----- Intro

Nothing yet...

Things had been slow around the office since Doctor Eggman hired them out as 'errand boys' a few months back, so things were running on 'reserve energy'. The two story office by the harbor became the Chaotix's home when they were thrown out their own apartments one by one. It was the only place that had been paid off.

Paid off thanks to that nice hedgehog kid and those friends he kept as 'sympathy'.

Bah, he didn't need anyone's charity! He'd land a big job soon and show them all what the Chaotix are capable of doing! He'd show them that he could do something right for once in his li-

" B-Boss? "

That stuttering squirrel peeked. " Y-you have a cl-cl-client waiting f-for you outf-f-f-ront. " Ray always had a nervous smile on his face, but a hurt look in his eyes. If it was one case Vector wanted to solve in his life it was what could possibly mess a kid up 'that' bad.

" If it's Eggman, tell 'im to kiss my- "

" I-it's a Mmmmissus Rabbit. " Ray opened the door to show the female, she was tall for a mobian. Ray was almost full grown but only came up to the female's waist in comparison. He held the door open for the lady, who made her way in with a slow graceful stride that wasn't seen in those other little girls who ran around this town.

She said down in the chair in front of his desk, looking down at the floor instead of at Vector. " Good Morning, Mr. Crocodile. " She sounded a bit nervous.

" Mornin' ma'am. " The rabbit woman was shaking in her seat, causing the uneven legs to clatter on the floor. " What's botherin' you? "

Without saying a word she'd look up at him with a forced smile. Her eyes were a deep chocolate brown just a shade darker than her hair, going well with her creamy fur color. Without warning, her nose would wiggle and she'd start giggling. " You're going to think this sounds 'crazy'. " She started off quietly, then her giggling got louder. " Really silly... "

" Believe me, ma'am. I've heard it all. " They've had a track record of the weird after all, so he was sure nothing would scare them now.

The rabbit controlled herself long enough to continue. " Are you sure? I'll be asking a big favor of you, and you might not like the result. "

Vector'd then laugh a bit himself. " As long as it ani't illegal, we'll do anythin'! " That was Policy #1 in the unofficial Chaotix Rule book (though Espio can use a refresher's course).

" Well, aren't you enthusiactic? " She seemed to have calmed a little now, lucky for him. That clattering noise was driving him insane! " Well my name is Vanillia, I'm the mother of one of the children who run with Sonic the Hedgehog. " She'd hold her hand out to him, and he'd take it though it wasn't the way Vector was accustomed to greeting females. " Me and my daughter have been living in seclusion until quite recently, ever since the little one was born... "

" Nice biography, but what does it have to do with anything? " He was sorry to cut her off, but he wasn't too keen on waiting.

" My life has to do with 'everything'. " She'd place a hand over her heart, looking back to the ground. " I spent most of my life as a captive of Doctor Eggman, who captured me as a little girl. He worked on many inventions that... "

She stopped before continuing " He first tested on me... "

Vector didn't quite understand yet. " So you want me to get revenge? "

Vanilla shook her head. " No, I've long since forgiven him for that. " Her tone of voice hadn't convinced him, but he wouldn't argue. " It's just that I've taken a particular interest in one of his inventions and would like to know more about it's effects. " She looked back to him with a a serious look on her face. " Maybe you have heard of the ' Combi Chamber ' ? "

Vector was shocked. ' That's the same machine Eggman trapped us in! ' For a moment he was a loss of words, so he just nodded.

" Recently I went into Eggman's base myself to look for the Combi Chamber, and found that it was still active on an island in the Southern Islands. " Her voice turned grim. " He's using the machine to capture animals for the robots he uses here. "

That's right... The Combi Chamber froze animals in place until Eggman decided on what to do with them! Besides that, Vector had no idea what other functions the machine had. It had to be powerful. It did capture an entire island's population before!

" Mr. Crocodile, I would like you to find out something for me. I want you to find out of that machine has the power to alter minds! "

" Alter... minds? "

" I don't know. " Her face softened. " Erase memories, alter ones that already exist, anything that'd make a person forget who they are! " She sounded desperate " I need to know! I want to know! Please! "

That woman was still holding his hand from the shake earlier, and now she was crying into it openly. He could feel his hand getting wet already, but that's not what worried him. If there was anything this detective hated, it was seeing a woman cry. Still, the Combi Chamber wasn't anything to laugh about. If not for Knuckles, there was no telling what Doctor Eggman would've done to them!

" Payment. " He said without thinking.

Vanilla looked at him using one eye, the other still buried in his hand. " Yes. Of course... " She'd pull away from him with a heavy sniffle and reach into her purse. Digging around for a moment she would place a small slip of paper on the desk. A check. " This is a down payment. "

He reached across the desk to look at the paper. " ... You're kidding. "

" I'm not. I'm putting my life savings into this case. "

The number on this paper could easily buy the them one of those large buildings downtown! " Are ya sure? I don't think anything you could find down there's worth giving an arm and leg for. "

But there was a look in that woman's eyes that clearly said she didn't care. " Mr. Crocodile. You can confidently say that you never had someone in your life that you would be willing to give everything up for? "

Vector was confused. " No. " He said without thinking too deeply into the question. He'd never known his mother or father, and never cared too deeply for his past girlfriends to cry at night about them.

Vanilla just laughed. " You will soon enough, it's a wonderful feeling. " There was something about her laugh that didn't settle right with him. It gave him a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. " So will you take the case? "

Vector nodded, which caused the rabbit to squeal in delight. " You don't know how much this means to me. "

" I can guess. " He grunted while digging under his headphones. " Just don't scream anymore! "

-----

In this story the Chaotix are Vector, Espio, Mighty, Ray, and Charmy, btw.