[X] My Assistant

[Pumpkin King]

"Suzy Sunshine here from Noverus News Network with the latest scoop." A platinum blonde reporter, her face heavily painted with make-up, stood on Stony Lonesome Road with two Magma grunts. "I m here with Grunts Richards and Smithson who were involved in the rescue of seventeen-year-old Victor Bays, part of the powerful Brooks family that runs Team Magma. Bays was allegedly kidnapped early this summer by Team Aqua, a mystery considering the fact that his father finances Aqua." Turning to the two grunts, Suzy asked, "Can you tell our viewers how it is you found Victor?"

"Well actually, he found us-"

"We were on an assignment to patrol the Consumer District when we recognized the boy's face. He was being pulled on a leash by an Aqua named Jay Lange. This is a very dangerous man we are dealing with and precaution needs to be taken-"

"Boring." An Aqua grunt was sitting in an uncomfortable metal chair in the damp cavern prison of Kyogre's Maw. He was watching television to pass the time as he guarded the prison cells. Pointing the remote control at the television hoisted near the ceiling, he said, "Next."

"It was absolutely terrible!" Victor explained to a reporter. "They kept me in a dark, fungus-infested cell and only gave me scraps to eat. I had to suck on fungi just to get some water in my system."

"Oh you poor thing! And what of this 'Jay Lange' character?"

"We should take all possible action to capture him and his deranged girlfriend, too."

"Deranged girlfriend? That's a new piece of info. Could you elaborate?"

"Her name is Sagira Smythe. She's a maniac who thinks she's a cat. She needs to be put in a straight jacket. She subjected me to torture almost on a daily basis. And-"

"Isn't there anything on besides this stupid boy?!" The annoyed grunt changed the channel again.

"And that's all the time we have today, folks," said an anchorman. "We will bring more information on the Victor Bays incident as it comes. The search for his female counterpart, Victoria Brooks, still continues however-"

"God dammit!" The grunt turned off the television and pulled out his iPod.

Victoria silently cursed the guard and soaked in the news she just received. She wondered what kind of web her cousin was weaving this time. "He'll probably keep those lies coming for a while. Victor won't give up the spotlight so easily," she commented.

Lady Victoria.

"Yes?"

Noting that the guard had closed his eyes and was likely to fall asleep soon, Diamant materialized in Victoria's cell. I have learned of Sir Victor's motives.

"Well?"

Sir Victor is using the media against his partner out of spite. When dissension rose among his team of four, Sir Victor irrationally turned against them. The red-head seems to be his prime target.

"I doubt that's the only reason why. I saw that little smirk of his on the television. He's enjoying every moment on camera. He thinks he's a celebrity. He's out there hogging the spotlight while I'm in this shithole." Victoria was both jealous of his fame, whether short-lived or not, and angry that Victor didn't have the wits to figure out that she had been trying to communicate through Diamant. The Froslass kept returning with reports of Victor running away screaming. "Go talk to him. And BE DIRECT. Being subtle obviously hasn't worked out very well."

***

Victor collapsed onto a luxurious white sofa and sighed, "What a day! I'm exhausted! Who knew that being famous could be such hard work!" A butler brought Victor a glass of water, which he accepted without thanks. "I trust you guys enjoyed your day as well?"

All five of his Pokemon yawned and stretched on a couch for each of them. Aurum's purring seemed to consitute the opinion of the whole team.

"Way better than Kyogre's Ass or whatever it was. It feels so great to be back home."

"Mr. Bays?" the butler addressed the teen.

"Yes?"

"Mr. Steven Brooks is on the line and would like to speak-"

"Gimme that!" Victor snatched the phone out of the butler's hands and shoved it onto his ear. "Mr. Brooks! Am I glad to hear from you! I- oh!" Victor heard what seemed to be the beginning of a sentence and felt rude. "I'm sorry. Go ahead."

"Victor, I've heard all about your plight on the television but the only thing I haven't heard about is my daughter." Mr. Steven's voice was strikingly similar to Victor's father. It astonished Victor how much Victoria and himself were parallels. "By any chance, do you know if you were both captured by Team Aqua? Any information you have would be a great help."

"Actually, Mr. Steven, I just learned of Victoria's disappearance today," Victor said innocently. He hoped she hadn't been in Kyogre's Maw all that time. He'd feel like a total idiot if she were right under his nose.

"I was afraid of such," Mr. Steven said heavily. "Well, now you know more about the ever-elusive Team Aqua, correct? I believe Commander Tyson will be sending a high-ranking Magma officer to get some info on the Aqua base from you."

Victor's eyes went wide with fright. Sure, he had lied about just about everything, but could he really lie to a Magma officer? Magma would most likely assign missions according to Victor's false statements and then he would be to blame for the eminent failure. If he told the truth... he didn't want to think of the things Magma could do to Aqua. Victor did hate Team Aqua, but he still had a conscience... somewhat. He would definitely feel guilty though if something were to happen to Ivy.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later, Victor. Take care."

Victor limply held the phone against the right side of his head. Several minutes passed before he realized that Mr. Steven had already hung up. He absentmindedly hung up his end and said, "This is bad... really bad.

[Master Houndoom]

When Linda had dashed away, Jay took off after her like a persian after a rattata. The analogy, which had popped into his mind soon after she fled, was quickly revising itself. She was much more like a zigzagoon than a rattata. She turned avery corner she could, trying to shake him off, pulling anything and anyone in her reach into Jay's path. He found that, if he didn't think about it, he avoided her obstacles pretty well.

But he was thinking about it now. Something was wrong. He could feel it, like a cold pressure on the side of his head, making him want to turn back the way he came. It was as if something were missing, or hurt. He tried, at first, not to let it distract him, but the more he chased Linda, the more the pressure seemed to call to him.

Finally, an image popped into his head, of fangs and teeth and a slender arm in front of his face. There was no ignoring that.

Which was why it was really bad timing when the heavyset guy came around the corner that Linda had just turned. He, too, was distracted by the moderately pretty blonde girl running as if her life depended on it, and was looking over his shoulder behind him when Jay collided with him.

The man barely moved, but Jay rebounded into the wall and had the breath knocked out of him.

The man blinked at Jay, then seemed to put two and two together. He reached out and grabbed Jay's wrist.

"What're you chasin' that girl for, pal," he said in what was likely supposed to be a snarl. To Jay it just sounded like the guy was hungry.

"Let go of me."

Jay struggled to keep his breathing even, but the image that came to his mind was more and more insistant. There was an arm in a black glove, and there was blood. And the particular arm was feminine.

"Not until you tell me what you were chasin' that girl for!" The man shook his arm, and Jay could feel his control slip, briefly. There was a flash of blue light, and the man staggered back, holding his fingers as if he'd been burned. Jay glowered at him, then turned and stalked off.

-----

She follows him, as hard as it is, she follows him. She is now sure, unlike before, that he is what she thinks he is. Now she is sure.

He has the Gift. The ripples around him are strong for a reason. He is the one that will help her redeem herself from her foolish error in judgement before.

He will teach her to trust again.

He is running again, this time not fueled by the need to pursue, but as if his life, or the life of someone very dear to him, depends on it. He is fast! So fast, but she will keep up. And if she loses him, well, she knows the measure of him now.

-----

Hello, dear one.

Hinata blinked and looked up, seeing... well, she is seeing, so she knows she is not truly awake. Mom? Is that really you, or is that just how I think of you?

The figure before her gave a soft chuckle, and Hinata felt herself relax despite her misgivings. Being blind, and unable to look through eyes yet, her mother's voice was what Hinata equated with comfort and beauty. Her mother had a beautiful voice.

It could be one or the other. Likely, though, because this is not a communication, the former. I never had a problem with my true image.

What do you mean, not a communication?

Her mother smiled, and it was as if she begun to sing again. I am not communicating with you. If I know your Trainer, you are beyond my range, at least without active participation from you. No, this is a memory, one that I put inside you when you were just a little egg...

Hinata blinked. You put a memory in my head before I hatched..?! Mom!

I wouldn't have, little one, except that it was important for you to know something. It is not the way of our kind, but being attached to Lady Amber, feeling how she feels about her father and mother, I feel it is important for you to know... The image wavered and trailed off, and now she was scowling. Despite everything, you should know...

Know what, mom?

Who your father is, Hinata's mother whispered. I am not proud of the way we met. I am not proud of his tricking me into... The memory blushed, and Hinata waved a hand frantically.

Don't want to know! Ew, Mom!

The memory looked relieved. I'm not proud that I was that naive, but I'm more than proud of the result to make up for it... if you are seeing this, my Dear One, then you have felt your father's unique energy...

Hinata's mind buzzed, and she gasped. You mean that jerkass ghost was--

The memory-Verthande chuckled, fading. Yes, Dear One... That was Banny... your Father.

As her mother faded, and she began to regain consciousness, there was only one thought it Hinata's head, crowding out, for a time, all others.

I think I'm going to be sick...

-----

Jay wouldn't have stopped if he didn't hear his name. The Electronics shop he was running past had cranked up the volume of the television sets it was selling and run it through the external loudspeakers. Jay stopped, jogged back, and watched as Magma grunts talked about Victor being "rescued" from the hands of the dangerous Aqua agent, Jay Lange. The report was just ending, but segued into an interview with Victor, eyes gleaming, but otherwise playing the role of the rescued captive to a t. Jay rolled his eyes.

When Victor got to the part about Sagira, Jay's "maniacal" girlfriend, he laughed out loud. Shaking his head, he began to go back to his destination, which was where he was supposed to meet Sagira. If she was hurt, he'd track her down from there.

Hinata's pokeball opened. What?! Where?! How?! What th-- Seeing no one around that was actualy a threat, she took the time to massage her crest. How long was I out for?

"I was chasing Linda. I wasn't keeping track of time." Jay paused, then sighed. "Long enough for me to worry. I thought that damned ghost had fainted you."

Hinata allowed soothing tendrils of thought to massage Jay's mind. No, Jay, nothing that bad. He only hit me once. But I was... surprised... by something.

"Well, it did enough to worry Paladin. And now I'm worried about Sagira." He recounted the flash of... whatever it was, and Hinata stayed quiet until a few moments after he was done. She didn't explain, which worried Jay, she simply started moving. This way, Jay... She seemed not to want to say what was next, but before he could try to get it out of her, she sighed. Sagira's been attacked.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

There was danger coming. A swift, speeding danger that raced for them like a charging tauros, or a lunging luxray, intent on not allowing them to escape unscathed, or at all. Danger, horror, fear, and pain were coming. Unprecedented. Inescapable.

Everything's fine here. Life would go on as it always does. No use panicking. No reason to worry. Everything will work out in the end. Things are looking up.

Danger... danger...

Be at peace.

Paws on the ground, black claws digging into and kicking up earth. Fur rippling through the wind as scenery rushed by. Never stopped... can't stop... keep running... toward the danger, away from the danger... run, run, run...

Sagira opened her eyes slowly, confused. The world around her felt like soup, swirling over her in both a physical mass, and yet... nothingness... How strange...

She looked around her and saw naught but darkness beyond the circle of light that surrounded her body, sitting on the floor. She caught a glimpse of her hands and, surprised, raised them to her face.

She was not wearing the gloves that she had been, moments ago, and as her eyes travelled down from her hands to caress her entire body with a gaze, she realized that she wasn't wearing much of anything. Oddly enough, what she was wearing resembled something from an Egyptian style - lavender silk wrapped over her breasts, adorned with gold chains that hung down her arms, and a gold and gem-studded chain loosely hung about her waist, which held lavender silk that fell over the front and the rear of her lower form, but did not cover the sides. Stranger even than this was that her entire body not covered in gold bracelets was not the pale flesh that she knew in the light of a conscious day, but covered in short black fur. She still had fingers, but each ended in a sharp, pure-white claw that looked almost as deadly as the teeth in Umbrae's mouth. Perhaps more deadly.

Sagira swallowed and glanced at her black. Her mouth fell open when she saw the long tail protruding from beneath the silk covering. She waved what felt like another, more flexible leg, and the tail gracefully danced in the air before her eyes. She saw it was split on the end, like an espeon's tail, though she had never seen a black espeon before.

"Am I a... pokemon?"

"You are still, I assure you, quite human."

Sagira turned forward again swiftly, her long black hair whisking through the air with a phwish, to see a pair of crimson eyes gazing out of the darkness.

"I don't normally look like this," Sagira said, and waved a hand at her form.

She heard a chuckle, masculine and clearly amused. "Here, in this plane where reality has taken a step back and one's own mind is lord of perception, the form you would perceive of yourself is that of your soul."

"I have a hairy soul," she muttered to herself, earning another chuckle from the creature with the red eyes, still trapped in darkness. She glanced into those eyes. "Who... and what are you?" she asked, narrowing her gaze.

She thought she could feel a grin. "I have many names, not all of which are true. You may call me what you wish. As for what I am... some would call me beautiful, others would say I am a demon of disaster. I come to you not as a messenger. Danger is coming, to you and yours. If you run from it, you will run toward it." The eyes lowered, the view of them diminishing, and Sagira thought that the creature must be bowing its head. "That is all that I dare to say for the moment. We will, I assure you, see each other again. Until then, ma chat, adieu."

The eyes blinked out of existence abruptly, and all sounds vanished. Sagira opened her mouth to say something, perhaps to call for him, but the light around her faded, and she was no so much enveloped into darkness as she became one with it.

Sagira opened her eyes slowly, welcomed by the light of the sun, with only the shadows in the alley mocking the darkness of what must have been a dream. Groaning, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, and hissed at the pain in her arm, having forgotten about being bitten. Swearing at herself and her stupidity, she rubbed her face and glanced around. Ivy was still unconscious in the middle of the alley. Umbrae was sleeping at her feet, or so it appeared. She had the distinct suspicion that he was actually wide awake. Alpha was laying protectively in front of Ivy, glaring at Sagira, to which she rolled her eyes. Paladin was hovering at the fore of the alley, gazing off into the distance.

"What is it, Pal?" she asked softly, causing Umbrae's tail to twitch. Yes, he was awake.

"Sir Jacob is coming." Paladin looked back at her with seafoam eyes that seemed to hold remorse or... guilt? "He is not pleased, my lady."

Umbrae's tail began to wag back and forth as he opened he eyes and bared his teeth in a grin at Alpha. He chuckled a deep, rumbling laugh that sounded much like a growl. "You are so in trouble now."

[Master Houndoom]

Jay was starting to pant when Hinata finally told him he was close. He didn't slow down at all, but the relief in Hinata's mental voice was not lost on him. He turned into the alleyway at her direction and stopped short. Sagira was sitting on the ground, cradling one arm against her stomach. Part of her shirt was wrapped around it, and there were dark spots on the charcoal grey. Jay knew that the shirt he'd gotten her was not spotted.

Hinata floated to Paladin. Hi, she chirped, and hugged him, but his emotions receded and the hug he returned was very stiff.

I'm glad to see you well, Hinata, he said, an air of formality in his mental voice. Hinata pulled back and blinked.

Th-thank you... um... I'm glad you're OK, too... Paladin did not answer, and Hinata bit her lip and probed lightly to find out what was wrong. She met resistance, and didn't push, but she was upset.

Looking over, Ivy was on the ground, with a rising and growling Alpha between her and the rest of the group. Her other two pokemon flanked him, but seemed reluctant to make a show of force or a show of capitulation.

Alpha's muzzle was spotted with blood, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that two and two made for a very violent four.

In a snap, Jay had Videl's pokeball off of his belt and Videl released. She braced herself, but seeing creatures she only recognized as allies (and one who's scent told her that "Cutie" had finally caught up with her), she sat down next to Umbrae and flicked her tail back and forth happily. Siryn, too, was released, as was Raven. Sagira's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Don't, Jay," she muttered half a request and half an order. Jay turned his eyes to her, and saw her flinch back a millimeter.

"Why'd he bite you," he demanded. Sagira scowled.

"Ivy's hurt, and he's protecting her."

Jay glared back at the mightyena, who lowered his head and growled, bearing fangs.

As the humans argued, Videl tilted her head. Darky was acting weird. She lowered her head a bit, but did not bear fangs. <<I can beat you, you know.>> Darky stopped growling, but he glared at Videl in the same anger he had glared at her Alpha boy. She went on, imperturbed. <<Sure, it will be a fight, but I can win, and with Fluffball and Hinaghost and Palaghost and Cutie and Ghosty and Chewt- er... Hisser all helping, we can beat you easy.>>

Alpha tensed to spring, evidently unwilling to talk, and Videl's tail flicked, unconcerned. <<I know what you're thinking. Your brothers will help you if you ask, and that's true. And you're thinking I don't seem that tough. So that's fine. Just remember that when my Alpha Boy tells me to 'sic 'em'.>> She bared her teeth then, but her tail still wagged back and forth in pleasure. <<Then we'll have some fun!>>

Alpha looked between Videl and the rest of the teams, both Sagira's and Jay's, and plopped down, staying with Ivy but no longer challenging them. His face showed that he would remember, however. Umbrae, on the other hand, watched Videl with a hint of admiration in his face. She nuzzled him. <<Did you know we could light our pee on fire,>> she asked, her tail wagging madly.

"Lemme see your arm," Jay said. He didn't grab her arm, but he was insistant in the way he held his hand out. Sagira's eyes narrowed, and then she rolled her eyes and held out her arm gingerly. Jay peeled back the makeshift bandage and hissed through his teeth. Mangled wasn't quite the right word, but the wounds were deep, and there were bruises around them. "Bloody fuckery," he growled, and turned to his pokemon.

"I need bandages." Hinata was glancing at Paladin, but before Jay could get her attention, Siryn surged forward.

Siryn will go! Siryn will buy the perfect bandages! She dashed off, and only then was Hinata's attention pulled from Sagira's Paladin.

Wait, Siryn, Sagira doesn't like pink! she called, floating after the misdreavus.

"Look," Jay said, running his fingers through his hair to hide the shaking, "Let's just leave her here." Sagira arched a brow at him in near disdain, and Jay sighed. "He's bitten you once, and her team will protect her until she wakes up!" When she cocked her hips to the side, even though he was distracted with a momentary burst of attraction, he shook his head. "Victor's sold us out to Magma, it's in the news all over. Ivy's pokemon are attacking us for trying to help her. We've seen Linda twice. I've chased her and you've chased her. We can complete this mission alone and bring her back like Bryce wants us to."

Sagira's eyes narrowed, and she said, clearly and succinctly, "I'm not leaving Ivy laying in a heap on the ground."

Jay puffed out a frustrated breath, then leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. Sagira's brow furrowed at him, and this is what he caught on her face when he finally looked up. "What? I'm not leaving you behind, Catseye..."

Siryn and Hinata returned, Hinata glancing at paladin as she passed, but trying to hide a smile. Jay raised a brow at her.

I think it was the same shop as before. The shopkeeper saw Siryn and fell dead away...

Thankfully, the bandages were normal bandages, and Jay was able to gently wrap the wounded arm, scowling with every pained hiss, even though Sagira didn't snap at him once. Her arm did twitch away at times, but Jay put that to instinct. As he bent to dispose of the shirt piece, Sagira snorted.

"A pink pokeball," she said, and Jay could hear the malicious grin, hiding a layer of disdain, in her voice. "Something I should know, JayBird?"

Jay sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'll tell you about it after the mission."

Her features softened, and she turned her back to the wall and leaned against it next to him. After a moment, she nudged him, lightly, brushing her good arm against his briefly. Jay couldn't help but smile.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

It was surprisingly difficult to merge oneself with another's mind, and yet keep your mental processes guarded against their rightful intrusion. Paladin wouldn't have been able to manage it with Hinata - she was more powerful than he. He could, however, successfully link with Sagira without her reading his thoughts.

Normally, when Hinata was near, he liked to touch her mind until she allowed him a small amount of leeway into her psyche, giving them the ability to communicate mentally. Without a link, Paladin was deaf, literally, to the world, his hearing having been destroyed long ago during an accident.

So he was forced to link with someone's mind. Hinata was too strong for him to keep his thoughts his own and Jay's mind was impossible to penetrate. Umbrae's mind was confusing, and the houndoom was also focused on the problem with Alpha. Essentially, that left Sagira.

Paladin wished, however, he could blame his terseness on not being able to hear Hinata. The way she gazed at him when he hugged her back stiffly caused him to look away, and the hesitated stammer in her voice made him want to explain himself, but how could he?

He had been foolish and, worse, selfish. When he knew that Sagira would need him, he marked Hinata as more important and left his trainer - his friend - by herself. Because he wasn't there when he should have been, she was attacked and bitten by a pokemon that was supposed to be her friend. Because he wasn't there, she had yet another scar to mar her arms. She could have been killed, and he had selfishly wanted to check on Hinata, who had Jay to take care of her, on the rare occurrence that she needed anyone's help.

The problem was clear and as much as it hurt him - as much as it might hurt Hinata - it was simply better if he was strictly professional with her. His trainer came first - Sagira came first.

And Hinata... would find someone better.

~*~

Umbrae should have been watching Alpha and not letting anything distract him, but how could he, when Videl - beautiful, lithe, amazing Videl - was sitting right next to him, wagging her tail back and forth so it occasionally curled with his.

He had sat, silent and stunned, as Videl displayed an unexpected amount of brilliance, speaking to Alpha in all seriousness, and yet with that happy attitude that seemed so uncharacteristic of their breed. With complete comprehension and confidence, she told Alpha exactly how it was, causing the mightyena to step back from his obvious idea to attack them.

She completely talker her way out of a fight and without even uttering a growl.

Umbrae, impressed beyond words, had more respect for her than he had of any other pokemon at that moment, as he realized that her naivety was, while enjoyed, put upon.

Opening his mouth in a canine smile, Umbrae leaned over and nuzzled her softly. She did smell so wonderfully good.

~*~

Sagira watched Jay smile and her lips turned up softly, as well. She was a little annoyed that he would even think of suggesting that they leave Ivy lying here. She supposed she could understand his reasoning. After all, she knew that Umbrae would never bite a friend, regardless of whether she was hurt or not.

But Alpha isn't Umbrae, she thought, and maybe I'm not one of Ivy's friends anymore.

She sighed softly and looked down at her arm. The white bandages were wrapped tightly around her arm, but Sagira could see the cloth darkening. She grimaced. Still bleeding. That never meant anything good.

She studied the wrapping. Jay had done a good job. She hadn't needed someone to wrap a wound since years ago, back in Viridian. After she had been attacked by Tony's pidgeotto and her hands had been shredded, Mattie had spent a good twenty minutes cleaning the cuts and meticulously wrapping her hands in white bandages.

Even days after that, Mattie had come over to her house to check on her, rewrapping the bandages on her hands, even when she complained that he was wasting his time or tried to get him to just back off. He was persistent and, of course, he did it because he cared about her. She never told him until years later, when they were reminiscing over the past as they watched the moving truck take Ezira and Tony's belongings and drive out of town, that it meant a lot to her that he cared so much.

And it had meant a lot to her, more than he probably even realized. After all, she loved him, and nothing would ever change that. He meant so much to her and, as she thought about it, she missed him.

I should call him, she thought, tracing a finger down the bandages. There have been so many accidents... and if I didn't get to talk to Mattie again, I...

Sagira rubbed her face tiredly, and looked over at Jay. "I won't leave her here, Jaybird. I know she's not acting like herself and, to tell you the truth, I don't know who she is right now, but... she's sick. When I found her, she was having a seizure. I gave her the medication she needed, but... something's wrong with her, Jay. Somebody did something to her and I don't know what." She looked at him pleadingly. "But... she's on medication?"

She slid down the wall, her face in her hands. I'm so confused, and angry. Sometimes, I wish I had never left home.

[Master Houndoom]

Hinata did not understand. She had been overjoyed to see Paladin, and he had treated her as if they were barely acquainted, or worse, a burden. The gentle nudges she gave yielded small puffs smelling of guilt and sadness, so she knew that something was bothering him, but she couldn't, wouldn't go find out why, not while he was actively pushing against anything deeper than surface contact with her mind.

He wouldn't even hear through her ears. After so long of being his ears, that hurt.

Hinata had been hurt before, but never, in her recollection, on purpose, nor by someone she considered close. The very thought of it made her angry beyond compare.

She gathered that anger, shaped it into a wedge that would pierce his mental shields with the message of how much he completely and totally sucked for making her hurt. Within the shape was the poison of her anger and the heat of her rage. The mental dart was pulled back...

And promptly destroyed as she remembered the memory that had flooded through their link, of a trainer who abandoned the noble ralts when he had nearly drowned and come away with his hearing damaged. The man had called him pathetic, and here Hinata had been prepared to do much, much worse.

She hated herself for a moment then, turning her hurt and rage and anger on herself briefly before finally allowing it to crumble and dissipate.

Maybe... maybe he was right. If she was so vindictive as to attack him without giving him a chance to explain on his own, maybe he should just stay away...

-----

Siryn could feel the anxiety rising in her heart. As filling as it was, the lingering fear in the people and pokemon around her was also distressing. JayTrainerMan was afraid of SagiraKittyGirl getting hurt again. SagiraKittyGirl was afraid IvyPup would never be her friend. Alpha, the guardian of IvyPup, was afraid that the rest of the people and pokemon around would hurt IvyPup and he wouldn't be able to stop them. Videl was afraid that Alpha would force a fight.

But more distressing were the feelings flowing off of Hinata in torrents. Anger. Rage. Hurt. Despair. Siryn could feel them briefly focused on Paladin, but not touching him, and she knew, she knew that there would be nothing possible to stop them. Paladin would not be expecting the attack, and Siryn was no where near strong enough to stop it.

Then they broke apart, blazing, feeding back on the wielder, except that they were still being directed. Sharp knives briefly pierced Hinata's mindscape before finally disappearing, leaving nothing but the despair behind.

Siryn could barely contain her own emotions. She did not like Hinata, and yet she did. It was confusing. Hinata stood in the way of Siryn and Paladin having any kind of relationship, and yet seeing her in such a state made Siryn very sad.

She moved toward the female kirlia and floated near her, drifting just close enough to touch and reaching out with her mind in what, she hoped, was a friendly way.

Hinata drooped, blinkes, and focused her attention on the misdreavus. Siryn flinched away, but there was no attack.

Are you getting enough to eat?

Siryn flinched harder. Siryn is not trying to hurt people! Siryn doesn't like that SIryn must feed on fea-

No, Siryn... I was only asking... Hinata's voice had a confused, far away quality to it. It's good that you're not scaring people to feed, but you do have to... I just wanted to know if you were all right.

Siryn peered at her sidelong. Why are you being so nice to Siryn..?

Hinata did not look at her, nor did she smile, but her words warmed a bit. What are teammates for..?

-----

Jay slid down next to Sagira, reaching out to gently touch her forearm. It was almost odd how sometimes, he had to think about not grabbing her hand, and others he found himself avoiding grabbing her hand on instinct. Jay sighed softly.

"I don't know her that well," he admitted, "but I know she's nothing like the person I met while we were running." He puffed out a breath, looking ahead at the wall opposite them. "OK. So.. something was done. Maybe she wanted to fit in?" He didn't even need to watch Sagira open his mouth to backtrack from that statement. "No, you're right, Even if she wanted to fit in more, she's not treating anyone the way she usually does. Including her pokemon."

He began tapping one finger against his knee rapidly, another kind of nervous habit that manifested itself when his knee wasn't available to bounce on it's own. "She had medications with her... If she was having a seizure, how did you give her any medicine..." At this point, he was talking more to himself than to Sagira, and looked around. He spotted the hypodermic needle near Alpha. The mightyena snarled, but Jay paid him no mind. Videl and Umbrae were still protectively situated between the pokemon and Sagira and Jay.

"Someone, must have been expecting this."

"Why do you say that," asked Sagira, both tired and distressed.

"You might say," he said, wishing he had a pair of sunglasses right then, "it was a shot in the dark."

Jay took it as a positive sign that Sagira was feeling less upset when she punched him in the arm.

[Living Arrow]

“Big brother…” Beta gasped to himself as Alpha backed down under the advisement of the she-devil. It was not in his companion’s demeanour to back down. Not one bit. Especially to a female. Of course, only Ivy had made that exception. She was, after all, Hedera Prime.

“Please don’t start a fight, Cuz.” Kappa urged, laying a paw softly on Alpha’s rippling shoulder. He shrugged it off angrily without looking his friend in the eye.

“Ivy wouldn’t like you hurting the girl, Alfie. And you know it.” Beta shook his head sadly, licking his leader’s forehead sweetly. She tasted of tangy salt and greasy fear. Her eyes flickered under their lids as her body continued to convulse, if less violently than before.

“Silence.” Alpha growled to the pair of them and they instantly obeyed, shrinking back to his rear and standing protectively around Ivy once more. Rage boiled in Alpha unlike anything he had experienced before. Since evolving, he felt his emotions more than ever – especially those of anger and lust. Before, irritation had spurred his stubborn nature and given him extra strength that he had not known himself capable of. Now, however, fury was always on the edge of his mind and the mere thought of battle set his blood boiling.

He drew in the stink of the alley through his nostrils and analysed it quickly. Far faster than when he had been a simple Poochyena. Anger seeped out of the human male, coupled with fear – not his own but the sort that was released when another was in danger. He understood that. His female was injured. Alpha had injured her. The female let off a similar fear together with an odour that Alpha could only name as ‘unrest’. It unnerved him. More smells drifted of the red-horned couple that he so wanted to chew on like a ragged toy and dispose of just as accordingly. Anger, fear and urgency swam in Alpha’s nostrils but they did not compare to the one sweet melody that sang a lilting scent that lifted the red mist over his eyes.

The bitch. Her effect on him was disgusting. Her manner was appalling and her self-assuredness made him want to spit but try as he might, all he could think of was burying his face in her jaw. Oh, how he wanted to bite the back of her neck while he made her howl to the heavens in gratitude of his presence. She was the most beautiful thing in all creation and she only had eyes for the pup. Yes, she would give him a run for his money in battle but the other canid was below both of them. Far below.

*So why does she look at him that way?*

“Seriously, Cuz.” Kappa insisted, his tails wagging sadly, “Let’s just let these humans care for Ivy. The species-challenged one once cared for her and she can help us. I don’t want Ivy to hurt anymore.”

Alpha ignored the Buizel.

“Kappy’s right, Al.” Beta piped up, stepping forward once more. “We can’t help Her when She is like this – we don’t know how the humans work. Let them help Ivy and when She is healed, we can ask Her what to do next.”

“I head this pack when Ivy is unable.” Alpha growled vehemently at the pair and turned his head to glare with scarlet eyes into the black of Beta’s own. “You will not speak to me in that manner when Ivy is not leading us.”

Beta shrank back immediately but something urged him to stand firm.

“Please, Big Brother. You have to see sense. We give up Ivy to their care now and then when She is better, ask for Her guidance once more.”

“And what makes you think they won’t just kill her?” Alpha sneered. “Humans have only ever hurt my sister and the more I allow it the more I disgrace her and our mother.”

“Not all humans are the same.” Beta carried on, advancing on his brother slowly. “And we need them. Why can’t you just accept that for now?”

“And why don’t you obey me?!” Alpha growled loudly, rising to his feet and turning completely on the smaller Pokemon. Kappa tensed and shrank back, holding out his forepaws to shield Ivy from any potential harm. The pair of Houndoom also tensed – Alpha could hear them shifting but they were holding back. The humans began talking quickly.

“You may outrank me, Alfie, but at least I am putting our Prime first.” Beta’s quavering voice managed to get out, his body trembling.

“Then you are ignoring her teachings and challenging me.” Alpha’s tone was set.

“I am.” Beta was close to tears.

“So be it!” Alpha lunged for Beta, razor-teeth slicing for green fur. The Electrike, however, was faster. With a spring, Beta used Quick Attack to dodge his brother and retaliate with a non-offensive Thunder Wave.

A blur of black and grey rushed through the alleyway but a smaller streak of orange and blue moved to block them. Kappa held his arms out to obstruct the two Houndoom.
“This is for our pack to resolve. Please keep out of it.” He asked firmly, holding his ground against the powerful Videl. He didn’t even blink at Umbrae. The dominant devil-dog considered his request quickly, watching as Alpha and Beta attacked each other and nodded.

“TRIKE!” Beta roared another Thunder Wave but Alpha was already rolling under it, his menacing eyes glaring up a Scary Face to slow his brother down. Beta’s feet caught in that moment and he froze to the spot. Alpha lunged.

“BUI!” Kappa’s Water Gun struck Alpha cleanly in the chest and propelled him high and far into the alley. The Mightena growled angrily but landed on his feet and Roared a deafening tone before collecting all the energies he could muster and screaming an attack that he did not even realise he knew.
A swirling orb of dark shadows and swirling purple mist flew from Alpha’s mouth. Kappa retaliated instantly with a Sonicboom that kicked out Alpha’s legs and the Shadow Ball was fired off target as a result, straight at Ivy.

Screams from humans and Pokemon alike erupted in an instant but none were faster to react than the two defending their master. Green and orange fur made a wall between the ferocious attack and the unconscious girl. Ghost power hit its target, an explosion of choking smoke billowing out from the resulting collision even as a blinding light filled the scene.

“Stand down, brother.”
“Yeah, Cuz. You can’t hope to beat both of us anymore.”

As the smoke cleared, two larger Pokemon had replaced the duo that had protected Ivy. One was lithe and built for speed. The other stocky and bursting with energy. Alpha lowered his head and growled menacingly, glaring at his evolved brothers, sizing up their strengths. His red eyes flickered left and right, trying to decide on a plan of action.

“Alpha?... Re…return.” Ivy raised the Pokeball just clear of the ground, the recall beam collecting her brother in an instant before she slumped once more, gasping and struggling to breathe.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

"Ivy-"

Sagira moved forward quickly, kneeling next to the semi-conscious girl and placing a hand on her shoulder lightly. She was struggling to breathe in a manner that was clearly not a good sign, and Sagira was getting extremely worried.

Glad that Alpha was confined to his pokeball, and fairly certain he would listen to Ivy, Sagira glanced up at the Floatzel and Magnetric watching her. She studied them for a few moments, but she was content that they held the same idea as before - she wasn't as much as danger to Ivy as time without aid could be.

"All right, Ivy, we're going to get you to a hospital-"

"Oh no you don't," Jay said, stepping forward. Sagira glanced up at him with an arising glare, but he raised his hands to placate her. "Your arm, Catseye - you can't carry her without risk of dropping her. Let me."

Sagira hesitated only a moment, but he was right. She backed up and let Jay come forward, slipping his hands under Ivy's back and knees, hefting her gently into his arms. With a quick glance into each others' eyes, Sagira took the lead out of the alley, knowing that Jay would follow her.

In a morbid sort of way, they were lucky that Ivy had had her seizure where she did. The hospital wasn't far from the alleyway where she had been hidden, and the location could have been a lot worse if she had gone any further before suffering the effects of whatever was harming her.

Sighing in defeat at the idea of entering a hospital, Sagira pushed open the doors and stepped inside. The nurse at the desk glanced up just in time to see Jay carrying a now-unconscious Ivy into the room, and she quickly called a doctor. Sagira didn't pay much attention to anything, instead choosing to follow Jay. She didn't like hospitals, but she was almost too exhausted to care. So much had happened today...

"Catseye, you need someone to look at that bite."

"Forget it," she growled, glaring at him. "No one needs to poke me with any needles."

"Then will you sleep?"

"I need to make sure Ivy's okay."

"She's fine," Jay assured her. "Now please?"

Sagira sighed and gazed at him for a long moment. "No."

"Damnit, Catseye!"

"Sir, could you please keep it down? This is a hospital, after all." The doctor had a stern look on his face.

Jay bowed slightly. "Of course, sir. I'm sorry." Sagira snickered. "Oh, by the way, doctor. Could you look at this bite on my girlfriend's arm?"

Damnit, Jay. I'm going to kill you.

[Master Houndoom]

Jay sat, on the same examination table upon which Sagira was being tended to, arms crossed. Brooding. Their pokemon had all been returned per hospital policy (Jay thought that Beta and Kappa were waiting outside, and left Siryn out there to sp-- watch them) and Sagira was glaring at the ground. The Doctor tending to her bite wound tsked and muttered, asking questions that were answered tersely as possibly.

He pulled out a hypodermic, and Jay raised a hand. "No needles."

"This is for the pain," the doctor began, in the manner of someone who knew better and wasn't going to hear an argument.

Jay smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well, I hope you have enough for your staff. try to stick her, and you'll need them."

The doctor stepped back. "Are you threatening me?"

"If I was warning you about an approaching tornado, would that be a threat?" Jay raised an eyebrow in a remarkable simulacrum of Sagira's most patronizing face. "Pills would be preferred, doctor."

The doctor looked between them, from the upraised, slightly amused face of Jay, to the stormy, frightened, fight-or-flight look in Sagira's eyes. With a great, put upon sigh, he went to the cabinet, made a show of putting the needle down, and pulled out a spray. "This is a local anesthetic. It will dull the pain while I suture the two biggest punctures."As Sagira opened her mouth, he raised a hand. "It is either that or risk gangrene."

Jay patted her leg, and was surprised when she put her hand on his and gripped it. He looked at her, and she looked... angry. And terrified. Jay turned his hand up and let her grip it again, looking in her eyes the whole time.

"Sure you don't want the needle, Catseye?"

She narrowed her eyes, and he was surprised to see them beginning to well up. He tried to smile reassuringly. "I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere. Promise."

Sagira looked down, but squeezed his hand. After a moment, in which both of them pointedly did not watch the doctor working, Jay cleared his throat.

"OK... um... are you still mad at me?"

Sagira glanced at the doctor, then looked at Jay. "I don't think this is the time to discuss it," she said in a clipped manner. Her eyes, however, took on a brief sadness.

"Yeah, well," Jay began, in a false nonchalance, "I've been saying the wrong thing all day." He sighed. "I just... You should tell me what's wrong."

There was silence between them, the only sounds the clinking of metal as the doctor set his instruments down and Sagira's occasional hiss. Finally, it seemed, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Are you keeping track or something?" She looked into Jay's eyes, and evidently saw confusion. "You told that-- blonde... bubble headed... male bimbo that now HE owed you his life, too!" Despite her obvious anger, she deflated, letting her hair fall down to cover her face. "I thought I meant more to you than just someone to rescue."

Now Jay flicked eyes to the doctor, but pressed his lips together. "I don't know what you're talking about, Catseye. You mean... way more to me than just someone to rescue."

"Then why did you say *he* owed you his life *too*?" Sagira seemed to shrink into herself, hissing inwardly at her pathetic sounding voice.

"Because I saved him from you killing him, and Ivy was right there." Jay blinked, then blinked again. "Wait, you th-- Holy crap, Hinata was trying to tell me..." He smiled, and Sagira, looking up in confusion, began to scowl.

"Catseye," he said, softly and with a deep fondness, "I was talking about Ivy. I took a bullet for her, remember?"

"You- wait a sec... What?!"

"Yeah. I can't imagine you forgot about that..."

Sagira blinked, then flushed and looked down. Jay tilted her chin up. "I do keep track of how many times we've saved each other. But you are... way, WAY ahead of me."

Sagira blinked, then met his eyes. "I... you must be wrong about that."

Jay merely grinned. "Then I must not be keeping as close a track as I thought." He winked, and Sagira squeezed his hand. He leaned forward, grinning, and the doctor cleared his throat.

"I'm done now. Come back in two weeks and I'll remove those stitches."

Jay smirked at Sagira, not taking his eyes off of her. "I can do that, Doc."

"Are you a doctor young man?" The doctor's voice dripped with the desire for this young upstart and his reportedly violent girlfriend leave with the notion that he, the doctor, was a gift to them.

He was not going to see that desire fulfilled.

"No, but I," Jay raised an eyebrow, "played one on TV."

Sagira laughed lightly, bringing a delighted smile to Jay's face.

As they left the room, Sagira's face slowly fell into worry. "I hope Ivy's OK."

Jay looked at her and lead her to a seat in the waiting area. "We'll just have to stick around until they tell us, huh?"

They passed the time waiting in silence, with Sagira leaning against Jay, his arm around her shoulders.

[Pumpkin King]

"I got it! I know exactly how to get out of this mess!" Victor had been pacing for quite some time, thinking of how to fix the situation he pranced into. "I'll stage a car accident and pretend to suffer from amnesia! It's genius!"

Aurum, comfortably lying on a larg white sofa, shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't see you coming up with any ideas!" Victor defiantly crossed his arms. Having an idea rejected by a cat was not a very uplifting occassion. "My idea would work and it'd get me even more press coverage." Giving up, Victor collapsed on the sofa next to his Persian. He heaved a sigh and admitted that his plan would be difficult to pull off. He stared at Aurum for a minute or two. "Ya know, I really wish you could talk. You're probably smarter than me."

Aurum meowed in agreement.

"Shut up," Victor said in an unusual tone. Normally, his shut up's were sharp and commanding, but this one was playful and not condescending. "Come on, let's go to the mall. Shopping always solves my problems."

Aurum groaned.

"No back-sass!" Victor's voice regained it's usual tone. Victor got up on his feet and headed towards the front door, stopping at the full-length mirror to check his hair. Aurum lazily followed his trainer and was almost jealous of his Pokemon peers who were tucked away in their PokeBalls. While opening the door, Victor muttered to himself, "I should've never left Sootopolis..."

"Very interesting. And why do you feel this way?"

Victor screamed. A reporter appeared out of nowhere, most likely waiting for something to slip like Victor's last statement. "Go away! I can sue you!" Victor dashed past the reporter and into the shiny new car waiting in the driveway. Not thinking of Aurum, he locked his Persian out and started the car, ready to leave. Realizing his mistake, he opened his window and recalled his Pokemon. Meanwhile, the reporter was scribbling down notes so fast, the friction almost set the notepad aflame. "If I have to live like this, I don't think I want to have any more press coverage." He pulled out of the driveway and made his way to the Noverus Mall, fearing what kind of story that reporter was concocting.

***

"Ugh! I love this shirt but horizontal stripes make me look fat!" Victor was trying on a polo shirt he found on sale in Macy*s. He had already gone through five department stores and had not purchased a single item. To anyone who even barely knew Victor, it was obvious he was in distress. He pulled off the shirt, not even worried about messing up his hair, and tossed it aside. "Why do you hate me God?" Victor asked, looking to the blue skies that were blocked by the ceiling above him.

After dressing himself, Victor left to find luck in yet another store. No. No. Hell no. Children's store. Women's store, he asessed the stores he passed. Ah, New York & Company. It almost makes me wish I was female. Then, a familiar face walked right past him, except Victor could not remember where he had seen her. He dug through his bag for a file he had hoped he would never use again. "It's her," Victor said, wide-eyed. "Lard? ... No. Laird." A cold wind made him shudder.

Sir Victor.

Victor screamed as a Froslass materialized before him. "Go away! I can sue you!" He did not know if he could sue a Pokemon but figured he could always sue the trainer. Victor ran after Linda and left the Froslass behind him. "Excuse me, miss." He reached out to touch her shoulder but she turned around before his hand got there.

"What do you want?" she demanded. Her right hand was in her purse. She was holding onto something in there and was ready to use it.

"You know Jay Lange and Sagira Smythe, don't you?"

There was no response from Linda.

"I know your relationship with those two freaks is not a very cordial one," Victor stated. Linda was still very defensive and ready to dash. "If you help me out, we can ruin their lives. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

A discouraged Froslass disappeared to report to her trainer.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

"If you help me out, we can ruin their lives. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

He watched in silence as the snobbish child joined metaphorical hands with the enemy of his chat. It was a foolish move, that he could see even without knowing them particularly well, but humans would be humans. They made mistakes quite regularly and, from what he had seen, this one did so more often than not.

"Who but a fool..."

"It is not safe to be here. We should leave."

"Indeed."

He sighed softly, listening to the advice of the others. They were, of course, right. "I need to warn ma chat. She is in danger."

"You would do well to stay out of the mind of a human, especially such a potentially-strong psychic as this felinian child. It is not safe, for any of us."

"Risks must be taken for the greater good. I think you are right to do as you are doing."

"Thank you, Adimu. I certainly hope so."

He took one final look at the foolish boy, before turning and racing off. He needed to find a place to rest, where he could close his eyes and seek with his mind.

~*~

Sagira was not one to let her guard down, least of all in a public place where she would make an easy target. However, such a fast-paced and difficult day had drugged her with exhaustion (and quite possibly something in that damn spray), and she fell asleep leaning against Jay - something that did not displease the occasional-actor.

As she slept, however, she also dreamed a dream that was not a dream, and as before, she awoke with a body that was not her own, and yet was.

Again, those crimson eyes appeared before her, peeking at her from the darkness almost as soon as she appeared. She stared into them, both surprised and yet having expected them.

"You're back," she said softly, nearly accusatorially.

"As are you," the creature replied, red eyes amused. "We all must sleep sometime."

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to peer through the shadows. His eyes were low to the ground. Either he was sitting on the floor, or she was speaking to a pokemon.

With the red eyes, the latter seemed a tad bit more believable.

"As I said before, I go by many names. Yet I, alone, have no name. You may call me as you wish."

"You're giving me permission to name you?" she asked softly.

"I am." His voice was soft; not a whisper, but a vocal breeze from his lips. And he was asking her to name him.

It seemed something not to be taken lightly. A name defined a person to their core. She was Sagira because she was her father's "little one." What was this creature who would not reveal himself to her, and yet came to her intimately, in a dream? He spoke with such nobility, such mystery, and yet he would laugh sometimes, humored. There were many parts to him, she thought, but she did not know them all, by far. She did not know much more about him than what she could see in his eyes.

His eyes...

It was funny, how her life connected at that moment to a television show, and to a character that Jay may have used as the reference point to one of his pokemon's naming. Raven, Sagira's favorite main character in the show Teen Titans, stumbled upon a magical book imprisoning the spirit of a dragon masked as its mortal enemy and the one who defeated it - a mage who went by the name-

"Malchior."

The eyes and top of the "mage's" head were all that were visible while he was trapped within the book. His eyes were always his most prominent feature, and she thought about them now as she gazed into this creature's crimson orbs.

Malchior.

The eyes shifted again, narrowing as the creature, presumably, bowed. "I am honored, ma chat, that you would grace me with such a kingly name." His eyes appeared in full again.

Right. Malchior means "king." She had almost forgotten, but apparently, he was aware of it.

"I'm afraid that my appearance is not entirely social, ma chat. I have come bearing news of a joining of hands that bears the markings of disaster to you and yours. I would not wish such things upon you, but as I cannot rightly stop it, I beg your acknowledgment of this rising danger."

She blinked, thoughtful, and asked, "How do you know this?"

"I have watched those who bear harm to others many times, and these two wish harm upon you and yours, ma chat. I would not wish it so, believe me. I want only to aid you in remaining safe and, as you are preoccupied and blind within your own limitations, I would ask something of you."

Sagira frowned. "What?"

The eyes narrowed slightly, thoughtful. "Ma petite chat, s'il vous plait... let me be your eyes."

"My... eyes..."

"I will watch these dangers for you, ma chat, as I have been. I ask in return only that you heed my warnings. Be safe, ma chat, I beg you."

"I will... certainly do my best," Sagira said weakly, frowning.

The creature bowed his head. "Of course. I wish you well, ma chat. Be safe, and may your friend heal well."

Sagira blinked. "How did you-"

But the crimson eyes disappeared and, once again, Sagira was alone. She sighed softly, as the world around her began to fade.

"Malchior..."

[Living Arrow]

Ivy’s body rose and fell with uneven repetition, sometimes a quivering breath dragging loose from her dry lips as though being wrenched from her by an invisible force. The Doctors had long since insisted that her Pokemon be recalled to the confines of their Pokeballs and the blonde girl had been removed to a private room where nurses had immediately tended her.

Several lines had been shoved into her hands and arms, unnamed liquids suspended in clear bags above her bed where they drained down and into her body. Her clothes had been removed and replaced with a pale blue medical gown and her hair lay in lank disarray around her shoulders. She barely moved from the position the hospital staff had left her in – her only motions were those of ragged breathing and flitting eyelids.

”Mommy? Where are you, Mommy?” Ivy barked out into the night, the rain slicking her face. Alpha howled alongside her, his own fur sodden with damp but neither of them noticed the falling sky. Their mother had been missing for too long for anything else to take precedence in their minds.
Alpha whined out a sorrowful tone that Ivy had heard him repeat several times now, his despair growing more intent.

“Don’t be a Silly, Alpha! Mommy is just lost – we’ll find her in no time!” Ivy ruffled the soggy hair on the back of her brother’s neck and scampered into the dark on all fours, the Poochyena following close behind.

~*~

“What exactly have you given her?” A new voice in Ivy’s room pervaded the darkness of the girl’s mind as she slept. She recognised it. It was impatient and firm – a voice that carried self importance, power and authority. There was something in it, however, that warned Ivy’s unconscious mind to stay alert.

A clipboard was passed to the grey-haired man that stood by Ivy’s bedside. His beady eyes skimmed over it quickly before he asked, rather bluntly, for the nurse to leave him alone with the girl. There was a faint thud as the door closed and a click as the man operated a communications device.

“Officer Crichton, it’s me.” The man said, another clunking noise signalling that he had lifted some sort of hard-covered case onto the table next to the bed. “No. No-one saw me... Kylarian is well. A little bruised but it looks like she did that herself – no other injuries are present.” The was a long pause and a low rumble of static as a response was made.
“Yes, the procedure can still continue. I would recommend, however, that we increase the dose again. Her relapse came sooner than expected and so the treatment should be updated twice weekly to maintain the current effects.”

Another pause. More static.

“The cause is unknown. Something is interfering in the transfer of information from frontal and parietal lobes to the hippocampus so nothing is transferring into her long-term memory. My latest formulation should fix that though, I just need your permission… Yes, it is a big risk at this early stage but it may be vital for the results you want with her…”

~*~

“Mommy!?” Ivy screamed as she rushed into the warehouse. Alpha’s keen nose had led them all across the city to that spot, seemingly guided by a miracle.

The large Mightyena wheezed and turned her head slowly, unable to pick herself up from the position she had fallen hours before. Her eyes were dull and glazed over, her tongue lolling out of her mouth with heat exhaustion and her lustrous midnight fur matted with sweat.

“Oh, Mommy! What’s wrong?!” Ivy cried, gathering up the Pokemon’s broad head in her arms to lie it in her lap. The Mightyena looked up and growled angrily.

“Why don’t you want us to be here? We’ve been searching for so long!” Ivy protested, Alpha barking his worried agreement. Their mother growled more, flicking her head weakly in an attempt to force Ivy and Alpha on their way. There was something terribly wrong.

“Mommy? Please get up!” Ivy’s tears ran warm on her skin alongside the rain drops that ran from her hair. Her mother growled again, weaker and more desperately.

“No! I’m not leaving you!” Ivy insisted, still cradling her adoptive mother gently. “You’re only a little bit sick – Alpha was worse than this when he was a baby!”

A flash of teeth and the Mightyena snapped viciously at the young girl. Alpha pranced back in shock and barked his own protests.

Suddenly, their mother convulsed violently and a loud whine leaked from her lips. Ivy held to her mother tightly and tried to quell the thrashing that ensued, unaware of what was happening to her PokeMommy. The adult Pokemon’s spasmodic movements slowed in an instant before they ceased completely and the large crimson eyes that watched her daughter and youngest son rolled backwards and remained still.

~*~

*Mommy! NO!*

*Stop him, Hedera!*

*MOMMY?!*

*Listen to me! You must wake up and stop him! Don’t let go of yourself, my precious Ivy! Don’t let go!*

*What are you taliing about, Mommy? MOMMY!?*

The syringe stabbed into the gel pack, a deep green liquid injected into its depths and staining its contents like an invasive fungus. The clear liquid that was slowly trickling down a line into Ivy’s right arm darkened slowly as it descended.

“Yes, Officer. I shall return now and make a full report.” Doctor Stalvin closed the Comm. Device and snapped his briefcase shut before scanning the room for indication of his presence and slipped out quietly. What he did not notice, however, was that the girl on the bed had moved. A clear plastic tube was in her hand. It was pinched closed between her fingers as she lay motionless and waiting for him to leave, tears silently falling from both of her eyes.

*Mommy? Please don’t leave me!*

The silence continued.

[Master Houndoom]

Maybe it was the exertion. He had run quite a ways, both from Magma grunts and after his target, Linda Laird. He was emotionally tired, too, having to deal with worry over Sagira and anger at Vivitalis. So maybe that's why it happened.

Or maybe it was relief. Sagira wasn't angry at him anymore, and she wasn't hurt, and she'd actually not ripped his stomach open and fed on his entrails for tricking her into seeing a doctor. Her arm was well on the way to healing, and the bandages weren't darkening with her blood anymore. That might have done it.

More than likely, however, it was that she was leaning against him, dozing herself, that made him relax enough to fall asleep. In the end, it didn't really matter. He fell asleep, woke up and Sagira was still sleeping, leaning comfortably against him. He had averted instant death once more.

I really shouldn't tease her like that, he thought. She hasn't threatened to kill or maim me since our fist date. He smiled fondly down at her, gently moving her so that he could answer a call that was, briefly, more important than a continued nap.

He really, really had to use the bathroom.

The nurse was kind enough to point the way, and mentioned, casually, that Ivy's room was in the same hallway. It saved him the effort of trying to coax it out of her, at any rate. He thanked her and went to take care of his need, and on the way back, made his way to Ivy's room. Just to peek. If Sagira were awake by then, she'd definitely want to know how Ivy was.

Just as he reached the door, it opened. Jay quickly stepped back and let the man, who preoccupied with a clipboard, pass, before clearing his throat. "You have five seconds to tell me what you were doing in there, and then I start calling pokemon." The man froze, turned slowly, one arm going behind his back. Jay gestured toward it, smirking.

"See, I love this game. I call it, 'Gimme a Reason'. You play by doing whatever it is you're doing behind your back which then 'Gives Me a Reason' to make my move." The man scowled and pulled his hand away from his back, showing the empty clipboard.

"I'm a doctor."

"Kinda late for rounds, isn't it?" Jay's eyes were hard, despite the smile on his face.

"It's a special case." The man glanced back and forth. "Who are you?"

"Suffice it to say I'm a friend of hers, and would hate it if she got hurt." Jay took a step forward, and the man stiffened. His voice caught, but he forced his words on, taking a chance.

"I'm a Aqua doctor..!" Jay stopped, narrowing his eyes. The man took it as encouragement. "Miss Kylerian is undergoing some special treatments following a mishap during her last mission. It caused her to behave... irratically. She nearly killed a young boy." Jay's eyes narrowed, but the doctor went on. "She was obviously very sick. We're sparing nothing to make sure she gets better."

"So, what, cattle prods? Waterboarding?" Jay stepped forward, scowling, but the man seemed almost relieved.

"Nothing so primitive, I assure you. The only reason I'm here is that we heard she was in the hospital, and wanted to know why..."

Jay looked down. "She was down when we got there. My partner and I are helping her and her partner track down a Magma agent and bring her in." He looked up at the doctor, his eyes swimming in confusion. "Her partner turned traitor, and we got split up. When we got to the alleyway, she was already down, and her pokemon were around her." He mentally reigned himself in. The doctor, if that's what he was, didn't need to know that when he said "we", he meant he and his pokemon. Something told him that mentioning that Ivy had been convulsing was a bad idea.

The man nodded. "Keep us aprised, Grunt." Jay sighed and rolled his eyes. While there were ranks, Bryce didn't pay over much attention to them. Being addressed as a grunt was a little demeaning. And by a little, he meant a lot.

The doctor left without another word, and Jay pulled the door open, looking in on her. Her face was silhouetted against the window, except for a soft light that caught her hair. From this angle, she looked almost like Amber, when she'd been sick from a particularly bad psychic episode.

Great. Just what I need. To think of Herr Kylerian in the same way I think of Amber.

But the damage was done.

When he got back to the seats, Sagira was awake and scowling. "Where have you been," she hissed.

He was aware that she was cranky in the morning, and smirked in the way that usually disarmed her. "Hey, I had to go, and I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have appreciated me waiting for you to wake up." The joke did the trick. She sat back in a huff and wrinkled her nose.

"Gross, BlueJay," she muttered, but nudged his shoulder as he sat.

"I have to tell you something," he said, and recounted the confrontation in the hallway. Sagira's face was cold and stormy when he finished, but he gently put two fingers on her uninjured arm. "I don't know that he's done anything... but I have a really bad feeling, and we should keep an eye out. OK?"

Sagira nodded, and they waited, together.

[Pumpkin King]

"I'm not superficial, though I may seem to be," Victor wrote down in a new leather-bound journal. "There's a lot more to me than people realize. I really wish I could show that to people, but how? I just try to be myself, but lately that only seems to get me into trouble. Isn't being yourself the answer to like all of life's problems? That's what every story states. Fairy tales should really be updated. I have yet to find a fairy tale that involves a feline psychopath, an overly zealous and obnoxiously heroic retard and a very confused friend, not even to mention figures like Victoria, my father and that stupid officer guy. *Sigh*. Why is my life so difficult? What did I do to deserve this? I think I'm a good person. I haven't done anything wrong, have I? A little white lie here and there don't really count. Everyone lies every once in a while. My lies are just crafted better, though I have to work on some things, like plot holes. I suppose I wouldn't make a very good author. I'd step on my own tongue too many times."

Victor placed his pen down on his large wooden desk. He always made fun of people who wrote in journals or diaries. He thought it was pretty stupid to write anything down if it's not going to be read by anyone else. But Victor picked up writing when he noticed nobody was really listening to him.

Coming to a realization, Victor's pen was back on the paper.

"That must be my problem. I try to take control of my life by creating lies. I like to be the author but I can't do it. I'm not in charge, though I'd really like to be. I want power... The kind of power my father has..."

Not wanting anymore realizations, Victor shut his journal and tried to focus on the topic on hand. "I've got to figure out what to do with Linda," he said to himself. Linda was in the next room over getting ready for Victor's next lie. The two had agreed a rape accusation would be a nice place to start. If they wanted to take down Jay and Sagira, they were going to have all of Noverus back them up. Fortunately, Victor had pull with the press.

Linda appeared in the doorway. "How do I look?"

Victor turned to face her. His answer was delayed by a thought that occurred to him. She's being awfully trusting. "Terrible."

"Perfect."

***

"Victor cannot sue you!!" A very agitated girl yelled at her Froslass. "What the hell were you thinking?! Do you not realize that the more time you waste with your pathetic attempts to get Victor's attention, I have to stay in this fucking cell even longer?!"

I... I sincerely apologize-

"Don't give me that formal crap, Diamant! I want to get out of this God-damn place! Now go talk to Victor immediately!"

I will love you forever if you can guess which musical I referred to.

This post has been edited by Pumpkin King: Oct 24 2009, 08:11 PM

[Living Arrow]

Ivy lay motionless for as long as she dared, hoping beyond hope that no-one was watching her through the windows. Yes, she had chanced a peek and yes, she had nearly been caught by a passing nurse. The dip that was connected to her elbow was still pinched firmly between her fingers, stopping the dark green liquid from flowing into her veins. She wept silently in that position, possibly for hours, before she finally opened her eyes a crack once more.

Her vision blurred momentarily before the shapes of the care room formalised themselves on her retinas and she discovered, much to her relief, that she was alone.

*I've got to get out of here... Pokemommy is right - I can't just let them change me.*

She winced as she slid the needles out from her elbow and flicked it away, that green liquid finally dripping free from its tip. Although she could not smell it, Ivy knew that the liquid would be bitter and vile like rotten leaves. She wrinkled her nose and continued to pull out the wires, needles and tubes that were invading her body. The longest needle she kept delicatel poised between her knuckles as she prepared to leave the room.

*Where are my Pokeballs? I can't get out alone...*

Ivy paused by the door, quickly checking her body's capabilities. There was a steady throb in her temples couple with an ache in her jaw where she had been punched and her hand felt bruised from where Linda Laird had stomped on it during her escape. SHe hastily removed her hospital gown and replaced it with her Aqua uniform that was resting in her pack that had been left by the bed. She frowned at the nee-length boots that Victor had given her for a moment before shrugging and pulling them on.

"Laird..." Ivy growled to herself, opening the door a crack and peering out. Nothing. No movement. Ivy took in a deep breath and let herself into the corridor. The smell of hospital wreeked in her nostril immediately, quelling any sort of chance that a scent would alert her of anyone approaching. She inwardly groaned and hurried to the first corner. She stopped there and slowly stuck her head around it.

Beta looked straight at her and started to rise. Ivy's breath caught in her throat at the sight of him - a Manectric - and Kapa - a Floatzel - in forms far stronger than they had been before. But, rather than grin and rush to hug them with congratulations, she glared. He paused. He relaxed. He sat again. Kappa hadn't noticed her yet. A little to the side of them Jay and Sagira were resting, talking with hushed tones with the cat-girl's head resting, rather oddly, on the boy's shoulder.
Ivy moved back.

*What am I doing? I can't just walk out there now. Sagira and Jay have been undermining me for the length of this mission - why should I bother asking them to resume it now?*

*Because Sagira is your friend?*

*Shut up!* Ivy chewed her lip. Like it or not, she did have a conscience. Although she was pretty certain Sagira and Jay saw themselves above her when it came to physical, mental, ethical and heck cooking abilities she still liked them. It was unfathomable really. She had never really done them any wrong. True, she had been short with them, but they were working - it wasn't the mess hall. Why did they look down her, though? Did they honestly think she was stupid? Did they think she wasn't capable of the thoughts that were needed to make her an equal? *Victor has never looked down on me...*

Ivy almost chuckled at her own thoughts. Victor. He was, surprisingly, the least like her out of the entire group and yet he had supported her constantly since they had met. Yes, he was vain. Yes, he was selfish. But no matter what, he had never gone against Ivy or her assumed authority over him.

"Oh, Ivy... What do you do?" The girl asked herself, slumping down against the wall to hug her knees. As she saw it there were several options but only a couple stood out. 1. Try to persuade Sagira and Jay into taking on the mission once more. 2. Get Victor to help her complete the mission. 3. Complete it on her own. There was no scenario in which she would ask Victor to work with the other two - they just didn't gel and every one of them had temper enough to stir something up without even being handed a spoon.

*Well, I don't know where Victor is so I'll just have to go with whatever I've got to achieve mission success.* Ivy resigned herself to the situation, stood up, smoothed out her blonde hair over her shoulders and stepped around the corner to meet her teammates.

"Come on, Sillies. We's got a Lairdy-bum to catch!"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

"This is a waste of our time, as well as being incredibly dangerous."

"Malchior thinks it's important," came the softly-spoken, child-like response, "and he is our leader."

"If Wajibu does not wish to follow me, Amani, that is his decision."

There came an annoyed growl, and then a sigh. "I did not say I wouldn't follow you, my king. I am merely trying to point out how dangerous it is for us to be here."

"I know it is, Wajibu, I know it is. However, I will not simply stand by and ignore the facts set before me. There is danger and disaster abound here, and it seems set on following the feline child and her companions, whether or not I choose to remain close by. I feel that if I am near, perhaps I will have a chance to protect her, to some degree."

"Your cause is noble, my lord, but you are putting her in danger from yourself by being near. We mustn't forget the ways of the other."

"One would be hard-pressed to forget him, Adimu. Worry not. Ukatili is always on my mind."

~*~

Jay and Sagira were sitting in silence, he having explained about his confrontation with the doctor. Sagira didn't like it, but there wasn't much that they could do. She was letting her mind wander over a number of things, when her pocket exploded with a loud guitar solo, before Tarja Turunen began singing strongly.

"No will to wake for this morn,
To see another black rose born.
Deathbed is slowly covered with snow.
Angels, they fell first, but I'm still here,
Alone as they are drawing near-"

The nurse at the counter was glaring at her and reaching for the phone, no doubt to call security. Sagira sent her a potent glare that stayed her hand, as she stalked out of the hospital, pulling her cell phone from her pocket as the guitar solo for Nightwish's End of All Hope ripped from it like it was an Ipod and not a mobile.

She flipped the phone open and put it to her ear without looking to see who was calling.

"Catscratch Service," she said in a bored tone, "who's face should I bloody?"

"Your sense of humor is impeccable, Smythe."

"Officer Bryce," Sagira said sarcastically, cocking her hips to the side, "how good of you to call while I'm waiting on news of my friend's condition. I don't suppose you could have chosen a more appropriate occasion to call and, in the meantime, gone to Hell?"

Anyone other than Bryce would have been checking outside their window for snow after listening to her voice grow icier by the word. Bryce, however, merely sighed softly, and waited for her to calm down. On any other day, Sagira might have commended his patience. For the moment, she had none of her own to spare.

"I do apologize," he said, and his voice was so sincere that Sagira had to sigh softly and relax, "but I'm afraid that we cannot wait any longer. I know you're worried about Kylerian, but we need you to find Linda Laird before she slips through our fingers once again, or worse - gets nabbed by Magma."

Sagira rubbed her hand down her face. "So we're just to leave Ivy here, with no protection?"

"I am sending two of my best agents to wait at the hospital for Kylerian to wake. When it is safe for her to leave, they will escort her back here."

"I-"

"And you will be informed immediately," Bryce interrupted, predicting her response. Sagira sighed. "There's another thing, Smythe."

She huffed. "I can guess," she muttered.

"I'm sure you can, and from what I've heard so far, I doubt it displeases you."

"Not particularly," Sagira muttered. She leaned her back against the side of the hospital. "So, I'm bringing in Captain Hair Gel, too?"

"Affirmative," Bryce said. "You are to bring in Aqua traitor Victor Bays, with or without Laird. Though you better have them both." There was a moment's pause, before he added, "And I do want him alive, Smythe."

Sagira smirked into the phone. "Oh, don't worry, old man, he'll be alive." She snapped the phone shut before Bryce could respond. "I can't say he won't need medical attention, though. That'd be asking a bit too much of my claws."

Shoving the phone back into her pocket, not bothering to turn the volume down to vibrate, she stalked back into the hospital and sat back down next to Jay. The nurse was glaring at her again, but she ignored her, placing her head on Jay's shoulder wearily.

She could practically feel his look of concern, but she didn't open her eyes to see if she was right. "We have to leave, don't we?"

Sagira sighed. "Yes," she whispered.

"Come on, Sillies. We's got a Lairdy-bum to catch!"

Sagira blinked her eyes open and then leaned forward, almost to the point of falling out of her chair, to look around Jay to see Ivy standing there.

She was on her feet in a second and practically bolted over to Ivy. "You're awake?!" she gasped, and then seemed to realize that she was acting a little too much like an eager puppy. She took a step back and steadied her facial features. "It's... good to see you're better, Ivy," she admitted. She tried to keep the relieved inflection out of her voice, but she couldn't help it. Ivy had said "sillies!" That was the Ivy she knew! She may look different, but was her friend coming back? "How're you feeling?" she asked, concerned. The prospect of her having another seizure was... a disturbing concept.

Sagira crossed her arms, but winced when she pressed against her bandaged wound, having forgotten about it. Moron, she thought, and instead leaned against the wall, trying not to look like a total dork. Geez, things would be better once they were out of the damn hospital and back to the way they were before.

[Living Arrow]

"Your arm!" Ivy gasped, noticing thebandage on it for the first time. "What happened?"

Sagira's face twisted for a moment and her eyes darted to Jay warningly, his mouth already half open. He rolled his eyes and stuck a tongue in his cheek but said nothing.

"Oh, this? Some dog bit me - it's fine though." Sagira offered particularly unconvincingly. Ivy knew something was up - she wasn't stupid - but she forced out a smile anyway.

"As long as you're ok..." She said slowly, her ears pricking up at the low growling and whining behind her. Beta and Kappa were talking... Something about Alpha... and the feline human... "Alpha did this?!" Ivy exclaimed instantly, firing a dangerous glare at Beta for telling her outright. He shrank back a little but made no apology.

"Er... awkward..." Jay said sarcastically, waiting for Sagira's response rather than put his own two cents in. Ivy regarded him quickly. He was holding back. He smelled of anger and distrust along with a hint of relief. It was an odd smell - like cheese mixed with chocolate.

"Um, he did..." Sagira sighed, looking down at the bandages thoughtfully. "But he must have been confused. He meant well, I'm sure."

"Still don't meanhe can just go around biting everybody!" Ivy sighed. "I have a mind to give him a good spanking!"

"He's not the only one." Jay folded his arms and looked to Sagira. "Are you telling her, or am I?"

Sagira swallowed thickly.

"Tell me what?" Ivy asked carefully.

[Master Houndoom]

Sagira had made it clear, with only a look, that she was to do the talking for this. After Ivy had caught on that Sagira had hurt her arm, Sagira sent a glance at him that screamed, "Shut UP!". So Jay, despite his anger, did exactly that.

It didn't keep him from having a general tirade in his head. And it didn't make him feel any better when Sagira covered for the mightyena. Still, he was a pokemon, and his trainer was hurt... a trainer who, until recently, had treated him as a brother. Maybe the changes Ivy had exhibited had thrown the pokemon off as well.

Videl made sure the bad doggy Alpha knew Alpha's place!

Jay risked a glance over his shoulder, but saw no one. He did, however, hear a pokemon's giggle and knew that Siryn hadcome in, making herself invisible and watching from where she was. He turned back to the conversation to keep the other two from catching on. A surprise pokemon in a fight would come in handy. He'd have to talk to Siryn in more detail.

Siryn is sorry that Beta and Kappa got away from her. Siryn TOLD BetaKappa that Jay wanted them to stay outside, but BetaKappa did not want to listen to Siryn!

Jay nodded. He couldn't talk to the ghost like he could to Hinata, and Hinata was away in her pokeball, for once not complaining about losing her headpaint. That, too, was a warning sign that something was wrong.

Ivy had just announced the need to spank Alpha when Jay remembered Victor. He almost dreaded telling Ivy this. While her speech was a lot like what he'd heard before, she was still standing straight. Something inside her was either breaking or broken and reset again, and who knew what news was going to have what effect on the girl.

"He's not the only one." He folded his arms and looked at Sagira. "Are you telling her, or am I?"

Sagira almost winced, but she turned to Ivy and said, as gently as she could and still say Victor's name, "Victor turned on us. He called in grunts to... to accost Jay while he made a get away."

Sagira's voice trailed off as fat tears began to leak from Ivy's eyes. The Elite's head began to shake from side to side, slowly at first, but quickly getting to a rapid pace, denying fervently that Victor had turned his back on them.

On her, anyway, he thought bitterly.

"It's all over the news, Ivy," Jay said, as gently as he could. "He's been giving interviews all day."

"You're LYING," Ivy shouted, attracting the attention of the nurse at the front desk. Jay glanced at the nurse, who made to stand up, as Sagira tried again to calm the other girl.

"Bryce just called me and changed our orders. Along with bringing in Laird, we're to bring in Victor as well. Alive," she said, bitterly.

The nurse stood as Ivy began to sob loudly, and Jay leaned in to Sagira's ear. "Get her outside, get her to call her superior. I'll keep the nurse off our back so she doesn't realize one of her patients is walking around."

Sagira nodded, tight lipped, and moved to help Ivy. Likely, to her, Jay was still, or again, the Bad Man, but he hoped the trust Sagira seemed to have in Ivy was reciprocated.

Jay stepped forward as the nurse hurried to them, intending to move past them. Jay stepped in her path.

"She's going to need a moment. One of her pokemon was badly injured, and she's upset. She's had him since an egg."

The nurse's eyes turned sympathetic, but she still turned to Jay with tight lips. "We prefer to have a doctor give such news. We have rooms set aside so that she wouldn't have disturbed any of the patients. Your friend is still sick and needs her rest in the other room!"

"Of course, ma'am, I'm sorry. It came out. My girlfriend" was it wrong that he thrilled a bit whenever he had a chance to refer to Sagira that way, he wondered, "is taking her outside right now. My deepest apologies."

The nurse was looking over his shoulder, her features getting icier as he spoke. She opened her mouth, but then caught glimpse of something over Jay's shoulder and gasped. When she looked back, she blinked. Jay tilted his head.

"What is it?"

"I..." the nurse looked confused and a little bit frightened. "I thought I saw a manetric and a floatzel walk out with your friends... and then... a misdreavus appeared... right there," she pointed over Jay's shoulder, but when Jay turned, nothing was there. "But now they're gone."

Jay gave her a look, biting his lip. "Are you sure..? I mean... you look a little tired, Nurse," he said gently, earnestly, and the nurse looked at him, then nodded, still slightly frightened.

"Yes... it's a tiring job... maybe..." She trailed off, moving toward her station, only glancing back twice.

Jay made his way to the door, fighting a grin. "Good job, Siryn," he muttered, and heard the soft giggle.

I helped!

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Sagira led Ivy out of the hospital without much difficulty, careful to keep her face turned toward Ivy's, so as to keep any doctor's from seeing her firm expression. It was best if those around them assumed that she had just given the girl some distressing news (and perhaps to Ivy, it was), rather than becoming aware that Ivy was actually a patient.

An escaping patient. She wasn't going back in that hospital if Sagira could help it.

Ivy didn't fight her hold, which pleased Sagira. She was glad to see that some of the original Ivy had come back, and it almost - almost - made her clingy toward the little mutt. Something was obviously still broken, though, and needed to be fixed. And Sagira was still angry, but that was for another time.

"Ivy... I am sorry," Sagira said. And she was. Although she did not like Victor, and did not trust him in the least, he had been Ivy's friend.

"It's not true!" Ivy cried, tears of anger and defiance rolling down her cheeks.

Sagira sighed inaudibly. Even if the girl didn't believe it, Sagira still felt bad for her. Betrayal... hurt. There was no better or more delicate way to put it.

Sagira turned slightly at the sound of a door swinging open and saw Jay trotting across the street to join them in front of the electronics store. He looked relieved and Sagira noted Siryn, now visible, flitting along behind him happily.

"Everything go okay?"

"Close," Jay muttered, glancing back at the hospital, "but I think I got it covered."

Sagira nodded and opened her mouth to say something, when she heard a familiar voice speaking behind her.

She spun to see the series of televisions in the window of the store behind her, all set to the same channel. A news broadcast was going on, with a pretty newscaster in a crimson skirt and jacket, covering a white turtleneck. She had shoulder-length brown hair with golden streaks, and the smile on her face went with the pleased glint in her eyes - she was more than ecstatic at having gotten this coverage.

"I'm here with Linda Laird, the most recent victim of Jacob Lange, a member of Team Aqua who was just recently discovered to have been the kidnapper of Victor Bays, son of a high-ranking Magma personel. Please, Linda, could you tell us what happened?"

Linda, her hair in disarray, clothes torn, and what looked like a bad case of make-up polishing that was probably supposed to look like bruises, clung to a sorrowful-looking Victor. Sagira narrowed her eyes at the screen, sure that she could detect a smirk on his face. Oh, the nerve of that sorry little fu-

"H-He - attacked me. I was in an alley... it was dark." She sniffled. "H p-pinned me against... against a wall. And he... he..." She turned her face into Victor's coat and started shaking, sobbing dramatically.

Sagira groaned. "Goddess above," she muttered.

"I've seen dogs act out better sob-scenes," Jay said. Sagira nodded.

The newscaster turned back to the screen. "We have recently learned that Jacob Lange, member of Aqua, is being sought out by the authorities for kidnapping, assault, battery, and rape charges. His known girlfriend, Iris-" Sagira hissed softly at the use of her first name. "-Sagira Smythe, also a member of Aqua, is also being sought out and will be imprisoned for aiding Lange in his attempts. Any news you may have about these criminals should be phoned in immediately to the police. This is Gale Weathers reporting live from Noverus. Goodnight!"

Sagira and Jay were staring wide-eyed at the television even after commercials replaced the news broadcast. After a few moments, they both managed just one word each, spoken at the same time, and in the same disbelieving and enraged tone.

"WHAT?!"

This RP is finished.