Archive of Our Own ^beta

Espio knew the noise of the Agency well. He knew the sounds of Charmy’s toys clashing into each other in a dramatic battle. He knew every note from every song Vector’s boombox echoed. He knew every creak of every floorboard and he knew how to discern Charmy’s buzzing alongside the sound of Vector’s heavy footsteps.  He knew when they were arguing and when they were playing based on the cadence of their comebacks. He knew the--admittedly, rare--ringing of their office phone, he knew what the topic was based off of Vector’s tone, even down to who was calling. Vector had a different tone of voice for different scenarios; his voice tilted lower when he dealt with work calls, he’d speak a bit louder and his voice would upturn if Vanilla or Cream called, and then he’d speak as he typically did with any of their friends.

His meditation allowed him to remain aware of these things without it constantly interrupting him, now a natural part of his time. He wondered if he would hear them even if he meditated alone, somewhere quiet. If his coworkers, companions, his… housemates were so intertwined with his routine that even in their absence he would conjure up the noise in the back of his head. He didn’t think it would be so bad, regardless of the answer.

Still, when he picked up Vector’s voice in the midst of his meditation, he noticed Charmy had gone silent. It was a low tone. There was work to be done.

Espio breathed out, opening his eyes and letting his legs stretch out before he pulled himself to his feet. The paper-thin walls let him hear just about everything Vector was saying, so he took his time stretching out and recentering himself amongst the noise of the city. He trailed out of his room, his door left wide open--no point in closing it when his coworkers would barge in on his meditation anyways. He was used to it by now. Vector, at least, was better about it than Charmy was.

He moved soundlessly down the stairs, avoiding the creaky parts of the wood, catching Charmy’s buzzing start up and Vector’s voice getting quieter. At the bottom, he glanced over toward their small office desk, watching as Vector struggled to cover his mouth away from Charmy, who was getting far into his personal space. He merely had to lock eyes with Vector to know what he needed to do. He plucked the bee away by his jacket, which immediately caused him to struggle.

“ Espio-- ” Charmy cried out, then lowered his voice a tad even as he swung at him in vain-- “Espio, there’s a case! Vector’s not letting me hear it! C’mon, let me go!”

“He won’t be able to focus on the details if you’re here shoving your face in his snout.” He remarked, trailing to the couch with his coworker in tow. He rolled his eyes when Charmy stuck his tongue out at him, and waited for Vector to finish speaking. Espio watched him as he spoke. His hands were hardly moving as he wrote down the client’s information. He wasn’t grinning like he did on the phone normally; in fact, his jaw was set and he hardly looked up to check on the two of them. When he glanced back at Charmy he found that he was observing their boss too, his eyes narrowed and his nose scrunched. His antennae hung forward, still trying to pick up what he was saying.

“Don’t you worry, we’re on the case! We’ll be there as soon as we’re able, ma’am. We’ll meet you there as soon as possible.” Vector finally raised his voice before placed the phone down, finally glancing up at the two of them. A grin cracked on his face, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Espio rose a brow at him as Charmy perked up. The moment Espio released him, he zipped right over.

“We’ve got a case, we’ve got a case, we’ve got a case! So what’s it about? Are there bad guys we can beat up? Are we looking for top secret classified information again? Are there pirates ?!”

Espio sighed and trailed over to the desk, watching Vector shake his head, chuckling.

“Nah, none of that. But I don’t think this is a good case for ya, Charm.”

Espio’s eyes darted over to him, but Vector’s attention was still on their youngest, who looked nothing short of offended at the mere notion that he wasn’t fit to go on a case. Espio prepared himself for the argument that would ensue.

“ What? I’m good at detective work! You tell me that all the time!! I can do any case, and I can do it really well, too!”

“I’m just saying it might be a little… boring, for ya.” Vector scratched the back of his neck, glancing at Espio. He narrowed his eyes.

“Uh, nuh-uh , you were acting all serious on the phone! That means it’s gonna be super interesting! So I should be on the case too!” Charmy crossed his arms, with a rather extreme pout on his face. In a way, it looked like Vector when he was trying to scold him.

“Vector, be honest, or else the both of you will end up talking in circles,” Espio deigned to speak up, “and we’ll never get to the location. This seems rather urgent. You’ve hardly ever tried being quiet on the phone.”

Vector clicked his tongue and muttered. “I guess so.”

“ So? ” Charmy pressed, buzzing quite close to him now.

“Ahh, well. I think this case is a little too… grown up , for you. I don’t feel comfortable putting you on this case until you’re a bit older.”

“Gathering top secret information is grown up!” Charmy protested, earning a long sigh.

“ That was because Espio and I were spread thin. And it was a worldwide emergency kinda deal. This ain’t a worldwide emergency. But it’s still not somethin’ I’m comfortable letting you undertake.” 

Charmy opened his mouth, no doubt to argue back, but Espio quickly stepped in.

“If Vector isn’t willing to let you take on this case, then I trust there’s a good reason. Surely we could substitute it with a day at Vanilla’s?” He tilted his head, watching Vector grimace just a bit.

“No can do, Espio. She an’ Cream are out today. But,” Vector quickly added, “if we’re all out of the office, then what if another case crops up? We’re gonna need someone at home base. If you’re here, then we don’t gotta worry about missing anything, right?”

Charmy’s eyes were narrowed, but they quickly widened.

“You guys are gonna let me stay home alone?” 

It was Espio’s turn to grimace at the slight tilt of excitement he heard in Charmy’s voice. 

“Not for long , Charmy! Tell you what, it’s still three an’ a half hours before dinner. We’re gonna aim to be back by then. Think you can handle it?”

Charmy puffed out his chest, grinning proudly. “I totally can!”

Well, that was certainly a quick swap. Espio sent a pointed glance at Vector.

“I think we need to lay down some rules before we head out?” He pressed, earning a slightly nervous chuckle. Charmy gasped, putting his hands on his hips.

“I can handle being home alone! Why do I need rules ?”

“So you don’t burn down the office in our absence.” Espio sighed, and Charmy buzzed sharply at him.

“No way!! I don’t need rules! Tell him, Vector!” He cried out, snapping his gaze towards Vector once more.

“He’s right, I’m afraid--”

“--See?? I can totally handle myself and the office!” Charmy immediately whipped back to him, and Vector sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Lemme finish, Charmy. Espio’s right. We should lay some ground rules.”

Charmy froze, his jaw slack as he stared at Vector; Espio found that he was attempting a familiar tactic--Cream’s notorious puppy eyes were able to make nearly anyone fold--but Vector didn’t cave. His wings stopped their fluttering, and he sank dramatically from the air onto their couch.

“ Rules ?” He dragged out the word until his head hit the cushion. Espio sighed as Vector finally crossed the threshold of the office desk and sat down next to him.

“Yup. So here’s the rundown; while Espio and I are gone, you’re to stay here. Don’t open the door for anyone.”

“Huh?? Not even for clients?” Charmy asked, frowning up at him.

“Crazy, I know. But you’re still responsible for the phone so we don’t miss anyone, ya hear?” Vector tapped his arm.

“Is that it?” Charmy said, hopeful in a way that made Espio’s eyes narrow. He could see the cogs turning in Charmy’s head; he was cooking up shenanigans already, and the two hadn’t even left the house yet. 

“Certainly not,” he quickly interjected, “need we remind you that blasting Vector’s boombox is off limits. And both my kunai and ninja stars are not for playing with. I’d rather you avoid my room at all costs, but knowing you…” Espio watched Charmy’s antennae lower, and judging by the way his eyes drifted, he was starting to zone out. “Charmy.”

“Blehhh, okay, no loud boombox or playing with your ninja stuff. Fine . Are there any more?” He decided to try and give Espio a pitiful look this time, which made Vector chuckle. Espio crossed his arms. Charmy would have to do better than that to remotely sway him.

“‘Fraid so, kid.” Vector picked it up again, nodding at Espio with a bit of gratitude. Charmy groaned obnoxiously below them. “Ya can’t leave all the lights on all the time. And don’t leave a mess! I’m tired’a stepping on your building bricks.”

Vector grumbled the last part, but there was hardly any anger behind it.

“This includes not messing with the furniture.” Espio reminded him, and Charmy stuck his tongue out at the ceiling. 

“But what if I get hungry before you guys come back??” He questioned instead, and Espio rested his hand over his lip.

“Well, certainly it wouldn’t hurt if you had a snack?” He said, meeting Vector’s eye.

“Shoot, kid, sure. But don’t mess with Vanilla’s cookies. We gotta make sure they last until the next time we get over there. Got it?”

Charmy’s face bloomed brilliantly, beaming harder than the sun on his scales. He shot up from the couch in a burst of energy, buzzing around the room.

“Yessir, I’m on it boss, you can count on me! Now, go !” He shouted, practically trying to shove the both of them out the door. Espio ducked behind him and snagged a number of pens and Vector’s pad of paper. His kunai were already at the ready, tucked away in the right places. He slipped right back to Vector’s side as he was finally shoved out the door.

“And no parties!” Vector called out, and Charmy at least laughed about that one. Espio tucked his tail under their ‘open’ sign, turning it over to ‘out of office’ as he moved out into the open. 

“Nooooo promises!” He shouted back, and the door was shut on them. Espio sighed and finally glanced down at the information. It was a miracle Charmy hadn’t stuck his nose into it the first opportunity he got. But he supposed even he knew when it was serious, in the end. He took note of the address and turned south. Vector wasn’t far behind him, and for a brief moment they walked in silence. Espio listened for the sound of buzzing following after them, but the prospect of having the Agency to himself must have really piqued Charmy’s interest. He and Vector both knew all those rules were said with a prayer to any god who would hear them. None came to his mind.

When they moved a reasonable distance from the Agency, Espio handed the pad back to Vector.

“Please, inform me on what we’re working with.”

“Well, a young woman called in; she thinks her ex is stalking her and somehow breaking into her place. She’s frightened out of her mind, needs us to find out where he’s getting in.” Vector rumbled, strictly facing forward. He nodded, trying to bring to mind popular spots. No doubt their client would have checked them already, but he would be wrong not to investigate it himself.

“Did she mention personal effects going missing?”

“Not over the phone. We’ll have to ask her about it when she gets there.”

“Of course. And, any details on her ex partner?”

“Nada. But he sounds like a real piece’a work.”

Espio hummed in agreement. There wasn’t much he could add to bring anything new to the table; other than how distasteful it was to spend one’s free time causing emotional distress. But that was neither here nor there. He swept his eyes along as they continued on their way to their client’s household; if he was making it inside potentially unseen by neighbors, then he would have to look for quieter paths on the way to and from the location. He heard Vector chuckle to themself as they passed one of the parks nearby, far larger than the one Charmy dragged them to all the time. Children were laughing and shouting as they ran around, and as Espio dared glance over he swore he saw the fluttering of wings. He paused in his step, his eyes narrowing. He stepped aside to a lightpost, ensuring he wouldn’t be in the way of other pedestrians. Vector continued forward a few steps, but stopped and turned once he noticed Espio wasn’t at his side anymore. Someone had to duck around him.

“Something the matter?” He called out, and Espio sighed. It was probably another kid; certainly Charmy hadn’t snuck out and beaten them to the punch. He had no idea where they were going and Espio knew his buzzing just as well as Vector did. If Vector didn’t catch the sound of it then he certainly would have. They weren’t being followed. Charmy was at home, hopefully behaving somewhat.

“Apologies. Thought I saw Charmy’s wings.” He resumed his pace, catching up to Vector in no time. He caught a smile forming on Vector’s face; one that made his tail twitch. He avoided his gaze, staring forward and slipping past a small group of people on the sidewalk. Vector easily saddled right back up to him.

“I guess it is weird being without him, huh?” He said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“I fear the chaos that we’ll return to,” Espio folded his hands behind his back, hearing a game of tag ensue among the throng of children, “nothing more.”

“Sure, sure,” Vector rose his hands in a show of surrender, “nothing else.”

Espio glanced toward the park again before they passed it. Charmy wasn’t there. He knew this. But seeing the wings rubbed him the wrong way. He really hoped their youngest wasn’t inclined to follow them to this case. The potential for the situation to escalate was notably high--what were the chances they could run into their client’s ex then and there? Charmy’s sense of justice was quite strong; but if he tried to take matters into his own hands, it could end disastrously.

But he was getting lost in the what-ifs. He sighed, and finally let himself look away from the park. Maybe they could take Charmy there another day. He would be thrilled over it.

The two turned a corner. They were well within the more ‘respectable’ parts of the city--they themselves were hardly in the seedier parts, perhaps by virtue of their landlord taking pity on Charmy rather than him and Vector--but he couldn’t deny that he felt slightly out of place. He knew Vector could have cared less; any other situation and he would be laughing boisterously at something he or Charmy said, completely unbothered if anyone would pay attention or not. It was easy to blend in when everyone was walking everywhere, hardly giving one another a second glance.

They turned down another street, and the foot traffic decreased dramatically. He tapped Vector’s arm as he spotted the building. It wasn’t nearly as large as the others around them, but it was certainly nothing to scoff at. He glanced around, taking note of thin alleyways and potential hiding spots.

“Apartment 316. Let’s go, Espio.” Vector took the lead, and Espio fell into step behind him. He knew the routine by now; Vector was far better at conversing with their clients than he was. He took a deep breath. There was work to be done.

So this was it. This was when Vector finally betrayed him. Charmy felt himself sinking further and further into the couch as his words repeated in his head. Espio’s right. We should lay some ground rules. It was the end of the world. His day was ruined. He couldn’t go on this case for some reason, and he was just about to get the entire Agency and their rooms to himself, but Espio had to open his dumb mouth and say something about rules. And Vector agreed with him. What fun was there gonna be if he couldn’t do anything? He stared up at the ceiling, past Espio’s horn and Vector’s nose. There were stains from water damage in the ceiling. They’d appeared after a huge thunderstorm and despite Vector insisting it would disappear once it dried up, it didn’t. He would poke and prod at it from time to time, imagining what would happen if he made a hole. Maybe a huge waterfall would burst out of it and then they could finally have a pool. In their house!

“Charmy.” Espio called, in a slightly flatter tone. He always used that tone when he got distracted. He couldn’t help it!! They were being so boring .

“Blehhh, okay, no loud boombox or playing with your ninja stuff. Fine. Are there any more?” He asked, then he made his eyes as wide and as watery as he could, just like Cream had told him. His puppy dog eyes hadn’t worked on Espio yet, but he knew Cream had done it before. It worked on Vector a lot! But Espio had yet to crack. If he could pull it off now, then he had a way into getting what he wanted from everyone!

But Espio’s arms crossed and Vector just laughed at him. Laughed at him. Charmy’s heart sank in despair. Maybe he should’ve gone and grabbed one of the old plushies from his room before he tried this. Cream said she got more success when holding something--or Cheese--while she did it. Darn!! Maybe next time it would work.

“‘Fraid so, kid.” Vector nodded, and Charmy groaned again, pulling his hands over his face. How many more ? They were gonna make a whole book out of it if they kept going! “Ya can’t leave all the lights on all the time. And don’t leave a mess! I’m tired’a stepping on your building bricks.”

He fought to keep from smiling at the thought. The recent one was really funny; he’d never heard Vector curse so much, not even while on the road! It was a new record! Espio had rushed to cover his antennae, but Charmy heard it all. Vector was always loud, except when on that dumb phone call for some reason.

“This includes not messing with the furniture.” Espio hopped onto that, and Charmy stuck out his tongue. Espio loved making rules. He remembered the time he asked him how to meditate. Espio had listed off so many rules that his head spun. He left before he could even finish. He was not gonna try that again, no way, no how. He couldn’t believe Espio found something like that fun. That was the only way Charmy would ever do something with so many rules. Like board games! Those had rules. But they often ignored the rules after some point, and then it got more fun! Like the time he used grapes as enemies they had to take down in Confection Nation in order to get to the end.

He would’ve used gumdrops, but they didn’t have any. Grapes were close enough, though. He blinked. Vector said they’d be back by dinner, but it had been hours since he had lunch.

“But what if I get hungry before you guys come back??” He asked, and he immediately noticed Espio loosen up. He had a way to win! He immediately thought of Miss Vanilla’s cookies, stored in their cookie jar. Vector tried hiding it in a bunch of places before, but he’d always sniffed them out. He was a really good detective! But Espio put a stop to things before the hiding places got, in his words, ‘too ridiculous.’ Charmy would hide them in the hole in the ceiling, once they got their in-office pool.

“Well, certainly it wouldn’t hurt if you had a snack?” Espio looked and Vector, and Charmy heard the sweet song of cookie victory. Snack time was gonna be awesome !

“Shoot, kid, sure. But don’t mess with Vanilla’s cookies too much. We gotta make sure they last until the next time we get over there. Got it?”

He won! The fun was back on! He shot up from the couch, Vector and Espio both leaning away from where he’d rested. He danced around the room for a few seconds before he zipped down and shoved himself into Vector’s scales, pushing him toward Espio and to the door.

“Yessir, I’m on it boss, you can count on me! Now, go !” He yelled, his eyes darting around the office immediately. He had to make plans quickly! And Espio had to be out of the house before he did it, because somehow he always knew what he was gonna do before he even got past the first step! He shut his eyes and pushed as hard as he could, hearing his boss chuckle at him as he willingly let Charmy shove him outside. Charmy opened his eyes, satisfied that Espio had clearly been caught in the crossfire, and with a little more effort he pushed them out the door.

“And no parties!” Vector wagged his finger at him, and Charmy immediately giggled at it. It was already gonna be a party! He was gonna have the entire place to himself!

“Nooooo promises!” Charmy sang, and then immediately shut the door on them. He bounced in the air for a few seconds, then zipped to their singular window and watched for Espio and Vector to actually leave. Espio had a habit of reappearing out of nowhere and catching him doing things that got him in trouble. He waited a few seconds after they disappeared from his sight, excitement making his buzzing all crazy. What was he gonna do? Charmy immediately looked at the stairs. He started grinning.

“ Yes!! I got the Agency to myself! ” He cheered, flying in circles before he flew up to their ceiling fan, pushing it as he threw himself onto the blade. It spun around a little before he leaned forward and let himself fall onto the couch, and he heard a pop. He poked his head above the back rest to glance at the window, and then the door. When he found nothing, he glanced over the side of the cushions, making a face at the fluff that poked out of the middle of the one he landed on. Woops. It was an old couch anyways, and as Espio said; if he didn’t break it jumping on it, Vector certainly would!

“Well, since I already broke one rule… why shouldn’t I break them all?? I can run the Agency just fine by myself while breaking all those dumb rules, too! That’ll show them!! Yeah, that’s totally an awesome idea!!!” He gasped, his wings fluttering.

He flew up the stairs, checking behind him and giggling all the while. He didn’t hear the door re-open, and there was a tiny little bell on the door, so Espio definitely couldn’t have opened it silently and snuck back inside to catch him. This was gonna be so fun ! But he had to make sure. He buzzed into his room, turned on the lights and shut the door, quieting his buzzing and listening closely as he settled on his bed. He couldn’t try and listen for the floorboards, because Espio somehow knew every single one in the house and how to avoid them. But Espio couldn’t slip through the tiniest crack in the door, or a closed door. And his window was locked since it was still a little chilly!

“Charmy, one! Espio, zero . I’m so good at this!” Charmy grinned to himself, kicking his legs against his blanket. He kept his eyes on the door, grinning smugly.

As time stretched on, he rapidly tapped his fingers together, his grin fading. It was so quiet . A car drove by outside. He could hear the wind rustling the leaves. Birds chirped somewhere in the trees. He curled his toes. Okay, Espio had to have been gone by now, right? He narrowed his eyes at the corner of his room, looking for any sign that Espio was actually already in there. The corner was his favorite spot; Espio could be hidden more by Charmy’s door--if it was open--and catch him by surprise. 

But it was just silence. He couldn’t sit here all day; he only had a few hours until they got back! It was now or never! Charmy leaned over to his bedside table, and threw a stray red crayon at Espio’s usual corner. It bounced against the wall and rolled on the floor. 

“Okay, enough waiting ! I can’t sit here all day! That’s boring!!” Charmy flew off his bed, threw his door open, and zipped down the hallway. He glanced between Vector and Espio’s rooms; both doors wide open. It was rare for Espio to leave his door open, and Charmy itched to dash right into Espio’s room immediately. But the house was just so quiet. He shook his hands and his head. This was an emergency; he needed to fill the silence right now. Without a second thought, he beelined it into Vector’s room, turned on the light and hovered over the boombox.

It was like a relic. Vector apparently painted it himself, and it had clearly been some time. It was a neon green color--maybe?--but it had faded and was chipping all around it. But that made it cooler . He himself had put stickers all over it, though those, too, were being rubbed off. But that wasn’t the priority! He flew up to the shelf above it, snagging a black CD binder, immediately flipping past various artists. Vector had a bunch of CDs, but Charmy was only looking for one in particular. He flipped toward the back until he encountered numerous blank discs, with names written onto them with a marker. Knuckles. Mighty. Espio. Charmy. Vanilla. Cream. He snagged the one with his name on it.

Vector had given the disc to him for his birthday, saying he ‘burned’ it with songs he liked. Charmy didn’t think the CD looked burnt, so he wasn’t sure what Vector was talking about. What mattered was that it played his favorite music. Ever.

“Everybody needs a soundtrack to break the rules. And mine’s gonna be the best one!”

He knew Vector had a habit of taking CDs out of the boombox when he was done listening, but Charmy checked anyways, finding nothing as he expected. He let his disc slide in, and immediately turned up the volume. He hit the play button, waiting eagerly for the first song to start up. Bouncing to the beat, he grabbed one of Vector’s old handheld radios (though Charmy thought it was more like a walkie-talkie,) and flew up to the ceiling.

“Operation: Rule Breaker is now in progress!” Charmy shouted to himself over the music picking up. “We have a buncha rules to break, and we’ve gotta make sure to get ‘em all!” 

He tapped the radio’s antenna against the wall and slid it down.

“Messes, easy! Lights, easy! Everything is easy! Except for one thing! We need someone at the door in order to not open it for someone!” He took the antenna off the wall. “So in order to attract someone…” 

He grinned. Let himself drift down to the boombox, and then turned the volume up even louder .

“I’m blasting the boombox and nobody can stop me!”

Charmy cackled as one of his favorite songs echoed through the room, the walls shaking from the bass and intensity of the volume. He could barely hear himself over the music, and that was exactly the way he liked it! He snagged one of Vector’s chains and crossed it over his shoulder. It hung over him like a sash, to the point where it hung under his feet, but he had no care in the world. He was on top of it!

“And for his first event,” Charmy announced as he drifted into Espio’s room, flicking on the light, “Charmy Bee will now throw ninja stars and kunai perfectly! Without ever touching them before!” He flourished in the middle of the room, and as he bowed Vector’s chain slid and hung all the way beneath him. He grabbed it and righted himself, and then dove into Espio’s drawers to find where he hid his arsenal.

“Not here, not here, not here… oh!” He perked up when he found Espio’s maintenance equipment. “Which means they’re right… aha!”

With a flourish, Charmy held up a fistful of kunai, which wasn’t many, but it was enough. The rest of them were neatly laid out on some fabric, and the throwing stars were right next to them. He immediately glanced at the obvious target in Espio’s room, scratched up and marked by previous throws. Many were in the dead center, which was starting to make a hole.

He could totally do this! He saw Espio do it all the time, it shouldn’t have been hard for him to recreate!  He kept one kunai in his hand and the rest in the other, and with a shout he tossed it at the wall--only for it to fly completely off-course, clattering against the floor without having hit the wall. Charmy puffed and picked it back up.

“Just a minor slip-up, I’ve totally got this!” Charmy shook himself, starting at the kunai. “... How did Espio do this again?”

There was always a sweeping arm motion. Maybe he needed more drama? Charmy narrowed his eyes and swung again. The kunai bounced off the wall this time, but nowhere near his intended target. He tried again. And again! Both throws ended in failure.

“Aww, well,” Charmy shrugged, “maybe the stars are more for me!”

He couldn’t help the prick of disappointment in his chest. Maybe Espio would teach him--nope. Nope, he was gonna find out himself and surprise him when he least expected it.

“I’ll swoop in to save him with the ninja stars one day!” Charmy took one in his hands, marveling at the edges. He’d seen Espio stick these in badniks and targets and tech alike--and they worked pretty darn well! These were much lighter, he could definitely pull these off. He grabbed at a few, giggling to himself as he flew some distance away from the target on the wall.

“This is a bullseye !” He yelled as he threw one, gasping when it stuck.

… Against the wall, nowhere near the target. Charmy froze, expecting Espio to come from out of nowhere again. But the music still blasted, and he went entirely unpunished. But he did it! He stuck it against the wall, so it was something! With a cheer, he sent the rest flying and flew back into the office. He still had so much to do! 

He yanked one of the filing cabinets open and snagged multiple board games. He could mash them up and make one huge, massive board that he could play on! 

“Okay, so Confection Nation is last…” Charmy shoved the board aside, “‘cause after I win, I get a cookie!” He snatched his favorite player piece, a honey dipper, and kept it in his fist as he pulled out Condolences and Trace . He could make each character in Trace a boss he had to overcome in order to make it to Confection Nation , but first he had to get every Condolences piece to their home, but there was no way he was gonna get them there with the normal cards. Charmy flew back to the filing cabinet and pulled out Dicey , snagging the cup with the five dice tucked safely within.

“Wait, the Trace people are really rich.” Charmy tapped his lip. “How am I supposed to win against them when they’ve got money ?” 

He pushed his head into the filing cabinet, gasping when he spotted the box for Capitalism , and he fished for the property cards. He spread a few out like he’d see people do to money in shows. He spotted the dark blue ones; the best ones in the game.

“If I land on these in Condolences , I could totally use them against the Trace characters!” He called out, throwing the cards on various spots on the board. He tried to spread them evenly, but he was just too excited. He placed a random card underneath the Dicey cup as his reward for finishing the first segment. He was about to begin! He placed his honey dipper in the start section and gathered up the dice, shaking them aggressively in his hands.

“And the first roll is--!” He launched the dice onto the board, narrowing his eyes as he counted them up. “Fourteen, fifteen… sixteen !”

Moving around was much easier with a bunch of dice. He rolled a few times, cheering as he landed on properties he could use against the Trace characters. The more pieces he got into their homes, the closer he was to his coveted cookie prize.

But he heard familiar shuffling outside, then heard someone idly humming in time to the song playing upstairs. He knew that voice! He recognized the gait as the person walked up the stairs, and Charmy all but raced to the door and opened it, the shepard outside gasping and jumping out of their fur and clutching a large, blue bag.

“Hi, Miss Rosemary!” He called, catching a letter that she threw out of her hands. “Are there any packages today??”

“Charmy! Goodness, you gave me quite the scare,” the mail lady smoothed out her fur, gently taking the letter back from him, “No packages today, I’m afraid. Just a letter. Maybe after this weekend, little one. Are you…”

She glanced at the sign on their door, her face twisted in concern, but Charmy puffed his chest with pride.

“I’m watching the office ‘til dinner! Oh, and I’m playing a huge, big, board game while I’m at it! Hey, wait, Miss Rosemary, do you wanna play, too??” Usually all the board games they had were multiplayer, but if she were here she could help him go against the Trace crew! He perked up when she smiled.

“I would love to, Charmy, but I have the rest of my route to walk. I can’t just leave the mail undelivered, now can I?”

“Aw, man…” Charmy snapped his fingers. She had a good point.

“Well, please tell Vector and Espio I said hello when they return, hmm? Ah, and, of course,” she fished out a single envelope from her bag, “your mail.”

Charmy took it and nodded sharply.

“I’ll make sure the right person gets it, ma’am! You can count on me!” He saluted her, and Miss Rosemary laughed. 

“I know you will. Enjoy your game!” She called, waving as she walked down their steps and toward her next stop. Charmy looked down at the letter, addressed to Vector. He flew back inside, closing the door more nicely than he had for Vector and Espio. He put the mail on the desk and zipped back to his game, recollecting all his properties.

… Though he had to admit, Condolences was much less fun when he wasn’t knocking Vector and Espio out of their spots. That was the most fun part! Vector would shout and no matter what Espio did to look calm about it, he would always hit him back. Charmy made sure he never went unnoticed. Like he did in Capitalism . Espio wasn’t fun to play against in that game. He always won. At least Confection Nation was a tossup between the three of them (though he swore Vector cheated in the last game.)

But this was fine! He could play by himself and still have lots of fun anyways! He was just missing something .

He glanced at the couch. The cushions looked so boring just sitting there. And then another idea appeared.

“Vector can’t say no to a blanket fort if he’s not here!!”

He flew up the stairs, abandoning the game once again, and snagged every blanket he could find. He dragged them all down the stairs like they were a heavy cape over his shoulders. He deposited them over the couch before he went back for every pillow he could find. He threw them on Vector’s office chair and pushed it near the couch.

He had to make the best blanket fort he’s ever made in his entire life .

Espio had to maintain a neutral expression. He was glad to let Vector do most of the talking with their client; she had been beyond frightened even before they’d arrived, no doubt lending to how seriously Vector took her call. But as she described what he had done he found himself relieved that Charmy had been barred from this case. It wasn’t like they could hide things like this from him forever; the more cases they got the more they would find themselves in escalated scenarios such as this.

But that wasn’t the present concern. Espio let his gaze travel across her residence; there were already too many blind corners for him to gain a proper sense of the perimeter. It only made this more urgent. If her ex partner decided to be any bolder she would not have known he was there until it was too late. He would have to do everything he could to prevent that from happening.

The only clues they had was that he had moved and, potentially, stolen things from her place, but that wasn’t enough to escalate without evidence. Among those lines, she had also found his fur on her clothing. But without knowing all the residents in the condo, it was impossible to say for sure. Anyone could have blue fur.

“Well, Espio,” Vector spoke up when his line of questioning ended, “think you could take a look around the place?”

“Of course. That is, madam, if I have your consent.” Espio straightened his posture, his hands folded behind his back. Their client rubbed at her wrists.

“C--certainly. Though, I’m not sure where he could be coming in--I’ve checked just about everywhere at this point.” Her eyes darted around again, as if afraid he would appear then and there. He couldn’t blame her.

“Vector--” Espio began, but he held up his hand.

“I gotcha. I won’t go anywhere until you figure it out.”

“Right. And, anywhere off limits?” Espio hummed as he turned back to their client.

“No--I just want this to be over with.” She shook her head. “Please.”

“Of course.” Espio nodded, bowed, and trailed away from the two as Vector easily resumed conversation. He’d already checked the front door as they had entered, but there were plenty of windows in the condo, plus the balcony, and other spots he likely hadn’t thought of yet. He had to consider any possibility, no matter how ridiculous it seemed. 

Her windows were all locked; the screens behind it undamaged. He opened them and poked and prodded at the corners, looking for any missed clean cuts. He moved that to the middle when he caught nothing, but once he was satisfied he moved on to the next ones and repeated the process ad nauseam. He even climbed himself up to the higher ones; these did not have screens, so he searched for their locks and any smudges on the glass. Once he had deemed them clear he moved toward the balcony. This had two doors; one glass, one screen, and while the glass door had a lock the screen did not. A single slip-up meant anyone could get in, if someone had the right tools. 

As he went outside, he glanced over to see how far down it was from the ground; it was a decent distance, one not easily scaled (unless that someone was himself, but he wouldn’t dare,) and there was no fire escape that could be dropped. He ran his hand along the railing, searching for scratches and divots. The grain of the wood was sideways, but no particular spots stood out to him. He checked the second rung for the same, and then the flooring. It all came up inconclusive at best. He couldn’t rule out the balcony, however. He decided, if needed, he would bring Vector and their client outside to further investigate. There was no point in hitting his head against a wall forever.

He slipped back inside. He couldn’t back down just yet. There was always something. And the client’s ex was getting in here somehow. It was only a matter of time before he found it.

He was on the verge of tapping on the walls to see where it ran hollow, if only to discover some secret door that was painted the same dismal white as the rest of the condo. He moved into the hallway, only to pause as he spotted a simple chute door. It was unassuming at first; painted over in landlord white, nearly blending into the wall were it not for the edges of the metal giving it shape.

He approached it and opened the door, which was oddly loose, and put his hand inside. He leaned down, ducking his head into the opening, gazing down the length of the chute. It was swathed in darkness, but he leaned in further. He could fit. Horrifyingly well. He retreated from the chute and trailed straight back toward Vector and their client, making sure to announce his presence with more noise.

“Espio! How’s it goin’?” Vector clocked him immediately, standing nearby still. Their client had lost tension in her shoulders, but her eyes had darted to him in an instant.

“Forgive me, ma’am, but do you happen to have a flashlight?” He asked, and her brow raised.

“I believe I do?” She turned to a few cabinets and drawers, opening a few of them before she produced one; small, but it was certainly enough. He bowed before he took it from her.

“You have my gratitude.”

He glanced at Vector, who straightened and nodded. He didn’t want to start up their client’s nerves by mentioning a possible lead; if it led to nothing, it could cause her undue distress.

He slipped away, silent, and opened the chute door again. He pulled himself in as he had before, turning on the flashlight to illuminate the darkness. He let his eyes adjust, but he trailed the light against the walls; lingering on what looked like scratch marks.

He pulled himself inside; it was certainly claustrophobic, but there was definitely enough space for him to fit, and worse for their client, move. But he couldn’t leave it there; if he called it right then and he was wrong , then he would never forgive himself. It could be that the ex knew she’d called for help and he was just waiting for them to brush her off or leave it at a base investigation. He could easily escalate the situation before he truly got caught.

Not on his watch.

He crawled downward, making a mental note of every scratch, any scuff, and the fact that, while dust was present, he was certain it had been disturbed. He would expect spider webs and dust abound in something that looked unused. But he could not make any conclusions, not yet.

He swept the flashlight back and forth, pausing when he passed over a spot of something dark in the distance. He crawled down further, keeping the light focused on it; revealing dark blue fur caught in a section of the chute. He moved back, searching the marks above it. More prominent scratches. He had to dispel some unsavory lines of thought as he climbed down to the end of the chute faster.

He poked his head out of the end; finding himself in a room with no light on. This room had significantly more dust; it hadn’t been touched in quite some time, but it was clear by the old machinery that lined the walls that this was an old communal laundry area; abandoned in favor of in-unit laundry rooms. It wasn’t hard to guess why, considering how much of a fire hazard chutes were. 

He was above a laundry machine, close enough that he could drop down and easily climb back into the chute, no wall walking required. He glanced down at it as he shined the flashlight down on it, noting how it’s surface, too, had less dust than the rest of the room. He trailed the light along the floor, seeking any visible disturbances. He didn’t dare go down; if this room was to be investigated properly, he couldn’t leave any traces.

He pressed his back against the wall of the chute, wincing as the metal dug his spines into his scales, turning himself back to move upward. He refreshed himself on the scratches as he ascended, catching quite a few more spots where fur had caught mid-ascension. He climbed himself out of the chute, avoiding walking on their client’s walls. He closed the chute door, turning off the flashlight.

Following that, he sneezed. Twice. Despicable dust. At least, in this case, it had some value in evidence. Otherwise he would have cursed it for plaguing him.

He shook his head. Their work wasn’t done yet. He was certain of it now; this is where their client’s ex had been entering the condo. He walked back to where he had left the two, clearing his throat as he rounded the corner.

“Excuse me…”

Charmy leaned back and admired his handiwork. The floor was practically missing. The couch, the core of the fort, was strung in every single blanket Charmy could find in their place, from old ratty ones to the soft plush ones they kept for winter. Lighter blankets stretched up all the way to the ceiling fan, whereas heavier ones made secret tunnels spanning the office floors. His board game amalgamation was still hiding by the edge of the couch, but his game had been long forgotten in the construction of his fort. And now he was done! He dove straight inside, laughing at the ridiculous amount of stuff he used to set the whole thing up. 

And the best part? No Vector or Espio allowed. All of this was his doing and therefore his territory. He would have made it a no adults allowed rule, but Espio technically wasn’t an adult yet no matter how much he tried to act like it (boo.) He didn’t see the benefits of being an adult; Espio already got to go to bed whenever he wanted, and the only thing charmy could come up with that would benefit him as an adult was getting to eat whatever he wanted. Sure, Vector made those really good oven pizza things (he was hoping that was their dinner today,) but he could have candy whenever he wanted. And, even more, he could have honey whenever he wanted! Espio didn’t like sweets, but he always tried to make time for his tea. So it had to mean something! 

Charmy shuffled through the expanse of the room, peeking out at Vector’s desk. The phone still hadn’t rang (he was listening, ready to ignore it and break another rule,) and while that was fine, Vector certainly wouldn’t like it. But they had a case anyways! And they didn’t take him on it, so bleh! He didn’t care. (Maybe he cared a little.)

He shuffled toward the front door. Nobody would come knocking since their sign indicated out of office, which wasn’t true since they weren’t all gone, but whatever. But the door was unlocked (he kept it that way, since Vector was prone to forgetting their keys,) but Charmy’s wings itched. He hadn’t been outside all day. And the backyard (what little they had) was boring , and he knew it was boring because it was so small and Espio liked it. 

But he knew where the park was. Surely he could go to the park for a while.

But the phone! Charmy peeked his head over the blankets, looking at their old rotary phone. He huffed at the old thing--Vector was so insistent that it was the best thing for them, but it was just so bad--and flew over to it. How would he know that he missed someone’s call? How did any of them know they missed a call while they were out? The answer was that they didn’t. But the phone rang really aggressively…

He glanced at the mail he collected earlier.

“Wait--if I put this on there…” he stuck out his tongue as he balanced the thin envelope on top of the phone, “then I’ll know someone called while I was away! Then I would've still broken the rule! And I wouldn’t have to be here for it!”

This was awesome! He didn’t even have to make an active effort to break that rule! He could just go outside, here and now… the park called to him, the siren’s song of fun and games making him buzz in excitement. He flew away from the phone and up the stairs. As much as he liked having Vector’s boombox on, Vector was super serious about turning it off when they left the house. It wasn’t a rule he could really break, but Vector wouldn’t be happy if Charmy left it on when he wasn’t even listening to it. Even if he broke every single rule they put down, getting chewed out for leaving the boombox on was pretty bad. He flew back down and glanced back to the desk, staring at the mail as if a slight disturbance would dislodge it from the top of the phone before it could ring. He inched back, pawing for the door and eventually, the handle. His fort would remain here; a proper deterrent for anyone who would dare enter the building while he was away.

He opened the door, watching the envelope closely. It didn’t move. He slid himself outside, and finally he closed the door. He flew up to the window and peeked inside. The envelope was still on the phone.

“ Yes! Score one for Charmy Bee!” He cheered, and he zipped away toward the park. He knew the way quite well--Espio and Vector had taken him there a million times--and this time he could fly high and avoid all of the city traffic. And he didn’t even need to wait for Espio or Vector! What more could he ask for? Maybe they should get more serious cases more often if it meant he could do whatever he wanted! Though, the more he grew up, maybe he’d have to go on those cases. Which was fine! He was already grown up enough, he’s helped Shadow before! And he’s done world-saving too! He had plenty of experience with serious stuff. He knew how to take serious stuff seriously! He just made it more fun, that's all!

He shook his head. Vector knew he was good at things. He’d be on their next case, no problem. He glanced down, grinning as the park made itself known. Next to it was a skatepark, where a smaller group of older kids were doing skateboard and rollerblade tricks. There were less kids coming around to the park as of late, but there was still a pretty big group there right now. Bunches of kids were on the swings, climbing the slides, and hanging from the monkey bars. What was he waiting for???

He zipped down and perched himself on top of the playground. It didn’t take long for one of the kids to spot him, gasping in delight.

“How did you get up there!?”

“There’s a secret way up!” Charmy grinned as much as he could. “I can’t tell you though, since it’s a secret.”

“No way!” They stood up on their tip toes, leaning side to side to try and figure it out. He wasn’t entirely lying, there was an actual way to climb up top without needing to fly. He wasn’t even the first person to find it out--it was an older kid (by maybe two years or so) that he watched go up--but after he witnessed it he tested it for himself after that kid disappeared.

“I can give you a hint if you want!” He called down, attracting a throng of more kids.

“I want a hint!”

“No! We don’t need hints, we can figure it out together!”

“Um, I’m just gonna stay back…” 

Charmy giggled to himself as the group briefly argued amongst each other. The more determined kids scattered around the supports of the playground, eyes narrowed as they tried to find footholds they could take advantage of. He himself was looking down at one, a dent in the top that just about anyone could reach if they climbed high enough. He didn’t know who caused it, only that it had been there from before he started going to this park. There were plenty of rumors about what caused it; some people said it was a robot that got launched into the playground, some said a kid from the nearby skatepark flung their skates onto the playset after a bad slip, and some claimed that an adult was trying to help out their kid and was too heavy. He could definitely imagine Vector accidentally denting a play structure. He already bit robots normally! And their desk was pretty dented from when he kicked his feet up. But Charmy certainly didn’t need rescuing; he could just fly down. Espio would be better for a rescue anyways; he could climb on walls and Charmy knew he could climb on the ceiling, even though he didn’t do it at the office.

There were a chorus of gasps as a kid fell into the woodchips on the ground. Charmy peeked over his small tower as the kid--who was definitely reptilian--got up, shaking their head. They had a jacket on, a little more puffy, like the one he and Espio wore when winter started coming. It, too, had been covered in woodchips. He tried recalling who this was, but nothing came to him.

“I found it!” They shouted, dashing to climb the stairs back onto the playset. There was a collective wave of relief that settled over the group. The more determined set of kids clamored around where they’d just fallen from as the amazed onlookers stared at them. They parted for the kid that had fallen as they scrambled to get back into place. There was a bit of arguing below him as they rejoined the throng.

“Hey--it’s not your turn!”

“I found it, so I get to try it again!”

“No way! I’m gonna be the first up there!” 

“You’re not even gonna be first, the bee kid is up there already!!”

“Was this a race…?” One of the onlookers questioned, frowning as they glanced up at Charmy. He shrugged, grasping the small flagpole in the middle of the tower roof. He circled himself around it, glancing at the skatepark as it spun into view. There was far less shouting going on, but it certainly wasn’t quiet. The only shouting he could even hear was from one person who was doing a bunch of tricks, yelling at their friends to get photos. 

“Hey, bee kid!” A call grabbed his attention back. “Can I get a hint?”

Charmy glanced over to find slitted pupils peeking over the edge of the tower. Ahand brushed over the smooth surface, finding nowhere to properly hang onto. He recognized the kid who had fallen into the wood chips--some were still stuck in their scales, from what little he could see. He smiled and turned himself around, kicking the roof near where the proper place to hang onto was.

“This way!” He tried to whisper to them, and their eyes widened before their head ducked back underneath the edge. He heard a bit of shuffling, and as he turned around he watched a hand grasp onto the dent. He moved his feet out of the way, buzzing as the kid pulled themself up. 

“I did it!!” They shouted, reaching for the flagpole. Their foot slipped, but Charmy reached forward and grabbed their hand, pulling them back up with ease. They wrapped their arm around the pole, smiling nervously before they turned it into a more confident grin, waving up at the now large group of kids. More had come around the higher they got. It was impossible to miss unless someone wasn't paying attention at all. The playground below them erupted into cheering, with some annoyed groans mixed in between. 

“So close…”

“So cool!!” 

“I wanna try!” 

“Hey, what’s your name?” The kid asked, looking at him now. Charmy grinned.

“Charmy Bee!! What’s yours?” He asked, shifting so he could see them more clearly. They were absolutely covered in woodchips, but they seemed largely unbothered by it. 

“My name’s Addison! Addison the Viper!” Their chest puffed. “I just moved here!”

Charmy’s eyes sparkled. A new kid! No wonder he hadn’t recognized them!

“Where from??” He asked, buzzing excitedly. Addison lit up and smiled, revealing a set of large fangs. 

“Have you heard of Shamar? I’m kinda south of there--there’s a huge cave system and there’s a whole village built in there! That’s where I’m from.” 

“What!? That sounds so cool! Why did you come here then??” Charmy tilted his head, and they shrugged.

“My parents wanted to, so they found some work here. They’re both really good at jewelry stuff. They make it, they polish it, they clean it… it’s kinda boring when you get down to the details. I wanna learn to skateboard!” 

“I wanna learn to skateboard too! But Espio won’t let me, ‘cause he thinks I’ll do it in the office.” Charmy stuck out his tongue. “And Vector doesn’t let me go to the skatepark. He lets me watch though!”

“Who’re they?” 

“Oh, my coworkers!” Charmy puffed his chest in pride.

“Coworkers? Isn’t that a thing for people who have jobs?” Addison tilted their head, eyes narrowed as they stared at him.

“Yeah! I’m a detective! You haven’t seen the Chaotix Detective Agency things around yet??”

“Nope!” Addison shook their head. “But we just got here, like, a few days ago, so I’ll look for it when I get home! Hmm… if you learn to skateboard, won’t you be the first detective that rides a skateboard? That’d be so cool!! You could be like, everywhere, and do cool tricks on the way to your cases!”

Charmy’s jaw dropped. He had never considered doing both at the same time. He would be the coolest detective around. Not even Espio could deny it! He’d be cooler than how Vector acted doing his weird noir tangents! It was the perfect plan!

“I need to get a skateboard!” He yelled, and Addison laughed.

“Yeah, like, now! We could ask your parents!”

Charmy blinked.

“Oh, I don’t have parents.”

Addison looked at him with wide eyes.

“No parents? But--who do you live with? Like, a sibling?”

“I live with Espio and Vector!” Charmy grinned. “Our rooms are above our office, and guess what? They let me stay there by myself while they did a big case today!”

“You live with your coworkers? Whoa… I didn’t even know you could do that. I mean, I guess mom and dad work together, so I guess they’re technically coworkers living with each other. And, being left alone too? My parents wouldn’t let me do that! I’m so jealous!” They pouted, crossing their arms. “ I wanna be able to explore the city by myself, but they won’t let me.”

“Maybe I could show you around!” Charmy fluttered his wings, “I know it like the back of my hand, I could totally show you around!” 

“Really??” They gasped. “That’d be awesome--”

“--Addison?! What are you doing up there??” 

The two of them glanced down to the ground, frantic eyes looking back up at them. His scales were far more prominent in color than Addison’s, and there were glasses resting on his nose. Addison huffed, crossing her arms.

“I’m having fun, dad!”

“You’re going to get hurt! Get down from there at once--we need to return home anyhow!”

Addison glanced around, frowning. Charmy tilted his head at them.

“Um… I don’t know how.” They mumbled, and Charmy perked up.

“Well that’s easy! I can help you!” He buzzed and took flight, offering them his hands. “Don’t worry, I’m super strong.”

They looked a little suspicious, but they grabbed his hands and he fluttered down. They only flailed a little when their feet left the plastic, but he easily lowered them back onto the floor of the structure. Their dad only looked a little mortified, but Addison looked at him, awe on their face.

“That was so awesome --”

“--Addison!”

“Mmmm, okay. Here’s the deal,” they started to back down to get off the playground, shouting across it as they got further, “I’m gonna try and come back here as much as I can! Find me, okay?! Or I’ll find you!! You gotta show me more playground secrets!”

“ Okay !!” Charmy cupped his hands as he shouted back at them. “I’ll see you later!!!”

Addison waved frantically as they were hurriedly rushed off by their dad, and as soon as they were out of sight Charmy jumped into more shenanigans among the group of kids still here. One by one, they were all brought home, though it wasn’t hard to miss the concerned looks he started getting from other parents as he waved everyone goodbye. Eventually, it was just him on the playground, which was… less fun. He landed himself on the top of the playground again, facing the skatepark now. It only seemed to get busier the later it got. The person shouting earlier was still there, their friends off to the side. They were easy to keep track of, with how bushy their tail was. He couldn’t tell if they were a lemur or something like a ringtail cat. 

He watched them do a few more tricks--their tail made them look like one of those infinity loops in the air at one point--until they lost their skateboard, landing on the cement in front of them as the skateboard clattered some distance away. Their friends immediately shot up from where they were sitting. One was an armadillo and the other… honestly, he couldn’t tell with their clothing,though some part of him questioned why someone would wear a cloak and a cowboy hat in public and not even have the boots to match. The armadillo rushed to the friend’s side--he noticed a cane, now--whereas the cloak guy strolled over to the skateboard and grabbed it, returning it to them.

Something itched at the back of his head, bringing Vector and Espio to mind. Charmy shook his head, sticking out his tongue. He was having fun ! Why was he thinking about them when he was having the time of his life being the only member at the office?

Except… he wasn’t at the office. His stomach growled.

“Oh, honey sticks!” Charmy gasped, sharply buzzing as he took to the air. “If they get back before me I’m really gonna get it!” 

Yeah, he was gonna break all the rules, but it wasn’t fun unless he got away with it! He rushed back towards the office, going so fast he could barely see any of the buildings around him. Man, maybe he should go this fast more often! Maybe he’d have time to sneak a cookie before he got dinner, and neither Espio or Vector would be any the wiser. It was the perfect plan-- if he got home first.

He found himself at the Agency door. It looked undisturbed. He took a deep breath. This would determine if he could continue his game, or if it was game over.

He placed his hand on the doorknob.

Espio swore ‘thank you’ wasn’t a real sentence anymore. Just thinking about it made his head swim. Their client’s gratitude didn’t really settle in until he processed just how many rings she had decided to pay them. Vector looked starstruck and dizzy at the same time. He supposed he couldn’t blame him, but the case still left a bitter taste in his mouth that sobered him up from any fantasies of grandeur. They would have to make all of those rings count.

Still, he found his mind drifting to Charmy. He was certainly glad Charmy wasn’t present for the case (no matter how the experience may have served him in the future,) but he wasn’t too happy about leaving him alone in the Agency. He shuddered, thinking of just what he’d gotten into while they were gone. His mind conjured up horrible images of the Agency on fire (despite no stove use) or the entire thing covered in glitter, or seeing him outside waiting for them with the most innocent smile he could muster. All dreadful images.

Vector seemed to be riding a bit of a high, though it may have been due to some of their financial burdens lifting--if only temporarily. He hoped that this meant good news for them, but peacetime was always slow. 

His eyes darted to his side as he saw wings fluttering in his vision. This time, he finally caught something else. Blue . He slid a kunai into his hand, and he switched his stance. Vector stopped short, noticing the change near immediately.

“Espio?” He questioned, his voice low. “What’s goin’--”

Before Vector could even finish his question he heard all-too-familiar beeping, and as he swiveled his head to the face of an Eggpawn, a blast of light rendered him blind. Vector yelled at his side, and he heard his large tail--or, perhaps his fist--swing a little too close to his head. A sharp pain jolted through his scales as something was thrown over the two. When his vision returned to him both he and Vector were enshrouded in brown cloth. He hissed through his teeth and tried striking his blade through the material, a buzz running through his hand, forcing him to recoil.

“Don’t bite it!” He shouted as Vector opened his jaw, relief spreading through him as his mouth quickly snapped shut. His eyes narrowed, and for a moment Espio saw smoke unfurl from between his fangs. But he shook his head, shoving his hands up against the tarp, raising to his full height.

“Can you make your way under it, Espio?” He called out, trying to lift it above his head. He dropped himself low and crawled to the edges, but he heard small motors revving up as the tarp got pinned down before he could try and slip out underneath. He cursed under his breath.

“Apologies, Vector. I was too slow.”

“We’ll figure somethin’ out!” Vector called back to him. “I don’t want to risk burning this up with you inside of it!”

There were no words exchanged between their captors as they were dragged to their location. At some point they were lifted in the air, presumably above the Eggpawn’s heads. He heard buzzing above him and at his side, though it must not have been the Buzz Bombers he spotted before the attack,so he was forced to assume it was their more modern counterparts. Vector grumbled at his side, forced to lay sideways so as not to crush his snout. 

“Do you have your flip phone on you?” Espio hissed lowly, and Vector grimaced.

“Left it at home.”

“ Vector .” Espio hissed urgently. It wouldn’t do either of them any good now. He should have grabbed it himself before they left.

“It--the client was practically just down the road…! And it needed chargin’.” He had the werewitthal to look a little bit guilty about it. Espio took a deep breath.

“What if the case ran over?”

“Then I would’a sent you home to make sure he was fine.”

Espio clicked his tongue. It would’ve been unprofessional to leave mid-case. And there was no way he would’ve left with their client so clearly terrified. The way she’d hidden behind Vector as she spoke with the authorities still stuck out in his mind. He hoped they’d given her some peace, at the very least. But tthat was neither here nor there. Charmy was home, alone, for what was now an unspecified amount of time. His stomach turned. He needed to find them a way out, and quickly. They could navigate back easily enough if they got out.

That became an issue when he registered a drop into silence--of birdsong and chittering cutting short--no doubt in reaction to the approaching robots. They’d been brought out of the city entirely. He ran through all the possibilities in his head. There were two main natural areas directly out from downtown--so the direct northern and western part of the area was out of the question. They’d either gone due east or along the southern stretch. 

Vector slammed his fist onto the nearest robot. He heard a buzz, some static, but it only stumbled and failed to drop them. Curses. He supposed, with the Doctor’s plans getting more bold, that his own creations had to grow and change in turn. Hardier robots to back up his delusional fantasies.

The occasional rustling of leaves soon became replaced entirely by buzzing. He could imagine bright walls and even brighter lights, an assault on the senses that he could hardly fathom the Doctor genuinely enjoying. Maybe it was to mess with the people he captured, or maybe it was because he failed to consider that his robots didn’t exactly have the best night vision around. He had a distant urge to scuff up the walls when they made their way out. If only he’d been made to walk. It would have served him well in that endeavor.

They were put down, not so gently, onto the ground. There was shuffling, static muttering starting to approach from behind. He could only guess what was happening, with his sight so limited. He heard the whisper of cooling fans behind him. He hissed when his hands were touched, and he moved them away, though he was touched again.

“Oh, please excuse me, sir, I do need your hands.” A voice started up behind him. Awfully polite in tone.

“Yup, just what my compatriot said over there. Stick ‘em up! … behind your back.” To his right, presumably behind Vector, who grumbled something distasteful. His hands were politely tapped before his arms were pulled back. He twisted his wrists to turn his hands as horizontal as he could get away with. Vector, glowering, relented and did the same. He felt something get tied over his wrists--rope? Really?--and the tarp was cut away from him, Espio squinting against the fluorescent lights that made themselves known. The shining white walls certainly didn’t help. 

When his eyes readjusted, he found himself glaring at none other than Doctor Eggman, glowering down at the two with his signature grin, his hands pressed together. Like he was waiting for them. He found himself glaring harder. If only looks could kill. 

“Welcome, welcome. So nice of you to finally join me.” He said, rising to his feet. “Now I know it was a bit of a surprise invitation, but it was necessary to keep you two in line. But, I’m sure you’re wondering what evil scheme of mine requires you, but I’m afraid I must disappoint you when I say you’re not integral to my plans whatsoever.”

“So just why did you pluck us outta the streets, then?” Vector huffed through his nose. Espio swore he caught a puff of smoke.

“Oh, that’s easy. You three absolutely love to get in my way nowadays. Unfortunately, that means I have to keep you all on my radar. Since I have plans coming up, I figured, oh, why not just get you all out of the way now before you go sticking your noses in my plans?”

Espio tried not to feel too much satisfaction about getting onto his radar. Though that came with a slew of other issues they’d have to take into account, now. But this , he had to get out of at once. Charmy was still home. Alone. And now they were going to be late for dinner. Every part of him hoped that Charmy had truly memorized Mrs. Rabbit’s number through all the arguing he and Vector had done over it. He hoped Charmy would decide to call her quickly instead of waiting it out for them. He shifted, closer to Vector, praying it obscured the fact that Charmy wasn’t present with them. If he acted like he was trying to protect him… no. Charmy would have been shouting by now if he was here. Eggman certainly knew. Judging by the grimace on Vector’s face, he was thinking along the same lines as him. 

“I see those looks on your faces; don’t you worry for a second about your missing party. I’m sure he’ll be gracing us with his shouting soon enough.”

Espio watched Vector’s body tense. He was sure he’d done the same. He worked at his arms, trying to move them enough to slide his kunai into his hand again.

“Yes, I’ve had a close eye on you three today. I just had to find the perfect time to strike. I’m sure he’s just waiting for you two to return home--I know! Why don’t we give your office a call right now? Just for a quick check-in, hmm?”

As the Doctor lifted up a phone Espio grit his teeth. Charmy would have to answer him. And knowing him, if he heard Dr. Eggman on the other end--or worse realized he had them--no doubt he would jump into action. He wouldn’t even care that he didn’t know where to start. He moved to free his wrists with more urgency. They had to get out before Charmy could get any ideas…

But as Eggman waited through several rings with no answer, the grin on his face faded, and he looked at his phone as if he could transfer his offense through the phone all the way back to the Agency’s rotor. 

“Rude. Don’t you teach him any manners?” He grumbled, putting it down. “Ahh, but that doesn’t matter. I’ve already sent a group of my finest badniks his way. He will be here soon enough.”

“Why don’t you try getting him yourself?” Vector snarked at him, which earned him an awfully appalled look from their captor.

“Are you out of your minds? Don’t you remember what happened last time? I was swollen like a balloon for weeks on end after you sicced him on me! I looked like freckled lemonade! I couldn’t speak! I won’t handle that little menace with my own hands if I can avoid it.” He grimaced, waving his hand at them. 

Vector snorted, snickering to himself. Espio ducked his head, feeling his mouth twitch into a smirk. What a lovely day that was. He only wished they could have let Charmy have ice cream afterwards. He fixed his expression and shifted his head back up, catching Eggman’s seething glare. Maybe he could consider teaching Charmy to sting more effectively. Of course, using it responsibly. He certainly didn’t want any trouble outside of work. Vector and Charmy were prone to causing it anyways; he did not want to add more to his plate.

His legs were aching. He shifted, thankful his legs weren’t bound, though since the Doctor was using rope of all things, he doubted he would have bothered to think about it. It wasn’t as if he and Vector were known to kick badniks around. Maybe Charmy. He worked faster. He wouldn’t let him have the chance to cause him any harm.

“Yes, yes, hilarious . But since the both of you are here, why not use you to fine-tune my precious robots?” 

“Like hell either of us are going to help you out!” Vector snapped at him, “ We gotta get back to the Agency, pronto!” 

Espio felt some of the twine give way. He was making it somewhere.

“Uh, boss?” The politer robot spoke up behind him. “Wouldn’t that mean we would have to release their bindings? We worked very hard to put them on, sir. And they could simply escape if we released them.” 

Eggman narrowed his eyes. “And just where would they go to leave?”

“They could utilize the ventilation system to run for the hills.” The other robot piped up. “That’s where I go to take my rounds; you never know what varmint may be sneakin’ around in there.” 

“Is that really where you go, Cubot? It’s no wonder I can never find you around.” 

“They’ll never know what hit ‘em, no siree. Now if only I had the proper tools…. My hands ain’t enough these days.”

Vector rolled his eyes, glancing at Espio. 

“Think he’s okay?” He asked, keeping his voice as low as he could.

“He may not have been in the office,” he responded, “on business. You know how he is.”

“Mmm. What do you need? Distraction?”

He nodded, flicking his eyes toward Eggman. Vector grinned. 

“Well, if we’re not doing anything,” he spoke up louder, “guess I’ll just have to amuse myself. Ya ever heard of scat singin’?” 

Espio shifted to Vector’s back, a desperate echo of tune him out now running over and over again in his head. He freed a singular hand, easily able to work on his other one. The two robots watched him with intrigue, but the red one quickly placed his hands on his head, while the other snapped his fingers. He distantly heard the red one ask about a migraine. He never knew robots could get migraines.

He made short work of the rest of the rope and, keeping his hands behind his back, he tapped just above Vector’s wrists. Based on all the noise he had successfully drowned out, it didn’t stop him from his… well, Espio would call it a distraction. Vector would call it practice. Regardless, he started to work on cutting his binds, though caution slowed his progress significantly. If he nicked Vector with his blade then it would certainly end up alerting someone to their escape attempt. He was glad he didn’t decide to resharpen his kunai this morning. Though, after today, he would certainly have to. This was a distasteful use of his arsenal.

As he let Vector’s hands fall unbound, his improvised practice ran out shortly after, his laughter echoing in the chamber instead. Espio tuned back in as the red robot took his hands off his head. 

“Is it over?” He questioned, hesitant, as his yellow companion sighed.

“And I was just startin’ to find the groove.” There was a melancholy in his voice that he knew wasn’t shared amongst anyone else in the room. 

“Ah, boss,” the red robot said as he circled around to Eggman’s podium, “I believe we’ve received a report from the current acting unit. They’ve reached the location. But, ah… it appears there’s a bit of trouble.”

“Trouble? What could be so hard about subduing that boy when he’s by himself?” Eggman snapped, and Vector’s nostrils flared.

“Well, sir, ah… None of the units you sent have opposable thumbs. They can’t open the front door.” The robot wrung his hands as the Doctor glowered down at them.

“Open the-- ugh, I knew I should’ve sent Coconuts in that squad… at least those models have opposable thumbs… opening the door, what nonsense.” He grumbled. “What are they going to try and do next, knock ? They can bust it down! Blast it if need be!”

“A capital idea! I’ll tell them to knock, sir.” 

“No, you simpleton--”

The robot’s oculars lost their color and the robot stilled, as if sending the message. Espio’s shoulders dropped. Charmy wasn’t supposed to open the door. He’d be fine.

“--Orbot! Tell them to blast the door ! Oh, I should have scrapped the both of you before I even made you!” Eggman threw up his hands, pacing back and forth. “Next time, I’ll leave the command to Sage…”

Espio tried not to think of how much it would cost to repair their front door. Luck must have been on their side, to have encountered the … unfortunate units of the Doctor’s personal henchmen.

“Boss, ya left Sage with the upgradin’ today. She’ll be busier than a bee for the rest of the month!”

Eggman scowled, turning back to Orbot as he powered back on, shifting himself upward.

“Great news, Doctor! It seems Charmy has opened up the door for them himself! He is so wonderfully polite, isn’t he?”

Espio’s stomach dropped. He felt Vector tense up against his back, and his eyes darted towards Cubot, watching him clap his hands together and move toward the front of the room. He sharply nudged Vector. 

They had to move, and fast.

He opened the door, darting his eyes around the room. It was empty. Vector wasn’t sitting imposingly at the front desk. Espio wasn’t staring him down nearby. He had successfully gotten away with it! And his blanket fort was still intact! He grinned, closing the door behind him and flying up to their ceiling fan, laughing as he grabbed one of the blades and spun around with it. 

“Score one for Charmy Bee!!” He yelled, letting himself fly around a few times before he dropped himself down on top of a cushion with a cheer. He glanced over at the desk, searching for the envelope. Another surge of joy rocketed through him as he realized that it had fallen off.

“I missed a call, too!!” He shouted, but his stomach twinged. What if that was a case ?? Vector would’ve been really mad…

But--if it was really a case, then surely they would call back later if they didn’t get anything! That’s how people did things, right? It was how Espio did it! It would be fine! He didn’t have to feel bad. It was going to be fine!

He hoped they would call back. If it was a case. Or maybe it was just Vanilla. She should’ve been busy though. But maybe she was bored of being busy? He supposed it didn’t matter if it was her. Vector would be less mad, though he would’ve been disappointed. But he talked to Vanilla all the time! He could miss one conversation!

He was going to go with it being a call from Miss Vanilla.

But speaking of Miss Vanilla, he had only one rule left to break. His stomach growled. He glanced at their small kitchen, eyeing the final thing he had to get his hands into. It was the perfect plan. He was going to get a cookie before dinner, so Vector and Espio couldn’t prevent him from having any as punishment for not following the rules. He. Was. A genius! His plans couldn’t have been better!

“Come to me, cookies!” Charmy popped open the lid, shoving his hand directly into the jar and snagging as many as he could hold; which was only two, considering the size of the opening in the jar,but Miss Vanilla’s cookies were way larger than the ones they could get in the store, so he could not have cared less. He zipped around the room, buzzing excitedly as he shoved both into his mouth as quickly as possible. They were delicious . He didn’t know why, but Miss Vanilla liked putting honey into her cookies. He was never gonna complain about that! It made them so much softer.

He flew back into his blanket fort, looking at his abandoned board game amalgamation. He’d totally forgotten about it! If he found Addison, maybe she’d be interested in playing when they met next time. Then he could get Cream in it, too!

He just had to remember the rules. Which he didn’t. What was he trying to do with this again?

There were a few taps at the door. He blinked, staring up at it. It didn’t open, so it wasn’t Vector and Espio. He glanced at the clock and frowned. It was starting to go way past when dinner was. How hadn’t he noticed??

Maybe they thought the door was locked. He certainly didn’t lock it. Though wouldn’t Vector have yelled for him by now if it was them? He wouldn’t miss that even if he was asleep! Though he definitely would pretend to. It was funny.

But that meant someone else was at the door, and he could break the rule again!

“Coming!!!” He shouted, wriggling himself out of the blanket pile. He zipped to the door and happily swung it open.

His buzzing stopped. Instead of some one , there were many some things . There were many big, white, beady eyes staring back at him. At the front was a Crabmeat.

If there were badniks… then Eggman was scheming!

He opened his mouth, but before he could make a sound he stopped. Vector and Espio weren’t here. It was just him.

A buzz bomber fired a shot. He swerved out of the way, grabbing one of the file cabinets that kept the structure of his fort. If it was gonna go down, he would at least make sure it had a lasting legacy!

“Come and get me!!” He shouted, swinging the cabinet at the first wave that spilled into the office. He grabbed a now-free blanket and tossed over the incoming Buzzes, laughing at the scrambled static noises. A few Crabmeats and Motobugs popped open. He grabbed his mess of board games and tossed it in front of the door, scattering pieces and die and cards all over the floor. He cackled as he snagged one of their extra pillows nearby. He smacked the fluff against three of them before stuffing burst out from it’s casing, scattering around the room. It clung to several robotic screens, some bots ramming into each other, completely unprepared for losing their vision. He heard a few pops as their casings slid open, but he didn’t have any time to hesitate. As a small group scattered from moving over the pieces, the flying ones had no issues getting to him. He snagged a folding chair, meant for clients, cackling as he slammed it over one’s head, grinning as he brandished it against the rest.

There was a hasty retreat, but the more he hit the more kept pouring in. Eventually, he was too focused on the badniks inside that he failed to consider the ones still outside. He barely caught a blast from the corner of his eye, and as a reflex he lifted the chair in front of him to block it, only belatedly realizing what it could mean for the chair. He felt the impact, cringing and staring down at it. There was a baseball-sized hole on the back, singed at the edges. He swerved away from another shot

“Oops...” He carefully put the chair aside; no point in continuing to use it after this. That enough was gonna land him in trouble. He snagged another blanket and tossed it over the group, flying up the stairs. There was something that couldn’t get burned up there. He zipped across Espio’s room, gathering his discarded kunai and ninja stars and flew back down just as a Caterkiller shuffled itself through the blanket. He yanked it forward and stung it immediately.

“Huh? Aren't you guys supposed to have thinner plating?” He shifted back, frowning as the Caterkiller still moved. He watched as more started to fill up the front line, allowing more of the group to follow after them. Charmy huffed. Totally not fair!

Except he had much better capabilities now! Yeah, he’d messed up and nnot hit the target in Espio’s room at all, but this time he had multiple targets, and they were everywhere! He could totally hit at least one of them! He brandished Espio’s weapons, trying not to drop any as he shuffled the stars between his fingers. How does Espio do this so fast?? He watched him all the time, and yet bang! They would appear in his hands from out of nowhere! But there was no time to figure out how Espio did it now!

“Not-cool ninja power!” He flung the kunai first, watching some stick into the floor, some stick into the Caterkiller’s sides, and one landed perfectly into the same spot where he’d stung the first. Before he could cheer for his own victory, the Caterkillers that had been hit in the sides scattered, each segment bouncing around the room. He yelped and ducked under a head that had sailed his way. He watched a few segments stick into the walls and even the couch while the rest bounced aimlessly. One bounced off of Vector’s desk. A few knocked into other badniks and popped them before he could even think to touch them. The one he’d hit in the head disappeared entirely.

“I take it back! It’s cool! It’s cool!!” He yelled, like it would reverse the chaos that now ensued. But it was already too late; he was weaving through scattered, spiky segments, only saved by the fact that the rest of his attackers had to dodge it, too. And they weren’t nearly as fast as he was! He kicked a head at one of them as it swerved toward him. He didn’t wait to see what happened, tossing Espio’s ninja stars at a few more badniks in the air before he zipped himself upstairs. If Espio’s weapons were a bust, then he could do what they did best; being so loud it messed with their circuitry! But Vector hid his mic somewhere. But that also didn’t matter, because his boombox was totally available!

“Maybe I should’ve kept it on!” Charmy said, grabbing itt and hoisting it with ease. As he rejoined the chaos, he pressed play, turning the volume up to max as he placed itt on Vector’s desk. He was already defending the house, why not add the boombox and play Tower Defense , too?? He was a genius!! Even if he couldn’t hear his own thoughts anymore! 

He watched the scattered segments start to spark, and they all popped away as the music instantly began to overwhelm the systems. He didn’t know how it worked so well, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care--that just meant his taste in music was totally superior to everyone else’s! He knew it! The numbers started to thin.

“Aww, come on, you don’t have any more??? Boooooring! ” He shouted, though there wasn’t any reasonable way to assume any of the robots could hear him anymore. He laughed as more popped due to the sheer amount of noise, flickies scattering away left and right. But there were still enough for him to finish up the chaos cleanly. He hadn’t been allowed to touch it for a long time after he’d accidentally beaned Espio in the back of the head with it, but today was a day to break as many rules as he could muster! That could totally include this!

He briefly left his post and shoved himself into his tiny closet, where it still leaned against the wall from before. He snatched the wooden handle, buzzing as he turned it upright. It was still a little heavy, but as he let the bat hit his palm he felt more than ready to use it again. He flew down the stairs for one final victory lap, this time with something from his own room! The badniks who had managed to push through, mostly Crabmeats, started to gather around the boombox, though before any of them could open fire he reeled back and swung, bashing the closest one all the way to the front door. He quickly smashed up the rest, looking around the rest of room to catch any remaining stragglers, letting the bat rest on his shoulder. When he found nothing, he dropped the bat and let it clatter against the floor.

“Victory for Charmy Bee! That’s me!!” he cheered as it rolled away from him, dancing near the ceiling. He laughed and spun himself around in the air. He glanced down below him, pausing at the wreckage that lay beneath him. There was a lot of smoke coming out of disposed badnik casings, but he could deal with that in a few seconds. He did this! All by himself! Without Espio or Vector’s help! They were gonna come back and be so proud of him!! And he would extra not be in trouble. He zipped down to a non-smoky Motobug, looking at himself on the reflection of the screen, grinning widely. 

He was so cool. He probably grew a few inches taller!

He watched the badniks eyes unsteadily flicker on, a slight buzz starting to crackle back to life. He leaned his head down to it.

“Hey, Dr. Eggman! If you’re watching this… blehhhhhhh!!” He pushed his tongue out and blew the biggest raspberry he could, wiggling his hands by the sides of his helmet. He kept it up for as long as he could. Was Eggman gonna see it? He didn’t know! He didn’t care! He just totally trounced every single badnik sent his way! He was so gonna rub it in his face later anyways!

He only pulled away when he started to run out of air, then he beamed up at the ceiling, his hands on his waist.

Espio watched the Doctor as Vector took deep breaths. Heat hissed from his exhales and he stared intensely at the bars. They hadn’t made their move yet, but there was progress. The bar was gaining color; hints of blazing red starting to bruise the cold gray. It would’ve been enough for he himself to squeeze through, but Vector was far larger than he was. As much as he wanted to break out and give the Doctor what for, the important part was that they made it back to Charmy before too many issues arose. They’d already taken too long, in his opinion, but there was little he could do there. He had to make sure they kept up the illusion that they were still in the Doctor’s grasp until it was too late. Then he would have the satisfaction of vengeance.

“At least the boy will test the durability of my robots while they’re there. I don’t know what he’s been eating to pierce through metal with his stinger, but…” Eggman muttered to himself at the front of the room, “Orbot! Are there any status reports?”

“Not a thing, boss. It’s hardly been a minute since the last time you asked. I understand you are eager, but I do deliver reports as they come in.” Even his henchman’s patience was running thin. At least the other was amusing himself. 

“Switch.” Espio whispered to Vector when the bar he was focusing on was angry enough.

“Think it’s a good thing I don’t meditate?” He grinned at him before he swapped to the bar next to it, puffing out a flickering flame before it disappeared into obscurity. If it were up to Vector, he would have gone full blowtorch on the bars, but that was far too obvious. His silence was obvious enough. It was a matter of time before the Doctor would pick up on it. If he would stop talking his own ear off. 

“I’m under the belief that it would benefit everyone.” Especially him. A quiet Agency was something he’d only heard in his dreams. Not even late at night did he escape Vector’s noise. Even Charmy made noise at night, intermittent buzzing and significantly softer snoring being his specialty. It was a race to fall asleep before Vector did, else one would suffer in his symphony. 

“I’m gonna pass.” Vector muttered back before recentering his focus on the bar again. Espio merely sighed before he shifted to stand up, if only to keep his legs awake. He needed to be ready to hop into action at any moment. He could not risk failure. Not now. 

“Doctor, your coveted report is here!” Orbot called, making his tail twitch. He centered his eyes up front, hearing Vector’s breaths falter. He walked back up to the edge of the cage, but tapped him urgently. His breaths resumed, deeper. There were some flickers of orange and yellow that, luckily, went unseen for now as Eggman centered his attention on Orbot.

“ And? Speak!”

“Well, the unit successfully engaged with your target…”

“Haha! Of course they have! I knew it was a splendid idea to send them to deal with that nasty little--”

“--Uh, boss…” The robot twiddled his fingers together, his tone nervous. Espio found it uncannily similar to Charmy, when he’d really crossed a line.

“Say no more, Orbot! Do you two hear that? You’ll have that bee of yours soon enough!” Eggman laughed and started to type on the control board in front of him. “In fact, why don’t I pull up a camera feed? I would love to see the look on his face--”

“--Boss, um…” 

“Quiet, Orbot! I don’t need to hear anything else!” He waved his hand dismissively, and Orbot’s body hunched. There was more. But what ? It didn’t seem to be the good news the Doctor was hoping for. But maybe it was what they were hoping for. 

A screen flickered to life over Eggman’s head. There was a bit of delay, but then static appeared. As video feed started to fade in, Eggman gestured dramatically upwards.

“Now, we will see the full extent of my--”

“-- Hey Doctor Eggman! If you’re watching this… blehhhhhhh!!! ” 

His gloating was cut short as Charmy’s voice crackled through the feed. His face--or, rather, his tongue--appeared on the screen, accompanied by the most obnoxious, horrifically gross, and absolutely satisfying raspberry being blown directly at the fuzzy camera. His eyes were screwed shut from the sheer force of it, and Espio swore he saw spittle being flung onto the screen. It was revolting. Off to the side, he saw a bat rolling away, discarded. He knew the power of that weapon firsthand; he himself had been an unfortunate victim of it. Clearly, it had served him well. It was so perfectly Charmy. Despite himself, he felt a swell of warmth. 

Espio smirked as he watched Eggman’s face drop. Mortification. Horror. Vector snorted beside him as the Doctor turned to glance at the screen now. Charmy eventually pulled away, giggling as the screen got fuzzier. Espio darted his eyes over him, trying to gauge if he had suffered any damage--to, of course, return it in kind to the Doctor--but the feed died before he could catch anything. He supposed anything would make do. At least Charmy’s spirits were bright. That meant something. 

Vector broke into boisterous laughter. 

“Well, that’s our Charm for ya!” 

He swore the Doctor turned as red as his nervous henchman, whom he whirled upon.

“Orbot!! What is the meaning of this!?”

“Y--you didn’t let me finish speaking, Doctor. I was going to say they’d engaged with the target, but, against your predictions, he fought back with more force than expected. Many good robots have fallen, sir.” Orbot’s head tilted down, his companion holding his hand to his head in a salute.

“You imbecile!! Send out the second wave at once! And deploy Metal Sonic!” Eggman barked at him, though stones dropped in Espio’s stomach. He heard Vector snarl at his side. “Why did you not do so the moment you knew they’d failed?” 

“I-I’m so sorry, boss! Right away! It’s just, sir, you instructed me to run all courses of action through you before I made any calls, especially on a strategic front…” Orbot nervously explained, frantically typing on the console before them. Eggman rubbed his temples, pulling his hand over his face.

“For the love of--”

“Vector.” Espio hissed, his shoulders hunched. The second bar wasn’t quite ready. It was enough for Vector, apparently, as he shifted forward with a grunt. Espio moved in just at his side, ready to move the moment he would move the bars.

“Let’s get ‘im.” Vector placed his hands on the burning bars and pushed them outward, creaks and screeches echoing in the chamber as they were forced out of place. He’d have to check on Vector’s hands later. But as he slipped out and prepared his arsenal, he heard a sharp crack behind him as Vector stepped out. A quick glance revealed that Vector had broken off part of the bar, intending to use it for himself. Espio heard both robots shriek.

“We gotta retreat, partner!” Cubot shouted and yanked Orbot’s arm. Fleeing, both henchmen left the Doctor to their wrath. He allowed himself a spark of satisfaction at the panicked look on Eggman’s face. If he remembered what Charmy did to him so clearly, then who were they not to do the same? It wouldn’t hurt to impart a similar memory. Espio stepped forward, but Vector quickly tossed the bar at the Doctor, knocking him down. Before he could move to cause any more damage, Vector placed his hand on his shoulder and pulled him back. 

“Not right now. Charmy’s gonna need our help, pronto.”

Espio swore under his breath and sent a glare Eggman’s way, though he was too busy yelping and struggling to get the burning bar off of him. He would simply have to get his point across another time. He took a deep breath and brushed Vector’s hand off of his shoulder.

“My apologies. Let us move.” 

“Oh no, you don’t! Orbot! Send out my forces immediately! Do not let them escape! … Orbot? Orbot--yeouch! ”

The two of them sprinted down one of the hallways, Espio’s eyes flicking back and forth to locate any windows. They had to get out first and foremost, and hurry into the city as fast as they could. Vector would likely be able to swim upriver while Espio went on foot, though anyone who happened to be working nearby or on the river wouldn’t appreciate it.

That didn’t matter. What mattered was getting to Charmy. As much as he wanted to give the Doctor what for, for letting Charmy come to harm again. This was a blemish on their trust; no doubt Charmy wouldn’t forgive them for this one.

There was a distant clatter. A few seconds later, slots on the walls opened up as Eggpawns poured out into the hall. There was buzzing above them, though this time neither of them were caught off-guard. Of course the Doctor would make their way out more difficult. He didn’t consider himself defeated just yet--and as much as Espio didn’t mind it normally…

“Get outta the way! I got a kid at home!!” Vector shouted, tossing one of the badniks at the other as he took down a small swarm approaching from behind. As they pushed forward, Espio finally caught sight of his goal; a window. It was taller than he was, but not for Vector. It would be no problem to escape from. It was simple to direct his attention to it; a slight pull against his arm and a star thrown just below the window was enough. Vector grinned and took hold of a stunned Eggpawn, and Espio ducked as he swung the Eggpawn around them, before he released it. It sailed through the window, glass shattering under the weight, and Espio motioned for him to move on ahead of him.

Covering his retreat was easy. He could defend himself on the wall; Vector’s arsenal got more limited when he couldn’t face their foes head-on. He pulled himself through the window, and Espio reclaimed his star before he slipped out the window himself. He set his sights on the city at once as he heard several robots echoing alarms off each other.

“Let’s move, Espio! We gotta make it back as soon as possible!!” Vector shouted at him as the two made a mad dash into the brush.

“Of course. Follow my lead.”