^^

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𝟑𝐫𝐝•Pov
Tails sat back in his chair, arms crossed, as he studied the data on his screen. His eyes flickered toward Shadow, narrowing slightly.

"Well, looks like you're fine, Y/n," he said, but his voice held a hint of suspicion. "Still... who knows what Shadow did to you."

Before Shadow could say anything, Tails reached forward and powered Y/n off. Her body went still, her eyes dimming as she shut down.

Shadow's fists clenched. "What was that for?" he asked, his voice edged with irritation.

Tails turned to face him fully. "I'll be giving you this warning," he said, his tone unusually serious. "What you did—messing with her software—was wrong." He exhaled, running a hand through his fur. "But what I did... that was wrong, too."

Shadow furrowed his brows. He wasn't expecting Tails to admit that.

The fox continued, his voice quieter now. "I told Blaze this, and now I'm telling you... Spend as much time as you can with Y/n before she breaks down and malfunctions."

Shadow stiffened. "What?"

"You heard me," Tails said, turning back to his work. "No matter how well I built her, she wasn't meant to last forever. The block I put in her software? It wasn't just there to keep her from remembering—it was a failsafe. Without it, her system is running on borrowed time."

Shadow's gaze darkened. "You mean to tell me... she's going to shut down for good?"

Tails didn't meet his eyes. "...Eventually."

A heavy silence filled the workshop.

Shadow knew exactly what Tails was implying, and yet, he refused to accept it. He had just gotten Y/n back he wasn't about to let her slip away.

Still, there was no point in arguing.

Without another word, Shadow turned on his heel and left the workshop.

—

Later that night, Shadow sat on the edge of the rooftop, staring up at the sky.

The stars twinkled faintly, but he wasn't really looking at them. His mind was too focused on what Tails had said.

"Spend as much time as you can with Y/n before she breaks down and malfunctions."

Like that was going to happen.

He refused to let it happen.

"Shadow?"

Shadow turned slightly, seeing Y/n standing behind him. She had powered herself back on, probably without Tails knowing.

She walked over, sitting beside him. "What are you doing up here?"

"Thinking," he replied simply.

Y/n hummed. "About what?"

Shadow was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "...You."

Y/n tilted her head. "Me?"

Shadow glanced at her. Her expression was soft, innocent completely unaware of the reality that was waiting for her.

He wasn't going to tell her.

Not yet.

Instead, he said, "Tails says your system is stable now, but we should keep an eye on it."

Y/n nodded. "Alright

But this wasn't exactly the end?