demanded.

Sonic, feeling a pang of nerves, managed a sheepish smile. "Because she has been your best friend since the very beginning?" he responded, hoping to appeal to the sense of loyalty that Tails held so dear.

Tails scoffed, his voice dripping with cynicism. "A human? It can't be my friend. Only a lump of dead meat is what it would be..." he retorted, clearly unswayed by Sonic's words.

"But it's true," you interjected, your voice flat and determined. You stepped forward, dropping your arms, straightening your back with a defiant spark in your eyes. Tails stood his ground, unwavering and on guard. He eyed you with a scoff.

"Then prove it." He hissed.

You both gazed at each other with cold, piercing eyes, a sense of defiance filled the room until you smiled.

"Truthfully. I don't have anything to prove to you," you firmly spoke, refusing to back down from his challenging stare.

Counting his tails, you noticed he had two organic tails and seven metallic ones. The unique combination intrigued you. "Lemme guess. Your name is... Nine?" you teased, a smirk forming on your lips. His expression wavered for a moment but quickly regained its composure. "How creative. I knew my friend had a habit of naming things after obvious details. Tell me I am wrong, and I would quickly stop thinking that we are friends," you retorted, his expression slipping into a more thoughtful one.

You could sense Nine's internal struggle. Perhaps he was torn between accepting the familiarity you seemed to imply or maintaining his guarded demeanor. Regardless, curiosity got the better of him as he finally caved in a little. "No, you are right. But not enough for me to believe you," he begrudgingly admitted, his metallic tails twitching a bit.

Seizing this opportunity to pique Nine's interest, you extended your hands, showcasing the locked gloves around your wrists. "They are permanently locked around my wrist. If you find a way to open them in an hour, I'll tell you more. It wouldn't be too hard for you, now, is it, big brain?" you explained, a mischievous glint in your eyes.

Nine rolled his eyes, seeing through your intentions. "As expected. Using me to free you from your restrictions. Didn't surprise me one bit. Oh, I wonder why? Don't think I'll fall for your tricks," he scoffed, his skepticism a clear defense against your persuasive words.

Meanwhile, Sonic, who had been anxiously observing the heated exchange, wanted to intervene but was reassured by a glance from you. He understood that this clash between you and Nine needed to unfold without his interruption.

You shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, your loss. I don't lose anything from this, but you may die of curiosity."

Unfazed by your words, Nine turned around and headed back to his table, seemingly uninterested in pursuing the mystery further as he muttered. "As if I would" However, you decided to push Nine's skepticism to its limits. "What would you do if I were to say you made them?" you called out, a hint of challenge in your voice.

Nine paused and turned to face you. "That's impossible," he countered, folding his arms over his chest. "Because if I did, I would remember." He stand his ground.

You couldn't help but smirk at the doubt on his face. "But you didn't remember Sonic either, did you?" you pointed out, bringing up the same excuse Sonic himself had used, that he might forget everything about them.

Hesitation clouded Nine's gaze as he mulled over your words. He shook his head, clearly grappling with the possibility that something deeper was at play.

Growing tired of the back-and-forth, you sighed, resolving to make one final move. "Look, if I wanted to use you, would I really waste my chance with these gloves?"

Reluctantly, Nine gave in to his competitive nature and let curiosity take over. "Fine, but I don't need an hour. I can do it under ten minutes," he challenged, his desire to prove you wrong becoming his driving force. "I am doing this so you can stop whining for me and leave me alone."

Leaning in, you met his gaze defiantly. "Sure," you quietly uttered, a small smirk appearing at the corner of your lips. Deep down, you knew Tails possessed the intelligence and resourcefulness to solve the lock, but would Nine be able to do the same? After all, he wasn't the creator of the gloves. While his intelligence may rival Tails', your point would stand. "I can gladly leave you alone, in fact, I would be happy to, but only if you can solve it."

To your surprise, Nine's metallic tails shot out and grabbed your arm harshly, causing you to stumble backward into a chair. His expression remained as cold and tight as his grip on your arm. His other metallic tails raised and moved with precision, ready to tackle the challenge at hand. "Sit tight, human. And don't move. This is going to be anything but nice. I am not playing any of your games," he warned, his voice laced with a hint of threat.

Chuckling wearily, you leaned back in the chair, realizing you had no power left to fight. "Just sit and wait? Oh, I can gladly do that," you murmured, hoping that Nine's determination would lead him to success. Despite everything, you knew that Sonic wouldn't leave you alone either. If Nine did solve the riddle, Sonic would drive Nine to delve into his mind, ensuring that you weren't left out of the loop.