AN: I took a few liberties with the story, including Vector's stance as an ex-smoker and the inclusion of Sonic X-treme characters.
The bulb flickered into existence, illuminating the empty office in a depressing flash of light that lit up every inch of the immaculate room. No leaning tower of paperwork, no empty coffee mug staining the oak desktop, and certainly no messages left on the answering machine. Everything was in a state of organized bliss.
Vector heaved a deflated sigh as he closed the door behind him, taking up his usual seat behind the large desk. Even his notepad remained untouched, sporting nothing but silly caricatures doodled by a bored Charmy during school vacation.
The crocodile frowned as he flicked through sheet after sheet of silly scribbles, one of which depicted him and Vanilla surrounded by a dozen tiny hearts.
How many times have I gotta tell him not to draw these things? He lamented, often feeling more like a babysitter than a detective. He regret the day Mighty had decided to go on a journey of self discovery. The armadillo kept sending postcards of his trip, but they only served to make Vector feel worse. How was he affording it?
Sliding his headphones over his ears, Vector switched on his Walkman and kicked up his feet, resting them on the aforementioned notepad. Having to rewind the cassette was a pain. When he made it big, he was going to buy himself a brand spanking new iPod.
The ceiling fan would be the next thing to go. It was old and noisy, and Vector opened a single eye to glance up at the rickety thing. When he got a bigger office, he'd get air conditioning so he didn't have to listen to the constant racket.
He blew a bubble from the gum in his mouth, savouring the sweet taste. He'd quite smoking back when he was in high school, but when he was rich and famous, he'd be sure to buy himself the worlds most expensive cigar and smoke it with pride.
These hopeful thoughts soon desimated the minute Charmy came barging through the door. His familiar, erratic buzz alerting Vector to his pesence long before he crashed into the room. The crocodile rubbed his temples vigorously, considering it a miracle he hadn't already taken up the smokes. Gum just didn't have the same heavy flavour needed to calm his nerves after an entire day with the hyperactive six year old.
'MORNING GRAMPS!' The chirpy child beamed as he came to a mid-air hault before Vector's face. 'WHAT'S WRONG? YOU GOT A HEADACHE?'
'Please,' Vector groaned, placing his head in his hands. 'Use ya indoor voice.' Then, slamming his fist on the desk he growled, 'And who're ya calling gramps?!'
The bee merely shrugged and sat down on the torn sofa, cheerfully kicking his legs back and forth as he contemplated his next move. Sometimes the crocodile wondered why he even bothered opening up on weekends. Nobody ever seemed to have work for them, and it only seemed to prolong his pain and suffering.
'Whatta waste of electricity,' He sighed, popping another strip of gum into his mouth. It certainly wasn't the same as a good cigarette. 'I shoulda stayed in bed.'
'Bad day?'
Vector lurched forward at the sound of Espio's voice, almost swallowing his gum whole. Coughing and spluttering, the croc churned up a ball of pink goo and spat it across the room, gasping for breath as he sat back in his chair. The chameleon transpired before his eyes, gazing stoically at the blob of gum sticking to the floor.
'Eww gross,' Charmy exclaimed, jumping to his feet and holding a wired trashcan above his head. 'Now do it again, only this time aim for the net!'
Espio folded his arms across his chest, calmly waiting until his boss regained his composure. The ninja liked to keep his fellow detectives on their feet, regardless of the fact that neither of them were particularly fond of his tactics.
'What the heck is wrong with ya!' Vector bellowed, scowling angrily at his employee. 'I keep telling ya not to sneak up on me like that!'
'No work I presume?' Came Espio's reply. 'In that case I'll preoccupy myself with some meditation.'
Vector watched as the chameleon took his usual spot by the far wall, making dozens of unusual symbols with his hands.
Rubbing a hand down the back of his neck, Vector returned to his seat, exasperated by the sheer lack of comfort his friends had brought him. So long iPod. So long air conditioning. So long exspensive cigar. Even the sofa, which was being demolished by an already disinterested Charmy, wouldn't be replaced any time soon.
In three weeks not a single payment had been made into the Chaotix bank account, partly due to Vector's undying altruism, and partly because nobody took them seriously enough to actually require their services. The one job they had been lucky enough to acquire had turned out to be a wild goose chase, and ultimately, a waste of time.
Fang the sniper had attempted to hold up the Station Square bank, only to be promptly defeated the minute Team Chatoix arrived. Unfortunately the whole thing was nothing more than a distraction perpetrated by Rouge the bat, who was already making off with half the profit whilst Fang was busy blowing himself up. Needless to say, they never saw a penny for their trouble.
'And to think the bank fined us for damage control.' He bemoaned, shoving another strip of gum in his mouth. 'I'm in more debt now than when I first rented this joint.'
From his quiet corner the chameleon added, 'Good things come to those who wait.'
Vector rolled his eyes, 'I been waitin' twenty years now. Charmy will you stop plucking the lint outta those cushions!'
The bee flicked a ball of white fluff onto the carpet and gave his boss a sheepish look. If he weren't so darn cute he'd have been fired a long time ago.
A sudden click drew everyone's attention the answering machine, breaking through the tension that had fallen upon the group. Vector's heart jumped slightly in his chest as he eagerly awaited the oncoming call.
Please, He thought to himself, crossing his fingers underneath the desk. Please don't be the landlord. I ain't got no cash for the electric bill.
An eternity seemed to descend upon the group, until a voice finally seeped through the fuzzy speaker. It wasn't the landlord, it was a client, and their first one in almost a month. Charmy could hardly contain his excitement as he gallantly flew around the room. Vector silently waved his hand in a 'Sit down and shut up' gesture.
'Is this the Chatoix Detective Agency?' A male voice enquired, sounding a little unsure. Vector was still in shock, and it took him a while to remember he needed to push the button.
'Yeah sorry, this is the Chaotix Detective Agency, Vector speakin', how can I help ya?'
'I'm looking for someone.'
'This isn't a dating service!' Charmy shouted, much to Vector's dismay.
'No, no no,' The voice repeated, sounding fumbled. 'I heard you're quite adept at hunting down missing people.'
The gang shared a puzzled look. They'd searched for poker chips before now, even collecting the odd sea crustacean or two, but they'd never had to track down a missing person before. The crocodile immediately saw dollar signs.
'That's right, no job is too big or too small for the Chaotix!' He valiantly exclaimed.
'Good, because I am willing to pay you a handsome fee for tracking down my daughter. She went AWOL three days ago, and I have reason to believe she's been abducted.'
Espio intervened, 'What makes you think that?'
'Because I found a ransom note saying, 'You're daughter has been abducted.''
'Ah.'
Vector stroked his chin thoughtfully. Just what exactly was a handsome fee? A hundred bucks? Perhaps two, if he was feeling particularly generous. Hell, the croc would work for twenty dollars if it got the landlord off his back.
'Just to clarify,' He asked, edging closer to the phone. 'How much money we talkin'?'
'Name your price.'
Interesting, The croc thought. 'Okay, how 'bout a hundred thousand?'
Espio and Charmy shared a look of disbelief. There was no way the stranger would agree to such ridiculous terms, if he even had that much money to begin with. Almost as soon as it had risen, their elation began to fall with the realization that Vector had just ruined their only chance of getting paid.
'Very well,' The voice agreed without hesitation, much to everyone's utter shock. Charmy shot up so fast his head crashed into the ceiling, saved only by the appropriate helmet he refused to take off. 'Just promise you'll find my precious Tiara.'
Vector froze. Tiara? Why did that name sound so familiar?
'I'm gonna need a few details from ya,' He replied, hand shaking as he picked up his pen. Perhaps he could buy that iPod after all. 'Your name please?'
'Professor Gazebo Boobowski.'
Espio turned ashen, fighting back the urge to break character and hyperventilate. ''Forgive me for being dense, but wouldn't that make your daughter Tiara Boobowski?'
'That is correct,' The solemn man replied. 'Please find her. I think that horrid Robotnik may have stolen her away from me. He's after my rings, I know it.'
'We'll do our best,' Vector replied, and the man hung up, leaving nothing but a heavy silence in his wake.
For once in his short life, Charmy seemed at a loss for words. Espio's pupils shrunk into his skull, and he appeared to be clenching his jaw in an attempt to remain stony faced. This time, Vector really did swallow his gum. But none of that mattered, because if they could pull this off, they'd be a hundred thousand dollars richer.
'Boys, dust off ya wallets, we're taking them out for dinner.'
