Chapter eleven: "The good, the bad, and the in-between..."
"Look I'm sorry all right!" Nack grumbled, "I was just trying' t'help!"
"Well cut it out!" Clawz snarled back at him, "Yer just makin' things worse!"
Nack scowled at him, and snorted. "You sure have changed. What ever happen't the
brother I used't know?"
"He got stabbed in the back." Clawz returned, glaring at the weasel.
Nack flinched and turned away. "... But yer still alive." He said, barely audible.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't be, if it weren't fer the Freedom Fighters." The wildcat
said sullenly, "...You almost killed me."
Nack's frown deepened. "I... I didn't mean to... Really... I... I didn't mean to..."
He mumbled quietly, staring at the floor.
Clawz sighed. "... I know."
"Look, Clawz..." Nack began, "It was the stupidest thing I ever done, and I really
paid for it... I lost my greatest partner for it... And... I'm... Really sorry things
are the way they are. But they are. And I cain't change 'em. I'm a back-stabbing, bounty
hunter, and your a momma's boy freedom fighter." He finished, a grin creeping to his lips.
Clawz laughed silently. "Yeah... I guess."
"And because of that... I guess it's hard to trust each other anymore." Nack said, again
growing grim. "I think I should just get outta here, run off in th' night..."
"No!" Clawz said suddenly. "C'mon, bro, you gotta at least try! Please stay! I don't
care what anybody else says er thinks, but you're my family. Th' only real family I got
left!"
Nack sighed. "I dunno..."
"Just a little while longer. I'll make Spikes lay off. And we can explain everything
to the Princess. She's a cool chick, she'll listen..."
"I guess... But if something else happens..." Nack said slowly.
"Don't worry... It won't..." Clawz reassured, a bit uneasily. "Now can we drop the
subject, huh?"
"Good idea." Nack agreed. "So tell me, who's the babe wit the Guardian...?"
"Oh, that's Shelia. We picked her up a while back. She was out of it fer a while, but
Knux helped her regain her memory. Her folks were all killed by Mecha Sonic, 'cept fer the
kid we just found..." Clawz explained.
"...So, she ain't available?" Nack asked, grinning.
"Not unless you want to get your ass kicked by a certain red echidna." Clawz shrugged.
"Got 'cha." The weasel nodded, "... So, what's up with the 'fighters an him wantin' this
stone of the tiger babe's?"
"It's s'possed to be 'sacred stone' or something like that. Like a chaos emerald, y'know?
Some real powerful stuff."
"Oh really...?"
Clawz shot him a dark glare. "Don't get any ideas, bro. There won't be any more
stealin'. We're gonna win this thing, fair and square." He said sternly.
"Yeah, yeah. The 'right' way..." Nack snorted, a tone of mocking in his voice.
"So, what were you really doin' out in the desert, headin' towards Robo-town?" Clawz
asked, adjusting his sun-glasses over his eyes and laying down on the tarp-covered ground
inside their relatively small tent.
"Whatta ya mean what was I really doin? I all ready told you the truth." Nack defended
"Yeah, sure." Clawz replied.
Nack frowned, but said nothing.
"Well, if yer just gonna sit there lookin' like dumbass all night, d'ya mind blowin'
out the lantern?" The wildcat suggested.
Grumbling, Nack snuffed out the flame with a harrumph.
* * * * * *
Knuckles barely had time to think of what he had done before the blowing wind had
brought him back to his island home. He landed wearily, feeling extremely tired and began
to walk slowly back towards his house. He tried to forget, but his action continued to
plague the back of his mind. He just left her... Left her without a return when she had just...
Before his thoughts could progress even further, Archimedes appeared on his shoulder
in his small explosion of smoke, practically scaring the echidna out of his skin.
"Jeez Archimedes!" Knuckles said, catching his breath, "What are you trying to do, give
me a heart attack or something?!"
"No time for small talk Guardian!" The fire ant informed, "We've got a situation on
our hands!"
Knuckles groaned. "Can't it wait until morning?"
"No." Archimedes said frowning, "A Dark Legion soldier has been sighted on the island."
Knuckles' blinked. "A Dark Legion soldier?" He said confused, then frowned too, "Can't
you guys handle the island for one lousy day without getting into trouble?"
"Apparently not." Archimedes sighed.
* * * * * * *
"Hurry!" Mighty called pointing into the forest. "I think he went that way!"
The Chaotix rushed into the trees after the dark cloaked figure. Vector saw it flash
suddenly before him, then towards the lake. "There he goes!" He yelled, in hot pursuit. Finally
he caught up with the legionnaire, and corned him on the brink over-hanging the water.
"Heh, gotcha now punk!" The croc said, lunging at the soldier. Suddenly, the legionnaire
had him arm, and had tossed him over it's shoulder into the water with ease.
Vector came sputtering to the surface, just in time to see the soldier run off again into
the underbrush. "Damn..." He grumbled, "That guy's good..."
Bursting out of the forest at top speed, the legionnaire ran smack dab into Knuckles. At
first they just stared at each other in surprise. Then, scrambling away into the field the
soldier began to run again. It wasn't long until Knuckles had grabbed him around the ankles,
bringing them both tumbling back to the ground. Knuckles, still in a daze from rolling, tried
to grab the legionnaire's collar, but missed and grabbed something else instead.
Knuckles blinked in surprise, feeling something soft under it's cloak where he expected
a flat chest would be. "What the..."
His jaw was instantly met with a hard punch, sending him reeling. He staggered back up
to his feet, still very confused.
"Watch were you're grabbing, pervert!" The soldier growled, in a voice he had expected
to be masculine, but was much the opposite. He stood up, and stumbling his hood fell back
revealing that he... Was really a she. The Dark Legionnaire was a tall, rose-colored female
echidna with striking violet eyes.
Before he knew what he was doing, Knuckles was apologizing. "Oh, I'm so sorry miss...
I-I thought that you were..." He stammered, embarrassed.
"Yeah, just don't let it happen again." She grumbled, dusting herself off. She began to
walk away.
Suddenly he came to his senses. "Hey! Get back here!" He yelled, grabbing her arm.
"Female or not you're still a Dark Legion soldier!"
She scowled back at him. "Let me go you jerk! I'm not a Dark Legionnaire anymore!"
"Anymore?" He questioned, suspiciously. "So you're not one now?"
"No. I... Resigned." She defended.
"Then what are you doing sneaking around the island?" He returned.
"I was just trying to get something to eat! Look, I'm not a Dark Legionnaire anymore!
Let me go!" She insisted.
"Why did you leave the legion?" He asked, his hand still clamped onto her arm.
"Because I wanted to! What is this, twenty questions!?" She yelled.
"Is the rest of the legion here somewhere?" He continued.
"How should I know!? I told you I quit!" She growled, struggling.
"Yeah, right!" He growled back, twisting her arm.
She turned back and punched him in the stomach, and tried to slip away as he recovered,
but he pounced on her again before she could get very far. She took another punch at him, but
missed. They tussled for several minutes before she gave out a shrill yelp in pain. In the
heat of the battle, he had accidentally slashed through her cloak and gashed her stomach.
He backed off a bit, looking at his fist and the blood on his knuckles. "I... I'm sorry
I didn't mean to hurt you... I was just trying to restrain you..." He mumbled sincerely.
She looked up at him, slightly surprised. She clutched her wound gently. It wasn't deep,
but it hurt badly when she moved. "I'm all right..." She lied, "Look, I won't cause anymore
trouble okay? Just leave me alone..."
He frowned. "But you're hurt..."
"I'm all right." She repeated, "...Just a scratch."
"No way. I'm taking you home. Besides, I can't just let you go. Female or not, you're
still a Dark Legionnaire..."
"WAS a Dark Legionnaire." She corrected, "And just leave me alone! What do you care if I
am or not! You act like you're the Guardian or something!"
He stared down at her silently for a moment. "I am the Guardian." He said finally.
She gasped. "Wh-what?"
"We're you expecting me to look something different?" He asked, smiling slightly.
"Well... By my master's... Err, FORMER master's description, and the battle I saw
before... You were supposed to be some kind of terrible monster..." She said slowly.
Knuckles laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm the only Guardian here." He said.
She stared up at him in disbelief.
He sighed and bent down beside her and began to put his arms under her.
"Hey!" She protested as he lifted her up, "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Picking you up." He said simply.
"What the hell for?!" She yelled, practically in his ear.
"Just calm down all right!" He reassured, "I'm carrying you back to my house."
"I can walk you know." She growled.
"No you can't. You're hurt. Walking will just tear the wound open more. Just relax." He
said, beginning to walk.
"Look Mr. Chivalry, I'm not some damsel in distress! I can take care of myself!"
"Quiet." He said, "It's not far..."
"Fine." She grumbled, staring at him darkly.
"What is you're name?" He asked, calmly.
She hesitated. "...Julie-Su." She said finally.
"My name's Knuckles. My home is just right over this hill..."
She blinked at him silently. 'Knuckles, eh?' She thought, 'Weird name... But he is
actually kinda cute... Definitely an improvement over Kragok...'
"Here we are." He said, stopping in front of the door and pushing it open with his foot.
They entered a small, cozy living room with a worn looking couch, coffee table, and little
fire place. The walls all around them were made of rock, and small circular cross-barred
windows were cut out of them on one side. The ceiling sloped downward, to where a door and
staircase went down into the lower level.
Knuckles looked at the couch and grumbled. In their haste to catch the pie-snatcher the
Chaotix left books and spilled tea all over the furniture. He'd deal with them later. Meanwhile,
he carried her down the stairs, though a small hall, and into another small room. This one was
as simple as the other, with a tall bookcase lining one wall, and bed on the other. He laid
her gently on top of the covers.
He realized she was looking at him funny. "Stay right here." He said, heading out the
door, "I'll be back in a second."
Julie-Su nodded dimly, still taking in her surroundings. She sat up stiffly, wincing as
she did. She looked down at her hand, which had all ready become red with blood. She grumbled
and began to take off her stained clothing.
Knuckles re-entered at that point, took one look at her disrobing and turned around
quickly. "Oh! I-I'm sorry! I should've knocked!"
She laughed, not feeling at all embarrassed. "You apologize too much. It's all right...
You can turn around now."
He turned around slowly and found her in black and green under-clothes. She was smiling
at him. He gulped.
"You act like you've never seen a girl before..." She said smoothly.
"I haven't... Uh, I mean... I haven't ever seen... A female of my own kind..." He
stuttered.
She blinked. "Really?"
He shook his head. "Nope."
She laughed again. "Poor guy. It's all right. I won't bite."
He approached her slowly and sat down beside the bed and pulled out some items from a
small leather pouch he was carrying. "Uh... Lie down please." He asked.
"What are you going to do?" She asked.
"Just clean your cut and put some medicine on it." He explained.
She laid down slowly, trying to pretend it didn't hurt.
"Hold still..." He mumbled, pulling out a small vile and pouring some of it's contents
onto a cloth. "It might sting a little..."
She bit her lip as the liquid seemed to burn into her as he wiped it softly over her
torn flesh and fur. "A little?!" She hissed.
"Sorry." He said, pulling out a bandage and rubbing a poultice onto it. She cringed
again as he placed it over her wound, put surprisingly no more pain came. "There." He said,
"That should fix you up. How does it feel?"
"...Fine." She mumbled.
"Good." He said, standing up. "You'll sleep here tonight. I'll figure out what to do
with you in the morning."
She sat up. "Where are you going?" She asked, not even realizing that the pain had
completely disappeared.
"I'm going to sleep on the couch. Good night." He said, and closed the door as he left.
She stared after him in wonder. 'He's letting me, who punched him twice, sleep in his
bed while he takes the couch?' She thought, 'And he didn't even make a move on me when I'm
sitting here in my underwear! How weird. He didn't even lock me in... This guy is too nice
for his own good...'
* * * * * *
Knuckles slumped down on the sofa weary again. His mind wasn't on the Dark Legionnaire
in his bed. Far from it. His mind was back on the surface of Mobius, with his Shelia.
What had he done? He did it again... Did something incredibly stupid. She said... And he
just left... How could he? He couldn't believe it himself. He just left her there. Without a
return. With nothing. He left her all alone again, just as he has promised he would never do...
Broken again...
He cursed himself again. She had just blurted it out... He didn't mean to just run off...
It just... Scared him. He pushed the books and cups off the couch roughly. Nobody had ever
said that to him... No one... Not even his father had ever said...
He felt confused. He couldn't believe he had just... He buried his face in a pillow. He
took a deep breath, and found himself smelling her scent. He sat up again and stared down at
the cushion for a moment, then slowly laid back down holding it in his arms gently.
"I'm sorry Shelia..." He said softly. "I guess I really am unworthy..."
* * * * * *