A/N: Hello again. Thanks for the reviews and comments. I feel so special. I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or anything associated with anything copyrighted. And here's chapter 2!

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Knuckles' POV:

I started walking down the street after I recalled what happened earlier. I hated the city; it was too noisy and too big. But it was where my friends lived so I guess that it couldn't be that bad.

But I had one problem: I didn't know where to go.

"There's got to be a map around here somewhere!" I mumbled to myself.

'Yeah right, like you'll find a map around here.' I thought. Then I decided to skip it and look for Sonic and the gang. They might be out at this time of day.

First I checked the grocery store. Amy might have been there and she had 24/7 Sonic radar. Surprisingly she wasn't there.

I shouldn't have looked at the food though; my stomach started growling the moment I stepped out. After that I ran to the Burger Shop. 'Sonic could be in there eating, right?' I thought that up as an excuse for getting a bite to eat.

But I forgot something; the people in this city thought about only one thing: money.

I tried to get some type of 'hero discount', I even tried to send the man on a guilt trip with the old, 'If it wasn't for me this place or you wouldn't be here' thing that I usually do to get free food. The problem was that I wasn't with Sonic that time.

I was thrown out as quickly as I said that. "Damn city people!" I cursed.

As I said before, I hate the city. I think that living on a remote island made me like this.

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I started walking across the street. The sun was setting; I came here in the late afternoon so it made cense.

Then a bright car skidded right in front of me.

"Watch it, punk!" I heard the man yell at me.

"Screw you! If you can't see a bright red 3 foot echidna then you don't need to be driving!"

He ignored me and drove off. Now I was really in a bad mood!

"Screw this place! I'm going back home now!" I head back towards the train station.

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"The train station is now closed." I heard that familiar voice on the intercom say.

"What the hell's going on!?" I yelled at one of the guards.

"S-Sorry sir, we're on strike. They aren't paying us right." The guard stuttered at me.

"You people have gone on strike every time that I've been here! I need to go home now!" I grit my teeth.

"W-We'll probably be back in 3 or 4 days. Y-You'll have to discuss this with our strike leader."

I place my glove on my forehead to calm myself down. "I don't have time to discuss anything with anybody. I'll be back in 3-4 days. If the trains aren't working I will talk to your leader..." I crack my knuckles, "and trust me, it won't be a pleasant talk."

"Y-Yes sir."

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I'm really getting sick of this place. What if the Master Emerald is stolen while I'm gone? I'll worry about that later, right now I need to find somewhere to stay.

I spy a hotel conveniently close to the train station. 'I guess that I could stay there. There's no where else for me to go.' I run to the hotel.

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"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 60 BUCKS A NIGHT AT THIS CHEAP ASS LOOKING HOTEL!?"

What can I say; I was in a bad mood.

"That's right sir." The hotel owner kept his pudgy face straight. He really reminded me of a punching bag right now.

I took a deep breath. "Look man, I only have rings. And I usually split my earnings with whoever helped me save the world. I'm friends with Sonic and need a place to stay."

"Sorry sir, but I can't let you stay without paying."

"Fine." I walked over to the elevator. "I know that you don't need money to go into the chao room."

The Mystic Ruins Chao Room:

I was petting my old chao Knux. He was a really good friend when I was angry; I think that he could sense it.

"You know Knux, if you ever leave the chao room, never go into the city." He smiled and nodded in agreement.

Then Knux got hit in the head with a fishing bobber. I followed the line and saw Big's chao, Tiny, holding the miniature fishing rod that Big gave him.

"CHAO!" Knux yelled and ran over to Tiny and started punching the blue off of him.

I sighed. I knew that I wouldn't be able to talk to my chao now. It was nighttime in Station Square now and I still didn't have a place to stay.

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After I left the chao room, I heard yelling and shouting to the left of me. I looked though the automatic doors and saw that old casino, Casinopolis.

"This place is still in business? After Casino Park opened no one would come here."

I walked towards the casino. The lights were tempting me. Plus I saw some cute girls walk in. I smirk and run towards the casino.

"Aw, what the heck. Plus I packed some stuff before I left so I don't have to worry."

I had a red book bag-like thing in the chao room. It had some outfits (incase I miraculously get a date), my power ups that I've kept over the years and stuff that I'd really need. But that's where I draw the line on saying what's in it.

But as I got to the front some guards appeared.

'Why in the heck am I so unlucky today?! Did I do something to anger the gods...well maybe.'

"Sorry sir but you need to pay to get in." One of the guards said.

"When did you need to start paying?"

"Since Casino Park opened." The other guard mumbled.

"Well no wonder you people don't get any costumers! Having to pay to get in! You two know better don't you? You two should march into your bosses office and demand free entry!"

"Yeah!" They both said.

"We'll go and demand for raises too!" The first one said.

"And we'll demand that this place doesn't need security guards standing at the front!" The other one said.

I nearly busted out laughing. "Yeah! You two go and demand right now!"

"Yeah!" They yelled and ran into the building.

After they left I laughed so hard that I fell to the ground. "Dear God that was funny!"

Without hesitating I walked into the casino. When I got in I started doing a strange dance.

I was in such a good mood now. I was about to put in my ring to play a slot but they I heard yelling.

"Omega! Quit messing with this guy!"

"He hit the machine. Now I must destroy him!"

"Bring it on chump!"

I ran over to where the crowd was gathering. I saw Shadow trying to keep Omega from killing some guy. He had bright red hair sticking straight up and he wore the big black shades. Maybe he couldn't see whom he was yelling at.

"Chump? Does not compute. Illogical! Shadow, what does 'chump' mean?"

"It's a word that no one says anymore that means that you can't fight."

"I am E-123 Omega. I am the most powerful robot!"

"Liar! You look really weak!" the man yelled.

I thought that this guy couldn't come back with good comebacks and was stupid.

I ran up to the front, possibly to stop this.

"Shadow! Omega!" I yelled to them.

Shadow turned around. "Red Man! How're you doing?"

"Not much, Darkness." I gave him a light punch in the arm.

Shadow and I became friends over time. We had lots in common.

"So what's going on?"

Shadow pointed his thumb towards the red headed guy. "He lost all of his money to a slot machine. Then he hit the machine, Omega saw and got angry."

"Omega! It's just a machine!"

Omega's eyes flashed. "Machines have feelings too." Then he blasted the man into ash.

A woman screamed and the crowd started running around blindly.

"I suggest we blow this taco stand." I say to Shadow and Omega.

"I agree."

"Affirmative."

We all ran out of the casino. We started talking, I told him why I was here then I told him that I didn't have a place to stay for the night.

"Really? You should've come to me. You can stay at my place."

I grinned. "Thanks, pal. Let me go get my stuff." I sprinted off to the chao room.

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Night Babylon:

"Well how do you like it?" He motioned to the city.

It had way more lights that Station Square. There were no cars or any types of distractions, just stores and casinos. I knew that I would like it here.

Suddenly, I heard nothing. All of the sounds of the city disappeared. I'll admit it; I was scared. But before I could yell the sound came back.

Shadow started shaking my arm. "You alright? You spaced out for a second."

I rubbed my head. "I'm alright."

"Let's go." Omega told us.

We ran up to a building. I was probably the biggest building in the city.

'I've seen this place before...' I thought to myself.

I walked in ahead. The place was huge! When I walked in I was in the living room.

There was a giant plasma screen TV and a surround sound radio to my left, fireplace at the end of the room, and to my right there was a couch and two side tables both with lamps. And I couldn't believe who I saw on the couch.

I saw Metal Sonic watching TV and Emerl reading a magazine.

Emerl looked up. "Shadow! Omega! You're back!" Then he saw me. "Knuckles! How the heck are ya? Long time no see!"

"Emerl!" Shadow warned.

"What? It's not like I said 'hell' or anything! Just let me make my own decisions, dammit!"

I looked at Emerl. "When'd you learn how to curse?!"

"I learned a little from you, Shadow and Rouge." He jumped up. "So why are you here Knuckles?"

"Just needed a place to crash for a few days."

Then I heard footsteps coming from the next room.

"Shadow? You're back already? I told you not to go out! You still haven't gotten your full power back." I heard a familiar voice say.

"Come on, I'm already healed! You don't have to baby me around!"

Then Rouge came out from the other room. "Listen here, Shadow-"

She looked over to Shadow and saw me instead. "Knucklehead?! What're you doing here?!"

I gritted my teeth. "I was going to ask the same thing!"

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A/N: Super sorry for the long wait. Thanks for the reviews. If you have any questions e-mail me or send a review. I like both!