CHAPTER 8

Heroes die hard

A few months pass.The freedom fighters had managed with this precious little time they had to smuggle some of Robotniks latest technology to create a barrier around the village to protect themselves.Alot of the children who once played outdoors laughing and cheering stayed inside contemplating their doom.Sally tried to comfort them but they were too sad and scared to even cry.Sally could relate.All of them could.Robotnik had once again destroyed their lives when the scars of the past almost healed.A few overlander soldiers seeked refuge with them.This caused some tension between the villagers since they were human and so was Robotnik.

"I've had enough of Robuttniks torment Sally.We have to take him down!" Sonic said being very serious.

"I know Sonic but he's managed to beat us in every step we've ever made.He's toying with us....and sooner or later the axe will drop on our heads and their is nothing we seem to do" Sally said hanghing her head.

Sonic was about to say something to this as well but was cut off by the sounds of screams.He raced to the spot and came face to face with Knuckles.He was battered,bruised and was covered in his own blood."

"Kunckles....."

"T-The Master Emerald....Julie Sue...."

He collapsed to the ground.To Sonic's horror Knuckles was shot in the back with 16 large spikes from Robotniks robots.But Knuckles did not die.He awoke in the hospital days later with wires hooked up to him.Dr Quack came over.

"Your lucky my friend.You had almost died.We had to do some blood transfusions to keep you alive."

"Gone....everythings gone..." Knuckles said blanky.

Quack rested a cold cloth on his head and bowed.

"I'm sorry...."

He walked out of the room and flicked the lights off.Knuckles layed there in the dark with the images of
Julie Su being robotisized,the floating island falling,him accidentaly killing her,and Robotniks grin.

"I swear to you Julie Su....I swear this....I'll avenge you!"

He drifted off to a deep dark sleep.In his dreams he was standing on the floating island but everything around him was blazing.He could hear screams of his people dying but he couldnt move.Julie Su apeared in front of him.

"Julie Su!!!"

"You killed me Knuckles....you killed me and now I'm going to kill you!"

She grabbed him by the neck and pulled him from the ground.He blinked and looked at her and she was now robotisized with her eyes glowing red with hate.He kicked away from her cradling his neck.She dissapeared and he was now in a gigantic mechanical city.Giant gears churned about and smoke and fire blazed out of giant pillars with the clanking of steel.Then he heard a hideous laugh.It came from every direction and became louder and louder.He put his hands over his ears but the sound became louder and louder and became unbearable.He collapsed screaming in pain but then it stopped.He gasped breaths as the air around him was now cold.His breath clung to the air.He looked upwards and Robotnik was now standing over him.

"Welcome to my world,Knuckles!"

He threw down Julie Su's head which rolled in between his legs.Knuckles screamed as loud as he could and awoke.He shook with fear and panted.Cold sweat dripped off his face and stained the bed.

"S...S'only...a dream....."

He eased falling back onto his pillow.His breaths relaxed abit.He inhaled some air through his nose.

" *Sniff * *sniff* what is that....?"

He looked down to see a yellow stain on his sheets.

"Sonuva bitch....."

He ripped the plugs off him and jumped to his feet.Then his legs gave out under him.

"Oof! I guess I've been out longer than I thought!"

He dragged himself on the floor back to his bed.He managed to get back on and waited for the blood to go back into his legs.Then with a burst of energy he shot through the window and skimmed through the tree's looking down on Knothole.

"Thats it Robotnik! I'll stop you once and for all!"

Sonic felt a woosh of air over his head.He looked up.

"Hunh.Wonder what that was."

In under a hour Knuckles had made it out of the Great Forest and across the Badlands.He trekked through the ruins of MegaCentral,formerly Eggmans stronghold,covered in greenery and ruin.The air was thick and it waqs quiet.Too quiet.Knuckles stopped and looked around him raising his fists.The air was heavy and cold was setting in.Not a sound could be heard.Then suddenly the sileince was broken as he was slammed facefirst into the side of a building.He threw himself back and punched.A metal hand caught it.

"W-what...? Your...."

"I am Mecha Shadow,fleshling.You were supposed to have been terminated.I will correct that error."

Mecha Shadow grabbed his wrists and twisted sending Knuckles spinning over his shoulders.He let go and did a side step kick to the side of Knuckles ribs sending him crashing to the ground.Immediately Knuckles jumped to his feet sending a uppercut to his metal jaw.He skidded back and lay still.A unholy laugh creaked out from him.

"Shadow,I dont know if you can hear me but you better try and break Robotnik's control before I break you in two!"

".....Heheheh...AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! You are still a fool Knuckles...I still am partly in control which makes me even more dangerous and perfect.I let Robotnik robotisize me!!"

"Wh-wha?"

"That moment as I awoke in the robotisizer I had a choice.To easily bust out of there and destroy the place but I chose not to.I heard stories from robians you could attain free will if you willingly gave yourself to him.I did and I am ever so grateful to my master....but soon I will be the master!!!"

"Your obviously not the Shadow we all knew! The robotisization has warped your brain...! You--"

Knuckles was cut off by Mecha Shadow slamming headfirst into Knuckles gut pinning him into the wall.Knuckles grinded his teeth and removed him and delivered a hard punch to his optics busting it out.Electricity hissed from it and his other eye glowed red in anger.

Two small spikes unsheathed from his knuckles.Launching himself at Knuckles as fast as he could push himself before Knuckles could get out of the way he hit him directly in his left eye.Knuckles screamed clutching his left eye oozing with blood.

He collapsed to the ground disoriented and head spinning in chaos.Mecha Shadow didnt let up though as he grabbed Knuckles and punched his bleeding eye again.He laughed at him.

"I thought you were supposed to be tough Knuckles! Oh well an eye for an eye!"

And with that his claw hand wrenched onto Knuckles skull plucking his damaged eye from his head.He stomped on Knuckles gut hard before he had time to scream again.He stomped on him harder and harder with blood splashing upward.

But then suddenly Knuckles,with pure hatred and rage flowing through him summoned up the powers of the Master Emerald again.

He glew chaos green and repelled Mecha Shadow off him.He blinked and his empty eye socket suddenly shot out a blast of energy sending him crashing through building after building with them coming down on him.But as soon as Mecha Shadow pulled himself out Knuckles grabbed him by the throaght and went spinning down to the ground pressing him in.A electricity field activated repelling him off.

"Astounding! Could this be the powers of the Master Emerald at work?"

"RRRAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Momentarily stunned Knuckles charged forward about to rip through him.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

He teleported a few metres away from his thrust.

"I was built all too well Knuckles....you see the good doctor saw my talents in handling raw energies so he gave me a chaos emerald!"

He pressed a button on his wrist and his chest plate opened up.Inside was a red chaos emerald.

"Interesting....the powers of the Master Emerald versus a Chaos Emerald! Who will prevail? Lets find out!"

As Knuckles went at him again he reached behind his back and pulled out a sword sheathed in his back.With 900,000 volts running along the blade.Knuckles barely had time to move before he swung.Though he was not slow using it.Knuckles had to push his energies souly on anticipating where he would swing since his speed was begining to make him go faster than the naked eye.

"Urk...this guys tough....I HAVE TO BELIEVE! The Master Emerald cannot be beaten by anything!"

With some pride returning he took his swing head on.The sword broke against his head with a storm of electricity shooting up and down zapping Mecha Shadow but not at all hurting Knuckles.His chaos powers wore off and his skin returned to red.

Mecha Shadow burnt and slowed right down went to deliver a punch.Knuckles caught it and delivered his own punch.His punch was also caught and they both grabbed eachothers throaghts with their remaining free hand.Now it was dead even.

"I-I...dont breathe IDIOT!"

But then a crunching sound began to hear.Fear struck him.He wasnt trying to strangle him.He was crushing his neck.He let go and tryed to wrench himself off Knuckles but his grip was too strong.

"CHAOS CONT--aak!"

He collapsed trying to summon up the power of the Chaos Emerald to free himself but was losing.As Knuckles gazed into his face he suddenly had a violent flashback of when his hands were around Julie Su's neck.He shuddered and released.

"N-no...I cant kill another one of my friends..."

Clutching his neck Mecha Shadow got up.

"Why did you release me...? why?!"

Knuckles didnt answer.

"You'll regret that mistake,Knuckles..."

He closed in for the kill.But suddenly a transmission came in.He looked at his wrist as a screen unfolded.Robotnik spoke out of it.

"Mecha Shadow, report back to HQ.I finally have a use for you."

"Hmph.Looks like your lucky.....or not.Heheheh....I'll take your head and be off."

"no...Julie Su..."

"Eh?"

Images of black and white of Robotnik screamed through is mind.Julie Su being robotisized,his laughter piercing into his brain.Knuckles got up with his head hung to the ground.

"Julie Su is dead.You...you and Robotnik will pay for that!!!"

He raised his head.For the first time in his life Knuckles shed tears.Like a madman he ran forward.

"Enough of you! DIE!"

He opened up firing off magazines of bullet fire,they scraped against Knuckles cutting his flesh,one ripped through his side but he kept going screaming bloody murder.Then all of his anger,hate,and sadness he powered into that last shot.He cut through Mecha Shadow like butter with the Chaos Emerald forced out.

"No!!!! I was powerful!! I had the power of the chao.......errrrrr...............*bip* "

He shut down.Knuckles hammerfisted his shell ripping off his upper torso.Knuckles,tired now decided to walk back to Knothole.Not feeling any pain anymore or noticing his empty eye socket he hardned becoming

a powerful warrior with his heart begining to grow cold.

"I wonder what ol' Sonic is up to....."