"Hey, Shadow?" Rouge calls over the wind, flying alongside Omega, though a bit above; I flick my gaze over to her, though I don't turn my head. She's looking at me as she glides, letting the air current carry her, wind whipping her hair all about. A slightly worried look is painted across her face, but I find it difficult to feel a similar concern right now. "You, uh, you've been really quiet for a long while. Is everything okay?"

I twist my neck, staring at her hard for a full minute. I can hear her thoughts, clear as day, much louder than anyone else's, as she thinks, 'What's wrong with him? I mean, he is usually really introverted and quiet and stuff, but this is totally different. It's like... An angry silence. But I can't imagine what he could be mad about.' My eyes narrow in irritation and I shift my attention back to the horizon ahead of us. "Peachy." I answer flatly, and she bites her lip, frustration bleeding off her. Can't imagine what I'd be mad about, huh? My brow twitches and I close my eyes, a cold half-smirk, half-grimace expression warping my face. Oh, really? No clue? Snorting, I shake my head, letting the wind run its ethereal hands through my fur. Idiot.

"We are approaching our target." Omega informs us in a monotone rumble, and I open my eyes again to survey our surroundings. Below us, city rooftops streak past, all in varying shapes and sizes and shades of grey. The cities always look so dead during the day, I muse silently, leaning over a bit to look down past Omega. The only color down there right now comes from the cars and the few trees they've planted, but those have all lost their leaves, save for the pines. "Target in 1,000 kilometers." My robotic friend continues as we pass the edge of the city. Sitting up again, I stare forward, puzzled.

"I don't see anything," I answer, looking all around.

"This facility is... A bit odd." Rouge replies. "The entrance we're going to use is an underground tunnel, part of an old mining facility actually."

"Mining facility?" My blood runs cold. Crap. Old mine shafts? A shiver runs up my spine as images of dark, spooky old tunnels filled with spiders and snakes flash through my mind. Of all the places...

"Yep. Way back when coal was still a fuel, Robotnik's grandfather began trying to create robots, so this old facility is technically still Robotnik's." Omega begins his descent as Rouge explains this to me. "He doesn't use it for mining anymore, but it's still connected to his facility, and he apparently maintains its many paths for use as escape routes." I nod silently, processing the information for a moment. So maybe there won't be any spiders or snakes. Guess that's a plus.

"I will have to take a separate path from you two," the droning robot interjects as he begins to slow for landing; beneath us, I see an odd lump rising from the ground, covered in gleaming white snow like the rest of the ground. "The fastest path to the facility is not capable of supporting my weight."

"That's fine," my azure-eyed partner replies, "I've got a copy of G.U.N.'s map; though it's not exactly complete, it'll still give us enough information to get in and out easily." The bulky robot lands on the snow-coated ground, crushing it beneath his bulk. It's quite deep snow, I realize in surprise as I hop down off the machination's back. The white layer rises to my knees, and it's bitterly cold. I shiver involuntarily, pulling my hands into my sweater. Brr, this stuff may be pretty but damn, is it bitter cold! Ahead of us yawns a large cave with a pitch-black entrance, and I gulp. "By the way," Rouge puts a hand on my shoulder, startling me slightly, "this is a stealth mission, so we're gonna keep the noise to a minimum, alright?" She glances at Omega in particular.

"Affirmative." He answers, striding forward. Rouge and I follow suit, me with my hands jammed in my pockets and my head lowered, Rouge with her arms wrapped around her chest. The three of us make our way inside, each glancing about to make sure we weren't walking into a trap. Inside the cavern, there's a narrow path, and I blanch, hesitating. I don't like the looks of that. Omega goes first, since there's only room for us to go one at a time. Rouge follows after him, leaving me at the back, unfortunately; I swallow my nervousness and rather cautiously skitter after my batty partner, throwing fearful looks over my shoulder. This oppressive darkness seems to be swallowing us whole, and I'm ever-so-thankful for my sharp eyesight. Any normal hedgehog would be blind in this situation, and I'd hate to be normal right now. Scuttling along, I keep my arms close to me, shoulders up by my chin, ears pressed to my skull. Was that a spider? My eyes dart to and fro. Did I just hear a rattlesnake? Maybe we should turn around, find a different way in... I bite my lip, sweating bullets nervously. But I can't say anything or I'll seem lame. Sighing silently, I try to relax, but it doesn't work; I'm practically shivering with trepidation.

To my surprise, Rouge stops suddenly, and I have to stumble back a bit to avoid colliding with her. "Hey, Omega, what's the holdup?"

"There is an elevator," he answers, scooting aside a bit, "I cannot proceed." Rouge leans around him, and I around her. He's right--directly in front of us sits a rusty metal cage of sorts, the type of thing you'd see in a horror movie. I swallow roughly, grimacing.

"Guess you'll have to find another way in, Omega," my batty partner shrugs. "You gotta copy of the map, right?"

"Affirmative." Omega replies, swiveling his head to look down at her. Rouge nods and smiles, fiddling with a watch-like device on her wrist.

"Please don't tell me that's our only way in..." I groan under my breath.

"Fine then, we won't tell you!" Rouge chirps, easing past Omega and opening the doors. "Now come on!" She peers over her shoulder, leering at me. "Unless you're too scared, that is... " Anger flashes through me.

"No way!" I snarl, shoving past the bulky robot too, hopping into the elevator before I even comprehend what I'm doing. "I-I'm not scared." I snort, crossing my arms; the door clangs shut behind me loudly, and I whirl around as the elevator starts its shaking descent. "Hey, wait!" I yelp, realization flashing through me. I fling myself at the metal grate, wrapping my claws through it. "Oh no..." I was so distracted by my own ruffled pride, I didn't realize I stepped into the creepy elevator!

"What was that you said about not being scared, earlier?" The snowy bat smirks, leaning against the opposite wall with her arms crossed.

I deflate, letting go of the bars, and shoot her a glare. "...I don't like cramped spaces," I confess quietly, and sympathy bleeds into her. These bars are too much like a cage, I think with a shudder, choking on the nausea brewing in the pit of my stomach. Oh, God, no, shut up, stop thinking, I scream at myself, closing my eyes tightly, one hand pinching my browbone. I hope this ride won't take too long! Queasy, I turn away from the wall, staring down at my shoes.

"This mission's gonna be hell for you, then." She answers, sighing. I bite my lip, blinking several times. Just stay calm. Stay calm. Don't think about it... Don't think about how this is a metal box slowly descending underground where no one may ever hear from you again... I shiver, pressing my back to the wall. The minute I see some huge-ass spider, I'm outta here...

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

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" I query, glowering distastefully at the boring rock walls. Irritation flares as my white-furred companion sighs, shoulders dropping.

"For the millionth time, Shadow, yes, we're going the right way." She snaps, not even bothering to look over at me. "Honestly, I know you're trying to be helpful, but there's nothing for us to do right now other than keep walking straight ahead." Her tone softens as she continues, and I glance down at the ground, feeling a bit poorly about annoying her so much.

"...Sorry," I mumble, shuffling along behind her, hands jammed deep in my pockets. A growing sense of unease has been brewing in my head, pressing against the backs of my teeth. I just want to scream, to run out of here; the heavy oppressive blackness, the rocks slowly closing in on me, this looming terror of being swallowed up and forgotten in this pitch-black nothingness, are all eating me away, and I don't know how long I can keep a breakdown at bay. As it is, my hands are clenched in fists, claws digging into my palms, muscles so tight they're shaking. My feet keep bumping into each other as I unconsciously shrink down, trying to compress myself into a smaller hedgehog; fervent glances to the left and the right keep me a bit closer to sanity, and I stick very near to Rouge. Brows furrowed in what I hope is a stoic expression, but probably looks more worried than I'd like, I plod along silently for a while, eyeing the corridor. An eerie feeling settles over me, and I feel those disgustingly familiar claws wrap around my shoulder. I stifle a gasp, hot breath stirring my ears; twisting my head ever-so-slightly, I gaze into the duotone eyes of the demon as it purrs softly to only me:

"Don't be scared." It whispers, tracing its arms around my head, and I squeeze my eyes shut. It isn't there, I tell myself vehemently, and if I don't look, it'll go away! Pulling my hood up over my head, I bury my face in my chest fluff, gritting my teeth together. "Oh come now," it shoves its muzzle into the crook of my neck, draping its body across mine. I feel its legs wrapped about my torso, arms folded over my chest, and its weight almost crushes me. "You can't honestly think that's true, can you? Besides," it curls tighter, and yet I don't feel it on my body--it almost feels like it's...wrapped around my soul...? "I'm here to help you." The limbs around me tighten, and I stumble, almost choking somehow. "Let me comfort you..." A twisted smile warps its face as it brushes its claws across my cheeks, and I shiver.

You're not comforting at all! I say to it internally, and it pouts, dragging the purple talons down my face, drawing deep crimson blood. I flinch, wiping it away hurriedly; as always, my wounds heal as fast as they appear.

"Don't be surly," it scolds playfully, pinching my nose painfully. I stifle a yelp, my eyes flying over to Rouge; she's walking straight forward, eyes focused on the route we're taking. "I'm just trying to help. You know, if you were a little stronger..." It snakes one finger into my mouth, tugging my lip to one side to reveal my teeth, "...you wouldn't be so scared." I shake it off, slapping its hand away.

Get off me, dammit! You're not making me feel any better! I snarl, losing my patience.

"Hmph," it snorts, offended, and slowly it slithers off of me. "Fine...But if I were you, I'd be nicer." Suddenly, it plants its hand right on my face, shoving me backwards; as I fall, it snarls, "After all, I could make your life hell, if I wanted to!" I slam into the ground, air whooshing out of my lungs in a cry of pain.

"Shadow?" Rouge turns to look at me, gasping in surprise. "Oh!" She quickly bends over, grabbing me a bit roughly. "Okay, it's clear this is too much for you."

"Huh?" I yip as she rapidly hefts me into her arms. "What are you--?!"

"If you can't walk on your own, I'll carry you." She answers a bit coldly, not even looking at me as she starts to walk forward again, glittering blue eyes filled with irritation. I don't even have to delve into her thoughts to know she think I'm being ridiculous...

Anger flares within me, coupled with embarrassment, and I writhe, trying to pry her hands off me. "Let me go!" I yelp, wriggling all about and flailing a decent bit. "I just tripped over a rock, it's no big deal!" This is too drastic! I don't need to be carried like a... I struggle for the word as I keep fighting her. A...a...child!

Snarling, she scowls down at me, and for a moment fear flashes through me. Oh, shit, she looks serious--! I blanch, pausing for a moment; before I even realize what she's done, my back hits the floor again, rocks cracking roughly against my spine. Shocked, I lie there as she steps carefully over me, hissing, "Fine, but get your ass up off the floor and follow me." I groan, sitting up and rubbing the back of my neck; she turns slightly and shoots me a glacial look. I freeze, sweating nervously, as our eyes meet; she snaps, "Oh, and by the way? Try not looking like a goddamn frightened five year old for once."

My cheeks burn bright red as I avert my eyes, uncomfortable. "Y-Yeah," I stutter, "Okay..." Owch... Shoving myself up, I plant my feet firmly on the ground. She's right, though... I've gotta keep it together. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. Breathe. Focus. Think. You have a mission to accomplish. Focus on that. Lifting my head, I blink carefully, then begin to walk forward with a stiff posture, partially from the aching pain in my back now and partially to make up for my ruffled pride. The mission is all that matters. The mission is all that matters. Striding forward, I catch up to Rouge easily, still repeating that same mantra in my head.

The mission is all that matters.

----------------
Several hours later...

"We're almost there," Rouge murmurs, eyes glued to her map. "Just a little further and we'll be--" a sudden movement beneath us distracts her, and before either of us can react the ground has vanished. We let out twin screeches as we tumble downwards, into a peculiarly pitch-black sort of shaft. I flail, claws outstretched; because my bones are denser than her hollow ones, I fall much faster than she does, and I can see her silhouette above me as she flaps her wings frantically. "Damn!" She swears, "the air down here is too cold--and I'm not getting an updraft!"

"Looks like we're gonna have to find our way out in some other manner," I reply, finally feeling my claws connect with the dirt and rocks of the tunnel. Tightening my grip, I grit my teeth as I feel rough particles of silt and tiny stone shards pummel my hands, shoving their way roughly under my claws. Stretching my legs out, I groan, the muscles in my entire upper body twitching with the effort of holding my weight. Not good... I hope this shaft is narrow enough that I can--my own thoughts are interrupted as my back spines slam harshly against a lip in the tunnel. I let out an involuntary cry, tears slipping out from my tightly shut eyelids. My body doubles over, and I feel throbbing pain shooting through my back. Oh God, that's not good...

"Shadow!" Rouge yelps, looking worried. "What happened? Are you okay?" She's positioned herself feet-first rather than tail-first, so she easily avoided hitting the outcropping in the tunnel.

"Yeah," I cough, trying to ignore the agony. Fortunately, now that the tunnel's narrowed, I can properly slow my descent, bracing my aching back against one wall and my feet against the opposite one. Rocks and dust fly as I grimace, squeezing my eyes shut. After a decent few minutes of stones and dirt and other shrapnel smashing into my from all sides, I come to a complete stop; a second or so later, Rouge collides with me, sending us a few feet further down. I yelp in astonishment, startled, but readjust quickly, planting my feet against the wall even harder. Something else is slowing us down too, and I think she has something to do with it; my eyes are adjusting rapidly to the darkness as we slowly come to a halt. Panting, legs trembling, I sit in shock for a moment, trying to understand what just happened. My azure-eyed friend, now dirty and bruised, has her knees level with my head, feet right up against my hip-bones. It seems she'd had the same idea as me, with similar levels of success; I see her wings half-folded about her shoulders, and to my shock one is torn with the other dangling limply. "Y-Your wings," I stammer, horrified. "What happened to them?!"

She leans forward a bit, wincing, to keep them away from the wall; turning slightly, she examines them, and I notice her breathing is ragged. Damn, she might be even more beat-up than I am... "Couple'a stones hit 'em on the way down," she wheezes, "but it's no big deal, I've been through worse." Her gaze drifts from her back across my body which is conveniently serving as some kind of shelf for hers. My knees are bent, one leg lower than the other, and she rests on both, the higher one supporting more of her weight. My hands are braced against the wall behind me, claws delving deep into the dirt, and my chest heaves as I pant from exertion; my hoodie is most likely at least torn, if not completely shredded, in the back. The thought fills me with dismay, but I know now isn't the time to whine. Suddenly, her hand reaches out to brush across my face, surprising me, and it comes back crimson-stained. "Looks like you're a little worse for wear too, Shadz." Smiling a bit tiredly, she chuckles.

"Didn't even notice I was bleeding," I answer, sighing, as I draw one arm up from behind me to wipe my brows off. I'm sweating like a pig, too...How disgusting. Blinking a few times, I look around us, trying to find out just how far we've fallen. Tilting my head up, I peer around Rouge; to my dismay, I can't see any more than a faint haze of light far, far above us. "Great..." I groan, ears drooping. "What do we do now?"

She suddenly props her elbows on my higher knee, arms folded over each other, and she tips her head to one side, gleaming oceanic eyes peering deeply into mine. Abruptly I'm made aware of just how very close our faces are, and fires flash across my cheeks. She smiles, eyes half-closed, her mouth forming a soft crescent. "I could think of a few things..." She purrs, and I raise an eyebrow.

"Really? You mean you've found a way out of here?" I answer evenly, feigning aloofness. Her ears fall flat immediately and she gives me a scowl; I blink innocently at her, doing my best to maintain a sweet and 'pure' facial expression.

"That's n--" she breaks off, staring at my face; after a second, her face melts into a look of absolute ennui. "Yeah." She answers blandly. "That's what I meant. Definitely." Growling in annoyance, she pulls back, and I breathe an inward sigh of relief. Thank God, at least now I know how to deal with her when she acts like that.

"Fantastic," I reply, cautiously scooting my lower foot up closer to the other one, trying to balance our weight evenly, "care to share?" She shoots me another irritated glance, snorting slightly; instead of answering, she just braces her arms against the wall behind her, bending over a bit more. She begins to shimmy her way back up the wall, flinching in pain when her wings brush the tunnel's walls.

"Come on," she grunts, "we don't have all day."

"Right," I answer, sliding my feet up the wall beneath her, following her example. This is gonna take a while...