Tales of Team Sonic
Disclaimer: I don't own any Sonic the Hedgehog official characters.
Great Responsibility
"So, this is what you do on your free time?" asked Knuckles.
Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails were perched on top of a Seattle building in the backdrop of a moonlit sky. Below them was the entrance to a bank.
"Guys, this is what we're going to do as a team from now on," Sonic told them. "We've faced the worst Robotnik has brought but not all villains were made equal. Sometimes, we're gonna deal with criminals of the more mundane variety."
"Hey, I'm just glad I get to join you on a mission, Sonic!" Tails smiled, looking happy to be here.
"Knuckles, are you bullet-proof by the way?" asked Sonic. "You've got the super strength but what about the durability?"
"Bullet-proof?" Knuckles raised an eyebrow.
"You know," Sonic explained. "Bad guys shoot you with bullets and they bounce off of your skin. Ping. Ping. Ping."
"Eh, in space I have survived some of the worst laser blasts the Black Arms have had to offer," Knuckles answered.
"Eh, you know what?" Sonic decided. "Let's not test any hypothesis for our first mission. Remember, avoid whatever they shoot at you, disarm them, and take 'em out."
Tails got his computer out from his backpack just as a van of armed criminals arrived at the scene.
"Just on time as we expected," Tails looked down.
"You got this, Tails?" asked Sonic.
"Trust me Sonic, the cameras in there will glitch the moment you and Knuckles step in there," Tails promised.
"Knux, you ready for this first mission?" asked Sonic.
"These breakers of the law will not know what hit them when the hammers of justice come smashing down on their jaws!" Knuckles smashed both fists together.
"Uh yeah, heh heh," Sonic smiled nervously. "Good enthusiasm, buddy."
oooo
"Alright guys, go the loot?" the ringleader of the thieves, Karl, asked his gang.
"Two more minutes and we're out," one of his henchmen replied.
"Okay, take as much as you can but don't let it slow you down on the way to the car," Karl ordered.
"Uh, boss," another minion pointed towards the entrance where Sonic and Knuckles stood. "What are those?"
Karl turned around.
"Sorry guys, but I don't think AnthroCon comes around until later in the year," Karl almost burst out laughing at the sight of the two.
"AnthroCon?" Knuckles looked puzzled.
"Don't ask," Sonic shook his head before turning back to the bank robbers. "Alright you bozos, one chance. Drop the loot and I promise to speed you all to the local precinct."
"I can't believe I'm being threatened by giant plushie toys," Karl shook his head. "Kill them and let's get out of here."
At his command, all his men aimed their weapons and opened fire, after which, Sonic and Knuckles sped out of the way to avoid the bullets.
"Remember, disarm and dispatch," Sonic told Knuckles.
Quickly, Sonic avoided one robber trying to fire a point blank shot at his head and kicked him into several more of his companions. As another robber took aim at him from behind, Sonic spin dashed around the room before giving the assailant a light kick from behind which sent him crashing to the floor.
On Knuckles' side, he grabbed the shotgun of one robber and spun the man around, throwing him into three more of his companions, knocking them all down. To his side, several more robbers opened fire, causing him to take cover.
"So, it's like that, eh?" Knuckles under the desk until it sounded like the shooters had run out of ammo.
Once the bullets briefly stopped flying, Knuckles got up and grabbed the large bank vault door, tearing it off its hinges.
"Oh… my… God," one of the robber's jaws widened.
"Feel the hammers of justice!" Knuckles flung the vault door straight at them.
"Knuckles," Sonic knocked out the last of his opponents with a punch and stared in shock at what Knuckles was doing.
Before the door could hit the bank robbers, Sonic quickly grabbed and sped them out of the way as the vault door flew across the room and smashed into the side wall. Karl could only stare in shock at this freakish display of strength he was seeing.
As Sonic tied up the robbers who had narrowly escaped Knuckles's flying vault door, Knuckles grabbed Karl's gun and flung it aside. He then grabbed Karl and slammed him into the wall.
"Oh… there goes my spleen," Karl coughed.
"You… you thought you could get away with your crimes," Knuckles glared at the man. "But the fists of justice never sleep! It is time you paid for being a menace to society!"
Sonic's eyes widened, realizing what would happen if Knuckles connected his fist with Karl's face. As Knuckles threw the punch, Sonic quickly grabbed Karl at super-speed and got him out of the way just as the echidna smashed his fist through the wall where Karl's face previously was.
"Sonic, what is the meaning of this?" demanded Knuckles.
"Uh, hello?" Sonic dropped Karl. "We're supposed to be stopping crime, not splattering street-level baddies."
"But these people were committing criminal acts!" Knuckles looked frustrated. "Why would you save their lives?"
"Because," Sonic shook his head. "This isn't a mission for the fate of the world. We're just on patrol!"
"In space, it was kill or be killed," Knuckles argued. "One had to fight with all his might and survive the rigors of combat in order to survive."
"Look, we're not in space anymore and on Earth, there are certain codes of conduct we have to go by so we don't go too overboard and draw too much unwanted attention," Sonic tried to explain.
All the while the two were going back-and-forth, Karl managed to slip away while leaving the rest of his men behind.
"Sorry guys, but live to fight another day as they say," Karl muttered.
"I have been through plenty of brawls in space stations where I could punch drunken tentacle aliens with all my might," Knuckles countered.
"Uh hey guys," Tails flew down. "Think we could save this for back home? The security systems in this bank are rebooting and we've got less than a minute before the cameras reset."
"Fine, let's finish this later," Sonic agreed.
oooo
"If I'm reading instructions right, this was another one of Robotnik's old bases," Agent Stone looked down at the instructions on his iPhone.
During Robotnik's trip to Siberia with Knuckles, the doctor had taken some time during the trip to send him instructions on a remote backup base he had in the Rockies in any sort of event where he would go missing.
"Alright, so if I'm reading this right…" Agent Stone looked down at his map again.
Stone pressed his hand against a part of the stone wall that looked like Robotnik's hand prints and pressed down. Immediately, a stone door opened up, revealing a new base inside.
"Whoa, now this is impressive," Stone looked around the technologically advanced based Robotnik had as a backup.
"Greetings Agent Stone," a computerized female voice came to life.
"Whoa, who are you?" asked Stone. "Did… did Robotnik build you?"
"I am the doctor's System Analysis Research Assistant," the supercomputer told him. "Otherwise known as SARA."
"P-Pleased to meet you, Sara," Stone looked around the lab.
"The doctor electronically forwarded all his instructions to me in the event of his possible demise," Sara told Agent Stone. "I will act as an extension of his will to the best of my abilities. I was also given specific instructions to aid you should Dr. Robotnik not be available."
"This new place is impressive," Agent Stone nodded. "Say Sara, do you know anything about a Project Shadow? Those GUN agents were really hush-hush about it in the aftermath of the doctor's… tragic—"
"I'm afraid I don't have any information on Project Shadow," Sara told him. "Agent Stone, are you alright?"
"No worries," Agent Stone wiped away a tear. "I just… need a moment."
"I'm afraid I was not programmed to deal with human emotions," Sara told him. "But I do, however, have multiple contingency plans the doctor left behind should you require them."
"Contingency plans?" Agent Stone turned serious. "Tell me."
oooo
As Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles sat down in the living room, Tom Wachowski turned to face the three.
"Alright, so I've had a talk with Sonic in the past about superheroing," Tom looked at the three. "Today, we're going to need to have a similar talk with you, Knuckles."
"I… do not see what I did wrong?" asked Knuckles. "Were these not fugitives we were stopping?"
"Yeah, about that," Tom frowned. "Look Knuckles, you're strong. Real strong. And the bad guys not having a chance against you is… a good thing."
"Well, he does have the intimidation thing down," admitted Sonic. "You should've seen the looks on those robbers when Knuckles tore off a bank vault."
"But… on Earth, sometimes we have to deal proportionally with those who break the law," Tom explained. "Cops generally can't pull a gun on someone unless they have serious reason to believe their lives are in danger. And if they do pull a gun, they can't go overboard and pump the guy full of lead and then go after the guy's entire family."
"But in my life, I had to do what I needed to do to survive," Knuckles scratched his head. "In space, you had to fight. And any hesitation… any holding back… would be tantamount to death."
"I… think I see where you're coming from," Tom scratched his head. "But here on Earth, most people aren't as… durable as the guys in space you fought. Take Sonic for example. He has the power to do a lot of damage but when he's out on patrol, he generally doesn't spin-dash peoples' heads off."
"But he could if he wanted to" Knuckles insisted. "Would that not deter lawbreakers quicker to see their crimes will end in a bloody mess?"
Psst," Sonic whispered to Tom. "Maybe it's better to give him the other kind of talk… you know, about superheroes?"
"Oh, right," Tom nodded. "Listen Knuckles, you've hung out with us for a few days and we haven't shown you everything Earth-related but you've seen some movies with us."
"Indeed," Knuckles agreed.
"Well, you know how superheroes generally operate," Tom went on. "Look at Superman and Spider-Man. They're both super strong and super fast, just like Team Sonic here. Whenever they fight crime on the streets, they never go all-out and just punch a crook's head off. Superman doesn't punch Lex Luthor with the same amount of power he punches Darkseid. Spider-Man doesn't punch Kraven the same way he punches Venom. They use their power proportionately to whatever the threat level is they're facing."
"But… what about that funny man in the winged rat costume?" asked Knuckles. "He never pulls his punches. He punches everyone the same like all those moments he made that crazy clown man lose teeth. Why can't I do that?"
"Eh…" both Sonic and Tails looked at each other.
"Well Knuckles," Tails cut in. "That's because Batman is human. Superman and Spider-Man are both superhuman so they have to watch the amount of force they use. But Batman is human just like the crooks he fights so he doesn't have to worry as much."
"Correct, Tails," Tom smiled. "And because Batman is human, he doesn't have the luxury of showing restraint because a bullet can conceivably kill him. Hesitation on his part could mean the difference between life and death but it's different for Superman and Spider-Man because they either have super durability to take the bullets or super agility to easily dodge them. It's also why they have to show restraint because some of their opponents are much weaker than them and absolutely require a proportionate response."
Knuckles still looked confused.
"What I'm saying," Tom continued," is that with great power comes great responsibility. Cliché, yes, but it's true."
I see," Knuckles frowned. "I will think upon your words, Tom Wachowski."
"Yes, please do," Tom clasped his hands together.
oooo
What I'm saying is that with great power comes great responsibility. Cliché, yes, but it's true.
Knuckles woke up in the middle of the night as soon as those words reverberated in his head.
He looked to the side. Sonic and Tails were still sleeping.
"Hmm, great responsibility," Knuckles frowned.
The concept on paper sounded relatively easy to grasp. But trying to undo years of muscle memory and fighting experience where he had to go all-out was difficult to do. In frustration, Knuckles sighed at how the beings on Earth were so fragile that he had to limit himself and his potential.
Realizing he was having a difficult time going back to sleep, Knuckles decided to grab the iPhone that Sonic used and open the window to get some night air at the top of the home.
"I have a gift," Knuckles said to himself as he sat down on the rooftop. "My strength is something that should be used for the greater good."
He hadn't quite used an iPhone as much as Sonic but Knuckles still had some rudimentary knowledge on operating it. Flicking his thumb across the screen, Knuckles opened up a screen on Seattle news that Sonic often kept up with.
"Hmm," Knuckles looked down at it as the screen popped up to show a local reporter.
"This just in, a hostage situation is beginning to develop downtown," the reporter stated. "The suspect is Karl Mullins, a convicted felon with a rap sheet of armed robbery and assault."
As the screen zoomed in to focus on a picture of a man in an apartment, Knuckles looked carefully and realized that he recognized the face.
"It's him!" Knuckles recalled.
Looking down, Knuckles pondered whether or not he should wake Sonic or Tails.
oooo
"You been trying to skip town again, babe?" Karl clasped his ex-girlfriend from behind by the neck in a not-so-gentle fashion. "I don't like rude surprises, Courtney."
"L-Let go, Karl," his ex insisted. "It's over between us!"
"It's not over, babe," Karl licked her neck. "It's never over. If I say you're my girl, you're mine."
"Karl, please… let's just stop this," she pleaded. "The police are outside. This could end badly for both of us if they get involved."
"Too late," Karl told her. "I lost my crew. I lost my score. And I ain't losing you too."
"Look, if it's about money," Courtney tried to reason with him. "I have some cash under the bed. Maybe you could—"
At once, Karl backhanded her, knocking her down.
"Agh!" Courtney shrieked as her face hit the floor.
"Don't try to talk your way out of this!" Karl ordered. "This isn't just about the money! And who says I can't have both the money and your sweet ass?!"
"I say you can't have both," a deep voice behind Karl replied.
Karl turned around. To his utter shock, he saw the same red creature he encountered previously standing before some kind of gateway powered by a giant gold ring, leading to some kind of mountainous area.
"Y-You again!" Karl pointed his gun at Knuckles.
Before the Karl could fire, Knuckles grabbed his hand, lifting it into the air while squeezing the man's hand painfully until he was forced to drop his gun.
"Aaaaaahhhh!" Karl screamed at the sheer grip strength of Knuckles.
Out of the corner of his eye, Knuckles could see Courtney backing against a corner in fear. The sight of the scared woman made him realize just how frightening his strength really could be.
"If it were up to me, you would not be allowed to breathe again," Knuckles told the man.
He could see the fear and pain in the man's eyes.
"But fortunately for you, I have… responsibilities," Knuckles smiled.
The red echidna balled up his fist and hurled it at Karl's face. Karl screamed and closed his eyes. However, he only felt a breeze of wind hit his fist as Knuckles held back at the last second and didn't connect with the punch.
"Y-You're letting me go?" Karl asked hopefully.
"Yes," Knuckles answered. "And… no."
Knuckles set the man down gently. With that, he placed his thumb right under the criminal's head and flicked him across the chin with a comparatively gentle love tap that knocked Karl unconscious, causing him to fall down on the sofa.
"W-Who are you?" asked Courtney.
Turning his head, Knuckles heard footsteps coming up the stairs from the hall. Before long, the police would arrive so he would have to make his leave.
"Just a friend," Knuckles tipped his head. "You will be alright, ma'am."
oooo
The next day.
"C'mon Tom, when does The Flash begin?" asked Sonic.
"Three more minutes Sonic," Tom Wachowski promised. "Until then, I just gotta see what's on tonight's news."
"Sonic, who do you like more so far?" asked Tails. "Quicksilver or the Flash?"
"Well, Quicksilver's got more of my flair," Sonic admitted. "But Flash definitely has the cooler moves. Buuuut… those two ain't got nothing on me."
"Hey, is that Seattle in the background?" Maddie noticed. It was the very scene of the building where Knuckles had been last night.
"Uh… looks like it," Knuckles scratched his head nervously.
"Last night, the stand-off between Karl Mullins and the police was decisively settled," the reporter announced. "By the time the police entered the building, Mullins was incapacitated and though his ex-girlfriend was roughed up and shaken, she faces no major injuries."
The camera cut right to Karl being led away to a police man. All of Team Sonic and the Wachowskis noticed a bandaged up hand.
"I swear, it was a big red Tickle Me Elmo who did this to me!" Karl screamed at the camera. "He crushed my hand like putty! Oh yeah, and I think he's Rastafarian too!"
"Knuckles, was that you?" asked Tails.
"Yeah, I can't think of too many other people who fit the description of being a Rastafarian Tickle Me Elmo…" Maddie stared at Knuckles.
"Alright Knux, fess up," Sonic ribbed him.
"Alright, fine," Knuckles admitted. "I was not able to sleep that night and thought I would put your suggestions to a test, Tom."
Tom smiled slightly. "Well Knuckles, you did kinda crush his hand. And we've went over the application of force before."
Knuckles looked down nervously.
"But… you still brought down the bad guy, escaped before you could attract more attention, and spared his life while better understanding the disparity between yourself and a common crook," Tom continued. "Good job, Knuckles."
"Yeah, besides, don't feel too bad about not getting it on the first try," Sonic told him. "When I started out, I took out a whole city block on accident!"
"Yes Sonic, I still remember that well," Tom told him.
"What exactly did Sonic do again?" asked Knuckles.
"Uh, The Flash is starting and I hear the popcorn in the microwave so I'm just gonna watch it upstairs," Sonic smiled nervously before speeding off.
"Well anyways, road bumps are just a part of life," Tom said to Knuckles as Sonic disappeared. "You'll encounter them on your journey but you'll get to your destination eventually."
"Yes," Knuckles agreed. "And until then, I will keep in mind that responsibility must walk hand-in-hand with power."
Fin.