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Chapter Text

Metal Sonic was assigned the mission of defending Dr. Eggman's next big project. He scanned down the Egg Base from the highest point of the industrial site, which not coincidentally, was also the Center of Command. Computers shined red with the symbol of his master on his screens, all the monitors gathered in the middle of the room, a mark of practicality, while also leaving the reinforced glass that covered the round-egg-shaped room free for viewing.

The robot oversaw everything. He sensed the guarded Chaos Emerald, the aid robots, the repair drones, as well as the security bots patrolling The Workshop. Scouting the surroundings and beyond, anyone who could arrive, by land or sky, would be sighted and neutralized immediately.

[Probability of Invasion by Underground Excavation]: (Expected Assailant: Knuckles the Echidna).

[Counter Method]: Underground proximity sensors connected to the Center of Command. Alarms set for immediate approach.

[Probability of Conflict]: Medium Low (33%). [Basis]: Subject Continuous Location: Angel Island.

[Probability of Teleportation by Chaos Control]: (Expected Assailant: Shadow the Hedgehog)

[Counter Method]: Not Necessary.

[Probability of Conflict]: Very Low (2%). [Basis]: According to the database of G.U.N. (Guardian Units of Nations) - Subject Current Location: Proceeding secret mission in the Country of Apotos.

There was no painless way inside, or out.

A challenging manner of living and a brutal way to die.

But only if you were actually alive, or not being the aforementioned Dr. Eggman.

A flash of light coming from The Workshop was caught by his monitoring. His auditory sensors detected the sound of an explosion. By analyzing the burst of Chaos Energy that accompanied the event…

[Hypothesis 1]: A machinery error to contain the Chaos Energy.

[Hypothesis 2]: A calculation error to control the Chaos Energy for the intended use.

(Note to Self): “At the current rate The Doctor, and therefore The Eggman Empire, will not win if he does not find a viable working strategy around the inevitable fallibility of organic life forms, for no matter what The Doctor faces, his primary obstacle always seems to be himself.”

(Note to Self): “And you can't run away from your flaws.”

[ERROR] [ERROR] [ERROR]

Message found to be incompatible with current programming. Reasoning: [Unit’s Natures Being Opposed: Loyalty and Obedience]. The ingeniousness of Dr. Eggman should not be questioned.

[ERROR] [ERROR] [ERROR]

Message conflicts with current programming. Reasoning: [Primary Core Duty: Serve Eggman Empire]. The end of the Empire should not be considered.

[DRC Protocol]: Activated.

Demanded immediate elimination of content from Main Memory Core.

(Unless reasoning for the existence of the message is presented for the aid of Core Duties, the content will be erased immediately.)

Reasoning: …

Metal Sonic has a conflict in his Main Processing Unit, however, he does not have any explanation as to why this content came to be. He did not have any memories categorized as ratiocination incidents like this one.

Presumably, because the protocol was accurate.

Reasoning: None

Delete Information: [Yes] [No]

[Yes]

Information Deleted. Content Erased. “Note to Self [1/2]” Eliminated from Main Memory Core.

Update Complete. [Initiated: 17:27:03] / [Finalized: 17:27:07].

[DRC Protocol]: Deactivated.

[Warning]: Logical Processor of Unit not entirely adherent to programming and Primary Core Duty

[Recommendation]: Maintenance required to dispose of any corrupted data in Main Memory Core.

[Recommendation]: Maintenance required in Arithmetic-Logic System regarding Logical Processor.

…

A flash of light coming from The Workshop was caught by his monitoring. His auditory sensors caught the sound of an explosion. By analyzing the burst of Chaos Energy that accompanied the event…

The sky was gray, full of dark clouds… was it gray a nanosecond before?

His Internal System was receiving a call. It was accepted automatically, and the voice of his master resonated in his sensors.

— Metal Sonic, come here this instant! It’s an emergency!

[Emergency Protocol]: Activated.

Metal Sonic needed to get to The Doctor immediately. He was ready to blast through the glass when-

[Warning]: Do not break the window this time.

His propulsion system flew him to the only other exit available. The robot was also not allowed to destroy the glassed elevator, even in such an urgent situation.

With crossed arms, he started tapping his foot.

[Question]: Why elevators must be so slow?

The door opened with a “ding”, and the robot accelerated through the vast metallic streets of the Egg Base. The warning didn’t apply to entrances, so he ripped the primary reinforced door of The Workshop, the screeching sound reverberating in his circuits. Metal Sonic rushed past the SWAT Bots aligned on the walls, not one stopping him from accomplishing his duty.

The Workshop was the heart of the Eggman Empire, an essential site in the grand scheme of everything. The laboratory of the mad scientist. The atelier for his genius mind. Where expertise and excellence took place, right to the factory.

The twists and turns that worked like a labyrinth, the various automatic doors that sometimes closed on your face, and the many, many traps. Those identical white and gray walls with hints of red would be a nightmare for any living organism.

But not for him.

He stopped where the route took him, now in front of the robot…

An elevator.

Not another elevator.

His digital map showed another path. Shorter. Faster. Better.

Metal Sonic took the trash dispenser out of the wall, creating a hole. Big enough for him. Plastic and metal scattered everywhere, but it didn’t matter.

The robot soared through the tube of the trash dispenser. His engines flaring. Up to the main laboratory.

He broke through the metal crate and…

There was… nothing. The just repaired machines buzzed with barely a cloud of smoke atop them. White walls. Clean floor. The place was totally disinfected. The only remnant of the accident was the residue of Chaos Energy in the air.

— Finally! Unfortunately, a little too late. — The Doctor said exasperated, waving his hand dramatically like the emergency call was nothing more than a little mistake. — They were almost done, but now they have your mess to clean as well!

A line of Maid Robots passed him towards the door, brooms in hand. The last one stopped, picked up a feather duster from her inventory, and started dusting him.

Metal Sonic let her, focusing on The Doctor. He ran a methodical analysis: [0,6%] Height at 1 meter and 85 centimeters, [32%] Level of fat according to base circumference, [67%] No wound on sight, [80%] Normal physical activity, [91%] No uncommon fluctuation in the tone of voice, [100%].

[Scan]: Complete: [Initiated: 17:28:21] / [Finalized: 17:28:23].

In fact, the only thing that seemed amiss was the dust on his coat and his unorganized mustache. Which soon was fixed by the small aid bots flying around.

[Analysis]: Complete.

 The Doctor was secure and in no immediate danger.

[Emergency Protocol]: Deactivated.

The Maid Robot finished brushing him, took the twisted piece of metal that was once the trash can and headed to the exit. At this point, her group was likely being helped by the Egg Pawns at the entrance and they would have concluded the work by the time she arrived there.

Metal Sonic wondered if they saw the trash dispenser he destroyed. They probably did.

Preparing to return to his initial station, as his presence was not necessary, he turned to follow in the same direction the Maid Robot went.

— Stop right there, I want you here. — His master said, pointing a finger at him. — Record the experiment and analyze the results.

Metal Sonic thought it was unwise for him to serve as a camera, compared to his initial assignment, however, he could understand the reasoning, as there were few devices as advanced as himself in the facility. Dr. Eggman started to scream at Cubot and Orbot, seemingly the ones responsible for the accident.

— Increase the power limit, find that damn bug in the circuits, adjust the containment chamber, and calibrate these energy readings! They’re all wrong! — The Doctor ordered them around, as well as the other aid bots that scrambled to obey him.

Correction / [Accurate Hypothesis]: Both a calculation and machinery error?

The robot could suggest other methods to register and study the experiment, however, he also saw the pros of protecting The Doctor from up close.

— Let’s start all over again. — His master mumbled after a groan.

So, he said nothing.

— And this time without explosions.

Not like he could talk anyway.

Chapter Text

The Chaos Emerald didn’t sparkle in its containment chamber, a big translucent dome that covered the center of the laboratory, which shielded his master against the past explosion. Inside it, a delicate yet strong metal claw secured the gem in place while small tubes were placed again on its surface by the little aid bots.

Metal Sonic could feel the restart of the machinery. Electrical currents that mixed and maxed for optimal function, illuminating everything once again, from valves and switches to the biggest screen to the smallest of buttons. No living being could create the formidable beauty of light as Doctor Eggman.

Chaos in order. The metal guiding the ultimate power.

Ordered chaos. The energy of the universe in control.

As it should be.

[Recording]: On

— Restarting “Operation Egg Portal” — Said Orbot in a drained tone. — For the forty-sixth time.

Orbot was near the control table, on the other side of their master’s chair, weakly floating as it almost toppled into the ground, while Cubot was in his cubic formation, seemingly in stasis, but the other could detect the light in his optics. Metal Sonic calculated the number of trials and the hours that he stayed on guard, finally concluding: It was a considerable amount of time for active aide robots without recharge.

He couldn’t condemn them for their behavior, only their damaged personality cores full of malfunctions.

— Initiating connection, transference of energy by 1%, and growing.

Metal Sonic observed through his recording the indicators on the small tubes lighting up in succession, going to the ground and becoming bigger pipelines to connect to the portal, successfully channeling the chaos energy within. The portal was in a basic mold, oval with a metallic outline, but with a rather unusual humble size, the circumference with a diameter of only 2 meters.

— 12%. Is stable.

The portal was located on the opposite side to the emerald, inside the protective dome, but still near them. A safety hazard that the robot couldn’t overlook, not with the rather common custom of the new experiment to cause sizeable explosions.

[Basis]: The considerable amount of accidents that happened today. (Counting: 7).

— 34%. Flow still stable.

Metal Sonic’s monitoring also detected another matter that seemed to be amiss.

— 59%. Engines working well.

[Question]: Shouldn’t the portal be circular?

— 85%. Still up and running.

He ignored the question and removed it from the Logical Processor. The [Operation Egg Portal] would lose its meaning without an operative machinery of equal symbolism, and being created by the brilliance of Doctor Eggman, it would function in any format it was designed to function in.

— 97%... 98%... 99%...

Metal Sonic glanced at Orbot but never lost sight of the experiment. The red robot sounded increasingly apprehensive, leaning away from the control table while looking at the big red button in the middle of it.

— Here we go! — Yelled Dr. Eggman, slamming the button.

Nothing happened for a second, and for only a second, then the lights flickered.

And the portal turned on.

A true swirl of colors, white in essence, yet also purple, yellow, cyan, pink, blue, green, red, orange, and even black. Hue, saturation, and brightness of a great and constantly interchangeable variety, always in a spiral towards the middle.

Doctor Eggman jumped from his chair.

— I did it! A complete functional portal to another plane of existence! — His master celebrated, hands in the air gesturing wildly.

[Celebration Mode]: Activated.

Metal Sonic and the aide bots started clapping their hands, applauding his magnificent genius mind and the accomplishment of his deeds.

— Travel time: Instantaneous. Journey and return? Completely safe. Shipment totally free, courtesy of my superior intellectual mind. — He tapped his head with one finger for masterful effect.

Even Cubot ceased stupidly pretending to be in recharge to honor their creator.

— They’ll never even know what hit them! Muahahahaha!

The commemoration continued for a few moments more, with party blowers and tiny blasts of confetti, probably from Orbot and Cubot, to the enjoyment of The Doctor.

Metal Sonic wondered what place this portal could take them that the Ring Portals couldn’t, all the while never moving his visor from the experiment. The recording was still on, so the robot was still paying attention to the experiment when it happened.

Something that shouldn’t have happened.

The Chaos Emerald twinkled.

Then the twinkle passed through the tubes.

Then the twinkle passed to the portal.

In a nanosecond.

It was fast.

[Celebration Mode]: Deactivated.

But he was faster.

Metal Sonic shoved Doctor Eggman back into his chair in time for the portal to explode, creating an opening in the dome, much like a black hole, sucking everything inside it. The alarms reverberated in the facility. The lights covered the darkness in red. The protocol was activated, and the safety belt of the chair wrapped around his master.

One of his hands grabbed the chair, whilst the other tore through the ground, clutching the metal beneath, and giving enough time for the electromagnetic energy on his feet to bind his body to the floor.

The seat was glued to the ground, but Metal Sonic didn’t let it go.

— Metal Sonic! Remove the emerald from the machine! — His master screamed while holding his glasses and pressing various buttons on the control table.

The robot started calculating the most optimal approach to detach the gem.

— Orbot! Cubot! Disconnect the cables!

They couldn’t. Both were weak and uncharged. The only thing preventing them from being pulled by the portal was the control table they were hiding beneath.

Reasonable reaction. Pathetic action.

Useless.

[Analysis]: Complete.

[Counter Method]: Direct Approach with Evasive Maneuvers.

[Probability of Success]: 65%.

He glanced at The Doctor. He was secure.

However, not safe.

Not yet.

Metal Sonic released the chair.

His main engine ignited. His secondary engine burst in heat. The flow was getting stronger by the second. The Logical Processor updated accordingly. Maneuver Tactics set.

The portal was powerful.

But he was more.

His propulsion system shot him in a crescent line, a sideway arch that almost scratched the wall. The strength of the portal ended up giving a small benefit despite the great risk, providing him with more speed, and ultimately serving the objective to propel his projectile body forward.

Metal Sonic broke into the dome, and now there were two holes in it, but his target was now within reach as he grabbed the support of the emerald.

[Warning]: Unit too close to the focus of the explosion.

It didn’t matter.

The green gem was now in his claws. It glowed and flashed. Alarms appeared on his screen and were ignored automatically as the continuous contact proceeded. Static energy flew around as the emerald clung to the device like a magnet.

[Warning]: Energy is being drained from the Unit. (Energy Core): 56%...55%...54%

The same emerald that gives him power was now taking it all away.

It didn’t matter.

So close to the portal, Metal Sonic wouldn’t be able to hear any order made by audial activation, but he understood what needed to be done. He forced his lower limbs to the ground and his feet were bound to the floor once again, granting the stability to use both of his hands.

It was the same as two magnets of opposite poles, shockingly so. Therefore, the solution was simple.

He inserted his claws between the emerald and the other magnetic draw and pulled them away from each other with equal force. The effect was immediate and certain.

The emerald now idled in his hand, and the wind ceasing to be.

The alarms stopped, and now there was silence. The lights were deactivated, and red was replaced by clear white light.

Everything in order.

Nothing out of control.

As it should be.

Metal Sonic looked behind him to see his master safe in his chair. Dr. Eggman was rubbing his forehead, likely as a sign of stress, with Cubot and Orbot finally exiting their hideout beside him. The structure of the portal, against all odds, was still intact, with a stable string of energy still powering it.

The Doctor could continue later without any setback, so there would probably be no further experimentations today.

The robot’s Internal System began to analyze the Power Control System, calculating the effect of his actions. This accident seemed only to have caused minor damages to the facility and, to a negligible greater extent, to the Unit.

Nothing that shouldn’t be easily repaired.

However, by this alone, Metal Sonic should have predicted the next outcome. An explosion occurred, but nothing was destroyed, therefore the result would be…

Another explosion.

Right at his face.

The robot was thrown away several meters, staying suspended in the air for a couple of seconds before striking a rock formation.

[Question]: Rock???

As soon as his optics functioned again, he sighted a small oval portal ahead, the vortex of light giving space to an unwelcome picture. On the other side, smoke and gray metal. On his side, dirt and red rocks.

The portal collapsed in on itself, and Metal Sonic concluded, with grim clarification, that the second explosion not only moved him across the portal but also disrupted the stability of the machine.

[Analysis]: Complete. [Initiated: 17:33:05] / [Finalized: 17:33:19].

Correction 2 / [Accurate Hypothesis]: The ultimate error was to fail to contain/regulate the chaos energy.

[Recording]: Off

He couldn’t move. His body twitched with overcharging and ever-leaving energy.

Little stones and dust fell onto his visor.

But Metal Sonic could still see.

The sky was gray, full of dark clouds.

A notification appeared.

He accepted.

(Note to Self): “And you can't run away from your flaws.”

[Question]: What does that even mean?

Static filled his vision as he went into stasis.

[Unit]: Off

Chapter Text

Restarting Unit…

…

…

[Unit]: On

[Main Processing Unit]: On

[Sub Processing Unit]: On

Analysis of Unit’s Power Control System interrupted…

Metal Sonic could only discern static in his field of vision. Black and white warped the scarce illumination and the buzz of gray obstructed the shapes around him.

Restart Analysis: [Yes] [No]

[No]

His body convulsed momentarily as his mobility returned. Quick and sharp tics that would be humorous to an outside perspective, but for the robot, it was anything but.

Start Internal Analysis. Level: Maximal.

Metal Sonic raised regardless of sight, using his arms to remove himself from the hole he drilled into the rock formation. However, his weakness was painfully evident as he struggled with his trembling upper limbs.

[Question]: Was he in this state prior to the explosion?

He was finally lifted, a real accomplishment, as his lower limbs were faring not much better than their counterparts. Ligament scraping and squeaking with each and every little movement, and although the other knew it was impossible, the impression perceived was as if the metal creaked in pain.

It would be a clear explanation… as to why he didn’t evade the explosion.

Why he didn’t react.

Why he was, in a variety of crucial ways, incompetent.

The static started to fade, slowly giving place to the same terrain the robot decidedly didn’t want to see. Rocks, red dirt, and more rocks spread far into the horizon. A sun that seemed to have just risen yet promised the heat of a thousand of its kind, and the sky, full of dark clouds, but with no sight of rain or lightning, or even the slight resonance of thunder, would be easily dispersed by the winds of a new day.

[Analysis]: Complete. [Initiated: 17:39:31] / [Finalized: 17:39:35].

The robot tried to clean his visor, with a considerable amount of success.

[Warning]: Energy Control System damaged. (Energy Core): 21%

[Warning]: Motion Control System damaged. Conductors damaged. Energy circuit disrupted.

[Warning]: Surface Frame compromised. Rupture Location: Top Spikes. Condition: Non-Critical.

Metal Sonic slowly passed his digits through the exterior of his head. The crumpled metal was distinguishable, but as expected, completely insignificant.

[Recommendation]: Maintenance required to repair overloading damage in Energy Control System.

[Recommendation]: Maintenance required to replace Energy Conductors.

[Recommendation]: Maintenance required to repair the Surface Frame.

…

A surprising amount of damage in such a small amount of time. So much to do, so few resources.

Then again, no one should underestimate the powers of the chaos emeralds, as the ancient relics could grant you unimaginable miracles as easily as they could completely ruin your entire existence. Maybe the only reason he was currently responsive was because of the changes made in his superior body to endure the V. Maximum Overdrive Attack.

It gladdened him to know that his master’s grand intellect once again prevailed against such primordial forces of nature.

Priorities. Next step. Contact the EggBase. He tried to establish a link…

No connection.

He tried again.

No connection.

Metal Sonic almost tried again.

[Hypothesis 1]: There were no satellites available or within reach.

[Probability of Accuracy]: Very Low (0,5%). [Basis]: Dr. Eggman has satellites all over the globe. The possibility of not a single one being in orbit near him was laughable.

[Hypothesis 2]: The damage to the Unit, be it from the emerald, from the explosion, or from the hit against the rock, has caused internal damage undetected by his System.

[Probability of Accuracy]: High (80%). [Basis]: All his predicaments.

Perhaps the damage was worse than he thought.

In his condition, the uncertainty of his future was baffling. Metal Sonic was an extremely powerful creation of Doctor Eggman, his most ingenious robot, the ultimate weapon in his arsenal, his magnum opus. He would even like to think he was his master's favorite asset, especially against the pesky blue blur. 

However, like any other Badnik, he was replaceable, completely renewable. In such complicated circumstances, taking all things into consideration, The Doctor wouldn’t give himself the trouble of tracking him down and may even consider it a waste of resources to retrieve him.

It was… counterintuitive.

Nevertheless, it was also equally nonsensical to leave precious EggTech thrown away where anyone could locate and utilize it. Therefore, he would have to return to the base on his own and prove he was still functional and ready despite his damage.

But with so low energy, he couldn’t waste it flying.

So… he must walk.

If Metal Sonic had a voice box and it permitted him to groan, he would.

<=====>

Walk.

Such a simplistic word for a simple action that he should be able to accomplish with ease.

But here he was, tripping over literal nothing.

The data of the instructions were clear, and the flow of information was intact. However, his body methodically didn’t obey the commands, couldn’t, without the energy or functioning interconnectors, so he would have to repeat the commands multiple times and still have a delayed response.

All because of that damn emerald.

Metal Sonic stumbled again, his lower body almost not steadying in time. His equilibrium was horrible, his footing was even worse, and the weight of his metallic frame highly aggravated the issues. It was arduous enough to put one leg in front of the other, he didn’t need the added humiliation of falling face-full into the ground. One time was already more than enough.

The robot tried to look around, searching for some kind of noteworthy landmark like he hadn’t been doing the same operation for what felt like hours, even though it was factually only 10 minutes. But what greeted him was the same scenery as all the other times, the same hellish blend between rocky desert and lifeless savanna.

With no map nor GPS, Metal Sonic’s only option to discover his location was to go to higher grounds and use his database to hopefully recognize something of significance. Comparing data wasn’t his forte, however, his branch of knowledge in terrain battle tactics should be of some use.

That’s why he was currently heading towards the mountain range he could see in the proximities. It was a considerable space to traverse, but doable within his restriction and energy spending. He had his doubts, however, if it was enough energy to climb it.

The mountains were substantially high.

The calculations weren’t favorable.

Metal Sonic tried a while ago to detect any sign of significant life, maybe a Human or a Mobian that could disclose his location, only for the reply to come out null, but then again, the robot couldn’t detect much of anything at the moment. Not with his circuits fried.

There weren’t any Micky running on the ground, nor even a Flicky flying in the sky. Or at least he couldn’t see any.

And by his own experience, he knew it shouldn’t be the case.

Organic life always had its ways to escape annihilation.

So...

[Question]: Where were they hiding?

And if they didn’t...

[Question]: Where did they go?

The clouds were moving, just as he predicted. The sun grew stronger as the shadows retreated. Dust particles flew with the wind as they made little tornados on the ground. The sound of the breeze was detected by his sensors, but just as foreseen, it was not felt. A tumbleweed passed by, inviting him to die like the remains of this place.

His right leg froze in place, he knocked it so he could continue.

Metal Sonic glimpsed at something that seemed relevant. Very relevant. A structure stationed in close proximity to the mountain range. As he got closer, with heavy and demanding steps slowing his body, he deduced it was a factory.

A very old factory.

An abandoned factory.

Suddenly, the robot stopped. The screeching of his body was silent for a moment. Only the wind continued to move.

The red mark on the wall was scratched and a little faded, but he could recognize it anywhere, especially by how noticeably big it always was.

An Egg Factory. Dr. Eggman’s factory. Rusted gates with barely a hint of gray or white, verdant foliage rising in the walls like the parasites they were, open doors left ajar for anyone desiring to enter.

A deplorable state for a base of the Eggman Empire. An immeasurable pity, if not for all the creations it could have produced, for them to never exist nor have a chance to serve their master, then for the loss of the definitely measurable amount of resources. Truly unfortunate.

Despite this, he couldn’t identify which factory it was, as they were all the same basic design and, unfortunately, his master had to abandon quite a few pieces of territory over the years. The robot would have to enter and use the technology within to assess the serial number of the building, so he could identify his location. And, as a bonus, he wouldn’t need to climb the mountain.

It was rather small, for his master standards anyway. There seemed to be a ground floor and only one more above it, but as he opened the heavy door of the factory, Metal Sonic realized there was a balcony instead of a second floor, a mezzanine to be precise, probably to overlook the operations from above.

On the ground level, enormous electric generators covered the wall opposite to him, each of them merely turned off, as whoever seized the factory beforehand obviously couldn’t move them. The rest of the machinery rested in the innumerable boxes that were put to the side, yet polishing machines and small-scale mechanical arms could be observed lying around, disclosing the delicacy of the operations.

Metal Sonic saw concealed structures on the balcony, which were definitely computers covered by a long cloth. There, he would be able to identify the serial number of the building.

[Warning]: Low Energy. (Energy Core): 15%

But first, recharge.

By common standard, all the factories always had backup generators with a reserve of energy for emergencies. On the floor, near the electric generators, what looked like a hatch actually gave space for what he was looking for.

He opened it, and there they were. Lined up in pretty little rows of four. Sweet, sweet energy in the form of metal boxes of 20 by 20 centimeters.

The robot had no problem removing it, even though the little generator was screwed to the ground, with the bolts flying everywhere with his immense strength. He immediately took the cables and connected them to his body, and a sensation akin to relief fueled his circuits.

(Energy Core): [Recharging]

(Energy Core): 15%...

Electrical energy wasn’t the best, but right in this instance, it could be classified as the greatest thing in the world.

Metal Sonic took one more backup, ignoring the second wave of flying bolts, and redirected himself upstairs.

With his hands full, the robot put down one of the generators so he could move the cloth. The massive computers obviously didn’t work, yet, but his reflection was clearly seen on the dark screen. The crushed metal on his spikes wasn’t as noticeable as he was led to believe. Not that bad. Just a bit of a scrunch.

And with that final thought, he kneeled and began working on the computer.

Taking into account the modern technology found, the factory should have been created at most a year ago. A rather recent undersized factory that worked with delicate experimental devices, possibly in a confidential sector given the localization, which ended up never operative, or was shut down. Dr. Eggman had a few of those, so it narrowed his options. Slightly.

The generator was connected. The computer was turned on. Now he just needed-

Serial Number – 7.500.791

He scanned it again.

It was scarcely credible.

He almost scanned again.

Fried circuits or not, it was an impossibility. The factories are numbered according to their creation. Dr. Eggman's number of factories never came to a million, at least, not in a consecutive and simultaneous matter. But the robot was certain there wasn’t one with this numeration for the time being.

Therefore, the conclusion would be…

[Hypothesis 3]: Time Travel.

His master had managed to time travel before, thus doing so again wouldn’t be a surprise. The number of factories would naturally increase. The number of organics would accordingly decrease. His non-connection with any satellite would be feasible if his signature was not recognizable or if his technology became obsolete in the future.

It made sense.

However, there was always one certain individual that came with time travel affairs.

And like a curse, his thoughts came to reality as there was a sudden movement by the entryway of the factory. The invader paused for a moment before allowing himself inside.

He came in without care, walking casually through the remains of the site while looking around the wasted tech. His lack of caution became really apparent as he did not look up to the mezzanine. At his wrist, a communicator glimmered with the futuristic aesthetic much unlike the Eggman Empire, for it twinkled with the color blue.

He analyzed the individual: [0,5%] Height at exactly 1 meter and 15 centimeters, [10%] Exceedingly light gray coloration, with peach skin, and golden fur surrounding his neck, [29%] Seven visible spikes in total. Five top spikes, two, significantly bigger, bottom spikes, [55%] Gloves with circular markings of cyan tint adorned with golden cuffs, [73%] Black boots with navy and white additionals, plus another pair of golden cuffs, [90%] When the organic turned around, their eyes met, and he could see his cyan eyes. [100%].

[Scan]: Complete: [Initiated: 17:59:48] / [Finalized: 18:00:00].

The immediate response of the silver Mobian upon seeing the metallic hedgehog was pure shock. How couldn’t be? The only logical conclusion for such an inhospitable future was the ultimate victory of his master, and as a loyal servant of the Eggman Empire, it was not a surprise he was recognized.

[Analysis]: Complete.

Further, by no surprise to Metal Sonic, his comparisons between the mysterious invader and the Subject: [Silver the Hedgehog] were methodical but undemanding. While paralleling their bone structure, the conclusion was that internally they were utmost identical, while externally, both were fairly alike, coming back with 75% of similarity.

(Energy Core): [Recharging]

(Energy Core): 18%...

Metal Sonic had no time for setbacks, and if this individual was anything like Silver the Hedgehog, he didn’t want the trouble of fighting this weird clone of his… especially not in these circumstances. The robot did, however, wonder what would happen if he was in optimal conditions.

Maybe someday.

— Is… this… — The other mumbled, finally getting out of his stupor.

The windows of the second floor were very breakable, and he already had everything he needed from this place.

— Sonic?... Sonic the Hedgehog?!

He took a second glance.

Chapter Text

[Question]: No prefix?

He couldn’t help but tilt his head sideways, showing the clear physical expression of his confusion.

No “Metal” Sonic. No indicator of an added designation. Just a name, a word by which a person is known, addressed, and/or referred to.

His name.

No one, not even his own creator, had ever addressed him merely as “Sonic”.

He attempted to analyze the hedgehog again. His surprise, his perplexity, and his confusion by the actions, or lack thereof, of the robot, were small in scale, however, very clear. An anticipation of understanding, or further action, was awaited.

Yet, researching his memory files again presented no results. He has definitely never seen or interacted with this individual before.

[Hypothesis 1]: Tactical distraction.

[Probability of Accuracy]: Low (15%). [Basis]: By analyzing his body language, immediate reactions, and micro-expressions, his untrained mannerisms gave away much of his emotions, unfitted for mistruth.

[Question]: Perhaps the hedgehog only believed he knew him?

But then again, it would be significantly unrealistic to have a convincing copy of himself to interact with him, as he was a mechanic masterpiece made by the one and only Doctor Eggman.

Unless The Doctor created another one in his absence.

… He removed the thought from the Logical Processor very quickly.

[Hypothesis 2]: He is mistaking him for the faker.

[Probability of Accuracy]: High (90%). [Basis]: …

The rage that arose was like an overheating engine thrown into water, and could only be regarded as something similar to a slowly ascending and equally intensifying boiling, for his holographic eyes gleamed a powerful scarlet that not even he could control. Metal Sonic could feel his claws attempting to break the backup generator in his hands, only stopped by his own sheer will.

He gazed at the hedgehog as if his own optics could make him disappear, while the other merely continued to stare at him. Such flickers of hope, of expectation, and then of confusion and doubt, not even aware of the fire awakened inside the cold metallic exterior by the mere words that exited his mouth.

Metal Sonic did not have the ability to overheat by sheer emotional outrage, but if he could, his master would have made changes to his body to immediately fix these mistakes.

But his body couldn’t feel the heat, so The Doctor wouldn’t have to fix anything, and the robot put the emotions he didn’t want to acknowledge aside.

(Energy Core): [Recharging]

(Energy Core): 19%...

Ignoring him was the best course of action.

Thus, he broke eye contact and turned away.

Ignoring the fury was the best course of action.

There was no enjoyment to be had in the shattering of the glass, so he proceeded in the old “correct” way. His claws only twitched once before managing to break the window locks. It opened with a loud squeak, warning the other hedgehog of his actions.

— Wait! Hold on a second-

Metal Sonic had already jumped out the window the moment he heard the words. Metallic feet met dusty ground once again, screeching once before to remind him of his physical state.

If this hedgehog truly knew him, he should know better than to tell him to wait.

The fervor of his wrath mixed with the strong heat of the sun outside, as it was ever dwindling and forever resurfacing like the cycles of day and night, and together within the ever-present nothingness of the desert...he couldn’t help but contemplate how it all seemed custom-made to emulate the hollow sensation that now tried to grasp his body.

Focusing only on his primary objective in favor of the mission was the key to success.

Ignoring the fury was the best.

No matter the disappointment that also began to creep deep into his body.

Ignoring him was the best.

Metal Sonic then immediately started to walk, disregarding the small limping he had acquired because of that pathetically short fall. He minimally looked back and saw the other following him, psychic powers flawlessly bringing him to the ground.

— It’s me... Venice… from the Resistance!

He shouted the last words, trying to be heard as the other marched away. The most amusing part was that the information spoken the loudest was of the least importance to him. Instead, Metal Sonic now had the identification of a previous unnamed individual with already known dangerous capabilities and, at the same time, confirmed the distinction between him and Silver the Hedgehog.

Two Mobians with telekinetic abilities. A true threat to the Empire. Which happened to be part of an organization.

Metal Sonic surely wondered who this “Resistance” was fighting against.

A true mystery.

At least he could confirm that his Central Processing Unit was comparatively untouched. For his Internal System to produce ironic text, one of its least essential functions that was discarded in favor of other capabilities in case of emergency, it had to be mostly intact.

Now, in regards to this “Resistance”, he could only expect the majority of them to not be of equal and/or higher threat as the new subject at hand: [Venice the Hedgehog]. After all, chaos users with any level of attunement tended to be highly problematic but were also exceedingly rare.

However, one should never underestimate any type of enemy, for even a Chao could become a God with the right tools and in the right circumstances.

The robot stopped walking, and the other repeated not long after.

Metal Sonic turned around in slow and calculated movements, to not indicate any more of his glaring weaknesses, and in turn, the other hedgehog showed his outstretched hands as a sign of surrender and non-confrontation, cyan marking not glowing and without sights of activity. It would be much more effective if he didn’t know what those hands were capable of.

(Energy Core): [Recharging]

(Energy Core): 20%...

He needed to focus. He needed to retreat. He needed to continue forward. The information the hedgehog held was valuable, but he was in no condition to extract such resources.

— Do you recognize me? Last time we saw each other Colin was taking you away… no, wait, that’s when I time traveled…

Venice continued in internal thought, attempting to remember in silent debate an order of events that the robot was not aware of, however, he couldn’t proceed with his sentence as a seemingly impatient Metal Sonic turned around again and continued his strenuous walking. No information to be taken when the other was only talking about someone else he already knew too damn well.

— Hang on! Wait! Maybe you remember me from a few months back? I don’t know how much time it was for you…

He tried to ignore the words, owing to the fact that he simply loathed hearing any information about Sonic that did not contribute to his inevitable demise. How an abominable attempt at a copy of himself could persevere repeatedly throughout the years was beyond any logical sense, and his systems could not handle such an issue. Nevertheless, having to listen to it, how he met another ally and/or how he was victorious yet again, was the true torture. However, the struggle was ultimately futile as his mind inscribed, cataloged, and stored every vowel and consonant spoken in his Main Memory Core.

— Could you just stop?! I’m trying to talk to you!

A not-so-unexpected turning point occurred as a cyan aura covered Metal Sonic’s body.

More dangerous than the darkest underground pits. More suffocating than any type of cage. Never in his entire existence would he ever like the sensation of complete and utter immobility.

The heavy vulnerability, the deep helplessness, the raw weakness.

Easy to hurt. Easy to destroy.

Stuck in place.

He was made to move.

Metal Sonic could feel the course of action being taken, the octahedral energy shield forcing him to bend to accommodate a guarding stance, defensive tactics making his body hover in the air as the Black Shield was activated.

The telekinetic energy was cut immediately, and everything was still.

The robot glanced through his crossed arms, fixing his gaze on the silver hedgehog.

His eyes were wide with surprise, and for a second red and cyan met before the shield was drawn back.

(Energy Core): [Recharging]

(Energy Core): 16%...

He started calculating…

He disconnected himself from the backup generator.

[Analysis]: Complete.

[Probability of Success]: 37%.

The objective was to discourage the target from engaging with him, adding to the possibility for the subject to run away and stop disrupting the mission. The other possible goal was to incapacitate the target so he could retreat safely without being followed. The numbers worried Metal Sonic, however, he could work with them.

He placed the metallic box down. And attacked.

The robot tried to proceed with a simple maneuver. His legs managed to acquire great force, but the movements faltered, certainly because of the previous fall, and were redirected too much to the left. He leaped towards Venice only for his claws to end up merely grazing his side, as the other also minimally dodged, benefiting from his error.

One. Two. Three. On the fourth time, Metal Sonic ordered his arm to move, it did so with great results. His hand became a fist, and his entire arm was thrown against the target. The swift impact hit the silver hedgehog on the stomach and surprisingly sent him flying, even if only for a few meters.

A small cloud of dust rose from the collision, but Venice got up soon afterward, rubbing the dirt off his face with an irked expression as his eyes narrowed down to him.

Maybe not a good enough strike, however, it was always beneficial to make an injury to exploit for later.

Metal Sonic awaited one second more, then continued the assault.

He pursued the hedgehog with his claws in an effort to also not deplete energy, but each time he was blocked by an almost invisible shield, cyan wisps of energy revealing the powers at play. The robot's only advantage was his speed, which was subpar at the moment, and the fact that the other hadn’t tried to detain him again, probably thinking the Black Shield would protect him a second time.

Again and again Metal Sonic would push, and Venice would falter and retreat with the aid of his barriers, but each time he would get closer and give pressure, not caring about the body that shook and wavered against the power of its own attacks.

The fret in the cyan eyes never changed, however, the other never seemed to fear for his own life.

— It's no use! — Venice screamed as he flew away, hovering high above ground out of reach of Metal Sonic.

His telekinetic power enveloped his own body again with a simple proficiency clear to analyze. Easy to master, yet still polished to prime application.

— I just want to talk! We’re not enemies!

Metal Sonic’s department had always branched between being an ace combatant on the front lines, a powerhouse focused on heavy damage, a field crowd disperser, and on occasions, a serviceman, so speaking was never much of his thing.

Talking was The Doctor’s job. Always had been. To gloat, to explain, to yell and command.

If only his master was here. He would be able to explain that the hedgehog decided to be his enemy the moment he stood in his way.

[Question]: Maybe he should throw a rock at him?

Aiming for a hit on the head and expecting a concussion was a straightforward strategy, but this course of action would be too beneath him, especially if he misses because of his damaged motor functions. And with a probability of [88%], Metal Sonic wasn’t willing to risk it.

Besides, there weren’t any good stones large enough in close proximity.

— I just need you to understand… — Venice began to speak again, and the robot was ready to futilely try to disregard the words once more if it wasn’t for the glow in his palms.

The silver hedgehog used his powers, and the backup generator was brought to his hands in a matter of seconds.

— This is not a fight. — He stated with newly ignited determination, with a cold fire in his eyes that wasn't ready to disappear.

The anger that emerged again from the confines of the robot’s CPU was anything but cold, yet it was different this time, a pebble that tipped the scales too far into one side, digging a pit of exasperation that could only increase in size as time went on.

[Question]: How could a machine without the ability to feel exhaustion be so tired?

The hedgehog managed to create fatigue in an unfeeling entity by simply being a nuisance. This was the only possible answer. And Metal Sonic would be almost impressed if he wasn’t so distracted by the problem at hand.

He should have thrown a rock.

The robot looked down, shoulders sinking a bit as the calculations changed with the new update of the current issues. The sun continued strong, and the wind continued to blow as he remained still.

But just for a moment.

Metal Sonic kneeled on the ground.

A clawed hand spread against the dirt.

He wouldn’t suffer the indignity of limping all the way back to the factory for a second backup generator.

— Hey? — Metal Sonic could hear Venice mumble above him, but slightly closer than before. — ...Are you alright?

He felt his body charging, and then he jumped.

Metal Sonic leaped at him, catching him completely off guard by grabbing his leg and throwing him into the ground with an unexpected amount of force. The cloud of dust created was bigger than the last, forming a mist that hazed the results of the strike.

When the robot landed, he was right in front of his victim.

Said individual who stubbornly continued to grasp the small generator with his two hands.

He was thoroughly covered in dust, yes. He was injured plentifully, yes.

But the wounds were small and meaningless.

Because suffering would not stop him.

Yet pain was the only thing Metal Sonic could give.

There were a lot of things Metal Sonic hated. But it was not so long of a list as others would imagine.

He hated anyone who opposed the Eggman Empire. He hated losing. He hated Sonic.

He hated weakness. He hated being weak.

He hated his body that wouldn’t activate his Arm Cannons or his Flight capabilities, hated his limbs that remained broken and inefficient, and hated that he couldn’t even run away.

Venice stood up, still clutching the useless backup generator, knowing that it was the key to Metal Sonic's attention, but never taking his eyes away from the robot as he continued to persevere in standing defiant against him.

His eyes still glowed.

The other hedgehog could prolong this all day long while Metal Sonic would scrape away his reserves of energy for a chance to flee.

Venice was right. This was not a fight.

(Energy Core): 14%...

After all, a broken war machine was no war machine at all.

— Stop fighting, please… — He pleaded, his voice strong but tender.

They were so close that Metal Sonic could just extend his arm to grab the metallic box, still, he hesitated. A twitch the robot wanted to believe was from his incapacitated body.

He put his claws on the metal box.

Venice didn't let it go.

The robot didn't either.

Then his compression chamber started to heat up and his chest engine began to shine. The blue light reflected on the eyes of the other as he realized that Metal Sonic was about to shoot his Plasma Pulse.

— Wait, no!

However, a second too late, he realized that the shout wasn’t for him.

A shot of flames got him from behind.

[Warning]: Temperature above acceptable levels. Cooling necessary immediately.

He didn't even need to do anything, as the fire went away as quickly as it came.

Metal Sonic could feel the static coming back.

The immobility of his limbs that refused to respond.

He fell.

He hit the dusty ground.

Not again.

It was the only thing he could think before darkness consumed him once more.

[Unit]: Off

Chapter Text

The sky was blue, with a few fluffy white clouds.

— So… no data chip.

The voice was clearly heard in the stillness inside the jet, much opposite to the outside, where the turbines of the plane made an incredibly loud sound while at high speed, especially for this type of aircraft.

Good old Tornado 15.

— No… — Venice grumbled as a half-reply to his companion.

It was terrible to be the bearer of bad news, always has been, but someone had to do it. The only problem is that it was him.

— And yes, I searched everywhere I could. — He added, leaning over the seat, the buzz from the machinery shaking his whole body being both a very good massage and a painful reminder of his wounds.

The only thing worst was to bear the consequences of this “bad news”, or even fix whatever damage the “bad news” caused.

The only problem, again, was that he had to be the one to do it… one too many times.

— And he didn’t recognize you? No acknowledgment whatsoever? — The pilot continued, her hands tightening on the wheel.

Venice also held the big cardboard box in front of him with a little more strength. The object was a clear, physical proof of what happened and a promise of the questions which would, probably, be revealed in the future.

They had to remember it was real.

— Nothing… nothing at all.

They had to remember he was alive.

A sigh left the lips of the pilot, and he followed shortly after.

He averted his gaze from the window of the ship, avoiding looking at his companion on the front seat in fear of finding her pensive expression full of worry. Less than a day ago, they didn’t need to worry about this. They could still pretend it was an unsolvable enigma, a mystery to be forgotten, a riddle that could only be answered by the pits of chaos. But now, suddenly, the concern they ignored for two years, or even more than that, comes back to haunt them once again.

And the pieces of the puzzle didn’t just instantly made sense with a second person by his side.

Why now?

Why there?

Just… why?

Nothing like the view of the cerulean sky to try and fail to take his mind off all the things happening today.

— I know I… at least at… but… — Venice started to mumble again.

He had to stop doing this so often, not only for the compromising, and rather embarrassing, position of revealing information, but for the fact that bringing his thoughts up front seemed to enlighten him just as often as it confused him.

His friend’s ears twitched, showing she was listening to him.

— I think I’m just trying to understand why did he attack me? Did I not do enough to be put in his database or something? — Venice tried to joke while also trying to make some sense of the other’s actions. — I wasn’t exactly one of the main players in the game, in the final attack at least.

— And I think you’re underestimating our impact in the fight. — The cat laughed, showing her two fingers pressed together while still having her back turned to him. — Just a bit.

He couldn’t say if she was right or not, but his chuckle was heard loud and clear. It was all still so surreal how both of them were part of such a thing.

The overthrowing of a dictatorship was a big deal.

At least he thought so.

— I know it’s stupid, but at least I thought I would make a good impression. — Venice said back, a little bit of tension leaving his shoulders.

— At least now we surely made an impression. — She responded. — He only needs to look at his back.

His tension promptly came back. An electric shock. Cold water in a warm atmosphere.

— Flare, c’mon, this is serious.

The other Mobian’s dark purple fur stood up like she received the same lightning strike.

— Oh, I’m taking this seriously, trust me on that! — She said while trying to hold back a growl.

Venice tried to say something, but she cut him out.

— We have a weapon of mass destruction on the ship! One which, mind you, tried to kill you! — She spat the facts at his face.

— I don’t think he wanted to fight me! — Venice swiftly tried to do the same. — He only fought back after I restrained him.

— Yeah, and then he retaliated by trying to gut you and charging a plasma cannon at your face!

— Flare please calm down-

— Don’t. You. Dare. — She turned around, golden eyes sparkling in the light.

Venice stopped. He could see her trying to keep her hands on the wheel. Her tail squirmed behind her. Her ears were glued to her head. Her eyes started to water.

— How do you expect me to be calm after he hurt you?!

— He wasn’t like this before!

Venice could only scream back and welcome the silence that followed.

Flare wouldn’t understand.

She didn’t grow up with the stories he had.

She hadn’t talked to him like he did.

Flare couldn’t understand.

Because she wasn’t there.

A whisper, nothing more.

— I know.

But he could hear her anyway.

— We’re almost there. — She said softly. — We’ll figure out what he was up to.

Venice looked again at the window, the floating continent staring back at him.

The underline message didn’t escape him, as he also was thinking the same thing.

They needed to figure out where Sonic has been.

Just a half an hour more.

<=====>

Venice did not think they would come this far, but as Flare landed the ship and he jumped out of it, suddenly the situation became all the more unrealistically real. People call him a pessimist, but it was very understandable for everything to go wrong when they came close to the city.

He already expected everything to go down the moment they entered the aerial space of United Hex with the blue robot on the cargo. He certainly didn’t expect to make it to the capital.

Maybe it was because of their new “Hero” status that made them appear somewhat unquestionable or consistently righteous, something the white hedgehog definitely couldn’t get used to. Or maybe it was just pure luck, something he preferred to believe in.

After all, they were just two Mobians, walking out and about, surely not doing anything illegal, with a pretty big cardboard box, on the city’s outskirts.

Venice just let himself breathe out a miserable sigh before picking up the box with his telekinetic powers.

— Wasn’t there another way then to put him in a box… — He whispered, unsure how to begin the conversation.

They just spend the rest of the flight in silence, after all.

She turned around and looked at him, then eyed the deadly package for a moment before replying.

— What’s wrong with the box?

— I mean, I can’t help but find it… disrespectful at best.

The cat just shrugged and knocked the cardboard with her knuckles.

— Much easier than explaining why we have him.

— But no one comes here. — Venice mumbled. — And I doubt the cameras are even functional.

— You weren’t upset about it an hour ago.

Yeah, because he was worried about other things, like thinking about the fact he still had homework to do, that the mayor wanted to talk to them about something, and how the Chaos Garden asked for another visit, which was great… And then he had to panic about Sonic and then panic about how he ruined everything.

In the middle of all of it, when Flare picked up the box from the factory and told him to “put it in”, of course, he didn’t question it.

And he obviously wasn’t thinking about it… later in the flight.

— Then there are the odds that someone is here and that the cameras are working. — She pointed to the box. — Either way, nobody sees him.

Still… Venice looked at the old HQ and always saw it wasn’t the same headquarters anymore, after years of abandonment, even with the new initiative to bring it back on its feet. He could not see it working like before, and even before the hedgehog already disliked it on principle. A base for desperate times, for the most horrid of emergencies, for when they finally failed… and the last center of operations for the resistance in times past.

Too close to the capital, but too well hidden to let it pass, and after the devastating blow the resistance received, destroying so much and letting them with so little, they had no choice but to regroup here.

Yeah, Venice hated this place a little bit.

But it ended up being their salvation.

Before, it appeared like an abandoned landing strip with a small hangar that looked to only have space for one plane. Nothing of worth for the Eggman Empire as long as the roof was painted red with his big black smile.

Now it was more like a bunker overthrown by grass and flowers, somehow seeming more deserted than the desert they were in a few hours before. A command post for peculiar and extraordinary cases, chosen merely out of tradition.

— You’re thinking too much. — Flare poked him in between his eyes and the yelp that left his mouth was not at all embarrassing. — And when you think too much, you look silly.

— No, I don’t. — He scoffed.

— Don’t worry, it’s charming.

The sudden compliment left him just a little surprised.

A gesture of goodwill, to forgive and forget the argument, perhaps?

— Now let’s put Mister Blue inside. — She smiled at his stunned expression. — The sooner we enter, the sooner we rid him of the disrespect.

And he was ready to leave it in the past.

So, Venice sighed and made his way towards the smaller entry next to the hangar. Flare went first with the keys to the door, giving way to an old office, ancient computers collecting dust in even older metallic desks, shelves full of dirty manuals, mainly about history and aerial engineering, with a big and lengthy window to the side, showing the foggy image of the empty garage.

They passed straight to the other side of the workshop.

— Say hi to Chuck. — Said Flare giving her best smile.

The antique statuette of a hedgehog in medieval armor rested on a corner of the room, aged paintings and knickknacks of all kinds making the thing not seem so all of place. However, for those that knew where to look, the bits of blue light in the eyes of the figure revealed a different purpose.

Venice tried to give a good smile, but he wasn’t the biggest admirer of mustaches, and the knight was made with a very magnificent one.

In some ways, it was like taking a picture, and he was already bad at it.

The lights in the eyes of the statuette went out. Various beeps were heard, with clicks and clacks resounding around them as an entire part of the wall retracted to reveal a set of stairs going underground.

And down they continued, their steps echoing in the iron stairs. The only source of light within the darkness below the surface being the entrance and the energy of Venice’s hands carrying the cardboard box.

Not too long after, Flare opened another door, and the light returned.

The other side revealed a mix between a military base and an aircraft hangar, with a high ceiling and a wide-open space for planes to be lowered from the garage above and contained on the opposite side of the base. Lamps of all kinds covered the roof and walls, some were turned on, others not so much. Cardboard boxes not so different from the ones Venice carried could be seen on the ground, these, however, being brand new and not nearly as dusty. All the rest of the space was separated by metal panels into their respective functions.

The place enticed the hedgehog’s memory. The Watch Hall, full of computers connected to cameras with a vast network of hackers and field agents to gather intelligence. The Storage, the big chamber full of resources and supplies. The Kitchen, the best place in the base. The Gun Room, self-explanatory. The mechanic chambers that everybody liked to call "The Fox’s Den".

He could almost see it.

The only really bad thing he didn’t want to see was the barracks. The smell of old socks, depending on where you slept, could stick to you for weeks.

One of the lights above him flickered.

He fell behind Flare, matching her pace.

Someone else would find the place impressive.

For Venice… same old, same old.

After all, it was a headquarters for the resistance.

And the resistance was barely needed anymore.

They continued forward and entered one of the chambers, one which seemed eerily familiar to him, even if everything around him seemed eerie and familiar anyway.

Maybe it was the white walls smelling of fresh paint, or the lack of things inside. A bed, a table, a few boxes. That’s it.

Really baren.

But as Venice saw the berth, he promptly took Sonic out of the box, lifting him slowly and gently putting him down.

— We may need something to hold him down. — Flare muttered beside him. — I don’t want to imagine the chaos he could bring to the city in the state he’s in.

The hedgehog didn’t have the strength to try to refute this argument, even with the weakened state of the robot. Being this close to the city was giving him reason to worry… and his wounds still hurt a little.

— Wait a second.

She went out of the room, the automatic door closing behind her. It was silent for a moment, then he heard some noise, dings and clangs of metal being moved around, and something Venice was pretty sure was stuff falling over.

When he was ready to go check on her, she came back with what looked like… metal shackles.

— Magnetic manacles, there are a lot of those in the storage, but no one uses them anymore. — Flare explained and Venice felt his mouth dry a little bit.

— Do you know what they were used for before?

She shrugged and put the manacles on the “prisoner”, four of them, one for each limb. They snapped with a heavy sound, perfectly stuck on the berth.

— I saw Scarlet use it as a paperweight a week ago if it makes you feel better.

It didn’t.

It really didn’t.

— Do you think this can hold him off? — He asked while circling the table, doubt clear in his voice. — The manacles seem safe enough… but I don’t know about the table…

— Well… — She said patting the berth. — If the Ultimate Life Form gave his seal of approval as a good surgical table, I think it can hold back against Sonic the Hedgehog.

Suddenly it made sense. The sterile environment. The signs of renovation. The fact they couldn’t move the damn table. Looking around the room again, it wasn’t just a common room, it was THE Medical Room. The infirmary.

That’s why it was so familiar.

Now he hated how familiar it was.

— Now we just have to wait.

Wait…

But wait for what?

The cat looked at her watch, the screen flashing blue. Venice stretched to see from where he was standing and noticed she was checking for messages.

— You called someone?! Who?!

Who could possibly help them in this situation?

— Just the only genius that could get us out of this mess.

Then, a sound reverberated into the HQ, the empty space heightening the sound. They could hear the entrance opening and closing with the same weighty feel as when both entered.

— You could say... she's our only hope.

Small steps could be heard in the empty passageways.

— No, you didn’t.

Flare just smiled back.

The door opened automatically.

A little girl in a blue school uniform, her blond hair tied up in a ponytail, and a full backpack in her hands.

Big round glasses shone while she entered the room.

— I was called?

Hope Kintobor.

Chapter Text

Her name is Hope Kintobor.

She is a human girl.

She is 12 years old.

She is very smart for her age.

She is the descendant of the overturned dictator Dr. Julian Robotnik, the third supreme ruler of the Eggman Empire before its downfall.

The final fact was the last one most people learned before saying goodbye and never talking to her again.

While sitting at her desk in her classroom, swinging her little legs that didn’t quite reach the ground, Hope asked herself if that really mattered. She had a good home, an incredible guardian, food in her stomach, and lots of books to read.

The book she gave up reading a while ago had an old cover, used up by the time and by the hands that held it long ago, including her own, since she was playing with its pointy tip. Her pink lunchbox lay abandoned by her side with only breadcrumbs inside of it, the grilled cheese sandwich long gone, taken by one of the people who didn’t like her very much.

Their home was empty and quiet, just like the classroom Hope was in right now, her guardian being on a mission far away and would only come back tomorrow. She didn’t like how cold it was when he was gone, however, just like how she stayed in place when the air conditioner above made her feel like a popsicle, she endured the moments, the necessary moments, when she was alone.

The girl turned her head and began watching the garden of her school through the giant window next to her. The sun outside was strong, with a few clouds floating about.

Since Hope had everything she needed…

Did it really matter if she was alone?

She should be happy… right?

Her thoughts were cut short by a buzz on her wrist.

A message from Flare appeared in her communicator and another followed.

[hey can you pass on the HQ real quick?]

[we’ll be there in 10 min if you can]

Her name is Hope Kintobor and she sighed and smiled at the request.

She is a human girl, but all her family and friends were Mobians.

She is 12 years old, but she could skip a little bit of school.

She is very smart for her age.

Just like the others they compared her to.

But if she could help people with her talent, there was no way for her to refuse.

For if they called her, then they needed help with metal.

…

But when she opened the door, she saw something she didn’t expect.

Flare and Venice, she knew them well.

The thing on the table, not so much.

— We need help with… him. — Venice said, pointing at the other one in the room.

It was a “him”, he was male, not an “it”.

Nobody calls a robot anything but… it.

Because that’s what they were.

Hope could feel her feet moving, slowly and unsure, but never taking her eyes off the… being on the table. She got closer and closer. So close that the little girl could inspect him.

Could see the cobalt blue, the cyber yellow, and the imperial red that painted the metal that would mostly be silver and gray. Could see his claws for hands, the depression on his chest, his mouthless muzzle, and the turned-off monitor where his eyes should be.

A caricature of a hedgehog… without the funny side to it.

— What is… him?

Both didn’t seem to want to answer and looked at each other for a moment, but Flare took a step forward, her face stern and very much unlike herself.

— A roboticized person.

Shock coursed through her nervous system, blood cells ran cold in her veins, and her entire musculature tensed. Specks of fear and horror appeared in the little girl’s mind as a multitude of history classes coursed through her head.

Roboticization.

A process of converting living tissue into machinery, where all the body parts of a person were painfully transformed into mechanical equivalents, increasing the individual’s strength, speed, and durability.

Sentient subjects of this procedure also suffered a Robotomy, which left the victim stripped of their free will and mentally disabled, making them unable to organize independent thoughts, handicapped completely by a complex slave programming that forced subservience to their one and only master, Doctor Eggman.

— But… — Hope finally spoke, the air painfully scaping her mouth. — There aren’t any of those… anymore.

She looked Venice in the eyes as he approached her, voice calm and gentle as he talked.

— Unfortunately, some bad things just don’t stay in the past. — He put his hand on her shoulder, the warmth passing through the glove bringing comfort... if only a little. — But that's why you’re here, to help.

The girl turned to the robot, the Mobian, on the table.

— He’s… dirty.

He was, actually, absolutely filthy, but Hope knew it was the almost engineer in her heart talking. By all accounts, the grime and the dust just looked worse… because of the surface damage.

— We found him in an abandoned building. — Venice informed her, moving to the other side of the berth to give her space. — He… may have been a security guard set to protect the place?

A frown appeared on the girl’s face, and she looked at him expecting something more, but her attention was taken by the other member of the duo.

— What he means is that he’s volatile at best and dangerous at worst. — Flare said, looking her deeply in the eyes while continuing. — We need you to deactivate any weapons he has before we try to turn him on.

Hope nodded along, her attention darting between the Mobians as she reached for her backpack, the familiar feeling of doubt creeping into her head as she organized her things. First, she took her minicomputer, then her tablet and toolbox, and the rest followed after, most things the other two wouldn’t even be able to name.

Her yellow rubber gloves were the last item she picked, and she promptly put them on.

But when Hope turned around to meet her challenge, she froze.

She didn’t know where to start, or even how to start, and her hesitation to touch him was apparent as she fumbled with her cables, trying to look for a way to connect to his mainframe, but finding nothing familiar or even recognizable on the metallic body in front of her. And the disturbing sense of violation she felt would come with this act made her deeply think about what she was doing.

Seeing a living being, what should have been a living being, and having to treat it like a machine was hard, really hard.

But to fix him, they needed a mechanic, not a medic.

That’s why she was called.

<=====>

Flare watched intently as the girl worked.

She was worried about her initial reaction to Sonic, but the fear and uncertainty gave way to pure determination.

A relief… and the beginning of a disaster, all at the same time.

She could feel it in her fur.

Now, nothing they could say or do would stop her from achieving her goal.

The cat continued to observe them both, child and automaton, as her tail instinctively swung side to side as the fragile and innocent human girl started to tinker with the war machine that almost killed her best friend earlier in the day.

She glanced at him. He was there.

Deep breaths.

She glanced again. He was still there.

Breathe in.

Venice.

Breathe out.

And her.

Breathe in.

He was fine.

Breathe out.

Just like her.

Breath in.

He was breathing.

Breath out.

He was…

Breath in.

Still looking at Sonic.

She sighed.

Like when he was still looking at him when the light of the blast was shining on his face… until the last moment… when she couldn’t take it anymore.

Flare knew she shouldn't wish for it, but sometimes, just sometimes, she wished Venice was a little less kind.

But then he would not have been himself.

And she wouldn't be alive.

Flare looked away.

— Did you attack him from behind? — Hope asked from the other side of the berth, being elevated by a stool that she found probably just lying around.

She had her tiny gloved hands on the robot. The gap on his chest opened like a clean wound, revealing wires that seemed too much like entrails for her to continue to look. With a shiver, her sight made an escape to the cables also connected to the metallic insides, directing her eyes to the big tablet in the hands of the mini engineer.

Then Flare remembered the question.

 — What…? — She asked in turn.

Hope gently rolled her eyes and brought the head of the blue hedgehog up, or as much as she could with him restrained to the table, giving the duo a good look at his slightly charred back spikes.

The only thing she could observe was that he seemed lighter than expected. Or maybe the human was just stronger than the last time she saw her use any strength except her mind.

Then after a few seconds, Flare realized she was expecting an explanation.

— What? He- — She defended herself, pointing at the blue menace. — -was the one attacking Venice!

The little girl hummed, then gently put the head back down.

— It would explain the fire damage. — She murmured. — But it was a bit much, don’t you think?

Flare would never, ever, nor in a million years, admit to turning away in embarrassment to the disappointed face of a small child, no matter what the clearly red blush on her face had to say about it.

After this, things continued smoothly.

A few hours went by with the wispy sounds of metal against metal and the unbroken rhythm of tinkering, all made by the same small hands. Sometimes Hope had to leave for a few minutes to search for materials, but they had a little bit of everything on the HQ, so progress went faster than expected.

Flare made herself useful and went to take a few seats from the other room and made the extra effort to find comfortable ones.

She was kind of successful.

Then, while her silvery companion refused to sit, having too much fun acting like a sentinel, the cat went on an actual mission.

Find snacks.

She went back with several moist cookies from the kitchen and three canned juices from the vending machine.

Not even Venice could stall the call of hunger forever, so he finally sat down to eat. Hope, however, did not.

— Do you know how much butter they put on those things? It will kill me before I finish school. — Claimed the little human.

Flare just popped another into her mouth.

Not long after, it was over.

Or it seemed to be over.

— I fixed most of what I could with what we had in here… — Both Mobians glanced at the pristine robot before turning to the little girl. — … and, in the most basic sense, I deactivated everything except motor functions.

Flare guessed this was the best solution.

Sonic was still, for all purposes, stuck, and wouldn’t be able to run away until they had all the answers they needed. And, especially for Flare, they could decide on their own when, or even if, Sonic would be ready to be in contact with people again. The last thing that could happen was for him to hurt someone for reasons unknown…

— Although he still needs to recharge, y’know, to function. — Hope concluded while cleaning the lenses of her glasses.

… or maybe even for reasons they do know.

She glanced at the round eyeglasses in the girl's hands, and for just a moment, wondered if her legacy could mean more than broken parts of a failed empire.

— Thank you, really-

Hope stopped Venice with a finger in the air.

— This is weird, and I don’t like it. — She said while sliding her glasses back into her face.

Flare’s body tensed up. She knew this was coming.

— First, you said he was a security guard, but he was functional enough to “attack” you. — Said Hope, emphasizing the quotation marks with her hands. — There are two big problems with this, can you tell me what these are?

They didn’t. They couldn’t.

— He’s supposedly so dangerous to have weapons for me to deactivate and be handcuffed with magnetic manacles, while also looking like he was run over by an airbus. — She motioned to the shackled robot. —  Plus, this type of… unnecessary, chaotic, almost furious fire damage, Flare, you never use fire… not like this.

Flare’s ears pressed against her skull against the grievous stare of the little girl.

— No, he was no security guard, you two of all people should know that roboticized people only have one work in their entire function. He shouldn’t have managed to refill his own energy with a mini backup generator and cables older than my grandma if he was, and it isn’t even the type of energy he is supposed to use.

— And I know it wasn’t any of you two. — She pointed at them.

She sighed. Looking tired and so confused.

Flare’s heart started to ache.

— And there’s a thing that’s been bothering me for a while now, you said he was a roboticized victim but then… where is everyone? — She said to her, then turned to Venice. — I know you guys. If there’s even a hint of something wrong going on, you two would be calling everyone available to make sure everything is okay… so why I’m the only one here?

Their silence damned them both in the eyes of Hope.

— This is very weird. — She sighed, again, discontent yet finished. — But I trust you both enough to do all this.

She took her backpack from the ground and walked to the exit, each step proof of the heavy secret she was taking to the world outside this room.

— You better not do anything wrong.

However, the glare she gave was also the proof of her youth.

— Or I’m telling!

The door closed, sealing their fate.

The tension in the room vanished and was built anew a second later.

They both glanced at the mess left behind. Remains of scrap and used tools were scattered around the berth, outlining the now immaculate war machine as evidence of what happened mere moments ago. However, the important thing was the little computer still open by the table, still connected to Sonic's main frame.

— We’re going to die. — Venice laughed.

— Then let’s make it worthwhile, we have maybe two hours before she spills it. — Flare said with a nervous smile.

Venice had a focused expression on his face. Flare could only feel relief.

— Turn him on.

<=====>

Restarting Unit…

...

...

[Unit]: On

[Main Processing Unit]: On

[Sub Processing Unit]: On

Metal Sonic prevented all analysis of any kind in favor of turning on his motion control unit.

He tried to move. Unknown factors prevented the action.

His auditory sensors turned on. Two unknown individuals detected.

His optics turned on. A white sealing. Bright. 

An unknown location. Two dangerous enemies alerted. Unit immobilized.

Metal Sonic escaped with worse odds before.

He started analyzing the situation when the same white hedgehog as before, Venice, his main memory core provided, appeared in his line of vision.

— Look, we both don’t want to be in this situation, with all that happened and so on, but this is serious, and we just need you to answer this one thing, so please, we need to know-

— Where are the blueprints?! — The second individual interrupted.

Metal Sonic was also in the process of analyzing her when the question inquired was finally received by his logical processor.

The answer was the opposite of what was required in this situation.

[Question]: What blueprints?