Tails stood silently outside of his workshop. Night was quickly falling, and dark clouds were gathering. Thankfully, the fight was over. Sonic had left once they were sure that Metal Sonic was down. Tails continued to stare through the deepening darkness, passively gazing at the tangle of metal laying in the dirt. He was exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to sleep. But he stayed. He wasn't sure why he couldn't pull himself away from the scene. He couldn't count how many times he had walked away from smashed robots without a second thought in the past. He slowly became aware that he was moving toward the fallen robot. He pushed its head with his foot. No response. Not even a flicker in its darkened eyes. He knelt down and rolled the robot over. It was a marvel of engineering, he had to admit. Sleek, streamlined, and eye-catching. The power of its engine was incredible, and it had so many skills and abilities at its disposal. It was a true shame that it was used as a weapon. If only it could be used to protect the innocent, rather than terrorize them.
Tails sighed at the thought of it. "If only…", he whispered to himself. He stood and turned to head home for the night. Mid-step, he hesitated. He glanced back, barely able to see the crumpled blue machine in the darkness. But he shook his head. As much as he wanted to. As much as it pained him to leave Metal Sonic behind, he reminded himself of the risk and forced himself to go home.