Chapter 6
"Why Is This Necessary?"
Mark and his group of helpers from his team headed to Mauville to try to see if they could dig up any clues as to where Arinia had been taken. They hoped that they could come up with some good solid leads that would lead them to her before she was hurt. Mark and his helpers walked over to the door to Wattson's house and Mark's helpers stopped and began waiting since not everyone could go inside so they figured that they'd leave that one particular task to Mark.
Mark walked over to the door and knocked.
"Who is it?" Wattson called.
"It's me, Mark."
Wattson opened the door, "Mark! Come in! Come in!"
"Wait here guys, I'll be back soon." Mark told his group.
"Yes, Mark." Mark's companions said.
Mark entered Wattson's house.
"I'll show you her room, but the police and her father have been through it already." Wattson told Mark.
"Her dad's here?" Mark asked.
"He was." Wattson told Mark.
"Okay, I want to see her room now."
"This way." Wattson led Mark to his room.
"So tell me, did the police tell you what they found?" Mark asked.
"They found a piece of red fabric from a Team Magma uniform." Wattson told Mark.
"WHAT!? You mean they took her!?"
"It certainly looks that way." Wattson replied.
"I'm afraid they might hurt her……. And it would be my fault…… Poor girl……. I hoped being in love with her would be enough to protect her, but I guess not……"
"I know you'll find her……." Wattson said.
"Do they have any new developments in the case, do you know?" Mark asked.
"They won't tell me anything, they want to keep control of the investigation." Wattson replied.
"Poor Arinia……. I bet she's terrified……."
"I know…… But talking about it isn't going to help her any." Wattson replied.
"Maxie has been known to put his enemies to sleep to keep them out of his way for a while……… I hope her didn't do that to Arinia……."
"Try not to think about it, you must have hope." Wattson replied.
"You're right, now where's her room?"
"Up here." Wattson took Mark to Arinia's room.
"I hope I'm ready to see this…….." Mark muttered.
"They trashed it……"
"They what!?" Mark exclaimed.
Wattson opened the door and showed him.
Mark's eyes widened, "Oh my gosh……. You weren't kidding……."
"Feel free to search it." Wattson said.
"That teddy bear that's on her bed………… Arinia loves that thing……. I gave it to her when she was in the hospital while she was sick with pneumonia……… Why didn't they take it with them when they took her?"
"They have no heart……." Wattson said.
"Poor Arinia…….. She usually clings to that thing for comfort……." Mark said.
Wattson picked up the bear and handed it to Mark, "Give it to her when you find her."
Mark cradled the bear like he was holding Arinia, "I'll do that."
"Good." Wattson said.
"None of her clothes are missing, right?" Mark asked.
"None that I know of." Wattson replied.
"Then that means that she's still in her nightgown wherever she is………. I hope they're treating her well……."
"They had better." Wattson grumbled.
"I'm concerned that Maxie might not feed her……." Mark said.
Wattson's eyes went wide, "I didn't think of that!"
"Poor Arinia…….."
"Please find her Mark." Wattson urged.
"Knowing Maxie, he's holding her prisoner at his base………." Mark said
"Can you get her out?" Wattson asked.
"I can, but if Maxie gets word that I'm near-by, he'll hurt her most definitely…….."
Wattson nodded, "Please be careful…… We can't afford to wait."
"Maxie, has been known to threaten his prisoners with a knife………"
"……..Oh, Arinia…….." Wattson moaned.
"Arinia needs help and fast!" Mark exclaimed.
"I agree!"
Mark started to look around Arinia's room for clues so Wattson asked, "Where are you going to look first?"
"I know a small place that Team Magma likes to hang out. I'll hit there and see what I can dig up." Mark replied.
"I'm just curious, but what place are you talking of?" Wattson asked.
"I think it's better if you didn't know, that way the police won't hold you accountable."
"So I'll just leave it to you to find her." Wattson said.
"Thank you. I'll call you and keep you posted." Mark said.
"Thank you. Arinia's so lucky to have you to look out for her……." Wattson said.
"I'd do anything for her." Mark said.
"That's what being in love is." Wattson told him.
Mark smiled at that. Just then there was a knock at the door.
"Let me get that, you keep looking for clues." Wattson walked downstairs and opened the door to find Officer Jenny standing there. "Hello Officer Jenny, any luck?"
"We've confirmed that a Team Magma member did in fact take Arinia." Officer Jenny told him.
"That's good……. I think……. And Arinia…..?" Wattson asked.
"We think she's somewhere near-by being held prisoner." Officer Jenny replied.
"Can you get to her?" Wattson asked.
"We can, but we don't know where to look……." Officer Jenny replied.
"Oh no! Please find her!" Wattson exclaimed.
"Maybe we should get Team Aqua to help look for her…….." Officer Jenny said.
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"Holy cats! I just found something, Wattson!" Mark exclaimed.
"What is it Mark?" Wattson asked, yelling his response so that Mark could hear it back upstairs.
"I found a ransom note under her pillow." Mark called back.
"Oh my!!!! What does it say?" Wattson asked.
"You might want to see for yourself…….." Mark said.
"How bad is it?" Wattson asked.
"Pretty bad, a death threat………" Mark replied grimly.
Wattson's eyes went wide, "Arinia………"
"I must see this note…….." Officer Jenny said.
"Um, yes ma'am." Wattson said.
Wattson and Officer Jenny walked back upstairs.
"Here's the note." Mark handed them the note.
Wattson scanned the note and his eyes widened.
"What did the note say, Mark?" Officer Jenny asked.
"The note said that Maxie would stab her, if I didn't get there in time or if I tried to rescue her……." Mark replied.
"Get where?" Officer Jenny asked.
"He's holding her in his base." Mark replied.
"Where is that?" Officer Jenny asked.
"Last time I checked it was near the Fiery Path, but it's got a hidden entrance." Mark replied.
"I'll send some officers there right away." Officer Jenny said.
Mark cradled Arinia's teddy bear.
"Are you sure, Jenny? What if Team Magma decides it's too risky and hurt Arinia?" Wattson asked.
"What would you have me do? We've got to get her back somehow…….." Officer Jenny said.
"I…… I don't know…….. I'm worried about her." Wattson said.
Mark looked up, "You could let my team and I try to rescue her, we're used to infiltrating their base to rescue a member of ours that they've captured. Arinia wouldn't be much different, except for the fact that they've made a threat to kill her……."
"Okay, but we'll be standing by." Officer Jenny said.
"Is this okay with you?" Mark asked.
"If it gets Arinia back, I don't care." Wattson said.
"Except if they stab her……." Mark said.
Wattson looked sad at that thought.
"Don't worry, we'll get to her in time." Officer Jenny said.
"Please do so." Wattson said.
Unknown to them a Team Magma grunt had been listening to the conversation on the roof. "I've gotta let Maxie know that they're getting close to finding Arinia……" He called out his Crobat to head back to base.
"Did you hear something?" Officer Jenny asked.
Mark looked out the window, "Holy cats! There's a Magma grunt flying on a Crobat!"
"WHAT!?" Wattson exclaimed.
"You've better see this…….." Mark said.
"We need to stop him!" Officer Jenny exclaimed.
"Yeah, if Maxie gets word of what we were talking about, he'll surely hurt Arinia." Wattson said.
"But we might be able to follow him right to the base!" Mark said.
"But if we're too slow, Arinia might be in danger." Wattson said.
"Mark's right! Let's go!" Officer Jenny exclaimed.
They all run back outside.
Mark's teammates run over, "Mark! What's going on?"
"We've discovered a magma spy!" Mark replied.
"What!? Oh no! We better stop him, or Arinia might be in trouble……" One of Mark's teammates said.
"That's the idea, and we have to hurry!" Mark said.
The Team Magma grunt was out of sight by this point.
"Where did he go?" Wattson asked.
"I don't know………" Mark replied.
"We'd better find him, or Arinia might need a doctor………" Officer Jenny said.
"I'm not waiting any longer!" Mark exclaimed.
"GO!" Officer Jenny cried.
"I'm off, come on gang!" Mark cried, tucking Arinia's bear into his bag.
Mark and his teammates called out Pelippers and flew through the sky after the Team Magma spy.
"There he is!" A Team Aqua grunt cried, once they were in the air.
Five more Team Magma grunts showed up.
"This isn't good! A Team Aqua grunt said.
"It sure isn't……." Mark agreed.
"Hold them off, I have a report to file!" The Team Magma spy told the others.
"Yes, sir!" The Team Aqua grunts said. The Team Magma grunts landed and called out their pokemon.
"Everyone else land, I'm going after him!" Mark said.
"Yes, sir!" Mark's teammates said.
The Team Magma spy on the Crobat reached the Fiery Path and landed and ran inside to tell Maxie.
"Dang! I'm going to have to hurry! Pelipper return!"
Mark ran after the grunt and reached the entrance just as the door closed.
"Dang!" Mark hit the door with his fist.
The Team Magma grunt ran to tell Maxie, "Maxie! Team Aqua knows we have Arinia here!"
"What!?" Maxie exclaimed.
"They know and Mark is hot on my heels!" The grunt replied.
"Get the girl!" Maxie ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The grunt replied.
"That brat has crossed me for the last time!" Maxie cried.
"What are you going to do?" The grunt asked.
"I'm going to show Mark what happens when you cross Team Magma." Maxie replied.
The Team Magma grunt left Maxie's officer and ran to get Arinia.
Andrew saw the other grunt, "Woah, slow down, where's the fire? What's up?"
"Maxie wants the girl, Team Aqua is onto us." The grunt replied.
"What does Maxie want her for?" Andrew asked.
"He's going to use her as an example to Team Aqua." The grunt replied.
Andrew walked into Arinia's cell and shook Arinia awake, "Wake up, girl, the boss wants you."
Arinia groaned.
"Maxie's gonna make an example out of you." The grunt told Arinia.
"W-w-w-what?!" Arinia cried.
"You heard me." The grunt said.
"Y-y-you don't mean……." Arinia's eyes were wide open.
"Afraid so, sweetheart, expect an injury." Andrew told her.
"Please….. Don't take me to him." Arinia said sounding fearful.
"Can't do, honey, we never go against Maxie no matter what the circumstances." Andrew told her.
"I'm begging you! Please don't!" Arinia looked like she was going to cry.
"We're taking you to him and that is final!" Andrew said.
Arinia started to cry.
Andrew lifted Arinia into his arms and carried her out of her cell and up to Maxie's office.
"HELP!!! LET ME GO!!!!" Arinia cried.
"Save yourself the trouble and accept your fate." Andrew told Arinia in a tone that suggested that her suffering wasn't important as long as he got his monthly paycheck.
"Why are you doing this?" Arinia asked.
"Because we love tormenting you, that's why." The grunt replied.
"You're not human!" Arinia exclaimed.
They now arrived at Maxie's office.
"It's about time!" Maxie said.
Arinia trembled in fear.
"Sorry, she was being difficult." The grunt replied.
"She'll get what's coming to her………" Maxie pulled a knife out of his pocket and approached Arinia with it.
Arinia shrank back in fear, "D-d-don't touch me."
"Hold the girl still, Andrew!" Maxie cried.
"Yes, sir!" Andrew replied.
"NOOO!!!" Arinia exclaimed.
Maxie readied the knife to cut into her flesh.
"I'm begging you……. Please don't do this!" Arinia cried.
"Shut up, girl, accept it…….." The grunt replied.
"You try sitting here and accept it!!!" Arinia cried back.
Maxie moved Arinia's nightgown sleeve off her shoulder and brought the knife down into her shoulder as deep as he could.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!" Arinia cried.
"HA HA HA!!!!" Maxie said, laughing at her pain.
Arinia cried very hard while she was gasping in pain.
Mark burst into the room, "Arinia!"
"MARK!!" Arinia cried, still crying hard.
"What did you do to her!?" Mark yelled at Maxie.
"Maxie stabbed me!" Arinia cried while still crying.
Maxie held up the knife, "The brat had it coming."
"GIVE ME ARINIA!!!!!" Mark cried.
Maxie put the knife to Arinia's throat, "Surrender yourself or she dies."
Mark's group burst in.
"No one move or she gets it!" Maxie cried.
"Don't kill her!" Mark cried.
"Then you had better listen to me!" Maxie said, grinning evilly.
"Remove the knife from her throat and I'll listen to you." Mark said.
"You're in no position to be making those demands!" Maxie replied.
"Fine, what do you want?" Mark asked.
"Tie them up." Maxie said to the grunt.
"MARK!" Arinia cried. Arinia was losing a lot of blood.
"Arinia! Hang in there!" Mark cried.
"I'll strike a deal with you, your teammates become prisoners, but you can take Arinia to a doctor. Fair enough?!" Maxie said.
"Guys……" Mark said to his teammates.
"Agree to it……. Arinia needs help……." Mark's group said.
"Thank you……… I don't know how to repay you…….." Mark said.
"Mark sure Arinia survives!" Mark's group exclaimed.
Arinia fainted from blood loss.
"ARINIA!!!!" Mark cried.
"So you've made your decision?" Maxie asked.
"Yes………" Mark replied.
"Good! Tie them up!" Maxie said to the grunt.
The grunt tied Mark's teammates up.
"Now hand over Arinia." Mark said.
Andrew handed Mark Arinia.
"Arinia, speak to me!" Mark cried, when he had her in his arms.
"She fainted…….." Andrew told Mark.
"Hurry! Get her help!" A Team Aqua grunt cried.
Mark ran out of Maxie's office and left the base and called out his Pelipper and began flying back to Mauville on his Pelipper.