Not even the depths of their darkest imaginations could live up to the awful sight before them. Overflowing the streets are endless ZomBots, roaming their rightful kingdom.
From the aerial view, the horde of ZomBots look more like a disturbed ant colony. The source of their disruption is not hard to make out, being as it's where most of the tortured souls have gathered.
"There's someone down there!" Tails observes, making out a vague black dot surrounded by a circle of silver. A beam of familiar-looking, yellow chaos energy erupts from the dot, rippling through the large wave of approaching foes. "Is that...?"
"Shadow, right?" Sonic guesses, his fears realized. "Eggman beat us here. If we're to act, we need to act fast. Tails, can you land us on one of those rooftops?"
The request is enough to make the fox gulp. Landings are something he's hardly gotten the hang of, let alone mastered. But he knows he can certainly try. At this stage in the game, failure is not an option.
"On it," Tails nods with determination, lowering the small plane closer to the overrun city. "But it might be a little bumpy."
Sonic crouches down on top of the wing, steadying himself. The last thing he wants is to fall into the crowd below, who seem to have noticed the small aircraft and weakly stretch out their arms to reach it.
Knuckles is left speechless. Of everything he's witnessed in adolescence, he could never imagine a more nightmarish scenario if he tried.
Eggman has a lot more to answer for than theft. Knuckles' mighty fists clench tightly, imagining the moment they'd meet the Doctor's face.
"All of these people..." Amy mutters, unable to stomach seeing the enslaved innocents below, left long ago to eternally remain trapped. Her heartbeat accelerates, drowning out the air in her lungs.
"Hey."
A hand is placed on her shoulder. She turns away from the awful view to see Sonic the Hedgehog, his emerald eyes looking into hers.
"I know it's scary," he continues. "I remember back when it all started. They advised me to stay away but I couldn't. Back then, there was just a fence, and... it was terrible. They were all piled against it, clawing mindlessly for a way out. There could have been survivors, but I was too... I was too..."
He trails off. Amy grabs his hand and squeezes it.
"You were doing your best," she finishes for him. "No different from what you're doing now. You see, I don't care if you consider yourself a real hero or not, Sonic the Hedgehog. You always will be to me."
Sonic lets out a light, nervous chuckle, more appreciative of Amy's comment than he's willing to show.
"Thanks, but I-"
"LOOK OUT!" Amy screams in horror.
As soon as Amy opened her mouth to deliver the warning, it was already too late. Sonic would've never had the time to notice and react to the blur of chrome blue that proceeds to strike him off the plane like a bolt of lightning.
Everyone on board the Tornado Two whirl around in fear and bewilderment, confused about what just happened.
"SONIC!" Amy screams, looking around for where he could've disappeared to.
"I see him!" Tails calls out, with the two passengers following his eyesight and seeing what he sees.
The familiar back jet of Metal Sonic.
All air is unable to squeeze through Sonic's tightened windpipe. He gasps for oxygen, desperate to free himself from the steel grasp of his metal duplicate. They both shoot through the air at speeds high enough to pierce through steel.
"Your lucky streak ends here, my loathsome copy."
Just one twist of a hand. That's all it'd take to end Sonic's life for good. With no time to waste, he delivers a hard kick to the robot's face, temporarily catching it off guard. In its incredibly brief window of confusion, Sonic slaps away the metal arm keeping him restrained, and quickly curls into a spinning ball of destruction.
The hedgehog's spinning maneuver grinds against his rival's titanium, scathing it with slight burn marks. Metal Sonic retaliates with a swift punch, knocking the spinning blue ball away from him and through the air. Quickly, Sonic uncurls and performs a mid-air dash to the nearest skyscraper, barely landing steadily. He stands on a large, brown office building that towers among the other structures.
Its paint has begun to peel away. A few of the windows running along it are cracked or missing entirely. More than likely the result of day zero of the outbreak. The worst of it all.
The sound of Metal Sonic's jet engine grows louder before he appears before his organic nemeses, hovering over the tall building. Apparently, he made a quick detour, made evident by the two squirming ZomBots held in his hands. One is an old male squirrel wearing an esteemed business suit. The other is a younger raccoon female, dressed in casual outing clothes. Both of the ZomBots' hands glide across Metal Sonic's body, attempting to add yet another victim to their army. If their mental capacity were left intact, they'd probably begin to question why their contagious touch has no effect.
"Hey, war hero, I think these poor Mobians need your help."
With threatening speed, the robot hurtles the infected male ZomBot at his target who dodges by inches. Immediately after comes flying the female ZomBot who Sonic has to duck over, just barely missing her. Both of them fly over the edge of the building and make their quick descent toward the pavement below. Sonic can hear their abrupt landing. He knows the fall didn't kill them, but somehow, that disturbs him more.
"No matter how much I try, you just refuse to die," Metal Sonic grunts. "I have to give you credit, you blue rat. Your constant ability to delay fate is impressive... for an organic."
"I guess that's the closest to a compliment Robotnik's programming will allow," Sonic shrugs. "You know, for all the grief you give us 'organics', at least we have the freedom to choose how to live our lives."
"And I don't?"
On the spot, Sonic bursts into uncontrollable laughter. Not even he was expecting such a response.
"Of course you don't!" Sonic chuckles, getting the last of the giggles out. "Robuttnik built you to kill yours truly, you bag of bolts. You were created with one goal in mind, and like the good obedient servant you are, you're following his orders to a tea. I expect nothing less from artificial life."
"You're under a misconception," Metal Sonic responds. "My plans don't end with you. After I've rid this world of your obnoxious presence and have established myself as the TRUE Sonic, I'll aid the Doctor in his glorious conquests. The world will fall under his undisputed rule."
"Uh huh, and are you aiding him because you want to? Or is that just in your programming? Another subconscious order for you to obey?"
"Silence-!"
"Uh oh, sounds like someone's getting angry." Sonic grins, crossing his arms. "What happened to all that talk about emotion? Tell me, Metal... are we all that different?"
"In every conceivable way imaginable."
Metal Sonic fully extends both arms to his sides, reveling in his current surroundings. Reaching out for miles is an endless army. A perfect army. One that has shredded their mortal flesh and simplistic minds for something greater.
"The future is metal. Soon, the whole world will be vastly improved. And it all begins with your destruction."
"I think there's only one way to settle this," Sonic stretches, careful to not let his eyes leave the robot's sight.
It's now or never.
"How about a race?"
A moment of silence follows the abrupt request. Metal Sonic stays hovering in the air, unsure of what to make of the challenge.
"You organics are truly a mystery. Fine, my pathetic double. I'll grant you this final duel. Let's see how long you can outrun me."
"Longer than you think!" Sonic exclaims before he vanishes from his current spot, leaving behind a blue trail.
"Where does he get his confidence?" Metal Sonic audibly ponders, before he too blasts forward.
The velocity of Sonic's boost produces a sonic boom, sending a loud shockwave that echoes through the mostly still city. His speed carries him off the building and through the sky, flying over the hundreds of infected below. If possible, he'll have to avoid staying in the air since that's when he's easily at his most vulnerable. However, the ground won't be much safer.
He curls into a spinning ball once more, gaining enough momentum to perform a drop dash upon landing on a neighboring corporate skyscraper. Behind him, the mechanical killer speeds in pursuit, effortlessly rocketing across the city's dull skyline.
Admittedly, this "race" Sonic suggested was on impulse. Still, it beats a one-on-one confrontation. Something the hedgehog would certainly not walk away from. If there's any chance to beat his clone, he'll have to be smart.
Instead of rolling into the air, Sonic uncurls and sprints down the glass panes of the skyscraper. Metal Sonic shoots down the building after him. The intensity of their combined speed completely shatters the surrounding windows.
A crowd could slow him down.
Once the sole of his shoes meet the ground, the speedy hedgehog runs across the crowded streets, swiftly dodging and jumping over the mindless ZomBots. In front of him stands a wall of infected individuals, each too slow to react to the Mobian's presence. Still, the crowd stretches too far and too wide to be jumped.
Instead, Sonic channels his current speed into a slide. Thankfully, there's enough space between the wandering, metalized foes to avoid any physical contact. But such luck isn't guaranteed. His heart racing, Sonic drifts from side to side to avoid crashing into one of the ZomBots' legs. Touching the tip of their shoe is enough to cause infection.
Finally, the tense hedgehog is able to stand up, having made it past the crowd. Metal Sonic is not held to the same constrictions as his double, being able to simply plow through every ZomBot standing before him. As he does so, he grabs one by the collar and hurdles it at his target, who sways left just to narrowly avoid the infected citizen-turned-projectile.
This is getting close. Sonic's feet hop from the ground and race up the walls of a grey department store. I need to end this. Here and now.
Reaching the top, Sonic can feel a breeze climb up his quills. It was his metal nemesis's hand just missing him by several inches. Changing course on a dime, Metal Sonic dives toward his prey at lightning speed, forcing the organic hedgehog to endure the full wrath of his swift kick.
The blow clashes against Sonic's chest, knocking the wind out of him as he skids across the dirty rooftop. He clutches his pained torso, trying to regain the breath that left him. Even if he were to retreat, there's no way he can make a fast getaway in this condition. He looks ahead as Metal Sonic lands on the roof and reaches his left arm outward- a small rocket emerging on top of it.
Now's my chance! Sonic realizes, speeding forward.
A move not anticipated by Metal. Quickly, Sonic swipes the rocket from his doppelganger's arm, ripping it from its metallic holdings, and he places it where it needs to go, before being caught in the robot's inescapable, suffocating grip.
"All that... just to wind back in square one. You haven't learned a thing... have you my pitiful fake?"
The metal hedgehog applies more pressure, causing his counterpart's tan cheeks to turn a subtle shade of purple.
"This is the moment I've yearned for since I came online. The day I finally showed the world that I'm the one and only Sonic. I am superior. I... am real."
It takes a world of effort to speak. But Sonic manages to do so in hushed breaths.
"You... know... something?" he gasps, placing his hands on Metal Sonic's shoulders. "For... a knockoff... you were alright."
Mustering all strength and using the full extent of his weight, Sonic pulls his metal clone with him off the building. The two rapidly descend, not far at all from the ground. Surprised by his foe's move, Metal Sonic activates his jet engine to prevent his fall and-
BOOM!
The blazing hot explosion deafens the war hero, having been caught directly in its full fury. It propels him back at a great speed, shooting the dazed Mobian through the second-story window of a nearby motel. Black streaks run across nearly every inch of his body. He can hardly bring himself to move a single muscle.
If he hadn't lodged the stolen rocket inside of the robot's back jet when he did, he's certain the fight would have ended much differently. For now, he can only lay his head back down and rest. The terror of his artificial copy will live on as no more than a haunting memory.
...