The Tails had all found each other rather quickly. All were enthusiastic about finally meeting each other in person. After everyone said their joyous greetings, Boom 2 turned to Boom 1.
"I know you're the fake," he said, "who are you? And how did you mimic me so well?"
Boom 1 blushed slightly and twiddled with his glove. Instantly, he got taller. One of his tails shrunk and disappeared, and he became more feminine. A young vixen now stood were Boom 1 had been.
"Zooey?" Boom 2 (now just Boom) asked with surprise.
There was sudden laughter. Everyone turned with surprise to Modern, who was laughing much too hard for the circumstance.
"This is one of your robots, isn't it?" Boom asked, annoyed.
"No, I'm not a robot," Zooey said softly.
"No," Modern said at the same time, then waited politely until Zooey finished.
He then continued, "She's just like another friend of mine who has the same ability."
"A vixen?" AoStH asked with disgust.
"Yeah," Modern said, blushing slightly, "her name is Chloe. She works- worked- for Eggman."
Sensing the tension coming, he hurried, "She's a spy for us."
The tension eased slightly.
Among those still sceptical were Boom and AoStH.
"Are you sure she isn't a double agent?" Boom asked.
"Yeesh, you sound like Shadow," came a voice from above.
Everyone looked up at the sky. A crow with a red streak under her wings flew overhead, then turned abruptly in mid-flight and turned into a vixen slightly younger than Modern. She landed in a similar fashion to Sonic, then straightened and turned to Boom, putting her hand on her hips.
"I thought all Tails were trusting," she accused in a playful way.
Boom backed away quickly, startled.
"Sorry, I was just being cautious and...," he blubbered.
Chloe laughed.
"He blubbers like you do, though," she commented to Modern, who blushed hard.
The other Tails laughed.
Boom quickly regained his composure and tried to act annoyed.
"Lively friend you got there. Reminds me of someone. Four someones, actually," he told Modern, pretending to be offended.
"Are we sure we can trust her?" AoStH asked.
"Decide quickly, because I don't have much time," Chloe said, checking her watch, "the FlyBot is due to come in two minutes."
"We're listening," Boom said, alert.
"The Eggmans have put their all into this one," Chloe said, voice suddenly low, "they have combined forces to take out... you."
"What?" Lego asked.
"But Robotnik hates Sonic, not us!" Sat AM protested.
The Tails turned to Modern, whose head was down. AoStH's was too.
"What better way to make Sonic suffer than to tell him we're dead?" AoStH said softly.
"Not just tell him. Show him," Chloe said.
Ten heads came up.
"You mean..." X said, voice tight with fear.
"That is exactly what I mean," Chloe confirmed.
Modern rubbed his temples and shook his head.
"First Lost World, then Forces, and now this. This might be the scheme that will drive us as crazy as he was," he groaned.
The others were silent. Chloe was the only one who wasn't.
"I'm sorry this is what I have to report. I wish I had something better," she said apologetically, "fortunately, this next thing is better, but not by too much. The Eggmans will have you guys on constant surveillance, as well; a sort of entertainment."
"Can we at least take a rest?" Sat AM asked.
"Nope," AoStH said, "that's the first thing you learn about being Sonic's friend. You never get a rest."
A violent trembling shook the earth, knocking everyone to their knees. The Tails flew into the air, Modern holding Chloe, and Boom holding Zooey. Both vixens turned into duplicates of the Tails from their universes and hovered next to them.
"Hope no one is getting hurt in this," X commented, watching trees fall.
The others nodded their agreement as Chloe flew off and a FlyBot flew in.