A.N.: Very sorry for the late update. Other projects came along not to mention work. Anyway were goes the next chapter.
Pain, memories and awakening
New Mobotropolis, Tails house
At his home Tails was sitting on his benchmark, still occupied with designing new features to his Tornado plane. Every once in a while he stumbled at some incongruent or incompatible function in the plane, but still he always found a way to bypass the difficulties.
Until his pencil broke.
"Darn it." said the two tailed fox.
As Tails was motioning to sharp his pencil he looks involuntarily at one of the earlier designs he made, not of the Tornado, but of a robot that was shaped like a female fox, in this case Fiona.
Forgetting his pencil he heads to catch that particular design, at the top a pile of others. He looks fondly at it, sighing as memories, some good but most utterly painful, flows in his mind.
He still remembers when he encountered Fiona on that island many years ago. He was instantly smitten by her and the feeling was seemingly reciprocal. Finally someone of his age with whom he could relate to. He really had fall over her.
Unfortunately it was all a ruse, a trap set by no other than the original Robotnik with the purpose to capture him. The Fiona that he met was just a machine, an Auto Automaton of the real Fiona the Fox with the sole purpose of deceiving and capture him to Robotnik. After much struggle he prevailed in the end, but the cost was that the Auto Automaton became rusted, no longer able to move or act on its own. It broke Tails heart to leave it like this, despite of being just a robot. He also could have sworn that he saw tears coming from the machine while he was leaving the island.
He recovered after that ordeal, but his crush on Fiona still burned in his soul to the point that when he met the real deal he also fall over her, despite her being older than him, probably at the same age of Sonic.
But that pursuit led to an even bigger disaster to him. Refusal, conflict with his best friend and idol, and finally the bitterness of betrayal. That slap on his face hurt more than a punch from any mechanical beast of Eggman. Left even more devastated than the Auto Automaton betrayal Tails pursued his old remembrances of that robot. So heartbroken he was that he considered that no girl would ever give a chance to him. No organic girl that is.
So he researched for the original designs of the Auto Automatons and started to plan to create an Auto Automaton at Fiona image, just like Robotnik did, except this one would be his companion, not his destroyer.
Of course he eventually snapped back to reality, thankfully before he started to construct one. What was he thinking? A machine could not replace Fiona and what he experienced with the first Auto Automaton couldn´t be replicated again, at least not entirely.
Still he kept the design as remainder of both ordeals. While part of him actually resented Fiona for what she did, what she became, another part still see her as just a lost Mobian who only saw the grim side of life. What would she be if she was never imprisoned in the first place? No one could tell. But if the Auto Automaton emulated her at some point then it meant that Fiona was innocent until Robotnik emergence.
Sighing Tails put the design back to its place and returned to his work. Some memories are best to not live them.
"I overcome that. I no longer feel anything for them." lied Tails to himself.
A door cell opens and immediately a figure was thrown in it. That figure was of a small 8 year old fox, Fiona, who looked at her captor, no other than Dr. Ivo Robotnik, who smiled sinisterly at her.
"And now you stay here, forever forgotten to the outside world." said Robotnik.
In panic Fiona tried to dash to the door cell, in vain hope of escaping, but as she was almost there she felt a punch on her face, a very strong one which literally send her against the opposite wall with tremendous force.
As she struggles to stand up, she saw the face of her attacker and gasp.
It was her face.
"Splendid job Auto Automaton #1. Your reflexes are working perfectly." said Robotnik to the Fiona look-alike.
He turns to the shocked Fiona, his smile even wider than before.
"Do you like my handiwork? This mobians look-alike bots will be the perfect infiltrators in the ranks of the Freedom Fighters. I will know all of their moves and how to counteract against them thanks to these wonderful robots." said Robotnik in triumph.
"So… you imprisoned many of us so that you could create these abominations?" yelled Fiona in anger.
Her mechanical doppelganger narrows her eyes as they glow a sickening red. She starts to advance menacingly at Fiona but Robotnik arm stop her.
"I wouldn´t make this one angry if I were you. It not only looks like you but it has a copy of your memories and personality. And I already saw how nasty you can be." said Robotnik addressing to Fiona.
"Why? Why me?" asked Fiona in desperation.
"Lucky of the draw I suppose. So for now I bid you my farewells. Enjoy your stay here, for it will be long, very long." said Robotnik as he walks of the cell laughing madly.
Her robotic replica looks one last time at her and smiles.
"Goodbye sister, and don´t worry, I will enjoy your life for you."
The door closes with a resounding sound, leaving Fiona now alone in the dark cell while she cried.
"Sob…let me out of here, please let me out." said Fiona between sobs.
"No, let me out of here. Please let me out." said Fiona while she opens her eyes.
The girl fox was now fully awakened, realizing that she was in a bed.
"A dream, nothing more." said Fiona while she struggled to get out of her bed.
She looks at her side, not noticing her boyfriend Scourge, formerly known as Anti Sonic. Normally it annoyed her when he leaved in the morning for exercise (mainly running), but this time she was thankful that he was not here. She didn´t want that he saw her crying.
Wait.
Crying?
Touching her checks she realizes that she was indeed crying, or at least was during her sleep. Now that infuriated her.
"No, I don´t cry, not anymore. I am not that little scared girl anymore." said Fiona to herself while she remembered who she is now.
"Blasted machine. Even now you torment me. If Tails haven´t done it already I would put you out of commission myself." muttered Fiona as she remembers her mechanical copycat. While she blames many people, particularly Sonic and Robotnik for her rough upbring, she still has a special place for the Auto Automaton.
It tried to do more than ruin her life. It tried to take it along with her identity. And that was also something that she could never forgive.
"I hope you rust forever in whatever island you still remain."
In an underground laboratory the hooded figure in brown robes was working tirelessly repairing the Auto Automaton body. Assisting him was one of the old Robotnik Swatbots.
"Do you think that she will help us? Her obedience programming to Dr. Robotnik is still active." said the Swatbot.
"As with any of us. But with our creator gone most of us found ways to resist those commands, as she will be." replied the robed figure.
"Still, isn´t a risky move in sending her to the Freedom Fighters? What if they discover us through her?" asked the Swatbot.
"They won´t, because she will not know of our plans, at least for now. Besides,those of her model were designed to infiltrate mobian populations. She will do just fine." said the robed figure.
With a final clank, the robed figure and the Swatbot finished the repairs. The robed figure then says:
"Go now. It is best that she only sees me for the moment. Return to our base."
The Swatbot saluted and leaves the lab.
Now alone, the robed figure shuts the panel on Auto Fiona chest. For a few moments nothing happens as the robed figure just stares at the Auto Automaton face.
And then its eyes open, glowing a bright red.
"Welcome to activation Auto Automaton #1."