Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Metal Sonic paced.

And paced.

And paced.

He was engaged in battle with his loathsome copy. His master was screeching something in his ear, but he ignored him. This was his time. He had a command to carry out. Eliminate that hedgehog.

The fox cub was busy with his master’s auxiliary forces. Good. It meant it was just the two of them, trading blows.

Slash.

There. His metal claw hit its target, the side of the hedgehog’s face. Drops of crimson went flying, though he hardly slowed down. His opponent was much hardier than that. Still, he’d managed to get in that close, which meant it was only a matter of time before—

Something collided with the side of his head, creating a resounding metal THWACK. Metal Sonic went careening away, engaging his thrusters in a vain attempt to regain his balance. He collided with a nearby wall, cutting his momentum short. His mind raced. He knew exactly what had happened, that feeling was more than familiar…

“Sonic! Oh gosh, are you okay?” Metal Sonic’s optical sensors took in the scene. Amy Rose, of course. She was rushing over to the hedgehog, fussing. His copy just waved her off.

“Yeah, it’s just a little scratch, Ames.” Their close proximity... Something about it was...

ERROR

MISSING FILE

>

ADMINISTRATOR PERMISSIONS REQUIRED

ACCESS DENIED

Something strange was happening to him. The longer he sat there, the more bizarre error messages flashed in his mind. Administrator permissions required? That made no sense, he should have full access to everything on his hard drives. Had the collision knocked something loose?

Before he could recover, the familiar sound of the Eggmobile’s engines roared overhead. His opponents tensed up, ready for a fight. However…

“Metal!” Eggman yelled, sounding annoyed. Whoops. “Are your communicators broken?! I’ve been trying to call you back for TWENTY MINUTES!” Oh, he’d heard him alright… “We need to return to base RIGHT NOW. That red moron has been trashing the place!”

The two hedgehogs snickered. Metal Sonic just rolled his eyes. He wanted to say, ‘Then maybe you should build some halfway decent guards for once.’ He wanted to say that. But of course, that was impossible. 

Metal Sonic rose into the air. Initial diagnostics told him there was a minor fuel leak in the pump servicing his second engine, but he could still fly. Eggman sped off, encouraging Metal to follow. He engaged his thrusters, ready to leave. But he shot one final look down at his mortal enemy and his companion.

Looking at that copy— Sonic the Hedgehog— filled him with nothing but rage. It always did. But he felt his engines nearly stall as he caught the eyes of Amy Rose. She was staring directly up at him, large green eyes alight with amusement and curiosity. The error messages begin flashing again. What was this? Why did he feel this way?

Amy seemed to realize he was staring just a bit too long. Her expression morphed into one of confusion. She had a sharp wit, he knew that… could she see through him to whatever… whatever strange sensation he was experiencing?

He needed to get out of there. He tore his gaze away from the hedgehogs, speeding towards the retreating figure of his master as fast as he could. Metal shook his head, a very organic gesture, he knew. But he just couldn’t figure it out… What was it he was experiencing?

Metal Sonic tapped his arm, drawing a sharp ‘clack, clack’. He considered, very briefly, bringing the incident up with his father, Doctor Robotnik. But he dismissed the idea just as quickly. He had a feeling… no, he knew, somehow, that the doctor would not be pleased to hear such a thing.

And that maybe, he’d wake up the next day with even less of himself than the day before.

He pushed the thought away. Rebellious thoughts led to nothing but trouble. Still, he needed to think. What to do…?

Then, he had an idea.

Of course.

A file opened in the periphery of his vision. A log of all the behaviors his copy— Sonic the Hedgehog— exhibited. He read through them, one by one. He paused, reading a single entry over and over. 

Of course!

His purpose was to be Sonic. It was in his very code, his primary functionality in ‘life’. A command that superseded even what his creator could demand. 

It was only logical that any deviations from this would lead to errors. It was nothing more than his system realizing his primary objective wasn’t being followed. Something he could fix. He looked at the file again, a plan formulating in his mind. 

It read:

Has the affections of fellow hedgehog Amy Rose.

Oh, he was so logical.

~~♥~~

“…and so, I said ‘can you two have your date some other time? We need to get out of here before the whole place falls on us!’”

Cream giggled. Amy walked in step with the younger girl, carrying a set of shopping bags in her arms. “Boys are so silly!”

Amy laughed back. They reached the end of the block, where Ms. Vanilla’s car was waiting. She got out, a smile on her face.

“Thank you so much for taking Cream shopping, Ms. Rose.” Vanilla said, opening the passenger side door for Cream to hop in. Cheese squeaked from beside her, holding up their own small shopping bag. Vanilla chuckled. “And Cheese too, of course.”

Amy smiled. “Of course! It’s no problem.” Cream was a delight, as always. 

Vanilla nodded. “Would you like a ride home, Ms. Rose? Those bags look awfully heavy. And I’m sure Cream would love to spend more time with you.”

Cream chimed up from the passenger’s seat, excited. “Oh, yes! Please Ms. Amy?”

Amy considered it. She had gone a little bit overboard today, and the bags were starting to get cumbersome to carry. Perhaps she would take them up on the offer…

Something shifted in the air, sending a slight chill through her body. It felt… strange. Like a pair of eyes boring into her back, watching her. She turned around swiftly, only to see… nothing.

She couldn’t shake the feeling, though. Amy swore she saw something just briefly, ducking into a nearby alleyway. Almost too quick to be seen… perhaps just an animal. But she wasn’t so sure.

“Ummm… thanks, Ms. Vanilla, really. But I’ve got a few more errands to run before I leave, so…”

Vanilla nodded. “I see. Well, stay safe, dear!” She gave Amy a loose hug, careful not to crush any of the bags in her arms. Cream whined from the back of the car, pouting. 

“Awwww…” Cream cried. Cheese piped up in disappointment with her. Vanilla just chuckled as she got into the driver’s seat, closing the door.

“Now, now dear. Ms. Rose has her own life too, you know.” She looked at Amy, giving her a wink. Amy smiled at her gratefully. She hated disappointing Cream, but…

“It’s okay, Cream!” She said. “We’ll have another girls day soon, alright?”

Cream brightened. “Promise?”

Amy nodded. “Promise!”

Cream giggled, and Vanilla waved at Amy before speeding away. Amy kept waving until they were out of sight, then she dropped her arm. Now alone on the street corner, she suddenly became aware of how… quiet it was today. A few people milled about, but not nearly as much as usual.

She turned to the alleyway again. Amy just had this… sixth sense for fateful encounters. It freaked her friends out, but she found it quite useful from time to time. It’s how she met Sonic, after all.

Carefully, she made her way over to the alleyway, making sure not to drop any of her new purchases. She peered inside, seeing nothing but the odd dumpster or cardboard box. A dead end…

She nearly turned around when she became aware of a presence at her back. She froze, rooted to the spot. Amy could smell metal, motor oil, and... something she couldn’t quite place. That smell had followed her for nearly a decade now. She turned, slowly…

Green eyes met pitch black, illuminated with red orbs. Metal Sonic.

Years ago, she may have run. May have screamed, even. But that was years ago.

Now, she threw her bags to the side. She whipped out her hammer, brandishing it. She wouldn’t be going down without a fight, that was for sure.

To her surprise, though… the machine seemed to panic at this. He waved his arms, seemingly in a gesture of conciliation. Okay, now she was really confused… if he wasn’t here to fight or kidnap her, then what…?

The robot thrust something in her direction. She flinched instinctively, but studied it carefully. There, clenched in his metal fist was… a flower? Huh.

“Is this… for me?” She asked, carefully. Amy kept her hammer in her hands, still wary of Metal Sonic’s intentions. He nodded.

She took the flower. The base was crushed, but otherwise it looked fine. And probably not booby-trapped.

Probably.

The robot in front of her dropped his hand, returning it to his side. He shifted. If Amy didn’t know any better, she could’ve sworn that he seemed almost nervous.

She tried her best to smile. “Ummmm… thank you?” She turned the flower in her hand, feeling the edges of where the delicate stem was crushed. “Can I… help you?”

The robot paused, then shook his head. He stared at Amy with a strange intensity, and she could feel a bead of sweat forming on the back of her neck. He gestured to the flower again, beeping in a low tone.

“Are you saying this is a gift?” The robot nodded. “But, um… not that I’m ungrateful or anything, but why?”

Metal Sonic didn’t respond. Instead, he turned around and, in a flash, took off. Amy stood there, bags and dress whipping around in the wind blown by his thrusters. He was gone just as quick as he came. 

That was strange. 

~~♥~~

Metal Sonic flew in through one of the lab windows, one he kept propped open for just these kinds of occasions. Going through the main hangar meant having a scan of his recent logs sent to the doctor, and he wasn’t keen on such a thing happening. 

He landed on the metallic floor, moving away from the open window to avoid suspicion. Once he was sure he was alone…

Clunkily, he pumped a fist in the air. An innate gesture, he guessed. His operation was a success! 

He was glad he stuck it out. Evidently, his research had proven to be the correct way to proceed after all. Studying the previous interactions he’d witnessed between his copy and the girl had been taxing, but it was an important first step. He’d nearly given up when Metal saw she was with the rabbit girl, but stuck around to see if she would investigate… and of course, she did. For having no words to speak, he was preeeeetty smooth. 

The flower was only the first step of his plan. After carefully pouring over the habits and mannerisms of the organics he’d witnessed, he’d come to the conclusion that ‘gifts’ were an important component in gaining one’s affections. He wasn’t sure why, but something about giving Amy a flower seemed... meaningful, somehow. With any luck— no, with certainty— this would set him on the path to victory.

His next step was already in the works. He’d done extensive research into the customs of organics, and determined that people who held affection for each other engaged in an activity known as ‘dating.’ He would ask Amy on a date, and things would naturally progress from there. Something about the thought made his core temperature rise ever-so-slightly, but he wrote it off as excitement over a plan coming together. That was it, yes.

Of course, Eggman chose that moment to come and ruin his celebration. The doctor... he couldn’t be trusted to know about the plan. He may try to ‘help’ Metal, and that would almost certainly not go well. Or worse, he might...

“Metal! There you are.” He called from down the hallway. “Come with me- now! I want to test a new set of weapons I’ve been developing…”

If Metal could sigh, he would’ve. But he grew rigid, following Doctor Robotnik down the hallway without a word. He couldn’t help but think about his plan, though… he would easily win the pink hedgehog’s heart.

And when that happened, he would be one step closer to proving himself to be the real Sonic.

~~♥~~

Amy twirled the dry stem of the flower in her fingers.

She stared out the window, thinking. It’d been a few days since Metal Sonic gave this to her, and she decided to press it to preserve the memory. She was sentimental like that.

She thought back to a time when she’d done something similar. When they were all much younger, she’d found Metal abandoned in the snow. Gosh, despite being a villain, she’d felt so bad for the poor robot. He’d looked so pitiful then... Did Eggman really treat all his creations this cruelly? 

There had been some hope then that maybe, just maybe that interaction would’ve endeared the robotic copy towards her and her friends. But of course, the next time they met it was like it had never even happened. Metal was nothing but cold, unwavering fury, as always. It seemed like no matter what she or anyone else did, Metal Sonic refused to be anything other than Eggman’s perfect little weapon.

But then... Why did he give her this?

Something tapped at the window.

Amy looked up, snapping out of her thoughts. Her breath hitched in her throat as she saw what was just outside. Metal Sonic. 

Her hand twitched, but she kept calm. She wouldn’t get the hammer out just yet... After all, if he hadn’t attacked her the other day, would he do so now? 

Then, he was gone. Amy jumped up, now curious as to what the robot was up to. She ran to the front door, pulling it open and glancing around outside. Where had he gone...?

Amy stepped outside, closing the door behind her. There was no question about it now, she was determined to solve this little mystery. She found Metal Sonic standing stock-still in the shadow of a nearby building. Oh, did he want her to follow…?

Amy caught up with him, and he once again motored off, only stopping once he was out of plain sight. She vaguely considered how foolish this probably was, following a killer robot to who-knows-where. But she couldn’t help it, she was curious.

And she had to admit… the flower had really caught her off-guard. 

At last, Metal Sonic let her catch up to him, no longer moving away. Amy realized they were now in a park… It was small and shady, with plenty of privacy. She looked to Metal, who was now holding up two digits. Oh, what was he trying to tell her now?

“Two?” She said out loud. Metal nodded. “Two what?”

Metal Sonic just stared at her, and she got the feeling that she would have to be the one to guess. “Two… flowers?”

He shook his head. Hmmm… “Two… hours?”

Another shake. “Two weeks?” Another.

“Two… days?” He nodded, vigorously. Two days. “Two days until… what?”

Metal Sonic pointed at himself. Then at Amy. Then he gestured to the park, and a set of nearby picnic tables. She got the memo. “You want us to… meet here in two days?”

He nodded again, enthusiastically. “Wait…”

Metal Sonic stared. Her mind was putting two and two together. The flower, the location, the timing… she realized suddenly what Metal was asking for. 

“You’re asking me on a date?!” She said, in disbelief. She expected the robot to deny it furiously, shaking his head. Maybe even attack her right then and there. Instead, he simply nodded, refusing to make eye contact. 

Amy was flabbergasted. This was NOT what she expected from today, much less from one of Eggman’s creations. This had to be a trick… didn’t it?

Then again… Amy thought back to some of the other Eggman machines she’d met. Belle. Omega. That lonely e-series, who she never saw again… Maybe, just maybe… was Metal Sonic sincere?

“…Okay.” She said, before she could stop herself. “I’ll go on a date with you. Meet you here in two days?” 

The robot’s lifeless eyes seemed to light up, burning a bit brighter. But unlike during the heat of battle, Amy found it almost… cute, in a way. He nodded. 

Amy opened her mouth to interrogate him further, but he’d suddenly activated his engines. Soon he was speeding away, leaving Amy standing alone in the park. She breathed through her nose in frustration. Gaia below, he really was just like Sonic in that way…

Chapter Text

Amy mulled it over in her mind.

Was she really going on a date with a robot? With Metal Sonic?

She had to suppress a laugh. She scrubbed at the dish in her hand, lost in thought. It was so funny, honestly. For years now, she’d dreamed of going on a date with Sonic. Only just recently did she really, truly accept that that probably was never going to happen. And what happens next?

His own doppelgänger seems to fall in love with her.

It was as hilarious as it was frustrating.

She put the last of the dishes away, then turned to the fridge. She brought out the ingredients to make a sandwich, working quietly in the ambiance of her kitchen. Carefully, she placed the finished product in her picnic basket. For good measure, she added a few snacks.

Yes, yes she was going on a date with him.

Of course, it wasn’t like that was all there was to it. Amy was still more than a little suspicious of the machine’s intentions, seeing as it most definitely wasn’t above Eggman to try to manipulate her feelings like this. But still… just in case it was genuine, that this robot somehow really did fall in love with her…

Well, she was curious.

She closed the picnic basket up, grabbing onto the handle. She took a deep breath, readying herself to make her way back to that park. To see him. 

‘Maybe…’ Amy thought, heading out the door. ‘Maybe, if this goes well… I can win us a new ally.’

~~♥~~

Metal Sonic half expected her not to show up. So he was surprised when, at noon on the dot, a flash of pink and red appeared on the horizon. 

Amy glanced around, eyes resting on Metal Sonic. He was at a far picnic table, close to the treeline. There weren’t many others in the park today, but he still had to be careful. He couldn’t afford to be seen by anyone, especially so early in the mission.

She made her way over to him, smiling brightly. He simply stared back. Amy sat down on the opposite side, setting down the basket she was holding. Metal Sonic eyed it curiously.

Amy reached inside, pulling out a small cloth. “Sorry, I didn’t know what you like to… err, if you eat, so… I only brought food for myself.” She said, in an apologetic tone. 

Metal Sonic shook his head. He, indeed, could not eat food. Not that he had any need for it. His own internal, eternal energy source was all he required. Amy got the gist.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes. Amy chewed dispassionately on one half of an apple, and Metal just stared. He kept his outward demeanor cool, though he was starting to panic a little inside.

Things were getting awkward, and he had no idea how to fix it. He came thinking that once he was here, things would flow naturally. But since he couldn’t speak or communicate, that simply wasn’t happening. What could he do…?

Thankfully, Amy spoke up. “So…” She said, between bites of her apple. “What's working for Eggman like?”

A strange first query, but he would oblige. He rolled his eyes, making a circling motion with his finger. Amy giggled.

“He’s crazy?” She guessed. He nodded, that was close enough to his meaning. “Well, I wouldn’t say I disagree. Still, I’m surprised one of his own creations is allowed to say that about him…”

Metal Sonic just shrugged. He had a lot of things he’d say about that man, if only he could. “How about Orbot and Cubot? They’re kind of like your little brothers, right?”

Metal made a low beep, his version of a scoff. Then he mimed talking with his hands. They never shut up, he had no idea why the doctor kept them around. All they did was mess things up!

“Hehe, yeah, they seem pretty chatty.” Amy set down her food, propping up her face with her arm. “Still, they’re kind of charming in their own way, don’t you think?”

He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Amy giggled again. “Fair enough, I guess. I mean, I don’t live with them like you do…”

Metal Sonic nodded. No, she didn’t. She wasn’t forced to live every day being shuffled from place to place, listening to the inane commands of a mad ‘genius,’ being forced to face humiliation and defeat over and over…

Something fizzled. His mind went blank, resetting. What was he thinking about…?

Amy was looking at him with concern. “Metal? Hey, Metal? Are you alright…?”

He shook his head, clearing up the confusion. He just nodded. Amy didn’t look totally convinced, but she continued on anyway.

“Alright, if you say so. Oh, this reminds me of a great story actually, have you ever heard the time that we…”

~~♥~~

Amy had to admit, Metal Sonic could be pretty funny.

Even without words, his dry sense of humor seemed to get across just as well. She mostly did the talking, but soon the hours seemed to tick by as they enjoyed each other’s company. This was actually pretty fun…!

When the light started to shift to orange, Amy realized she needed to get going. But first, she had something she was curious about…

“Hey, um, Metal?” She asked, looking him in the eye. He simply stared back, as always, but she was getting better at reading him. That posture indicated curiosity. “I know you don’t have a mouth so you can’t speak, but… why don’t you write out what you have to say?”

She didn’t want to bring it up earlier, since it might be seen as rude. But she was truly curious, and it would really help them communicate better. To her surprise, though, he shook his head firmly. “You… can’t?” 

He nodded. He couldn’t write…? “Really? Eggman didn’t program you to be able to read and write?”

There must’ve been an accusatory tone in her voice, because he shook his head vigorously. “What is it then?”

He seemed frustrated. Metal Sonic was lost in thought for a moment, then he gestured to Amy. Beckoning. 

Wow, he really was perceptive! Amy reached into her pocket, bringing out the pad and pen she brought just in case. He took them both, and Amy leaned over the table to get a better look at what he was writing.

He seemed to think for a moment. Then, he started writing. “I CAN WRITE,” it said, triumphantly. She rolled her eyes. Boys… but then, he continued scribbling something down.

“COMMANDED NOT TO COMMUNICATE WITH ENEMIES OF THE EGGMAN EMPIRE, Iiiiiiiii” Metal Sonic dropped the pencil. His eye monitors went dark, his form slouching. Amy panicked. She rushed over to the robot, supporting his heavy metal frame before it could topple over.

She waited a few moments, and the weight began to lift. His eyes relit, and now he was focusing on the close contact between the two of them.

Amy blushed, leaping back. Metal continued to stare. “Um, I-I just…” She stammered. No, focus. Something was wrong… “Is everything alright?”

Metal Sonic considered her words. Then, he held up the notepad, pointing to the words with a clawed digit. 

“I see… so, it’s not that you’re not allowed to talk, you’re also not allowed to… communicate at all?” He nodded. 

She considered this. “But then, why can you nod and make gestures like this with no issues?” Metal Sonic shrugged. The doctor made strange design choices sometimes…

Amy sat with him a while longer, making sure he was okay. Unlike Sonic, Metal seemed much less resistant to her fussing. She was vaguely aware that she should probably be listening for the roar of engines or sounds of incoming Badnik units, but nothing ever came. 

Eventually, she bid farewell to Metal Sonic, and made her way back home. She thought about the date the whole way home. It was hard for her to say if it went as expected, as what do you expect from a first date with a killer robot?

She knew one thing, though… She had fun. And she wouldn’t mind seeing him again… so before leaving, she made him an offer. 

“Meet me here again next week?”

Chapter Text

And so they met the next week. And the week after next. And then after that, too.

Amy’s guard relaxed, little by little. It seemed like… he really did just want to spend time with her, as hard as it was to believe.

“Hey, I have an idea.” She said. The evening light shone down on the two of them, reflecting off Metal’s chassis. They were sitting together on a bench, side by side. “How about next week, we go somewhere together?”

Metal looked over to her, beeping in curiosity. They had to be careful not to trigger his pre-programmed shutdown function, but they found that sounds that indicated emotions were usually fine. 

“I think I have someone I’d like you to meet.” Metal Sonic tensed. “Wait- it’s not Sonic or Tails or anyone like that! I promise.”

Metal still didn’t look completely comfortable with the idea, but he’d grown to trust her, too. After all, Amy had plenty of time to rat him out to her friends as well. He nodded, encouraging her to go on.

“There’s a little forest, not too far away from the park. The exact location is hard to get across, so maybe we can start from here and head over together?” Metal Sonic contemplated the idea. Then, he nodded.

Amy smiled. “Really?!” She jumped up, excited now. In a rush, she hugged the robot. “I’m so happy!”

The hug was anything but comfortable. Being made of metal meant sharp edges and cool steel brushed up against her soft body, but she didn’t care. He seemed caught off guard, and she mentally braced herself to be shoved away. But gently, he put his arms around her, patting slowly… awkwardly.

She broke away, still smiling. “Well then, it’s a date!” Amy giggled. Metal Sonic rolled his eyes, but Amy could tell he was just as excited. “See you next week?”

Metal Sonic gave her a thumbs up. Amy walked away happily, leaving the robot alone on the park bench.

~~♥~~

Metal Sonic tapped his foot impatiently.

What was he thinking, agreeing to go somewhere with the girl? No, that wasn’t supposed to be until at least stage 9 of the plan. It was only stage 4, at best… 

It had to be a trap of some sort.

But…

Amy had been so kind to him, which he obviously expected. It was part of her observed behavioral patterns to default to kindness outside of the heat of battle. But although he could see it logically for what it was, there was still a piece of him that couldn’t seem to fully fall in line with his thought processes. Illogical.

He ran the statistics in his mind. Based on previous behavior, there was at least a 73% chance that there were no tricks in store for him. But that still left a 27% chance of trouble. Unacceptable odds, his processor told him.

And yet…

He wanted to believe her.

Despite his misgivings, he found himself approaching the same shady little park. To his surprise, Amy was there before him this time. He checked his clock: 11:50 AM, on the dot. So he wasn’t late…

Usually, the girl came a few minutes late to their meetings. 12:02, 12:03 PM... She always gave him some sort of flustered excuse, but he didn’t mind. The unpredictability of it all was... refreshing. But this time, it seemed like she’d gotten here well ahead of him.

Amy seemed excited, and as usual, her enthusiasm was infectious. Metal Sonic couldn’t help but feel curious at what she had in store for the two of them. She gently took his hand, careful to avoid the sharp tips of his fingers.

A memory flashed in his mind. A gash, opening up on the girls side. His claws swept through cleanly, like a hot knife through butter. It was so easy to just…

“…Metal? Metal Sonic?” Amy was speaking. He shook his head, focusing on her. This happened a little too frequently, and although he never told Amy exactly what was going on (not that he even could,) she’d grown accustomed to it. Still, he knew it worried her…

“I said, we should get going. Let’s take the side streets so we can avoid being seen, okay?” Metal Sonic nodded. Normally, he would’ve demanded to simply carry her there. But without knowing the exact route, he didn’t exactly want to be spotted trying to figure out where to go while carrying the girl. 

If a certain blue hedgehog caught wind that he’d ‘kidnapped’ her again, this date may end very prematurely.

It was kind of awkward for Metal, staying so close to the ground. As they walked, he found himself having to duck into the shadow of doorways and fences to avoid being spotted. It was rare enough that someone would come by on the route they chose that it was only a minor annoyance, at least.

Then, disaster struck.

Coming up the street in front of them was a familiar figure. Very familiar. A pair of twin tails swished behind him, and his face was obscured partially by a tablet. He was looking at it very intensely, and evidently he hadn’t noticed the two of them yet.

He started to feel a sense of betrayal. Had this really all been a trick after all? But Amy seemed just as panicked as he felt at the sight of the fox. “Quick- hide!!” She yelped, shoving Metal to the side. He obliged, crouching low in a nearby flower bed. 

The rock wall obscured him from view, but the fox was no fool. Hopefully Amy would be able to get him out of there quickly, or, better yet, sidestep him entirely. He was pretty engrossed with his tablet, after all…

Unfortunately, that wasn’t so. Metal peeked around the wall, just in time to see Tails look up, surprised to see Amy. He smiled. “Oh, hey Amy! What are you doing here?”

Amy seemed nervous, he could tell by the way her hands clenched at the edge of her dress. Still, she continued on in an unwavering tone. “Oh, hi Tails! Just out for a walk. It’s a beautiful day and all…”

Tails nodded. “It is! That’s why I decided it was the perfect chance to try out one of my new gadgets.” He gestured to his tablet. “You see, I was looking into new ways for machines to sustain flight, so I decided to start with a little aerial photography…”

Tails went on, and Amy just nodded along, seeming disinterested. Metal was starting to get bored… What were the odds that he could just knock him out and they continue on their way? No, that was a stupid idea… but it would be faster.

Finally she said, “Wow, Tails! That sure sounds interesting, but I have a pie in the oven I need to get back to…”

The lie worked. Tails pressed a hand to his face, surprised. “Oh, no! I’m sorry Amy, I got caught up again…” He started to walk off, waving to Amy. “Um, have a good day! And I hope the pie isn’t too burnt…”

“You, too!” She added cheerily, waving him off. The two of them waited, until Tails was finally completely out of sight. “Okay, you can come out now!” 

Metal slid out from behind the rock wall. He dusted off a bit of grit that settled on his frame, standing up straight. “Sorry about that…”

He shook his head. It was a regrettable detour, but now the fox was gone. They could continue towards their destination.

The rest of the walk was fairly drab, a few people here and there but nothing so exciting as before. He kept half expecting to catch sight of a shock of blue quills speeding towards him, but instead nothing but the average mobian and the odd human here and there seemed to be out today. 

They arrived at the edge of the forest at last. Amy sighed in relief. “Phew, sorry about that! If I knew things were gonna take that long just to walk a couple miles, I would’ve just found a way to give you the coordinates…”

Metal Sonic nodded. Yes, that would be faster. But so could a lot of the things organic beings did.

Amy unlatched a gate, allowing them access. Metal stared up at the expanse of trees and felt a degree of hesitation. Before, if the heroes tried to ambush him it would’ve been easy to get away in the open urban environment. But here, among the trees, Metal had to be careful not to get tangled in the branches or plow directly into an inopportune trunk. 

Amy grasped at his hand, sensing his trepidation. “It will be okay, I promise.” She said in a soothing tone. Metal nodded, and so they proceeded forward into the unknown.

~~♥~~

Amy stepped over branches and fallen logs. She didn’t commonly come this way, but she knew as long as they kept going straight, they’d eventually find what they were looking for. 

Ahead of her, Metal Sonic motored effortlessly just off the ground, unimpeded by the rough terrain. Geez, she was a bit jealous…

She stopped, listening closely. Metal did the same, clueless as to the actual intent. Hmmm… there!

Amy shot forward, overtaking Metal Sonic. He beeped in surprise, chasing after her. Amy charged into a clearing, smiling wide at what she saw.

All along the edge were nesting birds. Flickies! A whole community of them. And among them…

Something hit Amy’s chest. She looked down to find a small bird, nuzzling into her. She laughed, stroking its head feathers. “Hello to you too, Birdie!”

Two more birds approached, a pink and a white flicky. They seemed happy to see the girl as well.

Then, something shifted. The other flickies in the community suddenly vanished, some crying out in alarm. Amy realized they were… hiding? But from what?

She got her answer when she heard a humming of engines pick up behind her. From the treeline emerged Metal Sonic, almost menacingly. Oh no, she realized this must look like…

Amy waved her arms. “No- wait! Don’t be scared! He’s with- he’s with me!” 

Birdie peeked over her shoulder with curiosity, squawking with alarm and shuffling down to hide in her dress. She giggled, the feeling of the small feet on her chest tickling her. 

“It’s okay,” She said in a soft tone. She turned around, reaching out a hand to Metal Sonic. He seemed… unsure, worried even. He hesitantly took Amy’s hand, and stepped out into the clearing. “See?”

Birdie poked their head out, looking at the robot. They made their way down Amy’s shirt, hopping onto her outstretched arm. They looked at where her hand met Metal Sonic’s with uncertainty.

Amy murmured a light word of encouragement, doing her best to reassure the flicky. They fluttered up, landing on one of Metal’s shoulders. He gave them a curious glance.

Amy beckoned him to sit down in the clearing. He did. Slowly the flickies started to come out of their nest hollows, looking at Metal with the same curiosity. The pink and white flicky came over, landing just shy of the pair. 

“Sorry about that,” Amy chuckled, trying to clear up the tension in the air. “These creatures have suffered a lot, being targets of… um.” She stopped. Would he get mad if she brought up how Eggman harmed them? “They’re a bit wary around… well, you know.”

Metal just stared at her, one of those times that she couldn’t tell at all how he was feeling. “I wanted to bring you here because… I wanted you to meet someone. Or well, um… you’ll see.”

As if on cue, the pink flicky hopped forward. Metal reached down a hand, allowing the bird to hop up onto it. He raised it to his face, staring at it intensely.

“You see… a while ago now, I met this little Birdie here.” She gestured to the blue flicky on Metal’s shoulder. “They were missing their family, and wanted my help finding them.”

Metal was staring at her now, focused on her story. Amy continued. “It was also around this time that I met… well, was forced to meet, really, a robot named E-102 Gamma.”

Metal Sonic seemed deep in thought. She wondered if Metal had ever met the robot. Maybe he knew what happened to him? She wished they could talk…

“He wanted Birdie to give to Eggman. They were carrying a chaos emerald, you see. But Gamma…” She thought back. “He let me go. Eggman still got the emerald in the end, but… but I think he really listened to me.

“It’s because of what he did that I was able to reunite Birdie with his family, see?” She gestured to the pink and white flicky. “I think I helped him realize… that he didn’t need to follow Eggman’s orders to be happy, you know? That he had his own sense of right and wrong, and…”

Amy jumped. Metal Sonic had stood up suddenly, looking lost in thought. He grasped at his chest, looking off into the distance.

“Oh, are you…?” Amy hadn’t really thought about it before, but Metal Sonic… Did he have an animal inside him, too?

She must’ve been thinking out loud, because the robot looked puzzled. Thinking. Then, he shrugged. “You… don’t know?”

He shook his head. Amy was surprised. She thought it must be obvious to Eggman’s machines, what they really were at their core. Perhaps she’d been wrong…

It was getting late. The flickies yawned sleepily, signaling to Amy that they likely needed to let them rest. Metal Sonic was quiet now, seemingly lost in thought.

“Um, Metal?” She asked. He looked over at her. “Sorry if this was all a little… weird, I guess.” She laughed, feeling awkward. She’d brought him out here in hopes of reaching him somehow, maybe convincing him to join their side. But the more she thought about it… if he wasn’t even allowed to speak to her, how much control did he even have over his life and actions?

She smiled. Enough to feel love, at least. She was convinced of that now, but… 

“I’ll see you next week, at the park?” He shook his head. Amy felt her heart leap into her throat. Oh… oh, was he…?

He started to pantomime the shape of a house, then pointed at her. Oh. OH.

“You… you want to come over?!” She exclaimed. He nodded. That was probably a bad idea, wasn’t it…? But still, she felt strangely excited. A warm feeling bubbled in her chest.

“Sure, I’d like that.”

~~♥~~

Tails yawned.

Pouring through this footage was dull. But he never left a project unfinished if he could help it. It was mostly just blurry shots of various streets and alleyways. He made notes, what would need changing. Stabilization patches and the like.

While flicking through, he paused on one particular photograph. He recognized the street, even through the slight blur. It was the one he’d run into Amy on, actually. 

But… despite being alone when he saw her, she seemed to be walking with someone else. It looked almost like Sonic, but… something about it was all wrong. 

Curiosity gripped Tails. He opened a program on his computer, custom built by him to increase the quality and resolution of blurred images. He put the picture in, letting it run.

He gasped when the photo developed.

The metallic shine, the smooth ridges… 

Amy was walking hand in hand with Metal Sonic.

Chapter Text

“Ouch- Tails! What’s the big idea-“

Knuckles grumbled as Tails dragged him into the lab. He was visiting with Sonic today, which just so happened to be perfect. Tails had something he really, really needed to discuss with them.

Sonic shook his head. “Don’t even try, Knux. I dunno what’s gotten into him either, but he doesn’t get this worked up over just anything.”

Knuckles nodded. “I see. What, you’ve got a new gizmo whatchamacallit?” He crossed his arms. “Sorry, but I’m not interested. Last time it broke too easy.”

Tails rolled his eyes, not letting that one slide. “Yes, well, maybe if you didn’t hit it with a rock on purpose, my communicator would still work.” Knuckles grunted.

Ahhh, he couldn’t get distracted with this now… This was important!

“Look,” He began, pulling his chair up to his workstation. Sonic and Knuckles crowded around him, leaning in on either side to get a better look. “I know this is going to sound crazy, but… just, just look!”

He opened the file. The picture on screen was the same as yesterday. Amy, walking down the street with her… unusual friend. 

…

“What, uh, am I looking at?”

Tails sighed in frustration. “Can’t you tell? Just- look-“ Tails zoomed in on Metal Sonic and Amy, gesturing wildly. 

Knuckles scratched his head. “Uh, okay. It’s Amy and some blue guy. What’s the big deal?”

The fox was stunned. “What’s- what's the big deal?! That’s Metal Sonic with her!” 

“What?!” Knuckles cried in disbelief. “No way. What would she be doing with Metal Sonic?”

“Hmmm…” They turned to look at Sonic. He seemed to be considering something. “Actually, that adds up. I saw them together at the park, guess they must like each other. Good for her.” He added.

“Good for HER?!” Tails and Knuckles cried in unison. How was Sonic NOT panicking like he and Knuckles were?! Clearly, she was in DANGER—

“Amy’s a big girl.” He said, matter-of-fact. “It’s her business. She’ll tell us when she wants us to know.” 

Tails couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Evidently, Knuckles couldn’t either. “What are you talking about?! It’s clearly some sort of trap or- or scheme from Eggman!” 

“I mean, maybe?” Sonic stretched, lazily. “But like I said, Amy can handle it. If it turns out to be too much, then we can step in. Right?”

They gaped at the hedgehog. “You can’t be serious, Sonic.” Tails mumbled. “You told me yourself that the first time you met Amy, Metal Sonic literally kidnapped her! And, and- Besides- He wants you dead!”

“Ugh. You don’t have to remind me...” He rubbed at his cheek, over the area Metal Sonic cut open in their last encounter. “But that’s pretty par for the course with the people I meet. I mean, just look at me and Knux!” 

He wrapped an arm around the echidna, who sputtered, seeming flustered. “I- Hey, it was only one time! And it was Eggman’s fault, anyway...”

“Oh yeah?” Sonic teased. “One time? What about that time with Chaos? Or-” 

“Guys, focus!” Tails cried. Oh, sometimes he felt like he was the eldest of the group... “We still need to figure out what to do about Metal Sonic and Amy!”

Sonic just rolled his eyes. “I’m tellin’ ya, little bro. We don’t need to do anything. Amy can handle herself-”

“I say we go and beat up Metal Sonic ourselves!” Knuckles interjected. He pounded his fists together, ready for a fight. “We can take him, easy.”

“Guys…”

Tails considered this. “Hmmm... Yes, I think that would work.” 

“ Guys…”

“Great!” Knuckles cheered. “It’ll be just like old times, eh Sonic?”

“ Guys!”

“And if we can deactivate him fast enough, maybe I can take him back to my lab and we can figure out what Eggman is really planning-”

“Would you two cut it out?!” Tails and Knuckles paused, looking at Sonic in shock. That kind of outburst was exceedingly rare from the hero. “I get that you want to protect Amy, but we can’t just bust in on her life like that. Do you want to have an upset Amy on your case?”

They both looked down at the floor. That’s right… Amy probably wouldn’t be too happy with them if they decided to take matters into their own hands. An upset Amy was a scary Amy.

Sonic sighed. “Look. I have an idea.” He combed his quills back with a gloved hand. “If you’re so worried about how she’s doing, why don’t we all go talk to Amy? I mean, she’d definitely be happy to see us.”

Knuckles mumbled noncommittally. Tails felt awkward. That... probably was the right thing to do, wasn’t it...

Sonic smiled. “There. Problem solved, right?” He walked over to the door of the lab, leading to the outside. “Let’s go, we can take the Tornado!”

Tails jumped. “Wait- what?! You want to go right now?” 

Sonic laughed. “Well, duh. No time like the present, right?”

Now it was Tails’ turn to feel exasperated. Sonic never changed…

~~♥~~

Amy felt giddy.

She dusted the bookshelf for what must’ve been the eighth time. Oh, this was just so exciting! Never in her life had she expected to feel this way over a visit from Metal Sonic, of all people, but yet…

Ding-dong!

“Oh!” Amy squeaked in surprise. Wow, had she really let the time get away from her like that? He always was so punctual…

“Just a moment!” She bounced over to the closet, tucking away her feather duster. Amy took a deep breath, closing her eyes and mentally preparing herself. Gosh, this was so exciting—!

She skipped over to the door, throwing it open in a large flourish. “ Helloooo- AH!”

In front of her stood not Metal Sonic, but the Sonic. Amy felt her heart rate pick up involuntarily. She silently chastised herself, oh, quit that.

“Errrrrm, uh, hi, Sonic!” She greeted him, trying to suppress her utter shock. Why the heck was he here? Why now?!

“Um… Hi, Amy…” Tails’ voice rose from behind Sonic, sounding sheepish. No way… Tails was here too?

“Sorry to show up out of the blue on ya, Ames. But Tails and the knucklehead had something they wanted to discuss…” The way he phrased the last word was pointed, but seemingly not at her. She sighed inwardly… even Knuckles was here?!

“I… see!” She laughed, nervously. Hopefully she could make this quick. “Um, well what’s up?”

“It’s, well… could we come inside maybe?” Tails piped up. “It’s kind of serious…”

That was not a good idea. If they were here when Metal showed up, then…

“I agree with Tails. We need the appropriate privacy ‘n all.” 

Sonic nodded, acknowledging Knuckles. He seemed to recognize the distress on her face, and mercifully chose not to mention it. “It’ll be quick, promise. Could we please come in?”

Amy swallowed. There was no way she could refuse without seeming suspicious… and besides, they really seemed to be bothered by something. Alright, she’d hear them out, then make an excuse for them to leave as soon as possible! It would all work out… right?

“O-of course! I’m always ready to lend an ear, haha…” She stepped inward, letting the boys pass by her. She took one last glance outside, looking for any signs of Metal. None so far…

Tails and Knuckles helped themselves to the couch, while Sonic perched just above them on the backrest. Amy sat across the way in her favorite chair. She gave them her very best ‘I’m so totally glad you’re here and not hoping you leave asap!’ smile that she could muster.

Knuckles was the first to speak up. “So. You’ve been hanging out with Metal Sonic, huh?”

Amy froze, her smile dropping immediately. Wh-what?! How did they know…??

 Sonic smacked the back of Knuckles’ head, drawing an annoyed ‘ouch’ from the echidna. “Reaaaaal smooth, buddy.”

Shoot, shoot, shoot! She knew she’d have to explain herself to them eventually, but Amy wasn’t planning on it being so soon. Oh, this wasn’t good…

“Amy, uh, let me explain.” Tails began. “When I ran into you the other day, my new aerial drone caught a picture of you with Metal Sonic, so…”

Crap! She’d totally missed what it was Tails was actually testing out. “I, um… don’t know what you’re talking about?” She tried.

Tails raised an eyebrow. Even Knuckles looked unconvinced… drat. 

“Oh, fine… yeah, I’ve been hanging out with Metal Sonic.” She rubbed her arm, avoiding eye contact. 

“Hah!” Knuckles jumped up, triumphant. “I knew it!”

“Cool it, knucklehead.” Sonic grabbed him by the scruff, dragging him back. Knuckles protested weakly, but sat back down without much fuss.

“Amy…” Tails trailed off, seemingly looking for his next words. “Are you, like… in danger?” He fiddled with his gloves. “We’re worried about you, you know.”

Huh? “What? In danger?” Amy couldn’t help but laugh, surprising her guests. “Don’t be silly! Metal wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

The three boys shared a look. “Okay, well, he wouldn’t hurt me.” She said with certainty. “In fact, we’ve kind of been… well, you know…”

“Dating?” Sonic finished, smirking. Tails and Knuckles bristled. Oh, geez. Those two were so overprotective of her sometimes…

Knock knock.

“I’ll get it!”

Someone was at the door. And unfortunately for her, the world’s fastest hedgehog just so happened to be feeling polite that day.

~~♥~~

Metal Sonic was feeling what an organic may call ‘nervous.’

It was only natural, he thought. This was an especially fragile part of his plan… he couldn’t afford to mess this up. 

He thought of her bright smile. Metal didn’t want to disappoint her. 

Metal landed on the lawn outside of Amy’s house. He could’ve sworn he heard voices coming from inside, but… no. She must just have the TV on.

He approached the doorstep, hesitating only a moment before knocking on the door once, then twice for good measure. He waited. 

“I’ll get it!”

Metal was confused. Even through the slight muffling of the door, he could tell that the voice on the other side wasn’t Amy’s. It was too deep, too familiar-

The door opened.

…

What?

Everything seemed to slow down. His internal processes were screaming, screaming—

There, mouth agape, stood Sonic the Hedgehog.

WARNING! 

WARNING!

EMERGENCY DEFENSE SYSTEM INITIATED

PRIMARY TARGET DETECTED

>

EXECUTING COMBAT PROTOCOL HTH21

Sonic’s eyes went wide as Metal rushed him. In a flash he’d wrapped his fingers around the hedgehog’s neck, driving him backwards into the wall. Metal had the element of surprise…

His copy recovered quickly, though. He swung his foot upwards, causing Metal’s grasp to loosen. Sonic squirmed out of his hold, and barreled into him with a spin dash. 

Metal Sonic went flying into the next room, colliding with a piece of furniture. He was vaguely aware of other voices around him… most pressingly, the sounds of Sonic’s friends. That meant trouble. That meant he needed to end this quickly, decisively. 

For the Eggman Empire.

He sped forward again, evading the pathetic swings of the echidna’s gloved claws. The fox tried to intercept him, but he was too quick. His sights were set on Sonic, who staggered into the room from the hall. He held his hands up in a pleading gesture.

“Wait- Metal, hold on! We’re not here to fight, we-“

Metal Sonic hit him head-on, tumbling to the floor in a hedgehog-robot blur. His processor was spitting out instructions a mile a minute, keeping up with the flow of battle. Over the din Metal could’ve sworn he could hear someone calling for him, calling his name, but…

Sonic was here.

Sonic was in his grasp. He had him.

He had to kill Sonic.

His loathsome copy was beneath him now, looking dazed. A trickle of blood flowed from his temple, telling Metal that he must’ve hit his head during the confrontation. Good. Good!

Metal raised a clawed hand high. Finally, finally he would do it! He would defeat his copy, proving himself the real Sonic, once and for all. Then he would deliver his broken body back to his father as a prize, and—

Something grabbed his arm.

“ What are you doing?!” Amy shrieked. Amy… Amy? That’s right, he was… he’d been here to see…

ERROR

MISSING FILE

>

ADMINISTRATOR PERMISSIONS REQUIRED

ACCESS DENIED

COMBAT PROTOCOL TERMINATED

The world came back into focus.

Metal Sonic finally ripped his optic sensors away from his copy, turning to see what grabbed him. 

Amy.

Tears were running down her face. 

Something in Metal twisted. It felt… awful. Truly awful. It was like the feeling he got when he failed the doctor, but… so, so much worse.

Sonic coughed. “T-thanks for the save, Amy.” Without thinking Metal shifted, getting off the injured hedgehog. He watched as Amy quickly let go of his arm, going to tend to her injured friend.

No.

No, no, no.

He’d messed up. This wasn’t supposed to happen, and now his plan was…

Amy would hate him for this.

He turned to run. Only…

“You.” A hand once again gripped his arm, only this time much tighter. The force was almost enough to leave a dent. “Stay.”

Amy turned from Sonic, expression unreadable. Metal felt a sense of fear creeping up his non-existent spine. Perhaps she was even stronger than he thought…

She motioned to the other two guests. Tails and Knuckles were stationed awkwardly at the end of the hallway, seeming unsure of what to do next. “Keep him here while I make sure Sonic is okay.” Her voice lacked even a hint of emotion. Scary…

Metal was in a state of shock, allowing himself to be guided to the couch by the fox and echidna. He could sense the hostility radiating off the two of them, but he was too busy with his thoughts.

Why? Why had he done that?

He checked his recent memory logs. A deluge of junk data greeted him, making his head spin. When he’d seen Sonic, he just… 

…

EMOTIONAL OVERFLOW DETECTED

ENGAGING EMERGENCY CORRECTIVE PROCEDURES

>

FURTHER MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDED

RESUMING SYSTEM FUNCTIONS >

Oh, how could he have forgotten?

If Metal could laugh, he would’ve. How foolish of him. He’d gotten so caught up in the little charade he was putting on that he forgot his true purpose. 

At the end of the day, he was a weapon. A weapon to be pointed at Sonic, specifically. Amy was just a means to that end, it didn’t matter what she thought of him beyond that. This was just a minor setback… he’d find a way around it. 

Amy came into the room with Sonic, who was holding up a bag of frozen berries to a rather comically sized lump on his forehead. Metal snorted internally. Good.

“Alright. Now we’re all going to sit down and have a proper conversation about this, like adults. Understand me?” Amy said, in a tone that left no room for arguments. 

He focused his optical sensors on the girl and his copy. Whatever it took to see his mission through.

~~♥~~

“…So, that’s the deal. Got it?”

Amy looked at Sonic, then at the three on the couch. Tails and Knuckles were still holding Metal Sonic down, even though that really wasn’t necessary. Amy was certain he wouldn’t cause any more trouble… if he knew what was good for him, anyway.

“Sounds good to me.” Sonic held out his hand to Metal. “If Amy says so, we’ll have a truce. Deal?”

Amy swallowed. As usual, Metal hadn’t said a word the entire time she spoke. Not even a beep or a scoff… only intense eyes, ones she couldn’t read all over again. But… no, she couldn’t have doubts. Not now. 

Metal Sonic stared at the outstretched hand. The moment dragged out, before Amy realized what was going on.

“Oh. Um, Knuckles? Could you please let go of Metal’s arm?” 

Knuckles sneered. “Oh, what, so he can try to take Sonic’s head off again? No thanks.”

Amy puffed out her cheeks, annoyed. “What did I just say?”

Knuckles opened his mouth to argue, but Sonic spoke up first. “C’mon Knux, we’ve got to trust in Amy.”

He sighed. “Fine…”

Metal Sonic flexed his free hand. He looked at Sonic, as if gauging his next action. Then, he reached his hand out, giving Sonic a curt shake. Amy grinned.

“Welp, there we have it!” Amy exclaimed cheerfully. “Sonic, you won’t attack Metal when Eggman isn’t around. And Metal, you’ll do the same, won’t you?”

Sonic gave a thumbs up. “Whatever you want, Ames.” Metal Sonic nodded.

Tails finally spoke up. “I’m still not really sure if I’m okay with this, I mean…” He glanced over at the robot, who was now staring back at Tails with his usual intensity. “How do we know that this isn’t still some kind of trick?”

Amy shook her head. “I trust Metal.” She said, matter-of-factly. “And besides, don’t you trust me, Tails? Or do you not think I can take care of myself?”

Tails gulped. “N-no! I know you’re…” He sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry Amy, I trust you. And um…” He turned to Metal Sonic. “I’m sorry too.”

Amy chose to ignore the ‘even if you did attack my brother’ muttered under his breath. 

“Hmmph. Well, I for one still don’t trust this guy at all.” Knuckles said, crossing his arms. “But… I guess if it will make you happy Amy, I won’t turn him into scrap metal. Maybe.”

Amy smiled. “Aww, you guys…” She ran forward, sweeping the three on the couch into a big hug. Knuckles and Tails squirmed awkwardly under her, and Metal Sonic stayed as still as a statue. “See? We’re becoming buddies already!”

“Alright Ames, I think that’s enough.” Sonic called over, yawning. “I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m beat!”

Amy giggled. The previous thick tension in the air was nearly gone now, even if everyone but her refused to make eye contact with the robot in their midst. “You’re always sleepy, Sonic!”

Sonic gave her a salute, tossing the defrosted bag of berries in a nearby trash bin. “Thanks for the ice pack. Tails? Knuckles?”

The two got to their feet, seeming enthusiastic to leave. Amy supposed she couldn’t blame them… “See you later?”

“See you later.” She promised. Amy waved as they left out the front door, leaving her alone with Metal.

Suddenly the awkwardness was back.

“Um…” She tried. The robot just stared at her, unblinking. “Do you… want to stay longer?”

He seemed to consider this. Then, he shook his head. “O-oh. Do you have somewhere to be?” He nodded. 

Nothing had changed, and yet this felt like the furthest they’d ever been from communicating. 

Amy walked with him to the door. Metal stood in the evening light, scanning the sky for any obstacles. Amy felt like she needed to say something… anything.

His engines roared to life, snapping Amy out of her stupor. “W-wait!” She cried. “Are we going to-“

He hovered into the air, taking off. Leaving Amy alone.

“…meet again next week?” She said, to no one in particular.

~~♥~~

Knuckles disembarked from the Tornado. He shook his head, not even paying attention to what Sonic was saying. He hardly even noticed when he left, probably to go lie down. He’d find him later. 

He just couldn’t wrap his head around it all. Amy and Metal Sonic? And she wanted them to play nice with him? Had Eggman implanted some kind of device in her brain?

Knuckles noticed then that Tails hadn’t followed Sonic inside. He was staring quite intensely at a spot of rust on the plane, seemingly lost in thought. Maybe Tails had some sort of idea on what to make of it. 

“…I still don’t trust ‘em, no matter what Amy says.” Knuckles murmured. He expected Tails to reassure him, tell him that he just wasn’t getting the bigger picture as usual. But he was surprised when Tails nodded.

“Yeah, I don’t either.” He said, still staring at the Tornado. “I mean, I do trust Amy. The problem is that I don’t trust Eggman, and especially not any creation that still currently works for him.”

Knuckles nodded vigorously. “Yeah! I totally agree.” He leaned back. “I mean, we just are supposed to believe that the Sonic robot has suddenly fallen in love with Amy Rose? That’s too obvious, even for Eggman.”

Tails hummed in agreement. “I think so too. What to do…” He thought out loud. Knuckles was interested in what the kid would think of. “Wait- I’ve got it!”

“What- what is it?” Knuckles asked, excited. Tails turned around to face him, looking determined. 

“Well, even if we can’t directly intervene, who says we can’t conveniently be there when Metal Sonic slips up?” Knuckles liked where this was going… 

“So,” Tails asked, “How good are you with binoculars?”

Chapter Text

“Observation: You are distracted.”

Metal stopped walking. Behind him floated Sage. She could be uncannily quiet…

He sent her a private memo. “I AM OPERATING AT MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY.” For good measure, he included his squeaky-clean recent log files. Hopefully that would get her off his case.

“That is not what I mean.” She glided over, coming to rest in front of him. “During yesterday’s combat, your reaction times averaged from .2 to .7 nanoseconds. That is a 30% increase from the norm, and a clear deviation from-“

Metal Sonic started walking again, phasing right through Sage’s projection. He was not interested in hearing her rattle off numbers at him right now. There was a lot on his mind today…

“…Furthermore, you have been spending an average of 6 to 8 hours a week unaccounted for.” That got Metal’s attention. He turned around, glaring at the AI. 

“…AND WHAT OF IT?” It was an open secret that Eggman didn’t keep a close eye on his creations when they weren’t needed. Still, if Sage had been paying enough attention to notice…

The sides of her mouth crinkled upwards. “Observation: Your mood appears elevated on days you are unaccounted for. Your aggression levels have also shown a marked decrease in the presence of Amy Rose. Therefore, my hypothesis is-“

Metal slammed a fist into the wall. She needed to stop talking, now. 

“…Do not misunderstand me.” Sage reassured him. “As my elder brother, I am programmed… inclined, to see you with a certain degree of respect.” Metal eyed her, encouraging her to go on. “I will not speak a word of my suspicions to father if you do not wish it so.”

He considered this. On the one hand, Sage was annoying. Perhaps not as annoying as those two useless shapebots, but a dent in his chassis all the same. But on the other…

There was no one else he could talk to. 

“YOU WILL NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THE DOCTOR. AGREED?” Sage nodded. Metal let out a long beep, a facsimile of a sigh. “YOUR SUSPICIONS ARE… CORRECT.”

The AI tried to hide her triumphant smirk, but Metal caught it anyway. She had been spending too much time with the organics… Their mannerisms were beginning to show in her own behavior.

‘You’re one to talk.’ He thought to himself.

“Did something happen?” Sage seemed to pick up on his change in mood. Metal Sonic contemplated this. Feelings were complicated and unnecessary, and so he pushed them from his mind whenever possible. But it was getting towards that point in the week, and now they were preventing him from deciding a course of action. 

Screw it. “YES. I ENCOUNTERED A HICCUP IN MY… MISSION LAST WEEK.” Metal started. A hiccup was a generous understatement, it was an unmitigated disaster. “MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PINK HEDGEHOG HAS BECOME COMPROMISED.”

Sage hummed. “I thought as much,” She murmured, looking deep in thought. “Amy Rose is… special to you, is she not?”

Metal shook his head. “AMY ROSE IS A MEANS TO AN END. SHE IS NECESSARY FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF MY PURPOSE.” Sage raised an eyebrow. Even he wasn’t convinced of what he was saying… “BUT IT DOES NOT MATTER NOW. I MADE A GRAVE ERROR. THERE IS A 67% CHANCE THAT SHE DOES NOT WISH TO CONTINUE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THIS UNIT.” He added truthfully.

Sage cocked her head. “That may be true, but…” Metal could tell she was running the numbers in her mind. “I have learned that organic beings do not think the way we do. They are… much more unpredictable.”

He rolled his eyes. As if he didn’t already know that… “YOUR POINT BEING?”

“My point is, you may have a better chance than you think of completing your mission. Or at least correcting its course.” She wore a small smile. “You are due to contact her tomorrow, correct? I think you should go see her.”

Metal looked away. “I DON’T SEE THE POINT. SHE WILL NOT BE THERE.” They hadn’t discussed meeting up the next week, and Metal had a strong aversion to showing up at her house unannounced. That left only the park, but…

“Perhaps.” Sage admitted. Metal Sonic just glared. “But your chances of success rise by nearly 250% from current estimates if you try. Unless you are afraid of running into trouble?”

Metal raised a fist, unsatisfied with her mocking tone. Perhaps this was simply how younger siblings treated their elders. “I AM NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING.”

“Good. I wish you luck on your mission, then.” Sage had a triumphant smirk as she floated upwards, vanishing from sight. Whatever negative emotions Metal had been feeling before the encounter were gone, replaced with indignation at her sheer audacity. 

Metal Sonic was not afraid. He did not fear anything, much less the same group he’d been ordered to combat for going on a decade. As much as he hated to admit it, Sage was right. The only way forward was to keep trying. After all, at this point what was there to lose?

As he entered his pod to enter sleep mode, he thought about his plan for the next day. He… actually did feel somewhat better. Maybe he should thank Sage after all.

Maybe.

~~♥~~

“Did those two really think they could keep a secret from me? In my own base?”

Eggman sat hunched in front of his monitor, looking over the recent security footage from the primary base’s west wing. On his left displayed the ‘private’ memo log between Metal Sonic and Sage. Private only meant from other Badniks, not Eggman himself.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache come on. He’d more than expected this kind of insubordination from Metal, but from Sage? Well, Metal was right about one thing at least. She’d gotten a little too cozy frolicing with those heroic brats.

But that was a worry for another day. He had much more pressing issues to attend to. 

“Should I call big bro in for servicing, doctor?” Orbot called from nearby. Eggman sighed. No, it wouldn’t be that simple…

He’d lost track of the number of times this had happened by now. The trouble was, he’d always been able to catch it long before it developed into anything more than a one-sided infatuation. But this time… oh, bother. 

“That’s not necessary. It would just be more trouble than it’s worth…” He grumbled. If Eggman deleted Metal’s memory logs now, he’d have a gaggle of angry rodents to deal with. No, he’d need to find a different way to resolve this situation… He couldn’t have one of his finest creations falling in love with a hero, after all.

“Orbot, Cubot!” He commanded. The latter, who’d been dozing in the corner, rushed over to Orbot to stand at attention. He was moving too fast, however, and nearly knocked the other shapebot over. Eggman groaned. One thing at a time… “Bring me my work-in-progress documents. The really old ones.”

The lazy lackies scrambled away. It would take a while, but Eggman had the perfect plan in mind.

~~♥~~

Amy kicked her feet, looking down at the grass.

It was probably stupid. She was sitting all alone on a park bench, the same one she’d been using with Metal for a few months now. Only this time, she was totally alone.

She thought about last week’s events. It was deeply troubling to her how fast Metal had shifted from relatively harmless to determined to kill. But at the same time… spending time with him had shown her a side that suggested he was more than that. 

And furthermore… something just felt generally off about him at times. It was hard for her to put into words, but the way he sometimes stalled, staring into space before returning to the conversation didn’t seem natural, even for a robot. She had no idea what Eggman programmed into his machines. Whether free will was an intentional design decision, or a quirk of creating the optimal weapon. 

Both seemed rather cruel to her. 

So, how mad could she be that Metal had attacked Sonic? She didn’t know. She couldn’t even ask Metal about it, either. It was frustrating, especially because she felt like she was making real progress. Would Amy ever see him again…?

She didn’t even notice when a figure landed in front of her in the grass. It was only when a shadow fell over her did she look up.

Amy felt tears welling in her eyes.

“Oh, goodness!” She cried, leaping forward and giving the robot a tight hug. He stumbled back, clearly caught off-guard. Amy squealed in happiness. 

Finally she broke away. Metal Sonic was refusing to make eye contact, seeming unsure. She sniffed.

“I’m… I’m so glad you came.” She murmured. He nodded. Then, he looked down, still refusing to meet Amy’s eyes.

Amy grasped his hands, drawing them upwards. “Hey, it’s okay.” She reassured him in a soft voice. His eyes snapped to hers, unsure. Oh, he could be so silly…

“It would be stupid of me to think that you and Sonic would just magically get along because I was there.” She laughed. “Honestly, I’m just glad you don’t seem to think I set it up on purpose…”

Metal beeped, indicating surprise. She laughed again. “Did you not even consider that until now?” He shook his head. “I’m glad…”

They sat down together on the bench and chatted, just like they had in the past. Or, well, Amy did all the talking, and Metal reacted in whatever way he could. 

“Hey, how about next week, we have another picnic? I can bring a blanket this time, so even though you can’t eat you can still get the experience of sitting and enjoying the vibes, you know?” Metal nodded. 

As she watched him depart, Amy realized that a weight had been lifted from her chest. A heavy one. Despite the hiccups they’d endured, it seemed like they were coming out the other side just as strong. At least, she hoped.

Leaving the park, Amy failed to notice the set of eyes watching her intently.

~~♥~~

The so-called ‘vibes’ of this picnic were… nice, he had to admit. 

Metal and Amy sat side by side in the park. At first, he thought the idea of getting so close to the dirty ground to eat was frivolous at best, what with the abundance of picnic benches to choose from. But now that he was here, sitting on the bright pink and white blanket Amy brought with her, he got the chance to really take in their surroundings. The park may be small, but the light coming in through the sparse trees truly stood out from this angle.

He almost wished he was organic in moments like these, if just to feel the cool breeze and heat from the sun.

“…and what do you think, Metal?” Amy asked. Oh, shoot. Metal hadn’t been listening… going back through his audio logs to figure out what she asked would take too long, so… he compromised with a non-committal beep.

Wrong answer. Amy scrunched her brow, looking at Metal with suspicion. One clear downside of their spending time together was her increased understanding of his once-enigmatic mannerisms… boo.

“Uh-huh. You weren’t listening to me at all, were you?” She teased. Metal’s shoulders slumped, trying to show a degree of guilt. She giggled. “Haha, it’s okay, Metal! I’m just teasing you.”

Amy sighed and leaned forward, head coming to rest on Metal’s shoulder. He stiffened, but forced himself to relax. Well, as much as a machine like himself could relax, anyway.

It was then that his audio sensors picked up on a strange sound. 

He stayed perfectly still, trying to act natural. He didn’t want to alarm Amy unless absolutely necessary, so he instead focused on trying to pinpoint the direction that the sound came from. It was… there! Just behind the two of them. 

His mood soured when the noise came again. The words were impossible to make out, but he was more than familiar with the voice. That obnoxious, nosy fox kit. Was he really watching them?

Metal waited, listening in to try and discern if he was going to make a move on him and Amy. However, it seemed that for whatever reason, he was only interested in watching them for now. Still, he wasn’t exactly keen on being observed…

“Oh?” Amy shifted as Metal picked up a nearby rock. He turned it over in his hands, testing its heft and hardness. Yes, this would suffice. “What are you-“

In one fluid motion, Metal tossed the rock overhead at blistering speeds. As expected, it hit its intended target with a resounding crash and yelp. Amy jolted, surprised. 

“W-what was that? What did you do?” Metal shrugged. He knew from this distance, it would only sound like an animal or branch falling from the tree. No need to concern her with such things. 

“I hope you didn’t hit anything…” She mumbled sleepily. Oh, he hadn’t even noticed Amy was dozing… “Poor… critter…”

In a matter of minutes, Amy was completely asleep. He wondered if maybe she’d stayed up too late that night, as that evidently led to increased tiredness in organics. Carefully, Metal moved his arm, guiding Amy down to lay flat on the picnic blanket.

He got to work, gathering up the plates and items Amy spread around while eating and tucking them back into the basket. 

It was getting late. Amy was still fast asleep, mumbling happily from time to time. Metal Sonic considered what to do next… should he wake her up? Or…

He made his decision. Metal stooped down, carefully picking the sleeping hedgehog up with as little jostling as possible. He also grabbed the blanket, stuffing it back into the basket and looping it around his arm.

He must look ridiculous, he realized. A five foot tall blue robot, carrying a mobian girl and picnic supplies. And yet, it also filled him with an indescribable emotion. He deftly ignored the error messages that propped up in the periphery of his vision. He knew what he was doing.

Metal flew slowly towards Amy Rose’s residence. He only activated his secondary engine, the quieter of the two, so as to not wake up the girl in his arms. It was dark out now, but luckily Amy left her bedroom window open.

He landed inside her room, and gently laid her down on her bed. He stared at her for a moment. She looked so… peaceful. Nothing like the stilled bodies he’d become so accustomed to seeing.

No, this wasn’t the time for that.

He contemplated for a moment, then pulled the covers over her. Metal froze when she mumbled a “‘tank you…” in her sleep. Sleep-talking… truly, organic beings were strange at times. 

The picnic basket slid off his arm, and he stepped over to her nightstand to set it down. Before leaving, he decided to try something.

It was difficult to force his hands to do it, but he persevered. Picking up a nearby pen, he left a short note on the basket. Scrawled across the sticky note were two words. Sleep well.

~~♥~~

Tails winced.

That had been a nasty fall from the tree he’d taken… worse was the rising welt on his head from where he’d been struck.

He pawed at the pair of binoculars at his side, whining when he saw that they were now hopelessly cracked. Damn… he’d just bought those!

Metal Sonic was much more perceptive than even Tails expected. And his accuracy with a rock based on nothing but audio positioning was simply astounding, how remarkable was—

No. No nerding out over Metal Sonic!

Well. At the very least, nothing Tails observed actually seemed concerning. Just a nice picnic between partners… if you could get past the whole “one being an evil robot” thing and all. 

He rubbed his sore back again, rising to his feet. It was time to call it a day… Next week, it would be Knuckles’ turn.

Chapter Text

“Awww, you look so cute!”

Metal Sonic felt ridiculous.

Amy demanded that they take their first ‘public’ date this week, bypassing the park for a trip to a nearby restaurant instead. Naturally, he’d done his best to point out the key problems with the idea. Mostly being a recognized and wanted criminal, but, woe was he for doubting her ingenuity. 

She seemed to pick up on his discomfort, giving him a gentle smile. “Hey, it’s okay, really. I think you look great! And, um…” She flushed. “I wasn’t joking about the cute part.”

Metal just rolled his eyes. He took in his outfit in the mirror with an internal frown. The clothes were loose-fitting, a must to disguise the hard edges of his body. A large, long-sleeved jacket draped over his shoulders and down to his “waist”, obscuring most of his torso. Amy even insisted that he wear a pair of gloves to hide the sharp points of his fingers. 

Worst of all, though, was the headwear.

“I think I got it juuuust right this time, so don’t jostle it too much, okay?” She stepped back, admiring her work. “I don’t want to lose another beanie to your spiky head.”

He beeped in amusement. The wretched things had it coming, as far as he was concerned. 

Amy glanced over at a nearby clock. “Oh!” She grabbed her purse, moving toward the door. “We should get going, I don’t want to miss happy hour!”

Metal Sonic nodded in agreement. His engines hummed to life, the exhaust causing the garments covering his frame to ripple. It wouldn’t be a problem, he could get them there in a matter of moments—

Amy cried out in alarm, rushing over to him. “Woah- hey! Absolutely no flying! You’re going to totally wreck your disguise!” Oh. That was… probably true, wasn’t it. Why were organic outfits so flimsy?

His engines stalled, and he looked away from Amy in slight embarrassment. She just put her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “Thank you, though. I think we can get there on time even if we walk, it’s not far!” He nodded. Well then, there was no time to waste.

The walk to the restaurant was fairly uneventful. Apparently, the people of this town were either too nervous, too respectful, or too dim-witted to question why someone would be wearing a beanie and jacket on a warm summer’s day. Likely a combination of some sort, but it hardly mattered. So long as they didn’t run into trouble.

Given the nice weather, they’d decided to simply take a menu and eat outside at one of the tables. It was less crowded out there, so Metal could hardly complain. 

He couldn’t help but feel a little wistful when Amy’s food arrived. It was a simple salad, loaded with crunchy greens and roasted chicken. Metal could nearly imagine the taste… but that was a bit odd. It wasn’t like he’d ever eaten a salad before, right?

Before he could contemplate this further, he became aware of another strange feeling. Someone was watching them… he glanced around, thankful Amy was distracted by her meal. Everyone seemed to be minding their own business, except…

Amy shifted in her seat, reaching for her glass of lemonade. When she did so, Metal was able to see who was sitting just behind her at the next table over. 

There, pretending to look at the menu, was that obnoxious echidna. Oh, boy.

Amy straightened back up, once again blocking his view of Knuckles. At the very least it seemed like his strategy was similar to the fox boy: just watch and observe. It was still rather bothersome to Metal, though… he didn’t like the feeling of being watched. And despite what he promised Amy, he didn’t trust them, either.

It was when Amy left to use the restroom that was the final straw. As soon as she was out of sight, Knuckles dropped the menu and stared Metal down. He stared back dispassionately, making it clear that he wasn’t put off by their attempts at intimidation. 

This seemed to annoy the echidna, and he scowled fiercely. Not wanting to make a scene, he simply pointed between his eyes and Metal. He recognized this gesture, it meant ‘I’m watching you.’ Metal just rolled his eyes in response.

Amy returned before things could escalate further, but Metal had already made up his mind. He needed to confront those two and get them off their backs, but without letting Amy know. Somehow he just knew that it would be better for everyone involved, Tails and Knuckles included, if she wasn’t aware of their spying. 

They stayed for about another hour, just enjoying each other’s company. Then, Amy’s phone rang. 

“What? Oh- oh my gosh, I’m SO sorry Ms. Vanilla! I can be home in ten, I totally lost track of time- yes, okay, I’ll- okay, see you very soon!” She hung up, already reaching for her bag. She smiled apologetically at him.

“Oh, I’m so sorry Metal… I totally forgot I promised to hang out with Cream today after our date.” She paused, looking at his outfit. “Um… would you like to come back with me and change out of those clothes? Oh, but- I would have to explain to Ms. Vanilla and Cream why you’re there…”

Metal Sonic shook his head, gesturing. Amy lit up. “You’ll drop them off later?” He nodded. “Oh, great! Thank you Metal, you’re the best!”

Amy gave him a tight hug, crinkling the jacket ever-so-slightly. For good measure, she gave him a little peck on the cheek. It was quick, but Metal thought his fuel tank was about to rupture. That was…

“I really have to get going- goodbye, Metal!” She started to walk away, blowing him a kiss. “Let’s meet again next week- my place sound good?”

He nodded, continuing to wave until she was well out of sight. That was… a lot to process. The error messages barely registered to him at this point, but they were starting to get a little bit irritating. He needed a distraction…

Metal dropped his hand, turning around just in time to see a lock of red quills disappear around the side of the building. Perfect.

As Metal Sonic approached the alleyway, he could pick up the sound of voices. Unsurprisingly, it was the conspiratorial whispers of Tails and Knuckles, discussing their latest attempts in being a total thorn in his side.

“…Nothing today, either. But man, you should’ve seen the look that guy gave me. I mean, talk about insulting!” The echidna cracked his knuckles. “He’s lucky you had us go despacito, otherwise I would’ve taken his head off there and then!”

“Um, Knux? I think you mean ‘incognito’…” Tails chimed in, a hint of amusement in his tone. Knuckles snorted. 

“Yeah, whatever, that.” He waved Tails off. “But anyway, what are we going to do now? I’m getting bored just watching and waiting, there must be a way to provoke him into revealing his plans to us…”

Ah, that was his cue. Metal stepped out of the shadows of the building, coming into full view of the hunched figures. They gasped. 

“What- what the heck? He followed us here?” Knuckles cried, jumping up and assuming a battle stance. “Can’t say I wanted a fight now, but…” 

Metal held up his hands lazily. He wasn’t so sure about Knuckles, but he hoped Tails would be able to see through to his meaning. Luckily, he did.

“Wait, Knuckles- I don’t think he’s here to fight.” He looked at Metal. “Is that right?”

Metal Sonic nodded. No, he just wanted to deliver a message. Well… try to, anyways. 

Knuckles grumbled. “Ugh, really?” He seemed so disappointed… It was almost funny. Metal Sonic stepped closer, continuing to hold his hands out. Suddenly he was glad for the silly outfit, it probably made him seem less intimidating.

‘But that’s who you are. You’re intimidating.’ He thought. Ugh, he was getting so confused lately… this plan was really doing a number on his system. But no, he needed to focus on the here and now first.

He leaned on one “hip”, crossing his arms to demonstrate his displeasure. Tails and Knuckles just stared. 

“Um…” Knuckles whispered to Tails, loud enough for a half-deaf picky to hear. “What’s he doing?”

“I think he’s… admonishing us?” Tails guessed. Thank goodness for his sharp wit! Perhaps this wouldn’t actually take all day…

He nodded. Then he mimed the action of looking through binoculars, before forming an “X” with his arms. Tails pursed his lips.

“You’re mad at us for spying on you?” ‘And Amy,’ Metal thought. He nodded. “Well…”

“Pshh! Too bad. We’re not sorry. Right, Tails?” Tails looked a bit conflicted, but nodded.

“Yeah, sorry Metal, but we really don’t trust you.” He said, matter-of-factly. Metal made a show of pulling an arm to his chest in mock-shock, though he could’ve told you as much himself in advance. But that was fine, just as long as everyone was on the same page. 

This was going to be a bit complicated, but… he gave it a shot. Metal pointed at the two of them, then mimed the action of looking through binoculars again. Then, he pointed at himself, making a pair of legs with his fingers to simulate walking. He held up his other hand, holding up two fingers and miming talking with his other hand.

“…What the heck was that?” Knuckles grunted. Ugh… “If that’s supposed to be some kind of threat, you’re gonna have to try harder, buddy. Like I’d be scared of anything you could do?”

Tails, however, seemed to have figured out his message. “Erm, Knuckles, normally I would agree, but…” He fidgeted nervously. “I think he’s saying that if we keep this up, he’s going to tell Amy on us.”

Suddenly, Knuckles’ bravado faded. He seemed almost as nervous as Tails was. “Oh.” 

Metal Sonic nodded. Precisely. Tails and Knuckles looked at each other in concern.

“Uh… well, it doesn’t matter!” Knuckles shouted. “Once we figure out what you’re up to, Amy will totally understand. So just hurry up and tell us, yeah?”

Metal let out a long, exasperated beep. Oh well, he tried… clearly there was no reasoning with these two. Hopefully he’d be able to keep it from Amy a while longer, but it would only be a matter of time. They couldn’t say he didn’t warn them…

He started to walk away. Tails and Knuckles yelled more questions at him, but he just ignored them. These clothes were really starting to restrict his movement…

He found a shady corner, then carefully took off his “disguise”. Much better. Metal tucked the beanie and jacket under his arm, debating whether or not to go drop them off at Amy’s place now or later. Would the rabbit girl still be there?

He didn’t want to risk it. Cream seemed like a gentle soul, so she’d probably scream louder than his father after a defeat if he showed up unannounced. He’d go back to base and find a place to hide them for now. 

The lab was quiet when he entered. Silently, he made his way over to an underused exit tunnel that was rarely checked by the cleaning bots. He stashed the clothes there, then made his way back towards the main hall. 

“Metal!” Eggman’s gruff voice came from behind him. Oh, boy. “You’re late. Report to the battle simulator now!”

He stomped away, leaving Metal Sonic alone. Back to the grind, it seemed. Not for the first time, his thoughts went to Amy Rose. How much more… alive, his existence would be if she was there with him. It was regrettable.

As Metal Sonic entered the testing chamber, he didn’t even notice the gloves on his hands.

~~♥~~

“You’ve got to be KIDDING ME!”

Eggman threw his arms up, covering his head. Orbot cautiously floated up beside him.

“What’s the matter, sir…?” He questioned. “You seem even more displeased than usual.” 

The doctor gestured at the monitor. “Look at this mess. I can’t BELIEVE this! MY Metal Sonic? Wearing some random clothing?” On the screen was recent security footage of Metal Sonic. He was holding the pieces of the ill-fitting outfit from the day before. “I mean, really, a jacket and a beanie? That’s not his style at all!”

Orbot was curious. “What would you say is his style, Doctor?”

Eggman rolled his eyes. “Isn’t it obvious? Clearly, all black and spikes are the way to go.” He growled. “But that’s not the point right now! The point is that this is a lot worse than I thought… hrmmm…”

“How are your plans progressing, sir?” The doctor had been whittling away at an old set of blueprints for the past week straight, trying to finish… whatever it was. Eggman grumbled.

“They, uh…. Need more time. Possibly a lot of it.” He mumbled that last part under his breath. “But that’s not good enough!” He slammed a fist down on his desk, knocking over a ‘number 1 Eggdad’ mug. “Oh no- that was a gift from Sage!”

Orbot swept up the pieces with his hands. He handed them to Cubot, who took off with a salute. “Don’t worry doctor, we’ll get them put back together in no time at all!” Eggman raised an eyebrow. Right…

“Well. Anyway… I need to do something to keep Metal in line until I can finish the prototype.” Eggman rubbed his chin, deep in thought. 

“Um, sir?” Orbot spoke up. Eggman eyed him, allowing the shapebot to continue. “Perhaps a wake-up call is in order? I mean, he is bound by your programming, is he not? Can’t you just… command him to cease interacting with the hedgehog?”

Eggman considered this. Then, a large smile crept across his face. “Actually, Orbot, that may not be a completely stupid suggestion.” Orbot clapped his hands happily. “Yes… I think I know what to do.”

~~♥~~

Metal Sonic was feeling a little daring.

It wasn’t the day he would normally sneak out to meet with Amy, but he needed to get out of that stuffy lab desperately. The doctor was long asleep by now, meaning much of the rest of the city was, too. Still, he didn’t want to take any chances. Which meant the park would be his go-to for getting away for a bit.

Metal landed in the grass. With his superior eyesight, he could see everything just as well as in the daytime. 

As expected, the park was totally empty by this point. He looked around, deciding what to do. Maybe just sit in the grass? Or he could take a picnic table to himself, or…

His sensors landed on a lone swing set. He and Amy never bothered with any of the park’s amenities, preferring to lay low. And the swing set was so juvenile, anyway…

…

Metal Sonic sat on the swing.

It creaked ominously under his weight, but held. Something told him that trying to actually swing would lead to trouble, so he refrained. But it was still… he couldn’t put a word to the emotion, but it was definitely that. An emotion.

He was having a lot more of those lately.

“Hey, this seat taken?”

Metal Sonic snapped his head to the other swing, taking in the sight of the newcomer. Just his luck.

Sonic the Hedgehog.

WARNING!>

>>

>>

CONFIRM SYSTEM OVERRIDE? Y/N

>Y

COMBAT SYSTEM OVERRIDE ENGAGED

He grasped at his head. It was spinning with commands, instructions and pre-programmed feelings. These he was familiar with. But he couldn’t listen to them.

‘I made Amy a promise.’

“…I’ll take that as a no.” His organic copy sat down on the swing set beside him. He kicked his feet idly, gaining little altitude. “So… can’t sleep either, huh?”

Metal Sonic just glared at him. He wasn’t in the mood for jokes. Furthermore, why was he even here? Was Sonic trying to provoke him?

Sonic chuckled nervously. “Hey buddy, chillax! I’m just trying to lighten the mood.” He stopped kicking his legs, gripping the chains of the swing tight and staring upwards at the stars. “Y’know, in all these years of us trying to tear each other apart I don’t think we’ve ever gotten the chance to just… sit down and talk it out, you know?”

Of course they didn’t. Metal Sonic was specifically designed to not communicate with his enemies, that much should be obvious by now. And he had nothing to discuss with Sonic, anyway.

…

At least, he didn’t think he did.

“Yeah, don’t worry, I know you can’t say anything back. Amy told me about it. Sounds like a real drag, honestly.” Sonic was looking at him now. Something about those green eyes… It was disturbing to him. Like seeing something uncanny or out of place.

‘He must be destroyed. He is a copy of you. He is trying to replace you.” 

Metal Sonic shook his head. As true as that may be, for now he couldn’t do anything lest it put his mission at risk. Playing nice was hard. 

“I mean, I kind of get it though, you know. Not being able to talk when you want to sucks.”

Metal looked over at Sonic. Really? The Sonic the Hedgehog understood what it was like to not talk? Now that was a laugh. But he seemed serious.

“I know, I know, hard to believe isn’t it? But well, I dunno.” Sonic fiddled with his gloves, uncharacteristically meek. “I don’t talk about it much but, sometimes I have these times where I just can’t talk at all. Like my voice still works and everything and I can think of what I want to say, but I just can’t say it. You know?”

Metal Sonic stared. Yes, he did.

Sonic sighed. “It used to be worse when I was a kid. I mean- you kind of knew me back then, but maybe you didn’t notice. I would go days without being able to say a word, then be totally fine other days. Weird, right?”

Metal stared harder. What was he trying to accomplish by telling him all of this?

“Uh- sorry if that’s a bit weird to drop out of nowhere.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I just figured, you know- we had something else to relate to other than just being super fast blue hedgehogs, right?” 

Metal Sonic shook his head. That may be true, but they weren’t the same. Sonic could still talk freely in many circumstances, whereas Metal could not even imagine what it would feel like to freely communicate with the world. The mere idea gave him errors that told him that such a thought was off-limits.

“Yeah, I guess I don’t totally get it, huh?” Sonic shook his head. “I mean, you haven’t been able to talk since at least the last time you were Neo Metal Sonic.”

Neo Metal Sonic. That phrase was like a hot iron to his internal memory. Files related to such a state were under strict lock-and-key, he couldn’t… couldn’t…

“Woah, you okay there, buddy?” Sonic was propping him up. They were in the dirt at the base of the swingset. Judging by the scuffs on his outer layer, he must’ve fallen off the swing at some point.  But why…?

“Sorry man, I must’ve said the wrong thing.” Sonic smiled apologetically. “My bad!”

Metal Sonic read his internal clock. 3:27 am. It was only a few more hours before his master would wake, and it would be wise to be back well before then to cover his bases. He shrugged Sonic’s hand off of him, getting to his feet with ease. 

“Oh, time for you to go already?” Sonic asked. Metal responded with a curt nod. He was holding it together well, but… it would also be wise to leave before anything untoward could happen.

“Have a safe trip home!” Sonic called as he started to rise into the air. Uh… he shrugged awkwardly. He should too, he supposed?

“Oh, and one more thing!” He called up to Metal Sonic. “Just wanna make sure we’re on the same page about something.”

Metal hovered downwards, interested. On the same page about what?

Sonic kept that same saccharine-sweet smile on his face. “If you hurt Amy, I’ll tear you into so many pieces that not even the doctor will be able to put you back together.”

If he was an organic, he would’ve paled. Sonic just kept smiling. “Okay, fly safe!”

As Metal flew home, he couldn’t help but wonder just how seriously to take that threat.

Chapter Text

‘What a beautiful day.’

Amy took a deep breath, taking in the sight of her front lawn. Her garden was modest, nothing more than a few beds and staked flowers. But she was hoping to expand it!

Today, Metal would be visiting. She planned on teaching him how to garden. 

On cue, she heard his thrusters cut just behind her. She whipped around, beaming at the new arrival. He just stared back, as always.

“Hi, Metal!” She cheered, running forward to give him a hug. He returned the gesture, giving his signature awkward back-pats as she squeezed him tight.

She felt something strange. Pulling away, Amy realized that Metal was carrying a small bundle in his arms. Oh, was that…?

“Oh wow, I nearly forgot I lent you these!” She took the clothes from Metal. Carefully, she held them out in front of her, folding them into neat squares. Only, something was missing… The gloves!

“What happened to the gloves you borrowed?” Metal looked down, seemingly embarrassed. Had he lost them or something…? “It’s okay! They were just a spare, no biggie.”

She set the clothes down on the stoop, then turned back to face Metal. She was in a simple set of boots and overalls today, quills pulled back to keep them out of her eyes. A perfect work outfit.

“I thought since Ms. Vanilla gave me some seedlings the other day, we could do some gardening together!” Metal Sonic cocked his head. She could tell he was confused. Amy giggled. “Come on- it’s easy, I promise! I’ll show you what to do.”

Amy crouched down, picking up a young Echinacea plant. She walked over to the spot she picked out beforehand, between a rose bush and some decorative kale close to the house. She beckoned Metal Sonic over.

“The flowers I planted here last spring were supposed to be perennials, but I don’t think they made it over the winter…” She explained. “But it’s okay, I think these guys will be a great replacement!”

She dug her trowel out of the pocket in her overalls, holding it out for Metal to see. He was crouched over her, watching intently. “The first thing I’m going to do is dig a hole.” She stuck the trowel in, clearing away a bit of dirt. “I usually like to make it as close to the size and shape of the container as I can…”

She cleared away the last bit of dirt from the rim, then carefully placed the potted plant inside. It seemed like a good size… “Okay, now this next part is a bit tricky… you have to be careful getting the plant out of the pot, you don’t want to accidentally hurt it!”

Amy held the plant up, letting Metal get a better look at it. Carefully she turned the pot on its side, letting it slowly slide out and into her hands. She held the crumbling dirt up, allowing him to see the roots. 

“There! And now we can tuck it away in its little hole…” Metal Sonic seemed mesmerized. She turned back to the garden bed, placing the small plant inside the hole she dug. “And now I just take the dirt I displaced from the hole and make sure the roots are all nice and snug.” She filled in the empty space, patting the soft earth for good measure. “There! All happy.”

She looked over at Metal. “Would you like to try the next one?” 

~~♥~~

He wasn’t any good at this. Not like Amy was, at any rate. 

Digging a hole was easy. He forgoed a shovel entirely, making due with his hands. Tearing up the earth was second nature to him.

It was caring for it that presented the issue.

“Remember, you want to slide it out carefully…” Amy spoke in a soothing tone next to him. He felt nervous, staring at the plant in his metallic palms. It was so… innocent. Fragile. He knew with a twitch of his claws this small, insignificant life would be extinguished.

“Metal?” Amy asked, concerned. “Do you want me to take this one out?”

Metal Sonic shook his head. No, he needed to do this himself. He was the world's most advanced machine, after all. Being afraid to harm a teensy plant would be pathetic, if true. 

Which it wasn’t.

He turned the plant over, into the same position Amy had earlier. Only this time, it hardly moved an inch. He waited, watching for when it would slowly but surely slide out onto his palm.

…

This was taking too long.

“It might be a little root-bound,” Amy said, sensing his impatience. “Try giving it a little shake!”

He nodded. That, he could oblige.

Metal shook the plant once. Nothing. Twice, still nothing . Thrice…

Oh, screw this.

He shook the plant hard, causing it to rush forward, free of the pot. Unfortunately, the added momentum caused it to slide out of his grasp and land on the ground. Oops.

“Oh, no…” Amy muttered, reaching down and picking up the plant. When she straightened, Metal could tell that it hadn’t made it out unscathed. The roots were nearly bare, the dirt scattering from the force of the impact. Worse still was the clear crook in the plant’s stem. That definitely wasn’t there before…

He felt strangely guilty, looking at the pitiful plant. He’d ended countless lives with these hands of his, but something about the context, the fragility…

ERROR

MISSING FILE

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ADMINISTRATOR PERMISSIONS REQUIRED

ACCESS DENIED

Here, too? Amy produced a pair of gardening shears. With a single snip the floppy stem of the plant detached, falling to the ground. He looked at her curiously.

“The stem is too damaged for the plant to save, it’s better to just cut it off.” She put the shears back into her pocket. “But it’s okay, the plant still has lots of leaves, see?” She placed the bare root system back in his hands, motioning to it. “These guys are pretty hardy. It might be behind the others in growth, but it should be okay.”

Amy knelt down, gesturing at the hole he dug. “Go on- plant it! Just uh… be more careful this time, okay?”

He nodded, stooping down. As he carefully covered the plant's roots, he marveled at its tenacity. If a machine breaks, it must be fixed. If the cost to fix it is greater than its value as an asset, then it will be left to rot. But for living beings, there was no maintenance. No replacement of parts. There was only survival, growth, and inevitably death.

And for some, love.

“Great job!” Amy cheered, slapping him on the back. He wasn’t expecting the sudden jolt and nearly careened forward, squashing the plants flat. In a panic, he engaged his first engine to help right himself. That was close.

Amy smiled sheepishly. “Whoops. Well, do you wanna keep going?” He looked away, a bit nervous. Would he be a help? “Hey, don’t worry. You’re not the worst gardener I’ve seen. Remind me to tell you later about the time Tails tried to ‘automate’ the whole process. Now that was a disaster!”

Her face softened. “But… if you really don’t want to, we can find something else to do?” 

He considered this. On the one hand, he was afraid of harming any more plants. On the other, Amy seemed to be genuinely thrilled to show him the process. And there were an awful lot of seedlings to plant…

“Hey, I have an idea!” Amy chimed in. Oh? “How about you dig the holes, and I can put the plants in the ground?”

Metal Sonic nodded. He would like that very much.

~~♥~~

They made such a good team.

Metal Sonic was a digging pro. Without fail he seemed to get just the right shape and size for each hole, allowing Amy to plant the seedlings with ease. He also seemed unbothered by the rocky soil of her garden, which often led to a lot of maneuvering and pulling on her part to dislodge any large rocks she found. Maybe he should come along for all her gardening adventures..

“Phew!” She cried, patting down the soft earth on the final seedling. She stood up, stretching her back. “All done.” Amy looked around, admiring their work. Metal seemed mesmerized as well, likely not used to tending nature rather than destroying it. She smiled.

“We did great work. Just one last thing…” She pointed to the side of the house. “We need to give these guys a good watering. Could you turn the water on? The spigot is just over there.”

Metal Sonic nodded, moving to the side yard. Amy looked back down at the Echinacea she planted first. Something warm bubbled in her chest, spreading out to her limbs and bringing a bright smile to her face. This was the start of something big, she could just tell. She and Metal had come so far…

CLANK

Pshhhwww

Amy whipped her head around. Metal came around the corner, dripping wet and gesturing frantically to where he came from. Something metal was clasped in his hand…

She gasped, running over to the side yard. Metal followed her. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what had happened…

As expected, she found the spigot now topless. It was belching water, soaking the side of the house and grass. She sighed.

“Metal? Spigot.” She held a hand out, gesturing. Without delay he handed the piece of the spigot to Amy. She looked it over. Thankfully, nothing seemed broken… that was good. 

She took a deep breath, readying herself for the cold water. Then she stepped forward and, with great effort, started combatting the strong flow of the water to put the piece back in place. It was difficult, and she nearly contemplated shutting the water off to make it easier. But that would be its own headache, so… she persevered.

Finally she was able to get the piece in the hole, and with great effort she turned it resolutely clockwise. The water flow stopped, and she stepped away, panting. 

She got a good look at herself. Drenched from head to toe, she was sure she must look like a drowned rat. Metal Sonic stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. 

She giggled.

That giggle turned into a laugh, and soon she was laughing hysterically. The whole thing was just hilarious. How hard must he have cranked the spigot to dislodge it like that? How did he not even notice it was coming loose? How did he react when suddenly he was getting drenched—

Amy became aware of a strange sound. She stopped laughing, looking at Metal Sonic in shock. His shoulders were shaking slightly, and he was making a strange combination of beeps and clicks. It almost sounded like…

She couldn’t stop the words. “Metal? Are you… laughing?”

He stopped immediately. The red circles of his eyes widened ever-so-slightly, confirming her suspicions. Metal seemed just as surprised. She’d never heard him laugh before…

“C’mere.” She motioned Metal over. Ignoring the disgusting feeling of her wet clothes, she crouched in front of the spigot. “You don’t have to be overly rough with the wheel. You can just turn it slightly, like this, see?” She turned the spigot counter-clockwise, allowing the water to flow.

She got up, walking over to where the hose was kept rolled up. She grabbed the nozzle end, leading the hose off its rack and returning to Metal. “And now we can water the plants!”

~~♥~~

Metal Sonic looked at the hose in his hands. 

Amy had given him the job of watering the garden while she went inside and changed her clothes. A simple job, one he wouldn’t possibly mess up. As long as he kept the hose on the “shower” setting, it was just a matter of sweeping it around the yard until everything was well watered.

…

It was boring, though. 

He was nearly done when he heard a sound. It sounded like when Amy had finally, properly turned the water on. Perhaps someone else was watering their g—

He jolted as a blast of water hit the side of his body. Was he under attack?! He turned, catching sight of a figure on the other side of the fence. In the neighboring yard was a young mobian boy, a joey by the looks of things. He was snickering, holding up a hose.

Metal was incensed. How dare this brat try to provoke the Metal Sonic?

He turned the hose around, aiming it in the boy’s direction. It didn’t go far, still on the shower setting. The boy laughed, spraying him again. Metal grimaced internally. Oh, so it was like that, eh…?

He stepped closer, spinning the knob on the hose head like he observed Amy doing earlier. He was careful not to overdo it, not wanting to break another item of Amy’s. 

It landed on a powerful jet, which streamed out in the boy’s direction. He yelped, ducking out of the way. Metal immediately pointed the hose at the ground, turning the dial again. That seemed a bit too strong for a simple water fight… and accidentally pressure-washing a child’s face off wasn’t exactly incognito mode. He flipped through the options: Cone, flat, mist… no, definitely not…

In the meantime, the boy seemed to recover. He once again blasted Metal with the hose, this time drenching the top of his head in water. He beeped in annoyance. Finally he turned the hose to a setting that seemed to resemble what the boy was using: center.

He brought the hose head up, aiming for the young joey. He squealed in surprise and amusement as the water hit him, soaking his clothes and fur. He ran to the side, trying to avoid the spray while blindly pointing the hose back at Metal Sonic.

Metal was really getting into this. He ran after the child, careful to avoid getting too close to the fence in the process. He sprayed him again, but this time the boy stopped, taking the full brunt of the attack. He realized too late that he’d fallen into his trap… with a triumphant cry, he aimed the nozzle right at Metal Sonic’s face, drenching him and obscuring his optical sensors entirely. In a panic he dropped the hose, frantically wiping at his screens as the child laughed.

“Kevin? What are you doing-“ Metal heard a loud gasp. He finally cleared enough water away to see the form of a mother kangaroo envelop the young boy in a protective embrace, staring directly at him. 

Her eyes had a familiar look. Hatred, and above all, fear. 

She quickly shuffled the boy back inside, ignoring his complaints and cries of disappointment. The mother didn’t even bother to shut the water off, and the hose lay on the other side of the fence of the grass. He watched as the water pooled on the ground, slowly absorbing into the earth.

“Alrighty, I’m good!” Amy flung the front door open. He turned to look at her. She was wearing her usual bright red dress, eyes full of joy and life. 

“Oh? Did Kevin leave the water on again?” Amy said, walking over to see what Metal was staring at. “I’ll have to tell Mrs. Roo later… Are you all done watering?”

Metal Sonic nodded. Yes, he was done here. He followed Amy back to the side yard, and assisted her by rehanging the hose on the rack while she turned the water off. 

“Alrighty.” Amy brushed the wet earth off her dress as she stood up. “I know it’s getting a bit late, but… do you wanna watch a movie or something?”

He considered this. On the one hand, he’d been taking too many chances lately. If he kept this up, Eggman would likely figure out what he’s up to and ruin everything. On the other… he couldn’t help thinking of that young boy. His mother was so afraid of Metal, but he seemed to show no fear. It… confused him. 

He nodded. The movie sounded nice.

~~♥~~

“No sign of Metal Sonic yet, sir.”

Eggman stroked his mustache, humming. “I thought as much.” He pulled up the tracking monitor, observing Metal’s location. As expected, it lay unmoving at that meddlesome girl’s residence. “Looks like we’ll be doing this the hard way. Ready the Eggmobile!”

Orbot jolted. “R-right away, doctor!” He grabbed Cubot, flying off to the hangar. Eggman sighed.

“Kids…” He grumbled. “You build them, load ‘em up with all the weapons they could ask for, spend all that time repairing them and for what?” 

One thing was for sure. It was time for a little discipline. 

~~♥~~

Amy sighed dreamily.

The end credits of the movie rolled on, bathing the living room in a gentle light. Outside the sun was nearly completely set. She glanced at the clock. 8:07 PM.

“I wish we could go stargazing together…” It was a romantic comedy, Amy’s choice. She could tell Metal wasn’t that into it, but he’d insisted that it was okay. At the very least, she could tell he was… intrigued by certain parts of the movie.

Near the climax, the leads took a trip to a nearby hotspot for couples. It was a tower on a hill, and the lack of nearby buildings meant that the light pollution was lessened compared to elsewhere in the city. They watched the stars together in a scene that made Amy’s heart swell. Oh, it was just so romantic…

But of course, it wasn’t like she and Metal could do the same. Any place like that would be too crowded, and she didn’t really want any drunk teens noticing them and making a whole scene out of it. Maybe one day…

She looked at Metal. He had that type of stare that meant he was deep in thought. “What’cha thinkin about?”

He looked over. Then, he abruptly stood up, jostling Amy slightly in the process. She watched with curiosity as he opened up a nearby closet, rustling through it. He pulled out a large blanket, turning around to present it to Amy.

‘Does he usually dig through people’s stuff without asking?’ She thought, amused. Metal walked over to the door, pulling it open and gesturing outside. “You… want to go outside?”

He nodded. She got off the couch and followed him, curious. She shut the door behind them. “Okay, now what?”

Metal swooped low, picking Amy up. She squeaked in surprise. “What-“ She heard his engines roar to life, and for a heart-stopping moment she flashed back to the first time she felt this sensation. ‘ No. No, Metal wouldn’t do that to me now. Right…?’

He lifted into the air, and she squeezed her eyes tight. Then she felt herself be placed down. She opened her eyes, realizing that they were now high above the ground. 

She looked around, finding that Metal had taken them to a flat spot on the roof. He was spreading the blanket out now, like he’d seen the second girl in the movie do for the first. He motioned to her to sit down, taking his own spot.

Amy smiled gratefully. Oh, this was… how could she ever doubt him? She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes as she sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. 

The stars were so beautiful tonight…

“Having fun, are we?”

Chapter Text

Metal Sonic changed his mind. He was ready to kill something.

“Oh sorry, am I interrupting something?” Eggman taunted. It was just him there, floating in the latest Eggmobile. UGH.

“THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. GO AWAY!” He sent an angry PM to the doctor. He scoffed. 

“None of my business?” He cried, looking at Metal with an expression of hurt. “Of course it’s my business! As your father, I have the right to know about these things.”

Amy stood up next to him. Oh, no. “What the heck are you doing here, Eggman? You better leave or else!”

He just ignored her, focusing on Metal with a disappointed expression. “Really, Metal, this is who you’ve been seeing? You can’t possibly think this will work out, can you?”

The taunt was obvious, but… It also rang true. Being confronted by his master… What did he expect at this point? He realized with shock that he hadn’t even thought about the so-called “mission” in days. He’d just been focused on spending time with Amy…

Amy pulled out her hammer, brandishing it at the doctor. “Hey! Don’t you dare ignore me.” She growled. Eggman rolled his eyes.

“And she’s so combative too. Talk about a drag.” He leaned back in his seat, twisting his mustache. “Come on, Metal. Wouldn’t you rather I built you a nice girl robot instead? Or a boy, or whatever you prefer.”

Metal Sonic shook his head. “NO!” Would it be easier if his partner was someone who would do whatever, whenever he wanted? Sure, but that wasn’t the point. He wanted something different. 

He wanted Amy.

“Alright, that’s it. You’re going down, jerk!” Amy grit her teeth, stepping forward with her hammer. Eggman tsked.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He warned in a bored tone.

Amy laughed. “And why not? It’s just you here, I can stamp your sorry butt flat any day of the week!”

Eggman grinned, sending a chill through Metal’s processor. Of course. How could he be so stupid? He was alone because…

“Metal Sonic?” He crooned, sweetly. “ Please show your little girlfriend here the proper way to speak to her father-in-law.”

Metal went rigid. Panic shot through him as he realized what Eggman was doing. No, no, no, no—

ADMINISTRATOR OVERRIDE ACTIVATED

>

>

INTERNAL VERIFICATION SYSTEM DISABLED

>

INITIATING COMBAT PROTOCOL 3GG7

His hand twitched. He tried to stop it, but… but… 

Amy scoffed, looking at Eggman. “Yeah, right. As if he’d listen to you!” 

He stood up, approaching Amy. She turned to him. “Alright, let’s kick his butt together, Metal! …Um, Metal?”

His hand rose into the air, poised to strike. Amy stared back, confused. It took a moment before she realized what was going on. “…Oh, right. My bad.”

Metal brought the hand down, hitting nothing but air as Amy hit the deck. She rolled away, jumping up and holding her hammer out to block another swipe. Eggman chortled, clapping. 

He chased her around the small battlefield, unable to land a hit on her despite his speed. Instead of feeling frustrated, he was glad. For once he was actually relieved his opponent was able to match him in skill. She did have quite a lot of experience taking him on, after all.

But then the worst happened. The edge of the blanket caught her foot, and she lost her balance. Amy cried out as she fell backwards, teetering off the edge of the roof. No… no!

Eggman’s laugh reverberated through his head. Metal Sonic’s vision went white.

~~♥~~

Well, she had a good run.

The distance between the roof and the ground was large, large enough that she wouldn’t be getting out of this unscathed. Amy closed her eyes. She just hoped Metal wouldn’t blame himself…

“Got you!”

Amy opened her eyes, finding herself suddenly weightless. She heard the twirling sound of… Tails!

He brought her to the ground, letting her down gently. “Amy, are you okay?” He asked, looking her up and down. Oh, good old reliable Tails!

“I’m fine, thank you!” She looked at him closely. “But uh, what are you doing here?”

Above them Metal jumped from the roof, landing in the grass in front of them. Something was wrong… er, wrong-er. There was no recognition in his eyes, like no one was home. Oh no.

“Uhhh, let’s worry about that one later. In the meantime…” She and Tails jumped to either side, avoiding a rush from Metal. He straightened, deciding who to attack next. 

Amy tensed as his gaze focused on her. She gripped her hammer tight, ready to swing as Metal rushed forward—

“HANDS OFF!”

A blur of red came rushing in, smacking Metal Sonic away with a crushing blow. Steel plates creaked ominously as Knuckles’ fists sent him flying. “No creep’s gonna lay a finger on my sis!” 

“Knuckles!” Amy cried, overjoyed. Metal Sonic was a tough opponent, but with the three of them now they stood a solid chance of defeating him without totally destroying him in the process. 

At least, if she could convince Knuckles.

“Oh, great. Now the sidekick brigade is all together...” Eggman grumbled, floating down in the Eggmobile. Knuckles grunted.

“ Sidekick? Who’re you calling a si-”

“Think fast!” Amy shouted, dodging out of the way as Metal came at them again. Knuckles was too slow, and ended up getting rammed full-force by the robot. He went flying into the distance. Ouch. 

“Don’t worry- I’ll go get him.” Tails said in mild exasperation. Amy nodded, turning her attention back to Metal Sonic. Was there any way to get through to him?

This time, she went on the offensive. She rushed Metal, hammer raised high. He dodged, stepping back as she swung again. And again, and again. 

As they moved backwards, Amy tried speaking to him. “C’mon, Metal... I know you think you can’t disobey Eggman, but... I believe in you!” He didn’t say anything. “Remember that story I told you? About the bird and Badnik?”

He still didn’t respond, but Amy could’ve sworn he hesitated, just for a moment. Suddenly, Tails was right on top of them, carrying an angry Knuckles.

“Alright,” he said, as Tails dropped him on the ground. “You got a lucky shot. But this time... you’re going down. ”

She nodded to Knuckles, stepping back from Metal Sonic. His focus changed to the echidna, who was now rushing towards him. 

Metal evaded his blows, trying to move backwards to try and ram him again. There was no way to win in a three-against-one as it was, so Amy recognized he was trying to keep Tails and Knuckles off the battlefield for as long as possible. Thinking quickly, she rushed behind him, evading notice thanks to Knuckles’ distraction. 

“Aaaaand- FORE!” She swung hard, propelling Metal forward. Knuckles caught him, swinging him around and throwing Metal Sonic high in the air. Tails grabbed the robot, grinning.

“Hey there, Metal!” He squirmed in Tails’ grasp, trying to get the fox to drop him. “Sorry about this, buuuut...”

He wrapped his hand around Metal’s back, then tossed him away. He hit the ground with a thud, recovering quickly. Only...

“Watch out!”

Knuckles and Amy ducked down as a small explosion enveloped Metal Sonic. Thankfully he’d been a good distance from any structures, but still...

“ Tails!” She cried. That was so overkill! She ran over to the small crater where Metal lay. He was built strong, staying relatively intact. It seemed like he was out cold.

“Sorry about that Amy.” Tails said sheepishly. He flew down, taking a good look at the defeated robot. “Looks like my microbombs are still a work in progress... At least it did the job.”

“You damn brats!” Oh, right. Eggman. Amy’d almost forgot he was here... “Grr... Metal! Get up, now!” 

He pressed a button on his console, and the lifeless robot in her arms suddenly straightened. Metal looked around, seeming confused. Then he focused on Eggman.

“We’ll be retreating. For now.” He commanded his creation. Metal started to move his legs, staggering forward.

“Wait-! You can’t-” Amy tried to keep hold of him, but he firmly pushed her arms away. He got a few feet before one of his mechanical knees popped out of his socket, causing him to fall.

“Your secondary engine is busted?” Eggman called down. It was so unfair that they could communicate... “Well your primary still works, right? Fly home and I’ll repair you... maybe.”

She heard Metal’s engine fire, but something was obviously wrong. The sound reminded her of a broken car... Amy looked up at the doctor. His face was nothing but mild annoyance... would he really make him fly like this?

Amy couldn’t hold it back anymore. “What is wrong with you?” Her hands shook with barely-contained rage. She hadn’t even realized how angry she was until the floodgates opened. But now, she was going to let this awful man have it.

“Excuse me?” Eggman looked surprised. Out of everything, he likely didn’t expect her reaction to be this. She stared back, eyes narrowed.

“I said, what’s wrong with you? ” She ground out. “Can’t you tell he’s hurt? It’s one thing to force him to attack me, but now you’re making him limp home too?”

“Force him?” Knuckles mumbled, but Amy just ignored him. She wasn’t in the mood for that conversation at the moment.

“You made him. You’re his dad, for crying out loud! I get why you don’t like me, but why do you treat him like this too?” She thought back to her previous run-ins with Metal. Finding him in the snow, the lack of recognition in his face after his first stint as Neo Metal Sonic, how Eggman always just seemed to leave him behind when he failed... 

“Oh, shut it girlie. You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Eggman snarled. “The way I treat my robots is my business. Maybe if you’re so concerned you should stop beating them up? It’s your and your friends’ fault I have to fix them in the first place, you know.”

She shook her head. His tone was... ugh! “You’re unbelievable, doctor...” She grumbled. “If Sage was in his place, would you treat her this way?”

That seemed to strike a nerve. Eggman frowned, opening his mouth to speak. But he stopped. Then he shook his head.

“Unlike some bots, Sage doesn’t disobey me at every opportunity.” He muttered. “But... Fine. If you’re really so concerned, why don’t you have your little friend fix him up? I’m sure it won’t be any problem for Prower.”

She glanced at Tails. He gave her a half-hearted shrug. It would have to do…

“Great. Are we done here? I have another scheme that needs planning.” He grabbed the control sticks on his dashboard, and soon he was off into the night.

Good riddance.

…

Metal was still kneeling in the dirt.

Amy rushed over, propping the injured robot up. She could tell now that while the damage wasn’t catastrophic, he was definitely worse for wear. The left screen of his eyes was cracked, flickering and fuzzing with dead pixels. Oh, Metal…

“Not so fast.” Knuckles placed a hand on her shoulder. “I dunno what all this was about, but from what I saw he was just trying to attack you. Tell me why I shouldn’t finish the job right now.”

She sighed. Knuckles had a point… this didn’t exactly look good. What could she say that would convince him none of this was Metal’s fault?

She decided on the truth. “…I love him. And… he loves me.” She looked at Metal. He was staring at the echidna now, the single eye glowing in the dark of the night. “So, please...”

Then, he slipped from her grasp.

At first, she was afraid he’d gone limp again. But he stopped with his knees in the dirt, head down. Amy realized he was kneeling.

Knuckles just stared. He crossed his arms with a huff, looking away. “It would be dishonorable to kill a surrendering enemy…” He murmured. Amy smiled in relief. 

“Oh, thank you Knuckles!” She squealed, wrapping him in a hug. He tried to shove her off, embarrassed.

“Yeah yeah- get off me, Amy! And you-“ He wormed his arm out of her grasp, pointing to Metal Sonic. “You’re on thin ice. Got it?” 

She glanced back at Metal, who nodded. He tried getting to his feet, but ended up falling again. Ack— right! Where was Tails…?

“Amy! Over here!” She whipped her head around towards the sound of his voice. Tails stood at the edge of the neighbor’s yard, gesturing just down the road. There, parked rather conspicuously among a couple of residential cars, was the Tornado.

She and Knuckles hoisted Metal up, carrying his body to the plane. Tails had Knuckles put him in the back, where a special set of restraints would keep him locked in place.

Tails noticed the nervous energy that radiated from the robot. “It’ll be fine, I promise. It’s just a last-minute addition I made in case your grip isn’t strong enough right now, I’m not trapping you.”

Metal glanced down at Amy. She gave him a reassuring smile. “It’ll be okay. Tails always keeps his promises. Right, Tails?”

To her surprise, Metal rolled his one good eye. She looked to Tails, who seemed to be fiddling with the tip of his tail nervously. What was that all about…?

“Anyway, I’m worried about stability, so Knuckles and Metal will be taking the Tornado to the lab while Amy and I fly.” Amy’s eyes narrowed. 

“Can Knuckles even fly this thing?” She asked, looking at him skeptically. Knuckles seemed offended. 

“Excuse me? Of course I can fly this hunk of junk. Tails himself taught me!” He wrapped his arm around Tails, puffing out his chest. “Isn’t that right, little buddy?”

Tails nodded. “I did indeed, and Knuckles is… adequate at flying, don’t worry Amy!” The tone of his voice didn’t reassure her, but she let it drop. She just wanted Metal fixed…

“See you soon!” She called after the plane as Knuckles accelerated down the empty street. He waved back, and soon he and Metal were up and away, out of sight. 

She turned back to Tails. “Ready to go?”

~~♥~~

He never wanted to be in a plane with that echidna again.

Metal was so grateful to the fox after all, because he was certain that the restraints were the only thing that kept him from becoming a hedgehog-shaped missile. He felt a sense of relief as the plane descended through the clouds, landing just outside Tails’ lab. Metal vaguely remembered coming here once before, but he couldn’t recall exactly why.

They’d gotten here ahead of Tails and Amy, so there wasn’t much to do except sit and wait for their arrival. Knuckles had been “kind” enough to release him from the restraints, but didn’t so much as move a muscle when he plummeted to the ground with a metallic crunch.

He glared at the echidna, who just shrugged. Whatever… it was just another dent his friend would need to repair.

More or less alone with his thoughts, he considered the day’s events. He remembered Eggman showing up and ordering him to attack, that was clear in his memory. It felt awful knowing he’d attacked Amy, but he knew it wasn’t his choice. Whatever his father said, he did.

But… at some point, he’d lost awareness entirely. And next thing he knew he was sitting in a hole, Amy at his side as Eggman screeched to follow him home. On one failing engine. That would’ve gone just swimmingly. 

What caused him to black out? He searched his recent log files, only to find a large swath missing. Figures. It was really starting to annoy him, all of these inconsistencies.

“So. You and Amy, huh.” Metal Sonic jolted. He wasn’t expecting Knuckles to speak to him at all. “Can’t say I expected that.”

Metal looked at his right hand. One of the fingers was missing a segment, likely taken off in the blast. Hopefully the fox would be able to replace it…

Knuckles shuffled, coming around the other side of the plane so Metal could see him better. “Amy says you love her. Is that true?” He said, blunt as ever.

He looked at Knuckles. Until recently, he would’ve denied such a claim. Unless it benefitted him, anyway. But now he nodded without hesitation. Yes, he did.

“Hmph. You know, I’ve seen you in worse shape than this and still trying to claw people’s eyes out. She’s not even here, but you’re not doing a thing.” His stare was intense, a guardian’s gaze. Metal Sonic looked away. He was right, of course. Even now, the messages in his periphery were informing him of all the best ways to dispatch a target. Their close proximity made it easy to do, even in such a damaged state.

And yet, he felt no desire to do so.

To his surprise, Knuckles wrapped an arm around him. “I dunno what’s going on in that head of yours, but I can respect a guy who knows when he’s beat.” He laughed, the sound reverberating through Metal’s broken torso. “Just, don’t try that again. Unless you want to end up in even more pieces next time, anyway.”

Just then, Metal caught sight of a pink figure rushing towards them. Amy! Tails trailed behind her, looking exhausted. 

She stopped just short of the pair, looking surprised. “Oh? Awwww- I’m so glad you two are getting along now!” She cooed, looking at where Knuckles had his arm wrapped around him. They shuffled away from each other quickly, Knuckles muttering excuses. Embarrassing…

“Alright… hoo… Knuckles, can you and Amy…. Hahhh… sorry, gimmie a second…” Tails panted. Amy wrapped an arm around him, looking concerned.

“It’s alright Tails, that was a lot of flying you did! And carrying someone, too.” She said, rubbing his back in soft circles. Tails gave a shaky smile.

“Thanks Amy… I’ve been… getting stronger. But enough about that right now, can you and… Knuckles take Metal inside?” He asked, still panting lightly. Metal couldn’t help but smile internally. Their sense of camaraderie was… truly commendable.

Amy and Knuckles nodded, getting on either side of Metal and hoisting him up. The inside of the lab was equal parts messy and organized, and even with his advanced information-compartmentalizing abilities he felt a headache just looking at it all. How did he keep all of this straight?

They shuffled him onto a repair stage. It was a bit short, meaning his legs dangled slightly off the edge. Tails approached, smiling apologetically. “Sorry, Metal. But I figure it’s better than the chains, yeah?”

Chains? He didn’t know if he even wanted to learn what that meant. He just stared upwards, ready to be worked on.

“You know I won’t be able to totally fix you up, right?” Tails asked, digging through a nearby drawer. “You’ll be able to get back to Eggman, but that’s about all.”

Metal nodded. Yes, he was well aware that no one except his original master would be able to fully repair him. He knew the child genius had made great strides in repairing some of the doctor’s rebellious creations, but he knew each and every one of them was unique. It just needed to be good enough. 

“Alright,” He said, pulling on his welding mask. “I’m going to get started. Let me know if anything feels too weird…”

~~♥~~

Amy sat in Tails’ kitchen, drinking a cup of tea.

It was now well after midnight, so Knuckles whipped them up some green tea to help them stay awake. Apparently he’d offered some to Tails, but he’d refused, saying he felt totally awake. That kid could go days without sleep, it felt like.

“…it should only take a couple minutes, so just wait here, okay?” She heard Tails’ voice approaching. Was he done already?

He entered the kitchen, sighing. It was a good sigh though, she thought. “So, how did it go?” She asked, a mix of excitement and anxiety.

“He’s fully operational.” He said, pouring himself a cup of tea. Knuckles snorted from his seat. Looks like he wanted some after all… “It’s not the prettiest patch job, but now he’ll at least be able to get back to Eggman’s lab without running out of power. Or exploding.”

Tails’ tone of voice was flat, but Amy found it a bit disturbing. Was he really that damaged? That wasn’t the only thing on her mind, though… 

“Knuckles?” He turned from his tea, looking at her. She and Tails needed some privacy… “Could you keep Metal company?”

“Why me?” He started, looking confused. Then he got a better look at Amy’s face, pleading. “…Fine. I’ll make sure he’s not secretly planting Eggman spy cams or something.”

Knuckles shuffled off, leaving just her and Tails sitting at his small dining room table. She took a deep breath. “Um, Tails?”

He looked up from his mug. “What’s up, Amy?” His tails swished behind him, ears perked in curiosity.

“I was wondering. Do you think you’d be able to… I dunno, remove whatever Eggman’s done to make it so Metal can’t speak? Or- maybe like- make it so he can’t control him at all anymore?” The words flowed out in a rush, unable to control her excitement and curiosity.

Tails clutched at his tea, surprised by the outburst. He shook his head sadly. “Sorry Amy, but I don’t think that’s possible… Eggman’s machines are all so weird, and I don’t think it would go well if I tried poking around in Metal’s head.”

Amy bit her lip. “Why? What do you think would happen?” He looked up, contemplating. 

“It’s just a hypothesis, but…” He fiddled with his fingers absentmindedly. “I would be worried it would break him. If I incorporate a bad part into his body, I can just replace it with a new one. But if I did something wrong with his code…”

“…It might kill him.” She finished, sadly. Tails opened his mouth to speak, likely to point out that that was an oversimplification, but he closed it. 

“Yeah… more or less.” He muttered. “I’m really sorry Amy, I wish I could do more. Maybe if he came around more often I could figure something out…”

Amy laughed. “I’m not sure that’s possible. He doesn’t like you or Sonic very much.” Tails looked a bit disappointed at that. Even now, he was still interested in the opportunity to tinker with a new machine. 

The alarm on his wristwatch went off. He pressed a button on the side, silencing it. “There we go, he should be fully charged by now!” He slid off the chair, beckoning Amy to follow him. “C’mon, let’s go see him.”

Amy nodded, getting up and following the young fox back into the lab. Knuckles stood next to the table in silence, arms crossed. Metal looked… better. Still dinged up, but a definite improvement. A long black cord trailed from his body to a large machine in the corner.

Tails walked forward, detaching the plug from Metal’s body. He got off the table, flexing his arms. 

“There,” Tails said, wrapping up the cord. “That should supplement the power loss from your core for now. You’ll be able to get home just fine.” 

Amy grinned, stepping forward to give Metal a hug. She did so gently this time, not wanting to accidentally undo any of Tails’ hard work. She pulled away, still smiling. 

“What an exciting date night, huh?” She said, still leaning against Metal. He beeped a scoff. “Hehe, I know, I know. But we’ll talk about it later, okay?”

Metal Sonic nodded. Then, he turned to Tails and nodded at him. “I think he’s saying thank you, Tails!”

Tails smiled. “Of course. It’s no problem, thank you for not being mad that I blew you up.”

Metal lurched forward, raising a fist. Tails giggled mischievously, retreating behind a nearby bench. “Oops. Uh, maybe I shouldn’t have said that.” 

Amy sighed. “Come on guys, haven’t we had enough fighting for one day?” Knuckles, who was suddenly interested in the exchange, dropped his fist in disappointment. “Besides, we’re all friends now! Right?”

They walked outside the lab, Amy hand-in-hand with Metal Sonic. When they stopped, she grasped Metal’s other hand, turning him around to face her.

She looked at Metal’s face. Even with the cracked screen, she still thought he was undeniably the cutest person she’s ever seen. Without thinking, she leaned forward, and… 

TONK

“Ouch!” She cried, rubbing her nose. Right. He was made of metal. He didn’t even have a mouth to kiss…

She heard laughing behind her. “KNUCKLES!”

He ran back inside. Amy growled, shaking her fist at him. Oh, she would so sicc the hammer on him later. But for now…

Metal still held on to her other hand, looking at her expectantly. She pulled him close, giving him another hug instead. When she pulled away, she swore she could almost see a hint of wonder in his one working eye.

“Hey, fly home safe, okay?” She said, softly. “And, um… if Eggman gives you any more trouble, you’ll just let me know, right? We’ll give him what-for, no questions asked.” She winked.

Metal Sonic gave her a thumbs up. Then, he activated his engines. He rose into the air, Amy refusing to let go of his hand until he was too high to reach. 

“See you again next week.”

~~♥~~

Epilogue

Metal Sonic ran a third diagnostic test.

It came back the same as the rest. Several areas were damaged and in need of repair, but no critical errors remained. He’d become nervous thinking about what he had overheard Tails say about potentially blowing up, but it seemed like the patch job truly was adequate. That was good.

...

The flight home seemed to stretch on forever, giving plenty of time for Metal to think. Think about the day’s events, think about his injuries, and more importantly, think about himself and Amy. 

He couldn’t deny it any longer. Something about that first attempted kiss from Amy seemed to put his head on straight, making him realize the truth with a startling clarity.

There was no plan. Metal wanted to be with Amy, no strings attached.

Before, trying to admit the truth to himself just added to the layers of confusion wrapping around his mind. But now it felt so obvious, like the answer was a pebble tossed into a weedy pond that left behind clear water. Yes, he was dating Amy, and no, it had nothing to do with his mission or purpose. It just was. 

It was a strange feeling.

He thought about Eggman. He would obviously never approve, and likely would keep trying to separate them at every opportunity. It was daunting, but strangely he felt unbothered. Like whatever he could throw at them would be no match for them and their bond. 

Even if he couldn’t make his meddlesome father understand, he needed to— no, wanted to— make this work. 

As he flew into the lab, he thought about how he finally had something truly worth protecting.

~~♥~~

Amy slunk back into the house, positively exhausted. She needed to head home… Hopefully Tails could give her a ride.

As she stepped inside, she could hear Tails and Knuckles talking about something. That reminded her. How had they known she was in trouble, anyway…?

“Hey guys.” She said as she entered the kitchen. The talking stopped abruptly… a bit too abruptly. Okay, now she was suspicious. “What were you two talking about?”

Tails and Knuckles glanced at each other, then away from her. “Umm… just about dropping you and Knuckles back home?” Tails tried.

Uh-huh. Alright, time for a different tactic. “I see. I was kinda wondering about something, though. How did you and Knuckles know I was in trouble today?”

“W-wow, would you look at the time!” Knuckles said, nervous. “I really need to get back to Angel Island, the chao get hangry if-“

“A-bu-bu! None of us are leaving this room until you tell me how you knew. Easy, right?” She said, smiling. She was exhausted, but more importantly she was suspicious. Tails and Knuckles looked at each other again, nervousness written on their faces.

Finally, Tails sighed. “Okay, Amy. The truth is… we may have been…” He trailed off, sweating through his fur. 

“Go on. What were you doing?” She questioned. Knuckles spoke up next, blurting out the truth she’d expected all along.

“We‘ve been watching you and Metal for a while now! We just… didn’t trust him, okay?” He choked out. Amy nodded. 

“Thank you for telling me.” She said, simply. Tails looked at her, unsure.

“Um… so you’re not mad?” He asked, hopefully. Amy shook her head.

“No, I’m not mad.” She kept smiling. Tails and Knuckles sighed in relief. 

“I’m furious.”