Army of Me

by rainfire and hawkpath

Natural disasters have been increasing of late, and when a Rescue Team is sent out to deal with them, they think it'll be a simple mission: just arrest the Absol and go. But the Absol has other ideas. And she's a part of something bigger than they'd thought.

1. Prologue: Wolf

Army of Me

Author's note: Right, so this is a songfic (I'm thinking that's the terminology), in that each chapter's title (and the title of the fic itself) is a song that I think fits the mood. If you like you can look it up for your listening pleasure. (or perhaps for a better understanding of the story/characters. You never know...) Sooo, here's the first song: The Wolf, by Fever Ray. I don't own any of the songs or Pokemon. This is my first time writing something like this, so bear with me and enjoy!

Prologue – "The Wolf"

It was a dark and stormy night. Very cliché, now that I think of it, thought a shadow beneath a pine dripping with rain. Carefully, The Shadow detached itself from the waterlogged branches and began to slink through the forest, using the trees for cover. The Shadow knew how to avoid notice. (That was how it all began, of course...)

The hazy figure stopped for a moment by a thin stream that broke through the trees and glanced down into water marred by raindrops. Looking carefully, it saw the dark reflection of a furry, fox-like Pokemon. Blood dripped from an ugly gash, which the Pokemon ignored. Of course, the Pokemon thought, vengefully slashing the water. Of course there had to be… complications. (The little brat just had to butt in… The attack had been stronger than one would've thought, but it was nothing compared to The Shadow's power – nothing could beat it, nothing…)

The sky was lit suddenly by a flash of lightning, followed by the crash and rumble of thunder. "I had to kill her, you know," The Dark type told its reflection conversationally. "She knew too much. About Me, Me, Me... No one can ever know anything about The Shadow…" The Pokemon laughed crookedly, high-pitched giggles staggering from its throat. Its eyes were wild, leering at something that was not of the reality around it.

"Of course…" It muttered, sobering suddenly. "Of course, the other one…" It trailed off, then said, "No… No, of course not… Nothing can withstand My might…" It flashed a Sharpedo-like grin before continuing, "I just need a place to hide… A place no one would expect…"

Something went 'crack' in the woods behind the shadowy Pokemon and it froze, eyes wide and cold.

"Ahh," The Shadow growled, shifting, and a moment later, in an altered tone, said, "Well, time to go. Lots of work to do." Then it leaped the stream and made its departure. Droplets of blood haphazardly followed in its trail, but disappeared – along with the Pokemon – in the storm.

Reviews and constructive criticism welcome~