a/n: North side 'till the end. Tune in for a fresh episode. #herewego

Revolutionary Operation, Type Zero

Kinetic Sky

04. Revolver Action, Act 4

Dashing over the transparent waters, the pair quickly made their way to the end of Aquatic Ruin. Nothing of consequence had occurred on their run so far...aside from two more of the strange silos, an eerie silence had taken over the entirety of West Side Island. Barely a noise other than the sound of rapidly moving feet against metal.

Now it was getting much darker than usual. Sonic slowed down before coming to a stop near the edge of the zone. Amy slid to a halt behind him.

"Sonic? What's wrong?"

"Even here..."

"Hm?"

"The way Casino Night is set up...it's gonna be hard to navigate on sight. There's zero visibility and it's a long drop to the ground floor."

Amy nodded. "And the enemy we're facing...I can't really 'see' them either."

"Yeah. I got an idea. You just gotta stay close to me."

"Okay."

"First, let's make our way down. I remember this drop pretty clearly." He scooped Amy into his arms and jumped from the ledge overlooking the darkness. She closed her eyes and snuggled into his warmth as they fell. The rushing wind and sensation of falling was certainly surreal, she realized. Thunder sounded in the distance, and she felt the movement of his body. The sound of the wind changed and she could tell they were falling near tall buildings. Then they were getting closer, until...a tremor from where he kicked off, and then another, and another in rapid succession. They flew horizontally before hitting the ground again in a slide.

She opened her eyes to see that he was looking over her calmly.

"No worries?"

"Yeah. No worries," she said with a smile. He nodded and set her down. "Were you going to use what Tikal gifted you all that time ago? The Ancient Light?"

"Yeah. It's fine...here." He tapped his foot on the ground and had his shoes glow with a bright white light. His form and the area for a few feet around him was illuminated. "It'll chew up some energy, but no biggie."

"As long as you're sure. Let's hurry out of here, then."

"We're up pretty high. Remember, stay close."

"Okay." Amy clung to his arm and they walked forward at a leisurely pace. Many of the buildings were connected by small catwalks, which made traversal much easier.

"Are you worried?" he asked suddenly as they continued to walk.

"Huh? Oh...yeah, I am. About everything. The world...our friends. And us. This was so sudden, and it's totally unlike anything before...I'm a bit scared,"she said.

"I can't wrap my head around any of this either. Anything that can do this is pretty dangerous. First Station Square and now this..."

"Yeah. I just can't figure out how to reverse it at all..."

"It's fine. We'll think of something," he said. "I know we will. Hey, we're almost to the next area."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Hill Top...hm. I think we should be okay once we get past this gap here." He shook his foot out over the edge of the building, revealing the abyss below briefly. "Might have to crank up the light, since I'm not too familiar with this exit."

Amy started to speak before feeling a chill run down her spine. There was no life around them, but...she could feel something. Something...no. No, she knew this feeling.

Him.

She let go of Sonic's arm and the pendant on her right wrist glowed white. She swung with an empty hand, a hammer appearing out of thin air. Her fingers quickly wrapped around its handle as she made impact, sending something sliding backwards with a metallic clang.

"You really are a bothersome woman. How could you detect me while I had my cloaking at full power?"

"Of all the rotten luck," Sonic muttered. He turned and the light from his sneakers faintly illuminated the enemy ahead.

One who should not exist.

His robot doppelganger, Metal Sonic.

"My loathsome copy. How are you faring this fine day?"

"What the hell's Eggman up to?" Sonic demanded, skipping over the issue of his appearance. "This is a new low for him, as I'm sure you know."

"All is going according to plan."

"..." Amy could sense something was off.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, an edge to his tone.

"I supplied the Doctor with the means, and he supplied me with the methods. That was all there was to it, my organic...friend."

"We scrapped you," Amy said. "We scrapped you in every way possible and you couldn't have come back from that. We turned you into confetti. I'll never forget that day."

"Amy..."

"I'll never forget what you did..."

"Amy. Don't let him."

"...I know. I..." She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Right."

"Such fragile feelings," Metal Sonic replied in an even, flat tone. "But I suppose that is par for you organics. I have noticed that you seem more protective of the pink one, 'other me'."

"'Other me'? I knew you had a few screws loose but it's a bit much now, ain't it?" Sonic mocked.

"You cherish her even more now than you did on that day."

"Don't try it, Metal," he growled.

Something akin to a sinister, provoking look came from the glowing red eyes of the robot. "It seems she still recalls the fear that I instilled in her so many years ago. You cannot protect her from me completely. Not when I already have invaded her mind."

Sonic stepped forward, anger tinting his green eyes.

"Upset because my assessment is correct?"

He said nothing as he stood in place. The light from his shoes brightened.

"Your energy output is increasing. What is it you want to do, copy?"

"I wanna grind you into the dirt again."

He turned around on one foot. He unclenched his shaking fists.

"But my dance card's already filled."

In a burst of light, he shot forward and grabbed Amy, traveling upwards into the sky at an angle. His momentum carried the two of them forward until they landed on a metallic hill and slid down to the bottom. Sonic let out a breath and set Amy down on her feet.

"Yo, Amy. Thanks for the save back there, eh?"

"I'm sure you sensed him too."

He shrugged. "It was a bit faint, honestly. Whatever spy tech he's got now is hella good."

"I just...remembered that essence," Amy said quietly. She wrapped her arms around herself. "It's not something I know how to forget."

"Is he..."

"...sometimes. Yes. He's there." She closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Amy-"

"It's not your fault! Sonic, I mean...you shouldn't feel bad about it. I chose to follow you, no matter what. And besides, we beat him. He's not supposed to be..."

"Yeah...too bad he couldn't stay down," he muttered.

"..." Amy looked back to where Casino Night was, in the distance. Still shrouded in complete darkness.

The red eyes. She could see them clearly in her mind again.

Sonic pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged back and gratefully buried herself in his warmth, soaking in it so that she could try to forget that phantom.

Lightning pierced the darkness in slow intervals.