Chapter 1: Castaway

Rain fell on the city.

It creeped into the cracked concrete of monolithic apartment complexes, trickled down vast arrays of flickering neon signs, and massive animated advertisements. It harried countless crowds of people in the filthy streets and claustrophobic alleys below.,

Its towers and spires rose up from the smog like a swarm of insects, each one an ugly, filthy creature. She didn't have much nice to say about it, but it was home.

Aiden closed her eyes, taking slow breaths as she focused on the soft sound of the rain battering against the window.

One, two, three. She counted out each breath, stilling her quickened heartbeat. She couldn't let her jitters get in her way now; she had to play it cool.

With one last long exhale, she opened her eyes.

A woman gazed back at her, murky and unclear in the window's reflection. A fierce look hid behind layers of makeup and fake eyelashes. Clearly, the exuberance of youth had not quite left her - only partly ground down by twenty-nine years of life.

Aiden gave the woman an appraising scan. The surgery had done its job. It wasn't that intensive since they had chosen someone who was quite similar to her, but still.

Seeing a stranger in the mirror filled her with a strange sense of melancholy, like it had the last couple of times she dared to look at herself in a reflection.

She shook her head, dispelling the thoughts. Now was not the time.

She adjusted her glasses, making sure they fit snugly right near the edge of her nose. It was the perfect angle where she could look over the blurry mess her glasses made of the world, while still appearing as if she was using them to an outside observer.

She didn't need the glasses to see, but 'Caroline' did. Her corporate dog look was disgustingly good. There was one fatal mistake, however.

Shite.

She had forgotten to iron her suit. She sighed uneasily, frowning at the wrinkled fabric. Aiden poked at the uneven spots, wishing they'd just go away on today of all days.

Whatever. She could live with it.

She had dallied long enough already. Steeling herself, she began to walk.

The sterile metal hallways of the Yper Tech building greeted her, illuminated only by the harsh synthetic light of fluorescent fixtures that revealed barren walls devoid of picture or decoration.

Gray security cameras dotted the ceiling, blending in with the dreary architecture. They were often accompanied by the telltale sign of a stun turret - a mess of silver wires and metal - partially embedded in the ceiling, capable of incapacitating even the hardiest Pokémon.

Identical metal doors marked the hall in even intervals, labeled with an ascending number scheme. It was nothing unexpected, security wise.

She had to pass a retinal scan to get into the building in the first place; a real heart pounder, that had her wondering if the surgeon had skimped on the finer details, but thankfully he was the real deal.

Evidently they put a lot of stock in that first layer of security, if the lack of armed personnel she had seen on her way here was any indication…

Not that she could let her guard down, something was off.

Yper employees swarmed the tight hallways, moving to and fro the doors with evident haste in their step. A hint of excitement drifted in the air among the crowds as they argued and deliberated among themselves in their hurried pace.

There was an atmosphere of industry to the place. A feeling that anything could happen here, any hour of the day. The undercurrent of discovery, and innovation - that progress was near at hand.

Each person was a genius in their own right, as far as she was concerned - or a complete dork, if you asked her while she was under the influence. Scanning their faces, she swore she could even recognize a couple of them from some news articles.

She bit the edge of her lip to hide a scowl as she walked by them. Her intel was off. There wasn't supposed to be this much activity this early in the morning. She really should just get the hell out of here, but it's not like she could call it off now… right?

Anticipation and dread wrestled inside of her as she considered the question. Her clients were already impatient with her, and the team was fully prepared for exfiltration. That expense would come out of her check if she bailed today.

On the other hand; if she got caught before she could even get to her destination, she'd be up shit creek without a paddle.

She slid a hand down to one of her pockets, squeezing the familiar lump of a Pokéball.

She probed the edges of the sphere as she walked, giving the employees - what she hoped was - a casual wave, as she walked by.

What am I worrying about? I'll be fine, as long as you're here. She sighed silently to herself, removing her grip on the ball. She couldn't count the number of times she would have been caught - or arrested - for her little hobby, if not for her partner in crime.

A small smile made its way onto her lips as she regained her confidence. This job was a little intense compared to anything she had done before, but she was already in the deep end here, and besides, what's life without a little danger?

Excitement pricked her spine as she stood a little straighter.

She took a weary glance behind her. There were no curious looks or suspicious glares sent her way, just yet. 'Caroline' did technically have clearance to be here, after all. She just had to continue her confident stride, like she belonged here, and everything would be fine.

Twenty-five, forty-seven, eighty-five, she counted out mentally, focus finally set entirely on her mission. She scanned the doors like a hawk to keep track of her position among the identical corridors.

One hundred and forty-six.

Left, left, right, and forward. She followed her directions to the letter at the intersections.

One hundred and eighty-seven.

She became blind to the rest of the world as she neared her goal with evident haste in her step, barely bothering to acknowledge anyone she passed by, until she finally saw the black lining of the number - two hundred and twenty-five.

Just around the bend here should be-

"Mornin', Carol." The woman's heart hitched in her chest as she spun around - far faster than she should have.

Before her stood Michael - as the ID on his chest so kindly stated - casually waving a single armored glove at her. His transparent visor showed a toothy grin in all of its smarmy glory.

From head to toe he was covered in form fitting body armor; the black and gray color scheme doing little to hide the bulletproof vest overlaid it. His hip held a holster, carrying a weapon of some sort- she couldn't tell what.

His other hand lay on his partner's back; a massive Arcanine - clad in similarly colored armor fit for a quadruped. The imposing beast lazily wagged its tail, looking thoroughly bored as it stared off into space.

How did she miss these two being behind her, of all things!? God, this was a bad time to be out of it.

She quickly gave her best award winning smile, giving a weak wave back in greeting. "Hey, Mike."

Micheal harrumphed, crossing his arms. "Mike? Really?" He shot an accusing glare at her from behind his visor, apparently expecting an explanation from her.

She clammed up, not expecting that in the slightest. She laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Thought I'd try something new today! You… you don't like it?" she asked.

He sighed, clearly unimpressed with her explanation. "Carol… did you really come all the way here for this?"

An annoyed pit formed in her stomach as the words sunk into her. She had a feeling where this was going. Trying to play it cool, she gave a dismissive wave to the guard. "What, I can't come by and say hey to you sometimes?" she said with a faux smile.

He snorted disbelievingly, nudging his partner. "Get a load of this, buddy; who could've seen the day coming where she came crawling back to us." The creatively named Arcanine snapped to attention, shifting its head down to truly look at her for the first time.

His eyes widened as he took a step closer to Aiden. Buddy's tail stood at attention as he shoved his snout directly into her face, sniffing Aiden like a crazed animal. Aiden stiffened at the sudden invasion of her personal space, taking a weary step back.

She was very aware she could run into someone who knew Carol as a co-worker, but she certainly wasn't prepared for a personal connection that had been intimate.

Seemingly unaware of Arcanine's body language, Mike grinned at her predicament. "That's what you get!" He mocked, gently ruffling Buddy's mane.

The behemoth of an animal loomed over her, taking up most of her vision. It suddenly stopped sniffing her. It shifted its hind legs, taking another paw forward, until it towered over her completely.

It just stood there, staring at her with narrowed eyes.

Son of a

Had she been sniffed out?

Aiden tried to swallow the lump in her throat, before reaching an uneasy hand towards him. She didn't have any food on her, so she had to try her next best bet.

"Hey buddy." She cooed, slowly reaching out to stroke his side, careful not to startle him, or appear as nervous as she felt. Her fingers sifted through his silken mane, softly rubbing his disordered fur back and forth. Arcanine stiffened at her touch, looking at her like she had just grown another arm.

Refusing to let up, she got on her tip-toes. Aiden stretched her hand to scratch at his scruff, letting her entire upper arm get lost in a forest of fluff. She cooed sweet nothings into his ear, scratching beneath his muzzle with her other hand.

Second by second, his muscles slowly relaxed, before he finally leaned his neck down to better feel her embrace. Self-assurance renewed, she buried her head into his fur and giggled.

They stayed like that for a bit, enjoying each other's company. Buddy's eyes lulled closed, tail wagging behind him- lost in serene contentment.

"Are you two done with your moment?" Mike asked, with a hint of amusement. Aiden tore her head out of the fluff, giving him an embarrassed smile.

"He... really missed me, huh?" She asked, not daring to let her hands onslaught down for a moment.

Mike shrugged. "Well... If I'm being honest, he never liked you," he said, giving her a knowing look. "You wouldn't even give him the time of day, but look at you two now..." he trailed off, looking at the content face of his partner. "Makes me jealous," he murmured.

This is actually going well… She thought. The beast had been tamed, and Mike didn't seem suspicious of her at all.

Now, it was time to make her exit. She smiled apologetically at him, "Hey, sorry Mike, but I've really gotta' go," she said.

His brows furrowed. "... already?"

She smiled, giving Buddy one last rub. "Not on company time, y'know?" One wrong step and he'd find out she was a phony. Aiden couldn't afford to play around here, even if she was tempted to pet Buddy a little more.

She stepped away from Buddy, intent clear in her step. She pounced on Mike, catching him in a bear hug. Even underneath all the armor, she felt him lock up. "C-carol?"

Aiden purred into his ear, "Call me tonight, stud." Aiden pecked the side of his helmet and playfully shoved him, power walking away from them without another word. "C-carol!"

The amused snort of an Arcanine rang out in the hall.

Once she made sure she wasn't being followed, she let herself sag against a sterile metal wall. Breathing a sigh of relief, she counted her lucky stars. "That... that was too close," she muttered to herself.

She was fortunate men -human and mon' alike- starved of female attention were easy to put off balance. All you had to do was push the right buttons.

She let herself relax for a moment, unwinding her neck, before looking at her surroundings. It was completely desolate, as it should be. A dead end, with a single flickering light giving life to its expanse. It seemed like there was nothing here, but if everything was right, then...

Upon closer inspection, there was a number engraved into the wall - two hundred and twenty-seven. Unlike the rest of the doors she had seen so far, this one had no easily discernible shape. It was polished to a mirror's shine, reflecting the world around it.

It blended into the wall nearly perfectly, distinguished only by small grooves at its edges. A simple touchscreen was set into its surface, along with a small sign that spelt out, AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY, in stark letters.

She cracked her fingers, taking a deep breath. Once she began, there was no going back. She would have a few minutes at most to disable the source of Psionic interference, before a living tide of man and mon' washed over her. With a hint of tension in her step, she approached the keypad.

Her heart pumped in her chest as she slowly raised her hand, inputting the bizarre code she had been given with careful precision.

Death comes for us all, upon' translucent wings, and yet, here you stand - tall and proud - against oblivion. Now that she truly considered it... it sounded familiar to her. A phrase she had heard in childhood, perhaps?

The distant echo of footsteps. Behind her!

...Was an empty hall. It was just her imagination.

She was on edge, wasn't she? Aiden tried to power through it, but after that run in with Mike, she half expected him to walk in on her at any moment.

The seconds ticked by, the screen unchanging.

Tick tock.

Each moment that passed felt as if they were slipping from her, another precious second she needed to do her job. She looked above her to confirm the existence of a security camera, ever watching.

Tick tock.

She would never know if they noticed her, until it was too late. She could fight one off, or maybe two, but who knew how many there were in this building...

The electric hum of the fluorescent light was deafening. Sweat began to drip down her brow.

W-were they already on to her, or did she get the code wrong, or-

The screen flashed, reading out another strange phrase in green text.

Code recognized. THE REAPER HUNTS ON OBSIDIAN WINGS.

The bizarre words reverberated in her head.

Aiden stared at the screen like it had spoken to her in person, but it was just a door- that still refused to open. She squinted at the text, as if it might disappear at any moment.

A distant screech rang in her ears, like that of a bird of prey. Aiden jerked her head, this way and that. Nothing.

"This shite's really happening to me now?" She whispered, disbelievingly.

Now, each blink, each breath she took, she all did consciously. It was a bad habit whenever this happened to her.

Ever since she was a child, she had the occasional fit at seemingly random times. Minor hallucinations, errant thoughts, delusions. The first episode had her put on some medication, which she refused to take.

It was a gamble what form these episodes would take- a gamble Aiden was entirely comfortable with taking.

*It isn't that bad!* she would argue, until she was blue in the face. The delusions of grandeur she got might put off an outside observer, but Aiden loved them. It made her feel powerful, in control, and just... right. Multiple doctors tried to disabuse her of this notion, like her feelings were just some harmful vestigial organ that could be cut off without another word.

Her mother -bless her heart- wouldn't agree with her either. One episode she'd get a wild child full of vim and vigor, the next a shivering mess hiding underneath her covers.

In Aiden's mind, you can't have the good without the bad, though she did like to pretend the latter moments didn't happen. Her present was proof enough, however, to silence any half hearted attempts at denial.

The touchscreen beeped.

Processing Aura Signature. THE WEAK OF HEART PRAY FOR OBLIVION, the screen read.

W-what? Aura? They- they didn't tell her anything about this. She should have been let in after the first code!

She clicked her tongue in annoyance, tapping a foot impatiently. Unconsciously, she took a hand and scratched her shoulder.

Suddenly, her skin crawled- a thousand ants seemingly squirming underneath her skin.

She cringed at the alien feeling invading her body, never getting any real satisfaction from her attempts to quell the itching.

She had never felt this before.

Processing... Processing... RUN AND HIDE, IT IS ALL THE SAME.

The temperature in the hall dropped like a brick.

Someone was watching her.

Bam. She pounded the door with a fist.

"L-let me in, you d-dryshite!" She yelled, her teeth chattering.

Bam. The sound of her punch rang down the hall.

The crawling -which begged her to itch and scratch- spread to her chest, enveloping her heart.

Processing... Processing... NONE ESCAPE JUSTICE.

Bam.

"You never learn, do you?" A voice whispered in her ear.

Aiden whirled around with a clenched fist. Her punch whistled through empty air.

She was still alone. No feet pounded against steel, no alarms blared, nothing. Aiden took in a trembling breath. Her heart. It was going to explode.

Bam.

This is the worst episode she'd had by far. She needed to calm down. Do something- anything.

One, two, three. Breathe in, breathe out.

It intensified; the creeping, the crawling, all on six legs. Inside her veins, laying eggs in her bones, a million insects making her body home.

Aura identified, individual - NONE ESCAPE ME.

The florescent light exploded in a violent crack. Glass scattered onto the ground like leaves from a tree. The ambient sound of her environment receded into nothing, leaving her alone in the darkness.

The sound of silence had a gravity of its own. Dragging her, pushing her, grabbing her, until she finally fell to her knees.

Ahead, the reflective door boiled and bubbled like mercury. Slowly, something came into being within this eldritch pool.

A demon. A king. A judge - The Reaper.

Glowing red eyes gouged into her soul, seeing her for what she was.

Suffused in inky darkness that shrouded its features - the eyes floated, like an anomaly not of this world. Out of its form, sludge dripped onto the ground. A black viscous mess tinted with silver.

Her eyes could not break from it. She didn't dare to scream, speak, or even breathe. Her nerves begged her to scratch, her brain to run, her heart to cry.

Nothing. Not a thing to break the unearthly silence- like that of the grave.

Its head stretched out of the door. A pair of tattered wings unfolded behind it.

Aura identified, individ-

"Every parent teaches a simple truth: none escape justice. Run and hide, it is all the same. None escape them. So, be a good little child, and don't tempt the Reaper." A soft voice.

Its long thick neck extended, until its eyes were mere inches from her. Judging her, dooming her.

"And yet, here you stand -tall and proud- before oblivion. Is it bravery, or foolishness?" This voice was different from the last. Ethereal, indistinct, implacable.

Her everything, condensed to the frame of two irises. Within that framing, the entire world had come to a standstill.

It loomed over her now. Every bit of sludge that sloughed off its body made no sound, evaporating into nothing when it drooped onto the earth.

It lowered its wings to her side, preparing to envelope her within its murky embrace. She wanted to scream, but her lungs refused to heed her command.

She was frozen. It was not a normal fear or anxiety that stilled her, but a primordial horror that she had never known in her modern life.

"NONE ESCAPE ME." A guttural roar.

It lunged at her. She could not bear it. With extreme effort, her eyes slammed shut. Her heart hammered in her ears.

An inmate on death's row, she awaited her fate. One moment, and then another.

One, two, three. Each second an eternity unto itself…

Nothing.

She slowly cracked her eyes open, expecting the beast to strike at any moment, only to see... a touchscreen.

Aura identified, individual: Aiden Bryne. Access denied.

Everything was normal, the light unbroken. Its soft hum heralded the return of her hearing. Her skin was warm, her breath invisible to the eye.

The crawling too had disappeared- all of it had, in an instant, like the receding tide of a waking dream.

In one swift moment, her body returned to motion. From her knees, she collapsed onto her side.

All she did for a while was breathe in shuddering breaths, and softly shake… marveling at the beauty of a dull metal wall.

Oh, my, look at the soft gradient of color it possessed on closer inspection. How did it get here? What grand places has it seen, how many great people had it met? What dark secrets does a wall hide? She wondered, imagination a-lit.

Many have dreamed of the tales the dead would weave, but in this moment, Aiden could only imagine what a grand narrative a wall could tell if it could speak.

Surely this was unexplored territory, that made her a great thinker on par with the finest scholars for even considering it.

The wall -not having much to do- had been listening in on her thoughts, as they do, and decided to humor her. It told her its history; a special little story only for her, never before heard by mortal ears.

First, it was nothing, eons ago in a time man could only hope to understand. And then, there was a bang. Its constituent atoms came into being on that wonderful day, and then- oh, but the wall didn't want to bore Aiden with all of the little details. It was quite a long story, and the wall knew she didn't quite have the time to listen to it all- the wall had seen what the screen had said, after all.

No doubt they were coming after her at this very moment, but the wall had a hard time convincing her to care about it. She just wanted it to continue its story.

Anyways, to make a long story short, every part of it eventually came to be here through the infinitely complex mechanisms of the universe. From the earth it came, into a smelter it went -that part was quite painful, mind you- and then it made its way here. Aiden was not very impressed with the walls rushed manner. She wanted to hear some finer details of the story, but it refused.

It was quite worried for her. It knew Aiden must be quite deep in shock if she was pretending that it was anything but a figment of her imagination. It scolded her for taking advantage of an old walls kindness, before reminding her of someone who would do a much better job at comforting her.

Aiden looked dumbly at the wall for a moment, blinking with no recollection, before her head shot to a pocket on her suit with a small lump in it. She propped her upper body up with an elbow, reaching into that very pocket with a fervent yet clumsy intensity.

Out she fetched a red and white Pokéball. She raised it into the air, applying pressure to the button in its center with a single finger.

It popped open with a single click, releasing a multicolored stream of light that whipped around like a serpent, refusing any attempt at chorence, before it finally coalesced into a familiar frame, piece by piece.

First was the tail, long and unwieldy on land. A ridge went from the edge of his tail to the base of his neck, which a large white frill encompassed like an umbrella. Ever moist, his skin was the soft blue of an untainted reef, rare and exotic. His belly was plump from a lifetime of spoiling.

No, he wasn't overweight, he was perfect just the way he is.

And then, there was his face. Upon his head rested a crown of white frills, two ike ears, and another upon the forehead. Above his short snout, there rested two beautiful eyes drowning in a sea of violet, distant and confused from the transportation via Pokéball.

Bandit.

A Vaporeon, and her precious companion. In one shaky motion, she got off her side and buried her head into the crook of his neck. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, greedy for warmth.

"Oh- oh god, Bandit, I-I," She hoarsely whispered into his ear, in between muffled breaths.

Bandit blinked, confused- for but a moment, before he softly trilled into her ear. He knew what to do. There was only one thing on this earth that could have brought her to such a state.

He awkwardly sat on his haunches -careful not to jostle Aiden too much. He leaned into her hug, wrapping her waist within the embrace of his long tail.

"This- this one was bad. I- I don't even know how to describe it, I- I just," she broke down into haggard breathing, each breathing a struggle in of itself. Her heartbeat drummed an erratic beat against his chest.

He trilled reassuringly, rubbing his moist cheek against her own. He poked a paw to her chest, reminding her of what to do.

Don't focus on it. Don't think about it. She let herself forget about everything else, but the warmth of her companion. The warmth of his breath, the moisture of his skin, and the soft rising of his chest whenever he breathed.

Completely wrapped up in his tail, lost in the soft trills that reverberated in her ear like a cat's purr- she was cut off from the world. Bandit was everything she could conceive, so she was safe.

Safe from it, safe from everything.

One, two, three. Breathe in, breathe out.

When the beat of her heart had finally returned to a reasonable pace- Bandit began to groom her. With slow steady movements of his tongue, he diligently brought every stray hair upon her head into proper order.

Aiden lost herself in the sensation, not caring that she was being treated like a newborn kit.

She imagined she was a child again, snuggling with a small eevee beneath the covers. They didn't need many words, they never did.

He understood her, better than any damn doctor.

With great reluctance, she relinquished her hold on Bandit, straightening her back. Finally able to see the worried frown plastered on his face, she sighed, letting her arms fall to her sides limply.

"Yeah, I know…" She felt like a real fucking mess right now, but atleast she didn't feel like she was going to have a heart attack anymore.

She didn't even know how to describe what she had just experienced, it was miles above anything she had felt before. They said something about the possibility of it becoming worse as she got older, and look at her now… just her luck right there.

She- she needed to look into getting some of her prescription. She knew she'd hate the whole, 'I told you so' look she'd get from her doctor when she asked, but she couldn't deal with the alternative anymore.

Upsides be damned, she could live without it.

She didn't even want to think about any of this right now, she just… wanted to curl into a ball with Bandit, and forget about the world. Let it all drift away

He continued to look at her with a small frown, worry clear in the way he slightly tilted his head. She gave him a small smile, leaning into his chest with her side.

Scratching him behind his ear, she talked in a tired tone.

"I… I'll tell you about it later, okay-"

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Aidens ears perked up in perfect sync with Bandit. From the hall behind them, they heard the harsh footfalls of a creature running on metal tile. Clearly sound did not carry very far in the building, since a second later Buddy himself came around the corner, skidding to a halt before them.

Atop Buddy rode Micheal, with an intense frown hiding behind his visor.

Reminding them both that they were not in friendly territory, they separated, scrambling to their feet. What the past couple minutes had done to still her heart had been reversed in mere seconds.

"Look alive!" Aiden yelled, getting into a standing position beside Bandit- who menaced at the duo with bared fangs.

Fully facing him, she now saw Micheal had aimed a small black device at her…

A pit formed in her chest, resonating with her frenetic heartbeat. All the fight she usually had did not surface, like she expected. She was just tired, and… scared.

Aiden didn't want to deal with this shit right now, especially after all of that. What was she going to do now, escape?

Fat chance. She placed a palm on Bandit's side, getting a curious head tilt from him.

"Not now, okay?" All the fight left him in an instant, too. Now, he was only confused.

She sighed, holding a hand up in surrender.

"Yeah, whatever. You got me."

"Tch. Bitch."

He summarily applied pressure to the trigger. The front of the black box exploded, releasing two silver prongs followed by copper wire. They spiraled towards Aiden faster than she could see, piercing her skin.

Her muscles contracted. Her nerves screamed as she fell to the floor in a heap. Her glasses fell off, skidding across the floor. The jolt left nothing untouched, her entire body screaming out as one- and then just as quickly, it was over.

Bandit hissed, whipping his tail like a predator. He planted his paws firmly on the ground, summoning the very moisture in the air at his command.

Droplets of water invisible to the eye intertwined in front of his maw, churning and intermixing within an invisible point of gravity. In the span of a mere second, there was a turbulent sphere of water- a microcosm of a stormy sea.

The potential within this sphere exploded outward into a stream of pressurized water, causing him to skid backwards from the recoil.

It sliced through the air, homing in on an annoyed Arcanine- who clearly didn't have enough room to dodge.

It hit, squarely connecting with… an immaterial pink barrier, which flashed out of existence as quickly as it had come into being.

A light flash-banged the hallway, blinding its occupants. The afterimage of a violet explosion, imprinted on her pupils. Aiden recognised its source through her aching eyes- a side effect of teleportation… which should have been impossible here.

Enough of this charade, a voice boomed in her mind, clearly annoyed.

Above them all floated a strange Pokémon she had never seen before.

It had purple eyes, glowing with an inner power, smooth gray skin that lacked any real texture, and a long purple tail that lashed behind it like a serpent. Its head was strange, with a fleshy tube that came out of its back, connecting to its upper spine.

Two edgeless horns erupted from its head, short and blunt.

She couldn't get a good look at its midsection, since it had an honest to god black business suit on, with black-rimmed glasses on top

It belonged on a UFO, as far as she was concerned.

Maybe those conspiracy theorists were on to something. She mused, having nothing better to do after getting tased, but who could have imagined an alien would have such bad taste in fashion?

It was fitting, in a way, since sufficiently rich businessmen might as well be aliens, with how detached they can be, though she didn't think her current company would much appreciate the sentiment.

Mike and Arcanine were shocked into silence from the creature's arrival, but Bandit didn't get the picture.

Aiden was in danger, all he saw was another threat. He growled, gathering moisture for another hydro pump.

The strange Pokémon raised three pronged fingers towards him, showering his eyes in a kaleidoscopic vision. Bandit's attack lulled, the collected water falling to the ground in a pitiful splash.

He tipped back and forth on his paws, tipsy, until he finally fell over- sleeping with a stupid smile on his face.

"B-bandit-" Aiden muscles refused to move at her command.

She was just happy he didn't get hurt. God, they were way out of their league here.

The Pokémon turned to Micheal with crossed arms.

Mike.

He snapped out of his shock, saluting. "Y-Yes, w-what is it?"

I must say, you did your job to a satisfactory level. Good work. The Pokémon nodded, apparently satisfied.

Micheal blinked. "U-uh… what?"

It held up a single bulbous finger. I do have to detract points for falling for her acting, though. You must think with your head, and not your… well, you know. It cleared its throat, despite the fact that it wasn't actually talking.

Now, shoo. It waved Micheal off.

He blinked alongside his partner; they were both equally flummoxed. "B-but what about carol!?" He demanded, finally gathering the courage to speak, "They kidnapped her, right? For that imposter?" He motioned towards Aiden, giving her a glower.

She scowled right back at him.

Carol is enjoying a nice paid vacation, actually. The Pokémon looked through the ceiling. A beautiful suite, up there in orbit. Fine dining, an amazing view, with world class staff serving your every whim, all away from the worries of the world.

It looked down at Micheal with a small smile. Enough to even make me green with envy.

That did not help Micheal, and now Aiden was equally confused. "What!?" They yelled in unison.

The Pokémon sighed, ignoring Aiden. It's another one of fathers weird schemes. You know how he is.

It shooed him away for a second time.

Mike slowly blinked again, before shrugging at Buddy. "Uh… alright. I'll see ya' around." He dropped the taser. It fell to the ground with a plastic thud.

Have a good day.

Once they had turned the corner, it turned back to Aiden with a small frown.

Aiden, was it. The voice thrummed in her mind. The telepathic voice spoke with no intonation, yet it was structured like a question.

It was clearly a psychic type, that much she was sure of. Floating, teleporting, hypnosis, and strange mannerisms.

Psychic's being highly intelligent wasn't a strange thing- it was the norm, in fact. You'd have to go out of your way to find one that wouldn't qualify as a fully fledged citizen. More like second class citizens, if you considered how many restrictions they had, and the constant surveillance they were under, but that's besides the point.

A powerful psychic with an apparent position of authority at Yper tech, of all places!? Everyone in this goddamn city should know their name, and now that she was thinking about it, why did it lie about Carol being in some orbital resort?

Aiden saw her with her own eyes!

It seems you do not understand the gravity of the situation you find yourself in. Perhaps a side effect of your recent mental breakdown. It thought, looking down on her with an unmoving frown, eyes narrowed.

She hated that plastic look. It must be judging her- like, like… the thing in the wall.

She quickly threw that thought out, instead focusing on how much she didn't like psychic types. She strained her neck to glare back at the Pokémon, who was now floating above her.

They were clearly looking down on her. They all thought they were so much better than people.

Oh, high and mighty psychic, get your gray alien head outta' your ass. She only allowed herself to imagine the satisfaction she would get from saying that out loud.

You know I can hear you, right.

Shite. Fucking psychics.

"What the hell is going on?" She blurted, unable to contain herself anymore.

I'm glad you're thinking somewhat rationally now. Its face did not echo the sentiment. I will be the one asking the questions, however. It continued.

She snorted. "What, you want me to sell out my clients, right? I'll be doing that to the authorities, thank you very much." Aiden had no delusions on this front. She was screwed, but her crime wasn't that bad to an overworked and underfunded justice system.

One plea deal later with an automated judge and she'd be spending a week in physical jail, at worst. She wasn't the one who kidnaped Carol, afterall.

Aiden wasn't a legal expert by any means, but she knew there was a precedent for cases like hers. First time offenders are shown some degree of leniency, if only to keep the numbers of bodies in cells low.

The real annoying part would be parole… it would be a real drag.

ThePokémon's frown broke into a smirk. I am already intimately familiar with your client. It pointed a hand down at her. The important question I am asking is, why. It declared, with a sense of importance.

Aiden blinked. Did it already get that information from her mind? If so, then… "Why?" She repeated, confused.

Why you, of all people. You are nobody. A third-rate Pokémon trainer. It pointed towards the sleeping body of Bandit, like he was a damning piece of evidence, who dabbles in petty theft, like it's some sort of game. It continued.

Aiden snarled, struggling to get up. "Ooooh, you gobshite, wait until I-"

The Pokémon pointed a hand at her, cloaked in psychic energy. An invisible force dragged her body down, clamping her jaw shut. "Mmmmm!" She struggled against it feebly.

Why you? It finally asked her non-rhetorically. I am patient. I will give you two more tries to tell the truth. It held two fingers up, not bothering to tell her what would happen if she refused.

"Mmmmmhhh!" She mumbled.

Use your thoughts. You yell too much. It said with a small smirk.

What the hell are you talking about?! I don't have to say anything until I see my lawyer! She internally screamed.

The Pokémon frowned at her response. Now, it only held a single finger up to her, looking at her like a disappointed parent. The unsaid threat hung in the air - a guillotine hanging above her head.

Anxiety was creeping up on her, slowly but surely. Had Aiden mentioned she hated psychics?

What did they even want? If they were such a superior psychic type, they should be able to figure it out themselves!

She had initially been weary of the offer when she first received the message on an online forum -where she regularly bragged about her exploits- but they soon proved themselves to be the real deal in quick order.

They had the resources, information, and hell, they even paid her half of her cut up front! Enough where she didn't need to worry about her living expenses for a year or two, at least.

It wasn't hard to justify why her clients would need someone like her. Even if it hurt her ego to say… the psychic was right; she was a nobody, relatively speaking. She had no prior loyalties to any party, and… she was expendable to them, really.

To people like that, that money was a drop in a bucket.

She didn't want to give the Pokémon the satisfaction, but she'd rather not find out what it'd do to her otherwise. There were many things a psychic type could do to an unprepared human.

Look, don't you already know the answer? Like you said… I'm a nobody, an expandable pawn.. She replied under duress.

The Pokémon looked thoroughly unimpressed. To regurgitate that, as if that will satiate my curiosity.

Aiden's entire body was gripped in a telekinetic force, levitating her to its eye level. Aiden squirmed in its grasp, accomplishing little besides flailing her limbs.

"W-What do you think you're doing!?" She internally yelled.

This won't hurt. It replied.

It adjusted its glasses, before stretching out a hand. Aiden's muscles tensed.

It made contact with her forehead, and from that connection, a warmth spread across her entire head. She struggled to move her neck away, move anything, but the force prevailed. She tried, and tried, until her sore muscles cried in agony.

You're only making this harder on yourself. It whispered. The warmth creeped into her head, until finally, static electricity was pulsing within her brain.

This had to be a nightmare, a continuation of her mental breakdown. It was going to turn her brain into mush, make her a lobotomite.

G-get out of my head, you-

Calm down. It commanded, sending a precise shock into her gray matter, and like clockwork, her body obeyed. Her shoulders relaxed, and her breathing returned to normal.

Ah, what was she worried about again? It would be inconvenient if her brain got turned into mush, but it wouldn't be that bad. In fact, it was completely irrational to be angry at someone violating the sanctity of her mind.

It smiled at her. See, isn't that much better? You could have suffered permanent brain damage if you kept resisting.

"Oh, you're not going to lobotomize me?" She asked, nonchalantly.

No, now close your eyes, it simply said, before closing its own eyelids. The static in her head intensified, licking at the edges of her skull. Her eyes sagged, until they eventually closed on their own.

It felt strange, but it didn't hurt at least.

It was honestly underwhelming. Wherever she read about psychics messing with human minds, they always had sensationalist headlines like, "ROGUE ALAKAZAM MIND WIPES FAMILY OF FOUR," or, "WILD MUSHARNA EAT'S HOPES AND DREAMS OF LOCAL ORPHANAGE."

Now that she was calm, she could realize that she was a bit prejudiced against psychic types, which was partially influenced by clickbait news- that she knew wasn't even real half the time.

Well, she was prejudiced against them for good reason. One was reading her mind without her consent, after all. It fit in entirely with her preconceived notions, even if they were poorly sourced.

Not that she's angry about it reading her mind, nor happy, or even slightly miffed, no, she was just calm.

I'm going to ask you some questions, it declared.

"Isn't there someone you forgot to ask?" Aiden said, unamused. She may be calm, but she still didn't appreciate this whole situation. It pushed her around with its stupid powers just because it could, and now it had the gall to ask her questions

Let's start simple. What were you told to do in this little mission of yours? It asked, ignoring her completely.

Of course it would act like this. Jokes on this dork, it wouldn't get a single peep from her. It would never know she was sent here to disable the source of psonic interference, so a crack team of specialists could teleport in and steal some of Yper's vaunted company secrets.

It hummed quizzically. So, that's the story he gave you.

"Wait, what?" It knew? Aiden was not very knowledgeable on the minutiae of mind reading, it never interested her.

It does not speak much of your intelligence if this was convincing to you. For one, why would this building only have a single countermeasure in an out of place location? Aiden could not see it with closed sockets, but she could swear it was smirking at her.

It was a little strange, now that she thought about it, but she did not care for the bearer of this information.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, now did I?" Aiden snarked back, measuredly.

No, you did not, but if you made a habit of asking for outside perspectives, maybe you wouldn't be in this situation, it said.

What would a psychic be without smug condescension? Not much, in her view.

Now, it continued. Have you ever been in contact with Enoise?

What, the founder and main stockholder of Yper tech? The eccentric visionary behind more discoveries and innovations than she could count, not even including his discovery of ultra space?

Which was all the more ridiculous, considering how young he was. It was the kind of story that had her feeling inadequate by comparison, when she considered how much she'd accomplished in her own life, though Aiden tried not to think about that kind of stuff too hard.

She snorted at the ridiculous question. "I wish," she replied. No person in the solar system would miss such an opportunity, if given. She doubted she'd have a lot to say to him, but he was one of the richest men in the world.

She wasn't the biggest fan of bootlickers, but you can't deny opportunity when it knocks, after all.

The Pokémon smiled softly. …Opportunity, you say? It said, with a hint of irony. Count yourself lucky, then, it has come knocking.

It didn't mean… that, did it?

Aiden, would you consider yourself special? It asked, not giving her a moment to digest the previous comment.

Special? She didn't care to think about the asinine preschool nonsense it asked for more than a second.

"Hey, you don't mean I'm going to meet him, ri-"

Focus on the question. It commanded, sending another jolt into her cortex.

Instantly her thoughts veered off course, focusing intently on analyzing the question. It was extremely disorienting, like an intruder had broken through the walls of her brain and commandeered the very mechanism by which she reasoned.

Distress isn't calm. Scared isn't calm. Focus, Aiden. Focus on the question. Her voice reassured her, though she knew it wasn't her own on an innate level.

Special? She wasn't special, hell, no one was. She had that idea beat out of her at a young age, and she was honestly surprised that anyone survived into adulthood with that delusion inta-.

You just haven't met one. The psychic commented, throwing her brain completely off track, like her thoughts were her own again.

"What-"

Sorry, I'll let you continue. Focus. Another jolt within her brain.

…Every parent tells their kid that little white lie when they're young and precious. 'You're special, my little pumpkin,' and being the little snot loving brat they are, they take it as gospel.

You never find out until later that what they really meant to say was, 'you're special to me, my little pumpkin.' A small difference, but a very important one in her mind.

To be fair, she had literal delusions of grandeur sometimes, but at least she was self aware about it. Beyond those moments, which she admittedly enjoyed, it did not reach any further into her life.

The Pokémon hummed. Random rant aside, let's focus on those delusions of grandeur, shall we? How do they make you feel?

"What, are you my therapist?" Aiden jeered.

Focus, It commanded, clearly impatient.

Like clockwork, her thoughts veered without her conscious control.

Oh, in those glorious moments she was at the top of the world. Confident and assured, she could take on the very world and win. She took risks she never would have considered before, and fought like a mad dog if provoked…

She's still not allowed back in that bar to this day, though she would argue it's that girls fault for being a complete creep towards Bandit. Seriously, what did she expect would happen after doing that to her precious boy out of nowhere?

Now, she's not his mother or anything; Bandit is his own mon', after all. If he sees any Pokémon that tickles his fancy, she'll try really hard to accept them, honest!

Some pokephile weirdo, on the other hand! Hell no! Ah, if she saw that woman, she'd kick her ass all over again! That bar was the only one near her home that allowed Pokémon inside, and now-

Her rambling was cut off by an intruding voice. I… I didn't need to know any of that. You're rather scatterbrained, aren't you. They thought, sounding slightly flustered.

Embarrassment surged within her, before her brain got a now familiar jolt.

Focus, please.

…The general aimlessness of her life took a backseat to a glorious self-importance, to a life worth living… and when it was all over, there came the crash. The fey mood would dissipate, like an eighteen wheeler crashing into a convenience store.

She would mope, cry, and use Bandit as a pillow like usual. It was more of a somber sadness, like you'd feel from an old family member passing, rather than acute despair.

Not that she would ever experience that feeling again.

Hmm, and why is that? Another jolt.

Why? Because she couldn't deal with that- Anxiety surged to the front at the mere thought of thinking about what happened to her mere minutes ago. But no, she was calm, and yet she needed to think about the-

Her brain locked up, unable to handle the conflicting instructions it had been given. Her face was locked in between a grimace and a blank expression.

"Echnitos, you've dallied long enough." A firm voice resonated around them, slightly tinged with static. "You know we're on a very tight schedule today."

The Pokémon sighed, opening its eyes to look up at a speaker hidden in the ceiling. "Why? The question of the day." It said, slightly pouting. "It's ridiculous that only you two know."

Echnitos deigned to use their voice for the first time, sounding exactly like its mental imitation. Or, maybe the voice was an imitation of the latter?

"Take it up with Enoise." The voice said curtly, before cutting off the speaker.

Echnitos rubbed their free hand on their forehead, grumbling underneath their breath.

The psychic retracted its touch, the static in her head subsiding. Her face relaxed, eyes opening.

Echnitos gave her a critical look through its glasses.

I wasted my time. You're ignorant. Of course you are; I don't know what I even expected.

Aiden smiled, still eerily calm. "Getting your hopes up is the first step to disappointment. For example," she held a single finger up to point at the Pokémon, "I never held any hope that you had scruples." She stated with all of the passive aggression she could muster.

It adjusted its glasses, before crossing its arms together. You're one to talk about scruples, you little delinquent.

Aiden shrugged. "Whatever helps you fall asleep at night, right?"

Its eyes flared with violet energy, engulfing her vision in a brilliant flash. For a split second she was separated from the world, tearing through its fabric like an intruder, until her sight returned to her.

She blinked out the blotches of violet in her vision, swaying side to side from the sudden vertigo of teleportation.

Before her was a young man with bags under his eyes, sitting on a fine leather couch. The room was lit by the ambience of burning wax, casting soft shadows onto the hardwood floor and floral wallpaper.

It was a meeting room of some kind, far too fancy for her taste.

The man leaned forward on the glass table that sat between them, taking a bottle of champagne and pouring a glass, looking completely relaxed. This is someone who knew they were in control.

"I see they're done torturing you," he simply said, voice low and tired. Aiden stared at him dumbly, completely caught off guard. He wore a simple lab coat, but this was no simple scientist.

He pushed the glass of sparkling wine towards her with a small smile. "I do hope you'll be able to forgive them. You know how kids can be."

It was Enoise, the young genius in the flesh, sitting right before her. He was not some mythical creature, but a simple person of bone and blood.

Apparently that little insinuation from the psychic douchebag was the real deal, which somehow felt more unreal than the person in front of her.

This day had been so ridiculous. Maybe she was still laying on that floor, staring at that nice old wall?

She pinched herself.

Yep, it hurt, her muscles still ached from being tased, and he's still there, looking at her real funny.

She should be a complete mess right now, especially since Bandit was missing from the room, but that wouldn't be calm, now would it?

"Did Echy' scramble your brain?" He asked with a small frown, more to himself than her.

On cue, a brilliant flash of light filled the room, leaving a grumpy psychic sitting on the couch next to Enoise.

Only a little.

Enoise chuckled faintly. "A little? Look at her!" He poured another glass of champagne, this time for himself. He looked over at Echnitos, shaking his head in disapproval. "Echy', dear… why'd you-"

"Bandit." Aiden blurted, drawing both of their gazes. "Uh… where is he?" She could have asked anything, like what the hell is even going on, but she had her priorities straight.

"Ah, you can still talk," he muttered. "That's good. Now, Bandit…" He scratched his scraggly beard in contemplation. "Ah right, that's your little Vaporeon." He looked over at the psychic expectantly.

Oh, right.

Another flash, and a new weight fell beside Aiden with a thump.

Bandit, laying down with his head on her lap, snoring peacefully despite getting dropped like a lump of bricks. His long tail snaked onto the floor at an awkward angle, hardly looking comfortable enough for a mon' that had trouble sleeping on one of those fancy mattresses filled with water.

She smiled despite her situation. He was always so cute when he was sleeping, like he was a little Eevee all over again.

Enoise smiled, taking a swig of the champagne, before turning his head back to Echnitos.. "Now, Echy', why'd you ruin it?" He asked, clearly unamused.

She crossed her arms. Ruin it? I don't know what you were trying to do, exactly, but it was already over.

Another swig. "Yeah, how'd you know that? What if she was just pretending to surrender, huh?!" He exclaimed, moving his free arm around animatedly.

She snorted. Really, dad? You'd just let Micheal and Buddy get hurt like that, for no reason?

"What?!" Aiden exclaimed in surprise. It wasn't exactly rare for someone to adopt a Pokémon, but still.

Echnitos whipped their head towards Aiden, scowling. Hush, unless you want your brain to become a scrambled egg.

Aiden clamped her mouth shut, scowling back at the psychic. Her sense of self-preservation demanded she be quiet, but by god she didn't have to enjoy it.

She rubbed Bandit's back to distract herself.

Enoise smirked at the psychic. "Hey, you don't need to take your bad mood out on her," he said, taking another swig of the champagne, before pointing at himself. "I'm right here!" He declared with a faux sense of self-importance.

Don't change the subject.

He shrugged. "They knew what they were signing up for when they got this job, and besides," he said, looking at Echnitos knowingly. "They would have gotten hurt in the pursuit of knowledge.. If you didn't ruin it."

Echnitos raised a brow. Pray tell, how does a little fight enlighten anyone?

Enoise shifted his gaze to Aiden, making her fidget a little. "Well… uh, I don't know. I was kinda just throwing something at the wall at the last moment." He said.

Echnitos's brow raised even further. Dad… They stared into each other's eyes for an overly long moment.

To say Aiden felt pretty awkward about being here would be an understatement, it reminded her far too much of some of the conversations she's had with her own mother.

Is this about what I think it is? They finally said.

He smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, it is. We'll talk about it later, okay?"

Echnitos rolled their purple eyes, flicking their tail in annoyance. That's what you always say.

"Look I- I'm not lying this time, okay…" He pulled his child into a sudden hug, looking rather small in comparison to the psychic, who had to be over 6 feet tall at least.

The psychics' annoyed demeanor wavered, if only a little. Don't think you can-

Enoise whispered something into their ear. Echnitos's eyes widened, their tail shooting into the air like a rocket. He released his grip, keeping a hand on their shoulder.

"I promise," he said, with a small smile.

O-okay, dad. Echnitos whispered, with more emotion than Aiden had ever heard from them.

Enoise held eye contact for a moment longer, before turning his gaze to Aiden. "Sorry you had to hear all that. You seem to be taking this all… a little too well, and," he trailed off, looking at her untouched glass. "You haven't touched your wine." He said with a small frown.

"Uh… I'm not thirsty," she said, feeling immensely out of place after hearing that heart to heart. Enoise's frown deepened. "Echy', what'd you do to her, exactly?"

Echnitos's demeanor instantly worsened on seeing her, like they had forgotten Aiden even existed.

I made her… more agreeable, they replied.

Agreeable was a very charitable interpretation of what had been done to her, but she could hold her tongue as a civilized and calm individual.

"Dial that back, it's not fair to her otherwise," he replied.

They rolled their eyes again. I doubt fair is anywhere in your equation… but fine.

Echnitos's eyes flashed with power as they raised a hand towards Aiden.

Another small jolt resounded within her head.

Like a switch had been flipped, Aiden jerked her head towards the psychic. Her eyes widened, her pupils dilated, and her breathing quickened - all while she truly took in what had happened to her, without the veil of artificial calm cast over her heart.

Within a split second her perception of the situation had changed, and with it, her mood.

"W-what. The. Actual. Hell!" Aiden yelled, covering Bandit with her body protectively. Her muscles were tense, on the edge of fight or flight. She gulped nervously, sizing up the psychic who had so casually violated her.

"W-what the hell is going on!" She demanded, half considering running away. Her Pokéball was still inside her pocket, so maybe…

Enoise held up a disarming palm, "Wouldn't we all like to know that-"

"C-cut it with your shite," Aiden seethed, "C-call the police right now, and m-maybe I won't sue your ass to high orbit!" Aiden growled with all of the ferocity of a cornered animal, glaring at Echnitos.

Echnitos frowned back at her, completely unperturbed.

Enoise sighed, "Please, Aiden, calm down," he said quietly. Aiden flinched at the mention of the word calm. "I just want to talk, okay?"

"C-calm?! Calm!?" Aiden yelled, directing a shaking finger at the pair. "D-do you even c-care about what your supposed c-child did to me!" Aiden exclaimed, taking in a shuddering breath. Her heart was not a big fan of today in general.

Enoise looked over at his child with narrowed eyes. Aiden took this opportunity to quickly look behind her. There were no doors, anywhere. She was trapped.

She hugged Bandit a little harder.

The die has already been cast.

He shook his head, turning back to her. "Look, I- I get it…" He trailed off, struggling to think of something to say. "It was terrible, and I don't condone their action, but there's something even more important we need to talk about first," he explained, taking a moment to glance at the analog clock on the wall.

Oh, the nerve.

Aiden bared her teeth. "I don't give a single shit about your oh so important talk," she mocked, clearly about to go on a tirade.

Suddenly, her neck was jerked towards Echnitos by an alien force. The psychic's eyes bored into her own with a harsh glare, glowing with psychic power.

You will not disrespect him.

Aiden's heart jumped in her chest as she struggled against the grip. "J-just b-because I broke into your s-stupid building-" Aiden cut herself off with a gasp. "D-doesn't mean y-you get to do whatever y-you want with me," she finally got out, voice weak yet defiant.

One, two, three. Breathe in, breathe out.

She didn't help.

"Echnitos… can you, just, leave for a bit?" Enoise quietly asked.

Echnitos released their psychic grip on Aiden, looking at their father with widened eyes.

Dad, but… you just said.

Enoise chuckled awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. "Ah… right, sorry. I'm going to need to get used to this." He sighed, looking back at Aiden.

"Look, that's the thing, Aiden. I'm the person who hired you to break into this building," he explained, like it was some fundamental truth that would still her erratic thoughts.

Aiden blinked, doing a double take. So the psychic wasn't lying about that, but it was a truth that did not help her.

She glared at Enoise with grit teeth. "T-that's the thing!? That's the thing?!" She questioned, completely flabbergasted. "W-what on god's green earth does that prove, except that you're as much of a psycho bitch as your child?!" She exclaimed, nearly on the edge of screaming.

That liveliness melted into meekness, as the psychics glare pierced her like a spear. She shivered, quickly breaking her line of sight from either of them.

Of course, what did she expect from someone who was so rich, like he'd actually care about someone like her. To be so detached from what she was feeling, to play with her like this, and just try and scoot past what his child did to her.

She didn't care that there wasn't a door out of this room anymore. They were both crazy. The apple doesn't fall very far from the tree, and how could she forget that old adage, like father like... son? She didn't know if it applied here, some Pokemon were just weird like that.

She just needed to wake Bandit up, blast a hole out of here, and find someone who could help her. She should be fine if she finds a sane employee to be her witness, right?

Then she can get out of here, sue this company to high heaven, get that psychic locked up forever, and then she'd coast along for the rest of her life on that money.

"No, you don't…" He trailed off, watching her shake Bandit back and forth with a sense of urgency - accomplishing little, besides making him snort in his sleep. You'd think they had drugged him, or something.

"C-come on, wake up, wake up, wake up," she begged in a furtive whisper, not realizing or caring they were both staring at her.

Enoise rested his head on a hand, his patience slowly draining off his face. "...This isn't how I'd imagine this would go," he muttered.

Echnitos rested an oversized hand on his shoulder. I tried to make it easier on you.

He harrumphed, staring into space. "It would have been a hell of a lot easier if you didn't traumatize her."

Maybe I wouldn't have done that-

Harsh static filled the room, casting everyone's gaze upwards. "It's time," a voice resounded in the room, sending her further into a frenzy. She got up pushing Bandit off her lap, letting his head roll onto the couch. She shook him like her life depended on it, but the only thing he had to offer in return was drool.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon… I need you!" Aiden pleaded, before planting her hands on his haunches, trying to push his fat butt off the couch.

Enoise clicked his tongue. He got up, taking one last sip of champagne, before offering a glass to Aiden with a firm expression. "Here's your last chance," Enoise declared with an air of finality.

Aiden didn't spare him a single glance.

"I had hoped to christen this maiden voyage, and perhaps give you some advice, but alas…" he trailed off, face turning pensive.

Aiden grunted with exertion, finally managing to budge Bandit's body. If she didn't have the traction from his moist skin, she wouldn't have accomplished even that. Bolstered by this breakthrough, she gathered her strength for one last heave.

Bandit unceremoniously slipped off the couch with a loud thump as he hit the hardwood. She winced at the sound, hoping it didn't hurt too much.

His head jolted up faster than she had ever seen before, filling her heart with a little hope. He lept up, getting his paws underneath him, growling.

Enoise dropped the glass. It shattered into a thousand pieces, showering the floor in a thin layer of champagne and glass.

"Put them to sleep, dear," said Enoise, face distant.

It's my pleasure. Echnitos adjusted their tie, casually floating in the air above them.

"Bandit, the wall!" Aiden screamed, jumping into action. She just had to distract Echnitos, and then - she didn't even know what, she forgot what her plan was past that.

Her skin crawled with anxiety as she winded up a punch on the unimpressed psychic - who now lorded above them. Her body screamed at her, like she was facing down her own execution. It demanded she run, that she lash out, that she break down and cry, but most of all, it demanded that she survive.

She slammed her eyes shut, wanting to avoid any dirty tricks involving hypnosis. She heard the tell-tale sound of Bandit charging a Hydro Pump.

She lashed out, blindly. Her fist landed squarely on a reflective barrier, sending a jolt of pain up her arm. "Shite," she swore, winding up for another punch. She wouldn't stop until she heard crashing water.

A force grabbed onto her entire body, lifting her into the air. Her fear reached a fever pitch as she struggled against the grip, her limbs lashing out like she was drowning.

"L-l-let me go!" It was a struggle to speak. Her eyelids were clawed open, forcing her to look at her precious partner flopping in the psychic's grip like a stranded fish. Held up by his shoulders, his paws desperately tore into the air, looking for some kind of traction.

His flesh lost cohesion, slowly oozing and melting into an indiscreet mass of shifting water. This did not save him from the psychics grip. They were helpless, and hopeless.

Light filled her vision; the tender embrace of a nightmare shepherding her towards the land of dreams.