Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ On the Road Again ❯ Never surrender ( Chapter 15 )

Chapter 15: Never surrender

We return now to Denver, Colorado, where Sonic the Hedgehog and his crew are facing a very difficult time. When they tried to refill the RV, and restore their supplies, they found out too late that a deadly trap was waiting for them, and they were ensnared like a bird in a net. Inside the store building, Sonic was held back with handcuffs, which kept him to a steel pole, Knuckles was on the run with Chaos following him, the girls were tied to explosives, Tails was trying to break the computer virus, which had infected Metal-2. With the background given, we continue…

"You can't run forever, echidna! I'll get you!" Chaos laughed, chasing Knuckles around the store.

"Why me?!" Knuckles asked himself, turning again to avoid the grasp of Chaos.

Tails returned to his laptop computer, hidden from their sight. "I think I got it." Tails whispered, "This virus can be rid of, but the code is most unusual. I must try to decode it."

Meanwhile, Sonic helplessly watched as Metal Sonic attacked Metal-2 again, kicking him in the head. The blue hedgehog kept trying to break free, but his strength was failing. Metal Sonic stood in front of Metal-2, who slowly lifted his head only to be attacked again in the left shoulder.

"My sick brother, you make me wish I were an only creation." Metal Sonic whispered to him, but Metal-2 said nothing in return. Metal Sonic stared into the remaining left eye of Metal-2, and he saw that it too, was failing to function normally. His robotic enemy was going blind, slowly.

"Metal-2, don't let him tare you down!" Sonic shouted at him, struggling against the handcuffs.

Metal-2 turned his head, enough to see Sonic. The blue hedgehog was the last one he saw, and then his vision became black as midnight. The red light in the left eye failed. He lowered his head down, facing the floor, and after Metal Sonic attacked him again, Metal-2 collapsed down to the floor, falling onto his back. Sonic froze with terror when he saw the robot fall into fate.

"Metal-2, NO! You can't fall! Get up!" Sonic called out to him. "Metal-2, wake up!"

Hearing his voice, Metal-2 struggled until he turned onto his side, and finally he faced the hedgehog. Metal-2 was damaged and blind, but he crawled toward him, unable to move his legs, but he used his right hand. His left arm was badly damaged, barely hanging on. Metal Sonic watched, enjoying the awful sight as Metal-2 struggled harder with every move. Metal-2 shakily lifted his right hand again, reaching closer to Sonic. The robot stopped for a moment, and then Sonic reached out to him with his hand, which was still held back with the handcuffs.

"Metal-2, never surrender, please." Sonic whispered, and then the robot moved again.

The two hands reached for each other, and then Sonic felt the fingertips of the machine. He reached as far as he could, and the hands finally met, gripping each other tightly. In the midst of trouble, Sonic smiled at that machine. It was something he thought he would never do to a robot, but he did it then, and he did it for a friend. As they held hands, Sonic saw the left eye of Metal-2 restoring itself until it returned to normal. Sonic smiled again, and Metal-2 saw it. But Metal Sonic had a plan to finish him. He came and stood over Metal-2, aiming his laser weapon to his head. Metal-2 was aware of it, but he continued holding his friend's hand.

"Your time is up, trashcan." Metal Sonic said to him, "It's too bad you're not refundable."

Sonic saw the danger, and then, like a miracle, he broke the handcuff's chain, freeing himself from the steel pole and with the handcuffs still around each of his wrists, he jumped toward Metal Sonic with a homing attack before the robot could fire the weapon.

"You're going down, Metal, down where you belong!" Sonic said, bravely, and he attacked the robot again, striking him down to the floor. They continued fighting in the building.

Amy Rose watched, still tied to the dangerous explosives, and so she came to realize something. "I really gotta stop whining. Everyone is trying their best to help out, and so must I." She said, and then Knuckles ran passed them, panting and growing tired. When Chaos came next, Amy reached out with her boot, causing the enemy to trip, fall and slide across the floor.

Metal Sonic had his hedgehog enemy cornered, trapped and where he wanted him, but then he heard Chaos screaming. He slightly turned, and before he knew it, Chaos crashed into him, and out the door they slid. Sonic took a deep breath, and then he ran to Tails, who was near the door.

"Tails? Are you all right, little buddy?" Sonic asked him, with concern.

Unharmed, Tails nodded his head. "I'm fine, but I'm worried about Metal-2, though I finally decoded the virus, but I'm too late." He sighed, sadly, and then Sonic stroked his head.

"You did great, Tails, no doubt about that." He praised him, quietly with a smile.

"Can I stop running now?" Knuckles panted, very tired.

"Yeah, they're gone now." Tails told him, and then Knuckles fell backward to the floor, exhausted. He fell down beside Shadow, and then the black hedgehog woke up.

Shadow slowly sat up, blinking his eyes to focus. "Oh, my head…" He groaned.

"Shadow, are you okay?" Sonic asked, and he looked at him to see.

"I think so." Shadow answered, quietly, and then he rested a hand on his head.

While Tails freed the girls of the team, Sonic hurried to Metal-2, who was still on the floor. Sonic was afraid at first, but he fought those feelings away, and he carefully knelt down beside the fallen robot. He held the machine in his arms, and because of the weight, Sonic was forced to sit down. He blinked his green eyes, and then he looked at the robot's eyes. The right eye was damaged after the attack, and the left eye was black. The robot did not move or make a sound.

"Metal-2?" Sonic whispered, and then he gently shook him, but there was no reply.

The crew gathered around Sonic and the robot Metal-2, trying to awake him, hoping for the best, but they dreaded the worse. When the team saw that Metal-2 did not answer or move at all, they felt a terrible loss, like an important part of them was taken away. Shadow laid his hand on the robot's head while Sonic held Metal-2 in his arms. Amy and Tikal began to cry, and Rouge stared down at the floor, sadly, while Knuckles hid his true feelings with an angry face, arms crossed, and Tails stood nearby, feeling loss, failure, and a sadness that was heavy to carry.

"Oh, Tails, you can repair him, can't you?" Amy asked him, crying softly.

Tails opened his mouth to give an answer, but then he simply shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I'm sorry." He whispered, and then Amy covered her eyes, sadly.

"Sonic, you think he'll make it?" Shadow asked him in a whisper.

Sonic closed his eyes, unable to answer the question. He felt a tear escape from his eye, and it appeared on his cheek, and when it did, he felt a robotic hand hold his with strength. "Metal-2, you're alive!" Sonic shouted when he saw the left eye open again.

"Metal-2 is…alive!" The robot spoke, and then the crew shouted for joy and gladness.

"You're alive!" They shouted, and everyone gathered around the robot.

"We thought you were dead, Metal-2." Tikal said, and then she smiled at him.

"Why worry? I always come back." Metal-2 told the team, reassuring them.

"But Metal hurt you really bad." Rouge said, pointing to his right eye.

"I am able to endure damage, and repair myself." Metal-2 said, with no doubt. "Besides, I cannot feel pain. I am a powerful, unfeeling robot. I am only wires and cold metal parts."

"You're more than that, Metal-2. You're our friend." Sonic said, gently.

"Yeah," Amy said, "We all care about you, Metal-2, and we love you."

Metal-2 was silent for a moment, and then he spoke again. "My sensors are deeply affected." He said, simply. Then even Shadow smiled, and he helped Sonic lift the robot to stand.

"Now I wonder where Metal Sonic and Chaos had gone?" Amy asked, looking at the door.

"I don't know," Shadow answered, "But we must leave this area. It's not safe."

"Metal-2, can you walk?" Sonic asked him.

"I shall function perfectly to stop Metal!" The robot said, and then he jumped out to vanish.

His left arm had already repaired itself, and the chest was still slightly damaged, but repairing. The right eye was still having some problems. When he came outside, he instantly sensed Metal Sonic behind him. Metal-2 swiftly turned, knocking his enemy down to the street, and he held him down. Metal Sonic fought to stand up, and then he froze when he saw the blasters.

"It is impossible for you to function after what I had done to you!" Metal Sonic said.

"You don't get it, do you? I cannot be destroyed and I always get my revenge!" And after that, Metal-2 fired. Sonic quickly covered the eyes of Tails as an explosion was heard.

When it was clear, the crew saw Metal-2 standing strong again, and he was fully repaired, except his right eye, which was still damaged. Metal Sonic was on the ground with his face turned away from the Sonic crew. Metal-2 looked up when he heard Eggman's ship escaping with the scientist and Chaos. He slightly turned, and then he saw that Metal Sonic was gone, so he must have been transported to the ship. Sonic saw that Metal-2 was going to destroy the ship, but he stopped him.

"No, Metal-2, don't! You can't, or it will bring you down to his level!" Sonic warned.

"I compute and obey." Metal-2 lowered his weapon down, and then he looked up at the ship. The crew watched it leave the area, and with relief, they were glad to be safe again.

= = = = =

Inside the enemy ship, Chaos hurried to Metal Sonic when the damaged robot arrived onboard. He took the robot by the arms, and dragged him to a table to be repaired…again.

Dr. Eggman was angry at the failure. "I'll make them pay for this!" He growled, furious. "Don't those fools realize how much the shipping cost for his parts!" He pointed to Metal Sonic.

"Poor Metal." Chaos sighed, holding the robot's hand. Metal Sonic was not able to move.

Eggman turned to his computer screen again, and then he saw the words in red: Incoming Message. "What is this?" He asked, curiously as he pressed a button to open it. He gasped with horror when he saw Metal-2 on the screen, still with one damaged eye.

"You are lucky that your arch enemy values your life, because I do not!" The robot reminded him, and then the screen became black with the white words: End of Message.

"This is getting out of hand…my hand to be exact." Eggman gulped. Then Chaos trembled, and he saw Metal Sonic clench his fist tightly before he totally blacked out as a sign of revenge.

= = = = =

Meanwhile…

"Well, that's the last of him!" Knuckles snorted as he watched the ship disappear from sight.

"I wouldn't say that." Sonic sighed. "But he is gone for now, so let's enjoy it."

"The best way to do that is to get back on the road." Shadow smiled.

"Yeah, after we pay the bill for the fuel." Rouge said, and the crew did so before leaving.

"Now with that done, when do we leave?" Tikal asked her friends.

"Let's go right now, so we can see the city before it gets dark." Sonic replied.

"Hooray! Let's go!" Amy cheered, happily, and then she climbed in with Tikal.

"Here we go!" Knuckles said, and then he hopped in next with Shadow following.

Tails led Metal-2 inside, helping him. "I think I can help you repair that eye." He told him.

"I welcome your help, Tails. But I am sure it will come together."

"You seemed to have repaired yourself, and that is amazing." Tails noticed.

"It is part of my programming, and the way I was built, nothing more." Metal-2 said.

Tails nodded his head slightly, understanding. Then the young Tails hugged the robot, closing his blue eyes. Metal-2 sat still, not knowing what to say. He carefully lifted his robotic hand, lowered it down to Tails, and then he stroked the fox's head. Sonic watched this happening.

"Metal-2, I'm glad we made it out together." Tails whispered before falling asleep.

Sonic smiled from the driver's seat as Tails rested on the robot's chest, which was now repaired. After everyone was safe inside, Sonic began to drive the RV, moving onward. Shadow sat quietly in the front passenger seat, next to the driver, and he fed Freeway her lunch of applesauce. Rouge laughed when she saw applesauce on the fawn's nose, and then the other girls began to laugh with her. Sonic let a chuckle of his own go free, but Shadow fought his smile until the end. But again, like the other times he fought it, the smile won the battle and showed itself. Metal-2 watched the crew around him, inside the RV. They were all so happy together, and even Shadow seemed happy. Metal-2 was beginning to think that maybe this time, with this family, things were going to be different, and better. The RV traveled on the road again in Denver with a courageous crew.