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A yellow eye stalks through the shadowy hallways of the death egg. The figure creeps around, aware it has taken all the necessary steps to cloak its sensors, yet knows it can never be too careful. This is no ordinary robot he is trying to sneak up on. It is E-117 Sigma. One of the smarter of the E-100 units and the reason the Scrapniks have all been given a second chance at life. Including him, Mecha, who is trying to prove to the leader of said Scrapniks that he can be stealthy, even if one of his feet is a sawblade.
He softens his footfalls as Sigma’s voice can be heard from the next hallway over. He seems to be talking to the egg robo helpers as they work on their project of sorts. He carefully peeks around the corner and sees them huddling over a part of the Egg Carrier. Sigma has his back turned to the hallway that Mecha peers out from. This is not the first time MK II has tried to sneak up on the E-100 unit, but hopefully this will be his first time successfully surprising him.
Mecha Sonic does a double check of his systems and sensors first, before advancing and dodging behind the various piles of scrap as they litter the hallway. Closer and closer he creeps to Sigma, until his last available hiding spot is just a few meters away from his position. Mecha steadies himself, before leaping out from behind the pile of scrap and launching himself out with his arms first, hoping to touch down directly behind Sigma’s back. Except, he does not make it that far.
At the beginning of his leap, Sigma quickly spins around and reaches his arm underneath the airborne Mecha Sonic, surprising the other Scrapnik by catching him by the boot. This halts Mecha’s maneuver in mid air causing his body to cascade to the floor until his metallic spines stop himself from hitting his head. His arms sprawl out to his sides, and he glances up to see a very amused Sigma peering over him and holding his leg up in the air.
“Why hello there!” Mecha’s eye fritzes in disappointment, frustrated that yet another one of his attempts to scare Sigma has failed. “Do not despair. You got farther than last time! Congratulations!” Sigma lets go of his foot and claps sincerely. He then helps Mecha off the floor and to his feet. “You should be proud of yourself! Not even my assistants saw you coming. I only knew you were there because of the noise of your leap! Perhaps if you work on deafening the beginning of your jumps, you might succeed next time!”
Mecha looks away, slightly disheartened, yet nods his head in understanding. “Thank you. I intend to practice before I try again.”
Sigma rests a hand on his shoulder, pulling his gaze back to the E-100 unit. “A wonderful idea. Practice does make perfect. But, sometimes, a teacher is needed. Perhaps,” Sigma’s tone suddenly changes. “You might find a little demonstration helpful in your future endeavors.” The positive encouragement that normally flows freely from his voice box is quickly replaced with something much more mischievous.
Mecha’s eye widens when the realization hits that his turn in this little game they have been playing is over. Sigma’s assistants have also noticed. Each one nervously fidgets with the article of clothing on their person while wordlessly sending their sympathetic regards to MK II. Sigma’s eyes shine with mirth at the reactions in the room, then quickly relents his playful threats for his normal sincere attitude.
“But of course, that will not be until later! Do not worry! I have lots of work to catch up on first! I am certain you can find other things to do in the meantime.” He turns back to the Egg Carrier part he is working on, leaving Mecha Sonic alone with his own rising anticipation and regret. “I suggest you do not - oh what do the organics call it - ‘psych’ yourself out.” Sigma finishes his thought before addressing his assistants about their plan for the next few hours.
It is much too late for Mecha to quell the rising anticipation in his processing unit. He had been so busy planning this most recent attempt to scare Sigma that he had forgotten that once he took his turn, Sigma had the opportunity to scare him back. Despite his size, Sigma could be very quiet. It is the nature of his build. Even with scrapnik parts, he still held up the E-100 unit reputation as an assassin. Silent, but deadly.
It did not help that almost every time Sigma attempts to scare MK II, he has succeeded. At first, Mecha thought it was a programming issue that made him so jumpy around the other robot, but after a while he determines that it is his reaction to his presence. The robot equivalent to stomach butterflies as Sigma once described the odd emotions he too felt for the other Scrapnik. Now if only Sigma’s own feelings made it easier to be scared of MK II, maybe they would stop trying to surprise each other. But Mecha brought this upon himself by starting their game first. With each turn he takes, Sigma is determined to continue playing until Mecha forfeits.
As the minutes turn into hours, the prospect of forfeiting does cross Mecha’s mind, but only for a moment. He has survived Sigma's turn before, thus he will survive it again. He just wishes he could calm the plethora of emotions flooding his core as he waits for the robot to pop out of thin air. He roams the halls of the Death Egg, eye shifting left and right as he looks for any sign of the E-100 unit.
An eerie melodic call echoes in the distance. “Ohhh Meeechaaa…” Tingles. Mecha did not know robots could experience shivers. Sigma announcing the beginning of his turn like this is unexpected. Before he realizes it, his feet begin to move on their own, away from the direction of the voice.
“Where are you going?” Despite the distance he covers, the voice is closer than before. Mecha glances behind him and uses every radar and sensor available to him in his processing unit, reaching out to the farthest parts of the island. No sign of Sigma anywhere.
“Is something the matter?” Sigma teases as if he knows MK II is looking for him. The voice shifts positions to his left, and Mecha corrects his trajectory accordingly. He passes multiple rooms and dozens of scrapniks, all scrambling to get out of his way as he comes barreling down the hallway.
“You are only prolonging the inevitable.” A playful, robotic chuckle follows the voice as it closes in on his position. Mecha soon runs into a large open room and his eye begins to fritz when he realizes he has no cover.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.” Mecha repeats to himself as he backs against a wall and watches all corners of the room intently.
“Oh yes.”
Mecha freezes in place, and the room goes quiet save for the intense whirring of Mecha’s radiator fans. A few moments go by and without warning a giant mechanical mass lands right next to Mecha, making the scrapnik jump out of his plating. “AACK!”
Just before he can sprint off again, two arms gather the metallic hedgehog close to the mechanical mass, effectively trapping him against its chassis. Mecha’s fritzed eye meets Sigma’s gaze and the E-100 unit chirps happily. “Boo!”
Mecha groans and knocks his head affectionately against Sigma’s plating, his exhaust fans slowly reducing their speed over time. “Where the hell did you come from?!”
“From the ceiling!” Sigma exclaims happily. “Then I jumped from the left corner! It was not easy though. You gave quite the good chase!” The E-100 unit holds him close and strokes his spines. “Was that too much? I was trying something new.”
“A little bit…” Mecha grumbles. “It worked way too well.”
“Your forgiveness is requested. I suppose this just means I will need a taste of my own medicine next time then, hm?” One of Sigma’s hands finds Mecha’s claw and cradles it apologetically.
“Indeed. You have shown me a lot today, but I intend to surpass you at your own game.” Mecha warns, eye flashing for a brief second in intimidation.
Sigma nods in approval. “Good! I look forward to your next attempt.”
Mecha’s claw opens and grasps the E-100 unit’s hand in an act of affection. “You will never see it coming.” The two robots share another moment of endearance before sauntering out of the room together, their hands still intertwined with each other.