Disclaimer: SEGA owns Sonic the Hedgehog & Co., and I don't, which I'm sure you guessed right off the bat, right ? Anyway, hope you enjoy it and don't forget to leave a little review. Aha, thank you.
"Knackles, this place is a mess !" An anthromorphic fawn, with the words "manager" on her name tag, chided as she wailed her upper limbs around. Regaining her poise, she stood firm on her hooves and placed her hands on her hips – attempting to look down on him. This seemed to be faulty because our favorite red echidna was taller than the petite deer.
Aware of the giggles and snorts coming from the female workers around him, Knuckles' visage displayed agitation towards the woman in front of him. "I don't understand why you can't say my name right. You don't see me calling you "Bambi" all day, do ya ? Is that just like - "
She interrupted his jab, and with a wagging finger, began to continue the lecture. "This is a 24-hour business and I want this place to run smooth in the night as it does in the day."
Knuckles opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted again.
"Do you hear me ?"
He let out a huge, frustrated sigh. "Yeah, okay, but here's my whole thing. You're always saying my name wrong. It's Knuckles !"
The fawn started shaking her head angrily. "Listen !" She raised her arms in the air to show her withdrawal from the topic. "Here are the keys. This is your last chance." She slapped the brass keys into his palm. "Don't mess up." And with that she walked outside of the shop.
Knuckles, with his hands balled tightly into fists and teeth gritting, tried his best to suppress his rage. If you looked close enough, you might've been able to see the steam come out of his ears but I don't think you would want to get too close to this volcano.
Let's review how Knuckles got himself into this predicament, shall we ?
The Chaotix, ever so active in various business ventures for the sake of their own profit, got the idea to open a small grocery store in the heart of the metropolis. Seeking employees, they couldn't think of anyone better than their good ol' friend, Knuckles the Echidna. Knuckles was the perfect candidate, especially with his dedication towards the M.E which he guarded daily on the secluded area of Angel Island. Ah yes, the Master Emerald and its guardian. You could imagine how skeptical the echidna was at first about leaving the island to go work in a store for his friends. Knowing the Chaotix's past of failed businesses, he noted that he probably wouldn't even be working there for long, but he couldn't bring himself to agree to it. He met the Chaotix's plan with great resistance.
However, Vector didn't back down. He begged and pleaded to only continue getting turned down. But then, a thought popped into his small, puny mind. A suggestion that Knuckles' gullibility unfortunately gave into. It was to allow the members of the Chaotix to watch over the immense jewel during the night, while the guardian worked a nightshift at the shop. After accepting his offer, the crocodile quickly added in that Knuckles wouldn't have the manager position. It was something about encouraging equality at the workplace, but considering the male to female ratio in the shop, the echidna now had assumed another reason as to why that be.
Knuckles shut his eyes and his shoulders loss tension, as did his jaw and fists. Once he was calm, he turned around and made his way to the bathroom that was located in the back of the store. Ignoring the smirks from his co-workers, he walked down the aisles.
"Whoa, what are you doing here ?" Knuckles entered the bathroom to find the most, if not only, energetic member of the Chaotix, Charmy the Bee.
The bee, who was casually sitting on the cold, tiled floor, looked up at the echidna and gasped. His eyes widened and he lifted himself off the ground, now hovering at eye level with Knuckles. "I could say the same about you !"
Knuckles scrunched up his face, not understanding the child. "I work here, remember ?" He moved past him and walked towards the sink. "Not sure why I do." He muttered under his breath.
The bee followed him to where he was. "Yeah, that's why I'm wondering why you're in the bathroom !"
"I'm entitled to bathroom breaks, Charmy." The echidna replied in his usual tone. He turned on the faucet and started splashing water onto his face.
"What's the matter ? Having trouble staying awake ?"
"I'm stressed, and uh, maybe that, too."
Charmy's eyes brightened and he jumped a little from the sudden excitement jolt he had. "Don't worry, I have something for that !" He pulled out numerous pill jars from his jacket.
Knuckles looked at him questioningly. "You carry pills for staying awake ?"
"Oh, and other stuff, too ! Vector says I need them." The bee said, undermining the situation as to why someone his age should be taking pills. He noticed the look Knuckles was giving him. "I like their pretty colors and shapes, don't you ?" He mentioned as if that justified anything.
Knuckles stared at him skeptically for a few seconds and caught himself. He turned to face the mirror. "I guess I could use one of those."
"Okay, let's see." Charmy examined each label. 'Now which is the one…' He held each container up to his eyes comically and after what seemed like hours, found what he predicted would work for Knuckles. "Here ya go, bud ! This should keep you up." He handed Knuckles three circular golden tablets.
Knuckles scrutinized them, but disregarded any doubts and swallowed them dry.
Charmy flew back to where he sat before Knuckles entered the restroom and watched the echidna intently. "So I guess it's time for you to go back to work, huh ? You don't want that lady screaming at you again."
Knuckles groaned, remembering how much of a prude his manager can be. Before exiting he turned to the bee and asked, "You stay in here all day ?"
Charmy nodded happily. "Pretty much !"
Knuckles shut the door behind him. He couldn't help but feel a bit strange.
He made a left to enter the toiletries aisle, and saw two of his co-workers; one was organizing the laundry detergents, while the other kept experimenting with the different scents of air fresheners. He scrunched his face at the smell of the mixing scents, but continued walking.
The rabbit arranging the laundry detergents noticed him approaching, and enlarged her eyes. She nearly dropped the box onto the floor. She turned around to nudge the cat playing with the air fresheners to stop, but the cat kept on.
"Stop spraying that," Knuckles growled while he snatching the can out of the cat's hand and slamming it onto the shelf. The rabbit flinched at the sound as it rattled on the surface, but still, her back was turned.
Knuckles recognized the grey cat with the white-tipped ears as one of the girls who was laughing at him earlier while he was getting scolded by their manager. He expected her to fume at him and stop off in rage, but her reaction surprised him.
She only smirked and raised one eye ridge at him. "You need to lighten up, kid."
Lighten up.
Lighten up.
Lighten up.
Knuckles gripped his forehead as the words echoed endlessly in his head. The cat observed the spectacle with the same expression earlier, except now her smirk was missing. "You alright ?"
With a dazed expression, he nodded his head. "I'm fine." A goofy smile was plastered on his countenance as he walked away.
Facing each other, the rabbit and the cat exchanged confused glances as they witnessed the red echidna float out of the aisle. "I told you not to speak to him."
Meanwhile, said echidna was now behind the counter. He placed one elbow on the marble countertop with his chin resting on his hand. He watched the glass, sliding doors opposite of him, anticipating a customer. He soon felt his eye lids become heavy, and they fought to close, but Knuckles used the usual tactic pinching himself to stay awake.
He heard the sound of the doors electronically sliding open, and straightened his posture. He leaned over the counter to find that his customer was none other than Rouge the Bat. He folded his arms as she made her way over to him. The clicking of her heels against the floor echoed throughout the shop.
"So this is where you "work," huh ?" The ivory bat inquired as she surveyed the store through her oversized sunglasses. She wore an all-black wardrobe of a cape-like jacket, leggings, and boots. She oozed the impression of wealth. Oh, how she had them fooled. Knuckles knew better, though.
He scoffed, and instead of answering her question, he addressed the small black chao she had tucked under her arm. "Why are you carrying that thing ? You do know that they can fly, right ?"
Rouge whipped her head back in his direction. Knuckles couldn't see the glares or the eyerolls she sent him behind the dark lenses. "None of ya business, Knucklehead." She pursed her lips and with that, stormed off into the magazine section, but Knuckles could've sworn that he saw the chao turn only its head a full 360 degrees and smile deviously at him.
He rubbed his eyes and tried to take a double take, but found that there was someone else waiting for him on the other side of the counter. An ebony hedgehog was holding a pistol to his muzzle. Penetrating, crimson eyes pierced his body into paralysis and caused his throat to tighten. Knuckles' initial reaction was to flinch. Oh, and to hold up his arms in the shape of a cross as if that guarded him.
But it seemed that his mind was playing tricks on him.
Shadow stood across from him, holding a single pack of chewing gum instead of the gun Knuckles thought was in his hand before.
'Hallucinating, Knux ? Really ?' Knuckles lowered his arms, bit the inside of his cheek, and tried to regain his cool in front of the black hedgehog that exuded impassivity.
Shadow stared blankly at the echidna, waiting for him to ring up the package of gum but seeing that Knuckles kept on with the foolish act, he cleared his throat. "What the hell are you waiting for." It didn't even sound like a question with his cold tone, more like a command.
Knuckles wanted to reply to him, but found that he couldn't. He finally opened his mouth, and what he expected to come out as words, came out as word jumble.
Shadow blinked once. He was fed up with how much of his time was wasted standing there when he could've just swiped the gum in less than a second, but here he was being a good citizen and actually paying for something. It didn't seem to reward him in any way. "I'm going to assume that this is about a dollar and twenty-five cents." He slowly slid the dollar and quarter on top of the counter while peering at the echidna through squinted eyes. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but you better get back on your game. This little thing that you're doing right now is highly irritating."
Shadow sped out of the place, while Knuckles looked on with a dumbfounded expression. "That was a close one, Knuckles. Better prepare yourself next time. You gotta train yourself." Knuckles looked around for an object to help "train" himself. His violet eyes landed on the cordless phone near him. He ran sloppily to it and almost knocked it off its stand as he grasped it in his gloved hand. He held it horizontally and with every passing minute would tip it upwards with a small flick in his wrist as if it were a gun, annihilating his adversaries with every shot.
He faintly heard the sound of heels clicking, and having an idea of who might be approaching, he quickly set the "gun" down.
"I'll be getting this !" Rouge announced as she dropped a magazine onto the counter. "I'll take a bag, too, hot head."
Knuckles titled his head in order to get a better look at the celebrity who donned the cover of the magazine. Whoever she was, she was extremely attractive and caught Knuckles' eye. He picked up the magazine and held it to his face, eyes wide and his breath panting.
Rouge looked at him oddly, not used to the echidna acting in such a manner.
"Uhm, excuse me."
Knuckles lifted his head to see the possessor of the soft, sultry voice that spoke to him. He let out a gasp, and saw that it was the same celebrity on the cover. She smiled subtly and batted her eyelashes. Knuckles ogled her figure, half in disbelief that she was there and half in admiration for the way her body curved in all of the right places.
"Do you mind ?" Her soft voice spoke again as he diverted his eyes away from her body to meet her own dazzling pair. Knuckles, looking like a deer in headlights, shook his head slowly. She moved closer to him, and grabbed onto his arm. She leaned in, and with eyes closed, he followed suit.
Back in reality, Rouge gaped at the echidna, who was currently trying to kiss her, in utter shock. If it was any other day, she would've stolen the kiss but since she knew something was up with him, she braced the chao under her arm for the next move she was about to make.
A swift kick to the jaw sent Knuckles' out of his fantasy and into the world; his eyes opened extravagantly. He jumped back in horror as he realized what he would've, but felt a sharp pain that sent him reeling. "C'mere, Batgirl !" He leapt out to get her with both arms, but she dodged the attack by ducking. As his arms crossed in their failed attempt to capture the bat, he was hit with discovery.
'I'm going after the wrong person.'
Knuckles jumped over the counter and dashed through the aisles clumsily, knocking over any products that stood in his way.
"Charmy !" He burst open the door of the bathroom, and yoked up the bee so that they were face-to-face. "What'd ya give me ?"
The bee's wings buzzed frantically. He remained silent at first, sweating bullets, but Knuckles reiterated the question and shook him with tremendous force. "Heh, listen Knux –"
"Stop beating around the bush !"
"I kinda gave you more than I should've !" The bee cried out.
The echidna gritted his teeth, and held up a fist. "Why I oughta -"
Charmy loosened out of his grasp, "Don't act like this buddy !" but he was soon back in Knuckles' firm hold again.
"Do you have any idea what I went through tonight ?" Knuckles paused. "Heck, what do I know ? I was hallucinating half of the time !" He looked the bee dead in the eye, and began to exit the restroom. "Because of you."
He pushed his body against the door to open it, but remained focused on the Charmy, who had tears in his eyes from the fright Knuckles was causing him.
"I didn't mean it, buddy. Old Knuckles, ol' pal, ol' chum, ol'.." Charmy continued on with the pet names, but they couldn't get through the echidna's rigid exterior.
They made their way down aisle, ignoring the nervous glances of Knuckles' co-workers. Knuckles was still walking backwards, but he made sure to not step over any of the products he knocked over earlier. "I swear, I'm going to" Knuckles' threat was cut short as he bumped into someone. He was unaware of the woman who was behind him, glaring daggers into his back.
He turned around to come into direct contact with a certain fawn, who had bloodlust dwelling in her eyes.
"KNACKLES !"
Back to the beginning.