Friends (Tails x Reader) Book 3

Pt5. Stormclouds

After getting finished at the first facility Sonic and Shadow continue their rounds, dragging you along and subjecting you to even more tests of speed and precision. You were precise at least but certainly lacking in speed. Shadow hasn't completely given up on you though so perhaps there was still more you could learn to be a good fit for the third front runner, not that they had much of a choice anyways. Teleporting between facilities, to beaches, to deserts you could feel the exhaustion hitting by the time the sun had started to set, the sky turning a deep orange as you heaved for air along a strip of grass somewhere in a valley filled with windmills.

Shadow looks to the sky, "Alright, that's enough for today."

You fall to your knees as your head droops down. Normally you were used to short and stressful situations, not this long drawn out stuff.

Sonic walks up beside you, "Way to go East! All things considered I think you did great today! I thought for sure you'd collapse hours ago!"

You glare daggers into him as your gaze meets his.

He chuckles awkwardly, taking a few steps back, "I meant that as a compliment.."

Shadow walks up to you, holding a hand down. "Get up. We can go back now." You take his hand and push yourself to your feet, your legs wobbly.
"If you're going to keep up we'll need to do this on a regular schedule until the attack."

A quiet sigh escapes your lips.
"Not to downplay the stakes but- I was told I needed to rest to make a full recovery. If you continue running me ragged you'll only do more harm than good."

He shakes his head, "Time is a luxury we don't have. You will continue to train alongside us til you're either good enough to act as our third or you'll die trying. We don't get second chances the day we attack." His grip tightens, "One slip up, one overstep and its over."

You yank your hand away, "The only thing you didn't test me on was combat, care to explain? Perhaps it's because you already know I'm more than capable." You sneer at him, "Don't push it, hedgehog."

He scoffs, "This attitude again? You're less like a trained warrior and more like a little brat. Suck it up, shut your mouth and do as you're told."

Sonic steps between the two of you, "Whoooa there you guys, c'mon remember we're all after the same thing. No need to get all-"

You push Sonic aside, "No! I don't care who you are you will not speak to me that way!" You clench your fists. "You want to piss me off lab rat? After ripping me out of bed and parading me around ALL DAY!?" You take a swing at Shadow's face, impacting across his cheek as he stumbles back clutching his jaw.

"you ungrateful-

ignorant-

JUVENILE FOOL!"
He dashes up to you, planting a fist into your stomach before jumping up and aiming a kick at your head.

The wind is taken out of your lungs as you dodge downward, avoiding his kick as you tense your body and spring off your arms. Your foot plants itself into his chest as he handsprings back with a scowl on his face.
"WHY DO YOU THINK I'M HERE!? To have a damn tea party!? The fate of the WORLD is at stake and you're complaining about a little exhaustion?" He blinks out before reappearing behind you, grabbing your good arm and twisting it behind your back.
"I've got news for you, (Y/A). You don't get a choice right now. If you fail we all suffer, do you understand that!?"

Sonic raises his hands and is about to speak before you kick a leg up, doing a side flip and breaking out of the grapple, your good hand now holding Shadow's wrist as you looked a fire in his eyes. "I will always have a choice. I've got news for you lab rat, you hold no power over me. Keep on pushing my buttons and see where it gets you because I swear all the chaos emeralds in the world won't be enough to stop me."
You yank on his arm, and as he pulls against your force you flow with his. You slink behind him and jump up into a backflip effectively twisting his arm as your foot presses into his spine, pushing him face down into the grass.