Captive of Magma
by Lucky-Racer
Rating: K+
Chapter 9
A/n: Yeah… It's another update… lol :P
Previously on Captive of Magma:
"You guys, I promise I'll explain everything later. Just let me rest for a while…" I said, starting to drift off.
"But..!" Ash protested.
"Ash! Let her sleep," Misty said softly, gently placing a restraining hand on his arm. "She looked really troubled… but knowing her, she'll probably tell us we need to know."
Ash's features softened as he gazed over at me drifting off, apparently only now realizing that I'd been through a lot. "Yeah… I guess you're right…"
The next thing I knew, when I awoke, I was sitting... well, laying on a rock hard, cold surface. With a gasp of terror and a look around, I realized that I was in a cell. A jail cell.
With a sigh, my head started to throb unexpectedly. I couldn't seem to remember anything of importance… at all. When I tried to remember how I'd been brought here and why, etc., my mind pulled up a blank. Maybe there was something blocking the memories… like a mind barrier of sorts? I decided to ponder this later.
The cell was either meant for someone who wasn't staying there very long, or it wasn't made for comfort. I strongly suspected the latter, as I looked around.
The entire cell was made of cold, thick iron… not meant to be broken easily. A tiny, high-set window let in a minimal amount of light even in the day, I guessed. I could tell from the ribbons of faint, pre-dawn light streaming in that it was very, very early in the morning.
Shoved into the corner opposite the window was an iron-framed bench; on it was a half an inch foam… was that a mattress? It was a pretty pitiful excuse for a mattress, if so. With a sigh, I desperately hoped that I wasn't staying here long…
I looked around and tried to solve the immediate problem: how to get out. I could worry about where exactly I was after and if I escaped.
Every Team Magma member, no matter how low in rank, had the basic tools to escape most situations, which included a set of lock picks. I still had a few of them, but I didn't remember where. It must have been that dratted mind barrier. I glanced over at the door, but there was no visible handle to the outside… whoever ran this place was smart.
As I made to sit down on the foam-lined bench, the only thing remotely comfortable looking within the cell, I noticed another thing. My hands were chained together, behind my back, where they would do me virtually no good at all in escape attempts.
Click. Almost as soon as I sat, the heavy iron door slowly opened. Two people came around the corner. They were mostly shadowed because of the darkness, but I could see distinctly the black and white, horizontal striped shirt and blue pants that one wore, the uniform of Team Aqua. So that's who brought me here.
But why? I couldn't stop myself from thinking. This was so unexpected; I didn't even jump at the opportunity of the open door - a way out, like I'd been trained.
"Well, well, well!" A cold, mocking, feminine voice declared. It had a way of cutting through the air and your thoughts both, and making you listen. "It seems that our Sleeping Beauty is finally awake."
I turned my head, and the figure stepped out of the shadows. It was Commander Shelly.
I stared at her. Why was she here? I was certain that it really was her, though, right down to her flaming auburn hair, and ridiculous tube top/vest combo she wore. My immediate reaction was one of dislike… it's amazing how much rivalry two different organizations can have against one another.
With a sense of black humor, I noticed that the Team Aqua insignia printed on the side of her pants was not traditional white, but red. It reminded me of my own former boss' mark: two thin white horizontal stripes, close together, and side by side. It was much more subtle. What is it with these leader's pants? I thought with a trace of a smile.
"Good one, Captain," the second person said. When the person stepped into the faint light and I saw who it was, the blood ran cold in my veins.
"Joren," I hissed, lacing both syllables with as much venom as I could muster. I didn't remember much about him, but my self-consciousness told me that he was a big time traitor.
"Sorry to be the one to reacquaint you… wait, actually, I'm not," Shelly drawled, laughing in a cruel tone.
"Shut up," I spat, seething.
The humorous look was wiped off of the commander's face. She then gave me a look like she'd never seen anything like me, and turned to Joren. She walked away briskly, taking him by the arm and leading him just outside the cell. I strained with all my might to hear them, and caught snatches of their hurried conversation.
"…sure she's a Magma member?" Shelly asked.
"…absolutely positive," Joren's voice came.
"…doesn't seem to care… reputation," the confused commander's voice declared.
"I don't know… …brother said she was…"
"I don't care… your partner said. Just… out what happened to him." Shelly ordered. "Take her… …for questioning."
"Yes… will be…" Joren assured his overseer.
I stared off into space, pretending that I hadn't been listening, when the two came back into the cell. "Come on, now," Joren said, clamping his hand over my forearm, forcing me to stand. "We're taking you to another room to be questioned."
My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Why? I thought, as I started to walk down a hallway. Team Aqua must have the idea that I know something… important. But why did they take me? Couldn't they get a higher-ranking member and after they were through, ask for ransom money from Harlin?
It must be something else… about one of their members. Who did I have a connection to? I tried desperately to remember, knowing that this was something I could work from. I just couldn't seem to grasp the answer.
"Sit, won't you?" Shelly phrased this as a question, but I knew it was an order. I looked around and realized that we had entered a new room.
Reluctantly, I sat down on a plain folding chair, my back to the door. I was seated opposite two other chairs, which Joren and the captain now occupied. There was a desk in between us.
"Ok, talk," Joren said calmly. "We're not using force just yet… we just want you to tell the truth."
"…What?" I asked, tilting my head to one side. What was he talking about?
"Joren. You haven't given her the antidote, remember?" Snapped Commander Shelly.
"Oh yeah," he said, grinning sheepishly. He reached a gloved hand under the desk, where I assumed there were shelves or drawers of some kind. When his hand came out again, it was holding a mug. He put a straw in it, and pushed the cup across the table. It landed right next to me. "Drink that," He insisted. "I made it especially for you."
I stared at the sickening substance in disbelief. I knew as well as anyone else that taking any kind of drink or food from your enemy is a bad idea. And I didn't like the way Joren looked at me, with that nasty smile of his. But, with my hands chained behind my back, and escape looking bleaker by the minute, what choice did I have? At the very least, it would quench my thirst.
Leaning over just enough to let the straw reach my mouth, I took a sip. The stuff tasted kind of like apple juice. A strange sensation happened after I swallowed… the barrier over my memories started to lift.
I drowned the rest of the strange liquid, and seemed to be completely revived. I now had a pretty good idea why Team Aqua had me here… Cody. He was the person I was trying to think of before. Shelly must have thought that I had something to do with his sudden disappearance.
"What was that stuff?" I asked, curious.
"An antidote," Joren replied smugly. "That was some drug we gave you to block the memories from your mind momentarily, so you'd lose the will to escape. Of course, I should know, because I'm the one who developed it and the antidote both."
"Now, now," Shelly scoffed. "I've heard that from you more than once. On with the questioning!"
"Yes, captain," Joren muttered, turning to me. "Where is Cody?"
I glared at the boy and his overseer both. "I don't know!"
The commander seethed silently, staring me down. "Give her the serum."
"But, Shelly…" Joren protested. "Even developed by me, it's not totally safe. It could cause brain damage, or even cause her to forget the information we're pumping for. That would make all of our efforts in vain…"
"Stop your babbling. Do it. Now."
Sighing, the boy rummaged a second time in the cabinet/shelf under the table, this time his hand emerging with a small vial full of a thick, clear liquid. I looked at the label a split second before Joren turned it away, TRUTH. Odd…
"What would you like to drink? Milk? Coffee? Tea?" Joren inquired, acting like it wasn't unusual to ask a prisoner such a thing.
"Uhh…" I muttered, unable to hide my confusion.
"Answer. The. Question," Shelly demanded through gritted teeth. She was obviously losing her patience.
"Uh… I'll take tea," I replied quickly, a little scared of Shelly and at the same time flabbergasted to why they were offering anything to me.
Use your common sense, Sasha! My sensible self scolded me. They probably want to poison you and whatnot, so be careful.
Joren went out of the room momentarily, and then came back with a mug of piping hot tea. He made quite a show of adding three drops of the mystery fluid to the cup. Yet again, he added a straw and flung the mug across the table. "Drink," he ordered.
Getting an odd sense of déjà vu, I didn't question his orders or hesitate this time. The tea was hot, but good, and I didn't detect the vile tasting traces of poison.
"Continue questioning. She'll have to tell the truth now," Shelly said with a razor of a smile.
"Sasha," Joren said, making me focus. "Where is Cody? We both know that you can tell us. Please tell us, for your brother's sake."
Not for the first time that morning, I was confused. The liquid Joren added to my drink must be truth serum. It was a legend around Magma headquarters, because it was so rare and expensive. It was only used as a last resort.
"I… I don't know. I'm being honest. All I know is that he was with me before you showed up. After you came along, I assumed that you were a spy sent by my brother, not Shelly trying to find out what happened." On and on I rambled similar things like this, each confirming that I didn't know where Cody was. It wasn't until Joren held up his hand, stemming my flow of words.
In shock, my eyes widened. I wouldn't have told that much information normally. The truth serum must cause you to say everything you know about the question asked.
Shelly, it seemed, still wasn't satisfied. She scowled at me with a look that would have made a flower wilt. I could see why so many people were afraid of her.
"Are you sure that serum of your works?" She barked, her eyes narrowed to slits.
"Of course!" Joren answered.
"I don't thi-"
The beeping of a communicator clipped onto Shelly's belt cut her off in mid-sentence. Frowning, the commander flipped it open.
"Shelly speaking. Can this wait?" She asked with a tinge of annoyance.
"No," A voice slightly layered with static proclaimed.
The commander sighed, fiddling with a switch to try to get a clearer reception. "In that case, continue."
"The espeon in cage C4, belonging to current captive, is going ballistic," the voice declared. "We didn't realize what bad shape it's in until now. It is repeatedly using its body slam attack on the bars of its cage, and in the process, its opening old wounds. I've got Poke'mon specialists and doctors down here right now, and they've confirmed the espeon is bleeding profusely. They all agree that it needs immediate attention."
Shelly's face contorted as she tried to contain herself. "I'll be there as soon as I can." She ended the link with a snap and a string of curses. She stormed out of the room and before slamming the door said to Joren, "Take her back to her cell. We'll have another little talk like this later, Sasha."
I shuddered, and Joren stood up, taking hold of my arm again. As our long trek back to my cell started, I couldn't help worrying about Sugar. She was my first and dearest Poke'mon, and it would be horrible to lose her. It was this that made me blurt out, "Do you think Sugar's going to be ok?"
Joren looked at me, surprised, I suppose, that I'd want to talk to him. This didn't stop him from answering, "I think so. Shelly's got quite a team of doctors working for her."
"Oh, good," I said, relieved. It must have shown on my face, because Joren smiled. It wasn't in an evil or mean manner, just a genuine, happy smile.
This brought another thought to my mind, about the mystery substance. I decided to find out if it really was what I thought it was. "Hey… was that stuff you put in my tea truth serum?" I asked.
He looked shocked that I'd figured it out. "Hm. You're smarter then I gave you credit for."
As we finally came to my cell, Joren led me inside. He silently met my gaze and held it. "You know," he began slowly, cupping my chin with his gloved hand, "Sasha, you're really not the person I thought you were. It's a shame that you're a Magma member."
And with that, he turned on his heel and left, locking the door from the outside behind him.
Another A/n (XD): Whew… finally done! This was a long chapter hehe.
Yeah yeah, I looked again and realized that Team Aqua's shirts really don't have collars on them… eh heh heh nn;; But oh well, I'm leaving that bit about the collar in the story. If you have no idea what I'm talking about (lol) then go and read Chapter 6!
Clashachu, I'd love to email you my drawing of Sasha, but my mom deleted the file (!) and our scanner is broken. Apparently she was "making more space on the hard drive" You can send me your pic of Silver anyway if you'd like, if you don't I understand lol; my email's on my profile.
To anyone who's having trouble picturing what the Magma and Aqua members/their uniforms look like, check out this webpage (add www to the front and delete the spaces.):
s i v p h . c o m / g a m e s / r u b y s a p p h i r e . s h t m l
A/M people are almost at the bottom of the page, so scroll down far.
I know, there are only two members for each team, and the pics are a tad blurry, but it's better then nothing :P Also, please note that Commander Shelly and Commander Harlin are NOT in those pictures. Their uniforms look slightly different. I guess it's a leader thing… lol.
This was a pretty long chapter compared to my previous ones… tell me if you like it or not in your review :D It took a while to write XD Oh, yes, and if you spot any typos, please tell me :D
Thanks to all my great R/Rers! I'm sorry to say that I probably won't be updating again until July, because I'll be at Camp all next week (And no,there's no computer acess there.. lol) But never fear; I'll have a new update ready to post as soon as I get back. Yay! XD In Chapter 10 we'll be visiting Cody, to find out what happened to him.
Until then :)