Sewage rushed out of a copper pipe and sloshed into the murky green lake. Ripples spread out to the shore littered with brown, dry grass while a rusty soup can bobbed in the water until it clinked against a chainlink fence.
Iron factories towered over the fence's barbed wire, blotting out the first splash of sunlight breaching the dark blue horizon. Behind their tall windows, the shadow of two dozen assembly lines slithered and stretched on the concrete floor under dim yellow lights.
One aluminum plate rumbled down the hill of the first conveyor belt among the clangs and clatters, jerking to a stop near its bottom. A press slammed down on it with a bang that echoed over the roar of machinery, and it quickly rose up to reveal a red Robotnik logo branding the plate.
A grin curved Tails' muzzle while the plate continued down the assembly line and disappeared into the vents. The fox glanced at his Miles Egglectrical, watching the bars in the graph rise over the fifty percent threshold until it reached the one hundred line and chirped.
"Yes!" Tails pumped his fist through the air, jumping into a twirl before landing on the floor. "New production efficiency achieved!"
He glowed with pride. His upgrades were working magnificently. Dr. Robotnik was going to be so proud!
The conveyor screeched. Tails' brow furrowed as all the assembly lines stopped.
"Huh?"
The lights flickered and Tails eyed them, slowly lowering his device. This…this couldn't be because of his upgrades, right?
Tails shook his head. No way! He'd run a hundred simulations! And his upgrades had been successful in every one…except for like five, but those were flukes!
Tails' ears flicked to the left. He was turning to the strange whistling sound right before lightning flashed beside him.
He screamed, jumping with his fur fluffing up and back crashing into the control panel. The switches jabbed into his spine and his eyes screwed close with pain.
"Ow!" he hissed, hunching over and rubbing the sore spot under his lab coat.
The assembly lines rumbled back to life. Tails' eyes snapped open to stare at them in shock. Wait. Hadn't the electricity just overloaded? How was everything work—
A groan rang out behind him. Tails gasped, spinning back. Sonic lied flat on his face under a tall arching window.
Tails ripped out his stun gun in a flash, glaring while he leveled it at the hedgehog.
"You," he hissed. "How did you get past…security…"
Tails gaped, gaze zeroing in on Sonic's right hand. He choked.
"No way…"
He blinked twice, but continued to see Sonic's right hand sprawled out beside him like it hadn't been gone for years. Tails raised his Miles Egglectrical, clicking the screen and typing while glancing up to make sure Sonic hadn't moved.
A red beam shot out of his device like a web and ran over Sonic's body. Tails squinted at his Egglectrical while bio-data filled the screen. Temperature normal…no sign of metal or plastic in Sonic's hand, so it was organic, but how was that possible?
Tails scrolled down with his thumb to check Sonic's DNA. He looked at the latest reading and then regarded Sonic's old data. His fingers stopped. All the oxygen fled his lungs.
"You're…" Tails lowered his gun and gaped at the unconscious hedgehog. "You're not Sonic…"
The teen didn't respond. Tails frowned, uncertainty alongside curiosity stirring within him. Cautiously, he walked up to the hedgehog and stopped in front of him.
"You're older," Tails muttered, glancing back at his readings. "And the vibrational frequency of your atoms…"
Suddenly, he remembered the flash of lightning he'd thought was an electrical surge…but what if it was the result of something tearing into the fabric of reality…of someone transporting from another world?
Tails' eyes narrowed. He stored his gun back in his tails and crouched down. Carefully, he stretched out his hand and grabbed Sonic's right wrist.
Solid flesh and fur shifted under Tails' fingers. The fox peered at Sonic's face, but the hedgehog's eyes were still closed. However, his pulse felt normal and no blood or injuries showed through his fur, so Tails reached for Sonic's shoulder and pulled him onto his back.
Sonic's lax face greeted Tails, identical to the blue blur he knew, and he almost questioned if this was a clone. But then he noticed Sonic's chest fur. It was thicker than the teen's…also, the hedgehog was taller…and were those goggles?
Tails quirked an eye at the yellow goggles strapped around Sonic's forehead. That was weird. Even if this was some alternate version of Sonic, why was he wearing lab goggles?
The fox stood, his tails swishing with interest. He swiftly lifted his Miles Egglectrical and clicked the phone app. Whatever was going on, Dr. Robotnik was going to want to hear about this.
Tails stood in front of the towering computer, typing on the keyboard. A black video chat window flickered onto the massive screen and Tails pulled back, smiling as he waited for Robotnik to answer. The man hadn't picked up on his communicator, probably because he was still sleeping, but he'd messaged Metal Sonic and the bot should have notified the doctor by now.
"Tails?"
The fox froze at the raspy whisper. However, he soon scowled and straightened up. He turned to the center of the room where Sonic stood woozily in what resembled a clear, person-sized hamster ball. The fox was about to lay down the rules when he noticed Sonic's eyes.
They were shimmering as Sonic released a shaky exhale that was almost a sob. Tails balked while Sonic brought a quivering hand over his mouth.
"T-Tails?" he whispered, staring at the fox like he was his everything, and if he so much as blinked, he'd lose his whole world.
"You can't be him," Sonic choked out, shaking his head. "You can't be…"
Tails suddenly realized his counterpart from this Sonic's world was no longer around. However, he quickly discarded that thought and forced his expression into a cool mask.
"No, I'm not him."
Sonic jolted, shock replacing the desperate, piercing hope in his gaze as Tails folded his arms.
"At least, I'm not the Tails from your reality."
Sonic stared, no longer blinking, not even breathing really. Discomfort crossed Tails' face because it was Sonic gazing at him with such open fragility that it rattled Tails' heart. However, he soon shoved the feeling down. This was Sonic; alternate version or not, he couldn't let his guard down around the hedgehog.
As if hearing his thoughts, Sonic twitched. Suddenly his mouth eased into a small smirk and he stood to his full height, confidence radiating from his core while cockiness slanted his eyes.
"Oh," Sonic nodded to himself, "So this is an alternate reality…"
The teen scanned over the factory office, ears twisting toward the closed door where the faint sound of clanking came through. Soon Sonic's eyes settled on Tails and he frowned for a second before his smirk returned.
"And you're this reality's version of Tails," he snapped his fingers with a wink, "That's why you look younger than he would have been."
Would have. Not is or will. Would have, past tense.
Something squirmed in Tails' gut at the confirmation that his counterpart was no longer growing up in this Sonic's world—would never grow up.
Yet Tails scowled to hide his discomfort. "Well, you pick up things quickly for a Sonic."
The hedgehog blinked, brow wrinkling as he took in Tails' lab coat and black and white shoes. However, he quickly perked up and crossed his arms.
"Nice one, kid. And I'm guessing with that scary face you're making, we're not pals in this reality," he said like it was a joke.
"You'd be correct." Tails glared, anger rising at the teen's flippant attitude. "And don't even think about trying anything." He waved towards the hamster ball. "The eggclosure was specifically designed to trap speedy hedgehogs."
"Eggclosure?"
A chill ran down Tails' spine as Sonic's face went blank and the hedgehog seemed to stare straight through him.
The computer chimed, and Tails jumped with a cry. Sonic blinked as if coming out of a daze while Tails turned as Dr. Robotnik appeared on the computer screen.
"Tails," the doctor said, voice thick with exhaustion and sharp with annoyance.
The kit cowed while the man's eyes narrowed behind his lenses.
"This had better be good or…"
Robotnik trailed off, brow rising as he took in the hedgehog behind him. Sonic glared back, huffing while Tails quickly gestured toward the teen.
"Uh, this is Sonic, but he's from another reality." Robotnik's head whipped back to Tails. "He just showed up in the factory while I was upgrading the assembly system."
He bit the corner of his mouth. "Though I'm not sure how he got here—"
"I felt like traveling."
Tails' face twitched, hearing Sonic's whispered words. However, he didn't turn around and the doctor didn't seem to hear him while he stroked his mustache.
"Really? My, my, this is intriguing." Robotnik smirked. "Does he have the same speed as our resident rodent?" He looked up thoughtfully. "If so, we could hook him up to the power grid in City Zone 1 like we've been trying to do to our little pest."
The doctor shrugged. "Or, I suppose we could just get rid of him."
Tails tensed, but a scathing laugh erupted behind him and he looked back.
Sonic was smiling, though his canines were bared while he scoffed, "Destroy me?"
His smile sharpened. "That's funny coming from you…considering you're the one who's a ghost."
Dr. Robotnik recoiled and Tails gaped. The doctor was dead in this Sonic's world?
"I'd tell you how it happened," Sonic drawled out with a sick satisfaction that Tails had never heard come from the blue hero. "Really," he idly examined his fingers, "That might even save you in this reality."
His expression cooled, all his amusement fading into something almost sad, regretful, and he stared at the floor.
"Oh, but you wouldn't like the answer."
Sonic sighed and laid his hand on the eggclosure. He started as a blue forcefield shimmered around the container. Though soon his head cocked, eyes narrowing while the forcefield faded.
"On second thought."
Tails turned to Dr. Robotnik and found him glowering at the hedgehog.
"Why don't you give our guest a tour around the interrogation center before you hook him up to the power grid."
Tails blinked, but nodded.
"Oh, now I see!"
They regarded Sonic as the hedgehog stared at the eggclosure with open fascination.
"This thing absorbs the friction generated by my movements and uses the charged electrons to turn my mechanical energy into electrical, which then powers the forcefield."
Tails' jaw hit the floor. Robotnik's brow rose to the ceiling, mouth going slack.
Sonic noticed the attention and glanced at them. His expression became weirded out.
"Okaaay, I'm guessing your Sonic wouldn't have realized that, huh."
Tails' eyes narrowed. This hedgehog was smarter—or perhaps more observant than Sonic.
"Tails."
The fox's attention snapped to Robotnik who was staring seriously at him.
"Find out everything you can about how this rodent got here. We might be able to use the information."
He smirked, and turned away, raising a hand in farewell.
"I leave the rest in your hands, my precious lab assistant."
The video chat winked to black and Tails beamed. The doctor was letting him take care of something this big by himself?
The doctor's faith in him warmed his heart like the sun.
"There's no need to interrogate me."
Tails glanced back at Sonic who was staring at him neutrally, though a bit of sadness tinged his eyes.
"I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
The fox scowled. "And why would you do that? I already told you were not friends in this reality."
A considering look that contrasted Sonic's loose stance came over the hedgehog.
"Yeah…but we used to be."
Tails' face lit with shock, and Sonic continued to stare at him with that knowing look. However, Tails soon glowered, hands curling up at his sides.
"I think it's time we get you to the prison."
Tails turned without waiting for a response and clicked his wristband as he headed to the doorway. The eggclosure started rolling after him and Sonic stumbled with a surprised hiss before getting his footing and walking along with the ball's rotation.
The kit stared pointedly ahead, glaring. He didn't care if this Sonic was smarter or wore goggles or acted a bit different than the one he knew. Sonic was a liar, that was a universal fact, and he would not be played for a fool this time.
Never again.
Welcome back to all the old readers of fractures between us! To anyone wondering, this takes place some months before fractures between us and will lead directly to that story.
Anyway, I hope this was a fun read because it was a joy to write, and please feel free to ask questions/share your thoughts below!