"...And then she ran off crying after that? Tch. The cunt was asking for it." Fiona's friend said after the vixen told her what had happened at the college with Migu.
"Like I said before; that girl is a mouthy bitch." Fiona's smirk on her face as she was sorting her clothes and having her phone on speaker.
"If not for Anton, she'd be dead in a barrel by now."
"We could use that negative reputation against her by finding someone pissed enough with her to have that done and then blame it on that echidna drug cartel on the far-west side."
"And creatin' a real quagmire of a situation in the process?" The speaker on the other said with a scoff. "On the other hand, it would put his associates under the light and his supplier of the stuff would likely want to bail on him. We all know why Anton's the most powerful of the street gangs in Geno City for one reason only..."
"Yeah but it would cripple part of his operation, wouldn't it?"
"In theory. You'd have to find someone unconnected to do the job." Fiona's friend replied with the click of her tongue. "And the whole conflict that'd come out of it wouldn't be as big a dent on the upper brass of the underworld as you'd like it, especially him."
"I suppose you're right..." Fiona admitted, holding a bright red cheongsam dress up to herself; "I'm thinking of wearing my red silk cheongsam dress to that shindig the boss is throwing tonight. Thoughts?"
"If you want ogling eyes on you, then go right on ahead. What other ones do you have in mind?"
"Well, there was that red sequined tube dress with the open-shoulder neckline that the Boss gifted me."
"More like bribery to me."
"Eh. Call it whatever you want. Me, I'm never one to turn down a free gift." She held the red sequined tube dress up to herself. "I suppose a feather boa would go good with this thing... Probably a pink or lavender one..."
"Who do you think you're trying to impress, Akira?" Her friend chortled. "Whatever. Just pick whichever looks the nicest and get it on."
"Yeah, yeah. Just trying to look my best. The Boss is having the Mayor himself over at this little shindig after all."
"Just don't be late. Anyways, I should get dressed as well since I'm unfortunately invited along to his self-stroking party too and he'll likely be expecting me to be there with you. See you later." The Australian-accented speaker soon hung up.
Fiona shrugged as she looked at the dress again. Pondering over her choices.
"...Fuck it. I'll go with the cheongsam." She said to herself, setting the tube dress down and swapping it out for the dragon-print red cheongsam dress. "Looks sexier on me anyway."
High End District, Cyber City
Night
"...All this partying and Geno City grows more broke by the day." A purple mobian jerboa-weasel descended wolfess in a green sequin open-shoulder dress says to Fiona, both observing the extravagant shindig party hosted in the backyard of an Edwardian-style mansion. Various top-players in the upper echelons of Cyber City were present for the party.
"Yeah, that's just how it is..." Fiona was in her red dress paired with a pair of white silk wrist-length gloves, bright red high heels, and translucent nylon floral print pantyhose. "The common people on this side of the city are completely ignorant of who's luxuries they're really are paying to allow these ones to enjoy their lavish mansions, penthouse loft apartments and high-tech smart houses."
"If I remember something with you once upon a time ago..." Fiona's friend started.
"Yeah, I know." Fiona responded and cutting her off there, she shrugged as she looked out at the city; "Things were much simpler then even with it's flaws and then the Robotnik Wars happened. Shit happens sometimes..."
"We both know what your life was like at that time..." The purple hybrid shook her head. "Anyways, how's your studies today?"
"They were good. I learned more about concussions today and how to spot symptoms of one as well as treatment and causes."
"He's certainly keeping his word non-verbally..." The wolfess remarks.
"He seemed trustworthy enough." The vixen responded.
"Trustworthy enough to invite him on a movie date today."
"I mean; the movie date went great but... We got attacked by a gang that he wronged somehow."
"Basically what you used to do back then." The wolfess said with a wry smirk. "Attracting trouble wherever you go. Like a match made in heaven if I say so myself."
"Yeah, I guess he does kinda remind me of me." Fiona said with a chuckle.
"...Ah, Captain Krouch. Glad of you to come to my party." The two girls looks over to see Captain Krouch in a good suit being greeted by a black-haired tapir in a tuxedo suit. The lizard nodding to him.
"Well, it'd be rude of me to turn the invitation to this occasion." Krouch replied, chuckling softly as he shook the man's hand. "Plus how could I refuse your parties, huh?"
"Tsk, look at that. Pretendin' to act all upstandin' and honest..." The wolfess hybrid scoffs to herself as she watches the exchange between the two. "Convincin' acting though."
She looks to her left. "Oh, here comes our favourite people..."
"Ah, Fiona and Nic together again. Figures." Came the unwanted greetings of Anton Veruca as he came over to them in a fancy purple suit while accompanied by his "girlfriend" Tatiana Tiger, Migu and their two brothers. The tigress dressed in a gold dress while Mad and Hud are dressed in matching two-piece suits.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd have you both pegged as a carpet-munching couple with how often I see you together." Hud said in a smarmy voice the two girls are more than familiar with by now from their previous meetings. Fiona is less fond of the guy after being told of that encounter at the tea shop; restraining herself from knocking his tooth out.
"Yeah, nice to see you too pissant. Nice night to boast about being the ideal male around." Nic replied with an eye-roll. Thinking lowly of the self-important asshat who thinks he's an alpha male. How big and tough he acts until he gets pressed by someone who could lay him out on the floor.
"My, you're both looking real pretty tonight..." Mad said with a lopsided smile to the pair, the kind that sends off bad vibes. "Really compliments your bods nicely."
"That's one of the less creepy things you've said to us..." Nic crosses her arms and feeling the uncomfortable aura he emits when she's around him. "What brings you and your little arse-kissing entourage here?"
"Oh you know, attending important parties and meeting with the other top players in this city. The usual." Anton replied haughtily, egoistical as ever. "As for occasions like this with the Mayor present? It can be quite a long meet-up when important people are involved."
"Yeah, I suppose it could be when you're that far up on the food chain in that half of the city or so you say." Fiona smirks, unafraid to talkback to the Hooligans' leader. "But I'm certain that can easily happen when literally all of your success is based on the sheer dumb luck of your dad getting a high-paying job and your mom being in the PTA. But hey, who am I to judge? Sometimes in life, you just luck out like that and build your empire off of that. Get to sit at a slightly older kids' table with the grown-ups."
"Aren't you a cute one girl, you really think you know everything?" Hud spoke snidely; having the uncanny ability to make even a compliment sound like a racial slur. "But I guess that's how it is with your kind... Nice dress by the way."
"The reality of it is Fiona babe; I made it big before either of them did." Anton says to Fiona. "Though I wouldn't expect you; a bombshell to know that."
"Yeah, yeah..." Nic waved dismissively. "Spare us the tired spiel. Where's your mommy and daddy at?"
"One's doing the cooking and one's having important conversations with important people." Hud replied boastfully. "What do you think they're doing limey, hanging around with a bunch of rice-eaters?"
"What do you have against rice-eaters?"
"Oh, you know... Those rice-eaters who hangs around with street trash hoodlums from the shithole side of the city are who I take issues with. Especially if they're getting this big idea that they can do whatever as they please."
"You talking about someone or yourself? Pot calling kettle black much? You have to smack some girls around to feel like an alpha male because you're an insecure little bitch who's always stuck in your big bro's shadow but what would I know? I'm a dumb cunt who needs your manly wisdom to do anything in life." Fiona nails Hud's hypocrisy with absolute ease. Earning a hateful glare from him.
"People may root for the underdog but they don't want to place all their bets on the high risk, high reward in backing them versus the the winners." Anton would say while Migu silently observing the exchange with a neutral mouth-line expression. "Even without my parents having such prominent jobs, I can still make bank all by myself and afford my family this life of luxury. Some folks over on the other side would kill just to be able to sleep in a small, cramp storage closet at my mansion."
"I suppose most would be that desperate but I think most of the more sensible folks on the other side would rather sleep on the street than at your place if it means having to avoid seeing you in the mornings..." Fiona snarked with her comment getting under Anton's scales before looking over to Migu. "What's the matter Migu? Usually by now, you'd be saying something about my dress being out of fashion or whatever but it seems like you've been quiet this whole exchange. Cat got your tongue?"
"...Do you want me to say something about the dress?" Migu spoke up, her question and the lack of snideness in her voice was an unexpected one from the notorious rumourmonger. Fiona was indeed surprised by this but instead decided to give Migu a taste of her own medicine. Make her feel the pain of her victims.
"Well, I'll say this..." She said with a smirk. "Comparatively, your dress is probably the tackiest one I've seen all night. I mean it's like something some nerdy girl would wear to their high school prom without a date. Not to mention those shoes..."
She pointed at Migu's shoes, then added in a mocking tone; "Like what are those disgusting foot-hats!?"
"I'd suggest you watch that mouth you upstart tramp!" Hud growled. Anton holding him back.
"It's alright Hud. She's only saying what she sees..." Migu spoke to her brother. "I should have chosen something better for this."
"If she wants to earn her degrees, then she should be more careful in watching what she says lest she wants her prospects of becoming a nurse to go up in flames..." Anton says to Fiona with a knowing and infuriating smirk. "It'd be a shame to have that happen to you..."
"I only see four of you Verucas kiddos here. Where's the fifth?" Nic asks. "The designated punching bag."
"Hospital." Migu answered glumly. "Got beaten up by members from a rival gang."
"Yeah, some hard-ass punks decided to try and jump one of us like a dirty coward." Anton explained with Tatiana Tiger side-eying him, knowing that's a complete lie. "Probably thought they got one of us three here rather than him. It'll be a while before he's let out."
"Whoever did that to my brother; I hope it's painful for them when they get what's theirs'..." Migu furrows her brow, showing anger over what happened with her brother. Fiona had heard what happened with Tod through Akira and thus Migu's statements are already fishy right off the bat.
The female lizard speaking of a rival gang having assaulted her brother and the vixen can tell that she really believes in that narrative. It'd be real tempting to tell them what's really up but that would very likely cause complications for Akira's end. Still, the fact Migu believes her brother was beaten by a rival gang plus the exchange at the college left Fiona wondering on how much Migu actually knows on what Anton gets up to whenever she's not around. Secrets kept from her and information withheld from her while Tatiana next to Anton seems to know plenty on what goes on in his business.
"...Shame it wasn't you mate." Nic was saying to Hud. "They'd be do us a big solid of shutting that mouth of yours'. Wouldn't have to keep listening to you talk."
"I'd cut their throats open if they tried. I'd make them regret messing with me." Hud says defensively. "I'd beat their asses until they can't walk."
"Yeah, I bet you would tough guy..." Fiona responded with an eye roll, well aware of Hud's cowardly nature under that bravado. "As much as Nic and I would love to continue this chat, I gotta go hang out with the rest of my crew."
"I'm sure you need that extra emotional support after what happened tod—" Tatiana said before Hud cuts her off.
"Did anyone ask your opinion? No. So shut it you stupid cunt and don't butt in." Hud growled at her with a hard gaze.
"That's not an unfounded claim Tatiana." Fiona responded, validating Tatiana's opinion. "To be honest, I kinda was feeling the need for some of my own company after what happened today."
"Word's been going around about a brawl in Hal Street..." Hud remarks snidely with a chortle. "And one guy had to be hauled out of there. Serves the dumb bastard right for picking fights—"
"I heard…" Fiona interjected, cutting him off. "That a member of sone gang instigated the fight then and there. One of them even had a gun. Kinda hard to sympathize with a bare knuckle brawler when they cheat by pulled out a piece, isn't it? Then again, you'd know all about the art of cheating chum."
"Yet the other guy used a gun on him. Akira was the name I heard attached to him according to word on the streets..." Anton said with a grimace. "You know Fiona; associating yourself with a guy like him is only going to cause you problems later on with the kind of trouble he attracts. Even the company he has will only drag you down further."
"Real rich coming from you greenie." Nic retorted. "If Fiona wants to hang around around with him, so be it as long as he ain't a rat."
"As long as he's someone useful to her like an obedient little beta retriever." Hud remarks with smug smarminess. "Holding the bitch's balls firmly whenever he steps out of line. Maybe she should be holding them tighter with the way he's been behav—"
"Knock it off Hud." Migu said to her brother. "He's done nothing to you."
"Little shit called you a tramp."
"I made that one up because I was feeling pissed off that day." Migu admitted to him. "You just look for any reason to have a go at people, no matter who it is..."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hud eyes her dangerously with a dark look, making her nervously back up a bit.
"N-Nothing..." Migu dips her head down. Averting her gaze.
"That's enough Hud." Anton said firmly to Hud before turning his attention back to the vixen. "If you want to be friends with the guy, fine. If you want to fuck his brains out, fine. Just know that if anything happens with him that affects his social standing, it can rub off on you and your future prospects too. I suggest you keep one foot out the door and him at arm's length because he may not exactly be the nice guy that you think he is."
Fiona narrowed her gaze at Anton but keeping her cool, she simply replied; "…Dually noted. I expect nothing but the best advice from the milk of mobian kindness."
"Come on." Nic said as she gestures to Fiona, wanting to remove herself from the Verucas' company with the vixen noting the interaction between Migu and her brother. "Bloody hell... That Hud one's more insufferable than usual."
"I'll say…" Fiona responded, looking to her. "You saw how they treated Migu and Tatiana for speaking up, right?"
"Both from Hud, yes."
"Absolutely despicable. Those poor girls… I can't help but feel for them."
"I thought Migu was always just a stuck-up twat but it looks like there's something going on with her life at home..." Nic surmises with a nod. "Looks like your guy's words had cut a lot deeper for her than we originally thought and it doesn't appear that she's told them about that rant either."
"I'll have to tell him that later."
"You mentioned to me earlier that he has his suspicions on Anton being involved in the Hal Street attack somehow. Half of the Jebroni Gang that got taken out are in police custody including their ringleader while the rest's laying low at the moment. I heard other people talking about it but the details were vague at best beyond a description of you and those two guys sighted leaving the scene."
"That seems to be the working theory... Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case."
"Anything else fishy you noticed there?"
"Depends. You notice anything I didn't?"
"Hmm, Migu didn't argue or retort to you and she legitimately sounded fury over what happened with Tod like how you mentioned she got defensive of him when Akira insinuated Anton would sell him off to slavery if he could." Nic told her, the two speaking in low voices. "You told me Anton had beaten up Tod yesterday and your guy witnessed it first-hand, correct?"
"He did." Fiona replied, recalling what Akira had told her of the wolf's infiltration of the Hooligans. "He said it was pretty upsetting to watch. Not to mention from what he described, the fact that Tod might be on the spectrum makes Anton's treatment of him even worse."
She stole a glance at Anton, narrowing her eyes into a glare. "The lack of empathy or kindness exhibited by him nearly staggers me. Jeez... What a fucking dick and what I'd give to knock him down a peg..."
Nic nodded in agreement, glancing over to see Anton chatting or trying to be cosy with a fellow top player in Cyber City like he's apart of the upper class. "Now that I'm thinking about it, you did say Anton was a little taken aback at one point when he stood up to him with his words at the Dynamo Galleria... Perhaps he's onto somethin' here with him."
"Maybe..." Fiona replied, nodding. "We'll just have to see what he finds out while infiltrating his gang."
"Whatever's the case, he'd make a useful tool for us if he still lives by the end of January."
"Oh, absolutely. With our favors system going, I could get him to do whatever I need him to. No questions asked."
"Better be able to fulfil his part of the deal himself or he'll be another unreliable shitstain like a lot of things in this city..." Nic said pointedly as they were heading over to join their crew in the party. Fiona through her vulpine ears would overhear one of the invited guests say to his friend.
"...Ugh, those beastly ogres are here too?" The well-dressed snob said with a haughty scoff, grimacing when he sighted the Veruca parents in the crowd. "I swear I can't go nowhere to events like these without those damn Verucas spoiling it for me. Have to humour those rotten peasants when I have to interact with them."
"Those scaly boors shows up to parties meant for crowds like us with actual class and them acting like they're our equals including that thug son of theirs' while we have to put up with them..." His friend said in agreement. "They should do us all a favour and go back to dwelling in the caves where those animals rightfully belong. They're nothing more than bottom-class trash pretending to be one of us and the sooner they fall down the social ladder, the better for us all..."
The two girls glad to gotten away from the Verucas' company before Captain Krouch came over to where they were a few moments ago as Captain Krouch approaches Anton and his entourage."...May I have a word with you in private Mister Veruca?"
"Really, now?" Anton said to him with clear exasperation in his voice.
"Yes." Krouch nudges his head over in one direction. "Now."
"Ugh, fine..." The green lizard groans, looking to his entourage. "I won't be long."
Both Anton and Krouch heads off together over to find a quiet place to talk at.
"...I'm gonna go to the toilet." Migu says to Hud and Mad.
"I need to go too." Tatiana added. "I am allowed that much, no?"
"Don't be long." Hud replied curtly to Tatiana. "Especially you girl. Anton will be expecting to have you with us when he gets back, ya hear?"
"Crystal sir..." Tatiana replied in subtle sarcasm as she went with Migu. Relieved to get a little time away from Hud's unpleasant company for once today.
Anton and Krouch were in the mansion, heading into an unoccupied room that wasn't locked off to them. Anton was indignant about being pulled aside like this at someone's party an—
"What the fuck you've been playing at Anton?" The policeman finally spoke up in a sharp tone upon closing the door behind him and giving Anton a stern gaze.
"Playing what?" Anton said nonchalantly with arms crossed. Feeling mighty himself.
"You hired Marc and his gang to go after a guy in Hal Street whom one of his own happens to have a beef with, didn't you?"
"So what if I did?" Suddenly, Anton found himself grabbed by the collar and meeting a glaring expression from Krouch.
"You dumb fuck. What have I told you about your petty game with Manic? I have told you to stop with that and focus on doing what you're meant to be doing. Doing business."
"Since when did yo—"
"I've helped cover for your activities in exchange for payment, protect you from police prosecution whenever I can and discarded evidence against you. However, you've been getting more reckless lately when it comes to your fixation with tormenting him..." The police captain cuts him off. "And it's starting to cause a little noise on my end as well as your benefactors. That stuff you got those asshats to do have been getting a number of people talking on the streets."
"So? My gang has no part in it and only Marc is in the know about me hiring his gang to deal with that newcomer."
"Maybe so but if he starts talking in the interrogations about you and Keilee finds out, we're gonna have a lot of problems pal. Did you count on Fiona being with him in that assault? Did you plan on having her assaulted too?"
"It's all second-hand accounts. It could be anyone else that was involved and she can't prove I was behind it." Anton retorted dismissively. "What about it—AGH!"
"Son. You have no fucking clue on the amount of deep shit you'd be in if anything were to happen to her at the hands of those goons or the people she's connected to finding out about you being the one to orchestrate that assault in the first place..." Krouch shoves Anton back into a wall, pointing a stern finger at him. "And if that happens, you're on your own Anton. I ain't getting dragged into your mess nor am I losing my life over it because of your sadist hard-on for that green hoodlum trash."
"I-If Marc's a problem, then just get your guys to silence him or somethin'..." Anton stuttered. Fearful of him and feeling small compared to the policeman.
"Way ahead of you kid but you need to focus on doing what's best for business and for everyone else with a stake in this city's underworld instead of continuously going after some adopted child of a dead thief."
"I do my part and you should do yours too..." Anton replied arrogantly. "I've done favours for you as well officer."
"Don't get smart with me. I have half the mind to club you for your back-talking." Krouch got in Anton's face with a stern glare and making the younger lizard squirm uncomfortably under his gaze. "We both know what your rise to the top really started off with."
"..."
"If you don't get yourself under control sooner than later, you'll be casted right back to the bottom you and your family were at when you came here." Krouch lets go of Anton's collar. "You want to go back to that old life?"
"...No."
"Good. Many would kill to be in your shoes right now. Don't waste it and stop producing so much ruckus while you're at it..."
Unbeknownst to the two, Tatiana had overheard their exchange from outside in the hall when she was finished at one of the bathrooms and managing to locate them. Hearing enough from the two before quickly heading back to rejoin where Migu would be at whenever she's done to avoid suspicion from the Verucas while the lizard girl was quietly crying to herself in secret before eventually returning to the party with a put-on smirking expression...
Author's Notes: Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Things are really starting to pick up from and we're all aboard it.
Some good character moments are featured, some background info are revealed and we've even gotten some lore on the original Phantom Thieves in this universe as historical figures. Just like our real world histories, there's plenty of mythical accounts that makes finding the actual facts tricky to find; particularly when the historical figure in question is subject to legends born from an offhand remark or a well-known fact surrounding them can't be cited in any credible sources but still touted as if it is factual.
From here on, things get serious for Akira's group and the dangers against them in the real world becomes a certainty. What secrets shall come to light?
On that, we'll see you all another time...
