Chapter 44: Who's Knuckles?:

Sonic's POV:

Tails, Knuckles, and me were taking on Charlie. No, I don't mean my Uncle Chuck. I mean this desert rat in an ancient mech suit who tried to take the Master Emerald before.

"You're never going to give up, are you," asks Knuckles.

"You're a menace. I'm not gonna let people like you cause problems for me anymore," says Charlie.

"I know Knuckles was being really harsh with you before," says Tails, "but you are the one who's using a mech suit to beat us down so you can steal the Master Emerald."

Awkward pause. "That's fair," says Charlie.

We then did what we did before and threw him off the island... but then something blasted Knuckles off the island. "KNUCKLES," I yelled.

Sleet's POV:

"We missed the hedgehog, Coconuts," I said.

"Well, what did we hit," asks Coconuts.

"The traitor," I said.

Coconuts then started bouncing around, making those annoying monkey sounds. "That means the Freedom Fighters lost their muscle," says Coconuts, "don't you see? We've weakened them!"

"Yes, because we did so well before Knuckles joined them," I said.

Charlie's POV:

I was fixing my mech suit when my wife came. "You failed again," says Belinda.

"It's not my fault," I said, "if we had someone like... KNUCKLES!"

We saw him. "Do I... know you," asks Knuckles.

We looked at each other. "Wait, what's my name," I asked.

"I don't know," says Knuckles.

"Well, what's her name," I asked.

"I don't know that either," says Knuckles.

"Well... what's your name," I asked.

"I... I don't know," says Knuckles.

"Charlie, we could use this," says Belinda, "we could manipulate him into helping us get the Master Emerald!"

"That could work," I said.

"My name is Belinda, and this is my husband, Charlie and we're your family!"

Knuckles was surprised.

Sonic's POV:

Tails and I started looking for Knuckles.

"I hope he's alright," says Tails.

"Me too," I said, "we're not going to stop until we find him!"

I know it's weird because he tried to kill us before, but he was just being manipulated by Eggman! Now, he's like a brother to me and Tails and we are not going to lose our brother!

Charlie's POV:

We were back at our house. "So, you're the last of your kind," says Belinda, "but then me and Charlie found you and took you in."

"We even named you Knuckles because of your... well... fists," I said.

Knuckles then looks in a mirror. "What happened," asks Knuckles, "what happened to my people?"

"It's a sad story," says Belinda, "your people were the guardians of the Master Emerald, the most powerful stone in existence, but then Sonic the Hedgehog and his fr- umm Suppression Squad stole it and used it to wipe out all the other echidnas!"

"Yes," I said, "Sonic the Hedgehog, the fastest thing alive! He uses his speed to kill many! Tails, the evil genius, why, he has even found a way to turn people into robots! Antoine D'Coolette, the master thief! He even once robbed from his own sick grandmother! Bunnie Rabbot, sadistic cyborg! Espio, the sinister assassin, and their evil leader, Sally Acorn, the Princess of Darkness! Take a look outside." Knuckles does so and sees all the dangers Robotnik has done to the environment. "Sally did all of that! She hates nature! There are also others, but that's a lot to list!"

"Charlie, Belinda, I promise I will make them pay," says Knuckles.

"Then what are we waiting for," I asked, "let's do it to it!" See what I did there?

"Why does that sound familiar," asks Knuckles.

Sonic's POV:

Tails and I were talking with Sally, Antoine, Bunnie, and Espio.

"We couldn't find him," I said, "and we're getting really worried."

"I am also worried," says Espio, "I sense... a shadow is coming for us!"

"Maybe he'll show up," says Bunnie.

"She ees right, he's ovair zere," says Antoine.

We saw Knuckles. "Knuckles, where've you been," I asked.

"I'm back and I'm here to take back what you stole from me," says Knuckles.

"What," I asked.

"You stole the Master Emerald," says Knuckles.

"Aah thought ya were ovah that," says Bunnie.

"Over what," asks Knuckles, "you all used the Master Emerald to wipe out my people!"

There was a pause. "What," asks Espio.

Knuckles then came at us, and I had to fight back. "What's with you," I asked.

"I don't have to explain myself to a murderer," says Knuckles.

"What," I asked.

"Knuckles, we're your friends," says Tails.

"You," says Knuckles, "you're the one who's turning people into robots!"

"What," asks Tails, "no, that's Robotnik!"

"A man named Robotnik is turning people into robots," asks Knuckles, "do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?"

"I guess it does sound a little..." Knuckles then cut Tails off by trying to punch him.

"Knuckles, you seem to be hahveeng sahme prahblems..." Antoine begins.

"And you," says Knuckles, "you stole from your sick grandmother!"

"I deed? Oh, I cahn't believe I would do such a sing to my poor grahndmama!"

"Darling, all your relatives would be robots," says Bunnie.

"And you're the sadistic cyborg," says Knuckles. Espio grabs Knuckles' arm with his tongue. "And you're the assassin!"

"Knuckles, where are you getting this information," asks Sally.

"You, the Princess of Darkness," says Knuckles, "you turned this world into a nightmare!"

"Knuckles, whoever told you this lied to you," says Sally.

"Like I'm going to believe the Suppression Squad," says Knuckles.

"The who," asks Tails.

I then saw Charlie and then I put two and two together! "We have to get back," I said. I then used my speed to create a gust of wind, blinding Knuckles and Charlie.

. . .

"What was that about," asks Bunnie.

"It's Charlie," I said, "that mech suit wearing wacko must be brainwashing Knuckles!"

"When that blast caused Knuckles to fall off the edge, he must've hit his head," says Tails, "causing him to lose his memory!"

"So, I deed naht rahb my seeck grahndmahthair, zen," asks Antoine.

"There must be a way to restore Knuckles' memories," says Sally.

"The Master Emerald," says Espio, "we use that to restore Knuckles!"

"I think you're on to something," I said.

Charlie's POV:

Knuckles and I were on our way to the Master Emerald. "I think I can sense it," says Knuckles, "we're almost there, Charlie!"

"Hey, you can call me Pops," I said.

"UUUUUUUUUmmmmmmmmm... no," says Knuckles.

"Works for me," I said.

Sonic's POV:

I was standing in front of the Master Emerald, waiting for Charlie and Knuckles. They then came. "Look who's here," I said.

"Surrender the Master Emerald, Hedgehog," says Charlie.

"I can't let you have it, Charlie," I said.

"Big mistake," says Knuckles. He then came at me, and we fought. I then managed to grab him and pushed his face into the Master Emerald.

"You have to remember," I said, "remember who you are!"

The Master Emerald then started to glow...

Knuckles' POV - Flashbacks:

I remembered fighting alongside Sonic and Tails to defeat Dr. Robotnik, Snively, Sleet, and Dingo in their Egg Crusher!

. . .

"This is bigger than a team," I said, "we could deal with more like that! If anyone gets their hands on the Master Emerald, the Universe could be in danger! We must make a vow; to use our powers to keep the universe safe; to watch out for each other."

"I'm in," says Sonic.

"Me too," says Tails.

The three of us then united our hands. Together, we are going to be unstoppable!

. . .

"I didn't really trust him," I said, "but Espio accidently activated Chaos Control and the Master Emerald was with the Freedom Fighters for a while and to me, it looked like they stole it. It was kind of hard to trust them at the time."

"I'm sure it was a simple mistake," says Julie-Su, "Robotnik's horrible, but he is intelligent."

"Yeah, the others agree, but... I still feel bad I helped Robotnik destroy their home," I said.

"We've all done things we're not proud of," says Julie-Su.

She then grabbed my hand.

. . .

Tails, me, and Sonic were chilling on the beach of Angel Island.

"Wow, look at that," says Tails.

"Yeah," I said, "too bad it won't last."

"Someone's being a buzzkill," says Sonic.

"I'm just saying Robotnik's probably up to something," I said.

. . .

"I'll take sixteen chili dogs," says Sonic.

"Me too," says Tails.

"Just one is fine with me," I said, "unlike these two, I try to take better care of my body."

Sonic's POV - Present:

Knuckles fell to the ground. "Knuckles," I asked.

"Knuckles, get up and help your family," says Charlie.

Knuckles gets up and faces Charlie. "You are not my family!" Knuckles then attacks Charlie. "I know who I am! I am Knuckles, guardian of the Master Emerald!" Rips off an arm. "A member of the Freedom Fighters!" Rips off another arm. "And you will not turn me against my real family!" Knuckles then takes Charlie out of the mech suit.

"Kids," says Charlie, "you try to teach them right from wrong and they end up choosing right."

. . .

We then threw Charlie off the island. "So, you said family," I said.

"I know I've never said it," says Knuckles, "but you guys have pretty much become like family to me."

"Even Antoine," I asked.

"Hey, every family's got one," says Knuckles.

"Let's go, Bro," I said. We then walked back to the Master Emerald.

In the next chapter, Robotnik assembles the Lightning Bolt Society, T.W. Barker, and Charlie to destroy the Freedom Fighters.