Chapter 17: Mean Green Returns
Master Emerald Alter
Knuckles and Rouge arrived to see the Master Emerald in perfect condition.
"It looks fine to me." Rouge said,
"No, someone's here." Knuckles replied.
"Right you are, Redhead."
Out walked a familiar green hedgehog.
"Scourge!" The echidna growled.
"Yep, it's me. Hello, Rouge."
"Hello, Scourge." Rouge answered bluntly. "Did Eggman pay you to steal the Master Emerald?"
"No, he payed me to distract you!"
Scourge homing attacked Knuckles, sending him back. He tried to do the same thing to Rouge, but she flew up to dodge, then screw kicked down to Scourge, but she missed, sending her down, putting all her weight on her right leg.
In other words, it was extremely painful for the bat.
"Ah, shit!" Rouge screamed in pain.
"Rouge!" Knuckles ran over to her.
"My leg!"
"Is it broken?"
"No, but I think I may have fractured it." Rouge winced in pain.
"Boo hoo, cry me a river, why don't you?" Scourge rolled his eyes.
Knuckles growled as he picked up Rouge and moved her out of the impending battle area. He then turned to Scourge.
"You're going to pay for that!" He boomed.
"Oh, I'm so scared of the little red echidna." Scourge joked.
"You will be after I'm done with you!" Knuckles charged at Scourge, who did the same.
Knuckles threw a punch, but the hedgehog dodged it and countered it with one of his own, landing on Knuckles' chest, but the echidna just took the hit, ignoring the pain as he burrowed underground.
"How chea-oof!" Scourge was caught off guard by Knuckles coming above ground and undercutting hun.
"Not bad, but it's nowhere near good enough to beat me!" Scourge laughed.
"You're just as cocky as Sonic." Knuckles charged again.
"I am his evil twin, after all, so what did you expect?" Scourge boosted toward Knuckles, but he countered with a punch, sending Scourge flying back.
"How the hell did you actually hit me? No one counters that!" Scourge asked.
"I've been able to punch Super Sonic so hard, he turned normal." Knuckles said as he leaped to punch Scourge, but he spin dashed out of the way and kicked Knuckles in the back.
"Looks like I'm going to win again!"
"Not hardly!" A voice yelled.
Scourge turned around and was decked by a fist.
"Mighty, is that you?"
"Yep, it's me, Knux." Mighty said, helping Knuckles up.
"Thanks." Knuckles told him.
"It's no problem. I was just coming over to check the Master Emerald when I see Rouge in pain, as well as you fighting Scourge." Mighty explained.
"Well, thanks again."
Mighty and Knuckles tied Scourge to one of the more sturdy pillars, and gagged him with a cloth.
"Mighty, thank you for watching the Master Emerald." Knuckles patted the armadillo's back.
"No problem. Get Rouge help for her leg."
"Will do."
Knuckles picked Rouge up bridal style, and used his Warp Ring to take her back to the Sky Warrior.