Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sonic hated this place. Hated him. He was so tired of being treated like he was something lower, useless. All because he wasn’t exactly like their star child. 

But that same kid thought he was the coolest ever. He could only dream of being able to stand up for himself like that, but any time he tries it ends up getting him in so much trouble. 

He had always wondered what it was like having a name, to have something so personalized. Sure, Sonic had been assigned a number just like everyone else, but he had come from outside, he had a name and he intended on keeping it. 

So when they had been roomed together in hopes the fox could ‘rub off on him’, he was actually a little excited, even if he was mostly nervous. How was he supposed to cope with being around the coolest person ever??

The first day was completely silent. Even after going off and doing their respective experiments, neither of them spoke once. The fox was too scared to say something wrong or annoy Sonic, and said hedgehog didn’t want to talk to the kid he’d been compared to his entire time here. So they both sat quietly on their beds, placed directly across from eacother.

But he broke the silence on the second night. 

“Why do you put up with all of this?”

“H-huh?” The fox looked over at him, fully expecting another night of quiet. Oh gosh he was actually talking to him. He had to get it together.

“What do you mean? Put up with what?”

Sonic sighed, and the kid wondered if he had said something wrong. Before he could backtrack and apologize, the older spoke up again. ”It’s just… You do whatever these lunatics ask you to and you don’t even question it. Why?”

He took a second to think about it. He didn’t really have an answer to that.. His life had always been like this. “I.. I don’t know, I’m sorry.”

“Literally why? It’s fine if you don’t know.” Sonic laid down, accepting the answer like it was nothing. He was so carefree, it made the younger a little jealous..

The room was quiet once more, but the fox was still curious…

“Can I ask a question?”

“Don’t gotta ask for permission, just do it.”

“R-right! Uh… What’s it like having a name?”

Sonic looked over at him, a little confused. “You don’t have one? Not even before getting stuck here?” 

Right. Most of the other kids had lives before this. Not him, he was made here. An artificial being purely meant to be a weapon.

He looked away, a little ashamed. “N-no I uh.. I didn’t- I didn't have a life before this.” 

The hedgehog sat there for a minute, trying to respond. “It’s.. Nice? I guess? I don’t really think about it that much.”

“Right!- Obviously..! Why would I even ask that? That’s so dumb…” The fox started to nervously pick at one of his tails. Why would he do that?? Now Sonic’s gonna hate him! This whole conversation was a mistake…

“Uh huh… Do you, like, want a name? It probably won’t be any good but at least you’ll have one, I guess?” 

The kid looked at him like he had offered him one of the stars in the sky. Well- he hadn’t actually seen any stars, but they were probably really pretty!!

“Would you really do that? You don’t have to!-“ 

“How about Tails?”

The fox snorted, before catching himself and stopping. “Thats- a little on the nose, isn’t it?”

“Pfft- Yeah. Told ya it wouldn’t be any good!”

“No, no!! I like it! It’s a name that could only really be mine, you know?” Tails smiled, finally turning back to look at Sonic. “I’ve never had something so personal before.”

Sonic smiled right back at him. “You’re way cooler than I thought you’d be, Tails.”

“I am?”

The hedgehog snorted. “Yeah, I thought you’d be, like, really boring. Or, I dunno, really quiet.”

“I kinda am quiet, though.” The younger pointed out.

“I dunno, they talk about you like you’re some kind of perfect robot. But you’re literally just a kid.” 

“Yeah..” Tails sighed. He kind of was a robot in some ways. Followed orders, made very few mistakes if he could help it, didn’t ask questions.. “I was worried you’d hate me. I know a lot of the other kids do…”

Sonic didn’t bring up the fact that, before this, he totally did hate the kid. Constantly being berated for not being him, always being compared to his performance- his obedience. But this whole time, he was just… lonely. This was his entire life. He hadn’t had the chance to be anything else. 

“Nah, they’re just jealous you’re so cool.“

“I don’t think that’s it… but, thanks.” Tails curled up a little. It was getting kind of late now, and tests and experiments always started stupidly early. “We should probably go to sleep now, huh?”

“Ugh, yeah.. See you tomorrow, dude.” Sonic rolled over to face away from the fox, lazily waving him goodnight.

“Goodnight.” The younger laid down on his back, staring up at the ceiling. 

He had… actually made a friend. Years of isolation and being hated by his peers and he had actually gotten one to not hate his guts. To actually like him, no less!! 

He got to be friends with the coolest person here, he had never felt happier! Maybe that’s just because he rarely feels happy in general.. But that’s all in the past now..! 

He had a name now. An actual, real life name. Something personal to him. That was a huge deal. 

The fox was almost too excited to sleep, an issue he had never had before. Usually the exhaustion of his tests that day would have him out in seconds, but he guessed that was just something he’d get used to. 

Eventually his brain had calmed down enough to drift into a restful sleep, without any nightmares to ruin his night.

Chapter Text

Sonic was concerned.

The kid he had befriended consistently came back to their room with more cuts and bruises than when he had left. He always looked so tired, too. 

Some nights he could get some sort of conversation out of Tails, but most of the time, the fox was asleep before he could even say hi. 

And while, yeah, that made nights kind of boring, he was more worried than anything. Just what was the kid doing that got him hurt all the time? Sure, this place sucked. The staff treated them poorly, but it’s usually not this bad.

So when Tails came back with a bloody nose, insisting that he was fine, Sonic kind of freaked out. 

The fox always came back from his tests way later than his roommate did, and while, at first, he assumed it was because he was kind of the favorite, he’s not really sure that’s the case.

Tails did seem to get the most attention by the staff, but it seemed that wasn’t a good thing by any means. 

But he had no idea why the kid seemed to be the center of attention. Sure, he listened pretty well, was stupidly smart, but everyone here kind of had their qualities. 

Maybe it was because he had always been here? But that was a stupid reason, in all honesty. It just didn’t make any sense…

Oh, shit, Tails was still bleeding. 

“I promise it’s not a big deal-“ The fox waved him off, while Sonic held some toilet paper to his nose. 

He always did this, acted like it didn’t matter that he was hurt or bleeding. It was really annoying, but it was mostly just worrying. 

“Shush and let me help you.” Sonic said as he replaced the tissue with another, slightly wincing at just how much blood got on the first one. “Seriously, just what do you do when you’re gone?”

Tails didn’t respond, preferring to look away and pick at his namesakes. The hedgehog let it go for the time being, even if he didn’t really want to. 

Eventually, he stopped bleeding, and could safely return to bed without making a mess. 

The fox hadn’t expected to be swooped up by the older so they could sleep in his bed. He was still in shock as they plopped down on the sheets and Sonic pulled the blanket over them. 

“You’re stuck with me tonight, lil dude.” He stated, and Tails was left to realize he has never been hugged before. Not once.

It was oddly comfortable, or maybe he just wasn’t used to things that didn’t hurt. It was very warm, too. The fox was tempted to do this every night from now on, but Sonic probably wouldn’t want that. He probably just feels bad for him.

He probably doesn’t… care, right? 

Even he knows that everyone hates him. He’s weird, he’s a suck up, he’s a nerd, no one likes him. 

But.. even if it’s just for the night, it doesn’t matter. 

Tails falls asleep in record time, even for him. Sonic can’t really blame him. Especially with how tired the kid usually is (also, their room is fucking cold ). 

Either way, he was warm and comfortable, and that was all he needed to be. 

Besides, he had to admit, it was pretty comfortable when your bed was actually warm, rather than freezing even with the blanket. That, and Tails was, like, super warm- being a fox and all. It made him a little jealous.

Sonic distantly wonders just what Tails’ life has been like up to this point, or why he seems to get picked on the most by the staff. In all his time here, he has never seen someone so exhausted by the end of the day. The fox also happened to be the youngest person he’s seen here, most of their peers being teens or pre-teens. 

It just worried him, made him feel bad for all that time he’d spent hating this literal child’s guts. And for what? Because he was the ‘favorite’? That didn’t even seem to be a good thing! Now, more than ever, he needed to get the hell out of here. 

But, he needed a plan for that.. As much as Sonic would love to leave right now, there was no conceivable way he could pull that off. He wasn’t any good at planning things out, either, preferring to run into things and figure it out along the way. 

Tails could probably make a plan with that big ol’ brain of his, but there’s no way he’d agree to it. Not in a million years. The hedgehog would have to convince him somehow.. But, the kid was so convinced that this was normal, that nothing was wrong, that it would take a while to get him to realize that this place actually sucked. Especially since he’d been here so long.

Maybe if he asked nice enough… Tails was kind of easy to convince sometimes, and that was just based on what he’s seen. Even then, that was mostly because that was what he was taught to do. If the lab didn’t want him to leave, he probably wouldn’t unless forced to, or if he stopped listening to them. Which, chances are, he won’t for a while. 

Ugh, this was exhausting. Sonic has never seen a person so UNwilling to leave! Everyone else would be sold on the idea of making an escape plan, but Tails..

Even if he could come up with a way out on his own, he didn’t want to leave the kid behind. Not only would he be all alone again, but the teen also didn’t like the idea of him being stuck here for the rest of his life. It would just be cruel.

Well, it’s not like he would be able to figure it out tonight anyways. He was already gonna be tired in the morning from staying up this late, might as well get some sleep while he can.

Rest assured, he was going to find a way to get them both out of here, even if it took a while.

But, for now, he’d just have to suck it up for a little longer.

Chapter Text

The air conditioning hummed quietly, keeping the room ice cold. It was the only noise in the room besides Sonic’s breathing. He had only done about two things before they told him he was done for the day, so he could either talk to his peers, or go back to his room. 

He didn’t have the energy to be with people, despite how little he did today. 

The staff had separated him and Tails a day or so ago. They hadn’t even given him a warning. There was no ‘Oh by the way, you’re going to lose your new friend hope you don’t mind haha’. 

He’s seen the kid around since then, but Tails doesn’t usually look at him. He always looks so ashamed, like it was his fault. Whether it was or wasn't he didn’t want the poor little guy to think that. 

Sometimes he’d stare at Sonic from a distance, like he wanted to say something, before being ushered away by whoever was in charge of him that day. 

He always flinched at their touch. 

Sonic just hated the idea of Tails being all alone again, making a friend only for that to be ripped away immediately after. He didn’t deserve that.

He could only hope the poor guy would be okay, or that he could get a moment alone with the fox to convince him to escape with him. Tails would probably still be too scared to agree to it, he was always too scared to do anything against the rules.

So, Sonic had started to make a habit of sneaking around the lab to see if he could find Tails and find out what kind of tests he had to do. If he could just get a chance to talk to him, maybe they could find a way out of here.

When he finally did find him, he kinda wished he didn’t. 

Sonic had managed to find where Tails spent his days. Across the entire building, away from everyone else. He somehow also found a corner that was conveniently hidden, so he could actually see what was going on. 

Hours of the fox being pushed to his limit by fights and training, fights he couldn’t always handle, that were stacked against him. They gave him so many disadvantages, even if he did well, they’d just stack more against him until he couldn’t handle it. Only to be punished and hurt for one wrong mistake. 

It didn’t matter how well he fought, how swift and merciless he was, how he was genuinely terrifying to watch, the staff always found flaws. He couldn’t catch a break. 

Sonic watched for hours, unable to look away, even if he wanted to. He sat there and watched until Tails could do nothing but gasp for breath on the floor. No wonder he was always so tired when he came back, anyone would be after that. He wonders how he’s even conscious. 

They finally dismissed him and allowed him to go back to his room. Tails stumbled out of the room, and Sonic sped out from his hiding spot, pulling the kid into another room that seemed to be unused.

It took the fox a hot minute before he even registered what had happened. Even when he opened his half-lidded eyes, he still needed a solid second before he could even process what was in front of him. 

He saw Tails visibly brighten when he realized just who was holding him, before immediately shifting into panic. He squirmed back in an almost scared desperation.

“No- You can’t- We aren’t supposed to be-“ The fox tried to push himself away, but Sonic held him firm. Tails just continued to ramble, never quite finishing a sentence.

“Tails- Tails, dude!” The kid snapped his mouth shut in an instant. He must hate being yelled at. Sonic felt bad for raising his voice at all. “Slow down, what is going on??”

The kid opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it when he couldn’t find his words. It took a few tries before he landed on, “You’re not s’posed to be here..”

Sonic tugged the poor thing a little closer as he thought about that answer. Not supposed to be in this part of the lab? Probably. But even then, this felt too personal to just be that. “To be where?”

“With me. They got mad- I guess I wasn’t supposed to have a friend- I’m sorry- just forget about me.” His voice was so small, it cracked and wobbled. He clearly didn’t want to be forgotten, or be left behind. But even still, the kid was still doing what he was told, even if it hurt.

“Psssh, who cares about what they think? I never listened to their lame rules anyways.” Sonic grabbed Tails by his cheeks, squishing them for good measure as he lightened the mood. “All that matters is what we want.”

Tails went quiet, but didn’t freak out anymore. He didn’t seem to agree, but he also didn’t want to argue further. He looked away, leaning into the hug. “Do you ever wish.. you could leave here? Just for a little bit..?” 

Sonic sat there shocked, but the second he went to answer, he was cut off. “N-never mind..! I don’t know what I was thinking- That’s stupid..”

He couldn’t even stop the kid before he pulled back and stood up. “It’s late- I should, uh, go to my room. Bye!-“

And just like that he was gone. 

Oh god oh god oh god. 

He was completely done for. If the staff didn’t like him having a friend, they’d certainly hate him talking to the hedgehog behind their backs. If they found out, Tails would be in so much trouble.

The original plan was simple: put the two in a room together, so that when Sonic saw just how much the fox got hurt, he’d clean up his act. He was supposed to hate Tails and not talk to him, not get over that hatred in a night.

They were already mad at him for allowing the friendship to happen, for actively participating in it. If they found out the two talked again…

He couldn’t stop the rapid breaths, couldn’t calm down enough to even sleep. Tails wonders distantly if this reaction would’ve been enough to scare Sonic like he was supposed to. 

Even in his room, curled up in his bed, he didn’t feel safe. Sonic would help him, if he was still there. The fox started to cry when he made that connection.

No one would clean him up after a particularly rough day, or curl up together when the A.C. decided to freeze them more than usual. He was back to the crushing loneliness from before, but now even worse after having experienced having someone being there. 

He missed having someone look after him, someone who obviously still cared. It hurt to distance himself from that. But Tails didn’t have a choice. He doesn’t disobey the rules, that’s just a fundamental part of him. That's what he was made to do.

Sometimes Tails wishes he was a normal kid. Someone made naturally, like Sonic. He was tired of being nothing more than an experiment, a number on an analytics screen. A weapon. 

He hated it. 

But he knew he’d never get out of here, it just wasn’t possible. 

Tails sighed as he flopped back on the bed, panic officially over and replaced with a sort of numb feeling. It would never end. 

He should go to bed, he had a long day ahead of him. Just like he always did.

Chapter Text

“Do you ever wish.. you could leave here? Just for a little bit..?” 

What what what what what what.

He still hadn’t gotten over yesterday’s events. He barely did any convincing! He thought this would take months!! 

To be fair… it totally still could.. ugh

He didn’t take Tails for the kind of kid that would.. have dreams. Okay-! That sounds bad. But overall, he was a rule follower. He had a clean record and no desire to ever change that.

Or so he thought.

Turns out he’s actually a horrible friend who doesn’t even know the fox’s dreams (he literally only knew him for a few days). How could he be so cruel… 

Okay, over-dramatics done. He needs to actually do something.

Unfortunately… Sonic has always been stupidly lazy. He’s not used to making the plans or taking action without being forced. Hence why the lab workers kinda hated him. He was a nuisance to work with. He took pride in that. 

But now he was completely unprepared.

Fffffuckk. 

Tails would know what to do. He was always so much smarter than him, but that unwavering loyalty held him back. He always had the ability to escape if he so pleased, to fight back and win, but he was so scared. 

He would be too if he was put through as much as the fox was. But he’s not, and he isn’t, which means he’s got work to do. 

Sonic’s immediate thought was to just find the kid again. Maybe with a little pushing, he’ll give in and help. …Then Sonic remembered that wouldn’t work and would take too long. He’d just have to steal him. Surely Tails won’t mind a tad bit of kidnapping if it means he’s set free.

Sonic would have to do it when the fox was asleep. He’s seen first hand just how deep of a sleeper that child is, once Tails is out he isn’t waking up until his internal alarm clock goes off (which is always surprisingly accurate). 

The hedgehog once tried to wake the younger one up in the middle of the night to get him off of him. Somehow, in his sleep, he managed to find his way on top of Sonic, and would not move from that position. Said hedgehog was stuck like that the rest of the night.

He missed that. Who knew the ‘stuck up favorite’ would turn into his favorite kid of all time in a day or two? Now he was upset that everyone else seemed to hate Tails, too. If only they knew how sweet he was in reality. 

It didn’t matter. He has a mission tomorrow; locate exits, cameras, and vents. Find openings where security would be at its lowest and what areas they don’t bother putting cameras in.

The lab stole his entire life, so he’s taking their pride and joy. A fair trade, isn’t it?

A quick sweep through the building showed… not much.

But ‘not much’ didn’t mean nothing! There was an exit door in the lab’s kitchen. There weren’t any cameras in there since staff were the only people to ever be in there. 

Security was pretty tight outside of the kitchen, though. And while that was enough to stop his peers, it wouldn’t stop Sonic. 

He was fast enough to slip by in any emergency, the only thing that he was really worried about was carrying a sleeping child while doing that..

But he could do it! …probably.

This was gonna be a long day.

—————————————

Tails woke up to quiet shuffling. 

He was honestly a little upset. He’s never woken up this easy before, is he really that on edge? He just wanted to sleep. Everything was so much worse now, he was more exhausted than ever before. Why couldn’t he catch a break.

Admittedly, the fox was too sleepy to care about the fact that something- someone was right next to him. Until he forced his eyes open to see the very same hedgehog that refused to leave him alone. 

That sure woke him up, even if his body hated the very idea. 

Sonic shifted a little bit as if he was thrown off guard. “Heyyy… miss me?” He looked so awkward that Tails would’ve laughed if this wasn’t against the rules.

“Wha- you can’t- what are you doing??” He whispered frantically. They were completely done for if anyone found out about this. He’s already on thin ice, he can’t-

“-Dude, can you even hear me?” No… no he could not. 

Sometimes he wishes Sonic would just give up on him, run away like he always wanted to without thinking about Tails at all…

But... here he is.

The fox finally sits up, desperately hoping to get Sonic to leave him behind. 

“Sonic you can’t- you can’t be here. The last thing I want is for you to get in more trouble because of me-“ 

“Shhhhut. That’s enough of that.” The hedgehog leans in with a grin that tells Tails that he is definitely up to something. 

“We can’t get in trouble if we leave.”

He stared, at a loss for words. Leave? They can’t just leave! 

“What? We can’t.. We can’t do that! You woke me up in the middle of the night to run away??” His namesakes swished, flicking around rapidly as he processed what was being asked of him.

Sonic shrugged, like it didn’t matter at all. How was he always so calm? “I didn’t mean to wake you up, honestly. You’re always dead asleep, I figured I’d just drag you with me.”

Like it meant nothing. Like it was something to be casual about.

“You were gonna take me in my sleep??? Do you realize how insane that is!?” Tails was definitely yelling now, albeit as quietly as he can manage. 

“You said it yourself that you wanted to leave. I won’t do this without you, bud.” 

The fox sighed, he never wanted to get in the way of Sonic’s dreams.. Maybe it was worth it if it was for his only ever friend. Sonic deserved to be free, he couldn’t keep that from him. 

“You better have a plan..”