- Chapter 24 -

Enter Knuckles

Death Egg

Onboard the Death Egg, Robotnik used his metal arm to fling a pile of rubble off him. He rose to his feet, coughing and dusting himself off,

"I can hardly believe I survived that one," he grunted before popping his back. "But if I did, then perhaps others did as well... that could be trouble."

With that, he pressed a few buttons on his controller glove, calling his Badniks.

"Initiate a sweep sequence for any surviving slaves," he ordered. "Ten miles in every direction should suffice."

With that, the Badniks spread out, ready to do Robotnik's bidding.

-X-

Down in the lower part of the Death Egg, everything was warped and charred. Many of the slaves lay dead while others were struggling to free themselves. Among the living was the red haired girl, hidden under her parents as she clutched her badly burnt right arm. As the survivors tried to help one another, they heard a whirring noise, all of them freezing as numerous white egg-shaped drones with single red eyes floated into the room. The drones began scanning the area, getting every nook and cranny. When they came across a living slave, there was a single shot. The girl let out a squeak, covering her mouth and cowering under her parents. She could hear more shots and screams as she struggled to stay still and silent. Finally, one drone floated over, a light emerging from its eye as it scanned back and forth. The girl held perfectly still beneath her parents' bodies, and after a moment, the drones departed. After a few moments of silence, the girl peaked out, letting out a sigh of relief before taking off in a dead sprint.

-X-

As Robotnik got his bearings, a screen suddenly lit up, detecting something.

"Oh?" he pondered. "What's this?"

He activated the screen, having to strike it a few times to get it to work properly. After a minute, it lit up, displaying a map of the island, along with a massive energy reading.

"What in the…" Robotnik managed. "Whatever this thing is, it's giving off more energy output than all seven Chaos Emeralds combined!"

He stroked his mustache in thought. "Omoshiroi… (1)"

Around that time, the echidna had arrived at the crash site of the Death Egg. He looked it over in confusion.

"Never seen anything this advanced. What could it be?"

After a few moments, a door opened up below the nose of the Death Egg, a staircase descending. The echidna immediately got into a boxer's stance.

"Whoever you are, be warned," he declared. "I am Knuckles the Echidna, Guardian of Angel Island. Show yourself, if you are friendly. If not, then get ready for the fight of your life!"

"Wait! Wait!"

Robotnik descended the stairs, holding his hands up. "I mean no harm! Please, haven't I suffered enough?"

"Depends on who you are, and what you're here for," Knuckles said simply.

Robotnik quickly thought up a lie, bowing politely to Knuckles.

"I am Dr. Ivo Robotnik," he introduced. "A humble inventor."

"What are you doing here?" Knuckles questioned.

"I crashed. Very violently," Robotnik replied. "I fear I'm the only survivor…"

He fidgeted with his hands, making himself look scared and mournful.

"Whoa…" Knuckles gestured to the Death Egg. "Who did this?"

"I only sought to use my scientific knowledge to better the world, using this space station," Robotnik lied. "But that evil blue hedgehog stole the power of Chaos Emeralds I had collected and blasted my ship out of the sky! No doubt he'll soon be here to finish me off."

"A blue hedgehog…" Knuckles perked. "Wait, did you say Chaos Emeralds?"

"Yes, I had seven of them. I fear that they're probably strewn about this island, and that hedgehog will take the opportunity to steal them."

"What?!"

"His name is Sonic," Robotnik went on. "All of Mobius lives in fear of him."

Knuckles' fists clenched at that.

"Using the Chaos Emeralds for evil…" he growled. "How dare he…"

"Believe me, there's no low Sonic won't stoop to," Robotnik insisted.

"Well, if he shows his face on Angel Island, I'll make sure to send him to an early grave," Knuckles vowed before whirling around and punching a tree. It shattered on impact, falling over with a loud crash.

"I warn you, he's ruthless," Robotnik told him. "He'll use any means to achieve his goals. You can't afford to hold back."

"Don't worry, Doc," Knuckles replied. "I won't."

"Allow me to aid you," Robotnik pressed a button, calling in his Badniks. "These are my robots, serving me loyally in my attempts to spread peace across the planet."

"As long as they don't get in my way," Knuckles said simply.

"Of course," Robotnik nodded. "In the meantime, I need to repair my ship."

"Do as you like. I've got a hedgehog to take out."

With that, he jumped, gliding away from the wreck. Once he was out of earshot, Robotnik grinned evilly.

"Perfect," he declared. "With that brainless oaf helping me out, taking Sonic out and retrieving that power source is going to be a snap."

At that moment, a drone approached him. "All surviving slaves have been terminated."

"Excellent. Dispose of the remains and begin repairs."

"Your will be done, Doctor."

Knothole Village

At the FF HQ, most of the Freedom Fighters were working on relocating the displaced humans from the Death Egg. It was a slow process, most of them still demanding information on missing friends and family. In another part of the base, Sonic was with Sally, Tails, Rotor, and Porker, all of them trying to find any trace of the Death Egg. Coordinating with Nicole and the Kintobor Computer, they were initiating scans all across the planet. Eventually, Kintobor's face appeared on the vid screen

"What's the word?" Tails asked.

"Nicole and I have run multiple scans. There's no sign of the Death Egg's crash site."

"No…" Sonic pleaded. "There's gotta be something."

"We're gonna keep looking, Sonic," Sally promised. "We're not giving up."

"But what if it landed in the ocean?" Sonic asked. "Or there's nothing to find. All those people…"

"You didn't know," Sally insisted. "And if you did, I know you would've saved them."

"Stop kicking yourself for things that happened in the past, or thinking in what-ifs." Porker told him. "That road leads to madness, Sonic."

Sonic still looked fidgety, pacing around the room.

"And after spending time with Sticks, that is a road I do not want to travel," Antoine added.

"Hey!" Sticks objected.

Antoine shrugged. "If the shoe fits,"

"I don't even wear shoes! Lousy foot prisons…"

"I may have something," Nicole cut in, getting their attention. "Going over the data and calculations, I believe that the Death Egg crashed before it hit ground level."

"Before it hit the ground?" Rotor asked, disbelieving. "On what, a cloud?"

"No…" Porker perked. "It must've landed on Angel Island!"

A moment of silence followed, before everyone laughed.

"Yeah right, Porker," Johnny chortled. "Everyone knows Angel Island is just a fairy tale."

"I beg to differ!"

Everyone jumped, turning to see Relic marching in like she owned the place.

"Relic?" Sally let out. "How'd you find this place?"

"I found Sonic's home in Mobotropolis," Relic answered. "His parents directed me here."

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "You were looking for me?"

"Yes," Relic confirmed. "You see, I require passage to Angel Island. I was hoping to get a ride."

"Relic, Angel Island is a myth," Johnny insisted.

"No, it's not," Relic insisted.

"What do you know about it?" Sonic asked.

"And how are you so sure it exists?" Bunnie added.

"Because it just fell out of the sky and crash-landed in the waters a few hundred miles south of Station Square," Relic said matter-of-factly.

Everyone gasped at that.

"It fell from the sky?!" Porker exclaimed.

"Yep!" Relic confirmed. "It's a prime opportunity to finally explore the fabled flying island. I can't pass it up! And get this. Eyewitness reports claim there was a giant metal egg in the midst of the forest. They believe it may have knocked it out of the air."

"The Death Egg…" Sonic realized. "Tails, how soon can you get the Tornado ready?"

"Already on it," Tails assured.

-X-

Not much later, Tails was strapping himself into the Tornado. Relic was in the passenger seat, Fixit in her lap.

"Just imagine all of the untouched history that the island holds," she squeaked. "Oh, my fur is tingling with excitement!"

"I'm more concerned with fighting survivors," Sonic said simply.

"Don't worry, Sonic," Tails soothed. "If anyone did survive, we'll find them and bring them home."

"Good luck, you three," Sally called. "And be careful!"

"Will do, Sal," Sonic gave her a two-fingered salute. "Tails, take us up!"

With that, the Tornado took off.

"What can you tell us about the island, Relic?" Tails asked.

"Not much," Relic replied. "I've read bits and pieces from old texts. What I do know is that it was once home to the Echidna Empire."

"The Echidnas?" Tails tilted his head. "I thought they were extinct."

"They are now," Relic replied. "Their civilization was all but erased."

"How'd that happen?" Sonic pondered.

"The most powerful group of Echidnas were the Knuckles Clan, led by the warmongering Pachacamac," Relic went on. "Legend goes that he stole weapons and technology for the Ancients to expand his empire. Sadly, he ended up incurring the wrath of the gods, who wiped him and his army out using a terrible dragon."

Tails raised an eyebrow. "A dragon?"

"That's all I've been able to decipher," Relic said. "I'm hoping the ruins of Echidnaopolis will provide more clues as to what truly happened that day."

"You'll have plenty of time to learn more when we get there," Sonic replied. "But keep on your toes. There's no doubt in my mind Robotnik survived the crash."

"If he did, we'll just beat him again," Tails swore.

They sat silently for a while. Before long, Sonic looked ahead, seeing the island.

"Alright, that's gotta be it!" he declared.

"Taking us down now," Tails told him.

He went in for a landing. Once the plane was close enough to the ground, Sonic just jumped off. Before anyone could stop him, he ran into the jungle. He had barely made it a few feet before something burst out of the ground before him. He skidded to a stop, only to be met with a hard punch to the face. He flew right back into a tree, hitting it hard.

"So you're what all the fuss is about."

Tails and Relic rushed over to Sonic helping him up. When Relic saw the attacker, her eyes went wide.

"You…" she managed. "You're an Echidna!"

"The name's Knuckles," Knuckles told them. "And you're all trespassing!"

Sonic rubbed his bruised jaw.

"So, that's your way of a friendly greeting, huh?" he said flatly. "Try a fruit basket, or a complimentary chili dog next time. Makes for a much better first impression."

"Don't play coy, murderer," Knuckles spat. "I know what you did, and you're gonna pay!"

"What?" Sonic demanded. "What are you-?"

Knuckles launched himself at Sonic with a yell. He quickly leapt out of the way. The ground exploded where Knuckles' fist struck, a fair sized crater in his wake.

"My word!" Relic exclaimed.

Sonic held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Look, pal. I don't know what you're accusing me of, but I don't want any trouble!"

"Enough of your lies!" Knuckles growled. "Dr. Robotnik told me everything!"

"Robotnik?!" Sonic perked. "So he is still alive!"

"No thanks to you," Knuckles shot back. "And you're not getting to him."

"Hey, Red, you're after the wrong guy," Sonic insisted. "Robotnik's the bad guy here, not me! Everything he told you is a lie!"

"The doctor told me you'd say that!" Knuckles spat. "You can't fool me, hedgehog!"

Knuckles swung at him again, only for Sonic to dodge.

"Stubborn jackass…" He rolled his shoulder, cracking his neck. "Okay, fine. If you won't listen to reason, I guess we gotta do this the hard way."

"Relic, we better get clear," Tails insisted.

"But this is my first chance to study a living Echidna," Relic objected. "He could tell me so much about his culture, his people, his-"

At that moment, Knuckles ripped a tree out of the ground, swinging it at Sonic.

"Right, getting clear."

Sonic ducked the tree swipe, launching into a Spin Dash. Knuckles caught him before tossing him back into a tree. He slammed head first into it. After shaking off the cobwebs, Sonic braced himself, yanking with all his might and tearing the tree loose from the ground before toppling it on the approaching Knuckles.

"Timber!" Sonic shouted as the tree bonked Knuckles on the head. He fell flat on the ground, grunting in response.

"Alright, tough guy," he growled. "No more holding back."

He closed his eyes, holding out his hands.

"The servers are the seven Chaos," he recited. "Chaos is power… power enriched by the heart. The controller serves to unify the Chaos."

Green light began to swirl around him, focusing on his fists.

"What the…?" Sonic managed.

Knuckles suddenly shot forward, punching Sonic so hard he went flying several yards.

"Sonic!" Tails screamed.

The hedgehog plowed through multiple trees before colliding with a rock wall. Sonic slid to the ground, letting out a pained groan as Knuckles approached, looming over him.

"Now I think we understand each other," the echidna said. "Take your friends and get off my island. The next time I see you, Sonic, you're dead meat."

And with that, he was gone. Tails ran over, helping Sonic up.

"I just met that guy…" Sonic wheezed, "but I hate him."

"He doesn't seem like a bad guy," Tails pointed out. "Robotnik duped him."

"I can't believe it," Relic was bouncing with excitement. "He's a Guardian!"

"A what?" Tails asked.

"That prayer he used is an ancient mantra passed down by the Guardians of the legendary Master Emerald," Relic explained.

"Master Emerald?" Sonic questioned.

"A relic created by the Knuckles Clan under orders of the Ancient Walkers as a counterbalance to the Chaos Emeralds," Relic went on. "To compare the power levels of the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds would be like comparing a nuclear bomb to a bow and arrow."

"Swell…" Sonic let out.

"If Robotnik gets his hands on it, there's no telling how much damage he'll do," Tails realized.

"We simply must find that Guardian and warn him of the truth," Relic insisted.

"He's a complete knucklehead," Sonic told her. "He's made it clear he's not gonna listen to anything we have to say."

"Well, he's been on this island alone for who knows how long," Tails pointed out. "You saw how it made Sticks, and you got through to her."

"Here's hoping," Sonic admitted. "Either way, if he thinks I'm gonna just pack up and leave with Robotnik on the prowl, he's got another thing coming."

"Then we best keep moving if we want to catch him," Relic insisted.

Knuckles retreated into the woods, the green power dying as he let out a breath.

"Damn hedgehog," he cursed. "Making me do that. Better hope I don't run into him a-"

He heard the snap of a twig to his left. Instantly on the defensive, Knuckles raised his fists.

"I thought I told you to beat it!" he shouted, only to be met with silence. "You have to the count of three to come out and face me, or I'll drag you out myself! One! Two! Thr-!"

The bushes parted as the red-haired girl stumbled out. Her feet were bleeding, she had several scrapes and bruises, and her burnt arm was just hanging by her side. Knuckles blinked.

"Wait," he let out. "You're not the hedgehog."

She looked at him, looking like she was about to say something, then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell forward. Instinctively, Knuckles ran forward, catching her. He took note of the grey jumpsuit she was wearing, especially the big, red Robotnik symbol across her back and on the top, right lapel.

"Could this be a survivor of the crash?" he pondered before picking her up and carrying her away.

-X-

Some time later, the girl came to, finding herself laying near the altar. Her burned right arm had been cleaned and bandaged. Knuckles saw her stir, turning to her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She sat up, instantly regretting it as pain ripped through her arm.

"Easy there," Knuckles soothed, raising a hand. "Don't move too fast."

"Where… where am I?" the girl asked. "Who are you?"

"My name is Knuckles," Knuckles told her. "And this is Angel Island."

"Angel Island…I thought that was a myth." She winced, clutching her arm. "Ow…"

"Take it easy," Knuckles said. "You were hurt pretty bad."

"It hurts…" the girl let out.

"You wanna tell me your name?" Knuckles asked.

"Kathryn…" the girl replied after a minute. "Kathryn Winters. My friends call me Kat. Or… they did…"

She teared up, curling into a ball. Knuckles placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"That giant metal egg that crash-landed here," he said gently. "Were you on it?"

She nodded. "I'm all that's left… Everyone else was killed… Why… Why did he do it?"

Not knowing who she was talking about, but having some idea, Knuckles just let her continue.

"I saw him… Sonic the Hedgehog," Kat went on. "I watched him run by, not even looking back as he left us to burn… Did he even care?"

Knuckles gritted his teeth. "The blue hedgehog…"

Kat perked. "You saw him too? Sonic's here?"

"I fought him," Knuckles confirmed. "Bastard gave me a run for my money."

Kat began shaking in anger and sorrow. "He killed my family, my entire village. Their lives are on his head… He has to pay…"

"He will, I promise," Knuckles promised. "You just sit here and heal up. I'll handle him."

He was about to leave, but she grabbed his arm.

"Please…" she pleaded. "I don't wanna be alone…"

"You won't be," Knuckles promised.

He let out a whistle, and soon, a dinosaur began running out of the underbrush. It was a pink velociraptor, one with a blue underbelly and sharp, jagged teeth. Despite its fearsome appearance, it seemed to act like a puppy, lowering its head and whining while asking for pets, to which Knuckles obliged. Kat watched, intrigued, as the dinosaur closed its eyes and leaned into the touch, wagging its tail.

"Chomps, this is Kat," Knuckles explained. "Kat, meet Chomps, my loyal friend. He's been with me as long as I can remember. He'll keep you safe until I get back."

Chomps leaned over, sniffing Kat before nudging her. She gave him a small pet.

"Surprised?" Knuckles asked, getting a nod. "Yeah, Angel Island's one of the few places on Mobius you can still find dinosaurs. I raised Chomps from an egg. He's a good guard dog."

As Chomps rested his head next to Kat so she could continue petting, Knuckles turned back to the forest.

"I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Knuckles?" Kat piped up, getting his attention. "Thank you."

Knuckles smiled, giving her a thumbs-up before heading back into the woods, a look of determination on his face.

"I hope you heeded my warning, Sonic," he declared. "'Cause when I get done with you... there'll be nothing left but a greasy red-and-blue stain."

Author's Note:

(1): Japanese for "interesting."

And thus, the Angel Island arc begins.

The character of Chomps is from the cartoon Sonic Underground, whereas the character of Kathryn Winters is the co-property of Author of the Insane and Writing Avenger 2016, used with their permission.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Kat - Lizzie Freeman (Cardinal from Sword Art Online: Alicization, Trish Una from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Meggy Spletzer in SMG4's Mario Bloopers and Sunset Paradise)

* Chomps - Frank Welker (Fred Jones and Scooby-Doo, Brain from Inspector Gadget, and a boatload of animal voices/sound effects in a lot of stuff)

Please R&R. Until next time!