Chapter 2
"Catterkiller!!!" A voice called down a hallway of a small, one story home in the Mystic Ruins. The one 'Catterkiller' turned its head toward the sound and made a cooing noise. It was a large, purple, robotic caterpillar with five round body sections, the first making up its head. From on top of its head came two antennas, each with a ball on top of it. It had fairly normal looking cyan eyes and a silver muzzle with fangs poking out the corners of its mouth. On the four lower body sections were two spikes on each. It was about 3 feet long, total.
The owner of the earlier voice poked her head in the room Catterkiller was occupying, a blue robot hedgehog, female apparently. She spoke again, more quietly. "Have you seen that data transfer cord of mine? I can't seem to find it. anywhere." she trailed off, noticing the black cord hanging out of Catterkiller's mouth.
"And what have I told you about eating my stuff?!" she snapped, grabbing the cord with silvery-metal clawed fingers, and tugging. Catterkiller held tight the cord in his mouth and pulled back himself, finding it as a fun sort of game. "Give it to me." The hedgehog robot darkened her crimson eyes and held the cord back. Catterkiller pulled back harder, growling playfully.
He suddenly flew backwards and tumbled, hitting a wall. His mistress, who had let go of her end of the cord and sent Catterkiller sprawling, stepped forward and victoriously pulled the cord out of the dazed bug's mouth.
"I win," she said, stashing her prize in a compartment in the armor of her left arm. She softened when Catterkiller whimpered pathetically. "Sorry, 'Killer. But I need this. I'm heading down to the ravine again today to see if I can get any more info on what's up with the construction of that huge city. I'm certain that Dr. Eggman's behind it."
Catterkiller spoke suddenly, "Can I come with you?" She blinked down at him, considering. "Sure, I suppose." She kneeled down and let Catterkiller slither up onto her shoulders, then stepped over to a table and picked up a small laser pistol. Together, they stepped out into the mid-morning air of West Mystic Ruin's forest.
The girl walked down the well-beaten trail to the huge ravine in the center of the MR. She stopped at the edge and looked around. Buildings and factories were being constructed, even as she looked on; streets were being paved and robots milled about. More robots than usual. she thought to herself, eyes still sweeping over the area. She froze. An air freighter was parked down there, and she was quite certain that had not been there yesterday. She looked over at Catterkiller with a mischievous smile, "Let's go." Catterkiller nodded in agreement and wrapped tightly around her neck.
The blue robot jumped the small fence that lined the ravine and met the incline with both feet. She slid down a ways in the dirt, then jumped and dodged the rocks, quickly descending to the bottom in this manner. She hit a cement road on both feet with a clang and took a quick look around before scampering off to take cover in an ally way. She peeked around the corner to look for her objective.
"Freeze, intruder," a voice droned from behind her.
She snapped around and came muzzle to muzzle with the barrel of a pulse cannon attached to a guard robot.
Suddenly struck with terror that she hadn't even heard it coming, she raised her hands in the air. "Drop your weapon," it ordered. She obeyed, dropping the pistol out of her right hand. The guard immediately took her hands behind her back and cuffed them, then spoke into its intercom. "Sir, I have located an intruder and have it in my custody. Requesting orders."
"Bring it in," another voice came through its speaker. "Who is it?"
"Unknown, sir. Blue hedgehog, robot. Appears female."
A pause. "Yes, bring it in." "Yes sir."
And so, she was led down the street with a blaster pushed against her head. "You guys aren't gonna brainwash me again, are you?" No answer. "I'll have you know that I'd rather die than that." Still no answer. "What are you up to, anyway?" she ranted, as if she was talking to Eggman himself. "You are one of Eggman's robots, neh? You have a huge picture of his face on your chest. So. can he hear me?"
"Silence, prisoner. Master might not be as lenient with you."
"Yeah, okay. Are you going to.?" "Shut up," the other robot cut her off.
They entered the main building and stood in what was probably supposed to be an entry hall, though it looked like a gymnasium that someone tried to turn into a fancy party-hall of some sort. Statues lined the walls as well as numerous doors. There were runners of red carpet that led straight up the room to a single door on the far side, and more that branched off of the first runner to the other doors to the right and left.
The hedgehog robot looked around interestedly at the décor, and found herself looking up at a security camera. She stuck her tongue out at it right before her leader pushed her forward and led her up to the far door. She scuffed her foot against the carpet and looked down at it as the guard robot typed in the access code for the door. "I like the carpet. Did Eggman pick it out?"
No answer. The doors slid open and the two stepped in. Ahead was a long hallway.
The smaller robot slouched as much as her captor would allow, "Do we have to walk down that?"
The guard pulled her up forcefully and started down the hall, still not responding. She sighed and fell in step beside it. "You're not much of a talker, are you?" Her answer was silence, not surprisingly. Thankfully for her short attention span, the guard stopped at a door to the side fairly quickly and went in.
It was a large computer room. The most noticeable thing in the room, however, was not the massive, and very impressive, computer console-- but the large black swivel chair in front of it. The back was turned toward the two robots. The captive one pricked her ears and stepped forward a bit. Even as she was harshly yanked back by the other, she inquired. "Dr. Eggman?"
"Incorrect." The chair spun around and the figure in it was definitely smaller than the one the girl had expected. It was another robot, a very familiar echidna robot.
Her mouth stood open for a moment, then closed. "Metal. Metal Knuckles?" she blinked. "Where's Eggman?"
Robo Knux waved a hand dismissively in the air. "RK, please. Eggman's whereabouts aren't important at the moment," he said nonchalantly. He turned to look at her directly and his tone changed to be a bit more patronizing. "MS 04, MetalSonic 2, you little fugitive. Where have you been? Egg's had robots searching for you since you disappeared back in January, but you happen to walk right back into the city. Ironic, no?"
"Yeah, I guess it is." But she seemed distant, not really interested in RK's questions, or the veiled spite in his talk. MS2 gazed straight at the other, almost seeming mesmerized by his green eyes, remembering the years she spent in Robotropolis before she ran away. The first few were unpleasant, blurry. but when she got to the thoughts after her second activation, RK became a very fresh memory. She adored him. his strength, wit, personality. And then there was Metal Sonic-
RK was staring back her, waiting. "Well? Are you going to answer or are you going to stand there all day staring at me?" he pushed, his eyes flickering. "Where have you been?" He questioned again, though not sounding mean. He seemed as if he really wanted to know.
"I." MS2 managed to tear her gaze away from his, with great difficulty, and took to staring at the floor. "I'm sorry. I've been here. in the Mystic Ruins," she supplied vaguely, trying to buy a minute or two. Memories and thoughts were flooding her mind. As though she'd hardly even dabbled at them over the months of separation from the Eggman Empire. Why'd she leave in the first place?
"And why did you run away?" RK echoed her thoughts. He smirked. "As if the answer wasn't obvious."
Death, came the answer. The Metallix Series was ordered to kill, or sometimes robotize, anyone who stood in the way of Eggman's rule, no matter who they were, even if they were innocent civilians who wouldn't leave their house while their home village was being razed to the ground. Ending someone else's life was just not something her conscience would allow.
She looked up at him again, her red eyes looked pleading, and somehow managed to make her look as guilty as she felt, cuffed up in the hands of the sentry robot. "The death, RK. I can't take it like you and Metal Sonic can. I was made differently. I didn't really want to leave besides," she explained, then paused and asked quickly as a thought came to her mind. "Are you going to reprogram me or kill me, now that I'm in your custody?"
"Maybe and no," he replied instantly. Though he was a little surprised at her answer, himself, and he could tell she wasn't lying. Killing people never bothered him in the least. "You were a valuable soldier, MS2. And you were missed." His eyes shifted to a yellowed color as he scanned over her critically. "You aren't in very good condition," he noted. "A lot of your resources are shut down, including your weaponry. That explains why you were caught so easily, hmm?"
MS2 nodded slowly. "Well, it's tough for a robot on her own out there," she stated matter-of-factually. "Especially when nobody will give you a job to pay for proper maintenance."
RK nodded once in understanding. A certain feeling crept into his mind, like he had some sort of duty to protect her. Where did that come from? Likely the loyalty programming he had to Eggman, the thing that would force RK to protect his master should anything put him in immediate danger, and prevent RK from causing any harm to Dr. Eggman directly. Those sorts of additions tended to affect a robot's personality. However, he didn't let it show. He never let any 'soft' feelings pass his frightening exterior, especially anything he had not pondered over before; he would look into it later.
"You're interested in returning, then?" he half observed, half asked; sounding dispassionate as he rubbed his claws together absently.
MS2 watched him do this, knowing that the robot she stood before was about as random as they came. He could be doing it because he was planning to rip her apart, or because he was simply bored or mentally preoccupied. So, the right amount of caution was required when she answered him. "I do not wish to be put under any sort of mind control. I've been able to defeat everything the doctor's given me before, and it's ineffective. It simply lowers my opinion of him. However, with no mental-intrusions, I can swear my allegiance, pure, to the Empire. I know what you do to traitors around here." She said, and then laughed a bit, "And I'm obviously made for this line of work."
"You are. I'm glad you're educated, anyway," he said, getting up off the chair and holding his hands behind his back. He stepped toward her and leaned forward slightly so that he was perfectly eye-level with her. "Because otherwise you would have to learn the hard way." He smirked. "And you would have returned to us anyway."
She nodded, slightly frightened by his manner, but at the same time thrilled. She smiled a bit and answered cheerfully, "I understand completely. Can't have Egg's evil robots running around freelance, right?"
RK leaned back and smirked. The girl was a bit naïve, it seemed. "Right." His eyes flicked up to the guard 'bot. "Take her to the repair bay, I will have specifications sent to the network." His eyes went back down to MS2. "And I will later see what I can do about keeping your assignments free of slaughtering."
"Wait," requested MS2 hurriedly. RK nodded at her, so she continued. "What about my Naaru.?" By Naaru, she meant Catterkiller, the robot who was still wrapped, petrified, around her neck.
RK gazed at it, unreadable. He remembered that thing; it followed MS2 around and liked to eat things. "If it chews up anything important, it'll be scrapped."
MS2 nodded. "Aye, sir," and would have saluted if her hands weren't bound behind her back. At that, she was turned and led out of the room by the guard robot. MS2 turned to Catterkiller. "Isn't he great?" Catterkiller just 'mwee'ed.
"Catterkiller!!!" A voice called down a hallway of a small, one story home in the Mystic Ruins. The one 'Catterkiller' turned its head toward the sound and made a cooing noise. It was a large, purple, robotic caterpillar with five round body sections, the first making up its head. From on top of its head came two antennas, each with a ball on top of it. It had fairly normal looking cyan eyes and a silver muzzle with fangs poking out the corners of its mouth. On the four lower body sections were two spikes on each. It was about 3 feet long, total.
The owner of the earlier voice poked her head in the room Catterkiller was occupying, a blue robot hedgehog, female apparently. She spoke again, more quietly. "Have you seen that data transfer cord of mine? I can't seem to find it. anywhere." she trailed off, noticing the black cord hanging out of Catterkiller's mouth.
"And what have I told you about eating my stuff?!" she snapped, grabbing the cord with silvery-metal clawed fingers, and tugging. Catterkiller held tight the cord in his mouth and pulled back himself, finding it as a fun sort of game. "Give it to me." The hedgehog robot darkened her crimson eyes and held the cord back. Catterkiller pulled back harder, growling playfully.
He suddenly flew backwards and tumbled, hitting a wall. His mistress, who had let go of her end of the cord and sent Catterkiller sprawling, stepped forward and victoriously pulled the cord out of the dazed bug's mouth.
"I win," she said, stashing her prize in a compartment in the armor of her left arm. She softened when Catterkiller whimpered pathetically. "Sorry, 'Killer. But I need this. I'm heading down to the ravine again today to see if I can get any more info on what's up with the construction of that huge city. I'm certain that Dr. Eggman's behind it."
Catterkiller spoke suddenly, "Can I come with you?" She blinked down at him, considering. "Sure, I suppose." She kneeled down and let Catterkiller slither up onto her shoulders, then stepped over to a table and picked up a small laser pistol. Together, they stepped out into the mid-morning air of West Mystic Ruin's forest.
The girl walked down the well-beaten trail to the huge ravine in the center of the MR. She stopped at the edge and looked around. Buildings and factories were being constructed, even as she looked on; streets were being paved and robots milled about. More robots than usual. she thought to herself, eyes still sweeping over the area. She froze. An air freighter was parked down there, and she was quite certain that had not been there yesterday. She looked over at Catterkiller with a mischievous smile, "Let's go." Catterkiller nodded in agreement and wrapped tightly around her neck.
The blue robot jumped the small fence that lined the ravine and met the incline with both feet. She slid down a ways in the dirt, then jumped and dodged the rocks, quickly descending to the bottom in this manner. She hit a cement road on both feet with a clang and took a quick look around before scampering off to take cover in an ally way. She peeked around the corner to look for her objective.
"Freeze, intruder," a voice droned from behind her.
She snapped around and came muzzle to muzzle with the barrel of a pulse cannon attached to a guard robot.
Suddenly struck with terror that she hadn't even heard it coming, she raised her hands in the air. "Drop your weapon," it ordered. She obeyed, dropping the pistol out of her right hand. The guard immediately took her hands behind her back and cuffed them, then spoke into its intercom. "Sir, I have located an intruder and have it in my custody. Requesting orders."
"Bring it in," another voice came through its speaker. "Who is it?"
"Unknown, sir. Blue hedgehog, robot. Appears female."
A pause. "Yes, bring it in." "Yes sir."
And so, she was led down the street with a blaster pushed against her head. "You guys aren't gonna brainwash me again, are you?" No answer. "I'll have you know that I'd rather die than that." Still no answer. "What are you up to, anyway?" she ranted, as if she was talking to Eggman himself. "You are one of Eggman's robots, neh? You have a huge picture of his face on your chest. So. can he hear me?"
"Silence, prisoner. Master might not be as lenient with you."
"Yeah, okay. Are you going to.?" "Shut up," the other robot cut her off.
They entered the main building and stood in what was probably supposed to be an entry hall, though it looked like a gymnasium that someone tried to turn into a fancy party-hall of some sort. Statues lined the walls as well as numerous doors. There were runners of red carpet that led straight up the room to a single door on the far side, and more that branched off of the first runner to the other doors to the right and left.
The hedgehog robot looked around interestedly at the décor, and found herself looking up at a security camera. She stuck her tongue out at it right before her leader pushed her forward and led her up to the far door. She scuffed her foot against the carpet and looked down at it as the guard robot typed in the access code for the door. "I like the carpet. Did Eggman pick it out?"
No answer. The doors slid open and the two stepped in. Ahead was a long hallway.
The smaller robot slouched as much as her captor would allow, "Do we have to walk down that?"
The guard pulled her up forcefully and started down the hall, still not responding. She sighed and fell in step beside it. "You're not much of a talker, are you?" Her answer was silence, not surprisingly. Thankfully for her short attention span, the guard stopped at a door to the side fairly quickly and went in.
It was a large computer room. The most noticeable thing in the room, however, was not the massive, and very impressive, computer console-- but the large black swivel chair in front of it. The back was turned toward the two robots. The captive one pricked her ears and stepped forward a bit. Even as she was harshly yanked back by the other, she inquired. "Dr. Eggman?"
"Incorrect." The chair spun around and the figure in it was definitely smaller than the one the girl had expected. It was another robot, a very familiar echidna robot.
Her mouth stood open for a moment, then closed. "Metal. Metal Knuckles?" she blinked. "Where's Eggman?"
Robo Knux waved a hand dismissively in the air. "RK, please. Eggman's whereabouts aren't important at the moment," he said nonchalantly. He turned to look at her directly and his tone changed to be a bit more patronizing. "MS 04, MetalSonic 2, you little fugitive. Where have you been? Egg's had robots searching for you since you disappeared back in January, but you happen to walk right back into the city. Ironic, no?"
"Yeah, I guess it is." But she seemed distant, not really interested in RK's questions, or the veiled spite in his talk. MS2 gazed straight at the other, almost seeming mesmerized by his green eyes, remembering the years she spent in Robotropolis before she ran away. The first few were unpleasant, blurry. but when she got to the thoughts after her second activation, RK became a very fresh memory. She adored him. his strength, wit, personality. And then there was Metal Sonic-
RK was staring back her, waiting. "Well? Are you going to answer or are you going to stand there all day staring at me?" he pushed, his eyes flickering. "Where have you been?" He questioned again, though not sounding mean. He seemed as if he really wanted to know.
"I." MS2 managed to tear her gaze away from his, with great difficulty, and took to staring at the floor. "I'm sorry. I've been here. in the Mystic Ruins," she supplied vaguely, trying to buy a minute or two. Memories and thoughts were flooding her mind. As though she'd hardly even dabbled at them over the months of separation from the Eggman Empire. Why'd she leave in the first place?
"And why did you run away?" RK echoed her thoughts. He smirked. "As if the answer wasn't obvious."
Death, came the answer. The Metallix Series was ordered to kill, or sometimes robotize, anyone who stood in the way of Eggman's rule, no matter who they were, even if they were innocent civilians who wouldn't leave their house while their home village was being razed to the ground. Ending someone else's life was just not something her conscience would allow.
She looked up at him again, her red eyes looked pleading, and somehow managed to make her look as guilty as she felt, cuffed up in the hands of the sentry robot. "The death, RK. I can't take it like you and Metal Sonic can. I was made differently. I didn't really want to leave besides," she explained, then paused and asked quickly as a thought came to her mind. "Are you going to reprogram me or kill me, now that I'm in your custody?"
"Maybe and no," he replied instantly. Though he was a little surprised at her answer, himself, and he could tell she wasn't lying. Killing people never bothered him in the least. "You were a valuable soldier, MS2. And you were missed." His eyes shifted to a yellowed color as he scanned over her critically. "You aren't in very good condition," he noted. "A lot of your resources are shut down, including your weaponry. That explains why you were caught so easily, hmm?"
MS2 nodded slowly. "Well, it's tough for a robot on her own out there," she stated matter-of-factually. "Especially when nobody will give you a job to pay for proper maintenance."
RK nodded once in understanding. A certain feeling crept into his mind, like he had some sort of duty to protect her. Where did that come from? Likely the loyalty programming he had to Eggman, the thing that would force RK to protect his master should anything put him in immediate danger, and prevent RK from causing any harm to Dr. Eggman directly. Those sorts of additions tended to affect a robot's personality. However, he didn't let it show. He never let any 'soft' feelings pass his frightening exterior, especially anything he had not pondered over before; he would look into it later.
"You're interested in returning, then?" he half observed, half asked; sounding dispassionate as he rubbed his claws together absently.
MS2 watched him do this, knowing that the robot she stood before was about as random as they came. He could be doing it because he was planning to rip her apart, or because he was simply bored or mentally preoccupied. So, the right amount of caution was required when she answered him. "I do not wish to be put under any sort of mind control. I've been able to defeat everything the doctor's given me before, and it's ineffective. It simply lowers my opinion of him. However, with no mental-intrusions, I can swear my allegiance, pure, to the Empire. I know what you do to traitors around here." She said, and then laughed a bit, "And I'm obviously made for this line of work."
"You are. I'm glad you're educated, anyway," he said, getting up off the chair and holding his hands behind his back. He stepped toward her and leaned forward slightly so that he was perfectly eye-level with her. "Because otherwise you would have to learn the hard way." He smirked. "And you would have returned to us anyway."
She nodded, slightly frightened by his manner, but at the same time thrilled. She smiled a bit and answered cheerfully, "I understand completely. Can't have Egg's evil robots running around freelance, right?"
RK leaned back and smirked. The girl was a bit naïve, it seemed. "Right." His eyes flicked up to the guard 'bot. "Take her to the repair bay, I will have specifications sent to the network." His eyes went back down to MS2. "And I will later see what I can do about keeping your assignments free of slaughtering."
"Wait," requested MS2 hurriedly. RK nodded at her, so she continued. "What about my Naaru.?" By Naaru, she meant Catterkiller, the robot who was still wrapped, petrified, around her neck.
RK gazed at it, unreadable. He remembered that thing; it followed MS2 around and liked to eat things. "If it chews up anything important, it'll be scrapped."
MS2 nodded. "Aye, sir," and would have saluted if her hands weren't bound behind her back. At that, she was turned and led out of the room by the guard robot. MS2 turned to Catterkiller. "Isn't he great?" Catterkiller just 'mwee'ed.
