The chapter title is from the Punisher tv series score, thought it was cool enough to match the tone of this chapter. That being said, there is violence with a gun in this chapter and a character death for those needing a warning. Enjoy!

Everything feels off when Layla gets to work. She drops her keys multiple times trying to unlock the front door, several of the employees are late and Layla can't shake the feeling someone's watching her. She chalks it up to thinking about the rumors circulating about Team Rocket making a comeback in Johto.

It feels like an action movie, thinking the villains are back and they have the G-men and Lance to rely on.

The handsome savior for them...

She scoffs at the thought and moves on to the pokemon needing to head out for their morning business. Only a few stayed overnight with a handful more clients coming in for the day today. Despite the joy of seeing the pokemon coming in, Layla can't help but feel exhausted at the thought of leading the others through the day. Camden's supposed to be in later, but she doubts he'll be on time.

The bitterness doesn't last long as pokemon file in and out of the small courtyard at the back of the center. It quickly turns into a circus as some pokemon wrestle around the play area while others trot off to nap and wait for their trainers.

Checkouts start at noon and owners come in droves to get their pokemon. Layla skips her lunch to keep up with the flow of clients coming in and out and money being handled. The nagging sense she's being watched never leaves her mind as she works to keep the place spotless and pokemon in good temperaments as people come and go. As predicted Camden doesn't come in until the four o'clock feeding times, barely helping the few workers that get the bowls out.

"Camden," Layla finally snaps. "How about taking a group out to potty before hiding away in your office?"

None of the others say a word, the shock and admiration on their faces more than enough for Layla as she glares at their manager. Her heart pounds in her chest, but she doesn't care if he yells at her, like he would anyway, she just wants this day to be over.

"Okay, okay," Camden grumbles, stalking past her to get a group of baby pokemon out.

"Okay," Layla sighs, running her fingers over her scalp and bun. "Once that group is done feeding, they can head outside and the babies can get fed too."

Baby pokemon feeding time is the best time around and Layla has no issue letting the others deal with the mess so she can sneak in some food. She helps churn out all the meals needed and proceeds to hide in the break room, in the corner on the floor with her food in her lap. She always packs quick to eat foods, wraps cut up in bite size pieces, nuggets and then an assortment of veggies and berries.

She pulls out her phone to see the usual onslaught of messages from Eusine as he travels Johto.

'Do you think I should buy this shirt? I think I broke something... Nope, it's just a bruise. I'm out of money, can you send some to me?'

A chuckle escapes her lips at his usual pace for texting. It makes her feel relieved he's doing okay out there, if there's silence, then she worries. She sends him some money before checking the rest of her stuff. The daycare Pokegram has daily posts and one of the workers just put up the baby feed for today, taking something off her plate in the process.

By the end of her little break, Camden has shut himself away in his office and left the others to pick up the mess on their own. She sighs, her body feeling achy and tired and gets back into it. At the end of the night, her feet ache and she feels ready to fall asleep at any moment.

"Layla, come here, please!" Camden's voice carries to the door.

Layla cringes at the sound of it, the pitiful looks from the others only serving to make it worse as she waves them off and turns on her heel. She heads to the office, leaving her keys on the board in Camden's office. She puts on a small smile as she takes a seat in front of his desk.

"About today," he starts, turning to give her an even stare. "I don't appreciate being undermined in the workplace."

Of course, Layla resists the urge to roll her eyes and instead clenches her fist in her lap.

"I know it doesn't look like it, but it's a struggle to keep this place running," he continues with a scoff. "I doubt you get it, but please. Try not to get too big in the head, you may be more capable than the others, but you don't have my experience. I appreciate your work, don't get me wrong, let's just keep our cool. Okay?"

Layla takes a deep breath before grinning as fake as possible. "Okay, Camden. You have a good night."

"You too," he smiles back, just as fake and watches her scurry out of the office with distaste.

Layla hikes up her bag and pushes out of the main entrance and into the hallway where the elevators are. Tears come to her eyes in frustration, she hates being treated like that and by Camden no less! He's useless! At least she knows what she's doing, and way better than him. The other girls were right, he wouldn't be able to do anything if it weren't for her.

"Ugh..." she groans, wiping her tears. When the elevator dings, she reaches in her bag for her keys only to realize she forgot them in the office. "Fuck!"

Preparing herself for an awkward confrontation, Layla heads back down the hallway to the daycare. She tiptoes through the main room to the office, hoping she'll be able to use a cover to prevent Camden from seeing her. As she approaches she hears voices coming from the office and frowns. It was just her and Camden moments ago, who could be here?

"I didn't take it... a-a-at least not alone!" Camden's voice trembles. "My assistant Lay-Layla! She helped me."

Layla starts at her name, frowning and feeling rage build. What is he blaming her for now? And why does he sound so terrified? Her heart begins to pound in her chest as something crashes to the floor.

"Don't lie to me, we've checked the account multiple 's yours," another voice snaps back. It's sharp and cuts across the air, sending a shiver down Layla's spine. "You're a coward and a thief."

"No! I'm loyal to you!" Camden begs.

Layla concentrates and creates a space in the door for her to walk out into without getting caught. She does so quietly, her auditory cues not as good as her visual ones for her illusions, and freezes in the doorway with her hand on her keys. Camden sits back in his chair, a gun pointed at his face while a slender man with blue hair glares down at him. Her heart seizes when she spots a Houndoom wrapped about the man's legs.

Her brain rushes back to years ago, the Houndoom crashing through her window and attacking her family. It breaks the illusion and she comes face to face with the blue haired man.

"How did you-?" Camden starts but stops when Houndoom snarls at her.

"Well, well," the blue haired man turns to her, his eyes icy as he takes her in. "You must be Layla."

"You're back," She chokes out, her mind racing as the fire type gets to his feet and steps closer to her. "Your Hou-Houndoom..."

Fear roots her in place, but when Archer turns his gun towards her, she reacts instinctively, as her mother taught her. She throws up an illusion of herself diving to left so she can grab her keys and get out. Archer takes the bait, pointing the gun at the illusion, and Layla trips up in the hallway hearing the gun go off.

He was going to kill me, she gasps stumbling to her feet and rushes to the door.

Houndoom's howl follows suit and it chills her to the bone, bringing her back to the day and nearly incapacitating her. Through the main room, Layla pulls down chairs, tables and other things to get in the way as she makes it to the door and slams it shut. Her fingers tremble, practically numb with terror, as she locks it from outside. She screams when Houndoom smacks against the door, his fangs on display for her bits of foamy spit splattering across the glass.

The hallway feels so much longer as she sprints to the elevator, pushing the down button only to toss up another illusion and head to the utility closet as Houndoom uses Iron Tail on the glass. Layla shuts the door quietly and pictures the elevator opening and herself walking into it. She hears the pounding steps of the pokemon before they stop. There's a loud thud and the sound of metal groaning as the pokemon's body collides with the metal door.

He whines in pain before sniffing around. Pressing her ear against the door to listen, she keeps her mouth open to quiet her gasping breaths as she remembers she can't fake a scent trail. The numbing feeling climbs up her spine as the sniffing gets closer and closer, but then there's a whistle and the sound of nails on linoleum fade back to the daycare.

It takes a few minutes for herself to move, her body refusing to break out of its position in case the pokemon tricked her. Eventually, she sits with her back to the door and dials her mother's number. Tears slip out of her eyes as she listens to the ringing.

"Hey, honey."

Bam!

The gunshot shocks Layla, a strangled sound escaping her lips at the horror, making more tears spill down her face knowing who the victim is.

"Layla? What was that? Are you okay?" Juniper's voice turns to concern easily. "Are you at work?"

"Ye-yes," Layla whispers. "Hurry."

"Stay with me, love," Juniper urges.

There are muffled voices around Juniper and Layla is happy to know she caught her mother at work or else she'd be in big trouble. She keeps the phone close to her ear while listening for footsteps, her ragged breathing the only sound escaping her. Is she just waiting in here for her death? Is that man going to look for her thinking she's a loose end? Why did Camden have to say her name?

It feels like she's in there for an eternity terrified that man is on the other side of the door waiting to kill her. Any sound the building makes terrifies her. Is it him? Houndoom?

Her eyes track shadows on the other side of the door, her heart pounding until she hears her mother's voice. "Layla?"

Just hearing her makes Layla cry out with relief, the numbing fear vanishing as she struggles to her feet. The door opens and light floods the room from the hallway. Layla finds herself crushed in her mother's grip, breathing in her familiar, safe scent. She squeezes her tight, determined to push back the terror.

Around them officers take note of the scene, the clicks of camera shutters letting Layla know she's finally safe.

"Sweetie, what happened?" Juniper pulls back to cup her daughters face. "You aren't hurt?"

"No, no," Layla shakes her head, wiping her tears. "I protected myself."

"That's my girl," Juniper presses a kiss to her forehead. "Come sit down."

Layla does so, collapsing onto the cushioned chair across from the elevators, her eyes darting to the dent in the door preventing one from closing properly. She gulps, that could have been her, crushed by that pokemon. Her hands tremble and her vision blurs around the edges.

"I think I might puke," she grumbles to her mother.

"Oh, dear," Juniper jumps up and snatches a bag from an investigator. "Sorry!"

Layla heaves into the bag, her lunch emptying into it soon after until it's completely out and she feels no better. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Juniper takes the bag and tosses it in the trash. "This was a traumatic event."

At that point, a man walks over looking vaguely familiar to Layla as though she's seen him before. It isn't until he gets closer that she realizes it's for two reasons: he looks a lot like Lance with brown hair and a more defined, stern face and that he's one of the officers that helped her family when they were moving. To realize that he's been her mother's coworker all this time brings a strange sense of comfort.

After what happened to their family, Wesley, alongside his partner Aaron, helped Serena dispel the trouble with Team Rocket. They became the new heads of the G-men, later hiring Juni after the big showdown two years ago. Since then, they've been hard at work changing Johto and Kanto's security.

He passes Layla some water and kneels in front of her.

"I'm Wesley Wataru, you might remember me," he smiles, it's kind and softens his face. The scar along one side of his face curves with his smile. Another similarity he and his son share are their smiles. Both dazzling and handsome.

"I do," she manages to smile back, taking a long swig of water. "I would say good to see you, but..."

"Yeah, I know," he chuckles, glancing towards her mother with a questioning look. She nods and he takes a breath before turning serious. The sternness comes back and Layla still sees Lance in it. "Do you know what happened here?"

Layla takes a couple more swigs of water and calms her breathing down. The memories feel fresh but jumbled in her head, no doubt the panic scrambling her brain. Still, she manages to find her voice.

"Th-the-there was a man. Blue hair and eyes, dressed in dark clothes. He had a Houn-Houndoom with him a-and a gun." She takes a second to get her emotions together, her mother rubbing her back and offering little whispers of encouragement. "He was threatening Camden for something, taking something from him. Camden tried blaming me, but the man knew it couldn't have been me."

"Is there anything else you noticed?" Wesley nods, pulling a notebook out to get it all down. "Do you have any idea what they were talking about? Do you know why Camden would steal from him?"

"No, I don't," Layla shakes her head, her hands won't stop shaking in her lap and she just wants to sit in a steam shower for days. "Camden said he was loyal to the man... If he was trying to blame me, it could have been money."

"What makes you say that?" Wesley urges her to continue.

"I recently started working on the finances of the Daycare," she explains. "It's the only thing I could think of him blaming on me."

Wesley writes it down, ready for more questions when Layla's eyes dart up to see a stretcher with a body bag on top. She gasps, her heart clenching in her chest at the sight of it. There's no way this can be true, she just saw him moments ago. Yes, there was the gunshot, but she had hoped it was just a warning, something to scar him forever.

"Guys," Wesley snaps, standing to gesture to Layla. "Really? She's right here!"

"Sorry!" One of the medics grimaces.

"Is that-I mean- he's... that's... that was Camden?" Layla struggles to form a coherent sentence as the elevator door closes on the stretcher.

Juniper and Wesley share a saddened look before Juniper wraps her daughter in a hug. "Yes, honey. I'm sorry. He's gone."

"I was just in there," Layla sobs. "He was a jerk but I wouldn't want this."

"No one would have," Wesley puts his stuff away. He sets a hand on Layla's shoulder as she pulls away from her mother. "What happened was not your fault. You did the right thing getting out of there and calling your mother. If Camden was caught up in something bad, he tried dragging you into it. You're safe and that's what matters."

Layla looks into his gold eyes, mesmerized by their shine, and nods. "T-thanks."

"Of course," he pulls out a card and hands it to her. "I know your mother works with me, but just in case."

"Thank you, Wesley," Juniper nods.

"You two get home safely."

He departs and Layla feels like she can breathe a little better. No offense to Wesley, he's got such an air of authority, it felt suffocating talking to him. She leans on her mom as she gets out her Alakazam to take them to her apartment.

The world filters out for Layla, coming to her in waves as her mind blanks out on the events of it. Since this morning she had a bad feeling about work. While she doesn't have precognition, listening to your gut is universal. It doesn't comfort her to know she was right, Camden would have been dead either way, the only real difference is she's a witness.

"I'll order some pizza," Juniper says when the world stops spinning. "Eusine coming over?"

"He's in Johto," Layla mutters, shoving the key into the door.

She swings the door open to her apartment, just as she left it this morning. Her eyes sweep the area, dreading the thought of that man coming here to finish the job.

That's what he would do right?

Chills run down her spine as she forces her thoughts to stay in the present. He knew she wasn't part of it, Camden was and Layla was just a witness. She didn't know who the guy was, so there's no reason for him to come after her... right?

She moves like a robot towards her room, dropping her bag and keys on the dining room table on the way. Everything feels different as she enters her room, her covers left askew and a book she'd been reading still on her night stand. It was such a different life she was living just this morning.

"Mama," Juniper peaks into her room, her voice gentle. "The pizza will be here soon."

"Thanks," Layla mutters, grabbing her sweats and shirt.

Juniper crosses the room, wrapping her arms around her daughter and kissing her temple. "It's gonna be okay, mama. It's not your fault."

"I-I don't think it's my fault," she sniffs. "I just... Well, I guess maybe I do. What if I could have saved him? Is it selfish I saved myself?"

"No," Juniper pulls away, cupping her cheeks. "He was selling you out to that man and you protected yourself. Camden made his choice and you made yours."

It's supposed to make her feel better and for a second it did, but Layla feels bitter to think Camden was selling her out. Did he still deserve what he got for it? No. He was involved in some weird shit and she wasn't going to get dragged into it. It was either she gets shot there or that man finds her and shoots her somewhere else.

That only leaves one other thing.

"What if he comes back to get me?"

Juniper glances around the room. "I'll be here, watching over you with my pokemon. Nothing is going to happen to you."

"And after today?" she raises a brow.

"I can have agents guard you wherever you go," she replies. "If we can figure out who ki-did this, we can evaluate the level of threat you're under."

The idea of guards makes Layla frustrated, but she won't argue against it. Better to be babysat than constantly looking over her shoulder or counting her days. She nods, taking another deep breath while her mom pats her leg.

"Go shower. Food will be here soon."

Layla disappears into the bathroom with a tired sigh. She gets the hot water going, as hot as she can stand to let steam fill the room. It envelops her in a gentle hug while the sound of water hitting the bottom of the tub stalls the thought swirling around her mind. The sound of a gunshot replays in her head as washes up. The fear she felt in that moment comes back and she wonders what Camden was saying in his last moments.

Was he begging for his life?

Stop it, she scolds herself, getting out of the shower to dry off and change.

"I ordered pepperoni and bread sticks," her mother greets, opening the boxes for her to see. "Your father wants to talk to you."

Layla snickers, accepting the phone from her mother and listening to her father's worried babble on the phone. For a doctor he sure knows how to speak like he writes on the prescriptions when he gets worried. It brings a smile to Layla's face at the normalcy of it, even before the attack Preston was always a worry wart. He hovered over her when she was young, playing around in the backyard or going to school.

When she decided to move to Celadon, he did extensive research on the neighborhood and mapped out the spots where emergency phones were. It wouldn't surprise her if he was already planning on moving her back home after this. Though, she doubts her mother would let him. Juniper takes the more sensible view of things and for that, Layla is always grateful.

"I'm okay, Dad," she says after he falls quiet. "Just the usual fear and upset after what happened."

"You have an appointment coming up, right?"

"Yes, I'm sure Miranda will be ecstatic to know I've added more trauma to my list of issues," she sighs.

He tries to chuckle, but it sounds like a choke instead. "Be careful, she could end up charging you extra for that."

She manages a laugh, airy and hollow, but still better than nothing. "Don't worry, Dad. Mom already has a plan for my safety and once Eusine knows, he won't be leaving me alone anytime soon."

"I always knew I could count on him."

"Excuse me?"

They share a laugh before Preston promises to check in more and hangs up. The sound of the door opening and closing makes Layla's pulse raise until her mother calls her for dinner. She slips on a sweater and meets her mother in the dining area in front of the kitchen. The smell of pizza wafts around, enticing Layla to sit but she struggles to gain an appetite despite the cheesy goodness in front of her.

Her mother doesn't give in, getting her to at least eat a slice and a half before ushering her to bed. Race, her mother's Weavile, stands guard outside the room while Medicham, named Hanari, settles in a bed at the end of Layla's. Pocha and Belle come out to cuddle as well, offering Layla warmth as she lays on her right side, staring at the wall.

She struggles to sleep, closing her eyes only shows her Houndoom snarling at her and the echoing gunshot rings in her ears. Eventually, she manages to drift off into an uneasy sleep, burying her face in her pillow.