『Sontails』Mechanical Remnants

Suppressor

Faster... Faster! He channeled Arc Light, the energy surging through him, leaving Sonic a blur of electric blue. But...

It wasn't enough. No time to deploy a Light Barrier. Only one option left...

Take the hit.

Sonic braced himself, turning to shield Tails. The blast of Void Plasma detonated, the impact shattering Sonic's overshield and sending him and Tails flying.

Now!

Ignoring the sting of the ground against his fur and the icy burn of Void energy, Sonic pushed himself up. A massive, shimmering Ward of Dawn erupted from him, a dome of violet Void Light intercepting the remaining blasts.

"Tails, are you–"

Sonic's pupils shrank to pinpricks.

Tails was dazed, the pain only now registering. As Sonic's voice reached him, he gasped, the agony overwhelming the adrenaline, crashing over him like a tidal wave.

He sucked in a breath, his body slick with cold sweat. His and Sonic's gazes locked onto his left arm. Or rather...

Where his left arm should have been. Not just the hand...

The entire arm... gone.

"Tails... no..."

No!!!

Gasp!

Sonic jolted awake, drenched in sweat. Tails, sitting at his computer, swiveled around in his chair, pulling off his headset. "...Another nightmare?"

"...Yeah." Sonic's voice was clipped. He shook his head, a wry twist to his lips. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Just... gotta catch my breath."

Tails hopped out of his chair and hugged Sonic. Sonic didn't resist, closing his eyes, focusing on his breathing, the comforting feel of Tails' soft fur against him. As his heart rate slowed, he realized he was clinging to Tails.

"Thanks, Tails."

"Don't mention it, old timer..." Tails blushed, lightly bopping Sonic on the head before pulling away. "Okay, since you're up... down to business."

"Another mission?"

"Nah. It's us. Sonic, it's suppressor day again."

Tails double-checked the reminder on his phone, though it was hardly necessary. He was the one who prepared the suppressors, after all.

"Ugh, the day of suffering returns." Sonic scratched his head, grimacing.

The Light suppressor the Vex had implanted wasn't just a suppressor. Vex tech was practically toxic to organic life. Their entire existence revolved around assimilation and rewriting reality. The suppressor was no different. Left unchecked, it would eventually... convert Sonic into one of them.

So, regular suppressor injections were necessary to keep the conversion, the infection, at bay. "Vaccine" might be a more accurate term.

But there was a painful side effect: a burning fever, even Sonic found hard to endure. The suppressors themselves were Vex tech, reprogrammed by Tails to fight the infection. Like two armies battling inside his body – no matter who won, he was the battlefield. The fever usually lasted a couple of days.

"So, this time... I'll go first. My side effects aren't as bad as yours." Tails offered. He needed the suppressors too, thanks to his mechanical arm... salvaged from a Vex.

Back then... it had been an emergency. To get back into the fight quickly, Tails had grafted the Vex arm onto himself. At least, that was the official story.