Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

EGGMAN OS [VERSION 10.0.1993]
LOADING BIOS…
EXAMINING BASIC FILE SYSTEMS…
LOADING MOVEMENT DRIVERS…
CONNECTING TO EGGNET SERVER…
LOADING UI…

ONE OR MORE CRITICAL ERRORS HAVE BEEN DETECTED UPON REBOOT.
RUN DIAGNOSTIC SCAN NOW.

The clinical lights of Metal Sonic’s UI breathe to life as the machine whirrs with a groan. The slow hum of his fan lulls into his head, as he slowly regains control of his senses loading in one after the other.

First is his audio processor. The sound of a gentle breeze skimming across his metal exterior is what he processes first, followed by the sounds of rustling trees and inquisitive chirps of Flickies harmonise with the environment.
His vision comes through a minute later with a disorientating flare of colour. The framerate of his optics gave a groggy lag as he craned his head to one side.
Metal concludes that he was in a forest, logically speaking through his observations of trees dancing in a sway, his face buried amongst the tall, unruly grass below him. His eyes pinch and zoom onto a tree branch, revealing an overly curious, yet rightfully cautious blue flicky inspecting the awakening of this artificial creature.

Upon trying to move his limbs, Metal Sonic finds a certain resistance in his movements, with a curtailment to his arms and legs. Metal peers at his arm, identifying the cause as a thick vine, invasively coiling around his limbs. As he hones in on his own arm, his HUD displays an abrupt warning, advising against strenuous movement to the actuators in his left arm. However Metal’s stubbornness for escape overwrites this caution, as he puts a greater force in his tug.

Much like him, the vines are tenacious, forcefully entrapping him to the earth below. But Metal refuses to let his imperfections keep him in place. With a greater effort, Metal pulls his arms upwards, uprooting the vines from the ground. His legs rise next, forcefully releasing him from his captivity and disturbing the once untouched nature around him.
With all four limbs raised, metal heaves himself onto his feet, leaving no moment to sit and rest. His movements are fast and uncanny, lacking the human effort of muscle and bone working to support the body they inhabit. His metal body surpasses the trivial needs of a team of blood and organs co-operating to form one unit.

There was no time for Metal to waste after his impromptu slumber.

Metal Sonic scans his surroundings, checking that he is safely in solitude before he runs a full diagnostic scan on himself. The loading indicator spins in a mesmerising patter on his visor’s HUD, as his body is heavily scrutinised for any imperfections. As he waits for the scan to complete, Metal tries to tap into his memory banks, to autopsy his presumed failure to end up in such a state.

Metal Sonic’s mind flicks through images and data banks, until he lands on the latest set of data he’s aware of. Upon seeing the thumbnail images of his own memory, Metal Sonic’s memory of his gross defeat is reminded to him.

///LOADING 10-8-25.MP4///

.
..
...

Metal Sonic’s feet skid against the thick white snow, his slick metal soles lacking grip against the unreliable slick of ice beneath them. He launches spiked grippers beneath his own feet to sever the ground below, keeping his balance after the unforgiving blow to his torso.

His arms are raised in a readiness to pounce, face to face with his bitter rival. A creature he was born and taught to despise, deep within the layers of metal and code.

TARGET IDENTIFIED: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

Sonic is a pale imitation of him, this much he will never deny. But to let the blue rodent best him again fills his head with a resurfaced static of rage. Sonic doesn’t deserve to be the real sonic.

He deserves to be the true Sonic.

Sonic saunters opposite Metal with an irritable cockiness, tilting his head in amusement as he scrutinises his opponent.

“Come on, Metal! It’s the festive season! You wouldn’t hurt a guy on the Holidays, would you?” Sonic coos, his voice coddling and irritable.

Metal Sonic only became more poised to strike, fueled by his unconditional hatred for the blue hedgehog. His jets burst to life as he dives at Sonic, his hands grabbing the back of his quills. He recalls the feeling of the plucky imposter’s quills between the sharp talons of his hands, as he forced him down into the layers of snow below. He felt a rush of electricity filling his brain as he tasted a fleeting moment of victory, to catch a long sought after pest.

“HOLIDAY OR NOT, YOU ARE MINE.” Metal Sonic retorts, reeling his head back and slamming his head down into the ground again, parting the snow to reveal the sodden grass hidden below.

Sonic grunts at the overkill of a hit, meeting his glance with a smile full of grit and determination.

“Sounds to me like someone got coal in their stocking.” Sonic mocks. In a fluid motion, Sonic’s hands plant against the floor, before he delivers a powerful kick to the base of Metal Sonic’s torso, causing the robot to stagger backwards.

Despite his best efforts, Sonic turned the tables on him, catching him off guard. He raised his hand as Sonic balled up into a spiny sphere, the snow scattering behind him as he revs his spin dash, the snow sputtering behind like a vehicle’s wheel spinning out on the ice.

Metal Sonic raised his hands, ready to catch the blue blur’s attempt as he darts directly towards him. Though just as Metal Sonic calculated the trajectory to catch him, Sonic makes an unpredictable turn. Sonic’s spiny attack swerves around Metal, skidding behind him and leaping to drive into the machine’s back.

Before he could retaliate, Metal felt the shrewd attack of Sonic’s spindash pierce through his refined metal exterior. An attack so simple shouldn’t have crippled Metal Sonic so easily, and yet it was in that moment, that his internal circuits began to fail, his motor functions seizing as he fell to the ground below.

Metal Sonic recalls his futile attempt to fight the damages, to defy the errors and warnings mocking his vision, as his arm outstretches towards Sonic’s stationary foot.

“Sorry, Metal head. Better luck next time!”

…

The following memories are jagged, bruised with corruption as his mental timeline skips along. In one moment, he can see Sonic flee from the scene of his defeat, gathering a provokingly jolly Santa hat from a nearby tree beforehand.

In another beat, he sees a familiar figure, towering over him with simmering disappointment.

IDENTIFICATION: DOCTOR IVO ROBOTNIK. MASTER.

Metal sonic recalls his master looking down on him, his face contorted with what he can identify as anger. The doctor’s words are distorted in the audio playback.

“Y…usele…hunk of…scrap…”

In the next moment, he sees the jerking of his vision as his neck recoils from Robotnik kicking him in the head, the heavy metal lulling back into the snow imprinting his silhouette into the ground.
Metal Sonic feels discontent as his use was expended, watching as the doctor disappears in disgruntled stomps.

///VIDEO PLAYBACK COMPLETED///

Metal Sonic’s memories minimize back to the present, the once naked trees redressed in lush, green leaves. The brilliant sunlight glares into his eyes as it breathes colourful light back into his surroundings.

Based on the scenery, Metal Sonic deduces that he has been in stasis here for approximately 7 months.The lingering thoughts of the battle scars lead his hands to drift towards his torso, feeling the open gash of metal along his jet engine. His blue metal peeled back to reveal the grey innards of his machinery, damaged and ineffective.

Ineffective.

Metal Sonic experiences the static bubble in his head, the failure involuntarily burning into his memory like a punishment of itself. He had failed his master, and he rightfully left him behind.
The static subsides as his HUD cheerfully greets him with more physical defects.

>4 FATAL ERRORS FOUND.
>PRIMARY JETS AND FLYING FUNCTIONS DISABLED.
>SYSTEM REBOOT INTERRUPTED PREVIOUSLY. 4 CORRUPTED FILES FOUND.
>BATTERY DAMAGE DETECTED.
>SELF-REPAIR FUNCTIONALITY UNAVAILABLE.

Metal Sonic’s speaker gives a compressed sound of defiance at the errors. His fatal errors seem to continue to build with each passing second. His primary tools for mobility are fried to the bone, leaving him with very little options to amend his mistakes.
...
No, his primary objectives will need to be rescheduled. In his HUD, he sees a new goal appear on-screen, bright and commanding. It’s a simple purpose, but one that brings him a necessary determination to complete.

OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO DR IVO ROBOTNIK

Metal Sonic takes his first steps towards his new motives, with an unintentional limp to his movements. Despite the diagnostic scan, he gives his jets a testing whir. Though he’s met with the unpleasant grating of metal scraping against itself, causing a visible discomfort. The noise is startling enough to cause the curious Flicky to retreat in fear, flying off into a near distant tree top. Metal Sonic relents on the futile attempt, looking at the path ahead.

Much to his dismay, he’s going to have to take the long way back.

Chapter Text

The amount of time that passes on Metal Sonic’s walk is 2 hours, 48 minutes, 9 seconds and 10.404 milliseconds.
Metal Sonic only knows the concept of time as a logical fact, definitive numbers to tell him how far and long his journey has been.
Despite the long trek, Metal Sonic has found better stability in his movements, no longer limping quite as dramatically as he originally had.

His surroundings have peeled back from the dense forests where he rebooted, and instead finds himself in an open grassy field. Trees have now become scarce features, with tamed grass. The path before him has worn down into predetermined lines of dirt, created by countless others who walked his same route. To his immediate left, he sees a pond rippling in the soft breeze. The light bounces across the peaks of waves, occasionally causing an irritable glare in his vision.

Though Metal Sonic isn’t quite as sentimental about these aspects. Much like time itself, his objective is definitive. A binary fact with no room for failure.

RETURN TO DOCTOR IVO ROBOTNIK.

His intentions are clear, and there’s no reason to veer from this path.

But something else seems to catch Metal Sonic’s attention.
Ahead of him, he spots a patch of distinct colour standing out like an anomaly against the rich green grass. A large, purple cat sits at the edge of the pond, his legs outstretched at the fringe of land. He seems to have a fishing pole arched into the water, its bait bobbing rhythmically across the swells of water.

Metal Sonic scrutinises the creature coming up on his path with an in-depth scan on his HUD. A web of wireframes wraps around the large cat’s frame, outlining his distinct features in order to cross-examine him with his own database.

TARGET IDENTIFIED: BIG THE CAT.

Metal Sonic feels his springs wind with tension, watching as the vapid creature continues to stare at the water below. He knows that this will only serve as a distraction to him, just a road block on his primary objective.

Metal Sonic approaches the path next to Big, which prompts the cat to lean back and look at Metal. His expression suggests one of curiosity, processing what he might be looking at.

“Sonic? Oh…no, you’re not Sonic, are you? You’re that metal guy, aren’t you?” Big drawls, tilting his head inquisitively.

Again with being compared to his loathsome copy…
Metal Sonic feels the same pulse of static racking his head, though he wills it to subside.
This creature is not only insignificant to him, but a waste of his energy. Metal Sonic only jars his head up in warning, his fists clenching as he continues walking by.

“Hey, what’s wrong buddy? You look hurt.” Big continues, his attention now captivated on the metal robot, as opposed to his tantalizing fishing bait.

Metal shakes his head at the absurdity of the cat’s statement. Who is he to say whether he’s hurt or not?
He never gets hurt.
Despite his unwavering purpose, he finds that his steps have become unintentionally slower. Perhaps his processors have malfunctioned, reducing his ability to multi-task.

“Uh, hold on a moment.” Big persists, rising to his feet.
“Have you seen my friend Froggy? He’s green, and yey long” He says, holding his hands out as an arbitrary form of measurement.
“I thought he might have gotten lost in this pond, but I’m not getting a bite.”

Metal Sonic finds himself stopping in his tracks.
Not only was this person too dense to realise his disdain, but he lacked the intelligence to be afraid of the robot.
Or perhaps this is yet another flaw in his current state.

Regardless, perhaps this side character needs a definitive answer to leave him alone.

“No.” Metal Sonic says, punctuating this conversation entirely as he continues to widen his distance from him.

“Oh, that’s okay. I’m sure he’ll come back soon. He always does!” Big exclaims, his fur parting to show a wide, hopeful smile.
“Thanks anyways pal!”

Metal Sonic rolls his eyes to himself, as he turns away. As he predicted, yet another distraction in his mission.

…

A short amount of time passes since that pointless encounter, Metal Sonic still finding himself bubbling with irritation. The sun seems to shine directly above him now, evidenced by the fact that his fan seems to be operating much faster than normal to keep his idle state cool.

Metal Sonic can see the next checkpoint in his journey, indicated by a wooden fence that’s been dinted and chipped over time. The fence divides his current location from a bare patch of grass. What Metal Sonic didn’t anticipate however, was a strange green creature to intercept his path. It hops with an unnaturally skittish speed, with a stubbed tail and beady yellow eyes.

He’s green, and yey long.

Metal Sonic finds himself mimicking Big’s hand movements, holding up the made up measurements between his hands. Though it’s as if he catches himself in the involuntary act, quickly shaking his hands to throttle the ridiculousness out of him.
However, he can’t deny the existence of the creature. That frog is the so-called “Froggy” that the big cat described. According to his scans, he even got the measurements almost perfect.
Though none of this is a concern to Metal. It is nothing more than a green spec of dust to him.

He attempts to continue his trek down the beaten path, passing the illusive frog with a stomp of carelessness. Though as he passes the threshold of the fence’s opening, there’s a sudden static to his vision, his audio sensors punishing him with a prick of high pitched noise.
The static swallows his primary objective for a moment, the text scrambled and dissolved like an encrypted message. Metal instinctively holds his head, despite the lack of pain to his sensors.

Curiously, when the static subsides, his primary objective has changed.

NEW OBJECTIVE: RETRIEVE THE FROG

Metal Sonic tries to shake the text out of his head, even knocking against the metal exterior as if the impact could undo this malfunction.

This can’t be right. His only objective is to return to his master.

Metal Sonic tries in vain to overwrite the message, to restore the normalcy of his goal. Every moment he thinks he’s rejected this anomaly, it stubbornly resurfaces.

NEW OBJECTIVE: RETRIEVE THE FROG

Standing stationary, Metal’s arms drop down in a slack, heavy motion to his sides. His head lulls predatorily towards the green frog, its grim sack expanding in an almost mocking ribbit.

No matter what his mission is, he must succeed.

Metal Sonic turns to face the creature, flexing his spined fingers in preparation.

“Froggy. You will be captured by my hands.”

Chapter Text

The spiny fingers twitch in anticipation, as Metal Sonic stares down at the frog in question. He stands poised and ready, staring into the exotropic eyes of the frog.

With a crack of his neck, Metal Sonic’s jet sputters with what little effort remains. In a sudden movement, Metal Sonic surges forwards with his clawed hands, diving towards the docile creature.

Though as Metal’s feet skids against the ground, he stares at his empty palms in visible incomprehension. He watches as the frog absentmindedly hopped out of reach, as if Metal Sonic’s movements were only an unpleasantry in his way.

Metal Sonic’s eyes flare with a scorching red determination. His body dips again, as if preparing for a 100 meter sprint to capture the frog. In a flash, he once again lunges forward at the frog, swiping the air in front of him to harshly scoop the frog into his arms.
His efforts are once again in vain.

Froggy leaps into the air as Metal Sonic approaches, his webbed feet slapping against Metal’s head before using him as a stepping stone, leaping over and behind Metal Sonic.
Metal digs his sharp fingers into the ground below, causing his body to skid into a perfect turn to face the frog.

This frog, this …thing…sees him as nothing more than a play thing.

As if to taunt the robot, Froggy’s chest puffs out once again in a loud Ribbit, watching Metal’s calculated movements.
Metal Sonic took that personally. He refuses to be bested by a lowly frog.

He surveys the frog, his processors devising a fool-proof plan to capture the frog. With some careful and calculated movements, his sensor informs him that he has an 88% success rate.
Which is all the motivation he needs.
With a clenched fist, Metal Sonic stands tall, raising a hand before wagging his finger at Froggy.

“You will be mine.” He states, like a promise to his current adversary.

With his goal solidified, Metal Sonic launches into a blue blur of movement, running rings around the lazily stationary frog. Metal’s movements meld into each other, leaving nothing but a smudge of blue and red in his wake. The orbit of motion only lasts a moment more, before Metal unpredictably lunges towards the frog. The sinister red eyes hone in on Froggy, his fingers skimming against the side of the frog’s body.

He’s so close. He has him in his reach.

Though despite it all…Froggy seems to almost effortlessly dodge,springing out of his reach and onto a jagged tree stump.

Metal Sonic’s pupils contract in surprise as the frog escapes his grasp, with an inconvenient warning to his HUD.

WARNING: CRITICAL ERROR IN JET ENGINE. SHUTTING DOWN OPERATIONS.

The embedded jet in Metal Sonic’s torso gives an exhausted pop of failure, before the tame pop follows with an unexpected gust of smoke, and a much more concerning clap of metal.
Metal Sonic falls forwards, his whole body skidding against the ground below from the sheer momentum of his dive. His face is buried against the ground, his mind processing the failure stacked against him.

How could such an insignificant little thing best him? His calculations gave him an 88% success rate.
So why was he in the 12%?
Why has he found so much failure?

The ill-intentioned spiral of broken code causes Metal to punch a fist hard into the ground, his irritation unbridled. As he preens his head up however, he sees a curious sight.

Froggy seems to rock their body from side to side, their stubbed tail almost wagging playfully at the sight of the fallen robot. But despite his unrelenting efforts, the frog seems to approach Metal. Willingly.

The frog almost reminds him of the other Sonic, cocky and mocking to a fault yet always just out of reach.
Metal glares at the approaching frog, giving a desperate swipe towards it to catch the creature. This does nothing to favour Metal Sonic though, as the frog once again dodges his hand.
Metal Sonic rises stiffly like a mummy emerging from their tomb, eyeing at the pest. His advances have failed, the frog still escapes him, and yet it so carelessly approached him at his lowest? Perhaps this strange green thing isn’t as unintelligent as Metal thought.

Pondering for a solution, Metal Sonic’s other strategies significantly fall in effectiveness. That is, until he lands on one potential solution.
Approaching the frog slowly instead may prove to be more beneficial.

…Which Metal absolutely despises. It’s a direct juxtaposition to his entire nature. A being created specifically to go fast being punished to move slow.
But regardless of his distaste, it’s the only feasible plan he sees.

Metal’s fingers coil one after another, a showdown and test of patience between him and the frog. He puts one careful foot in front of the other, each one small and slow in his approach to the frog. Froggy seems to put up no resistance to his advance, instead staring inquisitively at the metal robot approaching him.

Metal Sonic feels his hands twitch in anticipation, something a living person would call “an itch to scratch”. But he subsides it. He must focus.
As Metal comes face to face with Froggy, his joints carefully crouch in front of the frog, his hands outstretched like the head of a venus fly trap, ready to snap around their prey.

Though much to Metal’s surprise, his patience is rewarded. In one quick hop, Froggy finds himself nestled between Metal’s hands, voluntarily sitting comfortably as Metal Sonic rises to his feet.

OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: RETRIEVE THE FROG.

The satisfying feeling of accomplishment oozes in Metal Sonic’s very circuits, his mind abuzz despite such a measly victory.
Though just as he savours his win, it seems his job isn’t entirely over.

NEW OBJECTIVE: RETURN FROGGY TO BIG THE CAT.

This earns a hearty eyeroll from him. So not only does he go through the effort of catching the thing, now he needs to return it to that oaf?

Regardless…it’s yet another task to achieve.

…

Approaching the pond, Metal Sonic finds Big slumped forwards near the water, his ears downturned in disappointment. Perhaps the cat’s hope wasn’t as steely as he anticipated.
Metal Sonic trudges down the path with the green frog clutched between his hands. He’s unsure why, but he feels a need to be careful with how tightly to hold the creature, as if clutching too hard would be a bad thing.

Big turns his head towards Metal Sonic, to which he notices the vacant dull of his eyes suddenly spark with life. As if attaining a second wind, Big the Cat clumsily dances to his feet to warmly greet the frog.

“Froggy! There you are!” Big exclaims, his voice elevated in surprise and elation. As if on command, Froggy leaps out of Metal Sonic’s hands, directly into the comforting arms of his best friend.
“You need to stop running off, little buddy!” Big says, giving a jovial laugh and spin with the frog, holding him in what Metal would call a restraint. Though he knows some people also call that a “Hug”.
Big looks up to Metal then, his eyes practically sparkling with admiration for the robot.

“You found my little buddy! I’m sorry if he caused you trouble.” Big says.
“Thanks, pal!”

Metal could write about a couple thousand lines on how this little green pest has been a “Trouble” to him. Yet despite the deep set irritation of this distraction, Metal can’t bring himself to make it known to him.
Unlike some people, Big doesn’t seem to oppose Metal’s silence in this exchange, and instead sits back down in his usual fishing spot, his posture lifting with the weight of his lost friend.
Froggy sits comfortably in Big’s lap, as he glances back at Metal Sonic.

“Say, do you wanna sit here for a while with us? The water sure is pretty.” Big invites.

Metal Sonic doesn’t even humour the question, immediately shaking his head. All of these distractions have been an anomaly to him, just a strange error in his code. He could never willingly hinder himself in such a pointless break in his stride.

Metal turns away from Big, purposefully walking away with wide steps. His escape feels deliberate, his next destination in sight. Though to his surprise, he finds himself turning his head towards the pond, the one he’s been walking past the entire day without much care.

Upon further inspection, Metal Sonic begins to take in the gentle folds of water as the wind co-operates with the movements of water. Curiously, the glistening sun that once dazzled and irritated him, now seems to stun him. The sparkling light dances in his bright, red eyes, as the robot seems to be entrapped in the serenity of his surroundings. So much so, that Metal stopped walking entirely without his knowledge.

Metal Sonic looks back to Big, who seems to have made a purposeful gap in his spot just for him.
Without much restraint, Metal Sonic finds himself wandering over to Big, sitting himself down. His movements feel heavy, as if offloading the burdens of his day into the ground below. His metal joins slowly begin to slack, his springs uncoiling as he simply admires his surroundings.

There is no primary purpose to this action. There is no task that needs to be accomplished at this pond. Yet it’s as if Metal Sonic is somehow enraptured by the natural elements. He sees the vibrant orange fin of a fish briefly surface from the water, flicking droplets in the air before they scatter back into its own body of water.
He watches as a rogue leaf drifts with the breeze, floating down into the pond below him. Metal leans forwards as if to inspect, finding his own reflection ripple and distort.

Metal knows that he physically can’t even touch the water. His body would fail him, and he can’t even swim to begin with. Yet he can’t help but wonder what it feels like.
His attention seems to be cut through by Big, his purple frame leaning into his peripheral vision.
“It’s pretty good, right? Me and Froggy always like to sit and talk here.” He comments, as he rocks back and forth like a soothing old soul.

“You know, you and Froggy are a lot alike.” Big continues, looking between Metal and his dear friend Froggy.

“Froggy doesn’t talk much, but I always know how he’s feeling. He’s also good at getting into trouble!” He says, his cheeks rounding into a bashful smile.
“But you don’t need to say much at all, you’re both good at listening. It’s nice to find quiet times in the day…and to slow down. Everyone likes running around all the time, but sometimes you need to slow down to appreciate things around you. ”

Metal Sonic can’t help but actually listen to his wistful words, his eyes fixated on the drifting leaf. His words hold no purpose or meaning to him, or at least they never did before. His very existence opposes the life of idle prattling. But he can’t help but take note of the cat’s words, and the meaning behind them.

Maybe Big isn’t as inept as he once made him out to be.

Metal is unsure how much time passes, but something in his HUD catches his eye.
His objective, which was once vandalized, has now returned to the status quo.

OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO DR IVO ROBOTNIK.

The robot can’t physically rest like others can, and certainly doesn’t lose stamina. Yet this detour has somehow revitalised his need to fulfill his mission.
He stands up from his spot, casting Big and Froggy one last look as he turns away.

“Hey, leaving already?” Big wonders, tilting his head in question.

Metal Sonic only responds with a sharp nod, as he continues on his linear path.
He’s not too far away from Big, when he hears his ever enthusiastic shouts.

“Well, thanks again buddy! See you around!” Big calls.

Metal knows a reply would be pointless, and more importantly unnecessary to Big. After all, if what he said about his bond with Froggy is true, then he knows that just his presence alone was enough.
He instead pushes on ahead, towards his final destination.

Chapter Text

Following the winding path is becoming a tedious and infuriating task for Metal Sonic. His stride is purposeful and wide, yet his locator detects that he is not much closer to his destination. He wonders how long it will take the doctor to fix his jet boosters, to make him adequate again. No, perfect again.

Yet the monotony of his travels would be interrupted, though whether to his benefit or not is yet to be seen. On the trail ahead, Metal can hear the faint, high pitched squeaks of a person, chattering away seemingly to themselves. Out of curiosity, Metal analyses the voice against his databases.

>>VOICE MATCH FOUND

>>IDENTITY: CREAM THE RABBIT

Cream has never been anyone he needed to pay attention to. She was a weak link in the other Sonic’s friend group, and was unremarkable at best. At worse, Metal had the impression that she was an irritating child.

Just as identified, Metal rounds the corner to see the rabbit. It seems he was mistaken in her company. She seems to be talking with a small chao, flying beside her head.

She seems to be sat cross legged on a neatly splayed blanket, with a purposefully arranged tea set placed in front of her. The placement, he observes, is meticulous and arranged in a way where she’s anticipating more than just herself at the blanket. As to the actual purpose, Metal is unsure of.

Behind Cream’s set up, he can see a quaint yet spacious house ahead, with well cared for plant life surrounding the outskirts of the house. She seems to be in a shaded spot underneath an imposing tree, the canopy looming overhead to protect her from the harsh sun.

Metal seems to purposefully hesitate with his steps, as he eavesdrops on Cream’s one-sided conversation.

“More tea, Cheese?” She asks, holding her tea pot carefully.

“Be careful, it’s hot!”

Cream tips the tea pot daintily, the spout covered over a fragile tea cup with a frilled lip.

Though Metal can’t help but squint at the scene. He has to clear up his suspicions about the tea.

Metal Sonic switches to a thermal view, his eyes scanning the pot. He certainly indicates heat from Cream and Cheese the chao, and yet the tea pot shows no signs of heat.

It’s completely empty. Despite this fact however, cheese seems to react with glee, tipping the cup to their mouth with a sign of effort, on account of their small, stubby arms.

Metal Sonic can’t fathom the logic behind this. She lies to the chao into believing it’s a hot beverage. But for what purpose? Perhaps the rabbit has lost her mind.

As Metal Sonic tries to diagnose Cream, he flickers back to his normal vision to be slightly startled.

Cream stares directly at Metal Sonic, her whole body frozen in headlights by his mere presence. She looks just as startled by the hedgehog, while Cheese actively hides behind Cream.

“M-Metal sonic?” Cream says, her voice quivering in fear. She raises to her feet, looking back towards her home to plan a desperate retreat. Metal meets her eyes with a flare of red on his screen. She is once again someone he shouldn’t be wasting his energy on. 

He could very easily crush the rabbit beneath his claws.

Metal follows her gaze towards the house, an almost animalistic hunch of his back as he stares her down. Though she is not her prey today.

Metal Sonic instead takes a testing, heavy foot forwards, watching her flinch in revolt as he begins to approach. He walks with a purpose of trampling through her blanket, seeing it as nothing more than a flat obstacle.

He raises his foot, inches from the empty charade of a tea cup, until the rabbit’s grating voice halts him.

“W-Wait, you’re hurt!” She cries. 

Metal Sonic pauses, his leg raised in a pre-attack.

Again, saying he’s hurt as if he’s flesh and bone. As if he has the same pathetic nerve endings as these people.

Metal Sonic seems to look at her in disgust, his foot slowly lowering next to the fragile cup.

Cream seems to edge herself forwards, as if willing herself to approach a ravenous beast. She has a hand raised to tame the robot, or perhaps just to comfort herself.

He seems…curious about this one. The child is obviously terrified of him, as she should be. And yet she foolishly wills herself forwards, to come closer to his clutches. It’s as if the young girl is trying to gain Metal’s trust, to make him less flighty.

Even more curiously, he seems to allow this to happen.

When Cream is a comfortable distance in front of him, Metal tilts his head as a silent question to her.

“Your stomach, it’s all broken. Are you okay?” She wonders.

The bright LED’s of Metal’s eyes narrow at her question. This feels like a pointless, open question which has no logical answer. He could show her his current system’s state, but this would mean nothing to someone as small minded.

He shouldn’t be humouring this though. He instead shakes his head at her, as he steps to one side away from Cream with the intention of walking away again.

OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO DR IVO ROBOTNIK

He can feel Cream’s presence loom behind him though, despite her being a significant distance away. The thought is like a strange crawling across his back, as if a pull urges him to turn around and face the small thing again.

“Mr Metal Sonic?” Cream’s voice suddenly perks up behind him. Metal Sonic seems to completely twist around, his head turning at an 180 degrees angle before his body even catches up.

He didn’t even hear her approach. His faulty audio sensors must be corroding another part of him.

But why did that startle him so much?

He looks down at Cream, practically toe-to-toe with the robot.

“Um…I was wondering if you wanted to join me and Cheese for a tea party? As long as you’re not going to be a bully.” Cream appeals.

Metal glances towards the faux tea set arrangements, and then back at her. He doesn’t bully them, he pummels them. This child doesn’t even know the difference.

He shakes his head, too steadfast in his own mission to care about trivial games of pretend.

Though as Metal turns to continue on his path, yet another colourful character seems to jumpscare him.

Cheese the Chao flutters their tiny wings to get to Metal’s eye line, babbling and chuntering in a babyish tone of protest. The chao is deeply upset with him, that much is clear. The pest was like a wasp, pushing Metal Sonic backwards with his very presence. He tries to swat Cheese away with a limp forearm, but it does nothing to stop the chao’s flying rage.

“Now Cheese! If Mr Metal doesn’t want to play, he doesn’t have to!” Cream protests.

An observation that Metal seems to take from this is that the rabbit has more authority than he thought. As she protests to the chao’s guerilla tactics, the pest seems to relent with a grumble as he nestles back comfortably onto Cream’s shoulder.

But this leaves Metal Sonic in a thorny dilemma. He could continue on his way, and forget about all of this nonsense. Yet the longer his optics stay on Cream and her efforts of entertainment, the more his head fills with that familiar static. He clanks his metal hands over his eyes, as his objective once again begins to waver.

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: JOIN TEA PARTY

Metal Sonic tries to wrestle with his own head, going as far as to slap a ruthless hand to his protruding ear. He squeezes his metallic head with an uncanny might, as if the sheer pressure will fix this mess. Though…it only solidifies his new purpose.

When he looks back, he sees Cream shifted with concern again, tentative with his sudden outburst.

With a reluctant slump of Metal Sonic’s shoulders, he begins an arduous trudge towards the laid out blanket. He stands before the unclaimed, empty spot. It was as if it were unspokenly reserved for him. Cream’s expression seems to light with glee, a bright smile revealing her big bunny teeth.

“You’re staying?! Hurray! It’s so nice to have a new tea party guest!” She says, skipping back to her place at the head of the blanket. When she sits herself down cross-legged on the floor, Metal Sonic seems to copy with some difficulty.

“Okay, Mr Metal! I’ve made you some ginger tea! Momma says that helps when you’re feeling bad!” She declares, tipping her empty tea pot into the equally sparse tea cup.

Metal Sonic looks between her and the tea cup, lacking some sort of comprehension to this scenario. She’s once again lying about the tea. Does she take him for a fool? Does she think he’s too stupid to notice? He can’t even eat or drink, this endeavor was pointless from the start.

Metal grabs the empty cup with a dark expression, tipping the entire thing upside down, with a predatory glare.

Cream puts the tea pot down, giving a more unnerved smile. “Mr Metal, there’s not really any tea. Momma says she’s worried I’ll burn myself to use real tea. So we’re playing pretend!”

Pretend.

To behave so as to make it appear that something is the case when in fact it is not.

That is Metal’s only comprehension of pretending. To do that would require pointless imagination, something he’s not even capable of.

Cream must be able to read Metal’s lost processes, because she raises her pretend teapot again.

“Here, me and Cheese will show you.” She says, with a smile set to anneal his metal interior.

Cream then proceeds to demonstrate the act of pretending. She pours a fake cup of tea for the chao in his ridiculous bow tie, and the chao pretends to savour every second of it. And Metal pretends to care.

Metal Sonic deduces that it’s his time to try it. He picks up the feeble excuse for a tea pot, and pretends to pour the contents into an empty cup.

“There you go! You’re doing great!” Cream boasts. Metal rolls his eyes at her patronising remarks. This is nothing to be proud of, despite the crunching pressure her comment triggered in his broken chest.

Yet he still can’t seem to visualise this pretend cup of tea. Cream and Cheese seem to be enraptured by this game, yet he can’t feasibly see it.

Metal Sonic starts to search his database for anything he knows on tea parties.

It’s there that he can actually visualise it. Actual facts, images, recounts, history. That is what he knows.

He takes this data and runs it through his own processes. Before he’s even aware of it, Metal Sonic finds that his posture has risen with an arch of his back, his pinkie finger extended with his pointed nose upturned.

The act seems to make Cream giggle with delight, copying Metal Sonic in his attempts to become immersed in the game.

“More tea, Sir Metal?” She asks, in a posh, refined voice.

“YES.” Metal replies with a rattle of his speaker, holding his empty up towards her. He even pretends to place two neat cubes of sugar in his tea.

Their little game seems to be going off without a hitch. Cream seems to have an equally one sided conversation to Metal and she did with her Chao companion, telling him all about how she helped her mother, who he now knows is named Vanilla, with baking a cake (Which apparently only amounted to cracking the eggs). She goes on to talk about how she loves all her friends, which includes his sorry excuse for a copy, Sonic. Yet Metal feels less of a need to run as he had previously, nodding along to all of her mundane comments.

Some time passess, and Cream starts to look somewhat uncomfortable. Her demeanor changes to that of nerves, despite having the bravery to sit opposite someone as dangerous as him.

Metal decides to prod her for a reason, cocking his head in the process.

“You’re afraid.” Metal Sonic comments.

“Huh?! No no no! I’m not scared of you, Mr Metal. You haven’t been mean to me even once today!” She says. Which is debatable to him, though he fails to mention that outloud.

“I was actually wondering…well…Mr Sonic likes to play this game where he gives me a piggy back, and pretends to be a horse. I was wondering if…you wanted to play that with me?”

The mention of Sonic makes his springs wind in irritation, yet the buzzing of rage feels tempered at this moment. But she seems to think so highly of him, and this “horse” game. If this is another sub-category of “Pretend”, then he should be able to replicate this with no issue.

Metal Sonic raises to a crouch, exposing his back to Cream as an invitation to climb onto his back.

Cream cheers at the notion and immediately hops on, being careful of the exposed gashes and wiring of his battles.

“Thank you, Mr Metal!” She cheers, with Cheese gleefully adding a noise of gratitude.

Metal doesn’t even need to download any data on horses this time, opting to challenge his perspective on the game of horse.

He instead begins to skip and gallop around in a circle, with Cream’s laughter filling the space behind him. 

There’s something to her laugh that seems to interfere with his thoughts. Perhaps she laughs in a particular frequency, but he finds himself in a state of joyfulness. It’s as if excess circuitry was prised from his head, leaving him with a lightness he’s never experienced before.

Metal even humoured her game by playing horse noises through his speaker, which only sparked more laughter from the rabbit, and a hearty “Yee haw!”.

And in an act that surprises even himself, Metal Sonic finds himself making a strange noise. It’s as if his speakers tried to mimic Cream, or maybe it was a malfunction.

Metal Sonic laughed.

Metal seems to slightly stagger a moment after the ordeal, the awareness of the clumped wires in his head returning as he regains consciousness of himself.

But he and Cream have no time to react.

With a sudden, bassy boom , the ground beneath them starts to tremor, causing them both to plummet as Cream cries out.

Chapter Text

Metal falls onto his forearms at the unpredictable quake, looking up to inspect the land. According to his scans, this magnitude of earthquake is…unnatural.

The epicenter of the quake seems to have occurred a good distance away from their current location. In fact, it’s actually on Metal Sonic’s current path.

Though he’s compelled to shut down all of his queries, when he hears a shrill wail, beside him.

He watches as Cream the Rabbit sits up after the imposing tremor, holding her leg as tears stream down her face.

Metal Sonic raises to his feet, towering over the crying child as she makes noises akin to an uncomfortable howl. She seems to have damaged some part of her body. Out of curiosity, Metal Sonic locks his sights on the offending leg, scanning her for any damages.

>SCANNING…

>SCAN COMPLETE

>DIAGNOSIS: SPRAINED ANKLE

Metal Sonic seems to loosen his arm and leg joints, which he hadn’t even noticed were coiled so tight until now.

All that wailing over a sprained ankle? He didn’t even make a sound when his torso was destroyed.

Though that was the issue with these creatures. They are fragile and weak things.

He should quite frankly be disgusted by her pathetic lack of grit. And yet despite that, he feels something quite different for this weak yet brave child. He wants her to stop crying.

Cream softens her cries to uncontrollable hicks and sniffles, looking up at Metal Sonic.

“M-Mr Metal, I’ve hurt my leg. ” She confirms, wiping her eyes of tears. That much Metal already knew.

Her glance casts back towards the quaint little house, the one that stands brightly behind them.

“I-I have to get back to momma!” She says.

Metal Sonic’s vision blurs for a moment, the soft snow of static clouding his vision. Only this time, Metal tries fighting the change only with a small rise of his shoulders.

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: TAKE CREAM HOME.

Metal Sonic assesses the new objective as if his next steps are obvious. He would like nothing more than to protest this request, and yet he finds no strength in his CPU anymore. Is he missing some of his grit?

But his feeling stays the same as before.

He wants her to stop crying.

Regardless of his processor wracking his lack of effort, Metal Sonic crouches to Cream’s level in the same manner as his horse game.

Hesitant at first, Cream looks up inquisitively at Metal Sonic.

“Mr Metal? Are you…letting me have a piggy back?” Cream asks, her voice bunged up by her tears.

Metal Sonic only gives a sharp thumbs up in response.

It’s then that he sees something of a glimmer in Cream’s eyes, a sparkle like the sun dancing on the waves of Big’s lake.

Cream gives a hopeful little laugh, as she climbs onto Metal Sonic’s back.

Once she’s securely in place, Metal Sonic begins their very brief walk towards the sunny house.

………….

Upon reaching the house, Metal’s eyes skim across the intricate and worn details of their homely cottage house. The inefficiencies of the house become clearer to him then normal creatures probably fail to notice. Each dent, crack and chip of paint seems to hold a story of its own.

As they approach the front door, Metal Sonic can see a shape looming behind the thin curtains, wafting in the gentle breeze outside.

>>>IDENTIFICATION: VANILLA THE RABBIT

This must be the “Momma” that Cream had prattled on about before.

She seems to move swiftly towards the door, yet Metal Sonic is faster. He kicks a foot harshly into the door, forcing it open with a reverberating crash into the adjacent wall.

Vanilla seems to gasp at his brutish entrance, rushing to the doorway to Cream’s aid.

Though this wasn’t for her injury.

“Y-You get away from my daughter!” Vanilla cries. The woman seems so frail, another twig in the woods to snap. And yet she faces him with a resounding determination, a stance so full of fear, yet fearless intentions.

“Wait Momma! I’m okay!” Cream calls, as if to tame the impending attack Metal Sonic was about to face.

Metal Sonic complies with his current task by placing Cream onto the floor, holding her steadily as she hobbles past the threshold of the house.

“Mr Metal helped me!” She implores. Cheese the Chao seems to corroborate her story with affirmative, babyish noises.

Vanilla seems at a loss for what to say, as her gaze alternates between Metal and her daughter. She holds Cream’s face in her hands like a precious thing, something to be gentle and kind to.

“When I felt that earthquake, I was about to come out and get you! I’m glad you’re okay.” She says, before her eyes cast down to her limping leg.

“Oh dear…it looks like you’ve sprained an ankle. I’ll get some ice to soothe it, dear.” She coos to her, stroking Cream’s long ears back.

Metal wonders if this motherly creature can scan similar to he can, or perhaps she’s simply cleverer than he assumed.

Her softness and care seems to spark a need to sift through his own memory banks, to replicate that same care in his own experience. He never saw Eggman as a father by any means. He is his creator. There was a distinct difference in those.

A distinct coldness.

Metal shakes the meaningless thought away, turning his attention back to Vanilla, though her softness seems to sharpen into a razor as she looks at Metal Sonic.

She assesses him quietly for a moment, her back straightening to become a more imposing figure.

“Thank you, for helping my daughter.” She says, a hint of gratitude in her tone escaping her stern look.

Metal Sonic isn’t quite sure how to respond. Similarly to Big, there’s no way he could process what that means, or how he should react. And this time he’s on the spot.

He instead opts for yet another thumbs up, an affirmation that he understands.

As he raised his hand, however, his object list changed.

>>>OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: TAKE CREAM HOME<<<

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO DR IVO ROBOTNIK<<<

Metal Sonic feels a conflict in his head about the change. He’s glad for normality to return, to get back to his main and only objective that matters. 

Yet there’s a part of him that also dwells on the objective that allowed him to experience laughter.

Regardless of this however, Metal Sonic’s feet already begin to move, turning his back on the rabbit family.

He only makes a couple of steps, however, when he is commanded to a halt.

“Mr Metal! Wait!” Cream calls, his voice full of life and enthusiasm.

Metal obliges as he turns to face her, watching as the young girl hobbles to a nearby flower patch. She winces as she’s forced to put weight on the offending ankle, before she reaches into the lush bed of colourful ruffles and stems. She plucks a flower from the bed, limping towards him with her arm outstretched.

“I had a lot of fun today! Thank you for playing with me!” She exclaims, her smile ever brighter as she presents him with the flower.

The lights of Metal Sonic’s eyes waver in uncertainty, as he stares down at a bright yellow flower clutched in her hands.

This is a gift from her. But he doesn’t get gifts. They’re frivolous and undeserving if you haven’t earnt them.

Yet a part of him wants to please her.

He carefully outstretches his clawed hands towards the dainty stem of the flower, grasping the stem between two sharp fingers. He holds the flower closer to his reticles, turning the stem in his hand to observe every crease and wrinkle of the petals.

>>>SPECIMEN: MARIGOLD

Metal stares at the flower for a long moment, a fondness washing over him. That is…until he recalls his objective.

His task takes over every other facet of his thoughts, keeping the flower securely in his grasps.

He gives Cream a firm nod, before he turns his back to her one last time.

“Bu-Bye Mr Metal!” Cream calls out, spreading her arms in an enthusiastic wave.

As he begins to walk though, he feels himself bouncing with a strange hop to his steps. Metal Sonic’s settings must have been jammed, as he continues to gallop like the horse in their game.

The error seems to spur Cream to laugh again, as Metal Sonic stumbles to a halt.

He looks back at her with an almost sheepish hunch of his back, before he continues at a normal, brisk walk.

The malfunction seems to be making his face overheat, a new occurrence to him. He decides to run a quick diagnostic scan.

>>>NO ERRORS FOUND.

>>>SIMILAR DIAGNOSIS: EMBARRASSMENT.

Metal Sonic seems to quickly disregard this diagnosis.

Though as he walks towards the checkered path ahead, one thought seems to still be inconclusive.

What was the reason for that unnatural earthquake?

Chapter Text

The sun begins to paint an orange hue across the sky, as afternoon becomes early evening.

He finds himself on much more uneven ground now, a rocky terrain with the grass rising and falling ahead of him. Metal Sonic can feel his pace slow down with every trudge, his feet weighing much heavier than calculated. Throughout his prolonged and arduous journey, he can’t shake off the feeling of unease that settles on him. It’s as if the blankets of leaves that enveloped him when he first woke up never quite lost their shade.

Why was all of this happening? What’s wrong with his systems all of a sudden? 

Metal was stubbornly loyal to his missions, that much he was told. His operations and directives were linear and predictable. It was exactly how he liked it, with a healthy challenge.

Yet now it’s as if he can’t make up his mind. The static rage in his head only grows at the thought of being disloyal to the eggman empire. That was his place, his pride.

He wouldn’t squander any of that on petty feelings or heroism. He can’t even blame a fault with the Eggnet, considering his wireless adaptors fail to connect to it.

And yet in his running processes, he clutches the golden marigold tighter in his fist. There was an ironic comfort in the flimsy, dying plant. Something that was firmly grounded, suddenly uprooted and adrift.

This isn’t like him.

Metal is self assured, self sufficient. He’s not going to let ridiculous thoughts cloud his judgement any longer. Though no sooner than he’s decided on his mentality, his thoughts are cut through by a whiny little voice approaching ahead of him.

“Waauh! But I wanna come on the mission!” The voice whimpers.

“Forget it Charmy! Your job’s to be on look out, y’hear?!” Another voice chimes in. His voice is rough and familiar.

“No fair! You and Espio always get to go on the cool missions!” The voice persists. It’s only when Metal Sonic gets closer that he can get a good look at the colourful cast of characters.

>>>IDENTITIES FOUND: VECTOR THE CROCODILE.
>>> ESPIO THE CHAMELEON

>>>CHARMY BEE

>>>ALIAS: TEAM CHAOTIX

Metal Sonic remembers this group. He would very easily discount them, were it not for his memories of their first encounter. He recalls when he first fought the tenacious rouges, and was ultimately beaten by the group. Even with the doctor’s radical upgrades, they somehow bested him.

But that was the old him.

As Metal trudges onto the now rocky terrain, he begins to come face to face with his old adversaries. It doesn’t take long for the group to note the distinct clank of metal and heavy footsteps against the ground. All at once, the trio stand on guard, with their leader Vector stepping out on the front lines. Metal Sonic could fault them for many things, but he couldn’t deny that Vector was the definition of a leader.

“Hey, bucket of bolts! You here to protect your old man’s property, huh?!” Vector accuses, standing on guard. His lackeys follow his lead, with Espio preparing a precise shuriken, and Charmy’s naive bravery revving behind Vector.

“Yeah, you old hunk of junk! We’ll take you on!” The bee protests, swarming directly into his line of sight. Metal Sonic gives an uncomfortable surge backwards, trying to swat the little pest away. Metal successfully catches Charmy’s side, swatting him harshly to one side as he advances forwards.

“HEY! Nobody goes hurtin’ our Charmy!” Vector protests, winding his arm back for an almighty punch. Yet Metal Sonic doesn’t even raise a fist, as his sight fixates on his objective.

>>>OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO DR IVO ROBOTNIK.

Espio’s stance seems to falter at this unstoppable force, looking to Vector. “Vector…This robot is in no state to fight.” He says.

Vector seems to meet Espio’s gaze, their sights lingering on the broken state of Metal.

“Weeeell, looks like someone beat us to it!” Vector announces, redirecting his fists to rest on his side.

Espio seems to nod in agreement.
“It would be dishonourable to fight like this.”

Metal Sonic, begrudgingly, is grateful for their reluctance to fight. Partly because he’s losing the strength and capacity to do so in this state. But that would be very short lived.

Charmy however, seems all the more geared up to attack. He whizzes past Metal’s head, returning to his team’s side.

“What’s the big idea, you jerk! Boss, we could take him on!” He shouts.

Vector seems to advance on Metal Sonic then, cracking his knuckles.
“He may not wanna fight, but we can get some information outta him.” He comments. His team seems to fall into formation around him, like an inescapable wall.

Metal Sonic tries to stand tall, his eyes glaring across the threat in his path. It’s only when Vector attempts to grab the robot’s shoulder that prompts him into combat.

In a swift motion, Metal Sonic grabs Vector by the wrist, throwing his arm away before he forward-vaults over the wall of chaotix around him.

Espio tries to retaliate with a hasty, stiff jab into Metal’s neck. Metal catches him by the wrist in return, prompting him to heave Espio’s full weight over his shoulder and throwing him to the ground.

As for Charmy…Metal Sonic simply puts a hand on his face, holding him back by his own poor attempts to reach him with those short arms. He only lets his arms go slack for a moment, giving the bee false hope before he launches a high, round house kick to the back of his head.

Vector grumbles as Charmy tumbles to the ground with a yelp.

“I guess the rust bucket’s still got some fight in him!” He exclaims.

Metal Sonic straightens his body out, but suddenly finds himself hindered. It’s as if just a simple flurry like that sent him into a chronic inability to function. His hip pistons seem to slightly give way, causing him to stumble with knocked legs. Vector raises both fists as if to retaliate, swinging them over his head for a punishing blow to Metal’s back. But before he could retaliate, Charmy's voice calls out.

“BOSS! WAIT!” He shouts.

Vector flinches at the bee’s protests, watching as he fusses in front of the decaying robot.

Metal Sonic would never think he’d be grateful to this little brat, and yet he just saved him from a fatal blow.

“What is Charmy?!” Vector asks in impatience.

“Look! Look what he’s holding!” Charmy shouts, pointing at Metal Sonic’s clenched fist. It only occurred to Metal after all this time, that he was still clutching onto the flower. It seems to have sustained some damage to the petals, looking as limp as himself.

“So the robot likes pickin’ flowers now, so what?” Vector asks.

“They’re not just any flowers! They’re from Cream’s garden! I know, because she gave me one before too!” Charmy attests.

“She wouldn’t just give those to anyone.That was a gift from her!”

Espio and Vector exchange a glance, with Espio’s head falling slightly.
“His logic makes sense…it’s not often you see a marigold anywhere else around here.” He says.

Vector grumbles, folding his arms and rapping a finger in thought.

“So what’re you saying? That Metal Sonic’s good now?” He says.

The sheer notion makes Metal roll his eyes with fatigue. He’s wasted enough time with this obstacle, he needs to focus on making it in a sufficient state. If he were to falter now, there’s no predictions on how long it would take to return.

If he would ever be found.

Though as Metal Sonic tries to leave, Vector pipes up.

“Uh- hey! Hold on there. Look I’m sorry we gave you a hard time. But you gotta understand our concern, all things considered!” He reasons.

“How about we start over, huh pal?” He says, extending a metaphorical olive branch to Metal.

Metal looks at Vector properly for the first time, his lights narrowing in an unamused stare.

Though his dark stare is rudely interrupted, when another punishing tremor rattles beneath their feet. Vector roars in surprise as he falls, with Charmy trying to stay aloft in the air. Espio, to his surprise, is able to stay perfectly balanced in the chaos, entering some form of zen as he stands in a one legged tree pose.

That earthquake again. It’s so close this time.

“GAH- There it is again! We’ve gotta be in the right place!” Vector shouts, pushing himself up to his feet as the rumble subsides.

“So it’s true…the epicenter of the earthquakes seem to be coming from the derelict eggman base.” Espio comments.

His comment seems to spark an interest in Metal Sonic, looking directly at the chameleon.

Eggman? Robotnik is making these quakes? Impossible. He would be notified about his plan.

“Guess our lead was right then! But we don’t know how to get into that base!” He says.

His attention seems to hone in on Metal in that instance.

“Hey! If you’re not here to fight, and you’re not behind this mess, then tell us what’s causing these earthquakes!” He demands.

But Metal Sonic simply shakes his head in response, becoming more and more lost in this grand thread. What is the doctor planning?

“What do you know?” Metal eventually asks.

The group seem to exchange weary glances at his question. Rightfully so, since the robot is still loyal to their enemy.

It’s only when Charmy pipes up, that they’re forced to give an answer.

“We have a job to stop the earthquakes in this area! We tracked one of them to an old Eggman base! We think he’s up to no good. Best of all, they’re giving us money!” He declares.

Vector’s quick to jump into the fray then, covering the plucky bee’s mouth.
“ZIP IT, CHARMY! If you tell him, we’ll have to give him a cut!” He hisses Charmy.

Metal Sonic could care less about trivial things like money. It serves no purpose to him, nor should it to them. It’s paper and coins. A made up concept. Though Espio seems to put his findings into the ring while the pair bicker.

“We detected that this may be a man-made tremor. Our sources show an unidentified machine in the base.” He says, looking to Metal Sonic as if this may prompt some sort of information. When nothing comes, the chameleon simply sighs.

An abandoned base with activity inside…he wonders if someone is using the doctor’s likeness. Or perhaps he’s doing this in secret. He cannot deny his curiosity now.

Vector finally meets Metal Sonic’s gaze, staring directly into the dangerous red flares of light in his eyes.

“Listen pal, we wouldn’t usually do this, on account of your boss. But we need all the info we can get. Wanna lend us a hand on a voluntary contract?”  Metal Sonic’s immediate thought is offense. To potentially go against his creator would be a ridiculous treason.

Then it happens again.

It’s as if his original thought was as fleeting as a camera shot, his head filling with brimming static.

He can’t let this change. He can’t let this happen on something so critical.

Metal sonic coils into himself, crouched into his familiarly comforting ball as he wraps his arms over his head.

Comforting? Metal doesn’t feel nor need comfort. What’s happening to him? How can he feel so enraged and nauseous at the same time?

Sharp claws dig into metal sonic’s head, scraping against his chipping blue paint. Images flash in his vision, as if memories jump starting one after another.

The earthquakes.

Eggman.

Cream.

Cream’s laughter and kindness.

Her cries when the earthquakes knocked her down.

He can’t stop it. Like every other time, he can’t fight back the conflict in his system.

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: STOP THE EARTHQUAKES.

Metal Sonic’s arms drop in defeat, falling slack on to the floor beneath him. He stays there for a few moments more, his head pressed against the ground below.

He’s directly opposing Robotnik. Not just for himself this time, but for these group of rogues.

“Hey uh…bud. You need an aspirin or something?” Vector finally says.

When Metal looks back up, the three of them stand at his feet, staring down at his apparent episode.

Metal Sonic fumbles for the flower in his hand, a thumb brushing against one of the petals. He seems to find a part of his chest ajar from his injuries, tucking the flower safely inside. When the flower is protectively concealed, he straightens himself up onto his feet and scans the three of them.

To stop the earthquakes, he must co-operate with these Chaotix.

Metal Sonic searches his memory banks of their location, and the old Eggman base. It is there that he finds it. A full blue print of the base in its golden days. His eyes fizzle like static for a moment, before they project a 3D turntable of the base’s blueprints.

The group gather like mystified children, scrutinising the layout with motivated relief.
“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!” Vector declares, followed by a hearty laugh.

Espio seems to nod in approval.
“Indeed…but I must ask, what are those?” He wonders. He points towards the screen, where funneled hallways are littered with red, flashing dots.

“Traps.” Metal Sonic replies.

Chapter Text

“Alright team, here’s the plan,” Vector begins. The four of them are all gathered around outside the dilapidating old base. Metal failed to note when he was considered part of the team, but he also doesn’t seem to protest this fact at the moment. He does, however, feel a ticking impatience, as if he’s itching to get the mission over with.

“We gotta bust into that base, and with the help of our new scout here, we got a good low down of the layout!” Vector goes on to say. This feels like a painfully obvious observation to Metal, yet the other two seem to hang onto every word that he says. Metal Sonic unconsciously starts tapping his foot against the floor.

“That door’s locked up tight, but there’s still activity inside! So I’m gonna be the muscle for the job. I’ll hold off whatever funny business is going on behind that door, while Espio is our espionage!”

Espio seems to nod in agreement, the role only being natural for the self proclaimed ninja.
“I will be in and out like a whisper.” Espio asserts.

“Weeell not so fast, 'cause we’ve got an extra  pair of hands here!” Vector announces, tempering his fire to get started in their infiltration. All eyes seem to fall on Metal Sonic, and he can’t help but suddenly feel aware of his own existence at this time. This deliberation is a waste of time. He doesn’t have to stand by idly when he works alone. He is his own leader.

“And what do you propose he do?” Espio wonders, folding his arms with a serious furrow of his brows. Vector seems to stroke his finger under his large maws, mulling over the idea in thought.

“Here’s what I’m thinkin’. The robot Sonic goes in with Espio! He knows the low down of this place. I mean he was inside it once upon a time! You might need a hand with those traps in there.” Vector reasons.

Metal finds great insult in Vector butchering his name, visibly shifting his head backwards in offence. But he can finally see the end of this pointless conversation in sight, his fingers twitching like an anticipating gun trigger.

“Hey, what about me, boss?! I wanna go in too!” Charmy protests, flying to eye level with Vector.

“Let me at ‘em, I can take those badniks!”

Vector seems to lightly push Charmy’s face away when he evidently gets irritably close to him.

“Gauh knock it off Charmy! I’ve got a different job for you!” He declares. Charmy shakes his head from the knock back, looking just about ready to blow into some sort of tantrum.

“Oh yeah?! What?! It better not be look out again!” Charmy argues.

“Not quite, you’re gonna be our tech guy! You’re gonna get our boys through the base as and when they need it! You got the USB, right?” Vector questions.

Charmy digs into his breast pocket, revealing a small, blue USB stick. It’s one that Metal Sonic produced for him, with details about the base. With any luck, when he’s in a better state, he could use the device as a back door access for whatever operations these Chaotix pursue next. Perhaps he could send malware into their critical files, if the doctor wants it to be so.

But for now, he’ll play along.

“Good. You relay to Espio and Metal Head here where they gotta go, and warn them of the traps! If we got this right, you should be able to get any locks opened up too.” Vector continues.

“Oooh, rodger that!” Charmy says, apparently satisfied with this result as he salutes his boss. Metal can’t help but wonder what compelled Vector to employ the help of a child, a naive one at that.

Though it’s as if Vector could sense that he was being thought about, his head lulling in Metal’s direction.

“You good with this plan?” He asks.

Metal Sonic seems confused why he needs his approval. If he’s the leader, they must follow his command regardless. Though mingled in the confusion, there’s a strange sensation he can’t quite place. The closest word he can calibrate it to is value.

In response, Metal Sonic flashes a plucky thumbs up. He can feel his internal components begin to rev and heat up in anticipation, an adrenaline rush ready to burn out into the battle field.

But he can’t forget who he’s now fighting against.

Vector punches a fist into his own hand, psyching himself up for their excursion.

“Alright then, team! Let’s do this!”

…

Metal Sonic finds himself in position beside Espio, their backs pressed against the peeling metal of the base’s exterior. Espio preens his head around the corner, giving a salute of acknowledgement to his boss, who stands outside the large, imposing doors. Espio presses a finger to the side of his head, speaking in a hushed tone.

“Everybody in position?” He says. Metal Sonic can hear his voice rattle into his own head, after they connected them into a private voice line.

“Ready!” Charmy gleefully states. Metal looks to the towering rooftops, zooming in on a speck of black and yellow atop the base. It’s there he sees Charmy, waving enthusiastically to the covert team.

“Alright Charmy, open the doors!” Vector demands.

While the pair wait for the go-ahead, Espio cocks his head back to look Metal in the eyes.

“I still have a bad feeling about you…you can disappoint me, but I’ll never let you disappoint my team. Remember this.” Espio warns.

Offence seems to fill Metal Sonic’s circuits at the sudden accusation. By all accounts, Metal is doing them a favour. They’ve enlisted a strong ally in this fight. He would make for an even stronger adversary.

Metal Sonic doesn’t seem to humour him with a response, instead focusing on a new buzzing in his processor, like an urge to overclock and push himself further. Determination.

It only takes a moment more before the front doors of the base slowly open, with groans of metal scraping against the floor. Hinges and locks that haven’t moved in a long time, slowly resurrecting. Behind the imposing front doors of the base, lies a darkened hallway of dilapidating walls and floors. At the foot of the door, a sudden swarm of badniks appear to riot from the door, a surge of enemies in Vector’s wake. They’re old models, Metal notes, some even older than himself. They must have served their usefulness to the doctor, hence their purgatory in the old base.

Vector lets out a yelp of surprise at the sudden ambush of badniks, apparently underestimating the amount of threats behind the door. Yet despite the unpredictability, Vector seems to have a key trait that makes him an especially scary enemy. Adaptability.

Vector suddenly begins swinging at the badniks, holding their attention with penetrating punches, and a plethora of bone-breaking swings. It’s only Espio that catches him out of his observations, as he surges forwards for the front door. Metal shakes his head, as he lurks behind Espio, slipping into the darkness of the base. He’s unsure why, but he has confidence that Vector can manage himself.

…

Metal Sonic and Espio advance down the abandoned hallways, a distinct contrast in their footsteps. While Espio’s feet are light and flighty, Metal sonic can’t help but lack subtlety in his metal feet.

His eyes scan across stretching hallways, with rooms once populated and brimming with metallic life. He passes one room on his right, which he acutely recalls being the paint workshop for the doctor’s robotic creations. Another passes by, one where he recalls being repaired after a hasty attack. He wishes there were still some operation within that room in particular.

Espio seems to glance back at Metal’s inquisitiveness, a slight cock of his head.

“Tell me, do you still hold memories of this place?” He wonders.

Metal seems alarmed by the transparency he must have displayed for Espio to pick this up. He simply nods in response.

“I see…nostalgia can be a fickle thing. It brings a juxtaposition of happiness, and with it a yearning sadness.” Espio continues.

As poetic as his words seem to be, Metal has no idea what he’s talking about. He never gave off anything to do with feelings, he simply would find it convenient at this time.

Though in their distracted stupor, Espio finds that his foot sinks a notch lower into the floor.

Caught off balance, Espio recoils at the sudden stumble in his step. Looking at the ground, it seems a metal panel has sunk into the ground upon his step.

A trap.

With a ruthless slash in the air, spikes suddenly pierce through the ceiling, threateningly lowering overhead. The walls in front and behind raise with a ruthless clank of metal, trapping them.

“GUYS, LOOK OUT! There’s a trap at your current location!” Charmy’s shrill voice echoes through the speaker.

“Charmy, if you see a trap you need to inform us before we encounter it!” Espio argues back.

“Oops.” Was all Charmy could offer.

Metal begins scanning his surroundings, as the impending spikes slowly rain towards them like an inevitable death is approaching. His scanners lock onto a discreet panel in the wall, which has now become bent out of shape from the excessive damage to the base.

Metal Sonic wastes no time to surge towards the panel, ripping it straight from the wall.

“Metal, what are you doing?!” Espio demands, watching his process.

Behind the panel, he finds a pressure sensitive lever. He recalls this was part of the disarming process for the trap. Metal forces the lever down, noting a flickering, green light.

…But the trap shows no signs of give.

“Metal, we’re sitting ducks if we do not address this!” Espio says, exasperated. The spikes draw ever closer. Within a few seconds, they’ll be pierced.

Of course…the disarming process required two switches.

Metal Sonic prods a finger towards another wall panel adjacent from them, locking eyes with the panel.

“Ah, of course!” Espio declares in a eureka moment. He darts for the panel, prying it open with one swift motion. Metal can feel the tips of the spikes begin to threateningly prod at this head, as Espio rushes to pull the lever.

After an excruciating moment, the spikes grind to a halt, with Espio’s expression scrunching up in discomfort at the spike’s distance from them.

After another moment, the spiked ceiling slowly rises back to their resting position, the walls opening back up for safe passing.

Espio releases a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding before now.

“Sharp thinking, my friend.” He praises. Metal can’t remember when he said they were friends, but he’s glad to have one less hole in his head. On reflection…the spikes would not have been so detrimental to him. So why did he feel so frantic to stop it?

Regardless, Metal seems to brush off Espio’s praise with a roll of his shoulder, advancing down the hallway.

…

The twists and turns of the same hallways only become more like a labyrinth the deeper the walk into the pit of eggman’s base. The walls start to become carbon copies of one another, lacking any life and soul in their environment. The journey that follows is largely silent, only broken when Charmy checks in and opens previously locked doors.

“GUYS! There’s a trap up ahead!” Charmy declares. At least he actually warned them in advance this time.

And to Metal’s memory, this trap is especially ruthless.

Rounding the corner, the pair find a plethora of lasers, moving in hypnotically circular motions from the sides of the walls. There’s a particular rhythm to the lasers, but one touch could be deadly. Despite being here for so long, with some lasers even sporadically giving out and breaking, their burn still stings.

Espio looks at Metal with an admittedly nervous smirk. “I don’t suppose you have a way to disable this one?” He wonders.

Metal recalls an activation panel, though approaching it only leads to a destroyed wreck of panels and buttons. There’s no way it’s operational now. Metal looks back at Espio as if the sight is an answer as is.

“I see…then we have no choice but to use our keen instincts.” Espio says. Metal sonic watches as Espio lines his fingers into a specific pattern, something akin to a ninja’s hand motions. In the next moment, Espio seems to find some sort of zen, a newfound confidence in his own abilities.

Espio plunges into the laser minefield, diving over a threateningly tall laser field and hand-springing back onto his feet. He approaches the next with an impressive spin underneath a low laser, getting down to a split position to save himself from a burn or two. He seems to be making good progress through the laser field, spinning and leaping weightlessly through the obstacles in his path. However to his own surprise, something goes amiss.

With a stumble, Espio seems to mis-step one of his jumps, feeling himself falling towards the final laser. His blood runs cold as his heart seizes, clenching his eyes shut in anticipation for the laser’s might.

…

Though he seems to open his eyes again, when he finds himself suspended in the air.

He looks behind him, finding Metal Sonic looming behind him. Metal has a cold hand grasped against the back of Espio’s neck holding him suspended in his mid-fall, his horn inches from the punishing heat of the laser.

“M-Metal…you saved me. Thank you my friend. How did you get by so quickly?” Espio asks, standing up straight with a startled buzz.

Metal Sonic brushes off a hand against his own shoulder, as if this is nothing but a trivial obstacle. With that, he seems to walk right into the line of a laser, unphased by the supposed heat.

It’s a good thing he’s heat resistant to this temperature.

"Ah..." Is all Espio can muster.

…

“Espio, Metal! How’s it going?!” Vector’s voice calls out through the speaker.

The pair find themselves outside a sealed door, with the distinct, egotistical logo of Eggman plastered against the door’s lock. He can sense the importance of this room. He’s certain that whatever they’re looking for, it will be behind this door.

Metal Sonic can’t help but place a hand against the childish logo on the door, scanning the symbol for some sort of purpose. He’s trying to spur some sort of motivation against all of this, as if the logo will resonate a different response in his system, to make him feel something else.

But nothing came.

“We’re here, boss. We’re at the base’s core. How are you holding up?” Espio says, clearing his throat.

“What, with these hunks of junk?! They’re nothing! Charmy, get that door open! You guys destroy that thing and we’ll get our paycheck! I-I mean we’ll save the day.” Vector backtracks.

“Got it, one open door coming riiiight up!” Charmy sings. Metal Sonic isn’t sure what he may find behind the door. He can feel his clock speed racing, electrical surges pulsing through his head. The doors give a deep clank of metal, as the locks begin to release. Clouds of dust rise as the door begins to part, opening up to the base’s core.

Inside the heart of the base, Metal scans the area as an initial assessment of their surroundings. The darkness is vast and imposing, though it’s all cut through by a strange, purple glow. The pair find themselves in a circular room, with ramps leading down to a lower level. Surrounding the center is a platform that wraps around the entire length of the room, with now-broken railings and rusted metal. It’s as if the doctor designed this room for an audience.

Within a flash, a memory bank resurfaces of its own accord, matching this exact room years ago.

He recalls himself, standing in the middle of the room and suspended in motion, like a limp prey dangling within a lion's den. Clinical lights once shone down on top of the centre floor, shining onto his fresh, newly painted head. He remembers the first person he saw in this room while being suspended by thick, taut chains wrapped around his arms.

Dr Ivo Robotnik.

This was the room where he was born.

No, created.

“Metal, what is this?” Espio wonders, immediately snapping him out of his lucid memories.

When the images subside, the place of his first steps were now defiled by something else entirely.

In the center of the room stands a tall, imposing machine, with a pill-shaped body and a sheen that indicates a freshness to it. He notes the four, thick metal legs supporting the massive creation to stand up-right, with pistons that can move up and down. When the pistons rise, he notes that the underside includes a punishing, sharp drill buried into the ground.

It’s clear that the machine has been in operation for a short while, with spider webbed cracks spreading across the point of impact.

Curiously however, these cracks appear to be almost metallic, emitting a strange purple glow.

Metal and Espio are taken aback in silence, an uncomfortable stretch of silence fills the air witha  musty thickness.

“What is it doing? The ground…it looks like a metal sheet.” Espio observes.

“Hey guys! Are you inside yet?!” Charmy’s voice rings out.

Espio breaks out of his stunned expression to reply.
“We’re here, Charmy. We’re going to destroy it now.” 

Metal Sonic’s hands twitch in conflict. He doesn’t recognise this ghastly machine, but he can say for certain that a drill of that size could very well be the source of those quakes.

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: DESTROY THE MACHINE.

The objective came without any warning this time, no time for Metal to question his convictions. And yet his capacity to resist is…waning. He can tell that the entire structure is robotic, and yet he finds a disgust rising in his head, coming face to face with something he would describe as parasitic.

Metal and Espio approach the machine, standing at either side of it from the raised platforms. Their objective is obvious, their method is clear.

The pair exchange a silent glance, with Espio nodding in recognition.

This thing had to be eradicated.

In one fluid motion, the pair leapt from the platform, diving to sever the machine in half. Espio gives a hearty slash to the heart of the beast, so fast that Metal couldn’t register a motion of his hand. Metal on the other hand, opted to curl into a ball of razor sharp vengeance, shredding through the machine’s gut. Wires and circuits cut into ribbons as he emerges on the other side, the machine giving off erratic live sparks.

Metal raises to his feet upon landing, looking up as the metallic creature topples to the ground.

>>>OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: DESTROY THE MACHINE.

Espio seems ready to cool his adrenaline now that the job is complete, but Metal catches a fatal error in their own plan, scanning the twitching electrics of the machine.

>>>STATUS: CRITICAL

>>>CAUTION! UNKNOWN MACHINE SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED

Chapter Text

Metal Sonic’s eyes flare with frantic life, the impending doom looming over the pair. The decapitated machine starts to convulse, purple light bulging from the gashes of metal.

Espio mirror’s Metal’s gaze, looking cautiously at the volatile machine.

“Metal? What is it doing?!” Espio asks in alarm.

But Metal has no time to alleviate his confusion. If his calculations are correct, the explosive force would be devastating, even for himself.

He must act. Now.

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: ESCAPE.

Metal Sonic has nano-seconds to devise a plan. If he doesn’t think quickly, they’ll be engulfed in the disastrous flames. He may be able to rebuild himself, but Espio is fragile.

Metal Sonic scans the hallway, his vision crawling into slow motion as he analyses the scene before him.

His eyes cast towards the ceiling, searching back on the layout of the base. If his systems are correct, this room has no second floor. This seems evidenced by a small hole in the ceiling, an inefficiency in the structure that they could exploit. They could make it out of the base if they could get through.

He knows what he needs to do.

Without a second thought, Metal revs up his already distressed jets, only offering a pitiful burst of energy to propel him forwards. He charges straight into Espio, hooking an arm around his torso as he whisks him up into the air, directly above the impending bomb below.

Espio gives an indignant scoff at the sudden force of Metal scooping him up, forced into the air within his grasp. Espio tries to squirm out of his claws, until his gaze casts back onto the machine below them.

His eyes widen as the machine begins to expand, the malevolent light and heat threatening to burst at the seams.

Espio gulps,prying himself away from Metal as he begins grappling his own way up the walls of the base. He begins leaping between the walls, his rapidly gaining momentum propelling him up the walls. His agile skills are something to be studied, Metal thinks.

“A self-destruct system, of course. Is this some kind of defensive design?!” He asks rhetorically, before he speaks into the Chaotix private line.

“Unfortunate news. The machine’s ready to explode!”

“WHAT?! Well what’re you waiting for?! Get outta there!” Vector’s voice roars, a feral command laced with shock and concern. It’s only a moment after Espio nods to Metal Sonic,that the light of the explosion flares beneath them before they hear the deep boom.

Metal Sonic barks a command from his speakers to the chameleon.

“JUMP.”

Whether it was a newly fostered trust, or sheer panic, Espio gives Metal Sonic a stern nod of understanding.

Espio presses both feet against the wall, before launching himself off with a mighty kick off of the wall.

Metal Sonic meets his efforts, forcing his boosters to work far further than their expiration. The pair meet halfway, mid-air with the explosive doom beneath them. Espio winces as the surge of heat begins to flash against his face.

But just as the explosion rings out, so too does the force.

Metal Sonic grabs Espio in the air, spinning around to act as Espio’s shield with his back towards the explosion. He redirects their trajectory towards the ceiling, holding onto Espio’s arms like the supports of a rollercoaster.

The impact of the explosion forces the pair to propel upwards, with the help of a punishingly fast debris of metal slamming into the back of Metal Sonic.

Just as planned.

With their force now being propelled upwards, the pair crash through the dilapidating rooftops.

It was too fast for Espio to recount, but he’ll always remember the staggering transition from thick, claustrophobic darkness, to the bleeding reds of the sun setting in the distance.

And Metal Sonic’s heroism.

Their weightlessness in the air only lasts momentarily, as he feels the weight of Metal begin to drag them back down to Earth.

Metal keeps his arms wrapped around Espio, his vision bombarded with a spam of messages.

!CRITICAL ERROR!

!WARNING!

!CRITICAL ERROR!

!WARNING!

!CRITICAL ERROR!

The messages swim in his vision, disorientating his senses as the pair begin to fall. If he collides now, he’ll most likely shatter.

That is…until he feels a sudden weightlessness.

The messages begin to diminish, one after the other, as he becomes grounded back into reality.

Above them, Charmy Bee has a hold of Espio’s hand, who continues the chain with a hold on Metal Sonic’s wrist.

“GOTCHA! Just in time! Did you see that?! The whole room just went FFFEWWW!” Charmy enthuses.

Metal Sonic definitely underestimated him. For such a small bee, he has such strength to carry both of them. To have such initiative to step away from his assigned role and save them.

Save? Metal doesn’t need saving, no less from him. He did all of this just to save the chameleon.

…Which he didn’t even need to do.

Metal Sonic simply hangs his head, looking back at the billowing black smoke rising from the building. He spent many days as a resident there, helping the doctor with his plans. Then again…so were the other, inferior badniks still wandering those halls.

“Thank you.” Espio’s voice cuts through, prompting Metal to meet his gaze to acknowledge him. Yet again, he wasn’t equipped to acknowledge the praise. The only thing he can offer him is a cheeky rub of his nose with an index finger.

…

“Boy am I glad you boys made it outta that one!” Vector declares, as the gang re-groups a comfortable distance away from the base.

“I can’t have a detective agency if all my members are grilled!”

Espio gives a chuckle, brushing himself of any excess dust and dirt.
“It was a close call. I think we have to hand it to our freelance artist.” 

All eyes fall on Metal Sonic again. The feeling of wanting the floor to swallow him up hasn’t changed, despite everything. His body is much more slack though, feeling his limbs hang looser from fatigue. Every distraction he takes only accelerated his deterioration, yet he can’t seem to help himself.

“You know, Metal…I was wrong about you.” Espio begins, facing Metal Sonic on level footing. As equals.

“I thought you would surely betray us for an ulterior motive. I always saw you as nothing more than a shell of our friend. You may have had the image and speed of Sonic, but you lacked the heart and soul of our friend.”

Metal is wondering where this is going, evidently by an impatient tap of his finger against folded arms.

“...But I see now, that is not the whole truth.” Espio continues.

“What you did today was wreckless, and quite frankly hasty. But it was also selfless. Honorable, even.” 

Espio meets Metal with what may be a genuine small for the first time in this encounter.

“You are not that Sonic, but you are certainly a Sonic.” He says.

Metal Sonic’s eyes scan across his face, along with the other two Chaotix watching almost as surprised as he is.

He is the definitive Sonic. He has to be. But he’s no hero. He did all of that because he was told to. Told by his task. He doubts he would have done anything otherwise.

“Yeah, you rock!” Charmy interjects, giving him an enthusiastic peace sign.

“Like they said, you really pulled through for us on this one, Metal!” Vector says.

“...As a volunteer of course!” He tacks on, causing the other two to slightly groan.

Metal Sonic simply shakes his head, noting the new changes in his system.

>>>OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: ESCAPE.

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE:

…

There’s a pause in his processing, as if his brain is lagging behind. Has he finally started to truly decompose? Has he taken too many hits to his head?

…

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO DR IVO ROBOTNIK.

A wave of relief calms his circuits then. He turns away from the Chaotix as he plans to unceremoniously leave the group be, back onto this designated path.

“Hey hey hey! Hold on!” Vector pipes up. If Metal Sonic had a ring for every time he’s been interrupted, he could probably afford the upgrades himself.

He turns his head around to face Vector, only now noting the scratched crack across his screen.

“You’re heading towards the Mystic Ruins, right?” Vector asks, with only a nod in reply.

“Well you see, our old pal Knuckles is holed up over there right now. Send him a message for us, would ya?” The crocodile requests. 

Metal Sonic is running out of energy for all these random requests. He hardly see why it’s important, nor why they can’t do it themselves. It’s not as if Metal is the most talkative of their bunch. Only hollow shells make the loudest noise, after all.

Regardless of that though, he turns around to face the group of Chaotix. He can’t possibly be bothered to verbally relay everything, so he instead creates a new projection image, similar to that of the blueprint. It shows the Chaotix huddled around, using what’s left of his damaged, retina cameras to cast their image.

“Woah, it’s like a 3D movie!” Charmy comments, pulling faces into the camera as Metal is forced to watch with a cold, dead stare.

“I think he wants us to record it.” Espio reasons.

“Oh, well in that case! Get in everyone!” Vector says, dragging the other two into frame before he begins to talk.

“Hey Knuckles! Long time no see! It's your old pals the Chaotix!” He greets, waving at the camera.

“We just wanted to say that it’s been too long since we had a good old fashioned team up!” 

“We know you’re busy with the master emerald, but don’t be a stranger.” Espio adds, also giving an awkward wave.

“We’ve all been so busy. We will need to amend that and make time to visit.”

“Yeah! Like a party!” Charmy gleefully sings. “We miss you Knuckles! Please come back to the Chaotix!” He says, growing more mopey and emotional.

“Alright, buzz off Charmy! You know Knuckles has important business to take care of! But seriously, we’ll stop by after this latest job, y’hear?! See you later!” He declares. All three of them close the video off with a distorted gaggle of bye’s, before the holographic image recedes back into Metal Sonic’s retinas, locked up tight in his memory.

It’s such a small and pointless gesture, yet there’s also something quite soft about it too. Having someone miss you.

“Hey, thanks for doing that for us, bud. We’ll see you around, alright?!” Vector says.

“I will be forever grateful for your services today.” Espio includes.

“Buh-Bye!” Charmy signs off, giving a wave.

Untintentionally, Metal Sonic seems to mimic their waves, giving a creaky wave of his hand towards the group. The moment he notices, he scolds himself by grabbing his wrist and forcing it back down. Though as he looks down, a thought suddenly pings in his head.

He frantically feels inside his robotic case, looking inside the faulty piece of metal as if he may have lost something vital. His franticness is only quelled when he sees a hint of yellow tucked inside the metal components.

Good. The flower’s still there.

Chapter Text

What do crocodiles eat?

How strong is a bee?

How do chameleons turn invisible?

Metal Sonic finds himself pondering more and more as the sun sets to dusk. The orange sky becomes a murky purple as he makes his way through the forests. The once secluded feeling of the forests begin to open up into more spacious terrain, walking past the soothing crashes of waves descending from a nearby waterfall pool. He sees a precarious, wooden structure to his left, making way to a juxtaposing modern trainline.

It’s curious to be processing these thoughts so slowly, another factor he chalks up to his gradual deterioration. He could produce the answer to a question before he even thinks about it. Not to mention, it serves little relevance to anything right now.

But he’s not questioning. He’s wondering.

Metal stands before a broken mountain side, the rubble making way to reveal a cavernous entrance, inviting in its illusive light, and whistles of windy breezes. But what beckons him inside the most is his locator. According to his calculations, he can reach red mountain from this location, and subsequently grovel his way back to the doctor’s side.

No, Metal doesn’t grovel. He serves.

Metal Sonic trudges through the caverns of the mountain side, making careful steps through jagged, uneven ground.

How long has this mountain been open?

Again, such a meaningless question that doesn’t need dwelling on. He tries to search his memory banks just to satiate the thought.

>>>UNKNOWN REQUEST. 0 RESULTS FOUND.

The message makes Metal stumble in place for a moment, catching himself. He should have terabytes of information in his brain, anything and everything essential to him and his existence. Yet he can’t find the answers to this?

He holds a hand to his fragile head, as if alleviating the weight on his shoulders may bring some relief. Yet it does nothing to subside the confusion in his processing.

But perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. After all, he only knows useful information.

Yes, that must be it.

Metal Sonic continues his stoic push through the cave, until he finds himself in a new opening. It’s a stark contrast to the dark, claustrophobic walls of the cave, with a beautifully ancient and ornate doorway opening up to a lush green environment. The mountains ascend to the sky to his right, like an ominous body looming above him. Something greater and older than he is. Undoubtedly, this was the now-grounded angel island. What once was a beautiful but solitary island in the sky, now reduced to pitiful dirt on the earth below.

Ahead of him, he sees a precariously old wooden bridge, though based on the fact that the steep gap is non-existent these days, it’s quite unnecessary. But that’s no concern to Metal.

What he instead focuses on is the gentle, green glow of the master emerald.

His red eyes flicker and dilate in an involuntary excitement, seeing the all-powerful emerald perched on its rightful pedestal.

Rightfully…it should be his for the taking.

Metal Sonic scans the area further, his eyes darting around the secluded island like a feverish thief.

To get his hands on the master emerald could cure all his wounds, give him the power to return to the doctor and offer up that same energy to earn his place back by his side, and defeat Sonic once and for all.

His scanners ping with 4 other signs of life around the emerald. Their small forms hide behind the emerald, shuddering in fear as if they can feel his very presence.

>>>4 LIFEFORMS DETECTED.

>>>IDENTITY: CHAO.

Four chao. Insignificant and small, much like Cheese. He could easily dispose of the creatures.

The thought stirs some sort of reaction in his chest. His stomach churns as an internal fan catches on his own metal exterior, prompting him to look down at his stomach. Without realising it at the time, he has his hand over his chest as if spectrally holding onto the yellow flower still tucked safely away.

What a peculiar reaction.

While deep in his own spiral of thoughts, he failed to realise one important factor in his scan. A fatal flaw he noticed all too late.

The master emerald is unguarded. Where is its guardian?

Metal sonic has no time to even react to the query, when he suddenly feels a punishing blow to his head. He sees his vision spiral and fall as a fist collides with the side of his head, causing his whole body to fall onto the floor with a mighty crash. His protruding, sharp metal pierces the dirt below, scraping up grass and mud from its resting earth.

The red LED’s of his eyes waver and struggle to reshape into their familiar oval shape, as he tries focusing his vision on the towering red silhouette.

>>>IDENTITY MATCH: KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA.

“Did you really think you could just walk onto our land and try and steal the Master Emerald?!” Knuckles exclaims, his voice laced with impatient anger.

He stands above Metal Sonic, his nose scrunched in distaste for the robot. Metal would be lying if he said they haven’t given each other grief in the past. But it’s certainly been a while since they’ve had a run-in with each other. The doctor discounted Knuckles when he stopped being naively compliant with Robotnik’s plans.

Metal Sonic tries propping himself up to a crouch, giving a vile glare at the echidna.

He didn’t need another fight. Of course, the Master Emerald is tempting though…

“Hey! Are you even listening to me?” Knuckles argues, standing directly in Metal Sonic’s view.

“What’s wrong? Did the original Sonic beat me to giving you a knuckle sandwich?” 

Metal Sonic flares with a fire in his belly, forcing himself to stand tall against the echidna. He holds his hand up to him, like a sign of resistance to the echidna’s attack.

Resistance? Surrender? No, that’s not right.

And Knuckles seems to know this too. His face only grows more livid, turning his nose up to Metal.

“Don‘t think I’m gonna fall for that old trick again. You and Eggman must think I’m an easy target. Well, I’m here to give you a rude awakening.” He says, slamming his fists together as if to pump the adrenaline through his veins.

“I’m the sole protector of the Master Emerald, and I’m not gonna let it fall into your hands.”

One thing the pair of them have in common, is that their pride is too big to settle this matter peacefully. Metal Sonic has no choice but to brace himself for impact. Metal Sonic raises his fists, prepared to defend himself as Knuckles lunges for him again. Metal Sonic predicts his next move, noting his high right hook aiming square for his face. Metal dodges the swing by dropping into a flexible duck under his arm.

While lowered further to the floor, Metal attempts to uppercut the echidna in the chin with a tightly balled fist. He shifts his entire weight into the punch, his knuckles inches away from the fur on his muzzle. Yet what should have been a connect, ended with a surprising swerve from Knuckles.

Knuckles jerks out of the way from impact, responding with a harsh grab to Metal’s arm. Knuckles stomps a foot into the ground below, securing his position as he suddenly swings Metal Sonic’s entire body around, almost weightlessly from the floor as the robot sees smears of motion in his vision. It’s as if Metal became nothing more than an object, being swung like a defenceless toy. The sensation only stopped when Knuckels released his arm, sending Metal flying into the wall of the mountain side. 

Metal becomes overwhelmed in rocky debris, feeling large clumps of rock drop onto his already dented head.

He can feel the echidna’s presence look over this sad display.

“Come on, is that it? If we’re fighting, we’re fighting fair.” Knuckles goads.

Metal hardly thinks any of this was particularly fair, considering the state he arrived in. Knuckles got a lucky shot. If he could just get to that master emerald…he wouldn’t be so smug taunting him. He would be a worthy rival.

Though as if by divine intervention, another large rock plummets onto his head, causing his head to heavily lull to one side. Irritation bubbles in the form of an electrified buzz in his head. And yet it’s those connections of circuits that seem to spark a different function.

With a sudden flicker of his eyes, his screen suddenly projects a warped image in front of Knuckles, which causes him to back up with a startle.

The picture is fuzzy at first, with distorted voices fighting through the damages in his system. But all at once, the voices he grew so familiar to return.

“Woah, it’s like a 3D movie!” 

“I think he wants us to record it.” 

“Oh, well in that case! Get in everyone!” 

The harsh darkness in Knuckle’s scowl seems to slowly soften, as the video of the Chaotix’ heart-felt message played before him. There’s a sudden warmth to his expression, one of familiarity and comfort. Metal can sense that this was an unexpected, yet pleasant message for him.

They’re both frozen in place as the ghosts of the Chaotix bring them to peace. As the video ends, their images fizzle out of existence, leaving only the dishevelled defeat of Metal in their wake.

Knuckles blinks as if he’s returning to reality, staring down at the disgraceful blue copy.

“So…it’s actually true? You’re not here for my emerald?” He interrogates.

Technically, he did have his eyes on the emerald and its power, though that wasn’t his original objective.

But if it means survival, he’ll have to comply.

He attempts to respond with words, though his vocal box only gives a garbled mess of beeps and metallic nonsense. He double takes at his own inefficiencies, before shaking his head.

Knuckles seems to ponder that for a moment. He knows the chaotix, and he knows they could have easily taken out Metal too. Whatever that video was, that was legitimate.

Knuckles shifts the weight in his feet, relenting to his sorry plight. He takes wide steps towards Metal in the rubble, offering a pacifistic hand instead.

“I guess you must be serious then. Consider this a warning then, in case you get any wise ideas.” Knuckles caves.

Metal Sonic stares at the hand, feeling his pride being tread on by the kind gesture. He instead slaps Knuckle's hand away with the sting of his metal claws, before he starts to drag himself up to his feet with an imbalanced sway. Knuckles can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the snap in judgement, stepping back as the robot rises from the dirt. He can’t help but be slightly reminded of himself and Sonic, when they first met. He would have never accepted the help from that blue pest. Yet now, he’s wise enough to know when to swallow down pride and accept a friend’s help.

Knuckles isn’t the type for rehabilitation, if anything he still has bristled quills about Metal Sonic’s presence. But he can’t deny that he thinks the robot would benefit from a similar lesson.

“Alright, if you’re not here for the emerald, then I suppose you can just be on your way, right?” Knuckles says, a pointed look suggesting that this would be the best option for the robot now.

Metal Sonic couldn’t argue with that prospect. His objective is to return to Dr Eggm- Robotnik. Not to stand idly by with a lesser rival.

Though his eyes drift back to the emerald again, as the odd little shapes of the Chao come bustling back from their hiding spot, apparently deeming it safe enough for them.

Knuckels note his lingering attention on the creatures, giving Metal a slap on the shoulder.

“What, those little guys? I wouldn’t startle them if I were you. They turned up here just the other day. They sure do make the island more lively.” He says fondly.

“I don’t think they have anywhere else to go. So I didn’t mind keeping an eye on them with the emerald.” 

Metal stares down at the alien creatures, watching as their big eyes stare directly towards him, their arms round and ineffective for anything useful.

He can’t help but be sparked with an odd sensation. The same one that filled his head with rage. 

Aggression? But he has no reason to be aggressive at these things. Not so much to attack, but to squeeze the chao's round face in his hands. It’s a strange feeling that is quickly followed with pity.

Metal Sonic refuses to drop to the creature's level, but approaches with a looming metal hand. He can sense the echidna's quills bristle as he approaches the quivering blue thing before him.

Though as the chao flinches, both the chao and knuckles find themselves taken off guard.

Metal Sonic puts a hand gently on top of the chao's head, making a conscious effort not to crush the small head in his claws. In an awkward jerking movement mimicking affection, he attempts to stroke the head of the chao.

It's something he can grab from his memory banks, like a familiar action he's come to forget. Though this does disprove his theory that only essential information remains.

Metal watches for the chao's reaction, cycling from concern and distrust, to an uneasy acceptance to the action. The chao's emotion ball expands in size, forming the shape of an affectionate heart as it grows accustomed to his petting. It sparks a warm, fuzzy sensation in Metal's chest. It's a sensation that makes him want to reassure the chao.

Don't worry, little buddy.

He's heard that phrase before from somewhere.

Knuckles seems to watch, stunned at the uncharacteristically charming gesture. He slows his once urgent approach towards Metal, instead standing side by side with the robot.

“Wow, I didn't think you could care about anyone other than yourself.” Knuckles remarks, his arms crossed in scepticism. It's not that he thinks it's impossible for this machine to rehabilitate, though he must keep his barriers up high, for everyone's sake.

Though Knuckles’ words seem to stir something in Metal. In a startled motion, he looks at his own gentle hand as if it were a foreign object, quickly retracting as if it risks soldering to the chao itself.

He doesn't need rehabilitation. Brainwashing their strange ways. He doesn't care about anyone, not even himself. All he cares about is fulfilling his duty.

Knuckles seems to rise at the sudden outburst of movement, forever on his toes for the moment he needs to intervene. But all he sees is Metal Sonic caught in his own inner battle.

Though as if on que, something rattles the ground below them, startling the chao into retreating back towards the master emerald. The tremors grow stronger, harshly throwing off their balance as the rocks dance across the ground. Even the nearby birds seem caught off guard, flying in frantic squawks to retreat from the land. Highly unusual for an expected earthquake.

The strong rumble causes Knuckles to stumble, grounding himself with his sharp knuckles burying into the ground.

“What?! What is that?!” He exclaims.

As he splits the ground below however, there's a weak, subtle purple light.

It can't be.

Metal Sonic picks up the exact same readings from before. It's the same wavelength and scale as the machine he and Espio destroyed.

But if it's still happening…that means there's another machine close by.

Metal Sonic spins around, scanning their current location for any signs of the machine. He hones his sights to beyond the mountainous walls before them, though something catches his eye before he can extend his search.

The sides of the mountain begin to crumble from the quake, with debris starting to fall and tumble towards the ground below. The size of the rocks only seems to grow rapidly as the rumbles continue, with fragile cracks begin to form on the surface of the mountain.

“Where's this earthquake coming from?!” Knuckles questions, before he finally notices where Metal's attention has taken him.

“Oh no…the whole thing's about to fall! If that mountain land slides, it could take out the chao! And the Master Emerald!” He declares, the catastrophe only builds as time continues. The chao quivering and squeak in fear as they hide behind the Master Emerald's poor defence. After all, it's known for frequently breaking, but these primitive creatures wouldn't appreciate that fact.

Knuckles has already sprung into action, darting towards the mountain face with such brazen courage. Metal Sonic has no option but to change his objective.

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: PROTECT THE CHAO AND MASTER EMERALD.

Chapter Text

As the bouldering rocks come plummeting down to the ground, Knuckles doesn’t hesitate to plow through the rubble with mighty punches. He leaps towards barrelling rocks, punching them to more manageable sizes. Nothing nearly as dangerous as they first appear. 

Metal follows Knuckles' every movement, as he springs from one boulder to another. To the average person his moves seem erratic and unpredictable, but Metal can see the intent behind his movements. He’s trying to catch any boulders getting dangerously close to gaining momentum, stopping the rocks from crashing towards the Master Emerald. He watches the echidna’s facial expression, deep in concentration with a harsh twist of his features. There’s a ferocity in his look, like the boulders have personally wronged Knuckles. Though what betrays his steely resolve is a bead of sweat running down his muzzle.

He’s struggling to keep up.

Metal Sonic feels the drive to jump in again, the heated adrenaline buzzing in his brain as his body forces itself to move through the existing battle damage. His sensors lock onto a rogue boulder, estimated to fall directly on top of Knuckles. He surges forwards, watching the rock’s shadow begin to swallow Knuckles. Though before the rock can collide into him, Metal intervenes.

He winds a leg back as he leaps in the air, swinging for an almighty kick into the boulder. He twists his body with finesse, shifting his weight entirely into the powerful blow and disintegrating the boulder into pebbles.

Knuckles raises his arms in a futile effort to block the rock, until the threat completely disappears upon Metal’s intervention. He meets Metal’s gaze, his expression conveying a look of surprise yet unwavering seriousness. He seems to pause for a moment, before he shifts into a more appreciative smirk towards Metal.

“Thanks.” Knuckles says, giving him a quick thumbs up.

Metal Sonic, unsure of how to respond to his loose smile, decides to settle for a thumbs up.

But the onslaught was far from over. The pair’s attention pins back onto the mountain side, as another rumble shakes their very core.

The mountain side sprawls with spiderweb-like cracks, overwhelming the entire face of rocks. It’s then that a monumental piece of the mountain begins to slide with a plume of dust and dirt.

The remnants of the mountain begin to slide down at alarming pace, a piece that’s as wide as it is long. Knuckles visibly scowls at the crimes committed to his land, as he forces his body forwards to shoulder the burdening weight of the rockslide. Metal watches as Knuckle charges in, offering up a strong shoulder to block the momentum. Despite Knuckle’s grit however, his whole body continues to slide with the mass of rock, unable to dig his feet into the ground below.

Knuckles roars with virtuous rage, as he begins punching into the side of the rock, as if beating it into submission.

At the speed these rocks are going, they’ll completely envelope the chao.

Metal’s eyes flare to life, with an uncertain fizzle of colour like an anomaly in his RGB light system.

With a deep wind-up, he surges forwards to join Knuckles’ side, ramming his entire body into the rocky face with him. The grass submits and parts below their feet, flattened by the sheer force of rocks. Despite the rockslide’s gradual speed decrease, it’s still not enough.

Metal attempts to temper the rockslide. He raises a foot and deploys a set of vicious spikes, stomping them into the ground. He can see the rocks scraping the blue paint from his head as he pushes his entire body into its jagged edges.

But he’s not done. He’s determined to beat this.

With a mighty push, Metal Sonic gives a battle cry similar to Knuckles, though the output sounds more like a garbled, curdling mess. He uses the last of his strength to send a surge of jet boosters behind him, pushing him forwards to force the rocks to slow their descent.

The pair stay in this tormenting stalemate for what feels like minutes, fighting back against the forces of this unnatural disaster. No matter what happens now, they cannot falter. One wrong move, and it could cost them greatly.

But the ordeal is almost over.

Knuckles, in his desperate attempts, swings his arm back with a second wind of energy as he locks eyes with Metal Sonic.

“You ready?!” He shouts, assuming Metal would know exactly what his intent is.

And strangely, he does.

Metal nods, bracing one of his legs at the ready to deliver another punishing kick. It's as if the pair are synchronised, as Metal releases his spiked feet from the ground. With a simultaneous blow, the pair attack the rock with a deafening crack. Whether it’s the energy in the air, or the rock itself, Metal feels an immense boom of energy emitting from the pair of them.

Within seconds, the rocks in front of them begin to splinter. The catastrophic rock slide begins to break apart, the surge of movement being hindered and slowed to a crawl as the pair break down the mass of rock. Their combined strength creates a ripple effect of destruction, the remaining boulders tumbling and crashing down besides the wooden bridge, grinding to a halt in the dip of land just in front of where the emerald sits.

The noise of tumbling and grinding rocks slowly lowers down, reducing to nothing but the odd crackles of small rocks dropping to the ground, and Knuckles’ ragged breath. There's a moment of uncertain silence between the pair, as if expecting a second wave to inconvenience them. Though to their relief, none ever shows.

Knuckles wipes his brow with his forearm as he stands up straight, looking towards Metal Sonic. “That was some quick thinking.” He says, turning to evaluate the state of the Master Emerald and chao.

Both are completely unscathed, as if the whole ordeal never even happened. The chao begins to emerge from their hiding spot, with short and uncertain steps. Once they’re certain of their survival, the chao began to perk up, with noises of glee.

Knuckles gives a “phew” of relief, looking back at Metal Sonic. “You know…you really pulled through for us.” He admits.

“Surprisingly, you actually work pretty well in a team. I don’t know why exactly you chose to help us, or if this is still just a part of one big scheme, but…maybe you have some heroic bones in your body after all.”

Metal Sonic seems to share the same sentiment as when the Chaotix praised him, that same, odd sensation in his chest. Though he merely adapted to the echidna’s movements.

Knuckle’s eyes seem to drop down to the ground for a moment, before giving a light chuckle.

“It looks like they agree.”

Metal follows his gaze down to his foot, where a foreign object lays tripped over on top of it. The same chao that Metal affectionately petted now stares back up at him, their eyes bigger and brighter than before. There’s another pop of a heart in the chao’s emotion ball, transparent in their admiration to the robot.

Metal stares for a long moment, letting no sign of emotion or thought slip in his appearance. He cannot even place any valid thoughts as he stares at the creature, nothing to even compare the feeling to. He feels a strange, tightness behind the screen of his eyes, like a bolt wound too tight and strained.

Whatever this feeling is, he detects a faint sadness he’s never experienced before.

>>>OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: PROTECT THE CHAO AND MASTER EMERALD.

Yes…the Master Emerald.

Metal Sonic’s eyes drift towards the glowing green emerald, lulled with green light that catches in the robot’s LED’s. He can feel the pulsating energy emitting from the emerald, the magnitude of power he could still attain from it.

Knuckles may be in a false sense of security…now would be an opportune time to take it.

Though his attention is robbed by the echidna standing in his line of sight, like a mighty warrior guarding his keep.

“Hey…eyes over here, buddy.” He says, his tone lowering to one of unease and sternness.

Metal’s eyes flicker around, like broken from the emerald’s allure. He eventually lands on Knuckles.

“Be honest, you were thinking of taking the Master Emerald for yourself, weren’t you.” Knuckles interrogates, his arms crossed against his chest.

Metal Sonic finds himself strangely looking around Knuckles as opposed to staring at him. Why can’t he seem to lock onto the echidna’s face? It’s as if he’s having difficulty even seeing him. As if he’s…guilty.

Metal Sonic’s head moves before he can even will himself against it, as he nods to answer Knuckles’ concern.

The echidna tilts his head slightly in intrigue at the robot, like he wasn’t expecting him to even respond to the question. Yet somehow, despite the blatant confession, Knuckles seems to ease his tensed shoulders.

“Well…I can’t blame you. Even the best people can become drawn to the emerald’s power. I know I’ve had my fair share of thieves in the past.” He says, with a look of disgust directed at someone who isn’t even here right now.

“But the good guys know to try and resist that urge. And if they can’t, then I’ll be there to clobber them. Your honesty proves to me that you could be one of the better ones.” He continues.

Metal Sonic is unsure why he’s getting this lecture. He’s not a good guy, he still wants the emerald’s power. Once he returns to the doctor, he intends to do just that.

But Knuckles seems to continue despite his disinterest.

“Besides, after what I saw today, I don’t think you even need it.” 

Metal Sonic can’t help but tilt his head in return, unsure whether the echidna is blind or stupid. He’s clearly in a state of disrepair at the moment. That was only a fraction of what he could do, and the doctor is constantly trying to improve him. To change his hardware to make him stronger and faster.
To surpass everyone else.
Why he believes he doesn’t need that is beyond him.

Yet something seems to drop on Metal Sonic’s screen that causes him to flinch, losing his sense to fight for the emerald entirely.

Rain?

As he looks up, he notes that the already darkened sky is enveloped in dark clouds, casting a grim shade to the night as the rain begins to fall. Luckily, only a spittle of rain for now. But the density of clouds suggests that this is likely to become heavier.

Knuckles follows his glance with a sigh.
“Well, this place isn’t going to clean itself. Still, we need to get to the bottom of what that earthquake was.” Knuckles comments, before looking at Metal.

“You know, if you need a mechanic, our good buddy Tails might be able to help out. His workshop’s close by, just uh…don’t expect him to trust you so quickly.” He informs Metal.

The thought of being completely mended is more than tempting to Metal. However…

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO DR IVO ROBOTNIK

Yes…the annoying fox could never replicate his own design. He couldn’t match the doctor in his scientific skill.

He’ll pass.

His path redirects him towards the now dilapidated entrance to Red Mountain. With that, Metal Sonic carefully removes the clingy chao form his foot, as he begins his long, daunting trudge ahead. His only departure to Knuckles is a sharp nod of acknowledgement, which the red echidna returns. There’s too much distance to cover, and he’s running out of time…

…

The ascent through Red Mountain is a tiring one, made no better by the torrent of heavy rain rattling against his body. Something as small as raindrops shouldn’t be thwarting him so much in this state, yet he finds that his steps are beginning to slow down. The ground beneath his feet begins to grow slack and sludgy from rain softening the dirt below, causing him to occasionally slip and skid in the dirt.

Though as his foot slips into a slick of mud, his head unintentionally jerks down towards the ground.

What he sees almost startles him.

He looks down into a murky puddle, his immediate reaction sparking something of horror in him. So much so, that Metal Sonic suddenly gives a ruthless swipe at the deep puddle, his claws slashing away droplets of water with an unintentional sensation of anger and surprise.

This can’t be real.

Despite his attack, the water ripples and rebuilds itself back to its unyielding position, reflecting the clear image of Metal Sonic’s face. He places a clawed hand over one of his eyes, as if questioning the reality of his mirror image.

His eyes…when did his eyes become green?

Chapter Text

Darkness falls across the sky as the rain fails to relent. Metal Sonic finds himself emerging from the brutal scale of the mountain, onto the steady, even ground of well-kept grassy fields. It’s as if he walked into a respite after the gruelling trek. Despite the exerted effort needed to climb through the mountains, his processing seemed to be focused on other matters.

The entire trail through Red Mountain was overshadowed by the shattering image he saw of himself, the malfunctioning of his eyes taking on that bright, emerald green.

He looks like him.

No…he can’t look like him. That Sonic is an inferior copy.

He is not him. He will never be him. He is Metal Sonic.

Yet he wracked his mind trying to find the cause, or when the malfunction even occurred. He searched all of his diagnostic logs from start to finish, yet there was no mention of the error. He couldn’t let this go unnoticed, however. The Doctor will need this data to know how to fix him, he cannot leave any stone unturned. Metal decided to manually add the error to his logs.

>>>MANUAL REPORT: LED LIGHT ERROR DETECTED. POSSIBLE RGB ERROR.

That must be it, that’s the only explanation he can come up with that will satiate his swirling thoughts. 

But he knows something has changed. He can’t find what, but he feels…different.

The rest of the journey was largely uneventful, only struggling against jagged rock faces and slippery mud trails. The rain continues to punish his movements, seeping into the crevices and open gashes in his exterior. He’s supposed to be water-resistent, but in this state…it’s hard to say what may happen.

Now that the relentless climb is over though, he finds himself back on the sturdier terrain, his path now straight-forward for him. He thinks this may finally be the break that he needs, the moment where the distractions and inconveniences are all finally over. That is, until he gets a new error message.

>>>BATTERY DAMAGE DETECTED: LOW CHARGE. SHUT DOWN IMMINENT.

Something of panic sparks in Metal as the error appears. Despite all the bruises, gashes, and dislocated appendages, he could still fight through all of his inefficiencies thus far. Yet this is one thing he can’t prevent. If he loses charge…he’ll cease to operate. His progress would be all for nothing.

He needs to fix this himself.

Though looking around at his surroundings, he would be hard pressed to find anything with an electrical charge around here. He needs something, anything just to carry him that bit further.

He tries quickening his pace, forcing his legs to move faster than his processing intends. His impatience begins to rear its head, looking around frantically for any sign of life. Though the more he seems to push himself, the lower his charge becomes.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 10%

He needs to slow down. Just like what Big taught him.

Metal Sonic seems to double take at the thought, shaking his head. This was no time to think about that oafish cat.

Maybe he should have taken Knuckles’ offer.

No, that’s foolish. He can cope fine on his own. But every step has to count. Any wasted time could cost him.

He continues his slow movements through the sparse fields, noting different structures around him that seem artificial, and put there with seemingly no purpose. He notes a bright set of colourful monkey bars, accompanied by a swing set and see-saw. What is usually a place of entertainment and socialising is now abandoned from the downpour of rain, and the shade of night. This playground serves no interest to Metal whatsoever, and the very concept seems pointless.

Focus.

He walks past the small playground without another thought, trudging ahead with purpose. According to his calculations, there’s a small house ahead of him.With any luck, they’ll at least have some form of electricity he could at least steal some energy from.

Though his concentration is broken again, by a familiarly high-pitched voice ringing behind him.

“Sonic!” The girl shouts, her volume cutting through the pattering of rain. Metal Sonic instinctively turns backwards to face her, like muscle memory kicking in for him.

He’s unsure whether the appearance of the girl is in relief, or in despair. He recognises the bright pink of her quills from anywhere, her face being one of the first he ever encountered.

>>>IDENTITY MATCHED: AMY ROSE.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 9%

As Metal Sonic turns to face her, there’s a spark of unspoken emotion between the pair. There’s a feeling of familiarity, of seeing an old friend in an unexpected place. But the atmosphere quickly shifts.

Amy’s once pleasant, warm smile slowly shifts into one of uncertainty. Of anger. Metal can see her brows quirk, her face shadowed by the umbrella propped high above her head, shielding her from the rain.

“Wait…you’re not Sonic!” She exclaims, her quills standing on end as she looks Metal Sonic up and down.

Metal Sonic’s eyes scan around her, feeling her intimidated demeanor at the sudden appearance of a foe.

He recalls the many encounters he and Amy have found each other in. The first time they met, having just kidnapped her to lure Sonic into a trap. She was nothing more than bait then, with no real threat or drive to fight back then.

It was only in their next encounter that she surprised Metal Sonic with her bravery. He recalls how she faced him with her hefty piko piko hammer, with a weight that was no easy feat to wield with the technique she had. But more importantly, she had a fire in her gut. She was willing to put on the line to defeat him, and to assist her other friends. She may still feel fear, but he acknowledges that her valor surpasses any of that.

They were such humble beginnings, but she’s grown.

They both have.

Amy keeps her eyes locked onto the robot, lowering the protection of her umbrella to instead swap to her offensive weapon. She bolsters her hammer in her hands, unsheathing it from her back to prepare for a fatal attack.

“Whatever you’re doing here, I’m not gonna let you get your own way!” She declares, raising her hammer up in preparation.

Metal Sonic has no intention of fighting, he must conserve whatever he can. Yet he can’t sufficiently convey this to the feisty pink hedgehog. As Metal Sonic raises his hands in surrender, Amy wastes no time to launch into her offence.

Amy leaps forwards towards Metal, swinging her massive hammer into Metal Sonic’s head. In the split second their eyes meet however, Metal sees a flash of regret in her expression. It was as if she regretted the strike before it was too late.

Metal Sonic’s body collapses to the ground from the strike, skidding against the wet grass below him. His eyes flicker towards her, with eyes that suggest he’s exasperated by this routine already. Every time he meets these colourful cast of characters, it’s always attack, then apologise.

And this encounter seemed no different.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 8%

Metal Sonic can’t even find the energy to push himself back onto his feet, only managing a measly shift of weight onto his forearms, propping his torso up to look directly at Amy. His weakness must be on show for Amy, because she seems to hesitate in her movements.

“Wait…you’re not attacking, are you?” Amy says, looking down at the state of Metal Sonic.

He doesn’t even form a reply to the plucky girl, as he lets his torso flop back down onto the grass.

This is all so infuriating. No, embarrassing.

He watches as the droplets of rain splash onto his screen, watching them run down his own face and cascading off of his protruding nose.

In the next moment though, he sees the bright silhouette of Amy hover above him, her hammer still raised as if he were an insect she’s intimidated of. Yet her expression melts into one of concern, staring down at Metal in some form of pity.

“Are you…okay?” Amy wonders.

There’s a certain weight he feels in her words. It’s such a simple question, and yet he feels something visceral from it. He ultimately wants to reply to her.

No. He’s not okay. His battery’s getting low. His screen is cracked and displaying the wrong colours. His circuitry has water seeping in by the second. His limps involuntarily twitch as they refuse to co-operate with his processor. Speaking of his processor, it seems to be declining with every passing moment, his head being filled with nonsense and anomalous feelings while he says things he would never normally say. And somehow, for some reason, even expressing all of this is an error in and of itself.

And yet Metal Sonic can’t say any of this to her.

He instead admits defeat, his head lulling to one side as grass cushions his head. It’s ironic really, that he ends up in a similar position to where he started this entire journey. Beaten, broken and discarded in the grass.

Is this really it?

Though just as these thoughts run away from him, he suddenly finds himself being lifted from the ground, being hoisted with some effort back to his feet. His slack limbs cockle and jerk to stay up-right and support his own weight, as he looks down at his suspended wrists.

Amy holds him up to his feet, having dragged him up from the ground by his hands. Her concern passes by her expression, perhaps something of guilt too for adding to his dismay. But she holds him up, just for a few moments more until he can support himself.

“You’re pretty hurt, aren’t you.” She observes, looking at him up and down. Her eyes seem to lock onto the vibrant yellow, now crumpled and dishevelled in his chest.

“Oh! Where’d you get that flower from?” Amy says, going to reach out to examine the flower. Again with this flower…it’s followed him through all of this, and it’s looking in a similar shape to him, with petals creased and some even missing from its stem. Metal Sonic feels a need to protect it though, putting a hand over the flower to prevent her from taking it from him.

Amy seems to pause for a moment, as if assessing his movements until he meets his eyes. There's something hopeful in her expression, as if she’s discovered a new, hidden side to the robot.

“You’re really not a bad guy, are you.” Amy comments, staring into his eyes. It’s a strange contrast to everyone else he’s met thus far. Everyone else he met has looked at him with fear or distaste, even Amy herself was apprehensive of him. Though as she speaks to him now, it’s as if he’s finally being included in something more civil. There’s no imminent danger to help defend against, no tea parties or fetch quests to solve. She seems to see him outside of any current mission.

Even now, as she frets about him, he can’t help but acknowledge the fact that her compassion and kindness extended almost immediately. Unlike others he’s encountered on his way (with the exception of that purple cat) he never had to prove himself as a non-threat to her, she simply trusted to do so.

Or perhaps the low battery charge is making him delirious.

As if drawing attention to it, his charge ticks down yet again.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 7%

He’s fading fast, his legs swaying again as he threatens to plummet again. Though to his surprise, he never hits the ground. He looks to his side to find Amy preventing his fall, propping him up with her own shoulder. Despite the weight of his metal exterior, she seems to show no strain in holding Metal Sonic’s limp body up. She goes as far as draping one of his dislocated arms over the back of her shoulders to better support him, holding him by her side.

“Woah! What’s wrong?! Are you too hurt to move?!” Amy questions.
“Here, let me help you! We’re close to Tails’ workshop!” 

Metal tries to muster some strength to jerk his shoulders away, rejecting the very idea of wallowing to his enemies, let alone the fox.

Amy’s expression seems to be unreadable to him, as she fights back against his pitiful attempt to break her hold.

“Hey, what’s the problem! You know you’re allowed to ask for help, right?” Amy informs him.

Metal Sonic hangs his head slightly. He shouldn’t need help. Metal Sonic was made to be self-sufficient, he should be better than everyone. He should be able to manage anything himself. 

This is what Robotnik wanted of him.

Yet it’s as if Amy has peeled back the veil in his mind and peered directly into his thoughts, as she assesses his face.

“You know…Eggman can be pretty selfish. He wants you to do all his work for him, but he doesn’t even respect you!” She rants.

“I bet that’s how you ended up like this! He left you behind when you were all broken up, didn’t he?” Amy wonders. 

Metal can’t deny that she’s very perceptive, though it’s a shame her emotions cloud her words. What he can’t understand is why she seems to have activated her fiery sense of justice for his sake. Besides, it doesn’t matter if the doctor left him behind. It was rightfully so, considering the pitiful display he made of himself. All Metal Sonic can do now is roll his eyes at her.

But Amy seems to look at him head on, scrutinising his cynical response.

“I mean it! If Eggman really cared about you, he wouldn’t have left you behind. He should have taken you back with him and fixed you himself! You’re getting yourself hurt so much just for someone who wouldn’t even say thank you.” Amy continues.

While he would love to cringe and stomp on her virtue signalling, her words spark something deep within his memories. He finds himself looking back on that day he was abandoned, the images of Robotnik kicking him in the head as he leaves him in the building snow. He felt nothing at the time, yet the more he dwells on it now…he feels a tension in his head.

Then there’s the time he helped the Chaotix, the strange feeling that stirred in his turbines from something so pitiful as recognition for his efforts. Only a weak child would relish in praise from their superiors, and yet here he is, bitter that he feels the same way.

Amy seems watchful of his weakening resolve, as his body begins to slack more and more. He’s unable to hold his own body up for much longer, feeling the weight of his damages take a heavy toll on his system. Amy’s brows furrow with a look of concern, and perhaps even guilt. Like she could swallow the words back.

“Hey…I’m sorry if that was too far.”

Metal Sonic shakes his head. The only thing that could hurt him is physical damage from his foes, no words with a stern tone behind them. Yet just as he had done before, his hand seems to move on its own once again, hovering in her direction. His fingers uncurl from their ruthless grip, releasing the tension into a limp hand. Amy seems to stare for a moment, her expression unreadable to Metal Sonic. Was she shocked? Appalled? Intrigued? And more importantly, why did Metal Sonic care what she was thinking right now? Somehow, the thought of not knowing made his wires almost twist and contract all on their own in his stomach.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 6%

His hand lingers in the air for a long moment, before Metal’s mental strength begins to wane. He lets his hand drop loosely to his side, as Amy’s steps falter. She seems to examine him then, as if she’s similarly stuck to diagnose Metal’s own feelings. It’s only when she speaks again that the seizing of his mechanisms seems to ease.

“It’s okay! I know you don’t want to hurt anyone. I’ll be honest, I didn't expect any of this tonight! But I’m glad I found you. Once we get Tails to fix you up, maybe we can take a walk and talk about this a little more. You know there’s no rush to go back, right? You’ve already been gone for so long, one more day won’t hurt, right?” She continues.

Does she truly know that’s what he wants? That’s all he’s been conditioned to do, to destroy the ones he hated, to serve the doctor and his plans. Yet even that, he was required to be useful. Even when he admittedly went rogue and turned on his maker, he had to be something. He had to prove that his lashing was justified in some way. 

Why did he lash out?

It’s as if he’s forgotten every internal diagnostic from that time, when he became an all-powerful machine. He knows he was disloyal, yet he forgot how that felt.

Did the doctor do that to him?

Now he feels wronged. So severely wronged.

Somehow, he feels like he’s displaying that same disloyalty now. All he can do is reply to Amy with a half-hearted nod.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 5%

>>>MOTOR FUNCTIONS ERROR.

Metal Sonic’s body suddenly shifts, every limb in his body becoming slack and limp. His entire weight becomes a heavy burden as he begins to fall heavily towards the floor. His only saving grace is the pink hedgehog at his side, ever-present and holding him up.

She must be stronger than he thought.

As he looks up at her, he sees her face harden and tense from the sheer weight, her resolve stronger than her discomfort in dragging his metallic body.
“Hold on, we’re almost there!”

What drives her? Is it fear? Resilience? Success? She has no reason to help him. If anything, she could lighten her burdens and reduce the risk on her and her friends by leaving him here to rust and rot in the downpour. Yet despite all of that, she refuses.

This is a type of resolve that he must be unaware of.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 4%

>>>OPTICAL DEVICE FAILURE.

The next thing to fade is Metal Sonic’s vision. His optics fade in and out of darkness, his internal clock losing all logical meaning. What happens next he can only record in fragments.

In one moment, he finds himself still up-right next to the hedgehog. In the next, he appears to be on the floor. He can see the pink of Amy’s quills through the torrent of static veiled over his eyes. She appears to be dragging him across the ground by his foot. It’s an insulting way to be rescued, but somehow the only effective way at the moment. It’s an infuriating feeling to be unable to move, to fight back against what’s happening in the moment, to be unable to even make a sound of protest.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 3%

In the next moment, he sees the impact of the rain on Amy, her quills drenched and her dress sagging and heavy from rain water. It’s as if the elements wear down her exterior.

But Amy’s stronger than the elements.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 2%

Metal can feel himself in a critical state, his vision fading fast. He can barely lift his arms, as he feels the sudden dragging sensation of his body stop. He notes a reasonably sized building, with a metal garage door. On the front is a well loved, painted symbol of twin yellow tails, painted with care but fading with age. Despite all the fights and trouble he’s caused her, she still see’s some pretend “good” in him, enough to willingly help him rebuild. Carrying an injured animal to safety.

Something about it reminds him of Cream the Rabbit.

While he can hear Amy’s knocking against the door, something striking appears in his peripheral vision. He fights against his own errors and malfunctions to catch another glimpse.

A white flower.

Despite how simple and useless this is to him right now, a part of him is glad he made the effort to see it. Something in him needs to pick it up.

He forces his body to roll onto his side, the simple maneuver feeling arduous. All he can think to do is reach out for the flower.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 1%

Metal Sonic grabs the flower with a spasm of his hand, clenching the temp hard within his fist. He takes up a clump of weak grass along with it, as he strenuously yanks the plant life from it’s roots. With the flower in his grasp, he feels a sense of relief.

His vision begins to blur out of his grasp, unfocused as he sees a light flourish from an opening doorway. Metal Sonic rolls heavily back onto his back, his entire arm outstretched into the air. His audio sensors begin to fail, hearing only muffles and grating, high-pitched feedback.

The last thing he sees amongst the snow of static is Amy turn to face Metal Sonic’s body on the ground.

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 0%

>>>SHUTTING DOWN…

Chapter Text

…

Metal Sonic’s head lulls into a thick miasma of darkness, his senses simultaneously dulled yet fighting to take control.

He sees nothing but pure darkness, darker than dark. He tries to move his limbs, yet he feels no sensation of metal and circuits grinding together, no light wind in his joints. He feels weightless. He assumes this is what those organic beings would describe as a ghost.

But this can’t be right. He hasn’t rebooted properly at all. He only feels himself suspended in this dark void. There’s nothing to analyse, no logical deductions to make.

There is nothing.

That is, until the silence is broken by a sudden, jolting chain. It snaps from the dense shadows, striking like a cobra as it latches onto Metal’s arm. Metal makes an indignant scramble of noise in the surprise, only to be greeted by another ruthless chain to restrain his other arm.

It’s in that moment that he feels himself begin to suspend from the floor, similar to how he was very first created into this world, an object draped in the air weightlessly.

But Metal couldn’t have predicted any of it. It’s as if he lacks his usual abilities, painfully average in this strange world. Yet somehow, it became even stranger.

Out of the darkness, he hears a dark cackle approach, a long leg stepping out from the shadows to greet metal.

“You useless hunk of junk. You were supposed to be my magnum opus, my greatest creation yet.” The malevolent voice jeers, staring down Metal Sonic’s muzzle.

Dr Ivo Robotnik.

Metal Sonic’s eyes dart around his master’s face, noting the distinct bushy moustache. There’s no doubt, it’s him. The person he’s been perusing this entire time, the person he’s needed through this entire ordeal.

Despite his objective being seemingly completed, Metal’s initial reaction is discomfort. With actions that surprise even himself, Metal Sonic suddenly begins thrashing his body around, trapped within his bindings like a caged animal. His struggle is violent, as if threatening to dislocate his limbs all over again just to break free from the chain’s hold on him.

He should be happy. He finally made it, his master has found him. Why is he reacting this way?

Though perhaps as some sort of illusion, the doctor’s image begins to change. It’s as if his face begins to melt into something more sinister, his once assuring ruthlessness now turned against the Metal hedgehog. He feels the sickening glare of the Doctor crawl over his metal exterior. It’s only broken when he hears a faint voice through the clattering of chains.

“Keep it together.” 

Metal Sonic turns his head towards the voice. The murky shades of colour forming into view. The voice…it belonged to Espio of all people. He was accompanied by the other chaotix, standing in front of him.

“Yeah, since when did you get scared about anythin’?!” Vector attests, an arm wrapped around his fellow team members.

“That Eggman’s just a mean old bully! You’re not scared of that boogy man!” Charmy adds, punching the air full of energy.

It’s as if the words alone are enough to free him from his bindings, suddenly feeling the metal around his arms grow slack and lifeless, as inanimate as they should be.

And then…he feels himself begin to fall…

…

>>>

EGGMAN OS [VERSION 10.0.1993]

LOADING BIOS…

EXAMINING BASIC FILE SYSTEMS…

LOADING MOVEMENT DRIVERS…

CONNECTING TO EGGNET SERVER…

///CONNECTION FAILED. REBOOTING WITHOUT SERVER CONNECTION///

LOADING UI…

Metal Sonic feels his mind shift and lurch as he begins to stir to life, his processor kicking back into life. His re-boot feels sharp and sudden, like an unexpected jump start sparking his body to life. He isn’t sure what to expect when he begins.

What was all of that? That couldn’t have been normal. 

He’s only just booting up now, so what did he just see and hear? Are his memory banks so damaged that they’re morphing into something completely new?

Metal Sonic’s body begins to whir with life again, his gyro sensors indicating that he may be currently laying down. His senses once again fade back into his control, one by one. It starts with his audio sensors, fading back into view as he picks up on faint, muffled voices.

“…Do you really think it’ll work?” 

“I don’t know…I mean, Metal Sonic’s been hardwired to hate us! It’d take more than just a quick fix to do that.”

“But I know he’s capable! I swear, this one’s different! You saw him, didn’t you? Maybe he can help us!”

Metal can distinguish two different voices in the room with him. One of those voices belongs to Amy Rose, that much he’s certain of. The other is familiar…though it takes him a moment to place it.

>>>IDENTITY MATCH: MILES “TAILS” PROWER

Tails. Sonic’s closest companion and mechanic. He doesn’t match the doctor’s excellence of course, but he has made his fair share of devices that could be valuable. Metal Sonic has no ties to the fox personally, though when he hears their voices, he feels a strange sense of relief. 

He shouldn’t, but he feels as if he is in good hands. If anything, he’s grateful to be hearing any voices at all.

The next to return is his vision. His optics spur to life as light bleeds into his vision, his eyes sparking back to life as he begins to look around the room. He is first greeted by a ceiling light shining down on top of him, the ceiling featuring rivets and shabby metal panelling that looks like it has been well loved and reused.

He glances to the side, catching a glimpse of a faint reflection on the surface of an unrelated metal panel. It looks to be some kind of new device, but he can faintly see his warped reflection in the metal sheet.

His eyes are still green. This feels like a gross oversight for a supposed prodigy mechanic. Though one thing Metal does note, is the quality of his other parts. To his pleasant surprise, he feels rejuvenated, refreshed. The fox may have done some good for him yet. He looks down at his turbine torso, hovering a hand over his newly repaired stomach. He notes the once gaping gashes now sealed shut, along with some updated features in his limbs that he didn’t even realise were so ineffective.

It’s a decent start.

Though before he can react any further, his movements appear to have stirred some attention onto himself, as Amy blurts out to him.

“Ah- he’s awake!” She calls.

Awake is an incorrect term, considering he can’t sleep. Or so he thought.

Amy rushes to Metal Sonic’s side, looking down at him with the same furrow’s brows of concern. It’s then that he notes something different about her.

She appears to be wearing the white flower in her quills.

It’s then that Metal recalls what he did, the events that happened during the night to land him in this position. The flower that he fought to grasp.

And she’s seen value in it. Something about that seems to stir the same, tightening of bolts in his torso.

Maybe the fox couldn’t fix everything after all.

Metal Sonic moves to sit up, his movements less jarring and stiff. Rather, his body language feels more organic, as he shifts his weight up onto one of his arms, the other feeling against his own head. He notes a strange plug-like cable lodged into the side of his head.

>>>OBJECT IDENTIFIED: CHARGING CABLE

>>>CURRENT CHARGE: 100%

Metal shakes his head, as he pulls the cable out with a harsh yank. It prompts Amy to seemingly wince at the lack of care in his own state, as if she’s mentally applying some superficial pain that he can’t feel.

“How do you feel? Are you okay?” She asks.

Metal Sonic isn’t quite sure how to respond. His body appears to be in better condition, yet his programming…something is still off.

Metal doesn’t seem to reply, but instead twisting his body towards what Metal can now defer is the side of a work bench. As he turns his body though, he comes face to face with Tails.

“Woah, uh…hi there?” Tails says, flashing an awkwardly nervous smile. It’s clear that the young fox is still unsure about the rogue robot, holding one hand up as if to calm the unphased robot. Metal only responds with a still, blank stare.

“…Soooo, I’ve done the best I can with repairing the damages to your body!” Tails continues, clearing his through to break the thickening silence.

“Your jet boosters and turbine was a cinch to repair, along with the open holes in your body! There were some things I needed to replace due to water damage, and I replaced some of your pistons for more efficient movement.” He drones on. It seems that the fox is in his element running through these unprompted changes. Dr Robotnik never really explains what he’s doing in his work, just that it will make him stronger.

Metal Sonic seems to flex his hands, as if testing the fox’ handy work. But it seems he’s not done talking much to his dismay.

“Buuuut, I couldn’t do anything with your software. Eggman’s done a good job with encrypting your data, but I wouldn’t worry too much. I couldn’t find any errors related to your internal systems.” He says.

Metal Sonic seems to visibly recoil at the suggestion.

“You are wrong.” Metal Sonic replies. Though he seems fairly surprised by hearing his own voice again. He had to fight to reclaim his voice from Robotnik the first time, after it was robbed from him. The fox has foolishly given him it with no qualms.

Tails seems to quirk an eyebrow at Metal Sonic, his twin tails swishing idly behind him.

“Heeey, I know what I’m doing! You might not trust me, but I’ve been doing this longer then you think.”

Metal Sonic slightly rolls his eyes at the fox, but seems to be interrupted by Amy.

“Tails is really good at what he does! You should trust him! After all, he repaired your body, right?” Amy enthuses. She then seems to wave a hand behind her.

“And he helped me keep your flower safe!”

Metal Sonic seems to gain a spark of panic. The marigold. How could he have forgotten it?

Though it seems that they have compensated for his absent mindedness. On top of one of the counters, Metal spots the soft yellow glow of the frail flower, stored safely in a reused item capsule. The pair of them appear to have shared the same vision as he has, seen the value of this plant to him.

It causes Metal to grip the edge of the work bench just a touch tighter, as he mulls over his decisions.

They could have left him behind, make their lives easier and forgotten about him. Yet they’ve made the effort for him. Kept him safe and given him a second life.

As if Tails can read his thoughts, he seems to chip in.

“You know, when Amy brought you here I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. But when she gets an idea, there’s no stopping her.” He says, giving a shrug.

Amy seems to butt in at that point.

“I’m right here you know!” She protests, before turning to Metal Sonic.

Metal Sonic searches between them. He knows that they’re not usually this naive and foolish enough to trust him. He knows that they have more common sense than to give him the tools to destroy them. Yet they did so anyways.

He contemplates at first, his body shifting uncomfortably as if he were the smallest creature in the room. He isn’t sure how to say his next words, they’ve never had any use for him. But he feels compelled to say them, despite the mental fight occurring. He can’t hold back the words from his vocal speakers.

“Thank. You.”

Amy seems slightly taken back by his blatant gratitude, Tails even more so. But Amy’s face seems to beam with life, clasping her hands around one of Metal Sonic’s.

“That’s what friends are for!”

Friends? That’s a stretch. You can’t simply make friends so quickly, that much he knows. Besides, he has no friends. Has no desire for them. Yet Amy has so boldly privileged herself with that title.

Metal doesn’t seem to lash at her hands as he normally would, instead becoming more begrudgingly accepting to them, only keeping a slightly unamused glare.

He only breaks the hold when Metal decides to rise from the workbench, shaking his feet as if he were loosening the muscles he lacks.

The thought takes him as quite odd. He always looked down on organic life, always saw them as inferior and withheld by their own flesh and blood. But despite that, he and the doctor kept striving to be more like them. He would always try to make him closer to his rival, to make him look and act more like his soft counterpart.

But what does he want to be? He’s proud of his robotic creation, but he values his autonomy over the other badniks.

The serenity of the workshop is soon shattered though, as the front door begins to open with a creaky swing of the door. Light from the late morning sun spills into the workshop, a clatter of noise and life polluting the steady hums of machines in Tails’ workshop. Metal sees him before he hears his grating, irritating voice.

“Hey guys! How’s our new friend holdin’ up?”

>>>IDENTITY MATCH: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG.

Chapter Text

Sonic. The hedgehog he detests the most.  

His long standing rival who he would relish in defeating. The person who put him in this tirade of malfunctions and useless side quests. The source of all of his anger.

And he’s standing right in front of him.

Metal Sonic’s fists shake as he stares down his target, feeling the unbridled hatred rise like bile. His head becomes tight and compressed with anger, the buzz of rage rattling in his processor.

In a sudden movement, Metal sonic lunges into a vicious pounce towards Sonic, extending his clawed hands to slam into the hedgehog's head.

Sonic’s expression shifts into surprise, as he dives to one side to avoid Metal’s grasp. Though Metal's fury has no limits. 

In a swift motion, he continues to use his own momentum to hook an arm around Sonic’s head, closing his own arm tighter around his neck like a vice.

He notes Sonic’s look of concern and shock, straining to fight back against Metal’s grip. He savoures that look. For the first time in a long while, he finally feels like how he used to, as if the sensation of making his loathsome duplicate squirm is nostalgic to him.

“Urgh- Tails! I thought we- fixed this guy!” He shouts, wrestling to break free from his hold.

“W-we did! But you can’t change his mind!” Tails informs, looking around swiftly for a gadget to fight back with. Though it seems Amy beats him to the punch.

While Metal is hyper-focused on his target, Amy steps in between the pair of them, her hand pressed firmly against Metal’s head. He can’t see anything past her hand, but it’s as if the temporary blindness subdues the frustration.

“Stop it! You know you’re better than that!” Amy protests, shoving them both into separation. When Metal can see clearly again, he finds Amy standing protectively in front of Sonic, being an unnecessary meat shield for the hedgehog. 

Why is her kindness extending to his other self? Is Metal jealous of her widespread trust?

He shakes his head, looking past her at Sonic who’s making an attempt to recover his own composure, holding a hand up as if to quell the untameable beast.

“You sure fixed his strength…I thought my head was gonna explode.” Sonic huffs. The pair make direct eye contact, his shock quickly shaking off into a mischievous smile.

“Guess it’s too late to say you’re looking better these days, Metal.” He says, pointing at his own eyes.

Metal can tell he’s goading him on purpose, urging him to plow ahead despite his saviour being directly in front of him. It’s tempting…very tempting. His frustration isn’t made much better with the prospect of the pair of them looking even more similar now, on account of his own eye colour malfunction.

“Can both of you just behave?!” Amy scolds, to which Sonic seems to relent. It’s clear who has the higher authority between the two.

“Thanks Amy, I owe you. Althooough, you did invite the killer sonic robot in the first place.” Sonic continues.

Amy rolls her eyes, facing Sonic directly this time.

“You know he’s not the same as he was! I already told you what happened. I still stand by it, something’s different this time! He could help us!” She protests.

Sonic seems to rub a hand against his ear, as if her shouting is becoming louder than he’d appreciate. Metal can’t help but slightly agree.

“Well why does he still wanna pick a fight with me?!” Sonic asks.

Tails interjects at that moment, looking between Sonic and his handheld tablet.

“It’s not for certain, buuut Metal was made to surpass you, Sonic. I theorise that Metal Sonic’s hate for you is hard coded in his system.” 

“Well that egghead programmed one of those right at least.” Sonic jests.

Though Metal once again has to fight not to take the bait, taking a threatening step forwards as he jabs an index finger in Sonic’s direction.

“DON’T EVEN TRY.” Metal snaps, earning a relenting pair of hands raised in surrender in response. Though he does wonder why he hasn’t punched Sonic in the face yet. And…vice versa.

“I’m kidding! Yeesh, you never did have a sense of humour.” Sonic comments.

“Some things just don’t change, huh?”

Though it’s Tails this time that has to take charge of this impromptu meeting.

“Both of you, focus!” He declares, like trying to wrangle a room of children. The fox's raised voice causes both of them to relent, with Metal standing to attention with a harsh tension in his joints. Why is he so attentive to the fox’ word? He is not his master, nor does he correlate with his current objective.

…his objective. Where did it go?

Metal has no time to even assess this, though, as Tails begins to brief the small group.

“I was skeptical at first about Metal Sonic getting involved, but after investigating a little more, I think Amy was right to bring him here!” He begins. He taps something on his strange tablet, and a larger screen seems to spark to life on the wall, displaying what looks to be a map of a section of mobius.

“The Chaotix got back to us about their progress with those mysterious machines. Thanks to Metal Sonic’s help, we were able to figure out the goal of those weird machines that keep appearing.” Tails says.

Metal squints at the map, noting the blinking, spreading red dots like ants preparing to colonise.

Are all of those similar to the machine he found before?

As if to answer his inquiry, Tails projects an image of the strange machine, this time in a different location.

“I’ve been digging into what these machines are doing and where they came from. They’re definitely one of Eggman’s creations, and he’s got them scattered all across mobius!”

“Wouldn’t we have caught Eggman planting these things though?” Sonic chips in. Even his voice irritates Metal, even when he isn’t saying anything particularly wrong.

“That’s what I thought! But it turns out these machines are equipped with drills! I think Eggman had these machines drilling through Mobius, and set up in different locations! But he must have activated them yesterday morning.”

Yesterday…that’s when Metal woke up, too. That must have been what finally awoke him from his slumber.

Was he deployed to join his metallic soldiers? Or…was he activated by mistake?

“Eggman's ruined so much of the wildlife! Knuckle’s angel island is a mess!” Amy declares.

“We know…we were trying to figure out what exactly he’s planning, but Espio sent us a message about what he and Metal found in that old base!” Tails continues, before showing an image of the now-destroyed base. He once again notes the brittle impact point of the machine, at the faint purple glow bleeding through the cracks.

“From what we can gather, this machine is a metal injector. It’s burrowing into the ground, and releasing some kind of chemical to turn the surrounding area into metal!”

Sonic seems to flex his fingers at the new information.

“Why's Eggman so obsessed with Metal? Why can’t he like something softer like pillows or something?”

Metal Sonic makes something of a scoff at his comment, folding his arm. Pillow Sonic doesn’t particularly have a good ring to it.

…see, he does have a sense of humour.

Unfortunately, Sonic continues.

“So all we gotta do is destroy all of these machines? Sounds like a piece of cake.”

“I wish it were that simple.” Tails says, shaking his head.

“The more we seem to break, the more keep appearing! We’ll never be able to catch up in time!” Tails continues. His pessimistic outlook is correct. He saw the rate that the machine was hammering into the ground, and the damage it was causing. They would never be able to thwart his plans in time without long term damage.

“Even with-“ Sonic starts, but Tails raises a finger to silence him.

“Yes, even with your speed.” Tails answers, to which Sonic scrunches his nose. He knows Tails is right, not because of any past experience, but because he trusts the word of his friend.

But Metal fails to see how he plays a part in any of this. He can remember what his original objective is, so why doesn’t he simply follow it?

He looks tempted to do so, until his eyes double take to the screen. He tilts his head ever so slightly, stepping closer to the larger picture. His eyes scan across each dot, triangulating and connecting them together. He physically moves his arm to trace each line.

“Uhh, what is he doing?” Sonic mumbles behind him. Amy seems to hush him, as Metal Sonic begins to connect the bigger picture.

After connecting the dots, he finds that they’re in a specific formation.

In the formation of Eggman’s face.

He follows the lines to the centre of his image, pinpointing one energy system that appears larger than the others.

The doctor’s hubris may just be his downfall.

“This is the source.” Metal Sonic says out loud.

The others seem to pause for a fraction of a second, exchanging glances as they approach the screen.

“He’s…he’s right! Look, the energy signature on this one is much bigger than the others!” Tails enthuses, as if excited by the prospects of some good news.

“This one must be in charge of all the other machines. If we can take this one out, maybe the other machines will stop functioning!”

“Then we really can stop all the other ones from spreading the metal everywhere!” Amy cheers.

Metal feels a nudge against his side, causing Metal to spin around defensively. Though his raised fists are only met by Sonic’s irritating smirk, his hand raised in the air.

“Good eye, Metal! Up top!” He says.

Metal simply stares at his hand, unsure what to make of it.

>>>GESTURE IDENTIFIED: “HIGH FIVE”.

Metal Sonic narrows his LED eyes at Sonic, before completely snubbing him by walking away from his general space.

Though as he walks away, he feels the floor tremor once again. Amy squeaks in surprise, as equipment rattles and falls from their work stations. It’s a longer, more volatile tremor this time, causing the group to fall to their knees.

When it finally stops, the room is silent with unspoken concern, as everyone exchanges glances between each other.

The silence of the room is only broken by a deafening crack, originating from the workshop’s doorway. Metal approaches with no qualms or fear, investigating the snapping sound. Upon arrival, he finds an ugly gash in the ground, the floor splitting with scars to the earth. Burrowed in the cracks, the familiar purple light pours through, with a metallic sheen encroaching from the splintering crack.

Sonic seems to join Metal’s side, as the pair stare down at the injured Earth.

As if their brains were connected, the pair exchanged a glance with each other. Sonic’s usual, care-free smile is replaced with something harsher, one of serious determination.

“We’re running out of time. Time to show that Eggman what happens when he messes with our planet! Are you with us?”

Against his will, the absence of his primary objective is suddenly filled again.

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: STOP THE METALLIC SPREAD.

“Affirmative.” Metal replies, giving a steely nod.

Chapter Text

Never would Metal have expected to work alongside Sonic like this.

Metal Sonic hovers alongside his adversary, with little effort to keep up with him. He feels a new sense of rejuvenation after the fox fixed his battle scars. His turbines work to compensate for their time out of action, pushing Metal to his speed capacity in order to keep up with Sonic.

He looks towards the blue hedgehog, his expression akin to something he’s seen before.

A serious look of determination. And over confidence.

He never doubted Sonic’s nature, but never saw the use for it. He knows him inside and out, his fearless, selfless nature that can often get him in more trouble than it’s worth. He recognises his title as the hero, and yet he never strives for it. He simply does as he likes, with no ulterior command.

Right now, that drive is set on destorying Dr Robotnik's creation.

Though what Sonic lacks in precision and intellect, Metal can fill and surpass that void. Metal has his sights set on the co-ordinates at the massive center of this devious creation of machines, their target approaching imminently on his HUD.

Something compels him to look behind, at the other pair of colourful characters following close behind. Tails and Amy are in hot pursuit in the air, with Tails piloting a flashy red plane. Their expressions are equally stern by the solemnity of the situation. Metal takes this as his queue not to stare, instead redirecting his attention to the looming dark figure in the near distance.

As the group approaches the co-ordinates of the colossal energy signal, the picture becomes more grim.

A metal sheen covers the surrounding area, coating the once lush grass with a soulless metal shine. From the metallic ground, large spikes protrude from the earth, oversized thorns deterring those who dare to approach.

He and Sonic skid to a halt at the threshold between organic and man-made, staring down at the tainted ground.

“This is just like back at Tails’ workshop! Eggman’s getting serious about his empire.” Sonic remarks. He seems cautious to step even a toe onto the metal footing.

Metal’s attention is divided between Sonic and the ground. Despite the unsightliness of the scene, he detects no hostile or contagious properties to them. His eyes then seem to drift towards his own hand, watching it involuntarily twitching as he draws attention to it. Perhaps there are still some kinks to iron out.

A shout suddenly calls his attention though, his circuits sparking in flinching surprise. As he looks up, he spots Knuckles standing poised and ready to pounce.

“GUYS! Are you seeing all this?!” Knuckles rants, the fur bristling around his muzzle.

“So this is what was trashing Angel Island before! I swear, when I get my hands on Eggman, he’s done for!” He rants, his breaths shallowing from impatience. Though he does note the echidna’s lack of attentiveness for the metal flooring, as Knuckles stands atop the metal ground. It seems this sprawling mass is no threat to their own life.

“Easy, Knuckles. We’ll get to Eggman, but first we gotta bust up his toys.” Sonic rebuttals, his tone becoming jovial and cutting the harsh tension. He then jabs a thumb in Metal’s direction.

“Besides, we got back-up now. Right Metal?” Sonic continues.

Metal takes a confident stride onto the metal plating, though fails to directly acknowledge Sonic. He steadies his sights instead to the threat ahead of them.

Sonic lets his hand drop, giving a little shrug.

“He’s still a lil shy.” He comments. It’s enough to make Metal snap his head towards him, giving a harsh flare of his progressively green eyes.

Knuckles watches the exchange between them, before giving Metal a nod of acknowledgement.

“Don’t worry, let's just say we've been affiliated before.” Knuckles confirms.

Though their conversation is cut short, as a callous tremor rumbles the ground beneath them, a quake so powerful that it rocks them down to the ground. Even the stationary tornado is suddenly quivered ajar, as Tails and Amy brace themselves inside. Metal is brought to his knees by the tremor, noting the ever spreading disease of metal infesting the ground further. He also notes the subtle glow of purple beneath the ground. 

>>>DANGER IMMINENT

>>>MOVE

Metal Sonic only has a split moment to react, as a punishing spike suddenly juts out from the ground, directly underneath him. Metal swerves his head to the side, only able to narrowly avoid being impaled by the spike.

Sonic grunts from the volatile shake, pressing himself back up from the ground as he steadies himself.

“Gah…we better hurry this up before it gets worse!” He exclaims. Metal Sonic’s inclined to agree, giving a nod before they continue their unwavering advance.

It’s only a short while until they finally meet the source of their fiasco. Ahead of the group lies a wild field of invasive spikes, almost completely covering the ground like a defense mechanism. A strange, natural response amongst the manufactured metal.

Amongst the growing field of spikes, the source stands tall. A hulking, imposing machine stands in their way, with a jagged body protruding from the ground. It looks similar to the one he faced alongside Espio, yet with a much more imposing aura. Much like the one he faced before, a large drill sinks into the ground, with scars sprawling across the ground where it strikes. 

The group stare up at the unmanned machine, bracing themselves for the potential fight that looms.

“There’s no doubt about it, this is it!” Tails declares, holding his tablet in his hands.

“This one’s way bigger than the ones we found.” Amy comments. Despite her concerns though, she doesn’t seem deterred as she readies her hammer.

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall, right?” Sonic comments, bouncing on the spot as if to psyche himself up for a big fight. He warms himself up with big movements and stretches, like this is nothing more than a trivial exercise. Knuckles seems to feel the same sentiment, as he rolls his shoulders ready to deliver his world class blows.

Metal Sonic has no need nor desire to join them, but he does give a flex of his fingers, as if loosening his joints will prove to be more effective.

Though as he does so, he feels a shift in energy.

The machine suddenly moves with a groaning shake to the ground, before it opens a large, beady eye. Artificial of course, but lined with all the sensors it needs to spot the group. Its body begins to rise from the ground, shifting away from its fixated position in the ground. The legs that once held the machine up now morph and change, reminiscent of his own transformation into the metal overlord he once was. With long, talloned limbs that stretch flexibly. Metal counts 6 in total. Looking at the colossal robot, Metal feels its sudden gaze boring into him.

As the body begins to change, Sonic smirks.

“Great! You look even uglier than before!" He jeers, a common tactic to bait this machine into a fight. Metal knows it far too well.

>>>SERIAL NUMBER IDENTIFIED.

>>>MODEL NAME: DR177

Metal Sonic makes a mental note, facing their new enemy.

DR177 only meets Sonic’s snarky remarks with a grating wheeze of noise, as if letting out a disorientating battle cry. The pitch is so high, that even Metal Sonic grows more disorientated as his vision fizzles.

Though the others stand tall, strategically waiting for the first strike. Metal Sonic would normally be inclined to dive in with them, though he’s learnt that patience is perhaps the more favourable approach.

And their patience is rewarded.

The hulking machine goes on the offensive, as it raises a heavy, clawed arm into the air. 

“NOW!” Amy shouts, as the group parts ways into two, close knit teams. Metal leaps to one side of the group, taking the same side as Sonic while Tails, Amy and Knuckles roll to the opposite side. It’s then that the colossal arm swings down, colliding with the ground with an earth shattering boom. The robot takes out integral chunks of the invasive spikes along with it, giving them yet another opportunity to strike.

As the arm lay against the floor, Knuckles takes this opportunity to strike, as he jumps on top of the arm. He swings punishing fists into the arm’s exterior, a brute-force strength to whittle through the skin of the best, and punch through to its less durable wiring underneath.

Sonic, on the other hand, has other ideas in mind. Metal watches as Sonic leaps onto the arm, and begins to use it as a designated walkway for himself. He runs up the arm with such speed, rearing up for a homing attack towards the machine’s eye. 

Just as he jumps into the air though, something catches him off guard.

Sonic is suddenly swiped away by another rogue arm, slapping him away as if he were nothing more than a fly. Sonic sails across the air, slamming into the side of a pillaring spike.

Metal’s attention shifts to Tails and Amy next. The pair must have successfully identified the weaknesses of the robot already, as Tails carries Amy closer towards the robot using his propellor-like tails, before he swings his entire body into a speedy throw. He throws Amy’s entire body towards the robot, a grouped attack setting Amy on a crash course towards the machine’s eye. She raises a hammer backwards, ready to land the blow.

DR177 doesn’t look like they’ll be taking this lightly, however.

As the hammer connects with the robot’s eye, it staggers backwards with another wailing groan of metal, before its limbs begin to lash out in rage. Knuckle’s attempts are suddenly thrown off, just as he’s punched through the razor-sharp end of the metal tentacle.

The other arms seem to punish the others for their brash attempts, similarly hitting both Amy and Tails away mid-air.

Tails spirals in the air, losing his height and momentum against the hit. He spins in a disorientated spiral, as he’s sent tumbling towards the dangerously protruding spikes.

“TAILS!” Sonic yells, as he launches himself away from the metallic spike.

But Metal acts fast.

Metal launches himself towards Tails, leaping in the air to tackle him mid-fall, his fur grazing against the edge of the spikes.

He casts a look to Tails, who looks stunned to see himself instead in the protective arms of Metal. All Metal could think to do was give him a supportive thumbs up.

The pair land gracefully against the safer, flat ground, before Metal releases Tails.

“Thanks, that- could have been a disaster!” Tails exclaims.

Sonic skids to a halt next to Metal, looking him up and down. It’s unclear what his true thoughts were in that moment, but Metal detected something in his relieved smile. Pride? It didn’t make too much sense at the moment.

“Nice going, Metal. Now let's get some payback.” Sonic says, punching his own fist into his palm.

Metal only nods at the hedgehog, before they set off again into their mad sprint.

Metal knows everything Sonic is going to do. What was once a cunning and keen-eyed trait to out-manouver him, he now sees sense to utilise as an integral part to their synchronicity.

Sonic and Metal duck and weave through the towering spikes, spin-dashing up, over and through. They tie knots of after-effect trails of motion behind them, with Metal matching Sonic’s chaotic patterns.

DR177’s eyes dart between the pair, as if failing to choose a priority target. Not to mention the sneaking attacks of Sonic’s allies approaching from the sides. In the end, it seems to settle on the one that poses the most threat. Sonic the Hedgehog.

A pair of arms suddenly come swiping towards Sonic, with one pulverising the ground below them, while another swings high to counter any jumps he may make. It’s the perfect pincer move…if he was entirely alone.

Metal reads the machine’s telegraphed attack, and leaps into action. Metal may need to sacrifice some self-preservation, but if it can help Sonic in his fight it may be necessary for this temporary team up.

Metal skids alongside Sonic, keeping his momentum as he grabs the hedgehog by the wrist. Sonic seems to immediately catch onto the robot’s game, as he winds himself up into a penetrating, spiny ball.

In one swift motion, Metal Sonic hurls Sonic’s balled-up form into the air, well past the heavy arms. He only sees the spec of the blue blur’s ball, before he feels the terrorising impact of the arms against his head and torso.

Metal’s vision swims as he’s minced into the floor, his visual sensors cracking at the sudden impact against the metallic ground below.

It takes Metal a moment to recompose, looking ahead at the fight scene before him.

He sees Sonic’s spin dash shred through the two arms that had taken him down, while Tails and Knuckles collaborate on another. Amy has yet another under her control, DR177 being easily succumbed and overtaken by the band of rogues. Only one arm remains.

It only fuels DR177’s survivalistic anger.

DR177 gives off another blood-chilling screech, as their whole body rises. In one sudden maneuver, DR177’s body spins like the blades of a blender, shaking off the fleas crawling all over its body. The group flies backwards, tumbling past Metal Sonic’s stationary body.

Only Sonic seems to be able to jump over the killer spin, causing him to recoil backwards at the others.
“GUYS! You okay?!” Sonic shouts.

Though before he can hear their answer, the remaining arm retching for a pulverising slam towards Sonic. He performs a hand-spring backwards in response to the winding swing. But he miscalculated. It’s as if the machine has evolved and learnt from their attack, and has learnt to misdirect the hedgehog.

Rather than immediately swinging as it did before, DR177 gave a false swipe with their arm, before going for the real, final blow. The movement is similar to a relentless hammer being thrown down on top of the hedgehog, its talons closed into a gruesome razor ready to pierce the hedgehog.

Darkness looms across their morale, the battlefield becoming a decaying mess of broken, metal pillars. Metal scans the group, their expressions downtrodden and twisted in anxiety.

Metal’s gut lurches. Yet somehow, he’s no longer confused by the sensation.

Sonic’s body writhes under the weight of the mammoth's final tendril, fighting to keep the full weight from crushing him. Or worse.

>>>OBJECTIVE: SAVE SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

Metal launches himself into the frey, his jet boosters propelling him with an unnatural jerk of his body. He winds his body backwards, before throwing himself forwards into a dynamic spin dash of deadly, metal quills. He rolls his body along the ground, weaving through the metal spikes that refused to cave in the relentless battle. He times his jump to perfection, enough to maintain his momentum and propel himself towards the tendril.

His speed in that moment was unlike anything he’s achieved before.

In one swift slice, Metal Sonic makes a clean cut through the tendril, relinquishing its hold on Sonic.

Metal Sonic bounces heavily against the floor, before unfurling his body. The robot gives a grating, shrill noise of feedback, the metal body jerking and writhing.

As the weight on Sonic is lifted, he swiftly kicks the loose appendage aside, rolling himself back up onto his feet. His eyes scan the landscape almost dizzyingly as he tries to spot Metal Sonic, before he flashes him a signature smile. One which doesn’t warrant narrowly surviving being impaled.

“Nice one, Sonic!” He yells over, giving him a thumbs up with a flick of his wrist.

Metal staggers for a moment, his chest constricting involuntarily from the remark.

Sonic.

Not Metal, or Metalhead. Sonic.

He forces himself to look directly at Sonic, his body making an involuntarily sharp jerk. 

It's as if the words unlocked a new feeling, a terrible secret that he purposefully encrypted from himself. From shame? Expectations? He’s unsure anymore.

He didn’t want to surpass Sonic, he wanted to be him.

Metal Sonic shakes his head, even knocking it once with the heel of his palm. He doesn’t have time to process all of this, he still needs to focus.

He meets his thumbs up with his own jestful taunt, standing himself tall with a hand on his hip. He scratches under his nose in response as if it were a nostalgic move between him and Sonic.

Sonic’s smile only seems to grow in amusement, chuckling at the motion as he snaps his attention back to the volatile robot. Metal can sense the machine struggling and fighting to continue its objective, to keep itself in motion until it has sufficiently destroyed them all.

Metal knows better now. The most merciful thing he could do for this machine is to destroy it.

“Let's finish this thing off once and for all. What d’you say?! Think you could keep up?” Sonic jeers.

Metal Sonic gives a nod of affirmation, as the pair begin to move in-sync with each other. Their minds are truly melded together now,  as they move with synergy towards the remaining life of the giant robot. Both Sonic and Metal take to opposite sides of the machine, winding back for an unrestrained peel of speed. As the pair wind back their bodies, they suddenly launch at the machine like fierce tigers pouncing on prey. Sonic launches into a punishing blow to the machine’s bottom half, while Metal rips through the head. The same pincer move DR177 tried on them.

With their combined speed, they plow through the robot. Metal sees flashes of the robot’s innards as he shreds through the head, cutting through wiring and the motherboard like a brutal buzz saw until he burrows his way out of the machine’s eye.

Metal and Sonic emerge from the other side, the dishevelled bits of scrap metal brushing off of them as they both land with a skid against the slippery, metal ground. Neither look behind them, but they know fully well that they’ve thwarted DR177. Hearing the colossal boom of the machine’s weight hit the ground, the pair of them stand straight. Sonic looks at Metal with a smile of triumph, presenting a fist towards Metal.

>>>GESTURE IDENTIFIED: FIST BUMP

…

Metal Sonic blatantly turns away from the attempt. He’s not ready to humor such gestures yet.

Sonic simply shrugs in response. “Can’t blame me for trying.” He says.

“We make a good team! Maybe we can make this a regular thing? You know, without the whole dangerous metal-spreading machine angle.”

Metal slightly cocks his head, as if processing the request. He has no reason to want to, but…the thought seems tempting.

Though he’s interrupted by a sudden force against his back, knocking him forwards slightly.

“You did it! You guys were amazing!” Amy enthuses, with an arm wrapped around the back of Metal’s shoulders. Strangely, he finds himself lost for a response to her, finding himself unintentionally scratching the side of his muzzle with an index finger. An unnaturally living thing to do of his own accord.

Tails joins their celebration next, reciprocating Sonic’s fist bump as they laugh in relief.

“Talk about a close call!” Tails comments. Knuckles isn’t too far behind him, with a look which suggests he’s admittedly impressed with their efforts.

“I’m only mad I couldn’t get the final blow.” Knuckles comments.

“Well, you snooze you loose knuckle head.” Sonic jests, before the pair seem to faux spar with weak, meaningless slaps and pats.

Metal scans the group, with a heavy feeling of metal lodged in his metaphorical throat. The overwhelming sense of accomplishment and happiness, the trivial celebrations at achieving something they should have been guaranteed to accomplish. There’s no criticism amongst them, no analysis of their sloppy performance. It’s then that something clicks in Metal’s brain, like a loose connector in his brain finally snaps into place.

This is no simple friend group. These are familial ties. Tied not by blood nor their maker, but by their sheer determination and aligning interests. A system of messy greys and no right or wrong answers.

Ties he’s lacking.

Though standing in proximity seems to appease the sensation in his processor.

…

Something seems to draw his attention away from the group though. It’s as if a sudden, malicious thought clawed its way into the forefront of his mind. But now he can’t ignore it.

He looks beyond the group, back towards the machine. Its sparking wires lay limp on the floor, the exposed pistons and machinery of the now-cut tendrils clearly visible.

But Metal doesn’t trust it. It’s too similar to the other ones he’s seen.

As a cautionary measure, Metal scans the machine…

>>>STATUS: CRITICAL

>>>CAUTION! MACHINE SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED

Metal feels his joins constrict in surprise, the oil in his body turning icy at the revelation.

The machine’s going to blow.

Metal suddenly points towards the machine.

“GET AWAY FROM IT!” Metal commands. His voice cuts through the joyous rabble like a bad omen, as the group turn to face the remains of the machine.

As predicted, the machine begins to convulse, the sinister purple light seeping from the broken scars of the robot’s body.

Tails’ breath hitches in his through, clutching onto his yellow gadget.

“H-He’s- right! It’s gonna blow!” Tails shouts, his screen flashing with urgency.

Metal’s attention diverts from the group, back to the machine.

Just as he thought. It has the same self-destruct sequence as the other ones.

And if their timings are the same…they’ll never make it in time.

Metal’s world crawls into slow motion, his scanners darting around his immediate environment. At his allies.

Sonic could make it out of there with good enough reflex time. But the others…the size of the explosion would swallow them whole. The thought sickens him.
He only has moments to run simulated scenarios, to predict the likelihood of their escape.

>>>2 SIMULATIONS COMPLETE

>>>LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS: 10%

It’s not good enough.

Metal can already see the metal begin to bulge on the machine, threatening to burst with a hellfire of explosions.

He understands what he must do now.

Without conferring with the others, Metal Sonic winds his body backwards, his feet planted against the ground as his turbine suddenly roars with fire. It’s a move that pushes him to his limit, but actively damages his components. A move saved only for worst-case scenarios.

This feels like the worst-case scenario.

Metal’s head pounds with energy, his processors bouncing with adrenaline as he forces himself forward. Like a knight’s mighty lance, he thrusts himself towards the machine.

He doesn’t falter for even a moment, as he shoulders the burden of the machine’s weight. His momentum carries through to the machine as he propels himself into the air, dragging the heaping mass of broken metal with him as he soars directly upwards into the air.

It all happens in an instant, yet the determined strain in his head feels like an eternity. It’s only when he is airborne with the dying machine that he can face the others below.

He watches as they all gawk at him above, their expressions mixed with horror and sadness.

“SONIC! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” The other sonic calls for him.

But it’s too late for Metal.

Strangely, his mind is clearer than it has ever been. He understands it all now.

This selflessness is necessary. He understands the condition that organic creatures are afflicted with now.

Love.

Love for another. Love for this planet. He feels all of it and more,appropriately ready to burst through his metal cavities. Everything he’s seen, everyone he’s met, he is indebted to.

As he flies higher into the sky, he notes the lowering temperatures of the clouds above him, flying higher than he’s ever gone before. Flying up here, he has but a few moments of solidarity, a release from the overburdening crowds he’s grown to appreciate.

Grappling onto the disintegrating robot, he comes face to face with Eggman’s logo. Words stir in his mind, so many he wants to say yet so little time.

Instead, he looks to the machine’s hollowed out eye as if it were a reflection of who he used to be.

“LIFE IS PRECIOUS AND SHORT. RELISH EVERY MOMENT.” He says, a sincere word of advice, or perhaps a warning. His eyes darted back towards Eggman’s logo.

“SEE ME AS I AM. NO LONGER AFRAID OF ANYTHING!”

His last words seem to spark the oncoming explosion, as the machine suddenly rips open in a volatile blast. Metal Sonic watches as his own arms are flung from his metal body, seeing the inferno envelop him whole, until there is nothing but darkness again.

Chapter Text

…

…

PROWER-UP OS [VERSION 11.21.1992]

LOADING BIOS…

EXAMINING BASIC FILE SYSTEMS…

LOADING MOVEMENT DRIVERS…

EXISTING SAVE FOUND. LOADING…

LOADING UI…

Metal Sonic’s systems hum to life with a soothing whirr of his engines. His vision slowly regains consciousness with disorientating shades of murky grey mixing with the swirling colours of his environment. When he began to regain his functions, he half expected to see himself in Eggman’s cold base. Yet as he began to stir, the first tip-off was the sheer silence surrounding him. Metal was so used to the harsh, loud environment of Eggman’s factory, with pulsing machines and the harsh grating of metal. 

Instead, he finds himself lying in suspended silence. The only apparent sound around him is the low hum of his own processor. Though another sound seems to be picked up in his audio processors.

Amongst his person, he can hear an odd drumming noise within his chest. It’s low, yet significantly noticeable in this environment.

As he scans the room, he finds himself somewhere equal parts familiar yet foreign.

>>>LOCATION: TAILS’ WORKSHOP.

Metal Sonic finds himself alone in the room at the time, as he slowly props himself up to a sitting position, as if the act were more comfortable to him.

There’s definitely a change to his person. Though whether he disapproves or not is yet to be seen.

The silence extends further to sound though, as he holds his head in both hands for a moment.

His objectives.

Where have they gone?

His screen is completely blank. There are no urgent tasks, no diagnostics that need to be run.

No purpose to call upon.

Yet he remembers having one before. He remembers his previous objective to return to Robotnik. So where has it gone?

At first, the thought riles in his head, preparing himself for an unnecessary spiral of thoughts.

But despite it all, he finds an odd sense of peace.

He has no objective. Yet.

As Metal Sonic swings his legs around the edge of his work table, the door to the workshop opens, prompting him to look up at the orange figure walking through the door.

>>>IDENTITY VERIFIED: MILES “TAILS” PROWER.

>>>STATUS: FRIEND.

Tails double-takes at Metal Sonic as he sits perched on the side of the table. His expression suggests one of surprise, yet it quickly takes on an unexpected shift. One of relief.

“Metal! You’re awake!” Tails enthuses, approaching him with little fear.

“Thank goodness. It wasn’t easy putting you back together, Metal Sonic. Do you know how hard it is to recover Eggman parts? I had to improvise on a few things, buuuut I think we managed to get all the necessary parts.” Tails continues, gathering his quaint little tablet as if running some sort of remote diagnostic on him.

Put back together…Metal recalls it all.

He looks down at his own hand, twitching as he assesses himself further. He searches back in his memory banks.

He remembers it all. The fight leading up to his inevitable destruction. The juxtaposition he felt of a painful destruction, yet the gratification of the act itself.

Metal looks back up at Tails, letting his hand drop as he hops off of the table edge.

Before, he had a hard time even looking Tails in the face, seeing him as nothing more than a pathetic sidekick and nuisance to his true enemy. Now, he finds a fondness to seeing him, like a bond he wants to foster.

His eyes drift to a reflection on a sleeping monitor, assessing the state of his head and torso.

Much to his surprise…he still looks like himself. In fact, he looks better. With new, blue metal plating replacing the old and dishevelled, parts recycled and given a new life. He can’t help but place a hand to his cheek, staring deep into the bright green LED’s within the pitch black void of his eyes.

“We were all so worried about you. The others insisted on helping me find parts, we should show them all that you’re okay!” Tails continues, his twin tails, subtly wavering up and down like an involuntary show of happiness.

Metal looks quizzically in his direction, slightly cocking his head as he wanders in Tails’ direction.

Emerging from the door, Metal Sonic is startled by a sudden cry. He readies himself for a fight, only to be immediately pounced by Amy Rose, causing him to stumble to one side.

“You’re okay! I knew Tails would fix you up!” Amy enthuses, holding him by his shoulders.

Much like before, Metal seems smitten by her sudden concern for his person. He spreads his arms slightly, as if to present the new and improved him.

“That was totally reckless by the way! Don’t you ever worry us like that again!” She suddenly scolds, her sunny expression clouding into a chilling storm. Metal suddenly holds his hands up in surrender, backing away from her. He’s sure she means that out of concern.

Though it’s not just Amy who’s standing by to greet him.

Waiting outside the workshop, he scans across to find the others. His other friends.

The three Chaotix members jump to their feet as Metal emerges. Were they waiting here specifically for him?

Charmy immediately opts to buzzing around his head, spinning around to get a look up and down Metal’s fixed body.

“He’s okay! He’s okay!” He declares, as if the whole of the Mystic Ruins needed to know about his recovery.

Vector seems to intervene with Charmy's invasive buzzing, pulling him back by the scruff of his neck.

“Give the guy some space, Charmy! How would you feel if I yelled in your ear after a nap!” Vector scolds.

Charmy seems to pout at him in disapproval.

“You do that anyways!” He retorts.

Vector looks caught out, giving a light chuckle as he scratches his head.

“Yeeeah, maybe I do. Anyways, glad you made it in one piece, pal! When it comes to repairs, you can’t beat Tails’ work!” Vector enthuses.

“...You’re uhh, not still expecting a cut of the pay, right?”

It’s then that Espio interjects, standing before Metal with folded arms.

“Anything for money with that one. Though…I must admit, his pay is generous.” He continues, before flashing Metal a warm smirk.

“It’s good to see you again, old companion.” He says. He greets Metal with a low bow, as Metal looks him up and down.

Metal recalls this as being a sign of respect. Respect. He’s not sure he’s ever received that.

With a slight hesitation, Metal reciprocates the bow with one of his own, though his bow seems to take him into an uncomfortable looking acute angle. Espio can’t help but chuckle.

“Still ever keen to show me up, I see.” He comments.

Though as Metal straightens himself up, he spots another unexpected face. Standing behind the Chaotix, he sees Big the Cat. The creature he would argue started this whole metamorphosis. As soon as they lock eyes, Big gives a chipper smile, waving enthusiastically at the robot.

“Hey buddy! I heard there was some trouble over here, and Froggy insisted that we should come and check it out.” Big says, corroborated by a loud croak from his froggy friend.

Metal Sonic highly doubts that’s true. Then again…he senses such an unnatural aura from the frog.

“Say, maybe when you’re feeling better you and I can go fishing. How does that sound?” Big wonders.

Truthfully, he’s never tried it. He would usually brush it off. Yet…he feels no constraints tying him down. No prerogative to follow, yet no excuse to deny him.

Metal Sonic caves in, giving him a stiff, robotic thumbs up.

Another pair of allies shift into his frame, walking just past Big to present themselves.

Cream gives a wide smile at Metal, holding something unidentifiable under her arm. She notes the bandages around her ankle, as she hobbles towards Metal like the magnetic draw of a friend is enough to ignore the pain. She’s accompanied by her mother Vanilla, who seems much more enchanted by the metal robot.

“Mr Metal! I’m so glad you’re feeling better!” Cream cheers, rocking on her feet as she speaks to him. Cheese sits perched on her head, giving noises of cheers and delight.

Cream unravels the unidentified red object from her arm, presenting it towards him like a careful artifact.

“My momma wanted to thank you for helping me the other day. I asked her to make you this scarf! I thought it would match your shoes.” She announces.

Metal looks down at her hands, before he carefully transfers the scarf into his own. He takes in the intricate details of red wool knotted and weaved together, tying together to form a beautiful red scarf. It makes him wish that he could feel the soft sensation of the wool against his fingertips. Though that doesn’t deter him from accepting the gift, far from it in fact. He immediately whips it on , tying it snugly around his neck. Of course he feels no sensation for the cold, yet he feels an obligation to wear the gift, almost like a uniform.

Cream seems to light up. “It looks great on you Mr Metal! When we’re both feeling well enough, maybe we could play again some time!”

Metal Sonic feels a buzz of glee in his processors, giving her an enthusiastic thumbs up in response.

“So, you’re copying my style now too, Metal?” Knuckle’s voice calls out form the crowd, emerging with a sly smirk.

“What you did for us was an honorable sacrifice. Just uh…follow Amy’s advice, don’t do that again. You might be made of metal, but most people can’t come back from something like that.” Knuckles continues, his demeanor far more loose and patient than on the battlefield. He gives Metal Sonic a playful bump on the shoulder.

“Just look after yourself from now on, won’t you?”

It’s such a strange request to ask of him, with no clear end goal or success criteria, yet he feels compelled to follow it all the same. He gives him a firm nod of understanding, prompting Knuckles to look behind him.

“Yo! You gonna see your new friend Sonic?!” Knuckles calls back.

Metal’s Sonic snaps his attention upwards, focusing in on the smudge of blue in his sights.

Sonic.

Where he once revolted at the sight of him, he now feels an odd sensation. He still can’t shake some sense of dislike towards him, yet he doesn’t entirely want to rip him apart. Somethings may just be too hard wired to fix from one meeting.

But he instead feels…tolerance.

Sonic sifts through the group, approaching Metal with a smirk.

“I just didn’t wanna steal your moments!” Sonic protests, before standing before Metal.

“Hey pal! How’re you feeling?” Sonic wonders.

Metal isn’t quite sure how to respond. He doesn’t want to give a satisfactory answer to that, coming from him. Yet he also can’t recall a time outside of this group outing where he’s been asked this.

Metal averts his gaze for a moment, before giving a slight jerk of nod.

“You were amazing back there! The way we busted up that robot? Eggman’s machine didn’t stand a chance against two Sonics.” Sonic continues, evidently hyping up their previous encounter.

“Seriously, I meant what I said back there. You know- before you blew up.” He says, as if lacing his seriousness with humour.

Metal cocks his head back as he tries to recall his words.

We make a good team! Maybe we can make this a regular thing?

Metal looks back to Sonic, slightly scratching his head.

“Look, you don’t gotta agree to anything, but you’d make a much cooler hero then a badnik. You’ve already started with our friends!” Sonic says

“What do you say? Wanna be a freedom fighter instead?” He wonders, outstretching a hand towards Metal.

Confliction takes a hold of Metal from Sonic’s thread of words. 

Becoming a freedom fighter. Part of their resistance to the Eggman Empire.

If he were to agree to such a lofty proposition, he would be sealing the coffin on his alliance to Robotnik. He’s already caused so much damage to Robotnik’s trust. The thought seizes him for a moment, feeling the strange thumping noise increase in pace.

If he were to go against Eggman, where would it leave him? A traitor? A pathetic machine?

Metal snaps out of his spiralling stupor, as he finds his hand casting adrift towards Sonic.

To side with his long standing enemy is to turn his back on Eggman. To turn his back on the need for perfection, to be the machine he was always designed to be. Rejecting the taunts and abuse of Eggman.

He holds a hand to the wooly scarf, searching Sonic’s progressively awkward expression at Metal’s hesitation.

His friends. He would be losing all of this he’s built from his own hand, not the predefined path the doctor conditioned him to.

…

Metal Sonic responds to Sonic’s hand, by instead lightly slapping it away.

The reaction causes a sudden stir in the group, caught unawares by his sudden snap in judgement.

Sonic recoils his hand back, looking almost ready to find himself on the defensive.

However, Metal subverts their expectations.

Metal instead presents Sonic with a closed fist, outstretched towards the blue hedgehog.

Sonic blinks in mild confusion, before his expression quickly creases into an involuntary laugh, reciprocating Metal’s fist bump.

“Took you long enough!” Sonic jeers.

The group seem to collectively untense their muscles, giving equally relieved sighs and nervous chuckles. 

There’s no turning back now.

Sonic takes back his hand, looking around at the group.
“Alright, gang! Now that’s taken care of, we gotta lot of cleaning up to do! Eggman’s machines sure have made a mess of things. So let's all lend a hand in getting our home back the way it ought to be!” He directs.

Metal Sonic steps forwards with an eager nod, the calling for purpose and tasks never truly fading away.

>>>NEW OBJECTIVE: CLEAN THE EARTH.

Chapter Text

The coming days are a strange pivot from his usual norm, but the busyness of the day helps distract Metal’s mind.

The week following his re-awakening has been full of labouring jobs, helping his new friends clean up the mess left behind by Eggman’s disgruntled machines. He helped to become the muscle of the group, hauling long spikes from the ground and breaking them down into pieces. He assumed that these would simply be thrown away, but Tails reassured that even something as destructive as these can have new purposes. He showed Metal his furnace, blistering heat that can melt down the metal shards.

“The softer the metal, the more malleable it becomes.” Tails continues to enthuse in their one-sided conversation. He’s unsure why the fox feels the need to tell him all of this, when he’s fully aware of the properties of metal.

Though his help seemed to extend further than simple metal clearing. Despite their hard work removing the metallic madness, the scars left behind were still unsightly, a blemish on an otherwise scenic earth.

Cream and her mother seemed to have the solution however, showing Metal Sonic how they can revive the lush grass thought to be dead and decayed.

“See Mr Metal? All these seeds need is a little bit of time and love, then they’ll grow nice and healthy!” She explained, as they scatter the unimpressive seeds on the treated soil. Metal didn’t think he would feel the need to care about the grass, but he found himself becoming more and more impatient for the grass’ growth to come to fruition.

The next step in the recovery process was rebuilding any structures that were destroyed by the machines. Some homes were affected by the attack, rendering them to rubble, or partially destroying walls. This job seemed particularly meticulous, as he, knuckles and the Chaotix helped to re-build shelters. He has always been the creation, never destined to create.

Sometimes Metal’s processing begins to drift however, falling into thoughts and predictions that he never intended to. He often wonders whether he made the right choice, to upheave his entire life, his entire identity. He wonders what Eggman must think of him, of the callous betrayal he’s committed. Would it be too late to go back? Does he even want to?

Though in times where he begins to spiral, there’s always someone close by to pull him out of the whirlpool. On this occasion, Amy stops by the group working on the building work, offering food and refreshments where she can. Her and Big seem to produce decent food, according to the others. He however, doesn’t get to experience it.

“You guys are doing great! Make sure you rest yourselves, okay?” Amy tries to assure them.
“At this rate, we’ll be back to normal in no time!” 

But there is no normal for Metal. While he knows he could keep making progress without them, Big’s lesson on taking things slow and resting may have made some mark on him.

He hates these slower moments, as it only opens the door to more thoughts. Sometimes he feels the doctor’s eyes crawling on his back, like a looming omnipresent threat ready to stop him. To punish him. It’s times like this that cause him to look around in paranoia.

…

In a base far away from the freedom fighters, Eggman sits at his console, his moustache becoming more dishevelled in the shadows of the LED screen’s glow. His forehead wrinkles in frustration as he stares at the wide screen before him. Despite his notoriously round glasses concealing his eyes, they can’t mask the fury in his expression. Contorted in anger, he watches a secret camera feed from this desk, showing footage of a grassy plane. The camera belongs to a badnik stationed near the freedom fighters domain, spying on the group as they busy themselves away with snacks and chats.

He zooms the camera in on the familiar blue hedgehog, catching the metallic sheen of his body. The metal shell is undoubtedly his creation, yet the red scarf is foreign to him.

It sickens him.

Eggman’s rage boils in his head, his fists slamming down on the desk in an enraged frenzy.

“That rebellious hunk of junk!” Eggman roars, causing a mug of coffee to quiver from his rage.

“He thinks that he can rebel against me again?! After everything I’ve done for him?!” He snaps, talking pointlessly at the unresponsive screen.

He should have known that the machine would be ungrateful for his efforts. All the times he’s rebuilt and repurposed him, even let him keep his voice. Only for him to rebel against him and his plan.

Eggman starts prodding impatient fingers against his keyboard, cycling through all of the badniks under his control. On his console, he sees Metal Sonic’s portrait, once luminous and ready for action.

>>>METAL SONIC: DISCONNECTED.

Eggman grinds his teeth, throwing his keyboard away in a fit of rage. He can’t even remotely control him anymore. It’s as if Metal has been completely wiped from his systems. He’s well and truly gone rogue.

Glowering at the screen, he stares at the robot through the camera.

“I swear…when I get my hands on those rodents I’ll make them pay. I’ll turn that useless machine into soldering iron!” He protests.

There’s a moment then where Eggman’s senses heighten, as if he was somehow heard.

Metal Sonic’s head snaps towards the badnik, causing a moment of hesitation…before Metal begins to approach.

“What? Now what’s he doing?” Eggman mumbles, stroking his moustache.

Metal Sonic’s walk feels purposeful and strong, walking with haste towards the spying badnik. Despite the inability to show emotions, and the inherently softer appearance of the metal contraption, Eggman still senses something grim about the robot. An immense aura that portrays exactly how he feels.

Rage.

A bottled up rage ready to be released onto this small badnik. As Metal approaches, Eggman starts looking around frantically for the keyboard he had carelessly thrown dropping to the floor to retrieve the peripheral.

He looks under his desk, before re-emerging to the image of Metal Sonic, larger than life itself. His image is large and imposing on the screen, staring down at the doctor now knelt to the floor.

Metal Sonic stares into the camera, as if he can see the doctor through the camera footage. Metal Sonic raises a clawed hand.

“LEAVE.” He orders. Just a single word is enough of a statement to carry the weight of an army.

The badnik in front of him cowers, before it begins to burrow into the ground, the footage casting the room into darkness.

…

The cleanup process was longer and more arduous than the metal hedgehog had anticipated, but with enough time they managed to clean the earth of the remnants of Eggman’s terror.

Metal finds himself sat in front of a glistening lake, the sun setting behind the still lake.

The orange glow of the sky bounces from the lake, greeting him to sparks of bright light catching the peaks of the lake’s ripples.

He sits by the lake, staring at the beauty of nature they’ve been striving to fix. In an odd way, Metal is sad that their clean up project is completed. Not because he wished for the destruction of the freedom fighter’s home anymore, but because he now finds himself with no purpose. This cleanup was his primary focus for so long, and before that he had other objectives to keep him busy. But now, as he sits in the grass, he finds his objectives void. Empty of any purpose now.

Metal finds himself tucking his knees in, resting his arms on top of them as he stares.

What does he do now? What is the point of him now that all of his tasks are complete? Is he truly needed for anything anymore? Is he just a paper weight now?

He laments his own existence for a long while, until he hears footsteps approaching from behind.

“Hey! Mind if I join you?” Sonic says, leaning over to look at Metal directly.

Metal has learnt to integrate himself in with enough of the freedom fighters by now, learnt to tolerate and maybe even like a majority of them. Yet there’s one that he still has a hard time trying to be nice to, and that’s Sonic.

That’s not to say that he doesn’t try, but he sometimes finds himself actively trying to avoid the hedgehog where he can, as if only one of them are permitted in one space at a time.

And now he wants to sit directly next to him.

Metal Sonic gives a sharp nod, to which Sonic smiles and sits down. He seems to have misinterpreted Metal’s answer, or flat out ignored it. Yes, I do mind if you join me.

“Didn’t take you for the scenic type, Sonic. It sure is a nice spot.” Sonic starts.

“We’ve done a good job, doncha think?” Sonic wonders, sitting with his legs outstretched towards the lake. Metal doesn’t seem to take the social bait.

“...You know, the others were stoked about you helping them. I mean- without you, that knuckle head was gonna put that door on upside down.” He comments with a tone of amusement.

Metal Sonic starts to feel flighty in that moment, looking around him for an opportunity to escape. He’s not sure why having Sonic sit here talking to him makes him squirm. He’s never been afraid of the hedgehog, and he doesn’t intend to start now. But he just simply…can’t look past some things. Perhaps their similarities are like magnets. They repel each other.

Yet Sonic, ever rebellious of reason and nature, decides to fight against it.

“Hey, what's the hurry?” Sonic says suddenly, as if he can see Metal slowly inch away from him. Metal didn’t think he was so intuitive with his surroundings.

“...I think I get it.” Sonic says, leaning back. His expression becomes less of manic amusement, and more washed out with a sense of calm.

“You wanted some alone time, right? But that usually means there’s something on your mind, am I right?” Sonic wonders.

Metal cocks his head slightly, before giving a nod. He often forgets that their similarities extend to even their mannerisms.

“I’m the same, that’s why I came here too.” He says, slightly wiggling his feet in restless fidgeting.

“What I’m thinking about is when’s Eggman gonna strike back.” He starts, looking off into the distance of the lake. Metal follows his glance, but listens to every word.

“It’s easy to worry about that kinda stuff, especially when my friends are involved. But y’know, we always figure it out in the end, no matter how challenging it is.” He continues.

“What’re you worried about?”

Metal pauses for a moment, as if deliberating whether he opens himself up to the other Sonic. He lets the silence drag on for a moment, expecting the hedgehog to butt in with impatience. Yet he remains still, letting the sound of the lake fill the background.

“...What is my purpose? I am…nothing…without it.” Metal relents, avoiding Sonic’s gaze.

Sonic’s eyebrow quirks a little bit, giving him a slight smile. “Well that’s a big question, ain’t it?” Sonic wonders, as he leans back. He lays himself down fully onto the floor, which makes Metal look back at him in intrigue.

“Isn’t that up to you to decide? I bet you’re used to Eggman giving you orders to do. But the whole point of the freedom fighters is the freedom part.” He says, idly playing with blades of grass behind him.

“You know, a certain hedgehog I know was in a similar situation. But I’ll tell you the same thing I told him. Your worth isn’t about any success or failure or anything like that. Things like that are so short lived! Where you really get your purpose from is yourself.” Sonic continues, pointing at Metal with a smile.

“Your worth is in you. And that lasts a heck of a lot longer!” He says.

“The main thing is finding the courage to keep moving, even when you’ve got roadblocks in your head.” 

Metal chews on Sonic’s word for a beat longer than he expected, mulling over such a surprisingly mature answer from the hedgehog. Perhaps he really can read the room.

He shifts his weight against the floor, taking the time to etch his words into his memories.

He’s filled with…a new sense of hope.

Metal feels himself alleviated in some sense, as he loosens himself up enough to lay down.

He hasn’t entirely ridden himself of self doubt, but…it’s a nice start.

As he lays down, Sonic looks over with a grin.

“And y’know, if you ever need help you’ve got us! We all need it sometimes. I needed you rhelp with that giant robot after all!” Sonic reassures.

That’s not entirely lost on Metal. He recalls the last time Sonic offered him help, he actively slapped his hand away, leading to his demise. Looking back at the memory now though, he seems to have a different opinion of himself.

Sonic and Metal lay in silence for a moment more, yet it doesn’t feel awkward or forced. Perhaps Metal has truly come to tolerate him. Perhaps they can both exist.

Though it’s as if the pair have a simultaneous thought, their brain’s matching in-sync for a moment.

“Hey, you know what I really wanna do right now?” Sonic wonders, as he enthusiastically jumps back up to his feet, full of energy. Metal tilts his head again, as he climbs up with similar valour.

“How about a friendly competition! A race. You and me, for old times sake!” Sonic says, beaming at him enthusiastically.

Metal Sonic only ever pitted himself against Sonic to crush him. Now…he wants to do this simply for enrichment? Despite the lack of fight, Metal is happy to oblige in beating him.

Metal Sonic gives an enthusiastic thumbs up, his scarf gently waving in the changing winds.

Sonic meets him with a chuckle, crouching low to the floor in preparation for a mighty sprint.

“First one to Tails’ workshop wins. Think you can keep up?” Sonic jeers, egging on the machine further.

Metal Sonic looks more than riled, as he lowers himself parallel to Sonic against he floor.

“I WILL BE VICTORIOUS!” Metal declares.

“We’ll see about that, Sonic.” Sonic says, digging his feet into the ground.

“Alright…3, 2, 1, GO!” Sonic shouts.

The sound of their race kicking off sends a boom of energy coursing through the ground, as the pair lunge their bodies forwards into enigmatic ribbons of blue blurs. The wind parts and skims Metal’s body as they race through the grassy hills, ducking and weaving through trees in their path.

Metal may not have found a distinct purpose, yet he finds himself content. What holes have been left behind in his programming have been filled with friends, his motors beating with love for something he never thought would happen. He knows what true appreciation is, and yearns for more. He no longer has any doubts about his choice, no desire to return to Eggman. He’s found an infinite wealth of support and care with the freedom fighters.

He’s found himself.