Chapter Warning: There is mention of violence in continuation with the events from the previous chapter. As before, it refrains from being overly gratuitous.
Chapter 5: The Treasure Hunt Begins
Cynthia remained on the floor, paralyzed in place at the unexpected turn of events. Her exposed back prickled at the aftermath of the unknown pokémon that had thrust her down to the floor in safety, and her entire arm stung in pain beneath her body weight, absorbing the heavy thud of the sudden blow against the hard flooring. From what she could hear, all pokémon present had ceased their battling, their attentions diverted to the newcomer as they made noises of surprise.
"Put the weapon down!" the authoritative bass continued, his voice revealing no sign of fear.
Cynthia heard the gun-wielding man scoff, preparing the gun in his hand once more with a snick.
"Crobat," the bass called without hesitation. "Air Slash."
"You—!"
He didn't get to finish— the crobat swooped over the man and flung a sharp gust of air over him, the pistol knocked out of his hand into a far corner of the darkness as the triggered bullet flew high into the air, lodging itself into the high ceiling above. He screamed at the sharp wind's burning sensation against his body, collapsing to the floor on his back. For a few seconds, he could only bellow repeatedly in pain, the damage of the bat's Air Slash searing deeply into his body.
Cynthia's eyes widened at the realization of what had just transpired: the man commanding his crobat had just ordered his pokémon to attack a human . Apprehension and disbelief settled uneasily in her, leaving her unable to think clearly. He had saved her since his crobat spared her the bullet originally aimed at her— or had he? Despite her tight situation, the knowledge that a pokémon attacking the human went beyond her comprehension. Was she truly safe? Or was this a ruse for something else?
Before Cynthia could glance over her shoulder to see who the man was, he continued to shout orders.
"Honchkrow, Drill Peck the machoke. Weavile, Night Slash the mismagius."
A proud caw and a haughty snarl reverberated simultaneously in the wing, the pokémon carrying out their master's orders. The night crow darted for the fighting-type, puncturing the machoke with its sharp beak while the bipedal weasel's claws glowed maroon as it ran, slicing through the ghostly body of the mismagius. Neither opponent had enough time to think for themselves, both having been caught off guard by the newcomers. Within moments, the machoke and the mismagius shrieked at the super-effectiveness of their opponents' moves, falling to the floor as they fainted.
Cynthia let out a ragged breath, adrenaline pumping through her body. The blonde turned carefully behind her, straining to determine who had arrived as she propped herself up against her good arm. However, she had no need to strain any further: the man had already walked up to her, taking the last of his footsteps as he bent his knees down slightly.
In the flashing of the strobe lights, Cynthia made out the man's features: with his broad shoulders, he stood tall and imposing, his pale powder-blue hair sticking up in thick, jagged tufts that emphasized his sharp, if not gaunt, face. Even in the midst of the visual blur, she discerned an unmistakable sense of dominance in his person, undeterred and austere in the way he carried himself. He, too, was clothed in a formal dinner suit. Then, Cynthia recalled noticing this man earlier at the gala dinner, though only at a distance, only intuitively guessing that he was just another guest of significant importance. They had never crossed paths until now.
"Miss Champion," he greeted primly, his dark blue eyes firmly meeting Cynthia's. Then, he extended an open hand, offering it to her. Cynthia examined it for a moment, blinking as she exhaled another ragged breath before taking it. The man helped her up, his touch light and easy, aware that the champion had sustained a possible injury to the elbow.
"You are alright?" the man asked, his stern eyes still on her.
The blonde shook her head to free herself of the disorientation after standing up, her elbow throbbing as she lifted her good hand to cradle it. Still breathing heavily, she answered, "Yes."
"You should be safe now," the man continued, his eyes moving away from her to scan around the wing. "The man won't be able to stand up for some weeks after that attack."
Cynthia took a couple of seconds to compose herself, glancing around the area for her pokémon to reassure their safety. Glaceon sidled up beside her mistress with a relieved purr, Lucario hurried his way from across the wing, and Spiritomb merely drifted silently next to Cynthia, floating in the air. Grateful to see her pokémon without severe injuries, she breathed a final sigh of relief.
"I see," Cynthia said at last in response to the man's remark. She looked at the fallen man, helpless and vulnerable as his chest heaved up and down. As the strobe lights continued flashing, the blonde soon noted growing splotches of liquid crimson staining the white shirt on the man: blood had been drawn out. There couldn't be any doubt that he was now severely injured. An Air Slash against a pokémon in battle— a pokémon could withstand the attack, no question about it. But a human? While it was not unheard of for pokémon to attack humans, witnessing a real attack was, on all accounts, disturbing— especially when it came to a human ordering it. Cynthia shivered only slightly at the sight of the bloodied man, in pure disbelief they had encountered each other previously this evening.
As Cynthia glanced away from the fallen man, another pair of footsteps hurried down the hallway of the entrance to the wing. Both Cynthia and the blue-haired man turned back to see who it was: Steven had arrived, sprinting in the dark as his claydol and skarmory followed behind him dutifully.
"Cynthia!" Steven called, relieved to see that she looked unharmed. He paused at the entrance of the wing as soon as he had recognized her. After, he quickly studied his surroundings, taking in the sight of shattered glass and scattered artifacts. His eyes spotted the fallen, now unconscious man in the distance: his body lay between columns of encased artifacts, and his feet remained planted with ice to the ground. Surprise gripped Steven as the strobe lights flashed his bloody visage and ensemble, his eyes widening as he realized who the man was.
This was the man who dared to approach her earlier! The thought filled Steven with a mixture of shock and indignation— had the man intended to hurt Cynthia?
"Are you alright?" the Hoenn champion asked, immediately turning to Cynthia as he did so.
Cynthia heard the sharp concern in his voice. "I'm fine, Steven," she said, untroubled by his alarm. Though she had to wonder, what propelled him to come here? Hadn't he been battling other suspects earlier?
Steven wasn't convinced by her reply, however, his gaze at her moving to her to the blonde's gently rubbing her elbow.
"I insist I'm fine," Cynthia said again, conscious that he had looked at her elbow this time. "I took a fall, but it isn't anything I can't handle."
The blue-haired man had turned to glimpse at the unconscious man as Steven had entered. Mildly surprised at Cynthia's insistence at her state, he turned back at the two champions and said coolly, "How bold of you, Miss Champion. You shrug off your very near brush against death as though it were nothing— but I suppose this is the reputation of our esteemed Sinnoh champion."
Cynthia had nothing to say in response to his words, unsure what exactly evoked him to make the comment. Meanwhile, an expression of bewilderment crossed Steven's face.
Near brush against death?
"You don't mean…" Steven let the implication of the man's words hang in the air for a moment, wary of his next words.
The blue-haired man couldn't finish Steven's sentence. More footsteps approached from behind, their treads echoing across the hall. At the sound of this, the three turned around, finding a young woman in police uniform directing the patrol behind her, her teal hair pulled back into a ponytail that fanned out in multiple spikes. Though they all wore the ubiquitous Eterna police attire of navy blue, the young woman was exempt from said outfit, donning a slim pencil skirt of the same color with low black heels instead. She appeared to be the senior officer, an arcanine accompanying her side as she led the way. When she entered the wing, the patrol behind her followed in strict formations, ready to comply with any command from their superior.
"You three!" the young policewoman barked. "We're ordering everyone to evacuate the museum!"
Steven and Cynthia glanced at each other in surprise: how could they leave when they were witnesses to the destruction that had just occurred?
"That won't be necessary," the blue-haired man spoke from behind them, his voice calm, almost defiant, against the policewoman's. He was unfazed by the gathering policemen before them. "In fact, I think you may need us here."
The senior policewoman raised her head and crossed her arms, giving the blue-haired man a look of challenge. "You dare defy police orders?"
"Officer Jenny!" a policeman called out from the distance. Everyone but the blue-haired man turned to look at him, seeing that he was standing beside the unconscious man. "We have a man down!"
"We've also recovered a firearm!" another policeman shouted, this time several meters away from the first policeman who had spoken. Though he did not touch the weapon, he too stood next to it, understanding it as important evidence.
Hearing this, Officer Jenny became perturbed, her expression revealing heightened shock. "What?"
Steven, too, had perked his ears upon hearing the mention of a firearm. He said nothing, however, understanding that now would not be the time to have his own questions answered.
"As I said," the blue-haired man addressed Officer Jenny once more, "I think you may need us here."
Cynthia breathed out another sigh, this time moving her good hand to rub to momentarily massage her temple. This is going to be a long night.
The next few hours proved not just long, as Cynthia predicted, but also excruciating and tiresome. Steven and Cynthia remained in the museum for the entirety of the time per the officers' request, questioned separately for their respective circumstances while describing in detail all events leading up to the arrival of the Eterna police. The blue-haired man had stayed as well, though he was taken elsewhere by the police for a different matter after a time. Neither Steven nor Cynthia had the moment to introduce themselves properly to him, nor he to them— though that would change later.
In the meantime, paramedics and emergency veterinarians were called on duty to treat the unconscious man and his fainted pokémon under the watchful guise of a police squad. The bloodstained firearm was recovered and sealed in a plastic bag, soon to be taken to forensic labs for analysis. Should any of the suspects physically retaliate at any given moment, Officer Jenny had given free orders to subdue them as necessary.
Eventually, the two champions were escorted outside to the entrance of the museum. As they were escorted, they passed by the main hall, noting that nearly everyone, save for the few museum administrators like Kate, had been evacuated, the large crowd now huddled in a cordoned area by the sidewalk. They, too, were questioned, though their questioning was short, merely being asked if they had noticed or seen anything unusual about anything or anyone this evening. As soon as this was done, they were free to leave. Should the police find anything unusual in their investigation, they would be called back; likewise, if they remembered anything, they were to contact the police to inform them. Many of the press members, however, stayed, sure that while the discovery of the orbs had been the discovery the century, the reported theft of the orbs proved an even greater and scandalous event that could not be missed. Though they were generally restricted direct access to the crime scenes in question, they made-do with what they could, staying there for as long as necessary to write their next sensational story.
All in all, the night seemed to turn out with less success than hopes. Steven's battle with the two suspects was the only battle that ended in a favorable outcome. He had defeated them, his claydol entangling them in a Psychic that prevented them from any opportunity of a counterattack while his skarmory guarded their fainted pokémon. They were held captive in this manner until the first police responders arrived at the scene, arresting them on the spot. At this, Steven excused himself without hesitation and began running after the direction Cynthia had gone. While he was sure the Sinnoh champion could stand her own ground, a worry pricked at him for her safety. His intuition often proved true, especially when it came to matters in danger at hand.
When he had arrived, all seemed well on first blush. Cynthia was standing close to the entrance, no injuries in sight on her person. Yet, the blue-haired man was a surprise. It was true that Steven had been busy battling his opponents, too busy to take another glance back to see if anyone else had passed behind him in the hallway. It would have been difficult for anyone to sense that someone could have passed by. Still, the blue-haired man's appearance was unanticipated, as if having come out of nowhere, and to Cynthia's aid no less. While the thought of the man's assisting her did not bother Steven in the slightest, what did perturb him just slightly was the manner in which he carried himself, unafraid, if not undaunted, by the emergency before them. Yet, it could have been Steven's imagining it. Perhaps the adrenaline of the moment skewed his perception of him faintly at that moment. The combination of the darkness of the museum, the incessant blinking of the strobe lights, and the cacophony of the emergency alarms could very well have distorted his impression of the blue-haired man.
Now, Steven and Cynthia stood near a temporary medical tent established by a police unit. Cynthia stood off to the side on her cellphone, her expression furrowed in concentration as she focused on the conversation at hand. Meanwhile, Steven stood a couple of meters away, his expression thoughtful as he pondered the night's events.
"I promise I'll be back at the hotel later tonight, Grandmother," Steven heard Cynthia reassure over the phone. "We're all safe, so please don't worry anymore."
Steven gave a small sigh as he listened to Cynthia's words. It went without saying that the night had grown out to be disappointing and upsetting, the events having made him felt as if all of his efforts had been for naught.
"Ah, Steven, there you are!" a familiar voice called from his side. Steven shifted his head, finding Lucian greeting him with a kind wave, though his expression was somewhat somber. "It's good to see that you are safe."
"Lucian," Steven said, blinking at the sight of him. "Ah, it's good to see that you are safe as well. You haven't left?"
The psychic-type expert shook his head. "I ended up providing help to the museum security, as they needed it. I was actually directed to the storage rooms where the orbs were stolen, you see. I left not long after you and Cynthia had gone down the hallway earlier."
The surprise of hearing Lucian's words left Steven silent for a good couple of seconds. "You went to the storage rooms?"
Lucian nodded, and then his expression darkened. "They were truly gone, the orbs. They had left everything intact, including the original cases."
Confusion and vexation stifled at Steven's throat, the news difficult to process smoothly. "Did anyone piece together how it might have happened? Surely, there were security cameras there?"
Lucian sighed and shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid those won't be of help. The museum's security defenses were hacked, according to our current reports. All cameras and screens blacked out during the dancing, the police on duty estimating that they were blacked out for about half an hour as the thieves began their operation. At some point, the electricity room was hacked as well, though how it happened has yet to be determined. The museum's IT staff are working to figure out what occurred, as they have the best understanding of the technology that the museum utilizes. From what I understand, they're to cooperate with the Eterna police on the matter."
"I see." Steven crossed his arms and sighed, allowing himself to register Lucian's words to the fullest.
"What about you?" Lucian asked. "I saw that you and Cynthia had left the hallway first, chasing after some of the intruders. I assume you caught them?"
Steven nodded in affirmation. "I caught two of them, though they wouldn't say anything, despite my claydol having subdued them. They're in police custody right now, and their pokémon are confiscated. Cynthia seemed successful as well, but… Well, it's perhaps more complicated than I can explain."
Lucian raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Steven's remark. The ex-Hoenn champion would have continued, but at that moment, Cynthia had finished her conversation over the phone with her grandmother and her younger sister. Having turned slightly, she saw that Lucian had arrived. Surprised at his arrival, she walked over as she hung up on the phone with a final goodbye.
"Lucian!" Cynthia exclaimed. "You're here!"
Lucian tried to give Cynthia a good-natured smile, but it quickly transformed into a solemn frown. "Yes, as circumstances would have it."
"But what are you here for?" Cynthia continued, briefly glancing over Lucian's person. Thankfully, he seemed unharmed.
"I was initially asked to help the museum security, and now that the Eterna police are here, it seems that I have become a part of the investigation," Lucian answered again.
Cynthia breathed, astonished that Lucian, too, was now caught up in the mess.
"Lucian was actually in the storage rooms where the orbs were being held," Steven continued on behalf of the psychic-type expert. "And it seems that they were, after all, stolen successfully." Hints of anger seethed in his voice as he said the words.
For a couple of moments, Cynthia felt her mind blank. Those orbs, representative of Sinnoh's history, were now gone and made off to who knew where, like some underground black market or in some private collection of some selfish collector. "It really happened, then…" Cynthia said, disappointment and shock sinking into her. "This is just… unbelievable. I…"
"There are forensic scientists at the crime scene as we speak," Lucian said, hoping it would provide some comfort to Cynthia. "If they find any traces of unusual DNA, for example, that should help give a lead."
Cynthia shook her head, not out of disbelief but more of displeasure. "Who knows how long this may take? It's just…"
"At any rate," Steven said, turning to look at Cynthia with gentle eyes, "it seems that we are handling it to the best that we can. I have faith in the authorities. I advise that we three offer our full assistance to them as needed to recover these orbs as safely as possible. I have already mentioned this to Kate a couple of hours earlier that I intend to be of total assistance to aid their recovery of the orbs."
"And that may well be the best course of action to take, Mister Stone," another unfamiliar voice interjected. The three elite trainers turned to look at the newcomer: the familiar blue-haired man was walking towards them, clearing his throat as he arrived. The two champions' eyes widened, recognizing him from earlier back at the wing at the museum. Lucian, too, slightly widened his eyes in recognition, instantly recognizing the figure approaching them.
"Forgive me for my rather blunt intrusion on your conversation," the man continued, his expression formal and grim. "My name is Cyrus. I am sorry that we must meet under these unfortunate and abhorrent circumstances, but I do think an introduction is necessary between all of us."
Lucian nodded once, replying to Cyrus first. "You are the CEO of the Galactic Energy Corporation," the psychic-type expert observed. "Pleased to meet you, though as you say, we could have met under better circumstances. I am Lucian, a member of Sinnoh's Elite Four of the Pokémon League."
Steven and Cynthia's ears perked at Lucian's remark, their eyes turning to him before looking back to Cyrus. The CEO gave a curt nod to Lucian's explanation and then turned to face Steven. Unlike Lucian, however, he gave a slight smile to Steven, recognizing him as one of the stars of tonight's event.
"You are the one who discovered the orbs," Cyrus noted, nodding once to Steven, "and you are also… Well, you are not yet the CEO of Devon, but from it is my understanding that you will be. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Stone."
There was a slight pause on Steven's part, purely surprised at Cyrus's comment as he nodded back politely. "The pleasure is mine," Steven said evenly. "You are free to call me Steven, however. I am also sorry that we couldn't meet under better circumstances. I hear that you are responsible for funding many of the scientific and research institutions around Sinnoh."
"Indeed," Cyrus confirmed. "I personally have a great interest in ancient Sinnoh history as well as modern physics and technology." Then, Cyrus turned to Cynthia. "Miss Champion, I apologize for my crobat's having pushed you down earlier. It seemed that there was no choice but for me to do so, given the extreme severity of your circumstances."
Cynthia nodded her head once, understanding of Cyrus's words. "Not at all. I am grateful that you came when you did. Otherwise, I'd be in critical condition."
Hearing this, Lucian and Steven looked to the Sinnoh champion with consternation. Catching this, Cyrus immediately filled in for them what Cynthia referred to.
"From the distance, as I was running down the hallway, I saw that Miss Champion here was in the midst of a dangerous battle. The perpetrator she was battling with had a firearm on hand. I had come in at the right moment, my crobat having spared her from a terrible accident with a bullet."
Together, Lucian and Steven looked at Cynthia, appalled at having heard this. Cynthia, in turn, blinked, and hoping to pacify their aghast reactions, she attempted to reassure them, "I'm fine, really. There isn't any reason to worry anymore. He's taken into custody now, and I doubt he would be free for a while. I don't think he'll be coming after me anytime soon."
"That's hardly a reason to say that you're fine!" Lucian retorted, crossing his arms now. "How can you remain levelheaded about this?"
"It sounds like this man attempted murder on you, Cynthia," Steven added, anger rising in him. "Even if he is in custody, he might make the attempt on your life again! And not just him, what if there are others?"
For a couple of seconds, Cynthia could say nothing. Then, she breathed out a sigh, and said, "I appreciate both of your concerns, really. But I don't think it's worth the worry anymore. Of course, during the battle with an active shooter, there wasn't any way I wasn't scared. I'm just relieved that I got out unscathed."
"The perpetrator in question should be in the hospital now," Cyrus continued. "My crobat knocked him unconscious with an attack. He won't be able to stand up for some months. I suspect that he may have a couple of broken ribs as a result."
Again, Lucian and Steven were appalled, this time at the blithe mention of having his pokémon attack a human. Still, they said nothing as Cyrus noticed their expressions, explaining, "It was of absolute necessity as it was for her safety. I'm sure you can understand this. Miss Champion and I already explained this to the authorities earlier."
"Really," Cynthia spoke again. "I understand my situation was life-threatening, but I'm safe now and that's all that matters."
Before anyone else could say anything further, another police officer had walked up to the four, requesting his attention from Cyrus. The CEO excused himself, the police officer telling him he was needed elsewhere at the moment.
"Ah, I see," Cyrus murmured. Turning back to the three trainers, he said to them, "I'm sorry to say that I must leave the conversation now as I am needed elsewhere." Briskly, Cyrus reached into the inner pocket of his blazer and pulled out a few spare business cards of his, extending an open hand to the three. "Please take these. It has my personal contact information on them. If you find that you need assistance that I may be able to aid you in, do feel free to contact me."
Steven, having been in the middle of the three, took all business cards and handed one individually to Cynthia and Lucian. Satisfied in seeing that they had been properly distributed, he gave one nod of farewell and gave a wave. "It was a pleasure making acquaintances with you all. I do hope we cross paths again under better circumstances." At this, Cyrus turned his back on them and took his leave, the three of them looking momentarily at him before resuming their own conversations.
"Cynthia, care to explain exactly what happened back there with Cyrus?" Steven said coolly as soon as Cyrus was out of earshot. "I've been wondering for a while now what exactly happened to you back there, especially when I heard one of the officers mention a firearm."
"Yes, I would very much like to know as well," Lucian said, joining Steven. "This is rather upsetting to hear."
Cynthia was quiet for a moment. Then, she sighed, realizing that these men would remain persistent on the matter until it was resolved to the best of her ability. "Alright, but I hope you understand in the end that there isn't any reason to continue worrying about this now that this has passed."
The explanation didn't take too long, Cynthia having succinctly summarized the events that had occurred after Steven had told her of the runaway intruder that her Glaceon had been attempting to chase. Lucian and Steven listened quietly and carefully, noting all details the Sinnoh champion had mentioned as she explained. When she had finished, Cynthia let out a sigh, waiting expectantly for the men's responses.
"Well, now, I can certainly understand Cyrus's impulse in having his crobat assault the man directly. Any more of this madman's nonsense and you really might have been murdered," Lucian muttered, a hand rubbing his temples in annoyance at the matter.
Steven took a couple of more seconds to compose himself before speaking. "It also seems that this man may have been in on the heist, given that we had all seen him earlier during the dancing. What he would have wanted to do with you earlier is an uncomfortable question to ask, but it seems that we have no choice but to ask that."
"I already mentioned this to the authorities," Cynthia replied. "They know he is of significant interest, and they also know that he somehow bypassed the museum security with his weapon. By my estimation, the gun I saw looked like one of the smaller models available for purchase, so it seems that he could've hidden it quite discreetly. I expect that when he regains consciousness at the Eterna hospital, he will be interrogated."
In spite of her words, neither men were relieved. Lucian let out an aggravated sigh before saying, "Let's hope a situation like this won't happen to you again. This is rather serious, and I find it highly disturbing that an attempt on your life would occur on a night like this."
"Lucian is right," Steven concurred. "It seems that this even raises the possibility that there might have been some kind of premeditated murder on his part. And given that this man was possibly working with the other thieves, there's a chance that others may be targeting you as well."
Cynthia crossed her arms, exasperated as she sighed. Then, in the most commanding voice that she could summon: "I will be fine. As long as I have my team with me, I don't think I have any reason to worry. I can handle it. This evening was an exception because of the theft. I promise you that I am capable of looking after myself."
The men heard the insistence in Cynthia's voice, saying nothing further of the matter. A moment of silence hung in the air, all three resting in the calm of the air. Soon, however, another policeman walked up to the three, this time calling the attention of Lucian.
"Ah, it seems I am needed," Lucian noted, and then proceeded to listen to the policeman. He nodded as the policeman addressed him, then turned back to the two champions. "I've been called to help with the investigation once more. I suspect we will all meet again, however. Until then." Lucian gave them a light smile, Steven and Cynthia saying their brief goodbyes in return.
Seeing that the psychic-type expert had left them, Steven looked at Cynthia seriously. "What will you do now? Do the authorities need you here any longer?"
Cynthia shook her head. "I don't think so. I've done my part explaining all that I know of the situation to them. But I admit I am curious as to how these authorities will find the orbs."
"Oh." Steven's voice revealed interest. "In that case, you should know that I've already informed Kate that I intend to be part of the search efforts to recover the stolen orbs. I have asked to be a part of their search team to recover them."
Cynthia blinked, surprised by Steven's statement. "Really?"
Steven nodded, and then sighed, his voice exhausted as he spoke. "I can't sit around and do nothing about this. I do feel some responsibility for this entire mishap, to be honest with you. Though I discovered them, I can't help but think that this wouldn't have happened had I had been more cautious and prudent in agreeing to this gala to announce it to the world. Such a declaration created such an obvious target for the thieves to steal them."
Cynthia shook her head before saying, "Steven, you don't bear any responsibility for this at all. The thieves made the choice to take the opportunity to rob the relics. It has nothing to do with your decision to agree to this event."
Steven gave a weary look to Cynthia, revealing more of his guilt to her in his eyes as he did. There was a pitiful smile as he spoke. "It's nice that you're trying to help me, Cynthia. But I won't be convinced otherwise." With another sigh, he looked away into the distance: the red and blue police car lights mingled with police officers walking back and forth along with miscellaneous journalists and news reporters dashing around the scene.
The blonde sighed, realizing Steven's word was final. Frankly, she found Steven's mention of his attempt to recover the orbs not altogether unexpected; something about this seemed congruent with Steven as a whole. But the feeling of guilt— well, wasn't that uncalled for? At least to Cynthia, it did. His insistence that he bore part of the responsibility perplexed her, but she said nothing more and let it slip. Instead, she directed the conversation elsewhere.
"Will you be staying here any longer?" Cynthia asked Steven, still looking at him. Steven glanced back at her at the question.
"No, I think I will take my leave now. I'm also free to go." At this, Steven brushed himself lightly and checked his phone. His eyes widened slightly as he took notice of the time. "It's rather late, I see."
Cynthia blinked. "What time is it now?"
"It's past midnight, almost nearing one in the morning if you can believe it."
"What?"
Steven tucked his phone back into his pocket. "It's definitely time for us to head back. It seems that Lucian is now officially part of the investigation, given that he will be staying here for longer." Then, Steven looked at Cynthia squarely in her eyes. "Where are you staying? I would like to accompany you back."
Cynthia instantly understood that Steven was asking to escort her out of concern for her safety. Ordinarily, she would have respectfully declined, but this was something that she could not refuse. His worry for her earlier told her that he would not accept a 'no' from her as an answer for this situation.
"I'm staying at the Lotte Hotel," Cynthia responded. "My grandmother and sister are expecting me back there."
There was a slight pause on Steven's part before he replied. "Oh, what a coincidence. I'm staying at the exact same one."
A smile of amusement curled on Cynthia's lips. "You're kidding."
Steven shook his head and returned her amused smile. "I assure you, I'm not."
Cynthia almost laughed. Instead, she held in her laugh and let a silence hold briefly before she spoke again. "Then I suppose we are heading the same way."
Who would have thought that we would end up in the same hotel? Cynthia thought.
Steven merely held his smile, and then he extended his arm. Cynthia looked at it briefly in hesitation before inwardly shrugging it off, knowing that this was no time to argue against him. Steven was acting politely, and there was no further indication that he would attempt to tease her as he had earlier in the evening. With this in mind, Cynthia accepted his arm, and the two began their leave of the museum premises, making sure to avoid any traces of lingering paparazzi and on-site newscasters of the media.
Along the walk back to the hotel, the two walking amidst the softly lit lampposts down the streets, Cynthia had shivered slightly from the night wind. Steven stopped their walking without mention at the sight of this, leaving the blonde confused as he took off his jacket and placed it unabashedly around her shoulders. Cynthia initially declined the jacket, but Steven would not hear of it, insisting that she keep it for the remainder of the walk. As soon as she realized its warmth, she found her fingers tugging on the jacket's lapels, comforted by it after all.
When the two finally arrived back at the hotel lobby, a doorman on watchful guard due to the quickly spreading news of the heist at the museum, there was slight hesitation between them.
"I expect that I will be seeing you soon," Steven noted, taking back the jacket that Cynthia had slipped off her shoulders. "I have the feeling that this will not be the last time we'll see each other."
"I don't think you're wrong," Cynthia agreed, absentmindedly pushing loose tendrils of hair away from her eyes. Steven studied Cynthia's face in the dim, golden glow of the hotel lobby's lights, taken at the sight of her underneath the warm light. Despite her somewhat disheveled hair and her exhausted expression, the Sinnoh champion was still beautiful to look at.
"It seems that you'll be stuck in Sinnoh for a while, too," Cynthia continued, ignorant of Steven's gazing at her, and then gave a slight smile. "Who knows? Maybe I'll come help and join in on the fun."
Steven smiled at this. "I think you should. This is as perfect an opportunity you'll ever get to take a break from League duties and pursue your passions."
Cynthia laughed softly. Then, after a couple of seconds, she shook her head. "Now that I think about it? I'm not sure, especially after an event like this. I may be needed even more back at the League. I don't know if Lance would be too happy to hear that I'm off for a break."
Steven resisted the temptation to scoff at Lance's name. It felt like it had been years since he had last heard of him. "Lance? I hope you're joking. The man doesn't know the definition of 'break.'"
Cynthia laughed again, this time a little louder, her laughter echoing across the hotel lobby like the chiming of melodious handbells. "I don't know, Steven. I just…" Cynthia drifted off, her eyes looking away from Steven into a far distance he couldn't guess.
Steven looked at Cynthia expectantly, waiting for her to continue. When more than enough time had passed, Steven gently ventured, "Is there something you would like to say?"
Cynthia breathed out a hushed sigh, and a soft smile lit her face as she said quietly, "It's just that this night has been so ridiculous, a joyful celebration turned into this confounding theft, and then this absolutely foolish madman waving around a gun— I— I can't possibly think of what I would need to do next." Then, her smile melted away and she brought her hands to rub her temples, her expression reading exhaustion once more.
Steven blinked, having done nothing but listen intently to Cynthia's words. When the blonde looked up, her eyes met Steven's. She saw that even in the feeble light of the hotel lobby, his silver-blue eyes read kind and sympathetic understanding. Then, she shook her head once again as she straightened herself, releasing a yawn as she did so.
"It's okay," Steven finally said, his voice tender. "You don't have to listen to me. If anything, I think you need to rest."
"I do need to rest," Cynthia said as she breathed out a chuckle. "I think I'll go retire for the night now." Then, she began turning away from Steven, indicating that she preferred to go up to her suite alone. "Goodnight, Steven." With that, she gave a polite wave and made her way to the elevators, her heels clicking along the way as she walked.
Steven replied in kind with a smile and a wave. "Goodnight, Cynthia."
As soon as the elevator chimed its arrival, Steven listened carefully to Cynthia's walking into the elevators before the doors closed. As soon as he was sure they had, he too made his way to the elevators, following after her to his own room in a separate and unoccupied elevator.
I don't think you're wrong… Cynthia's earlier words to his suspicion lingered in Steven's mind, the fresh memory of the blonde's laughter ringing in his ears.
As the elevator went up, another thought crossed Steven's mind. Indeed, perhaps they would see each other again, but only much, much sooner than whenever she might have anticipated.
Steven let out a sigh, straightening himself as he made the resolution firmly in his mind.
I'll have to call the florist tomorrow morning…
When Cynthia returned to her room, she immediately remembered that she had to notify her grandmother and her sister to ensure that she had returned. Conveniently, her grandmother and sister were sharing another suite down the hallway close to Cynthia's, as they had requested to book their rooms in this manner. Planning to make the conversation brief, she knocked on their door and confirmed her safety with her physical person. In spite of her somewhat rumpled appearance from the night's events, both of them were relieved at the sight of her. (Out of safety, she did not mention the attempted murder at her life, fearing that if she disclosed the information, her grandmother and little sister would pester her to no end regarding the matter. Lucian and Steven had already given her enough of that for one night, she felt.) After a few hurried minutes of discussion in her grandmother's suite, Cynthia expressed that she preferred to keep what little rest of the night remained to herself, excusing herself back to her suite. The family members said their respective goodnights to each other, knowing that they would see each other tomorrow.
As soon as Cynthia unlocked the door to her suite, a short burst of paranoia surged in her as she looked into the darkness of her room. Her heart almost skipped a beat, and the blonde hastily struck the lights on in the room with her hand, seeing that her suite was empty after all. Everything was as she had left it. She was merely exhausted at the night's events; her paranoia was understandable.
Groaning quietly to herself, the blonde entered her suite, then closed and locked the door behind her. As she momentarily rested her back against the door, she came to the sudden thought that far too much had gone on this evening. Now, as this was the first time in the evening that she was truly alone in her own private space, she understood that she was stressed— truly stressed. With a ragged breath, she slipped off black stilettos, deftly undoing the thin straps around her ankles, and tossed them offhandedly to the side, walking barefooted to the pristinely-made bed. As if in defeat, she collapsed on her back and let her eyelids close, allowing the day's events to swirl about her mind.
…the dance with Steven… the attempted murder by that man who's name I don't even know, for heaven's sake… those gunshots, those gunshots, damn it… Lucian, too, involved? And if I hadn't… that… incident, lobby— no, museum lobby… what happened there? …oh, damn it all! that man— who was he?— the third orb, the Griseous—
Charon.
With a sudden jolt, Cynthia forced her eyes open and instinctively grasped for her clutch. It was thrown next to her side as she had collapsed into bed earlier. Urgency swimming in her now, she sat up and parted the clutch's clasp open, rummaging through her pokéballs and miscellaneous belongings as she finally found the item what she had been searching for: Charon's business card.
Lifting it with her fingers, she studied the card carefully. Almost as if to ensure that his card was valid, she brought out Cyrus's card as well, comparing the two side by side. Certainly, they looked identical: both cards had the Galactic Energy Corporation's signature company logo embossed to their right corners. Charon couldn't have been feigning an identity— he must have been the real deal.
Cynthia pushed herself off the bed now, heading over to the hotel desk as she took a spare pen and wrote hastily on the back of Charon's card: note to self: call Eterna College + check prof. records. then call Charon?
Satisfied with the reminder, she cleaned up the small mess on her bed and tucked everything back into her clutch. She had already noted that Charon's appearance was potentially of meaningful significance to the authorities who had interviewed her, but there couldn't be any harm in taking some of the matters to herself. After all, she was now tied rather significantly into the case anyway. Charon was not an immediate or obvious suspect, at least not to her knowledge. Perhaps if she observed and approached him from a distance, alert and attentive to any of his actions, she might be able to glean something from him. And maybe, just maybe, he might lead to not just the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs, but also the third, ever-elusive orb— the Griseous Orb.
At these connecting thoughts, a memory gradually resurfaced itself into Cynthia's mind: her interest and desire had been spurred on by Charon's strange and abrupt arrival, his bold claiming of the whereabouts of the orb's existence sparking her intrigue towards the man and his research. Moreover, she had confided into Steven of this knowledge, though she remembered that she hadn't divulged too much about Charon to him. At this, Cynthia wondered if Steven remembered her telling him about the unusual scientist. Perhaps he had forgotten it, as he hadn't brought it up for the rest of the evening, even when they were resting outside after having accommodated all interrogations with the authorities.
Why don't you take some time off to explore the world? Steven's voice resonated in her thoughts. Have some fun. Go on an adventure.
Cynthia sighed, remembering how Steven had embraced her tightly during the dance. He hadn't let her go until the dance neared its end, his index finger having softly nudged her chin up to meet his eyes...
The thrill of adventure, the ruins to discover, the myths to study… You know as well as I do what it feels like.
Without her awareness, Cynthia lifted a hand to her chest, her fingers gently furled together as they rested near her heart. She lifted her other elbow and tucked it underneath the elbow holding her hand up.
He understood me at that moment…
Hastily brushing off the memory and her thoughts before they could take hold of her anymore, Cynthia shook her head and returned to reality at hand. Had he really understood her at that moment? Or was he merely playing with her? With regards to the former possibility, Cynthia didn't want to know if it was true— that was too dangerous to find out, and she preferred not to risk it. As for the latter, it seemed implausible, despite Steven's seemingly infamous reputation as a rake. She didn't know Steven that well, despite having been coworkers, and she was convinced that his supposed libertine reputation, no matter how exaggerated, had to have some small kernel of truth. Or perhaps that was just her grandmother's words echoing in her head, harking back to the warning she gave when she had asked Cynthia to look out for her little sister…
Stop it, Cynthia. You're tired and you need sleep.
The blonde sighed once more and shook herself again, this time preparing to head to sleep. Quickly, she slipped off her gown and traded it for comfortable pajamas, freeing her hair loose from her bun afterward. She would shower first thing in the morning tomorrow, despite her usual preference to shower before going to sleep; tonight was certainly the exception to her routine. After briskly washing her face and brushing her teeth, she turned off the suite lights and collapsed back into the bed, wrapping the blankets around her tightly.
That night, Cynthia slept heavily and soundly without dreams.
Author's Note: I'm aware that the events above don't exactly line up with the story summary — particularly in regards to the part where only Steven is saying that he would be a part of the effort to recover the orbs — but events are slowly setting into gear, and Cynthia will find herself wrapped up in the mystery even more than she originally intended. Here's to hoping you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you for reading!