Flicker. Flicker. Flick-flick.
The world seemed to flicker between static and vision. Good. Every time he powered on he was sort of afraid that it'd be his last time. That Eggman would find out, and he'd either be reprogrammed or just used for parts. He'd been lucky, so far. He was lucky just to be alive, even if it was here. In the dark, alone.
Alone. Ferro hated how alone he felt here. Everyone was just so lifeless. The only ones he knew that weren't were outsiders. Outsiders—living, breathing people. The people he was made to hurt. He nearly let a sigh slip out, but quickly suppressed it.. Eggman might be watching. He didn't know yet, he'd been too lost in his own head to notice his environment.
Quickly, he moved into his default position. Eyes blankly forward, neutral expression. It was an expression he had mastered over the years. Cold, robotic. Empty. Empty, just like the rest. He assumed, anyways. Really, there could be another just like him. Just like him, he'd melt into the rest.
This was a mission. He recognized the plain steel seating, the empty gazes. He emulated them in a near-perfect manner. He knew this vehicle. Every nook and cranny. That one spot with the sharp poky-out metal that he always tried his hardest to avoid, even if it meant ruining his disguise as just another android to move.
Who thought implementing pain in robots DESIGNED FOR COMBAT was a good idea? Oh right, Eggman.
Group of ten, same as always. He'd come to recognize a few of the other androids. The matching was random and they never spoke—so he mostly remembered the ones with major deformities. One had his eye mechanisms broken so it was always closed. Ferro only saw him once, but he wasn't one Ferro would forget.
There they were. Sent out to fight what appeared to be GUN soldiers. People with guns of some sort, and masks over their eyes. This made it a little bit easier for Ferro. At least they looked a little less alive like this. Faceless, just like him.
He hated combat. Not from the moment he was powered on. He didn't mind it too much at first. They were shooting us, why not fight back? It made sense. It made sense until he saw them dead. Red was his least favorite color for a reason. It was the color of blood, of lifeless eyes and emptiness. All the things he hated.
Still, he fought. He tried to hit them as gently as possible while still looking like he was trying. Some of his hits drew blood. He just wasn't made for weak punches. Metal isn't good for that. Bullets fired, occasionally ricocheting off of the ground and occasionally hitting one of the ten. The noises were loud, but Ferro tried to tune them out. It was fine. Hopefully. An android fell, but so did men. At this rate, they should be done soon enough.
The fight raged on for a while longer. As the dust settled, they were victorious. The men remaining were retreating. With that, it was time to return home. Finally. He let a little smile slip through the cracks. Hopefully tomorrow would be a day off. He could sneak out. It'd be perfect, just exploring. So long as Eggman didn't find out.
(Hey! Hope you like it! This is my first fanfic. First as in 'first I'm willing to post', anyways. I have older ones, but they're of RARE rarepairs. Chapter 1 is a slow start, but it'll pick up soon. Basically just a backstory fic for my OC. Won't be too long, maybe 10K words at most. Something I can finish. I'm a newbie writer if you couldn't tell.)