Work Text:
The doctor’s explanation seemed genuine. Only one of his mad creations would have the power to overthrow and seal him in a cell. Vector considered every word he said, arms folded over his chest, brows knit in concentration as Charmy and Espio observed him.
“...and if we don’t stop Metal Sonic, the entire world will fall to his knees before I can rule it, and I certainly can’t pay you if he controls it,” Eggman snarled, clenching his fist. He bashed it into the metal floor, the clamor silenced by thunder rolling through the dark gray clouds. “Curses! If only I hadn’t remodeled him. He went rogue the moment I activated his free-thinking module, and this is where I ended up!”
“You ended up this way because of your villainy,” Espio interjected, keeping his shuriken between his fingers.
Eggman waved off the accusation and rose to his feet. Notable welts were visible on his head from Charmy’s stings. “Details, context, whatever. The bigger picture here is Metal Sonic. With all of the data he collected on everyone who ventured here along with the power of Chaos, we may be dealing with a doomsday scenario,” he explained, rubbing his skull and grimacing. “And you, little brat, pack quite an annoying punch.”
“I gotcha good, didn’t I?” Charmy jeered, flipping in the air.
Vector raised his hands, the silent command given. Espio hesitated, narrowing his eyes on Eggman before falling in line. His shuriken remained, however, a clear threat for Eggman. Vector wouldn’t criticize him for his hesitation; if they weren’t in a tumultuous situation, then he would have allowed Espio to pin Eggman to the wall with them. Charmy cocked his head, his buzzing filling the chamber before lowering himself to Vector’s feet. He looked up at Vector, fidgeting with his gloves, unsure of himself. The crocodile patted the bee’s helmet, who quickly giggled, before nodding at Espio, waiting for his next order.
“Let me get this straight, doc. The real culprit is a robotic Sonic who took control of your entire fleet, and he’s been goin’ around capturing the lifeform data of everyone who tried taking you down,” Vector summarized, and when Eggman nodded, he sighed. He dragged his hand down his snout, groaning. “I gotta say, for a genius, you aren’t very bright. I can even say you’re still the real mastermind before all of this for creating Metal Sonic in the first place.”
“As if belittling me will fix our current situation, Vector,” Eggman snapped, jabbing his finger at the leader of the Chaotix.
“It’s better than hearing you talk a lot of crud,” Charmy countered, sticking out his tongue.
“Silence! When I hired you three, I wasn’t expecting Metal Sonic to carry out this kind of a plan.” He flicked his finger to the side. “Observe. It’s already in motion.” He smirked. “And don’t worry, I won’t blast you three from behind. I lack the artillery to do so in here.”
Footsteps echoed throughout the fleet. Sucking in a breath, Vector checked over his shoulder. Espio whirled around, raising his shuriken, ready to strike. Dozens of robots charged in the distance, racing toward somewhere they couldn’t see. Charmy clutched Vector’s wrist, gasping as the flying drones soared through the stormy sky, and Vector steadied him by placing his hand on his shoulder, reassuring him.
“It seems Metal Sonic has a pull over the robots,” Espio stated. “Despite their greater numbers, they haven’t attacked us.”
“They will if Metal Sonic gives the order,” Eggman informed, gripping his head. He heaved out a sigh, which Vector deemed full of desperation. “I’d hate to request for your help, but I’m at the end of my rope. Metal Sonic controls everything on this air fleet. Robots, weapons, you name it. We’re at his mercy.”
“Are we?” Vector asked, stepping to the entrance. He peered out to the left, Charmy flying by his side, while Espio watched Eggman. Down the center were heroes racing to an antenna, a figure standing among the thunder and lightning, towering over them like a king preparing an execution. “Looks like the party’s started over there. We better crash it.”
“You can’t be serious!” Eggman bellowed, shaking his head. “Metal Sonic is too strong. Without the emeralds, we’re-”
“Doesn’t matter what you think if you don’t have all the evidence. We got aces up our sleeves, right, boys?” Vector remarked, winking at his fellow detectives.
Confusion crossed their faces. Charmy and Espio stared at each other with wide, uncertain eyes. But Espio gasped, his frown lifting into a grin, one that Charmy matched with a loud hum. As they realized what he meant, Vector smirked and shook his hand, gesturing for them to keep their evidence under wraps. There was no need to show the doctor yet despite his insistence, especially when they needed to join the others to see if their plan could work.
“Just add this job as a bonus to our paycheck, doc, and don’t skip the bill,” Vector sneered, enjoying how all the color drained from Eggman’s face.
“You can’t defeat him! He’s monstrously powerful! I would know as his creator,” Eggman sputtered, throwing his arms out. “How can three detectives believe they stand a chance against my ultimate creation?”
Espio and Charmy gazed at Vector. They allowed him to speak on their behalf. Vector nodded, facing Eggman, whose knees knocked and brow beaded with sweat, and Vector cracked his knuckles, giving the doctor a toothy smirk.
“No matter what’s the job, we won’t stop until the mystery is solved,” he proclaimed, and he threw his arm out to the entrance, the smell of rain and Metal Sonic’s roar beckoning them forward. “Let’s go, boys! We got a paycheck to earn!”
Charmy saluted and backflipped, laughing. “Yessir!”
Espio held his shuriken, a half-smile on his muzzle. “Roger.”
Vector charged to the source of the chaos, Charmy and Espio flanking him. He shot them both a look, their confidence contagious, as a fire burned in his belly. As the sounds of piercing, screeching metal carved through the sky, Vector trusted in the obvious outcome, knowing that Charmy and Espio believed as well.