Fingers pressed to his cheek, he swiped down to his mouth. Now he pointed to his chest.
Pause.
No, no! He was doing it wrong again. He had to get this right.
Metal Sonic plucked the sheet of paper from the wall. He had thoroughly polished a patch of the chrome paneling right here specifically for this purpose, and now it shone like a mirror. Metal could see his reflection in it, and by extension, his mistakes.
He smoothed out the crinkled sheet. Creases cut through the faded instructions, but Metal still understood them. He tacked the sheet back to the wall.
Fingers to the cheek, then swipe. Now the chest.
"Metal Sonic!"
The tinny, robotic voice came from the other side of the door, and Metal shook his head. He was hiding in his maintenance room, like he usually did when off-duty, but apparently, someone needed him. So Metal slid the door open, revealing an irritated Orbot standing with his arms crossed.
"Where have you been?" Orbot demanded, "It's code blue! Dr. Eggman needs you right away!"
Metal nodded. It was all he could do, really. He stepped out of his room and into the steel hallway. Orbot was already ahead of him, so Metal lagged behind.
Code blue. The code Eggman reserved for only the most dire of circumstances, and ordinarily, only one person who could bring Eggman to code blue.
Dare Metal hope…?
"What are you doing?" Orbot hissed, spinning around and pointing at Metal. "You're faster than this! For goodness sake, you can fly! Why are you following me? Go to Eggman!"
Metal Sonic started, straightening his posture, then nodded.
Code blue. Go to Eggman. Right.
Metal revved his engine, and with a burst of exhaust, he shot down the corridor. Steel, light fixtures, and exposed pipes blurred together as Metal flew, and soon, he burst through the doors to Eggman's control room.
Eggman himself was there, leaning over and pounding on the control panel.
He spun on his heels as soon as he noticed Metal.
"You see that?" Eggman said. He was pointing at the screen above the panel. "Do you see who that is?"
Despite the grainy image, Metal could make out who was on the screen perfectly well. How could he ever forget? Those red shoes, that peach skin, and the lustrous, blue fur. Metal had often wondered how that fur would feel. It had to be so soft and warm and—
"It's Sonic!" Eggman said. "This is your chance, Metal Sonic. Destroy him!"
Destroy him? But how could Metal destroy anything so perfect? It would be a crime against reason itself, like burning up a priceless masterpiece, or destroying the last manuscript, or—
Metal caught himself before he could get carried away again. Eggman was not to know about this, at least not yet.
Metal nodded in acknowledgement and turned to leave.
"He's in the west corridor," Eggman added, turning back to the monitor. "Now move!"
Metal revved his engine again and launched down the hallway, passing the still scurrying Orbot and heading westward. He turned the corner, sloppier than he would have liked—luckily Sonic wasn't here to see that—and next was the hanger.
Except the door to the aircraft hanger laid in a crumpled heap of steel, and inside, a familiar voice was shouting.
"You doing alright over there, Tails?"
"I'm fine! Just keep them busy while I try to get into the mainframe room."
Metal stood outside the door, staring in, unmoving.
Sonic was in there! And he was talking to Tails! Metal had always admired how Sonic talked to Tails. How he talked to all his friends. How he treated everyone. He wasn't like stuffy, whiny Orbot or grumpy, old Eggman. No, Sonic was filled with vitality, and he treated everyone with respect, and he—
And he was staring at Metal. Tails had scurried off somewhere, and now Sonic was staring at him.
This was his chance!
Metal straightened his back and made eye contact with Sonic. He nodded.
This was it. Just like how he had practiced.
Fingers to the cheek.
Metal flattened his hand and brought his fingers up to the bolt on his cheek. He was shaking.
Down to the mouth.
Metal Sonic didn't have a mouth. That was half the problem, but he brought his fingers to where his mouth should be.
Point to yourself.
With both hands, and fingers still flat, Metal gestured to his chest.
Kiss me.
Sonic paused. He wasn't running. He wasn't attacking.
He was watching.
Metal nodded. He repeated the signs.
Kiss.
Fingers to the cheek. Down to the mouth.
Me.
Point.
Orbot scurried up behind him. "Are you blind? He's right there! Attack!"
The doctor gave me the ability to see, Metal thought, but he did not—
Sonic cocked his head in confusion.
"Metal Sonic!" Eggman's voice boomed over Orbot's communicator. "Are you disobeying my orders? Don't make me repeat myself."
Sonic turned.
No! Metal thought. He revved his engine, launching himself into the room and toward Sonic.
Sonic leapt from Metal's path and landed with that remarkable grace Metal admired so much.
"Too slow!" Sonic said with a yawn. "Is this glacial assault all ol' Egghead can cook up these days?"
Metal cut his engine and dropped to the ground. He waved at Sonic, frantically; this was his only chance.
Kiss me.
Metal had picked these signs deliberately. "I like you" was too long. "I love you" was too heavy-handed. But "kiss me" was perfect. It conveyed the message. It would let him tell Sonic without a voice.
But Sonic wasn't looking at him.
Eggman burst into the aircraft hanger, strapped into the latest version of his Death Egg Robot, and in the robot's claws, Eggman was crushing Tails.
"Sonic," Tails said with a choke. "Help—"
Sonic leapt away from Metal, running toward his friend. "Tails! Hang on, buddy. I'm coming!"
Before Metal had time to react, Eggman launched the Death Egg Robot into the air, crushing the walls and ceiling of his own base. Sonic then followed, bouncing off the debris in pursuit.
Metal dropped to his knees, watching the one he loved spinning away. If he could only just talk to him, only just tell him—
And then what? Did he really think Sonic, the hero of Mobius, the hedgehog who could have anyone he wanted...did he really think Sonic would like him in return? What was wrong with him? Was he really that crazy? He was one of Eggman's robots.
He was nothing.
Metal sank, sitting in a dejected pile, while Orbot's whiny voice continued to lecture him.
