Knuckles strived to shove a pair of hefty steel doors shut whilst sweat began to dot across his head. Still, he gave an exasperated sigh once the doors slammed closed- doing a fairly decent job in blocking out blaring alarms and blinking red lights. But he did wince upon hearing a sudden bang against the metal entryways, followed by screeching clawing.

He turned to rest against the doors and met a twin tailed fox with flattened ears and wide eyes. "What on Mobius are you on about?"

"D-didn't you see it? That thing out there...somehow Robotnik created a metal version of-." Tails glanced at his sitting blue friend- whose gaze was distant. So he lowered his voice. "He made a metal lookalike of Sonic."

Knuckles turned to watch the slowly rocking hedgehog and acknowledged the others burn marks, scars and darkening bruises. He frowned. "Sweet Gaia. If he has a-."

"The original is tough enough as is. There's got to be a way to shut that machine down. We don't want a metal copy of you, after all."

Tails took to exploring the room they'd took temporary refuge in. With the shelves stacked with boxes and papers, alien machines and simple desks the fox concluded this was some sort of research lab. Blueprints of Badniks in many forms smothered the desks and a sickly green lighting lined the steel floor. The walls were a crisp white and the lighting in the room was a dim yellow.

Tails edged his way over to the central desk and plopped himself down on the thinly cushioned stool. There, he examined the box shaped computer with a red lit keyboard before craning his head to check in on his companions. Knuckles flinched upon the door banging again but still tried to create conversation with a laboured breathing Sonic. Without much response beyond weak wheezes, the echidna looked to Tails rather helplessly. The young kit gave a measly shrug and apologetic expression prior to returning his focus back on the computer.

"Gonna help Tails. We aren't far." Knuckles muttered to Sonic who- if he heard- didn't give any sign.

With the doors undergoing gruelling clawing the red guardian hesitantly approached the fox. Standing behind the other, he watched Tails type away and opted to cross his own arms.

"If we can shut down, or destroy, Robotnik's machine- wouldn't he have that on the computer that was with the machine?"

"Probably. But if it's all connected then I should be able to access it from here. Although, hacking isn't my forte."

"Out of the three of us, you're our best shot."

"Thanks."

Knuckles hummed and upon the door being slammed again he watched. But shortly after his eyes moved to Sonic who seemed to have paused in half way standing as he too, watched the entryway.

"Is he okay?" The echidna whispered.

Tails briefly glanced at the hedgehog in question. "Sonic's the strongest mobian I know. He...he'll be fine."

"Nobody's had that done to them before. That we know of, at least."

"Then he'll soon joke about how he's the first."

"He seems like he's in pain." Knuckles frowned, watching Sonic lean against the wall with a sigh upon standing.

"I didn't say he's invincible. Darn it." Tails pouted upon the computer denying access once again.

"I've noticed Sonic heals quicker than we would if we were dealt the same hits. He just needs a break."

Knuckles watched the fox's attempt at breaching the device fail again. "Maybe there's something around here that has the password?"

"I've tried everything that means something to Robotnik." Tails slipped off the stool to dig through the desks draws.

The red guardian began exploring some of the shelves. "He's smart ain't he? There's a chance he's thrown a bunch of words together for it."

"Robotnik tends to look over small details. Passwords probably aren't at the top of his agenda."

"Then-."

"I can feel him."

Tails and Knuckles paused at the voice and simultaneously looked to Sonic who held his head. His face was twisted as if in heavy discomfort and his other hand still leaned against the wall. Shockingly, the burn marks were already largely faded and his bruising had begun to lessen.

"What?" Tails chose to ask.

"That...me. I can feel it." Sonic observed the screeching doors. Thus, his ears lowered.

"You mean that robot?" Knuckles inquired.

"Yeah. In here." The blue blur tapped the side of his head. "It's like we're...connected or somethin'."

"Does it hurt?" The young kit slowly approached his closest friend.

"Not really. But it feels...wrong. I-it's hard to explain."

"Then let's focus on gettin' out-." Seeing Sonic stumble, Knuckles quickly hurried over and slung an arm around the other to keep him upright.

"'M fine."

"Sit him down. I'll keep looking." Tails instructed prior to expanding his search with the other desks.

Once Knuckles did so, he continued his exploration with the other side of the rooms shelving. Occasionally, he glanced at Sonic to ensure he was still sitting (the hedgehog always doing so with a pained and confused look). But soon his attention was snagged by a photograph peaking out of a box. With a raised eye ridge, Knuckles pulled the box down prior to slipping the picture out.

"Hey Tails, think I found something."

The fox was quick to approach. "What is it?"

Knuckles held the photo up for the other to see. "It's a black and white photo. There's a girl and-."

"Is that him?" The kit's eyes grew cartoonishly wide.

"What?"

"Beside the girl. Is that-?"

"Let's find out." Knuckles clambered up, took Tails' hand and marched over to Sonic- then shoved the picture into the hedgehog's view.

The speedster squirmed back a touch with a lifted eye ridge. "What?"

"You've known Robotnik longest. This look like him?"

Sonic opened his mouth to protest, but was quickly distracted by the photograph. On it, a smiling young girl waved and her other arm rested on the shoulders of a shorter, round boy. The former wore a spotted dress with slippers and odd plasters. The latter had round glasses and wore a lab coat far too big with a tuft of bouncy hair. But still, his grin gave it all away. Tensely, Sonic took the picture into his own hands.

"That's him."

"Who's the girl?"

"I...I dunno."

"Look." Tails swiped the photo back and flipped it so the back was revealed. In the bottom right corner was a small, faded inscription.

"Ivo's first visitation to see...Maria?" Sonic read.

"Who's Maria?" Knuckles questioned.

Tails' fingers snapped and he flew over to the computer. "Our key to getting in this thing." He typed in the name.

"I really doubt that's-."

The fox looked up with a smirk. "We're in."

—————

"This looks...pretty normal." Sonic noted, standing behind Tails with a foot drumming the floor.

"What were you expecting?" At the hedgehogs side, Knuckles almost snorted.

"Well I dunno, but not...this."

The computer held small images of what any computer would. There didn't appear to be anything out the ordinary, but Tails did find something...out of place. In the bottom left corner, there was small Robotnik Empire insignia. He clicked on the symbol to flinch back upon the screen fazing through black and red colours.

"What the...." Sonic leaned forward just as the computer revealed an unbelievably long list-

"These are names...." Tails mumbled and pulled the mouse across the letters.

"Look here. 'David Evans. Age: twenty four. Dis...discontinued?'"

Sonic gave an empty laugh. "You sure it says that?"

"What in Chaos does discontinued mean?" Knuckles demanded.

"When something's no longer-."

"In this context!"

"There's more." The blue speedster interjected, tapping the screen.

Tails began scrolling. "'Mary Smith. Billy Maxwell. Both...discontinued. Markus Fisher, current use: repairs."

"Current use-? Oh...oh mother of Chaos...." Sonic paled.

Knuckles rested a mitt on the fox's shoulder to prevent himself from stumbling. "Please tell me this isn't what I think it is...."

"If you're thinking that this is the list of names of robotisized mobians, then you're out of luck." Tails gulped. "Because this most definitely is that."

"Let's...okay. I don't know if you guys noticed, but it's soundin' pretty quiet out there right now. And I don't feel that thing anymore." Sonic quickly moved around the desk (ignoring his slight whiplash).

He tapped a finger against his palm. "So, let's get that information and go- yeah? I don't fancy being here for any longer than we need to be."

Knuckles marched his way over to the doors, fists hitting each other. "We could do with that plane of yours."

Tails allowed the pairs conversation to fade as his hand left the mouse- a finger sliding over it's scroll wheel. He dug through the desks draws and sighed upon seeing a small black stick. He popped it's lid off and went to click the stick in the side of the computer- but froze upon meeting the screen.

For a moment the rooms lights were blinding, the computer's hum was deafening and his surroundings swayed. Colours crashed into each other as two names leaped out of the device's screen- practically screaming for him. His heart pounded, his eyes strung and he could feel a storm raging within his belly.

"Tails?" Came Sonic's voice.

"It...it's my parents." The kit croaked.

"'A-Amadeus Prower a-and Rosemary Pr-Prower. I know they're...." His vision swirled.

"Discontinued."