The fight only went on for one more minute as the two of them beat each other senseless.

Finally, Sonic fell to his knees and Metal staggered. Sonic panting and aching all over. Metal

barely able to see much at all.

Sonic: "What if I yeilded? Generally, that counts as a defeat..."

Metal: "Must..-ZZKT- ... know..."

Sonic suddenly charged at Metal with a spin dash and knocked Metal over and apparently Metal

stopped moving. Sonic collapsed and was uncontious. Mina didn't know what to do.

Metalla's back up system kicked in as he staggard to his feet, he grapped his opponent by the

neck and wacked him several times across the face bring him to coniousness.

"We fight . . . . to the end!" He hissed his vocal processor restored to full.

Sonic back flipped Metalla, a trick he had learned from Sally, Metalla landed on his feet, as

Sonic knew he would.

It went on some more! The two of them able to predict each other. Still, some things are just

unavoidable no matter HOW fast you are. So the two of them kept pounding on each other.

Each breath for Sonic was akin to being stabbed, Metalla's arm hung at his side uselss the crack

running along his scanner, Sonic's sight was blurred, every muscle screamed in protest at

movment. Mina then came to a hiddious realization. No matter who won, the other would die of

exhastion.

Mina: "Please! I beg you! Take this someplace where the loser can be healed! Neither of you will

survive this no matter who wins!"

"It will matter to me." Retorted the machine. The fighters leaped at each azed Mina that they

could be so injuired and yet still be able to speed shift.

Mina: "It won't matter if you die not knowing! What if you won, but didn't know because you

were too beat-up? You can't just say Sonic won because you died! If he dies from it, he loses!"

"How can you understand the battle of a true warrior?" Hissed the machine.

"Is that your only argument? You know my words ar true. If you want your answers, you'll have

to battle where there is a doctor or a machanic. Of course, if you don't care about who is the

mightier warrior, then you are fighting without a cause witch automatically makes you NOT a

true warrior."

"Shut up Mina! I've wait TOO LONG for my answer. And if my answer will be found in death.

THEN SO BE IT!"

Then got back dusting the sand off his armor.

"How'd ya? Shouldn't your circuits be gragamoli by now?" Sputtard Sonic.

"I'm more than circuits and tin plating, the same as your more than bone and meat."

"Hasn't this stupid fight gone on long enough?!" Said Mina under her breath.

But no, this fight was only so close to done. And Mina's task was simple, she was to witeness

this, so no matter who won, there would be someone to say that the fight had been a fair one.

Mina: "If you don't do as I say Metal, I'll leave. Then you won't have a witness! And I can see

you're too weak to go looking for witnesses. Let's set this up the fairest way instead of your

pompous attitude taking control over the whole thing."

Metal: "If you leave, I'll self-destruct!"

Mina: "Child! If you self destruct, you defeat your own purpose. And what makes you think I

care?"

Metal: "You helped out earlier."

Mina: "To rid myself of Knuckles. Next excuse?"

Metal: "You lost your power! You wouldn't survive the blast!"

Mina: "I reserved enough to teleport in case I needed it for a self-serving person like yourself!

Do as I say or I will leave and your victory will be in veign!"

"What about Sonikku? Neither of us are healthy enough to last long no matter which way this

battle goes. If you leave, it won't matter which one of us wins, Sonic will be dead. And I know

you only have enough power to teleport yourself."

He had to have the answer at least, he didn't care if he died afterwards, if he had his answer at

the moment of his death, then his life would be complete.

Sonic: "Forget it Mina! He's stubborn! Just let us fight this one."

Sonic continued to wrestle the robot; Both of them giving their last ounces of energy... They

were both too weak at this point to throw any punches or kicks. In fact, their speed had gone

down to just a matter of grappling. Who would out-wrestle the other?

So now it ended, meanwhile, Mina noticed Knuckles crawling away, it was strange, to see

someone who had ruined so many lives and had opessed so many be reduced to crawling away

from this battle, the one he had interruppted in his arrogance.

Mina walked over to where Knuckles was and faced him from in front.

Mina: "You know... it doesn't have to end. Much less this way. You are young and there is a

whole lifetime ahead of you."

Mina smiled a genuine smile and offered her hand down to Knuckles.

Mina: "Please accept my offer to help. I know you'd rather do things yourself, but I can show you

things you were never familiar with that can overcome any trial... even those two battling 'hogs

over there."

Knuckles looked up at her with a mix of annoyance, curiousity, and honest-to-goodness

gratitude.

Knuckles: "How... could.. you... care.. about... me?"

Mina: "That's part of what I intend to show you. A side of love you may or may not be familiar."

He finally smiled at her with his eyes relaxing.

Knuckles: "Yes.... I... accept..."

As for Sonic and Metal, it was like holding their breathe for a very long time. Finally, the Metal

monster began to buckle under Sonic's determination. He came to his knees. Then... with one

final burst of energy, Sonic put everything into a kick up into Metal's jaw with his roboticized

foot. Metal collapsed... and so did Sonic. Sonic closed his eys, opened them just long enough to

look at Metal and then at Mina. Then closed his eyes again... apparently for good.

What do I fight for? Eggman? Never. Glory? Wealth? Power? They're meanless to me. I fight for

my answers. But what do I do? When the aswers are found? I was hoping you'd finnish me off

Sonikku? Did you know, my core programming prevents me from commited self tirminatior or

allowing myself to come to harm? But I can still feel the desire. But did I really want this end?

Are my battles with you the only real thing I have in my existance? To test my body against

yours? It felt good to fight with you Sonikku. In those hot moments, when we trade blows, I feel

whole, complete, but I don't think it's the fighting that drives me Sonikku. I don't what drives me.

I long ago broke my programming that bound me to Eggman.

Now I see! I was hoping this fight would never end! I didn't want either of us to win or lose. It

was only the heat of the battle I was striving for. I sense you Sonikku, your heart's slowing,

please don't die Sonikku, Sonic, Maurice, my life's meaning exists though you. How ironic,

Eggma no longer controls my destiny, you do Sonic weather you know it or not, every decision

you made effected me, then again the same could be said of anyone to anyone.

Good job Sonic, you won. Perhapes, because you had something to fight for beyound your own

pride and self respect. Tails, Sally. . . . .

I strange, I don't want to fight . . . anymore . . . .

Sonic got up slowly, wondering if what he just heard was a dream or not. He saw Metal laying

nearby.

Sonic: "Met... Metalla...."

Mina noticed this turn of events. Metal was out and Sonic was delerious. Mina then teleported

showing up at Echidnaopolis. She then went looking for the rebels. Surely, they've taken

advantage of this distruction and Knuckles's absence. But there they were helping the echidnas

and dingo rebuild their homes! She quickly ran to Bean.

Mina: "Aren't you the leader?"

Bean: "Yeah."

Mina: "Sonic is badly hurt and I know where he is! All I need is someone who can fly me there

with a medical kit."

Bean: "But how did you get here?"

Mina: "Do you want him alive or not?"

"S-S-on-kku." Whispered Metalla's system as they began to repair, but they were far to damages

for his limited regenration system to repair.

Was Sonic hearing him? He didn't get it.

"0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 3, 2, 8, 7, 9. Key . . . . home . . . your . . . our . . . home. " Metal's system then shut

down again, and Sonic as he feel into the darkness as well, didn't understand what the machine

had meant but he somehow remembered the combination of numbers, maybe because tthey were

likly to be the mahines' last word, only Eggman knew enough of his insides to repair him now. It

was mystery, Sonic wondered if he would living to unravel it.

It was like floating in water actully, no real senstation save that of being. He felt someone

handling him, Sally? Mina? He didn't know, the qustion remained as he slipped into the void of

unconiousness.

Metal knew he was no normal robot. But it still amazed him that he was sentient. He never took

that for granted. Mostly due to the rest of the world being so racist against sentient robots'

existence. He was pleased that it ended this way. His answer had been in front of his face all

along! He and Sonic were equals. But yet their personalities and aproaches were very different.

Now he knew. Sonic was much more now to Metal than just a worthy adversary. Truely, they

were seperate yet equal people who respected each other, but to Metal... it was that they were

both so pasionate about what they believed in. "You and I are alike after all, Sonikku. No matter

how our opinions may differ..."

Ok, Mina thought, what now? She had Metalla and Sonic here out like lights, both serious

injuired. Knuckles drained of all his power just a few feet away. And only enough strength to

teleport one of them.

"Robots are repairable", she thought, "But if I leave Knuckles alone with Metal...."

It was a hard choice, needless to say. But she had to choose quickly. Not sure why, she grabbed

Sonic and teleported.

Knuckles had relied so much on chaos engery over the years he couldn't even stand. Metal was

in repair mode, if his system could stay on line peroid that was.

_________

The rebels didn't like this, Bean paced the main section of the cave. What had all that been

about? And Fiona still hadn't reutrned either. Who or what were Sonic and Metalla? The

gaurdain's ward and Bunny were now talking the same crazy talk. This still left the question

however, this Miles Prower was NOTHING like the one he had heard stories about. None of

them good.

Tails: "Where's Sonic? And Auntie Sally?"

Bean: "Auntie who?"

Bunnie: "Sal. Sonic's girlfriend in the alternate world."

Bean: "Of course..."

Bean smeared his face with his hand and gave up.

Meanwhile, Mina found where the chaotix were recuperating and teleported in.

She snuck up to Nack. "Boo!" Nack lept several feet into the air like a pro-basketball player!

Nack: "You! What are you doing here? And why are you still alive?"

Mina: "What you saw die was an illusion. I'm not sure myself how that happened."

Nack: "In any case... why are you here?"

Mina: "To find the kid here a decent doctor. If you fix him, I'll tell you where your precious

"guardian" is."

"You DARE barter with a Chaotic?@!"

"You don't have a freaking choice."