Chapter Text
”Shadow.”
Shadow turned, confused,
…in time for Knuckles’ fist to connect with his face. He could tell Knuckles had put as much as possible into the punch’s impact, and he flew backwards, slamming into a concrete wall. A web of cracks appeared in the wall, and Shadow touched his hand to the back of his head. Removing it, he saw his green blood smeared across his palm. His red eyes were now filled with his rising anger, and he stood, his hand curling into a fist.
“What was that for, Knuckles?” he sneered.
Knuckles’ purple eyes were hard, unwielding. Before Shadow knew it, he was thrown into the wall again, and his head wound worsened. Knuckles started to speak.
“I’d been alone on Angel Island… guarding the Master Emerald all my life… so when I first… When I first fell, I fell very deeply.” Knuckles’ eyes had been shut as he’d been talking but now they were open again… and Shadow wished they weren’t. Those beautiful amethyst eyes of his were filled with tears… tears that hadn’t been released in a while and were still being held back. He felt a stab of regret for hurting Knuckles, but it was too late.
Knuckles strode closer to Shadow, then wrapped his hand around his throat and started to squeeze, until it felt like Shadow couldn’t breathe anymore. Knuckles let go… then landed his fist right into Shadow’s face again, knocking him to the ground. “That’s how I felt after finding out you used me. Like I couldn’t breathe. Like I was in the worst pain imaginable. But then again… you will never understand how I felt.” Knuckles stepped a foot on Shadow’s chest, and pressed harder with every word he said. “I thought what we had was real. I thought that the love we had for each other was real… but in the end it was just me who was feeling those feelings. You had wanted to take advantage of me from the start just so that you could study the Master Emerald for G.U.N. You saw nothing but a desire to fulfill your mission. I suppose I should ask… was it really worth it, Shadow? Was it really worth it BREAKING MY HEART?” Knuckles yelled the last few words right at Shadow. “You broke me first… but alas… you do not have a care for how I feel. Goodbye, Shadow.”
Shadow thought Knuckles was actually leaving, until he landed one more final blow into him, and Shadow became still, dazed and bleeding on the ground, as Knuckles walked away.