Just so there is no confusion, this is an AU story where the hero's abilities are switched with the villain's. If Sonic is OOC in the first chapter it is because of that. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic the Hedgehog characters

Lines of Defense

Chapter 1: A Visitor

Dripping water? How annoying. I must have forgotten to turn off the facet. I should go fix it but I don't want to get up. Even if my bed is cold…wait?

Tails wakes with a start as he remembers where he is, then scrambles in drowsy panic as the assortment of glassware on the work table starts to shake and fall. After righting a teetering burette and snatching a test tube from thin air, Tails slumps back in his chair with a sigh. His head is pounding now, as if in protest to its renewed activity. Setting the test tube safely in its rack he surveys the wreckage. A few upended beakers but thankfully there are no chemical spills. It really is a wonder considering how cluttered the table is. It seems like every square inch is taken up by a Bunsen burner, a scale, or a manila folder stuffed with papers. Still, it matches the rest of the room which is by no means organized. Machinery and robotic parts are strewn across the floor and large processing units take up a majority of the space.

I really need to do something about that, Tails decides, but without much conviction. Stretching he tries to remember what he was doing before his impromptu nap. It had been something to do with the new mineral. Was it another experiment? That was it. He had been waiting for the refined portion to dry before he nodded off.

Tails rolls his chair over to the drying oven, a device that looks something like a safe but without a lock. Opening it, he uses a pair of tongs to lift out a little clay bowl from within. The contents, a fine white powder, are dry he notes with satisfaction. Carefully he scrapes the powder onto a little metal plate.

"Now all I need is a light," he mumbles to himself as he picks out a sparker from the mess. Holding the apparatus above the powder he strikes the flint. Nothing happens. He tries again but with similar results. Looking closer at the sparker he sees that the flint is nearly gone. Sighing he starts searching through drawers until he finds a replacement underneath a positively ancient peanut butter sandwich. Putting the device back in position he is about to light it when the door opens. In walks a blue hedgehog, appearing deep in thought. He is about to say something when-

"Tails! What are you doing!" he suddenly yells.

Tails looks up in surprise at the outburst and is even more confused when the newcomer hurriedly snatches the sparker from his fingers.

"Are you trying to blow us all sky high!"

"But you said-

"Add heat after adding the distilled liquid!"

Tails eyes widen in realization and he wonders at just how close he came to a fiery death.

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"What?" The sudden question jolts Tails out of his reverie.

"You've got dark circles under your eyes. At this rate you'll look more like a raccoon than a fox."

"Well-I-um stayed up all night working."

"Again?"

"Again."

Sonic rolls his eyes and motions for Tails to add the forgotten liquid.

"I hope you see the hazard this time."

"Yeah." Tails replies as he pours the last drop onto the powder.

"Good, because it's not just your health I'm worried about. The lab is no place for distraction." The last is said with a little flourish as Sonic brings the sparker just above the moistened mineral.

"As scientists we must live with precision."

With a practiced flick he lights the concoction. The two observers wait anxiously to see what happens. It takes a minute but the mineral starts to coalesce into a deep amber crystalline form. The reaction sticks, and Tails is about to proclaim their success when it breaks down. With a dismissive gurgle the crystal collapses into a soggy gray mush. Tails looks crestfallen and Sonic sighs.

"And at times we must live with disappointment."

"Want me to get another sample?"

"No. I think we'll leave this project alone for the time being. For now, I'll see what I can do on the Hyperion model."

"I'll help too," the loyal kit says, but Sonic can tell from his voice that he barely has enough energy to keep his eyes from drooping.

"No. You are going to rest."

"But you need my help to align the circuitry."

"Actually, I was going to work on the armor today. There's an alloy I want to try that is lighter than what we've used before. The structure however will have to be arranged for the lack of durability. Maybe a different core component could fix that. Then there's a few movement joints I need to account for and…" he trails off as he sees that Tails has dozed off and curled up in his chair. Sonic just shakes his head. He was glad to have Tails as his assistant and even more so as his friend but the fox could be overzealous at times.

Now how am I going to get him to his own bed, he thought knowing full well the consequences of sleeping in one of those cramped lab chairs.

A blaring alarm makes such thoughts unnecessary as the kit is jolted awake for the second time this day. Unfortunately, on this occasion the results are more destructive as a flailing kick sends a beaker flying. It sails through the air and narrowly misses Sonic's head before shattering impressively against the far wall.

"Oh h-,"before the disgruntled fox can get any farther Sonic grabs a hold of him and drags him out the door.

"While I'm sure you were about to utter a very deep and profound statement," the hedgehog chuckles as they both start running, "It appears we have an uninvited guest."

"Is it him?" Tails asks as they reach the end of the hall and step into an elevator.

"Boldly attacking a fortified city with some of the best defensive technology on the planet," the hedgehog's look darkens dangerously, "Who else could it be."