When I next woke up, I was in a hospital bed and wow I did not feel great. I apparently lost some blood and I had some other scrapes alongside general exhaustion, but I got stitched back up and given plenty of fluids, so I just needed to heal and I'd be right as rain. Nothing was broken or irreparably damaged, so that was good... I just had a nasty wound, really. Even so, that same nasty wound made it awful to walk around with and a little hard to breathe. My side was so sore even with all the medicine they gave me. I was told to not really move around much for a little while, so I was stuck in bed and felt as gross as I was bored.



I got quite a few visitors over the next few days. The Chaotix were the first ones since they drove me over, and they talked to me for a little while. I thanked them for taking me to the hospital... To my surprise, they looped me in to everything that was going on. They suspected that the Eggman me and Rouge saw was not Eggman at all... So I just confirmed it for them. I told them Eggman found out about us because someone brought Metal's deactivated body to him. Afterwards, they told me everyone in town knew about me and Metal since it was hard to explain away what happened, but it wasn't like it mattered anymore. I was too exhausted to give energy to being upset. We never got to reveal on our own terms after all...



Belle showed up next and told me they figured out that Carillon Rose's power source was the special flower we saw depicted in code, but like, a real one. After she went online, she ran off somewhere. Belle told me Metal was fine, that she and Tails made great progress on him and he should be online maybe in a day or so. I told her Cavalier Sonic was at my house. She didn't know how Metal figured out the flower, so they'd get that figured out when he was up and running again. Before she left, I asked her to bring me some stuff from the base since I was gonna be stuck here for at least a week.



Sonic and Tails visited and kept me updated, Rouge came by and shared her sympathies, Vanilla and Cream checked on me, even Big paid me a visit. All my friends came by a little bit at a time, some of them bringing me sweet gifts to encourage my recovery and some books to keep me from dying of boredom. Vanilla got me a cute little vase of flowers, and she said that Cream and Charmy worked together to make a pretty bouquet for me. I thought it was so sweet. I appreciated seeing my friends, but they weren't the ones I wanted to see the most...



Since our relationship was found out, I told each friend exactly what happened to put me in the hospital and how much of a piece of shit Eggman was. I told them how Metal damaged himself to keep himself from hurting me and that he saved his voice for when there was an opportunity to end the fight, knowing that Eggman would prevent him from speaking more. I gave the story in pieces because I started crying as I recalled it. It was awful. I never wanted to see Metal like that...



Belle brought me my sketchbook, some of my stationery, my pens, and most importantly, my special Metal plushie to keep me company. I couldn't sleep at all the first night I was in the hospital, but the plushie helped me a lot on the second night. Sonic and Rouge came by to check on me the second day, chatted to keep me entertained. They were able to keep things lighthearted for me... And, ugh, the teasing levels were off the charts when the three of us were in the same room.



I liked it, though... It felt normal. On day three, I could start walking around and kinda clean myself, though moving around just made me tired. I hated being unable to do much, but I didn't want to push it and accidentally hurt myself more. Rouge and Sonic visited me together again just to say hi and make sure I was doing alright. Rouge had a little fancy box in her hands, proudly handing it to me as I lay back in bed.



"I'm sure you're tired of that hospital food," she cooed. "Have a treat, cute stuff."



"Ooh, what'd you get me?" I opened the box, and-- ooh! I saw an adorable assortment of chocolates and candies!



"There's some fruit in there. Technically healthy," Sonic said with a chuckle.



I grinned. "Yay! I've honestly barely eaten other than what Vanilla brought me. Don't tell them, I'll feel bad if they keep bringing me stuff."



"Girl, let yourself be spoiled," Rouge said with the click of her tongue. "How are you feeling today?"



"About the same," I sighed. "Got to clean myself some, though. That was nice." I ate some of the chocolate and oh man, I needed it. This would heal me. Sonic reached for one and I slapped his hand. I picked one I was less interested in to give to him.



Sonic eagerly ate the chocolate, then brushed his hands together. "I'm guessing you didn't get any special visitors?"



"No...?" My eyes widened. "Wait, is he awake?! Why didn't you tell me?!"



"Don't pop your stitches! I thought he'd show up by now; I even warned the people at the front desk that an ominous robotic hedgehog would pass by. He went online sometime after I brought your hammer yesterday. I told him to see you and gave him my biggest, cutest eyes and everything."



"Great, you scared him off," I grumbled. "... You talked to him, then?"



Sonic nodded. "He's as normal as ever. Called me ugly. Am I ugly?" he asked jokingly with a pout.



"Don't make me laugh!" I begged in between giggles. It kinda hurt to laugh!



"He's naturally jealous, hon. Who wouldn't be?" Rouge teased, rubbing Sonic under the chin. He laughed too and playfully shrugged Rouge away.



"For real though," Sonic continued, "I'm sure he'll show up. If I see him again, I'll say the nurse called me your cute boyfriend or something."



I sighed. "No, don't rile him up..."



Sonic slightly tilted his head and gave me a sympathetic smile. "Alright, alright. I'll be nearby in case there's any trouble, but I'll let you get some rest, Ames."



"Thanks, Sonic. And thank you for the candy, Rouge!"



"Of course~" Rouge purred back. "Hmm... You know, it's a little too stuffy in here." She went over to the nearest window and pulled it open; it didn't open too far, but the breeze was already so nice. She winked at me. "Let's chat later, darling. We'll keep you updated on everyone's various deeds and misdeeds."



"Misdeeds, huh?" Sonic chuckled.



I waved at them as they both left. The door shut behind them as they chattered casually to each other. I savored a few more pieces of chocolate... But it was time to focus! I wanted to write something.



At first, I was writing out my frustrations about my current state, how I got here... The more I wrote, though, the more it turned into a love letter. I knew Metal was upset with himself for attacking me, but it really wasn't his fault. There were a billion what-ifs on how it could've been avoided, but it happened and that's not something we could change. I didn't want him to push himself away...



As I wrote, I got pretty sleepy... I eventually took a break, settled on my good side and cuddled my plushie as I listened to the wind outside. I dozed off...



...



...



I yawned. I slept a lot since there wasn't a ton for me to do anyway. It was the middle of the day and all I ate so far was some sweets. I probably needed to eat something real...



Wait...!



There was something on the windowsill. I carefully got out of bed and slowly walked over to it... And it was just what I thought. A beautiful white flower with a gentle pink stem... It could have only come from one place.



I smiled and picked it up. Metal didn't give me white flowers too often, at least not any by themselves. I liked to think about why he picked the flowers he did... what he was thinking about. I peeked my head through the window as much as I could, but I didn't see anyone around. I was a few floors up. Hopefully my secret admirer would return...



I went back to bed with my new flower, then continued to write. After a while, I got something I was satisfied with, then folded it and placed it on the windowsill where the flower was before. I doodled different flowers in my sketchbook until I got tired again. A nurse brought me some food I was desperate enough to eat, then I passed out with a full stomach.



The letter was gone when I woke up. I was curious if he was still around, floating just out of my sight or something. "Metal?" I called from the window.



... Nothing. That didn't really surprise me, though it didn't stop me from feeling sad about it. I hoped he liked my letter and took it to heart. The cool weather felt pretty nice... I lingered at the window for a little while.



I got some more visitors and hung out with them for a while, did some slow exercises to get back into walking regularly again, and then I rested some more. I tried to get some sleep for the night. I kept waking up to my annoyance, especially because the nurses occasionally checked on my vitals. Sometimes I spent forever trying to get back to sleep...



I opened my eyes in the dead of the night--



I flinched in surprise from glowing red eyes returning my gaze. Metal! He quickly bounded back and tensed up.



"Metal?!" I asked in a hushed tone. He darted his eyes back and forth like he was looking for an exit. "S-stay! Please stay!" I reached out for him, but he was too far away! I shuffled out of bed, causing him to walk back over to me and gently usher me back down. I clung to one of his arms so he wouldn't back away again.



He was totally silent and refused to look at me.



"I'm so relieved to see you," I sighed. I didn't tell him there were technically visiting hours. Didn't matter to me... I wanted him right here. "You look great..." I paid special attention to his head, his face... Belle and Tails fixed him up perfectly. It was like he was fresh out of the factory. Or lab, or whatever.



He looked at my torso, eyes honed in where my injury was.



"I'm healing up well, don't worry. They're not gonna let me out of here though until I can walk much better. You have to stay so I don't get bored, okay?"



Metal hung his head. "... I'm... I'm sorry I hurt you." His voice was incredibly quiet, even somewhat shaky. "I never wanted to hurt you... I... No... I did. But it..."



I shook my head. "Metal, it wasn't something you had total control over... I'm sorry you had to fight with something so awful. I saw how hard you fought against your own attacks... You never truly wanted to hurt me. I'm not even a little bit upset with you," I said.



He was quiet for a while longer.



"Belle said she and Tails removed the loyalty programming... How do you feel?" I asked with the hope that he'd keep talking to me.



"I feel the same. Maybe a little less restless," he replied. "Are you resting...?"



"Hmm... Y'know..." I let go of him to scoot myself to the other side of my bed. I patted the empty space I created. "I think I'd sleep better with someone right here."



He looked around as if I'd want anyone else. I patted the bed a little more aggressively.



"Sleeping helps me heal faster, so you're only helping me by getting in here."



He shook his head. "I'm... I'm too sharp. I could injure you."



"Get your butt in the bed," I grumbled. "I'll put a pillow against you if that'll help you feel better."



He crossed his arms and assessed me for a little while... Eventually, he walked over.



"Yay~!"



He got in bed beside me, leading me to put a pillow against his torso and excitedly cuddle against him. His cool metal slowly heated up the longer we were both there. I kissed his head, then nuzzled him as I settled.



"Now that's more like it," I gently sighed. "My plushie helped me a little, but my boyfriend is so much better." One of his arms was under me, but I noticed he didn't do anything with his hands. I had a feeling he purposefully avoided touching me directly. "Metal, please hold me," I said softly.



"I don't understand how you can pretend nothing happened. I could've killed you... I almost did." His voice was strained, quiet. It carried a lot of emotion-- a lot of pain.



"I'm not pretending..." I sighed again. "Remember our first real fight as a couple?"



"Other than what happened recently, we have only sparred..."



"No... I mean, like, arguments. Remember when we had that big argument after we first found Lonnie?" I asked again.



"Yes..."



"Well... I apologized and you forgave me, right? Have you held our fight against me since?"



"No, I was no longer angry with you."



"The same applies here. I forgive you, Metal. I want to keep moving forward," I softly told him.



He averted his eyes. "You... forgive me?"



"Mmhm." I smooched him on the muzzle this time. "I forgive you for hurting me. I don't view you any less because of what happened."



He was quiet for a while longer, and then eventually, he replied: "I understand that you forgive me, but it doesn't change how I feel. I don't know how to feel differently."



"Do you feel guilty?" I asked.



"Yes... Ashamed. H...Horrified."



I held onto him a little tighter. "Those feelings will go away in time... We'll work through them together. I'm forgiving you so easily because I know you mean it... I know you feel horrible, but it means you feel love, too."



"You... You accepted what a life with me means. Do you still feel that way, even if something similar happens? What if I can't control myself again?"



"Hmph. I'll be stronger to deal with that, and you'll be stronger to resist. You gotta understand something, Metal... Whenever you think about how you'll always love me without hesitation, you'll do anything to protect me-- the same is with me towards you. I absolutely know what a life with you means... It's all worth it. It's more than worth it. I love you."



After a brief pause, he very weakly replied: "I love you too..."



Wah!



He scooped me into his arms and held me tightly, careful to not go anywhere near my wound. "I love you more than anything... I love you so much that I can't stand it. It makes me happy, and angry, and excited, and devastated, and--- and I don't know what." He squeezed me a little tighter. "I need every feeling. Rosy, you're so warm... I need you. I need you. I don't want you to go, ever. I'm not ready... I'm not." His voice quivered even though his tone was firm.



The way he spoke made me tear up. He meant every word with his whole heart... I held him back just as tightly.



"I'm so sorry," he muttered. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Rosy. I'm so sorry..."



"It's okay," I very quietly replied. Tearing up became straight up crying. His voice broke me. I could tell he wanted to cry, too. "Metal, it's okay," I whispered again. "I'm not going anywhere for a really long time. Hey..."



Metal leaned away from me because he heard me sniffling. I moved my arms and cupped his face with my hands instead.



"We'll always be together. You wanna know how I can say that without any doubt in my mind?"



He gave me some small, slight nods.



"Because we got The Sun. Remember that fortune I did about our relationship a long while ago? The last card we got means everlasting joy and happiness. We'll get to not only enjoy our happy ending, but thrive in it. I'll make sure of it and I know you will too. Okay?"



"Okay," he muttered.



I nodded too and kissed him as hard as I could. I wrapped my arms back around him and snuggled against him. "I need you just as much. Don't ever forget that."



"I won't..."



There was a rush of light in the room as the door to the room opened. One of the nurses was there, then gasped. I turned my head; she was stunned. Metal let go of me and looked ready to jump out the window.



I held him tighter. "I just told you," I muttered to him. I looked back at the nurse: "What is it?"



"M-M-Ms.Rose, uh--"



"I want him with me. I don't care about any hospital rules!" I yelled. "I'll be difficult about this!"



The nurse briefly stammered before finally settling on a response: "I-i-if you want an overnight guest, that's fine, um... We got an alert on your vitals, so--"



"Oh." I calmed down a little and wiped my face. "I'm okay..."



"I st-still need to check." She warily walked over to me; I held my arm out so she could do her normal checks and all that other stuff. Her gaze kept flicking over to Metal, who was undoubtedly staring back at her. After a little while, he relaxed and buried his head by mine in the pillow.



The nurse eventually left and I settled down. Metal fully held me, one of his hands threaded through my quills.



"I need you too," I quietly said again. "Don't leave me... Please."



He didn't reply, but he tightened his hold. That was an answer enough for me.





I slept so much better after Metal lay with me. The subtle sounds of his body really did it for me, and when I moved my hands a little, he'd get slightly louder, responding to my touch in his own way. I didn't view him differently at all with what happened... Absolutely all of my anger went towards Eggman.



I was disturbed from sleep one other time through the night to get checked, but I honestly barely remembered it. I was out like a light. Eventually, daytime arrived along with some hospital breakfast. I drank the juice they gave me, but focused on the rest of the sweets Rouge brought me instead.



Metal sat up with me and let me lean against him as I snacked on some chocolate-covered fruit. He slightly tilted his head. "You do seem more energetic, but your choice of food isn't necessarily something for breakfast."



"The food's not that great here. Maybe I've been a bit spoiled," I teased as I looked at him. I gave him a smooch before chowing down more on my chocolate.



He checked the tray of food they gave me. "... I'll make you something."



"Really?" Ooh, I turned my head to look at him a bit too fast. Haha! "Can I have some waffles?"



"Maybe something healthier than that. You should still focus on healing."



"Please?" I fluttered my eyelashes at him. "Fruit toppings are healthy."



He briefly averted his eyes and his turbine started up.. "... Okay."



I giggled. "Yay~! I'm just kidding, though. Kind of. Make me whatever you want, Metal."



"Anything I make will be better," he grumbled, pushing the tray of food away. "... How are you feeling this morning?"



"Better than the previous morning, that's for sure. I slept so much better with you here," I replied. "Thank you for staying with me...~"



"I'll be around as long as you want, Rosy."



"Ooh, we'll be inseparable," I said lightheartedly. "Did you enjoy resting with me? I hope you were kind to yourself."



"... I'm fine..." He sounded full of thought, but I didn't bug him more. "I moved all your things from the base back to your house yesterday."



"Huh?" I blinked. "... Oh, yeah, that's a good idea," I sighed. "I guess it's not a great place to be since Eggman knows we went there frequently and ambushed me there. That makes me kinda sad, though... I never thought I'd get an attachment to an Eggman base."



"It will be strange to not return to," he admitted. "I never stayed in the location of our new home for long, so that should still be fine... I should be able to move my garden soon."



"I believe in you! Have you moved any of your stuff to my house?" I asked.



"Anything we shared together I did, like the photographs you framed."



"Well, if you're in the moving mood after making me something to eat, you should move anything you want to keep. We can make a temporary section for Nova in my living room, too. Let's keep living together," I said with a smile. "When I'm back to normal, I'll help however I can. They might keep me here a few more days, but I really am feeling better."



He gently nodded. After a short moment, he looked down my torso. I wished he was checking me out... I knew he was focused on my wound, though. "... Are you in pain?" he asked.



"Nah, the meds are doing their work right now." I moved the covers down and pulled my hospital gown up to show the bandages around my torso. "Look, my bandages aren't even as dirty looking anymore. I'm healing up just fine."



"... How... How big is the wound?"



I undid part of the bandage to show him the line of stitches. The wound wasn't that big, but it was pretty deep, so it'd take a long time to fully heal. He went completely quiet... I closed the bandage and moved my gown back down.



"It looks painful," he said quietly.



"Meh, all wounds look pretty nasty, especially when they're healing. Seriously, nothing important was hit. I think we'll be laughing about this in a year."



"I will not laugh about this," he replied in a much more firm tone. "And your whole being is important."



I rolled my eyes and smiled. "I'm not being that serious. I just mean that you won't think about it so constantly anymore. If I get a scar, it'll barely be noticeable."



Oops, shouldn't have said that. He stared, shocked. "Scar? You'll get a scar?"



"I might not!" I huffed back. "And scars are cool. It's fine! Really!" I wanted to attack him a little bit for being so worried, but... "I get it... I'm relieved you're completely repaired. When we faced off, you looked just like you did in that nightmare I had back at the resort. I guess I'd be just as intense as you if you were all damaged still."



"... I looked like what was in your nightmare?"



I nodded. "Yeah... I've been thinking about it a lot. In the nightmare itself, you got me directly in the gut... But I actually got hit in the side instead. I do like to interpret my dreams, but that's the first time I had an actual warning like that..." I hummed to myself in thought. "That makes some other dreams more interesting... I dream about you all the time."



"... You do? How often?"



I giggled, blushing. "I dunno, often enough... I hope they come true. They've been much nicer than the one at the resort..." I smiled at him. "I'll tell you one I had a little while ago."



He stared at me and patiently waited for me to continue. I leaned more against him, then put one of his arms around me so he'd hold me.



"The details are fuzzy, but there's one part I distinctly remember. I was in one of my fluffier dresses I like to use when out running and you were Neo. We went to this huge, huge field of otherworldly flowers. It was all so light and beautiful. The warmth of the sun was on my face... I never felt so peaceful before. I also felt this... completeness. When I looked at you, I could tell you felt the exact same. That was a nice dream..."



He didn't reply to me for a while. He held onto my arm a little tighter. "It does sound nice," he eventually answered.



I smooched him. "Mmhm. I'm not interested in changing the fate of any dream like that, so I like to think it'll happen. I think that also reflects the fortune we got..." I paused for a second. "You know, I did a reading on that nightmare, too. The last card I got was Death. It's actually not a bad card at all, but getting it after the nightmare definitely freaked me out... After some thinking, I realized the card symbolized a new beginning. Or, like... breaking a cycle. Kinda like what your future self said in that letter."



"I no longer serve Eggman, so at least something changed," Metal replied. "I don't really know --" He suddenly paused.



"Huh?" I was confused why he stopped talking. I realized he stared towards the door to the room... I didn't see anything in the small window. Wait! Sonic briefly peeked his head into view, then quickly ducked out. I laughed a little. "Hold on, I'll go let him in. You stay in here!" I huffed after I got out of bed. I pointed at Metal and squinted at him.



"Fine..."



I walked over to the door and opened it. Sonic gave me one of those guilty, goofy grins from the other side. "Heyyy! Mornin'!" he beamed.



"Good morning. What's up?" I asked.



"Just checkin' on you and letting you know everything's still quiet. I see you got a special visitor."



I turned around to look at Metal. He stood beside the bed, cautiously staring at Sonic. I went back over to the bed and slowly sat down. "Come on in, Sonic. You're both big boys and can handle not punching each other in a hospital room."



Sonic chuckled and walked in further. "Maybe," he teased. "Long time no see, eh, Metal?"



"I don't want to chat with you," he replied.



"Alright, alright. We'll play later," Sonic said lightheartedly. "Actually, it's good you're both here. I wanted to fill you in on everything."



I nodded. "What's up?" I asked.



"I've been keeping tabs on Egghead since the last battle, just to make sure it's really over and he doesn't have any kind of backup plan. He's been in his base... Nothing out of the ordinary." Sonic watched Metal, calm and sincere. "Has he tried to contact you again? Belle and Tails removed any ability for you to get tracked by him, right?"



I hoped Metal wouldn't be difficult... I looked over at him, his arms crossed and gaze bearing down on Sonic. "He hasn't contacted me," he said in a tone as calm as Sonic's. I was pleasantly surprised. "Belle and the Fox were successful in their work."



"That's great. I mean, I ain't gonna dig into your family life, but I assume you're not interested in helping Eggman anytime soon," he hummed. "Still, be careful. You're not under his control anymore... I doubt he's very happy about that. He might try to get you back, maybe even with something like the Shield Crystal thingy."



"That doesn't affect me," Metal replied. "Your concern is ill-placed and similarly disgusts me."



Sonic chuckled. "Fair enough. Well," he started, looking at the both of us this time, "I sent the Chaotix on another mission to find another robot... The other Metal. I've been looking too. He's still around somewhere and I gotta say it's been a bit too quiet on that front. The battle between you two might be over, but there's still some loose ends, so..." He shrugged. "We'll probably still have to deal with Eggman."



"Honestly, I don't even know what to do about the other Metal," I sighed. "After all this time, I thought we'd figure out why they're here by now. Maybe--" I gasped. "Wait, Metal. Belle said you know how to bring Cava online, right?"



He nodded. "I'll... go deal with that." He briefly glared at Sonic, then focused on me. "I'll also bring you proper food," he whispered.



I giggled. "That sounds perfect." I smooched him and rubbed the side of his head. Mmh, I gave him another smooch. My beautiful Metal...



His turbine started up some, something he probably didn't want Sonic to notice. He went for the window and began climbing out of it.



"Don't make me wait too long!" I giggled.



He looked at me, then he flew away. I sighed and clasped my hands together.



Sonic cleared his throat, making me turn back around. I laughed a little. "Sorry, I kinda forgot you were there."



"Clearly!" he huffed. "Very cute, though. He's so weirdly calm around you."



I smirked at him. "You should see him around Nova. Total pushover."



Sonic laughed. "Oh, don't act like you don't take advantage of that." Guilty! "I'll leave you be for a bit and help out the other boys. Seems like Metal will come back to keep you company, so I ain't worried. Work on healing fast!"



"Good luck!" I told him alongside a nod. He grinned back and passed me a thumbs up before leaving out the door. I sighed to myself, then settled back in my bed... Hm. I thought I'd read a book Espio lent me to pass the time.



A nurse came in to check on me later, got my bandages changed, all that good stuff. I got some medications to help me out. I was healing up well and told to do some walking exercises, which I was more than happy to do. Walking around didn't really hurt, though the meds probably assisted me. I still tried to be careful.



I relaxed back in my bed and felt the overwhelming sense of boredom. I hoped Metal would be back by now...



The door opened. Metal! I was impressed he went through the door instead of the window. "Hey!" I beamed. "... Aw, where's my food?" He seemed to be empty-handed... "Wait, is that whiny? Sorry. I was just excited about what you'd make for me," I said with a pout.



He walked further in. I didn't know what it was, but... The way he looked at me was a little different. I wasn't sure if he went through something. Maybe...? That'd explain why he didn't have anything for me.



"... You okay?" I asked. He wasn't talking either. He was pretty open before to the point of being cordial with Sonic... in his own way.



He averted his eyes, then moved his arms in a very specific pattern. He was-- was he using sign language towards me?



"Uh... Metal--" I paused. My heart dropped to my stomach. The way he looked at me totally clicked as something familiar; there was nothing behind those eyes in the moment. This wasn't Metal-- not my Metal, in any case... The Chaotix and Sonic were looking for him and he was right in front of me.



I couldn't let my panic show too much. I was vulnerable. Sonic brought my hammer the other day, so I could use that as defense and try to call for help. We were in the city, so I had a lot of directions I could go. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt... I had to get out of the hospital. Out of the city with my other friends to support, if possible. The cruel truth was that there was no way I could fight well, especially not against Neo Metal. I needed to save my strength just in case.



"Nevermind," I said, laughing a bit. "That's the first time you went through the door. The hospital staff weren't mean to you, were they?"



He shook his head.



"That's good..." I sighed. "The nurse said I could go and get some fresh air. Could we walk around the courtyard downstairs, maybe?"



He nodded, then signed something else. I had no clue what he was saying or why exactly he was doing that. I didn't exactly want to let him know I figured him out, though... And I had to keep a reasonable distance.



"Let me get some proper clothes to walk outside," I muttered. Vanilla brought me some fresh clothes from my house, so I went ahead and put on my usual dress and shoes slowly and carefully. I technically wasn't discharged yet, but uhh, I didn't think that mattered in the moment. I stashed my hammer and grabbed my phone. I messaged Tails something weird in hopes he'd realize I needed some help. I was vague just in case this Metal had access to other electronics... I really didn't know. My hunch might've been right since he paid a unique amount of attention to my phone.



I smiled warmly at him. "Thanks for waiting. You know where the courtyard is?" I asked.



He nodded again.



"Sweet. Take me there, please! Be patient with me, though..." I lightly held my side. "It's good for me to get some walking in, anyway. Give me some space so I have room to stumble."



He watched me for a while, then walked out the door. He waited for me to follow. I eventually walked behind him. His arms were long... I hoped he didn't notice the distance I kept between us so he couldn't get a sudden jab on me. I wished I could message my Metal... I really needed a way to better communicate with him for when he wasn't around, especially since he was no longer connected with Eggman.



While we walked quietly down the hall, I reflected on the sign language thing. If he was pretending to be my Metal, why would he do th-- Wait... Maybe he didn't know what the real future Metal sent back at Little Planet. He didn't know my Metal had a voice at all. He knew that Metal turned Neo at some point, but then reduced him back.



"Sorry if I don't respond well to your signing," I said as I thought about it. "I'm still getting used to you out of your Neo form... I'm pretty rusty." I actually didn't know a lick of sign language, but apparently the other Metal-- and by extension, the other Amy-- did. If Metal never had any kind of voice chip, we probably would have done something like that so we could talk to each other better, so... That made sense.



He gently nodded at me and gestured in dismissal with one of his hands, essentially telling me to not worry about it. He didn't seem to be on my case, at least...



He headed for the elevator down to the first floor. I shook my head at him. "Wait, Metal. Let's take the stairs instead."



He gestured to my wound next, gaze focused to my side. His eyes flicked back up to me.



"I know, but I need to walk to get my strength back up." Also, being in an enclosed space with him was a horrible idea. Not that the stairwell would be that much better...



He walked closer to me-- I instinctively took a step back. I acted way too suspicious! I winced at myself and hoped to recover somehow: "S-sorry! Losing my balance a little." I leaned against a wall... He stared at me for a while.



The look in his eyes changed back to exactly what I saw back at the crashed airship: hatred. He offered his hand, as if to help me walk. Every cell in my body screamed to not take it.



I stood up straight again... went slightly closer. I reached my hand towards him--



Pi-ko!



I used my other arm to whack him with my hammer. He got sent down the hall, caught totally by surprise. I went for the stairs as quickly as I could, shut the door behind me, then glanced down the stairwell. I took a deep breath and braced myself, then hopped over some railing to the first floor. I landed with my foot opposite of my injury. It, uh, didn't feel great, but I was still in one piece. I paced out of the stairwell, only to find myself in another hallway. I hastily made my way towards the exit.



CRACK! The other Metal drilled himself down through the ceiling. The exit was too far, and even then, there wasn't any additional cover I had. I couldn't give a genuine fight.



"I know you're not my Metal! You're the one from the crashed airship!" I shouted. "You said before I was your problem-- why?! Why are you here?!"



My words were enough. He transformed back into Neo, then slowly lifted his head and glared at me. His eyes flashed a devastating red-- I instinctively guarded myself with my hammer. He didn't move.



"You..." he hissed. Lights began flickering all around us, some currents so intense that a few lights sparked and fizzled out. "You should have died. Your continued existence, an anomaly."



"Tell me why!" Stalling was better than fighting... I still had to keep my wits about me.



He screamed in frustration, even more lights sparking. I stepped back. Luckily, no one was out in the halls. This was bad, though. Needed to be in a more open space. Needed to be out of here. "How do you not know?!" he screamed. "You ruined evvvv-everythi-ing!" His voice slightly glitched out. "You ruined my ffff--" His voice glitched more. I didn't catch the last word, but he was, uh, pretty mad.



His turbine whirred like he was about to blast towards me. Shit. I honestly wouldn't do well against any impact; I'd probably pop my stitches and start bleeding out. The only reason I felt as fine as I did was because of the pain medication.



I kept backing away. "Let's talk this out!" I called. I didn't think any real talking would happen, but stalling was way better than fighting. "I really don't know what I did, Metal! Please help me out--"



"You LIVED!"



He blasted towards me. I braced myself-- something else shot through the wall and crashed Neo Metal into the next room, all in a split-second. Wow. While I was happy to not be turned into mush, I really hoped that room wasn't occupied.



I had no time. More people could get hurt. I quickly maneuvered towards the front of the hospital, keeping my sights behind me. Metal flew out in his base form. I wasn't sure whether or not--



"Rosy! Are you hurt?!" It was him. He sped over to me in a flash.



"I-I'm fine," I replied. He carefully picked me up, glancing behind him, then rocketed towards the front of the hospital.



"He said I should've been dead. He's, uh, here to finish the job," I told Metal.



"That will never happen," he growled.



"He said I ruined... everything. I don't know what he's..." I sighed, frustrated. "He used sign language at me when he was pretending to be you."



"What?" Metal looked like he was going to say more, but he suddenly stared up towards the ceiling. He put me down and cast a diamond-shaped shield around us.



Not a second afterwards, lightning pierced through the ceiling and aimed right at us. The shield dispelled all the lightning-- Neo Metal barreled down towards us, and Metal quickly deflected him by dispelling his own shield. He just as quickly picked me back up and sped out of the building.



Neo Metal blocked the entrance. He had a habit of doing that, huh.



Metal put me back down, then stood in front of me. I briefly glanced around us; we were in the lobby with a bunch of people frozen in terror. "Get out of here!" I yelled. "Get to safety!"



The hospital staff panicked and began escorting people out through other parts of the building.



"You threw away another chance," Neo Metal hissed. "Your choice indicates your desire to also die. Very well. My power far exceeds yours."



"Prove it," Metal replied, taunting with one of his arms.



Neo Metal's eyes narrowed into slits. "You... speak?"



"Less than you, apparently."



Neo Metal growled out. His turbine whirred-- Metal's did the same. They rocketed at each other in a flash. I moved to get out of the way. Neo Metal shot at me to throw Metal off, but Metal deflected the shots or shielded me each time.



I learned that Metal could copy anyone's single move in his base form. This time, he chose Neo's ability to shoot lightning, which allowed him to redirect and deflect it. Metal held his own, but we both knew this was a time game and Neo had the advantage. Metal played entirely defensively, waiting.



I hastily dug for my phone and messaged every single friend who had an easily accessible number-- none of them were working. I tried one of Rouge's weird numbers, even. When I looked at Neo Metal, he was staring back. He was preventing me from getting help!



"Metal, you have to contact Belle!" I called.



"I can't. There is some kind of interference," he quickly replied, then focused back on Neo Metal. "It's you. You prevented me from contacting Belle when I was commanded to kill Rosy," he growled.



"To prevent a miii-ist-take... One you still made anyway!" Neo shouted back, voice slightly glitching.



The two clashed again and reacted to each other at mach speed. Neo, unfortunately, was faster-- he got a hit on Metal and sent him crashing through the reception desk.



Neo Metal's eyes were shaking. My ears started to ring-- He was going to explode.



"No! Please!" I begged. "This is a hospital! Your gripe is with us, not--"



Neo Metal clawed at his head with both hands. A terrifying red barrier surrounded him as he began heating up, more and more-- Metal sped back over to me and picked me up.



The barrier disappeared, the heat left the room. Both Metal and I were confused.



Neo Metal dropped his arms, staring away from us and out into the distance. He looked... distracted.



Gong... Gong... There was the sound of a deep bell in the distance. Weird...



"No..." Neo Metal said to himself. "No...! No! NO!"



Gong... Gong... The sound got louder.



Neo Metal was totally frozen. I wanted to know why he was so freaked out.



Gong...



Metal and I stared at each other. Neo Metal flew out of the building, so Metal cautiously flew at a distance so we could see what was going on. As soon as we went outside, we noticed a shape in the distance.



It was-- Carillon Rose!



She stood in the middle of the street. For some reason, there weren't any cars around her, no one was honking, people kept their distance.



"Have no fear!" she called, pointing her hammer at Neo Metal. "Your end is near. The bell tolls--" She swung her hammer against her metallic dress.



Gong...



"-- for you, little Virus." She let out a surprisingly wicked laugh.



"Y...You...!" Neo Metal didn't have anything to say. Metal was just as interested as I was.



"Neo was right... Everything does make sense now." She gave herself a confident nod. "I better not disappoint him." She elegantly twirled in a circle, then giggled. The white parts of her dress lit up into a bright green, traveling all the way to her hammer. It began crackling with energy.



She swung her hammer against her dress--



Gonnnng...



A massive shockwave emanated from Carillon Rose and hit the entire area. Lights from every window turned off completely, the cars in the distance hummed into silence, stoplights went dark... Metal's eyes flickered.



"That shockwave emitted a very specific frequency," Metal muttered. "I... I could've been deactivated. I should have been."



"Why weren't you?"



"I'm... not sure. I'd look into it, but--"



"Guys!" Sonic appeared by us. Metal gently put me down. "We got your message. The entire city's power went out, too. What's--" He saw Neo Metal and Carillon Rose ahead of us. "Oh. Damn."



"Sonic, you need to get everyone evacuated. I think there's going to be a fight we can't stop," I explained. Sonic didn't need any additional convincing; he sped away, likely to go tell the others, then began searching through the area to help people get out safely.



"Oh, I have an audience!" Carillon Rose beamed, her head tilted at me and Metal. "I hope you like my style, Amy!" She began to glow with green like before. Neo Metal said nothing, and instead rocketed towards her.



She wasn't necessarily built with speed in mind like Neo Metal or Cavalier Sonic were, though she was quick in her own right. She jumped back, flew in the air, and swung at Neo Metal when he approached. He avoided the hammer and attempted to blast her, but she kept emitting a huge shield that fizzled out any other energy that went her way. She was like a tank!



Her dress plates twirled around her and shifted up to look like a tutu, fully revealing her long legs. She flew in the air as elegantly as she looked, and occasionally, she landed and traversed the ground like a ballerina. It was like she didn't even care what Neo Metal threw at her. He just couldn't touch her, and he did his best to keep her from hitting him with the glowing hammer.



The segments of her quills shifted upwards; they looked like when I didn't straighten them. Her eyes flashed green, and then she rocketed off at a much more rapid pace. The way she spun through the air made her look like a flower in the wind. I thought she looked awesome.



They battled and evaded each other-- Neo Metal's blasts hit various buildings. I could tell Carillon Rose tried to keep attention on her and in areas with less civilians as they got evacuated out. I wished I could help-- I would've told Metal to, but he would have refused... And Neo Metal did try to aim for me before, so the extra protection helped if I was gonna watch how this went down.



Carillon Rose gave another slightly unhinged laugh. "Are you surprised, little Virus? You thought you destroyed me and all of Little Planet when I went there, right? That you finally deactivated me and no one could help?"



"You are the virus!" Neo Metal snapped. "You do not belong! You are what's wrong!"



She laughed again. "I'd be angry too. Neo planned for this-- planned for you. You didn't double check your work... I had just enough power to hide myself in a time Little Planet existed. Eventually, I was discovered and fixed by siblings here-- Hooh!" She evaded a particularly aggressive flurry of attacks. "You're sensitive, too! Hah! They did a good job keeping me secret, and I'm sure Neo removed some of his data before you took over. The least I can do is make sure you meet your fate."



"I nearly destroyed you before, so I can do it again!" he yelled.



"You're missing your special toys that affect me. You also have no army to overwhelm me with, little Virus. There's no way to spread," she teased.



Neo Metal growled in frustration. The two continued a desperate dance, missing hammer swings and deflected energy blasts. Neo Metal kept himself from actively touching her... Interesting.



Neo Metal craned his head towards us. Uh oh.



"W-wait, Metal, he's gonna try something weird," I said. "She keeps talking to him like he's possessed."



Metal prepared a defensive stance. "I know... He is mistaken if he thinks I'll be under someone else's control again." Metal spoke with confidence, and for what it was worth, I believed in him. But...



Neo Metal sped over to us--



Gong!!



I didn't even see where Carillon Rose came from, but she got a direct hit on Neo Metal!



Another green shockwave came out from the impact-- Neo Metal crashed into a nearby building while something else launched out of him.



"You couldn't resist, huh?" Carillon Rose scoffed. "You got too greedy."



In the street was a... woman? She had long, white hair, pale skin, a white dress, and... Cyan looking particles all around her. Her entire form kept glitching out, dress flipping to black and cyan particles shifting to red. She didn't stay the same color for longer than a split second at a time. It was like she struggled to stay corporeal.



She lifted her head, visible eye full of the hatred I recognized before. Her eye kept shifting from blue to red, back to blue-- they stayed red as the glitch effects lessened. She looked like an adult version of--



"Sage," both Metal and I said at the same time. We were fighting Sage.



"Face me in your true form, little Virus," Carillon Rose said, pointing her hammer towards Sage.



The metal plates of her dress returned to its longer bell shape. The white parts of her body lit up green again as the energy all flowed to her hammer.



"You hid behind Neo for long enough. Try to fight me if you can, but it won't change the outcome." Her voice changed in tone: "I will hunt you down."



Carillon Rose's abilities spoke for themselves... Cavalier Sonic might have been tailored to deal with Neo Metal, while Carillon Rose, with her weird wiring and shockwaves... She was made to take down who could control everything else.



Sage returned to a completely red-black palette, still with pale skin and white hair. She stood up from the ground, staring intensely at Carillon Rose. They were still, one waiting for the other to make a move.



The hate in Sage's eyes was instead replaced by fear.