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simplegenius042 · 4 days ago

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Music Monday & Pick A Prompt

Tagged by @josephseedismyfather

Tagging @inafieldofdaisies @noodlecupcakes @imogenkol @direwombat @voidika @raresvtm @socially-awkward-skeleton @adelaidedrubman @josephslittledeputy @cassietrn @g0dspeeed @aceghosts @cloudofbutterflies92 @derelictheretic @icecutioner @shallow-gravy @strangefable @statichvm @carlosoliveiraa @wrathfulrook @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @alypink @shellibisshe @skoll-sun-eater @afarcryfrommymain @strafethesesinners @turbo-virgins @florbelles @minilev @justasmolbard @yokobai and @chazz-anova + anyone else who'd like to join.

Music for The Silver Chronicles, Life, Despair & Monsters and a song for An Old Ballad of Chance and Ember Hearts Original Trilogy which also reveals the potential titles of the three Original Works. Also a tag meme regarding personal preferences in regards to prompts. You can listen below the cut:

When it comes to romantic pairings in both my Elden Ring WIPs Weave The Threads of Blood and By The Gold of Grace (from my The Silver Chronicles series), the two main focuses are Chiwa & Selke and Logan & Melina, respectively. However, in Weave The Threads of Blood, there is another relationship that does get a good amount of focus as well. That being the relationship between my Hero Tarnished Nylah, Hero of Lyndell, and our favorite scheming demigoddess, Lunar Princess Ranni. Nylah and Ranni first meet at the Church of Elleh where Ranni delivers Chiwa some spirits to aid Melina's accord partner. At first they're on differing ideals; Nylah believes Queen Marika and the Golden Order are fundamentally good, while Ranni despises the Golden Order and the Two Finger's influence, trying to leave the Lands Between for free will. It isn't until after Nylah starts traveling with Chiwa and her companions (which include Boc, Torrent, Melina and Godrick, with more to come) that Nylah starts seeing the cracks in her rose-tinted glasses, especially after getting entangled with Rogier's quest in finding out the culprit behind Godwyn's assassination (and therefore the start of the Shattering) and encountering Margit in a very infected Lyndell where he reveals the truth to the former hero of the city. Nylah soon enough abandons her quest to be Elden Lord and starts aiding Ranni along with Selke, and by extension Chiwa. Ranni and Nylah get closer as time goes on, leading Nylah to fall for the Lunar Princess, and subsequently Ranni can't keep the woman who'd literally fight a star and the vessel of death itself to achieve her goals out of her mind, especially when Nylah makes it abundantly clear she will journey with Ranni on the princess's self-imposed fate of solitude, darkness and fear in the stars.

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"Think I can fly Think I can fly when I'm with you My arms are wide Catching fire as the wind blows I know that I'm rich enough for pride I see a billion dollars in your eyes Even if we're strangers till we die

I wanna run away I wanna run away Anywhere out this place I wanna run away Just you and I, I, I, I, I You and I, I, I, I, I You and I, I, I, I, I You and I, I, I, I, I Just you and I

You and I, I, I, I, I You and I, I, I, I, I You and I, I, I, I, I You and I, I, I, I, I

I wanna run Chase the moon and sun when I'm with you Give it all away Catching fire as the wind blows I know that I'm rich enough for pride I see a billion dollars in your eyes Even if we're strangers till we die!

I wanna run away I wanna run away Anywhere out this place I wanna run away Just you and I, I, I, I, I You and I, I, I, I, I You and I, I, I, I, I You and I, I, I, I, I Just you and I!"

Next up is a little about my Poppy Playtime WIP (which has a little crossover mix with Wednesday and DDLC due to Wenclair and Natsuri making a presence), Enter The Toybox! from my Life, Despair & Monsters series. Angel Wright, former employee of Playtime Co., returns to the company factory a decade after their co-workers went missing, lured in by the possibility those they worked with could still be alive. Only to discover the toys are more alive than they appeared to be. While trying to save the children from the likes of Harley Sawyer, the Prototype and one vile Frederick Rosemary (who had been digging a tunnel to connect his own shut down factory with Playtime Co.'s), Angel Wright must also confront the missing patches of horrific memories that shadow them.

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"So I walked into the haze And a million dirty waves Now I see you lying there Like a lilo losing air, air Black rocks and shoreline sands Still, that summer I cannot bare And I wipe the sand from my eyes The Spanish Sahara, the place that you'd wanna Leave the horror here

Forget the horror here Forget the horror here Leave it all down here It's future rust and it's future dust Forget the horror here Forget the horror here Leave it all down here It's future rust and it's future dust

Now the waves, they drag you down Carry you to broken ground Now I find you in the sand Wipe you clean with dirty hands So goddamn this boiling space The Spanish Sahara, the place that you'd wanna Leave the horror here

Forget the horror here Forget the horror here Leave it all down here It's future rust and it's future dust

I'm the fury in your head I'm the fury in your bed I'm the ghost in the back of your head 'Cause I am I'm the fury in your head I'm the fury in your bed I'm the ghost in the back of your head 'Cause I am I'm the fury in your head I'm the fury in your bed I'm the ghost in the back of your head 'Cause I am!"

Lastly a song for my original WIP trilogy, An Old Ballad of Chance and Ember Hearts, which is a trilogy exploring the love, life, deaths and afterlife of Jade Smith and Jasmine Rafiq after the events of Wings And Horns, turning out to be the first pair of humans to ever travel the Omniscience's multiverse. Also revealing the names and some plot of the three original works of this trilogy: the first WIP may be titled A Ballad of Nebulae and the Cosmos, where Jade and Jasmine, while trying to redefine their romance without the pressures of the Soulmate System in place, discover breaches from their world to many other variants, though are harassed by a trio of fifth-generation Kin for their troubles; that being Noir, Nova and Noa, Kin with a direct connection with stars and the cosmos and everything related to space. Second WIP is potentially called The Chance To Dance With Death (though I am very much reconsidering this), where Jade and Jasmine's travels lead them with meeting one of the surviving house's of the Old God's, the House of Thanatos, although Jade and Jasmine also encounter Rouske, whose goals are far from benevolent. And finally To Shadow After An Ember Heart where Jade makes it to the Afterlife, and with the guidance of Tyche, the God of Chance, looks for Jasmine so they can finally reincarnate together, though the recently revived Mad Kin of Carnage, Discord, seeks to destroy the Wheel of Reincarnation.

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"The clouds are sculptures made of water The water washed away the pain Somehow the colors fade to nothing

When eyes are wide They try to hide all the gravel in the ocean

Wander with the butterflies Walk out in the daylight Water the eyes Holding on to hurricanes Wonder at the night sky Run out of the daylight Water the ice Holding on to hurricanes

The mountain moves a little further The river washed away the rain Somehow the flowers fall in daisy chains

Door to door Forget me not All the petals in the ocean

(Wander with the butterflies Walk out in the daylight Water the eyes Holding on to hurricanes!)

Wonder at the night sky Run out of the daylight Water the ice Holding on to hurricanes Holding on to hurricanes Holding on to hurricanes

Holding on to hurricanes!"

And lastly a prompt meme where I highlight my personal preferences, that the lovely @josephseedismyfather tagged me in:

Probably not supposed to do this but I don't see any rules that say I can't so... Also note some of the reasoning here isn't supposed to be taken too seriously because you are sure to find me implementing a few of the tropes I dislike into my fics and WIPs.

Nothing wrong with coffee shop settings, but I have more experience with writing characters in a flower shop setting. Same with AUs, I love (most) AUs, but given the choice, I want to feel joy, so fix-it is my go-to choice. Enemies to Lovers is pretty self-explanatory, two people that hate each others guts (with a little slice of attempted murder on both parties parts) is gonna have me more intrigued than childhood friendships, even if I do enjoy the latter. As much as I do love traumatizing characters myself and the flavorsome drama that comes with angst, much for the same reason for choosing fix-it's, I will choose fluff. Love at First Sight is a scam, give me some slow burn pining so I can join the side characters in yelling and groaning in unison at the main couple's shenanigans. Modern AUs are interesting on paper, but I am yet to find more that gets me hooked... Historical AUs are really wild and I learn a thing or two as well. I can't deal with make up and break up, I've seen and read too many mediums that just break my trust in the trope, so it's gonna be proposal and wedding for me because you can get creative with that (my favorite proposal and wedding is Ranni's from Elden Ring; you have to fight a literal star to get her a murder weapon that she uses on one of god's emissaries for her hand in marriage, in which you can get a cool sword). Don't mind established relationship, but lean towards getting together. I absolutely am devastated by Unrequited Love... but I'd choose that over Soulmate AUs any other day, thank you very much. As funny as Fake Dating is, Secret Dating is funnier in my opinion. I'm a sucker for domestic fluff, sorry obvious pining. Hurt/Comfort is an art I am a practitioner of but Crack is going to make me laugh, especially when it's Crack taken seriously. Love meet the parents, but I'm going to give Meet Cute a win here.

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tenebraevesper · 2 years ago

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Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 35: Speeding Through Stardust

''One foot after the other, we will find our way through. One day after another, come on and let it rip!''

– So Much More… by Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

xXxXxXx

''Hmmm…'' Amy hummed absent-mindendly as she and Minami were walking through Sentoraru, both of them searching for an Anime-themed or Mascot-themed café. She had actually asked Sonic whether he'd like to join them, but he explained that he had plans of his own with Lucas. ''Which one do you plan on visiting? You said there are several of them.''

''Well, I wanted to see the Moko Moko-chan Café, which is based all around a cute mascot lizard,'' Minami told her. Amy placed her finger on her cheek, tilting her head as she thought about it.

''Do video game characters get their own cafés? Because I would like to see a Sonic the Hedgehog Café,'' Amy told her, smiling dreamily as she cupped her cheeks with her hands. ''Imagine having a drink or a dessert based on my character.''

''I imagine you might get a strawberry shortcake-based sweet,'' Minami responded. ''Maybe some cute cookies as well.''

''That would be great,'' Amy responded, only to suddenly stop, feeling the wind picking up. She looked around, surprised to see her surroundings flicker and change into an unfamiliar area. Minami gasped as she and Amy took a good look at their new surroundings, finding themselves on a golden highway adorned with instruments and Time Warp signs. There were even more highways around them, some connecting to the modern cityscape below them, its lights illuminating the light sky. Some of the buildings were under construction, dotted with various factories, as well as an Eggman-themed statue in the distance.

''Woah, where are we?'' Amy asked in awe. Her ears twitched as she heard Minami hum in thought, glancing at her partner, only to notice her with her arms crossed as she tried to figure things out. She then opened her eyes, snapping her fingers.

''Of course, this is Stardust Speedway!'' she said excitedly. ''It's a Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog CD, or just Sonic CD, and it is set on Little Planet.''

''Unfortunately, this doesn't ring a bell,'' Amy responded in a deadpan tone.

''It's one of the older video games. As a matter of fact, it is where your character makes a debut,'' Minami explained.

''Really? That's interesting,'' Amy replied, being quite intrigued. Minami nodded, only to narrow her eyes.

''That makes me wonder, though… How did we end up in a location from a video game?'' she asked.

''I suppose we just got trapped inside an AR Field and now we need to find an exit,'' Amy replied, only to narrow her eyes, her expression now matching Minami's. ''Although, why would we end up in an AR Field? Someone had to put us here intentionally.''

''Exactly, so it was probably either Dr. Eggman or Dr. Starline… or both,'' Minami replied. Amy gazed at the Eggman-themed statue in the distance. It looked different from the Eggman she knew, as this statue of Eggman had a longer moustache, no goggles or his signature red jacket.

''Something tells me that Dr. Eggman is totally in on it,'' she said. ''So, what do we do? Any ideas?''

''Well, this is a video game location, so playing through it would make sense. Although, that involved you getting kidnapped by Dr. Eggman, or rather, his Classic self, forcing Sonic to fix the future and turn this place into an amusement park and then battle Metal Sonic,'' Minami explained. ''However, I don't see any of that happening.''

''We are still stuck in this Zone, so one could say that Eggman did complete the 'kidnapping' part of the video game's plotline,'' Amy said, her comment causing Minami to smile in amusement.

''We could just go explore it. If we run into anything hostile, like Badniks, we'll smash it into pieces,'' she suggested. Amy held up her hand, with digital particles appearing before her, turning into her hammer. She then placed it over her shoulder, placing her other hand on her hip.

''Then, let's go!'' she said.

xXx

''Thanks once again for your help,'' Tails told Shadow, who just nodded in acknowledgement.

''I hope that you'll be able to put the data to good use,'' Shadow responded, resuming walking, him and Tails being accompanied by Warren and Touka. Tails wanted to call Sonic and Lucas about what he and Warren learned, but for some reason, they couldn't reach them. They managed to track down the signal of their AR Visor to their last location and decided to investigate, with Shadow and Touka volunteering to go along, as they had their own suspicions in regards to what was going on. Of course, it was always possible that it was something completely harmless, like Sonic and Lucas being too busy to call them back, but their gut feeling told them to check the situation regardless.

Unfortunately for them, they were right about that.

Tails walked a bit ahead, his gaze focused on the information displayed on the Miles Electric, and he didn't even notice his surroundings suddenly changing, at least until Warren gasped in surprise.

''Warren, what is- Oh, no…'' Tails jaw dropped as he and Warren found themselves in an unfamiliar area, with Shadow and Touka nowhere to be seen. The area itself appeared to be in outer space, as it showed them a view of Earth, and was covered by an orange-brownish wall. The platforms were light gray, decorated with some patterns and warning signs.

''I can't believe it! We're in the Death Egg Zone!'' Warren ran over to the edge of the platforms, staring at the Earth below him. How he and Tails were still breathing or even unharmed being in outer space was beyond him, but he was even more baffled by the fact that they were inside a video game location. ''Well, at least I think this is the Death Egg Zone. It certainly looks like it.''

''The Death Egg Zone?'' Tails gave Warren a confused look.

''Ah, yeah, you wouldn't know much about it,'' Warren replied, turning to his partner. ''Basically, the Death Egg Zone is a video game location from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and it appears at the very end of the game.''

''I see…'' Tails muttered, looking down at his Miles Electric. ''There is no signal either, so we cannot call any of our friends.''

''It looks to me like Dr. Eggman and Dr. Starline had managed to get ahead of us,'' Warren said. ''However, given how we vanished so suddenly, perhaps Touka and Shadow will find a way to get out of this place with Chaos Control.''

''I hope you're right,'' Tails replied worriedly.

xXx

In one moment Silver and Makoto were talking to Knuckles and Lily. In the next, they found themselves falling through the clouds, with Silver saving both of them thanks through his psychokinesis.

''Thanks, Silver!'' Makoto breathed a sigh of relief, despite the fact that he and Silver were now floating high in the sky, with everything below them being bouncing platforms and narrow pathways surrounded by mountains and clouds, as well as swirling fans, for some reason. If they fell between platforms, there was nothing to save them from the bottomless pit.

''That was so close,'' Silver said. ''Where are we, and where are Knuckles and Lily?''

''Honestly, I have no clue about their whereabouts, but this place feels kind of familiar,'' Makoto responded. ''Could you get us down on one of those platforms?''

''No problem!'' Silver replied, gently placing them down, while also eyeing a nearby row of spikes with a suspicious look. ''What's going on here? We've been at Eden just a moment ago?''

''I assume that we're inside an AR Field,'' Makoto replied, trying to remember why this place looked familiar to him. ''Is it Windy Valley? No, that's not right. It has to be something else.''

''What are you talking about?'' Silver asked.

''This place looks to me like a location from a Sonic the Hedgehog video game, but I can't recall which one it is,'' Makoto explained. He walked up to the edge of the platform, noting the swirling fans below and squinting his eyes. ''Wait a sec, is this place Sky Canyon?''

''Sky Canyon?'' Silver gave him a confused look.

''Sky Canyon is a location in Sonic Advance 2. Basically, in the game, Dr. Eggman has kidnapped Knuckles and Tails and Sonic goes to find them, while also meeting another character called Cream the Rabbit and her Chao friend Cheese, who are on the search for Cream's mother Vanilla,'' Makoto explained. ''I wonder why we'd end up here.''

''I bet this is all Eggman and Starline's fault. We already know what Eggman is capable of, and Starline had also managed to trap Sonic, Tails and Knuckles in an AR Field,'' Silver said, clenching his fists.

''I hate to say it, but you're probably right, Silver,'' Makoto replied. ''The most we can do now is to find a way out of this place.''

xXx

Both Shadow and Touka were on high alert when their surroundings had suddenly changed and Tails and Warren vanished. Instead of being in the city, they found themselves in an ice-themed area with northern lights appearing above the mountains. They could also see platforms around them lined up with crystals and gems. Unknown to either of them, they had actually found themselves in Twinkle Snow, a Zone from Sonic Advance 3.

''Where are we?'' Shadow asked, taking a look at the area. Next to him, Touka hugged herself, shivering.

''I-I have no clue, but it's really c-cold here,'' she said, lamenting the fact that she didn't have any leggings to wear under her shorts. She then shook her head, trying to ignore the coldness. ''Wait, where are Warren and Tails? They were with us just a moment ago.''

''I guess we got ourselves trapped inside an AR Field, the same kind Sonic, Tails and Knuckles found themselves in,'' Shadow said, assessing the situation. ''Tails and Warren probably ended up in a different AR Field.''

''Great,'' Touka sighed, arms folded across her chest. ''I hope they at least ended up somewhere warmer. In any case, we need to get out of this snow area. I'm sure that this is Dr. Eggman and Dr. Starline's doing.''

''Don't worry, I'll get us out of here,'' Shadow told her, snapping with his fingers. ''Chaos Control!''

However, nothing happened. There was no flash of light blue light, nor did they find themselves outside the AR Field. Shadow was stunned in regards to the fact that Chaos Control had somehow failed, but he quickly snapped out of it, realizing that something was interfering with his power. He growled in annoyance, with Touka giving him a knowing look.

''I suppose that the two Doctors had also figured out how to block your Chaos Control, we'll have to find a different way out of here,'' she said.

''Hmph.'' Shadow, admittedly, was still irked by having his powers blocked. ''I don't really see an exit, unless you want me to create one by force.''

''I don't think that would be a smart idea,'' Touka replied. ''We are still inside an AR Field, and overloading it might cause it to collapse and then we would be trapped in it for good.''

''Then the only thing that we can do is to explore this snow area,'' Shadow replied, with Touka nodding in agreement.

''Yeah, and maybe I'll get a bit warmer if I keep moving,'' she said, shivering. ''Seriously, couldn't the Doctors sent us to some tropical area?''

Shadow just shrugged in response, a bit amused that Touka's main issue was that it was cold and not that they were trapped. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to share her plight.

xXx

''I won!'' Sonic exclaimed as he ran past a signpost that had his face on it, causing it to spin uncontrollably. He turned around, with Lucas arriving just a few moments later. ''Okay, so if this is the end of the Zone, shouldn't there be some kind of exit or maybe a sign to let us know we're entering the next Zone?''

''I don't know,'' Lucas admitted, shrugging. ''I have no clue whether this Zone is supposed to be completely game accurate.''

''Well, it had a bunch of obstacles and Badniks for me to smash through,'' Sonic replied, pointing with his thumb at the path they came from. Lucas looked up, noting the Flickies Sonic saved by smashing into the Badniks flying past them.

''Yeah, but still… This is Eggman we're talking about-'' Before Lucas could finish his sentence, their surroundings flickered and the signpost vanished. When everything returned to normal, the two made a rather unnerving discovery. ''W-Wait… Are we back at the beginning of the Zone?!''

''Oh, com'n! I like running as much as the next guy, but going back to the start?'' Sonic complained, being now just as frustrated as his partner. He put his hands on his hips, looking around impatiently. ''Egghead! I know you can hear me! I know that this is one of your schemes, and I will find you and beat you up! However, if your plan is to just trap me, then at least you could've added some variety! Or maybe an enemy or two, since I already smashed all of your robots during my first run! I'm sure you're more creative than this!''

''Nice to know that you got your priorities straight,'' Lucas said in a deadpan tone, with Sonic just flashing him a grin.

xXx

''If I knew that Sonic would treat this all like a video game, I would've added something to make him truly miserable,'' Dr. Eggman grumbled, watching the monitor before him.

''But, this is technically a video game,'' Cubot pointed out.

''Actually, it is just an AR Field simulation of the Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog, but anyone could make the mistake of mixing those two up,'' Orbot explained.

''Com'n, Egghead! I'm bored! Give me a real challenge!'' Sonic shouted.

Eggman rolled his eyes, muttering, ''Oh, I'll give you a challenge, Hedgehog…''

''I suppose that means that Metal Sonic and I will be going after Lucas and Sonic,'' Ferra said, with Eggman glancing at her and Metal Sonic. The robotic hedgehog had a bloodthirsty gaze on his expression.

''No, you won't,'' Eggman told the two resolutely, with Ferra looking surprised and Metal Sonic genuinely offended. ''Instead, you will be going after one of the Hedgehog's friends.''

''Sir, if I may interrupt…'' Dr. Starline, who was listening to the whole conversation, spoke up, ''Why wouldn't you send Metal Sonic after Sonic? From what I've gathered, you have Sonic caged in an inescapable AR Field, and Metal Sonic appears to be a capable fighter – and, don't take it as me complimenting you; I'm merely stating the obvious,'' he added, casting a side-eye towards the two, much to Ferra and Metal Sonic's annoyance. He then turned back to Eggman. ''He is trapped like a rat. It would be wise to unleash the cat and finish him off once and for all.''

''Ah, yes, but you see, a cornered rat will fight back, especially this blue one. Sonic, and even his friends, have demonstrated that engaging them in a direct battle is not wise, since they're more than capable of fighting back. Not to mention, their human partners, what they lack in pure power, even with Chaos Surge, they surely make up with their way of thinking.'' Eggman leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands and twiddling with his thumbs. ''During my first attack, I made sure to prepare for every possible outcome. The Buddy Bots kept the authorities occupied and the public in fear. I also made sure that the Death Egg Robot would withstand any of the attacks Sonic and his friends launched at it, including Chaos Powers. However, what I did not account for was how much the human partners would have an influence in the battle, even if they were drained of energy because of the Chaos Surge. They picked my plan apart like the little ants they are, but now I know better.'' He flashed them a malicious grin. ''This time, they cannot do anything to save themselves. There is no way for them to escape the AR Fields, let alone power them down since they are maintained by Neos City, and the authorities have no clue that I'm in control here.'' He then waved at the monitor. ''As for the Badniks, they're just data, and as Orbot and Cubot put it-'' The two robots gave each other a confused look. ''It is just like a video game, so I can respawn the Badniks endlessly. I have separated Team Neos with no way of communication between them and they are trapped in an endless loop, being locked in the chosen Zone. There is absolutely nothing they can do.''

''So, what do you plan to do with them then, Sir?'' Starline asked.

''Oh, now that's the fun part, isn't it? Since I have them exactly where I want them, I can play a game with them, a survival game, if you want to call it,'' Eggman responded, pressing another button and revealing two distinct robots that looked a lot like Sonic on screen – one of them being small, but bulky and silver, while the other was taller and blue, with a red screen where they eyes should be. ''These are Mecha Sonic and Mecha Sonic Mark II. I will be sending them in soon to battle in the Death Egg Zone and Sky Sanctuary Zone respectively.''

''Ah, I see,'' Ferra quickly caught on, well aware that these two were Bosses from their respective Sonic the Hedgehog video games. ''That would cover Warren, Tails, Lily and Knuckles… So, does this mean we'll be going to Stardust Speedway to deal with Minami and Amy?''

''Precisely,'' Eggman responded, pleased with how fast Ferra understood her assignment. Metal Sonic, on the other hand, looked quite sour that he wasn't going to fight Sonic at all. Admittedly, he didn't care that those two new robots would be fighting Sonic's friends, as long as they didn't fight Sonic. If the latter case were true, then he might as well… interfere.

''That covers three out of three…'' Starline observed, raising an eyebrow. ''May I know your plans for Silver and Shadow? These two struck me as the more powerful ones of the team.''

''I had assumed that you would finally want a challenge of your own, Dr. Starline,'' Eggman said, grinning knowingly at the platypus.

''M-Me?'' Starline was starstruck when he realized the implications. ''S-Sir, I don't know what to say-''

''Well, you can choose to participate in eradicating two powerful hedgehogs and prove your worth, or just sit back while I do all of the work,'' Eggman told him off-handedly. To his amusement, Starline quickly protested.

''N-No! I never said I wouldn't accept your offer, Sir! As a matter of fact, I am honored that you consider me for this task,'' Starline bowed with a flourish. ''I will go and immediately prepare everything for the assault. I already have several contingency plans on mind, if you wish to hear them…''

''No, no, I'd rather see those contingency plans in action,'' Eggman said, clearly not in the mood to listen to Starline's rambling. ''You may go now.''

''As you wish, Sir,'' Starline responded, strutting proudly out of the room. However, just before the door closed, they could hear loud squealing coming from the hallway, resembling that of a screeching fangirl who just shook her hand with her idol. Ferra and Metal Sonic rolled their eyes in unison, with Ferra then asking Eggman.

''How long do you plan to keep him around?'' she asked.

''As long as necessary,'' Eggman responded.

''You mean, as long as he's useful to you,'' Ferra replied in a deadpan tone. Despite being hidden behind glasses, it seemed as if Eggman's eyes glinted and he gave Ferra an amused grin.

''Dr. Starline is an interesting fellow, and he certainly has useful skills, not to mention being completely devoted to me. However, even I can see a sense of arrogance from a mile away, and the platypus might become a headache in the future, but for now, I will keep him here,'' he explained.

''I'm surprised you have nothing to say about me and Metal Sonic,'' Ferra continued, with Eggman raising an eyebrow, clearly a bit surprised by her question. ''Toshiro and Mephiles betrayed you, and what I know about Starline is that he isn't exactly trustworthy – or sane, for that matter – either. So, what's your plan with us?''

Metal Sonic stared at Ferra, then gazed at the Doctor, who seemed to be quite intrigued by the question. ''Ho-ho, I thought you knew it already. After all, it was all in the contract…''

''It's all part of the game, isn't it?'' Ferra sighed.

''Precisely, but more in a 'You scratch my back so I won't disintegrate yours','' Eggman responded. Ferra could only roll her eyes. ''Make no mistake, so far, you two have proven to be the most useful. The alliance with Toshiro and Mephisto was always going to be temporary, and Starline is another matter I can deal with in time. It certainly would be a shame to see you leave, especially since we have the same goal.''

''The only thing I care about is what Metal Sonic wants, and that's to destroy Sonic,'' Ferra responded, with Metal Sonic nodding sharply. Eggman got up from his seat.

''As I said, we have the same goal,… plus or minus some world conquering,'' he quickly added the last part in a casual tone.

''Right, except you won't even let us deal with Lucas and Sonic,'' Ferra said, her and Metal Sonic folding their arms across their chest and shooting a glare at the Doctor.

''In time, in time…'' Eggman huffed. ''In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the Hedgehog manages to worm his way out of this trap as well.''

That statement came to both Ferra and Metal Sonic as a surprise. ''What? But, you just said…''

''That I finally have Sonic cornered, yes. Except, knowing that Hedgehog, he will find a way to destroy my plans, again,'' Eggman said, pointing at the monitor behind him, with Sonic still yelling for the Doctor to give him some kind of entertainment. ''As a matter of fact, in a different life, that Hedgehog won't stop at anything to ruin everything I come up with.''

''A different life… you mean the video games?'' Ferra asked, a bit stunned.

''The Death Egg, Chaos, The ARK, Iblis, Dark Gaia, The Time Eater, the Wisps, the Zeti… Hell, even Infinite and that damned Phantom Ruby… not to mention, the Metal Virus… I have reviewed all possible plans, and I cannot exactly use them if the other side is just as well informed as I am,'' Eggman responded, only to smirk. ''Nevertheless, it has given me a couple of ideas. If you believe that I'm confident that there won't be any future confrontations, then you're quite foolish.''

''No offense, but I hope that you won't unleash any Metal Virus on Neos City,'' Ferra said, feeling a bit nervous. If Eggman had indeed prepared a Metal Virus project, she knew that it would be a disaster.

''Don't worry, I crossed that one off my list. The last thing I need is an army of unruly Zombots that would infect me as well,'' Eggman told her, then grumbled under his breath. ''Not to mention, I don't have any safe planet to escape to.'' He heard Ferra sighing in relief, and continued, ''If I'm going for something bigger, it would probably be Eggperial City, but that would be a problem if the authorities of Neos City notice anything.''

Ferra and Metal Sonic exchanged glances, having to agree that this would be a dumb move, at least for now. They both then glanced at the Doctor. ''So, what do you have planned?''

''Oh, I had been working on a certain, well, I suppose I could call this little project a program, but it would certainly give me a peace of mind when it comes to having someone I can trust with my plans, someone loyal,'' Eggman explained. ''I'll leave this project as a surprise.''

''I don't…'' Ferra trailed off, when it suddenly hit her what Eggman was talking about. ''Wait, you mean… her?''

''Ah, you're quite sharp. I'm glad that I hired you,'' Eggman told her. Surprisingly, Ferra flashed him an approving smile.

''Actually, it's a project I'd love to see the come to fruition,'' she told him. ''It would be nice to have someone here who actually has some sense.''

''Hmph, how about you run along?'' Eggman told her, with Ferra nodding and her and Metal Sonic were about to leave when Eggman called out to them again. ''Oh, and keep an eye on Starline.''

''Sure thing,'' Ferra responded as she and Metal Sonic walked out. She placed her arms behind her head, only to realize that there was something else she wanted to ask Eggman. She turned on her heel, but the door behind her was already shut. She stared at it for a moment, then shrugged, deciding to leave it for another time.

'There is something else on your mind,' Metal Sonic observed.

''Yeah, the fact that Dr. Eggman has no issues with me talking to him like that,'' Ferra replied.

'Do you plan on intentionally pissing him off?' Metal Sonic asked.

''Well, I would like to see how much it takes for him to finally explode, but I guess that, whatever I ask him, seems to be amusing to him,'' Ferra replied. ''It feels a bit strange for him to actually patiently answer all of my questions.''

The two then noticed a shape walking through the hallway, realizing that it was Starline. Exchanging a glance and a nod, they quickly followed the platypus into one of the rooms at the HQ. The room itself was actually something of a collector's room, with desks and shelves adorned with all kinds of figurines. Starline walked over over to one shelf stacked with mechs, observing each of them thoughtfully.

''Hey, Starline, what are you doing here?''

The platypus was startled when he heard a familiar voice calling out for him, almost jumping out of his skin, only to turn around and see Ferra and Metal Sonic walk inside. ''Have you ever heard of KNOCKING?!''

''Hey, you're the one sneaking around,'' Ferra pointed out.

''May I remind you that Dr. Eggman entrusted me with access to the whole HQ?'' Starline told her.

'No, he didn't,' Metal Sonic pointed out, causing Ferra to smirk. Starline, however, had no clue what the beeps meant, and just frowned.

''So, why are you here? I thought you were preparing for your mission,'' Ferra asked.

''This is part of my preparation,'' Starline told her, rolling his eyes. ''I'm trying to decide on which mech I shall pick for the upcoming battle. I'm certain that Dr. Eggman would be pleased to see how expertly I can maneuver one of his creations. Of course, I might also add some of my own ideas to them… After all, the mechs would just be easily manipulated data.''

''Honestly, I don't think that just throwing a mech at either Silver or Shadow would work,'' Ferra said.

''What do you even know about using a mech? From what I've seen, you usually fight directly,'' Starline responded, sneering at her. Metal Sonic just shot him a glare. If Ferra told him so, he would've already pinned the platypus against the wall.

''The Doctor already fought them with a mech and lost. What makes you think that you will succeed?'' Ferra asked. Starline huffed.

''I know I will suceed, and I'm looking forward to the Doctor praising my efforts,'' Starline told her. ''Something that surely cannot be expected from you. From what I've seen, you have lost most of your battles, or ran away like a coward.''

Before either Starline or even Ferra could register it, Metal Sonic vanished in a flash and grabbed Starline by his collar, slamming him against the wall, his red eyes flaring.

'I DARE you to repeat that!'

Even though Starline couldn't understand the robot, he did understand the murderous intent behind Metal Sonic's gaze, flailing around helplessly. ''Agh, don't stand there! Tell your robot impostor to let me go!''

''I don't know, you kinda deserved that for calling Metal a coward,'' Ferra told him placidly. Metal Sonic turned to her.

'He called you a coward. I wanted to make him pay for that,' he explained. Ferra snorted, feeling a sudden surge of warmth.

''Awww, that's so kind of you, but don't worry, I don't care about that. You can let him go,'' she said. Metal Sonic turned to Starline, shooting him a glare, before unceremoniously dropping him. Starline hit the ground with a thud, rubbing his chest as he could feel the scratches where Metal Sonic's claws dug into his flesh.

''I still can't believe that the Doctor decided to hire someone unhinged like you,'' Starline grumbled, glaring at Metal Sonic. Metal Sonic, in turn, looked like he was about to strangle the platypus hadn't Ferra intervened.

''Keep talking, and you'll have enough rope to hang yourself with,'' she told him, extending her hand. Starline stared at it for a moment, reluctantly accepting it as she helped him to get up. ''Listen, I may not like you, and you don't like me nor Metal, but I'm not here to stand in your way. Metal Sonic and I only want to fight Sonic and Lucas, and we would've done it whether we were affiliated with Dr. Eggman or not.''

''Your point being?'' Starline asked.

''I want to call a truce,'' Ferra replied. ''We will keep out of each other's ways and go on with our mission as planned. However, take note that neither me nor Metal Sonic are your subordinates, but colleagues, and you will address us as such. Or else I might let Metal Sonic use you as a stress reliever.''

''…Fine,'' Starline grumbled, still glaring at both.

Satisfied, Ferra and Metal Sonic walked out, with Ferra adding at the door. ''Also, tone it down with the arrogance, Doctor. You aren't infallible, and your ego will be the end of you if you continue like this.''

''Tch, who does she think she is?'' Starline grumbled, placing his hands on his hips and frowning. However, before he could continue, something caught his attention. He turned to the nearby shelf and, to his surprise, found a figurine of himself. He grabbed it to get a closer look. ''When did the Doctor even have the time…''

He trailed off when he saw that the figurine of himself looked rather strange, with red eyes and a more… metallic body. It was as if Dr. Eggman made a figurine replica of a robotic Starline. The real Starline stared nervously at his robotic replica, unsure what to really think of it. He did admire the craftmanship, but something about him left him with a pit in his stomach.

Does the Doctor-? Starline suddenly shook his head, placing the figurine back where he found it and quickly walked out of the room. After all, he had a mission to focus on.

xXx

''Man, this place feels endless,'' Minami complained as she and Amy walked through Stardust Speedway. Amy then ran up to a nearby Badnik, whacking it with her Piko Piko Hammer.

''Well, at least we get something to do,'' Amy told her.

''True, but I feel like Eggman is better than this. At least he could've given us a bigger challenge,'' Minami said.

''If you're so bored fighting Badniks, then I guess we might leave as well.''

To Minami and Amy's shock, they spotted Ferra and Metal Sonic standing on top of one of the structures, with Ferra having her arms crossed on her chest, smirking at the two. Amy lowered her eye-lids, looking at Minami.

''You and your big mouth,'' she said in a deadpan tone. Minami just smiled sheepishly.

''Hey, at least we might get some answers from these two,'' she said, only for the full implications to hit her and she turned back to them. ''Wait a second, how did you two get here?! Where the hell is the exit?!''

''Nice that you got your priorities right,'' Ferra replied in amusement, leaping from the structure and landing before them, with Metal Sonic following her. It appeared that this AR Field didn't exactly obey the laws of physics, Minami noted, as Ferra should've broken her legs from that jump. ''Besides, it's not as if we're going to tell you anything.''

''You don't have to, since we already got everything figured out,'' Minami responded, much to Ferra's surprise. ''I bet the rest of Team Neos also got trapped like Amy and I did.''

''How did you-?!'' Ferra was genuinely shocked by that reveal.

''Oh, please, having the villain split up the team and face a challenge individually is such a cliché thing to do,'' Minami replied, then arched her eyebrow. ''The only thing I don't understand is why Amy and I got you two. I thought you'd be fighting Lucas and Sonic.''

''The Doctor has other plans with these two,'' Ferra replied.

''Would you tell us what those plans are?'' Amy asked, tightening her grip around her Piko Piko Hammer as she glared at Ferra and Metal Sonic.

''As if-'' Ferra was about to respond, when Minami suddenly gasped.

''Ah, of course! This is Stardust Speedway, after all, and Metal Sonic was the Boss of this Zone. So, is your plan to kidnap us and lure Lucas and Sonic into a trap?'' she asked.

''Not everything is game accurate!'' Ferra snapped angrily. ''Besides, you are already trapped, you idiot!''

''Awww, so there is no Metallic Madness after this Zone? What a pity,'' Minami replied, pouting. Next to her, Amy sighed, noting that Minami couldn't care less about the peril they were in. Of course, she may have also been baiting Ferra and Metal Sonic into attacking them.

''How about we defeat them and then ask questions?'' Amy suggested. Minami nodded in response, extending her hand.

''Chaos Surge!''

In a flash of pink light, Minami was revealed to be carrying her own hammer, while Amy's Piko Piko Hammer was empowered by her BioEnergy. Ferra snorted in response to this display of power.

''They already made a mistake,'' she muttered, loud enough for Metal Sonic to hear her. ''Let's make sure it is their last.''

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