Chaos Born

The SSSSSS

Vector took a good long look at his notes, scribbled out in shorthand on a slightly crinkled post-it that had lost most of its stick.

"So what we got?" he asked himself, "South Island, Christmas Island...uh, Flicky Island?" He leant back against his chair and almost pushed off Espio who, for some bizarre reason, was expertly perched like the ninja he was on the back.

Omega was doing his level best to not puncture the paper files he was holding in his sharp hands. 

"Records are extremely outdated," he bleeped. He had spent the past hour running through as many electronic files as he could possibly handle in an effort to compile everything anyone knew of the Abandoned Isles. All that effort had not given a very satisfactory result.

"Maybe it can be narrowed down by using newspapers," Espio suggested, deeming that it was safer on the ground, "Sonic's only 25, it's not like this all happened centuries ago."

"The residents of South Island knew of Sonic pretty well," Shadow murmured, leaning against the wall, "Don't see why we can't go back and carry out a little more friendly persuasion to get more information."

"Friendly persuasion?" laughed a bee above him, "You just look at them like you're about to murder them and they wet themselves in their hurry to give information."

Shadow shrugged. "Everyone has their own way of doing things."

"Oh yeah?"

"Silver uses the 'cute' routine by giving the whole 'Oh I'm from the future and I really need your help...' yarn."

Charmy flicked his attenae. "...So he tells them the truth."

"While on a mission, it is an effective method," Omega reasoned, "Not, however, when he is simply lost in a shopping centre."

"And then Sonic..." Shadow's face tightened, "...Well, he just has to smile or breathe and everyone trips over their own feet to help him out."

"Ah," Charmy giggled, "so THAT'S how you became friends with him."

It was incredible how a simple glare could sap the warmth from you.

"Charmy," Espio chastised, "you know better."

Deeming it sensible to put a good distance between himself and Shadow, Charmy buzzed to the other side of the room and hovered beside Vector instead. The burly crocodile was playing with his pencil and leaning on his elbow at the same time. His reptillian eyes casually swept the room from his position at his desk and came to rest on the red shape on the far side.

"The view out the window givin' yer anythin', pal?" he asked.

Knuckles had nestled his head on his forearms, his eyes half-lidded as he remained motionless at the window seat, staring out at the scenery.

"...Guess not," Vector muttered when not recieving an answer. He glanced sideways at Shadow. "We can keep yer idea in mind if this supposed 'in-fer-mation highway' don't give us the goods."

Shadow, on the other hand, was also looking at Knuckles.

The echidna had gone into some sort of slump since discovering that another of his friends was gone.

"...You know," Shadow told him, "it wouldn't take a trained robot two seconds to break that window and take off with you."

Knuckles hardly cared about that.

To an extent, Shadow could somewhat understand.

Knuckles had only ever lived alone before Sonic and Tails had crashed into his world and, though he was always reluctant to say it aloud, he considered them as his closest friends, his own personal brotherhood.