PoC: And now we get to double-digits! PenFullofChaos819 doesn't own the characters, save for Silvia and the other OC's!
Silver: …I hate you.
PoC: ? What, why?
Silver: Not only do you think I'm stupid for checking your scripts for bombs, but you made me into a female just for your stinking story! *pouts*
PoC: *Sigh* Silver, she has no ties to you whatsoever. I only used that name because it sounds nice and it fits her. I really didn't make a female you, honest.
Silver: *sniffs* Yeah well… You still think I'm stupid for the bomb thing.
Metal: That's because you are stupid. *opens script*
PoC: Nah Silv, I don't think you're stu-Wait. Does anyone else hear that?
Silver: Yeah…I do too! It sounds like…
PoC: Ticking? *looks over to Metal*
Metal: Oh shi-*explosion*
Silver: I TOLD YOU! I FREAKING TOLD YOU!
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Restless
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Working under a dim light, Eggman busily sifted through his schematics. He had been up all night, and made no plans to rest any time soon.
"Doctor…" his helper said "Here are the prototype scans you requested."
Grabbing the films without stopping, the master said "Very good. You are free to shut down now. I must get this figured out before tomorrow's mission."
Too curious to sleep, Orbot risked a question "Boss, I've been wondering, what is the prototype exactly?"
Seeing this as a good distraction while he worked, Eggman explained "As you might've guessed by your early scans, she's not a robot at all. She's rather a fake mobian, one I constructed from scratch, with a couple of mechanical enhancements of course."
"That's why she had both living and non-living parts then." Orbot better understood "But boss, why does she look like your enemies? Is that a façade or something?"
The doctor smiled wickedly as he found what he was looking for "No façade my dear Orbot. She has harvested DNA inside her." he gloated over his experiment "I started by taking some genes from Tails to forge her intellect. Then I salvaged some echidna DNA for her strength. Finally, I added a dab of Amy Rose to create her gender and innocent behavior. Add that to a special mechanical growth template and that's the gist of it. Her appearance is just an uncontrolled, but useful, mutation of that blending."
The assistant gaped in horror "Y-You…" he stammered "You can do that? I had no idea anything like that was possible. Even for you, doctor.
Eggman chuckled darkly "I may be best with robotics, but thanks to my grandfathers memoirs on 'gene splicing' and 'synthetic life' even I was able to create an almost flawless masterpiece." slamming his hand down suddenly, his attitude changed "If only Metal hadn't fouled everything up, it would've been a complete success! Now it seems Metal's unneeded sense of 'emotions' has transferred over to her."
Orbot shrank back at those words "Forgive me master. That was all my doing."
The egg doctor sighed in defeat "No Orbot. As much as I hate to say it, the fault was mine. I should've recognized that Core before I foolishly installed it." sitting back in his chair, the master remembered his original error all those years ago.
"Has my mistake come back to haunt me?" he mused "Has Metal inherited his treacherous spirit?" a guttural fear loomed briefly over him, but he soon brushed it aside "No, what am I thinking. He's a robot, and robots don't have hearts or souls." Eggman wiped his glasses clean and returned to his desk "Regardless, I must find a way to dispose any trace of subject γ's programming, before it's too late."
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*Capsule Quarters*
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It was blurry and hazy, but somehow peaceful. Sleep didn't seem very complicated at all. This was probably for the best, as it suited her currently overwhelmed mind just fine. Letting the peace wash over her, the girl allowed her heavy eyelids to fall shut as she entered slumber's gentle embrace.
This peace didn't last long, as she opened her eyes to find herself outside her room. She hadn't remembered getting up, or leaving the capsule at all.
So then what was she doing here?
Her still hazy mind could feel something behind her. Swirling around, she saw a towering, round-shaped figure standing over her. It didn't take long for the round shadow to start yelling at her; calling her useless, a mistake, and all other manner of insult.
Hating the endless cruelty, the prototype ran. Pitifully, her efforts for escape were vainly thwarted by an even larger shadow. This one didn't say anything. It merely raised its gun and opened fire. She dodged as much as possible, but soon found herself cornered. The evil machine aimed the cold barrel in her face.
"G-Get away from me!" she yelped, and used her hidden weapon in defense.
The shadow dissipated instantly, much to her relief. In it's place, a single helpless target lay slumped against the opposing wall. Forcing her body to stop shaking, the prototype stepped lightly up to the newcomer, fearing that it might attack her.
As it turned out, it wasn't an enemy at all; it was the poor target she'd burned a hole through back when she torched the training facility. Looking at it now, it was nothing more than a helpless doll that had borne a part of her wrath. She didn't have enough emotion to feel absolutely terrible, but she did feel sorry for the lonely thing. Picking it up, she suddenly found she had a kind of fondness for it.
"It's so…fuzzy and soft." she thought while giving it a gentle squeeze "Why would anyone want to shoot something like this?"
Taking it with her, she tried to open every door on the lower floor, only to find them all to be locked, including the door to her room. The second floor ended up being much the same; lonely and empty. She was trapped without anywhere to go.
Unsure of her next move, the prototype sat down with her back against a wall. She strangely found some comfort in holding the lifeless puppet, even though hugging it made no actual difference.
Her momentary comfort was short-lived as her strong ears detected the sound of a mechanical whirring, much like a door opening. That sound was followed closely by a constant thumping.
Like something was coming.
The approaching noise slowly extracted what little confidence she had left. She could only hug the doll tighter as the dark presence came into view.
"Please don't let it see me." she wished.
But it was too late. The thing had indeed seen her, and was, in mere seconds, obstructing her entire range of vision.
Shuddering in terror, the girl looked away. The enigma didn't tolerate this, as it forced her gaze back into it's own. To answer this, the girl kept her eyelids shut tight.
"Wake up…" the person said in a curt, but somehow soothing voice. It was soothing because…
"Wake up…"
It sounded familiar.
"Are you deaf? I said, WAKE UP!"
Like a jolt of energy, the girl's eyes shot open. Questions left her mind as she studied the pair of very recognizable red eyes, in front of her.
It was him.
"You can't stay asleep forever." Metal growled, powering down her cell as he spoke "Or I suppose you want to get us both in more trouble?"
Trying to figure out what happened seemed inconsequential at this stage. Listening to him seemed more important than her out-of-body experience.
"Data fragments probably had something to do with it." she surmised, based on how many sections of her 'flash' memory had been accessed. Regardless, she exited her capsule, happily leaving behind whatever that spooky event was.
"If you're ready, Eggman wants us to assemble at the Sky-port." Metal told her "Don't be late, unless you want to be sleeping in the furnace tonight." he finished ominously, although he was simply stating a fact.
That 'fact' hadn't been much help to the prototype, who was still recovering from her dream (not that she knew what they were called yet). It took only seconds before a paranoid knot in her abdomen drove her to pursue the metallic hedgehog.
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*Egg Base: Central Hall*
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Metal hadn't gone too far yet. Lord knows he was in no hurry to be bossed around by an assembly line of stone-age E-klutzes. This, coupled with how much sleep he'd lost last night, left him feeling more belligerent than usual.
"Throwing away MY rest for that skin and fur covered…girl." reluctantly, Metal couldn't bring himself to call her 'thing'. It's not like she forced him to stay up for her "No, it was…E-85's fault! Yes! She must've planted a virus that made me do it! Why else would I do something nice for anyone?" he choked on the 'N' word like he'd just swallowed a jug of hydrochloric acid.
Complaints and rants out of his system, Metal felt ready to tackle his arduous job. He headed towards the recently installed elevator that acted as a convenient short-cut up to the port. Metal pressed the 'up' button and waited patiently, which for him was longer than ten-seconds. A chiming 'ding' and the doors parted, giving the hedgehog passage with no trouble.
"Something's wrong." he thought warily "Nothing bad has happened to me yet." he scanned the elevator for some kind of trap or mistake that would complicate his day. Partially convinced that he was safe, Metal took slow steps to get inside.
"Well, what do you know?" he grinned internally, and selected the Sky-port as his destination "This may be a good day after…" he held that thought until he bumped into something behind him. Curious, he reached back to feel something soft and hollow, not unlike an…ear? Pinching it gently, he rubbed it between his fingers, only to hear someone giggle and say "Hey! Hee-hee! Stop that!"
Letting go and turning around, Metal could only groan at the sight before him "What do you think you're doing?"
"Um…Well I…" she stumbled through her sentence "I-I don't really know where the Sky-pot is, so I thought I'd follow you there!"
Metal slapped his face hard "For starters, that's Sky-port not pot. Lastly, I don't like being followed. I might end up accidently attacking you if you startle me again."
Folding her hands behind her back, the prototype said "I would've been lost if I hadn't. I mean, how am I supposed to know where anything is if no one tells me?"
Metal's thoughts ground to a halt. It was déjà vu, and no question about it. Hadn't he asked himself the same thing when he'd first been activated? Yes or no, he couldn't imagine a fairer excuse than that. He didn't reply, but nor did he lecture her further. Besides, she was coming with him now whether he liked it or not.
Eventually, they came to their stop. Noise poured from every corner of the large air/heliport, despite it being larger than the terminal of the Eggbase. Metal had never comprehended how many other robots existed outside of the E-series until now.
"Hmph, so the doctor prefers the 'quantity' I see." he said diminishingly. The grease and oil robots made him feel filthy by just being nearby. Whatever this new job was, he hoped it wouldn't be grunt work alongside their kind.
The girl wasn't as prideful about it, but even she didn't like the state the machines were in "Does the master ever clean them up? Ever?" she queried, noting the sad state their armor was in "These poor things are being forced to work, probably without rest." she mused grievingly.
"Metal? Is that you?" a nerve-biting voice had to ask "Oh and you brought the girl too. Excellent! The boss is waiting near dock 12. Shall I show you the way?"
Metal had gotten used to the helper by now, but still taunted him by saying "If it isn't Eggman's personal soccer ball. Sure, why not? Lead the way, great navigator."
Either Eggman had damaged him one too many times, or perhaps he was having an off day as he replied "Why Metal, are you happy to see me? Well I always said you were a big softy at heart!"
His sad response was made even sadder when the prototype whispered "Um…I don't think he realizes you're mocking him." in Metal's ear, causing the copy-hog to hold back a laugh. If she, who had only been active for a day, understood his masked insult, then Orbot must've had more than a screw or two loose from his last beating.
Ignoring or plain missing what the two were talking about, Orbot motioned for them to follow while shouting "Come along you two love-birds! The doctor doesn't have all day."
Metal didn't know if that was just a tongue-slip or if the spherical nuisance knew what he was saying. It was of little consequence as Metal waited until they were right in front of the hanger, before he brought a fist down on the assistant's head.
Not forgetting his manners, the cold hearted killer said over his shoulder "Thanks for the directions."
"Don't…mention it!" Orbot wheezed back, strangely sounding even happier than he had earlier "Y-Yup, I knew it. That Metal…and I…will be…best of friends." at those words, he collapsed from exhaustion.
Immediately, Metal and the girl saw their rotund creator inside the hanger. The Eggman was tapping his foot and looking at his invisible watch, as the pair approached him.
"You timing is improving Metal." the doctor congratulated "I see you even brought the prototype with you. Good work."
Metal, however, didn't show a remote speck interest in the master's praise "Your orders, sir?"
A look of surprised delight shone on the mad genius's flabby face "That's what I like to hear. You're obedience is coming along nicely." he remarked, not catching Metal's death glare "I suppose you'd like to hear your mission."
Throwing a switch of sorts, the hull of the large air-craft opened wide "But there's no time, so you'll be briefed on the way. E-72 will be your partner on this assignment."
Metal didn't really look forward to teaming up with the pyromaniac, but something else bugged him more "Then what about Sil-I mean, the prototype? What will she do?"
"IT won't be doing anything with you. I'm going to make sure it cleans up the mess made in the training center." Eggman informed, much to Metal's surprise "Anyway, here's an overview of your mission. A.I.M. has captured a valuable piece of my grandfather's work. I need you and E-72 to retrieve it unharmed." sensing the silliness of his own words, he reiterated "I need you to retrieve it unharmed."
Metal grunted mildly. So now he was being shipped off to retrieve a hand-me-down for the doctor? Well it beat manual labor, so he said "Understood master. I will ensure the object's safe return."
Once again, Eggman was pleased "You're very close to redeeming yourself, Metal." he informed, but changed the subject "I'll give you five minutes to make sure you have everything in order. After that, you depart."
Metal forwent the supply check in favor of speaking to the prototype "So…you made a mess of the training center?" he asked, sounding almost proud.
"I-I didn't mean to!" the girl insisted "I just lost control for a second and I…sort of set fire to the whole place."
Metal couldn't help himself. He let out a loud laugh as he pictured how the fiasco might've gone down "That's impressive. It goes to show how powerful you really are." he confessed that this was a feat even he hadn't accomplished "Don't let Eggman get you down. You and I can't help being so much stronger than everybody else here." Metal had never paid anyone a non-sarcastic compliment before, but it felt somehow easy in this situation.
The prototype more than appreciated the kind words. Up until now, she had never heard anything but cruelty from the master and the other machines. She was now certain Metal was something different from the rest of them.
"Metal, it's time!" Eggman told him, a bit sooner than expected.
Though excited at the chance to show his battle prowess again, Metal now wished he had a minute longer to talk. Using his better judgment, he eventually obeyed. As he parted with her, he did leave a few more words "I'll see you after the mission. Until then, keep yourself out of trouble…Silvia."
The girl cocked her head in puzzlement "Silvia…?"
"That's your new name." Metal stated dryly, but added in a semi-hopeful tone "Do you like it?"
The girl paused as if trying it out. Once she was finished, a bright smile graced her now beaming face "Thank you Metal, I love it."
The doppelganger would've said something else, had their obnoxiously whiny master not screamed "METAL! I demand that your get your hypersonic behind over here right…NOW!"
Struggling to not lash out, Metal gave the prototype one last quick goodbye. For moment, he couldn't believe he'd almost ruined his chance to fight again, just finish a useless conversation with her. Paradox-ily enough, Metal chose to keep his thoughts on her to tune out the doctor's stroke-inducing rant about his tardiness.
"I told you it would make her happy" an 'E-85' on his shoulder teased "I and bet you're feeling pretty good about it too."
"No, I did it for practical reasons. Nothing more." he denied the voice's claim.
"Really? Then why are you still thinking about her?" the voice pestered "Is that part of being 'practical' too? If you don't really care, then why haven't you stopped yet?"
"And listen to that instead?" he said, pointing at the foaming man before him.
"Okay, good point." the voice agreed "But you have to admit it's a bit more than that."
Coldly stepping inside the ship, Metal's false heart hardened "I have to admit nothing. I do what benefits me most, and that's all there is to it." he spat obstinately. Though his statement was mostly true for now, he couldn't predict how true it would remain in the days to come.
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End of Chapter Ten
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Alright I'm done! A note all of you, the dream has no major foreshadowing to take note of (I say no major because there is some). Seriously though, what is up with me and dream sequences? 0.o
Serenity: Excellent! I had hoped you would like it :) Lol! And now E-85 upgraded to being something of an "angel (or for Metal, maybe the devil XD) on his shoulder". Well, since Dream and a few others already know, I might as well confess. *Sigh* I went as Link (at my nephew's asking) /.
DanceDream: Yup Silver's taking it pretty hard (but at least he didn't blow up like Metal…literally XD). Well, she can be just about whatever makes Metal uncomfortable (but hey, at least she's looking out for him :) ). Lol Eggman is more than comic relief in this story, but who says the guy can't hog center-stage once in a while? Ya, I had find room for some romance, but I'm pretty slow about it :/. I can't tell you how much fun it was to write about the "library folk"! XD P.S. Hope you liked this chapter too!
Infamousplot: The lateness is fine! I'm just glad to have you back! :D
Yup, that's why I hesitated calling her that at first (I hadn't even thought of Silver 'til I wrote it -_-'). This is kind of a step away from Days, but there'll be some connections in the future. Sister, mother, friend, or who knows? E-85 has a lot of important roles to cover here (teasing Metal is serious business after all XD). The library scene was so off the wall it was hard to write! That said, it was a lot of good fun doing it! Some people hate me giving Metal a "human" side, as they say it's "not what he's like in the games or comics!" I ask you, Infamous, do rude fans just kill you or what (wait, we already covered that, didn't we)? Well I digress. Thanks again for the pleasant, yet detailed, review!
Super Shadix 520: Good to have you with us. I'm happy you appreciate a softer side to the normally serious Metal. I happen to like both sides to him, and would like nothing more than conclude this tale with both in equal doses.
Until next time!