Bzzz! Bzzz!



Metal cracked open his eyes. He yawned and stretched his arms, then popped his shoulders; one of them had a metallic 'clang!' that was always kinda hard to get used to.



Bzzz! Bzzz!



His phone wouldn't stop vibrating from the top of his dresser nearby. He rubbed his eyes as he reached for his phone.



Oh. His father was calling, though he grabbed his phone too late; it stopped ringing. He checked his notifications... his father called eight other times.



...



Metal's thumb hovered over the 'call' button. With a long sigh, he finally pressed it, then held the phone to his ear.



The other end up picked up incredibly fast. "What the HELL have you been doing, boy?!" screamed his father from the other end. Metal moved the phone away from his ear, grimacing. "Why is every damn news network and journalist calling me about you?!"



"I literally just woke up. I didn't do anything to tarnish your precious reputation," Metal said with a scowl. "In fact, I won my events in yesterday's track meet."



"Yeah, and what a win that was!" Dr. Robotnik snapped back sarcastically. "What's this about you taking drugs for performing better in sports?!"



Metal blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"



"I knew I should've given you a different education. Too many factors that can go wrong on a campus," Dr. Robotnik mumbled under his breath. He was quiet for a short moment. "Are you sure you haven't taken anything outside your usual medication?"



"Yes!" Metal yelled. "You think I want to take anything more than what you already force on me?! You already tested me the last time you were here! I have to take tests before I compete in sports! I wouldn't even have been able to compete if they saw anything."



Dr. Robotnik growled on the other end. "Your outburst aside, I don't think you're lying to me. Don't do anything reckless, Sonic. I have to do some damage control."



"I--"



His father hung up.



Metal scowled and stared at his phone... He glanced over to his laptop at his desk, then crawled out of bed to sit in front of it. He turned his computer on and searched his name...



... There were new articles, all of them hours old. 'Dr. Robotnik's son suspected of taking performance enhancements to win competition', 'Son of the proclaimed 'smartest man in the world' cheats to win in competitive sports', 'Greed rampant at Emerald University as rich students bypass drug tests'...



Metal didn't know what to think. He forgot to breathe for a moment. What was all this? Who... Who would...



He had some email notifications. He checked in hopes anything could be cleared up. Instead...





Metal leaned back in his chair, eyes wide in shock. He didn't know what was happening. His father didn't make him take any new medications, and what he already had was approved by the board and wouldn't have tipped off any tests, anyway!



He stood up from his seat and marched back over to his dresser. Several prescription bottles were set on top, all medicines he had to take every day or every other day just so he could function normally. When his father showed him off at interviews and science expos, he always left out all the upkeep Metal had to do himself. Medicine for his heart, medicine for his flimsy immune system, medicine to counteract the side effects from other medicine... It was so annoying, but skipping them meant he would fall ill and even die if he had another attack. He hated that he had to rely on anything at all. Even worse, the prescriptions were made from the Robotnik's medicinal branch to begin with. His life was always in his father's hands.



He went ahead and took his required medicine while it was on the mind. He didn't even know what to think about everything going on; the shock prevented him from actually freaking out, probably. He grabbed his phone again, stared at the time... He clicked his tongue in frustration.



Metal rushed to get dressed, brushed his quills back, then headed out the door. He went towards his coach's office located in one of the main faculty buildings. The building itself was large, floors patterned with clean tile and walls full of photos and displays of the university's various accolades. Most prominent was an elegant spiral staircase up to the other floors. He didn't care who else was around him, what the actual office hours were-- he went up the stairs and went down one of the many hallways with doors to different faculty offices.



His coach's door was open and he was right there at his desk-- Metal stomped inside. As soon as their eyes met, the coach made a slow, dejected sigh.



"You know those articles are bullshit," Metal sneered. "You know more than anyone else."



"It's-- alright, look. Let's take a breather, just sit down and--"



"No! Why am I getting kicked off the track team?!" Metal yelled. "I get tested constantly! The board was already paranoid enough from my mechanical parts, and then I get kicked off for something I never did?! Is it because I finally won something?"



The coach sighed again. "It's true your tests were clear," he started, "and your improvement has been phenomenal. But..."



Metal's brow twitched. There was a but to this?



"Your improvement is also a little... too consistent. Don't get me wrong, I don't support these... these articles, or anything like that. I don't know how that info even spread. But it's hard to definitively say your parts don't have a role. With the evidence presented, I can't say I disagree with the--"



"I improved because I worked my ass off!" Metal screamed. "You think having titanium ingots in my body helps me?! It's why I sound like a fucking-- like a fish out of water after every run! I won because I constantly worked against my flaws! Because I left no room for error! Because I am better!"



Metal trembled and already struggled with his breathing. Calm down. He needed to settle and prevent himself from getting an attack. He took a slower, deeper breath.



The coach at least seemed to understand the outburst, not that it helped anything. "I get a lot's going on, so I ain't taking anything in a bad way, but you have to keep your voice down."



Metal clenched his teeth, glaring at the coach for a while. "... Are you going to do anything about this?"



"My hands are tied, Metal. If it was only up to me, I'd give you a chance, but it's not. I'm sorry."



"Keep your useless pity," Metal growled. He turned and walked out, fists tightly clenched.



... It was real. He really was off the track team and right after he placed the best out of everyone else in the last track meet. Was him winning that impossible for others to comprehend? Who would even try to ruin him?



Maybe it wasn't even about him. Everything in Metal's life always went back to one thing: his father. Money talked louder than the screams of the people paved over by Dr. Robotnik's projects. His touch was in everything in the modern world, from cities to towns to villages to the middle of nature. Buildings, factories, research labs, data centers, theme parks, vehicles, medicine, merchandise. Robotnik, Robotnik, Robotnik. Couldn't ever escape.



His controversies were frequent for anyone who bothered to listen even though it didn't ever make any long-term impact. The only life getting ruined from the latest fiasco was Metal's. Did it matter to anyone? Of course not. Being on a campus full of bright, inquisitive minds meant many understood that a future ruled by Dr. Robotnik was a future that would kill the planet. Sonic Robotnik was viewed as a supporter to the cause and one who purely benefited from others' suffering. The truth of the matter-- Metal loathing his father's control just as much-- had been lost on the students.



So it had to be one of them. There had to be some students who had it out for him, who wanted to see Dr. Robotnik's eldest lose especially after he dethroned Sonic, their precious Superstar.



He had too much energy to contain after he left the faculty building. As soon as he was alone, he ran. For a brief moment, he turned off his thoughts except for a simple phrase he kept repeating: get to the horizon.



He kept going even when his body told him to stop. He clenched his teeth. The thoughts came back. Did running really matter? Would he ever actually get to go anywhere?



No, he was chained to the ground. He couldn't even pretend he was free anymore.



He stopped in the middle of an obscure path at the edge of campus and collapsed, wheezing to catch his breath. He fought back tears. Panic started to set in--



No. No. Calm down. He couldn't get an attack. He had to stop thinking about it. He'd... be okay. Maybe. He just had to figure out what to do next.



He took a long moment to catch his breath, then lay back in the grass and stared at the sky. Beautiful morning. A lot of birds were out, chattering as they went about their day. Their silhouettes passed over him, briefly blocking the sunlight.



...



He dug into his coat pocket and took out the note about the party Sonic would host later that evening.



He scowled.





Any excuse to have a bunch of food was good enough for Sonic! He eagerly set down a bunch of pizza boxes and nodded to himself in approval as all his friends showed up to chat and bond over what they missed from their winter break. Amy showed up early to help get the common area set up for visitors, then eventually, his friends trickled in and said their hellos.



Quite a few of the people he was closer to was in the same dorm building as him. Of them, he was the closest with his long-time friend Knuckles; not only were they roomed next to each other, but they knew each other in high school, too! There was Shadow, who was a little harder to get to know-- but of course, Sonic won him over with charm over time. Shadow's dorm mate Omega joined them as well; he was a huge, burly human... Super intimidating, but he was hilarious. Amy said he wasn't joking whenever he passed threats around, but nah, no guy could be that effortlessly funny.



Amy also brought her friend Big along, too; the more the merrier, Sonic always said! He already loved Big's energy, thought he was a great guy. Oh, and Sonic could never forget his friends Espio and Tangle! Espio was in his junior year-- a year ahead of Sonic-- while Tangle was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshman... fresh-lemur? Ah, well. What Sonic didn't know until recently was that Amy and Espio were high school friends before they became step-siblings. The way they bickered with each other surely confirmed their relationship!



Sonic checked up on his guests and encouraged everyone to get something to eat and drink. There were a few other people who showed up that he invited from his classes: all good people, all relaxed and contributing to the good vibe.



Honestly, more people turned up than he expected. The common area was a teensy bit crowded, but hey, everyone was having a good time and the night was young. Amy was off somewhere to grab some more food since they ran out so quickly, while a few other guests came and went. When Sonic took a break from yapping with others, he reclined on an armchair and glanced towards the doorway outside.



His eyes widened. Right as he looked, Metal was there, hand tightly gripped around the door frame.



"Yo!" beamed Sonic, quickly making his way over. "I'm actually kinda surprised you showed! But it's a good surprise," he said with a grin.



... Uh, or maybe not. Metal gave him an infuriated glare, one he never even saw on the track.



"... Everything good, buddy?" Sonic asked, raising a brow.



"It was you, wasn't it?" Metal asked.



Sonic glanced away, then glanced back. "Uh... For what?"



"Don't play dumb with me," he hissed, stepping forward. Sonic took a few steps back as Metal nearly touched his chest with his own. "You actually can't handle someone besting you. You nearly had me convinced for a bit," Metal growled.



Sonic blinked. "I-- what? Are you talking about the track meet? Dude, I was happy you won."



"How kind of you to let me have a few minutes of glory before ripping it all away from me. You are disgusting."



"Hey, whoa, whoa. Let's settle down. Seriously, Metal, I don't know what you're--"



"You will not tell me what to do!" Metal snapped. "I see through your hollow disguise, Hedgehog. You got me kicked off the team!"



"What?"



Knuckles stepped in before Sonic could really process anything. "Hey, is this guy bothering you?" he asked with a huff, passing a glare at Metal.



"Get lost, Bodyguard," Metal hissed.



"W-wait! Cut it out!" Sonic crossed his arms. He let out a slower sigh. "Look, let's not--"



"Hey, what's your problem?!" Tangle walked up afterwards. "You got some beef with us or somethin'?"



Metal's face twitched. "Was that the reason you invited me here? You needed others to back up your own cowardice? Here's some news for you: your pathetic friends don't intimidate me!"



Sonic nervously grabbed the side of his head. "Look, man--"



"What's pathetic is you coming in here and trying to start somethin' with our friend!" Tangle snapped. As she yelled, a few others perked up to the commotion. Metal realized how many of them were actually there.



Of course. This was Sonic the Superstar, after all.



It didn't matter. Metal went farther without anyone else. He didn't need others to push himself beyond his limits and achieve new strength. It would happen again, and again after that. Metal clenched his fists as he glared at Sonic.



"Let me toss him out," growled Omega.



"No-- Alright, Metal, you should get out of here. We'll talk about this later," Sonic sighed. "Probably best you don't stay for the party."



...



"Didn't you hear him? Get lost," sneered Shadow, approaching from the crowd..



Metal was incredibly angry. He wanted to show them what starting something actually meant. He'd let them all watch.



Metal threw his fist forward and decked Sonic right in the face, causing him to twist around. The crowd livened with gasps-- Knuckles immediately lunged at him and swung back.



Metal ducked Knuckles's swing and punched him hard in the stomach. Knuckles keeled over, the wind knocked out of him. Two others went for Metal next-- he blocked Shadow's hit, only to get caught by Tangle's tail. He growled and swung himself free, then threw Tangle against the nearest wall.



Sonic tackled Metal down, completely knocking over the nearby table and all the food and drinks that were on it. "What the hell are you doing?!" Sonic shouted, his voice as baffled as it was angry.



Metal swung at him again. Sonic blocked his hit this time, but Metal was relentless. He kept swinging and with a lot of force, gaining the upper-hand. He grasped on tightly to Sonic's neck--



Knuckles roughly knocked Metal back, staggering him enough to take a direct hit from Omega. He fell completely down, his breaths shaky. He started to wheeze, then took a deep breath to stop himself. He clenched his fists tightly-- just as quickly, he swept his feet under Omega and knocked him down. He bounded up-- he spat some blood onto the floor and braced himself for anyone trying to force him back down.



Sonic knew there was no stopping him, regardless of his odds. The best route was to tire him out and then finally throw him out. Sonic and his friends went for Metal all at once-- Metal kept blocking and dodging, punching-- Shadow got bitten on the arm, forcing him to suck in a painful breath.



Where did he get this energy? Sonic ran on adrenaline alone and he wasn't even fighting a bunch of people at once. Metal knocked them away by furling himself into a ball and gained some distance. Right as he unfurled, he clutched his chest. He coughed, sucked in a wheeze-- he ran out.



... He was gone. It was over, just like that. If anyone was honest, they'd say it sure didn't feel like any sort of victory.



Big watched all of them, bewildered. He slowly scratched his head. "... Is, uh... Everyone okay?"



"He bit me!" Shadow yelled, airing out his wounded arm.



Omega lightly touched Shadow's arm. "Check yourself for disease."



Amy rushed in from the other side of the building, panicked while holding some grocery bags of food. "I heard a lot of commotion! Was anyone too hurt?!"



Everyone groaned out to say they were alright.



"I'm good, but... I don't know," Sonic sighed. "He thought I did something, but I-- Agh, I really don't know. It's... It's over and he's out of here. Let's just clean up." Sonic dusted off his clothes and lifted the nearby table upright again. "Help me out, guys."



"Sorry, I might've gotten carried away," Tangle muttered afterwards. She helped Sonic lift some furniture. Amy frowned as she saw the damage of the room... They probably wouldn't be able to have any other parties anytime soon. Amy put the bags down on the nearest clean surface, then glanced out the open doorway.



... A lone silhouette was out there in the middle of the grass, far away from everyone, but... moving a bit strangely.



She glanced at her friends, then back to the silhouette.



It was over. It was over.



Somewhere along the fight, Metal realized he hit a point of no return. This was his fate. They could do whatever they wanted with him because he would always be the enemy as Dr. Robotnik's son. He was never in control, no matter what, no matter who was around. Even Sonic, the one he bested, the one he was better than--



He tried to breathe, desperately inhaling and hoping it'd be enough. He felt like he was going to explode. Getting punched and knocked around didn't bother him. He wished they hit him harder. It would've been better to be knocked out cold and concussed than-- than this.



Not enough air. Not enough.



He was actually dying. This was it. He hyperventilated; he knew he was, but he couldn't stop. Tears streamed down his face and blurred his vision, made everything worse. He curled over, his knees against the grass and his head turned towards his stomach. He tightly grabbed his chest, trembling, wanting it to stop. It wasn't going to. This was it.



"Hey, are you okay?"



He heard Amy's voice. He didn't see her during the actual scuffle. Of course she had to get some sort of last hit. The thought didn't linger in his head long enough. Run. He wanted to get out of there, but his legs... His breath. He tried to breathe. Still not enough air.



"I-is there anything I can do to help?"



Her voice sounded closer then. Why was she still there? He let out a pained moan and used his other hand to feel the grass. He tried to focus on how the grass felt between his fingers. Cold, wet from frost. "G-guh..." Go away. He tried to say it. He sucked in a deep, agonizing breath. "G--..." He cried instead. Please go away. Nothing else could come out.



He heard the slight rustle of grass, then saw her knees in front of him. She was visible from the streetlight nearby, everything else in his sight cast in her shadow. He traced the contour of her shadow with his stare. He paid attention to the tears dripping off his nose.



After a few minutes, he stopped wheezing. He took in deep breaths and focused on the air filling his lungs, then back out. In, out. In, out. His chest still hurt, but what was life-ending instead became more of a bothersome pounding.



She was still there. He didn't want to look anywhere near her eyes. Even after his breaths calmed down, he continued to stare at the grass.



He let out a long, slow sigh. He continued to tremble, but at least he was somewhat functioning. He wiped his face.



Her hand appeared where he was focusing, a handkerchief draped over her palm. It was white with pink embroidery and covered in small, pink hearts. He took it and wiped his face again.



"Just keep it," she said, then shifted herself up. He couldn't see her legs anymore, while her shadow changed shape. Eventually, she was gone.



When he was finally able to stand, he went the opposite direction. He wasn't going to look back.