-Chapter 157-
The Trains Run on Time
Robotropolis
Mercifully, Kat had passed out from her latest round in the Chaos Syphon. By this point, Metal was getting frustrated.
"Can Chaos not hear his people cry out for their savior?" he demanded. "Has he abandoned them?!"
"Maybe he simply can't reach them here?" Brutus suggested. "I mean, Robotropolis isn't exactly Chao friendly."
Metal scratched his chin in thought before nodding.
"You have a point," he conceded. "Perhaps we should take this elsewhere."
He turned to Brutus. "Ready the Egg Fleet for takeoff. The deadline is approaching anyway. Ensure the prisoners are secured aboard. I'll go and collect Agatha."
Metal headed to Eggatha's lab, opening the door. She was just on her laptop, not bothering to look his way.
"Agatha, it's time. We're prepping the Egg Fleet."
She said nothing.
"You should be happy." Metal insisted. "The Robotnik Empire will finally come to pass."
"I don't care about the empire," Eggatha said at last. "I never have."
She faced him, tears in her eyes.
"I care about my family and friends. I was in it to stand by my uncle. He'd be completely alone otherwise, and devolve into a complete monster. But you took that all away, Metal. You're worse than Uncle Ivo could ever be."
"Aggie…" Metal sighed. "I did all this for you. As your friend. The doctor squandered his chances. But we can rule Mobius together."
"I don't want to rule Mobius!" Eggatha snapped. "I just want my friend back…"
She sniffled, wiping her eyes.
"You're not the Metal I knew anymore. You're a monster." she turned away at that. "I'll board the Fleet in a bit. Just... leave me alone."
Metal stood there for a moment, then walked out.
Empire City
Back in Empire City, the four teams met up, preparing to swap notes on everything they knew. Once they were done, Sonic blinked.
"So... all this is because Metal wants Chaos' power?" he asked.
"That's what the little scrap heap said," Vector replied.
"No way," Tails shook his head. "There's gotta be more to it."
"I doubt Metal told Scratch the full story," Hope agreed. "I mean, Eggman let him and the rest of the 6-S think he was going legit during the Egg Moon mess because he knew they were too stupid to keep it a secret otherwise."
Chaos gurgled a bit.
"Chaos is concerned that if there is more to Metal's plan, then Drake and the other Chao are in grave danger," Cream translated. "He insists we find them now."
"We're working on it," Knuckles assured.
"We asked around a bit after that," Espio went on. "Eyewitnesses all claimed they saw the Badnik Horde headed for the Rail Canyon Zone."
"Why there?" Big questioned.
"Guess we'll have to find out," Sonic replied.
Rail Canyon Zone
It was around noon when a train carrying the Freedom Fighters pulled into a station at the Rail Canyon Zone, a deserted canyon region in the western part of Northamer.
"I can't believe out of everyone here, no one has been to the Canyon," Knuckles grumbled.
"I can't believe they let us on with a literal God," Charmy remarked.
Chaos was hunched over in one of the seats, still holding Cream in his lap. Sonic turned to Amy with a questioning look.
"Cream's his emotional support," she explained. "If it weren't for her, we'd probably be dealing with a Perfect Chaos situation."
"Right," Sonic nodded.
"Perhaps acquiring emotional support for Sonic and Knuckles is recommended," Omega suggested. "Both are acting without mercy and nearly 'went dark'."
Somehow, the bot actually performed air quotes for the last part. At Amy's look, Hope sighed.
"Metal put Kat through the Chaos Syphon," she explained. "The son of a bitch recorded her screams and played them for us at Seaside Hill."
"What?!" Keith shrieked.
"Sonic and Knuckles exploded and beat him to a pulp," Rouge added. "Omega had to shoot them with sleeping gas to get them to stop."
"Sonic!" Amy exclaimed.
"He deserved it," Sonic said firmly. "Metal's become more of a monster than Eggman ever was, or ever could be. He's batshit crazy and needs to go down."
"Not like that," Amy insisted. "It's not worth losing your mind."
Cheese floated over to Sonic, resting on his head. Sonic took a breath.
"I can't promise this won't end with Metal in pieces," he said.
"Just make sure you and Knuckles are both out of the black when it happens," Tails suggested.
Eventually, the train pulled into the station. They all disembarked... only to be caught off-guard when another train shot by. This one was a massive, menacing armored model, colored black and red and consisting of multiple block-shaped cars with horns on the sides.
"What the-?!" Mighty exclaimed.
"The Bullet Train," Omega explained. "A transport train model used in this region by the Egg Army."
Rouge looked at the train. "Just where does the doc get all these wonderful toys?"
"Doesn't matter!" Sonic insisted. "We need to go after them!"
"Primary target is Metal Sonic," Omega spoke up. "The Bullet Train is irrelevant."
"Obviously, Gamma's soul hasn't settled in completely," Tails remarked.
"Yeah," Amy agreed. "When someone needs help, we give it. Plain and simple."
Chaos gurgled.
"Chaos wants to focus on finding the Chao, and he can't sense them onboard," Cream translated before Chaos gurgled again. "But, there is something on the train. Volatile chaos energy, unstable and wild."
"That's gotta be Kat…" Knuckles gasped.
Chaos gurgled indignantly, which Cream didn't need to translate.
"We'll get the Chao, Chaos," Sonic promised, "but we're not leaving whoever's on that train to die. The Freedom Fighters don't turn their backs on people who need help. If you have an issue with how we do things, that's your problem, not ours."
They stared silently at each other before Chaos felt something take his hand. He looked down to see Cream holding his hand, the bunny and Cheese looking up at him. After a minute, Chaos relaxed, nodding. With that, Sonic jumped on the train tracks, dashing after the Bullet Train. The others followed, the whistle blaring as Neo Metal appeared on a monitor outside.
"Looks like you have a train to catch, Sonic!" he declared, cackling. "Or will it catch you?"
"Metal!" Sonic sped up, kicking up a trail of dust. With a Boost, Sonic managed to dash up to the caboose, grabbing the hand rail and pulling himself into the door. He heard the sound of engines and saw the X-Tornado rushing to catch up, many members clinging to the wings and jumping onto the train. As they joined him, Sonic headed into the next car, seeing several people in handcuffs next up. He held up his hands.
"Have no fear!" he declared triumphantly. "Sonic the Hedgehog is here!"
Several people cleared their throats.
"And the Freedom Fighters, of course."
The others spread out and began freeing everyone.
"There's another on board," one told them. "A human girl. They have her near the front of the train. She didn't look good."
Everyone perked at that.
"Thirteen years old?" Julie-Su asked. "With red hair and brown eyes?"
"I think so. I didn't see her eyes. She was barely moving and I think she's sick."
"Metal... that heartless hunk of scrap." Mighty spat.
"When I get my hands on him, we're gonna see if his upgrade lets him feel pain." Vector swore.
"Line starts behind me, Vector," Knuckles spat as he stormed towards the front of the train.
With the others behind him, Knuckles kicked in the door to the engine room. Kat was chained to a chair there, with Orbot and Cubot at the controls. Cubot was wearing a railroad engineer's cap, blowing the whistle when he turned around to see who was there.
"The Freedom Fighters?!" he exclaimed in a very thick Scottish accent. "Blow me bagpipes!"
Keith blinked. "A Scottish conductor voice. I'm sure that's of some significance, but I can't think what it is. (1)"
Orbot, who was wearing a top hat, saw the group and tensed.
"Oh dear... you certainly caught up with us faster than I anticipated."
"Fastest Thing Alive, Orbot," Sonic reminded him. "It's not just for show. Now if it's actually possible for you two, don't do anything stupid. Let Kat go and we won't have to turn you into the world's ugliest paperweights."
Orbot reached into his hat, pulling out a single key. Keith snatched it out of his hands, unlocking the chain. As he did, the others kept an eye on the two bots. Vector's eyes narrowed, watching the pair as a red flag went off.
"Is it just me, or are these guys a bit too... relaxed?" he asked.
Hope perked, realizing the same.
"Vector's right. Ever since the Silver Moon Ring incident, every member of the 6-S has been terrified of Kat. But she's in the same room as them, and Cubot and Orbot haven't been panicking or worried she might get loose."
Sonic gasped. "Wait, Keith! Don't-!"
The lock unclicked and "Kat" grabbed Keith by the throat, hoisting him into the air.
"My hero," she said mockingly.
As they watched, Kat began growing fur, her teeth and nails elongating as her clothes shifted into a purple bodysuit, taking on the form of a bobcat with white slitted pupils and black sclerae.
"It's you!" Tails cried.
Metamorphia smirked.
"That's right! Remember me, Sonic?! Metamorphia the Shapeshifter?! 'Cause I haven't forgotten how you utterly humiliated me!"
She threw Keith right into the blue hedgehog. "But this time, things are going to be different. Because this time, I'm far more powerful."
"But…" Knuckles stammered, "The Chaos signature, how did you-?"
"Oh, Metal Sonic transfused me with some of the Chaos energy we sucked out of the Winters brat. All the better to trick you with! And boy, has it granted me so many new tricks." Her grin became a bit too wide. "Here, let me show you!"
Her body bulked up as her hands formed into an axe and a pincer-like claw.
"Oi!" Cubot cut in. "Not in the engineering car, lassie! I'm drivin' 'ere!"
Metamorphia shrugged. "As you wish."
-X-
In the next car over, everyone was shoved through the doors, landing in a graceless pile on the ground. The people there all stood up as Metamorphia stomped in.
"All of you, run!" Espio shouted.
"Run?" Metamorphia scoffed "Where are they going to go?" She then perked. "Oh, that reminds me. There's no further reason to keep up the charade."
The people suddenly stood up, heading toward them menacingly. Instinctively, Rouge kicked one in the face. The passenger recoiled with a metallic clang sound, then turned to reveal Rouge's kick had torn off the left half of his face, revealing a robotic metal skull
"What?" Big let out. "He... he's a robot!"
Shadow looked around, the pieces falling into place.
"They're all robots!"
"Auto Automatons, to be exact," Metamorphia clarified. "Perfect for espionage... and springing a trap."
"Shit…" Sonic cursed. "Metamorphia, the passengers, the train... It was all a trap to stall for time!"
"And you fell for it hook, line, and sinker," Metamorphia taunted. "Y'know Sonic, for a guy full of electricity... you're pretty dim."
Sonic began crackling with energy.
"Okay, that's it!" he shouted. "I'm gonna make what I did to you back in Knothole look like child's play!"
He charged, uppercutting Metamorphia and knocking her back.
"Let Sonic and Knuckles handle Metamorphia!" Amy shouted. "We'll focus on the Auto Automatons!"
Knuckles joined in, sending Metamorphia through the ceiling with a Spiral Upper. He and Sonic immediately hopped out onto the roof to keep up the fight. Metamorphia's hands morphed into blasters, wings sprouting from her back and allowing her to take to the sky.
"Game over, boys! I have the high ground!"
"Since when can she fly?!" Knuckles exclaimed.
"Apparently since she took on Kat's Chaos force!" Sonic shouted back. "Who knows what else she can do now!"
Metamorphia fired on them, forcing them on the defensive. Knuckles grabbed Sonic, tossing him up before spiking him at Metamorphia like a volleyball... only to be shocked when the shapeshifter suddenly shifted into a gaseous form and Sonic went right through. Sonic landed, gasping and choking.
"Ugh…" he gagged. "That was nasty."
Metamorphia cackled.
"I can take on any shape I choose, Sonic!"
She suddenly jumped at him as a mass of amorphous orange goo, trapping him and beginning to smother him as he struggled to escape. A goo-covered silhouette was visible for a brief moment, before being pulled back in.
"You can't beat sticky goo. I can feel your heart slowing... slowing…"
Sonic's struggles weakened before ceasing. Metamorphia cackled before lightning began crackling from inside her body, shocking her and forcing her off of him. Sonic took in a breath of air before standing up, still sparking.
"You get an A for effort at least," he told her.
"How are we supposed to beat this?!" Knuckles questioned in a panic.
"Working on it!" Sonic replied, equally panicked before snapping his fingers. "Maybe we can stir it up a little! He began running around the Metamorphia-blob at high speed, stretching her out and dizzying her.
"What are you doing? Stop it!"
Her form began to slowly shrink to her natural body, though her eyes were out of focused as he had succeeded in making her extremely dizzy.
"Ugh... my head."
"I have something that can help with that," Knuckles told her.
He jumped up, green mist gathering around his fist as he punched her hard in the face. Metamorphia went flying off of the train, into the distance.
"I'LL GET YOU ONE DAYYYYYYY...!" She screamed as she fell.
The two Freedom Fighters watched her disappear from sight.
"I can't believe that's the same Metamorphia that all but pissed herself when you just looked at her," Knuckles remarked.
"Eggman did mention he was having Grimer purge her memory when I went to collect Sally back then," Sonic recalled. "She must not remember what happened. At least... not fully."
"Yeah, makes sense."
At that moment, a window opened up, and they saw Orbot and Cubot jump out of the front of the train, warping away.
"And the dumbbots bailed," Sonic remarked. "At least they know when they're beaten."
He and Knuckles perked, realizing something.
"Wait…" Knuckles said quietly. "If Cubot and Orbot jumped out…"
"Then who's driving the train?!" they both screamed.
They jumped back through the hole in the roof, rejoining the others. The Auto Automatons were all scrap metal, Big brushing pieces of metal out of his ears.
"Wow, we made a mess," he commented.
"Cubot and Orbot jumped ship! The train's running wild!" Sonic shouted.
"OH NO!" Charmy screamed. "What do we do?!"
He buzzed around frantically, but Julie-Su grabs him.
"Charmy, this is no time to panic!" she snapped.
They hurried to the front car, seeing all of the controls and brakes had been destroyed, left a smoldering ruin. Julie-Su gulped.
"Start panicking…"
As they desperately tried to work out a solution, Chaos suddenly smashed through the windshield, landing atop the front of the train.
"What's he gonna do?" Amy asked.
"I dunno, but give him room to do it in." Sonic replied.
Chaos' arms stretched outward, along with numerous watery tentacles shooting from his body, latching onto everything they could as he braced himself. In moments, the Chao god was putting so much force between himself and the train that it dented the metal on the front of the train. However, what he was doing seemed to be miraculously working. The train began to slow down, wheels screeching against the tracks as it returned to a much more manageable speed before stopping altogether. The tendrils Chaos created fell away into simple water droplets as he pulled himself out of the dent he'd created. He turned to the others, cocking his head and gurgling.
"We're all okay," Cream assured. "Thank you, Chaos."
He oozed back in, everyone sighing in relief. At that moment, a monitor flickered on, revealing Metal Sonic's face.
"So what if you stopped the Bullet Train and sent Metamorphia packing? They served their purpose."
He pointed, clearly an order for them to look up in the sky. They all turned, gasping to see a gigantic armada of heavily-armed flying battleships resembling aquatic creatures overhead.
"Behold! Dr. Robotnik's ultimate weapons of destruction, the Egg Fleet! You've spent the past few days running around just in time to see it launched, and now, you will watch from those canyons as I use it to conquer Mobius! And this time, Sonic, you can't stop us!"
"Is that so?" Sonic challenged. "Well I have something to say to that! Tails, get the X-Tornado ready!"
"Fool! Even your little model airplane is no match for the might of the Egg Fleet! Face it, Sonic! You lose! Mobius is MINE!"
Metal laughed evilly, which was only cut off when Omega shot the monitor.
"He's right, Sonic," Tails lamented. "The X-Tornado won't nearly be enough to stop an entire fleet."
Keith perked.
"But maybe the Sky Patrol will."
Everyone turned to him.
"You think it'll work?" Knuckles asked.
"It just might," Tails spoke up, "We specifically designed the Sky Patrol to be an answer to Eggman's battleships, up to and including the Death Egg."
"Then we have no time to lose," Sonic declared. "We need to get the sky patrol in the air and stop that fleet!"
Keith grabbed a Warp Ring, opening it
"We should call everyone else in too," Amy insisted. "No way we can handle this by ourselves."
"I'll put in a call to GUN," Rouge added. "Trust me, we'll need their help."
"Whatever works," Sonic told them. "Let's move!"
They all jumped into the ring...
Author's Note:
(1): Yes, it's a reference to the Conductor from A Hat in Time.
We're nearing the climax! Can the gang stop the Egg Fleet and defeat Metal Sonic?!
And to clarify, yes. How Chaos stopped the Bullet Train is taken from Spider-Man 2. The Auto Automatons are taken from Archie, just FYI.
Please R&R. Until next time!
