Hello everyone, I suppose I have some explaining to do.

My account was wiped clean while I was away in Mexico due to a VERY pestering family member back in the US who trolled me good (I've exacted my revenge already. Some say let God take revenge. I say that God wants me to take my freakin revenge when I need to). That means my previous story (The Gift of Life), which had surpassed 6,000 views and close to seventy reviews, was deleted. Yippee…

I'm sorry for not posting anything for a long while, I needed time to regain some motivation to keep writing. Sometime in the future I will repost that story all over again, minus the milestones it reached with my standards and expectations. But it wasn't all about the general popularity of the story that I worry about. I just want everyone who stumbles across it to be able to read and enjoy my work if they felt the desire to do so.

Here's a short little oneshot I cooked up in a short amount of time. It's certainly not my best work, this is just a step back into writing fanfiction for me after a hiatus. Boy am I glad to be back too.

Maybe sometime in the future I'll begin writing and merging both Sonic stories with a new video game universe I'd love to introduce into my writing hobby.

"I've done it! I've successfully captured Sonic's little friend Tails! HAHAHAHAH!" Eggman laughed maniacally as he pranced around in a rather idiotic fashion. Metal Sonic stood beside him, making a low mechanical hum similar to evil chuckling.

Across from both of them, Tails rolled his eyes as he stood with two massive badniks by both his sides, poking cold steel gun muzzles at his fur, daring him to try anything. He watched the madman do his little happy evil jig for a few seconds before sighing in annoyance. "Pardon the rudeness, but skip the incoming obligatory monologue if this is pretty much it."

Eggman stopped and stuck a gloved finger at Tails sneering,"You can shut it, fox! I rarely get to enjoy moments of victory like this, so let me cherish it!".

"Cherish what though?" Tails said smiling a little as he rolled his eyes again. He seemed incredibly nonchalant about being in his archenemy's custody.

Eggman cackled and grinned at Tails. "For a supposed genius you're awfully slow, eh? What does it look like I'm celebrating? I just ambushed and caught you totally off guard!"

"And?" Tails questioned. He couldn't help but smile. "You managed to capture me, who is significantly slower than Sonic, and I also happen to be just twelve years old. You caught a twelve year old fox. Kudos."

Eggman's smile had vanished by then. Metal Sonic looked at Tails, then to his master to see his response. The doctor scratched his head grumbling, "Well, now that you mention it..."

But Tails wasn't finished quite yet. "Besides, I know this plan of yours already since you've tried it so many times already. You captured Amy like twice, Knuckles four times, and I think this is my fourteenth time if I'm not mistaken. You get one of us to lure Sonic into rescuing us from your clutches, only for you to use your super mega inventions to either destroy or catch Sonic. I should note that you've had a zero percent success rate as well."

"Well, erm...uh..." Eggman mumbled as he twirled his moustache. He was clearly stumped, hit in the face with the facts. Metal Sonic could see him having difficulty, so the robot broadened his shoulders and revved up, glaring darkly at the fox to intimidate him.

Tails directed his attention at Metal Sonic now and made a little gasp before gushing out with a big smile, "You are adorable! You're trying so hard and doing your best, super cute!".

Metal Sonic stopped and looked at Tails with an odd expression, wringing his metallic hands together and asking, "You mean it?".

Eggman slapped his hands against his head and hollered at Metal Sonic, "HE WAS BEING SARCASTIC YOU IDIOT! My greatest creation is also my most incompetent and ridiculously thick headed creation..."

Metal Sonic cringed and looked down shamefully, mumbling with a timid voice, "I'm sorry then..."

Tails was clearly enjoying himself now. He had the biggest grin on his smug fox muzzle. "Eggie, I don't know why you even bother. You know there's going to be only one of two outcomes in this situation. Outcome number one: Sonic comes for me and wrecks all your toys, probably tugs your moustache too. We've both seen that one an incalculable amount of times at this point throughout the years."

Eggman clenched his fist threateningly with an evil grin as he sneered, "But today is going to be outcome TWO, where your precious blue rat comes along after senselessly falling for you, the bait. Then I destroy both of you for all eternity!".

Metal Sonic raised a finger shyly and added, "M-Maybe just kill Sonic and drop Tails off at a nursery or something?".

The yellow kit shook his head at Eggman and replied casually, "Actually, outcome two is where you realize the inevitable failure of your archaic plan and relax the tensions between us for the afternoon. Maybe we'll have some cheese and crackers too. My favorite's provolone, just for reference."

"THE PLAN WILL NOT FAIL! STOP FEEDING ME THESE RIDICULOUS FANTASIES!" Eggman screamed yanking on both ends of his bizarre moustache and seething with raw anger.

Tails watched the madman rage and simply added softly afterwords, "Well...maybe the problem is that I'm not feeding you 'ridiculous fantasies'...you're just cooking them up for yourself to fill that void of failure I'll bet."

The world stopped spinning in that moment it seemed. Eggman was slammed with the sheer and sudden weight of the words coming from the boy. All at once, his expression of frustration melted away and slowly morphed to a new, open mouthed face of realization.

Even Metal Sonic felt the power behind the statement. He cringed and slowly took a quiet step back.

Tails kept his eyes on Eggman before wincing, uncomfortable in the atmosphere he singlehandedly created. He said with a touch of regret, "That might've been a little too soon to break it to you...but someone had to open your eyes...well, if you have eyes behind those things.".

Eggman turned away and growled to Metal Sonic, "Get over here...come along.". The robot lifted his head and hurried after Eggman as he exited the room and out into the dark metallic hallway outside. The door sealed shut behind the two, and Tails was left alone with the guards.

The fox clicked his tongue against his teeth, looking down awkwardly with an odd feeling in his belly. He might've just completely crushed his archenemy's motivation.

Eggman stood out in the hallway with his arms folded over each other like a stubborn child. He was incredibly grouchy now, frowning and glaring down at the cold metal flooring. "I reeeeeally don't like that child..."

Metal Sonic tapped his pointed fingertips lightly against the wall, listening to the clanking noise as it echoed subtly. He glanced up at Eggman and said encouragingly, "Don't listen to him, he's too young to know what he's talking about. He's just spouting nonsense to delay his fate, right?".

"Oh Metal...the problem is that he DOES know what he's talking about, and that's what seriously bothers me!" Eggman said rubbing his bald dome and frowning even uglier. If anything, Tails probably knew much more about success and satisfaction than he ever would. The fox was always on the winning side, leaving the doctor in the shadow of failure.

That same shadow loomed over Eggman all his life. Failure after failure, disappointment after disappointment. There had never been one single satisfying victory against Sonic and his friends. As much as it pained him to admit it, Eggman knew Tails made a lot of sense.

He always used these ridiculous plans that were either too simple to work or too over-the-top to even have a chance at working. And what was it all for?

Tails had become bored. He'd been waiting in the same room for a long while now. He didn't even have a chair to sit down on. His legs were getting tired, and he was getting snackish. He wondered how long it would take for Sonic to just come already and liberate him from Eggman's clutches.

Soon enough though, the doors opened again, and Eggman entered the room. He didn't look at Tails as he entered and walked right up to his observatory window, leaning against it and sighed, looking out the glass pane. "You know, you're much more mature than your age implies."

Tails shrugged a little. "A lot of people say that. I agree, for the most part."

Eggman turned his head towards Tails nodding his head as if deciding on something. His lips curled inward, clearly thinking of something. "I really am feeding myself these fantasies, so to speak. Every hope I have of succeeding is always crushed by you and your friend...so here is my resolve: I'm going to kill you right now and have my brief victory."

Tails widened his eyes. Now he was nervous. Had he pushed Eggman over the edge?

The doctor grinned and shook his head. "No, just kidding."

Tails sighed and gulped a little, frowning at Eggman and asking, "Then what are you really gonna do?".

Eggman took a long breath, filling his round torso with air before releasing. "I'm going to try extra hard from now on, not just to rid myself of this curse of always failing, but also to prove to myself I do not give up. My grandfather gave up on me kid, completely gave up. I'm going to keep trying since I don't intend on doing what he did." Eggman smiled to himself confidently. Tails smiled a little too. The doctor seemed to have found a resolve and purpose at last.

Eggman reached into his jacket and pulled out a packet of crackers and opened them. Tails saw this and asked, "Are those for me?".

"Absolutely not, these are for me." Eggman grunted as he pulled out a single cracker and began munching away. Tails nodded as if this was reasonable. Stubborn, as usual. Nothing would really change between him, Sonic, and the doctor.

Eggman reached for another and glanced at Tails. "After all, I should enjoy the few minutes I have before Sonic arrives, shouldn't I?" At that moment, Metal Sonic ran through the door and announced frantically, "Sir, Sonic the Hedgehog has been spotted two hundred meters out!".

The doctor looked at Tails and raised a brow smiling. "Speak of the Devil!"

Tails smirked and let out a breath of air. When this was over, hopefully Sonic would treat him to a generous amount of food for dinner.

Eggman never really considered how much he enjoyed looking at the clouds. It was nice day outside. Of course, he would've ignored it had there not been a massive hole in his ceiling with a gentle trail of smoke rising out due to the destroyed machinery that lay around him.

He scratched his cheek and stood up. Judging by how fast the encounter was, it would only take perhaps a day or two for repairs to be completed. Surprisingly, Sonic didn't destroy very much of the building's actual structure this time around.

Metal Sonic lay on the floor at Eggman's feet, missing both legs and only retaining one arm on the left side of his body. He too was gazing through the hole in the ceiling up at the clouds and commented, "I think I'm getting better at this. I kept him busy for thirty four seconds this time, so that beats my previous record of twenty nine.".

Eggman nodded with a content expression as he yawned. "We'll get them eventually. As for now, while I get you fixed up, cheese and crackers don't sound so bad all things considered."