Chapter 15: Compromise Chaos
"Really, Rouge? Really?" Topaz glanced around the lobby of the restaurant in disbelief. "You have virtually unlimited money, and you take us here, of all places?"
"What's wrong with Olive Garden?" Rouge asked, peering up at the human in confusion. "I could fancy some olives, and someone with such…modest income like yourself could afford their prices, too!"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Topaz asked, placing her hands on her hips as a blush appeared across her face. "I make an adequate amount of money, thank you very much!"
"How come you had fast food wrappers in the back of your sedan, then?" Rouge asked, placing her hands on her hips as well, her grin growing wider.
"Welcome to America, Rouge, where even the most well-off members of society eat garbage!" Topaz flung her hands in the air.
"Ehem…"
The two bickering colleagues turned their attention to the lone waitress waiting for them to stop arguing.
"Right this way, ladies," she said, gesturing for them to follow. Grumbling to herself, Topaz followed closely behind Rouge until they made it to their table.
"So," Topaz began as she slid down her booth, "what time are your friends meeting us?"
"I wouldn't call them friends per say," Rouge replied, a glisten in her eyes, "well, maybe except Knuckles. He's adorable, especially when I pick on him."
"Ah, so you're insufferable to your own kind, too." Topaz chuckled, "Good to know."
"They're meeting us in an hour behind the restaurant," Rouge replied, ignoring Topaz's comment, crossing one leg over the other.
"And why exactly did you invite them here?" Topaz folded her arms, watching the bat judgmentally.
"Hey, I only had like, what, 30 seconds to write that note?" Rouge replied, referring to the secret message she tucked into Sonic's quills when snatching his Chaos Emerald for Dr. Eggman. "First place I could think of was Olive Garden…I'm lucky they actually have an alley, too!"
"Hello there," the waitress said as she placed some cups of water on the table followed by a plate of warm breadsticks. "Can I start you two out with some beverages? Some appetizers?"
"Oh, none for her," Rouge replied, pointing to her human companion. "She's on a diet, so no empty carbs f—ooowwww." The jewel thief rubbed her knee as Topaz grumbled from her side of the table.
"You know what," Topaz turned her attention to the waitress, "I think I will have an appetizer! A plate of toasted ravioli, a Mountain Dew, and a few more plates of breadsticks!"
"Oh yeah?" Rouge quickly read through the menu. "For my appetizer, I'll have two orders of toasted ravioli, five Mountain Dews, and fried mozzarella!" Rouge sat back, folding her arms as she smugly stared at Topaz with a wide smirk.
"Oooookay, then…" The waitress jotted down their orders. "I'll get the food right up."
"What's that?" Rouge asked as Topaz pulled out a contraption from her side.
"It's my laptop," she replied as she folded it open and typed in her password. "Headquarters will need to know what happened today. Best report it as soon as possible."
"Relax, sugar," Rouge slowly brought her hand closer to the laptop until she pushed it closed with her palm.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Topaz shouted, drawing some unwelcome glares from the other patrons.
"Haven't you ever heard of a nine to five?" Rouge asked. "Gotta focus on that work-life balance, girl. If all you think about is work, you'll be sent to an early grave."
"I am a special agent for the United States government," Topaz replied. "My duty to the citizens of this country is paramount and takes precedence over my personal comfort."
"If you don't treat yourself every once in a while," Rouge indicated, "you'll end up making mistakes."
"What would you know about an honest living anyway?" Topaz asked, turning away as she folded her arms, not bothering to re-open her computer.
"I'll have you know my work is completely honest," Rouge cracked a smile, "I can honestly say that I am an open and proud jewel thief."
"Yeah, you can shove it," Topaz replied, running out of witty one-liners and retorts. "Like I was going to get any real work done anyway." She ran a hand through her hair in annoyance.
"Sure, honey," Rouge brushed off Topaz as she pulled out her government-issued cell phone and started scrolling through her apps. "I found this awesome website called Twitter recently, and people post the dumbest stuff imaginable."
"You guys don't have internet back on Mobius?" Topaz asked.
"Well, we do, and we also have social media, but It isn't nearly as funny or entertaining as your apps." Rouge continued scrolling through her feed. "Wait, what's this?"
"What's what?"
"Here…" The jewel thief handed over her cell phone. "Looks like photos from that last battle are circulating online."
"The people were going to find out anyway," Topaz replied. "There were no pedestrians, but I can guarantee you there were plenty of pictures taken from the apartment windows. Oh wait…" She zoomed in on one photo, taken of Sonic, Helen, Tails and company reviewing a piece of paper in the middle of the street. "It looks like Sonic is reading the note."
"So now he has no excuse to miss our meeting," Rouge replied as she snagged the phone back from her human companion. "Of course, if they bail on us, I know exactly where they've set up camp."
"Oh yeah, that human girl's place, the one with the wheelchair?" Topaz slouched back as she took a sip of the Mountain Dew delivered to her by the waitress.
"Exactly the one," Rouge said as she took a sip of her own beverage. "Isn't she guilty of harboring a fugitive?"
"Oh, the government definitely has their eyes on her place," Topaz indicated, "but it's a delicate situation. The news has been reporting Sonic in a mostly positive light, and he's keeping Eggman at bay. Going after Sonic and his friends for escaping Area 99 would only make us look bad and give Eggman a huge advantage."
"How foolish of the government to think they could keep someone like Sonic behind bars for very long." Rouge peered over at the waitress who delivered several plates of appetizers. Taking a bite of one of the fried food items, she slouched as well, eyeing the human across the table carefully. This made Topaz self-conscious, blushing ever so slightly.
"H-hey, what are you staring at me like that for?"
"Oh nothing, you're just cute when you eat."
"What the hell is your problem!?" Topaz's outburst earned her nasty looks from the rest of the restaurant-goers and staffers alike, the establishment falling completely silent as all attention was drawn toward her and the jewel thief.
"Secret agent business," Rouge called out, "go back to your drinks."
"Will you shut the fuck up?!" Topaz whispered loudly. "What part of 'secret agent' don't you understand?"
"What can I say," Rouge replied, sitting back in her chair as she brought her beverage to her lips once more, "this Mountain Dew is making me a bit tipsy."
"Oh…my god…" Topaz facepalmed, intending on ignoring her spy partner as she gorged on the plates of comfort food before her.
"So that's the long and short of it, huh?"
"Yep! Any questions, Knucklehead?"
"Well…" The red echidna sat next to the blue hedgehog on a bench in the Station Square municipal park. "This really does fit Rouge's M.O., right?" He leaned back in his seat, using his palms to prop up his head. "Playing both sides to get what she wants?" Cream was playing hopscotch on the trail with Cheese, the sound of her clicking feet filling the silence.
"Do you think she's truly working against Eggman, then?" Tails asked, breaking the quiet as he tinkered with his Miles Electric, sitting close to his big bro.
"I doubt it," Amy replied as she basked in the late afternoon sun, lying in the grass with her eyes closed. "Remember who we're dealing with here: a jewel thief, a professional liar. What makes us think she's gonna start being honest any time soon?"
"Surprise!"
The Mobians peered over at Chuck and Helen, who were carrying seven milkshakes across two to-go containers, one held by the elder scientist and the other resting on Helen's lap.
"Oh boy!" Tails exclaimed as the gang circled around the humans. Tails immediately fixated on the green shake in Helen's possession. "Is that…what I think it is?"
"Yes it is!" Helen replied with a beaming smile. "How could we not get you a mint milkshake?"
"Gimme, gimme, gimme," Tails chanted as he yoinked his beverage from the to-go container and took a long sip, reminded of the Shamrock Shake he had the night he arrived at Helen's abode.
"Now, now, Tails," Amy said, waving a finger in his face. "That wasn't very polite."
"Hmmm?" Tails stopped half-drink, his straw still in his mouth, as the group stared at him. Swallowing, he cleared his throat. "Ohh, sorry 'bout that. I don't know what came over me!" This earned a collective laugh, even from Knuckles.
"Hey, should you guys even be out here out in the open?" Helen asked as the others grabbed their shakes as well.
"You see, I've been thinking," Tails replied after taking another long sip, "and, well…we're in a big city, right?"
"Yes," Helen followed.
"And the government can track citizens pretty easily, correct?"
"Absolutely," Chuck replied, crossing his arms as he nodded his head.
"So why sneak around like common thieves?" Tails asked.
"You said it, lil' bro," Sonic gave him a thumbs up, "if they have business with us, we don't need to hide!"
"But what about everyone else?" Helen asked, peering around at the fellow humans populating the park.
"It's basic psychology, Helen," Chuck replied. "Most people are either too preoccupied with their own affairs or don't want to get involved in others' business to cause a ruckus. Nah…" Chuck sat down between Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles on the bench, slouching back as he peered up at the orange sky, the sun starting to set over the horizon. "…I doubt anyone will be harassing any of you out in public—"
"Hey, it's Sonic!"
"Wha—" The blue hedgehog was rushed by a group of three small children.
"Woah, it really is him!"
"I can't believe we get to meet him!"
"Sonic, I'm your biggest fan!"
"Wooahh there," Sonic raised his palms forward. "Easy, easy."
"Can I have your autograph?" asked one of the children, waving a black marker and a photo of the blue hedgehog in his face.
"Ummm, sure, I suppose…" Grabbing the photo and marker, he made out his signature and handed it back to the child.
"I will cherish this for eber and eber! Thanks, Sonic!"
"No problem, kid!" The blue hedgehog gave him a thumbs up.
Just as the younglings were about to leave, another kid came up to Tails.
"Hey, ummm, Tails? I just think you're, like…really cool, n' stuff." He was wearing glasses, braces strapped across his teeth and a picture of a telescope on his t-shirt.
"Ummm, thanks," Tails replied, chuckling nervously as he ran a hand through his hair. Just as quick, though, the nerdy child ran off to rejoin the rest of the pack.
"Well, that was weird," Amy opined.
"At least they didn't give us any trouble," Knuckles replied. "We don't want to be late for our meeting with Rouge, remember?"
"Oh yeah," taking the last sip of his milkshake, the orange kitsune glanced at the time on his wristwatch communicator, "it's almost time. If we leave now, we should have a few minutes to spare."
With that, Chuck pushed Helen as the Mobians followed the humans back to his van, soon arriving at the destination selected by the jewel thief. The restaurant had a relatively spacious parking lot and a clear path to the alley between the establishment and the building next door. Sonic sat in the passenger seat, studying the path to find the bat.
"I don't see her," Sonic observed. "Wonder what's takin' her so long…"
"Maybe she's hiding in plain sight?" Tails replied.
"Only one way to find out!" Amy declared as she opened one of the van's passenger doors. She was followed by Tails, Cream, Cheese, and Knuckles while Helen departed from the other door, disengaging and slowly rolling down the retractable ramp before joining the rest of her friends on the side facing the alley.
"Nothin'," Knuckles said as he placed his palm on the wall. "She isn't here."
"You think it's a trap?" Helen asked as she brought a hand to her chin in thought.
"Nah," Sonic replied as he peered up at the roof. "That's not her style. She may lurk in the shadows, but she'd never try somethin' like that."
"She has no real reason to trick us anyway," Tails added, raising a finger to the air. "Even if she could somehow defeat us all, how would Eggman getting all the Chaos Emeralds benefit her?"
"Ohhhhh man," came a distinct voice from the nearby restaurant entrance. "I haven't eaten that much food in ages. This place will not be good for my figure at all." The jewel thief was carrying a plastic bag full of to-go boxes.
"Tell me about it," Topaz replied, carrying her government laptop in one hand and food in another. "I'll have leftovers for days!"
"Thank the taxpayers," Rouge said with a smirk as the two entered the alley, locking eyes with Sonic and friends. "Heya!" Rouge placed her bags on the ground.
"Long time, no see," Sonic replied, leaning against the outer wall of the restaurant with his arms crossed. "I don't see the Chaos Emerald you stole from me."
"No hard feelings, right?" Rouge approached the blue hedgehog with a grin. "How's your head feeling?"
"Your heel packs quite the punch," Sonic replied with a grin of his own, "but it was no big deal."
"Enough flirty business," Amy interjected angrily, "and start talking…now."
"But of course," Rouge turned away, a grin covering her muzzle as she chuckled condescendingly. "This is Super-Secret Agent Topaz." She waved to the party, who returned her gesture. "Topaz, here are the other Mobians I was telling you about."
"Sonic the Hedgehog," Topaz observed with a finger across her chin, "the only one who has been able to stop Eggman's recent attacks…one anthropomorphic hedgehog has been more effective against this terrorist than the United States government."
"What can I say?" Sonic replied, chuckling with eyes closed. "They don't call me the Blue Blur for nothin'."
"Miles 'Tails' Prower," Topaz continued, turning to the orange kitsune, "Sonic's trusted sidekick."
"Nice to meet you," he replied with a polite bow.
"Amy Rose, Knuckles the Echidna, Cream the Rabbit, and Cheese the…what was that thing again?" Topaz asked.
"Oh, Cheese?" Cream asked as she plucked them from between her ears and raised them up in the air with outstretched arms. "Cheese the Chao of course!"
"Chao, chao!"
"Wanna hold them?" Cream asked as Cheese waved their arms and legs in excitement over the prospect of a new friend.
"Sure, why not?" The human grabbed the alien pet and cuddled them in her arms. "Cheese is sooo adorable!"
"Chao, chao!" Cheese replied, eliciting laughter from the rest of the group.
"And of course," Topaz continued, still holding the chao in her arms, "Chuck the retired scientist and Helen, his granddaughter. It's unfortunate civilians got wrapped up in all this."
"It's not a problem at all," Helen replied. "I love having them as guests and going on these adventures." She wore a brilliant smile, positive energy radiating from the young girl.
"In any case," Topaz continued, bending her knees to carefully hand Cheese back to Cream, "this obligation no longer needs to rest on your shoulders."
"What?" Helen asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"Let me explain…" Topaz peered around, confirming nobody was eavesdropping or otherwise nearby. "The President has recruited Rouge here to perform undercover espionage, acting as a henchwoman for Dr. Eggman but secretly reporting to us in the process. The plan to steal the emerald from Sonic went off without a hitch."
"Do you realize what you've done?" Knuckles asked, a vein appearing across his forehead as he struggled to contain his anger. "Eggman now has two Chaos Emeralds. Just one alone in his hands is incredibly dangerous, but now he's well on his way to collecting all seven. That's what brought us here in the first place."
"You should know," Rouge said as she turned her attention to Topaz, "that Knuckles has this weird, religious-y connection to the gems or something. Back home, he spent most of his time secluded on a floating island guarding a giant emerald. Needless to say, I'm sure he didn't take too kindly to our plan."
"You're damn right I didn't," Knuckles replied. "Your recklessness could get us all killed!"
"Easy there, drama queen," Rouge replied casually, placing her hands on her hips. "Just calm down for a few seconds and put a bit of trust in us."
"Trust you? Of all people?" The red echidna waved his arms in the air. "That's rich, almost as rich as a jewel thief becoming a government spy. How'd that even happen, anyway? Did you get caught or something?"
"More or less," Topaz replied. "What I can say is that we are plotting every step carefully, planning any and all contingencies." The human woman cleared her throat. "Now, as I was saying before, the plan went off without a hitch. If Rouge's report on Eggman is accurate, this victory should give him a false sense of security."
"He gets cocky when he wins," Rouge added with a shrug. "We've seen it countless times; premature celebration when he wins the battle that ultimately leads to his downfall."
"That's where you all come in," Topaz continued as she gestured toward the Mobians. "The President has, in secret, called off the search for Sonic and Cream after the breakout from Area 99. He believes, as do I, that you guys would be an invaluable asset to this nation, to put a stop to Eggman's terrorism and restore things back to the way they were."
"To that end," Topaz concluded, "we would like you all to come back with me to our secret headquarters, where you'll have your own living quarters, food, and any other necessities you may need while you're a guest on our planet. In return, we would like you to assist Rouge and I in any way possible as we neutralize Eggman. Helen, Chuck…" Topaz turned her attention to the humans, "you would also be spared of any charges of aiding and embedding suspected criminals, and your lives would return to the way they were before the Mobians' arrival on Earth."
"The way…things were?" Helen asked as the uncertain girl peered down at her legs.
Tails gazed at her in concern. "What's wrong, Helen?" He approached her side. "Don't you want things to return to normal?"
The human girl was silent, but the tears that started forming in her eyes provided a clearer answer than any words could produce.
"Ehhh, I think we'll pass."
The group turned to the blue hedgehog, who was cracking a smile with hands on his hips.
"What?" Topaz asked, shocked to hear his rejection. "But why?"
"If you know anything about me," Sonic explained before running a few dozen circles around the group, stopping with a skid, "you'd know I don't like being anchored down. Plus…" The blue hedgehog stared up at Topaz as he folded his arms, a frown on his muzzle. "…how do we know we can trust ya?"
"What do you mean?" Topaz asked, eyeing the hedgehog carefully.
"What you guys put me and Cream through back at Area 99 was hell." Sonic turned to the young bunny behind him. "I can take it, but locking up an innocent young girl? Performing tests? What were you guys thinking?" Memories of the traumatic experience, complete with having to witness Sonic getting shot, bubbled their way back into Cream's consciousness, causing tears to form in her eyes.
"I…" Topaz was speechless.
"And what will happen once we do defeat Eggman?" Knuckles added. "When we arrived on Earth, you treated us like guinea pigs. You're only being nice now because you need our help. What will come of us once we stop this Eggman problem? Will you allow us to return home…or will you keep us prisoner here?"
"I can see why you have doubts," Topaz replied, flustered with their negative response, "but the treatment Sonic, Cream, and Cheese underwent at Area 99 was not approved by the President, and Dr. Liam Griffith, the one who led the confinement and experimentation, and his associates are being questioned as we speak. I hope you realize that, while there are some bad apples, not everyone in the government, or all humans for that matter, are bad people."
"Helen and Chuck are good examples," Tails added. "When I first arrived on Earth, I was, literally, covered in garbage…cold, hungry, and had nowhere to go. Helen took me and the rest of us in with open arms." He gestured to the young girl. "If anyone embodies the best of humanity, it's her."
"Thanks…Tails…" The young girl was blushing, tears pouring down her face as the orange kitsune's kind words sunk in. "You're my friends, and I'd do anything for my friends in need."
Tails gave her a thumbs up before refocusing his attention on Sonic and Knuckles. "So, what if…we work out a compromise?"
"A compromise?" The group asked in unison.
"Precisely!" Tails raised his finger in the air once more, a smirk on his face as he closed his eyes, preparing to explain his proposal. "The government clearly needs our help to stop Eggman, right?"
"Right," Topaz replied.
"And we would rather stay with Helen, Chuck, Doug, and Alicia, right?"
"Absolutely," The Mobians replied, save for Knuckles who previously elected to live with nature.
"Why, then, don't we make an arrangement similar to the one we had back on Mobius, Sonic?" Tails asked as he turned to the blue hedgehog.
"Oh yeah," Sonic nodded his head. "That could work."
"What sort of arrangement?" Topaz asked.
"It was pretty simple," Tails replied. "Sonic and I would partner with the Mobian Federation of States to help fight Eggman, but we were never fully-fledged members of their military. I guess we were considered 'independent contractors'?"
The blue hedgehog shrugged. "Taxes 'n paperwork are your business, not mine."
"Anyway," Tails continued, "why don't we have a partnership like this? It's not like the U.S. government hasn't had similar military arrangements before."
"Oh, you've studied American history?" Topaz asked. "In the short amount of time you've been here?"
"Yep!" Tails replied with a smile, his namesakes fluttering from behind. "Wikipedia is highly addictive." The orange kitsune gestured to his Mobian friends. "I would like to offer to work with the military, but not for the military. We would partner together in our common battle against Eggman while still retaining independence. While we wouldn't require any direct pay…" Tails gestured in the direction of Chuck and Helen, "we would want all proceeds to go to Helen and her family."
The two humans gasped.
"But why?" Helen asked, gripping the handles on either side of her wheelchair.
"We have no use for human money," Tails replied, "and I'm sure it hasn't been cheap to lodge us. Plus, knowing how much the government doles out in these sorts of arrangements, hopefully you'll receive enough money to cover all your healthcare costs, and maybe your parents won't have to work as much so you can spend more time with each other."
"Tails…" Helen's eyes glistened, tears starting to form once more. "I…don't know what to say."
"What do you all think?" Tails asked the group.
"…Count me out."
They turned their attention to the red echidna, who pulled himself away from the restaurant wall and headed to the alleyway exit.
"If I'm going to get the Chaos Emeralds back, I'm going to do it my way."
"Oh, come on, Knucklehead," Sonic obstructed his path. "Could you not be narrowminded for, like, five minutes?"
"Get out of my way, Sonic," Knuckles replied as he shoved him aside, causing the blue hedgehog to topple to the ground below.
"Hey, wait up!" Sonic pulled himself up, but as he was about to run after him, he was stopped by the gentle hand of the pink hedgehog.
"Leave him, Sonic," Amy advised. "It's no use trying."
"Okay, Ames," Sonic replied as he dusted his legs off. "He didn't have to be so rude, though."
"I don't think he was fully convinced that Topaz is any different from Liam and the Area 99 scientists," Tails opined. "It'll take plenty of time for him to establish any sort of trust with those claiming to be from the government. Rouge becoming an agent didn't help matters either."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right, lil' guy," Sonic replied, giving the orange kitsune a thumbs up before returning his focus to the entire group. "Are we all in, then, except for Knuckles?"
"Yeah!" Tails and company replied with a cheer.
"I don't see anything wrong with that," Rouge added. "What about you, old-timer?"
"If you call me 'old-timer' one more time…" Topaz grumbled as she toggled with her wristwatch communicator, trying to hide the blush across her face. "Well…" She turned her focus to the other Mobians. "I personally don't see a problem with it, but I'll need to run this by the President for official approval. I'm sure he'd also want to meet you all."
"Sounds radical!" Sonic replied with a thumbs up.
"In fact…" Topaz pushed some buttons on her watch. "After taking care of some Eggman business, I'll request a meeting in the Oval Office. I'm sure once you meet him, any lingering doubts about our trustworthiness should be resolved."
"Did you say 'Eggman business'?" Amy asked, leaning on her Piko Piko Hammer.
"Oh yes," Topaz replied as she brought her hand back down to her side. "As we said before, Eggman will likely have his defenses down, inflated with renewed confidence after securing two Chaos Emeralds. We think the time is ripe to strike."
"What do you have in mind?" Sonic asked, raising a finger to his chin in thought.
"Let's discuss the details in a more…secluded location," Topaz replied as she gestured to Chuck's van. "By my count, there should be enough room for all of us in there. We can talk while heading back to our headquarters."
"Sounds good!" Chuck replied as he dug in his pockets to find his keys. As the group made their way to the van, however, a long, black limousine stopped them in their tracks. This car was followed by a dozen motorcycles, operated by intimidating-looking men.
"Who are these guys?" Sonic asked. He didn't need to wait long, however; as the rest of the motorcycles continued making circles around the group, one driver skid to a stop, approached the passenger door of the limo, and opened it. Stepping out was a young boy Sonic and Helen knew all too well…
I hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter! I had to delay posting this for a few days because I've been helping as a moderator for the official Sonic Movie Discord server, on top of managing other Sonic communities in the lead-up to the Sonic 2 and Sonic Frontiers trailers. My goal, though, is to publish the next chapter a little faster. We'll see how that goes! XD