Shadows POV

I was awoken from my dreamless sleep by someone calling my name. I groggily open my eyes and look up only to be met with big ocean blue eyes. I stare for a moment so my mind can comprehend what was happening. I then remember yesterday with the check up and Maria letting me stay in her room for the night. Right now she was probably waking me up so we can go get some food or something. I sigh and close my eyes as I bring my hand up to cover them. I hear Maria giggle at my actions.

"Morning sleepyhead," she said softly as to not aggravate my sensitive ears or make me grumpy.

"Hi," I simply replied.

"You hungry? We should go down to the kitchen so we can get our breakfast," Maria said.

"Alright... Just let me sleep for a little longer... maybe a few minutes... or hours... ya that sounds great..." I say as I turn over on my stomach and hide my face into my pillow still wanting to be in the soft, warm blanket of my bed.

I hear an aggravated sigh and feel Maria get off my bed. I sigh contently and purr of happiness of getting what I want... until I feel the covers being ripped off my bed and the cold air going through my pj's and hitting my skin instantly making me cold. I groan out of annoyance and turn my head enough to see Maria looking at me with one hand on her hip and the other holding my blanket, and a mocking smile plastered on her face.

"You were already asleep for nearly two years, I don't think you can start to sleep in just yet Shads," Maria said in an almost matter-of-fact way.

She raised her nose into the air and I gave another groan before fully turning over and sitting up. I give her an annoyed look. Her smile widens and she drops my blanket on the floor as she goes over to her dresser to get herself some cloths for the day. I roll my eyes and get off the bed going to my own dresser to get cloths for the day.

Maria and I finish getting dressed and started to head to the kitchen for breakfast. Once we reach the kitchen, I waited outside the door while Maria went in to get the food. She came out holding a tray that had two plates with three pancakes on them. On the corner of the tray was a dispenser of syrup with a few mini butter containers and silverware. I asked Maria if she wanted me to carry it for her and she put it in my hands, thanking me for helping her out. I then followed Maria back to our room to eat.

Once we finished eating, I started to pick everything up to take back to the kitchen but Maria stopped me and said to just leave it outside the door. I nodded a bit confused but did it without question. She then started to lead me somewhere.

"Maria, where are we going?" I asked.

"Grandpa told me to bring you to the arena room for a bit more testing," Maria answered.

I sighed and just followed Maria to the 'arena room' for more testing...

'I was hoping to spend the day with Maria... but I guess not...'

Shadows POV

When we got to the arena room, Maria said that only I could go in and that she'd meet up with me after I was done. I softly yet sadly smiled and she returned it with a much happier one to help cheer me up. I give a sigh, turned around, and walked into the room. There are four scientists waiting for me, all standing there with clipboards in there hands.

"Project Shadow, we were beginning to think you wouldn't come," one of them said. A female with brown hair, brown eyes, and black-rimed glasses. She also had the same type of outfit that Professor Gerald had with the white coat, black pants and shoes.

I just gave a huff and crossed my arms making it obvious that I didn't want to be there.

"You will begin by going through the obstacle course. You'll need to put your shoes over on the desk, then you can begin," she said pointing behind me.

'Why can't I wear my shoes?' I thought before walking over to the desk and taking my shoes off.

Once I put my shoes on the desk, I walked over to the starting line of the track and got ready to run. I looked ahead to see what I was up against and saw that here were many different obstacles. Ones that I had to jump through, some to go over, and some to go under, there were even some that I'd have to go around.

One of the other scientists said that I can start whenever, so I took off. I jumped over, went under, got through, and dodged all the walls, beams, and holes that were in my path. When I got to the finish line it had seemed that I only started a few seconds ago.

"Three minutes," one of the scientists said when I stopped.

They all then wrote something down on their clipboards as I had a look of slight confusion on my face. I looked around at the track I just ran.

'Three minutes? How did I do all that in three minutes?' I thought. 'And if I remember correctly, my shoes are mechanical... that would be why they didn't want me to wear them. If I had gotten that track done in three minutes... how fast can I go with my shoes?'

"Okay... now that you are done with the track, let's try the maze," the same female scientist from before said as she pressed a few buttons on a control panel that was on the wall.

The track then went down into the floor and more metal walls formed. The walls looked to be one or two feet thick and went all the way to the ceiling. I look at the new course in front of me. It seemed like it would take me a lot more than three minutes to do this one...

One of the scientists gave me my shoes as another said, "This is the maze you will be testing in. We will be waiting to see how long it will take you to get through this." As she spoke the man that gave me my shoes started to press some buttons and I could feel something happen to the bottom of my shoes. "You will be able to now use your hover skates to get through this maze. You may start whenever but before you go you should know tha-" I didn't even let her finish her sentence as I took off on my 'hover skates' wanting to get this done and over with.

I look down at my shoes to see how I was hovering and saw that there was fire coming out the bottom of my shoes. I smirked and looked in time to see I was about to hit a wall so I turned to the left and kept zig zagging and making sharp turns.

I start to think that I'm never going to get out and that I'm stuck in here and how I wasn't going to see Maria anytime soon... A saddened look then crept onto my face as I thought more about it...

I was then taken away from my thoughts as a blade almost cuts my head off. With my quick reflexes, I duck under the blade and move to the side as another blade comes down to chop me in half. I lean against the wall and look to my right at where the blades were. I then look to my left to see more traps and wait... is that... fire I see?

"Are to trying to kill me?!" I yelled out hoping that this wasn't real.

They wanted me to go through this maze, dodge all these traps that could kill me, and make it out alive let alone without any major injuries!? They were insane! No. Scratch that. They are insane.

I sigh and rub my face. This better be worth it... or else someone is going to get hurt. I push myself off the wall and start to go through this maze... this time making sure I don't loose any body parts...

---Time Skip---

I have been walking through this maze for what, hours? I've been turning corners and have been dodging traps almost every five minutes...I just want out now... I don't know what to do...

I want Maria... I want to see her smiling face... And to see her big blue eyes that are almost never sad. I wish she were here right now... Or at least if I can see or hear her for even a second. That would get me motivated to get through this...

I stop in my tracks and look around. Nothing but metal walls and the faint sound of more traps up ahead. I sigh and lean against the wall.

I'm so tired... Maybe a little nap will help me... Yeah that sounds good, I'll do that. I slide down the wall till I hit the floor and start to close my eyes for a nap.

Just a little nap will do... I'm not going to sleep that long...