"Let go of me, you little bastards!"
The two golbats shrieked as Black flailed his arms. His struggles upset their wingbeats, and sent them spiraling down to the the floor. The moment his sneakers hit the floor boards, he swung around and slammed his arms, golbats and all, into the wall.
The pokemon let out a pained squeak, flapping their wings in protest as he pressed them against the plaster. Angrily, they sank their teeth deeper.
The boy winced. "I said LET GO!" He shouted it loud, with all the passion he used to reserve for screaming out his dream to the world. Anger rushed through his veins, and he started pounding his arms against the wall. He ignored the searing pain where their fangs pressed into his muscle with every blow. He was getting these golbats off, one way or another.
The bat pokemon weren't so determined. Having already slated their thirst with his blood, they didn't see enduring a beating worth it just to hang onto their meal. With one last disappointed squeal, their jaws loosened.
Black yanked his arms back, ripping them out of mouths before the golbats could finish opening them. He stumbled backward and away in case they tried to bite back down. His back bumped into a flickering old TV. The two pokemon beat the air with their wings with an uneven rhythm. They looked back and forth between the room's exit, and Black. One whimpered. Black could tell he'd hurt them.
"Roar!" he shouted, lunging forward and stomping one of his feet loudly.
The two shot away through the doorway, whimpering in fear. Their wingbeats seemed to echo through the walls until even those faded away. Black was alone.
"Ugh. Well that happened," he said. His words came out slurred and he wobbled. Was the room spinning, or was it just him?
He swayed back and forth as his vision swam. He felt so light headed… Those two golbats had practically drained him. Spots danced across his vision as he leaned against the television for support. It groaned in protest. The static hissed at the added pressure.
Maybe he'd take a break? That's it. That's exactly what he needed. A second to stop and wait for the pain to pass.
The boy's arm slid out from under him and he collapsed in a heap on the floor. His cap slipped off his head and tumbled to the floor. He didn't bother to put it back on.
It felt good to sit. To close his eyes and let his head lean back against the TV's plastic casing. Already, the burning in his arms was starting to subside. The problem was his thoughts. They crowded his head. Images of dead dex-holders, passing shadows, all the nightmare fuel happening over the past few hours, all of it buzzed in his head until his brain ached.
He pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead. It was too much at once. He couldn't focus. "I wish Musha was here," he mumbled.
Creak!
The muddled thoughts vanished. Black's head snapped sideways. His eyes flew open. Between the spots swimming across his vision, he could make out a figure pausing in the doorway. He couldn't tell who it was, though.
What if it was the killer? Ignoring the sense of nausea washing over him, the boy heaved himself forward onto his knees. If he was in trouble, he wasn't going down without a fight.
His mouth twisted into a snarl. "Don't come any closer."
WWWWWWWW
Diamond made his way down the hallway. He tried in vain to wipe some of Pearl's blood off his fore arms with his scarf. When it only succeeded in ruining his scarf, he yanked it off and tossed it to the side. He didn't need it anyway.
Things were getting even further out of hand. They had already started to catch on, and it was getting harder to keep hidden. Emerald and Sapphire had seen him in the library, and even though they were out of the picture he was pretty sure Crystal got a glance of him. Maybe he should just come out in the open? It would freak out the remaining dex-holders, but he was running out of options.
At least he still had one locked away.
Speaking of which, Diamond finally felt ready to deal with them. He stopped in front of the last doorway in the hallway and pulled out the key he had found earlier. The key slid into the lock and the deadbolt clicked. He took a deep breath.
The boy peered inside, only to have an extended pool cue bury itself in the wall less than a foot away from his nose.
"Next shot won't miss," someone hissed from inside. Diamond scowled. So he was going to be difficult. Great.
The voice continued, taking on a more threatening tone. "Now let me out of-"
"-I SAID LET GO!"
A loud scream ripped through the chateau. Diamond recognized that voice. It was that frustrating guy. The one Dia had almost gotten into a fist fight with. Black. Looks like he hadn't gotten himself killed yet. Better take care of him first.
Diamond ducked back out of the room. He'd deal with the other one later. His heels pivoted and he took off down the hall.
"Hey," someone behind him shouted. Drat. Diamond had forgotten to relock the door. Oh well.
"Roar!"
There he was again. Black was just asking to be found. Diamond skidded down the other end of the hallway and slowed his pace. There was Black, leaning against the old TV Rotom used to hide in. Slowly, Dia inched forward until a board creaked under his foot.
When he looked up, the other boy was staring back at him.
"Don't come any closer."
WWWWWW
"This sucks," Gold groaned.
"Yes, well…" A small voice whispered. "Things could be worse…"
Gold laughed at that. It was a cold laugh, void of the all the usual carefree confidence that made Gold, well… Gold. "Hahahaha. Good one. Ya almost had me there. As if things could get worse."
The boy was in an empty room. Any furniture that might have been in the room had long been removed, leaving the space to rot and decay upon itself until the moldy floor was covered with a layer of dust and cobwebs and the wallpaper sagged off the plaster walls. He sat leaning against a cracked beam, pool cue balanced across his knees. His shoulder was a bit bruised from slamming it against the locked door, but otherwise, he was completely fine.
That was more than he could say about his friends.
"If that wall hadn't cut me off from the others… If that BASTARD hadn't locked me in here, I could have protected 'em better." He sighed, clenching his fingers around the cue in his lab. "I could have kept some of 'em from dying."
"Or you could be dead too."
"Psssshhh. Me? Die? People have tried and failed to kill me a dozen times. I don't think this would be much different," he said looking down at the girl sitting next to him.
Her eyes seemed to grow brighter as she met his gaze. "Everyone dies at some point. Even you will eventually. The only thing that beating heart from the departed soul, is how much time the individual has."
Gold rolled his eyes. "Ugh! There you go again with those deep words. I'm older than you, so why do you have to talk like that."
A small smile curled on the edges of her mouth. "Well, actually…"
"Ya ya. I get it," he said waving his hand. "Still, all that philosophical mumbo jumbo ain't helping anybody."
The smile dropped off her face. "Oh. You're right about that at least." With one hand, she reached down and started tracing her finger through the dust. "But still, you're alive. If the gentleman who locked you in here hadn't gotten you away from those monsters, you know you wouldn't have gotten away. He's the reason your heart still beats."
He snorted and folded his arms. "Yeah, well I didn't ask him to help," he said as he watched her trace.
She giggled. "And yet you don't know whether he's trying to help, or saving you to kill later. Funny how something that normally seems good can be warped to mean so many things. Not that it matters to me." The girl's finger left trail after trail in the dust. With one last flourish, she connected the beginning to the end and pulled her hand back.
"So…" Gold started, staring back up at the ceiling. "You sure you can't help me get out of here?"
The girl puffed her cheeks and blew off the remaining dust on her index finger. Dust motes filled the air and danced in the stale light. Satisfied, she cocked her head and looked back at the boy. "No. I can't, but don't worry. He's almost back. You won't stay here for long."
Gold's eyes widened. "Wait… What?! He's coming?"
"Actually, he's already here."
Click
Gold jerked in surprise as the lock on the door clicked open. He scrambled to his feet as the door inched open. A silhouette leaned into view. The pool cue whirled through the air and buried itself a few inches deep into the wall next to their head. A pair of cold blue eyes glared at Gold from the doorway. The boy stood tall, though. "Next shot won't miss," he threatened. "Now let me out of-"
"-I SAID LET GO!"
The shriek seemed to tear through the walls of the mansion. It left Gold's ears ringing. It sounded familiar. Was that Black?
The blue eyes at the door narrowed. They turned and bolted, leaving the door hanging open.
"Hey!" Gold shouted. He started toward the door but froze. He looked back at the girl still leaning against the wall. "You know," he said softly. "Ya didn't have to keep me company. Ya don't have to stay here."
Her eyes seemed to dull at his words. A sad little smile seemed to light her darkened face. "I don't have anywhere else to be. Besides, someone will need to help calm the departed souls of your friends."
Gold gulped. "You'll take good care of them, right?"
She nodded. "Of course. Who else will do it? Goodness knows my butler won't. He isn't very sympathetic. He always was a bitter man, even when alive."
"ROAR!"
Black's voice echoed through the chateau once more. Gold glanced at the door. "Shit. He's already got a head start on me." He'd have to hurry to catch up to Black before his captor got their first. "Hey, thanks-" Gold started looking back at their girl. He blinked in surprise. She was gone. He blinked again, but there was nothing there. Oh well. That's a ghost for you. He sighed and took off out the doorway.
The room was empty once more except for a little drawing left in the layers of dust. A drawing in the shape of a man in a cap, or maybe it was a boy? Either way, it was only there a moment before a breeze that seemed to whisper passed over it, scattering the dust and erasing the picture.
"It was nice meeting you, Gold. See you soon," the breeze whispered, then fell silent once more.
I'm SOOOOO sorry I basically abandoned this, as if there are any readers left to read this apology. One word... "HOMESTUCK." Someone finally convinced me to read it and I never realized how long it is. Every second not spent on work/homework went straight to finishing that darn webcomic. I know, it's no excuse.
I'm sorry.
I'm back though, but I can't promise it will be regular postings like it used to be. I'll try to get back into the rythm again, but don't be surprised if I can't keep it up.
-Icy
Death Count: White, Platinum, Pearl, Emerald, Sapphire, Silver, Yellow, Green, and Blue.