Chapter 2: A new threat

The Beginning.
Knuckles still defined by that name the day when the black hedgehog came out breathless at the Master Emerald's Shrine.
- Have you heard what's going on in the city?
The guardian raised his head, opening his eyes. His shoes and gloves have threadbare long time ago and he had gotten into the habit of dressing like his ancestors, decorating his dreadlocks with feathers and gold rings. - Shadow, I never know what's going on in the city. - He said calmly.
- Ok but you should hear the explosions.
- I can hear them.
Silence fell between the two for a few moments, then Knuckles got to his feet and went down the stairs.
Shadow's eyes followed him - Where are you going?
The guardian raised a hand to greet him without looking back - It's season, you know. Grapes aren't harvested on their own.
Shadow clenched his fists, watched the guardian take a few more steps, and finally spoke - I'm going over there to lend a hand.
Knuckles stopped. He turned his gaze towards the hedgehog, grimly - I'm sure they will handle the situation.
- Not this time.
The echidna turned fast, surprising the hedgehog - We shouldn't!
- Instead yes. We have promised. Do you want to break your promise?
Knuckles sighed and turned his back on him.
Then Shadow knew he had won. In the city, the streets were full of fleeng humans and mobians. The two races had lived in peace for hundred years, but living in close contact produced strange effects on humans, awakening latent energies in them. Some were born with an innate sensitivity to the Chaos Energy, developing supernatural powers during adolescence. Scientists couldn' t explain it. The most popular theory was that of the VCR, the "Volatile Chaos' Radiation" of chaos emitted by mobians, which would have caused mutations in the human genome. In any case, the mutated were too few to cause concern, but enough to attract the attention of the authorities. They did not represent a problem, but the whole phenomenon was the subject of research and controls by humans, rather than by Mobians: anthropomorphs had always lived exposed to Chaos, for them it was completely normal.
Shadow dodged a car thrown at him while he was skating. He turned his gaze to Knuckles that was gliding over him - What do you see?
- A construct not far from here. It isn't big.
- Well, it won't be the one who launched the car. Anything else?
- They're trying to fight it. In three. Two Mobians and one human.
They run faster. It didn't take long to reach the square where the three are fighting.
- Tera get out of the way!
- No Alexi! I can't hit him!
- You wouldn't hit him anyway. Move!
The young lilac hedgehog walked away, the Wispon well secured in her hand, while the raccoon aimed at the golem's head and fired, without doing any damage. He growl - Stupid golem. Where did it come from?
- I'll try to overload him - said the human girl at his side. She wore a tight suit and a light metal plate armor. She closed her eyes. Electric shocks wrapped around her arms. She leaned her hands forward the golem and a storm of lightning wrapped the construct, which showed no signs of overload and in the end, the exhausted girl fell to her knees.
- Nadia! - The raccoon ran to help her. The construct moved at an incredible speed for its tonnage and without moving a joint, as if it had wheels underfoot. Or rockets. The raccoon's eyes widened. He didn't move, scared. He felt the earth tremble and immediatly a red mobian came out from under the asphalt, settling a generous uppercut at the golem's head, making it fly backwards.
- Chaos Spear! - A spear of energy intercepted the golem in flight, piercing it.
- You two, kids, get out! - Knuckles said, without looking at the two behind him.
- Knux, take care of them. I take the golem. - said Shadow
- You know I hate when you call me that!
The golem got up, but Shadow was already rolling towards it and bouncing against, hitting with a Spin Dash. He had just landed and was massaging his head when he saw a lilac ball trying to hit the golem. The construct, however, had already risen and intercepted it with a movement of the arm, as if chasing a fly, hitting her and ripping her out a cry.
The echidna growled and moved, jumping and grabbing her.
- I told you to keep an eye on them!
- She came out of nowhere! They were two! - Knuckles turned to the human and the raccoon - Why are you still Argh!
- Knuckles!
Knuckles curled up to protect the fainted girl as she rolled over the ground for a couple of meters, his head aching and his ears whistling.
With one of his cannon-shaped arm, the golem fired a shot at the two still frightened kids.
- Chaos Spear! - Shadow's spear crossed the bullet, causing both of them to explode. The hedgehog shot one last look full of anger at the two - Go away!
The two left, but not so far.
- We can't run away like cowards, we have to do something! - protested the raccoon
- I know but our attacks are useless.
- Then we will play with cunning. - said the raccoon, looking at the golem who was fighting Shadow and Knuckles – I have an idea.
Shadow attacked the golem with a Spin Dash and Knuckles rolled to the side with the girl before the construct fell on him. He reached the hedgehog and gave him the little girl -You are faster. Take her to safety. I'll keep that thing.
The hedgehog nodded and the echidna turned to face the golem. It load another shot, aiming for Shadow. Knuckles deflected it, hitting the cannon-arm with a punch, but the construct used the other arm to crush the echidna to the ground.
When he heard the cry, Shadow had reached the two kids. He handed the little hedgehog to the human girl - Here, take her to safety.
- We want to help you. - said the girl.
Shadow saw determination in those eyes, but he had no time for small talk - So do as I tell.
The golem aimed his free arm at Knuckles' head and load the shot. Shadow understood that he wouldn't arrive in time. Not even with all the speed of world.
Shit.
But someone else fired at the golem. Alexi, the little raccoon.
- Hey tuff face! Why don't you take it out on me?
The shot did no damage, but attracted golem's attention long enough for Shadow to load a Spin Dash and throw the golem away.
He helped Knuckles to stand - Are you okay?
The echidna nodded quickly, leading a hand on his head. Shadow looked the golem stooding up, unharmed - Gods! What's it made of? - Knuckles started to reply, but another bullet hit the golem.
- Come on! I'm here! Come get me, asshole!
Knuckles growled looking at Alexi - That kid will get killed.
Nadia put the little hedgehog on a bench and ran to give Alexi a hand. Seeing her, Shadow sighed - Let's try to support them.
- Are you crazy? They can't destroy that golem!
- True. But they are stubborn enough to try. And without us, they will be dead stubborn kids.
The construct activated rockets on feet and sprang towards Alexi, who smiled. He aimed low and fired. The impact against the bullet threw the golem forward making it roll at great speed, straight towards the mobian who threw himself to the side. The construct crossed the square and crashed into a row of cars destroying them.
- Go Nadia!
The human girl directed the lightning bolts to the golem. Sparks ignited oil and gasoline that dripped from the destroyed cars, blowing them up.
- Yes! - exclaimed the raccoon, giving the girl a high five.
But they heard a crunch.
The golem emerged from the burning pile, unharmed, but this time was covered in burning oil and gasoline.
- Oh, sh- Alexi didn't finish the sentence, because the golem raised an arm by shooting a long chain ending in a harpoon, straight towards the fountain in the square. The arpoon hooked the central marble pillar and pulled it off the base.
Then the golem pulled the chain with the pillar towards itself and spun it like a giant flail.
- Watch out! - Shadow used his speed to push the two kids away, only to take the marble pillar on his back.
The shock took his breath away. He crossed the square only to slam his chest against a large oak tree, where the square bordered the park nearby.
He heard Knuckles call him, but he could only think about pain.
So much pain.
He hold the tree to stand, saw a red shape and found the strength to turn around. He left the tree and took a few steps, going towards the shape.
He felt a push forward and saw red on his chest. Then everything went black.
Time slowed down as Shadow fell to his knees, or at least it seemed to Knuckles. He took the hedgehog before he fell to the ground and laid him, shivering.
No. No, no, no, please.
- Don't leave me. - he whispered.
He saw the hedgehog's chest rise with difficulty, while the blood stained the white fur.
He was alive. But he was injured. Badly. The guardian could read the suffering on his face.
That golem will pay for it. Everyone will pay for it.
He heard a hiss. Knuckles got up and punched. The claws stucks in the marble pillar, his feet dug furrows in the ground for a good couple of meters.
But he kept it.
Everyone will pay
He turned to the golem, his gaze burning of feral anger. His face twisted into a growl that showed fangs.
-Starting from you.
He grabbed the chain anchored to the pillar and pulled with all his strenght, first forward and then, with a roar, upward.
The golem rose from the ground, described an arch in the sky and landed creating a crater.
The echidna moved and with another roar raised again upwards. Soon nothing but roars and rumbles were heard, constants as a clock's ticking.
While the two boys tried to assist Shadow as they could, they understood how dangerous the echidna could be. He was determined to destroy that golem, even at the cost of turning it to dust punch by punch, and they were sure he wouldn't mind everything that went in between, things or people. Knuckles rotated on himself, spinning the whirling golem, uprooting trees, destroying cars, and then slamming it on the ground again until, giving off all the strength, he let go by throwing it against a building, which collapsed after the hit.
- Luckily police evacuated the area. - Nadia said, holding Shadow in her arms, supporting him.
- Yeah. But I don't think he knew it. - Alexi said. He had dreamed many times of fighting alongside a hero, but he realized there are no hero in that square.
Knuckles panted. The cloud of dust flowed between his feet, blown by the wind.
He looked at them.
They shuddered.
The echidna approached and pronounced the words well, cold - Get away. From him. Now.
They moved immediately, Nadia a moment later, only to lay the hedgehog as gently as possible.
Knuckles knelt down and took him in his arms, with a disarming delicacy, like a mother picking up a puppy.
Alexi swallowed – Sorry.
- Get out of our way.
- There is a hospital not far from here. - Nadia tried to say – If-
Knuckles close his eyes - I will count to five. If when I open my eyes I find you still here, I swear I'll kill you.
He said it with such cold resolve that they were afraid.
- One.
They looked at each other.
- Two.
They heard a crunch. Knuckles stopped counting and opened his eyes, watching the rubble of the building move. - Impossible.
From the rubble, the golem emerged, still whole.
- Oh my gosh it's a nightmare! - Alexi yelled.
Suddenly a blue bubble appeared around the construct, wrapping it. The bubble rose from the ground and an invisible force hurled it away towards the horizon.
- You are great, Granpa!
The three turned to see the little lilac hedgehog, accompanied by none other than Silver the Hedgehog.
- Master! - Alexi and Nadia exclaimed. Knuckles saw them throw themselves at Silver, hugging him.
The old hedgehog chuckled - Slowly kids, slowly. Ah, heck if I got old! You'll end up to make me fall!
Tera took a step forward - I woke up on the bench. I saw that things wasn't going well, so I ran to call Granpa!
Alexi put his hand to his chin - Mmh, I usually hate when you do it, but this time it was a great idea! - He looked at Silver - Master, you had to see that golem. - he stopped, saddening - Ops. Sorry.
Silver chuckled, not at all offended - For what? - he asked and then looked at Knuckles, without looking at him.
The echidna stared at the bandages that covered the hedgehog's eyes. The side effect of using psychic powers for so long. Silver had been blind for a hundred years and yet, sometimes, he seemed to see very well, even better than all of them.
His power had taken away his sight, but had given him something else. Knuckles wasn't sure what it was.
- Shadow is injured.
- I know. I can sense it.
- It's their fault. - he hissed, holding the hedgehog close to him and yet, Silver didn't change his neutral expression.
- This is not important.
- Really?
- Yes.
Knuckles growled and Silver spoke again.
- What matters now is Shadow's life. Come with me.
Alexi and Nadia thought he would oppose it, instead Knuckles got up, lifting Shadow easily. The hedgehog opened his eyes but distinguished nothing but shapes and blurs. He closed them and gritted his teeth, fighting against pain.
Knuckles proceeded carefully, until he reached Silver, who teleported them away.