Work Text:
Metal could hear his internal fans whirring, a faint hum as his systems booted up. It was the typical, familiar startup sequence, one that he’d experienced dozens of times before. However, this time, it felt different. Instead of the sensors in his eyes immediately flicking on upon startup, his eyes opened, now with whites and irises in place of the dark, shiny display he was used to.
He could feel the substance that filled the tube, the tingling new sensation of it enveloping him. His limbs were suspended by the gelatinous substance, though he could still feel them at the joints where they connected. His newfound eyes rapidly scanned the room, panicked by the unfamiliar surroundings. He quickly realized he was in a glass container, still connected to several thick wires.
Looking down at himself, he noticed something. His body lacked its metallic, spiky characteristics, and instead looked natural. Almost exactly like Sonic.
Before he could fully process his predicament, his eyes landed on the yellow fox standing in front of his container. The fox was focused on some sort of handheld device, but eventually noticed metal’s stare.
“Metal? you finally booted up!” the fox looked pleased, his voice cheerful.
He paused, before his tone shifted to being more nervous
“ahaha, you’re probably wondering…a lot of things…”
Tails scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Metal found it strange how Tails only seems slightly intimidated in his presence, it was very different from how terrified the fox’d been in all their previous encounters
“I am.” Metal said. Wait, what? He froze at the voice which was apparently his, the confusion likely evident on his face. He shouldn't be able to talk. Robotnik hadn’t bothered wasting time giving him a voice, since he originally wasn’t intended to be able to think independently. He'd always used one of his internal fans to communicate the words he was later reprogrammed to string together, with a series of whirrs and beeps.
Tails looked at him
“Do you like your new upgrades? I must admit, you were interesting to tinker with, and it’s evident how meticulously made you are. Though, I guess you kinda have to be to face off against sonic.”
“Or wait, I should probably get you out of the tube before I start asking you questions.”
Metal simply floated there in the tank, collecting himself as tails pressed a button on his device. The gelatinous material rapidly dissipated, causing his arms to drop to his sides. The wires disconnected from his back, retracting into the lab wall. The glass tube made a hissing sound as it lowered into the floor, allowing metal to feel the cool, ventilated lab air on his skin.
Metal’s attention was directed back to tails, who paced back and forth, his tails twisting and untwisting behind him anxiously, gaze on the slightly dusty tile floor.
“Where do I even start…”