(AN: Well, here we are! Another chapter time! And this one not as long as the last two chapters! Yeah trust me, I know these chapters are long and can be a drag to go through, I just get so invested in writing I forget how long these can be. Which is why you're getting a bit of a shorter one this time mainly since I had to split this chapter into two parts like previous chapters! And I also would have posted yesterday if it wasn't for my crippling procrastination lol.

Anyway, it seems like the seeds of Vecpio planted earlier in this story are starting to grow their first bulbs as it's time for Vector and Espio's main shows. What could this mean? Well, go ahead and read, I ain't spoiling!

One more thing before the road ahead: This chapter actually contains the first use of spoken language that isn't English or Japanese. I decided to keep it untranslated in the story, but after talking with my proofreader, I decided that I would translate it by doing something I haven't done since my Ratchet and Clank and ICO crossover fic from 2015, include superscript numbers to indicate a point of translation. At the end of the chapter, there is a Translation guide for every untranslated line and their corresponding number, so you'll need to likely scroll back up and down a few times to understand each line.

With that out of the way, time to get onto the main show!)


It was coming close to the end of practice when Brawny nearly broke the entire Badniks into chaos.

"Guys, guys guys guys!" he yelled before the first showers in the locker room could even be turned on. Vector, alongside many of the other Badniks, came out to see what the commotion was.

"What's goin' on, Brawny?" he asked before he noticed Coach Augustus and AD Sommersby walking towards them, likely thinking that it had something to do with Vector and Connery as the two had kept their word and carefully examined practice as well as the locker rooms that evening.

"It's bad! It's really bad! Ohhh, we're in deep shit now!" Brawny continued, phone in hand.

"Save the panicking for another time, man!" Thrash retorted. "What crawled up your ass?"

"It isn't about what crawled up mine! It's what crawled up at the semifinals!"

There was a stunned silence as a few voices began to whisper. Of course… Vector all but forgot that tonight was the second round of the semifinals between the Empire City Dingoes and the Mobodoon University Steeds.

"Well? How did it go?" Rudy asked as the warthog looked up from his phone, a face full of fear clear as day.

"...it… it's the Dingoes… they won…"

If the locker rooms hadn't been silent before, you could now hear a pin drop fall on the floor.

Stunned wasn't even the word to describe how the team felt, it was a lack of surprise. Mobius University was known for having a very good football team, but only one other school rivaled it in terms of skill, with some even seeing them as even better than the Badniks: the Dingoes, known for their aggressive behavior that still fell fair under the rules of the game, and their team consisting of players with intense strength and stamina. They were the best of the best. Even people like Connery and Monk seemed to be at a loss of words at this revelation.

"Now let's not start acting like this," AD Sommersby scolded to break the silence. "I don't deny the Dingoes' playing ability, but they aren't gods either."

However, another uncertain voice spoke up, one that was too familiar with the rest.

"Helmut must have been making things even harder for his players. He must know about how we've been doing this season," Coach Augustus said, panic in his voice. Generally, it was a bit hard to earn Coach's general respect. There were the basics like being an honest person, having SOME semblance of how to play football, knowing how to balance school life with sport life, but that was just his basic respect. In terms of genuine respect, many would point to AD Sommersby being someone the polar bear had genuine respect for as his former coach and his current mentor.

On the contrary, being someone that Coach Augustus would fear was something that was very hard to do. But only one person managed that: Coach Helmut von Stryker, head football coach at Empire City University. The mastermind behind his incredible football team, unlike Augustus, who knew how to treat his players with respect rather than robots while also not wanting them to be slackers and not being afraid to resort to yelling, Coach von Stryker was known for his draconian style of coaching. Rather than bark orders, the dingo used his intimidating aura to silence his team into authority. In fact, he never yelled ONCE, but it was that silence, that uncertainty of being unable to read what he's thinking that struck genuine fear into Coach Augustus.

"Don't you start acting like that, Augustus. The last thing we need is for you to be afraid, and then the rest of these boys lose confidence!" yelled AD Sommersby. "I get that Helmut is intimidating, but you can't let him get to you!"

"Don't think it's a me thing, George. You know that AD Doberman is gonna be at the finals."

This somewhat silenced AD Sommersby. The athletic director of Empire City U, Sarge Doberman, was almost an antithesis to AD Sommersby himself in terms of how he ran athletics. While George, despite his intimidating stature, at least welcomed in any new athletes when they first begin athletic careers at Mobius U, AD Doberman was NOT afraid to attack anyone who even so much as looked at him, criticizing them for even the most minor of details, even sometimes dishing it to non-athletes. He had quite the history with the doberman, and many times, the bulldog had to bite back his tongue any time AD Doberman criticized his way of directing athletics whenever all the College Athletics heads met once every three months.

Meanwhile, a huge dilemma was overshadowing the Badniks.

"So, what the hell is the plan?" Knuckles asked. "The Dingoes won and we can't change that, and we LOST last year to them! Who's to say they haven't gotten stronger?!"

"Dun start gettin' mopey, Knux!" Vector replied. "Look, we still got two more practices left. I can work with Coach to come up with game plans fer Friday night. As long as we follow that, we should be set. As AD Sommersby said, they ain't gods."

"As if we have a foolproof plan against them," Monk replied, arms crossed as he refused to look Vector in the eye, not even acknowledging him either.

"What didja say?"

"Unlike SOME people around here, the Dingoes are not fools. They'll use every trick in the book against us, and the fact you can't see that is pitiful. But what else could I expect from CERTAIN people on this team, clearly more concerned with other things in his life," Monk proceeded to finally turn his attention towards Vector. "I'm surprised you have time to think about other things outside of spreading your revolting agenda."

Vector lowered his eyes, grinding his sharp teeth together. As much as he wanted to tell off the gorilla, he knew it was better to keep his mouth shut than raise a scene in front of Coach Augustus and AD Sommersby.

But as if to taunt him even further…

"I'll only acknowledge you this once… Will you actually commit to the task?" Connery questioned. "Or will the day of the finals, the only thing you come up for our game plan with is the name of your little friend?"

Spitting the last word like poison, Vector felt anger that AD Sommersby and Coach Augustus were still in the middle of their argument, clearly not realizing that both Connery and Monk were getting on him. It was unfair, but the crocodile knew better than to give the horse and gorilla an answer. He was going to show them wrong no matter what, he would…


After staying behind to not only help Coach Augustus clean up the field but also so he could stay farther away from Monk and Connery, Vector didn't head back to campus until almost 11:30. By that point, he had wrapped himself in his Letterman jacket alongside a beanie and his winter boots, trying to move as fast as he could back to the warm interior of the A building. However, when he finally reached the doors and opened them, there was a surprise at who he saw standing close to the door.

"For Gaia's sake, do you people not realize that people are trying to sleep and opening doors this loud is gonna wake them?!" whispered-yelled a very annoyed Sally, the chipmunk gritting her teeth as she put her finger over her mouth. "And besides, why are you playing music THIS loud so late?!"

Vector, who had his headphones plugged in, quickly started to silence his music as he grabbed one side of the headphones, grumbling to himself.

"Sorry… just wanted to take mah mind off things…" he said. "Mah bad that it's a sin…"

"Oh, it's not a sin provided YOU aren't the one being yelled at for why someone can't sleep. You take five years of abuse from other students and let's see how crazy YOU'LL get, Vector."

"Glad to see yer among the livin', Sally."

"Likewise. I heard you made a total ass out of yourself off campus yesterday. A fight, Vector? Seriously? Didn't you learn ANYTHING from what happened to that chameleon roommate you kiss up to?"

Vector instantly grit his teeth from annoyance, ruffling his head. "Arghh, what IS it with people thinkin' me and Espio are a thing?! I already had to hear that shit from Connery and Monk, I am NOT gonna let it happen a third time!"

"First of all, shush. There are people trying to sleep. Second, unlike Monk, I don't make it a moral crusade to stop gay people from existing. I just note some things that feel like they're on the breaking point of occurring. I don't give a fuck who you're dating OR fucking as a fuckbuddy, just as long as you aren't being loud. Seriously, do you really think people will hate you, big man on campus and star college quarterback, if you're out? No, of course not! The times have changed, Vector!"

Admittedly, it was good advice, but Sally was similar to Coach Augustus in that she gave VERY tough love. The chipmunk was smart, but definitely QUITE the smartass and snarker. He couldn't help but wonder… if Sally was saying that he was "kissing up to Espio"... then… then it wasn't just Connery or Monk thinking that he and Espio were a thing because of how close he was. In fact… who else was thinking that? And not just that, why was she talking to him about being out? As far as he was aware, the ONLY people who knew he was bisexual was Knuckles, Mighty, his parents, and admittedly… Julie-Su, the most recent person to know. Not that he didn't WANT to be out, he just wanted to find the right time, as the crocodile knew many of the guys on the team wouldn't give a shit.

But something new was cropping up in his mind at that moment…

"Vector…"

If Sally, Connery, and Monk all came to the same conclusion, what is that saying about him? Has he really gotten so close to this transfer student that now hundreds of people think their quarterback is dating his soft spoken yet loyal roommate?

"Vector…"

And for that matter… how much longer could he keep the secret he's been trying to deny for so long? The secret that, by all intents and purposes, seems harder to ignore by the day?

"Vector, I know you can hear me."

How much longer… before Espio would know? Before the chameleon learned that he had fee-

"VECTOR!"

The crocodile shot up, looking down at Sally.

"For Gaia's sake, how much of an inattentive idiot are you?!" she yelled.

"Sorry, got lost in mah thoughts," Vector replied.

"Well, stop getting lost in them. What, was me thinking you're gay got you uptight?"

"'Course not! I ain't even gay first of all, and even if I was, I wouldn't be a mope 'bout it!"

"Uh… huh… A likely story. I hear it from athletes like you all the time," she said as Sally put her hands on her hips, eyes lowering as she stared at the crocodile. "...anyway, that aside, I've got something I've been meaning to give you. I just haven't had the time since I've been so busy preparing for midterms and RA duty, and I know you've been busy with the former too, as well as football."

Sally reached into her bag and pulled out a grey looking paper. As Vector grabbed it, he could see that it was from one of the November issues of the Mogul Times, more specifically, the sports column of the newspaper. The headline read;

"RARE FUMBLE FOR MOBIUS BADNIKS, PRIESTS VICTORY

by Soar t. Eagle, Mogul Times Sports Journalist"

"...ya really gifted me a newspaper remindin' me of a loss?" Vector asked.

"Maybe read it first. A certain someone you know is interviewed in it," Sally replied. "Anyway, I gotta make sure to clear the area for Officer Wachowski to do night duty. Poor guy's been stuck on the graveyard shift the past few weeks."

"I'm sure he'll live. Well, okay. See ya then. Try not to die of boredom."

"Trust me Vector, if I killed myself right now, boredom would at LEAST be the sixth reason why I would have done so."

As the red headed chipmunk began to walk away, Vector looked down at the paper, skimming through the words as what he thought about started to come back to him. Maybe… maybe it was time to… talk to someone that wasn't who he normally talked to?

"Sally, wait!"

Sally turned around, looking at Vector displeased.

"What?..."

But as much as he knew what he had to do…

"...I… ne-never mind…"

...he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Continuing to walk away, Vector decided it was best to just read the article on his entire way back to West Hall. Looking down at the paper as he headed up the steps, he began to read.

"...in College Football, Thursday evening's game pitting the Mobius University Badniks versus the Soleanna University Priests at their home stadium saw the Badniks suffer a rare defeat with a score of 41 for Home and 19 for Away. This was the first loss the Badniks suffered since September's infamous game between the Badniks and the Winterberg University Peckys."

Of course, how could he NOT forget how terrible the game went? It was clear that game was the point where him and Connery's feud regarding Espio started boiling into their football playing abilities, with so many of the players relying on Vector for basic things like passes to more complex moves. He thought it was getting better, but with what happened yesterday… he knew the likelihood of the team going back to normal was impossible.

"...reactions were mixed alongside both parts of the aisle. While the Priests were able to come to an agreement on their victory, there was division between the Badniks' side. Some, like Badniks Running Back, Connery Horse, 22, told the Mogul Times, "It's very disappointing to see a loss with how this team has been winning. I've been putting in my own personal critiques on how we can change up our game plan, and I do hope my voice can be heard."

"Lyin' bastard…" Vector muttered under his breath. "Aside from playin' Runnerback, yeh've done nothin' but complain 'bout Espio in the lockers."

"...not all was doom and gloom however. I was able to get exclusive word from the quarterback and arguably, the face of the Mobius University Badniks, Vector Crocodile, who had a much more optimistic view compared to some of his peers.

"...while we may not have won tonight's game, that doesn't mean we're goin' down without a fight. Come Thanksgiving Classic, the College Winter Playoffs, AND the College Bowl, the Mobius U Badniks WILL win them all, I promise!" he told me and my field cameraman. Known for his ability to bring a crowd to a stampede at the move of a fist in the air, as well as a large following of fans, Vector was very kind in his interview with me, even talking about what has inspired him this year despite his notable collarbone injury in September as well as last night's loss.

"I like to think back to mah roommate at Mobius U, who really helps me in not just motivatin' me, but also in calmin' me down before games," he said talking about how he manages to stay calm playing in front of millions to the entire nation of Central Mobius. "But, I like to think back to mah roommate at Mobius U, who really helps me in not just motivatin' me, but also in calmin' me down before games. One talk with him and I know that if I can win the game fer him, then I have at least one reason to perform at my best. That, and mah school, the team that I help out with, and mah coach, but I like to think mah roomie is someone who most other players wouldn't say if they had to list someone who motivates them."

"The Mogul Times attempted to find more information on this roommate mentioned by Vector, but permission was not granted by the athletic staff of Mobius University. The Badniks will play during the Thanksgiving Bowl next Thursday, their opponent currently still unknown. They're also set to play in the Central Mobius College Winter Playoffs, with sports analysts theorizing that the Badniks will reach at least the semifinal prior to a loss."

"Well, guess who proved y'all wrong!" Vector said, snickering as he finished up the article, complete with two images; one of the Badniks on the field and the other with the Priests after their victory. "We're headin' to those finals instead!"

It was just the assurance he needed, especially now that he knew they were going up against the Dingoes. But as if that wasn't hard enough, his phone buzzed just as he was about to reach the door to West Hall. Taking out his phone, he read the new notification he got:

"Atten. Adv. Eng Lit cla…"

There was an email, and upon checking it, it was from Professor Finitevus reminding the entire Advanced English Literature class that their midterm would be tomorrow and to email him if someone wouldn't be able to make it so their exam could be sent to the assessment center for a later date.

"Shit… forgot midterms…" he said to himself. "Fuuuuuck, I am so gonna be busy with them all week before Saturday. Been so busy with football, I completely forgot 'bout that."

Knowing that it was best to study tonight, he finally went to West Hall and back to the dorm, grabbing his Student ID and scanning it on the door's lock to allow him access. Upon hearing the BEEP and the red light turning green, Vector opened the door as he saw Espio in the middle of meditation training.

"Espio!" he said as he closed the door. "Yo, man. Doin' alright? I hope I didnt keep ya up while yeh were waitin' fer me."

Espio, who had now opened his eyes, looked up at the crocodile and shook his head.

"I am f-fine," he said.

"Good, cause these next couple of days are gonna be tooootal ass. Not only do we got exams, but we just found out who we're gonna be playin' against fer the finals. It's probably the only team who can beat us by pure skill alone, the Dingoes. We had a pretty embarassin' loss against them last year, but this year, it's gonna be different. Cause I've been trainin' harder than ever before. And besides…"

Vector reached into his shirt and pulled out the omamori Espio had given him.

"Still got this on me durin' every practice, and lately, durin' the day period. I know this is just what I need to win."

Espio closed his eyes but smiled, nodding once in agreement.

"Will ya be able to watch the ga… oh right, I forgot ya had yer art show thingy. Well, I'll try to keep ya updated when I can, but I'll likely have mah phone in the lockers and won't be able to get it until after the game. Is that okay?"

"Yes, ba-but I will mi-mii… miss you."

It was a statement almost out of nowhere, but something about the way Espio said it melted the crocodile's heart.

"Aw, c'mere yeh…" Vector said as put the newspaper he had in his hands onto the desk as he pulled the chameleon in for a hug. As he did, he suddenly began to realize just why Connery, Monk, and Sally all said what they said about him and Espio… all he did in response to hearing his friend saying that he'd miss him was to hug him.

"Bah, whadda they know. Even if I'm startin' to realize things 'bout me and Espio, that dun mean we can't hug as friends," he thought to himself. "Yeah, frankly the dude is nice to hug… even if I could honestly crush him with mah hands if I wanted to. But it's… it's cute."

Even though he was in his thoughts, Vector wanted to bite his tongue just thinking that. But before he could even do such a thing...

"V-Vector… a-aah! S-Strong!" Espio said, the crocodile unaware that he had just tightened his hug on the chameleon. Vector quickly let go, taking a step or two back.

"A-Ah! So-Sorry, Espio! Got carried fer a second there!" he said, turning his head away. "I… didn't hurt ya, did I?"

"No…" the transfer student replied.

"Whew… thank Gaia… hey, I probably should tell ya but tomorrow's our midterm fer Advanced English Literature. Didja study earlier today?"

"Valdez get ma-mad at me and me-made me study."

"It's 'bout yeh goin' to the mall and skippin' yer first class, right? Dun worry 'bout thinkin' like yeh've failed. It's okay to have days where ya just dun feel like goin' to class. Unlike public school, they dun punish ya if ya dun go to class provided you don't do it more than five times per semester. Anyway, didja wanna help me study fer tomorrow's midterm? I've been so loaded this week, I've barely had the time fer studyin', let alone any last minute homework or study guides."

Espio nodded as Vector pulled up the desk chair, sitting down as he scooted to let Espio have some room for the two to share a seat. As he did, Espio stared at the newspaper.

"This is you…" he said, pointing at the image of the Badniks on the field.

"Yup, it's an article wrote 'bout our game against the Priests. I was even interviewed in it and even told the reporter that yeh inspire me to keep movin' on forward when it comes to playin' ball!"

Espio grabbed the newspaper, looking at it in awe. Vector stared at the newspaper before grabbing it and placing a thumbtack on the paper.

"There. That way, it'll always be a tribute to our friendship," he said, smiling at the chameleon. "Anyway, we're gettin' a bit carried away. We should get to studyin'."


It was almost until 1am that the two studied not just their notes on English Literature, but also with other classes. With Vector explaining the details on the study guides as best as he could, they read out questions to each other and answered them, wrote notes to the side to remind them of key details, as well as had many of their books open on the desk. Before a quarter until 1, Espio had already begun dozing off, nodding his head up and down as his eyes began to slowly shut before quickly gasping and jolting awake. Vector had quickly noticed this as he shut his Biology II book.

"Yer def really sleepy, Espio," he said. "Okay, we should start headin' to bed. We got a busy three days ahead of us now. And besides, we gotta be up fer trainin' as soon as the sun rises. We're gonna ace that English Literature exam and get full marks, right?!"

"Y-Yes…" Espio replied lazily.

"But ya need yer sleep first. Didja already brush yer teeth?"

The chameleon nodded again.

"Here, I'll help ya up to bed," Vector proceeded to get up from the chair as he walked over to Espio, grabbing him and lifting him up before placing him on the top bunk. With very little to say or even do, Espio rolled his head over to the quarterback as he put the covers over the chameleon.

"Night night, Espio. Be sure to sleep tight."

Only nodding lazily, Espio slowly shut his eyes as Vector went over to the lights to turn them off. But as he did, he looked at Espio one last time.

"...Gaia… Bless this dude..." he thought to himself. "No one should be allowed to be this cute."

But part of him felt conflicted. While he knew it was starting to become harder and harder to deny how he felt, there were two things keeping him from not discussing things with Espio. Not only was he to return to Gojo after the end of this school year, meaning even if a relationship happened, it would be turned into a long distance one that he would have very little contact with. And not to mention the biggest thing of them all: Espio's way of life was so ancient, had the idea that Espio COULD like the same gender even once crossed his mind? He was starting to feel that it was very unlikely that the chameleon felt anything towards him, and slowly the idea that he wouldn't be able to tell Espio grew more true by the day.

"Stop it," he thought to himself. "He doesn't need to know unless yer ready. And even then, ya can take rejection…"

Staring at Espio again, something about the idea of Espio rejecting him was… different compared to the times that he was rejected in the past. Vector sighed, realizing that he was being foolish thinking such things in front of the sleeping Espio. Committing to trying to not let it consume his life, in one flash, Vector cut out the lights.


The next day flew by quickly, with Vector and Espio getting up for the crocodile's training, then after breakfast, it was time for the first exam of the rest of the week. With Professor Finitevus putting dividers around each of the students to prevent cheating, Valdez stood above Espio as the white echidna looked at his phone.

"You have about until the rest of class to finish your exam. If you need more time, I'll move you to the assessment center if needed. You're all free to begin… now!"

Everyone hunched over where they sat, beginning their exam as Espio grabbed his pencil and looked at the first question.

"If you need any help, Espio-kun," Valdez whispered to him. "Just ask me and I'll be happy to translate you questions and answers, but asides from that, I won't be able to help you any further. You've got this."

Espio nodded, but still felt a little uncertain about taking his test entirely in English, especially since there were quite a few questions he couldn't understand. Add to that how long the class was, and Espio found that it nearly took him the entire hour and a half to finish his exam. By now, Vector had already left for his next class, meaning it was time for Algebra I and for a review on the study guide.

For most of the week, this routine was how the two reptiles went about their day. After taking some of their exams, Vector and Espio spent some time in the library continuing to study before the crocodile had to leave for football practice. Then, Espio would practice English with Valdez after dinner since Thursday was his English exam with Professor Longclaw, something he was rather concerned about as throughout his studying, past tense words have been quite a struggle for him to understand and pronounce correctly. But when Vector came back that night, they would practice for a little bit then studied for more of their exams. However, not even twenty minutes into their study session, Espio noticed that Vector had stopped flipping the pages in his Emergency Care and First Aid textbook.

"Vector, wha-" was all that came out of Espio's mouth as he heard a snore. Realizing that the crocodile had fallen asleep, Espio attempted to move out of the chair in hopes that it would wake up Vector, only for him to collapse on Espio. Though he was almost pushed off the shared chair, Espio didn't want to move a muscle out of fear of not only waking up Vector, but also something about the crocodile being on him like this… It felt as if the two were closer than they ever had been before. Acts such as these were something he had NEVER seen in Gojo.

So… why was he okay with it? Why was he wanting to stay here? And… why was Vector softly snoring the way he was this upclose… calming?

"No, not these strange thoughts again…" Espio thought to himself. It had been some time since the last time he properly had them, and now that it was occurring for the third time… now this was VERY much starting to become a cause for concern. Considering now that he was going to return to the village… would whatever he was feeling like follow him there, or would space from Vector what he needed to rid himself of WHATEVER these strange messages in his mind were trying to tell him.

Conflicted and confused, Espio thought it was for the best to head to bed, but as he did, Vector's body weight was simply too strong for the chameleon to get off the chair. Realizing that he had to stay there for the time being, Espio realized there wasn't much he could do and chose to stay awake until Vector woke up, but not before turning his eyes towards the crocodile, his warm scales being the only sort of heat generating in the room.


And finally came Friday, the 23rd of December.

With Thursday's as well as Espio's final two exams finally finished, as well as the last few gifts for Vector, Knuckles, and Mighty gathered, courtesy of the echidna and armadillo individually going out in whatever free time they had to help Espio pick out the last gifts he needed, everything for his friends sat neatly in the corner in bags that Vector, and the echidna and armadillo helped Espio with after coming back to the dorm from football and wrestling practice the previous night. At the current moment, both the two reptiles were mentally preparing themselves for what was going to happen tonight. For Vector, the finals of the Winter Playoffs were tonight, for Espio, he was to be showcasing his art in front of various important people at the Museum of Arty Art, his final grade overall this semester. He was told by Professor D' Coolette that it was going to be a very formal event, and not only was the presentation of his art going to be important, but so was his personal presentation.

He wasn't sure what that meant, but as Vector walked around the room to ease his nerves before the game after their classes were done, there was a sudden BEEP as the door opened up, revealing Valdez holding a suitcase.

"Oh, heya, Mr. Valdez," Vector said. "Is everythin' alright?"

"Doing fine, just busy with all the work that comes around exam season. Well, we're almost done anyway. Shouldn't you be heading out to your bus soon?" the blue chameleon replied.

"We head out at 4:30, still got another half an hour. Just tryin' to prepare mahself fer tonight."

"I can imagine, you must be beyond nervous, especially going to your finals. Who are you playing against?"

"The Empire City University Dingoes, considered the only team who could probably kick our ass repeatedly. Coach and even AD Sommersby are a bit frightened by their Coach and AD ironically."

"That's surprising. I never figured Augustus and George could be that well intimidated. Well, that's besides the point. Espio-kun?"

Espio, who had been overhearing the conversation between the two, turned towards the chameleon. "Yes?"

"Since we have to be at the Museum at five, we should start getting ready to head out. As you know, Professor D' Coolette talked to you about being dressed very formally tonight. Many of your peers will be wearing more formal yet still causal attire, but I understand that you likely wouldn't like wearing what the expected dress code is, and I went ahead and talked to Antoine about that. What I suggested, however, he was okay with after talking with both all the people he invited, as well as the director of the Museum of Arty Art. I think you'll be in for a surprise for what you'll be wearing tonight."

Espio turned his head as Vector watched Valdez walk over to his bed, placing the suitcase down. He proceeded to open it, revealing multiple articles of folded clothing. Espio came behind Valdez and looked, only to see that…

"My kimono? Valdez-san, why is this here?" he asked.

"It's your outfit for tonight. The Bride gave me your most formal one, including everything that you have to wear with it," Valdez replied.

Espio was surprised to see it. Usually, he only wore his kimono whenever he would accompany his mother to Genshu, or during festivals and holidays where he would make public appearances. To think that she actually gave Valdez permission to bring it back to the Outside World…

"Usually the nanny had to help me with putting it on. Do you know how to wrap one, Valdez-san?"

The blue chameleon froze, bouncing in place as he turned to stare at Espio.

"U-Um… as a matter of fact… I… I… somewhat know?" he replied before quickly shaking his head. "A-Ah, Vector! If you could be so kind, I know you have to leave for your game soon, but I… I actually don't know how to wrap a kimono properly myself… would you mind helping me wrap Espio up?"

The crocodile looked surprised at the request. "Okay… uh, sure I guess… what do I gotta do?" he replied as he walked up to Espio.

"Okay, now there's a certain order we have to put this on. First,"

Valdez reached into the suitcase, pulling out a pair of socks.

"Espio-kun, put your tabi on," he directed to the chameleon. "Vector and I will help you put your kimono on once you have them on."

As the chameleon complied with the order, Valdez brought out each article of clothing, Vector looking at all of them in awe.

"Whoa…" he said, staring at Espio's kimono, the black silk shining in the light as the black kimono had what appeared to be painted on it representing leaves and the wind. Two other things were stitched onto the kimono, one on each side of it: what appeared to be a green eye with a white infinity symbol in the iris.

"What's that?" asked Vector, pointing to the symbol.

"Kimono like these are only worn by the members of the four Clan houses of the Historic District, as they are far more expensive than most commoners can afford. On these kimonos, the symbols of the Clan house are stitched onto the left and right side of it. This one, the Eye of Infinity, is the symbol of the Shinobi clan, the clan house Espio belongs to," Valdez explained.

"It's beautiful… what's it made from?"

"Different kinds of silk and satin, some of which the Brides only have exclusive access to. Anyway, are you ready to get started?"

"Sure, where do we begin?"

By this point, Espio had already put his tabi on and was waiting for further instruction. He watched as the blue chameleon grabbed the first piece of his kimono, the hada-juban.

"So, this is the first piece Espio needs, it'll go under everything he'll have on. Erm…" Valdez turned towards the chameleon. "Espio-kun, I'm going to have to ask you to undress."

"Ah… okay…" he replied, turning towards Vector. Everything that was going on mentally for the past month or so, it felt both normal yet also… odd to change in front of the crocodile. He wasn't sure why, but as he began to undo the sash of his haori, he had it and his hakama on the floor as he was soon was completely undressed down to his fundoshi moments later. However, he looked up only to see Vector's horrified expression.

"Vector? Are you alright?" Valdez asked.

"Wha-what's he wearin'?!" the crocodile exclaimed, turned away from the chameleon with his hand over his mouth. Espio turned his head, confused at Vector's reaction.

"A-Ah… you don't know. It's a fundoshi, it's the undergarments worn by men of the Historic District. It's still worn in modern Yurashia to this day for traditional purposes... Erm, pardon my rudeness but… you seem embarrassed. Aren't you used to changing in front of your all male football team?"

"I-I am! Ju-Just… maybe ya can do this fi-first part yerself, Mr. Val-Valdez!" Vector slowly turned around, giving the chameleon an 'okay' symbol with his fingers and a grin, but not daring to look at Espio. In fact, the fuschia chameleon could see that Vector had his eyes closed.

"Well… okay, whatever you say."

As Espio was wondering about Vector's strange reaction, Valdez helped Espio put on his hada-juban, tying up the sash in a strong knot so that it wouldn't come undone.

"You're free to look now, Vector," the blue chameleon said as the quarterback turned around. Espio could see Vector's face somewhat red, almost as if he was trying to desperately get something off his mind. He was, however, seeming more calm.

"Oh… thank goodness…" he said. "Sorry 'bout that, yeh two. Alright, where do we start next?"

This continued for minutes on end, with Valdez directing Vector to grab the correct piece of Espio's kimono in the order that it was supposed to go on and how to put it on. Together, the two put on the naga-juban, then the date-eri to prevent the juban's collar from getting dirty, and then finally, the main kimono itself.

"Remember, left over right, Vector," Valdez explained as he got the kimono over Espio, Vector straightening it out to prevent creasing under his order. "Back home, right over left is reserved for those who have died."

"I heard ya, Mr. Valdez!"

"And remember, it has to be on TIGHT. It needs to follow the body, it isn't a skirt!"

The two worked for almost five minutes, and finally, they were able to get the kimono on completely, complete with tying one final obi around his kimono. Finally, there was just one final part: getting Espio's best hakama on.

"And there we go!" Valdez said. "Let me just check… no creases… collar is straight and it's touching the back of your neck like it should for men, your obi isn't showing, and your best pair of setta's are here with me… Espio-kun, we're done!"

Espio looked at his attire. It had been some time since he wore his best kimono. In fact, now that he thought about it, it was last year's New Year's Festival being the last time he had worn it. It shined in the lights of the dorm, the gold and silver leaves and wind painted onto his hakama flowing as he moved his arms.

"It's amazin'..." Vector said. "I'm so used to all that other stuff ya have, but this is just… it's so incredible."

"I'm sure Espio's mother would love to see how he looks, she always got on him about his appearance even at a young age," Valdez replied.

The crocodile chuckled to himself before checking his phone, face falling as he realized the time.

"OH GAIA, I ONLY GOT 4 MINUTES TILL THE BUS LEAVES!" he exclaimed, quickly running in place as he grabbed his already packed duffle bag and quickly checking his pants and jacket pockets to make sure he had everything. "So-Sorry I gotta leave so soon! I didn't realize it took so much time! Have a great time at yer art show, I'll letcha know how the game went! And I PROMISE I'm gonna make ya proud and win the finals! Remember," Vector walked over to the door, one hand on the handle and the other grabbing the omamori from inside his shirt and flashing it. "Still gonna be wearin' this tonight! Anyway, I got no time! Later!"

The crocodile quickly shut the door behind him as the two chameleons winced from the noise.

"Valdez-san… I wonder why Vector is acting strange today?" Espio asked.

"It isn't like him, I agree," the blue chameleon replied. "He's likely nervous about his game. I'm sure he'll be fine though. We have something more to worry about, don't we?"

Espio nodded, but part of him couldn't help but think back to what occurred, especially when he started to strip down… What was that reaction he gave, especially considering that Vector had been what his mother would call, 'indecent' multiple times in the dorm?


As he shut the door behind him, Vector turned around and wanted to slide down the door, face now red from embarrassment as the thoughts of wanting to throw himself into an active volcano grew.

"Great, just great…" he said to himself. "Ya tell yerself yer gonna stop thinkin' of yer friend that way cause of multiple factors out of yer control, and then suddenly he's changin' in front of ya no issue, wearin' and lookin' like... THAT."

He couldn't help but think back to his first day, when he walked in on the chameleon changing. It was a genuine accident, sure, but this was something completely different…

The thought of how Espio looked in that moment came back to his mind. He was strong, but not bulky like the crocodile, slim, but with clear power if the muscles in his legs and arms were anything to go by. His body almost reminded him of how a runner would look in a way.

And then there were the scars… by Gaia's sake, the scars…

Vector knew they likely came from Espio's years of training back in Gojo, as he likely had to use real weapons. And there were so many, some small, some large, and yet… they only emphasized just how… amazing his body looked.

"Great, fuckin' GREAT…" Vector thought to himself. "Ya outgha be headin' to yer bus fer the game tonight, but instead, yer gettin' horny fer yer roommate outside yer dorm. Are ya THAT much of a fuckin' loser, me?"

He wasn't even one to think that physical appearance meant everything, but considering all that had been in his mind, all that he had been denying, what he just saw felt like it was only trying to confirm what he would sooner or later have to accept.

"Screw this, I can't let this consume mah mind…" he said, getting up from the floor. "I still got… awh, FUCK! Two minutes!"

With very little time left, Vector bolted it down West Hall, in hopes of speeding off to the team bus with time to spare.


LATER…

There was a woosh as a CGI football flew over a screen, the words, 'CENTRAL MOBIUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL WINTER PLAYOFFS FINALS' across it as cameras surrounded MSE and KLAK announcers Wes Weasley and Sam Speed, both of whom adjusting the headsets they wore as their program began.

"Welcome back to tonight's exciting match between the Mobius University Badniks and the Empire City Dingoes as the time has come!" Sam Speed began. "With all remaining colleges finishing the Runner Up matches, only one college will call themselves champions for this College Football season! I'm Sam Speed!"

"And I'm Wessss Weasley, ready to start tonight by having Sam start off!" the weasel replied. "As usual, we wanna thank our tremendous audience not just on MSE, but also on KLAK 102.9, thanks for being so loyal as Sam and I enter the corporate television world! The fact they still let us back on our old station should be a miracle in and of itself!"

"I think miracles are what either the Badniks or the Dingoes are gonna need tonight! Before the commercial break, we did a retrospective on the Badniks and Dingoes players, as well as the games they've had tonight, and it's looking to be a close one! The Badniks have barely had a loss all season, just two overall! Compared to last year, where they had five losses, including last year's Winter Playoffs, this is a tremendous increase in what they need if they wanna call themselves champions. But they'll have to face off the Dingoes, a team many commentators have been mentioning will likely end the Badniks' chances of taking home the Champion's Trophy. Known for their brute style of playing, this team is considered by many analysts to be the best College Football team in the entire country, and for good reason! Their style of play is nothing like ANY team has seen, and it's all thanks to that Coach of theirs!"

"We were unable to reach Helmut von Stryker, coach of the Empire City Dingoes, for comment, but considering that just two years ago, he was added to the CMFL Hall of Fame for his time playing on the Downunda Gators as Quarterback? It just goes to show that he has a reputation in the world of football!"

"Hand on, Wes! We're just getting news that tonight's game will be starting in just a minute, and that the Coaches and Athletic Directors of both Mobius University and Empire City University have arrived on the field!" Sam said, a hand over the overlander's headset. "We now go live to the Federation Dome, where the pre-game rituals will now begin before we get on with tonight's game!"

...

On the field, Augustus gulped as he started walking towards the towering, hulking dingo. Adjusting his collar, he tried to put on a brave face as both he and AD Sommersby stood in front of Coach Helmut von Stryker and AD Doberman of Empire City U.

"How… nice to see you again… Helmut…" the polar bear said, walking on eggshells as best as he could. The dingo, one eye only staring at him as the other was covered up in an eyepatch from an injury that caused him to retire early from his time in the CMFL, silently stared back at the polar bear. His blond mohawk and his brown fur all glistened in the lights of the stadium, his large defining muscular stature speaking more words than talking before the dingo only said one thing.

"...likewise…" he said in his slick yet accented voice, a deep boom to it as he spoke. Augustus felt a sweat drop fall on the side of his face.

"You've been tight on your luck this season, Augustus," AD Doberman said. "But there's a reason we haven't lost a game in four years, and we'll be sure to make this a fifth."

"Cockiness isn't something I would want to have, Sarge," AD Sommersby replied, the bulldog crossing his arms as his brows lowered. "You never know until the end who'll win."

"You know more than anyone that team of yours has gotten lucky, George," the doberman growled, getting in front of AD Sommersby. "And I'm not going to take the advice of a low-washed athletic director such as yourself. Myself, Helmut, and our boys know what WE have to do, why don't you worry about YOURSELF first?"

"Sarge," Coach von Stryker bellowed, turning towards the doberman and staring him down.

"...very well… in spite of everything… may this be a fair game…"

"I'm sure it will," AD Sommersby replied as all the parties nodded and returned to their side of the field.

"Be still my beating heart…" Coach Augustus said as camera flashes continued even after the two coaches and athletic directors walked away from each other.

Finally, with less than ten minutes until the game started, the Badniks waited for their entrance show, all of them gathered together decked out in their gear. Front in center was Vector, helmet already in hand as he could feel the omamori through his jersey.

"We don't have long," Knuckles said, sighing. "Well… this is it. You ready, Vec?"

"Sure am, Knux!" the crocodile replied. "We're gonna give this crowd and the whole nation a show!"

"We're all counting on you anyway, dude!" Rudy called out from behind. "I just hope that practice you've set up with Coach amounted to SOMETHING!"

Vector nodded, but deep down, even HE wasn't sure. He knew that the Badniks were up against the toughest game yet, and of the very few times the Badniks have faced the Dingoes, they've lost EVERY time. All the training he's done with Espio, all the practice sessions, all the wins, they've been leading up to this. He knew he had millions to make proud, not just his own team or his parents, but the eyes of what felt like an entire nation.

And then there was Espio…

He was sad knowing that the chameleon wasn't going to be here tonight. Sure, there was still the College Bowl in January, but this was the very last game of the season, and the game that Vector wanted to devote Espio to. He knew he was going to be busy at that art museum place, but even from afar… He was going to make Espio proud, he wanted to come home a victor to the chameleon.

The crocodile grabbed the omamori from under his jersey and protective gear, closing his eyes as he cleared his mind of distracting thoughts.

"Espio… this game is fer ya," he whispered to himself. "I'm gonna show you just how strong I've gotten thanks to ya."

There was however, one final thought Vector had before he switched his brain into game mode: how was Espio doing?


MEANWHILE…

Miles away from the Federation Dome, the lights at the Museum of Arty Art were lit brightly as barriers were put in place to direct guests to the art gallery featuring art by the Mobius University students majoring in art. With bright lights and marble as far as the eye can see, two pairs of feet walked up the steps to the museum and to the main entrance, stopping to show identification before walking inside. As the two people in question walked inside and followed the barriers to where the art show would take place, a familiar face stopped them.

"Ah, Espio! You 'ave come at last!" Professor D' Coolette said, wearing a white undershirt and a black jacket, his yellow hair and red fur brushed straight and neat, a strong smell came from his body that Espio couldn't recognize.

"My, you have strong cologne tonight, Antoine," Valdez said.

"Ah, do you think I 'ave gone too far, Valdez? I made myself look better than I 'ave in some time. We 'aven't been able to 'ave an art show in quite some time, 'zo I am quite thrilled at 'ze prospect of 'osting another! Not only will several of my art critic friends from Central Mobius be 'ere, but my contacts, as well as several 'igh profile artists and critics from back 'ome in Spagonia 'ad their plane arrive today! Which reminds me, Espio, your section 'as already been set up, but you should go and make sure that it iz to your liking!"

Espio nodded. "Okay," he replied. However, as he began to walk, Valdez spoke up.

"Um, Espio-kun?"

The transfer student turned around, looking at Valdez.

"I hate to inform you suddenly, but unfortunately, I will be unable to translate for you when the show is going on. Professor D' Coolette has asked me to let you do your show on your own because it's a major part of your final grade, so I will be around the art show as one of the guests judging you and your peers' works. I can be around to check on you when I arrive in your area, but I can't be there all the time."

Espio said nothing. He knew it was just like his other exams and midterms where he had to do them on his own, but when it came to speaking to others… he felt he wasn't quite ready.

"I understand…"

With a bow and with no way to get out of it, the coyote art professor handed Espio a slip, B5, the location of the chameleon's art. Walking to find the location, his setta clacked against the marble flooring of the museum, echoing amongst the halls as Espio passed by his well dressed peers, all of them either wearing tuxedos or fancy vests of different colors, or dresses or large, fancy coats.

He was able to find his station, B5, and saw many of his paintings on a wall hung up neatly. A barrier in front of the paintings, a marble column stood in front of the display with B5 on it, and a card with Espio's name and a description of him and the art he's produced.

Standing in front of the art, he knew all he had to do now was for the critics to arrive as Valdez explained, so now it was another waiting game, which he was used to at that point. However, not even a minute later…

"Espiooo!"

A feminine voice called out as the sound of buzzing wings were audible as Espio turned towards the sound of the voice, happening to see Jewel buzz up to the chameleon, a large mauve dress and coat on her.

"I'm happy to see you already found your place without help! And… oh my gosh!" she said as the jewel beetle rushed up towards Espio's kimono. "Espio… this attire you have on is so beautiful! I didn't expect you to wear a tuxedo or anything, it isn't something I could picture you wearing at all, but this is… This looks amazing!"

Espio softly smiled watching the beetle freak out. Had this been before they became friends, the chameleon knew Jewel would have thrown such a fuss about his attire. But to see that she now had such an interest in it, looking around it to get a view of the entire desire of the kimono, it felt exhilarating.

"It is my… ki-kimono," Espio replied.

"Oh right! That's that one popular dress from Yurashia, no? I only thought it was for girls, I didn't know they made them for men too!"

The transfer student nodded. "They do. It is fo-for… e-eve… event."

"So formal occasions, right? Well, I think you look amazing! Listen, I gotta tidy up my section of my expo, even though I arrived two hours early to help set up for Professor D' Coolette as well as get my exhibition EXACTLY perfect. I'll see you soon, but for real, you're gonna do great! See you!"

With that, Jewel buzzed away as Espio sighed. He was nervous about how he was going to present himself without Valdez by his side, but he knew everything was going to be okay. He just wished that Vector was there with him to ultimately guarantee that he would be okay.

Vector… No doubt the crocodile was playing in the final game of the playoffs right about now while the rest of the art major students were at the last minute preparing their exhibit. He wondered about the crocodile in that moment, hoping with everything he could that the crocodile's team was winning and that he would return from the museum to hear that Vector and his team were victors.

"Vector…" he thought to himself. "I hope your night goes well… and I hope that you feel the same way towards me in that regard… I… am thinking about you…"


SOME TIME LATER…

It was around halftime as the Badniks all huddled up together. It was a tense first two halves, a very large stalemate as the Badniks had a whopping 3 points, and the Dingoes a whole 4 points. The team was able to keep up with the Dingoes as best as they could, but they were now starting to get tired, and it seemed like the Dingoes were only just going to continue their reign of terror.

Amid the large crowd of voices above and around him, Vector looked at the huddled over Dingoes, staring right into the dark red eyes and shit eating grin of the Dingoes' quarterback; Tumble Skunk, a quarterback who'd been making a name for himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the college football world, and for very good reason. Not only did he know his rules, he knew how to play around them to cause as much chaos as possible, perfect as Coach von Stryker's pet player. The beige skunk returned the stare, cracking his knuckles for Vector to see. Undeterred, the crocodile returned to his team.

"So, what's our current game plan?" Thrash said, breathing heavily as his chest and protective gear rose up and down with each deep breath.

"It's just as I thought. Helmut personally engineered these boys to be the best of the best," Coach Augustus said. "One thing's for certain, they brought their A game to tonight's game."

"Don't forget that damn quarterback of theirs," Monk said. "He keeps grinning that grin of his and I'll make sure to wipe it off his smug little shit face!"

"What a true man does, right?" Rudy replied.

"We've already lost much honor to SOME people around here…" the gorilla turned to look towards Vector before returning to the huddle. "Best we try to remind people what makes football a man's sport should it come to that."

"Some of them are even managing to outrun myself," Connery added. "I hate to admit this, but I'm starting to get tired. Coach, do we not have a single plan in action? I think we need to resort to something different."

"Let me think…" Coach Augustus crossed his arms.

"Their offense and defense are perfect too!" Brawny added. "Our defense is getting trampled, and our offense can barely make a hit! And you know how strong guys like Knux and Monk are!"

"I need to play a different role, coach! I can't just stand there and play the first throw and then be a sitting dog and-" Bull Bones complained before the polar bear shook his hands.

"Wait wait wait wait wait! You all are getting WAYYYY too carried away! Remember, as soon as this team starts to fall apart, THAT'S when you lose! Keep your damn cool, and that's how we know we've got it in the bag!"

"But we don't 'Have it in the bag', Coach!" Connery shot back. "I'm starting to question whether we should come up with our own plan!"

Axel nodded. "I agree. We aren't focusing enough, and I think we should all agree to one-"

That's when Vector spoke up.

"Why dun we beat them at their own game?" he asked. Monk made a scowling face.

"Great, the degenerate agenda leader is speaking again…" he muttered under his breath. Ignoring his comment, the crocodile continued.

"I think we're lookin' at this the wrong way. The Dingoes are both strong men and an iron wall, but no matter how strong a wall is, they're all destructible."

"What's your point?" Axel questioned.

"Mah point is that, instead of havin' part offense and defense on the field, we need to focus on having a set of people who'll take the ball and the others to defend no matter what. While we need to perform legal plays, I think it's time we shot those guys down with a taste of their own medicine."

"So, we have the rest of the field focus on defending from the Dingoes' offense…" Thrash recounted.

"That way, we gottem all focused on one or the other! I think the way we can do this is if when one guy has the ball, they got a group behind them. The group defends and then tries to quickly follow back the guy with the ball. I'll handle carryin' it!"

Connery, who continued to avoid Vector's gaze, nodded. "As will I."

"Bull, yer still gonna be in front and center, but whether ya get the first touch or miss, join the rest of the guys in defendin' got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Bull Bones saluted to the crocodile.

"And Rudy… ya did great out there. I think our team should be the same fer the third and fourth quarters, but I'm gonna swap Rudy with… Rotz, yer up next."

"Wh-what?!" Rotor looked surprised. "Y-you talking to me?"

"Yeah dude! Dun have confidence issues now, ya know ya play a mean defensive tackler! With the, Knux, Monk, Bull, Thrash, and the rest of the guys defendin', yer gonna do great!"

The walrus looked down before looking up at Vector, determined and nodding. "A-Alright! I won't let you down! I'll be as strong as I am to make sure you can get the ball!"

"That's the spirit!"

"You're quite the inspirational source, Vector," Coach Augustus said. "I'm putting my faith in this plan of yours since I didn't consider it. Don't let me down."

"Sure won't, coach! I'm ready to win this!"

"What about you boys? You all ready to win this and become champions?!"

"YES COACH!"

"Put 'em all in the middle, halftime's over anyway! On the count of three…"

The entire Badniks team put their hands in a giant pile atop one another, species of different kinds joining each other in solidarity.

"One… two… three…"

Everyone lowered their hands…

"BADNIKS…"

And threw them into the air.

"...ATTACK!"

Everyone got into their positions, the players who were playing on the field returned onto it as benched players returned to the bench, now with a beat up Rudy replacing Rotor. AD Sommersby watched the team return to the field as Coach Augustus stood next to him.

"Do you have faith in Vector's plan?" the polar bear whispered to the bulldog.

"Only a miracle will save this team now. You see how beat up these boys are?" AD Sommersby replied.

"And yet, they aren't giving up until the end. They'll probably knock all their teeth out if it means getting that champion's trophy."

"We'll see how this goes… I just have my concerns…"

As the Dingoes returned to the field, Vector could see Tumble return back to his position as everyone waited for the coaches to get on the field with the ball. Just then…

"Ay, ay ay, Vector!" a gruff voice called out. The crocodile looked up to see Tumble personally call out to him. "Looks like you and yer team sure took a beating. Maybe give up now and save the embarrassment fer later! Otherwise, I'll make sure our team roughs your boys up GOOD!"

Vector stared back at the skunk, not wanting to give him an answer.

"Awh, wut's wong?" Tumble continued in a mocking voice. "Is da little coward croc too scared to snark back like he always does?"

"Keep makin' herself look like an ass, be mah guest,' ' Vector retorted.

"Oh, ya finally done givin' me the silent treatment? Too bad! Already decided I'd clobber ya and your teammates till they're nothing but bloody pulp!"

Just then, Tumble turned behind him to look at his Fullback.

"Yo, Anton! I think it's time we give this team the thing we've been practicing all week!" he said. "Ya know da thing!"

"Don't even remind me twice, Tumble! I'll show them why they don't fuck with Anton Veruca!" the lizard said, making a neck slit motion with his thumb. Vector suddenly raised up at the comment. What were they?...

Just then, the ball was placed in the middle as Bull and the Dingoes' center all got into position. At the sound of the whistle, Bull was able to grab onto the ball first as the Badniks moved on ahead, following Vector's plan. The bulldog threw the ball towards Connery, all while Knuckles, Monk, and Rotor ran behind him. Just then, two of the Dingoes' tacklers came from the side and suddenly brought Connery to the ground, the horse rolling on the pasture as the ball was flung into the air. Knuckles was able to grab onto it at the last second, but just then, the wide receiver of the Dingoes ran up to him. Knuckles knew to get out of the way and allow Rotor and Monk to handle him, but suddenly, he began to slide onto the ground. While he missed by a considerable amount, it was enough to cause the echidna to stumble onto his feet and crash to the ground, the ball rolling on the pasture as it was now out. Vector watched with despair at what was going on, quickly catching on to what the Dingoes were doing.

"Those bastards…" he thought to himself, spitting out blood. "...they're doin' moves that would be considered illegal plays… but since it's not actually PERFORMED and just mimicked, it's still legal since it didn't actually happen! I can see past yer tricks…"

As the field set up for another play, the crocodile sighed, realizing that this was only just the beginning. Feeling pain from the cold as well as how much he was on the ground tonight…

"Espio… Gaia tell me yer havin' a better night than me…" he said to himself.


MEANWHILE…

It was around 7:46 as the art show at the Museum of Arty Art was undergoing. Professor D' Coolette stood by the front entrance, chatting with his friends from the art world with glasses of champagne in their hands as other critics interviewed the students and critiqued their work.

In the midst of this, a group of mobian and Overlander art critics walked past Espio's exhibit as the chameleon did his best to stand tall and straight, hands in front of his waist as he waited for someone to check out his exhibit, which only one critic had done so tonight. Just then, Espio overheard…

"...'celui-ci m'a intéressé en tant que conservateur d'objets de Mobius Nord.…"¹

Turning his head to the right, Espio could see a group of Overlander critics from Spagonia walking towards him as the chameleon quickly got into position, ready to begin what he had been practicing all along. As long as he remembered, "It's nice to meet you, my name is Espio", then the questions and answers and critique should be no problem.

As they walked in front of the chameleon, Espio bowed and began to speak clearly.

"Very pleased to meet you," he said in his native tongue, only half way in his bow realizing what he had just said.

"Ex...cusé moi?" asked a woman with a pink vest and a strange haircut Espio hadn't seen. Realizing that he had already made a mistake, the chameleon sought to rectify it, not-so perfect English or not.

"A-ah… I am so-sorry! That-that is… my lan… langy… langi…"

Come on, he had JUST done this earlier with someone, and he had been practicing English all week with Vector, NOW he was messing up?!

"Your… language, sir?" asked another woman, a thinner girl who looked like she was in university.

"Yes! It is… Jy-Japanese for, It is very nice to… meet you."

So far so good… at least he was getting back on track.

"Are you perhaps from Yurashia, sir?" asked an older man with a cane.

"Y-Yes! I am from Gojo."

The group of people turned towards one another in confusion.

"Gojo?" many of them whispered, unsure if such a place existed.

"It is my vi-vil… villaj- no… village…"

The old man with the cane nodded as he looked up at the paintings, eyes lowering as he did.

"Now, tell me, sir…" he said. "What do you 'zink when you draw?"

Espio was confused, turning his head.

"Do you have 'zomething in mind when you draw, such as an idea or a vision? I see art here, but 'zere needs to be more than that."

Espio was now starting to get lost, the LAST thing he needed now, so he tried his best to think of something. "I… think of… of my home."

"Is that what this one represents?" asked the thin university student girl, pointing to the first painting Espio did in class of the Shinobi Clan's dojo.

"Yes… that is my home… my dojo."

"Your dojo?" the woman with the haircut asked. "Do you perform kung fu?"

Espio raised a brow. "I do not know what that is."

The woman looked bewildered as she whispered something to the man with the cane. Meanwhile, the university student continued to stare at more of Espio's art, noting the art style in a majority of the pieces.

"This seems very similar to many ancient Yurashian paintings from hundreds of years ago!" she said. "Is there a favorite artist you have?"

"I do not understand the qu-question," Espio replied, shaking his head.

"Who is your favorite ancient Yurashian artist?"

Artist… artist…

Now that he thought about it, there was only one artist he knew: Suzaku-san, the personal crane artist of Gojo who sold his woodblock inks and paintings every day, the one who drew many paintings hung up in the dojo, and the one who painted a portrait of Espio, his parents, and Shami as an infant years ago that still hangs in The Bride's chambers to this day. With that being his only answer…

"Suzaku-san."

"...who?"

Espio's eyes widened, realizing that no one would know who that is. "A-Ah… he is the… ar… arti-tist… of Gojo. He draws very g-good…"

"Is… he the only artist you know?"

"Yes."

The university student looked at Espio, and went back to his paintings.

"I see… Well, I do think that it's very good for… someone who only knows one artist. Excuse me one moment."

The girl returned back to the group of Spagonian Overlanders, talking among themselves. Espio couldn't understand them, but he caught some things he could hear phonetically.

"Le fait que tout le monde ici ait accroché de l'art moderne et que celui-ci se détache comme un pouce endolori semble bien trop étrange. Pourquoi Antoine aurait-il permis cela?"²

"Il dit qu'il ne connaît qu'un seul artiste. Un artiste de cet endroit qu'il appelle Gojo."³

"Alors je doute que ce monsieur ne soit pas prêt à être un artiste. Il ressemble plus à quelqu'un qui imite qu'à quelqu'un qui innove."⁴

"Beaucoup trop coincé dans le passé, je suis d'accord. Dans un musée avec toutes les pièces de l'ancienne Yurashia, c'est bien, mais pas dans une exposition d'art moderne faite par de futurs artistes."⁵

"C'est bien pour ce que c'est à mon avis, mais ce n'est pas ce que le thème recherche. Je lui donne un deux sur cinq."⁶

"Je lui donne un une sur cinq. Cet art semble plus qu'amusant, ce qui est bien trop fréquent chez les artistes du Mobius Nord de nos jours."⁷

The critics all wrote down in a journal they had before the man with the cane turned towards Espio.

"Well… your exhibit was… interesting… We shall leave you with your review at 'ze end of 'ze exhibit."

With that, the Spagonian Overlanders walked away as Espio sighed, glad that he could manage to fix up what had just occurred in the last couple of minutes. Still… he was starting to get the feeling that the critics weren't very impressed with him, so he hoped that they at least thought his art was good…

"Vector… I wonder if you too are anxious like I am?" Espio thought to himself, wishing that he could be at the Finals game right now to cheer on his best friend.


8:41 P.M.

It was finally the fourth and final quarter of the Finals, and right now, the Badniks lead with a two point lead in front of the Dingoes. The match had been much like it was earlier, at a stalemate thanks to the strength of the two teams. It was frankly a miracle that the Badniks were ahead, as Monk had to be benched halfway through the third quarter of the game, being replaced by the second largest Overlander on the team.

With less than twenty minutes on the clock until the match was up, Vector breathed heavily as frosty breath exhaled from outside his helmet and into the air. His nerves almost feeling non-existent, he knew the final hurdle was only up ahead.

With one blow of the whistle, the next outing began with the teams closer to the Badniks' goal. The Dingoes center threw the ball behind him to Tumble, who began to do a bootleg play by pretending to hand the ball to the Dingoes' midfielder, the same bootleg Vector performed during the game against Winterberg. This time, with the line of scrimmage now passed successfully, Connery and Axel attempted to block him off only for Tumble to use his elbow to rush tackle past the two, stepping on the water buffalo's cleats. He barely reacted, leading Connery to chase after the skunk, but as others on the team followed suit, it was too late, as the Dingoes made their first touchdown of the night.

"Ouuuch, that's gonna hurt!" Wes Weasly announced from the stands. "The Badniks had a successful lead for about ten minutes, but it wasn't enough! Looks like we're looking at 8 for Home, 12 for Away! With now seventeen minutes left, will the Badniks score that extra five points they need to win?!"

Vector kicked the pasture and grit his teeth, growling as he watched Tumble run back to jump and almost body slam his teammates in the air. Everything was going so well, and now it seemed like the Badniks were set to lose considering how slow the game had been going. If they could score at least one touchdown...

Unfortunately, no matter how much Vector prayed for a miracle, it seemed like it wasn't coming anytime soon. Even with his omamori on, the clock was ticking down, and the time on the scoreboard read 2:31. There was barely any time left until the game ended, and it seemed like the Dingoes were going to win as not a single score was made. By this point, every single member of the Badniks were tired and panting, and it seemed like the Dingoes could go for hours upon hours.

After a goal kick failed miserably, it was back to the usual field formation as Vector tried his best to catch his breath, quickly grasping onto the omamori from under his jersey and gear in the hopes that SOME miracle would come.

With the whistle blowing, Bull managed to catch the ball and threw it behind, where Vector caught it. But as he began to run forward, Vector noticed multiple Dingoes coming his way, so, with only one thing left to do before a pile on, he threw the ball behind him as Knuckles caught it in midair. The echidna ran forward as fast as he could, only to have that Fullback from the Dingoes, Anton Veruca, come in his view. The echidna, out of rage, kicked Anton from behind in the stomach. The lizard fell to the ground and the whistles suddenly blew as the refs came up to the echidna.

"What just happened?!" Vector called out as multiple refs surrounded Knuckles, this time with Coach Augustus and Coach von Stryker joining alongside them. He knew better to interrupt, and simply watched as Knuckles was being let away by the refs.

"K-Knux!" Vector called out. "Whadja do?!"

"Me kicking that Veruca dick got me ejected from the game!" he called out. Vector looked horrified, realizing that the Dingoes would get 15 yards into the Badniks' side of the field because of this.

"Listen Vec! I tried the best I could to get them weak, it's all up to you guys now! Get a touchdown dude, you got this!"

With Knuckles being led back to the locker rooms due to his ejection, Vector looked back at the field, only to see Tumble grinning at the crocodile.

"Feeling da pressure now, croc?!" he taunted. "We only got less than two minutes left, ya can admit defeat! Suits a coward like ya anyway!"

Vector's blood was now starting to boil. He was close to attacking Tumble, just like he did this Monday to Connery. He was going to make sure the skunk would eat dirt no matter what…

As the two teams returned to formation, 10 yards into the Badniks' side of the field, the whistle blew again as Bull managed to grab the ball, throwing it to Vector as he zigzagged to the right. He gracefully dodged three Dingoes players as he ran around the line of scrimmage. Running forward, he knew he was about to be stopped as he heard a stampede of footsteps, so as he ran past the 40 yard mark of the Dingoes' field, he got an idea.

As he suspected, he would be tackled to the ground and fall, allowing the ball to go dead as it rolled on the pasture. His pants and shirt dirty, Vector got up as he saw where he was; mere feet away from the 20 yard mark of the Dingoes' side of the field. So far, so good…

With the teams returning to formation and less than 1:30 on the clock, the whistle was blown again as the Dingoes' center caught the ball, throwing it to Tumble as he ran forward. But instead of going after him, Vector ran forward.

"Wh-what are you doing, dude?!" Thrash yelled as he ran past the Tasmanian devil.

"Trust me on this! Stop that skunk first!" the quarterback yelled back. Just then, Rotor stepped forward and elbow crashed into Tumble. Somehow, neither of the two were thrown to the ground, but the skunk continued forward as Connery ran faster and faster, catching up with Tumble as he looked over at the horse. He held up the ball in a mocking manner, shaking it like a mother would shake a toy.

But this would be the mistake that would cost the skunk, as the horse quickly snatched the ball out of his hand and ran back towards the Dingoes' field. Seeing the massive amounts of players from Away running towards him, the horse threw the ball forward only for it to be caught by…

"Rotor, catch!" Bull yelled out as the walrus ran a few steps back, barely missing the ball as he held it in both hands. He looked behind him to see the stampede of Dingoes coming his way.

"Rotz, throw now!" Vector yelled out. His sudden plan is almost coming to fruition. All it depended on was Rotor's throwing skills, which wasn't the best compared to his offense on the field. Still trying his best, the walrus threw the ball, but it was clear his throw wasn't good, as the ball didn't travel far, and it was spinning vertically instead of horizontal. But it was just what Vector needed as he caught the ball, just steps away from the 10 yard marker on the Dingoes' side of the field.

"Get him ya chumps!" Tumble screamed. "No one's blocking the fucking field!"

But it was too late, as Vector reached the end goal of the Dingoes' field, and with less than 45 seconds on the clock. With a score of 14 for Home and 12 for Away, the field grew to a roar as Tumble's face grew red with anger.

With another outing going, Vector knew all the Badniks had to do was to continue the stalemate for another minute and they were going home champions. But as the Dingoes' center grabbed the ball, threw it to their Midfielder who had it intercepted by Axel and handed it to Vector rushing past him, Tumble charged at him as fast as he could.

"YOU'RE FUCKING DONE FOR, CROC!" he screamed, catching up with intense speed from behind Vector. As he turned around to look at the skunk, he very quickly noted a detail he didn't think anyone noticed: Tumble's right shoelace was untied. Realizing that he could use this to his advantage, Vector made a very quick move that could easily backfire. He grinded to a halt just as Tumble came next to him, the heel of his left cleet hitting Tumble's untied shoelace.

"Yer shoelace's untied," Vector said to Dingoes' quarterback. Because of the sudden move, the skunk wailed aloud as he crashed to the ground. Vector continued to run as he started to hear more people fall behind him. However, this was just the beginning, as the Dingoes' defense came rushing towards him. With a whopping five people army, Vector knew a touchdown now was more than impossible, and decided to do the next best thing.

With the defense just feet away, Vector aimed and threw the ball towards the goal, passing through it as the Badniks gained themselves another three points. The crowd continued to go wild, and there were only 26 seconds left!...

Not wanting to take any more chances out of fear that the Dingoes would get a surprise touchdown and win by one point, Vector knew it was time to play defensive as when the outing was set up again, whistle blown, and Bull grabbing the ball to pass to Vector, the crocodile decided he would have a little fun and play catch with his team to stall for time. As the seconds counted from 19 to 18, the ball passed by the scoreboard as different members of the Badniks moved across the field, some of them being tackled by the Dingoes to the ground but doing everything they could to stall. With Vector, Rotor, Thrash, and a few others still managing to catch up, five seconds remain…

4…

3…

2…

1…

And finally, just when it seemed like the Dingoes gained control of the ball again…

The scoreboard buzzed as the half of the stadium went insane, a large and powerful roar filling the field as Vector collapsed to his knees in pure ecstasy.

They did it… they actually did it… They were champions…

The benched Badniks members ran to their team to celebrate as Augustus felt like he was going to collapse from shock. AD Sommersby looked over at the polar bear and… gave him a very rare smile, Augustus unable to form words as camera flashes from journalists surrounded the field. On the Dingoes' end, the entire team was in a state of despair as Tumble fell to his knees, blankly staring at the Badniks. He looked over at the bench, seeing AD Doberman red faced and intensely gritting his teeth, seconds from seemingly about to have his clothes rip off his body like the Unenviable Clunk from anger. On the other hand, Coach von Stryker said nothing as usual, only looking back at the skunk with a VERY intense look of disapproval in his eyes.

Finally catching his breath, Vector ran back to his team as even Knuckles seemingly was allowed to rejoin his team, everyone coming together in one bout of collective joy as the team finally could call themselves champions. The booming voice of the announcer echoing, "LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, GIVE IT UP FOR THIS YEAR'S CHAMPIONS! BREAKING EMPIRE CITY UNIVERSITY'S FOUR YEAR WIN STREAK, THE MOBIUS UNIVERSITY BADNIKS WILL GO DOWN AS COLLECTIVE WINNERS TONIGHT! And here to reward their efforts, our staff will bestow the highest honor any College team would dream of!"

Two referees came running up to the team, holding up a large trophy in their hands made of silver and placed it in front of the team, everyone still in the middle of their collective group hug. While everyone sans Connery, Monk, and Axel all had looks of joy on their face, Vector grabbed the trophy left in front of them as Coach Augustus and AD Sommersby joined the entire team with multiple photographers taking pictures of the team at that moment, forever memorializing the team. While Vector heard the sounds of cheering, roaring, and the collective chant of "BADNIKS ATTACK!", his mind was in so many places. He was grateful for his team, his coach, and his own ability. Hearing the sounds of not just the crowd but likely a good chunk of the country celebrating the Badniks felt like an honor that he could never recreate.

And yet, there was one thing just missing…

"Espio…" he thought to himself as he stared at the trophy in his hands. "This win is fer yeh…"


MEANWHILE…

It was around 10:30 PM when the art show at the Museum of Arty Art was wrapping up. Professor D' Coolette, alongside the rest of the Spagonian art critics and others he invited, had his students from every class near the front entrance to discuss the results of their show.

"You all 'ave done a very good job on your exhibits, and I am very proud of you!" the coyote said. "All 'ze critics who came by your exhibits 'ave given me their reviews for each and every one of you, and they will be a partial part of your grade alongside what I've seen tonight. Now, before we wrap up 'ere, I want to announce something very special that my fellow critics and friends from 'ze art world 'ave announced that they are going to do something special for their favorite exhibits. For each of my classes, three people shall be picked to be featured in Art Underground, a Spagonian art magazine, and a cash prize depending on the place you 'ave gotten from 'ze critics and a commemorative plaque made of jewels from Spagonia made by Ms. Aida! Now, when Mr. Otto calls your name, he shall tell you 'ze place you have obtained based on the number of not just positive reviews you received, but also the personal opinion of who had 'ze best exhibit!"

Espio, who stood next to Valdez, looked up at the blue chameleon.

"What is going on, Valdez-san?" he asked.

"The critics are going to nominate their top three favorite artists of the night, where the winners will be written about, and get a cash prize and a commemorative award," Valdez replied.

Espio looked down, a look of confliction on his face.

"What's wrong, Espio-kun?"

"Valdez-san… I… I don't think the critics liked me very much. I made far too many mistakes, unforgivable mistakes that caused me to look foolish."

"I'm sure you didn't. You never know. Look, they're about to nominate the third place winner."

As Espio watched with the rest of the crowd, the old man critic said into a microphone that the first class to get their nomination would be his Creative Drawing I class. Gadget, the red wolf who would come to Espio's defense when Jewel wasn't his friend, came into third, as did another peer he didn't know. When the first place winner was announced, it wasn't a surprise who the old man said…

"And finally, 'ze one who will get 'ze full page write up and two pages of 'er art showcased in the top Spagonian art magazine, as well as a one thousand Mobium prize and a commemorative plaque… is Mz. Jewel 'ze Beetle!"

The beetle girl gasped as the rest of her class clapped for Jewel. She buzzed towards her professor and the critics and artists as the old man held out a gold plaque coated in different shiny jewels, and another held a large… rectangle of some sorts from what Espio could see.

"Mz. Jewel, 'ze art you produce is exactly what critics and artists like Antoine and many from 'is world looks for," the old Overlander man began. "We see a very promising career for you in 'ze art world, and you 'ave all 'ze talent in 'ze world to become a 'igh profile artist of your time. Congratulations on your achievements, I promise 'zat our magazine will write a very promising review of your exhibit,"

The people around Jewel clapped for her as the microphone was placed in her hands.

"G-Gosh… This is all so much…" she said. "I want to say, thank you so much for coming out of your way from Spagonia. It means a lot that you're willing to see the future in artistry. I've worked very hard on my art since childhood and to see that you're willing to give me this award is beyond an honor. This couldn't have done without the motivation and support I have around me to continue my journey, and I promise that I will continue my path."

Everyone in the room began to clap as Jewel handed the microphone back. However, as the old man began to speak again, Espio couldn't help but notice a… strange look on the jewel beetle's face.

"...now, we shall 'and your reviews to our editors, and I promise that we will write about each of your exhibits in a separate piece done about your exhibition. And thank you Jewel, and-"

Suddenly, Jewel grabbed at the microphone held in the man's hand.

"I'm… SO… so sorry but I… can I please make one final comment? I promise this won't take long, sir."

The old man looked confused, even the critics and artists behind them looked surprised at the sudden action.

"Erm… what is the issue?" he asked.

"Please? I promise I won't take very long."

"Well... okay?..."

The old man, not sure of what to, slowly released his grip from the microphone as he handed it to Jewel.

"Thank you," she said, nodding her head before returning to the crowd. "I mean it very much when I say I'm so happy to see many from the art world here tonight here to see what the art majors of this school have done. And I couldn't be any more grateful for your nomination as I am for your first place winner."

Espio, as well as the rest of the Creative Drawing I class, looked confused. Where was Jewel going with this?

His answer would come with what Jewel said next. And what she said…

"...but… I…"

The beetle then held out her plaque to the old Overlander man, shocking everyone.

"I don't deserve this."

Professor D' Coolette walked up to Jewel, a look of bewilderment on his face,

"Jewel, what are you doing? Surely this is just some sort of act, is it not?" he asked.

"I agree. Antoine, que se passe-t-il ? A quoi pense-t-elle?"⁸ the old Overlander added.

"I'm sorry, Professor D' Coolette… but I feel that someone in this class at least deserves this plaque more than I do…" Jewel said before turning to the crowd. Espio looked forward, and as he did, he suddenly locked eyes with the girl.

"Espio… can you come here?"

There was a collective 'What?' in the crowd as everyone started to stare at the chameleon. Even Valdez looked surprised as the crowd moved out of the way to let Espio pass. Seeing what was going on, the chameleon walked forward towards the front, feet away from Jewel as she turned to him and held out the plaque.

"Here. You deserve this more than I do."

"What?!" the Overlander woman with the strange haircut questioned. "We picked your exhibit for a good reason! Why are you giving it to 'im?!"

"...in my personal opinion…" Jewel began. "There's more to art than just having good art skills. Sure, one can draw well, one can understand how to create messages via art, one can understand even the business side of the art world… but you need to have a lot of heart as well. To understand the thoughts and feelings of not just yourself, but your audience… and even others you work with. And that's why I feel Espio deserves this. Even if he didn't win, even if he had the most amount of odds stacked against him being a student who only had very limited art knowledge prior to coming to Central Mobius as well as being unable to fully comprehend English one hundred percent… he did the best he could and does so much to help others around him no matter. There was once a time where I believed that Espio's art was below mine, that he could never possibly understand what true art was… but that's where his heart came in, the heart that let him continue to try his best in spite of my crabbiness and later, forgive me for how I was with him."

"This isn't acceptable!" the old man said. "You were selected as 'ze best exhibit, so 'zat is why you were given 'ze awards you were given! You cannot just possibly give it to someone else!"

"I at least just want to give the plaque to someone who deserves it more, sir!"

"Antoine," the Overlander turned to the coyote. "Qu'en pensez-vous ? Vous ne pouvez pas être d'accord avec ça!"⁹

"Y a-t-il une raison pour laquelle vous n'êtes pas d'accord avec ça? Je ne peux pas porter de jugement sur vos prix,"¹⁰ asked Professor D' Coolette in his native language. The critic and artist crowd walked over with their notepads of all their reviews, showing them to the coyote. He lowered his eyes, slowly opening them more as he read them.

"Elles sont... assez basses... Très bas en fait... Même en organisant vos critiques, même si j'ai aidé Espio avec ça?"¹¹

The woman with the strange haircut spoke up."Tu ne peux pas t'attendre à ce qu'on donne une bonne critique de cette exposition, quelle qu'elle soit! Ça ne ressemblait pas à quelque chose fait par un artiste avec une vision, ça ressemblait à un historien de l'art qui voulait faire des imitations de l'art classique!"¹²

The old Spagonian man nodded his head, continuing. "Il n'a également aucun avenir dans le monde de l'art étant donné son manque de compétences sociales. Même les artistes débutants ne sont pas aussi bègues que lui!"¹³

"Je n'apprécie pas le ton que tu utilises avec lui. Je comprends que l'art d'Espio n'est, selon les standards actuels, pas aussi développé que celui de la plupart des artistes en devenir. Mais je crois en l'unicité de chaque artiste, et quelqu'un comme Espio est comme un aperçu d'une époque révolue,"¹⁴ replied Professor D' Coolette, looking cross.

"Peut-être pour vous, Antoine, mais dire que son art est comparable à certains des plus grands artistes d'il y a des centaines d'années est risible! Vous voulez le mettre sur la même échelle que des artistes comme van Goat?"¹⁵

Jewel's face suddenly twisted into one of hurt and anger. Espio could see her breath hitch as she buzzed in front of her professor, staring at the old man.

"Sir… I hate to interrupt but… don't think for a second I can't understand you. I've taken a few years of French, you know," Jewel said, a look of anger on her face. "I can't believe you're saying that about Espio!"

"Mz. Jewel…" the Overlander's face grew cross. "This… Mr. Espio… iz 'e your boyfriend I imagine?"

"He's not my boyfriend, he's just my friend. But even if he was or not, how could you just disparage his art like that and talk down to him?! Just because he hasn't heard of classic artists doesn't make him some… some copycat! So what if he isn't van Goat?! None of us are! I feel like you're just singling him out because of who he is!"

"Mz. Jewel, you are crossing MANY lines. If you cannot behave, I will ask Antoine to take your award away."

"Do it anyway!" the woman with the haircut said. "I did not come to 'zis country to be treated like this!"

"AND NEITHER DID ESPIO!" Jewel screamed back. There was a stunned silence as Jewel was not only getting red in the face, there were small beads of tears coming out of her eyes.

"Mz… you 'ave crossed 'ze line. Give 'ze award back," the old man said.

"No! I don't have to! You already gave this to me and you have everything set as is! I'm already getting a cash prize AND a plaque, or do you not want people to learn the truth about what happened here, the way you treat an artist who doesn't know English as you do?!"

Professor D' Coolette adjusted his coat, raising his body up as he stared daggers at his friends and fellow critics. "Je pense que nous sommes arrivés au terme de notre discussion. Si Jewel souhaite donner son prix à quelqu'un d'autre, qu'elle le fasse. C'est son prix, et elle est libre d'en faire ce qu'elle veut, que vous soyez d'accord ou non,"¹

"What is g-going on?" asked Espio. Jewel turned around, avoiding the angry stares of the critics and artists as she sighed and wiped her eyes with one hand. Just then, she put the plaque in his hands. "Here, so that they don't try to snatch it from my hands. I know you'll keep it safe." the jewel beetle said.

She then looked up at the chameleon and smiled. "Really, Espio… you deserve it so much. Trust me."

With the two parties coming to a lack of resolution for what would be done, no one really raised a fuss about what had occurred as the crowd looked confused as to what to do next, pure silence in the room. Just then, the old man grabbed the microphone and attempted to get started with the new class, avoiding discussion on what occurred. Espio looked at the plaque as he walked back with Jewel to the rest of her class, still holding the large rectangle. The chameleon looked at the plaque he was given, staring back into his reflection from the shine of the gold.

"Amazing…" he said in his native language, Valdez stopping in front of the chameleon.

"Did… you do this, Espio-kun?" he asked. Espio shook his head.

"I think Jewel wanted to do this."

Valdez stared at Jewel, slowly nodded. "She has grown so much as a person this semester… I'm proud of her. Of course, maybe she shouldn't have yelled at someone of a higher authority, even if she was trying to defend you from whatever they were saying... But not just that, I'm proud of you, Espio-kun. There's a good reason Jewel gave you her award, she thought that you deserved it more because of your character, not just your art skills. I'm sure your mother will be very excited to see your award, even if it doesn't have a name on it."

Espio looked at the plaque, seeing that it was left nameless just like Valdez pointed at it. Still, he couldn't be more happy with this achievement. He knew he made many efforts in this class, and the fact that he made Jewel so grateful for what he's done for her meant so much.

But… there was something missing in that small moment…

"Vector… if only you were here to see my victory… of everyone I want to spend it with… it's you…" he thought to himself, thinking of the crocodile in that moment. He didn't know if Vector won his game, and he hoped that winning this plaque would be the good sign he thought it would be.

Imagining how excited Vector would be, carrying Espio and showing off the prize he won just like when Espio showed off that heavy football, the transfer student wanted nothing more than that.

And yet… there was a dilemma he now started to feel. Here he was, thinking about Vector again in such a manner, wanting to be up close and as physical as possible, sharing the same space and celebrating for a similar cause…

Why? Why was this happening… again? And why, for the umpteenth time… was he thinking about Vector when something else was going on?


END OF CHAPTER 21


TRANSLATION GUIDE FOR ALL FRENCH LINES

¹"...'this one interested me as the Northern Mobius Object Curator..."

²"The fact that everyone here has hung modern art and this one sticks out like a sore thumb seems far too strange. Why would Antoine allow this?"

³"He says he only knows one artist. An artist from this place he calls Gojo."

⁴"Then I doubt that this gentleman is ready to be an artist. He looks more like someone who imitates than someone who innovates."

⁵"Way too stuck in the past, I agree. In a museum with all the old Yurashia pieces, that's fine, but not in a modern art show made by aspiring artists."

⁶"It's good for what it is in my opinion, but it's not what the theme is looking for. I give it a two out of five."

⁷"I give it a one out of five. This art looks embarrassing, which is all too common among Northerrn Mobius artists these days."

⁸"What's going on? What is she thinking?

⁹"What do you think? You can't be okay with this!"

¹⁰"Is there a reason you don't agree with this? I can't make a judgment on your prizes,"

¹¹"These are... quite low... Very low in fact... Even for your critiques, despite the fact I helped Espio with it?"

¹²"You can't expect us to give a good review of this exhibition, whatever it is! It didn't look like something made by an artist with a vision, it looked like an art historian who wanted to make imitations of classical art!"

¹³"He also has no future in the art world because of his lack of social skills. Even beginning artists are not as dumb as he is!"

¹⁴"I don't appreciate the tone you use with him. I understand that Espio's art is, by today's standards, not as developed as that of most aspiring artists. But I believe in the uniqueness of each artist, and someone like Espio is like a glimpse into a bygone era,"

¹⁵"Maybe for you, Antoine, but to say that his art is comparable to some of the greatest artists of hundreds of years ago is laughable! You want to put him on the same scale as artists like van Goat?"

¹⁶"I think we have come to the end of our discussion. If Jewel wants to give her prize to someone else, let her do it. It's her prize, and she's free to do what she wants with it, whether you agree or not,"