Chapter 11: Silent Foe in the Sanctuary

Knuckles had entered the Hidden Palace; he made his way through the entrance, following several arrows that were carved into the wall. At the end of the trail was a red sphere encased in a circular platform. He approached it and stood upon it, feeling his body tingle with a warm light as he was teleported from the room. He appeared at the start of a long hallway that had another teleporter at its end. He ran down the corridor to the next teleporter when he slammed face first into an invisible wall.

Knuckles stumbled backwards and held his nose in pain. He wasn't expecting that at all! He turned around to face the other entrance but remembered his past mistake. He grabbed a nearby pebble and flung it in the previous direction, watching as another invisible wall deflected the stone. Both walls had become visible after the impacts, revealing a sheet of yellow electricity that flowed through them. He had a bad feeling about all of this, what kind of trap had he walked into?

As Knuckles took a moment to ponder, he turned around to meet the eyesight of a robotic clone! The robot was designed just like him, with a dark area around his neon green eyes and long claws for fingers. Across his lower torso were the initials "M. K." which stood for Metal Knuckles. Before Knuckles could fully absorb what was happening, Metal connected with a right hook to Knuckles' jaw. The echidna stumbled backwards and brushed off his chin, readying himself. He climbed up the wall and leaped off, spiraling downward with his fists. Metal dodged the attack and the hole that was created in the floor.

Knuckles continued his assault with an array of fists to his silent foe. The red robot danced in between the punches as he noticed the master emerald shard in Knuckles' hand. He was so distracted he took one of the hits and skid backwards. He stopped himself, his eyes still intent on the shard. He charged Knuckles, catching him off guard, and tackled him to the ground. He clenched Knuckles' wrist, nearly crushing it within his metallic palms. The red echidna screamed from the pain, feeling his bones threaten to give in. The shard of the master emerald popped out from his hand and went spinning into the air.

Metal leaped off of Knuckles and caught the shard in midair. He immediately began glowing with a green aura. Knuckles stood up, his arm still throbbing, and felt panic eat at his stomach. His foe was ready to clench his victory! He charged Knuckles, his hands spinning like an open blender, swinging them violently at him. Knuckles was able to stay ahead of the attacks but not for long. He was slowly forced back towards the wall that was tingling with electrical currents. In a moment of desperation, he grabbed onto Metal's head, using it to somersault over him and as he landed, kicked Metal into the barrier causing him to short circuit!

He popped and hissed with blue energy and fell to the ground as the barriers wore off. He was steaming with gray smoke as his body contorted on the floor. Knuckles collected the shard from him and hurried out of the room and onto the teleporter but did not witness Metal as his body was also teleported from the room.

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The light left Knuckles' body as he appeared in another room. There was an open doorway before him leading outside and he stepped out into the sunlight. He had appeared in a large sanctuary that was hanging mysteriously in the sky. The area was huge and had many platforms and walkways that had moss growing along its yellow stones. As he looked around, a glint of sunlight attacked his eyes, making him wince.

He carefully peered into the origin of the light and saw Metal, standing high up on one of platforms with his steel body reflecting the light from the sun. Knuckles growled and began climbing up one of the pillars to get closer to the menace. Metal glided after him and attempted to crash into him. Knuckles slid downward a bit and dodged the attack, watching as Metal slammed into the pillar, breaking the top off! Metal climbed downwards at Knuckles, his eyes staring blankly into him.

Knuckles punched him in the face several times but did not faze the robot. Metal grabbed Knuckles by the face, his grasp tightening around his eyes and then threw the echidna across the sanctuary. Knuckles landed on a platform, rolling around and holding his eyes from the incredible pain. He sat up and looked at Metal, feeling a deep fire roar in his gut. Metal leaped off the pillar and aimed another gliding attack at Knuckles. Knuckles returned the gesture, yelling out loud as the emerald shard within him glowed.

The two collided and Knuckles won the tussle. Metal was sent spinning backwards and crashed into a fountain. His body contorted yet again, outmatched by a typical robot's weakness. He looked up at Knuckles as he approached, the echidna's body shining with a green aura. Metal splashed some water on Knuckles, confusing the hero. He then leaped upon him, his short circuiting body using Knuckles as a conductor! Knuckles screamed in pain as Metal yet again forced the emerald shard from his hand.

He quickly used the power to unleash an array of punches that sent Knuckles to the ground. Metal stood above him, staring down with victory in his eyes from the quick thinking he had produced, but instead of finishing Knuckles, he turned away and leaped across several platforms. Knuckles lifted his head to try and keep an eye on his foe, his neck aching from the strain.

Metal approached the center of the sanctuary, where a glowing orb was resting. He turned to look at Knuckles one more time as he slammed a fist with a green aura into it; shattering it. The entire area began to rumble, quaking so violently that the fountains collapsed into themselves. Knuckles watched as Metal began working his way up to higher ground, arriving at a teleporter at the highest point and vanishing away into it. Knuckles managed to sit himself up as nearby platforms were crumbling.

He needed to find a way out quickly. He looked for the nearest teleporter and saw the room where he had first entered from. As he got himself to his feet, he took a few steps towards it only to watch as it rumbled into pebbles. The only way he could escape would be to follow in Metal's footsteps. His body was aching, his muscles sore and confused from the electrical signals that shot through them. He swallowed his pain and pressed his body to its best, slowly keeping out of harm's way.

He shuffled up walkways and climbed up a few pillars as the nearby terrain would disappear behind him. He felt a looming fear in the back of his mind scream every time a foothold would start to give way. He pulled himself atop a tower, smiling to himself as he looked at the final walkway. He gave a decent effort to his jog but was not good enough. The walkway fell apart as he stood on it, his foothold lost into the sky!

He caught himself before he fell and glided along the crumbling path, trying to beat it to the teleporter. He landed before it as the final platform shuttered into nothingness. With a flash of light he disappeared from the sanctuary as it disappeared from the world.