"Mom and Dad are going to be so angry…"

The group stared at the blown-off-its-hinges door that laid on the ground. It was cracked in the middle and it was littered with singes and claw marks. Bits of the splintered wood stuck into the carpet and some of the paint on the walls had been torn off.

"They're going be so so angry…" Chris lamented.

"Least you're not strapped for money?" Amy said with hesitation. They were rich after all. What's one door needing to be replace with some spackle and a fresh coat of paint for the walls?

"Urgh… SO! What are we going to do with 274 for now?" Chris changed the subject quickly.

"Having a little debate on that." Tails butted in. "He needs to be in the workshop so I can get a good read on his condition and make sure he CAN wake up again – but we're not sure what precautions we should take."

"We can't tie him down." 10-961 interjected hastily before anyone could say anything else.

"But you saw the damage he did! He needs some sort of restraints!" Chris pointedly said all glaring at the destroyed door. He didn't want another door blown off or some of the more irreplaceable items being destroyed. Chris slapped his head in agitation as he remembered the sliding door was going to need to be replaced, too.

"Nope, no way, we need him to know that he's not captured or anything because then he might never trust you guys." 10-961 countered. "I think trying to gain that is the best option."

"Okay no ropes!" Sonic agreed just as Chris was about to argue back. "I would try getting out as fast as possible if a bunch of people who I didn't know strapped ME down."

"… hrm…" Chris noised his displeasure, but Sonic was right he supposed. "Okay, no tying him down, but we do need a back-up plan in case he goes berserk again."

"I can try setting up a force-field of some sort around him. Only activated whe-I mean IF he tries to fly off suddenly." Tails offered as his tails swished slightly. He had quite a few designs in his head already; something small and concentrated.

"Perfect!" Chuck exclaimed. "We'll help clean this up in a bit, but for now I think we need to fill a certain someone in on our side of the day right now."

"eh, me?" 10-961 blurted. Chuck simply flashed a grin and pushed the metallix back in the living room where the tv was.

"I think the best way to show you what went down is through the news itself! It comes on in a few mintues." Chuck smiled innocently as plunked the metallix on the couch and nabbed the remote.

"Wait, didn't you say not to trust the news people?" 10-961 questioned worriedly as the tv booted up.

"I wonder if they had the time to even edit it." Sonic chimed in before yawning and plopping down with the rest of the group.

"Besides that, being exposed to it can help you avoid misinformation in the future." Chuck added on, seemingly full of energy once again, but then grimace suddenly. "But also, we had to… switch some things up in order not to cause panic to the general public…"

"like..?" 10-961 scooted a little closer – an invite for Chuck to elaborate. Tails was the one who spoke up however.

"Well… We had to change your names for starters." Tails started. "Cause we're ONE HUNDRED percent certain people would freak if they found out there is about 11,000 of you guys."

10-961 imagined it for a moment, of not just him and 274, but of all of his brothers. And with how hostile Dr. Eggman and his robots sounded and how 274 attacked. Yeah 11,000 brothers would be more than a little intimidating.

"That's fair. So what did you guys call –"

!BREAKING NEWS!

The TV suddenly blared to life! The Chorus of complaint arose immediately afterwards.

"AHH!"

"CHAO!"

"OW MY EARS!"

"CHUCK TURN IT DOWN!"

"WHO LEFT IT THAT LOUD?!"

10-961 automatically turned off his audio receptors as the TV continued to be overly loud as Chuck scrambled to grab the remote.

"I'm so sorry about that everyone! My show is always so quiet that usually turn up the sound so I can hear it. I must've forgotten to turn it back down yesterday!" Cream squeaked out once the volume went down to a reasonable level.

"That's okay, I think they make the news station too loud in the first place Cream." Sonic said as he rubbed his abused ears.

10-961 internally panicked as he tried to find out how to switch his hearing back on and missed a good portion of what the group and tv were saying.

" -ly a day after the horrendous attack by Dr. Eggman that left the city in shambles, a robot was seen attacking the thorndyke residency where Sonic and his friends are staying." Was the first thing 10-961 heard once he found the volume settings in his jumbled mess of a HUD. Oh Boy…

"unfortunately our cameras weren't able to get a clear shot of the ensuing fight except for this bit here were it seems a blue robot look-a-like had Sonic in a chokehold before a second one came out and ran off with the first one! At first it seemed like Dr. Eggman was at it again and that this was another failed attempt at Sonic's life. However, that was not the case! According to Tails the fox, these were HIS inventions meant to protect the floating island that appeared over station square the day before. Tails said something had damaged the two and he was trying to access their memory files when MS-1, also known as Metal Sonic 1, malfunctioned and thought the group was hostile intruders looking to destroy the flying island."

10-961 tilted his head as he listened to what the lady was relaying to the public. At least what the group had told them to protect him, his brother, and put the public's fears to rest. He just had to remember –and remember to tell 274 WHEN he woke up – that This was what their cover-up story was.

…

He kinda still wished that this didn't have to happen; to lie. How easily scared were people? How little trust did they have in each other? Do they always say bad things about others?

Could he trust others himself?

How could he tell the truth from the false?

Chuck said he'd be able to tell and so far that was true – his brother wasn't MS-1 and (he guessed) that he wasn't called MS-2. And Tails didn't invent him… maybe… no the other Tails didn't build things like this one did apparently. Or maybe he did? Maybe he just wasn't at the same level yet like this one? But that still meant that he wasn't built by Tails. Maybe by Porker Lewis? But 274 didn't like any of them either so… so..

"-S-2 eventually stopped MS-1 in what could only have been a massive fight. Our reporters went to the forest to gather evidence an-" Wait that wasn't right. Sure they fought a bit, but it was short and resolved in way that was open to reason and maybe understanding.

They made it sound like robots couldn't reason and deescalate situations!

_3rr0R!

10-961 tensed up as his thoughts kept jumping from one bad thing to the next. He was starting to get lost in them, drowned in how many there were and the implications and underlying battles he'd have to face from people he didn't even know. All because he was a robot, a machine, something that was only supposed to take orders and follow them out.

"Hey 10-961, you okay?" Sonic spoke gently with a hand close but not quite touching his shoulder.

"I-I think I-I just-" 10-961 struggled to express the thoughts and emotions that ran rampant in his head. He didn't know where to start. 10-961 brought his knees to his chest and held them tight as he tried to – to- he wasn't sure anymore the whats and hows and whys of saying his thoughts. He didn't know how to.

"Okay something's definitely bothering you." Sonic continued after 10-961 went quiet and starting staring off into space. "How you feeling?"

How was he feeling? 10-961 brain felt too fried to think about how he was feeling, everything was too much. Why did things happen the way they happened? Why did people have to lie? Why did people assume things about others before they had all the facts? Why, why, why, why?

_D4mAge!

10-961 remained silent.

Sonic gave a small, but also knowing frown and turned to the others.

"Hey Tails, why don't you go do the back-up plan with his bro? And Amy, can you get Cream and Cheese ready for bed? You, too Chris. Unless you have homework to do. I think everyone needs to snooze a bit earlier today if possible." Sonic said, giving an empathized nod to 10-961 at the last bit.

"Yeah, I guess that's enough of the news for today anyway. Get the gist of it and how-" Chuck started to ramble, but the Look he received from Sonic was enough to get him to stop. The furrowed brows and the burning eyes of 'not now' were enough to stop anyone "Anyway… rest up everyone."

Everyone nodded remembering how tired they all were and of things they needed to do. But they understood most importantly that Sonic had noticed something they had missed in 10-961, and that they should give him room. But little Cream had one last thing to say before she left.

"I hope you feel better soon 10-961." Cream said quietly with worry. Then she was gone from the room, little footsteps growing quieter and quieter.

10-961 really did like Cream, she was nice. That was a truth.

And Sonic…

Sonic sat down next to the metallix without another word and laid back, arms behind his head.

He didn't know what to make of Sonic.

He had been nothing but kind to him, but he fought robots like him –sort of.

Was his brother following orders from someone who lied or hurt others? Like Dr. Eggman?

Who could he trust? Who was right and who was wrong. Was the 'other' Sonic wrong and that made 274 right? But would 274 be in the right now? Or was he is the wrong now? Had he always been wrong?

"You're shaking."

10-961 jolted upright. Was he? He couldn't tell.

"How you feeling right now?"

_*4RNING!

"I – I don't" 10-961 stammered. There was so much going on in his head.

"Just blurt one out."

"But I –"

"Don't think, just say one."

Just one? JUST ONE? There was too many! How can one just pick one?! Too ManY!

"FrazzledstressedconfusedanxiousscaRedTerrifieDWorRieDTeNSEtURNeDARouNDOVERWHELMED-!" He couldn't stop.

"oh Oh –Hey! It's okay!" Sonic tried to sound calm, but when 10-961's eyes started to spiral like his brother's had – well you had to wonder if something had been damaged in his mechanical head. And what problems it could bring.

"IT'SNOTOKAY." 10-961 blurted loudly and suddenly. Click click whrrr.

_ERROR!

"Easy. It WILL be okay. Just…" Sonic paused. He had never really been good at talking. What would be the right words?

But maybe words weren't going to work.

"Hold on, let me grab something." Sonic said and sped off.

10-961 sat in silence, eyes spiraling, body shaking, and his engine making the same sound 274's made.

Click click whrrrrrr!

…

Click Click whrrrrrrrrr!

…

Click click –

10-961 felt something heavy drop on his shoulders and gentle hands arrange it to be flat and even.

rrrr…..

…

rr…

10-961 clutched the thing around his shoulders and pulled it closer to his body until he was completely wrapped in it. Some tense seconds past before the metallix's body slacken and drooped.

"Tired…" Was all 10-961 uttered. He had stop shaking and his eyes had returned to normal.

"You're probably running on fumes too, ya know?" Sonic said after he was sure 10-961 had stopped panicking.

"Like fuel-wise?" 10-961 sluggishly inquired.

"Maybe. But mostly up here." Sonic emphasized with a tap on his head. "Your mind's run down and you need to rest that, too." At least that's what Sonic thought. Could robots with their computer brains get 'tired' like that?

10-961 nodded weakly without another word.

Sonic took that as a yes, they do get tired that way.

"Would you like to stay here? Tails is still busy working away on the shield bubble so It'll probably be noisy. Or would you like to stay here?" Sonic asked with nonchalant-ness.

10-961 eyes widen. He wanted to stay by his brother's side, but was also fearful of what might happen when he wakes.

"Don't know?"

"No… I want to make sure my brother's okay, but.." 10-961 admitted with a downcast look to the floor.

"We could set up a camera in the workshop, that sound good?" Sonic offered.

"…That'll work."

"Okay I'll go get it set up for you. You sit there and rest your shiny metal head!" And then off Sonic jogged to the garage.

10-961 had planned to stay awake long enough to get his end of the camera, but his body was shutting down faster than he anticipated and was out faster than a blink of an eye. But not before he saw a series of alerts appear on his HUD

_25% P0W3RR –R3FuEL n#E5Ed

_Nan7TES 0FFLi2E –REC&R5E NEeD3)

_W4RNING! Le KAge D3TECTED!

_WaR7NIGN! REPAIR ~5637* L7NES!

_WARNING! Re9 ~_-91 4 0*~

_URR54ent! CH40S 3N3grY 9&*~-_! AG312 o)( &*!

He ignored them.

They had been flashing all day anyway since the fight.

What's another night?

_URGENT! D4M geD! T4KN! F43L! CHAOS!

He'd be fine.