LETHAL VECTOR - 2. Welcome 2 the border
I DON'T own Pokémon. I DO own Lethal Vector. I DO own my characters (unless Drakenguard throws some in (which I hope he will)). I DO own an Xbox 360... just to put that pointless fact out there. "Telepathy." (or just emphasis) Characters thinking SUPA-EMPHASIS! See how cool it looks? THE SHOW GOES ON! - [////////// LETHAL VECTOR \\] [2: Welcome 2 the border]
Six glanced sideways at Elise. "Elise... do you remember when I said there was an assassin hunting me down?" Elise stared blankly, desperately trying to piece the situation together. She nodded slowly. "Well this is her." "You ass." The Lucario dropped him with a growl - immediately spinning around and pacing away. She stopped in the centre of the room with a louder growl between her teeth and clenching her fists tightly. "You told her I was an assassin? Why -" She raised a paw in his direction, silencing him before he spoke as she clenched her eyes in frustration. "Just... wha -... uurgh!" She spun and stormed towards him again, eyes alight with rage and flickering as her uncontained aura caught them. Six remained lifeless the entire while, even when the Lucario threw him back into the wall behind him with another growl. "What in the world were you thinking?" She pinned him against the wall by his shoulders, tightly gripping them. Elise wasn't sure - it was difficult to tell from her angle - but the Lucario almost seemed to be on the verge of bursting into tears. "Nova..." Six raised a limp hand and placed in on her shoulder. "Easy, girl." "What are you trying to do?" She shook her head wildly as further tears sprang into the corners of her eyes - yet they clung there, and refrained from falling. "You just... you left me! How could you just leave me there? After everything we've been through! And you just -" Six leaned forwards and cut her off. He forced his lips against hers in a spontaneous movement, catching her of guard. The Lucario froze up on contact, falling silent in surprise as she was kissed. She quickly regained her wits and pushed him away with a growl. He wasn't getting off that easily. "Don't think you can just squirm out of this!" She pressed him harder into the wall behind him, holding his shoulders tighter. "You're not just -" He kissed her again. Again - Nova's tongue recoiled as their lips met. Her telepathy faded, blanking instantly. She was angry. She was furious. She felt her head spin in a dizzy spell of rage. She was mad. She was outraged. But above all of this - she was afraid. As strongly as her brain raged on, willing her tongue to slip loose, an inner part of her just wanted to shut up, and just fall into Six and cry. "You can't just do that..." She snivelled as he drew back. Her grip on his shoulders eased as her arms trembled, and her pressure forcing him into the wall relaxed. "You can't just -" He kissed her again. Right on the lips again, shutting her words off. Nova's paw reluctantly separated them, pushing Six away. "You have - " He didn't let up. He kissed her again. Nova's paw made a half-hearted move toward him, but it fell weakly on his collarbone. She lacked the will to push him away. She didn't want him to stop. She melted into him with a sob, nearly collapsing as her legs turned to jelly. When he withdrew, Nova's head fell. Tears dripped from her eyes and ran down her muzzle, each succeeded by a short sniffle. Her rage faded back, and her hurt occupied the void. "Why did you leave me?" She looked up with a teary blink. Her ruby eyes quivered helplessly. Brought to her knees by simple fear. She couldn't even move now. She couldn't urge her body to even budge. Six moved closer and lowered his head to her shoulder. She responded by quickly throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly, burying her face against his stomach. "I'm sorry..." He said simply. His own arms hung lifelessly at his sides, wrapped by the Lucario's as she held him for dear life. "I thought it would be best for you... I was wrong..." "You have to stop doing this..." Nova gripped the back of his coat as her body tensed all over, clinging to Six. "Please stop leaving me..." "I said this was the final test." He whispered back. "I meant it. I'm finished. I know Arceus wants me. I'm sure now. I don't have to leave you." Nova sniffed again, and looked up finally. Behind her tears, her eyes shone with pure joy. Blissful relief. "Thank you." Six smiled a little. Her smile warmed him. He leaned forwards a little, and touched his nose against her snout. The familiar sensation of her cool, wet nose sent a shiver down his spine. The shiver urged his heart forwards before his brain could say otherwise. "I missed you." "I missed you." Nova hugged him again, briefly. "Promise you won't go?" "I promise." Six nodded. "Mmmph mmph?" Both turned their heads to Elise. She had shuffled towards the edge of the bed while they spoke, and was now sitting on the edge with a mix of confusion and frustration painting her face. "Oh, right." Six stepped out of Nova's grip. She reluctantly let her arms fall away, and followed him to the bed. "This is Elise." "Nice name." Nova commented, wiping her eyes. She knelt in front of Elise with a murmur as she observed her. Her composure had lifted surprisingly quickly. A moment ago she was broken and furious, and suddenly she had an unmistakeable professionalism to every movement. "Where did you find her, Six?" "She was the one who picked me up after I passed out." Six recalled. "Don't suppose you could cut her free?" "No problem." Nova slipped onto the bed beside Elise, and shuffled around to place herself behind her. "Stay still and I'll cut the ropes." She held one paw to the side, and flicked it. A single, silver claw slid soundlessly from one digit on her command. The ceiling light ran a glary shine across the surface, like a sheet of metal. Nova hooked the claw between the binds, careful of Elise's hands, and sliced through them with a clean upward cut. Elise's freed hands immediately jerked for her mouth to remove the gag. Nova's paws appeared over her shoulders in a flash, suddenly gripping her wrists tightly. Nova's head followed, appearing over her right shoulder. Her breaths were short and hot on Elise's ear, and she felt the Lucario's chest rise against her back. Nova's eyes glinted dangerously, and her blank expressions stared straight ahead, holding a fraction of a snarl and a bared fang. "No sudden movements." Nova's telepathic voice, previously so shaky and unsteady, was as cold as ice. It gripped Elise unpleasantly with a darker tone, warning her. "Slow movements. Touch your pockets and I'll take you out right now. No funny business." "Mm-mm." Elise gulped, and nodded slowly. Her hands immediately fell into a fit of shaking as Nova's paws released her, unsettled by the warning. As slowly as she could, she carefully brought her hands up towards her mouth. "Oh, screw it." She froze as Nova sighed, and disappeared from view. Then - "AAAAAGH!" Elise leapt off the bed as the tape was ripped away from her lips. She immediately spun around and covered her face, stifling a curse at the lingering pain. Nova tossed the tape aside without a second thought, and proceeded to make herself comfortable on the bed. "Oh, don't be a baby." She snorted. She wormed her way up the bed until her head rested on the pillow at the top, and she splayed herself lazily across the covers. She left an eyes open as she scanned the room quickly, murring. "So... base camp for the night, huh?" She sat up and bounced her paws on the bed, testing the springs beneath. After a moment of testing, and a satisfied nod, she lay down again. "Sweet. I hoped for a nice place to catch up." She winked on her last word. "We haven't been apart very long. What could we possibly have to catch up on?" Six's tone exuded innocence, though he knew fully well what Nova was talking about. An inside smirk recognised her offer. "You know damn well what we have to catch up on." Nova chuckled, and rolled onto her stomach, lifting her rump a little. She glanced over her shoulder with a playful wag of her tail, emerging through a small hole in the back of her denim shorts. Her eyes flickered an intense, burning orange, melting into Six's as he stared. Recognising her trance had taken effect, Nova batted her eyelashes once, slowly and smoothly; shutting her eyes away. Whatever she did, she did it right. Six's mind numbed a little as the moment dragged on, and her eyes held shut. It was only a second of real time, but it seemed to be forever in his eyes. Her gorgeous irises flashed away into hiding, smothered by soft blue veils, and he his mind was instantly overwhelmed by his desire to see them again. She knew her stuff. Six's paused breath released again as her eyelids retreated, revealing her glistening irises again as a sultry murr escaped her lips. She poked her tongue between her lips and licked across them, rocking her hips suggestively. "You know damn well what I want." "Would somebody be kind enough to explain this situation to me?" Both were jerked from their moment as Elise spoke up. She blushed faintly, hiding her hands behind her back. Nova directed her a nasty stare for interrupting their moment, but Six didn't appear too fazed. "We're friends." Six shrugged. "With benefits..." Nova giggled a little. "You said there was an assassin trying to kill you..." Elise glanced between the two with a puzzled stare. "I am not familiar with assassin methods, myself, but I am quite sure they do not do it like that..." "I didn't say that." Six sat on the edge of the bed. Nova quickly twisted around and joined him, sitting alongside at a very friendly distance, close by his side. "I said I was running from an assassin. I didn't say she was trying to kill me." He flashed a smile to Nova, and licked her cheek. She murred, and pushed him playfully. "She wouldn't lay a finger on me, outside of her kill-mode." "Nuh-uh." Nova confirmed, shaking her head quickly. Six leaned across and momentarily licked her cheek again, provoking another giggle. "She's just a big cuddly ball of fun." He laughed as she finally pushed him away, unable to handle his tongue's assault. Six's expression suddenly took a serious turn. "Well, until she goes into kill-mode. Then she's a vicious, psychopathic killing machine with no room for remorse and no capacity for mercy." Nova's face fell into a scowl quickly. "That's bullshit." She slapped him lightly on the head. "Is it?" Six's eyes pointed briefly to the three dead Pokémon. Nova frowned a little as she followed his eyes. "Okay... there's some truth in that..." She murred thoughtfully as she continued to stare at them. She hadn't seen a snake in a while, and the times she had seen them, it was her and Six going for them, not them coming for Six... "It's weird, huh?" As they registered their thoughts with one another, Six nodded and slid off the bed. He walked to the human and crouched alongside. Nova quickly joined him at his side, and rolled the man onto his back. The knife end still stuck from his neck, piercing his skull bandana and pinning the bottom to his neck. The material had darkened and taken a red hue where his blood had leaked. As Six looked over the man's lifeless face, Nova proceeded to rifle through his pockets. She turned each inside-out ceremonially, starting at the top and working down. She felt about each one as she out-turned them, checking for hidden pockets and stitched-in pockets which had been closed up, as snakes were known to make. "Ah..." She smiled a little as she felt a stiffer patch of material. She poked it a little, listening carefully for the crackle of bending cardboard or paper. Her ear twitched at the faintest sound. She sat up and nodded to Six. She unsheathed a claw on her right paw, and dug it into the fabric around the stiffer area. Holding the coat with her free paw, she cut a small hole through the coat with her claw, tearing through the thick material. She hid her claw once she had finished, and reached into the hole. "What's this?" She drew it out. A photograph. Six shuffled around and leaned over her shoulder. "What is it?" Elise asked. She still sat on the bed, leaning left and right to try and see over either's shoulder. She quietly lifted herself up, easing her frame off the bed without a sound. Her legs buckled as Nova spun and glared at her, and she fell back. Nova stood quickly with a growl and balled her fists, making a maddened step for Elise. "Stop." She halted with a confused grunt as Six briefly kissed her waist. Still kneeling, he kissed her Just above the waistband of her shorts. "But -" "We don't know what this means." Six stood up, and held his hand out. Nova grumbled briefly at Elise, but she picked up the photograph and jammed it into Six's palm so it balanced there. He began slowly towards Elise, staring at the photo in his hand the whole time. He stopped just in front of her, and dropped the photo on her lap. "Care to explain this?" Elise gasped and recoiled a bit. It was her. Taken from a distance from an elevated angle, the camera had zoomed in on her. Amongst the crowd streaming about her -blanketing most of the pearly white tiled floor of what seemed to be an airport - she was barely noticeable, save her jade hair standing out in the sea of brown, black and blonde. She held a strap of her backpack in one hand, glancing warily over her shoulder with the look of a spooked Deerling. Her clothing was the same. Same unmarked ranger outfit and same khaki backpack, although slightly less bulging than it was now. "Well?" Six's voice snapped her from the photo. "Any ideas?" "He had this on him?" Elise's lips cracked, suddenly dry. "He did." Nova appeared beside Six with her arms crossed tightly and glowering. "Why?" "I don't know!" Elise shuffled away quickly, backing up along the bed as her heart raced. Nova's growl heightened a little, and she made a start forwards. "Nova!" Nova cringed as Six nudged her roughly. "No!" "But -" She protested, but Six cut her off. "SIT!" Nova whimpered a little and backed away a bit. She averted her eyes down, and obediently sat. She turned away a bit and hugged her knees close to her, cursing at herself for her audacity. Six watched her do so, and sighed a little. He knew he should have been a little easier on Nova - having been separated for so long - but she knew better. He buried his guilt for the moment - knowing he would make up for it tonight - and sat on the edge of the bed. "She's a bit presumptuous sometimes. Don't mind her. She'll warm up to you." "They know where I am..." Elise's eyes trembled as they held on the photo. She couldn't remove her eyes from the thing. It was her. It was undeniably her. They knew where she was. "Who knows?" Six's arm wrapped around Elise's shoulders. They sat on the edge of the bed for a minute, both staring at the picture thinking very different thoughts. "There are some people." Elise whispered dryly. She gulped and continued quietly. "They're trying to take me back to Unova." "Why?" "Luck of the draw." Elise dropped the photo. It twisted and flipped as it tumbled to the floor, fluttering, and settled between her feet, face-up. She stared between her feet at it, shivering. "Family and relations... their baggage was sort of passed on to me..." "I see..." Six nodded slowly. After a moment of silence, he fell back on the bed with a sigh. "I never had much say in my life." He said after a moment. "I was taken from birth. Never given a choice, just thrust into action from a young age." Elise glanced at Six under her brow as tears still trembled at the corners of her eyes. He seemed a little different for the moment. Laying back sort of lazily, arms splayed, reminiscing... something more human emerged in him. He gained colour, so to speak. The vague silhouette she had been conveying for the last few hours had a little life to him. "I'm sorry." "Don't be. You played no part in my life." Six watched as the roof above him shimmered, in his eyes. It twisted and turned, blending pale creams into a messy, churning whirlpool of colours. It rolled and swirled for a moment, then the colours slowed, and settled. It was him. A four-year old boy. His hair hazel and eyes sparkling green. His laugh was a fresh melody, chirping with the bird Pokémon of the forest. He gripped the Lucario's ears tightly, tiny legs wrapped around her neck and holding her tight. She smiled as she strode through the forest with the grace of a queen, flowing and smooth steps as she navigated the familiar terrain. Her oversized camouflage slacks rubbed softly against dewy blades of grass climbing from the forest floor. A trace smile graced his face. "It seemed so innocent at first..." He continued softly as the memory played out. "I ate lollies, played all day, stayed up as long as I wanted. For the first few years, it was great..." He glanced down, licking his drying lips. His passing tongue wiped the smile away and rendered his face expressionless. "Then they took me to base... everything changed. I learned what was really happening..." "What happened?" Elise's finger brushed faintly on Six's jeans as it rested between them on the bed. She willed herself to look up, and look into his eyes. "What happened?" Six shook his head, ruffling the blanket slightly with his head movements. "Not today." He sat upright again and stretched out, yawning. Elise shuffled away, giving him a little space as he stood. "I've told you all I can allow, for the moment. Perhaps if I trusted you, I would tell you the story." He approached Nova from behind, very quietly. "Nova." Nova didn't jump, as Elise had expected. She lifted her head a little at Six's voice, and looked over her shoulder. Six offered her a limp hand. Nova smiled a little, setting her tail wagging, and took his hand and stood. They stood apart for a moment as Nova reached her feet, holding hands, and spontaneously embraced. Their arms wrapped around one-another, and they buried their heads against one another again. "I'm sorry." Six whispered. "Never again... I'm never going to do that to you again." "I know..." Nova sniffed and nodded. As she lifted her head to look Six in the eyes, her own gleamed with her final tears holding to their rims. "Because I'm not letting you go now!" Six laughed sharply as Nova's arms tightened around him, and she hoisted him off his feet with a great grin and hugged tighter. He quickly wrapped his legs around her waist, and returned the hug as best as he could. "You'll have to let me go at some point." He licked her snout lovingly, helpless to her charm. "Nuh-uh!" Nova squeezed him a little now, still enjoying their game. "Never!" "Ye - eh..." Six's grin tightened a little as his chest constricted. "You're hurting me..." "Sorry." Nova eased her grip immediately. Her cheery smile softened a little more as they stared. "Hey, just while you're carrying me..." "Of course." Nova's smile became a frown quickly. "You want something." "Mind dropping me past the shower?" He asked hopefully. "I haven't had a shower or changed clothes in a while." "Shu' thing." Nova smirked and lay Six across her shoulder like a sack of grain. "Not nice." Six remarked as Nova carried him towards the door. He glanced up at Elise just as they headed through, and waved briefly. "Be out in a few. Oh, and dispose of the corpses if you can." Nova pulled the door shut behind him, cutting Elise's visual. Elise gawked at the door. "Dispose of the corpses?" She eyed the four dead with a distasteful grunt. "I don't think so..." Three minutes later Six stood motionlessly as the warm flow of water beat down on his back. His eyes remained gently shut and his head rested against the wall of the shower, indulging in his memories again. Nova held him in her arms, standing behind him with her chin resting on his shoulder. Her paws worked his chest, rubbing with a facecloth and stroking down his sides simultaneously. She smiled as she worked, loving the water spilling over them and the feel of his body on hers. "I missed these moments." She sighed dreamily and nuzzled into his neck. "Yeah." Six nodded distantly, his mat of wet hair sticking to the shower wall as he did. "It's nice." Nova purred and licked up the side of his neck. "We could take it a little further..." Her free paw danced on his skin, touching it lightly and trailing up to his nipple. "That is... if you want to..." "Not now." Six sighed and lifted his head away. His eyes stared blankly ahead, mirrored in the pearly white tile wall. Nothing there... just empty, icy silver. "When I'm in the mood. Later." "Kay." Nova dropped the cloth, having finished, and brought her paws higher. She let her claws slip slightly as her paws dragged up his torso, and gingerly teased their points up over his shoulders. She brought them just down his back, then began massaging them gently. Her aura searched his body as she worked, identifying specific points and digging her claws in. "You're tense." She said after a second, feeling Six's shoulder jump a fraction. Such a tiny movement it would have gone unnoticed by most. "What's wrong?" "Somebody's coming upstairs..." Six droned as he focussed on the aura. "They're coming here." "Probably just one of those boys downstairs." Nova gripped his shoulders a bit tighter as he tried to turn, holding him down. "Don't worry. They're probably just curious. They looked spooked when I arrived. Likely that man frightened them." "Yes. I'm sure they'll be very curious to find four corpses in the centre of the room." Six crossed his arms, determined not to let Nova's touch sooth his vigilance. Relaxation caused him to miss things. Caused him to not notice important things. Unfortunately for his vigilance, Nova was very good with her hands... Fortunately for him, her movements ceased after the second it took her to register what he said. "Oh..." "Dress me." Six pulled away and stepped around her, out of the shower. Nova turned and followed him, leaving the shower running. "Six, you need to relax." She halted him by placing a paw on his shoulder. She stopped at his side, and patted his shoulder. "I'll handle this. Just get back in that shower and relax, kay?" "Nova." Six brushed her paw off and glared at her. "I'm coming out too." "Please... just relax..." Nova's paw went back again. She turned Six to face him, releasing her claws onto his shoulders again and trying her hand at calming him through another massage. "Just let me handle this... you've been through a lot recently. You need to chill out." Their eyes met. Both pairs held their most intense gazes, sparking an immediate challenge. Six's eyes were perfectly still, sharp and precise. Nova's soft and red, but irises fluctuating through shades of orange and gold as if burning with an internal fire. "Your eyes..." Six broke. His voice wavered, shaken as her eyes immersed him. "They're... beautiful..." "Thank you." Nova patted his shoulder, smiling with her victory, and headed away. Six leaned sideways a bit to glance out the door gap as it closed, but he saw nothing. He sighed as Nova disappeared, cursing himself for his weakness. Her eyes got him... every time... "Somebody's coming up." Nova strode into the centre of the room with her command. Elise's eyes darted from the photo at her feet and to Nova. "What?" Her eyes immediately went to the four on the ground. Suddenly, she regretted dismissing Six's suggestion. "There is a person." Nova said very slowly, for Elise's benefit. "And they are coming up here..." She hinted. "You know. Where the bodies are...?" Elise's head bobbed slowly as the situation dawned on her. "What do I do?" "Return the Pokémon!" Nova quickly leapt to the human's body, and scooped it up. "Return them to their balls, then take your pants off!" Elise nearly fell over halfway to the Pokémon. "What!?" "Fine - just return the Pokémon!" Nova barked, and tossed the man's belt to her. She immediately set off towards the armoire at the end of the room, hoisting the body over her shoulder. Elise caught the belt with a shaky nod, and gulped. Four balls on it. Each gleaming white on the bottom, pure as snow. The tops, shining red, thick as blood. She glanced over top of the balls in her hand at a patch of blood marking the carpet. That would be hard to mask, especially the coppery smell so thick in the air. She fumbled through the balls and matched each to their dead occupants, returning them when she found the corresponding ball. She quickly threw the belt underneath the bed nearby, and fixed two onto the two empty slots on her own belt. The third, she quickly tossed under the bed. Nova flung open the armoire and shoved the man's limp body in. She slammed the door shut on it before his body could tumble out again. "Now just the blood." Nova spun around with an irritated growl as she spotted the distribution of blood spatters. The first three were in close proximity, and could be easily covered up by laying something across them, but the fourth was separate from them, two metres away. Not to mention the smell of blood was overwhelming. Someone would know something was up immediately. "Elise, was it?" "Huh?" Elise spun to Nova as she attached the last ball. "Yes." She nodded sternly. "Lock the door, then kneel beside me." Nova tore the blanket from the bed as she sped towards the blood spatters. She tossed the blanket across the first three, and leapt to the floor beside the fourth. "Here! Quickly!" "I'm coming!" Elise hurried to Nova's side then fell to her knees. No sooner had her knees touched the floor, Nova's paw wrapped around her wrist. "In the blood!" Nova jerked Elise's hand into the wet patch on the ground before she could protest. "All over! Get it covered! Now!" Nova's' commands were too forceful for Elise to resist, and she obeyed quickly, compelled by fear and panic. She rubbed her whole hand into the bloody carpet. Both sides, smearing red all over. "Now hold out two fingers!" Nova instructed as she fell to her hands and knees, but still held Elise's wrist in one paw. Elise did so, shaking wildly. The door suddenly clicked. Nova's paw tightened on Elise's wrist, and moved it in one fast, sharp motion toward her. Seconds earlier Two figures crept silently along the hallway, glancing about a little as they went. A boy of about nineteen led, and behind him an Electabuzz followed. "Be ready for anything." He whispered to his Pokémon. The electric-type nodded with a quiet grunt, and eyed the approaching doors. He had seen the man who had entered, and he didn't like the look of him one bit. To further add to the situation, there was the Lucario who had practically smashed the front door off its hinges on its way in, and shot away upstairs without so much as a word. Something was up. "Room 13, was it?" The electabuzz nodded distantly, still occupied by his train of thought. "Hey!" The Pokémon was jerked back to reality as his trainer smacked his shoulder. The boy frowned at him, and shook his head. "Focus." "(Sorry.)" The Pokémon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You're just out of it these days." The boy sighed and returned his eyes forwards. "What's gotten into you?" "(There's a war going on outside.)" The electabuzz grumbled to himself. "(So I think I'm handling the situation pretty well.)" "Room 13" The electabuzz stopped sharply, nearly bowling his trainer over as he stopped suddenly. The boy reached into his pocket and drew out a small silver key. Unlike the rest of the lodge's keys, this wasn't imprinted with a number. The master key unlocked every door. At least, that's what the concerned manager had told him when he handed it to him to let him investigate. "Ready yourself for anything..." He took a deep breath as he slid the key into the lock. He twisted it a little. Locked. He twisted against the resistance, turning as smoothly and quietly as he could. Click. He slammed the door handle down and barged through, forcing through the door with his shoulder. "Cario?" Was the first thing he heard. A short, breathless gasp. As the door swung inwards, he leapt around the outside. He nearly fell over as he saw the inside of the room. A Lucario and a woman both flushed red in an instant. Their cheeks went a deep rouge as the boy's eyes landed on them. The woman kneeling behind the Lucario quickly jerked her blood-soaked hand from the Pokémon's behind, and promptly hid it behind her back. The Lucario clenched her legs shut and sat on her knees quickly, seemingly extremely embarrassed. "Oh..." The boy stumbled back a little as he too blushed, realising what was going on. The blushing girls, the scent of blood, the girl's bloody hand and the patch on the ground just under the Lucario. He had interrupted on something private. "sorry..." He stammered nervously as he backed out the door. "I just... sent up to..." He gulped as his tongue fell limp. "Um..." He stepped back and slammed the door shut again. "(Woah.)" A massive smirk of amusement wrapped the Pokémon's face as his trainer spun to face him. "I think we should go..." The boy broke into a hasty stride, going back the way they came. Suddenly, he needed some time alone... ...and maybe a tissue or two.
"Oh, my god!" Elise screeched and leapt backwards, shaking her hand in a wild fit of disgust. "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!" "Oh, get over it." Nova stood slowly, frowning at her matted fur between her legs. "You got a little blood on your hand. Big deal. I could have AIDS..." "You... you just-!" Elise tried to scream, but no sound came out. "That's... you just... put my..." "Hey, lady." Elise jumped a little as Nova snapped at her. Nova placed her paws on her hips and stared hard at Elise. "It really isn't that big a deal. This is Sinnoh, honey. Half the population have had a finger in a Lucario's vagina at some point or another." "Did you... have to do that?" Elise cringed as she glanced at her hand again. Bloody and red, and warm. It felt so wrong... "Six and I ran through fifteen other possible ways of solving this problem." Nova explained sternly. "We identified this as the most successful in long term. Things like this will spread quickly. Soon the whole building will know. Public opinion will identify us as strange, and they will not bother us. Their presumption of our strangeness will lead them to forgive any other slight irregularities we display, justifying anything strange we may need to do." Nova finished, and crossed her arms. "At least, that's what Six says." "Nova." A quiet bang sounded from the other side of the shower door. "Coming." Nova headed for the door. "I think I'm going to need some cleaning now... if you catch my drift..." She opened the door just enough for her to slip through, and disappeared behind it. The door swung shut slowly, and latched itself without a sound. Elise frowned at the door as she wiped her hand on a second towel which had been left on the end of the bed. "Fifteen other solutions?" She shook her head slowly. There was no way they could have gone through fifteen ways of getting rid of the boy in that short time frame. "Count yourself lucky." Elise jumped as Nova's voice echoed through her mind again. "You can hear me?" She glanced about, as if searching for another place the voice came from. "Yes. And like I said - count yourself lucky. Originally we were going to go with solution number fourteen. That one had you on the receiving end - not me - but you didn't get your clothes off fast enough." Elise shivered at the mental image that created. Hell no! She thought sternly, glaring at the bathroom door. "Anyway," Nova's voice chimed in again, "We'll be out in a few. Right aft-" Elise cringed as a high-pitch mental squeal split through her mind, jarring her ears. "Ooh, Six... mmm... you dirty little..." She stopped. "Oops. Did I leave this thing on...?" She teased, quite intentionally before she shut their link off. Elise spat an appalled mutter as she returned to the bed, and sat on the edge. Six had been alright so far, but his Lucario was going to be trouble. She was nosy. She was trouble. Elise walked to the sink in one corner of the room and made her best effort to wash the remaining blood from her hand. She dried her hands on the same towel, and headed out into the corridor. Stepping to the halfway point down the stairs quickly introduced her to a new atmosphere. The emptiness of upstairs shrunk back as the air bubbled with bright conversation. The stale stillness was forsaken for energy and warmth as trainers and travellers gathered about the fireplace. Elise smiled as she glanced about, mood uplifted by the change. Until... "...all the way up to the fist!" Elise's smile dropped as she spotted the trainer who had walked in on her. He sat forwards in his chair, charged and excited as he recounted his experience. "Like, right in! Whole two fingers! All the way in there!" A few situations quickly played through Elise's head as she strode towards the grouped youths. Most of them were young. Late twenties to late teens. Smack him one. She smirked a bit at that one. Maybe. Act appalled? It seemed a sensible enough response, but the thought of just acting insulted didn't sit well with Elise. Play along...? She smiled a little wider at that one. She had never before received an opportunity to act as audaciously as she could now, and likely would never again. It's settled then! She began towards them a little faster. I'm a temporary lesbian poképhile. "I hear speak of me?" The group jumped collectively as she stole close. Elise chuckled at their shocked stares, and weaved between two of their chairs. She spotted the boy who had walked in on her, and a predatory smirk caught him breathless. Change of plans. I'm playful, flirtatious and loving it. She swung a long, slender leg in an arc through the air, and landed it on one of the boy's armrests. She quickly slithered onto his chair, and in a second was sitting in his lap, facing him with her legs hanging off the armrests to the sides. "It is not polite to to talk about a girl behind her back..." She scolded playfully, and slid a bit closer. "Much nicer when we can sit face-to-face, no?" "Uuh..." The boy's lips flapped soundlessly as he tried, and failed to form coherent speech. His mind numbed and his brain shut down, leaving him paralyzed. Elise burst into a fit of laughing at the boy's silence. She slid off him quickly, and stood upright as the group about her erupted into laughter too. "That'll teach you not to gossip, Isaac." A teenage girl chuckled as the laughter settled. Elise flashed her a smile, and eased herself into a free seat at one side of the circle. "We all have our... preferences. Do we not?" Elise shared her smile with the rest of the group. "I will not judge yours, and I ask you not to judge mine." The others sort-of nodded, glancing about at each other and briefly conferring their collective stance on their new addition. "Fair enough." A boy her age - suited in a brown leather coat and jeans - nodded, and relaxed back in his seat. "So. What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" "You are asking business or pleasure?" Elise gave a sultry smile, and leaned back also. She hooked one leg across her other, and clasped her fingers in her lap. "A little bit of both." Another few giggles. "Here? No-man's-land. Kinda a melting pot for all the shit and flak either side can dish out." The boy smiled in return, keeping cool throughout. "What kind of business gets done out here?" "The kind that a lady keeps to herself." Elise flicked her hair over a shoulder, humming a little in her throat. She glanced about a little, pondering on the boy's previous comment. "I have seen melting pots of both shit and flak. This place looks like neither." The manager at the counter turned his head a little, and called over: "Folks leave us alone, here." He explained. "East, west, they all know where we are. They all know we're just civvies. They let us be." "I see." Elise nodded. "A little garden of Eden in the middle of hell on earth." "That's what it is." The man nodded. His brow suddenly rose after his lips shut. "Hey, that's good." His smile rose again. ""The garden of Eden". I've been looking for a new name for this place for a while now..." "Well that is all well and good." Elise drew attention again as she spoke. Her voice was the type to draw attention. "But, consider this. Who else craves your fruits?" A few more giggles as some members took it the wrong way. The manager didn't appear amused. His brow furrowed again. "What do you mean?" "Well, it is really quite simple." Elise rose to her feet, elevating to her full and substantial height as she turned to the manager. "You live safely in your garden of Eden, living off the fruits of peace and cooperation... but how many others will crave this?" She opened her arms wide, regarding the others in the room as she looked between them. "Warmth and shelter. Food and electricity. How long before those who wage war arrive, and desire the taste of luxury?" "They know we're civilians." The manager shook his head slowly. Suddenly, he appeared concerned. "Do you think that will stop them from "requisitioning" this building in the name of their side?" Elise demanded, sparking quiet argument amongst the group. "Do you think they will forever pass by when food and shelter and warmth are so easy to take when they wish?" "But they..." The manager's lips stopped moving as he stared at the floor. He really hadn't thought about it seriously until now. "My lord... you're right..." "Hey, hold up!" The same boy leapt to his feet, standing tall. "They ain't getting in here on my watch!" "That's right!" Beside him, a young man climbed from his seat too, and looked to the manager. "Hamish, you have me a place to stay and food and shelter. I'm going to stay right here!" He folded his arms. "I'll be damned if they're taking this place away for their damn fighting!" "Then I hope your resolve is as big as your mouths." The collective attention of the room landed on Six. Somehow he had gone unnoticed as he and Nova appeared halfway down the stairs. He leaned across the balustrade and crossed his arms, observing the occupants of the room. "There are exactly two Humvees on their way here right now. East Sinnoh. Number plates "CZQ18950" and "HGP54671". Each Humvee contains three soldiers. Two weedsuits. Four infantrymen: two with Pikachus, one a Floatzel and one a Dustox. There are also two archangel-class troopers. Lucario-Pidgeot combination. Both Pidgeotto are male, one Lucario female, one Lucario male. The male is a newbie, but the female knows what she's doing. That makes four regular human enemies, four regular Pokémon, two augmented humans and two combination Pokémon. Fourteen enemies in total, counting each archangel as two and each weedsuit as one. ETA fifty-four seconds, accounting for the vehicle's condition and the road traction... give or take two seconds to account for the driver's skill and confidence driving around corners at speed." "Who's this guy?" The boy in the leather jacket shot a glance at Elise, remembering the two entering together. "He's my handicapped friend." Elise smiled just a little. "That's not funny." Six frowned as he hurried down the steps. He stopped at the bottom with a murmur. "Well, it's a little funny, but it's no time for jokes." He strode to the edge of the group with Nova in tow. "This road is off the main highway. There's little along this way, except this place. They're headed here, and they'll arrive any second." "The army's coming here?" Another member leapt up. "What are they doing?" "I think that's already been discussed." Six grimaced as he scanned across the group. "If any of you are really serious about holing up in here and keeping them out, step forwards now." The boy in the leather jacket stepped before Six even completed his sentence. "Let's do it." "Toby, aren't you rushing into this?" The girl beside him taped his elbow with a shaken gulp. "You don't even know what's going on." "The army's coming here." Toby brushed her hand off him. "If this guy wants to keep them out, then I'm game. I've been taken care of here, so damn right I'm gonna do what I can to keep them out." The other dozen in the lounge seemed to meet with their eyes again. They checked one another, gauging the reactions about them. One in a green singlet stood up. Then, a girl wearing a heavy coat. One-by-one, all but a few stood with unsure murmurs. "I think we're all game." One spoke up, smiling lightly. "That's nice." Six grunted. "But I only want him." Their eyes all trailed after Six's finger, to the first boy to step forwards. "Just me?" Toby seemed less enthused. "If these guys are-" "You're hasty. Your quick to step up. I don't want them. I want you." Six turned and quickly headed for the front door. "The rest of you, hide out in the basement, or upstairs, or somewhere. Elise: come with me. You too, kid." He motioned over his shoulder. Nova energetically bounded around Six as he reached the door and threw it open for him. She stood at the side of the doorway and held it open for the next two to exit through. Toby watched her curiously as he followed, but a grunt from Nova was enough to discourage him. Six turned around after a few steps outside. "You have to do everything I say. And quickly." He added quickly. "Let out your Pokémon." Toby reacted as quickly as he had before. He grabbed his three pokéballs from his waist, and threw them all out. "Ubone!" The first flash whirled about, and converged into the shape of a Cubone. The Pokémon twirled his club in a quick circle as he announced his entrance. "Luxio!" The second cried as it practically leapt from its laser beam and onto the snowy pavement of the car park. "'Ird." The third yawned as it sparked into existence. A Delibird scratched idly behind his ear with a bored expression. "In, guys." Toby knelt and slapped his knee The Cubone immediately ran for the Luxio as it turned around. He grabbed the Pokémon's man as he passed and jumped, hauling himself onto the electric-type's back. The Luxio had already broken into a brief dash, and arrived at her trainer's feet within a second. The Delibird, however, seemed reluctant as it waddled towards his trainer without any enthusiasm. "Okay guys, we've got a situation." Toby began, addressing the three of them. "East Sinnoh military's going to be here in seconds," The Pokémon flashed urgent glances at one another, "but I need you all to keep calm, and listen to this guy." The Pokémon swivelled about with various grunts and growls of disapproval at Six. Six was already on the ground. He sat in front of them quickly, and crossed his legs. "Listen to me very carefully..." He spoke very quickly, glaring at each Pokémon in turn and fixing his icy irises on theirs. "Things are about to get strange. You won't understand a lot of what you feel, but you need to trust that it's going to guide you in the right direction. Understand?" The Pokémon conferred their thoughts briefly with one another, murmuring unsurely. "LISTEN!" They leapt as Six roared at them. His voice fell flat, almost hissing between his teeth. "You listen to me and you listen very carefully because if you don't you're all going to die." He growled. "My Lucario is going to transmit you telepathic instructions and you are going to do whatever the hell she tells you the very second she tells you to do it, kapeesh? You will do everything she says the very moment she says it, and I promise you that you will feel something you've never experienced. You listen and obey and I promise you, you will all come out of this alive and you will experience something that will forever make you stronger, do I make myself clear?" The Pokémon murmured again. "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?" The Pokémon leapt again, and nodded quickly. "Good." Six glanced at the hidden corner to the north. "Because they're here." On Six's last syllable, the guardrail at the corner lit up in a full-beam of headlights. They cut a swath through the dimming night sky, lighting a path for the vehicles which swung around the corner. Green and grey Humvees. Each had a hatch up top, manned by a humanoid figure of some sort. The Luxio shivered a little as the vehicles rolled around the bend towards them. "(What's going on Ryus?)" "(Idunno.)" The Cubone shrugged, but patted his companion's head with his bone. "(Who's that guy?)" The Luxio jerked her head a little towards Six, who sat behind her with his legs still crossed. "(I don't know, Hanas. If I knew I would tell you.)" Ryus, the Cubone frowned as the Humvees' indicators flashed on. "What's up with this?" Nova asked from her hiding place on top of the roof. She had climbed up after closing the door behind Six. "They're indicating..." Six observed with a curious murmur. "Interesting..." "(What do we do?)" Hanas panicked a little as the vehicles came to abrupt stops. Each pulled up alongside one another at the entrance to the car park. "(We listen to boss.)" They turned their heads as the Delibird approached from behind. A cigarette rested in his beak, and a thin trail of pale smoke rose from the glowing end. He crossed his arms and stopped beside them, eyes sharp on the intruding vehicles. "(Boss says listen to this guy. That's enough for me.)" Ryus nodded a little, but appeared unconvinced. "(I'll listen, but-)" The left Humvee's door clicked open. The light from the lodge's windows ran a glare across the tinted window as the door swung out, and from behind emerged a man dressed in military uniform. Dark crew-cut hair - as far as the eye could tell in this light - camouflage slacks over heavy military boots, and an olive green, tight-fitting t-shirt. His fingers remained gingerly wrapped around the edge of the door as he emerged around the side, as if reluctant to release it. "State your business!" Six called. The man retreated a little to hide behind his door, but he emerged again quickly. "Civilian!" The man called back, mustering his courage. "Stand down! We mean you no harm!" "Why are you here?" Six called. In truth, he knew exactly why they were here. He could sense the men in the back seats of the Humvees. He just didn't want to explain to the others when he could have the other man do so. "We have casualties!" The man called. "Our men are wounded! We need medical supplies or they're going to die!" "Where are your medics?" Six inclined his head. He still sat, still cross-legged, but he commanded attention. "They were killed in action." The man called harshly. "Please, they don't have much time! We beg you!" "The military begs us?" Toby nudged Elise gently with his elbow. "Rare moment. We should savour this moment. Enjoy it." "How can you speak like that?" Elise's mouth was agape in shock. "These people are asking for our help, and you would... "play" with them like so?" "I was kidding, I was kidding!" Toby shrunk back with a gulp at Elise's surprise reaction. He hadn't expected her to be so soft. Six nodded a little. "All right. Bring them out." The man smiled just a little, and quickly went for the back seat. "Stop!" He froze. He glanced nervously over his shoulder at Six. It was clear what the situation was. Whoever was injured was clearly a friend of the driver. It would have to be a friend to shake him as much as he had been. "No weedsuits." Six said. "I know they're in there, and they aren't coming out until they're disarmed." The man stared back blankly, mouthing something. "Why do-" "Call it a hunch." Six interrupted. "No weedsuits. And tell your archangels to stay seated. If they take off, I'm going to take them out." It took a few more seconds of challenging staring for the message to sink in. The soldier bit his lip and nodded, and leaned in his door to call to his comrades. "You..." Six cocked his head as an unfamiliar energy touched his mind. "Who are you...?" it probed. "What are you?" "I'm Six." Six added a mental chuckle as he responded with his own telepathy. "An archangel, I presume? You're the female." "That is correct." The archangel responded. "I project my telepathy with feminine qualities. I find it a satisfying sound." Six felt a small murr of satisfaction to illustrate. "You... a vector, I presume?" "That's correct." Six nodded, though he knew the Lucario couldn't see him. "How did you pick that?" "Only a few groups of humans can communicate telepathically." The voice replied. "You just seem like the type. Confident. Calm. Commanding. Vector qualities..." The voice trailed off. "Much too confident, for being alone..." "I'm not alone, I can assure you." Six added another mental chuckle. He quickly terminated the link as the back door of each Humvee opened. A man emerged from each. No weedsuits. No archangels. Just men. Through aura, six sensed the Tangelas had been returned to their balls. The men dragged a stretcher from each Humvee. Two on each stretcher, supporting one unconscious man on each. Six humans in total. "All right. This way." Six stood up finally. "No funny business." With Six's permission, the four stretcher-bearers made their way towards the lodge hurriedly. Elise hung back at the door as they approached, and pushed it open. "Elise. Go inside and explain the situation." "Very well." Elise nodded sharply, and stepped through ahead of the soldiers. Six watched them disappear inside. As soon as their line of sight was broken, he quickly headed for the Humvees. He searched briefly with his aura, then diverted to the left one. He paced slowly around the edge of the back door, and glanced at the interior. A Lucario in the far seat growled a little on sight, leaning towards Six a bit, but the Lucario closest placed a paw on his breast, halting him. "(Settle down.)" She instructed, petting a Pidgeot on the seat beside her with her free paw. "(He's here to talk to me.)" "I know you." Six went straight to the point, narrowing his eyes. "Do you?" The female appeared a little surprised by that. "Well, I - of course - know you... I still remember how it felt like to connect to you... but you know me? There's a shocker..." "I remember everyone." Six stated flatly. "I will never forget that day. I will never forget anyone who was there... everyone who survived. Everyone who killed..." He paused as his heart tugged at him, cutting his breath short momentarily. "Everyone who was killed..." He said softly. "Especially the ones who were killed..." "I see..." The Lucario nodded slowly. "I regret that day... I truly do. I regret that day that I let loyalty destroy my identity..." She sniffed a bit, and glanced at the ground. "You killed three." Six recalled. "You were halfway up the clock tower. You killed three. A man of thirty-six. A woman of thirty-eight. A boy of ten." "How do you remember that?" The Lucario looked up. Her eyes were suddenly sunken in tears. Bleary and soft as they ran through her fur. "I remember every moment of that day." Six replied. "I remember that day sometimes when I sleep. I see that day again, and again, and again. When I dream on those nights, I see that day. Every time I kill them. I kill everyone who killed my friends. Everyone who killed innocents. I kill you, I kill those hired alongside you. And once it's all done, I kill myself... just so I can't hurt anyone else." "I would say I'm sorry..." The Lucario said quietly. "But I don't think it would mean much." "(What the hell?)" The other Lucario demanded, highly confused by what seemed like silence between them. "They betrayed us too." The female continued. "Afterwards, they tried slaughtering all of us to hide what they had done. A few of us escaped... not many." "And so is the Hoenn cycle." Six said aloud, with a sigh. "Kill, betray, slaughter, and repeat." "Hey!" Six stepped back as the soldiers emerged from the lodge, shouting and pacing quickly. "Relax." Six snorted. "We were just chatting." "Just speaking. Chillax, Reggie." The female dismissed tiredly. The soldiers didn't seem to get the message. "This is East Sinnoh Military property!" The leading soldier came to an abrupt halt before Six. He stood tall, shoulders back and stared hard. The man who had come from the second Humvee. Six cocked his head. "I didn't touch your car, man." He replied disarmingly. "Relax." "Just get back." The man pushed Six. Six regained his balance quickly, and landed on his back foot. "No need for violence, now." "Cut the shit, Reggie." The female Lucario snapped. "I see how it is." Six's face suddenly rose into a smile. "She's your "friend"." "What?" The man spat, quickly reddening. The Lucario behind him facepalmed. "She's your "friend"." Six repeated. "Your fuck-buddy, right? I can feel it. You and her have it on every so-often." "Shut up, man." The soldier pushed again. Again, Six calmly stepped back. "Hey, don't be an idiot!" The female snapped. She isolated Six with her telepathy, making sure her message reached him and him only. "Just shut up, head inside and let us leave." "They won't let me." Six smirked a bit wider. "That man at the back of the group?" The female glanced at the back member. Of the four soldiers, he seemed the least aggressive. Arms crossed and watching Six calmly. "He knows who I am. He knows about my bounty. He isn't going to let me go." "And you." Six nodded to the second man. Reggie spun on one heel to glare at his comrade. "She's your fuck-buddy too? Isn't she?" "What?" The second man stepped back sharply. "No!" "What the-" "And you..." Six nodded to the third. "Hell, she's hooked-up with the lot of you. Even the wounded guys. She's slutted herself on all of you, and none of you've been the wiser." The Lucario's paws covered her face with an ashamed groan. Six hadn't even checked her aura to confirm his accusations. His accusations didn't need to be truthful - only arouse distrust. He only assumed, and by chance he assumed right. "What the he-" Reggie's face fell as he stared at his red-faced comrades. "Johnny! You dick! I said she was mine!" "Hey, she came on to me, man!" The fourth man shouted back. "You should have done the right thing and rejected her!" Reggie pushed through the other two, making a path to the fourth. "Hey, guys!" Six followed him quickly. He placed his limp hands on the second's and third's shoulders to try calm them all. Or so it seemed... "Settle down! I was just-" "STAY!" The first spun and shoved Six again. "...out of this." He spun back to the fourth member with a growl.
Above on the roof and watching from her vantage point, Nova watched the scene with amusement. "You're a devious bastard, Six." She complimented, lowering her arms and dispelling the charging aura about her paws. She knew what he had done.
"Hey! Lay off, Reggie!" The second recoiled. He threw his arm at Reggie suddenly, shoving him sideways. "You're a fucking egotistical bastard!" "Yeah!" The third pushed Reggie back the other way as he stumbled backwards. "Everything's always about you! Arceus, you're one selfish prick!" "YOU ASSHOLES!" Reggie writhed violently, throwing off the hands shoving him from, every direction. The three around him backed off a little with his outburst, but he wasn't done yet. "YOU! I trusted you, Johnny!" Reggie aimed a juddering arm at Johnny, the fourth man. "I trusted you, and you just fuck my Lucario? You're a worthless bastard!" It all happened too quickly for the other two to stop it. Driven by irrational rage, Reggie lunged at his comrade. His right hand gripped the hilt of a combat knife at his waist, and raised it high for the kill. The blade gleamed cold in the moonlight at the apex of the swing, before bathing itself in blood with its fall. Johnny's mouth tore open with a fraction of a roar as the blade pierced his skin, and buried itself in his torso. Reggie flew out of control. He spun about chaotically with his blade after wrenching it free of Johnny, swinging and slashing randomly at the others around him. "TRAITORS!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, free hand tearing a pokéball from his waist. "YOU WERE MY FRIENDS!" Three pokéballs released near-simultaneously. The soldiers whose names had yet gone unspoken released a Pikachu each as they regained their wits. Reggie, however, went one better. His pokéball released a Tangela. "Armour!" He shouted as he leapt back, gaining distance. As soon as the word was spoken, his Tangela had fired a throng of vines at him. The turquoise tentacles slipped around his shoulders, around his arms and legs and torso, and in seconds he was consumed. Even his head was wrapped up, save two tiny slots for eyes. He spun as his Pokémon leapt towards him, and attached itself to his back. "Weedsuit!" He roared, and beat his chest as he spun around again. "Thunderbolt!" The second man ordered. "Iron-tail!" The third - thinking rationally about type matches - called. The second's Pikachu leapt into the air as his brain registered the attack, and quickly charged his body. Sparks leapt from his red cheeks as his paws rubbed, collecting electricity. The third's Pikachu leapt straight for the weedsuit without fear, setting his tail aglow with shining silver light. Reggie swung his right arm into the incoming Pikachu. His fist exploded into a turquoise mass, launching a three-vine thick, twisted whip at the Pokémon halfway through his lunge. Helpless to stop in mid-air, the Pikachu swung his tail early into the vines. His tail scythed through the vines as they reached him, splitting them apart so they harmlessly bounced off him. Reggie leapt forwards as the Pokémon was facing away from his landing, and threw another whip. The other Pikachu's thunderbolt struck him halfway through his attack, but he kept going. The Pikachu yelped as the vines crashed into his back, and quickly engulfed him. The vines swirled around him and wrapped him up, then tightened around his frail yellow body as he desperately struggled, but they choked the breath from him. The Pikachu released an ear-splitting scream as something vines suddenly burst outwards from the vines. Barbs and thorns ripped from the surface of the vines all along, splitting the surface and transforming the slender whips into a vicious, barbed bludgeon with a spiked wrecking-ball at the end. The barbs dug into the captive Pikachu's skin painfully, stabbing him from every direction as if it were a horrid, natural iron-maiden. "DIE!" Reggie roared, and swung the Pikachu around overhead, then swung his massive bludgeon forwards like a massive flail. The other Pikachu leapt aside with a startled cry as the spiked wrecking-ball of tentacles crashed into the ground beside him, tearing up the immediate ground with the colossal force. Six stood back and watched the whole scene silently. Behind him, Toby rushed forwards to his side. "What are we going to do?" He demanded shakily, unsure of whether to help or not. It wasn't his fight, but he felt he should help. "You watch." Six stated. "Nova. Fire at will." "Roger." As Reggie pulled on his flail to return it for another swing, the air cracked. Two blue flashes split the damp night sky, fired from the heavens above, it seemed. The flashes sheared straight through the vines holding to the wrecking-ball, and sliced through all three of them. "Fire blast!" Six glanced over his shoulder as the sound reached him. The air roared and Six felt a surge of heat on his face as the fireball rumbled past overhead. Reggie made a doomed attempt to dodge the blast, but the fireball blew at his feet. An explosion shattered the night silence for miles all around, and the perfect gloom of dusk was broken as a flash of fire erupted from somewhere. The splash of the fireball engulfed Reggie wholly for a moment - engulfing him in a flash of orange and red. As the flames fleeted and dissipated, and the smoke rose away, a blazing shape fell from the sky a few dozen metres away. Flames consumed it as it fell, and a trail of acrid grey smoke spiralled after it as it disappeared on the other side of the road. It fell from view and fell to the floor of the valley hundreds of metres below. The third soldier rushed for the mass of vines as the urgency of the situation dawned on him. He quickly drew his personal knife, and stabbed the mass. The blade struck the side of the vine, and dug in only a centimetre. "Ryus!" Toby shouted. His Cubone quickly jerked his head toward his trainer. "Cut'em loose!" "(Cut him loose!)" Ryus shouted, raising his bone and clinging to Hanas' mane. Hanas nodded and dashed to the vines. Ryus twirled his bone quickly as he leapt off Hanas' back. When he landed and stopped the bone spinning, he held, instead, a bone knife. He pushed the soldier aside, and stabbed his own knife in. As he worked the serrated blade on the vines, Six turned his attention to Elise behind him. She stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe. Her face was blank, and the wind caught her hair a little. Above her, a Volcarona beat its wings steadily, maintaining a gentle hover. "Nice timing." Six stopped in front of her and nodded. "I would return the compliment..." She paused, "but I would be lying. Your timing was inappropriate. You could have ended everything much sooner." "I like to see my handiwork play out before I stop the game." Six turned and looked back to the Cubone. "Your handiwork?" Elise marvelled, quite sarcastically. "I was not aware you started that argument... most impressive." "You have the benefit of doubt." Nova dropped from the roof, landing nearly silently between Six and Elise. "Six is a man of many talents. You shouldn't underestimate him." "And you shouldn't overestimate me." Six grinned at Nova. "I'm just a simple cripple with a Lucario... or a handicap." He laughed a little, but his smile dropped quickly. "But yeah. I started that." "Really?" Elise glanced back at the Cubone as he sliced through the last remaining vine. "Mind explaining how? Or is that a mysterious secret of yours?" "It's easy to manipulate weak-minded individuals." Six stated. "Even an idiot can do it, provided they know just where where to poke and prod about. My aura allows me to identify these places to prod. Reggie, as an example, was weak-minded. He was egotistical, jealous and distrusting. That led to be his downfall." "Aura?" It seemed to be the only thing Elise picked up on. "So you do have aura powers?" "I do." Six nodded. "I suspected." Elise nodded slowly. "And... your name is Six? Not Mark, or Marcus, or any of those other things?" "I go by Six." Six nodded. "Now - I think we've all had our share of fun today, haven't we?" Nova shrugged and nodded. Elise yawned in response, and nodded too. "'s what I thought." Six observed. "I'm heading upstairs for some sleep. I haven't been in a bed in so damn long..." "Sounds fun." Nova agreed. She threw an arm over Six's shoulder as he headed back inside, and walked alongside. "I'll be with you in a few." Elise nodded distantly, still watching the scene. Two Lucarios had emerged from the Humvee, and were assisting with settling the situation. "Don't get comfy." Elise's head jerked around. "What?" She glanced about, searching for the voice. "Don't get comfy." Nova. "You have neither of us fooled. We know you aren't who you say you are, so don't think you hold all the cards. Until you prove yourself, I don't trust you. Sometimes it may seem he does, but trust me: Six doesn't trust you. You're with us because you can help us, but remember - nobody trusts you..."
Oh dear! MORE questions! WHAT is Nova's problem with Elise? WHO is Elise, really? WHO is the Lucario from the Humvee? And most importantly: WHAT happened on the day Six will never forget? Next up: Expect to see more of Ryus, Toby, Hanas and the Delibird, things getting heated between the girls, and the new face of evil - the shadow triad...