Tloj: Weclome to "Happy Creation Day, Metal Sonic!" By Starvix. This story is edited for grammar issues. Please, let me know if I missed something.
Author's Chapter Notes:
I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or anything related to him. I do own the rights to Star the Vixen, Nathan Nadeau, and Clyde the Donkey Clown.
Today was a very special day. Robo Knuckles and Shadow Android had marked it on the calendar and had been waiting for years…well, months…ok, a week, but the point was, they'd been waiting for this day for a while and they were determined to get their creator, Eggman, let them celebrate it.
For today was the day that their very special counterpart, Metal Sonic, had been created.
Metal Sonic was the two robots' best friend, the sticky gooey stuff that kept everything running smoothly, the only one in the base with two brain cells to rub together. (They knew that last part for a fact as Metal Sonic constantly stated it, and they had no reason to dispute it.) It was only proper that they should give him a Creation Day party, with presents and games and cake. Robots don't eat cake, but they figured the cake part would increase the odds of Eggman letting them have their way.
They had everything all planned out to give Metal Sonic a surprise Creation Day party, but their plan hinged on Eggman agreeing to go along with them.
The only hitch was, Eggman wasn't too keen on throwing a party for someone who was not Eggman.
"Please, Master? Please, please, please, please…" Robo Knuckles begged. "We wanna throw Metal Sonic a paaaarrrty!"
"You want some cheese with that whine?" Eggman snapped, not looking up from his latest plans for world conquest.
Robo Knuckles considered. "Brie?" he asked hopefully.
Shadow Android hushed him. "Master," he said, sounding respectful as he could with his hand covering Robo Knuckles' audio output sensor, "we would most appreciate you allowing us to continue with this party."
"And I should care about this why?"
Robo Knuckles pried Shadow Android's hand away and stated, "There'll be cake."
Eggman looked up. "What kind of cake?"
"Um…chocolate?"
Eggman made an disgusted looking face. "You know I throw up every time I taste chocolate!" he yelled.
Shadow Android flinched; his memory units reminding him of the time Eggman had mistaken a box of Exlax for chocolate and ate the whole thing. "He meant to say not chocolate," he hastily stated.
"Oh. Well, what kind is it?" Eggman crossed his arms. "Hurry and tell me; I have important work to do!"
"Um…strawberry?" Shadow Android guessed hopefully.
Eggman licked his lips. "Eggcellent! I love strawberry cake!"
Robo Knuckles squealed with glee. "Yea! Can we have the party?" he asked.
Eggman sighed. "Alright, but make sure there's strawberry cake," he conceded.
"Will you send Metal Sonic on a mission for the day, Master?" Shadow Android asked.
"Whatever for?" Eggman asked.
"It's a surprise party!" Robo Knuckles said cheerfully.
Eggman sighed. "The things I do for strawberry cake," he muttered, turning on the intercom. "Metal Sonic, I want you to go out and…um…steal Sonic the Hedgehog's left shoe."
There was a long silence, then Metal Sonic's incredulous voice called back, "Master?"
"You heard me! Go get me Sonic's left shoe, and don't come back until you get it, because…because I told you so!"
There was a loud sigh, then Metal Sonic's weary voice answered, "Very well, Master. As you wish."
Eggman ended the call, then turned to the robots who were standing there. "What are you still here for? Go get me that cake!"
"Yes, Master!" Both robots said at once, rushing out of the room.
It had been Robo Knuckles, surprisingly, who had thought of celebrating the day Metal Sonic had been created; he'd gotten the idea after reading a newspaper article about how the organic Sonic had recently celebrated his own 16th birthday. The robot echidna hadn't thought it at all fair that the day Sonic was born was celebrated while the day Metal Sonic was created was ignored. Not when Metal Sonic was so much more important to him than Sonic; after all, Metal Sonic practically told him how to run his whole life. Such thoughtful bossiness needed to be rewarded.
When he had told Shadow Android of his observation, his counterpart had readily agreed. Metal Sonic was the oldest of the three robots, as such he was like the 'big brother' who their 'daddy' Eggman shoved off all the duties on. Metal Sonic saw to it they were recharged, cleaned, routinely repaired, and remembered what they were supposed to be doing at the time. He also had to complete all the tasks Eggman sent him on, and he was always yelled at by the scientist if he made the slightest mistake.
It was very important to them that Metal Sonic knew how much everyone around here needed him—although they thought perhaps he might know that already. (The fact that he would often rant, "I have to do EVERYTHING around here! If it weren't for me, you'd all sit in one place and rust, and you'd never even realize it!" helped them make this assessment.)
The two of them had spent the last week researching and downloading anything on the internet pertaining to 'birthday parties for Sonic the Hedgehog' into their hard drives; now that their plan was OK'd by Eggman, it was time to look through their data and determine what was needed for Metal Sonic's party. They had already decided to do everything for Metal Sonic that had EVER been done for the real Sonic; and they'd do it twice as good. (Because they liked him twice as much as the real Sonic, who they didn't like at all, don't you see. Twice as much don't like makes one like.)
"Should we have a clown?" Robo Knuckles asked, as one of Sonic's interesting party descriptions fluttered through his processor unit.
"Why would we have a clown?" Shadow Android asked, confused. "Metal Sonic doesn't like clowns."
"But Sonic had a clown at one of his parties," Robo Knuckles protested.
Shadow Android ran a search for said clown. "Sonic was three at the time," he explained. "I don't believe Metal Sonic would appreciate us likening him to a three-year-old."
"He could shoot the clown," Robo Knuckles suggested. "He likes to shoot things, doesn't he?"
Shadow Android considered this and nodded, writing something down. "If we get a clown, we should eliminate the pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey amusement. Clowns are easier to obtain than donkeys."
"And safer," Robo Knuckles agreed, thinking about how donkeys are known to kick when someone sticks a paper tail in their tails. Clowns aren't very good kickers; their shoes are too bulky.
"What about balloons?" Shadow Android asked. "And streamers?"
"We should get them in Metal Sonic's favorite two colors," Robo Knuckles said excitedly. "And put a big HAPPY CREATION DAY METAL SONIC banner on the wall in his absolute favorite color!"
"Yes," Shadow Android nodded, then he frowned. "What IS Metal Sonic's favorite color?"
Robo Knuckles didn't know. The two of them stared at each other, stunned. They realized they could only do one thing.
Robo Knuckles turned to an intercom on the wall and turned it on. "Master? What's Metal Sonic's favorite colors?"
There was an awkward silence, then Eggman answered, "What?"
"Um, we need to know Metal Sonic's favorite two colors, and we'd thought you'd know because you…made him…"
"Even if I did know Metal Sonic's favorite colors, or if he even HAS favorite colors, why would I ever feel inclined to tell YOU?"
"Um…we were thinking of having strawberry ice cream with the cake at the party, but if you'd rather we didn't have one I guess we could…" Robo Knuckles trailed off, leaving Eggman to think.
A low growl answered him. "The ONE time you decide to blackmail and be wicked…" Eggman sounded bitter, but then he sighed. "I did design Metal Sonic with favorite colors, let me look up the original blueprints so I can tell you…" there were shuffling sounds and finally Eggman cheered.
"Master?" Robo Knuckles asked, wondering if Eggman had flipped his lid.
Eggman's voice came back over the intercom. "Strawberry ice cream, here I come! Oh, uh, Metal Sonic's favorite colors are mauve and marigold." Then he closed the frequency.
Robo Knuckles and Shadow Android looked at each other, then frantically started searching the internet for the definitions of 'mauve' and 'marigold' so they'd know what Metal Sonic's favorite colors were.
What his favorite colors looked like were the least of Metal Sonic's concerns. First and foremost was the concern of how he would get Sonic the Hedgehog in a position where he could steal his left shoe, as the cobalt hedgehog never took them off—even when he was asleep.
The second most pressing concern on his hard drive was how he would explain to Sonic that he'd been sent on a mission to steal his left shoe. How do you explain that to your greatest rival?
Metal Sonic watched as Sonic dragged a folding chair out of his house, then sit down and begin sunning himself. The robot decided the best way to do this was quickly, so the embarrassment would be over for both of them.
Giving a mechanical sigh, Metal Sonic stood and went to complete the objective of stealing Sonic the Hedgehog's left shoe…
"OK, so his second favorite color is mauve, which is a light pinkish/purple color," Shadow Android said after he'd cracked the mystery of the weird color names. "And marigold is a bright yellowish/orange color."
"Why can't he just say he likes pinkish/purple and yellowish/orange?" Robo Knuckles mused. Shadow Android had no answer to that, so he said nothing.
"Well, we have our plans for the decorations, the party supplies, and cake and ice cream for Eggman," Robo Knuckles said. "Now we must go shopping!"
Then both Shadow Android and Robo Knuckles shuddered; they were programmed with the likenesses of their organic counterparts, and as such they shared Shadow and Knuckles' sentiments of shopping. (You should see Metal Sonic—whenever he hears the word 'shopping', he experiences a catastrophic core meltdown. Sonic the Hedgehog practically does the same thing, but with screaming. Lots and lots of screaming.)
Both the robots were not relishing the thought of going on a shopping spree as they left Eggman's base and landed in Westopolis, amidst screaming pedestrians and cars swerving out of control.
"Look!" Robo Knuckles suddenly perked up, pointing to a nearby building. The sign outside read, 'Nadeau's Party Store, Bakery, & Live Bait.'
The two androids looked at each other eagerly, sensing a shop that had all their shopping needs in one little shop, and sadly unaware that one should never by anything (especially not food) in a store that also sold live bait.
Sonic the Hedgehog was having a nice, peaceful, relaxing, sunbathing-filled day for once in a good long while when someone stood in front of him and started to block his sun.
His eyes were currently closed, so Sonic mused, "Is that you, Tails?" and opened them. His jaw dropped in shock.
The person standing in front of him did not look like Tails. In fact, it looked a great deal like Metal Sonic, aiming a deadly weapon at his head!
"You!" Sonic spluttered, his mind reeling in shock.
"Surrender, Sonic the Hedgehog and…" Metal Sonic paused and muttered something under his breath.
"Huh?" Sonic asked, his arms up like a good prisoner. He couldn't understand what Metal Sonic was trying to tell him.
"I said…" Metal Sonic spoke louder, but Sonic still couldn't make it out.
"What?"
"I SAID, GIVE ME YOUR LEFT SHOE!" Metal Sonic screamed.
There was a long silence, then Sonic the Hedgehog started to laugh hysterically.
Shadow Android and Robo Knuckles walked into the party store/bakery/live bait shop and walked up to the counter, to be greeted by a blonde vixen with a white star on her forehead. They recognized her instantly.
"Star!" Robo Knuckles said, happy to see his friend. "Why aren't you working at McDonald's anymore?"
"Oh, I got fired," Star replied matter-of-factly. "Something about not being allowed to gargle Gershwin on company time. What can I do you for?"
"We are looking for party supplies," Shadow Android replied.
"Want some live worms, too?" Star asked, putting a jar on the counter, full of worms wiggling around.
"Not today, thank you," Shadow Android said politely. "But we would like a strawberry cake and some strawberry ice cream."
Star froze, her eyes going wide. "You want to buy food?" she asked.
"Yes," Robo Knuckles replied.
"Here?"
"That was our intent," Shadow Android admitted.
Star thought for a while, then she rushed into a back room screaming, "NATHAN!"
Shadow Android and Robo Knuckles gave each other worried looks.
Metal Sonic waited for ten minutes while Sonic laughed at his expense. Normally he'd shoot him dead for doing that (or try to, anyway) but he needed Sonic alive to untie and remove his left shoe. Metal Sonic was not touching Sonic's feet in any way, shape, or form, period!
Finally, Sonic caught his breath. "Whew, you really got me, Tails," he said. "I actually thought you were Metal Sonic! Where'd you come up with that costume, anyway?"
"I am not Tails," Metal Sonic said, opening his chest plate to show the circuitry underneath. "Now, please remove your left shoe."
Sonic's look went from amused, to stunned, and finally decided to rest on bewildered. "What do you want my left shoe for?" he finally blurted out.
"My Master has ordered me to retrieve it. He did not tell me why. And I am not allowed to return to base until I have it. Now remove your shoe."
Sonic blinked, considering his position as being held at gunpoint while a desperate robot asked him to give it his left shoe so it could go home. Considering the circumstances…
"I guess I could let you borrow my left shoe for awhile," Sonic conceded. "As long as you bring it back."
"Thank you. Now, remove your left shoe."
"What? Are you crazy?" Sonic looked disgusted. "No way am I touching my feet in any way, shape, or form! Why do you think I always keep my shoes on, even when I'm asleep?"
Metal Sonic cocked his weapon. "Be that as it may, I need that shoe, and if you think I'm touching your feet, you're stupider than I imagined!"
"Whoa, calm down!" Sonic said hastily. "So neither of us will touch my feet and take off my left shoe. Let's look around; I'm sure one of my friends will do it if we explain the situation."
"And what is the situation?"
"That a crazy robot is holding me hostage and will blow my brains out if they don't," Sonic said, getting up from his chair. "Come on, we'll go see Tails first."
Metal Sonic considered; he didn't really have a lot of choice. "Very well," he conceded. "But try anything funny and I'll shoot."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Sonic said, grinning.
Star finally returned, with a Siamese cat with a crescent shaped birthmark over his right eye. On his shirt was a nametag stating that his name was Nathan.
The cat walked up to the counter. "I understand that there is a problem here?" he asked.
"None that I am aware of," Shadow Android replied. "We simply wished to purchase strawberry cake and strawberry ice cream here. Do you have it."
Nathan looked stunned. "You want to buy food?" he asked.
"That's what I told them, boss!" Star called.
"As I have stated previously: Yes, we want to buy food!" Shadow Android snapped, growing impatient.
"Here?" Nathan sounded absolutely shocked.
"I said that, too!" Star called.
"De ja vu," Robo Knuckles muttered.
"We. Want. To. Buy. Food. Here," Shadow Android said, loudly and slowly. "The sign said this was a bakery, among other things, did it not?"
Nathan shrugged. "Oh well, it's your funeral," he said, reaching under the desk and pulling out a MASSIVE amount of papers. The title page stated it to be a legal disclaimer of some sort. "Sign here, please. And here. And over there. And up there. Initial this. Print your name here. And here. And sign down there…"
Shadow Android complied with all the said instructions, then Nathan reached down again and pulled out a strawberry cake and some strawberry ice cream. "Here you go," he said.
"Thank you," Shadow Android said politely. "We would also like some party decorations and supplies."
"Balloons!" Robo Knuckles interrupted.
"We have lots of balloons," Star said eagerly. "Red ones, green ones, ones shaped like bloated walruses…"
"Ooh, a walrus," Robo Knuckles sounded awed.
"We want balloons that are colored mauve and marigold, please," Shadow Android interrupted.
Nathan and Star gave him blank looks, so he explained, "Mauve is a light pinkish/purple color and marigold is yellowish/orange."
"Oh," Nathan nodded. "Why didn't you just say you wanted light pinkish/purple and yellowish/orange balloons? We have plenty of those. Star, go get the light pinkish/purple and yellowish/orange balloons."
"Aye, aye, boss!" Star saluted and rushed out to get the balloons.
"We were also wondering if we could rent a clown?" Shadow Android asked.
"Or a donkey," Robo Knuckles added.
Nathan thought. "You could use Clyde. He's a donkey that just finished clown college."
"Perfect!" Both robots yelled at the same time. "We'll take him!"
Metal Sonic's temperature was rising fast. Tails hadn't been home, that rabbit girl named Cream had made some excuse that she couldn't untie knots, and that annoying Amy girl wouldn't stop hugging Sonic long enough for him to ask her for help. They were currently up on Angel Island, and Sonic was explaining his conundrum to an incredulous Knuckles.
"….So, you want me to bend over and take off your left shoe, and give it to that robot that wants you dead?" Knuckles said, making sure he understood correctly.
"Yes," Sonic replied.
Knuckles' face contorted into one of pure fury and he punched Sonic in the gut. "I know I let Eggman fool me in the past, but that doesn't mean you have to make fun of me by trying to make me fall for a STUPID story like that! I know you're in that costume, Tails," he added, pointing at Metal Sonic. Then he looked back to Sonic, who was bent over and gasping for air. "And let me tell you another thing, Sonic, even if this story was real—and I'm not buying it for a second—I would never touch your feet in any way, shape or form, got it?" then he turned and stomped off, muttering something about how some people have a lot of nerve.
Sonic finally got enough air in him to stand up and breathe properly, and he looked at Metal Sonic worriedly. "Don't freak out yet," he said quickly. "I still have one more guy we can try…but mind, I'm really stretching it hoping he'll help." Then he bounded off, leaving Metal Sonic to follow him.
Now that the shopping had been done and Shadow Android and Robo Knuckles had bought gifts for Metal Sonic, they returned home and started to put up the decorations in Metal Sonic's chambers. They painted the words, "HAPPY CREATION DAY, METAL SONIC!" on a big banner and pinned it too the wall. They put the mauve and marigold balloons all over the place, as well as streamers. They put a nice cloth on a table out of the way and put the cake, the ice cream, and a bowl of punch there for Eggman. They put the presents down on the other side of the room.
"Where should I go?" asked Clyde the Donkey Clown.
Robo Knuckles went and positioned him under a big sign that stated, 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey!'
"You stand right there," he ordered.
Luckily, Clyde didn't get or didn't see the sign, and he nodded. "Cool," he said, giving a thumbs up.
Eggman came in at that moment, looking around. His eyes fell on the cake and ice cream and he grinned.
"Now we must wait for Metal Sonic," Shadow Android said, turning the lights off in the room.
Metal Sonic waited while Sonic pounded on the door to a small apartment. Finally, the door opened and a sleepy and annoyed looking Shadow the Hedgehog glared at him.
"What. Do. You. Want?" he asked. Sonic noticed a .9 millimeter handgun cocked and ready in his hand.
"I...um…wrong house…" Sonic said, grabbing Metal Sonic and running away from the apartment as fast as he could. Once he deemed himself a safe distance away, he turned to Metal Sonic and grinned. "OK, well, that was a bad idea," he admitted.
Metal Sonic snapped. "I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" he yelled, grabbing Sonic' by his leg and shaking him wildly until both his shoes fell off his feet. Metal Sonic grabbed the one he needed and flew off while the startled hedgehog regained his balance, right after he tossed his cookies.
It was with great relief that Metal Sonic returned home with Sonic the Hedgehog's left shoe. He thumbed the outside intercom to be let in.
"Yes?" Eggman's voice called out.
"Master, I have completed my objective," Metal Sonic said.
"Good, um, bring the shoe to your chambers."
That was odd. But then again, so was ordering him to go steal Sonic's left shoe, so Metal Sonic shrugged it off and glided to his chambers, opening the door and turning the light on.
"SURPRISE!" Shadow Android and Robo Knuckles yelled. Robo Knuckles then blew a party favor near Metal Sonic's ear.
Metal Sonic was so startled he fell backwards and upset the punch bowl, which landed on top of him presently. The two robots hurried to help him up.
Metal Sonic gasped, "What is going on here?"
"It's a creation day party," Robo Knuckles explained.
Metal Sonic blinked. "Creation…day?"
"Yes, because you were created on this date," Shadow Android replied. "It is similar to a birthday party."
"We decided to throw you one because you're great and you deserve a party for helping us all the time!" Robo Knuckles said. "And we've got presents!"
Metal Sonic looked at the other two robots, stunned as they each put a wrapped present into his arms. He looked over to Eggman, who was in a coma from the cake and ice cream from the party shop/bakery/bait shop. Then he looked at Clyde.
"Who's the donkey?" Metal Sonic asked in confusion.
Shadow Android leaned over and whispered something in Metal Sonic's ear. Metal Sonic's eyes glinted evilly.
"Oh, really?" he asked, sounding pleased. Clyde wasn't sure he liked the look Metal Sonic was giving him.
But now, it was time to open presents. Metal Sonic opened Shadow Android's first. It was an expensive and high-quality weapon for him to upgrade into his systems.
"That is incredible," Metal Sonic said in awe.
"Mine next!" Robo Knuckles pleaded, even though his was the only one left. Metal Sonic opened it obediently.
It was a jar of live worms.
"Um…it's…there…" Metal Sonic said, trying very hard to think of a compliment.
Robo Knuckles looked proud of himself. Metal Sonic reminded himself that it was the thought that counted, and he looked up at his counterparts happily.
"Thank you both," he said. "This was a very nice surprise, but…"
Sensing his hesitation, Shadow Android feared that they'd missed something crucial to throwing a successful creation day party. "What is it, Metal Sonic?"
"…It will not be my creation day for another three months."