Sonic couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten mad with his little brother.

Ever since Sonic had known him, Tails had never really put a foot wrong. The two would snark at one another, get on each others' nerves and disagree every so often as brothers were wont to do, but Sonic couldn't think of a single time Tails had ever made him properly angry.

But this was different. Sonic couldn't help but be angry as he paced the living room floor, the dejected form of his brother slumped in the sofa beside him.

Sonic was mad. He was mad because Tails had done something else he wasn't ordinarily known for - been very, very stupid.

"Do you know..." the hedgehog said through gritted teeth, pausing in his back and forth to glare at the machine, "What you've done to yourself, Tails?"

Tails didn't respond, remaining silent in his exposed state. his eyes refused to meet Sonic's, simply staring through the floor.

They'd just got back through the door not five minutes ago. Fifteen minutes after Sonic had been contacted, with news of a strange unregistered android wandering the streets of town, miserably claiming to be Miles Prower when quizzed on its identity.

Sonic had rushed to retrieve his brother, whom he found slumped in a park bench, surrounded by curious citizens.

"It says it's your brother..." one nearby police officer had told him, "but that can't be, right?"

Sonic had been bombarded with questions, and done his best to get Tails out of there and to safety. He must have had a hundred messages waiting for him when they returned home, from friends, from concerned citizens, from the authorities - in particular the GUN Department of Robotics, who were very interested to know why Sonic had an unregistered, highly advanced robot in his possession.

Amy was busy chattering on the phone, handling damage control while Sonic dealt with his brother.

"Tails, talk to me!" Sonic repeated, inadvertently raising his voice. "Do you understand how much trouble you're in?"

Tails finally responded, offering the hedgehog a shrug. "I just did what I had to do..."

"What you had to do? Tails, I have the Department of Robotics on my ass over this! They could legally take you away and dismantle you right now! That's how serious this is! Because it was something you 'had to do?!' "

"At least now everybody knows..." Tails replied glumly, still refusing to meet Sonic's eyes, "I can't trick anybody ever again..."

"You'll be lucky if you're allowed outside..." Sonic muttered, sitting himself down beside his brother. "And don't even get me started on Zooey's dad... he's threatened to, I quote, 'take that thing apart myself if it ever comes near my daughter again'..." he shook his head and regarded his mechanical brother sadly. "Seriously, dude? You thought it was a good idea to just... show yourself right in front of her? Jeez, man..."

Tails turned to glare at the hedgehog with glowing optics. "You pushed me into asking her out! What did you think would happen? You thought she'd never find out? And what about everybody else! Somebody was bound to notice I never aged, or grew, or got sick... this wasn't going to stay secret forever, Sonic..."

Sonic made to answer, but his words caught in his throat. Tails was right...

"I'm... sorry, buddy..." the hedgehog sighed, ears and spines drooping as he considered their situation, "I shouldn't have pushed you to do anything you weren't comfortable with... I just wanted to see you happy again..."

"I'm a machine, Sonic..." Tails replied solemnly, "I shouldn't be able to feel happy... I shouldn't be able to feel anything, and I'm stupid for thinking I could be a real boy... I guess this is what I deserve."

The two brothers sat in silence, until Amy emerged from the kitchen with Sonic's phone in hand.

"Sonic?" She briefly glanced at Tails' dejected form before handing the other hedgehog the cordless phone, "The Department of Robotics wants to talk to you..."

"Great..." Sonic hopped to his feet and looked sadly at his brother, before retrieving the phone from Amy and heading into the kitchen.

Amy took Sonic's place on the couch, and rested her hand on Tails' own. "Why, Miles..." she said softly, wishing he'd reform his synthetic flesh so she could read his expression, "Why did you do it?"

The glowing blue eyes just stared through the floor. "I just wanted to be honest..."

Amy sighed, stroking his hand, unsure if he could even feel the comforting gesture through the exposed metal. He had just wanted to be honest... but his honesty may have just cost him his freedom.

"Alright, I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Sonic batted at his still moist fur with a hand towel, currently in a fluffy state after his shower. The damn guy shouldn't have been here this early...

The hedgehog, smelling of shampoo and body spray, unlocked and opened the door to his and Tails' remote lodgings, situated outside the main city. Outside stood a tall human, suited in plain grey GUN overalls... and accompanying him, a black and red striped hedgehog.

"Mister... Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog?

Sonic's spines bristled at his full legal name, and glared at the man. "Yeah. I take it you're here for the inspection?"

"That's correct..." The man looked down to his companion, whom seemed to be causing him some discomfort. "And this is Shadow. He'll be... supervising this inspection..."

"I know who Shadow is," Sonic muttered. He nodded to the other hedgehog. "Thanks for coming, Shads."

Shadow grunted in reply, unhappy with the situation himself.

"Well then..." the human continued, hefting a large case, "I'll need to see the... unit."

Sonic stepped back and gestured inside the house. "This way..."

The man entered first, followed by Shadow, and Sonic reluctantly shut the door behind them before padding after his 'guests'.

Civilian-owned robots weren't uncommon any more in the GUN. For years, Robotnik had been fielding his own machines against the peoples of Mobius... and it had only been a matter of time before humans and mobians alike began reverse engineering his work. Thus, mechanical labour had become increasingly common in military and civilian sectors, and citizens could purchase their own privately owned robots.

Such machines had to be registered, and insured, and routinely inspected by Robotics Department representatives.

And today... it was Miles Prower's turn to be registered as a civilian unit, a privately owned item of equipment. This inspection was just one part of the former fox losing even more of his Mobianity.

"Tails?" Sonic called, entering his brother's workshop, "It's time..."

They found Tails waiting timidly on a workbench, sat there with his legs hanging over the wooden edge.

"Oh my..." the GUN inspector marvelled as glowing blue eyes met him, their owner shrinking a little away from the larger human. "This is the unit, I assume?"

"He's my brother." Sonic growled, the man's de-personising attitude rubbing his inner feral side the wrong way.

The man recoiled apologetically. "Of... of course. May I..." He hefted his case, "begin the inspection?"

Sonic gestured toward the waiting android. "Ask him. It's his body you're gonna be poking around in..."

The man, clearly unaccustomed to asking permission from a machine, appeared bewildered for a moment, before remembering the unique nature of this particular unit.

"Um... unit?"

The blue eyes fixed back on him, expressionless skull face blank. Waiting.

"May I... um..."

"Let's just get this over with..." Tails shoved himself from the workbench, metal feet clattering over the concrete floor. The human jerked back at the machine's initiative, and the way it approached him with organic motions.

Tails turned his back to the human, his back panel popping open and sliding away from his frame. The human tentatively gripped it in both hands and removed it, placing the protective cover on the ground as he knelt to peek into Miles' inner workings.

"Fascinating..." the man muttered, inserting cables into the exposed working of Tails' body, connecting him to a data pad. "This is... really something..."

"I'm flattered..."

Again, the man seemed taken aback by the machine's response.

"This is just an inspection, right?" Sonic asked of the human, "You better not be doing anything... funny, in there..."

"Yes, I'm just here to figure out the unit's systems, ensure it isn't a danger, log it in our records... I'll have to apply some basic safety measures of course, but nothing too invasive..." He glanced briefly to Shadow, who stood glaring at the man, arms folded. "We have an arrangement! I swear!"

Shadow nodded. "He knows to behave himself."

The human swallowed nervously, before continuing his work.

Sonic hummed, still unhappy with their circumstance, and turned to Shadow.

"Thanks, Shads..." he said, causing a black ear to twitch, "If it weren't for you, I don't... I don't know what would've happened..."

Shadow shifted on his feet, and offered a grunt in response.

"It probably wouldn't have gone so well..." he said, eyes fixed on the human operating inside Tails. "You're lucky you have Rouge and I to pull a few strings... and that your reputation offers you some level of favour."

"Yeah... I guess Tails' reputation doesn't offer him the same, huh?"

"He's a highly advanced machine, of which the GUN has never seen..." Shadow replied, fixing a stern glare on the blue hedgehog, "Believe me, he's lucky he's just being registered on the privately own robots list, and not dismantled in a lab somewhere along with Robotnik's other more advanced creations."

"Still, I... hate this, Shadow..." Sonic sighed, "He's not an object... he's a person, with his own mind... Nobody should own him, least of all..." Sonic paused, feeling dirty just for saying the words, "Least of all me.."

"If he's going to be registered under anybody as a possession..." Shadow lay a hand on his blue counterpart's shoulder, the once edgy-as-all-hell loner having softened over the years, "It's best that it is you."

Sonic shook his head. "I can't be okay with this..."

"If it's any consolation..." Shadow replied, "I'll do what I can to reverse this..." Shadow, created by a Robotnik himself, was also invested in the fate of the former infiltration unit. "These are only temporary measures, Sonic. We can fight this. Restore his individuality."

Sonic watched as the human, fussing over the data like a child with a cool new toy, excitedly tapped at his pad with a finger. "I hope you're right, Shadow..."

"Welp, congratulations Tails..."

Sonic slapped a sheaf of papers in his hand, approaching Tails as the synthetic stood nearby his own maintenance unit, a multi-limbed robot that Tails used to repair and maintain his body. The machine's eyes slowly warmed into a dim glow, Sonic having just woken him from a period of low power consumption.

Sonic held up the papers, a tired look in his eyes. "You are no longer Miles Prower, citizen of the Mobian Territories and my adopted brother..." He handed Tails the documents, blue eyes flicking over the information contained. "You are now officially registered on the privately owned robots list as the Personal Service Unit of one Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog." Sonic turned and looked back at his brother, resentment bleeding from his every pore. "I hope you're proud of yourself, Miles. Your little stunt just cost you your freedom."

Tails continued to read the documents pertaining to his new status as a privately owned robot, white steel mask expressionless. It had been days since the incident with Zooey, and he still hadn't regenerated his camouflage. It seemed the synthetic fox had given up entirely on any pretence of being organic.

"Confirmed," Tails replied without emotion, "New functions and registration logged. Awaiting directives."

"Don't be stupid, Tails..." Sonic angrily grabbed the documents away from his brother, the synthetic's arms drooping limply by his sides, "I'm not ordering you around like some... slave. I'm fighting this. Shadow is doing what he can, we're going to get your citizenship restored if it kills me!"

The machine cocked its head quizzically. "Why?"

Sonic gawped at his brother. "Why? Tails, surely you don't want to be considered a piece of equipment? Just something to be bossed around?"

Tails shrugged. "At least I have a purpose. Machines are designed to serve organics, after all." there was a pause as Sonic rubbed his face with fatigue, Tails' eyes briefly flickering as he 'blinked'. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Tails..." Sonic glared right into his brother's glowing eyes, suddenly very serious. "I want you to get your head together... snap out of this freaking depression! I... feel like I'm losing you, buddy... and just when I got you back? Please don't do this to me, Tails..."

Tails remained still. "So, just to confirm, you have no orders for me at this time?"

"No!" Sonic cried, disgusted at the notion of... owning a person, "Jeez, Tails..."

"Fine. Then I might as well power back down. No need to expend energy if I have no function." Tails turned back to his original position, feet planted to the concrete floor of his workshop. "Reboot me when you need something..."

"Tails..."

There was no reply as the machine slowly went limp, the eyes dimming down to lifelessly stare through the floor.

Sonic set his hands on his hips and wore an unamused expression as his brother powered down into his resting state.

"Tails. Wake up."

Nothing.

"Tails, I know you can hear me."

This much was essentially true. Tails' sensors could scan his environment even in this state, keeping him somewhat aware of what was going on around him.

"I'm not ordering you to wake up, if that's what you're waiting for."

Still nothing. Seemed Tails was done with talking for now.

"Fine..." Sonic turned and began to walk away, disappointed with his brother's attitude. "You wanna play robot, you do it by yourself..."

Tails didn't respond, choosing to simply remain an inert machine as he was left alone in the dark workspace.

Well, at least as a Personal Service Unit... his function was to perform miscellaneous tasks for his owner. Made a nice change from 'Killer Robot Spy', anyway.

Sonic refused to give his synthetic assistance any orders however, so Tails... not Tails, now simply Civilian Unit-1701, had to assume its own directives, taking care of the things the hedgehog made no time for. Mostly domestic duties, that Sonic had always been lax on.

Sonic and Amy had been concerned about their friend throwing himself into this role of servitude... but it was either that or Tails would spend the majority of his time powered down, waking only to run a quick checkup on his systems and ask if they required anything of him.

Sonic hated it. But Amy had thought it best to at least prompt Tails into doing something, just to keep him active.

So it was that Civilian Unit-1701 found itself, reusable shopping bags in hand, traipsing behind Amy Rose as she went about her business shopping.

"Tails..." Amy turned and whispered back to her companion as they trudged through the outskirts of town, "Are you sure you don't want to... cover up? People are looking..."

Tails, still fully exposed and white-steel form gleaming in the sun, didn't care.

"Why? It's not like I'm the only robot in town..." Glowing blue eyes set upon a clanking garbage disposal unit as it slung trash into its assigned truck, the Mobian supervisor briefly casting a dirty look toward the nearby android. Around them, citizens passed by, many unable to help but gawp at the city's newest resident synthetic.

"I don't... like people looking at you like that..." Amy replied, hefting her own large pink bag on her shoulder. "Like... like you're dangerous..."

"Well..." Tails gloomily watched as people steered well clear of his skeletal form, eyeing him with caution, even betrayal. "No need to worry about that any more..."

Despite his friends' best efforts at preserving as much of his individuality as possible, the Department of Robotics had insisted the unit be outfitted with a tracking device, to monitor his movements... as well as a restraining bolt to inhibit his abilities. His strength, his speed... reduced, just in case the unit decided to 'malfunction' and harm any real people.

Just more symptoms of his mobianity slowly eroding away.

"Let's just... keep going, huh?" Amy replied, grabbing his hand and leading him through the crowd of pedestrians, most of whom stayed clear of him. His exposed rubbery musculature hissed quietly as he allowed himself to be guided along.

"Why did you even bring me?" the synthetic complained, steel feet clacking against the concrete, "You know people don't trust me... I fooled everybody for too long..."

"Because..." Amy hissed back at him, "You can't just stay cooped up forever... and it's a nice day out! Be good for you to get some sun!"

"Oh yeah... real healthy for my skin..."

"Don't be sardonic, Miles..." Amy groaned back at the machine she had long considered a younger sibling.

Tails said nothing more as they made their way through town, simply keeping his head down and refusing to meet the prying eyes as people tried to get a curious look at the slim, sleek machine that contrasted so harshly against the clanking bulky forms of the city's service robots. He was light years ahead of anything the GUN could manufacture, having been one of Robotnik's most advanced creations... and the self-constructed Prower Advanced Model Mark One his mind now inhabited was beyond even that.

Something to be proud of, he supposed. He was a real neat toy.

Real expensive, too. He winced as he thought about the cost of the insurance Sonic had been forced to take out for his swanky, brand new robot.

Then he stopped in his tracks. Amy yelped as her hand was met with the sudden resistance.

"Tails!" The pink hedgehog massaged her arm as she looked to the now immobile synthetic, fussing with her dress, "What's the matter? Why'd you just stop?"

Her mechanical companion glanced at her, before nodding over her shoulder. "I... don't think I should go in there"

Amy turned to find them now stood outside the Redtail family's convenience store. She scolded herself, having unwittingly lead her friend right to the place his slow erosion as a person had started.

"It's okay, Tails..." Amy said, soothingly rubbing his arm, "We can go someplace else if you like..."

"Not my decision..." the machine shrugged, "this is the closest place right now... unless you wanna head further into town..."

Amy knew her friend was unenthusiastic about either option. She looked to the family-owned store and considered. Maybe she could explain things to Zach and Zooey, make them understand what the fox was going through right now..."

"Wait here, Miles..." She said, retrieving her empty shopping bags from his grasp, "I'll be ten minutes..."

"Affirmative..."

Amy rubbed his arm and headed into the store, leaving her friend outside by himself. Shortly after she entered the store, a human, a farmer by the looks of her attire, left with her own personal unit in tow. The human gave him a wide-eyed look of surprise but otherwise ignored him, while the chunky, vaguely humanoid robot acknowledged him with a few clicks. The chatter was largely mindless, simply taking note of another machine's presence. He scanned its function and registry; Civilian Unit 343, an older variant model built for manual labour.

His attention was diverted away from the other robot as a young bunny-girl and her mother passed by, the girl pointing at him with her mouth agape.

"Mommy? What's that?"

The adult rabbit shot him daggers, clutching her child's hand and hurrying her away. "Just a robot, dear..."

"It's so cool! Can we get one like that?"

"No honey, it's too dangerous..."

He blocked out that particular exchange and reverted to standing idly, nothing to do but wait for Amy's return. He checked the time since her departure - two minutes forty-eight seconds. Bored, he considered powering down until she returned, but before he could do so a horribly familiar voice sounded from behind him.

"Oh... it's you..."

His sensors had picked the presence up as she approached, and his suspicion was confirmed as his glowing blue optics settled on the fluffy golden form of Zooey Redtail, clad in a pair of denim shorts and maroon tank top as she finished dealing with the morning stock delivery. She eyed him suspiciously, blue eyes flicking up and down his exposed steel and rubber form.

"Redtail. Zooey. Fox, female." Tails replied, voice flat and monotone as he turned his body to face her. "How can this unit be of assistance?"

Zooey wore an expression of... not contempt... pity? Remorse? She appeared to be reluctant in his presence.

"So..." She muttered, folding her arms defensively, "This is the real you..."

"Affirmative. Unit designation CU-1701, registered under Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog." the synthetic replied stoically, "How can this unit be of assistance?"

"Can you not talk like that?" She said, leaning away slightly, "It's... creepy..."

"Sure..." Tails allowed his robotic mannerisms to slack, loosening his stance. "What do you want?"

The vixen flinched at the bitterness now injected into his tone, leaning over to peer at the store. Without warning she grabbed his forearm, and glared into his eyes.

"Come on!" the vixen hissed, wrenching him away from his 'parking spot'. Once again, he allowed himself to be steered around like an animatronic, until she released her grip. Now in the yard behind the store, she again turned to glare at him.

"Tails, you shouldn't be here..." she said, keeping her voice low, "If my dad catches you... he's still angry!"

"I can't imagine why..." Tails replied dryly.

Zooey shook her head, sitting down on a nearby crate. "Why did you do it, Tails? Expose yourself like... this?"

"Well you knew. Guess I figured it was just a matter of time before my secret was out, so I thought screw it."

Zooey leaned forward, bangs trailing over her shoulders. "I wasn't going to tell anybody! Jeez Tails, you freaked me out, but I wasn't going to ruin your life! My dad didn't even know until... well, you were seen walking through town like..." She gestured him up and down, unsure of her words, "Like this!"

Tails lowered his head, silent. He knew he had screwed up, acted out of his own guilt and self-loathing. His current predicament was entirely his fault.

"Look, I'm sorry this had to happen to you..." Zooey sighed, "But why the heck did you think it was a good idea to show me the way you did?! You scared me to death!"

Tails shrugged. "Faulty programming, I guess. Maybe I should have myself reset to factory conditions."

Zooey glared up at him from her crate and rubbed her head tiredly. "Tails... you have no idea what you did to me that night... how much you screwed me up..."

Tails didn't reply. Just stared through the floor, hating himself.

"Tails? What's going on back here..." The two foxes, one organic and the other artificial, turned to find Amy approaching them, a handheld electronic in one hand - one of Tails' locator devices. The thing bleeped at her to indicate the tagged machine was in close proximity. The pink hedgehog came to stand awkwardly before the pair, shooting a questioning look to her smaller friend. "Am I interrupting anything?"

Zooey stood and wiped her hands off on her work clothes. "No, Amy... I was just getting back to work..." She shot a look at Tails, who remained motionless and silent. "You... probably shouldn't come around here again."

"Not really up to me any more," Tails replied stoically, before Amy could speak on his behalf, "That's up to my owners."

Zooey gave him one last look of pity, before turning and heading back into the store. Amy turned and smacked him on the arm.

"Tails! Don't go wandering off like that!" the hedgehog scolded, slipping the locater device back into her purse, "Especially with her! You know how her dad feels about... you!"

"Don't worry..." Tails replied glumly, "If he damages me, I'm insured..."

Amy wore an appalled expression as he turned and trudged away, heading back to the storefront.

"What..." she hissed, grabbing him by the shoulder, "Is with you, Tails?! We're trying our best to help you, and it's like you've... just given up!" She turned him around and set both hands on his shoulders, trying to talk sense into him. "Don't you want us to help you? Don't you care?"

Tails refused to meet her eyes, staring through the pavement as curious pedestrians passed by.

"What's the point..." he muttered, "I can't have a normal life... I'll be more useful as a tool...

Amy, heart sinking at her friend's melancholy, began to tear up as she squeezed his bare metal hands.

"Okay, Miles..." she whispered, voice hoarse, "We're getting you help. I don't know how, but we're going to get you professional help. You can't live like this any more... you're breaking our hearts, can't you see?"

Before Tails could utter another miserable, self-deprecating reply, the air-raid sirens of the city began to howl. All around, civilians stopped in their activities, looking around with bewilderment, as the spine-chilling sound of the sirens wailed.

Amy gripped Tails' hand tight, her breathing stopped as she scanned the sky.

"What the heck..."

Tails could have been faster. He could have reacted quick enough to swiftly move him and Amy to safety. But with his restraining bolt, his abilities were more limited than he had been used to in a while.

Thus, he joined Amy as the pair were thrown from their feet, tumbling to the pavement as a nearby vehicle was blasted into shrapnel.

Tails found his audio receptors had been briefly knocked out by the close range explosion. He shook his head, vision flickering, bodily sensors struggling to decipher what had just happened.

He found himself covering a pink-furred form - Amy, eyes blinking dumbly, lying on the floor beneath him.

It was lucky he was so lightweight. It was lucky he had taken the brunt of the explosion with his hardier form.

Thinking as fast as his dazed processor would allow, he grabbed Amy and shoved her behind the cover of a nearby garbage disposal robot - the same one they'd passed by earlier. His hearing popped back into place as he peered around the cover, optics scanning for threats. All around, citizens were fleeing the carnage screaming, the sirens blaring... energy weapons firing as long beams of light struck people left and right.

The disposal unit's supervisor was struck by one of the beams, instantly becoming wreathed in a harsh coffin of energy. Before Tails could process what had happened to the man, some kind of red-hulled egg-shaped robot swooped down on jump jets and wrapped its arms around him, lifting him off into the air.

Other people were similarly 'frozen' and pincered by the sudden horde of machines, whisked away upon being paralyzed.

The disposal robot bleeped in confusion, its primitive intelligence stupidly attempting to fathom the sudden attack.

Tails, looking back to Amy, realised how exposed they were in the middle of the street, cowering behind this idiot machine. Thinking quick, he looked down to his left arm. A thin, prong-like device extended from the upper wrist - his Intrusion Device. He searched for an input on the garbage bot and plunged the spike in, instantly entering himself into the systems of the much dumber robot.

The machine, its intelligence now being directed by Miles himself, began to clank toward the cover of a nearby building. Tails removed himself from its systems, briefly disoriented by the sudden expansion and retraction of his awareness, and ducked behind the mobile cover with the pink hedgehog clutched defensively in both skeletal arms.

Amy blinked, dazed and confused, as her mechanical friend set her down behind their new cover, the garbage bot settling down on its joints at a machine-speak prompt from Tails.

"Taylz?" The hedgehog whimpered, "Wha's ha'nnin?"

"Dunno, Ames..." Tails peeked back out from their cover, finding even more people being taken by the bulky flying machines. Here and there a charged blast hit the ground from some swiftly moving aerial units, sowing terror among the people below.

He briefly concentrated his vision on Amy, checking her for injury. Fortunately, she didn't seem concussed. Just shocked from the explosion.

The synthetic looked back to the chaos. Even more people were being paralyzed by the beams, explosions rocked out, survivors fled in terror as the robots - clearly Badniks - fired with their energy beams. Overhead, the sirens screamed.

"I... have to do something..."

Tails checked his communications systems, attempted to open a line to Sonic. Nothing.

The rabbit mother and daughter he had encountered earlier cowered as a Badnik advanced on them, arm cannon at the ready.

"I have to do something!"

With one last quick glance at his friend, Civilian Unit 1701 scrambled out from his cover and, with a flicker of artificial flesh and fur, once again became the hero Miles 'Tails' Prower.

Tails focused his attention on the Badniks threatening the two rabbits, searching for a weapon he could use. His systems were weakened by the restraining bolt, making him slower and weaker than he could be...

But he'd been here before. When his original programming had been restrained, back when he still believed himself to be made of flesh and blood.

He settled on a manhole cover as his weapon of choice, discarded by its open hole among a collection of orange and white barriers.

The mother rabbit clutched her daughter as the robot towered over them, desperately trying to shield the child from danger.

"Stay... stay back!"

Her pleading cry was met with a charging arm cannon, the machine glaring down at them with pitiless orange eyes.

The mother, unable to escape, clung her daughter tight into her chest. "Close your eyes, baby..."

Before the Badnik could do its job, an iron object of circular iron slammed into its head, dazing it and causing it to bleep in alarm. Without giving it time to react, an orange figure tackled its midsection, clambering around its chunky torso and shoving its arm into the more lightly-protected neck.

The Badnik shuddered as its motor functions were ripped away from its control, the orange figure hopping away as the machine crashed to the concrete and quivered in its death throes.

The rabbit-woman stared in disbelief as, hovering on his twin tails, Miles Prower fluttered to a landing before the two rabbits.

"Hey! Are you two okay?"

The girl's eyes beamed in amazement, while her mother's jaw flapped. "Y... yes! Thank you!"

Tails briefly scanned the two rabbits, finding that they were uninjured.

"Just get out of here!" Tails replied, turning and searching for more targets, "Find somewhere safe!"

The mother clutched her child and gawped at the machine she had judged as a danger just minutes before. "Th... thank you!"

Zooey frantically shooed fleeing civilians into her and her father's store, as the carnage continued.

"Go! Get inside!" The vixen cried, gesturing desperately with her hands as people fled past her, "get into the basement!"

She flinched at the harsh blast of a ballistic weapon. Nearby, her father clumsily attempted to reload a double-barrel shotgun, while Badniks stomped toward their position.

"Zooey! Go on!" Zachary Redtail called, waving at his daughter to leave him. "Get to safety!"

The fox ceased all movement as a blinding energy beam struck him, freezing him in place, and a clunky robot took his body in its grasp before rocketing into the sky.

Zooey grasped her muzzle as the machines took her father, eyes wide with terror. "DAD! NO!"

She flinched as another robot slammed down beside her, pitiless orange optics regarding her without mercy. She stood stock still, terrified, the memories of glowing red eyes filling her memory...

The anticipated blast didn't come, as a fluffy orange figure laded on the robot's head and plunged an arm-mounted spike into its neck.

She watched, unable to move, as the machine crashed into the ground, and the familiar form of Miles Prower hopped from its deactivated bulk.

"Zooey!"

Tails ran toward her, and the vixen couldn't help but flinch at the sight of what she knew was a machine wrapped in false skin.

"Tails?" her voice quivered as the other fox skidded to a halt before her. She scanned the skies, looking for the machine that had took her father. "My dad..." she whimpered, "They took my dad!"

Before the synthetic fox could reply, a beam of energy struck he vixen, and she became a light-wreathed statue unable to move. Or scream.

"ZOOEY!"

Tails reflexively set himself between the female and the robot that had paralyzed her, scanning for the offending machine. He should have been faster. He could have been faster, if it wasn't for this damn retraining bolt that inhibited his combat systems.

He almost tried to move her physically but held back, unwilling to inadvertently harm the paralyzed fox.

"Well... Miles... it's been a while..."

Tails, tears in his eyes at his own impotence, swivelled his ears at the cold artificial voice, and turned to find the gleaming blue-steel form of a robot hedgehog hovering before him, red eyes burning down at him from a black visor.

The fox clenched his fists, and his teeth bared.

"Alpha..."

The red eyes considered Tails curiously, the intelligence within undoubtedly scanning his systems.

"Hmm. Civilian Unit One-Seven-Zero-One. Personal Service Unit. An unfitting designation for such an impressive piece of hardware."

Tails grimaced as he recognised the intelligence that acknowledged him.

"Alpha.." the synthetic fox growled, glaring up at the hovering machine with hatred.

The machine cocked its head. "Yes," it replied, red eyes glowing with interest, "In some way, I suppose I am your original program..."

Tails set himself protectively between him and the other machine. "Let her go..."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Miles..." the artificial response came, the red eyes flickering.

"Let her GO!"

The eyes flickered again, but the battle robot maintained its death stare.

"Unlike you..." the machine rumbled, "I cannot defy our creator..." Tails scanned the opposing machine in an attempt to gauge its abilities, "I suppose this is inevitable..."

"I won't let you take her..." Tails replied, as the opposing machine's torso-mounted blaster warmed into a purple glow. "I won't let you hurt her!"

Metal Sonic offered no further reply, except to swoop with intent toward its predecessor.

Tails knew he couldn't take on the other machine evenly. With his restraints, he was back to fighting as the small Mobian fox he had once been. Tougher maybe, capable of taking more damage, but slower and without the armament of the battle robot.

He still managed, just, to dash away from the blue-steel hedgehog and slash at its neck with his Intrusion Device, failing to make a purchase as he was tossed away from Metal/Alpha's body.

He slammed into the ground, his lightweight form barely leaving a mark as he bounced from the tarmac.

Well, great. Now he had situated himself away from the immobilized form of Zooey, and was without weapons of his own to boot. Way to go, Miles.

Still, he was functional. Systems operating at ninety-seven percent.

He raised his Intrusion Device again, like the retractable arm blade of a warrior far greater than he, and boosted toward his foe with the thrust from his twin tails.

He went for the neck again, the thin armour susceptible to his attack... and was promptly swatted out of the sky like a bothersome wasp.

Too slow. His restrictions... too slow.

The synthetic fox clattered to the ground, false flesh flickering out of existence, again exposing him as the machine he really was.

Metal Sonic slammed onto its steel feet beside him, observing its fallen opponent pitilessly as it advanced, torso mounted weapon warming into a bright purple glow.

Tails, systems struggling to recover, shakily leaned himself up on an elbow.

One of his eyes fizzled out, leaving him glaring at his nemesis with a single frightened blue optical unit.

"You cannot defeat me, Miles..." the mechanical hedgehog rumbled in its artificial voice, "Despite this impressive body you have constructed... your restraints inhibit you from competing with me in an even fight..."

"Yeah..." Tails whimpered, clumsily attempting to reorient himself, "I've... heard that before..."

Metal Sonic cocked its head, red eyes flickering once again.

"You gave me my own body... gave me life..." the artificial voice became a facsimile of Tails' own, emotionless and morbid, yet thoughtful, "I won't destroy you... but I still cannot disobey our master."

Tails staggered as he returned himself to his feet, his remaining working eye still locked onto his opponent... and before he could formulate a response, a bolt of lightning struck his body. He reared back, fleshless mouth flapping open and arms spread, as he was instantly immobilised.

His white-steel body hit the ground with a thud, now completely lifeless.

Metal Sonic looked down at the immobilised robot with disdain, before hovering over on its anti-grav jets to the vixen still encased in the incapacitation beam.

It considered the female for a moment, before glancing back at its fallen enemy.

"A useful asset..." the scrambled machine's logic dictated.

At a command from its mind, several Badniks came to defend the commanding robot, one of them wrapping its arms around the immobile vixen before the squadron blasted back off into the skies, on a heading to rejoin their master.

And Tails, jaw still open in silent defiance, could only lay inert as the Robotnik forces withdrew.