Author's Note: Woo-hoo! I actually got this chapter out on time! Personally, I really like this part, mainly because there's a lot of evilness in it as it focuses on our villains. Why? Because I didn't really feel like writing Varia and company's part just yet. I was in an evil mood this week. Bwahahahahaha!!! Anyway, the chapter is titled as such because it explains a little of why such a nice guy like Angel works for such a bad group as Team Rocket. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Long Live The Reaper!
Disclaimer: Pokemon does not belong to me. I'm just sorta borrowing the concept. Varia and Reaper are mine and all other characters belong to their respective creators.
Chapter 6—Fallen Angel
Giovanni leveled the scientist before him with an icy glare. Even though the scientist could barely see his boss's face, he knew just how angry he was.
"Let me see if I heard you right," Giovanni was saying. "You locked up experiments 0202 and 0203 with Varia, whom I specifically told you was to be imprisoned alone, and they escaped from a locked cell. Then, to add insult to injury, they snuck into the lab area, broke into the supposedly high-security genetics department, beat up TEN scientists, rescued experiments 0204 and 0205, and somehow teleported from the lab. Is that right?"
"Y-yes, sir," the scientist affirmed meekly.
Giovanni's expression remained stoic as always. He extended one hand. "Give me the files on those experiments," he ordered. The scientist did as he was told, handing over several file folders. Giovanni silently flipped through them. Then he looked back up at the man standing nervously before him. "This project was obviously too much for you to handle. I will no longer be in need of your services." With that, he snapped his fingers. The scientist barely had time to cry out when the boss's Persian leapt out at him, biting and clawing until the man was reduced to nothing more than a mass of blood and flesh. When it was sure the scientist was dead, the feline pokemon strutted back over to its master. Giovanni smirked and stroked the Persian's head for a job well done.
With a push of a button on his desk, the leader of Team Rocket summoned a clean-up crew to remove the body from his office. As soon as that was done, he called out to his secretary and had her send in two operatives for a new mission. It only took a few moments before he heard the knock on his door.
"Come in," he said. The large doors to his office were pushed open by the two specific Rockets he had summoned. He welcomed them, "Ah, Lani and Slater. I've been expecting you." He noted the new ears and tail on Lani, who seemed pretty happy with them. Then he looked to Slater. The boy was dressed in his usual black jumpsuit, but he looked different. His hair spiked out to the sides now and his arms had apparently disappeared. His disembodied hands floated next to his sides. Giovanni said, "I don't recall ordering any genetic experimenting on you, Slater."
"You didn't," the psychic answered. "I found out that it was possible to get DNA from a ghost pokemon from one of the prisoners. I then volunteered to be blended with a Haunter."
"And why did you do that?" Giovanni asked.
"This way, I am no longer weak against other psychics, sir," the boy answered.
Giovanni shrugged. "Very well. But right now I have an important mission for you two." He pushed the files across his desk to them and they were retrieved by Lani. "Today, we had several research specimens escape from our genetics lab. You can get all the information on them you need from those files, as well as this one," the boss told them as he reached into one of his file cabinets. He pulled out another file and handed it to Lani. She glanced at it, slightly surprised.
"Hey, this is a file for a gym employee," she commented.
"Yes, the gym's pokemon caretaker accidentally ran across one of the products of our pokemon cloning experiments. She was then considered to be a liability and we had to confine her. Strangely, she seems to have acquired the ears and tail of a Mew because of the confrontation she had. The scientists tell me that this could mean she has the powers of that pokemon. She is the only one that must be brought back alive. Try to get the others, but they are expendable if the circumstances call for it. Do you understand your mission?" Giovanni asked.
"Yes, sir!" the two Rockets answered in unison.
"We'll bring 'em all back," Lani assured her boss. "You can count on—"
She was abruptly cut off as the doors to the office were nearly knocked off their hinges as another figure burst in. All three occupants of the room turned to see who it was. It was obvious that the person was not completely human. He was walking on the balls of his feet, which were dog-like paws with black claws. His hands were also paw-like and had the same black claws. A barbed tail swung slowly behind him and he had two backward-curving horns on his head. His ears were slightly pointed and he had two fangs sticking out from under his upper lip. The person's eyes, however, were the most unnerving part of his all-around disturbing appearance. They were red with slit pupils and were glowing slightly.
Lani was the first to recognize him. "Reaper?" she ventured.
The figure grinned, showing off the rest of his pointed teeth. "That's right. Alive and well, even though those fools thought Houndoom DNA would kill me." He threw his head back and laughed. "Idiots! As if something so simple could kill The Reaper!"
Giovanni remained fairly calm at the intrusion. In fact, he looked quite pleased that The Reaper had survived being genetically mixed with a dark pokemon.
"Reaper," he said, using the boy's nickname to get his attention, "perhaps you would like to join this mission to recover the lost research specimens?"
Reaper grinned again. "It would be my pleasure, but I must request one thing."
"What is it?"
"Let me bring the Angel of Team Rocket," he said. "I could use some entertainment during this hunt."
The boss paused to consider. Finally, he answered, "Permission granted. Go have the jailers remove him from the cell and start hunting those specimens down immediately!"
"Yes, sir," the three said, then left the room. They headed down to the prison area where Angel would be. Lani browsed through the files she had been given, unaware of the venomous glances Reaper and Slater were giving each other.
"Why the hell did you have to agree to join our mission?" Slater asked harshly.
Reaper smiled nastily back at him. "What, you can't read my mind? Oh, that's right! Dark pokemon are immune to you goddamn psychics." He straightened up to his full six-foot-six height. "It appears that the balance of power has shifted, doesn't it?"
Slater glared at him. "You're nothing more than a dungeon keeper. You'll never be anything more."
Reaper's cocky smile faded, replaced by a look of pure hatred. "Do not talk down to me, psychic. Ever. I will not hesitate to strike you down where you stand."
"You wouldn't dare," Slater challenged. "The boss would have you fired in a heartbeat."
"Would you like to put that to the test?" Reaper growled dangerously.
"Now, now, boys," Lani interrupted. "Let's not get violent. Slater, you stop being so high and mighty, and Reaper, you stop threatening everyone's life, okay?" she lectured each boy in turn. "We all have to work together on this mission, so you have to get along."
"Since when did you become the leader?" Slater snapped at her.
Reaper laughed sardonically and put his hands behind his head as he walked. "Aww, you don't like being told what to do by a woman?" He paused, watching Slater's normally stoic expression turn to one of anger. "I'm surprised a psychic like you can't tell what she's doing."
"And what would that be?" the other boy huffed. Lani looked at Reaper as well, interested in what he would say.
"She's put herself in charge to avoid more conflicts. If either you or I were leading this mission, there would be a constant rivalry. She's put us both on the same level by elevating herself above us both," he explained. Reaper looked at Lani out of the corner of his eye. "Isn't that right, Lani?"
"Er…Yeah, I guess it is," she answered hesitantly. The girl was surprised by how perceptive The Reaper actually was. Slater did not respond. He simply resumed his indifferent countenance and refused to look at Reaper.
They reached the elevator to the lower levels and rode it down to the prison floor. When they reached it, the group walked to the cell Angel was kept in. Reaper produced a key and unlocked the door. Grinning insanely, he pulled the bars open and stepped into the cell. Angel looked up at his entrance but made no other move to acknowledge him. He didn't even show surprise at Reaper's altered appearance.
"Up and at 'em, Angel," Reaper jeered. "You've been selected to join our mission."
"What mission is that?" he asked quietly.
"We're hunting down some escaped science experiments. You're coming with us."
"No," Angel said bluntly.
Reaper raised one eyebrow. "You know the boss doesn't like it when you refuse missions, Jason. Now move it."
Angel suddenly stood up, glaring daggers at Reaper. "I said no, dammit! I'm not going to be Team Rocket's puppet anymore!"
To everyone's surprise, Reaper just shrugged. "If that's what you want, fine. You're free to go anytime." He stepped aside, leaving the exit wide open. "Go ahead. Leave."
Angel watched Reaper warily, wondering if it was some sort of trick. He took a step forward and Reaper made no move to stop him. Angel took another stride, then another. Still no motion from Reaper. With a final glance at the other two Rockets to make sure they weren't going to try anything, Angel walked out of the cell and started off down the hall, no one stopping him…almost.
"Tell me, Angel, does the Pokemon League let freaks compete nowadays?" Reaper's voice echoed after him.
Angel stopped dead in his tracks. It was true, he was a freak now. His wings and arm blades weren't easily hidden from view no matter what he did. He slowly turned back to the group of three. Slater remained expressionless, Lani appeared mildly surprised, and Reaper bore the smirk of satisfaction.
"You know you won't be accepted by anyone other than Team Rocket," the tall boy stated. It was bad enough to hear Reaper say that, but it was worse knowing that it was true. Angel had no choice but to join their mission. His eyes downcast, he walked back to them silently.
"Let's just get this over with," he muttered.
After an uncomfortable pause, Lani said, "Um, okay…I'll lead the way outta here." She started off down the hall, the three boys following her. She didn't have to turn around to know that they were walking behind her. She could hear their individual footsteps with her keen Persian hearing, although she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder at Reaper, who was towering over the other two. His red eyes were fixed on Angel with a look of pure dominance. It was the same look a person would give to a well-trained Growlithe. It was most disturbing how much delight Reaper was getting out of the mental torture Angel must have been going through at the time.
That wasn't all Lani was worried about, though. Ever since she had joined Team Rocket, she had known about The Reaper and his chamber of horrors. That was the impression she had of him: a mindless fiend that thrived in the pain of others. But he had known exactly what she had been trying to do when she proclaimed herself the leader of the group. What was more, he did not challenge her position. He had accepted it to prevent a major conflict from exploding between him and Slater. Obviously, The Reaper was a lot more intelligent than he let on.
And that was more unsettling than his love of suffering.
****
The Saffron gym had been pretty quiet for the day. No one had come in to battle with Sabrina, and nothing monumental had happened in the telekinesis training classes. Sabrina was just about to lock down the gym and head for home when she felt a sudden burst of psychic energy from the direction of the battle arena.
"What was that?" she wondered out loud. Her pet Haunter shrugged as best he could without shoulders. "Perhaps we should go see." With a nod of agreement from the ghost pokemon, Sabrina walked down the hall to the arena. When she arrived, she couldn't hide the surprised expression on her face.
Five people were all sprawled out on the floor in a big heap. They were trying to separate themselves from each other, each grumbling or yelling at one of the others. Sabrina was shocked to see that, when they had finally untangled themselves, they all seemed to have pokemon attributes. The gym leader's eyes came to rest on the girl with Articuno wings and tail feathers.
"Sarena?" she questioned.
Sarena looked up quickly at the sound of her name. Then she blushed slightly and answered, "Hi, mom. Long time, no see, huh?"
Author's End Note: Hey, it's not a cliffhanger! Well, it kinda is, but not as bad as the other ones, I think. Man, it's scary how much I like writing Reaper's parts. He's just such a wonderful villain! He really is a soulless bastard, but I still love 'em anyway! Review please! Hell, even if you aren't in the story but you're reading it, I'd appreciate a review. If you do and you've got a character for the story, I might just put them in! (There's a pretty good chance *hint hint*.)
Also on the Writing Frontier for Me: Hey, all you people who created characters for this story (and you know who you are), this is important for you! I'm going to be doing a vignette (that's French for…hell, I don't know) for each character in The End of the Road. It's going to be a short story about their lives before the events of this story, and the mini-series is going to be called The Beginning of the Road (get it?!). I'm doing the characters alphabetically, so Emery's going first. I've already got the information I need from her, so it should be out shortly. I'll send an e-mail to each of you other people in turn and ask about your character's background, so be ready for it. Oh, and just to irritate you Reaper fans (I know Wind's one!), I already wrote his vignette, but I'm not posting it until we get to R! Bwahahahahaha!! Now you see where Reaper gets his sadistic side…