In the basement of his lab, Tails finished his training for the day, capping things off with a final set of push-ups. The sight was reminiscent of a certain alien from a notably popular anime. However, unlike Goku, the fox lacked the benefits of senzu beans or zenkai boosts. He had to rely on good form and wit to keep himself in fighting shape. In the background, the enraged screams, chunky guitars, and groovy drums of Chimaira's debut echoed through the walls.

"96...97...98...99...100."

Tails jumped to his feet, barely noticing the strain. Over the last four years, he'd grown tremendously - both physically and mentally. With Eggman's age beginning to take its toll, the group had more time to prepare for the next threat. The doctor still gave them grief on occasion, but the downtime between battles left them with plenty of opportunities to do as they wished. Still, questions burned in the back of Tails' mind. His newfound freedom came with its own pitfalls. Shadow's disdain for humanity...Was he really wrong...?

Upstairs, the fox cleansed himself in the shower. Soap, shampoo, and conditioner removed all semblance of stress from his features. In the kitchen, he headed straight for the fridge. Bordering the cusp of adolescence, he may not have been able to train like a saiyan, but he could definitely eat like one. He removed several cheeseburgers, fries, a pizza, tacos, chips, and a bottle of coke from each shelf. In the parlor, he picked out a movie while his appetizer cooked. A few minutes into The Exorcist, he got a call from Sonic.

"Hey, lil bro. What's shakin'?"

"Not much. Just got done trainin'. Treating myself to dinner and a movie right now."

"Haven't seen ya in a while. Figured we could hang soon. Gettin' kinda bored bein' all by my lonesome."

"Only if you're paying the tab."

"I gotcha covered, broski."

"Remember when you used to eat all those chili dogs?"

"Yep. You thought I was nuts."

"Not anymore. I could eat a whole truck after all that."

"I'm curious to see how strong you've gotten. With how fast you're improving, I can barely keep up."

"Too slow, eh?"

"Cut me some slack. I'm an old man."

"You're nineteen."

"Exactly. I'm basically a fossil."

"Crazy..."

"Anyway, how's tomorrow sound?"

"Works for me. I'm free most of the day."

"Cool. I'll catch ya later."

"Later."

Sonic hung up, leaving Tails to finish his food. It'd been a while since the two of them hung out. Maybe they could talk a bit about the nihilistic tendencies building up within the pre-teen. A similar thing had happened to Sonic during his adolescent years. Perhaps he could be of some guidance.