January, Thursday 14th. 32XX
Akira's Apartment, Cyber City
Early Morning
Akira woke up early in his bed, staring up at the ceiling and running the hands down his face with a deep concentrated sigh. Heavy in internal contemplation. He knows who the big criminal is and how are they going to deal with him but uncertainty plagues his mind. Something that's been a problem ever since Anton's guys had discovered the hideout and burned it down.
The margin for failure as well as the likely consequence of said failure seem much higher than before. The wolf wonders how things ever got to this point and wonders could have this all been averted if he had simply kept his head down like he always has instead of standing up for a stranger he barely knew against the sister of his friend's killer.
Heh. Knowing himself, he probably didn't care what happens to him as long it's only just him who pays for the transgression and no one else. It's that mindset he's held for the last three years and one he originally came into Cyber City with. When other people like Manic and Fiona gets caught up with him, he feels responsible for it; guilty even.
"Mother... What can I do?" Akira mutters to himself. He wouldn't get much peace for long.
"Morning~" Tiara chirped as she poked her head right into Akira's line of sight.
He doesn't need her presence right now when a bigger problem lies in wait for him and it was enough to tick him off, using a hand to brush her aside. "What is it Tiara..."
"I overheard the good news~" Tiara beamed. "You guys are about to steal Anton's Treasure and in such a shorter amount of time too. Then again in your situation, I suppose time is of the essence."
She then sat atop the nearby writing desk in the room. Looking very picturesque.
"Oh and I've influenced Manic to pick up some donuts for you and him with a piece of paper bearing handwriting very much like yours'. Hope you don't mind." She told him, picking up and messing with random items on the desk. "I'm not quite comfortable revealing myself to him and your new friends yet."
She picked up a drafting compass and began twirling it in her fingers. "I know it sounds strange but as you may have no doubt could tell, I can lightly influence and interact with your world both covert or overt to make certain things happen. Well, influence is kind of a dirty word for it... More like... I can nudge them from afar to make them go do things at their discretion and I can also employ a very weak form of telepathy for some persuasion. I could do a lot more than that but the restriction on my powers precludes me from outright making people go and kill or hurt other people with mind control for example. As a Velvet Room Attendant; that would be considered directly middling in your mortal affairs which is frowned upon."
The manx cat adds; "In addition for me to do what I do while within confines; I'd have to be invisible to them and whisper the suggested command into their ear. Plant the idea with words into their heads and that depends on the strength of the receiver's mind because they're inclined to do it if they're weak-willed or takes more persuasive efforts to actually consider the action if they're strong of mind. Do anything above the limits and Mr. Hedgehog would get very crossed with me. He takes the rules of the Velvet Room very seriously."
"How convenient. Would have saved me the trouble if you ask one of Anton's so-called friends to make him go choke on his own mistakes or shoot him." Akira grumbled, shaking his head with a yawn as he got up from the bed. "Stealing the Treasure this soon wasn't on the main cards and stealing it was meant to be the last resort before yesterday happened. The investigation and gathering of evidence was meant to be the main objective..."
"Until the revelations of yesterday told me that trying to stop Anton the "legal" way wouldn't have done much to him with the evidence predictably disappearing in police custody as usual and I was stupid to think of doing things the right way in this shithole would have actually done anything period except paint a big target on my back." He glances over to her with an annoyed glare while heading over to the kitchen; "Leave my things there alone, would ya?"
"Well..." Tiara sets the drafting compass back down on the desk. "I suppose then we will see how this goes~"
It was then that Manic returned with a dozen donuts from some local donut shop. "Hey, I'm back. Sorry I skipped out a moment. I woke up this morning and read your piece of paper you left with the craziest craving for donuts afterwards. It was like my stomach went and whispered into my ears 'Go get donuts. It'll be epic~'."
Tiara grinned at Akira, her being right about Manic not being able to see her.
"If something whispered to you to go eat some ass, would you do as it says?" Akira replied to the hedgehog as he walks over to the kitchen.
"The hell kinda question is that man?" Manic side-glances him with a strange look, setting the donuts down on the table. "Of course I wouldn't."
"You got the card done overnight?"
"I have." Manic replied, holding up the calling card in question. "I even made several in case we needed copies."
"Are they photocopied?"
"Yeah. With color even."
"Good because if Anton gets the card, he'll likely hand it over to Captain Krouch after reading it."
"He prolly will… Still looks badass as hell though. I even added a watermark with what I figure we could use as our group's emblem."
"It better not be something recognisable as your doodles and it better not have fingerprints on it either if he does fetch it."
"Akira. I'm a master thief by trade. Not to mention I've often been commissioned by other master thieves to design and make their calling cards. I think I'm careful enough to not leave fingerprints or recognizable imagery." Manic said offhandedly.
"We're going to do this and we can't afford any more mishaps for ourselves." Akira grabs a donut and takes a bite out of it. "We're close to being boxed in by Anton's forces right now."
They'd hear a knock on the door and greeted by the familiar voice of Cortez; "Yo it's us Cortez and Johnny!"
"Were you both followed?" Akira asks as he goes to unlock the door after checking the peephole. The badger coming prepared with a resupply of their medicines for the next run at Anton's Palace.
"No. We made sure that we weren't." Johnny said. The wolf allowing the rabbit and badger to enter into his apartment before closing the door after them.
"Nice place." Cortez commented on the interiors of Akira's apartment. Johnny nodding in agreement.
"You've seen nicer ones... Anyways, we're all here now." Akira said as they gathered around the couch. "Manic has the calling card done and ready to go. We just have to decide on what our next move will be with it."
"Well, what do we have on the table?" Johnny asks.
"We send it today, hold it off today or do it another day." Akira told the other three plus O.V.I. "Thoughts?"
"Why not send it today and do it today?" Manic suggested, looking at Akira; "Didn't you say you could basically go into Anton's hideout as Grady and give it to him and say you found it in the hideout today?"
"I have. I just want to run it through the whole team before we commit to our next action." Akira said to Johnny and Cortez. "What about you?"
"With the way things are looking, sending it now would be advisable." Johnny considered the plan. "There's no telling on what he'll be planning next. Might just find us today, tomorrow or days later. Hard to tell with him."
"I'd say we go for it and do it sooner rather than later." Cortez responded. "Like Johnny said, Anton might pull a fast one if we give him time to do so. Could be looking for us as we speak."
"I second that motion." O.V.I joined in.
"In that case, we do it today." Akira conceded. "We'll get to it once the card's been sent and received by him. It's all or nothing now."
"Yeah." Manic agreed, nodding. "The sooner we do this, the sooner everyone else will be safe."
"Today is it then..."
Cyber City College Campus, Cyber City
Morning
Around the campus, students were talking about the fire from yesterday. It was hard to not be hearing about it when it made the news.
"...Yeah, it was so crazy..." One bunny girl student said to her friend, having been conversing about the fire. "Like, apparently they're saying it was an act of arson."
"I heard the Chief of Police put out a tipline for information on whoever started the fire." Said a zebra girl.
"But... Wasn't it always burning since the world was turning?" Asked a deer.
"Shut the fuck up Tammy." The bunny girl responded to the deer girl. "No one has time for your stupid-assed jokes."
A dark-furred lion was walking past with a mini-notepad in hand, minding his business. As he's passing by, many of the other students were conversing and gossiping about the fire with some looking up news articles or social media posts about it on their phones. Others coming up with their own theories of who sparked the fire and why.
The lion thought their gossiping was a bit insensitive to the people affected by the arson attack and walked on where he'd meet Fiona in the hallways on his way over to the workshop.
"There any part of the campus where they're not talking about the fire?" The lion says to her.
"Unfortunately, no." Fiona answered with a sigh. "Hell, even the students in the AV Club and Tabletop Gaming Club are talking about it."
"Seems like all that Geno City ever gets now on the media is negative press like that."
"Yeah, it never really had the best reputation. If anything, the latest stigmatization of it has gotten worse these days."
"It's certainly tough for our friends over there. I would know because my friend gets an unfair rap too by a lot of people over here just because of his public run-ins with the law."
"It's some messed up stuff..." Fiona shrugs her shoulders. ""Not much you can really do about it though."
"True..." The lion nodded. "Anyhow, I should get to the workshop. I'll see you about."
The dark-furred Mobian left and moments later, Akira arrived. Head dipped down, shoulders down, running his left thumb over the left strap of his bag, having a new pair of glasses on and the markings he received from the Jebroni Gang having largely healed away quicker than expected thanks to his Metaverse powers.
"Hey." Fiona greeted Akira. "You heard about that fire in Geno City? It's like all anyone around here is talking about today."
Akira solemnly nodded in response. Being reminded of yesterday wasn't doing much to help with his uncertainties nor the worries he has for his current predicament. Plus hearing the real Fiona talk after hearing Anton's cognition of her was also making him feel a little venomous towards him, knowing she's seen as only a sex object to him and not as a person. It just reminded him too much of what nearly happened to her in Hal Street for his own comfort.
The sooner he deals with him, the safer she'll—
"Hey." Fiona called out, snapping Akira out of his train of thought. "Akira. You listening?"
"Sorry." Akira apologised as he spoke up. "Just been having a lot on my mind lately..."
"Jeez, louise... You can't be doing that in class if you don't want to be chewed out. In any case, I think we have Mobian History today again. After that, we have biology and I have my medical studies class which means no doubt you probably have a class of your own at that time. Right?"
"I suppose..."
"Well, hopefully we don't hear anyone else gossiping about this fire..." Fiona replied, sweeping back her bang. "Because I swear that if I hear one more goddamn person talking about this goddamn fire, I am going to go fucking ballistic."
"I'm not in the mood to hear any more of it either..." Akira kicks away an imaginary pebble with the right hand in his pocket. "How are you today?"
"I'm good. I bought that recent Power Raiders game for my Neptune 4 and pretty much had fun playing that all yesterday until bedtime. The next time I have freetime at home, I gotta boot that up again just to get some of the gems from each level."
"At least you're enjoying yourself."
"Oh absolutely. I kind of a sucker for those old classics titles like Sakura War: Vector Warfare, Clockwork Knight IV, Code of Joker and also I had a bit of a soft spot for Zaxxon: The Gods of Mars; even though it wasn't as popular."
Akira nodded as they both headed over to their class together. When they got there, the two took their seats next to one another in the classroom. In a moment of relief for Akira, no one seemed to be talking about him and Fiona as they seemed to be more focused on the fire in Geno City than them.
"...Someone I know said they spotted two people being pulled out of the burning building by those firemen and they're being treated at the hospital." A student says to his classmate as they sat off to the left of Akira and Fiona together. "Looks they weren't able to get out of the fire themselves."
"So I've heard. One of them's a girl, a skunk I believe." Said the other student before the professor hushes his students' group gossip and proceeds to start the class.
The professor begins to go into his lecture about the latter half of the Great War during the time when the United Federation struck up an alliance with the Kingdom of Acorn and the collaborated war effort between them against the Dingo Regime including their lend-lease program where the UF had shipped rifles, tanks, vehicles, ammo and munitions for the Acorn Royal Military to use as well as helped them build factories for them to build and manufacture more.
Various students were taking notes as the lecture was going Fiona included. Akira took notes too but he found himself more preoccupied with the thought of the big mission and his own personal uncertainties over it all than actually paying attention to the professor.
He was able to focus fully on his class any other time and study without issue. So why is it that today, he's suddenly finding himself struggling to get through the first class of the day? Is he really that anxious about what's to take place on this exact day to the point of slipping up?
"Akira!" The professor said to Akira, holding him in a stern gaze. "Am I boring you? Or perhaps you'd like to tell the class what year the Battle of Demonhead Gulch took place?"
"...3223?" Akira replied to the professor. Receiving assistance from Doctor Omega for the answer.
"Well, it's good to know you're listening" The professor responded with a pleased expression. "Good work Akira."
The other students began talking to one another on how much of a savant Akira might be.
"See? I can be helpful in helping you through topics with facts accepted by your society..." Doctor says to Akira. "Even if I personally believe they're factually incorrect but whatever suits them I suppose..."
"Not in the mood to hear your self-congratulations right now..." Akira replied curtly while giving an acknowledging nod to the professor.
"...Looks like Fiona's boyfriend seems to be like some kind of genius or something." The red shirt student from earlier whispers to his classmate. "Guess she likes a guy who can clue a wristwatch from a wrist-lock."
"Maybe all her rejections of the other guys that hits on her is because she's already been taken by him." The other student in a turtleneck jumper said to him while the professor went back to his lecture. "Perhaps she's being faithful to her boyfriend?"
"Some boyfriend she's got..." The red shirt student scoffs. "According to a rumour I've heard, he had taken therapy sessions back in his home city for over three years before coming here. Something to do with a breakup or whatever."
"Oh yeah?"
"So I've heard. Don't know what she sees in that drip when there's better guys she could be going with than him."
"Keep it quiet or else she'll be kicking your ass for it." The turtleneck student warns him, sneaking a glance at Fiona and Akira.
"What? Guy's a volatile dynamite incarnate after he tore into that stuck-up bitch Migu and send her crying."
"Bitch deserved it for the shit she's pulled over the years..."
The class went on with the professor continuing on more of his history lecture to his students and explaining some interesting facts regarding the alliance in the Great War.
"...And so with the fielding of tanks in the Acorn Royal Military thanks to the combined alliance between the Kingdom of Acorn and the UF..." The professor went on; "The Royal Armored Division had been formed, giving the Acorn Royal Military a bigger edge in later battles such as the Battle of Fort Despair or the Battle of Black Goldville."
A student put his hand up. "If the alliance like that existed, how come the United Federation didn't send in G.U.N or anybody to take out Robotnik after the power coup of 3225 in Mobotropolis happened?"
"Well..." The professor replied to the question. "Apparently, Robotnik had somehow intimidated the UF into not interfering with his business in the Acorn Kingdom as well as the rest of Mobius."
"Sounds more like it wasn't their problem..." Fiona and Akira hears a student in front of them mutter to themselves. A person would come into the class to tell the professor something before the two leaves the room, the professor telling his students that he won't be too long.
The turtleneck student to their left began talking again. "You said one of the two pulled out of that fire was a skunk. Who was the other?"
"A brown hedgehog with a big gut according to what I hear..." The red shirt student told him, tapping a pen on their table. "Heavy-set."
"Heavy-set? More like a tub of lard." The turtleneck student snidely remarks. "Think those two were together?"
"Who knows?" The red shirt student shrugs his shoulders. "For all we know, he could have acted out a real life Fatty Arbuckle scene and accidentally set the place on fire. Perhaps he's a real clumsy mofo."
The two students snickers to each other before Akira shoots them both a harsh glare and spoke up with a very irate tone; "You wouldn't be laughing about it if you both knew what had actually happened to the two victims and the fact they were left to die in the fire. Of course, I wouldn't expect any problems that happens in Geno City to be of any concern to you unless it affects you directly because that'll be the only time you'd express that about it instead of indifference or apathy for it!"
The red wolf got up from his seat and storms out of the class. The other students chattering amongst each other about what had just happened including the pair that got called out.
"Geez..." The red shirt student says to his classmate. "You think his girl wasn't putting out enough fo—!"
"Hey, Red..." Fiona said to the red shirt student. "If you don't can it about Akira and me; you're gonna strike it rich from the Tooth Fairy tonight, capisce?"
"S-Sure..."
"Good boy." Fiona told him with a nod, then went to go check on Akira.
"Crazy bitch..." The red shirt mutters to his classmate as Fiona left the room.
Akira was outside in the campus grounds pacing around with fingers running through his fur, the wolf muttering indiscernible stuff to himself. Trying to think straight and calm himself down from the weight he's feeling from the big job he's about to pull off today.
Yesterday, he was confident and steadfast in seeing the mission against Anton through to the end. So why is he hesitating now of all times when the others are eager for it? Has the leadership role started to get to him or is it far deeper than that and rearing it's ugly head now?
Perhaps the realisation on the severity of the situation he's put his friends in is starting to get to him and mentally berating himself for ever getting the others into it because of him deciding to stand up to Migu Veruca. If he had just kept his head down, maybe this wouldn't—
"Akira!" Fiona approached Akira, having called out to him just then. "Hey... You alright? You just stormed out after chewing out reddy-magoo."
"Alright? What's alright about anything anymore?" Akira started, turning around to her. "Today, I can feel the reaper's scythe hanging over my head. Thinking I'll be whacked as soon as I leave the campus grounds and I'd have gone down causing more problems than solving any of them. Guy there might as well be one of Anton's goons with how he writes off what happened yesterday like it's no concern of his."
He then turns away and took a few steps to the left, running the hands over his head. "What have I even gotten myself and the others into while trying to play hero—"
"Akira. Stop." Fiona told him. "Alright? Look, you did the right thing that day alright? You saved me from a particularly nasty situation. If you hadn't, I'd be dead, raped or Tikal knows what else."
She put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Sometimes the right thing isn't always the easy thing. Sometimes doing the right thing can be difficult and often lead to particular situations. But almost always doing the right thing can be worth it. At least in terms of one's conscience anyway."
Somehow with the vixen's words, Akira felt his worries dissipate near instantly and he found himself calming down from his own anxieties. He directed his gaze to his friend.
"...After what happened yesterday over in Geno City, I had wondered if I was trying to be stupidly optimistic in bringing Anton to justice or I was afraid of falling back down that dark hole again this whole time." Akira said after taking a deep breath. "The realist in me knew that I could have been running a foul's errand in fighting against someone like Anton when he's got the connections to bury me ten feet under the dirt and he'd just walk away a free man with how screwed-up the law is in this city. All that me and them would be doing is making him more angry when he gets out, never to change his ways willingly."
The wolf sighs. "It's like trying to fight a giant with a stick..."
"What I can say for certain is that sometimes the universe has a way of working things out. And sometimes even that needs a little push to get the ball rolling. All it takes is the old college try."
Akira conceded to her point as he straightens himself. "You're right. Few things are ever accomplished in life by inaction."
"Exactly." Fiona told him, smiling. "See? I can be wise if I try."
"...You could have easily kicked her while she'll down and no one would have held that against you but chose to extend a lifeline to her instead when she needed it most while everyone else wouldn't have, even myself. There's little point in being wise if you can't be kind and being good with medicine if you can't help a patient's spirits..." Akira says to the crimson vixen in the white and orange jumpsuit, gently putting a hand on her hand that's on his shoulder. "From what I saw you did for Migu and me, there's no doubt that you'll be a great nurse with what you're capable of providing. Wether you know it yourself or not."
Fiona nodded. "I pretty much know it myself but it does help when you pretty much grant me the affirmation that I'll make a good nurse and eventual doctor too."
"Hope you'll get there someday."
"I know I will." Fiona replied with a smile. Accepting his praise.
"Definitely."
"I suppose we'd better head back in before the professor realizes we walked out."
"Right..." Akira nodded as they both walk off together, heading back to their class.
When the two returned, the professor hadn't yet returned; though many of the students were still talking amongst themselves. The pair took their seats and looked through their notes. Before long, the professor returned and the lesson resumed.
Thanks to Fiona's little pep talk, Akira felt more ready to face the upcoming challenges than he did coming into the college. Fiona while she felt good for helping give Akira her little pep talk couldn't help but feel like he was keeping something from her. However, she decided to not dwell on that; at least for the time being and instead decided to focus on the lesson as well as the rest of the things she had to do this week.
The wolf focuses on getting his stuff done today and go bring the calling card to Anton with renewed purpose. Knowing it's all or nothing once the card is delivered...
To Be Continued...