A.N. Hello again!  This story's going really well.  I haven't had any reviews since I put this one out, so maybe my expectations are just too low, but thanks to anyone who's reading this now (and then reviewing!).  Anyway, on with the story.

            "Can't this thing go any faster?" complained Knuckles.

            "My God, you're just like Sonic!" shouted Rouge, annoyed.

            "Well, I think he's got a good point.  This thing is so damn slow!"

            Just at that moment, a small, gray creature appeared in front of them.  As they neared it, they saw that it looked exactly like Knuckles, except for the fact that it was gray.  The creature jumped toward them and smashed its fist into the car, destroying it and sending the travelers flying.

            "Shit!" cursed Knuckles, pushing himself up from the ground.  He looked around as the gray creature slowly walked toward him.

            "Who the hell are you?" demanded Knuckles.  The creature paused and stopped for a second.

            "My name is Shade the Echidna (okay, okay, so it's a lot like Shadow; I couldn't think of a better name!)," said the creature.  "I was created by the researchers in the military research facility along with Shadow the Hedgehog.  My purpose is to track down Knuckles the Echidna and eliminate him.  Which means you," Shade added, running forward.  Knuckles bent down into a fighting stance and ran up as well.  They met each other in the middle and attacked.  Knuckles threw his fist out, only to be hit in the stomach by Shade's fist.  He doubled up in pain and was uppercutted about twenty feet away.

            "KNUCKLES!!!" screamed Rouge, running over to her boyfriend.  Knuckles looked up slowly and glared at Shade, who was now walking slowly toward him again.

            "This is the guardian of the Master Emerald?" asked Shade in surprise.  "I would have expected a greater challenge than this.  How has the Master Emerald stayed safe after all these years with a pathetic fighter like you 'protecting' it?"

            "That's it!" shouted Knuckles.  He jumped toward the gray echidna and landed a punch right in his face.  Shade was sent flying back.  Knuckles ran up and pounded his face into the ground.  Then Shade responded with a right hook into Knuckles jaw.  Knuckles was sent flying off of him and rolled away.  Shade stood up.

            "I cannot be defeated by a pathetic creature such as yourself," growled Shade.  He held his arms out perpendicular to his body.  A bright light began to pulse within them, and he closed his eyes.  He slowly brought his hands in front of him, fists touching each other.  Then he opened his eyes, shouted, "Shade Flash!" and a huge blast of bright white light shot forward from him toward Knuckles.  The guardian of the Master Emerald was unable to move as the attack flew forward.

            "NO!!!!" shrieked Rouge, watching Knuckles get blasted by the attack.  Then she turned to Shade, who was panting heavily from his attack.  She ran quickly toward him and jumped.  She extended her leg at the last moment and kicked him in the face.  He flew backwards, bounced once, and lay, unmoving.  Then Rouge flew over to Knuckles and landed next to him.

            "Knuckles, wake up!" she shouted.  "Knuckles!"

            "Ow!" said Tails, pulling himself out from under a heavy part of the destroyed car.

            "What happened to you?" demanded Rouge, picking up the unconscious Knuckles.

            "I got hit in the head by this thing," replied Tails irritably.  Then his eyes grew wide as he saw Knuckles.  "Who got him?"

            "That guy," said Rouge, nodding toward Shade.  Tails walked slowly to him uncertainly.  Shade grinned as he heard the fox coming toward him.  As Tails stepped over him, Shade opened his eyes and grabbed the fox.  Then he punched him as hard as he could in the face.  Tails fell to the ground.  Shade then turned to Rouge, who was already disappearing into the distance with Knuckles.

            "Good.  Competition," muttered Shade, running off after them.

* * * * *

            Shadow burst into the hospital's door.

            "Get a doctor fast!" he yelled.  Everyone looked up.  "Now!"

            "Who are you?" asked the nurse at the front desk.  Shadow ran up and glared into her eyes.

            "I thought I told you to get a doctor right now before Sonic dies!!!" he barked.  The terrified nurse nodded and pressed a button.  Soon, two men dressed in white ran in with a stretcher.  The lifted Sonic gently onto the stretcher and ran out.  Shadow followed them, although he thought that they were going very slow.

* * * * *

            "Is he going to be okay?" demanded Shadow, grabbing the first doctor that exited the ER.

            "Er…could you please let me go?" asked the doctor.  Shadow released his grip from the doctor and allowed him to speak.  "Thank you.  Yes, Sonic is going to live, although he may be in a coma for a week or two.  There is a 85% chance of survival, so I would be quite shocked if he didn't make it."

            "Thanks, doc."  Shadow left the building slowly, then turned down the road and faced the desert.

            "Rouge, Tails, and Knuckles are still out there," he said aloud to himself.  He grimaced and ran back to the desert.

* * * * *

            "What???!!!" shouted Eggman, jumping up.  "What the hell to you mean, there's another creature in the military's base?  I went in there and the only thing there was Shadow!"

            "That's because we had already gotten Shade out of there," replied Robotnik.

            "B-but, was he created by our grandfather also?"

            "I believe so.  He said he tried to attack Shadow and Maria numerous times, which is why he was locked away in the back of the ARK."

            "But our grandfather didn't mention him at all in his diary.  He only spoke of Shadow."

            "Apparently he was extremely hostile toward his counterpart.  He seemed very jealous of Shadow in every way.  So the doctor felt the need to isolate him.  He ordered a few of his men to keep a watch on Shade and feed him, and then forgot all about his creation.  Maybe if he hadn't lost his mind, he could have helped the poor creature."

            "Wow.  And so this Shade…you sent him out after Knuckles?"

            "Yes.  He has been sent to capture Knuckles and kill anyone with him."

            Eggman smiled evilly.  "Perfect."

* * * * *

            "Get away from me!" screamed Rouge.  Shade didn't respond to her pleas.  Instead, he continued to run after her.  Suddenly, he jumped into the air and landed hard on Rouge.  The bat fell to the ground, dropping the unconscious Knuckles.

            "You want to stop me?" asked Shade, standing on Rouge's stomach.  "Then get up and make me stop!"

            "I…can't…breathe…" gasped Rouge.  Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she lay there limply.  Shade stepped off of her and picked up Knuckles.

            "Ready to go back, guardian?" he said mockingly to Knuckles.  The echidna didn't respond.  "Good."  As Shade was turning to leave, however, he saw a blur of black in the distance.  His eyes widened with surprise as he recognized the approaching creature.

            "Shadow…" he hissed.

Uh oh!  Shade saw Shadow!  What'll happen next time?  To be honest, I'm not sure yet, since I didn't write it yet.  Thanks again.  Now go review!!