January, Monday 4th. 32XX
Zackary Square, Cyber City
Early Morning
Akira had gotten up early, made some breakfast while having his phone charged, getting himself ready and locking up his apartment before heading off to go to the campus with his phone providing him the map to get to there.
Having to make his way over there as a relative newcomer to the city and making sense of the city's geographic in relation to where he needs to go. In the back of his mind, he wondered what that gentleman in the Velvet Room meant by what he said. Chalking it up to a case of exhaustion he was having the night before.
On the way over; Akira would spot a crimson vixen wearing an orange and white leotard with matching orange boots, white gloves and having a bright yellow ribbon tying up her hair looking at a wanted ads notice board in a plaza close to the college campus.
Akira pondered on wether to go over to her to ask if she knew which way is to the reception desk to save him the time of looking around for it when he gets there due to hearing about the reception's confusing location or go look for it himself. Weighing his options, he decided on the former.
"Excuse me, are you one of the campus students?" Akira calls to her as he approaches the vixen at the plaza. "If you are, do you know which building the reception's at?"
"Huh?" The crimson vixen turns her head to face Akira and brushing one of her auburn bangs out of the way. "Oh, yeah; I'm a student there. I just sorta flew into town about a year or two ago. Honestly, I did it for the purpose of attending college here since this college gets such good..."
She trailed off a bit, starting to realize she was going nowhere with her introduction there. "...Anyways, I'm Fiona. Yours?"
Akira was almost taken aback by the vixen's beauty when she turned to him but he mentally slaps himself to stay on Mobius and not be distracted even if the vixen's leotard shows she's got legs for days... Now's not the time to be thinking about that Akira.
"Akira." The wolf introduces himself to the beautiful vixen, doing his best to not feel nervous or shy in her presence right now. "I've only moved to this city yesterday. I'm just coming in to get registered, getting a tour of the campus before I am due to start my term here and take the spot of a student that was originally supposed to start here before they pulled out or so I've been told."
"I see. I'm already registered. In fact, I registered last semester and have been attending since. My aim is to learn what I need to learn so I can become a doctor someday."
"I'm studying to earn either a Bachelor's Degree or a Master's Degree."
"Interesting… What are you planning on getting into with those?"
"Haven't thought that far ahead yet." Akira replied as the two starts heading over to the campus together.
"Like I said, I wanna be a doctor." Fiona looks to him. "I wanna help people, y'know? Cure diseases, do life-saving surgeries and all of that."
"That is a noble goal to have. Helping them and assuring them they're in safe hands. Maybe you'll be able to create a cure for those mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns if it's some kind of a unknown neural virus."
"I've been reading about that a lot lately. A lot of people are getting worried or scared. Heck, government officials are starting to wonder if it's something contagious. If it is, we could be looking at a full-on pandemic and this is coming strictly from the perspective of an aspiring med student."
"If it was really contagious, more would have been affected by it than just the victims of the reported incidents and those officials are more worried that their friends in politics would end up getting it before humiliating themselves in public like what's been happening to some of those politicians. Seems to be an neural ailment but one that either seems to affect the brain or cause irrational behaviours and they both seem to happen at random." Akira then taps his chin, wondering about what exactly these mental incidents are being caused by. "An ordinary virus wouldn't behave like that nor be choosy in who it goes after."
"Well, question is..." Fiona said, holding her chin thoughtfully. "If it's not a virus... Then what is it?"
"Some kind of unknown phenomenon perhaps? Sort of like the phenomenon of those Chaos Emeralds or even Apathy Syndrome from ancient times."
"Aye. Then again, things as equally strange as this happen all the time on Mobius."
"None has caused as much death or destruction as it has in recent memory. Even that crisis in Station Square four years ago was just limited to that city alone." Akira says as they arrive at the campus together.
"True." Fiona said with a smile as they entered the campus main building together. Passing by a few students on the way in.
"Know where the reception is at?" The wolf asks. "I hear of students getting lost trying to look for it around here."
"Should be in the administration wing. There'll be signs up to point you in the right direction."
"Alright." Akira took mental note of that. "Anything else I should know about?"
"Avoid the frat house row. Some of the frats are kinda laid back or more into gaming and comics than girls but a lot of those guys are annoying creeps. You have no idea how many drunk frat boy assholes has tried to flirt with me and not getting the hint the first time around."
"No means yes and yes is yes with them..." Akira shook his head with a quiet scoff, looking at it the way Doctor Omega would look at those frat boys. "A few of them with that type of lifestyle are either going to be the supervisor of a Meh Burger restaurant, a worker in a dead-end office job, a prison convict or fall upwards into success and maybe even go into politics. Know how to deal with any that tries to get to hands on with you?"
"Honestly, a good kick to the mommy-daddy button usually works. Other than that, I got this..." She pulled out a switchblade and deployed the blade. Showing it off to Akira before folding the blade back in and putting it away.
'That allowed here? Eh, not my problem...' Akira thought that knife might be against regulations around here. "If they're still allowed to be here with that harassment, having that is as good an idea as any. I should go get registered and see the principal. I'll see you around."
"See you then." Fiona said with a smile as she headed off, tail swaying in sync. Akira watches the vixen leave for a moment before heading on his way to the reception desk.
'Seems like a nice person...' He thought to himself as he left. Unaware that a pink lizard in red was spying on the pair from afar with mischievous eyes.
G.U.N HQ, Central City
Morning
"...You're suggesting these mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns might be all connected?" An ebony hedgehog was saying to a brownish-haired human Agent Topaz as they were walking down the halls with a beautiful albino bat in black, white and pink attire including a heart-shaped chest plate in tow. Rouge the Bat as she's known as by her peers.
"It's entirely possible Shadow." Topaz replied as her and the bat followed the hedgehog's lead. "Nearly all of them were high-profile individuals involved in some kind of controversy, scandal or had thus far avoided legal prosecution for serious crimes they had committed."
"Who stands to benefit from the incidents and how are they causing them? There has to be a causality behind it all." Shadow said as he leads them. "The manner in which the incidents occur and the timing surrounding them makes me believe there's a possible culprit behind the cases. Too well controlled for them to just be an unknown neural virus. Too broad to be a genetic virus with the victims' medical records being across the spectrum from a healthy genetic line to inherited genetic disorders passed down from their parents including one listed as having Brugada syndrome."
"That is very possible sir." Topaz agreed, nodding to his point. Having read into the files they have on the case and coming to that conclusion herself.
"The million-mobium question is however..." Rouge added. "Who is actually behind them?"
"That's what I'd like to know. Finding out will be the real trick if we know where to start looking..." Topaz thought out aloud. "It might even require undercover work..."
"I'd be down to doing that if you aren't sweetie~" The bat said with teasing smile. Topaz just rolled her eyes.
"I could easily go undercover too if the need should arise and duty calls for it..."
They'd make it to the Commander's office and enters it after a knock. Greeted by the decorated interior of the office featuring medals and trophies along with the stern aged face of Commander Abraham Tower; his name written on a table plaque. The current head of the Guardian Units of the Nations and one who has a long history with Shadow dating back a few decades ago as a young child.
"Agent Shadow, Agent Rouge and Agent Topaz..." The Commander of G.U.N says to the three, hands clasped together. "You three know why I had you called here?"
"Is it to do with the mental shutdowns and other related incidents sir?" Shadow replied gruffly with his arms crossed. "Other agents has been talking about it. Having theories about it."
"Correct. I called you three in to assign you a mission in locating information relating to the incidents and if there's a causality between them along with uncovering the methods behind them. Should we uncover the truth behind these cases and determine the source to be manmade; it is your duty to put a stop to it by any means necessary. If it is a virus as speculated; find the formula behind it to reverse-engineer a cure out of it."
"Of course sir." Topaz answered with a nod. "We'll get it done."
"You three along with Omega will be sent down to Westopolis to begin your investigations from there." Tower said to them before directing their attention to a blue uniformed man sitting in one of the seats they didn't spot earlier. "I have the Commander of the Westopolis Branch here with me today."
The man in question rose from his seat and stepped over to Commander Tower's side with arms behind his back. He has a jet black buzzcut haircut, a stern frown on his face, brow furrowed in an arch and a black pair of shades that obscures his eyes.
"Commander Westwood here will be your superior up in Westopolis for the time being and for the duration of your investigation until further notice." Commander Tower explains to Team Dark. "I expect there shouldn't be too many problems between his command and your subordination, yes?"
"If he does his job properly, does not interfere too much with our investigations and let us do our jobs; then there should be no problems between us." Shadow said to Tower to which the latter nodded while Westwood kept an impassive expression at Shadow's remark. Tower knows some foolish officials have underestimated his best agent in the past because they think they know better than the Ultimate Lifeform in their arrogance; something that always ends with an egg in their face and a wounded pride for good measure.
"Commander Westwood, you are to keep me up to date on the investigation and developments made with Team Dark regardless of how minor the reports may be." Tower says to Westwood and added sternly; "Let them do their jobs and you do yours. I do not want to be hearing about a quarrel or dispute regarding either of you. You got that?"
"Understood sir." Westwood replied respectfully. Saluting to his superior.
"We'll do our best, Commander sir." Topaz replied, standing at attention and saluting.
"You're all dismissed." Tower says to all of them and the four left the grey-haired man's office soon after.
"Looks like we got our work ahead of us..." Rouge mused to herself. "Westopolis... What a location. Wonder how it is now."
"Should be largely restored from the Black Arms Invasion." Shadow said to the bat, walking alongside her. "I've gone down to it the other day."
"Hopefully the local boutiques, hotels and especially the nightclubs are restored to their former glories."
"This isn't exactly a vacation Rouge." Topaz pointed out. Shadow walks on, leaving the two girls to speak among each other while he goes off to attend to his own business.
"...I'm just saying we at least have the option at staying at a high-class resort as our mission nerve center." Rouge says to her partner. Topaz sighed at this, running a hand through her hair.
"Well, we'll see when we get there." The dirty blonde answered. "I won't make any promises."
Commander Westwood would rudely brush past the two, carrying himself with an air of seriousness and authority in his steps. The heels of his shoes tapping against the floors.
"What's his deal?" Rouge whispered to Topaz.
"Careful." Topaz warned her, looking over to him. "He's one of the top brass."
Commander Westwood gave the pair a quick glance over before heading on his way like he's got better things to be doing. With how his face looked at the office plus the sunglasses that hid his eyes, it gave them the impression that he's not a very approachable person much like Commander Hugo Brass of the Station Square Branch.
"...You think he heard me?" Rouge asked Topaz once Westwood is out of earshot.
"If he had, you'd know about it." Topaz tells her, speaking from personal experience. "I once served under him when he was still a Captain and he's not one for kidding around. Trust me."
Cyber City College Campus, Cyber City
Lunchtime
"...And that should conclude our campus tour today." Said a student by the name of Terry, a gray platypus that the Principal of the Campus has given the tour duty to when Akira came to his office and made his introductions there. "Was that informative enough for you?"
"Yes it was, thank you." Akira replied with a grateful nod. The pair walking through the halls together.
"Good. You should be alright from tomorrow on."
"As long as I avoid the frat house row."
"That too. Who told you that anyways?"
"Fiona. That's who told me that."
"Wait, Fiona?" Terry looked at him. "You spoke with her?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"Since she started coming here at the beginning of the last semester, guys around here have either tried to score a date with her or make moves on her and she keeps turning them all down. How did you meet her?"
"Met her at the nearby plaza and headed to the campus together. We talked a bit, mainly about the mental incidents that's been going on lately. That's all."
"Heard about that. I've also heard about the troubles in Geno City concerning a gang that's extorting money from your ma and pa shops and among other things like home burglary." Terry taps his chin. "It's been quite a problem for some time but it has gotten to a point where even half of the campus is talking about it."
"I wouldn't know that since I only just moved here yesterday." The red wolf asks; "Any idea of who's behind those activities?"
"Couldn't tell ya. No one there is talking on who's involved and I do not think the police are doing anything to deal with the problem." The gray platypus said to him.
"I heard it's because the police have a deal with them to keep out of their business and they won't go assault their precinct." Said a purple mobian cat that approached the two, joining their conversation.
"More like they've got someone who's willing to overlook their activities. Nothing's being done about it." Terry said, trying to understand the why's of the matter.
"Maybe their leader's daddy is the Chief of Police or maybe buddy buddy with him?" The cat suggested, looking over at Akira for a moment. "Oh, is this the newbie?"
"This is Akira Amamiya. I was giving him the campus tour today." Terry replied, gesturing to the wolf. "He's taking the spot of that student who recently pulled out of here and he'll start attending the campus tomorrow."
"I see…" The magenta cat replied, then introduces herself to him; "I'm Kathy Carrol and I happen to be the resident livestreamer on campus... Or at least the one that got famous anyway."
"Ah." Akira nodded slowly to that.
"Yeah, I'm pretty much this college's only real celebrity. Of course, I use the term 'celebrity' very modestly at that since I'm not like all those other girls online."
"Migu Veruca would disagree." Terry remarks. Giving her the eye-roll.
"Well, what would she know about it?" Kathy waved dismissively. "Besides, I pretty much got the numbers to beat out all those other catties on social media."
"Yeah, yeah..."
"Besides, my recent cosplay shoot was totally fire. I got so many likes on my Violet cosplay alone as well as of my cosplay of Joy from Shenmue XII whom I have learned not many people online would fully cosplay as, so it certainly earned me a ton of likes from fans who were nostalgic for that game."
"And besides..." Kathy went off as Akira nodded and began walking off on the two. "I pretty much coined the term 'Beauty Thief' before anyone else on the platform did and furthermore..."
The red wolf would leave the campus and headed off towards home, not having much reason to stick around at the college any further today. The gang problem in Geno City isn't his' to be concerned about.
Main Street, Cyber City
Afternoon
The city itself was a wonder sight to behold at it's near-evening hour as the sun began to set over the glittery half of Cyber City, a time of day often referred to as 'Golden Hour' due to the golden hue of the sunset against the sky.
He looked up at the golden sights more than he was looking ahead of him and he'd bumped into a brown squirrel dressed in sweatgear along the way. "Sorry!"
"Hey, watch you're going four-eyes!" The squirrel replied back in a grunt, looking a bit like he's ready to have a throw down with the wolf but thought better of it. His gear looked considerably warn down like he's either living in a lower end housing or doesn't care enough about how he looks to the more upperclass folks around here.
'Probably beats people up in his spare time, maybe earn a living for it...' Akira thought, thinking he was a surly one. "Yeah, I'll watch where I'm going next time."
"Good." The brown squirrel curtly nodded before jogging on his way while the city newcomer continues on his day, figuring he won't be seeing that guy again any time soon. Hopefully.
Akira's Apartment, Cyber City
Evening
Akira would eventually make it back to his apartment and turn on the TV upon getting to his couch after taking a prescription. The experience of the Velvet Room from the night before being on his mind all day long while he was at the campus.
'...Who exactly are they?' The wolf pondered in silence. Knowing he won't get that answer now or later unless he does something to be able to return to that mysterious room again.
Akira's phone would ring just then, checking the phone and looking up the caller ID. Trying to think who was it that is ringing him now. The number matched the work number of his social worker Cristina. It was likely a call to confirm their next appointment tomorrow. He took the call and answered his social worker on the phone.
"Hola, Akira." Cristina greeted on the phone. "I was just calling to make sure we were still good for our next appointment tomorrow and also to check in as you do."
"Of course, understood."
"With that in mind, how was today? Better? Worse? In between?"
"It was okay. Mainly just checking out the campus in a tour after I had signed in."
"That's good. Make any new friends yet?"
"Still working on that part. I got to know the know the names of a few students there."
"I see. I think that it's good that you are making an effort to make new friends. Making friends is good in your situation."
"I'll have to if I'm to be living here in the city." Akira said, scratching his chin. "Anything else?"
"I just wanted to check in on you to make sure you were doing okay. In any case, I'll see you tomorrow when I swing by."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then..." Akira then thought of the old wristwatch, mentally kicking himself for not taking it that shop today and having it checked over. "Bye..."
He knows what to do whenever he's done tomorrow as he ends the phone-call and goes to get more of his belongings unpacked in his new apartment. He expects tomorrow to be a simple one...
Author's Notes: Didn't expect to meet Fiona Fox this soon, uh?
In all seriousness, this chapter should be an indicator of what I meant in the last chapter where characters from outside the games could be reimagined to be whatever I need them to be in this universe while trying to keep them as recognisable as possible and in Fiona's case; referring back to her earlier Archie Comics iteration where she acted as a medic for the Knothole Freedom Fighters for those unaware of her origins if they only knew of her time as a member of the Destructix.
Expect me to pull more from the other recesses of the Sonic lore beyond just the games themselves. Even those from the cutting room floors for both series if I think they'd make a good addition to this universe.
This Gadget's name of Akira Amamiya is a mashup of Joker's two real names of Akira Kurusu from the Persona 5 Manga and Ren Amamiya from Persona 5: Dancing In Starlight as well as most other Persona 5-related media; the latter deemed as his canonical real name. This was also written prior to the publication of Sonic The Hedgehog: Winter Jam where it unexpectedly made Buddy the Wolf aka Sonic Forces' Red Wolf Avatar from the promotional materials into an actual character that exists within fiction.
Any questions? Put them down in the reviews. In any case, I'll see you all another time...