Espio x Shade: I win

Requested by Missplayer30

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When you, as a detective out on a spying trip to gather intel, expertly camouflaged, run into another spy, also expertly camouflaged, things get Awkward. After five minutes of the both of them pretending they weren't aware of the other's existence, while both inching towards the main computer, they finally reached said computer, at the same time, and were forced to acknowledge that they weren't the only person sneaking around.

"Hello." Espio began politely, skin turning back to purple gradually. There was a blip, and then the other person appeared. It was a female. She… well, she wore some sort of armour covering her whole body, donning a mask even, with twisted horns and glowing lilac details, weapons at her belt.

"Hello," she answers, equally polite. "My name is Shade. And you…?"

"Espio." He gives her another long look, contemplating. And then he's reminded of a certain discussion- "I… have heard of you. Shade of the Nocturnus, correct?"

"Yes. I suppose." She clears her throat. "I was planning to extract the blueprints, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Actually," Espio says. "That was precisely what I was planning to do."

…Espio imagines that she is staring at him, but he has no way to see her expression.

"Well then," she says at last, raising her hands slightly. "I challenge you for the information!"

It's only Espio's reflexes that saves him, when she lashes out with her hand – except that now she's holding a pair of glowing, deadly pink blades. He side-steps again, jumps backward to avoid another stab, and whips out a bundle of kunais, throwing two her way. She dodges, barely, and charges forward, swords whooshing in the air over his head when Espio drops and rolls to the side, turning invisible.

-There's another blip, and then Shade's invisible too.

Espio tries to breathe very, very quietly, and draws himself to his feet, clutching a knife tight in his hand, listening intently. There's a tiny creak a few feet to his left, and bam, a kunai slices through the air and – zing – is promptly cut out of the air by two pink swords suddenly appearing, Espio cursing quietly. (He hears another very quiet curse from her direction)

Then she throws something at him. It takes three seconds too long for him to realise it's an explosive, and when he ducks for cover his tail is burnt- it stings, but mostly that's his pride, and he's quick to throw two more kunais at her. Of course they miss, and he allows himself a five-second breather to take a quick look at his tail – and then he's up again, invisible and moving around the room.

She's standing in the middle, the room isn't very big to begin with, and half of it is covered in precious screens filled with the information they both need. Easy target!

He throws a knife, and as her blades come out he can see how she's moving – and throws another kunai at her, which hits. She hisses, but the blade didn't cut very deep, just grazing her arm before clattering to the floor. (She's good though. Really skilled)

"Good throw," she remarks, flickering into existence.

"Thank-" you, he's beginning to say, when she lunges. They hit the floor, Espio's disguise falling away, and he narrowly avoids the slice of her blade, pinned down under her. He kicks at her knees, and manages to flip them over, pinning her instead, a kunai in his hand and pointed at her throat. "Thank you," he repeats. Shade moves her hand subtly-

-and then her blade expands out of her bracelet in a snap, cutting his arm. He rears back in shock and pain, and of course she pushes him back over onto his back, holding him down. They're both panting, and she holds her blade a few inches above his throat. Another breath, and she advises, "Never let your guard down."

His response might have been a bit snarky: "Yes, ma'am." –but, to be fair, his arm Hurts A Lot.

"I win."

She… did, Espio realises somewhat belatedly. She won. It seems he's found his match…

…maybe that's not so bad. She gives him supplies to patch up his arm, takes the information, leaves and says goodbye. Espio supposes he'll just have to fight her for the information later. And next time, he's going to win.