"Espio. You murdered Sonic the Hedgehog."

The magenta chameleon pales against Tails's accusing point, his eyes flickering from him to me. "I… I…"

"You hurt him, didn't you?" Amy's face holds flaming rage as she looms over the chameleon. "WHY? Tell me why!"

Espio starts to respond but Amy swings her hammer at him, knocking him into the wall.

"Amy!" gasps Tails.

The chameleon shakes his head frantically as Amy advances on him again. "No, I-I swear! I didn't do this to him!"

"But you ARE the murderer!" snaps Amy.

"W-Well yes, I was the murderer assigned by the game," Espio stammers back, rising unsteadily to his feet and approaching Amy carefully. "But I did not hurt him further than using that blowdart to knock him out! I promise!"

This seems to enrage Amy further. "Why should I believe you?!" she growls, lunging again. This time, thanks to Espio attempting to dodge rather late, her hammer connects with the chameleon's upper arm.

Tails leaps forward and pulls Amy away as Espio sinks to his knees, clutching his arm in pain. "Amy, stop!"

"He's telling the truth."

Everyone, including me, whirls round to find Sonic standing up off the bench we had lain him down on, rather unsteady on his feet. Tails and Amy both rush to his side. "Sonic!" Amy gasps in relief. "You're awake!"

Sonic's eyes flicker briefly to Espio. "Espio got me with the dart, but that's it. This entire train is a badnik; it's being powered by a flicky. It fought back against me when I tried to escape."

"What?!" gasps Tails.

"It's got the conductor. I tried to fight back but I couldn't. If it weren't for the knockout stuff, I might've won."

Fire flares back up in Amy's eyes and she again whirls on Espio, who flinches. "So it was still your fault!" she snarls, raising her hammer again. "If you hadn't attacked him-!"

"AMY!"

Amy spins round so fast she almost hits Sonic with the hammer by accident. "WHAT?"

"He was just playing the game!" Sonic grabs the end of her hammer and forcibly lowers it. "There's no way he could've known about the train!"

After a moment, Amy calms down. "Fine. What do we do now?"

"This train is trying to take us to Eggman," explains Sonic. "We have to stop it before that happens."

Amy nods and takes charge immediately. "Alright, everyone split up and do what you can to stop this train! Espio." She turns, shooting a ferocious look at the chameleon, who had just started to get up. "You stay here and look after the kid."

Espio hangs his head. By the time I realise "the kid" means me, everyone else has cleared out of the conductor car, the door sliding shut behind them.

After a moment, I turn to Espio, who now sits slumped against the wall, clasping his arm. Now that I'm paying full attention, I can see a bruise on his shoulder, presumably from where it connected with the wall the first time Amy hit him. "A-Are you okay?" I stammer.

Espio doesn't open his eyes. "This is all my fault."

I quickly shake my head. "No, it… it isn't. You were just playing what you thought was the game. Once your friends have saved us, I'm sure they'll understand."

"How could I have been so stupid?" murmurs Espio, as if he hadn't heard me. "Eggman could have attacked at any time; using knockout poison on Sonic was a stupid decision at best. I should have seen through this stupid game."

"Sir…"

"Please, call me Espio. I'm certainly no sir."

To my surprise, this doesn't feel as wrong as I was expecting. "E-Espio. If you're to blame, then I am too."

Espio glances up at me in clear surprise. "What?"

I sit down next to him, staring down at my hands clasped in my lap, resisting the urge to twiddle my fingers the way I used to when I was scared as a kid. "In truth, I had a feeling something was wrong when I saw Sonic in the dining car. Tails and Amy thought he was just pretending to be dead but… Sonic muttered something to me while he was lying there, and he sounded so weak, like he was really hurt. I should have spoken up. But I was just so afraid of messing up my job on my first day that I… I just…" My voice cracks, and I fruitlessly try to wipe away tears. "I wasn't brave enough. I've just been following Tails around this whole time because I was too stupid and cowardly to speak up."

"You are not a coward," says Espio softly. "And I may only have known you a few hours but I can already tell you have the makings of a great detective."

"Wh- What?"

"The way you questioned my alibi back in the library and the way you smashed all my rebuttals to bits right here in this conductor's car just minutes ago, well… Anyone would think you had done this before."

The compliment catches me off-guard. "Tails did most of it, I was just following his lead."

"Tails started off a lot of your points but you followed through," Espio responds. "Trust me, I've been a detective for over a decade. I know when someone's using their own skills versus riding off someone else's."

I glance back down at my hands. "So… where does that leave us?"

"I believe it leaves us alone in the conductor car of a train speeding us towards certain doom," replies Espio sardonically.

I sigh. "Great."

Getting to my feet, I start to run my hands over the window. Unopenable, as expected. A search of the door proves just as fruitless.

"What are you doing?" Espio asks.

"Looking for a way out." I pull at the door handle a few times. "I guess they locked us in."

"I don't doubt that; in all honesty, Amy probably still suspects me."

"So she locked me in here with someone she suspects of viciously attacking her best friend," I say, eyeing the chameleon. "That's not worrying at all."

Espio raises an eyebrow back at me. "And here I assumed we were becoming friends."

"No no, don't get me wrong: I don't think you meant to cause any harm," I explain quickly. "I think ironically, I'm least scared when I'm with you."

"Really?" Espio scoffs. "That is a surprise."

As I open my mouth to reply, a thought hits me. I turn my gaze to the ceiling, where a metal grate hangs open, exposing the darkness above.

Espio watches me curiously. "What are you doing now?"

"Tails said there was a passage in the ceiling," I say. "Maybe we can use it to escape."

"Oh…!" Espio rises to his feet and follows my gaze. "Good idea! Here, hold onto my back."

I blink. "W-What?"

"Hold onto me," Espio repeats, walking over to the wall, glancing back at me. "I'll climb up there and get us in."

"I, uh…" I feel my knees start to shake. "I think I'd rather stand on something."

"This is the fastest way, Nash. You have to trust me."

"I…" I almost argue again. But something in the earnest look Espio is giving me makes me believe it might actually be okay. "Okay."

I cling onto Espio's back, my arms wrapped awkwardly around his chest from behind. Espio moves forward and effortlessly climbs up the wall, as easily as if he's just crawling along the floor. I let out a squeak as my feet leave the floor, my grip tightening momentarily. But at Espio's involuntary grunt, I take a deep breath and release some of the pressure.

Espio crawls along the ceiling, with me hanging freely from his back. My legs and feet dangle above the floor, at least fifteen feet in the air. A drop like this would hardly be fatal but the ground is starting to swim below me, forcing me to close my eyes. Heights and I have never gotten along.

"Can you reach the opening in the vent?" asks Espio.

I manage to open my eyes and spy the grill directly in front of me. Adjusting my grip slightly, I start to reach out with my shaky right hand but I quickly lose my nerve and my arm shoots back to its original position.

"Careful," says Espio softly, managing to move forward a few more inches. "You can do this."

His quiet encouragement fills me with courage. Taking another deep breath and a moment to steady myself, I shove my hand out and manage to grab the open vent grill. Unfortunately, I also lose my grip on Espio, causing me to drop down, now swinging freely by one hand from the grill. "Aah!"

Espio quickly crawls past me and up into the vent, where he turns back and reaches out his hand towards me. "Take my hand. I'll pull you up."

"I c-can't move!" I cry, my right arm shaking so violently I'm amazed I haven't lost my grip yet. "I can't-!"

"Hey, look at me. Look at me."

Starting to hyperventilate, I tear my eyes away from the floor and meet Espio's steady gaze. The chameleon gives me a reassuring smile. "You're doing fine. Just reach up and take my hand, okay?"

Again, his soothing tone gives me a much-needed burst of courage, and I swing my hand up. Espio reaches down and catches it, pulling me up and into the vent. It's only just large enough for me to sit hunched without my head hitting the top.

"Ready?" Espio asks me.

After a moment, I nod. "Ready. Let's go."

"I'll follow you."

I start to crawl through the vent, trying not to let the claustrophobic thoughts suffocate me. The vents are very dark, illuminated only by light entering through grates below me. I force myself to focus on moving forward, occasionally stopping for a moment to make sure Espio is still behind me. I don't want to lose him.

Finally, I bump into a solid wall. "I think this is it."

Managing to twist round, I see Espio peering through the grate below us. "This looks like the dining car. Let's go."

He slams the grate with his elbow, wincing quietly as he does. The grating swings open, and Espio drops down through it, landing as lightly as a ninja would. I follow, though my landing is nowhere near as graceful.

"There's an observation deck at the back of the train," says Espio, rushing to the door at the very back of the carriage. "Come!"

I clamber to my feet, rubbing my aching backside, and stumble over to join him. Just as I reach the door, the entire train lurches, knocking both of us off our feet.

"The others must be close to defeating the badnik," Espio gasps out, clearly in great pain from his arm.

"Wh- What do we do now?" I ask nervously.

"You need to get off this train. I'm going to go help."

"It's too dangerous!" My eyes land on Espio's limp arm. "And you're hurt!"

Espio's eyes hold nothing but grim determination. "I need to prove myself. But you should be able to get off the train from here, just make sure you're careful."

"I-I want to come with you,"I blurt out, before I can stop myself.

Espio glances at me in surprise. "Are you sure?"

I think I've also surprised myself. But what surprises me even more is my next answer: "I'm sure. You're not the only one with something to prove."

After a moment, Espio nods. "Alright. Come."

He slides open the door to the observation platform. Immediately, I'm almost knocked off my feet again by an incredibly strong wind, which is further evidence of how breathtakingly fast the train is travelling. I seem to remember the training video I watched just yesterday mentioning that the train's top speed is supposed to be 90mph. Well, I may not be an expert but even I can tell we're going at least twice that.

"Follow me!" Espio yells above the sound of the wind.

He takes hold of the ladder to the side of the door and starts to climb. I follow, the adrenaline coursing through me giving me burst after burst of courage. It's like I've finally found my purpose in life.

Espio helps me up onto the roof and starts to make his way towards the front of the train. As he hasn't let go of my hand, I'm forced to follow at his pace, though this is not a bad thing; if it weren't for Espio helping me along, I'm certain I would fall so far behind I would end up toppling right off the train.

The journey is terrifying. Because of the howling wind blowing directly into my face and across my ears, I am unable to see or hear anything. The only sensation I can focus on, apart from the solid surface under my feet, is Espio's hand in mine.

Finally, Espio's hand vanishes. A split second later, the train lurches violently. I instinctively drop down, lying flat against the train roof. This helps alleviate some of the pressure from the wind.

I glance up just in time to see Espio dive off the side of the train, his arms closing around a tiny flicky. It must have been knocked loose from the engine.

Before I can stop myself, I lunge off the side after him. My left hand closes around Espio's ankle while my right hand simultaneously grabs hold of one of the metal bars running the length of the carriage roof.

Espio's weight is only just manageable with the speed of the train and my poor weak arms clinging on for dear life. Why haven't they managed to stop this train yet?!

"We have to get off the train!" Espio hollers over the rushing wind. "Nash, when I say the word, let go!"

"What?!" I shriek back. "Are you insane?! We'll hit the ground at a hundred miles an hour!"

"Just trust me!" Espio twists his body so he can meet my gaze. "Trust me, Nash!"

I don't know why I trust him. I felt it back when I first met him; his presence felt so calming to me, like everything was going to be okay just because he's around. Somehow, with both of our lives in mortal danger, I still feel it now. I still trust him.

"Okay," I choke out, unable to raise my voice any louder over the wind. "I trust you."

Espio gives me an encouraging nod back.

I squeeze my eyes closed, the world melting away until the only thing I can hear is the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. This could be it. If Espio miscalculates, if I mess this up, that's it. The end. I may not know what Espio is planning but I do know that I'm holding three lives, including my own, in my hands right now and I'll only have one chance to save us.

Just one.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity…

"NOW!"

I don't let myself think. My right hand opens almost of its own volition, releasing me, Espio, and the poor flicky to tumble freely into the abyss.

The last time I fell off anything was the time I fell off the top of a climbing wall when I was a kid. I had only fallen for about three seconds but I will never forget the sensation of my heart flying into my throat, every hair on the back of my arms and my neck flaring up. It's a sensation I never wanted to relive again.

But now I am, tenfold. And there's no way for me to describe how terrifying it truly is, especially when I have absolutely no idea where I'm going to land.

The fall lasts only seconds, though each second feels like an hour. My back hits the water first, the velocity pushing me far below the surface. The shock of the cold water paralyses me for a few seconds, but I quickly recover and claw my way upwards. Spotting a small shape floating in front of me, I grasp it with one paw, holding it close to my body.

I break the surface of the water with a gasp. Taking in heaving breaths, I look wildly around me for any sign of Espio.

Thankfully, I spot the chameleon surfacing a few metres away from me. As I paddle over to him, he catches my eye and relief fills his face. I follow him to the shore, a short swim but my arms and legs burn with every stroke.

Finally, the two of us crawl up onto the lake side, though I can't tell if the gasping breaths I can hear are solely his or mine too. All I want to do is collapse and pass out, but I stay in my position, hunched over my stomach. I don't think I can move my hand from my chest.

"Espio!"

I manage a quick glance up and realise the rest of the group has arrived, with Sonic at the lead. "Are you guys okay?" he asks, looking from me to Espio.

"I- I'm alright," I hear Espio say, before panic creeps into his voice. "Wait, where's the flicky?!"

I slowly pull my hand away from my chest and gently deposit onto the ground the shape I had rescued from the water. The flicky shakes itself dry, looking none the worse for wear.

I flop onto my back and glance over at Espio, who is staring at me with an expression I can't read. "You- You saved it."

"You saved it first," is all I can think of to reply.

Espio opens his mouth, then closes it again after a second. Finally, he asks, "Are you okay?"

"I think so," I say hoarsely, my heart still pounding. "I mean, I'm probably gonna sleep for a week after this but… I'm not hurt. How's your arm?"

"Ah…" Espio sits up and rubs his injured arm. "I can barely feel it."

At this point, Amy steps forward, a sheepish look on her face. "Espio, I'm so sorry. I should never have attacked you like that."

Espio shakes his head. "No, it is I who should be sorry. I sincerely apologise for the trouble I caused."

"You were just playing the game, Espio."

"Yeah, I've got no hard feelings towards you," adds Sonic, with his signature grin.

Espio lets out a deep breath, before turning back to me. "Nash, I can't thank you enough. You saved my life."

"Yeah, you're a hero, Nash," Sonic chuckles.

"I'm not a-." My face flushes red. "I mean, I didn't think, I just… I acted."

Sonic just grins back at me. "Those are the instincts of a hero. Trust me, kid; you're wasted working on this train. You could be a great hero someday"

"Or a great detective!" Tails pipes up. "It was super fun investigating this mystery with you, Nash. Even if it ended a little… badly."

"Well, at least the whole day doesn't have to end badly," says Sonic. "Now that the badnik's defeated, we can go get cake."

"Cake!" Amy gasps. "I completely forgot! You have a cake for me?"

Tails beams. "Of course we do! Let's go back to the station and get it!"

"Yay!"

I watch the group start to leave. But Amy stops and turns back to me. "You're more than welcome to join us if you want, Nash!" she says kindly.

My heart immediately flutters. The group has been incredibly kind to me, a lowly train employee, but I think it's more than my social anxiety could handle to be put in the middle of another extended social situation with them. "I- That's very kind of you, but I'm exhausted. I really need to rest."

Amy's smile doesn't waver. "Of course. Well, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thanks again for everything!"

"Y-You're welcome."

Letting out a deep breath, I manage to climb to my feet. Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, my entire body feels heavy, like it's trying to sink into the ground. It's taking most of my strength to stay standing upright. "I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow," I mutter.

A chuckle comes from my right, to my surprise. I hadn't realised Espio is still here. "You'll get used to that."

"Aren't you going with the others?"

"In a minute. I just wanted to say… Tails was right. You really could be a great detective. And if you ever want to pursue it seriously, come find me. I live above the Cafe Chaotix in Central City; Vector owns it. Either way, I'd be happy to see you again."

"Hey, Espio!" shouts Vector suddenly. "C'mon!"

"I gotta go," Espio says apologetically. "Consider my offer, okay? Sonic was also right: you're wasted serving microwave meals to train passengers."

My face again flushes red at the compliment. "I'll consider it."

"Thank you." Espio smiles. "Goodbye, Nash."

I can barely stammer out a goodbye back, before the chameleon sprints off to join his friends and leaves me all alone by the lakeside.