Chapter 39 – Confessions of Terror
Jill and Looker avoided the masses at the gathering area and tracked Cyrus. That he was still here didn't surprise either pursuer. Jill knew that the mastermind behind everything wasn't finished yet, not with the legends stolen. What neither of them were expecting was Cyrus to open his door to them. Jill took the lead, defiance and anger showing on her face. Cyrus looked at the young woman with flat eyes.
"I knew you would come." The simple statement halted both Jill and Looker in their tracks. Cyrus however, only had eyes for Jill. "You heard my speech? A lie of course."
"A lie?" Jill said. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't place her finger on what it was.
"For the most part. I do intend on creating a new world, but to allow these people of Team Galactic to be a part of it?" Cyrus shrugged. His voice was still oddly flat. "I began this company years ago, were you aware of that? You must be. Unlike the rest, you have proven yourself capable and competent."
"Some way to talk about the 'team' you created." Cyrus gave a single humourless chuckle.
"Yes 'Team Galactic'. They came about much later. In the beginning, I believed that I alone could change the world. My machines would bring about a revolution. How naieve I was."
"So instead you created a terrorist group?" Jill demanded. Her anger coloured her voice, a sharp contrast to the mild tone Cyrus was using.
"I would hardly call them a terrorist group. You've met my minions. They are wholly and utterly incompetent. But even machines need gears to operate, and I needed bodies to complete my goal. You see, the world I envision is for myself." Silence fell upon everyone. Both Jill and Looker glanced at one another before returning their attention back to the Galactic head. Before either could question him further however, Cyrus interrupted their thoughts.
"But we return back to why you are here." Jill stole a glance around the room, seeing only another set of doors. "I know you have come for the lake guardians. You wish to save them." Jill couldn't refute the claim. "By all means, if your heart aches to save them…" Cyrus gestured towards the second doors which seemed to open on cue. The elevator beckoned. "This will save me from having to dispose of them." The heartlessness caught Jill.
"How can you be so heartless?" she asked quietly. Cyrus took a moment to answer.
"You are a remarkable specimen." The compliment confused the young woman. "You see, your strength lies in your compassion for these creatures. But such pity and compassion are the hallmarks of a weak and faulty spirit. This disease has spread across the human race, creating this unsustainable and malice filled world."
"And your answer is to destroy it?" Jill countered.
"And create anew. You waste your time with emotion, while I have divested myself of such. Unlike everyone else you have faced, I take a Pokemon's power, and make it my own. They are tools as such. To come here for the sake of pity, you show yourself and lesser. And now your choice before you. You can pay heed to your heart and walk into the elevator. Or, you can pay for those actions and attempt to apprehend me." Jill stared at Cyrus before speaking.
"You think that you can just take a Pokemon's power, but you're wrong. By working together, we become stronger. I have defeated all of your Team Galactic and I can do the same to you!"
"If that is your choice…"
"You really think you can take both me and an agent of the International Police on?" Jill said. While she appeared confident, her heart was torn. Something was happening to the lake trio, but to save them she would have to allow Cyrus to walk. And she wasn't sure Looker was enough to take him down. The last time Cyrus had attacked her, Jill had almost lost. Cyrus had turned his attention to the IP agent at last.
"Agent Looker is it?" The IP agent nodded at his adversary. "You have almost been as large a thorn to my operation as both this child and the champion. You seem to have left out an important piece of information when recruiting her though." Jill looked between the two men.
"What does he mean?" Jill asked Looker. The man was staring at Cyrus still, but sadness and anger warred behind his eyes.
"I… I no longer have a Pokemon partner of my own" Looker finally conceded. "Thus, the choice before us both is yours. To do what we came to do and save the Lake Guardians, would mean we must allow this man to leave." Jill almost crumbled. How could she be this close? Cyrus' cold dark eyes returned to the young woman's watching the war in her mind. Tears formed in Jill's eyes, and she let her head fall before turning towards the elevator. Cyrus watched both the young trainer and the IP agent enter the elevator and the doors close before taking his leave.
The ride down was silent. Jill sniffed angrily as she wiped away the tears. She may not have been able to stop Cyrus, but she could still save the Guardians. And as soon as they were clear, she could tell Cynthia what had happened so the champion could stop this madman. In silence the elevator stopped, and doors opened. The hallway before the two occupants was empty.
"Miss Heart, I feel I should apologize…" Looker was cut off.
"We came to save the Lake Guardians. That's what we're going to do" Jill said, her voice thick with emotion. Looker simply nodded and followed the young woman. The hall was long and dimly lit. Looker reckoned they were a fair way underground. That this entire complex was hidden the way it was told the IP agent all he needed to know about how long Cyrus had obviously been planning this. Finally, the pair came to another set of doors. Beside them was a man huddled into the fetal position. Tears were streaming down his face Jill noticed. Looker knelt to better hear what the man was muttering.
"Too far… we went too far…" he just kept repeating over and over.
"Is he going to be okay?" Jill asked with some concern. While she didn't want to feel too sorry for a member of a terrorist organization, she was still human and so was this man. And something was clearly troubling him.
"I don't know" Looker replied quietly. He stood back up and looked towards the doors. Jill spared the man on the ground one last glance before opening the doors into the next room. It was marginally better lit here than the previous room, but not by much. Two men were standing at the far end, surrounded by three large containers. A frown crossed Jill's face as she strode forward.
"This had better work old man" the taller man said to the other.
"Of course it will. Now get that topside." Both men turned and looked shocked to see both Looker and Jill standing there.
"How did you get down here?" Saturn demanded incredulously.
"Your boss let me come and save these Pokemon!" Jill threw back. The shorter of the two men chuckled at that. Saturn frowned.
"I can't say as I understand our boss' logic but here you are. Well by all means, go ahead and 'save' them" the Galacitc commander said. Jill looked at the three containers and cried out when she realized what she was looking at.
"What have you done?" the young woman yelled crossing to the closest tube containing one of the lake trio.
"We have created that which Cyrus needs in order to call those who would help him fulfill his vision!" the shorter man said. Jill's eyes were filled with tears which spilled down her face. In front of her was a legend laying still, its eyes closed, a ragged hole in its forehead. Blood was still weeping from the open wound. It's appearance made Jill want to throw up.
"The Red Chain! Capable of opening the world to those who shaped it in the beginning!" Charon said with enthusiasm. Saturn looked at the other man with disgust before walking out. Jill stayed down on her knees crying. The scientist's mood changed upon Saturns departure.
"How is it that a mere child was able to best all of Team Galactic?" he asked of the International Police agent.
"Because she is not just some mere child. Now explain what you have done!" Looker said.
"This began months ago. They have been researching legends for years. Many people have. But due to his wealth, Cyrus was able to acces more than most. We found that here in Sinnoh is a convergance point. It lies atop Mount Coronet. It was here that some of the most powerful Pokemon to ever step foot on our planet left this world. To where we aren't sure. Thus, we needed a way to bind these Pokemon to our relm."
"The Lake Guardians became our focus for the past two years. We created a way to not only awaken them, but to capture them without anyone banishing their powers. To touch these legends is to aquire that which they guard. But what they guard is so much more than just emotion or knowledge. No, they also protect the relms in which the gods dwel. And so, we created the bombs to capture these legends. Once they were brought to me here, I was able to take the source of the power needed to create the Red Chain, the crystals in their heads! Once fused together, they create a link to the other relms, as well as the ability to control that which lurks on the other side!" Looker appraised the man in disgust. Of course, he knew there were scientists out there willing to do unspeakable horrors but to come across such a crass use of power, it troubled him more than he could say.
Jill was still crying at the tank. She had come too late to save them. And she had let Cyrus get away. Everything she had tried to accomplish and help with had turned to dust in her mouth.
Not all is lost a whisper said through the young woman's head. Jill looked up and around for the speaker. It wasn't until a febble stirring infront of her that Jill realized that it was Azelf looking at her. Its eyes were still mostly shut but a sliver caught hold of Jill's gaze.
You must not give up. There is still hope for those with the will to see it. Believe and create your destiny. The young woman sniffed, wiping her eyes. She nodded to the legend, who barely inclinded its head back. Standing, Looker glanced over to Jill.
"Where is Cyrus going?" she demanded in a shaky voice.
"To the top of Mount Coronet. It is there that he will enact his plan." Jill looked towards the IP agent.
"I need to get there." Walking around the tank, Jill stood in front of the machine holding the three lake Guardians prisoner. She looked around briefly before finding the release button. Pressing it, she heard the hiss of all three containers opening. Jill turned back around to see Azelf. Fresh tears fell as she lightly caressed the guardians head.
"I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. But I promise you that they won't get away with this."
The helicopter made its way across the sky, carrying only a single occupant. Ahead rose the highest peak in the region, and at its top, the ruins left from the time of Gods. Cyrus stared ahead at the looming snow capped mountain, but was idly rotating the red pulsing chain wrapped around his wrist. Three separate gems were contained within, each pulsing in time with the others, steady as a heartbeat.
The experiment which had been done to the lake guardians was reprehensible, but necessary. Those with a weaker conviction would have turned away by now. Cyrus was not one of the weak. His goal was nearly in hand. It would not be long now, before his vision for the world would become reality.