Knuckles grunted, his arms straining against the unyielding stone walls. He was wedged tightly, his broad shoulders and hips completely jammed in the small, jagged hole Sonic had somehow convinced him to leap through. His upper body hung awkwardly on the other side, arms flailing for leverage, while his legs dangled behind, kicking uselessly.

“This... is ridiculous,” he muttered, his voice muffled slightly by the rough stone pressing against his chest.

"Just jump through!" Sonic had said, his cocky grin all but daring Knuckles to back down. “It’s easy!” Easy for Sonic, who was built like a twig. Even Tails had managed to wiggle through with those skinny arms and legs of his. But Knuckles? He was built for strength, not squeezing through impossibly small gaps.

Knuckles growled low in his throat, frustration boiling over. “Some warrior I am,” he muttered. He tried to pull himself backward, but the wall only gripped him tighter, the rough edges scraping against his fur. His hips were wedged so firmly it felt like the wall itself was mocking him, holding him there in an utterly humiliating pose—his upper body bent low, his rear end sticking out in the air.

He clenched his fists and slammed them against the stone, hoping brute force would do what strategy hadn’t. The impact echoed through the narrow tunnel, sending dust raining down. “Come on, you stupid wall!” he shouted. But the ancient stone was as unyielding as his pride.

From somewhere down the tunnel, he could hear Sonic’s voice, muffled but annoyingly chipper. “We’re gonna go grab some help, Knux! Don’t go anywhere!”

Knuckles scowled. “Don’t go anywhere,” he mimicked under his breath.

He sighed heavily, letting his head hang for a moment before trying once more to wiggle free. The ancient stone creaked ominously but refused to yield.”

As he lay there, his frustration grew, but so did a grudging sense of humor about the situation.

He just hoped they got back soon.