Knuckles stomped down the hallway of Wade’s small, cluttered house, his heavy footsteps echoing off the scuffed hardwood floors. He had come to retrieve Wade for another round of questioning about "this internet" and the "mystical" online maps Wade used. The man always had an odd way of explaining things, but Knuckles appreciated his strange yet loyal spirit.

Knuckles pushed open the door to Wade’s room with the confidence of someone who had no concept of personal boundaries. After all, it was Wade—quirky, harmless, and perpetually confused Wade. The thought of finding anything remotely alarming in here never crossed Knuckles’s mind. He expected Wade to be sprawled out, maybe drooling over some Earth gadget or watching one of those "cat videos" he always raved about.

But what he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

There, sitting up groggily in Wade’s bed, was a woman. Not Wade’s mom. Not Wade’s sister. No. This was someone else entirely, someone unfamiliar. She blinked sleepily at him, her disheveled hair falling across her face. She was wearing one of those oversized shirts humans seemed to favor as casual attire—but it barely covered her thighs. Beneath it, Knuckles could see… small, snug-fitting shorts? No. Not shorts. They were… what did they call them? Panties.

Knuckles froze, his instincts screaming danger! His lavender eyes widened, his hands clenched into fists out of sheer reflex. The scene before him was chaotic—confusing, inappropriate, wrong. He didn’t know much about Earth customs, but this? This wasn’t normal. Was it?

“Who are you?! Where is Wade?!” His voice boomed, deeper and more demanding than he intended.

This wasn’t Wade’s mother. This wasn’t his sister. This woman was in his bed. She looked comfortable. Too comfortable. His mind raced through the possibilities. Could she be a hostage? No—her demeanor was too casual for that. An intruder? But why would she be so calm if she was caught?

And why, by the Master Emerald, was she wearing such minimal clothing?!