A/N: Hey, all! Been working on this idea for a little bit, now. Uh, I don't have too much to say about it besides I sincerely apologize if it takes me a while to update it. It probably won't be very often, but I'm hoping not to leave everyone hanging for toooo long. With that said, I hope you enjoy it! As always, I'd encourage reviews. :) Please and thank you!
Boom. Boom-boom-boom boom. Boom. Boom-boom-boom boom.
A green head with a long snout bopped his head in-sync with the heavy metal song that he blasted through his headphones.
"Bum bum bum . . ." he hummed, playing an invisible guitar solo. "Weer weeeeer . . . da-nananana . . ."
Vector nodded with his eyes shut as the song faded out.
"Man, that's a great song . . ." he mumbled. "What's next?"
In the brief silence of the song switching out, another figure appeared right at Vector's side, seemingly from nowhere. He took a deep breath and cupped his hands around his mouth, preparing a yell.
"Vector!"
"Yahh!"
The crocodile fell right out of his chair with an unsettlingly loud wail. The chair flew forward as Vector slipped backward on his head. Espio dodged the chair that flew towards him with a leap up to the ceiling fan; he grasped the slow-moving fan blade and stared down at his fellow reptilian. The chair rested on its side in the corner of the room, wheels still spinning from the collapse.
Vector rubbed his head and stared straight back up at Espio with an annoyed glare.
"That's what happens when ya yell in my face!" he scolded.
Espio released his grip from the blade and landed gracefully on his feet.
"I'm only yelling out of habit," he protested quietly, "your music is always too loud, so Charmy and I constantly need to shout so you can hear us."
Vector hoisted himself up and stretched out his arms.
"I'm only tryin' ta relax, Espio. Can't have a moment's peace with you and Charmy around."
Espio decided not to argue with the boss anymore and lifted up the chair, putting it back in its rightful place behind the desk.
"Do we have any new cases, boss?" Espio asked, "or have you neglected to answer the phone because you couldn't hear it?"
Sitting back down, Vector didn't deny that his music was loud, but he also didn't admit that the phone may have rung while he was relaxing.
"Well, you were here, right? Did you hear it ring?"
Espio shook his head slowly.
"I was out and about," he answered with an expressionless tone, "I wasn't here to pick up the phone."
"So where's Charmy, then?" Vector asked, "Isn't he here?"
"Last I saw, he was playing kickball with some of the other kids."
Vector bit his lower lip and growled in defeat.
"All right, so I didn't answer the phone 'cuz I didn't hear it ring!" he spluttered, "happy now?"
Espio rolled his eyes and checked the telephone for any messages. The phone's message light remained dark and unblinking, signaling that there were no cases to be taken. "See, there's no one that needs our help, Espio! Take some time to enjoy the moment, now! Chill out!"
Grumbling, the chameleon went to the couch and dug underneath the cushions to find the remote control for the TV. Unable to locate it, Espio frowned and called his partner.
"Vector, where is the remote?"
No answer.
"Vector?"
Epsio turned to see the crocodile nodding his head and humming again. His music was turned all the way up, and could easily be heard by anyone within a seven-foot radius.
Espio silently disappeared and crept up behind the boss' chair. He grasped both sides of the back of the chair with his strong fingers and pressed his palms against it for a firm grip. The chameleon gently started tilting the chair back until it was at a 130-degree angle.
"Agh!" Vector clutched the arm rests for dear life as Espio held the chair steadily on an angle. "Espio, put the chair back; I know that's you! Look, I'll turn my music down, okay?"
The volume of the music lowered considerably as Vector held down the button. Espio nodded and let the chair go, sending Vector flying forward before he came to an abrupt halt. "Oof!"
The chameleon appeared again and gave his boss a rare grin. Vector narrowed his eyes.
"Can I help you, Espio?"
"No. I'll be upstairs if you need me," Epsio replied.
"What?! I can't hear you!" Vector shouted with a snicker, "Could ya repeat that, please?"
Espio had already disappeared up the stairs before he could respond to Vector's sarcastic comment.
"Ouch!" squealed Cream the Rabbit as a kickball flew into her head. "Ohhh . . ." She sat down, dazed.
Charmy, Tails, Sonic, Amy, and Marine all came running to the delicate rabbit and barraged her with the same question.
"Cream, are you okay? Are you all right?"
The little rabbit rubbed her head and smiled good-heartedly.
"Don't worry, everyone! I'm okay!" she replied, abruptly getting up and brushing herself off. Accepting the answer, the teams departed and scattered back around the field into their rightful places.
"Hey, Sonic," called Charmy from the other side of the field, "you know what time it is?"
"Uh, I don't know, Charmy," Sonic called back, "Hey! Anyone have a watch on them?"
As a chorus of mumbled 'no's' sounded, a figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the field.
"Time to head home, Charmy," Espio said, answering the question for him.
"Aww, but we were just getting' to the good part!" Charmy protested, "c'mon, one more round, pleeeease?"
Espio shook his head impatiently.
"No. We've been presented with a case."
"Really?" Charmy said, immediately brightening up. "Sorry guys, but I gotta go! See ya later, everyone!"
"Bye, Charmy!" everyone said, waving as he and Espio went back to the agency.
Back at the agency, Vector had just gotten off the phone as Charmy burst through the door.
"Vectoooorrrr!" he sang, excited, "What's the case? What's the case? Do we get to hunt someone down, huh, do we?"
Vector barely had time to answer as Charmy tackled him in his alligator belly. Charmy latched himself to Vector's arm, happy that he got to see some action.
"Charmy, gerroff me!" Vector said, picking up Charmy by the back of his vest and dropping him on the desk. The little bee, unfazed by being dropped, flew around to Vector's back and squeezed him from there.
"Whadda we doin', huh, Vector? I'm ready for this case, I'm ready!"
An exhausted chameleon slowly came through the door of the agency, breathing heavily.
"Remind me to schedule a race between him and Sonic; I think Charmy might be able to match his speed," he said, breathless.
"Noted," Vector retorted as he pried an ecstatic bumblebee off his back.
"Well, who was on the phone, then?" Espio asked, "what's our case?"
Vector held out his hand to restrain Charmy as he flailed about.
"Well, Espio, our new client is none other than our old pal, Knuckles," Vector said, "and, it ain't much of a case. He just wants us to watch the Master Emerald for a few hours."
Espio and Charmy fell silent. Knuckles hadn't ever asked something this big from them, nor had he ever asked Team Chaotix.
"Why us?" Espio asked, confused, "That's an awfully big job."
"Well, he said he trusted—hey, what are you implying, Espio?!" Vector exclaimed.
"Yeah, Espio, you think we can't watch a dumb ol' rock for a little bit?" Charmy said, following Vector's lead. "What could possibly happen?"
"Be careful about what you say about the Master Emerald, Charmy, it's a sacred relic that means a lot to Knuckles. He's very protective of it, and obviously he's entrusted us to guard it while he's away. And, by the looks of it," Espio added, watching as Vector and Charmy began to hit each other back and forth after some off-camera argument, "we're not exactly qualified for the job."
Vector shoved Charmy behind his desk and held him there, spreading his fingers over the bee's face.
"Well, he offered to pay us for it, so it must be urgent!" Vector said, "and you know our policy, Espio!"
"Never turn down work that pays," all three of them chimed in harmony, even with Charmy's muffled voice.
"Might as well head out to meet him, then," Vector said, releasing the bee from his grip, "I'd hate to keep the ol' treasure-hunter waiting."
"Roger that," Espio sighed. Vector and Charmy headed out the door, still bickering. "Something tells me this is gonna be a long babysitting job," the chameleon muttered, shaking his head.