Chapter 36: The Chaotic Dream Team
"Espio, pleeeease can we get McDonald's?"
"No, Charmy. We don't have any Earth money."
"But couldn't you just steeeeal it?"
"Well, yes I could, but the answer is no."
"But I want a Shamrock Shake!"
Espio grumbled as he climbed down the ladder from the abandoned city street above, the buzzing of his comrade's bee-like wings filling his ears and echoing throughout the underground sewer system.
"Can I please have one, pleeeease?!"
"Alright," Espio replied as he jumped from the ladder and landed gracefully on the concrete below, feet from the river of polluted water. "If you behave and help us fulfill the client's contract, I will buy you a Shamrock Shake."
"Yay!" Charmy flew in circles, flailing his arms excitedly before finally landing near Espio below.
The purple chameleon grumbled once more. "And what did I say about lowering your voice?"
"Oh, come on!" Charmy complained. "There's nobody even down here!"
"That you know of," Espio replied. "I've thoroughly searched the sewer system and found no inhabitants or spies, but remember: we are in unfamiliar territory. My ninja skills may be well honed, but we have no idea who or what we're dealing with here."
"I suppose…" Charmy folded his arms, walking alongside his chameleon companion as they slowly made their way to their base, the echoing of their shoes filling their ears.
"Finally home," Espio said to himself as they approached the front door of a small, two story house resting on a bridge just wide enough to accommodate the structure, the river of sewer water flowing underneath. "Chaotix Detective Agency" was written on a tarnished banner hanging above the door. Half the windows were cracked, and the siding and shingles were scuffed up.
The chameleon unlocked the front door to reveal an open main floor, decorated like an office with a desk near the back and various pinboards along the walls with yarn connecting various photos, representing the backlog of the detectives' unfinished caseload.
"Vector, we have some intel," Espio said, but his update was not acknowledged; Vector was sleeping in his desk chair, his back slouched and his hands behind his head.
"I got this," Charmy said with a grin, flying off the floor and slowly approaching the sleeping crocodile.
"Wait, I don't think you shou—" Espio wasn't fast enough to stop the bee from initiating his plan.
Clearing his throat, the bee pulled out a megaphone and positioned it next to his boss' face. "VECTOR, WE HAVE SOME INTEL!"
"Ahhhhh!" The crocodile fell from his chair in fright, the bee's hands pressed against his belly as he laughed uncontrollably.
"Charmy, why'd you go n' do that for!?" Vector yelled. "I was having the most wonderful dream, and then you came in and ruined it!"
"Were you dreaming about your girlfriend? Ooooooooooooo…" The bee got up in Vector's face.
"One more word out of you," Vector replied as he shooed him away, trying to hide the blush across his face, "and I'll swat you like a common bug!"
"Enough, you two!" Espio declared. "The more you argue over trivial nonsense, the less progress we'll make on our case." The purple chameleon turned his attention to Vector. "We've been gathering some intelligence on the predicament we're in."
"What, beyond the fact that we were, somehow, teleported to an entirely different world?"
"Read this." Espio threw a newspaper roll at Vector like a ninja star, the crocodile catching it with his mouth. With one long sweep of his arm, he cleared the mess from his desk, unfurled the newspaper, laid it out, and started reading. "World renowned hero Sonic the Hedgehog saves the day yet again, stopping a group of armed men from robbing the Station Square Community Bank and saving the hostages within." The green crocodile skimmed through the details until he arrived at the next section of the article. "Arriving on Earth earlier this year, Sonic and his friends were first deemed a potential threat by the United States military, but when they stopped the nefarious actions of Dr. Eggman, also from his home planet, the blue hedgehog and his anthropomorphic friends cemented their good graces with U.S. political leadership. Sonic was even offered to work as an independent contractor for the Guardian Unit of Nations (GUN) to swiftly handle situations beyond the scope of local law enforcement."
Vector coughed into the newspaper before skimming some more, arriving at the end of the article. "Since the Chaos Emeralds triggered Chaos Control in Station Square three months ago, more Mobians and landmasses from their world have started popping up around the planet, most notably the floating Angel Island above Station Square, the residence of Knuckles the Echidna. Nobody knows why this phenomenon is occurring, not even the scientific experts."
"So that explains it," Espio said, folding his arms as he leaned against the wall of the office. "We've been on Earth for, what, two days now? But we're certainly not the first to arrive on this planet from our world."
"That would also explain," Vector added as he raised a hand to his chin in thought, "why the trail ran cold on our current case back home."
"Precisely," Espio agreed as he pulled out a tablet. "Take a look at this." He tossed the portable device to Vector, who gasped at the displayed image.
"That's our client's kid!"
"Yes," Espio replied, pointing to the young bunny who was sitting on the lap of a human girl in a wheelchair, surrounded by humans and Mobians alike. "Since arriving on Earth, Cream has been taking refuge at this young girl's house." He tapped on Helen's face.
"Wait a sec…" Vector swatted Espio's finger away to study everyone else in the shot, noticing a particular blue hedgehog. "Well if it ain't our ol' pal Sonic!" The crocodile slammed his fist on the desk. "That kidnapper! I'll make him pay for stealing Cream from her mother."
"Vector, what are you talking about?" Espio asked. "Surely you don't think Sonic actually took Cream against her will, right?"
"Of course I do!" Vector replied. "How else would you explain Cream being on this planet with Sonic? Absolutely disgusting."
"I think you're jumping to conclusions," Espio interjected, Charmy's light snoring outshined by the ever-increasing volumes of his comrades' argument. "We don't even know how we arrived on Mobius. Besides, don't you remember the information we received from Vanilla?"
"Yeah, I do," Vector replied, leaning back in his chair. "Eggman kidnapped her and brought the bunny back to his base."[1]
"Sonic was trying to take Cream back," Espio argued, slamming his palms on the desk opposite Vector.
"Well, that doesn't explain why Sonic brought Cream to this planet!" Vector shouted. "That was incredibly irresponsible of him! Sure, he can go trotting to different planets on his own, but taking an innocent civilian with him? Reckless…"
"We don't know the nature of how Cream arrived," Espio shot back, pointing at the crocodile. "Quite frankly, you are making wild assumptions with no evidence! Doesn't sound like good detective work to me."
"Hey, you watch your tone or I'm dockin' your pay!" Vector threatened.
"You haven't paid us in months!" Espio shouted. "I've been living off ramen and bologna sandwiches!"
"Well, who do you have to blame for that?!" Vector exclaimed as he got up from his chair, pulling a remote from the compartment in his desk. "While you're out there gathering useless facts, I'm here doing the real work."
"Yeah, sure." Espio scoffed as he folded his arms once more.
"I'll prove it to ya," Vector replied. "The first drone we borrowed from the human military malfunctioned on Angel Island, but I've got another one up my sleeve…" Toggling the settings on the controller, the second drone took flight from the top of the filing cabinet in the corner of the room. "I'm gonna go find evidence showing conclusively that Sonic is holding Cream captive on this planet!"
"And how are you going to do that?" Espio asked. "You have no leads. You don't even know where Sonic's staying right now."
"Well, you see…" Vector scratched the back of his head. "I'm a detective! I'll find out right away."
"Or you can just leave it to the professionals," Espio replied, handing the green crocodile a torn piece of notebook paper. "Here are the coordinates for Sonic and Amy's apartment in Station Square. We're not that far from the complex."
"Sonic and Amy are living together? Spicy…" Vector flew the drone out of the office and into the sewer, the camera affixed to the portable flying machine displaying a clear image on the television in the office for everyone to see.
"And this is why nobody respects detectives…" Vector folded his arms and shook his head.
"That's soon about to change!" Vector declared. "Once we secure Cream and bring her home to Vanilla, we'll have clients rolling in from 'round the world!"
"And suppose we do 'secure' the child," Espio replied. "How will we even get back to Mobius?"
"That…I'm still workin' on that," Vector replied, rubbing a hand behind his head as a sweat droplet formed along his brow.
"Good grief…" Espio shook his head once more, shifting his attention to the TV on the opposite wall.
The sun was setting over the horizon, the orange sphere slowly disappearing from the sky reflecting in the rippling waves of the ocean below, its waters approaching the shores of the pristine, sandy beach of Station Square. While most of the visitors had since called it a day, a few beachgoers remained.
The latest wave of water approached the pair of blue and pink feet of two heroes enjoying the peace and tranquility they helped bring to Station Square since Eggman and Chris were thrown in prison after the events of the last Chaos Control incident a few months prior.
Sonic was lying on his back, his head propped up slightly with his gloveless hands as Amy rested to his side, her head against his chest and her eyes glistening as she aimlessly studied the seemingly never-ending ocean waters before them.
"Oh Sonic, this is nice," Amy said.
"For sure!" Sonic replied.
The pink hedgehog reached up to the blue hedgehog's face, planting a kiss on his muzzle, causing her boyfriend to blush. Giggling, Amy pulled herself up, offering a hand to the blue hedgehog below. "I'd love to stay longer, but I need to open up shop early tomorrow."
"Yeah, I suppose," Sonic said as he accepted the pink hedgehog's hand, allowing her to pull him up. "One of us needs to be responsible."
"We're both responsible," Amy replied with a giggle. "You've got that gig going with GUN, after all, and it pays better than my part-time job."
"Even so," Sonic replied with a grin, "you're the one who sticks to reasonable bedtimes. How'd I even function before moving in with you?"
"Beats me," Amy replied with a playful shrug. "Be right back, gonna go get dressed."
"I'll be here," Sonic said, watching as the pink hedgehog approached the outdoor stall with a bag full of her normal attire. Changing out of her swimwear, Amy emerged minutes later clad in her standard pink dress with her tall, pink boots.
"Beautiful as always," Sonic noted with a smirk, giving his girlfriend a thumbs up, earning a blush from the pink hedgehog. The blue hedgehog proceeded to pull a set of keys from his quills, which were quickly snagged by Amy.
"I'll be the one driving home today," Amy said as she approached the lone motorcycle in the parking lot.
"Heh, fine by me." Sonic placed his hands on his hips as he waited for his girlfriend to slip on her helmet and start up the motorcycle. The helmetless blue hedgehog joined shortly after, sitting behind her and placing his hands on her hips.
Amy accelerated rapidly, performing a wheelie as she peeled out of the parking lot, making her way to the main highway running through the heart of Station Square.
"Can this thing go any faster?" Sonic complained.
"I'm already going 80," Amy noted. "That's ten miles over the speed limit!"
"Time to make things more interesting, then…" The blue hedgehog jumped off the motorcycle and ran along Amy's side. "Wanna race home? I promise I won't go faster than 80."
Amy grinned, the thought of racing her daredevil boyfriend filling her with a sense of determination. "You're on, hedge boy!" Twisting the handlebar accelerator, the pink hedgehog sped off, leaving Sonic in the dust.
"Oh no, how will I ever catch up with Amy?" Sonic grinned as he peeled off as well, overtaking several cars before joining Amy by her side once more.
The two hedgehogs were neck and neck as they neared the exit leading to their apartment. Amy needed a way to help bridge the gap, and peering off into the distance, she found a solution.
With a grin, Amy cranked up the speed, driving up the ramp of a car carrier trailer and performing an angled jump that propelled her over the safety fence and into downtown. Sonic followed the pink hedgehog's path, jumping off the truck, clearing the fence easily, and remaining hot on Amy's trail.
Amy skid to a stop at the upcoming red light.
"I've gotta say," Sonic noted to her side, "you're a natural on that thing."
"Thanks!" Amy replied, patting the side of the motorcycle. "I think you've rubbed off on me too much."
"Heh, what can I say?" Sonic rubbed the base of his nose. "I'm a good influence."
"Sure," Amy replied with a giggle.
Once the light turned green, Sonic hopped back on the motorcycle, wrapping his arms around the pink hedgehog's waist, letting her take them home.
Reaching their destination only a few minutes later, Amy pulled into the underground parking garage underneath the apartment. Departing the motorcycle, the two made their way to the elevator bringing them to the top floor of the complex, and returning to their unit, Sonic immediately found his way to the sofa in the corner of the living room while Amy checked her text messages.
She gasped.
"Everything alright?" Sonic asked.
"I totally forgot," Amy replied. "Helen and Cream are hosting a dinner tonight for everyone."
"Oh yeah," Sonic replied as he stretched. "Well, it's not too late for us to get ready."
"If we get our butts in gear at least," Amy noted as she entered the restroom, turning on the shower, "but I'm going to be totally wiped tomorrow regardless." The pink hedgehog sighed. "You gonna shower before we head out?"
"Nah," Sonic replied with a shrug. "I don't smell at all."
"Oh yeah?" Amy approached the blue hedgehog, smelling around his arm like a dog looking for its owner's hidden treat. "Yeah, no, you're taking a shower." The pink hedgehog dragged Sonic to his feet, leading him to the bathroom which had since filled with steam. "You take a quick one first, and I'll do mine after."
"You're the boss," Sonic replied with a shrug before shutting the door.
Amy couldn't help but smile; while Sonic was, arguably, still a bit immature, this is the kind of relationship banter the pink hedgehog romanticized about since she first set eyes on her hero back in the day.
Thud.
"What was that?" Amy asked herself as she approached the window. Pulling aside the curtains, she peered around to find nothing, save for the setting sun and the cars and pedestrians passing by below. With a frown and a shrug, the pink hedgehog closed the curtains, not noticing the drone above.
"You hear that?" Vector asked.
"Yes," Espio replied. "It looks like Sonic and Amy will be visiting Cream tonight."
"Which means we're closer to fulfilling our rescue mission!" Vector declared.
"Yeah, rescue," Charmy added with air quotes.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Vector asked.
"You still haven't provided sufficient evidence that Cream is being held against her will," Espio replied.
"I'm workin' on that!" Vector replied. "Jus' take it easy." The crocodile pulled himself out of his chair. "If we head up now, we can make a head start while trailing them with the drone."
"Can I take a turn with it?" Charmy asked.
"Absolutely not," Vector replied.
"Why not!?"
"I've seen how you fly drones before, Charmy. Just stick to your own wings if you wanna fly."
"I agree with Vector for once," Espio added. "Even for me, it wasn't easy commandeering these drones from this country's military, and Vector already destroyed one of them."
"Hey!" Vector protested. "That first drone malfunctioned!" Vector flipped over his desk. "You know what? I'm going to find Cream now. I'm sick of this anti-Vector fanfic chapter anyway."
"Yeah!" Charmy replied. "What does AndTails have against Vector?"
"What's worse," Espio added, "is that he's using a fanfiction with over 150,000 published words and over a hundred followers across two websites to spread a thinly veiled critique of his least favorite Sonic characters."[2]
"And that's just plain wrong!" Vector concluded. "Now c'mon folks, let's get a move on!"
"Right," Espio and Charmy replied with a nod, following the crocodile out of their house and up the nearest ladder back to the streets of Station Square.
"Just a little bit further…"
Tails led Knuckles and Helen down a deserted metropolitan street, his eyes affixed to his Miles Electric tablet.
"You sure that thing knows where we're going?" Knuckles asked.
"I am 100 percent confident," Tails replied with a nod. "I was able to trace the source of where the drone was being controlled from…and it's leading me…" The orange kitsune stopped near a sewer cover. "There!"
"You mean we have to go into the sewer?" Knuckles asked.
"I'm afraid so," Tails replied before turning to Helen. "You mind keeping watch up here and letting me know if you notice anything suspicious?"
"Of course!" Helen replied. "I'll call you ASAP if I see a sketchy person lurking in the shadows." The young girl performed a karate chop.
"Thanks," Tails replied as he gave her a thumbs up. He turned to Knuckles. "Mind lifting the sewer cap?"
"Sure." The red echidna pulled up the cap, allowing it to roll a few feet before settling near the sidewalk.
"Be safe, you guys," Helen said as the two Mobians started making their descent into the sewer.
"We will!" Tails replied as he disappeared into the darkness below.
"Anything look strange?" Knuckles asked shortly after the two found themselves at the base of the sewer close to the river of polluted water.
"Not yet," Tails replied as he pulled his tablet from his namesakes, "but I would be prepared for anything."
"Roger."
Turning a corner, the red echidna broke the silence. "Say, you think Helen will be alright up there?"
"Of course!" Tails replied with a nod. "She's tough for a human, and plus she could always whip out her Helengelion if needed."
"I just feel bad taking her with on a potentially dangerous mission."
"I know how you feel," Tails replied, "but she's been through worse at this point, and her common sense exceeds that of most humans her age. She can call my wristwatch communicator if anything comes up."
"That makes sense," Knuckles acknowledged. "I just have a bad feeling…"
The duo turned another corner.
"Woah!" Tails gasped, pointing at the house resting on the bridge crossing the wastewater.
"Hey, that place looks familiar…" Knuckles peered up at the banner above. "Should've known. It's the Chaotix Detective Agency."
"You mean those discount detectives from Mobius?" Tails asked.
"Precisely," Knuckles replied. "Although it's been a long time since I've seen them.[3] I wonder how long they've been on Earth?"
"Perhaps only recently?" Tails asked. "Or maybe only their headquarters got transported here?"
"Let's find out," Knuckles replied as he tried turning the knob of the front door. "It's locked."
"Here, lemme pick the lock…" The orange kitsune reached into his namesakes to find his multitool, but just as he found it, the red echidna punched through the door, splintering it into multiple pieces. "Well…I guess that's one way to get through." Tails chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head.
The duo entered the Chaotix Detective Agency's office, finding paperwork scattered all around the floor surrounding the desk on the other side of the large room.
"Let's split up and search for clues," Tails advised.
"Like a mystery or something?" Knuckles asked.
"Precisely!" Tails replied with a smile.
"Well then, what does your detective intuition say about all the garbage lying around?"
"Well…" The orange fox dropped to a single knee and picked up a McDonald's burger wrapper. "We know that someone's been in here since this building came to Earth, judging from this garbage." The fox approached the desk to find a remote controller. Pulling out the detector app on his tablet, it was going off like crazy. "This must be the device used to control the drone! I never would've suspected they were spying on us from the sewers."
"The perfect hiding spot," Knuckles replied.
Searching the desk, Tails grabbed a sheet of paper. "Oh my…"
"What is it?" Knuckles asked as he peered over his shoulder.
"It's…a request…from Vanilla." Tails handed the form to the red echidna, who read it out loud.
"My dearest only daughter, Cream, has been missing for quite some time. Sonic was tasked with saving her from Eggman's headquarters, but not only has he not come back yet, the entirety of Eggman's HQ was destroyed, with no signs of casualties in the area. I've also been unable to reach any of Cream's friends. Tails and Amy's abodes are empty, Angel Island is unguarded, and there have been no further disturbances from Eggman. I will pay as much as it takes for you to find my daughter. I would go to the end of the world and beyond to find her. Please find my precious Cream…." Below the note was a photo of Cream sitting on Vanilla's lap in their cottage.
"Chaos Control happened so suddenly," Tails recalled, "we had no opportunity to tell Vanilla.[4] I'm sure she must be worried sick!"
"Yeah…" Knuckles placed the note back on the desk. "So do you think these detectives are out looking for Cream as we speak?"
"Maybe," Tails replied. "The one thing I don't understand…" The young fox grabbed the remote once more. "…is why didn't they just ask us about Cream instead of feeling the need to spy on us?"
"For being detectives," Knuckles replied, "their leader has quite a thick head. I wouldn't be surprised if he thought we kidnapped her or something."
"Either way," Tails said, turning back to the door, "it looks like we can return to the surface."
The Mobian duo left the agency, climbing back up the same ladder as before, emerging next to Helen on the street above.
"You find the culprits?" Helen asked as the two climbed out of the sewer exit.
"We didn't find them, but we found their hideout," Tails replied.
"Gross! Who'd hide out in a sewer?"
"These folks didn't have a choice," Knuckles replied. "They are Mobians whose house got transported to the sewer. It turns out they were controlling the drone from below, and now they're likely on the search for Cream."
"But…why?" Helen tilted her head in confusion, trying to process this stream of new information.
"Cream's mom asked these detectives, 'Team Chaotix', to help find her after she, and the rest of us, vanished from Mobius when we infiltrated Eggman's HQ to rescue her," Tails replied.
"Okay, I think I'm starting to understand…" Helen pulled out her flip phone. "Should I call Cream to tell her?"
"I wouldn't worry her," Tails replied. "Besides, they likely don't even know where she is. Better to just tell Cream in person."
"Sounds good, I'll just put away my ph—" Helen was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. Opening the clamshell, she brought it to her ear. "Hello?"
"Hey Helen, it's Amy."
"Oh, hello Amy!"
"Sorry for being late to your dinner gathering tonight. Sonic and I will be there in a little bit."
"Dinner…gathering?" It took a few moments for the young girl to remember. "Oh yeah! I invited everyone over for a dinner reunion!"
"That's news to me," Tails said to Knuckles.
"Same here," Knuckles replied.
"Sorry, it slipped my mind! I'm…out of the house, but I should be home soon, so don't feel rushed."
"No worries, Helen," Amy replied. "Sonic's just getting out of the shower. Once I get cleaned up, we'll make our way there."
"Sounds good," Helen replied. "See you soon!"
"Bye!"
Helen closed her phone and sighed.
"It's unlike you to forget something so important," Tails observed.
"What matters now is that I need to get home!" Helen exclaimed. "I know it's last minute, but do you two want to come over?"
"Sure!" Tails replied. "It's been a while anyway. I'd love to see Chuck and your parents again, along with Cream."
"In speaking of which," Knuckles added, "we could use this opportunity to check up on Cream, make sure Team Chaotix don't pull any stunts."
"Then it's settled." Helen nodded her head. "Let's head back to the Tornado!"
"Right," Tails and Knuckles agreed, following the young girl to the biplane parked at the nearby airstrip.
Arriving to Helen's house, Tails parked the biplane in the driveway and jumped out, along with the red echidna. Helen used the handicap elevator to return to the driveway's surface.
When they got inside, the house was already smelling of freshly prepared, scrumptious dinner entrées. Going to the kitchen, Helen found Alicia and Cream putting the finishing touches on the pumpkin pie they baked fresh while Bokkun was doing the dishes, standing on the counter over the sink. Multiple casseroles and salads peppered the countertop.
"Oh, hey Helen," Alicia called. "Out late I see."
"Sorry about that," Helen apologized, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. "I kinda lost track of time."
"I'm not worried," Alicia replied. "You've grown up so fast and know what to do if you're ever in danger. Plus, I see you were with your friends."
"Oh yeah!" Helen replied. "I invited Tails and Knuckles to join us, and Sonic and Amy should be here shortly!"
"Wonderful!" Alicia said. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable in the living room?"
"Okay," Helen replied with a nod, rolling into the other room to find a few folding tables, placed next to each other, laid out in the center, with Doug and Chuck watching a baseball game on TV.
"Hey, Helen!" Doug called. "You're just in time to see the Station Square Scallions defeat the Memphis Mighties!"
"That's great, dad," Helen replied with a chuckle.
"How was your excursion to Angel Island?" Chuck asked.
"It was great!" Helen replied. "I'll tell you all about it later."
"And how's my favorite grandfox?" Chuck asked Tails, messing with his hair playfully.
"Always busy with my projects," Tails replied with a blush. "Helen helped quite a bit today in my workshop!"
"Well, I'm not surprised by that at all!" Chuck replied, taking a smoke of his cigar.
"Knock, knock!"
The party turned to the front door to find Sonic and Amy.
"Sonic!" Tails exclaimed and he gave his big brother a hug.
"Hey there, lil' bud," Sonic greeted as he returned the hug, wrapping his tan arms around his back. "How's the new digs?"
"They're fine, but a bit lonely without you there," Tails replied with a smile, gently releasing his hug. "How's living with Amy?" The fox's smile evolved into a smirk.
"Fantastic," Sonic replied. "We've never been closer!"
"That's great!" Tails replied with a thumbs up.
And so the party made small talk until Cream called on everyone to load their plates with the various dinner items prepared in the kitchen, and within minutes, everyone was eating in the living room while enjoying various conversations. It was a merry evening for all…even for the ones spying on them from outside.
Peering through the living room window were Charmy, Vector, and Espio.
"See Vector," Espio said. "Just look at Cream! It doesn't look like she's being held against her will at all."
"You don't know that," Vector replied. "Maybe it's just an act to impress the houseguests!"
"You are denying basic reality," Espio stated. "I don't know if it's because of all the mystery novels you've read, or if it's to hype up the tension to impress Vanilla, but we need to stick to the facts and circumstances we've been able to verify."
"Vector is full of crock confirmed!" Charmy added.
The alligator grumbled under his breath before taking a deep breath and shifting his attention to the chameleon. "Alright, maybe I could've potentially miscalculated, but there's only one way to know for sure."
"And how is that?" Espio asked, folding his arms.
"I want you to abduct Cream."
"Wait, hold on…" Espio took a step back. "You want to prove Cream is being kidnapped against her will…by kidnapping her?"
"Yes," Vector replied sternly. "If we ask her in front of everyone else, she'll just say what they want her to say. If we abduct her, she'd be free to tell us the truth!"
"Vector's full of crock! Vector's full of crock! Vector's full of crock crock crock crock c-c-c-crooahhhk!"
Vector took out his fly swatter and smacked Charmy's face, sending the bee flying back to the tree near the street, colliding against the bark and sliding to the grass below.
"Okay," Espio concluded, "if I abduct Cream, and she admits that she's not being held against her wishes, will you drop this unfounded conspiracy theory?"
"Scout's honor!" Vector replied as he raised a palm.
"All right…" Performing a series of complex hand gestures, Espio disappeared from visual sight.
Gotta blend into my surroundings…
The camouflaging chameleon slowly opened the front door, creeping in without making a sound. He watched as the party continued eating.
I just need to wait things out until I get the right opportunity…
"Hey Ms. Helen," Cream asked. "I drew a picture of you today while you were out. Can I show you?"
"Sure!" Helen replied.
"I will be right back!" Bowing her head, Cream pulled herself up from her chair and ran to her bedroom.
Bingo…
Espio slowly approached Cream's bedroom to find the young bunny rummaging through a stack of crayon colorings on the desk. Before the young bunny could turn around, the chameleon stuck a piece of tape over her mouth and pushed her into a large bag. Closing it shut with a rope, Espio opened the window and stealthily jumped out, walking around the side of the house and meeting the rest of his team in their getaway car.
"This is so sketchy," Espio said to himself as he placed Cream in the trunk, closing it shut before getting into the passenger seat. Vector drove away, leaving skid marks where he had parked.
"Can we get McDonald's now?" Charmy asked from the backseat.
"Not until we solve this case, just like I told you," Espio said.
"Ah man…" Charmy snapped his fingers in disappointment.
"Say Vector," Espio said. "Where'd you even get this car in the first place?"
"Well," Vector replied. "It was just kinda parked on the side of the street, so I figured we could borrow it!"
"…you mean you stole it?" Espio clarified.
"Not at all!" Vector replied. "It's not stealin' if you plan on returning it."
"That's…not how it works…" Espio shook his head and slouched in his seat, too tired and annoyed to deal with Vector's shenanigans any longer.
As they drove back to their headquarters, Cream ripped the tape from her mouth, but while she could now speak freely, she was still trapped inside the trunk of a moving car, unable to escape on her own.
"This isn't good…" Cream rolled to her side, pulling her flip phone from her pocket to make a call.
Ring ring…ring ring…
"Hello?"
"Ms…Amy?" The young bunny asked through her tears.
"Cream? What's going on?" The pink hedgehog shot up from her chair and ran to the rabbit's room to find an open window.
"I've been…I've been…" Tears were streaming from her eyes.
"Where are you, Cream?" Amy stuck her head out the window, unable to locate the young bunny.
"I've been…kidnapped."
1: See chapter 9 of A Prelude to Chaos Control.
2: I actually adore Vector and Team Chaotix. They're super fun to write! Don't believe their slanderous words! D:
3: This is a reference to Knuckles' Chaotix for the Sega 32X.
4: See chapter 21 of Prelude.