Guess who got ahold of Snocc Adventure in a completely legal way that definitely doesn't have my name on a blacklist?
Oh yeah.
I don't know why I mentioned that. It's not even Sonic Adventure, it's Mario 64. Anyway, it's been a while, hasn't it? Two months, I think. Thanks to anybody who's genuinely keeping up with this. I had writer's block for this book, so if this chapter feels a bit duller compared to others, that's why.
Tick, tick, tick.
He had nothing to worry about. Sonic had everything under control. The hedgehog would never, ever lie to him, and he'd never mislead him. He was smart, he had plenty of wits, didn't he? Surely, whatever Sonic had planned - whatever it may be, he had no clue - was absolutely flawless. All of his plans, no matter how nonsensical they sounded at first, could get them out of any jams. Why should this one be any different? Tails could be using this time...this very, limited time to control his rising heart rate instead of doubting his older brother. He had no right to doubt, it's not like he had a plan. High hopes, that's more like it. High hopes, just like Sonic. Sonic would never have second thoughts about his own plans. He was so quick and intelligent, all he needed were the right kind of motives for it to show. Sure, having your life threatened was a horrible, scary motive, but it got Sonic to think. And thanks to all that thinking, he had a plan...he might even have an entire escape route mapped out in his head. Hadn't he been here before? There should be no worries. The 11 minutes that were concerningly...no, positive thoughts...slowly ticking down? That was nothing. Sonic had their backs. Sonic could do it.
Tick, tick, tick.
However, if Sonic knew what he was doing, how come his eyebrows were knitting with uncertainty and trepidation? How come small beads of sweat were running down his forehead? His knees were up to his chest, a trembling hand rested on the cold, metallic ground, not too far from his, and...wait a minute…
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
Was Sonic scared? Sonic?! No, no no, Sonic couldn't be scared. Tails promptly, stubbornly even, refused to think about the possibility of Sonic being afraid of some stinky, old, egg-shaped bastard. He, as an eight-year-old, had plenty of valid reasons to freak out over their fate. Not the 8 minutes, though, definitely not that. He always thought that it was impossible to scare the blue blur. He went on adventures ever since he was a kid - the fox imagined so, anyway - and he dealt with tons of scary things. Sonic, during his vacation, fought Robotnik underwater once, a place that gave the man plenty of advantages to take him out right then and there. He absolutely hated the water, and yet, when bringing it up, he smiled and laughed. If the fact that he almost drowned during a fight didn't scare him, then why this? He was so confident before, not a single crack was heard in his voice, so what changed? Sonic told him, he promised that everything was going to be okay...he had a plan!
Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick.
He had a plan. He had somethin', and somethin' was good enough. Sonic was sure of it, so he was sure of it. Somethin' sounded pretty solid, even if they never clarified what that somethin' was.
What was it? Tails wished he knew. At least it would give him full comfort that Sonic's mind wasn't blank, and he would be able to see how everything would end up. But hey, as long as somebody envisioned the result, it was all fine in his book.
"I think I got somethin', little bro. I don't know how that somethin' is gonna end up, but I got it."
Tick, tick, tick, tick, ticktickticktick.
When Tails just so happened that Sonic didn't know things would end up either, his chest tightened in fear, momentarily leaving him breathless. Back then, when he was exhausted and groggy, he had let sonic's vague response slide under the radar. With only 6 minutes left, he was starting to wish that he hadn't. If only the small genius took the time to call out the pothole, to talk to Sonic a little while longer, and help him figure things out, they would've had their crap together with plenty of time to spare. Why didn't he? What was he thinking? How could he let tiredness overrule serious matters? It was too late now, far too late, and when Robotnik found out that they had failed to do his silly dare...all of these negative thoughts were enough to freak him out to the breaking point. Sonic had no idea what he was doing, and because of that, they were going to die. They were going to die cold, hungry, young, shaking, and crying…
Ticktickticktickticktickticktickticktick.
If he had kept his damn mouth shut, they would've never been in this mess. They'd be dealing with those activities Robotnik was eager to start, but maybe they would've been more forgiving since, well, he didn't know. And then considering the small chance that Robotnik decided to leave them be anyway, at least they would've been napping in peace instead of panicking this badly. This dome would be filled with a relatively happy atmosphere.
Ticktickticktickticktickticktickticktickticktickticktickticktickticktick.
When he really, really thought about it, there were ways they could've avoided getting trapped in this dome altogether. If Sonic hadn't left Tails all by himself, telling him to stand by that cursed bush, he would've never heard the rustle and turned around. Why couldn't he wait for the chili dog with him? They could've spotted those bufoons together, they could've knocked the syringe out of Scratch's hand! But it wasn't completely Sonic's fault, was it? The kitsune made some regrettable mistakes himself, such as challenging the robot in the bush. All he had to do was fly over to Sonic and alert him, and the problem would've been solved. Looking at it from that perspective, it was more of his fault than Sonic's. The hedgehog wasn't a psychic. He had no telling that today's events were going to happen. Luckily, Tails was able to get his senses back together before he completely lost it. Playing the blame game was only going to make matters worse.
"I got everything under control, little bro."
Sonic whispered to calm his nerves, picking up on the child's nerves, all while keeping that confident smile. A smidge of fear was still evident in his dark eyes, and his skin had paled considerably since the silent timer first went off. Through all of that, he was giving it his all to let Tails know that everything was okay. If he was persistent in holding on to that thin slimmer of hope, then...he had to go with it. He had to at least try. Sonic wouldn't let fear cloud his thoughts. He got this. He believed in him.
"I know you can do it, Sonic!" he cheered the older one on, knowing that he needed all of the encouragement he could get.
With a chuckle, Sonic went back to staring at a nearby clock. He never noticed it before, and it looked out of place in such a metallic environment. That's exactly what Robotnik wanted; he knew it would stick out, he knew it would catch his arch-nemesis attention no matter what. He wanted him to see. He was going to question if Tails had seen it, but...yeah, of course, he did. He wouldn't look so freaked out if he didn't. Seeing the child so scared and hopeless only gave him more determination to get them out of there. Hell, getting Tails out of here and into safety was good enough for him.
Yeah, that's what he'd talk to Robotnik about first. The man could do whatever he pleased to him - he could take his speed, threaten him with water, hold off food, cut him, none of it mattered to him. As long as Tails wasn't around to see or experience this, that's all he cared about. Of course, both of them would have to put on one hell of an act, and he hoped that Tails would quickly catch on. Yet, if they kept their stories and reasons straight, then everything should work out smoothly.
Would Tails object to this? After all, he promised that he would do everything in his power to protect the hedgehog. He would be hearing a lot of crap from him if Robotnik agreed to his pleads. But in the end, it was the best choice he could make. If Tails was out, then that left the hero with a fair battle - one on one. Whether the battle is with the doctor himself or Metal Sonic wasn't important, he was ready either way. Maybe Tails would understand where he was coming from. Tons of useful outcomes could sprout from their departure. After laying low for a few hours to avoid suspicion, he could alert Knuckles, build a contraption to save Sonic, or just straight-up dive the Tornado through Scrap Brain.
Alright, that was actually kind of funny to imagine. It might cause more damage than good, but it was still funny.
"Pal?"
"Yeah?"
"Whatever choice I make," he rested his chin in his palm, his smile wavering in an attempt to be serious. "I just want ya to know that….well, it's for the best. I don't want ya gettin' hurt around here. You'll understand, eh?"
His words were suspicious, uncomfortably suspicious. Tails cocked his head in confusion. "Yeah? But what are you gonna do, Sonic?"
Should he tell him? Doing so could either set Tails off or pull him on board - and he had a feeling that it wouldn't be the latter. Withholding the truth until the very last minute could put a dent in their relationship as well. If they were going to be away from each other, he didn't want an argument to be the last moment they shared.
"You sure you'll be alright with it, squirt?"
"I think so."
"Eh..." Sonic hummed, mindlessly scratching his arm at Tails' uncertain, puzzled response. It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no either. His body language gave off the message that he would be alright with it, but perhaps it was that deep pit of guilt in the hedgehog's stomach that prevented him from telling the truth. There was now only one minute left on the clock. If he was going to tell him, now was the time to do it.
"Sonic?"
"I'm...I'm gonna see if I can get Robuttnik to let you go, alright?"
Tails went silent for a while, looking at Sonic with befuddled, frightened blue eyes. Sonic wasn't smiling. He wasn't frowning. He appeared guilty and apologetic, inaudibly asking for forgiveness. And that's when the message struck him...he wasn't kidding. This wasn't something he was planning to take into consideration, he wasn't going to look back on this. With a subtle shake of his head, he trembled out, "A-are you serious? You mean us, right? You'll see if he'll let us go?"
"Nuh-uh, pal. You. I'm gettin' you outta here...I'm stayin' to take care of business." Sonic shook his head as well, pointing a gloved finger in Tails' direction. The orange fox instantly went into a state of shock and panic; although it started slowly, the feeling grew as time went on.
"B-but...you'll be all alone..."
"Mmm-hmm."
"A-and you're perfectly okay with that?! You're fine with being surrounded by all of these needles and t-those activities Robotnik mentioned?!"
"Kid, this wasn't an easy decision for me to make-"
"Then don't make it!" Tails shouted with a cracked voice, pulling Sonic's arm as if he was trying to keep him seated. "I don't have to go, Sonic, r-really! We can think of another solution, I-I'll help you!"
"I'm sorry, kid, but this isn't a place you need to be," Sonic broke it to him as gently as possible, prying his small fingers off of his arm. He continued to hold his hand, thinking that it would calm him down a smidge. "I know you wanna help out and all, but you can't be here. This is some nasty business I'm dealin' with, yeah? I don't wanna see ya get hurt, I meant what I said. Now, when he comes into the room, I want ya to go along with everything I say. Don't pull any of that stuff you did last time or we'll be goners for sure."
"You're crazy if y-you think I'm just gonna leave you here!"
"And you're crazier if you think I'm lettin' ya stay. It's for the best, okay?"
"No! No, it's not for the best! What about Robotnik, Sonic?! How are you gonna get yourself out?!"
"I'll fight him, piece of cake. Besides, you'll find a way to break me out, yeah?"
"Are you crazy?! You can't fight him, Sonic! I'm not leaving!" Tails was on the verge of tears, the thought of leaving his brother only to never see him again striking his heart like lightning. To make matters worse, Sonic was now completely unfazed. Was this his plan? His full plan? Didn't he know what he was doing? Tails had no clue if his headache was gone, but if it wasn't, he was in no condition to kick ass. Even if his headache was gone, the possibility of a concussion still stood in the way. This was practically suicide, and he would be a terrible younger brother if he simply stood there and accepted his choices.
"Tails..."
"No! T-that's not fair, it's four, maybe thousands against one! There's no way you can do it by yourself! We still don't know what Scratch injected into you, you hit your head, he's gonna take advantage of it a-and..."
"Hey, hey...calm down, kid, it's gonna be alright..."
Having enough of watching Tails worry himself to death, Sonic grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. From the looks of it, he had stopped the nervous rambling in time. A tear was dangerously close to falling, and crying was the last thing neither of them needed to deal with. "What's the issue here? Why are you gettin' so worked up about leavin' me? You know I've dealt with worse before. I've dealt with tons of things on my own before you even came around. Why are you worried about all of these cruddy needles or the dumbots?"
"Because they can hurt you, Sonic! They can hurt you bad!" Those awful thoughts came back, bringing him on the brink of breaking down. "What if they do something horrible to you, and I'm not h-here?"
"That's not gonna happen, squirt, I promise," Sonic stated firmly, tightening his grip on his shoulders. "They're not gonna hurt me...and if they do, it'll only be a scratch. Yeah, my brain's still a bit scrambled up, but that's not enough to slow me down or anythin'. Don't worry about me, alright? You'll give yourself an ulcer, doin' all that panickin'. Now, if you're calm, I want you to listen well to what I'm about to tell ya."
With the conversation quickly ending, Tails wiped his eyes, sniffled, and nodded his head. Sonic was grateful for his calm composure; for a second, he thought his brother was going to throw an entire fit.
"When and if you leave, the first place I want you to book it to..." Sonic wasn't sure if there were cameras around. If there were, was Robotnik monitoring them? Even if he wasn't, Sonic didn't want to take any risks. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he spoke in the kid's ear. "Angel Island, I want ya to go there. Get Knuckles, tell him the problem, bring him here, break me out, and then we'll make that Fatso regret that he was ever born. Solid plan, eh?" he finished with a grin.
Admittedly, it was a pretty good plan...but the chances of it working solely depended on if he was released. Not to mention the suspicions Robotnik would have. Trying to get the hedgehog out could make the doctor snap, losing every once of decency he had left...what if he hurt Sonic because of them?
"Yeah, it's okay."
"Okay? What, you got somethin' better?"
"No..."
They heard footsteps again - finally, the moment had come...
"Alright, pal...this is it."
"Y-yeah."
Tails tried not to tear up on the spot; that wouldn't be a graceful thing to remember for their last moments, would it? Perhaps this wasn't such a bad thing. Going by Sonic's simple plan should take a few hours, a day at most. They wouldn't be separated for too long. Hopefully, nothing would happen to the speedster while he was gone. He would never be able to live with himself if something horrible happened to him.
"Aw, don't look so down, kid," Sonic snorted, wiping the child's eye with a finger. "It won't be forever! C'mon, smile, there's no reason to be sad!"
"But I'll miss you, Sonic..."
Neither of the animals spoke after that sentence, and Tails feared that he might've said the wrong thing. Was that weak of him? He should've just smiled as Sonic asked, a hug and a smile...why did he have to keep running on and-
"I'll miss you too, kid," Sonic dropped his hands from his shoulders, showing a sad smile. "I hate to see ya go, but...it's for your own safety. You'll be fine. We'll be fine. Stay strong for me, yeah?"
He hugged him before he could answer, - or cry, whatever came first - patting the kitsune on the back.
"I'll try," Tails assured, voice muffled.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a metallic, feathery-looking hand slammed open the door.
Ahhhh I'm sorry I know yall are tired of these damn cliffhangers!
But I just can't help myself ugh. I also apologize for how mushy things got in the end or the fact that Tails has like 20 different names in this chapter.
I deeply apologize for making yall wait, but keep in mind that it's hard for me to write on a consistent schedule. Anyway, that's all. Happy holidays, you beautiful people, and see you next year.