Sonic GeneX - The Series: Zodiac in Time
Mini Episode - The Mask of Enerjak

Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and 
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?
GeneX and related fanchars are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.


Rebuilding the world after Eggman's conquest wasn't limited to just fixing buildings. The natural order had to be restored, too. Eggman had viciously bombed Mystic Jungle, and now a group of the remaining resistance were busy replanting trees there to help restore things to normal. Shade the Echidna sighed as she dug a patch of dirt to plant a tree in. "There was such beauty in this world...so unlike the Twilight Cage... It's hard for me to imagine why someone would want to destroy it." she stated. Omega stomped by, hauling off a dead tree trunk. "Robots see no beauty... Only targets in need of annihilation!" he remarked. Shadow was there, too, walking off towards the abandoned lab in the distance. "You all have fun gardening. I'm here to make sure Eggman didn't leave anything dangerous in that lab..." he huffed. Shade handed off her shovel to Rouge and headed after him. "Wait! Don't go alone!" she warned. "Great. Why didn't I run after him first?" Rouge muttered as she grudgingly started to take over Shade's work. 

Shadow and Shade explored through the lab for a bit, not saying much to one another. They still had a bit of tension for the battle that had been building between this world and the Nocturnus...until time travelers killed off Shade's tribe. Shade held her head as she sensed something, though. "Something's here... This way..." Heading down the halls, they found a small room with several objects contained in glass cases. Shadow examined them. They were labeled. "...'Scepter of Darkness'... 'Cacophonic Conch'..." he murmured, looking at the odd objects in the cases, "This appears to be some sort of trophy room. Objects Eggman plundered during his conquest of the world?" he wondered. Shade recoiled from one of the cases. Inside it... was the mask of Enerjak. "I know this... Why do I know this?" Shade murmured. "Maybe because it was used to wipe out your tribe?" came a voice from...right in front of them? Water seemed to fill the case holding Enerjak's mask, until it became too full and cracked, shattering and giving room for the water to take the form of Nova the Morph! "I've been looking all over for this!" he smirked. Shadow raised his fists, glaring at him. "Put it down!" he warned. Nova hopped down from the display and placed the mask back onto it. "Well, I can't wear it until I figure out how to control the god inside... So, let's do this the old fashioned way!" he grinned.

Nova hurled a burst of water at Shadow, who ducked under it and kicked him, only to find his foot stuck in Nova's watery chest! "What...are you made of??" he grunted. "I'm just a morph with better control of his molecules than that loser Kosmo!" Nova chuckled. Shade put on her Chaos Gauntlets and fired some blasts from them at Nova's head, stunning him. "How...rude! Very well..." Nova growled, making his hands grow to a giant size and moving to clap Shadow and Shade between them as they turned into crashing waves! Surprised, the pair were stirred up by the water until it reformed by the mask as Nova himself. "I'll just take this and go..." he stated. "Chaos Control!" Shadow grunted, suddenly holding the mask himself before Nova could blink. "Fine. See if you can resist wearing it!" Nova chuckled. Shadow stared at it. He swore he heard a voice calling to him from it. "Wh...what's going on? It's like...the mask is...trying to control me!" he grunted. Shade watched nervously, and then nodded. She stepped towards Shadow. "What are you gonna do?" Nova muttered, gasping as he saw her wind up a punch with the Chaos Gauntlets. She pounded the mask a couple times until it shattered back into a collection of Twilight Shards! She and Shadow each grabbed a couple, and Nova looked ready to fight over them until Rouge and Omega stepped into the room. "Heeey... Jewel fragments!" Rouge gasped. Nova rolled his eyes and melted into a puddle, escaping through cracks in the wall. "Maybe that dumb mask is too fragile after all..." he could be heard complaining. Shade was busy picking up the stray shards as Shadow glanced around with a thoughtful expression. "What happened?" Omega asked. "We seem to have stumbled onto something here. We better keep this stuff out of the wrong hands..." Shadow explained. Rouge glanced at Shade. "She seems responsible. How about her?" she suggested. "What?? Me? I, err..." Shade babbled. Shadow nodded. "Gunner has too much power now. We can't keep this stuff at GUN. Will you hold on to it?" he asked. Shade gulped. It didn't sound like she had much choice. "I'm gonna need a safe..." she murmured.

End!