Regular sonic fan: It is cute how much Charmy likes Vector! I sort of see Charmy as looking up to him as a fatherly figure. Do you see that too or is it just me being weird? :P D'aw, I'm so happy how much you like this story! *squeals* And same, it's so annoying when strangers hug or touch you! *shivers* I'm sorry that your friend doesn't go to the same high school as you. That must really suck. And wow, that's early! Do you stay up a lot later in the summer? Thanks for reading!
TheMidnightShadow: Say, I think that we both dropped off of the face of the earth for a little while there! Anyhow, it's nice to see you again and I'm glad that you found my new account! So how have you been? And I agree; late is always better than never!
andypandy123: Hi! It's good to have you back. :) I've been okay, have been feeling a little ill today, but that's pretty typical for me. How have you been? That's a good point; life would get boring if it was perfect all of the time, so I guess that we should be grateful for the ups and downs as weird as that sounds? I understand what you're saying there. September seems to be coming up quickly for some reason. And yeah, who wants to work at McDonalds? Any sort of job is better than no job though, true! Glad to hear that you had a nice time!
Savvy0417: You'll get to see how Espio and Vector get along in this chapter! That's awesome that you've seen some Sonic X episodes. Do you have a favorite one? I'll watch the ones that you mentioned along with Sonic Adventure 2 clips when I get some free time. Hm, maybe I should! I was thinking about writing ScourgexFiona or ScourgexManic next though, so we'll see. Do you like Scourge at all? Major Scourge fan over here!
Bluemist45: Good point there - I love everything about Espio! I'm glad to hear that you'll keep reading this! Let me know what you think of this chapter!
Guest: Well, I'm glad to hear that you like both versions at least! I guess that it's good that I'm changing it up a bit just so it's not the exact same story to read over again, right? I'm glad that you like the way that I write Charmy! He's actually pretty fun to write. And poor Espio with that dirt. He's such a neat freak, isn't he? xD Hope you like this next chapter!
Toni the Mink: Thanks for the support! I actually spent a lot of time thinking about my mystery today and about how I want the first chapter to go. Might as well give it a shot! I'm feeling inspired now, haha. And thanks, you're really nice. It's probably a good thing that you've forgotten how this chapter goes so it's more exciting for you to read then, right? :D Thanks for the review!
Villains' Bad Girl: I hear you on the job thing. It seems like we're all looking for one these days.
Mickfang27: Hehe, it was a fast update, wasn't it? Oh well, fast updates are always better than slow updates, right? I'm really loving your predictions! Would you prefer for Vector to save the day or to have to go through the torture of watching Espio being raped? Good question about what the two will talk about when they're alone. Trust Charmy to burst in on an important conversation that they might have. Thanks for commenting!
LuluCalliope: Ah, I'm being surrounded by pony fans! *freaks out* So you got Alicia into it too, huh? Wow. Ponies are just not my thing, so Discord and everyone else is all yours. I get all of the Sonic guys though. *insert fangirl grin here* And okay, sounds good about the play!
Manicpanicgirl: Same here about the comics! I wish that I could read more of them. Hm...Team Chaotix is my favorite, I think! What do you like the most about Team Dark? I like Team Dark second best.
Ersiffa Narman: Hey! I can understand why you'd make exceptions for one-shots, that makes sense. Have you read any good ones? Chorus sounds like such an awesome class. :D Do you have it once a week or...? I'm totally with you on hiphop and rap! *high fives you* Heh, piercings are definitely worth the pain. I still want an eyebrow, nose, and lip piercing at some point. Bryce is like the devil. I tried to make him worse than Eggman. I always thought that Eggman was kind of...blah. What do you think of him? My day was alright. I went and bought an alarm clock. xD How was your day?
Saints-Fan-12: That's a great prediction! Vector seems like the nosy type who will ask lots of questions, don't you think? Hope you like this next chapter!
LusayLu182: It's okay, I understand how school can be time consuming. Is it going well for you, I hope? I'm really glad that I graduated last year. I love Team Chaotix too! They're my favorite team. Who's your favorite Chaotix member?
InsertUnoriginalPenNameHere: Omg, you're back! *throws a party for you with lots of confetti* Yes, I was wondering where you disappeared to! I'm so sorry that things took a downward spin for you. *hugs tightly* Things are going better for you now though? I sure hope so and hope to hear more from you soon!
bearvalley3365: Amy can be kind of annoying, I agree. She's always pestering Sonic, isn't she? I think that Vector is a nice guy at heart, but that's just me. Good prediction about their meeting! You'll find out how it goes in this chapter. Unfortunately, I haven't seen Rise of the Guardians, so I can't give you an opinion on it. Sorry!
Mysterious: Oh, you have a good point there. Wikipedia seems to make things up a lot, doesn't it? Still, I hope that Disney goes through with it! *crosses fingers* Thanks for the review!
Stormyx: Thanks for hoping that I'm feeling okay. I get sick kind of a lot, which is hard to deal with, but I guess that you get used to it after a bit, you know? God, I know, it seems like some people are too lazy to even try to make their characters IC! I hate stories with just OCs and no canon characters so much. They should be deleted from this website if you ask me. What do you think? Alright then, get ready for a long list of pairings! I ship EspioxVector, JetxSonic, ScourgexFiona, ScourgexManic, ScourgexSonic, ManicxSonic, ShadowxMaria, ShadowxMephiles, JetxWave, KnucklesxRouge, and I believe that is it, but I might come up with more later, we shall see. :P Migrating to another country sounds nice! Do you travel often if you don't mind my asking? Espio, give Vector a chance already so you two can fall in love! And same, I don't like being hugged unless it's online, haha. Thanks for commenting!
ven bracken: Espio is a hard case, I agree. I wonder if Vector will ever get through to him. Those are interesting pairings! I take it that you like Big?
zgirl16: Aw, well, I'd be honored if you read my SulleyxRandall story! It's called Behind Closet Doors if you're interested. I definitely need to read your Black Butler stories after I watch the show! What do you like the most about Undertaker? He sounds like a pretty cool character! And thank you so much for liking this story, you're so nice. *hugs*
Chapter X
~ Vector's POV ~
I stare into the mirror with and give myself a toothy grin. I just brushed my teeth and now it's time to go over to Espio's house for our first day of work as Team Chaotix. My teeth gleam in the mirror and my breath is minty fresh. I really don't think that I can look any better. Cranking up the volume to my music, I cross the room in two long strides and push the door to my apartment room open. Nothin' is going to ruin my first day working with my new team. Some poor fellow in need of our expertise is bound to give us a call today. Who knows? I could be rich by the end of the day!
Shifting from foot to foot, I wait for the elevator to reach my floor. As soon as the door opens, I practically fling myself inside of it, almost running over a disgruntled hedgehog in the process. He gives me an annoyed look and brings himself up to his full height. I grin sheepishly at him and mutter, "Sorry 'bout that."
The hedgehog doesn't respond and stalks out of the elevator. I pound my finger against the red button that will bring me to the lobby and then close the elevator door by pressing another button. As the elevator travels downward much too slowly for my taste, I think about my new team. Do I like my new team members? 'Course I do! What's not to like?
...Well, alright, so maybe we aren't a big, happy family yet, but all of that will come in time. Charmy seems to have accepted me already. In fact, he even wanted me to sleep over at his house last night. I chuckle to myself at the memory as the elevator comes to a halt and opens up. I whiz out of it and hurry across the lobby undetected. Ya never know when you might accidentally run into one of those annoyin' hedgehogs whose goal in life seems to be to pester you about the rent.
Stepping out into the bright sunlight, I tilt my head back and puff out my chest as I start down the sidewalk. There aren't too many people out at this time of day. I detect a few hedgehogs clustered in front of the grocery store, but that's it. I hope that Espio has gotten his cafe job sorted out. He can't walk out on me now.
Speakin' of Espio, I know that there's something not quite right about the fuchsia colored chameleon. He's far too jumpy and he's probably the most suspicious guy that I've ever met. It makes him a valuable player of Team Chaotix, but I can't even imagine what it would be like to spend yer days constantly keeping a vigilant eye out for danger the way that he does. I doubt that the chameleon has a single friend other than Charmy. I can tell that he's hiding somethin' from me although I'm not sure what it is yet. He's guarding a dark secret and I hope to get it out of him sooner rather than later.
Suddenly, I notice a familiar figure walking down the street directly toward me. My eyes widen in surprise as I see a gorgeous cream rabbit with beautiful brown eyes only a few meters away from me. I try not to stop and stare at Miss Vanilla, but my eyes seem to have other plans as they latch onto her face. Miss Vanilla glances up and meets my infatuated gaze. Instead of turnin' away from me, a small smile crosses her lips. It only takes me a second before I'm giving her my most devilish smile.
As I'm searching my brain for somethin' to say to her, Miss Vanilla trips over a rock placed right in the middle of the sidewalk. She gasps and lurches forward. I react instantaneously and reach out for her. Miss Vanilla topples against my chest instead of smacking against the hard concrete ground. My heart starts thudding against my chest as I feel her warm body against mine. She looks up at me with those alluring hazel eyes of hers and doesn't step away from me right away. Instead, we stare at each other.
Cheeks flushing, I back first and ask politely, "Are yeh alright, ma'am?"
"Yes, I am," Miss Vanilla replies, brushing off her long skirts as she gives me a sparkling smile and adds, "Thank you so much for saving me from falling."
"No problem," I tell her, getting lost in the big brown pools of her eyes. "Is there anythin' else that I can lend ya a hand with?"
"Not at the moment, but thank you," Miss Vanilla says politely before she holds out a delicate hand to me and says, "I don't believe that we've been introduced before. I'm Miss Vanilla."
"Yeah, I know," I nod. Miss Vanilla raises an eyebrow, finding it curious that I already know her name. Damn. Now I probably sound like a stalker to her. Where are my manners? I search my head for somethin' proper to say and mumble in a rush, "I'm Vector. It's nice to meet yeh, ma'am."
We shake hands, mine trembling just a little bit. I can't help but feel a little disappointed when Miss Vanilla releases my hand after a few seconds. She gives me one last enchanting smile and says, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Vector, dear. I have to pick up my daughter from the park, so I'll have to be on my way now. Perhaps we'll run into each other another time."
"Yeah," I nod vigorously, turning around to watch Miss Vanilla as she flounces away from me with that graceful walk of hers. "Have a nice day!"
I stare after Miss Vanilla until she's completely out of sight, my pulse still racin' from all of the excitement. Miss Vanilla actually smiled at me and she even called me "dear". That's gotta be a good sign! Instantaneously energized, I start humming along to my music and continue on my way to Espio's house. This day is off to a great start.
It doesn't take me very long to reach Espio's house. When I reach the cozy yet very clean house, I stop right outside the door and slam my fist against the it to make sure that Espio can hear me knocking. There's only a slight pause before an even-toned voice from within the house calls, "Come in."
I push the door open and step inside of the small living room. I expect to be greeted by a hyperactive little bee, but the kid is nowhere to be seen. Instead, Espio is leaning against the couch with his arms crossed over his chest as usual. I'm startin' to think that his arms are glued in that position.
Forgetting to greet the slender chameleon, I ask bluntly, "Where's Charmy?"
"Charmy promised his friend that he would meet her at the park today. I believe that he's at the park right now. He should be back shortly. I quit my day job at the cafe although I did agree to work some night shifts instead," Espio explains to me. "Feel free to sit down if you'd like. It may be a while before we get our first call."
"Nah, I'm sure that someone will call us right away," I contradict optimistically, earning myself a patronizing look from Espio. Shrugging it off, I tramp across the room and plop down on a wooden chair behind the polished wooden table. Propping my feet up on the table as I slide my chair back, I tuck my arms behind my head and add, "Guess I might as well sit down though."
Espio cringes when I put my feet on the table. I dunno what's buggin' him. Is it me or is it something else? I expect him to tell me what's wrong, but he keeps his lips in a thin line and doesn't say a word. We sit in an awkward silence, neither of us speaking. The silence between us starts to drag on for a bit too long. Even I start to feel uncomfortable and begin twiddling with my thumbs. Having nothing better to do, I take a closer look at the chameleon leaning up against the couch a few feet away from me. His amber eyes are fixed on the wall to my left and although I thought that he was scowling at me earlier, I notice now that he has a faraway look in his eyes and has probably forgotten that I'm even in the room with him.
"Ya know, I would've thought that we would have at least gotten one phone call by now," I reply, my voice shattering the thick silence that has fallen between us.
Espio flicks his eyes over to me and says calmly, "We have to be patient. We created the webpage only yesterday."
"I guess," I reply, feeling a little downhearted that nobody has called us yet. My thoughts travel to the website and I think of something that could be a problem. Frowning, I tell Espio, "I think that we should go take a look at the website just to make sure that it's still up."
"Of course it's still up," Espio replies almost indignantly. "What do you think happened to it? It got removed by aliens?"
I ignore Espio's dry sarcasm and insist, "I'm gonna go check on it just in case. You can just stay here if ya want."
I get up from my chair and start across the room to Espio's bedroom. Not wanting me alone with his computer, Espio lets out a melodramatic sigh and trails reluctantly after me to the computer room. I tramp through the door to his room and go straight to the computer. Plopping down on the stool behind it, I press the power button on the computer and tap my fingers impatiently against the desk that the computer is sittin' on and crank up my music a few more notches.
Espio slinks into the room and sends me a dirty look as he leans up against the computer desk. His lips move and I can tell that he's saying something although I can't hear what it is. Giving him a blank look, I ask, "Huh?"
Espio repeats whatever it is that he was saying, but I still can't hear him. I give him a nonplussed look. Espio's face contorts with irritation. He reaches out and grabs one of my earphones with ninja quick reflexes as he states, "I'm not about to lose my voice screaming at the top of my lungs so that you can hear me over your music. Either turn it down or turn it off."
I wouldn't usually turn my music off just because someone tells me to, but I find that I want to at least attempt to please Espio. He seems like he's gonna be about impossible to make happy, but I can at least give it a try. For his sake, I turn off my music and say, "Alright, so what was it that ya were tryin' to tell me?"
"I said to be careful with the computer because it's the only one that I have and I cannot afford a new one," Espio repeats. Hesitating, he adds, "Perhaps I ought to take over this job..."
"Nah," I reply, giving the chameleon a playful shove as I fight to remain in control of the computer. "I can manage to get onto a website. It ain't rocket science."
My little shove causes Espio to stumble back a few paces. It makes me realize that although his personality is hard and rigid, his body is anything but strong. He's easily pushed around. I almost feel bad for shoving him. Almost, but not quite. After all, he did kinda deserve it fer tryin' to take the computer away from me.
I turn my attention away from an irksome Espio and bring up the internet home page. To my surprise, the home page as been set to our very own website. I smile at it, liking that picture of our team smack in the middle of the website. I'm lookin' pretty darn good there and Esp isn't flinching and glaring for once. He's looking...bashful.
"The website is clearly working. Let's go back to the living room now," Espio says in a hurry to get me away from the computer for some unknown reason.
I hesitate, not wanting to leave the computer room. The living room is boring and there's nothin' to do there. At least I can monkey around on some websites in here to stay occupied. Folding my arms across my chest in a mirror image of Espio, I accuse, "Why are yeh always tryin' to get me away from the computer? I ain't gonna break it. Say, what does this button do?"
Seeing a little red button in the corner of the computer screen, I place my hand on the mouse and bring the cursor up to the button, about to click on it to figure out what it does.
"Vector, no!" Espio calls out in warning. He suddenly flies across the room and flings himself toward the mouse, trying to wrestle it away from me. Espio knocks into my stool in the process and loses his balance, going crashing into me. The stool rocks back and forth precariously, and before I know it, we've both toppled onto the ground with the stool skidding away from us across the room.
"Oof!" I groan as I land flat on my back. A light weight comes crashing onto my chest. I see stars for a moment before my vision clears once more and I become aware of the warm little body sprawled across my chest. Espio is straddling me awkwardly with his hands splayed across my chest in an attempt to save himself from his fall. Our faces are only a few inches away from each other and I find myself breathin' in a clean, exotic scent. Seeming frozen from shock, Espio just stares at me with his bright amber eyes. I gaze back at him, findin' it kind of odd how I don't mind the chameleon pinning me to the floor.
Suddenly jerking out of his paralysis, Espio jolts backward, a bright pink flush crossing his cheeks. I feel his body temperature rise up a couple of notches as he scrambles to get off of me. I watch in amusement as he stammers, "T-that button would've deleted the website."
"Oops. Guess it's a good thing that ya stopped me from clicking that button then," I reply, taking my time getting to my feet. Espio actually looks sorta cute when he's all flustered like this. Poking him gently, I ask, "You okay?"
"I...yes," Espio replies a little less stiffly as he takes my hand in an iron grip and practically hauls me out of the bedroom with surprising strength as he states, "Now let's go to the living room before you do any more damage!"
Team Chaotix is not having much luck so far. :P Do you think that they'll get a phone call in the next chapter? Review please! :)