Authors' Note: Hi everyone! First thing's first, this drabble-ish story will be written by us TWO people, Ulquiorra D. Cifer and Tsuki-shining09. So yeah, we made this account for the two of us cuz you know, we are awesome that way and come up with good stuff together and...stuff. We might post chapters individually or co-write one chapter together sometimes, depending on the situation. We look over each other's stuff and you might notice different writing styles (not in the same chapter) but it won't be too bad.
Ah, and Ulquiorra D. Cifer wrote this first chapter (hope you like it) and Tsuki-shining09 edited.
-Tsuki-shining09
My god, this is probably the most time I've ever spent on anything. My first fanfic is probably smaller than this. - Ulquiorra D. Cifer
Disclaimer: All characters of Sonic the Hedgehog used rightfully belong to SEGA and/or Sonic Team.
Crime is a problem only born from the making of Laws. Justice is pursued by the people who believe that there is right from wrong. When one finds that there is a connection between these two, they will stop at nothing to pursue that which goes out of their way to harm the lives of others. We find this motive in the eyes of heroes and heroines. But where does it start? It starts in the minds of young children who have not been corrupted by this world's darkness and unspeakable disasters.
In a much undeveloped part of town a homeless man pushes a shopping cart, filled with bags of recyclables, clothes, and very little food, over an old, narrow wooden bridge. The heavy morning fog makes the man weary and chills him to the bone which doesn't have much more than skin to protect it from the elements. Halfway across the bridge he hears footsteps. As the sound becomes more defined he realizes someone is running towards him and he pauses. Out of the heavy fog comes an unrecognizable figure in a ski mask and it pushes the cart out of his way, dumping several plastic bags into the river below. The homeless man, caught off guard, falls to his knees. As he makes an attempt to get up a young, emerald colored crocodile shoots out from the fog running full speed in the direction of the masked figure.
"Get back here bastard! Sorry ol' mister!" The young reptile keeps running in spite of the weak man's need for help.
"Yeah yeah! Sorry mister!" A young honey bee flies overhead to catch up with his reptilian friend. The homeless man lies on the floor of the bridge, dumbfounded and confused as to what just happened. He finally manages to lift himself up with the hand rail of his shopping cart. His eyes light up to what he sees in his cart. On top of some soggy plastic bags, which should be up river by now, lies a chocolate bar.
"T-thank you" The old man looks around but sees no one to thank.
Around five blocks away, the young crocodile and the even younger honey bee trail the masked man as fast as their feet will allow them to. The bag making jingling noises doesn't seem to be slowing down the bandit. They come to a one way street with buildings on one side, equally spaced out, making dead-end alleys with gates leading to another street. The young crocodile's dark-orange eyes are barely able to make this out but he soon notices that this could work to their advantage.
"Charmy, now!" the young crocodile waves his white glove-covered hand in a circular motion and makes sure that the bee, Charmy, can see it.
"Roger that!" The honey bee's voice catches the attention of the masked man, still running to protect his identity. Charmy flies over him and blocks him from proceeding by flashing his stinger up. The bandit stops and tries to run back but sees the young crocodile quickly coming towards him. He looks to his right and sees an alley. There is too much fog for him to tell whether or not it leads somewhere else but he acts without the friction of his doubt and runs into the alley. The young crocodile smiles at the sight of his plan's success.
"What now, Vector?" Charmy was confused about his partner-in-crime's decision.
"You'll see" Vector smiles and Charmy sees that same flame of justice in his eyes that made him follow them in crime fighting. They close in behind the masked perpetrator who is, by now, looking for a way out.
"It's all over now, stupid! So just hand over the food!" Vector yells at the masked man who is clearly considering the tall gate as means of escape.
"Yeah, stupid! Just hand it over!" Charmy is one to emphasize all that his "big brother" says. Being only six, he still has no voice of his own. The masked man looks inside the bag but only sees bills of money and shining coins. He grits his teeth in anger. He pulls out a knife, usually used for survival but just as sharp as one intended to kill.
"I'm stupid? At least I had parents that wanted me!" The masked figure becomes more defined with every word he spoke. Charmy and Vector seem lost in thought. Sure his words bother them but so does his voice. He points the knife at the two children. They do not panic or tremble; instead, they smile and ball up their fist. Astonished, the masked man pauses and looks at them with irritation. Out of nowhere the bandit feels a jab on his back and falls to the ground, hitting his chin on the hard, cold concrete. The fog starts to lift as the sun comes out. While on the ground, the masked man is kicked in the face so hard by Vector that he is forced into an upright position on his feet. He loses grip of both the knife and the bag of money. Charmy gives a weak push but it sends him backwards. Instead of falling on his back he is propped up by an invisible object. The invisible being pushes him by his head to the ground, knocking him unconscious. Out of thin air, a young chameleon with bright yellow eyes appears.
"Whether or not we are wanted is beside the matter. You have stolen from a fellow orphan, how would you feel if we stole from you?" even though he is a child, his words are filled with conviction. The chameleon closes his eyes and gets lost in a memory he doesn't want to relive.
"It's not my fault they died damn it! They couldn't fight for their life, not even for a daughter they're leaving behind. This place is for unwanted children. My parents loved us!" The boy ran out of the orphanage carrying his baby sister. All the young chameleon and the crocodile can do is watch with confusion while their own baby sibling cries.
"Espio!" Both Vector and Charmy scream in unison to wake a dazed Espio from his reminiscing. Vector has a very serious look on his face. They both are thinking the same thing while the young honey bee, who was only a year old, can only hover above the ground in silence. The sun rises right behind Espio and causes his shadow to engulf the unconscious "man".
"It only takes a couple words and we know exactly who this guy is…damn it" The chameleon gives a grunt of frustration and turns around, pulling out a quarter to use a pay phone and notify the police. He walks around the corner but Charmy tries to ask a question.
"W-well…who is he?" His tone is innocent enough but Espio keeps making his way to pay phone with various graffiti on it. Vector takes no notice of his chameleon companion but instead removes the mask of the one who lies unconscious.
"Tony Matrnai; Age: 22; His parents died five years ago leaving him an orphan at 17. Law says that you aren't legally allowed to be a guardian of any child until you're eighteen but when he found out that there was a possibility of someone else adopting his baby sister he took her and left for good. But, I guess he gave us a surprise visit at our orphanage's fundraiser."
"Why steal from the poor?" Charmy's dismal mood makes it clear how he feels. Vector knows he can't give an answer. Men today have too much pride. Even if one acts out for someone important, they put everyone else before them and will stop at nothing for their own well being. Stealing from orphans is only comparable to stealing from or harming a homeless man. Espio comes back and taps both of them on the back to motion them for a group chat.
"The cops are on their way but more importantly I called the orphanage and figured out the situation on Matrnai's little sister. It turns out Lucy, the little sister, will be sharing a room with us." Espio's tone does not change in any situation. Like a ninja, he is calm, cool, and collected. Hearing these words, Charmy's cheeks turn red and his balance is so off that he is forced to stand on the ground.
"B-but isn't Lucy the same age as me…and a girl?" The little honey bee has not made any friends besides Vector and Espio, so he certainly was not going to be comfortable around any girl his own age. Vector grins at the sight of the blushing bee.
"What's wrong Charmy? I thought you'd be happy sleeping with a girl your age" Vector laughs and pats Charmy on the back. The young bee's cheeks have lost their original color and are permanently red. Espio does not change his expression but he continues on their situation.
"There are but three beds in our room, and Charmy has had the biggest one since he was a child, so I'm afraid he will have to share his bed to accommodate Lucy's presence." One can not imagine Charmy's displeasure. Vector ignores this and keeps laughing. He puts his elbow on Charmy's shoulder and talks to him in a loud whisper.
"Hey Charmy, the orphanage is a little overcrowded as is so don't get any ideas tonight, huh?" The crocodile lets out a burst of laughter. Espio looks at a nearby shop's windows and sees flashing lights. The alteration between red and blue makes it clear that the police are here. A single police car comes up at a reasonable pace. There are a couple of dents and buffs on the car that tell stories of its age and past situations. A large man struggles to get the rusty door open. A look at the police officer tells the orphaned animals that he's not a morning person. He grunts and clears his crusty eyes. He sees the unmasked man and cuffs him from his position on the ground. The officer quickly tosses him with ease in the back seat of his police car. It's no surprise that no effort was needed. His body is skinny and frail like one who hasn't eaten his entire life. Charmy, Espio, and Vector might have shared a similar fate if their fundraiser money had not been recovered and thus, feel no remorse. So is the story of the ones who are left with no one to care for them. The officer makes several attempts before opening the door and getting in his patrol car. Espio is disturbed by the lack of communication so he decides to try and break some tension.
"Is there anything else you need, sir?" Espio shows respect only to some people and they usually have authority. The officer rolls down his window which takes around thirty seconds to do because of the condition in which the patrol car is in.
"Nope." The officer drives off without another word. Vector who was chuckling to himself just a moment ago now suddenly stops and looks at Espio.
"Hey, Espio, what took you so long? Me and Charmy here were almost going to be chopped to pieces!" Vector exclaims. Charmy looks at Espio too, not with anger, but with suspense.
"I was helping an elderly homeless man with some bags. I felt sorry so I gave him a chocolate bar without him noticing me." Espio explains this while his team mates look at him in relief.
"Oh so that man's a-okay" Vector and Charmy look behind Espio and sees a large cart coming their way. Espio turns his head too to see what is grabbing their attention.
"Oh, there he is now" Espio looks at the homeless man slowly walking their way. He makes his way past them but slowly walks by. He looks at Vector and then to Charmy. He pulls out a large cane from his large cart.
"Dumb kids" The homeless man grunts and hits the young crocodile's nose with his cane. Vector screams while holding his nose and flailing on the ground.
"What the heck, old man!" Vector clutches his nose even tighter.
"Yeah! Why'd you do that?" Charmy butts in with anger, holding his arms out as if to protect Vector.
"You too!" The old man hits the young honey bee on the head and knocks him out cold. The homeless man leaves, mumbling to himself about how kids these days don't know how to act.