Notes: I appreciate all those who enjoyed my previous chapter enough to review. I hope that this chapter entertains you all as well as the previous one.

The morning found Rouge and Shadow making their way through the Mystic Ruins, they had gotten up early and decided to take a less direct approach into Eggman's base. Rouge had found an area of the base that was the most vulnerable area from which to enter; this would hopefully ensure a quick end to their assault. The part of the jungle they were making their way through was rather thick. The several trees and dense undergrowth served to conceal their movements. Soon the jungle gave way to a cliff, one with an excellent view of Eggman's base. It was medium sized, barely concealed within the cliff walls. It was just enough so that an average person would not have been able to easily spot it, but enough so one as seasoned as Rouge was in such matters could easily take into account some of the more subtle signs. Rouge looked down on the base, taking out a pair of high-resolution digital binoculars and began scanning the base to get a secure figure of the amount of defenses they would have to make their way through before reaching Eggman himself. The defenses seemed crude and lacking, even by Eggman's standards. It wouldn't be a problem to get passed them. She lowered the binoculars and looked over at Shadow, smiling.

"Seems Eggman hasn't had enough time to put up all his defenses, shouldn't be a problem for the worlds greatest treasure hunter and the ultimate life-form."

Shadow merely nodded, a serious expression on his face. He had also taken a look at Eggman's base, only he didn't need binoculars. Rouge pointed to an area of the base that not far from their current position.

"That area will be the best place to enter, from there we can proceed inside the main building and get that emerald!"

Rouge spread her wings and motioned to Shadow, who in turn sighed. He generally didn't like to be carried by anyone, he felt it restricted a measure of control he had, but he reluctantly jumped up and took Rouge's hand. As the pair flew over the base to get to their destination Eggman's defenses kicked in and turrets began to come to life, with them as prime targets. Rouge managed to avoid all their fire, though it was more difficult for her to maneuver with Shadow's added weight, even if she had grown more used to it. Shadow wasn't standing idle though, and was entertaining himself by using his Chaos Spear on any unfortunate turret within his sight. Even though Shadow detested Eggman, one had to marvel at his ability to create such things in so short a time span. Shadow and Rouge touched down just outside the central building within the base; a wake of twisted metal left behind them. The base was on full alert now; blaring alarms notified the rest of the compound that unwelcome guests had arrived. Shadow wasted no time once he had dropped from Rouge's hold, Eggman's robots had quickly made an appearance, but Shadow was dispatching them effortlessly and keeping them off Rouge, who had been quick as well. Once Shadow was free she had made her way to a security console next to a large blast door, leading to the inside of the building, and but her spy skills to work hacking into Eggman's security systems to open the door. In no time Shadow stood in the midst of the hulking remains of Eggman's ineffective forces as Rouge concluded her work on the door, causing it to emit a hiss of protest at it worked open.

The inside of the structure was vastly different from the outside of the base, which was adorned with Eggman's traditional colors and decals portraying his face. The walls and floors were all a dull gray, seeming as if he hadn't had time to finish his decorating. But this wasn't the first thing that the pair noticed as they entered the building; it was what seemed to be a complete lack of defenses. Rouge knew, from her previous work with Eggman, that he deployed his defenses long before he ever completed his compounds. Shadow cautiously took the lead as Rouge followed closely behind. The gray halls seemed to stretch indefinitely in what looked to be a downward spiral. Neither Shadow nor Rouge spoke on their decent, both being on alert for any possible surprise attacks that might be intended to catch them with their guard down, but the only sounds heard was deafening silence and the occasional hum of machinery from unseen sources. Their decent came to a sudden halt at a medium sized blast door, but no doubt fairly thick. The door had Eggman's traditional red frame and the trademark symbol of his face stamped across the door's center. Rouge walked over to a panel near the door and got to work.

"This must be the end of the line, Eggman and his emerald must be on the other side of this door."

Shadow nodded, "We should proceed with caution, it's not usual for Eggman to leave any part of his base unprotected. What ever he has behind this door must be big."

Rouge agreed. Eggman must have been very confident about what lay in wait behind the door. Rouge moved from the panel, her work finished, as the doors slide open and revealed what lay beyond. The room behind the door was in a circular shape with a domed ceiling, in the center of the room was Eggman's trademark symbol, and the yellow Chaos Emerald, which resting inside a large metal pillar stretching from the floor and into the ceiling. Eggman was no where in sight. It didn't take a genius to conclude that this was a trap. The pair entered the room, and as expected, the blast door slammed shut behind them. It was obvious that although the good doctor was not physically present in the room, he had been watching them. Shadow looked over to Rouge, she was tense, her body anxious with the suspense of the unknown enemy they were most likely about to face. He, on the other hand, was keeping his cool demeanor, betraying no emotion as to what he may be feeling.

Eggman's voice echoed across the room from an unseen source.

"Welcome! Shadow, Rouge! You aren't quite the visitors I had hoped for, but no matter, you shall be the first to taste the power of my greatest of creations! Not even you Shadow, the so-called 'Ultimate Life-Form,' stands a chance!"

Shadow smirked defiantly, "You really think your cheap toys can defeat me? Once I've crushed your paltry creation, you will have the pleasure of answering a few of my questions."

Eggman's trademark laugh filled the room.

"I know why you're here Shadow, wondering why you were in that capsule aren't you? Why don't you and Rouge join me? It wouldn't be wise to alienate you future emperor."

Rouge laughed at this comment, "I don't think so, I'm still waiting for that payment you owe me from ARK."

Eggman was obviously angered by this, "You double-crossed me bat girl! No matter.if you wont join me then I'll destroy you along with everyone else who gets in my way!"

An audible click sounded as Eggman turned off the unseen intercom, moments later an electric hum was heard. The pillar in the center of the room began to be pulled into the ceiling while the part of the floor adorned with Eggman's symbol began to open up. Rouge gasped, as she knew this would be her last chance if she wanted the emerald. Rouge spread her wings and quickly flew towards the ascending pillar to snatch the emerald.

"Rouge!"

Shadow's protests filled her ears, but she ignored them, she wanted that emerald. Rouge reached the emerald and reached towards it, but when she touched it a searing pain ripped through her body as the harnesses power from the emerald reacted from her touch.

"ROUGE!"

Shadow yelled as he saw her body jerk from the emerald power. The shock dissipated, releasing her from its grasp and gave her limp form to gravity's power. Shadow dashed towards her, catching her before she made contact with the metal floor below.

Rouge's vision was blurred, she had momentarily passed out from the sudden shock, but as her vision returned she saw Shadow over her, a worried look on his face. His ruby eyes were filled with concern, his lips moving, but no sound. As her senses fully recovered she made out his voice.

"Rouge! Say something!"

It was then that she realized she was lying in Shadow's arms.

"Ugh.I'm.I'm ok."

Rouge managed a weak smile as she got back on her legs. The shock hadn't really been to bad; she just hadn't been prepared for it. She looked over at Shadow, who had turned over his attention to the now raised platform once he had been assured that she was ok, and couldn't help but smile at his concern for her. Rouge then looked over at the platform. It had five capsules on it, each one similar to the ones that the Shadow clones were found in on Eggman's airship during the whole Metal Sonic incident. Eggman's voice came over an unknown intercom as the capsules began to activate a hiss escape each one and surrounding it in a fine white mist.

"Witness you executioners! What a fitting end for the two of you to be killed by both your friends and yourselves! Hahahahaha!" Both Shadow and Rouge looked on as the white mist cleared, and both were shocked at what it revealed. The mist had fallen away, allowing them to come face to face - with themselves. Beside their duplicates were identical copies of Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails.

"Wh-what is this?"

Rouge's voice was visibly shaken at the picture before her. Eggman's booming voice came from the speakers, now seeming to be everywhere at once.

"They, my dear friends, are you cybernetically enhanced clones! Not only do they match you all in your abilities, speed, strength, and thought patterns, but they exceed them as well! Through my implants they have a special muscle enhancing net surrounding their muscular system, effectively making them stronger than you are! Not only that, but the other implants within them allow them to communicate non-verbally and give their complete allegiance to me!"

Once more Eggman's insane laughter filled the room; it was enough to make one sick. A click was heard signifying the end of Eggman's gloating. This also seemed to signal the genetic copies, as they began to advance forward with looks of shear hatred on their faces. Shadow summed up his foes, the five of them against just him and Rouge. Shadow knew he probably could have taken them if it had not been for the clone of himself and Sonic. Knowing their only chance would be to escape and tell the others what was happening, then come back with a full force to neutralize this threat. He was about to make his move when he heard the icy, hate filled voice of his copy speak up.

"I know what you're thinking, that pillar you saw earlier uses the Chaos Emerald to encase this room in a Chaos resistance energy shield. Chaos Control is useless."

With the end of those words his clone attacked him, Shadow blocked the blow, but was met by another assault at his side. Shadow managed to ready himself and avoid the blows full effects, just as Knuckles came in with a furry of punches. Shadow found himself on a constant defensive as the combined assault wore at him. Though considering the odds, he was doing admirably, but it wouldn't be long before he wouldn't be able to continue at the current pace. Shadow knew he had to do something, and do it fast if both he and Rouge wanted to get out alive. Knuckles and Sonic came in for another attack, but he managed to block Knuckles punch, using the momentum to flip over him, and thus avoiding Sonic's spindash. But in doing that he had left himself open to an attack by his copy who delivered a powerful blow to his back and sent him flying towards Knuckles, who quickly uppercut him. The blow caused Shadow to be sent spiraling upwards, where he saw Sonic closing in with a spindash. Shadow barely managed to put up what defense he could before Sonic made contact. He had managed to block the force of the blow, but not Sonic's quills, which dug into his flesh. Shadow winced as he felt his arms being violently ripped open; blood spilling forth from the fresh wounds. Shadow dropped to the ground, grabbing one of his arms and soaking his white glove crimson. Taking a chance, Shadow looked over to see how Rouge was faring. She had been having her own troubles. While the clones of Shadow, Sonic, and Knuckles had been busy engaging the real Shadow, Rouge had been fighting her own copy and one of Tails. Not only was her synthetic meeting her blow for blow, but the clone of Tails proved to be much more vicious than Rouge had ever thought the fox could be. At the beginning of the fight Rouge had been on the offensive, trying to quickly defeat her assailants so she could aid Shadow, who was being worn down by all the injuries he was taking. Rouge was now on the defensive, she knew she might be trapped, but she wouldn't go down easily!

Shadow hit the wall behind him hard, making a loud thud as his body impacted with the wall and left a bloody imprint. The combined assaults from his assailants had caused him to sustain a lot of damage, the quills from his double and Sonic doing a lot of damage since they always seemed to target him when he had his hands occupied. Shadow began to feel dizzy, but quickly recovered and took a quick look around the room hoping to spot some chance of escape. The room was completely secured.with the exception of the pillar that contained the yellow Chaos Emerald. Rouge had apparently stopped its ascent, as a small portion of it was still sticking out form the ceiling. This was their one and only chance. Shadow propelled himself from the wall and ran towards Rouge, grabbing her and flinging her over his shoulder.

"Rouge, I have an idea, hang on!"

Gathering what energy he had left, Shadow sent a powerful Chaos Spear into the pillar, making a hole where the pillar went up to the surface. Shadow blasted full speed up the domed walls and into the cylindrical tube where the pillar used to be, grabbing the yellow emerald as it fell towards the floor, and ran towards the surface with the copies in hot pursuit. Upon reaching the surface, Shadow yelled out the words that would deliver them to safety.

"Chaos Control!"

A blinding flash enveloped Shadow and Rouge, warping the pair away from Eggman's base and to a safer location, and leaving the clones without targets.

Tails was outside his workshop working on some new additions to his beloved place, the Tornado II, when a bright flash of light stopped him from his work. On regaining his vision he saw Rouge over an unconscious and bloodied Shadow.

"Shadow? Shadow!"

Rouge's voice was panicked. Shadow was bleeding pretty badly, cuts and bruises all over his body from the forceful assault he had just endured. Rouge looked around and noticed Tails.

"Just don't stand there! Do something!"

This broke Tails from his shock at seeing the bat and bloodied hedgehog just appear from no where. Tails proceeded to help Rouge take Shadow to a bed in his workshop until he could get some adequate supplies to properly tend to the black hedgehog.

"Hang on a sec, I'll go get Sonic and some medical supplies."

Tails ran out of the room leaving worried Rouge behind. Shadow was not in good shape, the white bed sheet were already turning crimson from his rapid loss of blood. Rouge was felt that he might die, such severe injuries were fatal to normal people. Rouge new that Shadow had a much better healing ability than the normal person, but her logical mind and her feelings were not coordinating at the moment. Tails returned a second later with Sonic behind him carrying medical supplies. Sonic set down the medical supplies near Shadow's resting place on the bed as Tails began to clean the wounds.

"Rouge, go with Sonic and tell him what happened, I'm going to need some privacy to work."

Rouge wanted to protest, but before she could Sonic placed his hand on her shoulder. Rouge knew there wasn't much she could do to help, so she reluctantly followed Sonic into the living room area of Tails' workshop. Sonic and Rouge sat across from each other, neither one really saying much for a few moments. Sonic knew Rouge probably felt something for Shadow, so he didn't know what to say to help her bear his condition better. After a moment Rouge broke the uncomfortable silence and began to tell Sonic of the events that had transpired.

"Eggman has a base in the northern part of the Mystic Ruins, where it meets with the Canyons. Me and Shadow went to there to get a Chaos Emerald he stole a few days ago and to question him about what he was doing and why Shadow was in that capsule I found him in. But when we got to the emerald he used this new force.these clones of us. He said they all not only had all our abilities and memories, but surpassed us in ever way. Eggman also said he had some kind of device on them that allowed them to communicate telepathically or something, as well as making them completely loyal to him."

Sonic was clearly agitated by this.

"Clones? Of all of us? You mean robot clones right?"

Sonic learned about the biological clones that Eggman had made of Shadow, but he knew that robotic ones had existed as well. But Rouge shook her head at his latest question.

"No.real organic ones. They have all our strengths and weaknesses, and know all our moves and abilities."

Neither Sonic nor Rouge spoke for the rest of the day, and it wasn't until nightfall that Tails emerged from the room in which he was treating Shadow. When Tails came out to them he gave them the news on Shadow's condition.

"Shadow will be fine. I cleaned his wounds and stanched the bleeding, but he was already began to show signs of recovery. If all goes well he might even be back to normal in a couple of days."

Rouge felt a wave of relief wash over her. Tails, who had been holding the Chaos Emerald Shadow had taken with him, left Rouge and Sonic to go wash up and place the emerald in a more secure area. On his return Tails got Sonic to follow and notify him on why Shadow was in his condition, as the two left Sonic told Rouge one last thing.

"Rouge, I'm going off to help Tails with some stuff, if you want to sleep we have a spare bed in the basement."

Rouge nodded and waited for the pair to leave before moving. Once they were gone she got up and went into the room Shadow was being kept in. He looked a lot better than he had when they arrived. The bed sheet had been exchanged for a clean one, the original one soaked crimson, was placed in another part of the room with the rest of the bloodied objects Tails had used to help Shadow. Rouge was rather impressed really, the fox knew a lot more about medical practices than she thought. Shadows wounds had all been bandaged in a professional manner, protecting them from any foreign objects that could cause the wounds infection. Rouge sat in the chair next to the bed Shadow was laid on and thought for a moment. To think that he would be ok.and so soon. Rouge's thought soon began to overwhelm her, causing her to fall into a deep slumber still in the chair. The following day would bring a host of new challenges for all of them to face.

End Notes: I enjoyed writing this chapter, it worked out better than I had hoped. Once more I will try to post the next chapter as soon as I am done with it, and plz remember to review! =)