Sonic Forces: Not a Hero

Working Together

I kept quiet as we sat in the briefing room, but I wasn't the only one. Everyone was anxious, while Tails and Gen Sonic were at the Chemical Plant, we had nothing to do. Knuckles seemed to be taking this worse than the rest of us, he seemed to be looking for a reason to run out and do something.

"I don't like sitting on the bench," whined Knuckles, "But there's nothing to do until Tails gets back."

"Way to jinx it!" snapped Amy as she looked at the computer, "Metal Sonic has been spotted in the city!"

"Is it another fake?" asked Shadow.

"Why would they bother making a fake out of something that already isn't real? Couldn't they just build more?" laughed Sonic, before looking to me, "Either way, it's getting wrecked! Let's go, partner!"

"You sure?" I asked, surprised that he would want my help.

"Course I'm sure!" smiled Sonic, "Now let's get going!"

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Sonic and I rushed through the city, trying to find Metal Sonic. Sonic had always been faster than me, but today it seemed like I just could keep up. Making it to the bridge just outside of the city, we stopped to catch our breath.

"Watch out!" called Amy, "Metal Sonic was spotted near there!"

"Strange I don't see him anywhere," observed Sonic.

"Maybe we were too late," I sighed.

"He's got to be here somewhere," assured Sonic, "Are you okay bud?"

"Yeah," I lied, "It's not exactly easy to keep pace with you. Not all of us are speedrunning hedgehogs."

"That's not it," said Sonic, "I can see it in your eyes. You've lost your spark."

"My spark?" I asked, confused by what he meant.

"Ever since I brought Shadow back, you've been out of it," explained Sonic, "I thought by taking you with me, I could shake off those worries that you've been having."

I wasn't sure what to say, "I didn't realize you cared about how I felt."

"It's not just me," smiled Sonic, "Everyone else is worried too. I can't say I understand why, but just know that we all care about our friends. That includes you."

"Even after all they've heard they still consider me a friend?" I thought, touched by what Sonic said.

"So how about we go find Metal and give him a beat down!" smirked Sonic. I nodded as we prepared to run. Suddenly the ground began to shake, as a Death Egg Robot appeared, destroying a part of the bridge. Sonic and I jumped, landing on a small cliff on the side of the nearby mountain.

"Phew, that was a close one," said Sonic relieved. The robot then pulled his arm back, preparing to crush us into the side of the mountain. I looked around for a potential escape, then had a crazy idea. Grabbing Sonic, I used my wire to grapple to the robot's other arm. Luckily we jumped off the cliff before the robot punched the mountain.

"Good work, partner," smiled Sonic, "Keep it up!"

"We're not out of this yet," I said, continuing to swing around the robot, "Just hang on!"

The robot then started to fire a laser from its one eye, trying to hit us. I continued to dodge around the robot, swinging with Sonic in tow.

"Partner, you think you can get us next to the eye?" asked Sonic.

"I can try," I said, "Hang on!"

After the robot fired another laser beam, I swung us up to its eye as it charged another laser. Sonic then started to spin rapidly, making me spin too. Then Sonic charged us right through the robot's eye, destroying it. Sonic and I landed back onto the other half of the bridge.

"We can't let these things keep rampaging around the city," growled Sonic.

"Once we beat Eggman, these robots won't be anything but scrap metal," I assured him. Suddenly red cubes began to form in front of us, as Metal Sonic appeared, "Well we found Metal."

"So this is thanks to the Phantom Ruby, too, huh?" analyzed Sonic, "Eggman's new invention is a real pain in the neck. Let's get this over with."

Sonic eager to end this, charges toward Metal, but just as he got close, Metal summoned a shield. The shield was made out of multiple, smaller, circular robots. Sonic was pushed back as Metal boosted away.

"Sonic!" I called running past him, "I have an idea, get me up there!"

Sonic nodded, grabbing my arm as he rushed us up to Metal, "I can't touch him with those things protecting him!"

"Good thing I brought this then," I smiled pulling out my Asteroid. Once we got close, I summoned as many cube-clones as I could. Rapidly firing them at the circular robots until there was nothing left, "Sonic now's your chance!"

"We do this together, partner!" said Sonic, making me realize what he wanted to do. I nodded as I created my cube ring to protect us as Sonic spun us, charging up power, "Here we go, partner! When we join forces, the sky's the limit!"

Before Metal Sonic could defend himself, Sonic and I darted straight through Metal. Looking back, Metal had disappeared as the red cubes evaporated. Relieved that it worked, I sat down on the ground, exhausted.

"Why does it always feel like a workout every time I work with you?" I sassed.

"Hey! That was great!" cheered Sonic, "We were like a well-oiled machine... fighting a well-oiled machine."

I laughed, then saw Sonic putting his fist out to me. Smiling, I returned the gesture, giving him a fist bump, "We keep this up Eggman will be done in no time."

"Not only that," smiled Sonic, "But we'll save Zero."

"What?" I asked.

"That's the whole reason your fighting isn't it?" asked Sonic, "He means that much to you, so I'll make sure we save him."

I nodded, "I promise to do whatever I can to help."

"Thank you, Sonic," I thought to myself, "But I can't let you fight my battles. When the time comes, I have to fight Infinite on my own. I won't let him hurt my friends."