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“Father. The Emerald is to the right of your location.”
“Well spotted Sage.” Dr. ‘Eggman’ Robotnik turned to his companion. “You heard her! The emerald is-”
The doctor didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before a yellow blur sped past him. He growled. While the two were on the same side for reasons that are too complex to get into (A labyrinth filled with wonderful, powerful artifacts and a combination of Robotnik’s ‘game’ and the ‘players’ in said game getting out of hand), his current situation required him to once again team up with Sonic and his frustrating friends. Tails, being his intellectual equal, vouched to be his partner. Eggman wasn't entirely thrilled about it, but it was slightly easier to swallow than Sonic.
By the time the doctor reached the room of the temple where the emerald was, he witnessed Tails picking it up.
“You were right, Sage! We’ve got the emerald. Have you picked up any others?”
“No. But I detect a Super Ring relatively close to your location. Perhaps you should investigate.”
“Alright, we’ll get right on it! Thanks again!”
Tails hung up and noticed the doctor at the door. An uneasy silence coated the room around them. Honestly, the doctor didn’t see the need for it. They’re on the same side, aren’t they? Yet, when he reached for the emerald, Tails yanked it away from him.
“Give me the emerald, Tails.”
“Yeah? So you can run off with it and use it to power yet another machine to conquer the world?”
“Instead of what? Letting my ‘colleagues’ run rampant with the rest of the emeralds? I thought you would understand my priorities after we’ve worked together so often.
“And why should I believe you? It’s been a long time since you had to work with us again.
“Don’t be ridiculous. What is it that is causing you to doubt me?”
“How about your ‘Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park’?!”
...What?
“You’re still caught up on that? I never knew you to hold a grudge, foxboy.” Eggman said while waving dismissively. “I harvested Hyper Go-On from those aliens, attempted to mind control the world and the lie was the breaking point?”
Tails hesitantly nodded.
“And why, pray tell, is that?”
“Because I trusted you.” Eggman stared at Tails blankly. Then he broke out into such violent laughter that he began to choke. “I’m serious!”
Eggman started laughing even harder. Then he stopped laughing after Tails threw a wrench at his Eggwalker.
“Fine, fine. Yes, I told a small white lie about the true purpose of that park and the all-too-trusting populace (such you) believed it. I didn't know you took my word so highly to begin with."
“Well, y’know, after the Ark incident-”
“As I told you then, I would use my own power to conquer the world next time. It just so happens that Metal Sonic decided that that was the perfect time to have an existential crisis.”
“And you helped us a bunch of other times.”
“Because how can I rule the world if it’s destroyed? Or contested by someone else.” Dr. Robotnik began to smile in a whimsical fashion. “Oh, you naive little fox. Don’t tell me that you started taking those teamups for granted?”
Tails refused to answer. He refused to look Eggman in the shades either. The Doctor laughed uproariously once more.
“Here’s a life lesson Tails: Learn to be skeptical. Surely, you didn’t believe that someday I would just accept the status quo? That I would learn to love nature and waste my time trying to plan my machines around it?”
“But you have the potential! You can do amazing things if you just-”
“Just what?!” Robotnik grabbed Tails by his namesakes and held him up in front of his face. “Give up on my dreams just because everyone else decides that they’re wrong? But I should expect as much from you, Prower; Gone are the days where it looked like you were just as much of a threat as that blue Spikeball, in favor of tinkering with your toys and being nothing more than than Sonic’s walking utility belt! Your ambition, your strength, where is it?!”
Tails opened his mouth, but the words he wanted to say failed to appear.
“As I thought. Now cease your prattling and hand me the emerald.” Tails, defeated, placed the emerald in the doctor’s hands. Robotnik dropped Tails – not particularly harshly, but not with anything resembling grace. “Good. Now let’s go retrieve the rest.”
As he began to walk once more, Eggman turned back to Tails..
“And chin up! Once the world is under my control then I will have little reason to lie to you further! Why don’t you consider that?”
And so the Eggwalker stomped off, its driver whistling a happy tune as he went. Tails followed at a much slower speed.
It felt nostalgic in a bitter way.