Metal Sonic in M.L.a.a.T.R

Part 25: Episode 3 The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Preleude: Updated Synopsis

Eventually, Barry, Metal, and Tails wake up after the Mirage Express has slowed down; the two, along with Amy, who had regained consciousness earlier, find themselves inside of the Dining Car's closet. A heavy shelf blocks the door out, leaving the three trapped. The fox asks the pink hedgehog to destroy this obstacle with her Piko-Piko Hammer, but she is reluctant to do so, instead proposing to find another way. Suspecting that she is hiding something, Tails and the quokka team up to gather clues in the closet on why she is acting like this and then interrogate her.

While looking around the closet, the three "detectives" find two things of interest: what appears to be a rod with a broken tip, and a crack on the shelf that blocks their way. When they interrogate Amy, Tails and Barry conclude that she attempted to escape before they woke up. As it turns out, the "rod" they had found was not actually a rod, but the handle to her Piko-Piko Hammer; while trying to find a way out, Amy hit the shelf with her hammer, leaving the crack there, but the handle snapped right off. Amy then says that this is true, and that the Piko-Piko Hammer snapped because it was a backup of the original one. Afterwards, Tails quickly fixes the broken hammer, with Metal Reinforcing it so it won't snap in two again, and Amy uses it to destroy the shelf, allowing them to escape. When they return to the Dining Car, which is now a mess, they find Sonic's unconscious body lying on the floor. Amy believes that he is just playing along and leaves, with Tails hot on her heels. Barry and Metal, however, is horrified when they hear the blue hedgehog faintly saying that his body is numb and that he cannot move. Barry and Metal, briefly, assume that Sonic is genuinely hurt, but they brush it off and continue onwards.

Barry, Metal, and Tails meet Knuckles in the Saloon Car. Amy, after talking to Knuckles, had moved on to the next car. Knuckles seems to be in an irritable mood, so the Barry and Tails decide to investigate why. The two clues of note were a smashed up Super Monkey Ball arcade machine and multiple glasses on the counter. The arcade machine in particular was damaged as if someone punched it, and one of the three glasses had lipstick on it. The Trio also notices that the door leading to the next car is locked. Upon interrogating Knuckles, the trio learns that Knuckles was playing the arcade machine. Barry and Metal distract Knuckles while Tails fixes the machine and pulls up the scoreboard, revealing Vector's name just above Knuckles, hence why he punched it. Knuckles denies it was Vector, but the quokka points out the glasses, explaining that there were too many for just Knuckles to have a drink, indicating that he and Vector shared drinks while playing. Knuckles explains that the one with the lipstick on it was Rouges cup, who was looking some something before leaving. Tails then notices something else on the arcade machines scoreboard: the name "ULTIM", which Metal quickly states to have been "The Ultimate Life Form", Shadow the Hedgehog. Knuckles recalls that Shadow was the one that taught him and Vector how to play, and after he left, asked Knuckles to lock the door behind him with a key he gave him and let no one get through, Amy having got though using her master key, so Knuckles locked the door behind her. The group is confused on why Shadow would do that, but Knuckles has no idea. Knuckles unlocks the door, and, determined to continue their investigation, Tails, Barry, and Metal all move on to the next room.

The Trio arrives in the Library Car to find Amy talking with Espio and Vector. Amy says she has a tip and heads off to the next car. After that, Espio and Vector tell the detectives some info: After getting the Library, Espio picked up a book and read it, while Vector went to the Saloon Car out of boredom. Espio also states that Rouge was also looking for whatever she was looking for in the Library Car before heading to the Saloon Car. She returned and seemingly found something at the brochure stand, then left for the Casino Car before Shadow came through, locked the door behind him, and returned to the Lounge Car. Espio and Vector finish by saying this all happened before the train sped up and that they were trapped in there until Amy came.