Chapter 16: Working at Perfect
"It's you!" Sonic and Helen exclaimed simultaneously, pointing at the boy pulling himself out of the backseat of the limo surrounded by intimidating men on motorcycles.
"Salutations," Chris said, taking a bow to the blue hedgehog and the young girl next to him, ignoring the rest of the gang.
"Why are you here?" Helen asked, folding her arms in disapproval.
"Silly Helen," Chris replied condescendingly, "why else would I be here but to have a cordial conversation with Thorndyke Hedgehog himself."
"Huh?" Helen and Sonic tilted their heads in confusion.
"Well, you see," Chris itched the base of his nose, "as I explained on television, because I am the one who first found this anthropomorphic hedgehog, I have the sole right to name it whatever I like, so I, Mr. Thorndyke, decided to grant the indisputable honor of granting it my name. Thorndyke Hedgehog should be thankful!"
Sonic scoffed as he folded his arms as well. "Yeah, as if."
Ignoring the blue hedgehog's displeasure, Chris raised his arm and snapped his finger, summoning his butler, who was adorning glasses, a blazer, and a bowtie. "Tanaka, fetch the paperwork, will you?"
"Right away, Master Chris," Tanaka replied with a bow.
"Hey, dumb ass! It's Mr. Thorndyke, not 'Master Chris'," Chris replied, saying the latter in a childish voice.
"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Thorndyke," the butler bowed several times in quick succession, "I will remember next time."
"Yeah, you better," Chris grumbled under his breath as the butler returned to the limousine, grabbing a large stack of documents and dropping them between the rich kid and the blue hedgehog.
"What's all this?" Sonic asked as he gestured to the paperwork.
"I have a proposition," Chris replied as he pulled out a fancy fountain pen from his pocket, spinning it around his fingers.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Tails opined to Chuck.
"If it involves that spoiled brat, it can't be good," the elder scientist agreed.
"I previously held an arrangement with this poor classmate of mine, his name is not important, and let's just say it ended in a…contractual termination."
"You didn't…" Helen clasped her mouth with her hand.
"What's this all about, Helen?" Sonic asked.
"Chris thinks he can buy friendship by pressuring poor families to sign their children into "friendship contracts". He required one of my friends to help with homework and play videogames with him, and Chris would pay his parents in exchange." The young girl turned her attention to Chris. "Are you saying you fired Danny?"
"Indubitably!" He replied, raising a finger to the air. "His performance has been lacking as of late, and despite repeated promises to do better, he failed this simple task, so I cut him and his family off the gravy train." The rich kid laughed condescendingly with his hands on his hips. "Looks like his parents will need to get real jobs instead of mooching off their kid!"
"Why are you like this?" Helen asked, her eyes glistening and her hands clasped into fists. "You can be a real jerk, and you don't even realize it!"
"Oh, Helen…" Chris chuckled as he approached the young girl. He brought his hand to her chin, gently tilting her head to match her gaze of disdain. "Don't worry your pretty little head." Giving her some unwelcome head pats, he returned his hand to his own unkempt hair. "So…have you reconsidered the proposition I gave you?"
"Another arrangement?" Sonic asked. "Does this guy just dole out deals all day?"
"It's his thing," Helen replied unamused. "He offered to pay for my medical expenses if I agreed to be his girlfriend."
Sonic couldn't contain his laughter.
"Oh man, how desperate must he be!?" The entire gang laughed.
"I'm going to ignore this attack on my honor and just stick to brass tacks." Chris cleared his throat, pulled the first form off the stack, and handed it to the blue hedgehog. "Now that Danny's out of the picture, I need a suitable replacement, and well, I think you'd make a great employee."
"How so?" Sonic asked.
"When I first dragged you out of my luxury pool," Chris replied, "you were pitiful…weak…hardly suited to be a member of the esteemed Thorndyke Estate staff, but I've been following your feats online, and I must say, even I, of all people, am impressed." The rich kid turned away and swiped the sky with his hand. "The media loves you, so if they see us out in public together, it will only help the Thorndyke brand, and of course, my positive reputation will rub off on you as well."
"Anyway," Chris forced his fountain pen into Sonic's gloved hand and pointed to the first dotted line, "we have a lot of signing to get through! By signing here, you agree perform all acts, legal or illegal, on behalf of myself and the rest of the Thorndyke Estate. The next line formally acknowledges that you must attend all of my classes and take notes on each subject. This line right here mandates your assistance of my butler and maid staff at the esteemed Thorndyke Manor, and this line mandates you must do my laundry, read me bedtime stories, play videogames with me, give me baths…"
"Okay, time out!" The blue hedgehog crossed his hands together. "I think I heard just enough of this little proposition you have here." The latter item in particular made chills run down his spine.
"Oh, so you'll sign all 346 signature lines without reading the fine print?" Dollar signs appeared over Chris' eyes. "Marvelous! Get to signing, and when you're done, we'll go to Dairy Queen to celebrate! It'll come out of your paycheck, of course…"
"No, no, kid, you have the wrong idea," the blue hedgehog took the cover page of the document in both hands and ripped it in half.
"Whaaat!?" Chris yelled in agony. "What are you doing? Do you not know how to sign a document? Do I need to show you how to use a pen?"
"Can't you take a hint?" Sonic asked as he threw the torn paper to the side and jumped up in the air, forming a sphere as he grew closer to the stack of documents. Finally, before making contact, he charged a spindash, slicing through the paper like a chainsaw.
"What the hell are you doing?" Chris yelled, flailing his arms frantically.
"Let me give it to ya straight," the blue hedgehog approached the young boy, raising a finger to his face, "you will never be my buddy. You can't just bribe your way to friendship."
"What are you talking about?" Chris asked, a smirk on his face. "Money controls the world. I just wave my fat stacks, and I can make people do what I want."
"Even so," Sonic crossed his arms, "do you want someone to have your back because they care about you, or do you just want them to treat a friendship like a job?"
"But…" Chris lowered his head, pulling out a wad of $100 bills. "Money's...all I know…"
"Chris…" The party turned to Helen, who rolled over the shredded documents with her wheelchair, blocking the path between the blue hedgehog and the rich kid. "People are more than just money...and I'm sure if you try, you can make friends without taking out your wallet."
"Are you saying…" Chris crushed the wad of bills in his fist. "...that my friends aren't real? That's it's all a façade?" Tears started to well up in his eyes.
"No, I'm not sa—"
In a fit of existential anger, Chris swung his arm back and slapped Helen across the face with his wad of cash.
"Helen!" Tails ran toward the young girl, but as he got closer, Chris prepared a second slap, a few bills slipping from his grasp but still enough to make an impact. As the rich kid swung his arm once more, though, the orange kitsune grabbed him, gripping his wrist tightly in rage, forcing Chris to drop the cash as his fingers contorted.
"You. Will. Never. Hurt. Helen. Ever. Again. You hear me?!" Tails swiped Chris' arm away, spun himself around, and flung him away with a flick of his namesakes.
Chris fell to the ground, loose dollar bills flying all around as he lay motionless on the pavement, dry tears across his cheeks as he stared blankly at the night sky.
"MAST-I mean, MISTER THORNDYKE!" Tanaka came running to the rich kid's aid, pulling him to his feet. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah…" The young boy quietly wiped the dirt from his attire before turning to the young fox, giving him a sinister glare. "This isn't over, you…you freak." He marched back to his limo, his butler closing the door behind. Within seconds, the car departed, surrounded by the bodyguards on motorcycles.
"Are you okay, Helen?" Tails asked, turning his attention back to the young girl.
"Y-yeah…" She rubbed her cheek, a small bruise growing. "I'll live, but Tails...are you okay?" Helen observed as the fox stared at her, his breathing elevated and fists still tightened.
"Yes…" Tails paused, closing his eyes as he took in a long breath.
"Do you think that was a bit…overkill?" Chuck asked from his side.
"I...don't know…" Tails averted his gaze to the pavement below, his hands loosening up as he weighed his recent actions. "I just got angry, ya know?"
"It's okay to defend your friends," Chuck replied as he crossed his arms, "but that stunt was a bit unnecessary."
"At least ya showed him what you're made of, though!" Sonic interjected, returning to the orange kitsune's side with a thumbs up. "Now he'll learn not to underestimate you and stay away from Helen for good!"
"Do you...think I did the right thing, Sonic?" The young fox shifted his focus to the blue hedgehog. "Was it really...overkill?"
"Well…" Sonic ran a hand through his quills. "Maybe a little bit, but your heart was in the right place."
"But was it, though?" Tails asked. "It just feels like I experience momentary bouts of blind rage when my friends are in danger. I blasted that scientist through the wall, remember?"
"I was conked out, buddy," Sonic replied, referring his rescue from Area 99, "but that wa—"
"And what about what...happened…with you?" The orange kitsune's voice turned to a whisper. Sonic, knowing exactly what he was alluding to, wrapped his arm around the fox's shoulder and turned him to the side, lowering his voice for privacy.
"No need to worry 'bout that," Sonic replied, remembering the incident where Tails, facing immense frustration while studying the Master Emerald, threw his nonfunctional Chaos Emerald detector at his face, leaving a temporary bruise. "Sometimes you need to let it out of your system, ya know?"
"But what if...I do something that I regret again?" Tears started to well up in the fox's eyes.
Lifting his arm away from the kitsune's shoulder, the blue hedgehog instead lowered a gloved finger to his face, drying the single tear running down his muzzle. "Nobody's perfect, lil' buddy. All heroes make mistakes. It's what we do after the fact that really counts."
"I guess…" Tails tilted his head to meet Sonic's brotherly gaze. "Thanks, Sonic." A small smile appeared across his muzzle, but he quickly shifted his focus to the rest of the party, who were watching the two brothers in confusion. "Can we...talk about this later?"
"Sure thing, lil' bro." Sonic chuckled as he gently ran his gloved hand between the fox's ears. "Now…" The blue hedgehog found his way back to the rest of the party. "On to business." With determination in his eyes, and smashing his fist into the open palm of his other hand, he turned to Rouge and Topaz. "What's the plan, girls?"
"Oh, right," Topaz collected herself. "As I was saying before Chris and his entourage interrupted us, we can discuss our plans on the way. If we act now, we can strike while the iron is hot!"
With that, the gang filed into the van, with Chuck taking the driver's seat, Helen rolling into her designated spot, Tails riding shotgun, Cream, Cheese, and Amy in the back row, and Rouge and Topaz sharing the seat next to Helen's wheelchair.
"This is a bit romantic, don't you think?" Rouge asked, sitting in her human partner's lap.
"Shut up, jewel thief, Topaz replied, a blush appearing across her face.
"Where to?" Chuck asked as he started up the vehicle.
"To the beach," Topaz replied. "Everything we need is already there."
"Wooahhooohoohooo! Fill 'er up, boys! Tonight, we par-tayyyy!"
Dr. Eggman uncorked a bottle of champagne, the cap flying across the room, nearly missing Decoe. Allowing excess suds to spill from the spout, he poured three tall, narrow glasses: one for himself and the others for Bocoe and Decoe.
"Cheers!" Eggman declared as he raised his glass.
"Cheers!" Decoe and Bocoe replied as the three clanged their cups together before taking a long sip.
"I am an absolute genius!" the doctor exclaimed with a mustache full of champagne suds. "Thanks to my full-proof schemes, we are now in possession of two Chaos Emeralds!" He gestured to the green and blue gems, glistening in the moonlight streaming into the command center of the evil doctor's island lair.
"You were right about Rouge after all!" Decoe said after a sip.
"Indeed!" Bocoe added. "It was enough to claim one Chaos Emerald, but the jewel thief stealing the second one from Sonic during your fight was unexpected to say the least!"
"I never lost my faith in my most trusted evil sidekick!" Eggman declared before repeating his signature bellowing laugh.
"Except when you said you didn't trust her," Bokkun corrected, sitting in the corner as he sipped on his root beer float.
Do you mind repeating that?" Eggman asked, menacingly tapping his bottle against the open palm of his other hand.
"Ohh, ummm...I mean, you totally trusted Rouge from the very beginning!" Bokkun replied nervously, tugging at a non-existent collar.
"Better…" Eggman grumbled before cracking open another bottle of alcohol. Taking a sip, the doctor's eyes dilated, reacting to the unexpected strength of the beverage. "Decoe, Bocoe, where'd you get this one?"
"A fan dropped it off," they replied in unison.
"Care to explain?" Eggman asked as he took another gulp.
"Yeah, the bottle was left in a basket along with some breadsticks from Olive Garden at the front door," Decoe replied.
"A card celebrating your recent victory was also included," Bocoe added, handing the evil doctor the note.
"Hmmm…" Eggman read the card to himself as he munched one of the cold breadsticks. "Congratulations on your recent victory! Signed - An anonymous fan." Robotnik placed the note next to the Chaos Emerald pedestal. "Wooahhooohoohooo! At least some Earthlings aren't imbeciles! Why, if this keeps up, I could even run for President!"
"Dr. Eggman, he's our man; if he can't win, nobody can!" Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun cheered, somehow materializing cheerleader outfits and pom poms out of thin air.
"Save it for the campaign trail." Instead of filling his cup once more, Eggman elected to take some drinks directly from the bottle.
"Should we play some karaoke?" Bocoe asked, holding a microphone in one hand and a tambourine in the other.
"Or perhaps some Guitar Hero?" Decoe added, holding a plastic guitar controller in either hand, strumming the fake instrument like a rockstar.
"Oooh, we could watch the SpongeBob marathon on Nickelodeon!" Bokkun suggested.
"Will you three shut up for five seconds," Eggman barked as he rubbed his forehead. "Oh chaos, I think I need...to sit down…"
"Are you okay?" Decoe asked.
"You are not looking so good," Bocoe added. The two robots approached the doctor.
"No, no, I'm all right…" Eggman leaned back in his seat, his eyes slowly closing. "I just...need to shut my eyes...for a little bit...wake me up...when…" Before Robotnik could finish his thought, he fell asleep, leaving his robotic assistants staring at him in confusion.
"What do we do now?" Bocoe asked.
"Beats me," Decoe replied, shrugging his metallic shoulders. "Maybe we should get Eggman to bed?"
"I don't know if he would like that…" Bocoe crossed his arms as he thought of their next move. "What if he wakes up while we're hauling him halfway across the fortress?"
"Guys, guys!"
Decoe and Bocoe turned their attention to their younger brother, who had a wide smirk on his face.
"If we can get Eggman to bed, think of all the fun we can have in the command center! Bocoe, you'd get to do some karaoke, and Decoe could play some video games! Best of all, I would get to watch as much SpongeBob as I'd want!"
"You do raise a good argument…" Decoe turned to the sleeping human, whose snoring was drowning out their strategic planning session. "Okay, I'm in."
"Me too," Bocoe added.
"Then let's get to work!" Bokkun declared, slamming his fist against the palm of his other hand.
As Decoe lifted Eggman up by the armpits, Bocoe grabbed the doctor's ankles. The messenger robot, meanwhile, opened the doors and served as a guide, hoping to prevent his older siblings from smashing Eggman into a wall.
"Easy now, easy now…" Bokkun waved his arm, pointing his brothers in the direction of Robotnik's living quarters after successfully navigating them into and out of the nearby elevator. "That's it, don't bump his noggin now…"
Finally, Decoe and Bocoe arrived at Eggman's king sized bed. The two placed him on the mattress, freezing when the evil doctor rolled onto his side but quickly sighing in relief when it was clear he was still asleep. Wiping the sweat from their foreheads, they pulled a blanket over him before silently creeping out of the bedroom, closing the door as gently as possible.
"Operation: Egg Delivery was a success!" Bokkun declared, raising a fist to the air in excitement as he walked alongside Decoe and Bocoe back to the spacious command center.
"Eggman will be thankful we brought him to bed," Bocoe added.
"Or perhaps he won't even remember anything from tonight?" Decoe suggested.
"Yeah, what's up with him getting so tired all of the sudden?" Bocoe asked. "It's not like his alcoholic beverages were even that strong."
"Does it matter?" Bokkun asked, running in front of his two brothers and twirling around, walking backward as he peered up at the two. "What matters is that we have a night of freedom! Freedom to do whatever we want!"
"Yeah!" The three cheered as they entered the command center. Immediately getting to work, Bocoe fired up the karaoke machine while Decoe switched on the PlayStation 2 he found while plundering an antiques shop. Bokkun was warming up some nachos in the communal microwave as he gathered the salsa, sour cream, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and shredded cheese from the nearby refrigerator.
"Hmmm...what song should I sing first?" Bocoe asked himself as he jingled his tambourine in one hand, cycling through the tracks on the music player with the other. "Aha!" Selecting the Yakuza 0 original soundtrack, he cleared his digital throat, tapped his microphone to confirm it was working, and bent his knees, preparing to dance and sing his heart out.
I'm readyyyy goooo toniiiiiight;
There isss a partyyyy all riiiight;
We don't neeed a reeeeason for joy, oh yeahhhh!
The robot waved his arms, playing his tambourine as he showcased his swag for the audience of zero, Decoe still plugging in his video game console as Bokkun was waiting for the cheddar to melt over his tortilla chips in the microwave.
Tick down to midnight;
Tonight's gooona be briiiight;
So the groooves makes me move, oh yeah!
I'm feeling liiiike;
I'm feelin' jus' as flyyyyyy!
It was at this point the robot dropped his microphone and instrument altogether, instead opting to dance like a disco star.
Can't stop dancing all niiiiiight long;
Jumpin' up, shakin' up, move your boooodyyyy!
Don't stop the music alllll niiiight loooong;
Keep it on, it's Friiiidayyyy Niiiii-
Bocoe froze, his body almost completely paralyzed as he took a debilitating blow to the neck. Sweat rolling down his face, he used his last ounce of energy to turn his head to face his assailant: a small fox boy dressed all in black, his ski mask too small to contain his fluffy muzzle and his namesakes fluttering from behind.
"T-tai-" The robot fell to the floor unconscious as the upbeat disco music looped from the karaoke machine.
Tails peered up at the open grate of the air duct. Giving a thumbs up, out came Sonic the Hedgehog, dressed in a similar outfit, his blue tail and quills still exposed. The two nodded their heads as they slowly crept up on Decoe, who was now just starting to play One by Metallica on his plastic controller when he met a similar fate, a precise blow to his neck from the tip of the orange kitsune's namesake causing him to fall to the floor. Finally, the brotherly duo slowly made their way to the kitchenette, where Bokkun was putting the finishing touches on his party snack.
"These nachos look delightfully devilish! I can't wait to eat 'em all!" As he finished pouring the salsa on his chips, he felt the force of a blow to the back of his head, causing his face to land in the pile of steaming hot nachos. "Ahhhh! What the hecc was that for?" As he wiped the melted cheese from his face, he felt a precise flick of Tails' namesake on his neck, causing him to fall to the floor as his big brothers did moments earlier.
Returning to the command center, Sonic and Tails collected the green and blue Chaos Emeralds, respectively, before returning to the oversized air duct in the ceiling, with Tails flying up first before helping his older brother up after him.
"Recon lead, the burger is in the bun," Tails whispered into his wristwatch communicator. "I repeat, the burger is in the bun."
"What kind of secret agent mumbo jumbo is that?" Rouge jeered. "Even Topaz can come up with better names than that, and she's an old lady!"
"For the last time," Topaz replied, "I am not an old lady!"
"Everything okay up there?" Sonic asked as he gently tugged at Tails' namesake.
"Yeah, yeah," Tails returned his attention to his communicator, "will you two stop arguing so you can guide us out of here?"
"Sure, hon," Rouge replied, "just go straight and hang a right in 50 feet, and then drop out of the third grate you come across. This will place you at the entrance."
"Thank you," Tails replied with a sigh. "Tails out." Disengaging his communicator, the fox continued crawling along.
"What do ya think is up with those two?" Sonic asked.
"Beats me," Tails replied as the two made their way closer to the exit. "It seems like Rouge always gets on people's nerves."
"I dunno man," Sonic chuckled under his breath, "I think they're startin' to like each other, if you know what I mean."
"You're the one to talk."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Sonic tilted his head in confusion, getting a good view of the back of Tails' head as the orange kitsune fluttered his namesakes from behind.
"Ohhh, nothing," it was the fox's turn to chuckle, "you plan your date with Amy yet?"
"What do ya mean?" A blush appeared across the blue hedgehog's muzzle.
"You promised a date with Amy shortly before we were transported to Earth, remember? Kind've would've thought a love expert like yourself would've already fulfilled his romantic promise."
"Ohh, I'm gettin' to it…" Sonic chuckled nervously, stopping to run an anxious hand through his quills. "You think...Amy would like Olive Garden?"
"You need to do better than that," Tails replied as he slipped out of the air duct, followed closely behind by the blue hedgehog. "Amy would want something a bit more creative."
"How would you know what Amy wants?" Sonic asked playfully.
"Just a bit of intuition," Tails replied with a finger raised to the air, his namesakes fluttering from behind once more.
"Whatever you say, lil' buddy…" Sonic thought to himself. "How about…McDonald's?"
"Ohh, you are hopeless…" Tails shook his head as they made their way back to the Tornado 2.
"Hey, at least I try," Sonic replied with a chuckle, waiting as his younger brother crawled into the cockpit before the blue hedgehog took his turn, seating himself right behind.
"The package has left the depot," Tails said into his communicator. "Ready for the final phase."
"Over," Topaz replied from a secret agent van off the coast of the mainland. "Eggman's missile defense system is still offline. You are safe to take off. Rouge," The human turned to the jewel thief, who was leaning back in her chair casually, "initiate the final phase."
"You got it," Rouge replied as she adjusted her headset. "Amy, Cream, you get that?"
"Loud and clear," Amy confirmed as she held a box in her hand, wearing all black. Turning to Cream, the pink hedgehog nodded her head slowly. The young bunny, who was wearing the same spy outfit as her friends, repeated this gesture, holding onto a box of her own.
Running briskly into the lair, the hedgehog and rabbit followed a blipping icon on the map displayed on their wristwatch communicators.
"Take the stairs to the basement, and scatter the charges throughout," Rouge ordered.
"Right." Amy nodded as she and her younger colleague slid down the handrail to the lower level, landing expertly on the concrete floor. Cream followed, keeping her remote bomb snug against her belly.
"Ready to plant the charges?" Amy asked as she peered over at the young bunny.
"Yes, Ms. Amy," Cream replied with a nod.
"Okay, just like I showed you." Pressing some buttons on the box, she gently set it near Eggman's excess supply of television bombs. A large, blinking "10:00" appeared on the bomb's display, ready to start ticking down with a single press of a button. "Now it's your return, Cream."
"Right." The young bunny placed her explosive device nearby, repeating the same process as Amy, albeit a bit slower. Finally, the bomb's digital display showed an identical red "10:00".
"Engaging bombs…now!" Amy and Cream pressed the start sequence buttons simultaneously.
"Time to go, Cream," Amy said as she ran for the stairs, Cream following close behind.
Making it back to the main floor, Cream skid to a stop as the duo passed the command center. The karaoke machine was still playing, but Decoe, Bocoe, and Bokkun were still unconscious. The sight of the messenger robot in particular made the young bunny wince.
"C'mon, Cream!" Amy called from ahead. "What's the hold up?"
"It's just that…" The young bunny peered down and clasped her hands behind her back, a small blush forming across her face. "B-Bokkun…can…I save him?"
"Why would you want to sa—" The look on Cream's face made the pink hedgehog remember the connection she developed with the robot, who tried unsuccessfully to rescue her from Eggman's clutches once before. "Do you…like him?"
"Well, I…" Cream shook her head. "What does that matter? He's not evil or rotten; he's just forced to do bad things by Eggman!" The young bunny pointed at Bokkun's unconscious form, nacho sauce and tortilla chips still covering his face. "I'm going to rescue him!"
"I'll help!" Amy replied as the two rushed in. Cream wiped Bokkun's face clean, to the best of her ability given time constraints, before taking him by the hands. Amy grabbed his ankles, and the two continued their trek out of Eggman's headquarters, soon arriving at the small boat Amy and Cream used to infiltrate the island.
Sitting on the floor of the boat, Cream placed Bokkun's head on her lap as Amy pushed the boat into the water, jumping into the vessel just in time to avoid landing in the ocean. Twisting the boat around, Amy drove away as the one-minute warning alarm sounded on her wristwatch communicator.
"Rouge, Topaz: Cream and I have left the island. We're now less than a minute from the bombs going off."
"Perfect!" Topaz replied merrily. "I knew it was a good idea to recruit you all to the cause."
"You may even get a presidential medal," Rouge replied with a snicker.
"You know what?" Topaz turned to her Mobian counterpart with a smirk across her face. "Maybe I will receive a medal for this."
"Whatever floats your boat, old lady." Rouge waited for Topaz's angry retort, but hearing none, the confused bat turned to her, who was uncharacteristically slouching in her chair, a blush across her face as she stared at the ceiling of her secret agent van.
"Can you believe her?" Rouge asked Chuck and Helen, who were sitting on the opposite side of the van. Cheese was resting on Helen's lap, sleeping soundly as the young girl gave them loving pets.
Chuck merely grunted in response, his eyes closed as he nodded away himself.
"Does this mean…Eggman is finished?" Helen asked the jewel thief.
"Unlikely," she replied. "I've known him long enough to know this will merely be a minor set-back for him. I'm sure he'll survive the explosion and be back by dinner time tomorrow."
"I guess we're in this for the long haul, right?" Helen asked, a look of concern across her face.
"You have nothing to worry about," Rouge replied reassuringly. "Eggman may be too much for the humans to handle, but us Mobians know how to deal with him. If all goes according to plan, we'll take him back to our world once we gather up the Chaos Emeralds."
"I guess…" Helen sighed as she stared at one of the van's monitors showing a live feed of Tails flying back to the mainland.
Fun fact: I typed most of this chapter on a small, Bluetooth keyboard connected to my phone while visiting family away from home for the holidays! I hope you all enjoyed it! The chapter took a few unexpected turns while I was developing the first draft, particularly the infiltration of Eggman's base, so I'm eager to hear what you all thought.
See you all for the next one!