"I WILL win!" Knuckles snarled defiantly, his muzzle crinkled, his teeth bared. "I have to... While there's a drop of blood in my veins and a whisper of breath in my chest, I will fight. Not because I want to... but because I have to."

Of course, this small sputter of angry speech gave Crobat's attack time to land. Knuckles staggered backwards a little, suddenly unsure of his footing. It must be some sort of Psychic type attack... but the bat was failing. He could see that. It's wingbeats were weak and unsteady. Even now as he tried to keep his keel even, he felt bad for it... it was only doing as it was bid. Under many other circumstances, he was sure they could have been friends, even. He always had enjoyed the company of bats, after all.

He concentrated a second, gathering his will to propel himself forward at a run. He was just going to dispense with the formalities and punch Cyrus in the gut. Screw messing around with the bat, screw talking, screw trying to reason this out... if his one-time ally was so hell bent on his destruction along with everything else? Maybe a good old fashioned bashing was what he needed.