Chapter Two: AJ

Angel stood on the ledge of a tall, run down storage facility, and used binoculars to watch Julie and Knuckles inside his apartment. The glass doors were wide open, giving the crimson hedgehog a perfect vantage point to spy on them.

One of his henchmen approached. Boss, we've got movement from the third party."

Angel didn't look away from the balcony window. Great, round up the boys 'n girls, and let's go take a look."

Inside Knuckles' place, Julie's phone rang and she read a text.

Whatever he tells you, don't believe a word of it. Stay on the mission.

-Serena

The pink echidna put her phone away and promptly interrupted Knuckles.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Knuckles, I don't remember a thing about you or us being together. Everything is just a blur to me."

Knuckles looked at her for a moment. "Well, what do you remember?"

"Waking up in a bed of haystacks in some place halfway around the world. I remember being injured and unable to walk. The so called 'Men' in this army beat us daily - until I was saved."

She stopped speaking, almost revealing her leaders's name. Knuckles saw that she was clearly uncomfortable so he put the photo album away and sat down on his reclining chair. He felt like he was pressuring her so he stopped and switched gears.

The apartment was silent for a moment before Julie spoke. "I'm supposed to find a kid who lives here, a relative of mine. I have to bring him back to Angel Island. Trouble is, he's hiding out and nobody can find him. I was hoping you could help me track him down."

Thinking this could help jog her memory, Knuckles agreed to help. "Yeah, definitely. I know some guys from the force who could lend a hand. They'd be able to track this guy down. What's his name?"

"Abbott-Jak. He's a little younger than us, probably still in high school. He's been missing and we need him to come back to Angel Island." she lied.

"Huh, you never mentioned him before. Is he your Uncle Oliver's kid?"

Julie didn't know what to say, she just looked out the window.

"Oh - kay, we can go over that later. Let me call up my pals and then we can meet up with them."

"Who are your friends, if you don't mind me asking?"

Knuckles grinned. "You used to be good friends with them a long time ago; Vector and Espio."


On the west side of Metropolis, a young echidna in gang colours jumped out of a 2nd story window and rolled as he hit the ground. Two teenagers from a rival street gang were running away from a home invasion attempt.

"AJ! Get those fucking snakes!"

"They ain't getting away this time, Dean!"The teenager shouted.

He hipped fences and ran through backyards to he cut off the thugs. He used an alleyway to get ahead and tackled both rival gangsters to the ground. They tried to get away but the echidna pulled out a metal pipe and beat them with it, keeping them down while they screamed in pain.

"You like robbing houses, huh?! You think you can just take our shit and get away with it?! Well, what now, you pricks, WHAT NOW?!"

AJ is was busy beating his rivals that he didn't hear the police jump out of their cruisers and run up behind him. He got a nightstick whacked off his head and three more cops held him down as the main officer put him in handcuffs.

"You idiot gang bangers never learn, huh. We're the law, not you!" The arresting officer shouted.

The two thugs started to stand up, bleeding from AJ's beating.

"Get outta here, ya punks!" The second cop ordered.

"Yeah, and don't let us catch you out here again!" The third cop added.

The police officers shoved AJ into the backseat of their cruiser and drove back to the local precinct.

"You guys are REAL tough, suckering me from behind with a stick!" AJ shouted at the cage that separated him from the cops.

"Oh yeah, we're definitely not as tough as you. Picking on 14 year olds." the cop driving answered.

"They robbed my fucking house!"

"And I assume you can prove this."

"Yeah, their blood on my shoes and fists!"

"Ah, shut up kid! You're going to jail anyway."

"I'd love to see you pull over and make me shut up, pig..." AJ says under his breath.

"You wanna repeat that?"

"Just take me to jail!.."

An hour later, Knuckles and Julie met Vector and Espio at a downtown park. Knuckles introduced them to Julie but she didn't care much to get reacquainted.

She spoke with Vector, since he was the detective and had police privilege. Knuckles and Espio stood a few feet away and talked quietly.

"She says she can't remember nothing, man. Can you believe that? Not a single thing!... she comes back after 6 years, just to disappear again." Knuckles said.

"I don't get a good vibe off her." Espio replied while staring at the pink echidna.

Knuckles flinched as if he got stung. "Well, you didn't get a good vibe off Rouge but she turned out alright."

"She stole 10 grand off you and had us beaten up during the search."

Before Knuckles could answer Espio, Julie and Vector came back to them.

"Alright, I found your guy. Abbott-Jak Toomes. Real piece of work, this kid. High school track and field star but he dropped out in his senior year. Been affiliated with a street gang called The Tresspassers. Employers love seeing that on a resume. According to police records he was picked up about an hour ago for assault," Vector turned to Julie. "You sure this is the idiot you came back here to find?"

"Yes, that idiot is the one. Can you bring us to his cell?" Julie asked.

"I think so, given that you're his relative. But Knuckles won't be able to come in. Sorry pal."

"Whatever, man. Let's just get this over with."

"Alright, follow me."

Vector took Julie inside the precinct while Knuckles stayed outside with Espio.

After about 15 minutes, Julie came outside and Knuckles was surprised to see Abbott-Jak walking behind her. Espio walked inside the station while AJ glared at him as he passed by.

AJ turned to Knucckles and looked him up and down. "Who are you supposed to be, my old man? Piss off"

Knuckles looked at Julie. "Why'd you bail out this disrespectful little shit?"

"Yeah, that's a good question. What's your deal, lady?"

Julie stopped and looked at them both. "I'm your relative, Abbott-"

"AJ is fine, thanks. Enough with the bullshit…"

"Jesus, do you have any respect? You're walking free 'cause of her!"

"Back off me, old man!"

"Old man? I'm barely 25, dip shit!"

"Okay, tough guys, can you let me finish?"

During the argument, a silver minivan sped around the corner and the driver honked the horn to get everyone's attention.

"There's that PC Rat AJ!" The passenger yelled.

"PC?" Knuckles asked.

"It means Protective Custody."

"I know what it means, I just didn't know he was a rat."

"Fuck off, Knuckles.." AJ turned to the minivan. "Ay, I didn't rat on nobody! I just got out, dumbass!"

"Yeah, we saw you talking to those cops earlier, bud! Y'know what happens to rats?"

The teenager looked at Knuckles and Julie. "You guys should go. It's about to get ugly."

"These guys are gonna do something? Ha!" Knuckles remarked.

Before either side could react, Julie pushed through the crowd of onlookers and ripped the passenger out of the van, then punched the driver in the face three times.

"Holy shit." Knuckles and AJ said in unison.

Julie picked up the teenager and threw him back inside. "I wasn't finished talking to AJ here so whatever your beef is, I suggest you wait til after I'm done. Got it?"

Both gang members nodded and the minivan took ofd. The pink echidna walked back to the guys and together they get out of the area before police could stop them.

The trio got 8 blocks from the police station when AJ stopped them. "Okay, someone better tell me what the hell is happening here! Who are you?"

"I'm Julie-Su. I'm supposed to take you back to Angel Island to see your family. Is that enough?"

"Not really! I'm supposed to believe my family, who stopped talking to me years ago, just NOW wants me to come home? Hell nah! I only have one family now, and they wouldn't turn there backs on me."

Knuckles looked at him. "What, that street gang? You think that's a family? Kid, all you are to them is a hired thug who gets them rich. You do jail time for them, maybe even take a bullet, but they don't give a shit about you, AJ."

"Yeah? What would you know about family, asshole?! Last I heard, you left yours when that blue hedgehog died! Then you came up here to be a drunken loser who fights for money!"

Knuckles restrained himself from taking swing at the teenager, mostly because he was right.

"You aren't the only one who knows some shit, pal. I'm just a kid compared to you guys, but I know what's going on. And trust me, I never turned my back on my family..."

Knowing he couldn't jog her memory and she didn't intent on staying, Knuckles looked at Julie before he left. "I hope this trip was worth it, Jules. You know where I live. I'll see you around..."

The pink echidna wanted to say something, but ultimately nothing came out. Knuckles was gone within a minute, so she turned back to AJ.

"Look, thanks for bailing me out, Julie... but I got bigger problems to worry about than some old folks on the Island who wanna see me."

"Yeah, about that-"

Julie knocked AJ out with one quick punch and lowered him to the ground. She pulled out her cellphone and called Angel.

"Yeah, I got him." She said.

"But you let Knuckles get away."

"He isn't part of the mission."

"I did, however, order you to kill him, to which you agreed."

Julie looked around for a moment. "Well, he's gone. Look, Serena just wants Abbott-Jak, right? I've got him. Where do I take him?"

Angel sighed. "There's an old bus terminal on the south east side. Head there and my men will pick you up."

"And Knuckles?"

"…is no longer your concern. Call me when you reach the terminal."

Angel hung up and Julie leaned against a brick wall. AJ laid on the sidewalk next to her so she dragged him into an alleyway.

Knuckles waved to Valentine as he entered his apartment building and walked upstairs.

"Everything alright, Knux?" She asked.

"Well, nothing that can't be fixed with some beer. How are you?"

"Ah, y'know, same old shit. Bobby's been talking about getting engaged but he still doesn't have a job so that probably won't happen for awhile. Other than that, everything's cool." Valentine replied.

"Tell him to come join me at the fight pits sometime, he can make a lot of cash - if he's good." Knuckles offered.

"No way, Bobby can't take a punch like you can! He ain't built like that."

Knuckles laughed, then unlocked his door. "Well, I'll let you know if any jobs come up."

"Goodnight Knux."

The echidna walked inside and shut the door behind him. As the lights turned on he opened his fridge and grabbed a can of White Ox. He switched on his radio and sat down, exhaling as he indulged himself. Nothing surprised him anymore, so losing Julie a second time didn't hurt. As bad.

It was during this time of self reflection that his attention was shifted to his wide-open photo album.

Pretty god damn sure I closed this...

An audible CREEK was barely heard from the outside balcony, prompting Knuckles to stand up.

"Jules, you don't have to use my balcony door, you can walk through the front-"

A sledgehammer smashed through the glass door and whacked Knuckles in the chest. He flew backwards while a masked figure appeared and stepped over the glass shards that used to be a door.

The shard's crunched under the attackers' boots while Knuckles grasped his chest tightly. He dodged out of the way just as the hammer was swung down at his head, narrowly missing.

Knuckles jumped to his feet and ripped the mask off the figure as he pulled the hammer from the floorboards. They pushed away from each other and took a moment to look the other in the eye. Knuckles recognized his attacker as Jim Bag, the fighter he beat up at the fight club at the start of the night.

"Jimmy, you're taking contracts, now?" Knuckles asked.

"For this amount of money, Yeah." Jim Bag answered with a slight chuckle.

"The fight club never really was your thing, I mean you can't take a punch for shit, man."

"See, it's THAT attitude that got a contract put out on you."

"I don't suppose you could tell me who put it out, now could you?"

"No, I couldn't. Listen, I've got a date with a pretty girl from Sega World Centre, so let's move this along."

"I'm on your schedule, Jimmy."

Jim Bag took a swing with the sledgehammer while Knuckles sized him up and got ready to counter.