Despite his reluctance to participate in investigating one of Eggman's abandoned bases, the two-tailed fox had to admit that having Sonic with him made things a lot less dull.

The duo were well known for being inseparable, with the blue speedster often taking Tails with him for some hands on experience. Although this time around Sally wanted them to go together since she believed there was some data they could salvage, and technology was never one of the hedgehog's strengths.

The two should've known to be careful, to expect a trap to trigger or a flood of the doctor's bots to set out after them, but neither felt particularly on edge. The underground base was run down beyond repair, with countless broken pipes crooked along the walls, seemingly having been that way for lord knows how many years, the orange fox even had to stop himself from sneezing a handful of times due to all the dust in the air, his sensitive nose constantly flaring up.

"Jeez, Sal' sure knows how to pick em'," Sonic was already starting to lose a bit of his patience, he could've ran around the abandoned base and searched for anything that looked even remotely useful, but Tails earlier insisted that wasn't the safest idea, they didn't know what kind of things could be laying around. "All this scavenging for what, some info that's probably outdated by now?"

As headstrong as the hedgehog was, Tails couldn't help but agree with his brother figure. This had all been a wild goose chase for as long as he could remember, an endless race with no finish line. The Freedom Fighters find some old hidden base coordinates, they raid the place and get whatever they could get their hands on, it turns out Eggman has already relocated to a different area, rinse and repeat. Tails made a point to not overstep his boundaries, to not vocally complain that this was an infuriating waste of time. A good Freedom Fighter followed orders, and the boy wanted to prove to the others his capabilities, capabilities that would surely come to fruition and help everyone one day, he keeps telling himself.

'They need me to be my best…' The fox had thought to himself. 'If this is how I prove myself… then so be it.'

"It's like you said though Sonic, Eggman can't keep relocating forever." It was light at the end of the tunnel, reassurance that maybe one day Tails wouldn't have to do this anymore. What else would he do in pace of it then? He hadn't thought that far yet. "Besides... how else would we get any information on his whereabouts?"

The fox had always taken after Sonic to try and look on the bright side of things, since despite big blue's usual optimism he was only one guy. Even if this seemingly hopeless breadcrumb trail was dampening both of their spirits, and Tails didn't believe this would net any useful intel, yet he forced himself to be an optimist. After all, that's exactly what Sonic would want, right? For him to always grow up to be a beacon of hope, just like him?

Giving a chuckle, the blue hedgehog ruffled his brother's hair, not knowing what he'd do without the fox. "You always know just what to say to keep me in my game, you know that buddy?"

Tails gave a sheepish smile, Sonic's words keeping his mood from falling flat as they wandered further into the depths of the abandoned base. Hearing his brother be thankful for his choice to be so much like him told Tails that this was how he'd become a truly valued Freedom Fighter, yet his heart didn't feel fully in it. He still didn't know if this is truly what he wanted for himself, a life that he couldn't truly find much fulfillment in. Tails had desired to help others, yet selfless as he was, a small voice in the back of his head had told him that this was not what he wished for.

"Sonic," Tails had spoken with less audibility than prior, hesitation seeping into his gut, wondering if it was wrong for him to want answers. "Are we ever going to stop Eggman for good?"

It was a question so abruptly asked, that Sonic had nearly stopped in place when the words registered in his head. Countless memories had flashed in and out of the blue hedgehog's mind, the many thwartings of the evil doctor's plans time and time again, good times and bad times all being present and accounted for.

"Course we'll take him down one of these days, bud!" Sonic's voice was uncertain, a hint of concern able to be picked up by the younger of the two as the blue blur spoke. "That's what we always do, right?"

Tails' pace had slowed down significantly, his doubts plentiful. He could count the times where Eggman had slipped from Sonic's grasp, the times where Sonic could've done more yet chose not to. He didn't know what this feeling was, a wave of disappointment yet curiosity filling him, mixed in with the hesitance to say anything else. "Sonic, you know what I mean. He just keeps coming back, again and again..."

A stern look crossed the hedgehog's face, if only for a moment, it was clear that there were boundaries that Tails had passed. Sonic had caught himself though. "Tails, bud, ya gotta have a little faith! You've seen the egghead as well, you know he's slippery for a guy his size."

A pause fills the dusty air, both their voices having cracked on occasion from the staleness and worn down smell in the long, abandoned tunnel. Tails couldn't think of much else to say, returning deep to his thoughts and their desires for answers. What Sonic had said was understandable in a sense, Eggman was a master of his craft and knew when to flee, but that didn't answer why the fastest thing alive didn't at least make attempts to at the very least imprison the mad doctor.

"I'm sorry…" Tails felt the words leave his mouth instinctively, as if he'd made a mistake. "Doesn't this all just ever get… tiring for you?"

Sonic's smile had dipped a little more, not a fan of how this conversation was going. He knew that any of the other Freedom Fighters could have been more sentimental in this moment, given how they'd likely relate more to what Tails was saying, the blue blur and "tired" had never gotten aquatinted with one another that well. "Yeah I gotcha bud, I'm not saying it's fun to do this at all. But I try to keep looking at the positive side of things, think of all those lives we're saving. Who else'd be doin' what we do if we weren't around?"

Another brief silence fills the run down hall, the echo of footsteps being the only sound to break it, until a soft chuckle escapes the orange fox. Tails didn't know what he was even doing anymore, he just wanted to make his brother happy… because Sonic did the same for him. As much of an enigma as the blue hedgehog was to the junior Freedom Fighter, even after so long, Tails couldn't deny the impact Sonic made on his life.

It was easier for Tails to be happy with what he was doing when Sonic put it that way, that they'd be doing good for others. "Good point, thanks-"

A swift tap is made on Tails' shoulder, and his head turns to face the direction it came from. Sonic points to a large room on the side of the hall they'd nearly just passed, a hopeful smile overcoming him. "Look at that bud, I think we're in business!"

Finally, they were getting somewhere. Sonic led the way, the cold and damp air of the room causing his quills to rise ever so slightly. Many screens and control panels had been littered across the room, and if that didn't just scream 'data center!' then the blue blur didn't know what else possibly would.

"A data center? I'll see what I can find…" Tails didn't want to get his hopes up, the place was pretty worn down, a sense of apprehension filling him from those rusted walls that were unpleasant to look at. Wandering around the room, the orange fox was surprised to see a screen flicker right in front of him. "It's still functional?"

Despite his best efforts, Tails had begun to feel more hopeful as he approached the terminal, this definitely wasn't something he'd always come by. He had to take a few breaths to calm himself, the tip tap of water dripping from the pipes onto the floor being the only noise to bother him. 'Remember what Rotor has taught you,' his thoughts suggest, observing the panel.

The orange fox made sure to navigate the massive screen in front of him carefully, it was likely the doctor had set up all kinds of deathtraps in his wake. Reaching for his hammerspace, Tails would grasp the passcode scrambler he'd been equipped with, but paused. What if he wasn't able to force his way through the firewall? Did Eggman have extra security protocols for that as well? He'd look over to Sonic, a sudden idea dawning in his head, he'd clearly known Eggman a lot better than him.

"Hey, Sonic? Any ideas?"

The blue blur had waltzed up behind his friend, his eyes also focusing on the large screen above them. Of course, passwords, Sonic had thought briefly. "Well if there's a few things about ol' egg belly… he's an egomaniac, and super easy to bother!"

Tails just rolled his eyes, trying his best not to give into that humored smile that wanted to crawl out despite the seriousness of their current task. "And do you think that has anything to do with a potential passcode?"

Sonic nodded. He didn't think, he knew, the evil doctor was somewhat predictable for a supposed genius. "Totally! How about stuff like 'Empire, Eggman, Sonic, hate?' The dude's so persistent when it comes to how much he hates me."

Tails had his doubts about something so silly, wondering if it was really that simple, but decided to take Sonic's word for it anyways. Inputting some potential phrases to focus on in the password scrambler, the fox would gingerly insert the high-tech device that he and Rotor had worked on into the side of the panel, watching as it did it's magic.

Hundreds of flickering passwords would be denied every second, as the two mobians keep their eyes focused on the screen, the noise of dripping from the pipes in the background only growing more consistent as the leak comes down faster. The sizeable puddles of water in the room had only contributed to the unpleasant atmosphere, though neither gave it any mind.

The screen had kept flashing thousands of different passcodes, with Tails' doubts only growing. "Sonic, I don't think this is working-"

His troubled words were interrupted by a sound coming from the center of the panel, a small beeping noise emitting as it made the screen light up just a bit brighter. The pair let their eyes gaze upon the solved passcode, 'HAT3THATH3DG3HOG'. Tails felt himself cringe as Sonic gave him a grin and nudge, of course he knew Eggman was a nutjob, but the fox could almost feel secondhand embarrassment from such a weird password. "How... typical."

"What'd I tell ya? The doc is a complete lunatic," Sonic would say, watching as Tails reached for the scrambler and put it back into his hammerspace. "Now, what kinda stuff are we working with?"

"I'm not sure yet Sonic, I'll see what I can find..." Tails couldn't help but let a bit of happiness break through in his voice as he began to look through the terminal, the approval and praise that his brother figure had given him making him slowly forget about his earlier concerns. As he continues to scour through whatever he could, he eventually came across some archived coordinates, and he felt his heart sink back further into his chest in an instant. "...Sonic? Are you seeing this?"

The blue blur had paid a bit more attention to what Tails was directing him towards, what seemed to be dozens of different coordinates of base and factory locations all scattered about, so many of Eggman's territories that they hadn't even known existed. A firm look comes across his face, Sonic biting his lip in thought, his previous cocky mood deteriorating to a contemplative one. There was so much ground they haven't covered, had Eggman really gained this much power right under their noses?

Sonic shook his head, not trying to think to hard about it in the moment, turning back towards Tails. He didn't need to have the boy who looked up to him see his best friend appear so distressed. "Yeah, I see it alright. We gotta get this info back to Sally and the others, they'll wanna see it."

Tails had already been one step ahead of Sonic's suggestion, placing a data stick he'd been equipped with into a port on the side of the panel. He wasn't sure what to think of this new revelation, wanting to ask Sonic if he felt the same way, although decided against it. It was a seldom occasion that the Freedom Fighters' second in command's voice had become so serious. The orange and white fox pulls out the data stick, being sure to store it safely to ensure it won't get lost.

The pitter patter of the leaking pipes become louder and more prominent in the claustrophobic room, both the hedgehog and fox being alerted to its ever increasing rate. "Jeez, eggbelly sure knows how to trash a place. Guess that's our cue to get outta here."

That was a solid plan to Tails, through the moldy walls, leaking pipes, and unhealthy air quality, many places would be much more preferable in this moment. He quickly follows behind Sonic as he notices the blue blur going back into the long hallway, beginning to backtrack and go back towards the entrance the two'd came from.

A minute of relative silence had passed, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the hall as the only noise to be heard. Tails wanted to break the silence with something, but he didn't know what. He didn't like silent Sonic, silent Sonic didn't know how to make him smile or feel safe like chatty Sonic had always done. 'I don't know how to feel when you're like this, won't you come back to me?' The orange fox let his thoughts get the best of him once more as he drifted out of attention. Soon did he realize, he should be more wary for what he wished for.

"Sonic, do you hear that?" Tails' ears had flickered, able to hear the sounds of bumping and groaning become more audible around them, the water in the pipes threatening to break free. "I think we should hurry…"

The hedgehog nodded with a stern look, having noticed the sounds too. Tails was right as per usual, the sounds growing louder and louder as the water in the pipes begin to seep out at an uncomfortable rate. "Tails, I need you to grab onto me-"

Before Sonic could finish, a flood of water had burst out from the pipes, then more ear wrenching bursts had followed quickly after, the very structure around them shaking and beginning to flood, the water beginning to overflow atop the floor and begin to rise. The senior Freedom Fighter looks back towards his brother, the fox boy stuck in a momentary shock. Sonic had let his instincts take over in this moment, grabbing onto Tails and beginning to run down the hall. "Damn, should've known it was a trap!"

The orange fox had instinctively squinted his eyes as the torrent of water had begun to splash down onto him from the ceiling, the whiplash of wind hitting his face as Sonic held him tight, the blue blur living up to his name and running down the hallway at lightning fast speeds, even with the water up to his ankles now slowing him down a little, like a hungry monster trying to tire out it's prey.

Sonic would keep running and running, his fear of drowning and lack of swimming knowledge creeping up his spine like the chills of the flood on his ankles, yet he did his best to push those worries towards the back of his head. He had to remain strong for Tails, the hedgehog just couldn't let the fox see him like this. 'Hang in there, buddy…'

An unpleasant sound was heard as Sonic came to a screeching halt at the entrance of the underground base, escape so close yet just out of reach as the automatic door was sealed shut and unable to open, having short circuited from the flood. The downpour of water had seemed to just never end, the knee-high flood a merciless stream that would soon consume the two mobians if they didn't do something fast.

Tails didn't want to believe what he was seeing, he wanted to think Sonic was messing around, even in such a dire situation such as this. Sonic never lost his cool around him, he'd never seen this side of him. The fox boy had felt his vision recenter itself as he brushed his soaking tuft of hair out of his eyes, looking at the sealed door. It was easier said than done to remain calm in the moment, but he managed to do what he did best; thinking fast.

"S-Sonic! I think we can get this door open if we tear the wiring apart!" The orange fox had to raise his voice heavily over the roar of the water, barely able to even hear anything else.

Sonic nods quickly, immediately going into action as he attempts to spindash into the side of the wall. A loud crashing noise follows, the blue blur having successfully made a small hole in the wall, reaching out to rip off the moldy cover as it splashes into the water. "Got it!"

Following up on Sonic's efforts, the two-tailed fox would focus, utilizing his namesakes as sharp edges, swiftly and forcefully slicing into the exposed wiring with an exerted grunt. The wires crackle and spark as Tails cuts clean through them, the malfunctioned automatic door losing its power, the two wasting no time in pushing the heavy sliders open.

"It's open, let's go Tails!" Sonic had begun to turn around and head up the ramp to the surface, yet noticed that his brother figure was a bit slow to follow, having exerted most his strength as the water wore him down. Seeing Tails trudge through the water a few feet away from him, the older brother saw the disconnected wires fall into the water, and his heart sank into the back of his chest. "Tails, look out!"

Before Tails could react, the sparking wires fall into the water with a splash, the electric current immediately zapping him and causing him to slam against the wall. His body spasmed as electricity coursed through his body, Sonic yanking him out of the waist high currents before he fell even deeper into the water, the fox letting out a loud groan of pain as he gets pulled back into the hedgehog's grip as he quickly gets carried out of the flooded death trap of a base.

"Tails! Are you okay?" Sonic felt his heart beating in his chest rapidly as he cradled his best friend close, the sunlight shining upon them as they were finally free of the damp dungeon that'd almost bested them, the hedgehog near collapsing onto the shore. 'Come on buddy, please say something…'

Tails stirs and groans in the tight grasp of Sonic as he swears he could see a hovercraft fly away in the distance, his head still pounding and feeling incredibly dazed and sore as his vision come back to a minimal level. He could see the worried face of his brother watching him intently, and his expression turns to guilt, not wanting to have worried him. "Nnghh… Sonic?"

The hedgehog sighed in relief to see Tails still breathing, his body still twitching and hot from the electric shock. He hadn't been sure what to think, seeing the fox in this state was something he'd never wanted to experience. Sonic felt so angry with himself for not being able to prevent it, his rage towards Eggman growing more prominent, yet the cap would not come undone today, not when the fox boy needed him. "C'mon Tails, let's get you back to the others and have someone take a look at you, okay?"

Everything felt sluggish to Tails, his thoughts hazy as he gently nods his head whilst in the hedgehog's grasp, trying to let his aching body relax. Those aqua blue eyes of his begin to shut, giving into the calls of exhaustion, and he lets himself get carried off to a place unknown. Despite his injury, Tails couldn't help but hope that he'd made Sonic proud.

A/N: Thanks for reading! This is based off of my oneshot "Knothole Kindred" as I wanted to expand more on the concept. I am unsure how many chapters there will be but I do want to make this a decent length fanfic at the least. I'll probably switch around the character/genre tags again later as I add more. Once again feedback/criticism is appreciated, and I'll see you guys next time.