Heroes (Tails x Reader) Book 4

XII. The Sky with Stars so Bright

The comms seem to return to normal while the timer displayed an icon of a bomb going off, all other squad leaders confirming their locations as Tails drives out of the remains of the base with the others in tow. Ava looks up at you in the distance, relief apparent on her face while Shadow squinted up in silence...

Ava sighs quietly, her elevated tone getting back under control. "You idiot, don't scare us like that..."

Tails watches you with a worried expression... You had done it again, and while this power was helping he remembered all too clearly what happened last time you absorbed too much energy... He turns to Shadow, "Do you think I can borrow your inhibitor rings?"

Shadow raises a brow, "For what? You already have plenty of others that are much more suitable."

Tails points up to you, his expression stiffening. "For them. You said it yourself already..." he stammers for a moment, "-we can't have a repeat of last time, LOOK at them up there! There's no way this isn't leagues worse than last time! I can fly the rings up to them but we need reliable tech and not my shoddy, thrown together project!"

"Tails, I know what you're getting at but it won't work the way you think." Shadow pushes himself to his feet, supporting his weight on the side of the car. "I am the Ultimate Lifeform, my inhibitor rings were designed for my use alone. I generate Chaos energy internally, they don't. For all we know putting these on would cause even more damage."

Ava perks slightly, finally tuning in. "Chaos energy? Is that what the boss is juiced up on? Why would you want to get rid of it, they're just getting started!"

Tails lowers his hand, "The last time they took in too much they almost... died.. It's the reason why they went into a coma last time! We have to get something to regulate the power before it rips them apart!" He presses a button on the console, the car's body shifting and extending once more as it's wings stood tall, the engine spinning up at it returned to jet form.

Shadow weakly throws himself over the side of the jet, Sonic jumping out and helping him down.
He looks back up to Tails before turning to the black hedgehog, "Shadow, for all we know there might not be anything else we can do for them, right? You guys saw firsthand last time so I don't know how much worse they are now, but I'd imagine you have some idea..?"

"Unfortunately I do." Shadow glances up at you, "Last time they only emitted a blue glow, for them to show this much is similar to what happens to a fractured Chaos Emerald. By rights as it stands they're already full of what we could deem as infinite energy." He sighs, "I... don't know what will become of them regardless of inhibitor rings or not. The damage was done the moment they absorbed all of that."

Tails shakes his head firmly, holding his hand out toward Shadow. "You're already too banged up to continue, right? By taking off your rings it allows your body to release all it's power, so do that to recover while I do all  can to make sure East comes out alive. I'm not asking anymore, I'm commanding you as one of the leaders of this operation."

Everyone's eyes go a little wide at Tails' demand, Ava cracking a small grin. Shadow lowers his head slightly, looking at the fox's outstretched hand. "To be clear Tails, my rings are not an end-all to the problem." He slides the left wrist off, "I understand what's at risk of being lost, and I don't believe it would be right either..." and then the right, placing them in the fox's hand. "but remember what you represent for this operation, you can't afford to appear defeated regardless of what happens."

Tails takes the rings and presses a few buttons into his console. "I'm sick of everyone looking down on me... If you don't have anything constructive to add then I'd prefer you stop talking."