“Change of Heart”
Intro: Story about Von Stryker and the Constable, as well as Colleen, Cleet, and some others! I don’t know what to rate this one; PG or G? It’s a bit violent, but there’s no naughty talk in it. Hmmm. . .

Cast:
Constable Remington, Von Styker (senior), Knuckles, Rane Trak
Von Stryker (junior), Rodney Sledger, Cleet
Colleen Collie, Exaijure Ranton


“Alrighty, Nolin. Today begins your training,” announced Captain Von Stryker to his son.
Nolin watched his father carefully. Jotting every move down in his memory. The young dingo was scrawny, wide-eyed, and yet tall. He was quite eager to begin his training. Training to kill his enemy.
“Now, who is our enemy, Nolin?” asked the elder.
“The echidnas”, replied the ten-year-old.
“Good. Now; what must you do to the enemy?”
“Destroy them all, Sir.”
“Correct.”

THIRTY YEARS LATER:
CONSTABLE Remington was walking down the street on his break. He sighed. A dragon-like puff of smoke came from his mouth. The chilly fall air nipped at his nose and the tips of his dreadlocks.
‘Those dingoes are startin’ somethin’ ‘, he thought.
He had seen them slinking around the city, trying to avoid any echidna, especially the law enforcers. Even now, as he passed one, the dingo quickly dodged to the other side of the sidewalk, and glared at him.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t see Colleen, who walked right into him.
“Oh! Hi Sir!” she chirped. “Nice out, isn’t it?”
“If you say so”, he mumbled.
“ What’s with you?”
“The break’s over, I’ll tell you at the station.”

AT THE STATION:

“SO, what’s the matter?” Colleen asked.
“ I think the dingoes are up to something. Possibly an assassination,” Remington replied.
“Sounds crazy, but I agree with ya!” claimed the young collie.
“ We’d best keep a close eye on them, but pretend to not notice them.”

AS THEY SPAKE:
AT THE DINGOES H.Q.s:
“WELL my fellow dingoes, the time is drawing near for a dream to come true!”, announced Nolin Von Stryker. Now, he was called General Von Stryker.
“Bring him in!” he commanded over his shoulder. Two guards entered the room, holding Knuckles. The teen struggled to escape, but his shackles were too strong and heavy.
The guards practically threw him to the ground. The general approached him.
“ What do you want with me?” the Guardian asked, in fury.
“ Congratulations, kid, ”he replied with a smiling sneer. “You’re now going to help us in our little assassination.”
Knuckles spat.
“Forget it!” he said in defiance.
“ You got a lot of spirit, Kid. But you haven’t a choice.”
He kicked the young Guardian harshly in the rib cage, causing a dull crack to come from his side.
“Tie him over there”, the general commanded, pointing with his finger.
The guards roughly dragged him over to the corner.

AT THE E.S.T. STATION:
THE constable was sitting at his desk, looking over some papers. Colleen was at her own desk, attempting to accomplish something similar.
Cleet was on the floor, snoozing.
‘ Pretty boring day, today’, thought Remington.
Just then, a peculiar-looking young cadet named Rane walked into the office.
“What?” asked Remington, slightly irritated.
“Well Sir. . . “,the younger officer began, but he couldn’t finish.
At that moment, a brick shattered the window that Remington had his back to. He instinctively covered the back of his neck with his hands. So did Colleen. Cleet leapt out of the way.
“AAAAARRGGGHH!!” hollered Rane.
The brick had smacked his head. He was now lying on the floor, severely bleeding.
“Call the Medics!” the Constable ordered, and Colleen picked up her desk phone.
Remington noticed a note attached to the brick. He picked it up.
It said;
The Guardian Kid is at the abandoned bank with us.
He’s being a good boy. If you want to see him alive, ya better show.
Don’t bring more than five men, or he’s as good as gone.
-General Von Stryker
P.S. Written with his blood!
Remington clenched his fist and bit his lip. He could taste blood, yet felt no pain. He was too angered.

TEN MINUTES LATER:
A SMALL team of E.S.T. troopers stood at the entrance of the abandoned bank.
The troopers were Constable Remington, Cadet Colleen, Cadet Exaijure, Cadet Rodney, and Cleet.

INSIDE:
“YOU’RE being a good kid, Guardian”, the General hissed.
Knuckles just glared at him. Then looked at the gaping cut in his hip.
“What if that pig don’t show, Boss?” asked a helper.
“ He will”, chuckled the general. ”He’s a life-risking idiot.”

~~~~~~~~~~~

The Constable and his little squad busted down the door to the building. They were ready for anything. Cleet shot ahead, sniffing left and right. The others followed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Looks like he ain’t comin’”, growled a dingo.
The general turned to look at him. He was standing by Knuckles. He looked down at the sleeping teen and smiled wickedly.
“Suppose we have time to have a little ‘fun’ with him”, he growled.
He leaned over the young Guardian, and kicked him.
“Wake-up you!”
Knuckles gave a little moan.
The general slapped him.
Knux got to his feet.
Von Stryker smiled maliciously.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Constable and his men (and woman) progressed quickly up a flight of stairs, when they heard someone hollering.
“Quickly!!!” urged the constable.
The group charged up the stairs, and busted down the door.
“FREEZE!!!” he screamed.
“ I think you’d better try that yourself”, growled a deep voice.
The lights flickered on. Von Stryker stood before them with about fifty dingoes. He was holding a pathetic red and crimson figure in his hand. He had a gun pointed at it.
The figure was Knuckles.
“Drop your weapons”, he ordered, pressing the gun’s barrel farther into his groaning captive.
“Drop your weapons”, growled Remington, laying his blaster on the ground. The others obeyed.
Knuckles opened his eyes. He saw his uncle and a few troopers, surrounded by several dingoes.
They seemed unharmed.
The general laid him on the floor. He was too weak to stand, so Von Stryker ordered a guard to tie him to the wall. The guard complied. The general cocked his gun.
The Constable dashed over before anyone could stop him.
KAPOW!!! The gun fired.
Almost immediately the constable fell down, yelling.
The general watched, seeing the whole thing in slow motion. All of his training flashed back in his mind, and the death of his parents.
They had done the same thing for him. And now. . .
‘Don’t ever hurt another creature, Nolin’, echoed a woman’s voice.
That was the last thing he heard his mother say.
He snapped back to the present. He remembered what he had just done. He looked at his gun, and then thrust it out the window.
“Surrender, Dingoes”, he commanded.
“ But sir…” argued one.
“DO IT!!!!!!!!”
The dingoes obeyed. The echidnas were all over them in an instant.
Rodney paged back up.
Exaijure called the medics.
Stryker knelt next to the dying echidna and picked him up, but Colleen busted him.
“You’re under arrest for attempted assassination. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law”, she recited.
The medics arrived. All of the dingoes were arrested. The Constable and Knuckles were loaded into the Medic vans.

ABOUT AN HOUR LATER:
AT THE HOSPITAL:
KNUCKLES opened his eyes again. The last thing he remembered was a team of doctors leaning over him. He glanced around the room. He could smell strange medications, and hear odd machines.
He noticed a bed beside his, with a mocha-brown furry body in it.
An EKG was attached to it. A breathing mask was on the form’s face. When his sight improved, he noticed it was his uncle, Remington, who didn’t appear to be conscious at the moment.
Then, his nose caught a familiar, friendly, scent. A red, white-robed figure stepped into the room. Knuckles knew who it was before he saw him.
“Hi Dad”, he said, with a raspy voice.
“Hello, Son. How do you feel?”
“Like a piece of ---
“Mind your language, kid. You may be sick, but that’s no excuse for trash-talk.”
“Okay, okay! I feel like crud!”
“That’s better.”
“ How’s uncle Remington?”
“ He’s improving. We just about lost him, once.”
“ He saved my life, ya know.”
Locke gave him a confused look, so Knuckles explained the whole thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The world seemed a blur at first. Then things cleared up as he identified the voices of his nephew and older brother. He tried to move around, but pain surged through his body. He moaned in irritation and pain.
Locke turned to look at him, smiling warmly.
“Looks like you’re going to be alright.”
“ Even though I feel like I got hit by a mac-truck. How’s the kid?”
“I’m fine,” mumbled Knuckles.
“And what about the general?”
“He wanted to tell you himself”, replied Locke.
Several echidna guards entered the room with Von Stryker. Who looked pretty calm.
Remington stared at him for a moment, startled.
“It’s O.K., I’m won’t hurt you, this time”, said the burley dingo. “I just wanted to apologize, for what I did to you and the kid.”
Remington sighed.
“Everyone deserves a second chance“, he said.

THE END!!