Sonic the Hedgehog

Clashing Knuckles

Knuckles didn't know what to expect when he revealed himself to the surprisingly short conqueror. Was he going to respond with an immediate attack? If so, Knuckles had enough faith in his instincts to dodge out of the way in time. Was he going to try and deceive him? Fat chance, nobody is going to invade his sacred land, threaten its well-being, and pull a fast one over him. No matter which outcome, the young warrior was sure he'd be ready.

What he DIDN'T expect was for the benevolent being to simply smirk, fold his arms, and say:

"Great! Another warm-up!"

The echidna clenches his large knuckles in a silent fury. How dare he mock me! He thinks.

"Sonic!" Tails yells. "There's something you need to know about that guy! He's a-!"

"Step away from a butt whooping?" Sonic says while stretching his arms. "Oh, I'm aware."

"Hold your tongue!" Knuckles commands. "I don't know where you got your confidence, stranger, but let me tell you, you made a big mistake coming here!"

"Look, you red bicep, the last guy Robotnik sent after me didn't have much luck, and I doubt you will either," Sonic says. "I'm getting what I came here for."

Knuckles grins and clashes his fists together.

"Over My. Dead. Body."

"Whatever you say, drama queen!" Sonic chuckles as he gets in a running stance.

"SONIC, WAIT!" Tails yells. "THIS IS ALL A BIG MISUNDERSTA-"

"Find a safe place to hide, Tails," Sonic says before dashing toward his red foe.

Before Knuckles can prepare himself, the Hedgehog has already made it to him in just a fraction of a second. A blow to the right side of his head from Sonic's foot sends him flying into a nearby rock that creates a sizable dent.

Was that teleportation?! Knuckles wonders in awe before he has to make a quick dodge to the left.

The conqueror reaches his prior location faster than the echidna's eyes can track now curled up in a blue ball that shatters the rock into pieces. Unexpectedly, the ball changes directions fast and immediately clashes against Knuckles's torso. The pain is intense as what is the equivalent of a super-powered drill makes his chest swell in a firey pain. Right as Knuckles is about to launch a mean left hook, Sonic uncurls and his foot hits the echidna's chin with enough force to send him into the air.

Such power...! Knuckles can't help but think as he flies upward. It's not teleportation... it's speed. It's no wonder he has an entire civilization threatened. Even so... his determination is not equal to that of mine!

"I call this one the drop dash!" Sonic boasts while in the air. As he lands, he quickly curls up into a ball and boosts forward with even more speed.

Right as Knuckles is about to drop in front of the blue ball of destruction, he picks his moment and reacts. His left hook makes contact with the blue ball with near-impossible accurate timing. Sonic flies a good twenty feet deeper into the forest, snapping a lot of trees during his trip through the air that's only cut short when he crashes into a boulder. Surprisingly, the impact isn't what he feels. His body is too occupied with processing the devastating punch that has him trying to regain the air that was knocked out of him.

"Don't tell me that's all you got," Knuckles says as he closes in on his enemy.

Sonic, despite his body's wishes, manages to slowly get back to his feet as he clutches the giant bruise on his chest. The hedgehog smiles.

"Not even close."

"Hmph, a shame such tenacity has to be wasted on the likes of you," Knuckles mumbles before he charges forward.

With his injuries, Sonic is just barely able to step out of the way of Knuckles's incoming punch which would normally be a breeze to dodge. The echidna doesn't let up as he sends a barrage of punches toward his opponent who dashes back and barely dodges the incoming blows. While no one is as fast as him, Sonic can't help but be astonished at Knuckles's natural speed in combat.

"Quit dodging and fight me, conqueror!" Knuckles yells.

Conqueror? Sonic thinks in confusion.

Fed up, Knuckles ceases his fury of attacks for a second before he lunges the full might of his body at the villain he has on the run. Sonic hops over him as he shreds through trees while in the air before landing on the ground.

"You're too slow!" Sonic teases.

"You dare threaten my island and mock me?!" Knuckles barks.

"Hmm?" Sonic wonders. "What do you mean YOUR island? Aren't you one of Robotnik's goons?"

"Quit it with the mind games!" Knuckles yells as he grabs a large oak tree and rips it from the ground with ease. "You won't fool me, villain!"

"Oh, boy," Sonic grumbles before he speeds out of the way of the tree that Knuckles slams onto the ground, shattering the strong bark into multiple pieces.

"Listen, I think you're a little mixed up," Sonic says, now behind Knuckles. " First off, I'm no conqueror, I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!"

Knuckles just looks at Sonic, puzzled.

"Um... hello?" Sonic says, a little agitated. "Mobius's War Hero ring a bell? I sorta saved the world, you know, no big deal."

"Your attempt to confuse me is as pitiful as your attacks, Sonic the conqueror," Knuckles says before he jumps into the air.

Sonic leaps back as Knuckles lands on the ground and slams his fist into the green Earth below him. The hedgehog immediately realizes he wasn't the echidna's target when the shockwave from that punch carries him forcefully through the air, launching him into a palm tree. As he lay there, dazed, a coconut from the tree falls and lands on his head.

"What a disappointing battle," Knuckles says as he walks forward. "I guess you Mobians must be truly weak if you were all they had to fear."

Knuckles, now standing before Sonic who's still coming to, reels his fist back to finish the fight.

"STOP!" a young voice pleads to the warrior's left.

Knuckles snaps in the direction of Tails who stands behind a tree that's snapped in half. The boy trembles in the echidna's presence, but nevertheless, he manages to hold his ground.

"Fear not, fox," Knuckles says. "This villain can harm you and your kind no longer."

"You've got it all wrong!" Tails says.

Knuckles lowers his fist, this time, truly confused.

"You've been tricked!"

...