Hey, everyone. Chapter 10 is here! Cream becoming more... serious and rebelious. (It's indeed a dangerous combination.)

Anyways... Let the story begin! But first...

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters and places mentioned or used in this story.

Remember to R&R!

After escaping our jail room, we walked through the metallic corridor, feeling a bit nervous. As always, when dealing with Dr. Eggman, we expected something pretty big and tough to beat. On our toes, we were. Looking around, scanning even the tiniest place for something suspicious.

"Hm... I got to hand it to Egghead, he sure know how to keep a place looking clean," Sonic said, scanning the place from top to bottom.

"Yeah, no hidden panels, switches, or anything for that matter. Everything is spotless!" Tails exclaimed.

I remained silent. I had nothing to say, but I knew that Eggman did this for a reason. To keep us from snooping around, of course.

Tails stopped looking around once or twice to check on me. Each time he looked at me, I focused on everything in front of me, wishing not to look into his eyes. Once we finally looked into each other's eyes, he gave me a warm, friendly smile, which made my cold, serious frown disappear.

As if he sensed my feelings, he grabbed my hand and held it tightly. I blushed a little, feeling more comfort than I often would in a evil lair. We stopped to look at each other for a minute, leaving Sonic to wander off in search of Dr. Eggman or his robots.

After realizing he was missing his two friends were left behind, he walked up to us asking, "You to ok?"

We took another glance at each other before nodding.

He continued. "Well, I understand you two are having a bit of a moment, but we have an egg to smash. And a chao to save too."

I said, "Not only Cheese, but about all of the chao in the world, including Tails chao."

"Tails has a chao? I didn't know that, in fact there are some things he hardly talks to me about..." he wandered off, looking at the fox.

Tails looked away as if he had another secret that he hasn't told, to him or anyone else.

"Anyways, let's get moving. We got a lot of ground to cover..." he trailed off again looking at a large room beyond the corridor.

We walked into a large room which was filled with robots and... chao! The kidnaped chao was in a container in a process that stuffed them into the robots like toothpaste in tubes.

I gaped with a mix of awe and disgust. How dare he do such a thing to the harmless creatures! We have to rescue them at any cost!

"So these are all the chao that were stolen... How did you know that they were around here?" asked Sonic.

Tails said, "Well, we saw one of Eggman's robots stealing them at a chao garden at Station Square."

"...There's a chao garden in Station Square?"

"Yeah, even I forgot about it a while ago, but it's at the hotel, next to the train station."

"Oh... Right."

As the two talked on about the clues we found on our investigation, I looked back at the container and the rest of the machines. One by one, little chao were stuffed into robots as a life source. I couldn't bare to look at it much longer... the chao's strained looks... the thought of being trapped in those robot, having the life drained from them... I have to save them, I must!

I walked up to the machines like an robotic being just as Sonic and Tails finished talking. They both ran in front of me, blocking my way from the defenseless chao.

I nearly broke down. "Please... Please let me save those chao... You can't leave them all alone to be stuffed into robots!" Tears flowed to my eyes. I felt the chao's pain, I know of that pain. That's why I want to save them.

Sonic patted my shoulder. "Cream, I understand, but that could be booby trapped with something..."

Tails tried to reassure me. "I promise, once we check the surrounding perimeter for any traps, we'll free the chao."

I sniffled a bit and wiped my eyes. "...Ok... Please don't be long..."

They spread out in search of traps in a quick and speedy manner and came back.

The hedgehog said, "Huh... no traps here."

The fox quickly agreed, "Yeah, the place is spotless..."

I know there's a trap here... I can sense it... I looked around the room. The only thing we haven't checked is... that big machine...

I walked up to it once more, but at some distance away.

"Uh... aren't you going to save the chao?" Sonic asked.

I stayed silent and removed a slingshot and a marble at my pocket.

"Uh, Cream?"

I aimed the slingshot at the container.

Tails shot a worried look at me. "Cream?"

I ignored the worried look and focused at the container.

They both were confused and called my name repeatedly to get my attention.

I ignored them once more and fired the marble at the container. After I did, the container was cracked a bit and an alarm was sounded.

I looked at them with cold, serious eyes. "You missed something..."