All characters are copywrite Sega, and other media companies responsible for the
international Sonic franchises (including DiC and Archie). This applies to all 'Glint' stories.

Story is by: M.C. Griffin (unless otherwise stated... I guess.)

Portions of this chapter contain parts of Sonic Sketchy, by myself and (mostly) Sean
Catlett. Check out Sonic Sketchy as soon as possible if you haven't already, now... on
with the show.
*********************************



Chuck: Y'know, good and evil are very interesting concepts indeed.

You looked up from the bed you've been sleeping in for some time now to the metallic,
mustached hedgehog above you. He was reading over some status sheets that he had just
printed from one of the many computers in his underground hideout. The little shit was
using my own technology against me. Undercover work. How pathetic. Living "free" in a
city of slaves. He should've just stayed in the forest.

Chuck: I mean, who's to say that I'm not the evil one. Posing as an ally to the doctor...
hiding out as one of his own while really giving away important secrets to enemies.

You didn't share my animosity for the hedgehog before you. You just stared up at him
with those big blue eyes with the utmost appreciation.

Chuck: I mean, that's basically what he did, and we think he's the worst creature ever.

The irony is, now he uses my technology to betray me, after I used his technology to
betray his entire civilization.

"Why did you make the roboticizer anyway?"

Chuck: That is a question not many are daring enough to ask.

"Well?"

Chuck: Why DID I make the roboticizer? Well, first you must understand something
princess.

"Yes?"

Chuck: Our nation WAS a great nation... but morales oft come into question when it
comes to obtaining that status. You see?

"I think so..."

Chuck: Well... our armies were not well equipped for battle. The enemy, the Overlanders,
had weapons of mass destruction, and we were much weaker. Well, the Roboticizer was
made to make the perfect robotic soldier, with a complex mind. We couldn't rely on the
faults of robotic programming or the frailties of the biological body. We needed a soldier
that would never tire, never quit, but he also needed to make rational decisions...
something which a computer can't do. The roboticizer converted the body from flesh and
blood into metal and wires. Complex system for complex system. Every animal had a
different design for their particular species of robot. Based on that design, the machine
would compensate for whatever other physical traits they may have, my mustache for
example.

"So... if your design allowed for free thought, then why does Robotnik's enslave."

Chuck: That, I'm ashamed to say, is my fault as well. The people just robotocized would
go through heavy emotional trauma... we uh... ratified this by inserting a program that
would filter out emotions. You could still feel them... but they would not effect your
judgement. From personal experience, it feels like looking through a window into your
own sight. You can see what your doing. You know that you're causing it. But... any
objections that you may have for the act you are doing are meaningless...

He bowed his emotionless head to the ground. He looked around at the room, then at you,
trying to give the best smile he could, but it quickly faded.

Chuck: There were so many times when I wished that I could just STOP the horrible
things I was doing. I wished I could show mercy. I wished I could just cry or something.
Just... something to be... I don't know... passionate. But I couldn't. I could only look
through my window and feel the frail flesh of the innocent tear under my hand. I put the
force forward. I dealt the blows. They were my acts. The system made my compassion
meaningless, but the guilt is there all the same.

His metal, puppet like face showed sorrow, but it never seemed like real emotion from his
face, his words were a truer testament to his unhappiness.

Chuck: For my actions, Sally, there is no redemption.

You never saw this side of Chuck before. He was always such a role model for you. A
father figure.

"Oh... uncle Chuck."

You got up and hugged him. His entire body was cold as ice.

Chuck: Warmth... I haven't felt it in so long.

*He saW tHe saMe peRfeCtion in it tHat yOu diD. WhY elSe wouLd he iNvent it?*

"Chuck?"

You stepped away from him.

"The emotion filter was your idea wasn't it?"

Chuck: What?

"Just... be honest uncle Chuck... you weren't really trying to create the ideal warrior..."

Chuck turned away and started walking towards one of his many computers.

Chuck: I don't follow, princess.

He looked over the readings on the screens. He was clearly trying not to look at you.

"You were trying to create the ideal... person..."

He turned his head, his red iris glowing at the side of his eye, looking straight at you.

Chuck: Yes... but I have felt the "blessings" of my creation. I have felt my "perfection" I
know the evils that emotion can bring, but the dangers of an emotionless people are
evident enough. I was raped of the emotions, the sympathies, the impurities that I once
scorned and now that I have them back, thanks to Sonic, I'm never letting them go...

The two of you stared at one another with a calm understanding.

Chuck: I can never have my body back... but my emotions... my feelings... those I will
never lose again.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

You looked at your bare feet. You felt ashamed now. You made one of the greatest
people in your life unhappy, and you could never take it back. You looked for someplace
to put your arms, some way to hide your face, some way to be useful.

Some way to seem less pathetic to him.

You put your hand over your mouth as the tears started rolling down your face. You
stumbled back onto the mattress. You tried not to look at him. You tried to be strong.
Your fur became damp on your face with tears.

You thought of Sonic.

You thought of Bunny.

You thought of Rotor.

Oh God.

"I-I'm... sssssso s-s-s-sssorry-y-y-y." you tried to speak through the tears, but what came
out was incoherent sobs.

Chuck: It's okay... really...

He held you gently by the shoulders and brought you up to see his face.

Chuck: Don't cry for me. Save your tears. You might get dehydrated again if you don't. It
was hard enough to find water the first time.

You gave him a weak smile.

"Okay."

Like a small child. Around him, you acted like such a child! So weak! So "innocent". If
only he would have been around to see some of the things you'd done. Your dark
thoughts. Your guilty pleasures. Would he have been so quick to reassure?

You started feeling small.

"Chuck?"

Chuck: Yes, princess?

"I'm going to go."

Chuck: And do what?

"I don't know... find the others... see if the mission can be salvaged."

Chuck: Alright... take whatever gadgets you may need from my inventory. I wish I could
help you, but there isn't much I can do outside of this structure without compromising my
cover.

"Understood."

After collecting some things that might aid you, you took one last look around the chrome
wrapped room with all the screens and beeps that, for a while, became home.

"Goodbye, Chuck."

Chuck: Goodbye, my princess.

You left Chuck's underground base and emerged in a city street, the rain pouring hard.

You wrapped the red blanket over your head with some rope to use as a hood. It draped
down to your knees. You lost identity to those around you in this shroud.

SWAT Bot Scanner: One of Chuck's home made gadgets. This would allow you to detect
SWAT Bots, Repair Drones, and Hover Units coming close to you. It, however, couldn't
detect robotocized citizens, the Worker Bots, because they communicate orally, and not
by using any kind of remote communication except directly from me. There were also
several "living" things residing in Robotropolis that could hurt you and wouldn't be
detected.

One thing was for sure, if someone came up on the scanner, they would be guaranteed to
be an enemy. There was no such thing as a friendly drone. You would never have to ally
yourself with a drone, so if a dot came up on the monitor you'd have no conflicts with
killing that dot. However, although Robotropolis was enemy territory, there were still a
few allies that could be sought.

Although his master, Lazar was asleep, The Guardian was still moving around the outside
of Robotropolis. He and the wizard, Lazar had become your allies after your last
encounter with them. The Guardian could be sought. The only problem was, he would
usually stay close to the swamp which was on the other side of the city.

You knew your fellow Freedom Fighters were probably somewhere in the city as well,
unless they met the same fate as Rotor. You didn't want to dwell too long on that
possibility, but you couldn't regard it as too horrible to be possible. You had to hope but
being naive could get you killed.

However, there were more enemies that wouldn't be detected than friends. The
robotocized Mobians couldn't be detected so you figured it would be a good idea to stay
away from mines, factories, and other points of construction. If Scratch and Grounder
were around, they wouldn't come up. Dingo and Sleet, two bounty hunters on my pay
roll, were never robotocized, so they wouldn't appear. The hyenas were also known to
roam Robotropolis for parts for their bikes.

This was definitely hostile territory.

You really didn't know the first thing to do. You knew that if you tried to exit back the
way you came, you would be attacked for sure.

So... you just walked.

A blip would appear on the detector, and you'd hurriedly avoid it. Where were you going?

You eventually came to a large metal slope. Oh how the buildings towered around you.
Always looking as if to fall at any moment.

You looked at the detector. Robotropolis now seemed to be a waste land. There was
nothing on the detector. Not a SWAT Bot for miles. This was odd.

You stepped up the incline, getting higher and higher.

The lack of readings could mean many things, but most importantly, almost no chance of
dangerous confrontation.

Higher up the inclined path.

The more you stepped the less you thought. You didn't care about any threat there may
have been over this great industrial hill anymore. There were now only two thoughts: up
or down.

To continue up into the unknown or to descend down into the familiar.

Nothing could make sense. What was this for? Why did you want over it? What's worth
fighting for?

The reasons were lost in your burning muscles. The physical had taken over the mental.

Finally, you saw an end to this mountain.

The longest moment was that step you took to the edge. Not yet. Not yet. You pulled out
the detector. Still no readings. One more step.

You were undescribably tired. You could barely see, and now that you were at the top of
this great mountain, the gray landscape beyond it was lost in your inability to focus. You
began feeling dizzy and light headed.

You decided to sit down. Suddenly, you felt yourself drift forward. You couldn't feel the
ground with your feet. Though you couldn't see, your dull senses told you that your feet
were above your head. Wind whistled in your ears. Faster. Faster.

Thud.

Fireworks. You dreamed of fireworks. Fireworks, and a calender marked on Thursday.

You opened your eyes to find yourself in an unusual... glass... tube...

The roboticizer!

Yet... for some reason... you didn't quite... realize it was the roboticizer. Your hair was
black... and you were... almost... thinner. You weren't wearing your jacket, or your boots.
You searched your memories for familiar faces. Bunny? Rotor? Your little Miles? No...
you couldn't remember any of them. Just a village of oversexed idiots and a rather scruffy,
nude version of Antoine. The only two tailed fox that you could think of was a girl
named... now that you thought about it... her name was Tails too.

Sonic...

You looked around the structure from the roboticizer. The entire place was filled with war
torn animals and... prostitutes being held in line at gun point by many robotic guards. You
looked through the crowd for familiar faces. You found one in the front of the line.

It was bunny... but different.

Her breasts were bigger; her hips were wider. In this world, she was one of the prostitutes.
But, most shockingly, she was whole. Her entire body was organic. She was dressed in
red lace that was ripped and torn. Even though she was so unfamiliar, and she was missing
half of herself, the metal half that you loved her even more for, you still wanted to comfort
her.

In the distance, in the midst of everything, you saw something that looked like Sonic.

"Sonic . . . ."

"That's not him."

You whipped around to the voice behind you to see . . . . . . . you weren't sure.

Some animal…………………….the color black.

"You shouldn't get your hopes up," the color said. You tried to blink. "You'll be
disappointed."
"What?"
"Just listen to me!" He was upset. "Don't . . . . . . . . . . .do anything. You'll be ok then.
Everything will be fine in heaven ."

Then... he was gone. You turned back to the front, where you saw... five Sonics.

They were all mechanical except for two of them. Out of the two organic ones, only one
looked like Sonic. The other was a black and red female. The robots were all very
different, yet still distinctly looked like Sonic. One was silver, sporting guns. Another was
a very shiny, chrome blue. The third, standing furthest away, was short, and somewhat
chubby. They were all beating up on the closest thing to Sonic there.

The black and red female Sonic grabbed Sonic and mashed his head against the glass tube
that held you. You could see him clearly now. He was a darker blue, and seemed... almost
fake... like plastic. He was wearing black gloves, like the bike riding hyenas did. He was
covered in scars. But... the strangest thing about him... was his eyes. They were empty...
white... completely. A see of pearl without the moon of an iris to illuminate upon it.

His forehead pressed against the glass. His empty eyes looked straight into you, then shut
tight, not wanting to witness your roboticization. You pressed up to the glass.

You were so close. This was heaven.

Heaven after Hell.

His eyes slid open slowly. His lips parted, his breath left a mark on the glass. You felt your
own eyelids becoming heavy. It was as the machine started when he said something. No
sound, just the mouth moving.

I'm sorry.

"It's okay." You replied.

Your heart fell as the pain started.

Tubes and wires jetted into your spinal cord and head. The pain was incredible. Large
machines came down, in the shape of your body. You felt a pain-rot cold sensation up and
down your spine. Everything was hot and cold. Red and blue. Violence and sex.
Destruction and creation. Death and life.

More pain. More metal. As the the feeling on your spinal cord began to grow, your
consciousness began to fade. You took one last look at Sonic.

His tears streaked down the glass.

Then... you were in the strategy room. This was the world you knew. You were back to
normal. You started to hear that familiar whine. That... annoying... blood curling whine.
You looked across the table with it's maps and equipment to the puddle of blood from
Antoine's wrist. The scissors stood straight up, lodged into the table, through Antoine's
wrist. You looked up to his face.

Your eyes met and all sound stopped.

"Its... all... futile..." You said.

All was silent, even Antoine, but you kept talking.

"Fighting it just prolongs the... inevitable"

"What? What is inevitable?" He asked, finally speaking.

"Roboticization... That or death, Robotnik left no other options"

"So... why kill yourself?" He asked.

"It was that or prolong my existence... until a fate worse than death."

"There is no fate worse zan death."

"Wha...?"

"Now you can either try to end yourself and waste a perfectly good body, or you can suck
it up and except whatever hand you are dealt" his deep accent grated on your brain.

"If I'm caught...? If you're caught?"

"Then we except."

"... But...Roboticization...Slavery"

"You never know, princess." He smiled "It could be wonderful."

You tried to comprehend all of this... when you went blind in one eye and passed out.

Your vision returned and you were falling from the great structure you were walking up
before. Clarity. You had thrown yourself off. You didn't lose your sight up there, you lost
your sanity. You were trying to kill yourself! That's why you walked to the top of that
metallic mountain!

You hit the ground.

"Fuck you . . . . . ." Sonic whispered, face against the glass pane, eyes fixed on you. His
hand came up to the glass.

You were in the other world again now. Back in the roboticizer. Back into your different
body... now even more different.

Comfort was never so far away.

"Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck
you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck
you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck
you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you,
FUCK YOU! FUCK ALL OF YOU!" Useless. . . . . . useless . . . . . . . useless . . . . . . .
unless . . . . . . .

Why was he so angry?

You looked down.

Metallic... claws? You felt your face... your head... your body.

You were him. Metal him. Metal Sonic. Metala! You were so happy. A robot! A Sonic!
Two of the things you always wanted for yourself but could never speak out loud.

The tube opened. Light poured in and you couldn't see.

When your vision returned, you were in a vast field.

The air felt nice and cool. There were large, white clouds floating through the air. The sky
was blue. The grass was green. Serenity. You walked through this new world. You could
forget all of that chaos. You could forget all of that sorrow. Now that you were here, you
could be happy.

You walked to a lake and sat down. You looked up into the clouds. It was so peaceful.

You looked into your reflection. You liked what you saw.\

You were blue. The parts of your fur that were once dark brown were now blue. Your
once red/brown hair was now blue, slicked back into dangerously sharp quills. Your boots
were red as well, with white straps buckling them closed. Just like Sonic's.

You smiled into the reflection. Now you would never have to compete with him. You
would never have to love him. You could compete for love with yourself.

An instant struck you, and Bunny appeared, crying in the reflection.

At that moment, the field turned to jagged, metal hills. The lake got deeper as the metal
hills got taller.

You fell.

You splashed into the lake. Now a pure white. You tasted milk. The lake of milk
swallowed you up.

Fireworks.

Your eyes opened.

You sat up... you hurt all over. Your back hurt like hell, and your arm must have been
sprained. You were drowsy. You were tired.

You were pretty sure you were awake this time.

You looked up.

There it was... the large metal structure that you walked up.

You could tell what it was now. A building. A fallen building.

You thought, ‘It must have been Sonic' you looked down at your hand, now it's regular
color.

"Whoever that is."

*************
This is still not the end.

Thank you for all of the great reviews. Keep them coming, they keep me going.