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An enclosed steel fist flings itself towards a blur of blue with utmost force, intent on crushing the moving object and rendering it forever inert. Sidestepping the blow, the target in question narrowly dodges attempted blow after blow as it gives ground and moves backward to a precarious ledge. Attempting to trade blows with its counterpart the tactically managed fallback of Sonic the Hedgehog is at its last hold. With a further leap back and only a ledge to stand on, the Hero of Mobius quips at his metal evil twin, "So, are you gonna hit me or do ya plan on punchin' the air all day?"

His sarcasm has no effect on the metal construct made in his image, Metal Sonic. It also belies Sonic's own concern in how he'll be able to keep himself alive. This new and improved version of Metal has landed quite a few blows upon Sonic, and Sonic…well…he hasn't had any luck doing more than scratching the paint off of his evil twin.

Reaching for his "ace in the hole" power ring Sonic activates it behind his back as his nemesis charges forward this time, with its cold steel talons thrust forward in the attempt to eviscerate its foe.

Surrounded by glowing ring energy, Sonic blasts around Metal before the droid's processors are capable of running its logic sequencers to deduce what has just occurred before it is suddenly slammed off the edge of the building with such force that its very armor buckles and it tumbles down to the earth. Smashing into a myriad of pieces on the sludge-streaked streets of Robotropolis…

…At least that was how Sonic had envisioned the fight going. Instead, our hero was currently resting on a tree branch a couple of feet above the floor of the woods. He was reminiscing as he was still recovering from his near-death experience courtesy of Robotnik's pet, Metal. The wounds had mostly healed, he'd have some scars from this experience to remind him to not be quite-so-confident. That was really an overstatement really, his ego had been cracked, as had several of his ribs a few weeks ago. The injuries sustained in the fight when he had been hit and flung down the rooftop were healed, but mentally and emotionally, the guy who thought he could never lose a fight had almost been proven dead wrong.

If it hadn't been for Sally's hacking of the security system via her handheld supercomputer, Nichole, Metal would have finished Sonic off where he had lain motionless on the ground from having fallen several stories below. It would have taken less time for it to occur than for the construct to get to the ground. The alarm that Sally had Nichole set off reassigned Metal to defend the Main Command Center as its utmost priority, even over the "Priority One, Hedgehog".

When Sonic had awakened from his unintended slumber his friends had warmly greeted him. They were joyous that their hero, their "Number One Hedgehog" was fine, aside from being out of commission for a few weeks.

But Sonic, well, Sonic couldn't even look them directly in the eye. He'd spent most of his recovery time dwelling on his own thoughts and getting very little sleep. His slumber was constantly being interrupted by visions of those glowing crimson eyes and that deathly metallic pallor sheen.

Lately, Sonic had taken to hiding out on the outskirts of the village as soon as he could move around on his own again without assistance. In the Great Forest he could avoid the stares of others, their whispered tones, and the awkward conversations that would suddenly be hushed whenever he passed by the others. Sonic loss had a stigma of shame and his defeat seemed to be an ominous indication that this loss signaled the inevitable conquest of Dr. Robotnik over all of Mobius.

If Robotnik had finally been able to create a mechanical being capable of vanquishing the most powerful asset of The Freedom Fighters, what were they to do but accept the inescapable fate that loomed before them? Sally, had been rallying the others as best she could, but people could tell that the Blue Blur didn't look like he had it in him anymore. She didn't even look at him the same way anymore either, when she did, there was a strained look in her eyes. That hurt worse than the blow Metal had delivered to Sonic's chest and sent him off the roof.

Tails had lost a bit of his cheerful demeanor now that his "Big Bro" was no longer the invincible superhero that the little guy had envisioned Sonic to be. The two-tailed fox had spent the most time with him out of all the visitors and had displayed the least aversion to him, but the innate kindness of the kit could only lighten Sonic's heavy heart so much.

Swinging his legs back and forth over the tree branch that Sonic rested upon, much as he did in the Grand Park when he had been a small tyke before Robotnik's coup. Back when his Uncle Chuck had pushed him on the swing and taught his nephew how to get higher off the ground.

Remembering such things made it hurt all the more, even physically. Sighing aloud in a mixture of pain and self-pity, Sonic attempted to exhale his own demons. It didn't do much for the hedgehog. Not much did these days…

End Part 1 of 2