The creak of the ceiling fan resounded around the room. Pictures of people stared in horror at the scene before them, horror and fascination. A dead woman now laid in the middle of the bar, blood collecting beneath her in a sticky pool of once-life. Her eyes were wide and stared at the ceiling fan disinterestedly. Her mouth was hung agape. Wounds oozed but made no attempts to congeal over themselves; it was a fruitless endeavor to do so. The memories of the gun's noises attempted to break the silence inside the heads of the two witnesses to the brutal murder. Death would soon be pleased.
Atop the body stood the mysterious man that had made the donation to Death's collection. His pose was one of triumph, self-satisfaction...happiness. His smile was plastered to his face in such a way that it appeared to be painful. He holstered the gun and knelt down beside the woman, shutting her eyes and murmuring something incomprehensible. Rising, he put his hands on his hips and rolled his shoulders lazily.
"Well that wa' fun!" he shouted randomly, swinging one leg around so that he faced the bar. He began to stride over to the area until he paused and leapt in the air, clicking his heels together in ecstasy. "Woo!" he cried thrusting his hands skyward, "That wa' one of tha mos' fun killin's yet! Wouldn'tcha say so, Ray?"
The Zoroark, apparently named "Ray" merely grunted in response, reclining in one of the booths that had not been overturned in the preceding chaos.
"O' don' be a prissy Priscilla," the man chastised. He stuck his lower lip out in an exaggerated motion. "Look, now ya made me all sad." He began to wail. "O' heavens, ma one true frien' doesn' want me to be happay! What a day! What a tragic day!" He fell against the floor, slamming his knees hard against the wood. He supported himself by having one elbow on the bar, the other arm was across his face as he continued his self-induced temper tantrum.
Ray grunted again, this time closing his eyes and resting his arms behind his head.
The man's head snapped up, a grin back on his face. "Come on, ol' buddy, be a sport!" Ray did not respond. "Uuuuuuugggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh," the man groaned. "Fineeeeeeeeeeeeeee, guess I'll just have me some a-dult bev-er-AH-ges!" Hopping up and sliding into the barstool, the man patiently interlocked his fingers and smiled pleasantly as he looked about the room as if he was merely a tourist seeing the sights.
Daniel, now thoroughly confused, removed his head from its peeking position. Libra followed suit. The two looked at each other in bewilderment. Whoever this man was, there was something very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very wrong with him. Daniel tried to whisper something but it came out as a series of unintelligible gargling.
Libra closed her eyes and focused in on the man's thoughts and emotions; she was immediately overwhelmed. She realized that he was the bizarre thought pattern that she had noticed earlier while scanning the bar. Erratic was too big of an understatement to describe his thoughts. Thoughts were birthed and then slaughtered and then revived only to be toyed with for a time until they were once again slaughtered by another thought. In addition, the concepts were capricious. If there was any whim in which the man's mind wished to indulge, it did so and with great vivacity, only to grow bored and move onto its new fancy.
Perhaps, however, even more powerful than that was the eerily intense happiness that the man felt. Libra was unable to detect even the slightest bit of another emotion. He showed no fear or anxiety or anger or regret or...anything. He was happy and it made Libra's head hurt. She gripped her temples and pulled her legs into her body, curling into an upright fetal position. "Ow ow ow…." she whispered, beginning to lightly rub the side of her head.
Daniel looked on, feeling slightly guilty that he could do nothing to assuage her. His first instinct was to grab Libra and dash for the door. This plan did not last long in his head. Examining the man, Daniel figured that he probably would be able locate Daniel and gun him down before he even got to his feet.
"Oh, Reeee-eeeeed!" the man sang in falsetto. Daniel gazed out into the area to see the man raising his hand politely like a school child. "I would like ah drink, please!"
Surprisingly, Reed stepped out from the back door that led to the kitchen. He grimaced at the grisly scene before him but turned his attention to the man who perked up in his seat. Heavy-set, red-faced, and hunched, Reed owned the bar and was one of the primary creators of the specialty drinks. His ability to concoct delectable and easily consumable drinks was on par with that of famous chefs creating dishes. Reed moved in behind the bar and sighed heavily, his entire form sagging as he did so.
"Look, can't you get her out of here first?" Reed pleaded, rubbing his cheek with a meaty hand.
"Tsk tsk, I told you, the clean-up crew doesn' come till a few hours after everythin' 'as transpired!" The mysterious man chortled and shifted in his seat so that he was in a more casual pose. "Gimme a Noivern 'urricane!"
"Want lemon?" Reed asked, earning a nod in response. The owner worked with a phenomenal degree of efficiency. Various alcohols fell into a frosted glass filled with ice. Gin and rum swirled together and soon fruits were added so as to offset the intensity of the alcohol. Quickly garnishing the cup with a slice of lemon, Reed presented the mysterious man with the drink.
The man clapped his hands giddily and bounced in his seat as Reed pushed the drink forward. "Oh goody! Thank you, ma good man!" Reed rolled his eyes and set himself against a part of the wall not lined with bottles. The mysterious man sipped delicately from his glass and squealed with delight as the concoction graced his lips. He took another, larger sip, and hooted in approval. "Reed, ma friend, they don' make 'em like you do!"
"Thank you," the owner replied quietly. Raising his voice, he said, "Now, you still have to pay for that.
The man ignored the comment. "But...you know what makes this 'ere drink tha bes'?" Reed make an irritated noise that went unnoticed by the flamboyant man. "Is that wondrous aroma that is all around us!" He grinned toothily. "Is the smell of blood, brings tha whole drink togetha!" He yelled the last part and then downed the beverage in a flourish then slammed the glass down on the table, shattering it in the process. "You make 'em tha best, Reedy!"
The portly bar owner shifted uncomfortably and held out his hand. "Pay up," he demanded though with a quavering voice.
"Oh, jus' put it on ma tab."
"You're tab's maxed out."
"Dearie me...that won' do, not at all." The man put a hand to his chin in ponderance before snapping and shouting, "I know!" He swirled in his chair and Daniel ducked behind the table in hopes that he had not been noticed. "Le's make tha man and the Gardevoir pay fo' it! They seem like nice people. At least, when they come outta the table!"
Daniel froze, unsure of what to do. Libra had only just recovered from her head pain but was still dizzy from the experience and the Zoroark was obviously someone with whom they should not trifle. The young man's eyes darted around, attempting to find some sort of pathway to escape, but there were none. The windows and door were too far and he stood no chance in combat against these two mysterious assailants. He had one option. Taking Libra's hand, he stood up gently and tipped his hat to the man who called for him.
Clapping, the man leapt from his seat and greeted them excitedly. "'Ello to ya! Name's Serj! Wha's yours?" Serj approached with an uncomfortable amount of friendliness, hand extended and thrusted into Daniel's vicinity.
Nervously taking it, Daniel found himself pulled back to the bar where he and Libra now sat.
"Reed! Get these faine people somethin' ta drink, by Arceus, man!" Serj commanded, dramatically pointing to the rows of alcohols that bordered the bar.
Reed looked uneasy but asked, "Daniel, what'll you have?"
Daniel, who had not spoken a word in this entire exchange thought for a moment. He could still feel the light buzz brought on by his earlier escapades and really was not in the mood for a drink, especially with a dead body directly behind him and a Zoroark by the door.
"Gin an' tonic, wonderful choice, my friend!" Serj suddenly hollered and then slammed his fist on the counter. "Get to it, Reedy Boy, chop chop!" Reed left to go and make the simple drink and the assassin turned to Daniel, both hands placed on his chin, a look of excitement on his face. His eyes twinkled with an unusual amount of mischief. "So," he said, "Wha's your name?"
The young man hesitated; his father had always told him not to talk to strangers, after all. "Name's Daniel," he heard himself saying absent-mindedly.
"I laik it!" Serj bellowed enthusiastically. "And the Gardevoir's? You did name 'er, di'n'cha?"
"No, she already had a name when I found her," Daniel responded defensively.
"Ooh! Excitin' stuff! So wha's 'er name?"
Daniel heard Libra's voice. "You can tell him." Judging the tone of her voice, Daniel quickly figured that Libra had absolutely no intention of speaking a word to the man.
"Her name is Libra."
Serj looked stunned, his eyes wide, his mouth in the shape of an "O," and his hands outstretched. "Tha's sucha cool name!"
Reed approached quietly and slowly slid Daniel's glasses to him before making a hasty retreat into the back storage room, from which he meant not to return. Daniel took the class carefully and took a sip, recoiling slightly. Gin and tonic had never been his favorite. Taking an opportune glance at Serj, Daniel felt severe discomfort. This man, easily older than he, was spinning in the bar stool like a child and occasionally pretended to vomit, giggling quietly the entire time.
Suddenly, Serj stopped. He reached into the green vest he wore and pulled out a pen and notepad. "Alrighty, then, Daniel and Libra," Serj began before becoming enamored with the clicking sound the pen made. He pressed the pen several more times with a look of juvenile bewilderment.
'That drink doesn't sound too bad now,' Daniel thought, earning a chuckle from Libra.
Through great strain, Serj refocused himself. "Unfortunately, we now 'ave to get down to business." Daniel instinctively shifted closer to Libra who uprighted into a more professional position. Her fingers twitched as she prepared herself for a potential fight.
Serj flipped to a page in his notepad and checked off something. "Got tha names...okay...now...testimony… do I really 'ave to do this?" He complained.
The Zoroark shouted something in response.
"Fine…Anyway, please give me a detailed accoun' of whatcha saw."
Daniel inhaled deliberately. He was unsure what to make of the situation but figured that cooperating probably gave him the best chance of surviving. "I saw you come into the bar," he began before taking another sip of his drink. Serj appeared to be writing down what he was saying. "You said, 'Hello,' to us and then you shot off your gun. Everyone ran except for me and Libra. Libra tried to fight but your Zoroark managed to get her off of her feet and I dragged her back down behind the table with me." Serj nodded for him to continue. "Then I…" A lump was forming in Daniel's throat and he reached for the glass, but retracted his hand at the last moment. "We saw you kill that woman."
Libra quickly chimed in. "We also heard you two talking about the Elite Four members being killed." Daniel said nothing but Serj continued to write. "You'll have to tell him that part," Libra commented, "He can't hear me."
'Why not?' Daniel asked through thought.
"Because I don't want that psycho connected to me."
Though not positive of the meaning of that statement, Daniel reiterated what Libra had told him.
Serj made a few final marks on the page and then looked up apologetically. "I'm sorry, but couldya repeat all o' that?" He flipped his notepad over. "I got bored so I drew a Buneary. Look!" He shoved the poorly done rendition of the pokémon in Daniel's face and pretended to make it hop. "Boinga boinga boinga!"
Daniel and Libra looked on incredulously. "Can I blast this guy? Please?" Libra begged, but a quick glance over to Ray persuaded her that such an attempt was not an optimal decision. He looked powerful and well-trained with muscles not usual to Zoroark being prominent.
'Look,' Daniel thought, 'Let's just play this cool and when you get a chance, teleport us out of here.'
"I can't," Libra retorted. "With that Zoroark here, I can probably only teleport myself, and that would be a stretch."
Twisting his face, Daniel tapped his boot against the ground nervously. The air was thick and heavy, sweat lined the young man's brow while he could feel Libra's breath being blown onto his neck. She was just as anxious as he. Daniel could practically feel the frantic rhythm of her heart in time with his.
"Oh, right, you people are here!" Serj shouted, surprising Daniel and Libra. "I gotta do somethin' witcha." His eyes grew narrow and his hand moved to where his gun was holstered. "You've seen things you were not s'posed ta see… and now I gotta do somethin' about it…" Serj lifted the gun from its resting place and slowly ran his free hand over the shiny metal body. The glint in his eyes never faded while his smile only widened as his finger creeped towards the trigger. He was not directly aiming at Daniel, but if he had pulled the trigger, he would most likely hit him. "And I think you know what I 'ave ta do…" A grotesque laugh escaped from Serj's throat.
"Look," Daniel blubbered. Libra had attached herself to his back and he could feel her chest-spike pressing into him painfully. "We won't say anything! No one will know about this, we swear on Arceus, on my grandfather's grave! Please, just let us live, it was just an accident. We won't tell the police!" The words came out far too quickly and Daniel could feel the beginnings of tears entering his eyes. He was so afraid.
"Sorry, mate," Serj responded casually, pressing the gun up to Daniel's forehead. "But business is business."
Libra tried to move to act, but the Zoroark was suddenly upon the trio, his claws extended threateningly, hair on edge. However, he was not threatening Daniel or Libra, but rather, Serj. A low growl emitted from his throat and he said something that sounded vile.
Out of nowhere, a hearty laugh filled the entire establishment. Serj was in hysterics. He rested the gun on the table and then laid his head down next to it, tears of joy streaming from his eyes. His arms cradled his stomach. The man would occasionally flinch from the pain in his abdomen. Finally composing himself, Serj righted himself. "I got you all!" he trilled, an occasional chortle coming through.
Ray looked furious. He began to spit and growl and shout at Serj while Daniel looked on, confused.
'What's he saying?' he asked Libra.
"I…I don't feel comfortable translating that…" Libra responded, still gripping onto Daniel's shoulder.
'Now I really want to know.'
Libra shook her head and projected, "So far the nicest thing he has said is for Serj to be...um…"taken" by a Wailord."
Daniel thought for a moment before the revelation of what that meant hit him. His face flushed and he quickly pulled his hat lower on his head.
"I warned you," Libra teased.
After several minutes of Ray's incoherent vulgarities, Serj finally managed to speak. "Oh, man, that wa' a good 'un, wasn'it?" He nudged Daniel with a sharp elbow. "Tha look on your face, ha! The begging and pleadin' and Ray tryin' ta kill me! Oh, Arceus, tha's some classic stuff!" Serj was horribly amused with himself and completely oblivious to the dirty glares being given to him by the three others in the room.
Ray turned to Daniel and Libra and motioned for Libra to listen to him. The two conversed for a while before Ray reached inside of his mane and removed a wallet. Taking out several dollars, he put them on the counter for Reed before scouring his mane for a few more items. One of which was a small bottle corked tightly; the other was a cloth. Holding both items at arm's length away from his body, Ray uncorked the bottle and pressed the cloth over its top. He upended it onto the cloth. When he finished, he re-corked the bottle and put it in his mane. Finally, he placed the cloth up to Serj's nose and with a loud "thud" Serj's head hit the counter, unconscious and with a wacky smile on his face. Ray placed the cloth in his mane and then hefted the lithe man over his shoulder. Pointing to the front door, he calmly walked outside, though Daniel could see his outline through the stained glass.
Several moments of uncertain silence passed. Daniel's heart palpitated quickly as he pointlessly attempted to calm himself. He stood up and stretched his back, standing on toes as he did so. The tense atmosphere had caused his body to stiffen.
"Ugh," he groaned audibly. "What the hell just happened?" He locked eyes with Libra who looked vaguely forlorn.
"I don't know," she responded, her voice distant. "But the Zoroark, who prefers to be called by his full name 'Raymond," by the way, said that we basically have to go with them two for a while…"
"What?! Why?"
"He didn't say exactly. All he said was that they're with the police and since we saw everything we have to be accompanied so that he can be sure we're trustworthy enough to let live," Libra explained.
"And if we don't prove ourselves?"
"I think we both know the answer to that."
An eerie quietness fell upon the duo. Daniel palmed Alice's ball as he questioned what he should do. He had planned to go back to Hearthome and finish up some of his classes and then be interned, but who knew what this insane man could have planned? Should they make a run for it? No… Raymond obviously trusted them enough to leave them alone for a time, but he probably would be prepared for them if they tried to sneak out the back, if there was a back. Daniel paced across the messy scene, careful to come nowhere close to the dead body. They really had no choice. They had to go with Serj and Raymond. Maybe after a month or two, they would let them go and Daniel would be able to go back to the way things were. Then again...what would he tell Darla? There was no way that he could tell her that he was intending to go to a mystery place with some random murderers who claimed to be part of the police force, it was far too implausible.
A rapping on the door broke Daniel out of his thoughts. Raymond growled something impatiently.
"He wants us to come out, Daniel," Libra translated quietly.
"What do you think we should do?" Daniel asked.
"Me?" Libra seemed surprised. "I guess we should go with them, not like we have much choice."
"I really did not want to hear you say that."
Libra shrugged and floated elegantly from her seat. "Let's just get going. Maybe this will be fun."
Daniel gave a slight chuckle. "Hey, maybe you're right."
"I usually am," Libra responded with false smugness.
"Or," Daniel countered, "We could end up being tossed in Mt. Coronet as it explodes."
"That sounds pretty fun to me!"
"If we make out of this alive, you are not allowed to pick where we go for a vacation."
The laughter seemed to cut through the room with a blade of jubilance. The two exited the establishment. Raymond awaited them with Serj still unconscious at his feet and Pasha standing next to him smoking a cigarette. He nodded assuringly as Daniel as Raymond lifted Serj back up.
########
The trek to the hotel was uncomfortable, to say the least. The heavy, judgemental gaze of bystanders could be felt by the entire party. It was not every day that a man with a Gardevoir and Zoroark came out of a bar with an unconscious person draped over the shoulder. Raymond did not appear to pay any attention to the gawks; Daniel and Libra were well aware of all that transpired around them. The whispers and murmurs that followed them along with the turned shoulders were somewhat overwhelming.
Finally, however, they reached the hotel. It was not a large chain hotel, but rather a locally run inn that was nestled on the town border. Tall and stoic, there were noticeably few people milling about in the lobby which was decorated with traditional Victorian stylings. Leading the way, Raymond pressed a button on the elevator and the doors instantly opened. Once inside he pressed the button for the 13th floor. As the elevator began to move, he dropped Serj onto the floor and rolled his shoulder. When the elevator came to a stop he hoisted Serj to his opposite shoulder and walked down the snake-like hallway.
After what seemed like an abnormally long, unnervingly silent walk, the group arrived at an unassuming door. The Zoroark reached into his mane and pulled out the electronic key, sliding it into the door and shoving it open. The room was clean and well-kept. Two queen sized beds dominated the majority of the floor-space while a dresser with a dated television on top was pushed to the wall, maneuvered for optimal viewing. On the far end of the room was a small kitchen area that led to a hallway with a bathroom and entrance to a second room that held a single-person bed.
Raymond went into this room and the groan of springs followed his dumping of Serj's body onto the bed. Returning to the confused duo of Daniel and Libra, he spoke. "Zor zoro zoroark." That was all Daniel heard but Libra nodded that she understood.
Without another word, Raymond made his way to the dresser and pulled out another key card then left the room altogether.
Unsure of what to do, Daniel simply sat down on the end of the closer bed and stared off into space. After a time he asked Libra, "What did Raymond say?"
Libra, who had moved to a window overlooking the city turned to Daniel. "He said that we're free to order room service and that the food here is pretty good." She looked towards the blue carpet, absentmindedly playing with her hair. "He also said that we aren't to leave until we discuss what's going to happen."
Daniel fell back onto the bed and stared idly at the chipping paint of the ceiling, arms crossed over his torso. "Did he say where he was going?" Libra shook her head. "Fantastic…" Daniel spat.
Deciding to liven up the room a little, Daniel released Alice. She sniffed around curiously for a bit before attempting to hop up on the bed with Daniel. She failed and managed to tear part of the comforter with her claws. Arising sheepishly to the sounds of laughter from Daniel and Libra, she leapt again and this time managed to get up onto the bed. She walked around a little, enjoying the plush feeling of the blanket and then began to bounce up and down excitedly, tongue flailing out of her mouth, sending drool everywhere.
"Hey now," Daniel admonished, reaching over and grabbing Alice. He placed her in his lap. "Don't you think you've messed up this room enough?"
Libra giggled as Alice responded by licking Daniel's face with her long, slobbery tongue, leaving him drenched in Houndour saliva. Walking over, Libra moved to sit down next to Daniel but Alice suddenly bared her teeth and growled aggressively at her. It was menacing, originating deep in her throat causing Libra to quickly back away. "Quiet, Pup," she snapped, her eyes glowing for a brief moment.
Pulling her scruff, Daniel intervened. "None of that, Alice, she's a friend." Alice continued to growl, ears pulled back. "What's with you?"
"Keep that up and I'll send you flying," Libra threatened as her eyes narrowed to match Alice's.
Alice barked and attempted to lunge at Libra but Daniel held her back. "Stop it, right now!" Daniel commanded, his voice rising. Alice quickly dropped her defensive posture and conceded to simply glare at Libra. The Gardevoir gave a smug look before being met with Daniel's gaze. "Both of you."
Libra's face contorted in annoyance, but she complied. "Fine." After a moment of silence, Libra suggested, "Maybe the pup's just hungry. Why don't you just order us some food?"
Alice's ears perked up and her entire countenance changed to one of glee at the mention of food; her tail slapped Daniel's arm and she yipped.
Sighing in relief, Daniel grabbed the phone, ordering a couple cans of Pokémon food for Alice and Libra while ordering simple burgers and fries for himself.
Within the hour, the food had arrived and the trio were quietly eating while watching a movie about sharks being sucked up by a tornado and eating people. It was a true cinematic masterpiece. Daniel, was just happy that a state of detente had been reached between Libra and Alice; they had teamed up to steal as many fries away from him as they could manage. He would slap Libra's hand away only to find Alice's maw stealing away several. By the time the plate was empty, the young man had only eaten about three of the salty delicacies.
"You know asking is really more polite," Daniel stated while reaching for the remote. The movie was over and he wanted to flip channels.
"This is more fun," Libra commented, earning a grin from Alice. She winked at the young Houndour and eyed Daniel's half-eaten burger.
"Don't even think about it."
"Spoilsport," Libra said, chuckling lightly. She moved from one bed to the opposite one and sprawled out face-down, sighing contently.
After flipping channels and finding nothing but infomercials and porn channels- Daniel did not want to know why Serj opted to pay for those- he finally settled on a news station for a while. It was largely uninteresting; some Skitty had gotten caught in a tree or something, generic and boring.
Daniel wrestled on the bed carefully with Alice as she playfully nipped at his hands. Libra watched and encouraged Alice more so than Daniel. The faux fight was interrupted by the news suddenly switching to a large mob of people. The reporter in front of it looked somewhat nervous as he began his broadcast.
"Thanks Amy. Coming to you live in front of Unova's esteemed Pokémon League building, I'm Nathan Repotro and the crowd behind me is responding to a major decision by the league regarding Pokémon-Human relationships. The league has officially made it legal for pokémon and humans to be in a relationship and marry as they please so long as both sides can prove that it is consensual in front of specially trained experts."
The crowd roared in response to hearing the reporter tell the story.
"Disgusting!" shouted one.
"Hooray!" cried another.
Boos and hisses clashed with cheering and whooping as the crowd verbally warred with itself. The reporter took a few steps forward so that he would not be drowned out by the fighting.
"As you can see, we have two sides here. According to my source, the league itself was just as divided in its decision, with the ultimate vote being decided, not by the champion, but by the prominent author and ghost-type trainer, Shauntal. With this decision, Unova now joins Kalos and Orre as the three regions to allow these types of relationships. While Sinnoh and Hoenn have remained relatively neutral on this issue, we have word that a representative from the Kanto-Johto League has given his dissent on the opinion."
The camera cut to show the face of a man dressed in a brown suit. His face was stern but he spoke gently. "The league here at Indigo finds itself disappointed with the decision reached. It is its belief that pokémon and humans should not be allowed to be in any sort of intimate relationship and it will continue to defend this belief and argue for it at any future inter-region meetings."
The scene then changed back to the reporter Nathan. "As you can see there are clear divides and word is that both sides are sending representatives to Hoenn and Sinnoh in an attempt to sway them either way. No word from either of those two regions as to how this will play out. That's all we have for now but we will get back to as soon as more information is available."
A newsroom came up on the screen and the newscasters began their usual banter concerning the topic, but Daniel quickly changed the channel to an informercial.
"What's your take on all of that?" Libra asked. She was now leaning against the headboard of the bed, having managed to maneuver her back-spike into a small indent that was a part of the design carved onto the piece.
"I don't really care," Daniel replied flatly, flipping Alice over so that he could rub her belly. She panted in delight.
Libra looked perturbed. "You really don't care about this? It seems to be a big issue."
"No, it's not that I don't care about the issue," Daniel explained. "It's just not important to me what other people do, you know? Not really my business what other people want to do." Daniel reached up and switched off the light and the television, covering the room in darkness.
"Gotcha," Libra trailed off. She gazed out the window. The moon had risen in the sky. Crescent in shape, it was rather beautiful and remarkably visible considering how bright of a city Veilstone was. Its silvery glow always enraptured Libra; it was as if she could simply become part of that light, but she knew, however, that she was not pure enough to be absorbed into such a magical thing.
"You okay?" Daniel asked.
Libra turned from the moon's enchantment and smiled softly at Daniel. "Yea, just thinking." Her voice was raspy.
"About what?"
"Nothing much."
Daniel did not believe her, but said nothing. He removed his hat and put it on the ground next to the bed.
Libra followed suit, folding herself into the comfortable sheets, though her eyes remained open; she was not quite ready for sleep.
"Where's the Zoroark gonna sleep, huh?" came a quiet, but edgy voice.
Libra responded telepathically and felt minor resistance before the gates into Alice's mind were opened. 'It's almost midnight and he's not back, so he loses his bed.'
'Hmph,' Alice responded contemptuously. 'We aren't friends, just so you know.'
'Do you do anything but bark, Pup?'
'My name is Alice.'
'And I'll call you that when you aren't a little puppy anymore.'
'Look, just stay away from Daniel, he's my human, not yours," Alice threatened; the moonlight caught on one of Alice's fangs.
Libra chuckled in response. 'Listen, Pup, I don't know why you don't like me, but I'm not here to take Daniel from you.'
'Then why are you here? Why couldn't you stay in your forest?' Alice interrogated,
'My reasons are my own. And if I hadn't been there, Daniel would be dead, so just leave me alone.'
Alice went silent for a while. 'But we are still stealing food from Daniel in the morning, right?'
'Of course we are.'
########
Raymond sucked in the cool night air. Basking in the moon's glow, he rested atop the hotel at which he was staying. Though his mission was successful, he did not like the additional baggage that had come with it. 'I should have made sure that Gardevoir actually went away...rookie mistake,' he thought to himself.
He should have known that Serj would want that kind of excitement; he would find it fun. In the end, a million "should haves" played through Raymonds head, but ultimately, he decided, the mission was complete and the woman was dead for her crimes.
"Figured I'd findya up 'ere, Ray," came a voice from behind him.
Raymond growled. "I told you not to call me that, Serj."
Serj appeared next to him and looked out over the cityscape. "And I've told you to get that stick outya bum." Serj then faced Raymond directly. "By tha way...do you keep that chloroform jus' for me?"
"Mostly," Raymond responded dryly. "Why didn't you tell me to get rid of those two? I thought they were long gone."
Serj smiled and shrugged, "Didn' feel like it. Mo' fun this way!"
"Fun is not why we're doing this."
"Is not why you're doing this. Personally, I think is a grand ol' time!" Serj beat his chest comedically. "' Cause I'm a bad-ass!"
Raymond exhaled deeply. "You're hopeless."
"And you're jealous." The two friends sat and watched the city pass them. From atop the hotel they could see all that was above and all that was below them. From the insignificant ants on the ground to the great gods of the sky.
A ringtone broke the tranquil moment. While Serj started dancing to the phone, Raymond reached into the man's pocket and answered it. After a few curt words, the Zoroark hung up.
"So what'd the big man say, Ray?" Serj asked, still dancing ridiculously.
Raymond grunted. "He wants us to begin testing on those two-
"Three," Serj interrupted.
"What?"
"There's three of 'em. Daniel, Libra, and a 'oundour."
"Regardless, he wants us to begin testing them. He saw the little fiasco on the security cameras from the clean-up team and he thinks that they may be useful."
"Well alrighty, then, Ray, looks like we got a job to do!" Serj boasted.
Shaking his head, Raymond relayed the details of the mission to Serj. "It's actually going to work out to our advantage."
"'ow's that?"
"We need to go to Hearthome, and, coincidentally, he's taking some classes there, so it should be easy travelling with him if we can convince him that we have separate business."
"Maybe we can test 'is intelligence at the University while we're off doin' our thang," Serj suggested.
"As good as an idea that is, surprisingly, there is a problem." Raymond looked out in the direction of the University. "We're being sent to retrieve the president of the University."
A/N: Hello everyone. I figured that I might start adding these at the ends of chapters so I can make any announcements that you guys might not find on my profile. Firstly, sorry for the long chapter wait, been busy with family and work. Despite that, I like this chapter, and I hope you do, too. Reviews and feedback are always welcome!
Secondly, on my profile you will see a list of current and upcoming works. These will have various labels by them that mean different things. The definitions of those labels will be directly above the list, so make sure to check that out if you're unsure of the current state of a potentially interesting fic.