Brothers in Arms

Sonic: Brawling to Bromance

Sonic grinned; he was liking Eclipse more every minute.

This time, the alien stood firm as Knuckles rushed him, crossing his arms defensively in front of his chest. The angry echidna landed his punch with full force, enough to make Sonic wince--the blue blur knew he'd be in bad shape if Knuckles caught him with that one, but maybe the alien was more resilient?

Eclipse was indeed blown back by the force, but Sonic was impressed to see him still standing, claws ripping into the ground as the alien rode out the incredible amount of momentum. Eclipse's grin was still cocky as they came to a halt, and, sure enough, he grabbed the surprised Knuckles' wrists and jumped, whipping the echidna over his head and slamming him into the dirt below.

"Ouch," Sally, Sonic, and Amy cringed simultaneously, watching the dazed echidna stagger to his feet.

"Not quite as much of a jokah as 'e acts, is he?" Bunnie questioned, speaking Sonic's exact thought, and Shadow visibly winced.

"Not always, no. He's pretty affable most of the time, but it's an unlucky opponent who assumes he's too friendly to grind them into dust."

"So... He's like, me, but also you," Sonic said, and Shadow rolled his eyes, watching as Knuckles took an unsteady swing at Eclipse, who side-stepped easily.

"A stellar combination, really," Rouge tittered, and she cheered as Knuckles whipped his remaining hand behind his back, catching the surprised alien by the arm. The red echidna had been faking his exhaustion--he yanked Eclipse forward, and the two fell to the grass in a grapple. "Get him, handsome!"

"Whose side are you on?" Shadow asked her, disgruntled, and she raised a blue-shadowed eyelid at him.

"The side that doesn't irritate me as a hobby," she answered dryly, and she cheered again as Knuckles ground Eclipse's face into the dirt with a powerful hit to the head. "Yeah, sock it to 'im!"

"Eclipse says to tell you that he hates you, too," Shadow informed her, and Sonic laughed, glad to know the alien was still having a good time.

"This is cathartic," Rouge sighed happily as Knuckles tossed Eclipse smack into a tree, splintering the bark and wood. The alien propped himself off the ground with an arm, coughing and green with scrapes, but Sonic could see that the glint of fighting spirit hadn't left his eyes.

"Not for long," Shadow smirked, and, sure enough, Eclipse disappeared with an audible crack and flash of white light.

"He can teleport?!" Sonic exclaimed excitedly at the same time Knuckles' frustrated roar came traveling over the grass. The echidna moved quickly to guard his back, but Eclipse hadn't pulled Shadow's usual maneuver--the alien appeared on the ground by his opponent's feet and grabbed his ankle, upending the echidna onto the ground. He and Knuckles started grappling again, but, this time, Sonic felt that Eclipse had the upper hand.

At least, until Knuckles yanked on Eclipse's tail and dragged the alien down to the dirt, Eclipse letting out a loud yowl as the echidna used his tail like a lasso, spinning the alien around his head before letting go and sending him flying.

Eclipse landed only a few dozen yards away from the watching group, rubbing his rear and wincing. Knuckles was visibly pleased at his opponent's temporary defeat, and he called out as he walked closer, apparently enjoying the bout more than he'd let on.

"Are you done already? I thought you'd last longer," the echidna said, cracking his knuckles as he came into speaking range.

"You think you can beat me?" The alien replied, standing with no sign of his momentary discomfort and grinning as green blood ran out of his mouth. "This isn't even my final form!"