Chapter 4
"Orbot, give me an update on the E-Series."
A portly human sat at his desk, surrounded by screens. He could easily parse through such information, and with record reading speeds, at that. Managing his entire production line would be child's play for someone of his genius. Genius, however, comes with responsibilities. Why waste precious seconds of his life when he could instead be using that time elsewhere on his mission to grace the world with his brilliant mind? Brainstorming took up less energy when he wasn't busy at his keyboard setup and simply had the results read out to him. Of course, eating a Hex Bar while listening definitely didn't hurt. A genius like him needed those calories.
"Beta is still in repairs," spoke a small droid from across the room. "Mk. II is at 72% completion. Gamma's pieces have been successfully salvaged after, erm, after the incident, sir."
The tiny, orbular robot poked from behind its tablet. Its master was not watching. The taste of hexagonal wafers and chocolate was temporarily keeping him distracted, but the round assistant droid could definitely tell that Dr. Robotnik was scowling at the reminder of his recent losses.
Dr. Ivo Robotnik, to be exact. The infamous grandson of the Gerald Robotnik who once made the entire world tremble. Ivo always thought his grandfather was a fool for what he did. Why try to conquer the world? To destroy it, even! Ivo had grown far too accustomed to the pleasures of the world to try and keep it under his control. Rather than control, Ivo Robotnik wanted nothing more than praise and recognition for the incredible brainpower he wielded. Having a relation to a mad scientist every person in the world recognized made that quite difficult, unfortunately.
"Delta and Epsilon have both failed their diagnostics test. They are not ready for field use," the robot continued. "Zeta has unfortunately had an accident and is in need of repairs. After that-"
"Bah! Dummies! Dummies! Dummies!" shouted the angry doctor. "You're machines! I built you without limitations, and you still all manage to disappoint me! How am I supposed to prove my genius to the world with all these setbacks?"
"My apologies sir, but the E-Series line was far from combat ready, and all your diagnostics did suggest a high chance of failure without full precautions."
"Need I remind you that Barack Obama is terrorizing the world!" Ivo shouted. "Everyone is quaking in their shorts, waiting for someone to come save them. If I passed up this opportunity I couldn't call myself a genius! The world WILL be saved by Eggman Enterprises, and everyone will see my greatness once and for all!"
"It is quite a great showing you've made so far, sir. I'm especially grateful to be among your most advanced droids."
"Honoured, in fact!" the doctor resumed his gloating. "Those investors will rue the day they sold their stocks in my company. We'll see who gets the last laugh when countries all over the world are fighting each other for the chance to add my brilliant machines to their armies. Government leaders will invite me to their conferences to help solve all the problems of the world. No more world hunger. No more war!"
"Wouldn't a lack of war lead to low demand for combat robots?" Orbot asked.
"Silence! The message I'm trying to screw into that bucket of bolts you call a head is that failure is simply NOT an option. Barack Obama must be stopped by MY hands if I want to finally be given my dues."
"And they've been a long time coming, sir."
"Precisely! Now where were we?" the round human pondered. "Ah yes, the diagnostics. Bah! Why did I bother making so many of them if they've all wound up failures, the lot of them? Perhaps it's time to drop the E-Series line altogether and move onto more promising ventures."
As the doctor rolled back into his chair once more, the door to his office swung open, and another droid came floating in. This one was similar to his other assistant, but with a square motif. It was very clever theming on the doctor's part, he had told himself.
"Boss, you got an incoming call," said the square droid.
"Cubot, I thought you were given explicit orders not to bother the boss with phone calls unless they were urgent," said its round counterpart.
"W-well I figured he'd want to answer this one. It's from his cousin."
Ivo froze in his seat. His hands clenched around the armrest, ready to push him up to take flight. He knew from experience that Maria Robotnik was a relentless woman, and when she wished to speak with you there was no escape without endless nagging and annoyances. He calculated the time he'd have to take away from his urgent projects avoiding her calls from now on versus how much the call itself would waste. It was a difficult equation, but he solved it like any other.
"Fine, put her on the line," he sighed.
One of the screens around his desk floated into view. A small window popped up displaying his phone screen, proudly presenting Maria's baby picture that he used for her icon in his contacts. He had sworn all his robots to secrecy to ensure she would never learn he still had that.
"Onii-chan…" spoke a soft voice coming from a speaker.
"What do you want?" replied Ivo.
The voice of Maria Robotnik remained silent for a moment, ensuring her older cousin had finished speaking before bothering him with her inquiries. She was a polite young woman. He was often quite proud of her. Enough to tolerate her pestering when he was in the middle of work.
"Have you been following the news lately?" she asked.
"Hmm, news? No, I can't say I know what you're talking about. OF COURSE I'M FOLLOWING THE NEWS! Did you not see my humiliation plastered all over the screens!"
"Actually, Boss, most news outlets haven't even mentioned your involvement with GUN's security," Orbot chimed in.
"Silence!"
"Onii-chan, I just wanted to make sure you weren't doing anything rash," Maria continued. "I hope you don't take offense to what I am about to ask but…are you…attempting to acquire a Chaos Emerald?"
Ivo spat out the Triangle Fruit flavoured mineral water he was hydrating himself with and had a coughing fit. Who told her?! he questioned to himself, eyeing the gossipy skank of a square robot he put in charge of his phone lines. Cubot merely twiddled its fingers behind its back, attempting a whistle with its voice box.
The doctor cleared his throat to compose himself, letting the automatic spillage detectors wipe away the mess he had just made.
"My dear cousin," he spoke with an angelic screech, "I think you know how dangerous such an endeavour would be. Not to mention highly illegal."
"That is why I did not wish to ask," said the girl on the line. "However, I can't ignore the possibility of you doing something drastic to take advantage of this opportunity. You've been wanting to demonstrate your robots' capabilities for a while now, and the company is in dire need of new backers. At the very least, a commission from the government would help you stay afloat, but not without results. And the recent attack in Central City proves you'll need more firepower if you wish to go up against the former president himself."
"Maria…" Ivo hissed, trying to cover up the sound of his hurting pride and ego.
"I also know the government would never trust either of us with Chaos-based technology after what our grandfather has done. If you truly wished to push your machines to Obama's level, you would need to acquire the necessary tools through your own methods."
"Bah, that foolish old man," scoffed the doctor. Long had he been trapped under the shadow of his grandfather Gerald, and the war he had wrought. Barack Obama was at the center of it all, and another Robotnik waging war against him in a battle of Chaos had an irony to it not lost on anyone. If it weren't for his family tree, Ivo could've gotten a contract with GUN ages ago. They simply hadn't given him a chance yet. That's why he'd have to prove his responsibility and strength on his own.
"Onii-chan…please," said the gentler voice.
"Ughhhh," Ivo groaned. "Perhaps…I may have made a few connections here and there."
"Cost him half his savings too!" Cubot interrupted once more.
"Rest assured though, Maria, everything is under complete control," the portly human continued, simply glaring his assistant into silence once more. "My machines have what it takes to wield an Emerald without issue. I would hate to tarnish the family name any further."
"You don't understand," said Maria. "I'm not worried about you doing something that might hurt others. I'm worried about your own safety."
Ivo clutched his heart. It was just like his baby cousin to worry about him like this. Truly the last saving grace of the Robotnik family, besides his own genius, of course.
"Barack Obama is currently after the seven Chaos Emeralds," said Maria Robotnik. "With him having acquired two now, and three of the remaining ones in GUN's custody, he will most likely go after the two with no publicly known status. We need to be careful."
"Oh I'm counting on it, Maria," cackled Dr. Robotnik. "Mr. President will be in for quite a surprise when he meets my latest creation: Metal Obama."
The doctor paused, leaving room for praise from those around him. The useless droids were used to his gloating and had run out of things to say about his plans. The phone line was, sadly, just as silent. The human man's face turned glum and he quickly accepted defeat. His genius truly was unappreciated.
"Onii-chan, I'm sure your robots can keep you safe," Maria resumed. "But in the case of an emergency, do you still have grandfather's necklace?"
"Hmm?" hummed the doctor. "That old thing? I sold that ages ago. I've got bills to pay around here, Maria. And that useless trinket was of no use to me. Someday you'll learn to stop clinging to the ghost of that old man and accept him for the failure he was."
"Yes," said the human woman. "Perhaps…this is for the best. I hope your half is in a safe place. I'll leave you to your work."
The younger Robotnik hung up, and Ivo was left in silence. He continued staring at the contacts image of Maria. She was once so young, and innocent. But she had also grown up a lot since then, and was part of a long line of geniuses, after all. Perhaps she had outgrown her innocence as well.
"That girl is hiding something," he muttered to himself.
Before he could consider the possibilities, a loud alarm began sounding off throughout the entire facility.
"Boss! There's a security breach in Sector 4!" Orbot shouted.
"Is it Obama?" Cubot trembled.
Ivo Robotnik cracked his knuckles and pulled up the monitors for all his combat droid stations. His fingers twiddled as he grinned, eager to try out his new toys.
"Oh I hope he's ready."
The sun was drifting downward toward the horizon, and the highways were filled with tired people heading home. The day was slowly drawing to a close, and some would come home to less than pleasant news. They were lucky, driving through traffic with only their usual daily worries for the time being. No future in sight, good or bad. Rainy envied them.
When she last went on a long drive like this earlier in the day, Barack Obama had managed to steal a Chaos Emerald from right under the world's gaze. Now, mere hours later, the news had reached the rest of the world, confirming to all those glued to their screens that the former president would not stop at merely one emerald.
"Cosmo, I'm begging you, get in touch with them or we're going to have a lot more problems to deal with. We need that milk!"
Adjacent to the grey rabbit, her partner had been wrapping up yet another call in her frantic attempt to get as much information gathering and planning done on the way to their next destination. With the situation having become as dire as it had, the world was counting on these two agents more than ever (and their driver, Vector).
Rouge hung up and rubbed her temples. It had become quite stressful managing this mission, with few people cooperating. She had accepted her partner Rainy's odd quirks, mainly because she at least got things done. The world could thank her for the second chamber of chaos milk filled into the chaos milk drive, courtesy of a certain wolf milkmaid.
Leaving Diamond Dairy wasn't exactly the pleasant experience Rainy had hoped for. Their visit did not end on the highest of notes, with the GUN agents having to rush out after being caught up on the news. Rainy only barely got to say goodbye to the happy milky wolf and her lemur companion. The two held hands and exchanged glances as they reluctantly waved goodbye to their hurried guests. It must've been worrying to see them in such a state, but they also seemed eager to get back to whatever business they had to return to, and Rainy managed to see Tangle give her wolf companion a kiss on the cheek to cheer her up before they parted ways.
Such good friends, thought Rainy.
"We'll be there in ten, Rouge," said the crocodile in the driver's seat, attempting once more to calm down his passenger. "Just take it easy for now. No point in stressing out even more."
"I will take it easy once we have some semblance of a plan!" cried the bat. "Even if we can get all the women on our list to fill a chamber, and that's a big if given how many problems people keep throwing at us, we're still running short."
"We'll get the third chamber filled in Floral Forest. I'm sure of it," Rainy answered back to a question no one had asked.
"Glad to have your vote of confidence, Rainy," Rouge muttered. "That still leaves us with only one more confirmed milkmaid willing to meet with us. Our other two candidates are taking their sweet-ass time getting back to us despite the freaking government practically begging for their help, and even then, that would still leave us with one chamber left over to fill. Who's going to fill that, Rainy? Do you have any more friends willing to help, huh?"
"Panicking won't help anyone," the rabbit replied. "Let's just take this one step at a time. Maybe once we fill the next few chambers we'll have found some more options. I'm mulling things over."
"Mulling what over, exactly?"
"Just…things! I can't just ask anyone! If it was that easy finding someone who can make pure chaos milk you guys wouldn't have come to me in the first place."
"Easy, ladies," Vector chimed in. "We're pulling up to the town. Just a bit more and we can make some more progress."
The tension remained, completely oblivious to the crocodile's attempt to ease it. On one side of the car was an angry bat, masking her fear with her anger. She wondered what good it'd do to make all the sacrifices they've made so far if a president with an emerald could go much faster. She thought of her old partner, up in space, still recovering. Why couldn't she be enough? thought Rouge, holding back the pool of emotion building up in her eyes.
On the other side was a lost rabbit, wondering what to do. It was her job to fill those chambers, and she couldn't do it alone. Her mind raced through every candidate she could think of. There might've been a few worth testing or asking, but with so little time to work with, would it be irresponsible to waste time on someone she wasn't even sure about? There was a high risk of failure for every chance she took, and each one wasted precious hours they'd desperately need. Sadly, though, Rainy didn't know of many other milkmaids she'd met in her life. None that she wanted to remember, at least.
The one positive spin in all this was seeing familiar territory pass her window by. Rainy had grown up in Floral Forest, though she hadn't visited in quite some time. She had dreaded returning and seeing old faces, but after recent events, it was almost comforting seeing the streets again. So many things had changed, and yet so much looked the same. The same shops she'd go to as a kid. The same corners she'd play with the other schoolgirls. All back during simpler times, before Rainy was chosen for GUN's secret projects.
Rainy now longed for that comfort she had let her guilt keep her apart from. Sometimes she just needed to let loose and relax. If not for her partner's temper, she'd almost asked Vector to stop and grab a bite to eat before their destination. Rainy spotted the old Subway she ate at after school. How long it had been since she last got to Eat Fresh?
But things were never that simple. The reason she never embraced this comfort before was because she knew how hollow it was. The safety of nostalgia was a mere blanket, and it wouldn't protect her from reality. Rainy knew where she was heading, and Spagonian Herb and Cheese sandwiches wouldn't prepare her any further.
"You contacted this milkmaid, right?" asked Rouge, trying her best to keep her temper in check.
Rainy didn't want a government agent arranging this visit, like the last one. This was one she'd have to set up personally, which she agreed to do when the car had last stopped for gas. At that time Rouge was fairly busy making a million other calls, and Rainy had used the opportunity to get herself off her butt and out to the side to do some work. All she had needed to do was make one phone call and say she was coming home.
"Yes," she lied, having obviously not done what she promised. She still had a few minutes before arriving. She'd think of something by then.
Having begrudgingly accepted the rabbit's alleged efforts, the white bat slunk back in her seat and tried to relax as best she could. She'd have to stay professional around others. One slip up could cost them severely, rendering so much of what everyone had been through invalid. The remainder of the ride down the pleasant streets of the small town was a purely silent one.
Floral Forest was a quaint little place. It was safe enough to see many children walking home from school without a care in the world. Everything was clean, with plenty of trees and flowers placed within view. The housing market wasn't the best, but when was it ever? It was as good a place as any to call home, and it was one home Rainy never wished to return to.
The crocodile driver pulled up to a quiet neighbourhood. Small children were playing their last few rounds of tag before it got too dark to play outside, and elderly folks came out to watch the sunset from their porches. A small home with a single light on awaited its new guests at the end of the small road. The car was parked outside and shut off, replacing one form of silence with another. No one spoke, leaving enough time for everyone to wonder who'd get out first.
After some time, Rainy bit the bullet. She eyed her partner, who had a little sign of impatience beginning to form on her face, but the two quickly unbuckled and stepped outside. There was a well kept porch to step on, and a small wooden door to knock on. Rainy, the rabbit, approached the door and knocked with the smallest force she could muster while still being audible. The two agents waited on the porch, while the crocodile merely got up to stretch his legs. Rainy almost wished to have someone else along as yet another distraction.
With little time wasted, the door swung open, behind which was a cream coloured rabbit woman. Before even laying eyes on her guests, she had already greeted them with the same warm smile she'd always put on when opening the door. No matter who it was, she'd make them feel welcome, and Rainy, in spite of everything, knew she was always welcome.
"Hey, Aunt Vanilla."
Vanilla Barony was a single mother. She and her daughter, Cream, had lived in Floral Village their whole lives. It was a lovely town, full of lovely people. Though their home sometimes felt lonely with just the two of them, they were never at a loss for company. They had plenty of friends and family nearby waiting to enjoy a nice tea time with them.
For Vanilla, the rabbit, it felt like just yesterday she'd be having quite a number of visitors dropping by regularly. Sadly, the number of guests she could expect had gone down a little as time went on. Some days, Vanilla still found herself growing faint of heart as she realised she'd never hear her sister's distinct knock at the door.
There was one knock she believed she'd hear again someday, though. Some nights she felt alone, even with her sweet daughter nearby. One less family member to say hello to, or offer a warm glass of milk before the cold walk home. But deep down, she knew it would only be a matter of time before she heard from her niece Rainy again.
"It's good to see you, dear," said the older rabbit, with a soothing voice. She was beaming.
Across from her was a familiar young rabbit woman, seated in her homely dining room and staring at the tray Vanilla had just placed down full of everyone's favourite biscuits and tea. Served with extra cream, of course. Vanilla didn't expect an immediate reply, but she was in no hurry for one. Rather than pressure the poor girl, she simply walked over to the couch where the handsome crocodile had opted to sit, not wanting to disturb the official business. He, of course, would get his own cup of tea as well, which he happily thanked his host for. No guest unserved under Vanilla's watch.
Sitting next to the younger, bashful rabbit, silent as ever, was a certain white bat, trying her best not to hurry things along. She could tell this was an awkward situation, even without Rainy's shortcomings bringing things down, and she didn't want to make things worse. But she nevertheless kept eyeing the clock in the corner to make sure the two rabbits weren't given any more time than was necessary.
The creamy brown rabbit finally returned to sit down in front of her most important guests. Her smile never dropped, and her eyes remained calm. She'd give her niece all the time in the world, if nothing else.
"We gonna say anything, Rainy?" Rouge, asked.
The greyish blue rabbit opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. She was sorry for not answering Vanilla's calls. For never visiting. For never checking in to make sure her aunt was handling her losses alright. After all, Rainy wasn't the only one to have lost family in the last decade.
Rainy felt guilty for coming only to ask for help. To only turn to the woman that helped raise her when she had nowhere else to go. Rainy wanted simply to say she was sorry for being a terrible niece, and a worse daughter, but knew better than to say something her saint of an aunt would simply correct her on.
And so nothing was said. The two rabbits continued sitting in silence, disturbed only by the sound of Vanilla's spoon twirling in her cup, having added just the right amount of cream and sugar.
The third person at the table, however, was more than happy to clear her throat and make some noise. Perhaps her partner hadn't heard her.
"Rainy," she grimaced.
"I…I need some help," Rainy said, her voice cracking.
The sweet rabbit auntie took a sip of her tea and nodded. She wasn't here to judge.
"You came to the right place then, sweetie. I'm always here for you."
A quiet "awww" came from the couch, ignored by Rouge, who was wishing she had the delicacy that Topaz did. Her human companion always was better at these types of family drama situations. For now, it was up to the white bat to handle things on her own.
"I trust you're up to speed after Rainy briefed you, right?" she asked.
Vanilla hummed and grabbed a biscuit to chew on, making sure to swallow quickly enough to answer. "I don't quite know what the problem is, but I'll do everything I can to help, miss…"
"Rouge Callisto, ma'am," the bat replied, before turning to glare at her partner for not doing her part.
"She's my partner," Rainy spoke up. "We have something important to ask you."
"I see," replied Vanilla, before leaning in to whisper. "And who's the crocodile?"
"He's our driver," said her niece.
"Driver?" Vanilla commented. "Well, I assume you're still not the type to hire a driver yourself. I take it he's your partner's then? What exactly do you do, miss Rouge?"
Rouge squinted a bit, trying to decipher what she believed was happening. It was clear Miss Barony wasn't informed on anything, much less up to speed.
"Just to clarify, we're partners within GUN, and I'm working with Rainy on a mission to help with the current situation happening with the former president."
Vanilla's eyes widened, but only just enough to show her worry. Part of her knew this was a possibility. As much as she wished her niece had come to ask for help with her new girlfriend after the current events left her feeling depressed again, she knew this family wasn't always allowed to live such a simple story.
The creamy rabbit made sure to hold onto the compassion in her eyes when looking at Rainy. When her niece was ready to make eye contact, she'd be greeted by the same inviting eyes she always saw. The same was not true for the GUN agent who had just formally introduced herself, though. For Rouge, Vanilla merely had the most polite smile she could muster through the hint of contempt formulating on her face.
"I'll trust Rainy's judgement on this one," she said, softly. "If she brought you here, then this must be important. Don't worry, Rainy. You can tell me anything."
The older rabbit reached out and placed her hand on Rainy's. The grey-blue rabbit had known all along she was welcome. As always, this level of understanding just worsened her feelings of guilt.
Vanilla was there for her after the Station Square incident, as was the rest of her family. They had supported her, and did their best to keep the pesky reporters and gossipy neighbours away. It wasn't easy, of course. Some folks in this town had lost family and friends in Station Square, and it was easy to simply blame the child living just down the street from them.
Of course, going back to school was out of the question. Rainy had not had any good encounters with her peers upon returning home, and despite the government's best efforts to keep her identity confidential and the story behind Dr. Robotnik's actions clear, it didn't stop the townsfolk from spreading their own rumours and beliefs. Rainy never felt safe when she was out about town.
Vanilla knew all too well how difficult a life her niece had led. The shadow of Gerald Robotnik loomed over the family in more ways than one. In the fifteen years since Rainy's return home, it was only inevitable that tragedy would strike once more. Her loving mother and father, who did everything they could to support her, had tragically passed away just a little over a year after the Colony War had ended. Vanilla lost her younger sister, and Rainy lost more of her safe haven.
It was a Deathfall that led to their accident. Space debris from the abandoned space colony had destroyed an old road leading to town, and the poor couple was among the casualties in the large resulting pileup. The mad doctor's handiwork had struck once more, and it had felt like he had cursed this family with his dying breath, leaving behind one last punishment for them to face alone. Life was cruel. Life was unfair.
Rainy was, of course, welcomed into Vanilla's home afterwards, but having recently become an adult, it wasn't long before she moved to the city and shut herself out from Floral Forest for good. Vanilla never blamed her, as much as she missed the days she had another family member around.
Despite the people behind the bureaucracy being entirely different, Vanilla was far from comfortable trusting the folks at GUN with her niece's wellbeing again. This Rouge woman definitely seemed to have a short temper around Rainy, and the pressure of the current situation the world was facing was definitely on a grand scale Rainy hadn't experienced directly yet, despite her fame. The brown rabbit had only one goal, and it was helping her niece. She'd put that distrust aside, and maintain faith in Rainy, ready to step in if things went wrong.
"Aunt Vanilla, I…" Rainy spoke up, "I…kind of need your milk."
Vanilla's eyebrows furrowed some more. "GUN" and "milk" in the same conversation as her niece was definitely a red flag for her.
"I take it this is your 'mission'?" she asked.
"We have a device that's capable of stopping Barack Obama," said Rouge, "but it needs controlled chaos milk to safely power it. Only the purest of milk will work, and Rainy suggested you might be a good candidate."
Vanilla was less than happy to have the GUN agent answering her questions. She understood the story, and had little reason to doubt it, but she would still have preferred to keep this discussion in the family.
"I haven't produced milk since Cream was a baby," she reported.
"I know," Rainy said. "But I remember getting to taste it back then. And I know you! You're good enough to be a professional milkmaid if you wanted. And I can sense you'd have strong chaos affinity. It…um…it is hereditary, after all."
Vanilla took a sip of her tea. She understood what Rainy meant. She took pride in her milk, but not in the way the younger folks did. She had never shared Rainy's fixation with milk, but was supportive of her interests. When the young girl was selected for milk experiments, Vanilla could see her excitement all through the weeks leading up to it. She had known this child would have a big future. Milk models had become all the rage, after all. The rabbit family had all placed their trust in these so-called doctors, expecting the young rabbit's dreams to become reality.
The truth was exceptionally crueler than they'd imagined.
"It sounds like you're in quite the predicament," she answered. "I'm sure if you couldn't get my milk, you'd have to work hard to find someone else. This means a lot, and if it's you asking me, Rainy, I will gladly do it."
Rainy felt a huge pressure lifted off of her. She had suspected her aunt would agree. She'd do anything for her niece, something Rainy continued to feel guilty towards. It was still worrying, wondering what she'd do if even her own family turned her down though.
"I appreciate your cooperation, ma'am," said Rouge. "We've trained and had some experience with the chaos milk procedure, so we're ready to start as soon as possible."
"Now?" asked Vanilla.
"If you need some time, I understand," Rainy replied. "It's been a while, and you've gotta prep appropriately if you want the best milk. I remember you'd always massage yourself when breastfeeding. That's good."
"I understand," Vanilla continued. "It's just that at this hour-"
"I'm home!" shouted a cheerful voice across the room.
All eyes turned away toward the young pair of girls entering through the front entryway. A hedgehog girl came in, standing behind a young rabbit who was distinctly older than the baby Rainy remembered. She looked the spitting image of her mother.
"Cream, welcome home," Vanilla replied, without missing a beat. "We have company."
The younger cream coloured rabbit gave a bright smile. It had been nine years, but she still remembered her favourite cousin. She passed by the portrait of the blue-grey rabbit in the hallway every morning, after all.
"Rainy!" she shouted.
"H-hey kiddo," Rainy whimpered.
The youngest of the rabbit family came running over. Rainy was seated but pulled herself back enough in time to receive a big hug. She was amazed Cream even remembered her, and even more so at the realisation this child was now in her young teens. She was almost up to Rouge's height.
"Are you staying over?" Cream asked.
"N-no. We're here on…business," said Rainy, eyeing everyone else in the room. Her eyes first wandered to Rouge, then Vanilla. Midway through scanning the room, though, her eyes caught those of the pink hedgehog, awkwardly standing by the room entrance, unsure when to join in. She seemed quite anxious, and gave a nervous wave after enough eye contact.
"Amy, this is my cousin! Say hello," Cream suggested. "Rainy, this is my friend, Amy."
"Uh, p-pleasure to meet you," the hedgehog said as she came over to shake the hands of the home's other guests. "I'm Amy Rose. I live next door. It was getting late so I was just walking Cream home."
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Rose," said Rouge, once the handshake offers reached her as well. "Rainy, could we have a word in the other room?"
"Way ahead of you," Rainy sighed, prying her cousin's arms off of her. Cream was always quite affectionate, and Rainy was glad to see that hadn't changed. She always had a soft spot for the kid, but who wouldn't? Only a monster could say no to their baby cousin.
"Why don't I join you girls real quick," Vanilla said. "Cream, you should get started on your homework."
"Sure," said the rabbit daughter. "Amy, you wanna stay for dinner?"
The pink hedgehog was dragged off to the staircase as the others made their way to the kitchen for maximum distance. Rouge also gave a glance at Vector commanding him to keep her updated while he had his phone out. He was not allowed to get too comfortable.
In the quieter corner, Rainy was fidgeting and awaiting her partner's complaints, but Rouge understood the situation enough to wait for Vanilla. It would be difficult to keep chaos milking hidden from her family, so they'd need to get all the information straight before breaking the news.
"Miss Barony," she spoke, "do you need us to give you a minute to talk things over with your daughter?"
"I'd appreciate it," said Vanilla. "It's a bit of a delicate subject for this family."
Rainy winced, remembering the times five-year-old Cream had to have Rainy's history explained when she'd ask why the neighbours were being so mean. It was difficult to keep it a secret forever, and Cream quickly learned to be careful when talking about milk around her older cousin.
"Rainy," Vanilla said, turning to her niece. "Can you do this chaos milk process by yourself?"
The tall rabbit paused, unable to answer. She could at least give an anxious nod to convey the thoughts racing through her mind, while also trying not to remember the missed opportunity she had when she came close to milking Whisper earlier that day.
"Rouge," the elder rabbit continued, "if you don't mind, I'd like to have only family members present during this. Is that okay?"
Rouge was also lost for words. She turned to her partner and silently asked with her eyes if it was indeed okay. Rainy was thankfully getting better at communicating with her partner, at least, and gave another nod back. The white bat would have to trust her on this.
"I think we can give you ladies some privacy," said Rouge. "You want me to get everyone else out of here?"
Vanilla gave her turn at silent nodding and turned to face Rainy as Rouge went into the other room to help empty the house. It would likely be very uncomfortable to have a government agent ask you to leave your neighbour's home, but that pink hedgehog would most certainly not say no. Her days were numbered.
The two rabbits were then left alone. Rainy still wasn't accustomed to being in this house once again. She saw her aunt's warm smile beaming at her and knew the compassion behind it was there to help her through this. The older rabbit gave Rainy an even warmer embrace and patted her on the head. It had been a long time since the two had any time alone to simply hug it out. The whole ordeal was enough to make Rainy a little teary eyed, but she had to stay professional for the milking process. She was just happy to be understood. After one last smile and nod at her aunt the two were now on the same page once more.
"Knock knock," said a green crocodile letting his presence be known. "We'll be waiting outside. You girls take your time."
As Vector walked his way to the front door, Rouge came right behind him, dragging the nervous Amy Rose alongside her. She seemed older than Cream, but was clearly still a schoolgirl, perhaps a bit frightened of all the serious folks hanging out in her neighbourhood. She didn't ask questions though, which left the youngest Barony to arrive at the kitchen with a somewhat worried look.
"Mama? What's going on?" she asked.
Vanilla let the question linger a bit as she pulled out a chair to sit on. She figured the kitchen would be the best place to be milked. It'd be easier to clean up any messes here, at least. She also figured it would be best for Rainy to do some of the explaining herself.
"Cream," Rainy said softly, "I need your mom's milk. It's very important."
Cream looked at her mother somewhat concernedly. In the years since Rainy's absence, she'd come to understand the situation with Rainy and Station Square a bit more, and how much that trauma had affected her cousin. If Rainy was willing to discuss milking again, Cream wasn't going to question it, but she definitely couldn't shake the feeling there was more to this, given the sudden request upon returning home.
"What's this all about, Rainy?" Cream asked.
Rainy was struggling to parse the emotion on her baby cousin's face. Cream would be fourteen now. Much older than the last time Rainy got to see her. She had never seen the younger rabbit give such a serious look. She was definitely understanding, and just wanted honesty. Something a child usually wasn't offered. This time was different, though.
"The president is threatening the world, Cream," Rainy explained, pulling out the chaos device she had in her jacket still. "I have this drive made by GUN here, see? It's powered by chaos milk, and can be used to control a weapon capable of keeping us all safe. But I can't do it alone. I need help, and your mother's agreed to offer some."
Vanilla turned to her daughter and smiled. Years of being a mother had given her the strong ability to foster comfort and ease in someone. So long as the women of this family had each other, they could get through anything.
"Is it dangerous?" Cream asked.
"It…might be a little scary, for some," Rainy replied, waving the chaos drive with a bit less caution than Rouge might have wanted from her. "But I think your mom's got what it takes to handle it."
"You can wait outside with the others if you'd like, Cream," Vanilla finally spoke.
The young cream coloured rabbit simply shook her head. She understood her role.
"I'm gonna stay here," she said. "I believe in you two."
The two younger rabbits stood side by side, staring at the chaos drive for a bit before they each turned to face Vanilla. She had not been asked much, and was ready to let Rainy take charge, which left the trio with a bit of a pause as they each waited for someone else to get things started. After a bit of fidgeting, Rainy finally gestured at her own chest, followed by an undressing motion at her aunt.
"Oh, right!" cried Vanilla, who began unfastening her dress.
"So how do you make chaos milk?" asked Cream, who finally felt at ease enough to let her curiosity through.
"I kinda just jab people with this thing and that triggers a lot of milk production," Rainy answered, wondering if GUN had perhaps placed more trust in her than they should.
"Could I try it?" the younger rabbit inquired.
"Not till you're older," Rainy replied again.
"Well if all you need is milk then I'm willing to help out. I've got boobs now too, you know."
"I'm gonna have to ask you to never say anything like that ever again," Rainy said firmly.
"Alright, girls. I'm ready," Vanilla interjected. She had her dress and bra folded neatly on her lap, her breasts laid bare. She gave her trademark smile and nodded for Rainy to continue.
"Do you have to jab her on the boob?" asked Cream.
"What did I just say, young lady?" Rainy whined.
This prompted a bit of a chuckle from her aunt. It was good to see her girls bickering like sisters again. She didn't wanna lose face by admitting that she wasn't sure where chaos drives have to inject you from either, though, so she continued waiting for Rainy to take over. The blue-grey rabbit soon grabbed her arm instead.
"Okay, auntie," she said. "Brace yourself. Chaos energy can get intense. Just…breathe. Stay calm. You know, your usual thing."
"I can do that," said Vanilla. "Let's get to milking."
Rainy held the chaos drive up to her aunt's arm and slowly pressed it against her skin. A quick jab could be heard as the oldest of the brown rabbits jumped a bit. The younger one, meanwhile, was watching eagerly.
"So now what?" she asked.
"Now we wait," said Rainy. "Should take a few seconds before she starts swelling."
The teenage rabbit followed Rainy's eyes to Vanilla's breasts, slowly realising what she meant by "swelling". She merely watched, mouth agape, as she recalled the science experiment involving blowing up a balloon with chaos water her teacher had demonstrated at school in the sixth grade.
"Shall I massage them?" asked Vanilla.
"If you feel sore," Rainy explained. She had already begun helping caress one breast to induce, only realising these were her aunt's breasts she was rubbing after it was too late. This was becoming too easy a habit to fall into for her. Ever the professional, though, she continued with the milk expression gestures. Her time with other chaos milk patients had left her unable to leave a breast unsoothed.
Vanilla exhaled deeply. Her niece wasn't kidding. She could already feel the Chaos energy flowing through her, and a strong heat pooling around her breasts. This was definitely a different kind of milking experience. She knew she had to put on a strong front in front of her girls though. Rainy came to her for help after all this time, and the older rabbit was eager to prove she was ever the reliable aunt.
"Mama, you're growing!" shouted Cream.
All eyes turned down to Vanilla's breasts. They were swelling, indeed. Rainy had let her aunt handle any soreness rubbing once growth was felt, but Vanilla was unable to touch anything, merely mesmerized by what she was seeing. Her chest was growing at a rapid rate, her nipples stung, and she could feel the weight with each jiggle as her breasts grew in size. She was trying to remain calm though, assuring herself this was a normal process that Rainy had seen a million times.
Rainy, meanwhile, was confused by how abnormal this growth was. She didn't expect her aunt to be a grower. Girls who grew fastest tended to be messier, from her experience. Already she was looking around the kitchen for any pots and pans that could prove useful.
"Geez, they…sure are growing," cried Cream, who was beginning to get a little concerned. "How's it feel?"
"Very strange," said Vanilla. The stinging had given way to a bizarre stretching sensation. It was not unpleasant, but definitely an odd one. Holding her hands to her breasts gave a very firm sensation. Like she was being inflated with highly compressed air.
It didn't take long for her to witness what was actually inside those growing fur balloons though. Vanilla jumped and shook in her seat as quick and fierce bursts of milk jutted out of her nipples, albeit small ones.
"R-Rainy!" cried Cream.
Rainy returned to her old spot with the biggest pot she could find. Upon seeing the steady pace her aunt's milk streams were spurting, she decided against the pot and merely handed it over to her cousin with no instruction. The younger cousin held on, confused, as Rainy nonchalantly held the pot lid forward with perfect timing to block the farthest reaching stream of milk yet.
Vanilla struggled to stay still. Her whole body felt like shuddering, as if the milk was flowing through her entire bloodstream. She figured that was likely the chaos part at work, but most distracting was the ever shortening pause between milk spurts. A familiar sensation built up as her nipples squirted more and more milk, building up to a continuous stream that wouldn't stop. As if the floodgates let loose, the elder rabbit whimpered and slumped down in her chair, glad to see her niece was protecting herself with her pot lid shield. Cream followed suit, holding up the pot to shield her face from splash damage.
"How you feeling, auntie?" asked Rainy.
"D-do I really have to answer that?" answered a flustered Vanilla. The stream was building up, not ceasing its ramp up. By now she felt a small bit of force pushing her back in her chair, as her breasts continued to swell. Holding her hands up, she was surprised how quickly they came into contact with her skin. Her breasts had more than doubled in size and were spraying milk in a farther and wider cone, getting the floor all wet. They were also a bit more sensitive than she was accustomed to, resulting in another yelp.
By now, Rainy could see it was time to collect the milk. It was a steady stream, and the bits that splashed in her mouth told her this milk was good and ready. She inched closer, pot lid in one hand, chaos drive in the other, and reached out to collect as much of it as possible. The ingenuity of Dr. Prower's design made it quick and easy, with Vanilla's bountiful supply quickly filling one of the chambers with a bright white colour.
After a mere second, a soft hiss noise signaled the chamber sealing and settling down. Mission accomplished, thought Rainy, offering herself a proud smile for once.
"H-h-how much more of this is there left?" asked Vanilla.
Rainy tried to take a closer look, but let her guard down too much and got a big splash of milk square in her face. It tasted quite good, but there would be plenty to taste afterwards. The younger rabbit knew from experience that the more explosive lactations were harder to predict. With no other way to know the answer she figured there was only one way to make sure.
No longer caring about the splash damage, Rainy began to unzip her GUN issued jacket. She made sure to tuck the drive safely in the pocket before rolling the jacket around it to keep it safe, if a bit drenched. She also was regretting wearing a white tank top today, but as long as the family wasn't being shy around each other, now was definitely not the time to worry about modesty.
Cream felt the bundled up jacket shoved in her direction. It was difficult to balance the bigger pot in one hand, so she wound up getting hit with some stray milk, leading to her having to step off to the side a bit more.
"Rainy?" she asked, backing her mother's inquiry.
Rainy tried blocking a few bursts of milk from hitting her, but her arm was a futile shield by comparison. After letting it down and merely taking it all in, she began to realise what an absurd situation she was in. Staring down her mostly naked aunt, tits bigger than her head, with milk spraying all over the walls and floor. She, herself was mostly drenched from standing directly in line of fire.
And she began to laugh.
"It's fine. It's just milk!" she giggled, tossing her hands up and twirling, getting her back side wet as well. Her loose tank top did very little to hide her own body at this point.
Rainy hadn't laughed very often on her own. Just a few comedies she'd watch here or there, though few got more than a chuckle out of her. In this moment, though, she couldn't stop cackling as her aunt and niece looked with mild confusion.
Vanilla was alarmed for a few seconds, but soon felt comfort in seeing her niece smile like she hadn't in a very long time. It was infectious, and she soon found herself joining. She reached down and tossed her folded up dress to the wet floor, realising it was far too damp to bother maintaining any neatness. She smiled at her daughter, who couldn't help but chuckle as well, seeing her family looking so dumb.
Rainy stepped closer and grabbed Vanilla's left breast, giving it a good squeeze. It still felt quite plump, and she could easily feel the pressure from the milk squeeze out some more as she applied pressure. A quick check of the right breast with her other fingers told her all she needed to know. She held her hands there for a second, like checking someone's pulse, and then nodded.
"I think it's slowing down," she said, shaking her head as she spoke to keep the milk dripping off her hair from clouding her vision.
"Well it still f-feels like a lot," Vanilla said, blushing at the sound of her voice cracking. She was slowly getting used to the sensation, but it was still an embarrassing one. "Rainy, these things are heavy!"
Rainy gestured at Cream to come closer. Reluctantly the teen rabbit came into the chaos, feeling her pot shield taken from her hands as Rainy held it up. She had to readjust it a bit, as it splashed some milk right back into Vanilla's face at first, but soon began collecting it in a solid container.
"You'll feel better once it stops," she spoke, grabbing one of her own breasts with her free hand. "Though I hate to break it to you, these can still feel heavy even when not lactating."
"Rainy, it's filling up!" Cream said, starting a new round of laughter.
The pot quickly grew too heavy for one arm, and Rainy had to place it steady stream of milk wasn't quite slowing, though it was definitely spurting less hecticly, and succumbing to gravity far more quickly. After placing her hands on her hips and giving a quick sigh, Rainy merely shrugged and got down on her knees in front of her seated aunt. She couldn't do much, but she'd help out a little.
Rainy held up one of Vanilla's nipples and placed an open mouth over it. She soon began suckling on the warm milk she hadn't tasted in full since Cream was a baby. It tasted very soothing. It was the taste of home. Rainy almost felt a tear roll down her cheek as she began to drink up, though that could've just been from the fact she was wet all over. Her ribs felt sore from all the laughter, and she was tired from all the driving that day, but despite all that, she couldn't feel more comfortable. She closed her eyes and slumped down to a more cozy position, gently drinking her fill.
Vanilla, on the other hand, was startled. She knew Rainy liked her milk, but she at least expected to be asked first. After a split second to process the peaceful face calmly drinking from her, she merely returned to her default smile and raised an arm, eager to pet her poor little Rainy once again.
"Cream, it's still just as good, you wanna try?" Rainy asked her cousin in between sips. "It's good to release pressure evenly if possible."
Cream, unsure what to do without her shield, had simply been staring for a bit as the situation unfolded. Like Rainy, she had accepted her clothes getting wet and didn't mind one bit as the chaos began to die down. Though it took a second to think it over, she eventually shrugged and accepted the offer.
"I guess at this point, why not," she sighed, as she approached her family.
Vanilla held out her other arm and embraced her daughter, who soon joined in and helped relieve some of the pressure from the still leaking breasts. The rabbit woman breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that pressure die down, but also happy to be together like this with her two girls. They were a family again.
The three rabbits stayed in that kitchen in silence, until the last drop from Vanilla's dark brown nipples were gulped up, and their job was done.
It was some time before Rainy and the Barony women found themselves decent. The kitchen was a mess, and would have to wait before getting a proper cleaning. Cream went upstairs to grab some towels and spare clothes, having to throw her own off first to avoid dripping everywhere. She and Rainy couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of their situation as they dried off, watching Vanilla struggle to do the same with her new assets getting in the way.
Rainy gave her aunt a proper inspection before affirming her that all was well and that the swelling would likely go down sooner than she thought. She told stories of her time in space, seeing other "blimps", as she called them, and how drastic their size changes were.
Vanilla was definitely relieved. Especially after having to try on her third sweater, being unable to fit into the first two Cream brought down. It was a bit warmer than she'd usually wear at this time of year, and it did nothing to hide the very large mounds on her chest, but it would do for now. One of the spares was lent to Rainy as well, who had to discard her own top and bra as she did her assessments with just a towel wrapped around her neck. A pile of wet laundry was pooled into the corner, over the many towels strewn about to help the cleaning afterwards.
Rainy, with her new brown sweater that Vanilla insisted she keep, clapped her hands and asked if the others were ready to step outside. Vanilla was helped out of the kitchen, giving her time to adjust to her new center of gravity, and the three emerged. They had taken maybe 30 minutes at most, but it felt like they kept the others waiting a lifetime. The sun was still in its final stages of setting, and the day was still not over.
Rouge was shouting into her phone, with Amy being forced into being her makeshift assistant, holding up the laptop being used to check up on the media coverage of the day's earlier events.
"No, you listen here, Boobowski! If your boss doesn't call us back herself then we're going to march right up to her door and break it down. I've got a lot of work on my plate and the last thing I need is…oh god, she's crying!"
Rouge braced herself against the car in an attempt to ground herself and the situation. She clearly felt alone in this ordeal and wasn't getting much help outside of GUN. Her voice became strained as she forced herself to maintain the professional tone she had grown increasingly tired of.
"Just call us back, you hear?" she muttered, ending with a gentle press of the disconnect button she greatly wished was a slam instead.
"Everything okay, Rouge?" asked Rainy, leaving her aunt to her cousin, and the kind Vector who stepped in to help Vanilla keep balance.
"This is a nightmare, Rainy. Just got word about Biggs saying she's still waiting for approval from her doctor, and our other little drama queen has been ghosting us all day. We're no closer to scheduling a meetup with either of them!"
The white bat rubbed her face, completely exhausted. She glanced at the obvious change in wardrobe the rabbit family had, as well as the changes in Vanilla's silhouette, ending her stares on Rainy, in the hopes of hearing good news.
Rainy held out the chaos drive, still safe in the damp jacket she brought out with her. She gave an uncharacteristic smile that almost disturbed Rouge, but any positive change was welcome.
"That's three," Rouge muttered. "Vector, how soon can we be in Autumn Hills?"
The crocodile cleared his throat, trying to keep his eyes from wandering. "If we leave now it'll be the middle of the night when we get there. We could rest on the road while we wait for everyone to wake up."
"Autumn Hills?" asked Vanilla. "That's still a ways away. Why sleep in the car when you could rest up here and head out in the morning?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Rouge sighed. "We're in a rush. We still don't have enough maids lined up to fill the chamber."
The GUN agent turned to her partner once more. Now it was Rainy's turn to see a new expression. Rouge looked tired and lost, and her strong facade was cracking. She was at a loss for what to do and just wanted to know Rainy had a plan. The grey rabbit, unfortunately, did not.
"If you need more milk I can give it a try," Cream exclaimed eagerly.
"No you can't," Rainy called out. "You're fourteen."
"Well you were only sixteen when you became a milkmaid," the small cream rabbit cried out with a pout, gesturing her arms at the condition the family and agents were in. "And it doesn't look like you have a lot of options. Besides, it should run in the family, right? I can handle it."
"No you can't!" Rainy said, finally letting her voice become more stern. "I know we're desperate, but we're not going to ask a minor to help. Chaos milk isn't anything to sneeze at."
"Can I try?" asked another voice.
All eyes turned to the pink hedgehog, awkwardly holding the laptop she was never informed to put away. She fidgetted her fingers, nervously looking at the group.
"If that's okay with you," she added.
"Still out of the question!" Rainy said. "We'll think of something, right Rouge?"
Rainy turned to her partner, who, unfortunately, was still looking back with the lost eyes from before. She could tell the bat was thinking the same as her, but also had a mind full of other concerns.
"Rainy…we're running out of time," Rouge said quietly.
The tall rabbit glanced back at Amy, the girl she had only just met less than an hour ago. She tried her best to assess her body, but was struggling to even humour the option. Rainy tried to forget the dread racing through her head on the drive over, but some family bonding time wasn't enough to chase away those worries. She knew a decision had to be made.
"How old are you exactly?" asked Rainy.
"Seventeen," replied Amy.
Rainy looked at the group. Namely, to Vanilla. The older rabbit merely gave a nervous smile. She was just as uncertain what to say, but trusted her niece's judgement. The entire group was waiting on Rainy, the only professional here. She looked back at the nervous pink hedgehog, ready to turn her down with a list of reasons nobody could challenge, but as usual, words failed her.
"Crap," she muttered.