Chapter 6: Naming the team
From the night they took refuge in the small, run down motel right up to the present night, Tails, Cream and Espio hadn't stopped on their mission to rid the city of crime. Tails and Cream regularly patrolled the streets from the sky, looking for trouble while The Chameleon stood alone, checking up on various bars around town and getting a few drinks in here and there. One night during a late visit, a fight broke out between him and a group of street fighters.
"Come on, guys.. we all came here to drink, why do we gotta fight?" Espio asked sarcastically.
"Shut up, Chameleon." A large polar bear shouted as he pushed Espio against a wall, causing everyone to stop talking and look on. "I warned you not to come back here, not after you stole my buddies wallet!"
"Hey, it was for a good cause.. and I paid him back anyway!" Espio retorted, pushing the polar bear back.
"I guess me and my boys have to teach you a lesson, freak!"
Espio ducked out of the way of an incoming punch and watched as the polar bear struck the wall. His friends circled The Chameleon so Espio decided to clear some space by throwing the leader around the room. One by one his friends flew back, hitting other people. Espio grabbed the bear and held his fist above his head while staring at him.
"I didn't wanna do that.." Espio released the bear and looked around. "Anyone else wanna try it while I'm still sober?"
Tails and Cream casually made their way down the same street the bar was on and made small talk to pass the time.
"So what do you think Espio is up to right now?" Cream asked while looking down at her phone.
"Ah, you know him. He's probably at some bar drinking away or trying to pick up another girl.." Tails answered, eyes focused ahead.
The sound of glass shattering made the fox and rabbit jump back and look around to find the source of the destruction. Tails raced down the street to the bar and found his friend lying on his back on the sidewalk.
"You okay?"
"Just fine.." Espio took one more drink of his bottle then tossed it aside.
"Need backup?"
"Nah. They're just drunks trying to look tough. I got this. Go talk to her, kid."
Espio rose to his feet and pushed Tails out of the way of an incoming punch. The Fox stepped back and stopped Cream.
"He said he's got this."
"But he's out numbered-"
"Lets not bother him, or he'll start layin' it to us."
"Alright, if you say so."
Once Tails and Cream left the area, Espio began his comeback, knocking heads around the street even worse than he was inside. One by one, every guy from the bar filled the street to get a piece of The Chameleon. Espio seemed to punch and kick in every direction at super sonic speed, knocking back everyone who stepped up to him.
This attracted the attention of an under ground fighting scout who was the only one still drinking inside. He watched with a grin as Espio continued to mercilessly beat his clueless opponents. Once the Chameleon had taken down all challengers, the fight scout finished his cocktail and walked outside to approach him, causing Espio to jump back in his fighting stance again.
'Whoa, there tough guy. I'm not here to fight, but to make you an offer for some serious cash." The Scout said in a brash, Jersey accent. "You know about the under ground fighting game, right? Elite fighters from all over Mobius come here to see who is the toughest, and make thousands of dollars if they win. You would be a perfect addition to our community, friend. What do ya say?"
The Scout extended his hand to the Chameleon.
"Names, uh.. Sky, friend. And I say sign me up."
Espio shook the scout's hand, bringing a smile to this guys' face.
"Great. Show up here tomorrow night and we'll bring you to the first of many arenas. Until then, watch yourself on these streets. Seems like you've already got quite the fanbase."
Espio nodded and walked away from the guy, stopping to pick up a bottle from the hands of one of the drunks left on the sidewalk. Espio took a long drink from his new liquor bottle and after a long walk, he reached the "greasy" motel. The chameleon glared at the tall hedgehog as he walked by, not taking his eye off him. He finally past the desk and down a hallway toward his rented room. He walked in the doorway and then into Cream/Tails' room.
"So I found out I have super speed when I'm fighting, guys."
Tails and Cream jumped out of their seats quickly.
Espio stopped at the door abruptly. "Oh, my bad, did I interrupt something?"
"No, we were just… talking. Are you okay?" Cream asked.
"Never better, kid.." Espio answered while turning around.
Cream spotted blood running down his back so she stood up and stopped him. She lifted up his shirt and her eyes widened upon the sight of three giant gashes still pumping out blood.
"Oh Jesus, Espio! You're bleeding bad!" Cream ran into her bathroom and grabbed a few paper towels to cover his wounds.
"Shit, eh. Didn't notice those. I can't feel anything back there." Espio held the paper towels on his back.
"Come in the bathroom, I'll sterilize those." Cream said, pulling Espio into the bathroom and leaving Tails alone.
The fox could hear the two trying to talk quietly in the bathroom so he ignored them and opened his back pack. He pulled out his Chaos emeralds and held them in front of his face, staring into the glowing emeralds intently.
Why don't I have any special ability yet? This is bullsh-
"So we've been kicking the crap out of this city's bad guys as a team. Maybe we should give that team a name, you know?" Cream said as she re-entered, with Tails making eye contact.
Tails put his emeralds away before speaking. "Alright, lay a name on us, captain."
"I don't have one, I'm just saying we should name ourselves. It would be kinda cool." Cream sat next to Tails.
Espio walked in the room next with a beer bottle in hand. "How about Rush?"
"Isn't that a band?" Tails asked rhetorically.
I don't know. Do you have any ideas, Prower?"
"As a matter of fact, I do...Skyline! That has a nice ring to it." Tails smiled as he looked at Cream for an answer.
"That actually doesn't sound half bad. Where'd you come up with that?" Cream looked Tails in the eyes for his response.
"I just thought of it, I'll have you know."
"Okay, we're now officially 'Team Skyline' But how do we get our name out there?" Cream stood up and looked out her window.
"I can go out and tag a few buildings, I picked up some spray paint the other day." Tails offered, rattling a can dramatically.
"Yes, defacing public property, I love it! Espio?"
"Some fighting scout signed me up for an underground fight club. I can spread the word to watch out for those guys and nobody would guess I'm in it." Espio took another drink.
"Lets do this, then. Tails, you're up first tonight. Tag the factories, warehouses..anywhere you think thugs would hang out." Cream ordered. "I want them to know and eventually fear our name!..."
The Fox was about to put on his beanie and grab his stuff when he noticed his crush grinning intently.
"Uh-"
"I'm joking, Tails! Well, partially."
The fox shouldered his back pack cautiously. "Not gonna lie, that both terrified me and turned me on at the same time."
Cream broke out into laughter before regaining composure. "Go. Make us proud, foxboy."
Tails hit the streets while Espio and Cream relaxed in the motel, wondering how they were going to top tonight's activities. Within two hours, cop sirens were blaring all around town and a helicopter was in the sky with it's search light scouring the city. Tails entered the the room and sat down.
"What did you do out there, Prower?" Espio asked.
Tails picked up a remote and switched on a small T.V to the news channel.
..Breaking news in Two Gates, a vandal has struck, spray painting several factories, demolished buildings, Gore road elementary school and even the streets with only one word "SKYLINE"
The origin of this vandal or the word spray painted is unknown. Police have also brought in eight members of one of the many local street gangs and whether the vandal has anything to do with this is under investigation. We'll keep you posted as this story continues..
"I'm guessing that was you who took out those gang members, too."
"Well, it would have been more but I was running out of time so I just ran off after I was finished with one gang."
Tails took Espio's beer bottle from him but the chameleon snatched it back.
"One drink, come on!"
"You're under the legal drinking age.. and this is all I have for the night."
Espio walked out of Cream's room and into his own.
"Good work out there, Tails. I'm going to sleep now so either do the same or go party with Espio."
Cream kicks her shoes off and jumped into her bed.
"I don't think that's happening, and I'm tired anyway."
Tails took off his 'stealth' jacket and Cream laughed.
"What?"
"You have purple and white all over your chest, Bob Ross."
Cream pulled out her phone and snapped a quick photo of the red faced fox.
"Haha, laugh it up.." Tails left the room and went straight into the bathroom. The shower started while Cream slowly fell asleep.
Espio had the classic rock station blaring in his room for hours on end to take away the boredom. He hardly slept and when he did, it wasn't for very long so he was almost always awake. Espio spent hours doing pushups, sit ups and stepped outside to a metal support beam to do chin ups from it.
He laid down on his bed and slept for about an hour, then got up again to have a few drinks. Around Noon, the chameleon left the motel and went back into the city. Espio walked to the same bar he was at the day before and saw the windows were still broken, but the bar was re-opened. He took a seat on a stool and a female Timberwolf sat next to him.
"Good afternoon to you, could I buy you a drink?" Espio asked.
Before she could say anything, her boyfriend walked up to her and looked at Espio. "She's with me, freak."
"Do you know how many times I've heard that now? Come up with something new, pal.."
Espio took a sip from his bottle and turned around to see the notorious hitman Sleuth dogg staring at him.
"You're lucky we're in a hurry or I'd break that horn off your head, chameleon. Lets go, Phoenix.."
Dog walked out the door, while his girl Phoenix waved goodbye to Espio and followed him. They were just another couple passing through, forgotten about as the hours passed and replays of sports games cycled on the tv.
"Hey, Sky! Over here.."
It was the fighting scout.
"A bit early to be hitting the booze, don't ya think?"
"It's never too early for me."
"Whatever floats your boat. Come on, I'll show ya the downtown arena."
Espio got inside a black SUV with the fighting scout and took a ride around town until they reached an old pizza store. They walked in the grungy building, to the back of the store and to a cellar.
The two descended the dark steps and reached a barbed and razor wire fence that had a pad lock on it. The scout produced his key and opened fence door. After a long walk down dark tunnels, the two reached a large room with a small fence making a square in the middle. Lights go on and one by one crowd members circled around the fenced square.
"This is an old parking garage that was closed because too many people were being robbed and shot." The scout cracked a wicked smile. "Perfect place for us to indulge in illicit activities...that is the fight pen. Only two are allowed in before and during the fight. We send our guys in to clean up the mess they leave. Welcome to the underground fight club."
"Who's first?" Espio walked straight into the fight pen and cracks his knuckles.
"You heard him, boys! Who's it gonna be?"
The scout backed up and nods at someone at a DJ table. Rap music blared through a sound system and everyone started cheering.
A large polar bear pushed past some of the crowd members and roared angrily at Espio. The chameleon chuckled and waited for the bear to enter the pen. Espio stood his ground as the polar bear got in the pen and in his face. The steel fence door slammed shut and it was time to fight.