In the Blue Typhoon

"It looks peaceful out there." Tails confirmed.

"No sign of any Metarex." Chris nodded.

They exchange thumbs-ups. Amy is sipping tea and reading a magazine. Cream and Cosmo are looking out the window.

"It's nice to travel in space when you can take the time to stargaze." Cream smiled.

"They really are beautiful." Cosmo nodded.

Y/N was reading a book while listening to the music Hikaru have given her with her earbuds on. Sonic and Knuckles are playing chess. Knuckles is struggling to make a move.

"Why don't you move your king?"

Sonic stands up.

"Well, call me when you make your move. I'm gonna go for a run."

He runs around the outside of the Typhoon. Knuckles finally decides on a move. He moves his black knight.

"That's check-- wha?!"

He looks up to see that Sonic is gone. The hedgehog is nowhere to be found.

"Where'd Sonic go?"

He sees Sonic run by the window, and carries the chess game outside. Sonic doesn't see him.

"Hey! Sonic! It's your move! ... You're not giving up, are ya?"

Sonic finally sees and skids to a halt, but since there is no friction in space, Sonic ends up floating out into space.

"Sonic!"

Sonic panics as he floats further and further away from the Typhoon.

"That's just great! Sonic can't get back, so somebody has to go after him!"

A moment later...

"Say what? Sonic can't get back to the ship?" Amy asked.

Y/N tilted her head in confusion.

"And he's getting farther away from us every second!" Knuckles exclaimed.

Amy and Y/N cries out in shock.

"What?!"

"We have to go rescue him now!"

"I know, but how will we get to him?" Knuckles asked.

"I got an idea, but first, we need to find a rope."

They take off running.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Knuckles is back outside the ship with some rope and Y/N was standing next to him.

"Hang in there, Sonic. I'm comin'."

"Be careful, Knuckles. Don't go too far."

He nods. Using the rocket thrusters strapped to his back, he flies in the direction Sonic went in. The rope tethers him to the ship, preventing him from floating away as well. Y/N watches as he flies off.

A twinkle can be seen in space as Amy and Y/N returns to the bridge.

"What's the matter?" Amy asked.

"Is something wrong?" Y/N asked.

"We're being followed!" Cream exclaimed.

"That ship will catch up to us soon." Cosmo added.

They can see a spaceship in front of them. The holo-map projects distance between the ship and the Typhoon. Notably, the other ship is carrying the Chaotix' office on top of it.

"Who are they?"

"We can't be sure yet."

"But they're probably Metarex!"

Chris scans the ship.

"Our sensors aren't picking up any weapons on the ship."

"Do you know where Sonic and Knuckles are?" Cream asked.

"Sonic slipped off the ship, so Knuckles had to go take a rocket back and go rescue him." Amy replied.

"Yeah..." Y/N nervously chuckled.

Chris and Tails are utterly shocked.

"But we could have gone after him in the Blue Typhoon!" Tails exclaimed.

"Right now, we have to worry about getting the ship battle-ready. That other ship is definitely trying to intercept us." Chris said.

Cream and Cosmo look back at the ship in front of them.

"What if they board our ship?" Cosmo asked worriedly.

"We'll be ready!" Tails said, looking determined.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It turns out it wasn't the Meterax, but it was the Chaotix's spaceship as Vector and Espio are piloting the craft.

"I wish we knew how to use this ship's communicator. I guess we'll just have to surprise 'em." Vector said.

Charmy is eating a bag of snacks.

"Want a chip?"

Espio looks tickmarked as he yelled.

"Stay out of those boxes!"

"Espio's right. We was hired to deliver that stuff, not devour it!" Vector agreed.

The Chaotix's ship docks with the Blue Typhoon.

"I'm gonna go let 'em know we're here."

Vector enters one of the corridors.

"Which way's the bridge?"

He sees a sign with an arrow pointing through a door.

"Must be that way."

Unknown to him, Chris, Cream, Cheese, Tails, Y/N, Cosmo, and Amy are setting up an ambush on the other side of the door. They are holding a frying pan, wrench, spatula, baseball bat, broom, whip, and Piko Piko Hammer respectively.

"Alright, everybody get ready."

Everyone nods. Chris presses a button that turns off the light in that room. Vector approaches the door and bangs on it.

"Hello! Anybody there?"

The door opens to reveal a pitch-black room.

"I've come to--"

Chris drags Vector into the room, and the poor crocodile is beaten black and blue. Y/N though stops to notice it was Vector with the help of the light outside the door and was about to stop them when Vector already run off.

"Guys, I think that was--"

"We did it!!"

"But--"

"That should take care of 'em!"

Y/N sighed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back to the Chaotix' spaceship, Charmy is drinking from a canteen while Espio waits for Vector to report. The crocodile, covered in bandages and sporting an injured eye, falls into the room.

"I haven't been this beat up since the time we staked out that shark tank!"

Espio and Charmy stand up and approach Vector.

"Really?"

"You mean those guys attacked ya?" Charmy questioned.

"I think it would be better if I handled this."

Espio focuses on becoming invisible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the Blue Typhoon, Amy is standing on a small ladder, repainting the wall. Y/N was standing beside her incase she falls.

"What a mess. It's lucky that Metarex didn't get past us, or it could have wrecked the whole ship."

Y/N said nothing as she couldn't help but sigh. Just then the door opens and an invisible Espio enters. Amy and Y/N sees nothing. Amy paints the figure, causing Espio to glare at her. Y/N notices and approaches him when Amy screams, causing Chris, Tails, Cosmo, and Cream to come running from downstairs.

"Amy?"

"What's going on?"

Having broken into a cold sweat, Amy points toward the half painted invisible Espio who stood there nervously as Y/N continues to stare. They were about to attack when Y/N held a hand out to stop them. Y/N wiped off the paint out of Espio who started blushing at the touch. After a moment of staring, her eyes widen in recognition.

"Espio??"

Espio sighed in relief and turns visible to reveal himself.

"Good thing you notice..."

"Espio?!" Y/N's friends exclaimed.

"What are you doing here? We really thought you guys are Meterax."

"Actually, no. It's just me and Charmy, and Vector that you attacked earlier."

"I knew it! I told you guys!!" Y/N exclaimed.

This causes them to sweatdrop. Everyone is now down in the hangar with the Chaotix thanks to Y/N's immediate realization. Chris bows.

"We're sorry, you guys. Especially, you Vector."

Tails, Cream, Cosmo, and Amy bows as well.

"Sorry."

"It's a good thing I notice. But I'm sorry too." Y/N said, bowing.

"Well, at least it's all settled now." Vector said.

"We forgive you." Charmy smiled.

"It was just a big misunderstanding. Let bygones be bygones." Espio said.

The others breath a sign of relief.

"Why don't you guys help unload the stuff Chris' family sent for him?"

They unload box after box from off the ship. Cosmo hands packages to Amy, who gives them to Tails, then to Chris, then to Espio, then to Y/N, then to Vector, who stacks them. Espio and Vector are carrying numerous packages, especially Vector. Charmy passes them, pushing a cartful of boxes. As Chris picks up the last of the boxes, he looks at the spaceship.

"They sure went to a lot of trouble."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later, Vector sets down the last box in Chris' room.

"I think that's everything."

"Thanks, Vector. I'll do the unpacking and everything else myself."

"Great."

Vector leaves. Chris looks at the boxes.

"Grandpa must have found a way to teleport these things from home. I'm sure Mom and Dad are worried about me. They don't even know if I made it here okay. I wish I could find a way to tell 'em I'm all right."

There is a shot of a photo of a younger him with his parents. It slowly fades out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vector, Espio, and Charmy are walking together.

"Hey!"

They turn around to see Amy and Cream running toward them.

"Wait up, you guys! Don't leave yet! Come have some tea!"

"We've got cake, too!"

"Alright! Cake!" Charmy exclaimed in excitement.

"What Charmy means to say is we must be leaving." Espio corrected, declining the offer.

"Hang on, Espio. These folks are offerin' us their hospitality. We don't wanna be rude, do we?" Vector said.

Espio sweatdrops.

"We're also bringing Y/N along." Amy said, slightly smirking.

"Well... I guess... then sure..."

Vector secretly grinned, knowing Espio is crushing on Y/N whenever she was mentioned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vector, Espio, Charmy, Cream, Y/N, and Cosmo are having cake and tea in the mess hall. Espio will not stop blushing at how close he is next to Y/N as she sips her tea with a smile.

"Vector, would you like thirds?" Cream asked.

"You bet!" Vector nodded.

Cosmo pours more tea.

"By the way, Cream..."

Cream serves Vector more cake.

"Yes, Vector?"

"Creamy, I hope you'll forgive me if I sound just like a nosy old croc, but are you sure you should be playing around in space?"

Cream gets offended.

"I'm not playing around! I'm helping save the universe!"

"Yeah. What is that supposed to mean?" Y/N agreed.

"I don't think Cream realizes what's at stake here, Vector. We're on a mission to stop the Metarex. It's serious business." Cosmo added.

"Maybe it is, but I think Cream's mother wants Cream to come home!"

"You think? Are you sure Vanilla wants her home? Clearly, she trusts her to be on her own." Y/N deadpanned.

"Yeah! My mother doesn't want that. She trusts me 'cause she knows I'm here to help my friends!" Cream angrily yelled, then she smugged. "Come on, Y/N and Cosmo!"

Cream leaves, grabbing Y/N's hand as Cosmo follows them.

"Why did you say that, Vector? Cream's mother didn't tell us to bring the girl home. She told us to check on her." Espio said, looking to where Y/N had gone as she pats Cream's head to calm her down.

"Yeah, that's what she told us, but she was tryin' to be strong. She was really thinkin', 'I'm so worried about my little baby! You gotta save her, Vector! She's too young to be out there all alone!'"

Espio points at Vector.

"Hold on! Cream's mother never said that."

"She thought it, and I'm a detective. So I detected it!" Vector argued.

Charmy starts dancing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Delusional Thinking with Vector!"

"We're takin' Cream with us!" Vector declared.

"But Vector--" Espio said, but was cut off.

"No buts about it! I made a solemn promise to Cream's mom, and I ain't goin' back on my word!"

"You never made any promise."

Espio stands on the table.

"I made a promise. You just didn't hear it!"

Espio facepalms.

"'Cause I made it from the bottom of my heart!"

Espio covers his head in annoyance.

"This is hopeless. I can't argue with someone who refuses to make sense. If I was Y/N, I would completely lose it and put my foot down on him real good."

Vector pulls out a bag.

"I'm tossin' Cream into this bag and then we're gone!"

Charmy is still dancing.

"Just look at 'im go, ladies and gentlemen! He's out of control! There's no stoppin' him!"

What they didn't notice was that Y/N was secrely listening to the whole conversation, hiding against the wall after taking care of Cream. She narrows her eyes.

"Hm..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris types a few buttons on his keypad.

"It doesn't look like we're gonna find any Chaos Emeralds around here."

Tails pulls up a gravitational field reading.

"I agree. Since there aren't many planets around here, the Emeralds wouldn't be drawn this way."

No one sees the Chaotix sneaking onto the bridge.

"Why's that, Tails?" Amy asked.

"Chaos Emeralds are attracted by the gravitational fields around the planets."

Vector sneaks up behind Cream, who notices and smiles.

"I see."

"We'd better search someplace else." Chris suggested.

Vector plops the bag over Cream and Cheese (nobody sees), then waves to the others.

"Time for us to skedaddle, folks. Heheh!"

"You sure you don't want to travel with us a little?" Chris asked.

"We can use all the help we can get battling the Metarex." Amy offered.

"We will fight with you in spirit." Espio said.

"That won't do us much good."

"Keep up the good work! The galaxy appreciates your heroic efforts." Vector said.

"Catch you later!" Charmy waved.

They leave in their spaceship - with Cream and Cheese.

"Well, that was fun."

"Hey, where did Cream and Cheese go?" Amy asked, noticing they were gone.

"Y/N and Cosmo were here too, weren't they?" Tails asked.

"They were here until Vector and his gang showed up to say goodbye." Chris said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the Chaotix' spaceship, Vector plucks Cream from the bag.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Cheese floats out of the bag.

"Chao chao."

"You're going back to your mama." Vector said.

Y/N and Cosmo rises out of the bag.

"And we are too?"

Vector looks surprised.

"How'd you two get in there?"

A shot is shown of the bag. As it is slipped over Cream and Cheese, Y/N and Cosmo runs inside as well.

"You didn't think I was going to let you take Cream, did you? Well, I'm not going to!"

"What she said. And don't lie because I heard what you said, Vector and you are completely speaking nonsense and misunderstanding."

"That's what I've been trying to tell him...!" Espio groaned, feeling thankful that he's not the only one.

"Quiet, Espio! This don't have nothing to do with you, missies!"

Vector tries to grab Y/N and Cosmo, but Cosmo jumps behind him while Y/N flips backward.

"No stowaways allowed on this ship!"

Another pounce, another miss.

"You are taking us back, and taking Cream too." Y/N glared.

Vector tries repeatedly to grab Y/N and Cosmo, but they are too fast for him. Cream and Cheese cheer them on. Y/N jumps and kicks Vector in the back, slamming him against the wall.

"Alright! Give it to him, Y/N and Cosmo!"

"Chao chao!"

"I'm here, Vector!" Cosmo waved her arms.

"No! Over here!" Y/N stuck her tongue out.

"I wanna play too!" Charmy said.

Vector misses again.

"Maybe not."

"Well, don't just--"

Charmy sees something on the radar.

"We got company!"

The Typhoon's claws attempt to grab the Chaotix' ship.

"I'll handle it this time."

Espio leaps outside the sip and throws two shurikens at each of the two claws.

"One... two... three..."

The shurikens explode, damaging but not destroying the claws.

"That kind of worked."

Y/N snickered.

"Really? I thought you are a ninja~"

"I-I am!" Espio blushed embarrassingly.

In the space, Knuckles finally reaches Sonic and offers him a spare jetpack.

"I thought I was gonna run out of rope."

"Thanks a bunch, Knuckles."

Sonic puts the jetpack on.

"Gotta fly! I'll see ya back at the ship."

He flies away.

"Uh... Sonic!"

Meanwhile in the Blue Typhoon

"So can you get it to work?" Amy asked.

"I think, but it'll take a little ingenuity on Chris' part." Tails said.

"No problem!" Chris gave him thumbs up.

Sonic flies outside the window and gives his own thumbs-up, tapping the glass.

"Sonic!"

"We were worried about you."

"Think you can catch a ship while you're out there?"

That has Sonic's attention.

"Vector took Cosmo, Cream, Cheese, and Y/N!"

Sonic has a determined expression while his eyes narrow at hearing his sister's name, activating brother protective mode.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on! Gimme more speed!"

Vector and Charmy are outside, repairing the detective's office that had accidentally been damaged by Espio's shurikens. Sonic locates their ship. To the surprise of Espio and Charmy, Sonic breaks through the window of the house.

"You made it!" Cream and Cosmo cheered.

"Sup, bro!" Y/N grinned.

Vector sees Sonic.

"I don't know what this is about, but Cream, my sis, and the others are comin' with me!" Sonic declared.

"I don't want to fight you, Sonic, but I said I was gonna bring little Cream back home to her mama, and no one's gonna stop me!" Vector refused.

Espio and Charmy enter the room from above.

"Let her go, or you'll be sorry!" Sonic demanded.

"Oh yeah? It's lucky for us you're blue, 'cause nobody's gonna notice your bruises when I'm done whooping ya! Now put up your dukes!"

Vector launches a punch at Sonic, but he dodges.

"Is this what you meant to do?"

He stomps Vector across the room.

"There's plenty more where that came from!"

Espio and Charmy surround Sonic. Y/N sighed and brought out her giant fist whip. She spun it and threw a punch towards the ground right in front of them as it crashes, leaving a dent. They flinched and turned to see Y/N glaring at them. Cosmo stare at her in awe.

"That's enough, you guys. Let Cream decide what she should do."

"Yeah, will you please stop fighting? Don't you understand?" Cosmo said, standing next to Y/N.

"Y/N and Cosmo are right."

Silence fills the room... until Chris enters. He is wearing a spacesuit.

"Cream's mom may worry about her and want her to come home, and we may want her to keep traveling with us. But we don't get to choose what Cream does. Only Cream can decide that."

"Sorry, kid, but you know how parents are." Vector said.

"Believe me, Vector, I do. But still..."

"So what's it gonna be, Cream?" Sonic asked.

"It's your choice." Y/N said, looking at her.

"I want to stay here and help because it's important to me. I'm sure my mom's worried, but I also think she trusts me to do the right thing." Cream declared.

Vector looks ashamed.

"...Espio, Charmy, we're outta here. ... Our mission has been accomplished, guys."

"Huh? Aren't we supposed to take Cream?" Charmy asked.

"We were sent to make sure Cream was okay, and that's what we've done."

Sonic, Y/N, Cream, and Chris smile. Chris ascends the ladder, followed by Sonic, Y/N, Cream and Cosmo.

"Hey, Cream!" Vector called.

"Yeah?"

"Be sure to drop your mother a line from time to time."

Cream beams.

"I will!"

Charmy takes a picture and beams as well.

"See you, Espio. It's been fun. And try to do a better damage than that. You need more training." Y/N said with a snicker.

"Right..." Espio sweatdropped, softly smiling.

Sonic glares at Espio.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Mobius in Cream's house, Vanilla notices that her FAX machine is activating.

"What could that be?"

She smiles when she sees it is the photo Charmy took.

"I miss you, Cream, but I know you're doing something important."

Meanwhile, in Crimson Egg below the deck, Rouge opens a door and enters a room. She is shocked at what she sees in the room.

"No... it couldn't be..."

She is looking at a machine akin to Project Shadow!

https://youtu.be/rvqqp8vH0ok