EPISODE II: Bonding & Mayhem
Mr. Tanaka and Ella remained suspicious of Metal Sonic even after Grandpa claimed it was his creation. (Frankly, pretending he built it was less trouble than trying to explain that he and Chris found it outside and brought it into the lab. That would cause a real ruckus.) Perhaps they knew deep down that Metal Sonic was not one of Grandpa's creations and simply did not want to ask. Nevertheless, both took it in stride and didn't make a huge deal out of it. Except for that one time Metal Sonic tracked dirt all over the floor from outside.
Ella was not happy about that, since she'd literally just cleaned it ten minutes before.
Both Chris and Grandpa found themselves fascinated by Metal Sonic— something that made the unit vastly uncomfortable. Upon learning that it understood and could communicate in sign language, they made it their business to know everything about it. Name, past, etc., etc.
Something that frustrated everyone involved, more so Metal Sonic than anyone else, since not even it knew anything about itself.
They seemed to know not to push too far, however, and sometimes even simply sat back and observed Metal Sonic's behavior. The unit spent its first few days in the mansion simply wandering and scanning everything in sight. As soon as it found the library and Chris explained what it was and its purpose, Metal Sonic found itself rifling through the contents, reading just about anything and everything it could get its hands on.
Chris watched with amusement, smiling the whole time.
As the week drifted by, Metal Sonic grew accustomed to its new companions. Mr. Tanaka stopped eyeing the unit by about 50%, and Ella let it into the kitchen once she was certain it wouldn't blow it up in the space of five minutes using the toaster. Chris' and Grandpa's fascination seemed to never end, though they did start to control it better.
Saturday afternoon, Metal Sonic and Chris sat outside in the garden for a while. A sketchbook and pencil in hand, Chris scribbled away across the paper while Metal Sonic watched him, titanium alloy knees drawn up and hands resting atop.
A butterfly landed on the back of Metal Sonic's hand. It observed the colorful insect's movements, silent as always.
"Pretty, aren't they?" Chris asked.
Metal Sonic did not move, not even to acknowledge that it heard. It took in the butterfly's fragile orange and black wings, which twitched in the soft breeze. Tiny white spots speckled the tips, glinting in the sunlight.
"That's a monarch butterfly," Chris went on. "They're from the family Nymphalidae. Some people call them other names too— milkweed, common tiger, wanderer… they also look a lot like the viceroy butterfly." He lowered his sketchbook and added, "But those guys are smaller. And they have an extra stripe on each wing!"
At some point during Chris' chattering, Metal Sonic's gaze left the butterfly and instead focused on the child. The fleshling seemed to know a great deal about butterflies.
A moment later, and the butterfly lazily flew away.
Chris returned to drawing, and Metal Sonic laid back in a sprawl to watch the sky. Silence stretched out for a long time before it was broken again.
"School starts up again next week," Chris said. "So you won't see much of me the next few days 'till next weekend."
Silence again.
"Wish I could tell my friends about you," Chris murmured, so quietly Metal Sonic's audio receptors nearly did not pick it up. "But if they tell anyone else— it could be dangerous."
"Chris!" Grandpa nearly tripped as he sprinted through the open door and got his foot caught on the hose lying on the patio. He managed to steady himself, continuing his flight. "Chris! You've— the TV! Come quick! You too, Metal!"
. . . .
Why did the bunny child and her… blue pet thing feel so familiar?
"Please, leave us alone!" the fluffy, long-eared child called out, hugging the little blue thing close to her chest. They were situated atop what Chris called a "billboard," a set of retractable stairs extended from the black-colored vehicle below. Tears streamed from her eyes as a man in body armor climbed up the stairs towards her. "We didn't do anything!"
"Coincidence?" Grandpa spoke up as the news report ended. "I think not. She looks an awful lot like our metal friend here."
"Metal," Chris spoke up, turning his gaze onto the unit sitting next to him on the couch. "Is there really nothing you can tell us about what's going on?"
Metal Sonic stared at the now muted TV for a long moment before it signed, "No." As Grandpa groaned in frustration, it continued, "The rabbit child seems familiar, but I do not know who she is."
"Well, that… doesn't help much," Grandpa said. He sighed, pressing two fingers to the bridge of his nose. "I… know someone who might have some information about what's going on. I can't make any promises, but if he does know something, he'll tell me. We'll go from there."
. . . .
"Mmhm, I see. Thank you so much for giving me the scoop. Haha, yeah. I'll talk to you soon." Grandpa paused. "I don't know when Nelson and Lindsey are coming home. I'll let you know when I have a date though." Silence, then Grandpa laughed. "Right back at you! Alright, bye." He set the telephone back in its receiver and turned to Chris and Metal Sonic. "I thought that was G.U.N. in that news report. Seems they've captured the little girl and her friend, and are holding her in Area 99."
"Area what?" Chris asked.
"Top-secret military base," Grandpa explained. "It's heavily fortified, with all the latest technology. A lot of which isn't even on the market yet and probably never will. Normally we wouldn't be able to get in and out without, well, being caught and arrested, but—" He locked his gaze on Metal Sonic. "You on the other hand. If what my readings told me is accurate, breaking in and out should be easy as pie for you."
"Wait." Chris' eyes widened. "We're gonna break in there?"
"You're staying home," Grandpa told him firmly. Chris started to protest, and Grandpa put his hands on his shoulders. "Look, I think something bigger is going on here, and I want to find out what it is. But I also can't risk you being hurt in the process."
"It's always the same thing every day!" Chris shot back. "Go to school, do my homework—"
"Which you haven't done this past summer because—"
"— watch TV or you work, and then go to bed," Chris finished. "For the first time in my life, something exciting is happening, and—" He cut himself short.
Grandpa let out a long drawn out sigh.
Metal Sonic watched, arms crossed, as the silence dragged out.
"You promise to stay in the car?" Grandpa finally asked. "You promise to stay in the car no matter what, right?"
Chris nodded. "I promise!"
Grandpa sighed again. "I'm starting to wonder if I need to go back onto my heart medication." A pause. "Alright, you can come. But first we need to figure out a plan. My informant said he emailed me the schematics of the facility…"
. . . .
"Metal, can you hear me?" Chris' voice crackled over the earpiece that Grandpa decided to shove over its ears. It was equipped with a small microphone and a glass lens that obstructed Metal Sonic's view more than anything else— so of course the unit ripped that off. It could see infrared motion detectors just fine on its own, thank you very much.
Metal Sonic let out a beep of acknowledgement as it zoomed down the road, turbine thrumming loudly. Streams of sand blew past the unit, squiggling along the asphalt, only to be disturbed and pulled into a swirling cloud as Metal Sonic blew over like a rocket.
"Remember, when you get to the main building, go in through an air vent. That should be a blind spot for security. Got it?"
Metal Sonic beeped again.
"Great," Chris said gently.
Area 99 zoomed into view. Metal Sonic's turbine thrummed louder, and it slammed its feet against the ground, hurling itself over the huge steel gates decorated with "NO TRESSPASSING" signs.
Metal Sonic zig-zagged through the area, glowing crimson eyes instantly spotting the air vent. It hurled itself inside before any of the security cameras could see a thing. Metal Sonic slid down the shaft, turbine thrumming again to slow its decent as the bottom grew near. The unit landed on its rear with a soft thunk.
"You doing alright in there?" Chris asked.
Metal Sonic beeped softly in reply. It remained still upon seeing all the red lasers zig-zagging ahead. Motion detectors. The unit crawled forward and peered down through the grate that was nestled just before the first detector.
Metal Sonic reached down and pulled the grate out of its slot. After making sure the closest security camera had turned away, the unit dropped down into the hallway below.
After zipping about the hall repeatedly, dodging the cameras, Metal Sonic stopped in a blind spot, peering around the corner. There was a door with a retina scanner and a sign labelled "Laboratory #2003."
That would be where the rabbit and her pet were being held.
"Abnormality detected in the electrical system," a digitized voice crackled over the speakers lining the ceiling. "Abnormality detected in the electrical system."
The lights sputtered off.
Metal Sonic's eyes glowed in the darkness.
The unit surged forth, tearing violently through the door. A quick scan of the room told it that the child and her pet were trapped inside a metal and glass capsule, and there were at least sixteen humans in the room. No matter. It was not as if the humans were in a position to be an actual threat. Metal Sonic found their screaming rather irritating, though.
The unit lunged for the capsule, and ripped through the steel and shattered the glass. She let out a yelp as Metal Sonic pulled her and her pet into its arms. Its turbine hummed to life once more and it burst out of the room, zipping out into the hallway.
"Put us down, whoever you are!" the child shouted.
"Chao-chao!"
The lights switched back on with a hiss, and she screamed. "Metal Sonic?!"
Metal Sonic beeped shrilly at her.
"We're not going back to Doctor Eggman! Put us down!"
… What is a "Doctor Eggman?"
"Hey, what's going on in there?" Chris' voice crackled over Metal Sonic's earpiece.
Metal Sonic beeped again, this time accompanied with an annoying buzzing. Did Chris forget already that this unit was not capable of vocal speech?
Metal Sonic gripped the child and her pet tighter, being careful not to hurt them with its sharp claws (organic lifeforms were so delicate), and continued to speed through the corridor, no longer caring if the security cameras spotted them. The scientists had already sounded the alarm, which blared loudly against its audio receptors.
The security cameras, as it quickly turned out, were equipped with lasers. Metal Sonic found itself zig-zagging through the hallways again anyway, this time dodging the deadly blue beams of energy.
Its sensors detected a swarm of tiny, metal planes heading towards them.
Metal Sonic was about to turn around when the planes struck the security cameras, embedding themselves in the devices' carapaces and exploding, leaving nothing behind but smoldering husks. The remaining mini-planes, however, zipped towards Metal Sonic when no more of the cameras remained. The unit dipped forward, the planes soaring overhead, and surged forth, leaving them in the dust.
. . . .
Metal Sonic skidded to a stop before Chris' and Grandpa's car.
"Let. Me. Go!" The bunny child finally wrestled free of Metal Sonic's grip, though it let her since they were now a safe distance from the military base and the unit's allies were literally right there.
She stood warily in between the car and Metal Sonic, her pet in her arms as she looked back and forth between them. "Who are you people? You're not working with Doctor Eggman, are you?"
"No idea who that is," Grandpa told her. "C'mon, you all get in the car— the sooner we get away from this base, the better."
The child hesitantly stepped towards the car and climbed inside. Metal Sonic was about to follow and take the seat next to her, but she screamed and kicked the unit in its face. "Stay away! You meanie!"
"Metal helped save you," Chris protested.
"No, he works for Doctor Eggman! He's the one who kidnapped me before!"
"WHAT?" Grandpa shouted.
Metal Sonic balled its fists, beeping shrilly. It slammed the car door shut and started to walk away, barely contained fury trailing behind each step.
"No, wait—!"
Before Chris could finish, Metal Sonic was already gone.
