Silver & Blaze: Our Story
Blaze, Age 14

October 31st
A bitter wind raced across the Emerald Plains and continued to tempt Espio to fall into a semi-hibernation state. But the chameleon refused willing himself to stay alert and not show anything that could be interpreted as weakness by Shadow. It had been a grueling month for the black and red hedgehog after his violent escape from Prison Island. Evading G.U.N.'s merciless pursuit, fighting only when it was necessary, and trying to keep a low profile with a two ton robot as his newest cohort. E-123 Omega, the only robot that survived of the assault on Prison Island. One part of Shadow's elaborate setup for his "Audition" plan (which included intentionally getting caught) was to utilize a group of advanced robots created by Dr. Robotnik. The E-Series robots, as they were called in the doctor's schematics. An experimental set of highly intelligent robots built with different combat abilities and utilized living Mobians as their main power source. Color coded and varying in size, the robots had been completed almost a year ago yet sat dormant in the doctor's very first manufacturing base. The rusted complex, located in the northern regions of the central Mobius continent, was abandoned a decade ago and overlooked by G.U.N. as "obsolete for the terrorist's current needs." The perfect hiding place for his precious E-Robots. What Robotnik never anticipated, however, was Shadow stealing the machines for his own use. Payback for stealing the hedgehog's first Chaos Emerald two years ago. With everything he needed in his possession (a new Chaos Emerald, a new assistant, and all the "pieces" in place), the devious hedgehog was ready for his final performance in Emerald Town.

"The time is 11:55PM, October thirty-first." Omega said upon Shadow's request for the time.

"Alright." Shadow rubbed together his hands slightly stiffened from the cold weather and long journey. "And you followed my exact orders?" he said turning to the purple chameleon.

"Of course," said Espio. "I followed your directions and placed the Chaos Liquid into the syringe you prepared for it."

At his feet was a sturdy, reinforced briefcase that weighed as heavy as it looked. Espio huffed as he turned the case towards Shadow and proceeded to input the lengthy code on the outer keypad which granted access to a smaller case within the larger case. A chill of excitement tickled the hedgehog as he felt the weak aura of the Chaos Liquid inside the smaller case. Just as the chameleon began to reach for the second keypad on the smaller case, Shadow stopped him immediately. His mouth salivated at the thought of how much energy the contents would emit were it exposed to the open air and wanted desperately to feel it once more. But he knew that Sonic and the Freedom Fighters were in pursuit. Like him, they frequently attracted G.U.N.'s attention so he couldn't risk a huge chaos energy leak giving away his position.

"I believe you," Shadow's voice shook with anticipation as he forced his giddy feelings down. "Let's not ruin this before we get started."

The heavy outer case, made of a special alloy that concealed the energy of the Chaos Liquid, was closed and Shadow took it upon himself to carry it.

"I take it you took the boy far from here once you unlocked the stasis bubble surrounding him?" the hedgehog asked referring to Charmy who was held captive in the abandoned newspaper factory.

"Yeah. He's someplace safe now," Espio responded.

The ninja wanted to ask why the sudden concern for the boy but then jumped to the conclusion that Shadow's heart may have been softened by Blaze over the past three years. While he never became tame and civilized due to the presence of Mighty and Silver, Shadow did progress in showing some concern over the collateral damage his plans may cause. But these moments were usually specific and only towards individuals, never the general public. Progress is progress nonetheless.

As for the whereabouts of Charmy, there was only one place Espio felt was suitable for the orphan. He left the child with Vector in Mobotropolis. An odd choice but the only plausible one the chameleon had.

During the few months he spent carrying out Shadow's plan, Espio managed to catch wind of Vector's location in Mobotropolis. By pure chance, the chameleon heard the crocodile's name mentioned in the city in regards to stopping a string of robberies, assaults, and vandalism being committed by a small group of teenagers. Despite these criminal acts being reported week after week, there was never a serious investigation made by the police thus angering the community. So when the boys were apprehended due to a night watch movement started by Vector, not only did he gain the love of the community but the attention of every large and small news outlet in the city. Hailed as a "hero of the straw-man" and looking out for "places overlooked by the police." Curiosity got the best of Espio and he managed to tail the crocodile back to a small, run-down office that was not only his home but also the location of "Vector's Detective Agency." It was an odd occupation to take up because the crocodile never seemed like he was clever enough to solve difficult crimes. But it was the right fit for his character and proof that he never changed since Espio first met him a few years ago. Open, honest, determined, and willing to step up and fight for the little guys of the world. If the crocodile was bold enough to take the chameleon in when he arrived in Emerald Town starved and broken, he probably had a big enough heart to look after an orphaned kid temporarily.

While the initial greeting between the two was silent when Vector opened the door to his agency, the crocodile eventually smiled and brightened up the mood by inviting the boys in. But the smile was only a natural response to the haggard look Espio had at that point. He had been to the gates of hell and back in a struggle to free his manipulative master. And still had to return to Emerald Town to meet up with Shadow. Vector had no intentions of grilling Espio and just offered up some water to the chameleon and his rickety bed to Charmy who was also exhausted from the long journey.

"This kid needs a home," Espio said while he held the glass of water tightly with averted eyes. "I don't have time to look for one at the moment, but I promise I'll come back for him."

"Uh…that's a pretty big favor to ask all of the sudden buddy," said Vector as he sat in a wooden chair opposite of Espio. "What's going on?"

"I…I can't talk about it right now. But I swear I will come back!" Espio said this time looking at the crocodile with serious eyes.

It had been a few years since Vector last saw the chameleon and what he saw now was no different from then. An adolescent dealing with problems too big for him to handle. Regardless of the company Espio kept, the detective still saw that he was nice guy at heart looking for the right path to walk. He decided to put his trust out there once again and give the chameleon a helping hand.

"Alright Espio," said Vector. "I'll help you out but you gotta give me more to go on than just a promise."

And there it was. The cringing moment the ragged wanderer was waiting for. It was hard enough thinking back on the circumstances that forced Charmy into his custody but it was information that Vector had to know. Espio took a big gulp of his water and retold the inhumane story of how Charmy lost his home. It happened a few weeks after Shadow had taken hostage of Blaze and strapped a bomb to her. He and Shadow were lying low when Espio was spotted by members of the Shinobi Clan from Chun-nan, his former "family." Due to the "Red Letter" sentence placed upon Espio's father and his family and children, they were attacked and the chameleon made the decision to part ways with Shadow and flee for his life. He ended up in a small village of a bee colony several days later where the locals took him in and cared for him. When the other Shinobi clansmen arrived, they viewed the villagers' act of kindness as aiding a traitor and proceeded to destroy the town and kill everyone in sight. Espio decided to stand against his former clansmen and protected as many lives as he could. But the effort was futile. Their numbers overpowered him and, in the end, the rogue ninja could only save one life: Charmy, a child he scooped up in the atrocity and never let go of. Since that day, he never let the kid out of his sight and made a promise to find a new home for the boy…but it wasn't long before Shadow caught up with him again. Even though the ninja had grown in his resolve to fight for what he felt was the right thing to do, Shadow outsmarted him and twisted his emotions by utilizing Charmy as a hostage to get what he wanted. Espio finished his heavy story with a sigh and placed the half-empty glass of water on the small coffee table before him. Vector was stunned at first, but relieved to finally have a better picture of Espio's past.

"So…what's the deal with this 'Red Letter' sentence on your dad? Did he do something horrible to the clan?" said the detective.

"He allegedly poisoned the clan leader's wife," said Espio. "I'm not sure if it's true since I was an infant when it happened, but that's what my mother told me after we came here to Mobius. She thought he was framed by others who were jealous of our high position."

Little by little, the fog surrounding Espio's origins dissipated and Vector felt that his patience was being well rewarded.

"We spent a few years evading the assassins from our clan, myself, mother, and my brother…and then my brother and I were forced to leave our mother. We were cornered in a small town and she fought the assassins to give us a chance to run. That was the last I saw of them."

"Is that why you started to follow Shadow when you met him in Emerald Town? To get some help with those assassins?" Vector asked.

"Yeah. Shadow helped me and gave me advice on how to better use my abilities since I never had a chance to be thoroughly instructed by my parents. I assumed that if I stuck around and helped him out, he'd return the favor in ridding me of those assassins."

"But that kid was nothing but bad news. Everything about him had 'suspicious' written all over! You couldn't have possibly been that stupid."

No, Espio wasn't a fool and he always suspected Shadow had ulterior motives to everything he did. But he never saw those motives adding up to something bigger…not until it was too late to back out of Shadow's web. Their servant-master relationship was the closest Espio ever came to having a friendship with someone. And now that it's deteriorated into something unrecognizable, the chameleon's feelings towards the hedgehog followed suit and also became unclear. But there was one thing he was always sure of.

"I wasn't stupid. I was angry and wanted to fight back against the clan," said Espio. "But after everything I've been through, I just want peace and solitude now…or a quiet death. Either one is fine with me."

The war path Shadow was on now was not a direction Espio wanted to go in and he couldn't live with the guilt of innocent people dying just because they gave him a warm bed to sleep in.

"Heh. That's a pretty grim goal you have there buddy," Vector said in an unusually relaxed tone. "What about your promise to come back for the kid? You sounded serious about that."

"And I meant it!" The air of defeat suddenly lifted from Espio. "I'll come back here after my business is done and find the kid a nice home. It's the least I can do after what I did to his village."

At that point Vector stood, approached Espio's side, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You didn't do anything wrong to that village. It was those pesky assassins who killed those folks."

"Assassins following a code dictated by the clan rules," Espio corrected him.

"Even so! Not…your…fault." Vector emphasized each word with a strong finger pointing down at Espio.

With high confidence, the detective strode over to the window and stood in front of it allowing the sunlight from outside to create a striking silhouette of his muscular body. He held up one finger and turned back towards the chameleon still sitting in the small chair.

"How about we modify your promise," the crocodile proposed. "After you've returned here and found Charmy a new home, you have to join me as a partner in this agency. No ifs, ands, or buts about it!"

It was another moment of speechlessness for Espio but it wasn't out of fear for his safety. It was out of genuine shock of Vector's overwhelming kindness and trust in him. Once again, the ninja wasn't sure why this generous acquaintance was so…generous. He never did a favor for Vector, saved his life, or owed a debt to him. There was very little connecting the two beyond the few days they spent together when Espio was nursed back to health in the crocodile's home in Emerald Town. So what's with the blind trust in a stranger?

"Your habit of extending your trust to me is both unusual and a danger to your health…literally," said Espio. "I just told you about the circumstances surrounding me and your response is to put your neck on the line? Pah! …Idiot…"

Within seconds the bulky detective stomped his way over and slammed a foot down on the tiny coffee table. Espio frantically to grab the glass cup as it bounced up into the air a few inches, a few splashes of water falling onto the floor.

"Espio, I may be a lot of things to others but to me I'm just a gumshoe following the obvious clues," Vector said leaning down on his raised leg that rested on the strained coffee table.

Caught off guard by this sudden cool behavior, Espio remained alert with the glass tight in his hands and warily staring at the grown man.

"You? A gumshoe?" said the chameleon.

"Yeah!" Vector stood up relieving pressure from the poor coffee table. "Back then, just like today, I saw a kid who was going up against something way bigger than he could manage and the situation hasn't changed at all in the years since. I may not look it, but I definitely have a keen eye for these things. You know, reading other people and figuring out what they need before they even realize it. So I'm offering you my partnership. No…my friendship as an alternative to your crawl-off-and-die-in-a-corner plan. Whaddaya say about that?"

And for another moment Espio took in Vector's proposal before calmly setting the glass back down on the coffee table and stood.

"It's too convenient," he said.

"Huh?" answered Vector.

"Your proposal," Espio clarified. "It all seems too convenient for you."

"What's that suppose to mean?" For the first time since Espio and Charmy's arrival, Vector showed genuine anger towards the chameleon.

"When you first helped me years ago, your selflessness was understandable," Espio began. "You were a teenager living with your parents with nothing to loose personally aside from the risk of having a couple of items stolen from your home. Your intuition, while foolish, was at least put to use believing in my innocence. Now, your intuition just seems foolish. Yes, it's a grand gesture of kindness to blindly believe in my innocence but the circumstances surrounding you are different, I assume." Espio walked past the crocodile and stood next to his desk with a small stack of letters on it. "You're an adult and this…'detective agency' is probably your only means of income at the moment. You lack a telephone to receive calls, I've heard plenty of people on the street talking about your actions to stop that group of law-breaking teens but very little about your agency, and the only letters you have appear to be notices on overdue rent payments…and a couple of thank you letters that probably contained a small amount of payment for…finding a girl's teddy bear."

Espio looked at the crocodile unimpressed while tossing the letter, crudely written in crayon, back onto the dusty desk. Vector, suddenly feeling embarrassed for having his financial situation exposed, could only laugh weakly while looking away.

"You may be charismatic but I doubt the community looks at you and thinks 'top notch gumshoe.' So it's safe to assume you're asking for my help just so you can make ends meet. Am I right?" Espio said as he leaned against the desk with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, yeah. Something along those lines," said Vector. "But don't think for a damn moment that asking you out of the blue is some last minute desperation! The fact that you made your way here relying on word-of-mouth and pieced together my situation in a few seconds is proof that my gut is more reliable than you think. Say what you want about me being a fool or an idiot, my proposal to you is a pretty damn good one considering what I'll be gaining when you come back!"

"A lucky shot in the dark," Espio said walking past Vector. "Everybody gets one of those once in a while."

"Not luck, kid," the detective said turning around. "It's all about my gut feelings 'cause they've never let me down yet."

Espio paused and briefly looked around the dusty office with a bare bookshelf, a pathetically spinning ceiling fan, and cobwebs gathering in the dark corners of the ceiling. The chameleon rolled his eyes while shaking his head.

"So how about it?" Vector spoke up. "You join my agency as a partner when you come back from whatever you're doing. And I'll even help you find a nice place for the kid."

Despite the fortunate proposal to work a job that suits his skills, Espio couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty. He wasn't in a carefree position to weigh his options lightly. Charmy still needed a place to live…something more stable than a struggling detective's office. And he, himself, was facing a life-or-death mission of destruction. His higher priority was keeping his promise to the child so Espio decided to roll the dice in favor of surviving Shadow's assault on Emerald Town and breaking free of the hedgehog's iron fist.

"I'll think about it," was all he said.

Espio headed for the exit but stopped the moment his hand reached the doorknob.

"In case I don't come back," Espio began while looking down at his hand on the rusty, faded knob.

"You'll be back. No doubt about it!" Vector interrupted him with his arms crossed proudly. "Charmy and I will be here waiting for you! And I'll probably have my official private investigator license from the city by then!"

He gave one last incredulous look at the crocodile before chuckling and walked out of the agency. Vector was a fool indeed for relying blindly on trust and his "gut" feelings. But a part of Espio felt that such foolishness was what he needed to combat his grim reality.

And that meeting was three weeks ago…which seems like an eternity away now in light of what's to come. Espio shut his eyes and slowed his breathing to allow himself one last meditation before Shadow's grand scheme began.

The trio stood on the elevated rock looking out at the horizon where the mixture of bright and dim lights from Emerald Town lit up the landscape. Omega's visual sensors continued scan and analyze their surroundings. Espio continued his meditative breathing to suppress his cold-blooded hibernation urges. And Shadow looked upon the distant lights in a rare moment of fond recollections. The only fond memories being the moments he spent with Blaze and the unexpected intrigue, amusement, and passion she lit within him. In his attempt to get closer to Silver, he ended up getting even closer to Blaze and became determined to open her eyes to her unlimited potential. He wanted her to see the benefits of sharing a life with him. Experience what it's like to use one's power to sway the choices of others. Develop a desire to see how much she could grow…with the support of a kindred spirit at her side. Power and the ability to use it effectively was the one thing that impacted him the most in his sixteen years of life. It was all he knew when it came to getting things done and this ultimate plan, this "Audition", was the only solution he saw in getting Blaze to truly understand him on a personal level. Spend some time in the places he's been and feel the same emotions he went through as a forced prisoner of G.U.N. If things go the way he expects them to, then in a year's time Shadow will have the opportunity to show Blaze the true face of the world…and express to her other things that are too difficult for him to speak of easily.

"Time," Shadow said once he was done with his reminiscing.

"The current time is 12:00AM, November 1st," Omega responded.

Shadow made the first move and leapt of the rock. Espio and Omega followed and the three dashed off across the dark plains towards Emerald Town.