Fan Fiction / Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Marines Journey - The SHODAN crisis ❯ Chapter 76: Knuckles at Aquatic Ruins! ( Chapter 77 )

The Marine's Journey

Chap 76: Knuckles at Aquatic Ruins!

By: Piccard

Yes, the third emerald hunt is here! And I'm finally gonna spell Rouge's name right!!!

Bio: ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!! Now do the advert!

Alright! As it is the festive season, I'm working on `The Marine's Journey - Christmas special'. I'll put it up on the last day I'm at college before the holiday (19th December) and lets just say that it's my little gift to those who took the time to R&R this!

Chaos: So without further ado, lets get to the ruins!

I hate water, especially wet water!

------------------------- /\/**

Disclaimer: If I did own EVEN ONE of them, my life would be 100 times more interesting!

You never say Ni? You will in E.C.U soon mate!

------------------------- /\/**

The second light appeared on the Lebanon's control panel as Xerxes closed the com link with the others. "Okay, according to the alliance, SHODAN knows what we're trying to do, so she's sending forces to stop us." As he turned back, his turquoise face seemed to whiten as he looked down. "The third emerald is in the aquatic ruins, who wants to do it?" For a minute, no-one answered, but then a voice spoke up. "I'll do it!" Xerxes turned, and as he saw who it was, he smiled, "Very well Knuckles, just try and stay dry!" The echidna smirked as Xerxes beamed him down, and as the android turned back he seemed slightly happy. "Fourth emerald, thank god there's no water, but it looks like a casino!"

Knuckles watched as the shuttle took off, and he flexed his arms before he started running. "If SHODAN tries anything," He started as he jetted through a loop, "She'll be sorry!" Almost as soon as he said this, he bowled over an Arachnotron. Eyes wide with shock as to how close she was, Knuckles walked to a ledge nearby and jumped off, allowing the wind to guide him as he glided over to a nearby cliff, which he started to climb.

When he got to the top, he heard a high pitched whine, and as he flipped over he saw a volley of green plasma fire underneath him. "Woah, too close!" He yelled as he fell to the ground, and as he stood up, he jumped to the side to dodge more plasma before running forward and embedding his fist into the things glass shield, and it yelled as bits of broken glass left deep cuts in it's brain. "That was easy." Knuckles muttered, but suddenly a metal leg hit him in the back and sent him flying into a nearby column, and as he turned he saw the Arachnotron fall over the cliff, and the sound of electricity short circuiting as it hit the water.

"They hit hard!" Knuckles said to himself as he lay down and started rubbing the sore area on his back, but as soon as he started, something dropped in front of him. "A hypo-spray?" "You guess right!" Knuckles sprang up to see D'sparil in a portal. "Before you ask, we can't make them larger." D'sparil explained as he pointed to the hypo-spray on the floor. "Use that, the Doctor says that it'll relieve the pain." Almost immediately the echidna grabbed it and injected himself, stretching his arms and punching the air as the pain vanished. "Nice to see it worked," D'sparil said as he took the hypo-spray from Knuckles, "Now I have to go, don't lose that emerald!"

As the warlock vanished and knuckles started off, he grabbed some nearby rings and accidentally hit a red spring. "How the hell?" He yelled as he went round a series of loops, before landing in the water below. `Just spiffing.' Ran through his mind as he started ambling forwards and hit another spring, this one catapulting him over the floor before he shot up the side of a cliff and onto a platform. He could see the surface above him as he started to glide and started up a cliff.

Hid lungs felt ready to burst as he pulled himself out and shook himself dry. "I forgot how much I HATE that part of the ruins!" He muttered as he rang some more water out of his dreadlocks and noticed one of D'sparil's disciples floating nearby. "Great, help!" Knuckles said as he started walking, but as the disciple turned, Knuckles stopped upon seeing the brain control device on it's chest. "Dear god!" Knuckles said as he saw the disciple charging energy, and as it threw it three ways, Knuckles had to jump to dodge.

The disciple started chanting as it fired more energy, and Knuckles shot onto the wall nearby, climbing until at the desired height before flinging himself off and gliding straight at the disciple, dodging waves of energy before he smashed a fist into the things chest, causing it to fumble as Knuckles aimed a direct hit at the device, but it was blocked and the fight continued. However five minutes later, Knuckles seemed to be getting the edge as the Disciple tired, and in one final hit, Knuckles hit the device with everything he had, shattering it and causing the disciple to revert back to normal.

After quickly exchanging pleasantries, the Disciple took off back to the spirit realm as Knuckles jumped onto a yellow spring and landed on a column. "Now where's that emerald?" He asked himself as he started jumping over on top of the columns, and as he flipped onto the land, noticed a demolished star post down a few steps. "Well she thought ahead didn't she?" the echidna said in disgust as he ran past the heap of scrap metal and round another loop.

Knuckles was starting to tire of the spring motif, this was the third red one that he'd hit in a row, and he just decided to do the only logical thing, he curled into a ball and bashed literally everything that got in his way. However, after about thirty seconds, a loud explosion sent him back into a wall, and as he looked up, he saw the only demon that he dreaded, an Arch-vile, and it had a death grip on the yellow emerald.

"Sorry." Knuckle started as he got up and aimed a fist, "But that's mine!" But as he shot forward, the Arch-vile bought it's hands up, making a bright yellow flame flash around Knuckles, and as soon as it flung it's hands forward, the echidna was sent flying by another explosion. "Damn it!" Knuckles muttered as he spat some dirt from his mouth and he stood up to see the creature running forwards.

Another explosion, but due to the proximity, they were both hit, and as the Arch-vile reeled, Knuckles saw his window as he leapt forward and slammed his fists, but the demon only countered with a slash as it gave a demonic roar. "Oh hell!" Knuckles shouted as the demon started a slashing frenzy. "Piccard never told me you could do that!" IT smirked evilly as it sliced at Knuckles`s head, missing the echidna as Knuckles rolled and punched it in the back, sending it to the floor.

`All I have to do,' Knuckles muttered as he kicked the thing in the back, `Is dodge the hands and this'll be easy' "If only it were that simple!" Knuckles span and saw Dark in a portal, "Arch-viles are known for their endurance. They can survive four direct rocket hits before they go down. Trust me, I know!" Knuckles groaned as the portal vanished, and as he was about to turn, he noticed that Dark had dropped something on the ground. "The energy shield?" Knuckles said, almost in disbelief as he slipped it on and activated it.

As he turned back, he saw the arch-vile trying a flame attack, but it suddenly stopped and started looking at his hands in confusion, and that's when it hit Knuckles. "Piccard and Dark must have made these to counter the others magics, but they found the hard way that it worked on demons." Now it was the echidna's turn to smirk as he ran forward and punched the thing in the chest.

After five minutes of this, a last punch from Knuckles caused the Arch-vile to start screaming as it thrashed around violently, sending the emerald flying onto a nearby cliff, and as Knuckles climbed up after it, he looked down to see that all that remained of the Arch-vile was a small pile of body parts. "How nice." Knuckles muttered in sarcasm as he reached the top and grabbed the yellow emerald, waving it around before sitting down and relieving the tensions that the final fight had put him through.

On the shuttle, a third light lit on the board as Xerxes looked out of the window and started smiling, "Here we are Casino night, Lot's a cash and no water anywhere!" The others laughed at how eager the android sounded. "Why not go down yourself?" Xerxes turned and saw the smile on Rouge's face. "Much as I'd like to, I have to pilot the shuttle, now whose gonna go down?" "Well I guess I will." She said as she walked forward, and Xerxes sighed as he saw the look on her face. "Just don't spend all day at the machines." He said as he activated the transporter, and swore that he heard her mutter, "Ha ha!" before she vanished. "Now as for the fifth," Xerxes started as he looked over the controls, "It's in a zone further to the east, according to the scans, the stars are out! Better get going!"

/\/**

Knuckles busted an Arch Vile for the yellow emerald, and next chapter Rouge is gonna tackle casino night! Better get yer wallets it's going to be expensive! But anyway, how was that one? Good, Bad, useful as a kettle in the desert? Please review!

Piccard, logging out!