EGGMANLAND - Reminisce

[Dr. Mechano]

Just four months ago, Eggman had finally achieved his dream of establishing Eggmanland, after occupying Grand Metropolis and transforming it into the ultimate egocentric wonderland of his own design. The decor had been completely changed, reflecting Eggman's mustached visage as far as the eye could see, with robots patrolling every street corner as the city's populace tried awkwardly to adapt to the new changes.

When he had initially realized this long-standing goal, the Doctor celebrated by throwing a parade. He'd rode through the streets as his robots cheered him on, declaring a city-wide party in his own honor. This went on for about a week, before a cold hard reality set in.

Running a city was hard.

He'd never done anything like this before. Sure, he'd commanded bases, fleets, and entire armies of robots... But running a government, even at just a city level, was proving to be a very demanding responsibility. As the city's sole authority, Eggman was tasked with keeping the citizens in line, maintaining Eggmanland's resources and power grids, balancing its economy, keeping up defenses against outside invaders, and many more concerns. While his robots assisted with much of this, Eggman still had to call the shots and make every careful decision, and he was starting to feel a bit in over his head.

Which is why, today, he was looming over a mountain of paperwork containing various issues that needed to be addressed. He'd begun mulling these documents over, before shrugging slightly and standing up from his desk.

"Mm, it won't hurt to take a short break," Eggman said aloud, despite being the only person in the room, "Why, I can't overwork this big beautiful brain of mine! Time for a little well-deserved R-and-R!"

Eggman plopped onto a large sofa in his extravagant room, and pressed a few buttons on a nearby keypad. Within seconds, a pizza ascended into the room via small rising platform next to his table, and the room's luxuriously large TV screen turned on to display some sort of cartoon. Eggman took a slice.

"Do ho ho!" Eggman chortled at the TV program, "Oh, I love this show!"

He'd get back to fixing up the city soon, he assured himself.

[Jammerlee]

It seemed no rest would come for the weary though, for as the mad genius settled himself down, a bleep sounded, followed by a familiar voice speaking through a nearby terminal.

"My Liege, it is Metal Sonic. Requesting permission to enter."

[Dr. Mechano]

The display on Eggman's TV re-sized itself as a second video window appeared onscreen with a live video feed of Metal Sonic just outside the room.

It wasn't like him to request an impromptu audience, so Eggman figured it must have been important.

"Permission granted," Eggman replied as he changed the TV from the cartoon channel to security footage of Eggmanland, "You may enter."

[Jammerlee]

As the door whisked open to permit entrance, the metallix strode in and paused just inside the door, allowing himself a quick moment to look for his creator's position. Seeing Eggman lounging on the sofa, Metal began to approach.

"I presume you are not busy at the moment, sir?"

[Dr. Mechano]

Eggman glanced at his desk and its unfinished reports, then back at Metal, "Er... No. I'm free at the moment."

[Jammerlee]

Following Eggman's glance, Metal had a sneaking suspicion that his creator wasn't being entirely truthful. However, he also didn't really care at the moment. Instead, he stood there quietly, his eyes dimming as he struggled to find the right words for his question.

"Sir, ah... several months ago you made an offer to me that I accepted," the metallix finally spoke, straining to hide how uneasy it made him. "I am curious to know when you intend to follow through on that offer."

He paused, his eyes dimming further. "I apologize if I am speaking out of term."

[Dr. Mechano]

"Ah. That."

Several months ago, Eggman had a... confrontation with rogue robot E-123 Omega, who made an attempt on his life. At the last moment, Metal leaped into the line of fire and rescued Eggman from certain death.

What followed was a heart-to-heart between the two, where Eggman admitted that Metal had indeed betrayed him and- consequently- Eggman erased his memories of those events. As a reward for saving his life, Eggman offered to restore Metal's missing memories.

However, Eggman had been continually occupied with other matters since; A lawsuit, several battles, and most recently taking over and ruling his new city. He had been very busy; Indeed, the past five months felt more like five years, and he could only imagine it felt even longer to Metal, who had been patiently waiting this whole time. His promise to Metal Sonic was at the back of his mind, and he'd just never gotten around to it.

"Very well," Eggman answered slowly as he stood up, and walked over to a golden statue of himself near the room's entrance, "I'm a man of my word, after all." He thought of Knuckles for a moment, before shrugging, "Well... Most of the time."

Eggman pulled on the statue's left arm, which turned out to be a hidden lever. This opened a hidden panel on the room's opposite wall, revealing a large metal door.

"This way, then," he said quickly, and he walked into the newly-revealed entrance.

He was less chatty than usual, but this was because he wasn't sure what to say. He tried not to let on, but he was somewhat apprehensive about restoring Metal's memories. What if whatever drove him to betrayal last time was strong enough to trigger a similar response? Eggman didn't like the possibility of such a thing happening.

Regardless, this was something he had to do. Leading the way, he continued into his secret laboratory, where- among other things- Metal's data was stored.

[Jammerlee]

Metal followed behind the his creator, the silence between them growing thick as only their footsteps echoed across the walls. Indeed, it had felt like a long time to him. 'Eternity' wouldn't have been too far of an exaggeration for the impatient metallix. As much as he tried to relieve his mind of the subject, to find constructive ways of channeling his energy and breaking every score record in the pinball arcades, his mind always wound up back where it started: The questions.

Why.

Eggman had been known to make questionable decisions, but Metal had never questioned his place or his master's goals. He supported his master's goals. What in the name of Chaos could have happened that would so radically change his views to the point he would commit treason?

The questions had plagued him.

[Dr. Mechano]

At last, they arrived in Eggman's dimly-lit lab. A few supercomputers hummed in the background, and miscellaneous scraps of discarded machinery could be seen neatly arranged in a far corner of the room.

Attached to one of the large databanks was a a simple cable used for transferring data. Eggman gestured to it.

"Your missing memories are in there," Eggman said, "Once you're connected, I can begin the restoration process."

[Jammerlee]

Metal hesitated as he glanced in the cable's direction. It was lucky for him that he wasn't in possession of a stomach, as it surely would have churned in that moment. As his eyes dimmed again, a realization sprung forth into his mind - was he scared?

Sweet Chaos. He was actually scared.

Shaking it off, he nodded wordlessly toward Eggman, taking to fiddling with removing the hatch to an access panel on the back of his head, all the while trying to work through the confusing mess of feelings that were churning through his mind. It sort of made sense why he would feel... tense, he supposed. He had no idea what to expect of this. What he was going to find. What this would do to him. Hell, what Eggman was going to do to him if this all went horribly awry.

The hatch popped open, and Metal approached the console, hooking the cable up to himself. He glanced over toward Eggman.

"Are you not going to try to restrain me?"

[Dr. Mechano]

Eggman, for that matter, was nervous as well. What if this went wrong somehow?

He shook his head at Metal's inquiry, "No need. I've prepared for the worst in my own way. It's nothing for you to worry about."

Eggman pressed a button, activating a translucent barrier around the control panel he stood at. He'd used this sort of energy field to trap Sonic before in his Flying Battery and Wing Fortress, but this time employed it as a shield for himself rather than a trap for his nemesis. If worse came to worse, he'd be protected and have time to call for reinforcements. He didn't want to restrain Metal, but he wasn't stupid either. If Metal did turn on him, he'd be ready for it.

"In any event, it's time," Eggman said as he typed at his console for a few moments, before finally pressing a large activation button, "This should only take a few minutes."

Eggman held his breath as the data transferal sequence began. It was now or never; This was the moment they'd been anticipating. But... what would happen when it was all said and done? Would Metal Sonic still loyally fight by Eggman's side, or would the bitter memories of the past drive them apart forever?

They were about to find out.

[Jammerlee]

((Bits with Eggman in them were collaborated with Doc))

And so in began. Metal's digital eyes appeared to close as his focus withdrew into the depths of his own mind. As the data quickly streamed into his hard drive, the metallix shifted through his memory database, coming upon where the empty gap was located. That gap, as he had been lead to believe by his own creator, was lost due to damage his software had taken. Slowly but surely the vacancy began to fill in. Searching for the earliest of these memories, he initiated them, cutting the power output to his body to prevent enacting them physically. The images flashed through his mind as though they were a vividly clear movie.

...

... ... ...

... . . . . . .

"Just break those chambers open if you have to!" a man's voice yelled through the inky dark. "Sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back to a place with some sanity to it!"

"Man, these things look even more unnerving up close." another voice, also male, proclaimed.

"Oh grow a pair, y'little girl. They're just brainless machines without their puppet master!"

"Ready men? HEAVE!"

CRASH.

Shards of glass glittered in the light as they scattered around the floor. Heavy boots shuffled toward the figure who had been hanging in suspended animation within its chamber. A pair of red ring-shaped eyes dully flickered on in response. Rudely awoken from his sleep mode, confusion settled into Metal's eyes as he realized that, despite no commands where being sent to move his limbs, the world around him appeared to be moving. He was being carried by someone? No, more like lugged. His eyes darted over toward the group of men trying to haul him off.

It didn't go without notice, either, as one of the men looked the metallix straight in the eye.

"... Uh... guys... I think that one's looking at us."

"Don't be such a pansy," another of the men shouted. "It's not even online!"

Metal ignored their comments, instead focusing on the uniforms they were wearing. The name G.U.N. was clearly emblazoned across their sleeves. The metallix's eyes flashed in anger, trashing his limbs in an attempt to break himself free from their grasp. Surprised yells rang through the air, quickly drowned by screams as Metal activated his electrical shield - hardly enough to be lethal, but enough to subdue the would-be attackers.

Metal caught himself as he was dropped to the ground, looking up to find other groups of soldiers standing around him with baffled expressions. He noticed briefly before their confusion worn off that other group of them were hurriedly attempting to carry away his mechanical sibling, Silver Sonic. Before he could react, however, the troop's commanding officer finally barked the orders to open fire.

The metallix threw his shield up a second time, weaving through the shots and plowing through the group of men. As he did, a whirl of confused thoughts swirled through his mind. What in the name of Chaos was going on? How did an invasion of this size manage to break into Final Egg without being detected sooner?! And just where were the reinforcements? The E-Series should have been here by now!

Annoyed by each of these questions, Metal made an attempt to send out an alarm signal - only to find, to his profound shock, that the communication systems were completely down. So, Silver was offline, there was no chance of receiving any backup, and he couldn't afford to keep his shield up for very long. This only left one course of action, much to the metallx's chagrin - he had to retreat.

He had to find Eggman.

...

... ... ...

... . . . . . .

Abandoned.

He had been abandoned.

Despite his best efforts and nearly getting his turbine shot down, Metal could not find Eggman anywhere within the Final Egg base. Having been forced to abandon the structure before the number of soldiers managed to overwhelm him, it was only until some time later, after he felt he was a safe distance within the depths of the Mystic Ruins, that he realized just how much time had passed since he had been placed into his stasis lock and entered sleep mode.

Over six months. Over six months.

By now the metallix had wandered toward the nearest city, Station Square. Even despite the reconstruction efforts already well under way, the sheer amount of destruction still left was shocking to Metal. It was here, on the ruins of what had once been a building, where the metallix sat and mulled over the intel he had managed to gather since his arrival.

Roughly six months ago Eggman had unleashed the God of Destruction known as Chaos upon the world - and subsequently lost control over him. It was only due to Sonic's efforts that the fearsome beast was subdued. Since then, all sightings of Eggman had fallen off the map, leaving Metal with no clue as to how he would re-establish contact with him.

Metal had never imagined something like this could happen. For all he knew, for all he had been told, he and Silver had been placed into their statis locks in order for Eggman to preform upgrades on the two of them. The metallix looked down at his hands at that thought - while his body had been converted into a nanite collective and he appeared to now be able to shapeshift through the use of life data, he could tell his upgrades were still incomplete. From the data he'd looked into and his own experimenting he could tell his new abilities weren't quite as powerful and efficient as they could be.

Which bore an important question. Why would Eggman simply abandon him after giving him such a useful and powerful ability? Did he feel the project wasn't worth completing?

That notion caused Metal's eyes to flash - a mixture of anger and abdication exploding into his thoughts. The very thought that Eggman may have considered him a useless waste of time and effort ripped at his already fragile self-esteem.

And yet, it was the only answer that made sense. Why else would Eggman leave him there, incomplete, in an overthrown base for months on end. Surely Eggman knew the place would get sacked. It was clear that his master had simply decided to move on and leave him behind like so many of his previous creations. Like a common badnik.

Metal's eyes flashed on and off repeatedly from the extremes of anger and dejection he felt. He wasn't worth it. After all his attempts to make himself useful. Had Eggman decided the metallix had suffered one failure too many?

He wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth it. He wasn't worth it.

...

... ... ...

... . . . . . .

Incomplete or not, his upgrades had proven useful in allowing him to get by and infiltrate the fringes of society. It had become a necessity - without the safe haven of Eggman's base to return to, there were few places he could go to receive the charge his battery needed, as well as to keep up on events in search of a possible lead on where he could find his creator.

And it was thanks to this ability that allowed Metal to stand among a crowd of horrified onlookers. Wearing the visage of some lynx he had acquired life data from, his attention turned skyward as chunks of the moon drifted away into space. Moments before he had been drawn out by the sound of Eggman's voice - every television, every radio, bore the unmistakable laughter of the mad scientist as he made his threats to conquer the planet, showing his display of power by taking out a large chunk of the moon. Little did he know it would get better.

Finally he had a lead to go on.

Drifting away from the crowd the metallix-in-guise mulled over this. Ever since the realization over his abandonment he had steadily grown more increasingly bitter. And yet, he wanted nothing more than to return. He had only been designed for one specific purpose, and what good was he if he couldn't be at his master's side attempting to fulfill it?

Inspiration struck.

That's what he had to do. The entire reason he had been created in the first place was to eliminate Sonic's threat from Eggman establishing his empire. That's how he would be able to prove his worth and get back into his master's good graces. He would need a plan though. Something that would lure in the hedgehog and leave him vulnerable. If he could just obtain life data from certain key figures, maybe he could combine them together somehow...

Yes. Yes. Eggman would have no choice but to accept him back then. He was going to prove he was still valuable. But first he had to acquire the resources...

...

... ... ...

... . . . . . .

In the desolate wasteland of Rail Canyon, a train chugged along the long-abandoned tracks. The shiny sleek metal of the new locomotive contrasted heavily with the rusty rails it rode upon, as did its destination - Eggman's brand new base, Bullet Station.

Sitting on top of one of the train's cars was Metal. The metallix leaned back and relaxed as he watched the sky pass by above. He had heard rumors about Eggman's activity somewhere out in this region, leading him to discover the train bearing the unmistakable of insignia of the Eggman Empire. Patiently he waited for his ride to reach its destination.

Awhile later The Eggman Express ground to a halt in front of the doctor's new headquarters, and without wasting any time, awaiting Egg Pawns approached to unload its repository of resources. Eggman, wearing a conductor's hat bearing his insignia, hopped out of the front car and ambled toward the base's front steps.

"Well, this has been a smooth operation so far," he said aloud to himself as he strolled past busy robots working through the base, "Now that my new Shadow Androids are nearing completion, I may be able to salvage my grandfather's research after all! Yes, with a whole army of Shadows at my disposal, not to mention my new E-2000 series and Egg Fleet..." Eggman giddily threw his hands in the air and chortled, "Hee hee! Oh, this will be too fun!"

At that moment a loud CLANG roared above the doctor's laughter. Having heard everything his creator had just spoken, Metal couldn't help but feel a bit... unnerved. Straightening himself up from the train car he'd leapt from, his red-ringed eyes settled directly onto Eggman.

"My Liege."

Eggman halted suddenly.

The scientist turned around and faced his creation with an expression of surprise, "M... Metal Sonic?"

That look of confusion quickly turned to glee, "Oh, isn't this a splendid turn of events! Not only am I poised to launch my greatest scheme ever, but I've relocated Metal Sonic as well!"

He chuckled to himself, clearly pleased with Metal's return, "And here I thought I'd lost you when Final Egg- along with my plans- went up in smoke; This is quite the pleasant surprise! And it couldn't have been at a better time. I have just the scheme to take over the world, and now that you're back..."

Eggman smirked, thinking for a brief moment, "I'm sure I can think of something for you to do..."

Wordlessly Metal approached his creator, looking up toward him as he got closer. He stopped a mere three feet from the far taller doctor, his eyes beginning to grow dim.

Then his electrical shield crackled to life.

...

... ... ...

... . . . . . .

What had he done.

What had he done.

This was incomprehensible. It broke every single rule he had ever been programmed to follow. Profound shock gripped the metallix. There was no denying it. There was no taking it back. His programming struggled to work out what could have caused such an error. He was a servant. This was his master.

What had he done.

Metal paced back and forth. He knew he needed a plan. He knew he would need resources. What he never expected was was the irrationality of his own actions or that they would lead to this. The metallix turned, looking at the prone form of his creator laying on the ground beside him.

There was no turning back now. His eyes were flashing.

Abruptly the metallix came to a halt. His fists clenched and his eyes appeared to squeeze shut. This was all necessary. This was all necessary. He had to do this alone. It was the only way. He needed Eggman out of the way. He couldn't allow his master to interfere in his battle - he had to protect him.

Protect him. Yes. Protect him. He needed to place him away somewhere - somewhere that he would be safe and out of the way.

The only way. The only way.

This is how it had to be.

He had to do this alone. He had to prove himself. He had to keep Eggman out of the way. Eggman couldn't get in his way. He had to keep Eggman safe. No no no. He hadn't defied his programming. The errors were wrong. The errors were wrong. He was protecting Eggman. This was all the right thing to do.

The only way.

The only way.

The only way.

A groan drifted up from behind Metal, following by the sounds of Eggman's form shifting. Metal's eyes grew excessively wide and bright - in one quick motion he spun around, zapping the doctor a second time.

...

... ... ...

... . . . . . .

Truly, his new upgrades were the work of genius.

One would have never realized that it was Metal Sonic examining himself in the mirror. Anyone with a passing knowledge of current events would have pointed at the tall and round figure with a matter-of-fact statement of, "That's Eggman." Even Sonic would have been fooled by his guise.

And that was exactly what the metallix was banking on.

With Eggman safely locked away, and the Eggman Empire mistakenly following Metal, the stage was set. All he needed were the members for his play. A few rumors, a challenge made to his doppelganger. He could see why his creator would get so excited about this sort of thing. This was child's play!

...

... ... ...

... . . . . . .

No... NO... NO...

How could this have happened?! His plan had been perfect! How could he have failed?! AGAIN?! How would he ever convince Eggman he was still of value now?!

Neo Metal Sonic knelt on the floor in shock. He had given everything. Everything. He had built himself up to this. He had taken meticulous care. Everything had gone just the way he had intended it to. And that hedgehog still defeated him!

"I do not understand... why can I not defeat you..."

He melted back into his original form, his eyes beginning to grow dim. So drained. He had put so much of his power, so much of his energy - both mental and physical - into that plan. To have it fail so utterly. Despite hearing Sonic's response to his rhetorical question, his organic doppelganger's words failed to register on Metal's consciousness.

...

I have failed.

He collapsed to the ground, the dangerously low amounts of energy in his battery forcing him to shut down.

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... . . . . . .

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... . . . . . .

...

Metal Sonic's eyes reopened as the data transfer finished. His eyes, focused on nothing, coruscated in a rhythmic pattern. He was only vaguely aware that he was standing in Eggman's hidden laboratory.

Without warning, he collapsed into a seated position on the floor, his head cradled in his hands.

[Dr. Mechano]

Still protected by his force-field barrier, Eggman looked on for a brief moment, unsure what to make of Metal's reaction.

His response concerned him, though he reasoned it was a better-case scenario than Metal snapping and attacking him. Still, he'd never seen him like this, and it was somewhat disconcerting.

He wasn't sure what to say.

What could he say? Now he knew everything that had transpired between them, just like Metal had wanted. But where would they go from here?

Finally, he spoke up.

"Metal Sonic..." He searched for the right thing to say, before finally settling on, "Status report requ- Er..."

He stopped, dropping the stiff formality of his voice somewhat, before rephrasing his inquiry, "Are you okay?"

[Jammerlee]

The metallix didn't answer. At least, not immediately. A torrent of conflicted feelings surged through him. Raging waves of disbelief and shame slammed into newly rediscovered swells of abandonment and desolation. He had speculated endlessly over what could have motivated him to commit those acts Omega had showed him. The answer was unlike anything he could have dreamed. The madness that had infected him was so strong that it threatened to engulf him once more - held back only by the strained threads of his rationale. But even his rationale couldn't compensate for just how defeated he felt on so many different levels.

Are you okay?

"Do I look okay."

[Dr. Mechano]

"No, I suppose you don't."

Admittedly, that was a stupid question. He just wasn't sure what to say at this point.

Eggman wasn't exactly the most sensitive or understanding guy around, and dealing with fragile emotions- much less from one of his own robots, and a formerly traitorous one at that- was something he wasn't used to. He still wasn't sure if Metal's loyalty had been shaken by the restoration of his memories, for that matter. Still, he spoke up; Something urged him to try to be... supportive, he supposed, in whatever way he could be.

"You are permitted to speak freely then," Eggman began, "I don't know if you have any inquiries or general statements for me, but you are free to make them if so. If you'd prefer some time alone to think things through instead, you may have that as well."

The low hum of the barrier separating Metal and himself droned in the background, as Eggman added, with a shrug, "Your choice."

[Jammerlee]

Metal honestly didn't know what he wanted. His hard drive was rapidly beginning to heat up as it struggled to make sense of everything he'd just learned - evidenced by the barely audible whirr of his cooling fan as it clicked on inside his cranium.

His prior madness aside, he honestly felt justified over what had driven him over that threshold in the first place. And yet... it didn't make any sense. Everything he had learned following the incident contradicted all the apparent evidence. If he had truly been abandoned as trash, why did Eggman salvage him after his coup. He should have been scrapped. Deserved to be scrapped. But even the doctor's behavior lately was a start contrast.

He lifted his head up and stared at his creator through his protective barrier. The question was there, but he had no idea how to say it.

[Dr. Mechano]

Eggman met Metal's stare, keeping an eye on his clearly-upset creation. He had no idea what was going on inside the robot's mind right now; Sure, Eggman remembered the events of Metal's betrayal- Vividly and bitterly so. But he had no idea what had caused him to turn against him in the first place, nor if whatever it was that did so was resurfacing now. Something about Metal's tone and demeanor seemed... different though, and less suspect than he might have expected. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Eggman didn't feel particularly threatened by him at the moment.

Rather, he felt... uncertain. Not so much for his own safety; Rather, he was worried about the two of them having to come to terms with the past. What if they couldn't? What if, even if Metal remained loyal this time, their relationship would be forever strained? What if he left for good? What if he did make Eggman his enemy again? Could things ever be the same again? These questions raced through Eggman's mind, but his face remained as calm and unmoving as he could manage.

But then a thought struck him. Even with his memories restored, Metal wasn't the same as he was prior to his betrayal. The two of them had been through a lot together, and in so doing, had grown to understand one another as people rather than merely as master and minion. At the time of Metal's betrayal, their interaction consisted of little more than Eggman giving out orders for him to carry out. But since then, the two had come to share an odd friendship of sorts.

In a sense, Metal had slowly become the closest thing Eggman had to an actual friend, or perhaps even family. That was what had changed between Metal's coup and now; After all the two had been through, he trusted him.

And then, the doctor pressed a button on his control console, disabling the protective barrier he stood within.

"Bah, that incessant humming noise was about to drive me crazy," he remarked aloofly, stepping down from his platform to stand next to Metal, "Anyway..."

Eggman continued, taking on his more familiarly bombastic tone, "Enough of the silent treatment already! You have a lot on your mind- I should know, since I just put it there, after all- and I'm sure you have something to say."

[Jammerlee]

Metal swayed away as Eggman approached him, the gesture only causing him even more confusion. He had something to say, alright. But the matter of finding the correct way of approaching it was turning out to be extremely difficult. He, too, had noticed the dynamics of their relationship changing over time - and it had confused him enough as it were. He was supposed to simply follow orders, and now half the time he wasn't even sure how to respond.

And speaking of orders. As he mulled over his thoughts on what to say, how silly he must have looked sitting on the floor like that finally caught up with him, and he quickly began to shuffle and pick himself up. He glanced uneasily up at Eggman.

"... Why did you discard Silver Sonic and I?" he finally asked after a long hesitation.

[Dr. Mechano]

"Discard?" Eggman glanced aside, avoiding eye contact, "Come now, Metal, I've used the Death Egg over and over despite repeated crash landings, my old Eggmobile's still kicking, and I'm fairly certain I even still have a few first-generation Motobugs intact after all these years... I don't discard my inventions, Metal. Not unless they prove traitorous or simply too dangerous to keep around. Er, your case notwithstanding."

A wistful look settled on Eggman's face as he continued, "After Sonic trashed my Egg Viper, I went careening into one of Final Egg's main fuel lines, resulting in an explosion that torched the whole base. To be honest, in all of the hazy chaos that followed that accident, I still don't precisely remember how I made it out of there unscathed. But nonetheless, the base was completely wrecked when I looked through it again later..."

"I gave the base's ruins a look after Chaos failed me, but I found nothing. I thought surely you, Silver Sonic, and almost everything else in the base had been destroyed. In hindsight, knowing that you indeed did survive now, I would hypothesize that you were either tossed out of the base or buried in wreckage within it. I don't know where you came to or when, but I do know that I didn't see you when I looked..."

With a hint of regret in his voice, Eggman went on, "I should have looked harder, I suppose. And if faced with the same situation today, I would exert all the effort I could to determine whether or not you survived. But back then..."

He didn't know exactly how to say it. Eggman felt that Metal probably had developed a sense for what he was about to say, but it felt... awkward, and perhaps a bit uncomfortable to put into words. It was something he needed to do, though, especially regarding Metal's question.

"Back then, I suppose I didn't view you with the same..." He stopped, searching for the word, "...value with which I do today. At the risk of sounding crass, losing you back then was comparable to crashing my car. It was regretful, annoying, and inconvenient, but not something I couldn't easily bounce back from."

He looked back at Metal, frowning, "Not long after that, I discovered my grandfather's old plans, and I became so excited about using Shadow and the Eclipse Cannon to conquer the world that I simply moved on from that loss. Remember what I said about how I viewed you back then? I lost a thing, not a person, from my perspective at the time. Shadow- as you know- conveniently matched Sonic's abilities, power, and speed, along with a few added gimmicks of his own. I suppose at the time, I saw him as the shiny new model to fill the void that your apparent destruction left; I conveniently had a new 'fake Sonic' to assist me in world conquest, but... well, we all know how that worked out."

"And then... you reappeared, turned on me, and took over my Empire. I won't bother elaborating too much on that, since you were there for that part..." Eggman muttered with a tinge of bitterness.

"Regardless," he continued, "Ever since that ugly little incident, we've worked together far more closely than we ever had before, and I suppose... I've gradually gotten to know you on a more personal level. Not merely as a tool or item of my own design, but as an individual. While I never truly 'discarded' you back in Final Egg, I might as well have; I still quickly got over your apparent obliteration with little grief, which is a reaction that I'm now not proud of. But I want to say that my reaction would be... different if such a thing happened today."

And that's when it hit him. Eggman actually regretted his quick abandonment of Metal, and felt that he was actually wrong. It didn't feel good at all. Being right all the time was, after all, something Eggman quite enjoyed.

Eggman scowled, irritated, "Ugh. I don't say these words often, Metal, so don't get a big head about it, or expect to ever hear them again... But, well... I'm sorry."

[Jammerlee]

"..." Metal had been silent for the duration of Eggman's explanation, quietly taking it in and pondering how he felt about it. The last part of it, however - "Are you trying to make me blue screen?" he asked with an incredulous stare.

A moment of silence passed before he continued.

Finally, he folded his arms over his chest and turned away with a grumble. "There was a squadron of GUN soldiers who had broken into Final Egg. They got away with Silver and would have taken me as well if I had not merely been in stand-by mode," he glanced back at his creator. "Do you have any idea what I went through after that? It is not exactly easy for one of your robots to survive outside of the Empire! Especially me with how Chaos damned much the media likes to focus on me. The only reason I am probably still here at all were because of those upgrades you had given me!"

His arms slipped loose, falling to his sides as his eyes grew dim.

"I kept trying to search for you. All I wanted to do was prove I was still useful. I thought if I took Sonic on on my own that that would be enough," his head tilted toward the floor. "But I needed you out of my way. I scarcely doubted you would allow me to operate on my own, and I did not want you to interfere and get hurt. So I made sure you couldn't," he paused. "Then Sonic defeated me anyway."

His talons had begun to wind themselves into tight fists, shaking at his sides from the tension. As the brightness of his eyes escalated, he stomped his foot into the floor with a loud clang.

"I... am... an... IDIOT!"

[Dr. Mechano]

"You didn't exactly fail, you know..." Eggman said after a moment of hesitation, "At proving you were still useful, I mean."

"While your little coup wasn't what did it, ever since then you've done nothing but consistently prove your value to the Eggman Empire. I cannot think of an operative- robot or organic- that comes even close. And, well..."

His somber expression shifted into a grin again, "You're certainly no idiot. Your plan's utilization of disguises to lead everyone into a grand trap... was clever, I'll admit. It's the same sort of underhanded trickery that I pride myself in! Oh ho ho!"

He chortled briefly, before suddenly stopping, staring at Metal with a deadpan expression, "Just don't do it again."

Sighing, Eggman shrugged, "So... Where do we go from here?"

[Jammerlee]

"... Duly noted," the metallix answered sheepishly.

As for his creator's question - it was a good question, actually. And, really, it was one that Metal didn't really know how to answer. The motivations for his betrayal were nothing like what he may have expected, and in spite of the lingering twinge of bitterness he felt over it all, he really couldn't bring himself to be angry. Rather, he felt shameful.

"I... do not really know," he answered honestly, canting his head to one side. "I have no intention of trying to leave. The whole reason for my... erm... coup... was to be accepted back!"

As he mulled it over, he began to realize something. Something that had been on his mind for awhile, and something that Eggman had just hit upon in one of his earlier statements. He lifted his hand apprehensively.

"... Erm... actually, though... there is something I would like to say. I realize I am not in any position to criticize, or even complain, but if I could have permission to speak..."

[Dr. Mechano]

Eggman glanced at Metal Sonic questioningly. Criticism, hm? What could he be about to say?

"Permission granted," he replied.

[Jammerlee]

"It is just that..." he straightened himself up a bit. "... You said it yourself. You thought of me as merely your tool. I have actually put a lot of thought into that for a long time now. You have no idea how confusing you are to me. I do not know if I am merely an exception to the rule, but... I believe that may help to explain why so many of your other robots have defected."

He shrugged. "I do not know what issues Omega has or what motivated Gamma. But I feel it must be said that If you are going to give us the ability to think and develop our own personalities, then we are going to want to be treated with the same respect and dignity as organics. Not as mere tools and weapons," he hesitated with an uncomfortable shifting of his weight. "... I have wanted to say that for a long time... but I have not had the opportunity," Or the nerve, "But, you heard what that lawyer said back during your lawsuit. Legally speaking I may as well be a toaster!"

He allowed that to hang in the air for a long moment, his body tense with the anticipation of how Eggman would react. Then he glanced back to his creator. "What about your laws, though? What are my kind considered under your jurisdiction?"

[Dr. Mechano]

Eggman pondered Metal's words for a moment, before answering, "Gamma's betrayal was surprising, but resulted in only a few isolated attacks on the rest of the E-series, culminating in his self-destruction, rather than a serious attempt to challenge the Empire at large. Gamma, as you might have known, was powered by a Flicky. After examining his remains, it is my hypothesis that his desertion was related to his animal battery tampering with his original programming on a subconscious level. You'll note that since then, Badnik production has been shifting to other- less unstable- power sources."

"As for Omega," Eggman muttered, as his tone and expression turned sour, "I feel no sympathy for that hunk of junk. Even if I had paid more attention to him, his insecurity and constant obsession with outclassing his peers made him unstable and dangerous. I can say with absolute certainty that creating E-123 was a mistake, regardless of his betrayal."

"But that doesn't answer your question, does it?" Eggman asked, again considering Metal's inquiry, "You want to know how I view the other robots in my ranks. I suppose the short answer is that I view them the same way that I view the Eggman Empire's organic citizens. Much like you, I've come to view them as people. Thus they have their individual freedoms... But those freedoms exist within the confines of my brilliant rule, and in the end, my decision is law."

"It's true that I expect my robots to assist me with my schemes, and to fight if necessary for my goals to be met," Eggman explained, "But that's really not any more than I expect from organics who join me. Ergo... 'Your kind,' as you put it, are understandably ranked beneath me in my jurisdiction, but are no higher or lower than your organic comrades as a whole. Of course, certain individuals from either group may have more or less power than others, to use your status as the Empire's second in command as a prime example."

Looking back at Metal again, Eggman asked, "Does that answer satisfy you?"

[Jammerlee]

"I... suppose it does, yes."

An awkward silence followed that. Metal honestly didn't know what to do, or even say. A tangled knot of thoughts had formed in his mind from everything he had just learned - everything he had just been told - everything he now felt. A strong urge for solitude descended upon him at that point. He was definitely going to require time alone to properly sort all of this out...

Still, he couldn't just leave things where they stood now. His head tilted downward.


"There is something I should probably say."

[Dr. Mechano]

Eggman nodded, content that Metal's inquiry had been satisfied. His attention was caught by Metal's next statement, though. He wondered what he had to say after all that.

"Well, then," Eggman said, "What is it?"

[Jammerlee]

The metallix glanced aside, his digital eyes appearing to squint as he thought about what, exactly, to say. As low as his self-esteem was the very thought was incredibly difficult to handle. To actually speak it - to actually admit to it...

"... Regardless of what had happened or what my intentions were...my actions were... wrong... and I... I apologize..."

His eyes dimmed until they were barely lit and he seemed to cringe.

[Dr. Mechano]

Eggman grinned at that. It was good to hear after all this time.

He was also quick to note that Metal wasn't any fonder of admitting to his own faults than he himself was.

Eggman responded, waving a hand dismissively at him, "Eh, I forgive you."

And with those words, Eggman felt... oddly relieved. As a megalomaniacal madman with tons of enemies, Eggman was often angry at a lot of people, and vice versa. For a change, it felt very good to actually let his bitterness go, to move on, and to sincerely forgive and forget. The issue of Metal's betrayal had finally been resolved, and he was happy to have it behind him.

"Now, let's never speak of it again," He smiled, then glanced aside, muttering to no one in particular, "I've had about all I can take of this heartwarmingly sappy scene."

Looking back at Metal, he added, "And I've got just the world-domination scheme in mind to get my marvelous mind back on work! Ooh, I can't wait to get this one ready; It's going to be big!"

Eggman paused momentarily, adjusting his spectacles, "You're free to go for now if you'd like. I will contact you when I've prepared my latest plan, however, so remain nearby. ...But first, did you need anything else from me?"

[Jammerlee]

"... Just time to think..." Metal responded at length, finally taking a moment to unhook the transfer cable from himself and replace the hatch he had earlier opened.