"Yeah, man! I know!" The chief of the Restoration's Machine Shop, an orangutan, laughed while wiping his hands on an oil-stained rag. He was speaking into a cellphone that was being held by the right side of his head pressing against his right shoulder. "It's like something out of those Silver Age comics my dad used to give me!"
Belle the Tinkerer couldn't help but smile as she continued to work on a busted Extreme Gear that one of the Restoration members had brought in for repairs. Her boss was talking with the people who worked in the Research & Development Division about Nicole's blueprints and figures. Initially she had been worried that it would take a while to get those people to look at the holo-lynx's documents, but the chief apparently had some friends that worked in the department and showed them hard copies over lunch.
"Yeah, if we get this off the ground and mass produced we can say goodbye to relying on Chaos Drives or fossil fuels." The chief got a sour look on his face before sighing. "Yes, I know. There'll still be a carbon footprint for the parts but we'll find a way around that eventually." The smile returned. "The Nanite stuff might be the solution. But like you said, gotta wait until Tails comes back to take a look over it."
Apparently, they had been so impressed by the devices and what they would produced that they were actually starting to push them ahead. Already, Research and Development were making plans to develop prototypes. Though they were waiting for Tails to return so he could look over their figures and make sure they didn't blow themselves up when they created the first Power Ring.
"Sally and Nicole will be so happy!" Belle had been thinking about the robian and the artificial intelligence lately. She hadn't heard any news about their journey since they left, but she couldn't blame them. "They're probably super busy."
But she had to call them after her work was done! They needed to know that Sally's power issue would get its solution sooner rather than later!
"Well, looks like I've got one heck of an audience tonight!" Belle glanced up at the small television set on top of the table. It was showing the image of a chimpanzee Islander wearing a light blue diamond-emblazoned blazer grinning on the screen. "Good, good! I was starting to get worried that I was becoming less famous! I mean, on my way to get groceries I pass by this rabbit kid and before I know it a bunch of folks start swarming her! Turns out that little rabbit girl and her Chao are friends with Amy Rose!" He chuckled and shook his head. "If I knew beating up robots would've made me famous, I would've given my cell phone a few good whacks back when those things first came out! HEY-O!"
Drums and a cymbal were then hit before the camera zoomed in on a red-furred wolf wearing a light blue striped jacket who knocked back his head and laughed uproariously.
Belle rolled her eyes while muttering, "It wasn't that funny."
The chief apparently didn't like the show that much either, but he claimed it was good 'background noise' and he liked to keep his mind always busy.
"Just like dad… but he always played music." The puppet girl frowned at the memory of her father. "I wish he was here…"
She wished that Starline never found Mr. Tinker. That he could have remained in the village with her, bringing happiness and toys to everyone while moving past the man he once was.
She wished that Eggman had just settled for that life when he regained his memories. He… he had been happy! Why couldn't he have admitted that?
"No, don't think about that." But she couldn't help it. Especially when she knew she had to tell Sally when she came back. "I hope she'll understand, though."
Suddenly, static filled the air and Belle looked up. The Comedy Chimp Show had suddenly been cut off with the logo of Hornet TV appearing on the screen before it changed to show a squirrel wearing a pink bow on her head and a crisp white suit. She seemed to be standing in front of a street filled with smoke and lights flashing everywhere. Small explosions could be heard overhead, and the woman seemed to be frazzled by her surroundings.
"Hello!" The squirrel shouted while holding her right ear, likely where the earpiece was being held. "This is Deborah the Squirrel of KBC News interrupting your current programming to bring you a special news bulletin! I am live in Studiopolis where pure chaos has erupted from the famous Club Spin!"
Instantly, Belle focused all her attention on the screen.
"Isn't that where your friends were going?" The chief asked, pointing to the screen.
"The infamous treasure hunters known for past dealings with Dr. Eggman, Team Hooligan, were attempting to apprehend a music star named Mina Mongoose before being intercepted by several members of the Restoration." Pictures appeared on the right of the screen showing Tangle, Whisper, Silver, and Sally. "However, rather than explain themselves, Team Hooligan began attacking the Restoration members completely unprovoked! The fight has spilled out onto the streets and I'm being told that the owner of the club, Mr. Mammoth Mogul…" The pictures of Belle's friends were replaced by the picture of a suited mammoth. "…Has requested for the club's security to assist the Restoration with apprehending these criminals!"
Honestly, Belle was happy. At least this Mogul person wanted to help Sally and the rest of her friends stop these Hooligan guys!
"Oh hey! He's the guy that owns Mammoth Studios!" The chief grinned. "I love their movies! They don't use too much CGI in their stuff, and man let me tell you the performances…!"
Suddenly, the squirrel's eyes widened and she pressed against her earpiece. "Wait! I'm just being told that…! Oh no…!"
They heard the large crash before the camera shook. The smoke was clearing while the squirrel pointed to something in the distance. They could barely hear what the reporter was shouting over the car alarms. The cameraman zoomed in and focused on what the reporter was directing her…
….And Belle's metaphorical heart sank when she saw Metal Sonic, a badnik that might as well be her brother, standing in the center of a small crater. He was in front of Sally who was holding onto a yellow-furred mongoose holding a Magenta Wisp.
"No…!"
Did Eggman find Sally? Had he sent Metal Sonic to collect her?!
The Tinkerer could do nothing as she watched the badnik stand in place, seeming to study the situation before he chose his next course of action.
Nothing… except hope that her friend would be alright.
"What the heck's going on out there?" One of the suited bozos, an monkey, asked as he glanced to the exit. "Trigger's been gone for a while."
"Ah, just leave her be." A human waved it off as he walked to the bar. "Probably wanted to join in on the fun. You know how she likes playing around when given the chance."
The monkey shuddered. "Don't remind me." Then the monkey grinned and shouted, "Which means your buds are pretty screwed, pal!"
Fang the Sniper glared at the goon but said nothing. He was sitting on one of the chairs with his hands and feet bound by rope. Apparently it's all these idiots could gather in short notice.
"Amateurs. The lot of 'em."
"Giving us the silent treatment, huh?" The suited monkey shrugged. "Man, you're no fun. I figured one of the famous Hooligans would give us some lip!"
"Maybe Trigger scared some sense into him." The human bozo began rummaging through the bar. "Knows better than to mouth off."
…Okay, while it was true that the porcupine lady was kind of scary, she'd be the last person to scare Fang into 'behaving;. He'd seen and faced off against scarier stuff than some suited porcupine with freaky mystic powers.
Fang was someone who'd throw himself into any sort of danger if the profit was big enough. Heck, he'd even tried to steal the Chaos Emeralds from Fleet-Feet, Eggman, and Knuckles the Echidna!
All at the same time!
He even shot at Metal Sonic when the stupid thing basically went Super!
The point was that these bozos didn't actually intimidate him.
But he did like being a part of the land of the living, which was why he complied with being tied up while the porcupine and most of men went outside to interfere with the fight his boys were having.
"Hey!" The human cried out. "Restoration Girl! You want one?" He held up a bottle and shook it.
The Wispon user stood to the side with her mask still over her face. She stared at the suited human before shaking her head.
"Man, you hero types need to learn to lighten up." The monkey drawled as he walked up to the bar. "Especially when you're being helped out by the boss!"
Fang glanced at the sniper. He was still pretty angry about how he could get beaten by one of those amateurs.
"Only won because she got lucky."
But he still frowned when he saw that she wasn't paying attention to him. Instead her focus was entirely on the two bozos.
"Okay… so the heroes don't trust these losers."
Which didn't bode well for him or the other Hooligans if they got taken in by the idiots in suits.
Carefully and methodically, Fang shifted his hands until his right index finger was touching the steel plate on the back of his left hand's glove. He tapped it twice and held it close to his body to hide its glow.
Right now, the wireless signal was being sent back to the Marvelous Queen for an emergency extraction.
"I didn't do deals with Eggman or pick fights with Fleet-Feet and his gang without having some kind of escape plan."
In his line of work, one either learned to become very clever or become very dead.
"The mooks will be fine. They can hold out long enough for the sidecars to pick them up."
He could see it now. The Marvelous Queen's drill popping out from underneath before it burrowed into the ground while the sidecars began to fly away. Each of the sidecars moving were now moving through the streets as they tracked the signals of the homing tags that Fang had the other Hooligans keep on their person just in case.
"That's the problem with both you hero and villain types… you think we're too stupid to know how to get out of sticky situations."
The job was a wash. Even his greedy little mind could see that. The Hooligans were unlikely to make it out of the city with the mongoose girl with this much heat on them.
Still, Fang couldn't help but smirk.
"But so long as we make it out of here… there'll always be round two."
Metal Sonic stared at the obsolete robian as she shielded the organic behind her.
He had missed. A part of him felt frustrated by that, but it wasn't like he had put all his hopes in destroying Mecha Sally that easily.
After all, the obsolete doctors had made her almost a match for the previous versions of him.
Metal Sonic only needed a few nanoseconds to identify secondary targets.
IDENTIFIED:
Restoration Members:
Silver the Hedgehog (Threat Level: High)
Tangle the Lemur (Threat Level: Moderate)
Restoration Affiliated:
Blaze the Cat (Threat Level: High)
Unaffiliated:
Bunnie Rabbot (Threat Level: Moderate)
Bean the Dynamite (Threat Level: Low)
Various Organics (Threat Level: Low to Moderate)
Potential Mobius-Originated Organics:
Lyco Wolf (Threat Level: Low)
Leeta Wolf (Threat Level: Low)
The last two made Metal Sonic grateful that he had downloaded the files that Robo-Robotnik carried in the Death Egg.
He at least knew who would be next once he was finished with the robian.
Metal Sonic was not puzzled why Mecha Sally seemed to be unresponsive to his presence. She was just staring at him with wide eyes. Possibly a defect from her formerly organic mind. She most likely remembered how a previous version of Metal Sonic had self-destructed as per Robo-Robotnik's foolish orders to decommission the Freedom Fighter named Antoine D'Coolette.
"H-He's here!" He heard one of the organics chattering. "A-A startling new development has happened! Metal Sonic has arrived in Studiopolis! I repeat! Metal Sonic has arrived in Studiopolis!"
Sirens were now blaring out from everywhere. From phones, from loudspeakers, from radios, and from televisions sets. All of them knew the danger he posed to them. All of them feared and respected that.
Which made it all the more frustrating when his head tilted from the force of a bullet.
WARNING: Minor Cosmetic Damage
Metal Sonic's turbines came to life as he turned and shot towards the organic that dared to fire at him. His system took a nanosecond to identify the cat who still had her hand raised holding a pistol.
Potential Mobius-Originated Organics:
Hershey the Cat (Threat Level: Low)
Odd. It was noted in his files that she had been previously noted as deceased.
Well, it was time to correct that.
Metal Sonic's arm shot out, his sharpened fingers straight and aimed towards the cat's forehead. Her eyes widened as her brain finally began to catch up to what was happening…
Then, Metal Sonic simply stopped in place. He was frozen mid-air, his fingers only mere millimeters from penetrating the cat's skull.
ERROR! ERROR! PSYCHIC FORCE DETECTED! INHIBITING MOVEMENT!
"I-I got him!" Silver shouted, his hands raised as his body glowed in turquoise energy. "Lyco! Leeta! Get her out of here!"
"Silver, you…?" Lyco Wolf began, only for the other wolf to pull her and rush towards Hershey.
INCREASE IN THRUSTER OUTPUT: 0% OF ESCAPING PSYCHIC ENTRAPMENT. PLASMA PULSE LASER: INEFFECTIVE. RECOMMEND BLACK SHIELD
Metal Sonic used the recommended program, activating the Black Shield and watched as the turquoise energy around him burst.
It was no use.
He would be unable to harm Mecha Sally or any of the other organics so long as the psychic hedgehog was around.
Using the second he had for Silver to regain his bearings, Metal Sonic deactivated the shield before performing a Spin Dash. He burrowed into the ground, digging through asphalt, concrete, and dirt as he tunneled his way underneath the area his GPS identified as Silver's location. Shooting up, the badnik burst through the ground and landed his attack squarely on the hedgehog's chest.
Silver screamed in pain as he was flung back. Metal Sonic uncurled himself, but was upside down as he saw Blaze the Cat rushing towards him with flames trailing each step and fire covering her fists.
"You…!"
No matter.
When she was close enough, Metal Sonic lowered his right leg and turned his lower body a full three hundred and sixty degrees at full speed. The princess barely had enough time to register the metal foot crashing into the side of her face, flinging her to the other side of the street.
"A new friend! And one made of shinies!"
Metal Sonic reactivated the Black Shield before the bombs and bullets were able to make contact with him. He righted himself and saw that the suited organics were firing on him while Bean the Dynamite was throwing bombs.
Useless.
Shooting forward at max speed, Metal Sonic plowed his way through the crowd of organics that dared to fire upon him. Some cried out as their bones shattered and bodies broke from his speed. That was the difference between him and his loathsome copy. Metal Sonic didn't hold back just because his targets were made of meat.
The Black Shield was deactivated when he neared Bean the Dynamite, his right arm rearing back and preparing to end this with a single strike…
"AH DON'T THINK SO!"
The badnik's vision turned to static when Bunnie Rabbot's metal fist crashed against his face. His path deviated, causing his body to skip on the ground a few times before he righted himself and shot towards the Hooligan.
"I got him!"
Adding to Metal Sonic's growing frustration, a tail wrapped around his waist. Tangle the Lemur was attempting to stop him?! Fine, he'll show her.
Turning his body, the badnik grabbed onto the tail before pulling it with all his strength. The lemur screamed as she flew overhead before he slammed her into the ground.
As the Restoration member groaned in pain, Metal Sonic noticed something.
A PDA on the lemur's hip.
The same PDA that belonged to the artificial intelligence, Nicole the Holo-Lynx!
Perfect.
Metal Sonic's turbines flared to life, making him fly directly to the lemur. He would do it. He'll kill both Tangle and crush Nicole the Holo-Lynx in full view of Mecha Sally. He'll savor her screams before he finishes…
WARNING: Incoming High-Velocity Projectile Incoming!
The badnik had just enough time to turn and see Mecha Sally right before she attempted to slash at him with her right arm blade.
"No!" Mecha Sally screamed. "I won't have it happen again!"
Metal Sonic raised his hand to try and grab her, only for the robian to kick up and swat the limb away. She slashed at his chest, but the distance was great enough that the cut didn't touch any of his internals.
WARNING: Minor Damage Detected!
They both landed on the ground, Metal Sonic crouched and ready to pounce again while Mecha Sally activated her left arm blade.
She glared at him. "I won't let you hurt anymore of my friends, you monster!"
Perhaps she was thinking that the doctor was watching through him.
Big mistake.
Something penetrated his right arm, sparks flying as he looked to see several porcupine quills sticking out. Cocking his head, he saw the porcupine organic was grinning wildly as she ran towards the scene. More quills were popping out of her back and glowing as they floated above her before shooting out.
At his speed, it was easy for Metal Sonic to change position and move to a new location. But the quills kept following him!
Not only that, but he could see Blaze the Cat was getting onto her feet alongside Silver the Hedgehog. Tangle the Lemur seemed to be recovering as well.
Too many opponents and too many factors to compute. He could win, as they weren't on the same level as his loathsome copy, but it would make achieving his objective… difficult.
He needed to bring things back under his control.
A quick scan of the scene again brought his attention to the organic that Mecha Sally had been protecting. Now that he had a full view of her, he could identify her.
Potential Mobius-Originated Organics:
Mina Mongoose (Threat Level: Low)
Yes… and as an added bonus she had been one of his loathsome copy's former mates.
Metal Sonic performed another Spin Dash and burrowed into the ground. Within seconds, he traversed the distance between him and the mongoose before bursting out.
"No!" She screamed before Metal Sonic wrapped his right arm around her and pulled her hard against his metal body. She struggled but it was no use, and he noted the Magenta Wisp she kept clutched to her body. It wouldn't matter. Not where they were going.
"Let her go!" Mecha Sally screamed, and he turned to see the outdated robian and her organics running towards him.
But he wasn't worried. He knew from the time when he captured Amy Rose all those years ago on Little Planet that organics tended to hesitate when one of their own was put into danger.
And he was proven correct when they stopped, seeming to register that he wasn't going to let go.
If he had a mouth, Metal Sonic would've grinned.
Instead, he raised his left hand and wagged his finger before activating his thrusters. He flew up, carrying the screaming Mina Mongoose with him.
He didn't mind.
After all, she wouldn't be screaming for long.
And the one who he had come here to eliminate would be all alone to witness it…
Blaze cursed as she watched Metal Sonic fly off with the mongoose girl.
"It's just as fast as the one that came to the Sol Dimension!"
She had encountered a previous iteration of the robot when it, along with Shadow the Hedgehog, had appeared in her Zone. It had been fast and its combat capabilities more than enough to hold its own against her along with Shadow for a while.
But this one…
"If I had used more of my power…!"
No, no more hypotheticals. They needed to act.
"Princess Sally!" She shouted, snapping the robian out of her daze. "You need to chase after them, now!"
Sally's hands clenched into fists and she nodded. "Right!" She crouched down. "Keep a handle on things here!"
Her jet boots activated and the once organic chipmunk shot into the air, chasing after the badnik.
"But it won't be enough…" The princess grit her teeth. They needed to give Sally backup. That was the only way they could retrieve Mina from Metal Sonic's clutches.
And the only other member of their party that could fly was…
Silver groaned and fell onto his knees, clutching his midsection. "Silver!" She ran to her friend's side and kneeled down. "Are you alright?"
"Hurts…" The hedgehog grimaced. "Metal Sonic got me good… I should've focused on him more."
The cat hated seeing him like this. Seeing him hurt and blaming himself. How could he have known Metal Sonic would focus on him? They were all attempting to stop the badnik!
"You did the best you could. And that's enough." She assured him before looking around.
The security men of the club were groaning in pain while the porcupine member of the group gave orders to those who were healed. Tangle was rushing towards them, her eyes wide with panic and worry as she gazed towards Silver. Bean the Dynamite was rocking back and forth on his heels, whistling a jaunty tune, while the rabbit named Bunnie…
"Wait, couldn't she fly?"
That's it!
Blaze got to her feet and walked over to Bunnie. "Can your thrusters make you match Sonic the Hedgehog's speed?"
The rabbit blinked. "Yeah? What's it to ya?"
The princess nodded. "Then you need to go after them."
"Why?" Bunnie asked, her eyes narrowing. "So ah can get myself killed over some badnik?"
Blaze glared back. She didn't have time for this. "Tell me, Hooligan. Are you willing to sit by and let that machine take Mina Mongoose off to Eggman to do who knows what? Are you going to stand here acting like it's none of your concern if she lives or dies?" She noticed the hesitation in the rabbit's eyes and pressed on. "And whether you acknowledge it or not, Princess Sally Acorn is more than a simple machine. Those emotions she showed… can you say without a shadow of a doubt that they are fake? Are you willing to allow someone like that to die at the hands of Metal Sonic?"
Bunnie was silent for a second.
Then, she turned on her heel and crouched down. "Ah ain't doin' this for the badnik. Ah just want the bounty."
"Fine."
With that, the rabbit leapt into the air and flew off after the badnik and robian.
"Hey!" Blaze glanced over to the porcupine, who was casually approaching her with a grin that didn't meet her eyes. "I couldn't help but notice that you just let a dangerous criminal go off. Is this really how the Restoration does things?"
She could feel it.
The odd energy emanating off of this woman. It was weak, but she could feel it.
It was like a foreign presence in the air, oily and distorting with each passing second. It did not belong here, and yet here it was.
"…I'm not a part of the Restoration, nor am I beholden to the laws of your Zone." The princess responded coldly. "So do not treat me as if I'm a public servant."
The porcupine grinned back. "Is that so? Well then, I guess you're an accomplice in this…" The woman then stopped and blinked, her eyes turning hazy and withdrawn.
Blaze winced as she held her head. It was like a presence was trying to enter her mind… "No!" Taking in a deep breath, she began running through the mental exercises she trained under to avoid mental influence. Slowly, the presence in her died and everything returned to how it should be.
"Really?" The porcupine nodded. "Of course, master." With that, the woman's eyes returned to normal and she smiled. "Well, guess it's no longer my problem! The boss says it's cool!"
The princess of the Sol Dimension narrowed her eyes. Her master… this individual known as Mogul.
That name meant something to her…
A black limousine then rolled down the street, the reporters that were chattering to their cameramen previously noticed and rushed towards it. An albino fox exited the driver's seat before briskly walking around it and opening the door, from which a massive form stepped out.
Blaze the Cat looked upon the man and the fur on the back of her neck stood up straight.
"So this is Mammoth Mogul…"
Silently, she went over to Silver and helped her friend get to his feet.
"Perhaps Metal Sonic wasn't the only monster we had to be worried about."
"Wait… what's that sound?"
Fang grinned before he finished untying his wrists. "That's the sound of my ride, ya bozos!"
The sniper leaned back and fell just in time for the Marvelous Queen's drill to come out of the floor. The surprise appearance of his baby would buy him a few seconds as he leaned down and began untying his ankles from the chair. With a grunt, he fell on his hands and knees before pressing on his left hand's steel plate.
A metal flail shot out and began swinging while the hover bike righted itself. He leapt inside, cursing as the bozos and the Wispon user began firing at him. "Stop punching holes in my bike!" He slammed his hand on the button that made the bike emit a special magnetic field.
Fang's pistol was torn out of the jacket pocket of the human thug, sticking to the side of the bike before the weasel pressed three more buttons.
One was for the glass dome cover to slide overhead, protecting him from debris and bullets.
The second was for the spring function, launching the Marvelous Queen towards the ceiling.
The third was making the other iron flail come out and both to begin spinning at maximum speed.
Fang laughed as his bike soared into the air, the flails shredding through the concrete and wood as if they were nothing.
He knew those upgrades would come in handy!
As he and his baby kept going up, Fang looked down to see the Wispon user aiming towards him.
He lowered his right eyelid and blew her a raspberry.
"Until next time, ya amateur!" Fang screamed while shaking his fist.
Sooner or later, he was going to have a rematch against that girl!
Then he'll show her who the real sniper is!
Silver heard the explosion and looked up to see a yellow and blue object floating in the air above the club, two iron flails swinging wildly as Fang the Sniper laughed.
"The Hooligans are outta here!" He cried out before the hover bike shot out. "Lets go, ya mooks!"
A loud hum filled the air before Silver looked down to see Bean the Dynamite jumping into a floating sidecar as it sped out. Further down the road, Bark the Polar Bear collapsed onto the top of his own sidecar as the two rode off.
"Oh come on!" Tangle shouted, shaking her fist. "That's so unfair!"
"Hey!" The porcupine lady shouted. "Get back here!" She ran forward, quills rising in agitation. Two were already coming off of her back and glowing that unearthly color.
"No."
The porcupine skidded to a stop and looked over to him.
To Master Mogul.
But… it was a younger version of him. The master he trained under always carried with him an air of humbleness and regret. His tone was always patient but firm, understanding of mistakes but also pushing for Silver to do better with his powers.
"But that voice…"
Silver could hear it in the tone. The single word Mogul had spoken commanded respect and immediate obedience. It wasn't a calm suggestion, asking for the porcupine to stop herself before she did anything foolish.
It was a command, pure and simple.
"Was this what he was like when he was younger?" Silver grimaced and clutched at his midsection.
"Are you alright?" Blaze asked him in a whisper.
"I'll live." It still hurt from Metal Sonic's strike, but at least it wasn't anything serious.
"You two…" Silver looked up and saw the younger version of his master staring down at him. "…You're with the Restoration, correct?"
The hedgehog gulped. "Y-Yes."
The mammoth nodded. Surprisingly, he stuck out his hand. "Then I thank you for what you've tried to accomplish here. You risked your lives to try and save my artist from a wrongful kidnapping, tried to apprehend the criminals responsible for all this chaos, and fought one of Eggman's deadliest creations. And that's discounting your service during the war and Metal Virus. You are truly heroes."
Silver didn't know what to say.
To be congratulated by his master… a part of him cried out in relief. Mogul, a lifetime ago, had helped him to control his powers. He'd been there when the hedgehog had no one and was scared of what his power could do. Mogul… had practically been like a second father to him.
And yet…
He couldn't forget how Mina reacted when she uttered his former master's name. Or how Sally recoiled as if the mongoose had uttered some kind of curse.
Did he even really know his former master?
Slowly, Silver stuck out his hand and shook Mogul's. "I-It's no problem. Thank you, Mr. Mogul."
The mammoth nodded and snapped his fingers. Almost instantaneously, the fox and the porcupine were in front of him. "Have all the men who were wounded get medical attention immediately. As for those who are still healthy…" He turned to the cameras as if he were making a statement. "…they are to follow Metal Sonic's trail and do everything in their power to ensure the safety of all citizens and tourists of Studiopolis! They are also to mark all the damages so that I may fund the repairs of this wonderful city!"
Everyone gasped in shock before erupting into cheers. The fox and porcupine saluted before following their orders without complaint.
"Mr. Mogul!" The squirrel reporter shouted while bringing her microphone up. "Does this mean you won't allow the Restoration to fund the repairs?"
"The Restoration has done more than enough." The mammoth assured her. "I am seeking to fund repairs to show my thanks and gratitude towards them for their actions…"
As Mogul continued his interview, Silver looked back to see Whisper fretting over Tangle who was trying to wave her off.
"At least we made it." He looked up to where Sally had left and frowned. "Please be safe…"
"Do not let your guard down."
Silver looked back at Blaze, whose gaze was fixed solely on Mogul.
"What…?"
"That man… he's not what he seems." Blaze narrowed her eyes. "That presence… I have felt it before."
"You have? When?"
Blaze did not answer. Instead, she simply held him closer.
He couldn't help but blush despite the situation.
"Attend to your injuries, Silver the Hedgehog."
Silver's eyes widened before he clutched his head in pain. What was this? Was… was that Mogul's voice?
"We have much to discuss… child of the future."
Metal Sonic's audio sensors could pick up Mina Mongoose's panicked gasps as they ascended towards the tops of the skyscrapers. Spotlights were flashing on them as they went up, the city on high alert thanks to news of his arrival spreading through social media. They wanted to keep track of him. To know where he was and feel relief that he wasn't anywhere near them.
Maybe they were trying to frantically call the Restoration Headquarters, hoping that his copy would come here to do battle with him. And if not his copy, then Shadow the Hedgehog who could match the blue hedgehog in certain areas.
Fools, the lot of them.
Shadow was weaker than him, for he was weaker than his loathsome copy. He lost against the obsolete Sonic, and if Shadow could lose against that weakling then what hope did he have against Metal Sonic?
"Please." The mongoose croaked out. "Please, just stop by a roof. Let me drop off the Wisp. Y-You can take me if you want, just…"
Foolish. Why would he do something as inefficient as that over a Wisp of all things?
"Eggman, p-pease! Please, if you want me then you don't need him!"
She thought he was a drone.
She thought he was the doctor's glorified drone!
When they were past the height of the tallest skyscraper he stopped his ascent and let go of Mina. She didn't even have time to comprehend what was happening before he went in front of her and clamped his metal left hand around her throat.
The Magenta Wisp was screaming in its alien language, holding onto the mongoose's shirt and glaring at him. But he didn't care. Instead, Metal Sonic brought the mongoose's face close enough to his own that her nose was touching his own. Her face was bathed in the LED lights of his eyes, and her eyes were wide with fear.
Was she seeing now?
Was she comprehending it?
He was not the doctor's drone.
The doctor was not here.
Only Metal Sonic.
The one and only Sonic!
He couldn't help but feel disgust as Mina gasped, holding onto his arm as if it were a lifeline.
Why was he letting her affect him so?
She was just one of the obsolete version's failed mates, a testament to how superior Metal Sonic was to the organic one. Because he didn't become distracted by biological urges and…!
Metal Sonic felt the signal of Mecha Sally followed by Bunnie Rabbot enter within his range and felt frustration.
He had become distracted. He had meant to put some distance between him and Studiopolis to make the confrontation truly private.
Oh well.
He turned his body and looked towards the rapidly speeding form of the obsolete robian. She was using her jet boots at their highest thrust so that she could catch up to him.
So she could match him.
It was time to put an end to this.
Metal Sonic extended his left hand to its side and looked down at Mecha Sally. Meanwhile, he raised his right hand and wagged his finger mockingly.
Her eyes seemed to widen as she comprehended what he was going to do.
He briefly wondered if his loathsome copy would feel anything once he received the news.
He hoped that the obsolete version would.
And with an uncurling of his fingers and a flick of his wrist, Metal Sonic let go of Mina Mongoose.
"NO!"
MINA!
Sally changed her trajectory with Nicole's help to head towards the falling, flailing singer. Her teeth were gritting as she began to turn slightly right, heading towards the ground below while reducing her speed.
"I have to do this carefully! Nicole, match my speed with Mina's! Hurry!"
I'M WORKING ON IT! I'M WORKING ON IT!
Within seconds, they were flying side by side with the falling mongoose. Stretching out her left hand, she caught Mina by the back of her collar before dragging her close. The singer frantically grabbed her, wrapping her arms around the robian's neck.
"DON'T LOOK DOWN!" Sally shouted through rushing air as she began to climb up. "DON'T LOOK DOWN, MINA!"
She could see the civilians below getting out of their cars and running below. Some were taking out their phones and pointing at them, filming as Sally sailed over the street and past the glass windows of buildings.
"We made it!" She wanted to almost laugh in relief. She… she'd actually managed to save her! She saved Mina!
When the singer was falling, memories flashed through Sally's eyes. Of all the friends she'd lost to Eggman. Of Antoine's body being flung by the explosion. And, for a split second, Mina's own broken and lifeless body.
"Behind you!" The singer cried out from behind. "He's following us!"
The princess looked behind her and saw the Metal Sonic unit following behind them, its hands clenched into fists as it gained speed, obviously seeking to catch up to them.
Metal Sonic.
A tool of both Robotnik and Eggman.
The badnik that Mecha Sally had been alongside when they had tried to kill her brother and his family along with Antoine!
Sally felt the anger bubble up in her. Did Eggman hope to take her back again? To torment her even more by taking the people of the old world?!
"Nicole, get ready to fight!"
SALLY, BUT…!
"Eggman's not going to let up until he gets me and Mina! And I'm not going to let that happen! "
There was no time to argue. No compromises could be made in this situation.
It was do or die time.
Metal Sonic sped up, spinning like a top with its hands in front of it and fingers stretched. It was like a spinning drill as it shot forward.
"Cut off thrusters for a second!"
Nicole did as she was told and, for a split second, the jet boots stopped operating and the robian along with her passenger fell. Mina held tightly as Sally turned her body while the badnik unit spun over her.
The jet boots came to life again.
"Right arm blade! NOW!"
The princess slashed at the passing Metal Sonic, and she heard the screech of metal being torn. The badnik stopped spinning and looked down at itself. A deep groove had formed across his left shoulder, sparks flying everywhere as the limb twitched.
"Yes! Got it!"
Metal Sonic's LED light eyes narrowed before he began to go faster, overtaking Sally before turning to face her.
"What is he doing?!" Mina asked, fear evident in her tone.
"I think…!" Sally's eyes widened. Metal Sonic's form now seemed to glow with an almost red energy while sparks danced around it. "Hold tight!"
TAKE EVASIVE MANEUVERS!
This time, Sally knew what that meant.
Bolts of energy shot out from Metal Sonic, sailing towards the flying robian at high speeds. The princess spun to the right, avoiding the first energy blast before moving upwards, avoiding the second one.
"The partial energy shield! Now!"
Sally raised her right fist, the bluish electric light shield coming to life in front of her and making contact with Metal Sonic's projectile. Both burst in a flash of white light before disappearing.
When the robian was able to see again, Metal Sonic was racing towards her with its right hand reared back and ready to slash. Cursing, she leaned back and put her jet boots in front of her. But it was too late and Metal Sonic was already on her.
"Nicole! Get ready to hack it!"
RIGHT!
Its fingers cut through her white shirt, tearing the fabric and metal with a shower of sparks to mark it.
WARNING: Moderate damage to chest area.
Gritting her teeth, Sally kneed the badnik in its midsection before stabbing forward with her right arm blade. The copy of Sonic moved to the right just in time for the blade to only nick the area.
It raised its left hand again for another slash.
But this time she was prepared.
Sally caught the hand before it could reach her, intertwining her fingers with the badnik's before doing the same with her right hand. Before Metal Sonic could respond, she shouted out, "NOW!"
She could practically see the data flow out from her as Metal Sonic's LED lights began to distort and its head twitched wildly.
Sally couldn't help but smirk.
"You lose, Eggman."
Nicole opened her eyes and saw the digital plane in front of her.
It was like something out of a nightmare.
It was Green Hill Zone, but it wasn't the lush and natural environment it once was. The rock walls with its strange checkerboard pattern now had a metal sheen to it. The lush green grass was now yellow or patches that revealed iron sand. The clean blue water was now green and polluted by filth.
And ahead of her was none other than Metal Sonic.
"I had been expecting you." It informed her. "You displayed your holographic image carelessly, Nicole the Holo-Lynx."
The lynx gasped in shock. "Y-You know who I am?"
How?! There was no way Eggman would have known her capabilities! Sally told her not to hack Tumble's tail for that exact purpose!
"Yes. Thanks to the obsolete doctor's files onboard the Death Egg." Metal Sonic crouched down. "They allowed me to prepare countermeasures against hacking from advanced artificial intelligence like you."
Nicole cursed and raised her right hand. Bullets of data shot out as she ran, but Metal Sonic dodged them with ease. It made sense. For any badnik to move at Sonic's speed, they had to have processing power she could only dream of.
She needed to find the main operating system and disable it!
Nicole placed her hand onto the floor and created a spring. She leapt onto it before being launched into the air, heading into a new part of the system…
Only for something to snag onto her midsection.
"What?!" Nicole looked down and saw that a mass of black data was wrapped around her. Soon similar black masses were binding her wrists as she floated in place. "What is this?!"
Metal Sonic's avatar was now in front of her, staring at her face to face. "The doctor, the SUPERIOR doctor, has recently created an artificial intelligence to aid in his latest project, Codename SAGE. There was a prototype he had created, more akin to a computer virus, that he was keeping for a potential future operation. I had installed it into my system just in case. I had also fed it information from one of the obsolete doctor's own projects."
Nicole looked up and watched in horror as pixels along her right wrist began to disappear.
She then turned her head back to Metal Sonic. She saw a white kitten-like mask possessing triangular ears with red inner ears and a triangular pink nose forming behind the badnik's avatar. The bottom portion of the mask cracked horizontally, and serrated teeth began to form a hungry grin.
"The doctor did not name it, so I will. Codename PHAGE."
It was eating her data! She could feel it, subsuming her code one line at a time into its own!
It was evolving!
She had to abort, NOW!
With a scream, Nicole cut off the connection and ended the program, exploding into a shower of pixels.
She could only hope that she hadn't been too late.
Sally winced as she heard Nicole's scream. The scream then turned into sobs and moans of… of pain?
"Nicole! What's wrong! What's…?!"
S-SALLY, LET GO OF HIM! Y-YOU NEED TO FLEE! IT DID NOT WORK! IT DID NO-!
OBSOLETE.
That voice… it sounded so much like Sonic's. But it was deeper and full of malice. The princess looked at the Metal Sonic unit, its head no longer twitching and its eyes focused as it stared at her.
YOU ARE OBSOLETE. AN OBSOLETE REMNANT FROM AN OBSOLETE UNIVERSE. The voice, Metal Sonic's voice, continued in her head. YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE HERE. YOU WERE NEVER MEANT TO BE EVEN CLOSE TO MY EQUAL.
"W-What?"
Metal Sonic's grip on her hands tightened and she saw that his thumbs were rearing back.
YOU ARE TRASH, SALLY ACORN.
The claw-like thumbs shot forward, piercing right through Sally's own hands in a shower of broken metal and sparks.
WARNING: Major damage to hands.
WARNING: Partial energy shield will no longer function.
ERROR! ERROR!
"SALLY!" Mina shouted as the princess stared at her wounds in horror.
The badnik's glare seemed to deepen as he retracted his thumbs. AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU RETURN TO THE COSMIC WASTE BIN ALONGSIDE THE REST OF THE PREVIOUS UNIVERSE. Metal Sonic raised both of his legs and kicked out, hitting Sally square in the chest as they shot towards the ground.
WARNING: Moderate damage to chest.
SALLY! SALLY, YOU NEED TO RIGHT YOURSELF! YOU HAVE TO TRY!
"M-My hands…!" She couldn't believe it. Metal Sonic actually destroyed her hands!
"SALLY!"
"Ah got ya!"
A metal hand shot out and grabbed Sally's left wrist. She looked up and saw Bunnie was flying beside her, the rabbit's eyes not breaking from Metal Sonic's location.
"Y-You saved us!" Mina cried out. "Bunnie, thank you! Thank…!"
"Don't get the wrong idea!" The rabbit shouted. "Ah don't give a darn if the badnik gets wrecked. Ah only came to make sure Eggman doesn't get his hands on ya!"
The shock of the recent development snapped Sally out of her daze.
"She… she actually saved me."
Bunnie could've just let her fall. She couldn't just grabbed Mina, who she came here for, and just ran before leaving Sally to her fate. It was the easiest and most selfish thing that the rabbit could do. Even Sally could see that.
Heck, she would've expected it.
And yet Bunnie still caught her.
Just like the one she knew would've.
"Maybe a part of her is still the Bunnie I knew."
Sally chuckled, a relieved and honest one. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me yet, badnik." Bunnie let go and allowed Sally to float alongside her. "Ah hope you've gotta plan. Or at least some more firepower in you."
The robian looked at Metal Sonic, who seemed to be assessing its situation. It wouldn't last long, so they only had a few more seconds.
"Take Mina and fly."
"What?!" Mina asked, her eyes wide in shock.
"It's going to chase after you." Sally's eyes narrowed at Metal Sonic. "Whatever's inside that thing… it's sadistic."
Nicole let out a groan. YOU HAVE NO IDEA.
"So it's going to chase after you to hurt me."
"So ah'm bait?" Bunnie growled. "That's yer big plan?"
"No. You'll know when you can drop her off. And when you do…" She looked back at Mina. "…You need to run as fast as you can."
"But…!"
"No buts."
Their planning was now at an end. Metal Sonic's turbines were coming to life.
Cursing, the hooligan grabbed Mina and tore her off Sally before flying down the street. As she had predicted, Metal Sonic shot after Bunnie and Mina, completely ignoring her as it chased after the new version of her friend and the singer.
"So, you really do want to kill them in front of me."
Sally had Nicole put her thrusters into overdrive as she chased after the hedgehog.
"Eggman isn't in there, is he?" She asked Nicole in her head as she watched Bunnie hold onto Mina tightly with her right hand while aiming behind her with her left. Projectiles fired out, only for Metal Sonic to activate its Black Shield and prevent any damage. "That voice… those words… he wouldn't have said them."
…NO. IT WAS THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OF METAL SONIC. Nicole admitted. SALLY… THIS VERSION OF METAL SONIC IS DIFFERENT. IT HAS ITS OWN SENSE OF SELF. IT…
"Yeah, sounded like an evil creep." Eggman would've taken time to mock her. To laugh at her and make fun of her state of being. The voice from Metal Sonic was cold and angry.
But it also made him predictable.
Energy: 45%
Fuel: 50%
"Nicole… would my shield be able to interfere with Metal Sonic's Black Shield?"
Her friend was silent for a second as she ran the calculations.
…YES. AND I CAN SEE A SUBROUTINE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO TRAP AN ENEMY WITHIN IT. BUT IT WILL USE A LOT OF POWER.
Sally smirked. "Then let's do that."
As she drew closer, Metal Sonic seemed to notice her presence. It turned around to face her, glaring at her before lowering its shield. The badnik began to glow as it charged its lasers.
"NOW!"
FULL BODY LIGHT SHIELD: ACTIVATED
Her body glowed before a sphere of blue light was projected around her. The blasts from Metal Sonic bounced off harmlessly, the shield only rippling slightly.
CAPTURE SHIELD: ACTIVATED
KICK, SALLY!
With a scream, the robian kicked the shield from the inside. It shot out, the walls passing over her harmlessly as it flew over to Metal Sonic. It activated its Black Shield, purely out of reflex, before the blue light shield made contact with it. There was a sound like a scream as the two shields made contact before bursting .
Sally cried out, her visual feed turning to static as she clutched her head. It only lasted for a second before the feed returned to normal, and she saw Metal Sonic was twitching while smoke came from him.
Bunnie, however, was also clutching the side of her head.
And Mina was falling while they were still five stories above the street.
"NO!"
"This is it, huh?"
So she was going to die.
Mina Mongoose held the Magenta Wisp close to her chest. The little guy had been brave, so brave throughout the entire ordeal. Because it had trusted her. Its savior.
"The first person I had actually saved."
A part of her was happy. Before, she had been a screw up. She couldn't do anything right. She messed up constantly. Messed up in saving people, messed up being part of the Freedom Fighters, messed up as a speedster, and even messed up as a singer.
Mina Mongoose was a screw up. That seemed to be the way of the world.
Always running away. Always making bad decisions because she was a scared crybaby. Letting Sonic, Ash, her bandmates, and even Sally fight her battles. The one battle she actually fought was against someone who didn't deserve it.
But now?
Now she did something right.
She saved the Wisp.
Mina closed her eyes.
"I… I just wish I could've done more."
Hopefully her body would shield the Wisp from the impact…
The Wisp let out a cry and she felt something enter her body. Mina's eyes opened wide as energy filled her. She could feel her body shifting and… and it felt light! Lighter than air!
RHYTHM!
That one word filled her mind, and instantly Mina's head filled with music notes. She was a music note! A song filled her head, a tune played on a piano from years ago.
Her mind went to an image of a yellow-furred mongoose sitting in front of a piano, smiling as he played on it.
"Dad's song…!"
Up and down. She and the Wisp bounced up and down to the beat of her father's song. Slowly and peacefully descending to the street until they were touching the ground.
The energy left Mina, and she felt her two bare feet touch the asphalt before the held out her hands to hold the exhausted Wisp. "Did… did you do that?" She asked, holding onto the thing.
It gave her a tired nod.
The singer chuckled, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I… I was supposed to be saving you, you know. That's unfair."
She'd done something right… and in turn, the Wisp had done right by her.
It was a start.
"GET MOVIN', GIRL!"
She looked up and saw Bunnie, the Bunnie of this world, screaming at her while Metal Sonic shook its head. Sally crashed into it shoulder-first, knocking the badnik into a signpost.
Nodding, Mina put the Wisp on top of her head and shouted, "Hold on!" She used her speed and raced down the street, passing block after block while cars honked and people ran around her.
"They can handle it. They can…"
There was a crackle in the air that grew louder and louder with each passing second. Mina turned her head to see Metal Sonic right behind her. But it was surrounded by a yellow orange energy that crackled like electricity, scorching each and every car that it passed.
It was gaining on her!
Gritting her teeth, Mina ran. But it felt like her legs were becoming rubber. Her feet were moaning in pain, the strain becoming too much. "I can't do it! I can't…"
"Y'know, if you practiced you'd be pretty incredible."
Sonic's voice, the voice of the boy she loved and the friend she admired, spoke in her head. It was laid back and cocky, but still full of warmth. Just as she remembered it.
It was a private conversation, back when he was helping her practice with her speed. Back when she could barely control it…
"I mean, sure, you probably wouldn't be as fast as me but… You'd still be pretty cool!"
"Thanks, Sonic!"
"But you gotta learn some tricks to better control it. To know when to shoot off like a bullet and when to skid to a stop. Sometimes you gotta really juice it, y'know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like, say you're lookin' at one of Eggman's machines. It's closing in on you and you've gotta overshoot it before it can even know what's happening. So you've gotta go fast, faster than anyone could've ever known you could go. I have this little trick, you see…."
"But I'm not as fast as you!"
She remembered Sonic's sunny grin.
"Doesn't mean you can't try!"
Mina's hands clenched into fists.
She had to try.
She had to try and do something!
"Now, pay attention! The first step to this trick is that you've gotta let go of all your fears…"
Mina skid to a stop and leaned back, not caring about the pain as Metal Sonic went over her. It was already turning around, but its energy field was growing smaller.
"The next step is that you have to hold yourself in place… and then run. Run like you've never run before."
The mongoose was tired.
Tired of sitting on the sidelines. Of freezing up. Of never doing anything as people like Eggman and Mogul pushed her around like a pawn on a chessboard. Of letting the men she loved, like Sonic and Ash, fight her battles for her.
Mina took off her jacket and held it in her left hand. She crouched down, her right hand on the ground as she got into a starting position.
Her legs were moving as she held herself in place.
"Then, you've gotta focus on where you're going…"
Metal Sonic had fully turned around. Its energy shield now like a small egg around its body as it raced towards her.
The mongoose grit her teeth as she ignored the pain. Her legs were now a blur of speed. She could hear the wind rushing behind her as she kicked up air.
She could see on the reflection of a glass storefront that her legs were now a yellow blur that looked like a horizontal eight.
"…And have no regrets."
Mina lifted her right hand and shot forward.
Her speed was unlike anything else she had done before. Everything was a blur of motion and color as her eyes focused on Metal Sonic. The Wisp was clutching desperately onto her hair as they raced towards it.
"That's what I call the Super Peel Out!"
Metal Sonic's energy field was now gone, and it seemed to be struggling to keep up its head. The mongoose lifted her jacket and held it it both hands before the badnik's head made contact with it.
Her arm muscles screamed in pain, but Mina yelled before she dragged Metal Sonic with her. Lowering her arms, she forced Metal Sonic's head and body to smash against the ground. She dragged them, shredding the jacket completely as sparks from Metal Sonic's body flew. Soon, the jacket tore and the badnik was willing on the street like a metal rag doll.
"I hope that wrecked something important!"
But, as quickly as it came, the speed was leaving her. She stumbled before rolling onto the street, gaspin in exhaustion and pain while staring at the starless night with neon flashing around her.
The Wisp crawled over her forehead and looked down at her.
Mina couldn't help but give it an awkward grin. "S-Sorry for the rough ride…"
The Wisp closed its eye, but in a way that seemed like it was smiling.
Groaning, the singer pushed herself up and looked to the right.
Metal Sonic… was shaking its head and getting up.
She let out a groan.
"So much for my big plan…"
But two figures dropped from above and in front of her.
Sally and Bunnie here.
"Nicole!" The leader of the Freedom Fighters shouted. "Fire it, now!"
A red light glowed from atop the robian's head before a red beam shot out. The mongoose could see from the space between Sally's legs that Metal Sonic was beginning to raise its shield but it was too late.
While the shield protected its head and most of its body from the blast, the left arm flew off with a shower of sparks. It flew through the air before landing further down the street, twitching as if it were still alive.
Sally stumbled back and clutched her head as the light died down, smoke rising from the top.
"Ya didn't kill it!" Bunnie shouted. "It's still kickin'!"
Even Mina could see that. Metal Sonic was now clutching at the stump of where its left arm used to be, all the while its gaze not breaking from them.
"Yeah, I know…" Sally breathed out. "But…"
Metal Sonic then suddenly dropped the shield and flew off, picking up its arm before ascending to the sky and leaving behind a sonic boom.
"…I think it knows it's better to retreat rather than destroy itself to get to us."
Mina let out a sigh of relief and allowed a small smile to grace her face.
It was finally over.
Power: 10%
Sally hated how much that simple number scared her.
Only ten percent before she completely lost power? What would happen when it hit zero?
YOU WILL BE FINE, SALLY. Nicole assured her. I AM ALREADY SENDING MESSAGES TO NEARBY RESTORATION MEMBERS FOR RECOVERY. THEY'LL BRING YOU TO THE LOCAL MACHINE SHOP IN NO TIME.
"Good, because I'm pretty banged up…"
A loud whistle cut through the air, and she looked to her right to see Bunnie staring up at Metal Sonic's rapidly disappearing form.
"That… was a close one." She glanced behind her towards Mina, who was struggling to get herself up. "Now then…"
"Bunnie." She allowed the sadness to be apparent in her tone. "Please. Don't."
The bunny glared at her, but there wasn't any malice in the look. Simply tired resignation. "Ah got debts to pay, badnik. Ah can't afford to let her go."
"…Because of the bomb, right?" Bunnie's eyes widened, and the robian chipmunk shook her head. "It wasn't that hard to figure out."
"How…?"
"I've got a friend inside me. She… she detected it." Sally tapped the side of her head. "Back when we were fighting earlier. I wanted her to shut off your limbs and…"
"Then you know why ah can't afford to let her stay here!" The rabbit hissed, pointing at Mina. "Ah need to get paid! Otherwise, ah'm dead and so's everybody else!"
"…Nicole?"
IT'S DONE, SALLY.
Sally let out a sigh of relief before looking at the hooligan dead in the eyes. "The bomb's deactivated."
Bunnie blinked. "What…?"
"The bomb's deactivated. It's in your left thigh." She pointed at the area. "You can have it removed without it exploding."
The rabbit stood there, jaw agape while taking a step back. She looked as if she couldn't believe it. As if this very scenario went against everything she knew about reality.
Sally could kind of understand how that felt.
"Y-You're lying." Bunnie pointed at her, her eyes narrowing. "Is this some new mind game of yours?"
"No." Sally shook her head. "No mind games. I'm telling you the truth."
"Why should ah believe any of this?!"
"Because… because I'm doing this for the memory of a friend." The robian looked down, she could already see the droplets of oil falling to the ground. "…Because she wouldn't want you to suffer like this. She'd want you to be free."
Bunnie D'Coolette was a Freedom Fighter, a loving wife, and a dear friend. She was a girl who would do what was right no matter what, to save her home and loved ones.
She was a woman who Sally admired and loved.
Her smile… her accent… her golden hair…
She shined so brightly in her memories now.
Sally looked up at the new Bunnie, who was looking at her in disbelief.
"You're free now, Bunnie Rabbot." Sally said through metal lips. "What you do next is up to you."
"BUNNIE!"
Both of their heads cocked up to see Nack riding the Marvelous Queen as it flew. Two of the sidecars were full, one with Bark clutching his head while the other had Bean waving animatedly at her.
The third sidecar was empty, the one for the last member of the Hooligans.
"This job is a bust!" Nack aimed his gun at Sally, glaring at her. "We're leaving!"
Bunnie looked at Sally, her lips a thin line for a second before she slowly began walking forward. She crouched down and leapt, her arm extending before dragging the rabbit into the sidecar where she lowered her hat to shield her face.
And with that, the Hooligans sped off into the distance.
Power: 5%
SALLY, SIT DOWN!
Sally did as she was told and sat on the street. She could hear people clapping and celebrating around her. Overhead she could see fly-like badniks buzzing around, the emblem of KBC News written on their sides as the lenses zoomed in on her and Mina.
The mongoose looked at her before looking away in shame. "Sally, I…"
"We'll talk later." The robian assured her. "But… Mina. I'm sorry."
The singer blinked. "Huh?'
"It was wrong, saying you were a fake Freedom Fighter." Sally smiled. "And I was an idiot for calling you that. You were always a Freedom Fighter… and what you did proved it."
Before Mina could respond, Sally flopped onto her back and looked up to the sky.
She was scared.
But there wasn't much she could do.
"Nicole…"
I WILL BE WITH YOU, SALLY. IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY.
Sally Acorn closed her eyes.
"Thank you."
POWER SAVE MODE: ACTIVATED.
When the sea of black washed over her mind, Sally was not afraid.
She and her friends had won, and Nicole was by her side.
That was enough.
To Be Continued…
Notes: You go for a walk, inspiration hits, and then in a fit of coffee-induced madness you spend the rest of the afternoon hammering out close to 6K words to finish things.
God, I'm so tired but so happy because now I can FINALLY get this stupid chapter out of my head!
I'm so happy for how it turned out, and I hope you are as well.
Sally is awesome, Bunnie is awesome, Mina is awesome, and Metal Sonic is scary awesome.
All in all, I just hope everyone enjoyed this as much as I did.
So please everyone… leave your thoughts in a review and try to see if you can add to the TV Tropes page!
Until next time!