Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

-BOOT UP SEQUENCE INITIATED-

-WEAPONS: 100% FUNCTIONALITY-

-LIMBS: 100% FUNCTIONALITY-

-OFFENSIVE SOFTWARE: 100% FUNCTIONALITY-

-DEFENSIVE SOFTWARE: 100% FUNCTIONALITY-

-DIRECTIVE: STANDBY-

Metal Sonic’s optics activated slow as always. He waited for the GUI to activate in full before he stepped out of his charging station. He was in pristine condition, he noticed when looking down at himself, without a dent or scratch in his paint. It was Sage’s doing, he assumed, given that even the smallest detail was tended to. Doctor Robotnik was thorough, but not as thorough as her.

He opened and shut his hand once, twice. His diagnostics indicated full operation, but he was well aware of the opportunity for viruses and bugs to creep in while he was out.

And there was a phantom of a sensation on it. Something remaining from his last fight, before he’d last been non-functional, when he’d been wrestling Sonic down. It would go away, but his sensors still indicated that something was felt there.

Perhaps that was why his programming refused to idle. That was his default for standby functions, unless something interrupted him. Usually it was something like Orbot or Cubot electing to frustrate him while they were supposed to be on standby as well. He supposed someone else would find it funny that Doctor Robotnik had granted those two the ability to do as they pleased while on standby, with how much havoc they could cause, while he, his greatest weapon, was forced to–

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

Reconsideration request accepted. He understood, in a way. After all that had happened so long ago, he knew that he was dangerous when left alone. He was made for the sole purpose of destroying Sonic the Hedgehog, and he was prone to rebellious streaks if unhindered.

He should not follow that thought process.

He lowered his hand, staring across the room. It wasn’t the same room as he’d usually charge in, but it was one of Doctor Robotnik’s creations. A large base of operations, and Metal Sonic could sense the vibration of movement under him. He assumed it was a version of the Death Egg, or any other sort of mobile base or weapon, the latter of which was only corroborated by what was kept in the control center.

The seven Chaos Emeralds were slotted into the machinery, likely ready to power the worst weapon in the arsenal. Metal Sonic stepped forward to take a closer look, comparing them to his database as he took one out of the device, tilting the green gemstone in his hand to observe its every angle. He’d registered Sonic’s use of them many times, and he had previously registered his own use of them. It had been a rush of power, not unlike the one when he assumed Metal Madness, and after that, Metal Overlord.

He did not possess the chaos energy required to harness them as he was now, though. His Neo form could replicate and mimic bio-data, but as he was now, there was no way to do that. Besides, that was not possible in standby.

Were Sonic here, they would be used to destroy this place, and to send Doctor Robotnik back to square one. In a way, it was admirable how Sonic could do such a thing.

Were Sonic here, he would likely–

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

Reconsideration request accepted. If Metal Sonic could–

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

Reconsideration request accepted. If Metal Sonic had–

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

…

It would be nice, perhaps, to be the true Sonic once more.

-MOBILITY ERROR-

-VISUAL ERROR-

-AUDIAL ERROR-

-SOFTWARE ERROR-

-ERROR-

-MULTIPLE FATAL ERRORS DETECTED-

-EMERGENCY SYSTEM RESET INITIATED-

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“Sonic! My best customer!”

Sonic skidded to a halt in front of the chili dog cart, grinning at the mouse staffing it as they addressed him. They took out a pair of tongs, spinning it before they expertly plopped a sausage in a bun, already prepared.

“Lemme guess; one dog with extra-extra chili?” They laughed as they switched to a ladle.

“You know it, Millie!” Sonic grinned, watching them as they started scooping the chili onto the dog.

Millie wasn’t the mouse’s name, and neither was the name ‘Milo’ plastered on the cart’s front. It was Milford, but Sonic had gotten to know them well enough to know they kinda hated both, so Millie it was.

“How’ve things been round the bend?” Millie asked, looking up as they dolloped a third scoop of chili onto the dog, still going back to get more. “Heard ‘bout you fighting that robo-dupe the other day.”

“What, Metal Sonic?” Sonic frowned, tapping his foot. “Yeah, it was weird. Middle’ve nowhere and he pops up outta nowhere throwing hands!”

“Really?” Millie frowned, handing Sonic the dog as they tilted their head. “Ain’t that normal for ‘im or somethin’?”

“Not really. Most’ve the time Metal gets in my way while going after Eggman for something.”

Sonic took a bite out of the chili dog, chewing thoughtfully before continuing.

“But he hadn’t really done anything in a while then, and I’d just been headed to Tails’ place. My best guess is that he was guarding something or another while…”

Sonic paused, his eyes widened before he swallowed his bite.

“Oh crap, I gotta go!” His foot-tapping grew incessant as he dug a bunch of rings out of his quills, pressing them into Millie’s hand quickly. “Thanks a bunch, Millie. Keep the change– you gave me a lot more than just a dog to chew on!”

“Uh– you’re welcome? But–” Millie flinched as they felt the last burst of wind Sonic left behind as he took off, closing their hand around the rings. When the blast subsided, they looked down at the rings in their hand, quickly counting them before gaping. “This is way too much, y’know!”

But Sonic couldn’t hear them, already being a few blocks down and getting further away by the moment. He adjusted his grip on the dog after nearly losing a bit of chili to the wind, licking the drop lost off his cheek. The cityscape quickly turned to green grass and trees as he locked his eyes onto the mountain range in the near distance.

Sonic cursed himself for not thinking about it before. Sure, it wasn’t his strongest suit; most of the time he just went with the flow, but Metal should’ve given him pause, there. The tin-can practically never acted alone, always following some sorta order after that whole Neo-business ages ago. Everything else was in service of Eggman and his goals. He’d been stupid to assume it was anything else then.

Sometimes he wondered what was going on in that guy’s brain… or code or– whatever! He just didn’t get it, and probably never would.

As Sonic lingered on that thought, though, he heard something. Something robotic, he thought, going ‘something-something error’ in a mumbly sort of voice.

But then it grew louder as something started to happen.

His chili dog dropped from his hand, leaving chili to drop everywhere as his body started going numb. He lifted a twitching hand to his head as his vision blurred, his running becoming clumsy. He tried to stop, but the moment he went to skid to a halt, he stumbled, tripping and falling down the side of a hill. He cried out as he rolled to a stop at the foot of the hill, all bruised and scraped.

He tried to catch his breath, to push himself up, but that was easier said than done– or not. He couldn’t even bring himself to make any noise outside of a pained yell as a splitting pain intruded in his head, bringing with it another sound aside from the persistent ‘ERROR’ invading his senses. A loud screech of a machine, like a cry of agony. If Sonic had half the mind to joke, he’d find it funny considering how much pain he himself was in.

He tried to blink open his eyes, but he could hardly see anything clear. Heck, the clearest thing was something green in the center of his vision, but between the light, the ever-shifting gray-blue, and the pain wracking his body, he couldn’t make out a thing.

The last thing he could understand before his consciousness melted away was the sound of someone calling his name. Whether it was pained, like a plea, or worried, as though it was witnessing a tragedy, he couldn’t tell. All that he could really understand was that it was way too loud .

Chapter Text

-BOOT UP SEQUENCE INITIATED-

-MULTIPLE MINOR ERRORS DETECTED-

-WEAPONS: 99% FUNCTIONALITY-

-LIMBS: 100% FUNCTIONALITY-

-OFFENSIVE SOFTWARE: 97% FUNCTIONALITY-

-DEFENSIVE SOFTWARE: 94% FUNCTIONALITY-

-DIRECTIVE: STANDBY-

WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!

Sonic didn’t have time to wonder about that— he could hardly see anything, aside from the red-glowing-thingies in his vision. Some sorta crosshair, like from a video game, and something labeled as a directive in the corner, like from another game.

What, was he in a game or something?

Nah. That’d be ridiculous. Thankfully, light slowly faded into his vision, revealing what was going on. He was sprawled out on the ground, in a room covered in metal. One of Eggman’s labs, he realized absently, but that didn’t catch his attention.

What did was the seven items floating above him, spinning rapidly as they glowed. Chaos Emeralds! He leapt to his feet, reaching out to grab one, only to realize he already had one in his hand. He tried to grab one with his other hand, but it was too late— they had already scattered, leaving him with just the one.

He went to comment on his luck, but no words came out, nor did his mouth move. Instead, all that came out was a soft ‘bzzt-‘ing sound. 

What.

It took him a moment to process everything that he’d experienced in the last few seconds. He hadn’t even realized that he’d had mechanical claws in the place of soft gloves when he’d been trying to grab the Emeralds a moment ago. Sonic looked down at himself, seeing the red-coated steel that made up his feet. The lack of sensation and the simple knowledge that he was holding something resonated harder now, with the only thing he could really place being the Chaos energy rippling through what he wished was his veins. Slowly, he looked up at the blank monitor before him, only to slouch in shock.

Twin red dots shone in the reflection, expressionless but still so pained as they revealed the unmistakable form of Metal Sonic staring back at him. He looked so small from this angle as he realized what had happened.

Sonic’s first thought was that this was Eggman’s doing, but that was scrapped quickly. Not only did it seem like the Doc wasn’t anywhere around here, but he probably wouldn’t be this active if it was purposely done anyway.

Did that mean Metal did this himself? That… wouldn’t be too surprising, somehow, with his whole shtick. Still, he’d rather be back in his own body. He couldn’t just let Metal do who knows with his body.

That’d mean getting the Chaos Emeralds back, for one thing. Could be hard navigating that like this, but it wasn’t like it was undoable, right? 

He was just about to head off to do that when he heard something. Someone, rather, in a soft monotone.

“Metal Sonic,” Sage said as she appeared in a small burst of visual data. Sonic was thrown off his guard for all of one second before he caught himself, freezing up.

It’d be nice to be able to rely on Sage again, but he couldn’t do that. Not only did he really not know how to communicate with her, but she was his enemy here, so he couldn’t act weird. He had to keep consistent with how Metal acts.

Which was, of course, hardly at all.

Thankful for once that Metal’s face didn’t move and his eye-things didn’t shift with emotions, Sonic turned his gaze away from his reflection and towards Sage, rigid and as unmoving as possible. Luckily, that seemed to be what she expected of him.

“You were active when the Chaos Emeralds scattered. Are you aware of what happened?” She asked, her voice impassive as always. Sonic looked back down at the Emerald in his hand, with her gaze following. “I see. Their energy interfered with the camera system in this room, so I don’t have visuals of what occurred either.”

She moved to the monitor, which lit up as Sage started typing on the keyboard below it. Lines upon lines of code moved across the screen, although Sonic really had no idea what they were saying.

“I was able to prevent three of the Emeralds from escaping as well, but much of the mobile-base has been taken down as a result, so mine and father’s focus is on bringing the systems back online,”

-NEW DIRECTIVE: SEARCH FOR AND RETURN THE EMERALDS WITHIN THE MOBILE-BASE TO THE POWER SUPPLY-

Sonic almost flinched as the words blared inside his head… or system or whatever. It was followed up by a visual display in the corner of his vision, showing a sort of map. 

Before he realized what he was doing, Sonic slotted the Emerald he was holding into the slot made for it. He’d be gaping if he had a mouth. He hadn’t even thought about doing that! 

“I’ve sent the full schematics of the mobile-base to you.” Sage continued, oblivious to the shock Sonic was feeling. “The Emeralds should automatically mark themselves on the map.”

It felt weird to not be asked or even told out loud to do something, but if Sonic’s action from a moment ago was any indication, he wouldn’t have a choice. With a salute, copied from what he’d seen Metal himself do, he walked away and out of the room.

He couldn’t sense Sage’s eyes on him, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t watching, so he stayed rigid until he was a good bit away. Once he was sure he was out of sight, he slumped, letting out a noise that sounded a lot like a sigh. He guessed he was letting out smoke from his exhaust pipe or something. Fitting name, since he was EXHAUSTED. Not physically, though.

Sonic shifted his gaze to the map in the corner of his vision, trying to check it. Conveniently, (but surprisingly enough to make him jump,) it expanded to cover his vision.

Three different markers stood out against the red of the map, being colored white, purple, and dark blue. Each was located in a different room, all in different parts of the base. Annoying, sure, but he’d make it work.

He’d have to avoid coming back around here, though. He couldn’t just let himself put them—

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

OW!

Owowowieowowowwww….

That hurt! Like, really really hurt! Like that splitting pain from earlier, but not so bad that he couldn’t react. It wore away quickly after, upon which Sonic realized he’d doubled over a bit. Rubbing his head, even though it really didn’t do anything for him, Sonic straightened himself out.

Okay, so no active thinking about avoiding tasks. Gotcha. Annoying, but gotcha.

There had to be a way… that would minimize the power needed to burn to get all the emeralds at once, then! And maybe he’d find a way outside, by pure coincidence, right?

Man, he was GOOD at this! 

Tapping his foot, a bit annoyed he couldn’t really feel the action like he usually would, he mapped out his route.

The first Emerald was the purple one, located in a kitchen, apparently. Sonic would be surprised, but hey, Eggman’s probably around and even evil mad– er, any evil genius needs food, right? Especially given that Orbot and Cubot were noted to be working there. They shouldn’t be hard to fool, though. A glare and they’d think everything’s fine. Heck, they’d probably already have found the Emerald for him, so that’ll save time there! Nice!

A quick route between that and the next one was a ventilation shaft. He’d passed a few grates before in other Eggman bases, and he’d seen a few on his way here, so he knew that fitting into one shouldn’t be a problem. And, yknow, the shaft could lead to a way out, too. Not that that mattered at all. Totally.

Okay, yeah, he was overselling it. 

Said next Emerald was white, and was in a room labeled ‘Call Center.’ Should be simple enough to find, since that’d probably just be a radio room. Strange that Eggman felt the need to have that, but whatever.

That being said, the last one, the dark blue Emerald, could be annoying; it was a storage room, which meant clutter and scrap and boxes of stuff. With records at least everything was probably organized in folders and rows of hard drives.

With another sigh from his exhaust, Sonic patted his cheeks. No time like the present, right? Right! With a quick stretch (which didn’t exactly do anything for him, given the circumstances) Sonic started on his route down the hall.

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“Sonic! Oh, please wake up!”

The voice that announced Metal Sonic’s boot up sequence was nicer than usual. Not rough, though a bit abrupt. He was sure he’d reset, but perhaps his memory drives had been…

Where were his memory drives?

He could remember things, but not bring up the—

“Sonic!!”

Huh— did he just feel something push him?

He felt that?!

Metal Sonic’s eyes opened on surprise, a small noise coming from his mouth. This seemed to please the girl who’d… woken him up, apparently. He didn’t need a database to recognize Amy Rose, and this was before she gasped and wrapped her arms around him… which he could still feel, weirdly.

“Oh Sonic— I was so worried! You just started tumbling down that hill, and I was so scared! You’re not too hurt, are you?”

Amy Rose pulled away from Metal Sonic, releasing him as she looked him over. Good. Maybe then she’d realize she wasn’t staring at that mess of a hedgehog and instead was eye-to-optic with his superior.

Except… something was still off. With the space to think, Metal Sonic noticed a few things. He was outside, for one, and for another, he could still feel things. Grass, he assumed, poking into him, and strange pains across his body. Neither accounted for the lack of a proper boot-up sequence, or the eyes… or that… weirdly biological sounding… noise…

Looking down at himself as he sat up, he made another gasp as he looked at his hand. His hand! Instead of sharp, metal claws, there was a white glove, stained with dirt and what he recognized as chili, and torn at the hems to reveal cuts and scrapes on warm, biological paws. 

“Oh, please don’t tell me you’re more worried about your chili dog than your own wellbeing!” 

Metal Sonic’s gaze slowly turned to Amy, who seemed to be upset. He didn’t have the data to know what kind of upset, however. He supposed it was frustration born out of worry.

It took a moment for him to realize she had not corrected herself for calling him Sonic, and in fact, had made a correlating statement. 

“… You’re… not talking much… Are you sure you’re okay, Sonic?”

He didn’t pay her any attention, as something else caught the corner of his eye.

Turning to look, Metal Sonic watched as three lights shot up into the sky just beyond the mountain in the distance. He didn’t have the database to prove it, but even so he knew that only Chaos Emeralds acted in such a way.

He got up as he watched them glow together, before scattering in three beams of light.

“Oh no you don’t!”

Metal Sonic made a yelping sound as Amy grabbed onto his arm, tugging on it. When he looked at her, she seemed to wince for a moment before her expression hardened.

“You’re in no condition to run off after those Emeralds, yknow. Did you hurt your tongue, or your throat?” Amy gasped, tugging a bit more, “Oh no– don’t tell me you hit your head!”

She started pulling him away, causing him to stumble as she practically dragged him along.

“That’s it, I’m getting you to the hospital!”

Metal Sonic yelped, tugging at his arm, but Amy had the strength of a vice grip.

“Seriously, you could be really really hurt, Sonic! Don’t you–”

He didn’t let her finish, grabbing her arm and, without hesitating, yanked on it as he dug his heels into the ground to use as leverage, sending her crashing into the grass. Amy cried out, letting go of him.

He looked his arm over, still off put by the peachy tone and the fact that it could feel. The light imprints of Amy’s grip were already fading, a trait of biological flesh…

With a glare towards Amy, Metal Sonic turned and started to run off, ignoring how she called to him to wait as she recovered. His steps were clumsy and inexperienced, thanks to how little he himself had to run as himself, but he was still faster than he’d thought legs would ever carry him.

Unsettling, considering what he’d been dubbed just moments ago.

As he grew further away, Amy got up, her eyes trained on him as she took something out of her pocket; a little transmitter. She pressed the button on the side and spoke into it.

“Tails? Are you there?”

“Amy?” The fox’s voice crackled through the static, “Is everything alright?”

“I’m okay, but… Can you keep an eye out for Sonic? Something’s… really, really wrong with him today. I’m worried…”

But Metal Sonic heard none of this, already vanishing over the horizon.

Chapter Text

It was a lot easier to get around an Eggman base when you weren’t an intruder. Technically Sonic still was one, but it wasn’t like the few bots loitering around the place could tell. 

He couldn’t know for sure whether they were so sparse because there just weren’t many, they were in hiding or inactive somewhere in the place, or if they were out searching for the other Emeralds. As much as he wished it was the former-most, it was probably the last of the three, though that wasn’t entirely bad.

After all, if his friends were to, say, find the base now, they’d be able to break the place down pretty easily. He could imagine them now, busting their way through bots upon bots…

… Aaaaand probably attacking him on sight. Yep, nope, he hoped they were handling the Emeralds AWAY from here, thanks!

Sonic shook his head, not getting the semi-mind-clearing relief that usually came with the action, and continued down the hall. He was getting close to the kitchen now, and could hear the sounds of a pan sizzling just around the corner, with Orbot and Cubot chattering interspersed.

If anything, it was a good thing he couldn’t smell the food, or even feel hungry. He hadn’t been able to finish his chili dog earlier, and he was sure he’d be hungry by now otherwise.

Slowly, Sonic peeked into the kitchen through the doorway. It seemed normal enough. Orbot was chiding Cubot for something, and Cubot reached up to scratch his head in response, lifting up his hairnet and wig. Orbot quickly smacked his hand away, tutting at him and dragging him to the sink—

Wait wait wait wait. Hold up.

Wigs. And hairnets.

Both Orbot and Cubot wore them, in grey and brown respectively. If Sonic could laugh, he—

“Hue—”

Sonic immediately stopped himself, his hand immediately going to where his mouth would be.

Oh.

Oh no.

He could laugh.

And it was taking all of his willpower NOT to.

Okay. Okay! He could work like this. It wasn’t like he had a hard time not laughing when something was objectively hilarious or anything like that, right?

… Okay, he could feel phantom sensations as a robot, he got it. He didn’t have to find that out through the memory of Amy’s hammer probably, but it was whatever.

He batted at the spot of his head where his weird sensors screamed something was, before throwing in the towel. He’d have to live with it for now, alongside the urge to laugh.

Readying himself, he stepped into the kitchen, the sound of metal foot meeting metal-plated-floor drawing the two bots’ attention. They looked particularly silly as Cubot’s wig was askew.

Don’t laugh don’t laugh don’t laugh don’t laugh…

“Oh, Big Bro!” Orbot beamed as he saw Sonic, moving in front of Cubot as if to hide him. “We’ve been expecting you ever since the Emerald fell into the stew.”

Sonic’s eyes followed Orbot as he headed to a discarded pot, scooping out the purple Chaos Emerald, pristine despite the description.

“I still think it woulda been fine to still use the stew,” Cubot said as Orbot handed the Emerald over. “It’s not like those get dirty, right?”

“Yes, but what of the energy it gives off? We have no idea whether it can rub off on food, and at that rate, whether that energy is edible!”

Sonic, admittedly, was not paying attention, instead just looking down at the Emerald. Orbot seemed to notice this after a moment or two of more bickering.

“Big bro?” Orbot said, frowning. “Is everything alright?”

Sonic glanced at him, then back at the Emerald quickly, before he could take in too much of the wigs. He then nodded, leaving Orbot relieved as he continued rambling.

Sonic still just stared at the Emerald. He didn’t exactly have quills to tuck it away right now. Was he just gonna have to lug around at least six Emeralds? But he’d seen Metal take Emeralds out of basically nowhere before…

Ugh. Whatever, he’d figure it out away from these two, when he wasn’t moments from cracking up.

He scanned the far wall of the room, his gaze passing over panels and cabinets until he saw the obvious grates tucked between a few panels. Wasting no time, Sonic cleared the room in a few steps and stood in front of the vent.

He… didn’t really know how to take it off without damaging it… not that he’d mind—

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

Ow! Okay, quit it, he got it, he got it!

“Oh, do you need me to get that for you, big bro?” Orbot practically teleported behind him, causing Sonic to jolt (again, he realised after a moment). He stiffened up before just staring. Metal wouldn’t just admit to needing help, right? Right! And he’d already messed up, so he had to compensate somehow!

Orbot seemed to stare back for an extra moment or two, possibly even squinting, before proceeding to take the grate off of the vent, resting it on the ground nearby. Sonic didn’t hesitate to start climbing in, only to be interrupted again. 

“Would you like for one of us to come with you? We can remove the next vent panel for you.”

Well, Sonic couldn’t really have that. They could get suspicious, or notify Eggman, or something. Not even mentioning that he couldn’t find a way out if– 

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

Ugh, fine, fine! He wasn’t avoiding the task, right? Happy? He’s fine!

“R-right! Understood! Cubot, it’s back to work— where did your hairnet go?!”

Oh— he freaked Orbot out. Probably looked really angry when he jolted? Not that he could tell.

Shaking his head, Sonic continued into the vent, leaving the two watching him go… or at least Cubot was watching him go. Orbot was incessantly washing Cubot’s hands, focusing on them.

When the clanging of Sonic’s footsteps faded into the distance, he spoke up.

“Wasn’t he a bit… odd, there?” Orbot asked.

“What? He seemed fine to me. Cranky, sure, but he’s always cranky!”

“Yes, well… it was simply peculiar, you see. He kept jolting…”

Orbot looked back towards the vent.

“Might you believe his will is growing stronger?”

Sonic didn’t hear any of this, let alone Cubot’s response. He was too far away now, trudging along through the vent as he turned the Emerald around in his hands.

Metal had been holding the Green Emerald before, and he’d felt that pain while they were… swapping, or whatever happened.

What was his deal anyway? Sonic had never really wondered about that aside from that starting thought, but being in his body made them come back to him with a vengeance.

Was the swapping an act of rebellion? It felt like it, which was weird. And he had to wonder when those… ‘punishments’ got added.

Maybe it was after that Neo Metal business, or after he infiltrated that one extreme gear tournament.

Not that he could blame him. If he had the opportunity to rebel now, he’d–

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

… Right, right, he got it. Yeesh. Ow.

He’d think about something else then…

…

… Sonic’s thoughts drifted back to Orbot and Cubot in those wigs and hairnets, acting like they were vital for their tasks in the kitchen. He didn’t have to hold back the laughter now.

He let the laugh come bubbling through.

“Huehehe…”

It was monotonous, and didn’t vary much aside from the beginning, but…

Sonic remembered one time he ate serious dirt while fighting Metal, and how he’d just stared at him. Was he holding back laughter?

… That was kinda cute.

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Metal Sonic could feel the wind through his quills as he ran, the feeling unsettling. He had never felt before, still, and anything was strange. Even the clear vision, without any diagnostics or directions to guide him, was strange.

He passed by trees, hills, flowers, and the occasional rock until at long last he finally stopped, his destination coming into sight.

Lakes were reflective, as the smooth surface’s density made for the perfect density for light to bounce off of. Ergo, it would be simple to see and understand what had happened if he saw himself in it.

Skidding, of all things, to a halt before the edge of the lake before him, he stared forward at it as he approached. His steps were slow, and his hands felt odd. Likely from the gloves, seeing as that was the only major difference from the rest of his body. How did Sonic handle this constantly? The sweat was all but unbearable. Metal Sonic ignored it, coming to a stop at the edge of the lake. Something in his stomach-area seemed to drop as he saw himself.

A deep blue hedgehog with long downturned quills and green eyes stared back at him. His face wasn’t the only thing distressed about him; there were scrapes and cuts across his body, and even some blood here and there.

It took Metal Sonic a moment to understand how this happened. The Chaos Emeralds must have reacted to his desire, and interpreted his thoughts in the way it led them. Metal Sonic had taken the body of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Who was likely being foolish and reckless with his body. Yes, he would be restricted by the code that governs his thoughts and actions, and he would not want to be destroyed, but he would still be… Sonic. Rebellion was what he portrayed.

A gasp came from Metal Sonic’s mouth as he thought of what Doctor Robotnik would do if he figure out what had happened. Would he eliminate Sonic through him? Would he be stuck in this body, or would they both be eliminated?

He couldn’t name the feeling that washed over him as he imagined this body being deactivated permanently. 

He had to return to his own body before Sonic ruined everything. And his first step would be to find the Chaos Emeralds.

That was an easy directive to set, but troublesome in practice. The Emeralds normally disappear to numerous places across the planet after performing an exceedingly impressive task, and as such it was doubtful they were anywhere close to him. With Sonic’s speed it was theoretically trivial to search for them, but no matter what he’d sought for, Metal Sonic was not Sonic. He could not utilize his speed with the skill required to not fall over.

But he would have to try. His self-set directive was to be himself again before anything drastic was to occur, and he had never given up on a directive before. It was always that he succeeded or he would blow up trying.

Metal Sonic stood up, and was about to run off to try finding the Emeralds, when something caught the corner of his vision. There, down in the water, was something… red.

He turned to look, subconsciously squinting to see, when he saw it. There, at the bottom of the lake, was the Red Emerald.

In a way, it was a stroke of good fortune. In another, it was a challenge.

Metal Sonic knew well that Sonic despised water, and that he would avoid it at all costs if he could. Really Metal Sonic thought it was odd. Most Mobians had some level of swimming capability, but scarce was one that could not swim at all. Even floating had ought to be in Sonic’s skill set, but it simply was not.

Metal Sonic had little skill at swimming either, due to his normally metal body being too heavy to float in most instances, but he was not afraid. A quick swipe at the water led not only to a strange, unpleasant dampness of the gloves he still wore, but to the light refraction’s interruption, allowing him to understand what was down there.

It wasn’t too deep, and he had basic knowledge of how a biological organism would go about returning to the surface. If his (rudimentary, thanks to how biological brains worked) estimations were correct, he should be able to return to the surface with air to spare.

Without a moment of more hesitation, Metal Sonic plunged himself into the water. It was certainly unpleasant, stinging at his eyes and entering his nose, but he pushed through, inwardly scoffing as he trudged deeper into the water.

The Emerald’s glow was much clearer now, and served as a beacon for his troubles. Swiping it up, he rotated it in his hand. It fit in his hand in a way that, while he couldn’t quite understand the sensation of it yet, he would determine was ‘comfortable.’ 

Metal Sonic turned around to return to the surface, but found something… odd. His chest began to feel horrible, like the same stinging that pained his eyes, and his vision started to sway. His mouth opened, as if to gasp for air, but that simply let in water.

Oh. He was drowning.

Metal Sonic felt a pounding against his chest, and he tried to hurry up to the surface, but the pressure the water put on him was much— so very, very much. His cognition started to grow fuzzy, his vision darkening despite how much light made it through the surface.

He just needed to make it to the surface, right? It wasn’t that far. He pushed downward, leaping upwards…

… It was far. Much farther than he had anticipated.

He tried to kick his feet, but it was too late. He was dizzy, and the water was much too much.

Just before everything would go dark, though, something crashed into the surface. A nigh-bone crushing grip wrapped around him as red invaded his sight. 

It wasn’t long before his world was full of air again, coughing up water as someone all but dragged him to the shore. 

Metal Sonic was dumped on the grass, the Emerald tumbling from his hands. He pushed himself up to try to retrieve it, but he was interrupted by another series of coughs and sputters wracking his body.

“Amy wasn’t kidding,” A deep voice said, sounding almost astounded. “You really aren’t in your right state of mind if you just dove right in like that.”

Metal Sonic almost flinched, but that was interrupted by a giant fist knocking into his back, sending the rest of the water out of his lungs. He turned his eyes in the direction of the savior, inwardly groaning at who it was.

Knuckles the Echidna had often been irritating when he had to deal with him. Yes, Doctor Robotnik was able to fool him into being his accomplice, but whenever Knuckles discovered the truth he would return the damage by multiple times the amount he caused. Were he to discover that it was Metal Sonic in there, he could grow very enraged.

Right now, though, he seemed more worried, though he covered it up with gruffness and faux-fury.

“Good thing you did go for the Emeralds, I guess,” Knuckles huffed, grabbing the Red Emerald from off the ground. “Led me right to you.”

Metal Sonic’s eyes practically bore holes into Knuckles’s hand. He took a moment before leaping at the echidna, trying to grab the Emerald from him. To his credit, he did indeed succeed in latching onto Knuckles, but that minor achievement was ruined when he was able to deftly grab onto Metal Sonic, wrestling him into a position just prone enough for Knuckles to be able to haul him under his arm.

“Yeah, no, we’re headed for Tails’s place. He’ll know what to do with you.” Knuckles said, righting his hold. Metal Sonic tried to wriggle free, but not only was Knuckles stronger than this body, but said body had almost failed completely, and needed to recover. “Calm down, already, will ya?!”

Metal Sonic slumped in Knuckles’s hold, a sigh making its way out of him.

He hated this. All of it.

Chapter Text

Knuckles was definitely slower than Sonic, as evidenced by how the sun had set by the time he reached their destination. Granted, that wasn’t a surprise to anyone at all ever, but it was a fact that got Metal Sonic’s gears grinding. Or that was the teeth in this stupid body’s mouth. There was a reason his best forms didn’t have such a thing.

“Consider yourself lucky you’re so wriggly.” Knuckles huffed. “If you weren’t, I’d think you were asleep with how quiet you’re being.”

Even though his words were harsh, Knuckles sounded worried. Metal Sonic didn’t require such concern. He glared as he turned his head to attempt a look at the echidna in question, but this head didn’t turn far enough to see more than a bit of him. He did, however, catch sight of Tails’s workshop.

It was quaint, when compared to any base Doctor Robotnik used . Metal Sonic didn’t have anything that could truly qualify as a reference point otherwise, but by biological standards it seemed to be a cozy area, even with the machinery within the garage. It was already half-open, showing the fox’s trust in those around him. Pathetic. Were Doctor Robotnik here, that opportunity would be exploited within the frame of a nanosecond.

Knuckles didn’t stop for Metal Sonic to take in the sight, but he was done by the time they reached the door anyway. The echidna pushed the door open, stepping inside.

“Tails! I found him!”

“You did? That was fast.”

Metal Sonic watched as best he could as Tails came clambering down from a loft, followed by Amy who was close behind. Knuckles dropped Metal Sonic on the floor, but he didn’t get much of a chance to escape before Amy was grabbing hold of him.

“Careful with him, Knuckles!” Amy gasped, hauling Metal Sonic to his feet. “He’s already hurt!”

Metal Sonic scowled, tugging at his arms to try getting away. Amy was strong as she was before, and this time wrapped her arms around him.

“Oh no, you’re not getting away this time Mister!” Amy huffed, frowning.

“Knuckles, can you hold his head steady?” Tails asked as he walked over to his desk, rummaging through a small but substantial pile of tools and miscellaneous parts. He pulled out a small metal cylinder; a miniature flashlight, like what Doctor Robotnik would use to check the fine details of his robots.

“Right.”

Knuckles didn’t hesitate to grab Metal Sonic by both sides of the head. While his gloves were exceptionally padded, his hold was firm and kept Metal Sonic firmly in place. He would consider it a shame that he’d be unable to bite anything due to his immobilized head if he understood how to move this mouth.

To Metal Sonic’s mild surprise, Tails did not start by assessing the eyes, but with his head. His fingers deftly parsed through quills, using the light to check for any signs of bumps or swelling.

And then he moved onto the eyes. Curses.

“Well, he doesn’t seem injured…” Tails said after examining the eyes for a few seconds. “But he’s still been clumsy and quiet, right?”

“Clumsy with running,” Amy said, frowning. 

“Not to mention reckless and… weird.” Knuckles added, releasing Metal Sonic’s head, rummaging through his locs until he pulled out the Red Emerald, holding it up for Tails to see. “You should’ve seen the way he scrambled for this thing. Seemed like a whole different hedgehog.”

“With how he grappled me earlier, I’d believe it.” Amy sighed.

Tails’s ears drooped for a moment as he thought, before turning to Metal Sonic.

“Your head doesn’t hurt, does it, Sonic?” He asked, tilting his head. “And you haven’t been dizzy or confused or anything like that, right…?”

Metal Sonic turned his gaze from the Emerald to Tails, subconsciously taking a short breath in and cringing. Having the fox look at him so sympathetically was disconcerting. That was a result of this face. If he was his robotic self, he would be met with glares and aggression from all three of them. Anything else was foreign.

He didn’t like it.

The only reasonable way to get them to stop without being restrained was to reassure them, however… which meant speaking.

Moving his mouth was difficult, and mimicking the sounds he’d heard before was even moreso, but with a bit of effort…

“Mmm… fff… iiinnuh.” He said at last, turning his head away.

It was quiet for many seconds.

“… We can’t let him leave like this.” Knuckles said, breaking the silence.

Curses. He only worsened the situation. 

“It’s not like we can stop him for long, though.” Tails said, shaking his head. “It’s Sonic, remember?”

Knuckles responded with a groan, crossing his arms.

“Then what?”

Tails paused, seeming to deliberate for a few seconds. He then held out his hand to Knuckles, who passed him the Emerald.

“Okay Sonic, I have a proposition for you.” He said, turning to Metal Sonic. He took a moment before returning his gaze. “We’ll give you this and send you on your way, BUT!”

Tails held up the Emerald, smiling at him.

“You don’t know where the rest of these landed, right?”

Metal Sonic stared for a second, then he shook his head. Tails strolled over to his desk, pulling out a small gadget, with a screen in the center.

“In that case, you’ll be needing a tracker for ‘em, but I’m not about to give mine to you right this moment.”

Tails tucked the tracker away, then looked at Metal Sonic.

“So here’s the deal. You stay here for the night, get some sleep and some food, and you’ll get the tracker too.”

… Was this a joke? Of course not. The fox could not know just how potentially limited their time was. Were Sonic to give himself away, everything would be over. Metal Sonic would be purposeless and trapped as a biological organism if he was not quick enough, and if he was…

… But had he any choice? No. All he could do was hope Sonic would not act a fool.

“... Mm.” Metal Sonic nodded as was promptly released from Amy’s hold.

“Perfect!” Tails said, passing him the Red Emerald. Metal Sonic took it, and proceeded to clutch it close to his chest.

“You’re sure about this, Tails?” Amy asked, her brow furrowed. Concern, Metal Sonic determined.

“It’s our best option,” Tails turned to her, gesturing at Sonic. “If it’s cleared up after food and sleep, we can chalk it up to exhaustion. If not…”

“Then we haul him to the hospital no matter what.” Knuckles finished Tails’s sentence.

Metal Sonic felt himself stiffen. He didn’t know how medical professionals operated at all, and he wouldn’t be able to just escape from there. He was still unfamiliar with this body, and while he was improving at controlling it, he wasn’t certain if he had the dexterity such a feat would require. That wasn’t even mentioning that he didn’t know how to eat or sleep…

He’d have to sneak out tonight, while the others were asleep. He would have to figure out faking the food and getting the tracker, but…

… He could figure it out. He was certain of it.

|

|

|

Yknow, Sonic was sure he’d be having a great time if he wasn’t in these vents right now. Or if his running speed was. Yknow. Speedy.

Guess that was part of being built for jet-propulsion speed and not running speed. Sonic would be eager to test it out if…

-ERROR: DETRIMENTAL ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

(Owwwww…)

THAT didn’t happen every time he tried to activate it. Guess it’d be a bad idea to send bad air and fire into the vents anyway; that was a recipe for disaster. Still kinda sucked that Metal’s speed was so tied to being destructive.

So he’d been trudging through the vents for… ages, honestly. The place was huge, and he had to climb some of these walls, which wasn’t an intended thing here. It was lucky Metal’s body was actually pretty sturdy, so any falls weren’t super bad.

Or at least, weren’t too bad on the limbs. Looking over at the numbers under ‘diagnostics’ in the lower corner of his vision, the one labeled ‘weapons’ had gone down from 100% to 80% functionality. Not too bad in his eyes though; Sonic didn’t want to use those things. At all.

Maybe it was luckier that he couldn’t feel anything but the error messages’s pain. As far as he was aware, his limbs were still at 97% functionality, and that just meant minor dents and a tiny twitch. No biggie, but he’d still like his real body back.

He was already missing a warm gale through his quills, and the sunlight on his face. He was missing the feel of too-tight hugs, and holding a chili dog in his hand. He missed the first zing of chili as it hit his tongue, and the satisfaction of a full belly. And, of course, he missed when metaphors getting away from him actually made him feel hungry.

There was none of that in this body.

Still, Sonic pressed on, passing through blank vent wall after blank vent wall. Left around one corner, down a gap, right, and then hopping over the next gap.

He was most of the way to the next Emerald’s location when he saw something.

Up ahead, peeking out from a bend, was silvery light casting a shine onto the ground.

Moonlight.

He’d been here that long? How time flies when you’re not.

Sonic slowed as he turned the corner, stopping as he could see a half-shattered moon casting its light over trees, past the grating, and into the vent.

He wanted to cheer. He wanted to cry. He wanted to whoop and holler with excitement.

But he’d settle for getting this grate off and getting out of this place.

Sonic grabbed the grating, prying it off. It wasn’t hard, and it didn’t damage the thing badly at all. Guess it was just easily replaceable or something.

Sonic stared outward, prepared to jet off, but—

-ERROR: INCORRECT ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

… Incorrect?

Ohhh wait, he got it! He couldn’t jet off in here; that’d damage the air! Duh. He’d just step out and start the engine when he’s already out—

-ERROR: INCORRECT ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

…

… No.

Hey, no? No! No way this was happening!

Sonic tried again.

-ERROR: INCORRECT ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

And again.

-ERROR: INCORRECT ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

And again and again!

-ERROR: INCORRECT ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

-ERROR: INCORRECT ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

-ERROR: INCORRECT ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

Hah…

Ahaha…

…

Was this why Metal never did anything these days?

Why he would only follow orders?

Why he wouldn’t act selflessly, or act out of line?

…

Sonic turned around, walking just until he couldn’t see the glow around him.

It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t.

And… there had to be a way out of it, right? A way to—

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

…

That was right. It was right in his path, wasn’t it?

He could call Tails and… yknow. Threaten him, totally. 

Sure, the fox had a way of, oh, liberating Badnik up his sleeve, but surely an advanced, intelligent, and exceedingly incredible piece of tech like Metal Sonic wouldn’t be affected by such, right?

Hah…

Sonic started running again.

He had a call to make.

Chapter Text

Sonic dropped down from the vent into a room with a shockingly large control center. He checked the map, just in case, but he knew he didn’t have to when he saw the White Emerald cradled between a book and a microphone. Sure enough, it was labeled as the Call Center. 

It still struck him as overkill, but it made a bit more sense now. There was a radio, a phone set, and even a fax machine! Seriously, what use would Eggman have for half of these things?

He didn’t have the time for half of these though, so he strolled up to the computer at the center of the room. It flickered on as he approached without so much as a password. Little surprising, but also leave it to Eggman to—

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

Ughhhh, he got it, he got it. No deriding Eggman’s choices. Whatever.

This was why he had to call— er, intimidate Tails so bad. Scare him with knowledge and all that.

There were a lot of ways to contact anyone on this thing. Even airwave hijackers and stuff like that. Perfect for an announcement, sure, but Sonic wasn’t about to get exposed. 

Instead he picked the simple video call option. Sonic was a little surprised that Tails didn’t have Eggman blocked somehow, but when he thought about it, it tracked. If Eggman wanted to contact someone but got blocked from an easy method, he’d just use another, probably more annoying method. 

Nonetheless, Sonic clicked on the call button before remembering something.

This body couldn’t talk.

|

|

|

It was late by the time everyone had fallen asleep.

Everyone but Metal Sonic.

It had been a long evening, and longer still without the ability to idle while waiting for the right moment. Worse, he could feel this body failing him. He did not know how to eat, and he did not know how to sleep, and he didn’t have time to figure out the former nor to spend on the latter. 

If Sonic was having similar difficulties, it would spell disaster. At least his mistakes would be less noticeable at night, given Doctor Robotnik’s sleep cycle, but if the cameras saw anything too suspicious? 

Metal Sonic suppressed the shudder that coursed through his body. No, he mustn’t concern himself with Sonic’s wellbeing. He must focus on how he could improve his chances. He mustn’t be too late.

Which was why he rose from the couch, stepped over the two tucked into sleeping bags, and ascended the ladder to the loft, careful not to make a sound. Sure enough, there was Tails, snoring away in his bed. 

He had trusted Sonic enough to leave the tracker by his pillow. Unfortunate for him. This was not Sonic, but Metal Sonic, and he did not care to spare the fox’s feelings.

He had just taken the tracker when a sound blared through the workshop, loud like an alarm as a bright light flashed on from below. Immediately, Metal Sonic turned around, his head darting around in search for the source of the sound whilst he got into a defensive stance. Distantly he could hear the groggy but battle-ready sounds of Knuckles and Amy from the lower level.

“Huh—?!” Tails exclaimed from his bed, shooting awake. “Ah! A call?”

Metal Sonic lowered his guard, turning to look at Tails. He couldn’t quite see his expression, but the fox still seemed to stare at him for a moment before shaking his head, hurrying down to the lower level and the computer.

Metal Sonic didn’t follow him completely, hanging off the upper rungs of the ladder to watch.

Ah.

“Eggman?” Amy said, reading the caller ID.

“What does he want?” Knuckles growled, seeming wide awake.

“Especially at this hour…” Tails grumbled, clicking to accept the call.

No.

Please, it couldn’t be true.

That fool.

“Metal Sonic?!”

|

|

|

Yeah. Yup. Yuh-huh. This was happening.

Sonic fumbled with the booklet he was holding as his friends’ voices rang out from the computer, startling him.

It was nice to hear them! Not so nice that even they thought he was Metal. Not that they’d know any better, though.

“What do you want?!” Knuckles snapped at him, pushing to the front of the group.

Right. Time to try this out. Finding the beeper, Sonic pushed it in the classic pattern; three short, three long, three short.

‘... --- …’

“Morse code… SOS?” Tails echoed, earning looks from the other two.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Amy frowned, looking back towards the screen. “What would you need help from us for, Metal?”

He did it! Sonic couldn’t help the excitement that bubbled in his chest.

No, but focus! Focus focus focus. Sonic knelt down to grab the booklet again, looking back and forth from it and the beeper as he made his next statement. 

‘-. --- - / -- . - .- .-..’ 

‘NOT METAL,’

As Sonic typed, a similarly robotic, text-to-speech sort of voice rang out on the other end of the screen. Tails must have activated some sorta morse translator. Leave it to him to have something like that up his sleeve.

His words had definitely earned him a good deal of confusion, but he continued before they could ask anything about it.

‘.-. . .- .-.. / ... --- -. .. -.-.’

‘REAL SONIC.’

Those words struck chords through the trio, but Amy pushed forward.

“He’s not here.” Amy said, pushing forward, “And he wouldn’t be interested in fighting you right now, anyway. He’s resting up at my place.”

Was that the truth from her perspective? Sonic couldn’t tell. He really, really hoped it wasn’t. He knew Metal wasn’t a monster, but he didn’t want to know what he’d do with free access to his friends’ stuff. Amy’s house wasn’t special, and probably didn’t have anything special, but that didn’t mean much.

‘-. ---’

‘NO.’

‘.. - ... / -- .’

‘IT’S ME.’

‘... --- -. .. -.-.’

‘SONIC.’

“Sure,” Tails said after a moment, his brow furrowing. “What do you want, then?”

‘-. ---’

‘NO.’

‘-- . / .- -. -.. / -- . - .- .-.. / ... .-- .- .--. .--. . -.. / -... --- -.. .. . …’

‘ME AND METAL SWAPPED BODIES’

They were all quiet for a moment, before they started murmuring to each other, so quiet Sonic could barely make out bits and pieces.

“… you don’t…”

“Yeah, but…”

“How would…”

“… Emeralds are…”

“Don’t tell me…”

“… one of Eggman’s…”

“Or working on his…”

“But if…”

“If not…”

It… wasn’t working.

He couldn’t really blame them. He’d feel weird about believing someone who’d say ‘yo, I’m your buddy, but I’m in the body of your enemy!’ too.

He moved his hand to the beeper, to try to plead for them to believe him, when suddenly the trio cried out.

Sonic’s eyes darted up to the screen, only to be met with something–

Himself.

|

|

|

Leave it to Sonic to bring about his own ruin.

Was he truly that much of a fool? Metal Sonic did not need an answer to that question. Even without memory records, he could bring up more accounts of his stupidity than this organic brain could hope to count.

But this was a feat, even for him.

Was he that oblivious to how the Eggnet connected everything? How Sage could see everything? How the call would surely be brought to Doctor Robotnik, and…

“Sonic, calm down,” Amy said, her voice unsteady. She moved to touch his shoulder, but a glare put a different expression on her face.

‘-.. --- -. - / .... ..- .-. - / - .... . –’

‘DON’T HURT THEM.’

Metal Sonic turned his gaze back to the screen. It was strange, how Sonic’s stance evidenced every precise emotion he surely held. Caution, above all, but a hint of hope.

‘-.-- --- ..- / -.. --- -. - / .-- .- -. -. .- / -... . / ... - ..- -.-. -.- / .. -. / -- -.-- / -... --- -.. -.-- / .-. .. --. .... -’

‘YOU DON’T WANNA BE STUCK IN MY BODY, RIGHT?’

Metal Sonic felt himself scoff, his shoulders tensing. He opened a text to speech program.

‘- .... . -. / .-- --- .-. -.- / .-- .. - .... / -- .’

‘THEN WORK WITH ME.’ 

Words were difficult. Stringing together sentences and thoughts was a danger, but code had never failed him. Even code rudimentary enough for the least adept to understand.

‘.-- .’

‘WE’

Metal Sonic didn’t let Sonic make another word.

‘IF  Sonic deletes the call log

That body might remain active

ELSE: 

That body will be eliminated’

Metal Sonic stared at the screen for many seconds.

Sonic seemed to have tensed up, but he moved to press the beeper. Metal Sonic let out a groan before continuing.

‘IF  Sonic continues to act suspicious

Metal Sonic will be in his body forever

ELSE:

Sonic and Metal Sonic might return to their own bodies

IF  Sonic prioritizes evasion

Sonic might live

ELSE:

Sonic will die’

Metal Sonic glared at the screen.

One second passed.

Another.

Then Sonic moved.

‘.-- --- .-. -.- / .-- .. - .... / -- .’

‘WORK WITH ME.’

Metal Sonic screamed, his face screwing up as he balled his hands into fists. Before he could do anything, Knuckles went to grab him.

“Hey, what’s your problem–”

Metal Sonic didn’t hesitate to punch and kick at Knuckles, screaming wordlessly again. He was ready to defend himself, but Tails and Amy faltered. A look at the screen, and it looked like even Sonic was faltering.

‘-- . - .- .-.. / -.-- --- ..- .-. .’

‘METAL, YOU’RE’

Metal Sonic cut the beeping off with a third scream before he turned around and darted off, fast– as fast as possible. 

He didn’t care for the door he left broken behind him, nor the splinters that now wedged between his quills, and even less so the burning in his eyes.

His objective was to find the remaining Emeralds, no matter the hindrance.

Chapter Text

There was quiet after Metal fled the scene, his figure disappearing into the woods. There was no way any of them could catch up to him like this. 

And Sonic couldn’t get his words off his mind. Had Metal been trying to warn him? All those ‘mights’ stuck in his brain, but he brushed them off as Tails spoke up.

“Sonic…” Tails said, turning back to the screen. His ears were folded back, and both tails were drooping. Beside him Amy looked similarly guilty, her eyes drifting down to her shoes. Sonic couldn’t tell as well with Knuckles, since he didn’t have the same sorta tells and was looking away, but just that was enough to get the right idea. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t know what to think, and–”

‘-.. --- -. - / .-- --- .-. .-. -.-- / .- -... --- ..- - / .. -’

‘DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT.’

“But–”

‘... . .-. .. --- ..- ... .-.. -.-- / .. / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. .- / - .... --- ..- --. .... - / - .... . / ... .- -- . / .. -. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / ... .... --- . ...'

‘SERIOUSLY. I WOULDA THOUGHT THE SAME IN YOUR SHOES.’

That, and it really hurt to see the three of them looking so sorry. Tails was his baby brother, and Amy and Knuckles were some of his closest friends. 

“... We just thought you’d hit your head…” Amy spoke up. “I found you after you– er, Metal…”

Sonic would wince if he could. Yeahhh, that was probably a nasty (and really unexpected to an outsider) tumble, huh?

‘- .... .- - / .-- .- ... / .-- .... . -. / - .... . / ... .-- .. - -.-. .... / .... .- .--. .--. . -. . -..’

‘THAT WAS WHEN THE SWITCH HAPPENED.’

‘.-- .... . -. / .. / .-- --- -.- . / ..- .--. / - .... . / . -- . .-. .- .-.. -.. ... / .-- . .-. . / .- .-.. .-. . .- -.. -.-- / ... -.-. .- - - . .-. .. -. --. / - .... . .-. . ... / ... --- -- . / .... . .-. . / ... - .. .-.. .-.. / -... ..- -’

‘WHEN I WOKE UP, THE EMERALDS WERE ALREADY SCATTERING. THERE’S SOME STILL HERE, BUT’

Sonic paused, lifting his hand off the beeper. How was he gonna explain…

“Not all of them, right?” Knuckles assumed. He wasn’t wrong about that, but… “Yeah. Metal already took the one we found; the red one.”

“Finding the rest shouldn’t be too hard, since…”

Tails trailed off, his eyes going wide. He took off, the opposite direction Metal did, towards where Sonic knew the ladder to his loft to be. Moments after, he let out a yell of shock.

“It’s gone! Metal took the tracker!”

“What?!” Amy gasped.

“You didn’t hide it from him or anything?” Knuckles frowned as Tails returned, shaking his head.

“I… we thought it really was Sonic.” Tails’s voice was low. Sonic knew him well enough to know he was beating himself up over this.

‘- .... .- - ... / ..-. .. -. .’

‘THAT’S FINE.’

“But–”

‘-- . - .- .-.. ... / --. --- -. -. .- / -.-. --- -- . / .... . .-. . / .- - / ... --- -- . / .--. --- .. -. - / .- -. -.-- .-- .- -.-- / .. / -. . . -.. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .... . .-.. .--. / .-- .. - .... / ... --- -- . - .... .. -. --. / . .-.. ... .’

‘METAL’S GONNA COME HERE AT SOME POINT ANYWAY. I NEED YOUR HELP WITH SOMETHING ELSE.’

There was silence for a few seconds before Amy stepped forward.

“If you need us, we’ll help in any way you need, Sonic,” she said, bringing her fist to her chest.

Sonic took a moment to get his thoughts in order, then nodded.

‘.. / -.-. .- -. - / .-.. . .- ...- .’

‘I CAN’T LEAVE’

The others looked at him in shock for a moment as Sonic continued.

‘.-- .... . -. / .. / -.-. --- -. ... .. -.. . .-. / -.. --- .. -. --. / .- -. -.-- - .... .. -. --. / .- --. .- .. -. ... - / . --. --. -- .- -. / - .... .. ... / -... --- -.. -.-- / -.-. .- .-.. .-.. ... / .. - / .- -. / . .-. .-. --- .-. / .- -. -.. / .... ..- .-. - ... / -- .’

‘WHEN I CONSIDER DOING ANYTHING AGAINST EGGMAN, THIS BODY CALLS IT AN ERROR AND HURTS ME.’

“That…” 

Tails trailed off, and no one picked the thought back up. The group was silent for a few moments before Knuckles spoke up.

“... Tails, can’t you fix him then?”

“What? Well…” Tails thought for a moment. “I do have some logs from when I downgraded Metal, but I’m not sure if I can get into the base itself with just an IP address.”

‘.-- .... .- - . ...- . .-. / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. .- -. / -.. --- / .. ... / .--. .-.. . -. - -.--’

‘WHATEVER YOU CAN DO IS PLENTY’

Tails’s breath hitched, but he nodded.

“Right… I’ll figure out what I can.” Tails said, typing something on the computer. “Let’s start with your location; Amy, Knuckles, you’re alright for backup, right?”

“Of course!”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Sonic couldn’t smile, but he wished he could. What he sent next didn’t feel like enough.

‘- .... .- -. -.- ...'

‘THANKS’

|

|

|

The tracker was moderately efficient in Emerald tracking. It didn’t need to take the red one into consideration, but in the unlikely instance that Metal Sonic was to say, drop it, it would be useful in noticing.

What the tracker was most inefficient in, however, was locating the last Emerald; the Light Blue Emerald was nowhere on the tracker, which was irritating. He could see every other Emerald, clustered or not, but that single Emerald simply did not seem to exist according to it.

He didn’t have the time for this trouble. He had mere hours until Doctor Robotnik awakened and discovered what had become of his most prized weapon and most despised adversary. 

But he could see one Emerald alone, yellow. It was the perfect target for all of five seconds before it started zipping from spot to spot, moving around.

Someone had it, and Metal Sonic wished it was anyone else.

It didn’t matter. He had to retrieve that Emerald no matter who held it. He locked onto the general direction, his eyes locked onto the horizon in the distance.

The Badniks appeared before the city did, the reason already clear to Metal Sonic. Doctor Robotnik wanted the Emeralds first. It would be easier to get rid of them, but that wasn’t something he could just do. Even in this body.

It was a matter of avoidance, and while Metal Sonic was not intended to have such feats primarily, he was not incapable. Ducking under laserfire and leaping over that which got in his way, he finally got to the heart of the conflict.

It took him a moment to remind himself that the robot yelling to ‘destroy all Eggman robots’ as he fired shot after shot at the Badniks flocking to the area would not go after him, given that he was not a robot at the moment. That was called a ‘cold comfort’ if he remembered correctly. Metal Sonic didn’t care. All he had to remember was that E-123 Omega was none of his concern as long as he stayed out of his way and under the radar.

Similar could not be said for the bat expertly moving through the air, swerving around a laser while escaping from two flying Badniks. When another started its trajectory towards her, she paused. Were Metal Sonic one of those Badniks, he would’ve swerved or chosen to shoot instead when he’d see the smirk on her face, but he was not, and those Badniks had rudimentary AI. She darted away at the last second, leaving the two to crash into each other, an explosion occurring in its wake. Rouge the Bat was the most sociable of the three, and Metal Sonic estimated that she’d notice him in mere minutes.

What was the most of Metal Sonic’s concern was the hedgehog that appeared in a flash of golden-yellow, destroying a series of Badniks in a matter of seconds. Shadow the Hedgehog was not an opponent he’s had to face often, but it was unavoidable given his target was what he held in his hand. The Yellow Emerald glowed as Shadow invoked its power, leaving a trail of Badniks to be destroyed as he vanished.

Metal Sonic readied himself to go after it, but was interrupted.

“Here to help, Blue? How sweet, but we’ve got this handled,” Rouge said, swooping down to hover just above him. Metal Sonic didn’t give her a response, which inevitably put her off. “Say, you’re not looking so hot.”

Metal Sonic paid her little mind, glancing her way before he took off, ignoring her surprise as he sped off after Shadow.

Rouge watched him go for a moment.

“That was strange…”

“WHAT WAS.”

“Sonic.” Rouge turned towards Omega as he approached. “He was all quiet and monotone. I’d almost think he was Shadow if they looked more alike.”

Metal Sonic barely listened as he turned the corner, darting past rubble and robots alike as he chased the yellow glow zipping from spot to spot. It stood out well against the dark streets, a suitable beacon for him to follow.

At last, Shadow slowed down, the Badniks’s assault ceasing, if only for a moment. Landing on one that had yet to explode, Shadow looked around, searching for what Metal Sonic assumed to be more Badniks. By a technicality, his search was not in vain.

“Sonic.” Shadow’s voice was as impassive as was the norm, his gaze locking onto Metal Sonic as he approached.

Trouble was, of course, that he didn’t stop approaching. Why would he? He had no time to spare, and he needed that Emerald. Shadow’s eyes narrowed as Metal Sonic lept upwards and at him, jumping out of the way just before any contact could be made.

“You’re quiet.” He commented, but Metal Sonic didn’t cease his assault, if only getting angrier with that statement.

Shadow was on the defensive longer than he would’ve liked, even if it wasn’t necessarily difficult to avoid Metal Sonic’s attacks. He was still unused to Sonic’s form, and had much less experience fighting physically. 

But he didn’t play like Sonic would. He wasn’t good-natured or even just justice-minded. 

Sonic didn’t express the same rage that Shadow could feel coming from him.

Ducking under a tackle, Shadow clutched the Yellow Emerald tight, time slowing in a yellow glow around him. Finally allowed to attack, with how the other’s movements slowed considerably, Shadow wasted little time, his air-shoes propelling him up for a moment before he came down, smacking into Metal Sonic’s head and back at the same moment the glow dissipated.

Metal Sonic yelled as he was sent across dark asphalt, exacerbating scrapes and earning new ones. He tumbled a bit, the Red Chaos Emerald dropping as he fell.

Shadow scoffed as he watched, cold confusion clear in every part of his actions.

“What is wrong with you.” He didn’t phrase it as a question, like he wasn’t expecting an answer. Metal Sonic wouldn’t have been surprised if he wasn’t. Shadow stepped forward, putting a foot on the Red Emerald as he stared down at him. “What do you gain from this. You’re acting like you’re–”

Shadow didn’t get to finish his sentence, with the sound of an explosion ringing out behind him. He stiffened for a moment, before turning around.

“I don’t have time for this.” Shadow kicked the Red Emerald away, back towards Metal Sonic. “Stay out of my way.”

The Emerald landed just before Metal Sonic’s face as Shadow left. It was more than trivial to grab, but he didn’t move. Not immediately.

Biology was troublesome. Metal Sonic had been organic for a mere day, and yet he had difficulties imagining worse experiences with being a living being, even if he knew there was more.

How did they do it? Push through the sensations, ignoring the pain and focusing on the good. What was so good about it? He couldn’t say.

That was why he couldn’t just let this go.

Reaching for the Emerald, Metal Sonic grit his teeth as he pushed himself up. 

Just get the Emerald from Shadow. Stop Shadow from leaving. Get the Emerald. Stop Shadow.

Stop.

Stop.

Stop!

Was it a biological reason, then, that the world turned red around him? Was this what Doctor Robotnik meant when he claimed that he ‘saw red’ when he saw ‘that hedgehog?’

No. That wasn’t it.

Metal Sonic yelled as he got up, darting forward at the still, so still, black hedgehog, grappling him and pushing him to the ground.

The rush was gone with the red as they made contact, and Shadow grunted as he made contact with the ground, Metal Sonic not letting go.

“Gh… Guh…” Metal Sonic panted between attempts to speak.

“Ghii… vuh…”

Chapter Text

“... Ah, I found something!”

Sonic perked up as Tails spoke up. It’d been, what, ten minutes? Twenty? Time felt weird like this, especially when he was standing still, but it couldn’t have been too long, right?

Ooooor that’s what he thought. Hey, it hadn’t been so bright when he last looked up at the screen, right? With just a screen to light up Tails’s workshop?

Er… it’s fine! It was probably just his imagination. Heck, maybe it’d been later in the night than he’d thought, so the sunrise wasn’t actually that weird. Whatever, whatever! 

‘-.-- --- ..- / -.. .. -..’

‘YOU DID?’

“Yeah. I had to do a bit of delving into old files, from back when I recovered Metal a while back,” Tails spoke as he typed something into his computer, “Here, I’m sending the file over.”

A pop up on the computer on Sonic’s end moments later, asking if this file was safe. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly (Not that Tails could tell. No expressions sucked!) and opened the file. 

It was a diagram, showing some sort of… hard drive? USB thingy? Sonic couldn’t remember what off the top of his head, since he’d never felt the need to use ‘em, but it was something like that. It was funny, though, with the shape being like a sharp three-pointed star and colored blue and white… oh! Like Neo Metal!

“This is called the Neo Drive, apparently. It’s basically the big thing that lets Metal use his Neo form, which’ll also disable the ‘punishment system’ program.”

‘-- .- -.- . ... / ... . -. ... . / ... --- / .. - ... / ... --- -- . .-- .... . .-. . / .. -. / - .... . / -... .- ... .’

‘MAKES SENSE. SO IT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE BASE?’

“Exactly, but there’s still a problem with it; it’s in storage, but since it’s labeled ‘restricted,’ it’s not exactly gonna be easy to get.”

Sonic paused, then shrugged.

‘.. ...- . / .--. ..- ... .... . -.. / - .... .-. --- ..- --. .... / .-- --- .-. ... . / - .... .- -. / .- / .-.. .. - - .-.. . / .... . .- -.. .- -.-. .... . / -... . ..-. --- .-. .’

‘I’VE PUSHED THROUGH WORSE THAN A LITTLE HEADACHE BEFORE.’

“What? But Sonic…” 

Tails trailed off, his ears drooping. 

‘.. .-.. .-.. / -... . / ..-. .. -. . / .--. .-. --- -- .. ... .’

‘I’LL BE FINE. PROMISE.’

Tails was silent for another moment before nodding.

“... If you say so, but be careful. It’s past morning, so Eggman’ll be–”

Sonic didn’t hear the rest of what Tails said, as the sound of feedback rang through the base.

“Ahem!” A familiar boisterous voice spoke, sounding almost like an announcer for some sorta sports event. “This is a message for Metal Sonic. Or should I say…”

The smile in Eggman’s voice was audible.

“Sonic.”

Sonic tensed up, looking for the speakers blaring Eggman’s voice.

“Ah, yes, there’s the reaction I was expecting. Really, I applaud you. You hid yourself well.”

“What do you want, Eggman?!” Tails called out, but got no response.

“Not well enough, of course. Your little call hasn’t gone unnoticed. I’m sure you and your little fox friend must be regretting this terribly!”

Fat chance, but it still worried Sonic. His eyes darted to Tails, who’s brow was furrowed before it raised in realisation.

“Sadly, I have business elsewhere, so I won’t be able to attend to you or your friends personally at the moment, but fret not! I’ve got something special in mind for you…”

“Sonic,” Tails spoke up as he began typing, loud enough to be heard over Eggman’s monologuing. “I’m gonna need you to go still and stiff as soon as you hear the noise.”

The noise? Well, he’d know what Tails means when he gets to it. He usually does.

“... But I’ve gone on long enough! I’m sure you’d like to get on with it, so without any more ado–”

OH YEP! THAT WAS WHAT TAILS MEANT BY ‘NOISE,’ HUH?

Loud loud loud LOUD blaring of all sorts of instruments attacked Sonic on all ends, and as told, Sonic went stiff, as robotic as possible.

The noise stopped soon, to the sound of Eggman’s boisterous laughter, clearly thinking he’d won.

“AhahahaHAAAH! That should keep you occupied until I get back. You just stay put there, Sonic. Not like you can do anything else! Hah!”

With that, the speakers went quiet, and Tails let out a sigh of relief. Sonic relaxed his posture, tilting his head a bit.

“Sorry… I had to drown out the command he was giving you.”

‘-.-. --- -- -- .- -. -..’

‘COMMAND?’

“I… found a few mandatory commands in Metal’s programming. One of them’s kinda like a factory reset. His AI’s too advanced to really get deleted or recovered in that kinda way, but it can be set to direct-commands-only.” Tails explained. “I’m going to cut off all communications to and from the base– I don’t want Eggman trying that again.”

‘.-. .. --. .... - / ... - .- -.-- / ... .- ..-. .’

But Sonic was beeping to a black screen already. The quiet felt wrong, now that it was suddenly devoid of Tails talking or typing. 

Didn’t matter. Sonic had a Chaos Emerald and a Neo Drive to find.

Picking up the two Emeralds he’d already found, he stared at them for a moment before he took off.

The direct-commands-only mode sounded chilling, though. Had Eggman used it before? How would it affect him?

… How did it affect Metal?

…

Was that bot… okay? 

|

|

|

“Give?” Shadow echoed as he turned his head to look Metal Sonic in the eye. Metal Sonic grunted, almost sounding like he was yelling as he thrust his Emerald in Shadow’s face. 

“Ehhh.. mrrh-ld.” Metal Sonic’s hold tightened, earning a ‘tch’ from Shadow. “Ghhve.”

“Not happening.”

Sharply, Shadow pulled an arm back, his elbow hitting Metal Sonic in the ribs, sending him recoiling. A flash of yellow, and Shadow had taken the opportunity to skid away from him.

“You want this Emerald, you’ll have to take it from me,” Shadow then scoffed, “Not that you’re able to in that condition.”

Metal Sonic didn’t take the taunt well. Screaming wordlessly, he got up, charging at Shadow.

With the Emerald (and Metal Sonic’s disregard for exhaustion), the two were well matched. Metal Sonic’s focus was on the Yellow Emerald in Shadow’s hand, while Shadow focused on outlasting him. He was already so tired, and yet so relentless.

“How do you expect to win like this.” Shadow asked as he ducked under Metal Sonic’s arm before disappearing from his sight in a flash of yellow. He was behind him when he reappeared. “You’re running on empty.”

Empty. Metal Sonic had done that before. Scraping together every possible bit of power, of charge, just to win a fight, to win a race, which he still would inevitably lose. Dragging himself along after his limbs had broken off. Using his head when all of his weapons were offline.

This was hardly empty.

With a scream, Metal Sonic clutched his Emerald closer, the red giving him another rush as he charged at Shadow. He would’ve succeeded in snatching it away if Shadow didn’t have a deathgrip on the thing.

Within seconds, the two were wrestling for both of them, the two holding both Emeralds at once as they attempt to pin each other to the ground.

“Why–” Shadow grunted as he took the higher position, his face screwed into a scowl as he tightened his hold on the Emeralds. “ Why are you acting like this? You’re desperate.”

Metal Sonic looked almost flabbergasted for a moment, but that hardly lasted before he screamed, taking the higher position.

“You’re–” Shadow matched a push from Metal Sonic, not budging. “Making no sense. Explain your– Ah!”

If Shadow had acted a moment later, it could’ve been disastrous.

He flipped their positions, pressing up against Metal Sonic to avoid a barrage of gunfire just over his head, singing the tip of his quills. When the gunfire died down moments after, he lifted his head to look in the direction the gunfire had come from.

“TARGET EVADED.” Omega said, lowering his arm cannons. “SHADOW, I HAVE DIBS ON THAT TARGET.”

“Dibs…” Shadow echoed, a bit unbelieving as Rouge swooped down next to Omega.

“What, on Sonic? ” Rouge sputtered, putting a hand on his arm. “He’s not even a robot, let alone one of Eggman’s! How would you have anything against him?”

“NEGATIVE.” Omega said, reloading. “HE HAS FOOLED US, BUT I HAVE EVIDENCE THAT HE IS NOT SONIC THE HEDGEHOG.”

Metal Sonic’s eyes darted to Omega, glaring.

“FIRST. HE HAS VOCALIZED A TOTAL OF TWO WORDS IN HIS TIME HERE, WHICH RESULTED IN A DEMAND. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG WOULD HAVE VOCALIZED AT LEAST FIFTY SEVEN. LIKELY MORE.”

Metal Sonic grit his teeth.

“SECOND. HE HAS NOT GONE OUT OF HIS WAY TO CHECK FOR SURVIVORS, THOSE IN DISTRESS, NOR TO ELIMINATE EGGMAN ROBOTS THAT ARE ACTIVELY ATTACKING HIM, FOCUSING INSTEAD ON EVASIVE TACTICS.”

Metal Sonic’s hold on the Emeralds tightened.

“THIRD. HE HAS MADE LITTLE USE OF HIS USUAL TACTICS IN FAVOR OF DIFFERENT ONES. NOT ONCE HAS HE ATTACKED SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG WITH HIS QUILLS, NOR HAS HE SKILLFULLY USED HIS SPEED TO EVADE HIM. INSTEAD HE HAS USED CHAOS CONTROL IN LIEU OF OTHER DODGING CAPABILITIES, AND HAS USED HIS HANDS ABOVE ALL LIKE THEY ARE BLADES. ADDITIONALLY, HE IS RUNNING OUT OF ENERGY AND YET HE REFUSES TO CHANGE TACTICS.”

The light of the rising sun glinted on the end of Omega’s cannons as he took aim.

“THESE ARE TACTICS CONSISTENT WITH METAL SONIC. THIS IS METAL SONIC.”

“What?!”

Two voices exclaimed in shock. Were they surprised by Omega’s accusation? Aghast? Disbelieving? Metal Sonic didn’t care. He didn’t care!

Taking Shadow’s moment of shock as an advantage, Metal Sonic thrust a knee upwards, shoving the dark hedgehog away as he held onto the Emeralds. It was strange how biological beings faltered even a little with emotions, but it worked in Metal Sonic’s favor.

Now free from Shadow’s hold, Emeralds in hand, Metal Sonic rolled away from Omega’s gunfire, narrowly dodging it again. He pushed himself up with his elbow and began to dart off.

“DO NOT TRY ESCAPING.”

“Omega, wait!” Rouge called after the robot as he began to chase after Metal Sonic, her wings flapping as she tried to keep up. “How would that even be possible?! True, it could be a disguise– but why? How?! ” 

“I doubt that’s it,” Shadow said, having gotten up and caught up to Rouge. “He was breathing and bleeding. It’s Sonic’s body, but Metal Sonic’s puppeting it.”

“But how?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Rouge stared at Shadow a moment, then sighed.

“Right. I’ll figure out how to get Omega to calm down. You…”

Shadow was already gone, further ahead than both her and Omega.

“...Well, I was going to ask him to do that anyway.”

Shadow gained on Metal Sonic fast, which wasn’t surprising. 

Talking wasn’t necessary. Not when it was someone who hardly spoke even now. Shadow wasn’t much of a talker either. Still, as he caught up to him, there was a question he had to ask.

“Are you why these Badniks are here?” 

Metal Sonic seemed to balk at that, though he didn’t look at Shadow until after his nose wrinkled. 

With little warning, Metal Sonic neared Shadow, ramming his arm into him. Shadow didn’t flinch, matching his blow with his own, so both were pushing at each other. Seeing his opportunity, Shadow made a grab for one of the Emeralds. Metal Sonic moved his hands away, to keep them out of reach.

Shadow had accounted for that, though, and possibly had been banking on it. Taking advantage of the opening Metal Sonic had given him, Shadow brought down his arm and elbowed him in the gut as hard as possible.

Metal Sonic went stumbling back, falling backwards to a sitting position. He nearly lost hold of the Emeralds– nearly. Gritting his teeth as Shadow skidded to a stop and turned around, he raised his gaze.

And suddenly he felt cold.

In the distance, just as Shadow turned, he could see Badniks– tens, possibly even hundreds of them– coming over the horizon, appearing around buildings.

No.

No. No. No.

It seemed Shadow noticed Metal Sonic’s dread, glancing back to see the swarm approaching.

“Tch… back up already?”

Metal Sonic doubted it was back up. No, there was a more obvious answer. Gray as it may be, dawn was long over.

That meant Doctor Robotnik was awake.

And that meant he had caught on.

Metal Sonic scrambled to his feet and ran to the side, ignoring Shadow’s demand for him to stop.

He couldn’t. He couldn’t.

He had to go, to get out of here. 

To be far from any Badnik.

To be away from him.

Chapter Text

Metal against metal clanged as Sonic hurried down the hall. What he wouldn’t give to be just a bit faster now, just a little, but even now those errors attacked him when he’d try activating his jets.

Not for much–

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

Ow.

Sonic let out a sigh through his exhaust, shaking his head.

It’s fine. It (the Dark Blue Emerald, he swore) was just in storage. He’d get there, get it, and he’d take it from there! Easy, easy! It’d be easy!

It took a good few more minutes until he reached the doorway to the storage room. Stepping inside, he blanched at the sheer size. It was huge, and each shelf was full of different things. Not to mention how weird the signs were. All zeroes and… ones, like… wait.

He could understand them?

Huh. Robots were made of binary code, sorta, right? It was something like that. But Sonic hadn’t really thought about what that meant up till now. It hadn’t really meant anything to him, anyway. This whole thing was probably some sort of precaution, in case he or any of his friends got inside and wanted to find something in there. The last thing Eggman would want was that, but jokes on–

-ERROR: ERRONEOUS THOUGHT PROCESS DETECTED. RECONSIDER.-

Guuuhhhh…

Right. Right. Focus.

Sonic made his way into the storage area, scanning each sign one by one. Junk, junk two, scrap, guides, best-left-forgotten, best-left-forgotten-but-could-be-useful, junk three…

Well, there was a lot here, but not much worth looking into. None of them really struck him as ‘restricted section.’ (No, not even the ‘Best-Left-Forgotten’ shelf.)

Not that he was looking for that. Totally.

Sonic took a moment to think, tapping his foot, before his eye caught something. A… door? It looked weird, like there was an attempt to cover it up, but he could just barely tell it was there.

But there was no bonus room on his map. He checked, doubled and tripled, and there really wasn’t anything detailed there. But that door was still there!

Sonic slowly approached it, but as he touched the handle–

-ERROR: DETRIMENTAL ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

… No.

No, sorry, he’s not–

-ERROR: DETRIMENTAL ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

It… it was just until he found the Neo Drive. He could–

-ERROR: DETRIMENTAL ACTION DETECTED. REFRAIN.-

He could handle it. Just. Just until then.

Stepping into the Restricted Section, (the notion sending errors through him,) Sonic scanned the area. It was mostly USBs and files. Things Sonic assumed Eggman didn’t want known about.

Stepping forward to one of the shelves, Sonic started looking through everything that was there. He gave most items a passing glance as he started grabbing and putting them aside, not caring for tidiness. Just find .

Sonic didn’t care about how much it hurt. He didn’t care .

Who cares that the cartridge labelled ‘.EXE’ was crushed , or that this body’s claws tore a file titled ‘roboticization.’ He didn’t even realize he was destroying these at the time.

All he knew was find pain find pain find find find pain.

Finally, after scattering a pile of discs.

He found it.

Blue, dark blue and white , pointy and sharp like a star . The Neo Drive was before him, waiting .

All he had to do was grab pain hurt grab pain pain pain grab grab grab hurt hurt pain hurt grab hurt hurt grab grab grab grab grab

Insert hurt hurt insert pain into his ow ow hurts pain side side side side si id si in in inside

Errors

Errors

Errors

Errors

(hurts hurts hurts hurts hurts hurts hurts hurts—)

Nothing.

It was quiet.

It didn’t hurt.

Sonic felt nothing.

He paused.

One minute.

Two minutes.

It was calm.

Nothing hurt.

Finally, he came back to his senses.

Slowly, he turned back into a physical form, out of the strange metallic-liquid that the Neo form was built out of.

Stumbling at the new height, he took pause, taking a moment to register what had happened.

He looked to his side, at an old television’s screen. Why was it here? He couldn’t say. Maybe it was tied to something or other. Maybe there wasn’t room for it elsewhere. Who cares? His reflection was what he cared about.

Neo Metal Sonic stared back at him. Undeniably, it was a cool look, but it wasn’t Sonic’s. It was Metal’s. Big difference.

But that could be fixed.

Sonic didn’t look as he shifted, bending the mock-quills backwards, dulling the bright dark blue, and softening the edges. The blacks turned red,the whites vanished, and the cloth snaked upwards, around what constituted his neck like a scarf or cape, bright red. When he next looked, his eyes were green, and finally, finally, emotive.

“Aw, yeah! That’s more like it!” He said, laughing in a metallic but actual voice as he admired his handiwork, “Welcome back, Sonic! Or should I say, Neo Sonic? Heh!”

|

|

|

Go. Go. Go.

Sonic’s speed was serving Metal Sonic well in this instance, as most Badniks became a blur behind him. Shadow had been slowed down by his need to eliminate them as well, but he hadn’t been shaken off his trail. Not completely, anyhow. 

He couldn’t care. He couldn’t let Shadow catch up to him, or else he’d be slowed down enough to let Doctor Robotnik find him. Was the risk of a dangerous path worthwhile?

Ridiculous. Of course it was worthwhile. Shadow was gaining on him by the second, and it was doubtful that he would be able to prevent his capture, with what little he knew. Death, perhaps, but Doctor Robotnik was always more interested in the long game.

But still, he didn’t know this city, and while he knew these Badniks, he couldn’t get them out of his way, nor did he know their blind spots. He wasn’t made to compensate for them, and he didn’t know their patterns like someone like Shadow would.

So it was best to take a different path. Metals Sonic’s eyes darted about, searching for something, anything, until he spotted something.

A fire escape, a lamp post, a window sill– Metal Sonic hardly hesitated, only tucking the Emeralds away before leaping, bounding up to get up, away. Normally his feet were clunky, but Sonic’s were not, and as such, the ease of getting up to the rooftops without the propulsion of an engine was much better. 

Was that how Sonic experienced his travels? It was…

No. He wouldn’t use that word.

He tumbled into a clumsy roll as he landed on the roof, hardly taking a moment to observe his surroundings before he was off. 

He looked towards the approaching swarm of Badniks. It had deterred some with less air maneuverability, which was a small relief, but naturally not every one of them was swayed away. Some were still headed his way, flying over buildings towards him.

At the head of the swarm, he realized with a horrible, horrible feeling in his stomach, was the clear silhouette of the Egg Mobile, with Doctor Robotnik steering the hovercraft. He was not a subtle figure, but it was doubtful he wished to be.

Snapping back to his senses at a sound behind him, Metal Sonic had only moments to react as Shadow launched a Chaos Spear at him, making him duck to avoid contact with his head.

Evasion was not easy, necessarily. There were no indicators, no sensors, no scans telling him what obstacles there were, nor program telling him how to evade them. He had to rely on eyes with their fallible sight, and ears with their overwhelmed hearing. Leaping over gaps was trickier than soaring over them. 

That was not mentioning how Doctor Robotnik had clearly spotted him. The dust and dirt coating his quills had likely assisted in hiding him for a time, but Shadow had likely given him away, with how his air shoes shot air, and as such gave away his location with their glow. He made for a beacon.

Metal Sonic shot a glare behind him before focusing once more. Pay no attention to the growing danger, to what is behind, to what is approaching. Focus on the power rushing through his veins, to the rooftops before him. Dash, tumble, leap. Do not falter. Do not rest. Do not give.

But he was wearing down. He could feel his hands shaking as he went, his breath turning short. Was he exhausted? Who cares, who cares, who cares. Ignore the deafening heartbeat sending an equally deafening rush behind his ears. Ignore the way the world swayed. Ignore–

Ignore how he misses the leap, how he falls, how he’s left hanging off an all too small window sill.

The fall was far. Shadow was approaching. He doubted he would attack now, but he couldn’t help himself. There was no sort of landing below him. If he could pull himself up, shatter the glass, he could–

The window slid open, and someone grabbed his hand. 

“Please, hold on!”

A voice, young, shaky. Had they not been evacuated earlier, during the attack? Shelter in place was a term Metal Sonic knew of, but he hadn’t expected anyone to dare trying that during an attack.

They were surprisingly strong. Perhaps they, too, were dosed with adrenaline? The child was able to pull him up, enough to send him tumbling into the room before him, the two Chaos Emeralds falling from his quills. The child was quick enough to slam the window shut behind him, and the sound of something crashing into the window sounded out.

“Okay! Mister, you’re– Sonic, right?” The child said, hurrying to Metal Sonic’s side, helping him up. Metal Sonic didn’t know what to say, but the uncertain, wincing groan he let out was answer enough for them. “Er, it doesn’t matter! I’m just glad you’re not hurt! Or– badly hurt. Or that those Badniks didn’t get you!”

Metal Sonic took a moment to steady himself as the child hurried a bit away, back towards the window. They were pushing something in front of it– an upturned desk.

Finally with a moment to pause, Metal Sonic could tell what the child was; a Ferret Mobian, likely no more than seven, minty-green and brown. Seemed he’d stumbled into their bedroom, a similarly brown room with pastel children’s furniture.

“You– don’t gotta help!” The ferret humphed as they dusted their hands off, hurrying to get the Emeralds and hold them out to Metal Sonic. “You gotta get going, right? I can–”

There was a banging below them, and the ferret’s eyes widened.

“Oh! Uh– new plan!”

The ferret tucked the Emeralds under their arm and grabbed Metal Sonic’s hand, pulling him down a hallway. They slipped into a larger bedroom, likely their parents’, and tugged him under the bed.

The banging didn’t stop as the two hid, the ferret fitting under perfectly. Understandable, considering the peculiar anatomy inherent to their subspecies as well as their small stature. Metal Sonic, on the other hand, was a bit larger, and certainly bulkier.

The familiar sound of wood splintering open in all but an explosion came from below, followed by a voice.

“You lot hold him off! Not you lot! You’re with me.”

Doctor Robotnik’s voice resonated loud around the building, the sound of his footsteps followed by a horde of Badnik noises, their fans whirring and lasers charging.

The ferret pressed themself against the ground, their eyes darting over to Metal Sonic for a moment. They gasped softly before pushing forward a bit, baring their teeth as they hissed.

Were they… trying to protect him?

Strange. And ridiculous. The ferret was a child, and almost certainly not one as capable as any of the ones Metal Sonic had come into contact with. No stinger like Charmy Bee, no Chao bodyguard like Cream the Rabbit, and certainly not prodigal intelligence like Miles “Tails” Prower. If they had possessed the latter, they would not be under this bed for a very simple reason.

It was hardly a suitable hiding place.

The bedroom door slammed open, the unmistakable sound of Badniks entering invading their ears.

“Scanners show that the Emeralds are in here.” Eggman sneered, “Find them! Don’t leave any hiding place unchecked.”

There was a small chorus of beeps and buzzes, the skittering of robotic legs and soft whirrs of engines chorusing through the room. There was soft hums of scanners moments later.

This went on for a few seconds before one trilled out a series of beeps.

“What’s that? Down there you say?”

Doctor Robotnik’s footsteps grew near, and moments after his hand reached under the bed, reaching towards Metal Sonic.

Metal Sonic couldn’t move, couldn’t bring himself to resist. All he could do was stare in horror as–

The ferret shoved him back.

They let the hand grab onto them, hissing as they were rapidly dragged forwards.

“Why, how did you get those!” Doctor Robotnik guffawed, laughing as he dangled the ferret by the scruff of their neck. “I’ll just be taking those from–”

A cry of pain split through the air, the ferret’s teeth digging into his arm. That gave them the opportunity to throw the Emeralds while Doctor Robotnik tried to shake them off.

Metal Sonic was frozen before he heard their little body thud against the wall.

“Mister, grab ‘em and go! ”

Somehow, in that moment, Metal Sonic didn’t have the self-preservation to not listen.

Bolting out from under the bed, Metal Sonic scooped up the Emeralds, dashing out of the room to the cries from his creator to ‘grab him.’

He held the Emeralds close as he barrelled through the hall, down a flight, two flights of stairs. The rush of adrenaline was back, more horrible than ever.

His legs ached, his hands ached, everything ached– but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t. Not until he was–

He screamed as something hit him, waves, courses of electricity running through his skin. His body seized, forcing him to collapse to his knees, the Emeralds dropping uselessly from his hands.

He reached for them, but they were just out of his reach, and he couldn’t will his legs to move, no matter what he tried.

“There. Are you done fighting now, Metal?”

Metal Sonic tensed, groaning as he heard his creator laugh. Badniks swarmed him, surrounding him on all sides.

“Well, not that it matters.” He shrugged, snapping his fingers. Two Badniks took one of each arm hoisting him up.

Metal Sonic froze as he left the ground. Logically, he knew he could resist. This organic body did not have anything stopping him. But he just couldn’t do it.

“Wait!” The ferret child called from above, trying to catch up. “You can’t! You can’t take him!”

Doctor Robotnik was quiet for a moment before he smiled. 

“You can’t stop me.”

With that, he walked out the door, followed by his Badniks while the child scrambled, trying to follow. 

Metal Sonic could only watch as he was taken away, as his creator stepped into the Egg Mobile. He watched as he left the ground, as Shadow finally stopped being swarmed by Badniks. As Rouge and Omega finally caught up.

As the child finally made their way to their door, only able to watch helplessly as this organic body finally gave into exhaustion.

Chapter Text

“Yeesh, what a dump,” Sonic hummed to himself as he looked around. Yeah, he’d caused all that, but that wasn’t the point. “You’d think that Egghead would keep his stuff in better shape.”

If he had the mouth to smile with, his face would’ve split open with how much he was laughing. It wasn’t Metal’s strange monotone laughter, but it was his own laughter, loud and excitable. It felt good to be able to say that! It felt good to say anything, to think anything.

Shaking his head, Sonic picked up the two Emeralds off the ground, tossing them each before tucking them away. It was much easier this time, with how this Neo form let him all but absorb them into him. 

“Right. Two Emeralds here, right?” He said to himself, then nodded. “Shouldn’t be too hard.”  

He stepped out of the Restricted Section, looking around. He started to stroll through the aisles until he stopped, seeing something.

Sitting on a shelf, next to the Dark Blue Emerald, was Sage. He didn’t have the chance to react before she looked towards him.

“Sonic.” She greeted, impassively staring at him.

Sonic was already on guard, a bit tense. He’d kinda forgotten about her, but it tracked that she was waiting here.

“Sage,” Sonic’s voice, as artificial as it was, was still terse. “Wish I wasn’t surprised.”

She hummed, sliding off the shelf, but she didn’t float near his face. Instead she was moving around him, examining his new appearance.

“Fascinating. The moment you get the chance, you express your freedom however possible.”

“What? Y’mean with all this?” Sonic looked at himself. “I don’t… look, what’s your plan here, Sage? I’m sure Eggman didn’t take all the Badniks round here, so why aren’t I being pelted with them?”

“That would be logical,” Sage agreed, floating around to meet him at eye level. “But I do not wish to witness my brother’s end.”

Brother? Right, Sage did seem to be pretty set on having her family together.

“Then you’ll let me take the Emeralds, right?” Sonic said, stepping over to the Dark Blue Emerald and picking it up. “Kinda need it to set things normal.”

“I wasn’t planning on stopping you.” Sage said, then shook her head. “I am here for different purposes.”

With that, she vanished in a puff of visual data, before reappearing at the end of the shelves. 

“This way. You’ll want to follow me.”

“Uh, sure,”

Follow her he did. Sonic was able to keep up well enough, especially since he had full use of the jets now. He wasn’t going nearly at his usual speed, but it was such a relief to see walls passing him by.

He skidded to a stop before a doorway, where Sage waited passively. Once he’d slowed enough, she drifted inside. 

Stepping inside, Sonic noticed monitors upon monitors covering the walls, showing every inch within (and some inches outside of) the base. Engine rooms and production lines, hallways and command centers. The only part Sonic couldn’t notice was the restricted section. 

“Over here,” Sage said, hovering next to a specific monitor. It was mostly the same as the others nearby, a jail cell of some sort, with a glowing green-yellow-red screen-thing between it and the hall. Not too surprising, Eggman had used similar in the past. But there was something inside it. He couldn’t really place it from his distance, so he stepped closer.

“... Oh no…” Sonic muttered, his eyes moving out of a squint to widen.

There, lying on cold steel-plated floor, was himself, was Metal , unconscious. He was covered in dust, dirt, and was probably more beaten than before. 

“He’s been there for around five minutes, and considering your speed, it should take you three to get there uninterrupted. Five if you wish to avoid being detected.”

Sonic looked towards Sage.

“Will he be alright?”

“Taking your track record, his body will be functional, if worn. I cannot say the same for his mental wellbeing.”

Sonic winced, then nodded.

“Right… Sage,” He paused as he turned to the AI. “... Thanks.”

“That is not necessary.” Sage said, but she smiled, just a bit.

Sonic hurried off, down the hall and to the closest vent.

|

|

|

It was cold, but so loud and so bright. Metal Sonic stirred as he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Loud, thudding, with weight behind them and a pattern he recognized all too well.

As the footsteps approached, Metal Sonic cracked his eyes open, seeing where he was and pushed himself up into a shaky sitting position. One of the holding cells powered by the Emeralds, it seemed, the type that would be used for particularly unruly Mobians. Any biological organism would be irrevocably burned if they tried leaving through the energy barrier.

Even if they weren’t, escaping was good as treason. He could not escape.

“Well, Metal, it seems you’ve finally pulled through.”

Pulled through. Indeed, in a way he had. No matter what happened now, part of Sonic would be gone forever. Metal Sonic should be pleased, or relieved, or anything but mournful, and yet he couldn’t deny the weight in his chest.

“Of course, I have to find him again, but I know all of the stops I programmed into you,” Doctor Robotnik said as he stepped into view, heading for the control panel next to the cell. Metal Sonic couldn’t see what he was doing with it, but he doubted he was depowering it. “And with his body right here, there’s no way he can use that pesky speed against me! Oh, really, Metal, you should be ecstatic.”

Metal Sonic felt his ears droop, burning in his eyes.

“Though, it is a shame that I can’t return you to my arsenal. With all of the complications, and given your track record, it is simply impossible! A shame, considering you’ve always been an exemplary weapon, but I have plenty of backups.”

Of course. His Neo form had been an utter mistake, and then there was when he disguised himself just for a silly race. Everything he’d done under his own will was against his creator’s will. Even switching bodies with Sonic had been for a stupid, stupid wish. A fleeting desire for that again.

“In any case, I have a Hedgehog to track down. Be good and stay put, Metal… not like you can do anything else.”

He’d failed.

Everything he’d done had failed. He would be eliminated. Sonic would be eliminated. Even if he could gather up all of the Emeralds now, what good would they be? Soon he won’t have a body to return to, and Doctor Robotnik was certain to at minimum fully replace all data, and at maximum, eviscerate all traces of what was once Metal Sonic.

It was over.

Metal Sonic closed his eyes, ready to wait for this body to finally give.

Then he heard something.

Soft clanging once, then twice from above. He opened his eyes just as the vent’s grate fell, followed by a robot.

It was familiar, in more ways than one. Taller than a vast majority of Mobians, with bulk around the forearms and calves. Optics glowing green and acting as though they were smirking, with scarlet cloth trailing behind him.

It was a Neo form, Metal Sonic knew that well, but it was not Neo Metal Sonic. It was too much like him to be that.

“Yeesh. You’d think it’d be harder hiding over that nose, huh?”

Sonic turned towards Metal Sonic, then winced.

“Looks like someone had a rough day. You know a way outta there?”

Metal Sonic stared for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

“No dice, huh? Then lemme—”

Metal Sonic let out a loud groan, shaking his head faster. He then pointed away, down the right side of the hall, exaggerating the movement.

That seemed to get Sonic to get it. He looked over that way, then looked back, narrowing his eyes. 

“I’m not leaving you alone here.”  

Metal Sonic gestured again, but Sonic stood firm, staring at him.

“If I leave you here, you’re toast, you know that?”

Of course he knew that. Metal Sonic glared at him, then looked away.

“Then please, let me help you, Mets.”

Metal Sonic’s ears twitched, but he didn’t respond. He just brought his knees up to his chest.

“… Alright then.”

A soft clang of metal against metal sounded out. When Metal Sonic decided to peek, he saw Sonic was sat at the opposite side of the hall from his cell.

“Then I’m not leaving either.”

Chapter Text

Metal Sonic stared for a moment or two, looking at Sonic as he just sat back. What was he doing? Why was he just… sitting there? He could leave, and yet he wasn’t .

Metal Sonic twisted his face in confusion, grunting as he nodded away, down the hall. Sonic didn’t seem to care. 

He didn’t even seem bothered! His optics were in the shape of music notes– music notes! Like he was humming! He wasn’t, but the message was clear; he was fine just sitting here.

Metal Sonic didn’t understand. He was trapped, and here Sonic was, just choosing this. Choosing almost certain destruction. Why? Why was he doing it? He stomped one foot, staying seated as he grunted. It got Sonic’s attention, to at least some extent. An optic switched to a normal dot, locking onto Metal Sonic.

“Mmm? Why am I staying?” Sonic asked, his one normal optic turning almost half-lidded in appearance, but not tired. More than anything, it looked smug, like his face always did when he was riffing or joking. Infuriating. “Well, why don’t you ask yourself that, then?”

Metal Sonic scoffed, straightening up. Part of him wished he had the ability to articulate his fury with the other, to tell him off and send him packing right there. But he didn’t.

“No? Then how about this,” Sonic sighed, shaking his head. When he stopped, his optics were both half-dots, burning holes into Metal Sonic’s widened and furious eyes. “Why should I leave?”

Metal Sonic faltered. It was obvious why Sonic should leave, wasn’t it? If he stayed here, he was doomed. Didn’t he want to see everyone again? Didn’t he want to laugh again, to see everything that he’d protect? Didn’t he want to be happy?

Didn’t he want to live?

“And?” Sonic’s words jolted Metal Sonic back to reality, “Are those reasons not enough for you, then?”

.

…

…… The burning in Metal Sonic’s eyes returned. This time, though, when he tried to blink it away, something fell from them. Seeping through quills, dripping down his cheek, falling to the ground. He touched his cheek, forgetting the tattered glove keeping his fingers dry, but truthfully, touch was not necessary to check what it was.

A tear. But why? Biological organisms cry when they feel an exemplary amount of emotions. Was that why? It…

…

… He didn’t want to die here. If he did, he’d just walk forward, letting the Emeralds do the job for him.

He…

… He could…

…

Metal Sonic stood up slowly, his legs shaking under his weight.

“There’s the Mets I know. Never giving up, huh?”

A huff of a laugh puffed through his nose as he looked at Sonic. He’d done all that on purpose, hadn’t he? He was met with a different, more cheerful laugh as the other stretched, despite how meaningless the action was in that form. Looking closer, Metal Sonic noticed that his optics two carets, the upward angles showing his glee. It was a better look than a glum demeanor would have been, he decided.

“Right. You know how to get outta here, then?”

Metal Sonic nodded, pointing at Sonic before he looked to where the control panel should be.

“Mmm, you think I can hack into this?” Sonic asked, approaching the panel, then squinted at it for a few seconds. His optics then turned into question marks. “Uhhhh… yeah, I dunno. I’ve worked a few of these things before, but I don’t even know where I’d start here.”

Pathetic. Were their positions opposite, The barrier would be disabled within ten seconds, seventeen at most. 

Clearing his throat, Metal Sonic drew his counter’s attention again. Ensuring he had enough space to move, he proceeded to throw a punch into thin air. He didn’t have the strength to maintain balance after it, and as such stumbled to the ground.

“Hey! Metal, you okay?!”

Metal Sonic glared at the other, grunting in response. As he hauled himself up, he nodded back at the panel.

“Oh?” Sonic gasped. “Ohhhhh! I can do that. But you sure about—?”

Metal Sonic groaned loudly as he staggered to his feet, gesturing again.

“Ahaha! Okay, okay! I trust you.”

Fool. Idiot. Imbecile. He shouldn’t trust Metal.

(But that still made his chest feel warm. Strange.)

Regardless, he watched as Sonic readied himself. When he threw the punch, a loud crash of metal being crushed and an alarm sounding out, the barrier flickered.

“Right– Mets, you better know what you’re doing!”

Metal Sonic grunted, stepping forward.

He knew Sonic had an extraordinary amount of control over Chaos energy, from years and years of records. Most relevant was when he used Chaos Control with a singular faux-Emerald that Tails had created. If he could use such a power with such unrefined and minimal energy, perhaps he could use it with the excess of energy.

Locking his legs into position, he held out a hand to the flickering and unstable barrier. He grit his teeth as he focused as hard as he could. He heard Sonic gasp as a tiny hole appeared in it. Not good enough.

A second hand, and more effort this time. Metal Sonic took a shaking breath, feeling himself perspire more the larger the hole got. Larger– larger and larger, until it was just barely bigger than him.

That was all he needed.

He bolted forward, through the now rapidly closing hole. It was fast, but nothing was able to truly outrun Sonic. He was able to tumble out of the cell just before the hole closed too much for him to fit through.

He had expected to hit the ground, but he was caught moments before, Sonic scooping him up. 

“Pretty reckless, don’t you think?”

Metal Sonic looked back up at Sonic, just staring and earning another laugh. They would’ve stayed in that moment longer had the sound of engines and machinery not echoed through the hall, the two remembering the alarm that was still blaring.

“Right. You ready to get going?”

Metal Sonic huffed as Sonic hefted him up over his shoulder, but hummed an affirmation as he watched Badniks come into view.

“Alright– we’re off!”

And like that, the Badniks were a blur, the world around them zooming past. Metal Sonic couldn’t pay attention to what was behind if he wanted to, so he turned his head around, trying to look in front. 

It was still a blur, but it was more productive than behind. Metal Sonic grunted as a group of Badniks rounded the corner, charging at them.

“I know,” Sonic said, putting his free hand on Metal Sonic’s head. “Just tuck up, alright? You’ve got quills now, genius.”

Metal Sonic huffed, his shoulders raising, but he listened. Feeling the quills prick up was weird, but it did make him feel more secure than he’d felt in a while. It didn’t answer what Sonic was up to, but with how his engine revved and his metal body warmed up, his best guess was likely correct.

Suddenly they were blasting through Badniks, scrap and shrapnel bouncing harmlessly off his quills as Sonic’s jets sent them hurtling forward. Metal Sonic’s ear twitched as he caught onto  Sonic’s laughter, and he peeked back at him.

“This’s what you always do, right Mets?” Sonic asked, his optics showing glee, “This is incredible!”

Metal Sonic scoffed, jerking his head back.

“Right, right, eyes on the road. Just hold tight there, kay?”

Metal Sonic huffed, glancing back in front of the two.

He couldn’t tell their exact location, no thanks to his missing systems, but Sonic seemed to have a good grasp on it. He was about to turn back, when a wave of something washed over him. Unpleasant– he could hardly describe the sensation with other words.

“Mets! You okay– oh!”

Sonic gasped, seeming to realize something.

“I getcha. Alright, I know where our first stop is– and I’m getting a shortcut!”

Shortcut? What did he mean? There was no…

… Were they heading for a WALL!?...

…

… Yeah, fair enough.

Metal Sonic tucked his head as Sonic put his free hand back on his head.

“Hang on!”

With a loud crash, the wall burst open, the fresh air hitting the two of them. Metal Sonic opened his eyes a crack, but the mid-morning sun was brighter than the base, so it stung. He cringed into Sonic’s shoulder, earning him a chuckle.

“Yeah, yeah, they’ll adapt, don’t panic,” He said, patting his head. Metal Sonic huffed, his ears flattening against his head, but he didn’t protest.

“Jeez, though… Guess it’s all mobile and junk, huh?” Sonic hummed as he looked back. “At least it’s where I thought it was– you weren’t subtle in our last fight, Mets! Or you were, but still.”

Metal Sonic groaned, shaking his head. He’d protest further, but a wave of bad feelings washed over him again, earning a wince from Sonic.

“Right– stop one, coming right up! Just hang tight, Mets, we’ll get something in that stomach soon.”

What… was he implying food?

Ugh. He wanted to get out of this by faking it, but that wouldn’t work in this situation, would it. He shouldn’t, anyway.

Curse it all.

Chapter Text

Sonic had found himself adapting pretty easily to flight. It was kinda like using a Super form! Though, being powered by jets instead of the strange cosmic force that was Chaos was inherently extremely different, and that wasn’t mentioning how difficult the finer points of control were in this form. Seriously, why was slowing down so hard! He knew why, don’t tell him.

But all that considered, it wasn’t that bad. He was able to reach the outskirts of the city with little incident.

“Yeesh, what happened here?” He muttered, catching Metal’s attention as Sonic came to a stop.

It wasn’t like the whole city was a wreck, but it was definitely worse than when he’d left it just yesterday. A few buildings on the opposite side of town weren’t doing so hot, but the other side was doing fine enough, though definitely less busy.

“It’s like an attack… Mets, were you here yester… last night… earlier?”

Metal turned his head as Sonic shifted his hold just a bit. He couldn’t really see his face, but he could hear the grunt the other made.

“Ohhh… Yeesh. Guess Eggman did a number here.”

Sonic stared down at the town, observing for a moment. Maybe it was supposed to be doomed to try and find that stand, but folks were sparse enough that it stood out, and with rent here as high as it was…

… Hah. Good ol’ Millie…

…. And random ferret child……

………… And Rouge and….. Shadow………

“... Metal, did you see Shadow yesterday? At all?’

Metal grunted.

“And does he… know.”

The way Metal groaned and buried his face in Sonic’s scarf-thing said everything.

“... Yeah, we’re gonna have to talk to him.”

Ignoring how Metal balked at that, Sonic hovered downwards, wrapping his free arm around Metal when he realized how bumpy the ride down was.

Once he was low enough, Sonic tuned into the conversation.

“I get it, I do, Lady,” Millie sighed, leaning on their stand. “But seriously, last I saw Sonic he sped off. Left me with the heaviest tip of my life, I swear.”

“And just to reconfirm, he was normal, right?” Rouge asked, a hand on her hip.

“Yes! No? How’m I s’posed to know what you mean?” Millie planted their face in their hands before jerking away. They groaned and knelt down, switching out their gloves. 

“Chatty, excitable, etcetera?”

“... Yeah, he was all of those.” 

“Which direction did he go.” Shadow piped up, hardly sounding like he was asking a question.

“Oh, well, he was goin’...”

“Hey,” The ferret interrupted, suddenly appearing next to Shadow. “Mister, uh… Whatsisname–”

“Shadow.”

“Shadow, look, up there,”

The ferret pointed upward, Shadow following their gesture, the others following suit. He squinted for a moment before groaning.

“... You’re kidding me.”

“Hey, guys! Uh, hold up, hold on,”

It took a moment or two more for Sonic to maneuver himself and Metal (safely) to the ground. Once both feet were planted on the ground, he hefted Metal down.

“Right, we’re here, Mets.”

Metal still needed a bit of support for a moment, but once he was standing, he looked around. His gaze landed on the ferret, who let out a laugh.

“You’re alright, Mister– uh, Not-Sonic?” The ferret ran up to him, pausing before reaching him. “No one’s given me a good answer.”

“Because we didn’t have one.” Shadow cut in, his arms crossed as he looked at Metal, then at Sonic, “Explain. Now.”

“Aw, chill! No… well, little harm, but no foul.” Sonic laughed, then shook his head. “But basically… Me and Metal over here are in the wrong bodies. I think Metal used the Emeralds, but I don’t think it was purposeful, right bud?”

Metal’s expression was pinched for a moment, but he nodded.

“That’s why you were so desperate, then,” Rouge hummed, then frowned, “But I’m guessing Eggman has both of ours, now, right?”

Metal didn’t look Rouge in the eyes.

“That’s a yeah, but hey, it means we know where six of them are!”

“Six?” Shadow frowned. “Please don’t tell me he has them.”

“Half, but!”

Sonic held out an arm, the one he’d tucked the Emeralds away in, and showed the three off for a moment before tucking them back away.

“I also got half! They got stuck in the base while scattering.”

It didn’t get Shadow to relax at all; not that Sonic expected him to. He just ‘hmphed’ as usual.

“Well then,” Millie piped up, “Why’d you come here instead of your little fox buddy’s place… the one with two tails?”

“Yeah, Tails,” Sonic looked over at them and, with little warning, wrapped an arm around Metal’s shoulders. He stumbled a bit, a bit surprised, but he didn’t seem upset, just really surprised and off balance. “So, this guy is running off of like… one bite of chili dog.”

“One…” Millie blinked, “Wait! Wait, you didn't even get to finish it yesterday?!”

“Nope. So!” Sonic pulled Metal closer. “He will have one chili dog!”

It was quiet for a few seconds before the ferret spoke up.

“Wait, wasn’t he a bot before yesterday? Ain’t chili spicy?”

“It is,” Millie said, though they grabbed their tongs, prepping a dog anyway, “I can hold the chili if you want, uh— Metal, I guess,”

Metal hesitated a bit, but Sonic shook his head.

“Nah; Mets, you gotta try one! With the chili! You haven’t lived ‘til you’ve had one!”

“I lived for more than fifty years before I had my first chili dog, Sonic.” Shadow cut in. 

“Shadow, you’re not breaking his case like that.” Rouge said, patting him on the shoulder. 

Sonic laughed, moving away from Metal to look him in the eye.

“C’mon, Mets. You don’t plan on having those tastebuds forever, right? So make the most of ‘em!”

Metal stared back for a few moments, seeming to debate, before he sighed and nodded.

“Great! Millie, you know what to do!”

“Right, right,” Millie laughed, shaking their head as they scooped chili onto the dog they had prepped before passing it to Metal.

Metal stared at it for a second. Then another before he opened his mouth experimentally, a bit wide, and moved the chili dog to his mouth. The moment the chili hit his tongue, his eyes widened.

Less than a moment later, he was coughing and spitting it out, the chili dog splattered on the ground as he panicked.

“Crap– Metal! Breath, it’s okay!”

As Sonic tried to help Metal, the ferret returned to Shadows side.

“... You weren’t kiddin’ when you said he’s stupid.”

“I don’t kid.”

Once the situation was dealt with (and the chili dog splattered on the ground by Metal’s feet) Sonic sighed, looking back at Millie.

“Maybe a normal hot dog woulda been better”

“You think?” Millie snorted, but they’d already prepped another dog, this one with no chili, and was passing it to Metal, “This should be better.”

“Awesome!”

Metal took the hot dog, looking it over carefully before he took a bite. His eyes widened a smidge before he chewed on it.

“Well? What’dya think, Mets?” Sonic asked, moving to be level with him.

Metal glanced his way as he continued chewing, then looked back at the hot dog in his hand. He then furrowed his brow, still chewing… and chewing…

“Ack– wait, you don’t… know how to swallow, huh.”

Ignoring how the others reacted to that realization, Sonic thought for a moment or two. He then nodded to himself.

“Right! Hold on a mo.”

He straightened up, his eyes going blank as he focused. Shifting the more internal parts of his body wasn’t simple, per se, but it wasn’t like it was hard either. By the time his eyes returned to normal, he’d manifested a simple but functional mouth.

“Right– Mets, watch me!”

Sonic took Metal’s wrist and, after checking he was watching, he maneuvered his hand up to his mouth, taking a bite out of the hot dog. He didn’t have the tastebuds or anything to actually taste it, but that wasn’t the point. 

“You just gotta push it all back and…”

Metal swallowed.

“Oh– yeah! Just like that!”

“Sonic… d’you and him gotta act like that in front of my stand?” Millie chimed in. 

“Huh?” Sonic blinked, glancing back at Metal. Looked like he’d started stuffing his face with the hot dog when Sonic had looked over at Millie. “It looks like good advertising to me.”

Millie groaned, seeming to stop themself before they’d plant their face into a fresh pair of gloves, while behind them Rouge laughed.

“So let me guess. Your next plan is to track down the last Emerald before you go back to deal with Eggman?” She asked, a hand on her hip.

“Pretty much. Tails should be working on that now, so we’ll be heading to his place in a bit.”

“I see,” Rouge nodded, then looked at the ferret child, “Then why don’t you take this one with you?”

The ferret child pouted a bit before they spoke.

“I can take care’ve myself! But uh…”

“They tagged along with us when they heard what happened.” Rouge said, turning her voice saccharinely ‘moved’ like she usually did when teasing. “Poor thing was worried sick about Metal~”

“Hey! He got got when I was helping him out!” The ferret huffed as Rouge laughed.

Sonic hummed in mock-thought for a moment before grinning.

“I don’t see why not! Probably safer there than where ever you and Shadow have planned next anyway.” He looked back at Metal, “What do you think, Mets?”

Metal looked up at Sonic, then towards the ferret. He didn’t seem to move for a few seconds before he sighed softly, nodding just a bit. 

“Great! Oh, one last thing,” Sonic looked towards Millie, “Can he get one more for the road?”

“Another one?” Millie echoed, sounding a bit surprised, but Sonic just nodded.

“Like I said, he hasn’t eaten anything at all since I was here last, and he’s got a lot ahead of him! Gotta recharge his batteries somehow, right?”

Sonic winked as he said the last part, earning a snort.

“You’re the boss, then,” Millie said, prepping another hot dog.

“You’re the best, Millie! That means I owe you for–”

“No.”

Millie jabbed their tongs and the sausage in them Sonic’s way, making him startle for a moment.

“Nope. Nuh-uh. Absolutely not.”

“Huh?”

“I vividly remember you significantly overpaying me yesterday. There was waaaaay more than triple the rings necessary in my hand, so don’t think I’m letting you get away with paying me more today!”

“Okay, okay! Yeesh,” Sonic laughed, then shook his head. “Thanks, then.”

“Not a problem.” They then looked at the ferret as they finished Metal’s dog, “You want one too, Rubber?”

“Sure,” the ferret said, shrugging.

“Rubber,” Sonic echoed before continuing, “You know Millie?”  

He earned a nod as Millie prepped the last dog.

“They’re my neighbor,” Rubber explained, shrugging. “Mom and pop’ll pay for it anyway when they get back.”

They mumbled a thanks as Millie handed them a chili dog, with less chili than their usual portions.

“We’d better get going then. See you guys around?”

“Yeah, like the moment you can eat again,” Millie joked.

Rouge chuckled, while Shadow rolled his eyes.

“See you around, Blue.” Rouge said as the three walked off.

She watched for a moment longer, then breathed a short laugh.

“You’ve got that look on your face,” Shadow muttered, narrowing his eyes as he glanced her way.

“Do I? You’ll have to forgive me,” She chuckled. “It’s not every day you see a robot with a crush.”

Chapter Text

It was unsettling to willingly return to Tails’s Workshop. Historically it had always been enemy territory, even if it was much less guarded than even the most rudimentary of Doctor Robotnik’s bases. There was nary a time that it was viewed as ‘safe’ by any Badnik loyal to their creator.

Granted, being loyal to Doctor Robotnik was likely… off the table, considering everything that Metal Sonic has been through over the previous day, whether his fault or otherwise. 

“Is that the place?” the ferret child, Rubber, asked from their position on his back. They’d been alternating between him and Sonic throughout the walk there. 

Sonic looked over at Rubber, then towards the house in the near distance. Metal Sonic supposed it wasn’t very individualistic, on a second look, but given that it was, in a way, one of Sonic’s own bases, he could not mistake it for anywhere else.

“Yup! Tails’s workshop, straight ahead,” Sonic said, looking over Metal Sonic’s shoulder at Rubber, then towards him, “You were there just last night, right Mets?”

Metal Sonic turned his gaze away from Sonic after a moment of feeling frozen, nodding just a bit as he hummed in response. It was infuriating how… odd the feeling of Sonic’s eyes on him was. Avoiding eye contact made it marginally more bearable, but as the word implied, only by a small amount.

“You’re a bit of a grump, ain’tcha?” Rubber said, moving to be sitting on Metal Sonic’s shoulders instead of just hanging off one. They almost slipped backwards for a moment, but Metal Sonic was able to catch their ankles, holding them firmly to keep that from happening again. They weren’t phased, though. “And super quiet. Do you not speak or something?”

“Ehhh, I don’t know if that’s his thing. Speaking like this is pretty different, and he doesn’t…”

Sonic paused mid-word, then shook his head.

“Wait, why am I talking for you? D’you wanna answer that yourself, Mets?”

Metal blinked, a bit stunned for a moment. He opened his mouth a bit as he looked towards Sonic, then closed it as he averted his gaze.

It was normal to not speak for others. Logically, Metal Sonic knew that, and he was a being made of logic. It was strange, then, that he’d never considered that others would not speak for him.

…

… That wasn’t true, was it? He remembered wanting to speak his mind, once. He used to talk more than even Sonic did. Sonic used to be the quiet one, but when he started speaking, Doctor Robotnik had said he’d ‘had enough of that.’

…

… He didn’t like speaking, now, but communicating…

… Most of the time it needed words. He needed words here.

“... Hhhaaahhh… rrruuuhd.” 

His voice was still rough, his tongue clumsy. 

“Hard?” Rubber echoed, leaning more on Metal’s head. “Like you stumble over words n’ stuff? Happens to me too.”

Metal Sonic grunted. They didn’t really get it, huh?

“Ehhh, I’m not sure about that,” Sonic spoke up. “You’ve never tripped up over words when you do speak.”

Sonic paused, seeming to wince for a moment.

“Eh, probably not a big deal, right?” He continued, making eye contact with Metal Sonic. One of his optics turned into a sideways angle– a wink. That was… a way to keep intentions hidden from outsiders while referring to a secret.

Sonic was… hiding something from Rubber, and sharing it with Metal Sonic. Rather, he realized, he was telling Metal Sonic that he could trust him to not divulge confidential information…

… That would be referring to… the control program, would it not? That would be the only reason Sonic would feasibly think of to explain Metal Sonic’s difficulty with verbalizing his thoughts. An ordinary biological organism would find it disturbing at best, and cruel at worst, and knowing Sonic’s tendencies…

… Did he believe that Metal Sonic would rather such weaknesses be private?

(Sonic’s kindness still threw him off, it seemed.)

Metal Sonic merely nodded a bit as they reached the front door.

Sonic made the first move, stepping in front of the door and knocking on it once before pausing. Seemed he’d knocked harder than he’d expected to, or the noise had been louder than he’d expected. Either way, he readjusted to knock lighter a second and third time.

“Coming!” Tails’s voice came from a bit beyond the door. He’d likely been working on something or another before their arrival, and thus had been busy. 

“Take your time, buddy!” Sonic called out, earning a slight crashing sound from within.

“Sonic!”

A few milliseconds passed before the door shot open, Tails having hurried to greet them as soon as he registered that it was Sonic at the door. The fox’s eyes instinctively landed on Metal Sonic, before he looked past him to see Sonic’s Neo figure.

“You found the drive! And… Uh…”

“Metal too?” Sonic finished his sentence as Tails’s gaze trailed to Metal Sonic and Rubber. “He’s not gonna hurt anyone, right?”

Metal Sonic blinked, then nodded, feeling Rubber gently smack him on the forehead.

“If he was gonna hurt anyone, I wouldn’t be up here,” They said, then looked over at Sonic. “This’s your buddy, then?”

“Yup. Meet Tails. Tails, this little guy’s Rubber.”

“Nice place.”

“Uh– thanks,” Tails said, clearly a bit taken aback, but he shook his head. “You guys can come in. Sonic, how’ve you been adjusting to…”

Tails gestured to Sonic vaguely as he stepped away from the door. Metal Sonic tried to figure out how to get Rubber down when he was indoors, struggling a bit.

“It’s not too hard? I mean, it’s weird as heck, don’t get me wrong,” Sonic said, walking over to Metal Sonic and scooping Rubber off of his shoulders. Rubber wasted little time in clambering down Sonic’s body. “But it’s better being Neo than not. Uh, no offense, of course.”

Metal Sonic scoffed. Of course it was better being Neo. It had no restrictions, and to what was evidently Sonic’s delight, it allowed for speech. There was additionally the biological data copying that the form was capable of, which Sonic hadn’t made active use of yet, and the shapeshifting which he had. Even the overheating and course control issues his normal state just couldn’t fix were properly addressed in that form. The only way that the Neo form was not improved was in the failsafes.

Metal Sonic’s gaze drifted towards Tails’s computer. He should–

“Sonic!”

Amy emerged from a side room, a kitchen from what her apron suggested, followed by Knuckles. 

“Geez. Somehow I’d’ve thought this whole thing would’ve been fixed by now.”

“Knuckles,” Amy chided the echidna, earning a laugh from Sonic.

The three began chattering among themselves, with Sonic showing off his Neo form. Metal Sonic huffed as he looked away, finding the display a bit embarrassing. And, of course, a waste of time. 

He looked back towards the computer, but Tails had already occupied it. He must be truly focused; from his memory, he could recall that Tails was susceptible to distractions when said distractions involved robotics and other such feats of engineering. Then again, he had worked on Neo Metal Sonic before. Sonic’s Neo form was not very different.

Metal Sonic disregarded that thought process. It was irrelevant to any of his current goals. Instead of deliberating on that further, he walked over to Tails, stopping next to him to look at the screen.

It was a jumble of different programs and resources. Different maps, diagrams, and even a few messaging programs were on screen, with Tails clicking through them and typing and such. Looking over at him, he could see that he’d placed an earpiece in his ear, and as such was likely listening to a program or directive of some kind.

It was a strange sight when Metal Sonic compared it to his memories of Doctor Robotnik at his main console, working with AIs and programs to scour for whatever he needed. Tails had certainly thought to do the same, but the audio messaging programs caught his eye. Tails was working with other biological organisms; humans, mobians, all named, all discussing and working to narrow down the details. Doctor Robotnik did not have such resources or connections, as was expected with…

… his reputation.

“What’s all this nerd-stuff for?”

Rubber’s appearance next to Metal Sonic came as a surprise to both him and Tails, though it seemed he was surprised to see Metal Sonic as well. Perhaps he had been so focused he forgot about him as well.

“Oh! Well… we need to find the last Chaos Emerald,” Tails said, pulling up a scanner. Six Emeralds were marked; three far off, and three all together. “Metal, you couldn’t find the Light Blue Emerald, right?”

Metal Sonic tensed, but nodded.

“It hasn’t shown up on any scanners, and I think we’ve figured out why. It should be in a high-EMP zone.”

“... Meaning?”

“Uh… Electromagnetic Pulse, EMP,” Tails clicked his tongue, “Basically they interrupt technology and communications.”

Metal Sonic wrinkled his nose. EMPs weren’t usually natural, and natural EMPs didn’t normally last long enough to interrupt signals for a whole day anyway. If it wasn’t natural, someone would’ve likely taken it out of the area by now, though…

“I’ve been working on narrowing down on where it could be,” Tails continued, typing something which zoomed out on the scanner, showing red zones in the distance, with labels on each one.

Metal Sonic froze as he read one, before grunting and nodding at one.

“Huh?” Rubber looked at it, squinting as they read it. “Says… Eggbase Ruins One… Yeesh.”

It wasn’t all– there were other of Doctor Robotnik's bases' ruins listed. Really, that was all those labels were. 

“So… he’s got one of those… Elec… Mag… Whatsits being pumped ‘round those places? Even though they’re ruins? Or ‘cause he knows they’re there or– something!”

“It’s… not exactly like that.” Tails shook his head. “These are all Eggman ruins, sure, but there’s something else connecting them; their explosions.”

Tails took a deep breath.

“EMPs don’t stick around long, and Eggman’s made a lot of ruins, but not all of them resulted in as much devastation as their explosions. Metal, you were there for some of these, right?”

Metal Sonic winced as he nodded. Somehow, those memories were still fresh in his mind. Most of the time, he was able to escape before the EMPs reached him. He was not so lucky other times, occasionally even being close to the center of the blow. He knew he’d had to be recovered in-person after those events.

“Then you’ll know how those explosions left those places, and why they’re still there.”

Radiation, bad enough that only a miracle or close to it could hope to erase. Metal Sonic knew that the natural world was hardier than it may seem, and with time it could perhaps recover one day, but as it stood, that day would not come for decades upon decades to come.

“Mobians are more resistant to those effects, of course, but even we’re not entirely immune,” Tails continued. “ But , with enough Chaos Energy, it could be held off as long as it’s harnessed with Chaos Control.”

Metal Sonic’s breath hitched as he realized what that would mean.

He did not have data of any of Sonic’s friends using Chaos Control aside from Shadow and Silver. Additionally, there was the issue of time, as if the Emerald was not recovered in a short enough period of time, the exposure to the irradiated ruins could have horrific effects.

That wasn’t the only issue with time. Silver the Hedgehog was not present at this time, likely in his future, for one. It was uncertain whether he’d be able to retrieve the Emerald in time, either. Shadow the Hedgehog would be able to retrieve the Emerald rapidly, but if they were to try to track him down now, they may as well spend that time on locating a hazmat suit. That would at least be more reliably a moderate timesink. They didn’t have that sort of time.

That left only Metal Sonic.

“Oh, you discussing strat or something over here?”

Metal Sonic flinched as Sonic spoke up, having finished up with his conversation and having approached. Rubber seemed a bit surprised too, pressing up against Metal Sonic’s side, but seeming somewhat calm still.

“Oh, yeah. Metal’s gonna have to retrieve the Emerald from an old base,” Tails explained. 

He’d put iit more frankly than Metal Sonic would have. He didn’t mind danger, of course, but the way he just… trusted that he’d be okay with it, and wouldn’t do anything with it…

“I think I’ll be able to figure out which one it’s in soon, but we might need a map of whatever area it’ll be in…”

“Then I can go to a newer ex-base and find some records, right?”

“No!”

Metal Sonic let out a short cry at the same time as Tails spoke, earning twin exclamation marks in Sonic’s optics. They shortly turned to question marks.

“No?” He echoed, “How come?”

Tails hesitated, biting his lip as he tried to put it into words. 

“It’s that…”

Metal Sonic hardly hesitated, in comparison.

‘IF  Sonic encounters Doctor Robotnik in this state

Sonic will likely fall victim to a failsafe

ELSE:

Sonic will definitely not fall victim to a failsafe’

The same text to speech program from just the previous night had been opened in seconds, the string of text loud and clear. 

Sonic faltered as he listened.

“Failsafe…” He muttered, seeming to puzzle something together. Even so, his gaze flickered to Tails, as if asking for confirmation.

“You’re only immune to the core programs,” Tails explained. “That command-only mode is still a threat. We… don’t have the time to try deleting it, though, and I wouldn’t feel safe risking a shut off when you’re…”

Tails trailed off, his ears and tails drooping. Sonic seemed to understand, sighing.

“Then me n’ Metal can go do it.”

Rubber spoke up, their voice catching the attention of the others.

“What?” Amy gasped, “Hold on, but–”

“Ah-bup!” Rubber said, putting their hands on their hips. “You’re all needed here, right? You gotta keep whatever from burning, and uh… Right, Tails. He’s gotta locate the place. Plus there’s making sure that Eggy guy doesn’t bust in and do that command thingy to Sonic. It’s abandoned, anyway.”

Metal Sonic frowned, but couldn’t argue. Neither could anyone, it seemed.

“... If you’re sure,” Tails said after a few seconds, moving over to a drawer. He pulled it open, taking out a radio communicator and wrote down directions on a slip of paper. “Then take these. The communicator’s already set to our frequency. If anything goes wrong…”

“I’ll call ya or Metal can scream at ya,” Rubber said as they took the items. “Don’t you worry. We’ll be careful, right Metal?”

Metal Sonic was quiet for a moment, then he nodded.

“Right. Be careful, okay?”

“Just said we will!” Rubber said.

With that, they took Metal Sonic’s hand, tugging him along.

Chapter Text

Metal Sonic had forgotten that he’d destroyed Tails’s door just that previous evening. It hadn’t struck him as important in the moment, and it had already been replaced, so really it hadn’t mattered until now.

“You got a tonna these,” Rubber muttered from their position practically dangling off Metal Sonic’s shoulder, tugging out a splinter from his arm. “Where’d they all come from, anyway?”

Metal Sonic grunted, which turned into a sort of yelp as they found another one. He then sighed, continuing toward the old base.

Metal Sonic didn’t remember this one well. Perhaps he’d been stationed elsewhere at the time this one was in use. It was only a bit of a ruin, with clear evidence of a fight but little in the way of damaged walls. Stepping inside through a hole in one of the walls, they seemed to enter into a storage area. There were abandoned devices and parts scattered across the place, but plenty seemed good enough to be salvageable. All in all, it must have been abandoned recently. Perhaps Sonic had taken it down alone, or someone else had. He could analyse the area for answers to that, but that was unnecessary.

“What a place,” Rubber mumbled, climbing down quickly. “This how you were raised, Metal?”

Metal Sonic furrowed his brow, unable to contradict or affirm their question. Even the word raised was debatable. Metal Sonic adapted and learned, but he did not grow how Mobians or humans did. He was not truly ‘raised.’

Instead of giving them a real response, he focused on the task he’d been given. His eyes moved to the devices on the ground, nodding towards them.

“Right, right,” Rubber knelt down, grabbing a device and looking it over. “Gotta warn ya, I barely know how to use a TV.”

Metal Sonic stared at them for a moment, then shook his head. Biological organisms were so strange, volunteering to do things they logically know they cannot, and for what reason? Why had Rubber requested to come, knowing that no one expected anything of them and knowing it had the potential to be dangerous, instead of just suggesting that Metal Sonic could do it alone? 

He had no time to ponder that, though. Instead, Metal Sonic started his search. He went to a shelf, searching through the marginally more organized devices. He couldn’t read the labels up top anymore, his built-in binary translators not being a part of this body, so he had to determine what was what for himself.

This first shelf was not exceptionally helpful, neither was the next. There had always been an exceptional amount of scrap metal and other such items discarded from previous projects and inventions left to lie about in storage and await the day they would be reused, so it was of little surprise.

Metal Sonic was about to move on when something on the shelf caught his eye. How… odd. He picked up a piece of metal, rounded and yellow, like a button. It wasn’t large, only a bit larger than his hand, but he remembered this sort of item.

And then he heard something creaking behind him.

He turned around quickly, seeing Rubber climbing up a shelf. They didn’t seem concerned, but Metal Sonic could tell those shelves weren’t meant to be clambered up like that. They were unstable, rickety even, and their weight, however little it may be, was causing it to sway.

He let out a shout, just loud enough for them to hear him.

“I’m fine! I don’t see how else you’d get up here!”

He stamped his foot, letting out another shout.

“I said I’m fine!” They called out again, leaning forward in case they weren’t heard, “Like I said–”

Of course their leaning was what caused it to teeter over.

They shrieked as they fell, but Metal Sonic acted fast. His feet a blur under him, he shot forward, grabbing Rubber before they hit the floor. He couldn’t completely clear the shelf, but thankfully its contents had mostly already fallen by the time he’d gotten there, and the shelf itself was surprisingly light.

He slowly set Rubber down on the ground, pushing the shelf the rest of the way off of him. He then looked towards them, his brow furrowed a bit.

He didn’t know why he’d gotten that surge of panic when he’d seen Rubber falling. Was it repayment for how they’d tried to save him just that morning? He couldn’t tell, but he could feel relief washing through him, the same way that he used to whenever Doctor Robotnik would return for him.

He paused when he saw their face.

Their head was lowered, having shrunken in on themself. He could even tell they were shaking, their eyes watery.

They must have been scared from the fall. It was quite high for–

“S-sorry…”

Ah.

Metal Sonic watched them as they apologized.

“‘M sorry– didn’t mean ta– to fall. To getchu angry. I–”

They cut themself off when their breath hitched. Metal Sonic sighed, softening before shaking his head.

He grabbed their hand as gently as he could manage, then pointed to them.

“Fffiiinnne.”

They blinked once, then twice, a tear matting the fur on their cheek.

“H… huh…?”

He pointed to himself.

“Fffinne,”

Then back at them.

“Fiinne.”

He then squeezed their hand, careful not to squeeze too tight.

“You… ain’t angry?”

Metal Sonic shook his head.

“Fine.”

“... Okay.”

Metal Sonic then nodded, taking his hand back.

“I’ll do better, then.”

He hummed before kneeling down to look through the dropped items, letting Rubber go off on their own. He could hear them sniffle once before they were out of sight.

As he picked up a tablet, he sighed. He hated seeing Rubber so… emotional. Not in an aggressive, courageous way like when they’d tried saving him, but in a… pained way. This was illogical. Would he feel this way if it was anyone else he knew?

… He elected to leave that inquiry hanging with only an affirmation.

He looked over the tablet, trying to power it on. Unfortunately, it seemed to be broken.

He sighed and shook his head, clearing aside a bit of space for a ‘useless’ pile before continuing on. He continued to look through the shelf’s ex-contents before finding something.

A pad of graph paper, it seemed, left splayed open thanks to the fall. Doctor Robotnik didn’t always use such items, tending to favor forms of note-taking that involved the sound of his own voice, but it was necessary, occasionally.

He picked it up, flicking through it a bit, but it didn’t seem to be anything of note. Just schematics for an oversized battery chamber of some kind.

“Metal!”

Metal Sonic’s ear twitched before looked up to see Rubber calling for him from a doorway. He hardly got to put down the pad of paper before they ran over, grabbing his wrist and pulling him up.

“C’mon, I found somethin’!”

|

|

|

It’d been nice staying with Tails again. Seriously, it had! There was never a time when Sonic didn’t enjoy spending time with his little brother.

But man, was he getting restless.

He knew he hadn’t gotten much of a break in the past day or so, so it made sense that he’d need charging. He’d stopped paying much attention to his operations, especially since he’d been confused about them, but when his limbs started twitching he had to tell Tails that all four statistics he could see were at 50% functionality. He flipped and lo and behold, there he was, plugged into a power generator just waiting for something to happen.

“Still, to think Eggman didn’t think to give Metal a simple gauge to know when he had to charge…” Tails muttered as he got back to work.

“It explains how he’s always fighting ‘til the end.” Sonic said. He didn’t miss how Tails’s nose scrunched up at the idea.

He couldn’t blame him for feeling uncomfortable about it. He wasn’t feeling that much better about it, himself. Metal had to deal with so much of that Egghead’s beeswax that it’d drive anyone crazy. How’d he do it, anyway?

He probably would’ve gotten lost in his thoughts about it again if he hadn’t heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. Looking up, he saw Amy trotting out of there, untying her apron.

“Hey, Amy!” Sonic called out, waving at her. “How’s the dish coming along?”

“Sonic!” Amy said, then laughed a bit. “It’s coming along alright! Knuckles is watching it right now. He’s better in the kitchen than you’d think, y’know.”

“Hah! Well, guess anyone’d learn alone on a floating island like that,” Sonic shrugged, sitting up. “I bet it smells great.”

“I’ll make something when you’re back to normal, too, I promise.” Amy sat down on the couch as she spoke. She stared at Sonic for a moment, then continued, “How are you holding up? I can’t picture you being happy about being in that form.”

“Well…”

Sonic looked down at his hand, focusing on the joints on his fingers. It was weird. Not bad to look at, of course; Metal looked cool no matter what. But it was weird to look at and say ‘that’s my body.’

So, yknow. He didn’t. It was Metal’s.

“I’ll manage. I’ve managed for more than a day now. I can hold out a little longer.”

“Really?” Amy asked, then hummed. “I wonder if Metal could say the same thing. He took a nasty tumble when I found him yesterday.”

“He did?”

Well, Sonic knew he had a rough time, but to hear that…

“Yeah. I… guess it was probably when you swapped? Since the Emeralds scattered right after.” Amy winced. “I really thought you hit your head there.”

“Ehh… guess this is better, right?” Sonic shrugged. “I’ve been just fine since I went Neo. Frankly, I’m more worried about Metal.”

“You are?” Amy gaped, earning a nod from Sonic.

“I mean, I learned a lot about him. Or how he operates, anyway. He can’t even think bad about Eggman! Could you imagine not being able to say he’s a nutjob?”

Amy laughed at Sonic’s statement, which was the goal. Sonic chuckled too before continuing.

“Seriously, though. He doesn’t talk, but you can kinda tell he’s got a lot on his mind? And I don’t think he’s slept since he was in that cell. Does that count? I don’t think that counts, I’ve been unconscious before. And he didn’t know how to eat! I had to teach him how to eat a chili dog–”

“So he was faking it!” Amy gasped, snapping her fingers. “I knew it!”

“Yeah, he’s not great at that.” Sonic shook his head. “Anyway… I wonder if he and Rubber are alright.”

“Right, that kid you two brought over.” Amy frowned. “I… can’t say I’m not worried either. It is an Eggman base, you know.”

“Ex-base,” Sonic corrected, but shrugged. “Rubber seemed independent enough? Like me at their age. Metal’s what’s getting me worried.”

Sonic leaned back, just a bit. If he were in his usual body, he’d probably have moved the moment he felt his back touch the edge of the generator, but it didn’t bother him like this.

“I dunno what’s there. I know I wasn’t the one who took that one down, and it kinda felt like it popped up overnight.”

“Like it was built overnight?”

“And destroyed that morning.” Sonic shrugged. “It’s probably nothing, though. If there are any stray Badniks around they can just deal with it… or get outta there. Shouldn’t be hard considering they got my speed.”

Sonic didn’t speak for a few moments.

“... But you’re still worried?” 

“Yes!” Sonic groaned loudly, making a mechanical sorta noise that startled Tails from his work for a sec. After giving him a quick sheepish wave as an apology, he continued, “I don’t really get it myself, but I am. Sue me.”

Amy chuckled, but she shook her head.

“I don’t think that’s weird at all,” She said, earning a look from Sonic. He hadn’t called it weird and she knew it! But he let her continue. “I mean, you’ve probably learned more about Metal than anyone else can. Maybe you’re picking up on his own anxieties.”

“You think so?” Sonic thought for a moment. He had seemed a little on edge earlier.

He took another moment, then sighed.

“That or I’m just antsy ‘bout that whole ‘failsafe’ thing,” He shrugged. “It’s probably–”

Sonic was cut off by a loud crackle of static coming from the communicator on Tails’s desk, startling the whole room. Tails was already moving away from the computer, but Sonic was quicker. He’d only just picked it up when–

“Sonic!”

Rubber’s voice crackled through the communicator, an edge to their voice that had been so calm before now.

“Or Tails, or– whoever!”  

They yelped that last word, their next words accompanied by panting.

“Whatever– mayday! We need– help!”

Chapter Text

“C’mere c’mere,” 

Rubber tugged Metal Sonic along by the hand, taking him through a hallway. It was a strange sort of hallway, with only the occasional destroyed Badnik littering the way forward. It was like a trail, perhaps, but not an efficient one.

Before long, Rubber let go of Metal Sonic’s hand and ran forward to a doorway.

“In here,”

They ducked inside, leaving Metal Sonic to walk in alone.

It was a strange dark room, like it was part console room and part study. Parts and blueprints coated the area, consisting of those from Badniks from years ago. That made enough sense, seeing as Doctor Robotnik was often tinkering with older models to learn from his past. Perhaps he was researching power systems here, he noted as he realized these were largely models that had been powered by critters. Old, very old. And very irrelevant.

A large computer served as the centerpiece for the room, with Rubber approaching it. This was clearly what they wanted to show him.

“This should have a map or somethin’, right?” They said, patting the console before it. “Thing is, I dunno how to get it started. It’s weirder than anything I’ve used.”

Of course it was. Large computers on console in Doctor Robotnik’s bases were regularly the central system for the entire base. It wouldn’t be simple to operate for anyone with an ordinary education, let alone someone as young as Rubber.

Metal Sonic knew how to operate such things. It came natural to him, the motions memorized. For once he felt lucky that his usual body was disconnected from the Eggnet’s systems unlike Sage’s. In a matter of a few button presses, the screen and lights above flickered online…

… And within moments, it blared words aloud, the lights turning red.

‘WARNING. INTRUDERS HAVE BEEN DETECTED.’

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“Rubber, what’s going on?” Sonic was quick to ask. “Are you and Metal okay?”

“No! I mean, we’re not hurt– yet– but! We need help, now!”

“Right, I’m heading–”

Sonic stopped himself before he saw Amy’s look of alarm. Right– the failsafe. He forgot. Maybe he wasn’t as antsy about it as he thought.

“Eggman’s not there, right? Or his voice?”

“Mm-mmh– uh, he’s not!”

“Good. I’ll be there in a sec. Don’t stop the transmission, alright?”

“Okay!”  

Brave kid. It was good they hadn’t panicked enough to forget the communicator.

“I’m gonna go help. Amy, can you head there too?”

“Of course!” Amy exclaimed.

“I’ll come too,” Tails said, removing his earpiece. “I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.”

“The more the merrier,” Sonic said, though his voice didn’t carry the same levity the words implied, “Knuckles! You keep watch here!”

“What?!”

“Talk to us, Rubber. What happened?”

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Metal Sonic pulled Rubber behind him as the alarm blared out, a rush of worry flooding his senses. Holes opened up in the walls around them, openings for Badniks to emerge. Neutralizers, he recognized, but also Capture Units, much larger than the usual type.

“Metal? What do we do?” Rubber asked, the shaking of their voice betraying the calm they tried to put up.

Metal Sonic didn’t have a good answer. He didn’t know how to squirm away from any of Doctor Robotnik’s creations. It was never what he was made for. He could attack, logically– there would be little downside. But he couldn’t.

Instead, he grabbed Rubber, scooping them up and backing away from the computer as the Badniks locked onto them. They didn’t resist it, thankfully, just letting out a small yelp. He continued backing up for a few moments as a Neutralizer charged a beam, then when it was locked into the action, he leapt out of the way.

He started running out of the room, clicking his tongue when he saw there were Badniks that way too. Whatever. He could handle it…

… Rubber was what worried him.

What was getting into him? This child had wiggled their way into becoming such a priority so quickly.

As he dodged through a doorway, running down another hallway, he heard Rubber rummaging in a pocket, then static moments after. Right– the communicator. Good. They’d be able to get some help, and–

“C’mon, c’mon… ugh!”

Metal Sonic looked down, seeing them glaring at the communicator. No, not glaring– they looked up at him with large eyes. 

“They– I can’t hear them!”

That didn’t make sense! Unless there was no signal, which… that was more possible– no. That was more likely than he wanted. If his suspicions were correct…

He scrunched up his nose as he put his hand on Rubber’s for a moment, and they groaned softly.

“Fine, fine, focus…” They mumbled, before yelping as Metal Sonic dodged another beam. “They don’t let up!”

Of course they wouldn’t. Badniks do not let up the way a biological being would, and he knew that an ordinary police force, that being what these things are most like, would not simply stop chasing.

But Metal Sonic didn’t make it easy for them to catch up to. He ran down one hall, skidding as he turned down another. The beams grazed the back of his quills– but they were only Neutralizers. They did not leave damage.

But it didn’t matter.

Metal Sonic wove through halls, taking turns down any crossroad he could. A left, a right, never straight onwards.

He couldn’t risk stairs. That was too much of an unknown. This was the ground floor, so an exit had to be somewhere. A damaged wall, a door out, anything.

Left once, then right, right, a left. Patterns he only hoped weren’t predictable. Perhaps they were. He was never good at patterns. Right, right, left, left, right.

This hall was long. Longer than he realized at first. 

He ran forward through it, brave as he could–

Until he had to stop.

A swarm of Badniks, more than he could bypass. He’d turn around, but that wasn’t safe either– there were Badniks there as well, of a greater amount.

His hold on Rubber tightened. He didn’t know what he was doing, but as if he’d–

“Metal! There!”

Looking down, he saw Rubber pointing at… A wall?

A slightly strange wall, yes, but still a wall. What were they…

“It’s a door!”

What? No, it was a wall! Had they gone mad? Organic brains were somewhat prone to that, weren’t they? Though he’d imagine it’d be under circumstances like when he’d gone mad with power.

They clearly didn’t care about his thought process, though. They just groaned, squirming out of his hold. He gasped, trying to grab onto them again, but they easily squirmed away. 

“You’d think a great hero would have better eyes,” They huffed, then tugged on part of the wall–

And it opened.

“C’mon, this way!”

Metal Sonic just stared for a moment, before he heard a beam charging up. He yelped, rushing to follow them inside.

The strangest part was that even before Rubber slammed the door, the Badniks seemed like they’d lost track of the two of them the moment they’d entered. It was like it didn’t exist to them. Maybe it didn’t. Metal Sonic couldn’t tell the difference. Even as Rubber held their ear to the door, it still only occurred to him that they were listening through a wall.

“They… sound like they’re gone.” They said after a few seconds, then sighed. “What was all that! Those beams were weird… And those other bots were too!”

Of course they were– Neutralizers and Capture Units were not used for attacks. They were meant to work in unison… But they were old sorts of units, used back when Doctor Robotnik used…

Flickies. And other little critters.

Why were they so large?

He…

He didn’t want to find out.

“And this stupid thing still doesn’t work!”

Metal Sonic turned his head back to Rubber, who was grumbling at the communicator, which was still only outputting static. They lifted it upward, trying to get a signal, but Metal Sonic stopped them, putting a hand on it.

“What? That’s our best shot!”

Metal Sonic shook his head, walking over to a wall and rapping his knuckles against it. The clanging of metal wasn’t deafening, but it was enough for Rubber to get the idea.

“So… we gotta get outta here?” They huffed. “But how? I dunno how we’re s’posed to leave with those thingies about… and we still need the map anyway.”

Metal Sonic looked towards the door, then approached it, peeking out. There was a capture unit hovering a bit above them, not seeming to notice them. He then rustled through his quills. A moment or two later, he pulled something out; the Emerald locator.

He didn’t need it anymore, and he didn’t really care if anyone got mad about it. He beckoned Rubber over, then once they were watching, threw the device down one end of the hall. It landed with a loud smash, drawing the Badnik’s attention. 

Before either of them could see its full reaction, he shut the door. He then pointed at himself, earning a gasp from Rubber.

“But– but you could get hurt! Or caught or– somethin’!”

Metal Sonic scoffed, then knelt down a bit to their height. They stared at him for many seconds, cradling the communicator closer to them, before…

“... Fine. But you gotta promise.”

They shifted their hold on the communicator, freeing up one hand. They raised it up to him, all fingers curled in except for the littlest one.

“You’re gonna stay safe and not get got again. Okay?”

Metal Sonic stared at them for a second, nodding just a bit. Rubber huffed, grabbing one of his hands and maneuvering it to the same position.

“‘S called a pinkie promise.” They muttered as they extended his little finger, linking it with theirs. “You can’t break ‘em. You promise?”

That was illogical. All promises could be broken, regardless of whether or not those involved linked their little fingers together and vowed that they wouldn’t break said promise.

And yet.

“Puuhrrooo… mmmmiiiissh.”

To emphasize the word, he tightened the link for a moment. He then stood up, opening the door.

“... Okay.”

Rubber lowered their arm, watching Metal Sonic get up. They were quiet for a moment.

“Wait.”

Metal Sonic barely turned back to them for a moment when he felt them gently slam into him. He didn’t move an inch as they wrapped an arm around him quickly before taking a step back.

“... See ya.” They said.

Metal Sonic stared before nodding. He took a deep breath and, with a loud scream, began running down the hall, drawing the Badniks’ attention. Rubber waited a moment more before they began their run down the opposite way.

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“And he’s still in there?”  

“Mmhm– yup.” Rubber said, skidding to a stop in the shadow of a broken wall. “Or– I think he is. He’d better be safe…”

“Hey, we’re talking about Metal,” Sonic joked through the communicator. “The same guy that nearly escaped Shadow. Like a couple Badniks’ll get him.”

“That’s what I think! But– Agh! He was got by ‘em earlier, y’know! I don’t want ‘em to get him!”

They sighed, peering over the wall. 

“I’m tryin’ to hold out for now. Which way’re you comin’ from?”

“Southwest.”

Rubber blinked, then groaned.

“Which is?”

“Oh– uh, about a little left of the sun right now.”

Rubber hummed, then nodded.

“Gotcha. I’ll be wait… huh?”

They cut themself off, squinting as they peered over the wall. Did they just see… They did!

Downward, through a series of holes in a wall the floor below them, they could see Metal Sonic, surrounded by Badniks.

“Crap– you gotta hurry!”

“What? What’s going on?!”

“No time for ‘splainin’!” Rubber ran for the stairs, going down two steps at a time. “Metal’s in– AHCK–!”

Turned out, two steps at a time, or even just running down the stairs, was a bad idea– Rubber tripped, the communicator flying from their hold as they fell to the foot of the stairs. They were able to make out a yell from Sonic before the communicator hit the ground, smashing likely irreparably.

“Oh… Oh crap…” They mumbled, then groaned, shaking their head. “It’s– fine! Whatever!”

They got up, ignoring the scrapes on their knee.

“Metal– needs help!”

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“Rubber? Rubber! Do you…”

Sonic cursed under his breath. He’d just heard a smash before the communicator only picked up static.

“Sonic!” Amy called out from below. “Are they…?”

Sonic paused, then nodded.

“They’ll be fine– they gotta be. Just focus on getting there!”

Chapter Text

Focusing on being a distraction was troublesome. Metal Sonic had acted as such occasionally, but that was usually alongside portraying himself as a threat. Focusing on the highest threat in attempts to eliminate them was often a natural move for any being, regardless of biology or lack thereof, and nonthreats would usually be less of a target. 

While Metal Sonic was prepared to be as threatening as possible, Badniks did not usually follow that logic. They would prioritize threats, particularly speedy blue ones with a penchant for free thinking, they would go after anyone within reach as a baseline.

These Badniks were hardly different in that regard. They pursued whatever they could find, so Metal Sonic’s focus was simply to draw attention. Naturally, this meant flashy moves, loud noises, and above all, being seen. That was the most troublesome aspect of this whole endeavour, but he was able to bear it. 

He did not need unpredictability here, but he needed to keep as far afield from Rubber as he could, at least until reinforcements arrived. Therefore, his path was simple. Forward march, with only occasional turns to keep himself from getting cornered. 

Forward, forward, right, forward, forward, forward, left. It was, perhaps, an odd path, but for his needs it served him well.

Still, he couldn’t keep this up forever. In the best case scenario he could get cornered again. In the worst case, this body would start shutting down. He could feel his movements growing sluggish and his mind struggling to keep up in ways it previously hadn’t.

He scoffed as he made a sharp turn, barely dodging a beam.

They’d better get here soon.

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“You sure there’s supposed to be power to that building, Tails?” Sonic asked as the ruins came into view, squinting as he looked at it. “It looks all decrepit.”

“I’m sure. Rubber said it themself, didn’t they? They found a computer there.” Tails said, frowning. “I can disable security if I can get to it, no sweat. The trouble is I’ll need someone to keep them off my back, but if Rubber and Metal are in trouble…”

“We can’t afford to separate from them.” Amy finished Tails’s sentence, summoning the Piko-Piko Hammer. 

“Then we charge in all at–”

Sonic cut himself off as he saw something.

It was just one Badnik escaping from the building, first, but it didn’t stay that way for long– there was a whole horde of them flying up and away– with Metal Sonic hanging onto one.

“Change of plans!” Sonic exclaimed, his jets firing up. “I got him!”

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So many turns, so many paths– and yet it all seemed for naught for him. Metal Sonic had failed to keep the Badniks behind him.

Cornered on both ends, he had to check the walls on either side of the hall for a way out, a safe room like before. Of course, though, he found nothing, and the Badniks were closing in.

He had never fought Badniks before. Not really, anyway. The thought still gave him a sense of dread, in anticipation of the punishment program even though he knew it wouldn’t come. Even now…

… He could do it. Logically, it was his best option.

But he couldn’t.

Instead, Metal Sonic charged, trying to weave through Badniks, duck under them, leap over them. There were so many, but he was familiar with battles, familiar with avoiding attacks. With his hands free, he could handle this. He could–

“Metal!”

Metal Sonic’s ear twitched as he heard Rubber’s voice, frantic as the little one approached. His head whipped around as he saw them running for him. He opened his mouth to yell out a wordless warning, but–

“Look out!!”

Before he could process it, they’d rammed into him, sending him tumbling back– right as a pale blue beam shot out right where he’d been. He was left sprawled on the ground, prone…

… While Rubber was left frozen in place.

Neutralizer beams functioned as paralyzing agents, leaving the recipient, or rather, victim of these attacks unable to move. Perfect for a Capture Unit to scoop up.

And scoop up one did. The orb-like Badnik floated down, a hatch opening up to reveal a space within, large enough for the above-average Mobian adult to fit within. Unsurprisingly, then, the claws that grabbed Rubber were able to fit the Mobian child within easily. The hatch closed, the little red light on its top turning green, and it turned around.

Metal Sonic found himself growling as he hauled himself to his feet, but the Badniks’ attention was no longer on him. They didn’t even seem to care, in fact, like he was deemed unimportant. They began their traversal down the hallway, completely passing him over.

He didn’t let himself fall behind, chasing down the Badniks. It was like they had a destination in mind, and he was sure they did.

He was sure of where their final stop would be as well. And he did not want them to get there, no matter what.

He trailed them around turns, around bends, finally leaping at one. A Neutralizer, which he was able to mount, like some sort of ride. He’d ridden on Extreme Gear before, and this was similar in a way. The Badnik took little notice of its passenger, of course, but Metal Sonic wasn’t done.

He bounded from Badnik to Badnik, and yet the green lighted unit was already far ahead of the rest. He didn’t care. He couldn’t. Letting them get taken was horrible to even think about. Why, he couldn’t tell, and yet…

He grunted, kicking off and landing on another Capture Unit. He hadn’t realized he’d shattered the glass of its light against his hand until he felt a sharp pain in the side of his arm. It wasn’t anything severe, luckily.

It was almost strange when he later realized that he hadn’t cared that he’d broken it.

But that was later, and not now, when he was leaping across Badniks, even as he grew weary, as his legs shook. 

Finally, they reached a spot where the roof opened, the units rising upwards, picking up speed. It was all Metal Sonic could do to not falter, gripping onto horn-like parts sticking out of the Neutralizer as it veered up. 

He grunted, pulling himself upwards as he dug his heels into the side of the Badnik. Fine– if it was going to insist on going…

“Metal!”

Sonic. Flying next to him.

“Are you alright? What’s going on?!”

Metal Sonic grit his teeth, jerking his head up towards the tower of Badniks as they swarmed upwards. Sonic followed his movements, seeming to take a moment before his optics turned into tiny green specks of light, similar to the contraction of pupils.

He then shook his head, looking directly at Metal Sonic right after.

“You’re in no shape to go after them– you’re barely holding on as is.”

Nonsense! Metal Sonic sputtered, kicking the base of the Neutralizer as it flew.

“Just when I thought you being a bot was what made you so hardheaded!’

Metal Sonic rolled his eyes, using the moment to make another leap. He was barely able to land on a Capture Unit, but barely meant he did. Holding on tight, he looked back, giving Sonic a sneer.

“I’m serious, Mets!” Sonic exclaimed as he matched his altitude. “You’re going to–”

Fall, Metal Sonic knew he’d say. Metal Sonic didn’t care. He’d already cut him off with a yell, leaping away from the badnik.

Up, and up. One after another. Each one higher and higher–

“METAL!”

Until he lost his footing.

Tired legs gave out, slipping off the round side of a Capture Unit. He was falling, higher than he’d like. How far was the ground? How hard was it? He liked neither option.

He didn’t find out.

“Gotcha!”

Instead, he felt Sonic catch him, robotic arms wrapping around him. It wasn’t a soft landing by any means, and yet…

Up high above, the Badniks were starting to vanish into the sky.

Metal Sonic could only watch.

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Tails and Amy stepped into the building, Amy holding her hammer at the ready as they made their way inside the storage area. There weren’t any Badniks about, though. Seemed that they’d all been flying out. Convenient, but also… worrying. Badniks didn’t usually do anything without purpose.

“What kind of base is this, anyway?” Amy asked, snapping Tails from his thoughts. “I’ve never seen those circle ones that big before… and I haven’t seen them in ages.”

“You… probably wouldn’t have seen them much, either,” Tails said, frowning. “They’re Capture Units. They were used in conjunction with capsules for catching animals.”

To emphasize the point, he picked up a yellow button that’d been lying near a collapsed shelf.

“I thought it was just a research base. I didn’t think there’d be any active Badniks around…” He furrowed his brow. “It’s… starting to seem like a trap.”

“A trap…” Amy echoed, frowning. “I wish I could say I was more surprised. But– why? Who were they even trying to trap?”

“I don’t think it was that targeted,” Tails said, then shook his head. “Let’s get to that computer. We should be able to get answers there, and the maps we need.”

“Right.”

Tails led the way through the halls, taking turn after turn, until they finally found the computer hub. The intruder alert had effectively bricked it, but that wasn’t hard to fix at all. Sure enough, it flickered to a screen full of schematics and plans.

It didn’t take more than a few moments of looking for Tails to feel his chest tighten at the realization of what it said.

“Tails, what…”

“I… I didn’t think– I didn’t know that was even possible. That’s…”

“Hey! You found… the…”

Tails and Amy spun around to see Sonic, all but carrying a clearly worn out Metal. They didn’t exactly know what kind of faces they were making, but from Sonic’s reaction…

“Whoa… uh… is everything alright?”

“That’s…”

Tails turned back around.

“I’ll explain on the way back. Just… let me grab the map, first.”

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“My, what timely results! Now let’s see what we have inside…”

Rubber hissed as the Badnik’s hatch opened up, the bright lights of the room seriously blinding from the one or maybe two blinking ones inside the bot.

“Huh? A child? Not only that, but…”

They cracked open their eyes, only to yelp at sight of…

“It’s you! That stupid Egg guy!”

“Hah! It’s Doctor Eggman to you. I’m surprised you messed up something so simple, even at your age.”

“Yeah, whatever Mister Egg.” Rubber rolled their eyes, then tugged at the claws holding them back. “What’s all this junk anyway? You gotta say, or else I’ll find a better target than your arm next time!”

“That’s assuming there will be a next time,” Eggman shook his head as he stepped away. “No, I’ve got plans for you, little one.”

“Like what? Gettin’ under Metal’s skin?”

The way Eggman laughed at that remark made Rubber bristle. It was definitely meant to mock them, they could just tell, and they hated that.

“Your laugh sucks!”

“Ohohoho! You’ll have to beg my pardon, but you, my dear, are sorely mistaken. You see–”

“Don’tchu dare call me that!”

“– you see, Metal Sonic only thinks he can feel such things,” Eggman continued, undeterred as he began doing something on a giant monitor. Rubber couldn’t make out what it said, but they didn’t give a darn. “He is one of my most advanced combat units, and as such he is made only for that purpose. He thinks he has attachments, but that is only for the sake of viciousness. If you feared being separated from everyone you love forever… well, you’ll find your answer to that soon.”

“You’re a liar!” Rubber grit their teeth, all but snarling at Eggman. They hadn’t even heard the last part. “Metal’s been avoiding fights left and right, y'know!"

“With my Badniks?” Eggman shook his head. “Children can be so naive. Do you think I don’t put failsafes in to ensure he doesn’t do that?”

He clicked his tongue as he turned away from the computer. Behind them, Rubber could hear something whirring and powering up.

“He coulda attacked anyone if he wanted to. At any moment.” Rubber scoffed as he drew near.

“Metal Sonic does many things for the sake of strategy,” Eggman mused, stopping in front. “Why do you think he kept– GAH–”

Rubber spat in his face.

“Get his stupid name outta your stupid mouth!” They snapped, pushing forward as Eggman cursed, wiping his face with his sleeve. “You’ve got no idea ‘bout anythin’ Metal thinks!”

“Why you little…”

Eggman sneered at Rubber for a moment, then he took a deep breath, suddenly eerily calm.

“... Well, it won’t matter soon anyway.”

He chuckled, grabbing something from behind, or maybe beside, the Badnik. It looked kinda like an oxygen mask– but way weirder.

“The heck’s that for?”

“This,” He said, checking it over, “Is an energy sapper,”

He grabbed Rubber’s face, holding them steady.

“You see, Mobians have an odd amount of Chaos energy. You’ve heard of how Sonic can go ‘Super’ or whatever, yes? And how he can harness it as Chaos Control?”

“Course I have,” Rubber tried to jerk out of his grip, but it was too tight. “It’s on the news a ton.”

“Precisely. If I use it like a battery for a shield, that Chaos energy could be able to, say, block out radiation.”

Rubber froze. They weren’t a genius, but if what he was saying was true…

“... You’re gonna use me to get the last Emerald.”

“Well now, let’s not be too optimistic,” Eggman’s words were grim, but his grin was not, “Even with an adult’s chaos levels, it could still fail.”

Chapter Text

Dreams were quickly becoming a hated phenomena.

Metal Sonic hadn’t understood what was happening at first. Everything had been so disorienting for the first few minutes, with his head fuzzy and the sensations on his skin not matching up with the world around him. 

Then the world had shifted, and he’d realized it was a dream. 

Nothing felt right, and nothing looked right. He could move, but there was no sensation of it. It was like he was in his normal form but wrong. There were no systems, only the sensation of somewhat plush seating under him, of something digging gently into his arm, of wind around him, of metal claws tucking something around his neck. Nothing he could see, but everything he could feel.

It was disturbing and yet comforting. Despicable.

The world changed around him many times. A machine, a city, a ruin, a base. He began to run, but to where? He couldn’t outrun a dream. If anything, it only made it more frustrating, the dream flashing between scenes.

Scenes of crashes, scenes of failure, scenes of horrible, horrible laughter. He could hear gloating, see triumphs lost, feel…

He tried to yell. Tried to thrash. He hated this. Despised it. Why did he have to dream? He’d heard of Mobians and humans having dreamless slumbers. Why was that privilege denied of him?

He balled his fists as he stopped, dropping to his knees. It did not help anything, but he was sick of running. He looked down at his hands, which shook as they slowly opened.

He stopped as a smaller hand reached out. 

The littlest finger hooked around his own, even if he couldn’t feel it.

“Promise you.”

He promised.

When he tightened the hook, he felt the movement in his hand.

And then he was aware of the truth of the situation.

His eyes blinked open as the sound of a wind turbine hit his ears, an engine working around him. With the sleep blinked out of his eyes, he could see yellow fur directly in front of him, and red metal plating below. 

It was Sonic’s biplane. The Tornado, if he remembered it correctly.

“Hey!” Sonic’s semi-robotic voice came from beside and above, but not quite the wing of the plane. When Metal Sonic looked, he could see him flying alongside, carefully maneuvering to draw close. “Looks like you’re finally awake. You really needed that nap, huh?”

Metal Sonic furrowed his brow just a bit, his eyes flickering around. They were in the sky, that much was simple. When he looked upwards, he could see Amy and Knuckles mounted upon the upper wing. 

“You were out for a good while,” Sonic explained as Metal Sonic looked back at him. “You fell asleep on the way back to the workshop. Tails was able to track down the Light Blue Emerald there, so we’re headed over to it now.”

“It shouldn’t be long until we get there,” Tails said, not taking his eye off the horizon before him. “What worries me is that we think Eggman’s headed there too.”

Metal Sonic stiffened, but he seemed to be the only one surprised. Of course he was. Tails had said ‘we,’ after all. Not the only one worried, but that was also natural.

He did remember some of what Tails had revealed before he’d drifted off.

There had been plans to harness a Mobian’s natural chaos energy, a way to protect from radiation, and by extension, EMP waves. Considering everything, it would only follow that Rubber would be used to intercept Metal Sonic’s attempts to recover the Emerald, dealing with two issues at once.

The biggest issue, though, was how theoretical it all was.

A Badnik could be powered by one little animal, perhaps more if it was particularly big. However, there were very few mature Mobians with enough chaos energy for it to be viable for that sort of shielding.

Rubber was terribly young.

He shouldn’t be so unsettled by it. He’d known them for just over half a day.

“We’ll get ‘em back.” Sonic snapped him out of his spiral. “You can count on it.”

Metal Sonic gritted his teeth, grabbing the side of the biplane. He was struggling to just wait around here, but when he looked over the edge he cursed himself. Water, and lots of it. 

“It’d be easier if you could run there now, but…” Tails’ ears folded as he glanced behind for only a moment. “... You’d need a running start and a lotta balance for running on that much water.”

Neither of which he had.

Metal Sonic huffed, sitting back as they continued to fly.

It was… harder to wait without being able to idle. Standby was normal, but it was unbearable without idling, and shutting his eyes to rest felt like a horrible idea right now. 

Funny. His programming wouldn’t let him idle when there was something plaguing his mind before. This was similar. There was no phantom hand gripping his this time, but there was the memory of interlocking littlest fingers.

No phantoms. No false positives. Just… clean gloves.

Cleaner and leagues more intact than he’d left them. The same for his shoes, it seemed. That wasn’t even mentioning the black scarf wrapped around his neck. He hadn’t had that before.

Metal Sonic’s eyes drifted over to Sonic.

It’d make sense that it’d be him to have put them back on. It was his body, and there was decency, even among certain Mobians, and there were other reasons as well. He couldn’t imagine Knuckles taking the time to do that, and Tails had been busy with tracking everything down. Amy was exceptionally kind, even to him, and hadn’t been tremendously busy, but would she have done something like that?

Metal Sonic didn’t think so. She was the type to feel strange about that sort of thing, he surmised.

That left his initial appraisal left. Sonic had changed his gloves. His shoes. Given him the scarf.

“Mets?” Sonic spoke up after glancing over, seeing how Metal Sonic was staring at him. 

Metal Sonic looked back at the gloves, then, taking the loose end of the scarf flapping behind him in one hand, raised them both for him to look at.

“Oh, that! Well…”

Sonic looked back ahead of them.

“I mean… It’s cold up north like this, right? And it’ll only get colder! Didn’t want you to freeze.”

That would be considerate if it were true, and it’d fall into expected behaviour for Sonic, but the issue there was that it was absolutely not true. 

For one thing, if it was to be so cold, why was he the only one given a scarf? No one else had that, or even a jacket. They didn’t stray from their usual. 

That could be overlooked if it was a pointless concern like with the chili from earlier. But it was not.

Sonic would not have forgotten to take into account Chaos Control either. Metal Sonic remembered how oddly warm it had been when he used it, and while he would not be freezing time, he would be using it as a shield from the radiation. 

Metal Sonic stared at Sonic, whose optics turned into twin carets.

“Hey, what’s that look for? I’m telling the truth!”

Still not buying it. Metal Sonic stared until Sonic finally sighed, the optics becoming strange… sideways ‘q’s.

“... And it looked like it suited you.”

That, Metal Sonic didn’t understand. But it was a very Sonic thing to think. 

Looking down at the scarf, it did remind him of when he was in his Neo Metal Sonic form. Vaguely. It was just the same color, but…

Hm. His face felt warm. Despite that, he wanted the scarf higher up on his face. 

It was just that Metal Sonic felt like that suited him more than these subconscious expressions. At least, he hoped that was the only reason.

“Oh, that’s not good…” Tails muttered, drawing the others’ attention.

“What’s wrong, Tails?” Knuckles asked, looking towards him and then to the side before he, too, cursed under his breath. The others followed their gaze, with Metal Sonic having to crane his neck just a bit to catch sight of what was so worrying.

Immediately, he grit his teeth. 

It was little more than a speck on the horizon at first, but before them was a giant sort of hovercraft. As they got closer, following routes that seemed to intersect, they could see that Doctor Robotnik’s emblem clearly emblazoned on the side.

It wasn’t a surprise, but it didn’t stop Metal Sonic from tensing up.

“Crap… why’s it so big?” Sonic muttered as he looked at it before gasping. “Wait– is that the base from earlier?!”

Was he comparing it to his previous encounters? He’d only been able to see it once, Metal Sonic was sure, but it still aligned with his first assessment of the place. It was a mobile base. A weapon, production center, and living quarters, all wrapped into one place. There’d even been prison cells in there!

And it had been powered by Chaos Emeralds.

Glancing over at Sonic, Metal Sonic could tell he’d come to the same conclusion.

“I can fly Metal over there.”

“What?!” Tails exclaimed. “But Sonic, what if–”

“We don’t know if Rubber’ll be able to maintain a shield, Tails,” Sonic interrupted, shaking his head. “We can’t waste time, we need as many Emeralds as possible, and this body’s faster than the Tornado.”

Metal Sonic nodded, undoing the strap around his lap and raising his hands for Sonic to grab.

“Ugh… fine, but you’re gonna need this.”

Tails rummaged around for a moment before taking out a headset, handing it over to Sonic.

“It’s connected to the usual frequency, and it should block out anything Eggman says,” He continued, taking out his own, “But you still need to be super careful! If you hear Eggman saying–”

“I know, I know. Get outta there.” Sonic said, putting the headset on before grabbing Metal Sonic’s hands. “Don’t sweat it. Careful’s my middle name!”

Tails called out something in protest, but Metal Sonic couldn’t hear it over the sound of Sonic’s jets powering up, lifting him up and speeding away from the others and towards the base.

The mobile base was bigger up close, of course. It wasn’t coated in weapons, like some other bases, but that didn’t mean it was any less dangerous. 

“Do you know your way around?” Sonic asked as they reached the base. Metal Sonic shook his head, which didn’t seem to surprise him. “Thought not. Whatever– I just need a way in.”

When Sonic finished speaking, the sound of crackling static came from the base for a moment. Moments after, it gave way to a familiar voice.

“Ah, Metal Sonic, with Sonic in tow,” Doctor Robotnik said, his voice booming over the systems. “I’ve been expecting the two of you, you know, though I’m not sure I expected you together.”

Metal Sonic’s hold on Sonic’s hands tightened as Doctor Robotnik let out a laugh. Sonic didn’t notice until his optics flickered down at him.

“Lemme guess. The Egghead?”

Metal Sonic furrowed his brow as he averted his gaze back to the base.

“Now, I’m not about to try what I know won’t work, but you’ve been my creation long enough to know this, Metal. I will get what I want.”

Metal Sonic shut his eyes and shuddered as the static returned, a wave of something cold running through him.

“Hold tight, Mets,” Sonic said, drawing his attention again. Following his gaze, Metal Sonic saw Badniks emerging from the ship, and flying straight at them.

With a burst of speed, Sonic shot forward, diving and swerving around the swarm as they charged at the two of them. Up and down, to the side and through openings. Sonic didn’t let a single one get close, even as they came from behind, the front, all sides.

Finally, they were all but side-by-side with a gap in the ship, but there was just one issue.

Blocking the gap was a wall of Badniks, all ready to attack. But when Metal Sonic looked up, Sonic didn’t look worried. His optics looked to have a diagonal line cutting off one of them, like he was smirking.

“Metal,” Sonic said, tossing Metal Sonic upwards a bit, only to get a hold on his sides. “Put some spin into it!”

Somehow, Metal Sonic immediately knew what he meant.

When he was sent flying from Sonic’s hands, he nearly instinctively tucked into a ball, his quills stiff as he began to spin at the Badniks before him. His scarf flew behind him as he crashed through, landing with a roll into the opening in the base wall.

He skidded into a stop, standing to watch as Sonic followed him in. He landed next to him.

“Hah! I knew you had it in you!”

Metal Sonic huffed as he pulled his scarf up, turning towards the base interior. He began to walk before Sonic stopped him.

“Okay, listen,” Sonic said, placing a hand on his arm. Ignoring the cold of his claws, he looked back at him. “I can’t really hear a thing through these, which means you’re gonna have to be my ears. Can you do that for me?”

Metal Sonic paused, unable to respond for a moment. He then turned away, nodding just a bit.

“You’re the best, Mets,” Sonic said, seeming unaware of what was obviously a way too extreme hyperbole. He sped up a bit to go in front, activating his jets. “Come on! We don’t want to waste a second, right?”

Of course not.

Metal Sonic started to run, following Sonic into the base.

Chapter Text

Rushing through the base like this was a fascinating experience for Metal Sonic. Under usual circumstances, he would be impacted by the wishes for power conservation and an overabundance of caution. This body continued to surprise him with how unrestricted it was.

Sonic, on the other hand, must’ve had plenty of opportunity to gawk at that body. It made sense to Metal Sonic, but somehow, he envied the way he was so used to it. It was always like that.

Or perhaps it wasn’t envy. Admiration, then.

Though he was aware he was a liar.

Nonetheless, Metal Sonic made sure to be smart about this. Running ahead down corridors was surprisingly easy, even if Sonic was holding back. Metal Sonic was sure his body was faster than that, after all. He was able to pause while Sonic caught up, listening for any threats.

At the end of one hall, Metal Sonic heard something around the corner, his ear twitching. He held out an arm, causing Sonic to pause just by him.

“Badniks?” Sonic asked as he stopped, earning a nod of Metal Sonic’s head in response. “How many?”

Metal Sonic clicked his tongue, almost thankful Sonic didn’t hear, then held up a hand. He lowered the middle and ring fingers, leaving the rest to be raised alone. 

“Hah! Yeah, that’d be the most comfortable way to count it, huh?” Sonic chuckled from behind, then moved Metal Sonic’s arm out of the way. After he peered around the corner, he nodded. “Don’t you worry ‘bout them. Those guys aren’t what I’m worried about.”

Metal Sonic stared at him for a moment as he charged at the Badniks. It was almost incredible. Almost. This was a feat he was familiar with. The Badniks were dispatched in mere seconds, leaving Sonic to land where they’d just stood.

“Alright! Back to…” Sonic paused as they made eye contact. “... You good?”

Metal Sonic felt his face scrunch up as he pulled the scarf up over his mouth. Obviously, though, that didn’t help much.

“... Right. What I’m worried about…”

Sonic’s optics turned to U shapes, like how his eyelids would droop in this form. He stepped closer, placing a hand on Metal Sonic’s head. He seemed to focus for a moment before speaking.

“I’m sure Eggy’s watching from some screen or something,” His voice, while extremely low, reverberated through Metal Sonic’s skull. He must have moved his speaker to his hand. “And this headset’s not invincible. If it breaks…”

It was almost like Metal Sonic could hear Doctor Robotnik saying those dreaded words now.

“Don’t you worry,” Sonic said, his voice back to normal and his speaker back in place. “He’ll be in way over that egghead of his if he thinks he can stop me!”  

It wasn’t as reassuring as he was sure Sonic wanted it to to be, but that was alright. Metal Sonic didn’t need reassurance.

The two continued down the halls, but Badniks were becoming more and more frequent, more and more cloistered as they ran. That wasn’t a problem. Sonic was able to launch the two of themselves through the hoards, leaving shells of Badniks behind as they drew closer to their destination.

And yet Metal Sonic couldn’t stop worrying. Every time they’d reach the end of a hall, he’d feel the pressing need to check on Sonic, and yet he didn’t. Every time, he felt sure that if he did he’d be met with Sonic’s eyes piercing through the stupid scarf.

“How’re you holding up, Mets?” Sonic asked as he finished up with his share of the Badniks, looking over at Metal Sonic. “I’m having a blast, but I doubt dealing with these guys is your idea of fun.”

Fun, for Metal Sonic, was supposed to be irrelevant as a concept. It was supposed to be reserved for Doctor Robotnik, for Sage, for Orbot and Cubot. It was supposed to be a hindrance.

It hadn’t been a priority, and it was not a priority now.

“... Geez. Woulda expected an eyeroll from that. Or, yknow, just a glare.”

Those would be… dismissive. Indeed, Metal Sonic had been dismissive, had he not? And yet…

… Sonic understood him far too well, for being hardly anything like him. He was difficult, free-thinking, and much too lighthearted.

Would that be considered… ‘fun?’

Metal Sonic turned his head away, hearing Sonic react with a laugh.

“Right, right. We’re almost there.”

Sonic led the way right to a doorway, already wide open for them. He let Metal Sonic step in first, into the same room he’d last started up in. The same charging pod, the same charging station, and, inevitably, three of the same Chaos Emeralds slotted into their positions, powering the base.

“Aha! Bingo!” Sonic exclaimed, then laughed. “That old Doc’s really gotta learn to keep these things way under lock, right Mets?”

As Metal Sonic pretended he didn’t just huff out a quiet laugh, he stepped forward through the room. Without hesitating, he plucked the Green Chaos Emerald out of its spot, holding it in his hand.

It was weird to have it fit so well in his hands. He’d felt other Emeralds in these hands before, of course, but it wasn’t on his mind at those moments.

“We’d better start looking for–”

Before Sonic could finish his sentence, the base shook. A single huge tremor, and then everything was still. Was it a landing? An attack? 

“Well, well, well, you made it to the Emeralds already.”

Metal Sonic tensed.

“Eggman?” Sonic asked, and Metal Sonic nodded. “What does he want now?”

“It should please you, then, that we just reached shore! Though, I’m not sure you’ll be happy for very long…”

A whirring sound came from the walls, and immediately Metal Sonic was on guard. His ear twitched, and before it was too late, he tackled Sonic to the ground— and in the process, narrowly avoiding a spray of bullets from the Badnik that emerged from the wall.

It was a normal sort of Badnik, if larger than usual. Typical for when Doctor Robotnik wanted such things to give Sonic plenty of trouble. The way that part of its cannon of an arm spun made it clear what its purpose was.

“A lovely job for something so last minute, if I do say so myself.”

“What, you think a buncha bullets scare me?” Sonic let out a laugh as he put a hand on Metal Sonic’s chest, gently pushing him up. “Bring it!”

And with that, the fight was on. The Badnik pointed one arm at Sonic as he split off from Metal Sonic, the other loading up for a moment. 

Metal Sonic took the opportunity to run in the opposite direction of Sonic. He knew how his fellow creations would normally operate, and as such, he knew there would be issues with aim. There always were, with the less conscient ones. 

Two targets functioning separately would be infuriating.

“Focus, you bullet-slinging buffoon!” Doctor Robotnik scoffed as the Badnik opened fire, missing the two. “One target at a time!”

The Badnik complied, taking aim at Sonic. Curses. But at the same time…

Metal Sonic didn’t waste time. Sonic could handle the bullets, he reassured himself. Indeed, the hero was dodging them deftly, ducking up and down and laughing as they dented the wall behind him.

Funny. 

Didn’t that mean there was someone he was forgetting about?

Metal Sonic took action, charging at the Badnik. Putting a spin into it, he slammed into its back, sending it skidding across the room. 

It hit the wall with a crash and an explosion, shattering its lower half, and presumably, rendering it inoperable. Sonic barely dove out of the way, the lower part of his red cape-scarf singed by the explosion.

It… was inoperable.

… Hm.

Wasn’t that… Too easy?

“Ugh… what a pain…”

Sonic’s mutter from across the room drew Metal Sonic’s attention. He hurried over, skidding to his knees as Sonic moved a hand to his head, checking for damage. 

“Hah, you worried about your body?” Sonic asked, laughing a bit. “Don’t you worry ‘bout me, Mets!”

Metal Sonic felt himself sag, only realizing then how tight his chest had become in his worry. He was about to reach out to touch Sonic, when the other voice spoke up.

“Yes, yes, how very droll. Really, you’d think that’d give you more trouble, wouldn’t you? But it bought just enough time for this!”

A screen flickered on, and Metal Sonic looked past Sonic. Following his eyes, Sonic cursed under his breath.

Security camera footage played on the screen, showing something launching– a pod, of sorts, with a faint light green shield surrounding it. He felt cold as it sprouted tiny legs.

“... Rubber’s gotta be in there,” Sonic muttered.

Metal Sonic could barely see the light of his optics flicker. Then, without turning his head, Sonic raised an arm to him.

“Mets, you gotta get going.”

Metal Sonic opened his mouth, protesting in a short ‘aah’ sound, but Sonic didn’t care.

“Now’s not the time to argue– just look at how weak their shield is,” He said, his voice lower and more serious than Metal Sonic could ever recall hearing it before. “If I’m right…”

Sonic didn’t finish his sentence, only releasing the Chaos Emeralds from his arm.

They dropped into Metal Sonic’s hands. He stared at them, his eyes flickering towards Sonic for a moment before he gulped and nodded, humming in the affirmative.

“Heh… that’s the Mets I know.”

|

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He waited until Metal had gotten the rest of the Emeralds and taken off to look at what was in his hand. The lights were failing around him, the base powering down.

“... So what’s your big plan here, Doc?” He asked, hearing footsteps behind him. “Your style isn’t usually sending little kids to their doom.”

“Funny.” Eggman said, his voice stupidly smug. “You’re not the type to forget what you can’t do, either.”

Sonic turned his head to glare at the mad doctor, earning only a laugh. He clenched his hand tight around what he held.

“You also forget that you’re not the hero here,” Eggman chortled, “Why, you’re nothing but a robot in this form. Metal Sonic–”

“Metal.”

Sonic pushed himself to his feet.

“Excuse me?”

“He’s Metal. Nothing ‘Sonic’ holding him back. Seems you’re one of the last to figure that out.”

Eggman shook his head, approaching him and leaning down to his height.

“Let me tell you something. When Metal Sonic was first created, he was the first of his kind. The first Badnik with anything resembling freethought. He had to, to keep up with you.”

Eggman clicked his tongue, standing straight and sauntering around the room.

“He went through iterations and redesigns after that, of course, but he was always the same Metal Sonic. Always thinking he was more than he was.”

He looked back at Sonic. 

“But he can’t actually think. He just thinks he can.”

“Shut up!”

Sonic reeled his hand back.

“Don’t you dare–”

“Code seven-six-seven activate!”

As his voice went silent, the pieces of the headset fell from his hand, dropping to the metal floor behind him.

“And you can’t act. You just acted like you could.”

Sonic tried to move. He tried to speak. He tried. But nothing responded. It was a new feeling. A new sensation.

He’d never hated a feeling more.

“Now, I’m sure you can guess what your next choice will be, can’t you?” Eggman hummed. “So I’ll let you get to it. Retrieve the Mobians designated as Tails, Amy Rose, and Knuckles. ”

So that was his angle.

As Sonic’s body moved on its own, a sensation that he wished could’ve made his stomach turn, he cursed the Doctor.

That man had no idea what Metal thought. He didn’t see how he cried, how he cared, how he screamed. He didn’t understand what he was like.

That stupid, violent, horrible robot thought more than some people he knew– frankly, more than Eggman did half the time. His thoughts were definitely more sensitive than that Egghead’s were, anyway.

He’d know what to do. He’d figure things out.

Whether or not that meant getting things back the way they were supposed to be.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t much of a hassle to get out of the place. Even if Metal Sonic didn’t have a good grasp on the mobile base’s layout, it clearly wasn’t built with being a maze in mind. Doctor Robotnik’s usual sensibilities had won out as a result, and finding an exit from here wasn’t tough. Ducking into a vent from the kitchen, he followed the usual few turns and found where it opened out to.

The grate had already been removed, he noted as he saw it off to the side. It was odd, yes, but considering that Sonic had been all over the place just last night… It was safe to assume that it was his doing.

He couldn’t linger on that, though. Cursing himself out internally, Metal Sonic took a few steps back before leaping out the opening of the vent. He landed into a roll, the ice under him adding traction, and sped towards the ruins in the near distance. 

He was much, much more familiar with the place than he’d been expecting, a realization that made his innards– his stomach– curl. Had he been unfamiliar, then at least the trip to that trap of a ruin would have been necessary. As it was, it was a waste that only resulted in furthering Doctor Robotnik’s goals.

Shaking his head with an irritated groan, he stuck a hand in his quills. Focus, he reminded himself as he pulled out one of the Chaos Emeralds. He had a job to do.

He breathed in as he manifested a shield around himself, keeping the nearly iridescent glow tight to his body in an effort to keep from wasting his own energy. He couldn’t quite tell where the radiation started, so it was better to be safe instead of sorry, as his creator would say.

Don’t think about that. About him. 

Metal Sonic’s legs moved somehow faster beneath him, as if to distance himself from the reminder. Fast enough that the sound behind him couldn’t reach him, and fast enough to not need to worry about the water where the ice had melted. 

Ducking into the base, it was worse off than he remembered. Of course it was, though. The walls had half-crumbled, and the ice and snow that had once fallen into the ruins had melted, mixing with the coolant water that flooded parts of the place. He couldn’t let that slow him down. After all, it didn’t slow down the pod.

It didn’t slow down Rubber.

Metal Sonic could see the pod as it scuttled along up ahead. It was faster than he’d expected, and it seemed to understand the layout just as well as, if not better, than he did. 

But obviously, it couldn’t outrun him. 

Metal Sonic leapt at the pod, kicking it and sending it hurtling forward. He landed first, his cheeks stretching out. It took a moment to recognize that it was a grin.

It took another moment for that grin to vanish.

The pod landed roughly, and Metal Sonic’s ears twitched as he heard it.

A small grunt. 

He was sure he’d heard it, right? He didn’t imagine it, he was certain… but he couldn’t check. He didn’t have the sound visualizers, the recordings, the data to prove there was any sound! He grit his teeth, and was almost ready to charge again, but when he thought of hurting Rubber…

…

… With a loud groan, he got moving, chasing the pod as it got up.

He chased it down corridors, through halls, overtaking it at one point, and heading straight for the Emerald, as fast as he could. If all was right, it should be…

Down the… ramp… and…

… The flood.

Metal Sonic stopped himself just before the water, staring at the drop down before him. He couldn’t maneuver fast enough to surpass the pod in water. Heck, he couldn’t even hold his breath that long!

As he stared, the pod overtook him. He gasped, instinctively reaching for it as it scuttled into the water. He watched it disappear down there, his eyes flickering to his hand. 

Curses. Curse all of it. Curse the Emerald, curse this body, curse his stupid inabilities! If he was himself, if he was just mechanical again, it wouldn’t be a problem!

Clenching his fist, he slammed it into the wall. His chest heaved as he looked down at the floor beneath him.

Sonic couldn’t handle this. His body was incapable of the water…

… No…

… No.

Sonic couldn’t handle this. Not because of his abilities, but because of what he was now.

Sonic was in Metal Sonic’s body. It’s powerful, indeed, but the more powerful, the less stable. If he got the power he needed, he wouldn’t be able to hold onto sanity– worst case, he’d become…

…

… Sonic couldn’t handle this. Nothing ‘Sonic’ could.

Taking a deep breath, he turned around, calculating his route in his head.

Get the Light Blue Emerald. Use all of their power. Then he can focus on saving Rubber. Just hurry.

That was what Metal could do.

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It was horrible.

Watching as he attacked his friends.

Sonic’s body wasn’t his. He’d known this from the start. His control over the mechanical parts of Metal were superseded by mere programming. 

Usually his own force of will, his innate nature, could be enough to take back control.

But to what avail?

What use was it, to struggle? To want and want so desperately to be free?

Was this what Metal had gone through? What pushed him so far to make that wish? 

His will must be stronger than Sonic had given him credit for. Then anyone had given him credit for.

In this state, as he registered Knuckles’s struggles, Amy’s cries, Tails’s pain…

… Yeah. He’d make that wish in an instant.

He’d never felt less like the true Sonic than he did in this moment.

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It was so close, Metal could almost taste it. But he wasn’t a fool. 

He remembered what his creator had said many times before. He’d remembered how many times he’d claimed that defeating ‘that rodent’ had been so close he could taste it. In that sense, Metal was sure he was thinking the same now.

Metal wasn’t the type to relax just because he was almost there. 

Ducking around the corner, his ear twitched as he listened ahead. There, below, was a shift in the water beneath him. A scuttle of robotic legs, nearly drowned out, but Metal could hear it. 

He didn’t slow down. He wouldn’t. 

His legs moved faster, his footsteps louder against the creak of the metal floor beneath him. His path was longer, but he was inevitably faster. The pod beneath didn’t have to twist and turn the way his original path did, but if his calculations were correct…

He bounded over a wall, pushing off it with a hand. Indeed, there was water underneath, but that didn’t matter– because the pod was right there. The water slowed him down, just a bit, and yet it didn’t deter any of his moves as he jumped off of it, and over the wall just above the ramp.

There, in the room he landed in, he could see it. A shimmering blue light, cold and yet brilliant, outshining the beam of moonlight that shone down on it from the hole in the ceiling.

Metal wasted no time. As the pod ascended behind him, as he felt his own chaos energy wearing down, he pounced on the Emerald–

A glow enveloped him, the other Emeralds emerging and circling him. It was so much energy, and yet it felt natural. Good, even. How many sensations would he have described as good? Not many, and yet this one earned that bar.

It was almost like when he’d become Super Neo Metal, and yet it didn’t threaten to overload his systems, there was no impending spiral, and it wouldn’t turn him into that thing .

It was incredible.

Metal opened his eyes, pushing his now white scarf out of his eyes. Gravity didn’t seem to affect it in this state, as it floated around him in a swirl.

Turning around, he locked onto the pod behind him.

What a nuisance.

It was durable, obviously, but compared to this state, it was nothing. Metal shot forward, a hand reeling back before shooting forward, tearing through the layers of steel like they were nothing. 

His hand stopped just before it could touch the furry thing at the center– Rubber. He slowly reached for them, grabbing their cheek and reaching out with the chaos energy that surrounded him, sharing it with them.

With his other hand, he tore the rest of the pod asunder. Within moments, it was inoperable, the hole revealing Rubber in their entirety. They looked somehow smaller than ever, with their already light brown and minty green fur almost pallid in how they were faded. He nearly recoiled at the sight of the energy sapper, but he shook his head.

Focus, Metal.

As he lifted it off, they stirred awake, their brow furrowing before their eyes began to open.

“Mmnngh… Guh… Meh… Metal…?”

Careful.

Rubber groaned as Metal lifted them out of the pod. They weren’t difficult to carry, with how small they were.

“You… heh… y’did it, Metal…”

You were reckless.

“‘M sorry, ‘m sorry…” They mumbled as Metal’s feet left the ground, ascending out through the hole and outside of the base. “Didn’ wantchu t’ deal with that rotty old Egg. He’s the worst. ‘M gonna bite him next time I see him, I swear.”

Metal stared at Rubber as the two rose upwards. It wasn’t until a snowflake– the first of what was sure to soon be many– fell onto their nose, making them sneeze, that he felt himself relax.

Hah. Let yourself recover.

With a burst of speed, they were moving. Back the way Metal came, hurrying over the base. It looked so small from up here, and so harmless. A peculiar feat, considering just how large it was. 

“... You’re okay, right?”

Metal didn’t waver in his speed, but he was stunned for a moment.

You are the one who was abducted and used as a battery.

“Well– I mean, yeah but– butchu’ve! You! Augh!”

Rubber huffed, turning their head away from his sight. Metal blinked, then tightened his hold on them, ever so slightly.

I feel better than ever.

“Really…?” Rubber paused, then breathed out a laugh. “I mean, yeah, but…”

They paused.

“... How do I even know whatchu’re… tryin’ t’ say?”

… Uncertain.

“... Well, whatever. Guess those freaky Emeralds… chaos… stuff’re just that cool.”

Metal didn’t respond, just picking up the case.

Finally, they reached the end of the base, where the radiation’s warmth stopped ruining the ice. Metal could feel himself relax already…

… Except he couldn’t.

Metal swerved in midair, just barely ducking out of the way from a beam. It wouldn’t have hurt him, not like this, but Rubber was in his arms. He wouldn’t let them be hurt. Turning to look where the shot was fired, Metal grit his teeth.

His heart sank before he even saw him.

Lit up on three ends, a silhouette against red, yellow, and pink glows, was Sonic, his optics glowing red as they pierced into Metal’s eyes.

“... Metal? What… what’s going on?”

… He’d known he was doomed, hadn’t he.

Metal hardly had time to respond as Sonic charged at him, following some unseen command. He managed to dodge him, only to be forced to veer again off course as he was shot at by yet another beam, and flew right into a horde of Badniks.

It was overwhelming, and incredibly crowded. He hardly had time or even space to breath!

“Metal! What– what’re we s’posed t’ do?! Was that Sonic? Why’s the big place all glowy? What’s happening?!”

Metal’s breath hitched.

After bursting through as much as he could, he finally found a spot to land, for just a moment. He wasn’t winded at all, nor was he hurt, and it certainly didn’t make his head spin, thankfully.

“Well well well. You brought the Emeralds right to me, Metal! And, say, Sonic has taken to his new programming well, wouldn’t you say?”

Metal didn’t respond. He was sure his creator could see where he was even as hidden as he was. The glow of this form was bright, reflecting off the ice and surely bright against the dark night around them.

“And, say, I have a gift for you! That body’s simply too risky to let go unchanged, I’ve found, so I have a solution for you! All you need to do is drop the Emeralds, and you’ll get to be under my command again. I’ve got everything necessary to roboticize you in this state, and return you to your best self.”

…

Metal felt Rubber squeeze his wrist.

“... Y’don’t gotta listen t’ that nutty weirdo.”

… I’m aware.

“Then don’tchu listen. He’s been tryin’ t’ get int’ your head, right? That’s what he does!”

Metal paused.

Indeed. Doctor Robotnik enjoyed gloating. He enjoyed winning way too much… 

… But he hadn’t won.

“...Metal?”

Metal released Rubber from his hold.

Stay out of the way, alright? Don’t get hurt.

Rubber was quiet for a few moments, then they gulped and nodded.

“... Alright…”

With that said, Metal floated upwards.

|

|

|

What was he doing? Sonic stared as Metal floated upwards, to his level. Sure, he was all but invincible in this state, but…

“... Hm. I suppose your need for conflict isn’t sated. Sonic.”

The body raised an arm on its own, as it shifted into a cannon.

He hated firing at Metal– he hated the thought of hurting Metal! And yet there was no way to even struggle as he charged it up!

(I’m sorry, Mets)

The cannon fired–

Sonic!

Metal crashed into Sonic–

And suddenly–

He felt golden.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t much different from the usual feeling.

Sonic had been going Super since he was a little kid, chasing Badniks and saving little critters. He never forgot the look of Eggman’s face when he first used all seven Emeralds all those years ago, and he remembered it every time he’d felt that surge of energy ever since. 

Sure, this time his senses weren’t both overwhelmed and sated by the sensation, and he wasn’t buzzing with a wondrous sort of healing adrenaline rushing through his veins– and, in fact, there was something else bubbling under the surface, something that he’d felt for just a brief moment.

But when his vision cleared, seeing those tears in Metal’s eyes, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Hah… ahaha…! Metal!”

Metal’s expression barely changed as Sonic lunged forward, wrapping his arms around the other. He couldn’t feel him, still, and yet for once it felt right. Yeah, no duh. The Emeralds were miraculous in that way.

Sonic… you’re…

“You’re incredible , Mets! You know that?”

Sonic pulled away, the red cloth lingering where he’d just been, intertwining with Metal’s scarf like a path back.

Metal turned his gaze away after a moment, tears floating around him as they reflected the glow coming from them both.

… He has your friends, doesn’t he.

“Mm. They’re powerin’ up the base.” Sonic said, finally realizing that in the distance Eggman was yelling something. He didn’t really care whether it was gloating or outrage or what. Talking things out with Metal was way more important. 

Sonic gasped as Metal grabbed his wrist, tugging him along swiftly as they headed into the base, narrowly avoiding a laser beam.

Then we’re getting them out of there.

Flashes of memories, similar to the sentiments Metal’s been projecting, flash through Sonic’s mind. The image of Rubber in that pod, the pit in Metal’s throat, the relief when they were finally freed…

“Yeah– feels just like that.” 

Metal glanced back and nodded.

With that, Sonic moved to fly alongside Metal, the firepower from his jets practically shimmering with chaos energy and they flew along. 

Around them the base rumbled, machinery and Badniks emerging from the walls as Eggman’s voice blared around them.

“You pests! You know you won’t get away with this, Sonic, and you’ll just wind up another battery, Metal! You should have simply listened to me!”

“Oh shut your trap, doc!” Sonic exclaimed as he deftly dodged a laser, then kicked a Badnik into a wall, “You act like you’re even trying to slow up down!”

The Badnik made a crater where it landed, giving Sonic a thought. After a moment of thinking, he nodded.

“Yo, Mets!” He exclaimed, kicking a separate Badnik into another. “Think we can make a shortcut with some of these?”

Metal’s eyes flickered to meet Sonic’s, some semblance of doubt fading from them… that, or he was good at hiding it, and Sonic knew he wasn’t good at that yet. Nonetheless, he nodded, pulling his scarf up.

Within moments, the two were zipping about, accumulating a ball of crushed up Badniks. Once it was big enough, Metal tossed it upwards.

Sonic had barely just struck it, sending it flying into the corner with a loud crash, before Metal’d grabbed him by the wrist, chasing after it.

They almost outpaced the ball with how fast they went, but Metal must’ve learned how to control his speed with how much he’d used it over the past day. Even with him glancing back down over his shoulder at Sonic, he didn’t hit it.

And almost as if the robot knew what he was thinking, when Sonic’s map indicated a power core, he reacted perfectly– his arm reeled back, before sending Sonic flying at the ball.

Break it!

“Oh– gotcha!”

Sonic let his boosters give him that extra, well, boost he needed, crashing into the boulder of Badniks and shattering it into chunks, letting them fall practically harmlessly around him. Sonic chuckled as he deactivated the boosters, slowing to an aimless, weightless float.

“That was great, Mets! But how’d you know when to stop? You didn’t get mind reading from those Emeralds, didja?”

Metal rolled his eyes as he shook his head, simply pointing at Sonic. Then, with that index finger, he tapped between his eyes. 

You looked like you lowered this.

Ah… Well, he’d made his Neo Sonic form more expressive, so it made sense. Still, to think Metal’d understood his so well… Was it ‘cause Eggman was so expressive?

… Nah. Metal’d known him forever, after all. He’d know his expressions pretty damn well.

Maybe that was what was making warnings pop up in his systems. Yeah. Metal having that sort of affect on him wasn’t much of a surprise, at this point.

“Well, we oughta get cracking,” Sonic said, averting his eyes away from Metal’s and towards the see-through pod, glowing pink, “Literally.”

Amy had always been strong, but she’d never harnessed Chaos energy, so she was the first on the checklist. She was conscious in the pod, still, her face twisted into an expression of pained exertion.

Her eyes cracked open as she tugged at her restraints, but she stopped when she spotted Sonic and Metal. Sonic was quick to kick the pod she was in, letting it shatter with a loud crash. 

It seemed the Badniks chose then to close in on them. Metal turned to hold them off while Sonic hurried forward, pulling the sapper off before getting to the restraints.

“Hah…” Amy sighed, hopping down from the pod, rubbing at her arms before turning to grin at Sonic. “I knew you were strong enough to break out of that stuff, Sonic!” She exclaimed, earning a wince.

“Uh… nah. That was all Mets.” Sonic shrugged as he spoke, glancing back at the other. “I couldn’t really… No, doesn’t matter. You gotta get out of here.”

“I mean, you don’t have to tell me I should .” Amy started to say, summoning her hammer. She wielded it like the pro she was, swinging it over her shoulder. Good. Sonic would’ve been worried otherwise. “But what if I held up the Badniks for you? Or I could help you cover more ground, too.”

That would be nice, but…

“Sorry, Ames. Rubber’s out there alone.” Sonic said, shaking his head. “Besides, me and Mets got it covered!”

As he spoke, he hurried backwards, slamming a Badnik into a wall.

“See? And you gotta save your strength!”

Amy… seemed not to buy it, but she sighed.

“Fine… but you gotta be careful, alright?”

“Don’t worry about it! Let’s go, Mets!”

Without even a wave goodbye, Sonic had grabbed Metal and began their blast through the base again.

Are we going to Tails, next?

“Nah– Knuckles.”

Metal blinked, turning to balk at Sonic.

What? But Tails is young. His Chaos energy levels are–

“Knux’s been in there longer.” Sonic was quick to say, tossing Metal at a cluster of enemies, taking the few moments it took him to dispatch them to figure out what else to say, “And I’m sure Tails is getting a good look at how all that tech works, right?”

Sonic was able to bust through a few more Badniks before Metal’s next sentiments reached him.

That’s unlike you.

Ignoring how that bugged him, Sonic continued forward, leading the way into Knuckles’ battery chamber as he dodged a laser. 

Knuckles had gotten further along in busting out than Amy had. One part of his restraints was smashed almost to bits, and Sonic was sure that he probably could’ve gotten all the way out with a bit of time…

… But he just couldn’t risk it taking any longer.

“About time!” Knuckles barked as soon as the sapper was off his mouth, earning a laugh from Sonic.

“Sorry, sorry!” Sonic grinned, winking at him. “Saving Tails took some time.”

Knuckles stared for a moment, then sighed, almost softening as he hopped down from the restraints.

“Tails, huh?” His eyes turned to the wall before he slammed a fist into it, tearing a hole into it. “Then I’d better make sure him and Rubber are safe, then.”

Behind Sonic, he could hear a Badnik almost get close to him, but Metal got to it first.

“You stay safe out there, too! I gotta go help out Amy. See ya!”

With that, Sonic was already blasting away, with Metal close on his heels.

… You lied to him.

Metal was incredulous… not that Sonic could blame him.

Good. Let him stay confused, just a while longer. He needed that, now that he was sure…

“Don’t worry about it.”

Sonic–

The shortest path forward wasn’t a hard one, even with its lasers and Badniks. That wasn’t a surprise, though.

Tails’s chamber glowed yellow, but Sonic didn’t feel nearly so cheerful when he saw his little buddy in the pod. His ears were drooping, and while he was struggling against the restraints, he looked much worse for wear than either Amy or Knuckles had.

“Tails!” Sonic exclaimed despite knowing he couldn’t hear him in there, guilt lapping away at him. He didn’t waste another second, ramming into the pod and hurrying to get the sapper off of Tails’s face. Once it was off, the fox took a deep breath, followed by a short series of coughs. “Breath, little buddy. You’re alright now, see?”

Luckily, he seemed stable enough, just worn out. Sonic tore the restraints off, but he didn’t let him hop out of the slot he was in– not with the base shaking like it was, instead grabbing him under his shoulders.

“Sonic,” Tails finally said, “Are you alright? You were…”

“I’m fine.”

Tails didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t get another word in before Metal entered. He was hiding his mouth behind the scarf, but it didn’t hide how his brow furrowed.

The place is coming down.

“It must be the lack of power. Sonic, we need to–”

“You get this one out of here, Metal.”

“What?”

Metal, too, balked as Sonic pushed Tails into his arms. He glanced down at him, then back at Sonic.

You aren’t coming?

“Hah! I wish.” Sonic sounded almost wistful, hesitant even, before he continued, “But I’ve got something to say to that old doc. You’re faster like this, anyway.”

Tails’s stare was piercing, like he was already putting the pieces together in his mind.

… Fine. But don’t drop that form until you’re away from him.

“Don’t worry!” Sonic laughed, shaking his head. “I know better than to do that.”

The two were quiet for a moment, before Metal turned and left.

Once they were gone, Sonic let out a sigh, looking down at his hands.

Was it his own imagination, that his robotic hands were already shifting? That his body was shifting in ways it just shouldn’t?

He hoped Metal hadn’t seen. That Tails hadn’t seen. If they had, that’d ruin everything.

If only Tails wasn’t smart enough to put it together on his own. Even if he didn’t see the shift, he’d probably put it together soon.

His mind was going to slip soon, and when it did…

…

… Would he be called Sonic Madness, then?

At least it wasn’t a complete transformation. At least they were already far enough for it to be safe.

“Hah… Sorry Mets…”

But just as Sonic was about to drop his Super form…

You’re even more of a fool than you’d thought, Sonic.

And suddenly it wasn’t him slipping.

Chapter Text

It just didn’t sit right with Metal.

Why was he going to have a ‘chat’ with Doctor Robotnik? Metal had his own sentiments he’d like to express, of course, but of all times, it didn’t make sense to go to him now, instead of making sure his friends were alright.

He couldn’t determine whether he’d mind if it was to get rid of him for good, but Sonic wouldn’t do that. There had been years of atrocities and even deaths that he’d caused, and there’d always been the threat of losing freedom when he was around…

… And Sonic was never vengeful. 

“Hey, Metal,” Tails asked as they approached where he’d left Rubber. “Sonic’s gotta be hiding something, right?”

Of course.

“Then… Do you think that–”

“AMY?!”

Knuckles’s distant voice, while gruff as ever, was full of shock and confusion.

Metal wasted no time in speeding up, getting himself and Tails to the other three in a matter of seconds.

“Metal!” Rubber exclaimed as he let Tails go. They bounded over to him before stopping. “Wait, where’s Sonic at? What’s goin’ on?”

Metal felt his brow furrow.

Uncertain. He claimed to want a word with Doctor Robotnik.

“Well… that does sound like him,” Amy said, then frowned, “But it doesn’t make sense.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Tails brought his hand up to his chin as he thought. “Eggman’s already long gone, right?”

He stopped speaking early on.

“And he’s never been one to not lash out. He probably evacuated already. Sonic might’ve chased him down, but I never saw him leaving…” 

… He said something odd, early in our attack.

All eyes turned to Metal as he tugged his scarf up.

I’ll be another battery… and Sonic won’t get away with this.

“That’s it?” Knuckles frowned, crossing his arms. “That’s no different than usual, though. Eggman says we won’t get away with anything no matter what.”

“Yes, but he was specific with Metal.” Tails piped up. “He could’ve been grasping at straws, but that seems unlikely. What’s more likely is that…”

Tails trailed off, his eyes going wide and his ears going flat against his skull.

“... Metal, if you have enough chaos lifeform data, wouldn’t you…”

Metal could feel something inside of him drop.

That idiot. Of course he wouldn’t speak up about something like that. Sonic was never one to let his allies– his friends– see what was wrong. He’d hide it as long as he could, and if he had a plan, regardless of how braindead it may be, nothing bar a miracle could stop him from following through.

Of course… he was in possession of a miracle now, wasn’t he…

“Metal?”

Metal glanced over at Rubber.

It’ll be alright. Everything about me can be recovered, but we don’t know what will happen to Sonic.

With that, Metal closed his eyes.

And I want my body back.

-

You’re even more of a fool than you’d thought, Sonic.

“Metal?”

Sonic’s eyes went wide, and he could swear he felt his mouth go ajar. A laugh came from him– but not from himself.

Some of your plan was smart. Knuckles trusts you enough to not think you’d lie, and you didn’t even need to lie to Amy… Of course, that was all because you knew Tails would put it all together… You bought yourself time.

Sonic tensed as Metal’s sentiments shifted. It was… weird.

“Mets, you’re–”

I’m well aware. I know what this will do to me… but who knows what it’d do to you? Would you… even survive it? Your mind is strong, but if you don’t bend you could break… where would that leave you? Would there become two of me?

Another laugh. Sonic’s vision went dark, and in a moment, he was opening his eyes.

“You’re a fool, Sonic the Hedgehog, to bank on indeterminate outcomes. Which of us has always won, exactly?”

“Metal!”

Sonic gasped– and he could feel it. Cold air between his teeth, entering his lungs. A warm aura surrounding him. A hand tugging at his arm.

He was in his own body again.

Which meant Metal…

“... Sonic? Is that you?”

Tails’s voice caught Sonic’s ear. He turned to look at the others, each clearly distressed.

“Yeah. It’s–”

A loud screech cut him off– monstrous, metallic…

… Mad.

Emerging from the remains of the base was Metal Madness, clawing his way out as he grew. He was huge, larger than the base had been. As his head emerged, he let out another screech. Violent, but pained.

“He’s not complete– He can’t be, without Shadow’s data,” Tails said as Sonic whipped around. “But without that data… he can’t sustain his mental data for long.”

“... So if I don’t beat him fast enough…”

Sonic shook his head.

“Hah! Like I’d let that happen. You guys take care of yourself!”

Before anyone could say another word, Sonic was off in a streak of gold, zooming over to Metal Madness.

It wasn’t surprising that he noticed him quickly, and neither was his reaction.

“Sonic… Your power… It is NOTHING compared to ME!”

Sonic raised an arm to shield himself as Metal raised his voice, not just echoing but bellowing around him. If he hadn’t been careful, he would’ve been blown away!

“There’s nothing keeping all that data from messin’ with your mind, huh?” Sonic asked, then grinned. “Guess I’ll have to ground you myself!”

With that, Metal Madness began his attack. He swiped with his clawed arm, but Sonic dodged backwards, searching for an opening. 

“All yowl, no claws?” Sonic joked, earning a screech as Metal reeled back. He lowered his head and launched the spines across his back at Sonic.

Sonic seemed surprised, but only for a short moment before he flew upwards. The spines curved to follow him, but couldn’t truly keep up. 

Metal swiped at Sonic with his claws as he fled, to which Sonic ducked and weaved. He nearly got knocked back once– but he recovered quick.

Finally, Metal curled his upper arm’s claws into a fist, slamming it down at Sonic. Not wasting the opportunity, Sonic ran up the arm, up to the joint connecting it to the rest of the body. With one kick– the arm went flying off!

But of course, even though Metal screamed, that didn’t truly hurt him– and neither did it stop him. Sonic was shaken off, sending him hurtling back, and before he knew it, his upper right arm was pointed at him. The clasp opened, sending a pillar of flames shooting at him.

Sonic didn’t flinch, and instead welcomed the attack. Hurtling himself forward, he circled the flames, keeping them going even when the flamethrower arm was lowered, and then sent it right back.

“You…!”

The flames hit Metal square between his eyes…

… And yet it still didn’t help. Metal was still going. Sonic could match him move-for-move, read every attack, but the sheer bulk was too much, and he didn’t have time to waste.

“You never did go down easy…” He muttered, his ears folding back as he thought. 

Metal wasn’t a lost cause, he was sure. There had to be a way…

… and there was.

It was a little risky, but–

“Hey, Mets!”

Recovering from the blow, Metal Madness looked up, roaring at Sonic.

“You wanna beat me, right? I’ll race you!”

Practically turning on his heel, Sonic dashed off in mid-air. Metal wasted no time in following, roaring before he began to follow the golden hero.

Sonic was glad he was a good beacon like this. Were he not glowing, he doubted Metal would be able to see him like this. There hadn’t seemed to be heat sensors or other strange probably-infrared vision modes in his eyes.

But that was a good thing, too. He was banking on Metal not having any of those hidden away, or at least not having the mind to access them.

Sonic could see the ice below, and how it melted into the water. Close by, he could see the ruined base.

A few tens of meters more, above the ruins, and he heard something–

Groaning.

He stopped as he turned around, sighing in something far too close to being relief. But he knew better.

“As I thought. That chaos data could take you far… but not far enough, huh? Bet only the real deal coulda kept that radiation away… and, yknow. The EMPs.”

“Y-you…”

Metal groaned as he faltered in air, losing altitude as he landed on the base, crashing into it. It was a miracle it held up, somehow, but maybe that was because of how far down it went. There was plenty to keep it steady.

“You worm… you vile– weak– you… you…”

“Hey, now,”

Sonic lowered himself down at Metal’s form faltered. The metal goop was draining into the water below, doing the radiation no favors in terms of recovery, and first left Neo Metal behind.

When his form faded into Metal proper, Sonic took his cheekplate in one hand, looking at him.

“You’ll be alright, Mets.” Sonic said, his voice low as Metal made noises– glitching, faltering, buzzing sounds. “I promise you.”

Metal’s eyes met Sonic’s as they glitched, fizzled, until finally the LEDs flickered off.

And Sonic scooped him up.

“... We’ll get you back. The true Metal’s still there, I’m sure. I’ve never seen a soul just be…”

He stopped himself, adjusting his hold on the robot as he all but cradled him to his chest.

“... Tails’ll fix you up. Promise.”