A Joint Venture - Vector's Story
This was requested by a couple of people, and I figured I could do this exercise as practice, plus find out if I've improved since I wrote the original chapters. I have changed some very minor details, some of which were for clarity, others for a change of "scenery" for past readers, and some still because I am fickle. I am not entirely certain I want the commitment of updating the ENTIRE story, so for now, I'm keeping it marked as "complete", just in case. I could perhaps accept some convincing to continue this section to its end :P Enjoy!
Also, where are all of the Vecpio fans? I haven't talked to you guys + gals in forever!
It was a chilly fall evening. A pair of reptiles walked into the sunset, their names Vector (a crocodile) and Espio (a chameleon). The two were unlike any commonly seen taking twilit strolls - their sizes differed greatly, with Vector dwarfing Espio by a good two feet in height and one foot in bulk, and they each had a different way of walking that gave a glimpse into their distinct personalities. Espio's movements were calculated, rigid, betraying his ninja upbringing and general stoicism. Vector's gait was more casual, a bit of a strut, the bottoms of his boots scuffing against the dirt beneath, as they both shuffled along the forest path that led to their shack in the woods.
The duo were longtime friends, and had gone on a few adventures together, inadvertently; a man known as Dr. Eggman tended to mess up the lives of everyone on the planet, and it had fallen to them to help stop him, on occasion. Generally, though, these were two easygoing creatures. They hadn't had to protect the world's peace in quite a long time, so they had made a pact to exercise daily in the hopes of keeping fit. Vector worked out, but Espio didn't count that - he said the exercise needed to be cardiovascular in nature. And besides, Vector enjoyed these little strolls with his best friend - it gave the crocodilian an excuse to be around this perplexing specimen of a man.
Vector thought back to the first day the two of them had met. He was younger - a lot younger, and skinnier too - and he'd heard a rumour that an island had risen from the ocean in an act of God. Vector wasn't religious by any means, but the story had immediately piqued his curiosity. He took a chartered boat to the island, and when he got there, he was ambushed by Dr. Eggman's robots and imprisoned in a disturbing machine called the "Combi Catcher". This machine could freeze its victim like a toy and place them into a crane machine, and to be saved, the victim needed to be fished out with the crane.
Vector shuddered at the memory, but continued through it. He'd been trapped, seeing nothing but darkness, for a long time, when he was brought out at last. When he regained control of his faculties, he almost immediately fell to his rear, his legs unused to supporting him. A gloved palm held itself in front of him, offering assistance. He took it, and followed the slender, lean-muscled arm up to the face of its owner - Espio. They'd met another friend there, Charmy Bee, and the three of them became inseparable later in life. But not then.
Vector's reverie was interrupted when he noticed Espio, or a lack thereof - the chameleon wasn't walking next to Vector anymore. The confused crocodile stopped and stepped back a few paces to where he noticed Espio had come to a halt.
"Wassup?" Vector's expression was blank, but slightly curious, mirroring Espio's.
After a pause, Espio answered: "Vector... What exactly are we doing?"
Vector had been looking back at Espio. On hearing his words, he turned his whole body around to face the slim, orchid-tinted reptile.
"Erm... we're goin' for a walk, silly!" Vector was muscle-bound, and could certainly be a little bit slow at times, but he wasn't stupid. He could feel Serious Talk approaching and it made him intensely uncomfortable.
Espio shook his head. "No, I mean... what are we doing? With our lives?"
Vector sighed on the inside. He loved Espio - well, love is a strong word, that gave him a squirming, tense feeling that made him want to run away and hide, but more on that later - but the chameleon could really kill the mood sometimes. "What d'ya mean, Esp?" Vector used his favourite nickname for Espio, hoping to lighten the mood a bit.
The purple chameleon considered his words before continuing. "Look at Sonic and Tails, for example."
Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower were the two most well-known heroes that fought Dr. Eggman whenever he caused trouble. Well, Sonic was at least. Tails, his fox companion, was rarely in the limelight when standing next to Sonic, who could be... showy, to say the least.
"Those two have a mission in life - to keep the world safe from Dr. Eggman. Knuckles - who, by the way, we ought to pay another visit soon - guards the Master Emerald from harm. Mighty dedicates himself to a non-violent life, living peacefully in tune with nature."
He could have stopped there, but he kept going. Vector tried not to roll his eyes - his friend could be incredibly verbose for a ninja.
"Shadow is trying to atone for the sins he has committed. I don't know about Rouge, but that bat always seems to be busy planning something. Miss Vanilla thinks only of being the best mother she can possibly be. Even Amy Rose - she doesn't do much other than shop and talk, but even she has a goal - to find true love." Espio lowered his head slightly, breaking eye contact, after the mention of love.
Of course, even ninjas must feel awkward discussing such things, Vector figured. Why couldn't guys be sappy together like girls could? Vector tried to imagine such a world, and found he didn't really like it. Masculinity is better. It's far more interesting, more satisfying - wait, that sounds wrong. What am I thinking?
Espio finished his speech. "You, Charmy and I spend our days doing nothing in particular."
Vector didn't have the faintest clue how to respond. He decided to misinterpret Espio's meaning to see if he could gain some brownie points with his favourite chameleon, by appearing cutely offended (and at the same time, coax a more succinct explanation out of Espio). He knew Espio didn't mean it this way, but Vector replied, with a scratch of his head:
"Erm, that's... that's some pretty heavy stuff, Esp. I thought ya liked hangin' out with us..." Vector tried to look hurt.
"Oh, no! No, no, no! I do! More than anything!"
Mission accomplished. Vector's cheeks turned ever so slightly pink upon reception of the chameleon's guilt over him. Wait... what am I even doing right now? This is kinda weird, Vector realized. Then again, I do it all the time.
"But, Vector, don't you think there is something more we could be doing with our lives? I haven't felt... exhilarated with my life since our last journey, knowing that I had a goal that I was working toward, no matter the cost. And having you and Charmy along was just icing on the cake, of course." Espio could be surprisingly affectionate at times.
"Hrmm. Well, to tell ya the truth, though I'd been perfectly content with the way things were, a teensy li'l part of me DID feel a little... I dunno... unfulfilled, I guess?" Vector hated being introspective like this, and especially hated revealing his inner workings to anyone else, let alone Espio.
He couldn't stop from blurting a little more out, however: "But I'd do it for the rest of my life, as long as I had you guys with me. Yer my best friends! Damn it, I sound like a sap now, don't I?" Vector flushed with embarassment. Why was he being so sentimental? Must be the moonlight, he decided; it had almost taken over the sky now. Their conversation had gone on longer than Vector had thought.
Espio's expression changed. Vector couldn't decrypt it.
"Do you... have any dreams?" It came from Espio's mouth so suddenly, even the chameleon himself looked like he hadn't been expecting it.
Vector felt too hot. "'Dreams'? What d'ya mean? That's a loaded term, Esp." The crocodile understood what Espio meant superficially, but he felt like the smaller reptile had something else on his mind, and the conversation had some symbolism that went over Vector's head. Or maybe, probably, definitely, he was just mistaken. If Espio had something to say, he'd just say it, right? That's what men do, Vector reasoned. Still, if Espio did mean something more than what he was saying, Vector wanted to goad it out of him. His hopes were dashed, however, by Espio's reply:
"Just answer," The purple reptile said. It wasn't impatient, or rude - Espio was never rude - but the simplicity of the reply still felt uncomfortably curt.
"I'm gonna assume you're talkin' about plans, since ya don't seem to wanna elaborate," Vector hazarded, crossing his arms. Then he faltered. "Erm, well... honestly..."
He stopped.
"Nah, it's a stupid idea." Vector dismissed the conversation.
"Tell me," Espio demanded, curiosity brightening his already pleasant features.
Vector sighed. "Promise ya won't laugh?" I'm never getting out of this conversation, am I?
"Of course not. Now, go on."
"Okay. Argh... I know it sounds silly, but... well... I always had this idea of you, me and Charm runnin' our own little... detective agency." Vector shut his eyes, hating the feeling of vulnerability, expecting a snide remark from Espio.
"Really?"
Vector frowned, opened his eyes, and studied Espio. The chameleon's face betrayed no mockery, but Vector wasn't convinced. "Ya think it's dumb, don'tcha?"
Espio stepped a bit closer, making Vector feel like he'd just fallen ten feet. "No, Vector! I think it's a great idea, actually. It's just... I never expected you to say something like that. You always seemed so content with your life; I had no idea you had such an... interesting dream!"
The crocodile wasn't expecting this. He was at a loss for words again. "So... what d'ya think?"
"About becoming a detective?"
"Yeah." Vector clenched his fists, not out of anger, but for a lack of any idea what to do with his hands.
Espio's smile lit up the night. "I would love to. And I'd bet Charmy will feel the same way."
Vector blushed bright pink, the darkness thankfully hiding this fact. "Awr... Yer the best, buddy."
He brought Espio into a hug, never having felt this... accepted before. Espio had made him feel comfortable in his skin, or rather, his scales, something that not many people could do. He was suddenly and acutely aware of the firmness of Espio's frame, the slender muscles responding to his squeezing them. His heart was beating a bit faster than it should have. The purple chameleon's horn was poking him uncomfortably, but he didn't care. He just wanted to keep holding Espio... for some reason...
Why does this feel so... so... perfect? And is that cologne, or how he always smells? It's pleasant, and light, and exotic... Geez, what is with me tonight? I'm too damn sappy. Espio is gonna think I'm a girl or something.
Then Vector looked down at Espio. "Wow, Esp, yer entire body is red! What's goin' on? Are ya mad, or somethin'?" The crocodile worried; he'd forgotten Espio's stoicism. Perhaps he had offended the smaller reptile by hugging him so suddenly.
"U-uh, yeah, m-mad!" Espio stammered. "I'm just so angry that you had to feel ashamed about your dreams!"
Vector was puzzled, but didn't think anything of it. "If ya say so."
The crocodile kept the hug going as long as he could manage.
As they neared the shack, Vector noticed Espio looked quite thoughtful. He always was an intelligent one.
"Somethin' on yer mind, Esp?" Vector prodded.
Espio looked almost startled. "Um, I was just trying to think of a suitable name for the detective agency." He paused, looking apologetic suddenly. "Not t-that it's my decision - it should be up to you, of course."
Vector smiled. "C'mon, Esp, who do ya think I am? Yer gonna be on equal terms with me, bud. Don't think like I'm some big boss or somethin'."
That last part was reluctant. Vector would love it if Espio thought that, if the chameleon were a little intimidated by him. Vector liked to be able to push people around, not in a cruel way, but to tease them and have fun together. And yes, maybe he had a bit of a power complex, but didn't everyone? He just had the means, or rather the muscles, to keep it.
"Yer supportin' me! I wouldn't feel right givin' ya orders or anything. So... think of this as a joint venture." He patted Espio on the back jovially, nearly causing the chameleon to trip. Vector underestimated his own strength sometimes.
After a moment's pause, Espio replied, "Thanks, Vector. That's kind of you."
It seemed like they had a lot of walking left to do, but suddenly, there they were, at the front door of the shack. The wood was chipped and a rusty nail stuck out somewhere - they could never remember where. The roof was made of tin, so when it rained, it got quite loud inside. Vector found the white noise relaxing but it seemed to bug Espio, who would toss and turn on those nights. Espio pushed the door open, and Vector followed him in, noticing Charmy on the round rug in the centre of the room, engrossed in a colouring book.
"Yo, Charm! Whatcha doin' back so soon?" Vector said, a little too loudly, pulling out a seat from the table at the left side (from entering) of the cabin, and planting himself there, his feet resting on top of the table. From his seat in the back corner of the shack he could see everything at once, giving him a strange feeling of comfort. This was his base of operations.
"Hi Vector! Hi Espio! Cream had to go home early because she was sick." Charmy didn't look up.
"Yikes. I take it she didn't like yer smoochin' skills?" Vector teased.
Charmy turned bright pink. "She's not my girlfriend, Vector!" He scribbled angrily on the page, ruining his picture.
Espio laughed a gentle laugh, walking over to the bunk bed which he and Vector shared. The chameleon climbed to the top bunk (which was his) and lied down, stretching and yawning. "Sure, she isn't."
"I mean it! Quit it, you guys!" Charmy flew around in a circle, buzzing angrily.
"So, shall we tell 'im the news?" Vector wondered aloud in Espio's direction. He wondered why he asked the chameleon; it had sort of felt enjoyable having a little secret between them, unbeknownst to anyone else, up until this point.
"What news?" Charmy perked up, his eyes wide with childlike curiosity.
"Well, ya see, Espio and me were on a nice little walk, and we got to chattin', and we decided that we wanted to try somethin'."
"Vector, could you have worded that any more ambiguously?" Espio said, covering his face with his hand.
Vector realized he was right and blushed lightly, thinking of the inadvertent subtext. He replied with mock anger, hoping to defuse the awkwardness: "I'm gettin' there, hold yer horses! As I was sayin', we decided we wanted to try somethin'. Charmy, whaddya say we start our own detective agency?"
"Detective agency? Like Sherlock Holmes and stuff?"
"Kinda!" replied Vector, beaming. Espio smiled and shook his head, looking peaceful.
"Cool! Can I be in it too?" Charmy hopped up and down on the floor.
The crocodile grinned wide. "Of course ya can, little guy. Yer a part of this family too."
"'Family'?" Espio said. "You've never called us that, Vector."
Vector's body heated up. The conversation was getting sentimental fast. "Well, I mean... yeah, you guys are kinda the only family I got."
"You're such a big softie." Espio teased, knowing just how to get under Vector's skin.
"A-am not!" Vector turned red. He was incredibly bad at being macho.
"So, what are we gonna call ourselves?" Charmy asked. It was a good question.
"I have no idea, Charm." Vector scratched his head.
"How about the Chaotix?" the bee replied.
Vector's eyes narrowed; he was curious. "The 'Chaotix'? Where'd ya get that name from?" It seemed to have come out of nowhere, but it rung a bell somehow.
"I dunno, it just popped into my head just now!" Charmy said. Okay, so it had come from nowhere.
"I kind of like it," remarked Espio.
"Yeah, me too." Vector's memory was coming back to him now. "Wait... now I remember. Didn't we call ourselves by that name back on Carnival Island all those years ago?"
"Oh right! I completely forgot," Espio said. "It was a team nickname, of sorts."
Vector grinned. "All right, then, it's settled. From now on, we're gonna be known as the Chaotix Detective Agency!"
"Yay!" Charmy squealed.
The three talked, laughed, and were merry for the rest of the night until they finally got too tired to keep their eyes open anymore.
Lying below Espio, the crocodile could hear his soft breathing, and wondered if Espio was asleep yet. Vector began ruminating.
Interesting day... I can't believe Espio agreed with me to be detectives together! We'll barely be apart anymore, with a common goal to keep us in the same vicinity. Guess I don't have to worry as much now that he's gonna find greener pastures and move out. Well, I guess that's still a possibility. A ninja with that kind of intelligence and those... good looks could do a lot better than this crummy old dump. I wonder why he sticks around? He could probably make things better for Charmy too, that way. I wish I could provide for both of them... I wish I could be everything they needed, and they'd never want to leave me again. Why am I so worried about stupid stuff like that? I'm a big, strong croc. I can handle being by myself. I don't need Espio. But it sure is nice to have him around...
Vector's thoughts became more and more cloudy, until finally he slept, his gentle snores the only noise in the room.
Comments are greatly appreciated, as always :)