Hope you like this chapter! Things are getting heavy now XD

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Shout out to my lovely x Desert Rose x and Dr John Madblender for your support!

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Ethan guided the reluctant Lyra to the Pokemon Centre, all the while having the cool nose of his gun nestled softly in her side. Though the longer she had the threat of death, the longer she had to come to tolerate it. Or at least, in her case, come to terms with it. Learning not to fear it. Accepting the worst.

The overall shock had lifted somewhat, and she was able to bring strength to her legs and walk normally. Her façade was no longer a torrent of mixed emotions, now just a solid feature with a calculative look as she tried her best to divide a plan to release her self from danger.

"Right." Ethan said, breaking the deathly silence which circled between them since they left the tower. His voice snapped her out of her mind frame, and she decided to reply to him rather than keep quiet.

"What, Ethan?" she replied briskly, but with a compliant edge lingering in her voice.

"I'm going to take the gun away from you now. Buy only on the condition that you keep your mouth shut and follow my lead." His words were sharp, but she could sense his desire to keep her alive. "but just to guarantee you wont say anything, or try to signal that there is something wrong." He continued, pausing so she understood. "I can assure you that I will take this gun to whomever I please within the centre."

Her eyes widened as she slowly realised that she was now responsible for more than her own life.

Ethan pushed his lips close to her ear, whispering his next words menacingly. "You don't realise how much is at stake for me. If any of this got out I would be hunted like a dog, and if I'm going... Well, quite frankly I don't care who I'm taking with me. Do you understand?"

"Yes." She said rather feebly, but inside her confidence was mounting, and her fear was just a front. Her determination to get out of this was rising after each moment, and each threat which passed over his lips.

Ethan quickly pulled the gun away from her side before reaching around and placing it between the small of his back and his trousers to keep it secure, yet close to hand.

"You stay close, ok?" He said, a spark of his old character pulling through the grime.

Lyra did not reply as the Pokecentre doors swished open. Her face contorted in concern as she watched children playing in the far end of the building, their innocent faces alight. Feeling as though she was condemning them by just being close.

They approached the desk and Ethan explained what had happened in a rather controlled panic, playing himself out to be the innocent victim rather than the vindictive perpetrator. His performance was immaculate, and it made her realise just how good he was at this – causing her to bitterly wonder how many lies he had spun before, and if anything she actually knew about him was true. He prompted her to hand in her Pokemon to the nurse, which she did without a second thought. Every face in the centre was a potential victim for Ethan, and she couldn't bare to look anyone in the eyes, let alone say anything to them.

After handing in her Pokemon, the nurse took them both into the back room to tidy up their wounds. Lyra bit her tongue in pure irritation as the nurse praised him for being so courageous. For 'standing up to a known criminal, and putting your life on the line for her' words made her stick to her stomach. As the nurse was tackling the tricky task of stitching up Ethan's wound, Lyra started to think about Silver. Wondering if he had regained consciousness yet, finding himself in a cell with no-one else around. Cursing her for not sticking up for him, for disappearing and turning her back on him. How could he know what situation she was in? For all he knew she had forsook him. And that is what hurt more than anything, it was the only thing trying her patience – she felt like she had something to prove to him, she needed to return the favour.

After they were both patched up, Ethan brought her upstairs and they entered the same room as the night before. Thankfully the housekeeping staff had cleaned the place up, especially separating the beds again. The room bore no resemblance to 'their' night, and it filled her with relief.

One they had passed the threshold Ethan roughly gripped her arm after closing the door, forcing her onto the nearest bed. It was a far cry from how they had entered the room just the day before, but she would prefer this now to any friendly banter with the twisted man.

She watched him with nervous, wet eyes as he placed his rucksack down before closing the balcony doors. Her fingers fumbling with the duvet. She was actually quite impressed with how pathetic she could make herself look.

"E-Ethan..." She mumbled.

But he did not reply. She turned her head to see him from the corner of her eye, watching him gaze out of the windowed doors for a few moments. He then turned back, and she quickly turned away, her mind buzzing with scenarios.

"Damnit, Lyra." He spoke with hurt. Pacing over to her. She sat quietly for a moment before he leant against a wall in her line of sight, just a few feet away. He crossed his arms and eyed her carefully. The tension was uncomfortable and very unsettling.

"Why don't you just give up. Tell me where or what this evidence is that you have against me, I don't want to kill you, believe me I don't! But... well, sometimes you can be far too stubborn."

She sat in silence, trying to collect her thoughts. She had to think of something quickly before she wouldn't be thinking at all.

"Let me just put this in the simplest way possible. It makes sense! You tell me what I want to know, then I'll let you go without so much as a scratch – well, another one. But on the other hand I could just kill you and your new 'friend' – secrets are always safer with the dead, Lyra." His voice was impatient, he knew that he didn't have long before Silver would be ranting and raving about it all. Any doubt from the officers and they would drag him in for questioning, which was the last thing he desired.

"He... He's not my friend!" She blurted, her voice wavering between words as if she were going to burst into tears at any given moment. "He told me to threaten you with evidence, hoping that you would change your statement or hand yourself in..." She looked to Ethan, hoping that he would believe her lies though tender eyes.

"Oh please, spare me from this shit!"

"It's true!" She pleaded, collecting the plan together in her mind.

"He f-followed me into Dark Cave... threatened me! Told me that if I didn't do exactly as he said he would hurt my mother."

Ethan fell silent for a moment. It made sense that Silver would know where she lived as he would have seen her coming out of her house whilst outside the lab. He slanted his eyes, thinking through the details as Lyra continued to speak.

"He – he told me to tell you we had evidence against you, it was to intimidate you Ethan! To take the heat off him!"

"How can you expect me to believe this, Lyra..." he trailed, getting frustrated.

"I was going to tell you... Tell you that we could both change our statements to the Police – tell them they were looking for the wrong guy... That way you wouldn't need to give yourself up!" Lyra's voice began to crack up. Even though she was spilling lies, she actually felt distraught – the tears which were now falling were real. Strangely as if she wished her story was true.

"But then you -" She pulled her hand up to her face, weeping dramatically. She sniffled over and over, catching her breath "You pinned me - me against the wall – and I – I dont know – I froze up. I had never expected t-that of you, Ethan!"

Ethan's eyes had widened lightly and a wave of guilt bloomed in his mind, he felt sick to this stomach, yet his solid appearance gave no mercy. He wanted to comfort her, just last night he loved her. But his body didn't budge, as if his mind was purposely caged in an unfeeling outer shell.

"I was close to telling you the truth! That's when his Zubat..." She had a stroke of genius, as if she were born to twist words and scenarios. "... His Zubat was meant to attack me, not you."

"What?" Ethan replied in a gentle tone, obviously beginning to believe her.

"He-he told me that If I wavered, if It looked like I was about to tell you about his plan, he would take me out. That's why he used me, he knew we were close, he obviously didn't expect you to react like that!"

"Then why did he save you?"

"He didn't come to save me!" Lyra almost raged "He came to save his own ass! To deliver the threat himself before I could tell you the truth! Ethan, there is no evidence!"

"Why didn't you say anything sooner!" He shouted, holding his head frustration, as if cursing himself for being so reckless.

"You had a gun to my back! I feared for my life!"

"Lyra..." He felt the earth collapse below his feet.

"I could have lived with that... you know... the fact you were a criminal. It meant nothing to me because..." She despised herself for what she was about to say, but knew that he had always been a fool for her.

"I..." She stopped herself. Was she taking this too far? Was she really about to tell him that she loved him? Would it only make him more angry to know he had lost it?

Before she could finish her sentence Ethan had his arms around her, holding her so gently. She wrapped her arms around him, pushing her head into the crook of his neck affectionately.

"I'm sorry, Lyra, I had no idea that... Can you forgive me?" She could feel his hands shaking lightly as they held held her, the right hand gripping lightly at her clothing.

Lyra did not want to spend any longer in his embrace, deciding that now was the time to put plans into motion. Without a hint of warning she shot her feet up, slamming him in the chin and throat with her head before swinging a metal vase into the back of his skull which she managed to reach from behind him. The glass shattered against his skull, knocking him out almost instantly. She pushed him backwards onto the floor before his weight could collapse onto her.

And for an unbelievable moment she stood there, in awe of herself, looking down at him with amazement. Had she actually done this? How the fuck did it come to this, Ethan? She reflected in pity before crouching down beside him and pulling the gun out from beneath him, quite relived that It hadn't gone off from the impact. The last thing she wanted was attention.

She pulled out her dress, shoving a sock in his mouth then ripping a length of fabric to tie it in. She then ripped the remainder of the dress in half before binding his arms to the leg of the bed behind him. Satisfied that it would keep him contained long enough, she grabbed anything usable out of his backpack and transferred it to hers. She then walked to the door without turning back to give him a last glance. It seemed stage one of her plan was complete, if you could even call it a plan to begin with.

Lyra quickly collected her Pokemon from the front desk before hastily exiting the centre. Luckily the centre was quite loud due to the amount of people busily getting on with their day to day lives, so none of the attendants heard the crash from upstairs. She walked through the town in a determined daze. It felt like none of this was real. Had Ethan actually pulled the trigger? Was she acting this out in her last earthly moments like a powerful dream? No. She had underestimated herself. She was stronger than she knew, and it was about time she took control of her life – even if it was for the worst.

"I've come to make my statement." she announced when she arrived at the front desk. The Police station was quite small, and it was obviously just a holding facility for criminals. Generally until they are proven innocent, or transferred over to one of the larger complexes.

"Ah yes! I remember you from the tower, miss..?" The police officer replied, ready to type her name into the database.

"I'd prefer to do this anonymously if that's ok..." she trailed off slightly, looking upset "I've... just been through so much, I-I just want to get through this and on with my life." She replied innocently, as if pleading with the officer who had noticed the bruising upon her neck, and the butterfly stitches upon her cheek.

"Of course, but please contact us if you feel you have missed anything out of your statement afterwards."

"That's no problem, officer."

He nodded, giving her a sympathetic smile before pressing a red button on the Telecom "Trent? Can you come to the front desk and escort a witness to one of the back rooms?"

"Sure, I'll be down in a second."

"Thanks."

He released the button then looked back to Lyra. "Trent will be your escort, then one of our senior officers will join you soon to take the statement."

"That's fine." She replied, figuring it all out in her mind. What exactly was she doing here again? Was she really going to report Ethan? Would they even believe her? All sorts of thoughts were dashing to and fro in her bewildered and drained mind.

"Miss?" Trent called, poking his head out from the corridor. "This way please."

Lyra nodded and followed the junior officer down the unusually clinical hallway. They were passing some cells with small but thickly glassed windows, and she couldn't help but search for Silver, rising up on her toes as they walked passed to catch a glance.

"Don't worry, miss, he's being held in the far cell." The officer said above the taps of their feet on the smooth tiles, his eyes falling over a cell at the far end of the corridor. Lyra followed his eyes, wondering what was going through Silver's head right now. She didn't realise that the junior officer had stopped abruptly, almost walking into him. He took out a card key, swiping it to unlock a door before holding it open for Lyra.

"Just sit yourself down in here, one of our senior officers dealing with this care will be with you quite soon. There is some paper work we need to to sign before we can start your statement." He went to close the door, leaving Lyra alone in the room. "If you need anything, just ask Dan at the front desk, ok?"

"I will, Thanks." When the door closed she let out an exasperated breath, leaning her back against the wall before looking out into the small room. The room was almost all white, the only furniture being a wooden desk, and a chair at either side. She trailed her fingers over the smooth fabric of a chair before almost falling onto it, leaning her head on the table over her arms. She groaned softly. Why in the world was she here? She had just assaulted Ethan before bound and gagging him to the leg of a bed. Was she insane? What if Ethan woke up or someone found him and reported her? No doubt that he would be out for blood... Fuck, she even had his gun.

Oh fuck, she had his gun.

Lyra stood up defiantly, her fists clenched. "Fuck this." She whispered, feeling reason escaping from her mind.

Without a moments hesitation she unclipped three Pokeballs one at a time, unleashing them into the small room. They all watched her implicitly, waiting on her commands. Haku looked the most impatient, but they must have all heard what had happened from inside their Pokeballs from when they were in her possession.

Mareep was stood quite close to her. Ekans was on the further side of the small room, watching her with a ready look. He looked quite intimidating, almost as tall as her.

She looked to Haku who was stood on the desk, running her fingers through his short but soft fur.

"Lets go save Silver." She said almost as a whisper, the determination in her eyes incomparable to anything they had ever witnessed. Haku nodded, gorwling gently in confirmation. Without speaking another word Lyra opened the door to the corridor. The tension of what she was about to do was infecting her with every breath. But there was no turning back now.

She took a few steps down before swallowing hard, pulling her hand out to gesture at the door at the far end of the corridor.

"Haku, Mareep!" she shouted, "Combine your Thundershock and Ember towards that wall, NOW!"

The two Pokemon burst onto the scene, running at full pelt as they synchronised their attack. Haku's flames burst from his back like a flamethrower, and Mareep sent out a huge electrical wave around it. The spectacular array burned the sides of the walls, shorting out the lights above before slamming into the end of the corridor. The noise from the impact roared out, and smoke filled the room. Her vision was only compromised for a few seconds until red alarm lights filled the corridor with flashing crimson hues, blasting a high pitched siren throughout the complex.

The flashing red lights guided her through the corridor, whilst the shrill wail of the sirens beckoned fear into her. She ran as fast as she could, almost tripping on debris along the way. The black smoke from the fire forcing her to cover her mouth through coughs.

"Silver!" She shouted as she pushed the de-hinged door, the slab of wood and metal falling with a clattering thud.

Silver had managed to shield himself from the blast in the corner of his cell, his arms making an X shape as she sheltered his face from the falling debris. He heard the sirens rise and fall, watching as his cell became drenched in flashes of red. His mind was buzzing with questions yet it all fell onto one concern as he head a familiar voice call out to him.

"Lyra?!" He called in reply, watching as the battered door crashed to the tiled floor as he neared it.

Lyra backed away from the door as the freed red head stepped out in a bit of a daze, but he quickly snapped back to reality. They both looked at each other with panicked eyes, knowing that now was not the time for small talk.

They started to run back down towards the exit, but soon it was manned with at least four combat-ready security guards, blocking the only means of escape.

"Ekans!" She shouted loudly as the Pokemon slithered ahead of her, already hell bent on protecting his master. The long serpentine Pokemon struck one of the guards head first, wrapping the man's body in a powerful bind. The officer screamed in pain as his body was beginning to give way under the pressure, bones starting to splinter and break.

"Mareep! Thundershock!" Lyra shouted as the sheep-like Pokemon roared into action, a massive shock of lightning crackled towards two of the guards in a large, blinding flash, knocking them unconscious. Lyra managed to shield her eyes from the light, just in time to see Silver taking a left and running up a set of stairs. He remembered them taking his Pokemon up there when he arrived, and so furiously pelted up the steps, determined to aid their escape.

Lyra stopped, wondering where he was going, but through the confusion and noise she decided to keep her focus on the task at hand. She ran further along before stopping at a sight which bore horror to her mind.

The remaining security guard had his gun aimed at Ekans, panicking due to the curdling screams coming from his co-worker; who was still trapped within the serpents bind. Before a breath could be taken, the guard sent a close range bullet directly into the Pokemon's soft face, the bullet passing straight through and entering out the other side in a flurry of blood. It splattered upon the white walls as the Pokemon's grip loosened with the sudden loss of it's life, the top portion of his body slumping to the floor.

"EKANS!" Lyra screamed in terror, pulling out the gun and aiming it towards the remaining guard. Both Mareep and Haku halted next to her, as if still awaiting commands, but very much on tenterhooks. The two Pokemon cried out in anger and sorrow at the loss of their comrade, eyes focused in rage at the assailant.

Both Lyra and the officer shared an acute moment of silence under the thumping call of the siren which was still heavily resounding through the station. Neither one dared to make a move, nor utter a single word.

Suddenly Silver appeared at the foot of the stairs, his Pokeballs now in his possession again.

The officer was taken by surprise, aiming his gun at Silver who had no time to react.

A shot was fired,

It hit its target.


Cliff Hanger! Muahahaa!

Poor Ekans :(

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