Nicole was definitely not pleased to have found a note on Tails's nightstand early one morning informing her that he'd run away.

To whomever this may concern,

I'm sorry for my abrupt departure, but I want my big brother back. I know that deep down, Sonic's still the carefree chilli dog loving hero that picked me up out of the streets. He gave me a home. He accepted me two tails and all. He made me feel loved in a way my own parents never could.I'm gonna try to talk to him. I know you're worried, but he'd never hurt me. You know that. I know that. He knows that. If we could just get through to him civilally, maybe we could help him see the error in his ways and he'd stop and come back.If he doesn't talk to me, I'll try again. And again. And again. You get the idea. I'm not giving up on my best friend... you shouldn't either.

- Tails.

Frustrated, Nicole waded up the piece of paper and forcefully threw it in the waste basket. How could Tails be so stupid? Was he so blind as to actually look for Sonic on his own? Then again, maybe he had a point... No. He was crazy and this was suicide.

Nicole called a meeting later that day and assigned a duo comprised of Bunnie and Antoine to find Tails and bring him back by force.


Sand Hill City had been rather disrupted since Sonic's assassination attempt against the President.

A good deal of Mobians actually agreed with the former hero when it came to President Johnson. The man had been enwrapped in scandal after scandal and hadn't done much for GUN in general, although he recieved mostly positive media coverage.

Sonic's new motto itself -"Watch me unravel,"- had been picked up, Tails noticed as he walked down the streets. The phrase was graffitied on fading cracked walls, torn up posters with the words inscribed blowed around, and the kitsune could've sworn he saw several people with Watch me unravel printed on their shirts.

Intentionally or unintentionally, Sonic had started a movement. A violent one at that. Tails had heard people whispering about violent activities performed by the stuwarts of this movement.

"One guy threw a TV through the post office window,"

"There was a girl that punched the mayor,"

"Some old man vandalized his own car and graffitied that new slogan on it,"

Tails blinked in disbelief at that last one, but continued his walk. He approached the building he'd been traveling to all along: the Chaotix's new offics. Hesitating at first, he treaded up the stairs and knocked three times.

After some yelling ("Charmy! Get the door; I'm busy!") and shuffling from inside, Charmy flung the wooden door open with a happy grin that seemed so natural on his face. "Hiya, Tails!"

"Hey, Charmy," Tails greeted politely. "Are the other Chaotix at home?"

"Espio is meditating at the city chao garden, but he'll be back in a few. Vector is kinda busy but he'll have a few minutes to talk, I'm sure," The young bee preceded to move aside from the doorway to let Tails through. "Make yourself comfortable,"

The first thing that Tails noticed was that the room was... a wreck. It still held the Sprite green walls and hardwood floor he remembered, but the similarities ended there. Papers and such were strewn all over the floor and furniture. The small kitchenette had an overflowing counter of nothing but used (and probably resued) coffee mugs that had gone unwashed. What was worse that the place reeked of...

"Booze?" Tails sniffed, his face contorting into concern and scolding in one. "I thought that you guys only drink coffee,"

Charmy sighed. Obviously, he didn't like the scent (or the alcohol in general) either. "Vector's been stressed out lately, so..."

Although to a significantly smaller degree, at least Sonic wasn't the only one currently making bad decisions. Oddly enough, Tails was thankful for that. He didn't have to single Sonic out exclusively.

Vector's voice rang from an adjacent room. "I told you, the guy skipped town! No, no! Not Kevin!"

Tails looked at Charmy with a puzzled expression until the bee gave an acceptable answer. "He's had an overflow of work ever since Sonic tried to kill Johnson. There's been quite a spike of crime,"

"I can imagine," Tails said.

The door creaked open, revealing Espio whom had a blue yoga mat tucked under his right arm. He greeted Tails with a brisk nod as he walked past into the room Vector was in.

He didn't even say hello.


A full two hours passed before Vector and Eapio filed out into the main room and squeezed next to Charmy on the leather brown sofa. Tails situated himself on a matching recliner several feet away where he nervously tapped his gloved fingers against the mug of coffee he'd been given.

"So, Tails," Vector drawled impatiently. "Charmy here says you need our services,"

Tails nodded.

Espio made a soft humming noise, thoughtful. "Is this about Sonic?"

"Yeah," Tails answered. He sighed and looked away before continuing. "I know he's been making some... mistakes lately, but I already lost Aunt Sally. I can't lose my big bro too,"

"And what do you propose we do?" Charmy asked.

The kitsune looked all three detectives in the eye, trying to draw out conviction, maybe a whim. "Help me find him,"

Vector snorted in agitation. "No way, kid. We're already knee deep in cases,"

"But-"

"We're sorry, but whatever the boss says goes," Espio said sympathetically. "We just don't have the time and cof- I mean energy to go on a wild goosechase for someone that obviously doesn't want to be found,"

"How do you know Sonic doesn't want to be found? What if he's just waiting for someone to care enough to talk to him so he can come back?"

Espio hadn't considered that. "We know our stuff. Trust me, Sonic doesn't want to be found," He stood up, walked across the foyer, and opened the front door. "I hate to be rude, but we're really busy,"

"But-"

Vector cut Tails off sharply. "Look, kiddo, we wanna help you. We just can't right now. Come back in a few weeks, then we can talk,"

His ears flattened and his heart hurt, Tails set his mug on the coffee table and made his way to the entry. As Charmy shut the door behind him, muttering a quiet goodbye, Tails couldn't help but think I can't wait weeks. I want Sonic back now.

He'd have to find Sonic's hiding place on his own, he knew.


He asked around on the city street for answers on Sonic's whereabouts. Most said they had no earthly idea, some took wild guesses, and some proposed places too absurd to mention in seriousness.

"Maybe he's skipping town to the next country over,"

"He hates water, so you can rule out Abadat and Apotos,"

"He flew off to the west direction. How about Chung En?"

"The casino. That's where I'd be if I were him,"

Tails thought he'd never get a valid answer until around sundown, he caught a whiff of a cloaked figure slipping through an alleyway. Against his better judgement, he followed the figure.

"Hey!" he yelled out just as the figure was about to open a metal door. The person looked over and met him with blazing purple eyes and red dreadlocks, which distinguished them as an echinda. The cloak was form fitting, allowing Tails to assume it was a female.

The echinda lowered her hood and Tails barely stifled a disgusted gasp. "Lien Da!"

She smiled wickedly and waved her right arm around. "In the flesh,"

"What are you doing here?!" Tails demanded.

"Sightseeing," Lien Da replied flatly, ever the blunt one. "What's it to you?"

"You're up to something; you're always up to something,"

The woman recoiled in mock offense. "You insult me,"

"If you're really sightseeing, you won't mind a simple question," Tails retorted. His intook breath and held it. "Where's Sonic?"

"You really wanna know?"

"Yes,"

"You really really want to know?"

"YES!"

"You really really-"

"JIST TELL ME, DANG IT!"

Lien Da momentarily flinched (Jeez, that kid had some lungs) before laughing. "Touchy, I see," She stepped down the stairs and stopped just inches from Tails's face. As she spoke, he felt her cold minty breath on his muzzle, both alluring and chilling to the bone. "You can find the guy in Eggman's old base: Eggmanland,"

"That tacky amusement park?"

Lien Da shrugged indifferently. "That's why Sonic's renovating the place,"

He was in Eggmanland... Tails's best friend and surrogate brother, the onoy one he truly counted as family was across the globe waiting for him, needing his help deep down inside. Sonic had helped him more times than could be counted. It was only fair that Tails return the favor. He just needed to figure out the words on how to do it.


A/ N: Sappy, I know. Thanks for the reviews, by the way.