Act 2-3 Casino Night

Sonic and Tails are in the attic running around and picking things up, placing them inside an overwhelmed bag.

Sonic: "Did you grab the coat?"

Tails: "Yeah, it's right here. Did you get the swimming suits?"

Sonic: "Yeah. Tom's daughter had three. Hopefully your tails won't get in the way in Rome. Did you get ping pong table?"

Tails: "I doubt it will fit."

Sonic: "Take it just in case we need it."

We cut to the kitchen where Tom is searching for something in his computer. His wife and daughter show up standing beside him.

Wife: "So you seem focused. What are you looking for?", Tom sighs.

Tom: "I'm trying to find if there are any cheap flights to Las Vegas as well as some nice hotel that can accomodate an hedgehog and a fox.", His wife giggles.

Wife: "I doubt you will find something like that."

Tom: "Oh, I don't know. Kayak has everything you're looking for. It's a website where you can find any room or flight at the best prices. It can even..."

Sonic: "Why are you guys talking like that? It almost sounds like an ad.", Sonic comments as he enters the room while holding an enormous suitcase with the help of Tails. Tom frowns.

Tom: "Well, it's not easy finding flights that take mutated animals with them. I have an alternative in Crazy Carl's garage, but..."

Sonic: "We don't need anything like that.", Sonic picks up a ring from inside the small bag showing it to them. "We have these. We can travel anywhere in the world."

Tom: "Oh...", Tom looks at his wife. "We're never going to get used to them are we?"

Wife: "Well, I don't think we're supposed to."

Sonic: "Are you guys ready?"

Tom: "Ready? Wait, you want to go now? At least let me get my wallet.", Tom hurries to the main entrance as Sonic drops the suitcase and says:

Sonic: "Las Vegas, Casino Nights", He grabs the ring from his pouch and throws it forward creating a portal. He picks the suitcase back up, but Tom's wife interjects.

Wife: "You're not taking that along."

Sonic: "Oh come on! What if I have the sudden urge to play ping pong, where else will I get the table?"

Wife: "You fit the ping pong table in there? How did you..."

Tails: "We should probably just do what she says."

Sonic: "Fine.", He drops the suitcase once more, quickly opening it up and taking some essentials, a jacket and a cowboy hat. Tails takes out his radar only. "Let's hurry. The portal is almost closing.", Tom comes running hurriedly putting his wallet in his pocket, as they all enter the ring together.

They appear in Las Vegas in front of a well lit fountain with waters reaching the size of skysrapers. Ahead is an enormous building with its name on top saying, "Casino Nights Hotel". Sonic starts running around all excited, trying to look for anything fun. Tails looks at the radar, seeing a clear green ball.

Tails: "It's definitely in there. Hopefully it won't be too hard to get it."

Tom: "Now that you mention it, we're going to have to steal it won't we? Or is it underground?"

Tails: "It's definitely at surface level. Something that valuable and shiny in such an exuberant place..."

Sonic: "It's definitely the prize to some game. Come on, let's go everyone!"

Sonic goes ahead with the cowboy hat on his head, and the jacket over his shoulder. Unfortunately the jacket his moving across the ground due to Sonic's small size, so Tom decides to pick it up.

Tom: "You two can't enter like that. People will freak out."

Sonic: "Why do you think I brought the jacket? Not only will it serve to hide us two, but it will make it seem like we're an adult. Otherwise we wouldn't enter the casino.", Tom, his wife and daughter look at him in silence.

Wife: "You actually thought this through."

Sonic: "Why are you all so surprised?", Sonic gets on top of Tails, as Tom puts the jacket on them. With the cowboy hat on, Sonic asks: "Hey Tom, do you remember when we went to that motards bar?"

Tom: "Yeah, let's hope the same doesn't happen here."

The daughter starts getting excited.

Daughter: "Dad, give me your jacket. I want to go to the casino too."

Tom: "You know that's not how it works."

They move towards the entrance amazed by the lights and the size of the hotel. Everyone enters it, and the entrance to the casino becomes visible.

Sonic: "Come on, we have no time to waste."

Wife: "You guys have fun. We'll go rent a room.", The wife and a grumpy daughter head towards the check-in.

Tom: "Ok. Make sure it's not too expensive!", He looks at Sonic and Tails. "You guys go ahead."

They reach the entrance where two gurads are stationed. One asks:

Guard: "Welcome sir. What is your name and age, please so that I may assign you your chips.", Sonic begins wondering. They didn't think this far ahead.

Sonic: "Humm... I'm... thirty and my name is humm..."

Tom: "Maurice Wentworth. I'm his best pal, we came together."

Guard: "Okay sure. All I need now is the 50 dollar entrance fee.", Tom reluctantly gives the money to Sonic and pays for his own entrance. They begin walking around seeing the multiple chance games around. One person hits the jackpot, other loses everything in blackjack, etc. Sonic sighs:

Sonic: "Maurice Wentworth? What kind of lame name is that?"

Tom: "Hey, my first thought was Olgiville, so you got lucky. Let's just try to avoid spending more money today. Tails, where do we go?"

We see Tails inside the jacket looking around his radar with Sonic on his shoulders. Some waiters walking around notice two tails coming out of the end of the jacket, getting surprised by it.

Tails: "Keep heading forward and then right."

They walk around for a bit before reaching another entrance, this time with the name "High Stakes Poker" written on the top. A man appears to welcome Tom, and asks:

Announcer: "It seems we have someone interested here. Do you wish to participate in this game of texas hold'em? We have a one in a lifetime award this time."

Tom: "I've heard you had an emerald of sorts here."

Announcer: "Then you are quite knowledgeable, sir. For the first time ever we have an artefact, only recently found in the ruins of a lost palace, a dark purple emerald.", A glimmer of light appears from the protective glass around the emerald inside the room. Tom frowns.

Tom: "That sounds illegal."

Announcer: "Oh do not worry sir. I promise you we got this emerald through completely legal ways. What do you say? Would you like to try?", Tom takes a step back to discuss with Sonic and Tails.

Tom: "They clearly got that emerald illegally. I might be able to confiscate it with my badge, however with all the security here, it's too risky to do so without backup."

Sonic: "Why don't you win it by playing?"

Tom: "What? I won't deny that I'm pretty good at it, but I don't have the luck for this."

Tails: "This poker game. How do you win it?"

Tom: "Whoever has the best cards wins. It's a lot more complicated than that, but..."

Tails: "I'll help you."

Sonic and Tom: "What?"

Tails: "I feel like I haven't been much help in this adventure. I don't want to be a bother."

Sonic: "Oh buddy, it's nothing like that."

Tails: "Let me do this." , Tails looks at Sonic with determination.

Sonic: "Fine."

Tom: "I feel like I should be the one agreeing not you."

We cut to the middle of the poker game as the cards get distributed. Tom thinks. 'How did I get myself into this?'. Due to the lights being focused on the table, as the rest of the room is in a shadow, Tails is able to hold himself against the wall unnoticed, seeing the game from the very top, where he stays still with his Tails stuck above the light. As long as he stays still no one should notice his presence. Meanwhile Sonic is with is hat sitting in front of roulette machine with the chips he received from the entrance. He thinks boringly. 'How did I get myself into this?'. The announcer of the high stakes poker game tells them:

Announcer: "We will now start the Texas Hold'em. Remember the prize is a pure purple emerald, worth millions. Trust on your luck to win it, and don't cheat. If you do so, and we find out someone assisted you we will be forced to rid you and the assistant of your money, or worse."

The announcer reveals a small knife in a threathening way, as some players start worrying. Tails starts shaking and thinks 'How did I get myself into this?'. The game officially begins as palyers start picking up their cards. Tails flies around at superspeed and returns back to his place after being able to see everyone's cards He starts pointing at them saying quietly to himself:

Tails: " 4 of hearts, 9 of spades, king of clubs...", He begins memorizing all the cards played, and by the time the third round starts, when Tom looks at him Tails gives him the signal to fold. We get a montage of the game proceeding as every decision Tails makes proves to be the right one. However, every time Tails grabs on to the light, it seems to start cracking under his weight. By the end we have only Tom and two other players left. Tom looks at his cards unsure of what to do. Tails has his hand on his chin thinking what the best move is, however we focus mostly on the light's poor condition. Once Tails figures it out, the light falls hitting the table and revealing Tails to everyone.

Announcer,: "What...What is that?"

Tom: "Something just had to go wrong.", He heads towards the emerald's glass case, breaking it with his elbow and picking it up. He leaves the room, not before grabbing Tails, unfortunately the guards start running after him, as the casino closes.

Sonic is on his last chip, annoyed to be left on the sidelines, before realizing the trouble Tom is in. He smirks.

Sonic: "Finally, some good old fun."