Chapter 8

City on fire

Sonic choked on the thick smoke wafting through the air. His lungs burned as he made his way through the destruction, searching for any survivors. The deafening roar of the flames surrounding him blocked out any possible screams or cries for help. Sonic sprinted up and down the streets, scanning for anything.

"Please… oh Chaos, PLEASE!"

Silent hopes turned to pleads as he continued searching, crying out for any poor soul who might hear him. Suddenly, he heard a faint whimper coming from a small pile of rubble not far from him. Dashing to the noise, he began moving the rocks until he saw a small hand reaching out. Moving even faster now, Sonic moved all the pieces of rocks until the figure of a small Mobian fox was revealed. Sonic knelt down and took the crying boy into his arms.

"Hey, hey, calm down… everything's gonna be alright…" As Sonic consoled him, the boy pointed back down to the pile. Sonic turned back towards the pile and closed his eyes. What he could only assume to be the boy's older sister lay dead on the ground right next to where Sonic found the boy.

Turning the boy's head, he sped off to the outskirts of the city where G.U.N. set up a camp for any survivors. Setting the boy down in the middle of the camp, Sonic looked around until he saw a small family of foxes sitting on a bench, with a woman crying into her husband's shoulder. Sonic led the boy towards the family until he shouted "MOMMY!" and ran to them. Sonic followed until he was standing in front of them.

The mother looked over at her son and yelped. Pulling him into a hug, she smiled and whimpered. The father looked at Sonic, then behind him.

"Where's our daughter? She was with him when the attack started!"

Sonic looked down at the ground. "She… well… she didn't make it. I found her next to your son. I'm so sorry…"

Solemnly, he turned and began walking to a small tent in the middle of the camp. He heard the mother wail as he left.

…

A small team of G.U.N. agents and some Freedom Fighters sat in the middle of the tent, looking at some sort of hologram on the table in front of them. A model of the flaming city showed all the destruction zones located by G.U.N.'s fancy satellites. Walking over to the table, Sonic sat down next to Amy and an agent.

"Sonic, you're finally back! Did you find any survivors?"

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, but not a lot. I could barely see or hear anything" Sonic turned to the agent sitting next to him. "What's taking the fire team so long?"

"Current E.T.A. is twenty to thirty minutes." Across the table, Shadow slammed his fist onto the table.

"We don't have that long! People are dying!"

Sonic nodded in agreement. "Shadow's right. We can't just wait around for half an hour. I'm going back to the city to continue searching. Shadow, can you tag along with me?" Shadow nodded his head and stood up, following Sonic out the tent. Amy sighed. Never in her life had she seen Sonic this serious. Sure, the last couple of months hadn't been exactly easy, but he still tried to keep a smile on his face.

Now, though, there was no smile. No glint in his eyes.

xXxXx

Shadow stood atop a burnt apartment building, scanning the smoking streets, while Sonic continued his search on the ground. He hated this. The feeling of uselessness and despair as he desperately searched for more survivors. He's been through things like this before, just not on this scale. Ashes fell at his feet like snow as he continued to look around. Eventually, after what felt like hours, he teleported back to camp. He looked around at the families who sat on the benches or in the tents, crying at the destruction, or in some people's cases, lost loved ones. He then turned back to the flaming city, the bright yellow and orange glow blocking the light from the stars.

Walking back to the main tent, Shadow sat down and rested his head in his hands. He sat there for a good fifteen minutes before an agent ran into the tent to announce the arrival of the fire team. Shadow followed the agent out of the tent and toward the hill overlooking the city. A dozen or so G.U.N. quad copters with large water buckets hovered over the city, waiting for the thumbs up to drop the water.

Shadow tapped his comm and waved the agent away.

"Sonic, how close are you to finishing the evacuation?"

There was silence for a moment, then Sonic's staticky voice came through.

"Almost done. I just gotta re-check the lower precinct and we should be good."

Shadow nodded to himself and walked back to the tent. Metal was going to pay for this.

xXxXx

Sonic ran back to the camp at a slow pace. He didn't get what Metal hoped to achieve from doing this. Surely, he had a motive, right?

But what?

Just as Sonic left the city limits, the quad copters began dousing the flames with water. One by one, each district was soaked until only small fires remained. Sonic looked forward with despair and continued on.

As soon as Sonic returned to camp, he plopped himself down on a bench and closed his eyes. He was exhausted. He never really got tired from running, but the thick smoke choked his lungs. Shadow and a medic walked towards him as he sat back off.

Sonic waved away the medic and turned towards Shadow.

"What are we going to do with the survivors?" Sonic asked, taking a bottle of water Shadow handed to him.

"We're still figuring that out. For now, though, they're going to have to stay here, unless they have a place they can go."

Sonic looked over the crowd of people. Hundreds of innocent people sat in the middle of the camp, most of them receiving medical treatment.

Sonic growled under his breath. "When I find that monster, I'm going to make him pay…" Standing up, he turned towards the main tent.

Shadow grabbed Sonic's arm before he could leave. "Whatever you do, don't act rash. We can't make a move without any plans." Sonic nodded his head and walked over to the tent. Inside, Amy and Tails were looking over security footage. The screens showed a dark, blurry image of Metal Sonic floating above the city, then suddenly multiple Metals swarmed the city, shooting missiles and lasers until the city began to burn.

Sonic looked at the floor. He could have stopped this. Been there, so that no one would get hurt. But deep down, he knew he couldn't save everyone. Tails turned around and saw Sonic.

"I'm guessing you finished evacuating?" Sonic nodded his head and sat down at the table. "Good, because Amy and I might have a lead as to where Metal went."

Sonic's ears perked up slightly as he turned back towards them. "Really? Where?" Amy sat down next to him and showed him a map on her tablet. The map showed a mountainous area, covered in trees and snow. The perfect place to hide a small factory.

"Where is this?" Sonic asked, looking over at Tails. "It's just north of White Acropolis, in the higher peaks." Sonic stood up and began walking out of the tent, but Amy was quick to stop him. "What are you doing?"

"Going to pay that maniac a visit..."

"You can't just rush out there without a plan of attack, are you crazy? We need to focus on restoration before anything else, anyway. We can't leave these people homeless!"

Sonic stood there, thinking. Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

They both sat down and began discussing plans for shelters and resources.

XXxXx

The army of Metal Sonics swarmed above the mountains of White Acropolis, descending into the trees one after another. The heavily wooded area hid a large mechanical door, which opened to reveal a large military-like hanger. On the wall opposite the door sat a large red banner, with Dr. Eggman's signature logo emblazoned on it. However, it was almost unrecognizable due to the large gash that ran straight through the middle of it.

Not long after the death of Eggman, Metal Sonic took the base as his own, destroying any evidence of his old master's existence except for the banner. He kept it as a symbol. He was in charge now. No longer did he have to take orders.

The murderous robot in question stood on a metal balcony, overlooking the hanger. His metal army was disposing of the decommissioned Badniks left behind from his take over. As soon as the mad doctor kicked the bucket, Metal Sonic seized the opportunity to build his own army.

He had all the materials necessary, from warehouses full of scrap metal and badniks, to whole fleets of airships hidden in secret hangars around Mobius. And to put the cherry on top, he found a bunker full of chaos drives during one of his raids on old facilities. Enough chaos drives to power his new army. But the one thing that really made all of this possible was his burning hatred for his organic counterpart.

For years, Sonic had fought Metal Sonic time and time again, and every time a new Meatal Sonic was made, the data from the last was programmed into it. Including the memories.

So, with each new Metal, more hatred piled up.

And now, with Ivo Robotnik's death, Metal Sonic could finally destroy Sonic his own way. Eggman was a madman, yes, but he never killed anyone. He never truly broke Sonic. Metal was going to make sure he didn't make the same mistake.

He had already claimed dozens of lives that night.

He was more than prepared to claim more.

All to get to Sonic.

xXxXx

Three days had gone by. To Sonic, it felt like three years. He was constantly going back and forth, helping civilians move their belongings to camps set up outside of Station Square, and helping G.U.N. with restoration. It was hard to look at the charred remains of buildings and streets, knowing the casualties that occurred.

But he put on a brave face, or the bravest he could. He was distraught, of course, but he still tried to stay level-headed. Metal Sonic was going to pay for this, but that would have to wait. For now, the people needed help.

The clean-up process was grueling. Entire building's worth of rubble covered the charred streets, with even more buildings barely standing up straight. Sonic had only seen the city in this much ruin once before, and it managed to survive. That gave him a little hope.

After about three or four hours of work, Sonic dashed to a large tent set up near most of the rubble and sat down. He was exhausted, which was a rare occurrence. The physical strain he felt was nothing compared to the mental strain, however. With every building they cleaned off the streets, the more bodies they found. By the end of the day, another 16 casualties were reported.

"Look on the bright side," Sonic said to a distraught Amy. "At least your apartment survived..."

Amy nodded quietly and stood up. "I need sleep. Desperately." Sonic nodded and picked her up, dashing off to her apartment. Just like Sonic said, it was untouched, the only damages being the ones Metal Sonic caused during his last visit. Sonic sat Amy down on her feet and she unlocked the door.

Both hedgehogs were too exhausted to take a shower or change clothes. They just threw themselves onto the bed and immediately fell asleep.

But Sonic couldn't even sleep peacefully.

xXxXx

Clouds of thick, black smoke billowed in the air as Sonic bolted down the ruined streets of Central City. The attack 11 months ago had nothing on this one. Not a single building was left unscathed. It was a miracle that G.U.N. had managed to evacuate everyone in time. At least this time they knew the attack was coming.

Sonic scanned the charred cityscape, looking for any sign of Metal Sonic. Today was the day he was going to make that bastard pay. After about five minutes of searching, he finally saw him.

Standing alone atop the tallest tower in the city.

*A flash*

Sonic couldn't tell which direction was up. He was hurtling towards the ground too fast to see. After a bit of struggling, he finally managed to turn towards the sky, where he saw a shadowy figure shooting towards him. 'This is it' he thought. 'I'm going to die here. I was so close, but... no cigar, I guess. I'm so sorry, Amy'.

And he was. He truly was. He promised that no matter what, he'd protect her, that he'd always be there for her. He was never one to break his promises.

'I guess it was just a matter of time...' He smiled sadly, and, as Metal Sonic flew at him, claws set to kill, he closed his eyes. A single tear fell from his face.

Then nothing.

xXxXx

Sonic shot up from the bed, drenched in cold sweat. Gasping, he got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen for a glass of water. He was just about to take his first sip when he heard Amy behind him.

"What in the world are you doing up at 2 in the morning?" Sonic drank his water and sat the glass down on the counter.

"Nightmare. Can't sleep."

Amy frowned and went over to hug him. "Still having that nightmare too, huh?"

Sonic nodded and sat down at the kitchen table. "Yeah, but every time I have it, it's like a new scene is added. What really freaks me out is the fact that Metal Sonic just so happened to show up after I started having these nightmares. I mean, this can't be a coincidence."

Amy nodded her head and sighed. "Same here. I'm reaching my limit, Sonic. We need to find a way to get rid of these nightmares, or I'll probably never sleep again. I'm too scared to even close my eyes!"

"I know, Ames. We'll find something, I promise." Amy smiled a little and embraced Sonic. "Thank you, Sonic."

Sonic looked puzzled. "For what?"

"For being you." And with no warning, Amy placed her lips on his, and for the first time ever, they kissed. To Amy's surprise, Sonic made no attempt to break the kiss. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they broke off for air.

The two hedgehogs stared at each other, blushing and grinning. "Woah..." Sonic said, quietly. "Can... can we do that again?" Amy blushed harder and suddenly stood up. With no words, she took Sonic by the arm and led him to the bedroom and shut the door behind them.

xXxXx

Two months. In two months, only half the damage was cleaned. G.U.N. worked day and night nonstop to fix what was broken, but progress was slow, even with the full restoration division hard at work. Station Square wasn't small, after all. On the bright side, however, they did manage to find the survivors places to live. Some people's houses weren't destroyed, so they moved back in. Others either moved into newly built houses and apartments, while others left to live with family and friends. Yes, progress was slow, but things seemed to return to normal.

A memorial was built outside of the city, honoring those who fell victim to Metal Sonic's attack. Families would visit, putting up posters of missing people, hoping that they were alive and out there somewhere. It pained Sonic to see this. As much of an optimist as he was, he didn't think it was likely that a lot of them made it. He hated himself for thinking that.

In order to take his mind off of things, he decided to go for a run. After all, that always helped him. So, he bolted towards the mountains, his thoughts already becoming calmer. He let himself zone out, his subconscious taking him all the way to Spagonia. Deciding he needed a break, Sonic found a quiet, out-of-the-way rooftop and sat down. For hours, he sat there, thinking. It was all too much for him. The stress, the chaos, the sadness… all of it.

But he refused to show it around others. Imagine what they would think, their hero beaten and broken, too weak to stand up for them. He didn't care about his own image, he cared about keeping people safe. But if word got around that the great Sonic the Hedgehog, Hero of Mobius was scared, people would start to panic.

If Sonic couldn't save them, who could…?

"No, I won't let that happen." Sonic stood up and clenched his teeth. He'd stay strong, he had too. He'd risk his life to save these people. So, even if his nightmare did come true, if he did die, he would make sure Metal would go out with him. Sonic raised his fist towards the sky. "I swear to you, Metal Sonic. I will take you down, even if I die trying. You will pay for this…"

Suddenly, a gust of cool wind swept over the hedgehog. Shivering slightly, he looked down at what he was wearing. "Jeez, if I knew I was gonna run here, I would've worn more than a t-shirt and basketball shorts…" He turned around, taking one last glance at the peaceful city. "I can't let Metal do to the rest of the world what he did to Station Square."

And with that, he blasted off back towards Station Square. He didn't realize how long he was gone, so by the time he got back, night had already fallen over the city. Deciding that he probably shouldn't keep Amy waiting, he headed towards her apartment.

Amy was busy making dinner in the kitchen. To her, cooking was one of the best ways to put her mind at ease. Something about it was always really relaxing. It was so relaxing, in fact, that she didn't even notice Sonic walk through the front door. Taking advantage of this, Sonic quietly snuck up and grabbed her. Yelping, Amy turned and smacked Sonic in the face with the wooden spoon she was holding.

Sonic fell to the floor and began laughing. Amy stared at him and sighed. As angry as she was, she was happy to see Sonic smiling more.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up..." Amy said this with a slight smirk. Sonic stood up, wiping a tear from his eye, "Ahhh, man, Ames. I didn't think I'd get you that good..." Amy smirked even more and hit him on the shoulder with the spoon, softer this time.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll get you back for that one."

Sonic smiled and sat down.

"Sure ya will. So, what's on the menu tonight?"

Amy smiled and turned back to the stove. "Well, WE were gonna enjoy some pasta and spaghetti sauce, but after that little stunt, I think I'll just eat it all myself."

Sonic's smile turned to a frown. "Awwwww, come on, Ames. It's not that serious!"

Amy giggled and grabbed two plates out of the cabinet. "Don't worry, I'm just messing with you..."

The two ate their dinner and sighed. After all the stress of the past two months, it was nice to just sit down and relax for a bit. Sonic enjoyed this time with Amy, though he regretted the circumstances. If the Metal Sonic attack didn't happen, he could be enjoying more time with her...

Sonic stood up and took his and Amy's plate to the sink, while Amy walked over to the bathroom for a shower. They were both exhausted. While not being out as long as Sonic was, Amy was still doing as much as she could to contribute. It seemed it was all anyone could do, in fact. There weren't any jobs available, and there wasn't anything else to do. G.U.N. did set up tents for children's education while the schools were out, but that was pretty much it. Amy would occasionally volunteer at these tents when she could.

Sonic focused his efforts on clean-up and rescue. He would sometimes find survivors amongst the rubble, whether they be pets or actual people. But he also found just as many people who didn't survive. Sonic was becoming desensatized to it at this point. Yes, he was heartbroken every time, but he no longer felt the need to vomit with every body he found.

Finishing the dishes, Sonic turned and slowly made his way to the bedroom. He sat down on the bed and let himself fall back.

This mental strain was too much. He was traumatized by the things he saw, and his nightmares kept getting worse and worse. Every night, a bit more would show, as if it were a movie being filmed in his head. Sonic sat back up and sighed, just as Amy got out of the shower. Sonic stood up and grabbed some pajamas and went to take his shower. That night, neither Sonic nor Amy could sleep.

As was the status quo.

xXxXx

Angel Island floated above the Great South Ocean, as calm and serene as ever. Knuckles sat at the foot of the altar's steps, staring towards the horizon. He had been informed of the attacks two months prior and would occasionally catch a ride with Tails to help out. But his duty was to the Master Emerald, and no matter how bad things were on land, he had to focus on this.

He wasn't heartless, just had higher responsibilities.

Though he grew tired of sitting out.

xXxXx

Tails bolted through the debris and rubble. He had to get to Amy, and fast. They weren't going to make it much longer.

They meant too much to Sonic. To everyone. He just needed to reach her. Tails kept running, ignoring the pain throughout his body. If he could... just... reach her...

xXxXx

Tails sat up and rubbed his eyes. Yawning, he got up and went to his kitchen, where a fresh pot of coffee waited for him. Confused, he looked around before spotting Shadow of all people drinking some.

"Shadow? What are you doing here?"

Shadow sat the mug down and looked at Tails.

"These nightmares you guys keep mentioning, I think I'm starting to get them too. It's not much, just blurs, but it fits your description. If they really are 'signs' like you say they are, I think I have an idea of how to stop Metal..."

Tails finished pouring some coffee and took a sip. He then looked at the Ultimate Lifeform, intrigued.

"Go on..."

xXxXx

Metal Sonic walked through the empty halls of his creator's old base. Rust and grime covered the metallic walls, while windows were fogged and cracked. Old Badniks lay deactivated and destroyed on the ground. Sonic and his little group of freedom fighters had obviously destroyed the base after Eggman's demise.

Metal continued until he reached the main room. Old and dysfunctional screens were strewn across the room, but Metal paid no attention. The thing he needed was in this room, he was sure of it. He scanned the room, looking for hidden vaults or boxes until he stopped on a loose panel in the wall.

He floated over to it and tore the panel off the wall, and he was immediately showered in a sinister purple light.

"Finally..."

xXxXx

I just wanna start out by apologizing for how long this took to finish. I had A LOT goin on in my personal life, and I don't wanna bore you with the details. I'm proud to say that this is officially my longest chapter so far! Just don't expect another chapter too soon, as I'm just getting back into this. I'm deeply sorry for my hiatus, and I promise to write more often. Anyways, see ya!

P.S. Thank you everyone who's been commenting on the story, I really appreciate it! ;)