#hateeeeeeeee himmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[timeclipsed]

— ;; OVERPOWERED, OUTSPOKEN AND DEFEATED IN all aspects, it's foolhardy to so much as consider opening his mouth again, if only to preserve what little dignity and physical stability he has left beneath Tails' foot. Nothing stops the smugness that emanates, however, oozing venomous vitriol in a stannic attempt to reclaim his clutch on the situation. Damage control that only grows more collateral with each word for all but himself.

❝Oh yes! Go on, then, boy. Scuttle off with your little saviors. We'll see how well that works out for you after a few weeks.❞ Glued solely onto Chronos, that unwavering gaze challenges the little bit of autonomy he's gained from the situation. ❝I'm the only one who can tolerate keeping you around! You'll be back when they realize just how twisted and terrible you really are.❞

— ;; HUGGING KIT CLOSER, THE INVITATION extended by Tails seems to be wordlessly accepted as Chronos twists on a foot and scuttles out of the room, rushing towards the stairs. Visibly, audibly, those broken sobs haunt the darkened hallways. Robotnik's voice calls after, further damning him into the fuscous hole of self-loathing.

❝And don't cry if the Zone Cops come banging on your door about an anonymous tip they received regarding a certain enemy fugitive that's evaded their grasp for a year and a half!❞

Tails is silent for a moment. Between Kit's threat, Robotnik's attempt at emotional manipulation and Chronos' own breakdown, he had a lot to juggle. But all in all, none of it changed the simple fact of the matter;

Tails didn't care.

A foot is planted firmly onto Robotnik's metal arm as Tails leans in closer to the Doctor, aiming to keep him pinned. "...You spend all this time trying to manipulate a child into giving you what you want. And the second you lose control of the situation, you flounder. You try to appeal to my sense of fatherhood, when that's what's driving me to do this in the first place." His tone is low - angry, but a quiet rage that he seems to have largely under control.

"It's funny... where I'm from, my Robotnik is the one who took off my arm. And I forgave him when he decided he was going to go into hiding. I've seen that there's a real human in there somewhere... but when I look at you, all I see is a sad excuse for a scientist, chasing phantoms."

He looks up at Chronos and Kit. He didn't doubt that what Robotnik was saying was true - maybe there was something dangerous about these kids. But in his eyes, the only real danger was leaving them like this.

He takes a deep breath. "...Even if everything he's said is true... I'm not going to sit by and let him continue his projects. If he has to hurt someone to get what he wants, then it deserves intervention. If you two don't want to come with me, then I will walk out and leave right now. But all I want is to offer you both a way out of this. Somewhere he can't hurt you anymore.

"I'm not asking for your trust... but I care for your safety, and I've seen too much of what's happened here to sit idly by any longer."