"Tough Around the Edges:
Chapter One;
Someone New."
Another visit from Knuckles, and Shadow, and it ended horribley,... as usual. Shadow just left, as Knuckles yelled: "That's it! I'm outta here!" Knuckles slammed the door behind him, and walked opposite of Shadow.
-- With Shadow
Shadow walked around for a while. He had no intentions of returning to Sonic, soon. He, all of a sudden saw a guy fly passed him, less than an inch away from hitting him.
He looked down the alley he was thrown out of, and saw a girl. He couldn't make much detail out of her, though. When the last guy fell, she looked out, seeing the guy she just threw charging at her, with a different person right in front of him, and staring at her. Shadow looked back, and kicked the guy backwards.
He turned to the girl, who grew a smirk on her face. She began to, slowly, applaude. "Wow,..." She started, as she came out of the alley. "that was quite a performance. Normally, I don't see guys who are all that powerful." She said.
She had dark blue, mysterious eyes, with dark purple fur,... really dark, almost black. She was wearing a black tank-top with a skull, and crossbones as a design. She was also wearing a black jacket, a pair of dark red, denim capris, with black boots.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Shadow said, darkly.
"What's your name?" She asked.
Shadow gave her a smug smile. "Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog,... you?" He asked.
She grew the same grin. "Name's Phase. Phase Blackout." She said.
"Well, this is the first time I've seen you around here,... you new to town?" Shadow asked.
"Moved here last night, I'm already memorizing the town, so no need, if you want to give me a tour." She answered, coldly. Shadow's eyes lit up in realization.
"What? You think I'm like them? Please,... there's a more likely chance of me getting drunk than me trying to hitch you." Shadow informed her. The smirk returned.
"Good! If you were, you'd end up worse than them." She snarled. Shadow smirked at the girl, then, in a flash, she was off.
"Phase Blackout? I wonder what I have to look forward to." With that thought in mind, Shadow went home.
-- With Knuckles
Knuckles stomped into Mighty's gym. Mighty, being at the counter, stared at the raged echidna. "Sonic?" He questioned, calmly.
"Yes." He grumbled, as he started towards the counter.
"Do I want to know?" He asked.
"No!" He said.
"All I need to know, so, which coarse, today?" Mighty asked.
"Sparring. You better have someone good, this time!" He threatened him.
"Oh, don't worry. I have just the one." Mighty convinced him. Without any further delay, he led Knuckles to the sparring ring.
In the ring was a large, brown bear, and a female hedgehog. The female had golden eyes, and white fur. She was, currently, wearing black shorts, with a red t-shirt, and blue shoes.
"Who's that?" Knuckles asked. He knew the bear as Collosal, but he didn't know the girl.
"More than likely, your next opponent, she's been here, all day." Mighty answered. Knuckles glared, and crossed his arms. "Her name is Rough, or something like that. She's new, and she's been beating every person who stepped in, today. She's really good, Knuckles." Mighty assured him.
They turned back to see Collosal being thrown, and flopped, like a pancake. Rough, as she was called, then used both her hands to pin him in a constrictor hold. "Gonna say it, yet?" She asked.
"Ne...ver." He grunted out. She sighed. She then dragged him as she flopped back, and without even trying, she used her legs to flip him, and gave him a very firm, chocker grip. "I give!" He finally got out.
She let the large bear go, folded her hands, and held them up, in victory, smiling as she did so. "Got time for one more, Rough?" Mighty asked, bringing Knuckles over.
"He any good, because the last round went way to quickly." She said.
"He made the spar wall on his first day." Mighty answered. She thought for a moment, then shrugged.
"Why not?" She said.
Mighty left the two. The whistle was heard, and Knuckles was already sending quick punches at her, which she was barely able to dodge. He slammed a fist to the ground, which was only an inch away from hitting her head, and she tripped him. She threw a punch to the ground, but Knuckles only roled out of the way, and toppled her, holding her by the wrists. "Girls, like you, shouldn't be cocky." Knuckles breathed out.
She flipped him with a single role, and got up, ready to attack, rage fueling her. She through some kicks, and a couple punches, before Knuckles toppled her again, but, this time, she used her body to flip him, and ended up on top. "And guys, like you, shouldn't be overconfident." She breathed.
Knuckles not feeling as angry, finally said something. "There is no way to decide a winner, we both know the best moves." He stated.
Rough nodded, still panting, heavily. "Agreed." She said. They both stood up. Rough stuck out her gloved hand. "Rough Blackout, what's your name?" She asked the breathless echidna.
Knuckles grew a small smile. "Knuckles." He said, shaking her hand. She looked at him, shocked.
"Knuckles? As in Knuckles the Echidna, stongest bare fisted fighter Knuckles?" She asked. Knuckles let go of her hand, and scratched the back of his head.
"Yep!" He simpley said.
"Awsome! You are awsome! I've been trying to catch up to your thug record for years!" Rough said. Knuckles chuckled. His most guys punched world record was still pretty high, especially considering the fact he still hits people.
"Cool! So, I guess punching people is like a hobbey, for you?" He questioned.
"Only if it's important, or if I'm ticked, and believe me, my older sister ticked me off, today." She said with a sigh.
"What she do?" Knuckles asked.
"She ditched me! Decided that roaming town was better than celebrating us, finally getting settled, after years of moving. We were supposed to go to that new food joint, here. It's a restaurant we haven't seen since we were kids." She explained.
"You mean Great Goods?" Knuckles asked. She nodded. "Well, my friends, and I are heading there, tomarrow. Would ya like to join us?" He asked. She lit up.
"Sure! I'd have to talk to my sister, first. She has this thing with..."
"Boys?" Knuckles asked.
"People." She answered.
"Oh, well, if it helps, your sister can come." Knuckles said.
"That sounds good, but, I'm just sayin' this now, Knuckles, when you meet my sister, you wouldn't believe we're related." Rough exclaimed, laughing nervously, then sighing.
"No worries! I'll see ya tomarrow!" Knuckles said, leaving.
"Later!" Rough said, waving.
"Rough Blackout? This should be interesting!" Knuckles thought, heading back to Angel Island.
hope ya liked it