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Truth be told, there has never been one true “main base” of operations for Dr. Eggman and the Eggman Empire. He was always on the move, from one project to another, one plan for world domination to the next. It helped keep his enemies on their toes, too, though that was really just an active bonus.
Currently, all of his most important enforcers were cooped up in a secret, underground facility located near Glass Hill. Agent Stone sat in an armchair in one of the only lounges in any Eggman base. He was reading a book about doomed love, where the main character cast their ex away for the sake of a new love.
A few rooms away, Orbot and Cubot were playing poker. Or…go fish? Uno? To be honest, Cubot didn’t know, but was too bashful to ask Orbot for the answer…for the seventh time. Metal Sonic leaned against the furthest wall, arms crossed. He stared at the pair of slackers for a good long while. Eventually, his eyes started to wander downwards. He lifted up his hand, and inspected his cold, hard, sharp as knives fingers.
Not more than a moment later, the intercom system squeaked to life. Metal looked up at the speaker located in the top corner of the room, listening to the rustling coming through on the other end.
“Attention!!” Dr. Eggman’s voice boomed, “All E.G.G rank personnel are to report to the robotics chamber immediately!!”
With another squeak and a click, the intercom silenced again. Orbot and Cubot scrambled to put away their cards. Stone calmly placed a bookmark in his novel, and set it aside before walking away. Metal merely watched Orbot and Cubot scamper away, before uncrossing his arms, and rocketing after them.
Obviously, he was the first to reach the robotics lab. He found Eggman hastily typing away on a computer panel in the center of the room. Several tanks of liquid bathed in green light surrounded them, casting the entire room in a similarly green tint.
Metal hated being in his tank, but he was never really conscious when he was. They were made for maintenance purposes, allowing Eggman’s most advanced robots to remain in stasis while they were repaired or updated. They were designs taken from his grandfather for similar, medicinal purposes. At least, that’s what Metal heard before.
Orbot, Cubot, and Stone entered in soon after, all standing to attention.
“You called, Doctor?” Stone asked politely.
“Ah! That I did! Excellent timing, all of you!”
“Gee. You’re in a good mood today, doc,” Cubot pointed out.
“Don’t say that out loud, dummy!” Orbot whispered, “Or it won’t last!”
“First time you’ve ever been right, Cubot!” Eggman grinned, “And that is because today is the start of a new era for the Eggman Empire! A great, bold step forward towards total control over the planet, and besting that rotten hedgehog!”
Metal Sonic’s head lowered slightly, as his hands balled into fists and raised to his sides.
“That’s wonderful news, sir,” Stone smiled, “May we see the latest product of your genius?”
“That you may, Stone!” Eggman slammed his hand down on a big red button on the control panel.
A great whirring noise kicked up. A crane attached to a track on the ceiling grabbed one of the green tanks, and brought it in front of the panel. The water began to drain out of it, ever so slowly.
“Gentlemen and gentlebots!” Eggman spun around grandly, “Today, I bring you the next, great weapon of the Eggman Empire!”
Metal crossed his arms. Orbot clamped his hands together while Cubot scratched his chin.
“A project several years in the making! The final evolution of a model long since dead! And the latest height of my brilliant mind!”
Once the water drained, steam rose out from the capsule, concealing whatever was inside. Its door slowly began to open.
“Everyone! Put your hands together for your newest dastardly compatriot!”
Heavy metal footsteps rose from the fog. Red shoes with wheels and thrusters on the heels clomped out from the tank.
“Once known as Mecha Sonic Mk. III, I give you…”
The all grey and silver Sonic shaped robot walked down from its tank. It stepped forward with its head hung low.
“Steely Sonic!!!”
Upon Eggman shouting its name, the orange, hexagonal visor of the robot turned on, and it lifted up its head. After stiffly standing for a second, it shifted its body to the side and shot a peace sign.
Stone, Orbot, and Cubot clapped. Metal Sonic stumbled backwards, his eyes widened in horror.
“Steely Sonic here has been on the backburner for some time now,” Eggman said, presenting the bot while resting a hand on its head, “But with all that time spent in the oven, I have high hopes that he will be a fine asset to our operations.”
Steely Sonic gave the doctor a pair of thumbs up. Metal balled his fists again and began to shake.
“We will be testing his capabilities, both in combat prowess and speed, over the course of a week. You four will be assisting me in that process. Helping to track the data, commit emergency repairs, have something to directly compare to, yada yada yada.”
“Understood, sir,” Stone nodded.
“You’ve got it, boss,” Orbot replied.
“Who are we comparing Steely to?” Cubot asked.
“Metal, you idiot!” Orbot smacked him in the side of the head.
While the shape based assistants bickered, and Stone walked up to Eggman’s side as he doted over Steely, Metal only glared at the opposing robot. He shook violently, fists still clenched, and eyes glowing like red slits.
**********
Part of this particular underground base was a cave system that remained largely unchanged by the doctor’s terraforming tendencies. There was simply an observation window installed in the room bordering a large, open area of rock and jagged spikes. None of the others understood why Eggman left it this way, until now.
While they all remained within the walls of the facility, Steely Sonic stretched his legs back and forth within the cavern. Eggman struggled to activate the speaker connected to the cave. Eventually he grew sick of typing, and slammed his fist down on the keyboard. Stone held out a megaphone for him, which Eggman swiped from him, before hitting a button to open the window.
“Alright Steely Sonic! This is your first of many speed tests! We’ve attached a tracker to your ankle to keep an eye on your position and pace! All you need to do is run around the cave, and test the capabilities of your rocket boosters! Understood?!”
Steely tilted his head back and gave a thumbs up. He wound back his arms, everyone getting a good view of his thrusters powering up. He shot forwards, zipped around a few stalagmites, and disappeared down one of the tunnels. Orbot watched the blinking dot on one of the screens move further and further away.
“He’s keeping pace very well, despite the rough terrain,” he reported, “Not to mention his zero to five hundred miles per hour is very impressive.”
“Yes, but the buildup to the launch was counterintuitive,” Stone commented.
“Possibly teething troubles,” Eggman waved off, “Or theatrics, more likely. Both can be adjusted as necessary, all I care about is his top speed at the moment.”
“He’s looped around the system and is approaching us again through the leftmost tunnel,” Orbot observed.
Sure enough, Steely came shooting out from a different hole, and started skating all around the main cavern. He grabbed a stalagmite and dug one of his heels into the earth. Metal Sonic glared coldly as Steely did donuts around the stone. Metal practically dug into his shoulders, scraping his finger against his blue frame as he tapped his foot.
Steely soon let go of the spike, and rocketed off towards a ramp carved out from the stone. He shot up it, and made a cool pose while upside down in the air. He skated down a stalactite hanging from above, careened towards the floor, then slid forwards on his hind wheels to prevent a hard impact. His body landed sideways on the ground, which made him do another pose where he held up his head with one arm, and pointed sassily with the other, before shooting off through another one of the tunnels.
“Hmm…his reflexes are nominal. Dare I say, he’s exceeded my expectations,” Eggman hummed, rubbing his chin, “Maybe after a few more laps around the caverns he can show off some other tricks he knows.”
“Do you really want your new invention showboating already, doctor?” Stone cautioned.
“You’ll see that, in due time, Stone, that is precisely what Steely Sonic is designed for! Where Metal is Sonic’s equal in power, speed, and pure determination, Steely is his match in wit, trickery, and unrelenting snark! He will outshine that insidious rodent and make him feel the annoyance I’ve had to endure for years on end!”
“I see…” Stone nodded, “Brilliant work, doctor. It’s high time Sonic felt his own arrogance used against him.”
“Preciecely what I’ve been thinking! A dose of his own medicine is sure to cripple his morale! All the while, Steely will cut him down to size alongside Metal! It’s pure genius!”
As the mad doctor guffawed with laughter, Metal haughtily turned around and marched out of the observatory. He kept marching, further and further away from the echoing laughter bouncing around the base. Soon, he reached a desolate hallway where his chortling didn’t reach.
Metal stopped. He stared down at the floor below him for a long, long time. His eyes moved down just a smidge more, and caught the very edges of his feet. After staring at them for another moment, he lifted up his palms and looked between them. Then, he gazed back down at the floor.
Without warning, Metal rolled his legs in opposite directions and slunk down to the floor. He sat in his splits position for a second, before shaking his head and getting back to his feet. He did it again, faster this time. Still not satisfied, he tried once more, reaching the floor in the blink of an eye. He nodded proudly.
Instead of standing back up, Metal balanced himself on one arm and spun his waist around like a buzzsaw. The momentum of his legs could have carried him like a helicopter if he continued. He twirled around on his hand, practically breakdancing with a spin kick.
He thrust himself upwards with his arms, and once he landed back on his feet he started swiping his claws at the air. Each strike was swifter than the last. The very atmosphere in Metal Sonic’s way slashed in twain within microseconds. He kept at it for another minute, before scraping his fingers against a pipe mounted to the wall.
Metal paused, then stepped back to inspect the damage. Luckily, he had only grazed it, leaving a noticeable but harmless scratch. Metal stared at the mark he left on the instrument for about as long as he stared at the floor.
He heard a faint whirring to his side, and turned to see a pair of Egg Pawns gawking at him. Metal stomped his foot and thrusted his body forwards. The Egg Pawns yelped in their robotic way, one dropping the boxes it was carrying. Both turned and ran away. Metal leaned back, and continued to stare.
**********
“Aren’t you concerned about where he wandered off to, sir?” Stone asked sheepishly.
“Bah! Metal is always wandering off!” Eggman waved, “I think it’s part of his patrolling subroutine or something. It doesn’t matter anyway, we can call him back when we need him. For now, let’s just enjoy the show, eh?”
Stone nodded idly, and looked forward into the shooting range. On the other side of the wall, Steely Sonic tapped his foot impatiently. He checked his wrist as if there were a watch there, then haughtily spun his head around and waved his arms about the blank arena.
“Hurry up, dumbots! I don’t need even more of my creations sassing me!” Eggman wrapped.
“Initiating target one,” Orbot typed.
A hatch opened in the floor. Out rose a long pole with a crude Sonic doll stuck to it. Steely tilted his head questioningly.
“Steely Sonic!” Eggman addressed, “Do you see the holes fashioned at your fingertips?”
Steely examined his fingers, then nodded.
“When properly outstretched, your digits can fire off high powered pellets at anything in your way! Try it on the dummy we’ve presented to you.”
Steely seemed surprised, and reinspected his fingers keenly. Then, he pointed at the doll with a finger gun.
*POW*
The bullet burst straight through the plush toy, right in its eye, sending cotton flying everywhere in its wake. Steely leaned back in shock, then giddily fistbumped and thumped his legs on the floor. Eggman was impressed, and nodded slightly. Stone, on the other hand, had his eyes widened.
“Uhm…doctor?” he questioned, “I understand that Steely Sonic is meant to be the next evolution of your mechanical might, but…Bullets have never been your style, sir. Ever. Are you suddenly okay firing upon adolescents and children?”
“Oh, get off my back, Stone! Steely’s not equipped with actual bullets! They’re tiny little plastic pellets. Like ones you’d find in BB guns. Sonic and his band of misfits have probably played with those before. Steely Sonic is fitting with them for ranged combat, and expanding his versatility.”
While Eggman pled his case, Orbot activated more trapdoors that revealed hundreds of more poles. Each had more dolls tied to them, resembling Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Steely lowered his head with confidence, and skated over to a nearby Knuckles doll. He lifted his arm, and pointed all five fingers at the toy.
*BLAM*
The force from all five shots forced Steely’s arm back some. The Knuckles plush was decimated, reduced to nothing but a snowfall of cotton raining down on the others. Steely jumped up, hyped at his performance. Stone gave Dr. Eggman a dirty look, to which Eggman sweated slightly but held a neutral expression.
“Don’t give me that look, Stone,” he turned away, “It’s a toy. It’s not going to handle the blow as well as a living person.”
“Perhaps some adjustments are in order anyhow…” Stone said darkly.
“We’ll see how further tests go,” Eggman finished firmly.
At that moment, Metal Sonic sauntered in behind them. His eyes moved over the backs of everyone’s heads. As he stared blankly forwards at a distant Sonic doll, its stuffed brains were blown out by a pellet from the side. Steely drove past, firing off pellets in every direction. Metal lowered his brow as he watched dolls of his inferior copy get decimated, one by one.
Steely pretended to skate around the range, spinning and twirling like an ice skater. He backflipped over one of the poles, and fired two pellets into a Tails doll’s face. He landed in front of the last Sonic plushy strapped down. He yanked it off its claw, spun his torso around, and tossed it into the air. “Cocking” his finger guns, Steely blasted the doll with an endless barrage of bullets.
Metal Sonic glared harshly at him as he decimating the toy. His fists clenched and he began shuddering again.
When there was nothing left of the doll, Steely spun around and posed, throwing up a peace sign to Eggman and Stone. The mad doctor smiled from ear to ear. Stone, on the other hand, could only stare nervously.
Suddenly, a gust of wind pounded them from behind. Orbot and Cubot ducked in cover as Metal Sonic shot forwards and into the range. Steely goggled in horror and leaned away, watching Metal careen towards him. Metal slammed into him, and carried him further away from the others. He crashed Steely’s back through several of the poles holding up the dolls. Then he threw Steely into the wall.
Steely slipped on his wheels and fell on his rear. He fearfully glanced up at Metal, looming over him. Metal swiped his claws down at him, to which Steely blocked with his arm. Metal kept slashing and punching at the other doppelganger robot. Steely could only protect his head by holding his arms up against the blows.
Metal kicked him in the side, knocking him to the floor. Steely curled up his legs and clutched his head in terror. Metal kept wailing on him, cutting and kicking relentlessly. In fact, he only relented when someone grabbed him by the back of his head, and hoisted him away.
“METAL SONIC!!!” Eggman roared, pressing his nose against Metal’s visor, “WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!!!”
Metal froze in fear. Stone hurried around the father-son standoff, and gently helped Steely uncurl.
“If I have told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times!!” Eggman went on, furiously, “DON’T attack other anti-personnel robots!! We are not having a repeat of what you did to Metal Knuckles!! And if you can’t get that through your thick, silicon skull, I’m reprogramming you into a busbot! Is that clear?!”
Metal sheepishly nodded rapidly.
“Good!” Eggman dropped him, “Now get out of my sight! I don’t want to see you until I’ve summoned you for an assignment!”
Metal rose to his feet quickly. He shot one last glanced back at the shaking Steely Sonic, before marching away with his head hung low. Eggman watched him leave, before turning his attention to his latest project.
“Most of the damage is superficial,” Stone observed, “But Metal did sever some wires and circuits. Plus, he punctured the fuel tanks for the rockets on his elbows pretty severely.”
“Whatever. Even if he only chipped some paint, Steely needs to be in top form for his tests. Plus, he didn’t even try to fight back. That cowardice needs to be ironed out. Come on, let’s take him to the repair station.”
Eggman sternly stomped ahead. Stone held Steely’s hand, and walked the wheeled bot after him.
**********
Every Eggman base has a little room set aside, dedicated for emergency repairs. The thing is, the vast majority of Eggman’s robots aren’t worth repairing. They usually just get smashed immediately, with nothing left to fix anyways. Eggman had to blow off the layer of dust coating the main work table before he and Stone lifted Steely onto it.
The doctor grumbled as he replaced wires and soldered Steely’s frame back together. Steely hadn’t been deactivated during the procedure, and flinched in pain with every step. Stone gently caressed his shoulder to soothe him. He turned back and glanced out through the open doorway, leading into the main hall.
“…Doctor,” he said, “May I make a few inquiries?”
“I’m not in a particularly good mood right now, Stone,” Eggman huffed, “But, fine. Just don’t expect too many answers.”
“I won’t, doctor. I’m just curious…It’s been a very long time since you’ve built another Sonic based robot, hasn’t it? The last one was Mecha Sonic Mk. II, yes?”
“Indeed. Back when I raided Angel Island. I had that model prepared on the original Death Egg, but only finished it after Sonic and Tails raided and crashed it.”
“Then…what made you create Steely Sonic now?”
“Have you forgotten what I told you, Stone?! Steely Sonic is Mecha Sonic Mk. III! He’s been in the works for a very long time!”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. My apologies, doctor. What I should have asked is, what made you finish Steely Sonic now?”
“Convenience, for one thing. We’re in a rare time of peace, Stone. Sonic and his mangy miscreants haven’t shown their faces around any of our bases for some time now. After spotting the disheveled Mk. II at White Park, I regained interest in this long forgotten project of mine.”
“Long forgotten? When did you start development on him?”
“Oh, years ago,” Eggman waved off, “Back when I began manufacturing and testing the E-series line. I had him on the Egg Carrier with Metal, but lost interest in him when I decided to put all of my focus into Metal and develop Neo Metal Sonic. Pfft, in hindsight, perhaps I should have continued developing Steely Sonic. It would have saved me the headache and the embarrassment from the stunt Neo Metal Sonic pulled soon afterwards.”
Stone nodded, and turned his attention back to Steely. The bot made all sorts of mechanical noises in place of whines as Eggman pulled out a broken circuit board. Stone caressed his cheek softly. Steely leaned into the touch.
Metal Sonic had been standing outside the doorway during the entire conversation, but only now leaned in to look inside. He watched both the doctor and the agent coddle Steely like a child. He harshly gripped the doorframe, but then sagged his arm. He turned, and slowly walked away. Stone glanced back at the doorway, and stared at nothing for a moment.
“…Now that Steely is complete, is he to be Metal Sonic’s replacement?”
“Don’t be absurd, Stone!” Eggman scoffed, “I went back to developing Metal because I knew he was my greatest creation all along! Steely is meant to supplement Metal, not the other way around.”
“Really now?”
“Yes, of course! Steely is meant to fill in Metal’s shortcomings. He can attack from any range, giving Metal cover as he closes the gap on Sonic. Not to mention it forces our enemies to be on guard for double the attacks! Even so, I perfected Metal pretty much immediately, whereas Steely here still needs some work. Cowardice aside, based on the data Orbot delivered to me, he’s not nearly as fast as Metal. Hence why Metal is still my greatest creation.”
“I see…Perhaps you should have relayed that to Metal before revealing Steely.”
“Oh, I could have said all that straight to his face, but Metal is as stubborn as a bull! He’d never have believed me.”
Stone raised a brow at the doctor. Of course, he didn’t notice, still fully engrossed in his repair work. Stone stepped back, and folded his hands behind his back.
“You’ve been working very hard today, doctor. Would you like some coffee to keep your drive going?”
“You read my mind, Stone. Keep it light on the goat milk, though. A bitter mood requires bitter coffee.”
“As you wish, sir. I’ll be back soon.”
“Make it snappy!”
Stone stepped out of the workshop, and made a left, calmly walking towards the kitchen area. However, instead of taking a right at the correct intersection, he kept going straight forwards. He followed the trail of slashed and smashed Egg Pawns that lined the corridor. Soon enough, he stopped outside a small storage closet, and peaked inside.
Metal had cooped himself up in the corner. He sat with arms limply laying at his sides, and legs curled up only slightly due to the cramped space. Stone stared solemnly at the little robot for a while, before stepping in. Metal immediately yanked a paint chipper off the nearest shelf, and pointed it at Stone’s throat. Stone froze up, but quickly regained his composure.
“Sorry to intrude, Metal. I know today hasn’t been a great one for you,” Stone carefully put a finger on the chipper, and lowered Metal’s arm, “Do you mind if I talk to you about it?”
Metal glared at Stone, but soon averted his eyes and threw the paint chipper away. Stone accepted the invitation, and sat down next to Metal Sonic.
“…You shouldn’t have attacked Steely like that, but, you don’t need me to tell you that. The doctor made himself very clear.”
Metal curled up his knees and clutched them.
“I’m not mad at you, personally. Frankly, this is one of those times where the doctor’s brazen showmanship did not yield the best results. At least, not for his entire audience.”
Metal’s grip tightened on his legs.
“…I…honestly can’t imagine what it must be like. To see other versions of yourself. Some that are better, some that are worse, and some that are just…different. And the idea that one of them could replace you, either outright or simply through taking up the doctor’s attention…that is scary.”
Stone gave Metal a pitying look, “So…I really can’t blame you for feeling so vulnerable right now.”
Metal’s slouch softened, as did his iron grip. He turned and looked up into Stone’s eyes. Agent Stone smiled, and reached out to caress Metal’s shoulder.
“But, you must understand that the doctor has no intention of throwing you out. He has stuck with you as his main enforcer, and his greatest weapon for so many years. And that’s because he knew he struck gold with you. He’s said so at every opportunity, even just now. You are still his greatest creation…”
Stone gently tapped Metal in the chest. Metal glanced down at his finger, then watched it retreat.
“And it’s more than just that. You are his prodigy. His son that only he could create with his mind and skills. He talks very highly of you, Metal, even when you don’t know it.”
Metal stared for a very long time. After a moment, he leaned in and pressed his head against Stone’s side. Stone was surprised, but smiled widely and pet the blue bot’s head. Their embrace ended soon after, and Metal’s eyes began to wander. Soon, he spotted a can of paint finish. Its sticker on the front labeled it as “Steely Smart Finish” with the color to match.
Metal pulled the can off the shelf, and pointed harshly at the word “Steely.” Stone leaned in to read it, then frowned.
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to get used to him being around. As the doctor said, you aren’t repeating what you did to Metal Knuckles. I don’t know the full details on that, but, given I haven’t seen a trace of that model during my time in the Eggman Empire, it's fair to assume you decommissioned him.”
Metal lowered his head angrily, and put the can of paint back.
“Now…I’m not going to force you to take anything that I’m about to say as factual. Or direct orders you need to follow. I just want to try and give you a different perspective on Steely Sonic so you two can coexist somewhat well. Okay?”
Metal turned and looked up into Stone’s eyes. He gave him a slight nod. Stone nodded back, and took a deep breath.
“So…You, being one of Eggman’s most unique creations that he built especially for his empire, rather than an assembly line model, makes you his son. We’ve established that, right?”
Metal nodded again.
“Good. Then, Steely Sonic, being another robot he has specifically designed and built from scratch, would also make him his son. And that would make the two of you brothers.”
Metal dug his claws into the floor. He pulled up his arms and rested them on his knees, turning away with a pout.
“Like it or not, that’s the truth, Metal. But, being brothers doesn’t necessarily mean you have to get along.”
Metal slowly turned his head back towards Stone.
“Take it from someone who had three brothers growing up. Family or not, your brothers are going to get on your nerves. They’re going to pick on you, bug you, and maybe even push you around. Given Steely’s apparent nature, I expect he’ll be doing that a lot.”
Metal rolled his eyes, groaning with a low beep.
“You don’t have to like your brothers. Hell, you can hate them perfectly fine. But you need to have some level of respect and love for them so you don’t…y’know…kill them. It’s a delicate balance, but one that ensures everyone can make their mark on the world. And you, Metal Sonic, still have to show the world that you are the one and true Sonic the hedgehog…”
Metal uncurled his legs and set his arms down calmly. He looked down at the floor for a second, then turned back to the paint can. He jerked his thumb towards it, looking back at Stone. He took a second to figure out what Metal meant, but then understood.
“Oh, Steely? No, he’s not meant to be the ‘one true Sonic’ too. Doesn’t really look the part, does he? Not with his paint and big orange eye. Steely is not your competition, nor is he meant to surpass you. He is here to help you. And given the level of power he’s displayed, I think you should accept it.”
Stone gave Metal one last pat on the shoulder before he stood up.
“But, before you can do that you need to make up for what you did,” he said sternly, “An apology or a showcase of comradery should be expected.”
Metal’s eyes widened. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
“Don’t worry about the doctor. I can handle him. I just want you thinking about what you’ll do with Steely.”
Stone offered him a hand.
“Come on. I promised to make the doctor a cup of coffee. You can think about it on the way.”
Metal stared at the hand for a moment. He gingerly accepted it, and Stone helped him to his feet. He gently held the robot’s sharp fingers, as he walked him out of the closet and back into the facility’s halls.
**********
“And…there!” Eggman carelessly tossed aside his welding iron, “Good as new! Like nothing ever happened!”
Steely Sonic inspected his arms. Sure enough, there was not a scratch on them. It really was like nothing had happened. He jumped off the table and spun his arms around excitedly.
“Glad to see you feel the part, my boy! But, before we can get back to where we left off, we need to resupply your ammunition. You chewed through it like a machine gun. Which you should not do on the battlefield! You may have a healthy supply of bullets, but not an infinite one!”
Steely shrugged with a head tilt. Eggman reached over for a clipboard sitting on a nearby table. It had been singed slightly by the welding iron, and Eggman had to pinch out the tiny flame growing in the corner of the page. After waving his fingers, he began mumbling to himself as he read.
Just then, Stone walked in with a pair of steaming coffee mugs on a tray. He placed it down on a nearby desk, then turned his full attention to the doctor. His smile was short-lived, and he gulped.
“Uhm…Doctor?”
Eggman looked up at Stone. He pointed past him, and Eggman looked behind to see a small fire kicking up where he threw the welding iron.
“…Orbot, Cubot, report to the repair station with a fire extinguisher immediately,” he said into his wrist.
Steely tilted his head in confusion. The sound of clanking footsteps came to his metallic ears. He turned, and jumped in fright before scurrying behind Eggman’s legs. Eggman gawked at the bot, until he spotted Metal Sonic walking into the room.
“We really need to remove whatever subroutine is making you such a wimp,” Eggman whispered to Steely.
Steely clutched the doctors legs, shuddering in fright. Metal stared at him blankly.
“As for you!” Eggman pointed harshly, “I thought I told you-!”
“Easy there, doc. Remember what we said about your blood pressure,” Stone walked up with the coffee mugs, “I had a talk with him. He’ll be better. He promises.”
Stone turned to Metal, “Isn’t that right?”
Metal nodded firmly. He walked around the humans and got a better view of Steely. Steely shakily stared back, nervously pointing a finger gun at him. After a moment, Metal lowered his head silently. Steely stopped shaking after a while, and let go of Eggman’s thigh.
Metal raised his head up again, and stretched out a hand. Steely was taken aback by the offer. After another moment of silence, at least for Eggman and Stone, Steely stepped forward. He wound his hand back, instantly making Stone afraid he was going to swat away Metal’s. Instead, theirl hands clapped together loudly, as Steely dapped up his brother.
Stone breathed a sigh of relief, then glanced over to Eggman.
“You see, doctor? A little one on one talk goes a long way.”
“Oh, don’t lecture me,” Eggman grumbled, taking his mug.
They watched Steely try and give Metal a noogie, only for Metal to knock him off. Stone clicked his mug against Eggman’s, right as Orbot and Cubot scrambled in to put out the fire.