Metallic Need
Ch. 2
By: Cutegirlmayra (-reads the last chapter, seeing Metal Sonic be hardcore and let the robots tear into him while he's still able to feel the pain- He's so.. cool! Lol, I love how dark and evil he is, but at the same time, I love how feeling and kind, but clever, Metal Amy is… ugh, I can't wait to really kick this story into gear. Which reminds me~ Let the next chapter begin! :D –note: I actually had to rewrite the beginning -_-; I had another idea that was just NOT WHAT I WANTED, so it's all better and more to my liking now! :D I was gonna show Metal Sonic constructing Metal Amy again, but I'll save those details of her new 'features' later~)
Metal Sonic was now completed. His head twitched and slowly rolled on its neck's stabilizing ball for balance. At last, he could twitch his hands and experience his new body.
The computers had downloaded a higher functioning computer, allowing a greater capacity for knowledge storing and quick calculating into his datacore. His laughter ceased before starting up again, his receptor shining with a voice that was more like Sonic's, but darker… more robotic with its metallic vibration.
"Perfect… I can feel the perfection… I can finally take on Sonic!!" he ripped his being from the cords and other mechanical devices that were holding him up during that torturous editing phase, dropping hard with a 'Clank' to the ground, and holding up his arm to examine his new being. He looked more like Sonic, less like his classic look and maybe even a little bit like what he resembled back before he was destroyed by Team Sonic. He looked to the side of him, seeing a cape, and his receptor moved at an angle to resemble somewhat of a smirk.
His whole body seemed more and more organic… was he simply trying to be more like a perfect robotic Sonic? It was a mystery…
Metal Sonic placed his cape on, and turned to the other three, broken down and ripped apart by his previous rage or tauntings; as was the case with Metal Amy...
His red eyes scanned them in the darkness of the repair room before looking to his right, seeing Metal Amy's body already positioned on the ground near where he was repaired. Losing his simulated grin, he walked over to her and bent down, picking her up and looking at her. "…What to do with you…" he traced his silvery claw over her face, and scratched it up again, causing a large shrieking sound like chalk to a chalkboard to resonate through the room.
"Hahaha!" he laughed, throwing her on the table. "I will enjoy remaking you..."
-Many hours later-
Sonic and the gang began to make their way back from a previous 'we saved the world' adventure as Tails hopped up in front of Sonic, looking overjoyed, "And remember when Knuckles took out that power line to save me? I thought for sure I was gonna die!"
Sonic laughed, "Yeah, you gave us all quite a scare there, Tails." He grinned, as Knuckles tilted his head with a proud smile.
"Well, I tend to show up when I'm most needed. As that's how a true hero works." He raised a hand, gloating and mocking Sonic slightly.
Sonic looked back to him with a sly expression, throwing some mischief back at Knuckles, "You trying to say something, Knuckles? Cause last I checked, you were pretty lucky I showed up early when Eggman sent in that Annihilatorbot."
"..Hmph." Knuckles looked away and grumbled to himself as the team all laughed, seeing as Sonic had gotten the better of him on that one.
"Haha!" Sonic laughed at his own comeback too, before…
"Sonic! Tails! Knuckles!"
Sonic and the gang stopped a moment and turned around to look behind them at the familiar voice.
Tails smiled, "Amy!".
She ran up and hugged the first person closest to her, which was Knuckles, who awkwardly took the hug with a friendly laugh and smile. He patted her back lightly as she moved on to pounce at an unexpecting Tails, who lost his balance for a second before regaining it again.
"Wo-woah! Haha, nice to see you too, Amy." He kindly responded, and let her go so she could embrace the REAL person she wanted to hug. Not disregarding her love of her friends, but the two understood who Amy's true affections were meant for.
"Sooniiiicc!" She endearingly lunged.
Fliap!
"Can't we just settle for a friendly handshake?"
"OHHH! SOOONIIICCC!"
Knuckles and Tails awkwardly laughed as Sonic had quickly smacked his hand right on the front of Amy's face before she was able to tackle him with her signature killer death-hug of 'love'. Not that it hurt or anything, only that he blocked her from squeezing his breath right out of him, calling it a hug.
Now Amy was whining and swinging her arms about, bouncing her feet up and down and trying to push against his hand, hoping he would quit being mean and just drop his hand already to let her greet him the only way she knew how to.
"I just wanted to show you how happy I am that you all are back safely! Ohh!" she reached forward, trying to still get a good grip to maybe wrap her arms around him and pull her to him, even with his hand in the way…
"Stop keeping me from your heart!"
Sonic sighed, putting his other free hand on his side, moving his head down and shaking it as he still held her back. "Just so weird…"
Above the happy reunion, Metal and his newly reconstructed team hid in the darkness of shadows that lay behind the trees in the forest to the side and ahead of them.
"…Do we attack now?" Metal Tails looked to his master, "My predictions indicate that with their heart-rates all calmed-that if we act now, we can scare them into losing focus and attack them directly."
"…Through surprise?" Metal Sonic gave back a cold stare at Metal Tails, showing his red eyes through all the darkness of shadows around them.
"…If that is what you wish." Metal Tails, remembering his past existence, looked on and didn't speak further.
Metal Sonic turned his harsh stare forward again, his whole being itching for action… to take down Sonic … once … and for all.
"Metal Knuckles, to the left. Metal Tails, to the right. Take out your counterparts… keep them at bay whilst I deal with Sonic.." the two nodded beside him and took off, as Metal Amy, who was bent down on one knee behind him, looked down and wondered if he would disregard her as though she wasn't worth giving an order too…
"…Metal Amy," Metal Sonic glared forward, not even bothering to look behind him and acknowledge her presence any further than her name.
"..!" Her eyelids lifted with the rise of her head at being addressed so suddenly, especially since she thought she would be left behind without so much as a word given to her.
She, at first, was surprised to hear herself called on, but quickly turned to a serious tone as she wanted to slightly prove herself and her worth to him. "Yes? My master?" she grew almost excited, stepping onto one foot, ready for action, but innocently inquiring in her shock that he would include her.
She glared forward, already in battle form, as she waited for a command.
"…Remain here unless programmed to act otherwise,… understood?"
She felt a bit of gloom come over her, her ready arms lowering down with her heavy metal eyes, realizing she wasn't going to be allowed to fight. She was probably only there to repair damages quickly, then retreat back into hiding...
"But…Master, I-"
"Do you understand your command?"
He quickly spun his head around, looking over his shoulder to give her a deeply profound glare that showed he wasn't going to tolerate her messing up his long-awaited plan to attack and destroy Sonic.
"…Yes, Master…"
She turned her head down and further away from his threatening red glow within his unfeeling and uncaring eyes, saddened by his command, although programming forced her into strict obedience. She felt hopeless. She hadn't lost her memory, even with her new upgrades, but that meant she didn't know what he had removed or done to her… her heart program she had laboriously struggled to conceal and continue working on... she dared not ask in fear of angering him.
Even that 'but' could have been a death sentence; however, the only thing she was certain of was that Metal Sonic wasn't going to bother wasting his time scolding or punishing her.
At least… to him, she was the ultimate counterpart to Amy Rose now… He had stated before they departed that they were fully completed-the perfect support-and how he can do no more to improve them.
However…
Metal Amy- no,... Even her brothern could see that he still felt he was superior to them, and that they were not 'perfect' like he believed himself to be.
He would never make them his 'perfect' creations…
He prided himself too much on his own power and ability; he would never let them surpass him.
Metal Sonic's engine flared on as the three supports engaged theirs as well.
Sonic and the team looked around, wondering what the loud engine sounds were, as they each quieted down. Only Metal Amy could hear the soft hum of Metal Sonic's intense, rapidly speeding mini-turbine begin to charge and wait again for a good strike.
Metal Sonic wouldn't be able to wait much longer…
"What was that?" Tails stated.
Metal Sonic's eyes flashed open as he saw his opportunity. He sped out and raised his metal claw, but Sonic reflexed and dodged only a second before Metal Sonic could dispose of his greatest enemy…
"Woah! It… it can't be!" In his dodge, Sonic had rolled on the ground to the side, turning around while twisting his body up to see Metal Sonic. A cold look was on Metal Sonic's face as he dug his slick silver claws out of the ground they pierced so cleanly through…
His red eyes streaked to the side to look upon his true creation's purpose...
"…Hello again… the mortal bane to my existence…" Metal Sonic slashed through the air towards Sonic but didn't dash after him, seeming only to threaten. His cape moved in the wind as Sonic was stunned to see him for a moment after backflipping from his feinted-strike. The others slowly backed away, not sure what was conspiring here.
"Heh, someone woke up cranky." Sonic grinned, "But I have to admit… you sure look cooler than before." He rotated his shoulder, trying to get any unnecessary cricks out of it before he fought again. "My compliments to Eggman for catching my stylistic complexion~" He struck a pose, putting his hand under his chin and stretching his thumb and forefinger out.
"Hmph, I was tossed aside as space garbage by Eggman… no… I am perfected in my OWN image, Sonic… You are the inferior one…" he moved his hands out in front of him as if showing off his perfect state, and then glared once more to Sonic's cocky and relaxed expression, moving back into a striking pose.
"Heh, well, we'll see about that, bolts." Sonic also took the same stance, as it was his natural behavior; though, This was something Metal Sonic already had studied and known, down to his very core. He may have hated the future changes, but he still took Sonic's older and more modern appearance and incorporated it into his own, studying Sonic's new habits and battle style to be apart of his programming now as well.
But of course,… perfecting it.
"Attack!" Metal Sonic ordered out, as he went for another slash at Sonic. He extended his metal claws to a longer length and sped after Sonic when he dodged him yet again.
Metal Knuckles and Metal Tails sprang out of hiding like mobile missles, aimed, armed, and ready as Metal Tails threw bombs and smokescreen to hide their presence.
Metal Knuckles dug into the ground, enacting the strategy they had forged to rid them of their counterparts and stop them from coming to Sonic's aid.
their primary purpose... Metal Amy began to realize how they were simply created for distraction and, sadly, possible fodder for Metal Sonic to seek his perfect revenge.
The gang coughed while Knuckles stopped a moment to look around, "I can't see through this darn fog!"
Tails put his arm over his mouth, flying up and spinning around to make the fog disappear, his tails a blur as he used them as fans to whosh the air clean around them. But once some sight was restored, Metal Tails flew out of the obscurity and slammed into Tails, pushing him down and then spinning himself around to almost saw into him with his twin propellers; They had the normal foxtail design, but could collapse on themselves and give off a razor edge, looking like two blades on the front of a plane…
"Ack!" Tails was flung back, getting really scraped up from trying to dodge that with his bare arms. "What are these things?!" he saw Metal Tails's silhouette in the smoky shadows... Metal Tails refigured his twin tails to look big and natural again, only metallic, and walked out of the smoke.
His blue eyes stared down, almost with high annoyance and disappointment towards his counterpart; Being able to manipulate his eye color, he only did this to imitate Tails's organicness.
"You are supposed to be my creation's inspiration?" he spat out in absolute hate for him, then tilted his head and did a very organic thing to infuriate Tails with his haughtiness. "Heh, don't make me laugh!" he placed his hands on his hips, unyielding in his mocking of him. Tails grew upset by his insult and charged him, touching a watch hidden under his glove which sent out an electrical current around his body.
This surprised Metal Tails as Tails had never done a tactic like this before on their records of him. He rammed into him, their arms on the others. Their heads were pushed right up in front of each other, though there was an untouched gap between them during the heat of battle. Both were sorely angered as they tried to overthrow the other in a deadly wrestling match of sorts.
The electrical shield around Tails was short-circuiting his metal counterpart's body; little sparks started to fly out of him, only making the two's strain show harder on their fixed, aggressive faces.
"Impossible! You've never used this move before…" he strained to keep his body's power on his feet and upper body, to make sure he pushed Tails back.
Tails smiled, even through the strain of pushing against a metal him. "I never had to fight hand-to-hand combat with a robotic me before!" he then took one of his tails and reached back to pull out a wrench, and while distracting his metal counterpart, loosened a screw on his leg which caused his balance to fail him on one side.
Tails saw his chance and threw back his metal copy on that bad leg, then grabbed his wrench to hit Metal Tails's head, denting it slightly. Metal Tails fizzed from finally getting away from the circular electrical shield around Tails's frame, sparking and shaking in his malfunctions from the hit having damaged circuit boards.
"This…bzz… does not compute… How was I…bzz.. not prepared?" The short-circuiting was quickly being repaired, now that their bodies weren't right up against each other, as Tails cockily spun his wrench in one hand and then posed for another attack.
"You can never beat an original mastermind!" he leaped forward, his wrench being held in two hands over his head now, as he slammed it down on his other who was stumbling back and trying to stay upright.
Gripping his clearly damaged head with both metallic hands, Metal Tails's anger grew. He dipped his head down...
"Grr…Metal Amy!" Metal Tails cried out as Tails was about to keep hitting him back before Metal Tails grabbed the wrench and held it with shaking restrain from coming down on him. Metal bent and rended with a horrible, shrill creaking under both pressures. Metal Tails felt the yellow electrical current around Tails inching closer and closer as he tried to fight him off at a distance.
"Huh? Metal Amy?" Tails blinked in surprise at him. Metal Amy shot out from behind Metal Tails, who bent his head down so she could knee Tails in the face, flying over her metal comrade before grabbing Metal Tails from below. She spun herself down from his shoulder and turned herself to the front of him, quickly beginning to repair his leg, then charging his battery through a black slate on her palm that instantly sent soothing electrical power through him as he hurried back up and charged Tails once again. Spinning his tails at him again, he whacked the watch where the current was and snapped the band off the wrist. "Ah! Shoot!" Tails saw his only defense gone as Metal Tails glared in pleasure and punched him down.
"Metal Amy!"
Metal Amy looked to see Metal Knuckles in a huge brawl with Knuckles. After hiding underground and then jumping out to grab him around his leg with his arms and some of his upper torso, the two were punching and scratching each others' faces up with their two front claws on their knuckles, completely denting Metal Knuckles; enraging and tiring them out as well.
Metal Amy dashed over, pulling out her hammer from her back and knocking Metal Knuckles away, removing a huge dent that left him unable to process sight in one eye.
After only doing a minor touch up, Knuckles came swinging at her, but Metal Knuckles intercepted by swinging his arm out to push Metal Amy away and attack him again, punching him back farther as Metal Amy retreated behind him. She placed a hand on his back and slid back the black slate on her hand to charge his battery while he fought off 'the organic' Knuckles.
"Return to your ordered position." Metal Knuckles instructed, dealing a good uppercut that flew Knuckles away and had him bouncing a bit on the ground from impact. He then charged at him to continue out the beat down once he had addressed Metal Amy.
Metal Amy nodded and began to hover back to her position at the edge of the woods; however, her counterpart surprised her and stepped out from the side, sliding a bit as she did so since she was running to intercept her. She held out her hammer towards her.
She was huffing and puffing, as if catching up to her metal-self was a great effort for her. Metal Amy realized how fast she really was compared to her organic inspiration…
They stared at each other for a while... the smoke clearing completely. Then Amy Rose looked over Metal Amy's shoulder and gasped slightly at seeing Knuckles and Tails getting thrashed down by their metal counterparts.
She glared and clenched her teeth toward Metal Amy.
"I don't appreciate how pretty you look! Nor how you didn't first attack me instead of helping your friends out! Hmph, what am I? Your second priority?"
This strange response left Metal Amy confused. She didn't quite understand the compliment or the insult Amy had spoken.
"…I have my orders."
Was all she could think to say. She secretly admired Amy,... her courage in stepping in and wanting to fight her other like her friends who were combating their metal-selves, and wanting to defend them too. In that sense... they weren't much different. Maybe... equals? Though, Metal Sonic would never approve of such thinking...
But alas, she would soon have to destroy her. Considering Metal Sonic's command to do so was forced into her obedience programming, but at least she couldn't attack Amy unless attacked first. Her first priority in her programming, which Metal Sonic said to act on anyway, was to ensure the proficiency of her Metal brothern- but mostly her master, Metal Sonic.
She wasn't even considered defense to them…
Metal Amy could of sworn she felt something like a pang of indifference from them, of still being seen as unwanted or useless.
Again, she felt isolated in her cold, metal shell.
"Well, forget orders! I don't take hurting my friends likely!" Amy spat out, ready to fight as she swung her hammer to show she wanted too. "I'm not afraid of you!"
"…I know." Metal Amy's expression turned to one of slight agony. She didn't want to hurt Amy Rose… she wanted to learn from her, to understand her way of thinking and reasoning… to learn about… her 'heart'.
"But I cannot attack you."
"…Huh? Why not?" Amy suddenly lost her fighting spirit as she held a more gentler look of curiosity. "Are you different from the others? Like… you don't want to fight?"
"It's not… entirely that." Metal Amy looked away from her, slightly stepping back as she allowed herself to be organic. Her programming for 'feelings' still wasn't completed yet, and only now did she realize that Metal knew about it. She had lost all its data she had collected for it when Metal Sonic deleted it as an 'error' in her.
He must have. Of course, he did. Why wouldn't he?
But he kept her memories…so she still knew who she was and what her wishes and intentions were.
"…My priority is not to destroy you."
Amy lowered her hammer, but still held it by her side, just in case this was a trick.
Metal Amy placed her hand up to her chest, and closed her eyes, simulating emotion that Amy once demonstrated in one of her data tapes of her behavior.
"I am created to serve and be of aid or maintenance to my brothern and master. I only wish to be of use… I feel so obsolete. Like you and I-…" She turned to look up at Amy, sorrowfully, "-have no purpose… but are nothing more than inferiorities scrapped together with no real meaning to our creation… Tell me." She suddenly grew slightly serious, bending her eyelids down to show her determination and desperation at hearing this reply to her question- no, demand. "What use are you to Sonic? What is your role in his team? How do you aid him?" she pushed her hand down as the soft creaking of her metal arm obeyed and swung with clanking swift into place beside her. No games... she wanted to know more than anything what Amy Rose knew that she didn't. What was missing in her design that Amy Rose sustained in her organic makeup?
Amy was taken aback by the sudden question and looked down. "W-well I…" she smiled, thinking up an answer and looked back to Metal Amy, "I'm his friend." She happily stated.
"..A … friend? I do not compute." Metal Amy looked confused but wanted so badly to understand Amy's words. "It's too organic, I cannot compute!" she shook her head, her programming wasn't allowing her to think and process it through because Metal Sonic didn't want them to have errors, so Metal Amy wasn't able to try and determine the meaning of 'friend'. She gripped her head in frustration. Was it Metal Sonic who was limiting them from their true, full potential? Such thought was blasphemy, and she deleted the idea or memory of it at once.
Even daring to speak to her other on these terms... she was risking a lot if Metal Sonic ever found this scene in her memory files.
"Woah! Calm down! Let me explain…" Amy saw something gentle and cute in her other self and moved her hands out in front of her to try and calm her down. She walked over to her slowly,… "What I mean is… I bring a smile to Sonic's face. He might not show it all the time… but he really does care about me, and I him." She stopped her advance when Metal Amy rose her head, still gripping it tightly with what looked like an expression of fixed agony; not able to process 'caring' or 'smile'.
"Does not compute,… does not compute…" If she could cry, she would have, but her metallic green eyes shined and shook in her eye sockets.
Was she destined to never understand?
Screens of data flashed up in blue boxes over her eyes, warning her of developing errors that could occur from processing this data as she quickly shut that off, seeing as it was also locating weak points on Amy's stance, and showing how to attack her efficiently.
"You still don't understand? Oh.." Amy pulled back, bending her ears down and not sure how else to explain it. "I'm like… his motivation! I bring hope to my friends and encourage them from afar! I'm more than just added help, I'm one in a million! I'm the heart of the team!" she cheered, jumping and letting her hand fly up and her leg lift high behind her in her decent, showing her enthusiasm at the significant role she played for her friends.
Metal Amy's eyes shot open wide, "…'Heart'…" Her programming was thrown over into chaos by her processing all her past life's theories about the heart. Her curiosity in it... all her old data she could remember and recreate...
She slowly let her hands fall from her head.
...DOWNLOADING 'HEART' PROGRAM INSTALLMENT….
…RECOVERING FILE…..
Metal Amy had found and restarted her old data's processing programming which she had constructed in her mind's computer; once again, from scratch. It began downloading Amy's tapes and observations of her behavior into itself, along with everything she researched about organic and living things, their daily life, and emotions content.
"…Of course…" Metal Amy looked down at her hand, having a rectangular black slate to conduct and give her metallic… friends?... energy from.
"..But to have a 'heart'… you must have emotions…" Metal Amy closed her eyes and shook her shoulders. Having seen Cream cry before, she tried to imitate that emotion.
"But I have no such thing… nor the ability to ever have such a thing. As for a 'heart' or emotions… if that's what it takes to feel real... then... I am… dead."
Amy looked to her metal self with a heart full of love and pity. She wanted to somehow help her… having had some experience with robots who didn't want to be bad before, like Omega.
"It's strange… Eggman spends his whole life trying to create robots to do people things… but he doesn't realize that with that, comes a heart, which is the most strongest thing in existence! Anyone can have a heart! Even you!"
Metal Amy flipped her head up in shock, coming slowly out of dispair and into shock. The strongest... in existence? What about outside of what exists? Or does Metal Amy fit into that realm? No one had ever said that to her before, and it took hold of her mind in a powerful way.
She slowly rose her shaking eyes to Amy. "..Amy Rose… you believe I could create this 'heart'… by which you speak?" She was amazed, her other didn't hold hate for her, and didn't want to destroy her,… she wanted to… help her?
"But if what you say is true… I am still inferior… I have no purpose for my master's plan.. I am… useless." She lowered her head, but stopped the simulated expression of sorrow and crying. "And besides, it is illogical to suggest that feelings make one stronger. They are obviously inferior, as they distract from simple processing and reasoning." Metal Amy responded, acting a little more like a robot again.
Though, she wondered if she truly meant that.
"That's not true!" Amy stated and stopped her reasoning with a mighty stomp of her foot. She released her hand, her hammer disappearing in a cloud of smoke, trusting this other metallic clone of herself to not attack her as she spoke out against her disheartening words. "So, you're not evil. That's great! You might not be able to help in Metal Sonic's plans… but you can always gain a heart through learning more about yourself and with your friends! You could live with us. We'll take care of you!" Amy chimed, tilting her head and showing a friendly smile. "I'll be your friend! Then, you can see what a 'friend' really means! But just stop hurting Sonic and the others… okay?"
"…You… my enemy will be my… friend?" Metal Amy was confused, hearing her say such things. "How can a weakness be a strength?" she asked, completely ignoring her offer as her programming could not even fathom betraying Metal Sonic.
"Huh? W-well… Our feelings can give us power through hope, and energy through love and kindness. Courage is born from the heart! Especially when your fighting for those you love. You're sad they're in danger… but the wish to keep them alive makes you stronger, and at the same time, makes you weaker.. because you realize you could lose them if you fail." Amy started explaining, holding her hands together and up to her chest. "I guess,… it makes you fight harder… because you don't want that outcome to happen. You have faith, and faith is truly believing you can make the impossible, possible." Amy smiled, nodding her head and looking up, as if agreeing with how she explained it and looked happily back to Metal Amy, hoping she could 'compute' at least that too.
"…Faith…" Metal Amy studied the word, and quickly put this memory tape safely to the side in the 'heart' software she was developing again. "I will remember those words." She bowed her head, saving the videotape of Amy's interaction with her. She had shown respect for Amy Rose, which would have ended her life if Metal Knuckles or Metal Tails had seen this act. Luckily, they were prioritizing the battle at hand and didn't bother focusing on background distractions.
Suddenly, an alert system was activated in Metal Amy. Her eyes shot open to reveal screens that were turning off automatically. They reappeared again, against her will this time, showing the data status of Metal Sonic in critical condition; his battery failing him.
"I must go!" She simulated a panicked voice, although her face looked determined and ready to kill if necessary, so the two didn't seem to make the right impression. Because her body was programmed to act one way, but her mind wanted to act another way, it created a strange incohesiveness. "Farewell,… and when we meet again-" She tried to go against programming and waited a little longer to address her original.
"…I will have to destroy you."
Metal Amy blasted off, unable to hold herself back any further. Seeing the location on her eye-screens of where Metal Sonic was located, she strictly followed her coding.
Sonic and Metal Sonic were in the heat of battle when she stopped flying swiftly to them and looked down, waiting for an opening…
None. Their movements were too fast and concise. She would have to make one…
She had previously removed her hammer by placing it up and over her shoulder. With it having been directly behind her back, it activated a claw system that sprung from a panel on her back that split apart to have the claw grab the hammer and withdraw it back inside, sliding shut.
But now she needed it again because she knew she had to fight.
She reached back and the hammer popped out again through the claw moving it out for her to reach, allowing her to grab it without having to dislocate her hand to do so. She sped down, spooking Sonic as he skillfully dodged her charge and swing.
Having a moment to act due to Sonic's surprise, she rushed to Metal Sonic and defended him, placing her hand near his head to recharge him as she glared at Sonic.
"Woah! An Amy one too!?" Sonic cried out, still surprised to see Metal Sonic would actually make another robot like 'himself' in a sense. "What? Did you get lonely?"
"Si…Silence." Metal Sonic grabbed Metal Amy's hand and pushed it on his head with even greater force, holding it steady and absorbing her batteries. She was programmed to have an increased supply...
However...
He was taking too much of her own battery supply, and she began feeling her systems weakening. First, her engine died down, then her stance bent forward slightly, and lastly, her pinkish steel eyelids drooped.
"Repair me." Metal Sonic ordered, getting up from his knees now that he had more power in him.
She quickly went to work, as Sonic folded his arms and huffed, "Repair me? Where's the please? Geez, you don't even treat your own friends well." Sonic suddenly thought back to how HE treated Amy beforehand… and felt a twinge of remorse…
"…Fool." Metal Sonic lowered his volume on his voice, so only Metal Amy could hear him. "He allows me to repair myself? How cocky can he be!?"
Metal Sonic's anger for Sonic was almost frightening to Metal Amy, as she actually was having strong feelings of admiration for her other…
She knew of his anger in its entirety, but seeing it with Sonic present... feeding it on... she never knew such hatred and rage could exist within an unorganic thing. Was this his perfection? Perfect animosity?
As his eyes narrowed in intensity, the red blazing in them, she didn't realize how distracted she looked...
Suddenly, Metal Sonic glared down at Metal Amy, who was trying to fix him up quickly before he noticed.
With the last scrap of battery she had left in her, she worked; taking note that his cape was ripped, and his body, not only dented but was sparking with loose wires. He was just horribly damaged, having been beaten up more than she thought she could help.
Still... she had to try.
Not for the fact that he was her master, but simply to survive him.
"Why were you not here sooner?"
The question made her freeze, hesitating on repairs slightly as she tried to come up with a clever excuse.
Metal Sonic didn't have time to rebuild her, so scrapping her would have to wait till a more, opportune moment… but still, she wanted to avoid his wrath as much as possible. He could just beat her up and have Metal Knuckles or Metal Tails repair her instead of fully destroying her, that seemed more plausible to her thinking….
But Metal Sonic was almost unpredictable in his processing… she already felt his anger was too organic for his 'perfection' he kept going on about, but she wouldn't DARE let him know of any errors she may see in him.
And he let her live with hers before… maybe mercy was just another form of torture to him?
"I was momentarily detained." She responded, making sure not to hesitate so he wouldn't see a reason to question her. "I had to do maintenance on Metal Knuckles and Metal Tails,… then my other engaged me." She had to be honest, just in case, he checked her memory or spy recording system… but she didn't engage it, which would be a good cover up if she mentioned Amy Rose and her didn't fight, but not fighting her other? He would be confused and suspicion would heighten.
Hopefully, that would give him sound reason to assume no suspicion of her or her actions.
"…Very well." Metal Sonic looked away from her, as Sonic stretched and didn't seem to care about Metal Sonic taking a 'pit stop' as he stretched out his legs and then ran in place for a moment.
He didn't question her further? He must be too distracted by Sonic so visible present here.
"Hey, you done yet, scrap brain?" Sonic called to him, ready and itching to go again. "Come on! You might have forever, but I'm growing old here!" he rotated his shoulder, grinning in confidence.
A deep metallic growl was heard from Metal Sonic, as his engine flared, operational once again. "Move." He commanded, but before Metal Amy could respond with the action, he threw her to the side and out of his way, charging right back into the fray with Sonic again.
Metal Amy shook her head, and held her hand up to it. She jolted at realizing Metal Sonic might see her organic action and got up quickly, standing still like a robot. She looked to see him completely focused on killing Sonic, and in her moment of slight relief, simulated a sigh that she once saw Amy do.
She was being too risky, however. Now that she remembered her 'heart' software and what she had programmed before into it; and still processing it to somehow, literally, develop a 'heart' system in her; she knew she had to keep it contained and not activate it so much. It was happening so fast, that it was almost without consent.
She wished she could have a system to stop it and give her a warning whenever she was going to activate an organic reaction to her outward appearance, but Metal Sonic could detect that if he wanted to edit her and search for why she installed it.
No… best she hid it away. At the moment, he didn't see her as erroring, even if she was actually trying to attempt to develop an 'error system' in herself. To him, emotions, organicness, anything like the definition of a 'heart' to him was an error and weak. Inferior in every way...
She worried how, if he had created her, why she suddenly had all these desires to learn of organic lifeforms' feelings and their actions? Why did she want to be… or at least try and feel…
Alive?
A loud crash was heard as Metal Amy's system activated, and she took off toward Metal Sonic again.
Metal Sonic was laying in crumbled rocks and a crater. She beheld a glowing yellow object in the sky above him.
It turned to reveal Super Sonic, who once seeing her, smiled. "He's all yours!" he winked, spinning around and holding his hand up as if waving to her.
Her eyes widened, she had never seen this form of Sonic before…
"..That is… if you can beat me to him."
"…?!"
"Think fast!"
Super Sonic dove down, a swan dive, heading straight for the kill shot to deal a finishing blow to Metal Sonic before she could get to him. Understanding this, she quickly panicked, her system demanding she reach him and repair him as she blasted down after Sonic's playful threat. The rocket under her metal dress activated to give her added boost, hoping she could reach him in time before Sonic out-maneuvered her.
Super Sonic suddenly, halted his advance, turned, and looked back over his shoulder at her behind him,…
His smile caught her, and the strange shift of attention made her eyes fixate on his own expression. Her scanners couldn't read what he was revealing in his look to her...
Then...
He threw a punch her way.
"Fooled ya!"
"Urk!"
"Haha! A robot's a robot!"
Metal Amy had been fooled, as Super Sonic flew back up and started attacking her instead.
Metal Sonic slowly twitched himself up off the ground, one eye slightly shut, as he beheld the battle above him.
Rage and jealousy flew through his being, as his damaged engine kicked up again, the turbine moving and sparking with power as a light began to zoom into it.
His eyes fixated and honed in on Sonic's every blow to his creation... Metal Amy... powerless to defend against such a powerful foe.
"THIS BATTLE…IS MINE!" He flew up and got a good swipe at Sonic, before kicking him down on his back, pushing him away from attacking Metal Amy. He was about to follow after him and finish the job before Metal Amy grabbed his hand.
He had looked back to her with crazy intense eyes, infuriated that she had stopped him. He wasn't even making words anymore, he was down to robotic sounds and loud metallic screeches. So... this is what Sonic could reduce him to? He was so heated by Sonic turning to attack her instead of him, that he was literally left to his basic robotic programming…
Attack.
"My master, cease attack!" Metal Amy begged, "If you do not, you will surely be destroyed!"
Metal Sonic ripped his arm away from her grasp and dived back down to try and finish Sonic.
"Master!" She knew she was already a dead robot scrap-pile walking, but she had to help him. He was going to destroy himself trying to destroy Sonic…
Why did she care so much? Was it her programming that was ringing in her sockets and humming in her ear-containers? Or was there more? She was his creation, after all, and he was her objective... but...
She dove down after him, ignoring what logic she could muster to what wasn't an abnormality to be thought about anyway!
Sonic came flying back up to attack him, regaining some of himself, as Metal Amy held her hammer back to hit him away.
"NOOO!" Metal Sonic grabbed her hammer, saving Sonic from that terribly powerful blow, and shoved it away. He grabbed her metal face and thrust her out of his way. "THIS IS MY BATTLE! GOO! NOWW!" His voice was almost demonic as Sonic took the chance to grab and secure his neck, leaving Metal Sonic unable to fight back against him and blasted forward, disappearing off into the night, as the day had already begun to end...
The last rays of sunset were on Metal Amy's crushed face, as she quickly tried to look over the line of treetops that covered her view from the two squabbling beings. She felt the wind rush by her face, as small metal shards broke away from her cheeks and headpieces like tears...
He wouldn't let her help him.
Wasn't that her objective?
Why did she care so much?
It must be programming... it must be that...
She just wanted to receive approval. To prove herself to him.
Why?
Why did it matter?
He would always be what he is. He was programmed to hate and abuse. To scar and to destroy.
She found her eyes bend and her eyelids slack...
"M...Master..."
She hit the ground hard.
Her heavy metal frame laid there, her battery failing her anyway, as she awaited death.
If… Metal Sonic didn't destroy himself… that is.
A few hours went by as she suddenly heard the organic tone of what she was told was the enemy, Knuckles, call out, "I think I see one over here!" as Tails and Amy's shadowy figures appeared in the distance ahead of her.
She saw through the zoom in her eye-screens that indicated weak points and other such things that they were advancing towards her. It quickly calculated that they were hurt but not to a critical point, but in her current state, she may only be able to fight for a few minutes or so. She turned off the software again, not desiring to fight them, as the red warning signs of Metal Sonic's condition were also beginning to annoy her as well.
Her system was so far gone with errors anyway, that she could react and make decisions like that; pushing all her power to her eyes, so she could still see what was happening.
Her system kept warning her of her battery, as sound began to get muffled. She couldn't move, nor did she care. She hated her existence… but loved it all at the same time. Enough to try and preserve it, anyway.
She saw Tails kneel down and look her over as he turned back to his friends, stating something she could barely identify as, "She looks alright, but her systems seem to be failing."
"Can you reprogram her to be good, Tails? I know she doesn't want to be like the others, I just know it!" Amy's voice was also tough to cohesively put sounds together for Metal Amy's systems to judge what she was saying.
Knuckles threw the two badly injured and defeated metal copies of themselves down too, next to her vision. "Eh, let her systems fail, I say." Knuckles voice was understandable but fading in volume to her, though she knew that was from lack of energy in her own self.
He had his hands on his hips, as he glared down at her with disgust, and then looked to Tails.
"Hmm… it could be they run on a battery system. Since they look pretty high-tech to me... they must use up a lot of energy to operate, resulting in this one being their recharger." Tails turned around and held his hand to his chin, thinking out loud, and then gesturing to Metal Amy, who now was completely deaf.
"So… she's a walking, talking, battery?" Amy asked as Tails nodded in agreement.
"Exactly!" Tails stated and looked back at Metal Amy. "That's why her 'priority' as you stated before, wasn't to attack you. It was to aid her friends." He stated, smiling at concluding what he definitely thought was the case. "For Metal Sonic to think up a strategy like that is truly unreal! But it makes a lot of sense. I guess he just didn't see you as much of a threat, Amy…" Tails looked back to Amy, a little saddened to say that to her.
"It's okay. I'm totally the 'battery recharger' on this team!" She jumped up and hugged the two with both her arms, as they were forced to bend down slightly by her force. "Recharging the fighting spirit... in progress! Haha!" she joked.
"Haha, very funny." Knuckles sarcastically stated, moving out of her grasp and flinging her arm down once off of him to then fold his own arms and huff his annoyance out. "So now what do we do with them?"
"Well, I'm not quite sure-"
"HIT THE DECK!"
Sonic, now out of super form, fell down and landed on his face after the team had heard his warning and gotten out of the way.
"Offph!" he threw his head out of the dirt and shook it a bit. "Rough landing… just a typical, ordinary day!" he joked and got up. Dusting himself off, he looked back at Metal Amy and her brothern. "Woah! You trashed those two hard! But Amy…" he looked back to Metal Amy, and then to regular Amy as he lifted his thumb back to her metal counterpart. "Why didn't you trash her?" he asked, humorously. "What? Didn't want to get your pretty face dented in?"
She puffed up her cheek, and he freaked out as she summoned her hammer and ran after him. "I DIDN'T HAVE TO FIGHT HER, JERK! She's a nice robot!" she flung her hammer down on his head a few times as he continued to run with each blow.
"Okay, okay, I get it, Amy! Stop!" he ran with his arms out in front of him as he ducked into a bush to avoid her next hit.
She decided to let up, seeing as he learned his lesson and snottily turned her head high and to the side, walking back. "I'm gonna get Tails to reprogram her to not be a killing machine. Then, she'll help us defeat Metal Sonic!" she chimed, thinking it a brilliant plan, but also trying to show Sonic not to insult her again by stating it as though he should of 'known better' than to doubt her. "That's why I didn't trash her! Bleeh!" she stuck her tongue out at him as she let her hammer down and leaned on it slightly, pulling the bottom skin near her eye down to show him up.
"Heh… you don't say." Sonic got out of the bush, scratching his head and smiling weakly with a nervous expression on his face. Some awkward sweat-drops dripping down the side of his face indicated his obvious desire to not anger or push her further on this topic... "I've already taken care of Metal Sonic though. So no need for a rat." Sonic smiled, seeing as they may use Metal Amy as a spy. "She's pretty much scrap metal now."
"Hmm.. but just in case, I'd like to scan her memories and find out what Metal Sonic was really planning... I know killing you is top on the list, for sure, but what about what he had planned for the world?"
"You mean… destruction?" Amy asked Tails.
"Or world domination." Knuckles punched his two fists together.
"Either or." Tails stated, nodding to their theories, as either one could be right.
Sonic returned to his natural look and demeanor as he walked up to Metal Amy, bending down and tapping her head, hearing the metal clank. "Can you really make her sing and dance for us, Tails?" He asked, looking humorously up at Tails.
"Well… I can try." Tails smiled, liking Sonic's joke. "But it depends on how deep and severe her programming is. It could be hard to crack into and refigure…"
Sonic got up and away from Metal Amy, wrapping an arm around Tails and shaking him slightly. "I know you can do it, little buddy! If anyone can hack a computer, it's you!" he encouraged, as Tails laughed and let him do what he pleased. But you could tell he appreciated the confidence in Sonic's voice.
A loud explosion was heard as the team jolted and heard another bomb dropping.
Looking up, they quickly ran as Sonic got each one of his friends; Knuckles being flung over his shoulder, and Amy and Tails in each hand as they narrowly escaped death.
The bomb exploded as fire lit up the forest, and Metal Sonic hobbled down from the sky, not looking too good as his stepping was slow and weak. His shoulders slumped over, and one of his eyes still was only half open, looking at his fallen support through the flames. Anger overpowered him, and he roared in anger, "USELESS!" he cried out again, "I must destroy Sonic with the Chaos Emeralds… only then can I have enough unlimited power to enable me to destroy him… If he can't turn Super, he can't win! I am almost perfect!"
He looked to see Metal Amy's eyes move up to him. She was playing dead, but still wanted to see what was happening.
Though she was deaf, she could still see through a bit of the blur from the heatwave the fire was causing.
Metal Sonic looked down to her, as the wind carried the flame's fury and sparks of slow-falling ashes across the back of his being.
He walked over to her and tilted her head up. As if bending to slightly cradle with his clawed hand her chin and pinch her cheeks on either side, forcing her to look at him.
She worried that he would vent his frustration out on her, but was terrified to shut down and show that fear of being hurt.
"…Don't ever interfere again…" He didn't know her hearing was shut off, but quickly activated a code in her mind that allowed him to wireless communicate with his support. So she got the code and registered the meaning.
His tone though... if she could hear it... seemed to be less harsh and critical. More of a scold than anything else... but it dared to show... some fondness at the same time.
As if there was some cost in losing her to him... was there?
The memory of Sonic trashing his beloved creation... one that surprised him, kept him entertained, and wanting more...
How dare he...
How dare they all...
Her eyes flickered as she was still losing power, moving left and right, looking at him and unable to blink.
What was he gonna do to her?
Leaning down, she felt a program she hadn't known existed spark up, and her speaker receptor flipped to show a black slate, just like the conductivity electrical healing units on her hands.
…But why was this on her…?
He bent down and performed what looked to be a… kiss.
Sparks flew as he absorbed the last of her energy in her battery, and she shut down in complete and total confusion, submission, and shock of seeing the hidden feature that seemed to only activate when he wirelessly activated it to do so.
He tossed her now lifeless, so to speak, head down and got up. His speaker receiver sparking as it moved up his muzzle and connected with the sides of his head to travel down his body. The screws on either side of his cheeks sparked with the renewal of power and energy necessary to get his support out of there.
He lightly touched his muzzle where the sparks were so powerful that black soot and skid marks remained in their aftermath.
He wanted to reveal that as a mocking response to her programming she had once made for emotion, to torture her with her own obsession, but Sonic always ruined his fun...
He let his fingers skim the steel... then felt her energy course through him and moved his daggered-fingers to scale down and follow where the energy flowed.
He closed his eyes... storing the new energy up and recharging the last of his power... before using it to grab the three supports and fly back home.
His rockets and jet turbine just managing to get him back and into the shower of lightning that they all knew too well, quickly restoring his power.
He leaned on the edge, feeling his weakness. His systems warned him he was about to shut down due to, not only battery loss, but wires being unplugged and him malfunctioning too.
He was losing power... but with him being the only one left...
Once he had enough power that he managed to contain within himself, he would repair his being first, and then his useless support…
"You have the victory this time, Sonic..." He glared up, his red eyes flickering to a more radiant and bright color with the power slowly returning to his being. "But you will not win the war…"