Army of Me
Author's note: Hello, and welcome to the fifth chapter of Army of Me. Song: Lights, by Ellie Goulding. I'd like to thank my friend Wolfgrowl for giving me the idea for this chapter; it was a lot of fun to write! (and hey look, plot) 3 Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated. I still own nothing, aside from the story, but I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 5: Lights
They were getting close to Treasure Town, and the first thing Wave saw was the circus tents. Towering above the everyday tents, the red-and-white canvas stood tall and proud, beckoning to the Pokemon milling around it.
"Hey guys! Look!" Wave said, nostalgia washing over him. "The circus is in town."
"I haven't been there in years," Slade sighed. "Not since I joined the team."
"You don't know what you're missing, man. I'm lucky I have sibs," Wave said. "The cotton candy's pretty good, you know."
"Don't you think you're a bit old to be going to the circus?" Zephyr sniffed.
Slade smirked. "Oh, no, you're just too much of a stud muffin for things like that!"
"You're one to talk!" Zephyr countered.
Wave noticed that Artemis was very quiet and lumbered to her side. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Artemis said calmly. "I've just never been to a circus, that's all."
They stared at her.
"Dude!" Zephyr squawked, momentarily forgetting he was supposed to be too old for circuses. "How could you NOT go to the circus! Circuses are awesome!"
"I just haven't, that's all!" Artemis muttered, starting to feel defensive.
"We'll have to remedy this," Wave said.
xxx
Wave and Zephyr swiftly brought Slade over to their side, and after that there was no stopping them. Artemis was nearly dragged to the circus, but she caved in the end, snapping, "Fine! I'll go, I'll go, but on my own four feet, thanks very much!"
On the way there, the three males, even Slade, babbled incessantly about what she was missing, and how cool it was, and whether the food was worthwhile or not, until she eventually tuned them out, determined not to show any enthusiasm out of sheer stubbornness.
But when they got there... Oh. All the colors, and the lights and sounds and smells... There were Pokemon everywhere, some in bright costumes, some selling delicious, grease-laden treats, some old, some young... Artemis was almost overcome by the sensory overload. She had never seen - no, experienced - anything like this before.
"It's... beautiful," she mumbled, losing all hope of not being impressed.
Team Lance grinned at each other. "Of course it is!"
XXX
They all got cotton candy, then wandered around sightseeing before the show started. Wave and Zephyr guffawed over the House of Mirrors, Slade had to be wrenched away from a stall selling books and fliers, and Artemis wrinkled her nose at the ridiculous toys and accessories at a different booth.
"Our friend the demon looks a bit shell-shocked," Wave whispered to Zephyr and Slade, indicating the wide-eyed Absol.
"I've an idea," Zephyr said perkily. He pointed at a burly Machamp in orange get-up, who was efficiently knocking the stuffing out of some poor Pokemon..
"Oh, Arceus!" Wave yelped, moving forward to try and stop him, but Zephyr held him back.
"No, moron, look at the sign!"
Wave directed his gaze to the sign next to the battlers. "'Win a fight, get in for free,'" He read. "Hey, perfect! The circus'll start in maybe 20 minutes, so..."
"I nominate Artemis," Slade said. "She could beat him with a paw tied behind her back."
"Hah?" Artemis said eloquently.
xxx
Artemis found herself in the ring with the Machamp, gearing up for a fight. She didn't mind the chance to clear her mind and loosen her limbs, but she wished there wasn't a crowd. She could hear them muttering, hear them wondering who would win - "She's in for a beating - that Machamp is a beast." "Oh, I dunno, she looks pretty tough - just get an eye-full of that scar!" "Yeah, but that means she only has one eye; there's no way she can win."
Artemis frowned, trying to clear her head of their distracting chatter.
"Ready?" The proctor yelled. Their muscles tensed.
"Begin!"
Artemis flashed forward, cutting a thin gash in the Machamps thigh, and slid out of range of his massive fists. She was still working out how best to proceed; she would have to take care not to hurt him too badly while simultaneously trying to prevent him from hurting her.
"You're not bad," the Machamp said, cheeks creased with an easy smile. Artemis nodded politely, wondering if he was trying to distract her.
Then the Machamp ran forward and the fight began in earnest. He was a lot faster than he looked, and they swept across the ring in a whirl of fists and claws. The Machamp obviously wanted a quick, easy, one-hit-knockout win, but Artemis wouldn't give it to him. His four arms flew at her from all sides, aiming especially for her blind spot, but her horn picked up the attacks just in time for her to dodge. Sometimes his knuckles actually grazed her, keeping her on the defensive. However, Artemis had tricks of her own. Hard-pressed as she was, she couldn't use the shadows to fade away and escape, but she used her white fur to reflect the sun into his eyes, giving her a few seconds' respite. Sensing an opportunity, she darted in, her horn slicing into his side, and ...
And his fist came out of nowhere. If Artemis hadn't had years of using blizzards and avalanches to train, their fight would have ended right then and there. But his movement displaced the air near her horn and her stellar reflexes drove her forward, hoping Detect would kick in on time... It did, barely - his hand bounced off an invisible barrier inches from her scarred eye. Unfortunately, as she lunged forward, a different hand caught her leg and wrenched her into the air, and without thinking, Artemis used her tail to cut deep into his hand before he could punch her into oblivion. He reflexively let go and she fell and scrambled away, leg bruised.
He didn't banter now. They circled warily; Artemis, trying not to limp, watched the blood flowing from his wounds, her mouth gaping in a half-grin, half-snarl. She used Double Team, after-images flashing around him; he swept through them all. He steamrollered towards Artemis; she sent an Ice Beam at his face. He punched through it; she dodged neatly around him. They were evenly matched. The crowd shouted, but to Artemis, it registered only as background noise. Nothing but the fight mattered anymore.
If I were in the mountains, this would be easier, she thought, and then the idea came to her. She sent a wave of ice at the ground, making the ring into a skating rink. The Machamp slithered, unsure of his footing, but Artemis knew ice and used it to her advantage, shooting around him, using the slippery surface to increase her speed, cutting into him, looking for an opportunity, for him to falter so she could finish him off -
The Machamp realized what she was doing and punched into the ice, sending fragments flying everywhere. Artemis used Detect to protect from the worst of the shrapnel, but then he was there and she couldn't send up the barrier in time, and he was too close, too close on her right and he punched... Artemis tilted back, went with the blow to avoid the worst of the damage, but she still skidded back, head throbbing, and
-blood-
dug in her claws to avoid falling over. He was running at her, but she wasn't holding back anymore, she wasn't going to take it easy, she
-everywhere blood-
dove, evading hands and feet and orange get-up and came up on the other side. And then she had leapt onto his back and her bladed horn was against his throat.
-just like - just like -
A hush fell over the crowd. The Absol had won.
XXX
The Machamp was very kind, telling Artemis that that was the best fight he'd had in ages - "It was an honor to be beaten by such a lovely lady" - giving her an Oran berry to speed the healing process, and letting the whole team in for free. They were in a good mood, patting her on the back and whooping - Wave even gave her some of his precious cotton candy. Slade was impressed, he had to admit. Artemis had beaten a Pokemon twice her age, who was stronger, more experienced, sporting a type advantage, and she had made getting punched in the face by a Machamp seem like nothing. He had thought he'd seen her best when she destroyed them in the Frosty Forest, but this fight - her intensity, her gaping grin, her feverish, focused gaze after getting punched in the face -
"Truly amazing!" He told her as they made their way to their seats, and a small smile crossed her face.
xxx
Everyone... Everyone is being so nice to you. Don't think about the b- the blood. C'mon, cheer up! The circus is starting...
xxx
Despite the high praise, it took the team, Artemis included, a few minutes to warm up to the circus. They were grown up. These silly jokes and costumes were beneath them. But then the magic of the lights and colors and music sunk in. Dragonairs dancing in silvery blue light, water blossoming around them... An Infernape expertly juggling fiery knives and throwing them at clowns that humorously managed to avoid them... Tight-rope walkers, flying trapeze, flashy mock-battles - one act after another, and the whole audience was entranced.
Occasionally, Team Lance snuck peeks at Artemis, wondering if she was enjoying it, what she was thinking. Slade didn't know what exactly he was expecting when he glanced at her - maybe her usual impassive expression. Instead he was astonished to find a wondering, soft-eyed Artemis, as enchanted and innocent as a child.
XXX
After the show ended, they were headed for the exit when the Machamp called them over in a booming voice.
"Here's the winsome warrior! You three as well - I'd like you to meet my son, he's about your age."
One of his broad hands rested on the knife-throwers shoulders. Up close, they could see the Infernape was covered with thin scars. Still in performance garb, he smiled. "So this is the challenger who defeated you. She's as beautiful as you said." With a bow and a wink, he asked, "What's your name, fair maiden?"
"Artemis," she said, bemused, as Team Lance exchanged huge grins.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Artemis. You've left a favorable impression on my dad. How did you like the show?"
"It was beautiful," Artemis said truthfully. "I've never seen anything like it before."
The Machamp and the Infernape beamed at each other.
"Do you battle before the circus too?" Zephyr asked the Infernape curiously.
"Nah... Were you wondering how I got these?" He indicated the latticework of scars along his arms and cheek.
"Er, well, sort of." Zephyr had the grace to blush. "Have I put my foot in it?"
"No, I don't mind. I'm used to it. My scars look impressive, but really it's kind of silly... We're a traveling circus, y'know?" They nodded. "Right, so I was just a wee Chimchar then, and I was out in a bramble patch collecting berries. It was late and there was a storm approaching." He lowered his voice dramatically. "I was rushing, hoping to get all the berries before it rained, and BAM!" (they jumped) "There was this huge crash of thunder and I ran into a tangle of thorns. I got all these scars trying to pull myself out."
"Ooh," Wave said sympathetically.
"Yeah, I know." The Infernape winced, but the smile soon returned. "But I've grown out of my fear of thunder. And you have to admit, these scars come in handy for my "dangerous knife-thrower" routine."
The Machamp was called away to start packing things away, but his son stayed to flirt with the mysterious Absol.
"I think our scars give us personality," He told Artemis with a charming smile. "Take yours, for example: it makes you even more beautiful, because it shows how strong you are. Don't let anyone insult that."
Artemis blinked. "I wasn't planning to, "she murmured, gaze hardening.
Regardless, he continued, "How did you get yours, by the way? Rescuing some innocent Pokemon? Or was it fighting a dangerous criminal?"
The Absol froze.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled across the sky.
Team Lance had wandered ahead but they turned around now, looking curiously at Artemis.
One slash was all it took - the artery severed - a fountain of blood -
Her good eye dilated and contracted and flickered from side to side.
She could see the life draining out of the other Absol's eyes, draining away with all that blood -
Her mouth opened. They were waiting.
Pain and blood and thunder and - oh Arceus I can't see it hurts it hurts and blood is in my eyes and mouth and claws justmakeitstop -
"Something like that," Artemis said calmly. The mask of her face was utterly smooth and emotionless, but she could feel her control breaking. Her mouth opened and ejected some sort of excuse, and Artemis slipped from the tent.
