Hey hey, ya'll! This is going to be the shortest installment in the story, but only because I had so very few points to make before I closed topic.

Chapter Three

Of all the understanding in the world, I don't see why one has to linger on any particular subject for so long. I guess the term is 'brood', but I don't want to think about it. . . I had that nightmare again.

I hate that place, and yet it lives on in my mind. . . I wish it would go away. . . but it doesn't. The harder I try, the more vivid it is. I wished I knew what was going on. . .

I had retreated outdoors; Max tells me not to do that without his permission, but it was still dark outside, so I don't think I had to worry. I did anyway. There was so much to worry about. . . how do people ever live in this world?

The sun was about to rise. I could tell because I always got up before it did, and I know what time it is supposed to rise, and it's in about five minutes. I'd have to inside before then. . . Max might find me out here.

"Steven!"

Too late.

The doc rushed up the hillside, and landed right next to me. He didn't seem angry, he seemed. . . worried.

"Are you alright Steven? What are you doing outside?"

I didn't respond for a little while. "I had that dream again."

Max knew what I was talking about. It was always the same dream. . . always. Two weeks, and I had the dream on and off. But why would Max want to know? It wasn't his problem, he wasn't having the dream. He's always concerned about me. And one might, but what reason?

He found me, took me in and is trying to find me a purpose. Maybe he didn't need a reason. Not all people are alike, as concluded by his being nice to me in the first place. Was he really concerned about me?

Max just looked at me for a little bit, and the sun right then broke out over the horizon. Care for someone without cause. . . what's that called? There has to be a word for it.

"Steve. . . there's probably something I ought to tell you, and it's probably something you don't want to hear right now. . ."

"I saw the photos." I abruptly told him. After all, they were something I didn't want to see.

"When?"

"You were out for the last two days. I got curious and looked around."

Max looked a bit dumbfounded when I told him that. "Err. . . you might want an explanation then."

Suddenly, without any reason, I was mad at Max. After all, everything lined up. If he hadn't worked on the project in the first place, everyone might have gone to jail, and they wouldn't make me. I was suffering because of him!

"You might as well better." I crossed my eyebrows to give him the impression that I was a bit peeved.

Max sighed. "I'll tell you the entire story, then. It was 1979. . . Marcel Tybalt and I had just gotten out of college when he came to me with a proposal, one that might change our lives. We were to create a pokémon. . . the most powerful in the world. he had gotten his degree in Genetic Engineering. . . I had mine in Engineering, so I thought he wanted me to build everything needed. He didn't want that. I had more useful purposes. He wanted my uncanny knack for persuading people to look the other way. What we were doing was highly illegal. . . of course, I didn't know it at the time."

Suddenly my eyes grew wide, "You didn't?"

"No. Marc tricked me into doing something that I would have otherwise thought as being wrong. . ."

"And you found out eventually. . ?"

"It was my fault the project failed. After I quit, there went protection, and they hurried the project along too fast. 1998. . . Mewtwo was finished. I didn't realize he survived until. . ."

"Until what?"

". . . I can't tell you now. Later."

"You always tell me everything later!"

Max sighed and shook his head at the ground, "I wish there was another way. . ."

"So do I." I sank to the ground from the position I was in, and just stared into the sunrise.

"Steven, I'll probably need to tell you anyway."

"Yeah?"

"I was only holding off in the first place because I wanted to wait until you could understand. I'll give you the rundown: Marcel survived the encounter with the final days of the Mewtwo project, and he almost immediately started working on another. Convinced all of his colleagues were dead, he worked alone for six years trying to create a formula that could give him maximum flexibility in his creation. . . he finally figured it wasn't the power a pokémon gave, but the results it could create. That's where you came from. Now. . ." Max held down some papers that were in his hands, "I was away the past two days getting information on Marcel's operation. You know you're number seventeen, right? Here's a list of the others. . ."

I was wondering why Max was going through all the trouble of telling me this.

"Number one. . . pidgey; Number two, pikachu; 3, bulbasaur; 4, charmander; 5, chikorita; 6. . ." Max dragged on for a while, and handed me a sheet after he finished with it. there were also some photographs of the specimens. . . not that I had the heart to look at them. . .

"16, rhydon; 17. . . rattata. . ."

He paused before saying that as if it would mean something. There was a single picture of me from back in the lab. . . I was in shadow mostly, but it was obviously me. . .

"22, dratini. . ."

There were at least six photographs of her. She had evolved into a dragonair at some time. Unlike some of the others. . . she seemed direfully out of place, like she knew there was a better life. . . like I did. . . her eyes told all. There was an aura of fear in them, even in the two-dimensionalness of the photograph. . .

I worried for her now. Unlike the lifeless zombie-stares from some of the others. . . she was an angel in the dark.

Angel in the dark. . .

Number twenty-two gave hope to me all over again. I have to meet her. . . somehow. . .

"Steven?"

I jumped when Max suddenly started talking again, or more directly to get my attention.

"You've been looking at that photograph for a while now."

I looked back to my hands. The photograph of twenty-two was becoming slippery with my sweat. Max just looked at me.

"So it's high time you did what you've needed to do all along."

"What do you mean?"

"You seem anxious when you look at that photograph. . . and you're going to have to leave now, anyway." Max stood up.

"What? What do you mean?" I stood up beside him.

". . . the things it took me to get these photos. . . You probably shouldn't be here with me. Here's how it is: I'm going to die."

I puzzled at this. What did he mean by that? He wasn't going to. . . die die, was he?

"The lengths it took me to get this information. . . Marcel's sent a hit man after me. I'm done for. . ."

"But why?" I asked arms spread, "Why did you do this? Why are you telling me these things?"

"Because I deserve better!" Max started tearing up in his eyes, "I want payback for all those years Marc took away from me, and I. . . I can't do it." He dropped his head, "I don't have the ability. . . I need you."

"You're using me!"

"I'm helping you!" Max looked at me straight in the eye, and placed his hands on my shoulders, "There's not anything else you can do with life in a world of humans. You can't expect of everyone what I have given you. . ."

"And what is that?" I brushed his hands off my shoulders harshly, "being manipulated by everyone? Anyone? Even if they claim to be friendly there's no one to trust. . ."

"There's her. . ."

I looked back at my photograph. ". . . you're right. You're right. I might have, anyway."

"I usually am."

I thought about that for a moment, "Manipulative skills aren't only used for bad, aren't they?"

"I was-"

A very loud, very sudden noise rang through the air. Very loud. . . I had heard it once before. . . it was a gun!

Max fell to the ground before my eyes. . . a wound was in his chest. . . someone far away started running. I fell to Max's side. . .

"Max. . . I can't do this. . ."

"Don't worry about me. You worry about twenty-two now. . . and be successful, because you're like a son to me." His final words.

"Thanks for everything. . . dad. I love you."

That was the last straw. Marcel was going to die like Max did. . . only it wasn't going to be nearly as quick. Marcel was going to pay for what he did. I needed to find a pathway back to the lab.

. . . or not. Maybe if I didn't try a direct route. . .

I followed Max's final advice and headed off into the woods. towards the sunrise.

I wanted to meet twenty-two so very badly right now. . .

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