New Beginnings

Chapter 30 - Too Late

Chapter Text

Something was wrong today.

He could not place what it was, but Sonic figured it did not matter much as he raced from city to city and through endless fields on his morning run. Something felt off in the air, his quills tingling and bristling as he wracked his mind regarding what it could be, and yet he could not come up with an explanation. Everything was fine with Tails and Amy, the speedster having stayed over at the former's place yesterday due to the storm and visiting the latter first thing in the morning, and Knuckles had said nothing was amiss when he called him over the Miles Electric, and Shadow had hung up on him as usual the moment Sonic dared reach out to him also... Moving past his mental list of friends the speedster had decided to ask the Chaotix next, running over to Sunset City in record time and the sting in his quills only worsening the closer he came. Maybe it was just the residual energies of the storm from yesterday evening, but...

No, Sonic frowned to himself as he dashed over the streets and darted around cars, the area where the Chaotic lived coming closer in the distance until he could jump up the porch with a single leap. Something was very wrong indeed.

"Good morning!" Charmy cheered as he flung the door open from inside the moment Sonic placed his finger on the doorbell, the little bee fully dressed despite the early hour. "Hey, Sonic! What's up!"

"Not much, little buddy," the speedster winked back, his suspicion only amplifying by the silence the house was shrouded in. If there was one thing he had learned during the time he had known the Chaotix, it was that the combination of them and silence was very, very suspicious. Sure, he had come here early, and yet... "It's quiet here," he brought up as Charmy opened the door further and gestured for him to come in.

"Espio is still asleep, and Vector is talking to Silver," the bee explained as Sonic entered the hallway, ears turning around warily as the other cheerfully chatted as if nothing was amiss. "They came home really late yesterday – Espio 'n Silver, not Vector – so that's why Vector said we had to let Espio sleep in. Silver's already awake though, and I am too! I can play outside today now that it's no longer thundering!"

Only listening with half an ear to the cheerful chatter the speedster hummed. "That's nice. Silver's already up?" As he strained his hearing he could hear hushed noises from the living room, though the door was shut firmly. That wasn't an oddity in itself, he knew Espio liked to keep it closed to spare on the heating bills, but it only made him feel more weird as his mind wondered what was happening behind it. Usually the detectives knew he was coming before he was even aware of it, but now...

With a huff Charmy crossed his arms next to him, pouting as he fluttered in the air and Sonic tore his gaze away from the door to give him his attention. "Yeah, he came barging down the stairs all upset, Vector said, and that they were discussing grown-up things-" the bee's voice dropped down in a mocking imitation of the crocodile's- "'not meant for my ears'. And then I got kicked out of the living room."

"Heh, that's rough," Sonic agreed, though his usual cheerfulness was sorely lacking. Something was wrong, something was wrong, Charmy's explanation of matters inbetween things the young child considered more important did nothing to decrease his suspicion... "I gotta go talk to them, Charmy," the speedster murmured worriedly as he was beheld with just a bit of confusion. "Can I go in?"

"Of course!" Surprise melting away and a bright grin taking its place Charmy zoomed towards the stairs. "Vector won't ask you to leave since you're older, so that's all fine! I dunno what's going on, but I'll wake up Espio for you, so he can help also!"

"Oh, geez... Don't nag him," Sonic called out after the bee. He could only imagine Espio would not appreciate being woken up in the way the speedster imagined it would go, and the manic giggle that resounded made him frown in sympathy for the chameleon who was about to experience a rather rough awakening for sure. Though, he also immediately decided to not get involved in those matters; he was here to find out just what was going on, not scold Charmy as the other grinned down at him from upstairs.