guest (29.09): Yep, I'm adding Surge and Kit to the story, and as for Mephiles being back, that's easy to answer - it's because of the Time Eater. Also, Dark Beginnings Ep. 2 was amazing and I need more of Team Dark! X3
Enjoy!
Entry 65
The Guardian and The Thief
''For example, if I let my hair sway a little, will the voice I hear be LOVE or HATE? Do whatever you like, no matter what they say, I won't stop walking.''
– LOVE or HATE? by Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord
xXxXxXx
Knuckles wasn't exactly happy with this arrangement. Truth to be told, he didn't mind the fact that he and Lily were tagging along with the Chaotix Detectives to Souto. The actual issue was the person who was leading them there. Touka and Shadow did promise that they would reveal the location of the warehouse where the Badniks had been stored, but both of them claimed to be busy with something else, with Touka calling someone to lead them there.
''I suppose going back for a thorough search shouldn't be too much of a hassle. I may have missed something,'' Rouge said as she flew ahead of them, a greedy gleam in her eyes. Admittedly, she hadn't been interested in returning to the warehouse, but after Touka had told her that Knuckles would be coming along, she eagerly agreed to leading the group there. Knuckles was fairly certain that Rouge was up to something, deciding not to let his guard down. As for Lily and the Chaotix, they didn't really care that Rouge was their guide, since they were focused on their mission.
''You know, you could tell us more about your client and how he learned about this place,'' Vector said, turning his head to Rouge.
''I'm sorry, hon, but this is a matter of business confidentiality,'' Rouge replied in a sweet tone. Vector exchanged glances with Espio and Charmy, who just shrugged.
''In any case, what are we hoping to find?'' Lily asked.
''Something that might give us more answers about who is behind this robot dealership,'' Vector responded, with Rouge interrupting.
''I don't know whether you'll going to find anything. I had done my own research, but I couldn't find much about the owner besides a fake name,'' she said.
''How did you-?'' Charmy started, giving her a puzzled look.
''I'm the world greatest spy. I know what what I'm doing,'' Rouge replied in a confident tone.
''I know, and that's why I'll be keeping a close eye on you,'' Knuckles said, pointing at Rouge. Rouge flashed him an amused smile.
''Ah, isn't that precious? I don't mind having all of your attention,'' Rouge teased him, with Knuckles giving her an annoying look.
''You know exactly why I need to keep an eye on you,'' Knuckles told her sharply, with Rouge giving him a confused expression, with Knuckles pointing his fist at her. ''I have sworn that I will get my revenge on you for what you have done to me!''
There was a moment of silence.
''What… have I done to you?'' Rouge was a bit baffled by this sudden accusation. While she was well aware that Knuckles didn't trust her because of how often she attempted to steal gems from the Crystle Mansion, she still felt that this kind of treatment was too harsh. She couldn't even remember any sort of accident that would cause Knuckles to want revenge on her. She gazed at the red echidna, wondering if he would give her a hint to what he was talking about, but his stony gaze gave her no answer.
''Don't act innocent,'' Knuckles told her in a firm tone. ''You know exactly what you have done, and I will fight fire with fire, since that's the only thing I can do in this situation. You won't know when my vengeance will come, but it will, and it will be swift and unexpected.''
Rouge just gave him a stunned stare. To be honest, she had absolutely no clue what he was talking about, and while she wasn't too worried about dealing with whatever kind of revenge Knuckles came up with – which she assumed involved punching her – but she was still a little hung on the fact that Knuckles knew about something she didn't. It irked the spy in her and she wanted to know what she had done to Knuckles that he acted like this. Rouge stared intently at Knuckles, her eyes narrowed, as if she was trying to read his mind, but only came across an impenetrable wall.
Their little staring contest came to an end when Lily got in-between them. ''How about we focus on our current mission? We still have to figure out who owns the warehouse, and I think that having professional detectives would help us a lot.''
Lily stared at Rouge, who just shrugged in response. The teenager was well aware that Rouge was more interested in figuring out what Knuckles meant than the mission, and while she didn't care that much about their rivalry, she knew that she needed to keep them somewhat focused. Lily then turned her attention to the Chaotix, with Vector and Espio realizing that this might mean they'd have to deal with Knuckles and Rouge bickering, while Charmy was blissfully oblivious to what was going on, and instead was staring at something in the distance.
''Hey, what's going on there?'' Charmy asked, drawing everyone's attention. The group got closer to the warehouse, hiding behind another building, and took note of several Irregulars quickly placing boxes into a hovercraft, with another standing guard.
''That's the warehouse,'' Rouge said, her tone now a whisper.
''What are they doing?'' Knuckles muttered, furrowing a brow.
''They're probably moving locations,'' Vector answered. ''After Team Dark found the warehouse, they had probably decided that this place isn't safe enough and they should leave as soon as possible.''
''So, what's the plan? Do you want to confront them head on or sneak inside?'' Lily asked.
''We don't know how many people are there. Confronting them head on might work against us,'' Espio said.
''Then sneaking inside it is!'' Charmy said, flying up, only to be grabbed by Vector.
''Wait a second, Charmy. We need to find an entrance first,'' Vector told him, only for Knuckles to point at a tarp covering the side of the building.
''What about that?'' he asked, with Rouge giggling, causing Knuckles to give her an annoyed look. ''What's wrong with my suggestion?''
''It's nothing, hon,'' Rouge replied, still smiling in amusement. ''The so-called entrance you're pointing at was a hole Shadow blasted when he attempted to escape the warehouse via his shiny new motorcycle.''
Lily snorted. ''Okay, that's actually funny. But, we could use it to get inside.''
With everyone agreeing to the plan, they quickly dashed to the hole in the wall, making sure that none of the Irregulars coming out from the warehouse would see them. Nevertheless, someone had indeed seen them.
''What should we do, Ma'am?'' Kit asked Surge as they observed the Chaotix, Rouge, Knuckles and Lily disappearing into the warehouse.
''If this were any other situation, I'd say that we should wreak havoc,'' Surge answered, her eyes narrowing. ''However, since we have to complete Starline's stupid mission, we'd just have to find our own way inside, destroy all of the Badniks and get out in record time.'' Surge then smirked, crackling her knuckles. ''At least we'll get to have some fun. Let's go, Drippy!''
Surge dashed ahead, followed by Kit as they used the same entrance as the previous group, both careful to not be noticed, and once they made sure that no one was in sight, entered the warehouse.
xXx
Maybe I should've at least asked Sonic to accompany me. I know that neither of us would have a real reason to be here, but having some kind of emotional support wouldn't be a bad thing. Lucas took a deep breath, a sense of anxiety slowly spreading through his body, causing his heart to beat a bit too fast for his liking. He ruffled his hair, trying to calm himself down, and then looked up at the building he was standing in front of. Admittedly, I don't want to get anyone into trouble, and I know how to talk my way out of a situation. Besides, I did say that I was more than willing to take the risk and that I would be fine on my own. Hopefully, everything will be fine.
Taking another deep breath and finally calming himself down, despite the perpetual sting of anxiety, Lucas started walking towards the entrace of Tamago Corporation. He wasn't going to abandon his mission so easily, especially not after he assured his friends that he could handle this. Sonic had actually asked him whether he was fine with going there on his own, with Lucas showing confidence in his decision and telling his partner that he'd be fine, well aware that Sonic was looking forward to go on a ride with Shadow on the Dark Rider. Not to mention, Lucas had figured that he could call the rest of his teammates if something did happen.
I suppose that it is a stupid assumption, but… would it really be out of place for the Eggman Empire and Tamago Corporation to be connected in some way? Lucas thought as he entered the lobby. It was neatly furnished, albeit almost completely empty. There was a reception to the side, with the receptionist bowing her head politely as she greeted him. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to check this place for some kind of clue, regardless of whether I'm wrong or right.
xXx
''Boss? I think you have a visitor,'' Orbot said, pointing at a monitor. Eggman, who just took a sip of coffee out of his #1 Evil Scientist mug, spat the liquid out in shock when he saw who that visitor was.
''Kinomoto?! What is he doing here?!'' Eggman shouted furiously.
''Maybe he also wants to work for you as an intern?'' Cubot suggested, with Eggman shooting him a glare, and then focused on the monitor.
''He is alone,'' he muttered, furrowing a brow as he observed the teenager through the monitor.
Eggman had to admit that he never expected to forever keep the main Egg Base a secret from Team Neos, especially not when it was part of a public building, but nevertheless, he was certain that no one from Team Neos would find out about it so soon. He expected them to spend months, if not years, wondering where the main Egg Base was, so this was quite alarming. However, he did take note of Lucas being the only person in the building, with the cameras outside showing that the rest of Team Neos wasn't anywhere in sight. While it was possible that they were hiding, he was certain that someone like Sonic would burst into the Egg Base without any care in the world. But, that appeared not to be the case, so what was going on? Perhaps, he was wrong. It was also possible that Lucas just took interest in the Tamago Corporation for a different reason.
''What should we do, Boss?'' Orbot asked.
''Send out an order to all android units to keep an eye on Kinomoto. I don't want him to find his way into the Egg Base, even if he's all alone,'' Eggman ordered. ''He needs to think that this is just the Tamago Corporation.''
''Yes, Boss!'' Orbot and Cubot responded in unison, quickly scrambling to inform all the various workers within the building, all of them which were robots, to keep Lucas away from the Egg Base.
Meanwhile, Eggman remained at the monitors, arms folded across his chest as he played a game of mental chess, wondering what Lucas was up to. ''If he was interested in the Tamago Corporation, then I would've expected the Taylor kid to show up rather than Kinomoto.''
xXx
''Hello?'' Lucas greeted the receptionist, who smiled at him politely.
''How may I help you?'' she said.
''Well, I…'' Lucas trailed off, feeling stuck. How was he supposed to explain to this woman that he had a feeling that the Eggman Empire may have somehow infiltrated the Tamago Corporation or that they were connected in some way? She'd think that he was crazy! ''I-I was curious about the Buddy Bot incident. Has Tamago Corporation managed to gather all of the Buddy Bots that were sent out?''
''Unfortunately, that is information that cannot be shared with the public,'' the receptionist replied.
''I understand, but… I-'' Lucas paused for a moment, trying to come up with more topics to keep the conversation going. He actually had several things on mind, but he knew that he needed to play his hand right. ''The truth is, I've been sent to investigate the Eggman Empire's involvement in the accident. Have you found a source of the virus that infiltrated the Buddy Bots?''
''Unfortunately, that is information that cannot be shared with the public,'' the receptionist replied once more in the same sweet tone, her smile being a constant, if eerie, presence on her expression. Lucas felt a little disheartened, but was determined to continue.
''I apologize, Miss, but this is an important matter,'' Lucas continued, having to admit that it was a little weird that the receptionist didn't ask him for any ID or a paper that showed that he was given this case. ''Several Buddy Bots have been found being part of criminal activities.''
''Unfortunately, that is information that cannot be shared with the public!''
Lucas was startled when the receptionist suddenly shouted at him, causing him to step away nervously, wondering what had happened. This certainly wasn't a reaction a normal person would have, let alone a proper response to his questions. The receptionist then suddenly returned back to her polite self, keeping smiling at Lucas, who felt rather unsettled by the whole thing.
What Lucas didn't know was that Orbot and Cubot were hiding behind a hidden door to the actual Egg Base, holding a device and exchanging equally nervous looks.
''Oh, dear,'' Orbot muttered when they heard the receptionist android shouting.
''Maybe we shouldn't have put the setting to 'aggressive','' Cubot said.
Meanwhile, Eggman was growling in frustration when he saw what had happened. ''Those idiots! If Kinomoto didn't suspect the Tamago Corporation to be part of the Eggman Empire before, he will now!''
Back in the lobby, Lucas realized that he wasn't going to get any answer from the receptionist, and while her response did rattle him, it only left him with more questions. He wondered if he should leave, only for another question to pop into his mind. ''Excuse me, but does someone named Ferra Ahearn work here?''
The receptionist smiled back at him innocently, readily answering the question, ''We do have an employee under that name. She has an internship here, but further information is unaccessible without the necessary clearance.''
Lucas smirked. ''Bingo.'' He then turned on his heel, leaving the building. ''Thank you for help.''
Back with Eggman, the Doctor was relieved to see the teenager leave, but at the same time had a bad feeling about the whole thing. He didn't believe that Lucas would give up so easily, and the fact that he had a rather calm, if not self-satisfied, reaction to hearing that Ferra was working here as an intern made him feel worried. Admittedly, that still was no evidence for the Tamago Corporation being part of the Eggman Empire, but he knew that Lucas was sharp enough to make the connection.
xXx
Lucas hummed in thought as he exited the building, only to run into someone he hadn't expected to meet at all at this place – Ferra and Metal Sonic. The two were just as baffled as he was when they saw him, both immediately taking an aggressive stance.
''What are you doing here?'' Ferra asked, shooting him a glare. Lucas assessed the current situation, wondering if he was in danger, then relaxed when he realized that Ferra and Metal Sonic wouldn't attack him in such a public space.
''I'm here for the same reason you are,'' Lucas replied in a casual tone, pointing at the Tamago Corporation. ''I wanted to talk to Dr. Eggman.''
Ferra and Metal Sonic were shocked to hear that, with Ferra stuttering, ''H-How did you know-?''
''I didn't. In fact, you have just confirmed everything for me,'' Lucas replied, giving her a smug smile. Suddenly, he was grabbed by Metal Sonic, who dragged him into a narrow alleyway next to the building and pushed him against the wall, with Ferra following the two and glaring at Lucas, ''So, you know now. What do you plan to do with that information?''
Lucas gritted his teeth, feeling the cold metal against his skin as Metal Sonic held onto his shirt, well aware that being hidden from the public eye like this, he was in actual danger. Nevertheless, he also knew that Ferra and Metal Sonic wouldn't go so far to seriously harm him, let alone kill him.
''Look, I'm not here because I want to confront you or cause any trouble. Something had happened that made me suspect that there was a connection between the Tamago Corporation and the Eggman Empire, and I just wanted to confirm that,'' Lucas explained, giving both Ferra and Metal Sonic a serious look. ''I also wasn't lying when I said that I wanted to talk to Dr. Eggman.''
Cue Ferra's AR Visor buzzing due to an incoming call, with the holographic screen opening and showing Dr. Eggman, much to their surprise, who turned his attention to Lucas. ''So, you know now about the Tamago Corporation's dark secret.''
''I don't know all the details, but going by the information I have, I assume you're the actual CEO of the corporation,'' Lucas said, eyeing the Doctor carefully.
''You're correct about your assumption. I'm the true owner of Tamago Corporation, while Dr. Telos Tamago is just an android I had created to keep up a respectful public image.'' Surprisingly, Eggman smirked, sharing the information with Lucas without any fuss. ''What I would like to know is how you had figured out that there was a connection.''
''It was because someone was combining both the remains of Buddy Bots and Badniks into chimera-like robots and using them as weapons. Warren and Tails have told me that the material used for both types of robots is similar enough, so I had figured that it would be worth investigating closer,'' Lucas explained. ''Besides, there is only one person in this world who'd add 'Egg' to the name of their creations.''
''I suppose I really underestimated you,'' Eggman replied, slightly amused by Lucas' revelation. He then frowned. ''But, what do you mean by someone using my creations to create chimera-like robots?''
''It appears that someone had been taking the scrapped Badniks and selling them off. The Chaotix are currently investigating this case, so you would have to ask them for more information,'' Lucas replied. ''I guess this means you had no idea what was going on.''
''No, I don't. There is no way I would sell off my Badniks to anyone,'' Eggman replied, furrowing a brow.
''Yeah, that makes sense,'' Lucas said, taking a step down the alleyway and towards the main street. ''In any case, that's all I wanted to-''
''You're not going anywhere,'' Ferra said in a cold tone when Metal Sonic suddenly appeared behind Lucas. She then turned to Eggman. ''What should we do about him?''
Before Eggman could even respond, Lucas suddenly rose his voice, ''We still have a deal, don't we? It's all part of the game.''
Eggman stared at him for a moment, looking quite interested, only to turn to Ferra and Metal Sonic. ''Let him go. He won't be causing any trouble for us.''
Both Ferra and Metal Sonic gave him a look of surprise, but complied. But, before Lucas could leave, he was once again stopped by Metal Sonic, hearing a bunch of beeping noises.
''I thought you could talk,'' Lucas said, staring at the robot hedgehog.
''He's asking how Sonic's doing.'' Ferra said, with Metal Sonic giving her a look. ''Well, how his weak, biological counterpart is doing.''
Lucas sighed, furrowing a brow. ''Sonic has recovered, so if you're up for another fight, he's ready for it.''
He didn't even need Ferra to translate, as the look Metal Sonic gave him was an answer enough. 'Gladly'.
The two observed Lucas getting on his hoverboard and leaving, with Ferra and Metal Sonic turning back to the holographic screen. ''So, what should we do now?''
''For now, I want to know who is stealing my Badniks and profiting of them,'' Eggman said, feeling irritated. ''Because once I get my hands on them, there won't be a piece left of them.''
xXx
''Woah, look at that,'' Charmy gasped, grabbing something that resembled a Chao figurine, being enamored with the little toy. Rouge, on the other hand, got smiled when she saw a pearl necklace hanging off a mannequin, and was about to reach for it when she got grabbed by the shoulders by Knuckles and pushed forward.
''Focus, Bat! We still have a mission to fulfill,'' he told her as he kept pushing her, with Rouge just giving him an annoyed look and folding her arms across her chest.
''I know how to focus on a mission. I was just admiring the jewelry,'' she replied. Knuckles rolled his eyes.
''You can steal it once you're done,'' he said.
''I'm not a thief, but a treasure hunter,'' Rouge protested, with Knuckles raising an eyebrow, giving her a knowing look. Rouge then huffed. ''Besides, I doubt whoever owns this place acquired that jewelry through legal means. It would be much better in the hands of someone who knows how to cherish it.''
Lily, who realized they were about to continue bickering, turned to the Chaotix. ''You guys go ahead. I'll keep an eye on the 'power couple' here.''
''Good luck with them,'' Vector said, with Espio and Charmy following him.
''Who are you calling 'power couple'?'' Rouge asked, eyebrow raised as she turned to Lily.
''I know that we are both quite powerful, but…'' Knuckles trailed off when he saw Lily and Rouge react, hearing steps not too far from their location. The three quickly hid behind a mound of scrap, avoiding one of the Irregulars patrolling.
''Couldn't we just knock out one of them and interrogate them?'' Lily asked in a hushed tone. Knuckles and Rouge exchanged glances, having to admit that that wasn't a bad idea. However, before they could grab the guard, more Irregulars appeared, grabbing the boxes close to them and carrying them away.
''If you want to do that, we'd have to be discreet,'' Rouge muttered, with the three finding an opening and rushing to hide behind another mound of broken furniture.
''Or we could knock out all of them,'' Knuckles suggested, grinning as he looked ready to fight. Rouge gave him a questioning look.
''Remind me again, was this supposed to be a stealth mission or were we actually supposed to brute force our way to the answer?'' she asked in a deadpan tone, only for all three of them to freeze when they heard the sound of an explosion. All three of them peeked out of their hiding spot, taking note of the fact that the Irregulars were rushing to the source of the explosion, which was a huge Badnik made out of scraps from several robots, now left smoking and in pieces.
''It seems someone was sharing my idea,'' Knuckles said, giving Rouge a smug smirk. Before they could continue, they heard someone else shouting, followed by another Badnik being trashed on the other side of the building.
''Whoeever has the same idea as you do is giving us cover,'' Rouge said, spreading her wings. ''Com'n, this is our opportunity!''
Knuckles followed Rouge as she flew towards a lone brown bear Irregular, who took note of the two charging at him, but before he could fire his weapon, he was struck with a kick to the face and punch to the gut, causing him to fly into a pile of scrap.
''Ugh…'' The Irregular winced when Knuckles leapt on his chest, grabbing him by his chest fur and pointing his clenched fist at him, while Rouge was hovering next to the echidna.
''Look, sweetie, we're only here to get some questions answered,'' Rouge said in a sickeningly sweet tone, her charming voice clashing with the glare Knuckles was giving the guard. ''Who is your boss, and where are you moving all of those materials?''
''As if I'm going to tell you anything,'' the bear Irregular growled, swinging his fist at Knuckles, who dodged it, leaping off the guy's chest, only to lunge once again at the bear, punching him in the chest and delivering an uppercut to the face that knocked him down. Rouge then hovered over the bear, smiling in slight amusement.
''Look, honey, my friend over there isn't exactly the patient type, so it would be the best for you to answer our questions,'' she told him. ''We'll get our answers, one way or another. Your choice.''
Unfortunately for them, the bear was still more than willing to fight, grabbing Knuckles by the arm and throwing him away. Lily managed to catch her partner before he hit the ground, while Rouge got into a fight with the bear, meeting his fist with a swift kick, only to get startled by another explosion not too far from them. This caught her off guard, with the bear managing to grab her leg and throwing her into the wall.
''Rouge!''
However, instead of the painful sensation of having her back slamming into the wall, she found herself instead in Knuckles' arms, with the echidna managing to catch her just before that could happen. Rouge's tan muzzle was briefly tinted red, being stunned that Knuckles had saved her and feeling rather comfortable in his arms, and then she noticed his purple eyes glowing red. This was followed by a sudden crash, with the bear flying across the room as a Chaos Surge-empowered Lily punched him. The three then stared at the Irregular, who wasn't moving anymore.
''I guess I put a bit too much into that punch and knocked him out,'' Lily said as she checked on him. ''Should we find another one?''
''I suppose we could try,'' Rouge said, placing her hand on Knuckles' muzzle and caressing it. ''What do you say, Handsome?''
Knuckles froze at her touch, his muzzle turning as red as the energy sparks surrounding him as he realized that he was still holding Rouge bridal-style. He quickly let her go, trying to gather his thoughts, while Rouge just kept smiling, having to admit that she loved seeing him so flustered. Seeing her smile, Knuckles quickly turned aggressive.
''D-Don't even think that-''
Before he could even finish his sentence, another Irregular came flying across the warehouse, followed by someone shouting. Lily had spotted what appeared to be a water tendril, but due to the angle of where the other battle was taking place, she couldn't see to whom it belonged. There was another explosion, followed by the wall on the far side crashing down, shaking the whole building.
''Watch out! The roof-!''
Rouge, Knuckles and Lily were shocked when part of the roof started to cave in, with Rouge grabbing both of their hands, pulling them towards the other side. ''We need to get out of here!''
Knuckles and Lily ran after her, noting how dust and debris was flying everywhere, and hoped that Rouge was leading them to an exit. They were also looking around for the Chaotix, only to see the three detectives waving at them at the back side of the warehouse, which standing in front of the exit with a few knocked out Irregulars next to them.
''We got what we wanted!'' Vector told them. ''What happened to you?!''
''We'll talk about it later! Let's go!'' Lily replied, with the group quickly dashing out of the warehouse. Once they were outside, they kept running and stopped only when they were out of sight.
''What was that?!'' Charmy asked as everyone tried to catch their breath.
''Someone else was there with us, destroying the Badniks. They were the ones who destroyed part of the building,'' Knuckles explained.
''Did you find anything?'' Rouge asked.
''We found this piece of paper in one of the Irregular's pockets,'' Espio said, holding up a note. ''It seems that there was a delivery to an address in Mikado City out of all places.''
''Sounds to me as if they're trying to expand to other locations in Starpoint Area,'' Vector said. ''We'll call the authorities there to inform them about the situation.''
''Not to mention, calling the authorities about the warehouse here,'' Lily said, taking note of the half-crumbled building.
''Too bad that I couldn't explore the warehouse a bit more,'' Rouge said, sighing in disappointment. She then took out the pearl necklace she had been eyeing earlier. ''At least I managed to grab this.''
''When did you-?!'' Knuckles gave her a baffled look, while Rouge just smiled in response.
''I always get what I want, hon,'' she said. Knuckles shot her a glare, with Rouge rolling her eyes, placing her hand on her hip. ''Fine, maybe I am also the world's greatest thief. So what, it's not like I stole this from you-'' She then had a sudden realization. ''Oh, is this because I haven't visited you in the past few days? Honestly, Knuckles, all you have to do is to ask, and I'll be happy to steal a couple of gems from you.''
''It's not that,'' Knuckles growled, his eyes narrowing, while Rouge gave him a confused look.
''Then, what is it? I genuinely don't remember any reason for why you talk about getting revenge on me,'' Rouge said in frustration. Knuckles inhaled sharply, only to walk up to a startled Rouge with a determined look on his expression. Rouge felt a sudden surge of anxiety, as she had no clue what the echidna was up to, only to find herself swept off her feet and held by Knuckles, her eyes widening in surprise when he then kissed her. She had expected a lot of things from him, but this had never crossed her mind. Sure, she would often flirt and tease him, but only because she knew he'd either freeze or get riled up. The fact that he was fighting back the same way caught her completely off guard. Admittedly, the kiss itself was nice, if a little too firm and too short for her taste.
Once they broke it off, with Rouge feeling disappointed that it only lasted a few seconds, both flushed and taking deep breaths, with Knuckles still giving her that stern look as he let go of her.
''This is my revenge,'' he told her in a firm tone. ''I still haven't forgotten that indirect kiss back at the party, and I have been reliving it constantly in my dreams, to the point that I knew that I had to do something about it to find a sense of peace.''
''…'' Rouge was speechless, her jaw dropped, one of her ears drooping as she stared at Knuckles in disbelief. As much as the echidna intrigued her, the moment she thought she had figured him out and felt that she could move on, he came back with vengeance. Finally, she had managed to find her voice. ''That's what you were so hung up on?!''
''Yes, and if you ever think of putting me through that kind of treatment again, I will see it as a challenge and fight back,'' Knuckles told her. ''I may have frozen up during our last interaction, but this time, I'm ready.''
''I…'' Rouge had absolutely no idea what to say, still needing more time to process what the hell had just happened. Both her and Knuckles had been completely oblivious to the gasps coming from the rest of the group, with Espio quickly covering Charmy's eyes the moment he realized what Knuckles was up to and causing the latter to complain and try to break out of his grasp, followed by a moment of complete silence.
Knuckles then turned to Lily. ''Shall we go now?''
''Y-Yeah, sure…'' Lily said, with Knuckles walking ahead of her, while she remained back, facepalming in exasperation. Vector, Espio and Charmy quickly followed Knuckles, with Vector whistling.
''Woah, I didn't know you felt like that about Rouge,'' he said.
''What do you mean by that? She is my rival,'' Knuckles asked, raising an eyebrow when Vector winked at him.
''Yeah, what do you mean by that? What happened?'' Charmy suddenly asked, zooming around them, with Espio muttering something under his breath, ''We'll tell you when you're older.''
Behind them, Lily turned to Rouge.
''Are you okay?'' she asked. Rouge sighed, folding her arms across her chest.
''I am… but I wish Knuckles was less dense,'' she said, grumbling under her breath.
''You and me both, Rouge,'' Lily told her.