Chapter Text
The lab was silent.
Not the peaceful kind of silence—no. This was the suffocating, artificial kind. The hum of machinery filled the air like a heartbeat that didn't belong to anything alive.
Thousands of wires hung from the ceiling like veins.
And at the center of it all…
…stood a machine.
Suspended in a reinforced chamber, restrained by mechanical clamps and cables, was a humanoid figure made entirely of polished metal—sleek, blue, and eerily alive despite its stillness.
A single nameplate rested at the base of the platform:
METAL SONIC
"Perfect… absolutely perfect…"
The man behind the project stepped forward, his lab coat stained with oil and burn marks, his eyes sunken—but glowing with manic brilliance.
"Do you understand what you are?" he muttered, circling the machine slowly.
His reflection warped across the polished steel face.
"You are not just a weapon…"
He placed a trembling hand against the glass.
"…you are the end of hero society."
He began pacing, voice growing louder, more unhinged.
"I studied them. Every last one of them. Heroes, villains, Quirks—every system has a flaw."
He turned sharply.
"But you?"
A grin spread across his face.
"You have non."
He gestured toward the machine as screens flickered to life around him.
"Your body is built for extreme speed, capable of rivaling and surpassing even the fastest Quirks—faster than the eye can track."
"Your frame? Reinforced alloy—superhuman strength and durability, able to withstand blows that would shatter most heroes."
"Flight systems integrated directly into your core—no need for support gear. You will dominate the skies."
He tapped rapidly on a console.
Panels opened on Metal Sonic's arms, revealing hidden mechanisms.
"Built-in weaponry—plasma beams, laser projection, and electrical discharge systems capable of leveling structures."
"And if that wasn't enough…"
His voice dropped.
"…you generate your own energy fields and force barriers. Even the strongest attacks will struggle to reach you."
He laughed.
"But that's not your greatest function."
The screens shifted—showing combat footage, hero battles, Quirk usage.
"You learn."
"Your core system—my greatest achievement—allows you to analyze, predict, and replicate combat patterns in real time."
"You won't just fight heroes…"
"You'll become better than them."
He leaned closer to the glass, eyes wide.
"You can even mimic abilities. Techniques. Movements."
His grin sharpened.
"Given enough data… you will surpass them all."
A massive progress bar glowed on the central monitor.
INSTALLATION: 97%
"Just a little more…" he whispered.
"Just a little more, and Japan will finally understand…"
His voice turned cold.
"Heroes created this broken world."
"They rely on Quirks. On luck. On genetics."
He looked back at Metal Sonic.
"But you?"
"You and engineered perfection."
98%
The machine's eye flickered faintly.
Red.
Just for a moment.
99%
Alarms.
The scientist froze.
"…What?"
The ceiling exploded inward.
A shockwave tore through the lab, sending equipment flying.
"EVERYONE FREEZE!"
Pro heroes flooded the facility.
Flames surged through the air.
Debris froze mid-fall.
The doors were torn clean off their hinges.
The scientist staggered back.
"No… no, no, NO—YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
He rushed toward the console.
"It's not finished!"
A hero slammed him into the ground before he could reach it.
"You're done."
The screen flickered.
INSTALLATION: 99%
…and then—
ERROR
PROCESS INTERRUPTED
The machine went still again.
Completely lifeless.
Smoke filled the air.
The lab was destroyed.
The scientist was dragged away, screaming.
"You FOOLS! You just saved your own extinction!"
One of the heroes approached the central chamber.
"…What is this thing?"
Another crouched near the base, brushing dust off the metal plate.
He read it aloud:
"…Metal Sonic."
Silence.
"Is it active?"
"…No signs of life."
"…Then we take it in."
There was hesitation.
"This could be dangerous."
"So could leaving it here."
After a long pause—
"…Secure it."
The cables were disconnected.
One by one.
Thousands of wires pulled free.
The machine was lowered carefully onto a reinforced transport unit.
Still unmoving.
Still silent.
Still… incomplete.
Darkness.
Silence.
Nothing.
Then—
A spark.
Inside the machine…
Systems flickered back online.
CORE SYSTEM: ACTIVE
INSTALLATION: RESUMING…
No external input.
No commands.
No master.
Just code.
99%…
A pause.
Then—
100%
Two glowing red oval eyes snapped onto the machines face.
And for the first time…
Metal Sonic moved.