The Egg Fleet flew high above the largest split in the planet of Erius, formed between the Iron Dominion and Adabat. The ships, modeled after marine life and powered by colossal animals, moved almost as if they were swimming amongst the thundering heavens. Metal and Mecha variants of many esteemed figures from across the globe each piloted their own airship. Robotic successors of heroes, villains, leaders, all built for the purpose of replacing their organic counterparts and serving the upcoming ruler of the planet: Metal Sonic.
At the heart of the swarm, a squad of Egg Pawns infected by strange Black Energy carried the Silent Celesta to the flagship's vault. Once the door was open, they placed it against the wall, waking up a sleeping Eggman. He attempted to run out of the vault, before being slammed into the wall by the hand of a single Egg Pawn. The other robots all pointed their guns at him.
"Alright, alright! I surrender…" Eggman groaned. The Egg Pawn dropped him to the floor. "I created you all, you know." The Egg Pawns looked at each other, and most of them piled out of the room. One stopped right at the door, turning to face the despondent Eggman. Its eye flickered from deep purple to light blue as whatever third party controlling all of Eggman's robotic enforcers lost control over the one unit. "Aha.. ahahaha! There you are, my loyal Egg Pawn… come back here this instant…!" Eggman whispered. The Egg Pawn returned to his side. "Let me take a gander at the cameras all around the Egg Fleet. And make it snappy!"
The Egg Pawn opened a map, Eggman sifted around the perimeter of Final Fortress. "Hrmm, well it would seem the detective team I've hired to rescue me has found a way onto the ship. They survived the Graying Pandemic at its peak, so I have no doubts that they can last through the battalion."
Vector punched a cannon, spinning it around until it fired at one of the smaller Egg Fleet ships. The segment of the Final Fortress they stood on began to fall apart. "Charmy! Which way are we going?" Vector shouted. Espio and Zik both wrapped ropes around an E-2000, leaving it immobilized and unable to fire its gun as it went down with the segment.
"Take a left at the next Grind Railroad, go right when you arrive at the left wing and go for a ride downtown," Charmy mumbled, squinting at the analog clock projected from the communicator. "Makes sense to me."
"The device is scrambled," Zik sighed. "We're too high up for it to function! Ata…!" Zik turned to Ata, who grabbed an Egg Hammer by the chestplate and absorbed its Black Energy. The robot shut down, Ata clenched her fists as her muscles tightened. "Ata, see where our client is. He couldn't have moved too far, right?"
"This way," Ata said.
"No, no! Don't they know the fastest route is through the wires to the main engine? Sure, the electric blasts may be a slight turn-off… but it's exposed! It's right there, out in the open!" Eggman shouted. "Can't even hire good help nowadays. Switch cams." Eggman's heart sunk. "No way… SHADOW?! Rouge, the Phantom Thief, and the Iron Queen, too? Who's the kid and that robot?"
"I positively can't wait to see Ivo again!" Iron Queen exclaimed, rail-grinding down an electronic artery of the Final Fortress. "I wonder where he could be in this ship…?"
"Move over, 'iron weight'," Omega said, tailgating Iron Queen on the grind rail. "Our proximity necessitates that you switch rails or jump to your doom for the small human and I to continue our rampage."
"Huh? No way!" Iron Queen squabbled. She and Omega battled for dominance over the rail. "I'll have you know I'm a queen!"
"Meaningless. I believe myself to be the antichrist," Omega retorted.
"Jump, you guys!" Rouge shouted. Iron Queen and Omega hopped to the next rail as a huge yellow laser shot through. Iron Queen landed in Omega's arms.
"Aww, you big softie!" Iron Queen giggled.
"STOP IT," Omega shouted. Rouge sighed, then turned to Cherry. Her heart sunk as she saw Cherry dozing off, and as she saw another laser charging up behind the ladybug.
"Oh for crying out loud!" Rouge cried. "Cherry! Cherry, bail!"
Cherry snapped back awake. "NIKKI!" She exclaimed, losing her balance for a second but then switching rails just in time.
"You okay, hon?" Rouge asked. "Now's no time to daydream, we need to focus."
"It's not that. I don't think we're the only ones on the ship," Cherry replied. She looked all around before spotting a group of three flying through the sky. A segment of the Final Fortress blew up behind the other team.
"Sonic's here too? Wait, no. Something's wrong," Eggman zoomed in on the blue blur shooting out of the left wing's remains. "Egg Pawn, enhance. Scan biodata." Eggman scratched his chin as data flooded the screen. "That can't be Sonic. Just as it can't be Shadow, or me… or the DOZENS of unique bio-datasets this one entity possesses! Just what is this creature?"
Tails looked to Metal Sonic as they flew hand-in-hand with Knuckles. "Sonic" hadn't said a word all morning. Tails glanced to Knuckles, and Knuckles glanced back. Metal Sonic gripped their hands tighter. "Sonic, is something the matter?" Tails asked.
"What do you mean? Everything's okay," Metal Sonic said.
"No it's not! You're acting freakin' weird, Sonic!" Knuckles shouted. Tails' heart skipped a beat as Sonic shot a piercing glare Knuckles' way. "I don't know what's up with you, but I know you're hiding something from us. So stop being so secretive and spit it out already!"
"Quiet, we're almost there," Metal groaned.
"Blast it all… they're onto me!" Metal logged. "I must act now. These mere pawns have outlived their usefulness."
Metal Sonic began to shapeshift. Tails and Knuckles, shocked, tried to pull their hands away. But before they could even blink, they were trapped in a golden armor resembling Eggman. "NO!" Tails tried to shout, promptly realizing he could hardly be heard in the cramped pocket of the mech suit. Knuckles tried to break out, but he could barely even wind up a punch. On top of all that, it was getting hard for them to breathe.
Team Rose followed the tarot card's directions to the Silent Celesta. It had taken them to the gun deck at the rear of the ship, "C'mon, you guys. We're right by the instrument!" Amy cried.
"I'm scared, Amy… there's lots of guns, and… what if we don't find Froggy?" Big asked.
"Mr. Big, it's okay. Maybe we'll run into Froggy and Chocola on the ship," Amy replied.
"Yeah, maybe…" Cream squeaked. Suddenly, a gold mech suit modeled after Eggman flew down and landed on the corridor Team Rose stood upon, shaking the floor. "Eek! Lord Eggman!"
"Ohohoho!" Eggman's voice boomed from the speakers. "What's this? A couple of brats playing games with my army, that's what! Amy, Cream, Big, it's time to meet your maker!" Amy gulped, looking up into the mech's eyes defiantly. "I'll show you what REAL evil is!"
Amy summoned her hammer and slammed it into the Egg Emperor's head. It didn't even leave a dent. "You Cheeseball! You made another Metal Sonic, so it's your fault Chocola and Froggy are missing," Amy shouted. "You're gonna regret this for the rest of your life!"
"Shows what you know, I didn't bring Metal Sonic back," Eggman laughed. "You can thank someone else for that." The Egg Emperor floated backwards, pulling out a flag with a strange red symbol on it and stabbing it into the ground. "This conquest of Erius is 'sponsored' by the great Black Arms. Once they arrive here, the planet will be shared between I, Lord Eggman, and BLACK DOOM himself."
"That doesn't sound right," Amy mumbled to Cream, looking on at the Egg Emperor as it danced far away from them in a showboaty fashion. "Eggman doesn't seem like one to share."
"You're making this boring… CHARGE!" Eggman commanded the Egg Emperor to blast towards Team Rose, who were all knocked back by a swing of the Egg Emperor's lance. Cream and Big landed on their backs, but Amy went falling off the ledge. She screamed, before somebody caught her and lifted her up. She looked over to her savior as he launched up through the thunderclouds blocking out the sun.
"SONIC! You made it!" Amy exclaimed, as they joined Cream, Cheese and Big back on the strip of metal.
"Was there ever any doubt?" Sonic asked. His smile fell as he and the Egg Emperor locked eyes. Time slowed for the two of them, before they clashed at supersonic speeds. "There you are, you fake hedgehog!" Sonic Homing Attacked the Egg Emperor all over, but each collision was absorbed by the emperor's shield. Eventually, Sonic was parried back over to the rest of Team Rose.
"'Fake hedgehog'?" Amy thought. She remembered what Metal had said to her back in Grand Metropolis. She kept her lips sealed.
"You're one to talk, blue," Shadow said, as he and the rest of Team Dark landed in between the Egg Emperor and Team Rose.
"CHERRY?!" Sonic exclaimed, his heart sinking. Rouge eyed him strangely. "And… Shadow too, right. Welllllcome back, buddy?" Shadow didn't so much as look at Sonic. Cherry kept her back turned.
"We'll handle this. You weaker lifeforms should stay back if you know what's good for you," Shadow laughed, taking off an Inhibitor Ring and punching the Egg Emperor so hard that its head spun in circles. Team Dark began chipping away at the emperor.
"Wow, rude," Sonic sighed, watching as the Egg Emperor swung wildly at the other team. "I guess that's Shadow for you, though." He turned to Amy. He teetered back and forth. "Okay, so we're just not gonna mention it?! You see him. I see him. Pretty sure he was dead last time, right?" Amy glared at Shadow nervously.
"Take this! Take this!" The voice emanated from the Egg Emperor as he thrust his lance at Team Dark. He shanked it through Omega's speaker. "Oho! I remember you, now. The little science fair project that concluded the E-Series. What a colossal flop that primitive line was." The Egg Emperor had its chestplate smashed in by a swing of Amy's hammer. Omega then ignited his rocket thrusters with so much force that he was able to flip the Egg Emperor upside down and slam its head into the metal bridge.
"How dare you?! Gamma was part of the E-Series, he was the only robot you've ever made that was capable of feeling love!" Amy shouted, bashing away at the emperor with tears forming in her eyes. Then, the cannons all pointed at her under the emperor's command.
"Analysis: mech suit is exceedingly lightweight for its size. Potentially hollow," Omega stated, tearing the lance from his chest and standing in front of Amy. "Do not worry, pink creature. I will absorb the impact and enjoy the pain."
"Watch your mouth! I am beyond him! I am BETTER than that useless prototype!" The emperor shouted with a voice much unlike Eggman's. The cannons charged up. Everybody fell back, and the Egg Emperor followed them. However, just at the last second, the cannons turned to the Egg Emperor and shot him in the back, exposing the electric wires on his backside.
"Did you forget about me, ugly?!" Zavok exclaimed, as she held the cannons in the Egg Emperor's direction with the help of Zoga, Zik and Vector.
"Ah-ah! Don't even think about it. If you do that again, there's no telling what I'll do to these poor little hostages," the window on the Egg Emperor's chest cleared, showing Tails, Knuckles, Froggy and Chocola inside.
"Huh… I thought that was the cockpit," Rouge mumbled as Cream, Cheese and Big reached for their friends. "Unless… Eggman's not in the mech at all!" Tails and Knuckles crawled out of the Egg Emperor's newly formed exit, and fell to the floor.
"You guys! That's not Eggman!" Tails shouted, in a panic as Knuckles tried to help Froggy and Chocola out of the Egg Emperor. Before he could, the gaping wound healed. He pulled his arms away, empty-handed. The metal had completely sliced part of Knuckles' arm. "It's something else!"
"Metal Sonic, I know it's you!" Sonic shouted, the Egg Emperor still sparking and jittering. "Let Chocola and Froggy go, before we find Eggman and blend him into paste!" Metal Sonic fell silent, as the Egg Emperor cut its jets and collapsed onto the bridge.
"I see that even this mech cannot destroy you. Still. your threats mean very little to me," Metal Sonic replied, as the Egg Emperor started to melt. "You want your pets back? Fine. I have no more use for them. I already have what I need." Sonic clenched his fists. "I just needed to make all heroes gather here." Froggy and Chocola rolled out of the silver goop, jumping up and running over to their companions. "Frogymandias biodata copied. Fifty instances of Chao biodata copied. Light Gaia biodata copied. Master Emerald data copied. All necessary biodata… SUCCESSFULLY COPIED!"
The silver goo began to spread.
Covering and coating every inch of the Final Fortress, all of the Egg Fleet ships converged and let themselves be consumed by the metal goo. The floor rumbled under the heroes. "We need to get out of here. Tails! Use the Cyclone!" Knuckles shouted. Tails held up the shards of the Cyclone's compressed form. "Oh NO! What do we do now?!"
"SUCCUMB..." Everybody looked up at the starfish ship as it was fastened onto the top of the Egg Fleet colossus. The goo dried into a royal blue paint. Fit for an emperor. "... AND BE CONSUMED BY METAL MADNESS!" Metal roared, now in a form resembling a dragon. With one spin, he sent all the heroes flying into the air. While the Fly Types were able to catch themselves, they weren't able to catch everyone else. The Power Types linked together with as many other Types as possible in order to slow their descent with Triangle Dives. However, they were only heading straight down towards the crack in Erius.
"Face it! You're all obsolete now that I've copied your data," Metal Sonic boomed, swatting the different groups of heroes like flies. They meteored down onto small broken-off segments of the Final Fortress. Even these small sanctuaries were in freefall. "Fall, fall to your doom!"
"Detectives! Can you hear me?!" Vector looked at his walkie talkie.
"Loud and clear, bossman," Vector said, as the rest of the Chaotix scrambled around him in panic. "Talk to me."
"Metal Sonic is slowly transforming into his true form," their client muttered, as the filter he had on his voice began to fade away. "So I suppose it's time I reveal mine as well. I am LORD EGGMAN! Metal betrayed me, so show him what happens when you play games with a supreme leader… and I'll TRIPLE your pay! In EGGTHEREUM, of course, heheh! Lucky you!" All of the core three Chaotix groaned, as Vector tossed the walkie-talkie at Metal.
"Can't you control him?!" Ata cried, shaking Zik. Zoga was on another platform, out of reach.
"No can do… he's EM-shielded," Zoga grumbled.
"I wonder… Metal Sonic possesses Black Energy," Ata mumbled, cogs turning in her head. "Just like the other Badniks! If I can get in close, I may be able to drain his power."
"That might not be wise," Zik sighed, brandishing her spear. "That Black Energy… I sense that it's doing awful things to you. I cannot allow you to risk your health just to thwart this one robot." Ata looked to the ground, shaking. "Ata, it's okay, BREATHE. We'll find another way." Zik blinked, and when she opened her eyes, Metal Sonic was staring right at them. He snorted ship exhaust from his nostrils.
"Stay BACK, you reptilian-wannabe shapeshifter!" Vector shouted, puffing smoke out of HIS nostrils and then fire from his mouth. Metal Sonic screeched as his face was charred, and turned to another squad. "Charmy!" Vector shouted, realizing Charmy was on the platform Metal was now facing. "Pick on someone your own size, coward!"
"You are all ANTS compared to me! I kidnapped a Colossal alligator FIFTEEN TIMES your size and made him power my RUDDER." Metal spat as Vector spat fire at the airship making up his forearm. Metal then raised that forearm and slammed it down onto Charmy. Shadow swooped in at the last second using Chaos Control and saved the bee from getting squashed for a third time.
"Are you well? Do you have brain damage?" Shadow asked Charmy, placing him on the ground.
"Owieee… that big jerk! Good thing I'm wearing a helmet," Charmy knocked on the aviator helmet on his head, only for it to fall apart completely after the damage it had taken from Metal Sonic.
"There's no time to waste, you guys!" Tails shouted, scanning Metal Sonic with the Tails Electric. "That weird silver goop is making its way to Metal Sonic's core… once it solidifies around his skeleton, his body will be virtually invincible!"
"Virtually Invincible… virtually invincible?!" Omega shouted, waving his arms around in rage. "If he's virtually invincible, that means I can't shred his insides through the gaping wound that used to be his chest!" Omega looked to Tails while he shot at Metal, Tails shuddered. "... In a VIRTUAL sense."
"Hit him harder!" Knuckles shouted at Big, driving his knuckles into Metal Sonic's back with Zavok. "You have Felidae blood coursing through your veins, your arteries which are probably just as hard as copper wire!"
"I don't like hitting people," Big mumbled. "Not when Froggy's around, anyways."
"Mr. Big, we need your help! Everyone's counting on you!" Cream begged, shooting Cheese and Chocola at Metal one after the other. "Go, Cheese! Go, Chocola-Chao!!!" Metal Sonic grabbed ahold of Cheese.
"How adorable. The little girl scout has brought another meal right to my doorstep," Metal opened his mouth, and raised Cheese to it as Cheese squirmed.
"CHEESE, NO!" Cream cried, piecing together what had happened. All of those missing Chao… "NO! Give him BACK, you FREAK!" Big tossed his fishing line around Metal Sonic's arm, pulling Cheese away from the robot's mouth. Omega then fired a rocket at Metal's elbow, causing him to lose his grip on the Chao. Cream flew over and caught a shaking, expressionless Cheese.
"It's not nice to tease my friends…" Big said, as he swung around Metal from his fishing line and twisted Metal's arm. Metal howled in pain. Big waved to all the other scattered squads on the platforms below.
"You fight and fight to subdue me. But I can never be contained!" Metal snapped Big's fishing line in two, and sent him falling. Amy used a tarot card, creating a magical safety net for Big. He landed on it and bounced over to her.
"Are you okay, Mr. Big?" Amy asked. She put all her strength into helping Big stand as the others hit Metal with all they had.
"Weapons… projectiles… Homing Attacks?!" Metal asked, perplexed. "Do you really believe your PATHETIC attempts at hurting me will work?" Metal sent exact replicas of their own attacks back at them. He then turned to Sonic, who was bashing into him repeatedly in ball form. "And you… you're the most pathetic of them all. You really think you're Sonic, don't you?"
"Unlike you, I don't have to think about it so hard that I start repeating my insults." Sonic laughed, bouncing off of Metal and laughing as he backflipped back to solid ground. He stopped laughing as he looked around at all his friends, only now realizing they were battered and bruised. Despite this, they kept fighting. He eyed Metal, who spun around and whacked all of them to the ground. Sonic leapt onto Metal's arm and spun up to his face. Sonic began attacking Metal's eye. "Face it, you'll never be me!"
"I beat you, you know. I completely outpaced you back in Stardust Speedway," Metal Sonic growled. "I'm faster than you. I'm superior to you in every way. You're an OBSOLETE and DEAD model. Accept the truth and perish alone!" Metal headbutted Sonic back down to one of the falling platforms. Along with all of his fallen friends. CLANG!
"No… can… do…" Sonic sputtered, getting to his feet and wiping his nose free of blood with a smirk. "No matter what happens to me, I won't be dying alone like you did. Because… I have… my team around me." The platforms shot below the lowest layer of clouds. All the heroes neared the split in the planet at terminal velocity. Metal Sonic activated his jet thrusters, staying in the orange, cloudy sky.
Suddenly, a huge Portal Ring opened underneath the platforms, sending them crashing sideways into the ocean. Everyone weakly linked hands, holding on to avoid falling into the sea. "IS EVERYONE OKAY?!" Sonic called, taking a quick head count. His platform washed onto an island. It looked like… Whale Island.
"Present!" Cream exclaimed amidst the sound of everyone catching their breaths.
"Good, good," Sonic sighed, wiping his forehead. "Phew… what a NIGHTMARE." They all looked around, as more Portal Rings opened everywhere. Penumbra hopped out of one… followed by the Freedom Fighters. Then the rest of the Deadly Seven… countless people Sonic had met since his escape from the empire. "... No way…"
"Miss me?" Penumbra exclaimed, as they all landed on Whale Island. "Normally I wouldn't go out of my way to do this, but I can tell this is important."
"What are you all doing here?! Go!!!" Sonic shouted, as Metal Sonic lowered in his complete form. "He's invincible… he'll just copy all your biodata too!"
"Sonic, wait!" Tails exclaimed, running to his side. "When I scanned Metal, I found what looks like ONE weakness in his final form." Sonic nervously looked to all his companions. "Cores! Raw, organic Erian Core Energy!" Sonic gasped. Metal Sonic's eye narrowed. "Metal Sonic's a robot, he could never match our Core Energy levels, nor can he channel the energy through the Colossi inside the fleet. Because he's holding them against their will! It's the only upper hand we have. If we can charge our Core Power through teamwork and our positive emotions towards each other, we may be able to win." Eggman staggered out of a Portal Ring.
"It's still too risky!" Eggman shouted, lunging forward to try and reach Tails. He was blocked off by a drumstick belonging to Kofi Yo. "Sonic is right. For once. Even with your Cores combined, it'll take a miracle to destroy Metal Sonic." Sonic approached on the other side of the drumstick.
"What kind of miracle? YOU programmed him in the first place," Sonic pried.
"We'd need a POWER Core! A massive one!" Eggman did another head count now that everybody was there. "Bah! But we don't have enough people! We don't have enough Cores to create a strong enough Power Core, and there needs to be an element of Chaos Control as well!"
"No, Lord Eggman," Kofi said, pointing the drumstick at Eggman. "I'd say we aren't one short at all."
"That's right!" Susie the Frog exclaimed, tugging at his cape. "Lord Eggman, please oh please help!" Pico trumpeted in agreement. Eggman sighed.
"Fine. FINE!" Eggman exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air and placing a hand on his own temple. "I'll help. Sonic, don't take this as permission to act all high and mighty."
"Okay," Sonic said, shrugging.
"Only I get to gloat about it for PR in my empire… tomorrow… THE WORLD!" Eggman cackled. Everyone in the vicinity gave him an odd look.
"Are you quite done?" Metal asked. He turned the distracted heads of every single organic on the rock below him. "United you stand, united you will fall. You think you can threaten the METAL OVERLORD with sheer numbers? Very well! Become a digit in a death toll! Reduce yourselves to disfigured faces in a maimed crowd! Your roads CONVERGE and END HERE!" Metal shot out hundreds of… missiles? No, as they grew closer, they showed themselves to be Metal replicas of everyone present. Sonic glanced to Shadow. But just before he did, Shadow was grabbed and taken off by a Shadow android.
"Where's Shad?" Sonic groaned.
"Gah… it's YOU!" Shadow asked, trying to push the equally powerful, identical hedgehog off of him while it ground him against the road looping around Whale Island. It stared into his eyes with cold, dead optics. Shadow activated Chaos Blast, as did the Shadow Android. The colliding explosions only drove Shadow further down into the stone. It could have ended up sending him so far he reached the planet's core, but Sonic latched onto the android's legs at the last second and pulled them both up. Shadow kicked the android off of him, and Sonic performed a Judo throw in tandem. The Shadow Android was launched into the sun.
"You were always the better 'other-me' anyways!" Sonic called with a hint of laughter. He helped Shadow up. Shadow kept his eyes locked ahead at Metal Overlord. "Gerald gave you Chaos Powers, too." Shadow turned his focus to Sonic. "If anyone's gonna pull this together, it's us!"
"Very well," Shadow scoffed. He and Sonic formed two Enerbeams, and wove them around all the others.
"CHAOS CONTROL!" Sonic and Shadow shouted, forming an iridescent Power Core bubble around everybody through their combined and focused efforts. Any Metal, Mecha, Doll, or Silver duplicate that made contact with the Power Core turned to dust.
"BLAST AWAY!" Sonic exclaimed. It was then fired right at Metal Overlord, resulting in a blinding explosion. With a roar, he fired even more Metallix at the organics. He then began to close in. Slowly but surely.
"Okay… we've removed his invincibility. But the distance traveled seemed to diminish the Power Core's attack potency by a lot, so it doesn't look like we caused any real physical damage." Tails looked around at the battle happening all around him. "What now? We can't just wait for him to get within range!"
"We'll just need to bring the fight to him," Amy replied, taking off her Inhibitor Rings. Shadow did the same. Uninhibited Amy and Uninhibited Shadow both blasted over to Metal Overlord in a beam of blue-red light.
"So… you're alive?" Amy asked, still unsure as they rotated around each other at hundreds of miles per hour. "I'm glad."
"Who are you?" Shadow asked, as they dispersed and shot into Metal's left and right arms. Amy frowned. Metal Overlord screeched, tried to swat them away, but only threw its weakened arm into the ocean. UI Amy and Shadow returned, Amy flying into Sonic's arms and Sonic spinning her around. They mowed down the Metallix horde, bashing bots while seeing how their friends were dealing with their own metal mirrors.
"Did I ever tell you guys I'm a huge metalhead?" Madonna sighed to his bandmates, tapping the medallion on his chest and summoning a microphone. He stared down Metal Madonna. "But even this is ridiculous!" Madonna shouted into the mic as the rest of 4D summoned their instruments. "10-W-4D, I challenge all of you bots to a battle of the bands!" The band performed so loudly that the soundwaves threw their robotic rivals off-balance. Vector and the rest of the Chaotix played as backup. Until a Mecha Cherry flew overhead and knocked the two teams out with a single stare. Mecha Cherry approached the fallen band, and prepared the finishing blow. But before she could strike, the real Cherry turned to sludge and covered Mecha Cherry. Mecha was held in place.
"Vents… blocked… overheating!" Mecha Cherry shouted, though her voice could only be heard by Cherry herself. "No! I MUST become the one true Cherry! Fool! Get off of—!" Mecha Cherry exploded, and Cherry was sent flying forward in the dirt.
"Cherry!" Lil Kate exclaimed, running up and offering a hand. Cherry looked at her in the eyes, stared in disbelief. And then took her hand, getting back to destroying robots.
Tails flew Sonic in close to Metal Overlord, giving his all into carrying his best friend through the orange-gray skies. "Unworthy mutt!" Metal Overlord exclaimed as soon as he noticed them. He grabbed broken pieces of his own arm and tossed them at Sonic and Tails. "Even with an IQ rivaling the doctor's, you were always weak, Tails. I blame it on your hapless, perpetual state of obsequity to the old Sonic. It is because of your surface-level interest in technology that I was able to study not just that defective prototype, but also you. My obsession only grew during the time we spent together on South Island. My hatred only festered with every mile of dirt and limestone you dragged me through. This time was no different." Tails launched Sonic with Thunder Shoot, and Sonic smashed into Metal Overlord's thorax, nearly caving it in. Knuckles glided forth and threw Sonic at Metal Overlord's eye, Sonic gouging it out with a Spindash.
"Traitors…! I… I don't care! I do not need eyes to stare right through your FAKE loyalty," Metal Overlord growled, slashing blindly at Team Sonic to no avail. He then tail-swiped them back over to Ocean Palace. Knuckles offered his glide to the other two, and they Triangle Dived down to safety.
"Who's he calling a traitor? He tricked US," Knuckles seethed.
"Is that REALLY what you're worried about right now?" Tails asked, involuntarily shaking from the pain. Until Sonic put a hand on his shoulder.
"I need you here, Tails," Sonic consoled him. "Just like always! You and me, bro!"
"He played us all for fools. He USED US and called us his friends!" Knuckles shouted. He punched a spinning stone wheel, stopping it completely before it could smush them all. A Sonic Wind swept it into the air, and Tails Thunder Shot it forth. They all rode the spinning wheel over to Metal Overlord. "Nobody lies to me anymore!" It smashed into the robot dragon and sent chunks of metal and stone everywhere.
Aurora the Guardian held a potted plant in her hands, as Vista Dolls surrounded her. Just as they closed in, Vista the Carnation sprouted from the pot and shot needle-like vines through the dolls with a high-pitched cackle, shanking them together and expanding until the robots broke apart. "It's so sad. Technology still thinks it can hold a candle to my natural beauty," Vista mumbled, looking down upon the fake flowers.
"Hexis… MARCH!" All of the Deadly Seven chanted as a legion of EM-shielded robots approached. Zomom threw the robot clones depicting deceased Hexis into the air with a Tornado Spin, Zazz riddled them with rounds on their way down, Zeena kicked them to the ground at high speeds, and Zor created Dark Fog that consumed the bots entirely. They all went on to help Zavok, Zoga and Zik in taking out their Mecha clones.
"You guys go for the head, I'll try to find a way under his skin," Sonic instructed. Tails flew Knuckles above the clouds. They began whacking, and swiping, and punching away at Metal Overlord's head and neck. However, Metal Overlord couldn't spare the CPU for them as Sonic ran up to his shoulder.
"Do you ever give up?!" Metal Overlord roared, trying to shake Sonic off like a gnat. "I HATE you! At every turn, you've screwed up my plans!" Metal's head stretched over to Sonic, and he chewed and gnashed wildly at his own shoulder. Sonic rail-grinded on Metal's hose-like neck, Metal chasing him and trying to finally put an end his past. Finally complete his assignment.
But it wasn't enough as Knuckles and Tails slammed down onto Metal Overlord in Spinball form. His knotted neck was stretched too thin to support his head, and it snapped clean off. Everybody on the war ground below turned to look. He turned to look at all of them as he fell down to the ocean below.
"GUOOOHH! WHY! I HAD IT ALL!" Metal Overlord screeched.
"Too bad it's all over… FOR YOU!" Sonic shouted.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH! I am the ULTIMATE OVERLORD, METAL… Sonic…" Metal crashed into the sea so hard that the impact could be heard all across the continent. His body fell apart at the hinges, dispersing into a scattered Egg Fleet.
The stormclouds cleared out.
Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles were blasted back by the force of the explosions, splashing into the sea as well. As all their friends ran over, the waves were kind enough to wash them towards an Egg Fleet ship. They were able to climb aboard.
"We… did it!" Tails exclaimed.
"Phew… that was tough," Knuckles mumbled, holding his head and spitting out some salt water.
"Couldn't have done it without you guys," Sonic said, smiling and looking ahead. Tails and Knuckles looked to him, surprised.
"You weren't half bad either, hog," Knuckles replied, punching Sonic's shoulder back into place. Tails fell onto Sonic's shoulder, laughing weakly. Sonic laughed too. Until something began to rise from the silver goo that had splattered on the ship. Neo Metal Sonic.
"This ISN'T OVER YET!" Metal shouted, his body crackling with electricity and releasing smoke from his joints. He lunged towards Sonic, swiping at thin air. "You have defeated me many times. Each time, I RETURN… only to be beaten AGAIN! AND AGAIN! That is why I transformed my body with my own two hands." Metal fell to his hands and knees, exhausted. "And yet it's no use… but why?! Why can't I defeat you?! I'm supposed to BE you!"
"You transformed yourself into a monster to become me?" Sonic asked. Metal's eyes instantly widened. "That's… not how it works at all."
"Recalculating… My logic may have been short-sighted," Metal Sonic said, inadvertently bowing to Sonic. However… Sonic didn't smirk. He didn't celebrate. He was devoid of humor. "What is the matter? Are you not happy to be rid of me once and for all? I've caused you so much pain, so much anguish. I stole your identity and even turned your closest friends against you. You should hate me."
"What good will worrying about it now do?" Sonic asked, stepping into the sunlight. He extended a hand. "If you have time to worry, then run! C'mon, we'll have Tails take you back to the workshop. Race you there?" Metal didn't respond.
"Sonic…!" Tails whined, hiding behind his own tails.
"You deserve another shot. You're too stuck in your own head, and you can't keep a Sonic still for long. You already rebelled against Eggman, so let's forget this vendetta. We don't have to be friends. You could live on the other side of the world for all I care. But why not give peace a chance?" Sonic chuckled. He kept his hand outstretched to try and help Metal up. Metal looked at it, looked into Sonic's eyes. He then slapped Sonic's hand away. A message flashed before Sonic's eyes as Metal reverted back to normal entirely. His ability to speak aloud was stripped from him.
"THERE IS ONLY ONE SONIC."
Sonic clutched his hand as it bled into his gloves. "Heh… well, any time you want a rematch…" Sonic hissed inwards. "Just let me know. I'll be waiting." He turned to his friends as they boarded the ship, safe and sound. "Hell, it wasn't just thanks to Tails and Knuckles. Thank you ALL for all your help. For now… we PARTY!" Sonic exclaimed, taking a swig of Aurora Oil. As he drank it under the sunrise, he turned back to his normal form. Staving off his Midnight form for the following day as everyone else rejoiced. "Ahh… much better."
Omega stomped over to Metal Sonic, and picked him up. "Worthless consumer model," Omega muttered. "Time to put him out of his misery."
"He's so cute, though! Cuter than YOU, Mr. Robot," Aeshleigh argued, banging on Omega's visor with her fists. The Chaotix chased Eggman around behind them, expecting their cash.
"I am not cute," Omega replied. "He wins by virtue of me NOT EVEN TRYING. I suppose I can let him live to enjoy this meaningless victory."
"So he was programmed to replace you? He just wanted to have an identity," Amy squeaked, as Big and Cream happily played with their friends. Sonic nodded. "He just wanted to be happy, but took it way too far. He's not such a mindless stupid dumb creepy Badnik after all. He's just like you in a lot of ways." Amy walked over to Metal as Team Dark looked after him. Sonic was a little taken aback.
"Could I see him really quick?" Amy asked, clutching something in her hand. "I have something to give him."
"Give something? To the killer robot?" Rouge asked, perplexed. Amy held a wilted, barely purple flower up to him. His eye rolled over to look at it.
"I kept it all this time. I watered it, and took care of it, and read bedtime stories to it. Do you still remember when you gave me this?" Amy mumbled, looking to the floor. "Please don't be mad. Don't leave thinking we all hate you. You can be good. I think you'll be okay… Metal…" Amy skipped back over to Sonic. The real Sonic. She looked to Tails and Ata, who were whispering while sitting at the edge of the ship. They then hugged. Amy looked to Sonic, unsure of what to do. Hearing these bits and pieces of whatever Tails and Ata were talking about reminded Amy of… something.
A feeling of mortality.
A horrible impending threat. One wriggling around in her very throat. One fighting to be heard as it echoed in her ears.
"Sonic?" Amy asked. Sonic spun around to face her. "What are you going to do now?"
"Oh, me? Y'know, probably run off again. Wanna come along this time? Our next adventure awaits us, so there's no time to waste!" Sonic exclaimed with an innocent, pure, blissful smile. Amy felt so bad for him. She couldn't quite think of why.
"You're right. There is no time. There's a new adventure for you to go on," Amy said.
Sonic watched as she flickered. Glitched. Turned see-through. As all of his friends around him did the same.
Like they were ghosts.
"Amy?" He asked. He tried to touch her shoulders, but his hands fell through.
"One last adventure. An adventure I can't accompany you on. None of us can," Amy sighed, a melancholic tone in her voice that Sonic had never heard before. At least… he didn't think so? "Sonic, I need you to wake up. You're stuck in your own head. Sonic…! SONIC!"
Everything turned a deep, toxic blue.
FOLLOW SONIC TO THE NEW FRONTIER FOR THE 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE SERIES. IN "SONIC RUNAWAYS: FORGOTTEN".