Carnage Necropolis

by Aiselne Phoenix Nocturnus

Ash, Misty, and Brock enter an ominous city where something presumably murdered the locals. Much to the kids' horrific discovery, the residents and Pokemon aren't quite as "dead" as authorities claimed. A Pokemon spin-off of Resident Evil. Complete.

10. The Bloodstained Truths

COPYRIGHT NOTE: I don't own Pokemon / Pocket Monsters, Resident Evil / Biohazard, Febreze, or Homer's The Odyssey.

COMMENTS: Onto Ch.10! Everybody's got questions after Chs.8+9, and now it's time we take a much-needed breather from the bloodshed and get some much-needed answers. Fair warnings: This episode is ridiculously long, it has another big italicized flashback, and revelations are overabundant. This chapter is asinine, pure and simple, but if you've made it to the tenth chapter of this story, then this asininity should not be surprising (if not expected). So, with that out of the way, I really hope you enjoy Ch.10.

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CARNAGE NECROPOLIS

Aiselne Phoenix

FILE #010: "The Bloodstained Truths"

"Well, well, well…long time no see, Officer Jenny Ninetta. Fashionably late again, eh Neen?"

At first, Nina thought it was a miracle. Yes, this man was indeed a Heaven-sent miracle, though Nina always believed Tauris was a 'miracle' in some respect. Just the mere fact that Tauris was still alive brought Nina the utmost joy. But long before the Acheron City mission, Nina knew Tauris was special. No, her opinions were not simply rooted in infatuation, either. It was true that Nina loved Tauris; the man whom she liked to pleasure herself into believing was her "soul mate." However, there was one 'other,' deeper reason why Nina dubbed Tauris a living breathing miracle.

Tauris Wincent was a righteous man.

"T-Tauris…" The very name was difficult to speak without Nina's voice wavering though shaky lips. Nina was not an overly emotional woman, which was why she could handle situations like Acheron City with an almost-flawless composure, "almost" being the key word. After all, Nina was only human, and she experienced a few rare bouts of emotional cracking this evening. Most of those sentimental instances happened to be credited to the presumed death of her beloved partner, too. But what kind of a heartless person would Nina be if she had NOT been devastated by Tauris' assumed death? Nina was a composed woman, not a cold woman.

Swallowing a cluster of emotions ensnared within her throat, Nina slowly craned her neck. "I…I can't believe it." Over the woman's shoulder was her green-eyed, brunette prayer come true. Tauris was alive. He was ALIVE! It did not matter how many times Nina told herself otherwise. Right now, all that mattered to Jenny Ninetta was that Tauris was standing right behind her…

…Pointing a gun?

"Don't get too excited, Neen," softly voiced Tauris, never removing the barrel of his gun from Nina's back. She could not see the gun, but Nina did manage to steal a glance at the butt of an unused shotgun slung over Tauris' shoulder. Nina never saw that weapon before, per se. The gun did bear a striking resemblance to the 12-guage Tauris gave her back at the A.P.D., the one James lost during Tentagator's truck chase. Chief Ulisse's office had been filled with guns, after all, so it was not a mystery regarding where Tauris most likely got the heavier artillery.

As for the gun kissing her back, Nina did not need to see the weapon to know its classification. The woman was already aware that Tauris wielded a .45-caliber magnum, too: the twin of Nina's revolver. Perhaps it was childish of the couple to use matching weapons. The idea was juvenile, like young friends who wore one of two pieces of a halved charm. Cheesy but popular "best friends" pendants were only whole once the duo brought both of their charms together to complete the puzzle. Yin and yang, salt and pepper, and all those other clichés usually annoyed Nina. But lo and behold, she and Tauris found a way to act like two teenagers undergoing puppy love. What was next, getting their names tattooed onto each other's asses? Idiot Tauris would enjoy that, probably snorting something along the lines of having "his name on a piece of ass," literally. That would also be Nina's cue to "kick" Tauris' ass. Urgh, Nina hated how infatuation had tendencies of making grown adults act like stupid kids. Well, at least guns were more useful than tattoos and charm bracelets.

Clichés aside, Nina had to admit that knowing Tauris' matching magnum was nestled against her spine did squeeze Nina's heart. On a smaller scale, she wondered if this moment was similar to whenever so-called "best friends" broke up. When children wanted to be cruel little devils, they certainly could be. Then one of the "friends" would take their cheesy little half-charm, chuck it to the floor, and grind it under their sneaker. After the immature melodrama concluded, the friend left behind with the intact half-charm probably felt more crushed than the shattered remains on the ground. Through the eyes of an adult, such a matter was so stupid to cry over, but the scene felt significantly different for the child experiencing it.

The ironic part was how love tended to warp adults into children. All of a sudden, upon realizing Tauris' "special" magnum was drilled into her back, Nina felt as though she was that crushed little kid left behind. She was seeing the true colors of her relationship with Tauris…the very colors Nina prayed to never have seen.

Because, no matter what happened, no matter how many times Nina and Tauris spoke, kissed, and promised each other the world…Nina always suspected something was 'odd' about Tauris.

After all, he did work for Team Rocket.

Even Nina knew that.

"What…what are you doing, Tauris?" Nina blinked, carefully turning her head without coercing her partner to pull the trigger. Tauris' forest eyes remained unreadable, never providing answers Nina desperately required. She looked elsewhere for answers; to her left was nothingness, to her right was…Tentagator!

The woman's shocked gasp prompted Tauris to simmer her panic down before the idle Tentagator became aroused. It was so odd to see that beast standing like a statue, but "Don't worry," Tauris reassured, much to Nina's surprise. It was hard not to 'worry' when that freakish Pokemon mutant was standing four feet away! "Tentagator won't attack unless I tell it to. All Team Rocket bioweapons are trained to obey their creators."

Another gasp of air broke through Nina's lips, though for entirely different reasons this time. 'Tentagator's creators'? "YOU?"

"Yeah…I was one of the designers, anyway," Tauris admitted, though there was not a sliver of pride in his tone. To Nina, Tauris sounded as ashamed as a little tyke who accidentally wet the bed. "But Giovanni never told me he actually went through with 'completing' Tentagator, never mind tell me he set the damn thing loose in this city. Of course, there were a LOT of things that bastard never told me…until it was too late."

Swallowing again, Nina dared to ask "…Like what?"

"Like…" Tauris started, stopping only for a moment before taking a hesitant breath. How many times had he gone over the words in his head? Fifty times? One hundred times? Tauris lost count. Perhaps he was a coward for not telling Nina sooner, but neither agent possessed the means to travel back in time and undo the past. Tauris' only other option was "biting the bullet," handling matters the way he should have handled them long before Acheron City went to hell.

"…Giovanni knows what you and I have been up to, Nina," he spoke quickly, as though Tauris wanted to finish this uncomfortable revelation as soon as possible. His quick, shaky, rushed behavior was identical to that of a person ripping off a band-aid; the instance stung like hell, but the sooner it was over, the faster relief would come. "He sniffed me out months ago, after I smuggled those files detailing Rocket members of the Acheron Chemical Plant. He's probably been monitoring me for a lot longer, too."

"No…" Nina whispered, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "You and I were so careful covering our tracks! How the hell could Giovanni have figured it out?"

"He's got influences everywhere, Neen. You and I had allies in Acheron; Gordon, Ray, Cleo…any of them could've been working for Giovanni, too, or at least paid to spill the beans. If Acheron's own chief of police was in cahoots with Team Rocket, there's no reason to suspect that the rest of the A.P.D. was entirely clean. I wouldn't be surprised if Giovanni's got a few leaks in your division, too."

"Dammit," Nina cursed, biting her lip and scowling. It was impossible to know who was on their side anymore. "Then…what're we gonna' do now, Tauris?"

"Our best bet is getting the hell out of this city," Tauris knew with utmost certainly, though he still had yet to lower his revolver from Nina's back. "But even that's not gonna' be enough. Tentagator's presence here already tells me that Giovanni is trying to cover up the evidence; kill any potential survivors. He's already informed me that by sunrise this city will be locked down and sterilized. You know what that means, Neen."

She certainly did, but Nina's wide maroon eyes did not want to believe such. "He…he wouldn't!"

"A quarantine has already been commissioned," Tauris hated to admit it, feeling his own body begin to slightly quake. "You and I know the great lengths Giovanni goes to cover his ass. So, I'm sure you can guess that his 'clean-up crew' isn't merely gonna' run around this city spraying Febreze. If Giovanni's as desperate as he acts, then this city's probably gonna' be leveled by six o'clock."

Without question, Nina knew matters had gone from bad to 'worse,' and from worse to "Fuck." But cursing up a storm was obviously not going to solve problems, either. Keeping her composure in the best check as possible, Nina took a careful breath. "How much time to we have?"

The last time Tauris saw the downtown clock tower, it read three o'clock, and that was probably a half hour ago. "We've got under two and a half hours."

That was not an inordinate amount of time. Nina had to remember that as much as she wanted her and Tauris to escape this city, the agents had other duties. First and foremost, they needed to find Ash, Misty, Jessie, James, and Meowth. Then, it was a matter of finding the evacuation route, and God only knew what other challenges would stand in their way in the meantime. It was somewhat relieving to know that as long as Tauris was nearby, Tentagator would not attack. However, Nina doubted Tentagator was the only demon in this city. By no means was she willing to 'trust' Tentagator, either. One way or another, the fiend was still fundamentally a killing machine. It had no loyalties.

"Forget the mission, then," Nina decided, knowing Tauris was bound to be displeased with her choice. However, "Our top priority is getting those kids out of here, Tauris."

Unsurprisingly, Nina felt Tauris flinch through his revolver. "Neen, did you not hear me?" he asked almost incredulously. "This city will be LEVELED, you know, with BOMBS! Granted, I can think of classier ways to die, but don't forget: once this city goes up in smoke, so does the evidence! And if the evidence is obliterated, that means Giovanni gets away scot-free! Have you forgotten why we came here? We HAVE to return with concrete evidence, and those virus samples are our best bet! Ulisse only had two more samples on him. Giovanni claims there's THREE Jects, so you know we're gonna' need the complete set."

"We'll find another way to expose Team Rocket, Tauris," Nina swore, though she currently did not know how she would find 'another way,' if such even existed. "Look, I never expected on finding survivors, let alone kids, in this city. Neither of us knew what the hell we were getting ourselves into with this mission." Of course, Nina suspected that Tauris knew more about Acheron City than he claimed. Alas, "We jumped ass-backwards into a situation we never understood, only because the timing seemed perfect. There was no way of me knowing how severe the murders were, let alone know about a friggen viral outbreak! But even so…I can honestly admit that I never dreamed tonight would turn into a rescue mission."

However, that never meant Nina regretted meeting Misty and the others.

"I know you and I came here for other reasons, Tauris. But like it or not, it's only right that we help survivors out of Acheron. I…" Nina paused, specifically recalling a few wise words from Jessie several hours ago. "…I'm not going to live the rest of my life knowing I survived this city, on account of leaving those kids behind. I can't live like that, Tauris."

Neither could Tauris. However, Tauris also knew he could not continue living while knowing the one he held precious died because of him.

Unfortunately, "It's…it's not that simple, Neen," Tauris somberly noted. "If we don't get all those samples, one way or another, those kids will suffer…along with the rest of this damn world. God only knows what the hell Giovanni's planning to do with the Khimaira-Jects. Even if the viruses elude Giovanni's hands, there's no reason to assume some other asshole might not use the viruses for their own purposes. It still would be a helluva lot easier if we just brought the samples out of this city…concrete evidence that would shut down Team Rocket overnight!"

Tauris was always adamant about his work. When he wanted to accomplish something, he made sure he accomplished it. Regardless of his light-hearted nature, Tauris never did a half-assed job. Such was one of the many traits Nina admired about him, but she also disliked Tauris' little perfectionist quirk. If Nina did not know better, she would have assumed Tauris' motivation was not 'perfection,' but 'obsession.' He was a tad 'too' eager to get his hands on those samples for Nina's taste.

Something was not quite right about Tauris. Nina agreed that Team Rocket had to be exposed, but "…At the cost of innocent lives?"

Of course, Tauris already knew "Neen, you know it's too late for that."

"Maybe you're right," admitted Nina, before releasing a short tired sigh. She was too exhausted to continue arguing with Tauris, though she did want to understand the true reasons behind his sample fetish. "But I've already made my choice. If you want to go scour the rest of this city for the last sample, go ahead." Of course, deep down, Nina prayed Tauris would decline the offer. She really did not like the idea of separating from Tauris ever again, but if it had to be done, then it had to be done. "If you're that dead-set on finding the samples, that's your decision, Tauris. As for me, I'm gonna' find those kids and get them out of here."

"You won't get very far, Nina," Tauris feared, digging his gun into Nina's back as a small incentive. He did not want to do this, but "Giovanni knows about you, too, and don't think for a second that the Pokemon League is gonna' back you up. Especially if you return to the League empty-handed, they won't have sympathy for you if you abandon your mission. Team Rocket won't show any mercy towards spies like me, and that goes double for League contacts like you. And those kids will be easy targets, too.

"But if we find the viruses, then everything will work in our favor, Neen. If we don't…" Tauris trailed for a second, shuddering a disturbed chill down his spine. "If we don't find them, then we might as well shoot ourselves now."

Perhaps Tauris was right. The 'easy way' out of this hell was just swallowing a bullet like Gordon. However, Nina was not such a person, and she used to think Tauris was the same. It was becoming clear to Nina that Tauris' objectives were branching away from Nina's, though technically she was the one who abandoned her mission. Perhaps Nina only had herself to blame for this moment. Tauris was obsessed with finding the samples. Yet, Nina was obsessed with appeasing her damn conscience; the little voice that told her to uphold the promise she made to Brock.

"Then what are you waiting for, Tauris?" muttered Nina, tightening a fist and bracing herself for the potential inevitable. "You're the one pointing the damn gun at my back, after all."

Sadly, Tauris knew there was a reason for his behavior…'another' reason.

Somehow, Nina knew it, too.

"That's because…Giovanni gave me an ultimatum," Tauris finally admitted, causing Nina's eyes to widen all over again. Conversely, Tauris' eyes clamped shut, trying to block the horrid ideas that crept into his mind whenever he remembered Giovanni's haunting words. "If I don't return with those three samples…he's already hired a hit man to kill you."

Yes, Nina was surprised, but a part of her expected this, too. She should have known there was a deeper reason why Tauris was so hell-bent on getting the viruses. "So THAT'S the reason why you want the samples, isn't it?" She always knew there had to be 'another' reason why Tauris was so interested in this mission. Snorting in disgust, Nina scoffed. "You were never on the Pokemon League's side, after all. All that crap about exposing Team Rocket was just a ploy, wasn't it?"

"I don't give a shit about the Pokemon League, Nina! Yes, I want to expose Team Rocket, but…" Tauris trailed, suddenly realizing he had always been speaking both sides of his mouth.

Tauris Wincent was originally one of Team Rocket's finest agents, dabbling into various affairs and research concerning Acheron's Khimaira Project. But reminiscently of Jessie, James, and Meowth, Tauris eventually realized the heinous organization he tangled himself inside. Nina always admired Tauris' courage to finally contact the Pokemon League for help. Then he met Nina, a police officer and undercover League affiliate. She became Tauris' prime contact, and their quest began to expose Team Rocket's messes. Tauris had smuggled plenty of Acheron data records, but simple data was never enough. Giovanni covered his tracks too efficiently. Hell, all of the files Tauris retrieved had actually been decoys, which was how Giovanni eventually roped Tauris into a trap and discovered the "rat."

But then came Acheron's accidental viral outbreak, something even the perfectionist Giovanni could not prevent. Little was known about the incident amongst the Pokemon League, but it was too gargantuan of a crisis to go absolutely unnoticed. This rare mistake on Team Rocket's behalf was the ideal chance Tauris and Nina awaited. Team Rocket was vulnerable, but only for a short window of time. It was the perfect chance to hit Team Rocket with a fatal blow.

Unfortunately, the man pulling the strings was always one step ahead of everyone else. Giovanni found out about Tauris' "leak," and the boss also happened to discover that Tauris' pretty little contact, Jenny Ninetta, was MORE than just Tauris' client. By using Tauris' girlfriend as blackmail, Giovanni had Tauris by the balls, metaphorically and literally. The Rocket boss boxed Tauris into a corner, and Tauris had to choose between his vows to end Team Rocket, and his loyalties to Nina. It did not help that Tauris never planned on falling in love with his League associate. That was never part of the plan.

"I'm not worth igniting biological warfare, Tauris," Nina spoke softly, doing her best to disregard the smarting aches various memories produced. The couple knew their feelings would eventually hinder their duties, and now was the absolute worst time. "And you know that's exactly what Team Rocket might do once they reclaim the viruses!"

"Given the choice…I'd rather give Giovanni what he wants and shut him up," Tauris openly admitted, gripping the trigger on his gun with a shaky finger. "As long as it means you're safe. If you're not gonna' cooperate with that, Neen, then you leave me no choice."

So now Tauris was the one handing out ultimatums. He really was a Team Rocket member at heart, or perhaps, a true lover at heart. It was hard to tell whether or not Tauris was a stereotypical protagonist or antagonist. Technically, he was working for the "bad guys," and he even betrayed the "good guys," but it was to ensure the safety of his beloved. Nina always knew Tauris was a righteous man, but she also knew Giovanni was a master of twisting righteousness to suit his greedy needs. Tauris wanted to protect Nina, and he also wanted to expose Team Rocket, but he could not have both. Now, Tauris was Giovanni's puppet, and it tore at Nina like a knife.

But Nina still believed she was not more valuable than exposing Team Rocket. She was an undercover League cop, and she had morals. Given the choice, Nina would happily sacrifice her life if it meant protecting innocents. She was flattered that Tauris valued her beyond the good of mankind, but Nina was not so arrogant. Deep down, she knew the right choice that needed to be made.

What Nina never expected was…

"…Do as I say, Nina, or Tentagator WILL kill those kids."

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From the moment she first laid eyes on her, Misty knew there was no way in hell that Nina was a 'typical' Officer Jenny. Now the redhead knew why.

"Just do as we say, and nobody gets hurt."

The previously flooded lab now stank of the slowly decomposing carcasses of Gyarados and Venusaur. However, the fetor in the air did not hang nearly as heavily as did the tension.

"What the hell is this about?" exclaimed a flabbergasted Jessie, glaring sapphire daggers directly into the teal-haired cop's face. True, Jessie and Nina had never gotten along perfectly. Yet, just a short while ago, Nina actually won Jessie's respect when the officer sacrificed herself for the ex-Rockets and twerps. Now the assumed altruistic policewoman was pointing a friggen gun at Misty's frightened face! To say Jessie was confused was a gross understatement, but she did understand one detail about this bizarre moment. Just as quickly as Nina won Jessie's respect, she lost the ex-Rocket woman's trust. If looks could kill, by now Nina would be deader than Acheron City's zombies. "Have you lost it, cop?"

Perhaps Nina had "lost it," as Jessie so eloquently put it. Maybe such was the only logical explanation for Nina's actions anymore. Even the officer was uncertain, while at the same time, Nina knew exactly what she was doing. Everything was a confusing, conflicting, and whirling blur inside the teal-haired woman's mind, trying to piece together some form of logic in an illogical situation. She had abandoned her original reasons for venturing into Acheron City, all for the sake of these five survivors. Everything Nina originally thought she understood, from Tauris' personality to Nina's own duties, had warped into chaos. What path should she choose? The only idea that seemed relatively stable inside Nina's mind right now was:

"T-take…care of them…for m-me."

And yet, Nina was pointing her own weapon at the two children she swore to protect.

"…Do as I say, Nina, or Tentagator WILL kill those kids."

"Hey, don't pick on Nina. She's just doing her job…like me."

The younger audience turned towards the miraculously alive Tauris, he and Nina standing as if they were somehow resurrected back into this nightmare. For Misty, half of her felt very fortunate that the two cops were alive. But she also had a mile-long list of questions regarding how the hell Nina and Tauris escaped their presumed demises. True, there never had been any concrete evidence definitively proving Tauris and Nina died, either. Tauris had been left in the zombie-infested A.P.D., and Nina stayed behind to fight Tentagator. Plus, the latter scenario instantly led Misty to wonder whatever happened to the tentacle freak, but she preferred not to know. The beast always seemed to be lurking nearby. Regardless, heavens knew Misty and everyone else had more pivotal worries.

"'Job'?" blinked Misty, furrowing her brow while attempting to shift her weight on her knees. More specifically, the young girl was trying to position herself between Nina's gun and the unconscious Ash. Misty trusted Nina, a little, but…if Nina turned on Misty, the way Misty assumed, then the redhead was ready to protect the vulnerable boy. Totodile had also been discreetly moving closer to Misty, watching Nina and prepared to launch an attack if the need arose. Nobody could afford to take chances anymore. "What job?"

For a moment, Tauris and Nina exchanged quick glances. The pair of forest-green eyes did not look overly fazed. Yet, the maroon eyes were almost pleading: Don't tell them! Let's just leave them alone! They don't have to know everything. Despite his own duty, it was hard for Tauris to deny a request from Nina. The partners' business was definitely none of the concerns for Misty and the others, anyway.

"Look, like Nina said…" Tauris started, his unreadable face a dire contrast from when Misty last saw him. Granted, Misty did not personally know Tauris, but based on the experiences at the police station, Misty assumed he was a pleasant man. Of course, Misty also thought he was a hero for sacrificing himself so Nina and the others could escape the A.P.D. Come to think of it, Misty considered Nina a hero for her earlier self-sacrifice stunt, too. But now…the redhead's opinions had changed dramatically. Just who were these people standing in front of her? "…You guys just have to do as we say, and everything will be fine. Trust me, we've got no intentions of hurting any of you." So Tauris claimed, anyway. "As long as you let us do our jobs, and don't try anything stupid, you've got nothing to worry about."

"'TRUST YOU'?" exclaimed Jessie, nearly lunging at Tauris had it not been for James grappling onto her shoulders to restrain the redhead. She did not even know this jerkoff brunette who seemed to tag alongside Nina, but Jessie could care less. It was a teensy-weensy bit hard to believe that Nina and Mr. X would not harm Jessie's group…while Nina pointed a gun at Misty! "My ass! Drop that weapon and maybe we'll start 'trusting' you, cop!" Jessie was not going to hold her breath that "maybe" would ever become "we will trust you" ever again. In a split second, Jessie's image of Nina had just warped beyond recognition, and she knew the same applied to Misty and the others.

Understanding Jessie's resentment, Nina gradually lowered her revolver, much to Misty and Totodile's relief. The woman almost added a small apology, but Nina knew such would be utterly pointless, if not laughable. How was she supposed to tell these innocent people that the blackmailed Tauris actually blackmailed Nina, too? In accepting Tauris' blackmail, that meant Nina was working in Team Rocket's favor, but it was done so Tauris would not set Tentagator on the escapees. Somehow, Nina doubted Jessie's group would be flattered to know Nina betrayed them, all for the sake of protecting them. It was too Goddamn oxymoronic for anyone to believe. So Nina just kept her mouth shut and accepted the charade of assumed "traitor" in this show. As long as it meant that Tauris would leave the younger ones alone, Nina would be content.

As of this very moment, "sorries" were out of the question. The only option left was continuing forward, because there was clearly no going back now. If Nina could offer any reward to the people she helped throughout Acheron City, Nina could at least give them some of the truth. Yet, even the truth did not seem to want to escape Nina's lips. Thus, all she did was tighten her fists. One hand shakily gripped her magnum. The other one balled a fist so tightly that fingernails dug into the thin fabric of Nina's gloves, trickling blood from her pierced palm.

Noticing his partner's silent but obvious dilemma, Tauris took it upon himself to answer. "Look, Nina's already told me she doesn't want to hurt you guys. She wants to help you get out of this city," Tauris admitted, almost sounding like he truly meant it. At this point, Jessie and the other escapees could not be certain whether or not Nina and Tauris were telling the truth anymore. This whole situation practically had an imaginary label: proceed with caution.

"And I'm in a generous mood right now, so I'll make all of you a deal," started Tauris, perking the survivors' attentions. "Neen and I have one more stop to make before leaving this city. All of you can come quietly with us and let us do our jobs." It was the best compromise Nina and Tauris could make between each other. "If you can handle that, we'll escort you guys out of this city; no questions asked from us, or you. In exchange, all you kiddies need to do is keep your mouths shut about what happened tonight."

Of course, Tauris' offer sounded just as preposterous as Jessie and the others' expressions looked. Were Nina and Tauris insane? It was already common knowledge that the moment the escapees fled Acheron City, they would first seek medical attention. Thereafter, their sworn duties were to expose Team Rocket's affairs in this crazy necropolis. Else, the deaths of so many innocents in Acheron would be for naught. Surely, Tauris could not expect the escapees to "keep their mouths shut," especially since Team Rocket rightfully deserved to be dissolved after tonight. Keeping one's mouth shut was a coward's compensation for living. It was no different than if the escapees left Acheron, and instead of doing something honorable regarding the tragedy, the survivors simply hid under their beds. The very idea was asinine!

"And what if we don't keep our mouths shut?" Jessie haughtily challenged, narrowing her blue eyes directly into Tauris'. She did not even know this brown-haired man, and yet Jessie already hated his guts. "What'll you do about it?"

Appearing as though he was almost enjoying this sarcastic exchange with Jessie, Tauris minutely raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I don't advise that," he warned, folding his arms over his chest and returning the same glare back to Jessie. "If you squeal, we'll find out."

The brunette man's arrogance was rapidly getting underneath Jessie's skin. After a night of fighting the ghastly undead of all shapes and sizes, Jessie sure as hell was not afraid of this prick. "Oh yeah?" she huffed, gesturing with her head in identical cockiness. "How?"

Tauris was the one to cock his head this time, bantering back and forth with Jessie like a crude ping-pong match. In the meantime, his green eyes darted up and down the younger woman's body, briefly admiring her perfect figure, but dominantly intrigued by how familiar Jessie's outfit looked. The same applied to James' ensemble, too. Minus the missing over shirts and bloodstains, Tauris could tell the red-haired woman and the violet-haired man were most certainly wearing Team Rocket uniforms. Ironic.

"'How will we know'?" Tauris chimed with a particularly raised eyebrow, causing Jessie to stifle a few choice words before adding, "Heh, you two should know. I can tell those are Rocket uniforms you're wearing. Of all people, you should know that Team Rocket always has ways of sniffing out rats." Tauris spoke from experience.

Instead of irrationally lashing out at Tauris, Jessie paused, exchanging a perplexed look with James and Meowth. Yes, they were still wearing their old Rocket uniforms, minus the R-trademarked outer shirts. And yes, Jessie, James, and Meowth were well aware of the organization's influences. It was never hard for Team Rocket to investigate potential spies, or "rats" as Tauris called. Jessie and her cohorts already knew those details about Team Rocket, but there was one detail their memories seemed to be lacking.

It was James who managed to find the right words before Jessie's potential tirade. "T-Team Rocket?" his emerald orbs blinked in surprise at Nina's brown-haired companion. James was not impressed with Tauris and Nina, either, but cursing up a storm like Jessie was obviously not going to solve the group's current issues, either. Of the ex-Rocket trio, whenever Jessie got riled up, it was usually James' cue to step in and try his luck. Empty threats and a million obscenities clearly would not stir Tauris. "Wait…" James trailed, putting two-and-two together faster than his fuming partner. "…How would you know about Team Rocket?"

A few more drops of blood trickled from Nina's scrunched fist, ironically dripping like red teardrops. She really never intended to let James and the others know about Nina's true mission; partially because her work was classified, but dominantly because of Tauris.

Of course, Tauris knew this, and simply shrugged a passionless "That's none of your business."

James failed to keep Jessie quiet after that line. "The' hell it's not is our business!"

"Hey, I've already given you people a pretty friendly offer," Tauris defended matter-of-factly, silencing Jessie. "But Nina and I have a deadline to meet and don't have time to screw around with you guys. It's your choice whether or not you accept our offer, but make it quick, or you're on your own."

"'Deadline'?" blinked James, getting more and more confused with each word that came out of Tauris' mouth. There was still the mystery regarding whatever this 'job' Nina and Tauris had to do, too. All James kept hearing was nonsense. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Neither Tauris nor Nina was able to reply before a soft voice echoed through the lab.

"You're working with Team Rocket, aren't you?"

Thereafter, all the adults turned towards the youngest girl on her knees.

For Misty, everything Tauris and Nina said just clicked, for reasons even she would probably never understand. Yet, why was it so difficult to figure out? Without words or confirmations, it was pretty obvious that Tauris knew about Team Rocket, and Nina probably did as well. And when Misty really stopped to think about it, she realized that while Nina had been acting like God's Heaven-sent guardian angel, Jenny Ninetta was not without suspicions. She was almost "too good to be true." For one thing, Nina knew her way around Acheron City. Yes, the woman claimed she studied the city's layout for her "mission," and that was probably true. However, this "mission" Nina discussed was obviously rearing its true colors…so Misty thought, anyway.

Now, the redhead girl was getting dubious.

In retrospect, Misty's first encounter with Nina had been rather suspicious. Nina had been a tad "too" trigger happy around the wounded Brock, though Misty assumed the cop was just paranoid over him becoming a zombie. It was ironic how, eventually, Nina did shoot Brock, though Misty knew that was Brock's choice, not Nina's. Nevertheless, Misty never stopped to wonder what the hell Nina was doing at the Pokemon Center in the first place. Perhaps searching for Tauris, Nina's so-called "missing partner"? The whole ordeal could have been rigged. Maybe not. Misty never got a close enough glance at Nina's badge to ensure that she was a cop, either, but at the time, Misty was too concerned with Brock to give a shit about Nina's background. To Misty's knowledge, she did not even know if there was such a place as Valhalla City, but she never heard of Acheron before tonight, either. And one had to admit that if Nina was pretending, she did a top-notch performance.

Misty truly did not have any concrete evidence proving Nina's innocence, or Nina's dishonesty. Nina's earlier actions had been too justifiable. Thus, there was no way the confused Misty could tell whether or not Nina was truly an ally or an enemy anymore.

And yet…even back at the Pokemon Center, Misty still knew Nina was not an 'ordinary' Officer Jenny. Except, at the time, Misty assumed such as a good thing. But now…

…Now, Misty did not know what to believe.

"You're working with Team Rocket, aren't you?"

The innocent question cut Nina like a knife. She, too, was plagued by the past:

"Then you go to the police station…" Misty muttered, wiping her eyes against her arm before heading towards the Center doors, never waiting for Nina. "…I'll meet you there…after I find Ash!"

"Misty!" Nina shouted, but knew she was too late. The foolish redhead had already run out into the hellish streets and threw caution to the wind. Sighing, the woman ran a hand through her teal bangs, before releasing her revolver's safety. "Urgh, this is the last place to screw around!" Now what would Nina do: resume her plans of reaching the A.P.D. station, or chase after some silly little girl? The answer was pretty obvious. Jenny Ninetta was a police officer, after all.

Rolling her maroon eyes, Nina cursed, "Damn kids," before running after Misty.

How the hell was Nina to explain that those "damn kids" were the very hindrances in Nina's original mission…the very reasons Nina had eventually forsaken her mission?

"You're working with Team Rocket, aren't you?"

Misty's irresolute assumption was both incorrect and correct. Nina was not an official Team Rocket agent. However, it was not a lie to say Nina was indeed "working with Team Rocket" in some respect.

"Only one of us is a Rocket agent, girlie," Tauris suddenly voiced, surprisingly placing a hand on Nina's limp shoulder. By then, of course, Misty and the others already figured out who happened to be 'one Rocket agent' of which Tauris spoke. The man's words and tone more than effortlessly divulged his identity.

Even so, despite everything else that happened during this hectic nightmare, Tauris still defended his partner. His allegiance was not technically pledged to Team Rocket anymore, or even to the Pokemon League. In this chaotic world, Tauris' only loyalty was devoted to Jenny Ninetta.

He knew Nina's blackmailed choice was eating away inside her. She agreed to do as Tauris said, as long as he did not set Tentagator on the others. Thus, in doing as Tauris said, Nina had to play the charade as traitor siding with Team Rocket, and it was obviously ruining Nina. Jeez, Neen really DOES care about these kids. It was Nina's righteousness that first attracted Tauris. Nina's loyalties to Misty and the other survivors were most certainly not rooted in petty obsession.

"Don't blame Nina for this," Tauris softly added, much to Nina's squeezed heart. "She's not technically your run-of-the-mill cop, but don't you dare mock her, especially since Nina's working with the Pokemon League…and since you're the reasons she's been going out on so many damn limbs."

Misty was right all long. Nina was not an average Officer Jenny. Tauris' description was vague, but Misty knew all she needed. This was not the first time Misty encountered an average-looking person who secretly did undercover work for the Pokemon League. A seemingly average Nurse Joy in Dark City proved to secretly be a Pokemon Gym inspector for the League. Undercover League agents were scattered all over the world, so it was not hard to picture that Nina was one of them. Granted, Misty was disappointed to know that Nina never told her younger companions about her true identity, but secrecy was probably part of the woman's job.

Perhaps, Nina was on Misty's side after all.

There was a small relief in knowing that Nina was not part of Team Rocket, though Misty did not understand Tauris' side of the story. He obviously was not a real cop, but a Rocket agent posing as one. This would definitely not be the first time Team Rocket grunts disguised themselves as benevolent-looking people to hide their shadiness. Jessie and James were always dressing themselves as doctors, news reporters, schoolgirls, waiters, and so forth to hide their identities and execute Rocket crimes. Even Butch and Cassidy went through their share of disguises, so masquerading was not uncommon throughout Team Rocket. Hell, Jessie and James once posed as Officer Jennies, too! There was no reason to assume Tauris was any different.

But if Nina and Tauris were so-called partners, how the hell does a League affiliate mix with a Rocket agent?

"I didn't lie…when I said Tauris and I are agents sent to investigate Acheron's disaster," Nina muttered softly, trying to find some shred of decency that might salvage her image in the escapees' minds. The confused survivors clearly traveled the borderline between trusting and distrusting Nina. Whether or not Nina was part of the League, she had obviously been keeping secrets, and that was never a trustworthy thing to do. Technically, Nina had not been much more enlightened about Acheron City's secrets than the escapees, thanks to Giovanni's superb abilities of concealing evidence and making decoy data files. Nevertheless, it was also a lie to claim Nina was 100% honest with her little ragtag troop. Even if she had been 90-99% honest, there was at least 1% of deception, and 1% was all that was needed to shatter everyone's trust. For Misty, who happened to be the child Nina knew the longest throughout this hellish nightmare, the redhead looked a little betrayed. Secrets, regardless of good or evil intentions, always led to distrust. The expression on the little girl's face was more painful to Nina than any gunshot could manifest.

Everyone needed the truth.

"Tauris works for Team Rocket, but he's an insider who's been working with my League branch in Valhalla City," explained Nina, hoping and praying to prove her and Tauris' innocence. Even though Tauris was part of Team Rocket, Nina knew his ultimate goals were the same as hers. The agents' means of reaching those goals had changed, though, no thanks to Giovanni's blackmail.

"Our goals were to investigate what happened to this city, and if possible, collect enough evidence that would shut down the perpetrators: Team Rocket. Previous research and investigations never provided concrete evidence of what Team Rocket was up to here, or even if Team Rocket was 100% responsible." After all, Giovanni was indeed a shady, but smart, bastard. He did not leave many things to chance, and covered his tracks almost flawlessly. "Of course, Tauris and I knew better, but hunches and words of mouth aren't enough to shut down an organization as powerful as Team Rocket. The Pokemon League needed unmistakable evidence.

"Unfortunately, neither us nor the League knew the situation in Acheron was this bad," for whatever it was worth. Minus the small detail about Giovanni's blackmail, "Tauris believes our best bet is retrieving the three virus samples as evidence, but…" Of course, Tauris already told Nina his "new" plans for the samples, but…she really did not want to tell Misty and the others about that. Surely, Nina would lose everyone's attention and trust all over again once they found out Tauris planned to take the samples to Giovanni.

"'SAMPLES'?" Misty and the others exclaimed, though the youngest redhead's shriek was much higher than the others'. For Misty, her mind was graced with a not-so-pleasant memory of what happened at the Acheron Police Department. Chief Ulisse may not have been the most stable of characters in Acheron's freakish puppet show, but he did possess a sample vaccine for Acheron's virus. The stoned bastard even infected himself, so he probably had quite a collection of samples. After all, Ulisse said he was working in Team Rocket's favor, too…a tad ironic…getting virus and vaccine vials to sell to the heinous organization in exchange for his precious money. The thought alone drove Misty's teeth to grind back a few unpleasant cusses, garbled into a resentful "Ulisse…"

The girl's scoff was soft, but loud enough for Tauris to notice and broaden a grin. He had to admit, the little red-haired girl was quite a fast learner, piecing together puzzle pieces before the parts were even laid out in front of her. It was no small wonder why Misty was still alive in this gruesome city. Almost as a reward, Tauris' instant respect for the redhead prompted him to offer Misty one extra tiny piece of Acheron's gigantic puzzle.

"Good ol' Ulisse was another contact of mine," the brunette informed, unsurprised to see Misty's eyes widen in disbelief, while Nina perked. Tauris knew even Nina did not know this little tidbit of information. "He wasn't Neen's contact though. You can thank the chief for making our job ten times harder. If he just gave me all the samples, Neen and I wouldn't have had to run around the rest of this friggen city.

"But Ulisse got pissy when I offered him what he called an 'insufficient amount of money' for the samples," which happened to be translated as 'zero dollars.' "Apparently, Ulisse thought Team Rocket was gonna' make him an instant billionaire just for sitting on his lazy ass and twirling Ject vials. Heh, boy wasn't Ulisse disappointed, though I can't say I expected him to shoot me." Naturally, Misty blinked after that comment, as did Nina. "Nor did I expect him to infect himself as spite, but I guess he didn't have much else to live for afterwards. Kinda' sad, when you think about it; living only for the sake of obsessing over money."

It was the first time since Tauris arrived that Jessie laughed at him, though her grunt was certainly not credited to the man's half-baked sense of humor. 'Sad for obsessing over money'? "Psh! If you're working with Team Rocket, then that line's funny coming from the likes of you!"

Raising an eyebrow, Tauris' curiosity piqued back towards the older redhead. "You think Neen and I are in this for the money?" he asked almost innocently, as if Jessie's question was unexpected even for his ears. "Sorry to disappoint you, but that's not the case. It's true that the Khimaira-Jects could sell for a pretty penny, but don't you agree that stopping Team Rocket altogether, or protecting the one you love, is a greater reward?"

No matter how confused and angry Jessie, James, Meowth, and Misty felt at that moment, they could not help but absolutely agree with Tauris. In one sentence, Tauris just divulged his and Nina's motives: stopping Team Rocket and protecting loved ones. Perhaps Tauris and Nina, regardless of their secrets and backgrounds, were indeed striving towards the same goal.

Not even needing the others to ask, one of Tauris' hands fell into his breast pocket. Just as Ulisse did back at the police station, the brown-haired agent pulled out a small vial: red, familiar, disturbingly familiar…the vaccine. It was anyone's guess where Tauris got that capsule. Yet, considering Tauris survived the A.P.D., and Ulisse clearly hoarded samples in his office, it was not hard to believe how Tauris got his own vaccine.

"Nicolas Vincenzio was the biochemist who originally developed Team Rocket's viral Khimaira-Jects," Tauris explained, swishing the red blood-like liquid around in its vial, creating tiny pink bubbles in the transparent fluids. "Not much is known about the guy, and not much needs to be known about him, either. The point is that he created three special chemicals that have the potential of creating a lot more than just shitloads of money. If in the wrong hands, these viruses could ignite the ultimate biological warfare. You've already seen what the Jects did to this city…just imagine if the outbreak spread everywhere!"

Frankly, Misty and the others did not want to imagine if the virus spread everywhere. To think that their beloved hometowns could be ravaged by legions of undead was…unimaginable.

"Granted, Giovanni hasn't shown any interest in instigating viral terrorism, at least to my knowledge," admitted Tauris. "I can't picture him trying it, either. He's too preoccupied with using the Jects to create his precious super-power Pokemon Khimaira. But…God only knows what the hell he'll do once Khimaira comes to life, too." Even Tauris shuddered at that disturbing possibility. "For all we know, once that Pokemon bioweapon is fully functional, it could wreak more havoc than the damn viruses. From what I've heard, Khimaira's supposed to make Tentagator look like a plush toy."

Jessie nearly passed out in James' arms. Tentagator…a PLUSH TOY? Now that was a disturbing possibility, far more horrific than biological warfare. Tentagator was capable of bombing through cement walls, shredding solid steel, and regenerating lost limbs (and it could probably even walk on water for all Jessie knew). The beast was practically invincible, minus its sensitive tentacle arm. Though, since the said arm could regenerate itself, it really was not much of a "weak spot" anymore, was it? Tentagator was an abomination beyond human belief, and probably the closest mankind could ever come to creating an "invincible" Pokemon. Now Tauris claimed there was another Pokemon freak that would obsolete Tentagator! You've gotta' be shitting me! What could be better/worse than that tentacle monstrosity?

Jessie really did not want to know.

"What happened tonight in Acheron City was just the beginning," Tauris almost warned, sending chills down his audience's spines. Surprisingly, even he appeared slightly perturbed by the words coming out of his lips. "If the actual viruses don't wreak worse havoc, Khimaira's eventual awakening will do the honors. Then the shit will really hit the fan, but by the time the public finds out…they'll probably be victimized just like Acheron's residents."

All of a sudden, Tauris' tone of voice seemed to be taking another drastic turn. It was virtually impossible for Misty to know whether this Rocket agent was a "good guy" or "bad guy" anymore, so she just continued to proceed with caution. However, the redhead had to admit that Tauris certainly did not fit the criterion for the cliché "villain" in this story, either. "What are you saying?"

A light chuckle passed from Tauris' mouth, his eyes briefly glancing towards his quiet partner before continuing. "I'm carrying two of the three samples with me: the S-Ject, which happens to be the blue virus, and the G-Ject, the red vaccine. Ulisse never got the third L-Ject, so that's made my search a little harder. Wherever Vincenzio hid the L-Ject, it's definitely not in the A.P.D. or chemical plant. God forbid he made this scavenger hunt 'easy'."

Tauris has been scouring the city this whole time? That might have explained all the suspicious little details that cluttered Misty and the other's adventures through Acheron. Some doors had been conveniently unlocked, especially in the chemical plant, and Misty recalled those keypads at the Pokemon Center that looked tampered. Of course, Tauris never mentioned visiting the Center, but that did not mean he never visited the place. Misty could have sworn she had been noticing 'somebody' follow her and her friends through Acheron, lurking in the shadows, behind ajar doors…

That face I saw at the perfume shop… Misty particularly recalled. Could he be…?

"The last possible place Vincenzio could've hid the L-Ject is in the old Acheron Memorial Hospital," assumed Tauris, patting Nina's jumpy shoulder once. "I hear that's where the crazy geezer did most of his research, until the place was closed and the experiments were moved to the chemical plant." Thereafter, Tauris truly did not want to divulge any more information than already given. Nobody else, aside Nina, needed to know that Tauris was planning on bringing the three viruses straight to Giovanni. Of course, if the escapees knew this, they obviously would not comply with Tauris' offer, would they? And if that happened, the escapees would most certainly not escape Acheron City alive, and Tauris knew Nina did not want that to happen. So the next best alternative was fudging the truth. "The hospital's our last stop before leaving this hellhole. We're not gonna' have a lot of time to scour the place, but one way or another-"

"Are you insane?" Jessie suddenly cut the man's sentence, shutting Tauris' mouth and throwing her hands up in defeat. She was tired, irritable, and Tauris and Nina's foolish mission was the least of Jessie's interests anymore. Jessie could care less if Tauris and Nina ventured to the hospital. She did not care if the partners found the last virus, or if they became billionaires. She did not care if Nina and Tauris saved the world, if hospital zombies killed the duo, or even if the partners had the world's greatest sex in the Goddamn hospital! Jessie did not give a shit! "If you two wanna' continue your little scavenger hunt, be my guest, but we're taking the evac route and getting the hell out of here! You idiots can rot with the zombies for all I care!"

Tauris and Nina knew they deserved such condemnation, but there was one small problem in Jessie's plan. "I hate to break it to you, lady…" Tauris shrugged again, causing Jessie's eyes to widen in horror when he noted, "…There is no evac route. But how else was I supposed to get Nina to meet me here?" His said partner looked almost as stunned as Jessie, too. "It would've seemed kinda' dumb of Neen to come here for no reason…not that she knew about that."

Something cracked.

It was faint, but the devastation shattered and cut so deeply inside Misty that she was almost certain the ground crumbled underneath her. The lab's room temperature plummeted below zero, and the redhead was almost certain her heart stopped faster than a skidding truck wheel.

No.

"There is no evac route." No. Surely Tauris was lying. There was still no way of knowing whether or not Tauris was even telling the truth. Yes. He must be lying. He was lying! There was no other possible explanation, and Misty absolutely refused to listen to any other explanation, too. His words could not be true. There had to be an escape route! There had to be! Misty would not accept anything less. There was an evac route, she and the others would find it, they would escape Acheron City, and Ash would be okay. That was all there was to it!

"There is no evac route."

Yet…

"Son of a bitch."

Yet…

"There is NO evac route."

Misty cracked.

"You…you SON OF A BITCH!" the girl screamed at the top of her lungs, nearly piercing the adults' eardrums and painfully forcing them to face her direction. Even when they acknowledged her presence, none of the adults could prevent themselves from blinking in shock over what they saw. Before their stunned eyes was the little redhead girl, steadily climbing to her feet like prowling hunter getting into an offensive stance.

The red-haired predator firmly stood her ground, snarling behind gritted teeth and breathing heavy puffs of steaming oxygen. Blade-like eyes reflected a sea engulfed in the most savage of storms, cold and merciless towards those foolish enough to challenge the unrelenting ocean. Odysseus' struggles through the vengeful Poseidon's waves were probably 'easier' compared to anyone's attempts of getting through Misty. The girl's face scowled, reddened by rage. Fists shook, veins pumped blood, and at that moment, a mere child looked like a ferocious sea monster that made wicked Scylla appear benevolent. Of course, Misty was not a monster. But…Misty certainly could become a monster, if such were the price required to protect the object of affection lying unconscious behind her.

Ash…

"This boy is in dire need of medical attention!" blasted Misty, pointing a sharp finger back at Ash. She did not dare look back at him, though. For one reason, Misty's eyes were busy shooting daggers into the seemingly traitorous Nina and Tauris, particularly towards Nina. But dominantly, Misty did not dare look back at Ash's pale, motionless face. If the redhead spent one more second watching Ash's face deprived of his radiant, happy-go-lucky smile…Misty's cracking would warp from wild anger into heart-wrenching sobs. The fact that Ash was not hurrying to regain consciousness drilled another knife into the trembling girl's chest. "Ash doesn't have time to be wandering around this city anymore than necessary! Yet all you two care about is your Goddamn missions!"

Misty was not the only person to feel a knife twist inside her chest. But knowing she rightfully deserved such pain, Nina stayed silent and just chewed her lower lip.

Unable to understand Nina at the moment, the infuriated Misty shook her head in utter disbelief, and disappointment. Misty and the others placed their very lives in Nina's hands, and yet… "I don't care who the hell you two really are," snarled Misty, screwing shut her aquamarine eyes. It no longer mattered if Nina was on Misty's side. Now, the redhead girl had to keep her thoughts focused on those who were indisputably on her side…the ones Misty loved.

Ash…

"But I swear to God…" Misty's voice promised darkly, while one of her hands grabbed a Pokeball before the girl's audience could even react. Misty did not know which Pokemon she selected, but the choice did not matter. All of Misty's Pokemon, from valiant Staryu to dippy Psyduck, would more than eagerly follow the redhead into battle. As if she were clutching a weapon, Misty pointed the Pokeball directly at Nina, reminiscently of how Nina recently pointed her magnum between Misty's eyes. The redhead's shaking fingers practically dug into the ball's hard shell. Furious aquamarine orbs burned into guilty maroon eyes as Misty vociferously declared "I AM getting Ash out of this city if it's the last thing I do! And you WILL tell us how to get out of Acheron! If I have to fight both of you in order to get that information, so be it, but I am NOT fucking around anymore!"

Holy shit, though Jessie also found herself silently rooting for the enraged redhead. The only reason Jessie did not vocally root for the ex-twerpette was because the ex-Rocket was too petrified to utter a peep, lest Misty murder her. Jessie knew Misty had a short fuse, but…damn, Jessie never saw Misty this pissed. Hell, "pissed" was an understatement! This was one of those moments Jessie, James, and Meowth would grapple onto each other in a fearful embrace, had they not been scared stiff. Acheron's undead Gyarados looked friendly compared to Misty! Right now, this apoplectic Misty could probably make Tentagator cry.

Nina once kidded that Misty's loudmouthed voice was potentially noisy enough to wake the dead. Sadly, Misty's current behavior was certainly not a laughing matter. In fact, the girl's behavior was absolutely justifiable. Nina knew Misty deeply cared about Ash, and vice versa, so it was only natural that the boy was first in Misty's thoughts. Ash had been wounded twice tonight, in the same leg no less, and it was getting more and more obvious that his health was deteriorating. He needed help, and while Misty would most certainly provide such, Nina doubted Misty could handle everything on her own. The girl was bound to need assistance in getting Ash out of this city, and above all, Misty needed to know how to escape Acheron.

Where were Nina's loyalties?

…In Tauris; her partner…her lover?

…Or in Misty and the others; strangers…innocents?

Nina had to choose one side, because it was obvious she could not have both.

"…Do as I say, Nina, or Tentagator WILL kill those kids."

How bold of a risk was Nina willing to take?

"Listen girlie, I already told you we'd help get you guys out of this city," Tauris reminded her, attempting to simmer the red-haired girl's red-hot temper. "But we'll do so after Neen and I get the L-Ject from the hospital. You're gonna' have to be under our watch for a while longer. First off, running around by yourselves is suicide, since Neen and I know our ways around Acheron better than any of you." Of course, Misty silently cursed herself for recklessly forgetting that detail. Potential traitor or not, Tauris obviously was not an idiot.

Of course, Tauris also had to remember his agreement with Giovanni, and that meant Tauris was technically working in Team Rocket's favor. Like it or not, Tauris had an antagonistic role to play in this puppet show. "Secondly, we're not about to let any of you run off on your own and potentially go to the authorities." Tauris did not say it, but if the escapees ran off on their own, Rocket hit men would definitely target them. As crazy as it sounded, Misty and the others would be much safer sticking with Tauris and Nina. "You're coming with us, and that's all there is to it. There's a Team Rocket base between Acheron and Valhalla, and it has medical facilities that can treat your boyfriend. Besides, all of you will have to be quarantined and treated for safety's sake, Neen and me included. But the sooner we quit screwing around in this facility, the sooner we can get out of here once and for all."

Misty never had time to acknowledge the "boyfriend" crack. What Tauris just said was undoubtedly the truth. Time was of the essence, especially for Ash…perhaps…perhaps more than even Misty realized.

"Though…" trailed Tauris, causing Misty's eyes to blink upon noticing the man's gaze became fixated on the boy resting behind Misty's feet. Motioning with his head, Tauris noticed "…I wouldn't be so sure about your little friend over there."

Misty's mouth opened to protest, but nothing came out. As if something just jabbed her, the girl shuddered, blinking several times as Tauris' words repeated like a broken record inside Misty's brain. The girl's ponytail slapped her cheeks as Misty snapped her head back and forth between Tauris and Ash. "W-wha…what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Tauris asked almost innocently, causing Misty and the rest of her crew to exchange odd looks. Several pairs of eyes, Nina's included, stared at the sleeping Ash, attempting to find what was so darn "obvious" about him. Yet, the only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was the boy's right leg wrapped in bloodstained gauze. Aside the fact that Ash's leg had been ripped open and it might be potentially lost, what was there to be 'obviously' worried about?

"Tauris…" whispered Nina, wanting her words to only reach Tauris' ears. Even low-key, Nina's trepidation could be perfectly identified inside the woman's voice. Narrowing her maroon eyes suspiciously, Nina dared to ask "What're are you talking about?"

Even Tauris looked surprised to hear Nina ask such a question. For the man, the signs looked pretty damn obvious. "I've seen enough of this city to know the difference between someone who's clean, and someone who's infected."

And just when Misty thought her world was shattered, Tauris just took the shard remains and ground them into dust under his boots.

In-infected?

"Bullshit!" Jessie barked, stomping a foot to rudely grab Tauris' attention away from the visibly stunned Misty. Jessie did not even want to begin contemplating the hell that just ignited inside the poor girl. So, Jessie did the next best thing and took out her frustrations on Tauris. "Ash was never bitten!"

Even when Tauris checked the validity of Jessie's words through Nina's affirmative eyes, the brunette was not convinced. "Then explain that leg wound of his."

"Tentagator slit Ash's leg with its tentacle arm," Nina remembered, doing her damnedest not to remember every gritty detail concerning dear Pikachu's demise. It was so poetically cruel that Ash was wounded whilst protecting his beloved Pokemon. In the end, Pikachu still died, and Ash was…

"Well, that explains it," Tauris concluded matter-of-factly.

"Explains WHAT?" screamed Jessie, on the verge of undertaking her own rampage similar to Misty's.

Unfazed by Jessie's bubbling fury, Tauris looked back at the unconscious Ash, particularly the boy's leg wound. "Well, Tentagator's tentacle arm happens to be its mouth. It feeds through that arm. The inner core produces saliva, and a zombie's saliva is what carries the infection and makes it spread through bites. All the infected saliva needs is an open path to the victim's bloodstream. In the case of normal zombies, their teeth usually break the skin to clear a path to the bloodstream.

"But in Tentagator's case, its tentacle arm is powerful enough to shred through skin and break open a path to the bloodstream. The beast may not be a 'zombie,' and a 'bite' from Tentagator probably has very different side effects than bites from regular zombies. Still, Tentagator is a mutant bioweapon that's been overloaded with the viral Khimaira-Jects. Hell, Tentagator's probably more infectious than all the other zombies in this city!"

Misty did not hear half of Tauris' lecture about Tentagator's biology.

It's not true.

She just continued to chant those three little words to herself.

It's not true. It's not true.

Over and over again.

It's not true. It's not true. It's not true. It's not true. It's not true.

And maybe, somehow, Misty would believe herself.

It's not true. It's not true. It's not true. It's NOT TRUE! IT'S NOT TRUE!

Unfortunately, no matter how many times Misty told herself it's not true, she already knew otherwise.

Everybody knew "how" Tentagator fed itself. In fact, the truths about its freakish tentacle arm had been right under the escapees' noses ever since Pikachu's murder. That starfish-like arm had eaten Pikachu alive, and it also ate one of Wobbuffet's arms, too! Tentagator's feeding habits certainly were not gigantic mysteries anymore. Yet, how was it possible that Misty never saw this revelation coming? Why was she so surprised? Ash's leg had been torn apart by the very abomination that was capable of consuming an electric rodent whole! There was no reason to assume Tentagator's feeding arm was any more sanitary than the regular mouths of human zombies. The evidence was plain as day!

It's not true.

But that was not the only more-than-obvious sign of Ash's deterioration. The poor boy had been stumbling and slipping into unconsciousness more frequently since Tentagator's injury. He collapsed when Pikachu died, though the fainting could have been due to the mouse's gruesome death, Ash's shredded leg, or both. Ash had been tripping and losing his balance more often, too, though Misty never thought it was anything out of the ordinary. Ash was bound to have a hard time walking tonight, if not because of his injury, his sheer fatigue could be the culprit. Besides, Ash falling flat on his face was never unusual for the klutz. And now, most recently, Ash fainted again, and Misty was no longer certain it was entirely because of the stomach-churning remains of Subjects 609 and 833. God only knew what germs were inside the flooded lab's water, too. Though, Misty could have sworn the water had been cleaned and filtered, but there were no guarantees, especially once Gyarados started butchering bodies. The water might not have been viral, but it probably never helped Ash's wound, either.

It's…not true.

Since the sewers, Ash had been infected…right under their noses the entire time!

It's…n-not…t-true…

That was when Misty's cracking finally warped into tears.

When Nina saw the salty lines cascade down Misty's features, that was when something cracked inside Nina. "Fine, I'll do as you say, but leave those kids alone, Tauris. I'll play 'villain' alongside you, and let you take the samples to Giovanni, but help me get those kids out of this city." That was the agreement the blackmailed partners made. However, now realizing Ash's more than obvious infection, Nina suddenly realized another little revelation.

"T-take…care of them…for m-me."

Yes, she was taking a risk. However, Nina suddenly realized Brock's promise was worth all of its risks. "Tauris…give Ash the vaccine."

Of course, Tauris was shocked to say the least. He was not in the mood to bicker with Nina again. He had already compromised his missions far beyond recognition, and there would be severe consequences when all was said and done. But above all, Tauris knew that if he dared to return to Giovanni without all three Khimaira-Jects, then Tauris would not be the only person Giovanni would reward via a bullet to the brain. "Neen, we need all three samples. I'm already down two out of three without the L-Ject."

Frankly, Nina did not consider Tauris' words worthy of being called excuses anymore. The bottom line was crystal clear. "I said give him the vaccine." If Tauris had the gall to set Tentagator loose, let him try. Nina would deal with it, somehow, as long as it meant she was doing the right thing. All of a sudden, Nina realized she was destined to die in the immediate future, either by Tentagator, or by Giovanni.

But as long as Misty and the others survive, then…

…No matter how much she loved Tauris, this was Nina's duty.

Before Tauris even realized it, the barrel of Nina's twin magnum had reached his forehead. Maroon eyes glared viciously through a thin layer of tears, before the gun's safety clicked off. "Give the boy the vaccine."

"Just do your Goddamn job, Tauris. Don't forget, I know all about your relations with Miss Ninetta, and let me give you some free advice. If you get me what I want, then everybody will be happy. However…if you do not bring me all three of Vincenzio's Jects, then consider your precious 'Neen' as good as DEAD!"

That was not a price Tauris was willing to pay. He cared about children, and he cared about the good of mankind and the world, but…Nina meant the world to Tauris.

Some power-hungry people like Giovanni probably reveled at the opportunity to decide who lived and died during a situation. For Tauris, he abhorred the role, but accepted it like a prisoner who accepts his execution. No matter how much Tauris cared about innocent people, he did not value them as much as he valued Nina. Given the choice of determining who lived and died tonight, Tauris chose his beloved. His love was selfish, but it was nevertheless love that drove Tauris to snap his fingers.

"Grrraaaaarrrrrrr!"

"Oh no…" whimpered Meowth, burying his face back into James' violet hair as the familiar stomping boomed closer and closer to the lab. It always seemed like Tentagator came at the most inopportune times, living proof of Murphy's Law: anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, at the worst possible time. Was there no end to this insanity? "Meow…not again."

Jessie and James were not looking forward to seeing Tentagator's pretty face again, either. However, now knowing that Ash was infected, the ex-Rockets were not about to stick around any longer than necessary. If Tauris was not going to kindly hand over the vaccine, the next alternative was retrieving the vial by force.

Misty was thinking identically. Not even needing to release her own Pokemon, the girl issued the first attack. "Totodile! Water Gun!" She may not have been Totodile's trainer, but the little blue crocodile knew the redhead well enough to take her orders, especially while Totodile's master was unconscious. Lusting a little vengeance of its own, Totodile unleashed a powerful water jet directly at Tauris, causing him and Nina to dodge in opposite directions. Though the first strike never hit, it was all the greater incentive for Totodile to try harder during the second barrage. With perfect aim, the Water Gun doused Tauris, sending the man backwards towards the nearest wall via a pummeling velocity. If Tauris hit the wall, there was a chance his spine might break like Pikachu's.

Of course, Misty also realized that Tauris might drop the glass vaccine in his hand, too!

Damn!

During the time it took Misty to cancel Totodile's attack, she clipped her random Pokeball back into her belt, thereafter breaking into a sprint towards the sailing Tauris. Of course, unable to outrun the speed of the aquatic Pokemon's Water Gun, Misty never reached Tauris in time.

But Tentagator did.

BOOM!

A cloud of cement debris engulfed Tauris, mere seconds before he slammed into the solid wall. Jaws dropped from the onlookers and the running Misty as the tentacle fiend appeared through the haze. Even more shocking than the hole Tentagator made in the nearest wall was how the beast actually grabbed Tauris with its muscular arm. It was not an offensive maneuver, either…it was so Tauris would not fall! Hell, Tentagator's veiled chest had been the very thing that cushioned Tauris' back.

Against all previous notions, the unbelieving escapees realized Tentagator saved Tauris! How could such a feral, abominable freak behave like a faithful Pokemon? Then again, minus Nina, Misty and the others had no idea of Tauris' minute connection to Tentagator.

Skidding to a halt in front of Tauris and Tentagator, Misty's sneakers squeaked across the damp red floor. Tentagator's beady crimson eyes instantly glared viciously at her. But for the first time in her life, Misty was not absolutely overcome with fear of the beast. In fact, she glared right back at Tentagator, once she noticed the vaccine was still in Tauris' hand.

Ash needs that vaccine.

Not even Tentagator would stop Misty.

"MISTY!" Jessie, James, Meowth, and Nina screamed as they watched the crazy redhead charge towards Tauris and Tentagator. She did not care about the risks. Ash needs that vaccine!

Little did Misty realize her reasons for running towards Tentagator were almost the same reasons why Tauris threw caution to the wind and sided with Giovanni, all to save Nina. Even though he did not personally know the girl, Tauris could tell Misty was driven on the same instinct as him; an obsessive desire to protect the one person they loved, even at the cost of damning the rest of the world. Tauris had to admit, he respected this blue-eyed red-haired girl.

But Misty was not worth losing Nina.

"Stop her, Tentagator," ordered Tauris, stepping away from his designed bioweapon and returning the red vaccine to his shirt's pocket. "But do not kill her…yet," he added, disregarding the appalled expression Nina shot him after hearing the "yet." Honestly, Tauris had no intentions of killing Misty and the others, unless absolutely necessary. Tentagator was more or less meant to 'encourage' the others' cooperation, but if he had to kill them…for Nina…Tauris would do so. "Go!"

Perhaps love is indeed blind, or blinding.

Slam!

Using its bioengineered inhuman speed, Tentagator lunged in front of Misty, faster than she could blink. Less than two seconds later, a stunned gasp of air broke through her lips when Misty crashed backwards onto the damp floor. Tentagator's innocent blow drove the girl flat on her back, as effortlessly as though the demon brushed dust off of its fingers. Tentagator certainly never broke a sweat, and it definitely did not seem impressed by the weak girl's performance. Compared to Tentagator, humans were so lackluster.

But lackluster or brilliant, the snarling Misty refused to lose!

Slam!

Jessie was milliseconds away from grabbing Arbok's Pokeball when her hand flew to her mouth. For a second time, Tentagator's muscular arm tossed the valiant Misty back onto the floor like a ragdoll. Jessie's stomach knotted. Like her twerpy boyfriend, Misty kept staggering back to her feet after each blow, struggling to continue forward no matter how many times Tentagator knocked her down. How many times Ash had nearly gotten himself killed, and yet he always dragged himself to his feet and kept moving? Misty was Ash's spitting image at the moment, physically fighting Tentagator with her own body, never subjecting her beloved Pokemon to the fatal battle. Had it not been for Tauris' "don't kill her" order, Misty would be dead by now.

Slam! Slam!

The younger girl cried out each time, louder and more strained, but she still kept getting back up.

Slam!

Misty still kept falling back down, too. Jessie cringed every time.

Slam! Slam!

But…

"STOP IT, TAURIS!" screamed Nina, leveling her magnum right at her lover's face again. Shooting Tentagator was pointless, but Nina certainly knew Tauris could not regenerate. But…slam! Slam! Misty could not regenerate, either. Her own eyes welling with tears, Nina choked back a small sob before crying out, almost pulling the trigger. Everyone needed a miracle right now, and Nina no longer held the notion that Tauris was her miracle. "LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Slam!

After the last blow, Misty did not return to her feet as quickly as she hoped. It was pretty damn obvious Tentagator was not unleashing its full strength, and yet Misty was already exhausted. She felt pathetic, lying below the towering Tentagator, panting, bleeding, bruised, and maybe broken in some places. The girl was not certain. But Misty could still move, so that was a blessing. Yes, she could keep going. She could do it for Ash. He needed her to get that vaccine, and Misty knew Ash would do the same for her if the situation were reversed.

On your feet, Misty, the redhead ordered, dragging herself to her knees and glaring bloodshot eyes up into Tentagator's blood-red orbs. Sticky crimson fluids glided out the corners of Misty's cracked lips, and she swallowed the metallic taste of her own life's blood. Her previously stained clothes were intact, but torn in countless places. Both of her brown trouser straps had been snapped, dangling lifelessly and slapping against Misty's unsteady hips. The single strap of her red backpack had also been cut, and the bag now rested two feet away in a tiny pool of drying blood. Misty figured she could collect her backpack once she retrieved Ash's vaccine from Tauris.

Every part of her ached, but Misty somehow returned to her feet. She could and would overcome this hellish obstacle. Indeed, there were worse things in life than just Tentagator. The chances of losing Ash were what truly made Tentagator appear like a damn plush toy. Ash doesn't give up, and neither do I!

"I don't...w-want to lose you, e-either, Misty."

And I don't want to lose you, Ash.

Using the back of her hand, Misty wiped the blood spilling from her lips. Breathing puffs of hot air, the girl's teal eyes once again reflected Poseidon's rage right into Tentagator. The beast was unfazed, but such never stopped the redhead. Misty could be a monster when she wanted to be, and Tentagator was about to learn through first-hand experience.

Even though Misty looked as though she was prepared to march into Hell, Nina and the onlooking ex-Rockets were less confident. Misty was practically asking Tentagator to kill her! Her heart was in the right place, but instead, if a miracle did not happen soon, Misty's heart (and the rest of her) would end up all over the place!

But somehow, in the depths of the hell called Acheron City, a miracle did come.

"T-Togi?"

The tiny chirp was all that was needed to draw the attention of the lab's occupants. Only then did Misty's glaring eyes widen in unprecedented horror when she realized that tending to her backpack later was not a good idea. Before Misty's wide eyes toddled her precious baby Pokemon, squirming out of its trainer's fallen backpack after the rude awakening. Still sleepy, the egg rubbed the rims of its eyes, adjusting its hazy vision towards whatever in God's name had been going on in the outside world. Of course, Togepi had noticed commotion tonight, but Mommy said not to leave her backpack, too. Would Misty be angry with Togepi for disobeying her? Don't be mad, Mommy. Togepi was just curious, and scared. Where did Mommy go?

Of course, the moment Togepi saw Misty, the baby's heart fluttered. Mommy!

But then Togepi saw the horrific tentacle devil, burning into Togepi's petrified memory; its feral snarls, snake-like arm, rippling muscles, and its fire-red eyes.

That was when the baby's fluttering heart fell to its stomach. Thereafter, tiny brown eyes, the size of jellybeans, puffed with shimmering tears. "Prriiiiii…"

"Togepi!" Misty shrieked, mentally scolding herself for ever forgetting the infant. So preoccupied with saving Ash, Misty never bothered to consider the fates of anyone else. Then again, Togepi had been safely tucked into Misty's backpack…until now. The redhead could loathe herself later for such recklessness. As of this second, the gears in Misty's mind shifted faster than Tentagator could run. Togepi was crying, and the sound always broke Misty's maternal heart.

More direly, Tentagator started moving towards Togepi!

"Tentagator, what the hell are you doing?" exclaimed Tauris, gesturing with his hands in a feeble attempt to grab the monster's attention. Granted, Tentagator was not attacking or going out of control, but the beast was clearly not listening to Tauris, either.

Fear…blood…flesh…

Yes, Tauris was one of Tentagator's many creators, but the fiend still ran on basic instincts. Tentagator was a monster, after all. It would not willingly kill Tauris, but the creature still craved sustenance. Besides, Tentagator was still missing four out of its five fingerlike feeding tentacles. The fresh DNA around Tentagator intoxicated the freak, taunting the monster to indulge itself in blood-red wine and regenerate its lost limbs. Master's words requested Tentagator not to kill the wimpy red-haired girl. However, Tauris never said anything about sparing anyone else, especially the delicious-looking baby Pokemon. The weeping appetizer would at least sate Tentagator for a short while, and possibly regenerate one more feeding tentacle. This egg Pokemon was better than nothing.

Flailing its tiny arms, the baby wailed for Misty. "Togi! Togi! Togi! TOGI!"

"GET AWAY FROM TOGEPI!" Misty screamed, racing towards the beast and ready to tear it apart with her bare hands. Master Tauris ordered Tentagator not to kill redhead, but there was no law stating Tentagator was exempt from shoving Misty back whence she came. Just before Misty's fingernails could graze Togepi's shell, the girl was thrown several feet across the floor. After shrieking, the stunned girl rolled multiple times before stopping facedown in another thin blood puddle.

Everything was a garbled blur thereafter. Misty could hear Jessie and Meowth screaming, James running towards her, and Nina cursing something to Tauris. Misty deciphered none of the specifics. Staggeringly, she raised her head as if it were a heavy sandbag. An overabundance of knotted orange-red hair veiled over her tired eyes, indicating that Misty's ponytail must have fallen out thanks to Tentagator's last attack. Aching everywhere, panting heavily, and leaking blood, Misty felt tired enough to join Ash in unconsciousness. Oh, how sweet of a fantasy: to drift into slumber land, perhaps wherever Ash was waiting for her with open arms and his beautiful smile. Misty longed for such a fantasy to become reality.

But…

Instead, the headstrong girl climbed to her knees, carefully brushing away her hair like a curtain. Only when this nightmare was over could Misty savor the sweet fantasy of Ash's embrace. Now was not the time to give up.

"Togi! Togi! Togi! Togi!"

Even so, the sight her curtain of red hair revealed almost caused Misty to give into the lurking unconsciousness.

Tentagator was still missing four out of its five fingerlike tentacles. It did not have enough feeding tentacles to "chew" Togepi, but the baby was tiny enough to swallow whole, identically to a snake swallowing a bird's egg.

No!

By the time Misty found her voice, history repeated itself. Just like Pikachu and Wobbuffet's arm, Togepi vanished through a small bulge in Tentagator's consuming arm.

No…

Instead of fainting, the redhead girl's heart stopped. Time stopped. The world stopped. Everything stopped. Now, all the wide-eyed Misty could do was scream her throat dry. "TOGEPI!"

Frankly, even Tauris never expected this to happen. Tentagator was not technically his personal Pokemon, at least, not via a bond typical trainers had with their Pokemon. Nevertheless, Tentagator was supposed to obey to its creators, and yet Tentagator still proved it was a killing machine. It had no loyalties, and there was no reason to assume Tauris was an exception.

Tauris and the others had to leave the chemical plant, now. Whether or not Tentagator would be accompanying them was still undecided. Even Tauris did not know who his allies were in this city. Perhaps if Neen and the others actually LISTENED to me in the first place and left by now, this might have not happened. He almost voiced such crude opinions, before…

"Grraarh?"

That was a somewhat different sound to come from Tentagator's gauzed mouth.

"…To…gi…"

And that was an even stranger sound coming from inside Tentagator's feeding arm!

"…To…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…"

Before her tears could fall again, Misty's watery eyes blinked. She did not relish the thought of looking back at the beast that ate her precious baby Pokemon, but…

"…To…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…"

Misty knew that muffled sound, but she could not believe it.

"…To…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…"

"What the hell is that?" Tauris asked, furrowing his brow curiously as he stared at the moving bump in Tentagator's silvery tentacle arm. The bulge that was Togepi continued to trek up Tentagator's tube-like arm, but at an exceptionally slower pace. Considering the beast was unable to chew Togepi, consuming the baby's hard shell took longer to digest. It would take a while longer before the egg could be fully consumed.

"…To…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…"

Not having been chewed and broken down like Pikachu, Togepi was still whole.

"…To…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…"

Togepi was still alive!

"…To…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…gi…to…"

And to Misty's tearful jubilation, Togepi was using Metronome!

Nobody else knew what the hell was happening, until a final squeak echoed from Tentagator's mutated arm.

"To…GI!"

Metronome was always a gamble, and what were the odds that the cards were in Misty's favor? There was no way of knowing what would happen next.

…

…

…

Provided…anything actually happened next.

"W-what…?" squeaked Misty, blinking multiple times as she waited for something to happen. But as the seconds ticked…ticked…ticked…nothing transpired. Surely, Togepi had been using Metronome! Misty was almost positive, though everybody else always teased her about it. "Togepi's just a baby! It doesn't know any attacks!" Perhaps everyone was correct all along. Togepi was probably just crying out to its mommy. Dipping her head, a few tears trickled down the length of Misty's nose, falling and camouflaging onto the bloodstained floor. Oh Togepi…

"Tentagator? What's wrong? Are you listening to me?"

Misty barely heard Tauris' calls over the sounds of her sobs.

"Misty! Look!"

But James' louder voice quickly grabbed her attention, perfectly in sync with the young man grabbing the girl's arms and pulling her to Misty's feet. Still uneasy on her own legs, Misty held onto James' assisting hands. Through the corner of her tear-rimmed eyes, Misty saw Jessie and Meowth elsewhere, watching over the unmoving Ash with Totodile. The Water Type had been protectively watching over Ash the whole time, so at least Ash was safe for the moment.

But…Togepi…

"Tentagator! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Only then did Misty finally acknowledge Tauris' ranting. Blinking back the last of her tears, the redhead hesitantly stared at the hellish fiend that ate her dear little Togepi. If she had not been so consumed by grief, Misty would have run back to Tentagator and ripped the creature's Goddamn feeding tentacle apart. She wanted to tear that diabolical monstrosity to ribbons, pummel its remains, and gouge its eyes!

Wait…Tentagator's…eyes…!

Tentagator's eyes had always been bizarre orbs of hellfire red, but as of this moment, they looked stranger than usual. The pupils looked dilated, but the overall appearance of the eyeball looked dazed…drifting…very much like Ulisse's delirious eyes after he infected himself. Just like the junkie chief, Tentagator now looked like it was on another planet. The creature never staggered drunkenly, but it just stared into oblivion, as if Tentagator underwent a trance.

There was a pang of hope inside Misty's chest, and she could not help but wonder. Could it be?

"Tentagator!" Tauris complained, grabbing the monster's muscular arm in order to regain the beast's attention. Like it or not, Tentagator was trained to obey its makers, so it had to listen to Tauris' commands. "Pay attention to me, dammit!"

His wish granted, Tentagator most certainly gave Tauris its full attention.

"Grrraaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr!"

Tauris just never got the type of attention he wanted.

Using its tentacle arm like a whip, Tentagator lashed its freakish arm at the brunette man, causing the stunned Tauris to stumble away and barely miss the strike. Chips of the hit cement floor flew upon the arm's contact. Small fissures branched out from the little crater, before Tentagator's arm slinked vertically by its side. The mighty blow was strong enough to cause the beast's mutant arm to leak life fluids, though none of them were red. Gravity pushed out silvery saliva, drip-by-drip, larger and larger, until…

…Disgustingly but miraculously like a newborn baby Pokemon, a large blob of saliva fell out of Tentagator's feeding arm. Once the blob hit the cracked ground, it popped like a water balloon, revealing an ooze-covered egg. Whining over the yucky goo adhering to its body, Togepi squealed uncomfortably as it left the protective confines of its shell. "Prrrriiiiii!"

Misty would have vomited, had she not been so thrilled to see Togepi again. "Togepi!" Regardless of her wobbly legs, Misty attempted to tear herself away from James' strong hold, desperately trying to reach Togepi before Tentagator regained its senses.

Fortunately, Nina beat Misty to the punch line.

Nina thanked every ounce of her physical training for enabling her to scoop up Togepi and Misty's backpack in her arms, before the estranged Tentagator could react. It helped that Tentagator seemed fixated with attacking Tauris at the moment, too. Ironic. Nina would deal with her partner in a moment.

First things first, Nina rushed over to where the survivors' group congregated by Ash. James assisted the stumbling Misty, while Totodile quickly rinsed down Togepi with its Water Gun, attempting to clean away as much of Tentagator's infectious saliva as possible. Some of the revolting adhesive-like saliva stuck to Nina's own arms, earning herself a quick curtsey rinse from Totodile. Frankly, Nina was not too worried about herself at the moment. She could only pray the baby's shell protected Togepi enough to prevent the saliva's infection, but there were no guarantees.

"Togepi!" Misty cried, not waiting for Totodile to finish its shower before wrapping her arms around the weeping baby. Since Misty had already been soaked before, Totodile's water never bothered her, and the redhead just pressed her precious infant to her chest. Considering what happened to Pikachu, Misty knew her trilling Togepi was damn lucky to have survived Tentagator. As a few tears trickled down her cheeks, the girl continuously thanked every known god for this unexpected miracle. "Thank God! Thank God!"

Sights like these reminded Nina why she abandoned her mission in the first place.

"T-take…care of them…for m-me."

That was why Nina turned to face her illustrious partner, still defending himself from Tentagator's blind fury. Nina was not a Pokemon expert, but she figured Tentagator's berserk behavior was somehow thanks to whatever Togepi did inside the tentacle tube.

"It's acting confused," James observed, watching Tentagator continue to lash out against the man it once rescued a short while ago. James, too, did not fully understand Togepi's powers, but his best guess was "Maybe Togepi used Confusion?"

"Who the hell cares what attack it used?" Jessie exclaimed. As long as Tentagator was busy playing with Nina's friend, then that provided a golden opportunity for the rest of the group to escape unnoticed. "Let's get outta' here while we still can!" If Tentagator was indeed suffering affects of Confusion, the affects would not last long, so time was of the essence.

Of course, Nina already knew time was of the essence.

"Listen to me," the teal-haired cop spoke firmly, keeping her back to the younger escapees, but still addressing them authoritatively. There was no reason for Nina to believe Jessie and the others would actually listen to her, but Nina figured they could use her information however they saw fit.

"By six o'clock this morning, approximately two and a half hours from now, Acheron City will be locked down and sterilized. I don't have time to go into the details about 'how' this city will be 'sterilized'." Plus, Nina did not want to scare the younger ones anymore than necessary. "But I can assure you that once the city is locked down, it's not gonna' be reopened. Beyond Venusaur's shutter is an exit out of this facility. Your best bet is continuing to the city's south gates.

"Rocket agents may or may not already be stationed there, preparing the lockdown for o-six-hundred hours. You'll all be quarantined, but Team Rocket might offer treatment, and I especially recommend it for Togepi after going inside Tentagator's mouth. However, I can't picture the guards denying you help, especially since three of you are Rocket agents. For your safety; Jessie, James, Meowth, I suggest you uphold your Rocket membership, just for a little longer. Else, the guards might not let you out of this city. There're more apt to help their own kind. You can always just claim Ash and Misty are hostages."

It was as sound of a plan as Nina could formulate at the moment, and nobody was willing to argue. Fooling Rocket agents would not be hard. Heavens knew Jessie, James, and Meowth were masters of bullshitting their ways out of a fiasco.

However, "Hold it!" Misty countered, still holding onto Togepi, but keeping her eyes on Ash. True, Misty counted her blessings that Togepi was still alive, but "We can't leave without that vaccine!"

Nina already knew that. "That's what I'm gonna' get right now," she nodded matter-of-factly, much to her audience's surprise. Dropping Misty's backpack by the redhead's side, Nina then gripped her magnum. Meanwhile, her combat boots began the unappealing trek towards the brawling Tentagator and Tauris. "Hang tight for a second."

Then the unthinkable happened.

Dodging one last whip, Tauris found himself backed into a corner, with his so-called obedient Tentagator closing in on him. How in God's name had the odds gone against Tauris? He did not consider himself the most menacing of people: just a man trying to protect the one most precious to him. How was it possible for Tauris' intentions to be both incredibly selfless and incredibly selfish? But the reasons never mattered. As Tentagator's stupor-filled eyes got closer and closer, Tauris knew he was not quite as in control of the beast, or in control of this situation, as he originally believed. Shit.

He really did have the best of intentions. Alas, as Tentagator's freakish tentacle arm rose for the kill, Tauris knew the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Nina…

BANG!

A fountain of pus and blood showered overhead, dousing Tauris and Tentagator as a piece of the beast's mutant arm exploded again. Tentagator's blood curdling howl tore through the vibrating chamber, hammering eardrums and sending Tauris sliding down against the wall, landing on his knees. Exhausted from eluding Tentagator, the man desperately attempted to regain his strength. Gore still occasionally splattered Tauris' body as Tentagator went into a gruesome spasm for losing another chunk of its sensitive feeding arm.

Tauris knew who shot Tentagator, and he felt a tad heart-warmed that Nina bothered to spare him after all. As her boots trudged towards his tired frame, Tauris kept his gaze on his lap, noticing a particular slim shadow loom over him. His lips curling upwards, Tauris muttered a soft but grateful "Thanks Ne-"

"Don't flatter yourself," Nina quickly interrupted, holstering her gun and immediately grabbing Tauris' collar. Though the man was heavier than Nina, Tauris was too tired to protest, giving Nina the opportunity to sit him up straight and drill maroon daggers into his weak eyes. Holding back various cusses and emotions to keep herself focused, Nina barked "In exchange for your sorry ass, I want that vaccine now!"

That was to be expected. Was Tauris still willing to adhere to Giovanni's threats? Well, it did not seem like Tauris had much of a choice anymore. Nina had already started stumbling through Tauris' shirt pockets, trying to find the pocket where he kept the vaccine. Had this moment not been so drastic, typical Tauris would have made a suggestive comment about Nina's fingers scouring Tauris' chest. Of course, if this moment had been 'truly' perfect, Tauris would have been the one with his hands exploring Nina's chest. Oh, if only…to be able to go back in time, experience those warm moments together, just mere hours before Tauris and Nina set foot in Acheron City. Unfortunately, it was pretty damn obvious that those days were dead.

And pretty soon, Tauris, Nina, and all the others would be dead, too. If the lockdown did not end their lives, the illustrious Tentagator would do the honors. Little did Nina realize her perfect gunshot may have struck Tentagator's arm, but the noisy blow also snapped the devil out of its confused state, too.

Tauris first saw the signs in Tentagator's blood-red eyes. Slowly but surely, the demon was regaining itself, recognizing its assumed allies: Tauris, yes, Tauris was to be protected. But then there was this unfamiliar woman in front of Tauris, her back facing Tentagator, and the monster had no idea whatever it was she was doing to Tauris. Tentagator did not 'care' what Nina was doing, but the fiend had no orders regarding her, either. Unless otherwise told, Tentagator simply killed. She was fresh DNA, and a full-grown adult body would provide more than a substantial amount of nutrients needed to fully regenerate Tentagator's massacred arm.

Flesh…blood…fear…food…kill.

Tauris saw the beast approach from behind Nina. The man only had a small window of opportunity. The moment Tentagator's tentacle arm instinctively lunged for the finishing strike, Tauris' own instincts took over.

At that moment, something flashed before Tauris' eyes. It was not the cliché "watching one's life flash before his eyes," either. No. For some strange unceremonious reason, all Tauris could recall at that moment was a small note he left Nina. The bittersweet part was that Nina probably never even realized Tauris wrote it.

To my dearest…I'm sorry…I never told you…I love you.

Grabbing his 12-guage, Tauris horizontally held the shotgun like a rod, using it and as much strength as possible to push Nina off to the side. Her fingers just barely found the vaccine before Tauris shoved her, leaving the vial back in the confines of the man's breast pocket. The shotgun went sailing with Nina, landing on her chest while Nina fell on her back a la Misty. The heavy weapon squeezed a surprised yelp from Nina's throat, before the woman grabbed the long gun like a crutch and climbed to her feet.

The instance she returned to her feet, Nina almost fell back down again.

Silence.

There was no sound this time. Almost every other time somebody died a brutal death in this city, it always seemed accompanied by some ear-piercing noise: screams, cracks, booms, bangs, and roars. Whenever somebody died in Acheron, it was easy to literally hear about it.

Silence.

Yet, no such noise came this time, and that was why Nina was not even sure "it" happened.

But there was blood, pooling wider…faster…redder…fouler…

…And it call came from the gigantic hole in Tauris' impaled chest.

Attached to the hole was Tentagator's freaky arm, sucking nutrients out of Tauris' gore-stained chest before the monster even realized what it had done. Nina was the target, not Tauris, but…by no means did that imply that Tentagator felt shame. No. It was an undead bioweapon, and it lust for blood. Blood was still blood, no matter what body from which it poured. The accidental kill had already been made, and Tauris was not going to recover. Thus, there was no fault in seizing the opportunity to indulge in Tauris' delicious DNA, while Tentagator's regenerative powers slowly worked their magic. Truthfully, Tentagator was not faithful to anybody. In the end, everyone was flesh, blood, fear, and food.

There were no loyalties in Acheron City.

Then again, Tauris just gave his life for Nina. He really gave his life for Nina, instead of pretending to do so like he did at the police station. As she saw bits and pieces of Tauris' mutilated chest rip and disappear up Tentagator's vacuum-like arm, Nina knew the truth. Tauris was not going to randomly reappear again in this city. He was not going to be telling anymore of his dumbass jokes, and he was never going to call Nina "Neen" ever again. To say "Tauris was loyal to Nina" was to state such a fact in its mildest terms.

Now, all there was left…was silence.

Tauris…

No, wait, Nina was wrong. There was something else left, aside silence.

"T-take…care of them…for m-me."

As Tentagator's gradually regenerating arm slithered out of Tauris' caved-in ribcage, Nina realized every single shirt pocket of Tauris' was obliterated.

The samples were destroyed.

Son of a bitch.

Now there was only one place left where the Khimaira-Jects could be hidden.

Acheron Memorial Hospital.

While Tentagator busied itself with restoring its disgustingly snapping, growing tentacle, Nina gripped Tauris shotgun. Just as she did back at the A.P.D., Nina unwillingly fled Tauris' carcass, rushing to where Misty and the others were. The smart survivors had already prepared themselves to evacuate. Meowth was now perched on Jessie's shoulder, keeping his arms around Togepi, ironically similar to whenever the late uncle Pikachu looked after the infant. Misty kept a hand on Jessie's opposite shoulder for extra stability, though she could still stand fine by herself. The girl's other hand clutched her reclaimed backpack. Totodile was positioned next to James, ready, willing, and able to defend the fleeing group members. Being the physically strongest of the group, it was James' responsibility to carry the unconscious Ash piggyback-style. Thank heavens the boy was not excruciatingly heavy, but dead weight was always cumbersome to maneuver.

With James' arms full with Ash, Nina quickly extended Tauris' shotgun to Jessie. "Take this with you. I have no idea how many shells it's carrying, but it feels pretty loaded. Still, use it sparingly." Nina simply assumed Jessie could handle the weapon, since James used the earlier 12-guage during the truck chase.

Still unsure what to think about Nina and Tauris at the moment, Jessie just nodded and accepted the large weapon. She knew how to handle most guns, but the actual weapon was not what instilled awkwardness within the red-haired woman. Nevertheless, Jessie took Nina's advice. "Got it."

Nina then turned to Misty, knowing the girl was worried sick over the vaccine getting lost. What would become of poor Ash? There was only one possible idea Nina would offer to the mortified little girl. "If there are any vaccines left, the Acheron Memorial Hospital would have them," she assumed, already knowing that Misty was ready, willing, and able to head to the location faster than a crazed Rapidash.

"I'm not gonna' stop you from going there, but please…" Nina almost begged, though knowing she really did not have the luxury of begging these poor people. It was a damn miracle Misty and the others even bothered to listen to Nina after what happened in Subject 609's lab. "Please, just don't forget what I told you about the lockdown."

Jessie so nearly blurted out a "why should we believe you?" but her more composed partner spoke faster. "We won't," James reassured, shifting Ash's weight for a second before offering Nina an easier nod. "But tell us where the hospital is."

"From the exit over there, the hospital should be two blocks southbound," Nina answered, obviously knowing the route almost by heart. "Stick to the main roads, and it's a direct route. Just watch out for zombies, of course. I can't be certain how many there will be around the hospital, so keep your guards up.

"Acheron Memorial is pretty small, and was closed a while ago, so you're not gonna' have any handy neon signs to identify it. However, the place is so old and derelict, it sticks out like a sore thumb. You can't miss it. Plus, since few people bother with the place nowadays, I can't picture it being a prime hangout for zombies, since the odds of fresh meat in there are slim. After you finish your business there, continue south down the main roads and you'll reach the city limits.

"You've got…under two and a half hours…" Nina also reminded, before grabbing her magnum and checking its circular chamber. Shit…one bullet left. It was quite tempting, but Nina quickly snapped the chamber back in its proper place. No matter how seductive that bullet appeared, Nina was not quite finished in Acheron City. She respected Gordon, but the suicidal path the rookie traversed was not Jenny Ninetta's style. She did, however, acknowledge self-sacrifice.

Tauris once pretended to sacrifice his life. Technically, such was rather mocking. Self-sacrifice was a virtuous deed: the greatest gift of all with no greater love. Tainting such with lies was like dipping a rose in acid. But now, Tauris redeemed himself. He was so Goddamn obsessed with being Nina's white knight, and the guilt almost drove Nina to curse Tauris straight to Hell. A part of her wanted to tear out her hair, while another part of her wanted to tear out her heart. Why? What made Nina so friggen special that Tauris was now willing to redeem his original self-sacrifice charade, and actually die for her? He was willing to make a deal with the devil that was Giovanni, and even sacrifice the lives of innocent people and children…all for Nina!

Tauris, you fuckin' idiot!

So then…why did Nina spy a tear splatter against her magnum's shiny metal?

Because no matter how smart or dumb Tauris behaved, he, Brock, and Pikachu knew there was no greater love than giving one's life for friends, and lovers.

Tauris Wincent was a righteous man.

Nina, too, had once pretended to give her life for others as well. She felt terrible for tearing apart their innocent hearts, along with deceiving them all this time about Tauris. Like her partner, Nina had the best of intentions. She did not technically do anything wrong, except unintentionally help Tauris aid Giovanni. It was not Nina's fault, and come to think of it, this was not Tauris' fault, either.

Giovanni…

This was all just a game to Giovanni.

As Tentagator's final finger-tentacle regenerated, Nina could see the imaginary clock tick to its final seconds. Brock told Nina to protect Ash and Misty. No matter how much she loved Tauris, Nina had every intention of keeping her promise. Now completely regenerated, Tentagator was its full-fledged self again, and would most certainly chase the others as they ventured to the hospital and city gates. Misty needed enough time to scour the hospital for the vaccine. The Acheron Memorial Hospital was quite small, one of the many reasons why Team Rocket abandoned it for the bigger chemical plant facility. It would not take long for Misty's group to search the building, but Tentagator would be a problem. Nina did not possess the abilities to "stop" Tentagator, and she doubted anyone could. But…

…Slowing Tentagator down was the next best action.

Knowing her magnum would be useless against Tentagator, Nina quickly gave it to the only other member of the group with an available hand.

"There's only one bullet left, Misty," Nina informed, much to the redhead's surprise. Nina doubted Misty could professionally handle a gun, but firing one bullet did not require rocket science, either. If anything, Misty's aim would probably suck, but actually firing a bullet was never difficult. Besides, there was no law that stated Misty had to use the gun; she could always give it to Jessie or James later. The choice was hers. "Use it wisely."

For some reason, having that shiny metal weapon in Misty's hands felt like Nina just gave Misty the Reaper's scythe.

"You don't have a lot of time," Nina reminded them, before motioning towards the exit doors beyond the Venusaur and Gyarados carcasses. It certainly would not be pleasant to climb through the monstrosities' grisly bodies, but at least it was better than having the fiends freely roam around anymore.

"You're…you're not coming?" Jessie blinked suspiciously. This moment was a bit too similar to what happened earlier, when Nina pretended to offer herself. Jessie doubted she would ever fully understand Nina, or understand her opinions of Nina. The best assumption Jessie could make about Nina and Tauris were that they were most certainly not "villains."

Shaking her head, Nina offered the younger troops a small smile. "I originally came to this city, hoping to eventually dissolve Team Rocket. But…perhaps that's not my specific duty. Maybe I'm not the one who's meant to be the hero in this story, but instead, I'm meant to help the heroes who will end Team Rocket." Without words, Nina knew she was looking at those heroes, and she felt proud. "And if that's the case, then one way or another, my mission will be fulfilled."

Clutching Nina's magnum to her chest, and digging whitening fingers into her backpack, Misty bit her lip before nodding slowly. She already knew what Nina was about to do. Everybody knew it. Yet, Misty could not help but feel that Nina and Tauris were just as innocent as everyone else in Team Rocket's ugly puppet show in Acheron City.

Taking a deep, brave sigh, Nina's eyes locked with Misty's. "Promise me that when you get out of Acheron…"

Did Nina really have to ask? "…We will, Nina," the girl nodded with a reassuring smile. First, they would find the vaccine to cure Ash, and then seek medical attention. But afterwards, Team Rocket would be next on the to-do list. Misty was not merely doing this because Nina asked her, either. Even if Misty never met Nina, the redhead would still swear to end Team Rocket after tonight. Of course, had Misty never met Nina, the redhead probably would not have survived this night.

Hesitantly, her mouth opened to say something Misty probably should have told Nina sooner.

"We've gotta' go," Jessie interrupted, tugging Misty's arm to coerce the girl shut up and move. Tentagator was slowly approaching, driving Jessie, James, and Misty to move faster towards the grisly exit. But Nina never minded. This moment did not need cliché farewells for her to understand what Misty was about to tell her.

"Thank you, Nina."

Somehow, that one line made all of Nina's efforts worthwhile.

The threesome trudged through the bloody, sloppy remains of Venusaur and Gyarados, disregarding the stomach-churning gore sticking to their shoes, boots, and calves. Disgusting squishes and squashes teased their ears, tempting the survivors to faint and retch, but nobody submitted. They had a job to do, and barely two hours to do it! They were so close to the end of this nightmare, and it was downright foolish for them to give up now!

"We'll get through this, Ash. I k-know it."

No longer was Misty attempting to just convince herself that she would survive. Now, Misty knew she would survive.

Something told Nina the same thing.

They're gonna' make it.

"Grrraaaaarrrrrrr!"

As for me…

Grinning to herself, the left-behind Nina slowly turned to sarcastically face her pretty adversary. Tentagator towered over her, slithering its restored tentacle arm in an attacking stance. The beast would probably kill Nina exactly like it killed Tauris, and all of a sudden, Nina felt disappointed.

Tauris' carcass was a revolting shell of its former glory, having been gutted and used to fully regenerate Tentagator's arm. One might assume that Tauris' body had satisfied Tentagator, but Nina knew otherwise. Tentagator was like all the other monsters in this city. It was a mindless killing machine that killed because it could kill, and for no other just reason than that.

"That's all you're capable of doing, huh, Tentagator?" Nina actually spoke to the beast, though it never appeared to have listened. Tentagator obviously harbored some degree of intelligence, but the tiny IQ did not seem strong enough to process what Nina was trying to tell it. "All you can do is keep on killing over and over again, in practically the same way. It's sad, but eventually, its bound to be your downfall."

Naturally unfazed, Tentagator's arm recoiled, preparing to launch the fatal blow.

"One way or another, those kids will take down Giovanni and Team Rocket." Knowing such truths, Nina had no reason to fear whatever this beast would do to her. "And they'll send you right to Hell along with them." It would give Nina no greater pleasure.

Isn't that right…Tauris?

Nina only got her answer after everything went from pain to numb, and from red to black…to white.

Right, Neen.

TO BE CONTINUED

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A/N: Phew! Another helluva chapter. Seriously, everybody who just finished reading this insanely long episode deserves to take a bow!

I did promise that I'd better explain Nina/Tauris' character influences later, and now's as good a time as any. So here come the credits! (Seriously, if this fic were a movie, its ending credits would probably be longer than the actual film, neh? Ah well, nobody can say I don't give credit). Here we go:

Generally, Tauris/Nina were based off a bunch of characters. I do believe the first RE movie's hero, Alice, inspired most of Nina/Tauris' motives. Alice worked undercover to stop the RE virus' creators (called the Umbrella Corporation). Alice also had a shady/sexual relationship with an Umbrella employee/enemy, but his objectives were purely selfish. I tried to make Tauris a "gray" character, instead of a black-and-white protagonist/antagonist. His casual/humorous personality was mostly my own doing (though Billy Cohen from Resident Evil Zero has a somewhat sarcastic/laidback demeanor). I'm sure RE fans noticed hints of RE's shady, fan-favorite antagonist Albert Wesker in Tauris, though Tauris' reasons for obtaining the virus were far nobler than power-hungry Wesker's (if anybody's Wesker-like in this fic, Giovanni is probably a better candidate than Tauris).

Aside the aforementioned Alice, Nina was based off more RE characters. Her composure in drastic situations is dead-on for RE's Jill Valentine (an operative who's known for brilliantly thinking on her feet and keeping her cool). RE's Claire Redfield also influenced Nina, since both women have a strong (almost maternal) instinct for protecting young children. In subtler ways, RE's Ada Wong also influenced Nina, since Ada is somewhat shady and notorious for retrieving virus samples. Ada and Nina's reasons for collecting samples are totally different, though. (And for the *real* Survival Horror buffs reading this fic, I know I threw in a bit of Silent Hill's Cybil Bennett into Nina, too. Cybil is a cop, conveniently from "the next town over" [did anyone catch that? Hehe], investigating a nightmarish town. While I'm sure RE die-hards figured Nina to be a female counterpart to RE2's cop Leon Kennedy, I have to be brutally honest and admit that Cybil was more of a model for Nina [though rest assured, Nina and Leon have their similarities, too]).

Well, that's about it for this chapter's major credits. I know I alluded to The Odyssey with Odysseus, Poseidon, and Scylla, but I think most of the allusions were self-explanatory (though if anyone's confused, PM me/ask in a review and I'd be happy to explain).

So…holy crap, Aiselne has infected her sweet Sato-Chan! I told you guys I wasn't picking favorites regarding who gets infected/lives/injured/dies/etc. in this story. Poor Ash hasn't suffered enough in this fic, has he? Once again, it's time for everybody to band together and shout "AISELNE IS EVIL!" Rip-shit Ash fans are bound to burn me at the stake now, aren't they? "Aiselne, HOW COULD YOU?"

But in all seriousness, (and for the last damn time), I truly apologize for this chapter (be it the late release date or any other mundane/unintentional issues throughout the text). Provided I haven't turned everybody off, I hope to see you guys next week. ^_~ But wait…what's this? Aiselne posted TWO chapters in one week! Feel free to keep on reading, or take a well-deserved break (readers deserve a break after reading this asinine episode). Reviews are welcomed, too.