The Mask

GUN was very busy today, due to a recent Chaos Emerald discovery on Angel Island. There top agents, Shadow and Rouge were sent along with the orders to find and retrieve it. The area where it was detected was on ancient Mobian burial grounds, an unknown area.

As soon as they were dispatched Shadow and Rouge hopped onto a helicopter.

"Wow, I can't believe they found another Chaos Emerald." Rouge said, looking out the windows at the greenery below. "Didnt Sonic find one just a week ago?"

Shadow grunted in agreement. His link with the emerald was growing stronger, and he couldn't wait to touch it. Rouge noted this with a wistful eye.

'He thinks he's gonna touch it first does he?' She thought slyly. 'I think it's time for my plan.'

"Hey Shadow! Let's have a little friendly competition shall we?" Shadow looked up at her. "Sure." "First one to find the Chaos Emerald gets any material item of the other of their choice." Shadow raised an eyebrow at this. "You take your cake and eat it."

When they reached the discovery sight Shadow instantly jumped out of the aircraft and ran off into some nearby shrubbery. Rouge grumbled and set off in the opposite direction, maybe that idiot echidna could help her find the gem.

Shadow dashed through the dense bushes of the tropical, floating island trying to get a stronger connection with the emerald. 'This is proving rather easy.' He thought to himself, smirking. 'Anything I want from that batgirl...' Shadow pondered this for a moment, stopping his skates to pause in thought. "Unlimited ramen for a week." He said after a few minutes. With that Shadow dashed off into the distance

Rouge glided gracefully of the emerald alter, landing neatly next to a snoozing echidna. As soon as he heard the smooth tap as Rouge's metal toed boots he snapped awake and punched the closest thing near him, which unfortunately for him, was his precious Master Emerald.

"Aw shit!" he exclaimed staring at the shattered emerald. He then glared up at the smiling Rouge and frowned. "Why are you here? You better not be trying to steal my emerald!"

"Emeralds." She said correcting him. "Shut up!" Knuckles screamed.

"I'm looking for a little help, in the form of an emerald." Rouge said. "Shadow and I are having a little completion you see, and I thought I could ask you." Knuckles took a deep breath. "What's in it for me?" Rouge smirked at this and ran her index finger down his red chest, then put her finger near her mouth, imitating Cream begging for a lolly. Knuckles blushed at this, and slowly nodded, smiling guiltily.

"There's a good boy." She said.

Shadow walked into a dark cave, somehow happy that he was winning. Rouge was gonna regret the day she challenged the ultimate lifeform! Now his ramen was only a few steps away! Shadow stopped for a moment and fantasised about swimming around in a huge bowl of ramen, occasionally stopping to take a big gulp or slurp up a noodle. Shadow then remembered that he couldn't swim. Not in ramen anyway.

A growl from the back of the cave snapped Shadow from his train of thought and readied him into his battle position. An earth fox charged at him, it mouth frothing and is teeth bared. 'Eww... I can't let that bite me.' He thought pulling back his fist in a preparation to punch it in the face. Shadow took a dash at the fox and thrust his fist at the creature's nose. Its dark, cold eyes stared up at him, as Shadow matched the glare. The foxes nose, jaw and teeth connected with Shadow's fist, leaving a long, deep scratch up his arm.

Shadow kicked the half dead fox into the corner and raised his jet shoe at the weakened animal. Blood splattered the walls as it howled in agony and died.

Rouge and Knuckles looked around in shock as they heard the foxes howl pierce the forests humid air.

"What the hell was that?" Knuckles asked Rouge worriedly.

"Let's find out." She replied running into the direction of the howl.

Shadow sank against the cold cave wall, removing his gloves and now slightly damaged, and blood stained shoes to inspect the gash. They really actually hurt. Shadow never really felt pain this bad, except for when he occasionally fought with Sonic. But this was very dangerous, because unlike Sonic, as far as Shadow knew, the fox had rabies. Rabies killed people.

'Fuck the competition' he thought tearing up his socks and gloves to make makeshift bandages. A dusty wooden item caught his eye, and he picked it up with his good arm. It was a dull orange mask, which had a narrow face and two long pointed ears. It had long red stripes coming down from its eyes and ending at the bottom of the mask. Shadow turned it over and inspected the inside. The Chaos Emerald was lodged in its pointed eye socket.

"Great. How am I gonna get that out with only one good hand?" He said to himself, pouting.

Suddenly a strange feeling ran up his back, and up to his mouth. "Shit!" he yelled tossing the mask in front of him, and crouching onto all fours. He felt his lunch rising up from his stomach. He began hacking like a cat, spewing vomit on the ground in front of him, gasping for breath.

"Damn that bloody fox!" He choked vomit dripping from his mouth, staining his hands with a terrible smell. The feeling still stayed and his lunch soon became blood, splattering all over the cold cave floor.

'I need help.' He thought shuddering his vision blurring and his limbs going numb. 'I'm gonna pass out.'

Rouge stopped running, panting for breath, and trying to remember which way the howl had come from.

Knuckles looked at her. "Are you okay?"

"I lost it." Rouge said.

"ROUGE!" screamed a voice. "ROUGE!"

"That way!" Rouge said running through the shrubbery.

Shadow throat was hoarse from his cries for help, and his eyes were barely keeping open.

"Were the hells are you...Rouge..." Shadow managed to mutter before sinking into unconsciousness, landing face first into the fox mask.

There's the first chapter done. What do you guys think? PLEASE REVIEW!