Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Take that Egg-head!”

“For the last time you intolerable rodent, it’s Doctor EGGMAN!”

Tails chuckled as he watched the blue blur dodge another laser from the doctor’s machine. It was just too easy to rile him up sometimes.

“I don’t know,” the fox called, banking the Tornado around to get a better angle. “Your head does look pretty egg-ish from here!”

A quick button press unleashed a flurry of mini-gun pellets from the plane’s cannons, peppering Eggman’s bot. The doctor howled in frustration, clearly nearing his limit.

“Nice one, lil’ buddy!” Sonic cheered from his spot below. “Just a few more blows and we’ll be done with Dr. Predictable here!”

The day had started innocently enough. Tails had woken early to whip up breakfast—Sonic devoured it in record time, of course—and then the hedgehog went on his morning run. Only thirty minutes later, the pair left the house with baskets full of goodies in tow. They were planning to meet up with Amy for a picnic that afternoon after the girl's many, many requests. It was shaping up to be a normal, calm, Eggman-free day…until they saw an explosion in the distance. 

Suffice to say, their plans were put on the back burner after that…

Bringing his focus back to the present, Tails scanned the city below. Scattered debris and a few overturned cars littered the empty streets, but there was no serious damage, as far as he could tell. Civilians had long since been evacuated, leaving the area eerily quiet save for the sounds of the current fight.

Overall, it was far from Eggman's worst attack, but he was still determined to wrap things up as soon as possible. They had a picnic to get to after all, and an annoyed pink hedgehog they’d have to explain their tardiness to. He landed the Tornado smoothly, parking next to Sonic, who instantly zipped over to him.

“He’s still distracted,” Sonic observed, gesturing toward the fuming doctor. He was still angrily plucking the nonlethal pellets off of his skin. His latest machine, a bird-shaped robot that shot lasers out its eyes, had taken the brunt of the damage, smoke rising out of it at an alarming rate. “Now’s the perfect time to bring out the big guns.”

Tails smirked, already knowing where this was headed. “What are we waiting for, then? Hop on!”

“With pleasure.” Sonic launched himself onto the Tornado’s wing, grinning as Tails throttled the plane back into the sky. They were back in the air in no time, Sonic preparing to dash off and strike the final blow to the machine. However, Eggman had finally managed to regain his bearings, cackling as he noticed the plane flying towards him.

“Nice try, hedgehog. But I have one more trick up my sleeve!”

He pushed a lever down and they watched in shock as the machine shook and sputtered for a second, before sprouting a pair of metal wings. They could only stare as the robot bird began to fly away with the smug doctor in tow. Despite the external damage, it was still moving at a frighteningly quick speed.

“He’s escaping!” Tails exclaimed as he watched the contraption get further away. While the doctor did appear to be retreating peacefully, it was still risky to just let him escape with such an unusual machine. After the war, they had been careful about underestimating their opponents and their capabilities. Sonic snickered, shaking his head.

“Nah, he’s not getting far. Not when he’s up against the best pilot I know. Unless you’re secretly a slow pole.”

Tails rolled his eyes. “You wish.” With a shift of the gears, the Tornado soared after the mech. “Now hold on tight!”

They were off in a blur, shooting off like a rocket toward the retreating doctor. Tails couldn’t help but relish in Eggman's look of dismay once he realized his escape attempt had been foiled.

“You pests don’t know when to quit!” He rammed the bird into the Tornado , but Tails’ steady hands kept the plane on course.

“If I recall correctly Egg-head,” Sonic taunted, confident as ever. “You were the one who started this. So, I say it’s only fair that we’re the ones who finish it!”

He dashed onto the mech, smashing one of its wings before letting the momentum propel him back to the plane. The machine wobbled dangerously as sparks flew from its damaged wing. 

“Curses!” Eggman snarled, frantically pulling at the controls.

Sonic and Tails exchanged a nod. One more hit and this battle was over.

They could go back to their nice, relaxing day. Eggman would hopefully crawl back into his hole for a few months so they could have a moment of peace. And Amy could get her picnic without wanting to have their heads for being late.

They geared up for the final attack, a familiar determination shining in their eyes. Sonic braced himself to deliver the finishing blow—

Then the sky turned black.

Thick, unnatural smoke poured in, blanketing the area in suffocating darkness. Tails squinted through the haze, struggling to keep the plane on course.

“What the-” Sonic mumbled, his face falling in confusion as the strange substance engulfed them. Tails felt the same as he continued trying to steer through the smog. What was going on? Was there a fire? But then why was the smoke so heavy at this altitude? And why was…it making him..sleepy…

“Tails?…Tails!” 

Sonic's voice sounded like it was underwater. Actually, everything felt like it was underwater. He held his head. Why was he so dizzy? Why…

The sound of a thud rang through the abyss. From the corner of his blurry vision, he could see Eggman slumped over against his control panel. Oh…so it wasn’t just him. This was bad. This was really bad…but he couldn’t find it in him to care. Actually...a nap didn’t sound half bad right now….

The last thing Tails heard was another thud before everything faded to black.

“Sonic?”

Tails woke up with a start. He felt the words come out of his numb mouth before his mind could even register them. However, the sudden throb of pain that followed made him instantly regret his choice.

He hissed in pain, bringing an arm up to rub the back of his head. Geez, why was it hurting so much? And why did his arms feel like jelly? He lifted the stiff limbs, trying his best to get some feeling back, until he noticed something out of place. 

Wait, what was that on his wrist?

Wrapped around his wrist was what seemed to be a watch. But it wasn’t like the communicator he normally wore. Instead, it was a sleek digital watch with a black and white band and a screen attached to it. The screen flickered to life, displaying a plain white background and the words:

'Ultimate Mechanic.'

…What? How did this get here? Tails reached to pull it off, only to find that it was near impossible. No matter how much he tugged and pulled, the watch stayed in place on his arm. It even seemed to get tighter.

(Ok, this is weird. Maybe it’s one of Eggman’s creations?)

But the more Tails inspected the device, the more he doubted it. Even though he hated to admit it, the doctor’s devices tended to have a bit more flare to their design. This watch just seemed plain, with no other apparent features aside from the words currently being displayed.

Now that he thought about it, hadn’t Eggman been affected by…whatever had happened? 

Actually, what did happen?

Tails tried to remember the prior events that led to his current predicament but found that nothing was coming up. Instead, he flinched as he felt another spike of pain shot through his skull.

“Why can’t I remember?”

Tails hadn’t even realized he had spoken out loud, too caught up in trying to recall any morsel of information. The more he came up blank, the more panicked he began to feel, his breathing picking up erratically.

(C'mon Tails, breathe. One in, one out.)

The fox took a deep breath in, then released it slowly. He repeated the process a few more times, touching the surface underneath him to ground himself. Finally, he felt himself calm down, puffs of air going out of him at a semi-normal pace. 

Ok, there was no need to panic. That would get him nowhere, he knew that. He just had to try his best to remember what happened slowly, step by step.

Eventually, The fight with Eggman began to come back to him, like pieces of a puzzle slowly slotting into place. It had been a typical battle—chasing the doctor and his latest invention in the Tornado . But, something strange had happened…something…

“Ah! That’s right, the smoke!”

The memory hit him like a jolt. That unnatural smoke had come out of nowhere, and then… nothing. He blacked out. 

What was that stuff? He’d never encountered anything like it before. 

His thoughts shifted to Sonic. Had the blue blur been affected too? Had the Tornado crashed? Was Sonic hurt because he’d failed to steer them to safety? That last possibility sent a pang of guilt and dread through Tails’ chest. If something had happened to Sonic because of him—because of his incompetence—

He shook his head and took another steadying breath. “Okay… this is fine,” he murmured, forcing his thoughts into order. Sonic was the strongest person he knew, he was probably out looking for him or taking down Eggman himself at this very moment. If that was the case, Tails couldn’t let himself be a liability. He needed to pull himself together and gain his bearings, and that started with addressing the most pressing matter at hand:

Just where the heck was he?

The kit glanced down at the pristine white floor he was sitting on. It was spotless, polished to a near mirror-like finish. Wherever he was, it was certainly well-kept. 

Looking up, he gasped softly as he laid eyes on the rest of his environment. It was a fancy, but colorful foyer, one you might expect from a high-profile school. Gold pillars lined the walls, engraved with intricate carvings of Chao in various poses. The walls themselves were painted a vibrant blue, adorned with cheerful posters and banners. One poster, in particular, caught his attention.

‘Welcome to Green Hill Academy: Where Everyday is an Adventure!’

(Huh, Green Hill? But there was no academy at Green Hill…)

He pushed his confusion aside for now, his gaze shifting to the centerpiece of the room: a grand, spiraling staircase made of gleaming gold. Hope sparked in his chest. Maybe there was something— someone —upstairs who could explain all this.

He pushed himself to his feet, wobbling slightly as his legs adjusted. Though, as he stumbled toward the staircase, his hopes were quickly dashed. A large metal barrier blocked the stairs, rising all the way to the ceiling, thick and imposing in nature. He studied it for a moment and sighed. He knew with just one look that he wouldn’t be able to get past the barrier by himself. But still, it was certainly an unusual discovery. Maybe he could use his tech to-

“Wait…” He patted himself down instinctively but came up empty-handed, his tools weren’t with him. His equipment was still on the Tornado.

“Great,” he muttered, his fur prickling with irritation. “What’s up with this place?

Everything was just so…weird. An academy that didn’t exist…an unexplained device that refused to come off.…an out-of-place barrier blocking areas off. Was this a new scheme by Eggman? But that wouldn’t explain-

“Tails? Is that you, bud?”

Tails couldn’t remember the last time he had turned around so fast. He was honestly surprised that his head was still attached to his neck. But instead, relief flooded in as he saw who had called him.

“Sonic, you’re okay!”

Sonic chuckled at the kit's joy. Before Tails could move, the blue blur zipped across the room, pulling him into a side hug and trapping him in a noogie. The fox squirmed to get out of the hold, though admittedly it was a halfhearted attempt. He couldn’t find it in himself to be annoyed by the action this time around.

“Of course, lil’ bro.” Sonic released him, placing a hand on his chest with mock offense. “Did you seriously doubt me?”

Tails rolled his eyes, a grin tugging at his lips. “Not for a second.”

“Good answer,” Sonic’s cocky grin softened, replaced by a flicker of concern. “But seriously, are you okay, Tails? You didn’t look so hot back on the Tornado .” The hedgehog bent down, inspecting his sidekick up and down for injuries. Tails groaned, lightly pushing his brother away.

“I'm fine Sonic. Promise.” He held firm under Sonic’s skeptical gaze, crossing his arms for good measure. Finally, Sonic relented, stepping back with a small shrug.

“Alright, if you say so.”

“By the way,” Tails asked. “What happened after I passed out?”

Sonic scratched the back of his head, his foot tapping rapidly against the cold floor.

“Not sure. All I know is, one second we’re chasing Eggman, the next… bam. Smoke everywhere. I tried to reach the Tornado’s controls after you conked out, but everything after that is a blur.”

Tails gaped at him. “You blacked out too?”

“Yeah,” Sonic admitted. “Woke up here, same as you.”

Well, that was more or less what he expected. However, there were still some questions lingering on his mind.

“Yeah, but where exactly is here ?” he asked, gesturing towards the open expanse of the foyer.

“Sorry to say pal, but I have no idea.” 

The statement discouraged the kit further. He was hoping Sonic would have at least some kind of explanation. Before the disappointment could settle in too deeply, though, the hedgehog snapped his fingers.

“Oh right! When I came to, I was inside some weird game room—at least I think that’s what it was. There were some arcade cabinets and a prize machine in the middle.”

(A game room? That sounds important. I should make a note of that for later.)

“Still no sign of Eggman either,” Sonic continued, tone dropping. Tails noticed his foot starting to tap faster, a clear sign he wasn't too happy about the fact that Eggman had escaped again. “And it looks like we’re not getting upstairs anytime soon. I’m guessing you don’t have your tech on you?”

Tails nodded solemnly. The thought of all his gadgets, especially his Miles Electric, sitting helplessly in his crashed plane made his chest tighten. Speaking of tech…

“What about this?” Tails raised his wrist, showing Sonic the strange watch. He noticed Sonic’s eyes widen slightly as he took it in.

“Ultimate Mechanic?...You have one too?” 

That caught his attention. “Wait, what do you mean ‘have one too’?” 

Sonic held out his arm, revealing an identical watch strapped to his wrist. Tails was almost embarrassed that he didn’t see it earlier. However, it was quickly overshadowed by unease as he read Sonic’s watch:

‘Ultimate Speedster’

He would have found the on-the-nose title amusing if it didn’t make him so uneasy.

“Pretty weird, huh?” Sonic said, giving his watch a cursory inspection. “I couldn’t get it off, either. I’m guessing it’s the same for you?”

“Yep.” Tails frowned. “And there’s something else. When I was looking around, I saw a flyer. It said this place is called Green Hill Academy. ”

Sonic raised an eyebrow. “Unless we slept through like two years of construction, I'm pretty sure an academy at Green Hill doesn’t exist.”

“I know, that’s what’s so confusing.” Tails threw his hands up in frustration. “This whole situation doesn’t make any sense!”

His voice echoed through the room louder than he’d intended. He knew he probably shouldn’t have yelled, but he just couldn’t shake the anxiety settling in his gut. 

“Whoa, buddy. Slow down.” Sonic placed a hand on Tails’ shoulder, gaze steady and reassuring. “Yeah, this is odd, but we’ve been through worse. We’ll figure it out, just like we always do. We just need to keep moving and plan our next step.”

Tails let out a breath—he’d been doing a lot of that lately—and gave a small nod. Sonic was right, there was no need to lose his head. 

“You’re right, we-“

Ding-dong, ding-dong!~

“Attention! Attention! Is this thing on?!”

Both of them jumped at the sudden shrill voice that blared through the room. It almost sounded like-

“ Attention all students! ” The voice was loud and grating, cutting through the room like a knife. Tails followed the sound to a small audio box mounted in the corner of the foyer. “ Please make your way to the gymnasium for introductions! And make it snappy! ”

Then, silence.

Finally, Tails spoke up.

“Was that-“

“Yeah,” Sonic cut in. He looked almost as unsettled as Tails felt. “ Sounded like him at least. But something seems... off.”

“Why did he call us ‘students’?” His ear twitched nervously. “Are there more people here?”

Sonic’s lost expression did nothing to calm his nerves. Just what was going on here?

“I don’t know,” Sonic admitted. “But it seems like heading to the gymnasium is our best bet to find out. I think I saw it further down the hall.”

Tails was still unsure, but nodded despite himself. If this was the only way to figure out where they were, then they might as well go through with it. They both weren’t keen on sitting around, after all.

“Well then, what are we waiting for? Lead the way Mr. Ultimate Speedster!” he quipped, trying to bring some light into the situation where he could. Luckily, it seemed to work as a signature smirk crossed Sonic's face.

“With pleasure, if you can keep up that is.”

Tails chuckled, his tails spinning lightly behind him as he followed him down the hallway. The two moved through an opening on the left side, entering a corridor lined with various rooms. Tails’ sharp eyes caught sight of a plaque above one door that read Lounge , and another nearby marked Dining Hall. 

(We should investigate them later if we have time.)

Finally, they reached a set of grand double doors at the end of the hall. Above the entrance, bold letters spelled out: Gymnasium.

“Guess this is it,” Sonic said, surveying the imposing doors. 

Tails felt a sudden nervousness engulf him, the uncertainty of what was on the other side making his stomach churn. “What do you think is in there, Sonic?”

“I don’t know bud.” It had been a while since he heard the hedgehog sound so unsure. Still, Sonic turned to him, flashing a reassuring thumbs-up. “But whatever it is, we’ll face it together.”

The kit felt his chest swell with a familiar warmth. This was why they worked so well as a team. No matter what challenges lay ahead, Sonic always found a way to keep moving forward—and he always made sure Tails was right there with him. He felt a sudden boost of confidence, his face beaming with newfound resolve.

“Let’s do it, then!”

That was all Sonic needed. He pushed the door open carefully, and as the inside was revealed,  they were met with an unexpected sight.

Six familiar faces staring back at them.

“Oh Sonic! You’ve come to rescue us!”

The poor guy barely had time to react before he was pulled into a bone-crushing hug by no other than Amy Rose. 

“And Tails, you’re here too! Thank goodness!”

Tails stood there in bewilderment as Sonic began struggling to escape the girl’s grasp.

“Amy…can’t…breathe…”

“Oops, sorry!” Amy finally released him, the hedgehog bending over and gasping for air. “Me and the others were just so worried. We thought we were actually trapped here for a second.”

(…The others?) 

Tails watched as everyone else in the room came to greet them.

“Mister Sonic! Mister Tails! You really are here!” Cream cheered excitedly.

“Give them some space, dear,” Vanilla’s gentle voice called as she caught up to her daughter.

“It’s good to see more familiar faces,” Espio stated calmly, his composure unchanged despite the situation. Blaze nodded from her spot near the corner of the room.

“It took you two long enough,” Knuckles grumbled gruffly from his place beside Amy.

Tails scanned the room, face slack with shock. Everyone was gathered in an open space in the middle, a large stage located in the very back with a single podium on its surface, spotlights hanging at the top, and a red velvet curtain covering the back. Rows of bleachers stood on each side of the small space, as well as a set of foldable chairs and tables packed in the corner. On the right end of the room, he could see another set of double doors similar to the one he and Sonic had just entered from.

Turning his attention back to the main issue at hand, his gaze fell back on the others surrounding him.

(So many of our friends are here. But why? I thought it was just me and Sonic that had been captured?)

“What are you guys doing here?” Sonic asked.

Amy sighed dramatically, placing a hand on her forehead. “Oh Sonic, it was awful! There I was, waiting for you and Tails at the picnic spot. And then all of a sudden, I was surrounded by this awful black smoke. I tried to stay awake but I just couldn’t fight it.”

“Wait!” Tails exclaimed. “You guys saw the black smoke too?!” 

Everyone nodded. 

“It got me while I was reading in my study,” Blaze informed.

“It came out of nowhere while I was guarding the master emerald.” Knuckles added. “If something’s happened to it in my absence, whoever did this will pay dearly.”

Tails watched as Sonic’s face grew more troubled with each tale.

“That doesn’t make any sense…why capture all of us like this?”

“It has to be Eggman.” Amy guessed. “It’s the only explanation that checks out. That no good doctor wants us out of the way so he can do something awful!”

Tails shook his head. 

“But me and Sonic were fighting Eggman when the smoke got to us. We saw it knock him out too. Why would he hurt himself for his own plan?“

Everyone turned towards him, considering his confession. Espio was the first to speak up.

“You do have a point. The doctor has done some strange things before, but purposely incapacitating himself doesn’t seem like his M.O.” 

Knuckles scowled. “Or maybe that’s just what he wants us to think…”

It seemed like everyone was conflicted about the possibility of the doctor being the reason for their capture. This felt different than his regular schemes…

Ding-dong, ding-dong!~

“Attention! Attention students!”

They all jumped at the unexpected announcement.

“Oh great.” Knuckles groaned. “This again.”

“While half of you are in the gymnasium, there are some tardy students in the group that still have to be accounted for. How annoying!”

Tails flinched at the uncanny nature of the voice. It sounded robotic, but mixed with an unnatural glee.

“For the on-time students, you can get started with your introduction by sharing your Ultimate Talents. They have been displayed on your shiny new Mono-watches for your convenience.” Tails looked around and realized that everyone, indeed, had a watch on their wrist. “ I’ll explain in more detail later, but for now mix, mingle, chat about the economy! I’ll see you all real soon!”

The announcement ended abruptly, leaving a chill in the air as everyone processed what they had just heard. Finally, Amy broke the silence.

“…so we all agree that sounds like Metal right?” 

“So you hear it too?!” Sonic exclaimed. “I thought I was going insane!”

“But why does he sound so strange?” Tails asked. “I've never heard Metal so…happy before.” 

Knuckles scoffed. “Just another reason Eggman has to be behind this,” he said impatiently. “Only the likes of him would work together with Metal.”

Tails noticed a flicker of uncertainty cross Sonic’s face. 

(Is he doubting if it was Eggman behind this too?)

“Perhaps we should do introductions, as the announcement said,” Blaze suggested evenly.

Amy raised an eyebrow. “Don’t we already know each other though?” 

Sonic rubbed his chin thoughtfully before shrugging. “Eh, why not? Let’s play it cool for now and follow what the announcer says until we have a better read on things. Besides, I’m curious about these Ultimate Talents.”

“Well if my precious Sonic thinks we should, then let’s do it!”

Knuckles rolled his eyes in exasperation. Sonic didn’t seem to pay any mind to Amy's change in heart, instead smirking and pointing to himself.

“Alright, I’ll go first! I’m Sonic, the Ultimate Speedster, but you can just call me the fastest thing alive!”

“Wow, Mister Sonic! Your talent is so cool!” Cream beamed.

Amy chimed in with her own excitement. “It really is!”

Espio just looked unimpressed. “I find it unnecessary to add ‘the fastest thing alive’ part.”

“It’s not unnecessary if it’s true!” Sonic shot back. “Why don’t you go next, lil’ buddy?”

Tails sputtered for a second, clearly not expecting to be put on the spot. But he quickly gained his composure and shot his friends a confident smile.

“Sure, why not! Hi, I’m Tails, and according to this watch, I’m the Ultimate Mechanic!”

“Such a fitting title for you dear,” Vanilla complimented. “You did such a good job improving my mixing machine last week.” Tails felt his face heat up.

“N-no problem, Miss Vanilla! I’m happy to help!”

“That’s our Tails—smartest one in the room and always eager to please!” Amy added, a playful grin on her face.

Tails blushed even harder as he hid his face behind his tails. “Amyyyy,” he whined.

“Do not act so bashful, fox.” Knuckles interjected, his previous anger pushed aside as his voice softened with amusement. “Your genius is nothing to be embarrassed by. It has gotten us out of many tough spots.”

“Yeah!” Sonic added, seeing the perfect opportunity to jump in and fluster his brother further. “You’re way smarter than Robuttnick, that’s for sure!”

Tails only whined in response, attempting to bury himself deeper. Why did his friends always have to do this? They knew he couldn’t handle compliments!

Amy chuckled at his reaction, then flipped her quills. “I’ll take it from here. I’m the beautiful Amy Rose, but you can call me the Ultimate Tarot Reader! Come to me for a reading anytime!”

“There’s no way that’s your actual talent, right?” Sonic asked in disbelief.

Amy only smirked, holding up her wrist so they could see her watch. That was, in fact, her talent. Tails tilted his head curiously.

“Huh, I honestly expected….anything else.”

Amy didn’t seem to hear the comment, too caught up in the revelation. “See? I told you guys my readings weren’t nonsense! Maybe the person who trapped us here isn’t so bad. They obviously know a thing or two about talent!”

Knuckles snorted. “Or maybe they’re just blind.”

Amy gasped at the blunt comment, puffing her cheeks out indignantly. “If I had my hammer, Knuckles, I swear—“

“Anyways,” The echidna cut off, ignoring the growl from the pink hedgehog. “I guess since we’re doing this introduction thing, I’ll humor you. I am Knuckles, last member of my clan and sole guardian of the Master Emerald. As such, you may refer to me as the Ultimate Guardian.”

“Geez, why so serious Knux.” Sonic teased. “You know you can do introductions without sounding like you’re going off to war right?” 

Knuckles’ growled. “Well, excuse me, hedgehog , if I have better things to do than play schoolhouse with you. In case you forgot, the Master Emerald is being left unprotected!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sonic rolled his eyes. “We’ll handle it, Knux. No need to get all worked up.”

“Don’t worry Mister Knuckles.” Cream interjected, attempting to soothe the guardian. “I’m sure you’ll be back home in no time. Mother said we shouldn’t be stuck here for long.”

Knuckles looked ready to argue, but decided against it, instead showing the slightest smile to the girl. Tails knew Sonic would definitely tease the echidna for quote on quote ‘going soft’ later.

“Thank you, Cream.”

The girl giggled cheerfully. Her joy spread to everyone in the group, and even Tails could feel a calmness start to overtake him.

“Why don’t you go next, Cream?” Sonic prompted. The girl gasped, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she turned to her mother for permission. Vanilla smiled warmly and nodded.

“Go ahead, sweetie.”

“Ok!” The little rabbit could hardly keep still, bouncing in place as she began her introduction. “Hi, I’m Cream, and my best friend is my chao Cheese! I’m the Ultimate Chao Caretaker because I love all of them so much! I wish I could adopt every Chao in the world so they’d never have to be alone!” 

The whole room seemed to brighten a bit after she was done. Blaze, in particular, watched the girl fondly. “That’s a beautiful wish, Cream.”

“Thank you!” She replied, but then her expression faltered.

Amy frowned. “What’s wrong, Cream?”

“I just hope Cheese isn’t lonely right now.” Her voice was small, almost like a whisper. “He wasn’t here with me when I woke up…I've never been without him for this long.” Amy approached the girl, laying a hand on her shoulder.

“Aw, don’t worry Cream,” Sonic assured sympathetically. “Cheese is a tough little guy! You’ll be with him in no time, I guarantee it!”

That appeared to cheer the rabbit up a bit, her face brightening ever so slightly.

“You’re right Mister Sonic! I just have to be patient!”

Vanilla mouthed a grateful thank you to the hero, who smiled and nodded in response.

“Well it’s hard to follow that introduction up,” the older rabbit spoke, surveying the group with a warm smile. “But I’ll try my best. I’m Vanilla, the mother of this little rascal here,” she teased, motioning to Cream, “and I’m known as the Ultimate Cook.”

“That talent definitely fits you to a tee Miss Vanilla!” Amy cheered. “Your food is to die for!”

“Aw, you flatter me dear.”

“It’s true!” Tails added eagerly. “Your carrot cake is so good even Knuckles would leave the Master Emerald in a heartbeat for it!”

Knuckles faltered for a second, before looking away in embarrassment.

“I wouldn’t say that,” he mumbled, but it was clear he was trying to suppress a grin. “But yes, everything you make is quite delicious Vanilla.”

Vanilla smiled softly. “I'm glad you kids like my cooking so much. I’ll be sure to make a feast for all of you to enjoy once we get out of here.”

“That would be much appreciated, Espio replied, trying and failing to hide his elation. Tails was sure that the chameleon had enjoyed Vanilla's cooking many times during her visits to see Vector. It made sense that he would develop such a craving for it. 

“I suppose I will introduce myself next,” he said, standing up straighter and giving the group a calm, measured glance. “I am Espio, and it appears that I have been dubbed the Ultimate Ninja.”

“Ultimate Ninja?” Sonic questioned. “I thought for sure you’d get some kind of detective title.”

Espio didn’t seem bothered by it at all. He merely gave a small, knowing hum of acknowledgment. “While I do enjoy detective work, I believe the Ultimate Detective title would be more fitting for Vector. I am happy with the label I was given. It represents my mastery of ninjutsu.”

Knuckles snorted from the side, unable to resist. “Ultimate Ninja, huh? For someone who's supposed to be sneaky, you sure aren’t great at it.”

Espio's eyes narrowed. “I am excellent at being sneaky,” he retorted sharply. “Better than you, at least.”

“Please, don’t you remember what happened on that train? You couldn’t lie to save your life. I'm honestly shocked Tails and that butler didn’t catch you earlier.”

“That's…You-“

“Please stop with this needless bickering,” Blaze interrupted suddenly. The pair of friends paused their soon-to-be argument and turned to see her watching them, unimpressed. They glared at each other, but eventually let the matter go… for now. Satisfied, Blaze turned towards the group.

“I am Blaze, heir of the Sol Empire. You may also address me as the Ultimate Princess.”

No one had much to add this time around, the introduction being fairly straightforward and the title being something they all expected to some degree.

“By the way,” Amy asked, her expression curious as she tilted her head towards Blaze, “how’s everything going back in your dimension, Blaze?”

Blaze looked away. “It’s the same endless cycle of protecting the emeralds and preparing for my coronation.” She paused briefly before adding, “The only respite I have is when Silver or Marine visits.”

“Oh, right,” Tails realized, his eyes lighting up. “You’re going to be queen soon, aren’t you?”

Blaze nodded, though she didn’t seem as enthusiastic about it as he had expected. A few of the others chimed in with congratulations, but Blaze merely gave a small, almost distant smile.

“That’s so amazing, Miss Blaze!” Cream beamed. “You’ll be a wonderful queen!”

Blaze’s smile softened. “You’re very sweet, Cream,” she replied, “I will do my best.”

And with that, all introductions were done. The group stood around, thinking of their next course of action.

“So…” Amy spoke up, tapping her arm thoughtfully. “What do we do now?”

Sonic hummed, appearing deep in thought for a moment. “The announcement did say that we’re only half of the ‘students’ that are supposed to meet here.” 

(I hadn’t even considered that. Just how many people are in this building?)

“We should wait for the rest of them to arrive. Maybe they can help us out.” 

Tails blinked in surprise. It was rare for Sonic to take a waiting approach—usually, he preferred to act first and think later.

Almost everyone nodded in agreement, though Knuckles' was still tense, his fist balled up in frustration.

“What we should be doing is finding a way out of here.” His eyes shone violently as a growl escaped his throat, in a way that would have been frightening if Tails didn’t know him as well as he did.

Sonic sighed, trying his best to calm down the guardian. “Look, Knuckles. I don’t like being here either. But we can’t just brute force our way outta here. We need to gather info first, you of all people should know that.”

“…” The echidna huffed, but said nothing more. Sonic's words seemed to get through to him, though he still didn’t look thrilled about it.

“Easier said than done, anyways,” Espio added quietly, his voice laced with irritation. “Based on what we were discussing before your arrival, there doesn’t seem to be a single door leading outside. No windows either.”

Tails blinked, suddenly realizing how strange it was that there were no clear exits. 

(That’s concerning…)

“Now that you mention it, Tails made some important discoveries about this place. Why don’t you tell them bud?”

Tails sent Sonic a grateful smile and addressed the others. “That’s right,” he began, hands rubbing his chin as he recalled the earlier events. “When I woke up, I was in some kind of school foyer. One of the fliers on the walls said that this place is called Green Hill Academy.”

“A school at Green Hill?” Vanilla questioned. “I don’t remember ever hearing about something like that before.”

“That’s because it doesn’t exist.” Amy cut in, looking puzzled. “We would’ve heard if they were building an academy at Green Hill of all places.”

“Maybe they built it really fast, like Sonic?” Cream suggested optimistically.

Sonic chuckled. “Not quite how that works, Cream.” He paused, then added, “But that’s not all. I woke up in some strange game room. Not to mention, there was also a staircase leading to an upper level, but it was blocked off by this weird metal barrier.”

Amy gasped. “Me and Knuckles saw that too! Right, Knuckles?” The echidna nodded.

“Yes, that’s correct. We found one close to where we woke up. I tried to punch it down but it didn’t budge.”

Tails’ ears perked up at the information. “Woah, really?”

If it was strong enough to withstand a punch from Knuckles, then taking it down was going to be harder than he thought.

“There was something else too…” Knuckles muttered almost reluctantly. “My punches felt…weaker.”

“Weaker?” Sonic asked, surprised. “How?”

“I don’t know!” The echidna snapped. “It just didn’t feel right, I can’t explain it. That’s another reason why I want to get out of this place as soon as possible.”

“It is the same for me as well,” Blaze revealed, her face troubled. “My powers haven’t been working properly since I arrived. I tried to use my pyrokinesis when I first awoke here, but nothing happened.”

Tails eyed his friends with concern. Maybe they were still experiencing side effects from the smoke? At least, he hoped that was the case. Before he could say anything else though, a new pair of voices sounded through the gymnasium.

“See! I told you, train freak! You should’ve listened when I said I was an expert with directions. Spend a few days in the wilderness with me, and maybe you’ll pick up a thing or two!”

“Please stop calling me ’train freak’…”

A badger wearing a grey crop top and navy green shorts came into view, followed by a familiar, exasperated quokka in a plain green jacket and red bowtie.

“Sticks?!” Sonic blinked, face slack with shock. “What are you doing here?”

The badger finally noticed the group, her eyes filling with alarm. “Oh no! Did they get you guys too?!” she shouted, panic rising in her voice. “Those monsters have gone too far now!”

Amy suddenly rushed past them, running over to the other girl and bringing her into a hug.

“Oh Sticks, it’s been forever! I'm so sorry we haven’t been able to visit Seaside Island lately!” 

Sticks immediately pulled away, brushing herself off with exaggerated care. “Yeah, yeah, it’s good to see you too, Amy,” she said, clearly a bit uncomfortable. “And don’t sweat it. Ol’ Sticks has become one with nature, avoiding the big wigs and whatnot. That was until the enemy captured me!”

“And who exactly is the ‘enemy’?” Knuckles inquired skeptically. Both he and Tails had an inkling of what was coming.

“The government, duh,” Sticks shot the echidna a pointed look, as if the answer was obvious. “I didn’t listen to their subliminal messages, and now they want revenge!”

Tails suppressed a sigh. Sticks was an interesting character and a good friend, but her paranoia made her come up with some…unconventional theories. He remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday: he was on an adventure with Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles at the time, and they had ended up being stranded on Seaside Island for a few weeks until the Tornado was repaired. They had met the kooky badger while there, in all her feral, nonsensical glory. She had ended up becoming an ally, and later friend, and the group found themselves going back to the island from time to time to visit her.

Blaze sent the newcomer a quizzical look. “Why would the government want all of us?”

“I don’t know, toots, but I’m gonna find out. They’ll never get away with it!”

“M-Maybe we should keep an open mind. There could be other options than the government.” 

The voice of the second newcomer finally clicked, and Tails gasped in surprise.

“Barry! You’re here too?” 

Knuckles raised an eyebrow. “The train butler?”

Barry smiled sheepishly, waving at the group.

“Trust me, I’m just as confused as you.” They clumsily rubbed the back of their head. “It’s good to see you guys though! I wasn’t sure if I would find anyone I recognized here.”

“It’s good to see you too Barry!” Tails grinned. “I didn’t think I’d get to see my detective partner again so soon!” 

His time on the Mirage Express with the quokka had been interesting to say the least. He enjoyed solving the mystery, even if it got a bit insane towards the end. And Barry had been a great partner, listening to his hypothesis and helping with gathering evidence. Sure, they could be a bit strange sometimes (Tails would still never forgive them for their trash escapades), but their heart was definitely in the right place.

“Yeah.” Sonic agreed with a half-smirk, “even if it’s under weird circumstances. Guess you’re stuck with us for now.”

“Seems like it,” Barry replied with a small laugh.

Tails hummed. “So are you still working for the Mirage Express, Barry?”

The quokka chuckled awkwardly, a bead of sweat dripping down their head as they tried to avoid eye contact.

“So, uh, funny story,” they started, rubbing the back of their neck. “Not long after Amy’s birthday, I actually won the lottery…”

“Oh wow, congratulations, Barry!” Amy cheered.

“Yeah, I quit my job at the Mirage and bought a local supermarket with the money, but I sorta kinda… burned it down by accident.”

The room went silent, everyone staring at them blankly.

“I-I mean, it wasn’t entirely my fault!” They added quickly. “Luckily, the Mirage Express was generous enough to give me my job back. So, no harm, no foul, right?”

“Yeah, uh…” Sonic floundered for the right words. “Good for you buddy!”

“How did you burn down a supermarket?” Espio asked with narrowed eyes. Barry sputtered, face flushing.

“J-Just forget I said anything p-please!”

“You sure are weird, train freak,” Sticks muttered bluntly. Tails would have pointed out how ironic that was if he wasn’t so scared of being hunted down. 

“Anyway, I guess I’ll introduce myself to all the newbies here. I’m Sticks, master of doomsday prepping, wilderness exploration, camouflage, sneak attacks, evading taxes, etc!” She looked oddly proud of that last part. “Oh yeah, and I guess the Ultimate Survivalist. I don’t like using labels though, especially when they’re given by lowlife government spies!”

Knuckles scoffed under his breath. “Should’ve been the Ultimate Nutcase…”

Sticks whipped around, glaring at him. “I heard that Knucklehead!” she snapped, marching up to him and poking him in the chest. “Let’s see you call me a nutcase after you’ve been strapped to a table and probed by the Mobian Illuminati! Then you’ll be sorry!”

“Okay, okay,” Sonic stepped between them, gently pulling Sticks back. “You know Knuckles is just messing with you.” He turned to Knuckles, grinding his teeth. “Right, Knux?”

Knuckles sighed and shrugged. “Sure, whatever.”

Sticks pouted and turned away.

Trying to ease the tension, Vanilla turned towards the other newcomer. “So, Barry, is it?”

“Y-Yes, ma’am.” Barry stood up straighter.

She sent an encouraging smile. “What’s your talent, dear?”

They blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Oh! Um, I’m the Ultimate Steward, miss. I make sure every passenger on the Mirage Express gets top-notch service. Feel free to visit anytime!”

“Oh I definitely will,” Vanilla replied with a chuckle. “I heard that the murder mystery you held for Amy's birthday was a hoot!”

Amy grinned, eyes sparkling as she recalled the event. “It didn’t go exactly as planned, but it was still a blast! I got to solve a mystery and help take down Eggman. Definitely one of my top three birthdays, for sure!”

Barry’s smile grew at the girl’s enthusiasm. Once the latest introductions were said and done, Espio shifted the conversation to their current predicament.

“So Sticks, Barry, do you two have any input on our situation?”

“If you mean apart from the government's involvement, not much really.” Sticks replied. “Me and train freak both woke up in the same area.”

“We were inside what looked like some kind of dormitory,” Barry continued. “I wanted to check it out more but Sticks said we couldn’t trust it. Then the announcement played and we started searching for the gymnasium.”

“Dormitory?” Amy gasped. “Does whoever did this think we’re just gonna live here or something!?” Tails felt his anxiety spike at the possibility. 

(Why do we need dorms? Are we being held here long term?)

Suddenly, another voice flowed into the room.

“Hey, is this the gym? Sorry, I suck at directions sometimes-“ the voice paused for a second before rising in shock. “Sonic?!”

“Mighty?!”

Mighty the Armadillo stood in the doorway, looking around the room with wide, confused eyes. His gaze shifted from one familiar face to the next.

“Aw man,” he finally puffed out. “This thing looks more serious than I thought…”

“Ok, now this is really weird.” Sonic gestured towards the newcomer. “I can sorta understand why most of us would be captured, but Barry and you? You guys make no sense. Unless Eggman’s behind this, but—”

“Wait,” Tails interrupted, looking around Mighty. Indeed, a certain someone was missing. “Mighty, where’s Ray?”

Mighty frowned at the mention of his companion. “I’m not sure…We were training, and then this black smoke came out of nowhere. After that, I woke up here...”

“Wait, you guys got hit with that black smoke too!?” Barry exclaimed, their voice high with surprise.

(Oh yeah, we didn’t explain that to the new people yet…)

“Yes!” Cream answered. She had been quiet until now, probably wanting to get to know the newcomers first before speaking up. “It got me and Mother while we were having tea at home.”

Sticks’ eyes lit up, and she rubbed her hands together with an air of mischief. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a conspiracy, people.”

“This whole situation is just insane,” Mighty muttered, shaking his head. “If Eggman or Fang are behind this, they’ve really taken things too far…”

“Did you notice anything interesting after you woke up, Mighty?” Amy asked.

The armadillo hummed in thought. “I was in the dining hall, over where the food is stored. It was actually stocked up pretty good. It was enough to last a large group at least a couple of months.”

“Well, at least we know we won’t starve…” Blaze mumbled.

Knuckles frowned, folding his arms. “This proves it. Our captor is planning on keeping us here long-term. The more I learn, the more I hate this place…”

“You and me both,” Mighty added, eyes darkening for a moment before smiling. “I guess I might as well introduce myself since there are a few new faces. Hi, I’m Mighty, the Ultimate Traveler! Let’s do our best everyone!”

Sonic laughed. “Of course you’re the Ultimate Traveler. You can never stay still, huh?”

“Just like a certain someone I know.” 

As the two talked, Tails began to take count of everyone in the room. 

(There are eleven mobian’s here right now. Is that everybody?)

Suddenly, the sound of hushed whispers came from the doorway.

“Come on Shadow, I’m certain whatever’s in there isn’t bad.”

“Just stand behind us until I give the all-clear. We can’t be sure.”

“Always so serious hun…”

(…guess not.)

The group perked up at the new voices, and when they turned towards the entrance, they were met face-to-face with a black hedgehog and white bat creeping into the room. Their movements were slow and malicious, peaking around the corner as if they expected an ambush. That was until they got a good look at what awaited them.

“…you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Rouge didn’t seem as annoyed as her companion, but still looked shocked as she scanned the room. “Well, isn’t this a surprise?” She smirked. “But not an unwelcome one, especially when I get to see you Knuckie.” She winked at the echidna, who responded with an irritated grunt.

“Trust me, the feeling isn’t mutual.”

“Honestly, I’m not even shocked at this point.” Amy sighed. “Of course you guys would be here.”

Sonic looked unfazed, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, guess we should’ve expected you, huh, Shads?”

Shadow rolled his eyes. “What’s going on here, faker?” he grumbled. “I swear if this is part of some pathetic scheme of yours…”

“Hey, don’t look at me!” The speedster raised his hands defensively. “I know just as much as you do!”

“Likely story. This is exactly the kind of thing you’d pull to get me to ‘interact more with the team’.”

“You seriously think I’d go through all this just to mess with you, Shads?” Sonic's grin widened, nudging the other’s shoulder. “Hate to break your heart, but I wouldn’t organize a kidnapping spree just for you.”

Shadow glared, but before he could fire back, another voice interrupted.

“Shadow, what did I say about messing with Sonic?” The voice was stern, but with a playful undertone. The double doors pushed open, revealing a figure with flowing golden hair that ran gently down the back of a bright blue dress.

“Maria!”

Cream’s excited shout echoed through the gymnasium as she and Amy hurried to greet the girl. Maria smiled warmly, laughing as she was engulfed by their embrace.

But Tails simply stood in place, frozen, his heart skipping a beat as his skull bloomed with pain.

Maria….

Maria….

Maria…

He knew Maria… right? Then why did his brain hurt so much when he saw her? Why did seeing her interact with his friends seem so wrong? 

Why did her being here feel like he was seeing a ghost?

Tails shook his head. He was being silly. Of course he remembered Maria! 

She was always by Shadows' side, whether it be simply hanging out or dragging him on an adventure. The yin to his yang so to speak. She was the thoughtful girl who always helped him with his projects when he needed it, who had chili dog eating competitions with Sonic on a regular basis, who hosted fashion shows with Cream, Amy, and Blaze, and kept Knuckles company of Angel Island…

Maria…

H̵̗̍ơ̵̠ẅ̴̼ ̵̜͝c̴͎͊o̶̙̽u̷͚̔l̴͍̆d̶͓͛ ̷̼̍h̸̤͒é̶͇ ̸̥̚è̷̟v̵̜͊é̴͙r̷̩̊ ̵̥͆f̵̺̐ȍ̵̫r̸̹̓ǵ̷̳ë̸̩́t̸̳̅ ̶̳͋h̵̢͐e̴̤̚r̸̙͗?̵͉̑

“Tails?”

Tails snapped out of his daze and looked up to see the girl standing before him, her brow furrowed in concern.

“Are you alright? You’re looking pale.”

“Y-Yeah!” Tails quickly tried to cover up, offering a weak smile. “I’m fine, sorry. Just a sudden headache, that’s all.”

“Oh no,” She said softly. “I hope you’ll be alright. It’s not good to be sick in a situation like this.”

“Maria.” Shadow’s said sternly. “I told you to wait for my signal.”

Maria turned to him, expression firm. “Shadow, I can handle myself, you know that.” She gave him a soft smile. “Besides, I heard Sonic’s voice. I knew it couldn’t be that bad if he was here.”

“But-“

“Please, Shadow? We shouldn’t fight right now.” She pouted, eyes sparkling. “For me?”

It was amusing how fast the hedgehog relented, bowing his head and sighing. “Fine.” Sonic snickered, which was met with another intense glare. Shadow sighed and faced the others. “So, what’s your read on the situation so far?”

“Nothing that makes much sense,” Blaze replied coolly. “But the most obvious conclusion is that whoever did this intends to keep us locked up for a while.”

Shadow furrowed his brows. “How do you know?”

Espio crossed his arms. “There’s apparently a dormitory and a fully stocked pantry here. Plenty of food for an extended stay.”

“Plus me and Blaze's powers have been acting…strange.” Knuckles added.

“…Interesting.” Shadow looked lost in thought as he mulled over the information.

“And what about these ‘Ultimate Talents’ we’ve been given?” Rouge interjected, gesturing to the watch on her wrist.

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” Mighty asked, scratching his chin. “They seem mostly accurate, but I don’t see how they’re useful right now.”

Maria frowned. “Mostly accurate is right…” she mumbled, Shadow and Rouge looking at her in concern. 

Tails eyed her curiously.

(What does she mean by that?)

“Whatever do you mean, dear?” Vanilla asked gently.

“Because…” the human hesitated, then took a deep breath. “Because I didn’t get one.”

“What?!” Tails exclaimed. The others appeared just as shocked as he was. How did she not get a talent? “But how? You have a watch right?”

Maria nodded and showed her watch to the others. But when her screen flickered to life, all that they saw were three question marks. 

“I was hoping maybe someone else didn’t have one either,” She sighed. “But it looks like I’m the only one.”

Tails frowned at the distress in her voice. It must be difficult knowing she was the odd one out. But still, it was strange. Out of everyone, why didn’t Maria have a talent? She excelled at so many things, there had to be at least one that fit her.

“We’ll figure this out,” Shadow assured, his tone surprisingly soft. “The talents are probably just a diversion. Something for our captor’s amusement.”

“Since we’re on the subject, what’s your talent, Shadow?” Sonic asked, grinning mischievously. The hybrid stiffened for a moment.

“I’m not sharing it with you.”

“Oh come on, Shadow,” Amy urged. “Everyone else shared theirs. You might as well.”

“Don’t encourage him,” Shadow muttered, turning his head to avoid eye contact. “It’s not important.”

“Don’t mind him,” Maria teased. “He’s just embarrassed.”

“Maria!”

“What? It’s true!”

Espio leaned in. “Embarrassed about what?”

Shadow groaned, but eventually relented.

“My talent is… the Ultimate Lifeform.”

…

“Wait, seriously?!” Sonic burst out laughing. He doubled over, clutching his stomach as his snorts echoed through the room. “That’s… that’s just too much!”

“And this is exactly why I didn’t want to say anything,” Shadow growled. Amy snickered, and even Blaze and Espio couldn’t help but smirk. Cream just looked confused.

“I don’t get it. Doesn’t Mister Shadow call himself the Ultimate Lifeform all the time?” 

“I think it’s more of a title than an actual talent, dear,” Vanilla explained gently, though Tails could spot the faintest trace of an amused smile gracing her face.

“Well while Shadow got the short end of the stick, I think my talent is quite fitting.” Rouge boasted.

“Oh, and what might that be?” Blaze asked.

The bat smirked. “Well, darling, you're looking at the newly crowned Ultimate Thief! Here to steal your hearts—and maybe a few wallets along the way.”

The cat let out a long sigh, “Why’d I even ask?”

“I’m just glad you’re stuck in here with us,” Knuckles said, glaring at the girl. “At least now I know you won’t try stealing the Master Emerald while I’m gone.”

Rouge tsked. “Please, that would be too easy. If I wanted the Master Emerald, I’d get it with much more flair.”

“You shouldn’t even be trying to get your hands on it at all!” The echidna growled.

“Aw, and where’s the fun in that?”

“I don’t know why you’re so upset, Knuckles.” Sticks interjected, looking oddly proud. “I respect thieves. They don’t follow orders and they do things their way. My kind of people!”

Rouge smirked at the badger. “Well, I have no idea who you are, but I like you already, hun.”

Knuckles muttered under his breath. “You do know she works for the government, right?”

But the girls didn’t seem to hear them, or either just decided to ignore him. 

“So, what’s our next move?” Shadow asked, cutting through the chatter. “I’d rather not stay here longer than we have to. We should start thinking of escape routes.”

“I have yet to explore, so I am unfortunately no help with escape routes,” Blaze stated. “I woke up in here with Espio.”

“And from what we’ve seen,” Vanilla added, holding Cream close to her side, “there doesn’t seem to be any obvious exit. Cream and I checked every door in the corridor we were in, though they were all locked.”

Maria perked up. “But there is an exit. Shadow, Rouge, and I saw a big one where we woke up.”

“Wait, really?!” Amy’s eyes lit up. “So we can leave after all?”

Rouge frowned. “Not so fast, Rose. It’s not that simple. The ‘exit’ is some giant metal door. We tried to find a way to open it, but it’s locked up tight.”

(Just like the staircases…)

“Was there really nothing you could do?” Tails asked. “Not even Shadow?”

Maria hesitated. “Well…”

“We already told you—nothing worked,” Shadow suddenly snapped in a tone coated with agitation. “So drop it.”

Tails’ blinked at the dismissal. Shadow was one of the most powerful beings he knew. Aside from Sonic, the hybrid was the main one he would rely on to get them out of this mess. So, then, why did he seem to not be giving it his all to escape…

Before he had a chance to respond, Sonic cut in. “Woah, no need to get all worked up Shadow. We’ll have that door down in a sonic second! If we all go at it together, nothing can stop us!”

“Yeah!” Mighty agreed, cracking his knuckles. “If we hit it with everything we’ve got, that door doesn’t stand a chance.”

“It’s worth a shot…” Barry muttered.

“I’m in!” Tails cheered. 

(If anyone can pull this off, it’s our friends!)

The others voiced their agreement one by one, spirits soaring as they prepared to tackle the obstacle ahead. That was, until a final set of voices echoed in the distance.

“You useless scrap heap! I don’t pay you to make excuses!”

“I apologize, Doctor, but my systems are malfunctioning. I can’t establish a signal.”

“Then fix it before I send you to the junkyard!”

Amy froze, a hand clenching around her arm. “It can’t be…”

Tails couldn’t blame her. 

(There’s no way he’s here…)

But his denial was put to rest when, moments later, Eggman stormed through the doors. And once the doctor got a good look at who was awaiting him, his face exploded with fury.

“You meddlesome rodents! What are you doing here?! Explain yourselves, now!” 

The room fell into stunned silence as Eggman's shout echoed off the walls. His mechanical assistant, Orbot, hovering beside him, fidgeting nervously while futilely attempting to recalibrate his systems.

Sonic was the first to break the silence, arms crossed and a cocky smirk plastered on his face. “Hey, Egghead, fancy seeing you here. This your idea of a surprise party?”

Eggman’s mustache bristled. “Don’t play dumb with me, hedgehog! I know you’re behind this!”

“Me?” Sonic feigned innocence, shrugging dramatically. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but we’re as lost as you are.”

Tails stepped forward cautiously. "Wait... you're trapped here too, Eggman?"

“Don’t fall for his tricks, Tails.” Knuckles growled. “He’s obviously playing dumb. This has his revolting hands all over it!”

The doctor's fury spiked at the echidna’s accusation, a harsh snarl escaping his lips. "You echidnas must be as dumb as you look! Do you really think I want to be here with you lot? Whatever this place is, it's interfering with my equipment, my systems, everything !" He pointed towards Sonic and Tails. “And it all started when these two pests foiled my plans!”

“Seriously?” Tails retorted, his tails twitching in irritation. “That doesn't mean we did it! Why would we trap ourselves here? Besides, if it was us, why would Orbot be here too?”

Amy nodded, her eyes narrowing at the robot. “Good point. Orbot, what’s the last thing you remember?”

The little bot blinked, his processors humming. “If my memory bank is correct, I was charging back at the base.”

Espio’s eyes widened. “Wait… so you weren’t attacked by the black smoke like the rest of us?”

“Negative.”

( That’s interesting…why was he not taking the same way as the rest of us?)

“Orbot!” Eggman barked. “Stop fraternizing with the enemy!”

“Apologies, boss.” Orbot shuffled further behind Eggman.

Maria stepped forward towards the newcomer, though Tails could sense some hesitance in her movements. “So, you really had nothing to do with this, Doctor?”

Eggman’s eyes narrowed as he finally took notice of her, groaning harshly. “Oh, fantastic. You’re here too? As if dealing with this pack of meddling rodents wasn’t bad enough.”

Shadow’s crimson eyes glowed dangerously. “Choose your next words carefully.”

Eggman huffed, his bravado faltering slightly under the intense stare. “Hmph. As if I’m intimidated by the likes of you , Shadow. Don’t think for a second that—”

“Enough,” Blaze interrupted firmly. “Continuing like this will get us nowhere. We need to figure out what’s going on.”

Eggman crossed his arms but didn’t object. For once, it seemed even he recognized the gravity of the situation.

Blaze nodded in approval. “Good. Now, Doctor,” she said, addressing him directly. “Did you receive an Ultimate Talent like the rest of us?”

The man’s sneer twisted into a self-satisfied smirk. “Since you asked so nicely, I’ll indulge you,” he let out a gleeful cackle. “From now on, you will address me as the Ultimate Villain! A fitting title, don’t you think? Perfect for the soon-to-be ruler of the world!”

Rouge rolled her eyes, her words dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, please. Your chances of conquering the world are about as likely as Knuckles figuring out how to be subtle for once.”

“Hey!” Knuckles sputtered. “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

Eggman ignored the interruption, waving his hand dismissively. “Laugh all you want, bat girl. I’ve come closer to world domination than any of you could ever imagine!”

“That was a fluke ,” Sonic interjected, sounding much more serious this time around. “And don’t think for a second we’re going to let it happen again.”

Tails flinched, his mind reeling as it flashed back to the time Eggman’s plans had nearly succeeded. He felt his breathing pick up again, fighting against himself to keep it under control and not alert his friends.

( It’s fine Tails…focus…just don’t think about it.)

“Let’s stay on track,” Espio interjected, though a hint of discomfort from the doctor's earlier claim was apparent in his voice. “If Orbot is here, does that mean he has an Ultimate Talent as well? He does have a watch, after all.”

Tails tilted his head thoughtfully. What would Orbot’s Ultimate Talent even be?

“Yes,” the robot answered, showing off the device strapped on his metallic wrist. “My title is the Ultimate Assistant. It is my purpose to serve Dr. Eggman in all of his dastardly deeds, no matter how absurd some of them may be .”

He muttered the last part, but Eggman still shot him a heated glare. “One more word out of you, and you’ll be scrap before we leave this godforsaken building!” 

“Right, sorry, boss!”

Suddenly, Vanilla stepped forward. "Doctor, if you and Orbot are truly stuck like the rest of us, then it would be in everyone's best interest to work together, don’t you think?"

The man simply scoffed in reply, as if her words had personally offended him. "Work together? With you ? The only thing I trust you all to do is get in my way!"

Knuckles growled. “Right back at you. I'm still not convinced you aren’t behind this whole mess! I’d rather be stuck here than trust you!”

The doctor chuckled darkly. “Funny, I remember you trusting me just fine when we first met. Or are you too dense to remember?”

And just like that, any semblance of peace was shattered. Knuckles roared in rage, taking a step toward Eggman, fists clenched. Sonic lunged to hold him back, his hands gripping Knuckles’ waist.

“Knux,” he grunted, “chill out!”

“Don’t tell me to ‘chill out’ Sonic! I am done entertaining this tyrant!”

Eggman seemed unbothered by the echidna’s attempts to pound him, only snickering to himself like it was the funniest thing in the world. Amy sighed, exasperated by the display.

“Guys, this isn’t helping anyone right now!”

“Shut up pinky,” Eggman barked. “This doesn’t concern you!” Amy growled, making a grabbing motion as if she were reaching for where her hammer used to be. 

Tails watched on nervously, eyes darting back and forth to keep up with all the chaos unfolding. 

They shouldn’t be fighting right now. He understood that Eggman was someone they couldn’t trust easily, but under the current circumstances, there wasn’t much of a choice. 

“Stop!” he pleaded. “We can’t fall apart like this! If we just-“

“My, my. So much tension! If I knew you all were that antsy to see me, I would have high-tailed it here sooner!”

Instantly, everything went still. Knuckles froze his squirming, and even Eggman looked put off as the voice rang through the room. 

Before anyone could respond, the voice came again. “Well, guess what? Your wait is finally over! All students please face the stage, and welcome your wonderful, esteemed headmaster!”

“H-Headmaster?” Barry mumbled. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t like this…” Sticks trailed off, eyeing the stage suspiciously.

Tails exchanged a quick glance with Sonic, both their faces tight with concern. 

Something felt…off. The type of off that made their stomachs sink with harrowing dread .

Still, the pair cautiously approached the stage as the others reluctantly followed suit. They waited for what felt like an eternity—though it was only a few seconds—before a figure popped out from behind the stage’s podium.

Literally popped out.

The figure soared through the air, laughing wildly, before landing perfectly on the ground below. And when it did, it revealed a pair of red, glowing eyes staring back at them.

“Metal! I knew it was you!”

Despite Sonic’s declaration, Tails was having a hard time believing it was Metal standing before them. They had fought the robot too many times to count, and Tails prided himself on being perceptive when it came to their enemies. 

And he was pretty sure Metal had never been monochrome before…

The robot's blue and yellow exterior was gone, replaced with stark black and white. It was the face, however, that was truly unsettling. Metals' normally dull expression had been transformed, morphed into a wide, twisted, deceptively gleeful grin.

“You are sorely mistaken, hedgehog!” The robot’s voice was tinged with unnatural delight. “I’ve moved past the need to be your robotic mini-me! It was so dreadfully boring!”

Even Sonic, who had been wearing a cocky (almost relieved) grin at seeing the familiar foe, frowned in confusion. It was like he had finally registered how…wrong this version of Metal was.

“If you no longer identify as Metal Sonic…” Maria started cautiously, “Then what should we call you?”

The robot cackled, his grin spreading so wide it barely fit his face. “From now on, you all will address me by a name that strikes fear into the hearts of all…Monobuta!”

Sticks narrowed her eyes. “…Mono what now?”

Shadow sighed. “I expected better. Even Knuckles could come up with a better name than that.”

“Hey!” Monobuta snapped. “It’s a perfect name! I spent hours workshopping it!”

Blaze sent him an unimpressed glare. “Maybe you need to go back to the drawing board then.”

“Metal!” Eggman hissed. “Stop with this nonsense at once! I don’t know what’s gotten into you-“

“For the last time, It’s MONOBUTA!” The robot yelled, clearly getting annoyed. “And I no longer work for you! I’m my own robot now! Any more mispronunciations of my name, and you will be punished!”

(He sounds so serious now…)

“What?! You can’t talk to me like that! I created you!”

“Well, I just did. So get used to it old man!” Monobuta retorted, then clapped his razor-sharp claws excitedly. “Now let’s continue your orientation! You should know more about the school if you’re gonna stay here forever!”

“Forever?!” Cream squeaked, her eyes wide with panic.

Sonic seemed to finally snap out of his stupor, shaking his head. “Not gonna happen! No matter what you’re called or how you look, the result will always be the same— you’ll lose , like always!”

“Y-Yeah!” Tails added, though he couldn't keep the underlining nervousness out of his voice. “You have no shot against all of us!” 

But Monobuta wasn’t fazed. Instead, he let out ear-numbing giggles, like some kind of demented child. “Keep believing that, heroes! I’m sure you’ll figure out the depth of your situation soon enough!” 

Blaze stepped forward, her expression hardening. “You said you have information about this school,” she said coldly. “I suggest you start talking. I don’t need my powers to deal with you if it comes to that.”

“Woah, calm down missy. I was gonna tell you without the threats!” He cleared his throat theatrically. “Now, listen well while I give you the grand introduction! Welcome mobians and humans alike to the wonderful Green Hill Academy!”

(Green Hill… so that is the name…)

“ This school is very exclusive,” the robot continued. ” Only for the best of the best! You all should be honored for making it through!”

“I never applied to your stinking school!” Sticks snarled.

“Yeah!” Mighty added, face twisting into a scowl. “Why would we want to go to a school where you’re the headmaster?”

Monobuta clutched his chest. “You’re breaking my heart, here! ” he wailed. “ How could you treat your headmaster so harshly, especially when I’ve bestowed upon you such amazing Ultimate Talents?”

“What’s the deal with those anyway?” Amy asked, glancing down at her watch. “I mean, I’m more than happy with mine, but what do they mean?”

“Exactly as I said! They’re your Ultimate Talents! Something that you excel at better than anyone else! Every candidate for Green Hill Academy has one!”

Maria looked like she was about to interject, but the robot quickly cut her off.

“Of course, all Ultimates should know the layout of your school! We’re currently in the gymnasium, where all of our important meetings will be held from now on! The hallway on the right leads to the dining hall, as well as a few more unlocked rooms you can enter, and the one on the left leads to the dormitories, but the closed-off rooms on either side are off-limits, understand?”

“Why are some doors locked and others aren’t?” Vanilla asked. 

The robot heaved a dramatic sigh. “While I would love to give a full tour of the school in all its glory, giving you all access to everything so soon would spoil the fun!”

(What does that mean? Is there something in those rooms we aren’t supposed to see?)

Espio’s voice cut through the silence. “Is that why there are barriers blocking the stairs?”

Monobuta nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! You’ll get access to the upper levels eventually, but for now, you’re shut out! And don’t even think about trying to break down those barriers—or your precious exit.”

(He knows?!)

“Wait, you know about the exit?” Rouge asked, the others looking around with equal amounts of shock. Their plan was over before it even started…

“Duh! I know this school like the back of my hand. Oh yeah, and forget about escaping. This place is locked down tighter than Eggman’s pants!”

“Like that’s gonna stop us!” Knuckles retorted. “With all our powers combined, we’ll get through that door in no time. Then we’ll kick Eggman's ass for making us go through this whole mess!”

“How many times do I have to tell you!? This isn’t me!” 

“Ha!” The robot simply laughed. “I think you’ll see soon enough how far those ‘powers’ will get you!”

“I don’t get it…” Rouge muttered. “If you truly aren’t being controlled by Eggman, what is your end goal here? Why capture a majority of Mobius’s heroes?”

( That is strange. Why capture us of all people?)

Monobuta stared, his eyes going blank for a moment. The manic grin stayed the same, but it seemed to turn darker—emptier.

“…”

Then, in the blink of an eye, the grin widened ever so slightly, spreading across his face in a way that made Tails’ fur stand on end.

“Why… Why?! ” 

His manic laughs filled the room, with a sinister undertone that made each occupant freeze in place.  

“It’s simple! I did it for despair.”

“…despair?” 

The word clawed its way out of the fox’s throat as if his own body was rejecting the very notion. The robot only continued his crazed escapade.

“Yep, you heard me! Despair! What could be a better despairful situation than trapping the great saviors of Mobius? It’s perfect!”

As the robot’s words echoed in the room, everyone stood in stunned silence. Amy finally managed to speak, her voice trembling.

“Y-You’re deranged,” Her hands clenched. “There’s no way you can keep us trapped here.”

“Don’t fret! Since I’m feeling so generous, I’ll give you all a Get Out Of School Free card. All you have to do is one thing…”

“Really?” Cream asked cautiously. “What do we have to do?”

“It’s simple really.” The robot chirped. “All you have to do is murder one of your fellow students!”

….

….

….

Silence . 

Pure silence cut through the air as everyone tried to process the machine's words. 

They couldn’t have heard right. He couldn’t have meant…

“You want us to kill each other?!” Barry exclaimed, stumbling back as their eyes brimmed with terror.

“Amy’s right!” Blaze hissed. “You are deranged!”

Maria, eyes wide, shook her head in disbelief. “This can’t be real…”

Monobuta only continued to hold a dark smile as he watched on from his perch.

“This has gone too far, Metal.” Sonic’s voice rang out, no longer holding the same laid-back edge. Instead, it was sharp and commanding, his face holding a cold seriousness as he stepped closer to the stage. Tails stared in awe. He had only ever seen the hedgehog so serious a handful of times, and it always was a shock to the system. “If you think we’ll even consider doing…that,” he spat, ”then you are sorely mistaken.”

“Yeah,” Knuckles agreed. “You’re sick in the head if you think we’re gonna sit pretty and do what you say.”

“I didn’t say you had to kill.” Monobuta's eyes glowed with amusement. “You all can choose to live here peacefully for the rest of your pathetic little lives, holding hands and singing kumbaya! You are friends after all, right?”  His face darkened again, a crazed euphoria radiating off him. “Or you could break free from the confines of this school, and see the outside world once again. Stabbing, drowning, electrocution , the method doesn’t matter! As long as your target is dead , you’re free to go!”

(T-This is…)

“You…” Shadow growled, approaching closer with a look that could melt steel. “You make me sick. Do you think this is some kind of game?!”

“Yes, I do! A killing game to be exact! A game of hope and despair!” 

The robot's shrill voice rang through Tails’ mind in a loop. 

His head pounded, his pulse racing as nervous sweat began to coat his fur.

He couldn’t help but dream of being back at his workshop, safe and sound as he tinkered away on a new invention. Sonic would zip in, joking around like always and telling him about a new mission they would go on. 

He longed to be back to those days. He longed to be anywhere but here, listening to a robot’s inane ramblings.

“Enough!”

He was snapped out of his daydreams by a blue blur rushing past him. In a flash, Sonic was on the stage, gripping the robot by its neck and lifting it effortlessly. 

“This ends here Metal! Let my friends go!”

Monobuta squirmed to get out of the hold, but it was too tight, even for him. He hung limply in Sonic’s arms, though his twisted grin never left.

“Oh! What’s this?! Violence against the headmaster is against the rules you know? You’re already on thin ice for not saying my name correctly!”

( Rules? What rules?)

Sonic wasn’t fazed by the robot's insults, instead sneering at him and tightening his grip even further. “You should know I’m no good with rules. Now, end this crazy charade you’ve got going on and let us leave!”

For a moment, the room was still. The group watched with bated breath, hope flickering in their chests as Sonic pinned the robot in place. But then…

A low, distorted cackle echoed from Monobuta’s mouth, his glowing eyes darkening ominously.

“Alright then. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Suddenly, his body went limp in Sonic’s hands. Red eyes dimmed, and his limbs drooped unnaturally still. Sonic blinked, bewildered as his grip loosened.

“Uh… what just happened?”

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

The sound started softly, almost inaudible at first, before growing faster and louder with each passing second.

“W-What is that?” Mighty asked.

“It’s coming from him!” Amy pointed at Monobuta. Tails' heart raced once he realized what she meant. There was a bright red light on the robot's chest, blinking in rhythm with the beeps. It started to blink faster and faster, the beeps speeding up with it. It almost seemed like…

“Sonic!” He shouted in panic. “It’s a-“

“Throw it now!”

Shadow’s urgent request seemed to reach Sonic, eyes widened to the size of saucers as he hurled Monobuta into the air with all his might. And as soon as he did-

BOOM.

The explosion rocked the room, metal shards raining down as everyone scrambled to dodge the debris. The sound was deafening, leaving a dull ringing in their ears as the dust started to settle and everyone began to realize what had just happened.

Monobuta was gone.

“…did we win?” Stick's confused voice cut through the tension.

“I think so,” Sonic responded, though he sounded hesitant as he stared up at where the robot once was. 

Shadow, however, didn’t look so convinced. The hybrid seemed on edge, his crimson eyes scanning the room sharply. Tails couldn’t blame him. 

Something felt wrong. Like this situation was far from over…

“Thought you could get rid of me that easily, huh?”

The smug, mechanical voice cut through the silence. Suddenly, as if he had never left at all, Monobuta jumped out from behind the podium. He was in pristine condition, not a single scratch or dent on him as he grinned innocently at them. 

“Huh?!” Amy stumbled back.

“W-W-WHAT?!” Barry yelled. “It’s alive?!”

“How…” Sonic trailed off, his fists clenching. “No way…”

“I warned you not to test me! Next time you break one of my rules, I won’t let it slide so easily!”

“This is absurd,” Eggman grumbled, though his tone oozed with intrigue. “How did you come back so fast?”

Monobuta snickered. “That’s for me to know and you to never find out! Just know that attacking me won’t accomplish anything, so save that murderous energy for killing!”

“These rules you speak of,” Orbot spoke, tilting his head. “What exactly are they?”

“Good question!” The robot tapped something on his wrist, then gestured towards the group. “Take a gander at your Mono-watches. I added a couple of fun new features!”

Tail's brows furrowed. New features? Last he checked, all that showed on the screen was his Ultimate Talent. But once he raised his wrist and looked down, he was met with a much different sight. The pure white screen was gone, replaced by a black background with the current time displayed in the corner in bold, white letters. Underneath the display were two apps, one titled School Rules while the other was labeled Student Profiles. He clicked on the profiles app first, quickly scrolling through it as he was met with the faces of his friends staring back at him.

(Where did he get these…)

Most of the photos looked like they were taken straight from some kind of school picture day, with everyone wearing their full attire-or lack thereof.

He moved on from the strange discovery, leaving to tap on the rules app instead, revealing a long list that filled the screen. It was too much to read at the moment, but he made note of the first three rules displayed:

Rule #1: Never, EVER, call the headmaster anything other than Monobuta. Failure to comply will result in punishment.

Rule #2: No physical harm is to come to the headmaster. Failure to comply will result in punishment.

Rule #3: Nighttime is from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am. Leaving your room during this time period is prohibited, and will result in punishment.

The first two made sense for the most part given everything that had happened so far. But the third rule was interesting…

“What’s with the nighttime rule?” He asked, pointing at his watch. “How will you know if someone breaks it?”

Monobuta shrugged nonchalantly. “Easy, genius. I’ve got eyes everywhere. Nothing escapes me!”

(Eyes everywhere? Are there cameras watching us right now?)

“Funny how the first two rules are meant to protect you…” Espio scoffed.

“It doesn’t matter what tricks you have up your sleeve,” Sonic growled, eyes shining with defiance. “We’ll find a way to stop you.”

Monobuta snorted. “ Sure thing, hero. Now, before I leave you all to stew in despair, I have one last surprise for you! Think of it as a parting gift.”

He whistled sharply, and the room fell silent. After a few tense seconds, a figure floated into view from behind the curtain.

Tails froze.

(W-Why is that thing here?!)

It was a doll—a perfect replica of him, down to the twin tails.

“What?” Eggman muttered. “That shouldn’t be activated…”

“What is that doing here?” Sonic growled, his quills rising protectively as he surveyed the new arrival.

Tails couldn’t look away, his chest tightening as the doll hovered lifelessly in the air.

“Yeah!” Amy added with a scowl. “How dare you disrespect Tails’ image by bringing this thing here?!”

“Aw, don’t act like that.” Monobuta tsked. “That’s no way to greet your new classmate!”

Tails finally broke out of his trance, eyes widening. “Huh?! But why! It’s just a doll!”

“Now you’re just being mean!” The robot whined. “T-Doll here is much more than a mere stuffed toy. From here on out, it will be known as the Ultimate Best Friend! Treat it like you would any other sentient being!”

“T-Doll?” Knuckles asked, eyeing the thing wearily. 

“It was either that or Tails Doll! I figured the second one would get confusing.” He pushed the little doll harshly, causing it to fly over to the rest of the group. “Now that everything’s settled, I’ll be taking my leave. Enjoy your new school life! And remember, freedom is just a murder away!”

With that, Monobuta disappeared, the room falling into a suffocating stillness. Tails found his gaze locked on T-Doll, its blank, stitched eyes staring holes into him.

Finally, Amy broke the silence. “T-This is insane!” she stammered. “There’s no way he actually expects us to start… killing each other!”

Cream clung tightly to Vanilla, her small frame trembling. “No one would do that, right?” 

“Of course not, Cream,” Vanilla replied softly, though there was a clear worry lacing her words.

“She’s right,” Sonic stepped forward, his confidence drawing the other’s attention. “We’re not going to play his twisted game. We’re getting out of here together. Nobody’s stooping to Monobuta’s level.”

“Even if that’s true,” Espio sighed, “the nighttime rule makes things difficult. We won’t have enough time to execute any escape plan.”

“Then we’ll find a workaround,” Sonic replied instantly, a smirk tugging at his lips. “There’s always another way if you look hard enough.”

“I’m in,” Rouge added smoothly, crossing her arms. “Between me and other fast fliers here, we can scout for cameras or anything else he’s hiding.”

Tails nodded eagerly. “I’ll start analyzing anything I can find here. There might be some kind of system we can hack!”

Before the group could rally around the idea however…

“You’re all fools if you think teamwork will save you.”

He turned towards the source of the taunt, who looked unimpressed as he surveyed the group.

“What are you going on about now, Eggman?” Mighty growled.

Eggman folded his arms with a piercing glare. “How do you know one of your so-called friends isn’t already considering Monobuta’s offer? You can’t trust anyone here—not completely.”

Tails froze as a chill ran down his spine. That couldn’t be true right? No one here would do such a thing. But as everyone in the room started to slowly stare at each other with growing suspicion, he found doubt begin to seep in.

(No, Tails! Don’t think like that! These are your friends…)

“That’s ridiculous!” Sonic shot back. “I believe in my friends. None of us would fall for this crap!”

“That’s rich coming from you anyway,” Knuckles added. “You’re the most likely candidate for going along with Monobuta’s plans, or should I say-your plans! Three of your creations suddenly showing up here isn’t a coincidence!”

“Think what you want, Knuckles.” the doctor barked. “But you all know it’s true! Besides, if I wanted to kill you all, I wouldn’t do it by creating some childish game!”

Before the argument could escalate further, Shadow spoke up, “He’s not wrong.”

“What?!” Amy gasped, staring daggers at him. “Shadow! How can you say that?”

The hybrid sighed. “I’m not endorsing his views. I’m simply acknowledging the truth. The situation has already forced us into distrust. Ignoring that fact would be foolish.”

Sonic stepped forward, visibly frustrated. “Come on, Shads. We’ve faced worse before, and we’ve always come through by sticking with each other!”

“This isn’t the same, Sonic. Back then, our enemy was clear. Here, anyone could be a threat.”

“Finally, someone’s talking sense!” Eggman crowed.

Shadow shot him a cold glare. “Don’t mistake agreement for camaraderie. We’re nothing alike.”

As the argument continued, Sticks paced nervously, muttering to herself. Finally, she blurted, “He has a point. I don’t trust this whole setup. Killing games, exploding robots… it’s got government conspiracy written all over it!” She pointed accusingly at T-Doll and Orbot. “Especially that creepy doll thing and that tin can spy!”

“…!”

T-Doll floated motionless, its empty eyes as unnerving as ever. Orbot, however, beeped indignantly. “Excuse me! I am not part of some conspiracy!”

“Likely story.”

“Guys!” Sonic called out, raising his hands in front of him. “We can’t let Monobuta mess with our heads! Fighting each other is exactly what he wants!”

“I want to believe in everyone…” Blaze said hesitantly. “But I can’t ignore the situation we’ve found ourselves in.”

“Agreed,” Espio added gravely. “I’m sorry, Sonic, but blindly trusting like this is just asking for trouble.”

The murmurs of agreement grew louder, and Sonic’s usual confidence faltered. “Come on, guys. We’re better than this…”

“Listen to him!” Amy pleaded, stepping beside Sonic. “He’s right! We’re stronger together!”

“Yeah!” Mighty nodded. “Don’t let Monobuta win!”

“Sorry, hun,” Rouge sighed. “I just don’t know what to believe right now.”

“I believe that I can’t trust you mammals as far as I can throw you!” Eggman declared bitterly.

Knuckles growled. “Shut it, Eggman!” 

“Make me!”

The room dissolved into chaos, arguments flying in every direction. Even Sonic didn’t seem to know how to reign in the conversation. 

Tails could do nothing but nervously watch the display, hands ringing together as the group slowly fell apart. 

(I have to do something. We don’t have time to argue!)

But before he could open his mouth-

“STOP!”

The commanding voice silenced the room completely. All eyes turned to the source: Maria Robotnik. Her expression was firm, a calm authority radiating off of her.

“Please,” she said. “This is exactly what Monobuta wants. If we keep tearing each other apart, we’ll lose before we’ve even begun.”

“I understand Maria.” Shadow tried to reason gently. “But we can’t afford to get taken off guard. I don’t want you to get caught up in this whole mess.”

Maria smiled warmly at him, her gaze unwavering. “I know, Shadow. But that doesn’t mean we should doubt our friends. If you can’t bring yourself to fully trust them, at least trust in me. I know that everything will be alright, as long as we all band together.”

“I…” Shadow faltered. “I trust you, Maria. I always will. But-“

“Then know that what I say is true. We will all get through this, no killing required.”

Tails couldn’t help but admire the girl before him. She was so confident in her declaration, like she truly believed in everyone there, no matter who they were.

“You’re right, Maria,” Vanilla said, grinning at the girl. “We were all being a bit silly, weren’t we?”

“Y-Yeah,” Barry added nervously. “I don’t know everybody here, but… you all seem nice enough…for the most part.”

“Well said, darling,” Rouge added with a smirk.

“I knew I could count on you to talk some sense into everyone,” Sonic said, flashing her a thumbs-up.

Maria laughed lightly. “Thanks, Sonic.”

Shadow exhaled a quiet sigh, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Fine. You’re far too convincing for your own good sometimes.”

The girl watched with a smile as the group began to perk up one by one. A new hope filling them with the desire to escape.

“Thank you everyone. For now, we should get some sleep. We shouldn’t go against the nighttime rule until we know more about this place. I think we all deserve a good night's rest after today's events.”

“But we still need to find a way out!” Knuckles argued. “Getting comfortable here is just what he wants!”

“I know you don’t like being trapped here, Knuckles,” Amy cut in gently. “But it’s not safe to do anything rash. Let’s sleep on it and tackle that door first thing in the morning.”

“Right,” Sonic agreed. “If we all go at it with clear heads, nothing can stop us!”

Knuckles opened his mouth to argue further, but eventually sighed and hung his head. “All right,” he grumbled. “But we better be out of here first thing in the morning.”

Shadow hummed. ”We should also decide on a place to meet first thing tomorrow so that we can discuss our next move.”

“How about the dining hall?” Mighty suggested, pointing toward the other end of the room. “It’s just down the corridor on the right. You can’t miss it.”

“Good call,” Maria replied. “Let’s all agree to meet there in the morning then.”

Everyone nodded in unanimous agreement, except for Eggman, who puffed out an indigent huff. “Fine, I’ll go along with this ridiculous plan for now. But once we’re out of here, don’t expect me to work with any of you ever again! I’ll be back to destroying you before you know it!”

Tails noticed Maria watching Eggman with a quiet sigh of disappointment.

“Trust me, you won’t have to worry in that regard,” Blaze replied, glaring at the doctor before turning to where Barry and Sticks were standing. “You two said you woke up in front of the dormitories, correct? Care to lead the way?”

“Sure!” Barry agreed. Sticks let out a harsh sigh.

“I guess I’ll play along for now.” She grumbled, before roughly grabbing the quokka. “Let’s get a move on train freak!”

“What..hey!”

She dragged them out of the set of double doors closer to the stage, Barry struggling unsuccessfully to free their arm. Eventually, everyone slowly filed out of the gym behind them, until it was only Tails and T-Doll left.

Tails felt himself sweating under the unwavering stare of the doll. It almost felt like it was…mocking him.

“Uh…” Tails hesitated, feeling awkward under the heavy silence. “Hi?”

“…” The doll didn’t respond, only staring blankly before turning and floating silently out the door. Tails watched it leave, an uneasy pit forming in his stomach.

He could understand all the other ‘students’ being here to some degree, even the stranger ones like Barry and Orbot, but this one…it felt wrong. His head pounded the more he thought about those blank, unseeing eyes.

(Just forget about it for now. I have to get back to the group)

He exhaled sharply, shaking off the discomfort and walking out the door. The corridor looked similar to the one he was in earlier, with the exception that none of the doors had any nameplates this time around. He followed the faint sound of voices down the hall, turning a corner to see two short paths, each leading to a large oval entrance with the words North and West Dormitory written at the top. In the intersection of the hallway sat a blocked-off set of stairs similar to the one from the foyer.  

(Guess this is it. So there are two dormitories then…I wonder which one I should go to.)

“Tails, over here!”

He turned around at the call and was greeted by the sight of a group standing in the middle of the north dorms.

“There you are.” Sonic sighed in relief. “Where'd you run off to, bud?”

“Sorry,” Tails replied sheepishly, glancing toward a certain doll that was now floating silently near the wall. “I, uh, got distracted.”

“This is all so weird,” Amy muttered. “Whoever’s behind this must have been planning this for a while.”

Tails followed her gaze and froze. Nine doors were lining the hallway, each with a nameplate and an image of their face on it. He carefully surveyed each one.

(There’s a room for me, Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, Maria, Shadow, Cream, and Sticks. Even that doll has one…that must mean everyone else is in the other dorm.)

In the middle of the hall, Cream was hugging her mother tightly, unshed tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “I want to stay with you.” 

Vanilla gently petted her daughter’s head. “Don’t worry sweetheart,” she cooed. “The other dormitory is not far from here. No harm will come to you, I promise.”

Amy offered the girl a small smile. “Your mother’s right, Cream. The nighttime rule will make it so that one can leave their rooms after dark. You’ll be safe. And if someone does try to mess with you, they’ll have to go through me first.”

The young rabbit sniffled but eventually gave a small nod, wiping her face. “Okay… I’ll try to be brave.”

Suddenly, another loud ding came from the speakers above.

Ding-dong, ding-dong!~

“Attention! It is almost 10:00 pm! That means it’s time for all good little students to go to bed. After all, it's as they say,  ‘Early to rise, and early to bed will leave a man healthy, wealthy, and probably not dead’. Good night~”

“...I really can’t stand that guy.” Knuckles said after a moment of silence.

Shadow rolled his eyes. “Join the club.” he checked his watch. “But he’s right, we should head into our dorms for the night.”

“Right.” Maria smiled at the small group. “I’ll see you all in the morning then.”

Everyone slowly walked into their respective rooms. Well, almost everyone…

Tails lingered a moment longer, his gaze following T-Doll as it floated toward its room. To his surprise, the door had a small, built-in compartment that it slipped effortlessly through, vanishing inside.

The kit frowned as the same uneasiness from earlier returned, weighing him in place as his brain tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

“You alright?”

He jumped, spinning around to see Sonic standing behind him, looking at him with concern.

“Sonic! I—I thought you already went to your room!”

“Nah,” The other said casually, crossing his arms. “Not until I know you’re good. You looked pretty shaken up there.”

Tails hesitated, looking down at the floor. “It’s nothing. It’s just…that doll gives me the creeps.”

Sonic’s set a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I get it. This whole thing’s pretty messed up. But don’t let it get to you, alright? As long as we’re together in this, no creepy doll or totally not better than the original doppelganger is gonna stop us.”

Tails sighed, managing a small smile at the encouragement. “Thanks, Sonic.”

“Anytime. Now, get some rest—we’ve got a long day tomorrow.”

Sonic gave him one last grin before heading to his room. Tails watched him go, his spirits a little higher. Despite the strange situation they were in, Sonic’s unwavering optimism was exactly what he needed.

(Okay, let’s see what this dorm room is all about.)

He pushed open his door and walked into his room. 

The interior was simple but welcoming: a medium-sized bed with soft-looking sheets, a sturdy wooden desk in one corner, a large wood wardrobe pressed against the wall, and a small bathroom attached in the back. The walls themselves were painted a calming shade of blue, adorned with carefully hand-painted images of cheerful Chao frolicking among flowers and trees. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a nice place to relax.

Tails walked over to the wardrobe, opening it up to reveal the inside.

(What the…)

The interior was lined with rows of multiple pristine white gloves, similar to the ones he was wearing now. They even seemed to all be exactly his size.

(That’s weird. I wonder if the others have the same thing in their rooms. It would make sense, but still, I don’t see a reason why I would need so many spare gloves.)

He sighed and closed the door, wandering over to the desk and switching on a small lamp, bathing the room in a warm glow. Almost instinctively, he reached for the handle of the desk’s drawer, pulling it open and observing the contents.

It was full of various office supplies, each one neatly placed next to the other. He could see a calculator, stapler, and pair of scissors lying next to each other, as well as pens, pencils, and crayons grouped together in three separate pins. Next to them was a stack of various colored paper, with sticky notes and a box of paper clips laid on top of it.

(Do we really need all this? It seems kinda unnecessary. Not to mention having scissors in a place like this…)

The kit frowned, but decided to move on for now. He could figure out everything he discovered so far with the others tomorrow, but for now, he just wanted the day to end.

He turned off the main overhead light, casting the room in darkness, and made his way to the bed. Taking a moment to fluff the pillows, he slipped under the covers, shifting around as he tried to find a comfortable position.

Despite the day’s exhaustion weighing on his body, Tails couldn’t quiet his restless thoughts. Questions raced through his mind, refusing to let him drift off. 

Would they find a way out of this tomorrow? Could the trust that Maria instilled in everyone actually hold up? 

Would someone give in to Monobuta's twisted game?

"No," he muttered softly to himself, shaking his head. He couldn’t let his fears control him. He had to believe in his friends—and himself.

They would find a way to escape. Together.

Taking a deep breath, Tails felt a sense of peace wash over him. Slowly but surely, his thoughts began to quiet, and his eyes grew heavy. He let himself drift into the embrace of sleep, holding tightly to the belief that they would overcome this.

But little did he know, that peace wouldn’t last.

Because inside the walls of their prison, the shadows of the past loomed, the academy waiting in silence to reveal the sinister nature hidden beneath its surface.

An academy of life.

An academy of death.

An academy of despair.