Nemesis (Tails x Reader) Book 1

Pt6. The Bad Guy

Morning comes as a shock to you, the sun assaulting your senses as it crests through the trees. How long were you out? Between the chilidog dinner and the straining fight against Espio you had been exhausted, and that's not even considering the power plant fight and explosion prior-

You stretch your back and stand in the treetops, limbering up as you survey the small village. It was hardly bustling, a few folks out and about seeming to be going about their usual morning habits. Mostly elderly and a few older adults moved under the yellow-gray light. It must have been no later than 9am or 10am. Perhaps a disguise would be suitable? It would certainly make moving around during daylight hours easier without risk of anyone recognizing you.

You hesitate for a moment, would it really be an issue if anyone knew who you are? The only one with notable combat ability here was likely Amy. Unless the rest of the Chaotix was based here as well... They were known to move their operations around to keep business coming in so it wasn't unreasonable... Espio said it himself, he's a detective. Should they get involved it could complicate things... Very well then, for now stealth would have to suffice. You look around your surroundings, unimpressed with the underbrush and what you could feasibly turn into a decent disguise... Which was nothing.

Jumping down from the tree you slink into the blind spots of the spattering of people outside, dodging and rolling behind boxes, shrubs, houses, anything you could as you observed the town. Town hall, residential mushrooms... but no they were all too small- unlikely that the space could accommodate a family plus Amy... A mail house- Wait.. A school house. The mushroom houses all blended together after a while, the only real clue you could pick up on is that the further out you got the bigger the mushrooms seemed to get.

Then you see her. On the outskirts of town you duck into a bush, eyes peering out intently as Amy is walking with an older rabbit woman. They seemed to have baskets of flowers, a crown of them adorned around Amy's head. She looked to the woman with joy, the bags under her eyes almost invisible as they depart into town. She didn't seem to have the belt on her, hopefully the time you spent yesterday to antagonize her put enough disgust in her to leave it behind to... Forget about you for a few hours. You slip past their gaze and proceed up the path, a large mushroom house sitting atop the small hill.

Looking through the windows there wasn't anyone in immediate eye shot as you slip your fingers forcefully under the glass, sliding it up and slipping through. You stand at height and survey the room, varied bits of furniture arranged very open concept. Several pictures hung from the walls, the woman and her child smiling in front of several overly colorful arrangements of wildflowers and greenhouses. You go back into analysis mode, narrowing your eyes and piecing together the bits of the scene you could as time rewinds.

The cushions on the couch look lightly used, likely for sitting and talking late last night before bed. Too unused to have been bedding- Amy slept somewhere else. The other two chairs are similar- no. One of them is the same, the other looks as though someone lighter was sitting in it- likely the woman's child. The table has a smear spot on it, seems to be water... Someone spilled- no.. Someone had a cold drink and picked it up... The table has no water damage so it could've been the woman or her child, most likely the kid if she was busy consoling the pink hedgehog.

You move to the kitchen, quickly doing a once over and seeing that it hadn't been used yet this morning. It was too clean for the child to have been through, meaning they probably already went to school. The dining room showed some use from the night before but nothing of note. You glance up the stairs cautious of moving anything or leaving impressions on the carpeted stairway.

A bedroom... The woman's bedroom. No signs of my belt or any of the hedgehog's stuff..
You move to the next room, your eyes lighting up as you look in and spot your utility belt tossed in a trashcan, Amy's hammer lying against the wall beside the freshly made bed. You rush in and grab your belt, immediately strapping it to your waist as you breathe a sigh in triumph. Checking through your pouches it seemed that most of your stuff was still intact, some of your knives missing but that was no big deal as long as- as... Where was the radio!? You pat yourself down a few times desperately searching before your eyes drift back to the trashcan. Small pieces of metal and plastic rested inside, their appearance almost like pebbles as you gaze down. Oh.. I guess I found it...