As Knuckles walked up to the staircase leading to the room in which the Chaos Emeralds were stored, he saw Ben, the guardian of the emeralds, in the doorway.

"You know you're not supposed to be here. Why aren't you back with the rest of the clan? Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you before. State your name and your business here." Ben said in a stern tone as he crossed his arms, waiting for an answer.