It hadn't taken him very long at all to return to HQ, after cleaning himself up a little as to detract the attention of passersby (which still did not much to his astonishment give a shit- perhaps they didn't want to mess with him seeing as he was from 'Team Rocket'), other guards and members of Team Rocket. He kept his profile low until he took out the two grunts standing sentry at the Lab gates. He took them down easily, silencing them with well places heavy blows to their heads. They dropped like heavy sacks of flour and Red dragged them off to one side. The moon was a mere sliver in the sky and the night air was clean and refreshing. Red thought it was perfect and he could just taste freedom on his lips, on his tongue. It felt so good to finally just let it all out and let himself go. Breathing heavily, nostrils flared with the adrenalin and deep loathing which resulted in anticipated excitement of the prospect of finally breaking out and getting away from all of the pain he had suffered. He slunk in the shadows, using them to his advantage.
Reloading his gun quietly Red plastered himself up behind the backdoor of the laboratory wall, intending to smash down the door and free all the experimental lab animals before continuing into the main building. Those poor animals would be his friends in this battle. He waited until several grunts and a few commanders passed before with a small growl smashed the door in with two well placed vicious kicks. Stepping through the splinters Red curled his lip in a disgusted grimace at the scientists who looked up at him in alarm one moving towards the large red button- PANIC, just in case such events occurred. Red shot him first. The man dropped clutching his leg howling. Red turned the gun on the other three scientists in the room.
They weren't fighters.
They had just been blackmailed, forced into working for Team Rocket; it wasn't like they actually wanted to be here.
Red wasn't fully aware of his split moment of kindness as the blood surged fitfully through his veins, pulsing him with the need to fight, his strong sense of morality kicking in as he lowered the gun to show he was not going to kill them but was still going to threaten them, he wasn't going to go soft on anyone or anything this time round. He would be as ruthless as they had been.
It was time for payback and it was way over due.
"Step away from the animal."
He would spare them but only just if they decided to attack. His voice belayed all the dormant fury he had been keeping bottled up inside. The poor animal, hybrid… thing chained down on the examination table stirred feebly, paw twitching and his tongue lolled out drooling placidly, its organs hanging out to the side sickly, vivid and disturbingly beautiful. Red shot it three times watching jerk gratefully as he put it out of its pained misery. He then went over to the panic button and sneered quietly at it before smashing the glass and pressing it himself. It locked down into place with a soft click and Red waited for the inevitable chaos that would ensue.
He was going to set himself a little challenge as the lights began to flash seizure like and sirens began to wail, almost like a bomb siren or a tsunami horn as rapid footfalls echoed in the hallways. Red smirked as he checked his bullets, he had enough for now, he also had a spare magazine on him.
He had a few more rounds currently in the gun- he'd only use them if he needed to. The second magazine was a last resort- Red disliked guns immensely and found no joy in using one to aid his destructive war path. But they were dead useful.
He would challenge them all.
They had ruined him and he wanted to bring them all down in a blaze of glory.
He wanted to see if they could match him. He laughed, wondering how and when he had become so bloodthirsty and decided it had been inevitable. After so many years without shedding blood, it was time to make the Rocket HQ bathe in blood.
He wanted to leave this place stinking, rank of copper scented blood. Leave it dripping in its wrongs and allowing them to suffer painfully till the walls collapsed and crumbled inwards. By the time he would be finished here, Red knew there would be nothing left of HQ.
Before Red hadn't known what he had wanted.
He hadn't wished or desired anything except Team Rocket's downfall.
He had waited and waited and prayed and hoped for that one shining beacon to come bullying through the murky future to just eradicate all that was evil. But it had never come and Red didn't know what he had wanted after that.
But now he knew he was that beacon.
This was what he had always wanted.
That final stage, that final frontier that would effectively lead him to his freedom, it was the last obstacle that stood in his way between escape and death. Red was ready for them, he knew Giovanni and Proton wanted this unleashing of his inner monster dearly; they didn't care if they lost scores of men to him. If he was a success, then they would and could continue through the method they used on him to create more psychologically altered 'super' soldiers to fight for them. Red gritted his teeth as he ignored the fearful scientists who hid themselves in the corners and swept out of labs, kicking down empty cages to hinder his pursuing attackers and giving him precious time to unlock the animals, setting them all free- screaming, spitting and furious into the oncoming group of grunts who had been deployed to take him down.
'THERE HE IS!'
'DO WE KILL HIM?!'
'KILL HIM KILL HIM!'
'ARGHHHHH!'
Bloodcurdling screams of pain had never sounded so musical and godamn beautiful to his ears. Red gently touched one of his ears gently as if to remind himself that he wasn't insane just yet. He felt as if lunacy was just the beginning of a certain condition which Red was pretty sure was a new type of psychosis.
This was it, the beginning of his descent into the dark terrifying abyss of insanity. It was harrowing and yet Red wanted to embrace the loss of his sanity with a clear head before he succumbed to his primal desire to kill.
Red stood like an overbearing god of war amongst the rabid beasts, eyes blazing, silent as ever, watching the animals who he had befriended so easily many years ago. They fought for him their howls and screams of animalistic glee at finally being able to just 'attack'. Shredding, goring and savaging anything that got in their way, trampling the survivors who frantically scrabbled trying to get up but ended slipping in their own blood and dying under the heavy weight of the unleashed animals. It was chaos at its finest, the siren wailing and squealing and the emergency lights flashing frantically in the halls as he turned corner after corner, dealing out punishing attacks with both his hands and the machete knife he had wrestled off of another higher commander who had had such a baby face Red had almost felt guilty for punching his face in.
Little boys shouldn't play with knives.
Or sharp objects for that matter because they could get seriously hurt.
In fact little boys weren't even supposed to be part of Team Rocket. Actually little boys didn't have a CHOICE regarding their initiation into the organisation. It was either do or die painfully.
Most boys chose to do.
Red caught a glimpse of his own face in the reflective surface of one of the steel doors near by- he looked no long a child, he had aged too quickly for his liking, the face of a young savage man, thin, bony, lanky, pale stared back his blood red eyes flashing with vengance.
Red wished he had chosen dying- but then where would the world be now if he hadn't stayed? It was an interesting thought to consider and the scarlet eyed male swung out with his leg, dipping low, sweeping out, tripping up a taller underling easily who fell with a rather undignified yelp Red didn't bother to see if anything was coming at him from behind as he quickly dealt out a vicious elbow strike to a charging male who collided painfully into his elbow. Rubbing said elbow Red turned and knocked one other grunt unconscious he didn't even have to concentrate, anger fuelling his muscles and allowing him to react accordingly, automatically to any potential threat, syncing perfectly with their attacks he would turn those against the user and use their momentary lapse in concentration to disarm his attacker. Ducking a pen knife Red punched the aggressor in the gut, the grunt doubled over gasping. Red snatched the knife off the other male and tossed it away before yanking the overpowered grunt down by his hair, smashing his face into his awaiting knee. Effectively kneeing the man in the face and rendering him unconscious, Red dropped the limp form and looked about, blood pounding in his ears setting fire to the rhythm of his rage spree.
Seriously.
Where the hell were all these grunts coming from?!
'ALL MEMBERS IN THE LABORATORY 11-2-9024 DISTRICT BE ON THE ALERT. I REPEAT BE ON THE ALERT, THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS OF A TRAITOR IN OUR MIDST, DO NOT HESITATE TO TAKE HIM DOWN.'
Red rolled his shoulders easily. This was proving rather fun. Scores of gasping, winded Rocket underlings lay about, their crippled bodies littering the hallway- Red felt rather pleased with himself as he calmed himself down somewhat- conserving his energy for the next round that was sure to come. Deciding not to hang about he went off in search of the lifts.
Upon finding them Red found two more men and within the blink of an eye both were down curled up at his feet. Red mildly wondered, uncaring that did this, his murderous rampage was making him any worse or just as worse as a normal Rocket member who liked to kill for fun- only he wasn't actually killing, he was merely disabling. There was only one man who he was out to spill blood. Red intended to make sure he got his answers before he did so though.
He casually stepped into a lift – checking his rumpled and dirty, bruised appearance- adjusting his shirt and tossing his hat off to the side. Red pulled off his gloves, happy to rid of the horrible gloves, finally having full dexterity restored and his hurriedly wiped his hands on his bloody trousers, his palms were sweaty. He then went from the ground to the fifth floor of the research centre. As soon as he stepped out, bloodied and wild into the flashing hallway he was greeted by a shaking duo of very young grunts, one holding a gun, a meagre pistol, shakily in front of him. They weren't killers. They weren't even men. The scarlet blood eyed male half recalled how Proton told him they wanted 'passionate, strong and beautiful men' in Team Rocket. These two tiny boys didn't look any of that. They looked like holding a gun at another human was the last thing they wanted to do, they were so pathetically small and thin and there was no beauty to behold in either. One was skinny with pasty skin and freckles and the other had mousy hair and many holes in his teeth and a rather large nose.
But then again who was he to judge?
Red never really thought he himself was much of a looker with his dreadful red eyes- Red hated his eyes with a passion, they were ugly and scary and unnatural. His pale skin was often oily and ashen in most lighting and his limbs were long and skinny and out of proportion from his lanky body. But all appearances aside, he really wasn't biased at all.
Red disarmed the boy easily with a casual flick of his wrist.
"Go home."
Red said simply, not even sparing them a single glance before hurrying off to do what Team Rocket did best in their free time other than killing people which he wasn't actually going to do specifically seeing as he had such little time. The second best thing Team Rocket did was…
Start a fire.
Slamming the door down to a restricted room mainly dedicated to chemicals Red searched about finding several bottles with the 'flammable' symbols and DANGER etched across them. Upon spotting the box of matches he simply stepped back and tossed the glass bottles back, shattering them across the floor and splintering others, sour, industrial scents wafting, toxic as the liquid hissed and burned on the floor as they reacted with one another. Striking a match Red raised his eyes brows at the oncoming enemy. They couldn't see what he was actually doing which was a bonus; they actually seemed rather hesitant to hurt him. Red mystified wondered vaguely as to why they were being so unwilling to harm him.
Possibly it was because he was a little misleading with his Rocket uniform and all and the fact that he was such a high ranking official as well. All the grunts were brought up with the severe rule that they obeyed their higher/ or superiors without question and if they attacked one, it would be the last thing they do and would be dead before they could even say 'shit'. The only time they were allowed to harm such a member of the group was when they had been ordered to do so. Red was actually grateful for that kind of conditioning – it was giving him precious time that he couldn't waste. Briefly shutting the oncoming grunts out of his mind Red returned to the task he had given himself.
Right.
Start a fire.
He turned back to the chemical soaked room. This would give them a little something to think about. He chucked the tiny flame in before swiftly turning away round a corner to brace himself. The roar and burst of the intense flames as they snapped, eating up poisonous gases and fumes and chemicals was vastly satisfying. Peeking round the corner Red saw the grunts unravelling a fire hose frantically, wanting to stem the fire before it got out of control.
The idiots.
Didn't they know water wouldn't put out a chemical fire? If anything that would possibly make it angrier. Allowing a rare genuine smile to cross his fire lit features Red stole away as the fire spread further, intending to get out before it reached the gas in the pipes- which would effectively blow this specific building sky high. This was and would be his legacy. As of now Red had never been so happy that he effectively did not actually have a name in the crime syndicate, he was just a silent mascot. Slinking back into the shadows of the night, using his lithe form to slip past his enemies, wanting to conserve his energy a little before taking on the more dangerous foes that he knew would soon come. He had half a mind to double back and get more ammunition for his gun. In the end it didn't matter, he would just have to disable his opponent before they could him or even worse kill him.
Red didn't feel like dying.
He felt so alive and ready to take on the world it was liberating.
Plus he didn't think that he would die. He was confident that his skills would get him through to the end. To his final battle.
Giovanni.
Red wanted to get to the Rocket leader. He wanted to get to him, ask him why? Why had he done all of this to him and the world? Why was he so hell bent on owning something that in all reality, if he DID own it. Would not be able to control the vast power as it would just prove to be too much; perhaps that was what the 'super beasts' program was for. The world against one man would be a super force and thus to combat a super force with massive power, what better than to subdue the anger and rebellion with something far stronger than humans could ever hope to be- nature. Nature would always be that one and only force humans could try taming but could never reckon with. Red thought it was brilliantly disgusting how they had tried to enhance nature to make it impossible for any uprisings in their future 'utopia' which in fact would rapidly spiral down into a bleak dystopia.
Unlocking a door with his key card Red didn't bother closing it; they would find him regardless of the obstacles that he shoved in their way. Plus he wanted them to find him. He crackled his knuckles as he looked about the darkened building. The siren from the labs seemed so far away and insignificant as he crept about peering round corners into the dark halls. He used to be afraid of the dark but now… Red had overcome that fear; the only thing that truly scared him was he himself. He had to be careful in the main HQ building, at night in the more deserted lesser patrolled areas there were heat and motion sensors about, which upon activation would shoot stun darts. Red had long before noted exactly where each of these sensors were- he didn't want to get taken out by something inanimate, not when he had come so far- failure was now not an option.
In the end his own personal vendetta had become a goal- he was also by doing this saving the lives of billions of people who otherwise would've suffered under Team Rocket's tyranny had he decided to continue to be an obedient little lamb. He had seen fear and felt fear and now… He was going to become that fear, stalking each member ruthlessly in the darkness, each one, every person's single nightmare. Red chuckled quietly at the idea and stole artfully down a long corridor lined with sensors, slipping and ducking and weaving round their infrared beams. He had practiced this many times during his training hours. Setting the laser sensory training to the hardest level- the aim was to dodge all the laser pointers- it was supposed to help one increase their agility when in hand to hand combat- effectively enhancing that ability to dodge punches or anything similar- it was through obsessive anger that Red had time and time again trained on that setting till he got it right. He halted abruptly as he reached the edge of the darkness, hiding just before the corner where light spilled, fluorescent and harsh in the night blackness. He could hear voices.
"Yeah, I heard he's wrecking the labs. What happens if he comes here?"
"Shoot him."
"What does he look like? Isn't he the 'silent commander'?"
"Dunno, never seen him, only heard of him. Just stay alert."
Was the rather intelligent reply, a soft murmur of agreement as the two commander grunts shifted their feet restlessly as they looked about for the intruder. Red drew his gun silently, ever so slowly clicking the safety latch off. He waited for the footsteps to continue as he readied to shoot the two in the legs. As the Rocket commanders walked off, their footsteps fading Red entered the light, knowing the cameras would spot him within seconds and the alarms would begin to go off. True to this the alarms shrieked and growling in annoyance Red shot both commander grunts in the legs, effectively allowing the two to slump with sharp cries of pain to the ground, Red kicked away their guns, pocketing one for later use as he stared down at them emotionlessly.
"Where is he?"
"W-W-w-w-where is w-who?!"
"You know perfectly well who I mean. Giovanni."
Red said quietly and the two writhed in pain under his scrutiny. Red didn't have time for this. His precious darkness, his only cover was gone as all the lights snapped on, flooding the building, making it impossible for him to hide anywhere, he had to keep moving. Striding off Red came face to face with an opponent he hadn't or rather ever imagined he would have had to fight.
Agatha.
Red scowled full this time and she sneered at him her gun levelled at his heart.
"I'm going to kill you boy."
Red said nothing, didn't she realise she was standing right in front of a dart sensor? (This certain quality of security was only activated during infiltrations or invasions of the HQ- pretty much what he had been doing- it was used as a last resort to bring the attacker down) If the woman didn't move soon… She was going to get stunned. Red tried to buy some time, not really wanting to hurt a woman, even if she was a nasty, evil bitch. He didn't hurt girls. Not if he could help it, Red had grown up with that strong rule embedded firmly into his mind, never hurt girls because they were something special. Either way it just wasn't polite to hit girls. But Agatha was seriously pushing it.
"You won't kill me."
Red muttered and Agatha screamed with mirth.
"HAH! I'm going to shoot you in the feet then your legs, then your stomach, then your chest and finally your godamn face."
Red quirked an eyebrow, if he riled her up enough to move suddenly, the sensor would go off and she would be down in an instant. Red decided to be cocky, he knew it was one of Agatha's main pet peeves, she hated cocky and arrogant people when in all actuality she was the epitome of said qualities she so loathed. Red allowed the corners of his seemingly dead lips- he knew he wouldn't smile properly ever again- to twitch upwards and he beckoned her with a hand.
"Try it."
"You aren't invincible boy!"
Agatha raised the gun swiftly but the sensor clicked, registering the movement and the woman froze her eyes widening as she realised what had happed, a soft hissing thud was audible before shaking and seizing up slightly she fell to the ground with a thud the gun clattering out of her now useless hand. Red stood over her his scarlet eyes observing her pain as she realised she wasn't and couldn't be the one to stop him. She never was anyway; he was way out of her league, if he didn't hit girls he would've taken her down in a second. He wasn't going to kill her either.
(But later he regretted it- wishing so dearly that he had.)
"Neither are you."
Red retorted before stepping round her prone form and continuing deeper and further into the depths of HQ, encountering people and areas that he had never ever thought existed- he had knocked out a woman named Ariana and Giovanni's personal guard- Petrel- who had been a nuisance but the raven haired teen had managed to trick the oddball of a man into a motion sensor trap- just as he had done with Agatha; Proton much to his dismay and distress was nowhere to be found. He had been looking forward to killing that turquoise haired scientist so much…
But he put it out of his mind after dealing with several executives crippling them easily- he was ruthless in his attacks from then on out, merciless and didn't listen to anyone or anything- they were Team Rocket. His eternal enemy and he would never show them mercy seeing as they had never shown him any. Red actually had stopped now for a break, dropping his empty gun to the ground and pulling out the second one, checking its magazine and found one bullet.
Just one.
Red cast about for anything he could use as a weapon but found nothing except a fire extinguisher- which he could use to bludgeon people but it would then hinder him and make his movements slow. He strapped the gun to his hip- was he now a murderer? Should he turn himself into the police after this? Red didn't know what he was going to do after he completed this; the initial rage and lust to cause chaos and suffering had melted away to a dormant anger which he knew would finally be unleashed on the boss of the syndicate. He turned the maze of corners, somehow unchallenged and Red had a bad feeling about all of this. It was too quiet.
Panting and somewhat battered Red stood in front of the large gleaming mahogany doors of what he knew to be Giovanni's office.
Or should he say lair?
He stepped up to it and knocked softly.
"Come in."
Red did so; Giovanni had his back to him and was stroking his fluffy white Persian cat slowly, seeming to have been waiting for him this whole time. Red shut the door behind him carefully and made sure his gun was close. Red had never actually seen Giovanni for real, only his voice he had heard and seen his silhouette. It was rather tense being in the same room as someone who held so much power over so many people and caused so much pain and hurt.
"I assume you have come here to ask me why I have done what has been done."
Red nodded and Giovanni raised his eyebrows and slowly turned. Red was quite shocked at how… Average the Rocket leader was. He looked like any middle aged man, his dark hair combed back severely, neatly, he had a broad powerful frame encased in a well tailored suit, his eyes were a piercing steel silver grey colour and were slanted like some exotic cat, his voice also average, deep but not so deep it was more of a breathy purr and his lips were set in a neutral line, betraying nothing to the teenager who stood before him.
"I have a son you know."
Giovanni said conversationally, dropping his cat gently to the floor which padded off to one side to wash its squashed pug like face smugly. Red nodded, hardly daring to breathe- it angered him to know that the man was the one who ruled so much and yet was so… so… NORMAL! Red hated it. It meant that no one would EVER suspect this man was the leader of a worldwide massive crime organisation. But that was most likely Giovanni's game, to look innocent until proven guilty- which no doubt he had erased his tracks flawlessly with a pristine record on his head. Red wanted to change that, his blood boiling at the thought of this man walking about freely.
"He's worthless. I could've had a son like you. I could've had a son who would've grown into a man like you- who would be worthy to take the throne of Team Rocket. But no, the gods were not favouring me and all I ever got was a dumb slut and an even dumber son."
Giovanni paced, his hands clasped behind his back, his piercing eyes roving over Red and his bloodied, cut, bruised body. Red held himself proudly, sending a harsh blood red glare back at the man who had made his life so much hell.
"You are all I have ever wanted in an heir, you would be the perfect candidate to take the head position of my glorious revolution. Alas, you are not of my own flesh and blood."
"What makes you think for one second that I would want to be you?"
"Ah. So the silent warrior speaks at last. Tell me… Red, when was the last time you thought about your mother?"
Red froze, tears stinging his eyes painfully. How…?
How could he have forgotten her?
Giovanni smiled pleasantly but to Red that smile was the very image of the fucking devil himself, laughing and mocking him nastily as it revelled in his sudden rush of pained memories. Red shook his head, refusing to show weakness. He hadn't cried in such a long time. Now was NOT the time to start. Giovanni looked smug.
"Understandable. Your dear mother died because of your own selfish actions."
Red stared at the ground resolutely. No.
No.
It couldn't be because of him… Could it? He had chosen a split second too late… Proton had murdered his mother in cold blood after breaking a promise.
"No."
Red whispered and Giovanni dipped his head, acknowledging his answer. However the Rocket leader wasn't finished as he walked over to his desk and picked up the white king that sat on the marble chessboard and then the black king, he then set them both equally distanced on the oaken desk.
"Not selfish? Tut, tut. My boy, it was you who killed your own mother. Had you not been so naïve-"
"He tricked me."
Red cut over the man and Giovanni raised a thin dark eyebrow, the movement well practiced, smooth and elegant. Red swallowed, his jaw working furiously. Giovanni tapped a perfectly manicured nail on his desktop.
"Let me finish. Didn't she ever teach you it is rude to talk back to your elders? Now, as I was saying. Had you not been so naïve as to believe my valuable Proton was going to play fair we wouldn't even be having this conversation. Perhaps everything would've turned out differently. Wouldn't you agree?"
Red did not agree. He believed no matter how that moment had played out, they would still be right here right now having some form of a conversation. It must've shown across his face, Red had though he had been hiding his emotions well but either Giovanni was an expert at reading poker faces or Red as he knew them, his guards, all his emotional barriers which he had sent in motion from day one, were slowly crumbling in the fact of this ridiculously average, yes average yet so dangerous man. Giovanni was so normal that it made him dangerous and someone worthy of fearing. Red clenched his fists at his sides.
"I'd still be here talking to you, no matter what happened before. I came here for one reason."
"Ah yes, yes of course. Why? Isn't that always the issue at stake?"
"Why are you doing this?"
"I'm doing what every man wants; to rule the world."
"That's a shit reason."
Red said softly, his hand wrapped round the hilt of his gun, he was shaking all over now and it hurt to breathe properly. Red raised it to point it at Giovanni, his hand betraying his emotions clearly. But Red was pretty sure it was slashed across his face in awkward splinters. Giovanni looked down the barrel of the gun in amusement.
"Now why is my reason bad? Is it because it is only beneficial to myself? Because I am not thinking of the greater good of mankind, tell me Red, How would you feel if you pulled that trigger?"
Red had no idea.
"You're sixteen boy. You aren't a murderer. You are a killer but not a murderer."
"What's the difference?"
Red whispered his voice thin and breaking, he turned his head away with a dry sob. Why, why was it that in the face of everything he had done, he had been so happy to get here and now… Now as he actually faced Giovanni, literally face to face… Why was it so hard to just pull the trigger? Giovanni smirked. It was a horrible pitying smirk and Red didn't want any fucking sympathy.
"That's for you to decide. As for me, I find it rather fun watching people struggle beneath me. I find their petty worries hilarious. It's like watching one massive reality show with real lives at stake. I could almost bring back the coliseum and watch people, slaves of mine even to watch them fight hybrid super beasts or each other. We are swinging into a new era of peace Red. You can just watch me!"
Red then realised Giovanni was crazy. He was stark raving mad and consumed within his own macabre fantasy which the scarlet eyed teen knew without a doubt that he couldn't allow to come true. Giovanni threw back his head and laughed, it was a ugly laugh and Red still hadn't had his answers yet.
"Why Pallet Town?"
"Why not?"
"You killed them all."
"Except you."
"… Why…"
"Why all this? Oh my dear boy a criminal mastermind does NOT need any kind of reasons to start a world war. Perhaps I was merely bored~ now how about that?"
"Bored? You did all this because you were bored!?"
"Naturally. Why I did all this was because I simply wanted to see what happened. I wanted to create a situation in which all my hard work towards 'super beasts' could be put to use. Without a war I cannot see their full potential so I created a war. All the members of Team Rocket were recruited either against their will as you were or happily joined because they want some of the glory of the victory, the fame of 'conquering the world. I want to see the world advance, why doesn't anyone else? The only way I can make sure my dream happens is by making it a reality."
"You're insane."
Red set his jaw and squeezed the trigger slightly and Giovanni raised his eyebrows waiting. Red lowered the gun. Unable to kill someone so… when they were defenceless. Those grunts from before had been asking for it. They had been terrorising people from the start and it had been the time to put them to an end. But it was Giovanni, the goal he had worked so hard towards. Red knew his face was a traffic light of emotions, so torn between anger and hatred and yet so guilty if he did it. The worst part was Giovanni knew he was going to die and wasn't too bothered about it.
That meant his revenge was going to be for nought. Red didn't know how he would cope if he killed Giovanni and the empty victory aching in his chest as he knew he had been finally outsmarted and beaten. After all brains before brawn was the saying… But he knew if he didn't kill Giovanni now… He would regret it and no one would be free.
It was his choice and Red glanced at the white king facing the black king on the desk.
"Your choice. You can kill me now and everything ends. Or you will let me go and it all continues. I know when I am beaten. I am defenceless against you."
Giovanni held up his hands, mocking him. Red hated him so much.
"You made my life hell. You took everything from me."
Red hissed, his eyes slitted with rage. He raised the gun swiftly again.
"You have no right to torment people like this! You have no business trying to take over the world when it only just recovered from a war!"
Giovanni dipped his head in acknowledgement a small crazy smile playing on his lips.
"I had all the right in the world my boy."
"I am NOT your boy!"
Red seethed and Giovanni looked at him with an ironic smile.
"All my faithful followers are my own, I will call you what I wish."
"Do not objectify me!"
"Really Red, I must express my deepest gratitude to you, thank you so much for serving Team Rocket for these ten years you've been with us."
Red felt the bottom of his stomach drop out in a disgusting lurch. He didn't need to be reminded of his weakness, how he had naively waited and waited for something to happen, only to realise too late that he was that person. Red having enough of the pointless banter and just wanting to end this hellish dream, like a twisted version of Alice in Wonderland mixed up with a nightmare and none of it in the end making sense at all.
Giovanni really had no goal.
He had been playing the world for fun. He had wanted world domination because he could and because he had the money and technology to do it. It was pathetic and that made Red angrier than anything else. This average and normal man abused and hurt his own family, had killed more than Red had ever seen anyone kill before, he killed for fun, eradicated cities and towns for the amusement of himself and the worst part… He didn't seem to have a single bone in his body where he felt any kind of remorse- he was a psychotic mass murderer. Red had initially wanted Giovanni to crumble before him…
But he had been beaten this time; outsmarted so cruelly and so easily. Red wondered where he himself had gone wrong. His lips trembling he clicked the gun latch, the sound was deafening in the white silence.
There was no win in this.
As always…
Red wondered when he was EVER going to win. He hadn't even gotten the answers he wanted and knew he was never going to get them now- he actually highly doubted there really were any real answers. It had all been the bloodthirsty hobby of a man who had had too much time and a lot of money to spend, but it was time to end this funny, oh so terribly funny game! Red steadied his shaking hand.
He pulled the trigger.
The shot was so loud it was deafening that Red didn't hear it.
He dropped the gun and slumped against the desk looking down at the body on the plush carpeted floor the blood dripping agonisingly, bleeding into the fibres of the carpeting. The Persian cat looked over at him quietly. Nothing moved for a few seconds and Red struggling to breathe properly knocked over not only the black king but the white king as well.
Neither of them had won in the end.
He was ruined, shattered, hurt. He cried.
Red sat next to the body and cried. Tears of rage and frustration and pain and anger and desolation at the fact that this was not how it was supposed to end; it wasn't how he had ever envisioned it to end. But it had ended a vicious future and that consoled him somewhat. The cat padded up to him, rubbing its furry head against his leg and Red pushed it away.
He couldn't love anymore.
He had lost the ability to feel anything.
He sat there feeling hollow as the tears dried up and his whole body aching.
He could only hate now. Love was foreign and he didn't know how. He highly doubted he would be able to love again.
Or at least, if he did somehow learn…
It would take someone very special to make him do so.
Team Rocket thereafter had melted into nothing. With no leader to guide them and no glory to strive forwards towards they had no work and disbanded. The cripples fleeing and making new lives. Red was happy for them. He also hated them for choosing the easy option out. Rocket were gone.
Or so he had thought.
Red knew one day they would be back though.
He just didn't know when.
But as he watched the HQ get torn apart by the police Red felt nothing, not even satisfaction as the super beasts were rounded up and killed.
He turned on his heel and walked away.
The heir of Team Rocket, the red haired child peeked round the debris, filthy and looking like one of the many street urchins Viridian City housed, unrecognisable under all the dirt. His catlike silver eyes blank and questioning and so confused.
Red hoped that child would get away from all of the pain.
Shutting himself off from the world Red left the scene.