An inconspicuous van slowly drove through the streets of Emerald town. Inside Luger and a surveillance crew were watching the troops through their cameras. Knuckles meanwhile was sleeping in his bed when Chomp suddenly smelled something and raised his head. This faint noise was enough to wake Knuckles up. Outside, Zavok and the others were making their way up the stairs of the flat all carrying guns with tranq rounds. One of them went to the door and fed a small wire camera through the bottom. He checked the screen and saw a shape lying on the bed. He took the camera out, nodded the others behind him before placing a small explosive on the side of the door. They all moved back and detonated the explosive breaking the door. They all ran in, Chomp growled at them, but the troops fired on the shape on the bed. Zavok noticed there was no reaction and quickly pulled the blanket off revealing it to be pillows "Target's on the move". Chomp kept growling so Zavok shot him with a dart knocking him out. "Where is he!?" Zavok heard Luger ask over the radio. Knuckles meanwhile was climbing down the wall of the flat carrying his bag, he went past a window where Rumi was. She screamed seeing him and Knuckles told her to stop. He jumped in and covered her mouth. Zavok looked out the window and saw spiked holes in the outside wall of the flat "He's on the ground. Let's go". They ran out of the building and down the street. Rumi looked out her door and saw them leave.
Knuckles watched them get out of sight "Obrigada" he kissed Rumi on the cheek and ran outside as she watched him curiously. Knuckles put his hat on and cautiously sneaked through the streets. He kept going and turned a corner when he saw Zavok looking directly at him. Knuckles tried to casually turn around but "We got him! Go! Go!". Luger in the van saw Knuckles on the cameras "Go! Do not lose him!". Knuckles ran as fast as he could though the streets, the soldiers' guns scared away anyone who would be willing to help him. Zavok stopped to try and shoot him but Knuckles quickly turned a corner. The others ran past him but instead of following, Zavok went a different way to try and cut Knuckles off. Knuckles turned another corner and ran onto a roof where clothes were drying. He ran through them and lost his hat. He jumped over a gap between roofs. One of the soldiers behind him didn't see the gap and fell through. Another tried to shoot him but just missed. Knuckles began to hear a beeping from his watch. He jumped down into one of the streets and hid behind a pile of crates carrying glass bottle. He breathed heavily, he was exhausted, and his watch said his heart was beating at 175 per minute. He used the breathing techniques he was taught until his heart was down to 153. He moved back but saw Zavok again. The Zeti fired but Knuckles just managed to move out of the way. Knuckles ran down an ally onto a road where the van suddenly appeared in front of him. Luger stepped out causing Knuckles to stop for a moment. The two eyed each other for a moment before Knuckles quickly went the other way as Luger got back in the van "Get around behind him". Knuckles looked behind him causing him to run into someone. He turned around and realised it was the hawk "Oh, no. You gotta be kidding me". The Hawk and his three friends started yelling at Knuckles before trying to punch him. Knuckles ducked and threw him over his back. He ran through the other three and they all chased after him.
Knuckles kept running until finding himself back at the bottle factory. He thought it would be a good place to hide and so ran inside. He entered the locker room and stopped again; he didn't even have to check his watch to know his heart was beating too fast. He then heard a voice "Equidna!". Knuckles ran into the main part of the factory. The soldiers and the Hawk's group had also entered the factory and were searching for him. Knuckles ran to a door and opened it to find the hawk and a dog behind it "Olá". Knuckles backed away but was grabbed from behind "No! Please, no!". The hawk grabbed his bag and threw it down the stairs "Not the computer!". A wolf and badger pinned him against the wall. The hawk laughed "Não é tão difícil agora, hein? Tente esses movimentos sofisticados de novo". The soldiers could hear them and put on night vision goggles and took positions. Knuckles could tell his heartbeat getting faster "Pare. Por favor. Eu ... com raiva ... ruim. muito mal" he begged. The Hawk scoffed "You bad angry. I very bad angry". Knuckles saw in his watch he was close to 200. He then saw one of the soldiers up on a grate about to shoot at them "Oh no. You don't understand! Something really bad is about to happen here!" he tried to struggle but the two guys kept him in place. The hawk laughed "Yeah… Very bad". He punched Knuckles in the stomach. One of the soldiers took a shot but hit the badger in the shoulder causing him to fall over unconscious. The others didn't notice as they were too busy laughing at Knuckles who they threw aside. He lied there in the dark when his watch suddenly hit 200. Knuckles eyes opened wide and were shining green for a moment. The soldiers saw him with the night vision and could see Knuckles' body convulse as if he were in pain. He hit his leg against the grate breaking it as if it were carboard "Anyone else seeing this?" one of the soldiers asked. The hawk heard Knuckles growling in the dark "Cale-se". He kicked Knuckles' body, but his leg was suddenly grabbed. A snap was heard and the hawk screamed as he was dragged into the dark.
