Act I: AWARE

Chapter I. In Absentia

The rain was pouring down from the skies and onto the grounds of Central City. The Mobian moon shone brightly onto the buildings of the city, coupling with the pelting rain

"En l'Absence", one of Central City's more Gothic towers, stood proudly in the midst of the storm. The door leading to the roof was peeled open, panning over to an Echidna woman as she stood proudly, yet sunken, on the high roof. Tikal stared down at the ground, her tears mixing in with the falling rain. She stared down to the streets, covered by fog, able to make out headlights as their lights stabbed through the clouds.

She can vividly remember the days of working in the crime force. Being a relative to the Sherriff was an easy-way in, sure, but she proved herself worthy. She fought alongside the best the city had to offer. She was intelligent, capable, independent, and most of all, full of righteousness. With her father and boyfriend's death, she couldn't feel the same grasp on those qualities as she once had. To her, it didn't matter how you tried to spin it.

She knew there was nothing to live for.

"It's a lovely night..", Tikal said, her voice choking on her tears. She stared down once more at the billowing fog, her mind running a million miles a second. Craning her head up, she let the rain wash down her face, her tears becoming raindrops with the wind. "I'm done!" she yelled towards the sky. Looking back towards the ledge of the building, she was grateful for a moment there was no protective fencing, as dangerous as it might be. She took careful steps, putting one foot on the ledge. She swallowed, deep contemplation only made these passing minutes more dangerous.

She stopped for a moment. Her mind raced with memories of days on the crime-force. Anyone who ever made a difference in her life seemed to take their own separate part in her mind.

Thank Gaia for them.

She looked towards the sky once more, and smiled. "Maybe the city still needs me, just maybe.." She wiped a few stray tears, though the rain replaced them on her cheeks anyhow. The decision was clear in her head. The ones who were gone would want her to stay too, even if that meant being away from them for the rest of her living days. Even if she had made the decision to keep going, right here, and right now…

Her body plummeting towards the ground was telling a different story.

It wasn't going to help the case of the city who was going to wonder what happened to her. Suicide? Murder? What difference does it make? Does it make any difference?

What was Knuckles going to do? That was his family.

Sonic, Tails, Amy, Sally, everyone? That was their friend.

They'd obviously stop at nothing to figure out what happened.

No one saw her body hit the ground. It was a time of night where no one was on the streets. Except one, who vouched to not get too involved. He called an anonymous tip to the police, who rolled up to the scene. They identified the body, but when the paramedics showed up, the police were in a trance-like state.

And the body was gone.

Central City Crime Force

"Jumped from the top of En l'Abscence." The voice of a stressed Echidna said.

Knuckles sat at his desk as he read the case reports. He rubbed his temple, unaware that the woman who jumped was his close relative, and friend.

"We couldn't recover the body, sir. We - we think it was taken," Amy said, her usually happy voice now filled with sorrow.

"Who would've taken her body? It couldn't of been a passerby." Knuckles responded. "The paramedics would have needed to clock in with any squad cars that were around."

This entire thing perplexed Knuckles. He didn't get it. None of this added up. A woman jumped from the top of one of the taller buildings and the cities, and her body wasn't found.

"Can – can you get Sally in here, see if she has any ideas?" Knuckles said. Amy sighed, her peppy green eyes now drowned by the growing bags.

"On it, sir."

Sally and Nicole had been reviewing the information. Even they couldn't make heads or tails of any of it. Tikal falls, the paramedics provide them with pictures, but the police don't remember ANYTHING?

Unheard of. Either they needed to fire a portion of their squad, or something a bit more sinister was at play.

Once Sally had entered, with Nicole's hologram shining up on her wristwatch, she could see the exhaustion in Knuckles eyes.

"Well?" Knuckles could only pipe out one word, but his tone said everything she needed to know. Sally let out an exhausted sigh,

"Well, if we speak in scientifics here, the probable velocity of her fall, combined with the height of the building, was not fast enough to make her body just become a blood pool." Sally said.

Amy rubbed her neck, a tear threatening to spill. "I – I feel like we should have – done something? Anything? Is – is this our fault? Is this the police's fault?"

"It's no one's fault. Tikal jumped and died, but if her body couldn't of been splattered, then it was taken. I can't make any sense of it, but that was my family. Even if – even if she made the choice to jump, someone else out there had a different idea. That – that was my family, OUR family." Knuckles's voice raised into slight hysterics, but ever so professional and controlled as always.

The room grew tense as they reminisced on the days they worked with Tikal. She was a woman of humble character, headset on achieving justice and safety for the city of horror they lived in. "Whoever is involved in any sort of foul play here, they will be found if it's the last thing on this planet I do. Do we have any idea who could of been involved with this?" He remarked angrily.

Amy and Sally sat down across from him, as Amy slid a glass of coffee across the table towards him.

"I mean – I have theories, but no evidence as of yet to back any of that up." Sally remarked, her fingers lightly tapping on the table's surface.

Knuckles pinched his nose, before sighing.

"I've seen enough of this. Call the investigators. Immediately."

"Come on..." the voice of a young fox said.

Using his pool stick, he aimed his cue ball to the 8, needing to send it into the corner pocket to win against his opponent, and his best friend.

"You're not gonna make the shot, Tails." Sonic said, leaning on the table with a stray cigarette hanging from his mouth. He had been waiting for Tails to finally rocket the ball in, but the ambitious fox was hell-bent on the perfect shot.

Sonic snickered. After all these years, Tails was really starting to grow up just like him.

"You always say that – and I always make it in eventually." Tails looked up, a devious smile sliding up on his muzzle. Sonic turned around, leaning his arm into his head. His eyelids fluttered down, a woozy smile appearing on his face.

"Not always, partner."

Tails scoffed, his twin-tails beginning to spin in succession. "Well – let's see if I can prove you wrong!"

Tails rocked the stick back-and-forth a few more times, before he finally let it loose. The ball, unfortunately for him, had a different plan, as it bounced off the wall, all the way into the opposite pocket.

"Scratch!" Sonic yelled, a little too enthusiastically. Boy can't take being a loser at anything, even pool. Tails grumbled, leaning the stick against the wall. They both had the same goal – get that 8 ball in. Sonic stood upright, whistling a tune under his breath, as he pointed to the pocket he was shooting for.

Sonic aimed steadily and lined up his shot, glancing up at Tails, a smug grin on his muzzle.

For someone with all that talk, if you miss that'll be much more embarrassing.

Sonic made the shot, and while he had a few unchecked nerves, it sped right into the pocket.

Tails mouth dropped on, as Sonic twirled the pool-stick. "Too easy, buddy."

Tails grimaced, before his mouth curled up into a devious smile. "Next round is all mine!"

Sonic rolled his eyes, getting the rack back out. "If you say so – another round, let's go."

Just as Tails was about to accept, a voice cleared it's throat from the door, Sonic and Tails shooting their gazes to Amy Rose, leaning against the doorframe.

Sonic cocked an eyebrow, stepping over from the pool table. "What's up, Ames?"

Amy's eyes drowned in sorrow, and a sigh escaped her lips. She said nothing, opting to just hand them the folder.

Sonic looked at Tails, who's face reeled with confusion and anxiety. Opening up, his eyes widened.

"Tikal... a suicide?"

Sonic let out a quick gasp, covering his mouth. The trio stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity.

"I – I can't believe this…" Sonic spoke up, his eyes threatening to glaze over.

Amy could only muster a sigh, pursing her lips. "I – I know, we are just as upset as you are. She was – she was incredible."

But, the days were getting numbered every minute that passed. Amy straightened up, taking the folder from them. "Look – there – there's some stuff that isn't adding up. Knuckles wants to see you guys."

Tails sat down on a stool, his head landing into his hands. Sonic just stood there, gazing at the wall.

"Gaia – I…" Sonic could feel the guilt rising. When was the last time he had talked to Tikal? Was it when her fiancé died? Her father? Why was it only when she needed someone to say "sorry" that he bothered to reach out?

"I should – I should have spoken to her more often. Gaia – I feel so guilty…"

Amy put his hand on his shoulder, "Sonic, we - we all feel guilty, but we can figure this out…"

Tails looked at Sonic, a small smile appearing on his face, even when his eyes showed nothing but misery

"We always have."

Central City Crime Force

The pair entered Knuckle's office. On their way in, they felt the policemen and women looking at them, their faces contorting with confusion and panic.

Knuckles looked up at them, papers all over his desk and his hands on his temples. The remainder of the crime force was inside, and every eye in the room shot towards the investigators when they entered.

"Stressed, Knuckles?" Tails asked.

"Well, it's been a long night," Knuckles replied.

Knuckles got up, as the trio had a small group hug. They felt some fresh tears from the Echidna make their way onto the investigator's jackets. Sonic and Tails felt miserable – but Knuckles?

That was his family.

"We heard everything. What about this is in particular is confusing you?" Sonic asked.

Knuckles glanced up to them, beginning to read the entire report out loud. Once he said the part about the body vanishing, Sonic and Tails could feel their hearts plummet through their torsos.

"Never recovered? Vanished?" Sonic asked. Knuckles could only nod to confirm his question, not much more energy to speak remained in the Sherriff.

"And no paramedics picked the body up?" Tails asked, shooting his gaze over to Sally. She shook her head, her thumbs twiddling behind her back.

"When the paramedics arrived, the squad that was at the scene were acting very – strange. As if they had no idea what was right in front of them. The velocity and height of the fall was not enough to cause her body to be unidentifiable."

Sonic and Tails looked at each other. Their faces showed that they were silently agreeing on what possibly could have occurred here.

"Then there's more to this we aren't seeing," Sonic said. "Maybe this wasn't a suicide."

The force began to exchange looks, some small murmur cutting through the air. Knuckles shushed them quickly, before straightening up in his seat.

"Are – are you saying-"

"I'm not saying anything sir. But there is a bigger picture we aren't seeing. There's more to this." Sonic responded. Tails could only nod in agreement. "There – there's a bigger picture here – I think."

Sonic rubbed his forehead, before straightening up his jacket. "This is still a suicide investigation of sorts – but it's time we upgrade it to a possible criminal investigation now as well."

Sonic had dealt with people like this. Everyday was hearing about looters, vandals, and whatnot. But – of course the worst of the bunch would make it's way to his ears as well.

Knuckles sighed. He didn't want to think that his cousin could have been murdered, but his job demanded him to face the reality of the world he lives in sometimes.

"This girl was a fighter. She was noble. If what you're saying is true, she didn't go down without a fight. No way."

Sonic and Tails smiled, nodding to the Echidna. "Then let us get a hold on this."

Knuckles smiled his first smile all night, nodding back to them.

"Good luck detectives."