Work Text:
It all starts with a simple question:
“Hey, Tails. I’ve been wondering this for a while, but where exactly is Sonic from, huh?”
Vector’s been trying to figure it out ever since Sonic and him first met. The kid was partially mute when they first started hanging out, when Vector was trying to scrape up the funds to start a detective agency and decided to join a band with a few old friends. Sonic ended up as their rhythm guitarist, and eventually the lead singer.
It was Sonic’s accent that interested Vector the most. He spoke like he wasn’t used to talking, his words strangely pronounced and bizarrely stilted, his intonation off and his body language not quite matching. It’s like he was mimicking those around him, trying to make the same sounds and gestures, but just ever so slightly missing the mark.
And the way he spoke- Vector couldn’t think of a single place that matched him. His accent was kind of similar to Japanese, but missed a few of the indicators. There wasn’t really an accent on earth that mimicked the way he spoke, other than perhaps a child trying to speak for the first time.
He’s gotten better about it, though. Not quite so stilted, not quite so obviously mimicking those around him, but still just a little off. A little too cheery, or a little too unemotive.
It’s been driving him crazy for ages.
Tails hums, flicking a few specks of dirt off the Tornado. They’d just gone on a pretty crazy adventure trying to figure out who stole the Tornado while Tails and Sonic were out for an adventure- Sonic had recommended Tails come to the Chaotix when Tails realized the tracker in the plane had been disabled. It took a bit of time, but the Chaotix and Tails found the culprits- the Babylon Rogues, hoping to make a quick buck off the thing to the highest bidder.
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m just curious. He’s got a weird accent I can't place.”
Which is true, even if it’s not the whole truth. Vector just can’t help but be curious over where this strange, supersonic hedgehog who fights gods and ultimate lifeforms every Tuesday comes from. What was in the water he was drinking?
There’s a pause, as Tails seems to consider his words. For a moment, Vector almost feels like Tails is seizing him up, before the tension in Tails’s shoulders leaves and he shrugs. “Oh, I think he said he was from Christmas Island? He doesn’t really talk about it much.”
“Christmas Island?” Vector tastes the name, uncertain. “I’ve never heard of it.”
“Yeah, that’s probably why Sonic doesn’t talk about it much. There’s not really much to talk about with it. But he met Eggman there, when Eggman was first starting out, and the two fought before Eggman fled to South Island. They fought there a couple of different times, and eventually came to West Side Island, where I’m from.”
Tails flicks his name sake before spinning them, flying to the top of the plane and landing in the cockpit. He murmurs to the plane for a few moments, apologizing for losing her, and Vector shakes his head. Kids and their dang technology. “I should probably head back to my workshop. I need to make sure the Rogues didn’t tamper with anything else while they had my baby in their possession. Do you need anything else from me?”
“Nah, you’re free to go.”
“Thanks again, Vector! And tell Espio I said thanks, too!”
The Tornado roars to life, wheels spinning faster than a jet’s, and it takes off in record time. Vector holds his ground against the wind whipping from the takeoff, watching as the red plane flies at supersonic speeds over the horizon. He crosses his arms, frowning to himself.
“Christmas Island, huh? Sounds like a place full of intrigue.”
And it turns out Vector isn’t particularly wrong. He ends up taking Charmy’s tablet for research purposes to look into Christmas Island. Espio distracted the kid while Vector works, and he most certainly ends up working. The first few searches he comes up with offer absolutely nothing.
He searches for it on multiple maps and can’t find it anywhere. After a brief search online, he finds out it’s a tiny island a bit away from South and West Side Island. That matches pretty well to the story Tails has told him a few times- that Sonic crashed on West Side Island in the Tornado while trying to fight Doctor Eggman, after following him from Christmas to South Island to West Side Island. The three of them fight a lot of battles on those collections of islands off the coast of the Federation, though Tails has idly mentioned that he’s never been to Christmas Island.
Turns out, since Christmas Island is right near those small clusters of islands off the coast of the Federation, it isn’t all that far from Station Square. Vector hums, checking out plane tickets. He can hitch a ride to South Island, and probably swindle someone into either ferrying him to Christmas Island, or at least lending him a boat.
“Espio, you mind babysitting Charmy for a day or two? I’ve got a mission to go on.”
Espio frowns, setting down the Xbox controller while Charmy ignores them, focusing on kicking Espio’s ass in some fighting game Vector wasn’t entirely convinced was age appropriate for him. “What mission? You have a new client? And shouldn't I come along? I’m certain Sonic or Miss Vanilla would be willing to take care of Charmy in our steed.”
“It’s more personal business, really.” Vector shrugs. “When I have the whole picture, I’ll give you more details. Chaotix honor!”
Charmy cheers, having won the game. “Ha! It’s five to one, Espio! It’s hard to believe you’re a real ninja.”
Espio’s eye twitched. “Are you sure I can’t come along?”
“It’ll only be a day or two. After that, this mission’ll be over. Don’t worry.”
Charmy frowns. “You’re going away on a trip? I wanna come!”
“You guys can order pizza while I’m out.”
“Nevermind!”
Espio’s still disgruntled by being left out, but does eventually relent. Vector would like to just ask Tails to lend him a hand, since he got his plane back and would probably get him there for free, but that would mean either telling Tails he’s investigating his brother or coming up with a reasonable excuse, and Vector isn’t keen on lying when he doesn’t have to. Neither seemed like a pleasurable occurrence.
He hits up a taxi and boards a plane, wincing at the amount of rings this’ll cost him. Still, this is a mystery that’s always been at the back of Vector’s mind. How exactly did Sonic become the world famous hero they know today? Especially if he came from some tiny island almost no one’s heard about?
He lands in South Island about six hours later. Ever since this became a battleground for Eggman and Sonic’s adventures, the tourism for the island has increased exponentially in the past five years. It’s seen all sorts of strange adventures, and it’s home to all sorts of even stranger treasures.
He’s one of many people arriving in town, but he’s probably the only one with a mission. The others are lead aside by a tour guide, who begins to recite some of the history of the island. Vector weaves his way out of the crowd and heads towards the coast, hoping to find someone with a boat.
There is a ferry system, but it only stretches to Bygone or West Side Island. “Christmas Island’s just a dump, anyway. There’s nothing there except a giant crater. It’s a waste of your time, kid. Don’t you wanna see the beautiful beaches of West Side? Or the metropolitan giant of Studiopolis?”
Vector wanders away, politely declining, before finding a few civilians with a boat. He offers to pay them to rent the boat, but it isn’t until he mentions Sonic that he gets a more positive response.
“Sonic, huh?” The pig in the leather jacket repeats. “Huh. I never really thought about where he came from. I guess I always thought he was from here. You really an investigative reporter and all that?”
“I just want to write an accurate depiction of Sonic’s life,” Vector says. “And I am one of his friends. You can look me up, Vector the Crocodile, from the Chaotix Detective agency.”
“That does sound familiar,” the rabbit in the red jacket says. “Oh, alright, you can take the boat. But you better bring it back before sundown. And it better not have a lick of dirt on it!”
Vector gives his word, and sets sail after they teach him a few pointers. The ocean turns, waves lapping gently at the side of the boat, wind whipping through the sails as he gets closer and closer to his desired destination. It’s a beautiful day, honestly, warm enough to be pleasant, with the sun peeking around a few clouds. Vector grins. This is probably as close to a vacation he can get for the foreseeable future, he’s sure.
It’s about two hours later, when he finally manages to find the shore of Christmas Island. And it sure is tiny- Vector’s pretty sure it’s no larger than a small village, and has to be less than a hundred square miles. It’s tiny.
Vector docks the boat on the shore and begins to roam around. He circles along the coast, hoping to run into some villagers, but so far, the island remains deserted. Eventually, he begins to move inland, and while the flora and fauna are gorgeous, there’s still not a single soul on the island, save for a few Chao milling about at a Chao garden he stumbled across. Other than a few animal friends, there’s very few living things in the area, and no signs of civilization.
Vector scratches his head. “Did I sail to the wrong island?”
Still, he’s got a bit of time on his hands before he needs to head back to Porker and Johnny. He roams a bit more, heading towards the middle of the island, when he finds something quite odd.
A giant crater, in the middle of the island.
It’s huge. Vector studies the sight of impact, slipping down the sides of the craters to stand right inside of it. At its lowest point, it’s gotta be at least twelve feet deep. But whatever hit the surface of the island is gone by now- there’s nothing at the bottom of the crater.
Vector peers at the bottom. There’s still a trace of an imprint from whatever landed here- looks like something round, about seven feet tall and a few feet wide. Most of the earth around it has been eroded, however, so it’s really just an estimate. But if Vector was right, that means it wasn’t something very big that fell and hit the earth, despite the largeness of the crater.
It was something small, and something fast.
Vector scratches his head, taking a few pictures of the crater for later. He must be at the right island, then- the old ferryman mentioned a giant crater. But there’s no way Sonic lived here, right?
There’s not much else for Vector to explore. He snaps a few pictures of the Chao garden, and a few of the surrounding plants and animals, but otherwise decides his time here is up. He’s scoped out every inch of this island, and there’s not a single trace of someone having lived here. Strange.
Vector sails the boat back to South Island. Porker and Johnny are eager to hear what he found, but Vector starts his own investigation. “There’s a giant crater in the middle of the island. Does anyone know when that happened? And what fell?”
Johnny taps his finger to his chin. “Oh, about fifty years ago, I think? My granddad saw it. Said it hit the island with a wonderful crash. No one bothered to go investigate it. Christmas Island was inhabitable even before that, anyway. And who cares about a big old meteorite, anyway? If the government or whatever wants it, they can get it themselves.”
Vector frowns at the response. “It was inhabitable before that?”
“It’s tiny.” They both shrug. “South Island’s already small enough. I guess you could live on that island, though I don’t know why you would. And knowing Sonic, I can’t imagine him living on that tiny rock for what, eleven years? Nah, the man would be loony.”
A few more questions, and Vector’s on his way back to Station Square with more questions than answers. There’s no way Sonic really lived on Christmas Island for a majority of his life, right? It sounds miserable, considering how tiny and isolated it is, and there’s not a single sign of civilization there. So how did Sonic even get there, if it was inhabitable even before the meteor or whatever crashed?
Maybe he can just ask Sonic himself.
-
“Christmas Island?” Sonic repeats, glancing over at Vector, an eyebrow raised. “Why do you wanna talk about that old hunk of nothing?”
“Tails told me you’re from that island. But it looks so small, I just can’t imagine you living there.”
Sonic stretches. They’re somewhere off the west coast, watching over the ocean. The sun’s beginning to settle just above the horizon, streaking the sky with oranges and reds. Vector was surprised to have tracked Sonic down here, but Sonic’s only afraid of the water if he’s actually in it. Beaches are fine by him, as long as he’s a respectful distance away from the shore line.
“Yeah, it was tiny, alright. Way smaller than even Station Square. Not much fun to hang around, which is why I jumped at the chance of following Eggman after kicking him off my island.”
Vector taps his chin. “How did you and Eggman meet, exactly?”
“Is this some sort of investigation?”
“Just curious, is all. I’m hoping you can scratch my itch.”
“Well, alright. Egghead thought the island was abandoned, and decided to try to test his new creations out on the poor animals that lived there. Turning those things into batteries to power his robots and all that junk. To his surprise, he found me there. And I wasn’t exactly happy about what he was doing. I kicked his butt off my island, and figured, well, he’d probably end up doing the same thing somewhere else. So I followed him off to South Island, and you can probably fill in the gaps from there.”
“But what about...”
He raises his brow when Vector hesitates. “Hm?”
“Were you... all alone on that island? I heard from the locals on South Island that it was completely inhabitable. Or at least, no one bothered to live there, since it was so small. How’d you get there, then? Or your parents?”
Sonic scratches his head. “Does that really matter? The past is the past and all that. What’s with the insistence on reliving it?”
“I’m just trying to figure this all out. If you’re really from Christmas Island.”
Sonic peers at him for a few moments, then crosses his arms. “Should’ve known being friends with a detective would come back and bite me. I really am from Christmas Island. At least, I’m pretty sure about that.”
“Pretty sure?”
“You’re good at keeping secrets, aren’t you?” Sonic stares him dead in the eye. “Only Tails knows this part. And I would’ve preferred to keep it that way, but you’re just gonna hound me until I give up, won’t you?”
“I can be a little stubborn.”
“Alright. I don’t have any memories from before I was ten.” Sonic shrugs. “There was a plane on Christmas Island- that’s what turned into the Tornado we all know and love. I used that to track down Eggman to South Island. Tails thinks I might’ve crashed there in that plane, and lost all my memories.”
Vector pauses. “You’re amnesiac?”
“Eh, I guess.” Sonic shrugs. “As for my parents or whatever, who knows? Don’t know why I was flying a plane alone. And well, since I’ve become world famous, no one’s been clambering to claim me as their long lost son. So I guess they’re probably dead or something. But whatever. The past is the past, and all that.”
“Aren’t you at least a little curious about your life before you crashed on Christmas Island?”
“Not really. I doubt it was anything as interesting as the life I’m living now.” Sonic shrugs. “I’m not one to dwell on those kinds of things, anyway. Now, does this answer all your questions?”
Vector purses his lips. “Actually... The locals said there was a crater on the island that formed about fifty years ago. A really big one. Do you know what crashed into the island?”
Sonic appeared almost pensive. “I remember that crater. Whatever was inside it, though, got moved before I woke up there. Sorry, man.”
Vector watches him for a few moments, before nodding his head. “Thanks for sharing all of this, man. Sorry about your memories.”
“Eh, it happens.” Sonic waves him away. “Now, I think I’m gonna get some dinner. Something from Chun-nan sounds really good right about now. Want in?”
“Nah, I’ll see you around, though.”
-
Vector is about eighty percent sure Sonic was lying to him.
He’s just not sure what he was lying about. Did he actually have amnesia, or was that just an excuse to not tell Vector everything? Did he really not know what was in that crater? All of the locals said nobody bothered to go check it out.
Maybe Eggman took whatever crashed into the island? But that implies Eggman was there before Sonic crashed there. And that doesn’t align with Sonic’s story; and while Sonic’s story might not be completely truthful, it seems more likely that Sonic really was there first, before Eggman.
Was the crater made by the plane Sonic supposedly crashed in? No, the altitude wouldn’t match the size of the crater. And the plane would have been smashed to pieces if it did match the impact, probably killing Sonic in the process.
“What are you doing?”
Vector jumps, glancing over at Espio, who’s peering at his corkboard in obvious interest and concern. Vector turns to face him, subtly trying to block his view of the cork board, where he’s settled all the evidence he’s gathered for Sonic’s backstory. There’s pieces missing, and he’s trying to connect all the dots.
“Nothing interesting,” he settles for.
“Are you investigating Sonic?” Espio frowns, brows furrowing. “Is this what that trip to South Island was for?”
“How’d you know I went there?”
“I looked at your search history.” Vector makes an affronted noise while Espio shrugs. “You were being strangely cagey about the situation. What did you find on Christmas Island? That was in your search history, too.”
Vector glaces away, then moves from the cork board. “A whole lot of nothing. The place was completely deserted. The only interesting thing there was this giant crater.” Now that Vector thought about it, there wasn’t anything to indicate a plane had crashed there. Either it got covered up by the crater or it never actually crashed there.
Vector scribbles that down on a sticky note before placing it next to the picture of the crater he has hung up. Espio watches him, crossing his arms, before turning his attention to the cork board. “What exactly are you thinking?”
“I think Sonic’s hiding something. Something big.”
“What could he possibly be hiding?”
“That’s the million dollar question. I don’t have a possible motive for this. But there’s something strange going on, and I want to get to the bottom of it.”
Espio peers at the cork board for a little while longer. “I see. Let’s hope it turns out to be nothing more than a bad hunch of yours.”
“I’ve never had a bad hunch, Espio.”
“... I know.”
-
“Shadow!” Vector flags him down as he walks out of an old record shop. The hedgehog glances over at him, and does not bother to hide a wince. Vector jogs towards him, and for a moment, it looks like Shadow was contemplating ignoring him, but he does stop and wait for Vector to catch up.
“Vector,” he greets, voice toneless. “Is there something you need?”
“I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I’m doing this investigation, but I’m drawing towards a dead end. Do you think you could use your G.U.N. clearance to find out some more information about Christmas Island for me?”
Shadow’s brows furrow. “Christmas Island? What exactly are you investigating?”
“You’ve heard of it?”
“No. That’s why I ask.” Shadow peers up at him, and with the weight of his gaze, it feels more like he’s looking down on him. “Geography was something I was forced to learn aboard the ARK. I know some countries have shifted titles and alliances in the past fifty years... but I’ve never heard of Christmas Island.”
“Ha, me neither, until this case.” Vector rubs the back of his neck. “Look, I can explain it to you later, when I’ve got the whole thing figured out, but are you willing to help me?”
Shadow glances away, thinking. “I’ll do a bit of digging. I suppose I owe you one, after everything that happened with... the Black Arms.”
Vector cocks a brow. “Huh? Don’t think of it like that, now. Friends help each other out all the time. I didn’t expect something in return for that mess.”
Shadow stares at him for a few moments, before nodding his head. “I’ll report back to you within three days. I can’t promise I’ll find much, though. My clearance isn’t particularly high.” He starts to walk off, before adding, “Good luck with your investigation.”
-
True to his word, Shadow arrives three days later at the Chaotix Detective Agency, with one manila folder in hand.
“I downloaded everything I could, but I’m afraid most of it is blacked out. I don’t have the clearance for most of the information on here, though perhaps if you asked Rouge, she might be willing to help. She’s got a higher clearance than me.” Shadow places the file on his desk, then pauses. “Though... while I downloaded the files, I couldn’t help but notice Sonic was mentioned a few times. What exactly is this investigation about?”
Vector picks up the manila folder, flicking through it. It’s sparse, with only a handful of papers inside, and Vector can already see a good three quarters of it remains blacked out. Vector sighs. “At this point, I’m not entirely sure. But when I get it all sorted out, I’ll let you know.”
Shadow peers at him for a few moments, before nodding. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”
He walks off without another word, the door chime jingling as he leaves. Vector walks after him, shutting the blinds and locking the door. If most of this was blacked out, then that means something important happened on that island, and potentially pertains to Sonic. Might as well be careful.
He opens the file and begins to read through it, properly this time. Most of it is what he already knows; he supposes all the interesting parts are blacked out, and that only makes him more interested in scratching this itch.
The island was uninhabitable, too small to really care for a large population, as well as not having much game. Multiple interviews with Sonic the Hedgehog reference this island as his home, and that it’s where he and Eggman first met (the date of their first meeting, Vector notes, is blacked out). After learning that information, G.U.N. officers visited the local islands, such as South and West Side, to investigate anything strange occurring before and after Sonic’s appearance. Locals report of a meteorite falling on Christmas Island forty five years ago; when agents go to investigate, a large crater is found, but nothing inside.
The meteorite managed to escape G.U.N. detection. It seemed to have been several feet wide and long; it was large enough that G.U.N. satellites should have captured it. Weather stations in the area have no reports of a meteorite crashing there. If not for the crater, one would assume it had never existed.
Now that’s interesting. Many of the locals only saw it, but no satellite captured it. Vector’s eyebrows scrunched together as he tacks some of the information on his cork board. Too much of this is blacked out to really be of use, but this new bit of information definitely casts a new light on that crater.
G.U.N. reports that whatever crashed there was missing when they arrived five years ago. Five years ago is also when Sonic and Dr. Eggman first met. Are these instances related? Did Sonic know what crashed there? Did Eggman take whatever crashed there?
There’s a hypothesis section on the document that’s blacked out. Vector would give anything to figure out what it said; he’d even pay twice his rent. But all Vector can rely on now is his own brain.
The meteorite crashed here fifty years ago. That seems like an important time frame. The Black Arms came on some sort of comet... perhaps the crater is related to that? Maybe that’s how Dr. Eggman later learned about the Black Arms?
How does it relate back to Sonic? Or does it relate to him at all? Vector’s missing a piece of this puzzle, and he knows it.
-
“You want me to look into Christmas Island?” Rouge peers at the jewelry inside the merchant’s case. “You do know that that ruby is a phony, right? The coloration is all wrong.”
The jeweler’s eyes widened before snatching the ring out of the case. Rouge watches as she disappears to the back of the store, either to prove Rouge wrong or right.
“Maybe not so loud,” Vector murmurs. “And yes, I would greatly appreciate it, if you could. Shadow didn’t have a high enough clearance to get the juicy details I need, but he seems to think you might.”
“Juicy details, hm?” Rouge eyes a few sapphire necklaces. “What piqued your interest about that tiny, backwater island, hm?”
“You’ve heard of it?”
“In passing. You didn’t answer my question, though.”
“I’m doing an investigation, and something shady seems to have gone down there. Something to do with a missing meteorite. I was hoping you could take a look for me.”
“What do I get out of it?”
“... the satisfaction of helping a friend?”
“Gross. Try harder.”
“I’ll tell you all the juicy details of my investigation.”
“Hm, this gal does love gossip.” She taps a finger to her chin in thought. “I’ll see what I can do.” She pats his shoulder before moving away from the glass case, prepared to walk out the door. “Now, hold onto this for me, okay?”
Vector frowns as she drops a diamond necklace in his hands. “Wait-”
She waltzes out the door, and Vector sighs. The jeweler comes back to the front, irritation on her face. “How dare she accuse my gems of being fraudulent? This is a one hundred percent genuine ruby! And- hey, what are you doing?”
Vetcor glances at the necklace in his hand, then at the display next to him, which was very clearly missing a necklace and earring set. Vector lets out a very long sigh.
-
A day later, and Rouge waltzes back into the Chaotix Detective agency with a manila folder. She places it on his desk before sitting herself up there right after, peering down at him while he snatched up the file.
The contents are identical to the one he received from Shadow. Vector reads through it once, finding the exact same amount of information blacked out as the file he already has. Rouge watches him with an amused smile, and Vector narrows his eyes.
“Is this really all that you could get me?”
“For essentially free? Yes.” She shrugs. “In all seriousness, I think you’ve overestimated how much the government trusts me. I double cross them every other week, you know.”
“And yet you’re still employed by them.”
“What’s that saying...? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” She slips off his desk, back facing him. “Now if you don’t mind, I have a mani-pedi appointment to get to.”
Vector steels himself before getting out of his chair. “I’ll escort you to the door, then.”
“What a gentleman!”
Vector’s hand rested on her arm. They two walk towards the door, where Vector opens it for her. He accidentally trips, knocking his head into the door frame, but before he can fall all the way, Rouge catches him, arms outstretched and pushing him up.
“Thanks, Rouge.” His hands are on her waist as he catches his balance, before moving away from her.
She rolls her eyes at him. “Falling for me already? I’m afraid you’re not my type, hun. Now don’t forget to keep your end of the bargain- I want to know all the juicy details of this investigation, once you’re done.”
“I always keep my word.”
Rouge saunters off with a little wave, and Vector closes the door behind her. He turns around, facing his desk, grinning from ear to ear as he holds up his prize: Rouge’s G.U.N. key card.
Well, if she didn’t want to help him out the first time, Vector supposes he just has to do it all on his own. And that’s fine by him.
-
Espio ends up helping him break into a G.U.N. base. It’s a very long process, including convincing the G.U.N. soldiers stationed at the front door that they were being haunted by the vengeful ghost of their past. Or, in which, Espio turned invisible and threw a bunch of rocks at them, making spooky noises and completely distracting them so Vector could sneak inside.
Then commenced the second part of the plan: Vector pretended to be a custodian, using his fire breath to unlock a maintenance closet and drag out a few supplies to sell his story. He lingers around the lobby for a bit, listening in on conversations to figure out his next best move.
“There’s been a vomiting incident in the library,” an agent reports to him as he pretends to mop the floor. “Agent Griffith ate too much shrimp at the buffet again, I’m afraid. The elevator ride from the cafeteria to the fortieth floor after the buffet always ends up with him puking. He just never learns.”
Vector winces. “Of course he did. I’ll see to it.”
Vector swipes the keycard into the elevator, then works his way to the top. A few agents come and go, but no one gives him a second thought. Vector knew the fake mustache was the perfect identity concealer, no matter how much Espio complained it would give him away.
He reaches the desired floor and wanders a bit before finally hitting the back of the building. There the library stands, and an agent was sitting outside, looking a little green.
“Sorry,” was all the agent said, and Vector waved him off.
“Next time, just get to the bathroom first.”
The agent opens his mouth, before his eyes widen and he scurried off towards the bathrooms down the hall. Vector winces as his retching echoes, before opening the library with Rouge’s key card, slinking inside. As soon as the door shut behind him, Vector tossed all of his maintenance disguise aside and headed right towards the computer in the back.
Swiping his keycard once again, Vector opens up the database and begins his hunt, shoving a drive into the port, prepared to download everything he comes across.
Rouge did, in fact, have more access than Shadow did. Most of the Christmas Island information was still blacked out, but Vector finds something even more interesting in his research.
He finds a report Rouge submitted, back when Eggman first investigated the Space Colony ARK and Project Shadow. It was submitted a few weeks after the event, after the world nearly ended from Gerald’s revenge, after Shadow seemingly died trying to save the world, after G.U.N.’s dirty laundry was finally aired.
Vector skims through the report. He’s not sure why he bothered reading it, he’s not sure why he even clicked on it, but it was written by Rouge, so it must have some value, right?
It was a rundown of everything that happened before Project Shadow had been shut down. Gerald Robotnik was obsessed with the concept of Chaos energy, believing it to be the key to creating an Ultimate Lifeform. His first forays into it developed the Artificial Chaos and Chaos Drives, before eventually developing into the Biolizard, based on a mural on Angel Island.
The Biolizard was a failure, however. It was sentient only enough to feel rage, and eventually grew nearly one hundred times its size, lashing out against the scientists, and killing three of them. G.U.N. heard about this and proceeded to shut down the project, deeming it too dangerous to continue.
But that’s not where the story ends.
Before the project is shut down for good, Gerald develops a new prototype. One based off of a hedgehog, who has the same abilities as the Biolizard, but without needing the life support system. It was perfectly sentient, able to think for itself, able to convey thoughts and express emotions. It wasn’t a weapon- it was a person, gifted with great physical prowess and abilities tied to Chaos energy.
However, the raid occurs not long after this new development. G.U.N. orders a mass execution of anyone involved in the project, including civilians aboard, and most of the people were either slaughtered then and there or taken into custody. G.U.N. claimed the deaths were caused by the Biolizard, though they all later learn that to be completely false.
Maria is shot, and releases an escape pod in her last moments. This is where Rouge’s report gets very, very interesting...
“When GUN's Special Forces rushed into the research institute, Gerald escaped, and entrusted it to Maria, his granddaughter, checking to make sure that the one escape capsule was ejected toward the planet. (In addition, the whereabouts of the capsule at that time were not known, either.)
“Now, it is not known if the hedgehog ’Shadow the Hedgehog’, being the ‘Shadow’ that was sealed away in Prison Island, was a copy created by someone else, or was the original ‘Shadow’ that was ejected toward the planet. (There is no real way to confirm this anywhere...)”
Vector stares at the monitor, mouth agape.
The capsule ejected from the ARK was never found.
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
Vector jumps at least three feet into the air. Espio reappears, invisibility fading, purple scales reforming where there was once nothing but air. Vector leans against the monitor, hand pressed against his thundering heart, letting out a deep breath. “Chaos, Espio! Don’t sneak up on me during a mission!”
“I apologize.” Espio peers behind him. “But I do recommend you hurry up with whatever you’re doing. And I do recommend you eventually explain to me what this is all about.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m almost done.” Vector downloads the report back to his USB file, along with a few other articles about Shadow and Gerald Robotnik. It’s not connected to Sonic, but now that he just learned this potentially life altering fact about Shadow’s true identity, he can’t just ignore it.
Vector slides the drive out and pockets it. Espio gives him a nod before disappearing again. The door opens and closes, and Vector lets out a soft breath before picking his maintenance disguise back up as he quietly shuffled out of the library. The coast is clear, and he slips out, sneaking past some of the agents in the next hallway, slinking towards the elevator.
He hits the lobby, and watches as Espio shoves one of the agents while he’s invisible. The agent spins, facing another agent, and accuses him of pushing him. The two argue until it escalates into an actual fight, and while everyone’s distracted, Vector slips out of the building.
The guards on the outside are back to being harassed by a ghost, and Vector darts to the tree line, hitting the meeting point. A few moments later, Espio reappears, fading back into view. He raises a brow at Vector. “Did you get what you were looking for?”
Vector pulls out the USB drive, peering at it for a few moments. “I’m not entirely sure. But I definitely found something.”
Espio glances towards the north. “Come on. Let’s head back to that train station before they send out a search squad for us.”
-
The capsule was never found.
Something undetectable by G.U.N. crashed into Christmas Island exactly fifty years ago.
The ARK raid occurred fifty years ago. Maria released an escape pod that crashed into the earth fifty years ago.
Sonic lost his memories. Shadow lost his memories when he crashed into the earth after his super form faded. Sonic and Shadow are both very similar looking hedgehogs (similar enough that the Commander of G.U.N. had Sonic arrested instead of Shadow when he was framed; or, was it truly a case of mistaken identity? Did... did he know?) who can use the Chaos emeralds, who can Chaos control and go super, who have super speed, who have abnormal strength and healing factors.
Vector stares at his cork board, at the thread tying the Christmas Island crash to the missing G.U.N. capsule.
It’s completely feasible, isn’t it? When Vector’s laid out all of the facts he has, it makes complete sense, doesn’t it? It all connects to one big picture.
Sonic either is the real project Shadow, or one of many Project Shadows. Maria ejected him from the ARK, causing him to crash on Christmas Island. Eggman arrived on the island fifty years later and probably released him from the capsule, finding a hedgehog with no memories of his time aboard the ARK.
But then where does this place Shadow? If Sonic was the real ultimate lifeform, what does that make Shadow? Could there really have been more than one Project Shadow?
Does it really make sense? Or does Vector have some sort of bias?
Vector’s ruminating over this as he unlocks the front door to the detective agency. He had just dropped off Charmy at Vanilla’s to play with Cream; while seeing Vanilla is usually quite the treat, and he sticks around as long as he can to be in her presence, Vector has some serious questions to try to answer, and has politely declined having lunch with her.
Espio was off with Knuckles on Angel Island, catching up with him since the last time they spoke. Turns out Knuckles had re-met with Mighty and Ray not so long ago, and has plenty of stories to share. Vector had declined that visit, too.
“It’s about time you showed up.. I was beginning to think you ditched your mission for Vanilla.”
Vector’s heart stops the same time he jumps in the air at the voice. He slams the door shut after him and cracks his knuckles. “Who are you?”
“Flip on the lights and find out.”
He does as told, and lets out a long suffering sigh at the sight before him. “Rouge? What are you doing here? And why’d you break in?”
“I wanted to make a dramatic entrance. And don’t worry, you didn’t keep me waiting for long.”
“Not what I was worried about.”
“So this is what you’ve been up to with my keycard, hm?” Rouge holds up her report, eyes skimming over the contents, not bothering to look at him while Vector’s eyes bulge at the accusation. “I’ve got to commend you, stealing from a master thief such as myself. A rather ballsy move. Though you didn’t really think I wouldn’t notice, did you?”
“How long have you known?”
“Since the moment you tried to pickpocket me. But I thought it’d be funny to see what you are going to do with it.” She sets the report down, pulling out a nail file from her glove. “Mentioning Christmas Island had me wondering if you knew the truth. You do know, though, don’t you?”
Vector crosses his arms. “I don’t know the whole story, but I’m guessing you do?”
“Not necessarily. All I know is the summation of some digging around. Anyone who really knows the truth is dead or amnesiac.”
“I don’t have the whole picture.” Vector walks towards his cork board, peering at all the contents. “Your security clearance didn’t get me the information I was hoping for.”
“Project Shadow was a government conspiracy silenced through bloodshed. It’s a secret even the Commander doesn’t have full access to. And I would know, considering I pulled the same trick you tried to pull on me, earlier.”
“You stole his keycard?”
“He might not know everything, but he knew enough.” Rouge’s eye flick up for a moment, adding, “Did you know he was aboard the ARK when it was raided? He was friends with Maria.”
“Seriously?”
“You read my report... which means you know there was a whistleblower aboard the ARK, that leaked about the dangers of the Biolizard and Black Doom...?”
“That was him?”
“The one and only.” Rouge puts her feet up on his desk. “It’s why he hates Shadow so much. He blames Maria's death on him, when really, he’s just trying to pin his own guilt on someone else. I feel pretty confident that he feels the same about Sonic though. Either because he knows what Sonic truly is... or because he just happens to look like Shadow.”
“When Shadow first escaped and Sonic was arrested, do you really think it was a case of mistaken identity, or was the Commander capturing him to figure out what he was?”
Rouge has a sly smile on her face. “Come on, detective, I think you know the truth.”
Vector glances away, back at the cork board. “I suppose I do.”
“Now, you do understand the severity of the crime you committed, right?” Rouge files her nails, not bothering to look at Vector as she speaks, voice languid and uncaring. “Stealing my keycard, downloading secret files from the government... You understand that G.U.N. would want your head, don’t you? That you would be charged with treason, should they find out about this?”
“You knew I took your card. If your intention was to arrest me, wouldn’t you have done it much earlier?”
Her fangs glimmer in the dim light as she smiles. “Haven’t you heard? My first love is gemstones. My second love is drama.”
Vector stares her down. “Is this all just some game to you, Rouge? The truth about both of our friends... this whole crazy government conspiracy that people were murdered over... is this some joke?”
She sets the nail file down, clasping her hands together before leaning forward on his desk. “It might surprise you, but I have some stake in this game, too. I don’t care much about what you decide to do with this information, frankly. I know you’ll make the right choice. I’m just here to tell you not to become a whistleblower anytime soon, if you don’t want to become a leather purse.”
“What stake could you possibly have in this?”
“It’s amusing. A nice little secret just for myself. I love a good mystery, you know. Like I’ve said before... gems are my one true love, but my side chick is most certainly gossip.”
Vector watches her carefully for a moment, before grinning. “It’s more than that, isn’t it? You care about them. Shadow and Sonic.”
Rouge shrugs. “It’s not much fun if they know the truth, too. Secrets are only fun when they’re still secrets.”
“Keep telling yourself that.”
“So what exactly did you manage to figure out, super sleuth?” She leans back in his chair, much more at ease.
“Sonic’s the real project Shadow, isn’t he?” Vector points at an article on the desk. “I read your report, about how the real capsule that fell from the ARK was never found. And G.U.N. wasn’t able to detect whatever crashed onto Christmas Island fifty years ago, around the same time as the ARK raid. They only investigated the island after Sonic referenced it being his home.”
“You actually went to Christmas Island, hm?” She peers at the photographs he took. “And I’m guessing you didn’t find anything?”
“Nothing. No sign of civilization. No sign of a meteorite or whatever. No indication of how that crater formed.”
“Is that all you found?”
“Anything more than that requires more clearance than I have. It’s all just theory, right now. I don’t really understand what Shadow is, if Sonic was the one actually aboard the ARK. Were they both aboard the ARK?” Vector’s brows narrow. “And the whole Black Doom thing... We know Shadow really does have the Black Arms in his blood, after that alien invasion. But Sonic doesn’t. Why wouldn’t he?”
Rouge hums. “Not bad, detective. I had the Commander’s key and I still couldn’t find everything I needed.”
“Do you know how this all fits together?”
“The Biolizard was sealed away seven days before the raid on the ARK. Gerald entrusted Maria with the final version of Project Shadow when the raid commenced. Maria shot off a capsule that was never found, thanks to a cloaking device Gerald had made during one of his bouts of paranoia over the government turning on him. Maria’s shot and killed, Gerald is forced into custody before eventually getting executed by firing squad.”
“I remember.” Both from her report, and from when the ARK nearly crashed into the earth. Gerald’s final message was almost as terrifying as knowing the world was about to end; and he had to cover Charmy’s eyes when the man was executed.
“Gerald describes having finished Project Shadow back on earth in his video diaries. He altered his memories and designed him to be emotional and unstable, so he would be willing to carry out his revenge. This implies that he was made on earth, despite the documentation of a hedgehog on the ARK. I saw the security footage myself- there was a hedgehog there on the ARK. But was it Shadow?” Rouge hums. “Either way, this implies the existence of two hedgehogs, doesn’t it? One created aboard the ARK, and another created here on earth. One made to be the ultimate lifeform, and another made to be a weapon of revenge.”
Rouge gets up from the chair, pacing towards Vector’s cork board. “Anything else I know is not much more than speculation.”
Vector remains quiet, peering at his own research.
“But does any of it truly matter?”
“What? How could it not?”
“Sonic admitted to you that he was amnesiac?” Rouge asks instead, peering at a note.
“Yeah, he did. Said he couldn’t remember anything before five years ago, before waking up on Christmas Island.”
“Has he expressed any interest in knowing his past?”
“Well... not really. He didn’t seem fond talking about it at all.”
“It wouldn’t matter to Sonic where he came from, or who he was meant to be. He’s all about living in the moment, experiencing the present and letting go of the past. I doubt he’s made any attempt to figure out who he really was. And I don’t think it would truly matter to him in the end. Because no matter what, he’s still Sonic the Hedgehog. And that’s all that matters to him.”
Vector remains silent at her words.
“Would it matter to Shadow? Greatly. But he’s just begun to let go of his past, to accept his tragedy, to move forward. To present all of this new information, and with most of it being nothing more than speculation... I think that would only cause him more unnecessary problems, in the end. And Gaia above and below knows he doesn’t deserve any more trouble surrounding his past.”
“I understand.”
“Do you?”
“I do.”
“Now, can I have my keycard back? That’s really why I’m here.” She puts one hand on her hip, the other outstretched towards him. “I was just curious about what you did with it.”
Vector grumbles as he digs the keycard out of his desk drawer before dropping it into her hands. Rouge slides it into a pocket of her outfit, and stretches a bit, arms behind her head while Vector tries to process all he learned.
“Well, I’ll see you later, Vector.” She starts to walk off. “Probably when the world decides to try to end again. Have fun with this little mystery.”
Vector spends the next few hours just staring at his cork board, debating on what to do. It was a detective’s goal to unveil the truth, to rid the world of lies and deceit. To help those around him, to make people’s lives better.
Ultimately, Vector ends up shredding everything he found. He rips up all the pictures and notes he took, and lights all of his evidence on fire afterwords, watching as it burned in his trash can. Is an investigation still considered for the good of the people when it would only end up harming everyone involved?
Vector doesn’t tell lies. When Espio and Shadow later demand to know what his investigation was about, he simply tells them it lead to a dead end. What he thought he knew turned out to not be true. It was a wild goose chase and nothing more. Neither of them seemed pleased by his answer, but Vector wasn’t interested in lying to them.
Vector keeps this information to himself. Rouge and him never talk about it again. Sonic never asks about his foray into his past. Espio and Shadow eventually forget all about this mission.
There’s footage of Sonic on the news a few weeks later. He’s gilded, having used the Chaos emeralds to turn super, fighting the monster du jour. His ruby eyes gleam as he lands the final blow, as energy wafts from his body, as he goes against impossible odds and comes out on top.
Vector remains silent, but he doesn’t forget.