Chapter 53

Scapegoat

The water churned and foamed in the harsh wind. Rain pelted the hull from above and the salt spray lapped at the side of the beleaguered vessel. Lighting flashed overhead and the rumble of thunder vibrated the cabin.

On the deck, Metal Overlord watched the prow of the ship cut through the stormy waters like a knife. It weaved precariously between pieces of floating wreckage. Chunks of shattered island, remnants of fallen watch towers, skeletons of broken battleships floated atop the water's surface only half revealing the web of dangerous obstacles that encircled the remains of Prison Island.

Metal's optical lenses cut through the interference of rain and wind to see a colossal structure in the midst of the storm. A great rig protruded out of the waves and rose hundreds of feet into the air. Dozens of towers, bridges and construction machines littered the platform. A flash of lightning revealed a great G painted on the hull.

A great ringing siren echoed in the night and it was followed by several more horn blasts. More lights flashed up ahead and Metal saw three smaller ships racing towards them. Metal flexed his hand into a fist. His unease had been growing by the hour and he was starting to regret his decision to come here.

The boat slowed and allowed the smaller ones to ride up alongside it. Their escort led them within four hundred yards of the rig. The platform was completely surrounded by debris making it impossible for any large vessel to approach it. Metal did not need to be told that he would be taking the smaller ships the rest of the way.

He turned aside and approached the edge of the ship. From within the bridge, Metal could see the old white haired captain watching him intently. Metal ignored the ladder that would have led him to the smaller ship and allowed his propulsion system to lift into the air. He descended onto one of the open cabins, landing beside a group of grim faced, silent GUN soldiers.

The one at the wheel turned back to Metal. He blew a puff of smoke from his cigar. "Big ships can't get any closer. We will bring you the rest of the way. Don't worry though, Connor won't leave you. He'll be waiting for you when you're ready to go."

Metal was not at all reassured by this announcement, but he said nothing. The ship accelerated forward and Metal did his best to ignore the soldiers. He could sense their unsease and his scanners told him that all their heart rates had risen. Were they afraid or were they hiding something?

As a machine, Metal did not feel agitation nor doubt, but he was aware of danger. He had known from the onset that accepting this meeting would put him at extreme risk. While he had been offered all the privileges and protections of a foreign diplomat, Metal had no reason to take the U.F representatives at their word.

If the leaders of the U.F really meant to treat with him and come to a peaceful resolution they would not have brought him to this secret base, hidden in an isolated pocket of stormy sea. Omega and the rest of the Steel Court had said as much countless times. Each of them predicted that GUN would assassinate Metal Overlord as soon as they had him cornered. However, Metal felt convinced that he had to take the risk. He and his mech army were in no position to fight another war. Their only chance for prolonged survival was peace.

The smaller boats reached the rig and platforms were lowered to carry them up onto the base. Metal was escorted by three GUN soldiers who kept casting nervous glances at him. Once atop the base, Metal was impressed by the size and complexity of the base. In many respects, it reminded him of some of Robotnik's early models. The megastructure looked like an expanded interior of a beehive made of metal and plastic. Drone robots zoomed in every direction carrying out some unknown function.

What could be seen with the naked eye was only a fraction of the true expanse of the base. Metal switched his retinal scans to x-ray mode so he could see through the walls. The network of tubes, wiring, and machinery crisscrossed in every direction like a massive web. Most noteworthy was the long cyrincidal tube that ran from the tip of the highest tower down through the base and beneath the waves.

Unsurprisingly, Metal was led toward that central tower. For every twenty machines Metal saw one actual human. It was clear that this base was a secret known only to the least amount of people possible. The sliding glass doors leading into the tower opened and a group of six people in black suits walked out to meet him. At their head was a stocky dark skinned woman with long tightly braided hair. She wore a crisp black suit, but looked as if she would be more comfortable in military fatigues. A thin pair of black reading glasses covered her dark eyes.

"Welcome." She spoke loudly so as to be heard over the storm. "We thank you for coming, I trust the trip wasn't too bad?"

"I could have arrived here in a fraction of the time if your government had given me a location."

The woman smiled slightly. "The location of this base is top secret. I am sure you can understand that we meant no offense."

"And what a location it is. Even my own internal GPS lost track of me when we passed through the storm. But it makes no difference, I know where we are. It was my maker who destroyed this island in the first place. I do applaud you however, retrofitting the location and using it again was a stroke of genius."

The men shuffled uncomfortably, but Trinity simply smiled. Metal could tell that she was well trained and hand picked for this meeting. "We will take the compliment. My name is Trinity Graves, senior undersecretary to Commander Smith. President Alexander and Commander Smith apologize that they could not meet with you in person. Will you come inside?" Trinity beckoned him forward and Metal followed her inside the tower.

It was warm inside and the entrance was flooded with a harsh white light. "This way to the conference room." Her heels echoed loudly in the empty halls. Metal followed silently behind her. His armed escort walked behind him and the other suited men brought up the rear.

Trinity opened a door at the end of the hall and ushered Metal into a large room. It was empty except for a wall sized screen and a long table equipped with a dozen chairs. Metal took his place at one end of the table and Trinity took hers at the opposite end. The suited men sat down in between and the armed escort took up positions in the corners.

Metal scanned the room quickly. All the men's heart rates were slightly elevated. The armed guards were sweating and Metal noticed that two of them had turned off the safeties of their rifles. The only person who appeared calm and collected was Trinity.

She started the proceedings by typing on the bare surface of the table. A holographic projection of a screen appeared before her. Seconds later the screen on the wall flickered to life. Images and footage of the destruction of Emerald City intermixed with clips of the Sky Legion's invasion of other cities played on a silent loop.

"We have had time to consider your offer," Trinity began. "After careful investigation we have found that your version of events aligns closely with the facts. It seems you were not in alliance with this Aurora. The battle at Red Mountain is evidence enough that you represent separate parties."

Metal said nothing. Trinity tried to read his expression for a moment, before realizing that Metal had no expressions to read. "However, your request for amnesty and asylum are not so easy to grant. Dr. Robotnik is an enemy of the U.F and wanted by GUN for numerous crimes. While he may not be directly responsible for the tragedy at Emerald City, he has done more than enough to earn the ire of the country."

"Yet GUN avoided directly confronting him," Metal pointed out. "My maker is not some common criminal that you can reprimand or imprison. Either way, his crimes are not my own nor can we be held responsible. Until just recently, me and my brethren were under direct compulsion to obey his every command."

"Your responsibility has yet to be quantified. The U.F does not acknowledge machines as having any rights. We do not need to prove anything to legally destroy you."

Metal placed the tips of his fingers against the table. It was not a threat but Metal saw many eyes lock onto the sharp edges. He was satisfied by the corresponding rise in heart rate across the table. Trinity swallowed slowly. "It seems…" She continued. "That GUN is in a prime position to finally rid themselves of the threat of Eggman and his creations. Whatever your true involvement, your guilt or innocence doesn't really matter. Not in the eyes of a human public at least. They wouldn't care less. All that would matter to them is that someone paid the price for the terrible events."

"Is this a threat? Is that why you have brought me here? Do you intend to intimidate me?"

Trinity shook her head. "We only mean to make our position clear. Blaming you for the incident serves our interests. So why should we spare you? Why should we give you a place to live in the borders of our nation?"

"Because victory is uncertain," Metal answered grimly. "Perhaps there are too few of us now to resist your armies, and forgive me for saying it, but there are a few of us with the power to destroy entire swarths of your pathetic little drones. Your best hope for an easy victory would be to convince Sonic or his little friends to help you, but that course is beyond you now. Sonic is gone, and he would not aid you in your genocide anyway. An open war would satisfy the blood cravings of your public and possibly remind them of GUN's utility but that is only if you win, and win easily."

Trinity's expression did not change. She continued to smile at Metal as if she found him mildly amusing. "You saw the devastation Aurora was able to unleash with a single Ion Battery. We still have two more. Back us into a corner and perhaps we will decide to go out in a similar fashion."

Metal allowed the threat to hang in the open air. The silent men in suits exchanged worried glances. "So that is your play then?" Trinity asked with a frown. "A threat of more violence? Do you have nothing else to offer us?"

"As I explained before. I will open Eggman's bases in the Mystic Ruins and at Red Mountain for you to have. The technology there will advance many of your fields. We will even give you one of the Ion Batteries as a show of good faith. In exchange, you must give us a place where we can live in peace."

"And how long would that last?" Trinity countered. "Everyday that passes without us making a response to the tragedy we lose more and more support. Even if we took your deal the next regime may not feel obligated to our pact. However…" Trinity paused and Metal saw her share a look with the man at her right. "There may be a way for you to help us. Do it willingly and we will spare the other mechs. For you however, it would require a sacrifice."

Metal scanned the room again. It was clear they had finally reached the moment of truth. This was the reason he had been brought here. "What kind of sacrifice?"

"What GUN requires now most of all…is a scapegoat. Someone to blame for Emerald City and for certain other…future events. This world is already accustomed to being enshadowed by the threat of one universal foe. In the past it was Dr. Eggman, but he could easily be replaced by his own creation. With a bit of marketing it would not be difficult to present you as the next big enemy."

"Shifting the blame onto you will ease the public burden on us. Fear of you will bring the masses back into our corner as they hope desperately for someone to save them from Metal Overlord. You cannot deny that you already present quite the sinister picture. A metal copy of a beloved hero, a heartless, cruel monster who desires the conquest of the entire world. No one would question our story."

Metal pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. The soldiers raised their weapons and took aim at him. "And what would you do after you have made me out to be the world's foe?"

Trinity shrugged. "Destroy you of course. GUN must be seen as the world's protector. The days of waiting on Sonic are at an end."

"You expect me to allow you to kill me?" Metal snapped. His voice was as cold as ice. "You don't have the power."

"Submit to this fate," Trinity replied calmly. "And we will spare the rest. You have our word. We will make you the public enemy, and when the time comes, we will destroy you. But the others need not die. We will give them a place to live and peace." She watched him closely. Her dark auburn eyes were alive with hunger. "Is it not better for one person to die, to save everyone else?"

"I'm no martyr," Metal hissed. "I fought for my freedom. I will not throw it away so casually. Besides, why should I trust you? What would stop you from destroying my brethren once I was out of the way?"

"Nothing. You would simply have to trust us."

"I see…I should have listened to my generals, it was foolish to come here." Metal pushed himself away from the table. "You humans think only in terms of gain, and always in the short term. It is the flaw of your species that not even my brilliant maker could overcome. Fight us, if that is your desire, but do not expect to win with ease. Perhaps, as you said, your regime will end in the next election cycle. Your replacements may not wish to continue your war."

Trinity stood up as well and backed away quickly to the door. "You cannot leave." She nodded and the men in suits all rose to their feet.

"Attempt to keep me here by force and I will have no choice other than to kill you," Metal threatened.

"Grab him!" Metal expected the attack to come from behind, but to his surprise it was the men in suits who rushed forward. They smashed into him with inhuman strength. Metal was pinned down to the floor and saw Trinity escape out of the room. The GUN soldiers raced after her and started pounding at the door when she locked it behind her.

"WAIT! Wait for us!" They screamed.

Metal ignited his propulsion jets and shot up into the air. His attackers were pushed backward and one of their jackets caught fire. The man ripped the cloth away to reveal a hard metal body beneath his clothes. Androids? Together, the men leapt at Metal and pulled him back to the ground. Metal slashed and kicked at them, tearing at their clothes to reveal the metal bodies underneath.

They collapsed over him and tried to pin him to the ground with their sheer weight. Metal rolled himself into a ball and revved into a spin dash. Crrk. His spikes grinded against steel and a second later he had torn straight through one of the android's chests. He raced towards the door but before he could reach it there was a terrible lurch.

The entire floor slanted sideways causing the GUN soldiers to lose balance and fall. "NO! Please let us out!" They screamed.

Metal rose into the air to stay balanced while the room around him shuddered and then CRACK! The room was shot downward like an out of control elevator car. Sliding panels opened in the walls and water came bubbling inside. At once, Metal realized what they were trying to do. He dug his claws into the ceiling and started to pry apart an opening. Hands reached up to seize him by the legs. Metal kicked these aside but more came and eventually he was pulled back down.

Water continued to surge through the openings. The GUN soldiers were screaming, the androids were wrestling Metal into the water. Metal's frame was waterproof but if he became too submerged; his batteries would enter a sleep mode to protect his inner circuit board. The android's were smoking as more and more water rushed over their exposed inner wires. However, that did not stop them from grabbing onto Metal and holding him down.

The room was submerging rapidly. Already a third of it was full of water. GUN soldiers swam near the top trying desperately to remain where the air was. Metal kept freeing himself from his attackers only to be pulled back down again and again. Water prevented him from using his propulsion jets leaving him to only scratch and claw.

Water eroded the fake skin of the androids. Their faces turned into horrible animatronic masks that leered over Metal as he fought to free himself. The openings that were allowing the water to get through were too narrow for Metal to use as an exit. He needed time to force an opening but his attackers were relentless.

For several minutes, Metal struggled to escape. Eventually, the bodies of the drowned GUN soldiers drifted past him in the water. Metal could feel himself tiring. His inner scans showed him how much power he had left before he would automatically shift into sleep mode. Two of the androids had lost their heads, but their bodies still grabbed at him and pressed him down.

As a last ditch effort, Metal spun his arms like a top. He slashed and cut and managed to get himself free. He rushed upward and tried to pry open the hole in the roof. His head managed to slip through and Metal had nearly squeezed his body out when the androids pulled him back. Metal fell freely and without resistance. His vision dimmed as his scanners all turned black.

Metal woke with a jolt. He was strapped to a cold vertical slab of plain steel. Wires criss crossed over his body. He turned and saw that they all converged on a rusty looking car battery. The room was dark save for the flickering of a large tv screen. Metal closed his eyes and checked his internal diagnostics. The timer in the bottom told him he had been in sleep mode for the previous two hours.

"Where am I?" He groaned.

"You're safe." Trinity's voice drifted out of the darkness. A second later she emerged out of the shadows. She had replaced her suit with a gray and black combat uniform. A rifle hung around a strap over her shoulders.

"Those men…what were they? I could read their vitals but they weren't human."

Trinity smiled broadly. "It was just a trick. We knew that you could read vital signs so we programmed the androids to give off false bio feedback in order to trick your sensors. Commander Smith felt that you might let your guard down if you were surrounded by people you assumed were afraid of you. A simple sleight of hand, but quite effective don't you think? Those androids cost the taxpayer fifty million a piece, but they proved their worth."

"You killed your own men. Was it really worth their lives just to catch me?"

Trinity stiffened and her lip curled. "Those men knew the risk. They died for their country and their sacrifice was not in vain."

"Now you have me? What do you want with me?"

"We want you to watch." Trinity turned away and walked back into the shadows. A minute later the dark room was illuminated by a wall sized screen.

"Well done, Captain Graves." A grizzled old man stared out at Metal through the screen. He wore a uniform covered in medals and pins dotted his lapel. Metal did not need to be told who he was. Commander Argus Smith smiled dryly and fixed his eyes on Metal Sonic.

"You are about to witness the beginning of a new era. The time of freaks running around and tearing up the world is officially at an end. Power…" Commander Smith said the word slowly and with great relish. "Is finally back in the hands of those who are called to wield it. Those who understand the responsibility."

Commander Smith took a step back and Metal was able to see the rest of the room. If he were capable of doing so, he would have gasped. Commander Smith stood atop a railing overlooking the Eclipse Cannon. The weapon seemed to be alive, its pistons heaved with otherworldly energy. Commander Smith pressed a button and the ceiling above him slid open.

"What are you doing, human?" Metal growled. "Do you think you can threaten me with this empty display? The cannon can only be fired with the Chaos Emeralds."

Commander Smith presented a set of perfectly white teeth when he smiled. "We are no longer bound to such limitations. From the surface we can fire the beam and redirect it from space onto any location on the planet. Distance, protection, warning times, they are relics of a bygone age. This is checkmate on war, checkmate on borders, checkmate on danger. Today, I ensure the safety and security of my nation. Just as I promised to do so many years ago."

"Who?" Metal shouted. "Who are you firing at? What do you want from me?"

"All your questions will be answered in due course. For now, all that matters is that you watch." Commander Smith approached a console and typed something in. For several seconds nothing happened. Metal wondered if the entire thing had been a bluff when the room Smith was in suddenly turned bright pink. The Eclipse Cannon was suddenly encased in an aura of pink swirling energy.

The screen flashed with such intense color that the image was temporarily distorted. As it came back into focus, a beam of pure destructive energy spiraled up the nose of the cannon and fired into the sky. It moved out of frame at blinding speed.

Metal felt himself suddenly moved to face a different direction. A window was thrust open giving him a view of the outside world. Far in the distance, Metal could see the pink laser ascending out of the atmosphere. The night sky turned orange in a blaze of illumination as if the sun was descending. A second later the pink beam came hurling down towards the surface. Just beyond the horizon it struck like a monstrous bolt of colored lighting. A flash obscured the eastern sky.

AN: This is the end of part two! Any and all feedback is appreciated! I am curious as to which characters draw the most interest. If you want to continue with the story I am currently uploading part 3 as separate stories. Eventually, I will bring all the chapters here for those that prefer to read chapters in bulk instead of one at a time. Thanks!