Knuckles' friends are missing.
Knuckles' friends are missing and he's going to find them all.
He has a pretty good idea of what went down. It was bound to happen. He expressed his concerns about the forest and the hedgehog from the start, but apparently no one paid actual attention to him. It's a shame he's just realizing this now.
Knuckles is going to find his friends, dead or alive, and he knows exactly where they are.
His shoes crunch on the firmed forest soil of mid-autumn, the ground remembering where he's been but only just. A slight breeze passes by, warmed by the sun, and the echidna inhales deeply. The air smells fresh and carries a hint of pine.
For him, it's the perfect fall afternoon, yet another addition to the rather extraordinary day. He's feeling good about this mission. At least, considering the situation, as good as he can feel.
Everything worked out nicely. It all sort of fell into place around his plan. The offer was sudden but timed just right, and Knuckles is sure the hedgehog's mind isn't broken enough to affect his common sense. He's remained quite trustworthy anyway, even in this state, and his word has always been worth something.
The house comes into sight. As the echidna steps into the grassy clearing, he immediately feels the change in the air. The energy was strong on the forest path, but it's even stronger here. Dangerously strong. Intense enough to alter a mind.
This is not a good place.
Instead of slowing down to take in the sights, Knuckles picks up the pace. Best not to stay here for too long; raw Chaos energy isn't to be taken lightly. He's surprised someone like Sonic would even come here in the first place. Surely he could sense how wrong it feels.
The echidna stretches his arms and back as he walks. Inhale, exhale, steady the mind and thoughts. Without hesitation, he strides up to the front door and punches it right off its hinges.
The thing slams into the floor, and he gazes at it with satisfaction before heading into the house. If only the others could see that.
The sunlight filters inside through a cloud of dust, lighting up a fraction of the darkness. Everything looks like it hasn't been touched in years. A thin layer of grime covers every surface but the floor, which bears a path of smeared blood from the window to a staircase, where something—or someone—must have been dragged.
That trail of blood is Knuckles' key to his friends. It leads downstairs, so that's where he goes. The steps are covered in red shoeprints. He can only imagine the state his friends must be in if they're still alive.
By some miracle, the basement isn't completely dark when he gets there. The floor is sticky with a layer of old blood that gets thicker closer to the very back. The echidna eyes the oddly clean chains on hooks on the walls, the boxes of bullets on a small shelf, the rotting branch whose sharpened tip is still gory...
...until his gaze lands on something in the heart of the darkness.
Knuckles' lunch threatens to reemerge. Hell, his breakfast nearly comes back up.
But where is Sonic?
The stairs creak behind him. "Is that enough closure for you?"
Knuckles whips around, fists raised. His eyes widen. "How– why–?" he stutters. He thought he'd been clever enough.
The hedgehog just shakes his head. "You really are clueless, echidna. You thought I didn't see through your scheme?"
"..."
"...A shame. I expected more from the guardian of the Master Emerald." He slowly raises the hand at his side until the gun is aimed directly at Knuckles' forehead. It goes off with a satisfying bang.
"Though I appreciate the advance payment."
