Chapter Six: Arcade!

"So that's what happened, we got our backsides kicked." Sonic rolled his eyes and sighed as he watched Tails working on some sort of machine.

"Blaze told me he didn't lay a finger on you." Tails raised his eyebrow, scratching his head with the wrench in his hand, "By the way, can you get off the shelf?"

"I like it high up." Sonic folded his arms immaturely, "Besides, I've seen you put heavy machinery up here."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Tails sighed, grabbing a drill and returning to his work.

"What are you doing by the way?"

"I was waiting for you to ask." The fox smiled, "I'm trying to make a machine which will let us travel between universes without a Chaos Emerald. It'll be pretty useful if this 'mystery person' is as strong as you say."

"Mystery man? We need to think of a name for that guy."

"You do that. Meanwhile you'd better put your fingers in your ears, this drill is pretty loud." Tails turned the drill on, causing a loud whirr that blocked out all other sound in the room, no, he didn't need it, but it was better than listening to Sonic rambling on.

"What about blue man? No. I'm blue, erm...cloaky! 'Cause he has a cloak, or cloak man. Yeah, Cloak Man. Y'know I need to get a cloak. Tails? Tails?!" He leaned forward too far, causing him to drop straight off of the shelf.

Tails turned around and turned the drill off to see Sonic rubbing his head, "Yes, Cloak Man. I heard, even over the loudest drill that I've got."

"Is Cloak Man good?"

"It's fine. Why don't you go and ask the others what they think? Where are they all by the way?"

"Erm. Blaze walked off after I almost made her break her neck at the altar and Marine and Silver have gone mooching somewhere."

"You didn't ask where? They'll get lost! They've never really seen this world before!"

"I'm gonna find 'em, cool your jets." Sonic waved a dismissive hand and walked casually out of the room. Tails returned to his work.

--

"Right." Marine rubbed her hands together as she looked at the city before her, it wasn't big, but to a girl who had spent almost her whole life in a small island community it was massive. "Where do you wanna go first Silve-?" she turned around to realise her cobalt companion missing, but, she merely shrugged and started walking. Her naturally curious eyes gleamed as she looked in every shop window- mainly the chocolate shops.

Something then caught her eye in a nearby dress shop, not the window, she had never really been bothered about dresses, no. What caught her attention was the light purple cat walking out, looking rather proud of herself with an admittedly beautiful dress in her arms.

"Blazey!" Marine waved at her from across the street, shocking the cat beyond belief, Marine crossed the street to come to her quickly, "That's a noice dress."

"I know! Can you believe they have the same currency in this uni-" Blaze's eyes then widened as her brain realised what her mouth had just said, "What dress? I hate dresses." She shoved it in its bag and held it behind her.

"Yer sure have good taste fer someone who dan't loike them." She peered behind the blushing cat, "Red suits you."

"Shouldn't you be with someone Marine?" Blaze quickly changed the subject, keeping the bag behind her.

"Eh, Silver's gone walkabout." She looked around, then did a cute face to Blaze, "Can I knock about with you fer a whoile?"

"Erm, gee..." Blaze stepped backwards slightly, scratching her neck, luckily she then noticed her saviour not far away, "Wouldn't you rather go in that arcade?"

"Arcade?" The young raccoon's face lit up as she noticed the neon sign not far away, "Arcadearcadearcadearcadearcadearcadearcade!"

Blaze watched the raccoon narrowly avoid about four cars as she sped towards the arcade, then looked at her dress, finally, alone.

"Blaze!"

"Oh lord..." she sighed as the blue hedgehog sped towards her.

"I've been looking for you for ages! Well, ten minutes but, yeah. I was thinking, y'know that guy who attacked us with the cloak."

"Mm hm."

"He needs a name right?"

"I suppose."

"I was thinking... Cloak Man!" Sonic waves his hands infront of her face, expecting her to be astonished, she wasn't.

"Sonic, y'know there's an arcade over there."

"Arcade?" Sonic's face lit up as Marine's had done, he was gone in a flash, however the comment he made while running off made Blaze blush like mad. "Nice dress by the way! You suit red!"

--

"Silver? What're you doing here?" Marine pouted as she watched the hedgehog playing 'Pac-Man'.

"Hey, I love arcades."

"You ditched me!"

"Meh... No! Up! UP! Aw!" The tiny yellow blob on the screen let out a little wail as it was consumed by the pink ghost. "You see what you made me do!?"

"You were doin' it wrong anyways." Marine was already eyeing up the dance mat game. "Betcha I can beat you at this."

"You're on!"

They were about half way through the song when Sonic came in, he began to laugh at Silver's failure, he gave up half way through the song. "Damn thing's rigged."

"Marine's doing fine. Watch this." Sonic grinned and jumped onto the mat and began making every step with ease, leaving Silver gobsmacked as he jumped off. "Fastest feet in the world." He stuck his tongue out.

"You suck Silver," Marine grinned and stuck her tongue out too.

Silver folded his arms as he walked out, "I hate arcades anyway."