CHAPTER 12

CHAOS AT ANGEL ISLAND

That next morning at Angel Island, Knuckles was guarding the Master Emerald as he usually did while he was thinking about Shadow and Rouge which really disgusted him. He was trying to relax by having his eyes closed. "What a selfish bastard", he muttered. "How dare he steal Rouge from me. I'm gonna make him pay that's for sure." He then heard a deep laugh.

"So will I", a voice said.

He opened his eyes and saw a yellow haired man, with yellow eyes, a yellow jewel in his necklace, and wearing a black cloak with four swords on his back, "Karu!"

"I know what you're feeling, echidna. Shadow is a major threat to both of our lives. So I have a proposition for you. You join us and Shadow will be yours to destroy."

Knuckles had to think for moment. He did want Shadow dead, but...joining the fourteen demons for world conquest was another thing. Besides he never wanted to hurt Rouge even more. "I want to kill Shadow, but I can't join you. This is something I must do on my own."

The demon acted like he didn't care, "Oh I see. Oh well." He started to walk towards the Master Emerald, until Knuckles stood in front of him.

"Hold it, Karu!"

"Knuckles, I assist you to get out of the way before I use force."

"What do you want with the Master Emerald?"

"That's none of your business now move or die!" He took out one of his swords.

Knuckles didn't like the idea of fighting a fourteen demon, but he had to protect the Master Emerald. He ran towards him with his fists clenched.

Later at Vector's house, Vector was in his garage checking the old communicator and it seemed to be still working. "Hey it works!"

"What works?" Charmy asked as he came into the room.

Vector looked over to him, "The communicator, it's still good."

"Why do we need that hunk of junk for?"

"To contact the others of course. After all the fourteen demons are back. We're gonna need all the help we can get if we encounter one", he said as he set it on the floor.

"I guess you're right about that."

"Charmy! Vector!" Chloe called as she came in the room looking like she had urgent news.

"What is it, Chloe?" Vector asked.

"Yeah what's wrong?" Charmy asked as well.

"I sensed another demon."

Charmy placed his hands on her shoulders, "Where?"

"At Angel Island." She looked over to Charmy, "Honey, we have to use the X-jet. Does it still work?"

Charmy shrugged, "I'm not so sure. I haven't used it for a long time. It's still at the Chaotix."

"Okay I'll call the rest of the guys to let them know", Vector said as he picked up his communicator from the floor.

Later, everyone showed up at the old Chaotix Detective Agency building.

Tonya held Espio's arm, "This sure bring back memories. Doesn't it, Espio?"

The chameleon looked over to her with a smile, "Sure does."

Spike looked around studying the dusty place, "This was where you use to work at? Sure doesn't look much now."

Rouge took Shadow's hand, "It is to us. This was where Shadow and I first fell in love right, Shad?"

Shadow started to blush at the comment, "Yeah it was."

Charmy walked into the main lobby and his antennas flopped down.

Chloe saw him do it and embraced on him, "What's wrong?"

"Well the X-jet has six seats."

"I'll decide who's gonna go", Vector said. "Charmy, Shadow, Rouge, Espio, Chloe, and me will go."

"Wait a sec, Vector. I won't let Chloe go. What if she gets hurt?" Charmy said while he held Chloe close to him.

The crocodile sighed, "Fine, Tonya will go in her place."

"Hold it, Vector!" Spike shouted.

Vector looked over to him in annoyance, "What?"

"Why can I go? I'm strong."

"Well you have to stay here because since you're so strong, you have to protect the rest that's staying behind in case something bad happens."

Spike smiled a bit, "I guess you're right."

"All right let's go to Angel Island!" Charmy shouted.

Everyone started to head for the garage.

Charmy was about to go until he was pulled into a kiss by Chloe. He blushed after when she broke away from him.

"Please come back", she begged.

Charmy smiled and kissed her back, "I will don't worry about a thing." He broke away from her and ran into the garage to meet the others.

Chloe watched as Charmy and the others went into the garage, 'Please be careful...all of you.'

Later at Angel Island, Knuckles fell to the ground exhausted from the fight.

Karu stomped his foot on Knuckles hand and enjoyed hearing him scream, "Give it up, echidna. You know you can't defeat me."

Knuckles looked up from the ground and at Karu, "I don't think so." He used his free hand, clenched it, and punched Karu's ankle with it.

The demon fell to the ground with a hurt ankle, "Damn you!" As the X-jet landed, Karu slowly took out a small dagger while Knuckles was looking at them.

Vector and the rest of them started to run over to Knuckles, "Knuckles, what's going on!" He shouted.

Shadow looked over to the yellow haired demon, "Karu!"

The demon smirked, "Well, well, well if it isn't the black hedgehog."

Before Shadow could fight him, Knuckles stood in front of him, "Knuckles, get out of the way!"

"No Shadow, this is my fight."

"Are you crazy? You'll die. He's one of the fourteen demons if you haven't noticed."

"Does it look like I give a damn, Hedgehog? Now get back and stay out of my business!" He walked over to Karu still on the ground. He picked him up by his black cloak and threatened to punch him with his fist. "Why did you come here for the Master Emerald?"

The demon smiled, "Heh, I didn't come here for that useless emerald." He positioned his dagger at Knuckles' chest without him noticing, "I came here for your death!"

Knuckles's eyes widened with agony in his tears. Knuckles' grip on Karu loosened and he soon let go of him. He fell to the ground trying to take out the erect dagger that was stabbed in his chest, but he was too weak to do it.

Rouge gasped at the sight of his injury. "Knuckles..."she said softly.

Shadow looked over to Espio, "Es, let's take that fucker down!"

Espio nodded, followed Shadow and charged towards Karu.

Shadow rolled into a ball and hit Karu in the face with his sharp quills scraping against his skin.

Karu kneeled to the ground holding his bleeding face. He looked to him with blood running down his face, "You black bastard!"

Shadow smirked, "No need to get racists about it."

The demon gritted his teeth and took out his sword and stood from the ground running towards Shadow with the sharp blade of the sword pointing towards him.

Rouge ran over to Knuckles and kneeled to the ground. She quickly removed the bloody dagger from his chest. "Knuckles, are you okay?"

The bleeding echidna coughed up some of his blood and looked into Rouge's teal eyes. "I don't know."

"Knuckles, you can't die on us!"

He pulled Rouge closer to him, "I want you to answer this question for me. Just one question."

She nodded with her tears meeting his face.

"Do you love me?"

She began to cry more, "I...I..."

"Answer me! Do you!" He shouted.

Rouge looked in his tearing eyes, "I...don't. I love Shadow."

Knuckles smiled a bit through his pain, "I had a feeling you would say that." His smile faded, "Even though you love Shadow, I'm still in love with you." His eyes closed and he stopped breathing.

Rouge began to shake him, "Knuckles! Knuckles!"

Tonya placed her hand on Rouge's shoulder, "He's dead, Rouge. I'm sorry."

Rouge stood from the ground with Karu's bloody dagger still in her hand. She glared at Karu still fighting Shadow and Espio. "That damn motherfucker! Go to hell you son of bitch!" She then took the dagger and threw it towards Karu's head.

The demon fell to the ground with the dagger stabbed in the center of his head. He was dead.

Rouge walked over to his lifeless body and glared at it

Espio smiled at her, "Damn, bat girl."

"Nice aim, Rouge", Shadow said.

She crossed her arms, "We have to kill these things before anymore people get hurt." She looked over to Shadow, "Right, Shad?"

"Right." He looked over to Knuckles' body, 'The death of Knuckles was all it took and she's become as serious as me? Did she care about that selfish bastard that much?'

"Hey guys!" Charmy shouted. "I think we have another visitor." He was staring at somebody in a black cloak standing beside the shrine of the Master Emerald. He was wearing a hood over his head to hide his identity.

Everyone else looked over to the strange person as well.

Espio took out a shuriken star, "It's one of them."

"A fourteen demon", Shadow stood in a fighting stance.

Vector sighed, "Not again."

The stranger approached them slowly, "Tonya", he said in a soft voice.

Tonya's eyes widened, "How did he know my name?"

He took off his hood and his face was white, with white hair that came down to his neck, white pupils in his eyes, and he had a white jewel in his necklace that he was wearing. He ran towards her and hugged her breaking down into tears, "Tonya, I missed you so much! I need you with me!"

Tonya didn't know what to say at the time. It took her a while to remember his name, "Ker", she said in a low voice.

The demon broke away from her and stared into her blue eyes, "Tonya, I..." He was then pulled into a hug.

She held the demon closer to her, "It's all right, Ker. I'm here."

N/A: Yay! Knuckles is dead! He deserved that so much! I know most of you are as happy as I am!