Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Sin Within
Nora handed Aaron his mug, kissing him on the cheek as he started the day. He had a somewhat unwelcome awakening that morning with Marcus starting his usual workout routine, turning the television on and accidentally waking up the people in the room with overly loud volume. Aster was less amused with the incident than Aaron had been, the latter of which failed to get back to sleep.
One surprise, though, was Brooke being up that time. It seemed that, just like Nora, she was an early riser – maybe an old habit from her gym days. The floatzel propped her head up with a paw as though waiting for something to happen.
"How are we on eggs?" Aaron asked. Nora rummaged through the refrigerator.
"We're good until tomorrow." It would be four more days before they could go and pick up their civilian rations from Omega. The amounts were always just enough to curb away hunger, but typically nothing more. Fortunately, they had a very beneficial asset in Nathan, who often gave them extra supplies and Nora for being able to actually do something with them.
"I'm fine skipping eggs today," he told her quietly. "Just coffee and toast are fine by me."
"What about you, Brooke?"
"Huh?" the floatzel asked. Nora rolled her eyes.
"What do you want?"
"Ah, I'm good. Just admirin' the view." Marcus fell from his planking position, slowly getting up and hitting pause on the remote. He closed his eyes and sighed as the water-type responded with a flirtatious wink.
"You know what, that's it," the lucario replied. "Enough is enough. What exactly is wrong with you?"
"What's wrong with me?" Brooke looked at Aaron in shock, as though she had misheard him. The trainer was now fully awake. "What's wrong with you? No male has ever turned me down."
"First time for everything, then," the lucario replied. He stood up and crossed his arms. Aster merely sunk his head into his coiled form.
"Look, I don't know what all I gotta do to get you to lighten up. I've been nothing but nice to you…"
"No, you've been nothing but annoying," Marcus retorted. The floatzel's mouth opened. Even though Aaron could agree that Brooke was overly forward with him, he just watched someone's heart shatter. That wasn't an enjoyable sight, no matter the circumstances.
"I… why are you being such a prude?"
"Me having some shred of decency isn't being a prude."
"No, but you acting like an asshole sure is!" Moisture was pooling in the corner of her eyes. At that point, the trainer would have assumed Marcus would have backed down. Being a lucario, he had to know what she was feeling.
But he didn't. Instead, he said what could have possibly been the cruelest words to ever leave his lips.
"Call it what you want. Just leave me alone, whore."
They could have heard a pin drop in the room. Aaron looked at Nora with horror then back towards Marcus. But there wasn't a shred of regret on his face. The floatzel clasped a hand to her mouth. The dams broke and no effort on her part would have hidden it. Brooke briskly walked towards the back of the house, slamming the bedroom door behind her, and broke down.
"Marcus!" Aaron snapped.
"No – that's not on me!" the lucario retorted. "I've been tolerating that ever since she got here, and I'm sick of it!"
"There had to be a better way to deal with it than that!"
"I tried being nice about it and that got me nowhere. So you know what? Yeah, that was the best way to deal with the slut!" Before anyone else could say anything, he pointed towards Aaron. "I get we needed more numbers, but you clearly made a mistake in allowing her to come here!" With that, he stormed out of the house.
Necrozma had hardly left his side the past two days, and a humorous thought of Reshiram or Zekrom getting jealous may or may not have raced across Alexander's mind, though he knew they were above such things. True to his word, he held no ill-will towards the Megalopolans, and similarly to them, took great pleasure in seeing a world that had life in it – especially without requiring his intervention. He had just placed the mew in bed for the night when Soliera's call came. Once again, it was strange to see members of a trio that had fought at one time with one another amicably.
"Hey," he said, stepping out into the night, though in Necrozma's presence it didn't seem like such. "I could use some good news right about now."
"I have news," she said. "I wouldn't call it good." He stopped in his tracks, praying that this wouldn't have been the case. That there was still that chance that the rumor wasn't true – that it was exaggerated, or that the person who told it had a reason to lie, even.
"So you've analyzed the footage?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"…I'm sending it to you now." The tone of her voice concerned him more than her initial words. A single video file popped up on his display. He looked over at Necrozma and Solgaleo, both of whom curiously gazed at it, and pressed play.
He was looking through the eyes of one of their soldiers, standing by while their trainers challenged the eligible locals for the fate of Iki Town. They were about a kilometer away from the small village as the fights carried on; green mountains towered over the island as the sun began to set. There were a few trainers in their upper teens, one of which lost their match while another seemed to be winning. But he wasn't what drew Alexander's attention the most.
The Island Kahuna himself was participating in this fight. In his mid-to-late forties, Hau had risen above even his grandfather in his capabilities, from what Alex had heard, though he was not particularly familiar with the Alola circuit. He battled alongside the few, defending the island he was assigned over with the help of his decidueye who raced through the air, springing from the treetops and launching arrows into his foe. They didn't go too deep but were more than enough to do harm. At least, against most opponents. They merely bounced off the scales of Ras' kommo-o.
"Rama! Use shadow ball!"
"Flamethrower!" The kommo-o exhaled a torrent of flame in an attempt to knock the opponent out of the sky. Rama spun and dodged, flinging a dark sphere towards his opponent who was faster than his bulk suggested. The two exchanged blow after blow, neither willing to back down or show signs of hesitation. Alexander instinctively began judging where each pokémon's performance could have been better before catching himself. He wasn't here to analyze a battle; he was here to get to the bottom of something.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long after that for things to go south.
A bolt of lightning shot up from somewhere on the island, arching downwards and crashing onto the battlefield. A cloud of dust kicked up as the visor crackled. Everyone looked at the new arrival as a hair-raising cry spread throughout the island.
No one had time to react. One second he had made his appearance; the next he flashed across the field, nothing more than an energetic blur as he struck Omega's pokémon. Ras' kommo-o fell to its knees after a nasty jolt of electricity, then rolled over before a red beam recalled him to safety. Tapu Koko flew into the air, fixing his gaze on the airships and calling down a bolt of lightning, striking one of them and causing it to spin out of control.
"Don't just stand there!" Zadoc yelled. "Take him down!" Sound cannons and PDRs were aimed towards their attacker, who seemed to evade them without any effort as he raced through the sky. The soldier whose visor Alexander was looking through aimed ahead of the legendary and pulled the trigger. Though the heat blast was invisible to the naked eye, Tapu Koko somehow knew where to go to avoid them.
A second airship met a similar demise, crashing into a mountain as its controls locked up. Though an explosion never came, and the drivers wore protective vests, Alexander wondered if they were still alive. The island guardian seemed not to concern itself with such, turning and focusing on the last airship. That's when he found himself in the sights of a sound cannon, this time far too slow to avoid the inevitable. A wave pulsed through the air, forcing Tapu Koko to cover its ears with its forked hands before falling out of the sky. He hit the ground with a heavy thump, kicking up dirt as he did so. "Keep on him!" Zadoc ordered, and every weapon that was free pointed at the guardian.
"Tapu Koko!" Hau cried. "Rama, use hurricane on the soldiers!" The decidueye rose into the air and caused a swirling gust to pick up, only managing to trip the knights up, though this got the pressure off of the island deity for a few seconds. He turned to the two younger trainers. "Run! Now!"
"Stop them!" Ras ordered. Everything was far too disorganized, though. A streak of lightning raced across the battlefield as Tapu Koko slammed into General Zadoc, his suit crackling as it began to malfunction from the sheer power coursing through its circuitry. He curled up his fist and struck the pokémon between its mask-like shields, knocking it out of the air. The sound cannon met its mark again, forcing him to remain still on the ground. Zadoc glanced to the left, seeing the decidueye closing in, and withdrew his pistol. A shot echoed throughout Melemele Island.
"NOOO!" Hau cried as his starter fell from the sky. The owl released an awful cry as he clutched his stomach with a bent wing. The kahuna scooped up his pokémon in his arms as the soldiers circled the scene. Any focus he had towards fending off Omega was gone as he held the dying pokémon.
Zadoc straightened up, his suit having regained most of its functionality, and approached the Tapu once again. The creature glared up at the general who still clutched his pistol. Zadoc tossed a pokéball at the supposed deity, watching as it shook twice before breaking out. "You will come with us," he simply said, tossing another. Everything was silent as another capture was attempted. But it failed as well. "Stop fighting. You have lost."
Tapu Koko stretched a trembling arm forward and shot a weak electrical current into Zadoc, causing him to lock up and fall to the ground. The sound cannon intensified its blast as two knights rushed towards him and lifted him back onto his feet. After a minute or two, Zadoc's suit regained limited functionality. He knelt down, picking up the dropped pistol, and held it. Though his features were concealed, Alexander quickly recognized a difference in his posture. The general looked towards Hau, who hugged his starter as blood seeped from between its beak, burying his face into the decidueye's plumage as he sobbed.
"I hear that your people think of this thing as a god," Zadoc said. Hau looked up with bloodshot eyes. "Our people once had something of the sort." He grabbed the Tapu by the throat, lifting him into the air. There was no hiding within his mask now. "And do you know what we did to him?" Hau was unable to form words between sputters and gasps for air. "We locked him up for a thousand years and used him as a battery. There are no gods." He pushed the pistol between the mask, directly to Tapu Koko's forehead, and pulled the trigger.
Solgaleo roared at the footage, his claws cleaving through dirt as those throughout the camp looked towards them in shock. Alexander's fist clenched shut as anger surged through his body. Zadoc aimed at Hau, and a third, final shot sang throughout the night. Trainer collapsed on pokémon. The knight who wore the suit that recorded this barely flinched.
"Sir… we were ordered not to kill anyone." One of the trainers said.
"They attacked us."
"They were defenseless!"
"Do we have an issue, private?" the general asked. The Omegan trainer looked down, withholding a response, but eventually shook his head.
"…No."
"That's what I thought." The general glanced towards the two downed ships. The pilots managed to crawl out of them, only to be greeted to such a sight. The Tapu's blood had splattered across Zadoc, streaking across the Omega symbol. He knelt down and ripped a Z-bracelet from the kahuna's limp arm, then a belt full of pokéballs. Zadoc handed the latter to a soldier. "Dispose of these as well and hide all the bodies. Not a word of this is ever to leave here. That moron in charge would have all of our heads for this." A few seconds later, the footage cut short.
"MURDERER!" Solgaleo roared, causing Alex's ears to ring and the very fabric of space-time to ripple around him. But he didn't budge. From what he had understood, he had been rescued in his younger, pre-evolved form by the very guardian slain in the video. He had every right to be angry beyond compare. Alexander locked eyes with the lion who bared his fangs, looking as if he himself was ready to devour Zadoc.
"Remain here for a minute." Alex pulled out his PDA and prepared to call Soliera back. He nearly made the call when the pink feline floated towards him.
"I-is everything okay?" Genesis asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She wasn't the only one, either, as several humans and pokémon at the camp had worked their way out of their tents.
"No," he truthfully answered. "Something's very wrong, child. I need you to go back to bed."
"You… you look angry. D-did I do something wrong?" She looked down, her shoulders slumping. For a minute, Alex lightened up. He pulled the mew into a hug, pressing his cheek against hers.
"You have done nothing of the sort. This has nothing to do with you, alright?" She nodded against him. "Now go back to bed, okay?"
"Love you," she murmured quietly before kissing him on the cheek. Right now, that was the only thing that kept him grounded in reality.
"I love you too." After she had left, he looked down at his PDA, which he had in a death grip. He quickly scrolled through his contacts and called Soliera. For a moment, she remained silent, only looking at his face on the display. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"I assume you have seen the footage…"
"You assume correctly." After a pause, he continued. "You know what I must do now, correct?"
"I am aware," she replied.
"Very well. But before I act, I have to know – can I count on you with this? As much as I hate to put you into a position of this nature, I have no choice. I must know who your loyalty lies with. I will not judge you, but I must take it into account before acting." Zadoc was, after all, the de facto leader of Megalopolis. She had known him far longer than she had known Alexander. But Soliera placed her right fist to her chest and bowed her head.
"If I had deemed Zadoc correct in his actions, I would not have informed you of the rumors, nor would I have sent you that footage. You have the full loyalty of me and of the Recon Squad. I have spent most of my life choosing what is practical over what is right. No more."
"Thank you, Soliera." For a split second, the tiniest smile appeared on his face, but it immediately disappeared in the midst of what was going on. "If you could, reach the Recon Squad and order them to fire up every airship at their disposal. This ends now." She nodded before ending the call.
Alexander stormed over towards the armory and yanked the door open, his eyes falling on his suit. The front opened as he approached it, and as he backed up, feeling it close around his body, he attempted to pacify the thoughts of violence rising within him. He took no weapon as he stormed out of the storage unit.
One of the camp admins, Officer Larek, approached him with concern. "Is everything alright, sir?"
"No," Alex replied, "but everything is about to be made right. I need you to contact dispatch. Tell them to find Zadoc's squad. Not in the morning, not when they finish whatever they're doing this very minute, but right now. And once you've done that, suit up and have your unit do the same."
"Yes, sir." He quickly bowed and hurried off.
It took only five minutes for everything to be in order. A portal formed in the sky, and a small fleet was being led by Lunala, who quickly descended to Solgaleo's side. "If this were my fight, I would tear him to pieces."
"But it is not," she said with a soothing voice.
"Who is this that you oppose within your ranks?" Necrozma asked.
"The same man who tried to have you recaptured. Someone I asked you to show mercy towards in case our info was wrong. Unfortunately, it wasn't." Not too long after that, Larek sent him a map of the Sevii Isles with a red dot over the southeast part of Chrono Island. "Are they on a mission?"
"No," dispatch said, "but they will be soon."
"Good. We're leaving now." He approached an airship, taking a deep breath, and looked up at Lunala. She nodded silently. Alexander made sure everyone present heard his voice. "We're about to take care of an insubordinate who threatens everything we're trying to do here. Once we have taken down their systems, round everyone up. Some of those taken in will be comrades who only followed direct orders, but do not hesitate. Bring them all to me and all will be sorted out."
As they took off, Lunala and Solgaleo flew by his ship, the latter of which seemed ready to do something very unbefitting for a legendary. It seemed even a creature such as him could be brought to the point of rage. Alexander himself was at that point. But this wasn't the time to go against the very things he had preached. As the portal opened, showing one of their own camps below them, he walked into the cockpit. "Missiles are ready, sir," the co-pilot said. His fist still clenched, he slammed it into the button.
A/N: Special thanks to FuryWrites for beta reading this chapter.