-Chapter 56-

A Devil of a Time

Knothole

Sonic was playing fetch with Muttski out in the courtyard, just enjoying a moment of relaxation.

"Go long, boy!" he shouted.

The ball went flying and Muttski chased after it. He ran past Tekno, who was being given a tour by Shortfuse.

"Our lab area is over here," he informed her. "We'll get you a station set up and you can do whatever you want. And if you need anything, just ask."

After looking into the lab, Tekno sighed.

"How can you not hate me after what I did?" she asked.

Shortfuse blinked. "What you did?"

"I made Megatal. Your Cybernik armor, everything," Tekno reminded him. "I'm the reason you're trapped in that suit in the first place."

Shortfuse just flicked her in the forehead. "Did you put me in this suit? Did you seal it?"

"No, but-" Tekno began.

"But nothing," Shortfuse cut her off, not unkindly. "I'm not mad because there's nothing to be mad about. So what if you made the Megatal? Robotnik stuffed me in this armor, not you. And you were a prisoner, a slave, You had no choice. If I hated you for that, then I'd be the villain here."

Tekno took that in before nodding.

"Thanks, Shorty," she said gratefully. "That's what I needed to hear. And the first thing I'm gonna do is help find a way to get you out of that suit. I made Megatal, so I can sure as hell find a way to counter it."

"In that case, talk to the boys, Chris and Keith," Shortfuse advised. "They're the ones working on my problem, and they could use all the help they can get."

Before Tekno could do that, everyone stopped short to see a Warp Ring open in the courtyard, Knuckles exiting. He walked in, his face shrouded in darkness as he dropped his massive sack on the ground. Alarm bells went off for Sonic the second he saw Knuckles' face.

"Knuckles?!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Sonic…" Knuckles hissed, "get out of my way."

Knuckles' hands were shaking and he was speaking through gritted teeth. Hearing the venom in his tone, Sonic gave him a wide berth. Knuckles marched over to a tree. He then screamed and punched it over and over again. It exploded into pulp, then Knuckles ripped the stump out, tearing it in two. Everyone present watched in shock as Knuckles threw the stump halves into the air, where they flew up out of sight. After that, he just let out a scream of anguish and rage before dropping to his knees. To Sonic's surprise, he saw a few tears falling. He slowly approached, helping him up.

"C'mon," he urged. "I'll get the others."

-X-

In the living room of Freedom HQ, Knuckles slowly explained the situation.

"Your people came back?" Antoine asked.

Knuckles just gave a small nod.

"The resulting shockwave from the Phantom Ruby must have pulled them from whatever pocket dimension they'd been in," Sally theorized.

Knuckles nodded again.

"Turns out my dad and the rest of his Brotherhood never left," he told them. "They were watching from afar the whole time. And my dad wasted no time reminding everyone around him what an ass he is." His fists clenched. "He called Kat my pet. Tried to throw her off the island to keep her from 'distracting' me from my Guardian duty."

"WHAT?!" Sonic screamed, sparks dancing for a split second as he said that.

"Hang on…" Tails noticed. "Why is Kat not with you?"

"Nothing... aside from slapping her unconscious." Knuckles replied.

"He did?!" Sally shook her head in disgust. "To think my father actually tried to forge a political alliance with him."

"That's it," Sonic declared. "He's dead."

"He slapped her across the face, I punched him in the gut, and that's when he showed up." Knuckles went on.

"'He'?" Porker repeated.

"A Tasmanian devil," Knuckles clarified.

"As in, a Mobian Tasmanian devil?" Tekno asked. "That can't be. They've been extinct for years. All that's left of them are the Devil Dogs."

"Well, as he put it, we 'missed one'," Knuckles replied. "Still don't know what he meant by that, and I don't care. He took Kat when he left and fled in a plane. He hates Echidnas for some reason, and said he was saving Kat from us so we couldn't do what we did to his kind."

"Hang on…" Rotor cut in. "He hates echidna, claims they 'missed one', and wanted to save Kat from 'what you did to his kind'? Do… do you think the Echidna… created the Devil Dogs?"

They took that in.

"How can that be?" Shortfuse asked. "The Devil Dogs are Mobini. Mobians and Mobini are two totally different critters."

"I'm not sure," Rotor replied. "It's just a theory."

"Theory or not, we can't just let this devil keep Kat," Mina insisted.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Knuckles demanded.

"We need to figure out where the Devil would have taken Kat," Sally cut in. "Tails, you and the rest of the brains work that out. Meanwhile, I'll help Knuckles get situated. Something tells me you'll be coming to Knothole a bit earlier than intended."

-X-

After Sally called an end to the meeting, she led Knuckles into a spare room where his sack had already been brought in. He sat down on the provided bed, then let out a sigh.

"I'm done, Sal," he told her. "With my dad, with all of it. If he kicks Kat out, he's kicking me out too. I'm leaving Angel Island. And I'm not going back."

"I understand," Sally told him. "And I'll help in any way I can. I'm just sorry your reunion with your people went so poorly."

"My only regret is that I'm leaving my mom," Knuckles sighed.

Sally put a hand on his shoulder. "Then make sure you give her a proper goodbye when this is over."

Knuckles nodded with a smile, causing Sonic to grumble in response from the doorway. He departed the room, going to see Tails and the others.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"We're tracking migration patterns of the Devil Dogs." Tails replied. "It's the only lead we have."

"I've been working on another theory," Rotor added. "The Devil must have been in Station Square while Angel Island was down. It's the closest place he could have seen it and gotten on."

"I've got friends in the SSPD," Sonic said. "I'll go see if there's been any sign of Tasmanian Devils."

With that, he sped off in the blink of an eye.

Station Square

Sonic made it to the police department in record time. He headed inside, where a slim, black haired officer was opening a box of glazed donuts.

"Donut Lord!" he greeted happily.

The man turned around, revealing himself to be Sonic's longtime friend, Sheriff Tom Wachowski.

"Sonic!" he greeted. "It's been a long time."

"Yeah, I've been busy," Sonic remarked. "Wish this was a social call, but I'm on business. I know this is gonna sound crazy, but... have there been any sightings of Mobian Tasmanian devils in the city lately?"

"Huh?" Tom blinked. "Well… now that you mention it, there was a report of a strange Mobian by the docks. He was polite though, and even paid to rent a small biplane."

"Sounds like who I'm looking for," Sonic nodded. "Long story short, that Mobian kidnapped one of my friends on Angel Island."

"What?" Tom questioned. "Hang on, I'll get the records for the plane. They're usually equipped with a tracker."

He went to do so, Sonic crossing his fingers that they would find Kat and Thrash in time.

Mystic Ruins

Before an ancient temple in the jungles of the Mystic Ruins, Kat slowly came to, only to freeze when she saw who, or what, was around her. Large, hunchbacked dogs were hovering over her. Drool dropped off sharp fangs as wild eyes looked her over.

"Devil Dogs…" Kat's voice was barely a whisper and her eyes were locked on the massive beasts.

"Oi!" a voice cut in at that. "Back off! Stop crowdin' her, will ya?"

The Devil Dogs dispersed at that. Kat breathed a sigh of relief, sitting up. She winced, feeling a massive bruise on her face.

"Ow…" she let out. "Damn Locke…"

"Sorry about that. Wish I got there sooner."

Kat perked, looking to see Thrash sitting there looking at her.

"Oh, I didn't see you there," she said. "Who are you?"

"Name's Thrash," Thrash greeted, giving a two-fingered salute before gesturing to the Devil Dogs around them. "And don't worry about them, mate. They're not gonna hurt ya."

"So, they're your Devil Dogs?" Kat asked. "I guess you trained them."

"No, they're my packmates," Thrash corrected, patting two in particular. "These two are my sisters."

"Packma-" Kat perked in realization. "Wait… you're a Tasmanian Devil?"

"That's right," Thrash nodded.

Kat started rubbing her head in confusion. "Okay... I think I'm missing something. One minute, I'm arguing with that asshole Locke. Then I'm on the ground, and now I'm... somewhere, with Devil Dogs and a Tasmanian Devil. What's going on?"

"I've been trying to track down where those Echidna trash have been hiding for a while," Thrash explained. "Imagine my luck when I find out they've been on Angel Island this whole time, and the island just happened to splash down a few miles from Station Square."

"You… what?" Kat asked. "Ugh... my head. Mr. Thrash, can you explain what's going on? Please?"

"Long story short, my kind used to flourish in Downunda a long, long time ago," Thrash replied, venom creeping into his voice. "Then a bunch of Echidna came along and did that."

He pointed to the Devil Dogs. Kat stared, her eyes going wide.

"They what?" a hand went to her mouth. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Because of those dirty, stinking Echidnas, I'm the only Mobian Tasmanian devil left on this entire damn planet!" Thrash growled, clenching his fists. "The Echidnas wiped out my race... so I'm gonna return the favor."

Kat froze at that.

"Wait, what? No, you can't! Not all Echidna are like that!" She paused for a moment, her cheek throbbing in reminder. "Well... maybe most of them, but not all of them!"

"Tell that to the one that tried to throw you off Angel Island and knocked you out!" Thrash shot back. "Echidnas are nothing but filthy, backstabbing murderers and monsters! They're all the same! They exterminated my kind, so I'm gonna exterminate them. Eye for an eye, mate."

"No!" Kat pleaded. "My best friend is an echidna! And besides, an eye for an eye just leaves everyone blind, don't you know that?!"

Thrash seemed conflicted for a few seconds, but simply turned his back.

"Sorry, mate," he said quietly. "You ain't gonna convince me not to do this. I've been at this for years. I either finish this quest, or die trying."

He marched out of the ruins. Kat tried to follow, but Thrash just whistled. The two Devil Dogs quickly blocked her path, stopping her in her tracks.

"You'll thank me for this later, kid," Thrash told her.

"Please, Thrash," Kat pleaded. "Don't do this."

Thrash just walked off, leaving her alone.

Knothole

Sonic sped in, meeting with the others.

"What have we got?" Chris asked.

"Reports of a strange Mobian by the docks," Sonic explained. "He rented a biplane to get to Angel Island earlier."

He then slammed a file on the desk. "And the planes come with trackers."

"Think it's our Devil?" Tails asked.

"Oh yeah, it's him," Sonic confirmed. "And I know where he went after Angel Island. The jungles of the Mystic Ruins."

"We'll have to take the Special," Tails told them. "We don't know the area well enough for the Warp Rings."

"Then let's get rolling." Sonic declared.

"What're we gonna do with the Devil when we find him?" Keith asked.

Sonic's fist clenched. "That depends on whether or not he's done anything to hurt Kat."

"I'll get the others," Tails decided. "Someone should tell Knuckles."

"I'll do it," Sonic decided, heading to Knuckles' room and knocking on the door. "We found the Devil's hiding place."

"Where is he?!" Knuckles demanded, already on his feet and seething with rage.

"We're prepping the Special to go get him," Sonic replied. "Stupid question: You coming?"

"Was that ever in doubt?" Knuckles retorted. "If he hurt Kat, I'll tear him apart."

"I'll hold him down," Sonic assured. "Then, we'll do the same with your dad."

Knuckles smiled. "I'm starting to like you, Hedgehog."

Mystic Ruins

As the Special flew above the jungle, Sonic was scoping out the area with a pair of binoculars, before he caught a glimpse of something purple.

"I got him!" he reported. "He matches Donut Lord's description to a T."

"Taking us down now!" Rotor replied.

They landed and disembarked, Sonic leading the group to where he saw Thrash.

"Knuckles, I know you're pissed, believe me," Sonic told him, "but we need him alive and conscious to tell us where Kat is. Got it?"

Knuckles nodded. "Got it."

As they searched through the ruins, Thrash watched them from the trees, his eyes locked on Knuckles.

"Gotcha…"

He charged out of the foliage, tackling Knuckles. The two grappled furiously before Knuckles threw him off. The Freedom Fighters were instantly on the offensive.

" So you're the Mobian devil we're heard so much about," Sonic noted.

Thrash slapped his chest. "Thrash is the name. Don't wear it out."

"Well Thrash, where's Kat?" Sonic demanded. "You better not have laid a single finger on her, or I swear to Aurora if Knuckles doesn't kill you, I will!"

"I ain't done nothin' to hurt her," Thrash insisted. "I saved her from those bloody Echidnas! You should be thanking me!"

"Hey, Knuckles maybe a bit of a blowhard, but he's a good guy," Sonic insisted. "For the most part."

"Far as I'm concerned, the only good Echidna is a dead one!" Thrash snapped. "You didn't see them dragging that girl around and smacking her like some sort of punching bag! I did that girl a favor!"

"We talking about the same Echidna?" Sonic asked. "Red, spikes on the fist, head harder than cement?"

Knuckles scowled at that. "Does anyone but me think it a little strange that with Sonic here, it's Thrash I'm after?"

"Shut up, Echidna," Thrash snapped before smacking him.

"Okay, stop this, Thrash!" Sally ordered. "There's no need for any violence! What did the Echidnas ever do to you?!"

"You really wanna know?" Thrash whistled, and before long, his Devil Dog pack arrived. "That's what they did to me!"

Everyone stared, both confused and horrified.

"Then… I was right," Rotor managed. "The Echidna turned the Tasmanian Devils... into Devil Dogs."

"Bingo, Jack!" Thrash declared. "My kind used to flourish on Downunda." He pointed a condemning finger at Knuckles. "Then your people came and turned them into lab experiments. And that's the result! The Echidnas messed with our genes, trying to create the Devil Dogs. Nobody remembers why–not that they had the right to do it at all. Mums and dads sired pups instead of babies. Each generation, as we got bred out of existence, is told the stories of who did this to us! And so here we are. The last of the Tasmanian Devils, and the one who's gonna get justice for what you filthy Echidnas did!"

Knuckles looked beyond sick to his stomach. He dropped to his knees and actually puked.

"My people…" he let out, "did that…?"

"Yes, they did," Thrash confirmed. "The Echidnas drove my kind to extinction, so that's exactly what I'm gonna do to them! I won't stop until every last one of those dirty stinking anteaters on Angel Island are pushing up daisies and burning in Hell where they belong!"

Knuckles seemed too shaken to do much of anything.

"Really?" Sonic questioned. "And how does that make you any different than the Echidnas who mutated your people, Thrash?"

"'He who fights monsters should beware, lest he become a monster himself.'" Tekno recited.

"So what if I am a monster?" Thrash shot back. "I don't care! The echidna will pay! They'll all pay! And you'll do well to stay out of my way!"

Sally shook her head sadly. "As much as I hate to admit it, Thrash... it's obvious that the time for saving you is past. Our words would only be lost on you."

The Freedom Fighters prepared to fight, while Thrash cracked his knuckles. "Bring it on!"

-X-

Meanwhile, Kat was running through the jungle, trying to find a way out. When the Devil Dogs had left to answer Thrash's summons, she'd been left unguarded, and had instantly taken advantage of it.

"I gotta get back to Knuckles," she said to herself. "I have to warn him."

She perked as she heard the sound of fighting going on nearby.

"Just let Kat go, and we can settle this peacefully!" came Sonic's voice. "You don't have to do this!"

"It seems we do!" Thrash shouted. "Any friend of an Echidna is an enemy of mine!"

"Sonic…" Kat realized. "If he's here, then Knuckles is too."

She began running, seeing Thrash holding off the Freedom Fighters with relative ease.

"Give it up, Thrash!" Sonic ordered. "You're outnumbered and outgunned!"

"That's what you think, Sonic!" Thrash suddenly unleashed a sonic howl, the soundwaves leaving everyone clutching their ears in pain and sending Sonic flying back. Sonic rubbed the back of his head as he pulled himself up. His vision cleared as he saw Thrash pulled a large rock out of the ground, approaching a dazed Knuckles.

"You'll be the first Echidna to fall to me," Thrash declared.

"Holy-!" Sonic gasped, struggling to get to his feet only to be tackled and pinned by one of the Devil Dogs.

The rest of the Freedom Fighters soon suffered the same.

"No, stop!" Sonic screamed. "Don't do it!"

Knuckles looked up at Thrash, shock, emotional turmoil, and the sonic blast keeping him in place.

"Goodbye, Echidna," Thrash said with malice.

He brought the rock down as a flash of red came out of the trees.

"NO!"

The rock connected hard with something, creating a sickening thud. The victim then crumbled to the ground like a ragdoll. Thrash looked down at his victim, his grim triumph turning to horror when he saw who he had just hit: Kat. She was laying on the ground, unmoving and deathly still.

"KAT!" Knuckles screamed.

Thrash stumbled back, dropping the rock in shock.

"No… I- I didn't mean…"

Sonic gasped, his shock turning to rage as he sparked with blue lightning, kicking the Devil Dog off of him. He ran over, seeing the massive, bloody gash trailing along the side of Kat's head. He began to breathe hard, sparking in rage before whirling on Thrash.

"You son of a-!"

"No…" Thrash let out, "Why-? Why did she-? He's an Echidna… They hurt her… Why-?"

"She's his friend, you idiot!" Sonic screamed. "We told you that again and again!"

He grabbed Thrash by the collar, reeling back for a punch before Sally ran in.

"Sonic, don't!" she yelled. "Kat needs a doctor now!"

At that, Sonic stopped, dropping Thrash before scooping Kat up in his arms. He gave the Devil one last glare.

"You better pray to Aurora that Kat lives, Thrash," he warned. "Because if she doesn't… the Tasmanian Devils really will be extinct."

He took off as fast as he could. The others glared at Thrash in disdain as he took a step back in horror, looking down at his trembling hands.

"I didn't want to hurt her... I just wanted to help…" he stammered out. "I... I'm… What have I done...?"

None of them said anything. Sally just helped Knuckles to his feet, all of them walking away. Thrash watched them go, before covering his face with one hand in agonized remorse.

Author's Note:

Oh, no! Kat has become the victim of Thrash's revenge! Will Sonic get her to the doctor in time?

Please R&R. Until next time!