Background Pony #91E9
Sonic paced over from the pike of wrecked Badniks on the opposite side of the street, dusting off his gloves. “And that’s how it’s done.” He smiled as Little Strongheart ran over to catch him in a hug. Ruffling her head, he turned and called to Rainbow Dash, “Is everyone safe?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow replied, keeping her eyes on an Egg Fighter’s smoking corpse, and trying to keep the sourness out of her voice. One hoof rubbed her foreleg, still tender from shock given to her by the robot’s electrified shield. She was kicking herself for being caught off guard; for needing Sonic to pull her flank out of the fire yet again. “Sheriff Silverstar got ‘em all inside and out of the way.”
||The hedgehog flashed an easygoing smile. “Well, I guess that’s a wrap. We can let them know it’s safe to come out now.” ||
“No!”
The pegasus faltered in mid air, her flight to the Salt Block cut off by the sudden shout. It was Little Strongheart. Sonic and her looked at the young buffalo; her face was filled with fright. “You’re wrong! Something else is still out there! Something worse!”
Rainbow frowned. As she turned to Sonic, a cold, artificial voice suddenly issued from behind them: “You took longer than calculated, my loathsome copy.”
||The change she saw in Sonic’s expression was frightening. His body went dead still; his eyes stretched wide; his mouth slackened for just a moment before his teeth clenched together. He muttered, barely loud enough for her to hear, “…Shit.” ||
Rainbow stared at him. It was the closest thing to fear she’d ever seen from him. With everything she’d seen him go up against since his arrival, she didn’t think anything could scare him. What could make Sonic the Hedgehog look like the reaper was standing at their doorstep?
||She braced herself for whatever it might be and turned around—the sight that awaited still managed to surprise her. ||
Standing there was a robot unlike any she’d yet seen. It had thin limbs that ended in red, white-striped feet and deadly-looking silver claws. It was mostly blue, with a yellow, circular depression in its chest. Its head had an odd fin shape, and what appeared to be ears.
Looking from the robot to Sonic, then back again, she noted that there even seemed to be a resemblance.
That is, except for the eyes; or rather, the featureless black curve and glowing red orbs that approximated eyes. Cold—that’s all Rainbow could think when she looked at them. Cold and soulless. Despite herself, she couldn’t help be a little unnerved by the thing’s unblinking gaze.
Sonic swallowed and turned to face the enemy; one he knew very well. “How’s it goin’, Metal?” he managed to snark. “You’re looking hideous, as usual.”
Rainbow’s eyes again went back and forth between the two blue beings. *‘Metal?’*
“I’m liking the new voice,” Sonic went on. “Doc finally decide the ‘silent killer’ shtick was getting old?”
“Organic simpleton.” Metal intoned humorlessly. “Your prattling is as useless as your feeble attempts at interference with Lord Eggman’s plans.”
“It’s looking a little more than an attempt to me,” Sonic fired back, smirking. “Matter of fact, seems like just the locals are getting to be too much for you to handle. One of them managed to slip through your fingers, warn me what you were up to. Now I get to save the day as always.”
“Fool. I allowed the equine to escape,” Metal responded. “To lure you to me. To draw you out.” He lifted his hands, alloy fingers hooking like talons. “Now you are here, at a location of my choosing, with nothing to save you. No one to interfere.”
It was at that point that Rainbow Dash decided to insert herself into the conversation. “Hey, Chrome Dome! I think you’re forgetting someone!”
Those lifeless red orbs flicked to regard her for the briefest of moments before returning to Sonic. “Amendment: no one of consequence.”
Rainbow growled at the insult. “Oh, I’ve got your consequence right here!” A wingbeat lifted her off the ground, and she charged Metal.
She only got about fifteen feet; a blue streak and accompanying dust trail whipped from right to left across her vision. Sonic, right hand on the ground to slow his sudden dash, crouched in front of her on her left, his other hand extended back at her, signaling her to stop.
“Wha– What the hay?!” she barked, looking indignantly at Sonic.
Sonic, for once, said nothing. He slowly rose, keeping his gaze focused on Metal. “Dash, get Strongheart into town with the others. I’ll handle this alone.”
Rainbow made an offended noise. “Oh, no way! You’re not leaving me on the sidelines! I can take him!” She tried to rush past him, and again Sonic was there to stop her, her chest bumping into his extended arm.
She whirled a heated look on the hedgehog, ready to shout more protests; his face was so serious that it quieted her before a single word left her tongue.
“He’s not like the other robots you’ve seen,” Sonic said ominously, keeping his eyes trained on their foe. “This one’s in a whole other league.”
