The prince of hell

ch 16; about those runes-...

Warning, it's a kinda disturbing chapter... Which the next one will most likely be as well. Read on your own risk xD

The high buildings in the town, got soon replaced with miles of trees.
And Knuckles wouldn't stop running with Shadow struggling over the shoulder, until they reached an abandoned house.

When Knuckles had placed Shadow down in the dusty kitchen, the hedgehog starts throwing a punch at him.
"WHAT THE HE-..." he yells upset, when Knuckles stopped his attack without any struggle.
Shadow grunts surprised.
Then he grits the teeth, and tries taking the hand back.
But despite how much he tries, Knuckles holds the fist without the slightest problem...
Shadow growls annoyed.
"Let's go of me Knuckles!-... I'm sorry I was a dick years ago... But I'm not anymore... So, let me go... Silver needs me..." The hedgehog begs while struggling to get the hand back.

Knuckles narrows the eyes at him, and let's go of him at the same moment Shadow yanked the arm while leaning a slightly back.
Which caused the hedgehog to gasping fall backwards, and land with a thud on the creaking, old wooden floor.

During the fall, Shadow's elbow hitted the floor, and caused him pain.
While the hedgehog hissing, holds the elbow with the hand, Knuckles opened a drawer where he takes out kitchen knife.
When Shadow notices Knuckles is towering over him, where his shadow is covering him, he flinched the head up.
"Knuckles, I-..." he starts saying when he suddenly saw the knife.
Shadow wides the eyes in fear.
His heart starts pounding faster, and he tries moving away on the floor.
"NO!-... Get away from me... Don't-..."

Knuckles sighs, and kneels down in front him.
"Don't worry Shadow-... I won't kill you..."
The frightened hedgehog looks skeptically at the knife.
"No?-... And I assume you won't use that knife to cut a sandwich?!"
Knuckles grunts asking, and looks down on the shiny knife.
Then he shakes the head, and smiles at him.
"No-... But if I recall things correctly, you once told me about your runes..."
Shadow raises an eyebrow.
"Y-yeah?-... What about them?"
Knuckles smirks, and starts tugging on Shadow's t-shirt upward.
"... I have been thinking-... If those things are giving you powers, as strength and speed... Wouldn't that mean-... If I destroyed them, you would lost those powers?... You would be a defenseless doll, I could protect, and be sure... You wouldn't try running away from me..."

Shadow stiffened... No way Knuckles would do that?-... Right?... Only a true psycho would do things like that... And no way Knuckles would be one of those psychopaths.
The hedgehog starts trembling a little, when he pushed the t-shirt down.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!-... I WIL NEVER FORGIVE YOU, IF YOU CAUSE FURTHER HARM ON ME!!!..."

The echidna starts hushing, while stroking the cold knife across Shadow's cheek.
"Don't worry baby-... I don't want to hurt you... Therefore I will only make a single cut over them all... Hopefully that will be enough... And I won't need to completely remove them..."
Shadow starts cold sweating.
He let's out a short and unsure laugh.
"You are joking, right?-...The echidna I know, would never do such a thing... So come on Knuckles-... Let's stop fooling around and leave...I'm sure faker is worried about y-..."
"It's not about Sonic!-... and for the record, I'm not the same Knuckles as before...Therefore I won't let someone else have you-..." he says harshly, and starts tearing Shadow's t-shirt apart.

The hedgehog starts shivering, and the ears started laying flat.
"DON'T-..." he shouts, and starts standing up with the t-shirt torn where his chest and stomach were naked for the eye.
Knuckles grabbed his throat in hurry, and pushed him down on the floor, where he leans over him. With the knees on the sides of Shadow's hips.
"... We are not finished yet..." Knuckles grunts in low voice.
The echidna points the tip of the knife over Shadow's chest where the Z alike rune is.