Across the Rift (SNT X Rookie/Gizmo)

Chapter 13: Mysteries at Arsenal Pyramid

Rookie was walking home. He just finished grocery shopping. He opened the door to his house and was surprised to see Shadow waiting on the other side. "Shadow!?" "Which twin?" He asked. "Gizmo. What are you doing in my house? How did you get into my house!" "Anyone who can teleport can break into your house." He shrugged. "Gee thanks for making me not feel safe in my own home anymore." Rookie said annoyed. "I'm here because Maria is hanging out with your brother. I'm waiting for him to come home so I can talk to him." Rookie went inside his house and started putting his groceries away. Shadow closed the door and stood in front of it again.
"You know they're great together." Rookie commented. "They're together!?" Shadow quickly turned his head. "No? But if they were it wouldn't be a bad thing." Rookie opened the cabinet and put some stuff away. When he closed the cabinet he saw Shadow standing next to him. Rookie jumped back a bit. "He doesn't meet her standards." Shadow said. "He doesn't meet YOUR standards." Rookie corrected. Shadow grunted. "Why do you hate Gadget anyway? He's a great guy and Maria is happy with him." "Oh please. Your brother's annoying and.. he's just not good enough okay!" Rookie finished putting fruit away and turned to Shadow. "Look let me give you some advice brother to brother-" "We are not brothers. We'll never be." "No I-" "I will not allow her to become Maria Robotnik The Hedgehog The Hedgehog whatever your last name is!" "My last name's-" "It doesn't matter what it is. I won't let her be with him!" "Isn't your last name technically Robotnik as well?" Rookie asked. Shadow was about to say something before stopping. "Maria Robotnik The Hedgehog The Hedgehog Robotnik your last name then." Rookie facepalmed. "When is he coming back?" Shadow asked. "I don't know. He often comes back later than the time he usually tells me." Rookie said. Shadow went back to the door and waited for Gadget.
Rookie watched as Shadow silently waited. He suddenly had an idea. "Hey Shadow. Do you know how the Phantom Ruby works?" "I do have more intel about it than others." Shadow didn't turn his gaze away from the door. "I need your help with something." "What is it? Is Infinite bothering you again?" "Not recently, But it's not for that. I actually have the Phantom Ruby's powers. I need you're help understanding them." "I guess I can help." Shadow went outside of Rookie's house. "What the!" "What's wrong?!" Rookie went outside. "You have Lantana flowers!" "Yeah." "I love Lantanas!" Rookie looked around for Gadget. "Demonstrate your power to me." Shadow said. Rookie summoned a Null Cube in his hand. Shadow looked at the cube. "Can you make walls and platforms like Infinite?" "I'm pretty sure." Rookie summoned a wall. Shadow knocked on the wall before shattering it. "It seems similar but there's obviously differences in the prototype. Can I see the Ruby?" "I actually don't have one." Shadow was shocked. "You did that without one? I don't even think Infinite can do that." "I don't know why I can. I asked Tails about that and he said he'll help me figure it out." Rookie said. The two suddenly looked at a building at the distance. They saw Sonic and Eggman battling in the distance. "Looks like the doctor is up to no good again. I suppose I should assist Sonic. He'll cause just as much damage to the city as Eggman if I don't." Shadow teleported away.
Just as Shadow teleported away Gadget showed up. "Hey Giz." "How was your date?" "It went great. We went to the Chao Garden and raised some Chao together. Not a date though." Rookie crossed his arms. "Seriously! It wasn't." "Sure." Gadget went inside the house. "Did you get my ice cream?" Rookie walked inside and closed the door. "Yeah. Don't eat the whole thing in one day this time." "No promises." Gadget said cheekily. Gadget grabbed a spoon, opened the fridge and got the ice cream. "Did you get a new job yet?" He asked before he started eating the ice cream. "Not yet." Rookie walked to the kitchen. "You can always join me in the hero business." "I do work better in the background. It could be helpful since you guys always announce your presence." "Blame Sonic and Knuckles." Gadget joked. "I'll consider it. But us working the same job? We are not getting any productivity done." Rookie and Gadget laughed.
"So when are you gonna visit your girlfriend's dimension?" Gadget waved his spoon at him. "I gotta ask her first." Rookie said. Gadget nodded his head. "If you ever need any relationship advice, I'm right here." Gadget pointed at himself. Rookie snatches the ice cream away from Gadget before he could take another bite. "Hey!" Gadget shouted. "Oh please, you? You aren't even dating Maria officially." Rookie put the ice cream away. "Only because Shadow would kill me if I said anything." "So you are dating her." "Jeez is this how you felt? I can see why you were annoyed with me." "Haha. Don't worry I'm not going to push you to ask her out." "I will. You should do something in her dimension for your second date!" Gadget suggested. Rookie thought about it. "That would be nice. But I don't think that's a good idea." "Why not?" "Uhh.. Whenever her powers suddenly activate I notice people's behaviors changing suddenly. I don't think her friends would like hearing that I'm dating her." Gadget looked puzzled. "I don't get what you're saying?" "Nevermind." "You don't have to be worried about her friends not liking you! I don't see how they couldn't. You're basically as much as a celebrity here as Sonic!" Rookie blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Besides they're just our friends but from another dimension, you'll be fine."
Rookie's communicator watch started beeping. The twin's ears twitched a bit. "Wonder who that is?" Rookie went to his room. He answered the call. "Gizmo I found something you might want to know about." "What is it Tails?" "You know how you told me that you have some of the Phantom Ruby's powers even without one. I may have found an answer to why that is. Meet me at Arsenal Pyramid as soon as you can." "I'll be there." Rookie ended the call. "You have the Phantom Ruby's powers! Why didn't you tell me!" Gadget was standing in the doorway and heard everything. Rookie turned quickly in surprise. "I didn't know I had them until recently." "But didn't you and SNT do some combat training or something like that. I honestly thought that was code for going on dates." "I don't know how I didn't figure it out sooner." "Well you heard our fox friend. We gotta go to Arsenal Pyramid!" "You're coming with me?" "Of course I am! We're figuring out your powers together." "Alright then. Cmon." Rookie and Gadget grabbed their wispons set, them to grapple mode, found the appropriate wisps and headed to Arsenal Pyramid.