Chapter Text
Sun was starting to break over the horizon at last. Early morning birds were chirping as the sky began to light with a pale blue hue, with hints of pink and orange. The stars began to twinkle out of view. Faint shadows casted off the rocks, giving a bit of life to the dusty cliffside.
A pink hedgehog stood to her feet, stretching every limb in turn. Keeping watch was…not something she very much enjoyed. Sitting patient? Bleh. She’d much rather be in the action, tackling her enemies head on. But unfortunately, this particular task required a much more delicate approach. Something she was certainly capable of, sure. Just not enjoyable.
“I almost thought morning would never arrive,” she mumbled to herself, smoothing out her quills with her fingertips. She had arrived at this location late in the night, hearing reports of suspicious sightings here in the early hours. Badniks? She couldn’t be sure but it was a possibility. And any possibility of danger is worth investigating - and crushing.
She gently kicked each foot in turn by the toe to knock off pebbles and dirt stuck on the bottom, and picked up her hammer before hunkering down again behind the rock she had stayed by all night. Down at the bottom of the cliffs was an old dirt trail that looked as if it had been seldom used in the last…well, who knew how long, really. Off beyond the distance, the dirt trail led to an abandoned base, formerly full of food and supplies for soldiers fighting for the resistance against the Eggman Empire. Some months ago it had been raided by Badniks and abandoned. Casualties were numerous.
So what could anyone possibly be here looking for?
The hedgehog girl sighed to herself, shaking her head. She was beginning to wonder if her contact was incorrect after all. “This is why I work alone,” she muttered, tapping her fingers along the handle of her hammer rhythmically. The contact who gave her the intel was a part of the resistance; apparently they patrolled the area occasionally for safety reasons, and spotted suspicious movement - but when they approached, found nothing.
“Probably just a cat or someth-”
A flash of blue caught her attention from the corner of her vision. She blinked, trying to focus on what she might have seen, but it seemed to be gone. Then it came back again, this time further off, darting between some of the buildings in the abandoned base. When the moving stopped, she assumed it had gone inside a building or tent.
With a smirk of excitement, she began to hop down the rocky slope along the cliffside, using her hammer to boost herself farther away once reaching the bottom. Then with a burst of speed she dashed towards the base, dust swirling around her as she ran.
As she closed in on her destination she began to slow down to avoid attracting attention, pulling up her blue hood. She approached the side of the closest tent, dark blue. Slowly she peeked around the corner, taking in the camp, which she hadn’t seen up close before. There were a few small buildings, simple shacks put together with wood and meddle, and multiple dark blue and green tents scattered throughout. Many had rips, some were knocked down entirely. Her eyes darted across the clearing, trying to catch sight of the intruder. Who knows if it’s even a person? Could be some sort of monster for all we know. Or robot…
She didn’t see anyone, but the sound of rustling came from across the encampment, catching her attention. Over in that direction lay two tents and an old warehouse building. I think I’ll take my chances there.
Slowly, she wove her way along the edges of the camp, sticking to the sides of the tents or buildings and quickly darting to the next one each time, until eventually reaching the warehouse. It was dark gray with patches of rust along the corners and edges; the window on one side was busted, bits of glass still stuck in the frame, and the door was partially open. The metal chain that was meant to keep the doors shut together was rusted as well, and looked destroyed. There were no footprints in sight, which made the hedgehog feel even more anxious. Someone’s really good at covering their tracks, literally.
Keeping one hand on her hammer’s handle, she entered the building, ears alert and keeping as low as possible while treading. Several shelves were knocked over, boxes and their contents scattered in disarray. From what she had learned from her contact, this warehouse had a storm cellar that still remained locked, supposedly. Not that it mattered, she was told, since there was nothing of value in there. Or so she said.
Lost in thought entirely, she found herself flung against the ground, having been caught entirely off guard. Quickly she recovered her footing, holding her hammer ready to swing. Her shoulders and back stung; something was very likely bruised from the impact. Footsteps came from behind her - a mechanical sound that she knew all too well. Badnik. Without turning around to look, she swirled with the hammer, an almost dance-like motion. She collided with her target and heard a crash across the room. Before she could get a look, the Badnik disappeared again in a flash of blue, making the hedgehog girl dizzy trying to track its movements. She hadn’t seen a Badnik move this quickly in a long time, which terrified her more than she liked to admit. Not to mention just how powerful it is!
Again the enemy darted towards her, and though she attempted to dodge, her attempt was futile and she was thrown backwards again, hitting one of the supply shelves. She gasped for breath, winded from the impact. The back of her head and her shoulder blades stung with pain, and she could feel something wet, but couldn’t tell if it was sweat or blood. It’s too fast - I can’t even see it coming! Despite her fears, she pulled herself up again, coughing. Her hands were trembling, from shock or fear she couldn’t tell. Her head ached massively and she faintly wondered if she might have a concussion. Trying to remain strong, she held her hammer firmly, preparing to hit her target as it approached. A flash of blue approached. She swung, but it must have predicted her move, countering with its own strike. Her hammer went flying out of her hands, and before she could even react, she was pinned to the ground.
She struggled under the Badnik’s weight, her vision hazy and blurry from the headache - most definitely a concussion, she was sure now. Its grip was too strong, though, and it was too heavy for her to throw off. Trembling, she stopped struggling, finding herself losing strength and energy rapidly. At last she got a good look at her foe. It was a deep, bold blue metal, with glaring red eyes and claw-like fingers. Strangely, it was rather similar in physique to herself, from the hands to the torso, to even the fake ears atop its head. Stomach sinking in horror, she realized she recognized this monster - the very same one she had thought of earlier. No creation of Eggman’s was as fast nor as powerful as him, and she had thought he was gone for good…but apparently it wasn’t so. This was the very same creature who had kidnapped her, leading to her hero rescuing her and causing the tragedy that followed, resulting in the battle against Dr. Eggman that ended with the hero’s demise.
Metal Sonic.
Her vision blurred again until everything blacked out.