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Winter always was a challenging season for the Chaotix Detective Agency members, as all three of them were cold-blooded and could not be exposed to snow and ice for long. They made sure to bundle up before going outside, but the clothes could preserve only so much heat when the bodies didn’t generate it on their own.
Espio came in, stomping his winter boots in the hall to get rid of the snow and shaking it off his jacket. The chameleon-boy headed to the kitchen and brewed his favorite tea. He picked the steaming mug and joined Vector on the couch in the living room.
- Welcome home. - The crocodile-man pecked his lover on the cheek and threw his arm around the teen’s shoulders. - How did the investigation go?
- After spending several hours in the G.U.N.’s restricted archives, I found some information about Eggman’s abandoned bases. - The chameleon-boy nestled in his lover’s embrace, drinking the tea.
- Oh, oh! You were snooping around invisible again? - The excited bee-boy landed in Espio’s lap.
- Yes, Charmy. - The ninja patted him on the head.
- So cool! - Charmy shook his fists. - Next time I’m going with you!
- And one of those bases is only twelve miles away from here. - Espio continued. - We should investigate it. Might find his latest blueprints in the database if we are lucky.
- Yay! Let’s go! - Charmy yelled, flying around his teammates. - I can’t wait!
- Tomorrow. - Espio finished his tea. - It’s getting late. And the weather might be better in the morning.
- Let’s eat! - Vector beckoned the others to the kitchen. - I’ve handled some high quality meats and now we have steak!
The weather wasn’t better in the morning. Dark clouds took over the whole sky and strong wind accompanied a snowfall.
- Are we going or are we going, boys? - Vector grinned, leaving the kitchen. - Let me get the Chaotix Copter up and running!
- You keep crashing it on fair and bright days. - Espio crossed his arms. - And today is the opposite of that.
- Yes, the opposite! - The crocodile-man laughed. - So there is no way I crash it again!
Vector walked to the hangar and returned about ten minutes later.
- The blades are frozen solid and stuck… - The crocodile-man scratched his head. - And I don’t feel like dealing with that right now… We will take the car.
- Thank goodness. - Espio pulled on his jacket and followed his teammates to the garage.
Before long they arrived at the location. The base was looming above a snowy valley on stilts, rusty panels had lost some of their screws, swinging in the wind. The posts supporting the building were of different length to accommodate the uneven ground, and the whole base creaked under especially strong blows. Massive pieces of ice hung off the bottom of the upper structures, elaborate line of the vent shafts connecting different areas.
A pair of blast doors blocked the entrance with a code lock panel on the wall nearby. Espio tried to mess with it, but had to give up.
- Ugh… Frozen solid… - The ninja poked the top of keyboard with his kunai. - If not for that, I could definitely hack the lock.
- No worries, boys! - Vector kicked an unsteady steel panel on the wall and it fell off. - We can use a door for peasants.
- Oh well, that works. - Espio sneaked into the building, the other two following.
The corridor was completely dark and the Chaotix turned on their flashlights. The wind was howling under the tall ceiling, more ice hanging inside the building.
- Now it’s simple! - Vector grinned. - We gotta find the computer room!
- Let’s split up. - Espio shone the light along one of the side corridors. - I do not want to spend longer than we have to in this freezing cold.
- Yay, investigation start! - Charmy yelled in excitement and flew into another side corridor.
Espio and Vector headed along their chosen paths as well.
The chameleon-boy checked several rooms, but they only contained rusty metal scraps and old paper blueprints of the bots constructed long ago and used by Eggman in the usual fights. When Espio reached the second floor, he found the main path blocked by the debris of an old explosion, steel twisted with concrete, sharp edges facing all directions. It crammed all the way up to the ceiling, so going upside down wouldn’t be helpful either. The ninja noticed a grille of the air vent and remembered the view of the shafts from the outside. “There is a good chance it leads around the debris to the upper floor…” Espio unscrewed the bolts with his kunai and pulled the grille off the wall. He shone the light along the shaft, it was a narrow space. Normally, the slender teen would fit there without trouble, but his bulky winter attire could make him get stuck. Espio looked at the blocked with debris path one more time and slipped out of his jacket. The ninja still had a pullover on, but after losing the thicker layer of fabric and the hood, Espio shrank from the cold wind blowing along the corridor. “I will be back soon…” The chameleon-boy grabbed his flashlight and crawled into the vent shaft.
Vector was triumphant. Not only did he find the computer room, but was able to turn on the backup power, connect to the EggNet, and was copying the latest blueprints on a flash drive.
- It’s my lucky day! - The crocodile-man snickered. - Espio won’t believe I completed our mission so soon! Eh, what’s this?.. - Vector screwed his eyes at the monitor. - “Open the third floor hangar?..” Sure, why not! - He confirmed and the pop-up went away.
The heavy steel doors on the third floor started to open, but the ice was covering them on the outside. Still, the joints were strong and after some delay the doors moved apart, sending a mass of broken ice down in the valley.
Espio was crawling in the vent shaft, halfway towards the upper floor, or so he hoped. As the daylight from the valley seeped into the shaft through the cracks, the ninja turned off the flashlight before moving further. The steel floor was as cold as Espio had expected, frostbite gnawing on his legs. The wind was also much stronger there and the old shaft kept creaking, making the ninja choose his path carefully. The teen sneaked through a tricky turn when a loud crashing sound could be heard from above.
- What?.. - The chameleon-boy tried to see outside through the cracks as the noise became thunderous.
Large chunks of ice fell on top of the vent shaft, tearing it, hitting Espio on the head and sending him down. The ninja landed on a large snowdrift among the pieces of the shaft. The initial hit had knocked him out, a trail of blood snaking past his horn and getting lost in the snow.
- Wow, boss! - Charmy landed on the table next to the monitor. - You didn’t even need our help with this case!
- What can I say? - Vector chuckled and pocketed his flash drive. - Someone has to be efficient.
- I only found this… - The bee-boy showed a rusty corkscrew with Eggman’s face as the base and the handles shaped like his mustache.
- Nice trophy! - The crocodile-man twiddled the tool in his hands. - Eggman’s ego is unbelievable! Second only to Sonic’s.
- You know it! - Charmy giggled and did a backflip in the air.
- All right, let’s find Espio and get out of this ice coffin. - Vector walked to the exit with Charmy following.
They returned to the main doors and headed down the path Espio had chosen before. Not finding the ninja on the first floor, his teammates ascended to the second one and stopped in front of the corridor blocked with debris.
- What the fuck?.. Something must’ve blown up… - Vector looked towards the ceiling. - But it seems old…
- Boss, look! - Charmy pointed at the floor. - Espio’s jacket is here!
- Why would he take it off in such cold?.. - The crocodile-man picked up the attire.
- To get into the vent shaft! The grille is missing! - The bee-boy shoved his head in the shaft. - Uh, how dark!
- Espio must’ve tried to go around the blockade… We gotta find him… - Vector scratched his head. - There is no way I can fit in that cramped space.
- But I can! - Charmy switched on his flashlight and entered the shaft. - I’ll bee right back! Got it? Because I’m a bee!
- Just go already… - Vector waved at laughing Charmy as he disappeared in the vents.
Being the smallest, Charmy had little trouble traversing the shaft. There wasn’t enough room for him to fly, but he could walk if ducked a bit.
- Espiooo! - The bee-boy yelled, his voice echoing along the corridor. - Are you heeere?!
Charmy stopped as the next part of the shaft ended in a break, the daylight from the outside getting in. The bee-boy flew out in the valley and noticed the ninja on the snow below.
- Espio! What happened?! - Charmy shook the chameleon-boy by the shoulders, but he was faint. - Are you hurt?
The bee-boy turned Espio’s head, getting a better look at the wound, and his hand came off bloody.
- Oh, shit! I’ll go get Vector! - Charmy carefully lowered Espio on the snow and flew back in the torn vent.
He ran all the way back and startled the crocodile-man as he was finishing his smoke.
- Vector! Espio fell down in the valley! - Charmy flew around with panicked buzzing. - He’s hurt, we gotta get him!
- What?! - The crocodile-man stomped the leftover of his cigarette and ran to the main doors.
He kicked more rusty panels off, tumbling out of the building, and hurried through the snow to where he could see the vent debris. Vector knelt next to the faint ninja and dug him out of the snow vortex the wind had blown around him. Espio’s usually bright magenta scales looked pale pink. The crocodile-man wrapped the discarded jacket around the teen and picked him up. Vector ran back to where they had left the car. He jerked one of the rear doors open and put Espio on the seat. Vector pulled off his own large coat and covered the chameleon-boy with it. Charmy flew in and flopped next to the ninja as Vector got in the driver’s seat. The crocodile-man stomped the pedal in the floor and they headed back.
- Vector! Espio’s skin is so cold and he is barely breathing! - Charmy pulled the coat further over the ninja and cuddled to him, shedding tears. - I’m scared!..
- It’s that brumation thing… - The crocodile-man vaguely moved his hand in the air.
- Broom?.. - The bee-boy stared at him in confusion.
- When cold-bloods like us spend too long in such freeze, we become slow and sleepy. That’s brumation. - Vector turned the heating all the way up. - We gotta hurry home! Espio is gonna be fine once he warms up!
- Really?.. - The bee-boy cried some more, pressing himself against the ninja.
- Ye, ye! Oh, also! - The crocodile-man found a rag in the storage box and threw it back to Charmy. - Wrap this around his head to stop the bleeding.
- All right… - Charmy covered the wound on Espio’s head with the fabric, pressing on it with his small hands.
Vector drove in a hurry, going past the red lights several times. As he hit the brakes next to their detective agency, Charmy tumbled forward, almost smacking him in the face. Not bothering to open the garage, the crocodile-man picked his lover up and ran into the house. Vector laid Espio on the couch in the living room and took off his wet pullover. Charmy dragged their thickest blanket over Espio and flew to his bedroom to bring a pillow. Vector snatched two electric space heaters from his and Espio’s bedroom, as well as one from Charmy’s room and set them around the couch.
- Is this good enough? - The bee-boy fluffed the pillow under Espio’s head and turned to Vector. - He looks dead…
- No, no! He will be fine! - Vector grabbed several rags from a wardrobe. - Go fetch some bandages.
The crocodile-man found a bottle of whiskey in the kitchen and poured some on a rag. He pressed it to the ninja’s head wound, earning some distressed noises. The teen didn’t wake up though. Vector added more whiskey on the wound, wiping the blood around Espio’s horn, and took a few swigs.
- Here you go! - Charmy threw a roll of bandages to Vector.
- Aha, good! - The crocodile-man cut off a large piece, folded it and put over the wound.
Vector wrapped Espio’s head in bandages and tied the ends. Checking his work, the crocodile-man pecked his lover’s forehead.
- Now we wait. - Vector drank more booze and put it on the table. - Oh, right! I should go lock the car before it gets stolen!
Charmy dove under the blanket and snuggled to Espio. The ninja was still cold, but less so than back in the car. The bee-boy brushed some tears off and hid his face against Espio’s chest.
Several hours passed and the darkness settled outside. Espio slowly woke up, the heaters around him radiating with warmth, his head radiating with dull pain. The ninja found sleeping Charmy snuggling to him and wrapped his arm around the bee-boy. Vector was asleep as well, sitting on the carpet against the bottom of the couch. Espio moved to sit up and got into a coughing fit.
- Oh, you’re awake! - Charmy hugged him tight. - I worried so much!
- I am all right… - The teen forced a tired smile on his face. - Not sure what happened at Eggman’s base, though… I remember moving along the vent shaft when something fell on it and hit me on the head… Then that freezing cold… It was like in a dream…
- A bunch of ice from the top of the base fell on the shaft you were in, breaking it and sending you to land on the snow below. - The bee-boy looked away. - When we found you, you were all sleepy and almost not breathing… Vector said it was that broom-ation?..
- Brumation, yes… - Espio sighed. - But I’m less sleepy now and will be back to normal once I warm up more.
- Great! I’ll brew some tea! - Charmy flew towards the kitchen. - Bee right back!
Espio chuckled and coughed more, waking up Vector. The crocodile-man got up and rubbed along his lover’s back as he was wheezing. Once the chameleon-boy could breathe, he rested back against the pillow and stroked Vector’s face.
- Did you find the computer room? - Espio reached up.
- Yes! But you’re more important! - The crocodile-man lowered his head and they kissed.
The lovers fell into a comfortable silence for a while, enjoying each other’s presence.
Espio beckoned Vector with his finger. Thinking he wanted to kiss again, the crocodile-man brought his smug face near.
- Do you have an idea how all that ice ended up falling on the vent shaft I was in? - The chameleon-boy smiled and booped Vector’s snout.