I've increased the rating to 'T' since this story will be darker than the previous installments, and those I was considering 'T' as I didn't know how to gauge ratings well.

Chapter 1

A low humming echoed throughout the Eggcarrier, a massive flying cruise ship designed and created by the famous Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik. Hero of two entire planets and part time wandering, self-proclaimed mad scientist bent on conquering the world. He has yet to fully accomplish such a feat, the closest he got was when he first fought Sonic the Hedgehog his supposed archnemesis. The doctor can no longer claim the title of the first to conquer the world either. That right goes to Miles 'Tails' Prower, formerly the renowned and infamous 'Mysterious Villain.' After the fox seized the world Eggman's entire world view had been stripped away and shredded.

Finding someone whose genius outstripped his by miles, having no means to combat or even come close to being equal, and being thrown in the gutters to scavenge with rodents just to prove he wasn't as mighty as he once boasted. The giant man's hands pounded on his computer, brow furrowing with his snarl. "Cursed fox and that blasted hedgehog!" He heaved a breath, sitting back in his chair to restrain these bursts of emotions.

His hands folded over the bulbous belly that gave him his epithet renowned worldwide. With it, his torso did look like an egg, a mild distraction that only made him steam out of his nose. Rather then focus on his body, he looked to the ceiling in thought. What made these emotions begin to flare? At one point he was actively claiming Sonic and Tails were his friends, where did it all drop south?

He shook his head at his own inquiry. He knew the answer, if only it were wrong. It was when Metal Sonic asked him one simple question one day.

"Doctor."

"Hmm." Eggman didn't bother facing away from his monitor, only perking his ears to listen to his metal copy of Sonic.

"Have you decided on actually trying to conquer the world again?"

"What?!" He spun around in his chair. "Have you been spending too much time with that blabbermouth, Ralph? You're uttering nonsense! It's as we explained to Sonic and Tails, we're only doing this to make up appearances. We're basically giving them training and forcing the world to divvy up their defenses so that anything that tries an invasion like the Mysterious Villain won't succeed."

The way his robot stood at attention told him it was taking this question very seriously. It looked toward Eggman's monitor. "Our actions have nearly ended in success ourselves. Our previous attempt nearly killed Sonic. He only got out due to the whisps flouting him back down to the planet safely. Otherwise the Mind Control Ray would have encased the entire planet. When that failed you became enraged. You took this 'Time Eater' you found in space and have been studying it since. The only use it has would be to destroy time and rebuild it to your liking. That is why I was wondering if you'd like me to consider Tails and Sonic enemies to dispose of. I will do my best to end their lives for you."

Ever since then, the idea of killing the two have been hanging over his head ever since. Not in guilt or revulsion, but in interest. He was actually considering it. That thought made him angry, because why did he want them to die? They were great allies, and though they loved to get on his nerves he did enjoy their moments together.

The problem was more of an accumulative issue he had been suppressing for years. It started out as a silly little idea. It bothered him that Tails was vastly more intelligent than he, so he decided to play a little game. He was going to create something that would be on par with the fox and they would have a match. It's what gave him the idea of 'playing villain' in the first place. However, Tails stopped creating these massive projects and beautiful creations on near invulnerability so the only thing Eggman had to compare with was that giant behemoth, Destructor. The robot that once destroyed the entire planet until Silver came back in time to stop it. Eggman did his best to copy something like that and when that failed, he migrated to developing the perfect strategy to claim the world as his. That way he could make claim to the same title as the fox.

So he made complicated schemes, tried to find ways of surpassing the speed of Sonic, or methods to circumvent known threats to his plans. No matter what, Sonic and Tails were the core of all the thwarting passed onto him. With every attempt to be an equal in some way to Tails being crushed, his resentment of not being given the chance grew. It grew and grew till he felt rage and hate frothing in the pits of his stomach. Now he realized why, the true reason it all started. He may have told himself it was because he wanted to be equal to Tails, but that's not completely true. He did want to be equal, but more than not he still wanted to take over the world. To mold it into a world he could describe as a utopia. One where someone won't be abused till they were converted into a monster that would wipe out cities just to take revenge.

After this epiphany, Eggman reevaluated his plans and saw exactly what Metal saw. All the plans were legitimate attempts to conquer the world. There was no training those two interlopers, there was no making the planet resistant to future invasions, there was only the Eggman Empire. An empire that will do all of that once he was in control. He only blinded himself with the thoughts of grandeur in hopes of staying on good terms with Tails. After all, the fox could easily defeat him if they became true enemies in all pretenses.

Sensing his true feelings toward Tails sent him spiraling and it only made him angrier. So much inner conflict, so much spite, and what made it worse is that he had no one to confide in except his robots. However, if he admitted the truth to them, they would acknowledge it through actions and attack the fox and hedgehog relentlessly giving everything away. He was alone in this, and he couldn't figure it out.

A light blinked on his dashboard, bringing him back to the world. He leaned forward, pressing a button. A screen came up and his frown deepened. "What in the blazes is going on?"

X

Miles 'Tails' Prower, infamous warlord, man who conquered the world, and mass murderer. These titles were hung around his neck like a noose. Some days he felt like he couldn't breathe. As time went on it became easier, or maybe he's gotten so use to it, it's been nothing but conditioned tolerance. Still, it plagues him. Plague him enough that as he tinkered with any contraption, be it his own or another's, his hands would shake. Images of this thing he was working on bursting forth and wrecking the world in destruction and havoc made him pause. He vowed to never invent a new contraption ever again. To only stick with the known and never go beyond the levels Eggman create. It's why he feels so deeply endowed to the doctor. With his expressions of what a typical invasion looks like, Tails could design something just strong enough to counter it without fear of going overboard.

It's only due to this that the world has learned to accept him. Accept him by allowing him to stay, but that's all. As he roams the streets he would get sideways glances of concern, a few of resentment. Mostly, he received nothing at all, and the person would do their best to just ignore him. Regardless, life has become tolerable and held some form of normalcy.

He walked up to the castle gates and stopped at the checkpoint, two security guards in full armor appraised him. "Can we help you sir?" The one on the left asked.

Tails lifted his watch and pressed a button. A beam of light shot into the air and projected an email. "I received a summons by the king. Something about an emergency. It was vague, so I'm guessing it's classified."

"I see. We'll have to verify this. Wait a moment." The man pressed his fingers into a com in his helmot. "This is the front for verification. We have Miles Prower requesting entry by summons of the king… Roger." He lowered his hand. "They're looking into it now."

"Thanks."

The guard on the right muttered something under his breath. The left guard turned to him. "Reg." His tone was a subtle warning, one Tails couldn't quite understand.

Reg looked at the left guard. "We shouldn't be allowing terrorists into the castle."

"He was never indicted. As such he's considered a normal civilian, please treat him as such."

"Why should we-?!"

"Reg! Enough! If you can't act professional then leave. We'll have a replacement come to take your place till you can calm down."

Reg growled, shooting Tails a look before marching off in a huff. The left guard shook his head before pressing the coms again. "Station, could you please send out, Hal. Reg needs a break." He let go and addressed Tails. "I'm sorry about that."

"I get it… can I ask for you opinion? What do you really think of me? No offense if it's negative."

The man paused, looking around a bit. Then he looked to the fox. "I can't really say. I never lost anyone close to me in the war like Reg. If I had to be frank I'd say I am a little perturbed around you. Mostly because I know your potential and how dangerous you can be, but I've seen you come and go long enough to know you're not really a threat. I also know that children can do pretty stupid things when they're emotional, so it's hard to cast judgment when at the time you didn't know any better." The man chuckled at the end. "I have a son of my own. When he got angry he broke a cup. Later he regretted it, but he's no angle all the time."

Tails smiled at the story. He wasn't sure how to feel about the analogy, after all, it wasn't a cup he broke back so many years ago. It's only been four years since they defeated Alpha Omega One in Blaze's world, and seven since the rise of Destructor. So many years since this world had to struggle with the creations of the Mysterious Villain.

Anouther guard came running up to the gate, opening it and clamoring out with a hurried salute. "H-Hal, reporting for duty, Mister Kalm!"

Kalm looked over the soldier, "It's just sir on duty."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. Station told me to tell you Mister Prower is allowed in, sir."

Kalm nodded and turned to Tails. "You may proceed, they'll have someone escort you to where you're needed."

"Thank you, sir." Tails gave him a two fingered salute and walked through the open gate held by Hal. He nodded to the boy who nodded back.

The gate closed behind him and the fox's ears could pick up the voice of Hal , "He seems nice."

"Stay focused, rookie."

The twin-tailed fox chuckled as he came closer and closer to the castle. A pink figure standing at the entrance in wait. Tails smile faded and he straightened his posture. It was Amy Rose, another one of the world famous heroes who fought against the Mysterious Villain. They weren't on hostile terms, but they weren't amicable either. If anything she holds a slight distrust with him. At the very least she didn't openly criticize him anymore. Still, with such a strained relationship he didn't want to poke a hornets nest. The woman was truly terrifying when angry.

As he walked up the stairs he nodded to her, "Miss Rose. Are you my escort."

She nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yup. They're all waiting for you in the war room."

Tails froze, fur standing on edge. "War room? Why? What happened."

"Don't know. All I got is that Eggman contacted us about suspicious activity. You know, yada yada, Eggman emergency. That whole spiel." She waved a disinterested hand. "They're not in an uproar so I doubt it's anything too serious. " She spun around and waved him to follow. "Come on, I'll show you to the room."

He did so looking over her figure. She's done away with the old red dress and just wore pink trousers and a red t-shirt. It oddly works for her and he had to admit she was pretty attractive, but the change wasn't really due to positive reasons. About three years ago Sonic and Sally finally made their relationship official. With Sonic going steady with Sally, Amy didn't have a chance. She became depressed and secluded for a while. Then came back with a new look and attitude. She found a way to move on from her crush and got a position in logistics within the capital. Of course, they accepted her immediately with the credentials she possessed.

They walked silently through the halls passing a few groups of officials and maids. Taking no detours or breaks. Finally they made their way to a vault-like door. Amy pressed her palm on a scanner and with rapid fingers, inputted a password. The doors hissed and opened. Someone inside stepped back and then through the entrance. Rouge the bat then stopped upon seeing Tails. Her eyes quickly narrowing on sight.

She was one Tails knew was still hostile toward him. She may not insult him as much, but she wouldn't hesitate to shout him down if given the excuse. The bat stepped out, throwing her thumb into the room. "Well? They're waiting, fox."

Tails nodded and stepped through, making sure not to look at her even as the doors behind him closed.

Amy stepped away from the consul and began walking away. Rouge huffed, keeping pace with her. "How can you stand that?"

"Despite his past he's the kingdom's greatest asset. All improved systems and computers are due to his handy work. We've stopped a lot of terrorists thanks to him."

"So you just let him run the place? That's so stupid!"

Amy spun around, shoving a finger into Rouge's chest. "I don't let him do jack! If he's going to run this place it'll be over my dead body! Do not mistake tolerance for trust! I don't want to be in the same room as him, but I know I have to, to do my job. In the end, he's just an ally of convenience. Nothing more." She began marching off, leaving a stunned Rouge alone.

The bat shook off the surprise and crossed her arms. She didn't agree with this whole 'ally' part in the slightest. She still remembers trying to be friends with the fox only to be locked in a freezing cell wondering if she was going to live the next day. That brat knows nothing on how to be an ally. It's why she's glad she doesn't have to be in this ignorant palace for longer than necessary.

In the war room, Tails strolled around a large table displaying the entire planet over their heads. Tails looked up at it, the highlighted area being the southern continent Downunda. He knew little about the place, but if that's the focus area then Eggman's concerned about abnormal activity in the region.

Tails stopped and looked around the group, their eyes set on him. "Are we waiting for someone else, or can we start?"

A hand landed on his shoulder making the fox jump, but then a blue hedgehog pulled him into a headlock and noogied him with the ferocity of a table saw. "Someone's not paying attention to his surroundings." Sonic sang.

"Akk! Sonic! Off!" He pushed himself off and rubbed his head. "Be serious! We're in the middle of a meeting."

"I didn't hear anyone starting."

Tails growled in his throat, but couldn't think of a rebuttal to give. Out of anyone in the world, Sonic was probably the only one who cared about Tails the most. They were basically brothers from another mother. Though there are times the fox was frustrated with him, he would sacrifice everything he had for his big bro.

The number one hero of the world, Sonic the Hedgehog. Fastest thing alive and the most trusted person of the kingdom. When it came to destroying robots there was no one better suited for the job. When it comes to being the proponent of Tails future he too was also best suited for the position. Even in formal situations like this he demonstrated his trust and brotherly love toward the two tailed fox. Of course, being the world famous hero he is he could get away with it.

Sonic laughed at Tails reaction and turned to the group watching. "Now that everyone's here. Let's begin. What's up, king?" He waved toward the man in the large chair.

King Acorn grimaced at being so nonchalantly addressed in such a manner. Still, he took a breath and stood up. He leaned on the table and turned to everyone in the room. "As you are all aware, Doctor Eggman has initiated emergency protocols. He's told us that his robots have stopped reporting in Downunda."

The planet zoomed in and the whole continent was displayed overhead. Images of the region began popping up. Deserts, mountain ranges, indigenous wildlife and flora, even particular robots. One specifically grew larger, one that looked like an anthropomorphic crocodile. "The commander in charge of Eggman's forces there is known as Crocbot. He's been keeping order with the Eggman bots and developing the land for proper reconstruction and growth of the plants and animals that nearly went extinct during the Mysterious Villain's rampage."

Many eyes turned to look at Tails, but the fox kept his eyes glued to the images.

The king proceeded. "Yesterday, all the robots disappeared without a trace and the signal to Eggman's Eggcarrier was cut off manually. This means that Crocbot has turnd off the signal or someone got access to the consul and deactivated it themselves."

A small region near a mountain flew into view. "This is the command center of the Downunda Eggpawns. Where Crocbot is supposed to be. An investigation squad was sent out to see what they can find. This is what they found."

Photos. Destroyed robots, wrecked consuls, scraps upon scraps littering the floor, and yet not a single piece of Crocbot could be seen.

The king looked around the table. "With such a bizarre circumstance the Downunda Core has requested the aide of the Acorn Kingdom. Our concerns is that Crocbot has gone rogue and is deliberately opposing Eggman for reasons undetermined. At worst its for nefarious purposes, at best its due to some sort of glich. Mister Prower." Tails jumped at being addressed by the king. The chipmunk narrowed his eyes at him. "You wouldn't have happened to have done something to Eggman around the time this happened, would you?"

Tails straightened up, shaking his head. "N-no sir. Hacking Eggman would be considered a breach of trust. We're on good terms so I have no reason to try. We haven't even been in contact as of late."

The king still eyed him suspiciously, but relented and turned back to the screen overhead. "Downunda has been explicit in their request. They asked we send Sonic the Hedgehog, who further insisted we include Miles Prower into the team. They will go to the region Crocbot was last seen and search the area." He looked to Sonic. "You're in charge down there. Be sure to inform us of everything going on and update regularly. If you deem the situation critical, intervene as best you can. We're not concerned with foreign tensions, so as long as you don't actively harm their means they won't mind you running around and destroying robots. Understood?"

Sonic leaned back against the far wall, hands resting on the back of his head. "Sounds good to me. I've been itching for a run."

"You and Mister Prower will head out immediately. As the fox is coming along we assume transportation will not be an issue."

Tails nodded. "I have a jet all set and ready in cases of emergency. We can go as soon as we get to my workshop."

The king nodded and stepped back. "Meanwhile, the rest of us will remain here and monitor the situation as best we can. We don't want things getting out of hand for the rest of us. As you two are no longer needed you may head out now."

Sonic and Tails aimed for the exit, the doors opening then closing as they went. They marched down the halls toward the entrance. They could just speed their way out, but that could cause an uproar and the king told them not to do that again. Last time, all the glass shattered. Tails was still a bit flustered about that one since it wasn't important they were just racing.

Tails sighed, staring at the ground in ponderance. Lately Eggman has been avoiding him. That's what it looked like at least. Why didn't he contact him directly when this first started. This was Tails' field of expertise. Ever since they got back from the other dimension the few friends Tails had began to separate. Some he hasn't seen in over a year. Like Ralph who was reassigned to a new task force with his old team.

Eggman however, has been one of those constant friends. Except, their friendly chats were sparser and sparser. Now he only sees and hears him when they were fighting. It felt like they were enemies now and… Tails doesn't have enough friends to be giving up on one.

Sonic elbowed him. "Cheer up. I'm sure the doc has his reasons. He is an egotist, maybe he just didn't wanna admit he messed up somehow. Especially not to another smarty-pants he admires."

Tails rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe. It's just… I wish people would rely on me more. Not… push me away and wait till I'm absolutely needed. Can't I be a normal person too?"

Sonic laughed, ruffling the fox's bangs. "You are, people just tend to forget that since you're also so incredible. So, come on and perk up. We've got a croc to pot." Sonic began jogging toward the exit.

Tails shook his head and began speeding up too. Apparently Sonic was way too eager to get to Downunda. At least they weren't breaking the sound barrier. With that, Tails pressed a button on his watch. The androids in his workshop immediately prepping the jet to set off once they got there.