(((why do I torture myself so? Why do I waste the energy writing when no one wants to read it? What's the point? And why don't they like it? What's not to like?

Sonic: you made us boring. -.-;

A: you're adults! With careers! Of course you're boring! Right now... Wait till I get to the juicy parts!

Knuckles: juicy is good. I like juice. Things are always better juicy.

Shadow: I don't see how I fit in here.

A: you will, trust me, you will. How could I leave the sexiest hedgehog in existence out of my fic? -said in a goo goo voice while pinching Shadow's cheeks-

Sh: nani...

S: but... I thought I was the sexiest hedgehog in existence...;-;

A: naah, sorry. You're just the main hero dude person thing.

S: u.u sob! I'm not sexy anymore!

K: of course you are, Soni-kun. I still think you are! -swats Sonic's ass-

S: O.O;;; Knux, get your hand off my ass.

K:D nupe.

S: ... I don't like our author anymore.

&& tra la la la la, I own sonic not. Quit thee from my presence, o foul being, wa!&&

(AN- NOW I see why people aren't reading my work! I'm insane! They're just frightened! Whew, for a minute I thought they didn't like me.)

Chapter 4- Mommy Dearest

Another boringly lackadaisical afternoon. Still no job. And he was running low on cash, I might add. So he had to wait for Monday to get out there and start job hunting again.

'It would be so nice not to have to worry about this shit,' Knuckles thought to himself while gazing down at the empty street below his fire escape.

'Who do I have to fuck to get back what I had before?'

Just then there came a light rapping at his door. He sighed, ignoring it. 'I've had enough of them for a few days. They can find somewhere else to sit around and drink beer.'

"Herman! It's your mother. Now open this door!"

"Oh, God, why do you torture me so?"

(AN- yes, Knuckles knows who his parents are. In the comic, his mom has these nifty ribbons cris-crossing her tendrils and she has green eyes. She's also red like her son. Just add a few years to her complexion and you've got Knux's ma. Now, the whole Herman bit I made up. It's cute, isn't it,)

He reluctantly opened the door, a tired expression of defeat in his sleep-deprived face.

"Hi, Ma."

"That's all you have to say to me after four- no, almost five years?" She let herself in, tut-tutting at the apartment.

"How did you find me, Ma?"

"Oh, I went to that darling Julie. She helped me with the address. What did you do to her to make her so sad?" she frowned accusingly.

Knuckles/Hermansighed, not willing to let his mother know that first, Julie was no darling and second, it was what SHE did to make HIM sad.

"I honestly don't know, Ma."

"Well, I think you ought to apologize."

He sighed again. "Sure thing, Ma."

"Now, your friend Sonic tells me you're drinking again..."

Knuckles took on a complaining tone. "Maaaa!"

"I just wanted you to know I don't approve. My Herman, an alcoholic. And especially since you're not the right age yet."

"In one year, Ma. Gimme a break. You have no idea what I've been through."

She stood for a moment, frowning slightly, then strode to his couch and sat, patting the spot next to her. "Then you can tell me so I might understand."

He sighed with aggravation, sitting angrily, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees.

"I miss Angel Island. Things were so much better and easier up there. Life down here is just so hard. I don't know how I'm gonna make it."

"You've always made it before. I don't see how this is any harder." She said, matter-of-factly. "You've faced enemies that would give me nightmares to look at. You've been captive to the cruelest creatures I ever want to think about. You were always so strong, and you conquered all your obstacles. My son can overcome anything!" she leaned over and gave him a tight hug. "That's why they call you Knuckles, isn't it?"

He thought about this for awhile, then smiled lightly. "You're right, Ma. You're right."

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It was dank and almost pitch black in the cave he called his home. Only for the time being, of course. Soon, very soon, the power would be his again. Exactly what power and why he needed it were still conundrums. You see, he had no recollection of his life before a specific point in time five months ago….. all he had were the random, mindless mutterings that came to his lips from dark, hazy areas of his subconscious…… he was undoubtedly slowly losing his mind….

He flipped the visor over his face again as he took the blow torch to his work-in-progress.

"They'll pay…… they'll all pay….. how DARE they……they had no right…. She did nothing….. she was innocent……. nothing…. nothing's gonna change my world…. Just wait until I'm finished…."

He turned off the torch, taking off the visor and wiping his brow for a moment, leaning back against the metal of his creation.

'What am I talking about? Who… Who the hell is she?' he rubbed his grease-and-soot-smeared face with an equally soiled hand. He considered removing his gloves

Suddenly, a small shower of pebbles and dust rained down on him, causing an echoed clatter to resound in the shaft of the cave. He shot instantly to his feet, looking around frantically, yet blindly in the dark.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

"I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you." came a feminine voice from the blackness. There was a heavy British accent to it, and he could hear it coming from the tunnel overhead.

"What do you want?"

"The same thing you want. And I think you're just the person to get it for me."

He panicked. He thought only Rouge and himself knew of the prized, powerful gem.

"How do you know about the Dark Emerald? It's mine! You hear me? You can't have it!"

"Do you even know WHO has it?"

He had to hold his tongue on that one. He lowered his head, growling. "I didn't think anyone had it…. I….. I have my methods of tracking these things….."

"And yet, you are still unable to find it?" she cackled, to his annoyance. "Shadow, Shadow, Shadow. What has become of you? You're sitting down here in this God-forsaken pit, building this weapon of mass destruction and you don't know where your precious emerald is? Shame."

His breath quickened. "How do you know my name? Why won't you show yourself?"

"If it'll put you at ease, I'll come down."

The sound of nylon rope humming was heard as a dark figure dropped down in front of him. He hastily picked up his blow torch, lighting it.

The figure removed her night-vision goggles, then the black stealth mask, letting her hair and tendrils fall free from their encasement. She was an echidna, though none like Shadow had ever seen. She was golden in hue, and had reddish-pink eyes that glowed in the firelight. Her hair was in curls, cascading over her many long, thin tendrils which were tied back. She smirked at him, looking him over for a moment before emitting a single unimpressed "Hm."

Shadow's permanent frown deepened slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I expected somewhat more from you, Shadow. It's interesting, funny even. Shadow hiding in the shadows. Poetic justice, I believe they call it."

"You know who has the emerald, don't you?"

"But of course! And I would have gotten it for myself already if I didn't need you."

He paused, looking at her for a moment with a quizzical expression crossing his harsh features.

"Who are you anyway?"

She offered a black-gloved hand. "Karpa Fairchild, of the highbred echidnas."

He continued to frown at her, but didn't take it. She drew her hand back.

"… and you obviously know me…." he said, somewhat apprehensively.

"Only by reputation."

"And what reputation is that?"

She smirked again, naughtily this time. "A bad one."

He raised an eyebrow in question, but returned to the matter at hand. "Who has the emerald?"

She laughed, giving him a coy side glance. "Wouldn't you like to know? I'll tell you when I need you to. Alright? Now, we have much work to do, so latch on. We're getting out of here." With this, she stepped forward, pulling the extra harness from her own. Shadow cast aside the blow torch and allowed her to wrap the thing around his waist, if not a little inconspicuously embarrassed.

"Now, I'm going to need you to hold onto me. Arms around the waist and no lower. I can drop you, you know."

"Understood." he did as instructed, blushing slightly from the close proximity with this complete stranger, but minding little. With that, the two ascended through the darkness.

Knuckles waited somewhat nervously on his cell listening to the ringing tone.

"Hello?"

"Hi! Yeah, Tarsa? It's Knuckles. Hi."

"Hi! You called!"

"Yeah, I did. Hey listen... uh..."

"... yes?"

'ask her, damnit. It's not hard.'

"You wanna go see a movie tonight?"

'HA! I did it.'

"uh,... sure! A little sudden, but sure! I'm off work. Which one did you wanna see?"

"Well, the Hidalgo one looked pretty cool, but I kinda wanted to see 50 First Dates. Sandler's hilarious."

"Let's see Hidalgo! Viggo is so...sighs... eh, anyway. Yeah!"

"Ok! Gimme your address and I'll come pick you up!"

"Cowboy! Cowboy!" the characters shouted while the hot desert sun blazed on the screen.

"I hope he makes it..." Tarsa whispered, hugging Knuckles' arm in anticipation.

"He has to. He's the hero." he said with disinterest. He was more occupied, at the moment, with Tarsa's breasts pressing against his arm.

'Keep it together, man. Keep it together.'

She squeaked and hid her face in his shoulder as the evil sheikh released the leopards on the poor injured Hidalgo. Knuckles couldn't help but grin.

(((Ok, you people have to start reviewing. I can't keep writing a chapter a day if you don't give me a reason to. So, review please and tell me how much you hates it.)))