Sonic: Earthbound

Chapter 18

Patrick was quite scared for Alex. But with Knuckles on the case, he felt certain that she'd be rescued in no time. Still, his worry persisted, and so he decided to do something productive with himself – playing video games. Despite what he'd told Alex about thinking Sonic was kind of lame, there was a time in his early childhood where he really enjoyed the franchise. It had been a long, long time, but recent events had given him a bit of a hankering to revisit that old interest.

He sat in front of his computer – the one he used strictly for gaming – and began to play Sonic Mania, the closest modern gaming had come to capturing the spirit of the old Genesis classics. He was so absorbed in what he was doing that he had quite lost track of time until there was a knock on his window, which alarmed him so badly that he toppled out of his seat.

"Wh-What the hell? But this the third floor!"

"Patrick Miller!"

Patrick's eyes went wide and he scrambled to his feet and threw open the window. There was Knuckles, clinging to the brick wall of the building with his... well, knuckles. He'd scaled the side of the building, found Patrick's window and, casually as you please, knocked and shouted his name.

"Dude! Shh!" hissed Patrick. "If my roommate hears you, we're busted!" He stepped aside to let his new echidna friend enter.

Knuckles pulled himself through Patrick's window and settled onto the floor. For a moment, the echidna's purple-hued eyes glanced around at Patrick's living space. Unimpressive.

"So," said Patrick in a low volume that he hoped Knuckles would adopt himself. "How'd it go? Is Alex all right? Did you save her?"

Here it was. The moment that Knuckles was dreading. He had to tell Patrick the truth. Even if it was embarrassing to do so.

"I managed to track the chaos energy all the way to the lake, but..." Knuckles turned his gaze away and grit his teeth. "I lost track of it there."

Patrick listened, his face growing pale.

"I assume wherever they took her... it's out on the lake. But with night falling, there was simply nothing more I could do." Knuckles hung his head shamefully. "I'm sorry... I've failed you, Patrick Miller."

Patrick collapsed onto the edge of his bed where he sat, staring off into space, looking at nothing in particular. Almost as though he'd gone catatonic.

"I-It's not your fault..." he said slowly, as though he were in a trance. "You... you did your best..."

He looked sick, or like he might go into a permanent catatonia. The kid sure had it bad for this girl. And that poor girl... What were they doing with her? Even though she was someone Knuckles had never properly met, he'd seen her from afar, and she seemed a pleasant person. Whatever fate she'd been delivered to, no doubt she was undeserving of it. He hated to think of what that Robotnik had in mind for the girl. And seeing Patrick almost slip into something of a catatonic state over it sent Knuckles into something of a brief panic.

"Look, I never said that I'm giving up!" he insisted, and Patrick perked up. "Far from it. First thing in the morning, I'll head back out to the lake and see what I can find. I won't let that madman hold that girl against her will for long."

Patrick shot to his feet and grabbed Knuckles' large gloved hand in both of his and shook it. "Oh man... Thank you! Thanks so much! You have no idea... I just... She's just..." The young man was getting choked up. "She's really so perfect! You'll see what I mean when you meet her."

"Right. Sure. I'll find her, Patrick Miller. I just need more time. When daybreak comes... I'll head out straight away. Until then..."

Feeling bad for the boy, Knuckles gave him one last pitying glance before he turned away. He had just slung his leg over the window when Patrick stopped him.