A Knights Metal

Base was marched down the long metal corridor, alongside him was Veejay Hedgehog, the woman who had quite possibly made his hellish life as of late, MORE hellish with how she spent her time tossing verbal hate at him since he'd arrived; this being his third visit to Downunda. The first time, he'd come seeking the truth behind his teacher and oldest friend's defection to Robotnik's side, finding his leads, returning a second time on pure accident, but not being met with the hostility of his first visit. This third visit however, she'd been present again, and met him with the same hostility as the first time, his third visit being only a week after his second.

Veejay had been amply pissed about a 'crown polisher' coming to Downunda, the second and third time had been the final straws and she'd vowed to use Base's skull as a helmet. The fight had not gone as either had planned however, Base's demeanor at the time was lost and broken, and her attack fell on a being who was not willing to fight back.

Veejay's response to Base's demeanor, was oddly enough, pity. Gone was the wisecracking jackass she remembered from the first visit, she saw it in his eyes, his life had been destroyed, what he had, was gone.

Now she was in step with him being marched to the Roboticizer, mocking him every step of the way and blaming him for their predicament.

"-keep your goddamn head down I said! But no! You go charging out and attack a fucking SWATbot with your fists!"

Base glared at her out of the corner of his eye,"And you went out after me determined to prove you could smash more in less time. I wouldn't be bare fisted if my family sword hadn't been broken."

Veejay rolled her eyes,"Whah whah, my ancient sword broke! Poor me!"

Base sighed,"Since I've gotten here I've done NOTHING but try and prove my worth and pull my weight, in return, you've cussed me out and taken shots at me from all angles! What the hell do you expect me to do to earn my keep!?"

"Risk life and limb? Arm and a leg? Eye for eye? There we go, one of each, how about an arm and eye?" she mused,"Besides, I got this covered." she said hinting to her cuffs, she was picking them as they were being led down the hallway.

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The Roboticizer Chamber was a small one. Hardly enough space for Veejay's Freedom Fighters, Base, and the SWATbots.

A small screen flickered to life, Robotnik came onto the screen, a smile across his face,"Well well well, I managed to capture two pains in my backside at once. What a treat, two rodents with one trap."

Base rolled his eyes, but Veejay spoke what was on his mind,"You didn't capture shit with a trap, we attacked your operations plant, jackass."

Robotnik's smile grew wide,"Roboticize her first. We'll see how smart her mouth is when its metal."

Veejay growled, realization set in, her cuffs weren't unlocked, she needed more time.

Base stepped between her and the screen and cocked his head to the side,"Me first, I'm older."

Veejay cocked and eyebrow,"You're not ol-"

Base elbowed her softly in the side,"Besides, fatass, who's the reason you got those three other shiny metal bits?"

Base was referring to Robotnik's other limbs, all robotic now, as Base had, at one point, cut them off of Robotnik is a blind fury over Mission's death, when Robotnik had tried to convince him to defect as Mission had.

Robotnik's smile dissapeared,"It makes no difference to me, hedgehog, a machine is more powerful than a man."

"I guess you need the extra power to carry all that fat?" Base grinned.

"Hedgehog-!" Robotnik warned.

"C'mon man-boobs, we know who you really want to cook up in your deep fryer. I can smell you from down here, you gettin' all sweaty waiting for some deep fried hedgehog! Let's go cellulite Cecil, I haven't got all day."

"That's true...you don't. Roboticize him first!" Robotnik shouted over the intercom punctuating this with a slam of his fist, cutting off the video feed.

A SWATbot grabbed his arm, hauling him into the machine and closing the glass around him. Veejay stared at him in the machine. Base stood in defiance, showing no fear, and Veejay felt a little admiration for him. Base looked down at her just as her cuffs unlinked and gave her a nod. Before she could act, the switch was thrown.

Veejay leapt at the SWATbot, hauling it's head from its shoulders and tossing it at the glass like a frizbee from hell.

The glass tube shattered completely, smoke rose from the machine as it had started to break down from Veejay slamming her fists into it to stop the process further. Base's shrouded form was seen stumble and lean against the metal siding inside the machine.

Veejay's wrath and fury was brutal, as she leapt from SWATbot to bot and attacked until they were heaps of refuse, the DSFF had by now, followed their leader's example, picked their cuffs and attacked the bots. When the smoke cleared, the DSFF was victorious, and Veejay turned to the Roboticizer, marching towards it, ready to simultaniously kick Base's ass and thank him for giving her the extra few seconds she needed, she stopped short when the sight fully registered.

Base leant against the wall, breathing heavy, sweat poured down his face, dripping from his muzzle, his left arm and eye were now, in fact, metal duplicates of what they once were. Base touched his eye, saw his arm, looked like he would scream, but just stood.

Veejay's eyes went wide, her words echoed in her head,Risk life and limb? Arm and a leg? Eye for eye? There we go, one of each, how about an arm and eye?

Base stumbled forward and fell out of the machine, hitting the ground with a loud CLANG! Being brought down by his bulky metal arm. He looked up at Veejay, a look of disbelief at what he was now, as if asking her to tell him it wasn't real. Veejay looked down with sympathy at the hedgehog, were her eyes glossing? To Veejay, his stare wasn't one of begging, it was one of accusation.

"...ironic...huh?" was his weak reply, and it did nothing to ensure her his stare wasn't what she thought it was in her mind.

Veejay hauled him up and over her shoulder like a fire fighter, knowing roboticization sickness had set in, a condition of anyone de-roboticized or only partially, where the body was struggling to cope with the new changes, a condition few survived.

Veejay's voice was loud, but it didn't hide that it was breaking,"Shut up, we have a bomb to set."

Veejay hoped one day she could make this up to him, to fix him, and hoped to any god that may be listening, that he never saw her tears.

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Much better now. Beforehand, I found the story to be a bit of a cough out, a skeleton for me to fill in the blanks between Base's visits to Downunda. Here we go, a much better version. :3