Yeah so I'm a bit late with this update. But hey better late than never amirite? This chapter's more of a filler, but who doesn't wanna read about the chaotix being a chaotic mess? Say what you want, but the chaotix are underrated and so relatable! Nuff said!
"...I see a tree, and another tree, and another-mph!" Vector slammed a gloved palm over the youngster's mouth, growing sick of his blabbering. For the past few hours, Charmy had been pointing out every single tree that he had spotted, as if trees in the forest was a rare sight. If that wasn't enough to put Vector into a bad mood, then the cardio had certainly helped his mood along.
"You're actin' like ya haven't ever seen a tree before, kid." Vector loosened his hold just slightly on Charmy's mouth, not wanting to hurt the bee, but wanting to make sure he got his point across.
Using his unoccupied hand, he pinched in between his eyes, wishing he had some duct-tape to seal Charmy's mouth shut. "Hush up, for the sake of mine and Espio's sanity." Vector glanced over to his right, addressing the empty air, "Would it hurt to back me up, Esp? You gotta admit that Charmy's babbling is driving you insane."
"Why are you talking to air?" Charmy's muffled question escaped through the openings between the croc's fingers. "I don't think Espio's there."
"Then where is he? He couldn't have just disappeared into thin air!" Vector paused, adding sheepishly, "Actually he could. That was a poor choice of words, considering he's a chameleon."
"Wait, he's a...what?" Charmy wiggled his head away from Vector's palm, and Vector begrudgingly allowed his grip to fall away, perplexed at the bee's surprise. "He's what?"
"A chameleon." A calm voice wafted from a few feet above them, and Vector tipped his head back to observe Espio effortlessly pacing down from a tree trunk, his feet suctioned to the bark.
"Hey, that's a neat trick. I bet Vector's feet could stick to trees too, since he's got so much gum on the bottom of his shoes." Charmy giggled before schooling his face into a semi-serious expression that looked foreign to his face. "Since you brought up Espio's kind, I've got a complaint to lodge, Vector."
"Oh, this is gonna be good." Vector crossed his meaty arms across his scaly chest. "You've been complaining about your bedtime, your daily amount of screen time, and the amount of chores you should receive. I don't care about the screen time one, since it keeps ya entertained so ya don't bother me, but Esp made that rule, not me." Vector paused, noticing the way Charmy twitched from pent-up energy, ready to spill his guts out concerning whatever urgent complaint he had to express. "I can't wait to hear what this one's about."
"Ahem, as I was saying," Charmy cleared his throat dramatically. "I have issues with the science book that you and Espio are making me read. It's spitting lies, and it's traumatizing!"
"Traumatizing? Kid, how do you even know what that word means? You're six years old, for crying out loud!" Vector snorted. "Last time you used that word was when I ate your chocolate bar, and that situation isn't serious enough to be labeled as traumatizing."
"But this is different!" Charmy rushed in to defend himself. "The science book says that chameleons eat insects! Obviously, that's either a lie or Espio's waiting for the right moment to strike! Like, why would SEGA do that to us?" Charmy threw his arms up in frustration.
Vector exchanged a glance with an exasperated-looking Espio, whispering to him from out of the corner of his mouth, "I wasn't expecting that, but the kid's got a point." Then, in a louder voice, Vector chuckled and slung an arm around the bee. "Then consider yourself lucky that Espio's more interested in those dessert dumplings and ramen noodles."
"Yeah, but dumplings and noodles don't grow in the forest." Charmy stated the obvious, ducking away from Vector's grip to fly into wild spirals as he continued on dramatically, "If we don't have food, then the food chain is gonna make an appearance!"
"You're being illogical and ridiculous, Charmy," Espio replied patiently, finishing his descent and leaning against the base of the tree. "However, you brought up a good point about there not being proper food in the forest. But I believe I found the solution. While you two were...taking your time," Espio worded carefully, and Vector knew that was the chameleon's way of telling him that their pace was too slow for his liking. "I scouted ahead, and if we continue in our current direction, we will approach a city."
"Sounds better than camping out here for the night." Vector craned his neck back to observe the twilight-tinged sky, faint stars peeking out from behind a misty curtain of wispy clouds. "We should be able to find some food and shelter in the city. And then tomorrow, we'll think of a game plan on how to survive in the arena."
"Cool beans!" Charmy somersaulted into an aerial backflip, his wings flapping behind him in a worked-up frenzy. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"Not so fast, Charmy. We don't know anything about this city or it's inhabitants, so be on guard," Espio instructed, his words lost on the bee as Charmy zipped and weaved through the foliage, squealing and peeking over his shoulder to stick out his tongue in playful mockery.
Vector slapped a palm over his snout, gritting his teeth together until he was sure they would snap. "I have a feeling that lil' bugger is gonna be the death of us." He paused, adding sourly, "Assuming that all of this cardio doesn't get to me first."
Espio only sighed, wasting no time in replying to the croc's complaint as he leaped into the dense foliage after the runaway bee. Vector's muscles screamed at him, but he forced himself to follow in his teammates' footsteps, plowing through the underbrush like a bulldozer.
The backpacks that he was carrying got tangled up in some brambles and thorns pricked at him, but he was grateful for his tough hide that shielded him from the needle-like spiked plants. Everywhere he looked, there were branches reaching out to him from every direction, ripping his headphones free from his head, snagging the backpacks, poking his eyes. He had even begun to pant, and was almost knocked flat off his feet when a branch jutted out of nowhere, slapping him across his open jaw. He hissed in pain, spitting out a slobbery glob of tree bark and rubbing his jaw gingerly.
Just wait until he saw Charmy again; he was going to make that brat pay for making him chase him across the forest! Vector hoped Espio was right about the city zone being nearby, because he wasn't sure how much longer he could last in this rotten forest. If he saw one more tree...
He could hear the hysterical giggles of Charmy in the distance and the occasional gentle footfalls of Espio, who was obviously not trying to be stealthy. A zip of yellow and black zigzagging around a tree and a flash of magenta across a rotting log told him that he wasn't that far behind his teammates.
Another step he took, and the foliage completely swarmed his vision, blotting out his teammates and the path. Seething, Vector reeled his arms back and struck, ripping branches jaggedly from twisted trees and leaving the broken branches behind him. Working himself into a frenzy he began wrenching anything green and leafy that had the audacity to reveal itself.
He was thankful that no one was watching him, because it probably looked like he was having a fist-fight with some bushes, which was an accurate description of what he was doing. But they had started attacking him first, and he was going to fight back. Why was he the only one that got into these messes?
He tripped over a tree root, simultaneously banging his head on a low hanging branch. Stumbling forwards, he crashed to the ground, his momentum carrying him a few feet and spitting him into a new change of scenery.
Espio and Charmy were both waiting for him at the borderline between the forest and the city. Charmy was gesturing to the flashy billboards and the luminous screens, while Espio eyed the city with suspicion, as if trying to find something eerie about it so they wouldn't enter.
"Wow!" Vector sucked in a breath of air, whistling as he crawled to his feet. His sore jaw unhinged in awe as he surveyed the glistening skyscrapers that were high enough that they appeared to be piercing the darkened sky. Glowing cars were zooming across the paved streets, headlights bouncing from every bump the car hit. "Just...wow."
"Look, it's Mighty!" Charmy squealed, waving wildly towards a nearby skyscraper that was playing a drink advertisement on the screen. "Are you tired of sore joints? No energy? Then be like Mighty, and drink Mighty Muscle Milk!" Sure enough, there was a picture of a red-shelled armadillo, flexing a muscular bicep as he chugged a carton of the fake milk.
Other skyscraper screens were flashing similar messages, although Vector only caught snippets of them. There was a picture of Sonic in a sneakers commercial, labeling him as the king of speed. There was Knuckles in a fitness gym advertisement, Rouge in a jewelry commercial...they had even used Shadow in a commercial for a cheesy sugary cereal named Chaos Crispies. The ad read, Flavor that's so out of this world, that even the Ultimate Lifeform couldn't refuse it!
And then Vector facepalmed when he saw an advertisement for the Chaotix Detective Agency. It featured a montage from the forest, Charmy weaving through trees and Espio running nimbly across precariously tipping logs. Vector would have been proud that his team had made the screens, until it flashed a video of him slapping away foliage and tripping over tree roots. And he definitely was not hollering like a banshee while doing that activity. That screaming that was playing on the screen during the video was just his manly yells that had been edited.
"Props to the editor," Vector sneered, embarrassment beginning to turn his face red. "That angle is terrible and makes my snout look too long."
"I wouldn't worry about it." Chammy patted the crocodile on the snout. "Me and Espio look so awesome in the video, that we kinda overshadow you anyway."
"Thanks, Charmy. Makes me feel so much better." Vector rolled his eyes, earning an amused snort from Espio. "We didn't come to the city to stare at edited commercials! Let's find some place to spend the night."
"How about that place over there?" Charmy pointed to a towering building with multiple levels that stood out from the other buildings. Most of the towers seemed to house offices, but the bulky rectangular building was definitely not built to serve the same purpose as the skyscrapers.
Vector strained his eyes to try to read the glittery sign at the front entrance, but Espio beat him to it, scoffing, "Eggman Inn? Now, if that doesn't raise a red flag, then I don't know what else does."
"Eh, give it a break, Esp. We all know you don't wanna be here, but it'll just be for a night." Vector shrugged. "So it's a sketchy hotel, alright? No biggie."
"Does it have a pool?" Charmy tugged on Vector's arm, pulling him forwards. "A wide-screen TV? A breakfast buffet?"
"I hope so, but I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't. It ain't gonna be a five-star hotel, especially with a name like that." Vector wished he could take back those words as he strolled along the sidewalk, wind from the zipping cars buffeting his frame. As they approached the hotel, Vector couldn't help but be surprised by it's exterior. Two fountains flanked the entrance, colorful spotlights trained on the dual doors to the facility.
Hoping that the outer appearance would match the interior, Vector waited until the motion-activated dual doors slid open silently, admitting the trio into a breathtaking lobby. A frosted-glass counter greeted them, a few keycards scattered on the surface. Charmy had already dashed over to the section of couches that lined the lobby, plopping down and quickly advancing on to find the most comfortable couch.
"Where's the receptionist?" Vector asked, selecting a keycard and holding it up close for inspection, taking note of the room number blazed on the front.
"Other than Eggman, the other contestants and us must be the only living beings in the arena," Espio mused. "Which would beg the question, are those cars moving by themselves, or are they controlled?"
"Like a remote-controlled car?" When Vector received an affirmative nod, he continued, "It's not that far-fetched. Eggman's probably behind it, since he was the one who designed this arena." Vector pressed the keycard between his index finger and thumb. "Guess we just take our own key then."
"I don't like this."
"You've made that pretty clear, Esp. And I trust your judgment, but do you really think someone's gonna mess with us? We're the Chaotix!"
"This isn't a normal person we're talking about, Vector. This is Eggman." Espio sighed. "Just keep your eyes peeled for robots."
"Gotcha!" Vector mock saluted with two fingers, spinning away from the chameleon and towards the bee, who was jumping up and down on a couch like it was a trampoline. "Come on kid. Let's go check out our room."
"And stop jumping on the furniture," Espio added as an afterthought.
"So bossy." Charmy stuck his tongue out at Espio as he leaped down from the couch, bounding over to Vector's side. "What's our room number? I'll find it!"
"Room 191," Vector replied to the bee's inquiry, following the signs to the elevator. He rounded a corner and located the elevator, staring up at a chart mapping out the layout of the floors. "Guess we're on the third floor."
"Woah, there's a waterpark! That's much better than a pool!" Charmy jabbed a finger up at the map, a large square dominating the right upper corner dedicated to a waterpark. "And there's a fitness gym, and a trampoline park, and a movie theater..." his voice trailed off, his excitement dying on the last available attraction. "Yuck! It even has a meditation chamber."
"Don't tell Espio that!" Vector teased. "We'll never get him to leave!"
"Very humorous." Espio crossed his arms and raised his brow, pressing the up arrow button to summon the elevator. "Remember our agreement, Vector."
Inwardly, Vector groaned, already regretting telling Espio that they would only be in the city for a night. He already knew that he was going to miss this place, with all it's costly attractions and luxurious interior. There was no comparison between their shabby detective office and this hotel.
"Yeah, I remember." Vector grimaced, hating the victorious smirk he received from Espio. They had just arrived, and already the chameleon was trying to get them to leave. "You certainly know how to kill a mood."
Espio stepped into the elevator as the doors yawned open, cocking his head to the side. "Is reminding you to keep your end of the bargain wrong?"
"Whatever, Esp." Vector followed him into the elevator, Charmy whizzing in behind them.
"I wanna press the button!" Charmy jammed the button for the second floor with his thumb, the doors closing with a bang.
"You pressed the wrong button! We need the third floor, not the second!" Vector scrambled for the button, punching in the correct button. "The button with the three, not the two."
"In Charmy's defense, I suggested that we purchase a basic mathematics book for him, but you were insistent that the video games he was playing taught him how to count." Espio leaned against the bronze elevator railing as they climbed their way upwards, making Vector's stomach drop.
"Yeah, yeah, so maybe I was wrong, okay?" Vector shrugged nonchalantly, trying to brush Espio away. "So we'll return the science book that's only succeeding in traumatizing Charmy and use that money to buy a math book instead." Vector used the term traumatizing loosely, but Charmy seemed to think that the croc was actually on the same page that he was.
"Hallelujah!" Charmy punched the air in celebration. "No more science!"
"No, now you'll have to deal with addition and subtraction and multiplication and division. Throw in some fractions and decimals to spice things up. And once you get older, you'll deal with Geometry, which will make you hate shapes, and Algebra, where letters will enter the number universe." Vector grimaced, already knowing that he wasn't going to be the one to help Charmy with his math problems.
Charmy visibly gulped. "That sounds-"
"Traumatizing?" Espio finished, the ghost of a smirk etching across his lips.
"Hey, Charmy's kinda right on this one," Vector defended as the elevator door slid open to reveal a well-lit, carpeted hallway. "Those math problems used to give me nightmares, especially the ones where you had to show your work. And they ask such stupid questions too. Like, 'if Vector bought fifty-two watermelons, and lost seventeen, how many watermelons does he have left?' Like, who buys fifty-two watermelons?"
"Yeah, who would buy fifty-two watermelons?" Charmy repeated, his question getting ignored as they approached the door to their room, Vector sliding the keycard across the scanner built into the door handle.
With an affirmative click and a green pulsing light radiating from the scanner, Vector pushed the door open, the warm light from the hallway bathing their homely quarters in a rich glow. Black and white marble tiles lined the walkway into the kitchen, a dishwasher loaded with cleanly-washed dishes and a microwave completing the look. The tiles were replaced with cushioning, thick carpet that covered the expanse of the next room. A couch was glued to the wall closer to the kitchen, and a bed flanked the opposite side, next to the window and the air conditioner unit.
"I call dibs on the bed!" Charmy rushed over to the farthest corner of the room, flinging himself headfirst into the sheets.
"Oh no, you don't!" Vector sauntered over to the bee, easily hauling him off the bed. "You can sleep on the couch for the night. I'm sure it transforms into a pull-out bed that you and Espio can share."
Espio seemed aghast. "I would much rather sleep on the ground."
"Yeah, no offense to Espio, but I really don't wanna get karate-chopped or kicked out of the bed," Charmy explained. "And last time we shared a bed at the last hotel we stayed at, he kept stealing all of the blankets!" Charmy turned to Vector, giving him the puppy eyes. "Couldn't I sleep with you? There's lots of room for me!"
"Nah, you'd probably wet the bed." Vector grunted.
"So with that logic, you decided that it was a good idea to make me sleep with him?" Espio narrowed his eyes. "I already know I'm not getting a wink of sleep tonight, between your snoring and Charmy's...well, we don't even need to go there."
"Well, it ain't my problem that you're such a light sleeper. If someone even breathes the wrong way, you'd probably wake up." Vector collapsed onto his bed (yes, it was his bed, and he wasn't sharing it). "We'll have to discuss the sleeping arrangement later, since we're about to get into a civil war over it. How about we find some chow for dinner?"
"Waterpark! Waterpark! Waterpark!" Charmy hopped up and down. "Pretty please with sprinkles on top?"
Vector and Espio exchanged a look, and Vector was sure that both of them shared the same thought. If the waterpark was able to tire Charmy out, then the chances of getting a good night's sleep wasn't so unrealistic. Vector didn't mind so much, since he was a sound sleeper and could sleep through almost anything. But Espio, on the other hand, was a light sleeper and he needed his rest too.
Their survival depended upon it. Since they had the opportunity to sleep in comfortable quarters for the night, they should take full advantage of it.
Vector caved in. "All right Charmy, we'll go down for thirty minutes. But no more, since we've got a busy day tomorrow."
"Yahoo!" Charmy cheered, pausing his clapping to tilt his head to the side in confusion. "But what are we doing tomorrow?"
"Surviving," Vector replied simply. "We're gonna survive."
As far as first impressions went, the hotel was proving that his intuition had been right all along. He wished he could say he was surprised that his teammates weren't listening to him, but of course, he had fully expected it. Charmy was too young and naive, and although Vector could be perceptive when he wanted to be, the croc was too busy admiring the deceitful riches that the hotel offered him.
He could hear the splashing of water in the distance as the sound bounced around the hallway, and based on the rapidly-growing squeals of Charmy, they must be close to the waterpark. As they passed a door, a sign bolted to the door caught his attention, and he slowed, curiosity peaked.
They had a meditation chamber, and the hotel had just got it's first points from him. However, that point was jerked away just as soon as Espio popped the door open, a dim room lit with flickering candles greeting him. It was a terrible design to have the meditation chamber so close to the rowdy, distracting waterpark.
But that wasn't the feature that instantly made Espio backstep back into the hallway, closing the door hastily. Rather, it was the sculpture of Buddha that was placed in the center of the chamber, completely reconstructed so it now featured the grinning face of Eggman instead of the placid expression of Buddha.
It was a reminder of who was actually in control of this arena, and Espio rushed to catch up to his teammates, not wanting to allow either of them out of his sight. They were playing in an unfamiliar location, and this whole arena was Eggman's playground. He had to watch his back while watching his teammates' backs as well, because both of them were oblivious to the dangers.
A few bounding strides, and he easily caught up to Charmy and Vector just as they were pushing open the steamy double doors for the waterpark. A blast of humid air slapped across his face, stifling him as the stench of chlorine stung his nostrils. How could people actually consider this fun?
As if some higher deity above, like Eggman himself, could read his thoughts, a gong sounded from above a roped jungle gym, and a massive bucket of water tipped downwards, the sudden weight of water almost making him pitch to his knees, drenched to the bone.
"Whoo, that was exciting! I didn't see that coming!" Charmy hooted. "C'mon, let's go to the water slides!" He motioned towards a few neon-colored slides that were tangled around each other in complicated loops. "I'm gonna ride the orange one! It's got a giant drop!"
"I'll take the curvy pink one and we'll race!" Vector turned to Espio. "Hey Espio, how about you take the blue slide? Winner of the race gets control of the TV remote once we go back upstairs!" Vector paused, flashing a toothy grin to taunt. "Or maybe the lazy river is more your style."
"Knock yourselves out," Espio replied, not taking the bait. "I'm going to go sit somewhere and keep track of the time."
"You're no fun," Charmy whined, pouting as Vector led him towards the winding staircase for the slides. It would be a miracle if one of them didn't get sick from the amount of speed and the amount of spirals and dips that the slides had. While they were signing themselves over for bruising and nausea, Espio figured that he could do some meditating, although this environment would be challenging.
He plopped down in a striped lounge beach chair, reclining as he watched the silhouettes of Vector and Charmy zip down the slides at neck-breaking speeds, ramming up against the walls of the slides. He wasn't sure if he was hearing screams of excitement, or screams of fear and pain.
Espio crossed his legs, settling back into the chair and easing his eyelids closed, trying to banish the concerns of the arena from his mind. He was not someone who was paranoid or worried, and he chose to rely on careful observation and level-headed thinking rather than leaping to conclusions. But he just had a gut feeling that something about this whole arena was wrong.
If Eggman was telling the truth, then in the real timeline, he was still existing and living, just in a world where Sonic had perished. It was strange to think that he was living in two different timelines, and he briefly wondered what he was doing right now in the other timeline. Was he grieving over the loss of Sonic, or had he already moved on? There certainly couldn't be peace now that Sonic was defeated, so was he fighting a battle right now against Eggman, trying to fight for freedom now that the hero that everyone had looked up to was gone?
Frustrated at himself for his failure to focus, Espio scanned his surroundings, the outlines of his dripping-wet teammates climbing up the weaving stairs for another round on the slides giving him the space that he needed. He scooped up his backpack that he had discarded beneath the beach chair, his fingers tightening around the zipper. Out of the three backpacks, his had been the smallest, and he hadn't opened it yet, waiting for a moment where his teammates weren't around to stare over his shoulder. Perhaps he was being too secretive, but after all, that was his specialty.
He glanced up one last time to make sure Charmy and Vector were still occupied before unzipping it, reaching a hand inside. His finger grazed something sharp, and he quickly withdrew his hand with a subtle wince, drops of blood dotting his glove. He should have been more cautious, considering the fact that Eggman was the one who had arranged the bags. He had hoped that it would've been food or necessities, but Eggman seemed to have a purpose with the items he packed in the bags.
Stretching his hand back inside, much more gently this time since he now knew what he was dealing with, Espio withdrew a collection of shurikens and kunai. One could never have too many of them, he supposed. He thought that was everything in the bag, but then he heard a sloshing sound when he moved his bag back to the ground, and he paused, wondering if Eggman had decided to give him something practical, like a bottle of water.
That proved to not be the case, when instead of a bottle of water, Espio pulled out a small, rounded bottle filled with a colorless fluid. Brow furrowed, he stared at the symbols that were scrawled across the bottle's label. Since he was a ninja, he knew Japanese, and the word stopped him short.
"Doushite?" Espio whispered lowly, resisting the urge to throw the bottle to the ground and shatter it. Why would Eggman pack this? I wouldn't sink that low.
As much as he hated his next action, he tucked the bottle of poison back into his bag along with the shurikens and kunai. He would figure out what to do about it later, when he had a collected mind. If Eggman thought that he was going to kill the other contestants, then he was mistaken.
His chaotic surroundings were not doing him any favors, and his amber eyes drifted over towards a bubbling mini-pool tucked away in the corner of the waterpark. He would retreat there, where he wouldn't be in the center of the chaos but he could still keep a protective eye on his teammates.
Swinging his feet to the side of the beach chair and softy cradling his bag so the bottle of toxic poison wouldn't shatter, he paced over to the hot tub, carefully placing his bag on the ledge before lowering himself into the near-scalding water. The jets of water pounded into his back muscles, frothing around his shoulders. Now this...this was relaxing.
He exhaled blissfully and leaned back into the jet, easing his eyelids closed as he allowed his mind to calculate the best strategy for the arena. Tomorrow morning they would leave the hotel and get out of the city, whether Vector liked it or not. This city was only causing a distraction, and that was the last thing they needed.
Espio wasn't sure what the best option was when it came to the five zones. The forest sounded the most appealing to him, considering there were plenty of places to hide and the temperature was pleasant. On his own, he knew he would thrive in the forest since he was quick, agile, and he could climb up trees effortlessly. However, Charmy and Vector wouldn't appreciate being in the forest, but they didn't have a better option. At least in the forest, there would be drinkable water, unlike the desert, tundra, and beach zone. There were others that would probably share the same thoughts, so the forest was probably the most populated zone.
He wasn't concerned about the other competitors, since he didn't think he or his team was on bad terms with anyone. Team Dark was probably the biggest competitor, and he was certain that the others were fearful of them. He hardly knew Rouge and Omega, but he had worked with Shadow before, and he respected the hedgehog.
His directed his thoughts to the next team that also featured a hedgehog, and a slight frown marred his face when he recalled the strange encounter while they had been retrieving their bags. Sonic was footloose and a bit too carefree for Espio's taste, but Knuckles was a good friend and had proved to be a faithful, devoted guardian. But the third member of their team left something to be desired, and Espio was frustrated that he hadn't figured out the fox yet.
The jumpy behavior was understandable, considering the fact that he was quite used to that reaction when he turned visible. It was the fox's terror that continued on even after he had revealed himself, and it was serious because not even Tails' teammates had been able to snap him out of it. It was strange...it was almost as if Tails was afraid of him.
Thankfully, he was a detective, and that was a mystery that he was going to solve.
He was jerked from his thoughts when he was pelted with water, a splash coming from his right. He didn't even have to look, already knowing who the culprit was even before the bee's head had resurfaced, spitting water out of his gaping mouth.
"That's one way to enter," Vector chimed in, stomping down the steps leading into the hot tub, inspecting his headphones. "Guess I'll find out if these are actually waterproof."
"That entrance was epic!" Charmy beat the water with his fist, flicking some water at Espio only to annoy. "Didja see that splash, Espio?"
Ignoring his question, Espio huffed, the blessed silence and tranquility shattered. "The hot tub is only for adults. The temperature is too high for you." He was thankful that the waterpark had placed a sign for the hot tub rules, and he waved towards it.
"Rules are made to be broken," Vector retorted, scowling up at the sign. "No diving, horseplay, splashing, or young children? C'mon, the rules are just trying to ruin our fun."
Before Espio could reply, Vector whipped his scaly tail and sliced it across the surface of the water, a wave of water spraying Espio in the face. He hadn't closed his eyes in time, and he rubbed his arm across his eyelids in irritation as he clambered to the edge, hauling himself over the ledge.
"You're such a stick in the mud." Vector sighed. "This is boring anyway. Wanna go back to the wave pool, Charmy?"
"And get body slammed into the wall again by a monster wave? You bet!" Charmy grinned impishly. "And remember how I told you that I needed to go to the bathroom while we were racing down the slides?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot. There's gotta be bathrooms around here somewhere." Vector swiveled his head, his eyes flicking across their surroundings. "Can you hold it?"
"Don't look for a bathroom, because I don't need to go anymore." Charmy giggled, gesturing towards the hot tub sign. "And it's a win-win, because I also broke the last rule. You said rules are made to be broken, right Vector?"
Espio facepalmed, thankful that he had climbed out of the hot tub when he did. He blinked the water from his eyes, the chlorine stinging as he studied the last rule on the sign that was common sense. Why did they have to put a rule that said 'no urinating in the hot tub' in an area that was only meant for adults anyway?
Espio smirked in satisfaction as Vector paled before making a bee-line for the stairs. "You're a great influence, Vector."
"Shut up, Esp." Vector growled through clenched teeth. "It's all fun and games until Charmy pees in the pool! Come on, Charmy! We're going back up to the room early so I can shower since you apparently aren't potty trained."
"I'm potty trained! I'm not a baby!" Charmy stuck out his lower lip in a pout as he marched up the steps, snatching a towel from Vector to dry himself off. "I just did you a favor because now you don't have to look for a bathroom."
Espio sprang to his feet, grabbing his abandoned bag and hoping that his teammates didn't ask him about the contents. Hoping to drown out any attempts at conversation, Espio didn't wait for Vector and Charmy as he strolled to the exit of the waterpark, his teammates falling in behind him.
Espio shivered as the chilly air of the hallway bit into his skin, a stark contrast from the balmy, sweltering air of the waterpark. He could hear the wet squelching of Vector's shoes with every step, blocking out the croc's complaints and Charmy's pleads to go back to the waterpark. After a few more turns, he arrived at the door to their room, folding his arms over his chest and waiting for Vector to produce the keycard.
"What are you waiting for, Esp? I'm in a hurry!" Vector stated urgently.
"Where's the keycard?" Espio raised a brow.
"I thought you had it!"
"Why would I have it?"
"I don't know!" Vector pinched his eyes together in frustration. "I must have dropped it while I was on the water slides. It could be anywhere!" He glanced around. "Maybe I could pick the lock with a coat hanger? Or could you pick the lock with one of your throwing star things?"
"Step aside for the master of breaking in!" Charmy darted forwards, pressing the handle down and shoving the door open, not sparing the two shocked reptiles a glance. "Ta-da!"
"That's funny. We needed a keycard before to get in, but now there's no security lock on our door," Vector remarked. "But at this point, I don't even care about anything except getting a shower."
Vector rushed into the room, jogging into the bathroom and slamming the door with an exaggerated bang that made the whole room shake.
Espio trailed in cautiously, closing the door behind him with his foot. He wasn't even sure why he bothered closing the door, since with a lock-less door, anyone could wander through the halls and take a peek in the room. But what choice did they have?
Espio rummaged around in the mini fridge, withdrawing three frozen meals and popping them in the microwave to warm them up. The malfunctioning lock was more than concerning, and Espio made a mental note to sleep with one eye open tonight, in case any of Eggman's robots paid them a visit. He hadn't seen any robots in the arena yet, but maybe they were just waiting for the right moment to strike.
He stuck his head out of the kitchen when he heard the sounds of a TV blaring in the living room. Charmy was camped out on the couch as he cheered on some blocky figures, and Espio frowned when he recognized the TV show as Ninjago. The only thing that show did was brainwash children's minds and spread lies about the ninja.
As if Charmy could read his thoughts, he grinned over at him. "You should teach me Spinjitzu, Espio. Then I could be a ninja too!"
"It's ninjitsu," Espio scoffed. "That show is spreading blasphemy. Spinjitzu is only a fictional martial art. Now change the channel or turn it off before it says more lies about the ninja."
"Aw, but I won the water slide race, and Vector said that the winner got control of the TV remote." Charmy paused, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "But I'll make a deal with you. I'll change the channel, but only if you play a game with me."
As much as Espio wasn't fond of games, the Ninjago was clearly the worse of two evils, so Espio exhaled in defeat. "Fine."
"Cool!" Charmy switched the channel and yanked his striped bag onto his lap, digging through it. "I've got the perfect game to play!"
Espio didn't acknowledge that he had heard Charmy, the TV channel stealing his attention. It was a setting he was very familiar with, considering that he had just trekked through it about an hour ago. Leaves blocked half of the screen, but Espio could see three figures camped out around a small campfire. Even without the firelight, he knew he was looking at Team Dark. He could see Rouge leaning against Omega's frame, Shadow keeping his distance from the duo as he sulked beneath a tree. It seemed like there was some tension going on, but before Espio could figure out what was going on, the scene shifted.
Now he was looking at tawny sands sprinkled with jagged cacti, a searing sun still ruling despite the fact that it was nighttime. Amy, Silver, and Blaze were standing in a loose circle, Silver using his telekinesis to sift through piles of sand. The trio wasn't settling down for the night, but they weren't talking either, the occasional shifting of sand the only noise that covered the awkward hush.
Espio's attention was snapped away from the TV when Vector emerged from the bathroom, placing his headphones over his dripping-wet head. Vector leaned against the doorframe between the kitchen and the living room, whistling lowly at the screen. "Why am I not surprised that Eggman hid cameras all over the arena?"
Espio snorted. "This whole room is probably bugged. I'm sure he's listening and watching us right now."
"Yeah, well, let him waste his time, because there's nothing to see here!" Vector trudged over to the bed, crawling into it and staring at the TV screen, which had now shifted and revealed the heroic trio that was huddled together into a tight circle to keep themselves warm from their body heat.
From the angle, Espio couldn't tell if they were asleep, or if the cold was keeping them all awake. Tails was sandwiched between Sonic and Knuckles, using one tail to shelter Sonic, the other tail wrapped around Knuckles. They all looked so small compared to the snow-capped mountains and the floating glaciers that surrounded them, and Espio wondered why they had chosen the tundra.
"Wow, we're bathing in luxury here compared to everyone else," Vector chuckled. "Almost makes me feel guilty."
The screen blackened, and Espio was surprised when instead of returning to a team that it had already featured, the screen zoomed in on a partially-uprooted tree located in the forest zone. At a quick glance, no one would have noticed it, but Espio could see the subtle movement and the exposed, floppy tan ear that peeked out from beneath the tree. There must have been an audio feature on the camera, but the whispers were too faint to understand, although he could hear the girl's sniffles.
"Cream!" Vector gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "We forgot about Cream! She's out there in the forest all alone!" He grit his teeth together. "We gotta go find her! Vanilla trusts me to take care of her!"
"It's too late now, Vector," Espio reasoned. "Tomorrow morning when we leave the city, we'll go find her. But for now, the best thing we can do is get some sleep."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. I just feel so helpless!" Vector shook his head mournfully. "If something happened to her, I'd never forgive myself!" He angled the remote at the TV, hitting the off button. With the ruckus of the TV gone, now the only noise that claimed the room was the air conditioning unit, the blast of icy air blowing the silken window curtains.
"Wait, before we go to bed, Espio agreed to play a game with me." Charmy beamed at Vector. "Will you play too, Vector?"
"The more, the merrier!" Vector replied. "Espio's actually going to play a game with us? The world must be ending!"
"Very funny." Espio grimaced, already regretting agreeing to Charmy's deal. "Let's just get it over with."
"Okay! Drumroll please!" Charmy used his gloved hands to drum against the wall. "Hey, you guys should buy me a drum set. Remember that time where we had rehearsals, and you would sing and Espio played the banjo? We sounded terrible!"
Espio didn't bother to correct Charmy that he had been playing the samisen, not the banjo. That was an embarrassing memory that he didn't want to have to relive again. "Yes, Charmy, it would be difficult to forget those rehearsals. Now why don't you just find a card game so we can get some sleep?"
"Bold of you to assume I would choose a card game! Since you don't play games with me often, I had to make sure I picked a good one. No Uno or Go Fish this time." Charmy revealed the game he had selected with a proud flourish. "Surprise!"
Espio could only gaze blankly at the dreaded board game that Charmy was holding. It was the worst game he could have picked, and it would take hours to finish. He hated this game with every fiber in his body, and it was notorious for sparking fights and arguments. He had just signed his death wish.
...he was going to play Monopoly.
"You're cheating!"
"How could I be cheating?" Came the calm, tired voice on the receiving end. "All I have to do is roll the dice."
"I don't know, but there's no way that you two are playing fair. You have almost all of the properties, and Charmy has me in debt!" Vector complained.
"Hate the game, not the player!" Charmy mocked, straightening the hotels that lined his properties. He couldn't tell who was winning, although he knew that Vector was losing. Although Espio owned more properties than he did, Charmy had more money.
He rolled the dice, moving the car figurine around the board. It had been a brutal fight over the figurine since Vector had wanted it too, but they had settled it in a war of rock-paper-scissors, rendering Charmy as the champion. He flicked his gaze over to see if anyone owned the property he landed on, and cringed when he saw that Espio owned it. Not wanting to pay him, Charmy passed along the dice to Vector, hoping neither of them would notice.
"Hey! Pay up, Charmy! You landed on Espio's property!" Vector snitched. "Nice try!"
"I'm not gonna pay Espio! He's in jail!" Charmy jabbed a finger over towards Espio's playing piece, which was locked in the orange jail square. "I'm not paying money to a criminal!"
"That's not how you play!" Vector snarled. "I knew you was cheating! You probably landed on my properties and didn't pay me! And now I'm about to go bankrupt!"
"Stinks to be you," Charmy replied with a giggle.
Vector fumed, his hands gripping the corners of the board. Playing enough game nights with Vector had taught him that the croc's favorite thing to do was flip the game when he was losing. Although it would be fun to see the board go flying across the room, Charmy wasn't looking forward to hunting down the hurled pieces and money.
"Let's just call it a draw and get some sleep," Espio advised, causing Charmy to exhale in relief. He wouldn't have to go chasing down missing Monopoly pieces.
Vector paused in consideration, but he lowered his hands from the board, so that was a good sign. "Yeah, good idea. Charmy, since it's your game, ya can clean up."
The bee bit back his frustration that they hadn't finished the game, and he was stuck cleaning it up. Nonetheless, he complied, folding up the board and shoving it back into the box, dividing the money into the different slots based on the color, and stuffing the property cards back into the box before sealing it with the lid.
When he had stuffed the Monopoly box back into his bag, Vector and Espio had transformed the couch into a pull-out bed, wrapping a loose sheet around the mattress.
"Alright, kid. Your bed's all ready. No-" Vector hadn't even finished his sentence before Charmy flew face-first into the bed, the springs groaning and creaking beneath his weight. He hadn't realized how tired he was, but breathing in the faint smell of lavender that clung to the sheets, he could already feel his eyelids drooping.
"Hey, slide over some. Make some room for Espio!" Vector tugged him over to one side of the bed, and Charmy was so exhausted that he didn't even fight it.
"I'll sleep on the ground next to the air conditioner," Espio volunteered, a little too eagerly. "The ground looks more appealing anyway."
"Well, if you insist." Vector shrugged his shoulders in defeat, yawning. "I'm going to bed." A few beats passed, and then darkness engulfed the room.
"Nighty-night!" Charmy sang sleepily. "Don't let the bed bugs bite!"
"Great, thanks for putting that idea into my head!" Vector groaned. "Now I'm gonna have bed bugs chasing me in my nightmares."
"Goodnight," Espio whispered, completely ignoring Vector's distress.
A few moments passed, Charmy barely hearing his own breathing over the hum of the air conditioner. Then, Vector must have gotten over his distress, because loud snores charged with phlegm echoed around the room. If he wasn't so tired, then Charmy would be afraid that the snores would keep him awake. Espio probably wouldn't get any sleep tonight if Vector kept that snoring up.
Charmy's eyelids fluttered closed and he could feel his body drifting towards dreamland, when out of the blue, a sharp pain flared in his chest, lacing around his ribs as if an invisible pressure was squeezing his torso. Choking back a cry, he whimpered into his pillow as the pain subsided, replaced with a dull ache.
Before he could question where that pain had come from, something stabbed through his head, his vision turning white. He couldn't stifle the choked cry that emerged from his parted lips, his hands reaching up to cradle his head. And just as soon as the pain had entered, it had fled, making him wonder if he was just imagining it in the first place. He felt no blood, and the pain hadn't lingered, so what could it have been?
"Go to sleep, Charmy," Espio ordered, his exhausted voice on the borderline of being commanding. Feeling guilty for disturbing his teammate, Charmy muttered a quick apology, flipping over on his side. Although he was so sleepy, his body didn't seem interested in sleep, although he was very much interested in it. He just wanted to fall asleep so he didn't feel that pain again. It was scary.
So when sleep finally trickled into his body, he welcomed it gratefully, drifting into comforting unconsciousness.
And while he slumbered, a subtle red light of an active camera flashed above the doorway.
It had been hours since the incident. Since the hour that had permanently scarred him forever, stealing someone that had been too young and innocent. In the span of one day, they had lost two children, one who had kickstarted the whole rescue mission that had led to the other one's death.
He wasn't sure what had happened to Cream, but she was the farthest thing from his mind that roiled with rage and turmoil. It had been a simple plan. He would sneak into Eggman's base, locate Cream who was being held hostage, and flee. If things turned sour, he had a walkie-talkie to communicate with Vector, who was waiting with Charmy outside of Eggman's base.
As soon as he had stepped inside Eggman's base, he had known that something was off. All power to the security cameras had been cut, there were no alarms, and the doors had not been repaired since Sonic had stormed the facility on that fateful night. He should have known that he was too late; that Eggman had already relocated to a different base.
Nonetheless, he had inspected a room which he assumed had been the main control room before chaos had erupted. Sparking wires were ripped out of the ceiling, charred rubble and broken glass sprinkled the ground, and there was an alarming amount of blood smeared across the mauled floor. He had been afraid that it was Cream's, but the blood was dried and appeared to be at least a few days old. He had thought that it was Sonic's, but then he noticed the clumps of white fur and strips of black leathery skin from a bat's wing that littered the ground. He had forgotten that Rouge had been here.
There was nothing left. He had hoped that Eggman would leave some clue behind that would reveal his whereabouts, and if nothing was left, then he had planned to hack the computer. But the central computer was beyond salvation, the screen shattered and the keyboard melted away.
Washed over with defeat and failure, Espio had retreated from the ruined husk of the base, when he had heard a gut-wrenching scream that radiated in deadly waves from the walkie-talkie. The scream was boyish and childlike, terrified and agonized. He had tried to contact Vector, but the walkie-talkie must have gotten smashed because the screams soon became drowned out as static sizzled ominously.
He was a ninja. He shouldn't panic. Nonetheless, he wondered if this was panic that he was feeling right now, the emotion blurring his vision and making his heart sickeningly pound in his chest. Due to his inability to focus, his camouflage technique was faltering, his visibility flickering.
He had just leaped through the gaping crater blown into the center of the steel doors that divided him from the outside world, just in time to see an image that would burn into his mind forever.
A metallic robot closely resembling Sonic hovering a few tantalizing feet above Vector, safely out of reach. A blubbering bee that was clasped tightly between it's steel talons, the spiked digits curling harshly around his teammate's tender ribs. Vector, on the other hand, was boiling with untamed rage, his fists clenched at his sides.
"Perhaps this will teach you a lesson on the punishment of trespassing," Metal Sonic spat venomously, reveling in the fact that Vector was unable to reach Charmy. His metal claws trailed upwards until they locked around Charmy's head.
"No!" Vector snarled, lunging upwards to aim a powerful uppercut against the bot. "Let him go!"
A sickening crunch of bone was the last thing Espio heard before his world was tainted red.
He watched blankly as Charmy's lifeless body toppled to the ground, discarded as Metal Sonic blasted into the midnight sky. He watched as Vector sunk to his knees, grabbing the bee by the shoulders and shaking him as if he would wake up. As if his neck hadn't just been brutally snapped like a toothpick.
He felt nothing...everything was so numb. He wanted to feel angry, sad, and bitter, but all emotion was wiped from him. He couldn't feel, couldn't process, couldn't do anything except stare back into those glazed-over eyes. Vector was sobbing, the kind of cry that wracked his body with violent trembles. Snot dribbled from his snout, dripping onto the bloody corpse that was cradled against his quaking chest.
Espio pinched himself painfully in the arm until he felt his eyes moisten, taking initiative since real tears were not coming from sadness, since he wasn't even sure how he could be feeling this cold and unfeeling. There were many negative emotions he should be feeling, but numbness was the most chilling.
As he briefly reflected on the painful, fresh nightmare that had turned into reality, Espio realized that a piece of him had died with Charmy. A piece of Vector was also gone, but he was certain that time would heal the croc. But time would only send him spiraling further and further down into his descent. Vector would heal...he wouldn't.
Espio withdrew a shuriken that jutted out from underneath the cuff of his glove, running his finger along the bladed star. With a fluid twist of his wrist, the shuriken whizzed out of his hand, swirling in a deadly arc as it embedded itself into a crudely-colored drawing. The shuriken had nailed the spot that he had aimed for, right between his own eyes.
He almost felt guilty that he was forced to use Charmy's drawings as targets, but he was certain that the bee would be happy that his drawings were so useful. He had sorted through the drawings, locking the important ones away and allowing the messy, sloppy drawings to become his target practice. If only Charmy was here now, so he could see justice executed.
Evil would never prosper.
Espio smirked down at the shuriken that he had wrenched from the torn drawing, a glint of wicked intent flashing in his amber orbs as he stared back at his reflection in the shiny steel.
It was time to avenge.
Just when you thought you were finally gonna get a humorous light-hearted chap, I just had to end it with a dead charmy and a vengeful espio. Erm so I'm gonna write espio with the idea that he knows Japanese since it makes sense bc he's a ninja. I only know one word in Japanese so I apologize if I screw it up and butcher it. I googled how to say why in Japanese and got six different answers, so I hope doushite is the correct one. I just wanna add that it might be a while before my next update bc I'm going on vacation. While on the road trip, I'm gonna try to get an outline going so I actually know where I'm going with this story lol. I'm not much of an outliner so we'll see how it goes!