Chapter 14: Came in Like a Wreckin' Ball!
"Come again?" Sonic asked, tilting his head in confusion as he stared at the human girl and the large box on her legs.
"Disguises!" Helen replied excitedly. "You can't get close without someone recognizing you, right? Well, here's a solution to that problem!" Opening the box, she dug into its contents. "We've kept my collection of Halloween outfits over the years, and I think most should fit you guys!"
"Do ya think that's really necessary, though?" Sonic asked as he ran a gloved hand through his blue quills.
"You want to monitor what's going on at the construction site, right?" Amy asked as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Well, yeah…"
"Then let's get digging!" Amy started sifting through the box alongside Helen. With a groan, Sonic joined her, followed by Tails and Cream. Before they knew it, they had all the viable outfits organized on the floor.
"This is really what we're workin' with, huh?" Sonic asked in disbelief as he studied the disguises.
"It appears so," Tails replied.
"They're all really nice outfits, Helen," Cream said with a cheery smile.
"Chao, chao!"
Helen giggled in return as Chuck observed from his chair, sipping another cup of coffee.
"As the most stylish Mobian in this room," Amy began, "except, of course, for Cream," this elicited an even bigger smile from the young bunny, "I will, in the interest of time, select everyone's disguises for them."
"Surely you can't be serious?" A cartoonishly large sweat droplet appeared on the side of his head as Amy ignored his question, instead dropping to her knees, collecting one of the bundles, and throwing Sonic the outfit he would need to wear.
"Oh chaos, not that! Anything but that!" Sonic draped the nurse's outfit over his torso as a blush appeared over his face.
"From a practical perspective," Amy replied as she raised a finger in the air, "this outfit is most likely to fit you, and I think you'd look adorable dressed as a nurse."
"Just don't fight it, Sonic," Tails replied from her side, "it's not like anyone's gonna know it's you anyway, except for us, of course."
"You do got a point there," Sonic replied as he ran a hand through his quills once more. Finally, with a long sigh, he replied, "Okay, fine. I'll wear the disguise."
"Great!" Amy cheered before pointing to the spare bedroom Sonic and Tails were sharing. "Now go get dressed! Time's a wastin'!"
"Okay, okay, geez…" Sonic made his way to his room, uncharacteristically slowly, but he was shoved in by Amy, who volunteered to help.
The two emerged several minutes later. Sonic wearing a white apron and a pink dress underneath, his quills pulled into a ponytail and covered by a red-haired, double-looped wig and topped off with a white medical hat. Amy even went through the trouble of applying mascara and lipstick.
"That's strange," Chuck opined, "I don't think nurses look like that in the real world."
"That's because they don't," Helen replied. "This is a Nurse Joy outfit. She's a character in Pokémon."
"Poké-what now?" Sonic asked as he tucked his tail into the dress.
"Oh, it's a videogame. I'll show it to you later!" Helen replied cheerfully before returning her attention to the remaining outfits.
"Either way," Cream replied, "I think you look really cute, Mr. Sonic. Don't you agree, Mr. Tails?"
"Yep! He's a real cutie!" Tails replied with a chuckle.
"Shut up, Tails." Sonic blushed profusely as he balled his hands into fists.
"There's no shame in looking cute," Cream replied. "You should try dressing up more often, right, Cheese?"
"Chao, chao!" Cheese replied as they flew around the room in excitement.
"Tails is next!" Amy proclaimed as he shoved him into his bedroom as well. Emerging soon after, Sonic burst out laughing followed by the rest of the party.
Tails was not amused by the group's reaction to his clown outfit, which was complete with a wacky red hair wig, white face paint, a big red nose, a red and white striped shirt with red suspenders, and large, red shoes.
"C'mon Tails, tell us a joke!" Sonic jested as he approached the orange kitsune, honking on his nose. His fake nose squeaked loudly, causing the group to laugh even harder.
"Okay guys, I get it, I get it!" Tails huffed with his arms crossed.
"Don't be upset, Mr. Tails," Cream replied with a smile. "It's just that your outfit is so funny! Funny…like a clown!" The group laughed once more.
"Okay Cream, you've been hanging out with Sonic a bit too much," Tails retorted in gest.
"Last but not least," Amy interjected as she grabbed hold of Cream's hand and stepped into Helen's bedroom, the human girl following suit. The three emerged after another ten minutes, Helen in her normal attire while Cream and Amy appeared drastically different.
The young bunny was in a blue uniform, with a blue hat, a plastic set of handcuffs on her belt, and a yellow badge affixed to her chest. She tucked her long ears into the hat and pushed the peak down, making her appear more incognito. Finally, for added effect, she chewed on the stem of a piece of hay, adding to the complete and utter badassery that was Cream the Police Officer.
She was accompanied by Amy the Astronaut, the outfit completely hiding her face unless you looked closely into the plastic cover of her helmet.
"And I'm going as myself," Helen replied with a thumbs up. "I don't need to be incognito. What would the police want with me anyway?"
Chuck grumbled from the back of the room, loud enough for the others to take notice and shift their attention toward him.
"That is…if I'm allowed to go?" Helen followed-up.
"I don't know…" Chuck itched his chin in thought. "Remember the last time we got close to danger? My car got totaled, and we were almost killed."
"Yeah, but this time it's different," Helen replied. "There's no danger, the police will be around, and we'd have our friends to protect us."
"Well…" Chuck tried to ignore Helen's pleading puppy dog eyes. "…okay! I just need everyone to assure me they will protect Helen if things start escalating."
"You can count on us, Chuck!" Sonic replied with a thumbs up.
"We'll protect Helen with our lives!" Tails added.
"With the power of friendship, nothing can stop us!" Amy quipped.
"Ummm, yeah!" Cream added, failing to come up with something original on-the-spot but still wanting to be a part of the conversation.
"Chao, chao!"
"Let's get this show on the road, then!" Chuck proclaimed as he stood up from his chair and pointed to the door. The group filed out and piled into the scientist's handicap-accessible rental van.
"Ahhh, now this is living!"
Rouge the Bat was relaxing in the bathtub of her five-star hotel suite, paid for by American taxpayers thanks to the debit card issued to her by the President. As to be expected, the hotel's bathroom was exquisite in size, coming with dozens of towels and several bottles of soap, which she used plenty of to make a bubble bath which ran over the edge of the tub.
"Not my problem," Rouge said out loud as she closed her eyes, using a towel as a pillow to rest her head against.
Knock, knock.
"Oh, that must be room service," Rouge said to herself. "Come in!" The hotel staffer, an older lady, stepped into the foyer of her room. "Come into the bathroom, too," Rouge clarified. Doing as she was told, she opened the door, wheeling in a tray of sautéed fish, a generous serving of lasagna with garlic bread, a Caesar salad, and a chocolate mousse cake.
"Marvelous," Rouge said upon inspecting the food. "And the beverage?"
"Oh, about that, miss," the elder human cleared her throat. "According to your profile, you are 18, right?"
"Right, and?" Rouge folded her arms underneath the water.
"Well, you are aware those below the age of 21 can't drink alcohol, right?"
"What?" Rouge gasped. "Says who?"
"The government," the employee replied.
"Well, I'm going to have a long talk with Mikey next time I'm at the White House." She huffed with an exaggerated pouty face.
"I apologize for the inconvenience," the staffer bowed, "but may you be interested in something else?"
"Such as?" Rouge's ears perked up.
"Well, we have a variety of sodas, all of the Coke and Pepsi products, as well as various milks, juices, coffees, teas, sparkling waters, and hot cocoa." The employee opened a cooler on the lower level of her cart, revealing to the bat many beverage options.
"What's that one?" Rouge asked, pointing to a lime green can.
"…You're not from around here, are you?" asked the human.
"What, did the bat ears give it away?" Rouge asked sarcastically as she massaged them.
"This beverage is one of America's finest delicacies. We call it…Mountain Dew."
"Ohhh, sounds fancy," Rouge replied as she licked her lips. "I'll take three."
"Consider it done," the elder human replied as she cracked open a cold one, poured it into a tall champagne glass, and handed it to the bat. Rouge took a sniff and observed the contents as she swirled it around the cup. Finally, the jewel thief took a small sip. "Oh wow, this is absolutely lovely!"
"I'm glad you like it," the human replied as she bowed once more. She then set up a bathtub food stand, allowing the eloquent bat to enjoy her dinner in the comfort of the hot water.
"Is there anything else I can get you this afternoon, miss?"
"Nah, you're dismissed," Rouge replied, waving her hand in a shooing motion.
"Very well," the human said, bowing for the final time. "We hope you enjoy the rest of your stay." With that, the employee left, pushing away the empty cart and leaving Rouge to her privacy.
"My, my," Rouge took a gulp of her beverage, "I'll have to remind myself to take some home with me once I return to Mobius." Setting her beverage down, she chowed down on her delectable lunch, not minding her normal ladylike matters, until she set the stand on the floor and allowed herself to slowly sink into the tub once more, only her eyes, nose, and mouth left above the water's surface.
"Actually, I don't know if I want to return to Mobius," Rouge opined. "This gig is the best thing that's ever happened in my entire career!" With a content sigh, the bat closed her eyes, but she snapped up in surprise, splashing even more water out of the tub, when her government-issued cell phone started ringing. With a groan, she dried her hand and answered the video call request.
"Agent Rouge, it's Topaz."
"Hey girl, what's up?"
"I'm on an important assignment and need your he…wait, are you taking a bath?"
"No, I'm shooting a beauty ad."
"…really?" Topaz tilted her head in thought.
"Of course not, silly!" Rouge replied with a chuckle. "You know…this tub is big enough for two…do you wanna stop on by and join me?"
"Just what are you implying, agent?!" Topaz exclaimed, a blush appearing across her face.
"Well, I kinda figured you haven't bathed in a while, and I'm givin' you the opportunity for a free bath, with me, in a fancy hotel. It'd be romantic."
"And what makes you think I'd want to bathe with you?"
"Oh c'mon, no need to beat around the bush," Rouge replied. "We both know you're into me."
"LISTEN HERE, MISSY!" Topaz shouted, nearly causing the jewel thief to drop her phone. "YOU ARE A LYING, MANIPULATIVE CRIMINAL! I've built my career on stopping lawless people like you, so why do you think I would be into you?"
"You're into strong, independent women like yourself, right?" Rouge asked with a wink.
"Was that…a compliment?" Topaz seemed flustered, blushing harder than before.
"I guess it was," Rouge replied with a smirk, secretly surprised at herself for letting out such nice words.
"Well, ummmm…" Topaz ran a hand through her hair, flustered as she tried getting back on topic. "…well dry off quick, Agent Rouge! Like I was saying before, I need your help with this mission. Can you meet me at the Station Square Mall in a half hour?"
"Consider it done, old timer!" Just as Topaz was about to quip back, Rouge hung up the phone and slipped deeper into her bath once more.
"Hey, uhhh, Cream?"
"Yes, Mr. Tails?"
"Would you stop doing that!"
Cream was sitting next to the orange kitsune in the back of Chuck's rental van, honking on his clown nose.
"Ah, c'mon, Tails," Sonic interjected from Tails' other side, "can't you let the kid have some fun?"
"Well, sure, but does it have to be at my expense?" Tails folded his arms as the young bunny got in a few more honks before she felt satisfied. "You're supposed to be a police officer, right? Isn't that sort of thing a crime?"
"If playing with my friends is a crime," Cream retorted, "they can confiscate my badge, lock me up, and throw away the key."
"Touché," Tails chuckled as he scratched his head through his red clown wig before turning to Amy in the middle row, sitting next to the spot reserved for Helen and her wheelchair. "How are you holding up in that suit?"
"Just fine," Amy replied with a sigh. "It's a bit hot in here, though. Too bad the ventilation is terrible."
"Yeah, I didn't enjoy wearing that one at all," Helen commented. "Plus, it was too bulky for my chair, and the store wouldn't take it back."
"Looks like we're here!" Chuck interrupted. He stopped the van, unable to proceed further due to police tape blocking the road. "I'm going to try pulling into the alley…" Thankfully, the alleys were wide enough for the van and unblocked by the officers. In fact, as they progressed a few more blocks, they didn't notice any officers patrolling hardly anywhere. "That's odd…would've thought security would be tighter."
"If only they knew what they were in for," Tails replied. "They haven't unlocked the powers of the Chaos Emeralds and don't know about their mystical properties. They're also not aware Eggman is probably planning on stealing the gem as we speak."
"Dr. Eggman plus Chaos Emeralds equals no good," Sonic nodded his head.
Parking the van, the gang filed out, an automatic ramp allowing Helen to roll out from the side with ease. Locking up, they left the alley, finding themselves on a deserted street, save for one police officer.
"Hey, what are you guys doing out here?" the young patroller asked.
"Ohh, us?" Chuck asked as he ran a hand through his thinning hair. "I'm just taking my…class…to a…party! Yes, a…dress-up party! Right, guys?"
"But Mr. Chuck," Cream replied, "I thought we were staki—"
Amy covered the young bunny's mouth with her oversized gloved hand. "What she meant to say," Amy corrected, "was that we were staking out a good place to eat before the party!" The entire group nodded their heads.
"Oh, well why didn't you say so!" The officer replied. "There's a good pizza joint right down the street here," he pointed in the direction where they were headed anyway, "but be sure not to stray too close to the construction site at the mall. We have it blocked off so the government can look into some strange gem or somethin'."
"We'll keep that in mind!" Tails replied with a thumbs up.
With a final wave, the officer returned to his duties, spinning his nightstick around his arms like a terrible ninja while whistling.
"Pizza does sound kinda good, actually," Sonic rubbed his belly. "Any chance we can stop for a slice?"
"We just ate, Sonic," Amy replied, placing her hands on her waist. Also, don't slouch like that! It's unladylike!"
"Unladylike?" Sonic asked as he nearly tripped over his high heels.
"If you want this nurse costume to work as a disguise, you need to act the part, too. Your mannerisms are clear as day right now!"
"Whatever you say, Ames," Sonic groaned, slouching even more out of spite.
"Hey…do you guys hear that?" Tails asked. Turning their heads up, they followed the sight of a sphere-like shape closing in on the construction site a few blocks away.
Blocking the sun with her gloved hands, Cream said, "I think that's…"
"Eggman!" The group shouted.
"C'mon, guys!" Sonic kicked off his high heels. "Let's get juicin'!"
"Wait a second!" Just as the blue hedgehog was about to speed off, Amy grabbed the back of Sonic's pink dress, forcing him to run in place for a few seconds before realizing he wasn't making any progress.
"What's the deal, Amy?" Sonic asked. "Are you mad I'm not ladylike enough?"
"No, no," Amy shook her head. "Remember, we don't want others to recognize us. I say we monitor what happens first."
"I don't like it," Sonic replied, "but if you think that's the best plan, I'll stick with ya…" Sonic slowly stepped away, tightening his fists, "but if Eggman starts hurting innocent civilians, I'll be out of this get-up faster than a blue hedgehog."
"Deal." Amy nodded her head as she and the rest of the group followed him. Not having to travel far, they were soon greeted by the sound of Eggman's trademarked laughter.
"Please, don't hurt us!" One of the scientists said as he cowered on the ground, joined by the rest of his team inadvertently blocking the entrance of the large military tent harboring the blue gem.
"Oh, please," Eggman swayed his hand to the side as he peered down at him from his Egg Mobile, "it would be a waste of my precious time to dispose of you pitiful Earthlings. If you hand over that emerald you have stored in there," he pointed to the tent's entrance, "nobody will be hurt."
"Freeze!"
Eggman and the scientists turned their attention to a wall of police officers.
"Funny, the perimeter was sparsely guarded moments ago. You thought trying to ambush me would be a smart move, ayyy? Wooahhooohoohooo!" Eggman entered some commands on his Egg Mobile dashboard. "Jokes on you, though! Prepare to be annihilated!" Pressing the fire button, he launched multiple missiles from his ship, sending the officers flying and scrambling.
"And now I'll take that gem, thank you very much!" Activating the wrecking ball affixed to the bottom of his Egg Mobile, he pushed through the scientists like bowling pins and destroyed the tent. Finally, with a portable claw device, Eggman swiftly grabbed the blue Chaos Emerald, shimmering in the afternoon sun, and reeled it back in.
"Aha! My second Chaos Emerald! Pretty soon I'll have all seven, and both Earth and Mobius will be under my control! Wooahhooohooh—" The evil doctor was cut off, however, as a blue blur suddenly encapsulated the Egg Mobile, sending it spinning out of control in an inescapable tornado. Just as the winds subsided, however, Eggman regained control, flying out from the top of the vortex and was now higher than he was before. "Well, at least I still have my Chaos Emer—WHAT!" Looking at his handheld claw reel, he discovered, to his horror, the blue gem was nowhere to be found.
"Looking for this, Egghead?"
Spinning the Egg Mobile around, and tilting it toward the road, he watched Sonic gloating from the ground.
"Ah, if it isn't my old nemesis Sonic the Hedgehog! Although…" Eggman scratched his bald head. "…what's up with that outfit?"
"Oh, this thing?" Sonic peered down at his Nurse Joy cosplay before ripping it off, the mascara and lipstick still plastered on his face. "I was getting sick of that disguise anyway!" Placing the gem in his quills, Sonic entered a fighting stance. "Shall we?"
"Yeah…" Eggman dropped his elevation until the wrecking ball was dragging on the ground, "Let's."
"You asked for it!" Launching himself up, he was about to land a blow to the Egg Mobile when the wrecking ball seemed to defy gravity, deflecting Sonic's attack from above."
"I'm not the only one with tricks up my sleeve!" Eggman jeered. "This baby may be old, but I made some modest enhancements to make the wrecking ball a bit more…dynamic. A bigger challenge than our fight in Green Hill Zone, huh?"
"Ehhh…" Sonic wobbled his hand. "One surprise hit doesn't make this a challenge."
"Oh yeah?" Eggman began punching keys into his dashboard. "Then come and meet your doom!"
"With pleasure!" The evil doctor launched some missiles, all of which were swiftly dodged by the blue hedgehog. The second round of missiles were the perfect target for his homing attacks, getting him to Eggman's height. Finally, he launched himself at the Egg Mobile, making a sizable dent in the side of the vehicle before returning to the ground below.
"Why you little!" Eggman charged at the blue blur, waving the wrecking ball about but failing to land a single blow. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang were watching from across the street.
"Is this how all their battles go?" Helen asked Tails to her side.
"More or less," Tails replied. "We've had some close calls over the years, but for the most part, Eggman's basic strategies are no match for Sonic!" He cheered from the sideline, compelling the others to do the same.
"Hey, looks like I have a crowd!" Sonic jeered. "Can't say the same for you, though."
"Who needs a crowd when you've already won?"
"What do ya mean, Eggfa—oooof!" The blue hedgehog was kicked in the back of the head by a feminine figure wearing a dark spy outfit. Using her bat-like wings, she immediately fled, the blue Chaos Emerald in her palm.
"Ahhh geez, what's the big idea!?" Sonic shouted from the ground. "If you're gonna fight, at least fight fair!"
"Nah ah ahhhh!" Eggman waved his finger to the blue hedgehog as if giving a lecture. "All's fair in love and war, as they say." Just as the bat sat down on the edge of the Egg Mobile, the evil doctor spun around and started to fly away. "Sayonara, you blue rodent! Wooahhooohoohooo!"
"Ohh no you don't!" Sonic ran up the side of the nearest tall building, jumping off its side and targeting a homing attack at Robotnik and his mysterious passenger.
"Don't you know when to give up?" Eggman asked as he cranked up his joystick, slapping Sonic away with the force of his wrecking ball.
"I gotcha, Sonic!" Just as the blue hedgehog was about to fall to the street below, he was caught by his little brother, who swiftly brought him close to his chest as he held him like a baby in his arms, his rotary namesakes keeping the two suspended in the air. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Sonic replied as he peered over Tails' shoulder to find Eggman escaping. "Ah shoot, he's gone…"
"If only I had the Tornado, I could chase him down," Tails said as they returned to the ground, soon surrounded by their friends. Tails returned Sonic to his feet.
"Thanks for the save, lil' guy." With a smile, the blue hedgehog gave him a thumbs up.
"No problem, Sonic!" Tails returned his thumbs up with his own.
"So what happens now?" Chuck asked as he folded his arms in concern.
"Well," Sonic replied as he placed a hand on his chin, "I heard Eggman gloat about having two Chaos Emeralds, so he's already beating us two 'ta zip."
"What are you going to do, Mr. Sonic?" Cream asked worriedly.
"Chao, chao…" Cheese replied, poking their head out of the oversized pocket of the young bunny's uniform.
"The same thing we always do, Cream." With a smile, Sonic patted her head between her ears. "We're gonna stop Eggman!"
"That's right, Sonic!" Amy added. "And I'll – err – we'll be right by his side!"
"Yeah!" The group cheered.
"Huh?" Sonic reached his hand into his quills.
"What's the matter?" Tails asked, tilting his head in concern.
"That's odd…" The blue hedgehog pulled a note from his fur. Unfolding it, he read the message out loud.
"Meet me in the alley behind the Station Square Olive Garden at 4:30 PM. Love, Rouge." Sonic peered up at the group. "There's a little heart there, too."
"So that was Rouge the Bat!" Amy angrily replied as she withdrew her hammer, flames growing in her eyes. "Well if she thinks she can steal the emeralds for Eggman and make a move on my boyfriend, she has another thing coming!" The angry hedgehog started swinging her hammer this way and that.
"Calm down, Amy," Tails advised, raising a concerned hand to the pink hedgehog but only accomplishing a blow to the face.
"Oh chaos, I'm so sorry!" Dropping her hammer, Amy pulled the young fox from the ground. "Are you okay?" Amy asked as she brushed the orange kitsune off.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Tails replied as he rubbed the bruise across his cheek. "What I was trying to tell you is Rouge may not be on Eggman's side at all."
"What do you mean?" Cream asked.
"Chao, chao?"
"Well," Tails raised a gloved finger to the air, "why would she slip a note to Sonic asking for a meeting shortly after stealing the emerald for Eggman?"
"Tails has a point…" Sonic itched the base of his chin. "I mean, she is a master spy, right? Maybe she's only working with Eggman to collect information."
"Who is Rouge anyway?" Helen asked, feeling out of the loop.
"Oh, just some jewel thief from Mobius," Amy replied. "While this profession is ethically questionable, she's been an ally in our fight against Eggman…when she's not trying to steal the Master Emerald, that is."
"Fascinating…" Chuck raised a finger to his chin in thought. "Mobians are truly fascinating individuals. Sonic the Hedgehog, Amy the Hedgehog, Tails the Fox, Knuckles the Echidna, Cream the Rabbit, and now Rouge the Bat…it's like anthropomorphization, but in real life!"
"There's just one thing buggin' me 'bout this note," Sonic twirled it around his fingers, "why would Rouge invite me to a garden? Seems kind of strange…"
"I'm sure she meant the restaurant," Helen replied with a chuckle.
"Ohhh, a restaurant serving olives?" Sonic asked.
"Well, no…" Helen ran a hand through her hair. "They mainly serve pasta…don't know why it's called that."
"Well you see!" Chuck began as he pulled out his smartphone. "According to Wikipedia, Olive Garden got its name fro—"
"I hate to interrupt," Tails pulled at the aging scientist's coat, "but I think the police are on their way."
"Damn, you're right!" Chuck replied as he peered around. The only others in sight were the scientists and humans knocked unconscious by Eggman. "All right, let's get back to the van on the double!"
"Right!" The group agreed.
With that, the motley crew ran for it, Tails pushing Helen as the others cut through the alleys to get back to the van before ultimately returning home unscathed to prepare for their meeting with Rouge the Bat.
I hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter! Now that I am successfully moved into my new place, I will try posting new chapters with greater frequency.
Have any thoughts about the direction of the story? Feel free to let me know, and see ya in the next one!