Chapter Eight: No More
005 stomped through the halls, trying to find his way through the maze so he could escape Team Rocket's base.
Suddenly he felt a paw wrap around his arm, and he was jerked to a halt. He turned furiously to find a very pissed-off Dew glaring at him.
"What was that?" The Dewott shrieked. 005 yanked his arm out of her grip and glared.
"What?"
"You had no reason to hurt Argo like that!" She growled.
"Yes I did. He did awful things to us and a whole lot of other Pokémon. He deserved to burn." 005 snarled, turning away from the Dewott.
"How can you say that. How can you say that!?" Dew growled. 005 felt a sharp pain in his back and he was knocked flat on his face. Dew grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, flipped him around, and shoved him into the wall, glaring into his icy blue eyes with her red ones.
"He wouldn't tell us if I hadn't hurt him! He was a bastard! I was looking out for Ember, looking out for my team!" 005 scowled.
"No more. You will never do that again. By torturing him you made us no better than he was! No more. Promise me." Dew pleaded. 005's glare faded for a second, but he soon replaced it with a steely gaze. He wrenched Dew's arms off him with ease and stalked away from her, lashing his thin tail.
"I won't promise anything. I'll do what needs to be done." He muttered.
Dew, Kadabra, Joan, her Pokémon, and Steel all looked at him in shock. The Charmeleon stopped suddenly, realizing that he wasn't being followed.
"Well? Are you with me? Or are you gonna be cowards?" 005 hissed. They reluctantly followed him.
"Um…005? Wh-what about my Pokémon? They need their Pokéballs…but I don't know where my bag is!" Joan said, sounding timid.
005 rubbed his mask and gave a stressed sigh.
"Search the rooms. Find it. Meet me back here." He grunted, Joan nodded and scurried away, followed by the rest of the mutants and her Pokémon.
They have no right to judge me…I got the info…didn't I? 005 thought to himself, leaning against a wall. He looked down at his five-fingered hands. He sighed again. Maybe that's all I am…maybe I'm nothing more than a heartless beast…maybe I'll never be anything more than…than a monster. The Charmeleon took a shaky breath and sunk to the floor. He covered his masked face with his hands and gave a dry sob.
He brooded for several more minutes before he heard footsteps coming from a hall. He opened his eyes and stood, keeping his expression carefully neutral.
"I…um…I found it." Joan held up her bag. Her Pokémon were stored in their Pokéballs and clipped safely to her belt, and the mutants were behind Joan. For the first time, 005 took a long look at them all.
Then he saw Steel. His jaw dropped.
"S…Steel…what?" The Charmeleon inhaled deeply. The Lucario looked at him with his eerie solid red eyes.
"They experimented on him more." Dew grunted, her face unreadable. 005 swallowed hard.
"I'm…I'm sorry. I'm sorry to all of you I just…I just…I need to fix this! It's all my fault…" 005 choked, holding back tears. "We have to find Ember. I don't know about you, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to find him. You in?"
"You bastard, of course we're frickin' in. What the hell else would we do?" Kadabra said, arms folded.
Dew looked at him with hope in her deep red eyes, "Silly moron. I'm with ya all the way."
"I'm in this deep." Joan smiled. Steel nodded, his unsettling gaze boring into 005. The Charmeleon shuddered; the new Steel was creepy.
"Great. Let's get the hell outta here before Argo recovers." 005 said, restraining a relieved smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He wheeled about and began to walk through the halls. He heard the reassuring sound of footsteps behind him.
Joan emerged from the bitter cold of the ice path to the sight of a red and orange sunset. She wheeled her bag around and pulled out her Pokégear before turning it on. It had low battery, but it told her that she had five missed messages, ten missed texts, and it also told her that it was six thirty a.m. So the sun was actually rising.
Joan was, needless to say, exhausted. She had been off the clock for the past four days, really, and she had not gotten her required eight hours.
"Let's go." 005 muttered. Kadabra picked up the Charmeleon in his psychic field, and Joan, per the norm, rose astride Dew.
Steel's flight, however, warranted another surprise. Instead of the usual air distortion that came from his bionic legs during his flight, there were full-on flames coming out.
"Woah there, bub. Careful which way you aim those things." Kadabra took to the air. With a few flaps from her dark gray wings, Dew was also in the air. Steel shrugged and his face twitched, like he was trying to make some kind of facial expression.
Without eyelids or eyebrows it was hard to tell.
Joan was so angry at Team Rocket she could barely contain it. Steel was already mute, but now he couldn't even communicate with body language! Not only that…but his eyes were just so…unsettling. His one bionic eye had been creepy enough, but now the two solid red, glowing orbs protruding from his face looked like something out of a horror movie.
Now he was completely unreadable. Aside from shrugs, and his mouth, Steel had no way to communicate.
It made Joan sick.
"It'll take a few hours before we reach Hoenn. Get comfortable." Kadabra's voice echoed through Joan's brain.
Joan had an idea.
"Kadabra." She thought, trying to project her thoughts.
"Woah, kid, stop yelling!" Was the psychic's reply.
"Could you link me with Steel?" She thought,
"Yeah…but I'd be hearing everything you two are saying. Steel…well…his brain is different. Um…well…prepare yourself. I'll set up the link." Kadabra replied. Joan nodded and closed her eyes. Then she felt her brain become connected with another brain.
She resisted the urge to retch.
Steel's brain was indescribably horrible. It was the breeding cesspit for all things insane. In it, two very different forces were constantly at battle, fighting over Steel's very life, very soul, very will.
One voice was emotionless. Literally derived of emotion, it pushed back the consciousness of the true Steel and tried to take the Lucario over. It was strangely seductive in its emotionless drone, it offered a state of being that lacked rage, pain, sorrow.
The other consciousness was the true Steel's, a consciousness torn and bitter and angry, a consciousness that knew it was a monster. A consciousness that was weighed with complete and utter horror at its own body's monstrosity, and filled with a profound sorrow that it could never be normal, never be sane, never be at peace.
Joan withdrew without thinking a word. She covered her mouth in absolute horror and found that she was weeping heavily.
She knew that she had just seen the raw essence, the aura, that made up Steel, and she suddenly understood the Lucario at a far more profound level than she ever wanted to understand him.
"Oh. My. Arceus." Kadabra thought to Joan. The psychic radiated intense levels of distress that only made Joan more emotionally unstable.
"What the…what the…what was…what was that?" Joan thought, again resisting the urge to retch.
"It was never…never that bad…the new bionic implants…they…oh Arceus I'm…" Kadabra's thoughts became incomprehensible, random scatterings of half-formed ideas and words that made no sense to Joan. The psychic's presence left, leaving Joan alone with her emotions.
If Steel knew that Kadabra and Joan had been in his screwed up mind, then he did not outwardly show it. He flew on, his eerie gaze locked emotionless on the horizon, but Joan knew that beneath that bionic shell a battle was raging, a battle far worse than any physical combat anyone, Pokémon or human, should have to endure.
Joan was grateful for the several hour-long ride of silence. She and Kadabra occasionally exchanged glances, but the psychic's face was strangely twisted, and Kadabra had an insane glint in his eye that Joan had never seen before.
She was still scarred by her vision. She couldn't even imagine what she would do if what had happened to Steel had happened to her…to be twisted into an ugly psychotic beast against her will and be fully aware of what she'd become. Joan shuddered.
She then realized she now knew what each and every mutation was going through. The horrible treatments and experiments that caused them to question their existence, to hate themselves, to have no purpose in life. The very though was nauseating. Joan couldn't imagine actually living that kind of life. This glimpse also strengthened her resolve, however. It made her more determined to help these mutants, and to stop any more from being made.
"Land." Kadabra broadcasted, pointing ahead with his scythe. Indeed, in the distance, was a blue-green blob sticking out of the surface of the waves. It grew close by the minutes until the mutants were able to land, exhausted, on its edge.
Joan climbed off of Dew and thanked her for the ride. The human stretched her legs and arms, then caught sight of Steel staring at her with his head cocked.
He knows. Joan realized. She gulped, trying to ignore the gaze. For some insane reason, she was feeling paranoid that the Lucario was going to attack her and kill her.
That was ridiculous, she knew. Even if he did attack, the other mutations would save her, right?
She was wondering now if every one of them suffered from Steel's condition. What if they all had demons in them too? What if they all attacked her?
Instinctively Joan put her hand on one of the Pokéballs on her belt. For the first time, she was actually afraid of the powerful Pokémon before her. She bordered on the edge of panic.
Dew shot her an odd look, concern in her ruby red eyes.
"Joan? You okay?" The Dewott asked. Joan tried to slow her breathing and she gave a half-hearted nod.
"Yeah, just feeling a little queasy from the flight. That's all." She lied. Dew shot her another concerned glance. 005 stood to his feet and cast his gaze towards Joan, intensity burning beneath his Monferno mask.
"Get out the map." He ordered. Joan nodded quickly and fumbled with her backpack before whipping out the master map of all the regions. The Charmeleon studied the map carefully.
Even 005, nice, loyal 005 was frightening her. The way the Charmeleon had treated Argo was…terrifying. Joan tried to ignore her irrational panic.
The one Pokémon here that Joan felt totally secure with was Dew. Dew, the sweet, compassionate, self-sacrificing Dewott who had probably saved Joan's life.
Joan subtly stepped closer to the Dewott.
"Okay, so we landed on the North side of the island. If we go slightly West and South we'll reach Lavaridge in an hour or two. I know you're all tired, but we have to press on! We have to save Ember!" 005 snarled. Joan barely stopped herself from taking a step back. Terror clawed at her chest, and her heart beat rapidly.
Dew got down on all fours and Joan mounted the Dewott shakily.
What the hell is wrong with me? Am I going crazy? These mutants…they're my friends, my partners! They'll never hurt me. Not ever. Will they? Arceus dammit, Joan! Get a frickin' grip! Joan thought. She shut her eyes and forced herself to take deep calming breaths. She leaned forward and buried her face in Dew's velvety fur, trying to force back the choked sobs rising in her throat.
They it hit her. She understood why she was so creeped out, so nauseated, in an instant.
I think I finally understand…I understand what I've gotten into. And I need to toughen up. If I can't trust these five Pokémon…I can't trust anyone. I need to be strong. I can make a difference here. Not just for dozens of innocent Pokémon…but for the whole world! Joan steeled herself, took another deep breath, and felt at peace. She wiped her eyes dry and pulled out her Pokégear.
She listened to her five voicemail messages. Three from her parents, two from Miles. All of the texts were from Miles.
The voicemail messages were mostly just her family and friend begging her to call back, and the texts were from Miles stating that he was in Vermillion City, and that he beat the gym, and so on.
Joan dialed her parent's number. She held the Pokégear up to her ear.
"Joan? Is that you?" The deep voice of her father echoed through the speaker. It was all Joan could do to prevent herself from breaking out into tears again.
"Dad? Yeah, its me. Sorry." She said.
"Oh my Arceus! Its been weeks since you called! One little phone call so I know my baby's all right…that's all I need! I'm so glad to hear your voice…you had us worried sick!" Her father broke out into his standard lecture. Despite his angry tone, Joan smiled.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I've been busy…training. Also, Kiddo evolved." Joan offered the feeble explanation. Kiddo had actually been her first Pokémon. Her father was a retired Gogoat racer from Kalos that bred Gogoat's, he used the female for Gogoat milk, which was very popular and nutritious, and he usually sold the male Skiddo's for extra money. He had given Kiddo to Joan right before she received Squirt from Professor Oak.
"Congratulations! That's amazing sweetheart! Oh, you're mom is here. She's dying to talk to you." Dad said. There was a brief pause before Joan's mom's voice blasted across the speakers.
"Joan oh my gosh you had me worried sick we called you three times and you didn't answer what was I supposed to think you could have been at the bottom of a ditch or worse and I wouldn't have known next time I'm going to call the damn police you stupid silly child! I'm so glad you're okay." Joan's ears rang so badly from her mother's original outburst that she almost missed the last statement of love.
"I'm sorry." Was all Joan said.
She talked with her parents for a few more minutes, then she said her goodbyes and hung up. She hesitantly viewed Myles' number in her Pokégear, then just turned the device off. She didn't want to explain herself to Myles.
Joan sat in silence for the rest of the flight. The entire team was on edge, and all of them had one very clear goal in mind; retrieve Ember at all costs.
There was no talk about tiny details like how yet. They all just wanted to see the timid Luxray back in the safety of his team. Joan hadn't allowed herself to think about what Team Rocket could be doing to the poor Luxray. They could be making him into an even worse monster than Kadabra or Steel. They could be ruining his mind for all eternity.
Or they could be running some simple tests.
After about two hours of flying, the team finally landed right near Lavaridge Town.
"We have to find where that base is!" 005 said as Kadabra let the Charmeleon out of his psychic field.
"You guys stay here." Joan whispered, "I'll snoop around and see if I can't find anything."
Joan walked out of the underbrush and into the city, blending in with a crowd of people. She meandered through the streets of the small town aimlessly, wondering how exactly she was going find the base, when suddenly she saw a burly man dressed in a black uniform. It was one of the same grunts from The base in the Ice Path. Joan shoved her way through some people and followed the grunt.
The grunt took a roundabout way through the streets, then finally came to a halt in front of the famous Hot Springs building. The grunt entered. Joan followed behind him.
The grunt joined the line at the front desk, tapping his foot and shifting his gaze impatiently. When he arrived first in line, he leaned forward and whispered a phrase that Joan could barely make out.
"When the dark moon is full, the Mightyena howls farewell." The man at the desk nodded and opened a door next to him, admitting the guard, who stepped into a door behind the clerk.
"He's just a late employee." The clerk said with a fake smile. Joan nodded,
"Oh shoot, it's that late already?" Joan fake cursed, looking at a clock above the clerk. "I have to be at a battle in half an hour! Shoot. I'll come back later." Joan fake smiled back at the clerk and backed out of the building.
They knew where the base was now. All they needed was a plan.
A/N:
Oh…dark scary chapter about Steel…
Yeah. Steel is very very messed up.
This fic is going to get darker…. Just a fair warning.
Anyway, thanks, as always, for reading, and thanks to everyone who's review, followed, or favorited!
Ciao!