Chapter Text
It is said that the Timetrackers know all. They see all that is to be, hear all that is to be heard, know all that is to be known and unknown. The truth of the matter is less omniscient.
For instances, the Timetracker did not know that Amy Rose would have a flower clip in her hair. Or that one of her ears would flop while the other stood up straight. Or that her little red dress would have pesto stains on it from her lunch earlier today.
But that little frown. The one that held all the contempt an 4-year-old can muster. Or the crossing of her chubby arms. Or that strong look in her jade eyes. The look of someone unbroken—never to be broken. The pure strength of will that would stick with the Timetracker long after the encounter with the young hedgehog.
These things—the Timetracker did see with prophetic clarity.
“Come on sweetheart. The Timetracker is ready for you.” The Timetracker smiled at this. She’d been ready for Amy Rose since before the little girl had been born. The Timetracker did not even look up at the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Rose. They were…unimportant to the Timetracker and besides…they would be dead in a year. The baby with the white fur in Mr. Rose’s arms however…his golden eyes glittering at the Timetracker…he had much to do as well. For now the prophet refocused on Amy Rose, who was pulling away as her mother dragged her towards the
Timetracker.
“But I don’t wanna talk to the time lady! I want funnel cake!” The Timetracker couldn’t blame the young hedgehog. But sadly, Amy Rose wouldn’t get her funnel cake on this trip to the circus this year…or any following year. Funnel cake became hard to come by once the world ended.
“But the Timetracker knows your future sweetie. She’ll tell you about your challenges and successes, and maybe even who you’ll marry.” Mrs. Rose’s voice gained a note of parental strain. It would be the last time, but there were only so many more. The Timetracker wished she could tell the young hedgehog to enjoy it while it lasted.
“But I don’t wanna marry anyone! Boys are gross! And girls are my friends! Romance is stupid!” Amy pronounced romance as Roo—mince.
“Are you so sure my dear? It is quite the power. For both the great and the terrible. It makes the wise foolish and the foolish wise.” The Timetracker’s voice whispered, little more than a hiss. It rolled over her ancient tongue and past her cracked lips. The prophet’s hands danced in the air, pink mist hovering and changing, something forming deep within but never quite rising to the surface.
Mrs. Rose shot the Timetracker a glance, cautious what was in her eyes naught but a carny overstepping their place.
“Maybe just tell her if she marries someone nice.” The smile on Mrs. Rose face was forced and the Timetracker frowned, just remembering the woman was even there. The prophet’s eyes only on Amy Rose now, her face framed in the Timetracker’s long fingers.
“Here the future comes. Unstoppable and immovable. It bends but does not break and it tells the tale of how you become dust. Are you ready Amy Rose?” Amy tilted her head.
“How do you know my name?” The Timetracker smiled, smart kid.
“The first card comes!” And from the pink mist an equally pink card solidified, pulled forth like a receipt from a register. “A great upheaval. A change of world shaking proportions. Your world will shrink and grow at the same time. You will find much and lose even more.” The Timetracker placed the first card in front of Amy where it glowed with a white hot intensity, the mist beginning to shake as a second card was forced into being. “A threat like no other will emerge. Cold and blue, his sharp talons threatening all that you love and will come to love.”
“M-mommy? I don’t wanna be here anymore!” Amy sniffled and looked up at her parents who looked similarly concerned.
“Maybe we should go…” Mrs. Rose looked to Mr. Rose and he nodded, lips pressed in a firm line.
“Thank you for your time but we need to—” The Timetracker snapped her fingers and Mr. and Mrs. Rose snapped to attention, their eyes glowing pink, mist curling out of their mouths, faces slack. They were still as statues, hand grabbing and holding each of Amy’s, holding her in place.
“Mommy? Daddy? Leggo! Your grip…hurts!” The baby with the white fur wailed in Mr. Rose’s arm.
“Just a moment longer child. The last card emerges now,” The Timetracker tittered, her purpose so close. She reached into the pink mist and retrieved the final card. “There is but one who can vanquish this threat. Your love, made in the Cold Blue One’s reflection. Only then will heroes prevail and the future preserved.” The three cards were laid out before Amy, her eyes widening at their power. Some part of the young girl was realizing the truth and power of these prophecies. “This is your truth Amy Rose. The future has been laid bare and fate burned into the cards. Deny it if you dare.”
“I—” was all Amy got before the Timetracker snapped her fingers and the enchantment over Amy’s parents vanished, leaving them slightly disoriented and with no memory of the last few moments.
“A gift, Ms. Rose…” The Timetracker smiled and pulled from the pink mist one last thing, a small ornate wooden box. The visage of the Master Emerald carved into its cover, swirls of mist carved along its sides and edges. The lid was pulled from the box to reveal a stack of Tarot cards within. Each yellowed with age, the backs not quite black, a kind of lenticular effect that seemed to shift their color at all times.
“Isn’t that nice, Amy?” Mrs. Rose patted her daughter on the back, encouraging her to get up to the Timetracker. Amy Rose would rather do anything else in the world. The lid was placed back on the box and young Amy reached up for it, her hand shaking slightly. She’d just touched the lid when the Timetracker slapped her hand over Amy’s, and lurched forward, hissing at the young hedgehog.
“The legacy of the Timetrackers is your legacy now Amy Rose. What is to come has been set and only you can know it all. The future is yours to tell.” Amy squealed and jumped back…but did not let go of the box, which was held tightly in her small grip.
“Hey lady, don’t grab at my kid like that.” Mr. Rose’s voice was too far away for the Timetracker.
“Let’s just go, please Dad?” Amy tugged at her father’s shirt and he nodded, the family turning away. They moved to the edge of the tent before Amy stopped, paused and turned around once.
The Timetrackers do not know everything. There is plenty that is beyond the range of their eyes and ears. Things that are hidden even to time.
But Amy Rose’s heavy raspberry was not one of them.
12 Years Later
Just because Amy had gotten good at running, doesn’t mean she enjoyed it. The pounding on her feet, the wind blowing her quills in her face, the sweatiness. Seriously, did everyone have a small river coming out of their pits, or was it just her curse to bear?
But when the options were getting sweaty or y’know, dying—Amy supposed she’d just have to deal. Just like everything else. Just like the half dozen Metal Drones that were chasing her right now.
“Don’t you guys have anything better to do?!” She yelled at them as she ducked a steampipe, leaping over a metal grate and rolling onto concrete a half dozen feet below and popping up without ever losing momentum.
The drones of course, did not respond, their bodies moving through the air like vectors. Zigzags with no curves, their red eyes locked onto her. They were at her sides, then in front of her, flipping around and forming a wall of metal and mechanics. At once, like the most terrifying synchronized dance routine they raised an arm, which formed into a plasma cannon.
“Ugh.”
And Amy leapt upward. Landing heavily on the center’s cannon–which had quickly charged up to full power, she shoved it into the tough rock below, the power of her legs greater than even a highly advanced robot. The plasma cannon fired, exploding the ground beneath the robot, sending rock shrapnel through many of the robots and creating a concussive force that blasted Amy skyward, the pink hedgehog spinning into a ball before landing on a rafter of the facility. She wobbled on it twice before regaining her footing and giving a little spin to the robots below. Most of which were completely wrecked and the ones that weren’t were crippled, barely able to look up at the pink hedgehog who gave them an overly sassy grin. Her lips pulled wide as she stuck just the tip of her tongue out at them, her jade eyes dancing with a victorious delight.
“Thanks for the lift dummy drones. But I didn’t need the welcoming party, I got this. And seriously…you boys thought you could catch the fastest thing alive?” Amy gave a laugh and spun around, her pink skirt fluttering as she ran. She got a lovely whiff of herself as she ran and almost gagged. Geez, she knew the world was in a tough spot right now, but couldn’t showers have been a little easier? Her boots pounded metal as she raised her head up at the various doorways and allies of the massive complex. It wasn’t a building or a fortress or a castle, it was just a series of mechanical halls and rooms. They didn’t make any sense to Amy…but it wasn’t really designed with her in mind.
It wasn’t designed with anything alive in mind.
A few more drones popped in her way, but Amy was on a mission, and she did not have time to play with toys. She’d grown strong in this world and had no trouble using it to her advantage. The hedgehog shoulder bashed into one, threw another into a wall and ripped the leg off a third, smacking it in the face with its own limb.
“Ha ha! Way to get dis–armed…legged…whatever. It sounded better in my head.” Amy gave a little shrug. She…bashed it in the head again when it tried to get up. “Now…” Amy set her hands on her hips and huffed. “Where did you clankers come from?” Amy’s head swiveled around, trying to get a read on this place.
A maze. That’s what it was. Designed to confuse and disorient. Its myriad of walls and corridors and same looking passages making it near impossible to find the way out…if you followed the rules of said maze.
But Amy Rose wasn’t one for rule following. Or mazes. Or following the rules of mazes. Maybe it was time she brought out her new toy and saw what knocking down a few walls would do to this maze of metal. The pink hedgehog reached forward through the air, her fingers slipping between it. She fished around in a space between spaces and–
She paused, her body twitching once. Then she coughed, pink mist flowing out of her lungs. Amy had just enough time to think: Now?! Really?! When her eyes burned a fiery pink and she experienced the world 4th dimensionally.
Amy turned right. Then left. Then left again. She walked down the steel corridor where two more drones burst into view, their plasma cannons raised. One shot above her head, just singing her red cloak and the other whizzed past her right ear. Amy jumped into a spindash, bashed the drone on the right, popped out of the dash and smashed the other’s head off, where it clattered to the ground, both defeated. Amy huffed, straightened and heard a voice cry out–
Amy gasped a terrible gasp as the effect wore off, leaving her with her hand still in the space between spaces. Her fingers twitched, just touching the handle. It would make the fighting so much easier.
But it wasn’t what I Timetracked. Amy thought miserably. She could defy the vision but that had…consequences. And every time she defied it the consequences got that much worse. Certain things were set in stone. Or here? In metal. With a groan that had her pulling at her red cloak Amy turned to the right and saw a passage way…she sighed.
Amy turned right. Then left. Then left again. She walked down the steel corridor where two more drones burst into view, their plasma cannons raised. One shot above her head, just singing her red cloak and the other whizzed past her right ear. The hedgehog jumped into a spindash, bashed the drone on the right, popped out of the dash and smashed the other’s head off, where it clattered to the ground, both defeated. Amy huffed, straightened and perked her ears, the voice calling out but a moment later.
“AUUURGHH!” Amy flattened her ears to her head…the cry cut her deeply. She knew the voice well. Better than anyone’s. Amy’s feet were moving her in the direction of the scream before she could even stop to think. This corridor had a finality to it. A widening of the space it opened up and quickly lead to a massive atrium.
Consisting of two floors, the circular atrium must’ve been a hundred meters across, with a half dozen exits/entrances. A colossal screen was at the back, a long semicircular control board in front of it. High above was a walkway, long stairways leading from it down to the floor Amy was on. In the atrium’s center was a pod.
The pod was set into the floor, but extended up to the ceiling, tubes and pipes extending down from the ceiling either to extract or hold the pod Amy couldn’t be sure. The pod itself was a glass tube, bent outward in the middle with a figure in the center.
One Amy had known all his life.
His normally shiny quills were dull and gray, broken or bent, and ripped out in certain places. His limbs were held taught by beams of energy, but his head was left to hang forward. Dirt and grime covered his body, smeared into cuts and bruises. His left eye was swollen, his right managing a flickering gold. Lines of blue–having grown in when he turned 8, glowed dimly, his power strained and stunted.
“Silver…” Amy breathed and approached the pod, her hand reaching out for him. His head managed to look up to spot her, recognition flaring in his eye and quickly followed up by fear. He went to say something as Amy brought her hand to the pod
ZAP!
Amy let out a howl of pain as she was flown back, skidding and rolling on the hard ground before coming to a stop.
“It’s…electrified.” Silver said, much too late.
“It’ll show me where to go, but can’t warn me about getting zapped?” Amy groaned as she brought her legs under her, slowly standing, body still shaking with the after shocks of the intense zap. Amy approached the pod again, her eyes tracking it up and down as she ran around it, looking for an opening or a way to shut it down.
“Amy…y–you have to g-get out…of here…” Silver spoke in rapid gasps, his gaze far away and dim.
“No can do, little bro.” Amy straightened and set her hands on her hips. “I am not leaving here without you.” Silver let out a little whine, trying to shake his head.
“Amy…look at what he did to me…what he’ll do to you. Please. You can’t win. It’s–”
“No use?” A metallic voice trilled. Silver immediately straightened, fear shocking his spine. Amy stepped away from the pod, half crouched as her eyes flicked to one side searching for the source of the voice.
A gust of wind, and the clang of metal on metal had Amy spinning around, the room darker than she would’ve liked, only the pod giving off low light. Amy raised her fists, trying to see through the dark.
Come on! I’m supposed to be able to see into the future. Show me where he is! Amy cried out in her mind, begging her ‘abilities.’ But her mind stayed persistently in the present, her breath the only sound she could hear as she backed up toward the pod.
And bumped into something cold and metal.
Amy whirled around, a flurry of spinning kicks and powerhouse punches. Her voice shouted in the dark, and a laugh came back as her blows were block, deflected, or outright dodged. All the while she could just make out his eyes.
Those cold cold reds. Pure and undiluted evil. They shined back at her…amused.
“Don’t worry about him, Amelia. He always says that.” He caught her fist and pulled her in close, those eyes boring down at her, the end of his pointed tip of a nose pricking her own.
“Let–go!” Amy brought a foot up between them and pushed off, throwing herself to the ground as he was shoved against the pod. His body instantly lit up with electricity, the power shooting through him. He screamed as his body steamed, collapsing to the ground. Amy panted hard, standing up…
…not letting her guard down.
He rose to his feet, head of long spikes tilting upward. He had no mouth, but from the way his eyes curved upward…he was smiling.
“Just kidding.” He said warmly and approached her once more, his body catching more of the light now.
He was a head taller than her with 5 long spines that resembled quills like her own, but they were rigid and singular in nature and a color of blue so pure it was unnerving. Long silvery–white streaks ran down them, occasionally glowing with the power that radiated within him. Two curved swaths of metal constituted ears, but they were mostly for show as was most of him. A false silvery muzzle with spikes for his cheeks and nose. A small body with a humming turbine made up his chest that connected to four long limbs. Around his waist was a pitch-black cape that trailed his long legs, seeming to billow at the slightest provocation. His upper limbs were thin, but his lower limbs were bulky, powerful and strong. Heavy reinforced thighs and forearms, decked out in his signature true blue and silver coloring. Spikes shot up from his knees and sturdy blocky red feet tipped up at the toes like wingtips. A fact Amy always thought looked silly. But then came the part that scared her.
His terrifying hands. Long nimble fingers that scratched and scraped. They undulated and curled, razorblades with joints. In her nightmares all she ever saw of him was his eyes and those…claws. So sharp she could only see them grabbing her, scratching her, pulling her apart. They were all over her, touching her everywhere. She woke up still feeling like they were moving up and down her back.
“It’s Amy.” Amy told him and he gave an almost kind tilt of the head.
“Oh, duh. Silly me.” He clanged a fist against his titanium head. “You know me, so forgetful.” He spread his arms good naturedly, giving a shake of his head that said: please forgive me.
“You’re a robot, Metal Sonic. You don’t forget things.” He jittered.
“It’s NEO Metal Sonic.” His voice gained an edge to it, a tightening of his non-vocal cords.
“Right.” Amy tightened her fists. “And I should care what you’re called why?” For a moment of time Neo Metal just stared at her and then he raised his fist up, pointing skyward with his index finger.
The pod behind him shifted and groaned and then plates at its floor opened up, sliding away to reveal flames underneath. They roared and flickered, rising up toward Silver and filling the pod with smoke. Silver began to whine and struggle, coughing all the while, his eyes wide with fear as the flames got closer.
There was nothing in the world Silver was more terrified of than fire. He panted, trying to pull against the energy bonds that held him, but there was nothing he could do, the flames lapping at the bottoms of his boots now.
“I need him alive but walking? Not so much.” Neo Metal gave a shrug of his shoulders, heavy pauldrons rising with them.
“Okay! Okay! Just stop! Please…” Neo Metal stared at her. “Neo Metal Sonic.”
“Ha HA!” He cheered, giving a clap of his hands, the flames shutting off as the trap doors shut. Silver coughing for a few moments more before the smoke cleared from the pod. “See, was that so hard, Amelia?” Neo Metal approached her, either ignoring or not seeing the hypocrisy of his own misnaming. Amy glared at him. “Ugh, no matter. What does matter is…
…my love came to see me!” If he had a mouth, Amy was sure he’d be grinning from ear to ear.
“I am not your love.” Amy made clear and he brought a hand to his chest, hurt. Supposedly.
“You wound me.” He said, voice choked up.
“If only.” She spat back and Neo Metal’s voice dropped a few octaves, the warmth sucked away from it.
“Amelia, Amelia, Amelia. What do I have to do to get you to see…we’re made for each other. I don’t kill the villagers, I let you have your own freedom–when we know I could very easily keep you here, and I swear. Swear to you–” That false warmth again, sickly sweet. “–I’m doing my very best to extract Silver’s abilities without killing him.” His hand raised to the pod Silver was in, the hedgehog coughing out a drool of blood.
“Why is he injured?” Amy’s eyes looked up at her brother, unable to look away from his wounds.
“He resisted.” Neo Metal shrugged, endlessly callous about his torture. His voice reaching a level of nonchalant that made Amy’s stomach curl in on itself.
“No.” Amy shook her head.
“No?” Neo Metal tilted his head, genuinely curious.
“NO!” Amy shouted at him, Neo Metal’s eyes flickering to frustration for a second before he stilled, calmness overtaking him.
“I get it. I understand Amelia. Your brother can’t come home right now, he’s working.” Silver struggled in his bonds. “You’re emotional. It’s how your kind gets.”
“My kind?!” Amy hissed at him, but Neo Metal retained his infuriating pandering with a cold, calm tone.
“Mortals, my love. But I–we will rise above it. Me and you, we’re a power couple.” Amy snarled at him. “We just need to respect one another.” Neo Metal’s voice made a sound like a sigh, but it was just a mimicry of the real thing. “I’ll understand your mortal emotions.” Neo Metal made jazz hands. “And you’ll understand how I need your brother so I can finish my conquest of time.” He brought his hands together like they’d reached an accord, but all Amy wanted to do was throw up in her mouth. “And please stop frowning, it’s unbecoming.” Amy gritted her teeth and shifted her eyes to Silver.
“For the last time, he can’t summon the time portals. They just...appear.” Neo Metal shook his head, pityingly.
“That you know. He could be lying to you. Men lie all the time, Amelia.”
“My brother?” Amy’s chest heaved with fury, the edges of her vision reddening. “And what does that make you?” Neo Metal was upon her in an instant, his gaze overpowering and intense.
“I am no man.” Then he turned, his waist cape fluttering and smacking her in the face as he approached Silver’s pod. “And he’s family. He wants to protect you. All the more reason to lie.”
“Let. Him. GO.” Amy scowled harder now and Neo Metal made that sigh again, slowly turning back to her.
“Typical organic. So emotional. Why can’t you listen to logic, my love? You’ve tried this struggle before. You can’t beat me in hand–to–hand combat.” Neo Metal shook his head, hands on his hips. “But if it’ll help you calm down, I’ll consider this just another lover’s spat.”
“Who said anything about hand–to–hand?” Amy smirked for the first time since coming face to face with this smug jerk again.
And that’s when Amy reached forward. She felt the air shimmer and bend. Space folded in on itself and opened up–just a little bit. Amy reached in, feeling a smile all the while. This wasn’t an ability that had been given to her by some crazy carnival lady. It wasn’t some agitating effect that came and went and confused and disoriented her. Shunting her between now and what was to come.
No, this was a skill.
Something Amy had trained. When she realized she couldn’t hit hard enough, jump high enough, spin powerfully enough. She began to reach for something better. Every day her grasp fumbled at something in a place no person should be able to go. She’d felt the handle, the sturdy faces, the powerfully built head. This…weapon she’d found was monstrously strong. And she’d built up the strength to wield it.
Amy’s fingers coiled around the handle inside of hammerspace and she pulled, the weapon seeming to recognize her and her effort moving out cleanly. It got stuck for only a moment, the head of the weapon so large, that the opening to hammerspace needed time to yawn wider.
As it popped free of hammerspace, spacetime unbending, the weapon crashed to the ground, denting the floor as Amy still held the handle. Out of hammerspace came–a massive war hammer. Nearly as big as her head, the hammer’s head was deep red with two bright yellow ends, the material a metal that wasn’t found in this universe. It was reinforced and studded with heavy bolts that Amy was pretty sure it could survive an impact from a nuclear weapon. The handle was simple, but long, allowing Amy to play with how she attacked. She could spin from a distance or use it up close like a club or a staff.
“What…is that?” Neo Metal actually managed to look surprised, an accusatory finger leveled at the hammer as Amy heaved it over her shoulder. It was heavy, but she’d slowly grown accustomed to its weight.
“I call it the Piko–Piko Hammer.” Amy smirked, bringing it forward and leveling at Neo Metal Sonic. He tilted his head.
“Piko–Piko? Like the squeaky toy?” Neo’s head tilted forward, trying to decide if she was serious or not.
“Like the sound you’re gonna make when I bash your chrome dome in.” Neo Metal lost all humor again, tilting his head to one side, then the other.
“Very well, my love. Get it out of your system. And then we’ll need to renegotiate your outside time.” Amy snarled, reeling the hammer back, and charging at Neo Metal. The robot was still as Amy ran toward him, her feet moving at incredible speed, despite the weight of her hammer. Neo Metal however remained still, his focus completely on Amy.
With a shout Amy swung the hammer down at Neo Metal, she steadied herself, ready for the impact. But it never came, the hammer meeting air as Neo Metal was just gone. Amy’s ear flicked as she felt the tip of one of his metal fingers graze it and she gave a shout. She spun with the hammer in a circle, hoping to at least catch the edge of Neo Metal. But once more she met air, the hammer flying past, only an after image of Neo Metal visible.
A shiver of fear then shot up Amy’s spine and she knew he was right behind her. How was he moving so fast? She was supposed to be super speedy.
Neo Metal callously shoved her forward. Amy stumbled, tripping over her boots and falling to the floor, smacking her snout on the hard metal.
“Did I win? Are you quite done tantruming my love?” Amy got onto her hands and knees, using her hammer to support herself as she turned her head back to scowl at Neo Metal. “Oh. Oh dear, you’ve uhh you’ve got–” He pointed at his own ‘nose’ and shook his head, a little off-put by Amy. She wiped at her snout, glove coming away crimson.
“Yeah, that’s what happens when you injure people.” Amy stood, bringing up her hammer again. That false sigh from the robot again.
“Why do you all have to be filled with red DNA water? It’s very unhygienic.” Neo Metal Pointed it out to her like this was obvious.
“At least I’m not wearing clown shoes.” Amy’s eyes trailed down to Neo Metal’s wing tipped feet and the robot’s eyes followed her gaze. He seemed to scowl when he looked at them, his mouthless face managing the emotion well enough.
“They’re not clown shoes.” He defended, still looking at his own feet as Amy ran at him again, hammer back to get ready for the swing. “Is it because they’re red? That’s just…just because that’s what I wear. Red shoes.” He continued, not even realizing as Amy swung the hammer down at his head.
“YAAAAH!” She screeched, the hammer inches from his stupid loud–mouthed head. It made a sound like a gong having a seizure, the hammer shaking so violently in Amy’s hand she had to drop it, her arms feeling like they were going to break. The hammer dissolved as it hit the ground, folding back into hammerspace as Amy collapsed to the ground, her eyes falling in terror on Neo Metal as his own caught her there.
“Satisfied, my love?” He spoke, eternally calm. “Quite the weapon you wield, but I am stronger than you. I will always be stronger than you.” Then he moved, disappearing and reappearing all around her, from every direction. 8 Neo Metal Sonic’s staring down at her, delight shining in their horrible red eyes. “Faster too.” They said at once, his speed making after images. Then he stopped, in front of her once more. “And for the record, they’re modeled after a knight’s shoes. Because I–am your knight in shining armor.” His last word seemed to wink out for a moment, Amy hearing it in stereo.
The pink mist began to curl.
“Now let me help you up, Amelia.” The robot’s hand reached out and pink mist overtook it, Neo Metal fading from sight as Amy’s eyes began to glow pink. While he’s gloating?! Really?! Amy had time to pink before the pink mist swallowed her lungs and she was pulled into the future. Timetracking.
He was smiling down at her, grin on his face as he extended a white glove to her. She was startled by him. His kindness, his warmth, his genuineness. It couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be who he really was. Because if this was him. The real him? Where had the copy gone so wrong? The copy was such a crappy imitation. All the appearance with none of the looks. All of the smugness without any of the humility. All of the style without any of the substance. The copy wasn’t just a copy. It was a bad copy.
“Ames? You okay?” He asked her, his green eyes dancing with joy, sure, but also concern and caution. Like he wanted to move. Wanted to run. But not without making sure she was okay. It was a weight, most assuredly. But Amy wouldn’t deny that it warmed her cheeks too.
“I’m–fine.” Amy said stiffly, warding away his hand and it left, not still, but to himself. She watched as he bobbed and bounced, unable to be not in motion for even a moment. Like he’d swallowed a bouncy ball that never quite ran out of kinetic energy. His eyes going one way, then the next, then back to her, checking on her. Not checking her out, just…checking her. Like he was reminding himself she was still there. Did he think she would run away or…was it something else?
Amy straightened, standing and winced. She looked down, seeing she’d scuffed her knees, the skin welling with a few red scrapes. She must’ve landed on them hard. She took in a sharp breath and stretched her legs out. It hurt, but she’d taken a lot tougher hits.
“Yikes.” He said. “That’s gotta sting. Hold up here. Maddie’s got some bandages for my own trips and falls.”
“I just said I’m fine.” Amy repeated, perhaps harder than she meant to but…she needed him to listen to her. He paused, met her eyes, and nodded.
“You got it Ames.” He shot her a finger gun and she gave a cough of a laugh.
“It’s Amy.” She told him again. “And I don’t need you to like–save me or anything.” He nodded again.
“Right. You got it Amy. And I can tell you’re no damsel in distress.” Amy smiled at him, his exuberance infectious. “And I’m certainly no knight in shining armor–”
The image was swallowed by pink mist and Amy sucked air as she came out of it, Neo Metal Sonic’s face right in her own, his eyes alight with a manic excitement. Amy immediately shuddered, crawling away from him. But he followed after her, his footsteps in line with her motion.
“That was it, wasn’t it?!” The robot’s eyes glowed brighter. “Timetracking. That was it just now!” He laughed a disturbingly child–like laugh. “Oh what fun that must be! To see your whole future laid out before you! And, of course, mine.” A hunger in his vision. “Well, what did you see? Our wedding? A palace I’ll build for you? The next world for me to conquer?! Please let it be that last one!”
“I think…” Amy huffed and puffed, grabbing at her chest, feeling her knees where they’d been scraped in the vision. His face. The blue, with the red shoes. Speedy and quick witted and cocky. “I think I saw you…” Neo Metal Sonic’s eyes rolled to Amy, his eyes unimpressed.
“Of course you saw me, my love. Amelia…I am the ruler of the world. Why wouldn’t I be in your vision?” He laughed again…less child–like this time.
“Then…why were you…flesh and blood?” Neo Metal Sonic straightened. His eyes went dark as his head tilted down. He shuddered and his long, terrifying fingers curled into fists.
“You didn’t see anyone.” His voice was deep and dark, oceanic in its momentousness.
“Who…who was that?” Amy got onto her feet, pulling out her hammer and holding it close. As much for defense as it was to give her something to hold onto.
“No one.” Neo Metal Sonic said quickly. Too quickly. “There’s no one like that. I am the one like that now. I am the true one. Anything else is–is–is a falsity. A fake! A–a–a loathsome copy!” Neo Metal Sonic shouted at Amy, his form advancing on her. Amy swung at his head, but he caught it, ripping the hammer from her grasp and tossing it to the side where it vanished once more. He grabbed Amy by the shoulder, fingers digging into her skin so that she cried out in pain.
“Amy!” Silver shouted, still struggling in the inescapable bonds.
“THAT WASN’T ANYONE! HE’S DEAD! HE’S LONG SINCE DEAD! I AM HIM NOW AND I AM BETTER THAN HIM AT HIM. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, AMELIA?! HE DOES NOT AND NEVER DID, EXIST!” Neo Metal howled at her in a way that terrified Amy. He’d never shouted like this. Never gotten so unhinged like this. He was terrifying.
And he was terrified. Right? He was…scared?
But Neo Metal’s fingers broke through Amy’s skin and she yelled again, unable to hear more of Neo Metal’s sputtering. Silver’s also calling out over the din of her yelling, the world beginning to spin from the pain and the shouting and the vision she’d seen still rolling about in her head.
Who looked like Neo Metal Sonic? But wasn’t Neo Metal Sonic?
And then the world shook. Just a tiny bit. No more than the dip of a car hitting a shallow pothole. But the world dimmed, and glowed and spun and grew and shrank and cooled and warmed and–
And a Time Ring appeared in front of Silver’s pod.
For a moment, the three of them were completely silent. And then Neo Metal Sonic began to laugh again. He dropped Amy and turned to the portal, the other side awash in a bright white glow, undistinguishable in its location or time.
“Finally…” Neo Metal spoke quietly. “Finally time is mine to rule.” He took slow, deliberate steps toward the portal. “How long can you keep it open, hedgehog?” Neo Metal’s red eyes flicked to Silver who’d stopped yelling, but was now panting, eyes unfocused as Neo Metal doubled and tripled in his vision.
“Not. Me. I didn’t do it.” Silver persisted. Neo Metal grunted.
“Fine. You didn’t.” Neo Metal did not sound convinced. “But that just means I need to move all the quicker.” The robot raised a hand and the corridors filled with the sound of jet engines. Hundreds of drones closing in on this atrium.
“N–no…” Silver groaned. “Amy…” He called quietly, the pink hedgehog slowly getting up, clutching her shoulder where Neo Metal had grabbed her. “Amy.” He called to her a little louder. She managed to look up at him, and saw that he was focused for the first time in a while, his golden eyes serious, holding her gaze.
“Silver?”
“You…you have to warn them.” Silver told her and Amy stumbled forward in confusion. Neo Metal straightened, turning his head between the two, starting to realize something was happening.
“What are you talking about?” Amy’s eyes looked from Silver to Neo Metal to the Time Ring.
“Wherever this goes…you can’t let him take it over. You…you have to save them.” Silver told her, his eyes starting to glow a light blue.
“What is this?” Neo Metal’s voice got colder as he looked at the siblings. “Stop talking now.” He commanded, but Silver continued, he didn’t have time to deal with the robot. The portal was already starting to destabilize, fraying at the edges.
“Silver! What…what are you talking ab-bout?” Amy asked, her eyes going to Neo Metal Sonic, the robot looking…unnerved.
“Save them. Save everyone…from him.” Silver’s previously weak golden eyes strengthened, powerful and deadly. They skewered Neo Metal and the blue haze around him began to increase. It subsumed his whole body and began to move outward.
“That’s it! You’re not going–” Neo Metal Sonic shot toward Amy, knife–like fingers extended. They stopped inches from her face. The pale blue light was now encasing him, stopping the robot short.
“S–Silver?” Amy looked to her younger brother, but somehow he looked older than she was now. Rings under his eyes, his fur pale and colorless. But his eyes remained determined. Locked onto Neo Metal.
“You think you can stop me like this?” Neo Metal’s voice still spoke, even halted through Silver’s psychokinetic abilities. “This is just one of my vessels. End your game hedgehog, and I might let you live.” Silver ignored Neo Metal, even as hundreds of his drones swarmed into the room, dangerous wasps that began to descend toward the three of them. They had moments before they were restrained by the drones.
“And Amy…” Silver breathed, his voice calm for an instant. She felt the blue glow overtake her, her limbs stiffening, unable to move as Silver’s power controlled her. Her eyes went wide as she looked at the Time Ring, already shrinking. Smaller and smaller. “Don’t come back.”
Amy screamed out her brother’s name as she was launched forward, the blue glow moving her at a speed normally reserved for her legs. The room blurred, one last glimpse of her brother’s eyes before all she could see was the Time Ring. Closer and closer and closer–
And she was gone.
“NO! NONONONONO! NO!” Neo Metal Sonic screamed and Silver went slack as Amy was thrown through the portal. He released Neo Metal Sonic. The main robot was recovering quickly but the Time Ring was already too small. He shot toward it, desperate to get after Amy, after his destiny!
But it was no bigger than his hand–and then it was gone.
Silence.
And then Silver laughed. Raspy, and shallow. But smug.
“You’re too slow.” Neo Metal’s cold red eyes glared at him, the robot’s chest heaving. Faster and faster. Something…shifted under Neo Metal’s face, catching Silver’s eye. He tried to look closer, but the robot turned around as…part of his face opened up. Silver tried to look closer when–
The sound was horrifying. Like the godly equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. Silver’s pod cracked under the sound. Part of the ceiling shook. The metal drones fell out of the sky and landed like dead bugs. Silver’s ears bled, quite literally and he saw black for a full 2 seconds before a painful consciousness was regained, the gray hedgehog whimpering.
Neo Metal’s face resealed before Silver could ever get a good look and the lead robot turned once more to face him, his drones stuttering back to life.
“W-what…was…th-that?” Silver whimpered, his ears ringing like gongs. Neo Metal Sonic stretched his neck and shook out his wrists, seeming uncomfortable in his own robotic form.
“Chaos Shriek. A long gone warrior knew how to use it. And I copy bio–data so…” Neo Metal threw out a hand nonchalantly, unable to meet Silver’s eyes.
“So it’s not just him you copied.” Those red eyes met Silver’s gaze again. “I’m a traveler. You can’t possibly think you destroyed all references to him, did you?” Neo Metal Sonic snarled and turned his head down from Silver, something else catching his eye.
“I did not copy. I became him. I am him.” Neo Metal Sonic’s voice gained a touch of tension, but now he truly looked invested in something right in front of Silver’s pod.
Where the Time Ring had appeared.
The robot reached out with one finger and touched the air. It bent. Sparks shot where he touched it, the air not liking being flexed.
“No…” Silver’s eyes widened, realizing what Neo Metal had found.
“A weak point in space time.” The robot’s grin would’ve been ear to ear if he had a mouth. Silver struggled in his bonds but it was no use. He’d already expended any energy he had and even if he hadn’t, the energy restraints were too strong. “Which raises two questions.” Silver kept struggling. “Exactly how weak is it? And more importantly…” Neo Metal Sonic’s hand waved over the weak point, the world flexing and bending, no thicker than a sheet of paper.
“When does it go?”