"Too slow," the glitch hissed, his voice echoing from everywhere at once.

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.

"I don't need to be fast," Knuckles roared, "I just need to be heavy!"

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