"I suppose Emmy could have a boyfriend, it wouldnt surprise me if she didnt want to show him to me if she thought I wouldnt like him or something. Though, I thought we trusted each other more than that."

Vibe smacked her sister's arm, provoking a suprised, "Ow!" from Amp.

"Now look what you did!" The longer-haired twin stood up and reached out to pick Ruby up. "Ignore her, Squirt, she's just being a brat. C'mon, you need some cheering up. Let's go shopping. Or get a second lunch. Are ya still hungry?"

Amp frowned, rubbing her arm. "Well, it's true...." she grumbled irritably. "And I am not a brat...."

Ruby happily leapt into Vibes arms, getting herself situated in the girls arms. She was glad they were off that depressing subject so now she could be in a better mood. The Fox looked up at the older girl curiously when she asked what she wanted to do. Ruby paused and thought for a moment. She had not been shopping in a long time and she really needed some new parts for her robots, also the foxling needed some new clothes since a good amount of her clothes got destroyed in the raid.

"Umm maybe we could do both but you don't have to pay for my lunch or anything I can turn into my human form and get money!" Ruby told Vibe, ears flat. "Besides are you sure its okay if I am with you guys despite the fact I live at the mansion?"

((Sorry late night brain hope this works))

(OOC: Sorry for the delay; Brain Block. )

"Umm maybe we could do both but you don't have to pay for my lunch or anything I can turn into my human form and get money!"

Vibe's smile radiated mischief. "Don't worry about money, Squirt. We've got that covered." She winked at Amp over the kit's head.

"Besides are you sure its okay if I am with you guys despite the fact I live at the mansion?"

Amp snorted and stood up. "Chill, Squirt. We're off-duty."

Since Ruby simply went to the school, and was still young, the Twins didn't care much about her affiliation. As long as her sister and her x-dweeb buddies didn't show up to ruin their fun, the Sonic Sisters were content not to go looking for a fight.

Besides, shopping was more fun when you didn't have to deal with badges.

"All right, which first? Food or shopping?" Amp asked.

Ruby was glad that it wouldnt be a problem since she lived at the Mansion. She smiled lightly at them as she contently curled up in Vibes arms. Her tummy let out a growl, a fairly loud one at that, causing the fox to flatten her ears to her head timidly. The girl hadnt meant for that to happen.

"Do you think we can get some food first?" The Fox asked with pleading eyes.

Amp smirked and rolled her eyes when Ruby’s stomach growled.

"Do you think we can get some food first?"

”Sure, Squirt. Your pick.” She followed her sister to the curb, waiting for Ruby to say what she wanted.

Behind them, Vibe’s hypnosis had worn off, leaving two very confused joggers stuck, rather painfully, in the evergreen trees. One of them slipped on a branch, and fell out with a pained yelp. Both girls shared a devilish smirk.

”So, Ruby,” Vibe began as they crossed the street, ”what’ve you been doing while your sis is off being a brat?"

Ruby thought about what she wanted to eat for a moment, taking a good long minute to think about it. Suddenly it hit her, the perfect food for her to eat that would fill her grumbling belly up to the brim with yummyness.

"Chicken Stir Fry would be really nice." Ruby told them with a foxy bark at the end of it obviously very excited about her favorite food.

She did noticed some little boy glancing at Vibe as she walked by with Ruby still tightly in hand. Ruby giggled a little, thinking the boy thought that she was a stuffed toy that a girl Vibes age was carrying around with her. The little fox girl's ears flattened a little upon the mention of her older sister but they perked up when they asked what she had been doing.

"Oh me? I have been building more robots, making modifications to my Robotic suit so I can kick some major tail if anyone tries to attack me and hanging out with some of the other kids at the mansion. Though, there arent many people my age at the mansion, most of them are adults with the exception of the girl that Emmy and I roomed with for a little while." Ruby replied

"Chicken Stir Fry would be really nice."

"Oooo.... another oriental fan. You're alright, kid." Amp grinned.

The girls ignored the looks they received as they walked. This was New York after all; holding what appeared to be a stuffed animal or puppet wasn't the strangest thing to see, by far.

"Oh me? I have been building more robots, making modifications to my Robotic suit so I can kick some major tail if anyone tries to attack me and hanging out with some of the other kids at the mansion."

"Oh yeah," Vibe remarked aloud. "That's right, you're the spark shooter, right?"

"Though, there arent many people my age at the mansion, most of them are adults with the exception of the girl that Emmy and I roomed with for a little while."

"People are actually coming back?" Amp sounded surprised, though the reaction was unintentional. She took the lead toward one of their favorite Chinese food stops.

Moments after Vibe mentioned Ruby being a Spark shooter the fox sneezed, wiggling her tail in distaste. Suddenly the lamp posts lightbulb overheated with electricity and burned out with a few sudden sparks. The Foxling looked up at the damage she had just done with a tiny bark of dismay.

"Yep, Im a spark shooter, whether I want to or not." Ruby replied with a small nervous laugh, afraid she would get in trouble.

It was a habbit she never really got over when she was at Fusionists labs, every time something went wrong she always got punsihed for it. Now, even a year after her realese from there she felt as if she was going to get swated for the smallest infraction. The camps didn't exactly help her insecurities ethier.

Ruby then looked up at Amp upon the inquiry of people returning to the with her ears almost flattened all the way to her head . It was true though, not many people were coming back to the mansion and Ruby could very well understand why they wouldn't considering the recent events in time.

"People are coming back but not in droves. But they will come, places like the mansion and the sanctuary are like beacons of hope for mutants so it would be hard to ignore them. Its a happy feeling someone gets from being around people like them that keeps people coming back." The little one explained in all confidence.

Vibe started to laugh when Ruby sneezed, but the giggle quickly turned to a surprised squeak when an overhead light fritzed and shattered. Ruby's ears flattened.

"Yep, Im a spark shooter, whether I want to or not."

Vibe shook her head. "Just.... try not to sneeze again. I don't want to have to wash glass outta my hair tonight."

"People are coming back but not in droves. But they will come, places like the mansion and the sanctuary are like beacons of hope for mutants so it would be hard to ignore them. Its a happy feeling someone gets from being around people like them that keeps people coming back."

"Yeah, we're hard to ignore all right." A small, and not entirely innocent, smile played on Amp's lips. Given Syn's recent plans, ignoring mutants would soon be a thing of the past.

But she said nothing, and as they approached the restaurant, her smile took on a more normal cheeriness.

They entered the currently empty restaurant. "Marie! Jon!" Amp called out. Vibe remained silent, since the owners knew she was mute, and she didn't feel like explaining her new 'voice'.

A woman in her forties peered out from the kitchen. She glared at the girls.

"No pets! They shed!"

Vibe stuck her tongue out at the woman, who returned the motion and crossed her eyes.

"Maybe not, but that 'pet' is a paying customer. Need two orders of Chicken Stir Fry, and two of Spring Rolls."

"Bah! Not supposed to feed animals fried food. Bad for heart. Jon! Two Chick Stir fry and two Spring Roll. Hurry up man! I not paying for you to laze around!"

A string of chattered replies followed in an oriental language, to which Marie replied in turn. The girls snickered, and took a seat nearby. Vibe set Ruby on one of the chairs while they waited.

Ruby was hopping about on the chair obviously happy about this whole thing. The Fact she was getting her favorite food and she didn't even have to pay for it was just absolutely great. This would also mark one of the better meals she had in months and since is was the fox's favorite it put it on the best things that had happened to her this month list.

The Fox sniffed the table and some of the pepper causing her to sneeze, making the lights flicker a little bit. She shrugged her foxy shoulders a little, surprised that she didn't do more damage. However, now she looked over at the girls, with child like glee.

"When is it gonna be ready?" She asked with the tilt of her head.

Amp seemed to be enjoying Ruby's antics, while Vibe began glancing out the window. She was still smiling, but seemed to be waiting for somebody.

"When is it gonna be ready?"

Vibe turned back. "Take it easy, Squirt. Don't those xdweebs feed you at that Mansion?" she teased, then turned back to her searching.

The smell of frying food began to waft through the air. Pans clanked and clattered, and the couple's conversation raised in pitch and rapidness.

"Not long now," Amp remarked.

"Be right back," Vibe announced suddenly, and rose from the table. Her smile had taken on a subtly different air. She gracefully breezed out the door. Just before passing out of sight of the window, she reached out and took the arm of a smartly dressed man. He turned just enough to show the surprise on his face, before the couple disappeared from sight.

"So, Squirt, how much can you actually hear out of those things?" Amp reached out to tickle the end of one of Ruby's big ears.

Ruby's ears perked up as Amp pet them, and they twitched slightly.

"I can hear all kinds of things!" Ruby yipped gleefully, her tail curling around her small body. "Maybe we should...check to see if the food is ready?" She wasn't sure what to do after Vibe ran off, and the situation grew rather awkward for her. She squirmed a little bit in her chair, and glanced nervously around the room.

Amp chuckled. Even without her hearing, she could all but feel the fox kit's stomach growling. She wouldn't put it past Ruby to start gnawing the furniture if the food didn't come soon.

As for Vibe, Amp could sense that her sister's footsteps had stopped.

Several minutes later Marie reentered holding a large brown bag. The smell of fried chicken wafted through the air.

"Twenty-nine thirty-two," the restaurant owner announced. Amp rolled her eyes.

"Can you say rip-off much?"

"You want food? I want money. We both happy." The oriental woman snickered at her own joke.

"Oh, quit gripping at the woman, Amp." Vibe swept back into the eatery, a smug smirk plastered on her lips. "She does have a business to run, after all." She placed two twenty dollar bills on the counter. "Thank for the inconvenience, Marie," Vibe crooned sweetly, picked up the bag, and took it to the table. She set the food beside Ruby, then handed her sister a small fold of bills.

"Eat up, Squirt. Then we'll hit the mall and get you some new threads."

"And us too," Amp added slyly.