sranks | ROLLING AROUND AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

[The routine of writing something down that he would very much like to rid himself of and then setting it ablaze would be comforting to a lesser being. Neo Metal Sonic is incapable of such feelings, of course, so this is merely something he's doing to better understand the locals and their traditions; after all, the best way to gather information is to study it all first-hand. If he's to be trapped in this world, then he will do what he can to make the most of his time here, and that starts by gathering data on everything he possibly can.

Neo is aware of someone approaching, but it isn't until that familiar, loathsome voice reaches his auditory processing that it really sinks in: Sonic the hedgehog is here.

He determined as much earlier today, of course; a conversation with someone had let it slip and Neo has had plenty of time to determine the best course of action. It was also during that conversation that he came across the only real snag to his usual plan of "beat that blue blur into an unrecognizable pulp" - death in this world is meaningless, and those who die merely return afterward.

So though his head snaps toward Sonic, it isn't immediately followed by Neo Metal Sonic charging him down. Instead, those red optics remain fixated on the doppelganger as he quickly processes his options.

Given that they are surrounded by civilians in a world that is not their own, throwing down would prove to be a monumentally stupid idea even if Sonic could be killed. There's no reason to turn half the population against him immediately when he needs to rely on others to get his bearings here. Likewise, fighting Sonic would only prove a hindrance - though he is far more powerful in this form, his speed suffers and that alone will give him a disadvantage against the hedgehog. Furthermore, he has no means of repairing himself, should Sonic manage to severely damage him, and relying on the kindness of strangers to fix him makes Neo want to cringe. Absolutely not.

So fighting is simply out of the question. The tension coursing through him preparing him like a spring about to snap slowly fades; the mental math not visible at all on Neo's face or in his words when he responds after a moment too long of ~~glaring~~ staring.]

I do not have "fun".

[...off to a fantastic start already, i see.]

[Sonic blinks, briefly, when Metal doesn't immediately launch into a fight; it's about the only modicum of surprise that the metal doppelganger gets out of Sonic before the blue blur starts to laugh in earnest, the sound bright and unrestrained.]

You could've fooled me! Can't say you're making a show about being sad about all of this, and people don't just keep doing the same thing for no reason, you know?

[Seeing as he isn't getting his ass beaten, though, Sonic chances a few steps closer towards the fire with a piece of paper in one hand and a pencil in the other, whistling at the fire with idle attention, though he glances at Metal for a moment after.]

But alright, alright, I'll bite; what are you doing this for, huh?

[Neo Metal Sonic watches as his doppelganger approaches and picks up a piece of paper and a pencil. Morbid curiosity is what compels him to ask:]

I cannot imagine you have regrets of any sort. What are you planning on writing?

[Is that a neat way to sidestep the question so he doesn't have to answer it? Yes. Is it also for information-gathering purposes that he will file away to possibly use against the hedgehog the moment they return home? Also yes. He can and will exploit his enemy's weaknesses, it's just a matter of ensuring that they do return home. Preferably soon.]

[aaaaaand of course he launches into this, sonic doesn't know what he expected]

Heeey, don't you go weaseling out of answering the question! I asked first, didn't I?

[...

sonic's still trying to think of a limited time food item he missed out on that he regrets not trying, don't @ him,,,]

[Neo Metal Sonic has no need to roll his eyes, because that is a purely organic reaction of frustration and exasperation, neither of which he can feel.

...He still strongly considers rolling his eyes anyway.]

Why do my reasons matter to you, hedgehog?

What, a guy can't be curious? You didn't strike me as the type to have any regrets either, y'know.

[Unlike his metal counterpart, Sonic does roll his eyes. He's never been one to hide his emotions, but especially now, he can practically feel the same emotion rolling off of Metal.

He knows why he's bothering. It really is just as simple as being curious. It's not exactly like Sonic knows Metal all that well, despite their fight with one another. But...]

'Sides, it's not like I don't have any regrets. Eggman's got a way of stealing some precious time I could be using for a lot of other things.

["Regrets" is perhaps not the right word to describe the things Neo has been writing down. That implies emotion he simply doesn't have, after all. It's Sonic's clarification that gets him to pause, head canted slightly to the side before he corrects it. He wasn't expecting his organic counterpart to actually admit to having regrets, even if they are Eggman's fault.]

So you regret not defeating him faster.

[...that's not what sonic said, but okay.]

You should know better than to toy with him. For his many faults, he is still a technical genius; it's only a matter of time until he finds a way to outsmart you.

[...Ugh, but why even bother going to bat for Eggman when he was so quick to discard him? Even now, Neo Metal Sonic holds no loyalty to Eggman or his Empire. He cast that aside to focus on his primary goal - and even then he still failed. What does it say about him, a product of Eggman's genius, that even with the perfect plan - unmarred by Eggman's bumbling - he still lost?]

Guess you could say that? [It gets a non-committal shrug out of Sonic, anyway, as he starts to jot something down idly into the paper.] It's more that I've got better things to be doing than clearing out Egghead's latest schemes to take over the world. The world's a pretty big place, with things I haven't even seen yet! I'd rather be racing off to see what sort of new things people are doing in the world than running the same circle over and over again.

[Of course, though, Sonic looks over to Metal when he brings up Eggman's genius, and there's a brief flash of something in his eyes--it's over and gone in a second, but it almost seems...well, something Sonic's not going to let himself express. It really is a shame that Metal's still...]

He can keep trying all he wants. I'll keep treating his new machines and schemes like nice little puzzles to take apart, for as long as he keeps them coming. You should know better than to underestimate me by now!

[Sonic finishes writing on the piece of paper, though, casting it into the fire after crumpling it into a ball and letting a small, content sigh escape.]

...Maybe it'll do you some good, being here.

Edited (icon) 2024-12-17 05:44 (UTC)

[Running the same circle over and over again. Is that truly how he sees Eggman's schemes? Nothing more than to be thwarted, barely even beneath his notice?

...Is that how he saw Neo's scheme?

The momentary pause is noticed - but of course it is. Metal Sonic was built to observe and react accordingly, and Neo is an upgraded, superior version of the original. So he notices, but what exactly his counterpart's look means is completely beyond him. There must be a significance to it - but if the hedgehog doesn't feel the need to elaborate on it, then all he can do is guess, and that's hardly useful at all.

He was so distracted he didn't even get to see what Sonic wrote on the paper. Oh well, it likely was exactly what he said, anyway.]

I don't know what you mean by that.

[It might even sound the tiniest bit frustrated - not that Neo would ever admit to such a thing, anyway.]

I will not underestimate you again. Rest assured that I will destroy you once we've returned home.

[A pointless assertion, but one he feels the need to say anyway, because he's riled up and he can't solve it by way of fighting or racing the hedgehog. How agitating.]

...I meant what I said, you know. Name the time and place, and I'll give you your rematch. You only gotta ask.

[Despite it all, Sonic smiles, though that tinge of what he can recognize as sadness is still there. Sonic doesn't like being sad. Metal's a being that can make his own choices, especially now that Eggman isn't here. What would it be like for him, if he didn't end up going back? Could he have found that same freedom that Sonic cherishes, that Sonic lives by?

Well, it's Metal's choice in the end, and as Sonic grabs another piece of paper, it's his turn to sidestep that first bit. Rivals they may be, there's no reason to go and upset poor Metal when he really should just be able to get to enjoy his time here.]

So, you gonna answer my question, Metal? I think I've answered yours pretty nicely. Didn't even ask you to say please, or anything!

[sonic, oh my god]

[He makes it sound so... easy. Like all that planning and preparing was for nothing. Maybe it was, if he was so easily bested by all of them. Maybe that's yet another thing to burn out moving forward.

By all quantifiable metrics, he should be stronger than his organic counterpart. He has copied the data of Chaos, of the Ultimate Lifeform, and of every single one of Sonic's inferior allies, and yet even reshaping himself with his own hands wasn't enough. What will be enough?]

I had thought the answer was obvious.

[..........do not just leave it at that—]

I still have weaknesses, imperfections. I will destroy all of them and reshape myself until I am perfect. Only then will I be capable of destroying you - and I will not stop until I have accomplished that.

[no he is not aware that he is currently undergoing a crisis, don't worry about it,,,]

[...my dude,,,]

I mean, it is good that you can look at yourself and still try to find something you want to improve. Not gonna deny that for a second. If you want to keep making yourself better, you keep going at it.

[Sonic sees a crisis on the horizon and...can't resist poking it with a stick, Sonic is not a guy you go to for therapy--]

But what comes after all of that?

[Sonic's eyes go to the paper for a moment as he concentrates on what he's writing next. Maybe he shouldn't write this kind of thing down with Metal close by, but...]

After that?

[Neo asks it like this is a foreign concept that has never once crossed his mind. Probably because it hasn't.]

Then I will have proved myself superior - the true Sonic. What comes after that will hardly matter to you, given that you'll be dead.

[whoosh there it goes, the character development that could have happened with this one remark goes sailing directly over his very pointy head...]

[...He really is that simple. It honestly makes Sonic laugh again, surprisingly cheerful despite the blatant death threat looming over the conversation.]

Guess that's true! I mean, being me is pretty great, after all. I bet there's a lot of the world you could go and see after all of that, huh?

[Sonic looks over the next paper, scanning the words for a second before starting to crumple it up again, preparing to toss it into the fire.]

You know, I bet I could explore this place way faster than you.

[Once again, irrelevant, because Sonic will be dead and thus he has no reason to consider such things to begin with. But at least this time Neo keeps that thought in his head where it belongs instead of saying it, mostly because he's thrown by the latter part. His eyes remain on the paper now that Sonic's started to crumple it, curious about what it says before he can miss out on it entirely.]

You are ill-equipped to keep up with me in terms of data collection and processing. Your organic body requires sleep and sustenance while my superior form needs neither.

[Okay, that's technically not true, he does need to charge occasionally, but not the point!!]

If you intend to turn this into a contest, you will lose.

[...And yet there's no denying that Neo's words actually sound pleased with the idea - after all, the deck is stacked in his favor here, as far as he can determine, anyway.]

[Oh, Sonic's eyes practically gleam for a second.]

Yeah? You really think so? I don't know about that, Metal. I think that big clunky form you've got going on is bound to slow you down. I could get a good eight hours of sleep and eat three square meals of chili dogs a day, and I'm preeeetty sure I could still find out everything about this place before you.

[Sonic's never been good at keeping his emotions off of his face, but even he can't deny that the idea of this is genuinely exciting. Not even because Metal deserves better than the hand he's been dealt--Sonic's always loved a good competition, and Metal's always been good at giving him motivation to push himself.

Maybe, now that they're here, Metal can truly have a chance to find out more about the world. What a wonderful thing that would be, wouldn't it?

Sonic starts to toss the paper into the pyre properly this time, while he waits for Metal's answer.]

[His eyes follow the paper, but he makes no move to stop it. After all, it hardly matters what Sonic's regrets are. His primary objective has not changed, it's merely a matter of putting it on pause until he can return and ensure Sonic stays dead.]

Impossible. Your boasting will only serve to make you look like more of a fool once I've surpassed you.

[Data-gathering was something he was going to do anyway; Neo needs a better understanding of this world and its people in order to adapt, after all. Though he had no particular interest in saving the world or whatever nonsense they've discussed, there is valuable information to be gathered here. Turning it into a competition with his hated rival only makes this even more of a thrill.

Perhaps being dragged here wasn't such a waste of his time after all.]

[Sonic's laughter, cheerful and bright as ever, rings through the area--he can practically feel the energy radiating off of Metal, and it makes Sonic even more energized as well--a thrill in it's own right, to challenge his rival and see him...

...Well, Metal hasn't really ever been happy, but this is probably the closest thing to happiness he'll ever let himself have. Sonic isn't going to try and ruin that.]

Well, you're just gonna have to try and make me eat my words then, aren't ya? I'm looking forward to it. We'll see who finds out all of this place's secrets faster!

[At that, though, Sonic seems to stretch his arms a bit before going and putting the pencil back where he got it. He pauses a bit, before turning back to Metal and speaking up before he's about to leave his rival to this, but...]

You better make sure you get...okay, you don't need to rest, but like... [...] Charged up, yeah? I think that's the right word for it. Can't have you giving anything less than your best at this, you know?

[Sonic's never been particularly the best at expressing how he cares, but he figures this might at least be acceptable enough for Metal. Sonic can't exactly look after the guy--Tails would be way better suited in case something happens, but in a way, Sonic at least wants to make sure Metal takes care of himself. Someone's gotta. He'll start to walk off once that's out there, though.]

Edited 2024-12-18 00:09 (UTC)

[He may not be able to kill Sonic here, but he can beat him. It likely says something about Neo that he's just as enthused by that idea as he is about killing Sonic, but he's not going to stop and examine that for any length of time.

The first remark from the blue blur gets a sound that's part beep, part scoff from Neo; it isn't really a sound he can replicate well, but it's out there before he can stop it. The beep at least likely sounds familiar - after all, he was only able to communicate in beeps and boops prior to taking his Neo form.

(The very first thing he did was to give himself a voice, to better communicate his thoughts and desires. Though he doesn't have the words to express it, being stunted in his ability to communicate with his hated enemy was... agitating.)

But it's the rest of what Sonic has to say that catches him off-guard. His eyes follow the hedgehog's movements as Sonic starts to leave, but for once that voice of his feels like it isn't adequate to convey his thoughts on the subject. Neo can recognize Sonic's words for what they are - some level of concern, of all things - but he cannot fathom why his rival would be worried about him, of all people. How many times have they clashed? How many times has Sonic ensured Metal wouldn't be getting up again any time soon?

The only conclusion he can draw - a shaky, likely inaccurate one at that - is that Sonic is worried about him because he is a familiar face here. Because Sonic enjoys their clashes and wouldn't want to lose such a "fun" challenge. It makes enough sense to Neo, he supposes, but something about that conclusion simply feels... off.

Regardless, Sonic is long gone by the time Neo manages to come up with a response, so he doesn't bother saying it at all.

It doesn't matter what Sonic thinks. It doesn't matter if he's concerned. His feelings have no bearing on Neo's end goal, and even if he cannot accomplish that here, he can still focus on beating Sonic in this game they've made of information-gathering.

Next time he'll be better prepared.]

ROLLING AROUND AT THE SPEED OF SOUND

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