Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic The Hedgehog or any of the characters, they are owned by Sega and Sonic Team.
Mass panic had ensued, voices battled over each other as the crowd from outside grew restless inside the castle.
Suddenly a noise broke out, silencing the crowd.
There, standing before them, was Sally Acorn herself.
"Good people, we know not much of this threat, but rest assured, we will triumph." She claimed proudly.
"All freedom fighters, report to my chambers, the rest of you shall remain in the various rooms in the castle." Sally announced.
The crowd quickly dispersed to their set locations.
As for the freedom fighters, they had engaged in discussion over their plan.
"What's the situation, your highness?" Nicole asks.
"It seems Metal Sonic has returned." Sally says.
All of them just stare blankly.
"But, that's impossible, we destroyed him years ago." Knuckles says.
"It seems he has been reconstructed and is now stronger than ever." Sally says.
"So, what's the plan?" Bunnie asks.
"Sonic has gone off to face Metal Sonic, alone." Sally says.
"Is he insane?!" Silver shouted.
"He'll get crushed!" Silver added on.
"I know, but he insisted he take him head on, however our remaining forces downtown will be aiding his efforts." Sally explains.
"So what, you want us to just sit here and do nothing while Sonic gets himself killed?!" Amy shouts in concern.
"We have to hold out here in case of an attack, however, Tails, I've been made aware of a device you invented that can help us." Sally says.
Everyone turns their gazes to Tails.
"A few years back I had been developing a mech armor to combat Metal Sonic, fortunately for us he was destroyed before we even had to use it, but the bad news is, the project was never completed or tested." Tails said.
"Do you still have the remote launcher?" Sally asks.
"Yes." Tails says.
"Well then, I believe it's time you finally test it out on the battlefield." Sally says.
"I'll alert our forces of its arrival." Sally says.
Tails engaged his watch, punching in the launch code for the armor.
From his lab the armor levitated and launched into the sky, landing at the coordinates Tails set.
"What if it doesn't work?" Rouge asks.
"Then we will all fight, to the end if we must." Sally says.
Everyone nods and prepares for what is to come.
Meanwhile.
The remaining enforcers had retreated for the moment, to retrieve the armor Tails had sent.
The commander had taken the liberty of making it clear.
"We have received this armor from Miles Prower himself, this armor will be piloted by one of you, with it are all the weapons you will need to combat the enemy, however it remains untested and the risk of death is high, I understand if you decline, but this is the only chance we have, so who will be our pilot?"
Silence falls over them, as they all look to each other, none of them uttering a sound.
"I will volunteer." A voice calls out.
Everyone looks to the back to see an unknown woman raising her hand.
"Who are you?" The commander asks.
"My name is Honey." She introduced herself.
The commander stares her down and then reaches out his hand for her to shake.
"Good luck out there." He says, in respect.
"Thank you sir." She says.
She walks over and engages the armor, metallic shielding soon encompassing her body.
She peered through the visor and looked down at her hands, seeing the mech arms and attempting to move them.
She smirked and charged out into the city, in search of Metal Sonic.
"Ready or not, here I come."
With Sonic.
Sonic had rushed to the scene, locating Metal Sonic, preparing for the inevitable confrontation.
"Been awhile Metal, I see you haven't changed." Sonic said.
Metal Sonic's sights locked on to Sonic.
"Today, one of us shall fall." Metal says, before jumping down, landing on the ground below.
"Well then, I'm afraid this is the end of the road for you." Sonic says, moving into attack position.
Metal Sonic stared him down, neither one making a move.
Like a rocket, Metal launched himself at Sonic.
Sonic barely dodged Metal's strike, circling back around to deliver a Spin Dash into Metal's face.
Metal fell back, flipping onto his feet before he hit the ground.
From there it resulted in an all out brawl, both of them fighting to the end.
Each of them delivered powerful strikes, hit after hit, they wore each other down.
Sonic drenched in red, while Metal was covered in motor oil with wires protruding from his head and body.
The two were locked in a stand still, neither one giving in.
"He's gotten a lot stronger, but I haven't lost a fight yet and I'm not starting today." He thought, trying to come up with a plan.
Taking his surroundings into account, Sonic quickly thought of a way to end this.
"Hey Metal, catch me if you can!" He shouted, leading him away.
"I hope this works." Sonic thought.
Sonic had lead him to an area he had earlier destroyed and hid inside one of the standing buildings.
"How the mighty have fallen, the hero of Möbius no cowers and flees from me." Metal insults.
"That's what you think." Sonic thinks, as he grabs the resources needed.
Sonic takes a pike, lighting it aflame.
"I hope Rob's lessons paid off." He thinks, taking his stance.
"Where do you hide, coward?!" Metal shouts.
Sonic reaches the roof, taking aim with his makeshift bow and arrow.
He focuses in on Metal.
"Hey, chrome dome." Sonic teases, shooting the arrow.
Metal turns to see the arrow headed straight for him.
"Ya looked." Sonic says.
The arrow pierces Metal, setting him ablaze, short circuits exploding from him, till finally he falls.
Sonic, witnessing all this, breathes a sigh of relief.
However, it's cut short from the body moving at full speed once more, knocking Sonic from the roof to the ground.
Sonic looks up to see standing before him, a silver endoskeleton.
"No." Sonic grunts.
"It seems my basic form has failed me, I believe it's time to show you my true power." Metal exclaims.
Metal is bathed in bright blue light as his armor is returned, now heavier with his spines and claws growing larger.
"My Neo form is once again functional, now it is time to end this." Metal says, knocking Sonic back down repeatedly.
Each hit the hedgehog took, broke him to the point he could barely move.
Metal was about to deliver the final blow.
But out of nowhere, she arrived.
Metal was knocked back by a small missile striking him in the chest.
"Who dares?!" Metal shouts, searching around for the culprit.
In his line of sight, he sees flying towards him, some sort of machine.
"Hey, need any help?" Honey says.
"Perfect timing." Sonic barely speaks out as he struggles to get back up.
Honey lands to the ground, standing off against Metal.
"Think I can take this round?" Honey asks.
"Be my guest." Sonic groans out.
Honey smirks, launching her fist at Metal at a speed even he couldn't match, effectively knocking him into a building.
The building collapsed on top of him, burying him beneath the rubble.
Metal shoots up from underneath, launching a laser at her.
In retaliation, Honey launched her own, causing them both to collide.
The two forced each other back, both their laser streams at odds, eventually giving way to a power surge, dissipating them both and knocking the two of them back.
Honey cringed, the pain was getting to her.
Metal, growing angry, extended his razor sharp claws, leapt up into the air, fell behind her and struck her in the back, going through the suit like paper and cutting her side.
She screeched out in pain, turning to throw a right hook, knocking his own face in.
"There has to be a way to stop him." She thought.
"Honey, what is your status?" The commander said, through her communication device.
"Injured sir, suit losing power, losing consciousness." She reported, her voice growing softer by the second.
"Stay with me here, we'll come up with something." The commander says.
Honey's eyes glanced over to the self destruct button.
"Sir, I have an idea, it's crazy but it just might work." She says.
"What is it?" He asks.
Honey sighs, thinking about her loved ones.
"If I don't make it, tell everyone I'll miss them." She says.
"What're you talking about?!" He shouts, in confusion.
"The suit has a self destruct mechanism, I'm going to activate it and blow him away." She explains.
"Are you crazy?!" He shouts.
"Very much, it's been an honor serving with you sir." She says, cutting off the communication.
"Hey!" She yells, getting Metal's attention.
"Let's finish this." She says.
Metal charges at her, lucky for her it's exactly what she wanted.
Honey grabs him, locking him into her embrace.
"That's it, steady and… ." She plans.
"Fire!" She says, pressing the self destruct button.
In a matter of seconds the explosion goes off, creating a massive crater in the ground where the two once stood.
The commander as well as the other enforcers had witnessed the scene on their monitors.
Many tears shedding over their fallen comrade.
Even the commander, placing his hands on a desk, looking down in dread.
Sonic had limped his way over to the crater.
At first, he mourned at the thought of his savior, fallen.
But then, the smallest of sounds is uttered, movements can be seen down below, as a figure rises from the dirt.
Letting out grunts and coughs, Honey rises from the ground, in immense pain.
She looks up to see the blue hedgehog staring down at her.
Noting this, she gives him a thumbs up in respect, with Sonic returning the gesture.
The enforcers back at the base cheered in relief and admiration.
Sonic lifted her out of the crater, helping her to her feet.
"Thank you, so what now?" Honey, nonchalantly asks.
Sonic just a smirks and winces, before asking her.
"Wanna come to the wedding?"
Back at Castle Acorn.
"It seems our Metal friend has failed us." Ash says, as they receive the news of Metal's downfall.
"No matter, we've made it in." The cloaked woman says.
"I believe it's time we paid the Princess and her guests a surprise visit." The cloaked man says.
The three of them sneak through the corridors to the royal quarters.
They reach the doors and quickly take care of the guard.
"Hey you're not supposed to be up here." He starts, only to be struck.
"Fool." The cloaked woman says.
The three of them barge in, breaking down the doors.
"What the?!" Knuckles shouts.
The team turns to see the individuals in question.
"A-Ash." Mina says, frightened to the core.
"Did ya miss me babe?" Ash says, licking his lips in anticipation.
"Hope you don't mind, I brought a few friends along." Ash says, motioning towards the cloaked individuals.
"Who are you?!" Sally questions.
They both laugh, lowering their hoods to reveal themselves.
The team cowers in shock at the sight of them.
Scourge and Fiona.