Sonic: The Madness

HERBERT WESTWOOD. So, GUN did have a file on this guy. Shadow read the data.

FULL NAME: HERBERT KOLCHAK WESTWOOD

AGE: 47

HEIGHT: 5' 11"

KNOWN RELATIVES: None living

KNOWN MEDICAL CONDITIONS: Right leg injury in chainsaw accident. Permanent use
of cane. Must take regular pain medications. Heart condition, must take regular
heart medications.

NOTES: "Paranormal" investigator for 30 years. Known ally with Dr. Ivo
Robotnik. Suspected in numerous robberies but no substantial evidence. Also
suspected of assault numerous times. Professional business rival with the
Chaotix

Believed to be mentally unstable.


The last line caught his notice. Westwood had been right, so far. Eggman
noticed Shadow at the terminal. "Doctor... is your friend crazy?"

Eggman took offense. "Of course not! He's a bit... eccentric, but who wouldn't
be studying what he does? And he did save that man's life, with your help,
anyway. And mine," Eggman said.

"What is Cthulhu? He mentioned it," Shadow asked.

"I'm not fully versed, but... Cthulhu is believed to be a god so great that
nothing can stand against it. Nothing human, anyway. Cthulhu wants to rule Earth
and regards us as pests. He was sealed away long ago, but waits to wake once
more. Aside from that... I don't really know." Eggman left.

Shadow switched off the terminal. Herb was asleep in his pile of books. He
woke with a start. "GAH! Oh... I'm still here. What the hell time IS it?" He
checked the desk clock. 2:11 PM. "Oh, man, I hate sleep, all I have are
nightmares. Shadow?"

Shadow cocked an eyebrow. "You mind if I ask you something? Well, answer if
you want, but... why help that man if Rouge liked you?"

"I told you, we had a business relationship, nothing more" "I see," Herb
replied.

"She didn't give me that impression. You could have let that man DIE, and been
with her yourself. Why?"

Shadow punched the wall. "I can never be the lover Rouge would want. And I've
seen how Knuckles treats her. That damn echidna... he might... I've been
afraid if she were to ever be with him, he might hit her. He has anger
problems. And I never want you to talk that way again! I will not allow an
innocent to die!"

"I'm sorry," Herb responded. "But you must hate that man for what he has."
"No, I don't," Shadow said. "I envy him for having what I will never know. But
I don't hate him. I will protect him as I would her!"

"Would you do anything it takes then?" Westwood inquired. "Because if Cthulhu
rises, my boy... will you help me stop this? You have the attitude I need. If
you had said you would have let that man die, I wouldn't have a use for you. I
would have sent you away. But you said you would protect a stranger who has
become close to a woman who once liked you. You're mentally stable, and it will
help you! Cthulhu can't taint your mind!" He stood, hobbling on his cane.

"You are a weapon, yes, but you are in control of what that weapon is used
for! NO ONE ELSE! I cant make you do this, it will be your decision!" Herbert
held out his left hand. "Tell me I have your support, because aside from Ivo,
no one will believe me! How can I tell the president, or GUN, or anyone else
that our world, our lives, our SOULS are in danger if I am alone?"

Shadow took his hand and shook it. "Thank you. I have faith. You defeated the
Black Arms, you chose your own way in life! You have a soul, a good one!"

"Maria... if I could forget her, maybe-"

"NO!" he shouted back. "You think that if you could let that go, you could lead
a normal life, but if you ever forget her, then you will have lost your soul!
Your ability to care about someone binds your soul to the side of good! You're
immortal, and you will watch your friends die... but as long as you remember
them, as long as you CARE... they don't go away!"

The screen on the wall flipped on. "Herb, you're awake! You may want to see
this!" Eggman explained as the screen changed.

"-again, earlier today, a Chaos Emerald was taken from the Westopolis Museum as
a terrorist explosion-"

Herb paced. "A Chaos Emerald... if that was taken by your friend, I will
personally eat my cane. And I can guarantee you that she didn't. An explosion?
No professional thief will blow up a place to steal something! I know, I used
to be a good thief, probably better than bat girl anyway. I can guarantee you
that it was the cult of Cthulhu, as I said."


-------------------------------------------------

"I wish you could see this more often," Rouge said. The small automated
aircraft carried them towards Angel island. "Don't worry, this won't take
long," she explained. "I just have to deliver something and we can leave." The
jet touched down.

"I've never seen something like this," Tom explained.

"This was once the home of the ancient Echidna tribe. Only one resident remains.
Why don't you go look around while I take care of this?" He took off to see the
island.

"Knuckles?" she called out. No answer. She looked around. The Master Emerald
was sitting in its base. "Don't you dare!" he shouted. She sighed.

"I told you I wouldn't take it. Here," she said, holding out the Chaos Emerald.

"It had better not be a fake!"

"I'm giving your damn rock back like I promised! Now take it back you stubborn
fool!" she shouted, quickly becoming irritated.

Knuckles grabbed it. "It's... real. Who's that HUMAN with you? He the one who
was here the other night?"

She gave him a nasty look. "How dare you! How DARE you? He was in the
HOSPITAL! DYING! And you still... he's my boyfriend." He was shocked. "What's
wrong? You had your chance! I flirted with you, I even almost liked you, maybe
I could have even been close to you and ignored that emerald, but... you just
don't get it. You're not any better than I am, obsessing over a jewel! Can you
even love someone? Your tribe almost wiped itself out because you're all
stubborn! And you're the last one, the last of a legacy of idiots! War and
hate seems to be all you male echidnas know!

"It must get to you that I love someone for who he is and not a jewel he had!
That he loves me back! Enough to MAKE love! To be intimate! To be gentle! All
you worry about is your muscles and your task in life! I gave you your stupid
rock back! Is nothing good enough for you? I never want to see you again, and
I never want you to talk that way about Tom or I will-"

He shoved her. Cocking back a fist, a look of fear overtook Rouge. "NO! Don't,
please I-"

The punch never came. Tom had grabbed Knuckles' arm. "You... what's wrong with
you? She sat in the hospital by my side, she cared for me when no one else was
there to be my friend! You DARE lay a hand on her and I will..." He wrung Knuckles
around, tossing him to the dirt.

Knuckles' expression turned from anger to fear. "Rouge? I- I- I'm sorry, I
didn't..." Breathing heavily, he ran off.

"Rouge? ROUGE?" She looked up at Tom. "You okay?"

"Yes, yes I think-" she was breathing hard. Her heart was racing.

He stooped down and embraced her. "It's okay, he's gone." He felt her pulse. "You
sure you're okay?"

She felt his heart rate. "What about you?"

"Yeah, I think he would've kicked my butt, actually. He weighs a lot for his
size! I'm surprised I threw him down," he said.

"He threatened someone you care about. The adrenaline probably-"

He placed a finger to her lips. "Don't think about it. Let's get you home."


-------------------------------------------------

"Eat something, my boy!" Shadow took the bowl of chili. "Finest diner in
Central City, at least after the Black Arms attacked," Herb said.

"It's... acceptable," Shadow commented, taking a bite.

"They took a Chaos Emerald! In the middle of the day, with a bomb, and no regard
to lives lost. That's messed up! That is seriously messed up!" Westwood grabbed
the cracker bowl and filled his chili with them.

"Tell me more about Cthulhu."

"Got a few hours?" Herb joked. "Well, the basic summary, Cthulhu came to earth,
oh, 200 million years ago, give or take a few millennia. 50 million years ago,
he was sealed away by a group called the Elder Gods. Cthulhu was part of a group
known as the Great Old Ones. The Elder gods were good, and the Great Old Ones...
well, good and evil didn't have the same concept then. Cthulhu and his kind are...
what's the best word?"

He snapped his fingers. "AMORAL!" The diner patrons looked at him. "Anyway...
do you think about any ants step on when you run? I don't when I walk." Shadow
shook his head 'no'. "Cthulhu is highly evolved. Humans, to him, are tiny
insects. He doesn't hate us, but he doesn't like us walking around. We're
pests. And we taste good." Shadow widened his eyes.

"That is, Cthulhu doesn't eat us. He eats our souls. Our life force. But 50
million years ago, the Elder Gods sealed Cthulhu away in his city of R'lyeh
under the ocean. But even their seal wasn't meant to last. It seems that a
constellation would appear in the sky one night that would undo the seal and
Cthulhu would rise. Lovecraft recorded one such event in a story he called...
well, the Call of Cthulhu. But the bond hadn't broken long enough for Cthulhu
to remain and he was sealed away again."

"What does this have to do with our world?" Shadow asked.

Herb sighed. "You remember I said something about multi-dimensional? Cthulhu
existed before time lines split. In many worlds which followed a similar path,
Cthulhu, all of them, they have a stronger bond to. Our world, not really. Until
now, when the color from space found its way here. And now a pinprick between
the realities has opened. Cthulhu has always had some minor reach into our world.
Artifacts and evidence remain. And even here, a cult exists."

"What does this cult want with Cthulhu, if he will devour the souls of man?"
Shadow asked.

"The cult is misguided. They believe that the loyal ones will be
spared and allowed to reign alongside him. The truth is, they will be wiped
out regardless. But still... they want the Chaos Emeralds to try and force the
constellation of unbinding. And it may be possible. And with the Chaos Emeralds
in... their... poss... oh NO!" He ran out of the diner. Shadow followed.

"What's wrong?"

"I gave that emerald to your bat friend like you asked! She's in danger, we have
to-" The two found Knuckles sitting on a bench. He seemed worried. "YOU? What's
wrong, my boy?? Herb asked.

"Rouge... I..."

Herb stooped. "ROUGE? What happened?"

"I- I almost punched her. She said something and I... oh god..."

Shadow grabbed him. "YOU WHAT?"

"Shadow, I didn't mean to, I just lost control! I thought the human she was with
was the one who-"

Before Shadow could lash out, the cane thrust between them. "Human?" Herb
asked. "Let him go, Shadow. DO IT!" Shadow released his hold.

"Yes, a human was on my island the other night, I think he was trying to take
the Master Emerald! I chased him off but... Shadow, I'm sorry, I didn't..."

Westwood was worried. "Knuckles, listen to me very carefully. Terrorists
bombed a museum today and stole a Chaos Emerald. That group may have been
trying to take the Master Emerald. As I understand, it can be used to locate
the Chaos Emeralds, right?"

"Thats right," Knuckles replied.

What are you doing here then?" Herb asked.

"I- her friend stopped me and I ran. I was scared of what I was going to do
and-"

"Nevermind that!" Herb shouted. "The Master Emerald, go back you your
island and make sure it's still there! I'll have Ivo collect it, it's not safe
there."

Knuckles shouted, "I'm not giving the Master Emerald to Eggman! That's cra-"

"Dammit boy, these people will KILL YOU if necessary to get it! Neither you or
the emerald are safe there! They bombed a museum to get a Chaos Emerald! Go! We
have to find Rouge and get her emerald back before they target her or worse-"

"Rouge? Oh..." He pulled the Chaos Emerald out. Herb's eyes widened as he
looked to the sky and mouthed a 'thank you'.

"How'd you get this?" Shadow asked.

"She bullied me into giving it to her the other day. She brought it back. I guess
she really does care about that man, to give this back as she promised?" Shadow
didn't respond.

"No matter, get to your island, you don't have time to stand here! GO" Knuckles
scaled the nearest building and glided off when had proper height. Westwood
pulled his phone. "Ivo. IVO!"

"Yes, what is it? Eggman asked.

"Get to the red echidna's island, NOW! He's waiting for you, get the emerald and
take it to your base! And don't steal it! This is the apocalypse here, I don't
have time for your goals right now!"

"Okay, fine, I get it! Eggman out!" he shouted.

"What now?" Shadow asked.

"We get my van and get to my office. I have more things to collect. Ivo has
better computers than I do, I can work best there!"


-------------------------------------------------

Rouge stepped into her apartment. "You're still shaken, aren't you?"

She looked up at him. He was almost two feet taller than she was, and she
reached his midsection when standing. "Yes, a little."

He sat on the couch, taking her hand. He placed the other on her pink chest
plate. "I can still feel your heart through this. You sure you don't need a
doctor?" he asked.

"NO! I'm... fine... really. Knuckles never threatened me like that before."

He pulled her close. "He was one of the men you had a crush on?"

"What? Oh..." she looked away. "Yes."

Tom gently brought her head back up. "It's okay. He must not like me very much.
He's probably jealous."

"I said some things to him, personal things. I told him we made love. I taunted
him when I shouldn't have. It was my fault," she said.

"No, it wasn't. He had no excuse to do that, even if he was jealous," he
replied.

"Thank you. I... I couldn't bear the thought of you having to sit in a hospital
if I was hurt." She brushed the thought away.

He thought about what had happened. "Those gloves he wears, they had spikes? Will
he come HERE and try something? He's kind of a brute if you ask me."

"No, she assured him. "Knuckles isn't that... and if he does, security will
deal with him."

He checked the clock. 6:40. Pulling her onto the couch, he rested her head against
his shoulder. "Get some sleep. I'll be here. Nothing will hurt you. At least,
I'll do my best. I'm not some tough guy but..."

She placed a hand on his chest. "I know." She considered her future with GUN. She
hadn't even told him that she worked for them.


-------------------------------------------------

Shadow hated Westwood's office. It smelled of old books and coffee. The front
office was tidy, if dusty, but the living space was a mess of fast food
wrappers, candy wrappers, and a thick layer of dust. His bed was just the
couch. Most of the space was dedicated to storage of books and artifacts with
little dedicated to a home.

"Why did you stop me?" Shadow asked.

"Stop what?"

"You stopped me from injuring Knuckles," Shadow reminded him.

"Oh... as much as he needs it, I believe that your friend- or whatever you prefer
to call him- may have been influenced already." Shadow forced a slight look of
interest. "Cthulhu reaches out to people in their sleep, through their dreams.
Knuckles displayed an unwarranted outburst of anger. Cthulhu drives men insane,
and his outburst was the first sign."

"So," Shadow said, "he is going insane."

"Maybe not," Herb stated. "If we can get to him in time, train his mind, we can
save him. He's a braggart, a tough guy, and socially awkward. An easy target for
driving nuts.

"I really shouldn't have parked in the garage. Can you drive it out front for
me? I have more things to pack!" Shadow nodded. Westwood tossed him the keys.
Shadow found the van in the underground parking garage. It was the only
vehicle. After all, Westwood was the only one in the entire building. Shadow
got in and turned the key.

Herb loaded the cardboard box with more papers. Shoving smaller books, papers,
and computer sticks in his pockets, he heard the explosion. Running downstairs,
he found the remains of his van. "SHADOW!"

In the wreckage, Shadow sat, unharmed. "Good thing you had that Chaos Emerald!
What happened?"

"I turned the key. The car exploded. That's what happened," Shadow said, almost
disinterested.

"Cars don't explode like that. We've been here..." He checked his watch. "20
minutes. Enough time for someone to sneak in and wire a bomb to the ignition.
They blew up my car. This is... bad and great. They see me as a threat. ME!
They're actually scared! This is good! I means they know-"

Shadow heard something. Without thinking, he ran. He picked up Herb, using
momentum to carry the old man out of the garage as the office exploded. He
stopped when they were a safe distance. Herb shielded his face against the
heat. "MY HOUSE!" he yelled. The entire first floor was gone in an inferno.

"I don't believe this... DAMN! Damn damn damndamndamn!" he was tapping his
cane against the sidewalk. "I survived the Black Arms invasion, and now this!"

"It's not safe here!" Shadow reminded him. Herb hobbled away as fast as he
could. "This is Shadow," he said into his communicator.


-------------------------------------------------

Some time later, firefighters were dealing with the blaze. GUN troops had been
called in to sweep the area. "Blow up my car to kill me, that's business. Blow
up my HOUSE... that's personal."

"You're taking this well," Shadow sighed.

"That's- that's a joke, right? You do have a sense of humor! I can't replace
those books, those artifacts! I can't replace all those songs and television
shows I took from other Earth, not now! We can't involve Rouge, not now, not
ever, you understand me? You stay away from her, or they may hurt, kidnap, or
kill her to intimidate us! As far as they know, you know no one named Rouge
the Bat!"

"I understand," Shadow answered.

Herb said, "but we will need help. Maybe if we can condition Knuckles' mind...
we need Sonic the Hedgehog. You hear me? We must find Sonic!"