CHAPTER 3: Aftermath

"Target Acquired" = Robotic Voice

Tails was sitting on a bench, head resting in his hands while deep in thought. How could this happen? How many years had it been?

Sally

He looked up at the sky sadness in his eyes. He was drawn out of it when his earpiece rang, he activated it.

"Hello?" said Tails sounding calm and then visibly flinched.

"TAILS HEEEEELLLLLPPPP!" screamed Klaxon in the earpiece and Tails looked like his ears just exploded.

"Klaxon...what's going on?" asked Tails.

"Sally...whoa!...she's gone beserk! Or...her body has...watch it!...she's warning me when she's going to attack but hurry! I can't keep this up! GET YOUR FUZZY TWO-TAILED A$$ OVER HERE!"

Tails flinched again before the line went dead and he sped off towards Mystic Ruins, over the years he had also gotten almost as fast of Sonic and his older brother seemed to be...jealous? Nah, that couldn't be it but Tails put that to the back of his mind as he raced towards his place and he ducked when the kitchen sink flew overhead when he neared his now ruined house/workshop. He was in shock, but only for a second because the sounds of fighting reached his ears.

"AAAAHH! LOOK OUT!" screamed Klaxon as he ran away juggling a grenade before...

*EXPLOSION*

"WOOOoooo-hoooo-hoooo-hoooo!" screamed Klaxon as he was sent flying into the morning sun and disappeared and Tails sweat-dropped. He then turned his attention towards his ruined home and watched as Mecha-Sally walked out of the rubble.

"Tails...Target Acquired...RUN!" said Mecha-Sally, her voice switching between her old self and that of one of Robuttnik's robots. An energy blade came to life on her right arm. Before he could react Mecha-Sally spin-kicked him across the face and sent him flying into the ruined house causing a dust explosion. She slowly advanced.

"[Cough! Cough!] How'd I survive that?" said Tails as he got up and barely managed to dodge a flurry of swings from MS (Mecha-Sally) before he got sliced across his left side, drawing a tiny amount of blood.

"Prepare to die fox." said MS as she advanced and delivered a hard left hook to Tails' jaw. She kept slamming her fists into his face and the robotic half of her mind was laughing while the now free part was crying.

"Figures. Sonic's sidekick is nothing but a weak wittle baby." taunted MS and that's when Tails caught her fist, shocking her.

"I...am not WEAK!" growled Tails throwing her through two undamaged walls. He looked down at his hands and smiled, a feral one that made him look like a wild animal. His fangs made him look frightening and then he flexed his claws and charged MS who was currently getting up and clutching her head. She saw him and had a rocket launcher appear on her wrist and fired...he dodged it easily before slamming his fist into her chest sending her flying through several trees.

'This power...it feels so...good!' thought Tails as his eyes turned yellow, aglow with hunger, and his claws grew longer and sharper 'til they ripped through his gloves. His muscles became stronger and he thought he could just jump up to her and end her pathetic life. His eyes and vision turned red and then he charged. The look on her face showed pure and honest shock. He pounded her into the ground 'til the point of wires and circuitry buzzing and showing. He grabbed her by the head and lifted her off the ground.

"Tails...stop...please..." said Mecha-Sally weakly as his grip tightened.

"NO!" screamed Sonic as he appeared on the scene followed by Klaxon.

"Tails, STOP!" yelled Klaxon.

Tails' mind reeled as he broke through the haze of the raging hunger he felt. He slowly turned to around to see Sonic and Klaxon.

"S-Sonic...I-I can explain..." stammered Tails before a blue blur hits him across the face, causing him to drop Mecha-Sally.

"Get away from her!" yelled Sonic glaring at Tails. Tails looked at his hands and then bolted from the scene as Sonic looked over Mecha-Sally. Klaxon walked over and found another computer chip.

'So, he beat the chip out of her but almost went too far. There's also something off about Sonic...' thought Klaxon as he crushed the chip under his bare foot, hidden under his cloak.

7 Hours Later; Station Square Beach

Tails was crying after the incident and remained hidden from site. He heard footsteps coming towards him and stop a few feet behind him.

"Tails?"

He froze at hearing Sally speak his name and then he heard her come closer and sit down by him and he looked away.

"You alright Tails?" said Sally despite her still being a machine emotion was clear in her voice, concern.

"Sal...why do you want to talk to me? I...I'm not the cute little two-tailed fox you used to know...I'm a monster." said Tails looking at his claws and then clenching them. She placed a hand on his shoulder, he shuddered at the cold metallic touch.

"Tails, despite your new appearance you'll always be the cute two-tailed fox I know and besides the beating you gave me, knocked the backup chip loose and freed me."

"Thanks...Aunt Sal."

"Terminate Fox."

Tails jumped and looked at Sally who was on the ground laughing.

"W-what was that?!"

"Got you to look at me didn't I? hahahaha! Should've seen the look on your face!" laughed Sally before Tails started laughing too.

"Somebody forget me?" came a voice from the shadows, causing both to get up and look at the newcomer.

"W-who are you?" said Tails getting into a defensive stance and at that the figure slumped.

"Taaaaaiiiiilllllsssss! I'm hurt! [Sobs] You can't even recognize me? [Wails]"

"Wait. KLAXON?!"

"BINGO! RINGO! DINGO! RANGO! DANGO!" said Klaxon walking into the light and the two gasped as he had dragon wings and a tail with a liquid metal tail blade and then he noticed this.

"Aw, slag! I forgot to hide them...Oh well! Can't keep all my secrets!" said Klaxon removing his mask, clothe and then his hood to reveal his wolf ears.

"What are you?" said Tails shocked.

"Really? You can't see a resemblance between me and my old man? I'm hurt. [Sobs]"

"Wait...scars on face, Shattered Eye, Liquid Metal Tail Blade...your Skyler's son!" said Sally.

"We have a winner!" said Klaxon throwing confetti into the air.

"But why are you so..." began Tails.

"Childish?' I'm insane. But don't worry! I'm happy about it! I can act like a kid!"

"Uh...how old are you?" said Sally.

"Let me think...I think late twenties to early thirties...Don't judge me!"

Sally and Tails: "We're not."

Tails then notices two chips attached to Sally's neck, barely visible.

"Hey Sal."

"Hmm?"

"Why do you have two chips in your neck?"

"Oh! Klaxon made them for me. The first one is so that Robuttnik can't control me again and the second is so I can feel again. And if the 'good' doctor tries to remove them...well, let's just say he's in for a shock!"

*EXPLOSION*

"Robotnik's at it again." muttered Tails getting up and he and Sally then ran off towards the explosion's site.

"HEY! WAIT FOR KLAXON!" said Klaxon donning his hood, clothe, mask and hiding his tail and wings and running after them. The trio arrive, or Klaxon arrives last out of breathe, and they see ruined Swatbots everywhere and then they hear the sounds of a female fighting.

"Come 'ere sugah! I'm gonna give you a real welcome!" said a familiar voice and Tails and Sally's eyes and optics (respectively) widen.

"Do you two know who that is?" said Klaxon before the wall caved in on him with a Swatbot on top of the ruined wall and a figure with her foot on it.

"There! That takes of them varmits!" said the figure clapping her hands free of dust with moonlight glimmering off her arm and legs.

"Bunnie?" said Sally shocked.

Said person turned her head towards the two and instead of pleasantries went with...arm turning into a laser cannon!

END CHAPTER