It's been a long night of shattered bones, constant reactions from the surrounding crowd, endless commentating, and the ever-so-familiar sight of two rightfully stressed paramedics rushing to snuff out a potential investigation. Each time a match wrapped up, Knuckles awaited his name being called, only for it to be someone else's. Just like in the diner, he has no idea what could be making him so nervous.
An echidna never buckles under pressure… he reminds himself, clenching his fists.
The reminder does little to settle his nerves. So far, no one from Eggman's team of hired hands has been called down to enter the ring. If one of them registered before he did, and the match-ups are going by the order of when the fighters signed on, he'll inevitably be facing one of them. He alone will determine if the emerald falls into Eggman's nasty palm.
"You okay, Knux?" Sonic asks, turning away from the current fight that's nearing its end, with a male tiger receiving the full might of a pink male hippopotamus's fury.
"I'm fine, there's no need to check up on me."
"Hey, it's okay if you're nervous."
"I am not…!"
Knuckles gives up, releasing a deep exhale. He grabs his forehead, watching as the referee proclaims the hippo as the obvious winner.
"Truth is, I'd be nervous too," Sonic admits.
"Psst, you're never nervous," Knuckles says, leaning back.
"Oh, you'd be surprised," Sonic chuckles.
"How do you always seem… so sure of yourself, Sonic? Especially with our current struggle? Our shared enemy has four of the emeralds and knows exactly where the last three are. We have no means of transport, we've been beaten at every turn… why are you not scared?"
"That's an easy one, Knux. I am. Truthfully, I've been scared to death ever since this adventure started. Even before that, actually."
"Then how do you do it? How do you find the strength to keep pushing? Even when everything seems so… impossible."
"You already know the answer to that. After all, it's why you're still here. Because we have no other option. Yeah, things may seem uncertain, and our circumstances may be dire. But what's the point of harping on the bad? Why focus on what could go wrong? I'm sitting with three amazing friends in Mobius's most gorgeous city. We have a plan on how to obtain this emerald and keep it from Robotnik's grasp. All that's left is to wait and execute it. Why not make the most of it?"
Knuckles chuckles.
"You make it sound so easy."
"Maybe," Sonic shrugs. "Or maybe you're making it harder. We could both be right. Either way, it doesn't change the fact that you'll do great out there, Knuckles. You don't have anything to prove to anyone."
That last comment catches Knuckles off guard. In fact, it makes him flinch. It's an idea he's never so much as considered before. It goes against everything he's trained for. Everything he's trained to be. Worthy. If Sonic is right, and this quest of his is pointless, then what was it all for?
"WE'VE HAD A FUN NIGHT, EVERYONE!" the referee announces, bringing an end to the excited chatter at the last match's end. "BUT NOW IT'S TIME FOR ONE FINAL SHOWDOWN! IT'S TIME FOR THE FINAL TWO FIGHTERS TO STEP UP!"
He'll have time to think on Sonic's words later. The fired-up echidna rises from his seat. Across from him, he watches as the bat stands and begins making her way down the bleachers. It looks as though his rematch with the black hedgehog will have to wait. Part of him is relieved. Another part is deeply disappointed.
"Break a leg, Knux!" Sonic says, giving a thumbs up. "But not literally. Actually, try and avoid that if you can help it."
"You got this, Knuckles!" Tails confidently cheers.
"My money is on you, so you better not lose!" Amy winks.
Knuckles looks back at his three smiling allies, lost for words.
What have I done to earn such trust? Such faith? I… I can't fail them.
He returns their smile and starts down the grey stairs leading to the round arena where the smiling referee awaits. It only takes but ten seconds when Knuckles makes it all the way down, exactly at the same pace Rouge does.
"HE'S BIG, HE'S RED, AND HE'S MEAN!" the referee yells, dancing around the ring. "GIVE IT UP FOR… KNUCKLE-HEAD!"
Almost immediately, Knuckles looks back, sending a fiery gaze at Sonic who returns it with a smile and a not-so-innocent wave.
"I'll get you back for this when you least expect it, you blue buffoon," he mutters, grinning a little.
"CHALLENGING THIS BRUTE IS A RETURNING WINNER… ROGE THE BAT!!"
A collection of cheers and screams leave the surrounding audience.
"It's Rouge!" she corrects.
"...ROGE!"
Another batch of cheers.
Annoyed, she sighs, remembering more and more why she never came back to this establishment.
"You're not getting that emerald!" Knuckles declares. "That's a promise!"
"Aw, but it looks so pretty…" she playfully whines, causing a vein on the echidna's forehead to nearly pop. "Now that I think about it, they all do! I've had ample time to admire them. If you behave yourself, I'll let you get a five-second peek at the one I'm about to win."
"Funny, because I'm not gonna let you get a peek at all! HA! What do you think about that?"
"Oh, sweetie, you're so precious, I almost want to go easy on you… almost."
"ARE YOU BOTH READY?" the referee asks, stepping back to give the fighters room. "THREE… TWO… ONE… RUMBLE!"
Never in his life has Knuckles been too afraid to make the first move. A tradition he has no intention of breaking. With everything he can muster, like a rocket, he shoots forward with a fist aimed at the bat's smug face. Unannounced to him, she was anticipating such a move. With unforeseen speed, she bends backward, with the tip of Knuckle's glove brushing against her nose. She grabs his shoulders and flips him over, sending his face on a collision course with the floor.
Instinctively, he uses his hands to stop his fall and flips backward, landing on his feet. Sweat forms on his brow, realizing this won't be an easy victory to achieve. Nevertheless, he'll achieve it anyways.
"Such impressive physique," Rouge smiles. "It's breaking my heart having to bruise the merchandise."
"Is everything a game with you?!" Knuckles barks. "You're helping a globally feared conqueror take over the place you call home! What could possibly be worth it?"
"Kids with bad luck don't get homes," Rouge responds, preparing to counter with a combat-ready stance. "Everything I have- I earned. The world didn't give me anything. Why should I care what happens to it?"
Like she predicted, Knuckles once again makes the first move. He launches himself back into the ropes outlining the small fighting space, and it carries him forward with additional speed. Speed Rouge just barely dodges by flying above the red bullet.
"Heads up, down here, we consider that move a bit of a cliche," she says as Knuckles lodges his fist into the floor to bring a premature stop to his quick flight. "Props for ingenuity though."
"Not even you believe your own lies," Knuckles says, staring up at Rouge. "Your face says it all. You're bluffing. You don't actually believe the world isn't worth saving."
"You don't know anything about me!"
This time, it's Rouge who goes for the deciding blow, launching down at Knuckles's position. He leaps to his right, avoiding a close call in the form of Rouge's violent landing, leaving a giant crack in the arena floor.
"You're treading a dark path," Knuckles continues, getting up. "One devoid of any honor or dignity. One you soon won't be able to walk away from. Something about the way you carry yourself tells me your heart isn't one of evil."
"Funny, isn't placing blind trust in a stranger what got you in this mess in the first place?"
Demonstrating immense flexibility, Rouge spins around and extends a leg mere inches from Knuckles's face, but the kick never reaches its target. Instead, it's caught by his hand, momentarily trapping her.
"Yeah, it was," Knuckles responds.
Without so much as blinking, he launches Rouge into the air with a casual throw. He quickly joins her, jumping up high and reaching her current height. Not allowing room for any sort of retaliation, his large fists grab her neck.
"But with the help of the people I care about, I'm gonna get out of it. My friends. That's what the world has given me. And it's my newfound duty to protect them."
CRASH!
Both Mobians land back down- Knuckles on his feet, and Rouge on her back which has left a bat-shaped impression on the floor. The crowd goes wild, screaming with awe and admiration at such an impressively quick finisher. Yet, even with all the cheering, Knuckles can hear a barely audible: "ROUGE!" come from behind him.
He turns around and spots the space beside Eggman's robot unoccupied. Turning back to Rouge, he sees the weakened bat now being held in Shadow's arms. The hedgehog's red pupils burn into Knuckles's eyes. An unspoken promise.
You'll pay for this.
In a blink, they're both no longer inside the arena. They're back at their seats, where Shadow gently eases a dazed Rouge back into hers.
"I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT JUST HAPPENED!" the referee admits. "BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS KNUCKLE-HEAD CLEARS THIS ROUND!"
For hopefully one of the last times tonight, all sound in the building is engulfed with the cries of passionate and satisfied fans. Knuckles could care less about what they think. His full attention lies on three particular individuals. Sonic, Amy, and Tails, for the first time all night, join in the cheers. The echidna dawns a proud smile.
I guess the hedgehog was right. What use is proving oneself when those closest already appreciate you. Though, I can never admit as much to his face.
Knuckles makes his way back up the tight stairs and retakes his seat.
"I knew you could do it!" Amy happily says.
"Right on!" Tails adds, extending his fist, which Knuckles stares at with uncertainty.
"I don't get it, are you challenging me, fox?"
"No, it's a fist bump! You just have to bump it with your-"
Nothing could brace the young boy for the impact of Knuckles's mighty fist, nearly straining each of his fingers. Tails's hand recoils back.
"Ow, ow, ow!" he grunts, barely audible over Sonic and Amy's shared laugh.
"You Mobians have a lot of strange customs," Knuckles mumbles, still a little confused.
"AND THERE WE HAVE IT!" the referee announces, taking center stage. "WE HAVE REACHED THE END OF ANOTHER WONDERFUL NIGHT HERE AT BEAN THE DYNAMITE'S FIGHTING ARENA! NOW TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNER!"
This is it. Practically everyone leans forward in anticipation, awaiting the result.
"AND THE VICTOR OF TONIGHT'S PRIZE IS… STICKS THE BADGER!"
Each of the four friends' jaws are left hanging as the orange badger excitedly sprints to the arena to claim her reward. Once she gets there, the referee pulls the dazzling, glowing cyan gem from his back pocket, and she accepts it with the gracefulness of a banshee, spinning around in circles.
"IT'S MINE!" she cheers. "THE BLUE SHINY THING IS MINE! WITH IT, I AM ONE STEP CLOSER TO UNROOTING THE GREAT CONSPIRACY KEEPING US CHAINED TO THIS ROCK OF HOLLOW EARTH! MARK MY WORDS, GREAT ONE!"
"We have to get that emerald!" Knuckles yells, standing up, followed by the others. "Before that black hedgehog gets to her fir-!"
"Follow me."
Startled by the strange, unfamiliar voice, the group turns to where it came from. They catch a glimpse of a tall, thin, Mobian bear dressed in an all-black uniform before he quickly turns away and starts walking down the stairs, joined by others now that the show has ended.
"What are you-?"
Something the mysterious man flashes behind him causes Sonic to stop mid-sentence. A badge. A yellow police badge to be exact.
"Follow me," he repeats, not turning around. "We have what you're looking for. Try and look casual."
Weirded out, but convinced the man must know something they don't, the four friends try and look casual as they catch up to him. Something that doesn't go unnoticed by Shadow the Hedgehog, watching the group from where he, Rouge, and Omega still sit.
…