Many thanks to those that have read, reviewed and/or added this story to their Faves/Alerts. It would be cool if I had gotten more reviews on the first chapter (a grand total of one), but it's just nice to know that there are people out there who are reading this. A special thanks to CherrleTheChicken, my awesome first reviewer! Glad you enjoyed the first installment and I hope the second doesn't disappoint!

Disclaimer: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. In other words, I own nothing but the storyline and any original characters.

Chapter Two: Looming

"… And this is the Mystic Ruins, Amy. This is where one of my workshops is located." The three of them had just stepped off of the tower that held the railroad up, and Amy was looking around at the mountainous region with awe. In the distance a crew of miners was chipping away at part of the rock close to the waterfall. One of them was carrying something that looked to Sonic like a silver Chao egg. At Tails' words Amy tore her gaze away from the scenery and gave the fox a wide-eyed expression of surprise.

"You have more than one workshop, Tails?"

"Yep, he does," Sonic chimed in, and without thinking squeezed between the two of them and draped an arm over either of their shoulders. "You see, our buddy Tails here is loaded. The richest of the rich. Bill Gates' fortune is pocket change compared to what Tails has." He chuckled and glanced at Amy. Her face was slightly pink and she appeared to be leaning away from him. Realizing his mistake Sonic quickly dropped his arm away from her. "My bad. Habits die hard."

Amy shook her head, though whether she was excusing his behavior or clearing her head was unknown and looked at Tails again. "I would never have guessed, Tails. Your apartment is so tiny."

"It's not tiny, it's snug," Tails replied, sniffing indignantly at the word. Sonic stifled a laugh as the fox continued, "And anyway, I try not to blow my… My prosperity out of proportion. Sonic is exaggerating; Mr. Gates is much more successful than I am. I'm just a tinkerer, nothing more."

Sonic scoffed and patted Tails on the back. "C'mon, bud, don't be too humble. Tails isn't just a tinkerer; he's taught several different subjects at the college level, including Advanced Engineering Mathematics and Combustion Theory. He's gotten five master's degrees in eight years. Oh yeah, and he invented the time machine. Sweet, huh?"

It was Tails' turn to turn red. Amy was looking at him with the oddest combination of terror and admiration Sonic had ever seen, and this time he was unable to keep himself from laughing out loud. Tails, extremely embarrassed, swatted the hedgehog on the arm and marched ahead toward his workshop. Amy joined in the laughter, and for a moment Sonic could believe that everything had gone back to normal. The three of them were enjoying another lazy afternoon together like they used to, and maybe later they would go to Twinkle Park.

"Sonic! Did you leave the Highwind out all day?"

Sonic winced at the voice, trotting the rest of the way up the ramp to Tails' workshop. Standing before his small blue and white spaceship with his hands on hips, Tails raised an eyebrow sternly and waited for Sonic's response. Sighing, Tails turned and wiped at a smudge of oil on the side of the ship. "Sonic, we've been over this. You know you have to put things up after you use them. Look, you didn't even close the hatch!"

"Sorry," Sonic mumbled, hanging his head even as he grinned sheepishly to himself. Tails was very much like a mother hen sometimes.

Walking up behind Sonic, Amy gasped as she caught sight of the ship. "Did you make that, Tails?"

Tails laughed nervously and shrugged, scuffing his sneaker in the dirt. "Yeah, I did. It's powered by an old Chaos Emerald replica I had lying around, so it doesn't discharge any harmful substances." Tails pressed a button inside the cockpit and the hood popped open, revealing the replica. The Chaos Emerald replica emitted a soft but strong glow, and Amy gasped when she saw it.

"This is incredible," Amy breathed, and Sonic and Tails shared a soft grin over her head. Their expressions grew cold when she continued, "I've never seen a Chaos Emerald up close before. I suppose this is as close as I'll ever get, hmm?"

It hit Sonic again; the fact that Amy didn't remember any of their previous adventures together. In truth she had been close enough to both touch and hold the Chaos Emeralds several times before, but he didn't think he had the strength to tell her so. One look at Tails' downcast expression told him that the fox felt the same way, and Sonic turned his face away from both of them. He didn't think he'd ever get used to this horribly helpless feeling.

Amy glanced away from the Chaos Emerald replica to see Sonic turn away from her. Alarmed at his expression she turned to Tails and was met with the same look. Slowly she realized that they must be thinking about the way she used to be, and the fact that she had hurt them this deeply made her feel bad even though it wasn't technically her fault. Determined to cheer them up she stood upright and clapped her hands together. "Hey, why don't we get ready for the meeting tonight, hmm? C'mon, we can't be good hosts without food!" The two of them turned back to her and she smiled her widest smile. At least she'd gotten their attention. Suddenly she gasped and turned to the other hedgehog. "Hey, Sonic! How about I make banana cream pie for desert? I know it's your favorite!"

Tails caught on first. "Amy! You remembered Sonic's favorite desert! Does that mean—" The yellow fox caught himself when he noticed that Amy wasn't smiling anymore. She was looking down at the ground with bewilderment, her right hand clasped over her chest. She shook her head slowly, and Sonic and Tails sighed simultaneously.

"I'm sorry, guys," Amy moaned, covering her face with her hands. In a muffled voice, she continued. "I don't know why, but I can only remember small details about everything. I remembered Station Square, so that's where I decided I'd come back to and see if I could find anyone I know. And I don't know either of you, but for some reason I know little things about you, too. Like Sonic's desert thing, and the way you fly with your tails. Stupid, meaningless details. I'm so sorry…"

Sonic and Tails exchanged glances, and then Tails moved forward, placing a consoling hand on Amy's arm. "But Amy, they aren't stupid or meaningless. Don't you see? This could be a sign that your memory is coming back on its own. Maybe we won't have to ask for everyone's help after all." Amy dropped her hands a little and looked at Tails, who smiled and patted her back. "It's a good thing."

Amy lowered her hands completely and smiled slightly at Tails, though it was obvious that she didn't believe him. "Alright, then. No more moping around. Dinner isn't going to cook itself, you know!" And with that she was moving toward the house without waiting for either of them to follow her. As soon as she was out of sight Sonic leaned against the Highwind and cursed, earning himself a dirty look from Tails.

"Are you just going to stand around and cuss all day or are you going to help me put the Highwind back in the workshop like you were supposed to two hours ago?"

Sonic laughed wearily and motioned for Tails to calm down. "Take it easy, alright? I'll help, don't worry." Tails at least looked placated with that answer, and together they began pushing the tiny spaceship toward the workshop.

All was still at Chaotix, Inc., just the way Vector the Crocodile liked it. The large green reptile leaned back in his office chair and propped his feet up on his desk, sighing contentedly. Ever since the Chaotix had become a proper business three years ago they had had a steady stream of customers looking to hire a team of highly praised private detectives such as themselves. Okay, Vector thought, shrugging his shoulders, so maybe we haven't had a steady stream of customers, but business has definitely picked up. I don't think Big Red would have come back if it hadn't.

Big Red was of course their codename for Knuckles. They all had aliases for when they did detective work, blessed upon them by Charmy Bee: Vector was the Green Guy, Charmy was Pinstripe Pete and Espio was Pinky. Vector personally thought he and Knuckles had garnered the better names; Charmy's nickname for Espio was downright insulting, though Espio paid it no mind. If the insect had tried to call Vector "Greenie" he was sure he would have tossed the kid through a wall.

Vector shook his head slightly to clear his mind. Why am I even thinking about this when I could be sleeping? He turned the volume up on his earphones and tucked his arms behind his head. God knows I won't be able to nap once that darned kid gets home from school. Better use my time wisely.

A knock roused the crocodile from his thoughts. Growling slightly, he pulled his headphones down around his neck and called, "Come in, it's open." He was expecting another customer, possibly a distraught wife who wanted them to figure out if her husband's late nights out were the result of a secret affair. What he did not expect to see was the face of the hedgehog he hadn't seen in a year. "Shadow, my man! What are you doing here?"

Shadow didn't respond, which was usually the only response you got from him. The hedgehog moved across the office rapidly, stopping directly before Vector's desk. "I want in."

"Say what?"

Shadow's crimson eyes bore into the reptile like lasers, and for the first time Vector realized that Shadow was angry. More than that; he was seething with rage. "The Chaotix, Vector. I want in. You know I'm more than qualified."

A flash of white at the hedgehog's side caught Vector's attention, and as soon as he recognized the figure he snarled low in his throat. "Hey, Bat Girl. What do you get out of this, hmm?"

"What? You think I'm getting something out of this little arrangement?" Rouge asked haughtily, eyeing the reptile with distaste as she chuckled. "Wrong. I don't know why Shadow wanted to join this… business when he could have easily come to GUN instead. We have much more to offer than you do."

Vector snapped, "Yeah, like fifty years in prison? If that isn't a rank deal then I'd be checking the bottom of those heels to figure out what small, helpless creature you've crushed to death, because something stinks."

"Ahaha, and the lizard's wit reveals itself," Rouge replied, nudging the carpet with a distasteful look. "Maybe we should take this outside, big boy. Of course, I have my reserves about hitting ladies, but the way I see it you brought it upon yourself."

As Vector stood and began to angrily retort Shadow stepped between them. "That's enough, Rouge." Shadow turned and sent a glare toward the bat, who rolled her eyes and shrugged; she'd been enjoying goading the leader of the Chaotix. Turning back to Vector, he raised an eyebrow. "So, do we have a deal? Am I in?"

"Sure," Vector growled, glaring over Shadow's head at the bat behind him. "Sure, you're in, if you get this thing out of my office."

"Whatever, it stinks in here anyway," Rouge said smoothly, turning on a heel and heading for the door. Before she could get close to it it swung inward, revealing a weary-looking Knuckles. He looked like he'd been beat up pretty badly; a cut over his eye looked like it was just beginning to heal and there were bruises on his arms and torso. Upon seeing him Rouge gasped uncharacteristically, Vector all but forgotten. "Knuckles! My God, what happened to you? Are you alright?"

Knuckles stopped dead in the doorway, wide eyes glancing between the three of them. He almost looked scared, and Shadow realized it was because Rouge's atypical concern for him was likely to raise questions about the pair's so-called rivalry. After all, he was the only one outside of the two of them that knew the entire story of their relationship.

As smoothly as he could manage Shadow nudged Rouge with his arm, who jumped and glanced at him with wide eyes. Her gaze landed upon Vector, and finally she seemed to understand. Turning back to Knuckles with the ugliest glare she could manage, she added, "Not that I care. Now could you move? I have more important things to do." She shoved past him and sauntered down the hallway, sticking her middle finger up high over her shoulder so that they could all see it.

Knuckles glared at her retreating form and shook his head before moving inside the office, slamming the door behind him. "What the hell was she doing here, boss?" Knuckles turned to the two of them, raising his head toward Shadow in greeting. Shadow nodded, silently assessing Knuckles' injuries. The feeling that something evil was heading their way returned to him like a dark cloud, and for the hundredth time since Rouge got the call he wished he was already at Tails'. He'd feel better once he saw that she was safe, for now.

"As far as I know, she only came in to screw with me," Vector grumbled, his anger already ebbing away as he too took note of the cuts and bruises on his employee. "But that doesn't matter anymore. What happened to you, Knuckles? You look like you got scraped up pretty bad. Was the mission that tough?"

Knuckles' eyes darkened and Shadow realized that the danger might be upon them already. The need to be where he was needed most overcame everything else, and he pulled the yellow Chaos Emerald from his spines. "Sorry, Vector, but I have somewhere I need to be. I'll get a hold of you soon." In a flash of light he was gone.

"What in the—"

"VECTOOOOOOR!" The office door slammed open and in flew Charmy Bee. Knuckles ducked as the bee shot over his head, narrowly missing him. Vector was not as fortunate and Charmy crashed into his torso and the two of them ended up on the floor in a heap, tangled with the now broken remains of the office chair.

For a moment the office was as quiet as it had been before Shadow and Rouge had arrived. Then, all hell broke loose as Vector began to scream.

"CHARMY, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD, WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING FLYING AROUND LIKE A DAMNED IDIOT? I'VE TOLD YOU OVER AND OVER NOT TO GO AROUND SCREAMING YOUR HEAD OFF INSIDE THE BUILDING! IT'S BAD FOR BUSINESS!"

Charmy cowered in the corner as Vector stood over him, blatantly breaking his own rule and not giving a damn. Knuckles himself had backed away to the other side of the office, regarding Vector with a kind of trained indifference. Truth be told, he actually felt bad for the young bee, but he had learned long ago that sticking up for Charmy didn't earn him any points with his superior and was likely to lead to a brawl more often than not. He had tried to tell the kid that being just a little calmer would dramatically improve his relationship with Vector, but his warning had fallen on deaf ears. Charmy was just too high-strung.

By this time Charmy had begun to cry, and in a slightly lower voice Vector said, "Damn it, Charmy, stop that. You're ten years old, for crying out loud. You gonna be a baby your whole life?"

Instantly and in an incredibly comical manner the waterworks stopped and Charmy was on his feet, sticking his bottom lip out at Vector. "Aww, c'mon Vec, you know I'm fourteen! I'm not a baby! Maybe if you didn't yell all the time I wouldn't cry anymore!"

Vector seemed poised on the edge, mentally debating whether or not to sink his teeth into the insect or just let it go. After taking a few calming breaths the reptile folded his hands over his chest and stared down his long nose at Charmy. "Whatever. What did you want, anyhow? I'm very busy."

His words seemed to remind Charmy of something incredibly important, because instantly the bee was flying again, buzzing round and round Vector's head while talking so fast that it was impossible to understand him. After enduring a few moments of this Vector snatched the bee out of the air and held him up by his leg. "Okay, NOW tell me what was so important that you had to burst in here and ruin my chair."

Charmy blinked momentarily, like he had a little trouble adjusting to seeing the office upside down and then began to talk again, blessedly slower. "Oh, Espio told me that we're invited to a meeting out in the Mystic Ruins! Sonic and Tails said to be there. Something about Amy having ammonia."

"Amnesia, Charmy," Knuckles corrected, moving toward the pair.

Vector glanced at the echidna. "You know about this, Knuckles?"

Charmy began to squirm in Vector's grip as Knuckles explained the call he'd gotten from Tails. Halfway through his account Espio entered the office, but the others didn't notice him until Knuckles' story had ended. As soon as they saw him they realized that Espio looked almost as worse for wear as Knuckles did.

"What on Mobius happened to you two?" Vector asked, having moved one of the chairs reserved for the clients behind his desk in lieu of his broken office chair. He had long ago released Charmy, who had busied himself in the corner by trying and pretty much failing to put Vector's beloved chair back together. Knuckles and Espio stood before the desk, and the two of them exchanged glances before turning back to their superior.

"Not now," Espio muttered in a low voice, his cautious saffron-colored eyes darting around the small office. "Later, when I'm sure we can't be overheard."

"But-! Knuckles, then. Tell me what happened." Knuckles was silent as well, looking down at the carpet below his feet. Vector cursed under his breath, eliciting a cry of offense from the insect in the corner, and then continued. "Fine then, later. But for now we have to worry about this meeting. Espio, I want you to call our clients for this week and next week and tell them that something's come up. If they complain, tell them to take it to GUN." Vector grunted as Espio nodded and left the office, and then turned to Knuckles. "I want you to—"

"Actually, Sonic wants me to do something for him before I come to the meeting, so I'll be booked the rest of the day," Knuckles interrupted, a sly smile on his face as he backed away from the desk. "Sorry, boss." With that he was gone as well, leaving only Vector and Charmy.

The crocodile sighed and put his head in his hands. "Why are all my subordinates idiots…?"

"Hey, you don't mean me, too, do you?" Charmy's voice piped up from the corner of the office. Vector sighed again and turned his headphones up to drown out the insect's protests. He hoped that Amy's affliction would not last very long. This whole business seemed like way too much trouble.

A/N: This chapter introduces Team Chaotix as well as the rivalry the agency has with GUN and, subsequently, Rouge. That's one of the main reasons why she and Knuckles have been keeping their relationship a secret. And yes, both Shadow and Knuckles are part of the Chaotix now. Wonder who will be introduced in the next chapter? Thanks for reading! And, if you have the time and/or the patience, please leave me a little review.