"Searching for Clues"
Mark left the hospital and headed back to the Team Aqua base to report to his boss.
"Now to report to Archie." Mark muttered as he entered the Team Aqua base and walked to Archie's office.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Meanwhile in Archie's office, Archie was starting to get concerned about Arinia's safety. "I wonder if Mark has found Arinia yet………"
Just then there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." Archie called.
Mark opened the door and came in, "Hello, sir."
"Mark! Did you get her? Is she okay?" Archie cried.
"I found her…… Maxie stabbed her. She's in the hospital now." Mark replied.
"HE STABBED HER?" Archie cried out in disbelief.
"Yes, sir." Mark replied.
"Why'd he do that?" Archie asked.
"A Team Magma spy tipped him off that we were coming……" Mark replied.
"Poor Arinia……." Archie said, clearly meaning it.
"That's not all sir……. Maxie demanded that the others surrender themselves so I could get Arinia to a hospital."
"HE WHAT?!" Archie cried.
"The others are Team Magma's prisoners right now." Mark told his boss seriously.
"We must rescue them!" Archie cried.
"I agree, they're in great danger in Team Magma's hands." Mark said.
"That they are." Archie agreed.
"I doubt Team Magma would keep them in the same place…… We need information and another team to go after them." Mark said.
"True……." Archie murmured.
"Permission to get started right away, sir." Mark requested.
"Granted." Archie said without a moment's pause.
"Thank you, sir."
"Good, I'll visit her later." Archie said while looking at Mark.
"Thank you sir…… I will leave now and start on the rescue mission." Mark said nodding his head in his boss' direction.
"GO!" Archie cried.
Mark now left Archie's office and got a new group together and they set out on the mission to rescue their captured comrades.
"Let's start at their old base and see if they left any clues behind." Mark said as they walked towards Team Magma's old base.
"Yes sir!" The grunts replied.
They now headed to the fiery path and went inside Team Magma's base.
"I was right, Team Magma cleared out……" Mark muttered upon entering the base.
"Where do we look now?" A grunt asked Mark.
"Spread out and see if they might have left any clues behind." Mark replied.
"Yes sir!" The grunts said.
They now began to search for more clues.
"Lousy Team Magma……. When I get my hands on them…….." Mark muttered.
"I found some plans they have for the volcano." A grunt told Mark.
"What!? What kind?" Mark asked.
"I'm not sure, it's kinda technical, but it looks like they're moving some pretty heavy machinery there." The grunt replied.
"We must let Archie know." Mark said.
"I'll radio him immediately." The grunt said taking out his radio.
The grunt now began radioing Archie.
"Yes?" Archie asked.
"We've found some information. It seems that Team Magma is planning something involving the volcano." The grunt said.
"What does it say?" Archie asked.
"I'm not sure of the technicalities, but a lot of equipment is being moved there." The grunt replied.
"I'll send some men there at once to head them off, you keep looking for the others." Archie said.
"Yes, sir." The grunt said as he ended the call.
"Archie said he would send a squad there, Mark." The grunt said.
"Good." Mark replied sounding relieved.
Just then another grunt ran up, "Mark, I think I found where they kept Arinia……."
"Show me!" Mark exclaimed.
"Follow me." The grunt took Mark down a couple of hallways to where there was a single cell amidst the numerous offices of Maxie's Admins.
"I see……. There might be some clues here." Mark said as they entered Arinia's old cell.
"Those footprints on the floor……. It looks like Arinia's footprints, I think she was barefooted when they took her." The grunt commented thoughtfully.
"You're right, Arinia……." Mark said, hoping and wishing more than anything in the world that Arinia hadn't been dragged into his dispute with Maxie.
"Where is Arinia now anyways, Mark?" The grunt asked.
"In the hospital." Mark replied.
"What happened to her?" The grunt asked.
Mark's eyes hardened, "Maxie stabbed her."
The grunt started to get mad, "He wouldn't dare!!!!"
"He did." Mark said.
"Poor girl……." The grunt said.
"Maxie will pay!" Mark said clenching his hand into a fist.
"What do you plan to do to Maxie?" The grunt asked.
"I don't know…… But it won't be pleasant." Mark replied.
"Just bring him to justice, Arinia won't appreciate it if you let your anger over her injury consume you." The grunt said trying to calm Mark down some.
Mark sighed, "You're right."
"LOOK! The sheets are all wrinkled in place, it's almost like Arinia was trying to get away from someone………" The grunt said.
"It doesn't surprise me………" Mark said narrowing his eyes.
"DO you think Maxie was trying to give her a shot to put her to sleep?" The grunt asked Mark.
Mark picked up a syringe, "I'd count on it."
"And from the looks of it, he drugged her twice……" The grunt commented after seeing two shots on her old bed.
"Grrr!!!" Mark growled.
"Mark, calm down……" The grunt said trying to calm Mark.
"It makes me sick when I think of what they did to her." Mark said.
"Maxie was probably was probably rough with her when he gave her the shots……." The grunt remarked.
Mark became even angrier, "I'm going to punch his face in!"
"Maxie probably just jammed the shot into her arm and forget about making it painless……." The grunt said.
Mark became even madder, "He will regret ever laying eyes on her!" Mark's hands tightened into fists.
"You're very protective of her, aren't you Mark?" The grunt asked.
"Yes, I want her to be safe her from those……. Freaks!" Mark exclaimed.
"Should we keep looking for clues?" The grunt asked.
"Yes, do so." Mark replied.
"What are you going to do, Mark?" The grunt asked.
"Help with the search." Mark replied.
Just then banging was heard down another hallway.
"What was that!?" Mark exclaimed.
"I have no idea………" The grunt said.
"Let's go check it out!" Mark exclaimed.
"Yes, let's do so." The grunt agreed.
They now walked down the hall so that they were closer to the general area where they had first heard the banging noise.
"Hey!! Is someone there!? Let us out, please!!!!!!!!" A voice cried.
"Where are you?!" Mark exclaimed.
"Near the end of the hall, there's a key case across from our cell." The voice replied.
"Guys! You're okay!" Mark grabbed the key.
"Yeah. By the way, how is Arinia?" The grunt in the cell asked.
"Fine, but still in the hospital." Mark replied.
"I was afraid so……" The grunt in the cell said sounding worried.
"Why is that bad?" Mark asked.
"Maxie knows you took her to Mauville, he plans to go reclaim her……" The grunt in the cell said.
"WHAT!?!?!?!?" Mark cried incredibly worried about Arinia now that he'd heard that.
"That's what I heard him say……." The grunt in the cell said.
"We have to hurry!"
Mark opened the cell and all the grunts ran out. Then everyone ran out of the Team Magma base back towards Mauville.