Robotnik in the Eggpod had soared right out of the temple only for Knuckles and Sonic to closely follow; Knuckles picked up a large boulder and had thrown it right at the eggpod and Robotnik then ended up stopping to take a look. Knuckles then quickly climbed up the temple and then glided down to the Eggpod but there was still the forcefield there.
The rest of Sonic's team got out and Robotnik then shook his head and then a large swarm of Badniks arrived as well as a large machine that landed on the ground. Robotnik had the Eggpod connected to it and it transformed into a larger spiked Eggpod with large fists; "No matter how many of your 'metal golems' that you send; I will smash and rip them apart with my Chaos power and warrior training!" Knuckles shouted confidently as Robotnik had the robot float down and then punch Knuckles far and he collided with the temple as Sonic and the team fought the Badniks with Sonic trying to run and Spin Dash the robot only to be sent back.
"I have my own Chaos Emerald back home; channeling its powers into all my creations and now with another one, that's double the power! Far more Chaos power to obliterate you with!" Robotnik mocked he swooshed down with everyone having to do their best to dodge the strong punches coming their way.
Sonic then ended up helping Knuckles up; "I can see now that perhaps... Some assistance is necessary... You have ideas on how to beat him?" Knuckles managed to admit looking like he was really swallowing his pride as Sonic pondered.
"Took you long enough Knux... You know I got my powers from a Chaos Emerald as well and you got your powers from 6 of them... If we both focus on all of our strength then we could overpower his shields and damage his suit..." Sonic told him getting a confident smirk as Knuckles nodded.
"Sound strategy hedgehog but my name is Knuckles; not 'Knux'... I don't know if you have forgotten my name given to me by my father or shortened it for some reason but I would like you to stop!" Knuckles replied and Sonic then went into ball form and Knuckles picked him up; he climbed up the temple and then began throwing Sonic at Robotnik's robot with him bounching back and Knuckles then caught him to try again.
"Oh please; such simple minded barbarian... Please; continue to waste your time as you seek a different result for some reason..." Robotnik laughed tauntingly as he just decided to watch the show as Sonic and Knuckles' fur then began glowing with electricity.
Sergeant Doberman and Antoine were taking care of Badniks while NIcole was watching nearby; ready to help out when she could. Tails and Sally were back to back with Tails using his blaster and Sally with her wrist blades.
They then saw Brass make himself known on the battlefield with Tails feeling a bit scared but Sally glared at him; "Tell me fox freak... How does it feel being a worthless sidekick to that runt wannabe hero?" Brass taunted readying his blaster but Tails scared of this infamous criminal then decided to use the MIles Electric to create several floating holograms of himself to confuse Brass.
"I know I am Sonic's sidekick and I am perfectly just fine with that; how about you? How does it feel to be the lackey of a wannabe dictator?" Tails taunted back as this got Brass furious as he then began blasting at the holograms.
"We are partners... I am no one's lackey!" Brass roared out as Tails then began blasting him with Brass also taking a bazooka blast from Sergeant Doberman.
Robotnik continued to laugh tauntingly as Sonic and Knuckles gathered their energy; Sonic was thrown Spin Dash style at the forcefield with Knuckles launching himself from the temple and as they clashed with the forcefield for a second their furs turned golden.
They succesfully pierced the forcefield and Robotnik wasn't able to notice before the lunged right through this robot and Eggpod with the impact destroying it. Robotnik was sent colliding with the ground not too softly as Knuckles picked his Chaos Emerald back up. "What... That can't be possible..." Robotnik muttered in disbelief as Sonic looked down at him smirking with Knuckles snickering. "Brass help me!" Robotnik demanded as he managed to get his gauntlet back online after a few seconds of being on the fritz.
"No." Brass answered as he put his focus onto Robotnik with Robotnik looking taken aback; "For too many times you have made me escape when I could have finished these beasts off... No more; I am taking a more equal partnership from now on..." Brass continued on as Robotnik before Sonic and Knuckles could tackle him then used his gauntlet to activate some rocket boots and then used another function to cause Brass to scream in pain from his head as he had his Badniks picked Brass up and soon they were too high up in the air for them to catch.
"Just wait until we get home mister!" Robotnik scolded as if he was a parent disclipining a child for acting out in public.
"One day; you won't be able to escape Robotnik..." Sonic muttered as he then smiled at Knuckles with them coming up to him. "How about you join us back on Mobius and we can show you around our island home... You can see all the innovations in the thousands of years, especially chilli dogs." Sonic offered but Knuckles shook his head.
"No. It's time for you to leave." Knuckles said simply and they blinked; "Robotnik has fled and no longer my concern. I must take the Chaos Emerald back to the temple so I may guard it and await my destiny to bring forth the return of my people." Knuckles continued on as their eyes widened.
"No longer your concern... Robotnik is after ALL Chaos Emeralds and he is going to try again to claim yours' Knuckles! Possibly with even more and a bigger armada than what this is... We could stop him together." Sally brought up as they continued to stare at Knuckles wondering if he was serious.
"Robotnik is no longer threatening my home and he is your problem, no longer mine. If he dares return then I shall deal with him; until then... You leave and don't return." Knuckles said simply as he then began walking back to the temple.
"Are you serious... I have half a mind to knock some sense into you..." Sonic thundered as Sally sighed as she grabbed Sonic's arm and fixed him with a look saying that he wasn't worth it. "Fine then; I hope a Mobosaur gets into your bedroom and does his business on your bed you ungrateful jerk!" Sonic shouted at Knuckles as he stopped at a plan to get grapes for a victory meal before going up the steps to the temple.
Robotnik had taken Brass back to the base and Brass was ranting at Robotnik; "all this time of locating that stupid wizard to bring the Island out from hiding and now nothing to show from it! Once again you force us to retreat and you mess with my head... We should have a talk about the future of this partnership..." Brass thundered at Robotnik as he was about to push him hard when Robotnik with a glare matching his foul mood pressed something on his gauntlet causing Brass to go to his knees in pain holding his head.
"A painful precaution I put in your head after I fished you out of the water; just in case you stepped out of line and finally it happened. Let me tell you about the future of this 'partnership'... It's more correcting you on the fact that this was never nor will it ever be a partnership. I am the master and you are the muscle to follow my orders; that's all this is." Robotnik scolded him using air quotes for the first use of 'partnership'. "You had better mind your tongue from now on as my tolerance for your antics is now at an all time low. If it wasn't for me your body would be in a watery grave right now with you leaving behind nothing but bad things to say about you. You are damn lucky that right now I don't have Roboticisation to use because you totally metal right now would be easier to program you into being a mindless drone. I could always strap a Chaos energy bomb around your chest for one last mission; am I clear?" Robotnik warned him and Brass was forced to admit.
"Excellent; hope this shall serve as a reminder to learn your place now." Robotnik casually said as he left with Brass stomping the ground as he struggled to force himself back on his feet swearing that he will find a way to make Robotnik pay for this indignity.
Knuckles then put the Chaos Emerald on a podium and stared down a fly that was floating nearby and dared it to even touch the Chaos Emerald. "Was I too harsh..." Knuckles ended up asking himself as the vision of Locke appeared.
"No my son; you did what was needed... You are needed here to guard the Emerald and Albion; the Emerald shall serve as protection for the Island and keep it in the air safe from the affairs of the changed Mobius. You shall act as the new Guardian and stand guard; wait for the time to act. Robotnik poses no concern for us as long as he is nowhere near our illustrious island and this defeat should humble him. There are bigger things to concern yourself my son..." Locke said and Knuckles nodded in agreement.
"Off course... You are right as always father..." Knuckles said putting away the seed of uncertainty in his mind as he stood guard; his routine shall be to train, eat, sleep, spar with Mobosaurs and stand guard for the Chaos Emerald keeping Albion safe up in the clouds.
"Geoffrey is expected to make a full recovery with Naugus dealt with; still we now have the return of Albion up in the sky with the lost 7th Chaos Emerald returned and safe for now. Plus you all got to meet the legendary Knuckles." Elias told the team in the throne room at Mobotropolis after a full debriefing.
"Yeah; a legendary jerk he is who thinks that it wouldn't matter if all of Mobius just exploded as long as his little floating island isn't affected. Honestly; to think that he is being taught as some legendary hero in schools..." Sonic frowned shaking his head.
"Good thing that Mobius has a proper hero to look after it and it's people; one that came from humble beginnings and is worthy of respect." Sergeant Doberman grinned patting Sonic on the back with Sonic touched by such words from the soldier who helped him out when he needed it.
"You are indeed better than Knuckles; they should be talking about you in schools instead of him!" beamed Tails as Sonic then grinned as he made a pose with Sally, Antoine, Nicole and Elias groaning at what was coming next.
"You are right Tails buddy; I could even give guest lectures and seminars about how if we were able to continue our fight and I was actually fighting for real instead of trying to talk him down; I would have certainly kicked his spiked butt!" Sonic bragged as Sally shook her head.
"Thanks for that Tails..." Sally muttered sarcastically with her arms folded.
"You're welcome Sally." Tails smiled not understanding the sarcasm.
Robotnik's robot here is the Sonic 3 & Knuckles Launch Base Zone boss. Plus my take on Knuckles here is based on the movie version which is Drax like which is what we expected; plus some of the original game version where he was the taunting laughing jerk whenever the heroes would get caught in his traps.