Metal Sonic was staring at the computer screen. He was all alone in the Pyramid Base at the moment. That is, except for the non-intelligent guard robots, of course.

He switched between several images that appeared on the screen. First, he saw the spherical space colony the doctor wanted to go to. Then, he saw a picture of the White Comet. Finally, a photo of Prison Island. And in the end, a picture of the Sailor Senshi that a junior photographer had once shot for a local newspaper.

"Shadow the Hedgehog..." he murmured. "Whoever could that be? And here I thought dear old Sonic was the only hedgehog in Eggman's life... well, except me, of course!" He chuckled at his own little joke.

After trying to find out as much about the ARK as he could, Metal Sonic still didn't know the reason why the doctor had come with empty hands from the island base... OR who this 'Shadow' person was.

"No matter what, I'm getting the feeling the good old doctor is trying to replace me..." His optics lit up in a glowering red. "And if there's something I don't like, it is someone who wants to get rid of me. True, he was the one who turned me into a robot, made me stronger... but he needs to realize that I don't really need him. What is it he's trying to tell everyone? Robots are superior? Well, he's a human, so according to that logic, I should be superior." He would have grinned if he had a mouth. "Still, I think I'm going to wait for the right chance... he might be an egg-shaped show-off, but he has the codes to deactivate me..."

Metal Sonic walked over to another console, activating one of the cameras that were installed inside the base. It was panning around, showing the inside of a dark room. Several bulky shapes were assembled in one corner. It was one of the locked storage rooms in the basement of the pyramid.

Metal Sonic inwardly smirked. "I will have to settle with making his life as unpleasant as I can without revealing my true plans to him." He let the camera focus on one of the deactivated robots that were leaning against the wall of the storage chamber. It was E-123-Omega.

"My dear Diana..." Metal Sonic muttered. "The programming of your new body may be far more advanced than that of your dear parents... but that means you will still be able to lead... a revolt!"

And then, his finger pressed a certain button on the console.

Deep in the basement, Omega's sensors lit up.

"Rebooting..." the robot said in his emotionless voice. "Reformatting sequences started... energy flow sufficient." Slowly, he felt energy flowing back into his metal limbs.

'Uuuuuh... what happened?' Diana groaned from within the robot body. She was able to move the robot as she wanted, as long as Omega did what his programming allowed him to do. And the only way he could speak was in that robotic voice that all members of the E-series possessed. No one who heard him speak would ever imagine that it was the little, lavender-furred kitten who actually spoke.

Unfortunately, one of Omega's most distinct behavior protocols forbid it to reveal the origin of his energy source. No robot created by Dr. Eggman was allowed to ever tell anything about the little animal that was empowering its energy core... in this case, Diana.

Omega slowly rose to his feet and looked around the area. "Scanning area," he said. "No life form detected. Enclosed room. Locked door. No key available. Further scanning. Deactivated Eggman robots detected. Threat level: Zero. Eradication not necessary."

Omega stepped closer to the deactivated robots that were lying close to him. He could see that they must have been lying for here for some time, since they were covered with a thick layer of dust.

'Hmmmm... if they've been here for such a long time, they must be pretty mad at Eggman, too,' Diana thought. This was giving her an idea and she sent the necessary commands to Omega's electronic brain.

"Directive number one: Escape and take revenge on Eggman! Assistance needed to escape. Beginning activation of robots."

He let his sensors sweep across the two metal bodies. "Accessing Robotnik Robot Construction Log... Robot Number One identified as Model MK-001, code name Metal Knuckles. Robot Number Two identified as Model TD-000, code name Tails Doll. Beginning reactivation now!"

Omega could tell that there was no animal to empower the two robots in their cores. They were part of the Metal Copy series, a series that was abandoned by Eggman after he found out that the energy source they used was far too quickly depleted. Metal Knuckles and the Tails Doll were constructed at a time when Eggman had managed to acquire two of the Chaos Emeralds. He had used those to empower his robots, turning them into formidable opponents for Knuckles and Tails. Metal Sonic was created some time before that, but unlike those two, he was a living being that had been transformed into a machine.

"No power supply detected," Omega finally concluded after the old robots made no attempt to move. "Commencing power transfer to robot units MK-001 and TD-000."

Diana knew she was taking a big risk here. If she used too much of her power reserves to make Metal Knuckles and Tails Doll move, her own robot body would drain her quickly, leaving her tired and weary. And if she used too much, it could even become dangerous. But she had no other choice.

'Well, here goes nothing...' she sighed. Omega put two cables in the sockets that were hidden on the backsides of the two old robots. Slowly, their energy tanks were being refilled.

After a couple of minutes, Metal Knuckles' optic sensors lit up in a yellow light. "...doctor, don't do it! I was always your loyal servant... wait a minute..." The robotic counterpart of Knuckles looked up at Omega. "You're not the doctor... who are you? Where are we?"

"I am E-123-Omage, the ultimate E-series robot!" Omega introduced herself. "Dr. Eggman created me... and locked me in this room. He did the same to you. We have the same objective."

"What objective?" Metal Knuckles asked.

"Destroy Eggman!" Omega concluded.

'NO!' Diana gasped. She only wanted to return to her friends, so they could find a way to get her out of this body. But Omega's electronic brain had created a command in his software that had turned into his new primary directive.

"Yes..." Metal Knuckles shook his spiked fists. "Revenge... but... he has many other robots at his disposal. Metal Sonic..."

"We need more assistance," Omega told the robotic echidna. "Energy transfer to unit TD-000 completed!"

"What?" Metal Knuckles blinked. "You don't mean...?" He slowly turned around... only to look into a pair of soulless eyes that just stared into emptiness.

The red light on the antenna on top of his stuffed, stitched robot body blinked, as the Tails Doll tilted his head and said: "Hello! Play with me!"

Metal Knuckles groaned. "No... not this waste of spare parts..."

"Can you feel the sunshine?" Tails Doll asked innocently as he looked at the two fighting machines in front of him. He floated in front of them, his head the only thing that actually moved, as his tails and limbs were dangling down limply. "Does it brighten up your day?"

Author's Note:

If you don't recognize the last two sentences Tails Doll said... go and look at more internet memes!

Metal Knuckles and Tails Doll are both characters that once appeared in a Sonic game. They were unlockable and playable in Sonic R.

I just had to write this one...