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Knuckles sat in a lotus position, eyes closed. He took deep, slow breaths as his thoughts passed him by. He focused on his environment: the rock beneath him, the smell of the pines, the birds singing above him, the stilettos on his feet.
Then the warbling started.
His eyes snapped open. He had traveled through the galaxy for years. He knew the sound of a ring.
Knuckles shot to his feet, taking a broad stance as he whipped towards the ring. The aliens that marched through were tall and hairy with long, sharp claws, their heads those of earth fish. Knuckles took an immediate count of four. He called for his power, and it answered, pooling in his fists and feet.
Knuckles charged the aliens, throwing a sharp kick and knocking one back into the ring. Before the others could realize what had just happened, Knuckles threw rapid punches at two of the others, throwing his leg back to kick the one who tried to sneak up behind him.
They didn't go down with just one hit. They often didn't. The first rose to his feet and charged at him. Knuckles threw a sharp punch at his head, launching him back through again.
The others were startled by the vicious attack, and Knuckles mercilessly took the opening. He charged his heels with energy and threw a kick at the gut of one of them. Energy radiated out on impact, knocking the other two over. They rose quickly, and Knuckles punched them down.
Some part of him wanted to offer mercy, but was quickly snuffed out. These enemies were not like Sonic. If he gave them an opening, they would take it.
"Knuckles? Where are you, sweetie?"
He tensed, glancing at his fourth attacker. He was already running towards Maddie's voice, towards the campsite.
No.
Knuckles pushed himself off the ground, slipping off his heel and stabbing as hard as he could.
Crackling power overtook his attacker, radiating out from the wound. He fell, shoe sticking out of his back. Knuckles approached the body and with one fluid motion, tugged the bloody heel out and slipped it onto his foot.
He turned to the others, which were getting up and charging him again. He launched a flurry of rapid fire punches at them, satisfaction flooding him as they landed. They were all launched in various directions, with one slamming hard into a tree. The first one was painfully stubborn, shakily rising to fight again. Knuckles charged and knocked the attacker down with a swift punch.
Such pitiful attackers.
He looked over the others, injured and twitching on the ground, the fallen one slumped against a tree. He heaved them up and threw them carelessly through the ring portal.
It shrunk into nothing, and Knuckles made his way to the nearby stream, washing the blood off his heel before slipping it back on and making his way back towards the campsite. He had s'mores to make.