Bad Future Chapter 3

[Replaying Memory Log]

"Oh, Metal Sonic, you came so close. For a moment there, I actually thought you were going to win." Dr. Eggman said. "You had them on the ropes, your plan was nearly perfect. I must admit, I forgot I'd programmed the Neo form into your hardware. Sometimes even my own genius eludes me. I must say, you put on quite the show, even transforming into Metal Overlord. What a spectacular fight that was. It's unfortunate that the blue rodent had his friends with him to stop you. If he was alone, you just might've won."

Eggman continued his musings while Metal Sonic lay suspended by chains that stretched to the ceiling, his body in some kind of sleep mode. "Maybe next time I'll program a super form into you, that'll show the rodent. That is, if I ever decide to upgrade you to Neo again, which will not be happening anytime soon. You rebelled against daddy, and for that, I cannot simply let you go with a slap on the wrist."

The doctors smile widened as his glasses became mirrors of white light. "Now relax, Metal, this wont hurt a bit..."

Bad Future Chapter 3: Not Quite Neo

"Metal Sonic? Is this thing on? Can you hear me?" Silver asked, speaking into the microphone aboard the egg carrier. "...Right, you can't speak, sorry. We're seeing everything you are, so maybe give us, I dunno, a thumbs up?" The machine responded with a thumbs up. Suddenly the screen went blank. "What the?" Silver glanced around spotting Surge looking nervous, her finger pressed onto a button.

"Oops."

"Surge! Don't mess with the control panel." Silver scolded. He searched for the button she pressed, pressing it again, flipping the screen back on. He took a quick breath of relief. "Sorry Metal, can you still read me?" Another thumbs up. "Okay, good, let's go over the mission again."

"You're looking for a Miles Electric in his lab over in Central City." Silver continued. "The city is pretty full of Zombots, but that shouldn't be a problem, since they don't really seem to pay you much attention. Use that to your advantage, and grab the device quickly. We'll watch from up here, and we've got Omega on standby in case you need back up."

"Are you sure sending him in there is a good idea? Didn't he get destroyed last time he went in there?" Surge asked.

"Hopefully it doesn't come to that. Metal and Omega were both built by Eggman, but Omega was built as part of a series of robots, where Metal Sonic is one of a kind. That, and Eggman is constantly making upgrades to him as well. If everything goes smoothly, then we have nothing to worry about." Silver concluded. Surge didn't look entirely convinced, but she chose not to question him further.

Meanwhile, Metal Sonic continued his flight above the city, hovering tens of feet above the streets below, searching for the laboratory. Finally, he locked onto the fox head shaped building. It looked rough, having its garage door seemingly blown off by some kind of explosion. Metal hovered down to it until he landed with a soft thud. Stepping into the laboratory, he activated his night-vision so Silver and Surge could continue watching through his optical sensors.

He swept over the entire garage, continuing into the laboratory proper. He scanned the room from top to bottom until his eyes fell onto a broken looking yellow device.

"No! It can't be broken!" Silver exclaimed.

Metal knelt down to examine the device. Sure enough, its screen had been shattered, seemingly trampled by a horde of Zombots. The devices inner circuitry was strewn about on the ground, chips and boards dotting the floor, mostly untouched, but useless in their current state. The tails logo had been scuffed out, ruined by the Zombots that had destroyed it.

"Now what do we do?" Silver asked, holding his head in his hands. This was their only chance, without that radar, it would take years to comb over Mobius and track down the chaos emeralds.

"Hey, look, Metal is doing something." Surge said, pointing at the screen.

Metal flipped up a panel on his arm, displaying a small screen with information on the machines systems. [Power: 92%. Fuel: 90%. Arsenal: 70%. Data terminal available.] They watched as Metal reached down and grabbed a chip from the broken device. He slotted it in his wrist, and the screen began a download sequence. [1%... 34%... 66%... Installed] The screen displayed a new information ticker that ran across the top of the screen. [Chaos Emerald radar installed: nearest emerald located at... Labyrinth Zone.]

"Wha... Metal, you can just do that?" Silver asked, not quite entirely convinced that this solution would be that convenient. New text appeared at the top of his screen. [Would you like me to begin searching for the emerald now?] "I... Hm... Go ahead and start the search Metal, we'll try and figure out how we're going to get Shadow into the power core without him destroying the ship. Let us know when you get the emerald."

Metal hovered over the ruins of Labyrinth Zone, seeing the gaping maw of an entrance that led straight down into the water. His emerald tracker was beeping louder, which meant that it had to be somewhere under the water. Metal knew his inferior copy struggled with this Zone, as it was one of the most dangerous places on Mobius. He pulled up data files left on the Eggnet to find out more about the Zone.

Apparently, Labyrinth Zone used to be a temple for an ancient civilization. The temple was filled with traps and trials to test the resolve of any who entered. At some point during the first Gaia rebirth cycle, the temple was flooded, and became unusable. After the events of Eggman forcing Dark Gaia to be reborn, the temple crumbled further, and the maps of the Zone had become inaccurate. The task to remap the Zone had been backlogged, which meant Metal was going in blind.

Metal walked towards the rocky outcropping that stood next to the water. For a more inferior machine, this would be a daunting task, but for him, the ultimate Eggman robot, this would be just another challenge that he would face head on. If the time traveler believed curing the ultimate weapon would help cure his master, then he would do what he needed.

Metal descended into the water. The machine knew his circuitry was waterproof, one of the many improvements Eggman had made to him during his clashes with his inferior copy. As he submerged, he took in his surroundings. The intricate stone carvings had been weathered by time, now resembling nothing more than scribbles in the rock. He used his turbine to propel himself through the water. He couldn't move nearly as fast in the water, but without a need for air, he could spend as much time as he needed searching for that emerald.

He descended deeper and deeper, avoiding the spike traps that had long since activated. His emerald radar was pinging faster and faster, meaning he was getting close. Even so, in this darkness, it was impossible to tell just where the gemstone could be. He had no communication down here, so he was truly alone on this mission. It didn't matter to him, he was used to the solitude after being alone for so long.

He might've felt a twinge of loneliness, should his programming allow it, but, alas, the machine had no feelings to speak of. He remembered at one point having a rebellious streak, a glitch in his coding that initially let him take the form of Neo Metal Sonic. This form could experience emotion, it could even talk. Sometimes he missed the ability to have a voice, as if it would make his job easier. Of course, there was no way to express any of this, he'd been made to be the perfect silent killing machine, not like Omega, not like Gemerl, not like any of the doctors other creations. He was Sonic, and the real Sonic wouldn't waste his time gloating, he'd get the job done.

Finally, a faint glow could be seen in the distance, the radar letting him know it was just ahead. He moved through the water, seeing the yellow emerald wedged underneath some rubble. He grabbed it tightly as he yanked it out from the crumbled stone. There it stood in all its glory, the yellow Chaos Emerald. The power emanating from the gemstone recharged his power cells in a matter of seconds. If he could feel, he would feel the rush of chaos energy flowing through his parts.

Suddenly, the ruins of Labyrinth Zone began to quake. Metal could see bits of stone falling through the water. He had to be quick if he wanted to escape before being buried alive. Lucky for him, the doctor built him for just that. His turbine whirred to life, propelling him through the water. He wasn't quite as fast as he would be on land, but he was still more than enough to avoid the slow falling rocks. He sped around massive boulders, twisting and winding around the narrow pathways. He arrived at the entrance to the ruins, only to be greeted by darkness.

He moved toward, the entrance, finding it entirely covered by heavy stone. In his current form, he wasn't strong enough to push through the stone. In his current form... His red irises fell on the yellow Chaos Emerald in his hand, the gemstone glowing with untold power. He didn't know if this would work or not. The first time he became Neo, he used the power of the chao and Chaos, and the second time he was manually upgraded by Dr. Eggman. The chao were all Zombots now, and the doctor had been turned into a Zombot, subsequently going missing shortly after.

He had no other options. There wasn't anyone he could contact under this rubble, no one to call on for help. He held the Chaos Emerald high, harnessing the energy it provided. His circuits surged, his joints creaked, his optics were going haywire, and yet he pressed onward. The chaos energy filled the cave with a blinding light. He could hear alarms blaring in his head, telling him he was overloading. He threw caution to the wind, it's what Sonic does after all. He pushed against the rubble, gemstone still in hand. His thruster filled the rest of the ruins with an orange glow that faded to a brilliant blue.

He felt the rock begin to shift, but he also felt his systems failing. It was a now or never, he had to break through. With all his might, he pushed against the rubble, a roar emanating from his turbine as he blasted through the rock, careening across the ground, flying forward uncontrollably. He tumbled for a bit before sliding to a stop, catching himself. He held the emerald in his hand. The mission was a success.

He flipped up his arm panel. It seemed the transformation hadn't taken place, simply boosting his power briefly, in a short boost. [Power: 100%. Fuel: 81%. Arsenal: 70%. Integrity: 92%.] This was new. He tapped on the info. [Cosmetic damage running down left optical.] He looked at a nearby puddle, gazing at his reflection. Sure enough, a gash ran from the top of his head down to his metallic cheek. What interested him was that it appeared the Neo transformation had been slightly successful. It was a small difference, but the usual bolts that marked his cheeks had been replaced with spikes, a subtle change, but a different one for sure.

"I... am_different." Metal spoke. Metal halted. Did he just speak? He wasn't capable of doing that... Unless the partial transformation let him. He felt... shock? Surprise? Excitement? He wasn't supposed to feel... right? He didn't get time to process these new emotions, he heard Silvers voice in his head.

"Metal, we need you here, now! We figured out how to get Shadow into the core, but Omega is holding him off. We need your help, and we need that Chaos Emerald, now. Please tell me you have it."

"Chaos_Emerald_Acquired. Returning_to_Egg_Carrier. ETA: 2_minutes." Metal spoke.

"Metal?! You can talk?" Silver asked. Metal began speeding towards the Egg Carrier back in Central City.

"I_can. The_Chaos_Emerald_had_an_unforeseen_effect_on_my_programming." Metal responded, flying at top speed. "When_in_Labyrinth_Zone, I_was_trapped_by_a_cave-in. I_called_upon_the_emerald's_power_and_this_is_the_result." Finally the carrier was in sight. He was over his estimation. Just how much power did the emerald give him? He flew through an access hatch and sped through the winding halls, eventually arriving at the core.

Inside, Omega could be seen firing off a barrage of bullets at the Zombot Shadow. Shadow tanked the damage, the bullets doing little more than pushing him back a few feet. Shadow ran towards the robot again, metal claws bared to destroy the robot. Silver lifted him with his psychokinesis, flinging him against a wall. Omega began his barrage once more as Silver floated over to Metal.

"Please tell me you have a plan." Silver begged. Metal nodded. The machine rushed over to Shadow, grabbing him in a vice grip, restraining the Zombots arms as he thrashed wildly. Metal looked towards the massive tube that contained the Chaos emerald, its grey light shining like a beacon in the room. "Surge, open the chamber, Metal needs to get Shadow inside." Silver called out.

"Uhh, are you sure? This screen is giving me a lot of warnings, saying not to do exactly what you told me to." Surge said, worry twinged in her voice.

"Do it now, before Shadow breaks something!" Silver shouted. Surge obliged, pressing a button on the core's control panel. The glass tube slid into the ceiling. "Metal, do it now, before Shadow brings this whole ship down!"

Metal nodded, adjusting his grip in the Zombot Shadow. He retrieved his yellow emerald, holding it in one hand and holding Shadow under his arm. Metal flew towards the gray emerald, the two shining brilliantly, filling the room with bright silver light. Silver and Surge protected their eyes as Omega prepared to fire on whatever came out of the blinding light. When the room returned to its usual luminescence, the hedgehog and tenrec needed a moment to adjust. They weren't prepared for what they would see.

Down floated Metal, carrying a cured Shadow under his arm. Silver gazed upon the familiar black and red quills of his old friend, lost to the metal virus two long years ago, now back to normal as if nothing happened. Metal Sonic laid Shadow down on the ground, letting the ultimate life form come to consciousness on his own. Metal could feel another change in his body. His shoulder pads were no longer silver, they were black, another sign of him shifting towards his Neo form.

"Interesting, it seems the more emeralds we collect, the more complete my Neo transformation becomes." Metal mused aloud.

"What the hell? You can talk?" Surge asked in bewilderment.

"I can now." Metal responded.

Silver helped Shadow lean up. "Nngh... what happened? The last thing I remember was Sonic telling me to run, and then... darkness..." Shadow said, his red eyes focusing on Silvers yellow ones.

"You were turned into a Zombot. You've been one for the past two years. I didn't even know where you were until Metal Sonic found you." Silver said, relief in his voice.

"Metal Sonic?" He noticed the machine watching over him. Shadow jumped to his feet, readying a chaos spear. "I'll destroy you!"

"Hey! Shadow, calm down, if it weren't for Metal, you wouldn't be here right now, you'd still be a Zombot. He saved your life, don't attack him!" Silver said, putting a hand on Shadow's shoulder. Shadow batted him away. "Ow!"

Omega stepped in Shadow's way. "Omega, move. Now." Shadow threatened.

"Negative." Omega replied. "Metal Sonic is an ally. He is the reason you are standing, and the reason I am no longer decommissioned. It is this units opinion that you should stand down."

"He's a threat. He's a damn Eggman robot. Aren't you programmed to destroy those?" Shadow asked angrily.

"Negative." Omega replied again. "Metal Sonic still retains some of his old programming, but he is in Failsafe Protocol. Dr. Eggman is a Zombot, Metal has no master left to serve. This unit does not know the current whereabouts of Dr. Eggman, neither does this units allies. In other words, Metal Sonic is acting of his own volition, meaning he chose to help Silver and I cure you. An Eggman robot would rather leave you to die."

Shadow stopped to process his words. A flash of realization crossed his face, before his dour demeanor returned. "Fine. I wont destroy him for now." He finally said.

"You're friend is kind of a jerk." Surge said, helping Silver to his feet.

"We are not friends." Shadow snapped at Surge. "Silver, explain. What happened?"

"...So yeah, that about sums things up." Silver said. "Then we sent Metal Sonic to find the Chaos Emerald, and the power of two emeralds seemed to cure you of your infection."

"This doesn't make any sense." Shadow said, rubbing a hand under his chin. "I am the ultimate life form. I shouldn't be susceptible to any disease or infection, how did the doctor manage to infect me?"

"Didn't you say you were created, like, fifty years ago?" Surge asked. The two had been introduced at this point. "Maybe you were created to be immune to regular kinds of diseases. From what I hear, the Metal Virus is unlike any kind of disease the world has ever seen. You're lucky you had such a quick and easy solution available to you. Metal Sonic said that in order to cure regular- er, fake Sonic, we'd have to gather all seven of the chaos emeralds." She said, correcting herself mid-sentence. She knew Metal was touchy about that stuff.

"Fine then, so we have a plan. I'll find the Chaos Emeralds and then we'll cure the world." Shadow said, rising to his feet.

"Hang on, 'you'll' do it? Don't you mean us?" Surge asked with crossed arms.

"No, I'll do it by myself. I don't need the likes of you four slowing me down, it'll be faster if I do it on my own." Shadow said with a scoff.

"Observation: You will fail if you attempt to find the Chaos Emeralds by yourself." Omega stated, pointing a metal finger at Shadow.

"What was that?" Shadow asked through clenched teeth, balling his fists.

"Omega is right, you can't do this by yourself." Silver said. "Let us help, me and Metal have a lot more experience surviving out there. You'll stand a better chance of finding them if we work as a team."

"No. I will be doing this on my own." Shadow said angrily, snatching up the yellow Chaos Emerald. Metal Sonic flew at Shadow before he could teleport away, pinning him to the wall and forcing him to drop the Chaos Emerald.

"Even if we trusted you to handle this on your own, which I do not, we will not risk loosing another Chaos Emerald." Metal stated, Red irises locked with Shadow's. "You were still taken by the virus, it stands to reason you will be taken again. I will not risk the safety of my master's world over your ego."

"Let me go. Now." Shadow sneered dangerously. "I was serious earlier about destroying you. Don't expect me to relent now just because you've done one could thing in your pathetic existence."

"Need I remind you that you lost on your own." Metal said. "The ultimate weapon cannot throw itself away so carelessly again." Shadow shoved Metal off him, jumping into the air and kicking the machine away.

"Call me a weapon again!" Shadow shouted at the machine. "I wont let a faker tell me what to do." He sneered. This set Metal off, sending him blasting towards Shadow. Shadow charged with his own cry. "Looks like I need to take out the trash on my way out."

Behold, the fabled chapter 3. I know, I know, I'm pretty late. To be fair, I was busy (sort of). College takes time, but luckily, I've got a bit of a breaks this Thanksgiving break coming up, so here it is. This should be the cast of characters moving forward. Quite the unlikely bunch, but I really like them. To people who may not like the way Shadow is characterized, I'd like to remind you this is Metal Virus Shadow, the same guy that stayed behind to fight Zombots and get himself infected for his own pride. He wont bet this insufferable for much longer, I've got plans to mellow him out... eventually.

Omega, Silver, and Surge didn't get to do much this chapter. In my first draft, they talked a bit more, and the team worked together to get the radar, but it was kind of boring, so I scrapped it and wrote this instead. Metal Sonic is always going to be the main character of this story (because he's my favorite and because he has the most potential for character development).

I don't have much else to say, except to be on the lookout for chapter four whenever I decide to release it. For anyone who thinks they know where this story is going, I promise you don't (I don't even know). Until next time.

-Tomato