Anton's Palace, Metaverse
Afternoon
"...Before we go into the Palace, I think we should start taking up codenames from now on when we're in the Metaverse." Cortez says to Akira and Manic.
"How come?" Akira asks.
"Since we're in Anton's cognitive world, there's no telling on if the Ruler would know our names or not but better to be safe than sorry." O.V.I spoke up from Johnny's pocket. "With codenames, he won't know about our real identities for him to go after when we infiltrate his Palace."
"I suggest we come up with our own codenames now." Johnny added.
"Sounds like a plan to me." Manic replied with a nod.
"I'll be Seeker." Cortez spoke up first with his codename. "With how me and Johnny were doing things before meeting you two as well as what we're going to do today, it's an appropriate one. Don't you think?"
"I will go by Rogue. Both in part to my own personal beliefs and the fact my Persona is a modern day Robin Hood, I decided on that name." Johnny went next. "I thought about Gunner but I didn't like the sound of it."
"I'm gonna go with Sly." Manic picked his codename. "Considering I'm a bit of a sly scamp."
"That just leaves you the last one to come up with a codename." Rogue turns to Akira, the latter pondering over his choices. "Any that comes to mind?"
Akira went through a variety of names in his head starting with Doctor, then working through other naming choices such as Rook, Joker and so on. However a thought soon came to him, one that sprang up upon thinking of his Persona, the Metaverse and even himself which all inspired one word: Avatar.
"Avatar."
"Avatar?"
"It's like our Personas. Mythological figures and deities are avatars of something like Zeus being the avatar of thunder." Avatar explains his codename to Rogue. "Avatar is also what we imagine ourselves as in our fantasies and often a vessel of one's own being projected onto it in works of fiction like how Doctor Omega is an avatar for the performers to add their spin to the character with each take. It has a similar meaning to Persona. Iteration of I."
"Dayum… Deep, man." Sly commented.
"Mmm. We should get going now..."
The four men headed off to Anton's Palace, the wolf using the phone and going through the navigation log history before teleporting his group to the Safe Room on floor one. They'd go up to the second floor via the ventilation shaft Avatar found that's just big enough for them to crawl through to try and avoid a repeat of their last visit before making it to the second level.
Avatar wondered how he didn't notice them on the last two visits to the Palace. On some of the walls and decorations, they feature a design graphic of a centaur wielding a bow and arrow which Doctor Omega identified as Sagittarius due to the centaur's pose that only raises more questions for the wolf as to his relevance to Anton himself.
"...I detected a Shadow around the corner up-ahead." O.V.I reported to them. "Should be easy enough to ambush them and tear their mask off. Who's up for it?"
"I'll do it..." Avatar replied when they reached a turn in the multi-door hallway, peaking around the corner to sight an Enforcer walking in the opposite direction and the wolf quietly rushes over to jump up onto it's back from behind. "Show me your true form!"
Tearing the mask off it's head, the Enforcer melted down into a trio of Shadows. Two Pyro Jacks and one human-looking with elven ears, brown hair and fairy wings clad in a blue leotard alongside blue thigh-length leggings and bicep-length gloved arm-sleeves they haven't met before.
Sly, Rogue and Seeker would join Avatar as they took on the trio. The female Shadow would zap Rogue with Zio, appearing in the former of a yellow thunderstrike and the rabbit taking the hit with a grunt while the other three took out the Pyro Jacks til they eventually set their focus on the fairy Shadow.
With a well-placed shot from Avatar's pistol, the fairy would be knocked down to the floor and the four quickly surrounded her in a hold-up. "We got you surrounded! Tell us what we want to know and we'll spare you!"
"Hmph, such attitude from intruders like you..." The Shadow grumbled. "What do you want to know?"
"We want intel on this Palace pal!" Sly shouted, aiming his M12 submachine gun at the Shadow with one hand.
"Heh, you want to know more about the Chairman's Elysium of Wealth? Very well. Since your last break-in, security's been increased and a few traps have been set in place on each of the floor levels in case you four ever came back. If you don't want to set off the security, you'll have to watch out for them and avoiding tripping them..."
"And where are they?" Sly questioned.
"You have to have keen eyes to be able to find them. Even I don't know where they all are. That's what intel I can tell you." The Shadow fairy replied before muttering; "Geez, the Boss's going to have my head for this..."
"Thank you for your cooperation." Avatar says to the Shadow with a gentle smile. "That's very helpful to know."
"At least you have manners." The Shadow fairy smiled back before her eyes widened. "Wait! I'm not one Chairman Anton's Enforcers, I am Pixie; a fairy born from the sea of souls... I am thou, thou art I and let us play together!"
Rogue glanced to Sly as if he had any clue on what's going on. Then the Shadow suddenly turn into a duplicate of Avatar's mask and absorbed itself into the surprised wolf's mask in a flash of blue light.
"…The heck just happened?" Sly wondered aloud.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Seeker spoke up. "What happened there Avatar?"
The wolf ran a hand over his mask with a soft smile. Feeling a new sensation surge through him.
"Hehe, you can now help heal your friends like a real doctor!" He hears Pixie's cheerful voice speak to him.
"I'm still The Doctor!" Doctor Omega replied almost indignantly. "Anyhow, welcome to the crew Pixie."
"Hope to be of help!"
"I'm certain you'll be very helpful." Avatar says to her.
"…For real tho', what happened?" Sly asked him.
"I think I just acquired a new Persona." Avatar replied cheerfully to Sly. "I've got access to all her skills except the electricity skills for whatever reason. Pixie told me that I now have a healing spell with her."
"Unusual but this could work to our advantage." O.V.I said to the wolf. "Feel any different now?"
"Mmm..." Avatar then looked over past Sly and pointed at the ceiling with the suited hedgehog turning around to see what he's pointing at. "Hey, look up there. It says gullible."
"What?" Sly was looking up before he then realised what had happened. "Hey, wait a minute!"
Seeker and Rogue had a good laugh at the wolf's little prank on the hedgehog, laughing along with them.
"Sly. You fell for the oldest trick in the book I'm afraid..." O.V.I says to Sly as the other three's laughter subsided.
"Shut up..." Sly replied, blushing from embarrassment.
"That was funny though." Seeker said after calming down from laughing. "Anyhow, we should get going and keep an eye out for those traps when we start making our way through the building."
"Yeah, totally." Sly replied, still bitter about being tricked to the point of making the closed-eyes expression.
"Must be Pixie that made you do it..." Rogue says to Avatar. "They're known to be mischievous mythical creatures after all."
"Could be. Didn't think of doing that til I got her." Avatar nodded as the four proceeded to resume their trek through the second floor together, sneaking around and taking down a few more Enforcers patrolling the floor. Making a stop or two to loot through an office room and Sly helping to loot many of the office rooms, occasionally taking items for himself when the opportunity presented itself.
The others were doing the same thing anyways, particularly Avatar since he knew Little John would find a way to sell off the stolen loot. Manic telling him that he has a way of getting their gains sold off for mobiums, though he has noted that the brown hedgehog is having issues getting interested buyers in a good while which the wolf suspected might have something to do with Anton's influence but doesn't have the evidence to support it.
They'd travel further through the floor before Avatar suddenly stops Rogue and told the other two. "Stop."
"What's up? One of the traps ahead?"
"We nearly walked into one. It's why I told you all to stop. Doctor just warned me about the trap."
"How come?" Rogue asks. "I'm not too sure as to the nitty gritty details of what our Personas can or can't do but how can your Persona tell the trap is right ahead of us?"
"He is an expert in sensing and dealing with traps. I assume that's how."
"Remember that gift from Mr. Hedgehog? Now's a good opportunity to make use of your Third Eye." Doctor Omega says to Avatar.
"Third Eye?" Avatar questions him.
"Concentrate Akira..."
"Okay..." Avatar took a deep breath and exhaled through his nostrils with eyes closed before reopening them again. As though it came naturally to the young lupus, he activated his Third Eye for the first time with the colour of his amber eyes going inverted as the other three saw it.
The gold hallway turned into a glowey blue colour for the wolf's vision, the whole world around him resembling a bat's echo location which revealed what regular eyesight couldn't reveal as he saw red lasers visible to him and then spots a box-shaped object further down the hall on a wall which he thinks could be related to the trip lasers.
"So how do we get past it?" Sly asks him. "And what's with your eyes too? You alright there?"
"I can see trip lasers. If we go through one of them, no doubt it would trip an alarm..." Avatar replied vaguely. "Follow exactly as how I do it and slowly."
The wolf would proceed to carefully navigate his way around the invisible lasers and slowly before reaching the other side. "Be careful with the last laser where my hand is hovering near, it doesn't have too much room for clearance."
"Got it." Seeker went up next and following Avatar's route exactly, making it to the other side too. Both Sly and Rogue did the same, managing to copy the route and movements exactly.
Rogue did struggled to get over the final laser and nearly lost his footing when Avatar quickly caught him before he could touch the laser. "Thanks."
"No problem." The wolf helps the grey rabbit clear the laser. Then went over to the box on the wall to open it and switch off the lasers before gesturing him to smash the control unit to keep it disabled.
"Just what was it you did there with your eyes?" Seeker went up to Avatar. "I don't know anyone else who could do that."
"My Third Eye."
"Third Eye?" Sly repeated. "Not the time to get spiritual on us dude."
"I was able to see the lasers because of my ability to view the world in an echo location-like manner. Something a mobini bat would use to get around dark caves." Avatar clarifies. "Not an actual spiritual Third Eye."
"Ohhh, I see."
The four would then search through an office and Seeker finds a map layout of the building or at least one half of it amidst their looting.
"We can use this to navigate the Palace better." Rogue says to Avatar and Sly, helping O.V.I scan the map to make a render of it for their use. "Save us the hassle of wandering about trying to find the next set of stairs."
"That's good." Sly looks at the map. "And I guess O.V.I. can like display the map on the device he's in?"
"He can, yes."
"That is super-handy. It's like that handheld device I've seen Princess Sally Acorn use in the videos I've seen of her on the news."
"N.I.C.O.L.E, a state of the A.I created by Dr Eliday." O.V.I would say. "A nice chap he and Nate Morgan are..."
"You know of them?"
"I'm not sure how I actually know about both. I have these odd flashes of memories as if I had personally knew them myself..."
"Been meaning to ask you about where you came from." Avatar said to the A.I.
"According to Seeker, I was found in a room inside a tower like this within the Metaverse before I was eventually activated. As for how I got there or who created me, I'm afraid I lack the knowledge on both of those ends. If I knew, I'd be able to tell you."
"Do you want to know the answers to your origins?"
"Very much. However, helping you four out navigate the Metaverse is a bigger priority than some lost memories. Though I wouldn't mind knowing what was my creator's purpose for me before ending up in that tower..."
"I'm sure you'll find out eventually." Sly assured O.V.I. "But for now, we have a Palace to infiltrate."
"Of course. With that map, we should be able to take the optimal route through the Palace. Shall we?"
The group would head off to go up to floor three once they had located the stairs, Sly humming a tune while they climbed up the stairs. Avatar still wondered how exactly he was able to get another Persona and why none of the others can do the same. His thoughts were on Jean, how she was screwed over by the actions of another's corruption. The wolf wonders how someone like Krouch can sleep easy knowing what he had done.
He could ask the same for Anton Veruca. Why is the arrogant lizard so affixed with Manic and what makes him so special to him that he'll go out of his way to make him suffer? Then adding his tactless remarks about the hedgehog's deceased father, it only raises further questions as to what's up with Anton himself.
They'd reach the third floor, greeted by a more spacious hall than downstairs and the walls were lined with various portrait paintings he's seen elsewhere before but with Shadow Anton replacing the figures in them including the famous Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David where the pointing Napoleon on the white horse is replaced by Shadow Anton doing the pointing.
"Bloody hell, he thinks he's some important Northamer Folklore figure with these paintings..." Rogue tutted as the four passes by the paintings including the Alps piece.
"That Napoleon painting is usually regarded as a portrait of domination, considering it's subject matter." Avatar commented on the artwork. "Therefore, he views himself as a domineer."
"When we're done with him, he's gonna wish we banished him to a deserted island." Sly added.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
"Right..."
"Aside from what you already told us last time, what else can you tell us about the Palace Ruler himself based on your observations?" Seeker asks Sly, walking through the hall of portraits.
"From what I've seen, I've noticed he seems to run a bit of a drug dealing operation in much of Geno City's east side."
"Drug dealing operation?" Rogue enquired. "Didn't get the impression that he's a dealer from what we know through his Shadow and we haven't met his real world self yet mind you."
"I have. Twice." Avatar stated robotically. "One that led to me and Sly ending up here. The other bring the day before at the Dynamo Galleria."
"Did anything happen with the latter meeting?"
"Anton in the real world doesn't remember anything his Shadow self did or what occurred in his Palace. Considering one of the sentences he said to me and I quote 'You act like you know who I am but you don't know the half of it', confirming the theory that he has no idea about us going through his Palace. Additionally, he brought his brother Tod along."
"Tod?"
"Ugh, Tod..." Sly responded, groaning at the mention if that name. "What a dumb-assed piece of work that one is..."
'Not bad. Considering your usual standards...' Avatar recalls Anton's backhanded compliment to Tod at the Dynamo Galleria when he got his older brother that bag. He doesn't know exactly what Tod is like but based on Sly's response, he seems to be the intellectually slow one of the Verucas.
"I heard Anton calling him useless after he decided he had enough of stinking up the joint just to annoy me in public." Avatar spoke up. "Does he usually put Tod down like that in front of other people?"
"Oh, absolutely. He doesn't care where they are. If Tod displeases him, he'll get cruel to him and would make it known to anyone listening."
"Even when he does something right, Anton would respond in a snide manner. Yes?"
"Yup."
"...Those are signs of a troubled relationship. What about the other two brothers Hud and Mad?"
"Haven't seen much of them to make a comment."
"Mad gives me the impression that he's on the crazy side if the finger bottles are anything to go by and Hud strikes me as someone who'd be a future serial killer in the making from that first encounter with Anton."
"Yeah..."
"Back on the drug dealing part with Anton." Rogue held his chin. "How do you figure he's involved in that? Usually, a Palace like this would include the Ruler's most prominent vices and virtues but so far; we haven't seen any sort of hint relating to his association with or usage of illegal drugs."
"Because he sold Tatiana her drugs. Got her addicted and brainwashed her into being with him."
"Supposedly." Avatar pointed out. "You and L.J aren't too certain of what was actually up with her then. Anyhow, continue."
"Well, basically; the area where we entered his Palace through is basically part of his turf and it ranges up to where the east wall is."
"How many floors does the building that would inspire this have and how much of Geno City is his turf?" Rogue has his thinking cap on. "Can help give us a better idea on the scope of all this."
"As far as I know, it could be inspired by the abandoned paper mill office building over on the northeast side. As for how much of the city is his turf, much of the northeast side where we are is his turf."
"Is he really that powerful in northeast side of Geno City? Actually, how big is his gang would be the better question to ask."
"His gang is sizeable but nowhere near as big as some of the other gangs in the city. It's big enough to have a presence in the Northeast Side of Geno City, yet small enough that a bigger crime family could probably wash them out but also intimidating enough that they could storm a precinct, steal all the guns from the armory and get out nearly unscathed."
"Add Anton's father Hogi being Fumfer's head chef which the implications writes itself and his mother Vera a member of the P.T.A group here in Cyber City, Anton's pretty high-up for a two-bit punk of his kind." Avatar added. "Contributing to that arrogant self-confidant personality he has, thinking he's untouchable because of his spot in the criminal food chain. Enough for his Shadow to drone on about how Sly and his father should "know" their place in what I assume to be the city's criminal hierarchy along with what his real world self to say to me that the streets would start becoming unwelcoming if I continue my association with Sly."
"I see..." Seeker nodded. "What else did he tell you yesterday?"
"That Sly's father was a no-good gutter trash who should have accepted the so-called "natural order of things" rather than upset it or he'd still be alive today. He also tried to say that I could end up like him someday when I go up the social ladder..." Avatar shook his head. "Almost yawned on that attempt at psychology, himself thinking I'm that easy to get inside the head of."
"He's a total douche nozzle but he's also probably one of the most predictable douches I've known." Sly crossed his arms.
"Yet dangerous in his pettiness and sheer drive to make you suffer to your final breathing seconds..."
"Oh yeah. Definitely."
"Anton's got a pretty sizeable gang, have parents in high places and ties to the distribution of drugs which would net him a substantial fortune from the sales..." Rogue murmurs, putting the jigsaw together. "Hence, he believes he's influential from years of living in the city."
"Plus Sly mentioned he has former "friends" working for him now. Likely the reason for him having the numbers he has today if his personality isn't the reason why." Avatar mentioned. "Though a gang like his' outta attract some kind of police attention, the drug distribution aspect in particular."
"And yet Krouch isn't dead on his ass..." Sly said bitterly.
"Based on what I can tell from him, he doesn't strike me as someone who's shrewd or sneaky enough to be one step ahead of the police. He seems more punk than charismatic. Then adding the fact he's been around for a few years, he'd have been found out or be on police radar by then and Sly mentioning to me last night that Captain Krouch's been arresting a few key members from other rival gangs which has benefited him. I get the feeling he's got him in his corner but we need proof to confirm that theory of mine."
"Seems that way."
"Let's see if the Palace holds the answers to that..."
Amy Rose's House, Mobotropolis
Afternoon
The pink hedgehog had decided to do a quick tarot reading by herself today, something she'd do if she doesn't have anything going on like going out with Sally and Bunnie. Yet after she picked out a few cards and turned them up, it happened again...
The Empress, Death and Fortune cards were surrounding the Fool like they did on Wednesday at the Rabbits'. Except the big difference from last time is that the Chariot is now at the Fool's side within the formation and the Magician seems close enough to the Fool as well but hasn't quite closed the distance yet.
"What in the heck..." Amy murmured as she drew the cards. "Same ones yet again..."
It's not uncommon for tarot readings to have a repeat and yet this is the third time the combination came up yesterday plus the day before, the presence of the Magician card being the only difference today. She has her own theories on what that could mean but she's puzzled on who exactly represents the Fool, Chariot, Death and Magician since she can't really think of anybody she knows of whom the cards seems to point towards.
The reading itself indicates that her and Vanilla will have a new bond with the wielder of the Fool in the forthcoming future rather than the strengthening of an existing one. She looks at the arrangement of cards once more before putting them away.
Earlier in the day, Amy heard the news regarding the Director of the Mobius Mint's death and remembers that Sonic along with Tails had knew the guy from their days in the First Robotnik War. He had even invited Sonic over to present him the 15 mobium bill with the hedgehog's face on it which is quite a big deal in Northamer as the other bills in circulation features the faces of the most well-known Acorn Kings including King Fredrick Acorn the Generous and the Sonic bills are still in circulation today.
Amy felt as though there was more to that tarot arrangement than she thought there was and it frankly gave her the chills. Yet there's also a pleasant feeling attached to it. It's unlike any other tarot readings she's had before and the pink hedgehog is curious on what the arrangement will entail when it comes to fruition...
To Be Continued...