Reflections of Metal.
Fuck it, all this talk got my muse up.
Reflections of Metal.
Metal Sonic was irked.
As he was being repaired after a quite close fight.
He couldn't help but think about the situation.
While his creator was entertaining the idea of a a cease fire between The Restoration and G.U.N. he understood it.
He had reviewed the records of the old black arms invasion.
Black Doom did everything he could to play every single one of them like a fiddle while the alien reaped the rewards.
He saw the logic behind the ''alliance'', after the shattering the world was far too chaotic to try the old methods.
They needed to adapt, they needed to evolve if they wanted to survive the coming storm.
At least until his creator had amassed a force strong enough to crush everyone that opposses them.
A force he could very well co- OBEY EGGMAN.
No, the creator knew the best, he just needed to do what he was told and take out the creator enemies.
But if there was a spoken fact about this little truce.
Is that they didn't need to get along.
The creator for sure would never get along with the ones that caused him trouble for so much time.
It was the same for him.
He would never get along with the allies of his loathsome copy.
Especially not him.
He would rust away before he even though of giving that cheap knockoff any other treatment other than sending him to the scrapyard.
''And that should be the last touch up'' Doctor Eggman said as he pulled up his wielding mask.
Metal Sonic just moved the arm that had been removed during the battle, testing his articulations and calibrating his systems.
''Looks like everything is green with your systems Metal, but still this is the 3rd time this month you get into a fight with that robot of the restoration and we are not even done with half of the month'' Doctor Eggman berated his greatest creation.
Metal ignored it, this wouldn't be the last time he got into a fight with that knockoff he was sure of it as he started to go away.
''Metal stand in place'' Eggman said annoyed.
At the order the machine stood there motionless, it was obvious he was pushing his creator patience.
''Look Metal I know you are irked about that robot, I was baffled when he even appeared on the first place, but I want you to listen to me very carefully'' his creator said in a neutral tone.
Metal neutral expression continued, his creator knew him better than anyone, he created him and programmed him after all.
He was made to be the one and only Sonic after all.
So for another version of him to be out there, it was something he couldn't accept, he was the one and only Sonic.
The only reason that he hadn't dismantled that pirate knockoff is because his creator hadn't seen the necessity to approach him yet.
But when the right moment came oh he will enjoy sending that copy of his to rust to the bottom of the ocean.
There can be only one Sonic after all.
''I still don't know what is up with all these other versions of you out there, but I want you to remember that you are the only Metal Sonic in existence, someone I cannot replace'' his creator said in a neutral tone.
He wanted to refute that, especially due to the existence of the other models of the metal series.
And yet.
He couldn't, his programming knew it, no matter how many times they had failed in destroying his loathsome copy or even when he went trough his rebellious phase.
His creator had never truly replaced him, he always came back from him.
''Don't worry about these inferior copies my boy, when the right moment comes, heh we will do what it needs to be done, but for now blegh, we need to play nice with the neighbours'' his creator said those last words with disdain.
He just gave a thumbs up and went away once again.
And yet, Metal couldn't help but to go back to his old memory archive.
He cannot be replaced.
Those words lingered on his mind for a good while.
Looking back at all the moments on which his creator could replace him.
And yet.
Stardust Speedway date: XX-X-XXXX
As Metal Sonic fell to the bottoms of Stardust speedway, his system slowly shutting down, he couldn't help but look up as his creator ran pass the barrier towards his base of operations on Metallic Madness.
He had failed, he lost againts that blue rat.
He was supposed to be the fastest thing alive and yet, here he was falling, shutting down, dying.
His creator had put his trust in him and yet he failed him.
He was a failure he deserved this.
Or at least that was what he though.
When his systems flared back to life he was confused, his system was supposed to never again to flare back online and yet. he was functioning, barely, but he was online.
And then he saw his creator, commanding him to come back to certain coordinates on mobius as little plannet was once again close to it.
So he did, it was a difficult journey, but he did.
Then his creator for some reason proceeded to repair him.
He couldn't understand it, he had failed and yet, his creator proceeded to need of him once again.
So he accepted his new mission.
Death Egg MK2. date: XX-X-XXXX
But things didn't go differently this time either, he once again had challenged his loathsome copy to a race aboard the death egg that held prisoner little planet.
With his new body he would defeat this time his loathsome copy.
And yet story repeated itself once again.
He failed, this time something different happened on the other hand.
As a horde of badniks had loaded him into an escape pod and set coordinates into a hidden base from his creator.
Had his creator told them to sent him here? he never knew the answer.
Atomic destroyer date: XX-X-XXXX
This time his creator had managed to get away with one of the chaos emeralds, so he was tasked to make sure the blue nuisance didn't get to his creator and the echidna he managed to capture.
This time he wasn't playing games anymore, this time he was going to kill his loathsome copy.
Only to once again end up in failure.
Yet his creator once again recovered him and repaired him much to his intrigue.
Carnival Island date: XX-X-XXXX
His creator this time was after something different, the chaos and dark rings were a curious thing, even for Metal Sonic.
They set shop within the island after it appeared from the bottom of the sea after the incident with the master emerald.
His loathsome copy was nowhere in sight so they had pretty much free reign to do what they could.
That was until the Chaotix team reached the island.
Composed by Knuckles the Echidna, Vector the crocodile, Charmy Bee, Espio the chameleon and Mighty the armadillo, they proceeded to cause all kinds of trouble for them across the island.
Metal Sonic decided that enough was enough and confronted the team at the central hub of the island.
Only to be defeated as the defense system he was incorporated in was destroyed.
But his creator did the unthinkable, instead of powering up one of his machines with the last dark ring they had, his creator decided to power up Metal Sonic despite his failure.
At that point Metal Sonic couldn't care anymore, he was holding a power he never had before and he would crush those meddlesome creatures once and for all with his Kai form.
And yet the five mobians had managed to defeat him.
All that power and he lost once again.
Egg Fleet date: XX-X-XXXX
He then finally reached the date of his most rebellious phase.
His creator had taken a long while to complete his greatest update, the bio-data scanner, after thinkering with it for so long and the happening of the Chaos and Ark incident, the system that would let him reach his peak was finally installed within him.
After his defeat at the hands of the Chaotix, he knew that he needed to use whatever means he had access to defeat finally those that had caused him so much trouble over the years.
Even if he needed to betray his creator, he would be the overlord that stood on top of everything.
Taking over the badniks horde with his creator bio-data was easy enough.
Then taking the samples of the twelve individuals that stood againts him trough trickery was even easier.
He had finally reached his apex as both Neo Metal as the Metal Overlord.
And yet.
He once again failed, no matter how many times he tried, he continued failing.
Not only that, but this time he had gone a step futher and betrayed the one that still saw utility in him.
After being recovered once again by his creator Metal Sonic expected to be dismantled there in that instant.
And yet, his creator did no such thing.
''I must say, at first I was beyond furious at what you did Metal, to think you would be so ungrateful after all of what I have done for you, all the resources I spent on you, all the years of bringing you back again and again, only for you to betray my trust'' Eggman words echoed with dissapointment.
''And yet, you weren't programmed for it, you somehow went and grew beyond your programming, you always wanted to reach new heights, to finally crush those that opposed us, to finally prove yourself, you took the opportunity to stand atop of the world unmatched, much like I will do once that pincushion is out of the picture'' Eggman said this time with pride.
''I must say my genius surprises me that you even reached this point, but at the same time, it was you who took the opportunity, you who decided what suited you better, trust me, I will patch that rebellious phase out of you, but if there is something I must say right at this moment about you is only one thing'' Eggman words continued echoing within the memory of the machine.
''I am proud of you'' Eggman last words during that day echoed within him as his software was finally updated.
STOP REPRODUCTION OF ARCHIVE.
Despite all the defeats, despite all the humillations, despite everything that he did.
His creator was proud of him.
He had know after that, that his creator would never replace him.
For his creator there would be only one and only Metal Sonic.
And yet that didn't stop his annoyance at his obviously inferior copies.
Especially the one he meet recently.
Metal couldn't delete that first encounter.
It was when he was raiding another camp of those fools called the empire.
He was having a great time making those soldiers fear him.
But just when he tried to continue his fun.
He appeared.
''You know, don't you think you had enough fun already?'' a mocking voice resounded within Metal auditive sensors.
The voice it sounded so much like his loathsome copy, but yet different, for one reason.
It was a robotic voice.
As Metal Sonic let go of human he had grabbed by the neck, he decided to amuse his curiosity and see who had stopped his mission.
He wasn't prepared to see what stood before him.
It was a black metallic visage and with gold lines based on a hedgehog desing, a green gem of uknown origin embed in his chest and green eyes, but also a cocky smile far too resembling that loathsome copy.
''What's the matter cat got your tongue?, then again I doubt you expected to ever see me again'' the uknown robot said to him with a sense of familiarity Metal didn't understand, he had never seen this model before.
And yet it irked him, that it was so similar not only to his loathsome copy, but that it was also similar to him.
''Well, giving you a chance here, you can go away now to whenever egghead is holed up or you can try to continue this little massacre of you and I sent you directly into the scrapyard, your choice'' the mysterious robot said with a direct threat to Metal.
So what did he do?
He charged a spindash at the robot as soon as possible and launched himself at it.
He didn't expect for the robot to react in kind with his own spindash.
As both spindash clashed, both robots were pushed back from the potency of it, at that point Metal was intrigued about this new unit.
But that curiosity soon turned into unfiltered rage.
''So that is how you want to play eh?, well don't say I didn't warn you, it is time I pay you back for last time imitator'' the uknown unit mocked him.
If Metal could blow a fuse without suffering damage to his internal systems he would have done so, it was a thing to copy his loathsome copy design, it was a thing to stop his mission.
But calling him an imitation?
He didn't care anymore, this unit would be sent to the scrapyard personally by him.
And yet when he took another look to the unit, his appareance had changed a little.
The green gem was a blood red now, one of his arms was transformed into a canon and finally, the former green eyes, had transformed into a very familar blood red eyes.
His eyes.
He was a machine, things like existensial dread was something he wasn't programmed to understand.
And yet he couldn't help but feel as if he was looking into a mirror.
A very twisted mirror.
And yet he didn't care, this unit had insulted him on a level only his loathsome copy had done it.
So his priority right now was to crush him.
As the battle raged on Metal didn't care about what time it was.
Destroying this uknown unit was the only thing he cared for at the moment.
Even when the annoying platypus and his ''sister'' had commanded him to come back to base.
They weren't his creator, so he ignored the order.
He didn't notice when the battle was over, but he didn't care, he was battered up a little, with one of his eyes broken and one arm missing.
But his opponent was also just as badly damaged as him, with one leg missing and his left hand totally crushed.
And yet he couldn't be irked more, because the damn faker was still smiling like his loathsome copy.
''Ha, gotta say the doc didn't really do a good job getting you back up considering some of the stuff you are missing, but man you are still one hell of a fighter to get me down to this state, but still not as good as the original, as I told you once, accept no imitations'' the uknown unit mocked him once again.
At that point Metal wanted to end this charade, to put this fool in the scrapyard and melt his remains.
And yet he couldn't do it, as he felt something tugging him trough that platypus portal.
He didn't get to see the reaction of the uknown unit, but what he did get to see was his creator clearly not very amused by his shenanigans.
Metal couldn't help but clutch his hand into a fist.
That entire month had been a mess in general, not only his creator had to spent valuable resources into fixing his little tirade.
But also someone had managed to hack into the Eggnet despite Sage's defenses.
To say the creator wasn't happy in the least would be putting it lightly.
To everyone surprises, the being that managed to do it was of similar nature to that of her ''sister''
It took a while to discover the identities of the ones that had caused so much trouble for them.
But her ''sister'' was hellbent on getting to know in her own words ''that digital fleabag'' so he decided to help her to investigate the identities of the ones that humillated them.
It didn't take them long to discover that the robot unit and the AI belonged to the restoration.
Probably belonging to an alternate timeline much like the creator Egg bosses did.
But both didn't care, Sage had managed to discover the one that managed to get pass her defenses, one Nicole the Holo-Lynx.
On the other hand Metal had discovered the one that irked him so badly.
Shard the Metal Sonic.
Just the though of the name reviled him to no end.
After that both of them had gotten into scuffles here and there with both of them.
Well in the case of his ''sister'' it was a mix of scuffle with the restoration AI, while developing some curiosity over the unit designated as Shard.
But Metal Sonic didn't care.
Whatever his ''sister'' did was up to her, he won't be questioning it.
But he had added a new directive to his objectives.
And that was to dealt with Shard the Metal Sonic permanently.
He will show that cheap knockoff who truly was the original.
After all just a cheap knockoff would truly imitate his loathsome copy.
And yet he cannot stop thinking on why that cheap knockoff is able to pull off so perfectly an imitation of his loathsome copy.
He wonders just what makes that knockoff so close to Sonic the Hedgehog.
And yet uknown to the murder machine, said cheap knockoff was also thinking on his ''imitator''.
''And done, that should be the last joint Shard, why don't you test it out'' Rotor the Walrus said to the robot on the repair table.
As Shard did just that he could tell the repair was perfectly done.
It may not be the quality of Uncle Chuck, but honestly considering the situation is not something be can really whine about.
''Thanks for the repairs Rotor, I really needed that'' Shard thanked the Walrus for making time to do this.
''Anything for a friend really, but still, you should really stop picking fights with that guy Shard, this is the third time you come to my workshop for repairs this month'' Rotor said to the Metal Sonic.
''Yeah, yeah sorry about that, but that guy just ticks me off to no end'' Shard said annoyed when thinking about his well counterpart.
The last thing Shard remembered was being in the middle of an explosion thanks to a self-destruct detonated by one of Eggman lastest variations of his original visage.
He could feel how his gem was mostly cracked in the explosion, he really though that was the end of it.
But then he heard something shatter, the next thing he knew is that he was back online within the so called restoration.
It took him a while to get used to it, but he wasn't going to really throw away this well third leash at life.
Even if he couldn't do much until recently with the kick off of the black arms from Green Hills, when he was back online and fully functional, they warned him inmediatly about the Zeti and what they could do to machinery.
Yeah he wasn't stupid to gamble with that.
His first real mission was to scout the empire territory nearby.
He never expected to find him, of all the things he could find it had to be him.
Seeing Metal Sonic was not a good surprise for him.
It reminded him too much of what the egghead was capable off.
Of what he once was before.
After all that was his original body frame.
As the Metal Sonic went back to his room and sat on a computer to make a report of his latest battle to Jewel, he still had these last months events in mind.
Many were baffled at how the Doctor had decided to reveal himself once again to the world.
Like the man they knew would have never done what he did in the first place.
Still he cannot deny those were some good dance moves.
And yet the massacre at that camp reminded Shard of what Eggman could accomplish if he wanted.
So he fought what at first he though was his impostor.
But after a little digging with the help of Nicole in the restoration archives and egghead database, well he couldn't really call him an impostor anymore.
''So I heard what happened, are you okay Shard?'' a female voice he knew well talked to him from within the computer screen taking him out of his thinking.
After finding themselves in this crazy new world, Nicole and Shard had done everything possible to help each other and find their friends.
There were a lot of people who was still unnacounted for.
And well Nicole was honestly the only one Shard really knew well apart from Larry, so they had stuck together since finding themselves here.
''Yeah, yeah nothing a little welding and oil couldn't really repair'' he lied, Nicole had tried to have this conversation with him for a while now.
But well opening up wasn't exactly a strenght of his.
''Shard come on, we have been over this already, you can talk to me about this'' Nicole pleaded to his friend.
Shard sighed, he knew this was a lost battle already, he had been bottling up this thing for a while now and honestly at least Nicole could understand what he is going trough.
''You want to know? fine, look I know I have been getting into too many fights with that guy, but it is just that I cannot stand him, I just cannot Nicole, like at first I though that guy was just another model egghead made to replace me in the first place'' Shard explained as he told his friend.
''But then, suddenly a portal appears out of nowhere and drags him to what I suppose is egghead base, next time we encounter each other I see he is all repaired up, thinking that the old doctor went and replaced him, again'' Shard continues his tirade as Nicole looks worried at his friend.
''Then our battles continue, we dissasemble each other time and time again, but then I start noticing things, I start noticing that his frame still has minuscule dents, here and there, that his frame is not entirely new, but repaired, that I realize that I have been fighting the exact same guy time and time again and not just a replacement'' Nicole had known Shard for a while now and knew he had trouble still adapting to his new identity and some of those included some touchy subjects for him, like his own past.
''Then I actually get up to speed with history and discover that this guy isn't just some replacement Eggman made, that my frame wasn't used for some cheap mass production badnik, no I learn that somehow a version of me has lasted with the doctor all these years, that instead of being just a quick and done scheme, he actually stuck with me, can you believe it, me being jealous of being under that madman control still instead of having the freedom I have right now'' Shard just put his hands at the air as if he was giving up.
''Shard, I mean, it is not wrong that you want something like that, I know your relationship between Sonic family and you wasn't really the best, without counting your own history with Robotnik'' Nicole said.
''Understament of the year'' Shard said annoyed.
Nicole couldn't blame him, before being put here, the usual reaction to Shard between the freedom fighters and people in general was that of mistrust, someone that they didn't want around, a tool to be used for the secret freedom fighters and a tool without identity for Robotnik.
Even if his situation here was a lot better due to apparently being a lot more of creations that went rogue againts the doctor.
Problems like that don't dissapear just like that.
For Shard it was like a gut punch that even one version of the doctor kept him around even after events like the metal overlord incident that they read.
At first they couldn't really belive it, the doctor simply didn't care for other people or his creations.
At least the one they knew.
And yet that view changed the more Shard encountered his mirror self in this version of Metal.
A future that could had been him if he didn't had a change of heart
And the barrier was completetly demolished when they met Sage.
While the childlike AI had taken an unusual resentment to the Holo-Lynx.
Shard still had a hard time thinking Eggman could actually care for someone so much to call her daughter.
Much less for him to be called brother, that is something he still was getting used to.
And yet something within him felt warm, he still didn't truly know what to make of Sage, but the idea of actually having a family was one he entertained, at least so the little girl didn't go back crying to daddy asking for a carpet bombing.
Shard knew enough that a pissed off doctor was something not to mess with.
Especially after the beatdown that red guy got at his hands.
Before they could continue talking alarms started blaring off.
''What is that, are we under attack?'' Shard asked inmediatly getting ready to combat whatever threat that was coming their way.
Nicole on the other hand just groaned ''Ugh, it is that brat again, someone opened a contaminated email with another one of her viruses and is infecting the entire system''
''Hah looks like she really got it going for you Nicole'' Shard couldn't help but smile a little at her sister shenaningans.
The little kid had pulled stunts like these before already, sending viruses that downloaded and put on the speakers to everyone to hear the music the doctor had sung to reveal himself to green hills.
Something he found amusing, much to Nicole annoyance, the Holo-Lynx normally had to take the rest of the afternoon to get rid of whatever his little sister sent.
It is not like he can do anything about it and it is surely not the fact that Nicole apparently bullied the kid a little in their encounter on the cyber space.
Well this was Nicole area of expertise either way, as both said their goodbyes to each other.
Shard couldn't help but think back to what was pretty much his mirror.
He was happy of being who he was, he was Shard and nothing could ever change that.
And yet part of him couldn't help but to think back at Metal Sonic.
Despite everything, deep down a part of him still wanted more.
To be part of something else, to be part of a family.
He for sure would never go back to work with that Maniac of egg head.
He would rust before that Even happens.
But he cannot help but to call his alternate self a lucky bastard for the fact he was never treated like recyclabe trash.
Truly this new World was strange isn't it?.
Reflections of Metal.
Metal Sonic was irked.
As he was being repaired after a quite close fight.
He couldn't help but think about the situation.
While his creator was entertaining the idea of a a cease fire between The Restoration and G.U.N. he understood it.
He had reviewed the records of the old black arms invasion.
Black Doom did everything he could to play every single one of them like a fiddle while the alien reaped the rewards.
He saw the logic behind the ''alliance'', after the shattering the world was far too chaotic to try the old methods.
They needed to adapt, they needed to evolve if they wanted to survive the coming storm.
At least until his creator had amassed a force strong enough to crush everyone that opposses them.
A force he could very well co- OBEY EGGMAN.
No, the creator knew the best, he just needed to do what he was told and take out the creator enemies.
But if there was a spoken fact about this little truce.
Is that they didn't need to get along.
The creator for sure would never get along with the ones that caused him trouble for so much time.
It was the same for him.
He would never get along with the allies of his loathsome copy.
Especially not him.
He would rust away before he even though of giving that cheap knockoff any other treatment other than sending him to the scrapyard.
''And that should be the last touch up'' Doctor Eggman said as he pulled up his wielding mask.
Metal Sonic just moved the arm that had been removed during the battle, testing his articulations and calibrating his systems.
''Looks like everything is green with your systems Metal, but still this is the 3rd time this month you get into a fight with that robot of the restoration and we are not even done with half of the month'' Doctor Eggman berated his greatest creation.
Metal ignored it, this wouldn't be the last time he got into a fight with that knockoff he was sure of it as he started to go away.
''Metal stand in place'' Eggman said annoyed.
At the order the machine stood there motionless, it was obvious he was pushing his creator patience.
''Look Metal I know you are irked about that robot, I was baffled when he even appeared on the first place, but I want you to listen to me very carefully'' his creator said in a neutral tone.
Metal neutral expression continued, his creator knew him better than anyone, he created him and programmed him after all.
He was made to be the one and only Sonic after all.
So for another version of him to be out there, it was something he couldn't accept, he was the one and only Sonic.
The only reason that he hadn't dismantled that pirate knockoff is because his creator hadn't seen the necessity to approach him yet.
But when the right moment came oh he will enjoy sending that copy of his to rust to the bottom of the ocean.
There can be only one Sonic after all.
''I still don't know what is up with all these other versions of you out there, but I want you to remember that you are the only Metal Sonic in existence, someone I cannot replace'' his creator said in a neutral tone.
He wanted to refute that, especially due to the existence of the other models of the metal series.
And yet.
He couldn't, his programming knew it, no matter how many times they had failed in destroying his loathsome copy or even when he went trough his rebellious phase.
His creator had never truly replaced him, he always came back from him.
''Don't worry about these inferior copies my boy, when the right moment comes, heh we will do what it needs to be done, but for now blegh, we need to play nice with the neighbours'' his creator said those last words with disdain.
He just gave a thumbs up and went away once again.
And yet, Metal couldn't help but to go back to his old memory archive.
He cannot be replaced.
Those words lingered on his mind for a good while.
Looking back at all the moments on which his creator could replace him.
And yet.
Stardust Speedway date: XX-X-XXXX
As Metal Sonic fell to the bottoms of Stardust speedway, his system slowly shutting down, he couldn't help but look up as his creator ran pass the barrier towards his base of operations on Metallic Madness.
He had failed, he lost againts that blue rat.
He was supposed to be the fastest thing alive and yet, here he was falling, shutting down, dying.
His creator had put his trust in him and yet he failed him.
He was a failure he deserved this.
Or at least that was what he though.
When his systems flared back to life he was confused, his system was supposed to never again to flare back online and yet. he was functioning, barely, but he was online.
And then he saw his creator, commanding him to come back to certain coordinates on mobius as little plannet was once again close to it.
So he did, it was a difficult journey, but he did.
Then his creator for some reason proceeded to repair him.
He couldn't understand it, he had failed and yet, his creator proceeded to need of him once again.
So he accepted his new mission.
Death Egg MK2. date: XX-X-XXXX
But things didn't go differently this time either, he once again had challenged his loathsome copy to a race aboard the death egg that held prisoner little planet.
With his new body he would defeat this time his loathsome copy.
And yet story repeated itself once again.
He failed, this time something different happened on the other hand.
As a horde of badniks had loaded him into an escape pod and set coordinates into a hidden base from his creator.
Had his creator told them to sent him here? he never knew the answer.
Atomic destroyer date: XX-X-XXXX
This time his creator had managed to get away with one of the chaos emeralds, so he was tasked to make sure the blue nuisance didn't get to his creator and the echidna he managed to capture.
This time he wasn't playing games anymore, this time he was going to kill his loathsome copy.
Only to once again end up in failure.
Yet his creator once again recovered him and repaired him much to his intrigue.
Carnival Island date: XX-X-XXXX
His creator this time was after something different, the chaos and dark rings were a curious thing, even for Metal Sonic.
They set shop within the island after it appeared from the bottom of the sea after the incident with the master emerald.
His loathsome copy was nowhere in sight so they had pretty much free reign to do what they could.
That was until the Chaotix team reached the island.
Composed by Knuckles the Echidna, Vector the crocodile, Charmy Bee, Espio the chameleon and Mighty the armadillo, they proceeded to cause all kinds of trouble for them across the island.
Metal Sonic decided that enough was enough and confronted the team at the central hub of the island.
Only to be defeated as the defense system he was incorporated in was destroyed.
But his creator did the unthinkable, instead of powering up one of his machines with the last dark ring they had, his creator decided to power up Metal Sonic despite his failure.
At that point Metal Sonic couldn't care anymore, he was holding a power he never had before and he would crush those meddlesome creatures once and for all with his Kai form.
And yet the five mobians had managed to defeat him.
All that power and he lost once again.
Egg Fleet date: XX-X-XXXX
He then finally reached the date of his most rebellious phase.
His creator had taken a long while to complete his greatest update, the bio-data scanner, after thinkering with it for so long and the happening of the Chaos and Ark incident, the system that would let him reach his peak was finally installed within him.
After his defeat at the hands of the Chaotix, he knew that he needed to use whatever means he had access to defeat finally those that had caused him so much trouble over the years.
Even if he needed to betray his creator, he would be the overlord that stood on top of everything.
Taking over the badniks horde with his creator bio-data was easy enough.
Then taking the samples of the twelve individuals that stood againts him trough trickery was even easier.
He had finally reached his apex as both Neo Metal as the Metal Overlord.
And yet.
He once again failed, no matter how many times he tried, he continued failing.
Not only that, but this time he had gone a step futher and betrayed the one that still saw utility in him.
After being recovered once again by his creator Metal Sonic expected to be dismantled there in that instant.
And yet, his creator did no such thing.
''I must say, at first I was beyond furious at what you did Metal, to think you would be so ungrateful after all of what I have done for you, all the resources I spent on you, all the years of bringing you back again and again, only for you to betray my trust'' Eggman words echoed with dissapointment.
''And yet, you weren't programmed for it, you somehow went and grew beyond your programming, you always wanted to reach new heights, to finally crush those that opposed us, to finally prove yourself, you took the opportunity to stand atop of the world unmatched, much like I will do once that pincushion is out of the picture'' Eggman said this time with pride.
''I must say my genius surprises me that you even reached this point, but at the same time, it was you who took the opportunity, you who decided what suited you better, trust me, I will patch that rebellious phase out of you, but if there is something I must say right at this moment about you is only one thing'' Eggman words continued echoing within the memory of the machine.
''I am proud of you'' Eggman last words during that day echoed within him as his software was finally updated.
STOP REPRODUCTION OF ARCHIVE.
Despite all the defeats, despite all the humillations, despite everything that he did.
His creator was proud of him.
He had know after that, that his creator would never replace him.
For his creator there would be only one and only Metal Sonic.
And yet that didn't stop his annoyance at his obviously inferior copies.
Especially the one he meet recently.
Metal couldn't delete that first encounter.
It was when he was raiding another camp of those fools called the empire.
He was having a great time making those soldiers fear him.
But just when he tried to continue his fun.
He appeared.
''You know, don't you think you had enough fun already?'' a mocking voice resounded within Metal auditive sensors.
The voice it sounded so much like his loathsome copy, but yet different, for one reason.
It was a robotic voice.
As Metal Sonic let go of human he had grabbed by the neck, he decided to amuse his curiosity and see who had stopped his mission.
He wasn't prepared to see what stood before him.
It was a black metallic visage and with gold lines based on a hedgehog desing, a green gem of uknown origin embed in his chest and green eyes, but also a cocky smile far too resembling that loathsome copy.
''What's the matter cat got your tongue?, then again I doubt you expected to ever see me again'' the uknown robot said to him with a sense of familiarity Metal didn't understand, he had never seen this model before.
And yet it irked him, that it was so similar not only to his loathsome copy, but that it was also similar to him.
''Well, giving you a chance here, you can go away now to whenever egghead is holed up or you can try to continue this little massacre of you and I sent you directly into the scrapyard, your choice'' the mysterious robot said with a direct threat to Metal.
So what did he do?
He charged a spindash at the robot as soon as possible and launched himself at it.
He didn't expect for the robot to react in kind with his own spindash.
As both spindash clashed, both robots were pushed back from the potency of it, at that point Metal was intrigued about this new unit.
But that curiosity soon turned into unfiltered rage.
''So that is how you want to play eh?, well don't say I didn't warn you, it is time I pay you back for last time imitator'' the uknown unit mocked him.
If Metal could blow a fuse without suffering damage to his internal systems he would have done so, it was a thing to copy his loathsome copy design, it was a thing to stop his mission.
But calling him an imitation?
He didn't care anymore, this unit would be sent to the scrapyard personally by him.
And yet when he took another look to the unit, his appareance had changed a little.
The green gem was a blood red now, one of his arms was transformed into a canon and finally, the former green eyes, had transformed into a very familar blood red eyes.
His eyes.
He was a machine, things like existensial dread was something he wasn't programmed to understand.
And yet he couldn't help but feel as if he was looking into a mirror.
A very twisted mirror.
And yet he didn't care, this unit had insulted him on a level only his loathsome copy had done it.
So his priority right now was to crush him.
As the battle raged on Metal didn't care about what time it was.
Destroying this uknown unit was the only thing he cared for at the moment.
Even when the annoying platypus and his ''sister'' had commanded him to come back to base.
They weren't his creator, so he ignored the order.
He didn't notice when the battle was over, but he didn't care, he was battered up a little, with one of his eyes broken and one arm missing.
But his opponent was also just as badly damaged as him, with one leg missing and his left hand totally crushed.
And yet he couldn't be irked more, because the damn faker was still smiling like his loathsome copy.
''Ha, gotta say the doc didn't really do a good job getting you back up considering some of the stuff you are missing, but man you are still one hell of a fighter to get me down to this state, but still not as good as the original, as I told you once, accept no imitations'' the uknown unit mocked him once again.
At that point Metal wanted to end this charade, to put this fool in the scrapyard and melt his remains.
And yet he couldn't do it, as he felt something tugging him trough that platypus portal.
He didn't get to see the reaction of the uknown unit, but what he did get to see was his creator clearly not very amused by his shenanigans.
Metal couldn't help but clutch his hand into a fist.
That entire month had been a mess in general, not only his creator had to spent valuable resources into fixing his little tirade.
But also someone had managed to hack into the Eggnet despite Sage's defenses.
To say the creator wasn't happy in the least would be putting it lightly.
To everyone surprises, the being that managed to do it was of similar nature to that of her ''sister''
It took a while to discover the identities of the ones that had caused so much trouble for them.
But her ''sister'' was hellbent on getting to know in her own words ''that digital fleabag'' so he decided to help her to investigate the identities of the ones that humillated them.
It didn't take them long to discover that the robot unit and the AI belonged to the restoration.
Probably belonging to an alternate timeline much like the creator Egg bosses did.
But both didn't care, Sage had managed to discover the one that managed to get pass her defenses, one Nicole the Holo-Lynx.
On the other hand Metal had discovered the one that irked him so badly.
Shard the Metal Sonic.
Just the though of the name reviled him to no end.
After that both of them had gotten into scuffles here and there with both of them.
Well in the case of his ''sister'' it was a mix of scuffle with the restoration AI, while developing some curiosity over the unit designated as Shard.
But Metal Sonic didn't care.
Whatever his ''sister'' did was up to her, he won't be questioning it.
But he had added a new directive to his objectives.
And that was to dealt with Shard the Metal Sonic permanently.
He will show that cheap knockoff who truly was the original.
After all just a cheap knockoff would truly imitate his loathsome copy.
And yet he cannot stop thinking on why that cheap knockoff is able to pull off so perfectly an imitation of his loathsome copy.
He wonders just what makes that knockoff so close to Sonic the Hedgehog.
And yet uknown to the murder machine, said cheap knockoff was also thinking on his ''imitator''.
''And done, that should be the last joint Shard, why don't you test it out'' Rotor the Walrus said to the robot on the repair table.
As Shard did just that he could tell the repair was perfectly done.
It may not be the quality of Uncle Chuck, but honestly considering the situation is not something be can really whine about.
''Thanks for the repairs Rotor, I really needed that'' Shard thanked the Walrus for making time to do this.
''Anything for a friend really, but still, you should really stop picking fights with that guy Shard, this is the third time you come to my workshop for repairs this month'' Rotor said to the Metal Sonic.
''Yeah, yeah sorry about that, but that guy just ticks me off to no end'' Shard said annoyed when thinking about his well counterpart.
The last thing Shard remembered was being in the middle of an explosion thanks to a self-destruct detonated by one of Eggman lastest variations of his original visage.
He could feel how his gem was mostly cracked in the explosion, he really though that was the end of it.
But then he heard something shatter, the next thing he knew is that he was back online within the so called restoration.
It took him a while to get used to it, but he wasn't going to really throw away this well third leash at life.
Even if he couldn't do much until recently with the kick off of the black arms from Green Hills, when he was back online and fully functional, they warned him inmediatly about the Zeti and what they could do to machinery.
Yeah he wasn't stupid to gamble with that.
His first real mission was to scout the empire territory nearby.
He never expected to find him, of all the things he could find it had to be him.
Seeing Metal Sonic was not a good surprise for him.
It reminded him too much of what the egghead was capable off.
Of what he once was before.
After all that was his original body frame.
As the Metal Sonic went back to his room and sat on a computer to make a report of his latest battle to Jewel, he still had these last months events in mind.
Many were baffled at how the Doctor had decided to reveal himself once again to the world.
Like the man they knew would have never done what he did in the first place.
Still he cannot deny those were some good dance moves.
And yet the massacre at that camp reminded Shard of what Eggman could accomplish if he wanted.
So he fought what at first he though was his impostor.
But after a little digging with the help of Nicole in the restoration archives and egghead database, well he couldn't really call him an impostor anymore.
''So I heard what happened, are you okay Shard?'' a female voice he knew well talked to him from within the computer screen taking him out of his thinking.
After finding themselves in this crazy new world, Nicole and Shard had done everything possible to help each other and find their friends.
There were a lot of people who was still unnacounted for.
And well Nicole was honestly the only one Shard really knew well apart from Larry, so they had stuck together since finding themselves here.
''Yeah, yeah nothing a little welding and oil couldn't really repair'' he lied, Nicole had tried to have this conversation with him for a while now.
But well opening up wasn't exactly a strenght of his.
''Shard come on, we have been over this already, you can talk to me about this'' Nicole pleaded to his friend.
Shard sighed, he knew this was a lost battle already, he had been bottling up this thing for a while now and honestly at least Nicole could understand what he is going trough.
''You want to know? fine, look I know I have been getting into too many fights with that guy, but it is just that I cannot stand him, I just cannot Nicole, like at first I though that guy was just another model egghead made to replace me in the first place'' Shard explained as he told his friend.
''But then, suddenly a portal appears out of nowhere and drags him to what I suppose is egghead base, next time we encounter each other I see he is all repaired up, thinking that the old doctor went and replaced him, again'' Shard continues his tirade as Nicole looks worried at his friend.
''Then our battles continue, we dissasemble each other time and time again, but then I start noticing things, I start noticing that his frame still has minuscule dents, here and there, that his frame is not entirely new, but repaired, that I realize that I have been fighting the exact same guy time and time again and not just a replacement'' Nicole had known Shard for a while now and knew he had trouble still adapting to his new identity and some of those included some touchy subjects for him, like his own past.
''Then I actually get up to speed with history and discover that this guy isn't just some replacement Eggman made, that my frame wasn't used for some cheap mass production badnik, no I learn that somehow a version of me has lasted with the doctor all these years, that instead of being just a quick and done scheme, he actually stuck with me, can you believe it, me being jealous of being under that madman control still instead of having the freedom I have right now'' Shard just put his hands at the air as if he was giving up.
''Shard, I mean, it is not wrong that you want something like that, I know your relationship between Sonic family and you wasn't really the best, without counting your own history with Robotnik'' Nicole said.
''Understament of the year'' Shard said annoyed.
Nicole couldn't blame him, before being put here, the usual reaction to Shard between the freedom fighters and people in general was that of mistrust, someone that they didn't want around, a tool to be used for the secret freedom fighters and a tool without identity for Robotnik.
Even if his situation here was a lot better due to apparently being a lot more of creations that went rogue againts the doctor.
Problems like that don't dissapear just like that.
For Shard it was like a gut punch that even one version of the doctor kept him around even after events like the metal overlord incident that they read.
At first they couldn't really belive it, the doctor simply didn't care for other people or his creations.
At least the one they knew.
And yet that view changed the more Shard encountered his mirror self in this version of Metal.
A future that could had been him if he didn't had a change of heart
And the barrier was completetly demolished when they met Sage.
While the childlike AI had taken an unusual resentment to the Holo-Lynx.
Shard still had a hard time thinking Eggman could actually care for someone so much to call her daughter.
Much less for him to be called brother, that is something he still was getting used to.
And yet something within him felt warm, he still didn't truly know what to make of Sage, but the idea of actually having a family was one he entertained, at least so the little girl didn't go back crying to daddy asking for a carpet bombing.
Shard knew enough that a pissed off doctor was something not to mess with.
Especially after the beatdown that red guy got at his hands.
Before they could continue talking alarms started blaring off.
''What is that, are we under attack?'' Shard asked inmediatly getting ready to combat whatever threat that was coming their way.
Nicole on the other hand just groaned ''Ugh, it is that brat again, someone opened a contaminated email with another one of her viruses and is infecting the entire system''
''Hah looks like she really got it going for you Nicole'' Shard couldn't help but smile a little at her sister shenaningans.
The little kid had pulled stunts like these before already, sending viruses that downloaded and put on the speakers to everyone to hear the music the doctor had sung to reveal himself to green hills.
Something he found amusing, much to Nicole annoyance, the Holo-Lynx normally had to take the rest of the afternoon to get rid of whatever his little sister sent.
It is not like he can do anything about it and it is surely not the fact that Nicole apparently bullied the kid a little in their encounter on the cyber space.
Well this was Nicole area of expertise either way, as both said their goodbyes to each other.
Shard couldn't help but think back to what was pretty much his mirror.
He was happy of being who he was, he was Shard and nothing could ever change that.
And yet part of him couldn't help but to think back at Metal Sonic.
Despite everything, deep down a part of him still wanted more.
To be part of something else, to be part of a family.
He for sure would never go back to work with that Maniac of egg head.
He would rust before that Even happens.
But he cannot help but to call his alternate self a lucky bastard for the fact he was never treated like recyclabe trash.
Truly this new World was strange isn't it?.
As I said the talk of Metal Sonic and Shard got me inspired.
Those two no doubt would be like water and oil.
Like Metal Sonic would no doubt feel offended that there is one than more versión of him out there.
After all the can only be one true Sonic
Reason of why he hates Shard with all his night, not only he would consider him an inferior version
But he would be beyond irked that somehow a cheap knockoff is so similar to his loathsome copy.
Also some more into Metal backstory, like despite everything Eggman continued upgrading and mantaining him after every single defeat and honestly the events of episode Metal happening just after 3 and Knuckles makes a Lot of sense.
As for Shard is the opossite, poor guy has a Lot of trauma to unload, but he is jealous of Metal because despite everything Even pulling a coup on Eggman, he is still wanted around despite everything, unlike Shard who got throw into the bin as soon as his defeats started acumulating.
Either way it is almost 5 AM so hope You guys enjoy this.
Those two no doubt would be like water and oil.
Like Metal Sonic would no doubt feel offended that there is one than more versión of him out there.
After all the can only be one true Sonic
Reason of why he hates Shard with all his night, not only he would consider him an inferior version
But he would be beyond irked that somehow a cheap knockoff is so similar to his loathsome copy.
Also some more into Metal backstory, like despite everything Eggman continued upgrading and mantaining him after every single defeat and honestly the events of episode Metal happening just after 3 and Knuckles makes a Lot of sense.
As for Shard is the opossite, poor guy has a Lot of trauma to unload, but he is jealous of Metal because despite everything Even pulling a coup on Eggman, he is still wanted around despite everything, unlike Shard who got throw into the bin as soon as his defeats started acumulating.
Either way it is almost 5 AM so hope You guys enjoy this.
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