"Hey, Espio," He tries to stop him. He didn't want to drag him down, he knew he was good at his job. The casino was going to be a problem though. When he first arrived at Station Square he thought he could spend his nights at the Casino but that was made impossible by a cat that would not let him in.
"I'm not exactly allowed into the casino," he says with hesitation. Fearing that Espio would drop him entirely from the investigation.
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"Why is that?" He stopped walking, waiting for his explanation.
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"There's a cat in the front office that looks over people as they come in," He shifts slightly. "Somehow, she knows I'm a telepath and won't let me in because I could potentially cheat in the games." He keeps his eyes locked on his as he explains.
"I personally would never do that, but she doesn't believe me." His tone was desperate. "The only way I could help is if I found a back way in."
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"I see. Have you ever tried a disguise? Maybe if you change your appearance enough, she won't be able to tell it's you."
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Silver frowns, "Do you really think a disguise is going to hide this?" He pointed to his front quills. It could work, he thought to himself. Some fur paint and a jacket, he could change his appearance just enough to throw off the cat for a moment. He crosses his arms, he knew he had the time to go out and get the things he needed. The casino doesn't open for the next couple hours.
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"Of course. There's bound to be some type of quill gel to keep them down." Admittedly, his two long quills were going to be tedious to conceal, but as long as it were enough to let him pass through, it's all that mattered.
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Silver nodded. "Okay then. That could work." He looks around and happens to spot a dollar shop." Maybe they had supplies for cheap, he thought. "Let's go check that place out." He starts to walk over to the front of the store. He opens the door for Espio as they walk in to see a shop full of different clothing options. There's bound to be something here we could use. "I'll look for the gel, you try to find some kind of temporary body paint."
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He went into the aisle with all the hair dyes and temporary sprays. With white fur, he could easily pick any colour for him to look like an entirely different hedgehog. Would he appreciate a cool cerulean cover, an electric lemon-lime yellow, or a flashy hot pink? None, of course. Those were ridiculous choices. He picked up a warm autumn brown and periwinkle blue. Soft, but they made the difference. He walked to Silver, who was comparing a few choices. Holding up the sprays he asked, " Which do you prefer?"
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Silver had made a decision on the quill gel. There weren't many options but he knew he didn't want the super strength gel since who knew how hard that would be to wash out later. He decided on the cheaper brand. He looked to Espio who was behind him and he had two options for him. Brown or blue. Silver told himself that this was a temporary job and it honestly didn't matter which one he should choose.
However, he felt like the most drastic change would be for the best. "Brown, I guess. The blue is too light." He took the bottle from Espio and wondered if he could try to wear a scarf to hide his chest fur. He also thought if he should hide his black eye markings. They were a very noticeable feature. He turned and saw a sunglasses rack and smiled. He grabbed some black shades and put them on.
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"You're really getting into this whole detective thing," He smiled, "With all this effort you're putting in, I'd think you were an actual professional." He tried to picture what the entire ensemble would look like, then shook his head, continuing to smile.
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Silver felt a rush of excitement come over him, he could see Espio smiling through the glasses he wore and he takes them off for a moment.
"Well, this really beats wandering around all day," he says with a grin as he holds the gel, paint, and the black shades in his arms. "I know it's a job, but-" he paused, "I think it's fun, plus I'm helping someone out."
He starts to walk down the clothing aisle and he grabs a red plaid scarf, he wraps it around his neck as he shops showing that the scarf was to hide his long white fur.
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"All you need is a coat and a change of shoes." Espio looked along a rack of long coats, each seemingly more 20's detective-esque. He pulled out a dark grey coat instead of brown so it wouldn't be so overwhelming. "Hmm."
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Silver looked over to what Espio pulled out for him. "That will work." He started to look at the shoes and found an all black pair that looked to be his size. He picked them up and started to walk to the cash register.
Silver paid for all of the items realizing that he may have to find somewhere else to sleep since he knew he needed to eat tonight. He kept it to himself for the time being.
"Should we go back to agency so I can change?"
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Espio nodded, and off they went back to the Chaotix Detective Agency. As they stepped him, Vector looked at them, "What are you doing? I'm not paying you to go shopping."
"You're not paying him at all. Besides, he paid for that himself."
"Look, time is money. The more time you waste-"
"The casino's closed at this hour. We'll look for him elsewhere in the meantime. We just need a disguise to get into the casino later."
"What? You don't need a disguise to get in!"
"He does. The front office security guard won't let him in normally. Don't worry about it."
The crocodile shook his head with a sigh, going back to the files he was sorting.
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Silver tried to ignore Vector's protests, he walked passed him to reach a single bathroom. He took off his boots and gloves and decided to start with the body spray.
He hoped he wouldn't choke on the fumes that the spray gave off, but he made quick work of his front and sides, using his telekinesis to control the can of paint to spray his back.
He stood in front of the mirror, he looked so different with brown fur and quills. He puts on the new black shoes and red plaid scarf. He couldn't help but laugh at his appearance.
He slid the jacket on and grabbed the bottle of quill gel. This was the part he dreaded the most. He tried to think of a way to style his front quills but he was having a hard time. "Fuck." He muttered quietly.
After some more attempts he was able to put the five quills into one, and then bend it forward so it made a bang. He sighed. He honestly hated the way he looked. He walked out of the bathroom ready to be ridiculed.
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Vector acknowledged the new figure and almost choked. "You look like you're ready to shoot up a school."
"Oh my god, Vector." Espio audibly facepalmed at the comment. "So inappropriate."
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Silver's face flushed red, he tried to ignore that but to be completely honest the jacket made the statement true. If he was casino security he would be really be staring at himself.
"Maybe, the jacket is too much," he opened the jacket front to show that he was brown all over. He sighed. "Should I take it off?"
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"As long as I don't have to pay you to." "Woooo! Take it off!" The bee cried in the background.
Burying his face in his hands, Espio murmured, "I don't understand why I still work here..."
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Silver mentally facepalmed. He set himself up for that one, he thought. The banter was fun though, it had been awhile since he had been with other people. He slides the jacket off and puts it on the coat rack.
He adjusts his scarf to hide his fur that went around his neck. "I'll return the jacket tomorrow." He looks at Espio.
"Ready to head out?" He grabbed the glasses out of his jacket pocket and put them on.
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He nodded, relieved to get away from the duo embarrassing his old friend. They went out and slowly head towards the casino. Espio felt like this was going to be a long night. "I'm sorry Vector and Charmy's lewd comments. I can't control them."
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"You don't have to apologize for your friends, Espio" he smiled slightly, "It's been awhile since I've had people to talk too." He kept an even walking pace with Espio beside him.
He wasn't used to wearing shades this dark, and wearing shoes with no heel. He trips on a crack on the sidewalk. "Shit," he whispered.
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"Be careful-" Espio held up Silver with his super ninja speed. "Maybe you shouldn't wear those shades until we reach the casino. It's too dark too maneuver with them."
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Silver felt his hand holding him up from potentially falling. He looked over at him and smiled slightly. "Thanks, you're right."
Silver pushed the shades behind his large quill bang. Revealing his orange eyes and black markings. His full eyesight restored. He looked around at the people on the sidewalk and he continued walking next to Espio.
"What do you think we might find at the casino?" He started, "Vivian said her father's partner wasn't here last night. What if he is tonight?"
Silver had never done any actual investigations before, he always seemed to act instead of sneaking around. He didn't know how Espio intended to operate once they reached the casino.
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"If he is, we might get some insight as to where her father is. If he's not, we'll just search the casino for him just to be sure. She said Eggman might be involved, so I don't exactly expect our search to be finished now." They stopped in front of the casino. "I hope this disguise works." He pulls one door aside for Silver.
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Silver walked into the entryway, there was a small line waiting to get into the casino. He had already seen this part of the building, but he was always stopped and marched out by the cat lady who had a vendetta against him.
He flipped his sunglasses down on his face and tried to calm himself. You got this, get past her and you're free. He scanned for her face in the security line.
The cream colored cat had patted someone down before entry and he got nervous. What if she gets body spray on her? What if he's doomed from the start. He cast an awkward glance to Espio's direction. Hoping he noticed the pat down. "Shit." He mumbled. No one could hear it.
"NEXT!" It was her. She motioned to Silver, unaware of who he was.
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"Stay calm. The worst that can happen is you get figured out and kicked out." He told Silver, quietly.
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Silver walked forward and looked at the lady in the eye, even though he had sunglasses on. For a moment, he was afraid that she would tell him to take them off.
"Alright, sir... arms out, please," she said with a stern gaze.
Silver spread his arms out and looked at the wall. She studied his gloves and shoes. Nothing was out of place, she thought.
"Haven't seen you before, what's your name?"
Silver swallowed and nodded. He thought of name quickly. "My name's- Blaze." He said flatly.
She chuckled at him, "Nice." She motioned him to keep going. "Have a good night. Enjoy the casino."
He was shocked that it worked, he kept moving forward and waited for Espio.
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Espio stepped forward, already somewhat used to the procedure. He was vaguely familiar with the security and was never halted for any reason, so all was well.
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Out of earshot of the security, Silver and Espio walked into the Casino where colorful lights and heavy bass music filled the room with a lively energy that he found to be exciting.
Silver looked at the lights and the people with awe. If only she could have seen this with him, he thought. "Thanks Blaze," he said under his breath.
He looked at his friend who got through with no issue. "Should we split up?" He asked curiously.
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"Definitely." With that, he left and began his search for the co-owner of the Casino. He asked around unoccupied guests, but always seemed to get the same answers: "Sorry," "No," or a simple shrug to get him to leave. At some point, he saw a man who seemed to fit their description, but the swish of a long tail confirmed it wasn't him.
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Silver observed the crowd there was a lot going on at once. He thought he could blend in at the bar. He sat down and started to look around for anyone with professional attire or a VIP vibe.
He could use his telepathy, but it always drained him faster than normal. He sighed. He honestly felt weak at times. He spots someone in the corner of his eye. They stood close to the slot machines and carried a briefcase. Could this be the partner?
He kept staring at the possible suspect. They started to walk across the floor to the other side and ducked into a dim hallway that looked like it lead to some offices. Silver stood up and followed discreetly. He wondered if Espio noticed the suspect as well.
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After asking around some more, Espio hoped Silver found something-anything at all. He caught sight of the brown hedgehog creeping across the room. Had he actually found him? He made his way across the room calmly, watching him in the distance. He didn't want to interfere. In fact, he wanted to see what Silver would do in this situation.
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The suspect disappeared in the hallway. Silver thought this must be it. The hallway could have the partners office. He decided to wait for the right moment. Maybe the partner would come back out. He waited, scanning the room as he leaned up against the wall.
About 10 minutes passed and the 'partner' comes back out with the same briefcase. This was a now or never moment, Silver walked out in front to bump into him.
"Sorry-!" He exclaimed, the man had stumbled over and the briefcase fell to the floor. He crouched down to help the man back up.
"The man was shocked but seemed civil, "Oh- hmph. It's okay."
"Uh- I'm just so sorry- Mr.?"
"Codsworth," the man said back.
Silver knew it was wrong, but he wanted to be completely sure that this was the man he needed to speak with. He focused his telepathy as he helped him back up. The connection was faster with physical contact.
"I'm sorry Mr. Codsworth," he started with a sympathetic tone. "Enjoy the rest of your evening." As the physical contact was broken, Silver already knew his answer.
He leaned back up against the wall looking agitated. That wasn't the partner, and now he felt dizzy. He mouthed something in frustration.
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Must've not been the right guy, Espio sighed. He'd have his share of disappointment nowadays, but it was always a thrill to actually get to the bottom of things. He met with Silver at the corner. "No luck? It's alright. At least we searched the Casino. We can move forward now."
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Silver noticed Espio beside him, his head just a bit tad dizzy from the quick connection and the general atmosphere of the bright and loud casino.
"Yeah, it wasn't him." He decided to not tell how he figured it out. Once he told someone he could technically 'read minds,' a phrase that he didn't like, they would act differently around him.
He didn't want Espio to treat him differently because of it. Silver nodded along with his plan. He felt his stomach growl for a moment.
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"Did you hear that?" Espio paused, "It sounds like someone hasn't eaten for a while. Their stomach is protesting their discontent. I think we should silence it with a meal."
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Silver laughed and smiled. He had hoped that Espio wouldn't hear that but he hadn't eaten since his ice cream cone.
"Well, I do remember someone scaring me out of a perfectly good ice cream earlier." He teased back.
He was so glad they were leaving the casino. The body paint had started to gunk up on his skin and the gel was losing its hold.
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"That's right. I'll pay this time, as a proper apology. You decide where we eat." He hoped it was nowhere too expensive. In reality, Vector had only lent him enough money for an emergency situation and he'd already eaten a large sandwich this morning.
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Silver thought for a moment. He needed to eat something nutritious to help with his energy levels, but he didn't want to go anywhere expensive.
"How about Bob's diner?" He offered. "I think they have a dollar menu and I could really go for salad."
As they got far enough away from the Casino silver took off the glasses and scarf. His golden yellow eyes and white fur showing again.
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"That spray really doesn't last long. Maybe we used it for the wrong purpose, but, it's supposed to be hair spray, right?" He looked at clumped up his fur appeared. The spray was cracked throughout with the natural white fur peeking between the lines.
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He looked down at his fur and noticed the white streaks of fur peeking through the muddy brown color.
"Tinted hair spray?" He said as he tensed up. "Was..this even made for hedgehogs?" He started to worry.
"I think I need to take a shower before we go eat." He looked over at Espio, hoping he would understand.
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"I...suppose all beings can use it unless they try to consume it. It's fine, whatever makes you comfortable." There were showers in the Casino, but that would bring an enormous catastrophe if the cat guard caught sight of Silver indoors. It was better to head back to the agency.
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They returned to the agency. Silver's fur was dried out and caked with a thick layer of brown that had started to chip. He walked inside the agency and sped past the crocodile and bee.
He sighed as he locked the bathroom door behind him he switched the shower faucet on to hot water with his telekinesis. He kicked off his shoes and slipped his gloves off.
He stepped inside and started to scrub at his fur.
The crocodile turned to face Espio.
"Hey, did you find the partner?" He stood from his desk and walked towards him. "Where's the walking disaster?" He said with amusement.
His tone was almost inpatient he was still thinking about that bag of money the Vivian had in front of him that afternoon.
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"We tried for him in the Casino, but he didn't seem to be there. And Silver's, well, the disguise isn't very practical. We're going to head out and search for him again. Hopefully now we'll at least find some clue as to where he has gone."
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Vector sighed. "Well, you guys better find him soon. That woman is willing to pay us a shit ton-" he paused. He looked around for Charmy who wasn't in sight.
"A fuck ton- if we find her dad." He whispered. "She said she would help you guys with the search this Friday."
Silver got all of the brown off his skin, he turned the shower off and found a towel to dry himself off with. His quills went back to normal and his fur was a bright white, he dried his chest fur which caused it to floof up more than normal.
He puts on his normal boots and gloves and takes the scarf and accessories and puts them in the shopping bag. He walks into the office and sees Vector whispering to Espio.
His quills drooped a little.
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"Friday? It's only Wednesday. I'm hoping we'll be able to find him between today or tomorrow, so she won't have to go through the trouble. If she finds him herself, wouldn't it have an affect on what she'd be willing to pay?"
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Vector walked over to his desk. He looked at Silver and then back to Espio.
"We get a bonus if we find him before Friday, that's why we need to find him before she joins you." He sits in his down in his chair.
"This is a lot of money it could help pay off the building! These monthly payments are getting close!"
Silver went to stand beside Espio. "How can she have that much-"
"It doesn't matter, Silver!" He retorted. "I'm hoping that you're not expecting a cut of this!"
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"If he's helping, isn't it only fair that he get something, too?" The crocodile sent a glare that gave the chameleon his exact answer. "Fine, then. We'll talk about this later, if necessary." He left the agency and waited for Silver outside.
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Silver followed Espio outside to the sidewalk. He stayed silent for a moment and then looked over to Espio.
"Thanks," he started walking in unison with Espio to the Diner, "I- don't have much money on me. I know I'm just a guy you helped out a few years ago but-"
He wasn't sure if he should continue his sentence. He was low on money and wasn't sure if he had enough for another night at the hotel. He wedged himself into an investigation that was none of his business. How could he possibly ask to stay with them? He felt like he was taking advantage of the situation.
"I appreciate what you said to him."
No. He couldn't ask that of him. Espio was already going to pay for his meal. He looked to the side, troubled.