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English
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Part 3 of Lost in the Waves and Washed Ashore
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2022-08-05
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Sea Glass

Summary:

Hoping to bring back some memories of before the Genesis Wave, Tails works with Professor Von Schlemmer in an experiment to do just that, with surprising results and the return of a friend.

Notes:

This fic is a continuation of my other Sonic the Hedgehog stories, Lost in the Waves and Clear as Mud. You might want to read those before reading this. Since I still had other ideas for stories from that premise, I'll start putting them in a series so they're easier to find. Subscribe to the series instead of the individual fics. Also, updates to this will probably be irregular, since I'm also still working on my Ninjago fics.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

It took a great deal of needling, but eventually, Tails managed to convince Sonic to share stories about the world before the Genesis Wave. While Silver had always been open to talking about it too, it meant more to the fox to hear it from Sonic, even if he could tell both hedgehogs were still holding back certain details. He just hoped they would open up about it eventually.

Still, it was great to get more context on the people he'd overheard them talking about. It was both new but also strangely familiar. Since his own memories from before the Genesis Wave had already faded, he couldn't remember these people himself but some part of him still felt he knew them.

"So your dad was a robot?" asked Tails in wonder one quiet afternoon between missions. Uncle Chuck had recently come for a visit with Professor Pickle, which had prompted the discussion.

"Robian," Sonic corrected. "Like Bunnie, but all the way. He got hurt real bad in a war, and it was the only way Uncle Chuck could save him."

"And Uncle Chuck was actually your uncle in the old world, not just an honorary one?" Tails asked to establish it. It was unclear if Chuck was related to Sonic in this timeline, but the resemblance between them did indicate the possibility even if neither could be sure.

"He was," Sonic said. "He actually raised me for a good chunk of my life." He then cracked a grin. "He still makes the best chili dogs no matter which timeline we're in."

"Cool," said Tails with a smile. He then hesitated, and asked, "Uh, if it's okay to ask, do you have any other relatives I don't know about?"

"Aside from the greatest little brother ever?" asked Sonic, ruffling Tail's bangs, making the fox laugh. "Nah, not really. I was an only child, and Uncle Chuck never had a kid…" Sonic paused and trailed off as something occurred to him that he wasn't sure if he liked. "I mean, unless you count robots, I guess. Wait, does that mean Shard was my cousin?"

Tails frowned. "Shard was the Metal Sonic who turned good, right?" he asked, recalling the explanation he'd been given before.

"Yeah, he learned the value of life from the two of us and changed his ways," said Sonic, nudging Tails fondly. "Thought he was dead after saving us for a long time, but then on a mission, he comes racing in and I find out Uncle Chuck rebuilt him. I never did get an answer as to why."

"Maybe to help Silver's old Secret Freedom Fighter team," offered Tails. "Silver talks about him more than you, and he did seem to be friends with him when you told us about Shard."

"That would make sense since Shard said stuff about secrets and people relying on him when I last saw him and it was right before Silver managed to inexplicably track us down," mused Sonic. "I'll have to ask Silver next time I see him."

"Do you think they were close?" asked Tails.

Sonic shrugged and looked thoughtful. "Could be, but honestly, I think it's more that out of everyone Shard is the most likely we could get back somehow. Everyone else had their entire lifetimes erased, but Shard was a robot. All he needs is someone to build him, but…" Sonic trailed off and his face darkened.

Tails had a guess why. "Is it what Eggman said about it not actually 'being' Shard even if you did?"

Sonic didn't reply but his face was answer enough.

Tails nodded thoughtfully. It was true between him and Rotor and maybe Silver's professor friend they could build a new robot that looked like the reformed Metal Sonic had, but even if they programmed his personality to be like what Sonic and Silver remembered of him, there wasn't a guarantee they were actually making Shard and not an imitation of him.

Then, something occurred to Tails. "Wait! I forgot to ask, but how did Silver remember the other world? We didn't have Nichole help him like the rest of us for our temporarily restored memories."

Sonic shrugged. "He said it had something to do with his work with the Genesis Portals, and being around them so much triggered his old memories, and, uh, apparently gave him a mental breakdown. Also, all his time traveling makes him a little more immune to timeline changes than the rest of us." He then frowned. "Though, we've time traveled some too. Wonder if we'll start developing that immunity."

Tails, however, had his mind elsewhere, theories already spinning in his head. "I wonder…" he said, "if we can somehow replicate that. Find some way to harness the power from the Genesis portals to bring our memories back to the forefront. Or at least be able to recall what we need to when we need to."

The look on Sonic's face hearing that was a painful reminder that there were still things the blue hedgehog wasn't telling him. An expression that was both wistful like he'd love for Tails to have those memories, but also dreading it like there were some things he didn't want him to remember. Or rather, someone he didn't want him to remember because they were very likely gone, and Tails had a slight suspicion who.

"Sonic, who's Fiona?" Tails asked out of the blue.

That sudden question threw Sonic off guard. "Wait, what?"

"I know you don't want me to remember some things to protect me, and you stopped Silver from asking about her around me before," said Tails. "So she must have been someone I knew that was important to me. Even if she's gone I'd still like to know. Who was she?"

Sonic's expression went through a whole range of emotions, but not the ones Tails expected. It seems there might be someone else Sonic was trying to avoid talking about, someone even more important to him than Fiona.

Finally, the hedgehog sighed and said, "Fiona the Fox, she was your first crush as a little kid."

Tails blinked, not expecting that. "Wait really?"

"Yep," said Sonic in a nonchalant tone. "Unfortunately for you, first she was a robot, then she was too old for you, and then she turned evil and was still too old for you."

Tails made a face. "You're messing with me," he said.

"Nope," said Sonic with a grin. "She ended up falling for that evil counterpart of mine, Scourge." He then frowned thoughtfully. "Though, you know, she might actually still be around. If she was running with Scourge off in another dimension she might have avoided the Genesis Wave. That'll be awkward if she comes back."

"I'll say," said Tails, having no recollection of this girl.

"Especially since… and I should probably say this because if I don't it'll come back to bite me, I… might have dated her too," Sonic admitted awkwardly.

Tails looked at him with a raised brow. "Did you not know I had a thing for her?"

Sonic looked guilty.

"Sonic!" Tails said with a laugh and swatting at him.

"Sorry! We already fought about it," said Sonic holding his hands up in defense. "At the time I thought it'd help you get over her, but in hindsight it was stupid and we both paid for it."

"Because she turned out to be evil and not worth it?" asked Tails.

"Exactly," said Sonic. "Scourge can have her. Pretty sure they deserve each other."

Tails laughed as the conversation turned to other things. But in the back of his mind, the thought of using the Genesis Portals to regain memories still hummed away.

He'd have to talk to Rotor about it later.

After talking it over with Rotor, the two came to the conclusion that they needed more data on the Genesis Portals in order to even attempt the memory retrieval and to do that they'd need to talk to an expert.

Which was why Silver suddenly found himself ambushed by the fox.

"You want me to take you back to my time again?" he asked, looking bewildered. "Why?"

"Rotor and I have some ideas for maybe getting people's memories of Mobius back, but we need Professor Von Schlemmer's help with it," said Tails. "He's done the most research on the Genesis Portals that we know about. That way we'd know if it can even be attempted without making the portals worse."

Silver scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to ask, and it'd be nice for more people to remember things."

Tails beamed, and the next time there was a free moment and an available portal the two were off to the future.

Soon enough they were back in the lab, and Professor Von Schlemmer hummed thoughtfully as he heard Tails's proposed theory. "To tell ze truth, I had also considered exploring ze memory phenomenon after Silver recalled his previous timeline. However, I vas never able to test it properly given ze, vell, ze unfortunate circumstances of zis time period. Vith how few Silver reported vere left alive in ze old timeline, I could very vell have never been born zere. As such, zere is likely nozing for me to remember. Or at least nozing good."

Next to him, Silver grimaced in agreement.

"But there's plenty of people who could remember in my time," said Tails. "We all remembered not long after the Genesis Wave first happened, but the longer we were in the new timeline the more we forgot. Sonic only still remembers because he was at ground zero when the wave happened."

"Fascinating," said Professor Von Schlemmer, moving to type on his computer and pull up his files on the Genesis Wave. "In contrast, Silver did not remember ze previous timeline until after a great deal of exposure to ze Genesis Portals. It could be zat continued exposure to zem may trigger memories in ozer people as vell."

"But it wasn't just that," said Silver, who'd been mostly quiet during all the science talk that went over his head. "With all my traveling I've been out of sync with time for a while now, both in the previous timeline and this one too. I've always been able to remember alternate timelines other people don't because of things I changed in the past. Heck, even a few small things here have changed with me going to the back so frequently."

Both geniuses looked fascinated. "Like what?" asked Tails.

Silver pointed to the Bits that were scampering around the lab. "Well, for one thing, the Bits used to be red, yellow, and a blue-green. Not black, pink, and Sonic blue."

Tails turned to see the little robotic hedgehogs had indeed changed their colors from the last time he'd visited.

"Aw, they're like a mini Sonic, Shadow, and Amy," said Tails as he crouched down for a better look. The Bits all preened under his attention.

Professor Von Schlemmer also looked surprised. "Ya, zat is vy I picked zose colors. To honor ze heroic hedgehogs of ze past."

"Guess you weren't quite as big a fan of them before something changed," said Tails, thoughtfully. "I wonder if it has to do with the three of them teaming up on our last mission."

Professor Von Schlemmer looked sheepish. "Oh ya, if it is ze one I am zinking of, it vas a favorite childhood story of mine. It vas very funny."

"I was there too, Professor, that's why things changed," Silver pointed out dryly. He didn't see any silver Bits running around the lab.

"Ya, but you weren't smacked like a croquet ball into a bunch of huge robots so hard they flew like bowling pins and landed in the dump," Tails said with a teasing tone.

"I'm the reason it flew so far!" Silver protested, sounding miffed. "Do you really think Amy could launch Sonic and Shadow that hard and they'd go that far without help?"

Professor Von Schlemmer laughed and patted Silver on the head comfortingly. "Zere, zere, Silver. I vill build a Bit in your likeness if it vill make you happy."

Silver brightened hearing that, and the Bits cheered to hear they were getting a fourth.

The professor then turned back to Tails and said, "Now, let's begin zis experiment."

It took some time, because as interesting as this experiment was both present and future parties had bigger things to worry about. But it wasn't forgotten, and Tails worked on it with Professor Von Schlemmer every chance he got.

Finally, they'd done enough research and building to run a test.

"So run this experiment of yours by me again," said Sonic skeptically as he, Tails, Silver, and Professor Von Schlemmer (who was tickled pink to be in the past) stood in an art supply shop of all things (and the sales attendant was already giving them suspicious looks).

Tails groaned as he was asked that for the umpteenth time. "Soooonic, I've told you this before."

Sonic looked sheepish, and said, "Oh, I know. I totally get it," he fibbed before jabbing his thumb at Silver. "It's Silver here that's still lost."

"HEY" squawked Silver at being thrown under the bus, but also couldn't deny it. The professor and fox's techno babble had gone straight over his head.

Tails and Professor Von Schlemmer shared an amused look and silently agreed to explain it in simpler terms.

"By my calculations, zere vill soon be un Genesis Portal opening in zis location," the professor explained.

"And not just any portal," said Tails eagerly. "This one will be radiating an energy similar to the one Nichole contained after the Genesis Wave which helped us temporarily remember the past timeline."

"Ven ze portal opens, myself and Tails vill take some samples of ze energy for study," continued Professor Von Schlemmer as he held up a device that was no doubt for that exact purpose. It looked like a video game controller with some lightbulbs, a spout, and a bottle attached to it.

"And if we better understand that energy we might be able to use it to regain our lost memories again when we need them," said Tails.

"Don't you mean 'if' you need them?" asked Sonic.

Tails sent his brother a dry look. "No, Sonic, when," he said firmly. "Given our track record and the fact Eggman seems to remember too, I'd bet we'll probably need those memories sooner or later."

"Touche," Sonic had to agree. "So, portal opens, you take your sample, I'm here to make sure nothing nasty comes out-"

"-Uh, and I'm here to close it up again?" finished Silver just to be clear.

"Exactly," said Professor Von Schlemmer.

"The plan sounds great and all, but that energy nearly fried Nichole when she held it and she could barely communicate until we got it out of her," said Sonic to the professor. "You sure that toy of yours can handle it."

"Oh ya, ve have specifically modified it to handle ze portal energy," said Professor Von Schlemmer brightly. He then snapped his fingers and said, "Oh, speaking of toys." He reached into his pocket and pulled out four balls that were blue, black, pink, and silver. "Come along, Bits, ve need to finish setting up."

The balls all uncurled and the Bits began scurrying around to set up the equipment, the new silver-colored one getting a pat on the head from Silver as it passed.

"Didn't you have only three of those?" asked Sonic, amused by the one matching his colors running by and giving him a wave. "And weren't they different colors before?"

"Ya, but I have recently built a new one," said Professor Von Schlemmer, sending Silver a grin. "I had to complete the set."

Silver smiled, pleased.

Before any of them could say anything else, a flash of purple appeared between them, and the Genesis Portal ripped its way into their reality.

"Quick! Take the sample!" Tails shouted as sheets of construction paper and calligraphy pens began blowing off the shelves from the force of the portal.

Professor Von Schlemmer quickly activated his device and sucked in some of the portal's energy into the bottle of the machine. He quickly pulled out the bottle once it was full, and the blue Bit handed him another. He took three more bottles of the stuff, before calling to Silver, "Okay, now close it!"

Silver immediately began his now long-practiced task of forcing the portal shut with his powers.

Once it was all done, the art store was a mess, but the experiment had gone without a hitch and no one was hurt.

"Well, that was easier than expected," Sonic remarked.

As if he'd jinxed it, the store attendant immediately came storming over to them. "What the heck are you doing back here!" exclaimed a light blue Nutria with a name tag that had 'Dave' written across it furiously.

"Uh, science," offered Tails weakly.

"Well your 'science' is going to take me all afternoon to clean up!" snapped Dave the store worker, gesturing wildly at the mess the portal had caused.

"Don't sweat it," Sonic said, unconcerned. "That portal would have opened whether we were here or not, and as for the mess-" Sonic quickly zoomed around snatching up all the discarded merchandise and putting it back where it belonged. "Finished."

Dave still didn't look impressed. "Yeah, I'm still gonna have to ask you to leave," he snapped, turning to stomp away and accidentally tripping over the pink, black, and silver Bits as they carried one of the energy bottles.

Both the store attendant and the little robots fell to the ground, and the bottle flew into the air before shattering right next to them.

Immediately, the energy burst free and swirled above them like a viper ready to strike.

Sonic moved to help the fallen, but Tails held him back. "Wait! We don't know what the effect that much energy can have on someone!"

Silver tried to pull the energy back with his powers, but it would not be contained.

Dave paled and scrambled away, "I'M NOT PAID ENOUGH FOR THIS!" he shrieked as he ran, accidentally kicking the Bits as he did and knocking them directly into the energy's path.

Everyone watched in horror as the little pink, black, and silver Bits looked like they were about to be zapped, but at the last second, the blue Bit raced over and shoved them out of the way, getting zapped by the energy instead.

Everyone watched horrified as the Bit shuddered and spasmed like it was being electrocuted. Its eyes turned to static and a loud whine emanated from it as the energy zapped it. After a long moment, the energy seemed to be fully absorbed into the little robot hedgehog, and it flopped to the ground lifeless.

"Oh no!" gasped Professor Von Schlemmer as he hurried over to his creation, the other three Bits also crowding around in concern for their savior.

Tails looked stricken that their experiment might have hurt the little robot and Sonic put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly while Siver was internally berating himself for trying to grab the energy instead of getting the Bits and Dave out of the way.

Suddenly, the little blue Bit jerked back to life and looked around wildly while beeping frantically in the Bits' computer language.

Whatever it was saying had Professor Von Schlemmer blinking in confusion.

"What's wrong professor? Is it alright?" asked Tails worriedly.

"I-I am unsure. Ze zings it is saying, zey make no sense," said Professor Von Schlemmer. "For some reason, it believes it vas just attacked by Metal Sonic."

"Metal Sonic?" asked Sonic in confusion.

"We did knock Metal Sonic through a Genesis Portal that one time, maybe it has something to do with that?" offered Silver, wondering if this was related to that.

At the sound of their voices, the blue Bit's head snapped around, giving Sonic, Tails, and Silver a look at its eyes, which were now glowing a bright red instead of their previous blue. Instantly it was on its feet and running over to them, still speaking frantically in computer language, only to stop dead when it suddenly seemed to notice how much taller they were than it. Then its voice quickly shifted from frantic to irritated.

"Uh, sorry little guy," said Sonic, crouching down to talk to it (something that seemed to irritate the Bit even more). "I don't speak computer."

"What's it saying, professor?" asked Silver.

"I may be a genius, but even I cannot translate binary ven it is spoken zat fast," said the professor, still looking confused as to what was going on. "All I can make out is it zinks it has been rebuilt, and is quite peeved zat even Tails is taller zan it now."

Tails looked confused. "But all the Bits have always been shorter than me."

The blue Bit seemed to react to being referred to as part of a set and looked startled to see the other three bits crowd around in concern, then hurried over to an empty picture frame to get a look at its reflection and squeaked in surprise.

"Do you think the Genesis Portal energy fried some of its systems?" asked Silver.

"Zat is a possibility. I vill have to run a diagnos-" the professor started to say before he realized what the Bit was now doing. "HEY! No! Zat vas just cleaned!"

Sonic, Tails, and Silver looked back at the bit to see it had snatched a tube of gold paint off the shelf and was squeezing a glob of the stuff onto a paintbrush. Then, before anyone could stop it, it quickly spread the paint across its face, resulting in the gold now framing its eyes, and three long stripes extending up its forehead to the tip of its quills.

The Bit then looked back up at them all defiantly, as if daring them to say something.

The professor and fox didn't have a clue as to what was going on, but Sonic and Silver were stunned at the sight of the familiar markings.

"Wait-!" Sonic said, his eyes wide.

"SHARD!" gasped Silver in amazement. "Is that you in there?"

The Bit's eyes faded from red to green, and let out a beep that the Professor didn't even need to translate, but did so anyway, "It… He… says ya."

Tails's eyes widened. "You mean that reformed Metal Sonic? The one Silver was friends with."

The Bit, Shard, looked at Tails oddly for that question and spoke more in binary.

"He vants to know vy Tails does not seem to know him despite zem having met before, along vith many ozer questions," Professor Von Schlemmer translated.

Sonic released a heavy sigh. "It's a long story, scrap bucket," he said before explaining everything about the Genesis Wave and what came after, and everything that was lost along with it.

By the time the story was done, the Bit that was now Shard seemed to be having a hard time processing it all. Then with a desperate edge to his tone, he chirped out a question.

"He is asking about ze fate of ze ozer Secret Freedom Fighters," said the professor.

Silver bowed his head mournfully. "It's just us, Shard. They're gone. Them and Director Who."

Shard looked devastated to hear that, but asked another question.

"'Vat about Uncle Chuck and Nichole?' he says," translated the professor.

Sonic managed a weak grin at that. "They're still here," he said. "They don't remember, and Uncle Chuck isn't even aware there was another timeline (and he might not even be my uncle anymore), but they're still here."

Shard drooped in relief to hear that, but then glanced at his reflection again, taking in his tiny body and rushed paint job before buzzing out something in a bemoaning tone.

Professor Von Schlemmer laughed. "He is lamenting having zis Nichole see him in such a state. From vat I am understanding he is quite sweet on her, no?"

Shard buzzed angrily at that part being translated, and Silver exclaimed, "I KNEW IT! Larry owes me lunch!" Then realizing there was no way Larry could pay up, he grimaced.

"As for how you look, I'm sure that's something we could fix," offered Tails. "It wouldn't be too hard to build you a bigger body."

Shard perked up at that idea.

"I could do it," offered Professor Von Schlemmer. "I built ze body you are currently in. It vould not be too much trouble to build a bigger one for you."

Shard glanced at him with a look that was both dubious and lacking in recognition.

"You still have your Bit memories right?" asked Sonic. "Those memories should still be there, though it might take a minute for them to come back. Or at least, it did for me."

Shard looked down as he tried to access those memories in his database, and seemed to find them from the way he chirped at the professor.

Professor Von Schlemmer nodded. "If zat is vat you vish," he said, before turning to the others. "He says he appreciates ze offer, zere is someone else he vould like to take first stab at it if he is villing."

"Really?" asked Tails. "Who?"

Inside his workshop, Uncle Chuck looked like he didn't know what to think of the request he had just been given.

"You want me to build a Metal Sonic?" he asked incredulously.

Sonic, Silver, and Tails smiled sheepishly at the uncle to many, and from atop Silver's head and peeking out between his quills Shard muttered through the translator Tails had given him, "I should have known he wouldn't go for it."

The sight of the little robotic hedgehog only served to make Uncle Chuck even more confused.

Sonic sighed, and said, "It's a long story, Uncle Chuck, but basically, this little guy would like a bigger body, and he requested you build it for him."

Shard gave him his best pleading look at that request, which was pretty darn effective given his current size and appearance.

Uncle Chuck could already feel himself caving. "But why me?" he asked. "Why not whoever built him in the first place?"

"Long story involving portals and alternate timelines," said Silver, who as the resident time traveler, was the most believable to hear that from. "But the short version is that in another timeline you rebuilt him after he was nearly destroyed. He was hoping you could do it again for him here."

Uncle Chuck just stared at the pale hedgehog upon hearing that, then looked up at Shard again.

Shard's pleading look intensified.

Uncle Chuck sighed. "I'll see what I can do," he said.

Shard let out a happy chirp in Bit before saying into the translator, "Thanks a bunch, Gramps!"

Uncle Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Gramps?" he asked.

Shard froze, and pretended to fiddle with the translator. "Oh, whoops, looks like this thing has a few bugs. Stupid auto-correct!"

"Hey!" protested Tails, since that was his invention he was blaming, while Sonic snickered and Silver facepalmed. "Same old Shard," the pale hedgehog muttered to himself

At that exact moment, Nichole's face popped up on a nearby screen in Uncle Chuck's lab.

"Sky Patrol to workshop, Sally would like to know how much longer-" she started to say but trailed off as she caught sight of Shard atop Silver's head.

Mortified at the holo-lynx seeing him in this state, Shard tried to hide behind Silver's sticking-up quills, but it was already too late.

"Oh! Who is your little friend there, Silver, he's adorable," Nichole said brightly.

Now Silver was trying very hard not to laugh even with Shard pulling on his quills.

"You tell her and once I'm big I will throw you off a pier," Shard hissed down to him.

"She's going to find out anyway," Silver replied as a few snickers slipped out. "Besides, I can fly."

Shard let out an indignant beep and leaned over to look Silver in the eyes, but realized too late that was putting him even more into Nichole's view. In his mad scramble to hide again, he lost his grip and curled into a ball as he bounced across the floor and rolled to a stop at Uncle Chuck's feet.

As Nichole tittered in concern about the little metal hedgehog, Uncle Chuck shook his head and gave another sigh. "I can already tell you're going to be a handful," he said.

Shard uncurled from his ball and just grinned back as he said, "It's part of my charm."

Another day another fight with Eggman's forces.

Eggman had brought Metal Sonic to the fight again along with his latest giant mech. He seemed to enjoy doing that every time he got word Silver would be there. Apparently, he found Silver's attempts to awaken any Shard-like qualities in his creations quite amusing, and he reveled in pointing out the futility of it to Sonic. Throwing in barbs about everyone lost in the Genesis Wave had become his new favorite way to get under the blue hedgehog's skin.

Which was why it was so disappointing when instead of trying to talk to Metal Sonic, Silver was instead giving it his all to take the blue robot down quickly.

What gives?

Still, the evil genius wasn't about to let an opportunity to torment Sonic pass him by, so he called out, "Well, look at that, Rodent! It seems your little psychic friend has finally accepted reality. Or at least, reality as we know it now. That you failed to save his dear friend Shar-"

But before Eggman could finish his taunt, a new voice cut in, "Did someone call me?"

The doctor only had time to look around in confusion before a black and gold blur suddenly barreled straight through his mech with enough force that even Sonic would have hesitated before doing it. (But only hesitated. He still totally would have done it.)

Disengaging his Egg Mobile from the now wrecked mech, Eggman looked up to see a very familiar hedgehog hovering in front of him.

Grinning back at him in all his gleaming metal glory, Shard asked, "So what's this I hear about you never shutting up about me? What's the matter, ex-boss? You miss me?"

"Sh-Sh-Shard!" screeched Eggman with an utterly flabbergasted expression.

"Nichole, please tell me you're getting this," Sonic whispered into his communicator, grinning widely at Eggman's reaction.

"Recording in HD," was Nichole's cheerful reply. "I'm already preparing popcorn for the instant replay we can watch later."

"I think we're all going to enjoy that," Sally said softly into her own comms as Eggman continued to sputter.

Shard seemed to grow tired of frying Eggman's brain simply by existing, and decided to do something to do it on purpose.

With a quick boost from his turbine, Shard tackled Metal Sonic away from his fight with Silver.

"Hey! I had him!" Silver protested as the two robots began their clash.

"Sorry Silver," Shard called back, "But me and my 'brother' have unfinished business to take care of."

Metal Sonic looked like he didn't know what Shard was talking about, but was still perfectly willing to fight him if that's what he wanted.

Not that Shard gave him much chance, as he sent the two of them hurtling towards the ground before letting go.

Shard pulled up.

Metal Sonic didn't.

After hitting the hard rocky ground with an impact that left a crater, it was needless to say Metal Sonic was down for the count.

"And once again I remain at the top of the line," said Shard with a smug grin up at his former creator. "Accept no substitutes."

That finally seemed to break Eggman out of his shock, and with a wordless and furious growl, he had an arm extend from his Egg Mobile to snatch Metal Sonic up and make his escape, setting off a barrage of missiles to keep them from coming after him.

Shard glared after him as he shot down the missiles, before coming down for a landing, his eyes shifting from battle-mode red to at-ease green.

"Feeling good?" asked Silver as he came up to his old teammate.

Shard turned to him with a grin. "Good? I feel amazing! Though, the lack of a Power Gem takes some getting used to."

Silver grinned back and clapped him on the shoulder. "If we find one we'll install it into you," he promised.

"On behalf of all of us, thank you Shard," said Sally as she and the other Freedom Fighters gathered around the two of them. They had been unsure of Shard at first, but Silver had vouched for him, and Sonic and Tails backed him up.

Shard looked sheepish. "Oh, thanks, Princess. Glad I could be of use."

"You did more than good," said Tails, looking amused. "We got the whole show on tape. Wanna come with us to watch it?"

"Nichole will be there," Sonic said in a teasing voice, making the robot give him a flat stare. He was definitely going to regret letting Sonic hear of his crush.

"Well, sure, guess I could stick around," Shard said, before glancing over at Silver. "Unless there are more Genesis Portals around?"

It had been decided the robotic hedgehog would stick with Silver in his mission to find and close the Genesis Portals both as a backup for the psychic, and just in case a lack of exposure to the portals' energy would cause his memories of Shard to fade and revert him back to a Bit.

"None at the moment," said Silver. "And Gold's been on my case about overworking again. As happy as she is that I have friends in this time period, going on missions with you guys on top of portal hunting is not her idea of relaxing."

"Pretty sure that's no one's idea of relaxing," Amy remarked.

Shard snickered as Silver pouted. "Still the same ol' stick-in-the-mud, aren't you," the robot said. "Never change, Silver."

The Freedom Fighters all headed back to the Sky Patrol while still talking and laughing at the look on Eggman's face that last battle.

While the Freedom Fighters never thought they would ever team up with a Metal Sonic, reformed or not, but now that they were this one wasn't so bad.

In fact, it was looking like the start of something great.

Notes:

Shard's back! I mostly just really wanted to revive him as a Bit, but I like how this came out. Now that's three hedgehogs that remember the past timeline, and Shard probably won't have as much of a filter as the rest of them. Still, I liked Shard in the comics, I thought he had a cool design, and his sass was a lot of fun. It was disappointing when Sega mandates made it so he couldn't be around anymore.

Let me know if you have any suggestions for future chapters.

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