what's up your girl is back with another banger chapter /s
no but this would've been out yesterday but i accidentally wrote 600 words for a scene for next chapter so i had to put that aside and finish this up :/
slight disclaimer: i know absolutely nothing about engineering or mechanics and as a result, everything tails says in this is me making shit up. i am but a mere animation major writing sonic the hedgehog fanfic okay i don't know how machines work leave me alone
thanks to Nishiya for commenting!
Day 5: Reactionary
The first thing Tails noticed when he came to was his head. It ached something fierce, the kind of hurt he had only felt when he had stayed up more than a few hours past his bedtime. The last time he had a headache this bad, Sonic had sent him to bed and given him some medicine. He thought he remembered Sonic calling it a migraine.
This certainly wasn't as bad as a migraine, he determined as the rest of his body began to sluggishly wake up. The migraine had seemed to come from deep inside his head, pangs of pain coming from even the dimmest of lights. This felt external, as if he hadn't moved for hours.
Which, he realized with a start, he couldn't. He tried to move his arm again, but he couldn't provoke even the slightest budge. He tried the same thing with his legs, gaining the exact same result. He then moved onto his tails, but-
I can't feel my tails.
Tails' eyes shot open, panic suddenly gripping him. He wasn't at home, like he had previously assumed, but was instead in one of Eggman's familiar labs, the harsh lighting making that apparent enough. The reason he couldn't move was because of the rope tightly wound around him, holding him to a chair from his shoulders to his ankles. But even under the tight bindings, he could see dark clothing and the glint of gold rings on his wrists. That's Shadow's, but why is it-
The events of the past few days came flooding back to him in an instant. His fear from the phantom state of his tails was quickly replaced once he realized where he was and how he had got there. Silver had been flying him over the jungle, up to the mountain when a pack of Eggman's badniks had surrounded them. They had been pulled apart, neither one of them equipped to fight back in any substantial way. The last thing Tails remembered was swinging his arms in an attempt to break free of the grip of the badnik, Silver in the arms of another.
For the first time since he awoke, Tails actually took a look around the room in which he was now trapped. He didn't only recognize it because many of the doctor's bases looked similar, but because he had been here only days ago. This was the computer room, where the machine had been but it looked different. The lab was a mess, wires and plates scattered haphazardly around. The floor and walls themselves were in a similar condition, ashes dirtying the once sterile environment. The machine in question, once an imposing, chrome behemoth, was a mere shell of its former self, its plating covered in scorch marks and scratches. Tails could see the exposed wires of the inside, a clear work in progress.
A deep, rumbling laugh came from behind him, chilling him to the bone. "I see you're awake now." Eggman sauntered in front of him and bent down to face him. "Did you have a good night's sleep, little fox?"
"Eggman," Tails tried his best to sound defiant, but he couldn't control a slight tremor in his voice, "Wh- Where's Silver?"
The doctor grinned. "You don't skip a beat, do you?" He stood back up to his full height, towering over the small child. "Don't worry about him. He's fine. A bit more comfortable than you, actually."
"Yeah? You worried that I'll escape before you can use me for your evil plan?"
"Yes!" Robotnik cried, pointing a finger down at him, "You have been a pain in my ass every time I've captured you!" A small, prideful smile crossed Tails' face at that. "I'm not taking any chances! At least this time, I didn't have to bother with your pesky tails." The doctor thought for a second. "Speaking of..." He pulled a small, metal device out of his pocket and clipped it around Tails' neck.
Tails recoiled as the cold metal touched his skin. "Hey! What the fuck is this?"
"Shut up!" Eggman barked back, "You're like five! You don't get to say fuck!"
"I'm almost eight!" Tails cried indignantly.
"That isn't any better!"
"Answer my question! What is this?"
The doctor preened his mustache. "Just a little dampener for Shadow's powers. As I said, I'm not taking any chances." He turned away from his hostage and began toying with his machine.
"So what?" Tails called after him, "You're just gonna keep me here 'til you get the emeralds?"
"You aren't gonna get me to monologue, so don't even try," Eggman replied, not even bothering to turn around.
Tails scrunched his nose in frustration. Being captured was so boring. The only thing that gave it even the slightest amount of worth was gathering information. He wasn't sure what he would do if he couldn't get Eggman to talk. But, after a moment of thought, he tried a different approach.
He looked down and made his voice as small as possible. "You never meant to fix our powers, did you?"
Vulnerability seemed to be the right bait for the doctor, who stood and faced him, an evil glint in his eye. "Oh no. I have every intention of reversing the effect. My machine needs to lock onto the powers themselves, and it can't do that if they keep switching." He took a step forward, towering over Tails once more. "But once I've reset the effect, it will work as intended and will take your powers for my own gain!"
"Sonic won't let you get away with that!" Tails said in spite of his previous act, "He'll stop you!"
"Oh, will he?" Eggman said, that wicked grin still on his face, "I don't think he will. Not as long as I have you and the gray one."
Tails glared defiantly up at his captor. "Sonic'll save me 'n Silver. You'll see."
"I wouldn't be so sure. The whole reason you're in this pickle is because Sonic had to save you. He might not make the same mistake twice."
He's lying, Tails told himself, but he had trouble believing it.
Eggman seemed to notice the hurt that passed over Tails' face, and his grin grew wider. "I think it's far more likely your friend will give into my demands. After all, without me, you don't have a shot at fixing this." He turned his back to Tails once more. "Enjoy your stay, little fox."
Once the sun had risen, Sonic and Shadow wasted no time in getting back down to Blaze and Elise. They weren't going as fast as they had gone up, due to Shadow's speed being replaced with the strength of Knuckles and Sonic faring no better in the speed department, gaining Blaze's powers, but they still made fair time.
As soon as they came into sight, both Blaze and Elise were on their feet, rushing towards the two. Elise was adorned in the pinkish-red dress of Amy and Blaze had two fluffy lavender tails trailing behind her. "There you are!" Elise cried, "We were worried all night!"
Blaze paled. "Where's Silver?"
"I don't know," Sonic said, shaking his head, "We got separated. Him and Tails never made it up the mountain."
Shadow faced her. "We were hoping you might know something."
Blaze was stone-faced, a clear indication that something was wrong. "Unfortunately, I do." She sighed. "Eggman made an appearance last night. He said he had Silver and Tails." One of her tails flicked behind her. "Sonic, he wants the emeralds."
"We got the one at the top of the mountain," Sonic said, gesturing to Shadow's pockets, where the emerald was being held. He glanced over at Elise. "You still got yours?"
She pulled the emerald out of the pocket in her skirt. "Yep."
"There's still one more," Blaze reminded them.
"And we still haven't found Rouge, Amy, and Knuckles," Shadow added.
Concern crept into Elise's voice. "Could Eggman have them too?"
Shadow shook his head and crossed his arms. "Unlikely. He would've said if he did. Robotnik's not one to hold back on boasting."
"So, what?" Elise asked, "Do we try and find the other emerald?"
"I say we go to Eggman now and give him the emeralds we have," Blaze said.
"I'm not doing shit for Eggman 'til I get Tails back," Sonic said darkly.
Blaze kept her voice level. "It may be our best shot at getting them back. Do you have a better idea?"
Sonic glared back at her for a few more seconds before his face loosened. "No," he relented.
Shadow paused for a moment. "The main base was to the southwest. We can head in that direction."
After a moment of hesitation, both Blaze and Sonic nodded. With a quick glance at the sun, they all headed in the correct direction.
All but one, that is. Elise had stopped, lost in thought, before rushing towards Blaze, gamer gem in hand. "Wait. Take this."
Blaze looked down at the Chaos Emerald, confused. "Elise," she asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm gonna try and find the others," she replied, determination in her voice, "They don't know what happened to Silver and Tails, and they might've found the other emerald."
"Elise, we've been wandering the island for days now, and we haven't found anything," Sonic reminded her.
Elise briefly scanned up at the sky. "Yeah, but I think I know where to look."
"What are you talking about?" Shadow asked.
"The robots Eggman sent last night. They weren't battle bots," she clarified, "They were meant for surveillance. The map we used to plan the mission indicated there was a surveillance center east to the base of the mountain." Her eyes flashed up as if she were remembering something. "If I'm right about our position, and I think I am, we shouldn't be too far. I can break in and use his cameras to find the others."
Shadow glanced over at Sonic. "We shouldn't split up again."
"I'll go with her," Blaze offered.
"No!" Elise said suddenly, "You three need to get Silver and Tails. We have no idea what the state of our powers will be. If I can't find the others, we'll need as many people as we can manage breaking in to save them."
It was silent as the other three considered her words. It wasn't ideal, but Sonic had to admit she was right. They needed all hands on deck. "You sure you can get in alone?" he asked slowly.
"Positive," she responded.
He sighed. "Okay then." He looked over at Shadow and Blaze. "The three of us'll head towards the base."
Blaze put a hand on Elise's shoulder. "Be safe."
"You too." She waved at the three. "I'll see you." With that, she disappeared into the jungle.
After a few moments, the three turned and began their trek in the opposite direction, back into the belly of the beast.
"Do you not listen to music or anything while you're working?" Tails hated the way his voice cracked and echoed around the metal room, making it sound more shrill and whiny than he would've liked. But, he supposed, the purpose was to annoy Eggman, so it worked fine in that regard.
The doctor set down the small device he was tinkering with next to the machine, putting it in Tails' view. "No."
Third Chaos converter. Placed underneath the second power module.
"So, you just work on your machines in complete silence?" Tails asked, glancing around the room.
Six security cameras, two at each door.
"Yes," Eggman said through gritted teeth, reaching into the open panel of his creation, "And I'd appreciate it if you'd give me that."
Heavy-duty electrical wire connecting the three Chaos converters.
"Not that I want you to," Tails inquired, "But why don't you just gag me if you want it quiet?"
"Because if you're talking, at least I know you aren't focusing on escaping or something."
It really took all of Tails' self-control not to snap back with a retort, but he managed to hold his tongue. He was just a little offended. Surely, at this point, Eggman knew he could multi-task?
Well, he does still think I'm five.
"But working in silence?" Tails groaned, "That sounds terrible. I don't think I'd get anything done if there wasn't some kinda background noise."
Fans underneath the Chaos converters. One for each.
"It doesn't even have to be music. I got this radio in the workshop, and sometimes, I'll tune it to this local station where they play basically the same ten songs and about the same amount of ads as music, but it doesn't matter 'cause I just need noise."
Chaos converters are connected to the second extension cord.
Tails tilted his head to the side as if he were thinking very hard. "It helps me to focus, but I also think it helps me to like, process the passage of time, 'cause I've got a problem with that, especially when I'm working. I'll get an idea and then I'll just keep working 'til it's finished or Sonic comes and tells me I gotta eat or sleep or somethin'. Do you do that?"
Robotnik didn't answer, but instead stood up from his place on the floor and moved towards one of the computer screens on the other side of the room. A screen, Tails realized with some alarm, that was completely out of his view. It was no doubt important whatever Eggman was typing, and Tails wracked his brain to find a way over there.
The solution that came to him was deceptively simple. He began to rock back and forth in his chair, creating a fair bit of momentum. Had he actually been trying to escape, he would've attempted to be at least a little quieter, but since his goal was to get the doctor's attention, he let the chair legs thud loudly against the metallic floor. He began to shuffle the chair towards the closest door, as clear of a broadcast of "I'm currently trying to escape" as he could manage. It wasn't until the chair legs hit the ground with a particularly loud thump that Eggman looked up.
The doctor gave a slight groan at the sight. "Goddamn you, child." He sighed and walked over to Tails, dragging the chair closer to where he had been seated, leaving Tails in full view of the computer screen.
"Dammit," Tails said, trying his best to mask his satisfaction. Robotnik hadn't gotten very far in his programming, only a couple lines visible to Tails. They were mostly foundational, the kind of stuff that any one of his machines would have, but Tails memorized it anyway. The more information he could retain, the better.
He caught Eggman sparing a glance at him as he resituated himself in front of the monitor, and he realized he had been quiet for too long. He had to keep him from getting suspicious. "Y'know," he started, jumping on the first thought that came to his head, "There's this new superhero movie coming out and I saw the trailer and it looked real cool, but Sonic says I can't go to see it 'cause it's rated R."
It was a little difficult to see over Eggman's wide frame, but it seemed to Tails that he had moved onto the attributes of his targets. He could see him fill in the Chaos signature of Sonic, the same one that Tails himself had found in his own studies. He'll probably have to do that for all nine of us.
"But I think that's bullshit on account of me being allowed to say 'fuck,' and I've thought about it, and me 'n Sonic are basically already superheroes, so I should be able to see a superhero movie, right?"
As expected, Eggman began filling in Tails' own Chaos signature.
"So I told him all that, but he said that there's some adult stuff that's in the movie that I'm still too little to understand, so that's why I can't see it, and I think that's a little unfair. I understand plenty of stuff other adults don't, so why wouldn't I understand this?" At some point during his rambling, Robotnik had stopped typing and instead had placed his head in his hands, which wasn't exactly the reaction Tails had been expecting. Was it something I said? "Do you know what he's talking about?"
The only response he got was a quiet, muttered, "Christ."
For the first time since they had ended up on the island, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge were completely directionless.
Despite the handicapped nature of their abilities, they had managed to retrieve the emerald with few obstacles. The overall situation was far from ideal, but it had gone about as smoothly as it could. But, that's where they hit a roadblock.
What now?
In a perfect world, this would be time to regroup, find their friends, and figure out a plan of action from there. But they had absolutely no way of knowing where the others were. Assuming the rest had heard Eggman's announcement, same as the other three, then their friends could be anywhere on the island, searching for the other emeralds.
From what Rouge could recall from the map, there was a surveillance center to the north, Eggman's main base further northwest. However, that had been from their initial position. None of them were quite sure where they were now.
After agonizing over it for a few hours, Knuckles had suggested they go further inland. Should they figure out their next move, it would be easier to travel from the center of the island rather than the edges. Rouge and Amy had both agreed, but he could tell they felt just as unsure as he did.
It was clear, as the sun set, that they had made significantly less progress than they had the past few days, but it wasn't of much concern. Without a goal, it was hard to measure progress.
"I'll find some firewood," Rouge offered, dusting her white dress off, courtesy of Elise. They had come across a small pond and decided to settle in for the night.
Knuckles nodded and went to drink from the pond, only to stop at the sight of his reflection. He had been gifted with Rouge's powers since the morning, but he hadn't really taken the time to process what exactly he was wearing. But, face to face with it in the water, he let out a chuckle. "Rouge?" he called. She walked towards him, eyebrow raised. He put his arms out, displaying the outfit fully. "I look ridiculous."
She laughed. "Yes, you do." She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "I'll be back in a few." He nodded in response as she made her way into the jungle.
As soon as she was gone, Amy's voice rang out. "What the fuck was that?"
Knuckles turned quickly, eyes widening. He had completely forgotten about Amy, lost in his infatuation. She was stood beside him, arms crossed, Silver's jacket looped around her waist. "Nothing," he tried to say as neutrally as possible.
"No, it wasn't," Amy fired back, making it clear enough she wasn't going to let this go, "Did I see that with my own two eyes? Did Rouge just kiss you?"
Any irrational hope of Amy not seeing that was immediately crushed and Knuckles struggled to come up with a way to explain. Instead, he settled on a simple, "Yes."
"When did that start?"
"Last night," Knuckles said, a slight bit of defensiveness creeping into his voice, "We talked a bit, she kissed me, and I kissed her back."
Amy stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly working something out in her head. "Cool."
"Wha-" Knuckles sputtered, "That's it? 'Cool?'"
"Yeah," Amy said, "What, did you think I was gonna make fun of you or something?"
"I mean, yeah," he admitted.
Amy rolled her eyes. "Okay, well, fair." Her voice switched to something a bit more sincere. "But you're my friend, and I'm happy for you."
Knuckles smiled. "Thanks, Amy," he said, pulling her into a side hug.
"Yeah, yeah," she said sarcastically, leaning into the hug, "Gotta admit, though, I'm not super thrilled about being the third wheel for you two now."
"You've been quiet," Eggman said gruffly, "Which means you're either making trouble or you want something."
He wasn't exactly wrong, Tails conceded. He did want something. He wanted out of this chair, out of Eggman's clutches as a whole. He wanted his tails back, along with the rest of his friends' powers. He wanted to be back with Sonic and Amy and Knuckles, and everyone else. He just wanted them all safe and happy.
Instead, he settled on something a bit more realistic, "I wanna see Silver."
The doctor exhaled quickly, glancing back at the computer screen. He seemed to deliberate it for a moment, before standing and striding towards the child. "Fine," he said, pulling the bindings loose. Once he had freed him, the doctor grabbed his arm, dragging him into a long corridor. Tails attempted to memorize the layout of the building as they traversed it, but he found his thoughts becoming more and more muddled. He focused all of his energy on retaining all his information on the machine.
Soon enough, they arrived at a prison cell of some sort. At the sound of their approach, Silver stood from inside the cell. "Stand back," Robotnik commanded, and Silver complied, pressing his back to the wall. The doctor swung the door open, tossing Tails in, closing the door just as soon as it opened. "I'll be back in the morning," the doctor said coldly. With that, he left them in the small cell.
As soon as Eggman was out of sight, Silver rushed forward. "Are you alright?" he asked, helping Tails up.
Tails nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." He gave Silver a once over of his own, noting that the older boy seemed to hold Sonic's powers, a dampener of his own placed atop his older brother's bandana. "Are you?"
"I'm fine." He shrugged. "I've just been here since I woke up. Where'd he have you?"
"With him in his lab. I don't think he wanted to leave me unsupervised."
"Well, you're here now," Silver said, trying his best to sound reassuring. He began to walk towards the far wall. "The good news is I think I found a way outta here. If we-" He stopped, realizing Tails hadn't moved. "What?"
"We can't leave," Tails said quietly, "Not yet."
"Why not?" Silver asked.
Tails struggled with his words, but he finally figured out what to say. "I've been watching Eggman work on the machine all day. If we stay just a bit longer, I bet I can figure out how it works."
Silver looked conflicted. "Look," he started, "I get that's important, but I think it's more important that we get out of here."
"And then what?" Tails said, "We're still gonna have to fix this, right? Before we got captured, our best bet was crawling back to Eggman anyway. If I can watch him for just a little longer and get more information, I could fix this whole thing." Silver still looked hesitant, so Tails tried again. "Please." He looked down a little. "We wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't gotten captured the first time. The least I can do now is learn how to fix it."
Silver bit his lip, his uncertainty clear. "Okay," he said finally, "One more day. But when he brings you back tomorrow night, we're outta here." He held his arms close to him. "I don't wanna risk another night."
Tails nodded in agreement. "Tomorrow then."
Silver played with his fingers, a clear tell of nervousness. "I guess," he stammered a bit, "If we're not escaping tonight, we should probably get some sleep." He sat down on the ground, pulling off Sonic's jacket and bundling it into a ball, placing it underneath his head. After a moment, Tails followed suit, laying across from him.
Despite his previous statement, Silver didn't close his eyes and seemed to be pondering something. In all honesty, Tails felt the same way. He really did think the best course of action was to stay and gather information, but every other instinct in his body told him to get away, to get to safety. If it were just him, he wouldn't mind toughing it out, ignoring his own safety just until he knew enough. But he wasn't alone. Silver was trapped here as well and he wouldn't escape without Tails.
Tails' voice was small. "Silver?"
"Yeah?"
Tails hesitated. "Is this a good idea?"
Silver sighed but didn't answer for a moment. "I don't know," he answered honestly, "It makes sense to me, but I'm not usually the one making decisions. That's mostly Blaze." He glanced over at Tails. "But I trust your plan, so I think it'll be fine." He paused. "Let's get some sleep."
Tails nodded once again and closed his eyes, falling asleep despite the uncertainty.
oh! vaguely related but i started playing my first sonic game! i got sonic generations on sale for spring festival, so I've been playing it and holy shit it's so much fun! i can now officially call myself a sonic fan since i have consumed something other than the snapcube dubs
as usual, please comment! tbh it doesn't even have to be about the fic, i just like getting the little emails and replying!
see y'all for the next chap!
