Author's Notes: Well now, look who finally decided to update? I am honestly sorry it took so long, but I'm back on track thanks to my latest reviewer. Even in the six months since my last update I've been getting Story Favourite and Author Favourite notifications by a few extremely paitent/nice people, so I decided, with a kick up the arse from BTM707.

Anyway, here we go, end of the arc, hope I kept the skill you guys thought I had!

22:27 approx. six hours after typing begins: Well, sorry. Some friends of mine reminded me of a prior obligation and I was forced to stop right at the end of what I have written for this chapter. As it's half past ten in the evening, and I am suffering from a splitting headache, I will finish the arc tomorrow, with guidelines of what I had improvised written up and saved. I hope none of you mind and that you are just as excited and anticipated as I am for the final of what is now a three part end to the arc. We'll also be finishing on Chapter twenty, my second milestone as well as an even number! Good things may be to come. Until tomorrow, guys.

Chapter Nineteen: Efficient Escape P2

Alternate title: To Protect And Serve

As they ran down the side corridor of the Rocket's hideout, on the eastern side of B1F, Reece and Jenny each had differing thoughts. Reece's single thought was of revenge. He had come so far, sacrificed so much, seen with his own eyes all the justification he would ever need to feel no shame at wringing the last drop of life from the bodies of every member of Team Rocket he would ever encounter. Each of his steps was driven by that one notion, the fantasy that, however barbaric and gory, was singularly comforting to Reece. The idea of ending the very existence of Tyrone, Lucas, and Giovanni. To understand such an encompassing devotion to this dish best served cold, one must simply look to the closest person to them. Then, one must imagine the loss of that person at the hands of another, and how debilitating it could be. If among the lucky few that would be able to hold themselves together, one might not be in Reece's position. They would have long since resigned themselves to a cushy desk job or some other equally monotonous task, probably unable to deal with the harsh reality of the world, or the chance of failing again. With this in mind, one must also remind themselves that Reece has come very close indeed to not only losing one partner at the hands of the nefarious Rockets, but two. Unforgivable as all their other acts were, from the brutal murder of his previous partner to the massacres and losses they had inflicted since, leading up to the destruction of Silph Tower, they had done the one thing Reece had promised never to happen again.

They had harmed his partner. A single glance at Jenny was enough to firm his resolve. In her, he saw not just a fragment of himself before his own leap headlong down the spiral to destruction, but also the manifestation of hope and purity. It may have been inappropriate in a professional sense, but Reece had long since abandoned professionalism in the face of his desire. Perhaps there was something more to his opinion of her, but he would never admit, consider, or pursue any such emotion. All-encompassing is not a term one should use lightly, but that is what Reece's hunger for revenge was.

Meanwhile, Jenny was not nearly as lost in her own thoughts. All she was thinking of was how glad she would be to see Team Rocket behind bars and unable to cause any more trouble for the world. Jenny's train of thought was as shallow as the puddles formed by a single drop of moisture when compared to the vast sea of Reece's. All that drove her, all that made her sacrifice herself for others and what led her to now, taking hurried strides along the corridor in the heart of Team Rocket's base with an obsessed partner was ignorance. Perhaps ignorance is the wrong word. Jenny wanted little more than to protect and serve, to do her duty with honour and determination. In this, she excelled. In understanding or reasoning why, her noble intentions and deep commitment end. Simply wanting to serve, simply wanting is not enough. She did not believe. She had not seen even a fragment of what Reece had seen. Perhaps this was a good thing, but perhaps not. Relatively young and fresh-faced when matched against other officers, her skill and talent, as well as her plucky attitude, were simply not enough in the eyes of some. To others, this purity was the definition of a good officer. Belief was the thing that separated Reece from Jenny. Jenny did not believe that she could make a difference, that she could safeguard the innocent against the cruel and the wicked, the deceitful and the spiteful. For all her confidence and spunk, Jenny had no experience, no true grit.

And so, one man who expects nothing from a world that has appeared to turn its back on him, and one woman who believes that the world will not be any the different for her actions, way that little could be, and little has been since this day that is told of now. are in a figural coin toss. The fate of everything will, in years to come, be traced back to this single act of defiance against an evil so great, it threatened to change the world. No one was ever aware at the time, but what Team Rocket possessed was dangerous in a way that little had been before, and little would be after.

The pair that ran to meet destiny head on had no idea of what consequences their actions would have beside the foiling of another crime and the destabilisation, for however a brief time, of a major syndicate, and as such they spared no time for a last inspirational speech, nor for a heartfelt promise to see the other through this climactic battle, for they knew that would only give Giovanni more time to escape, and consequently the stolen research project from Cinnabar Island. Instead, they pushed themselves to their physical limits, limbs pumping, chests heaving with each inward breath, sweat beginning to bead at their foreheads. The only sounds that were not made from their headlong rush was the blaring of the alarm from every loudspeaker they passed. The only illumination came from the emergency lights jutting from the ceiling over their heads, the revolving cones alternately shrouding their features in near total darkness and throwing them into sharp relief as the blood-red beam scrolled over their forms.

It was Reece who slowed down first, his knee beginning to ache worse than anything he had ever felt, even the agony in his heart when he had watched the Silph Tower come crashing down that short time ago. It tore at his senses, pushing at the barriers of his tightly focused mind like waves, attempting to wear down his iron will and force him to acknowledge his limit. They succeeded after a time, the only indication a grunt from the police officer, who slowed to a half-jog, the thumping of his boots on the stone floor less pronounced. His knee felt as if it were aflame with agony, burning like the fires of a mighty furnace every time his destroyed cap scraped and scratched against its socket. Finally, he was forced to come to a halt, gasping for breath and feeling tears begin to well in his eyes. The walls of his focus came crashing down as he sucked in a deep breath, reaching down to gingerly probe at the damaged joint, his hand retreating sharply at the resulting stab of pain that ran like a jolt of electricity along his nerves.

Jenny noticed that the steady rhythm of their combined running had stopped she was too focused on their tasks to have seen Reece drop back. Slowing to a halt, she glanced back over her shoulder at her partner a look of worry crossed her face as she hesitated. She took a step towards him, her eyes strained to pick out his face in the half-light.

"Reece?" She asked with no small amount of concern in her voice. "Are you alright? Is it your knee?" She took another step closer, and another, until she was stood next to him, a hand on his back gently. Reece grunted in reply, still taking deep breathes as he hunched over, balanced against the wall with one hand, the other clamped around his good knee as he fought the urge to sit down and rest. He was driven, however, far too driven to do anything for his own good. He drew himself back up, flashed Jenny a ghost of a cheerful smile, and set off once more at a slightly slower pace than previously, pain causing his voice to be ragged and tense.

"Of course! Come on, they'll get away if we stand around chewing the fat!" He called as he went. Jenny frowned, worry making her pause for a few moments, stand still and stare at Reece's departing back. With a jolt, she resumed her original pace until she caught up with Reece and slowed to match his speed. They continued in silence till the end of the corridor, both shaken from their respective thoughts by the onset of Reece's growing disability. They passed an opening into a large hall filled with smashed computer banks, tables and lab equipment scattered around like a child's playthings. In the middle of the chaos stood Lucas, faced away from the pair, his posture relaxed totally, yet triumphant as he held up a hand and clicked his fingers. The sound made Jenny and Reece halt and look around, each reacting to his presence the same. Hands flew to Pokéballs while faces hardened and became grim. However, what they saw next would evoke different reactions all together.

Upon the click of Lucas' fingers, there was a wet crunching sound, almost like a large cookie dunked in liquid being crushed in a hand. Lucas laughed, a shrill, sadistic, sinister sound that chilled the very souls of Reece and Jenny. The Rocket Admin threw his head back and placed his hands on his hips, before he pointed at something the pair could not see, and spoke in such a voice they found themselves straining to hear it.

"Seviper, don't take too long at your feast. We have places to be and more vermin to squash." Lucas laughed again, more quietly and sounding less amused than impatient and eager. He turned on the spot and spotted the two police officers instantly. His signature shark-like grin slid onto his face, and he narrowed his eyes at them like a beast sizing up its prey. Or, as his elongated yet graceful features made it seem, like a snake. He linked his hands together behind his back and leaned forward, his grin became condescending and encouraging, as a teacher's might.

"Well, now. A couple of little micey-wicey stumble into the nest. Such a shame these little mice found the guard and not the patriarch, hmm?" Lucas paused and straightened up, his gaze focusing on Reece intently, his grin growing ever broader as he took a step forward, stroking one of the red-and-white spheres at his waist almost seductively. "Oh, my. It appears that someone has a very strong will indeed, Seviper. My poor little Arbok couldn't even paralyse him long enough to ensure he did not escape. But, then again…I'm glad he did." The Admin purred as he took a step to the left, no longer blocking whatever was behind him. A humungous Seviper, thirteen feet in length and three in width, with gold ridges almost like rounded pyramids deforming its otherwise sinuous and smooth body, smaller golden nubs dotting either side of it along the curve of its belly. Upon its head, another gold ridge jutted from its obsidian black forehead, the curve of its jaw lined with deep purple the colour of a pulsing vein, flanked by more gold scales that shimmered in a shade far duller than they should under the red emergency lights' glare. Upon the great snake-Pokémon's tail was a curved, bony blade of maroon red that was smeared in liquid and scarred with deep scores that were simply channels for the liquid's flow. Twin red eyes stared inexorably at them, a malevolent intelligence twinkling deep in their depths. Hunger such as even Reece, confronted by Lucas' Arbok, had never seen before was present in the Seviper's glare that its favoured meal was of no question. Even further evidence was the bisected corpse of a Celadon City police officer that lay upon the concrete of the wide-open lab, staining the unforgiving material with crimson vitae that was little altered in colour by the revolving lights. The unfortunate man's entrails were spread almost as a buffet upon the floor, and for the first time, the blood that ran in rivulets across Lucas' hands and dripped to the concrete was noticed by Jenny and Reece.

Beyond the horror of such a scene, that pushed the pair to further heights of sympathy, disgust and despair was the quiet groans that emanated from the man at intervals, that punctuated the uneasy silence that had been cloaked over the trio of humans and single Pokémon since Lucas had exposed the view to them. The officer was still alive, hands twitched sporadically as tears dampened his bearded cheeks. His legs lay a scant foot or so away. Lucas spared a glance over his shoulder, and his expression turned to one of feigned disappointment as he shrugged at Reece and Jenny.

"It is always a shame when Seviper fails to kill with the first strike. Such a pity, now we shall have to watch him die before she begins her feast. Seviper abhors living flesh, she will not even bite her prey before its passing. Quite lucky for most, but not for this fellow. It isn't often I get to watch something so…pleasurable, but I will relish this rare event." Lucas said in a sick parody of sorrow, his very tone radiating such a disregard for life that it made Reece only more incensed and Jenny only more disgusted. The sadistic Admin took another step closer, extending a hand to Reece. "However, you're even more interesting. You faced Arbok and lived. No person has ever done so and lived. No one has ever done so and not wriggled and screamed and begged for me to end their pitiful life, so that the pain might stop. I enjoy the moment when the venom reaches their heart and they draw their last breath. The way they stare at me in agony…the way their body seizes up." Lucas paused and closed his eyes, a lustful shudder wracking his body. "It's just so…beautiful. Will you scream for me, Mister Wilson?" Lucas asked politely, as one might ask another for the time while waiting at a bus stop. Jenny stepped back, too repulsed to even respond, a hand clamped over her mouth as a tear leaked out from the corner of her left eye. Every fibre in her body wanted her to run, to escape, to forget the terrible sight of the bearded police officer spot her and mouth a plea for help, too far on the road to death to even whisper. It was a dull shock to an already numb girl when the Seviper's tail-blade suddenly swung at a speed faster than any of the humans' eyes could follow and severed the officer's head from his body. His body ceased all movement. His eyes remained open, still filled with foolish hope at the appearance of friendly faces. Jenny screamed and sank to her knees, unable to look away no matter how much she willed her head to turn, eyes to shut. Witnessing the brutal death of a fellow human for the first time, and so close to the event, had thrown Jenny into a state of pure fear. She babbled denials in a soft, quiet voice as she shook her head furiously, slumped as far forward as she could without losing her balance and collapsing against the concrete. The comfortable concrete that was soaked in blood. Everything was death, he stalked everywhere with hooded face and reaping scythe. Something broke, and Jenny covered her face with her hands, trembling like a leaf in an autumn gale.

Reece was little affected. Some small part of his mind told him he should feel sick, feel sorrow, even be angry at the passing of his comrade in such an undignified, defiled manner. That small part of his mind was ignored entirely, silenced as was the fresh corpse on the floor by a clean, almost surgical cut, in the metaphorical sense. Reece detached himself from rationale and logic, from duty and honour, from protect and serve. He cast off his trappings and inhibitions, his morality and humanity as he would an unwanted coat in the height of the summer's heat. Here at last stood his quarry. One of three, but the rage and lust for revenge in Reece's fading soul whispered to him that the others could wait. Soon, they would also be dead, and his deceased partner would be avenged, all those deaths and shattered bonds given some comfort in that their perpetrator was but a corpse. Everything he had done, all he had bled for, cried for, strove for and accomplished was but for this, the first of three moments. Standing face to face with one of those who had killed his partner. Nothing else mattered. No longer was Reece a protected of the peace, a servant of the people. No longer did he put others before himself, no longer did life or death mean anything to him. No longer was duty put before personal honour, the good of the many forsaken for the good of one. The heat and the blood rushed the Reece's face as he reached for Swellow's Pokéball. He unclipped it from his belt, tapped the button as lightly as a petal might kiss a gravestone in the wind, and felt the sphere push at the confines of his grip. It was a familiar feeling, yet never would Reece enjoy it as much as this again. He widened his stance, boots scuffed quietly against the concrete as the Seviper hissed sinisterly, its meal ignored in the face of this new prey. Lucas withdrew his hand, placed it against his face and smiled, before tracing it down to the buckle of his own belt and sliding it round the curve of his waist to what was presumably the Seviper's Pokéball.

"Come, come. I would hate for your magnificent form to be all roughed up before I have my fun, Mister Wilson." Lucas said sweetly, his head cocked to one side as he regarded Reece, delighting in the roving of his own eyes. Reece felt revulsion stir his bile as his gorge rose. He shook his head once, disgust and hate plain on his face, the once youthful-looking countenance now lined and hardened like the floor beneath their feet.

"You're going to pay for killing my partner. I'm going to tear you and your Pokémon to pieces, and then I'm going after Tyrone. I'll kill him too. And then, I'll finish off your boss." Reece growled as he drew his arm back and tossed the Pokéball in his hand high, the sphere bursting open into two joined halves, tiny screens briefly viewable before an intensely bright red laser lanced forth and formed into the form of Reece's Swellow. The flying-type spread its wings and cawed loudly and challengingly, its beady eyes fixed on the Seviper already. Lucas tutted again, this time his voice carrying a clear and honest disappointment.

"Oh, Mister Wilson. And here I thought we might get to know one another better." He replied with a melancholy, dramatic sigh and bowed his head for a moment. When he lifted his gaze to meet Reece's, the predatory grin was on his face and the dangerous twinkle was in his eyes once more as he pointed at Reece.

"Tear him apart, my beauty." He commanded in a soft, lilting voice. The Seviper bunched itself up and shot forward, tail whipped over its head as it strove to cleave his head from his shoulders with a single blow. A caw from above, the sound of displaced air and the crack of bone against bone split the air as the blue-and-red plumed bird dove down and placed itself between the blade and Reece's neck, its wings glowing a gentle green.

"Steel Wing, not just an attack move!" Reece called to Lucas and smirked as he reached down to drag Jenny away from the battle. "Swellow, use Aerial Ace!" He shouted, passion and bloodlust swamping the honest thrill of Pokémon battling in his gravelly, pain-roughed voice. He tugged the unresponsive Jenny as far as he deemed safe and then let her go, his knee screaming at him and sending pain rushing through his body. He ignored it all, the adrenaline already suffusing his bloodstream giving him the illusion of perfect health as he strode back to the conflict in time to watch his Swellow streak around the Seviper until it could no longer keep up, then dart in and rake its wickedly sharp talons along the Dark-Poison-type's "neck". A loud, enraged hiss burst forth as the Swellow shot by, feet daubed liberally in the black blood of the gargantuan beast. Lucas stamped his foot and shrilled his own command.

"Seviper! Hypnotise the bird! Kill it!" He pushed a lock of hair back from his face as it grew cherry-red with the force of his shout, the Admin folding his arms as he glared at the Swellow hovering some eight feet up. The flying-type was still watching its adversary with one ferocious eye as it flapped its wings slowly to stay above the large snake-like creature, and as such could not turn away it's gaze in time to avoid the sudden lock of eyes with the Seviper. Even Reece's shout was too slow as the beast obeyed Lucas and the Swallow's wings slowly slowed in their beating, until the bird began to fall from the sky. Lucas let loose a scream of "Yes!" as the Seviper shot forward again, the blade upon it's tail once more seeking out a vital spot.