January, Thursday 7th. 32XX
Akira's Apartment, Cyber City
Morning
The wolf got up early and made some breakfast for himself. Letting the TV play some background noise in the form of the local news.
"...A museum in Cyber City's neighbouring city has recently robbed of it's newest addition..."
'That's a problem for the police to deal with.' Akira brushed off the news report, seeing as it was happening in another city. The news report soon cuts to commercial as another advert for Breezie's talk show played, advertising that her upcoming guests were pop idol Justin Beaver and porn star Princess Venus.
It wasn't long til he headed off to go to the campus. The wolf thought back to yesterday where aside from meeting with his social worker, he hadn't really been seeing anyone else and was trying to avoid Migu. On the other hand, he doesn't recall seeing Fiona about at the campus yesterday.
Since it's only his first week here, he either chalks it to her not usually being in on Wednesdays or she had something going on yesterday that had her be absent. Frankly, he's amazed that he isn't the one to be absent with what he's gotten himself into.
"Morning." Akira greeted the vixen while on the way to the campus.
"Oh, hey..." Fiona greeted, quickly putting her phone away and walks with him. "Uh... Listen, uh... Sorry I wasn't in yesterday... I have this sort of job that I do sometimes and sometimes it causes me to miss classes depending on the hours of the shift."
"I was trying to lay low yesterday after what happened on Tuesday, so I wasn't sure if you were about the campus or not. Now I know." Akira stuffs the hands in his pockets. "How did it go?"
"Very profitable. I made good money yesterday and pretty much worked my ass off to get it."
"Good for you. Should help go towards your tuitions and studies."
"Yeah, you could say that. Well, let's hurry to class. I think we have Mobian History today."
"Right." Akira nodded and the two head off to the campus for Mobian History.
West High Resort, Westropolis
Morning
"...Philanthropist Sir Nigel Tapir announces that he'll be hosting a big charity ball in March at a still yet undisclosed date..." The T.V was left playing in the background while Shadow stood at the window balcony. E-123 Omega still yet to awake from his power nap.
Rouge was lounging on the couch watching the news, clad in a deep red silk bathrobe courtesy of the hotel room while Topaz was busy cleaning her Springfield Armory Saint AR-15 variant rifle.
"On other news, a man in his forties has been found dead in an alley last night. The authorities suspect that it could be the work of the elusive Daughter of Sam whose December and November homicides has made this individual wanted by the police..."
"See, why aren't we working that case?" Topaz spoke, glancing over at the TV. "We could find the killer with our resources."
"Why don't you ask Westwood about it then..." Shadow said from the balcony. "I'm sure he'll be very accommodating for that."
"I would but the guy can be really hard to approach." Topaz put the bolt of her field-stripped assault rifle back into place and then clicked the receiver back over it.
"Then you should understand that case is not important enough for G.U.N to get involved unless it does becomes serious for your colleagues to start stepping in when this killer begins targeting higher profile victims and we got this investigation to handle Agent Topaz."
To a bystander, that would sound cold of him to say but he wasn't entirely wrong there. The Daughter of Sam hasn't been going after major public figures yet and with the police forensics they have now, the police can solve the matter without G.U.N having to step in to stop some serial killer.
"Right, right…" Topaz clicks the upper receiver back onto the lower receiver to fully re-assemble the rifle before looking through the Aimpoint Micro Red dot sight to check the sights on the rifle. She then set the rifle down and began re-assembling her Sig Saur P226 9mm sidearm, having field stripped it earlier to clean it.
"The major mental incidents are happening primarily in Northamer and Eurish with a few odd ones like the sudden death of General Stryker of the Dingo Regime last year. The size of the culprit's group would have to be small and based within these regions either because of their limited resources or picking off selected targets. What's the death tally for the incidents in Northamer and the death tally for the incidents in Eurish? Specifically the part of Eurish nearest to Northamer."
"About fifteen for Northamer and twenty for Eurish's border country. That's not including the individual deaths in each incidents which would put the numbers higher than that."
"Around thirty-five individual fatality cases total plus ten scandals, ten non-fatalities and a few unreported cases. Which would you investigate first?"
"Let's start with the scandals since those seem like they'd be a lot of fun getting through the red tape with." Topaz suggested to Shadow. "Plus we should get them out of the way first before going after the fatal cases."
"Considering the nature of these scandals compared to the fatal cases, I doubt we'll be finding a lot from them. Particularly when some of the deaths are of individuals with dirty laundry and having much to hide." Shadow hummed silently. "Very well, we'll look into the scandals first."
"If all else fails, we can obtain warrants from HQ to enforce our investigations with." Topaz added, loading the magazine into her sidearm and checking the sights on it.
"I'll get them to talk wether they want to or not."
"As you usually do." Topaz said with a smirk.
"Hmph."
Topaz sighed as she loaded and checked the sights on an MP5 submachine gun she had brought with her as well. Rouge lounged in front of the TV, eating bon bons she purchased from the hotel gift shop.
Shadow stared out into the cityscape of Westropolis and beyond it. As if trying to find the culprits that way.
'Wherever you are or whoever you are, there's nowhere to hide from my justice...' Shadow narrowed his eyes. However the culprits are doing it, he'll have them dealt with like every other dirtbag target and under his heel as always.
Cyber City College Campus, Cyber City
Afternoon
Akira would eventually finish up his classes for the day as did his classmate Fiona.
"Oh man, I thought classes would never end today." Fiona says with a relived sigh. "At least the rest of the day is our oyster."
"That's for sure. Though I wouldn't have much issues with Mobian History myself."
"Yeah, that is true. So, you wanna hang out a little bit before I have to go to work?"
"Well, where to?" Akira asked, turning his gaze to her.
"I was thinking of going clothing shopping. Figured since it's a new semester, I could afford to splurge a bit."
"It'd be good for me to see more of Cyber City." Akira sees the benefit of this clothes shopping activity. Plus he does have his own questions about the effectiveness of clothing items and accessories in the Metaverse.
"We'll head off to the Dynamo Galleria. My personal stomping grounds after each paycheck. We can get there easily by elevated maglev train and a station that goes right to the building's rooftop plaza."
"Let me do something quick here..." Akira told her as he shoots Manic a message.
Akira: Hey Manic. How long that airsoft store opened for?
Manic: It's open until about 10pm. Why?
Akira: Something just came up. Will evening time be alright for the meet up?
Manic: Yea, we can meet up then. Laterz!
"Alright, got that sorted." Akira told Fiona as he puts his phone away. "Good to go?"
"Of course." Fiona said with a smile. The wolf thought she has a really beautiful smile on her.
Akira smiled back. "Then let us be off..."
Fiona began to lead the way to the nearest elevated maglev railway station. Checking the railway map to determine which train they should take, then they went right to the appropriate platform and proceeded to wait for the train. After it arrived, they got on and took one of the seats along the windows.
"Take these often?" Akira sat down across from Fiona in the coach they're in.
"As often as I can."
"I would had have tramway lines to take to high school instead of this back home."
"Oh yeah?" Fiona perked up in interest.
"The lines would be near over where the high school is located at and a walking distance away from my old home."
"That's handy. Well, ya gotta hand it to the Mayor of this city for making public transportation free of charge on both sides of the city."
"I suppose..."
"And 'sides, the whole city is pretty much connected by this thing... Well, the Cyber City half is anyway. The Geno City half simply has it's standard elevated railways connecting it to itself."
"Probably rusted and rickety with the level of care it gets."
"And also peppered with graffiti."
"That too... Left with scraps while Cyber City gets the bigger plate. You ever gone over to it?"
"Sometimes."
"Then you've seen how it is over there."
"Yeah. I have, actually. I have friends who live over there."
"Huh. Well, I just made friends with two residents from there the other day."
"Is that so?"
"Yep."
"Nice." Fiona said in approval. "Good to have friends in this city."
"Didn't get off to a great start though."
The maglev train soon started moving again after the doors closes as Fiona said; "That's a bummer but you powered through it, right?"
"After some... Difficulties, yes..." Akira said vaguely, playing out a scenario of him telling Fiona about the Metaverse in his head and very certain that she would think he's finally lost it. "I'll be meeting up with one of them later after this."
Though in the chance that she ever gets involved with the Metaverse business, he'll have to tell her what really happened and hopefully she wouldn't feel too guilty about unintentionally painting a target on the wolf's back when Migu Veruca decided to be a bitch to her. How would she have been able to know how the rest of Tuesday played out after Akira left the campus?
"Oh, then I'll try not to keep you occupied for too long."
"It's no problem for me." Akira replied with a smile. "Besides, I need to know the layout of the city better if I'm to be attending college and working on my degrees."
"Well, who better to show you around than me~" Fiona said with a grin.
"In that case, mind giving me the tour?"
"Sure. I'll warn you though; a lot of places here in Cyber City are gentrified to heck but at least have some good shops and eats to check out."
"Does a lot of them come with self-entitled assholes who thinks their shits don't stink and seeing themselves privileged above the lower classes that you'd think we're inside a stuffy parliament?" Akira asked humorously.
"Oh, absolutely~" Fiona said with a laugh. "You kidding? This half of the city is known for it's young people who think they're oppressed but surprisingly more well-off than the people they're trying to stand up for. It's an absolute paradise for those champagne-drinkers looking for the perfect safe space to yell their insults from afar on social media and look for the next poor sap to cancel while obeying and worshipping their grifter gods who are awful people themselves..."
"...And this is a girl telling you this too, so that should tell you something." She sighed, looking out the window. "It wasn't always like this though... This city was a lot more older and historical on this side. It was proud of it's history too. But then these people started pouring in with their big city ideals and belief systems, then the city had to adapt to their needs instead of adapting to the city including accepting their ignorance of historical context. If they say the first city mayor is problematic, then the city will have to hide that first mayor from the public including taking down his statue because of one historically illiterate moron said so."
"So all that you see on this side of the city is the result of that. At least, that's what I was told." She smiled as she patted Akira's shoulder. "You'll like it here though. Trust me."
"I hope so." The wolf hid his silent surprise from that unexpected bit of physical contact from her. Akira nodded, looking out the window to be treated to the clean and glistening sight of Cyber City but yet all he can see of it is Anton's cognition of it. A city in ruins and rubble with only his own gold building and statue standing tall above them all.
To think a well-off punk could even see this city like that and being okay with it is an ugly, bile feeling in his stomach.
"Say..." He decided to chance her with a question. "If you were to ever see the world through someone else's perception of it, how would you take it?"
"...That's a weird question Akira, not gonna lie..." Fiona replied bluntly, then thinking it over. "But if I had to think about it, I guess I'd probably learn more about that person than they would've let on about when we met."
"And what if it's a cognition that speaks to the darkest aspects their psyche?"
"Well, then I'd know they have skeletons in their closets."
"Skeletons they'd rather keep quiet on and those snooping buried with them..." Akira murmurs. "It is a weird question but it is an interesting thought never the less. Same for wondering what the other person must see you as in their world."
"I suppose that would depend on the person and what role I played in their lives."
"Supposed your employer would be one of those examples."
"It depends on how they view me overall."
"Even if it's not a pleasant one?"
"Again, it depends on the situation..."
Eventually, their train made it to it's destination. Fiona led Akira down the escalator from the station platform to the rooftop plaza of the galleria, then led him down the escalator from there into the fourth-floor of the galleria. Revealing that the inside of Dynamo Galleria was even bigger and grander on the inside than on the outside.
Comparatively, it was like Mobius' version of the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota from the history books but even grander than that.
It had a literal plethora of shops, restaurants, a massive foodcourt, a cineplex, an EX Gear track suspended from the ceiling and going all around the top of the massive atrium along with a roller rink, a massive arcade, five big-chain department stores with multiple floors to them and an indoor flea market on the roof.
Akira was taken aback by the grandiose nature of the plaza and it's offerings. Though it also left the cynic in him to ponder if this was built off the backs of those people in Geno City and a monument to the apathy Cyber City shows towards them. He followed Fiona's lead on over to a clothing store.
The clothing store in question was a boutique called 'Nightshade'. It was an outfitter for luxury nightlife wear that ladies would put on for the nightclubs to pick up guys, threads guys would wear to street gang rumbles under an overpass or if one is truly adventurous; things that women over age 35 would wear to a local nightclub, discotheque or casino to pick up younger men.
Fiona seemed like none of these things to Akira at first glance, so he would find it jarring when he saw her looking at a tiger-print open-shoulder dress with a tight pencil skirt.
"Oooh, this looks good~" She cooed, looking the dress over.
"Didn't take you the type to be into these." Akira commented, looking at the dress in her hand before turning the head to her. "You into the nightlife?"
"You could say that~" Fiona said with the click of her tongue. "You could say that I'm a very 'nocturnal' vixen who loves wearing apple-bottomed jeans and boots with the fur~"
"I'll have to take your word on that." Akira glances over to the other clothes isles and checking out a price tag on one of the store items. "These items looks to be in the top range compared to the ones from the standard stores. Seems pretty high-end in here."
"Uh-huh but I can afford to splurge a bit." Fiona says to him, admiring the dress in her hand. "I just got a massive payout from my job recently."
"With big money to spare, I can see the appeal in going for expensive tastes. What I'd make wouldn't be enough for me to make regular visits to these high-end stores." Akira went to check out the suits on display. "Even if I did, stores like this aren't ones I'd really be going to."
"I go to a lot of different stores here. Expensive or no."
"Any unusual ones here?"
"Like stores? If that's what you're referring to, we could probably pay a visit to the Leather & Lace here in the galleria."
"Leather & Lace?"
"It's an adult apparel store. It also sells 'toys' if you're familiar."
"It's one of "those" stores then..."
"I go there all the time. They have the greatest stuff."
"I guess so if you're pretty adamant about it." Akira said, checking out a shirt before putting it back on the peg.
"I try to live it up at night."
Akira turned his head to her. "If I was coming here to pick a nightlife attire and I asked you which to go for here, what would you tell me to pick?"
"I'd probably tell you to go with a diagonal-zip leather jacket and a pair of matching black leather pants." Fiona responded with Akira tapping his chin to that. "I figure you'd look good in leather."
"Oh, you think so?" Akira tips his glasses forwards to let his real eyes show with a light grin. "What of the Edwardian style then?"
"Why, are you a theater kid or something?" Fiona asked, raising an eye ridge.
"Nah. Leather isn't a style I've ever taken up on."
"Ohhhh, I see. What about 1990's Retro Cyberpunk?"
"Depends on what meets the definition and just to clarify, I'm not against wearing some leather. I hear it offers protection against electricity."
"I think you're thinking of latex rubber. That's a different fashion style completely."
"Oh." Akira chuckled to that. "Of course my dudette with latitude."
Fiona laughed to that comment. "You're funny."
"You sure? I think I remember flopping out of Clown College." Akira threw another zinger at the vixen. "Though, I do hear of folks who graduated from it and doing well being one. Particularly celebrities giving political lectures."
Fiona laughed at that as well. "Y'know, it's funny you mention that. Y'know that girl from Biology class? Apparently she's attending clown school during her off hours and sometimes, she'll go right from the last classes to clown school. So she'll go to the girl's locker room, change into her makeup and costume before going right to it from there."
"Would that make her a 'Clown Biologist' by any chance and how's that going for her?"
"Surprisingly well, though I doubt she'll go anywhere with it unless she gets hired to a big-name circus or something. I don't think she'll go anywhere major with it."
"Damn a lot of those self-absorbed celebrities for stealing clowns' jobs on them."
"A lot can happen in a few years. Maybe she will make it big someday. We won't know until it happens. That's just how life is."
"It is a case of making it up the world or not..." Akira sighs. "Anyhow, any in here that catches your eye?"
"Hmmm..." Fiona sifted through the articles of clothing until she happened upon an open-shoulder tiger-print brushed lycra bodysuit with a fur-lined sweetheart neckline and fur lining along the hems before picking it up. "Ooooh, this looks wild~"
"Wild's definitely the word for this one." Akira said after looking at the jumpsuit. "You getting it?"
"Of course." Fiona said with a grin. "I can afford it after all."
"Then go for it if you want it."
Fiona nodded, taking the jumpsuit to the checkout counter and paying for it with cash no less. Akira would briefly catch a glimps of a massive wad of cash Fiona briefly pulled out of her wallet as she paid for the jumpsuit.
"She must be quite well-off for herself to have that kind of sterling." Doctor Omega says to Akira. "Do they still use the British Pounds in your society?"
"Mobium has more or less taken it's place here in Northamer. Mercia would be my world's equivalent to England." Akira told his Persona. "Specifically Medieval England since it's ruled by the Royal Hedge Family as the predominant figures of power. Err, it used to be ruled by them several ago..."
"Oh? What happened to them?" The Doctor enquired with interest.
"I'll tell you about it and show you about it later when we get back home Doctor..."
"Ah, ri—"
"Hey." Fiona was suddenly next to Akira, having finished paying for her clothes. "You alright there, bud? You were just sorta staring at me or looking spaced out there."
"Oh, well I was just thinking of much you must be able to make compared to what I'd be getting from my Abraham Credit and thinking of the old Pound Sterling currency." Akira shook his head to snap himself back to reality. "Was I really staring there?"
"Yeah, you were staring for nearly a long time." Fiona answered. "It was... Bordering on uncomfortable."
"Oh..." Akira scratched the side of his neck. "Thanks a lot Doctor."
"It's not my fault you weren't paying attention young man..."
"I can't excuse that one..." He sighed through one corner of his mouth with a guilty expression. Not surprised when he remembers the rust on his social interactions.
"It's alright." Fiona assured him, understanding of it. "I'll just think of it as you being stunned by my good looks~"
"Uh... Sure, we'll go with that..." Akira nodded quizzically. "I would have been thinking 'Red Quadclops was staring at me' if I were you..."
"How's this sound?" Fiona said with a chuckle at the jest. "If you buy me a gelato from the gelato shop in the food court, I'll forget all about it."
"Alright, that sounds like a good apology gesture to me. Wanna go for one now or after the shopping's done?"
"We can go whenever you want but just remember you have to do it at any point before we leave the mall. And you have to let me get whatever portion I want, whatever flavour I like and what toppings I think goes with it."
"Gotcha."
"But first..." Fiona had something to get. "I wanna swing by GameShop on the second floor. I heard the newest Anthony Eagle game just got a Game Gear port and I wanna get that so I can take radical nostalgic skateboarding game action wherever I go."
"Then we shouldn't dawdle lest you wanna fight someone for the last copy on the shelf." Akira said as the two headed out of the clothing store and over to GameShop.
Gelato Glory, Dynamo Galleria
Afternoon
A while later; Fiona was enjoying her gelato sundae that Akira bought for her at Gelato Glory, it being a cookies and cream gelato with powdered cocoa as well as crushed almonds on top of it. Akira brought a sundae of his own with bubblegum and choc mint flavour alongside a serving of raspberry sauce on top as they sat at a table together.
"This is a guilty pleasure of mine." Fiona said between bites. "I always try to watch my figure for sure but today happens to be one of my cheat days~"
"Beats smoking your lungs out." Akira takes bites out of his own. "Seems like a lot of people these days are taking more than what their body needs according to what the brain's telling them, a brain that's chemically affected by what types of food they're eating and can be induced at a young age if they're not taught to take in foods of healthy nutritional values regularly or raised with the scarcity effect."
"Aye, pretty much. Good thing for me I managed to quit smoking. Although; I will sometimes have one on a special occasion but other than that, I'm iced out."
"I'm trying to go cold turkey on smoking but still facing that one hurdle which is stopping me from really kicking the habit." Akira told her. "Though for you, I suppose you'd have learned what exactly happens to a lung after years of smoking and the negative effects that comes out of it."
"I did. When I was in high school they showed us some pictures of the more drastic after-effects of smoking. The real gruesome scare-tactic-ey stuff you'd see on the packaging."
"Those types of scare tactics don't quite have the same effect compared to actually witnessing the real thing in person or knowing of someone going through the stuff themselves and seeing it happen over time."
"I kinda figured that out a long time ago. Trust me. I was very much a person who thought for herself. I said what I wanted and I did what I wanted."
"A woman of self-agency. You're your own boss of with morality and conscious being the only limits to it all."
"Yup." Fiona was savouring the gelato against her tastebuds. "I do, say what I want and don't care what anyone else thinks or says."
"Following your own beliefs... It's more than what can be said for most of the crowd in this side of the city." Akira took another bite of his gelato. "Considering their indifference towards what's happening in Geno City as long as it's not happening to them. If they're not being apathetic, then they are just people ignoring the problem in front of them like what the Mayor's been doing in regards to the 'poor' half of the city or they are abusing their status to put them down to elevate themselves..."
He shook his head. "And to think when I first moved to here, I would be able to keep my head down and stay out of trouble... Go on with my life in peace from the everyday drama. It's what I used to do in my last few years in high school up to my last day there before moving out of Golden Bay City. That an act of conformity to social cohesion or spent personal aspirations?"
"It sounds like both." Fiona replied bluntly, setting down her spoon. "It's like treating a brain tumor with motrin. You're dismissing a real issue by essentially saying 'it's not my problem'. I don't buy into that whole philosophy where if you keep your head turned down and your nose clean; you'll get far in life. Life sucks. That is hardcore reality we have to deal with on a daily basis and keeping to yourself is basically akin to turning a blind eye to all the ugliness that goes on around you."
"It's hard to stay out of any trouble when people like Migu will pick you out and bring it to you or if they're really in the mood, start making your life hell for entertainment. Meeting her only reminded me of that fact." Akira leaned on one elbow at the table. "The fact that there exists people who believe they're a law onto themselves and use their status to get away with things that would get an average joe arrested. She thinks she can do whatever she wants because her mother's a P.T.A member, seeing little point in pleasantries given that she's higher up the food chain than I am..."
"The kind of person who wouldn't know anything about hardships or personal losses lest they go flat-broke when the money well goes dry and living like a bum on the streets..." Tapping the side of his bowl with one index. "Future politicians in the mak—"
"Well, lookie here. The Four-Eyed Red Bastard having a date out here at Gelato Glory..." In came the unpleasant presence of Anton as he walked over to the pair from seemingly nowhere, cigarette in his mouth. "Where's your bud at?"
"Who?" Akira didn't turn to face him.
"The green rat who thought he was being clever."
"Rat? Don't know any green rats myself." The wolf replied casually. "If I have, I'll let you know about it."
"Aren't you a real fucking joker with that mouth of yours?" Anton scoffs at his wit. "It's like what they say, birds of a feather flock together. Also hi babe."
"I think you should start walking away if I were you Anton." Fiona responded, not hiding her disdain for the reptile. "I don't have time for stupid."
"Yet you're willing make time for this dickhead here."
"What do you want with me?" Akira said to him, resting the chin on one palm.
"I just happened to be strolling by with a brother of mine when I saw you here." The lizard replied, puffing smoke in his face. "I'm surprised that someone associated with that street trash prince Manic is sitting here eating gelato like he's upperclass."
"So?"
"If you want to be living comfortably in this city, I'd advise you'd distance yourself from him for your sake."
"And why should I do that if I may ask?"
"That's simple. He's got a conviction record including illegal drug possession and that kind of association would have a negative effect on yourself, especially in this side of the city." Anton informed him like he's a child. "Being friends with a criminal like him is a big no-no here and I'm sure an understanding, hard-working guy like yourself wouldn't want that type of social stigma on you."
"Yet the other day, you threatened to beat the living daylights out of me and him because of what happened with your sister." Akira reminded him, giving the lizard a side-eye look.
"Well, you did insult my sister and she came home in tears because of what you said to her." Anton told him, acting like he's in the right.
"No. She lied about some of what I said and you knew full well that she was lying but decided to go after me regardless just because I was seen with Manic." Akira rebuked him. "Someone that you actively torment and taunt out of sheer pettiness. I guess "insulting" your lying sister is a no-no but making fun of his dead father is fair game for you."
"His father's a no-good gutter trash who shouldn't have been stealing from too many people including hard-working folks and know his place or he'd still be alive today. I don't know what his son been feeding you but he ain't such an innocent guy himself, you can ask any person who knows him and they'll give you the facts."
"Hard-working folks? Some of those people makes money off the backs of those in Geno City and taking from them without giving back. Probably earning illegally." Akira steely retorted. "As long as they are warm and bellies well-fed, then they're content with what they're doing. They just don't like it when the dog bites back at them and the only facts they give is that they're biased against people they don't like."
"Look bro, Genocide City is a shithole and it's not just me who thinks that. It is an accepted fact by a ton of people. Cyber City is where it's at. Genocide City is where dreams goes to die."
"An interesting remark from the head of the Hooligans who lives in an ivory tower on this side of the city and looks down on the rest of us like we're peasants to you..." Akira narrows his eyes, tension thick in the air between them. "Exploiting the vulnerable for what they're worth til they run dry. Something you're trying to do with Manic in hopes of making him go flat-broke."
"Some people makes it up the social ladder, the rest are stuck at the bottom and looking up to those up top. I happened to be the one to make it up top..." Anton smirked smugly "Wouldn't you be doing the same yourself in my shoes bro?"
"The day I ever become like you is the day I've forgotten what I am." The wolf replied sternly. "Being a piece of shit who preys on others and having an ego the size of the Death Egg. The type of person who would be obsessive over the one who wouldn't recognise me as their Number One, go as far as to take everything from them and wanting to be the one to have the last word in before putting them out of their misery. Then go on your day like that person's life is nothing to you."
He then added; "Is that what you meant about being in your shoes bro?"
"...You act like you know who I am but you don't know the half of it." Anton weakly retorts, the wolf able to get under his skin with those words. "You don't know your own friend or possibly your boyfriend that well either and what he's really like. Don't ever take a thief at their word or else they'd rob you blind."
"As oppose to you hospitalising me and stealing everything I've got while stealing any lady friend I'd have while you're at it like you did with Manic?"
"My dear friend, everyone would rather back the winning horse and be on the winning side. I'm just irresistible that way."
"Yeah right..." Akira rolled his eyes and preoccupied with him to notice Fiona's expression.
"You'll understand when you get to my level someday..." Anton would then call out to his brother when he saw him. "Tod! You got what I asked you to get?"
"Y-Yes big brother!" The younger purple brother of Anton came over to him with a white plastic bag in hand. "Got you the thing you wanted!"
"Let me see..." Anton snatches the bag out of Tod's hand to check inside it. "Not bad. Considering your usual standards..."
"Why don't you go harass someone else Dumb-Zilla..." Fiona didn't hold back. "The real grown-ups in the room are trying to talk here, alright? Perhaps you should go back to the kiddy pool.
She then smirked, letting off a little chuckle. "But you know, you seem to be standing comfortably there though bet you would be changing your tune if someone bigger and badder than you came along and knocked you down in your place. You know what they say; 'There's always a bigger fish.' and you're a small fish in a sea."
"I'd like to see them try. Won't be long for this world afterwards." Anton snorted, talking tough. "As if you're one to talk about big fishes Fiona..."
"Can you leave us be pal? We're trying to enjoy our gelato and you're spoiling the mood." Akira told him. "I've got nothing more to say to you."
"If you're gonna continue hanging around with a lowlife thief like Manic, expect the streets to be unwelcoming. Don't say I didn't warn ya bro..." Anton said to him ominously before glancing over to Fiona. "If I were you, I'd be wary of this guy. He might just be one of those "nice guys" trying to hook you into a romantic relationship with him, using self-depreciation as one of the techniques to earn your approval, probably a disappointment to his parents and all that while having his own ulterior motives. No different than those frat boys trying to get into your panties. Just saying."
Anton then extinguishes his cigarette in Akira's gelato like the proven asshole he is and proceeding to walk away with his brother Tod. "Come on useless, let's go. Buh-bye Four Eyes, I'll be seeing you around!"
On that note, the Verucas soon left their sights with a pissed crimson vixen in their wake. Fiona glared after Anton, seething with rage as she grasped at the edge of the table and her left eye twitching involuntarily; a sign that she was absolutely livid and whoever made her that angry did not have long in this world.
"...As much as I'd hate to admit it, I'm glad to have met him because he made me stop looking down and quit ignoring the world that has nothing to do with me. I came into Cyber City an apathetic zombie and meeting him cured me of it." Akira said to her, rubbing his brow with one hand. "He's a perfect reminder that there exists folks of his ilk in society who believes they can do whatever they want without consequences because of their connections. Also a perfect reminder that there exists dickheads like him who ruins frozen treats by stuffing their cigs into it."
Then he asks the vixen; "You okay?"
Fiona quickly looked over at Akira, her expression softening again and her left eye ceasing it's twitching. Forgetting her rage with Anton when she met his eyes again before answering quickly. "...Yeah, I'm fine... Just... Fine..."
Akira wasn't too convinced by that but didn't press the subject further. He was just as furious over what just took place as she is.
"...I suppose you'll want to get to the other plans you had for today..." Fiona said glumly.
"...Well, there's still plenty of time for me on my end before I have to go. Depends on if you want to keep this going a while longer or end this for today and head to work."
He would choose to stick around a little longer himself to cheer up the vixen and salvage the afternoon for her after Anton spoiled it royally but it's not his call to make as she's the one who invited him along to here.
"...I... I think for now we should cap this off..."
Akira sighs with a light nod. "Then, I'll see you another time. Thanks for the tour here by the way..."
"Not a problem..." Fiona replied as she got up and left, not even stopping to throw away her trash.
"...Now I have a better understanding on why Manic doesn't like him much. He probably knew I was here with her and was just waiting for the right moment to crash the occasion." Akira says to the Doctor, getting up from his chair. "Even he pisses me off by just being there. He's lucky that the cigarette is the only thing from him to be in my gelato by not talking shit about my parents and you know I wouldn't do that to anyone else except him."
"I understand you anger with him but cooler heads prevail and you handled him well today." Doctor assures him. "I doubt Manic would have been as patient about that as you were."
"Assaulting him here would have only cause problems for me and them. I don't want to be explaining to my social worker on why I had attacked someone in public at a gelato shop on my first week in Cyber City..." Akira groaned. "As much as I want to..."
"You could take Fiona out to make up for this."
"I came here with her because she invited me out. You say that like we're both out dating together."
"Well, you think of it as a date?"
"...She's got her own life to live and shit to deal with herself. Last thing she'd want is having someone with problems like me to worry about on top of it all." The wolf replied as he starts walking back to the train stop he arrived at earlier. "Less I have my problems affect her, the better..."
"She did seem to be in good spirits there before Anton came along."
"Either that's the gelato she was eating or the fact I'm not making moves on her like what those other guys would that she'd have to put up with. I'm more surprised she didn't smack me for staring and distancing herself after that."
"I think she's old enough and learnt enough to be able to tell a man's intentions by reading them. For you, she probably didn't smack you because you weren't trying to be a creep with her."
"Easy for you to say. I'm just some young man with personal issues including me talking to a fictional character in my head."
"Yet you made me your Persona regardless. Mmm... Think we can get some jelly babies on the way to Rockwell's?"
"Not today Doctor... Not today..."
'...I left the galleria with the afternoon ending on a sour note and headed to Geno City to meet with Manic as planned...'
To Be Continued...