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𝟑𝐫𝐝•Pov
Y/n and Shadow stood in silence, deep within the forest, far from prying eyes, far from where Tails could track her.

"I will keep trying to help you realize the hard truth" Shadow said, his crimson gaze locked onto hers.

Y/n tilted her head in confusion. "What hard truth?"

Shadow looked away briefly. "Don't worry about it... for now, let's go." He reached for her hand, gripping it firmly yet gently, leading her further into the dense woods.
—

Tails, a nagging feeling of unease settled in his chest.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Sonic asked, noticing Tails tense expression.

"I... I can't track Y/n" Tails muttered, his eyes darting over his computer screen. The tracker showed nothing no signal, no location, just blank space.

"She's fine, Tails. You know that. She's a robot, she can take care of herself." Sonic gave him a reassuring grin, but his words only made Tails feel worse.

'She's just a robot.'

The phrase echoed in his mind, stinging in a way he didn't want to admit. He tried to shake off the feeling, forcing himself to focus.

"Let's just play" Amy said, passing out the cards for their game night.

"Weird... Shadow's not here either" Rouge noted, crossing her arms.

That's when it clicked for Tails.

He wouldn't... right?

No. He did.
—

Shadow finally found a secluded spot where they could stay for the time being. As he glanced over at Y/n, he noticed her looking down at her hands.

"Looks like I'm low on battery" she said, her voice monotone, lacking the usual spark.

Shadow frowned. "Stay here."

Before she could respond, he used Chaos Control, teleporting to Eggman's lair. He was sound asleep, unaware of the intruder rummaging through his lab.

Shadow swiftly grabbed every charging cable he could find before teleporting back.

The sight that greeted him made his chest tighten Y/n was slumped on the ground, her power completely drained.

Quickly kneeling beside her. He tested the cables one by one until finally, one worked. The small clip in her hair flickered with a soft glow, indicating she was charging.

Shadow exhaled, crossing his arms as he stared at her lifeless form.

"I can't believe I've grown interested in a robot... one that used to annoy me" he muttered under his breath.

After a while, he carefully lifted her into his arms. She was surprisingly heavy when powered off, but he managed, carrying her as he searched for a better shelter.

He wasn't going back not until he made her see the truth.
—

Back at the workshop, Tails fingers flew across the keyboard, desperately trying to locate
Y/ n's signal. Nothing.

"Tails, calm down" Sonic said, watching his friend spiral. "Shadow wouldn't do something like that."

Tails clenched his jaw. "He had an outburst when he found out I erased him from her memory."

The room fell silent.

"Wait, what?" Rouge's eyes narrowed. "You erased him from her memory?"

"It was what was best for her" Tails defended, though his voice lacked confidence.

"How is that best for her?" Amy demanded, frustration evident in her tone.

Tails hesitated before finally admitting, "If she ever figured out she was more than just a simple helper bot... If she realized she was built to feel emotions, to be something beyond programming... it could cause her to malfunction. She could shut down permanently, with no way of repairing her. If that happened, she'd be gone forever." His voice wavered slightly, but he meant every word.

Sonic sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I get that you were trying to protect her, but erasing Shadow? That was too much, man. No wonder he lost it."

The room fell into another heavy silence.

"She'll come back" Sonic finally said, as if trying to convince not only Tails but himself. "We know that."

But Tails wasn't so sure anymore.