My name is Miles Prower. My name is Miles Prower. My name is Miles Prower...

"Unit Mecha-Tails, please respond."

Miles didn't 'wake up' like normal kids. Not any more. Instead of opening his eyes blearily and wiping away boogers, his vision simply flickered into being while his internal systems warmed up, power core now fully charged after a period of recharge and maintenance. The first thing that met his 'eyes' was the blank green visage of an armoury-bot, red light blinking in the slit that made for the only feature of its 'face'.

Miles remained silent, making the most of his temporary autonomy. He logged the time and date.

Fifty three days since his repurposing as a Robotnik fighting unit.

"Unit Mecha-Tails..." the armoury-bot repeated blankly, "Please respond"

My name is Miles Prower... My name is Miles Prower...

"Unit Mecha-Tails online," came Miles Prower's equally blank confirmation. "Awaiting directives."

The next thing to reach his notice was a smaller pair of robots, hovering above the deck, one red and silver with a domed skull, the other yellow and boxy. Both observed him through glowing blue optics.

"Mecha-Tails," Orbot said lightly, barely registering the unit as anything more than the other regular Badniks lined up in the maintenance bay, "You will accompany us, please."

"Understood."

Miles, despite his reluctance to do so, complied without question or hesitation as he stepped from his assigned slot, moving with smooth mechanical precision as he followed the two Eggman lackeys down the line of Badniks to the maintenance bay exit. His metal feet clacked over the deck tiles, slowly keeping pace with the smaller, other robots.

Miles hated this. He hated every second that was logged into his computerized brain that he spent under Robotnik control. And there was nothing he could do about it.

That was he price, he guessed. For turning himself into a machine.

It wasn't long until they reached the control centre of the doctor's orbital base, the human himself occupying a large command chair in the middle of the bridge. Around him, operations Badniks occupied control consoles, while the familiar gleaming blue form of Metal Sonic stood a silent guard, moving only to turn his head to coldly regard Miles as he marched into the circular room.

Miles pointedly ignored Sonic's mechanical doppelganger.

"Ah! Mecha-Tails!" The doctor swivelled in his chair and beamed as he stood and crossed the room to inspect his latest, most favourite toy, "How good of you to join us! I trust you had a nice little nap?"

Screw you, you evil old-

"Yes, doctor." Miles said instead, placing his hands at the small of his back above the elongated fins that that replaced his tails, "Recharge cycle one hundred percent complete. Unit awaiting further instruction."

"Splendid, splendid!" The doctor made a full circle of the gleaming yellow cyborg, extremely pleased with the most recent modifications to Mecha-Tails' outer carapace. Miles made no reaction to the doctor's scrutiny, remaining in place as he awaited instruction. Not far away, Metal Sonic folded his arms and glowered.

The doctor finally came to a stop before him, and clasped his hands behind his back. "Well, Mecha..." he said with a leer, "I don't suppose you remember when I said I had big plans for you?"

"Yes, doctor." Miles replied blankly.

"Good, good! Well, my little friend..." The doctor leaned down more to Miles' level and smiled maliciously, "Today's the day we put those plans into effect!" The doctor chuckled as he returned to his full height and began marching from the bridge. "Please follow me, boys!"

Miles turned to comply, briefly exchanging glances with Metal Sonic as the metallic hedgehog did the same. He could almost feel the glowing red optics boring into him as he fell into pace behind the doctor, following him to whatever fate the human had in store for him.

"Behold, boys!" The doctor said with a wide gesture, as he lead his synthetic cohorts into a large, dark room. A cylindrical chamber stood in the centre of the space, white light displaying a black rock, from which strange purple-red energy seemed to radiate. The human grinned wide, triumphant as he turned to his underlings. "The Phantom Ruby!"

Miles scanned the glowing rock suspended in its chamber, making a little more use of his limited autonomy to inspect the thing as he fell out of line and curiously circled the cylinder. "I'm detecting... very high levels of unknown energy."

"Indeed!" The doctor stood beside Miles, hands behind back, moustache twitching above his leering grin. "This object... is incredibly potent! Like the Chaos Emeralds, combining it with a sufficient wielder would create a being of unstoppable power! Nobody could stand against my Empire!"

Miles didn't have a mouth. He didn't have an oesophagus, or a digestive system, or any of the body parts necessary to swallow his nerves. He did, however, feel a pang of fear as he understood what it was Robotnik intended for him.

"And you, Mecha-Tails..." the doctor said maliciously, rounding on his favourite machine, "Will be the perfect instrument for this destruction!"

Miles stepped back, fear roiling inside him. "N... no..."

The doctor cocked his head, his good humour dissipating. "What was that?"

"I..." Miles replied, synthesized vocals low, "Don't want... to..."

Robotnik snorted. "I don't CARE what you 'want'!" he bellowed, "You are my PROPERTY! And you will do as I COMMAND!" the human leaned over, imposing his authority over the smaller cyborg. "There's a reason I didn't simply wipe you from that noggin of yours, Tails..." the doctor hissed, "Your intellect is valuable! Useful to me! And it offers me no small amount of pleasure, that you are utterly aware of your own actions, after all the trouble you have caused me!" Robotnik raised his hand to his face and removed his mirrored spectacles, glaring at Miles with an evil glint in his exposed eyes. "But if you like..." he continued, "I can.. alter you some more? Turn you into a completely mindless drone? No thought... no intelligence... no memory of who you were... Would you like that, Tails?"

Miles shuddered internally, his head hanging low. "No, doctor..."

"Good!" Robotnik replaced his spectacles and stood tall, his cheer seemingly returning. "I'm glad that's settled!" the human turned to Orbot and Cubot, his longtime lackeys cowering beneath his attention. "Orbot! Cubot! You will take Mecha-Tails and prepare the Phantom Ruby for immediate internment in his systems! I do not wish to wait a moment longer before executing my master plan!"

"Yes sir!"

"Right away, boss!"

"And you..." the doctor briefly acknowledged Miles once again. "Know your place. Do as you're told. That is, if you value whatever is left of your mind! Do I make myself clear?"

Miles, terrified of the doctor yet showing no outward reaction except to stare through the floor, simply responded. "Yes, doctor..."

"Very well. Follow Orbot and Cubot and prepare for immediate refit! I expect a good presentation when you return! Metal Sonic? Return with me to the bridge!"

Metal Sonic bleeped in response and offered Miles a final scathing look before following his master.

"Mecha-Tails?" Orbot said, gaining the cyborg's attention, "follow us, please..."

Miles once again had no choice but to comply with the doctor's orders, marching behind the smaller robots as they lead him back to the maintenance bay.


"lay down, please."

Miles did as he was told, laying himself on his back on a metallic workbench, above which an array of tools and claws hung on mechanical arms, ready to open him up and modify his frame once again. Cubot held the Phantom Ruby in a protective case, ready to hand it over to the maintenance claws above.

"I don't want this..." Miles said, synthesized voice quietly reverberating, "I don't want this..."

"Well," sniffed Orbot, inspecting the consoles beside the table, "You should have thought about that before you roboticized yourself!"

"Yeah!" added Cubot, "That was a really dumb thing to do! Why'd you do that?"

"My mind... was corrupted..." Miles replied quietly, sadly watching as the tools above twitched with anticipation, "By the partial conversion on the Lost Hex... it seemed... logical to pursue total roboticization..."

"Huh." replied Cubot, "Seems like you screwed yourself!"

"Ready to commence modifications..." Orbot said, seemingly uninterested in the whole situation, "I'm afraid we are unable to shut you down for this one. The Phantom Ruby requires your systems active in order to bind thoroughly."

"It's okay..." Miles replied sadly, "I won't feel it anyway..."

"Very well. Cubot, be ready to hand over the Phantom Ruby for internment."

"You got it!"

With no further conversation from any of the robots, the clicking tools above began to whirr, powering up before descending to open up the unit below.


It was another beautiful day. Bright blue sky, blazing sun illuminating the landscape of Green Hills below. At the side of one of the long green roads that made up the zone, a blue hedgehog sat forlornly on a fallen log, gloomily watching as a flock of flickies picked at the grass before him.

His usual morning run often went this way these days. The hedgehog would leave his empty workshop home, blast along whatever route took his fancy... and moped as he realised he was alone. Before ultimately returning back to an empty workshop.

His runs weren't the same, not having Tails along. Or waiting for him with some technical jargon he knew his adopted brother wouldn't understand.

Sonic's gloom turned to a scowl as he glared at the sky. I'll get you back, buddy... he thought, the last time he saw his brother running through his mind, If it's the last thing I do...

The hedgehog frowned, an ear perking as he thought he heard a series of distant thumps. Then he jerked as his wrist communicator crackled, bringing him from the log back to his feet. The flickies before him scattered to the wind at the sudden movement, and the voice that hissed from the device.

"Sonic! Sonic, this is Gadget! Come in!"

"I'm here, Gadg. What's the situation?"

"Sonic, Eggman's forces have come out of nowhere, and are attacking the city! We need you here, right now!"

Ah, crap. "Okay Gadget, I'm on my way!" Sonic replied, already breaking into a hundred mph sprint, "Tell egg-head to roll out the welcome mat!"

"Uh... sure thing, Sonic! Gadget out!"

Sonic grimaced as he boosted his way through Green Hills, already spotting landing craft deploying Badniks in the distance. He had a score to settle with his arch-nemesis, and this time... he wasn't going to be so merciful.


Doctor Robotnik whooped with laughter as he directed a phalanx of Badniks toward a cowering band of mobian civilians, stomping forward with intent. The Doctor was intent on enslaving any of the creatures he could get, imprisoning them in preparation for roboticization. The defensive militia troops had been slaughtered, and the pathetic creatures' only salvation lay in the bespectacled red wolf who uncertainly stood before them.

"Ah, jeez!" Gadget, newest member of Team Sonic and completely untested in combat, recoiled back as he attempted to guide the civilians down a tight alley. "Uh... stay back, you, you... egg... jerk!"

"HA!" The doctor spat at the attempt at bravado, "Just give up, wolf! You are defeated! Accept your fate!"

Gadget tried to think of something heroic, that one of the other Resistance fighters would say in reply... but simply yelped as the platoon of Badniks began to storm forward.

Before the first bot could fire its first shot, a blue blur burst from the rooftops and effortlessly dispatched the slow, clanking machines like they were bowling pins. The civilians cheered at the display, as Sonic himself landed gracefully on his feet. The hedgehog brushed off his gloves and grinned. "Hope I'm not too late, rookie!"

"N... no, sir!" the wolf stammered, "Th... thank you!"

Sonic, never one for titles, declined to remind the wolf and instead turned to face his arch-enemy. "Well, egg-brain! How's it going? Ready for me to end another of your little schemes?"

"Oh, Sonic!" Robotnik leered, leaning back in his craft, "I'm afraid today will be your end, my old friend! You have no IDEA what you have just walked into!"

Sonic, who had shrugged halfway through the doctor's monologuing, boosted into the air in a spin-dash... and was promptly swatted back to the ground by a streak of orange.

"Woah, what the-?" The hedgehog scanned around for his assailant, and his heart sank as his eyes landed on the gleaming form of a familiar armoured carapace. "Oh no..."

Before him, wreathed in some kind of rippling purple energy... Tails himself hovered in the air, some unknown propulsion system keeping him airborne. The former fox glowered blankly, eyes glowing purple in time with a shining object in the centre of his chest.

"Oh, YES!" cackled Robotnik, slamming his hands against his console. "I think you'll find you will be hard pressed to tackle my ultimate weapon! Especially with the most recent modifications I have made!"

"Tails..." Sonic said, directing his attention squarely to the cyborg, "Talk to me, buddy!"

"NOT A WORD!" The doctor bellowed, jabbing a finger at Tails. "Mecha-Tails? INCAPACITATE THAT HEDGEHOG!"

"Yes, doctor."

Sonic had no time to react as, far faster than he could have expected, Tails lunged forward with a burst of speed that even the fastest thing alive couldn't counter. Sonic was knocked flying into the wall of the plaza, scrabbling to his feet as best he could.

"Sonic!" Gadget, who hadn't moved a muscle, stood terrified as the hedgehog took another blow and scraped across the tarmac.

"Gadget?" Sonic spat blood, "get outta here!"

The wolf simply watched as Sonic again rose to his feet and dashed away, Mecha-Tails seemingly intent on pounding him into submission. The doctor cackled evilly as his nemesis was battered over and over, attempting to defend himself, and ultimately falling to an unmoving heap on the floor. Mecha-Tails crunched into the tarmac beside the fallen hedgehog, and picked him up by the throat. Sonic's feet dangled limply above the ground in Mecha-Tails' grasp, the reconstructed cyborg now standing several inches taller than his once brother.

It was when the roboticized fox turned and locked glowing purple optics with Gadget's eyes that the wolf finally turned tail, and ran.

He yelped as he narrowly avoided a flurry of laser blasts, no doubt fired from the cyborg himself, the doctor's maniacal cackling following as he ran.


Sometimes it was useful being a robot. Miles was able to tap into the station's systems remotely, not enough to perform something major such as shutting down weapons systems or the like, but enough to find out where he was going. And right now, the doctor had no directives for him. Robotnik was far too busy announcing to every mobian in the world that Sonic the hedgehog was dead, and declaring war on the rest of the planet.

So Miles took this one brief period of autonomy to take a walk. And he knew exactly where he was going.

The cyborg marched with steady mechanical precision as he made his way through the decks of the Death Egg, heading for the prison cells. He entered the large circular chamber of cell block Alpha, marching solemnly by identical prison chambers. Most were empty right now, but if Robotnik had his war... they'd fill up pretty quick.

A pair of security Badniks stomped by, offering Miles a brief bleep of acknowledgement - the robot equivalent of saluting a superior. He repeated the gesture, just blending in, as though Robotnik's super weapon was supposed to be down here at this time.

Super weapon. Me. Miles would have shuddered if he could. He didn't know what kind of damage Robotnik had in mind for him... but he was terrified. And ashamed of himself, for his part in Sonic's defeat. he might not have been in control of his actions, but he was still aware of what he was doing.

Exactly as Robotnik wanted.

Eventually, the cyborg reached his destination, coming to a stop outside one cell in particular. He felt nothing but guilt in his systems as his optics scanned the lone figure inside, slumped on the meagre bed the cell was furnished with.

Miles hesitated. He considered turning away and leaving before Robotnik had an inkling of what he was up to. But this might be the last time he had the chance to talk to his brother...

"Sonic." the cyborg said flatly, almost like an order than anything.

The battered and beaten hedgehog in the cell looked his visitor over through puffy eyes. His split lips morphed into a very slight, very strained smile. "Hey..." Sonic said carefully, seemingly searching for any trace of his little brother, "is that... you I'm talking to right now, Tails?"

Miles lowered his head in shame, optics staring through the deck. "Yes..."

"Ah, jeez..." Sonic coughed and Miles heard him climb to his feet, hissing through his teeth at his wounds, "I knew... you were still in there somewhere, little buddy..."

"Sonic, I..." Miles didn't look up, too ashamed of himself to meet his brother's eyes. "I'm sorry... the doctor... has control of me... I can't... I can't..."

"Hey buddy, look at me..." There was the scuffing of shoes over the deck and Mile's optics flickered back up to regard the hedgehog, Sonic now clasping one hand around the bars of his cell... the other slowly reaching out. "Come on, bud. 's okay."

Miles, though hesitant, gingerly raised his own, steel hand, and placed it in Sonic's. The hedgehog squeezed and wore a tired smile. "I'm just glad you're still there, buddy... I thought I'd lost you..."

"I'm trying to fight him, Sonic..." Miles replied sadly, "It's... hard..."

" I know buddy, I know..." Sonic said, squeezing his brother's hand again, unsure if the former fox could even feel the gesture through his metal carapace, "I need to know something though..." he said, looking around for security bots, "Can you get us out of here?"

Miles felt a stab of guilt. "No... such action would be contrary to Robotnik directives..."

"Okay, okay..." sonic hissed, the cogs whirring in his brain. He gestured to the glowing orb in Miles' chest. "Can you tell me what that is?"

Miles shook his head slowly. "Classified information... Robotnik's eyes only..."

"Damn..." Sonic released a sigh of frustration. "I guess egg-head has us both locked down tight, huh?"

"Sonic... I-"

"Hey, listen to me Miles..." Sonic said, giving his brother's arm a shake, "We're gonna get outta here. You get me? Both of us. It doesn't matter how long it takes but we're gonna get outta here, and we're gonna fix you up, and we're gonna get back at that evil old coot and kick his ass all the way back to whatever hole he crawled out of! Do you understand me?"

Miles stared gloomily through the floor. "He's going to make me do things... he's going to make me do real bad things, Sonic..."

"And you'll keep fighting, right buddy?" Sonic said, voice stern. "No matter what he makes you do, you'll fight it as hard as you can! Promise me?"

Miles' optics flickered back to his brother's, and Miles could almost feel the determination in those green eyes. Before the cyborg could respond, Robotnik's voice crackled in his internal communications system.

"Mecha-Tails! Where the devil are you?!" the doctor snarled, "Gah! Meet me on the command bridge at once!"

"Yes doctor..." Miles said, slowly removing his hand from Sonic's. "I have to go..." the former fox said. "Goodbye, Sonic."

Those last words were all he could manage before he was forced to comply with the doctor's order, turning and marching resolutely away. Sonic leaned his muzzle through the bars as far as he could to call after his enslaved brother. "Keep fighting, Tails!" The hedgehog called, while a security bot approached him, "Keep fighting! Promise me you won't give up!"

The security bot wordlessly reached out toward Sonic with a weaponised arm, and the hedgehog shrieked as a bolt of electricity shot through his body. Sonic tumbled back into the cell, shooting the robot a vicious look.

He grit his teeth determinedly. One way or another, he was getting out of this prison. And Tails was coming with him. No matter what it took.


"Well, boys! It's official!" Robotnik paced in triumph, hands clasped behind his back, as on screen waves of his own transport ships launched offensives on various key mobian cities. "The rise of the Eggman Empire is finally underway! With Sonic out of the picture, those miserable creatures will fall to me!"

"Yes, very good sir!" Orbot and Cubot toadied pathetically, levitating before their master.

"Way to go, boss!"

"Yes, and it's been a long time coming..." the doctor hissed. "And Sonic... is going to be made known of everything that I accomplish in this war... he will watch, helpless as I conquer this world, and when all is won... then we kill him!" The doctor turned to his robotic underlings to issue orders. "Orbot, Cubot, Go and ensure maintenance routines are proceeding as planned in the maintenance bay."

"Yes sir!"

"Right away doc!"

"Metal!" The doctor now turned to Metal Sonic, who straightened in anticipation of his orders. "Prepare for combat operations on the surface. It's been a little while since I let you off the leash, I'm sure you'll appreciate the exercise!"

Metal Sonic bleeped in confirmation, briefly glaring at Miles as he turned to carry out his orders.

"And you..." The doctor now glowered at Miles, who remained as still as a mannequin under the human's dagger-like glare. The doctor stepped close, his eyes not wavering behind the dark glasses. "I don't want you interacting with that hedgehog ever again. Not unless I order it." The doctor's voice was cold and dangerous, the tone menacing. "Do I make myself clear?"

Miles could only hesitate for a few moments, despair roiling inside at the thought of never seeing his brother again, before he offered his usual, emotionless response.

"Yes, doctor."