Mecha Action!
Chapter 6: The Hedgehog Inside
"So… do you know something about him?" Amy's voice sounded nervous but deep in her heart she was as bold as a young girl her age could be.
Again Metal Sonic only replied tilting his head to the other side. Amy wasn't sure if Metal was confused or was still in thought, so she repeated her request a little louder.
"Can you understand me?" she said slowly. "Tails. Do-you-know--"
"I can hear you clearly. There is no need to raise the volume of your voice." Metal spoke in a more normal voice than in a dull monotone one.
"Oh…so-so you know something about Tails?" Amy asked openly.
"Tails…"
Metal paused for a few seconds looking down at the floor. A few computer beeps could be heard coming his interior and then the Mecha looked back up at the Defender again.
"The name seems familiar… but data on it is unknown or hidden within my memory." he honestly answered.
The Defender sighed leaning against the wall with Metal Sonic patiently waiting for her next question. It almost seemed as if the hedgehog had nothing else to talk about until ShadoMech came to mind once again.
"Hey," Amy quickly stood up and pushed herself against the bars. "What about ShadoMech? Do you know anything about him?"
"ShadoMech is my partner on our missions. He has a power output of 250 and can reach speeds up to--"
"I'm not talking about statistics!" Amy interrupted the Mecha. "I mean what do you know about him personally."
Once again Metal was silent for a few brainstorming seconds. Then the robot slightly lifted a hand out towards Amy still staring into her eyes.
"Shado…Mech." Metal said quietly.
Timidly, Amy replied slowly moving her hand towards Metals.
"Are you getting something? Is there something you can remember about ShadoMech?" she asked still moving her hand towards Metal.
Suddenly the Mecha pulled his hand away causing Amy to jump a bit. He looked away down the darken aisle of the prison area almost as if he was in deep thought.
"He is my brother." Metal finally replied.
"Brother?" Amy echoed.
"Yes… my blood brother from birth. But that is all I know."
Amy lowered her eyes in her unsuccessful search for the truth to Metal's past. However one last subject joggled her brain: Miles. Or Tails as she had recently discovered. What was it about the boy the Eggman liked so much? What was the mysterious power the scientist nearly drooled over? She was sure that Metal had the answer to that.
"Well if you can't remember much of your past, then what do you know about Miles? He seems so important to Eggman." Amy commented.
"Miles is used to transmit robotic signals to all of the Mechas around the world." Metal replied efficiently.
"Transmit signals? How?"
"He has an abnormal brain wave pattern unlike any other Organic. Father discovered that turning Miles into a Mecha would disrupt or even destroy the brain wave so he is preserved in a capsule environment where he is given all of his nutritional needs through tubes. Miles is also used to keep track of Defender movement into the Mechalands territory. Defenders do not know how much Father has allowed them to sabotage his plans many times before in the past."
A sudden gasp came from Amy from hearing this information. All of these years Eggman was well aware of when Defenders entered into his territory yet he still allowed them to complete their missions! It was very confusing and somehow disturbing to know that the scientist would allow such things to happen. Of course he probably let the Defenders go about their business for he would always be a step ahead of them. A simple yet cruel teasing game of cat and mouse. Amy leaned back against the wall again sighing as she finally realized that they where fighting a losing war after all of these years. Eggman was probably trying to wear out the Defenders, and from the state of Knuckles' secluded behavior, the scientist was winning.
"Sometimes…" Metal began catching Amy's attention.
She pushed herself up off the wall and faced Metal once again.
"Sometimes there are messages… incomprehensible messages that I get from Miles." Metal finished.
"Miles? Why?" Amy quietly questioned him.
"I don't know. Perhaps they are skewered because of Father's design of Prime Tower, but every now and then Miles would try to send me a message. It's gotten to the point where I've ignored them now."
There was a light feeling of sympathy for the Mecha growing in Amy's heart. Although she was raised to never trust any Mechas, she had to make an exception for Metal Sonic. He seemed to be showing a side of him that made him seem… organic. Arbitrarily she held out the palm of her hands towards the robot perhaps as some form of comfort although she doubted that it would work at all.
"Maybe he's trying to tell you something…" Amy's voice spoke softly.
Metal Sonic looked down at the palm of the Defender's hands contemplating what to do. A circuit somewhere within him commanded his hands to lift up and reach out to touch Amy's. Slowly the metallic hands inched closer and closer to the girls. They were hovering over hers and slowly descended to rest upon the warm and soft hands. Yet at the moment contact was made a violent jolt of electricity surged through the two for a good second or so before blowing them away from each other.
Amy fell back onto the grimy floor while Metal was thrown back into the bars of the cell opposite of Amy's. As the pink hedgehog looked up shaking her head she looked over at Metal who was now sitting on the floor leaning against the bars of the opposite cell. His red eyes were no longer glowing. Had he shut down? Suddenly they flashed red again but Metal Sonic's entire body began to jerk and jolt every few seconds. Finally the Mecha returned to normal standing to his feet, his body slightly jerking on its way up. Amy stood as well but kept her distance from Metal.
"Wh-what happened?" Amy asked frightened by the shock.
Metal twitched and jerked some more with electricity sparks flying from his head before it all ceased for good. Then the Mecha looked at Amy again with his blank stare.
"Shadow…" Metal spoke raising his hands and looking at them.
"What?" Amy asked confused now.
"Shadow… my brother. He's like me as well isn't he?" Metal asked sounding more like an Organic.
The girl nodded her head still confused as ever.
"Tails. Tails, where is he?"
Amy's eyes widen at Metal's anxious behavior. Was he finally gaining some of his memory back?
"Do you remember Tails and Shadow?" the girl asked quickly.
"Yes… but not much. I only know that all three of us were brothers."
"All three of you? But how is Tails…?"
"…Adopted. Our parents adopted him."
Suddenly the metallic hedgehog pressed his hands against his head as if he was suffering from a painful headache. Amy wanted to comfort him but after the shock felt that it was best to stay away. She finally had one more question to ask Metal.
"Can… can you tell me… your name?" Amy asked guessing what his answer would be.
"My name? It's Sonic." Metal Sonic replied.
Somehow Amy finally did it! She was able to help Metal Sonic remember his past… or at least who he is and who is family is. She couldn't figure out why she shocked Metal when they touched, but finally there was a light of hope for the Organic nation. Amy was full of excitement and glee for she would finally have a way out of Prime Tower and back to Defender Territory. But Metal Sonic only looked at her with his emotionless stare.
"Amy…" he began.
The young girl looked at him as happy as she could be.
"…I don't want to fight this war anymore. I just want it to end."
The smile disappeared from Amy's face… but was replaced by an empathetic smile. It seems she had unlocked a shared feeling between her and the Mecha.
Outside of Prime Tower a small group of Defenders had set themselves up around Prime Tower hiding in different spots. Night had fallen upon the Mechalands darkening the already bleak landscape. Bright lights lit up the skies and streets of the grim lands and the capitol area was in chaotic condition. In a narrow alley Rouge and Knuckles kept a close eye on security bots hovering around Prime Tower. Apparently the recent intruder event finally forced Eggman to keep watch over the exterior of Prime Tower. The headlight of a security bot hovered by forcing Knuckles and Rouge back into the alley. After the bot passed, the two peered out into the street. It was still in a mess from the battle earlier that day.
"Looks like Amy caused quite a stir." Knuckles spoke under his breath.
"See why I didn't do anything." Rouge said to him crossly.
Knuckles only glanced an annoyed look at the bat before returning to survey the tower. There had to be over hundreds of security bots hovering around and about Prime Tower making it near impossible for the Defenders to get in undetected.
"Permission to move in sir?" a voice over the communicator spoke.
"No. There's too much going on. All units stay in position." Knuckles commanded the others.
He sighed frustrated and placed a hand to his face brainstorming some kind of plan. If they attempted to take down a few of the security bots then the others would notice and guards would be called upon from Prime Tower. After past experiences Knuckles knew better than to put his own Defenders in the face of grave danger. Rouge, on the other hand, had more personal things on her mind. She couldn't stop thinking about the day she had last seen Knuckles ten years ago. Their last words to each other were intense and none of them seemed to have heard each other. She had to find some closure on the subject.
"It wasn't my fault…" she whispered.
The echidna veered around to face her.
"What was that?" he asked.
"It wasn't my fault." Rouge answered again barely audible.
Immediately Knuckles knew what she was talking about but refused to say anything and turned around.
"I was upset and angry at you because you were so caught up in your work. You never went outside the Great Tree, not even to visit me when I was living in Defender Territory. Yet you expected me to stay at your side no matter what." Rouge was on the verge of crying again.
Knuckles still kept his back to her but was now focused on what she was saying.
"I thought I would be able to make you come out of your shell but you never budged… and I couldn't keep loving you. Why did you neglect me? You say you love me and then completely--"
"I had my responsibilities." Knuckles curtly interrupted Rouge.
"And that's your excuse? You were just too busy for me? You always made time for your soldiers and other serious business and coincidentally pushed me to the bottom of the waiting list!"
"Is that all you care about? Me being an ass towards you? It's no excuse for you abandoning your station during that mission."
"It's a damn good excuse for leaving you in the heat of battle! And you know it just as well as I do…"
Knuckles turned away feeling too stubborn to admit that she was right. Although he loved Rouge with all of his heart in the past, he was just too caught up in his duties and isolation to even show that he cared. Perhaps the war was taking a toll on him and he was too blind to see the consequences. The two remained silent after the short argument and soon Knuckles had a plan in his head. He began to communicate it with the other Defenders but suddenly something strange began to happen. The lights in the immediate area began to flicker on and off before completely shutting down. Soon the security bots went frantic sending messages to each other yet before they could start a search, all of them shut down simultaneously and crashed into the ground.
Confusion rose in the Defenders as they wonder what had just happened. Was it another power surge? Was there someone looking out for them in a secure location? Despite the convenient occurrence, Knuckles saw that it was a good time for his team to move in.
"All units proceed into Prime Tower! Repeat, all units proceed into Prime Tower and stay in contact!" the echidna informed the other Defenders.
He and Rouge rushed into the nearest entrance on their side and soon the entire group of Defenders were making their way up the tower to the prison area.
Inside her prison cell, Amy had finished up her meal and was resting against the wall hoping Metal Sonic would return. Indeed he did come back but seemed to be in a hurry.
"Sonic?" Amy asked standing up.
"Your friends. They've infiltrated the tower and are making their way up here. Father has sent out every robot in the tower against them. I suggest you hurry and join up with them." he informed her while unlocking her cell.
"You're helping us out of here?" Amy asked stepping out.
Before Metal could answer, he received an irate message from Eggman.
"Metal Sonic where are you?! Report immediately to level forty-nine for intruder interception now!!" the voice shouted.
Metal looked back at Amy and then began to leave with the girl hot on her heels.
"I'm sorry Amy but I have to obey Father." Metal apologized.
"I understand." Amy replied. "I'll go look for Tails and tell him that you remembered him ok?"
They had reached the door and Metal Sonic turned back to face her. Gently he took her into his arms and embraced the girl. Amy felt a blush on her face.
"Thank you Amy. Tails is on level 115." Metal said before leaving.
Amy walked out of the prison area taking one last look at Metal before he disappeared down the stairwell. The young Defender then ran off in the opposite direction in hopes of finding Tails on her way up the tower.
Knuckles and Rouge had joined up with three other Defenders and the group entered into an elevator that took them up to the forty-ninth floor.
"Are you sure there's no other way to the prison area?" Knuckles asked a raccoon with a black visor over his eyes.
"Yes sir. Our studies show that the ground elevators stop at the forty-ninth floor while a different set begin at the fifty-fourth floor. We'll have to take the stairwell to the fifty-third floor where the prison cells are." the raccoon responded not looking directly at Knuckles; apparently he was blind.
With all the information he needed, Knuckles prepared himself for battle as well as Rouge and the other Defenders. When the elevator stopped at the forty-ninth floor, the doors remained still for a few tense seconds. There could possibly be hundreds of Mechas on the other side. All five Defenders stood quietly and soon the doors began to slide open revealing a sea of Mechas just waiting to attack. Knuckles led the attack on the robots by charging in first followed immediately by his team. The five of them went into a furious battle firing off their laser guns and using their fighting skills to take out the weakest robots first.
Soon more advanced robots began to join the fight but Rouge and Knuckles saw no problem to this. Together they charged the stronger robots taking them out in one powerful blow. As Rouge took a short breather from her attacks she noticed a group of particularly strong robots advancing upon the raccoon's back. Before she could warn her comrade the raccoon back flipped into the air soaring over the robots and quickly pulled out his guns from their holsters. Immediately a shower of laser shots rained down upon the three robots destroying them and the raccoon landed twirling his guns before placing them in their holsters again.
"Hey nice shot!" Rouge called out to the raccoon.
"Thank you!" he replied before going after some more robots.
"These guys haven't lost their steam at all since I left." Rouge thought to herself as she destroyed another robot.
The fierce battle continued on for a few more minutes until robots stopped arriving. Soon the Defenders had won and Knuckles ordered his teammates to move on but two other Mechas stood in their path. Metal Sonic and ShadoMech had arrived and were ready to take on the small group.
"Are these the guys you were talking about before?" Knuckles asked Rouge.
"Yeah but don't let them fool you though. They're a lot stronger and faster than they look." the bat warned him.
"They must be Eggman's secret weapon."
ShadoMech pointed a shining metal finger at the group and spoke to them.
"We have been given orders from Father to exterminate you intruders. Resist now and your death will be brief and efficient." his voice was slightly deeper than Metal Sonic's.
"I'm sorry but we'll have to decline on your offer." Knuckles got into a fighting stance. "We're on a mission to save one of our own."