Miles Prower, referred to simply as Tails by his friends, is a prodigy with an origin unknown to even his father figure, Charles de Hedgehog. From day one, Tails showed an exceptional aptitude in the ability to build, showing brilliant intelligence for a young fox his age. But his kind, but shy, personality and charisma is what draws many to him. Today, he is invited by Julie and Tekno as they continue to dismantle the Metallic Madness base…

Within the Metallic Madness base, Tails is seen at the ceiling, taking a piece of the paneling off as he looks into the wiring. Each string was complex and connects various points like a complicated maze. But Tails was able to pull out the necessary wires he needed and put them into a plastic bag he had.

Julie: "Yo! Poindexter!"

Tails: "Just a minute, Julie! Just a few more wires!"

Julie: "Alright, but when you're done, mind giving me and Tekno a hand?"

Tekno using a laptop she borrowed from Jenni's mansion to look through the base's files for anything. But she ran into a lot of encrypted data which has left even her a bit confused.

Tekno: "Yeah, I can't figure any of this out. The guy who built this base, Robotnik… He did his homework…"

Julie: "So no luck, huh…?"

Tekno: "I didn't say that, it just… might take longer than expected is all…"

Julie sighs before rubbing her head. She pulls out a wire from her cybernetic dreadlock and plugs it into a socket to access the base's files too. As Tails finishes up with collecting parts, he flies down to greet the girls.

Tails: "Sorry. I really needed these parts for a new project of mine that'll hopefully help put an end to Eggman's reign."

Julie: "'Robotnik', 'Eggman'... Can you just pick one name?"

Tails: "Sonic called him 'Eggman' because of his fascination with eggs. The name kind of just… stuck."

Tekno: "I like it. If this guy is so megalomaniacal that he puts the world in harm's way, then screw it. He'll be 'Eggman' till the day he rots behind bars."

Tekno stands up before turning to Tails.

Tekno: "So what about Dr. Jennifer? Got any fancy nicknames for her?"

Tails: "Uh… Well… Sonic sometimes calls her 'Jen'... And she calls him 'Spike'..."

Tekno: "...So what? You're buddies with one tyrant but not the other?"

Tails was… confused by this statement. Legitimately confused as he approached her with a friendly enough smile.

Tails: "Tyrant? But Jenni isn't-"

Tekno: "Don't try. This whole robot attack seemed way too out of line. Even if they aren't on the same side, that doctor Jennifer is still in control over these robots. In fact, who's to say that she didn't just schedule this attack in the first place?"

Tails' friendly attitude was changed to a more serious one as he glares at Tekno.

Tails: "Sonic trusts Jenni. Uncle Chuck trusts Jenni. So do a lot of people who've lived on this island. You don't know what she's gone through."

Tekno: "Oh? And how much of it isn't some fabrication that she made? To many people who's in the science field, Jenni went down as the one who murdered a little girl, all for some scientific achievement. And that's how history reads it too, according to the G.U.N.'s files on her. I was willing to give her a chance, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to see a bigger picture. Jennifer isn't to be trusted."

Tails: "You take that back!"

Tails, angered by Tekno's accusations, lunges at the canary, knocking her back onto the console. Tekno quickly slaps Tails away before pinning him down.

Tekno: "Wake up, you idiot! How much of that lady's story do you actually believe!? She's playing you and everyone else for saps!"

Tails: "I believe what I want to believe! I believe in Sonic! And I believe in my friends!"

Tails kicks Tekno off, running up to punch her in the face. Tekno slugs Tails back, leading to a brief fight before the sound of gunfire rings into their ears, forcing a quick end to the fight.

Julie: "Shut up, both of you!"

Julie glares at the duo before holstering her gun, walking up to them both.

Julie: "Look. Like it or not, we have to work together in order to stop Robotnik. I can't prove Jenni isn't some evil mastermind under that persona of her's, but I refuse to see her as such. She's done nothing to warrant those claims. Innocent until proven guilty, Tekno. Learn to trust others instead of accusing them of things that they have no part in."

Julie extends a hand to Tekno in order to help her up, but Tekno just looks away as she stands up by herself.

Tekno: "Fine. …I don't trust her. At all. In fact, I'd oust her as a villain by proxy of her being a Robotnik. …But I'll put my feelings aside. She's a lesser threat compared to the other Robotnik… So… Sorry for slugging you, Tails…"

Tails: "Y-Yeah… Sorry for getting angry, Tekno. I just… don't like others insulting my friends…"

Tekno helps Tails off the ground before shaking hands, agreeing to at least work together despite their differences. Julie then gets an unknown signal from within the base.

Julie: "Hm? My sensor picked up something… It's in the core…"

Tekno: "I can lead the way. Let's go!"

The trio run out of the room they were in and go down to where the core of the base is. There, they find a mostly dark room. The robots Tekno scrapped before still there as the core hasn't been touched yet. There they begin to rummage through the place until Tails finds a… red crystal.

Tails: "Hey, Julie! Is this what's causing the signal?"

Julie and Tekno group back together with Tails and observe the red crystal… And the discovery shocks the pink echidna.

Julie: "That's… A Chaos Gem!"

Tekno: "...A what?"

Julie: "A Chaos Gem. It's essentially a substitute for a Chaos Emerald. It doesn't grant any additional benefits, but it does give just as much power to machines. But they are exceedingly rare, with Albion itself finding only three in the last three centuries…"

Tekno: "So Robotnik was able to find one then? Makes me wonder if he has any more in stash…"

Tails looks at it before an idea popped into his head.

Tails: "If it's that powerful. Why not use it against Eggman? Basically give him a taste of his own medicine."

Julie: "You have something in mind?"

Tails: "Maybe. But I'll have to actually build it."

Tekno: "Alright, but be careful. We have no idea what that thing is capable of if it was tampered with by Eggman."

Tails waves off the concern as he pockets the red gem. Once that was settled, the trio split off as the fox headed to his little workshop at the Emerald Hill Resort.

Once at his workshop, Tails starts working on schematics for a new machine. One that would be programmed to help in the fight against Eggman. But as he worked on the plans on a separate table, the Chaos Gem starts to pulse, reacting to Tails. The Chaos Gem then starts floating by itself before firing a beam at the distracted fox.

Tails: "Huh? What's-!?"

The beam flashes a bright white before Tails finds himself… shorter. He couldn't move his head or limbs. In fact, he couldn't even blink. And he had no voice. He could only just… stare at the floor.

Tails' Thoughts: "What's going on!? What happened!? Why… can't I move!?"

Tails' Voice: "Well… That worked like a charm."

Tails heard his own voice, but it didn't come from him. He is soon lifted off the ground and turned to face… himself. But this version of him had red irises in place of his usual blue and an antenna that ended with the red Chaos Gem.

Tails' Thoughts: "What!? Why am I seeing myself!? Who are you!?"

Tails?: "Oh, you poor thing. You must be panicking. Don't worry; I'll explain it to you. I am a robot designed by Lord Robotnik as an infiltrator. I suppose you could call me 'D.O.L.L.'. 'Destructive Omni Lurker & Lure', in case you needed an explanation. As for you…"

The fake Tails pointed the real one to a mirror, showing the real Tails… had become a doll of himself. If Tails had a mouth, he'd be screaming. Which he was internally. With an evil smile, the dubbed 'Tails Doll', tosses the real Tails into a closet and slams the door.

Tails Doll: "Oh don't worry, fool. You'll make for a fine trophy to Lord Robotnik after I destroy your friends from within."

The fake Tails then makes his antenna cloak away, but did not change his eye color, smiling evilly as he leaves the workshop… and Tails unable to do anything in his new body.

Tails' Thoughts: "Sonic! Anyone! Please… Please stop me!"

But Tails knew… his cries would fall to no one. The fake Tails was just free to do as he pleased… and wreak all the havoc he wanted in the name of his master…

To be continued…