It was a bit like waking up from a nap that ran too long. Except for the overwhelming nausea; that didn't happen with naps. Not normally, at least; the Freedom Fighters knew how to throw a party.

But Rotor hadn't been to a party, he knew that much. He was having some trouble remembering, though. What happened? Something unpleasant. Something...urgent. Maybe he could ask Tails.

Tails! That's right, he was with Tails!

They were hunting an emerald down by that lake before...before…

Before what?

White hot agony, whirring engines, brambles and branches.

Tails, standing over him, protecting him.

Tails...changing.

Then blinding light. Then darkness.

Rotor's eyes snapped open as the memories settled into place. He was greeted by the sight of a quaint, if a bit sterile, hospital room. Beige walls and soft, eggshell accents.

His tired mind was having trouble registering everything, but he was starting to wake fully now. His vision coalesced and at last settled on a large shape in the corner of the room. Instantly, Rotor was calmed.

"What's it gonna take to keep you down, kid?" Ari chuckled with a sly grin.

"Ah hell," Rotor replied, his voice weak but jovial, "They let your type in here?"

Ari strode across the room and offered a large hand, which his friend clasped happily.

"Good to see ya again, Rotor."

"Same to you. Wish the circumstances were better."

"Well, y'know, who among us hasn't been cut clean through by a plasma bolt," Ari said, arching his back as a series of pops rang out. Rotor could only guess how long he'd been sitting in that woefully undersized chair.

"God, Ari, that ain't the half of it," Rotor sighed, "You're never gonna believe me when I tell ya, but something big is going on with Tails."

Ari snorted and strolled back to his chair, "That ship's more than sailed, friend. Guess you could say it's halfway to sunk."

"You're not making sense, Ari."

"The world doesn't make sense anymore, bud. I didn't get everything, but from what I can tell Robotnik slipped a robot disguised as Tails in with ya."

Rotor felt like the air had been stripped from his lungs. Had he heard Ari right? Were the painkillers affecting his comprehension?

"Sorry...what? A robot?"

"Seems like it. Had the fur, the voice, the whole bit. Apparently everyone was fooled until it tried to kill Sally just down the hall."

This time Rotor was sure he heard correctly, and Ari had to hurry back across the room to keep him from lunging out of bed.

"Hey calm down! You know Sally, she's fine. They took that rustbucket down to Green Hill. Reckon that's where they're all at right now."

Rotor closed his eyes and took a few deliberate breaths. What Ari was telling him didn't quite make sense. Sure, what happened in those woods was...alarming. But that had been Tails with him on that mission. He'd bet his life on it. In a way, he already had.

"What you're saying doesn't add up, Ari."

"Well, that may just be the painkillers talking…"

"No, no, I mean it," Rotor continued, "He protected me. When we were out there in the forest, and I was bleeding out, there was a drone stalking us. Tails hunkered me down and stood over me; faced that thing head-on and blew it to high hell."

"So what're you sayin'?"

Rotor rolled his eyes, "What I'm saying is if he's an imposter, why'd he risk his life to save me?"

Ari tossed his hands up casually, "I don't have a clue, friend. I just got a call last night tellin' me you'd been shot and to haul ass down to Minton. I'm not here to play private eye, just lettin' you know what I know."

Rotor's head fell back onto the pillow and he let his eyes wander the ceiling for a moment, as if the tiles would give him any sort of clue as to what was going on. They didn't. Bastards.

He had been in that forest with Tails. Whatever Tails really was, (and if what Rotor remembered was correct, he was probably not strictly a Mobian) that was the same Tails he'd always known. The way his partner had looked at him with genuine fear, the way he'd stood his ground unflinchingly, the way he'd begged Rotor to stay away.

No, that was no imposter.

"Ari, do you have my communicator?"

o-o-o-o

Sonic couldn't remember a worse night.

Not the time he'd stayed up for 48 hours straight digging through rubble after a Robotnik attack, desperately searching for survivors.

Not any of the times he'd been trapped behind enemy lines overnight, never sure if death was around the next corner.

Not even when dusk and dawn passed him by as he wept over his parents' graves, begging them to come back.

Actually, that last one was quite apt. One might figure he'd be used to losing family by now, but it's a different pain altogether when it turns out that someone you held so close wasn't even real in the first place.

Oh sure, he'd stayed up with Chuck until the wee hours of the morning, with only the baleful hum of the refrigerator in the small lounge to keep them company. His uncle had expounded and explained everything he could think of regarding what Miles Prower truly was, and how he insisted that even though he was a machine, he was still alive.

Sonic...well, he had his doubts. Big ones. How could a robot really know what it's like to feel? How could circuits and processors mimic the emotions of flesh and blood? No, they couldn't.

But he at least trusted in his uncle's assessment that the android was relatively contained. Charles Hedgehog was the greatest computer scientist on Mobius, and if he was confident the thing wasn't about to break out into another asassination attempt, he at least owed it to the older man to place some faith in him.

Sonic wasn't about to let his guard down for a single second, though.

Which is why he found himself standing outside the door to the robot's quarters. He planned to march the thing down to the war room and shadow it all day afterward if that's what it took. He wasn't about to let that glorified calculator get the better of them again.

God, and all the others…they have to find out, too, he thought, How's Sal gonna be able to handle this?

Sally had always fancied herself as a motherly figure to Tails, which even earned her the nickname "Aunt Sally" in the months following his de-facto adoption. Whereas Sonic was Tails' role model, his partner in crime, Sally had been his nurturer, his comforter. Sonic had never seen anything like the care she'd shown the young fox.

And soon she'd find out he was never a fox at all. Just another one of Robotnik's atrocities.

A faint click, and the door in front of the hedgehog opened, revealing the familiar blue eyes and bushy orange fur that now seemed to be completely foreign. The android didn't react at first as it turned around to lock the door behind it, but Sonic was certain there were biometric scanners installed in there somewhere. It knew he was there.

They locked eyes, and for a moment they simply stood there, engaged in a fleeting staring contest, until the robot cocked its head, expression stern.

"What, no threats today?"

Sonic didn't feel the need to say anything.

"Silent treatment? Honestly, that's what we're doing?"

…

"I don't have time for this," it declared as it began the march down the hall. Sonic dutifully pulled himself off the wall and fell into step behind. Tails spared one over-the-shoulder glance, but otherwise paid the hedgehog little mind. That was fine by Sonic.

He looked the android up and down, searching for any kind of tell. He could find none; Robotnik really had outdone himself. The only thing that caught his eye was the dark brown satchel across the machine's shoulder.

"What's with the bag?" he asked.

The bot turned its head once more, a quizzical look adorning its false face.

"I always have a satchel," it responded bluntly.

"This one's new."

And it was. The dark, treated leather indicated the thing had only been used a handful of times, a far cry from the worn, faded material of the old bag. Sonic had bought that bag not long after they'd first met, when the apparent fox had first demonstrated his fascination with gadgets and gizmos, and Sonic had grown weary of finding screws and fuses and wires in every nook and cranny around the house.

"What happened to the other one?"

The robot turned back around and continued walking.

"It blew up."

"'It 'blew up'?"

The android didn't respond further, so Sonic settled with falling back into step as they made their way to the war room.

o-o-o-o

The very first thing Sally did after entering the room was give her father the biggest hug possible, which he of course returned in kind. In the heat of the moment, back in the hospital, she hadn't had an opportunity to reflect and consider how close to death she'd come.

It certainly wasn't the first time, and most likely would not be the last, she'd had her life threatened, and she knew how much of a strain it placed on her father. He would never discourage her, obviously, but it was plain to see on his face whenever she returned from a mission how relieved and proud he was in equal measure.

"There's my princess," he said, embracing her tightly, "You're sure you're alright? Should we get someone to check your neck after the briefing?"

Sally chuckled lightly, "No, no, Daddy I'm fine, I promise. Though I think you could use a nice camomile tea."

"Ah, if only," the King responded in that airy yet tired tone that had become his signature as of late, "Tea must wait, I'm afraid. We're in for rough waters. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that though."

Sally clasped her father's shoulders and offered a warm smile,"Whatever happens, Daddy, we'll get through it. That's what we do."

Max once again embraced his daughter, "When did you get so mature, eh? I should be the one comforting you!"

The two shared another welcome laugh as the door beeped open, and Sally spotted, to her eternal relief, a familiar golden kitsune enter the room. Miles' face was tense and his posture guarded, but otherwise he looked no worse for the wear.

Sonic followed him shortly thereafter, but Sally noticed his features too were sharp, almost aggressive. That didn't make any sense. Sonic had been hell bent on seeing Tails just 12 or so hours earlier; shouldn't he have been over the moon to have his brother safe and sound?

"I'm going to go speak with Tails before we get started, Daddy," said Sally, "Promise me you'll take care of yourself, yeah? We don't need you falling apart."

The King nodded as he accepted a kiss on the cheek, "Yes, darling. Point taken."

As Sally trotted her way over to the young fox, she noticed yet more strange behavior. Tails placed his (new?) stachel at one of the open chairs far away from the rest of the team, which was odd enough on its own, but what really set off alarm bells was the very brief, but very contemptible eye contact between him and Sonic, before Sonic brusquely broke away to the other side of the room.

Great, more mysteries. Does it ever end?

Tails unclipped one of the many compartments on the bag, and met Sally's eyes as she approached. But there was yet another surprise in his expression. Sally expected relief, even joy at being reunited with his family, but instead what met her in the fox's eyes could only be described as pure fear.

Tails quickly schooled his expression and affected a more natural smile, but his initial reaction had been plain as day. Why would Tails, of all people, fear her? She thought ousting the imposter would have set everything straight, so why did it still seem as if she had skipped a page?

Nevertheless, she was still immensely grateful to see her little fox again, and showed it by pulling him into her best motherly hug. She could feel him tense even as he returned the gesture, and she wondered not for the first time what on Mobius could be the matter.

"It's so good to see you safe and sound, Miles," she said as she pulled away, "The real you, that is."

Tails flinched at her words, but again tried to temper his response, "Thanks, Sally. I...ah…"

There was a pause, bordering on uncomfortable, as Tails kept his head pointed downward, desperately avoiding eye contact. Sally checked the other side of the room to see Sonic regarding the other Fighters in what seemed to be the tersest possible manner, but at least he still sat with them.

But here was his brother, alone. And he didn't seem in a hurry to follow.

"Tails, hun?"

He, at last, looked up at her, those bright eyes as blue as ever. This wasn't a job for Sally Acorn, this was a job for Aunt Sally.

"Something going on with you and Sonic?"

Tails sighed as he gazed toward their companions, "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

"Do you need me to talk with him?"

The fox shook his head, dejected, "It won't do any good. After we get done here today...well, you might not wanna talk to me either."

W-what?

"Tails, why would you say that? I would never…"

Sally ran a hand through her hair. This was new. Sonic and Tails had fought before, but why would Tails think Sally would have vested interest? What happened between last night and this morning?

Well, I guess there's one way to find out.

"Talk to me, hun. What happened?"

A loud clatter interrupted the conversation before it could even begin, as General Penn barged through the door.

"Alright, everyone here?" he barked. "Looks like it. Good."

His razor eyes scanned the room and all present, and Sally could have sworn they stayed on Tails for just a bit too long before the general continued his address.

"Go ahead, Your Majesty."

The King stepped around to the front of the room, and as usual for someone of such authority, all eyes were on him. The general, meanwhile, took his seat alongside the members of his task force. It was a bit absurd, Sally thought, how the room seemed to be divided into high school cliques. They were all government operatives, for crying out loud.

"I know you must have heard me say it a thousand times by now," Max began, "But I thank you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything that you all continue to do for this country. The fact that you are all here today and still willing to fight against this tyranny means more to me and the people of the kingdom than you will ever know."

He looked to his left, and offered a small, knowing nod to Charles, who then directed his attention to...Sally?

No, not her.

The fox beside her.

"Before we discuss the upcoming operation, there's an imperative topic we must address."

Tails never looked away from the front of the room as he slowly stood and walked - marched, almost - to meet Charles, who placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The fox looked positively petrified. His hands were balled into fists, and his namesakes twitched and fluttered.

After we get done here today...you might not wanna talk to me either.

"Whenever you're ready, Miles," said Max as he sat, effectively removing him from the room's attention.

Tails took a deep breath, glanced at Charles once more, and began: "I know a lot of you have been worried about me lately, and that there have been a lot of questions about what happened to me and how that relates to the imposter at the hospital."

"I just want to say...before I show you what I'm about to show you...I swear that I never meant for any of this to happen. I swear that I am completely loyal to this kingdom," the young fox's attention moved to focus only on the cluster of Freedom Fighters, "and my family."

"Well…'course we know that, shug," Bunnie spoke up, concern in her tone. Her expression spoke of confusion and apprehension, which was shared by Antoine and, Sally imagined, herself. Sonic, however, remained stalwart as ever. His eyes never once left the fox. Sally hadn't even noticed him blinking.

"Thanks, Bunnie," Tails said, absently rubbing his arm, "But...I just…"

He exhaled once more, appeared to steel himself, and continued.

"I'm not what you all think I am."

Silence. Pure, terrible silence.

"The truth is this: I haven't gone anywhere. There is no 'imposter'. The one who attacked Sally at the hospital was me."

Still quiet, but not quite silent any more. Chairs creaked slightly as all present offered their full attention. Nobody could quite wrap their minds around what the fox had said, especially not Sally. What was Tails saying? He obviously wasn't the interloper; the thing in the hospital room had been ready to blow her head off at the slightest provocation, and yet Tails was standing right next to Sir Charles, mere feet away from the King.

"Brace yourselves."

The two words broke Sally from her thoughts and brought her attention back to Tails just in time to witness something that would irrevocably change her life.

Tails held his arms slightly outward from his body and closed his eyes. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, before anyone could question the fox, his fur began to shimmer slightly, like looking down a desert highway and seeing the road rippling ahead in the heat. Gradually, the golden orange that so readily identified Miles Prower began to fade away, and all too quickly Sally realized what he had meant only a moment ago.

A creeping chill down her spine intensified, and finally, front and center, stood a figure that now only vaguely resembled Miles Prower in shape. Gone was the fluffy yet well kept coat of fur, replaced by a cold, white plastic skin with occasional black accents. Joints situated in the arms, hands, knees and other extremities were subtle but visible, and every so often an LED flashed from the small gaps in the chassis' outer covering. What were once tails now would be more accurately described as metal serpents, which each tapered to a razor sharp point at the end. The monster was a dizzying mixture of elegant, horrifying, graceful, and murderous.

But its worst quality to Sally was, by far, its face.

By the average person's standards, the face would likely be the least horrifying part of the android. It at least bore a mostly normal representation of a mobian fox, even with the plainly synthetic skin and lack of fur. The white plastic was flexible, allowing it to emote, and even the lines that made up the facial features tapered mostly naturally.

But what sent Sally's fight-or-flight response into overdrive was none of that. It was the eyes. The same black and red she'd stared into at the hospital just the previous day.

This was the interloper that had nearly ended her life.

Sally was halfway out of her seat, as were many others in the room, with a hand toward her blaster when Charles quickly, yet calmly, stepped in front of the machine. The room once again froze in uncertainty. Sally hazarded a glance to her left. Antoine and Bunnie looked to have been in progress of taking cover behind a nearby desk, but were now nervously assessing the situation. The G.U.N. task force members seemed less surprised, but just as apprehensive; Sally noted several of them with their hands already grasping their sidearms.

Sonic, on the other hand, displayed no sense of urgency whatsoever, with his chair leaned back and legs crossed on the table directly in front of him. The only emotion radiating from the hedgehog was unmistakable disdain. At least that answered one question out of about ten-thousand.

The air was thick with fear and frenzy as Charles spoke, "Well, then...about what I expected."

"But let's keep our heads about us, shall we? Now, if everyone will return to their seats, I think Tails here has a bit more to say."

Charles slowly repositioned himself back at the machine's side, but stayed close, which terrified Sally to noend. Why was he treating that...war machine like a friend? This was horrifically dangerous; that thing should have been deactivated and restrained as a priority! And here Charles, and her father for that matter, were parading it as if…

...as if it were the real Tails.

Oh.

The android's words before its transformation were only just beginning to register, their meaning finally taking root in her mind. And as she stared unblinking at the deep red eyes of the metallic killer in front of her, she understood.

Oh, God.

Her little boy. Innocent, pure-hearted Miles. The same young man she'd comforted, guided, scolded, and held dear for so many years…

...was a monster?

"I don't blame you for not trusting me," it spoke in that same twisted digital mirror of the fox's usual voice, "What I did yesterday is...unforgivable, but I wasn't in control of my actions."

"Who was, then?" Sonic's voice rang out. No one dared to turn their heads to look, but all present could hear the scowl on his face. He knew very well the answer to that question.

Red eyes met green, an unspoken challenge, before the android answered, "Ivo Robotnik."

It felt like no one in the room was breathing. Maybe they weren't.

Sally slowly shook her head. "No no no no no…" she muttered softly, but apparently not softly enough as the machine's crimson eyes briefly flickered toward her before abruptly looking away.

"I'm an E-class combat and infiltration android. I always have been, since the very beginning. Originally, I was sent to infiltrate the Freedom Fighters as a sleeper agent."

"But I mean it when I say that, until a few days ago, I had no clue. Robotnik must have wiped my memory banks before dropping me on Westside. I guess he figured...it would be that much easier to keep things quiet if even his own spy didn't know."

Another wave of ripples washed across the monster, and suddenly the fluffy orange fur and bright blue eyes were back, cloaking the plastic and metal frame in a mirage of normalcy.

"I'd like to say that all the memories and experiences we've shared together were real," it continued in a more familiar voice, "but I can't say that with confidence. I don't even know what is and isn't real anymore. I could say...that they felt real to me...but that's assuming I...I can actually feel anything in the first place and…"

It paused, fists clenched, met with that painful, unrelenting silence.

And then, a collective buzzing sound that had half the room nearly jumping out of their skin. The brief moment of panic passed as the Freedom Fighters glanced down at their communicators.

"It's...it's Rotor!" Bunnie exclaimed, obviously trying to fight through her shock.

Charles, on the other hand, could not have seemed more excited, "Well this is one heck of a pleasant surprise! Throw him on the screen, Tails!"

Tails - no, the machine - seemed put off for a moment, but soon his eyes flashed, and Rotor's tired, slightly pained, but thankfully alert face filled the screen.

"Hey, all," he greeted. His voice was hoarse and he'd definitely been through the wringer, but he had made it. That was the important thing.

"How are you feeling, Rotor?" the King asked.

"Well considering y'all left me alone with this ol' son-of-a-gun, I guess I'm managing," he chuckled.

Those present seemingly tried to adopt the same cheerful mood, but it was a futile effort. The haze of false levity was broken by, of course, Sonic.

"Hey, Rotor, it's great to see you feelin' better," a sliver of his usual demeanor shone through, a small grin that was meant to reassure his teammate, but it was gone in an instant as he redirected his attention to his former brother, "But you caught us at a pretty bad time."

"No I think I caught you at just the right time," Rotor responded, causing Sonic to balk, "Tails, you there?"

The king and Charles shared a surprised glance; it was clear they hadn't expected Rotor to jump straight into the matters at hand. The android, meanwhile, slowly, almost sheepishly stepped in front of the screen. "Yeah, Rotor. How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? Not too bad, all things considered. They must be pumping me full of some good stuff."

"Uh, yeah, Rotor...about what happened in the woods...and why I went into the base…"

"Look, kid, that can wait. Let's just cut to the chase for now. You're a robot, yeah?"

Its eyes went wide, as did many others in the room, and the imitation fox stammered for a moment before finally collecting himself.

"Y-yeah…I'm a Robotnik android."

"So I'm guessing that has something to do with whatever you were after in that outpost."

"...I was looking for the specifics of my programming. I wanted to get rid of the...violent urges...to cut out Robotnik's influence. But from what we've been seeing here, it doesn't really look like that's possible. It's just what I am."

"I'm so sorry, Rotor. You were shot for nothing and it's all my fault."

The robot's fists clenched by its sides, and its eyes were clamped shut. Was it trying not to cry? Why cry now that it had no need to pretend anymore?

"Kid, you saved my life. I don't want you apologizing for anything."

What?

"WHAT!?" Sonic screamed at the monitor.

The machine's eyes snapped up to look once again at Rotor's soft smile. "I saw what you did to that drone on our ass. You could have left me there to die and no one would have known any different, but you stayed with me.

"You dragged along with me through the underbrush and thorns and all that junk just so I would make it out alright. I owe you, Tails. Big time"

"Rotor...I don't…"

"I don't believe what I'm hearing!" Sonic bellowed, "Hey Rotor, you realize the only reason you were in that mess to begin with is because of this thing, right? It's what lured you into the base in the first place!"

"I'm sorry, Sonic, were you there?" Rotor shot back.

The hedgehog had no reply, and simply clenched his teeth and seethed.

"Tails begged me to turn around, to stay away. Even told me he'd take the full blame for the incident if I'd just not get involved," Rotor elaborated, "It was me and my stubbornness that got myself shot, not him.

"But when we were trudging through that marsh, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I had my friend and teammate by my side, and I don't give a single shit if he's flesh and bone or metal. Y'all can believe me or not, but I know what I saw."

If the tension in the war room was thick before, it was downright solid now. Tails-no, the machine-no...the android looked positively flummoxed. Rotor meanwhile appeared as though he had never been more sure of anything in his life.

Sally, for all her calm and rationality, couldn't process this. How could she? How is one person supposed to handle such shock, pain, anger, and confusion all in one blow? What was she supposed to be upset about more? Her little boy turning out to be a cruel charade? Her team at each other's throats? The helpless children at Robotnik's mercy?

She could feel the sweat pouring down her brow, the very beginnings of what threatened to be one hell of a panic attack. She focused on her breathing. She could hear her father speaking distantly, Rotot as well, but it was indistinct. Perhaps Sonic shouted a few more incendiary remarks. It didn't really matter. What mattered was she needed to power through.

As the sandpaper in her throat began to ease slightly, and the sounds of the room began to phase back in, she managed to pick up the last of her father's words.

"...a very tense time for us all. We'll take a brief 20 minute recess before we reconvene to discuss the mission at hand. Please, I implore you all, let cooler heads prevail. Thank you."

And through the haze, a calm developed. Not outwardly of course, the room was still pretty much bedlam. But inwardly, the princess felt like she had stepped into the eye of the storm.

And she saw a very uncertain, very afraid fox walking slowly toward her.

She felt a small stab of fear. It was only natural, after all she'd seen, but she also saw the same blue eyes that had cried to her, had begged to her, had loved her.

He reached the table, and gently grabbed hold of his satchel.

"I'm just moving my bag," he said, as though he were trying not to startle a wild animal, "I don't want you to have to sit next to me."

And without thinking, she firmly but tenderly grasped his wrist, and looked up at him. There were no words spoken, but after a moment, he let go of the bag, and she let go of his arm.

And so the bag stayed.

o-o-o-o

"Aunt Sally?"

The princess turned to meet the source of the voice: young Miles, his head low and tails twisting nervously. The boy, who'd so quickly warmed up to her and become an indispensable part of the family, looked to be no more than eight years of age. At least, that was their best estimate. Amnesiac children found barely alive in the forest don't tend to come with much in the way of identification.

"Miles? What is it hun?"

His sky blue eyes slowly rose to meet hers. Miles was the friendliest child anyone would ever meet, but nevertheless, he was, as Bunnie would so eloquently put it, "shy as a sock on laundry day".

"Some of the school kids came around today…"

Oh, well that was rarely good. It became obvious very quickly that Miles, in spite of his age and amnesia, was unfathomably brilliant. His skill in mathematics and engineering exceeded even that of the Kingdom's top minds, and therefor it was determined that traditional schooling would merely be redundant for the kit.

But Miles longed to be a normal child. His extra appendage already set him apart from the crowd, but his brilliant mind and the fact that he'd been an orphan had only further ostracized him from his peers. He'd often try to make friends with the local children when they were out and about, but despite his pure intentions, children could be so cruel.

"Did they tease you, Miles?"

His mouth clamped shut, and he began to look away, but turned to face Sally again as she rested an arm on his shoulder.

"What did they say this time, hun?"

"T...they s-said…"

"It's alright, sweetheart, just calm down," Sally reassured as she knelt down to the boy, "Take it slow and talk to me."

"They said that no one here really wants me."

Sally's heart cracked as she watched the young fox struggle against his tears.

"That I don't have a real family and you and Sonic and Uncle Chuck and everyone just see me as...as a burden…"

"B-but that's not true is it Aunt Sally? Please tell me it's not true. You're my...my real family, right?

"Oh hun," she said, pulling him into the tightest hug she could give, "Of course we're your real family. We all love you very much, Miles; don't ever let anyone tell you differently."

"You promise?"

"Promise. You mean the world to us, Miles. We're always here for you."

"Always."