When Ninjas Run

     "Espio's missing. I went into his room to ask him to make me something for my cold, but he wasn't there!" he explained with a dejected whine only a child could accomplish.

    Vector easily brushed off his friend's worries, "Ah, he probably went downstairs to sleep. You know how he says we snore too loud."

     "I'm pretty sure he said it was you who snores too loud," the other giggled, earning an exhausted glare from the croc.

     "I don't snore that loud," he mumbled, and the two trekked downstairs into their small living area. Vector turned on all the lights in the house as they searched, and he too became worried when he couldn't find any signs of his fellow reptile.

    "Huh? Wonder where he wandered off to..."

   "Maybe he left a note or something!" Charmy suggested and searched the house for anything with Espio's handwriting on it. In a house with two out of three guys with indecipherable penmanship, the chameleon's neat handwriting would easily standout.

    "Any luck?" Vector asked, and Charmy shook his head. The older of two was beginning to wake up more and analyze the situation better, "Let's check his room, maybe he left it up there, if there even is a note." Knowing Espio, there was a high chance that he didn't think to let them know if he was leaving or why, unless...Maybe he doesn't want us to know. But why? What would he keep hidden from his best friends? Vector thought. The more he pondered on it, the more he realized he didn't even know that much about the chameleon, other than what he already learned about him since he joined the Chaotix.

    The two detectives quickly climbed back up the stairwell and walked into Espio's room, which was messier than usual, thanks to Charmy's panicked search earlier. They quickly scanned the room, but there was no clue to indicate where their missing friend had disappeared to.

     Vector suddenly slapped his forehead as an idea formed, "Hang on! Let me try callin' 'im."

       Espio flinched, and his skin momentarily changed from purple to yellow as his communicator buzzed. He repositioned himself on the corner of the gas station roof, quickly shifting his scales to their original color. He didn't have to look to know who was calling him. He should've known that they would eventually catch him out of the house, but he couldn't answer. He lifted his scope back up to his golden eyes as his target came out of the small building below him. Time to move.

       "Huh, he's not answerin'. I wonder what's up," Vector hummed to himself as the call went to voicemail for the third time. Now even he was becoming concerned.

    "Oh no! What if he got kidnapped!? Or ran away? Or can't become visible again? What if something really bad happened to him?!" Charmy yelled as he buzzed in frantic circles around the room, coughing every few seconds.

    "CHILL OUT!" the croc demanded and the younger of the two slowed down to a hover. Vector pinched the skinned between his eyes as he tried to think of what they should do next. The bee was close to tearing up, and he really didn't want to deal with that on top of the ninja's disappearance.

    "Come on, Charmy, let's go look for him. He probably went out to get some fresh air or somethin'."

    Espio noiselessly shadowed the weasel carrying a black duffle bag under his arm, keeping himself a few paces behind his target to prevent being spotted. The purple chameleon glanced at the trio of throwing daggers inside his glove and then at the bo staff in his hand. He needed information first, what happened after would be sorted when the time came. The dark gray weasel ducked into an alleyway, and Espio ran to catch up. Now he could stop hiding and act. He scaled up the wall lining one of the ends of the alley, uncharacteristically smirking when his target reached the dead end.