Metallic Need
Ch. 5
By: Cutegirlmayra (I'm trying to get this done, lol XD But all I want to do is write more of Pokemon Daycare! haha I'm sorry, but not really? I told myself I need to write this chapter before I do Pokemon Daycare's next chapter, so that way I'm more motivated to write it. hehe making deals in my head~ anyway, enjoy~ :3 EDITS: Tried to unify it and get some hints into Season 2 coming soon. So... enjoy the edits! :3c )
Metal Amy and Amy Rose fought in a clash of balanced power, flinging one another back on occasion, and seeming to truly try and weaken the other into defeat.
Metal Amy's eyes showed screens of data as she fought. Each of her programmed, precisioned steps and attacks all aimed to end Amy's life.
The saddest part of it all was that she could tell that Amy was holding back her swings, only trying to damage her and nothing more.
To capture her while Metal Any was down? To give Tails his chance to recreate her as Metal Sonic would do. To refine her into whatever was necessary to their wills.
Though she was sure his hands wouldn't destroy her as Metal Sonic's cruel touch often brought. Still... she quietly hoped Amy would win.
But it was improbable, and highly unlikely.
'To destroy you…' Metal Amy thought, swinging her hammer around and blocking an on-coming attack. '…Would be like destroying a precious dream…' She rebounded with a powerful kick to have Amy lose her balance, then served her hammer up into a powerful hit like a golfer would with his club. Amy went flying upwards as Tails cried out to her.
"Amy!"
Metal Amy jumped and activated her jets, continually hitting combos on Amy as she was at a loss for defensive counters while within the air.
'I've always admired you.'
With every swing and hit, the sorrow in Metal Amy's face grew; However, her body had its orders, and she had no choice…
Amy fell to the ground, rolling a bit and bouncing before finally coming to a halt. Struggling to get up, she saw Metal Amy approaching her to deal the final blow…
'I've envied you, treasured you… mimicked you to the littlest detail… to destroy you now… would be admitting Metal Sonic won.'
She raised her hammer high. Her eyes flickering between red and green. Robot,... and the 'heart' software she was reunited with.
It made this all the more tragic and heartbreaking...
'That all I've ever wanted is nothing compared to my objectives given by my Master… that I am… never to be… anything but… what he.. desires.. me to … to…'
Her arm twitched as Amy noticed through her shielding hands that hung up to block any further attack, peeking through a slit in her bent arms, that Metal Amy was hesitating.
"If you come into contact with Amy Rose again… you are to attack her… destroy her until there's nothing left or given alternative instruction. Understood?"
"G…Goodbye… Amy… Rose."
"Not while I'm standing here! Hah!"
Tails threw a last-minute device he created, 'This has to do it!' he thought as he had taken his various tech that was on him and constructed a makeshift electrical reversal whilst the two fought.
"Gah…AHHHH!" The device latched onto Metal Amy like a parasite, drilling itself a little deeper into her systems, before blasting out a magnetic disruptor that took all her electricity and flowed it backwards. Metal Amy was shocked with the reverse flow of harmful electrical energy. It shot through and short-circuited her functions like thunder escaping out of her metallic body, destroying her systems internally that were meant to push it along, having it flung back out of her in unnatural ways. The magnet, not withholding anything back, began to electrocute her from the inside out. It attacked her power boxes as they jammed with too much power coming in the opposite direction, not able to disperse it out correctly. Since their primary design was to push power out, not contain it, the electricity had nowhere else to go and exploded. Multiple systems began to short-fuse, causing many explosions on all parts of her exterior. She lost her ability to move her arm, her body, everything... sight and hearing... it was starting to all blast from within her like the meteors in space, tearing her apart. Her multiple batteries started frying and becoming obsolete. This was the end.
"I…I-erk… H-help…bzzzz." Metal Amy sent out a distress call before falling to the ground, twitching from the electric override that literally stunned her body into malfunctioning. Her voice box was damaged too, and almost everything else, as her head seemed to be going through an emergency shut down. Her eyes flashed a red 'WARNING' sign over and over again as she panicked, but her senses started to slowly fade off… much like her consciousness.
Her body twitched more softly now, but more explosions kept going off. One battery failure turned into two that were now crushed and exploding. Smoke and fried metal... was this the freedom Organic Tails had spoke of?
The last of her reserved batteries were being overflowed.
"M-Met...al...Son...ic..."
She could feel her master's wavelength, trying to find out what was happening.
Why was his signal so... comforting to her in the end?
Was it because she was so accustomed to death by his familiar steel, cold hands? And now, a stranger has taken that place, leaving her to wonder what will become of her?
At least in his hands... she knew she would awaken again.
At least... his hands... held and traced her... a dark admiring of power over life and death, beauty and loss.
Was she scared because something was taken her away that wasn't by her master's doing?
Or was it... something more... more than a robot could understand.
Her red eyes faded to grey.
"I..I did it... I won!" Tails jumped happily up in the air, fist pumping the sky.
"We beat her!"
"Metal Me…"
Amy moved closer to the deactivated robot counterfeit, and placed her burnt head gently to her lap, turning her over. "Will… will she be okay?" Even after that brutal fight, Amy's kind and loving gaze still held for Metal Amy, feeling sorry for her being forced to fight when she knew that's not what she really wanted.
"Oh, uh.." Tails scratched his head, coming over and realizing this robot meant a lot to Amy. For some reason, Amy had a history of really caring about misunderstood villains… "She's been pretty damaged... But if I change the circuitry and electrical outlets, maybe batteries too, I think I'll have her running in less than two days from now." Tails calculated and gave her a confident look of hope, letting Amy know it was okay for her to be knocked out for now. He bent down with her and they both tried to lift Metal Amy, but she was too heavy, even for the both of them.
"Phew, for a lady, she really has some weight to her." Amy sweatdropped, closing her eyes and straining as she pulled her up, her head leaning back with the action and her teeth gritting together.
"Well, looks can be deceiving. She's completely made of metal, inside and out, so you can only imagine what it must feel like for one of these guys to step on your toes." Tails humored himself, as Amy looked annoyed at him.
"I just got swung at by that hammer, kicked in the gut, and pretty much slammed to the ground by all her force… I understand the feeling." Amy countered right back, making Tails pout and look at her sarcastically.
"I know, I know… I was there." He commented, but then flashed her a smile. "You did good, Amy. I'm proud of ya." He started using his wrist communicator to contact Knuckles, and see where he was.
"Hehe, were you trying to sound like Sonic just then?" Amy giggled, liking the mimicry. "Cause if so, thank you."
"Heh, spending so much time with him really changes ya." Tails rolled his eyes, and suddenly saw a separate signal on his wrist watch. Growing concerned, he hacked it as quickly as he could, and saw… "Oh no! She sent a distress signal! We have to move her now!" Tails flew up, trying to at least get her upper half off the ground. "So… h-heavy…!"
Amy helped from below, as just then, Knuckles ran out into the field. He gasped as he seemed to have collected the emeralds back, "Boy, that Metal Me really knows how to deal a punch. Not to mention my poor, aching toes!"
"Not now, Knuckles!"
"Help us!"
"O-oh, right…"
Knuckles rushed up, and with his added brute force, got Metal Amy successfully off the ground as they high-tailed it to Tails's workshop.
"I have a system installed to block all radio transmissions that aren't on my channel. We should be able to hide her easily, but if he has a tracker, then we need to hurry and get her there fast!" Eggman had hacked Tails's channel before though… so he needed to make sure to double ensure the security more carefully…
"Got it!" Amy charged ahead, not wanting Metal Sonic to get her Metal counterpart back. She truly felt the desire to help Metal Amy, an odd kinship of sorts, as she was determined to take care of her. "I won't let that low life teach my Metal self that having feelings is wrong!" Amy, with a firece bite of her teeth, suddenly propelled herself forward, forcing the other two to try and keep up.
"W-woah! A-A-Amy!" Tails was flung forward, having chosen to fly in the air to move faster. He wanted to tell Amy to 'hold on!' or 'slow down!' but realized it was probably best to be dragged along then slowed down. They needed to hustle to get to safety, and if that meant Amy charging through the forest with Knuckles and Tails struggling to keep up, then so be it.
If Metal Sonic or the others countered them now… they'd lose their one chance to learn about what Metal Sonic was really planning!
Sonic and Eggman still fought Metal Sonic as Metal Tails flew back in, the alarm finally going off as Eggman and Sonic worked together to try and get Metal Sonic under control.
"They've retrieved the Chaos Emeralds!" Metal Tails shouted out as Sonic's hand was pushing Metal Sonic's head back from him, locked in a power-struggle combat hold. Metal Sonic's red eyes shifted to Metal Tails in even greater rage.
"WHAT?!"
"Haha! Guess your little team of badies isn't as helpful as my true-blue friends! Eh, Metal?"
"RAAAAAHHHH!"
Metal Sonic threw Sonic off of him and charged his engine as it flew him forward through the air at rapid speeds. Another showdown in the air, filled with blurry images the eye couldn't trace cohesively, before Metal Sonic kicked Sonic down and blasted him with a laser beam. However, Sonic skillfully spun back into a lose ceiling panel, and used it as a shield before it was melted away.
"Yikes!"
"Metal Tails. DEEEAL with Eggman!"
Metal Sonic almost metallically growled out the order in such heated aggression and spite as Metal Tails turned to Eggman, and glared with a bit of a snicker as he lowered his head to make sure Metal Sonic didn't see his organic action.
"I may just enjoy this…"
"Ohh, ho? Send one of your inventions on ME, eh?" Eggman straightened himself out and rippled his fingers on the joysticks of his robot. "You underestimate your creator,… Metal Sonic!" in a bit of offense to Metal Sonic sicking his own Metal creation on him, Eggman battled Metal Tails, only to lose and be forced to retreat.
"KILL HIM." Metal Sonic turned to see Eggman escaping, as Metal Tails flew after Eggman.
"W-what?!" Sonic turned back, seeing Metal Tails fly off towards Eggman. "Look, pal. I'm flattered you want to kill me, honest, but Eggman?" Sonic couldn't just stand there and continue to fight Metal Sonic, knowing that Eggman's life could be at risk.
While Metal Sonic threw more sharp-clawed punches, Sonic dodged the swipes and headed out through jumping to a window and turning his back to Metal Sonic, saluting with two fingers together up by his head and then flicking them away, "It was fun, but I don't like the sound of one against Eggman... Unless it's me!" Sonic winked an exit, dashing off as he felt Eggman couldn't defend himself against Metal Tails after having lost moments before. His robot was severely damaged, and Sonic knew he had a losing streak...
'Hang on, Egghead! Just don't do something you'll regret!' Sonic thought, losing his charming smile and gritting his teeth together, growing worried as he hurried to his aid, wind spiraling behind him.
Metal Sonic threw back his arms in rage, not wanting to let Sonic get away that easily… before seeing his eye-monitors blink red. Something was flashing on the side of his screen...
He looked down to the bottom of his eyeglass to see it, then mentally opened the data.
His eyes scanned the distress call's location, knowing Metal Amy had fallen after he detected it moments before…
Having a moment now to check, he constantly scanned, looking for her current location...
"But how..?" He was certain she could easily defeat Amy… Something wasn't right here… "Metal Tails, Metal Knuckles, fall back!" In a moment that sounded desperate, he blasted himself out from the bridge's control room, moving quickly to find her.
He seemed greatly concerned... what he feared could occur... he swore he wouldn't allow.
'They will not take her from me!'
Metal Knuckles rose his hand from below a rockslide, and almost like a zombie, his eye sticking out and sparking, he got up and flew through the air to Metal Sonic's location; being forced to obey, though he clearly didn't look ready to fight again.
Metal Tails fell back before Sonic caught up and started engaging him. Metal Tails was forced to only block and counter, before flying off to obey Metal Sonic's command.
They both wondered in the back of their minds... what was he prioritizing over Sonic? They couldn't fathom it being the defective Metal Amy, but... they had their traitorous suspicions...
"Huh, that was weird." Sonic noticed how the Robot seemed to just want to get away, as he continued his run towards Eggman, who was bent over the cockpit of his robot's control panel. It smoked from having been completely destroyed by Metal Tails seconds earlier… and he didn't seem to be responding either...
"Eggman!"
"… *cough cough*... Uhh… never before have I ever felt so humiliated.."
Eggman groaned, leaning up slightly and coughing some more from the smoke.
A big hand gripped the side of his cockpit as Sonic skid to a halt, helping him up and out. Eggman leaned on Sonic's head, a little disrespectfully, and got out of the control panel's large seat for his butt, letting all his weight fall on Sonic as he got him down to sit on the ground. "Offph!.. I don't suppose I need to tell you again that I'm not one to show gratitude." Eggman muttered.
Sonic struggled under the enormous weight, but managed all the same, even without Eggman's help. "You're welcome. But lose some pounds, will ya? I know you got an image, but sheesh! More importantly, what did you see that was different about Metal and his gang?" Sonic didn't seem to have his usual attitude as he turned back, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"...wondering why that Metal Tails didn't fight you back all that much..?"
"He's different... they all are different."
"Oh? Losing your carefree spirit already?" Eggman mocked and huffed a weak chuckle before growing serious in tone and looking ahead where Sonic was peering too…
"Metal Sonic has truly equipped himself with some pretty extraordinary foreign alloys I haven't seen before... But not only that, he seems to have neglected to work seriously on making his little 'friends' that impressive either. Compared to them, he's far more advanced. I wonder if it's all on purpose?"
"Knowing Metal, he probably wanted to be the big shot out of all of them." Sonic mocked, looking back at Eggman and folding his arms, but his face soon turned back and held a deep tone of concern. He kept staring off after them…
"Hmm… I fear it may be worst than that. They could just be decoys to get their 'original counterparts' out of the way. With counterfeits, Metal Sonic could easily cut off your friends from aiding you when times get rough. Ohh! That's pretty ingenious actually! Too bad Metal Sonic can't calculate how truly foolish that really is." Eggman folded his arms as well, perhaps to mimic Sonic out of a secret admiration, and looked down.
His mouth came up to a pondering frown that twitched slightly as he moved his mustache from drooping a bit, "Metal Sonic can't calculate the bonds between you and your friends. He doesn't realize that studying your individual strengths alone isn't enough to defeat you. Together, you all are pretty impressive and seem to do practically the impossible. For a robot, impossible isn't even a scenario."
"So… you're saying Metal Sonic's underestimating my team?" Sonic looked back, a bit surprised to hear Eggman complimenting his friendship and undying loyalty within his group of friends.
"Heh, don't take it the wrong way. I'm simply stating facts." Eggman looked back to him, getting up and seeming to grumble while stretching out his back as he did so. "Ohh...I'm just stating the obvious. Ah..." he finished cracking his back and continued, "You and your friends can be quite a force to reckon with. To get rid of them is smart, but not entirely practical. You always reunite in the end, and trust me… it's very annoying…" Eggman grumbled out yet another displeased rasp before turning from Sonic and starting to put some wires together on his robot, moving back up to it and fixing what he could to get Orbot and Cubot a signal to pick him up.
"Anyway, I'm quite fond of the idea of Metal Sonic tearing you apart, but just to be clear…" Eggman shifted his head back, just over his shoulder, stopping what he was doing for a moment.
"Don't let him." He stated.
Sonic saw how Eggman really didn't want Sonic or his friends to die, probably because then he couldn't have the pleasure of doing it himself, and then he'd have to take down Metal Sonic and his support himself. Especially if he wanted to take over the world, so… if Sonic destroyed him, that'd be pretty ideal for Eggman.
Sonic nodded, narrowing his eyes as he shifted and dashed, hoping to either spy on Metal Sonic or catch up with his friends. He mostly just wanted to make sure everyone was okay…
Metal Sonic blazed through the sky as he sent out a tracker signal, but nothing was being picked up. He stopped at the last located signal transmission as Metal Tails flew down and scanned for clues.
He bent down and noticed some burned metal, "Electrocuted." and began deducing what must have happened.
"Combat… there are footprints everywhere, but Metal Amy was not alone with her opponent…" he followed the deep footprints from Metal Amy's heavy frame and then found others, much lighter, a little farther away and past the fight. This revealed his assumptions accurate, enough so to state them. He scanned the footprints... His hand moving skillfully over the grass to show them. "…As I feared, My organic copy was here. He must have used some sort of electrical tactic to burn out her systems… She's gone." He stood up, looking to his master.
In all honesty, Metal Knuckles and Metal Tails were fine with not having Metal Amy around. They had to do their own maintenance anyway since Metal Sonic was always selfish when it came to Metal Amy's abilities of renewal, keeping it for himself.
Metal Sonic paced by, turning to and fro, looking and comprehending what this could mean with growing fury. In more rage than he could contain, he flipped his head back and cried out a terrifying metallic screech, sounding familiar to Metal Amy's name but too robotic to really make out if that's what he shouted or not.
Unknown Time has Gone By…
"Ooookay… test three hundred and…*yawn* thirty-six."
Metal Amy felt her systems starting up. Her eyes blinked operational.
"All systems look clear. Most of the bugs are divvied out. Battle mode compressed to trigger command,... for now at least. And all levels of hostility look… well, clear. Once again… for now…"
Metal Amy twitched her fingers, feeling her body was slightly deferent in some way. Her systems... their connections... it was freer than before.
"'Heart' program initiated. Hope this works!"
Metal Amy's eyelids bolted open wide as she stood straight up and simulated a panting gesture, holding her chest. Her eyes shook as she felt her shoulders move up and down. Almost instinctively, she looked at her hands.
A warm green glow came off of them... her eyes?
Her 'heart'..?
"W…What has befallen me?"
"Ah! Voice box is working! Repairs look pretty much complete now…"
"T-Tails?"
"That's me!"
Tails happily spun around, having oil all over himself as he took off his lab coat and goggles, happily swishing his tails. "I thought it would only be a few days,… but Metal Sonic really coded some heavy security in ya! I really had to fend for my life a couple of times there!"
"I… I do not recall." Metal Amy looked down and away, seeing she had been laid across a long table. Tails must have placed her here while fleeing the previous battle's aftermath.
Tails just chuckled, "Yeah, you were on auto-pilot. At least, that's what I think. But I've finally got all that terrible programming out of ya! Now, you're a nice robot." Tails seemed smug at his handiwork before he took a device and plugged it into something. "Okay, now… this may be a bit of a shock." He smiled kindly to her and opened her head up by clicking down her lower quill.
She blinked, "How did you-..?"
"I've studied you up, haha." He scratched behind his head, blushing a bit at having to explain it all. "I'll admit, your design is pretty complexed... but pretty, nonetheless." He winked down at her, charmingly. His hope was to keep her calm, knowing it'd probably be strange to wake up not knowing what has happened to you, or even where you are.
However, this simple gesture of a wink sent a processing signal through Metal Amy's mind, a compartment she wasn't used too, as she realized that was a gesture of friendly joking. Immediately, she felt her receptor curl up in a kind smile, showing she accepted the gesture's intent.
That level of complexity made her flinch as she held her head. "H-how did I..?"
"Oh, that?" Tails tilted his head, knowing what must have been happening as he pulled his neck back to study her reaction. Glad his little tinkering worked on her, he grinned wider and laughed, "Haha! That, my dear girl, is genius!" he gloated slightly, wagging his tails even more and rubbing his finger under his nose as Sonic would do when proud of something he did. "I've finished your extensive 'Heart' programming. And boy, oh boy, was that a tricky task! Your earlier processing capacity wasn't very much to store it all… that's why I think you found it hard to complete it. I upgraded you substantially in your data frame and coding processes. You should have a lot more freedom of thought now… and action, haha. But um, as for the uh,... 'Master'... programming, I edited it to voice recognize-me- instead. So… You can just call me Tails." He lightly patted her shoulder, showing he wasn't very comfortable with her calling him 'Master' now that he, technically, was the one she'll be taking most her orders from. However, he wasn't planning on using it much. It was probably only there for a precaution when he was still fiddling with her systems and programming.
"So.. I am not… forced?" she tilted her head. It was so natural, she didn't realize it even happened till she thought about it. It then surprised her how fluid the 'heart' programming was, and how much a part of her it had become.
"That's right. I mean… sometimes,... I'll have to take over and give you some form or other of a command, but I won't have to do that much." He was still beaming at what he now considered his 'own' little spin on her creation, greatly proud of his improvements on her. He shot his head up from bending over to get something below for a moment, "Oh! That's right! I found that your eyes had a separate color coding. I hope you don't mind, but green really suits you better." He commented as she once again looked at her hand, seeing the warm green glow on them from her eyes, and smiled.
"I like the fact that my eyes aren't a piercing red anymore…"
No longer a 'perfect' robot… But a 'free' robot…
Metal Sonic…
She tightened her fist and glanced away, still afraid of him.
"You have taken me from my original master, given me a new objective, and rebuilt me. All this against my will… How is this any better than Metal Sonic's control over me?"
"...Wait, wasn't this what you wanted?" Tails looked confused, gesturing his hands out. "I don't understand... Amy said-"
At that moment, Amy burst through the door, holding some oil cans on a tray. "BREEEAKKKKFEASSST~" she cried out, seeing as their voices could be heard inside the house.
"Amy… I thought I told you to wait till I gave the signal?" Tails looked upset, "She could still attack you!"
"Oh, please!" Amy motioned her hand out to Tails, raising and dropping it as if to 'whatever' his statement away. "It's all fine~ I mean, look at her! She's up and running without that death-seeking look in her eyes!"
"I changed them to green." Tails commented, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "It was in her coding already, anyway. A simple tweak. No biggie."
"Ohhh~ So… glowy." Amy leaned up on the table, looking into Metal Amy's eyes and then slowly backing away. She was still a bit afraid of how Metallic they looked… "Anyway, eat up!" Amy put the warm oil in front of Metal Amy.
She blinked as she looked at it. "…'Drink' up?"
"…Uhh…" Amy blinked and held a finger up to her mouth, looking to Tails to explain to her.
"You can now take in oil through your receptor, just slide it back." Tails stated as Metal Amy remembered the black, conductive slate…
"That is improbable, I have a-" she slid it back as it revealed to be an opening, and she moved her finger in it, realizing he had taken the black slate out.
"…"
"Y-yeah… I wasn't sure why an electrical outlet-like device was there… looks like it was for charging, but as I understand, there were some on your hands too." Tails pointed to them, revealing they were gone too. "But..." He lifted the finger and curved it back to her receptor, "There..? Looks kinda illogical to me." He seemed very confused but shrugged it off. "Either way, you now have a way of digesting oil in your systems, like one of us would to eat or drink." He smiled and turned away, walking out a moment. "Stay sharp, Amy. I don't know if there are any more bugs in her just yet. Help her move around and eat, I've already charged her to her full capacity, so she should be fine." He walked out, as Amy joyfully grabbed Metal Amy's hand, glad to finally be alone to talk with her now.
The gesture shocked Metal Amy a bit as she stared at her, then her hand, then back at her.
"Why do you show this friendly gesture?" she asked.
"Hehe! Isn't it great?! Now you can be what you want to be! No more meanie Metal Sonic telling you what to do!"
Metal Amy's eyelids drooped slightly. Her systems admire Amy's flexible skin around her mouth known as lips... the way her eyes held no circuitry patterns or lights... the vocal patterns she produced with air and muscle vibrating through her throat...
"Besides! Now that you're free from Metal's judgment, you can decide your own life now. Of course, you'll have to complete the first mission and all,… but after that-!" She leaned further towards Metal Amy, whose mind was now seeing her with red eyes, a blue tint... consequences...
"You're free!" Amy sprang her arms up, releasing her own, and then hugged Metal Amy as she blinked her eyes. She felt a bit torn between loyalties... and didn't know for sure why…
"I…Yes… this is… nice." She concluded, having her head turned and squished up against Amy Rose's. Was this nice? knowing what the word meant now, she figured it was appropriate to say this to Organics in these social situations. As Amy pulled away, Metal Amy could detect signs of sorrow.
"What have I done? Why do your eyebrows move upwards in concern? Why do you frown and not smile like before? Have I offended you? Made you sad in some way?" She was truly worried about Amy's sudden behavioral change, as she moved her hands up shook them out in front of herself, trying to show she didn't want to offend or hurt Amy in any way.
No... Not the one thing she admired and envied most in the world... Never her.
"No, no… it's not that, it's just…" Amy looked away. "You seem… to not like what has happened. I thought you'd be happy,… you seemed to want this, last we met… But with Tails..." Amy turned back, "Are you okay?" she wondered why Metal Amy wasn't showing signs of happiness, as she was now programmed to show.
"…I…I am…" Metal Amy wanted to be honest with Amy,… but fearing these 'New Masters' will find error in her. Without Metal Sonic's... or Tails's instruction regarding her purpose, she felt-figuratively speaking- she had to bite her tongue.
She held her can of oil like she was programmed too, as if she was holding a cup of tea, and simulated a closed smile up to Amy. "Okay."
Amy looked her face over a moment and then smiled. "Good! I'm glad!" she smiled back, giddy as ever as if having found out she now had a sister. "Teehee, you deserve the best. After all, you are a robo-version of moi~"
"Moi?"
"Me. In French? Oh man, Tails hasn't equipped you with modern slang, has he?"
"Oh no, I understand Organic slang."
"…Organic what now?"
A few hours later
Amy Rose began to move strangely in Tails's kitchen, spinning and staying on her toes as she did so; all the while Metal Amy was getting a briefing by Tails before he noticed she wasn't paying any attention to him. In fact, her eyes were very obviously glued to each turn and every swish of Amy's hair, clothes, and body as she moved around while the other strange noise played nearby.
"M.A." Tails called, looking a bit annoyed at her clearly ignoring him.
"Ah!" She quickly brought her attention back to him, blinking her eyes to show surprise at being found out. She really did love her new emotion system, and studying Amy and Tails up close like this really proved to be helpful in adding extra details to her 'Heart' system. Tails had once told her she could keep editing it, and she constantly did so at every possible convenience.
"Did you hear a word I said?" he asked.
Her spy system activated and she repeated all she had recorded, down to Tails's voice. "M.A. This is very important. Now, I need you to spy on Metal Sonic. Tell us what he's planning and when. If we know his plan, we may know how to stop him from implementing it. This is really important, you have to pretend to still be under his control, even though you won't be. I'll be hooked up to your spy system and seeing everything you are. But again, you have to lay low, at least, until we can get the information we need."
"…I don't remember programming you to be a smart aleck." Tails folded his arms, but you could tell he was just messing with her, and fond of her little joke.
She smiled weakly, "I was just interested in knowing why Amy moved so oddly in the kitchen just now."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Tails looked over to where Amy was. "She's just dancing to music… Oh. Right." He realized that's what she meant.
"…Dancing?" she wiggled her head back and her metallic, bendable eyebrows furrowed slightly. Metal Sonic would clearly be able to tell her emotions were fiddled with and even her form if she didn't put a tight lid on it. But Tails had thought of everything, even making a feature that would fool Metal Sonic into believing he was receiving and sending her signals again; although, his inputs wouldn't wirelessly control her anymore.
"Y-yeah." Tails nervously stated, sweatdropping a little in awkwardness at trying to think of a way to explain it. Seeing Amy's dancing was a little foreign to Metal Amy, he wanted to simplify it for her the best way he could.
"Music—to us—makes us feel things. When the beats are good, we like to move to them. It makes us happy." He explained.
"…Rhythmic noises and long-held voices make you feel things?" she tilted her head to the other side, "Is it from the vibrations? Or maybe the brain being triggered by the repeated sounds, or-"
"It… it's just something that you may not be able to grasp, M.A." he looked down, not sure how to describe music to a robot.
"…O-oh." Metal Amy looked down, her hands out in front of her. She was really excited to learn something new about organics and how they felt emotion, but…
She was a robot.
All she did was simulate and try to understand.
She realized she was never going to be able to fully understand them, even being this close to observing them… and that made her very sad.
'Then… what's the point?'
"Sonic!" Amy exclaimed, seeing him dash through the window and swing her around, dancing with her.
"No one told me we were having a party!" Sonic kid and spun her away as she 'woa-oa-oah!'d away in dizzy circles while he came up to Tails, but stopped to look at Metal Amy.
"Ah, it's the cute nurse." He greeted and bowed humbly. "How do you do?"
Metal Amy giggled as Amy rushed in, her quills all in a mess from being spun around so fast. She looked amazed at something, "Did you just call her cute..?"
Sonic got back up from his bow and looked to Tails, ignoring Amy, and placed his hands on his hips. "Are we ready for stage one?"
"I think so. M.A was just curious about dancing." Tails stated, smiling awkwardly. "I couldn't really explain it very well..."
"Oh?" he held an odd sense of curiosity in his face, slightly fascinated that a robot would be curious about such things, but also unsure of it. It was… odd to him,... but he didn't condone it. "Well, let's see what you've learned." He offered her his hand.
Amy cried out behind him, whining at the fact that he was offering to dance with her Metal self and not her.
"You had your turn…" he glanced behind him, mumbling the statement before looking back fondly to Metal Amy. "What do you say? I think you need a bit of 'friendly Sonic kindness' for a change."
'Sonic… kindness?' she knew Metal Sonic was vicious, but… he had given her her old coding back. Even if he had mocked and frightened her a bit, she still…
Perhaps it was lingering data, but maybe she still held somewhat of a loyalty to him.
She got up and shyly nodded.
"Okay, Tails, tell her the beats." Sonic sweatdropped at her awkwardness for not taking his hand but took hers anyway.
Amy and Tails both struck a funny poise with a 'D'oh!', falling over to have their legs twitch up and crooked a little at realizing Sonic didn't know how to dance too well either.
Metal Amy... studied how he held her hands.
They were... what was the word... soft? the added pressure was minimal. There was no heavy force for piercing of claws deep into her metallic frame.
Was this... Sonic Kindness?
She peeked up to see him not even noticing her or her hands... Metal Sonic would always admire his handiwork on her, even her hands...
She remembered recharging him, feeling the weird sensation of touch he built into her as her hands would skim his metal hide while she completed her objective.
But this Sonic... he doesn't act like Metal Sonic at all.
Were all Organics this kind?
"One, two, three. One, two, three." Tails danced with Amy, while she pouted and glared to Metal Amy and Sonic in pitiful jealousy as Sonic tried to lead Metal Amy into the steps.
"It is all measured." She concluded and started to take over after getting the repeated movement, but Sonic just got swung along and tried to stop her.
"W-woa-oah! H-hey, now. Usually, the guy leads." He smiled weakly and took back control over the dancing; Granted, he was very easy-going about her awkward and heavy frame clanking around as she tried to keep up with the paces and move. It was bulky, but she tried her best to mimic Amy on her toes...
"Unless… of course, you're dancing with Amy…" Sonic continued then and looked away, seeming to have his voice lowered.
"I HEARD THAT!" Amy roared back, kicking her leg out as Tails just silently faked a chuckle and tried to keep dancing as he proceeded on with the steps. "I just wanted to teach you how to waltz! If you want, we can learn the quickstep! Or the cha-cha, or-"
Sonic spun Metal Amy away from Amy Rose.
"H-HEY!"
Sonic rolled his eyes as Metal Amy grew concerned over how angry and hurt Amy looked, but Amy was just pouting, she didn't seem that much offended by him. However... Metal Amy couldn't see emotions that clearly…
"Why do you treat her as such?" Metal Amy asked, keeping her eyes on Amy.
"Hmm?" Sonic looked down at her. "What do you mean?"
"You… mock her." She looked squarely at him before feeling a type of fear, like speaking out of line with Metal Sonic, and turned her head away from him. "No one wishes for their love to be made fun of."
Sonic stopped dancing with her a moment, staring down at her and slightly taken aback, amazed at a Robot telling him something so deep and emotional.
"…I don't mock her." He stated, seeming to mean his words. "I tease her." He grinned wickedly as if he was being clever and continued the dance. "You just don't understand."
Metal Amy grew a bit upset. "I wish to understand! I desire to learn your ways… why must it be so hard to explain to me these things?" she grumbled a bit.
"Woah, woah, now. Don't get upset." His smile faltered slightly, but he picked it back up again. "I'm only saying it's hard to describe feelings to something that doesn't-"
"Feel?" Metal Amy moved out of his arms, stepping away from him and looking offended.
"Ah, well… I… um…" Sonic fumbled a bit with his words, not sure how to recover from that…
"What's wrong?" Tails stated, stopping his awkward dance with Amy and turning the music off. "You alright, M.A?"
"…" Metal Amy looked down, her fists shaking in frustration. "... I... I will complete my mission now." She couldn't stand it anymore. Being so close to them, but still not knowing how to understand them.
-The Return to Metal Sonic-
She couldn't feel.
She couldn't be like them even if she tried.
But she at least wanted to understand.
Why couldn't they just state what they were feeling?
She had an imagination. She has simulations. She could try and figure out a matrix for different emotions or at least get an idea for it.
And even if she couldn't, she still wanted the definition.
How did it feel to be upset?
How did it feel to be sad?
How did it feel to be hurt?
What about being… happy?
Was she happy?
She knew what the emotions would emote and be expressed as and she knew the thoughts, just a bit, behind them. For instance, she knew she was afraid of Metal Sonic's anger because she held back her actions and words to not be destroyed. That was fear. To die at any minute or to be harmed in some way.
But… Why did Sonic tease Amy like that?
Metal Sonic had mocked her, what was the difference? He had controlled her steps, much like how Sonic lead in the music and wouldn't let her create her own steps. So they were off the 'musical tempo', does that mean Organics can't create new steps or beats?
She didn't care about Metal Sonic the same way Amy cared for Sonic, so Metal Sonic couldn't have been mocking her love for him. No, it was her weakness—or so he thought—of her desire to be errored.
…She didn't care…
She had walked outside, stepping just near where the grass and the road split. Stopping herself, she knew she had reached the invisible line where the radio blocking signal-barrier had domed over Tails's home. Her sensors could feel it, but the others couldn't even see it…
Is this how a robot feels?
She touched her arm, feeling the mix of familiarity with Metal Sonic's touch system mingled with the strangeness of Tails's additions and adjustments.
One step,... and Metal Sonic could locate her location.
She would have to move fast to make sure he didn't think Tails had just set her free.
They had a whole plan. She was to fake escape and state that she fought her way out while ridding any suspicion that Tails had edited her software.
If they wanted to check, she had to improvise and give them a fake chip, since Tails had copied her original memory chip as a backup while he fiddled with it so many times, he needed an original copy. He apparently kept more than just the one he had given her... stating it was for research and 'just in case' procedures. She never felt good about that... especially by how he stated it.
After getting caught again…
Metal Amy shook her head. She'll complete her new objective.
But she wondered if she missed what was familiar to her... even if it was a tortuous living. Can a robot feel tortured?
At least she understood what it meant to be a robot.
Perfect.
Perfection.
But then again... did those words even make sense to her?
She needed to get her mind off of that tangent and think only about what she needed to do now.
Have Metal Sonic state what his plan was.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been taken, or even if he had compensated without her.
Wouldn't need to do much to compensate her disappearance... he could always make another-
She suddenly stepped back, that thought almost unbearably shaking her thought process.
Another...
She shook the thought off. Almost going so far as to delete it.
Back to Metal Sonic, was he going to ambush Sonic again? Or postpone that to take on world domination first? Her new master needed to know.
Masters… she would never be free of them till she helped Tails out. But even then… did he trust her?
…She didn't care…
Tails had once asked her if she believed Metal Sonic was one to hold his word… was Tails one she could trust with spoken promises?
Was she just being another kind of robot now? One that Tails could manipulate and once done with, throw her to the side as Metal Sonic seemed to be less inclined to do?
He seemed fond of her, would Tails be fond of her too?
…She didn't care…
Did she care?
She held herself a moment, not sure what emotion to feel…
Ever since Metal Sonic simulated a kiss to her… she seemed to be thinking differently about him…
Did she desire for him to still be her Master?
The horror of that thought made her shake her head in fright. It was illogical! He was barbaric! Cruel! Selfish! Insane!
…And yet…
He was her creator.
He gave her purpose and praised her, even in taunting ways, seemed to find some fondness for her; Yet, he treated her so terribly. He even commented a few times how he liked how he designed her, and although he was just messing around with giving her a 'touch' system and that black slate on her receptor where an Organic's mouth would be… he had let her live with her errors. Even though she feared him… she wondered if she hated him or not…
"No, you're not. The enemy of my enemy is my friend… is that not so? He offered you freedom. Something you used to desire. And if I recall… you hate me."
Metal Amy's memory files activated from before, as she re-ran the event in her head…
"…I cannot compute hatred for you, Master. Doing such would go against programming."
"Oh? It seemed you constantly thought of going against programming… was I not on the list?"
Was he?
"Your programming makes sure you cannot disobey me, that also includes betrayal. Let me make it slightly more apparent…"
What was he trying to say…? Through that power play… what was he trying to convey?
"N-no need. I compute. You will be destroying him soon. There is no need for me to see him again!"
"…Go on... Convince me..."
"Y-you are the… the only Sonic!"
Metal Amy gasped slightly, holding a hand to her chest. 'Could it… be?'
After all her time researching and learning about Amy's behaviors and her friends' mannerisms,… did she fail to realize that most of her data… was on Amy's love for Sonic?
If Metal Sonic was the only Sonic to her… could it be… that she had involuntarily simulated love for him?
Or had she fooled herself? Had she been manipulated by Metal Sonic? Impossible! How could he..? Encourage... Love...
No, he only made sure of servitude.
She shook her head, glaring to the side. 'I hold no such feeling for him!'
But then… why did he respond so well to her..?
Even during that moment of 'proving loyalty' he seemed to enjoy the simulation of lovers affections.
He hated Organics, in practically every way, then why… did he love it so much in her?
"Cannot compute." She gripped her head, shaking. It frightened her to think that he could be… could be…
Just like her.
"M.A!"
"Metal me, don't go!"
"Hold on!"
"..!?"
In her realization, she flung her horror-stricken face back to the others, stopping the three in their tracks as they looked worriedly at her.
"What's wrong?"
"Are you afraid? It's okay to be afraid!"
"Don't be upset, I'm sorry, okay? I'm not… I'm not really used to talking about my 'feelings' that much."
Tails, Amy, and …Sonic…
If Metal Sonic had errors like her… Ah!
She could process it!
She now had the freedom to contemplate it! The only thing that was stopping her was herself, fear of what she may process.
"Metal Sonic's hatred for Sonic… could be envy." She stated, looking down seriously, but still looking completely terrified at her theory.
"W-what do you mean?" Tails was confused how the topic changed so quickly, but she had to speak her newly processed thoughts out! This was freedom! The freedom of thought! Expression! Everything!
"Well, of course!" Sonic shouted out as if that was obviously the case. "Who wouldn't be?"
Amy hit him in the arm.
"Ow! Hey!"
"Shh! She's obviously afraid of something!" Amy stated and looked back at her, stepping forward. "What's so bad about that? At least we know his motive, right?"
"No… no, you don't understand…!" Metal Amy turned back to them, stepping forward, a hand still on her chest. "He loathes Organics! Because he can never be what Sonic is! He was designed to be a perfect Sonic but he was based on something that is flawed. He can never be perfect because Organics aren't perfect!"
"Ouch." Sonic stated, not liking hearing he's 'flawed'.
Amy cutely smiled to him humorously, as if holding in a laugh and wanting to say, 'you're perfect to me~' But looked away and held it in.
Tails looked back and rolled his eyes to Sonic's 'hurt' pride, "Go on." He urged politely for her to ignore him; after all, any new news on Metal Sonic was just fine by him. He needed to know everything about Metal Sonic, and this could be his golden ticket to a better understanding of him and his ways…
"He wants to control and destroy organic life forms. Because he hates what he can't become! And he feels that in order to be perfect,... he must reject such flawed things…" she remembered how he first treated her... before... "But… he's not perfect, he can never be perfect, which is why... Which is why-!" Metal Amy couldn't believe what she was saying. Back in her old programming, this would be grounds for treason.
"He is errored!"
She blurted out and plugged her mouth, shocked by the blasphemy she had just spoken out against her creator.
"Well, yeah." Tails nodded, snickering at how she thought this was something new. "I mean, he's trying to rule the whole living world. That's a bit… errored in thinking, don't you agree?"
"You… you don't get it." She grew sorrowful, realizing there were some things that Robots could not explain to Organics either… "Either way." She shook her head but was slightly happy she could understand something an Organic couldn't. "If he is like me… and hides his errors… he must have the same want to understand as I do. I wonder if that is why… he…" she wondered if his simulation of Sonic's behaviors weren't just 'lasting effects' at all… or if… they somehow made him who he was. It was kinda like how her old memory chip made her who she was…
He didn't know what Amy's purpose to Sonic was, but he still made Metal Amy.
He still seemed fond of Metal Amy… as Sonic still seemed to care about Amy.
Could it be…?
She turned to look at Sonic, who was looking at Amy as she cutely stared at him, leaning forward and blinking her eyes to try and hold his attention.
He raised an eyebrow at her antics, not sure why she was acting this way. Amy tried to look irresistibly adorable and move closer to him.
He scooted back and held a hand slightly up, showing how he was keeping his distance, and hoped she would do the same…
Amy frowned before skipping around his hand and to his other side, making him grow jumpy as he tried to get away, but she rushed up and hugged him.
….Metal Sonic and her were not like that….
Then why…?
She shook her head, perhaps after so long, Metal Sonic took on his own persona.
That made more sense but didn't help her theory.
"Well, either way, M.A. Are you sure you want to start the mission… now?"
"Yes." Metal Amy nodded, the sun seemed to be setting anyway. "I thank you for your upgrades and my new found freedom. Without it, I would never have come to the conclusion that Metal Sonic is flawed." She gently shook her head, determined now, but sorrowfully wishing things weren't so complexed.
"And needs to be stopped, right?" Tails smiled.
"…R-right." Metal Amy nodded, looking down. "…He… would never change his ways."
...Was that a silent longing? For him to desire to be more like her, more open to organic ways, more...
Sonic kindness?
"Good." Tails nodded, glad that he programmed some wisdom in her too. "If he really can't change, then its only right to take him down so he can't hurt people."
Metal Amy retrieved memories of his harsh shredding and destructive nature...
No... he did not belong in the world of Organics.
"Metal me!" Amy Rose ran up, hugging her as she remained stiff, stepping around to maintain balance while Amy was spun around her for a moment. "Hehe! Be careful! And don't let that mean old Metal Sonic push you around and call your feelings 'bad' anymore, alright?"
She felt her head want to move to the crook of her neck, and embrace her back, knowing how much Amy Rose saved her from the fate of forever being an 'evil' robot.
She couldn't fulfill the programmed emotion as Tails spoke up just then.
"Actually, she needs to lay low, Amy." Tails awkwardly corrected her. "So she actually does need to endure it a little longer… at least until we have a plan to fight him."
Fight... him.
Metal Amy looked away, terrified of just thinking of having to defy him… in front of him… with those eyes of burning red hatred... obsessed with destroying all she adored.
"Well, you leave putting ol'bot brains back into the abyss of space to me! I've got this." Sonic stretched, then gave a thumbs up with a wink as Amy slightly swooned to the side.
"My hero~"
"The earth's hero." Tails corrected her again, which was received with a stink-eye from her, warning him to quit it.
"A hero." Metal Amy stated as the team turned their attention back to her. "In my eyes, you are all heroes."
They smiled, looking touched by her words.
Although, she wasn't trying to be inspirational. She was just stating that her old programming would group them as heroes, and that used to be a bad thing.
She tilted her head and blinked her eyes at their looks of appreciation. "Have I said something profound?" she asked.
"Very." Tails grinned with pride as if she was his own creation, which made Metal Amy a little nervous…
'He knows he is not my creator… right?'
Finally, the gang said their farewells and contacted Knuckles, asking if the Emeralds were alright before stating that they were sending Metal Amy back.
She took a simulated breath, knowing she had to fly out and pretend to have just fought Knuckles on Angel Island, faking that she flew off to try and redeem her defeat by stealing the emeralds back.
Knuckles was all ready to play a friendly 'wrestle' with her, so now it was just a matter of how fast she could fly.
She saw the invisible but wobbly line of radio waves in front of her and gently moved her hand to it.
"Ready?" Tails communicated to her through a wireless speakerphone in her head.
"Em." She nodded, but still was afraid of having to one day fight Metal Sonic…
"And… take off!"
She blasted forward.
Ruins of Metal HQ
Metal Tails and Metal Knuckles were cleaning the place up, trying to scrap whatever they could and get the place back up and running. They rebuilt the Electric Shower as soon as they could, knowing Metal Amy wasn't there to recharge them now anyway…
Then…
Metal Sonic had stood on the top of his destroyed headquarters, his cape flying behind him in the now setting sky, growing darker by the minute. His sensors blinked a signal he had been searching for as his eyes glowed a brighter red a moment, like a cat dilating its eyes before the hunt. He turned quickly to stride by his supports,
"Metal Amy is operational and within tracking range." He stated. "I will retrieve her, build whatever more you can. With her, we will continue as planned." He spoke with sharp haste, blasting off as the two looked to one another, and continued to work.
With Metal Sonic gone… they were free to be a little more organic around one another.
They had learned through Metal Amy's example not to reveal this side of themselves.. and so were more able to conceal it. Especially since Metal Sonic only seemed to focus on looking for her errors, not so much there's anymore...
But still... fear led their stiff positions in front of their master...
"Man… why does he insist on her being important to the plan?" Metal Knuckles complained, throwing some ceiling debris off the floor and away from him, maybe to be scrapped later on. "She is useless if she cannot charge us during battle... or at all!" he metallically grumbled.
"…She is impractical now that only he may use her abilities, this is true." Metal Tails stated, rewiring things back together. "But… there seems to be more to it than that." He looked off to where his Master had flown off too.
"..What do you mean?" Metal Knuckles turned back to him.
"…He… favors her. Above us." Metal Tails finally spoke out his theory, blinking nonchalantly towards the direction Metal Sonic went. "I believe he may keep her around, even when we have succeeded in our programmed objective." He went back to work.
"WHAT!? That weak, little Organic-loving insect?! She's barely worth the clumped up dirt under my shoe!" Metal Knuckles stomped on the ground, causing a loud noise to echo through the ruined base. "I should be his favorite!"
"My records show you once betrayed him." Metal Tails lowered his eyelids slightly as they squeaked a metallic sound of judgment at him, peering over to him in sly ridicule.
"Urk..! I was errored! I'm perfect now." He continued with his work but seemed a little choked up or embarrassed at Metal Tails knowing that.
"….I wonder if he, himself… is…cannot compute." Metal Tails shook his head and sighed. "I cannot compute my Master ever erroring, or not be perfect."
"Ha! Traitor!" Metal Knuckles spun around, pointing an accusing finger.
"Quiet. I couldn't compute any further. I cannot be a traitor if I cannot even think my thought thoroughly through."
"..Oh."
"Even so… she is clearly erroring… why does he not shred her miserable body through like he did to us?" Metal Tails wondered, holding up a wire that sparked, as he decided to charge himself without letting Metal Knuckles know about it.
"…Perhaps he likes to mock her." Metal Knuckles kicked some debris around him, being in charge of clearing the area for Metal Tails to work on.
"…Mock… or 'Desire'?" Metal Tails muttered.
"Huh?"
"Nothing… only that Metal Sonic seems to be quite selfish with her abilities. And according to my deductions to how the electric shower broke down... it was due to a powerful electrical surge. I'm guessing him and Amy were recharging together and she was giving him too much energy, resulting in him expelling too much as well." Metal Tails stood up and held a sinister look on his face as he turned to Metal Knuckles. "If any 'mocking' was being done,… then I'm afraid her 'errors' would prove most… 'enjoyable'. With that much electrical current, those two would have felt a power surge like none other." He looked forward, apparently imagining just how good a power surge on that scale might just feel in his systems…
"…Wait, they did what?" Metal Knuckles turned around with a bunch of debris in his steely gloved hands. He blinked, being confused as to what Metal Tails had stated.
Or what he had meant by it...
"Oh, nevermind. You're a blundering idiot." He lowered his eyelids in annoyance once more and went back to work. His tails slashed the ground, "Why must I be the brains, and you the dumb brawns?"
"Hey! I have a perfectly functioning processor! Thank you very much! Hmph!" Metal Knuckles threw the debris off, and folded his arms, not liking being mocked. "I am not inferior to you! Only to the master!" he stomped on the ground.
Metal Tails rolled his eyes, "You're perfectly loud…"
Angel Island
Knuckles saw a comet or something heading for his island, smiling as it arched downward towards their location.
"Well, looks like the cavalry's arrived!"
Walking down to greet her, she landed and immediately engaged her battle mode, grabbing her hammer that came out with a claw that gave it to her and then retracted back into her back, closing the two panels that had opened for her to retrieve it.
"Are you prepared to engage? Is all set to begin motion?"
"Uhh… you mean, ready, set, go?" Knuckles raised an eyebrow but found her strangely charming.
"Ah, yes. That is a phrase you could use, but I meant to say… uh…" she held a finger to her mouth, and then up as if she got an idea. "Is everything set in motion!" she corrected herself.
"Oh! Yeah, that works too." He put his hands to his hips, "And I've hid the emeralds and the Master Emerald. So everything should be fine." He stated reassuringly and with confidence.
"Great, then we enact battle." She narrowed her eyes and looked ready to fight. "He will notice damage on me, so make sure you hit me with adequate enough force to make it logical. Or... more believable." she seemed a little worried this farce wouldn't fly right by Metal Sonic's expert deductions...
"Well… I usually have a thing against hitting a lady, but I guess since you're a robot, I'll make an exception." He wheeled his fist back. "Man, Tails did a good job on you, you're totally not some crazed robot trying to kill us all anymore, are ya? Haha! Good for you!"
"…." Tails didn't make her this way, she was always against combat towards organics.
"Ah..." Noticing a shift in her expression, he loosened up a moment, lowering his reeled back fist. "Hey, Amy-bot... don't worry about a thing, alright?" He gave her an encouraging smile, tilting his chin up a bit, hoping she'd do the same. "We're all in this together! You're part of the team now, after all! We'll get what we need and dash in to save ya. That's what teammates do, we help each other! Ya know?"
She glanced up at him and counted his heart's rhythm and the tempo of his breathing. His sincerity touched her, but she still feared what lay ahead... speedily charging in their direction...
Readying to collect her...
"T... Thank you,... Knuckles." she nodded, seeing he could read her emotion output.
With that same unwavering smile, he nodded back. "Alright, here I-… here he comes." Knuckles looked like he was going to enjoy a little scrap, getting his fist back into position before seeing the figure soaring through the close of the dark sky.
Beginning the act without warning, Knuckles quickly charged her. "GET OFF MY ISLAND!"
"Ah!" she realized he had begun and took the hits, faking that she was defending. "Harder." she whispered, seeing as he wasn't denting her.
"I'm trying but..! Grah... This alloy is rock-solid..! And usually,.. hurumph! Ha! I can crush right through rocks!" Knuckles muttered through gritted teeth, slamming his spiked knuckles into her metallic casing, trying to dodge hitting her spikes on her dress before finally denting her on her shoulder. "Alright! ..Ah!" he was momentarily distracted from his achievement by Metal Sonic coming straight at him, his body encircled by fire from his blazing turbo-engines at his exposed core and on his feet.
Metal Amy saw his claws ready to shred him apart. She thought fast, swinging Knuckles away with a mighty hit from her hammer and saving his life from the impending doom.
"Master!" She cried out leaning towards him in a-hopefully-convincing form of loyalty. Metal Sonic landed, looking to her, and then Knuckles.
He seemed to not think about, or perhaps notice, her hitting Knuckles away from his diving aerial attack. It was in her programming to keep Metal Sonic safe, anyway.
Well,... in her old programming... that is.
"What befell here?" he asked, but out of impatience, turned to open her head up instead. He reached up, going to retrieve her memory chip before waiting for her lengthy response, when...
She stepped back.
"Exposing my vulnerability would be impractical." She responded quickly, now having enough processing capacity to be speedier with her thinking. She would not make as many mistakes as before... She could now cloak her organic tendencies and strategize even on par with his own intellect. "I have failed in defeating Tails and Amy Rose. Therefore, I faked death to learn more about their plan. I discovered nothing and failed again. I then thought my redemption could only come from retrieving the stolen emeralds."
"Enough. I don't require the emeralds anymore." He glared at her and turned to see Knuckles just staring, his fist still up, as if not sure if he's meant to keep attacking her or not. "Dispose of him with me. At once." He held his claw up as Knuckles freaked out before seeing Metal Amy wave him to run.
He 'oh'd and dug under the ground, racing to fake tunnels serving as decoys while he made his way to where the Chaos Emeralds were all safely hiding away.
"'Scuse me! Grah!" he fell down the right tunnel and blocked it with a bolder so that in the dark, you couldn't really see the many elaborate mazes that workes to keep thieves out.
Metal Sonic was about to go after him before Metal Amy held him back.
"I want to obey, Master. But priority states you are damaged and in need of a recharge. May I have alternative instructions?"
Perhaps her faking was too good, and he didn't see any errors for too long…
She decided to show an error to him. She looked away as if being shy… "I… I am truly sorry I failed you,… Master."
"….You will pay for your lack of results." He stated while stopping his apparent chase on Knuckles, "Very well. Charge me." He walked towards a waterfall nearby, flying straight into it and polluting the once fresh spring waters with oil as he washed off the dust and fallen debris from Sonic and Eggman's crash on their headquarters.
Metal Amy knew she had to respond… but… he was in the middle of water... the electricity would shock them both… and not in a good way…
"Water is hazardous." She stated, blinking her eyes in a confused way as she wondered what he was thinking. 'He cannot be this errored..? Or had I not the capacity to perceive it before?'
"No.. I shall get out. You will be shocked." He turned around and smirked.
'…He will never change…' she realized he was going to torture her with getting electrocuted for having failed him.
"I see you've apparently missed me." She growled metallically, heading into the water as he got out. He looked back at her, leaning in closer and grabbing her chin as their two forms were about to pass one another.
"I have…Not seeing you shake in fear of me has been… oh, so lonely…" he mocked her once again.
Then he stopped and tilted his head.
"…Why can I not activate your mouthpiece?"
Oh no.
Metal Amy touched her receptor.
This wasn't good..!
"….Metal Amy…?"
He would find out she's been reprogrammed!
She had to act fast.
"I… I must have been damaged."
She needed to fake excitement and quickly looked up at him, eyeing him down and smirking her own unique way. "I guess you'll have to deal with the traditional exchange."
"…Hmph." He whipped his hand out from under her chin as she heard the screech of metal against metal, and rubbed her chin. "You'll still be shocked. I'll have to repair you right away."
"Without your lab?" she questioned.
"…" he remained silent and folded his arms. "Do you doubt my ability?"
"No, you are my creator. I admire your ability." She wasn't exactly lying there… "But all that labor for a defective mouthpiece? Seems a bit… well…"
"I spoil you… don't I?" he tilted his head, showing a level of fondness she wasn't used too. "Haha." He mocked a laugh.
"….I don't wish for you to simulate a 'kiss' to me."
All was silent as Metal Sonic looked back to her, a new look in his eyes. "..Is that so?"
"…Yes." She looked away.
"…." He moved closer into the water, "…Are you certain of that…" he held a hand up to her face, lightly stroking her cheek. "…for someone whose fought possibly three foes… you certainly would be in need of a recharge… all your own... would you not?" he looked at her dent and took his other hand, using his thumb to stroke it lightly. "Don't act like you wouldn't want another 'incident' of electrical overdose." His eyes shot back to her in deadly desire as she stepped away.
He lifted his head back and laughed again, "You are too easy to mock! I'll admit, I missed that." He walked out of the water, the soaked ends of his cape's trail following after him and muddying the ground. "Either way,... you will recharge me with whatever remaining power you have left, then I shall bring you back for future repairs. But for now, I must attack Eggman while he's weak so that he can never interfere with my plans for Sonic again."
Metal Amy had got it… she had just received his first plan of attack. He was going to... to...
He was aiming for Eggman.
"…Very well." She knew she had to endure the electrical shock again… even after Tails-
Tails…
He had seen that!
She stopped from moving her hands out. Her eyes shook, almost forgetting not to show so much of her simulated emotions around Metal Sonic.
Not just Tails… Amy and Sonic as well!
They could all have seen…
They all could have heard...
"Why do you hesitate? You were given an order.." he glared, thinking her errors were causing her issues in obeying. "I wonder,… would you have succeeded in destroying Amy Rose? Or even Tails? If I didn't switch your data chip on a whim... how much more useful would you have been to me?"
"…N-no, I am fine,... Master." Metal Amy dared not shake her head, walking bravely up to Metal Sonic, making sure her feet were still in the water for his amusement.
He checked too, and then swiped his damp and heavy cape back, opening his arms up.
"Well then… come." He narrowed his eyes, seeming almost excited to see her tortured for his own pleasure.
Punishment… Tails would never do such a thing.
How could she have ever calculated being back with Metal Sonic over Tails?
It was foolish, and she knew that now.
She glared at him, a bold statement that he seemed to enjoy, before changing into her softer form. Peering down at her reflection in the water, it seemed as though she were sad by this outcome.
By the conclusion that her master couldn't be anything like her... at least, not in the way her 'heart' worked...
Could he be reprogrammed? Now having the ability to think about it, she wondered if Tails could save each of her brothern... her master included.
The thought terrified her, but even that hope was crushed... looking at herself in the darkened water... she knew there was no hope.
Oil floated along the top of the water... Robots and Organics... Oil and Water... there was no in-between...
Therefore, there was no hope for them.
Forever separated by their element.
No 'heart' could change that.
The emotion created through Metal Amy's features made him stare a moment, she had never shown this expression of sorrow to him before…
Not like this…
And being in her softer form again…
She was about to release the electricity when he pulled her out of the water.
"Stop."
He ordered and grabbed her hand.
"…Stop…"
She was amazed he had just sparred her the electrocution and wondered why.
"…Stop…"
He pulled her hand up to his face and seemed to cut or snap a wire behind his metal muzzle again.
Was he… telling himself… to-
"Remain still."
He shocked her hand, giving her a bit of his power.
She wondered why-
"Now… give it back." He ordered, but his eyes looked slightly gentler.
She did so, and he seemed to rub his head against her soft hand and felt the gentle electric surges charging him. He was sure she was forcing all her power to him, but… unknown to him, she was fully charged and operational.
So she faked getting weak. Avoiding his suspicion.
She let her head fall back and then released pressure in her knee-joints, allowing her metallic frame to collapse. What she supposed he wanted... her to 'faint' or shutdown.
He caught her, thinking her fully drained. The loosened cord wiped around as the sound of it hitting the back of his muzzle suddenly stopped with a click of it plugging itself back in.
Touching her face in the water slightly, she wondered what he was doing as her touch system still seemed functional.
Did Tails not take that out..?
It's possible he didn't even know what it was.
"…I'm glad… you are still… mine."
He lifted her up, flying off into the sky as Metal Amy didn't know how to compute such words from him.
Tails's workshop
The three remained silent with their jaws dropped and eyes white as their sockets in shock and surprise.
Amy slowly moved her hands up and over to the side of her face, slowly turning her horrified and shocked face into a happy one.
He may not be Sonic, but in her mind, that looked like a pretty romantic moment!
…Without the threat of electrocution...! Obviously...
She must not have understood... how truly destructive this relationship was...
And how it could be.
And how it would end.