Firestorm Fox

The next day—after a quick breakfast—Eclipse, Rouge, and the Dark Arms set off to further investigate the Black Arms rumors. Crim continued the investigation in the jungle, something Eclipse became much less okay with after learning about the giant snakes and giant crocodiles that lived there. Eclipse had also become grateful that he had landed in a different jungle despite the hardships they had still faced there.

Rouge had insisted on enlisting more help, especially after her injury, but still refused to involve Shadow. She had taken Eclipse to another city, one he wasn't sure he had been to, but they all looked so similar to him. As he was already thinking of his kind and home, the concrete sidewalks reminded him of a Black Comet's stone floor.

Before long, they arrived at a shabby building that looked more like a shack compared to the surrounding buildings. It had hairline cracks all throughout the walls, some covered up with quick patch jobs. A short set of steps lead up to the main door with a sign above reading "DETECTIVE AGENCY". A sign hung on a nail with a string indicated "OPEN".

"Are you sure this is the place to go?" Eclipse questioned, noting the state of disrepair, not that he could say much considering his own lack of a home entirely.

"It may not look like much, but they can get the job done," Rouge assured, having somewhat worked with them before. "Just let me do most of the talking." She hovered up the stairs and opened the door, setting off the bell.

"Ah, welcome! The Chaotix Detective Agency at your servi-!" a large, green crocodile started to say from behind a desk as cracked as the exterior. "Oh, it's just you, Rouge."

"Rouge! Hi, Rouge!" a black and yellow bee in orange excitedly greeted.

Rouge placed the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically and feigned offense. "If that's how you're going to be, Vector, I can always find another detective agency willing to help a damsel in distress."

"More like a damsel who causes distress," a purple chameleon who was sorting through some paperwork countered.

Rouge folded her arms and huffed.

Eclipse decided then to walk in so that they could get this moving along, noting to himself that all three of these "detectives" were amongst those who fought that red creature after everyone had been de-mechanized. This meant that they were combatants. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing for what they wanted them for as he certainly didn't want them attacking any of his kin. "Sounds about right to me."

The detectives' attention all snapped to the newcomer. The crocodile's expression was of surprise while the chameleon tensed up and looked ready to fight. The bee, however, blissfully buzzed over and began to yap excitedly.

"Hey, you look like one of those black aliens!"

This wasn't going to go well, was it?

"They were really mean!"

No. It wasn't.

"You kind'a look like Shadow! Are you related?" The bee grinned. "He's so cool!"

Well, that was new. Eclipse wasn't sure anyone had ever put that together before.

"He let me help him smash up the aliens!"

This really wasn't going well.

"Those spikes look really sharp!"

Eclipse was tense—his tail raised defensively—and pulled away from the buzzing bee. He was half irritated and half taken off guard. This bee—this child--wasn't afraid of him despite immediately clocking what he was and seemed to be excitedly admitting to ending members of his kind—with Shadow, no less.

Eclipse looked to Rouge. "You wanted to do most of the talking."

"Oh, no, I'm enjoying this too much," she admitted with much amusement in her voice.

Eclipse sighed. As much as he wanted to be angry, he couldn't hold this child more accountable than he held G.U.N. and his chattiness reminded him of his own little ones, who he was glad he had told to stay outside. "Yes, I'm Black Arms and we're all related to Shadow and, yes, my spurs are very sharp so don't touch them."

This only seemed to excite the bee more. "So cool! I thought the Black Arms were all dead!"

"Your evil isn't welcome here," the chameleon said coldly, brandishing a kunai in the alien’s face—how did he get so close so quickly? Eclipse leaned back defensively, feeling as if the chameleon’s stare alone could bore a hole through him.

"Espio!" Vector scolded. "Give him a break; he hasn't done anything—yet."

"No," Espio refused, tensing further, his eyes narrowing. "Not this time."

"Anyway," Rouge interjected and casually brushed the kunai aside, deciding to no longer tempt fate or test Eclipse's patience. "I've been investigating rumors of a Black Arm causing trouble, but it's not this one." Rouge gestured toward Eclipse, who simply nodded though his disdain was clear. "I was wondering if you happened to hear anything about it."

Vector crossed his arms apprehensively. "And why should we give you any information freely? We have bills to pay you know!"

Rouge put an arm around Eclipse, his shoulders tensed at her suddenly familiar touch. "This poor alien is looking for any remnants of his family. Could you really be so heartless to withhold information for money?"

Eclipse looked at Rouge, his eyes narrowed and a frown on his face. "You literally set the bomb that blew them and my home up! The only reason I survived is because Death's Eye drug me out kicking and screaming!"

Awkward silence fell over the room. Rouge let out a nervous chuckle and withdrew her arm from around Eclipse, who stepped away from her.

"Well, I-" Vector started to say but was promptly cut off.

"The Black Arms invaded and killed thousands, then planned to use humanity for livestock," Espio pointed out, his words as sharp as a knife.

"Then don't help!" Eclipse burst out, his hands curling into fists. "It was her idea anyway! I'll find my family by myself!"

The darkling spun around abruptly, stormed out, and slammed the door. Everyone stared at the closed door in stunned silence.

"That was mean..." Charmy said, side-eyeing Espio.

Rouge, calmed, was the first to break that silence. "I understand your reluctance, I really do, but Eclipse there was cleared by G.U.N.'s rehabilitation program and pardoned by the president. He also aided Shadow during the war. You don't have to like him, but that loose Black Arm could be a problem for everyone and working with Eclipse means people are less likely to get hurt as he has the ability to make his kind go to sleep."

It was more complicated than that, but that was all they needed to know for the moment.

"I see your point," Vector admitted, scratching his head; it was a lot to take in considering their only interactions with the Black Arms were of ruthless conquerors. "Come to think of it, we have heard those same rumors, but we had dismissed ‘em as people mistaking the Zeti for 'em."

"Shadow took out the Black Comet and G.U.N. took care of the stragglers," Espio further explained, sheepishly avoiding eye contact. "We didn't consider that they could have returned."

"I did!" Charmy insisted, waving his arms around. "But nobody listened to me!"

"Ehhh, if you say he's alright, sure, we'll help him out," Vector agreed. "I just hope he's not too sore about it."

"He'll get over it, especially if you help him find one of his kin," Rouge assured.

"I'll go get him!" Charmy offered and zipped out through the door before anyone could stop him. The young bee flew like a rocket, determined to catch up with the alien. Luckily, he hadn't gotten too far away—just a few blocks. The bee circled in front of him and waved his arms. "Wait! Wait! We're really sorry! Please come back!"

Eclipse stopped, taken aback by the excitable little child and the apology but still upset. "I don't know, I-"

Charmy gasped. "What are those?!" He stared at the five small aliens he just noticed floating behind Eclipse like they were some new toys.

"Oh, these are the Dark Arms, a new breed of Black Arms I bred from Wisps," Eclipse happily explained, most of the details going over Charmy's head. "Like the Wisps, they can grant me special abilities."

"Ooo! Ooo! Show me!" Charmy insisted. He seemed like he may explode.

"No, I- Well, I suppose there is one that's safe to show you," Eclipse gave in immediately. "Cregal!" The bird-shaped Dark Arm flew over and into Eclipse's outstretched arm, disappearing entirely and morphing both of Eclipse's arms into large wings. Eclipse flapped those wings but just enough to hover about a foot off the ground.

Charmy's eyes widened. "That's so cool! You're so cool!"

"Really?" Eclipse was taken aback. Being tolerated was the most he could usually hope for, but this was praise. He only got this kind of enthusiasm from his Dark Arms.

"Yeah. Maybe even cooler than Shadow!" Charmy insisted.

That really took Eclipse off guard. "Really?!" A genuine, wide smile crept across his face and he landed, releasing Cregal. "Alright, I'll come back. Just keep that purple guy away from me."

"Yay!" Charmy celebrated, flying in circles. "Sorry about Espio. He can be a real meanie sometimes, but he's really a good guy."

Eclipse sighed, brought down by validity the chameleon's accusations. "I get it, I know what my kind have done. I just wish people would give me a chance rather than just assuming. But then again… I had assumed everyone on this planet was awful because that's what I was taught."

Charmy lost a little of his excitement as well. "Really? That's awful!"

"Yeah..." Eclipse agreed. "But I know better now."

"That's great! I really hope we can help find your family!" Charmy said, his cheeriness already restored.

Ooooo

Mirage: just waits, maybe goes into power save mode

Warren: waits but will get antsy over time, esp if Veil isn't with him

Mochi: waits but will get impatient

Cinder: waits at first but then will start to deteriorate if she doesn't have water or snacks

Seabolt: laziness helps at first but starts getting irate since he's not being lazy where he wants to

Veil: gets more and more antsy as time goes on, esp if Dr. Warren isn't there

Quartz: will complain a lot

Iveryte: gets nervous stuck in a small sealed room

Abyss: gets nervous at the prospect of people finding him when they get the elevator open

it was fun and wholesome; lots of cool fight scenes, explosions, and fire 🔥

Super Neo Metal Sonic was wiping the floor with Sonic and Knuckles

Shadow enabled Neo to be able to turn into his giant dragon form but that made him defeatable; Shadow made the right move

it feels so awful that it was dropped for the movie; like they said "you don't matter"

my nerves always feel raw, maybe like static

sometimes it's worse and touch is painful, which I had chalked up to sensory issues, but it's to the level of feeling like I want to cry

that time of the month makes it even worse like 11+, esp with water and just air; the air hurts