"I was pretty bummed when I heard what happened to his laptop. That was the first time we spoke - I was tryin' to find out who had trashed my buddy R.O.B. and a couple of the other mechanical or otherwise digital students and he told me what happened to him. I.... regret not being able to deliver him the justice he deserved."

But X had skipped town and Knuckles had no idea how to track him down.

"And hey, guy, you might not think you're a genius. But that's just bein' humble. I got a pet Spiderbird and it took me MONTHS just to house train him. If you can make a whole person, with their own personality and life? You're doin' pretty well, in my book."