Author's Note: As promised, things are ramping up this chapter! I know you guys are gonna like this one! ;3

There was a stillness to the Chaotix home that wasn't present before, a stifling quiet that constrained against them all, ever since the letter from Chun-Nan came. Espio was better than he was the day he got the letter, but he still wasn't himself, a week later. The chameleon isolated himself to his room mostly, he wouldn't come out unless they came up with a good reason for him to leave his sanctuary. Vector claimed one night he saw Espio patrolling around the house, in the dead of night, with his weapons drawn. When Vector asked what he was doing, Espio just said it was nothing and went back to his room without further explanation.

And this only happened because Vector had stopped sleeping regularly, most nights he was wide awake, either watching tv, playing his keyboard to soothe himself, or smoking on the porch. It was a habit he thought he kicked a few months after the Chaotix formed, one that didn't necessarily hurt him due to his elemental affinity for fire, but he didn't want Charmy to pick up the habit. But try as he might, when he found himself in a stressful situation, he would regrettably fall back into it. And if it was just the smoking it might have been fine, but the croc also hadn't been focusing on cases like he used to.

The phone would ring all day long and he wouldn't bother to answer, not because he was busy lifting weights or doing house repairs, nothing like that. No, what occupied Vector's time was conveniently perching himself in earshot of Espio's room, waiting on pins and needles for something, anything to make a noise and give him an excuse to inquire about his despondent friend. However, Espio remained silent as the grave in his room, even though he must have kept to his own personal training regiment. So Vector found himself talking louder than normal to ensure Espio could "accidentally" overhear him while he spoke about things that interested the ninja. The chameleon rarely responded to his efforts.

The Chaotix were all in a rut, but none more than the hyperactive ball of energy Charmy. Instead of his usual pep and childlike wonder effortlessly injecting life and vibrancy into the household, he struggled to maintain any sense of fun and carefreeness. And struggle he did, the young bee tried everything to push the dower mood away, like the early sunshine on a dew banked ground. Charmy suggested, nay, begged his older companions to play with him, to go out somewhere together, to have an adventure of some sort.

He even asked to train with them. Something he never thought he'd ever find himself doing, as training with Espio or Vector was always a trying experience. Both of them were incredibly serious about his physical fitness and stressed to the boy that he needed to be stronger, faster, smarter, better than he was yesterday. And to maintain his strength and build on his understanding of the techniques they taught him and made him practice. Charmy understood it, he really did, they were in a dangerous world with powerful enemies and devastating disasters waiting to crush them. He'd even managed to survive a few, which he owed to the rigorous training Espio and Vector had given him.

But he also loathed the stress and strain he went through during training, the boring repetition, the long hours of work and toil, the uphill struggle of both ninja training and brawler training taxing his small body. It was almost too much for him to handle. Yet Charmy would have weathered through the harshest training possible if it meant Espio and Vector would return to their old selves. But even this wasn't enough to lift the spirits of his teammates. 7 days he suffered through this haze of melancholy, hoping and praying something would come to free them from this prison of dourness. And on the 8th day, finally, his prayers were answered by a simple knock on the door.

At first Charmy believed he was hearing things, perhaps he had the tv on too loud or Vector was just rhythmically tapping his desk again. With bated breath he halted his crayon drawing and strained his ears to see if the sound would return. Sure enough, the polite, but strong rapping of knuckles against wood rang through the house. The boy bolted up from the living room floor and soared into the door, clambering at the handle until he managed to calm down just enough to twist and pull. Immediately, his breathing stopped.

There, standing in Charmy's very doorway, was the one person he'd never thought would be there. The one person in all the world that he desperately wanted to see again, but never could due to how busy they were and how far away he lived from everyone. The one person he looked up to more than anyone else in the whole wide world. Charmy's brain practically short circuited at the majestic sight of Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform, the legendary GUN agent, the antihero that saved the world multiple times and the coolest man alive.

There he stood, towering over the small bee as if he was some obsidian statue of a man, perfectly picturesque and powerful. His quills struck out and arched up in the slickest way possible, like he was always in a Super state, but colored in the objectively greatest combination ever, black and crimson red. His stern face was effortlessly cool and striking, as if nothing bothered him, nothing fazed him, nothing could get past him, he could see through anything and anyone in a matter of seconds. His glove and shoe cuffs were so futuristic and out of this world sleek and shiny, housing the cleanest golden rings imaginable, not a single scuff or scratch on any of them. The red of his arms and legs acutely aligned with the red accents of the cuffs, perfectly synchronizing with his entire look.

And his shoes, the pièce-de-résistance of Shadow's entire ensemble, were immaculate. Simply immaculate, from the snow white top to the sharply contrasting red and the sliver of black that made it all pop just right. The famous Air Shoes that Charmy begged Vector and Espio for more times than he could count, but they swore the shoes were one of a kind, which only made them that much cooler. They were so angular and compact and so advanced they bordered on extraterrestrial, Charmy couldn't even comprehend what material they were made of, especially the white part. Was it metallic and stiff or was it plastic and flexible or was it somehow both at the same time? Who knows!

All he knew, all he could process in his 6 year old brain, was this man standing in the threshold of his humble home, was the man he'd idolized all his life. Shadow the Hedgehog was truly here, in the flesh. And Charmy didn't even care that he was staring with his jaw slacked open. He was witness to something truly unprecedented and he just didn't care about anything else. Shadow, seemingly oblivious to what effect he had on the young bee, cleared his throat after several seconds of waiting for Charmy to speak, and began to take over the conversation.

"Good afternoon, we're here to—"

"AAAAAAHHHHH! SHADOW!" Charmy screeched at the top of his lungs, "GUYYYYYYSS! SHADOW'S HERE! OH MY GOD, SHADOW!" he called out frantically.

Shadow winced at the unexpected screams then regained his composure, "Yes, hello, we've come to—"

"SHADOW! AT MY HOUSE! FOR THE FIRST TIME! HAHAHAHA!" Charmy cackled madly, every inch of him shivering with uncontrollable enthusiasm.

Rouge's eyebrows furrowed more than before, "Kid, you gonna let us in or—?"

"GUYYYYYS, IT'S SHADOOOOOOW!" the young bee bellowed, dropping to his knees as tears spilled from his eyes. "HE'S SO AWESOME, YOU'RE MISSING IT!" he cried overwhelmed, crawling slowly towards Shadow's feet. The hedgehog swiftly recoiled back as he raised an eye ridge at Rouge. Both exchanged equally confused and unsettled glances.

Omega shuffled in front of his teammates and pointed at Charmy, "Infantile insect: Stand aside so that we ma—"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE HERE!" the boy exclaimed, his cheeks practically bursting as he peeked through Omega's legs. "GUYYYYYS! SHADOOOOOOW'S AT OUR HOUSE!" he shrieked over his shoulder, fighting back sobs of pure joy.

Rouge shook her head slowly, "Is he even hearing us—?"

"GUYYYYYYS!" Charmy bellowed as he finally reached out and touched the tip of the Air Shoes. "SHADOOOOOOOW!" he howled through tears, overcome with the sheer awesomeness standing before him.

"Alright, enough of this" Shadow sighed as he walked over Charmy and crossed the threshold, Rouge and Omega following quickly behind him.

"Even his walk..." Charmy wheezed barely audible, as he slowly rolled along the porch. His quivering had yet to die down, even as Vector and Espio finally heeded his frenzied calls.

Vector came from the stairs, calling out before he'd made it down. " 'Ey now, it's da GUN big wigs!"

Espio skated across the floor to greet them personally, "Shadow, Rouge, Omega! It's great to see you!" he said in a tone that sharply contrasted to his earlier mood, "How have you been?" he asked warmly.

"Can't complain. Good to see you all" Shadow replied while shaking Espio's hand, an amicable smile gracing his features.

"So this is where you boys hang your hats..." Rouge commented, peering around the ragged home. "It's very... quaint" she tried with a sheepish grin.

"Greetings Vector and Espio. Initiating Handshake Protocol" Omega stated, offering his hand to Vector.

"Oh you can shake hands now? Dat's an improvement" the croc remarked, firmly grasping the robot's hand.

"Shadow... in my house... so awesome" Charmy wheezed as he crawled back inside, the flow of his tears remained. "Even his tail..." he breathed incredulously, framing his hands around the hedgehog's nondescript tail. Shadow leaned away to remain out of reach as he gave Espio an uncomfortable look.

Espio laughed uncomfortably as he shuffled over to the child, "Come now, kozō, mind your manners. Did you greet our other guests or offer them something to drink?" he motioned to Rouge and Omega as they conversed with Vector.

"Come pop a squat wherever! Tell us how things've been goin'!" the croc boomed happily as he plopped into his recliner. "Hey, squirt. Quit starin' an' say hello" he ordered, a laugh hanging on his words.

Espio picked the overwhelmed boy up and snapped his fingers directly in front of Charmy's face, subsequently snapping him out of his trance. Charmy shook his head a bit and looked between the reptiles staring at him expectantly and the other two guests he failed to even notice when he opened the door to them.

Rouge calmly leaned against the back of the couch, her pure white fur and gloves popping out distinctly from the drab darkened shades. Her face was undeniably beautiful, despite the quizzical expression she flashed at Charmy, her makeup was perfect as always and her eyes remained half lidded. Ever cool and collected, she clacked her thigh high boots absentmindedly on the floor panels, patiently waiting for the boy to speak to her.

Omega stood still, planted firmly where he calculated the location in the floor plan that would accommodate his size and leave ample room for each person to get to each room unobstructed. He was in standby mode currently, his clawed hands relaxed and his jagged shoulders holstered, his jet thrusters remained disengaged and his many many guns and cannons were safely hidden within his frame. He spun his eyes in the direction of the little bee and while his expression was impossible to decipher from his face, he too seemed to be patiently waiting for Charmy to snap out of his stupor and address him so the visit may proceed.

"Sorry Rouge and Omega, it's just SHADOW IS IN MY HOUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!" he sputtered out, flinging his arms at the hedgehog standing beside Vector. "AM I SERIOUSLY THE ONLY ONE FREAKING OUT HERE?!" Charmy questioned, offended that no one could understand the absolutely majesty of this moment.

"Wow... Shadow, I think he's an even bigger fanboy of you than Sonic is" Rouge teased, shooting Shadow a knowing look.

"That's not funny, Rouge" Shadow stated unamused.

Rouge turned to him and placed a hand on her chest. "I thought it was funny!" she defended. "Omega?"

"Affirmative" the robot answered. "Quip is accurately designated as: humorous" he said plainly.

"He gets it" Rouge pointed smoothly at her companion as Shadow grumbled under his breath and turned away from his team. Charmy's breath was lost again as he took a mental note: Even his breathing...

"Well, since the little one has forgotten how to treat guests, can I get anyone a drink? Coffee, tea, juice?" Espio offered, clasping his hands together.

Shadow put his hand up, "Thanks for the offer but we—"

"Alcohol?" Rouge interrupted. "Someone say alcohol?" she asked, almost concerned.

"No one said alcohol" Omega bluntly answered.

"We got some if ya want some" Vector said, jabbing a thumb to the kitchen.

"I'll have some of that, on the rocks, with a lemon wedge, thanks" she quickly informed, ending with a sly wink.

"Rouge..." Shadow called out, a warning in his tone.

"What, he offered!" she innocently retorted, a playful smile on her face.

"Uh, all we have is sake and gin" Espio informed, rubbing the back of his head at the embarrassing state of their beverage supply.

"Dealer's choice. On the rocks, and slap a lemon wedge on it, please and thank you" Rouge answered back smoothly.

Shadow sidled up to her and his expression softened a bit, "Remember why we're here, Rouge" he whispered low.

"Why do ya think I want the drink?" she whispered back softly, a flash of emotion gracing her features.

"So, what brings you to our humble abode?" Espio called from the kitchen, poking his head inside several cabinets trying to find the sake he hid away.

"ARE YOU HERE TO GIVE ME AN EARLY BIRTHDAY PRESENT?!" Charmy gasped at max volume, startling Rouge into folding her ears down the sides of her head.

"Charm, I doubt they even know when your birthday is" Vector answered back, patient and bemused.

"THAT'S WHY IT'S AN EARLY BIRTHDAY PRESENT, VECTOR!" Charmy shot back, offended once more.

"Squirt, dat's not why they're here" the croc stated plainly, shooting him a look that encouraged him to calm all that down.

"Sorry, kiddo. Big Green's right. We're not here for you" Rouge confirmed with sympathy, though she hoped that would be the end of the loud outbursts.

"I'm afraid our visit isn't social, we're here on business" Shadow added, taking a step toward Vector.

"Business?" Espio asked, poking his head into the living room.

"What kinda business? You guys need help wit somethin'?" Vector asked, hope in his eyes. A case is just what they've been needing and with friends it would only lift spirits even higher. It was a dream come true.

"All we need is your cooperation on a..." Shadow paused thoughtfully, "minor discrepancy" he finished with a serious look towards Espio.

"Dis-creep-penny? What's that?" Charmy asked innocently.

"It just means..." Rouge stopped herself and turned to Vector. "Actually, you know what? Charmy doesn't need to be here for this—hey big guy," she called out sweetly, walking towards the bee with her arms outstretched. Charmy recoiled from the sudden shift in attitude and looked her up and down, waiting for some sort of trick.

"Wanna play with Omega while the grown ups talk shop?" she finished, motioning over to Omega who had begun stomping over to Charmy as well.

"What, why?" the boy asked, scrunching his nose up at her.

"What doesn't he need to be here for?" Espio asked worried, fully exiting the kitchen.

"If it's a minor discrepancy, why's it matter if the kid's listenin' or not? He's helped out on some dark cases before, so I'm sure he can handle it" Vector informed, looking to Shadow for answers.

"Playtime Mode engaged. Juvenile male: come with me and we shall commence in playing the game called: Exterminate All Doctor Robotnik Robots As Fast As Possible" Omega commanded, an air of pride in his electronic voice.

"There are no robots in this area, Omega" Shadow answered back, patient and bemused.

Omega turned to look at Shadow, then quickly turned back to Charmy, "Recalibrating Playtime Mode Games; Searching for games non-reliant on robot annihilation;" he informed as calculations and codes scrolled past his vision, though no one else could see his data.

"Searching... searching..." he repeated awkwardly as everyone just stared at him not sure what to do.

"Yeah—Anyway," Rouge spoke up, "There's nothin' wrong, we just need to clear a few things up with the actual big wigs at G.U.N."

"Then whaddya doin' here? We got nothin' to do wit G.U.N. level stuff, you guys know dat" Vector replied unsure.

"And to be completely candid, we have not taken a case in some time" Espio added as he took a seat next to Vector, a look of shame on his face. Vector glanced at the chameleon, but Espio refused to make eye contact with him, instead he stared into his hands silently.

"Searching..."

"Should I just... wait for him to stop or..?" Charmy asked, completely confused and uncomfortable, backing away from Omega.

"Searching..."

"We're not here about a case you've worked. It's a case we're working" Shadow clarified as he approached the center of the room, "We're here because we need to clear up some things with you, Espio" he said, motioning to the chameleon in question as everything froze.

An uncomfortable silence covered the group, the Chaotix were taken aback and confused whereas Team Dark were silently watching their friends digest the revelation. Rouge in particular had an uneasy air about her, her normally playful and flirtatious attitude had been replaced with tension filled anxiety, barely hidden beneath a mask of professionalism. Shadow merely remained resolved and resigned to the task at hand, though to his closest friends, they could see the trepidation in his stance. As if he was waiting to exhale and move on to catching up on old times. But the hedgehog knew the direct way would be much better than dragging it out over the course of the visit. And Omega...

"Searching..." was the first to break the silence.

"Me? What could you possibly need from me?" Espio asked, a pleasant laugh in his tone, but to Vector, his apprehension was clear.

"We'll explain on the way" Shadow replied calmly, turning to face the door.

Vector blinked and sat straight up, "On the way to where?" he asked with a foreboding lilt to his voice, which didn't go unnoticed by Team Dark who once again fell silent and studied their friends in tense silence.

Charmy noticed the shift in the atmosphere and looked to his teammates for answers, but he found only questions lacing Vector's features. While Espio maintained his mask of aloofness, which Charmy easily saw through. The chameleon's hands were at his side, twitching anxiously as if he was a cowboy waiting to draw his pistol at the first sign of movement. With bated breath, everyone remained silent again, calculating how to proceed in this disconcerting atmosphere. Everyone except Omega...

"Searching..." who was still stuck in his own little world.

"It's nothin' to be worried about, guys. Really" Rouge explained in the hopes of reassuring everyone, "We're just gonna escort Espio back to town and talk to him about a couple of little things. Our bosses have really been on our ass—" she caught herself and darted her eyes to Charmy.

"—ssents. They've been on our assents for some technical details that need to be ironed out" she laughed airy, as she shrugged at the young bee. But Charmy wasn't convinced by her attempts, he knew this was serious and only getting more serious by the second.

"If it ain't nothin' to worry 'bout, then why does Espio need to go anywhere wit you guys? Why can't we iron everythin' out right here?" Vector reasoned, crossing his arms like he issued a challenge.

Neither Rouge nor Shadow responded immediately, both of them clammed right up and eyed Vector suspiciously. Rouge had to admit, it was a good point, she hadn't accounted for that in her approach. From the croc's point of view, that was a perfectly reasonable question and normally she would agree to his request. But that would only work in a normal situation, which regrettably, wasn't what the current situation was. Shadow merely recognized the challenge Vector issued and mentally prepared to rise to the occasion, should that become necessary. Shadow hoped that it wouldn't, but knew it was a distinct possibility, considering their orders.

"Searching..."

"Vector, there's no need to get hostile" the hedgehog said, trying to sound as calm and gentle as possible, despite the rising tension.

"Then what's this all about exactly?" Vector asked, standing up quickly.

"Searchi—Hostility detected." Omega announced, switching off his secondary directive, "Apologies Small Child, Playtime Mode must be disengaged for now. Switching to Defensive Mode: Stage 1" his body parts began to shift and twist into place.

"Woah, what?" Charmy exclaimed at the sudden change, as he flew away.

"Easy, Omega. Rouge and I are handling it" Shadow ordered swiftly, managing to maintain his calm air. Rouge turned to Omega and shook her head silently to reinforce Shadow's command. Omega let out a descending pitch hum, as his systems returned to Standby mode.

"Shadow... what are you here for?" Espio asked cautiously, as Charmy flew to his side.

The hedgehog shifted his attention from Vector back to Espio and scanned him for a moment, trying to gauge how well the shinobi would handle what he had to say next, what he dreaded to say next. Espio fearlessly maintained eye contact and stood straight up, no part of him wavered or shrunk away from Shadow. His tone of voice made it even seem like he knew what they were here for already, he just wanted Shadow to make it plain and lay out what he knew. So the hedgehog sighed, acknowledging Espio's courage and intelligence, and revealed the real reason they were sent.

"A few days ago, all the executives of G.U.N. received mysterious letters; all of them handwritten in Japanese. All of them containing the same exact messages" he began, scanning over to Vector, who remained standing and opposing. But the croc was hanging on Shadow's every word, as did Charmy, who instantly made the connection to Espio's letter.

"The letters..." he sighed again, before looking into Espio's eyes, "accused you, by name, of heinous crimes. Providing compelling evidence and intimate details of events that G.U.N. has never been able to ascertain themselves. This includes the disappearance of two major international organized crime syndicates and..." the hedgehog inhaled a calming breath before he released the bomb.

"And numerous counts of assassination..."

Immediately, Espio went rigid. His eyes shot open and every muscle in his face froze as pure apprehension rose up his spine. Charmy could physically feel the shift in Espio's mood, like a sudden chill creeped into the room. He looked up to the chameleon, confusion lacing his features, as Shadow continued.

"The most disturbing aspect of this is the fact that the letters weren't sent to the G.U.N. offices... but the personal homes of each captain, executive, and lieutenant in the agency. Even the Commander and Deputy Commander's addresses were compromised".

"That information isn't known by regular people, guys. Which means this is comin' from a politically powerful person, and that adds credibility to everything in the letters" Rouge added, hesitant and uncomfortable. But she knew it was necessary, so they could understand the gravity of the circumstance they unfortunately were now in. Vector's glare softened at the revelation, as Espio remained frozen.

"Shadow... what are you here for?" Espio repeated, his hands clenched into fists.

The hedgehog exhaled a tired breath before answering, "As Rouge explained, we're here because our superiors require you to come in and refute the information they've been sent, to clear you of all the accusations against you. If you're innocent, then it won't take—"

"Da hell ya mean IF he's innocent?!" the croc shouted back, startling Shadow slightly, "Is this some kinda joke?! Cuz I ain't laughin'!" he swiped his massive arm in front of him.

"Vector, cool it" Rouge ordered, a hint of irritation seeping in.

Vector whipped his snarling face to the bat, "No, ya come in here an' accuse Espio'a doin' some bullshit cuz some guy knows your bosses's addresses! Big whup! I could find dat out in a couple'a minutes, it don't mean nothin'!"

"Look, there's no need to get over emotional about this. We're all friends here" Rouge reasoned, motioning between the two teams.

"Dat's what I'm sayin'! Ya know Espio, we all fought side by side, how could ya come here thinkin' he was some kinda super terrorist wit no concrete proof?!" Vector bellowed, looming over Rouge.

The bat flew up to his height, gritting her teeth, "We're here because we don't believe he's a criminal! If we did, we would've already taken him to headquarters and forced a confession outta him!" she shouted, pointing at the chameleon who seemed to be in his own world at the moment.

Charmy stepped out in front of Espio, raising placating hands up, "Guys, I think everybody should just calm down. Espio's not a bad guy, the guy who sent the letters—"

"Quiet, boy. The grown ups are talking" Shadow ordered, cutting him off while keeping his glare on Vector.

"But—but—Shadow!" Charmy squeaked, frustrated and flustered simultaneously.

"You're all misunderstanding us. We purposely took this assignment because we want this to be as civil and peaceful as possible. We didn't come here looking for a fight" the hedgehog assured, though without the calming peaceful tone he had before.

"Then stop talkin' 'bout takin' Espio in fer interrogation at a government facility like that ain't a big deal!" Vector demanded, flicking over to Shadow, who refused to back down.

"It's just a formality! We do it to everyone we arrest!" Rouge answered, her anger building.

"So I'm under arrest?" Espio suddenly spoke up, causing everyone to fall silent and look at him. He was calm, subdued, possibly even accepting of the circumstance, a far cry from how he looked moments before. Shadow stared at him, wondering what brought about this change in mood, but found no plausible reason. So the hedgehog remained cautious as he chose his next words carefully.

"No. And you won't have to be, if you stop arguing and come with us," he explained as bluntly as possible, watching for any subtle shift or change in Espio's demeanor in response.

"I keep tellin' ya, Espio ain't goin' nowhere wit you three! Not unless I look at dis evidence fer myself!" Vector yelled back, leaning into Shadow's face, but Shadow refused to take his eyes off of the chameleon.

"That's not your call, big boy!" Rouge shouted back, shoving a finger in Vector's face to snatch his attention.

Vector mimicked the gesture with more gusto, "Keep pushin' klepto, I'm 'bout ready to—!"

"What are the charges against me? Specifically?" Espio asked serenely, his face practically unreadable, much to Shadow's chagrin.

Omega spoke up, "You will be informed en-route to G.U.N. Headquarte—"

"I'm not going anywhere until I know exactly what I'm being accused of" the ninja answered back succinct, then turned to Shadow. "I have a right to know why I'm at risk of federal detainment before I'm federally detained, do I not?" he let the question hang in the air, watching Shadow as the hedgehog watched him, searching for a crack in his stone face. Finally, the gravel broke open and Shadow let out a short sigh.

"Omega, read him the charges" he ordered, causing the bulky robot to shoot him a look, "He does have a right to know" Shadow answered back calmly. Though his scrutinizing gaze never left Espio.

After a beat, Omega shifted towards Espio and addressed his concerns, "Espio the Chameleon is currently suspected of the following crimes: Criminal terrorist activity, the assassination of Hotsuma Onibi, participating in international organized crime, the assassination of Jimushi Minazuki, illegal immigration to the United Federation, the assassination of Sho Musashi—"

"Stop, Omega" Espio said, louder than normal, "That's... that's enough..." he finished more quietly, his mask of serenity returned. But Shadow saw it slip.

"All'a that is a bunch'a lies! Espio's innocent, Shadow!" Charmy suddenly yelled, flying to Shadow's face, refusing to be ignored. Shadow eyed the bee up and down, his genuine belief in his friend's innocence and his desire to see no harm befall anyone was clear in his pleading eyes.

"That may be true," Shadow gently replied, "but our objective is to collect Espio and escort him to G.U.N. so he can prove to our commanding officers that he's innocent".

"Why didn't YOU just tell 'em?!" Charmy yelled more than asked, "They'll listen to you, you're Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform, for cryin' out loud!" he stated as if the fact should have occurred to them all before now.

"EXACTLY! What're you three doin' here, ya should be in yer bosses's faces vouchin' fer Espio!" Vector added, pointing to Shadow.

"Things don't work like that in the government, you know that!" Rouge shot back, her voice tense and her patience thinned.

"Doesn't mean ya shouldn't try!" Vector argued back, swiveling towards her. But Shadow put both his hands up and motioned for both of them to stop arguing, before walking up to Espio.

"Look, let me bottom line this for you all:" he started, irritation clear in his tone. "We came here to get Espio because we want to prove his innocence as quickly and peacefully as possible. We're here because we all think of you as our allies and we don't wish harm to befall you", Shadow motioned to Espio, before looking directly into his eyes.

"But make no mistake, just because we didn't come for a fight, doesn't mean we're unprepared for one" he said darkly, a clear warning that couldn't be mistaken for anything but a last chance. Even Charmy caught onto that, the aggression in Shadow's voice was enough to make everyone think twice about their next words.

Vector looked down to Charmy, who currently kept his attention on Shadow and Espio, and he softened just a bit. The fire burning in the furnace of his stomach dialed down, his righteous indignation that had been stirred now slowly lowered, and his gritted teeth relaxed and unclenched. As much as he would have loved to toss Team Dark around for their disrespect and betrayal, he knew it wouldn't end well for Charmy. For any of them, frankly. But his main priority, no matter the situation, was ensuring the boy's safety and peace of mind. Tussling with his hero and their friends would only serve to hurt him, whether they actually "won" the fight or not.

And as much as he'd love to say otherwise, Espio was still a mystery in all of this, he didn't know why the chameleon was so apprehensive before Shadow really explained why they were there. It obviously had something to do with the letter he received a week back, but what the letter said was just vague enough to mean anything. The past never dies, Vector couldn't even begin to understand exactly what it referenced.

And Espio was no help in figuring it out either, he'd just been a depressed paranoid mess these days. Vector thought seeing friends would lift his spirits, but this was the absolute worst case scenario for him. Espio was in no position to fight either and Vector had no intention of pulling Espio into a battle simply because he was apprehensive to cooperating with G.U.N.

Reluctantly, Vector let go of his aggression and his wounded pride to arrive at the best decision. It didn't make sense to fight Team Dark, it didn't make sense to force his boys into battle over something this stupid. Espio was obviously under attack by some sneaky bastard hiding in the shadows, and Vector needed to find out who and put the hurting on them, not his friends. Even though they were absolutely asking for it. So with an irritated growl under his breath, Vector swallowed his fury down and complied. For my boys.

"Ya know what, fine! If goin' to G.U.N. is da only way to clear this up, les' jus' go to G.U.N.! C'mon Esp, les' prove how stupid all'a dis is!" the croc ordered, moving to the door with heavy footfalls.

Charmy perked up a bit and flew to Espio's side, "Yeah, let's show those big wigs you're not a bad guy, Espio!" he beamed.

But Espio remained frozen, his expression unreadable and ominous as he stared blankly at the floorboards in front of him. It shocked Charmy into silence for a beat, a sharp sinking sensation filling his stomach, as he tried to understand why Espio was just standing there. He didn't even twitch at the sound of the boy calling out to him, like he didn't even know Charmy was there.

Or perhaps it was Espio who didn't realize he himself was still in the room, surrounded by his friends and allies. He had such a vacant expression on his face, it was as if he was millions of miles away, a place no one could see but him. And to the unfamiliar eye, it would appear that the chameleon was blank faced, but Charmy knew better. He had memorized every variation of every look Espio had ever shown him, and this was not the face of vacancy.

It was the face of abject horror.

Desperately, Charmy grabbed Espio's hand, jolting him back to the present, "Espio? C'mon, Shadow's gonna clear everythin' up if we go with him" he restated gently, peering up at his friend unsure.

Espio blinked a few times, "... yes. Of course," he answered finally, calm and serene once more, "Just let me get Rouge her beverage first. Is that alright, Shadow?" he looked up to the hedgehog, standing by the door with Vector and Omega. Shadow crossed his arms and eyed Espio suspiciously for a moment before finally relenting and letting out a relieved breath.

"That would be fine" Shadow answered, an amicable lilt in his voice as his expression softened just a bit.

"Haaaa, thanks Espio," Rouge huffed, slumping over dramatically, "I knew this was gonna be nerve-wrackin', after a quick top off I'll be good to go" she assured, rubbing her temples soothingly.

"Of course. It's sake, is that alright?" Espio called back as he returned to the kitchen, retrieving his sake bottle.

"That's fine, I can handle it" Rouge nodded with her eyes closed, a smile could be heard in her voice. The bat was just glad the tension was finally dispersed, after all the unpleasantness, they were all still friends.

"I'm sure you can" Espio chuckled back, a subdued laugh that put everyone at ease, even Vector who'd been expecting staunch defiance every step of the way. Perhaps they did avoid a major blowout, maybe Espio did heed his and Charmy's advice to follow Team Dark quietly. And just maybe there was still a chance to come out of this whole thing okay.

Espio returned with shot glass and saucer in hand, presenting the alcohol to a grateful Rouge, who forewent all her previous reservations about the rundown home and settled down on the cheap couch.

She gracefully reached for the saucer, "It's good actually, because I haven't had—oh!" her hand fumbled and caused Espio to drop the glass, sending it down a one way track to the hardwood floor below.

Rouge instinctually dove down to grab the hurtling glass, but Espio's knee just managed to nick her arm and made her miss the glass. A clumsy mistake uncharacteristic of both the secret agent and the ninja warrior, but Shadow didn't take note of that detail as he slid to catch the glass mere inches before it hit the ground. However, he must have miscalculated his trajectory, because he slid right into Espio's curled tail, blocking his vision for a split second. And that minuscule amount of time was all that was needed for the glass and saucer to crash to the floor. Another uncoordinated blunder uncharacteristic for Shadow and Espio both. Yet it was far from the most unexpected thing to happen.

Rather than the sharp crisp crash of glass and porcelain shattering against wood, a loud explosive thud overpowered the expected noise. Before anyone could fully register what it was that caused the strange sound, a sudden cloud of white exploded out from the broken dishes, billowing through the entire room and enveloping them all in a thick mist of vapor. Hissing as it cloaked everyone's vision in blinding white, while Espio silently disappeared inside the unexpected haze.

Shadow shot to his feet, "What—?!"

Rouge flew back from her seat, "—the—!?"

Charmy jumped back, "—fudge?!"

"Warning: Vision compromised!" Omega announced in a panic, "Switching to infrared optics!" he stated as he activated his vision filter and began scanning the room.

"Smoke bomb!" Shadow shouted angrily, "Rouge!"

"Vector?! What's happening?!" Charmy called out frantically darting his eyes around the room, though all he could see were vague corners and edges of familiar shapes. One of those shapes rushed towards him and as it did, Vector's large body sharpened in focus.

The croc grabbed up Charmy, shielding him with his massive hands. "I... I think Espio's—"

"Rouge!" Shadow shouted again, swiveling his head to and fro.

"Infrared sensors unable to locate target! Switching to ultraviolet optics!" Omega informed as he flitted through his other visions. He had finally been able to scan the mysterious vapor's composition, and the robot discovered that it was full of powdered aluminum foil, which confused his infrared sensors.

"Espio! WHERE'S ESPIO?!" Charmy cried, looking around erratically. "ESPIO!"

"I think Espio's tryin' ta—!"

"Warning! Gaseous compound is comprised of certain chemicals—!"

"ROUGE!"

"EVERYBODY SHUT UP FOR A SEC!" the bat screamed furiously, shocking everyone into silence. Rouge, hovering to the ceiling, raised her hands to her large ears, leaning from one direction to the other.

Slowly, but surely, she filtered through the chaotic noises and focused in on the subtlest of vibrations. Soon she could only hear heartbeats, even exhales were pushed aside as her extensive training kicked in. She pinpointed what was familiar, Shadow's heartbeat, strong and steady, though faster than normal. He was understandably upset and amped up. Omega's power cell, an electrical mechanical hum, like a dryer in the distance that could soothe one to sleep.

Then the less familiar heartbeat of a young, energetic, but panicked and confused person, which had to be Charmy. Followed by a strong heartbeat like the beating of a large drum, a very healthy, imposing monolith of a man, which of course belonged to Vector. But beneath it all, there was something else, something that the bat nearly had pinpointed, and it could only belong to—

Rouge darted down and snatched up her prey, "Gotcha!"

"Unhand me!" Espio roared back against the floor, his transparency fading away as Rouge tightened her submission hold.

Despite his struggling, Rouge was already locked in, her arm wrapped around the chameleon's ankles forcing them back, while her legs coiled around his neck, in a crisscross. She was firmly sitting on his back, wrapping her other arm around the top of his head and locking her hands together. Her knees were also purposefully positioned to restrict Espio's shoulder movement, rendering him effectively immobile and flat on the floor.

"You're behaving quite suspiciously, Espio" Shadow remarked as he approached the restrained chameleon. "Why run if these accusations are false?" he asked glaring down at the ninja, who shot daggers back at him. Espio's vitriolic attitude began to simmer as he closed his eyes and stopped fighting Rouge's hold.

"Espio! What happened?! Was that one of your smoke bombs?!" Charmy asked, struggling to escape Vector's grip.

"Esp..." was all the crocodile could say as he kept Charmy out of harm's way. Realization dawned on him, the worst option possible was now before him. There was no sense of mutual respect or amicability now, there was only the government agents against the criminal. And the criminal's friends now had a hard choice to make, whose side they would be on.

"How does it feel, Shadow? To betray your friends that have stood by you when the whole world stood against you?" Espio shot back at the hedgehog, peering a sharp golden eye up at him. Shadow glared back, undeterred.

"Or did Gerald neglect to teach you about honor because he lacked it himself?" the ninja spat venomously, a horrible chill bit through everyone in the room at the scathing remark, an appalling hush reigned between them.

"Espio! Whaddya doin'?! Stop!" Vector shouted before he realized what he was saying.

"Why would you say somethin' so mean?! Are ya tryin' to make Shadow angry?! Stop it!" Charmy screamed, utterly dismayed at his companion's lack of restraint or tact.

"It would be wise to heed the pleas of your teammates," Shadow said menacingly, his fists tightly clenched at his sides, shaking with barely restrained fury.

Espio chuckled bitterly, "No, what would have been wise..." he leaned up, smirking sinisterly, "Was if Maria didn't entrust something as malleable as you with her life..."

Every mouth swung agape in pure abject horror, disgusted and stunned by not just the deeply disturbing insult, but the person who devised it in the first place. Espio was famous for his manners and tact, he was on the level of Cream and Vanilla in that regard. The ninja was understandably obsessed with saving face and maintaining honor and dignity, for himself and others.

Even sworn enemies and deadly foes were treated with respect and decency, as much as Espio could allot for vile villains and criminal scum. He'd gone on record saying such boorish and childish antics were beneath a ninja's station, even when he was steaming mad at someone else. He never stooped to such debasing levels of outrageous behavior, and that was in reference to strangers and enemies.

To his friends he would never deign to unabashedly smash their pride and family in such a way. He would chastise his fellow teammates for even approaching such levels of vexing antagonistic slander, when they argued and went too far, it was his levelheaded and inflexible moral compass that would always reel them back in. That was the Espio everybody knew and loved.

But the chameleon who just let flow out of his mouth the sharpest words anyone had ever spoken to Shadow, was not the Espio any of them recognized. His entire aura had changed, shifted into someone cold, unrestrained, and ruthlessly hostile, right before their very eyes. Whatever this Espio had planned would not end peacefully.

Rouge was too shocked to realize the slippery ninja had gained the right leverage and had no choice but to fall off of him, Espio swiftly untangling himself from her grip as he rose to his feet in one smooth motion. He stepped forward, millimeters between his mouth and Shadow's ear. The hedgehog was barely holding onto his patience, and Espio knew it, evident by the hostility emanating from his aura.

"If only she could see you now, she'd kill herself all over again..." Espio dropped, in a voice so gravely and corse it sounded entirely surreal.

Shadow's eyes shot wide as veins popped under his skin, his entire body felt ablaze at the outrageously offensive words slicing into him like a knife. He was holding on by a thread, his tenuous grasp on maintaining peace and diplomacy was all but gone after the biting defilement of his family's memory. He had taken a lot of sickening barbs and scathing criticism in his life, but this... This was the most revolting disrespect he'd ever heard by far. And he would not—nay, could not let it stand. Not for one second more.

But in one last desperate act of reasonableness, Shadow focused on what Maria would want him to do. Forget himself, forget his friends, forget Gerald and his aggression hardwired into his brain. What would Maria want him to do right now? He strained every fiber in his body to not explode into a flurry of righteous indignation and wrath, inhaling sharply before he let himself open his mouth. It would be his final, desperate attempt to avoid bloodshed.

"Do not... make me hurt you... Espio..." Shadow growled through gritted teeth, seething with blinding rage. Everyone in earshot immediately panicked, visibly scrambling to do something to stop the catastrophe that Espio seemed hellbent on causing.

"Woah, Shadow, Espio, calm down!" Rouge pleaded, pulling Shadow back as Vector reached for Espio, "Cool off, we can talk about this!" she shouted, maintaining eye contact with Shadow. But the hedgehog didn't even acknowledge her presence, Chaos energy welling up in his core as it emanated off of his body, steadily raising his fur like static.

"The time for communication has finally ceased. Initiating Battle Mode!" Omega announced, resuming his preparations for combat, his various systems and mechanisms shifting loudly into place.

" 'Ey! No! There's no need fer dat!" Vector commanded, serious as a heart attack, before whipping back around to the chameleon, "Espio, stop n' think fer a second! Ya don't need to do this, man!" he beseeched, a firm grip on Espio's shoulders.

"Espio, please stop! Don't fight Shadow!" Charmy begged, clutching the chameleon's hand and shaking it for dear life.

Shadow, still on the verge of releasing his pent up aggression, tried one last time, "I don't want to do this, Espio. So stand down and we'll—"

"What's the matter, Shadow? You said you were prepared for a fight," Espio shot back, breaking free from his teammates and rushing up to the hedgehog who just barely managed to block his arm in time.

Vector and Charmy blinked at each other, unsure of how the ninja managed to escape them and cross the room without them realizing, as they swiveled to see Rouge just as perplexed as they were. The two combatant's clash blew out the glass in the windows, showering the front porch with glass shards. Shadow glared into Espio's eyes, surprise present in his gaze, but unyielding rage much clearer in those burning crimson irises.

"Let's see just how prepared you are..." Espio sneered, an uncouth taunt in and of itself, before soaring through the shattered window into the front yard.

Shadow was merely a half second behind him as he reared his fist back and assumed his fighting stance. Espio lowered himself into his own martial arts stance before the two of them instantly rushed forward, clashing once more in a blur of magenta and black whipping wildly back and forth.

"Knock it off, ninja boy!" Rouge shouted, as she took flight and rushed out the window. Before she could make it past the porch, Charmy blurred into view, intercepting her.

"Rouge, hang on a sec! Two on one ain't fair! Lemme pull 'em away fro—"

"It's too late for that, kid!" Rouge shot back, swiping her hand in front of her, "Your buddy just committed another serious crime: assaulting a G.U.N. agent! And that agent happens to be my partner! Now get outta my way or I'll move you myself!" she threatened, her own anger reaching a boiling point.

"B—bu—but I don't wanna fight you! I don't wanna fight any of you!" Charmy pleaded, stretching his arms out wide to prove his sincerity.

"Setting ammunition to non-lethal rounds" Omega stated as he raised his arm, revealing his wrist mounted cannons while they hummed to life. Vector swiftly jumped in front of the robot's scope, obstructing Omega's shot.

"Back off, big fella! If ya wanna shoot at my friends, yer gonna have ta go through me first!" Vector declared

"Challenge accepted. Preparing to incapacitate Opponent" Omega responded, folding his arm up and holstering his cannon, "Designated: Vector" he finished, opening his claw-like hands and assuming a sumo stance.

"You cocky, li'l—! Bring it ON!" Vector roared as he tackled Omega, who grappled back, refusing to budge an inch. The two powerhouses strained against each other, catching Charmy's attention.

"Boss, no! Don't—!" he shouted, reaching out, while Rouge shoved past him, "Waitwaitwaitwait, hold it—!" the bee shrieked as he snagged Rouge's fingertips, yanking her to a jarring stop.

The bat whipped her head back and shot a glare at the meddling child. "I said move, shorty! Don't make me tell ya again!" she ordered, fed up with all the irritating twists and turns of the entire debacle. She couldn't take another one, even if it was a naive boy trying to end the conflict.

"No! Stop!" Charmy cried as Rouge wrenched her fingers from his grip, "Everybody just needs to STOP!" he wailed, reaching out and grabbing the tip of her wings, tears welling up in his eyes. He had to stop this, before it went too far. There had to still be a chance to—

"I already told you!" Rouge yelled gruffly as she spun around and reached her hand out, delivering a blindingly quick smack across the boy's face, stunning him into silence as the stinging sensation seeped into his reddening skin.

She stared back at him as he hobbled clumsily from the blow and reached his hand to his injured cheek. Ice in her veins as the bat took flight once more, the sun casting her face in a dark shadow as she loomed over the frightened child.

"It's too late for that..."

Author's Note: And THAT, my friends, is how you set up a heroes vs heroes team battle! I always thought that Sonic Heroes did an absolutely horrendous job setting up the Team Battles, so this chapter was my counter to that. B)

If you noticed, the names listed in the assassination targets are all names of Sega characters! They're from the Shinobi game series which seems quite fitting, given that Espio is a ninja. Hotsuma Onibi is a combination name of Hotsuma Oboro, who is the main character of the 2002 Shinobi game, and Onibi, who is a psychopathic villain from the 2003 Nightshade game. Jimushi Minazuki is a combination name of Jimushi, who is an antagonist from the 2003 Nightshade game, and Minazuki, which is a clan name and village name from the same game. Sho Musashi is the protagonist from the 1995 Shinobi Legions game, not to be confused with Joe Musashi, the famous Shinobi protagonist and iconic character. Sho dressed identically to Joe and their names were very similar as well, this was all done on purpose to trick people into loving Sho as much as they did Joe. It didn't work XD

By the way, you're gonna want to keep in mind the "elemental affinity" detail, as we will be focusing on that heavily for the remainder of the story. So for now, just keep that in the back of your minds as we move forward ;)

Espio attacks Shadow with extreme prejudice, pulling Vector and Charmy into an all out brawl! What does Espio hope to gain with this battle and can his team hold their own? Who will win, but more importantly, what will this battle mean for the group of friends? The answers to these questions will be revealed in Chapter 35! Hope you guys are ready for some HYPE FIGHTS! X333