An article
It's funny how a team like Chaotix stays together. I mean, they're all so different and many times get on each other's nerves, so... why are they still a team? It took me a bit longer to figure that out than I first thought, but I hope the conclusion is reasonable.
The beginning of this story includes an OC, BUT don't run away yet! She isn't here because I wanted to show my "awesome" own character. I'm not even sure if I can count her as an actual character, I just took the newsreader's name and role from my first fic Glacial, and put her in this story. First this story was going to be about her interviewing the Chaotix members one by one, but then I started to think that 'cause she isn't a real character and not the interesting one, I wanted to keep her presence in minimum (that's why I didn't even bother to decide what animal she is). So, if you can't stand OC:s, then I'm very sorry. Just try to ignore her, and enjoy the rest of the story, if possible.
Happy Easter! :D
Team Chaotix was in drive. Working together with Sonic's team to defeat Metal Sonic had done good to their image. In a flash, Team Chaotix had become better known, which meant more work, which meant more money. It has been a long time since they had had that much work, but Vector was pleased. The crocodile lolled in the office chair, shoes on the table, fiddling the wage they had got today. Tomorrow would be again a busy day, but now he had time to enjoy some rare peace. Charmy was outside, entertaining himself with flowers and Espio had meditated in his room already an hour. Vector could in all peace count the cash and try not to think that before spending them, he should pay the taxes...
"Vectooooor!" a shrill exclamation scared the crocodile and made the paper money fly around the room. A small bee hanged half inside at the office's open window.
"What now, Charmy?" Vector grunted, gathering the cash together.
"There is someone at the front door. I already talked to her before she rang the doorbell." the bee told.
"What? Who? Why didn't you invite her?" quickly Vector took his feet off the table and got up from the chair.
"Because she asked me to get you or someone. A reporter she said she is."
"A reporter?" Vector repeated. "Charmy, make sure Espio won't come downstairs. I'll talk with that reporter."
"Yes sir!" Charmy grinned, flew fully indoors and trough the office towards upstairs. Vector straightened his posture, walked at the hallway and opened the door. On the doorstep stood a young lady, a bit shorter than Espio, having a big smile on her face and a white string around her neck and an ID card in it, where was written Elowyn Brown. On her shoulder bag was the local broadcasting company's logo.
"Afternoon. I'm Elowyn Brown, a reporter." the woman said briskly and held out a hand.
"Vector the Crocodile, the boss of Chaotix Detective Agency. How can I help you?" Vector answered and they shook hands.
"Pardon me I didn't call you in advance, but could I possibly ask a few questions?" Elowyn asked.
"Certainly. Please, come in," Vector waved at the reporter to come in and closed the door after her. "Haven't you been as a news anchor lately?"
"Yes, I have." Elowyn smiled warmly.
"No wonder your name sounded familiar." the crocodile gave a short laugh.
"Yes. Your detective agency has also been very active recently, and that's why I actually came," Elowyn inhaled quickly and looked very excited. "Can I write an article about your team?"
Vector was surprised, even though the request was anything but unusual from a journalist.
"Sure, that's okay for me. But I may have to ask from the others too." Vector's voice faded away. Charmy would for sure be excited, but Espio was probably against the idea. They heard speaking and footsteps from upstairs when two younger detectives were going to conveniently arrive.
"Could you step aside Charmy."
"No! You can't go down 'cause... because..."
"We have a visitor, I know." Espio passed the protesting bee and walked the stairs down.
"Perfect timing boys. This is Elowyn Brown, a reporter." Vector introduced their guest.
"Nice to meet you." Espio shook Elowyn's hand. She nodded briskly.
"Hey! I didn't shake yet!" Charmy realized, pushed the chameleon aside and rapidly shook the reporter's hand. Elowyn laughed.
"I already got an acceptance from your boss to write an article about your detective agency. What do you think?" she asked.
"An article! Like into real newspaper? Coooooool!" the bee rejoiced and made a couple backflips. Vector glanced Espio, who looked back as inexpressive as always. The crocodile believed he had guessed chameleon's opinion right. Espio looked back at the reporter.
"Pardon me, but I'll pass." he answered politely. Elowyn looked both surprised and disappointed.
"I would have liked to interview the whole team. It won't take long. You see, I must get back to my position before the next newscast."
"I'm sorry." Espio said smiling slightly. Elowyn wanted to respect his opinion, so she didn't continue begging.
"Erm, Charmy, could you escort miss Brown into the office. I'll have a word with Espio." Vector said to the reporter and the bee, smiling a bit embarrassedly.
"Why won't you came?" Charmy asked from the chameleon and stopped flying around.
"I have my reasons," he answered. "Besides, someone must cook dinner."
"Hey, hey, make rāmen! I wanna eat with chopsticks."
"You then clean the mess you'll cause."
"I won't cause any mess! I've been training." Charmy said pompously.
"Charmy." Vector growled, reminding what the bee was supposed to do.
"Oh, right, this way." Charmy leaded Elowyn at the office room. Vector waited until they were in another room, and was going to turn at the chameleon then, but he had already left into the kitchen. Vector hurried after him.
"Espio, what is your problem? Think about what opportunity! A random, busy journalist appears at our door just to interview us. And you juts ignore her?" the crocodile spoke quietly so Elowyn wouldn't hear.
"Everything we say can be used against us. I promise to remind you accepting this interview when an enemy appears and tells us that he or she used the article's information against us." Espio answered while searching containers for cooking.
"I don't get your logic. A chance like this won't come every day!" Vector snarled.
"Then why don't you hurry then? She said she was busy."
The crocodile grunted frustratedly and put a hand over his eyes.
"We'll probably argue about this many times." he murmured and exit the kitchen.
About three quarters later, the reporter left with same speed she had come, and the detectives got a meal break.
"We'll be in a real newspaper!" Charmy shouted when dashing into the kitchen and Espio just managed to dodge him before they would have crashed into each other.
"How was it?" the chameleon asked and put three bowls of rāmen on the table.
"It was coooooool!" Charmy answered.
"Yeh, she seemed to be a good reporter. Disappointed she was 'cause you didn't take part." Vector commented with a bit accusing voice, but Espio gave a slight laugh.
"I'm sure, as a reporter she has earlier came across people who doesn't want to be interviewed." he noted.
"Probably," Vector said and the trio sat around the table. "She was quite amazed how long we have stayed as a team."
Espio nodded and glanced Charmy, who began to trick with his chopsticks.
"I'm not surprised. With eyes of an outsider, we should have given up in the beginning." the chameleon commented.
"But why? I mean, our works go great!"
"People see us as stereotypes of a certain type of characters."
"Yeah," Vector laughed shortly. "Brown also had that one vision about how our team works. Everybody always thinks you are the only smart one."
"Rather I'm the only reasonable one." Espio commented smiling.
"Precisely." Vector laughed.
"And Vector is the greedy and arbitrary boss." Charmy said grinning, and for a moment stopped his trial to catch noodles with chopsticks.
"I must make decisions, I'm the boss anyway, but it doesn't mean I was arbitrary." the crocodile shrugged.
"Yes, you somewhat are." Espio smiled shortly, not turning his look away from his bowl.
"Well, of course you think so 'cause you are always against my suggestions!"
"Moments like those we could also discuss."
The crocodile murmured something and then focused on eating too.
"But it's weird that no one never knows, what is my job in our crew. I came up with this idea in the first pace, and also came up with our name!" Charmy brandished a chopstick in the air and then thrust it back into his bowl. Some soup spilled on the table.
"Yeah well, you are... uh... a bee with ADHD." Vector said.
"A child. Your relevance doesn't always show outside." Espio continued.
"Hahaa, kinda stealthy, right?" the bee grinned and made his colleagues laugh. "But why people then see us like that?"
"Well," Vector mumbled and the reptiles quieten to think. "Maybe it's just that when things always look like something in the beginning, and after further familiarization, the truth shows up."
"Everyone always has a preconception. People are trying to find a reason to our existence."
"Yeah. It's true that we are a kinda random group, but maybe that's why we still are together."
"Possible." Espio lifted his glance at Charmy. A frustrated mumbling had begun from his direction after the bee's latest comment. He hadn't probably listened to the whole conversation because he tried so hard to eat with sticks. It went a bit better than last time.
"Don't let your chopsticks cross, then you can't move them properly." Espio advised the bee and gave him, again, a lesson, how to use that cutlery. In the meantime, Vector was in deep thoughts and didn't continue speaking until Charmy started to succeed in eating.
"To be honest, in the beginning, I didn't think we would stay together this long. At one point I just waited for you to leave." Vector said to Espio, who glanced back.
"Admittedly, I sometimes considered leaving, but..." the chameleon turned his look back at the table and smiled. "Where else would I have gone. Moreover, someone had to be the fieldworker."
"That's right." the crocodile laughed. "I remember when I thought if dared to trust you, while you were always so mysterious. But you were too loyal to leave us. Maybe that's why you stayed."
"Maybe," Espio nodded. "You, on the other hand, tried your best to keep our agency going, but you still didn't accept any illegal job. I appreciated it."
"Weeell, I might be money-grubbing, but morals must still be right. Also, we had Charmy, who should grow up as a good citizen." Vector said and they both looked at the bee, who had got fed up eating with the chopsticks and had bend down, pushing his chin against the bowl and was now scooping food straight into his mouth with the sticks. The bee happened to look up and saw his friends watching him.
"Huh?" he stopped eating.
"Nothing, keep on." the crocodile answered and Charmy obeyed. While the older detectives also put down their conversation, quietly in their minds they both came to the same conclusion that Charmy was probably the main reason why Chaotix Detective Agency still existed. Someone had to take care of him. After what had happened in Newtrogic High Zone, either of them hadn't had the heart to leave the bee at orphanage or something, but on the other hand, they didn't want to take care of him alone. They were like a confusing family of three.
Charmy finished his dinner and satisfied wiped the corners of his mouth at hardel.
"Thanks for the food." he called out and already flew at the door.
"Charmy." Espio stopped him and pointed towards the bee's bowl, which was surrounded by a ring of soup splashes.
"Argh, yes." Charmy sighed and got the dishcloth.
"When the article will be published?" Espio then remembered to ask.
"The reporter talked about a day or two." Vector answered.
"I can't wait for it! I wonder if its good. I wanna show it to our friends. I hope Elowyn remembers to say..." and Charmy continued his twaddle while dashing back and forth in the room, wiping the table and bringing dishes into the sink. "Or what else could it be but good, 'cause it's about us!" the bee finally stopped.
"That's right Charmy. About an awesome team can only be written an awesome writing," Vector stated and raised his glass of water over the table. "To the Chaotix Detective Agency!"
"To the Chaotix!" Charmy called out, and both he and amusedly smiling Espio held up their water glasses.