Originally Posted: 3-1-2025, Written by Sparkel Dog
The loudest sound in the room was the furious scratching of pen on paper. Vector, the crocodile in charge of the Chaotix detective agency, was pouring over the office’s finances. His snout was scrunched up as if he were slightly perplexed. The papers shuffled noisily as Vector flipped through them…
Eventually, Vector shut the folder and shoved the files into the desk with a sigh. He stood up to address the two others, “...Yeesh. Okay boys, things are gonna be tight for a while…”
Espio the chameleon had been leaning his back against one of the lockers, meditating. He had been so focused that he had almost fallen asleep. He opened his eyes at the sound of Vector’s voice, though. He saw Charmy sit up from his own little corner of the room. The young bee had been scribbling with his half broken crayons on a discarded newspaper. Not that the Chaotix had a newspaper subscription. Espio figured Vector had picked it up specifically to read an article regarding a lead on one of their cases. He wasn't entirely sure if Charmy was allowed to be coloring on it.
Vector continued once he knew he had both of the kids’ attention, “We barely made ends meet this month. Rent and all the bills are covered, thanks to us solvin’ that missing chao case last week. But we're gonna have to really scrape by with buying groceries.”
“Aw, man… Guess we won't be going out to any big fancy restaurants…” Charmy said, as if they ever could afford such a thing. He then went back to idly doodling.
Espio didn't react much on the outside. Internally though, he was shaking his head at the way Charmy seemed to so easily shrug off their problems.
It wasn't as if Charmy knew nothing about how difficult it could be to have to survive on so little food. But he had a sense of naivety about him just because of how young and carefree he was. He was too little to have a full grasp on the inner workings of their monetary troubles. No matter how poor they had ever been, Vector and Espio had worked hard enough to ensure that he had his needs taken care of. So Charmy couldn't imagine what it would be like to wonder if he would have to go to bed starving.
It wasn't ideal, but the Chaotix were in a much better position now than they had been in earlier in life. Before they had this office, it had been difficult for them to scrounge up enough cash to even afford meals.
Vector had especially sacrificed a lot. Espio remembered times when the guy would offer up the only food they had managed to secure that day for the chameleon to eat instead. He had always felt so reluctant to accept those gifted meals. The feeling of guilt would pool up inside of Espio’s empty stomach for even having the need for sustenance in the first place. Eating was a burden, not just on himself but on his protector. Espio assumed that Vector had wished to scarf down on the treats instead, but only gave it to him out of some feeling of responsibility… How selfish it made Espio feel to take things from him.
After all, Vector’s generosity was probably an image that would be hard for some of their current friends to imagine. Vector had a big appetite and would usually save the biggest portion of a meal for himself if he could, even sometimes sneaking some of his kids’ snacks when their backs were turned.
But no matter how much Vector ate, he did always try to ensure that Espio and Charmy were left with something to eat each day. The Chaotix made enough of an earning off of their detective business to actually get their hands on ingredients to stock the little pantry in the back of their kitchen. It usually wasn’t much: Basic canned goods, those packets of noodles that you could buy for cheap but was easy to dress up real nice, and anything else that was affordable on a tight budget. When the groceries on their shelf were sparse they would often frequent fast food chains like the local Meh Burger down the street, since it was quick, easy, and offered a dollar menu. It wasn’t the healthiest option, but it wasn’t like Vector always had the energy to cook.
Espio shook himself from his thoughts. He responded to their leader with a simple, “…Understood, Vector.” It wasn’t the first time they had been in this position, so he would just have to make due until their next big break afforded them the luxury to spend more on meals.
“Is it ready yet? Is it ready yet?” Charmy was buzzing with energy as he flew circles around Vector’s head.
Vector tried to gently bat him away, “Be careful around the shove!” He scolded.
Charmy just giggled. He flew away from the hot oven-top and out of their leader’s reach, but he still hovered close enough to keep his eyes glued onto the cooking action.
Vector was tossing the steaming fettuccine noodles in a pot until it was coated in the thick paste. Truth be told, the pesto was leftover from last week’s dinner, but it still smelled almost as good as it tasted then. The fragrant and natural aroma of basil with a slight hint of nuttiness was a delight.
Espio was trying not to be as annoying as Charmy was. The kid blatantly got in the way to ogle the food. The ninja couldn’t stop himself from spying on the noodles at a distance though. He could feel his mouth watering as Vector plated the pasta and sprinkled it with the last of their cheese.
There was light-hearted protest from Charmy when Espio had to hold him back for several moments. If Charmy didn’t snatch the plates right out of Vector’s hands, Vector might have accidentally tripped over the hyperactive child. It was a challenge for him to even walk over to the old wooden dining table and set everything down.
Once the squirming bee was finally released, he darted over to his chair and scrambled to grab his fork. Vector was shaking his head with a tired smile, “If you don’t slow down you might choke, Charmy.”
Charmy already had his mouth full, “Right!” He tried to make an effort to chew at a reasonable pace after that.
Despite being older, Espio’s table manners were not any better than Charmy’s. In fact, once he was seated Espio was slurping up the noodles a little too messily. The pesto sauce was finding it’s way onto his muzzle. Espio never noticed the crumbs from his food in the moment though. Whenever it was time to eat, he always seemed laser focused on filling his belly.
When his stomach was empty, Espio dreaded the pain that would strike. It wasn’t something he felt unless he seriously neglected eating for more than half a day, but he had known horrible sudden pangs of hurt that seemed to attack him from the inside.
Vector watched as the chameleon finished his plate in what felt like only a minute’s time. The ever present voice in the back of his head started to nag at him again… It was probably his fault that his kid was scarfing down food as if there was no tomorrow. With Espio’s past, he likely had some irrational fear that he would never see food again. Even if they were in a better place now, their financial security was still fickle. It was pathetic that Vector couldn’t provide more for his team…
Espio must’ve caught the guilty look laden on Vector’s face or read his mind. Because suddenly, the chameleon shifted his gaze away avoidantly and hid his face. Not with his ninja powers of invisibility, but with one of the napkins he had stretched his arm across the table to reach.
Once everyone had eaten everything they had been given, Vector stood. “Here, hand me your plates and I’ll get you guys some more.”
Charmy pumped his fist into the air, “Wooo! Seconds!”
Seconds? Espio silently held his plate out to their leader, but his forehead creased in thought. Hadn’t Vector said only hours prior that they would have to be making their food budget last? They probably shouldn’t be having this much, should they?
When Vector returned with more pasta, Espio spoke up, “…You know, I’m not that hungry, Vector…”
“Nonsense. Growing boys like you need to eat.” Vector asserted. “Don’t worry so much, Espio…”
If Espio was honest to himself, he prioritized their monetary security over making sure he got enough calories in the day. But he wasn’t ready to argue directly to his boss’ face. Slowly this time, Espio began to pick at the fettuccine with his fork. He tried to will his stomach into ceasing it’s incessant growling.
Vector helped himself to a second serving as well, gulping the food down quickly. He eventually stood up to take his dish to the sink.
As soon as Vector’s back was turned, Espio nudged Charmy with his foot underneath the table. The bee shot Espio a confused glance. Then Espio silently scooched his chair closer so he could scrape some of his extra noodles onto his brother’s plate. “…Here…” He kept his voice low so as to be out of earshot of Vector.
Charmy instantly lit up, “I get more?! Thanks Espio!” He wasn’t nearly as good at whispering, but it wasn’t loud enough to be overheard from the far end of the kitchen.
As much as Espio wanted to eat, it felt wrong when they were in such a precarious situation. Besides, Charmy was also a growing boy. He was younger too, so he probably deserved the food more than Espio did.
That’s what Espio told himself as he stood to bring his plate to the sink as well, cleaning up after himself before slinking off to be alone for some quiet time in his room.
“What?” Espio had snapped with a jeer.
Vector frowned, before taking on a defensive tone of voice, “…You don’t have to yell at me, Espio. I just asked ya to come out here.”
“…” Espio could feel his scales involuntarily changing color out of slight shame. He hadn’t meant to shout at someone he respected, of course. But he had woken up feeling irritated at every small inconvenience, and Vector’s sudden knocking on his bedroom door had felt jarring and unwelcome.
The call came early that morning, just as Vector had finished cooking up his signature waffles. He barely had time to fetch everyone from their rooms out to the kitchen to eat when the phone erupted to life. Charmy yelled for Vector to answer it despite the fact that the ringing echoing off the walls was loud enough for everyone to hear it perfectly well on their own.
After some grumbling, Vector answered. He spent a few minutes talking to the person on the other end, before declaring that they would take the case.
“Oooh, we got a new case?” Charmy asked as he flew over to listen in on the conversation.
Vector hung up the phone and placed it back on the receiver, “…Yup. Someone broke into a fancy jewelry store that’s in Central City. Made a real mess of the place and took off with a lot of goods.”
“A robbery?!” Charmy buzzed about, getting himself worked up already, “Stealing’s no good! What a bunch of petty bad guys.”
Vector nodded, affirming the kid, “Right. And it’s our job now to track down those bad guys.”
Espio listened with intent. If the mission was coming from a luxury jewelry store, then their payday would likely be substantial. They literally couldn’t afford to mess this up.
Vector was looking at them both with confidence, “We’ll be heading over there soon. Finish up breakfast, and then get ready to go, alright?”
“Understood.” Espio said.
“Yes sir!” Charmy saluted their boss, before spinning in the air and rushing back into the kitchen to shove the rest of his waffle in his mouth.
Espio instead left the room to prepare, opting to skip breakfast entirely. There was really no time for food when he had a big case to be readying himself for. He didn’t expect things to turn rough, but he grabbed his trusted kunai, rope, and other small necessities. After all, if the group were to encounter this vile burglar, they could be dangerous.
It wasn’t long though until he was seated in the back of Vector’s car, helping Charmy get buckled into his black and yellow striped booster seat so they could take off towards the heart of Central City.
It was a long drive to the jewelry store. Espio found himself losing more and more of his patience when Charmy began to incessantly ask “Are we there yet? Are we?” He was very tempted to snap out in anger like he had done earlier that morning. However, it wasn’t ninja-like to lose his cool. So Espio gritted his teeth and tried his best to restrain himself for the duration of the ride.
The car pulled to a stop once they had reached a small but professional looking establishment. A giant sign posted to the front of the building read Hidden Gems Jewelers in an elaborate cursive font. There were several police cars parked around the shop’s front. Several officers seemed to be huddled around a large window. Bright yellow cautionary tape caught the Chaotix’s eye…
The group clambered out of the car. They were approached by one of the officers with a serious glint in his eye. The guy opened his mouth, ready to shoo any bystanders away from a crime scene. Vector quickly moved to get out his wallet, flashing a detective’s ID badge at the cop and proving that they did in fact have clearance to investigate.
“Woah, look at what a mess they made!” Charmy was drawn to the police tape that was blocking off the giant display window. Now that they were closer, they could see that it had been completely shattered. Glittering shards littered the sidewalk. No merchandise remained in the window display.
“Charmy.” Espio huffed as he had to march up and pull the kid away, “Be careful. You know you’re not allowed near broken glass.”
Charmy batted Espio’s hands away from him, “I wasn’t getting that close! It’s not like I was gonna touch any of it… We do have to look at clues for the investigation.”
Espio continued to give him a glour. Charmy responded by sticking his tongue out.
That was until Vector came over, clasping a hand on each of their shoulders. “Keep the fighting to a minimum, you two…”
Espio suppressed a grumble… He had only been trying to protect Charmy. Why was he getting told off? Charmy was the one who had started the arguing…
Vector ignored the bitter expression Espio had and continued, “Charmy is right, we should start searchin’ around for anything out of place. Why don’t you two head inside while I stay out here and get some more information.” He motioned over to a frazzled looking mobian ferret. “The owner of the place is gonna fill me in on what happened.”
“Got it!” Charmy nodded, before scampering into the jewelry shop.
Espio sighed before hastily following after him, lest he got into any trouble running off on his own.
They were met with elegant white walls and fine oak shelves, contrasted with more gruesome displays of glass scattered across the shiny floor. Those sections of the room were cordoned off with more of that neon tape. There were still some shelves that were lined with expensive gemstones and accessories. After all, the store had a large enough stock that it wasn’t possible for one person to steal everything. Glittering gold and silver chains were matched with pristine crystals. Each item looked far more expensive than any of the things the Chaotix owned. And yet, what remained untouched by the intruder looked like it was the cheapest gems the place had to offer, if the tags were to be believed. The thief must have nabbed only what would fetch the highest price.
Espio was examining the damage done to one of the cases that had been stripped of it’s jewels… Some thieves, like that troublesome bat, were more difficult to wrangle with due to the calculated way they executed their heists. With enough planning, someone could sneak by undetected and take something without it being obvious until the missing goods were eventually noticed. Whoever perpetrated this crime didn’t seem as clever. Recklessly smashing windows was an easy way to leave behind incriminating evidence. Or perhaps they were just extremely ballsy and self confident enough that they assumed they wouldn’t be caught.
Espio bent over to peek underneath one of the jewelry cabinets. What had the culprit used to strike the glass with? Had they left the weapon behind somewhere? He should be so lucky…
There didn’t seem to be any major clues left behind aside from the glass and various gemstones that were knocked to the ground. It would probably be a long shot to get a fingerprint analysis on any of them, since they had likely just fallen out of the shelves from whatever force had hit the display cases open. Besides, the dust needed to find prints was a little pricey.
Espio rubbed his forehead. He was focusing all of his effort on trying to think. What else was he to look at when he hadn’t yet found a single lead? Unfortunately, while he usually was good at thinking quick on his feet, for some reason he couldn’t concentrate right now. He had been given the most simple of tasks. But lightheadedness was overwhelming him. The sounds of chatter from outside were leaking into the room. The busyness of his surroundings made each of his thoughts feel like they were spinning incoherently.
His stomach hurt. A low pain rested in the pit of his abdomen.
The bell above the entranceway jingled when the door swung open. Vector waltzed in, followed by the store owner who was fiddling with his paws. He still seemed to be in conversation with the man, but was now taking a cursory glance around the crime scene itself, “...I see.”
“...Oh! Hey Vector!” Charmy popped his head out from behind the front counter, where he had evidently been poking around.
“Charmy, Espio.” Vector nodded in their direction. “Anything to report?”
“Uh. There’s a lot of glass and missing jewelry.” Charmy stated the obvious.
Vector frowned, “...Right. Nothing besides that?”
Espio’s tail twitched as he scoffed out of annoyance, “Perhaps we would find more if you just gave us a moment, Vector…”
He was met with a stern tone in return, “Hey, I’m not rushin’ you, Espio, I was just asking.” Vector had a quizzical look of concern, “What’s with you today?”
“I bet he’s just grumpy he hasn’t solved the case yet.” Charmy teased.
Espio opened his mouth to argue back, but he was interrupted by Vector before he had the chance to say anything out loud, “Enough of that. Anyways, The vic here has been real helpful in relaying what happened. The place was robbed hours before it was supposed ta open. There was a power outage at around 4 am this morning, so the store’s security cameras got knocked out. They weren’t able to capture any footage of the perp. The police are also questioning each of the employees.”
“Would any of those employees happen to be a bird?” Charmy asked.
What an oddly specific non sequitur. The group collectively tilted their heads at the little bee. Then, the shop owner spoke up, “Uh, no, we don’t have any birds hired here…”
“Why did that even cross your mind?” Espio was staring at the kid.
“Cuz someone shed a few feathers behind this counter.” Charmy then waved a single plume in the air. It was emerald green, with the end of the feather being striped with a darker shade of the color. “They really should clean up after themselves.”
Vector’s eyes widened, approaching the front desk with interest. “Oh, what do we have here?”
Charmy handed it over to his boss, “What? Oh! Do you think it’s a clue Vector?”
Vector held the feather out to examine it closer under the fluorescent overhead light. “…Most definitely. No customer is allowed behind a front desk like that. If none of the employees have feathers, then that means this had to be left here by our criminal.”
Charmy’s face filled itself with glee. The bee started to fly giddy circles around the room, “Yay! I found a clue, I found a clue!”
Charmy’s shrill voice was too loud for Espio’s head. He made a disgruntled sound under his breath. Then, he shook himself and tried to focus on this new lead. Perhaps it would allow them to leave this claustrophobic store space, “…Could we use this to identify the culprit using some kind of testing?” If a person’s dna could be found in blood or in stray hair samples, then perhaps the same was true for avians and feathers.
“…We could, but I have a feeling there’s no need…” Vector had his hand under his chin, snout creased in serious consideration. “…I already have someone in mind… Someone with green feathers and a modus operandi of stealing others’ treasure.”
The loud buzz of the radio began to blare like an alarm. A staticy voice dropped the information with a commanding sense of calmness, “...Suspect spotted. Heading North on Main Street.”
Things had been proceeding relatively slowly prior to that message. The Chaotix had been huddled around one of the police radios, but it had mostly been silent and on standby. A city-wide search for the thief was being conducted elsewhere. In the meantime, they had been talking to some of the store employees and bystanders in an attempt to gather any additional clues. But the conversation didn’t yield anything particularly important. Espio found his thoughts wandering. By this point, he had definitely noticed the hunger pains in his stomach, but those had to be ignored while they were doing business.
Everyone lept to their feet at the officer’s alert. “Ya hear that boys? We’re heading to Main Street!” Vector said, before picking the handheld radio up to relay to the others that the Chaotix were on their way.
The group ran to the car, practically jumping into their seats. They barely had time to get buckled before Vector’s foot was on the acceleration.
“Hey! There he is, there he is!” Charmy pointed out the window once they had sped far enough down Main Street to catch sight of their suspect: A green hawk in shiny red boots who was riding on a hovering extreme gear board.
Jet glanced over his shoulder at the still-advancing-in-speed car that had started to tailgate him. He scoffed, “What the? Who do they think they…” His face fell when he recognized the car chasing him. The (frankly gaudy and ugly, in Jet’s opinion) vehicle was green with a gold trim. The front grille of the car appeared to have a row of sharp teeth bearing at him. The top of the car was open, revealing those pesky detectives who had meddled in his business a few times before. Like gum on your shoe that just won’t stop sticking….
Jet groaned, before shouting over at his companions. The other Babylon Rogues Storm and Wave, his flock as it were, rode on their own extreme gear trailing behind on either side of him. “Why are those guys following us?”
“Dunno, boss!” Storm called out over the noise of the busy street. He shot cautious glances over at the Beat Monster car, “...They look like they’ll be trouble!”
“Ya think maybe it has something to do with the stuff we stole this morning? They’re probably trying to rat us out to the cops…” Wave was already rolling her eyes at the thought of those goody two shoes acting so high and mighty over catching them out for their theft.
Jet started growling and grumbling to himself. He muttered something along the lines of why can’t they just leave me alone… albeit, there were a few more inappropriate words thrown into his little vent.
“Pull over!” Vector shouted out of the open car’s side.
“Fat chance.” Jet yelled back, before accelerating. His extreme gear was equipped with modifications that greatly helped it’s speed, meaning that it could easily outdo the Beat Monster’s fastest pace. In an instant, Jet was an entire city block ahead of them. The other Babylon Rogues were hot on his tail.
Vector pressed his foot harder onto the gas pedal. It was clear that they were outmatched by the trio of birds on their boards though. They were not gaining much. Jet swerved his board in a wide turn around a corner.
After cranking the wheel and spinning around the same corner so they could keep their eyes glued on their targets, Vector suddenly addressed the back seat, “…Espio! Can you get up here?”
“…Huh.” Espio blinked. It took him a moment to even process the request, “…What, you want me to climb into the front seat while you’re driving?”
“If we pull over now we’ll lose these guys.” Vector still had his sights locked onto the Babylon Rogues. “I’ve got a plan, a sort of risky one. And you’re the only one in the group that’s fast enough to do it… But I trust in you!”
The vibrations from the accelerating car seemed to be shaking Espio’s nerves. His empty stomach felt like it had tied itself into a knot. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“We’re running out of time, we can’t chase them forever!”
“…” Espio reluctantly unfastened his seatbelt. The wind from the open car roof was blasting his face. It made it so that the moment he stood, he almost lost his balance. He held onto the seat in front of him, trying to ground himself. Clinging on tightly, he used it as an aid to climb over and land in the front seat next to Vector.
“Great!” The vehicle swerved around another corner, though this was much sharper of a turn than the last. Once Vector straightened out the wheel, he glanced over at Espio, “…We’re gonna do fireball to get you close enough to grab em!”
Charmy piped up loudly from the back, “You’re doing fireball?!”
Espio’s eyes were wide. He hadn’t realized it was even possible for his heart to palpitate in the way that it had when he heard those words. “…Are you serious? We can’t do fireball, you’re driving a moving car! You might crash...”
A somewhat sheepish look crossed the crocodile’s face as he redirected his attention towards the road, “I said it was risky, didn’t I? If we make it real quick, nothin’ will go wrong!”
“I have an idea!” Charmy sang out as the biggest grin crossed his face, “Let me drive instead!”
He was promptly ignored by the other two.
Espio tried to take a deep breath to calm himself. Vector had to be absolutely, positively insane.
Espio sighed, before giving a curt nod, “…Keep the car steady…”
Espio had no idea how Vector was able to scoop him up into his big jaws while still keeping both his hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road. Vector of course was as gentle picking up Espio as a mama crocodile carrying her young. No matter how many times the Chaotix attempted this trick, he made sure that his sharp teeth never bit down or hurt either of his boys. The chameleon kept his body curled up tightly, bracing himself for what was to come.
Vector puffed up his chest as he focused his sights on the fleeing birds ahead. Jet was preparing to turn again, likely attempting to make an escape. As Vector took a deep breath, he felt a fiery heat fill his chest.
Then with a sudden outburst of power, Vector gave a mighty roar as he swung his head in a swift motion, catapulting Espio out of his mouth like a speeding bullet.
The sensation of hurtling through the air was not unfamiliar to the chameleon. In fact, thanks in part to his frequent ninja training, Espio was always agile and adept at moving through the wind with precision. Though being thrown out of a car was new, their team had performed this maneuver countless times.
So when Espio found himself tumbling through the air significantly more unsteadily than he ever had, a sinking feeling crossed his gut. His head screamed at him. Focus. Where was Jet? He had to aim his trajectory towards stopping the criminal…
Espio’s body was still braced into a tight ball when he crashed hard into the hawk’s backside with a loud thud. Jet let out a pained squawk. The bird was sent flying off of his extreme board, which clattered onto the ground violently.
Espio’s landing was even more unceremonious. He had never once failed to land on his feet after that particular attack. But this time, Espio felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. After hitting Jet, he was thrown backwards into an involuntary somersault. Then Espio collided with the pavement. His back, ass and legs scraped against the rough ground. He gasped sharply at the sudden stinging hurt.
The loud screech of car tires assaulted his ears. The Chaotix’s vehicle was approaching. Vector called out, “You got him! Quick, apprehend them!”
As soon as Espio sat up, he realized it was a mistake. He must’ve stood too quickly, because a searing pain started to throb through his head. The world was spinning around him. A wave of nausea washed over the chameleon, making him feel like he was going to throw up. Of course, since he hadn’t eaten anything, it would only result in dry heaving.
Meanwhile, Storm and Wave had turned their boards around so they could come
to their fallen friend’s side. “Boss!” Once Storm was by Jet, he helped the hawk to his feet.
Espio needed to act. His stomach lurched when he tried to take a step… With his body feeling like jello, he realized that it wouldn’t cooperate with him enough to actually move the couple of meters he would need to cross to grab the Babylon Rogues. So Espio tried his best to think fast. He reached for one of his kunai that he had tied a long length of rope to. If he could strike it into the extreme gear that those ne’er-do-ells were escaping on, then Espio could yank the hoverboards out from under their feet.
Espio shut one eye so he could aim carefully, before throwing the blade at his target.
Unfortunately, the weapon missed it’s mark by about a foot. A sharp clang struck their ears from the metal hitting the asphalt.
By that time, Jet had already been able to jump back onto his extreme gear board. He took the lead once more, with him and his teammates speeding off around the corner and out of the Chaotix’s sight for good.
“I failed.” The thunk of the shuriken hitting wood emphasized the word. “…And that’s why I need to increase my training.”
The silver quilled hedgehog sat atop a large, flat rock. He studied Espio. His friend certainly looked a little worse for wear. Tired lines creased under his eyelids, and he had gotten scraped up from the tumble he had just finished describing. Espio was aiming at a row of old crates, each with a star design painted in the center with white and blue paint. He let another ninja star fly. When it lodged itself adjacent to the target’s center, Espio growled.
Silver hummed, before asking, “Have you been getting enough sleep?”
Espio glanced in his direction, “…Why do you ask?”
Silver shrugged, “Sometimes when I don’t sleep enough, it leaves me feeling groggy. It’s important for getting enough energy to take on the day, you know?”
Espio threw another shuriken. This one at least hit closer to the painted star than the last, “…I’ve been sleeping fine.” It wasn’t as if he was the most well rested person in the world, but it was true that he hadn’t gone to bed any later than he usually did.
“Hm…” Silver was tapping his foot softly. “You’re not sick, are you?”
“No.” Thud. A smile crossed Espio’s face. His weapon had struck the wooden crate dead center.
“….Are you sure?”
Espio now turned to address Silver, a hand falling to rest on his hip. “Why are you so insistent on something being wrong with me?”
Silver frowned, “Nothing’s wrong with you, Espio. But from the way you talked about how your guys’ case went, it sounds to me like something might not be normal. It’s not like you to mess things up, or to have a dizzy feeling in your stomach.”
“I told you. I just need to train harder.” Espio asserted. Surely if he were just better, then that disaster wouldn’t have happened in the first place.
Silver laughed softly, and then moved to stand up from his rock. “Well, if you’re so sure, then why don’t we try something a little more challenging than hitting crates from a few meters away?”
With a grin, Silver held out both of his hands so he could concentrate his telekinesis powers on each of the wood boxes. A blue aura surrounded each crate. Then, each one was levitated high into the air. The crates spread out in an uneven pattern, spinning slowly.
“Let’s see if you can hit some moving aerial targets.” It wasn’t the most difficult challenge ever proposed, but it was certainly more interesting than the throwing exercise Espio had been mindlessly performing for the past hour. Silver seemed giddy for the chance to watch the ninja in action.
Espio readied the rest of his shuriken stars, “…With ease.”
In no time at all, Espio had scrambled up to the roof of the rickety old shed center of the garden. From this elevation, he had better sight of and easier access to the wooden containers. On the ground below, Silver had scurried over to watch from the sidelines so he was out of the way. The hedgehog was standing next to tall sunflowers that partially shaded him.
Silver called out, “You can do it, Espio! And since you aren’t feeling well, don’t worry about aiming for the centers.”
Espio tsked in response, “…A ninja doesn’t settle for inaccuracy in training.”
Espio took a deep breath. He set his eyes on the spinning crates ahead. This was a simple mission that he was perfectly capable of. The chameleon drew back his weapon.
The first three boxes were easy hits. Being that they were the closest to where he stood on the roof, Espio did not have to move much to make his aim true. Each shuriken struck the wood with satisfying thwacks that rattled the empty crates. The next box in the row was slightly more difficult to reach, but after a considerate pause the fourth ninja star met it’s target resoundly.
That was over half. The remaining few floating boxes were out of range from where Espio stood.
Espio considered his options. The second closest crate seemed to be spinning the slowest. Espio took several steps back… before running forward and leaping off the roof.
He landed unsteadily on the still rotating box, immediately having to cling on tight to keep from falling off. His sticky chameleon grip helped in preventing him from slipping.
“Nice jump!” Silver hollered. “…Only a couple more!”
With his body still hugging the box’s surface, Espio readied his weapon. From this specific angle, he had clear aim of the fifth box. He took his shot while still laying low.
One more to go.
Espio stood.
Too fast. Espio wobbled as his balance was thrown out of orbit. Scarily, his sight suddenly started to leave him. His surroundings grew fuzzy and slowly darkened. The last thing Espio felt was an overwhelming heaviness that overtook his entire being- pulling him towards the ground but missing the surface of the crate he had been standing on.
Silver’s heart skipped a beat upon seeing Espio’s lifeless body hurtling towards the ground. He squeaked, releasing his hold on all of the wooden boxes and immediately rushing towards where his friend was falling, “C-crap!” His telekinesis glow took hold of Espio seconds before he was to strike the dirt.
There were several loud crashes as each of the containers hit the earth at full force. Silver ducked as a broken off plank flew over his head. Each box had shattered into pieces.
Silver let out the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding and carried the chameleon to the area of the garden where a bed of soft grass grew, gently laying Espio to rest on top of it. Then, Silver was at his side fussing over him to see if he had any injuries.
Espio groaned. His eyes slowly batted open. It took several moments for Silver’s worried face to come into focus, “….Augh… What… happened…?”
Poor Silver let out an exasperated sound, “Oh thank goodness… You’re awake!” The hedgehog’s features were twisted into an expression Espio hadn’t seen on him before… Was he really that concerned about his well being?
Espio tried to sit up, before wincing and clutching his head with a pained sound, “Ow…” Processing everything that just happened was difficult when his temple was throbbing, “…Did I pass out?”
“I guess so… Are you okay?” Silver’s hands were straying over his chest. He was still trying to examine Espio to see if he had gotten physically hurt. The only damage he could find were those nasty scrapes Espio had gotten from the Chaotix’s earlier case.
Espio didn’t answer. Instinctively, he wanted to assure Silver that he was fine. But he had also realized that would be a lie and that Silver deserved his honesty. No matter what Espio thought though, he had trouble bringing himself to speak. He was still in a daze.
Silver was muttering to himself. Most of the words went by too quickly for Espio to catch, “….was a bad idea to train when you’re feeling unwell…” He also heard, “…need to get some rest…” Eventually, Silver raised his voice enough for Espio to actually make out the full sentences of what he was saying. Silver locked eyes with Espio directly, looking very serious. “…Let’s get you back to your place so you can actually lay down. You need to give your body a break. Do you think you can stand?”
Silver slowly helped Espio to his feet. It took him a moment to steady himself once he had gotten up.
Then, Silver moved his arm over his shoulder so that he had support in walking. “…Maybe you really are sick.”
Espio sighed. “For the last time, I’m not sick…”
Silver had a tendency to make Espio’s chest fill with a strange warmth. They shared a strong connection of trust. Aside from the Chaotix, there was no one Espio was closer with. So it was only natural for Silver to fret over him when he wasn’t at his best. But Silver’s concern was starting to remind Espio of Vector. The same feeling of guilt started to cloud his mind. Silver shouldn’t be burdened with the need to take care of him. He was perfectly capable of doing that himself.
Silver continued on, acting as if he hadn’t heard what Espio had said, “…And you’re sure you’ve gotten enough rest? What about water? Maybe you’re dehydrated, that can really mess with your body.”
Espio’s tail started to flick with annoyance, “Yes, Silver, I’ve been sleeping and drinking. You really don’t have to-“
Silver’s voice cut through to interrupt the sentence, “When was the last time you ate?”
“…” Espio grew quiet.
That prompted Silver to ask the question again, this time with a more pressing tone to his words, “… Espio. When was the last time you ate?”
At first Espio didn’t answer, opting to drop his gaze avoidantly. But when Silver pulled Espio to a halt, it was clear that he wouldn’t let him continue in their walk until Espio said something. Eventually, he reluctantly conceded, “I don’t know…” It didn’t feel like it had been that long… The conversation Vector had with them about finances was only a couple of nights prior. He supposed he had been avoiding meals ever since that last plate of pasta the Chaotix had eaten at the family dinner table. “…I guess it would be around… two days now?”
Silver’s jaw dropped open. “…You haven’t eaten in two days?!?”
Espio suppressed the urge to groan. It sounded bad when spoken out loud. It was bad. But he also wasn’t particularly looking forward to having Silver worry over him even more than he already was. Now he expected the guy to keep fretting and plead with him to simply take better care of himself. After all, Silver had a naively optimistic outlook more often than not.
So Espio was caught extremely off guard by Silver’s sudden tight grip on his shoulders. His voice was high, a slight franticness simmering inside of it. He locked eyes with the chameleon, “Why not?! Espio, you have to eat!” There was a seriousness laced in his glare, but he mostly just seemed distraught.
Espio shook his head bitterly, “…You don’t get the complexities of the situation. It isn’t that simple.”
Silver didn’t relent. His voice was raising. “What’s so complicated about having a meal to keep yourself from passing out during a case?”
Heat was rushing to Espio’s face. Silver was really going to make him spill all of his team’s personal details, huh? He never liked having to divulge information relating to their monetary issues. So when he felt like Silver was forcing his hand, he hissed it out at him, “Not everyone can afford the luxury of that many groceries.”
Silver paused… His voice fell in volume, but it still sounded rather cross, “…So has Vector just not been feeding you guys?” The hedgehog folded his arms over his chest, grimacing in thought. “….Even if you don’t have money, it’s still his responsibility to ask others for help so that you don’t all starve.” Then, he started to march off on his own without Espio, “…I’m gonna have a word with him-“
“No, you’re not.” Espio reached out to grab him, preventing him from leaving too prematurely. The chameleon’s face was flushed and wearing a sullen glour. The last thing he needed was for Silver to cause a scene by making a fuss about this to his boss. Espio took a deep breath. He just wanted to rush out an explanation to quell Silver’s emotions, so everything started to stumble out in a hard to follow stream of words, “You don’t need to interfere with this, Vector hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s made us food… We just don’t have a plentiful amount of it. I know when to hold back from eating to make our bottom dollar last. I’d rather go hungry than not have a roof over our heads.”
That last bit made Silver freeze. His shoulders grew rigid. After a passing beat, he repeated his understanding of what Espio just told him to confirm, “…So you’ve been given food, but are still actively choosing to skip meals.” The sentence was said flatly, but with a stinging tone underneath.
“…Uh.” Espio tensed, “…Yes?” …That couldn’t be the right thing to answer.
Suddenly, Espio found himself in the air. He tumbled slightly, but did not fall. When he made a startled sound and looked downwards, He saw that his body had Silver’s telekinetic blue glow surrounding it. He was only dangling a foot or so off of the ground, “…S-Silver!”
Silver wasn’t listening. He had a sour expression plastered on his face. The hedgehog turned around and started marching in the opposite direction of the Chaotix building where they had been heading, carrying Espio along with him.
Espio couldn’t fight back against Silver’s powers, even if he wanted to. The energy’s hold on him was tight and difficult to struggle against. Espio didn’t feel the need to even try to resist it, though. He knew Silver well enough to know that the guy would only use his ability to drag Espio somewhere, not to harm him in any way. He only wished to know where they were headed.
Unluckily for him, Espio wasn’t given time to speculate about that. Because at that moment, those sudden strong pangs of pain started to strike inside of his belly. He groaned, hands reaching down to clutch at his stomach in an attempt to get it to stop. He wasn’t sure what was worse: the lightheaded dizziness that he had been experiencing or the unceasing hurt that felt like it was attacking his churning insides.
He didn’t notice their arrival to the small, quaint house until Silver was already knocking on the door. Espio glanced at the familiar, light peach colored wood… He knew this building.
When the door was answered, Silver spoke with urgency, “Amy! I need to use your kitchen.”
Standing in the entryway was a pink hedgehog in a pretty red dress and boots. She smiled upon seeing Silver, “….Oh, hi Silver!…” But then she tilted her head in confusion when she noticed the chameleon being unceremoniously suspended in the air behind him.
The boys were let in, and Silver eventually dropped Espio onto a plush couch with fancy homemade embroidered cushions. “Wait right there.” Silver commanded.
Then, Silver left the room to join Amy in the kitchen. The layout of the house was pretty open, so Espio could still see and hear them as Silver started to fill Amy in. The words were a little hard to hear from over here, but Silver said, “Espio ran out of energy during training, so we really need to make some food!” by way of an explanation to her.
“Oh, let me help then!” Amy was grinning, “I love cooking and baking!” She spoke confidently and immediately started to lead Silver towards the counter.
Together, the two began to get out all of the ingredients and utensils they would need. A cookbook was pulled down from a high shelf. Amy started flipping through the pages while she let Silver prepare potatoes and carrots by washing them under cold running sink water. It was strangely rehearsed, as if it wasn’t the first time Silver had been let into her house to play the role of chef with Amy. That would certainly explain why they seemed so coordinated. Their conversation grew too quiet for Espio to make out any more of it, just whisperings between friends.
Espio sighed, before moving to lay his sore back on the couch so he could stare up at the ceiling. His mind started to wander away from the background noise of chopping vegetables and pans drifting from the next room.
How had he even wound up in this mess? All he had wanted was to avoid burdening anyone else with his needs, but now two people he cared about were busying themselves with just that.
Dread was twisting a knife into his stomach. Silver and Amy’s cooking antics were getting louder… If he was so hungry, why did the thought of eating now in front of them make him so nervous? Maybe it was the fact that Espio was growing older now. He didn’t need to be coddled and fed by someone younger than him.
And yet… His actions had proven that sentiment wrong, hadn’t they? He had always felt so scared of not being able to eat, like he hadn’t been able to in the past. But he ended up doing just that to himself by foolishly depriving himself of what they did have…
One of Espio’s hands idly rubbed against the spot on his shoulder where Silver had tightly clutched him earlier… The upset glare Silver had worn told Espio everything he needed to know. Silver expected him to be able to take care of himself, and Espio had betrayed that trust. Trust was everything in their relationship.
Espio groaned. Why was it so difficult for him to just accept the food that Vector gave? He liked eating. It filled an emptiness in both his soul and belly.
Espio squeezed his eyes shut, trying to now focus his efforts on ignoring the pain in his body. He took slow and meditative deep breaths. It was more difficult to concentrate on it than it usually was.
After a long while, a pleasant aroma had filled the house. Those two had definitely cooked up something savory with lots of vegetables and some kind of meat… and was that bread he smelled? The scent of it all just made Espio’s stomach ache more.
Eventually, Espio heard footsteps approaching the couch, creaking softly on the wood floor. He opened his eyes to see Silver standing over him. “…Come on Espio, the dining table is over this way.”
Espio was just glad that Silver wasn’t forcing him to move with those impressive but bothersome telekinesis powers. Instead the hedgehog had helped him to his feet and was leading him into a nearby room. Center inside was a round table lined with a lacey tablecloth on which rested a lovely flower centerpiece. Towards the back wall there was a display cabinet with cute looking tea cups lined up in rows.
Silver sat Espio down at one of the cushioned wooden chairs before leaving the room again.
When he returned, Silver was floating a large plate and various utensils through the air. The platter landed in front of Espio. It was topped with a thick slice of some sort of pot pie, stuffed full of what smelled like chicken. Carrots, potatoes, peas, onions, and chopped bits of garlic were pouring out of the crispy golden crust. Saliva filled Espio’s mouth as he locked sight on the food.
He was slightly startled by Silver’s hands firmly slamming down onto the table, directly across from where Espio sat. Silver was giving him a stern glare, “….Eat. And don’t try to refuse it like you did with Vector.”
Espio faltered slightly under the intense stare. Shifting in his chair, he reached out to pull the plate a little closer… But then he hesitated, eyes darting back up towards Silver. Did he have to be staring that intently? While Espio always tried hard not to make a mess while eating, he was aware of the fact that he sometimes failed. He’d rather Silver not watch something so degrading.
Silver must have mistook his hesitance for noncompliance, because one of the metal forks began to glow with his telekinetic blue. After stabbing itself into the pie to cut off a bite sized piece, the fork flew up inches away from Espio’s mouth. Silver’s volume raised to a yell, “Espio, you have to eat! I care too much about you to let you starve yourself-!”
“Gah-” Espio flinched at the sudden object headed for his face, but then he reacted quickly by snatching the utensil out of the air. “Enough! You don’t have to force me, I am perfectly capable of feeding myself, Silver!” Espio looked at him with icy sourness.
It was Silver’s turn to fall back now. His expression softened from an upset glare to apprehensive guilt. He sat back down in his chair, scooting it back a few inches. He dropped his gaze, “…S-Sorry…”
“….” Espio continued to stare stubbornly for a moment more while he silently popped the bite of pie into his mouth. He chewed slowly… before his eyes lit up. Espio made a soft sound of pleasant surprise, before grabbing hold of the plate so he could bring it closer to himself and stab the fork in to scoop up a bigger piece.
The food was incredibly savory. Espio could taste the buttery-ness of the flakey crust melt in his mouth. There was some sort of spice he couldn’t name that was adding to the flavor of the juicy chicken. Each of the vegetables were soft and easy to bite into, complementing the meat well.
Then, Espio was desperately shoving food into his mouth so quickly that he almost choked. It was like he had only just then realized how starving he had truly felt. Halfway through the entire plate, he had to stop to make sure that he swallowed whatever piece was threatening to get caught in his throat. Espio grabbed a nearby glass of water, gulping it down.
Silver was still sitting in a somewhat glum position. He was resting his elbow on the table, face propped up by his fist. His other hand had it’s fingers tapping on the table’s edge in a fidgety way. He had been watching Espio of course, but the ever so serious ninja finally caving into taking care of his own needs didn’t seem to turn Silver’s mood around as he had expected it to.
When Silver caught the chameleon staring at him, he decided to say something unprompted, “…In the future, edible food is really hard to come by…” Silver’s gaze was avoidant. After a short pause, he clarified, “…Well, in the bad futures, that is…”
Espio paused his eating so he could wait for Silver to continue. That was right. Silver had notably travelled through time on countless occasions by now. The hedgehog had seen futures that had been ruined by Eggman or some other threat to the universe. The way Silver had described those destroyed landscapes made the cities sound like desolate hellscapes painted in flames and misery. That was why Silver fought so hard. It was to ensure a peaceful world for everyone in his own time.
Silver went on, his expression pained, “It wasn’t anything like the food you guys have in this world. Most of this time’s civilizations are long gone… So there are no crops. We’d have to find our own food. And that feels impossible when nothing grows, and you have no time to forage since you have to stay vigilant against the monsters that have overrun the world…”
Silver sighed. “I know what it’s like to go days without eating anything, because all of the actual food has perished and everything you find in the wild is just rocks and dirt or charred grass. The kind of toll it takes on your body… It hurts. It makes you weak enough to where you don’t have the energy to fight or use your powers or even stand up… I know that we aren’t in those futures right now. But I’m so used to having to survive that I guess even in this time, where everything’s relatively safe, I still feel like I’m in fight or flight mode whenever anything goes slightly wrong.”
That was when Silver sat up to actually meet Espio’s gaze. “…Seeing you go hungry to the point where you’re putting your body in real danger… It scares me. And, it makes me really upset to think that you would do that to yourself on purpose.”
Espio’s tail curled up a little tighter, a sheepish grimace crossing his face as he took a few moments to process everything Silver was telling him. It wasn’t as if he had intended on risking his own health by skipping a few meals. But ultimately, that may have been just what he’d done. Of course that would cause his friends worry. “...I wasn’t meaning to upset you…”
There was a long pause before Silver responded, “...I know.”
“...” Espio resumed eating his food. He was trying to take it in slowly now so he wouldn’t choke again. It really was delicious. As he scooped up another piece of the pie with his fork, Espio finally conceded, “...You’re right. I was so concerned about troubling anyone else with taking care of my needs… but I think I failed to realize how much that would impact those around me. My team, and my friends… They all depend upon me. But in order for them to be able to do that, I need to have my body taken care of.” He stopped to take a bite, but then continued to speak with his mouth full. “How foolish I’ve been… A ninja should have remembered to practice better self control.”
That made Silver laugh. It was a delightful sound to Espio’s ears, especially after how bothered the hedgehog had been acting for the past hour. Still giggling to himself, Silver said, “..Maybe eating well should become part of your ninja training. You can’t perform your agile ninja leaps and tricks without fuel. Plus, food gives you energy, makes your body stronger… and it keeps you from acting all grumpy to your friends.” He emphasized his last point by playfully nudging Espio with his foot under the table.
Espio blinked. Then, a smile crossed his face, “...What? I have acted in no such way!”
Silver rolled his eyes, “Yeah right, because you always talk with that annoyed tone you had during training.”
…Espio did remember feeling irritated. At least Silver didn’t seem to be too upset about his sour mood now, “...I apologize for that.”
Silver still had an amused grin on his face. He went back to silently staring. His expression was soft, almost like Espio eating was the most interesting thing in the world to be watching. After a long while, he spoke again, “...For real though, you shouldn’t feel bad if you have to ask someone for help with food. All of our friends want to see you happy and healthy… At least, it makes me feel really happy, being able to sit and eat with you… I want you to have everything that you would ever need to feel good.” His gaze shyly darted, but then transfixed itself onto Espio once more, “...You deserve that much.”
“....” Espio blushed. The moment seemed to freeze itself in time…
Until his stomach gurgled loudly.
Silver laughed again. Espio almost shrunk back into his seat. He could feel his scales changing color out of slight embarrassment, but Silver didn’t seem to mind it at all.
That was when Amy popped her head into the room, “...Oh wow, did he already finish that plate? That was faster than I expected.”
Espio still had a flustered expression on his face, but he weakly greeted her, “...Hello, Amy.”
Amy had walked over to pick up Espio’s plate. “Let’s get you another slice. Plus, I just finished up all of the sides! I have this really great dinner roll recipe, they go great with butter. And, Silver just taught me his signature macaroni dish.”
Silver stood up, “Oh, did the cheese finish melting on that?” He noticed Espio staring, and excitedly shared, “...It’s something that I like making whenever I feel down. Penne pasta, and it has gouda, and cheddar, and fontina, and-”
He was cut off by Amy marching over, gently grabbing his arm to pull him towards the door, “Speaking of- You haven’t had anything to eat yet, Silver!” Her huffed up and faux angry face was sort of cute.
Espio put on a rare, teasing tone, “...How rude to offer me all of this food without having anything yourself.”
After a pause, all three friends laughed. Silver eventually put his hands up, “Alright, alright… why don’t we all get a plate, and then sit down to eat together?”
Amy grinned, “Sounds like a plan to me!”
It certainly was satisfying for Espio to finally be able to eat his fill, stuffing his stomach full until he couldn’t bear to eat another bite. But it may have been more satisfying to have had his friend confide in him. Knowing that Silver cared enough about him to feel genuine concern and want to help him; it made Espio’s mind feel more focused and at ease. He knew it wasn’t just Silver, either. It was all of his friends, as well as his family. He realized that he understood a little better why Vector always seemed to work so hard to provide for both him and Charmy, even if it was a little risky financially. It wouldn’t hurt to accept the gifts he was given.