Author's note:

ok guys here comes the mushie bit, you knew it was coming. no no pairings yet if thats what your hopping for, thats future stuff. anyway enjoy folks, rate and review!

Chapter 6: Gerald

I realised I was awake. Remembering the battle I just had I opened my eyes slowly, expecting the stinging pain, but there was none, and the pain in my sides from the kicks Meta Shadow gave me was gone too. There was, however, a splitting headache and what looked like a doctor's medical examination light above me, temporarily blinding me so I closed my eyes again.

"Professor, he's awake." Came the familiar, and excited sounding voice of Shadow.

"Good morning" came another familiar voice… one I had not expected.

"…Master…?" I said weakly

"Master? Ho ho. Sonic you must jest!" said the voice again

Shadow Chuckled "Professor, remember when I used to call you that?"

"Yes, yes that was quiet some time ago wasn't it? Much Happier times… but we have no time to reminisce, Sonic how do you feel…?"

"…My head… feels like… Eg… Ivo sat on it…"

Shadow sniggered. The owner of the voice was not amused though.

"Hrmm… yes… well… I suppose that means you have a headache?"

"…massive one…"

"That's to be expected, the amount of Chaos Energy Drives we had to feed into you to heal you, there is bound to be a little head ache"

Chaos Drives? I recognised the word… wasn't that what GUN used to power their robots?

"Shadow, go fetch your brother some pain killers"

"Yes Professor"

There was the slight noise of Shadow walking away.

"So Sonic… Shadow tells me you have amnesia… is it getting any better? Remembering anything yet?"

"…Not… yet sir" I decided it best to keep up the ruse just now

"Sonic, please, professor is fine."

"Yes… professor."

"It is a shame though, I would like to know how you got away."

"You… and everyone else … professor"

"Ho ho! Quiet, quiet indeed. I'm also told you beat Gigacannon?"

"…yeah… he got me angry…" I admitted

"Hrmmmm, I see" the answer obviously troubled him "And what happened to Meta Shadow?"

"…I heard him say something about his legs before he left… must of hit them with the Chaos Thunder…"

"I see… your alright, considering… we have one General destroyed and one damaged… seems we have a lot to be thankful for"

"… I suppose…"

"Ah here is Shadow back!"

I felt something being put into my hand.

"Those are the painkillers, remember to swallow them whole. Shadow come lets give him his rest, he will need it."

"Yes Professor."

I took the painkillers and swallowed them as the master told me too… then remembered back to the battle…

Meta Shadow…

"Chaos Radiance huh?" I said to myself. I fell asleep shortly after.

XOXOX

Dark Lance carefully watched the recording, taking note of each attack this new Sonic made. What was interesting is that with most people, anger is a weakness, but with this new Sonic, both times he got angry it was costly for his opponent. For Gigacannon, it destroyed him, for Meta Shadow, it cost him his legs, one of his most valuable weapons, he was currently being repaired from it.

"Learn anything yet my Tactical Friend?" asked the voice of Robotnik from the view screen next to the recording

The robot nodded. "Do not get him angry Lord"

"What else?"

"He hasn't used any physical attacks in ether instance. Possibly he does not possess them"

"I don't suppose you mean a typical punch or kick do you?"

"Negative Lord… I mean he hasn't used any spin dashes, homing attacks etc. he has used a Blue tornado, but I don't think that counts as he doesn't touch the target"

"Interesting, so that's why Meta Shadow was doing so well?"

"Probably, that and he blinded this Sonic"

"So you suggest a Close range attack?"

"That or an attack so far away that he wouldn't know its coming"

"Interesting how both those types of attack fall into your category isn't it?"

The robot would of smiled if he had the mouth for it "Yes Lord"

"So I suppose I should let you be the next to take him on?"

"Indeed, however that is only a suggestion sir"

"One I shall follow, take him out as you see fit Dark Lance."

Again he would of smiled…"Yes Lord"

XOXOX

I woke up to see I was still in the same room, the headache was gone and the light looked no where near as bright. I was feeling ok now, except I had growling empty stomach. I looked around the room, I guess I was upstairs, in a laboratory that they may have used for medical purposes; it looked like a hospital operating room. With the exception that there was a large tube full of what I assumed where the Chaos Drives. They looked like fuses, but instead of copper wire, there was a shard of coloured crystal, seven different ones. Just like the Chaos emeralds.

There was also a digital clock… its display read "01:25pm"

After lunch… no wonder I'm feeling hungry, I haven't had anything since I came to this place.

When I thought about it, the last meal I had was back home, I took a burger from a wrecked stand back in Central City. I thought about heading down to the mess hall… but on the other hand it might have been a good idea to find the professor first. When I got up from the table, I noticed a slight pain in my leg, I must of no been fully healed yet. It was only a sort of throbbing pain though, nothing to worry about. The corridor outside the room was quiet; everyone must have been down in the mess hall. I hopped Gerald wasn't there, I don't think I would want a room of people making a fuss over me… well unless they where running in fear that is.

If I had remembered right, his room would have been the head general's quarters. Number 1 on the west side, right next door to mine. It was time to meet my old master.

I knocked on the door, at first there was no reply. I cursed under my breath, he was probably down stairs. But upon leaving I heard a voice say "Come". I shrugged; he must have been so busy he didn't register the knock right away. When I opened the door, the room I was greeted with was not much different from my own. Another simple room. The difference however was instead of a bed, there was a couch with a blanket on it. There where also a number of stuffed bookcases and filing cabinets. Right in the centre of the room was a desk, spread over which where a number of blueprints, hand drawn maps and lists of names. And there he was, Studying all of these notes, in a chair behind the desk was Professor Gerald.

I didn't know how to feel… in my memory I remembered seeing his execution from behind Sonic's eyes during the ARK incident, yet there he was, in perfect health! The closest thing I ever had to a father. He was wearing the same glasses as when I first saw him, I guess the serum doesn't heal eye defects, he also wore a black and blue camo uniform… Apart from the camo he was exactly as I remembered him physically.

"…Ma… Professor?"

"Ah! Sonic! Up and around now I see?" He said, looking at me and smiling… I never saw him smile before. "How are you, better I hope?"

"Yes… considering I was beaten up by Meta Shadow…"

"Yes… nasty business… you weren't to banged up though. that's good"

"Yes… I suppose"

I couldn't believe it; I was having a normal conversation with Gerald Robotnik. He created me and yet I hardly knew anything about him before the original ARK incident. The one where Maria died. This was the closest thing to that Gerald. I wondered what was on his mind. Would he still be out for revenge, except on Ivo rather than the entire world? What's more is before hand I had so much I wanted to ask him, yet I found I couldn't move my mouth to form any words

"Something the matter Sonic?"

"Uh, no sir."

"Sonic what did I say to you about calling me that?"

"Uh, Sorry"

There was a word I never used before… at least not in that context.

"I was just wondering…" I said "What am I to do now?" I had no idea why those words came out of my mouth. I guess I was looking for some kind of orders.

"Urmmm…" said Gerald, flummoxed, he looked at a clock on the wall behind him "well it is lunch time, what do you say we get a bite to eat?"

I think I smiled then, I was hoping he would say that. I nodded enthusiastically. He got up from his chair and we walked down to the mess hall. As I expected it was full of people. After getting our food, the professor decided we should sit next to the other generals. The rest of the afternoon was spent with them talking about their stories of events from this war, all of the depressing stuff conveniently left out. I have to admit it was fun hearing certain events, like when Shadow was thrown face first by Nite into a number of robots, destroying them all, and about how early day Espio and his mistaking a broken robot for Joz. But there was on thing nagging at me through out it. The fact that I… I dunno… I was feeling things I shouldn't of been feeling, I don't know what these feelings where. Regret might have been one, though why should a creature like me regret anything? I didn't know and it made me feel worse than when Sonic had beaten me… why was I feeling like this? Just what was happening to me? And why now? I didn't show it to the others, but before the night was over, I was very confused by it all