What was only a few seconds felt like hours. Metal stared at me and Vector in a narrow hallway while Espio and Charmy were behind him at a reasonable distance. Espio put his hands together methodically and vanished, while Charmy flew up into a hole in the ceiling. Metal didn't respond.



I didn't care what the Chaotix heard at this point. Something was wrong and I needed to get through to Metal however I could-- this didn't feel like a show or a distraction. He tried to hurt me.



"Metal, why are you focusing on us? Is... Is Eggman here? Did he tell you to?" I asked.



He just... stared. His stare was cold. It didn't... seem like him. I was worried maybe Eggman found out about Metal's own intentions, but... Eggman wasn't really the type to just be quiet. He would've revealed himself by now, wouldn't he? I didn't know what to think.



Both of Metal's palms began to glow and radiate dangerous energy. Vector and I steeled ourselves. In an instant, Vector offered his hand. I took it-- he launched me over Metal's head.



CRACK! One of his hands shot out lightning right where I was standing before. He aimed for Vector, but he was too big to really dodge it.



Piko! I smacked Metal from the side of the head, forcing the next lightning bolt to stray from Vector. Vector charged forward-- Metal swiftly turned around and swiped for me. Gah-- he couldn't grab me, but his claws grazed one of my arms. He drew blood, which... shocked me. He touched me so frequently with his claws without ever actually--



No, I had to remember this was a real fight. He had to snap out of it. I had to snap out of it.



We had to get into a bigger area to lessen the chances of a really lucky hit from Metal. While his focus was on me, I bounded backwards and made my way towards the entrance. He knew. He dodged Vector swiping him with his tail, then flew up to me in an instant, his fist aimed right at me.



I blocked his hit with my hammer and the impact crashed me into the nearby wall. I thought of the other robots that we fought earlier... Metal had it together before, but--



I ducked down. He tried to punch me in the face, instead creating a massive crater in the wall. His eyes flicked down to me. I pushed him away with my hammer as hard as I could, then ducked again as he swiped at me once more. His hands crackled with light again.



He immediately turned and punched Vector, anticipating his movement. He was knocked back... Metal grabbed me successfully this time. His hand was burning--



Painful electric shocks shot through my whole body. He gripped my neck tighter, claws digging and piercing my face. God...! I couldn't-- I couldn't move. I couldn't even scream. I was in so much pain.



There was emotion in his eyes this time. They shook with hatred.



... This wasn't Metal at all.



Something jabbed him in the joint between his hand and the rest of his arm-- he abruptly let me go and I collapsed. I saw a kunai clatter to the floor as I coughed and tried to regain my sense of breathing.



A rope looped around Metal's head and jerked him back by the neck, Espio appearing as he pulled Metal off-balance. I heard a brief whistle-- before I knew it, Charmy was in Vector's hand. Vector threw Charmy right at Metal's legs. Metal tried--and failed-- to reach for Espio, then tripped completely when Charmy swept under his legs. I steadied myself and stood up with my hammer.



Espio extended his tongue for the kunai, grabbed it, then tossed it into his own hand. He leapt over Metal and jabbed him right in the eye. I heard the shattering of glass. Metal didn't make a sound.



Espio leapt away just as quickly for Metal to take a harsh thwack from Vector's tail. Vector threw him by the legs-- with the rope still attached, both Espio and Charmy flung Metal to the other end of the hall.



"You okay?" Vector gently pushed me towards the entrance. I really wasn't. "Go, boys!" he shouted. Espio and Charmy went towards the entrance first. Vector didn't check to see if I could run, instead scooping me up and booking it himself.



I was stunned. I saw everything happening in front of me but, I... I was trying to make sense of it.



My ears began ringing. I looked back at Metal; his eye repaired itself, then the black of his eyes turned... red. The rope burned off of him. His turbine began to glow... Electricity shrieked around him in an ominous red barrier. The tips of his spines, his arms and legs all began melting.



"Oh God. Go! Go!" I screamed.



"CHARMY!" Vector yelled after me.



It all happened in an instant.



My ears popped and then I only heard the ringing. I was blown back-- I didn't know where I was.



Wait, I was in the air. Vector had me with one arm, while his other arm hung on tight to Espio's leg. Espio clung onto Charmy's ankles, who strained while keeping us in the air. I looked ahead...



The airship was there one second, and then it was gone in a pit of fire and smoke.



"D-did he blow himself up?" squawked Vector.



"He tried to take us down with him, but failed," Espio sighed afterwards.



Charmy groaned aloud. "Guys, I can handle two of you just fine, but three's pushing it...! H-help me find a place to land!"



I balanced my hammer and took off my gloves with the weights on them. As soon as they came off, we jerked upwards.



"Whooh! Whoa!" Charmy shouted. "Nevermind, I'm much stronger now. Hahah!"



"That wasn't Metal," I said.



Vector looked at me. "What? What do you mean?"



"It wasn't him. I know what he looks like... That wasn't him."



Vector didn't know what to say to me. Only after a moment did he speak to Charmy again: "There's a cliff over there, Charmy. Let's get our bearings."



"You got it, boss! Zoom!" Charmy took us over to a cliff with an incline that could hide us.



As soon as Vector's feet touched the ground, he gently put me down. I could walk, but... I collapsed back in the grass. I was trying to take everything in. Espio cautiously watched the airship's remains from the top of the cliff; he went invisible again, but the shadows on the ground indicated he was still there. Charmy flopped into the grass with a sigh and Vector sat down beside him.



"How was that not Neo Metal Sonic?" Vector asked me again.



I put my hammer beside me, then clutched the bottom of my dress. "He doesn't fight like that," I said. "And the way he looked at me was different."



Vector tightly shut his eyes, then opened them and rapidly blinked a few times. "I'm sorry? He fights differently?"



I growled in frustration. "Yes, he fights differently! He was trying to kill us!"



"And that's different?!"



"YES!" I screamed. "We're good fighters, but don't you think he would've exploded us a long time ago if he wanted us all to die like that?!"



"You could make the same argument for Eggman, but he definitely wants to kill us. Why are you so sure? And why does it matter?!"



I clenched my teeth and grabbed the sides of my head. "It matters!"



"Amy..." Espio briefly reappeared, looking in my direction. "I'm not sure what agreement you made with Neo Metal Sonic, but... You can't deny how the events played out. He took advantage of you."



"No," I hissed back. "You don't understand."



"Please help us understand, Amy," Vector sighed.



Screw it! "Metal is trying to figure out why Cava is here too! Because Cava's from the future!" I growled, standing up. "Metal isn't trying to figure out why for Eggman, he wants to find out more on his own because HIS future self built--"



I lifted my head. Was that him? The one who tried to kill me... Was that Metal from the future? But... But that didn't make any sense, either.



"Ugh... I don't know what's happening..." I collapsed again and clasped my hands over my face. I wanted to cry, but I was just so... tired. My neck still felt like it was burning.



When I looked up again, all three of them were staring at me with wide eyes.



I had to continue: "It also wasn't Metal because he would've been more interested in Cava. He had no reason to go after us and every reason to ignore us. Whoever held Cava captive, he was fighting them just like you were. He wasn't pretending to fight them."



Espio darted his eyes away, then darted back. "... How do you know so much about Neo Metal Sonic and the situations involving him?"



I threw my hands up. "You know what? I'll let you guys guess."



The three of them focused on each other for a moment. Charmy's eyes lit up, turning back to me. "Wait... Are you friends after all?"



"No, Charmy." I sighed.



... Yeah, whatever. If it helped them finally get where I was coming from, I'd say it.



"We're... more than friends."



The silence was louder than the earlier explosion. I hated the way Espio and Vector stared at me; this was exactly why I didn't want to tell any of my friends. I was lucky with Rouge. Sonic was one of the few people who actually knew how Metal worked, how he really worked. Charmy was--



"Ohh..." he said. "You're... best friends?"



... I took a deep breath. "He's my boyfriend. I know a lot because I'm dating him."



After a few more seconds, Charmy scratched under his helmet. "I thought you were dating that nice man, uhh... Mr. Kai! That's it."



"That's Metal. He can shapeshift," I said. My throat still hurt from the attack earlier-- I coughed and grabbed my chest.



Charmy's eyes widened too. "Oh...!"



"The gist of everything is that we got a message from the future while we were on a date together. I found out about Cava when he was under Eggman's control, then more and more clicked, but we don't know why he's here. What we do know is that Eggman should not have a part to play in getting his hands on a futuristic robot," I explained. "So, no, Metal wouldn't try to kill me for real, and he has no reason to go after any of you. I've fought him before... you saw me go after him earlier. You want to know how I was unscathed? It's because we weren't actually fighting. Who we just fought-- it wasn't him."



"Then who was it?" Espio asked in a lower tone. His and Vector's stares of shock became... judgmental.



"It's--" I groaned to myself. "I don't know yet. There's still a lot to figure out."



"Okay, fine. Let's entertain the idea that that ain't Neo Metal. That doesn't take away from all the times it was him," Vector said, firm. "Doesn't take away from him tryin' to kill us three other times. It doesn't take away from him almost killing Charmy!" Vector raised his voice.



"Huh?" Charmy asked.



Vector growled. "He's even proud of it, namin' himself Kai! You weren't there when he transformed into Metal Sonic Kai, Amy." Vector was referencing a fight I wasn't part of as a kid... The Chaotix fought Eggman and Metal on their own maybe a few years after my first adventure on Little Planet. But... It didn't matter for this situation.



"I'm not excusing anything he did in the past. This isn't about the past. It's about the future," I said, raising my voice a little too.



Espio spoke next: "We're just supposed to go along with everything because of the future, then? What makes you so convinced this other robot isn't here to ruin the world? There has to be more than his lack of aggression."



"You saw Cava yourselves! Did he look like he'd-- Aaaagh!!" I ruffled my quills out of irritation. "Look, I can't explain everything here in just one sitting, but trust me. Please!"



Neither of them replied to me. I sighed.



"I told you all of this because you deserved to have the whole picture. I felt I owed you an explanation." I gestured to the three of them. "Because I trust you."



"Thanks, Amy!" Charmy beamed. He didn't pick up on the energy of the other two... yet. I frowned. I... might've made a mistake.



"Cava woke up on his own... I didn't think he'd do that. He ran off on his own too, so... I'm gonna try to find him. You--" I coughed again and scowled. God, that hurt. "-- don't have to help me."



The sky became completely gray from the smoke, but at least the fire didn't spread. The smoke slowly started to thin out. I thought Metal, especially from the future, would be able to put himself back together after self-destructing due to his unique body composition, but... he hadn't come back out. Still, there was a feeling that kept nagging at me...



I jumped off the cliff and used the edge to spring into the horizon. I had to see what I could find, maybe meet back up with Rouge.



When I jumped to a different cliff, something crashed into the rockface below. I fell; I was still feeling a bit weak from that attack, ugh... I wasn't going to be as useful, but I needed to do what I could. I scrambled up. The cliff began crumbling. I launched off of it to make it to a safe cliff, and maybe then I could check who collided into it.



M-Metal! He sped towards me after shaking off the debris. I primed my hammer--



"Rosy!" he called.



!!!



He caught me in the air and brought me to another cliff. He looked down at me... his eyes were how I remembered them. He watched me with a very familiar love. His gaze eventually dipped below my face.



He gingerly touched the part of my dress that burnt off and some fur along with it. "You're... injured. What did this to you?" he asked. His eyes slightly shook, and he immediately turned his head, scanning the horizon.



I was so relieved... I was right. I didn't fight Metal before. He was right here.



"Someone that looked like you attacked me," I coughed. "He's the one who exploded the airship."



"What--" He turned back towards me. "Was it-- me from the future? Did he do this?"



"That's the thing... I don't know. He was actually trying to kill me, but how does that make sense?"



"I'll kill him!" he angrily yelled. "I didn't comb the base as thoroughly after I saw Cavalier Sonic. I immediately went after him. I'm..." He looked down at my wound again. "This is my doing."



I shook my head, smiling. I held his hand to my chest. His hand was cool, slightly warming from my own touch. "No, it's not... I love you."



"I love you too, Rosy." He gently retracted his hand. "Cavalier Sonic is on the offensive-- I similarly do not know why. I'm gathering information... I also don't know why he hasn't attacked me again yet." He warily turned around and scanned again. We both caught sight of the Chaotix nearby; they were staring at us. I'd tell Metal, but... Not right now.



Metal ignored them, then looked back at me. "... Are you too unwell to protect yourself?" he asked.



I smirked at him. "I'm okay, Metal. I'm not at my best, but I can hold my own."



He watched me for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Be on your guard... I'll--" His eyes briefly glitched.



"Metal?" I asked.



He was quiet for several seconds. He growled, then looked at me again. "My Master is en route to this location. I don't know why; I never contacted him. His inclusion makes my mission far more aggravating."



"Let me take care of him... You focus on calming down Cava, wherever he is. And... please be careful," I said, frowning.



He gave a single nod. "And you as well, my Rosy." He floated backwards, then completely turned around and took off with the golden light of his turbine. He was gone in an instant. I glanced over... the Chaotix weren't there anymore. Maybe they finally left...



I retreated into the forest and watched my surroundings carefully.



"Psst." Rouge! She clicked her tongue at me from a nearby tree and motioned me over.



"Oh, thank God. I was wondering where you were," I said, relieved.



"I've been tracking the robot like you wanted... Uh, he's a little less friendly than he seemed on the tin. He's been fighting your loverboy for the past while... Except when that same loverboy paid you a visit." Rouge's ears twitched and she tilted her head, deep in thought.



"Everything is so much messier than I thought it'd be, Rouge. Eggman is coming."



She groaned. "Seriously?"



"You have to help me fend him off... If..." I frowned more.



She crossed her arms. "What, honey?"



"Do you trust me?"



After a few seconds, she passed me a warm smile. "You, girl? Always."



I explained to her in full why we were going after Cavalier Sonic. I didn't tell her anything I didn't tell the Chaotix already. Unlike them, Rouge really did respond well. She groaned about the future, but who wouldn't?



She took me to another vantage point for us to watch for any unwanted visitors. We saw two lights in the distance going at a back-and-forth; that had to be Metal and Cavalier Sonic. I couldn't think about it too much... I was starting to get overwhelmed.



Get it together, Rosy. When this was over, everything would become right again. And... I wasn't alone.