Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim all rights to all characters (save for those of my own creation) in this audacious adventure… especially for the one who has a plan.

~保護者~

"Shadow Katana"

~保護者~

Steam walked amongst familiar streets quietly, reminiscing for only a moment before breaking off into a run. The demoness was close, and she obviously knew he was here as well. The sounds of destruction had briefly ceased, as if she were attempting to stalk him. Two brief sword slashes imbued with Light were enough to break through the obviously half-hearted attempt on his life, and another far stronger was required for the follow-up that surged up behind him. His eyes locked with Osaina's and he glared. "So, it was you causing all those problems."

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met," Osaina answered, her head tilting with a faint smile. "Though, you seem to know me."

"You hurt a friend of mine," Steam muttered, sheathing his sword. "You'll pay for all the shit you've put them through."

The demoness laughed openly at this, dropping on top of a building with an attack building in one of her palms. "You? Surely you don't believe yourself capable of fighting me?"

A fist collided with her demonic blade at a speed she didn't expect, the growl of a hedgehog reaching her ears. "I've fought my fair share. You're nothing compared to what I've faced." She yelled and launched him back with a thrust of her sword, teleporting and slashing at him with such speed that he was forced to defend. His arms covered his head and he stood his ground against the strikes, wincing slightly when the blade managed to chip into his hardened skin. Steam's chance came when he tilted himself, forcing the blade to slide off him and into the ground where he stomped on it and threw a Light-filled punch into the hilt to snap it clean off.

Steam brutally slammed her body when she froze in mild surprise with a flurry of punches followed by a haymaker that threw her through the corner of a building. The hedgehog jumped up, then off the nearest wall to slam into her and grab her by the neck to spin and slam her into the ground once more. Advantage taken, Steam launched a strong uppercut into her chin and she was left in a gouge of the ground. "I said it once, and I'll say it again. You're nothing compared to what I've faced."

Her mouth opened to say something but was cut off by a pained scream as he threw a punch into her gut followed by a wave of Light that quickly eradicated her body. Steam took a moment to lean against a wall as he caught his breath. How long has it been since I did that? I've lost my touch. Steam rolled his shoulders and began heading back to Espio's home, throwing his arms behind his head. "Good riddance…"

~保護者~

Cyril flew up from his portal on the ground, and made a stylish landing, whipping a top hat from one of his sleeves and throwing it atop his head. "Lovely area. Absolutely astonishing." A smile on his face and a slight tap of his feet, and he was walking along to find Wave's friends. "Now… assuming I know her as well as I once did, which is not much, her friends will find me if I continue walking." A thought entered his head and he chuckled nervously. "That is, if the chameleons don't get to me first." Already, multiple shinobi were in plain view, making no effort to hide themselves as they watched his… unusual approach.

The Babylonian flashed them all a bright smile and tipped his top hat, looking around for the dragon that Wave mentioned. It wasn't long before he felt confident in his approach and lightly jogged over. He came close enough to properly view the house before he felt a presence suddenly appear behind him, spinning around and taking a precautionary step back. "Well, how may I help you, madam?"

"Who are you?" Aniko demanded, hand already gripping the handle of her blade. "I was not made aware of others joining us."

He laughed, almost sheepishly before flashing a smile. "Cyril, man of-"

"Cut the theatrics. State your business."

Sheesh. Tough crowd. He gave a far more normal smile. "I'm Cyril. An ally of some people that I believe are currently in this house told me to come here. I now see that she didn't give anyone a warning, however."

Aniko glared and took a step closer, leaning in. "Do not act out of line. Your life will end should you dare to do otherwise."

"Noted, with a smile!" Cyril beamed, bowing to her. "I will do nothing to bring harm or danger to any of those around me." Seeming satisfied with this response, the chameleon grabbed his jacket and jumped to the porch with him before releasing the finch. She stepped inside without another word and he wiped non-existent sweat off his forehead. "Too close for comfort, m'lady."

Seeing them enter, Shei frowned and signed, "Who is this?" Sako dozed in his lap, peacefully unaware of everything.

"A theatrical bird. Says he is an ally of those here sent him."

"Howdy doo!" Cyril smiled, tipping his hat. "Lovely to meet you." His gaze swept over the rest within the room. "And all of you as well. It's an honor to be here."

There was a bit of quiet. Then Silver smiled. Before Sonic could shush him up, the younger hedgehog broke into a grin and declared, "I like this guy already."

Vector sighed, the tension in the room mostly broken, and shook his head. "Of course you do."

"Well, and who might you be, my friendly compatriot? My name is Cyril," the finch explained.

"Silver," the hedgehog introduced. "Definitely wasn't expecting to see a Babylonian here, though. Where'd you come from?"

A flash of color would have entered the bird's eyes if they could. "Well, no place other than Sanol! I believe you all are aware of Wave, or at least one of you is."

Sonic's eyes lit up at the name of that old town (seriously, it still existed?), and he nodded. "Yeah, we know her really well. We've all been friends a very long time."

"Well, isn't that a thing to behold! She and I grew up together," he laughed. "Though, she certainly did her fair share of ignoring me for quite some time."

"Sounds like Wave," Sonic huffed. "Well, when she was a kid, anyway. She was kinda… grouchy sometimes. Used to smack people with a wrench when she was mad."

Cyril's smile softened. "Ah, yes. She was a bit of a grouch. Though, I like to believe I aided her with easing out of that lifestyle, just a touch."

"Maybe you did," Sonic answered, offering a slight smile.

"Ah, perhaps I should give an explanation of what I'm capable of. That may be a good detail for my newfound allies."

"Uh… sure."

This was an opportunity and the Babylonian would not let it slip away. From a box clipped to a utility belt of sorts on his waste, the bird produced a deck of cards. "I'll pick a card at random, except I cannot. I draw the card at the top, face where I cannot see it and…" A flick of his wrist and the card was on the ground, a barrier popping up around his body. "My cards can do all sorts of things, from reversing physical and energy attacks, to firing blasts and erecting barriers."

Golden eyes went wide. "That… is… awesome!"

"Ah, but it doesn't stop there, my silver and still Silver friend! I am aware of the top three cards of any of my enchanted decks at any one given time, and the effect they'll have is so categorized into my mind that I can always be aware of what each one will do and when I will draw it!"

Aniko cut in, a faint groan escaping her. "Could still do without all of the… proclamation?"

Cyril laughed a little, allowing his voice to drop to a much more normal level. "Ah, yes. I get carried away with my performances at times. It has bled into my life and… I oft find it hard to remove myself from it."

"I get the feeling this is gonna keep up," Sonic sighed. That could get annoying.

Silver read his thoughts like the brat he was and cheerily declared, "Nah, he's great!"

"For those of you who dislike my show, I will attempt to not drag you along with the theatrics. The speech pattern is here to stay, sadly. That was ingrained in me as a child," Cyril explained easily.

"You would do well to remember that, then. You are in our lands. Play by our rules," Aniko muttered, glaring.

Cyril nodded. "For my own sake as well, I can tell." His body twirled on one foot when he sensed another approaching the home.

Aniko quickly stifled his words very forcefully with a hand and thrust him up against the wall farthest back. "Another? You are not of this village. Where do you hail from?"

"Etoria," the chameleon answered without hesitation. "Shei informed me of this place and said I should com-" Her eyes widened when she realized who she was speaking to (her gaze having been turned as she bowed). "A-Aniko as well?" she asked herself aloud.

"What is the meaning of this, Shei?" Aniko asked, turning her head to face her husband.

"She approached with questions," Shei signed to her, unperturbed by her reaction. "Gathering allies is necessary. I told her to meet us here if she was so inclined."

Aniko blinked once in his direction before turning back to face the younger chameleon. "Your name?"

The chameleon was surprised out of her shock-induced stupor to answer. "My name is Tyria."

"I sense no ill will. Come in," Aniko answered, stepping aside so Tyria could enter, which she did.

Tyria looked around before a small frown appeared on her face. "Where is Armaris, the cat?"

"She and my son have left on a mission. They will be returning shortly," Aniko answered. "If you wish to converse with either of them, you will be required to wait." The chameleon gave a soft nod and her body vanished while she found a suitable place to patiently do just that.

~保護者~

Cream waited until things had settled down for the most part before standing and cautiously approaching Shei and Aniko. She kept a respectful distance between herself and them, mindful in particular of the baby, and offered an equally respectful bow. "I am sorry to disturb…" she murmured, "but I would like to speak with you if I may."

Shei traded a look with Aniko. Her manners, her grasp of the basic respect chameleons warranted one another in settings like this… It certainly drew his attention. He signed a brief response. "Your name?"

"My name is Cream," she offered politely. "If I may be so bold… I would like to explain my ties to your son."

That caught Shei's interest, prompting him to keep up the conversation for once instead of letting someone else (in this case, Aniko) take over. "You may." He motioned with his hand for her to sit as he was.

Taking the invitation with an apparent measure of relief, Cream did as she was bid and sat down on her knees in front of them. "As you might imagine," she started, "I did not spend the majority of my life here. But this village, in many ways… I came to view it as my home." She hesitated, debating how to refer to Espio, but ultimately decided that nothing less than a proper honorific would suffice here. "Espio-sama once travelled with myself, some of those in this house, and plenty of others. We fought in two distinct wars… the second of which once crippled his arm and also resulted in the scar on his eye."

Her words made Shei frown. That could not have been an ordinary battle… for my son to suffer such extreme damage.

Cream continued. "As a result of that war, there was another more tragedy. This one was more personal to me. My mother… was poisoned by dark magic. She eventually died from it." She let out a small breath, eyes closing. "By that time, I was… eight, I believe. I had known Espio-sama for most of my life, and considered him a great friend. He travelled all the way from here to my village in the far south of this continent in order to check on me. Before he left to resume his travels, I begged him to allow me to come. Eventually… he did."

Now this was surprising. Shei blinked several times before asking, "You stayed with him?"

"Yes. In a manner of speaking… I suppose it could be said that he raised me." Cream opened her eyes again to look at them. "He became my protector, my guardian. There were many things that he did for me back then which I can never repay him for. Ensuring I always had food and a place to sleep, arranging for proper training to hone my mental abilities, defending me from threats, teaching me much about your culture and all it entails… I can only hope that I brought his life as much peace as he so graciously afforded me." Bowing her head again, she very politely informed them, "He brought my family incredible honor… by allowing me the opportunity to survive when they could not. I hope to bring honor to your family as well. It is the very least that I can do."

Aniko knelt down in front of Cream and very quietly stared at the bunny before blinking once. The frown on her face was nothing of anger or concern, the entirety of it formed from thoughtfulness. "You are yet still young," she answered slowly before taking a moment to bring more words out. "You did well in presentation and speech. My respect grew from that, but for my child to have taken to you in such a way speaks volumes. I will welcome you to our family much like I did with Armaris."

Unable to quite help it, Cream had to quickly blink tears of joy from her eyes. "I… Thank you, Lady Aniko. That means… so much to hear."

"Think nothing of it. I am merely passing back the respect you courageously showed to myself and my family. Such an act deserves recognition," Aniko explained.

Cream swiped at her eyes and nodded. After a small moment's pause, she collected herself enough to try and proceed. As huge of a deal as this was, she couldn't dwell too long on it without potentially creating some annoyance in the air between them. "I also approached because I believe you two may have questions. Forgive me if this is too forward, but… I believe I can answer some, if you would permit me to."

Aniko glanced to Shei, raising a questioning eyebrow. He returned her look with one of subtle curiosity. Eventually, the female chameleon turned her attention back toward Cream with a faint nod. "You are welcome to answer what you can."

Relieved anew at this permission, Cream nodded as well. "May I ask what you would like to know?"

When his partner didn't immediately respond, Shei signed instead. "We have not seen him since he was roughly twelve," he admitted with more sadness than he had intended to show. Aniko had always privately teased him for his somewhat higher degree of expressiveness. "He was insistent on leaving home to travel, and never came home."

Cream inclined her head. "He has told me the same. I cannot say with certainty, since he never was the sort to speak of such things, but it always seemed to me that he regretted never visiting you both. When he learned of your deaths, he was… devastated, in his own way. Even to this day, missing you both the way he does has continued to affect him." She shook her head. "I have never seen such grief from him about anything else, or for anyone else." Aniko's eyebrows furrowed as she listened before lightly crossing her arms. The fact that her son cared like that was touching, but she wasn't sure what else to feel about it… at least not yet.

Shei took his time considering Cream's words. He was always the sort to express himself quietly. Perhaps not all has changed. With this in mind, he went ahead with his question. "In your experience, has his personality always been what he has been portraying as of late?"

"Not entirely, no," Cream answered. "There are many things that have shifted that were never normal for him. Anger is one of the most obvious examples. But, when he truly is himself… I expect his personality and behavior are very much like what you both once knew."

"Mm... " Aniko murmured softly to herself. "I suppose that would make some sense. What has he devoted himself to most in life, that you have seen?"

"Surprisingly… he has not completely invested himself in much of anything," Cream admitted. "Of course, I cannot say for certain what he does when alone, but in my experience he always seems to flit from one activity to another, depending on what is currently holding his interest. One thing that kept him interested for many years was working under Mister Vector, the crocodile sitting over there," she gestured politely, "within a detective agency. He found plenty of use for his stealth and information-gathering skills there. But since then… since then, I do not know what he has been doing."

Aniko lightly tapped at her chin. "Then we have a similar issue. Very few things can keep us… properly interested and invested. That may play into his jumping from different types of activities."

With a nod, Cream said, "One thing, however, that he has always seemed to possess a great interest in is fighting and training. I do not know to what extent that is normal, but I have never seen him not interested in those things."

Shei's head canted. "Within reason, it is normal. Until we see the extent of it, we cannot say for certain, however. It is possible that some is due to influence from Darkness. Although, I do not think it is a serious enough problem to warrant concern. I have seen no signs of it being a dire issue."

"You mentioned that he traveled with yourself and others. What kept him rooted within that group?" Aniko questioned.

At this, Cream smiled happily. "When I asked him once, he revealed to me that he did not have many friends as a child," she responded. "However… over time, he managed to truly befriend several members of our group. Even those he did not befriend, he was still well-acquainted enough to always consider close allies. And, though his number of friends was overall low, to him… I believe it made all the difference that they were there at all. I believe that that is why he stayed."

This answer seemed to leave Aniko slightly puzzled for a moment, a thoughtful frown appearing on her face. I see… Though, what do those ties mean now? Will they mean anything in the face of his Darkness?

Though he shared Aniko's concerns, Shei didn't voice them. Instead, he asked, "Who were these friends?"

"Mister Sonic, at one time, was one of them," Cream replied. "He is the blue hedgehog that you have seen here. However, I believe they drifted apart before I came to fully know them both. Mister Vector was another, despite how very opposite his personality is from Espio-sama's. He also befriended another hedgehog, one named Shadow. He is, unfortunately, the one ailing in the spare room at this time. I believe he is Espio-sama's closest friend currently, however. Mister Tails has mentioned that prior to this war they would visit each other often, train together, talk fairly regularly, and so on." Aniko's thoughtful frown grew momentarily, her eyes glancing about to pick out where these people were so she could potentially speak to them some other time.

There was a momentary pause before something occurred to Shei. "...This may seem odd, but has he indulged in music at all since you have known him?"

Now it was Cream's turn to tilt her head. "May I ask why?"

"He adored music as a child," Shei explained. "I wish to know if he has held on to at least some of the things that once brought him joy."

At this, Cream broke into a smile. "I see…" she murmured. Then, after some thought, she said, "I believe he has, yes. I remember he used to keep old records and the like in his room at the detective agency. I believe he has also taught himself to play certain instruments. Beyond that, I do not know."

"That is pleasant to know. I do hope he kept up those skills, however," Aniko murmured, her eyes closing.

Again Cream inquired, "May I ask why?"

"How much are you aware of with our culture?"

"Enough to have gotten by, I suppose, but I was never taught in-depth. I do not believe Espio-sama deemed it necessary for me at the time."

Aniko nodded slowly. "To keep it brief… music is something that we hold dear in our traditions. Every chameleon is taught or simply capable of mastering at least one of three things: dancing, singing, or playing an instrument."

"It is a deeply important part of our lives," Shei further explained. "Music often communicates what words cannot. Certain festivals, family events, and whatnot will involve the musical arts in some form or another, always. These were days he always looked forward to when he was young. He enjoyed hearing the songs and watching the dances. They brought happiness to him." He tossed Aniko a soft look. "It helps that his mother always took care to indulge his young heart's desires in this area."

The chameleon in question threw him another look of her own, as if teasingly telling him to be quiet. "I simply wished for him to do that which he enjoyed."

Cream smiled warmly at the both of them. "It is truly no wonder that he cared for you two so deeply," she murmured. "You certainly cared for him in the same manner."

"I did not want to see him go down a path I came so close to following," Aniko muttered quietly, eyes closing again. "He could go far by never reaching the places I did."

The bunny nodded faintly. "I understand, Lady Aniko."

"Thank you, young Cream. Your insight is invaluable." The nearly emotionless expression Aniko bore held a simple thanks that Cream had long since learned to read due to her time with Espio.

Though Aniko seemed finished, Shei signed again. "I have not seen signs of the respiratory distress he once suffered." Aniko raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing in response.

Cream shook her head. "Nor have I. I have been under the impression that his sudden regenerative abilities have healed whatever damage to his lungs that he was born with." She paused, then asked, "He was born with it, yes?"

She nodded. "Yes. No one was ever able to determine the specific cause. We knew it was not asthma, for he could run and the like with perfect ease. Only very certain activities would trigger an attack, or him breathing in dust or the like. Nevertheless, the attacks grew so severe after a certain point that we had no choice but to take him to a modern hospital. The workers there confirmed that his lungs were damaged at the time of his birth, or perhaps before, through unknown means. They put him through multiple years of trials on various medicines used via an inhaler, and eventually found one that worked." He sighed inaudibly. "It was a handicap he learned to bear, but a limitation nonetheless."

"I understand," Cream murmured. "I only ever witnessed a handful of attacks, but the way he would choke and struggle for even the tiniest breaths of air… It was frightening, and it certainly has hindered him before."

"I would have expected such." Her casual response was betrayed by the immense concern in her eyes that she dared not speak of.

Things were quiet for a moment. Of course, even once Shei picked up the dropped thread of conversation, it remained that way. "I have one last question." Cream returned her attention to him and patiently waited. "Are you aware of how long Espio and that woman… Nyokae, I believe, have known one another?"

"That is her name, yes. As for how long they have known each other, I did not originally know that. However…" Cream gained a slight frown. "I am not aware of how he accomplished this, but Mister Sonic somehow managed to gain this information from Espio-sama a little while back. He said that Espio-sama mentioned a timeframe of roughly six or seven hundred years."

Shei's eyebrows rose slightly. "An unusually long courtship."

Cream's head tilted again. "Pardon me for asking something potentially rude, but may I ask what would be considered normal for such a thing? I know your kind live very, very long lives, and time does not hold the same meaning to you as it would, say, my species."

After a thoughtful pause, Shei answered her. "No pardon is necessary. It is natural to be curious about things you do not understand. We encouraged the very same mindset with our son. As for your question… a single century is most common. Perhaps two if things are… complicated, as they were for Aniko and I. Granted, I do not believe Espio and that woman were courting -intentionally or otherwise - for the entire duration of the time they have known one another, but that is still an unusually long dance they have been taking part in."

"Could it be because Espio-sama has been trying so hard not to proceed further with her?" Cream asked.

Aniko briefly considered this. "That is very possible. Something may be continuing to draw him in while he is attempting to pull himself back."

Shei let out another inaudible sigh. "She will not stop pressing the issue, Aniko. You know she will not."

"And if she dares harm my child to do so, I will have no hesitation in removing her," Aniko muttered, a level of anger appearing in her voice.

"As is your right," Cream acknowledged softly, rising to her feet. "You have my word, Lady Aniko, that if anything else happens you will be informed."

"I better," the woman answered, then she realized who she and her partner were talking to and sighed. "Please do."

Inclining her head, Cream quietly made her exit.

~保護者~

"The hell're we fuckin' out here for?" A half-drunk wolf sat at a small folding table, leaning heavily on one of his arms. "We ain't… nowhere near the buildin'. Think we oughta go back?"

His companion, a bear, shook his head before taking another swig of his own drink. "...Nah… Think they're serious… 'bought us watching for trouble and all. Never did say why someone'd be comin' to this shit-show, though."

With a chuckle, the wolf shook his bottle to see if there was anything left in it. "Leas' they didn't say anythin' 'bout us drinkin' some. Maybe we oughta lay off, though…" He dropped his bottle in the grass with a small thunk.

"Nah," his companion said again. "What'd they say we're guardin'? Some… junk from Tralius? No one's gonna come and steal this shit." He drained his bottle.

"Then why're we all here, anyway?" the wolf asked. His one moment of clarity faded away. "You got anymore beer?"

"Yeah. Lemme see…" Swaying a bit, the bear leaned down to grab the last bottle from by his feet. He sat up and started to hand the bottle over, only to freeze at the sight before him. Drunk as he was, his mind couldn't make sense of his friend's lack of an expression… nor his lack of a head.

He had no real time to think on it, anyway. A flash of metal relieved him of his own head, and then Espio faded into view in the faint light of the table's sole lantern. With no remorse, he flicked the blood off of his blade, then plucked the unopened bottle from the dead man's hand. He glanced around, making absolutely certain that he had taken out all of the cameras in this area, popping open the bottle as he did so. He took a quick drink before simply leaving the bottle behind and returning to where he had left Armaris several minutes and half a mile away. Upon reaching her, he said, "The guards and cameras have been dealt with, but we will have to walk from here. If we teleport in, the inner security systems will detect us."

Armaris sighed, arms crossed. "You took long enough," she teased.

"You can learn much by waiting and listening," Espio reminded her calmly. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "...Unless the subjects in question are morons."

"I can wait impatiently and still listen, you realize," Armaris responded in kind. "But yes, you're right." With a slight shrug, Espio began walking back the way he'd come.

The cat followed after him quietly, her body wispy as she basked in the darkness of the area around them. "So… wanna talk so it's not completely silent?"

Instead of answering her directly, he murmured, "I assume that means you do."

"Yeah. I'm not opposed to talking with people who are intellectual."

Huffing, he gave her a vaguely playful shove - much as he'd often done as a child with her. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

"I mean, it's the truth," she answered with a smirk, shoving him back without much hesitation.

They passed by the table Espio had earlier been near. He reclaimed the bottle he'd left behind as he asked, "What did you wish to discuss?"

"Well… there's a few things. But I don't want this to be one-sided. You come up with questions, too," she demanded lightly, crossing her arms at him.

He took another drink, not his first or even second of the night. "Fine."

Armaris smiled at this. "Alright then. First is something I've already asked, but you didn't really… have a response to it. How do you feel about me?"

Realistically, he should have seen this coming. That he hadn't was a matter to chastise himself for later. "...I'm not… sure," he eventually replied. It was the honest truth, and he tried to make the bluntness of it as painless as possible. He knew how easily he had hurt others with his words in the past, and sought to avoid that here. She didn't deserve it.

She obviously didn't like his answer, but she didn't seem hurt by it in the least. "Alright, then. Your go."

As was fairly usual for him, he took his time thinking of what to say before asking his own question. "You meant what you said, then?"

The cat bit her lip and nodded. "...Yeah… I did." Her hands moved to idly fix her ponytail as she sighed. "I don't know why I wanted to say it so much, though." After a moment of thought, she turned to face him as they walked along. "So, obviously Sako is your child. Even if… we never go beyond where we are now, is it okay if I'm involved in his life?"

"You would be, regardless," Espio answered without hesitation. "I do not intend to shut you out in such a manner."

A smile appeared on her face. "Good."

He hesitated for a second before resigning himself to asking things he would normally make an effort not to speak about. "...Why care in such a manner for someone like me, Armaris?" he finally forced himself to ask, revealing one of the most burning questions (not to mention concerns) he had found himself grappling with.

"First, cut out that 'like me' part. You're a great person, and I won't have you arguing about it," she said, almost indignantly. He frowned but ultimately just took another drink instead of replying. "You're not a bad person. I've seen you, and how you are. There's more to you than anyone would be able to see at surface level." Unsure what to make of her response right now, Espio stayed silent. He swirled the liquid in the bottle to see how much was left, found it mostly empty, and promptly discarded it. "How… how do you feel about Aniko and dad being back?"

What was there to feel? He had been so numb to so many things for so long he wasn't even sure he did feel anything about this. Maybe he did and he just wasn't aware of it. That seemed to happen a lot. He didn't like that fact. "Nothing," he murmured. He chose not to add the "that I know of" part. It was probably an obvious inclusion at this point, anyway.

Armaris nodded slowly. "I honestly don't know what to feel. They've both come back… more or less like I remember them, but they feel so out of place."

"Because they are," Espio answered. "Out of place, out of time… by all accounts, they do not belong." And yet… he couldn't bring himself to be upset about any of this. Maybe that meant he actually wasn't.

Another nod from the cat. "Anyway… your turn."

He deviated from their current line of conversation, hoping to ease up on it a bit if she'd allow the matter to be dropped. "Why insist on coming with me?"

"I'm sure as hell not letting you go anywhere without me," Armaris answered. "We're going somewhere incredibly dangerous, the God of Demons and that Nyokae want you or want to do something with you, and there's no telling if this is a setup."

"Regardless, this place is not dangerous," Espio told her frankly. Only the gem will be.

"That person wanted you to do this, rather than someone else. If there wasn't some higher level of danger involved, it's likely they would've gone for someone less skilled. Instead they chose someone quick and precise with extreme skill. I've been involved in my fair share of for-hire jobs," Armaris explained, sighing. "People normally only go for what they need."

With a sigh of his own, Espio reiterated - but reworded - his earlier statement. "It is not dangerous for me. I could well have come alone."

Armaris rolled her eyes. "Daft dumbass. I want to be around you as it is," she huffed, followed by a snort. Asshole.

Espio shook his head and flung a knife off to the left, killing a lone camera that had been watching this particular section of forest. It sparked as it fell to the ground. "Ask your question."

"What do you want to do when this shit is over? The war and all. Do you have any plans?"

"No," he answered immediately. Nothing was ever exciting or interesting enough. Jobs like this were momentary distractions from the boredom, but overall… he had little he ever wanted to do besides fighting. He couldn't see that changing anytime soon.

Armaris nodded softly. "I suppose that's interesting. I don't really get the chance to settle down once it's all said and done. I chose to become a Goddess in the future, and on top of that there's undoubtedly a shit ton of enemies that I've made in the past. No rest for the wicked, I suppose."

He thought that over for a time before responding. "So you have begun training, then." Due to the way he worded it, this wasn't truly a question.

"Exactly. Been at it for a while. Cere is like a mother to me, too," Armaris explained. "I guess that may explain to some degree the amount of time I've been training."

Initially, his only response was a small nod. However, after a moment or two, he decided on another question. "Why choose to be a Goddess?"

Armaris thought about this for some time before beginning to speak. "Cere approached me some time after we became acquainted. She asked if I wanted to, and I ended up shadowing her for a while. I ended up deciding that… I wanted to do what she does. Protecting others, maintaining the balance of existence, and so much more." Though he couldn't say he personally understood (protecting others was very much the opposite of what he did), Espio slowly nodded his head. He could by no means fault her for a decision that ultimately suited her so well. Her gaze eventually fell back on him. "So… in those messages. What the fuck did that person mean by 'latest work'?"

"I work, occasionally, for an organization that operates mostly underground," Espio answered eventually. "There are seldom missions they send me that are interesting, but around a month ago I accepted one. It was… not as serious as this." Armaris lightly motioned for him to continue, wanting more details. Seeing this, he sighed a little and continued. "I was sent to kill a man at the head of an operation suspected of being responsible for trafficking foreign drugs onto this world. That was the only reason I went."

The cat frowned softly, her arms crossing. "That shit that fucked up Shadow?"

"Among other substances, yes." He now sported his own frown. "I was to kill him and all the others and destroy their supply. I was successful to a degree that was worthy of the organization's worthless admiration." He paused, then added, "They said they would be in contact again, after that. I just had not expected it to be so soon."

"Some are like that… You prove yourself good at what you do and they want you to do the jobs they can't a lot more. Got into a whole scandal with two groups wanting me dead, along with the one I was working for. Who knew stealing from rival organizations would make them mad?" Though she sounded amused, it was obvious that the thought left her a touch more tired than she had been.

"Such work is not fitting for you," he told her frankly. "You are too compassionate for it."

"I've also got an issue of having a mouth, if you haven't noticed. That's what really got me into that trouble."

"I imagine."

The cat huffed. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

With a raised eyebrow, he simply reminded her, "You already asked your question."

She snorted at him. "Then get on with yours."

He had to think about that one before answering her. "What is it that you seek to do after all is said and done?" A slight pause, then he thought to add, "Do not answer with training. You and I both know you seek more from life than just that."

A sigh escaped her. "I want the chance to settle down, as much as I can considering the rest of my life may end up being spent fighting off various enemies. It's just… hard to find who I want to settle down with, because I really don't enjoy being alone like that." He nodded slowly, having not expected this answer but somehow not being too surprised by it. Armaris put some thought in once more before glancing to Espio with narrowed eyes. "So… what the hell did that person mean by consequences? Do they think they can kill you or something?"

"They believe they are capable of it," Espio answered nonchalantly, idly wiping some blood off of his sword with his arm as he spoke. "It would not be the first time people like them have tried such a thing."

"And the ones before are probably all dead, then," Armaris responded similarly, eyebrow raised.

"They deserved no less," was the bland, uncaring reply.

"Fair enough."

Whether or not she had anything else to say on the matter, Espio motioned for her to be silent as he crouched down beneath the cover of a tree. They were here. Armaris vanished into the darkness at his order. It was time to go.

~保護者~

When Jet awoke from his short-lived nap, he immediately cringed at the still-present pain in his head. He shifted, rubbing at his temples in an effort to relieve the throbbing, but the unexpected sensation of energy arcing around his body caused him to jolt upright not a second later. He quickly quelled whatever energy it had been and was inwardly alarmed to see purple crackling around him for a second or so longer before vanishing entirely. Realizing what had happened, he felt himself grow tense. Fuck…

Sein quickly looked up when this happened, his eyes widening before he stood up. "Jet… are you okay…?"

Jet moved to stand, regretted that quite a lot, then reluctantly sat back down with his head in his hands. "I'm fine," he mumbled. Yet… he didn't believe his own words.

The blue hawk remained concerned with this, a deep frown settling on his face. "What… was that energy?"

Was there really any getting out of this? It seemed unlikely. Didn't help that the constant pounding in Jet's head made it damn hard to think. "...The Void," he eventually said, scowling into his hands. Why now…?

Sein looked like there were many things he wanted to say, but he ultimately sighed and knelt down. "We won't get far trying to push it right now. You're still in bad shape. Try to rest some more."

That evoked a whole new wave of concern. "It may do… that again," Jet argued, "if I sleep."

"And what are you going to do by trying to push yourself? Make your condition worse? If nothing else, just stay sitting where you are," Sein responded calmly, setting a hand on Jet's shoulder. "If I see that happen again, I'll make sure you're awake immediately."

Almost too nauseous to reply, just as he'd been earlier, Jet managed to force out a tiny, "Okay," before slowly and carefully laying back down.

Sein smiled gently at him. "Relax. I'm here, okay?"

That reminder somehow managed to help Jet relax in spite of himself and he offered another tiny nod before his pain dragged him back off to sleep. ...Yeah. I… suppose you are.

~保護者~

Tails emerged from the guest bedroom for the first time in hours at the promise of a bite to eat. He had just started munching on some fruit when he noticed there were new people here… and old people missing. "Uh… so, I'm guessing I missed some stuff," he said to no one in particular.

Steam nodded. "Same here. I can catch you up, if you'd like," the hedgehog offered, a small smile on his face.

His smile was immediately returned. "Please do." Steam was quick to set about explaining what he'd been told of the events during his absence, interrupted by both Cyril and Tyria to give their greetings (the former being much more… long-winded) before he could finish. Tails was quiet for a time, finishing his meager meal before finally speaking again. "Shouldn't… Shouldn't we have eyes on that situation?" he asked. "I mean, we know Espio is in a lot of danger right now from a lot of different places, and we don't know why they even left since they didn't tell anyone…"

"I mean, probably? Dunno how happy they'd be with that, or if we can even keep up with them somehow, but it would be nice," Steam answered, shrugging softly.

"Trust me, we can keep up," Tails told him. "Or, rather, one of my cameras can. I've had to use it once before for some joint mission or another Espio and I took part in. It was technically my job, but I needed someone more… combat-ready to help me out, so he went in my stead. I used a special camera to keep an eye on things and help him find the stolen tech I was after. It'll work." He paused, then nervously added, "...Well… if one of them doesn't slice it in half, that is."

Steam nodded slowly. "Alright, then. Where is it?"

"Actually… here." Tails pressed a tiny button on the side of his communicator and an even tinier spherical camera emerged from the device. "It travels with me just in case," he explained with a sheepish smile. "Never know when you might need to be able to see things far away."

"Makes enough sense. I assume you can send it to follow after Espio's communicator?"

"Since he has it on him for once, yeah. I can use that to find out where they are, and the camera can follow from there." Tails looked around, his gaze settling on Aniko in particular. "Erm… Would this be… okay?"

Aniko raised an eyebrow. "I would have spoken up had I any concerns with the matter. Do not endanger my children, and all will be okay."

Tails gulped a little. At that time, Cream rose to her feet and walked over. "You intend to try to follow him?"

"Mostly to make sure nothing happens, but… yeah," Tails nodded. "I hate to say it, but we've really gotta go back to monitoring him like we started trying to do before. Things are just gonna escalate if we don't get a handle on this situation."

"It's for the best, overall," Steam added. "We'll also know if anything goes wrong and where to go if we're needed."

She nodded slowly before saying, "In that case, I do not recommend watching too closely. It will not be a… clean show."

With a sigh, Tails released his hold on the camera and let it go. "Yeah… I figured. Killing is seldom ever clean, I guess."

"You can say that again," Vector grumbled. "I ain't watchin', for the record. I met him just after he finished killin' off a bunch of punks way back when, and that was more than enough for me." Silver looked like he echoed that sentiment and pointedly moved away from Tails for the time being.

"I don't blame you for that," Sonic sighed, walking over. He took a seat by Tails and Steam. "I'll watch, anyway, but only because I don't want to miss it if you guys see anything important. How will we see the feed?"

"Like this." Tails pressed some buttons on his screen and a holographic copy of it was projected above it. He then pressed something else which connected them to the camera and allowed them to watch as it travelled. "At this speed, it'll be caught up to Espio in about a minute, maybe less."

Sonic's eyebrows raised. "Damn. How'd you make this thing anyway?"

"Magic," Tails winked. When Sonic rolled his eyes, Tails laughed.

"This thing got sound?"

"Yeah. I'll turn it on once it arrives. All we'll hear is wind right now." When they fell silent, Shei lifted Sako out of his lap and into his arms before walking over with Aniko. No doubt they wanted to see this as well. It was almost certain that they wished to see how their son's fighting ability had grown and changed throughout the years, but… Tails suspected they were also concerned for him. Chameleon or not, they were still parents after all… "Okay, we should be just about caught up." Just like that, all eyes turned toward the screen. Cream quickly walked away to sit beside Vector. As much as she loved Espio like a second father, she did not enjoy seeing him fight - much less kill. That he had always taken care not to let her see such bloodshed spoke volumes to her.

In the feed, Espio approached the main entrance to the building and carefully forced it open without making a sound. Seeing no one in the main corridor, he glanced back to Armaris. The wispy black cat slid up behind him before giving a cautious glance at the camera behind them. "Ignore it," he told her, not bothering to look at it himself. Then, with another quick glance inside, he told her, "Work your way to the upper floors. I will head down."

"Got it," she answered, disappearing from view almost immediately.

As she took off, Tails frowned. "I'll send out another camera to help keep a watch out on her," he said. He released a second tiny camera and it flew away. "A second screen'll pop up once it's found her."

Steam frowned. "Can your camera see her even if she's in the shadows or something?"

"Won't know until we try," Tails shrugged. "But I don't think she'll always be hiding. We'll at least be able to see what's happening during those times.

Aniko murmured something under her breath before sighing. "Her Darkness is particular, regardless. Careful eyes with knowledge could spot her if she remains in one spot for too long." Tails took care not to say anything that might be taken as rude and so just nodded.

Back on the screen, the camera struggled for a second or two to keep up with what was happening, catching it as lights were blown out and cries of pain were abruptly cut short, but after that there was nothing but darkness. A few seconds later, Espio crept up to a door leading to a room full of people, illuminated by the faint light seeping into the hall. He listened to what they were saying, apparently deemed none of it to be important, and the earlier process was repeated. The door burst open and the lights were destroyed in the same instant via flying knives. There was about a second of chaos, then a flashlight was turned on in his hand. He set it on a table just long enough to find and pick up a card key of some sort, then took off again.

Aniko seemed pleased with his handiwork, the faintest of smiles creeping onto her face as she watched this all proceed. Shei raised an eyebrow at her and signed, "Proud, are we?" She glared at him, telling him to be 'quiet'. He huffed silently at her.

The second screen popped up. On it, Armaris could be seen. In contrast to Espio, she kept bloodshed to a minimum. As she descended through a hallway, she jumped and locked her legs around a guard's neck to slam him against a wall so that he was left unconscious as she slipped off without a sound. The next guard met a similar fate as she produced a wire seemingly from nowhere and tightened it around his neck, depriving him of air until he met the same fate as his earlier comrade. A controlled burst of air shattered a window and drew more of the enemies from their rooms so she could slip past them without them being any the wiser.

Sonic sort of sighed at the sight of this. Well… at least we won't be totally traumatized after watching them both fight. Sheesh.

The gaze from the female chameleon bore into Sonic, a flicker of anger running across her face. "Why do you sigh at her actions? Yes, she is leaving the enemy alive, but that is no reason for such a reaction."

He was quick to shake his head. "No… it's not that at all. I just… I don't like bloodshed, is all. I was pretty much forced into a life of fighting, and I deal with it, but I prefer not to see people die. I'm actually kinda relieved she's not killing anyone."

"She doesn't kill if there's no need, normally," Steam commented easily. "Not a pacifist, but definitely not too into killing."

"Yeah, I get it."

Back on the first screen, the camera had overcome whatever issues it had been having before and was now flawlessly keeping pace with Espio as he tore through the lower half of the building, leaving no witnesses and no survivors. He skidded to a stop at the top of a staircase leading further down, completely still and listening, and then suddenly threw himself to the side. Not a half-second later, some sort of concentrated laser blast fired up at the spot where he had just been standing. Visibly annoyed, he back-tracked a short distance to one of the bodies he had left behind and - quite unexpectedly - stole the person's rifle. He then headed back to the stairs in a defensive crouch, took aim, and fired twice. No more lasers fired after that as some sort of wall-mounted machine sparked and died. Apparently satisfied with this, he slung the gun's strap over his shoulder and continued on his way.

"Unusual choice, but not worthy of disapproval," Aniko commented lightly.

Tails blinked several times. "...Guess Shadow taught him how to do a lot more than just ride a motorcycle," he idly commented.

"Wait, what?" Sonic asked him in surprise. "...You know what, never mind. We can discuss that later."

The pair if them were ignored. "Regardless, Aniko, it is not that unusual," Shei signed to her. "He holds a special interest in blades, but we have always known that he loves weapons in general. And I believe it was you who taught him to always be open to making use of any weapon he comes across, should the need arise."

"I merely expected him to remain with blades. He has surpassed my expectations," Aniko answered easily.

"Perhaps you should tell him that someday. He was always so eager to find your approval."

"Perhaps."

Armaris rounded a corner and threw herself back when she nearly ran into someone. The moment she heard them attempting to radio for help, she summoned her folding sword in hand and tossed it, letting it snap open and stab straight through the communication device as she rolled out and delivered a deft kick to their temple. She tore off after recovering her blade and snuck around the next set of guards by phasing between their shadows.

Impressed to some degree, Shei idly signed, "She makes good use of the skills she learned when young."

"Certainly. She remains as limbre and acrobatic as ever," Aniko added.

Tails, meanwhile, just found himself thinking, Wonder where she got a sword like that…

Elsewhere, Espio passed through a now empty room (empty only because he had killed everyone in it) and emerged into a hall. Security cameras abounded, ones he knew he couldn't simply destroy. It would garner too much attention. So, not feeling like bothering with camouflage, he simply blurred into motion, dodging and weaving between the lot of them before turning a corner. There, he found more security systems… these also being pitifully basic. He slipped effortlessly past them as well and disappeared into yet another room. More killing, of course, ensued. He emerged only seconds later with another keycard. Unsure yet what either was for, he tucked them away and continued on down the hall.

"He is not as like me as you sometimes imply," Aniko murmured to Shei, raising an eyebrow at him.

"He is very much like his mother," Shei countered easily. "That he shares my speed and evasive ability, or perhaps surpasses them, does not change that fact." She huffed lightly at him.

Sonic watched them both silently. ...Guess even chameleon couples poke fun at one another and crap, huh? Mildly amused, he looked away before he could be noticed and chastised again.

Armaris peeked around a corner and grimaced at the sight of several guards in the way. She eventually emerged, forgoing all stealth and other abilities to simply walk up to them. "Alright, so here's how this i-"

"Stand down or we'll shoot!" one of them said as they raised their guns to her.

"Don't fucking interrupt me," Armaris muttered, dark tendrils springing to life and wrapping around their necks. "You're all going to sleep." With that, the tendrils receded into the floor and slammed each of the guards into the ground as she simply stepped past them, not caring if she stepped on them in her proceeding.

"There is that temper we attempted to curb," Aniko sighed. "She was temperamental, no matter what we tried. Deeply rooted in emotions, that one."

"She always was," Shei agreed simply.

Steam tapped his foot lightly for a moment. "Armaris can improve. Her time with Cere will certainly do her well in keeping her emotions in check." Shei just nodded. He had never believed she would fail to improve, and so had no reason to say anything. Besides, he couldn't communicate with this man, anyway. At least, not without someone else translating.

Aniko frowned. "She is skilled, but I remember incidents where she refused to work on things. That is where my ability to train her faltered at times."

"She'll probably surprise you," Steam commented idly. "Armaris is not the same girl you briefly helped raise, in many ways." If Steam was bothered by her glare, he didn't show it.

Suddenly, Tails pointed back at the first screen. "Hey… Espio's actually talking to this guy."

Aniko's attention suddenly shifted from gazing between their reactions to watching the screen intently, eyes narrowing. "What is he saying?" Tails's only response was to turn up the volume to make it easier for them to hear.

Just as the other man finished speaking, Espio frowned and said, "Your defenses are weak at best. You believed this would be enough to guard such an item?"

"We didn't need to guard it," the other man spat. "We were only hired to hold the damn thing for a night. You shits from the underground weren't supposed to know about it!"

At this, Espio raised an eyebrow. "I am not with them." Walking over to the man he had already wounded, he crouched down and quietly stated, "I am, however, going to acquire some information from you…"

The female chameleon tilted her head curiously. Espio's actions starkly reminded Aniko of her own style. He has built upon what we taught him well.

Internally, Sonic grimaced. Don't torture him, Espio… he silently prayed. I don't think I can stomach that.

Darkness broke open the doors to a room and Armaris stormed in, allowing controlled walls of wind to obliterate any bullets fired at her. Her hand closed around the neck of someone firing at her and she threw them out of the room, shortly followed by the other person. The two vanished into her Darkness as she downed a cup of coffee left behind. "God. This shit is disgusting. Who made this?" She proceeded back out of the room and very simply snatched someone off the ground and continued walking. "So, what's this place here for?" she asked them. When this person refused to talk, Armaris spun and launched them through a wall and stepped into the hole it created while trapping everyone else under a wave of her Darkness. "Who is gonna talk? Because I'm starting to lose my patience."

Tails watched the screen for a long moment before mumbling, "So she's… scary."

"She always had the ability to be. I am pleased to know she embraced that and learned to make use of it," Aniko stated. "She and her father both have the capability, but prefer to remain neutral."

"It definitely works for her," Sonic said.

"There's far worse she can do. Knowing she can drag you into the Darkness and keep you there until you die is pretty scary in its own right," Steam commented easily.

Aniko raised an eyebrow. "You speak from experience?"

"Yeah, not the death part though. She has a hard time being able to kill me at times."

"You are cocky."

"And?"

Shaking his head, Sonic grumbled, "Quit before you get us all chopped up, would you?"

Aniko frowned. "If anyone would die from it, it would be him. You would not suffer from his insufferable ignorance."

Steam almost glared, narrowing his eyes. "I've faced it before. I say it because it's the truth." Aniko merely glared at him, but said nothing more for now.

With their focus back on the first screen, they were just in time to witness fresh blood dripping from one of Espio's knives. "Try again," he murmured, emotionless. "Who hired you?"

Barely able to talk through the pain as he clutched at the place where several of his fingers had once been, the other man cried out, "I don't know! Some bitch with glowing eyes, that's all I know! I never even talked to her!"

That wasn't entirely a satisfactory answer, but Espio let it be for now. He had heard enough to understand what he'd wanted to. Standing, he carelessly flung his knife into the man's head, causing said man to instantly fall limply to the floor. Espio then returned to the hall and resumed making his way down it.

There was a mild frown from Aniko. "Do any of you understand what Espio seems to?"

"The person's gotta be a demon," Tails mumbled in dismay. Sonic stiffened. "I've never heard of any other type of person whose eyes glow."

"Hm," Aniko murmured, closing her eyes for a moment to think. Though Shei had some questions, he decided to hold off on them for now.

Armaris stood over one of the few people she had trapped with her Darkness, kneeling down and glaring. "What is this building here for, and what are you guarding?"

"I don't know what this place is for," the person said quickly, biting their lip. "Our higher-ups didn't tell us anything!"

"Useless," Armaris muttered, forcing their body to vanish into the darkness of the room. She repeated this process with the other three present, leaving with no answers and more agitation. "If I reach the top and get nothing, I'll be pissed."

Shei silently huffed. "She will be angry regardless, I reckon." Sonic did his best not to snort in amusement.

"She is, already. Though, her anger may lead her to resort to killing," Aniko mused quietly.

"I get the feeling she won't like that," Tails mumbled.

"Potentially."

Espio walked down a long and brightly lit corridor that ended with a thick metal door. Rather than simply bust it down and risk drawing unnecessary attention, he swiped one of the keycards he had stolen. It did nothing, so he tried the second one. This one worked, and he stepped into the room without hesitation. There were people there, of course, and he made quick work of the lot of them before taking the time to examine the space. He found nothing of particular interest in there aside from a piece of paper that had writing on it. The writing was dark, heavy, and clearly not of a language from this world. Frowning, he took the paper and tucked it away before continuing on his way.

Meanwhile, Armaris was nearing the top of the building, and by now her Darkness was clearing the way as she walked. Anyone in the hallways or rooms in her path were pressed against the walls as she simply moved past them. Her anger visibly spiked when she realized she was at the top and there was nothing of use to her here. A controlled blast of wind threw a window clean from the wall it was attached to and she dropped out of it, landing on the ground and entering the building once more. A few muffled screams echoed out from the floor she'd just been on, but the cat ignored it as she tore off after Espio.

Sensing her approach, Espio stopped and waited where he was, idly twirling his sword in his hand as he kept an eye out for any attackers in the meantime. Armaris approached soon, sliding to a stop beside him with an agitated gleam in her eyes. "Nothing up there. The people don't really know what's going on, from what I heard."

"I did not expect that they would," Espio answered her, beginning to walk further down the corridor he had entered.

"Asshole. What have you found out?" Armaris asked simply, unsheathing her katana.

"They were told to guard the gem for a night, not long-term," he answered her, rounding a corner. The few people there were killed and he continued talking without missing a beat. "A demon hired them. She left written instructions as well. It said something about not touching the gem under any circumstances. I could not decipher all of it."

Aniko frowned and glanced to Shei. "Why can he read it?" He shook his head with a shrug. That he had no idea how to answer that question was apparent.

"Demonic taint to his Darkness by Kaden," Steam answered, frowning deeply. "It's still present and affecting him…"

Alarmed, Sonic's gaze swung to him, but Tails spoke first. "Something like that… I think it's going to always be present from here on. That sort of thing doesn't just go away. He himself is not a demon, though. I can tell you that much."

"If that's true, then how does any of this make sense?" Sonic demanded.

"The taint didn't transform him or anything," Tails quickly explained, "but it will have inevitably caused changes. I'm honestly just surprised we haven't seen any prior to this. Now that I'm thinking about it, it seems like we really should have seen some signs before."

Shei immediately signed to them. "It may be part of the cause of his incredible anger. Demons and their energies are not exactly what you would call 'passive'."

"That would give explanation to it, then," Aniko admitted.

"Give it to me," Armaris muttered, holding her hand out to him. He passed the paper to her without a word, then sped off ahead for a moment to deal with the riff raff, thus buying her time to read and translate. Naturally, he was gone for only a few seconds before returning to her. "Not allowed to touch the gem, don't go near it or stuff will come kill them. Stupid basic demands."

Espio was frowning again. "Kaden would not have been involved in such a half-brained scheme. These individuals are likely working on their own."

"Yeah. Let's see anything else we can find," Armaris answered, vanishing once more into wisps of Darkness.

He resumed walking as he told her, "There are few people left. Most are several floors beneath us." After a pause, he belatedly explained, "I saw their security feeds on an upper level. They appeared to be working on something near the gem."

"Want me to investigate?"

"No. I would rather you go no closer to it than is necessary."

"Why?" Rather than answering, he sped off ahead once again. A small grunt of annoyance escaped her as she followed after him.

Aniko turned to Shei, quickly signing, "Is there more than one meaning to what Espio said?"

"It is possible," Shei signed back. "What were you thinking?"

"He may carry feelings, yes, but I'm not sure. It seemed like he meant something else as well. Perhaps related to her demonic ancestry?"

"I believe he may have meant both," Shei agreed, "albeit… without necessarily intending one of them. Or perhaps even being aware of it at all."

"That which you say unintentionally can carry much meaning."

"Indeed." With their silent conversation finished for now, they refocused on the video feed.

After a tense minute or so of fighting, Espio killed off everyone on two of the last three floors. Descending upon the final room of the final floor, he found people desperately working to erect a mechanical barrier in an effort to contain the intense malevolent energies it was giving off. Huffing, he immediately set about killing them as well, a matter which took no time for him whatsoever. Armaris appeared on the floor and began heading toward Espio, a notable frown on her face. Sparing her not even a glance, Espio turned his attention to whatever meager barrier these people had left behind.

"Is this it?" Armaris asked, sheathing her sword quickly.

Without a word, he cut the barrier devices apart, destroying the barrier in question. Without giving the aforementioned energies a chance to reach them, he held out a hand and tightly encased the gem in a sphere of Darkness. The two energies opposed one another violently, crackling frantically for almost too long before he successfully quelled the gem for the time being. The sphere hovered almost harmlessly back over to him.

"He possesses great control of his Darkness despite not having used it for long… far more than I would have believed," Aniko muttered.

"To a concerning degree," Shei answered back, looking troubled. Sonic and Tails traded uneasy looks. When no one else spoke, they refocused on the video feed.

"What are you going to do with it?" Armaris asked, walking closer to Espio.

"There is little to be done aside from take it away from here," he answered her.

"And where do you plan to take it after that?"

Whether or not he had any sort of a plan, he didn't say one way or another. Instead, he merely offered a vague and distinctly unhelpful shrug as he began walking away. Once out of sight of Armaris, he glanced at the two cameras following him, drew a knife, and promptly cut them both in half… just as Tails had initially feared one of them would.

Aniko frowned at this. "I am not surprised."

Sonic looked at her and dared to ask, "By what, exactly?"

"Him cutting the camera. And his lack of response."

"...Don't cut me for saying this, but… I think we all oughta be a lot more concerned than you seem to be," Sonic said, looking away. "We don't know where he's going with that thing… or if he's even thinking like his usual self right now. It's… potentially really fucking dangerous."

"I am concerned, child," Aniko countered, narrowing her gaze. "I will trust that Armaris can keep him from placing it in the wrong hands, as well as being able to find him by that thing." She pointed at one of their communicators.

He sighed a little. "Chances are he won't be wearing his for long, especially if he decides he doesn't want us keeping an eye on him. He's… got kind of a reputation for that sort of thing. ...And never answering any of us when we message or call."

Steam turned to face Aniko. "Sorry he seemed to accuse you of not being concerned, but he's got a point. We don't know what he's doing with that thing and if it gets in the wrong hands, shit goes to hell." His serious tone seemed to make Aniko think momentarily before she sighed.

"And what do you plan to do if he does place it in the wrong hands?" The female chameleon asked.

"I don't know what we can do," Tails admitted quietly. "Through Nyokae, the people he has ties with… we aren't equipped to handle them."

Very quickly, Steam piped in once more. "And let's say that he loses control of himself. What do you plan to do, then? Your son is rampaging without the ability to fully control his Darkness. Your plan?"

Aniko looked poised to kill him then and there, but ultimately saw his point. "Hm… fine. I suppose we would need to fight him."

"And you wouldn't do anything more?"

"No more than is necessary, no."

Steam glanced to Tails. "See if you can track him. We may as well get to trying what we can."

"I'm working on that," the fox said. "So far, it looks like he's headed south off of that island they were on. He's headed back to this continent. I'm not sure exactly where, though. He's moving a bit too fast for the tracking system to follow with total accuracy."

"Keep up with it. If you lose track of him, do your best to find an area where he might be and survey it. I don't want to watch over him, but we can't take the chance." The last sentence he said after that was noticeably pointed to Espio's parents, his gaze falling on them. "I'll do what I can to make sure they come back."

Aniko gave a slow nod to this. "Thank you, Balancer. I seem to have judged you too harshly."

The hedgehog shrugged. "Don't worry about it. A lot of people do." Steam pushed himself to stand, stretching lightly. "I'll get the others up to speed. If you guys have anything you need to tell me, just let me know whenever."

Sonic inclined his head and said, "If we do lose track of Espio, we may have to send you after him. With your teleportation skills and speed, you'd be one of our best bets of being able to find him."

"Yeah, I figured as much. Just keep me updated on the situation," Steam answered, sighing and walking over to the other group of people in the room. Tails, meanwhile, focused on his communicator. If he lost sight of where Espio was…

He didn't even want to think about what might happen.

~保護者~

12,494 words this time. Hope you all enjoyed! Many thanks as always to Blazing Winds for all of his help and support. Posted (at about 8:40 p.m.) 04-24-20.