As we gathered in the briefing room, a heavy feeling of dread fell over us. A week had passed since I was officially made the newest recruit of Alpha, and it was a very grueling week for me. Test after test to determine whether or not I was good enough to go to the operation today. While I wasn't at one hundred percent, at least in Basilisk's eyes, she thought I was good enough to go. I just wouldn't have a significant role, not that I exactly minded.
"Listen up!" Basilisk barked, slithering to the front of the room. She paused in front of a whiteboard that had been wheeled in earlier. On it was pictures and details relating to the mission. "In an hour, we depart to the industrial district to assess and potentially neutralize a Red Dragon's threat."
Over the past week, I had spent a lot of time in the presence of Basilisk. She oversaw most of my tests, which made me deduce that the relief I saw earlier was merely professional. I'd have to imagine taking in someone Arceus chose was stressful, especially if the organization's leader you are a part of has a vested interest in them. I'm sure it would've cost her if I didn't pass.
"Please tell me we have more than that," Tommy grumbled, resting his head on his hand.
"We do," Basilisk began, "From observations, we were able to deduce that the abandoned factory they've set up serves as a launching point for expansion deeper into Varenfield. We've also figured out that this expansion is relatively new, so I hope that if we neutralize this, we halt their expansion."
"What exactly is the plan?" Richard asked, leaning forward in his seat.
"We'll split into three groups. Violet, Richard, Charlotte, Aurora, and I will take care of the ground level. Ghost and Lucas will handle the basement. Nathan and Tommy will be reinforcements in case anything goes wrong.
"I'm stuck babysitting the rookie!" Tommy exclaimed in utter disappointment, "Why couldn't Violet do it?"
"She has skills that may prove very useful to the mission," Hailfire explained, glaring down at Tommy. "Plus, you need to get over your feelings towards the rookie. Otherwise, you better get used to babysitting."
Tommy visibly deflated in his seat and mumbled something under his breath that I couldn't quite catch. He very abruptly stood up and gestured to me to follow. I looked back at Basilisk, confused as to why he told me to leave the briefing early. She nodded as soon as we made eye contact, so I stood up and followed him out of the room. He brought me to the locker room, and as soon as the door shut, he glared at me.
"You look like a lost child," he spat. "Get dressed in the operation uniform."
I begrudgingly followed his order and began to change into the uniform. The uniform consisted of a complete uniform that was completely colored with various splotches of gray. Supposedly, it's supposed to make it harder for the enemy to see us in an urban environment, but I don't exactly see how. I guess I'll find out in a bit. Next was a black ballistic vest with a couple of pouches and a pistol holster. Finally came the black boots and gloves.
"I'm surprised you remember what they taught you," Tommy chuckled.
"Alright, what exactly is your problem with me?" I demanded, turning to face him after fixing the glove on my left hand.
He crossed his arms and smiled, looking immensely amused, "I just don't like babysitting."
"Whatever," I scoffed. "What now?"
"We wait," he said, reaching into one of the rusty lockers and pulling out a pistol. He handed it to me, along with a single magazine. I stored both using my vest. "And next time, make sure to check your locker. I'd rather not have to babysit an idiot without a gun."
"I thought you wouldn't trust me with a gun," I said to him as he began to walk towards the exit.
"You're right. I don't trust you with one. You wouldn't even be here if it were up to me," he walked out. I followed him back to the briefing room. Along the way, we passed by Richard and Lucas as they went to get dressed in their respective uniforms. Basilisk was still at the front of the room. Tommy took a position leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, and I sat in one of the chairs.
"You made sure he has everything?" Basilisk asked Tommy, who only nodded in response. "Perfect. Now, you two will take positions by an old parking garage overlooking the front of the factory. Clear it before you two get to do any reconnaissance, and let us know how many are out front."
"I forgot how much I love this assignment," Tommy muttered, which earned him a brief glare from Basilisk before she looked at me.
"Do you understand everything?"
I nodded, "Yes, but it would be helpful if I knew what I was looking for."
"That's the best part about dealing with the Red Dragons. They have no uniform, so if someone comes at you wearing everyday clothing or walking around with a gun, they are part of that gang," Tommy said in a semi-sarcastic tone. "So, let's leave that to the adults, shall we?"
"That's enough!" Basilisk barked. Tommy shook his head but didn't utter another word. He didn't even move until Violet walked into the room. She was dressed in similar gear to mine, which confused me when Tommy looked at her and rolled his eyes. She took a seat next to me and gave me a gentle smile. Pushing any confusion I had out of my mind, I smiled back at her.
Gradually, everyone else began to file back into the room. It was fascinating to see what each pokémon member wore. Lucas and Aurora wore a specially designed ballistic vest that accounted for the chest spike. Hailfire donned a chest plate with a piece of charcoal placed in the center, while Ghost had nothing too remarkable aside from black face paint.
"The rookie almost looks official. Almost," Richard chuckled, sitting across from me. He wore an almost identical outfit, but it looked more personalized. There were patches that I didn't have, and some etches that looked like they could be intentional but also passed off as accidental.
"He may look the part, but is he up to it?" Hailfire said aloud. The blaziken leaned against the wall next to Tommy, who whispered something to her.
"I have faith in him," Aurora responded. Both Aurora and Lucas had placed themselves behind Violet and me.
Ghost rolled her eyes, "Only because of whatever religious thing you got going on. So far, I haven't seen anything that warrants any sort of adoration." Lucas looked like he was going to snap back, but Violet held up her hand.
"Yeah? And you decided that Ghost was a cool name, so I don't exactly think your input on things is valid."
"Alright! That's enough!" Basilisk intervened. "Let's avoid hurting each other until after we do our jobs, please."
"And let it go smoother than our last one," Charlotte muttered to my left, slightly startling me.
Things went much smoother after that tense moment that began our hour before the mission. Brief conversations flared up between people, which seemed to help ease those involved. I stayed clear of those conversations and never really spoke if Violet wanted to talk about anything.
Instead, I thought about whether or not I belonged here. Everyone else had difficulty getting here, whereas I was handed it. I always hated that feeling. I always wanted to prove to people that I was more than just my past. I could be a functional member of society without being labeled. I guess some things just never pan out. I also suppose that this is my chance to prove I'm worthy.
I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I looked up. It was Violet. "It's time to go. Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, brushing her hand off my shoulder and standing up.
"You were completely zoned out. Didn't even flinch when Basilisk told us it was time to leave."
I frowned, "Really? Was I like that the entire time?"
Violet nodded, "You were like that for at least twenty minutes," she gestured towards the door. "We should probably hurry up, though. I don't want to know what Basilisk is like when we're late."
I sighed and followed her out of the room. I couldn't quite wrap my head around the fact that I had just zoned out. It didn't feel like it was that long. Then again, if you are lost in thought, you don't focus on the passage of time.
We caught up to the group outside our area and wordlessly rejoined them. I don't think any of them noticed, and if they did, none of them cared. Basilisk brought us into a garage area. Waiting for us was a van that looked normal, but I could see that it had some armor plating on closer inspection.
We filed into the back of the van and sat on benches that lined the van's walls. Next to me was Violet on one side and Ghost on the other. Across from me were Tommy and Hailfire. It was a cramped and uncomfortable fit, with most of us being knee to knee with each other, aside from Basilisk and Richard, who sat up front. After a few moments, the van lurched to the start, and we were on our way.
Idle conversation started, and I stayed out of it just like before. I was too focused on what was about to happen. It's easy to push something like this aside and pretend it's nothing, but all that changes when you are about to stare it in its face. Everyone around me had, or at least I assume, has been through a situation like this. The worst I've ever been through was a couple of scuffles at school, but now I might be shot at. How can you prepare yourself for something like that?
I tabled my thoughts for a moment as brilliant light rays fluttered into the van's back through a window. I leaned forward to try and get a better view, and through the tinted window, I could see the sun hanging somewhat high in the sky. These massive skyscrapers were next to it, almost as if reaching for it. More extensive than any skyscraper that I've ever seen.
"You're crowding me," Ghost hissed.
I leaned back in my seat, "Sorry."
"No need to get on his case, Ghost. I think this is the first time being outside since getting here," Violet stated in defense of me. Ghost rolled her eyes and elected not to respond.
"We could go outside?" I questioned.
Tommy facepalmed, "We could always go outside when we have nothing else to do. Did someone fail to mention it?"
"In my defense, I barely know this city," Violet said, holding her hands up defensively.
"I swear to Arceus. If you two fight over going outside, I will flame punch both of you out of the car," Hailfire declared. Both Violet and Tommy shared a quick glare before looking the other way. We endured the rest of the trip in silence.
When the van stopped, Tommy opened the door and gestured for me to follow. I had to scoot past Ghost, who made direct eye contact with me the entire way out. I don't know what it was about that, but something there made me shiver.
"Alright, you remember what we are doing, right?" Tommy asked. I nodded in response, only half paying attention. Instead, I was more focused on the world around me.
Clearly, we were outside the metropolitan area as the enormous skyscrapers were a couple of miles away. However, being distanced from the massive buildings gave me a better view. One building, in particular, caught my attention. It was tall. Taller than the rest of the buildings. Towards the top of it, it spired until it thinned out completely. Compared to the rest of the city, the rest of the buildings were incredibly plain.
"Gawk at the buildings later. We have a job to do," Tommy said, grabbing my vest and pulling me with him. We approached a rather imposing-looking parking garage that looked as though it had been untouched for the last decade. The concrete that made up the building was cracked and chipping away. It revealed the metal beams that made up the support structure in some places. It made me incredibly nervous because it was a three-level garage.
"Are you sure it's safe to walk on?" I asked sheepishly.
Tommy sighed, "If it collapses on us, I'll make sure to file a complaint with the senate." He then tensed up. "Maybe they'll finally get their heads out of their asses."
We paused for a quick second while he relaxed a bit. He abruptly unslung a small compact submachine gun and flipped off the safety. He raised it, ready-to-fire, and cautiously stalked up the garage ramp.
Walking up the ramp only made me feel more unsafe. Bits and pieces of the floor above us had fallen onto the ground, leaving a minefield of debris for us to step over. We tried to be as quiet as possible but soon found it nearly impossible.
Reaching the top, we could see our target. It was around the corner from the van and looked to be in worse shape than the parking garage. It was built from metal, which had rusted over the years of abandonment. Part of the roof was even collapsed towards the center. Whoever the Red Dragons were, they were bold for picking this place.
Tommy looked at the building and then pulled out a walkie-talkie, "Viper, this is Alpha 3-1. Are you sure this is the right building?" He then looked at me. "Make yourself useful and sweep over the rest of the garage."
I nodded and began to walk down to the level below us. I would've figured that our walk up here was more than enough proof that there wasn't anyone stupid enough but us to walk up here, but I guess not. All I ever heard was the sounds of concrete being disturbed underneath my boot. I mean, there aren't any places to stay hidden here anyway. He probably just wanted to get me out of his hair.
"Screw it. I don't need to check the other two levels," I muttered. I turned to walk back when I heard a sound that made me freeze. The crunch of concrete came in rapid succession from the ramp behind me. Before I could turn to meet the threat, I was thrown to the ground. A man was standing over me, no more than a few years older than me. His eyes were wide and glassy. In his hand was a rusted knife, which shook spastically as he just looked at me.
He just stared at me as if frozen in time, so I took the opportunity to reach for my pistol. The moment I moved my arm, though, he sprung into action. He let out a blood-curdling scream and jumped on top of me. He raised his knife and tried to stab me. I grabbed his arm and stopped it from reaching me, but he began to apply all his body weight, and my own strength began to wane.
"Nate?" Tommy shouted from above, momentarily catching my assailant's attention. He relaxed for a moment, which allowed me to free an arm. I grabbed a nearby piece of concrete and smacked him in the head with all the strength I could muster. He let out a cry of pain and fell to the left.
Not wasting any time, I jumped on top of him and repeatedly began to hit him in the head with the piece of concrete. After the first hit, I started seeing red, and after the tenth, I realized that he had stopped crying out in pain. I threw the concrete away and looked down. Only then did I understand what I had done.
Where I had been hitting him, an indent was bloodied. Blood leaked from his nose, corners of his mouth, and ears. Looking at my hands, there were blood splatters as well. I fell backward and crawled over to a support pillar. I rechecked my hands, but I couldn't stop the shaking now. I had just killed someone.
"Oh shit," Tommy muttered. I looked up, and he was standing over me. "Are you injured at all?" Against all odds, I managed to shake my head. He nodded and went to investigate the body. He checked every pocket, pulling out a phone, needles, and an envelope. Opening the envelope, a look of satisfaction crossed his face.
He reached for his walkie-talkie, "Viper, this is Alpha 3-1. We have confirmation of a Red Dragons presence. Still, We could not find evidence of any members directly outside the compound. However, there was one in the parking garage, so there is a possibility that they are spread out over the area," he then looked at me. "Alpha 3-2 was the one who made contact and successfully managed to pacify the target but is in a state of shock. We are coming back now."
I shakily rose to my feet and began to head for the exit. On the ramp, I stopped and looked at the body. I swore I could hear cries of pain echoing throughout the garage for a moment. I cringed and looked away. Tommy noticed and hurriedly pushed me out of the garage.
Once we reached the van, everyone was outside and waiting. They all looked at me as if I was a complete stranger, so I refused to make eye contact with them. They understood a truth that I wanted to refuse. Whoever I was walking into this mission is gone. I was irrevocably changed by what I had just done, and nothing will ever change that fact, so I slumped up against the side of the van and waited.
"What the hell happened up there?" Basilisk demanded.
"I don't know! I was talking with you, and then I heard someone shout. When I investigated, Nathan was sitting on top of a body with a bloodied piece of concrete in his hand," Tommy responded.
Basilisk sighed, "This is already a mess."
"What else happened?"
"Charlotte is refusing to go in with us now," Basilisk said with annoyance.
Tommy peaked inside the van, where Charlotte sat, and then turned towards Basilisk. "I'll talk to her."
"You have five minutes."
"Five minutes? Why?" Tommy asked as he climbed into the van.
"You're replacing Charlotte on squad one. Nathan and Charlotte will be staying back just in case." Basilisk responded as she began to slither away.
"Are you sure that's the best idea?" he questioned.
"It's the only option we have."
I'm going to screw up. If they need help, I can't do it. I can't kill again. I pulled up my hands again. The shaking had lessened, and I could clearly see how bloody my hands or gloves were. I looked back towards the garage, and once again, I could hear what I had done. The screams, the horrid cracking. I immediately turned over to my right and threw up.
"You okay?" Violet asked as she walked over to me. I didn't respond, so she took a seat next to me. "This feeling will pass, don't worry."
"How?" I barely managed to muster.
She blinked at me in surprise, "It just kind of does. If you want the semantics of it, you'd have to talk to Lucas or Aurora."
I looked at my hands again, "You didn't see what I did, though."
"Does it matter? You did what you had to, and no one will blame you for that," she responded, rubbing my left shoulder.
For a few moments, we sat in silence as she rubbed my shoulder. It was the most relaxed I had felt since getting here. Something about it felt right, but I couldn't figure out why. When it was time for them to go, Tommy handed me his radio, and just like that, I was left alone with Charlotte. Both of us refused to move an inch from our respective places.
It didn't take long for the first signs of combat to be heard. In the direction of the factory, I heard a sharp snapping noise. It was followed up by similar noises. Apparently, the thugs inside were well-armed compared to their counterparts outside, or maybe I just got lucky.
"Alpha 1 has made contact. Be advised, Alpha 2, enemy contacts are armed." Basilisk's voice came over the radio.
Shots continued to ring throughout the entire district. Part of me was thankful that I wasn't in there. I couldn't imagine what it is like to be shot at and know that one wrong move could kill you. Is that something I'm going to eventually get used to?
"This is Alpha 2-1 in need of immediate assistance! He's-" Lucas cut off. At first, I sat and waited, praying that maybe I had imagined his call. I knew it was real, though; as much as I wanted to avoid going back in, I had to. If I didn't, I'd have failed someone else, and I can't repeat that again.
"Alpha 3-2 heading over to assist."
I got to my feet and set off in a sprint to the abandoned factory. As I got closer, the sounds of fighting became much clearer, and I slowed my roll. I took the pistol out of its holster and approached where the entrance to the basement was. When I reached the doors, I paused. My heart was racing, and my hands were shaky again.
Pushing through, I gazed through where the doors once were. The corridor leading into the basement was dark and decrepit. I pushed forward against my better judgment, where I found the remnants of a fight. At the end of the corridor, a body was slumped, its lifeless eyes staring into mine. On either side were two rusted and contorted steel doors that were once part of the entrance. It seems Ghost and Lucas made quite an entrance.
I pulled my attention away from it and continued forward. I found another door, yet again torn from its hinges, which led into a short hallway with two doors on either side and one door that faced directly down the hallway. Ghost was lying motionless on the floor in front of the said door. I ran over to her and checked her pulse. She was still alive, but something did a number on her.
"I do not want to hurt you. Just tell me where he is, and I will let you and your team walk away from this," a deep and garbled voice demanded from inside the door. I pushed the door open a bit and looked inside. Towering over Lucas was a man clad and jet black armor that was a mix between medieval and modern.
"You'll have to kill me," Lucas growled back.
The man sighed, "When will you understand that you are just a pawn! That he is just a pawn too! I can save all of you from Arceus! Don't you understand!"
"My people once respected you, but look how far you've fallen. What would she-" before Lucas could finish, the man grabbed him by the throat and lifted him in the air.
"DON'T YOU EVER TALK ABOUT HER!" he bellowed, squeezing his neck. I cursed to myself and kicked the door open. I raised the pistol and aimed it directly at his back. Without hesitation, I squeezed the trigger. Again and again.
Bang… Bang… Bang… Bang…
The bullets harmlessly bounced off of his armor, but it surprised him. He dropped Lucas and whipped around to face me, letting me get a good look at what should've been his face. In its stead was a faceplate fitted perfectly for his head. Covering most of it was an eerie glowing red light.
I raised my pistol, but before I could fire again, he closed the distance between the two of us and grabbed my wrist. He squeezed, causing me to drop the gun, and hoisted me into the air. He continued to apply pressure until there was an audible pop, which he then dropped me.
I couldn't feel my hand, and it was only when I tried to move my fingers did the pain explode throughout it. I gripped my wrist with my other hand and shrieked in pain, completely ignoring my now assailant.
"I'm surprised they would send you out so soon," the man remarked.
"Fuck you!" I yelled, looking up at him. He delivered a quick knee to my gut. I doubled over in pain and tasted something metallic in my mouth.
"You would do well to learn this lesson early. I deserve respect," he growled.
This time, I elected not to respond, which still seemed not good enough, as he forced me back onto my feet, only to deliver a nasty punch to the face. I reeled back into a wall, feeling a warm sensation run down my face. The metallic taste in my mouth was only now amplified.
"You have a fighting spirit. I respect that," he remarked as he stalked closer to me.
"Who even are you?" I struggled to speak. He paused all movement and stood still, almost as if rebooting.
"I'm Micheal Ward, and I apologize for ruffing you up. I lose control when certain things are brought up," he replied. His entire mannerism had changed. Whereas before, he was tight and had an aggressive tone of voice, he was now much more relaxed and had taken a more somber tone.
"But I digress," he continued. "I am quite happy you are here. It saves me a lot of work in the future," he grabbed my arm and tried pulling me with him as he tried to walk out of the room. I struggled against it but to no avail, which gave me an idea.
"She would hate to see you doing this," I quickly said. He froze again, whipping around and punched me again without wasting a second. I felt my nose pop this time, and my eyes began to water uncontrollably. He pushed me to the floor. I could see his shadowy figure standing over me through the teary eyes.
"If you don't do this peacefully, I have no quarrels with killing you now!" he pulled something out and prepared to hit me.
Time seemed to slow down, and with it came a strange clarity. I raised my palm to him and uttered a phrase I didn't quite understand. I then felt a burning sensation rise from my chest and into my hand, which left my hand in the form of a wave of force that violently threw him into the wall behind him.
He smashed into the wall with a resounding bang and then fell. He began to violently retch, which only intensified when he stood up. Slowly but surely, he limped out of the room and out of sight. That sense of clarity that I had felt faded with him, and with its departure, I was reintroduced to the pain with the addition of a headache. We needed help, and we needed it now. I was in no condition to fight or really put up any resistance. Neither was Lucas or Ghost. If he comes back, I'm screwed.
"This is Alpha 3-2," I sputtered, grabbing my radio. "Help."
It was the only word I could muster before I felt lightheaded and fell to the floor. It was like I was leaving my body and being pulled back. I think I lost consciousness during those bouts. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, a figure crouched over me. One that I didn't quite recognize.
"Nathan! Can you hear me!" It was Violet's voice, but that was not Violet. I blinked away some of the tears, and much to my surprise, the figure was a zoroark. I looked closer at its eyes and saw that they had the same unique purple that Violet had. This… was Violet.
"Violet?" I croaked. "You're a zoroark?"
"Rest," she cooed before turning her attention to someone behind her. Her words slowly began to drift away as I felt myself slipping again. When I awoke again, she was carrying me.
"It's going to be okay," she kept muttering repeatedly. I don't think she was aware that I was awake again, but her words did help to make me feel safe. As we approached the van, I drifted off again, but not before catching a glimpse of Lucas. He was struggling to breathe, and judging by Aurora's expression, it didn't look good, and it was my fault.