literature

Not in My Data Ch. 25

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Breath Before the Plunge

He sped past the skyscrapers, past the rocky hills, the mountains…He flew over the forest and the oceans, so close to his destination.

There it was. Angel Island. On it was the Master Emerald.

And there he was: His loathsome counterpart; guarding it with his friends. He remembered those two; they helped the hedgehog defeat him before…in fact they all did. But those three…

They knew he was coming; he knew they knew. They probably knew he knew as well. The android was almost there. The young fox got into his plane to stop him. Odd, Sonic would never let him do that…

The fox sped towards the robot head on, a mere feint to lead him somewhere else. It wouldn't work. Metal Sonic lifted a hand and shot a bolt of Chaos energy at the boy. The plane went crashing below into the sea. Poor kid, he would survive but he wouldn't get far enough away in time. The other two Mobians seethed with rage as he landed. The red one lunged in an attack with the hedgehog. Strange, no taunting…

He dodged both attacks as if they were mere child's play. His counterpart seemed to know what the android was going to do as he went into a defensive position. The red one was not as fortunate. At least he found his next target.

Metal Sonic threw a punch that was caught by the echidna for a few moments, but his arm faltered and he wavered back before being knocked back by the robot's other fist. Sonic took the opportunity to spin dash. On instinct, the android's Black Shield went up to deflect it. While the blue one bounced off, Metal Sonic took the time to grab the guardian by the neck and throttle him into submission. He did not yield, but the cybernetic hedgehog knew he was reaching his point. In a swift motion, he put an open palm to the red one's stomach and sent him flying off with a blast of Chaos energy. Sonic was all that was left.

He turned to his Mobian nemesis, and they glared at each other. Again, no taunting on either side…this was puzzling.

The hedgehog ran in place to build momentum as the war machine charged his thrusters. Was this it? This was how they would decide the better…the android thought it was hardly fair.

They shot at each other at the same time, each determined to finish it…

He was hanging by his arm in an iron grip.

"Say it."

He kept his eyes closed; whether out of shame or pure stubbornness.

"Just say it. You will be able to stay alive if you do."

Sonic opened one eye. He was being selfish. A chance to live was being given to him, how could he refuse it because of his pride? How could he forget Tails and Sally?

"I…" The hedgehog opened his mouth, "I surrender…you win."

Metal Sonic chuckled darkly with triumph and threw the weary and defeated Mobian onto the ground. Sonic let his eyes close and slowly went unconscious.

The android messed with the communicator on his wrist. A signal to every station, every means of radio and television, was sent out. He was connected; his face and voice appeared and was the only thing seen and heard around the world. Mobians and Overlanders alike turned their heads and stopped what they were doing. Some were full of fear, some were confused, but all were listening to hear him speak.

"Attention world, this is Prince Metal Sonic of the Grand Mobian Empire, your one and only ruler."

By now there wasn't a single organism alive that wasn't paying attention. More people began to become fearful. Sally and the other Freedom Fighters watched on.

"Sonic has surrendered to me, and in doing so has put in my possession not only all seven Chaos Emeralds, but the Master Emerald of Angel Island as well, and now even the other Kingdoms of Mobius do not have the power to oppose me. Those who do try to oppose my rule shall taste the mighty power of the Emeralds."

Citizens whispered to each other. Mothers held their children close while more began looking up to the screens with horror. Elias sighed and sank into his throne. Sally turned her back, unable to bear the fact that they lost.

"Metal Sonic commands you…all of you…obey me, subjects, obey me world!"

A blue robotic hedgehog gasped as he woke out of sleep mode with a startle. He was back in his study, on the chair next to the chess board…how did…how did all that-

"A dream?" he questioned out loud, "Impossible…I can't…at least…"

He found it hard remembering everything clearly, why hadn't his systems saved the memory? And the fight with Sonic…

He took over the world, completing his initial mission. He took it all; he beat his opponent even when he had friends to hide behind. But something was wrong…

No, that's not how it should happen. The odds have to be fairer; the two have to have no unfair advantages. That's why he slipped it to that damned hedgehog, so he would bring it; to end it.

His thoughts returned to the fact that he dreamed…he needed to see someone about this, and he knew just the person. All he needed was a cover up. The android checked his schedule for today. Perfect, he was meeting with the President at Station Square. There were many distractions there to let him slip away unnoticed after the conference. He just hoped the person he needed to see wasn't busy then.


As they watched the Prince of the G.M.E. ride away to meet the President, Nicole and Honey side glanced to each other and smiled from ear to ear. Metal had left them with enough "funds" to buy a whole new wardrobe for each of them, and they just so happened to be in the shopping capital of Mobius: Station Square. Having split the money between them, the girls held on to their purses and rushed into the cornucopia of clothes, shoes, and anything else they could find to buy.

Honey had grown to be close friends with the lynx since Sally was miles away, though Nicole did not think of her as a replacement. But she had to admit, the yellow cat was by far the greatest shopping partner she had ever had. In only a few moments, Honey had organized how much time they had and the best ways to spend time looking around each area of Station Square. She also had managed to calculate and compare different prices of items among the many stores surrounding them.

Since the artificial climate of the city kept the temperature at seventy degrees or so, Nicole was able to change back into her normal outfit after they had landed. Honey, being technically on duty, donned her white dress shirt with a red tie and skirt that matched the color of her red headband. Because of the inevitable shopping spree, Metal Sonic had allowed her to wear her usual red boots instead of uncomfortable dress shoes.

The pair walked into the first store, a fancy clothes shop resembling Antoine's Chez Vetements. Their eyes glistened as they took in the sight of all the hats, shoes, clothes, and accessories, as well as the knowledge that this was only stop one on the list. Each squeaked with joy as they ran into opposite directions, eager to try on everything and anything they found appealing. Honey's first stop was the hat department. Scanning the rack, she finally found a red Hooligan that matched her outfit perfectly and tried it on. After looking in the mirror, the cat called across the store, "Miss Nicole! How does this look?"

Some people (of all species) shopping turned their heads at all the commotion. Nicole stopped rummaging through jackets and turned, slightly noticing the other customers' odd looks. Ignoring them, she focused her attention back to her friend, "Honey, that looks adorable on you! Definitely get that!"

The cat laughed and happily put it in the store canvas bag. Nicole smiled back and resumed her poking around. Shopping with the yellow Mobian reminded her of the old days with Sally, Bunnie, and sometimes Amy. Zoning out, the lynx thought back on her first few times out in the stores, asking questions about what was "stylish" and what was the best material that made up the clothing. Naïve questions, as she was even more naïve back then than she was now. The AI's shoulders slumped a bit; she really did miss being with Sally. And what about the others? They were all friends of hers. Friends she would do anything for, she even built and took care of a city for the people who weren't even a part of her life. But how did those "others" show their gratitude?

Her eyelids shut as Nicole fought back tears from past memories. She didn't need to cry anymore though. She had Metal now. Metal was always there for her, always trying to keep her happy. He didn't enjoy the Mobian bodies, but he stilled tried them on every other day or so just for her. To keep her happy. Sally's question rang through her head:

"Do you love him?"

Her eyes opened back up. The lynx thought about that word. Probably the strongest emotion, yet also the hardest to understand. She loved Sally, but not in the way Sally loved Sonic…what a confusing feeling. There were so many levels or types, or whatever they could be called. All the AI knew was that there was no single definition of love. If Sally were with her, she could help her understand. In fact, she wanted to see all of the old gang again. She wanted to walk around in her city that she made, to appreciate its beauty. But not alone…and not with Sally, Sonic, Tails, Bunnie, or any of the others. There was only one person she wanted to be with more than Sally…

Then I really do l-

"Hey, it IS her! It's Nicole!"

The lynx snapped out of her trance while Honey stopped midway of trying on shoes. Both turned to each other, then to where the shouting came from. More shoppers, Mobians, Humans, and Overlanders alike, shot their heads up in anxiety. A small crowd was gathering around the confused lynx. Questions were thrown at her like rotten fruit at a mime.

"Are you going to buy that? Are there any more?"

"If there is, I've gotta have it! Can't fall behind in style!"

"What else is in her bag?"

"Nicole, have any tips for a Minx? We're not the same, but we're pretty darn close!"

"That scarf is beautiful! Is that what you're getting?"

"I'll go see if there's more!"

Her head dizzy, the lynx felt someone grab her hand and she was pulled through the mass of crazy shoppers. She turned her head to see Honey looking back with a smile, "Sorry Miss Nicole, but it seems you've become quite the icon in fashion. His Excellency warned me about this. I've already paid for my clothes, and I managed to find doubles of what was in your bag and put them on hold, so don't be upset we had to leave your bag behind."

Nicole was too astounded to make a clear sentence, "I…uh…that's fine…thank you…"

The AI looked back; the crowd from before was chasing them through the store. Some people were even pleading for her to come back and were close to crying. Did whatever she wanted to wear really matter that much to people? The citizens of New Mobotropolis wouldn't have cared less if she bought a specific piece of clothing, why were these people almost stark mad for her opinion?

"Don't worry Miss Nicole," Honey assured, "I'm already figuring out the best way to lose them. We'll just cross over into the next store and use the side door that connects it to the ice cream parlor and go out the back end of there. Then after we get them off our trail, there's a small alley we can use to sneak back to here and get your clothes."

The AI blinked in astonishment, "How…how did you figure that out?"

"I remember the layout of this section of the city from that map at the airport," she explained.

"Honey, we barely looked at that thing for a minute."

"I know…it's just that…hmmm."

The girls left it at that until they scooted into the alley. The crowd of shoppers looked around the area until moving on to the next building. The cat and lynx sat down to get some rest. After a few moments of silence, Nicole brought the subject back up, "So you were able to memorize the arrangement of these stores and buildings after seconds of looking at a map? And you organized an escape route in basically no time at all." The only one I know who has been able to accomplish things like that is…Metal.

Honey seemed a bit unsure of what to say, "Well, yes. My skills are part of the reason his Excellency chose me…"

The AI put a hand on the cat's shoulder, "Why don't you tell me how it all happened? Tell me how you were picked by Metal to be in charge of his embassy and foreign affairs. I'm technically supposed to be his secretary, but you've been helping me out so much and have become a close friend. I want to know more about you."

"…Alright," the Mobian replied calmly. She scrunched her eyes closed and took in a deep breath to try and remember everything, "Let's see. I had just graduated about one or two weeks after his Excellency overthrew Eggman. I was living in Downunda at the time, near the area where Angel Island took off of. I was the top of my class and was already getting job offers from various businesses. Stores, restaurants, you name it."

She paused and reminisced before continuing, "On my way to a job interview, I was attacked by three cloaked figures; I'm guessing they were part of the Dark Legion. There was a short one, a medium sized one, and a really big one. The medium one I remember seemed to yell at the short one who really didn't shut up. The big one didn't say anything at all but only shrugged and put a cloth on my nose that knocked me out."

Nicole cocked her head at the recollection. Honey laughed a bit, "I guess looking back, it was a pretty funny experience since I didn't get hurt."

"What happened then?"

"I woke up, and there was his Excellency standing over me. I was in a hospital. He said that he was visiting Downunda, and that he was on the trail of the three that captured me. He said the Dark Legionnaires were holding me hostage so I could be used to work for the Dark Legion. But he found them, and freed me. I asked what happened to those three, but the Prince said it was not important now that I was safe. A few days later I left the hospital and returned to my normal life. But as I was looking over some job offers, I received a letter from his Excellency himself, stating that I was to be…well, my current position."

Nicole leaned against one of the alley walls, "And when did you figure out about your talents?"

The cat pondered a bit before answering, "Only a day after I left the hospital. I went to the library to reread one of my favorite books, and in a half an hour I rearranged all the bookshelves to correct alphabetical order by title. I had a few more experiences like that before being contacted by Prince Metal Sonic."

The lynx stared at the ground, realizing what had really happened to Honey. Although she naturally had a knack for managing and organizing, there was no way her current skills were natural. Metal must have done something…he must have implanted some sort of cybernetics in her brain to enhance her talents. And the cat had no idea her mind had been tampered with. How could he? How could Metal do something like that, just for his own benefit? It could be argued that what he did was "good" for Honey in some ways, but it was still against her own knowledge. Were there other experiments out there too?

"Nicole?"

"Huh?" the AI's head snapped up, "Oh sorry, I was just…trying to imagine how exciting that would have been. Being captured and then saved by Metal…"

Honey gave a half hearted smile, "I guess it was, but it's all in the past. Right now we've got to finish shopping!"

The lynx's ears perked up and her spirits lifted. Her thoughts about Honey and Metal could wait; there was shopping to be done! The two ran back to the previous store to get Nicole's clothes and continue their spree.


"Sometimes trying to figure out what to cook is the hardest part…"

Ding-Dong

"Huh? Sweetie, could you get the door please?"

"Yes mother!"

The child walked up to the door and opened it. The Chao resting on her head gasped in surprise with her when they saw who was at their door.

"Hello Cream, I would like to talk about something with you," Metal Sonic requested. Cream shook off the shock and smiled back at the robot.

"Of course you can Mr. Metal Sonic," she happily replied, "Come right in!"

"Uh…" the hedgehog hesitated, "I hardly think that's necessary-"

"Cream, who is it?" Vanilla called out as she walked out of the kitchen. When she saw who was at the door, the rabbit tensed up a bit in surprise, "Oh! M-Metal Sonic, or Prince Metal Sonic if you prefer-"

The android held up a hand, "Formalities are not required; I'm actually supposed to be at Station Square right now. You can call me anything you like for right now, Cream seems to the preface 'Mr.' is appropriate enough. I've met your daughter before; you have raised her to be quite the young lady."

Cream giggled while her mother took in what the killer hedgehog had just said before relaxing and smiling herself, "Thank you, Mr. Metal Sonic. May I ask why you have decided to visit us?"

"He needs to ask me about something," Cream pointed out. She remembered her manners though and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Mr. Metal, I shouldn't have spoken for you."

The cybernetic hedgehog reminded himself that this young rabbit was full of surprises, "That is all right, your mother could help me as well."

Vanilla looked into the robot's eyes and sensed distress. She took her daughter's and Metal Sonic's hands, "Well then how about we discuss what's been troubling you. I'll make some hot chocolate and Cream will get a warm blanket for you Mr. Metal Sonic. You must have been cold traveling in this weather all the way from Station Square." (A/N: Since it's been a year after New Mobotropolis was made, Nicole managed to build a new house for the Rabbit family and the Chao inside the city. If they still lived with Amy, her "affiliation" with Shadow would have been quite complicated…)

The android felt warm inside. He had never experienced this hospitality before. He was guided to the living room by Cream and Cheese and sat next to them on a fluffy, white couch. The young rabbit delivered a warm quilt and the android wrapped it around himself to be courteous (he did not need it, but he still…wanted it). There was a fireplace roaring, and the walls were decorated with knick knacks on shelves and a couple paintings of what he concluded were ancestors of the Rabbits. Again, he was amazed at what Nicole could create.

Vanilla came in with a tray with cups of hot chocolate, giving one to Cream, a small one to Cheese, and taking the last for herself. She took a seat on a white armchair across from Metal and settled into it before asking politely, "So what would you like to talk about then, Mr. Metal Sonic?"

He looked to the ground, not knowing where to start, "I…I had a dream last night…I'm not supposed to have dreams…"

Ignoring the self denial, Vanilla pressed on, "What did you dream about? Was it a good dream, or a nightmare?"

The hedgehog looked back up, "I don't know…It started as a good dream, or at least I think it was supposed to."

"What happened in it?" Cream questioned with concern in her voice. She didn't want her new friend to be sad. Cheese wore a similar expression of worry.

"It seemed I had accomplished everything I had wanted, my ambitions were finally satisfied," he described vaguely, not wanting to get into specifics, "But something was wrong. I wasn't…happy with it when I woke up. There was a piece missing; a piece that I think would have changed the dream to go a different way, or not even unfold the events in the first place."

The mother rabbit took a sip of her hot chocolate. She put the cup down and smiled, "Something or someone?"

Cream and Cheese giggled at Metal's bashful reaction to the question. He clenched his fists a bit and didn't speak in fear of stuttering.

"Cream's told me all about you and Nicole, Mr. Metal Sonic, and I think the dream was a sign."

"Preposterous," he almost spat out, "There are no signs or visions that try to influence one's decisions. My fate is what I make it."

"But Mr. Metal, think about it," Cream argued, "You told me Nicole changed a lot of things you were planning to do. Couldn't this dream be trying to tell you that Miss Nicole will change things for the better?"

"That's a good point," her mother agreed, "Remember when you almost took over all of Mobius? You were crazy from what I've heard of Cream and the other's stories. But here you are now as a polite and respectable…um, person."

The hedgehog looked to the rabbit sitting next to him, "Your stories?"

Cream giggled again, "I guess you don't remember, I was there with Amy and Mr. Big!"

"Chao chao!"

"Yes, we know you were there too Cheese," she patted his head, "Mr. Metal, you kidnapped his friend, so we went looking for him. Mother wasn't too happy with our story when we got back though."

"No, I was not," Vanilla playfully scoffed, "The idea of a little girl fighting against Eggman and a super powered robot isn't exactly what any mother wants to hear about their child. But all of that is in the past now. Wouldn't you agree Mr. Metal Sonic?"

He reflected on those words for a moment. In the past…

"You're right," he finally spoke, "That's what has been gnawing at my mind. I have to stop thinking about the past, and focus on the future." Not my own, but Nicole's.

He escaped his warm, quilted wrappings and stood up, "I must go now. Thank you for your hospitality and counseling."

"Do you have to go Mr. Metal?" Cream's eyes saddened with disappointment.

"Now Cream, I'm sure he has a lot of important things to do. He's running an Empire after all," the older rabbit reminded her daughter before returning her attention back to her guest, "You're very welcome Mr. Metal Sonic, feel free to stop by anytime."

The small rabbit and her Chao got off their place on the couch to hug their friend good bye. He returned the gesture and proceeded to hug Vanilla, thinking hugs were just "a Mobian thing". A bit surprised, the mother rabbit hugged back and took notice of the robot's warm body. During the embrace, the hedgehog felt the need to take in the rabbit's scent, yet he could not. For some reason he was upset at this.

After taking his leave from the Rabbit residence, the android took to the air and waved goodbye before shooting off at high speed to Station Square. In the past…that's exactly it. I won't be able to beat him by looking to the past. He has the future of his loved ones to drive him to victory. I'll need to look to the future. Her future. Then the field will be level enough to end it all…

Before arriving at the city, the craving to take in Vanilla's scent raged in him again. He felt that if he were in one of the bodies Nicole made for him…it would make its presence known. An image of him taking the rabbit for himself flashed through his head, and he instantly berated himself for even thinking about betraying Nicole. He was loyal, and his loyalty to his lynx went deeper than his systems. He…he actually wanted to use one of those bodies again…why?


Honey and Nicole collapsed on the sofa of their suite in the highest ranked hotel in Station Square. Metal had already made them arrangements, though the pair never thought they would have to use it. It had been a long day of trying out and buying clothes, seeing what accessories matched their new outfits, and out maneuvering the occasional mob of Nicole's fashion followers.

The cat and lynx looked at their plunder and nodded to each other on a job well done before passing out.

Metal Sonic walked down the hall to the suite he had reserved for Nicole and Honey, passing by a bell hop holding his back in pain. Funny, he seemed to be coming straight from the direction of their room.

He entered the room and walked in to see the two ladies asleep on the couch. The hedgehog stared blankly; each was wearing some mismatched outfit. Nicole had on a white, long sleeve shirt with pink, tight fitting pants, while Honey was garbed in a strapless, black dress that stopped short above her knees. One leg had a checkered black and red stocking, and the other had a blue and green vertical stripe design. He took notice of the low cut by her chest region. Another image flashed in his mind, but of the two on the couch instead. Shaking his head clear, the android cleared his throat loudly.

No response from either of them.

He sighed, figuring they were too far gone to be brought back anytime soon.

<>

When they finally arrived back at Pendragon, Metal gave Nicole some time to put away her new wardrobe before walking up to her room. He knocked. Nicole knew exactly who it was and eagerly opened the door, allowing the hedgehog in.

At first, she didn't understand where he was going when he was talking about the nanite bodies, but when he asked if she was finished with the adjustments to a "complete" model, the lynx basically jumped for joy and hugged her hedgehog tightly around the neck. Thank goodness he didn't have a trachea.

"I made some adjustments to the beta model if you wanted to try that one out," Nicole explained anxiously as she hooked the robot with the familiar cables.

"The lynx?" he pondered a bit, "Sure."

After she set everything up, Metal felt his consciousness transfer over, just like every other time. When he opened his eyes, he turned to see his reflection. Not much was different except for a black t-shirt added to his torso. But the complete body felt…stronger than the hologram, or at least more durable.

"How does it feel?" the female lynx stepped forward. She was nervous, what if Metal didn't find the completed model any better?

He turned back to face her, smiling, and wrapped his arms around the AI's frame. The male lynx leaned in slowly to deliver a deep kiss, to which Nicole happily accepted and returned. It didn't last too long, but the prince kept smiling, "Does that answer your question?"

They gazed into each other's eyes. Metal's hand moved a bit lower, Nicole moved in closer.

The female AI's mouth opened a bit, "Metal…I…"

He touched their muzzles, "Me too…"

A second kiss proceeded, but this one lasted much longer. So much longer that since neither needed air, it kept on going. They felt their tongues touch, and it was as tough a small electrical pulse went through their bodies. Nicole's arms wrapped tightly around her prince's neck as she was lifted off from the ground. Never once breaking the kiss, Metal carried her over and laid her on the bed. He place one arm out to support himself as the other moved around to the hilt of the other AI's dress. They sensed some sort of need was going to be sated. It was going to be a long night.

Ch. 25

To people who hav watched Code Geass, yes I was inspired by it a bit with the beginning dream :D

All that's left beyond this point is a three part finale!

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