"A patty melt, please." She glanced down at the menu. The waitress nodded. "You get a side with that, hun." Blaze blinked and turned the menu over to see the sides. Some things she wasn't familiar with but she saw onion rings. "Hm, I'll take onion rings, too." They must be good. She shrugged and handed the waitress the menu.
Silas pulled the phone away so he could curse to himself. Canstella going back to the Enterprise made sense, but he didn't like how unsure he was. He put the phone back to his ear. "Fine. I'll update you later." He grumbled and hung up the phone. He started to walk back out into the Jazz lounge. The building had filled with patrons while he was speaking on the phone. Silas navigated through a small crowd and bumped shoulders with someone. The stranger called out. "Sorry, man!" The snake furrowed his brow and left the building.
He was so confused by their previous conversation he hoped that Espio would make things clear after this was over. "My name is Silver." He quickly glanced over to Espio and smiled. His family? That-was touching, actually. He caught a glimpse of Victor and looked back to Jon. "He's coming with us to the agency." He absentmindedly waved the gun in the elder bat's direction. After seeing him flinch Silver tossed the gun aside, glad to be rid of it. If he saw Jon make a move towards the pistol he could easily stop him.
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She picked up both their menus and left. "Good choice." He crossed his arms over the table. "The curly fries here taste like old, bitter grease. The sweet onions mask that taste, at least."
Espio was ready to lead Victor to the agency, but he needed that device first. He couldn't risk him telling Vector or Charmy about his Mafia career. He hoped Silver's task with the device managed to wipe the men's minds clean of his association with them, especially Canstella's fondness over his work.
His eyes darted to the gun that skid across the ground. Motherfucking dick. He was running low on options.
"Silver, bring over the device."
W-what? He looked over at the contraption under the white hedgehog's right arm. Was that the invention concerning the fox? Didn't it fuck with memories-why would he need that now? His body reacted faster than he could create a reason. He started running away from the scene; there was no way he would allow Espio to manipulate his mind into forgetting anything. "Jon-don't!"
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Blaze nodded. "I could smell the grease from when I walked in." She looked away in thought. If Shadow hasn't seen Silver, she wondered if anyone else has. Sonic came to mind first, but getting touch with the blue hedgehog proved challenging in the past.
Silver turned and held a hand up, the cyan aura returned and surrounded Jon's escaping figure. He carefully handed Espio the device. "Tails has modified it to affect a wider area. Once you click the button we have to get out of the way."
Saima reached the corner and turned. The first thing she noticed was a white hedgehog. She furrowed her brow and hid behind the wall. She looked closer to what was happening. Was he using some kind of-power to freeze that other guy? Saima inched forward carefully and her eyes widened in surprise. That's Jon! She scanned her surroundings and a familiar silhouette caught her eye. While they had their backs turned she leaped forward to grab the lonely pistol. It was like putting on a well-fitted glove.
"Let him go!" She raised the weapon at the unknown hedgehog.
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They sat in silence for a short while. "It's been a few years." He glanced up at her. "I suppose I should be glad you're both still good friends. He'll be happy to see you here, too."
Espio caught the device and his eyes widened in shock when he saw Saima wielding Jon's gun.
Jon was frozen in Silver's hold. He heard her voice and cursed furiously in his mind. He couldn't move, only blink and struggle to get out of the blue aura keeping him in place.
The purple reptile shot a glance at Victor who took multiple cautious steps back. "Don't move." He nodded, swallowing a hard lump in his throat that built up from nerves. Espio set the device off by pressing the button and slid it towards him at the first beep. He immediately turned invisible and ran to Saima at a curve.
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She nodded. "Our separation was sudden. I'm sure he felt guilt by not being able to be contain Iblis. I hope he's here. I need to know he's okay." Blaze let out a quiet exhale and took a sip of water.
He turned to look at Saima who was holding a gun on him. Throwing the pistol to the side wasn't a smart move, he furrowed his brow. "Put the gun down!" He started to raise his other hand in a halt position. Prepared to grab her if he needed to. His ear twitched from the beeping and that's when he noticed Espio wasn't nearby.
Saima didn't give him a chance to react as she moved the gun up and fired. A warning shot. "I said let him the fuck go!" She yelled.
"Damn!" Silver flinched from the sound and dropped Jon abruptly.
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"He's fine." Shadow turned to see the waitress approach with a tray holding their food. "Silver may very well be asleep, tucked under some hotel sheets as we speak."
"Here you go. Patty melt for you," she placed the piping hot sandwich in front of Blaze, "and onion rings for both." She set down two bowls of rings on the table. "Enjoy your meal." He reached for an onion ring and she walked away.
Jon dropped with a thud onto the concrete floor. A sudden conflict hit him when he remembered there was only one bullet in the gun and she had just wasted it. He wanted to run. Honestly, seeing her again was the last thing he wanted to do, but he didn't want her getting injured by either Espio or this strangely powerful hedgehog. As long as she didn't actually try to shoot either of them, she still had the upper hand, he thought.
Victor glanced at the device as the beeping ceased and looked at the trio before him. What in the world was happening-a fight? He could vaguely recall what occurred the past few days and he backed up again slowly with an attempt to run off. Knowing this would occur, Espio provided a swift neck chop to bring him to unconsciousness, then carefully set him by the brick wall.
Jon whipped his head around in search of Espio. "Sa-Saima, come here."
It was another risk he refused to accept. The green lad suddenly felt himself be restrained by his neck. "Tell her to drop the gun."
"E-Espio?"
"Tell her."
"Drop it-drop the gun, babe." He stuttered.
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Blaze looked down at her steaming plate. She was so hungry. She didn't waste much time getting started with picking up her rolled up silverware. "I hope you're right." She admitted.
Saima mentally cursed and limped forward with the gun still raised. "Why are you doing this?" She had never formally met the chameleon, but she knew the stories that Jon had told her. She stared at Jon's restrained form and tried to imagine where Espio's face was. She glanced over to the ivory hedgehog who seemed to be watching with interest.
Silver was tired, but to disarm her would hardly take any effort. He thought back to earlier at the donut shop. Saima seemed-out of it and clearly upset at the time. He could try to understand by reading her mind, but that would drain him further. "-Saima."
Saima swiftly aimed the gun at Silver. "Let us talk!"
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A satisfying crunch sounded when he took a small bite of the thick ring. They changed the grease. He eyed the bowl of golden, crisp circles. They obviously would've changed it since the last time he came, but this time it wasn't rancid. He ate the battered onion at his fingertips. "The oil's fresh."
"Discard the weapon, then we may speak."
Jon could feel his arm tighten around his neck. "Throw it a-way," he coughed, "for fuck's sake! Just drop it!"
He was panicking. He was so pumped to celebrate and finally start a new life, but now he was stuck in this shit situation. Was Espio really going to injure him? Part of him felt it was an act, but the arm closed tight around his neck suggested otherwise. "Don't hurt me, Espio." He whispered pleadingly. The silence he received frightened him.
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Blaze cut her cheesy sandwich into pieces. She looked at her side of onion rings and stabbed one with a fork. "Hm." She bit into the side and successfully made a clean bite. The crunch was undeniably amazing. These things were good.
Saima drifted the gun back to where she was originally aiming. Jon looked like he was struggling to breathe, she swallowed and surrendered the gun by opening her palm. "Fine, okay-" She stared at the blank spaces on either side of Jon. She crouched down and set the gun in front of her, lifting back up with a palm still open. "Just-don't hurt him." Her voice broke as she took one step back. "Please."
The gun suddenly slid across the ground and straight to Silver's feet. Just in case, he thought.
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They sat in mutual silence eating their delicious, hot food. Halfway through the meal, Shadow glanced at her food and asked, "How are you liking it?" He remembered bringing Rouge once and she genuinely didn't like it. He blamed her for ordering a damn salad at a diner.
Espio loosened his hold and took a few steps toward Saima. Jon furrowed his brows as they came closer to her.
"You can't run away from your problems forever, Jon."
He turned his head away from Saima. "Why's that?"
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Blaze looked up from her half-eaten sandwich. She set her silverware down. "It's really good. Thank you for suggesting it." The corners of her mouth turned up into a small smile.
Saima felt a knot in her chest. She noticed the lack of eye contact that he had been giving her. She wanted to ask Jon her own damn questions, but with Espio asking them it felt like she had no other choice than to listen.
Fuck that. Saima took a small step and noticed the ivory hedgehog do the same in her peripheral. "Yeah. Why is that, Espio?" She sneered. She kept her gaze over Jon's right shoulder, not entirely sure if that's where his face was. "You can have a life outside the Mafia and he can't?" Her tone had a hard edge to it. She glanced over to Silver and noticed a distinct expression. "I bet your friend didn't even know." The white cat scoffed.
Silver stood ready just in case Saima decided to do something drastic. The talk about Espio's involvement with the Mafia still worried him, but he couldn't act foolishly without more details. Past experience taught him that lesson well.
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He nodded, munching down on another sweet ring. Shadow took a long sip of his black coffee and looked out the large window panel beside them. The streets were so peaceful at this hour, though dangerous activities riddled the night as frequently as day, perhaps more so.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you one of the problems Jon is trying to escape from?"
Jon huffed, shutting his eyes to avoid any contact with hers. "The reason why..." Espio grabbed his muzzle. "Is when you least expect it, they'll find a way to come back. Problems will never leave until you face them." He turned the rodent's head to face Saima.
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Blaze continued to eat the rest of her melt. It was so good, she praised internally. She noticed him looking out the window and unintentionally caught herself staring. Appearance wise she thought Shadow was aesthetically pleasing. Very different from Silver in every single way.
Saima felt a chill run across her arms. Her recent conversation with the gruff coyote told her that she had broken his heart and that's why he left. "Yeah, I guess I am." She crossed her arms. "I don't see how that's any of your fucking business, Espio." She gestured to the sleeping bat. "You have Victor. I'm assuming that was your job, right?"
She glanced at Silver when a brief moment passed. "Isn't that right?" He looked over to Espio and sighed. Victor was the job and they had him, but this was starting to feel like it was personal.
"It was-" Silver was cut off.
"Take him to your client. If Jon wants to leave without me, he can. How can you face your problems if it only leads to inevitable death from Canstella himself-are you judge, jury, and executioner, now?"
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Shadow could feel her stare and he acknowledged this by pointing his eyes at her. Of course, she seemed to be focused on her sandwich by the time he fully turned.
"You wouldn't want me to be the executioner." He let go of Jon. Espio stepped back and watched him rub his neck then try to look back at him. He coughed, looking at Saima for half a second before turning away. Not entirely sure where he'd go, he started to run. Espio watched for a moment before quietly heading to the passed out bat.
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Blaze nervously looked around her plate. He caught her staring and now it was...awkward. She finished off her onion rings and stabbed one of the last few pieces of her sandwich.
Saima watched him start to run away. "Jon!" Her voice was filled with rage at this point. "We need to fucking talk!" She saved his ass and this is what she gets? No goodbye? Nothing? She limped over and harshly grabbed his wrist. Pulling him around to look at her in the eyes. "Don't leave. Not yet." Her blue and orange eyes became glassy.
Silver watched quietly and noticed movement close to Victor. He walked over with the gun in hand, it was better for him to have it in his possession than Saima or Jon's. "Espio?" He called out, wishing he would show himself so he wouldn't accidentally bump into him.
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With a couple rings to go, he called over the waitress who approached them holding a pitcher of iced water. "More coffee, hun?" She poured Blaze's glass just under the brim.
"No thank you. I'd like the check."
"Alright, I'll bring it over-"
"Separate."
"Gotcha, dear."
"Leave me alone-you've fucked me over enough. You're not doing it again." He yanked his arm away from her.
Espio uncloaked, revealing his purple person to Silver and picked up the device. "We need to head to the agency. Now." He handed it to him, soon loading the dozing bat onto his back and trekking towards his home.
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Blaze swallowed the last bit of food she had left. Her parents actually encouraged not eating everything on the plate, especially with a guest involved, but she wasn't home and she was starving. She found her money and set aside enough to pay for her meal and a couple extra dollars for the waitress.
"Fucked you over?" Saima furrowed her brow angrily. "You fucked me over! Leaving like that without telling me anything. My life has been hell since you left." She shoved him. "You clearly don't give a shit about that."
He sighed and tucked it under his right arm again. "Espio, wait-" As they were walking he touched his arm. "Are you seriously with the Mafia?" He looked at him with a serious expression. It still baffled him that he heard such a confession.
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He consumed his remaining onion rings and sipped what little was left in his cup. The waitress came, providing the metal tray and the receipt. Shadow scanned the digits and laid down his debit card. She picked up Blaze's cash and nodded. "I'll be back right away."
Jon growled, getting pushed. "Are you surprised?" He snapped himself away from her. "It's too much bullshit with you. When I left for this mission, we were already done. I don't get why you're so upset-what the fuck is there to talk about, really?" He turned back to her with his arms out in question. "What?"
"I was." He stared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact. "Assuming your bout with the device worked and Canstella has forgotten about me, I can finally say I'm not anymore-and, for that, I thank you." He gave a single appreciative nod in Silver's direction.
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Blaze nodded and looked out the window. She wondered what time it was and where she could go to sleep for cheap. There was so much to sort out in this new time period. Everything was so similar, but yet very different. If she could somehow settle in with a good job she could start saving. With Silver's help she was sure it would be possible.
"Just like that, huh?" She seethed. This wasn't what she wanted. "Yeah, we were-are done." Her throat was stiff. "But leaving without saying goodbye?" Saima shifted her weight uncomfortably. "I, I still love you." She admitted in a small voice. It was the truth, she wouldn't be standing here with a fucked up ankle and tears in her eyes if she didn't. Her head felt like it was going to burst. It was the worst headache ever. Their arguments in the past were always so volatile, but in the end, always finished with a kiss. It didn't feel like that was going to happen this time. It was too much to hope for.
"Assuming that it worked." Silver reiterated. He kept walking, but his mind was swimming in questions from their encounter. Espio knew about Jon this whole time and he knew Silas, most likely. "I'm guessing they don't know."
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She quickly came back with his card and now two mints on the receipt and tray. "You two take care, and thanks for comin'." She smiled and went off to serve another table. Shadow got out of the both, picking up his card. "Any idea as to where you're staying?"
"So?" He spat. "What do you want me to say, that I love you too? That we're going to leave together?" He stared at her incredulously. His heart was pounding; did she really still love him? He knew he couldn't get distracted. Their relationship was so fragile, he didn't want to keep trying to pretend another chance would help them overlook their arguments and flaws.
Espio stayed silent, his eyes stealing a few glances at the device to his left. "Correct." He cleared his throat. "I'm glad we were able to find Victor at last."
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Blaze slid out of the booth and smoothed out her clothes. "No. I've never visited this-time period." She looked over his features. "Do you mind giving me directions to the cheapest motel?" She cleared her throat quietly. "It's...temporary."
Saima stared at him with red, puffy eyes. "This-Mafia shit is the root of all of our problems, Jon." She was too exhausted, emotionally and physically, to even raise her voice or gesture as she spoke. "If we could just leave-" She reached for his hand and held it tightly. "-with the device." Her eyes never broke contact with him. "It would be a chance to start over completely." Her voice quivered. Saima remembered how simple life was before they swore oaths to the organization, she missed her innocent days of youth. She missed being happy with him.
Silver looked at the unconscious bat and nodded in agreement. "Can we talk about it?" He didn't want to brush this off as no big deal. It made him think about the possibility that Espio wasn't someone to be trusted, as much as it hurt to admit that, especially after hearing him say he was family.
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Cheapest motel? Shadow enjoyed eating in the diner at its dirt cheap prices, but never would he step foot in a ratty motel. Reviews and Rouge's personal experiences enlightened him on buildings that shouldn't be standing at all. He knew exactly which ones to avoid. "No, of course not. Come with me." They left the diner together.
Jon furrowed his brows, staring back at the icy blue and copper orange in her ravaged, red eyes as she pleaded. A deep breath in with a heavy exhale let him really consider it. He honestly had nothing to lose at this point. Another shot wouldn't kill either of them, he thought. "Fine." It'd cost him to delay the flight, let alone purchase another ticket so Saima could go with him. He'd deal with that tonight. "How are we going to get that device?" He glanced over to the pair in the far distance. Espio was tied to the agency, so they at least knew where it'd be for now.
"Let's finish this mission first." It was astounding to acknowledge all they'd accomplished. If it weren't for Silver, he may not have been able to find Victor in time. They were actually going to get a bonus. Vector would definitely appreciate it, but it was up to Espio to repay Silver.