Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ The Iron Heart MK II ❯ Friend Or Foe? ( Chapter 2 )

Legal Stuff:

I don't own any of the characters in this story except for Metal Sonic 2. The others are the properties of their respective owners.

Author's Notes:

Reviews are always welcome, no matter how short they may be. So please take a few moments to let me know what you think of this story.

Chapter 2: Friend Or Foe?

"Grr...what's taking so long?!" Robotnik wondered out loud. It was already dark out, and Metal-2 had not returned or reported in since he had left. Sonic was in the same room, and weak as he was in his current situation, he couldn't pass up the chance to antagonize the scientist.

"Maybe my friends found out about your little robot and broke it…" He said with a slight smirk on his face.

"Silence, you!" Robotnik returned, angrily. He walked up to the hedgehog, and was about to say something when Sonic cut him off.

"Or maybe he's up and left you. If he's half as smart as you keep saying he is, that robot of yours would've certainly realized that working for you is just plain dumb." The hedgehog confidently spoke, directly to Robotnik's face, unaware that he was right.

"Sir, why don't we just terminate him now and get it over with?" Snively muttered from nearby.

"I'll make the decisions around here." Robotnik retorted, and looked back at Sonic. "If you keep up this attitude, I'll have my creation tear you to pieces when he gets back!"

"That is, IF he gets back!" Sonic returned, grinning. Robotnik acted like he was going to shout something, but stopped and whirled around, arms crossed.

"Snively, find that robot and get him back here!" He shouted to his nephew.

Meanwhile, Metal-2 was descending to Knothole's secret entrance. He kept all his scanners active, searching for any sign of guards or defenses, or anything else that might cause problems. Finding none, Metal-2 entered Knothole, and immediately hid behind a large boulder. Metal-2 peeked out, seeing no one. His radar wasn't picking anyone up, either.

"Strange…" he thought. "Where is everyone?" Ignoring that for now, Metal-2 continued on his way to find Sonic's home. There he would find Tails, and give his plan a shot. If this didn't work, then…well, he didn't want to think about that now. The robot reached the place, and raised his hand to knock on the door. He hesitated for a moment, and knocked on the door.

Inside, Tails was busy welding something together when a small device started beeping to signal that someone was at the door. Tails looked up from the desk he was at, and removed his facemask. "Aunt Sally! The convention must've ended early…" He said as he hurried up the stairs. Tails was so certain that it was Sally that he didn't check the security monitors that would've shown him that it was Metal-2. He arrived and threw the door open. Tails froze with shock when he saw who it was. Metal-2 stood silently for a moment before making the first move.

"Hello? May I come in?" Metal-2 asked, trying to be polite. The last thing he wanted to do was make Tails mad. The fox's eyes rolled up, and he collapsed to the ground, fainted. Metal-2 stared at him, puzzled. Deciding that he had better do something, the robot walked in and closed the door. He carefully picked Tails up and laid him down on the couch. The robot stood back, scratching his head and trying to figure out what to do next. There wasn't much medical information in his data banks; he was designed to be a killer, not a helper.

Tails appeared to be asleep, and common sense told Metal-2 to wake a sleeping person in order to speak with them. He'd have to be careful, though. Gently, the robot shook Tails's shoulders. "Tails…Tails, wake up." He said quietly. After a few more tries, it started to work.

Tails's vision was blurry at first as his eyes opened slightly, and he saw someone blue kneeling next to him. Not yet remembering what had happened, he weakly posed a question. "S-sonic? Is that you?"

Metal-2 thought for a moment, and decided against using his holo-projector. It would be too hard to explain later. In his calmest, most reassuring tone of voice, he spoke. "No, it's me…the robot."

Tails snapped awake, sitting straight up. He took one look at Metal-2, and backed up into the couch cushion, trying to retreat. "No, please…don't hurt me!" He cried, fearing for his very existence. Metal-2 looked at him, looking fierce despite his best efforts not to.

"I have no intention of harming you, Tails." He said calmly. Confused and unable to think straight, Tails responded.

"W-what?" He asked.

"If I had wanted to hurt you, I would've done so already." The robot said, trying to prove his point. Tails looked at himself, at his arms and legs, seeing that he was all there, and then back at Metal-2.

"Then…what do you want?" He asked, not quite as scared as before.

"Yes!" Metal-2 thought. "He's willing to listen…now, let's see if I can get this right…" He looked around for a moment, and then back to Tails. "I want to be one of you; to join the freedom Fighters." "There." He thought to himself. "I said it. Now, I just have to prove it."

Tails just looked at him, not knowing how to react. This robot, this evil thing had asked to be on the good side of the fight. He couldn't recall ever having to deal with anything quite like this before. "It's probably a trick…" He wondered. But Tails didn't want Metal-2 to know that he thought that. The fox didn't quite believe what the robot had said, but still there was the fact that he hadn't been hurt, so maybe…

"I…I'll have to ask." Tails managed to make out the words. Metal-2 knew that Tails didn't believe him, and had expected it. He wanted to prove to the fox his good intentions, but he'd need a more direct approach.

"Is there a way that I could prove to you that I'm not lying?" the robot asked, and sent Tails into a flurry of thought. The fox realized he needed more information.

"Tell me…what made you decide to join us?" Tails inquired, trying to sound like he was just gathering information. Metal-2 stood up and found a nearby chair. Careful not to damage it with his spiky quills and tail, he sat down. The robot proceeded to explain what he had thought about, why he had chosen this path, and so on. The process took a while, and about halfway through, Tails was listening intently while drinking some hot chocolate he had made earlier. When it was over, there was a long silence. Tails sat on one side of the room, holding an empty mug while staring at Metal-2. The robot was at the other side of the room, waiting eagerly for a reply.

"Okay," Tails began. "I believe you. There's no way a story that complex could be a trick. Plus, you've certainly acted good enough."

Metal-2 was satisfied that things were finally going his way. "Thank you, Tails…and I apologize for attacking you earlier."

Tails was rather impressed that something created by Robotnik had just apologized without being sarcastic. "It's okay...I understand."

Metal-2 let out a sigh of relief; or at least, a noise that sounded like one.

"You act quite real, Metal." Tails said, using the name he had decided on for the robot. "Your AI must be super advanced."

"It is." Metal-2 responded. "Sometimes I wonder if I could ever have emotions...I might even have them now."

Tails lifted an eyebrow. "Emotions? I don't know about that. But...what say we find out?" Metal-2 looked at him, wondering what he meant. Tails continued. "If I were to tell you a joke, would you laugh?"

"I honestly don't know." Metal-2 replied.

Before Tails could proceed, there was a knock at the door. "Uh-oh!" He said. "Aunt Sally's back from the meeting! Metal, we have to hide you!" He jumped out of his seat and grabbed Metal-2 by the arm. Tails led the robot to another room, and there was another knock at the door.

"Tails? Are you in there, Tails?" Sally said from outside the door. "He's probably welding again and can't hear me..." She figured, and opened the door. Tails jumped out from the other room, holding his hands behind his back, and doing his best to look like nothing unusual had happened. A wide grin was on his face as he sweatdropped, and Sally looked at him, knowing quickly that something was amiss. "Tails, what's going on?" She asked in a firm voice.

"Aunt Sally...There's someone I want you to meet..." He began, and Metal-2 grew worried as he listened from behind a wall.

"Tails, did you bring home another stray animal again? What did I tell you about that?" Sally started in, but was interrupted by Tails.

"No, it's not a stray...well, not a stray animal, anyway..." Tails said, and Sally began to look at him strangely. The fox looked her in the eyes, and spoke. "You have to promise not to freak out, okay?" He told her, knowing that she probably would anyway.

This got Sally worried. She took a deep breath, and agreed. "Okay, let's see it."

"Here goes nothing..." Tails thought as he signaled for Metal-2 to show himself. "Aunt Sally, I want you to meet Metal Sonic 2." The robot walked up behind him, and Sally gasped with horror.

"Tails, get away from that thing!" She exclaimed, afraid.

"Saw that one coming." Tails thought to himself, and spoke up again. "Don't worry, Aunt Sally, we had a long talk and he explained everything to me. Metal's on our side!"

"No...no, it can't be!" Sally said, worried. "Tails, you don't know what you're dealing with! Now get away from that...that THING!" She shouted, reaching for Tails.

"I assure you, I mean you all no harm." Metal-2 explained, but his efforts were in vain.

"Get out of here, you menace!" Sally said to the machine. Metal-2 and Tails looked at each other, and shook their heads slowly. She didn't understand.

"But he hasn't done anything wrong! Just because he's a robot doesn't mean he's bad!" Tails said, trying his best to defend Metal-2. The robot recognized that, and wished there was some way he could repay the fox. Tails was apparently his first real friend, and he wasn't about to lose him. Metal-2 faced Sally, and spoke.

"Princess Sally Acorn, I give you my word that I will not cause harm to these people or this place. I know you don't trust me, but how can I prove my intentions to you if you never give me a chance?" Metal-2 asked firmly, and Sally looked at him. She recognized that there was something about this machine that seemed different from other robots.

"Maybe he is telling the truth..." She thought, wondering. "I hate to admit it, but you're right. If you really are on our side, then you can prove it by getting Sonic back." Sally knew she was risking the location of Knothole, but Tails seemed so certain, and she had to have Sonic back, so she took a chance.

"Very well." Metal-2 replied. "As far as Robotnik knows, I'm still working for him. I'll use that to sneak in and retrieve Sonic. Getting out will be harder, though. But I will do my best."

"Be careful, Metal." Tails said to him as the robot headed for the door. Sally stepped back as he passed by, and Tails came up next to her. She grabbed him gently, and slightly pulled him away from the machine. The fox then realized something. "Metal, wait!" He said. "If you go out there looking like that, you'll be seen. Use that disguise thing of yours...that is, if it can make you look like someone other than Sonic."

"Good idea." Metal-2 replied, and reprogrammed the device in his leg compartment using a small army of tiny nanorobots that inhabited his body. They normally were used for repairs, but had other purposes as well, since they could manipulate materials at the atomic level. Metal-2's appearance soon became that of Tails. "Mind if I borrow your looks for a while?" Metal-2 asked.

"Is that a joke?" Tails asked in all seriousness.

Metal-2 paused for a moment to think about it. "Why...I believe it was. Amazing..." He then walked out the door and left Knothole. The robot shed his disguise, and flew off into the air. Metal-2 picked up speed and arrived at Robotropolis in a matter of minutes. Somewhere down there was Sonic the Hedgehog, the one that he would have to rescue. "This is going to be interesting..." He thought, and made his descent...

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