monitor, it probably is either about some petty robbery or about Sonic saving a cat from a tree, or so how Shadow views the news generally.

In the middle of the room sits a large bureau. A chair is behind it but with it`s back turned to Shadow`s direction. No doubt Eggman is in the chair, the round and plushy man couldn`t stay on his feet for very long.

Shadow starts to approach the chair, stead fastly and cautiously. He glances over the monitors surrounding them as he continues to walk forwards, but right afterwards he keeps his focus on the chair. Eggman always had tricks up his sleeve, Shadow was well aware of this. He wouldn't be surprised if various flying sentry-robots were to come in to spray the area. Nor would he be surprised if he were to suddenly turn around to spot him. Shadow decides to play it coy and not attack yet. After all, he somewhat holds Maria`s life in his hands. When he is about fifteen feet from the back of the chair, Shadow stops and looks around one last time.

Eggman`s unmistakable middle-aged voice comes up from the chair,"Are you getting slower with age, Shadow?"

The chair turns around and as usual, Eggman is leaning back in his roller chair, one leg propped over top of the other, hands greedily clasping one another. He smiles through that enourmous mustache of his,"Either that or school is getting in the way again?"

Shadow doesn`t even flinch as Eggman speaks. It is to be expected that he knew exactly where Shadow had been through his whole trek throughout the city. Thus, he just stands there, motionless as Eggman turns in his seat.

His posture begins to shift at this point, slinging the heavy pipe over the other shoulder, as he stands sideways. His other hand extends to point at Eggman,"..You know what I`m here for...Where is she..."

Surprisingly, Shadow is being patient. He is`t ripping things apart or attacking Eggman yet.

But Eggman can`t resist "egging on" his enemies or anyone that opposes him in some fashion or another,"Oooo, my my...So hasty...Just like your blue-haired friend."

It annoyed Shadow greatly to be compared to, or even mistaken for, Sonic. Eggman knows this, as his the was the first person to make the mistake when he first released Shadow from the capsule. But there is a grave more important thing at stake than pride. The last thing Shadow knows that had happened to Maria was that she took a bullet for him and had presumably died in front of his eyes, seconds before his pod was launched to Earth. And with the news report earlier stating how the girl was snatched away before doctors could help her. Undoubtedly, she could still be bleeding unless Eggman suddenly formed a heart and decided to be merciful to her and put her back into a frozen state. But that was unlikely, Eggman had no care for any of the lives he was putting in danger except his own. Selfish man...

"..Cut the shit, and start talking.. You think your pitiful army will protect you from me?"

Shadow begins to confidently walk forwards. Shadow had moments when he let his arrogance and self-assurance of his ability get the better of him, especially when he wanted something. And Maria is that something. He closes the distance from fifteen feet to five. His expression starts contorting to a glare, right hand gripping the pipe firmly.

"...Speak.." Shadow says rather forcefully, as he stands there, eyes narrowing.

Eggman shows no signs of faltering under any intimidation being made by Shadow. In fact, his nasty smile grows wider and his hands move to resting on the arm rests of his chair. His chair creeks as he does so and unfolds his legs, setting both feet on the floor. Eggman continues with his own odd patience,"You better slow down there and watch your step, Shadow. You do want her to live, don`t you? She hangs in the balance as it is."

That hits an undernote with Shadow, the only reason he hasn`t lunged out and started attacking at this point. His teeth grits as he stares forward, straightening out. He isn`t about to admit defeat to him, but he isn`t about to endanger Maria`s life either. Thus, he remains there, no longer showing movement for hostility,"..Fine..."

Eggman grins at seeing the change in mood of Shadow`s posture,"That`s better..."

Eggman rises up from his chair, it makes an awful creek noise as he stands. He must obviously use this chair quite a lot. Eggman puts both of his hands behind his back and walks to the side of his bureau. He leans forward towards Shadow,"I know you won`t go running around for me anymore but I do need the chaos emeralds nonetheless. Why not you give me a nice boost in my quest by surrendering your emerald?"

He can`t have the red chaos emerald that Shadow added the chain to. The red chaos emerald is very special to him sentimentally. He even gets edgey when Sonic acknowledges it`s presence. But since the red chaos emerald is chained to his belt buckle on his hip and being that his jacket is long enough to reach that far (though just barely), perhaps Eggman is unaware of the red chaos emerald`s presence and he`s just assuming that Shadow has one or more?

"...I don't know what you're talking about."

Shadow speaks coldly but retains a poker face. Things have suddenly turned into a dangerous gamble as he mentally runs through the possibilities. All in all, he knows that the likelihood of Eggman living up to his word is almost non-existent. Passing over his red chaos emerald would just seal both his and Maria`s fates. It is decided that passing over the emerald is of last resort, and a very last resort at that. His crimson eyes do not stir from Eggman`s mirror "shades", as if to denote that he is telling the truth.

"Come come now, Shadow. I know you better than that. You always have a chaos emerald with you. You give me your chaos emerald and I`ll let you have the girl."

Odd that even though Maria is his cousin, Eggman doesn`t seem to want to speak her name. At least he hasn`t gone so low as to refer to her disrespectfully as "it."

Shadow closes his mouth, his expression changes slightly, almost as if he were deciding. Turning his gaze elsewhere briefly, Shadow tries to make it seem as if he is thinking hard, when in actuality he is trying to spot any important security camera feeds along the computer monitors, any hint as to where Maria could be. His posture shifts again, as if he is stretching a bit. Unfortunately, none of the monitors give any indication of where she could be. All of them are absent of her presence. Where ever he has her hidden, it seems he has her hidden well. But Eggman wants this quick, he has several new plans he wants to get underway as soon as possible.

Eggman grins,"Better hurry, Shadow. A girl`s body can only loose so much blood before it gives up."

"...I want some assurance..." Shadow states, as he cocked his head slightly to one side, looking back to Eggman. His expression remains neutral, keeping his poker face,"Show her to me... How do I know a heartless prick like you hasn`t killed her yet?"

At saying that, his expression darkens slightly.

Eggman stands fully straight, mocking an offended look and voice,"Why, Shadow, I`m surprised that you would think so lowly of me that I would actually kill my own family..."

Then his malicious smirk returns to this face,"Besides, how do I know you won`t swipe her up and take off without leaving me at least one chaos emerald?"

Swiping her up and take off? From the sounds of it, Maria may not be too far away from their current position. But looking around the room, she is nowhere in sight.

"Now we`re at an understanding. Now reveal her."

Shadow crosses his arms at this point, cocking his head. It doesn`t seem as if Shadow is going to budge from his decision, as both were in differing positions. Eggman sighs in his usual way and gives a shrug. Has this man spent so much time chasing after Sonic that he is copying Sonic`s motions? Creepy...Eggman moves a hand over onto the surface of his bureau and his fingertip runs along it in random motions,"Well then, I guess if you don`t really want her, I can just deposit her with the rest of the trash and move on..."

He really don`t care about her at all, does he? This should have been evident when he invaded the hospital and took her from the people that could`ve saved her life. Now he talks of throwing her away in the trash like a used cheeseburger wrapper? Absolutely disrespectful! Pride and sentiment were one thing for Shadow, but this has gone too far. Shadow knows Eggman front and back at this point and he isn`t about to keep Maria safe if it wouldn`t get him anywhere in life. Shadow visibly reacts as his expression contorts to a look of silent rage, teeth openly grit as he reels back, almost as if he is about to strike Eggman.

"...Fine, you heartless leech..."

Eyes narrowing, his other hand goes down and rip the chain from his belt with ease. The chaos emerald is very important, incredibly important. But on the scale of priorities in Shadow`s life, Maria vastly outweighs it. Raising it, he begins to wave it about in front of Eggman,"...This is obviously all you care about..."

Any time that Eggman would try and snatch it away from Shadow, Shadow would lift it up and divert it away from him, trying to entice him. Test how far his greed might take him, as it were.

"Show me she`s alive...and I`ll give you this..."

The dark look remains on Shadow`s face. He isn`t about to forgive Eggman for his apathy towards his own cousin, but what else could he do at this point? He has to save Maria while there is still a chance.

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