Author's Note: It's finally time to close this case! Will Charmy catch Sophocles Fukuro or will the evil genius get away? Let's not waste our time wondering! Enjoy the exciting climax of the Laundromat Arc!
The churning and clanking of heavy machinery along with the hum of electricity coursing through the cables littering the floor were the only sounds to be heard in the wide space of the factory. As Charmy cautiously flew past the massive metallic constructs that made up the laundromat's detergent and fabric softener manufacturing system, he admired the vastness of it all.
Originally, he assumed the factory was confined to the laundromat building itself, but upon exploration, the factory spilled over to the neighboring vacant building. Apparently, Mr. Shellwinkle had purchased it for the sole purpose of erecting a factory connected to his laundromat. It must have cost a small fortune, which would partially explain his cheapskate nature. Partially.
But the ambitious otter really spared no expense, evident by the intricate maze of conveyor belts carrying all sorts of material through a complex assembly line outfitted with everything a laundry soap operation would need. Colossal tanks of chemicals, pressurized gas canisters and jets of liquids, plastic molding and baking stations, industrial sized centrifuges and filter tubing, raw material refinery, surfactant and filler synthesis chamber, pressurized filler, and packaging and labeling station. Of course Charmy was ignorant to all the functions of each section of the detailed assembly line, but he marveled at all the interesting moving parts working in harmony.
Without warning, a blade whistled through the air, aimed directly at the unsuspecting Charmy's back! But just as the sharpened steel was about to pierce through the boy, Charmy leaned forward and rolled onto a nearby conveyor belt, completely dodging the deadly sharp rapier clutched in feathered hands.
"Hup!" Charmy exclaimed, an energetic pep in his bouncing stance.
Sophocles wrenched the blade out of the plastic beneath him. "How did you—?"
"Dude, you reek" Charmy interrupted, pinching his nose. "As soon as you stepped out from your hidin' place, it was like ya pulled out a loud, blinkin' sign tellin' me where you were" he explained, unaware of how mortified the cloaked owl was at his comment.
"You dare insult me..." he seethed, before snorting derisively, "Hmph, you are a curious one, aren't you, boy?"
Charmy shrugged, "Well yeah, but Mighty says that's pretty normal for kids my age—"
"Silence!" Sophocles squawked quickly, before darting his gaze around the assembly line, a twisted grin spreading across his face.
"Beautiful, isn't it? A well oiled machine bringing cleanliness to the masses at a dirt cheap price. That was our motto, before that gaunt otter stole it for his own" the owl regaled, pointing his sword skyward in a dramatic fashion.
"So that's what this is all about? A grudge over catchy slogans? Man, I've met some real petty bad guys before, but I think that takes the pathetic cake" Charmy replied as he scrunched his face in disappointment.
"It's not about the stupid slogan, you daft fool!" Sophocles shot back, thrusting his sword towards Charmy. "Although I would be lying if I didn't say I'd like to steal that back, my dad thought of it at a laundry business party and that crusty whiskerface used it the next day!" he complained, dropping his proper diction entirely.
"Still soundin' lame, Owley" Charmy said while he lazily floated over a crossing pipe.
"Silence! It's not about that! It's about the future!" he declared before flying over the same pipe. "I'm done being in the laundry business, it's boring and stupid and lame!" he continued, landing back on the conveyor belt. "Why can't we all just agree to burn the clothes when they get dirty and buy new clothes? Problem solved!"
Charmy perked up, "I know, right?! I was just thinkin' that earlier today—!"
"No, stop! Don't steal my idea! That's MY idea! Unhand my idea!" Sophocles demanded, swiping at the air between them in frustration.
"Okay okay, sheesh. Take a chill pill, beak breath" Charmy shot back, making a mocking face at the neurotic owl, who saw his chance to strike.
"The laundry business is the past!" he shouted, thrusting his blade at Charmy, who managed to duck in time. "It's time to move into the future!" he continued slashing at the backflipping bee. "And that future is my brilliant invention!" he assumed a fencing stance and sized up his opponent.
"The dèjá-goo?" Charmy asked, hopping back a few feet to avoid a group of automatic squirting nozzles. Sophocles lunged just in time to miss the shooting fluid and strike at Charmy.
"Ha HA! That's a great name, it's mine now!" he declared while performing an overhead strike, with Charmy easily sidestepping it. In a continuous motion, he twisted and jumped, performing a flying kick. But Sophocles recoiled away just in time.
"You assumed it was different from the corrosive detergent, but it is in fact one and the same!" the owl explained, pecking at Charmy's face. "A brilliant innovation the likes of which this world has never seen! And I had to make it with the same materials as my father's stupid laundry soap operation" he grunted as he swiped again, the bee cartwheeling over the strike effortlessly.
"Huh. That's actually kinda cool," Charmy admitted as he plummeted inside a collection tank, narrowly arcing up just before he touched the gathered liquid.
"I know, right?!" Sophocles remarked as he mimicked Charmy's daring maneuver perfectly, thrusting into the side of the vat once completed. He grunted, jerking the blade from the wall and backhanding an unsuspecting Charmy with the hilt.
"Ah! You ain't too bad at fightin' neither" Charmy added as he rubbed his throbbing cheek. He then dunked his hands into the detergent just below him and flung it up, launching a tidal wave of the liquid at his enemy.
Sophocles didn't flinch in the face of the towering wave that threatened to encase his wings and nullify his flight capabilities, ending the fight with his defeat. Instead, he hacked through the air at blinding speeds, segmenting the wave into smaller and smaller sections, until finally rendering it into harmless droplets. It was a display of blade proficiency that truly dazzled Charmy, who was used to seeing Espio the Chameleon in action up close and personal.
"Expert level fencing classes since I was 4 year old" he boasted proudly, "Witness the results" he placed his feet on the wall just behind him and launched himself forward like a rocketing drill, corkscrewing through the air at lightning speed.
Charmy barely shot up in time to miss the devastating blow, while Sophocles drilled through the vat wall entirely, spilling the detergent out like blood from a bullet wound. The menacing owl pursued his prey higher and saw no one there. He twisted his head 180 degrees, just before Charmy could crash into him. A single flap of his wings floated him above the rocketing bee, who found himself careening towards the water jet section.
"Woah-hup-up-up!" he exclaimed as he corrected his trajectory just before the mounted hoses could spray jets of water on him. "Forgot owls could do that" he thought aloud, clumsily flopping and sliding on all fours atop another conveyor belt.
Sophocles gracefully touched down behind Charmy, his blade angled above his head, "That's not all you'll be forgetting!" as he brought the rapier down to skewer the bee's head to the belt.
Or that's what would have happened, if the owl's opponent wasn't a bee. Charmy dropped down into a handstand and angled his stinger to deflect the blade's downward thrust through the conveyor belt. Before Sophocles could recover, Charmy launched himself at him, stinging the owl's chest.
"Yeeeow!" he shrieked as he recoiled from the powerful sting. "You little creep, that really, really hurt! Good lord!" he cried as he struggled to parry the rest of Charmy's erratic thrusts.
"You ain't the only one with stabbin' skills, buddy!" the boy laughed while pressing his stinger advantage, "Eat this!" he shouted before clamping his feet together and drop kicking the owl in the face, launching him on his back.
"HaaaaAAAA!" he roared powerfully as he rose back to his feet, "You've a natural affinity for combat, child! I hate to admit it, but I'm slightly impressed" Sophocles admitted while nursing his sting wound.
"Thanks!" Charmy beamed, rubbing his nose as a shy blush rose to his cheeks.
"Fine then, I'll answer your burning questions and explain how I went about creating my wonderful mind wiping formula" the owl grinned smugly.
"Uh... thanks?" the young bee squeaked, tilting his head in confusion.
"It took years of tinkering and various rare chemical accumulation. But I finally managed to create this exquisite marvel of chemistry!" he stated while pulling out another canister, filled with the formula. "I forged it by mixing 4 parts surfactant, 3 parts bleach, 2 parts pine oil, 5 parts—!"
"Uuuuugggghhhh. I'm gettin' bored over here" Charmy interjected crudely, rolling his head back dramatically.
"—dioxide, which is comprised of 2 parts oxy—" Sophocles didn't seem to care, unfortunately.
"Just, just wrap it—wrap it up" the young boy ordered, rolling his hand in a fast forwarding motion. "I'm about to pass out over here"
"—of the Black Comet!"
Charmy blinked incredulous, "Wuh—huh—wha—?"
"That's right, the special gas expelled by the Black Comet!" Sophocles declared proudly, "The magic ingredient that makes this the greatest chemical weapon ever devised! When that grotesque alien army teleported their demon comet to the surface of this planet, it infected the plant life of the city. Everybody wanted to immediately get rid of it, but someone had the brilliant idea to collect up some samples before that. And I managed to buy a sample of pine leaves corrupted by the extraterrestrial gas to create this!" he said holding up the container like it was the most valuable thing in the world.
"It's taken years of meticulous research, trial and error, countless frustrating sleepless nights! But I finally did what no man thought possible! The perfect chemical weapon, able to turn anyone into anything I desire! Just one splash on the head, a thorough scrubbing, a verbal suggestion and everything relating to that suggestion will be washed away from the victim's memory like that!" he snapped his fingers emphatically. "And from there, they can be molded into whoever I choose!" he finished, laughing maniacally.
Charmy struggled to come up with the words as he ducked beneath another passing pipe, "You... you're brainwashin' people..?" he gasped in disbelief.
"Literally! So very literally..." the owl chuckled darkly, sliding under the pipe.
"But how does that... work?" Charmy asked, hopping on top of a plastic mould press as it rose back up.
"What? I just told you how it works!" Sophocles spat back, weaving through the rising and falling presses.
"Yeah but... how does it actually work?" the bee repeated, even more confused, "How does mixing all that stuff together make amnesia-juice?" he asked while flying after his opponent.
"Stealing that one too!" the villain declared happily as he turned a corner and reached a cluster of tubing, blocking his path. "And you don't need to know, because in mere moments, you'll forget it all anyway!" he howled before slicing the tubing, unleashing a torrent of water and surfactant flowing out like a fire hydrant. Charmy, who just turned the corner, had no chance to outmaneuver the blast of liquid and got drenched in the mixture.
"Ahhhh!" he cried in a panic as he fell through a cluster of metal pipes, reaching out to one and sliding down it like a firefighter pole, until it took a sharp horizontal turn. It wouldn't have been a problem, had he not just gotten doused in a slippery liquid, thus he slid right off the pipe and landed roughly on his stomach.
"Ooof!" he grunted as the wind rushed out of his lungs, his tiny body sprawled out on top of a plastic baking machine. Immediately he got on his knees and looked back at his wings as he struggled to flap them, the water and surfactant mix soaking into them as they twitched erratically, useless. "Wuh-oh".
Sophocles wasted no time diving on top of Charmy, the boy rolled over in the nick of time to dodge another powerful downward thrust. The deadly owl yanked the blade tip from the tank and continued his chase, cackling all the way.
"What's the matter, insect? Feeling a bit waterlogged? Ahahahaaaa!" he mocked during vicious slashes. Charmy valiantly evaded the swordsman's strikes, bobbing and weaving just fast enough to clear the swift rapier, all the while hopping backwards through the crowd of tanks storing raw materials and trying to devise a winning strategy.
If I could use Thunder Shoot or energy blasts, this guy would'a been toast a long time ago! But with all this metal n' liquid everywhere, I'd risk it blowin' back on me. Now my wings're shot, so I can't use Whirlwind either, I got nothin' left 'cept Spin Dash. But if he nails me with that forget-me-slop, I'm gonna be in serious trouble, so I gotta keep my distance.
A particularly close slice halted his thoughts entirely for a beat, causing Charmy to leap above the swinging blade to backflip kick Sophocles. The blow, however, was not powerful enough to defeat the owl, and he was back hacking away at Charmy as he landed on the ground, sending him on the run again. The skittering of the blade against the surroundings chased after him as he panted and gasped with every close call.
Easier said than done, this guy's so freakin' fast, I had a chance before he nailed me with that sticky goop, but now? It's just a matter'a time b'fore he nails me! An' he's tough too, that kick should've sent him to dreamland. Man, this is tricky! If I could just slow him down, then we'd be back to square one, an' I'd have him on the run. Charmy perked up before he cartwheeled out of the way of another slash and hopped onto a steam pipe.
That's it! I know how to slow this stink brain down! Use your opponent's weaknesses against them, like the guys always say! And his weakness is so obvious Big could figure it out, he remarked before knocking a dent in the pipe, shooting out a mist of steam to cover the area in a bank of fog. Charmy faded into the fog as Sophocles followed, hopelessly determined to stay on top of the fleeing insect.
"Hey, answer me this:" the boy detective called out from the smokescreen, "why'd ya ruin everybody's laundry if ya don't even care about the laundry business? I know you're not dumb enough to do that kinda thing for no reason" he stated plainly, causing the prideful owl to smirk haughtily.
"Oh that? That was for my father, to get him off my back, ya know?" the bird shouted back, his head on a literal swivel. "He's always 'the family business' this, 'you're my legacy' that. Ugh, I can't stand it! Always pushing me, always pressuring me, always nagging me about every little thing! Trying to control what I do with my life and being disappointed when I don't let him! It's infuriating!" he shouted with his strike, thinking he found his prey. But it was just a pack of powdered bleach, now bleeding onto the floor as the cruel predator continued to stalk into the mist.
"So I figured if I could take Old Man Shellwinkle down a peg, well, he'd be satisfied enough to back off for good" he rambled, finally getting a bead on his crafty opponent through the noise of chains rattling behind him.
"But this amnesia-juice™? This is for me!" he shouted viciously as he swung his head behind him and prepared to attack. But much to his surprise, the chain he heard was merely attached to the large spinning centrifuge, which was now groaning as it pulled against the chain. There was no bee brat in sight.
Suddenly Sophocles' feet were yanked out from under him, plopping him on the ground face first, immediately followed by a foot stomping down on both his hands, pinning them in place. He spun his head to look up at the culprit, staring back at him with a disapproving scowl.
"So you're just a jerkface, then. Got it" Charmy quipped, as Sophocles strained against the boy's hold.
"In mere moments," he chuckled ominously, drawing Charmy's full attention in, "you won't even know..." he continued, curling his foot up slyly, "what a face is!" he screamed, grabbing Charmy's wings and flinging him away.
"Shoot!" the young bee yelled, curling himself into a ball to bounce off of a tank and shoot back towards the owl in Spin Dash form. But before he could knock the still rising owl out cold, Sophocles whipped out his memory erasure mixture and flung it at Charmy, who narrowly uncurled himself to dodge it in the nick of time.
"Yeow!" he yelped as he watched the fluid just miss his body, which left him open to a second splash from his pursuer. Without the aid of his wings, Charmy was helpless to the owl's wily ploy and could only sputter as the memory erasure mixture covered his head entirely. It almost felt alive, squirming all over his face trying to take him over, his consciousness fading.
"Mwahahahaha! Finally!" Sophocles cheered, standing above a shivering Charmy, fighting with everything he had against the effects of the concoction. But try as the boy might, he soon went limp as the liquid took effect, allowing the menacing owl to rigorously scrub the soapy fluid into his head.
"I've got you right where I want you! From this day forth, you will forget who you are, who I am, and everything that transpired today!" the owl commanded, finishing his brain washing. "Checkmate, brat detective!" he hurled back and cackled victoriously. The long battle was finally over—
WHAM!
A critical blow rocked the owl's head, causing his world to topple over as he flew through the air, slamming into a distant collection of pressurized gas canisters, knocking them all over like bowling pins.
Sophocles untangled himself from the pile, shrieking, "HOW?! HOW DID YOU—?!"
Charmy stood confidently as he knocked on his trusty helmet, a smug grin on his face. "Guess I was wrong, you ain't so smart after all" he said bluntly, dealing a significant blow to Sophocles inflated ego, evident by the scowling of his face and shaking of his body.
"RAAAAGH!" he roared bestially as he stood behind a couple gas canisters, striking the nozzles off and releasing the gas at an alarming speed, effectively turning them into rockets.
"Woah!" Charmy called out as he dodged the incoming projectiles, with the agility of a seasoned trapeze artist and the grace of a fish out of water. "Hey! That's dangerous!" he shouted angrily.
"Of COURSE it's dangerous you gibbering oaf, I'm trying to KILL you!" Sophocles shouted back irritated, "Kyah!" then struck several canisters at once, barraging Charmy with the unpredictable projectiles.
The young detective did his best, but as he took note of before, his speed was hampered by the damage he'd already sustained and the sticky fluid that impeded his movements just enough to make dodging the makeshift rockets nigh impossible.
Finally the owl got lucky and one canister nicked his leg, granting another to slam into the boy's chest.
"UOOOOOAH!" he wailed as it carried him backwards, hurtling them both towards a wall in an erratic trajectory.
Charmy just narrowly squeezed himself from the canister's grip before impact, the rocket blasted through the wall while Charmy careened down, landing atop the pressurized filling module at the packaging station. Although he didn't land so much as smacked onto the surface, rebounded into the air a bit it, and rolled off. Desperate hand reached out to grab hold of the edge of the platform just in time, causing him to sway back and forth in a tenuous grip.
The battered detective strained and coughed as he pulled himself up enough to plop an arm across the edge and leverage himself over the edge. He rolled onto the surface huffing and gasping as he winced from his battle wounds. The bitter taste of blood made itself known, as well as his aching leg when he tried to move it. The jolt of pain that shot through him cause him to yelp in response, gripping the tender limb reflexively. His chest heaved with ragged breaths, the makeshift rocket had done its damage, evident by the wheezing that hung on each inhale.
Charmy crawled over to the neighboring wall on scuffed elbows, in order to prop himself up to catch his breath and prepare for his resourceful opponent's next move. But no sooner did he reach the wall and stagger to his knees did Sophocles's rapier shoot out of the shadows, faster than Charmy could predict, let alone dodge.
"ACK!" Charmy grunted loudly, rolling his head back as his eyelids tightened to hold back tears. The cold steel had drawn blood, lacerating the top of both knees to keep him from getting up anytime soon. An acutely precise attack, proving the expertise of his opponent more than any other strike in the fight. But the sadistic owl wasn't satisfied with just that.
He flicked his wrist, angling the blade to point directly between Charmy's rib cage—his heart would be skewered like a shish-kabob—before thrusting forward with his full strength, at blinding speed.
"GWAAAAAAAAH!" Charmy howled as the blade pierced through him, though not at its intended target. Charmy, at the last possible moment, leaned away from the blade, directing it to his lower abdomen, possible piercing his left kidney. Either way, his condition had gone from serious to harrowing in a split second. And they both knew it.
"You were a worthy opponent, bug" Sophocles commended with an air of amicability, "You even managed to avoid a fatal blow, after all the damage you've sustained!" he chuckled, thoroughly impressed, before sighing in satisfaction. All the while, Charmy choked and coughed pain filled breaths and panicked grunts, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth. His body trembling from the shock, as the owl sinisterly leaned closer and closer to his face, that sickening aroma of pine threatened to suffocate him.
"But sadly, our duel to the death has come to an inevitable end" the owl whispered coldly, his eyes sharp as they drank in the sight of his enemy writing in fear and agony. "Parting is such sweet sorrow..." chuckled in a voice dripping in droll, smirking a venomous smile from his contemptuous beak.
He had won, and once this annoyance was dealt with, he would have nothing left to do but douce the rest of the mindless drones with his memory erasure mixture and walk away scot-free. Then there would be no one left to stop him from mass producing his chemical weapon and making a fortune in the weapons dealing market. He would go down in history as the legendary genius that revolutionized the landscape of warfare and militaristic combat forever. One last thrust and he would be immortalized. He pulled on the handle of his well worn blade and prepared to deal the final blow...
But it was stuck.
He blinked slightly surprised before realizing he must have been too enthusiastic with his recent thrust and lodged his rapier into the tough material behind his dying prey. Brick, cast iron, a steel beam hidden in the wall, something like that. One more tug should free it...
But again, the sword wouldn't budge an inch. Sophocles leaned back to his full height and pulled the blade with two hands, but still it refused to move.
"What is—? Unh!" he grunted in frustration and confusion, "Can't... move it..." he groaned while putting his entire body weight behind the force. "What's goi—?"
The words died in his mouth after he saw something that should have been impossible. Charmy, though clearly on death's door, clutched the blade itself in his hand. Sophocles shook his head to ensure there was no mistake, the boy had completely stilled his blade with a single hand, the very hand closest to the puncture wound. And despite the adult man's best efforts, the sword wasn't moving in the slightest, his mouth hung open in sheer disbelief.
"No... no you're... you're not this strong" he babbled, shaking his head slowly as shuddering breaths overtook him. "You can't be this strong!" he squawked in terror, as Charmy slowly raised his head back up, flashing a toothy grin, stained with blood.
"Gotcha..." he winked cheerfully, as he lifted his free arm out and revealed the blade just barely pierced into his side. "Haaaaaaa!" he yelled out, getting louder by the second as he yanked the blade out from his side and away.
A slow glow gathered around his other hand, which he reared back in preparation for a palm strike it. But before the owl could even try to guess what the insect would be aiming for, Charmy stopped yelling and the glow around his hand glimmered and rippled just before he swiftly brought it down.
"YAH!" he shouted out as he smashed his hand through the rapier blade, snapping the sword in two with a definitive crack that reverberated through the entire factory. The owl pitifully looked at the portion of the blade still connected to the handle he held, a measly jagged bit, no bigger or more effective than a butter knife.
"My... blade..." he murmured, struggling to comprehend what just happened, "it's not... possible" he whined quietly as he backed as far away from the bee as he possibly could, which amounted to about 6 feet. Shards of the blade softly tinkled as they scattered to the ground beneath them, Charmy cracking his knuckles overpowered the soft sound.
"Don't let the armadillo that taught me that trick hear ya say that" Charmy playfully warned as he stood to his feet, his knees only barely shaking despite the trails of blood dripping from them. His left side also has streams of crimson trailing from it, the drops silently staining to the ground.
But the powerful bee wasn't fazed in the slightest by the damage dealt to him. He wasn't concerned about seeking medical attention or even putting a comforting hand on the gash in his side to stymy the flow of blood. No, it was clear he only had one thing on his mind, one promise left to keep.
To send the villainous owl flying.
"Ya know what your problem is?" the young detective asked in a leading tone, bringing his hands together in a prayer sign. He exhaled quickly and instantly started moving his body in a fluid motion. Performing the Tai Chi katas that Espio taught him in a smooth, relaxed way, exactly as the chameleon instructed him so many times before. He knew his electric based attacks and energy attacks were off the table, and his wings were still immobile. But he had one more trick up his sleeve, a ninja trick Espio had graciously pounded into him despite his protests. And he'd never been happier for the training as he was in that moment. Charmy continued as he moved through the different katas, graceful and elegant, the total opposite of the words he spoke.
"It's not just that ya can't be a weapon maker guy. It's not just that ya kinda suck as a cool bad guy. It's not just that ya don't understand smackin' a regular sword into metal tanks n' pipes an' brick walls will mess it up enough for somebody to break it. It's not just that ya can't beat a 6 year old kid, in smarts or a fight"
The owl dropped his sword handle to the floor and shook himself out of his funk, Charmy's scathing remarks no doubt jump-started his fighting spirit once more.
"It's that no matter what ya do," the boy continued, spinning around as the enraged owl charged at him, beak poised and ready to strike.
"Ya just can't get those stains out!" Charmy finished confidently, both his sentence and the final spin of his Tai Chi movements, coiling his open hands right beneath his shoulders. He hunched over, ready to spring forward the instant Sophocles entered his domain, which he foolishly did a millisecond after.
With one explosive thrust, "PAH!" Charmy shot out a powerful blast of air at point blank range, dropping the bee to his knees and blasting the unprepared fowl far away, with such incredible speed, the rocketing gas canisters seemed like thrown paper balls in comparison.
The owl didn't even have time to scream in pain and shock, by the time he had the oxygen in his lungs to do so, he had already crashed through the entire detergent tank, causing it to completely blast open like it had been blown up by a bomb. Then blown through the very walls at the opposite end of the factory, sprawled out on the sidewalk in front of the neighboring building. The now unconscious Sophocles lay still, crumpled up in a heap with his mouth slung open in a ghastly grimace of pure pain, drenched in Mr. Shellwinkle's personal brand of detergent. Just to add insult to devastating injury.
Charmy, huffing and puffing exhausted breaths, slowly rose to his feet and leaped across the factory, using the chains and pipes to swing and flip himself in record time. He peered through the massive hole in the wall that he made and stared down at the defeated and demoralized fowl, a satisfied sigh escaped his lips.
"Time to clean up your act, jailbird!" he quipped in giddy exhaustion, flinging an authoritative finger at the bird, which threw him off balance and sent him plopping down on his bottom as he laughed.
"Oh my Gaia, that was so cool! Please tell me somebody heard that! That was the best one liner ever!" he exclaimed between ragged breaths, chuckles in his tone. "Mr. Shellwinkle! Gimme a copy of the security tapes! I gotta show the guys!" he called out before divulging completely into pained laughter, flopping to the ground peacefully.
Though his wounds were still bleeding, his bones ached, and his muscles were sore beyond reason. Though he stank of sweat, blood, and worst of all, pine; although not that he would know, at the moment his nose was swollen and clogged with snot and blood in equal measure. Though his mouth tasted bloody and dry while his throat felt sore and coarse, as if he'd swallowed a handful of sand.
Though one ear had begun ringing loudly while the other could only make out the ambient sounds of destruction settling over the factory. Though his wings were tangled and locked in a sticky mess of chemicals and he'd no doubt have to soak them in water for an hour to ensure they were free of said chemicals, rendering him flightless for another hour. Though Charmy generally felt like Mighty's punching bag after he'd burned a batch of dinner rolls...
He'd finally managed to close his first solo case... and man, did that feel amazing...
As soon as Charmy could pick himself up again, which took at least 15 minutes, he filled an empty detergent bottle with water and poured it over the memory erasure mixture that stained the break room, though everyone managed to get out before then, thanks to the efforts of Big Bear and Black Jackal. Mr. Shellwinkle called the police and went outside to point and laugh in Sophocles' comatose face, while everyone else clapped when they saw how ragged Charmy had become and how thoroughly beaten up their tormentor was after facing him. The little bee could do nothing except giggle to himself and blush at the overwhelming praise.
EMS took over from there, swiftly tending to his wounds, which didn't feel as bad as they looked. They were surprised at how durable he seemed to be after he explained exactly how he got each wound. But most important of all, they gave him lots and lots of hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to clean his wings off, thus granting him back his ability to fly. One he sorely missed, especially when he made his way back through the factory to the break room. That trip took almost as much work as the fight itself, he remarked exhausted.
The cops had a ton of questions, of course, but everyone filled in the details for him, leaving Charmy to, for the first time that day, completely relax as he sat on the curb outside the laundromat. He stared up at the night sky, wondering how it got so dark so fast, but quickly shrugged it off as he gazed at the distant stars. A gentle breeze brushed past, billowing his antenna gently and whistling in his ears softly. He closed his eyes and just took in the moment, a grateful smile on his face.
"You dropped this" a sweet voice called out to him.
Charmy looked up and saw Mrs. Tortoise, handing him a dented Orange soda can. His face lit up as he accepted the drink.
"Thanks. Wouldn't wanna forget this, now would I?" he giggled as he twirled the drink in his hands.
"Certainly not. It'll be a cherished memento when you grow up" the elderly reptile assured.
"Yeah..." Charmy agreed, reverent of the can, not realizing just how important the drink would be in the future. Perhaps he could ask Ray to frame it for him when he got back.
"Young man... Charmy" Mrs. Tortoise started seriously, "You kept your promise and brought justice to everyone here. I'll never forget that. None of these people will" she said staunchly.
"Aw, it was nothin'! Just doin' my job, Mrs. Tortoise" he waved, a small blush present on his cheeks, before his smile faded, "Sorry I can't undo what that creep did to your special dress"
The old tortoise shook her head lightly, "That's alright. I only kept it all these years for the memories" she pulled the dress out from her large bag, the street lights shining through the holes and tears. The woman smiled warmly as she rubbed the tattered fabric in her fingers.
"And now when I look at it, I'll have new memories. That's more than enough to undo the damage that man tried to do" she closed her eyes, at peace.
Charmy beamed up at her and nodded, "That's good..."
"Plus, you really whupped his butt"
"Yeah, I did!" Charmy boasted happily.
Mrs. Tortoise reached back in her bag, "Here" and pulled out a coin purse full of rings, "For your money troubles".
Charmy recoiled, putting his hand up to ward her off, "Oh, Mrs. Tortoise, I can't take—"
"It's from everyone" she clarified, stopping the boy's protests. "We all know Mr. Shellwinkle isn't gonna hold up his end of the deal, so we decided to make up for his tight-pocketed ways" she winked, before taking Charmy's hand and opening it up, placing the pouch in his palm.
"Please, take it. It's the least we could do for your hardwork" she said sweetly, curling his fingers around the pouch. The young detective looked between her and the coin purse then pulled it close to him.
"Thanks so much! Woo hoo, we're gonna make the rent!" he cheered, throwing his fists in the air.
Mrs. Tortoise placed a loving hand on his plump cheek, "Grow up to be a fine man, detective", then went on her way, swaying step to step as she faded into the city. Charmy watched her go until he couldn't see her anymore.
He leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows, sipping on the soft drink that helped break the case, which happened to be particularly refreshing. He supposed it was true what Vector says, "a drink after a hard day's work is that much tastier". Gaia, what is he gonna say when he hears about this? he couldn't help but wonder. Mr. Shellwinkle better give him a copy of the security tapes, seriously.
"I must say, I'm impressed" a familiar, suave voice called out, interrupting his thoughts. The slender Black Jackal sat beside him, as was their standard routine now, he assumed.
"Told ya I'm a good detective!" he said, laughing lightly as to not agitate his injuries.
"No you're not" the woman flatly retorted, causing Charmy to furrow his brows. "You're a great detective" she corrected, chuckling low.
Charmy blushed as his smile grew wider, "Heheheh..."
"So.." she trailed off as she mimicked Charmy's relaxed form, "what's next for The Great Kid Detective?" she asked, playfully nudging his arm with her fist.
"Think I'll head home, there's a soda can balancin' record I gotta beat" he said, looking into the distance determined.
Black Jackal snorted a quick laugh, "Sounds like a fun time".
"That's the only time I know how to have" he quipped, putting on his noir detective impression once more.
"Yeah, that's not a real surprise" she groaned as she rose back up. "Thanks for solvin' the case, and for... keeping my secret" she added softly, looking away.
Charmy laid down and put his hands over his mouth, imitating a long snout. "All in a day's work! Wahahahaha!" he laughed putting on a deep, boisterous voice.
"What're you doing?" she asked.
"Vector impression"
"Who?"
"Man, you've gotta meet the guys, otherwise you'll never get any of my jokes" he realized, taking another sip.
"If they're anything like you, I'd be happy to, Charmy Bee" she said while walking away.
The boy shot up, gasping. "Oh! Hey, you promised you'd tell me your—"
"Quatre" she called back, "Quatre the Jackal". She reached into her pants pocket as she turned around to look at him.
"Don't worry, I'm sure someday I'll need a detective" she smirked, brandishing a Chaotix business card between her fingers, "And I don't settle for second best" she finished, turning back around without skipping a beat.
Charmy patted himself down, trying to find out how she lifted the card from him, but could only laugh. "Yeah! See ya then!" he called back, waving goodbye.
Suddenly, he found himself getting lifted off the ground by his outstretched hands.
"I hope you saved one of those for me," Big Bear laughed, "Otherwise I'll be very hurt" he playfully poked Charmy's belly.
"Oh yeah, I think I got another one under here" the bee said, rummaging under his helmet while sticking his tongue out. "How's it feel to have your life back?" he asked, a knowing smile on his face.
"I gotta tell ya, it feels great" Big Bear grinned, "I'm so glad that owl's brain bleach isn't permanent"
"Hey, that's a good name for it!" Charmy remarked as he handed a worn business card to the bear, "I like 'amnesia juice' myself" he added.
"Whatever it's called, I'm glad he's not gonna get to use it on anybody else", Big Bear said while putting the card carefully into his jacket pocket. "The Business Practices Investigation for Laundromats & Other Laundry Affiliates are going to be sure something like this won't ever be repeated!"
"Oh yeah, your weird job" the young bee sighed, feeling a bit deflated.
"That's right, I just got off the phone with them. They were so impressed with how this all wrapped up, they're gonna give me a promotion" Big Bear said, jabbing a thumb at himself proudly.
"A promotion to what?" Charmy asked.
"Lead Investigator of the Central City Division of the Business Practices Investigation for Laundromats & Other Laundry Affiliates" he relayed in an excited tone. "It's a pretty coveted position" he boasted, examining his nails to emphasize just how cool he was.
Charmy stared up at him, his brows furrowed, as he flatly answered back. "Uh-huh... well I'm happy for ya, Big Bear. Ya got your memory back and your life back" he perked up before patting Big Bear's shoulder.
"And it's all thanks to you, little guy!" the massive bear suddenly swallowed Charmy into a tight hug. "You're my hero!" he exclaimed as he nestled the small boy in his clutching embrace.
"It was nothin', just doin' my job" Charmy squeaked out between pressed cheeks, as he patted the thick arm pressing him into the bear's massive chest.
Big Bear released him quickly as his attention shifted, "Oh, and guess what? I found my car!" he pointed at a completely average looking van parked across the street, "Want a lift home?" he offered as he excitedly flung the door open and clambered inside.
Charmy shook his head calmly, as he trailed behind the bear, "Thanks but, my ride's comin' soon..." he said blissfully looking in the distance.
Big Bear smirked and turned his ignition, "Alright then, guess I'll be headin' home" he said quickly shifting gears and riding down the street. "Wouldn't wanna be late for my first day as Lead Investigator of the Central City Division of the..." his voice trailed off the further he drove away, making Charmy shrug at the odd, but kind man
"Nighty night, Big Bear!" he waved as the van disappeared over a hill in the distance. And when Charmy looked back to the laundromat, the police had driven off as well, the only evidence they were ever there was the crime scene tape they tied across the laundromat and the adjoining building. Charmy was all by himself now, a thought that made him feel deeply at peace after the full day he'd had.
Welp, the guys should be here any minute so might as well get comfortable and wait, he resolved calmly as he floated down to his place on the sidewalk. But the laundromat's front door chime interrupted the relaxation he so rightly deserved.
"Mr. Bee!" Shellwinkle yelled angrily, causing Charmy to shoot back up.
"Oh hey, Mr. Shellwinkle!" the boy said, turning around, "Guess the work day's over! You can gimme the money I earned now" he reached his hands out, a pleasant look on his face.
"I plan to, Charmy" the otter stated cryptically, "Here's all the money you earned today" he stretched his fist out and pretended to drop something into Charmy's waiting hands. The bee blinked and looked between the stoic Mr. Shellwinkle and the empty space above his palms, confusion lacing his features.
"Uh... is it invisible?" he finally ventured, scrunching up his nose and peering all around his hands for a sign of something.
"Not quite. It's non-existent" Mr. Shellwinkle clarified flatly.
"I don't get it" Charmy replied honestly, his hands still holding onto the invisible money.
"Well, because of you, I had to empty out the vending machine, close up shop for most of the day, refund all the customers that did come, not to mention the massive mess you made of the assembly line and the police investigation! I'll be outta business for a week, at least!" he detailed bitterly, his whiskers twitching periodically as he talked.
"So, the money you earned catching that no-good Sophocles and 'working' the counter was cancelled out by all the damage you caused to my business" he concluded with a strong stamp of his cane.
Charmy's eyes wandered around before landing back on the crotchety otter, a blank look on his face. "Aaaaaand..?" he asked leading, causing Shellwinkle to grumble and roll his eyes before clearing his throat.
"You worked off your debt, nothing more. Which is why I handed you nothing" he motioned to Charmy's empty hands that he finally let drop limply by his sides.
"... you're a mean old man" he stated plainly, squinting angrily back at the old otter.
"I get that a lot—Now, I believe you have a mess to clean up in the break room and the restroom, don't forget to lock up when you're done. Because tomorrow you'll start cleanin' the factory" Mr. Shellwinkle commanded as he started shuffling away.
"But Mr. Shellwinkllllllle~, why can't Sophocles clean it up? He's the reason there's a huge mess in the first plaaaaaaace~" Charmy whined as he flew after him.
"That nutbar is headed to jail, what's your excuse?" the otter quipped without breaking his gait.
Charmy thought for a second before answering. "I'm the detective that beat him up?" he tried.
"Then can you detect what you'll be doing for the next few days?" Mr. Shellwinkle asked sarcastically, leaning to look Charmy directly in the eye.
The young detective drooped his shoulders in defeat. "Cleaning..." he grumbled bitterly.
"My, my! You really are a great detective!" the old otter mocked before cackling evilly, leaving Charmy to stare at his back in contempt before making his way back inside the laundromat.
"Dumb ol' whiskerface, with his stupid laugh n' his stupid lame-dromat, an' his ugly fur an' his stink... face..." Charmy muttered under his breath as he picked up a nearby broom and began sweeping absentmindedly. But before he could get started good, the door chime rang again, catching his attention.
"And kid, one more thing," Mr. Shellwinkle said, filling Charmy with dread.
"What?" the bee reluctantly ventured.
"You really oughta be less gullible than this. After all, you're a big time detective now, aren't ya?" he chided with a warm smile.
"Say wha?" Charmy blurted out.
"Oh come on, I was pranking ya, boy! I know my reputation precedes me, but I ain't that much of a slave-driver!"
"Mr. Shellwinkle!" the young detective beamed thankful.
"Can't let you young'ns have all the fun, now can I?" the old otter winked. "You can stay as long as ya like, until your folks get here" he offered as he walked away.
Charmy rushed to the door and called after him. "Wait, what about my pay for workin' the counter?"
"Let's not get crazy, kid!" Mr. Shellwinkle shot back without skipping a beat and continued on his way. His tail whipping back and forth aggressively as he muttered under his breath about kids always trying to go a step further than necessary.
Ah well, worth a shot, Charmy shrugged as he went back inside the laundromat and sat on the nearest washing machine, downing the last of his soda.
As he swallowed the last remains of his victory drink, the boy detective held the colorful can up, the cheap florescent lights flickering dimly against its surface. He couldn't quite believe everything that happened that day, how could he know when he woke up that morning, dreading coming here, that it would be the site of his very first solo case? And that he'd nail it all on his own, in spite of all the twists and turns and the ingenuity of the diabolical culprit?
That simple cylinder of tin in his hands felt like a trophy of solid gold, heavy, shining, and hard earned. His body could attest to that, sporting some wear and tear, but it was all fairly superficial, the only real painful one had to be the stab wound to his side. The EMT treated it well though, so as long as he didn't do any crazy maneuvers for the next week and he kept clean bandages on, it would heal just fine. Charmy assumed it would be sooner than that anyway, Ray always said he was made of tougher stuff than most kids, and he's a genius so he'd know better than anybody. And just as his thoughts lingered to his team, the door chime rang one last time.
"Hey Charm, what's wit da police tape outside?" Vector asked, decked out in his DJ outfit and a backpack full of sound equipment. He looked exhausted, but he hid it well behind his sunglasses.
"Don't tell me you caused that..." Mighty said suspiciously, holding several empty pots and pans in a wheelbarrow.
Charmy's eyes shot wide, "Uhhhh—"
"Ko, what are those injuries?!" Espio shouted more than asked, rushing past his companions to scan over Charmy up close. He had several signs attached to his back with a strap, all the signs had Chinese and Japanese characters on them, but an English translation was clear on one. It read, "Central City Martial Arts Studio". Spoils from his dojo storming.
"How'd you get injured working here?" Ray inquired confused, reaching into his wagon of plants for something to soothe his young friend's pain.
Charmy waved off his friends, "It's a really, really long story" he said with a hint of laughter, before reaching into his wrist cuff, "Check it out!" he cheered as he pulled out the coin purse teeming with rings, presenting it to the shocked Chaotix.
"Woah, that's a lot of moola!" Mighty shouted first, taking the pouch in his hands to feel the weight.
"Charmy!" Espio gasped, shocked but full of pride, evident by the grin that pulled up his lips.
Vector looked slowly between the shining rings in the coin purse and his youngest member, "How'd you... what happened here?" he asked in a low voice, each of the Chaotix looking to him with expectant faces, eager to know the story of his day more than anything else in the world.
Charmy's face lit up even more, his memories rewinding all the way back to the unassuming start of the grand adventure that was his first solo case. He spun the soda can in his hand as he flew past his team, their eyes followed him as he went out the door headed towards their home. He looked over his shoulder and grinned a toothy smile.
"It all started with an old owl in a cape..."
Author's Note: And thus concludes the 4 parter of Charmy's first solo case!
Unfortunately I can't go into detail about all the references and details I put in this story arc, but worry not! I'll put it all in a new chapter for Charmy Nonsense Important Information. If you haven't checked that out, it's just a collection of articles detailing information related to the Charmy Nonsense universe. So if you're interested in additional information about the series, you can find it there, under the name Charmy Nonsense Important Information. That's also where you can drop questions, story prompts, and whatever else in the comments ^^
Thank you all so much for continuing to read this silly little fan fiction of mine, it's become much bigger than I thought it would be and I'm always glad to return to it. If ever you're concerned the fic will suddenly just die, trust me, it won't. I'm just sporadic with uploads for various reason, sometimes I'm researching stuff for a chapter and other times I'm just lazy XD But I'm dedicated to continuing this fic for years to come. So don't worry, Charmy Nonsense isn't going anywhere. See ya next time ;)
