Chapter 4: Breakfast

"VECTOR! VECTOR! Watch what I can do!"

"Charmy! Would you be quiet for a minute! I'm trying to focus over here!"

Shouting voices jerk me out of a restless and uncomfortable sleep. I wince and shake my head, rubbing my eyes. What the...? I get to my knees and stretch sleepily, unfolding my wings from my back and spreading them wide. ...Where am I? I glance around, noting the overgrown grass beneath me and the faded green-painted brick house with a steeply sloping roof not far to my right. Ah! Now I remember.

Yesterday I wandered through the forest for several hours, and by the time I found a path and followed it out it was already getting dark. I found this house, but no one answered when I knocked on the door... so I decided to wait, around to the side... so they wouldn't see me first. I had been hoping someone would show up, but I must have fallen asleep. It's a good thing it's summer, or I would have had an even more uncomfortable night...

"Oops...!"

"CHARMY!"

"Not again..."

I slowly stand the rest of the way and take a second look at the house. Well, it certainly sounds like someone is home... and hosting a professional wrestling match. From inside the sounds of yelling and crashing blast through a nearby window, which is slightly open and high off the ground. I step closer with both caution and curiosity. The window is too high to see through even when I balance on my toes, so I jump up several feet in order to see in. I only glimpse the inside of the house: a tumble of overturned furniture, scattered papers, and a soggy pool of carpet, before my eyes are drawn to the occupants of the room.

At the center of the disaster is what appears to be a green crocodile. He dashes furiously around the room, the furniture careening and papers flying in his wake. Something tan and gooey drips from an upturned bowl on his head down his face and long nose, splattering onto the headphones and thick gold chain hanging around his neck. Keeping just out of reach is someone who looks a good amount younger, an insect of some sort, maybe a bee? Wearing a shiny black helmet and an orange vest, he appears highly entertained with only slight parts of panic and guilt flashing through his expression as he dodges the other's efforts to catch him.

Finally the crocodile brakes to a stop, panting, his face a bright red, and opens his mouth wide. "CHARMY! Get over here!" he roars. The bee only laughs and flies farther out of reach before waiting for the crocodile to either continue the chase or fall over.

In the pause I realize there is another person in the room. Leaning against the wall at the back is what I can only guess to be some kind of a lizard. A short yellow horn points from just between sharply observant eyes, and despite being a rather lovely color of fuchsia, he's obviously male. He's been keeping a safe distance from the disaster, and watches the current standoff with both amusement and exasperation. It's clear he's used to this sort of thing happening.

...Wait a minute. Suddenly I recognize the soft humming sound in the air. I've been up here for over a minute now. I slowly push myself away from the wall and drop lightly onto the grass. A small smile starts on my face, and instead of fading it grows stronger. I...

I was flying!

Before I can think further, a huge crash comes from inside and I hear a door slam open over at the front of the house. I peek around the corner to see Charmy and the crocodile running around on the path. The fuchsia lizard follows them out more slowly and stands near the door, still watching, though now with less amusement and more exasperation. Charmy flies up into the top branches of a tree a short distance from the house, and the crocodile follows him, attempting to climb after him with little success. Finally giving up, he falls back to the base of the tree and bellows up at Charmy. The heat of his anger seems to be waning, and Charmy, who had been enjoying the crocodile's failure at tree-climbing, appears to be taking his demands to come down a bit more seriously.

I close my eyes and sigh. Suddenly I realize just how exhausted I am. My body is trembling from hunger and lack of sleep, and probably shock as well. I look over at the odd trio again and bite my lip, uneasy and embarrassed, but unable to deny that I need their help. And I've been spying on them. That makes me both creepy and needy. I take a deep breath and brace myself before slipping quietly around the corner and pausing a step or two behind the lizard, who chuckles quietly to himself as he watches the others. I open my mouth but can't bring myself to say anything. The blood rushes to my cheeks as I hesitate another long moment, and finally duck my head and quickly turn away before he can see me. Maybe I'll be able to find some berries or something in the forest...?

"Hey."

I flinch and take another deep and shaky breath before turning slowly and unwillingly back around. My face burns so hot that I'm surprised that my hair hasn't caught on fire. I wince and raise my head to meet the lizard's sharp gaze. I'm uncomfortably aware that I've just spent a day and night out in the forest. I must look like a mess.

"Just where did you come from?" He blinks once, as though with surprise.

I struggle for several long seconds to find an intelligent answer before shaking my head in defeat. Instead I wave weakly toward the lizard's companions. "Do they do this often?"

"Uh, yeah." He pretends to not notice the change of subject and turns back to the others.

"...What's the stuff on his face?" The crocodile finally seems calm enough that Charmy ventures back down the tree, attempting to put more guilt into his expression as he goes.

"Oatmeal."

My stomach growls, as though by command. "Sorry." The lizard glances at me from the corner of his eye. My fading blush returns in full force. I drop my gaze and wish that I wasn't reminded of how long I've been without food. I've spent at least a full day wandering around in those trees, and I have no idea how long I'd been sleeping before that... I'm so hungry that the oatmeal dripping down the crocodile's face is beginning to look good... ewww.

"Um..." I force myself to look up again. "I guess I should introduce myself. My name is… uh, Brooke." I had to think again before I remembered my name. That's pretty bad.

"Hello, Brooke. I'm Espio the Chameleon." Espio's voice is low and quiet. He looks over at me again, but I can tell his thoughts are elsewhere.

"So... I can tell that the bee is Charmy, and the crocodile… is he Vector?" I ask softly, waving faintly in the others' direction and wondering if the lizard is even paying attention.

"That would be correct. Brooke, I was wondering if you would like to join us for breakfast?" Now his gaze is direct, the emotion behind his yellow-gold eyes almost... cocky.

"Um," I take a step back in alarm, though that's exactly what I wanted. "I... I couldn't..."

"It wouldn't be a problem, I have a feeling we're going to be making a warm batch of pancakes in just a few minutes. If you don't want to accept free food, I'd be willing to make a trade. You answer some questions, and get pancakes in return...?" In response to my slightly incredulous look he continues. "We run a detective agency, Vector, Charmy and I. If for no other reason, would you satisfy a detective's curiosity in return for some... entertaining company and a good meal?"

I can't help but laugh. The sound surprises me, and I realize I don't actually know when the last time I laughed was. "Okay, I think I can go with that..."

"Alright then," Espio smiles," just let me inform the others that we have a guest for breakfast."

I lean back against the wall to let him know I'm not going anywhere, and he darts over to where the others are attempting to reconcile their argument at the base of the tree. I sigh again as my blush finally burns down, and press my hands against the wall behind me. I glance back up only when the conversation between the three detectives ends and they move back toward the house, stopping in a loose semicircle in front of me.

"Ah, hello," I say quickly. "My name is Brooke."

"Hello, uh, Brooke!" Charmy jumps in first, not the least bit shy and a good deal hyper on top of it. I take the chance to really look at him a moment, seeing just how young he is. He must be under ten, still just a kid. How did he become part of a detective agency?

The crocodile pushes Charmy out from in front of me and steps into his place. "Hey, I'm Vector." His voice is an odd mixture of a low and gravelly voice and a high squeaky one. He still has the bowl on his head and the oatmeal is dripping slowly off the end of his long nose onto the grass below. His chain necklace is covered with oatmeal, and so are his headphones. "I'm the head of the Chaotix Detective Agency." He grins and nods his head, ignoring the bowl as it topples off his head and rolls out into the path behind him, trying valiantly to make himself as impressive as possible despite the circumstances.

"...Nice to meet you." I try my best to hide a smile as the oatmeal continues to drip. Vector's face reddens and Espio and Charmy laugh behind his back.

"Okay, that's enough of that! I'm going inside to clean up, and if either of you so much as think the word oatmeal," Vector turns to eye the two detectives behind him with as much of a threatening glare as can be possibly mustered in such a sticky state," they'll be eating their breakfast of cold slop off the living room carpet while the rest of us are eating pancakes." He stomps toward the door to the house but pauses and turns back to me with a grin, rubbing his oat-bedecked chin with one hand. "And just so you know, my chocolate-chip pancakes are delicious."