Metal was lost. In a good way.
He had almost forgotten about his situation. The music had distracted him from Tails' work. He had only snapped out of it when a commercial break interrupted his music.
He looked around, trying to figure out what he had missed. He had been mostly freed from the mud caking his body. The tablet was still connected to him. The screen indicated that it was trying to analyze something. Tails was busy cleaning up his detached arm. He settled back, still a bit unsure, but there wasn't much he could do. He had one arm and zero legs, not to mention that yesterday's battle and crawl through the mud had drastically lowered his battery.
His attention was drawn back to the tablet. He was a little worried about what exactly Tails was doing. He knocked on the table, getting Tails' attention, and pointed at the tablet questioningly.
"Oh! That's the Miles Electric! It's a little project I started on a long time ago. It's been a big help and I've made a lot of progress with it. Without it, Sonic and I wouldn't have been able to make friends with the wisps!"
Metal realized he had seen the tablet before. Tails had been using it back when Metal had been sent to collect wisps for his Master's power supply. But he had other things on his mind. He jabbed a claw at the cord linking him to the tablet and looked back at Tails for an answer.
"I'm trying to analyze your systems and figure out how you work. That way I can have a blueprint to reference when I start the repairs. And if I'm familiar with your computer systems, it will be easier to fix any glitches. Of course, if I'm going to help you, I have to make sure you can't report back to Eggman. I have to play it safe."
Well. That would put a dent in Metal's plans. It would be harder to make the most of this agreement if his access to his Master was restricted. But Metal was much too determined to give up. He would find a way. Somehow.
The music started up again and Metal returned to his thoughts. Tails went back to work. But he couldn't help but smile as Metal tapped to the beat of the song.
"I'm hanging on to the other side!
I won't give up 'til the end of me!
I'm what you get when the stars align!
Now face it you're just an enemy!"
Metal was once again shaken from his thoughts when Tails began to speak to him.
"Hey. I'm about to start the repairs. Don't freak out on me. I'm trying to help."
Metal couldn't make any promises, but he'd try. He let Tails sit him up and prop him against a shelf. Tails looked at the data displayed on the Miles Electric, reading off a summary of tasks.
"Let's see. Obviously, you're missing 3/4 of your limbs. And your visor's cracked. It says your scanners are out. I cleaned up most of the mud, but I'll probably need to disassemble you to get the rest out."
Disassemble. That word scared Metal. He dreaded the idea of it. He was actually grateful when the low battery warning filled his vision. Tails saw it flash on the tablet's screen, too.
"Oh no! I completely forgot about that! What kind of power do you take? Knowing Eggman it's probably not anything environmentally friendly." He seemed genuinely worried about Metal.
Metal pointed out an electric generator across the room.
"Yeah. That should work!" Tails dragged it over and plugged it into the port on Metal's back.
"I should probably just let you recharge for a while. I'll figure out what we need to do. You just listen to your music and charge."
Metal relaxed, happy to have evaded disassembly. Tails went back to his tablet. Metal went back to his music. He actually felt somewhat content.
Just as Tails said, he didn't try to do anything to Metal while he charged. Occasionally, he would turn the tablet to Metal and point a few things out. Metal would nod in acknowledgement and they'd both return to their thoughts. It was peaceful.
Eventually Tails piped up. "I should probably take a break to eat."
He moved the radio closer to Metal and pointed out the buttons and dials. "Volume, mute, channel, power. I'll be back soon. If you need anything while I'm gone," he pressed a few buttons on the Miles Electric, "Just press this button here and I'll be back as quick as I can."
Tails disappeared through the squeaky door. And with that, Metal was completely alone. At least he wasn't sinking into the mud this time.
Metal took the opportunity to look over Tails' to do list. He really didn't want to experience disassembly, but the minor stuff he could handle. He still wasn't sure what Tails was planning to do. He wasn't familiar with Tails' methods. But Tails had been surprisingly nice so far. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but he felt like he could trust Tails. Tails made sure he was okay.
His Master was efficient and practical. If deactivating Metal Sonic wasn't necessary, he didn't do it. The start-up process always took too long, he'd say. He wanted to see how the changes affected Metal in real time, without waiting for Metal to boot up for a test run. Metal was expected to stay still in his harness during repairs, even the complex repairs. The minor things he tolerated, but the more drastic changes were awful. He hated being locked up, frozen in place, as he watched each piece of himself join the growing pile of parts on the workbench. He suspected that his Master was trying to cultivate a sense of fear, hoping that would discourage any rebellion. The refusal to deactivate Metal for repairs and upgrades certainly made Metal nervous. The way his Master would simply deactivate him and lock him into storage for unknown lengths of time was almost as bad. Once his purpose had been achieved and there were no new tasks, Metal was suddenly shut down and stashed away. His Master called him his greatest creation, but he felt more like a typical tool. To be used and abused as needed, then tossed aside. He remembered his predecessors. They had once been his Master's greatest creations, now they sat rotting in storage. Was that the future awaiting Metal Sonic once a new model was assembled?
The door squeaked open, and Metal was startled by how relieved he was to see Tails. A rogue idea crossed his mind: maybe he could stay with Tails. Tails would take care of him, and they would listen to music together. It would be nice, wouldn't it? No! No no no! That would be rebellion, betrayal, treason! He couldn't do that! Could he?
"Hey there Metal! I'm back! A-are you okay? You seem…upset."
How could Metal respond to that? Oh, I'm terrified of my Master and terrified of betraying him and terrified of allying with an enemy. So yeah, pretty upset!
He just shrugged. He looked at the Miles Electric in his hand and slowly pointed at the word "disassembly". Tails looked at the word and back at Metal.
"Is that what's bothering you? It's okay. I don't have to do those repairs right now. I can wait until you feel more comfortable. When I do the repairs, I can put you in sleep mode if you want! That's what doctors do when organic beings get hurt. You might not like me working on you while you're asleep, though. It's up to you."
Metal would have smiled, maybe even cried, if he could. Why was Tails being so nice to him? Was it a trap? Was Tails planning to backstab him? But Tails seemed so sincere. He wished his scanners were active so he could try to find out if Tails was lying.
"Ready to start? I'll do the easy things first."
Metal hesitated a moment, then nodded. What else was he going to do? He was helpless right now. Tails may be his only option, but he was starting to seem like a good option regardless.
Notes: Looks like Metal's getting some new ideas...
Sorry for the late update!
