Chapter 59: Cold Blooded

"It is your call Frost, what do you want?"

Rain's voice wasn't totally clear because of the sprinklers going off although their pressure had decreased significantly since the start.

"I talked to Cynthia, Rain she is... well she is herself."

"You could tell! How romantic to know your partner's feelings." Rain teased from her side.

"Rain…" Frost answered not in the mood right now.

"I know I know just lightening the atmosphere." She sheepishly justified.

"Either way they won't take no for an answer."

"We could always just use force." Suggested Ember from behind.

Frost eyed her before replying

"Tell them to come to the lobby on the first floor I'll meet them in 10 minutes."

Leaf and Rain's eyes widened as Leaf questioned.

"Leader are you sure about this because even if we consider that they won't get shot they will be seeing a lot of deaths."

"I am not Leaf, but these are the type of people that need to see something to believe it."

Leaf and Ember reluctantly accepted their leader's words as they waited for the trio of Champions to arrive.

The air was cool in the hallways it was hard to pinpoint any particular smell as the sprinkler system seemed to be running.

"Was there a fire?" Lance asked while jogging along with the other two Champions.

"I don't think so," Diantha replied.

Cynthia ignored them as she made her way through.

"Take a left and then the third right."

Cynthia almost shrieked at the sudden voice in her head and Lance and Diantha jumped also but soon she realized she still had the earpiece.

"Spark don't scare me like that," Cynthia responded.

"Oh I am sorry Champions but I hate to break it to you but the real scary stuff is still around the corner."

Cynthia didn't get what he meant but as she turned right all her doubt were cleared because ahead of her lay the bodies of multiple armed guards.

"Arceus…." Lance muttered as he counted the bodies seven total he summed up.

"Three people did this!" Diantha told Cynthia with a worried expression.

"10 minutes Champion." Spark reminded and Cynthia and the others started moving again.

7 minutes and three more encounters with the dead they finally made it to the lobby and immediately met Frost who was alone.

The sprinklers had stopped and most of the water had drained out the room but puddles of blood-red water remained Cynthia's eyes traced to the back of the lobby where various bodies lay unmoving thankfully she didn't move in to take a closer look and in between all this stood one man, now four including the champions.

The champions didn't have words for what they were seeing, should they scream or just laugh at this they couldn't decide, and as silence filled the room Frost spoke.

"The look on your faces tells me Spark had you guys take the scenic route."

"How can you joke at this…." Diantha muttered anguish visible on her face.

"Don't get emotional just yet Champion there are more floors left and don't forget you wanted this…." Frost replied without consoling her.

Cynthia saw the situation was tense so she asked

"Where are Leaf and Ember?"

Lance kept her hand on Diantha's shoulder to calm her while Frost turned to answer

"I sent them ahead."

"Alone?" Lance asked.

"I just said both of them." Frost feigned ignorance.

"Frost you know that is not what he meant," Cynthia said with annoyance knowing what he was doing.

"No offense to any of you but Pokemons aren't the most effective thing in a gunfight that too in such cramped spaces, and believe me if you guys were needed here I would have taken you guys from the start."

"You cocky…"Lance gritted his teeth at Frost's blatant disrespect.

"You three will stay close to me during this and listen to me no matter what…..IS THAT CLEAR."

No one responded

"Alright, then our job is to take the lab and secure the research material and also get the scientists Spark says the security is less there at the moment so its fine for me alone to go with all three of you."

This time the Champions nodded in response.

As they were almost ready to leave Frost stopped and turned around

"Ah and before I forget." He said almost cheerily as he pulled out a silenced pistol from his leg holster.

Turning it around in one hand and gave it to Lance.

"Use it in case of emergency and only then, I understand you know how to use one."

Lance eyed Frost and then the pistol before taking it.

With that, the four of them left with Frost leading the way.

Cynthia knew Frost wasn't happy about her decision to come here and as they walked towards the elevator in absolute silence this was confirmed even further.

[Be honest this is too much for you and the Champions, you should have listened to Frost.]

[My curiosity got the better of me this time for sure.] Cynthia thought as all of them were about to enter the elevator but Frost stopped them.

"Let me go first, you three come after me." He said as he entered the elevator alone and before it closed told Spark.

"Once I am done down there send the elevator back up."

"Who does he think he is." Lance kicked the elevator door in anger.

"So many people are dead..." Diantha asked worryingly.

"We can't blame them Diantha, they warned us this was going to happen."

"But Cyn look at this are they really the right one here, the way I see they aren't better than the people they killed."

Cynthia wanted to somewhat agree even her inner voice was favoring Diantha's words but the conversation she had with Rain and Frost the day before at the lockers made her stand her ground against Diantha's argument.

"With the obvious things aside what is he going to do alone?" Lance asked as the Champions eyed the elevator.

"I don't know... as much I want to thou..." Cynthia muttered as she remembered something.

Putting her hand on the earpiece she asked

"Spark are you listening?"

"Always am Champion." Came a quick reply.

Cynthia noted that and asked

"Do you have access to the CCTV of this place?"

"I am going, to be honest Champion I don't like where this is going."

"I want to see the footage of the floor Frost is on." Cynthia more or less demanded.

"Leader asked me to not do that."

"What! Why?"

Cynthia was getting annoyed by Frost although she felt sorry for coming here but Frost being so secretive was something that had been ticking her off ever since the first time she met him on the plane.

"Sparky... let her watch." Another female voice Cynthia thought, Rain's voice cut in as the women told Spark.

"But big sis Leader said..."

"I know what he said and he is being an idiot as usual so just give her access if Frost comes after you send him to me." Rain said very seriously.

"Alright..." Spark agreed.

Cynthia was confused.

[Why did Rain do that?] she wondered as she heard Spark speak again.

"Champion check your mobile device I sent a link to it."

"Oh... Thanks." Cynthia replied as the comm disconnected.

Cynthia unlocked her phone as the link popped up in the messages once she clicked on it she got a weird pop up of a chibi looking version of manectric pop up before the screen cut to what seemed like live footage from the floor under them.

Lance and Diantha peeked over her shoulder as they could see a wide room most probably the lower floors lobby the design was almost identical to the one on the floor they were on but the only difference being that the floor below them still had guards all over the place. Just in the lobby alone were 12 people standing at different places all over the room ready in wait with rifles in their hands.

As the elevator door opened much to everyone's surprise it was empty.

"Where did he go?" Lance asked as Cynthia shushed him.

"Keep watching." She said as she turned her eyes to the footage.

DOWNSTAIRS

Frost was currently standing above the elevator as he heard the ding of the elevator.

Outside the guards aimed at the door of the elevator as it came up empty.

One of the guards sighed as he said

"False alarm the intruder ain't here."

As the group relaxed and went back to their positions one of the guards walked into the elevator to check it more clearly and once he was satisfied with its empty nature he turned around.

Frost took this opportunity to open the shaft and climb down just as the guard stepped out.

Once on solid ground Frost grabbed the grunt by his neck and covered his mouth and dragged him back into the elevator as the grunt struggled to breathe Frost swiftly ended his life by snapping his neck.

"How many more Sparky?" he whispered.

"11 left boss."

Frost nodded as he placed the body down in the elevator and exited quietly as Spark sent the elevator back up.

This floor's lobby was cluttered with boxes and crates most likely from the shipment Brown's Company sent here, this gave Frost plenty of room to maneuver silently throughout the entire room. Crouching behind the first useable cover point Frost peeked over to get the lay of the entire room.

[ 3 at the end together I'll leave them be right now I should take them out in small groups any noise and they will all shoot me.] he thought as he moved towards his second target.

A single guard was standing on the right side of the room conveniently behind one of the four support pillars in the room. Crouch walking towards him Frost placed a knife in his hand one which he had in his long coat this entire time and once close enough Frost stood up for a few seconds and slit the unsuspecting guard's throat, the motion was clean but the aftermath wasn't as some blood sprayed on the pillar the guard was standing next to.

Gently lowering the body out of sight Frost rolled into cover again as he did the same with the sole guard on the opposite pillar as well.

[9 left]

Frost peeked over just to make sure no one was looking in his general direction before moving forward.

"3 more are alone not in groups" Sparks voice came in.

Frost nodded as he with a bloody knife in hand jumped over the first line of cover and moved to the nearby couches arranged in a 'U' shape. He was about to change the cover as a pair of guards walked in front of the couch he was behind. Frost's body went stiff as he controlled his breath and calmed his heart as both of them hadn't noticed him.

"Ah man where are the intruders did the first-floor guys got them?" one of them spoke to the other in a leisurely voice as both of them sat down on the same couch.

"I don't know man as long but the upper management said the intruders triggered some alarms above."

"I see, I have heard about the weird prototypes the guys sent down some time ago?"

"Yeah the creepy ones right I saw one had a sword on it, I mean what the fuck type of bot has a sword give it a gun like the others." The second guy replied.

[That is suspicious I should keep it in mind.] Frost thought as he stopped eavesdropping as the conversation shifted to something about staff lunches.

He moved away from the couches and stopped behind another crate to let another guard come in front of the crate once close enough Frost launched his strike swiftly stabbing the man in the neck and placing him behind the crate.

[8 more]

Ignoring the two guys on the couch once again Frost moved past them this time in the other direction and there were two guards one of which was walking to and fro from his place and the other on the phone texting someone.

As the moving guard walked near the texting guard Frost stayed hidden in his cover as he waited

"Who are you texting love bird better not be Eli?" the guard teased.

"Privacy man shoo." The guard said as he hid his phone from vision.

"Yeah yeah enjoy your love life I won't pry." The guard said as he started walking away.

Frost a chance as he got out of cover fully exposing himself and while still crouching started walking behind the guard as he walked till the top left pillar of the room where Frost struck and put him down for good.

[7]

Frost had a good look at the gear the guards were wearing as he started walking back to the texting guard.

[Mercs...] he summarised as he eyed the man in front of him.

Still giggling while reading the texts the man looked happy and completely oblivious to Frost's presence behind him.

The man in question smiled once again after reading something on his phone and once Frost made sure the guys on the couches weren't looking this way he ended the man's life quickly and without any struggle.

Frost cleaned his knife against his coat as he eyed the phone of the man which had stains of blood on its edges.

Picking up the device Frost read the text that made the guard smile it was from someone named Elizabeth.

{Hope you come home soon, you know I don't like having food without you}

The reply of the conversation was left incomplete as Frost exited the messenger app and pulled out his phone and linked the two together still behind cover.

"Spark I am sending you some phone data go through it, it belonged to one of the guards here," Frost whispered.

"Received it just now boss." Spark acknowledged from his side.

Frost returned to the messenger app and looked at the incomplete reply

{Sorry won't be able to tonight don't wait, love y...}

With the same expressionless face, Frost completed the message and hit the send button before sliding the phone in the Guard's pocket.

[Only 6]

Now the room was less crowded but this also restricted Frost's movements as the only solo guard was in the view of the three guards grouped in the front side of the room in the middle of the two pillars. The couch potatoes were in the center of the lobby lounging so it was also not a good idea to take the three in the front because the two on the couch were looking straight at them and what was worse was that the solo guard would notice if two guards on the couch in the middle disappeared all of a sudden.

It was a triangle of vision and the only way Frost was going to do this if he took all six of them together.

[How to proceed with this?] he wondered as he started making his way back to the center of the room.

His rifle was unsuppressed and his silenced pistol was with Lance at the moment to going loud was his only option but he needed to play safe because if it were 3 or 4 of them he could take them all down at the same time quickly but since they were six of them all in different places as well he could not aim at so many places so quickly.

Once behind the couches again Frost dug in his coat and placed something under the couch, although he was considerably less wet right now he didn't want to draw any more attention he tiptoed carefully out the way making sure his shoes did not squeak once throughout.

Returning to the back right pillar he stood up and readied his rifle and once he steadied his breathe he held the detonator in one hand and rifle in the other.

[Here goes nothing.] he said as he triggered the charge and immediately the couch exploded the two guards engulfed in the flames.

The other guards were quick to react as the solo guard spotted Frost first but was only able to yell his position before getting shot multiple times by Frost from the back.

The sprinklers kicked in again and obstructed vision for everyone.

[Last three.]

"What the fuck happened, when did he get here!" one of the three yelled as two of them took cover behind the pillars in the front of the room and the third turned over a couch and hid behind hit.

"The alarms!" the one behind the couch yelled.

"Fuck they didn't work." The second guard yelled as they began shooting at Frost who was on the move now jumping from behind the pillar to the crates as he made his way to the opposite pillar.

Bullets whizzed past him as he brought the rifle in his right and fired some stray shots to make it easier for him to cross.

"Where the fuck is everyone!" the supposed leader yelled from behind.

"This fucker killed them!" another shout came.

"Skewer this asshole." The leader yelled as all three of them took aim and shot at Frost who was running sideways and firing blindly.

A bullet scraped his shoulder and as Frost winced in pain from the stray shot another bullet hit him in the chest as he twirled down on the ground.

Silence fell in the room as the guards stopped their volley of shots.

"Reeko!, Mile! go check if he is dead." The leader ordered and the two other guards moved forward to where they last saw the intruder.

Reeko reached the body first as he saw a man lay lifeless on the ground in what looked like a bloody puddle of water.

"We got him." He said as he poked the body once with the barrel of his gun to check.

"You sure?" Mile said as he closed in.

"Yeah," Reeko said as he kicked Frost's rifle away from him.

"Search him."

As Reeko knelt to check the body, Mile still aimed at Frost.

Reeko's eyed the bullet hole in Frost's chest more carefully he had just realized it that the blood wasn't from this body it was from an adjacent corpse that had its throat split but before he could react Frost jumped him and grabbed him.

Mile shot first but Frost used Reeko as a human shield and let him take the shots.

"FUCK ! LEADER THIS GUY IS ALIVE!" Mile yelled as the previously calm leader picked his rifle again and started running towards Reeko and Mile.

Frost slipped his hand through Reeko's grip and used his Pistol to shoot Mile in the head and once the leader arrived Mile was dead and Reeko was wounded from Mile shooting him.

"WHO ARE YOU!" the leader cried as he saw the bodies of his men litter the room as if they were garbage.

Frost looked at him with didn't reply his stare was enough of an answer for the leader as once Frost shot Reeko who was his hostage in front of the leader the man snapped and begun shooting wildly at Frost who was just a few feet away from him standing with Reeko's corpse still in his arms.

It was his Rage that made Frost react as pushed the dead man's body onto the Leader and once he stumbled Frost delivered a solid pistol whip to the Leader's face as the man dropped his gun.

"ASSHOLE!" the leader grunted as he stabilized his footing again.

He threw a jab at Frost but his opponent turned slightly to dodge the punch.

The arm that missed him by centimeters, Frost grabbed it immediately with his left hand, and using his right elbow he struck the joint of the Leader's arm effectively crippling him.

"AHHHh!" the leader cried in pain as his arm broke.

Frost not wasting time slid his legs under the leader's and dropped him on the ground and now with Reeko's pistol pointed at the Leader's head he spoke

"Who hired you?"

Now that Frost had a good look at his face he could see he was an elder man in his mid-fifties as signs of white hair appeared on his facial hair.

"FUCK YOU!" he yelled in reply.

Frost shot him in his leg and asked again once the Leader's cry stopped.

"Who hired you…."

"Kill me if you want to my lips are sealed, Riko and Mile were like sons to me!" he cried as all signs of struggle left him.

"Alright then," Frost said as he stood up and aimed the pistol back onto the head of the leader.

Frost didn't shoot immediately as the Leader understood this was his way of allowing last words.

"Oh I get it now hahaha *cough* *Cough* boss said someone like you will be coming, you are that Ranger." He began as he coughed up more blood.

"Boss has something ready for the three of you." He replied as Frost's eyes squinted a bit.

Knowing that asking him what the surprise was pointless he decided to end the old Leader's suffering as he pulled the trigger.

The sound of the shot ripped through the air but eventually got drowned in the sprinkler's noise.

"Spark can you shut the water down."

Although no reply came the water abruptly stopped and Frost thanked him on the comm before he finally took a deep breath.

"Leaf, Ember be careful they know only three of us came something is fishy be on extra guard," Frost informed the three before contacting Cynthia.

"You three can come down now." He said but no reply came, this time he was worried but the doors of the elevator opened up and out came only Cynthia no Lance or Diantha.

"What happened? Where are the other two." He asked honestly.

"Lance is and Diantha are upstairs I told them to come after me I wanted to talk to you alone."

"Oh, what happened to their previous enthusiasm." Frost joked as he walked towards Cynthia.

The woman didn't laugh or react in general and Frost grew concerned.

Cynthia eyed the multiple CCTV's in the lobby before Frost connected the dots.

"No….No…NO!" He yelled as he realized.

"SPARKY WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!" he screamed as he waited for a response but only got static soon the line connected and Rain spoke.

"Frost calm down."

"Rain you did this…" he spoke with a hint of betrayal in his tone.

"Yes, I told him to give the footage."

"Rain they didn't need to see this…" Frost growled.

"THEY? THEY? Frost stop joking it was 'HER' you didn't want to show your true self." Rain yelled from the other line.

Frost took a step back in real life as Rain's words hit him.

"Stop deceiving yourself I knew from when you told me you had feelings for her that something like this would happen."

"Then why…" Frost tried to counter but his previous aggression was replaced with a pleading tone.

"If she has feelings for you she needs to know, you cannot hide this." Rain justified.

"But.."

"Listen Frost she came down right?"

"Hmm"

"Then she accepted what she saw."

With that Rain disconnected and Frost eyed the Champion in front of him.

[I was dumb….. I let my feelings get in my way.] this sentence repeated in his mind and Cynthia walked closer to him.

She reached for his mask and Frost did not stop her as she slowly removed it to get a better look at Frost's face.

To her, Frost looked normal with nothing wrong with the man considering he slaughtered so men just a few minutes ago.

"If…" Frost began but Cynthia shushed him.

She traced the bullet wound on his Chest if not for the body armor laced in between the fabric of his long coat this man would have died.

"You idiot…" she muttered.

"If you hate me just say it, you don't have to pretend anymore," Frost said before Cynthia could shush him again.

Cynthia was taken aback from this as she replied by punching Frost across the face.

Frost didn't dodge.

"That's for trying to hide your true self." She said sternly as Frost looked on the ground.

"Frost didn't reply, no it wasn't that he couldn't reply to her he was in the wrong."

[Of course, she hates me what did I expect.] Frost thought as Cynthia continued.

"With that out of the way." She said as she shook her hand feeling the pain of punching someone.

"Let's go don't you have a mission to finish," Cynthia said confidently.

"Wait what? I mean don't you like….. hate me now." Frost was confused he fumbled through the sentence.

"What? Are you okay Frost when did I say I hate you."

"I mean….. I lied to you and I also kill like well ….." he stopped as he gestured to the surrounding.

"Like this." Cynthia finished his line.

"Yeah…"

Cynthia started laughing as Frost was even more confused now.

"Hey, I am serious here stop laughing." He spoke but Cynthia didn't stop.

"I am sorry it's just I never imagined you would be this worried about I thought of you."

Frost blushed at this but covered it successfully by wearing his mask again.

"I don't get you Champion." He muttered under the mask.

"Look Frost it is clear to me that you and I don't live similar lives but that doesn't mean I will shut you out of mine, over the past few days you have shown me time after time that you are a man devoted to his job and on you are an exceptional Pokemon trainer on top of that, everyone is afraid of something and I don't blame you for hiding this after all it is a lot to take in for someone like me."

Frost smiled under his mask

[Never a dull moment with you Champion.]

"So" Cynthia began as she kept her hand on his shoulder

"Don't think I would be leaving anytime soon because I still haven't had a Pokemon battle with you and Ninetales, also having you around is very reassuring, and….." she looked away from his eyes as she continued.

"your company is something that I have grown to enjoy." She said with a blush.

Frost didn't believe his ears when he heard her he was overjoyed to hear it but didn't show it.

"If the rangers and Champions end up working together in the future because after all this even I am not certain the other Champions will accept but if it does happen I want to rely on you because to me you are dependable but I also want you to lean on me if you want I am not the most reliable but I have my perks too you know." Cynthia ended with a smile plastered on her face and Frost committed this moment to memory.

"That….. was some heavy stuff you laid on me Champion I don't know if I can carry such burden," Frost said in a cheery voice.

"You jerk I say all that stuff and you tell me that." Cynthia huffed and turned around but was smiling because Frost returned to normal self.

Frost walked around her and faced her and without hesitation hugged her.

Cynthia got caught off guard as the man wrapped his arms around her and whispered

"Thank you Cynthia that means a lot."

Cynthia smiled earnestly as she replied

"Your welcome also….you smell funny you know that."

Frost immediately retreated

"It must be the blood no! it's the water from the sprinklers wait I didn't get some on you." Frost panicked.

"No you didn't and it is fine now that you are back to normal let us go Lance and Diantha are going to join us soon," Cynthia said with a smile as she witnessed the few moments when the real Frost was so defenseless.

Frost looked at her and replied

"Yes Ma'am"

Author's Notes:

A long chapter after such a long time. There is something I want all of your opinions on should I change the rating of the story to 'M' because so many bodies have begun to drop but then again my writing style isn't that gory in my opinion plus I tend not to don't go into details, as a novice I don't really know so at the moment the rating is still 'T' but if I am in the wrong here please tell. So as usual follow so that you don't miss updates, ask questions in the PM or reviews if any and until next time

PEACE