The streets are of a gray tarmac, bleached and battered by the years of rainfall and sunshine. The road is cobwebbed with lines of black tar, despite their effort to cover up and fix the cracks; some are still visible, branching out in all directions. The tree stood by the streets like ghosts, a role of silent observer of the empty city streets, branches fanned out wide, sickly and weak, but undefeated, creating a gloomy contrast with the towering concrete buildings behind them, barks mossy and damp from the unending drizzle. The sidewalk looks abandoned, while it is still made out of smooth concrete like the city he had been to before, but it was scattered with litter, gravel and fallen leaves, no pedestrians could be seen on the streets, yet the street lamps continued on with their duty, lighting up the sidewalk, waiting for dawn to come.
Under the fading moonlight, pale in the mist drifting through the streets, lies a police car, his eye were drawn to the holes that riddled the sides of the car, lined up in bent and twisted tracks, they are bullet holes for sure. Bullets have burst the tires of this car, causing the vehicle to list on its side, like a sinking ship desperate to find shelter before the ocean claims it as its own. The flashing lights on top of the car were also smashed into pieces, but it didn't stop them from flashing and blinking, like a stubborn man who refuses to acknowledge that all is lost. Its headlamps shone weakly onto the mist ahead and onto the ground below, flicking from time to time. But there are no dead bodies to be seen or found anywhere, Alger could smell blood and the sharp scent of gunpowder in the air, yet there is nothing around, except for this battered Police Car.
Then a siren came, followed by another, then another as multiple police cars come rushing down the road right towards him, their headlamps and blue lights cast into the mist, creating a chuck of moving light within the mist. Perhaps they have come to investigate the shooting that occurred around here some time ago, meaning that they will most likely take him in for gathering evidence, if they didn't shot him for being a strange creature, that is. But either way, it is best for him to leave.
"Halt!" Someone shouted behind him, "Turn to me, nice and slowly, try anything funny, and I will blow your head open."
He obeyed the human's command as he turned around, confronted by a Police Officer, pointing a handgun right at him, "We got you now! You have been free for way too long, it is time for you to pay for your crimes and deeds, reinforcements will be here soon, put down your weapons and come with us peacefully, you have got nowhere to hide now, Alger."
...Wait, what?!
He has only arrived in this world for less than 3 hours, how does this normal human police officer know his name and accuse him of committing crimes and bad deeds? But the current situation gave him no time to think as additional police cars came to a screeching halt and pulled up around him, forming a circle, more Police Officers hopped off their vehicles, taking cover behind the cars while pointing their firearms at him, Alger noticed a few Arcanine by some of the officer's legs, growling at him.
One of the Police Officers started shouting, earning his attention, "Alger, you are under arrest for Weapon Trafficking, First Degree Assault, Robbery, Assaulting a Police Officer, Hosting Organized Gang Related Activities and Organized Crime Actives. You have been on your tail for the past half of a year, now we finally got you. Let your guard down didn't you? No need to worry, all those charges are enough to make you sit and rot in jail for the rest of your lives. Don't try anything funny, the detective notified us that we are authorized to use deadly force." He looks down and tapped the Arcanine with his foot, "Arcanine, go put that shock cuff on his neck, I will read his rights for him, we got your covered, we cannot lose him again!" The officer produced what seems like a metal collar from his bulletproof vest and handed down to the Arcanine.
Alger is… honestly baffled at the scene unfolding in front of him, apparently he, someone who just arrived in this world today, managed to illegally buy and sell weapons, assault a police officer, rob someone and lead a gang in less than half of a day? Something is very wrong in this world, either all these police officers are crazy, or he is being mistaken for someone else, he prefers to believe the latter. He knows he needs to get to the bottom of this, or even try and taken down this mafia look-alike of his, if said look-alike exists at all, but now, he needs to get out of the current situation scot-free, getting arrested is definitely not a part of his agenda.
But, how? With all these humans are pointing their firearms at him, having the orders to shoot him if tries anything funny, plain teleportation is out of question. His best chance now is to get a Protect up long enough so he could teleport away safely. Risky, but it is his only option. He has to act now, the Arcanine is approaching him at an alarming rate and the Police officer has begun reading him his rights: "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law, you have the right to an attorney…"
"Boss! We are here! Get out of here!"
The officer who was reading his rights shook as something struck him right in the chest, he fell to the ground before the ringing of the gunshots even reached his ears, the sound of destruction, the silent bringer of death. Nobody moved at first, shocked by this sudden change of events, but the continuous hail of bullets brought the officers back into reality, they jumped into the cover of their vehicles and soon began to fire back, bullets were exchanged back and forth like waves of never ending winter hail, they torn through the frozen air and mist, each and every one of them ripping into something, living or dead, the car windows were soon shattered, then the lamps and light, and soon the will of men as they were hit, crying out loud for help, spilling the ground with shattered glass and blood alike.
Someone shouted from the opposite side of the street, "Boss! The hell are you doing? Get out of there! We can't hold them down forever!"
This acted as a bell ringer for both the Police and Alger as a Police Officer began shouting orders at the Arcanine, "Stop him! If he escapes now, then all is lost!" But his orders came a tad bit too late as Alger head-butted the Arcanine, knocking the larger Pokémon off balance, followed up by a tackle, sending the Arcanine straight into the side of a Police vehicle, his route of escape is now clear of resistance.
He made a run for it, it is now or never, he dashed past the Police car and headed straight for the corner of this street, if he could get past the corner in time, he could lose them. Some of the officers obviously noticed the fading figure of their fugitive in the distance as bullets begin to fly past him or digging themselves into the road under his paws, he lowered his head a bit, getting ready for the final stretch to safety.
Thankfully, none of the shots connected as the Officers could do nothing but watch his figure turned around the street corner, and vanished from view. As if on cue, the gunshots also stopped, their attacks are now nowhere to be seen, leaving them confused and frustrated, surrounded by a ring of wreck vehicles, and the mourns of wounded men.
(Line Break)
Why?
Why did any of that happen?
How did any of that happen?
These questions plagued Alger's mind since the moment he is out of danger, who are those… people? Why did they help him? Why did they help him in such a way? Those innocent police officers did nothing wrong, it was a misunderstanding, they don't need to die, they don't deserve to die. He knows he needs to get to the bottom of this, to uncover who this "Boss", those people mistook him as, actually is.
He couldn't help but ponder and assess his current situation, according to the group of Police Officers that were trying to arrest him back then, he is now apparently the look-alike of the leader of an extremely powerful crime organization, meaning the Police would be after his head, and the citizens of this city would be as well, but strangely, or rather, thankfully enough, the street he is on is still barren, devoid of any life form but himself, the light drizzle has ended, and the morning mist has gradually dispersed away, yet the sun is nowhere to be seen, numerous clouds of various shades consumed the sky, locking the sun behind them. But the Police are still the least of his concerns, they are still a lawful origination, the gang that was trying to protect him on the other hand, is not. Surely enough, by now they would have realized the one they rescued isn't their leader, but someone who looks identical to their leader, he has dealt with criminals before, and he knew that they will do anything in their power to keep themselves safe, having another being out there who looks like them is not exactly beneficial to them, for all they know, he could form an deal with the Police to spread false rumours about them, or lower the organization's creditably by doing stupid and irrational things, or they even might suspect him to be a spy, sent by some other organizations seeking to infiltrate and destroy them.
A car came whizzing by him, speeding down the empty road, its tires ran over the water that had gathered by the roadside, the splashes barely missing him, he kept his eyes on the car, not daring to take them off. Thankfully, the driver didn't pay him any attention, the car eventually drove away and faded into the distance, Alger sighed in relief, Arceus knows what will happen if the driver noticed him and notified the Police, he is no mood to repeat what happened this morning again, perhaps walking on the road in broad daylight isn't the best idea, the streets are bound to be populated at some point, he couldn't stay on the streets with his current status, he need to find somewhere to stay out of sight. But where to though? There is nowhere for him to hide on the streets, getting on the rooftops of any of the surrounding buildings are highly unlikely for him and he doubts the anyone is willing to take in a mob boss. As of now, his best and only course of action is to continue walking, and see what he might find. At least he doesn't have to worry about finding the gang, as they will most likely find him first, what he actually need to worry about is getting away from them.
Engrossed in thought, he turned around a corner, not expecting to be bothered by anyone or anything for the time being, only to run head first into something metallic and unwelcoming, the force of the impact and the strong stench that assaulted his nostrils brought him back from the realms of his inner thoughts to reality as he back downed a few steps to inspect the object he collided with and where the hell he is now. It seems he had taken a turn a bit too early, causing him to be standing in a damp, narrow alleyway between the neighboring buildings instead of the broadway he was on, the object he ran into was no doubt a green garbage bin, the green paint job had be scraped off over the years of usage, revealing the white undercoat beneath, bags of garbage piled up high in the bin, giving out an absolutely sickening smell, reeking of a combination of rotten eggs, rancid old cheese and the sewer, like something that doesn't belong on this planet.
The alleyway itself was nothing special or spectacular, it is just like any other alleyway in a city, straight as a board, and as narrow as a drinking straw, the awkward angle in which the alley is made it impossible for sunlight to reach it during most of the daytime, it is only possible when the sun is directly above the alley, making it a fine example of the combination between darkness and the moldy relics of countless dining tables. Alger looked up at the dark, tall walls, to see if there is a stairway leading to the rooftops, only to be disappointed when he saw that the two fire escape staircases are nowhere near within his or his psychic power's grasp. With that no longer being an option, there is no reason for him to remain here, the nauseating smell is also not helping, he turned and backed out of the gloomy alleyway.
"Going somewhere?"
The abrupted intrusion of a foreign voice made him stop, but luckily for him, or rather unluckily, he doesn't have to search for the source of the voice, as it is standing right in front of him, blocking his path to the main broadway, the figure is of a hulking human, most likely to be in his thirties. His beard is messy and uncut, extending all the way across his chin, his face is rugged and dotted with the marks of time, creases and scars. Dirty, gray tipped hair hang draped his forehead, making the smile on his face seem more disturbing than it already is, whether it is intentional or not. The plain leather jacket he had on is battered, even without any close inspections, Alger could already spot a few holes here and there, but what caught his attention is something else, it is a small emblem embedded into the left side of the leather jacket, odd, he doesn't really look like someone who goes to gym or belong to a certain hobby club, but he figured he will find out what all that is about pretty soon.
"...Yes, I am going somewhere, and I would be grateful if you could stop blocking my path, going into this alley isn't exactly a part of my plan in the first place." Alger's eyes narrowed, he knows that this man did not come with good intentions, probably with orders concerning him, but it won't hurt to try and see what he might dig out of him before going ahead and knocking him out.
"Oh, my apologies… 'Boss', I will move out of your way immediately." The man chuckled, "Or rather… I am sorry I can't do that… Imposter. But need not to worry, I am not here to, well, for a lack of a better word, take care of you, our boss has taken a… peculiar fascination with your sudden appearance and has kindly invited you over for some tea. If I were you, I would come along peacefully with me, the boss ordered us to not to kill you, but he didn't say anything about bring you back in one piece, isn't that right Borice?" He nodded towards another figure who just turned around a corner and joined the confrontation. The newcomer is wearing a plain white mask this time, covering all of his facial features except for his dark, blonde hair, Alger noticed that he is wearing the same kind of leather jacket as the man, with the same emblem, through the opening of his jacket, he caught a glimpse of a stock of a handgun.
With a plan forming in mind, Alger replied to the man in a flat tone of voice, "...Your boss does seem like a kind man, and I appreciate the fact that he is willing to take the time to meet me rather than kill me on sight. However..." He could see the smile on the man's face slowly fading away, "As much as I would like to meet him, I will have to say no to this invitation, there are too many interchangeable variables and too many things that could go wrong. I am well aware of the fact that you two are probably ordered to kill me if I refused said invitation, or probably kill me even if I accepted said invitation."
"Is that a no that I hear?" The man's faded smile began to grow once again, as if he wanted him to refuse the deal.
"Yes, and I will be leaving this alleyway, alone." His form suddenly dashed to the side as a massive garbage bag raised itself from the trashcan, surrendered by a blue field of energy and flung itself straight at the man's face, knocking the surprised human off his balance. Borice snapped out of the shock in the first few seconds and reached for his gun under his belt, but his own firearm was suddenly surrounded by the same blue field of energy and went off without him even touching it, the bullet shattering his knee as the masked man cried out in pain and fell to the ground, clutching his broken knee and writhing in agony. The other man managed to get the garbage bag off his face and wipe it clear of the foul liquid, but he only managed to catch a glimpse of the Umbreon before its head slammed right into his face, finally knocking the human unconscious as he fell to the ground with a grunt.
Alger stood on the man's chest, panting a bit, it was a risky move, he knows that himself, but it was his one and only option in that situation, usually the end don't justify the means, but in this instance, he thinks it does. But he is not quite out of the situation just yet, the masked man is down, not out, he is still very much a threat if he could snap out of the pain and reach for his gun. Luckily for him, the poor man is still laying on the cold ground, mourning. Using psychic again, he lifted the gun out of the man's belt and tossed it into the nearest trash can, he did eventually found an opportunity to learn the mechanics of a firearm, but he was never a fan of using them, he only consider them as a last stand option.
Hopping off the man, he walked past them and headed for open space, that gunshot couldn't have gone unnoticed, meaning the Police could be here any second now, and he doesn't imagine his second encounter with them will be pleasant, not that the first one was pleasant in any shape or form.
"You do realize that they are never going to cut you lose until you are dead, right?"
...Random voices, again.
Except this time, it originated within the depths of the alleyway.
Alger sprung around, his ears perked up, trying to locate the source of the voice, the darkness doesn't hinder his sight, but he couldn't spot anything within this garbage pit. "...You have a better chance of me listening to you when I can actually see you."
The unknown figure answered him with a chuckle, then there was a suggestion of movements from beyond one of the trashcans, it was indistinct and could be easily missed if one is not paying any attention, like a piece of shadow drift across the ground. Then the footsteps came echoing from behind that trash can, it was not the sound of human shoes tapping on hard concrete, but rather… paw pads? Alger's questions were soon answered when a quadruped figure appeared from behind the can, he has a black cape tied around his neck, covering up most of his body with a black fedora on top of his head, shielding his face from view, A thin paper cigarette hung from his bottom lip, its faint red light is the only thing visible beneath his hat, a small trail of smoke escaping from the corner of his mouth danced its way to the sky. A raspy voice, as coarse as unpolished granite, emerged from the figure, "Now you do see me, do you believe me?"
"...I think I already know and believe in what you said before you even appeared. Who are you, why are you trying to help me?" Alger's eyes are fixated on him in a serious stare, he doesn't know what this person is trying to accomplish, is he a friend, or a foe?
The figure took a puff of his cigar, seemingly to be in no rush for anything,"Now now… My name is not of anyone's concern at the moment, what difference would it make to the current situation if you learned my name? As for why I want to help you… You see, myself is a wanted man by multiple organizations, judging from all of that, you are one as well, I always like to help the ones in need, especially when said person is one of my kind."
"...And why do you think I can trust you?"
"Well..." The figure took one last puff of smoke before dropping the cigar onto the ground, not even bothering to crush it, "I am the only one who hasn't tried to kill you, and your chance of survival is slim to none when *they* are coming after you, I know a safe place that we can stay for an indefinite amount of time until you can plan something out, and of course, I will provide assistance if I can, you are new around here, so you will need the help. And besides, if I really want you dead, I could have done it while you were preoccupied with those gang members, instead of confronting you right now."
"..." Alger hesitated, he knows this figure is most likely right, whoever is after him are bold enough to shot up the Police in broad daylight, if they did come after him with everything they got, there is no way he is going to survive, and he more time before he can beam to a different world, "...You mentioned that you know I am new here, how do you know?"
Alger was almost certain the figure smirked at his question as he turned away and walked into the depth of the alleyway, "I know everyone. You better hurry up if you want my assistance, time won't stop for you when you are hesitating."
As the figure got further and further away from him, Alger sighed, before running up to the cloaked Umbreon, following him into the unknown.
(Line Break)
Did he make the right decision?
Should he put his life at the hands of a stranger?
Alger pondered these two questions for the majority of his journey down in the dark sewage system below the busy city streets, his rings casting a feeble glow into the darkness around him, its silence disturbed only by the rhythmic clattering of their paws against the wet, moss covered concrete slabs, and the infrequent sounds of water dripping onto the dry waterway next to him, littered with ruined paper, broken bottles, tattered clothing and a very unpleasant smell of moldiness. It seems to him that this part of the sewage system was originally populated by either Pokemon or humans, the most desperate ones out of the bunch, or no one in their right minds would live here for any extended periods of time.
The stranger said little to nothing since they entered this tunnel, he never even turned back once to check on him, as if he doesn't really care if he is following along or not, perhaps he really doesn't care if Alger trust him or not, maybe he is just doing a duty, a service for his own kind, if the person he is trying to help doesn't want it, he won't push it. But why remain so secretive? Alger can understand how this line of work might be dangerous since there is no telling if the person you are trying to protect might double-cross you, and having a hat to hide your face can protect your identity, the cape really isn't necessary unless you have some scars or marks on your body that will make you very easy to identify, but why dimmed your rings as well? It is a technique that all healthy members of his species possess, but it is only used when one is trying to conceal themselves in the darkness to either escape or attack, he doesn't see how hiding your rings will hide your identity unless you-
Then something clicked inside his mind.
Unless you have some abnormal ring colors.
Another shiny like him? Even though that is the most probable conclusions, Alger knows from experience that there can be other colors to an Umbreon's rings than just yellow and cyan, he remembers meeting an Umbreon with flicking red rings, his name was… Keron, he recalled, though they never really spoke much, and there are… those green rings, Alger shuddered, that was a journey he never wishes to undertake again.
The hooded Umbreon seems to have noticed this tiny movement from his companion, his paw steps slowed and broke the silence that fogged over them, "Is there something wrong? I am not making you uncomfortable, am I? I am certainly not known for my hospitality, but I do what I can."
Alger is surprised that he actually asked him if anything is wrong, but what surprised him even more is that he noticed he shuddered without even looking at him, he must be paying real close attention to him in secrecy. "...Yes, I am fine, just recalled some rather unpleasant events from the past, I hope you understand."
"Ah, yes. Of course I understand, in our line of work, events like that are certainly… unavoidable, no matter how undesirable they might be, but every career has to start somewhere, the way of crime is no different than working as a postman, you get you letter from someone, you deliver the letter to the recipient, you receive your payment. Once you have gathered enough payments, you will open your own Post Stop and hire other postmans to work for you. And eventually, you will have to retire from the line of work, so you put someone else in charge while you laid back in and watch your industry bloom. See what I am talking about? Many thought that Mafias are a messy business, all the complicated relationships makes this system extremely unpredictable, but in reality, if you know what you are doing, it is as simple as delivering a letter." The stranger replied without looking back.
"...Are you, implying something?" His words unnerved Alger to a certain extent.
The furred creature only chuckled in slight amusement at his question, "I am only implying something if you think that I am implying something. Was I postman? Almost certainly. Do I own a Post-stop? Less likely. But keep in mind, Mister, if every example I make is true, this city would now be floating in outer space encased in a glass dome with a piece of rock as its mayor. Though I will gladly admit that I am a businessman, I own several establishments all over the city, bars, shops, factories… You get the point, you need to have the authorities believe that you are not the person they are looking, or else you simply won't get a single day of peace."
His tendency to not answering his questions directly annoyed him slightly, but then again, if he is talking like this, there has to be a reason behind it, nor could he force himself to get an answer out of him, not only that would be rude, it might very well cost him his life as he doesn't know what this hooded Umbreon is capable of. Instead of inquiring any information on his previous statement, he decided to change the subject, "...If that is the case, I am presuming that the establishment we are heading towards is owned by you? Or at least owned by a friend?"
"Ah, you are a bright one, aren't cha'?" The stranger replied, it seems his guesses were indeed correct, "Yes, the establishment, or 'Dicer's Refuge' as it is named, is where we are currently headed for, I will gladly admit that out of all of my bars and liquor stores, this is my favorite one. Mainly due to its drinks, the bartender there does a wonderful job at what they do. Tell me Sir, do you drink?"
"...I have attempted before, but the taste of alcoholic drinks is just something that I cannot stand, so in other words, no." Alger frankly admitted that.
"You don't? You are certainly a peculiar one, most of the people I know drinks, even myself, but no matter, it was just a question out of my own curiosity. But nonetheless, we are almost there, this way please." He made a hard left turn into an even smaller tunnel cut into the walls with its roof almost touching their ears, Alger took notice that it seems to lead to nowhere, a dead end, out of caution, he stopped at the entrance of the tunnel, eyeing the hooded figure closely for any sudden movements.
The hooded Umbreon didn't seem to notice that Alger has stopped, he walked a few more steps forward before stopping and turning towards the walls on his right, reaching out his front paw, he pressed down upon one of the bricks that lined the walls, a crackling noise was then heard, like communication being established between two radios, "Package one is here and ready for pick up at the Bus stop." He then looked back at Alger, who has now begun to approach him, "And an additional package as well." A moment of silence followed before the stone slabs above the Umbreon suddenly slid away to the side as a soft glow of light cast down upon him, "Come on now, up here." He motioned Alger to follow him as he leaped out of the tunnel through the opening above.
Knowing that there is no turning back at this point, Alger came under the light and leaped out of the tunnel with one swift motion, the sudden increase in light intensity made him squint his eyes a bit, but he can still tell that they are in a room of some sort, it very much resembles the interior of a closet, though much larger with a lot more shelves lining the wooden plank walls, loaded full of wine bottles, arranged neatly in rolls and stacked on top of each other, there are three large barrels at the other end of the room, almost reaching to the ceiling with a little tap on its side.
The hooded Umbreon is currently whispering something to a human who most likely opened the entrance for them, the human is dressed in what seems to be a suit without sleeves with a white shirt underneath, completed with a black tie, a classic bartender attire. Alger also noticed something different with his paws compared to his own, he is folding a cigar in front of him with one of his front paws at an impossible movement for him to accomplish.
"So that is the trait of this world" He thought to himself, "Quadrupedal creatures have paws that can act similar to hands, it is a shame that this is a trait I do not possess, or it would certainly have made my life much easier."
The bartender nodded and raised back up from the Umbreon's eye level, a man in his fifties judging by his graying hair, "Gentlemen, would you please follow me." he said as he turned and began to climb up the stairs leading out of the cellular,
"Come on now boy, this is the last stretch." The strange nudged to Alger as he trotted past him, following the bartender and hopping up the stairs, "Don't be so stiff, you are safe here."Alger complied as he walked up to the stairs, he still can't believe the situation he ended up in due to pure chance, but hey, at least he is safe in here.
Safe, for now.