Exe E Knuckles — Sonic 3.

Sonic.EXE let out a static-filled screech and vanished into a blur of black smoke. He reappeared instantly above Knuckles, diving down in a spindash that crackled with red electricity. Knuckles braced himself, his feet digging deep trenches into the sand. He caught the spinning nightmare with his bare hands, the friction smelling like ozone and burnt rubber.

Sonic wasn't himself. His fur was darker, his eyes glowing with a jagged red light that leaked like spilled ink. He was , a glitch in the code that had grown teeth.

Sonic looked at his hands, then at the peaceful glow of the cave. "Remind me to never let a weird VHS tape into the Genesis again." Sonic 3. EXE e Knuckles

As Sonic.EXE touched the gem, a wave of pure chaos energy washed over him. The red eyes flickered and died. The jagged teeth smoothed out. The dark fur faded back to a familiar, bright cobalt blue.

"You’re not the blue blur I know," Knuckles grunted, slamming his massive fists together. "You look like a bad firmware update." He caught the spinning nightmare with his bare

Sonic hit the ground, blinking rapidly. "Whoa... Knux? Why does my head feel like it was kicked by a Motobug?"

Knuckles didn't let up. He used his strength to shatter the illusions EXE was trying to build, punching through ghost-walls and fake traps. With one final, massive upper-cut, he launched the glitch toward the Great Emerald. "Access denied," Knuckles muttered. He was , a glitch in the code that had grown teeth

The digital mist cleared, revealing a version of Angel Island that shouldn't exist. The colorful jungle had turned a bruised purple, and the music—usually a triumphant beat—was a slowed, distorted heartbeat.