Chapter Eight: Battle For A Soul ACT I

The trial of Angel and the 2 Disgraced Policemen, Krause & Flynn, begins.

It takes the jury 10 minutes to find the crooked cops guilty of curruption, taking bribes, inappropriate misconduct, accessory to murder and extortion.

They are sentenced to 10 years in Prison, however it's unlikely they will live through the first week.

All charges against Angel, however, are dropped due to Mighty the Armadillo and other key witnesses unable to testify in court and the lack of any solid evidence.

The Black & Red hedgehog leaves the courthouse and is picked up by a White Limousine outside.

Upon hearing Angel walked, Julie goes back to Knuckles' apartment and sits down next to him on his bed.

Amy picks up her bags "I'm sorry this guy keeps winning but, I really have to go, there's something important I have to attend to back home. I really wish I could've done more, guys"

"No, you've helped us do all we can to fight him, Amy. I know a lot of men and women who wouldn't have even dared to take on Angel. Thank you"

The pink hedgehog smiles back "I hope everything works out for you two. Stay in contact, Julie. It'd be great to do something special after all this is over with"

"I definitely will, Amy. Goodbye"

"Bye Knuckles!"

The Echidna waves to Amy on her way out and she closes the door behind her.

Julie lays back on the bed "...we're never gonna beat Angel now that he has all this power. It's just too much, Knuckles"

"Yeah, well I'm still gonna damn well try. A guy like that will just keep taking and taking from this city until there's nothing left, then he'll move on to the next big town and do it all over again..." Knuckles growls "I'll just take him out myself"

"Why? It's not your fight, it's mine. He tricked me into getting him all this power, he used me for this"

Knuckles looks down at her "... I'm doing it because I still love you, whether or not you love or even remember me. I told you, you're the best thing that's happened to me and I'll be damned if Angel takes that away. That's why I'm doing this"

Julie sits up and looks him in the eyes "Knuckles, I- I'm sorry but I don't feel the same about you, I just don't"

"I know you don't, and I'm not asking you to just fall in love with me. But I want you to understand how special you are to me, and Amy, and all our friends back home. Back in the old days you were a big sister to them and you were my best friend. Then all that stopped the day you got taken away... I just want you to know that"

Julie tries to come up with a response but nothing comes to mind. Then her cellphone rings so she checks the caller ID

"It's Angel"

"Put him on speaker phone"

She answers and presses a few buttons as the line connects

"What do you want?" Julie asks

"I just wanted to tell you that your mission is complete, it's time to come in" Angel replies

"Fuck you, Angel, you tried to have me killed three times throughout this whole ordeal. Serena gave me this mission, not you so that means I don't take orders from you. And since you killed her, my relationship with you is over!"

"Ouch. You're hurting my feelings, young one. Please come in so we can talk this out"

Knuckles takes the phone "Tell me where you are so I can hurt more than just your feelings, you pompous-assed hickory stick looking son of a bitch!"

Angel laughs "Right, the buffoon. Hey buffoon. Your little plan to have me locked up in prison for life backfired and now all your friends are leaving you one by one. I bet messing with me was worth all this trouble, huh"

"Right, you made a plan to use everyone to get what you want and give you all this money and power, hurray pal, you're a smart guy. Can we just skip to the part where you threaten me or something and I meet you to settle this"

"I see you're well adept at cliches. Sure, lets play that game. Come to my hotel and we'll negotiate some stuff or whatever it is you think you're gonna accomplish. I'll text the address, but don't bitch out"

Knuckles hangs up and gives Julie her phone back "God, I can't wait to shut his mouth"

"Knux, there's a big chance we're not leaving that hotel alive"

"Course not. But I'll take those chances over nothing at all. Now let's go meet him"

Knuckles unlocks the Green SUV Mighty stole last week and he starts up the engine. Julie sits in the passenger seat and she reads the text Angel sends.

"We're going to the Tainted Inn, a mostly Gothic Hotel on the edge of town"

"I bet there's vampires and shit there"

It's a 45 minute drive from downtown to reach this establishment. The Hotel is a black brick building with red and gold edging around the windows, and solid red wallpaper in the interior. Knuckles locks the SUV and gives the keys to Julie. The guests eye ball them as they walk into the lobby of the Tainted Inn.

Julie walks up to the front desk "We're here to see Angel"

"Ohh, you're the challengers! Yes, Master Angel is waiting for you in the Arena, that's just two floors down" a british receptionist explains

Knuckles says nothing and heads for the elevator. He shoulder bumps past everyone and pushes the DOWN button while Julie catches up to him.

"This place is weird" she says

Knuckles keeps quiet and enters the elevator first, followed by Julie.

"Are you going to say anything?"

Knuckles watches the digital display show which floor they're on and remains silent

Julie lightly holds his left hand and rests her head on his shoulder as the elevator takes them down to the Arena. Knuckles doesn't move, but calms down a little.

The doors open and the couple make their way into the underground arena. It gets packed in the stands as a large crowd shows up to watch the show. Knuckles and Julie are directed to a staircase that leads to a pit with fake sand on the ground.

Angel stands on top of a podium and takes a sip of wine when he spots both Echidnas entering

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but our guests have arrived! Round of applause!"

Everyone in the crowd starts to boo and throw their drinks down at the pit

"Now, now folks. I'm sure you all know Knuckles very well. Some of you may know him as Jonathan as well"

Julie turns to Knuckles "What's he talking about?"

"I've got a past life I want to forget, too"

Angel points to to Julie "..and I think you all know his ex fiancé, miss Julie-Su"

The crowd continues to boo and jeer towards both Echidnas

"Can we get this started or what, King Leopold, I don't have all night" Knuckles calls out

Angel smirks "Very well. As promised, I will make you an offer. Survive the gauntlet and defeat My Enerjak, and Julie is free to go. I will not bother either of you ever again. But lose, and my men will skin you alive. Deal?"

Knuckles stretches out "What are we going by, Street rules, Anything goes?"

"Sure. Anything goes. You either win or you die"

"That's all I needed to fuckin' hear"

Knuckles gives Julie a boost and she jumps off his shoulders high into the air. She grabs onto the railing of Angel's podium and hops over towards him. She grabs the Black & Red hedgehog by his suit collar and she begins punching his face as hard as she can. His body guards rush to him so Julie reaches into his jacket and steals his pistol before the guards throw her off the podium and into the stands.

Meanwhile, an army of Gothic thugs enter the arena pit and surround Knuckles

"Alright, this is a new one. Who's up first" Knuckles challenges

Two thugs rush forward so Knuckles blocks their attack and gets in between them so he can single out one opponent. He headbutts the first thug and throws a painful back-elbow strike to the other, drawing blood instantly. They go down and the rest of the group runs in to jump Knuckles.

He dodges most attacks but a few punches hit hard so he goes in a boxing stance to block his face. The group knocks him to the ground and begin stomping on him on all sides. Knuckles rolls onto his stomach and absorbs the blows as he gets to his feet and starts swinging wildly.

Soon he's knocking out the members of Angel's Flock with ease. They either go down or run away from the enraged Echidna.

"Yeah?! What else you got?! Is that it?! Come on!" Knuckles shouts

Angel gets helped to his feet and spits out blood "Bring me that bitch!"

Julie makes her way through the crowd and up onto the third floor of the stands. Some audience members try to stop her but she punches them in the face as she climbs the stairs. Eventually she gets underneath the PA system speakers and she uses the wall to help her climb on top of them.

"What is she doing" Angel says as he watches her from the podium

While Knuckles fights on the ground, Julie climbs high above the pit and pulls out Angel's pistol she stole. She fires at the spot lights, causing sparks to fly out and land on the curtains below. The sparks cause the fabric to catch fire and it spreads fast.

The crowd starts to panic and scream in terror as the fire gets bigger and bigger. Smoke fills the arena and everyone rushes out

"Wait, don't go! The Echidnas' aren't dead yet!" Angel pleads

Guards make their way to Julie's vantage point so she grabs a rope connected to the lace curtains and she swings off the PA speakers. She shouts in excitement as she swings around the entire arena in circles on her way down to the floor.

Knuckles spin kicks the final thug and knocks him out just as Julie lands on the ground beside him

The fire gets bigger behind Angel and all his paying audience members have left the arena.

"Well, I took out your gauntlet, Angie. Where's Enerjak? Lets get this going!" Knuckles falls out

Angel growls angrily and grabs his body guards' pistol. He aims at Knuckles and shoots him in the chest so Julie drags him out of view.

"No, no!" She says as she tries to stop the bleeding

Knuckles coughs up blood and leans against a retaining wall

Angel pulls out a Chaos Emerald and shouts a few words in an unknown language.

Enerjak breaks through a wall and enters the arena pit

"Kill this crackerjack son of a bitch and I'll give you another Emerald, Jak!" Angel shouts

The Beast howls loudly and starts walking towards Knuckles angrily

"Knux, you can't do this, you'll bleed out before you beat him!"

"So help me beat him. I can't do it without you"

Julie looks at Knuckles for a moment, then he leans in and kisses her quickly. She's taken by surprise but embraces him for the first time, then they stand up and face The Beast together.