Uncertain murmuring rang throughout the room as the last few people assembled, struggling to find empty seats and some having to settle on standing at the back. A week had passed since the news of Giovanni's death, and not much more had been revealed. Whilst it was clear that whoever did kill him had been after more than the small briefcase of money he'd been carrying, the person behind the attack had fled the scene, and the fact that the police had inevitably begun an investigation on the multiple bodies in the building made it impossible for Team Rocket to return to the location. The lack of any leader meant that so far little had happened; most of the agents had returned to the closest headquarters since missions had been suspended.
"What do you think they're going to tell us?" Jessie asked, lowering her voice. A meeting had been called for everyone present in the building that morning, though little detail had been given. All they knew was that it concerned everyone, and would be broadcast to the other headquarters as it took place. Needless to say, it sounded important.
"I don't know," James replied. "Probably just an update on the current situation. Your guess is as good as mine."
"Maybe dey're gonna tell us who da new boss is," Meowth speculated softly, not looking up. The shock of the news had worn off, but none of the trio had gotten used to the fact that their boss wouldn't be around anymore. It was just too strange and sad a thought to dwell on.
Before either of the humans had a chance to respond to the Pokemon's conjecture, a figure stepped up onto the elevated platform at the front of the hall, triggering the quick descent of silence in the crowd as agents hurriedly ended conversations mid-sentence and hushed those who hadn't yet realised the need to do so.
The person on the stage made their way forwards to a small podium, stepping away from the shaded portion of the room as they did so to reveal their face. James immediately recognised the man as Pierce, someone who'd helped Jessie, Meowth and him over the course of their time in Unova. He was wearing his usual grey uniform, without the collar he sometimes used to cover the lower part of his face. It was clear from his expression that he didn't want to be addressing the crowd; James guessed that his status as an elite agent meant that he was a good candidate for a speaker, and therefore had been elected to do it.
Adjusting the microphone in front of him so that it was positioned in front of his mouth, Pierce swallowed, and briefly studied the group of Rockets below him before speaking.
"It will have undoubtedly come to the attention of every single one of you that Giovanni has been killed," he began, moving his look periodically between the people present in the room and the camera at the back, aware that the majority of his audience would be watching his speech on a screen. "What was expected to be a low-security meeting last week turned out to be a planned assassination. One of our members successfully made it back alive, and is currently being questioned on the exact events that took place. Although we know the location of the attack, police interference has so far kept us from examining the building."
Pierce drew in a breath, his usual confidence slightly impaired by the weight of the speech he was making. He frowned and cleared his throat, his olive green eyes as sharp as his name suggested as they flickered between spots in the room, and then settled back on the lens of the camera.
"Giovanni was a great leader- one who led this organisation to heights unachieved by any other syndicate on this planet," Pierce continued, the microphone projecting his voice so it echoed around the room. "His outstanding judgement and ability to use reason in even the most dire of situations made him a truly remarkable commander."
There were a few mutters of agreement within the crowd as Pierce paused to collect his thoughts, brow furrowed. "However," he said, again meeting the camera with an unwavering and attentive gaze, "the loss of such a leader does not by any means render us broken. An army without a general is still as strong as its number, still capable of success. It has come to our attention that some of you believe that this is the end of our institution. What we want to illustrate today is that this is not the case- far from it.
"We will not be disbanded by such an event; Giovanni did not take his mother's passing as a reason to give up, and I am sure he would hate to think that his goals would die with him. We are currently in the process of establishing his replacement, which is a challenging task, due to the fact that he had no direct heir. In the meantime, field missions will be indefinitely suspended. Nevertheless, we will be working towards finding the people behind this attack, and eliminating any threat towards our organisation. We cannot afford to let our enemies think our guard is down because of this tragedy."
Pierce stopped speaking for a couple of seconds to let the information he had just given his subordinates sink in, and brushed a strand of his long, navy hair behind his ear. "It is undeniable that there is a distinct possibility that the car that made it back to our headquarters was followed. As a result, we will be taking every action to tighten security for the next few weeks. Any suspicious behaviour should immediately be reported to a senior member of staff. We will make sure to broadcast all important information." He leant forwards slightly, hands pressed against either side of the wooden podium for support so his fingernails dug into the oak.
"This death marks the end of an era, one which will not be forgotten," Pierce stated, his voice still and objective as it was thrown forwards in the hall. "It marks the fragility of even the most powerful of us, and carries the reminder that there is no such thing as invincibility." His eyes were unblinking and determined as he said the next sentence. "It does not, in any way, mark the end of Team Rocket."
James heard a faint click behind him as the camera at the back of the room was switched off; Pierce relaxed visibly, his shoulders slumping slightly as he looked downwards and stepped away from the podium. There was an uneasy silence before applause broke out, the sound of clapping ringing around the room as Pierce scowled at his feet, not acknowledging the acclamation for his talk but rather swiftly making his way off the stage, avoiding eye contact.
"That was a bit shorter than I thought it would be," Jessie noted, using the volume in the room to her advantage, since she could speak without everyone hearing her. "I mean, he only spoke for a couple of minutes."
"They probably just want to make sure that people know what the situation is, as far as Team Rocket as a whole is concerned," another agent said, joining the conversation out of interest, "which must mean that a lot of people are leaving- or planning to. Otherwise they wouldn't be so eager to spout all that stuff about this not being the end of it all."
"Wait- so you think some people are giving up already?" James asked worriedly.
"Not after that speech," the agent replied. "Besides, even if people are talking about leaving, only a fraction of them will have the guts to actually do it. If you leave with a lot of information about Team Rocket, you're essentially just becoming a civilian who knows too much. Loose ends and all that, you know? And god knows what'd happen if people started joining other syndicates!" The agent smirked, shaking his head a little. "No, they won't let that happen. I reckon they'd either blackmail you into staying or bump you off if you still were adamant about going."
"Team Rocket doesn't just kill people like that," Jessie argued, but she sounded wavering in her assertion.
"The boss might've avoided it, but sometimes there's not any room left to be kind," the agent responded, folding his arms so that the red 'R' on his shirt crumpled, disfiguring the letter. "If someone's a serious hazard to security, they're not going to let them run around just because killing isn't our style. I mean, even the government does it when they have to." He chuckled, and then added in a cynical manner: "And sometimes when they don't."
"So, dat speech was designed to avoid dem havin' to kill off half deir agents," Meowth concluded darkly. "So much for all dat team spirit crap."
"It might not be that," James protested, frowning. "It's just a theory- none of us know enough about what's going on to..." (he paused, trying to think of the appropriate word to use) "... analyse the whole thing."
"Did ya see Pierce up there, Jim?" Meowth asked, raising his eyebrows slightly. "He was terrified of messin' up! Dat amount a' pressure must mean dat somethin's goin' badly wrong."
"Yeah, but... They're making sure it's fixed," James said. He nodded to himself as if to back up his point, since no one else seemed to.
"I hope so," Jessie sighed, and bit her lip anxiously. "Either way, there's no point worrying about it, since there's not really anything we can do. I guess we'll just have to wait until the next announcement."
Heads turned towards the door of the hall as a couple of agents burst through it, breathing heavily with flushed cheeks.
"Where's Pierce?" one of them questioned, sounding a little desperate and looking around for his superior.
"Here," Pierce replied, raising an arm to make himself more visible and abandoning the path he'd been taking towards the exit at the back of the room. He looked concerned at the urgency in the agent's voice, and briskly made his way over to the pair. "What's wrong?" he prompted when he'd reached them.
"It's Andreas, sir," the agent said, catching his breath. When Pierce looked unsure of the name, the agent explained: "The agent we have posing as a cop and gathering intel."
"Go on," Pierce nodded, the people around him listening with interest.
"He's just radioed in to us for an update- apparently the police have become aware that we're in a vulnerable state. He's not sure how much they know, or how they know it, but he says they're preparing to make a move," the agent told him.
Pierce mouthed something that was probably a swear word, and then looked intently at the two agents. "What kind of move?" he pressed.
"By the sounds of it, they're planning to make a bust here very soon," the female agent said. "We don't know much more than that- we can get you on the line with Andreas if you want, and give you all the details, sir," she suggested, jerking her thumb towards the corridor behind her.
When Pierce signalled for them to lead the way, the two agents quickly walked back through the door, holding it open for him before the three moved out of sight.
"How the hell did the cops find out about all this?" Jessie asked as the door shut, her eyes wide.
"Maybe we're not the only ones with spies," the other agent suggested, rubbing his head with worry. "There could be a cop in disguise anywhere in this building, or the other HQs."
"Dis is bad..." Meowth muttered. "So what, Andrew or Andreas- whatever his name is- is a Team Rocket agent pretending to be a cop?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's what they said," James agreed. "It must be terrifying, being in disguise all the time and working so close to the enemy..."
"Let's follow Pierce," Jessie said softly, grabbing James' arm and nudging Meowth with the toe of her boot.
"What?" James yelped as he was dragged towards the door by his sleeve, trying in vain to regain control of the direction in which he was going. "Jessie, he's not going to let us go with him! This sounds like classified information!"
Jessie rolled her eyes, and sighed impatiently. "That's what eavesdropping is for, idiot," she told him, her tone sharp. "Hurry up- we'll lose them if we don't get a move on."
"What if dey see us?" Meowth objected.
"I think they'll be too preoccupied worrying about what this Andreas guy said to notice a couple of agents behind them," Jessie answered, pushing the door open with her free hand. "Besides, we'll be sneaky."
"This doesn't seem like a good idea," James said apprehensively as they entered the hallway. Jessie looked down either end of the corridor, ignoring him, and then- spotting Pierce as he hastily climbed a set of stairs- moved forwards briskly, gesturing to her team mates.
"Come on," she instructed quietly, and let go of James' arm. He stood still for a few moments, watching Jessie and a reluctant Meowth progress down the hall in a manner that he supposed was meant to look natural, and glanced around, trying to think of something, anything, that would persuade his resolute partner not to go ahead with the half-baked and rash course of action. But of course, no such thought sprang to mind, and so, unwillingly, he jogged for a few steps to catch up to his two comrades, and then assumed a normal pace beside them.
"Wait for a few seconds," Jessie whispered, stretching an arm out to her side in front of James and Meowth as a signal to stop walking. She eyed Pierce as he rushed up the last few stairs after the agents in front of him, his back to the trio, and vanished into the next passageway. "Okay," she said with a nod, moving to the staircase and ascending it as quickly as she dared, gloved fingertips brushing the banister as her shoes clicked rhythmically against the wooden steps.
James nearly tripped twice in his attempt to match Jessie's speed, only just saving himself from the painful descent backwards by grabbing onto the railing to his right the second time he stumbled. Jessie either didn't notice her partner's difficulty in keeping up with her pace or didn't care, her attention focused on Pierce.
"He went in that room at the end," Jessie murmured, peeking through the small, rectangular frame in the opening they'd reached. She pushed the metal handle down, leaning the rest of her weight against the heavy door so it swung slowly open, the well-maintained and oiled hinges silent as they moved. Jessie kept going until she was outside the office that Pierce had gone into, and leant casually against the wall neighbouring the entrance, waving James and Meowth over. A faint smile flickered on her lips. "Now we wait," she said, pressing her ear against the door.
"What if there are cameras here?" James hissed, scanning the ceiling for any signs of the dreaded machinery. "Someone could walk in- or what if they open the door again and see us here?" he asked, his fear apparent in both his voice and expression.
"Jeez, James, relax," Jessie replied, and raised a finger to her mouth. "And shut up. I'm trying to listen."
Grudgingly, James crouched down on the other side of the door, catching Meowth's eye with a wary expression and getting a sympathetic shrug in return. He shifted so he could hear better, paranoid that someone would see them at any second. For a fleeting moment, knelt down on the grubby tiled floor with his head resting against the entrance of the room, James wondered how his life had got to this point. His past self, rich and spoiled in his childhood estate, would surely not have believed it if he was told that before the time he was twenty-five he would be a notorious member of a criminal organisation, wanted by the authorities and set on goals he never would have cared about previously. James shrugged the thought off with a small smirk.
"Can we call Andreas, then?" came Pierce's voice from inside the office, full of an urgency James hadn't heard in his tone before. He cursed something incomprehensible, and then said, "Do the other headquarters know about this?"
"We sent a message to each of our bases as soon as we received the news, sir," one of the agents replied. No one said anything for a few seconds. "I can't connect the call, sir," the agent said eventually.
"What do you mean, 'can't connect'?" Pierce demanded. "There's a signal, isn't there?"
"I- he's not picking up, sir," the Rocket stuttered, intimidated by the higher-up's forceful attitude (albeit out of character).
"For fuck's sake!" Pierce growled loudly, this time fully audible even through the layer of wall; James thought he heard the sound of a chair being kicked over, though he wasn't sure.
"Should I try again, sir?" the female agent inquired meekly, after giving Pierce some time to vent.
"No," Pierce exhaled, sounding frustrated but calmer. "He might not be answering because he's in danger of being compromised. We shouldn't do anything that might worsen the situation- wait for him to call back." He discontinued his speech again, and then asked: "Do we have any other agents with information on police activity that we could contact?"
"Not ones who are either trusted enough by the police to know what's going on, or in the right area, since they're only targeting this building at present," the male Rocket said. "We checked the database, and there's no one else."
"Okay. Tell me everything Andreas said to you," Pierce ordered.
"He called about half an hour ago- he sounded like he was in a hurry, probably because he couldn't get away from the other officers for very long without being overheard- and said that he'd heard some cops talking about a mission involving launching a surprise attack on this base. They said that they're putting all their manpower into it- more than a hundred officers on foot, helicopters, cars- everything they've got.
"He asked them why they were suddenly going back to targeting Team Rocket, and someone told him that Giovanni had been killed. Said he didn't ask how they knew, 'cause he didn't want to seem overly-interested about the whole thing to avoid suspicion, but one of them said that it was soon, either tonight or early tomorrow morning.
"Apparently, these were only low-ranking officers talking, so he's not sure how accurate all the facts are, but it's obvious that they are planning something in the near future," the agent said. "After that, I could hear a door opening, and Andreas hung up."
"Shit," Pierce swore. "I just hope that his cover wasn't blown." He hesitated before speaking again. "We can't combat a force that big," he said. "If we tried to take them on directly, we'd only be able to slow them down for a little while, and we'd risk a large number of agents being taken into custody. Even if we were victorious, they'd still know the location of this base. They could easily call backup. It'd be foolish to even try fighting them."
"What do you suggest as a course of action, sir?" James heard the female Rocket ask.
"We don't have time to try and form a plan to distract or trick them," Pierce mused out loud. "There's not really much choice- we're going to have to desert this base before they get here."
Neither of the agents responded to this statement.
"Whoa," Jessie whispered, looking over at James. "This sounds really serious."
"We're abandoning this HQ?" James repeated incredulously in a lowered voice. He felt the build up of adrenaline at the very notion of such a plan.
"Betta dan gettin' busted by da cops," Meowth reminded him.
Their conversation was cut short by the trill of a ringtone from inside the room- the three quickly turned their attention back to listening in on Pierce and the other two people.
"It's Andreas, sir," the woman said after answering the call.
"Let me talk to him," Pierce said. "Hello? Andreas- thank god."
James realised that eavesdropping would be a lot harder when they could only hear Pierce's side of the verbal exchange over the phone: he looked over at Jessie, but she only motioned to stay.
"Yes, so I've been told," Pierce replied to whatever Andreas had said on the other side of the connection. "What else is going on? We need to know everything as soon as possible." About twenty seconds passed. "Oh, I see," Pierce said. "Crap. Two AM? That doesn't give us much time... Keep trying to find out what you can. Yeah. Oh, well, the plan is just to hold our ground and wait for them to make their move, and then pretend to surrender. When they think they've won, we'll start fighting back. It's going to be dicey, but it's all we've got so far. Yeah, thanks. I'll be in touch."
There was a faint beep as Pierce ended the call.
"...Sir?" the male agent said, sounding utterly confused. "Is there a change of plan?"
"The cops know Andreas is a Rocket," Pierce told him sternly, much to James' surprise. "He used the code sentence we prepared for such a situation when talking to me. Most likely, they overheard him when he was calling you earlier, and then, knowing his real identity, forced him to call us a second time just now and pretend that everything was fine, to try and find out what we're planning to do. They must have been listening in on that entire conversation."
"So... His cover's blown?" the woman concluded.
"Yes, as if enough hadn't already gone wrong," Pierce said angrily. "So everything Andreas just told me was a load of bullshit that the police made him say to try and throw us off. Which means that they're planning to move in much earlier than two AM, so we'd be unprepared. I just made up a fake plan so that they're expecting us to fight. In their eyes, I just filled Andreas in on what's going on, and told him the truth. At least they're clueless that we know he's been found out. It won't resolve the problem completely, but this way they won't be anticipating us to go anywhere."
"The police made him lie to you?" the male Rocket parroted. "Would he really do what they said?"
Pierce sighed. "A Team Rocket member who can retrieve information from us is of huge value to the cops," he explained wearily. "They'll have blackmailed and threatened him until he had little choice but to obey them. To his credit, he did think to use the code."
"Wow, quick thinking," Jessie said, sounding impressed with Pierce for coming up with such a ruse on his feet the way he had.
"That's not what you should be focusin' on!" Meowth replied. "Da cops just got onto us, and den Pierce realised what da cops were doin'- a lot just happened!"
James groaned. "I'm so confused..."
"The bottom line is, Pierce just tricked the police," Jessie responded tersely.
"We're wasting time here," Pierce announced from inside the room. "We have a few hours at best to prepare. Wipe the computers, and destroy anything else that the cops might want to get their hands on. Load anything important or valuable into the cargo trucks- get the grunts to do that. Make sure everyone knows what's going on. We'll move to the headquarters in Unova- this isn't a huge base, so there should be enough space on the aircraft we have available. Be ready to leave at five PM."
"Yes sir," the two agents chorused. James panicked as he realised that they were walking towards the door, their footsteps growing steadily louder.
"Move!" Jessie said, springing to her feet and quickly pulling Meowth away from the office. James got up with as much speed as was possible, and started to walk with Jessie down the hallway, trying to look normal as the two agents appeared behind him. He braved a quick look over his shoulder: the female Rocket glared suspiciously at him for a moment, but didn't stick around, clearly keen to get on with her assigned task.
"So we're really packin' up and leavin' dis base?" Meowth said.
"Seems so," Jessie breathed. "I suppose it's not the worst thing to happen..."
"That's if we manage to leave in time," James said under his breath. "We don't even know when the police are really getting here."
"Oh, stop being so negative," Jessie tutted.
"Yeah, please," Meowth concurred. "I tink my blood pressure's high enough."
It took three minutes to reach the main reception, where the woman behind the desk informed them as they passed by that the building was being evacuated, and that they should help carry supplies.
"I just got a message about it," she said, almost chattily. "They should be reporting it over the intercom soon. Anyway, you'll want to head to the garages outside."
"Thanks," Jessie smiled.
As they reached the large slab of a door, ridges pressed into the rusted metal, the speakers- as predicted- crackled to life, and a man made the announcement, twice to ensure that everyone heard it. Agents had already started to congregate outside, many of them asking questions that were replied to by their peers with uninformed and largely made-up answers.
James couldn't help but think, as he watched the people in front of him start to carry crates in preparation to leave, that Giovanni was spinning in his newly-dug grave.
