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“Fancy meeting you here, Shiny.”
The familiar yet infuriating voice reached Metal Sonic’s audials from up above. He looked to the source and glared at the mobian he already knew was behind the security alert. They were sitting on one of the many buildings littering Dr. Eggman’s lifeless city, swinging their legs back and forth over the edge.
With annoyance brewing beneath his titanium frame, Metal fired up his engine but didn’t bother with attacking. Previous encounters with this particular nuisance had already shown they would not leave until he humored them. So, he floated up to meet them with his arms crossed tightly.
Metal gave them the most menacing glare his static features could manage, which, considering he had a permanent scowl built into his face, was very unnerving. It scared anyone he stared at!
Just not them. Never them.
Quiet giggles erupted from the fleshy fur bag at his intimidation attempts, causing Metal to beep indignantly. A low warbling tone oozed from his voice box, vibrating the air around them both.
“Sorry!” they apologized through laughter soft as cotton. “I heard the big man wasn’t home and figured it was the perfect time to pay you a visit.”
The doctor was, indeed, not present at this time. Metal wasn’t sure how they knew of that, however. A potential security risk? Whatever the case, he tapped his claws impatiently against his arm, silently demanding they get to the point.
The mobian’s grin widened at this, and to his aggravation, they clammed up just to irk him more. Their relaxed posture and lack of a perceived threat in
his
presence made his wires feel like they were
melting
from sheer outrage.
The audacity of this organic pest to not only continue bothering him on the regular but to also look so unabashedly
happy
at the sight of him! Their gaze openly roved across his shiny frame, catching on every detail in
appreciation
of all things!
Appreciation!
There should be naught but terror in those hideous, squishy eyes of theirs! They should not be admiring him like a… like a piece of museum art!
Metal could feel that blazing in his wires growing due to an anger that was strangely missing from his cybernetic mind. But what else could cause such a reaction? What else but anger and annoyance could make him look away from the smug organic?
He just couldn’t stand to look at the foolish creature… for some reason.
Eventually, the mobian broke the quiet with another chuckle. “Okay, okay. I’ll get to the point; I have something for you!”
At that, Metal Sonic put them back in his eyesight. Their arm was extended towards him, and in it… He wasn’t sure what that was—the tilt of his head showing as much.
“It’s a rose! Just a metal one, so it won’t die in this barren wasteland!” Their smile somehow glowed brighter than ever as they extended the offering to him, though Metal could finally see a bit of nervousness in their expression.
He stared at the crude imitation of a flower. It was all jagged and messy scraps, but welded together fairly well—nothing close to his creator’s skill level, of course—but it would hold up. Its faux petals were a bright red and glowed in the afternoon sunlight.
The longer Metal Sonic did nothing but stare, the more nervous the intruder seemed to get.
“Is the pest finally growing a brain? Growing scared?”
Metal thought.
“It’s uh– It
was
Valentine’s day–” they stammered.
“Nevermind…”
“–And while I’m a little late, I figured I’d give you something!”
Metal was… confused. Surely the organic knew he didn’t care for their kind’s made-up celebrations. He couldn’t decipher what their thought process might’ve been.
But regardless, something deep inside his core urged him to take it, his curiosity for more information, perhaps. Playing the organic’s strange games
has
always rewarded him with new intel in the past. He supposed it was the best choice, but just barely better than punching them in the face and shattering their skull.
The pest would dodge anyway.
With his mind made up, he took the fake flower with a gentle hand. Careful not to crush the thing back into mere scrap, he brought it closer to his face for a better look.
“So… you like it?”
Metal’s gaze flicked between them and the rose. He considered entertaining the question but ultimately decided he was done for the day. With a sharp jut of his free arm, he pointed to the city outskirts.
The mobian rolled their eyes but got to their feet anyway. “Fine, fine! I’ll take you not shredding it to pieces as a yes.
“Just don’t show it to the doc, would ya? I don’t doubt he’d throw it in the garbage.”
With a wink and a wave, “See you later, Shiny!” the organic was off.
Metal watched them parkour their way across rooftops, towers, and the like, disappearing out of sight.
A small urge to chase after them arose in him, the thought of a hunt enticing, but he squashed it down quickly enough and returned inside.
Once Metal reached his room (or what technically counted as such), he looked at the rose once more, questioning what to do with it.
Logically, he had no use for it. It was just a bunch of metal welded together. Useless. Was it meant to be some strange attempt at… taming him?
Befriending him??
What did the cursed organic wish to achieve in the end by giving him a gift?
A gift… Ah.
It only now occurred to Metal that this was the very first time someone had given him such a thing. An honest gift.
Supposedly.
Did the mobian think they could butter him up? Trick him with niceties to switch sides?
Or was there… something else at play here?
…
Contemplative, Metal looked to the ceiling—an amalgamation of rafters, pipes, and various nooks and crannies. He floated up, found the most secure spot, and tenderly placed down the metal rose. No one would find it there.
He stared at it for a moment more in consideration before going back down and returning to his duties. Someone had to keep the place running in the doctor’s absence, after all.
And if the stupid mobian’s smile refused to leave his motherboard for the rest of that day, then that was only for Metal Sonic to know.