Alright,I'll post what I have so far. I've titled it "Pain".
Pain
By
Nathan Jones
My name is Metal. I was once a pureblood robot, bent on killing. Then, something happened, and I would be forever changed. Let me tell you my story, from the beginning...
When I was first given life by my creator, the one and only Dr. Ivo Robotnik, I was... not myself. I was child-like, and far too dependant on him. This was due to a chip he gave me that was supposed to make me able to learn, to feel emotion. However, I was deemed a failure and shut down. Others like me were soon after made, Metal Sonic Mk. II, Mecha Sonic, Silver Sonic. None of them beat the real Sonic. Then, I was reactivated, and the chip removed. I became an emotionless killer, following my master's orders without question. I was destroyed by Sonic, but not before drawing blood, yes, actual BLOOD from him. I was deemed a partial success, and my remaining parts were salvaged. I spent nearly a year in a limbo-like state, before being reactivated once again. This time, however, I had a new personality chip that made me stronger. At first, the only change was that I was intensely curious, asking questions left and right, nearly driving my creator insane in the process. But then, something changed... This is how.
I was led into a stark white room. There was nothing inside but linoleum floors and walls, and a small window on the right side, through which my master peered from. He spoke to me through an intercom.
"I see you've found your way here, Metal. Today is your first combat training test."
"C... combat... training? What?"
"I thought you may ask. You need to learn how to fight, and I will teach you. First, hold out your hand."
I raised my right hand obediently.
"Good. Now, I want you to concentrate hard on your arm."
I looked at my arm and tried to concentrate, but I kept losing it. My mind must have been in other places, asking questions.
"All you need to do is say the word "arm" in your head. Can you do that?"
I shook my head yes, and thought "arm" over and over in my head. Then, my arm flipped open into a small gun. I gazed at it, amazed at what I'd just done.
"Good job, Metal! Now, point at this target, and think the word "fire", alright?"
I did so without question. I had no idea what the word "fire" meant, but if he wanted me to say it, it must have been important. I pointed, and a split second later, the target was shredded from machine gun fire. I stepped back, immediately afraid of myself. I had no idea what I'd just done, and, quite frankly, it scared me. It took me a few moments to realize that Robotnik was praising me.
"Fantastic, Metal! Simply wonderful! Now, do that to the rest of these targets."
Three more targets popped out from the walls, and I shredded them all without fail.
"Great job, but, that wasn't very hard, now was it? How about a challenge? Don't use your gun. Try your claws this time."
A door opened up at the far end of the room, and large combat robots started to pour out, wielding warhammers. I counted four in total, and then changed my arm back. I leapt forward as fast as my boosters would allow, and jumped on the head of the one in front. Since I was on top, the stupid robots smashed the robot I was on. I did this to two more until only one was left. Then, I grabbed it's hammer and batted it's head off with one swing. My master was jumping up and down in his seat, he was so overjoyed at my success.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I'm such a genius! Ahem... So, Metal, how do you feel?"
I was waiting for that question. My answer was quick and to the point.
"Good. Really good..."
I was subject to numerous tests after that. Agility, defense, combat, stealth, heavy weapons, mechanics, the usual stuff. However, my curious persona was gone. Instead, I grew ****y, mean, and, to my master's obvious delight, I was obsessed with death and destruction. However, what he didn't know was my constant meetings with one of the obsoletes, known as "Mecha". He was scheduled for scrap, but he'd escaped. Additionally, through a fluke accident, he had also gained a conscience, like me. At first, I felt we'd become enemies, but we instead became close friends. We played, relaxed, and sparred. It was all fun. I finally had another like me. I loved him as though I would have loved a brother. However...
Reality often hits us like a ton of bricks. That's what it felt like when Mecha was found. My master did not appear angry in the least. Instead, he sent him on a "very special mission" to infiltrate a village called Freestone. That village was a deathtrap to any robot, personality or not. It was suicide. But, of course, my master had thought ahead. Robots who cannot learn, in fact, robots in general, are very bad at spying. So, he'd created a "deroboticizer" as he ungracefully put it. It had the ability to turn metal, servos and computers into living tissue. Mecha was placed in it, and came out looking nothing like his old self, save for his dark blue spines and fur. He was then sent away to Freestone. I never saw him again.
Then came my turn. I was deroboticized, but, like all good things, there was a catch. My ears and tail were too long, my spines and fur were a pale blue, my various scratches in my armor turned into dark scars, and I towered over most mobians. My most striking feature, however, were my red eyes. They struck fear into those who were, rightfully, paranoid. I was sent to Freestone as well, to infiltrate it and then go back to Robotropolis. However, with my new body, it seemed easier to lie that I couldn't find it, when in fact I'd been living in it for weeks. After a few months, I stopped calling my master, and turned to my life as a Freestonian. I scared most who saw me, but, in time, they began to accept me and my quiet, albeit sociopathic personality. I often chipped in with building, and then left without a word when we were done. I did my fair share of farming and other chores. Then, I fell in love. However, I fell in love with the wrong person. She came into town one day, babbling nonsense about how she was destined for something greater than anything that could be touched. I will tell you now, love is a blind, desperate creature, this much is true. She took no notice of me, but I had a great interest in her. She was often the subject of ridicule, and I was more than occasionally hurt when I tried to protect her.
Many months pass, and her senselessness was gone. She began to notice me, to touch me, to hold me. She was not afraid. She loved me, just as much as I loved her. Or so I thought... One day, I headed home after a night in the sparring club, in which I'd triumped in first place. I headed straight to bed, being tired out of my mind, and found her, apparently not content with monogamy, sound asleep with another man. I'm just gonna say right now, that cut me up. It cut deeper than a wound to the heart. No, this was a wound straight THROUGH my heart. It took my heart and put it in the meat grinder, along with my vocal chords. I couldn't speak. I merely shuffled out of the hut and to the single hill in town. The town's people affectionately called this hill "Oasis", and that's what it was. It was a place to forget troubles and seek new friendships. I saw only one other person on top. Her name was Veronica. She too had felt love's scorn, and she was lost, just like me. This brought back memories of Mecha, as he was also like me in almost every way. Veronica, however, was not exactly like me. For one, she had the characteristics of a cat, not a hedgehog, like me. We sat there, looking at the stars, until she finally spoke to me.
"Why are you here?"
She caught me off guard, but I answered quickly.
"My lover was not satisfied with a life of monogamy, it seems. She's torn up my heart..."
She gave me an understanding look. "I'm exactly the same way. My lover, Matthew, took another woman over me. Who hurt you?"
"Her name is Sonya. It feels bitter to utter her name now... It seems like a taboo word."
"I've been told she's kind of unstable. What is she going to think when she notices you're gone?"
"I'd rather not talk about this. Instead, let's just chat, and put our troubled minds at ease. You'd be surprised, but I'm quite the romanticist."
"Okay... What do you think is the best romantic moment that could happen?"
"Odd for a first question... I believe right now is romantic enough. The both of us, sitting under the stars of an innocent village. It's enough to put the mind at rest."
"Huh. You know, I almost left when I saw you coming. You tend to scare the others, but you're really a sweet guy, aren't you?"
"I wouldn't label me as "sweet", but I'm more affectionate than others think."
She stood up, and gestured for me to follow her. I followed, and she took me into a forest, filled with the tallest trees I'd ever seen. In the center of the forest lied a titan of a tree, glowing blue with bioluminescent mushrooms.
"I think this spot is more romantic, don't you think?"
I looked around for a few moments before giving my answer.
"Yes. It is much more beautiful than Oasis... Oh! I hope you don't mind, but... What is your name?"
"My name is Veronica. What's yours?"
"Metal. My name is Metal." I paused. "Veronica... What a beautiful name. It fits such a beautiful woman."
She giggled. Apparently she was expecting a corny line like that.
"Do you want to come home with me, Metal? You look hungry."
She couldn't have picked a better time to ask. At that very moment, my stomach grumbled so loud we could both hear it.
