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.
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 3. EXE e Knuckles
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." The digital mist cleared, revealing a version of
Knuckles crossed his arms, a small smirk tugging at his mouth. "You had a bug in your system, Sonic. I just handled the debugging." His fur was darker, his eyes glowing with
"Too slow," the glitch hissed, his voice echoing from everywhere at once.
Knuckles punched downward, driving the EXE entity straight through the floor of the jungle into the hidden caverns below. They tumbled into the , where the Master Emerald sat pulsing with a steady, calming green light.
"I don't need to be fast," Knuckles roared, "I just need to be heavy!"