All right, this is the final chapter of The Neo Genesis Arc! Next time, we'll start The Imposter Syndrome Arc!
guest (Sep 2): I suppose I forgot to talk about it (I have a Tumblr where I share my thoughts on the ongoing news), but anyways, I can assure you that I was among the first people who watched the Sonic Movie 3 trailer (having counted the seconds to when it would drop) and I absolutely love every single bit about it! I'm so excited for the movie! As for Gerald being alive, I don't really mind it, because it would set up a really interesting conflict between Gerald and Shadow and Eggman and Sonic, with the past clashing with the present, and Gerald more actively manipulating Shadow rather than implanting false memories, as well as Eggman's reaction to his grandfather being alive and a madman.
Enjoy!
Entry 62
Neo Genesis
''Like a million faces, I've recognized them all, and one by one they've all become a number as they fall (as they fall). In the face of reason, I can't take no more. One by one they've all become a black mark on the floor. Is it me, you say, you're looking for? Let me show you who I am and what I have in store... (in store)''
– What I'm Made Of by Sonic Heroes(Shadow Remix) by Sonic Heroes (Zarkator Cover, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Theme of Neo Metal Sonic)
xXxXxXx
Dr. Eggman was holding a mug of hot coffee, sipping it calmly as he looked at the monitors. He had to admit that it was quite amusing to watch Ferra and Metal Sonic's plan unfolding. Technically speaking, he had nothing to do with what was going on, as all of this was planned out by Ferra and Metal Sonic. The two had actually approached him after they failed to locate Sonic due to Team Neos being away in the Surya Empire and asked him for help with a plan they had prepared, as they needed to borrow the Badniks and take control of the AR Fields. Eggman patiently listened to the two, at first a bit weary, but eventually started to agree with them on their plan, giving them access to whatever they needed. Admittedly, the plan wasn't anything grand, and it appeared that they were still struggling a little with how they would approach the situation, but overall, it was decent enough.
Eggman had to admit that hearing their plan wasn't the only reason why he let them do whatever they wanted. In comparison to Toshiro and Mephiles, as well as Dr. Starline, Ferra and Metal Sonic had proven themselves to be his most efficient subordinates, fulfilling all of their tasks with little to no complain, and although Ferra could have a snarky attitude, it wasn't anything Eggman considered outright disrespectful.
As for the plan itself, they had decided to wait for Team Neos to return and use the Egg Pawns to distract them, so Neo Metal Sonic could copy their bio-data directly and empower himself, as well as trap the two most powerful fighters of the team within an inescapable AR Field. He wanted to eventually confront Sonic in this new form and overpower him, if not outright destroy him. Eggman agreed to all of that, but he did notice that both of them were a little apprehensive, understanding well why they would feel like that.
After all, they had been dealing with Sonic the Hedgehog, and the blue hedgehog's victory always seemed to be a foregone conclusion. Eggman himself knew well that even gods capable of ending the universe couldn't stop his arch-nemesis, which is why he decided to turn this whole enemy thing into a game for himself, where he could plot the hedgehog's demise while keeping things entertaining for himself. That is why he had been waiting for so long for Sonic's appearance as an Irregular instead of conquering Starpoint Area immediately after he built his robot army. While he was certain that the military would be capable of fighting him, he never considered them worthy opponents, and if he wanted to conquer the world, he would do it properly. After all, victory without any significant struggle would be incredibly boring.
He had hoped that Ferra and, especially, Metal Sonic, would understand that.
xXx
Sonic sighed as he and Shadow sat back-to-back on a checkerboard-designed platform on the beach that was Seaside Hill, immediately voicing his frustrated thoughts, ''This AR Field is the same as Green Hill. We're stuck in a loop!''
''I'm not surprised,'' Shadow replied in a matter-of-fact tone, his arms folded across his chest and his legs crossed. ''The Doctor and Metal Sonic are well aware of the danger we pose to them.''
''I know, but I still thought that we would be able to find a way out…'' Sonic trailed off, only to perk up a moment later and turn his head towards Shadow. ''Hey, what about Chaos Control?'' Sonic suddenly asked, feeling excited. ''You could summon the Chaos Emeralds and we'd have our way out of here.''
''That's not possible unless I release a huge amount of Chaos Energy to distort the AR Field.'' Shadow shook his head, with Sonic's expression falling. ''Even if I tapped into all of the Chaos Energy I had, I wouldn't be able to do it. In order to succeed, I'd need to use Chaos Surge, and since Touka isn't around, that option is not viable.''
''In other words, we're stuck,'' Sonic said, turning his back to the dark hedgehog, with Shadow nodding. Sonic took a deep breath, staring at the bright blue sky. ''Although, I don't think we'll stay here for long.'' Shadow didn't say anything, but his eyes did flick to the side. He didn't turn around though, his ears perking as he continued listening to Sonic. ''Lucas, Touka and the rest of our friends will notice that we have gone missing and that they can't reach us, so they will do everything they can to find us and get us out. That, or Metal Sonic will attempt to challenge me, because I don't think he'd just keep me trapped here without proving himself to be the superior one through a battle.''
''So, we'll have to be patient and wait for an opportunity.'' Shadow smirked. ''Tch, good luck with that.''
Sonic narrowed his eyes, his ears twitching in ire. ''I can be patient when I want.''
''We'll see,'' Shadow responded, with Sonic pouting. The azure hedgehog folded his arms, deciding to show Shadow that he could be patient and focused on staring ahead at the sea and sky, trying to find something that would keep him entertained. His ears drooped slightly when he saw an orca swimming in the deeper waters, frowning at the memory of it chasing after him whenever he and Shadow explored the areas closer to the water. In fact, it didn't even go after Shadow, it actually went only after Sonic as if it held a grudge against him. Sonic swore to himself that he wouldn't go anywhere near the water.
Unfortunately, it seemed that the orca was the only interesting thing in this AR Field, leaving Sonic with nothing to focus on. Admittedly, he could take another lap around the AR Field, maybe find different ways to navigate through the area. It sounded like a good idea to him, but he knew that he could complete the track in a short time and he would find himself searching for new ways to entertain himself. Not to mention, he wanted to prove to Shadow that he could be patient.
Therefore, he remained sitting on the spot, trying to focus on waiting. Except, maybe a few seconds had passed until he started fidgeting. He glanced back at Shadow, the dark hedgehog having closed his eyes and listening to the rush of waves, still in the same position as earlier. Sonic pouted, wondering just how it was possible for his rival to be able to sit so still for this long. He turned around, sighing again.
''I think Metal Sonic is trying to torture me with this,'' Sonic said.
''Two minutes.''
''Huh?''
''You've been quiet for a little over two minutes,'' Shadow said, finally turning around and meeting Sonic's gaze. ''I've been counting.''
Sonic's expression fell. ''Fine. I wish there was something to do rather than just wait. I thought about going for another lap, but I have a bad feeling about the orca.''
''I believe that there is something you could occupy yourself with,'' Shadow replied. Sonic gave him a look of surprise.
''What is it?'' he asked.
''We had both been caught off guard by Metal Sonic shapeshifting into Ferra. I don't believe that this ability is something he'd usually be capable of, so how is that possible?'' Shadow responded. Sonic hummed in thought.
''Yeah, that was weird…'' he muttered. ''I guess he got some kind of upgrade.''
''If he did, let's hope Lucas and the others know what kind of upgrade it is and how to combat it,'' Shadow replied.
xXx
''Metal?''
Metal Sonic ignored Ferra, being deep in thought. He was still pondering over Ferra's question and, more importantly, what his next move would be. He had copied the bio-data of the three strongest members of Team Neos, and if he desired so, he could've gone for the others as well. But even then, he battled with a sense of self-doubt of whether he would even succeed in his plan. It was an illogical thought, especially for a robot like him; someone capable of making all kinds of calculations in a matter of seconds to pick the most beneficial outcome. But, now he was gripped with a sense of fear, the belief that he wasn't strong enough. That he wasn't good enough.
This makes no logical sense. This isn't me. Metal Sonic stared ahead blankly, his claws balled into tight fists. I should be better than this. I need to prove my superiority! Sonic is my fake, and I-!
''Metal!''
Metal Sonic was startled when he heard Ferra shouting for him. He turned his attention to her, a bit taken aback when he saw the look of concern on her expression. He didn't understand why she gave him that look. He hadn't shown any behavior that it would require such reaction. Or, did he?
''What's wrong?''
''You don't look well,'' Ferra replied. ''In fact, you looked like you were about to fry a circuit.''
Metal Sonic fell silent once again, only for a moment later to respond, ''I was trying to find an answer to your question.''
''I think there's more to it,'' Ferra said in a calm, but firm tone. She took note of Metal Sonic's puzzled gaze, well aware that it was still a bit difficult for him to understand how she was even capable of reading his mood given how there wasn't much of a way for him to emote. However, considering how much time they had spent together, it shouldn't be too surprising that Ferra would be capable of understanding him. They were partners, after all, and developing a deep bond was part of it. ''I think it would be better for you to tell me what it is before you make any move you're going to regret.''
''…'' Metal Sonic glanced at her, before staring ahead. ''It's self-doubt, and I hate it.'' He stepped ahead, melting into a silver liquid and emerging as Neo Metal Sonic, the black cape around his waist swishing as he suddenly turned around, his voice growing louder. ''This is my grand scheme, but despite being ahead of my loathsome copy in terms of power, I still feel like I'm being held back!'' Neo Metal Sonic shouted in frustration, his right arm stretched out behind him, pointing upwards, while the other was clenched into a tight fist. ''To make it worse, there is no outside obstacle that is holding me back, since I can easily destroy any obstacles placed in my path. Instead, I'm dealing with something inside me that keeps me chained from unleashing my true potential, and I absolutely hate it!'' Neo Metal Sonic's eyes flared up in a dark red colour, glowing in rage as he continued, ''All of my calculations have confirmed that I have enough power to destroy my rival, yet I cannot even force myself to take that crucial step, and I don't understand why.'' He lowered his arms, his fists shaking. ''I concluded that it had to be self-doubt, and I want to erase that emotion from my programming, but I can't. Why? What do I have to feel like this?!''
Ferra kept silent during this whole rant, deciding to wait for her partner to be done. She then asked him in a kind, gentle tone, ''Have you always felt like this?''
''Insufficient, inadequate, defective, incomplete… I had these thoughts since the very start,'' Neo Metal Sonic responded in a matter-of-fact tone. ''Their intensity varied from time to time, but they never left.''
''You felt that way because of Sonic,'' Ferra said, her response being a statement rather than a question.
''That hedgehog is the bane of my existence,'' Neo Metal Sonic responded, his voice being a chilling balance of tranquility and fury. Ferra tilted her head slightly, giving him a curious look.
Ever since she had first found him, Metal Sonic's goal had been to destroy Sonic, so he could not only prove his superiority over his biological look-a-like, but replace him as the real Sonic the Hedgehog. Ferra had wondered from time to time whether Metal Sonic believed he was the real Sonic, but didn't care much about it, as she was only there to support Metal Sonic in reaching his goal. Nothing else mattered to her. However, she understood that she would have to address this at some point.
''Say, Neo…'' Ferra started, drawing Neo Metal Sonic's attention. ''I know that you have been driven by the desire to destroy Sonic once and for all, but is that all?'' Neo Metal Sonic gave her a serious look. ''I mean, do you understand the truth about your connection with Sonic…''
''I have looked into my origins once you told me about them,'' Neo Metal Sonic responded. ''I had been programmed for the sole purpose of destroying Sonic using abilities superior to his. I am the better Sonic in every way, since I possesses the best performance, a tireless body, and plenty of other factors that should make me unbeatable. I understand that I was created after Sonic, but that won't stop me from proving my superiority. However, I also know that is impossible because my copy will always win, no matter what I do. This paradox drives me into madness!''
''That is the video game lore…'' Ferra muttered, a relaxed smile spreading on her lips. ''However, this is the real world, and from what I've seen, you have proven yourself.'' Neo Metal Sonic gave her a confused look. Ferra simply continued, ''Didn't Sonic experience defeat during The Starfall? You had him on the ground, and the only reason he was still alive was because we had to leave at the time.''
''Indeed, but…'' Neo Metal Sonic fell silent as he reflected on that memory. Back then, he had celebrated this victory, believing that it was a sign he was better than Sonic. How could he forget about it?
It appeared that Ferra knew exactly what was going through his head, as she gave him a sympathetic look, adding, ''No offense, but perhaps this upgrade also resulted in this sense of self-doubt and ego becoming stronger. You are more powerful, that's true, but you still keep comparing yourself to Sonic, reflecting on his accomplishments and fearing that you will never be on his level.'' She then gave him an encouraging look. ''How about reflecting on your own accomplishments instead? After all, you had managed to not only copy Sonic, Shadow and Silver's bio-data to make yourself more powerful, but you also trapped Sonic and Shadow in an inescapable AR Field. Besides Dr. Eggman giving us access to the Badniks and AR Field, this was all you. I'd say that it's quite impressive.''
''But, it's not enough…'' Neo Metal Sonic's red eyes suddenly stopped flaring, and he gave Ferra a determined look. ''Unless, I decide what is enough.''
''So, what do you want to do?'' Ferra asked, placing a hand on her hip. She felt quite relieved that she had managed to help her partner restore his confidence. ''Should we still go after Team Neos as a whole as we planned initially?''
''They're not important, especially since they shouldn't even have any access to the AR Field,'' Neo Metal Sonic said. ''However, you should keep an eye on them. I have no doubt that they will attempt to interfere.''
''Don't worry, I'll take care of that,'' Ferra replied in an assured tone, with Neo Metal Sonic nodding in response. He then held up his hand, his eyes glowing as an AR Field opened before him and then closed after he entered it.
Ferra sighed, reaching for the hoverboard that was lying on the ground. She had hoped that Neo Metal Sonic knew what he was doing.
xXx
The AR Field was changing. Sonic and Shadow had only mere seconds to even react when their entire environment had vanished and they found themselves standing instead onboard a predominantly gray and red, whale-shaped warship. There were various floating platforms over the skies that were heavily guarded by tough Badniks and cannons, and were connected by yellow, glowing grind rails. This warship, the Final Fortress, was flying over an area surrounded by rough, stormy weather.
The strong winds whipped the hedgehogs as they tried to make sense of their surroundings, their eyes squinting at the sight of lightning and their ears twitching at the sound of thunder. Suddenly, a powerful bolt of lightning struck Shadow, the dark hedgehog crying out in agony as he got electrocuted in the most brutal way possible.
''AAAAAAGHHHH!''
''Shadow!'' Sonic could only watch in horror as his rival fell over, his fur charred and smoking. The dark hedgehog wasn't moving, seemingly lifeless. Sonic's heart raced as a chilling sense of panic set in. ''No no no, Shadow!'' Before Sonic could even move to aid him, he was met with a cyan barrier that stopped him in his tracks. The same cyan energy then enveloped Shadow's lifeless body, throwing him off the warship and into the depths of the dark sky. ''Shadow!''
Sonic's scream of anguish was drowned out by the boom of thunder, followed by heavy raindrops. Sonic turned around, trying to find a way to leap after Shadow, but what caught his attention was the figure standing on top of the warship. He could recognize that it was a familiar blue robot, the cape billowing in the rough wind.
''Metal…'' Sonic breathed, staring at the robot in disbelief.
''That is Neo Metal Sonic to you, my loathsome copy!'' Neo Metal Sonic responded, leaping from the top of the warship and landing right before Sonic, who managed to snap out of his stupor and quickly ran over to the edge of the warship, but saw nothing but dark clouds below him. Sonic turned to Neo Metal Sonic, a furious gaze on his expression.
''What have you done to Shadow?!'' he shouted.
''I have removed him from the battlefield. This battle is between you and me,'' Neo Metal Sonic responded coldly. Sonic gritted his teeth, feeling pressure on his chest. He had no idea whether Neo Metal Sonic just removed Shadow from the AR Field or outright killed him by throwing him off the warship, and he didn't want to think about it. He knew that there was nothing he could do in this situation, forcing himself to focus on defeating Neo Metal Sonic.
''Fine,'' Sonic replied, his eyes narrowed. Neo Metal Sonic gazed back at him, feeling almost amused that Sonic even considered fighting him like this. This wasn't a battle he could survive, he didn't care, something the robot had acknowledged a long time ago as he confronted Sonic.
''Let me show you just what I'm made of!''
xXx
''It is fortunate that everyone has gathered,'' Ferra muttered under her breath as she observed the group that was standing on the street. Besides Team Neos, there were also the Vector, Espio, Charmy, Rouge, Omega, Big, Froggy, Cream and Cheese, discussing the recent Badnik attacks and trying to make sense of them, as well as talking about Sonic and Shadow's disappearance. ''I suppose that it is kind of ironic that Team Sonic, Team Rose, Team Chaotix and Team Dark, sans Sonic and Shadow, but including Silver, are present for this.'' Ferra sighed, knowing that, while Team Neos and their allies had no clue what was going on, they would eventually figure things out and set up a plan to counter them. ''So, the best move here is to interfere and keep them busy as long as possible until Neo is done with Sonic.''
Tapping on her AR Visor, she activated the AR Field. She observed the group as they were dragged into the field, finding themselves in a highly advanced city, not unlike Neos City, consisting of tall, green skyscrapers and a massive factory. This area was known as Grand Metropolis, and Ferra choose it as her own battlefield due to the easy access to an army of Badniks. The robots drew the attention of the group, with Ferra leaping down from the building she was standing on, using the hoverboard to cushion her fall. She smirked, meeting Lucas' gaze.
''Ferra, what is going on?! What have you done to Sonic and Shadow? What is Dr. Eggman up to?'' Lucas demanded, glaring at the teenager.
''First of all, the Doctor is not involved in this,'' Ferra responded, surprising the group. ''As for Sonic and Shadow… I suppose you will find out soon what happened to them. Lastly, does Sonic Heroes sound familiar to you?''
Lucas' eyes widened in shock, as this wasn't the answer he had expected. He was clearly familiar with that video game and its events, but why would Ferra even mention them… Then, it clicked. ''You mean, this was all for Neo Metal Sonic?''
''Bingo~!'' Ferra replied in a sing-song voice. ''I may not know the exact details of what Neo wants to do with Sonic, but I know that my task is to keep you away from them. Badniks, attack!''
The group was met with a horde of the Pawn Series of robots, ranging from Egg Pawns to Egg Hammers to Egg Spears, and were immediately forced to use Chaos Surge, so the human partners could fight them off. The only ones who had to stay out of action were Lucas and Touka, whose respective partners were missing, but fortunately for them, Omega was more than delighted to take their place as he changed his cannon arms into machine guns and started firing at the Badniks.
''This is the best day of my life!''
''Good to know that at least someone is enjoying this,'' Touka said, standing next to Lucas. ''What should we do?''
''The obvious answer would be to find Sonic and Shadow, but considering the situation, it is possible that they aren't even in Grand Metropolis, but instead in a different AR Field, most likely fighting Neo Metal Sonic, who has not only absorbed Silver's bio-data, but possibly theirs as well. The worst case scenario for them would be dealing with Metal Madness or even Metal Overlord,'' Lucas explained, gritting his teeth in frustration. They had no way of communicating with Sonic and Shadow, nor had access to anything that would allow them to cross between the AR Fields, like the Chaos Emeralds. The only way of reaching their partners would be to force Ferra into letting them through.
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Their friends were fighting through the hordes of the Badniks, and even though they destroyed a good chunk of them, the natural environment of the AR Field allowed for their data to be reconstructed, causing new Badniks to spawn. This became evident when Amy and Big, joined by Makoto, had to knock down an Egg Spear Cream and Cheese had already taken down, the Badnik getting revived and attacking again. Even breaking their cores, something Vector, Espio, Charmy and Warren attempted to do, has proven to be futile, as the Egg Hammer they faced stood up once again. Omega and Rouge were doing their best to take down group of Egg Pawns, with Rouge engaging in melee combat alongside Minami and Lily, while Omega acted as the support unit, spraying a barrage of bullets at every Badnik that came close to them. Lastly, Silver took Sonic's spot, leading Knuckles and Tails against a Super Egg Pawn, which proved itself to be much more durable than the average Egg Pawns. It was chaos all around, with Ferra standing on the other end, observing the madness before her.
Lucas wanted to move towards her, hoping to catch her off guard, but he got distracted by Touka's loud gasp. There was an interference within the field, with a dark figure appearing on the ground, lying there motionless.
''Shadow!'' Touka quickly ran, kneeling on the ground as she picked her younger brother into her arms, devastated to see him in such an awful condition. She lowered her head on his chest, breathing heavily as she felt a sense of relief when she heard his heart beat, and turned to Lucas. ''He's still alive…''
Their attention turned back to the dark hedgehog when he stirred. The damage was so great that it took all of his strength to open his eyes even slightly, feeling relief to see Touka and Lucas. ''Sonic and I were ambushed… at an Eggman warship…'' He tried to sit up, but his whole body felt like he was on fire, the pain spreading through it in waves. He could feel Touka's grip around his body tighten, the warm sensation of the BioEnergy colliding with the agony. ''I need to…''
There was a soft glow when Touka enabled Chaos Surge, allowing Shadow to breathe easier as the process started healing his injuries.
''We know Sonic is fighting Neo Metal Sonic, but we don't know how to get to him,'' Lucas told Shadow, whose eyes narrowed. He understood now why he was targeted, as in this condition, there was no chance for him to summon the Chaos Emeralds.
The guilt hit him like a wave washing over him.
xXx
Sonic felt a dreadful, chilling sensation spreading through his chest as he fought against Neo Metal Sonic, dodging the bolts of lightning, which were weaker than the ones the robot used on Shadow, but not less lethal. He ran across the deck of the warship, trying to escape Neo Metal Sonic's relentless attacks. There was a sudden clap of thunder, colouring the dark sky in white, and multiple bolts of lighting shot downwards, one of them finally hitting the azure hedgehog.
Sonic cried out in pain, agony shooting through his body as he fell on the ground. His nostrils were hit with a smell of charred fur, and even though it wasn't as strong, he felt almost paralyzed by the attack.
''Is this all you can do? Pathetic,'' Neo Metal Sonic spat in disdain, with Sonic trying to get up, the wind whistling in his ears and his eyes slightly blurry due to the rain.
''You haven't seen… anything,'' Sonic took a breath, only for Neo Metal Sonic to charge at him using his own super speed, punching him straight in the face. He was sent flying, landing hard on the deck as he felt a metallic, tangy fluid in his mouth. He wiped it off, his eyes widening in horror as he realized that his robotic rival managed to draw blood.
''You are nothing,'' Neo Metal Sonic said in a cold tone, observing Sonic as the latter sat up, trying to catch his breath. ''You are all alone, with no friends to help you in this fight.''
''Truth to be told… I don't want to put them into unnecessary danger,'' Sonic said, with Neo Metal Sonic suddenly launching Chaos Spear-like projectiles at his biological counterpart, with Sonic charging towards him, managing to dodge the energy bolts and getting close enough to Neo Metal Sonic to get into a melee fight. He landed a hit on the robot's head, followed by another on the side, followed by a punch to the chest and culminating in sweeping Neo Metal Sonic off his feet, then curled into a ball and finished him off with a spin-attack.
Breathing heavily, Sonic stepped back, his chest hurting and his lungs burning. He felt cold, his body ached, and he knew that he was injured, but he needed to defeat his robotic rival if he wanted to escape this place and go back to his friends. Suddenly, his body was surrounded by cyan energy and he was thrown hard into a nearby cannon, leaving an indent and flopping over as he fell on the ground, only one thought crossing his mind.
That's Silver's power.
It seemed as if Neo Metal Sonic had read his mind, because when he approached the azure hedgehog, he said, ''I have scanned Silver, Shadow and your bio-data, which allowed me to copy and replicate all of your attributes and abilities flawlessly. So, don't be too surprised when I use them.''
''Is that so…'' Sonic muttered. The reckless side of him wanted to continue and show Neo Metal Sonic that he wouldn't be defeated so easily, but his common sense prevailed, reminding him that if what the robot said was true, his chances of defeating him were zero to none. He knew from first-hand experience just how powerful Silver and Shadow were, and unless he had a proper way to counter Neo Metal Sonic, he was done for. There was one thing he could do, but he wasn't sure how well it would even work. However, it was his only chance.
To Neo Metal Sonic's surprise, Sonic suddenly ran off, leaving the former wondering what his counterpart was up to. He found Sonic standing on the far end of the deck, with the azure hedgehog taking a running stance and suddenly dashing towards his robotic counterpart. Somehow, his speed was even greater than before, with Sonic utilizing his Boost, surrounded by blue energy as he became a destructive high-speed projectile. He then curled into a ball, combining it with the spin-dash, alarming Neo Metal Sonic. The robot managed to raise a protective barrier resembling the Black Shield, shocked when Sonic managed to push him back, with small cracks forming in the barrier as the hedgehog desperately tried to break through. Directing his own energy from the barrier, Neo Metal Sonic made the snap decision to fire a bolt of lightning at Sonic from up close.
''AAAAAGHRR!'' Sonic screamed in anguish, feeling as if his whole body was on fire, only to have his air supply be cut off when Neo Metal Sonic grabbed him by the neck and slammed him brutally into the ground, dragging his claws across his chest and causing red lines to appear across the skin, droplets of blood staining the peach fur. He then lifted Sonic up, still holding him by his neck.
''It is satisfying to see you writhe in my hands, weakened and helpless, unable to stand up to me,'' Neo Metal Sonic said, his red eyes glowing as he met Sonic's defiant gaze. Despite his injuries, he wasn't willing to give up yet, with the robot leaving a cut across his cheek. ''I could finally fulfill my purpose of destroying you…''
''Then, why don't you do it?'' Sonic asked through gritted teeth, blood flowing down his cheek. Neo Metal Sonic was strangely silent, merely staring at him in curiosity.
''I have already proven my superiority,'' Neo Metal Sonic said, his tone cold, but also interlaced with a sense of elation as there was a boom of thunder. ''I will grant you this mercy and let you live with that knowledge.''
He then threw Sonic over the warship, the hedgehog falling through the clouds, his desperate screams growing faint as he disappeared into the darkness. Neo Metal Sonic was standing on the deck, observing his rival vanishing and feeling a sense worthiness. He had finally achieved his desire, feeling complete for once.
He had won.
xXx
Ferra blinked in surprise, staring at the message she had gotten from Neo Metal Sonic. She then smirked, realizing that her own mission was over. She stared back at Team Neos, who were still involved in a futile battle, and then turned the AR Field off, causing them to find themselves back at the same street in Neos City, then quickly left.
Lucas was just as stunned as the rest of the group when the AR Field deactivated, but there wasn't any time for discussion as he spotted a blue figure lying on the ground of what used to be the battlefield.
''Sonic!''
He ran over to his partner, cradling the hedgehog in his arms and feeling horrified when he saw just how badly battered and bruised he was, not to mention bleeding from his chest and muzzle. Fortunately, Sonic was still breathing, but the sight of him being so heavily injured set all alarms off in Lucas' head, and he felt as if someone threw a bucket of ice cold water over him.
Sonic, what had happened to you?
xXx
Dr. Eggman was laughing mirthfully, enjoying the show he had been watching. Seeing his arch-nemesis, Sonic the Hedgehog, being defeated and humiliated by Neo Metal Sonic made him feel excited. It was amazing from start to finish, and it was another win for the Eggman Empire. Even if Eggman himself hadn't directly participated in it, he still counted it as a personal victory since Neo Metal Sonic was his Enforcer.
It took a bit, but sure enough, Ferra and Metal Sonic showed up at the Egg Base, with Eggman greeting them with a glass of champagne in his hand, while Orbot was holding a bottle and Cubot held another glass for Ferra.
''Congratulations on your, well, our victory!'' Eggman said proudly, with Orbot and Cubot poured a drink for Ferra, who shook her head.
''Don't worry, it's ramune, not champagne,'' Orbot told her, with Ferra accepting the glass.
''Hah! That hedgehog saw nothing coming! You have managed to execute your own plan flawlessly!'' Eggman praised them, with Ferra and Metal Sonic giving him a confused look. Usually, Eggman never praised anyone, but it appeared that he was in a good enough mood to give them credit for their accomplishment. Eggman then gave Metal Sonic a curious look. ''Although, you not destroying Sonic for once and all makes no sense.'' The response was just beeping and buzzing noises. ''Huh? Haven't I upgraded you to talk?''
''Metal Sonic decided to revert to this form for his own comfort,'' Ferra explained to the bewildered Eggman. ''As for why he hadn't killed Sonic, he had come to the conclusion that leaving him alive would give him the opportunity to fight him again and defeat him in an even more brutal fashion. If Metal Sonic had to live with a sense of inferiority for so long, then Sonic should experience the same kind of humiliation.''
''Hm… That is an interesting approach,'' Eggman said, smirking. ''Regardless, well done you two! I hope that that rodent will be haunted by his defeat in his nightmares, ho ho!''
Ferra and Metal Sonic exchanged glances, both proud of what they achieved and looking forward to their next battle.