Chapter Text
Amy slowed opened her eyes.
At first she felt invested by electric light in her small cell. Then all of a sudden, the pain. Her hand reached the left side of her head, where she was sure she got hit but couldn't remember much of what happened.
Then her eyes got used to that white light and she saw it. The robot was sitting on the ground, staring at her with his glowing red eyes. It wasn't just any robot, it was Metal.
Amy crawled against the wall behind her back away from him. For how long had he been staring? What intention did he have in mind? What kind of order was he following?
“Have no – fear”
Amy felt tears in her eyes. “What am I doing here? What do you want? Where is-”
Sonic. Where was Sonic? If she was there, kidnapped -again!- by Metal... that meant that Sonic was defeated?
“No need to – scream”
Metal Sonic raised his metallic arm and offered her a flower. A daisy. Amy first looked at it, then she moved her trembling gaze on the robot.
“Take”
It sounded like an order. She shook her head. “No.”
“Take”
“I said no”
He paused. Also, since when he could talk? Then Metal spoke again. “Need to understand” He left the flower on the ground. “Troubling – data”
Amy fell back against the wall with a sigh. She was too weak and hurt in that moment to even think to oppose Metal Sonic. Her trembling fingers moved to reach the flower. “If I help you with your... troubling data, will you please let me go? I'm hurt, I need water and medication and Sonic will be worried to death...”
The robot stayed in silence for a while, like he was processing Amy's offer with his inscrutable gaze. “You will receive water and medication” He stated. Suddenly Amy felt her eyes in tears and her weakness won. Everything turned back and she fainted again.
After a while -hard to say how long- she woke up. Metal was, again, sitting in front of her, at safe distance. Between them, the flower and a bottle of water.
“Your wounds medicated. Health level: good. You will – survive.”
Amy didn't reply and quickly grabbed the bottle. Metal stared at her taking small sips of water and stayed in silence for a while, The pink hedgehog couldn't dare to say anything more.
“Sonic” he said “Corrupted my system”
Amy frowned at that. “How could... that be? Aren't you Eggman's best machine? And how do you know your system is corrupted?”
Metal Sonic mechanically approached her. Amy held back her breath in fear.
“Sonic – corrupted my system. I copied his biodata. And he corrupted me with his troubling data.”
Amy shook her head. “I don't understand. How am I supposed to help you? I don't know anything about data and systems.”
Metal stared at her. He was just terrifying. “I copied Sonic's – troubling data. Feelings. You – explain. Fix – my system back.”
Amy stayed in silence. Now she was sure she was still asleep and in the middle of a nightmare.
“Fix – me. Explain – these feelings to me. I do not have data about love.”
Amy shook her head again after a moment of hesitation. “This must be a mistake.” She heard her voice trembling.
“Can't make mistake.”
“This must be a mistake.”
Metal stared at her. “Can't – make mistake.” This time his voice sounded more threatening. She cried again. “Look, I really would like to help you but you really are in mistake! You couldn't have copied that data from Sonic. He had never... felt anything for me.” It hurt to say that out loud. To a killer robot. “He had never reciprocated my feelings. So you must be wrong. Your system made a mistake, but it's not because you copied Sonic's biodata.”
Metal Sonic stayed in silence carefully processing Amy's words, looking at any movement of hers, of her hands rubbing her teared eyes. The his eyes suddenly shone of white light and started talking.
“Event: hand taken by pink hedgehog. Data: trembling muscles, stomach ache, head dizziness. Heartbeat rate: high. Health level: good. No wounds. Research for answers.”
He paused.
“Event: lift pink hedgehog's body. Warmth. Trembling muscles. Heartbeat rate: high. Health level: good. No wounds. Research for answers.” He paused again. “Answer found – biological definition of what you call 'love'. You – explain.”
Amy frowned again. So Metal... had Sonic's memories? Somehow? And Sonic felt... like that? For her?
“Data about pink hedgehog named: Amy Rose. Kind, generous, warm, soft, strong-willed, brave, beautiful.” He paused. “Good cooker.”
Amy stared in silence. That was... what Sonic thought about her? Hearing that from a metallic voice didn't help her to believe it.
Metal spoke again. “Someone – to protect. You – explain.”
Amy sighed in distress. “I cannot explain anything to you! I have already told you what I know!” She felt tears in her eyes again and felt absolutely pathetic. “I have followed him for years and he had always rejected me and my feelings. I know for sure that he doesn't feel that way. Your system is broken!”
“Answer found – biological definition of love. To find someone to protect and care for.”
“He doesn't feel that!”
“He – feels that. This is his data.”
Amy sighed and hugged her knees in silence. Metal stared at her.
“You – hurt”
“Your system got that?”
“You hurt – for a long time.” He paused “This is no new information.” He paused again. “This – sadness. He meant no hurt to you.”
She sighed. “I know. He never intended to hurt me. It's not... his fault.”
“You – explain.”
“I don't know what to explain to you. I just... wanted him to give me a chance to date. I could have tried to be... his kind of girl. I just wanted a chance.” She closed her eyes. “But it's not his style, of course. And I couldn't force that feeling on him, or anyone.”
She didn't realize Metal approached again. “Give – chance.”
“To you?”
He didn't reply. She nervously laughed. “You want a date?”
“Date. Flower.”
Her eyes widened. The flower! Was that an... answer his system found when Metal searched for date? Was the killer robot really trying to ask her out?
“Date.”
She didn't know what to think. “I have never dated a robot. Or... anyone.” He stared in silence. He wasn't much of help, of course. He couldn't have a clue, just like her.
“If I was at a date with Sonic, I would have prepared him his favorite dish.”
“Can't eat.”
Of course.
“Well that's right. But you brought me water. I didn't thank you.” He stared. “....Well, thank you.”
“Take – hand.” Metal Sonic announced before touching Amy's hand. She instinctively moved away but his grip was strong. “Demonstration of gratitude.”
She trembled looking in his glowing red eyes. “You also probably kidnapped me. And it wouldn't even be the first time.” But apparently this time he wasn't acting on orders. He acted out of curiosity. For his data about Sonic.
“You – keep – explaining.”
She felt shaken from her thoughts by his voice. “W-Well, if we were having a date, I would feel a lot more at ease if we could talk about what we like, what we don't, our mutual interests...”
“You – talk.”
She gulped. “But you already have my data!”
“You – talk. Date.”
“Okay... I like flowers.” She looked at the daisy “...which you already knew, of course. Because you are not a stranger in this moment, you actually are... Sonic. In this terrifying body of metal that could destroy me in an instant. Sure. So! If I were having a real date with Sonic I think we would go on an adventure. Because he never likes to stay still for too long and I wouldn't want for him to get bored. And then he would make terrible jokes about what we had done during the day and I would restrain any laugh because I wouldn't want to let him win.” She smiled softly. “On our way home I would ask him not to run but to walk normally and he would take my hand in silence.” Amy closed her eyes, peace on her face at those familiar thoughts. How many nights she fell asleep thinking about that? How many times she dreamed of that. “Then when I would be finally on my doorstep I would turn to him and thank him for the date and say that I had fun. That I would happy if we had the occasion to do it again. Then he would smile and say that he is not going to run away any where soon. And... then he would kiss me. I would hug his shoulder and stand on my tiptoes.
“Kiss”
Metal Sonic pressed his face against her. Was... the killer robot trying to kiss her?! Amy madly blushed and used all her strenght to push him away. She stood up. “Not like that!”
“Kiss”
“No! You cannot kiss me!”
“Kiss”
“I said no! It's not something you do without consent! I do not consent to be kissed, I don't care if you are a powerful robot! Learn some manners in that system of yours.”
Metal was still sitting on the ground in front of her. If he hadn't been a robot he would have looked confused.
“Consent”
“I do not consent to be kissed.”
“No kiss”
“Good.” She said, sitting back on the ground. “Move away, you're too close.”
He hesitated, then moved away. “Date – over?”
“Normally it would be over, this isn't the way to treat a lady. It's not that you can use Sonic's biodata to steal kisses.” Then she laughed. Everything sounded just mad.
“You – laugh. You happy. Date result: good.”
“No! I'm not happy! You kidnapped me!”
Metal processed again. “You laugh. You happy.”
“No! I... just miss Sonic.” She closed her eyes. “He really wouldn't believe to all of this.”
They stayed in silence for a while. Metal Sonic seemed to have more questions than answers after their fake date. The new information seemed to make everything more complicated.
“You are difficult. You made me difficult.” He paused. “And now I love you.”