GIGANTIC STREEEETTCH.

Alright another morning, another chapter and apologies for not posting last week. Anyway hope you enjoy! ^u^

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or locations. They belong to Sega.

Chapter 16: Warm Greetings

"YOU!"

"YOU LIAR!" a rough voice shouted just as they delivered a hard punch towards the owner of the other voice, sending them flying into the sky. They turned and punched a large purple machine afterwards, causing it to fly away as well. The person landed back on the ground with another coming next to him.

"SONIC!" a feminine voice shouted.

"You both made it!" said yet another. The feminine one tackled Sonic and bearhugged him. "Yeah!" he replied.

"Oh Sonic!" the feminine voice cried out.

"Knuckles and I had it all under control." Sonic stated. Knuckles then began walking away.

"Knuckles!" the voice said.

"I bet you want to apologize to Sonic for believing all the lies that Eggman told about him, and you probably want to thank him too while you're too proud!" the feminine voice shouted.

"Zip it!" Knuckles turned and exchanged expressions with the others. "Later!"

…

…

…

Tunnel vision.

A strange phenomenon that involves the loss of peripheral vision to focus on the concentrated center of one's vision and solely devote their gaze onto whatever they are paying attention to.

In simpler terms, the view surrounding their outer vision becomes constricted and narrows down to what's in front of them. It can be caused by several factors whether it be disease, genetics, certain types of medicine, self-awareness, or other unexplained circumstances.

For some however, it is triggered by stimulants either coming from a natural source or artificial source. While artificial normally involves an external origin, natural usually comes from oneself depending on what one is doing. Whether it be doing something exciting or focused too much on a task, tunnel vision can come in moments of exhilaration.

It can also come in forms of stress as well.

While also tacking on incredible acceleration to reach mind-numbing speeds.

WHOOSH!

Just as what passed through tall strips of grass within a forest that left behind a red streak covered in lightning.

Violet eyes were currently experiencing this tunnel vision, Knuckles' expression one of engagement and slight panic as he raced through the vast woods heading back to the cave. His feet rapidly pushed off the uneven terrain with his vision solely focused on what's ahead of him, the surroundings meaning little to him.

Jumping across fallen trees and logs while weaving around obstacles like boulders and small cliffs, Knuckles was definitely in a hurry to get back.

If the smoke in the distance followed by a bright glow wasn't anything to be concerned about.

For the red echidna however he knew that the Shinjin Warriors along with the Gaia Phoenix were present there, and his gut told him that they might be in a bit of a pickle.

'Get there faster damnit!' Knuckles shouted to himself. Picking up the pace Knuckles dashed across the fields within the forest leaving a blazing trail in his wake. Apparently the years he's been at the Shinjin Shrine did wonders to his speed that at times he would go so fast that fire would erupt from his footsteps due to the push he engages with his feet. The moment of friction that occurs upon propelling himself forward is near instantaneous that it causes high heat to ignite rapidly and just like the Blue Blur himself, his acceleration becomes almost just as fast as the latter.

While he couldn't last as long as his former friend, that didn't mean Knuckles' bursts of speed were anything to laugh at.

Growling to himself he decided to make things simpler.

"Chaos Control!"

Just like that he teleported further and reappeared in front of the cave. A fire was shown to his right with what looks like a damaged plane crash landed, the trench it made behind very noticeable. The metal and broken windows were slowly being engulfed by the flames along with electrical components wearing away and causing small explosions.

Knuckles panted lightly from the run, his eyes widening a bit at the fire. On the plane showed a familiar word… along with a symbol he never wanted to see again.

Immediate anger flowed through his body, flames just as bright if not more vicious were apparent in his eyes, sharp teeth clenched ready to kill. Knuckles curled up into a ball and spindashed.

BOOM!

He shot off into the air and quickly accelerated into the cave.

His eyes saw several silhouettes standing, with one he knew all too well and not taking second thoughts.

"GWAH!"

Knuckles slammed himself into their torso, immediately uncurling himself and grabbing them by the throat. His ferocious anger did not let up as he slammed the person into the rocky wall behind them.

"Why did you come here… hedgehog…" Knuckles seethed hatefully. The red energy flowing from his body illuminated his surroundings as he made out the form of Sonic hanging on the wall by his hand. Green eyes looked back in panic as the blue speedster tried freeing himself but to no avail.

"H-Hey-ACK! K-Knuc-AUGH! Ol-*GASP!*…pal…" Sonic wheezed out with great effort. Knuckles didn't care about what he says, adding more strength into his grip and seeing him begin to turn pale.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" a feminine voice shouted. Knuckles instantly raised his hand to block the incoming red and yellow hammer without effort, hearing a gasp coming out of the owner. With fury still within him Knuckles turned while throwing Sonic into the large hammer owner, seeing Amy getting struck by Sonic's body as the duo skidded onto the ground.

Just as he dodged another incoming attack. Which was imbued with bright orange flames like the ones outside.

Knuckles sidestepped once again feeling Blaze glare at him while she attempted to strike him. "Stand still you bastard!" she yelled throwing claw attacks covered by fire. None were able to hit him unfortunately and already his violet eyes were looking more and more scarier with rage in them.

POW!

"AUGH!" Blaze coughed out blood.

Knuckles was fast, just like the first time he met them after five years.

His fist was embedded in her gut, a fierce punch delivered as she left an opening to herself.

Retracting his hand Knuckles saw her clutch her stomach tightly as she curled up onto the dirt floor. Gasps of pain came out of Blaze along with fresh blood leaving her mouth and golden eyes looking up with hate.

The red echidna glared back the same. "Don't… ever attack me again. I said it once and I'll say it again… we are not the same so get that through your thick head."

"CHAOS SPEAR!"

Knuckles heard the words and immediately a bright light shot towards him. He raised a glowing palm however and blocked the attack, feeling its energy being absorbed into him with the light fading. The glow on his hand faded away as well, lowering it to his side.

WHOOSH!

Dodging backwards Knuckles narrowly felt the burning thrust of Shadow's air shoes. The red echidna expertly blocked his attacks and seeing that the black hedgehog Chaos Controlled in several directions to throw him off.

What he didn't know was that Knuckles' sensing of chaos energy has dramatically improved over the years to the point where he can accurately predict where a teleportation would end up. Since Shadow was created to be infused with said energy, the black hedgehog was at a huge disadvantage and getting incredibly irritated as his attacks weren't delivering results.

Apparently he wanted revenge for what the red echidna did to him the time they met again.

"I have the ultimate power, echidna! There's no way you can beat me!" Shadow announced.

"If you have the ultimate power then why couldn't you stop me that time. Just a touch on your neck was all it took hedgehog. You're just too predictable." Knuckles explained. All this pissed off Shadow even more, energy building within his body as a red glow started to manifest onto his fur.

"CHAOS BLA-!"

Just as before, Knuckles took him out with a two-finger strike to his neck. Violet eyes watched Shadow fall to the floor immediately knocked out.

"You leave yourself open when you do that attack. Not only that but just like my past self you get too cocky and prideful. I may sound hypocritical with how I'm saying this right now but I trained myself to improve, while you selfishly wallowed in your pride of being the Ultimate Lifeform. Pitiful." Knuckles explained. Sensing no other attacks he turned back towards where the Shinjin Warriors were at.

Only to see another of his most hated people. And the one that annoyed him for almost his entire life when he was guardian.

"I will give you five seconds to leave, bat… or else…" Knuckles breathed out his words like fire while raising a fist crackling with lightning. Rouge stood there trembling but she didn't move. "L-Look Knuckles, I'm sorry for what I did to you in the past… but just listen to-."

"WHY WOULD I LISTEN TO YOU?! TO ANY OF YOU?! YOU MADE FUN OF ME AND TORMENTED ME ALMOST MY ENTIRE LIFE! YOU DON'T DESERVE MY ATTENTION!" the red echidna shouted. His fury temporarily blinded his judgement.

"Guardian please-!"

Violet eyes narrowed into slits.

Tunnel vision kicked back in.

Adrenaline was at an all-time high.

…

A foreign hand grabbed his arm.

He was faster than lightning at that moment.

His fist going in for the kill.

"KNUCKLES!"

And then it stopped.

…

…

Knuckles panted heavily, his eyes glowing in the semi-dark cave with the look of someone bent on immediately ending another's life.

However a familiar voice passed through his ear and into his head. It sounded a lot like Cinder.

He turned to his right and his thought was correct; she along with the other Shinjin Warriors watched in shock at him. The Gaia Phoenix also had the same expression, seeing their friend as if they've never seen this side of him.

The red echidna continued to pant but his anger slowly left him and his expression softened. His judgement returned fully and Knuckles became aware of himself as the realization slowly hit him.

Just as the whimper that was let out in front of him did.

Knuckles turned to see his last target.

Shining blue eyes were wide all the way in fear as they stared at the twin spikes that were incredibly close to them by mere millimeters. If Knuckles went a tiny bit further, he would've permanently blinded them.

The red echidna lowered his fist just as the lightning imbued on it dissipated. In front of him stood the same orange echidna that he saw before.

His eyes met hers for a moment, but then he turned and walked towards the Shinjin Warriors. Knuckles missed the worried look she gave to him as well.

The Shinjin Warriors and the Gaia Phoenix looked at him with the same expression yet didn't say anything. They knew and could feel the intense emotion radiating off their crimson friend and if they didn't choose their words carefully, they could get the same treatment as the others.

"So… um… what's going on here?" Cinder spoke nervously. Dulcy fake coughed a few times to tell her to not speak further while Jian and Bunker stayed quiet. Knuckles approached them panting a bit until he let out a deep breath in the end, his eyes fully calm. "Don't worry about it, we're leaving."

"But Knuckles who are these peop-."

"We're leaving." Knuckles interrupted as he walked past them towards the Gaia Phoenix. "Fly us further north when we get outside." he muttered to it. The mythical bird simply nodded in response, spreading its wings to stretch.

"Hey don't act as if we aren't here bud!" Rouge angrily yelled at the red echidna, but her words fell on deaf ears as he climbed onto the phoenix. His eyes looked at the girls next to him. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah we're going to, but first tell us what's going on?" Jian said out of her silence. Jade green eyes stared at deep purple, an intense aura filling the air. At the other side of them Amy was helping Sonic up while Blaze and Shadow were waking up from their beating.

"Ugghh… I'll show him…" Shadow murmured, his pride ripped apart. The purple feline was no better as she wiped her mouth and struggled to stand still. "Gugh! Why… he… he…" Blaze didn't say more, feeling winded after that one punch.

Tikal and Rouge headed over to them to assist with the orange echidna taking Sonic's arm over her shoulder with Amy at the other side and Rouge picking up both Shadow and Blaze the same way with her in the middle.

"Sonic, maybe this was a bad idea. He really doesn't-." Amy was interrupted as Sonic's hand gestured her to stop. A smile was etched on his tired expression with the Blue Blur looking back happily. "It's fine Ames, I deserve it. I won't give up on him however."

Amy looked back in concern, her gaze switching over to Tikal who returned the same gesture. With Rouge, Shadow and Blaze walked over to the other three. "So what now Big Blue?" Rouge said.

"We talk to him. C'mon we didn't come all this way for nothing." Sonic pulled the two holding him, missing Shadow's small growl of anger. "Great idea faker, why not just put him down."

"Shush Shadow. Just follow what he does and we'll get out of this mess after." Rouge said. The black hedgehog mumbled several words that even she couldn't hear but ignored it. With Blaze she had conflicting thoughts of her own.

'Was I too rough?... No, he deserved it after asking me about him… But… he suffered so much on his part… was it wrong for me to attack him…?'

"You okay?" Rouge's voice startled Blaze out of her train of thought. Reacting accordingly the purple cat shook her head. "E-Everything's fine. Still reeling from that punch though."

Back to Knuckles and the Shinjin Warriors, the red echidna and white tiger continued to stare at each other. There was no anger in it, but the air was tense as if both were silently trying to pry answers off each other.

Bunker was the last to leave her silence. "Knuckles, please tell us what is the matter. Who are they?"

Dulcy nodded on her part. "Yeah what about them got you so flared up? To be honest I never, ever seen you like this?"

"Are they friends of yours?" Cinder said. Sharp violet eyes broke contact from Jian to the orange pheasant, a chill running down her spine feeling his intense gaze. Cinder gulped. "M-Maybe n-not?"

Knuckles looked at her for a bit more, feeling guilt going within him. 'Why did I look at her like that? She's my little sister and… just spit it out Knuckles. Remember what Shuifon taught you, keep a calm mind.'

"You can say that… I do know them." Knuckles said quietly. The girls gasped quietly with the Gaia Phoenix eyeing a certain blue hedgehog.

Sonic looked back at the large bird with a grin. "Long time no see hehe."

The group including Knuckles looked at Sonic's group. Cinder's eyes widened. "N-NO WAY! ARE YOU SONIC THE HEDGEHOG?!" her voice radiated through the cave. Even though it's mainly dark in there the small light that went through was enough to illuminate the features signature to the cobalt hero.

"Sonic?... Sonic…" Jian also became wide eyed. "That Sonic the Hedgehog?"

Dulcy smiled one of the biggest smiles she had. "Holy cow I've heard a lot about you! I never thought I'd meet you in person!"

Bunker also smiled on her part but kept her calm. "I see you were the one that saved Chun-nan when the Gaia Phoenix was corrupted."

Knuckles sighed, seeing the girls running over to the blue hedgehog while also greeting his friends.

"I'M ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST FANS! IT'S SUCH AN HONOR!" Cinder cheered jumping up and down. Sonic chuckled and gave a thumbs up. "It's awesome to meet someone as hyper as you. You remind me of a certain someone I know."

"Really?! Who is that? Tell me tell me!" Cinder gleefully said.

Jian and Blaze watched each other silently, the former with arms crossed with the latter having hers around her stomach still reeling. "Need some help?" Jian asked. Blaze shook her head. "It's fine, just need to sit down for a bit." she replied. Jian nodded and showed her bandaged arm. "You're not the only one."

"So I assume you're Sonic's girlfriend right?" Dulcy asked Rouge. The batgirl blushed lightly, her flirtatious personality still ever present even if she had a terrible five years. "Well he is pretty handsome~."

"AHEM!" a voice interrupted them, Dulcy turning to see the icy glare of Amy being shot at her. "You're lucky we just met, BUT I'M HIS GIRLFRIEND!"

"O-Oh… S-SORRY SORRY!" Dulcy bowed up and down rapidly. "Please forgive me!"

Rouge laughed at this. "It's fine hon, I don't mind it and I do need a good laugh. It's been terrible the last few years and something like that is good to keep the mood. And no, sadly he's not my boyfriend… buuut…" Rouge eyed Shadow who had his arms crossed staring at nothing in particular. The batgirl sighed shaking her head.

"Woah another echidna?!" Cinder watched in awe at Tikal after her chat with Sonic. "I never seen another one, not at the very least a girl one?!"

The peach-colored girl blushed nervously. "W-Well I was deceased for 3,000 years, but a while back I was brought back to life by the Master Emerald." Tikal explained.

"Master Emerald? Well I never heard of that but THAT SOUNDS SO COOL! I'M TALKING TO A NO LONGER DEAD PERSON!" Cinder cheered. Tikal was startled by her voice just as Bunker walked up to her. "Do not mind her, I am just as surprised that there is another. In Chun-nan we have many that come from afar and Knuckles was the first of his kind to arrive. He was the only one unfortunately."

"O-Oh, that must have been terrible." Tikal's eyes then turned to Knuckles as he got off the Gaia Phoenix and said something to it that she couldn't make out. "Hopefully he will not feel so alone anymore."

Knuckles said something to the Gaia Phoenix as it raised its wings up and immediately shot upward startling the others. It disappeared into a burst of flames upon reaching a good amount height.

"Uhhh what just happened?" Dulcy was the first to ask Knuckles.

"We're traveling further north on foot." he responded.

"Why?" Jian simply said.

"I just realized the Gaia Phoenix will be easily noticed in the sky if we travel that way. It's best we walk to keep our tracks covered." Knuckles adjusted his hooded scarf and tightened his black arm wraps. "I told it to find Master Shuifon and Zonshen and inform them of our whereabouts."

"Well alright we'll go with that idea." Dulcy added. "Don't mind looking outside the temple since it has been a while."

"YEAH! NATURE WALK HERE WE COME!" Cinder said following the red echidna who made his way to the cave entrance followed by the rest of the Shinjin Warriors.

…

"So you're gonna leave us behind hehe?" Sonic made himself known again.

"At least take us with you Knuckles. We're badly hurt here." Amy said.

"Well whose fault was that for not knowing how to fly the plane correctly?" Rouge muttered. The pink hedgehog looked at her with fire in her eyes. "HEY IT WASN'T ALL MY FAULT!"

"Knuckles, even though we come from different paths… we are still guardians." Blaze said on her part. "Let's just set aside our differences right now."

"Hmph…" was all Shadow said.

Knuckles turned around and was about to say no.

"Please… help us Knuckles." Tikal pleaded to him with hands clasped. Her blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

No words escaped the red echidna, his eyes staring at her silently. How can he, when this person who he barely even knew wanted his help. Heck why would he help them anyway, all they did was give him a hard life through mockery and exploiting his gullible nature.

Yet… she was different. He has only known her through those visions… but to see her alive… was different and he couldn't explain it.

Knuckles blinked several times and broke his gaze from her to look at Sonic. The blue hedgehog grinned as he felt his stare. "So what do you say Knux? Want to save the world like ole times?"

…

"Did the fox make those?" Knuckles muttered pointing at his lower body. The blue hedgehog nodded. "Yeah, these prosthetics as Tails calls them don't look half bad actually." Sonic said displaying his artificial legs which were mechanical in nature painted in blue with red and white triangular feet. "He said I can't run at full speed with them but I don't mind. Gives me time to chill more often."

'There he goes again… how does he do it?' Knuckles questioned himself before abandoning the thought. He made his decision, nonetheless.

"Fine… but do anything that reminds me of the past with you and the others treating me like dirt and I'll knock your teeth so far down your throat you're gonna stick a toothbrush right up your ass to brush them." Knuckles said fiercely before turning around and beginning to walk into the forest.

…

…

…

Everyone, including Shadow, was stunned at the death threat.

Cinder shook her head and looked at Sonic's terrified expression.

"Just what did you do to him back then?"

End of Chapter 16

Oh dang that last part lawl. Dwayne Johnson has some of the best death threat scripts I've ever heard that I just had to use it. Credit to him for saying it in the Fate of the Furious movie!

Now remember, Knuckles won't stay hating them for so long so just bear with it. He won't be that protagonist that keeps a deep hatred for the entire series; he will change his outlook.

So now that his former friends have found him and the Gaia Phoenix has left, what is next in store for the now larger group? What will they find up north?

Tune in next time! ^u^/