Chapter 3

"Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love." ~ Mother Teresa


I awoke and sat up in the early, low-light gloom that enveloped the room. I glanced my eyes over to Vauxhall who was still asleep; her wounds had bled through the night, the scarlet kisses against the canvas that was the bandages caressing her body shone through like ink against crisp, white paper. That's when I noticed Nympheas sat up and watching me, it sent a sudden shiver down my spine.
"Good morning…" I spoke cautiously and quietly to avoid waking everyone else. She shot me a stare with a raised brow and replied.
"Don't act like you didn't try and shoot me yesterday. How's Vauxhall?" Her final question was spoken in a softer, caring tone.
"She'll live, if she keeps the wounds and the bandages clean." This earned me a scoff. Nymph turned her back on me and started speaking to Prometheus (whom I hadn't originally noticed was awake). I made my way, solemnly, over to Vauxhall and sat beside her as she slept. She was notably shaking as she slept; I placed a paw on her head and shot it back as I could instantly feel her fever. I cursed under my breath and called to a half-awake Light.
"You haven't got any fever medication in that medical box by any chance Light?"
"Why would I have fever medication? I think we have a larger chance of getting shot and bleeding than catching the flu…" Her tone grew more irritable and sarcastic as she spoke, "Why?" Light sighed.
"Because Vauxhall's not gonna last long without the proper medication."

After mention of Vauxhall's fever, it was decided that we should scavenge the nearby pharmacy for any potential medication. Light volunteered to keep a watchful eye on her.
I stood, staring at Nympheas as she studied the local maps on the device she kept fastened around her leg. I took the break as an ample time to test out the Umbrage-Tech Prototype (or UTP). I admired the intricate design of the bracer-esque device. I clasped it around my leg and felt it's weight as I lifted it. The strap of the device fastened itself around my leg, like a clamp. The main interface responded only to my umbrage. I formed an umbrage in the shape of a pen and tapped the screen, but the screen remained blank. I wrinkled my brow and examined the top of the device. There was a slot that simply read Umbrage. I shrugged and slid the pen into the slot. Suddenly the device lit up and I felt a surge of negative energy through my body. I saw on the screen: Umbrage Formations. As soon as I read the words in my head the interface switched to a new screen and I saw a list of words, topping the list was the word: Rifle. Again, as soon as the thought was completed an Umbrage Rifle formed instantly in front of me. A smile scoured my face. I looked back to the UTP and saw another tab: Armour. Instantly, the tab opened.
"Oh this is cool!" I laughed to myself. The first option read: Light. I was instantly enshrouded by negative energy and suddenly I had more than one large umbrage formed. A rifle AND body armour. Somehow, this small device had enhanced my (as the UTP called it) Energia. Which meant I could focus less energy on my formation of umbrages, allowing me to stabilise multiple ones at once. I also suddenly had something called Umbrage-Tech Assisted Energia Targeting System (or U.A.E.T.S.). I gave it a quick test and it instantly focused all my energia onto a target, giving me the illusive feeling that time had slowed around me, giving me time to precisely choose my shots and take a more tactical outlook on my gunfights. I bit a smile off my lips as I pulled out of the zen state of U.A.E.T.S., as I did so I could see Nympheas staring at me with a curious expression detailing her face.
"I said are you ready to go? The pharmacy's just around the corner and you've just been staring at your wrist for 10 minutes." Her words sat with an intone; like she was questioning my behaviour. With good reason I suppose, it's not every day you see an Umbreon staring at their wrist for 10 minutes; laughing, on occasion, to themselves.
"Yes I'm ready. You lead the way, I'll cover the rear. If I see any trouble; you'll know." The cynical tone that guided my words was unintentional; I didn't mean for my words to sound like I was mistrusting her. I had no reason to.
After a short 5 minute walk we found our way into the shopping centre that would have been bustling with business and happy shoppers before the bombs dropped. I looked down the eerie and silent streets; lined with empty, looted shop windows framed with shards of glass, glistening as the early morning sun glazed the street. The early morning mist kissed at my paws, hiding the cobblestone street beneath a blanket of water vapour that reflected the light of the sun. Making the street seem darker than it actually was.
The whole atmosphere of the street screamed danger; anything could be lurking in those stores, and I wasn't prepared to find out what that might be, in my current state, a small horde of Hellions would take me down. Or would they? U.A.E.T.S. might just give me the slight edge I needed, and who knows how well this armour has me encased in a vessel of invulnerability. For all I know; I'm untouchable. I levelled my rifle in front of me and watched Nymph cross the street; watching for any movement, if anything came for her – bang – dead. As soon as her paw stepped through the blown out doorway of the pharmacy I saw someone moving in the building next to her. I focused on the movement. I could only make out their silhouette, I couldn't tell if it was a Hellion or another Pokémon.
"Dammit; If only this rifle had a scope…" I muttered under my breath; Nymph had noticed my focus on the building next door. She hid inside the pharmacy, probably as a precaution; in case there were hostile pokémon. That's when a thought came to mind. The UTP; it may have a scoped rifle formation in the standard rifle prints. To my luck; it did! The scoped rifle formed and I could see inside the building and I could see clearly that these Pokémon were threats. Not Hellions but Ratters.
The Ratters are a raider group comprised of Rat Pokémon; mainly Ratticate and Rattata's, and, to end my luck, they had seen me too.

The shots echoed down the streets and the bullets sprayed through the wooden barricades behind the window frames; spraying splinters of wood and filling my ears with the sound of bullets hitting concrete walls. I was pinned down. I got 2 or 3 shots off before I took refuge behind the counter. The last glimpse I got of the Ratters was a swarm of 20 of them erupting from the store across the street like slavers to a wounded girl. The Ratters had gained similar abilities to us Umbrage Commandos; they could manipulate neutral energies in the world. I was lucky that they hadn't learned how to aim, but with 20 of them shooting at one target; spraying and praying was an efficient method.
I was lucky enough to accidentally discover the armour feature on the UTP; the bullets that hit me before I was able to find cover didn't puncture the armour and I came out relatively unscathed. The Ratters' shots stopped filling the air above me and I took my chance; I poked my head out from behind the counter, aimed down the scope of my rifle and pulled the trigger. I managed to take down 3 of the Ratters; painting the walls a wet, crimson behind them. I decided to truly use my time effectively and slipped into U.A.E.T.S. and targeted the 3 Ratters who had reloaded their weapons and were preparing to send a flurry of bullets back in my general direction. I confirmed my targets; 3 shots to their heads and 2 shots to the chest on the 4th Ratter (who had ran into view as the interface of my U.A.E.T.S. was projected in-front of me), this would leave me with enough bullets to oppress the other Ratters as I slipped back behind cover.
"Let's do this" confidently, I peered up and out of cover and laced off all of my shots with perfect accuracy, their blood spraying and disorientating the Ratters behind them, this gave me time. I quickly laced off my final few shots, wounding several Ratters. I again took to laying behind the counter and waiting for my next chance. I waited; 30 seconds passed, no bullets were assaulting my position or rudely protruding through the wood of the counter. I was confused. Were they waiting? Do they have a sniper positioned to shoot me as soon as I poked my head out? Out of curiosity I pulled the combat knife out of the holster I kept on my hind-left leg and cut a hole out of the counter with the blade in my mouth. I peered out through the new hole and saw a whole new enemy; explaining why the shooting had stopped.

As soon as the giant had left the high-street I hightailed my way across to the pharmacy where I could see Nymph staring slack-jawed out the front window.
"Get your ass in here now!" She silently, called out to me. Her words sounded rushed and panicked. "You saw it right? You saw the giant bastard?"
"I did yes" I furrowed my bow, "What was that?" worry took my voice as I spoke.
"They're called Mega Mutations. You recall when you were little and your grandparents would tell you stories as we sat in The Caves waiting for the doors to open? You know, about the Mega evolutions that certain Pokémon could go through 'back-in-the-day?" I nodded along as she spoke, "well that was a Tyranitar after it's been mutated in very much the same way. Just forget a special stone and add some heavy doses of radiation."
"Radiation turns Pokémon into 20 foot mutants that would install fear into the hearts of all Pokémon around?" My voice faltered as I spoke, not only was I attempting to catch my breath after sprinting across the street, but I was also still in shock from seeing that giant walk, without a care, down a street which I originally mistook for Ratter territory; obviously I was wrong.

To our luck, the pharmacy was still rich with surplus amounts of medicinal brews, tablets, sweets; and potent shots for various vaccinations. Nympheas had loaded her burlap sack with anti-inflammatories and antibiotics whilst I looked around the store for anything useful. I turned my gaze to a door just behind the front counter. 'Staff Only'. I cautiously made my way to the door only to discover it was locked.
"Bollocks" I sat, staring at the door for a moment, considering my options. "Hang on…" I spoke quietly to myself again, Nympheas was probably considering the plausibility of my sanity. Hell, who is sane nowadays, right? Pokémon killing each other for a few scraps of food, or metal, or liquor; it was insane and ludicrous! Nothing about this world we called life was sane anymore. We didn't live; we existed (trust me, there's a difference). I gathered myself again, pulling myself from the thoughts that clouded my mind. I needed to focus; for Vauxhall. I looked down at the UTP, opened a tab labelled Tools. Inside this tab was just what I was after. A bobby pin and a screwdriver. The Umbrage formed and I took control of the tools I wanted (no; needed). I pushed the pin into the lock, fumbled the screwdriver into place and began knocking the tumblers of the locking mechanism into place, trying to keep the pin from breaking. As vast as my Energia was; I still had a limit. And exceeding the limit could be fatal. The blissful click of the final tumbler locking in place filled me with joy. I withdrew the lock-picking kit and re-formed my rifle. My curiosity had paid off well; behind the door was a large medical box, shelves full of behind-the-counter medicines that the old years deemed too potent for the use of the general population, the whole prescription matter didn't apply after the apocalypse however. I took several boxes of adrenaline and a box of extra strong (and addictive!) antibiotics. That's when a lockbox with a label that read 'Mentos', my curiosity piqued. I reacquired my lock-picking tools and opened the case with ease. Inside were several unlabelled boxes full of white tablets. I tried one; and suddenly the world seemed so much clearer. The fog that had filtered in from the streets appeared to have vanished, my mind flooded with intelligent thoughts. That's when I heard the buzzing of a computer monitor, and the light tapping of Nympheas' paws on the laminated floors of the main body of the pharmacy. I approached the terminal.
"Password", I sighed, "of course you need a password." I bit the back of my ankle as I thought. If I were a pharmacist what would my password be? Something clever? Maybe; but you didn't have to be clever to work behind the counter of a pharmacy. The answer was right in front of me.
"Mentos why else would it be the ONLY labelled product back here."
The computer had opened with ease, oh how clever I am? Who ever said I, Razz, the one and only, couldn't have skills in the art of deduction. The computer's only noteworthy file was a text log from a couple of days before the world went into a perpetual Fallout.

"So I have no idea why I came into work today. I also have no idea why I keep this log on the store's computer. What was the reason for this? I dunno; Nancy said it'd be useful at some point. Yeah, useful for making the 5 years I've worked here pass quicker…what a waste of my life. Back to what I was saying. I have no clue why I bothered coming into work, everybody and their pokémon are locked away in those 'Caves' due to the bomb warning that froze the country yesterday. Apparently, the middle-eastern government (what is now IS I think? Or did they go back to ISIS? ISIS sounds creepier; we'll go with that) apparently, they followed through with their threats and have begun a three day nuclear detonation countdown. Why three days? I guess the sick fucks just want us 'infidels' to suffer from anxiety before are skin is burned from our bones and our skeletons are turned to permanent shadows against whatever we're standing in front of at the time. Well; I take solace knowing that my unattractive self will be burdened upon someone somewhere, even if it is in death; ma would be so proud.
"What time is it? Nearly 10? Well, time for a cuppa tea, a mento and to plaster my fake-ass smile onto my face and stare at the storefront waiting for customers who will never arrive. Goodbye Sylvia, aka me, whom is the only person reading this and, I say with great confidence, the only person who will ever read this. We nearly made it to our 21st birthday. Only 4 days away. Too bad I'll be ash on a wall and in the wind when it comes."
I sat there, with a melancholic stare as the reality of those final 3 sentences washed over me. Young people who had no money could afford Cave tickets. Meaning they all died…horrifically. I shook the mental image of people and pokémon becoming a mural on a wall as radiation and intense heat melted them into dust, ash, and tar. And I was celebrating over prying into this person's life? Razz – The one and only.
My mood was ruined by that computer file, why did people just not get on 200 years ago? Life would so much nicer if they did. I let out a disheartened sigh and made my way back out to Nympheas (after procuring a few more boxes of those so-called mentos). Nymph smiled at me as I stepped out from the door behind the counter.
"Find anything?" She pried.
"Morphine, antibiotics and adrenaline. Oh, and some things called mentos" the gasp that escaped her lips after hearing the final item worried me.
"You left those alone right?" Now I really started to worry, "Right, Razz?"
"Yeah of course" I laughed nervously, why was it important that I left them alone? "Any reason why?"
"They're highly addictive and the withdrawal from them deteriorates your cognitive ability. Put straightforwardly, they destroy your brain" Now I gasped. If I hadn't have lied I would be pacing back and forth across the pharmacy, voicing my worry. But if I did that; then Nymph would know I had lied and she wouldn't trust me. Crap, why did I never listen to my mother's advice. I could hear her now saying 'Don't eat strange candies that you don't recognise.' I realised that I was too silent. "Should we head back? Vauxhall really needs this medication." Nympheas nodded, but didn't satisfy me with any further words.

Light was over Vauxhall, telling her to hang in there and that everything will be fine. I still don't know what caused her to contract a fever. Was it flu? An infection maybe? That's when I remembered how she ran across the radiation field to get away from the Frozen that kidnapped us. That's when I glanced over to Keeves, who had been too quiet for my liking. I cautiously made my way over to him, just in case he was still asleep. Wouldn't want to startle him and cause him more pain now; or would I? Let's face it – he's always made my life a living hell in; well, hell itself. I stood over him momentarily. He wasn't breathing. I shook my head and placed my paw on his throat, checking for a pulse; like with the computer back at the pharmacy, I did not discover what I had wanted. I let out yet another disheartened sigh, the second of what felt could be many.
"Light" I called to her and signalled for her to come over.
"What is it Razz?" she could tell that she would not like my news from the way I had summoned her.
"It's Keeves – he's dead" she stared at me. But her expression did not show an emotion I had expected. She seemed distant, perhaps she was lost in thought? Or did she just not care? She was still watching me, staring at me with cold, emotionless eyes.
"I'm going back over to Vauxhall. Don't worry about moving his body. It's not like we intend on staying here for too much longer." I nodded. I understood what I was ordered to do, but did I understand why I was ordered to do so? No, and something told me that Light simply didn't care for Keeves. Maybe she shared my opinion of what kind of character he was.

We stayed for one last night in the decrepit house we had taken refuge in. The night was just as uncomfortable last night as it was the first. Part of the roof had collapsed over Keeves' body, crushing it. Expunging what was left of him and exposing his organs and innards to the room. The stench that fulminated from him was uncanny. I could hear Light and Nymph gagged quietly as they tried to rest. I dreaded to think of how Vauxhall had slept.
The morning sun had barely risen and the world was still in the early hours ¬of twilight, yet I could make out someone moving around. The green glow gave away their identity and I could feel myself smiling at her recovery, obviously the medicine we gave her helped. She approached me and rocked back onto her haunches and stared at me in the low-light of the early morning.
"Thanks for looking after me Razz" she sounded aloof, like her mind was elsewhere. "Though my head feels like it's swimming still" she chortled.
"Don't mention it Vauxhall. It's the least I could do after you saved my life back in that underground station." I smiled at her warmly, though, I wondered, if she saw my smile in the low-light gloom of the morning.
"Listen" she paused as she spoke, "about that kiss…" before Vauxhall could finish Nympheas awoke and sighed loudly. I swallowed my questions for another moment (discussing this in front of everyone was not suitable). I shot her an understanding look and began addressing Nymph with a polite, yet casual, tone.
"Good morning Nymph, sleep well?" I beamed my most convincing smile. Nymph, on the other paw, was less cheery.
"You're awfully happy. Feeling all cheerful and euphoric now that your lover is better?" The bitterness and cynicism in Nymph's words confused me. Why was she acting this way?
"She's not my lover…" I stared at Nymph, wondering where she may have got that idea from. That's when she mouthed the words I saw. At first this confused me, what did she see? Me and Vauxhall talking? Then it hit me, like most things were over the past couple of days. She saw Vauxhall kiss me a couple of nights ago. I sighed, "It's not what it seemed Nymph"
"Whatever. I don't care anyway." Now she sighed, "Look you guys seem as though you are no longer in need of help. In fact, you yourself are looking healthier now that your wounds are healing nicely. That and you're now wearing armour and that.." she stopped and stared at the UTP on my wrist, "where did you get that?"
"This? Well it was developed in Umbrage-Tec labs recently and this is only a prototype. Why do you ask?" I pressed the matter, now my curiosity was piqued by Nymph's curious remarks.
"It just looks like mine" she flashed off the device, of which I had noted a couple of days ago, on her wrist. "My mother came from one of those Caves and gave this to me on my 10th birthday, said it was my coming of age. That I was now an adult. It really is probably the only reason I stand among you today." I watched her, perplexed by the story that she was telling us. I nodded in acknowledgement of her words, providing her with backchannel to let her know I was listening. She continued. "This device, that I call a Neuro-Nav, was called, by my mother and father, the Tunnel-Boy-3000. But I thought that sounded too boring, and dumb. Hence why I call it the Nuero-Nav, because it's controlled by nerve impulses it detects through my nervous system." I cut her off.
"That's exactly how this one works! Though I had to sync my umbrage to the device before it powered on, but after that I just had to-"
"Think and your thoughts were brought to life?" Nymph interrupted and stole the words off of my tongue. "So that UTP works off the same premise as my Neuro-Nav… interesting." My ears perked up as I heard Vauxhall begin stirring from her sleep. Nymph caught sight of it and pulled my UTP to her own, archaic version of it and the two devices connected to one another. "If you ever need to speak to me again, or you need my assistance, just think of my name and that UTP will send its location to my Neuro-Nav and I'll be there ASAP, got that?" I nodded, my mind still attempting to understand how these devices, which are hundreds of years apart, are able to connect with each other. When I looked up, Nymph, and Prometheus alike, were gone.