Vector's Memoirs; The Chaotix That Was (Part Nine)
VECTOR'S MEMOIRS: THE CHAOTIX THAT WAS (PART NINE)
by Foxy Boy
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There's no practical way to prepare for an impact with ice-cold water, at roughly Mach 5. You can only tuck, curse the starting height, and pray your neck doesn't snap like a twig when buoyancy enters the picture.
I felt every painful moment of resistance as I hit the drink. The same scenario made up a hundred dreams through my life, but every replay had allowed me to fight back immediately. No such luck, as water filled my ears, and the reality of shock set in.
My limbs were all but useless. Huge bubbles carried frantic yells to the surface, as I began to think my spine might've shattered. I'm sure heaven heard a grand appeal in my thoughts at that instant; Take my business, my money, everything I owned... But spare me the life of a quadroplegic.
It's doubtful I was under for more than a minute, but eternity would've seemed shorter. My saving grace, was the fact that shock wouldn't let my eyes close... So when the furry arm reached down to snatch me from freezing depths, I could harness my fading energy, and connect with sweet salvation.
I came up choking and gagging on half-swallowed water, mostly in his face. I'd never have thought a pre-teen could be so benevolent, but my less-than-genial thanks went unnoticed.
"Are you okay?" came the obvious question.
"Perfect," I wheezed. "I stared watery death in the face, my paycheck is flying away, and on top of that, everybody seems to be disappointed in me." I spit out the last of a lungful. "I've never been better."
He sighed, in his only show of sympathy. "Well, we'd better get going, before we lose him."
All at once, my near-death experience was forgotten. "Lose him? Fuck, you can't mean we're going after him."
There should be a name for the feeling you get when you see a kid scowl. "That's exactly what I mean. Hang on."
"Whoa, not happenin'!" I halted his takeoff. "You have no clue who you're dealing with; I'm not even sure that I do. Take me back to shore, and leave him to the authorities."
His grip on me tightened; and in just three sentences, the wisdom of a man with five times his life experience came flooding out. "This is your mess, and you're gonna fix it! I don't care how strong he is, you can hold him off until Sonic catches up. It's a way of getting back at him for almost killing you in the first place."
How, in God's name, could I argue with that? Even if I'd wanted to, it was a choice between my revenge, or finding out if he had the nerve to let go.
Needless to say, we were soon cruising over the water that nearly claimed me, in pursuit of a speck on the inky horizon; a model villian.
I was endlessly thankful Tails had the better airborne speed between them. As we followed, gaining ground on him at a snail's pace, he started to bear left. Soon, we'd all done a complete 180, and the glow of the night skyline made a surreal backdrop for a deadly chase.
In a way, my rescue probably hurt us, with two hundred extra pounds for Tails to account for. It ensured N would make it back to the city, where keeping a close beat was all but impossible. With a dragon's reflexes, and the luck I didn't have, he could dodge and wind between high-rises indefinitely... Long after the death of my ride's endurance. Every crumb of logic in my waterlogged brain told me we were in for an endless - and futile - flight.
Which only proves how little I truly understood my enemy.
Two things came to pass as we crossed the barrier between city and sea. The neon glow became brighter, since it all but surrounded us; and N, clearly wise that his lead was growing smaller, glanced back with an odd smirk... And started to descend.
Witnesses on the street below could boast a once-in-a-lifetime view. Over four-lane asphalt, it unfolded like a bastardized runway landing. No turns, rolls, or unexpected moves of any kind; He wasn't even trying to shake us. It put me on edge, with premonitions of a fake out, or other low-brow tactic... So when he touched down, with all the flair of the warehouse entrance, I resisted the urge to run up and proceed with his beating.
The reward for my hesitation, was a horrible pain, from screams pounding my dunk-damaged eardrums - a hellish chorus of fear and alarm from every bystander with sighted eyes. As he turned to face us, gazing down with arms crossed at a reptile of half his height and build, the fact of our difference kicked me right in the balls. And if that weren't enough, my only help had roughly the same use in melee as Dakota Fanning.
I broke out in a cold sweat. Alone, we had no chance of stopping him. And if Sonic or the others should have any delays in making the scene, it was more than likely we had a double funeral in our future. Tails' assessment must've parallelled my own; Standing beside him, it was easy to pick up his panicked whimpers through the roar of a fatalistic rabble.
With my lips trembling, all traces of dying nerve went into the necessary question. "A-any reason you took this to the ground?"
"Absolutely," he returned, barely hiding his pride. "You were always expendible, but it's worth the delay to let you go out in combat. It gives me the luxury of an audience, and you a more honourable death than crunching the pavement. Why would you refuse?"
Sometimes, an honest answer can ease intimidation. My lips - and heart - slowed in their quivering. "Wow, N, I'm really surprised... A thief who understands honour."
I knew the very next instant how big of a mistake I'd just made. "Big words, for a small adversary. I was going to drag it out, so you wouldn't lose face along with everything else. Too bad that face had to include your mouth."
Now, the best luck I've ever held made its appearance, as my gut screamed at me to brace myself. I protected as best I could in two seconds... It was all I had, before the ungodly impact. With my eyes covered, I can only guess that he ran up at full speed and punched the hell out of me. It was like a cannon blast to the temple, and even with gross disorientation, I knew I'd been knocked backwards. Sailing through the air in reverse, by about five times my body length, it was almost worse to feel my ass hit the ground still in motion. Inertia made sure that when it stopped, my head kept moving, and slammed hard into the pavement. Somehow, I didn't black out, so the pain, dizziness and confusion were left to destroy what his clawed fists hadn't.
The crowd grew muffled; it's hard to pick up noise with bleeding ears. I was spread-eagle, facing up, and the edges of buildings blurred like tall glow-sticks. I groaned, and wanted desperately to rub my throbbing head, but the strength to follow through was gone... Along with my hope. Knowing the next blow could easily finish me off, I did the only thing in my power... Apologized in silence for the evil I'd helped to unleash, and for leaving my real friends to handle this insidious tank.
.... And then, I saw him.
He looked fuzzy, of course, with my head still swimming. I could never recognize a face in that state, but once his voice penetrated my hearing, I knew.
"Vector! What happened!?"
My reply was weak, but audible. "... Charmy?"
"Oh my God," he panicked, "Oh my God, we might be too late! If you can hear me, boss, hang in there! We're gonna take him down double for this!"
I was grateful, of course, but one thing stuck out in my mind. "Boss?"
With my sight starting to improve, I could pick out a tiny shred of smile. "Yeah, I'm still your employee!" His tone changed immediately, for the worse. "Oh, no... Please don't tell me you lost your memory!"
"I didn't," I mumbled weakly. "It's just... You've never called me... That before."
"Shhh, you're hurt. I'll get you to safety, while they deal with him."
His face disappeared, and moments later I could feel my arms being lifted. Like any kid, he was weak, and probably didn't see how I'd come down. So I bit my tongue, as the same backside that slid several yards down the street, was dragged further away from the scene.
My recovery had only started... I was aware of nothing but pain until he propped me against a storefront. Sitting up seemed to help, and as my eyes found more and more focus, it was nearly possible to see beyond him, where N was busy with some yellow figure darting back and forth.
"This is far enough," Charmy said, mostly to himself. "I'm not leaving your side, unless I absolutely have to. It took too long to find you in the first place."
For some reason, I felt the timing was right. "Charmy... There's something I need to tell you. It might come as a shock, but I need you to know, since it doesn't look like I'll outlast the night."
"Don't say that," He returned, his voice broken. "You'll be fine. Is it something I can do for you?"
"N-no... I just wanted to tell you that you're..." I paused, as something clicked in my brain. The message I dropped, was changed in the blink of an eye. "... Rehired."
His countenance told me I'd need to elaborate. I didn't exactly feel up to any kind of speech, but with something like that, I owed it to him. "It's a long story," I finally groaned, "So I'll give you the short version. I dropped by the office around lunch, and saw how you'd come and gone in a flash. Made me think you skipped out on the job, and I overreacted." A pause, as a jolt of pain shot through my neck. "Sorry I made a mess of everything."
His head lowered, and he looked off to the side. Anyone could tell he was hurt, but he also had enough sense not to squat where he ate. No angry rebuttal, and his poker face found its way back. "It's alright, but I didn't skip out. I left when I didn't see you."
Now, it was my turn to feel confused. "Wait... You've been after me all day?"
"Yup," he nodded. "I needed to let you know I took over Espio's case."
Instant, well-warranted surprise; enough to make a scowl break through my pain. "And just what was he doing?"
It's a good thing he waited to reply. With focus coming back to me, the scene beyond us had grown all but clear. My fast-improving eyes now widened, as they took in three distinct figures. The yellow one was Tails, feigning every direction to keep N occupied and away from me; the shameless con himself, growling in fury as he lunged and missed time after time; and, at roughly double the distance, our imminent saviour, standing tall and cloaked in something very familiar.
As Charmy followed my eyes, we shared a fixation on this new and obvious hope, and he finally, quietly, forced out an answer. "... Trailing your friend."
One shining moment, and I understood most everything. It was only my injuries that kept me from jumping for joy. Before long, N happened to glance behind him, and easily spotted the figure just making the scene. All it took was one look at the bright orange, to make every bit of his motion stop instantly.
Time, as I saw it, did the same.
So there we were, three formerly helpless screw-ups and our superior enemy, captivated by the presence of someone worthy to take up our fight.
And there's no better sound I've ever known, than when he ended the frozen silence.
"It's always a pleasure to confront a bully."
The aggression of my desk-toss couldn't hold a candle to what showed in his eyes. It was a magnet for N's full attention, allowing Tails to quickly slip away. He joined us completely unnoticed, and we hardly paid him any more attention; like everyone around, we were glued to the pending meltdown.
By now, N's grimace showed he was back on his mental guard. "Unwelcome comments, from nothing close to a fighter. Give me one reason to fear your meddling."
I could count the times I've seen myself in Espio on one hand. Guess what moment deserves a finger.
"My choice of uniform, if you have to ask." Resting his stoic concentration, he held up his sleeves, clearly showing off the material. "But you're right, I'm not a fighter... I'm a detective. And in that spirit, I have a hypothesis to put forward." He paused, to enjoy the horror now forming on N's face. "... You weren't an only child, were you?"
I thought my eyes must be playing tricks on me, as a single tear trailed down the dragon's face. "...Brother..." He whispered, his voice weak and close to moaning. The memory must've been fleeting, as it was the last I would see of his sensitivity.
Espio, of course, didn't waste his compassion. "I suppose it's no coincidence, that tonight falls on the ten-year anniversary of my life in the sacred traditions. It would seem my sensei was even wiser than I imagined... I can think of no better final test, than what he commanded of me a decade past."
N, still coming to terms with reality, could hardly speak above his mournful rattle. "... God, what they've done to defile you..." All of the sudden, his tone snapped back to the way I'd known him. "So much life he never experienced. I had nightmares for years about why he disappeared... But you've made the biggest mistake of your life, in revealing who took him from me."
Espio flashed a rare smirk. "What I took, was a heart just as black as its blood... Your blood."
"Really?" N shot back, with surprising control. "And which one of us praised a teacher who glorifies killing?"
"Only because he knew what would come of you." For no obvious reason, Espio's eyes went to the suit, almost lovingly. "His hands were steady... The skin has never frayed. Imagine what evil the world was spared, with the vessel wrapped safely around its conqueror..." In a flash, his fatal stare was back on the now-sobered beast.
"... And before the night concludes, this trophy will know a companion."
Somehow, it seemed to grow colder. N, fully understanding the challenge, hunkered down in a fierce fighting stance. "Then go ahead," he taunted with a deep growl, "Earn all that poison you're spewing!"
It was easy to think Espio would make the first move, after a speech like that. But sitting helpless away from them, I could only watch as N started in motion towards his new nemesis, clearly trying for the same thing that so painfully worked on me. That was what told me he'd never faced off against Espio... And even before it happened, I knew he was in for a rude awakening.
In the time it takes for a snowflake to melt in your palm, my nimble comrade crouched slightly, then let loose with the highest jump I've ever seen - cruising right over N's head as he rocketed underneath. While the scaly shit-eater screeched to a halt, Espio's jump played out diagonally, ending with his feet sideways against the nearest building. Then, with almost no visible effort, he pushed off into the air again, perfectly aimed toward his speechless target.
His left fist was out and solid as he met N's face. From the dragon's recoil, I knew the speed and angle had closed the gap in their power difference. The next few seconds were nothing but lightheaded stumbles for the unprepared herp, giving Espio plenty of clearance to land while assuming a safe distance.
The afterglow from such an ass-kicking start couldn't last. Soon, N regained his senses, and turned to see Espio in wait with arms crossed, balancing on the pole of a mid-rise's wall-mounted sign. The camera, if I'd had it, would've caught two of the best expressions ever made.
"I deserved that," N commented, no good at faking graciousness. "For underestimating a man whose hands could slay my brethren. I can see you and your employer share little." Ouch.
"Maybe so," came the rebuttal, "But I doubt he would want a twin working under him. What might be his weaknesses," He paused, and reached in the upper pocket of N's fallen kin. I saw the gleam, just before the unmistakeable shape - a fucking shuriken. "... Are my strengths."
I remember thinking one thing: 'Yeah, Espio, shred that bastard like lettuce'. Clearly, I knew nothing about a ninja's methods of fighting, if I'd even been well enough to care. At least in Espio's case, throwing stars were not melee weapons.
Never losing his balance, he swept his arm back, then executed the toss - twenty feet over N's head and more than forty five degrees to his left. While I cringed at N's smile over what we both thought to be a miss, my ears picked up the faint sound of ricochets. They stopped with a yelp - his startled voice, as his body jerked from an instant pain. He bent down momentarily from the impact, showing the four-inch piece of metal lodged in his back. I would later find out - thanks to police scouring the entire scene - that the shuriken's trip, from hand to scales, took it across eight seperate buildings.
N's head came up before his body. Fangs bared, eyes red, and more sinister fury than anything outside of Predator, it was enough to make me worry over the one who was actually winning. But Espio plays nothing by ear, and as he hopped off the signpost back to the ground, his own intensity proved I could watch in peace.
The crowd, of course, wasn't so assured. Most were screaming out of blind fear, which I didn't really mind... If this whole disaster had just flown out of the sky around me , I'd be shook up like the best of them. But with the way things must've looked, there was a toe-to-toe battle blowing up, and I was one of three helpless sit-outs. Maybe if they'd all expected Sonic to show up like us, Charmy wouldn't have learned a passle of new words that night.
The blow to my head was no fun, but I thought it hadn't done much above stunning me. Now that I was close to feeling normal again, my fighting spirit was on my ass, whispering for me to join in. I shot to my feet like lightning, but even before my young bodyguards could snatch me, a crippling spell of dizziness pulled me back down. If you've never had a concussion, count yourself lucky... It has a way of telling you when your actions aren't helping your recovery.
In the meantime, Espio continued to prove skills I'd never imagined. Speed and agility, enough to take on a murderous beast with a score to settle and not suffer so much as a scratch. If N threw a punch, he dodged it completely. When his tail whipped around with ungodly force, Espio never even came near its path of damage. Once, the traitor's jaw flew open, and a white-hot blast of flames leapt out. But what would've been a chameleon corn dog, took to the air with a frontflip, and landed on the back of N's neck, quickly grabbing the top and bottom of his flaming jaw. Through a ninja's well-hidden strength, they snapped shut, and the winged flamethrower's eyes went painfully huge; a nicely burnt tongue. All in all, the city lost two lampposts that night, most of a concrete curb, and a shitload of windows... But nothing with life.
Espio's feet pushed off the dragon's neck well before ten claws would've spelled his doom. The rabble, no longer guided by the instinct of fear, turned their screams into unified chants, and Espio's name rang out repeatedly along the streets and alleys. Even through his amazing concentration, he must've heard the same as I did, as N was soon catching his breath before a smiling assassain. I guess I can't really say I knew it was about to end, but some feeling totally convinced me. I wasn't alone in that, either... Around the same moment, I saw Tails' chest out of the corner of my eye, giving a short, apprehensive heave. Though, it might've been that he missed Sonic as much as I did.
Strange, I know, in light of everything I'd done; but it was that kind of moment.
Naturally, the action wasn't about to stop for a little belated praise; and N's smile grew to twice the size of his enemy's. "It's over," he growled, like he'd given the gift of absolute truth. "We could piss into the wind all night, but the greatest ninja in history can't equal my endurance. All you've managed to do is scrape my back, and Tokyo will fall into ruins long before you ever fool me twice, with anything." A puff of smoke wafted out his nostrils. "I'd sooner die of old age than be made a liar."
Until now, Espio's courage had all but shocked me at every turn... But N had the charisma to make his words stick, and trembling legs are a sure sign of wavering. With Espio sweating and teetering like he was up on stilts, I did the only thing both logical and retarded; I made myself a target, with the strongest voice I could muster.
"But N!!," I shouted, instantly feeling dismayed looks from every side. "You're already a liar!!"
Never have I regretted something more quickly. I knew pure evil, once his scowl had developed, and my only thoughts were 'Oh, shit'. Now, he had license to finish the job he started. Not the least bit worried about Tails or Charmy, I closed my eyes and waited for the bright light I'd be going towards.
An orgy of shouts and cheers made them fly open again. My faith in Espio was restored, in not seeing him there; clearly, he'd recognized N's distraction, and scooted out of sight. A few chuckles escaped me, as I watched the head of an eight-foot blowhard dart in all directions, looking in vain for a master of disguise.
" Any one can hide like a little boy," he snarled, putting close eyes on every suspicious shadow. "I thought you wanted a fair fight. If you don't show yourself, I'll just continue with someone else..." His head swiveled over to me, and I saw the definition of an unsettling grin. "...Like your weakling friends."
Now, was the first time that night I caught something before everyone. Towers were all around us, one framing him as he stood in front of it. No eyes - other than mine - were watching the corner to his right. So, I was faced with something much harder than his fist: not going crazy with delight, and blowing the whistle on what appeared at said corner.
The man upstairs must've smiled on me, as N's search led him to turn around before the crowd would've given it away. Stepping out of the darkness, he - or, it , as he appeared - stood before the honourless beast who'd called him out. To say that N was silent will surprise a few, but nobody who shared a presence there with us. It was still Espio, no question... But it was him after the greatest trick in his far-Eastern arsenal: The Leaf Swirl, a shortcut to the kick-ass trait of invisibility.
N was now unusually silent, as he gawked at a shifting, animated empty suit.
I still think Espio could've stood there for eternity, and never been in danger at all. Everything that made N what he was seemed to fly out of him when he revealed this kind of disguise. I could've had five concussions, and still known the reason; it basically took a magnifying glass to the most gut-wrenching insult of N's life. His fists were down, with his eyes glued to the only visible thing in front of him. The crowd didn't know what to think.
... Until the transparent rascal went upside his temple with a right cross.
A grin never made it to my face more quickly. With N's guard totally gone - and his visual aid lost anyway - there was nothing to hold Espio back, and he was now wailing on the con like there was no tomorrow. Strength I never expected came flowing out of his invisible fists, knocking N's head around with hilarious force. I say hilarious, because all you could see were the weird motions of a three-piece outfit, and a dragon's face moving with the impacts. A left hook, and N staggered back like an old man shoved. A right jab, and several blade-sharp teeth scattered over the street. Blow after blow, without one damn interruption. Literally the best show I've ever seen, since I'd nowhere near forgotten what it felt like when my once-client was still on the ball.
It took two straight minutes, just to chip away at his dragonly resolve. On the semi-final punch, he was still standing, but bent over with a mouth dripping blood. The suit's position told me Espio had his fists together, in the classic I'm-gonna-fuck-you-up stance. With a single raspy cough, N looked up at the last of his brother, just in time to see one sleeve wrinkle as it pulled backwards.
I can't imagine what ran through his mind in that snippet of time, with his focus where it rested. It was clear to both of us he was facing death, and his last thoughts could've been most anything. They'll be his forever; he was beyond speech, even before Espio followed through with an Earth-shaking uppercut.
I saw his head wrench back like he'd been shot through the eye socket. All times prior, Espio had connected just as well, but N's stamina was on its last leg. Deprived of its strength, his body couldn't help but follow through, and he moved like a fan as he fell. Pure luck had shuffled them around in the fray until he was over a street corner, and instead of smooth (but hard ) pavement, he came down on the square bolt of a fire hydrant.
A collective " UGGHHH" sounded through the block, as their audience heard the loudest crunch in the city's history. No part of the moment escaped me, but the truth proved a bit harder to hold on to. Thirty minutes made an otherworldly difference, between sitting on a dragon's back with full trust, and watching blood run down the curb from a four-sided hole in the rear of his skull.
He was gone; and with such a gruesome end, I'd have to say my hate for his deception died with him.
There was a short but clear pause, before the crowd busted out with cheers; if I had to guess why, I'm sure they didn't really know what the hell to think. I was probably among them, in that respect... Everything I'd believed of N was shot all to hell. And as Espio leapt into the air, ending his invisibility, I found myself starstruck like Joe Public meeting Sonic.
But - even as he pushed past the few idiots who scrambled up for an autograph - guilt was slowly creeping in. I knew better than anyone, it had plenty of license to be there. And even though I'd accept disdain, with my share of blame, it would still hurt from certain people.
Once he'd made it to a few feet in front of me, people got the message and backed off. The suit, though still halfway pressed, was flecked with blood from the night's last hurrah. To me, that moment eclipsed all about N I'd once held as awesome. It - No, he - deserved a longer speech of praise than this whole account could contain, but I was beyond woozy, and he didn't seem to mind my silence about the obvious. Still, I had to say _some_thing, so I wheezed one of the few questions I could piece together.
"How long... Did you know?"
He was, as I should've expected, stingingly direct. "About him, two days. His shadow was plastered on a side column in Monday's paper, as an unconfirmed sighting, and my search began. About you, well... When exactly did I get here?"
That made the only time I ever wanted to lose consciousness. Quickly, I changed the subject, hoping he was past any contempt. "I guess you two... Had a bit of history, eh?"
He sighed, with clear and pronounced sadness. "More than he should've seen. I had the privelege of training in Japan, where his family wiped out entire villages. What you saw tonight, was the last of an unspeakable clan." His stern expression deepened to unnerving levels. "They'll be no further discussion, for now; anyone could see you're injured."
Some part of me wanted to comply, but there was simply too much to know... And even with a swollen brain, I was still Vector, the hard-talking dumbass who takes orders from nobody... Even one that's perfectly sensible, from the man who saved my bacon. Despite an ultimatum, and two half-pints who grasped about as much as the growing crowd, I proceeded with the thought highest in my mind. "He changed... From the moment he dropped me, it was like... Watching a different person."
His gaze shot up to the sky as he answered, a sign of his usual distance. "Of course it was. He no longer needed a facade, so why waste the effort?"
When you hear something that penetrating, it's rare to recognize it at the time it's dispensed. One sentence, profound or pointless, stuck harder than any image or memory of the whole night... A reminder of all the easy truths I'd overlooked on the way to destruction. Feeling painfully smaller, I pondered it with a depth that surprised me.
... Right up to the moment Tails busted my eardrum, squealing about overdue company.
It took only seconds to find what he'd meant, with the rabble parting around them like all three were Moses. I would've done something to call them out for tardiness, but half the city beat me to it. For what was likely the first time in their lives, Sonic, Knuckles and Rouge walked through complete, deathly silence.
I never thought I'd be smiling so soon. But with their heads swiveling as they approached, completely blind to why they met no fanfare, I could hardly resist. It lasted until just before they reached us; by then, I'd remembered just how much explaining would have to be done.
Once Sonic was able to tear his eyes away from the silent crowd, and onto me, I could see him cringe... Finding out what he'd missed put clear limits on his bravery. Rouge soon strolled up beside him, but chose to look beyond me. Her eyes grew to twice their sultry average, and two dainty hands barely reached her lips in time to muffle a scream. It was only fitting, after the way my mistake had entertained her, that she should be the first to glimpse his sickening remains.
Her familiar company showed more interest in the scene than disgust, along with a bit of disappointment. As Sonic's focus came back to me, his mouth opened to speak, but I didn't want a moment like that to end on its own. Without really meaning to, I cut him off.
"Looks like we didn't need you after all. Imagine that."
"Tch," Knuckles shot back, arms crossed, as he took his place next to both of them. "So you finally came to your senses, after he knocked them out of you."
Time to give credit where credit was due. "It came a little earlier than that. If Tails hadn't been chasing us, I'd be lying at the bottom of the bay right now."
"Really?" Sonic smiled, giving his other half an approving stare. We allowed the tyke his moment of glory, and the wind I felt on my shoulder told me he was nodding like an epileptic bobblehead.
Of course, with his red-spotted zoot suit, it wasn't long until Espio found their attention... And naturally, despite a trio of faces in shock and awe, he stood tall and with more pride than I'd ever seen. It was good for a minute of speechlessness, leading up to when Sonic snapped out of gawk mode. "What happened!?"
I heard a sigh in Espio's voice, long before he answered... It's a tall order to condense that kind of fight into one answer. But as his head slowly bowed, respecting a teacher halfway around the world, he accomplished it. "I finished what many better than me had started."
For some reason, my head chose that moment to remind me I owed an apology. While Sonic flaunted his confusion over Espio's usual, cryptic style, I came within inches of dispensing it.
And I have one of many loose ends to thank, for not getting to.
The piercing wail of police sirens broke our interlude, as blue lights shined over the shifting bystanders. Two squad cars, coasting through a sea of eyes at the most convenient of times.
Funny, how that works.
Every one of the front doors opened in unison, as their occupants slid out and onto their feet. Three standard officers and one sergeant, none of them familiar, and none of them had a word for any of the surrounding people. The unders were dark-haired, gangly Barney Fifes... Their senior, a redheaded femme-fuzz in forgettable shades. Of course, they headed straight in our direction, with all the pomp and pretense of official business. I know they saw the huge corpse beyond us as they walked up, but any signs of a reaction stayed out of sight. His death was pretty obvious, but just as obvious was the fact that we were in for something entirely different.
They formed a short wall in front of us - protocol, to prevent escape - as the cop_ette_, clearly senior among them, addressed me. "Vector, is it?"
Immediately, I felt six pairs of eyes joining their four. "...Yeah?" I coughed, exaggerating my condition.
Her hair moved an inch or two as she gave the late N a second look. "He is dead, isn't he?"
I nodded weakly. "You're just the tiniest bit late."
Her brow raised on both sides, elevating her glasses. "On the contrary; we're right on time. I hope you're in good enough shape to answer a few questions."
That was IT. After two near-death experiences, half an explanation from Espio and the other assorted bullshit, my control flew out the window. "And just what might they be about?"
Wrong move; N wasn't the only nuisance to change at the drop of a hat. "Well, I think I see how you want this... And I have three backup officers right here, just waiting for you to go out of line." She treated me to the classic cop smirk. "Still want to make things difficult?"
Yes, but that doesn't mean I can. "I'll pass. So what's got the four of you after me?"
Her answer was as deadpan as anyone could imagine. "Sherriff Doones."
Instant flashbacks, to every word out of Doones' mouth over the week past. N was a great con, but even he couldn't conjure up a perfect bait-and-switch. I shook my head, and prepared to hear about how much trouble the paperwork had landed me. "...And what about him?"
Prolonged, unsettling silence. Everything in me wanted to force it out of her, and end the waiting...
...Until she actually said it.
"He was found dead in your office."
To be concluded...