Authors' Note: If there are any questions, please leave a review and we will do our best and try to answer it!
Disclaimer: We don't actually own Pokemon.
Chapter Seven: The Reversed View: Part 2
Weeks later, at the Northern Kingdom...
Rob stared out the frosted windows as he sipped from a mug of steaming hot chocolate. The figure's last words were still seared into the back of his memory.
Either way, you lose all.
And Zamza's words.
You are just a pawn on their chessboard, Robert Shaw.
Inspiring words as he awaited summons to the meeting room.
After the little incident, they had managed to fix the engine (no thanks to Jazz, who ended up breaking more than she fixed) and make their way into the Northern Kingdom. Darkrai greeted them warmly and promised to send more patrols into the forests.
"Lieutenant Robert Shaw." A Hoothoot hopped by. "Meeting has been delayed. Meanwhile, feel free to use our PCs to contact your family or friends. Much apologies for the inconvenience."
"It's fine." Suddenly, an idea popped into his mind. "Do you have Psÿche on your PCs?"
"Mister Shaw." the Hoothoot replied in a rather haughty voice, "The Northern Kingdom specializes in designing applications. Of course we'd have Psÿche."
Excitement raced through the Mightyena. Psÿche was an app that allowed video conferences with other Pokemon. He glanced at the clock. It would be afternoon in Castelia City. He raced for the PCs, nearly bowling the Hoothoot over.
"Slow dow-AHHH!" the owl yelped and fluttered backwards.
Rob tapped on the private computer. It had no password. Figures. Why would it be called a private computer then? Oh well. Northern folks have an entirely different arrangement of brain cells, it appears. He quickly went onto his Psÿche account and made the call.
There was a crackle at the end. Then it turned into a laughter. "Mother of Darkrai, Daddy! Is that you? How'd you get reception?"
"I'm in Icirrus City." he replied, his heart filling up with happiness as he heard his daughter's voice, "How have you been?"
"Just great!" Lily squealed back, "Classes here are awesome! And, of course, there's the shopping and ice cream! Whoever invented ice cream is a genius, I tell you~" She smacked her lips. "Anyways, didja get attacked by rogues on your way to the Northern Kingdom?"
"How'd you know?"
"Hey, you're traveling to the Northern Kingdom with a supply truck. Of course road robbers are gonna attack!" Sometimes, Lily was a bit too smart for her own good. "So you got attacked, huh? Awesome! Did you whup their butts?"
Rob stifled back a laugh. "Not much, I guess. They got away in the end. Anyways, what classes are you taking?"
"Hmm? Oh, I'm taking Notiqua, Chemistry, Civics, and History. And of course, my teacher made me take Geometry." Her cute little face fell a bit. "Can I tell you how much I hate math?"
"I think you've already told me."
"I mean, it's just numbers! Nobody's gonna ask me the value of x, y, and z when I grow up, right? No way anyone makes a living by doing math! Of course, unless you're a teacher... then that's a totally different story. Ugh. Math teachers." she pouted.
"Math can be used for architecture and designing." he said, trying not to laugh, "It's pretty useful."
"Meh. I just wish it would grow up and solve its own problems. Numbers these days." She flinched as someone yelled at her in the background. "Oop! I forgot! We got a field trip to Liberty Island today. I gotta go now! Stay safe out there, Papa! I love you!"
"Me too." he said back as the screen turned black.
Feeling quite refreshed, he turned and immediately slammed into Demo. He looked up to see Annie's grim expression staring back at him.
"What's happened?" he asked.
"A lot of things. All bad." she replied, "Come on! Emergency meeting!"
Rob could tell that things were not going well by the time he arrived in the meeting room. General Doomsday was seated silently in the corner while Her Highness, Queen of the Northern Kingdom, was in a very intense argument with Darkrai, whose face was covered by a dark, twisted mask of pure unadulterated rage.
"Sorry I'm late!" he yelped as he darted in and quickly took a seat, nearly toppling over his chair. Annie peeked out from behind her paws as Darkrai wheeled around to face him.
The great Pokemon took several deep breaths, probably to calm himself down. "It's―fine." he said in a controlled tone.
Her Highness scowled and drifted over to her throne. "We need a battle plan."
"What happened?" Rob asked.
General Doomsday looked at him with those boreal arctic-colored eyes. "The Revolution has officially started." the general said, "One of the Outposts has been raided, and a battle has begun in Nuvema Town."
During his two weeks here, Rob still couldn't figure out whether General Doomsday was a male or female, or even what Pokemon he/she/it was, since he/she/it was always draped in a dark, blood-colored robe. The general had a glacial voice and an intense stare. His/Her/Its voice was monotonous; never showing much emotion and always in that same frank, levelled tone. Rob had decided to officially declare the general a male (since it nearly blew his brain apart while thinking about it) to make his life easier.
"We can beat them, right? We warned the commanders and mayor in Nuvema. They'll be ready for them." Rob replied confidently, "Besides, most of the population in Nuvema Town are womenfolk and children. They probably don't know how to fight."
"Watch your words, fool." General Doomsday said, his voice a soft murmur, "Do not give the females little credit. Some of the fiercest warriors are, after all, females. Mystica Elementis, the first mayor, was also a female. And there are very few male oracles. Just so you know."
"We've strayed from the point." Darkrai interrupted, "We must be prepared just in case the battle does not go in our favor.
"It probably won't." General Doomsday murmured.
"Thank you, General Sunshine." Her Highness growled, "And that Xiawa still hasn't gotten back yet! So we have absol-utely no information on our enemy. I tell you; when that spy gets back, I will tan his hide like a―"
"Enough," Darkrai raised his voice. "General Doomsday, you obviously need to stay here... erm... because I don't think I want to send you into battle yet."
"I can fight." General Doomsday growled meaningfully.
"I mean, I need fresh generals here. Just in case." Darkrai sounded a bit nervous, "Lieutenant Rob can go there to assist General Blobby and Mali."
"What about Group R?" Rob asked.
"They'll stay here and help patrol the northern cities." Darkrai said easily, "Meanwhile, let's―"
"No." Rob cut in sharply.
"Did you just disagree with me?" Darkrai looked down at him.
"Yup."
"Okay, why? You're technically not their leader anymore, private. So―"
"They're my teammates." Rob said simply, "They're coming with me, or I'm not going."
Darkrai glowered at him. "You do realize I can strip you of your rank, right?"
"Yup. But I don't care." Rob replied.
There was a bit of a silence. Then General Doomsday let out a wintry laugh.
"I like his guts." he said with a hint of admiration in his normally frigid voice, "Are you going to dismiss a Pokemon with so much determination? Whoever does, to be frank, would probably be the most thick-headed idiot in the universe."
Darkrai made an uncontent grunt.
General Doomsday rose to his full height. "On my honor, Lord Darkrai, I wish you to grant me the power of promoting others."
Darkrai shrugged. "Granted. I don't really care. Do as you wish."
General Doomsday turned to Rob. "Upon Darkrai's permission, I hereby declare that Group R will now officially be promoted to the rank of personal bodyguards for Lieutenant Robert Shaw." he said formally, "Do your duty, privates."
"Since when did we have the position personal bodyguards?" Her Highness wondered.
"No worries. That was added about―oh, three seconds ago. Actually, four now." Doomsday fixed his curious icy gaze on Rob, making him shiver. "And that's that. Go on now. Do not disappoint me, you understand?"
Rob nodded mutely.
"Now that's fixed." Darkrai said, "Here's our battle plan. Robert, you and your group―err―personal body guards head on to the Outpost and help out there. Got that, private?"
"Check."
"I would like to send Yubabah and Shadow. They are skilled fighters." General Doomsday put in.
"Granted." Darkrai replied, "And I suppose that will be our plan now. Make sure the sparks of the Rebellion do not, on any condition, spread."
"Got that." Rob agreed.
"Good luck, then." Darkrai said, "And be on your way."
"Yubabah and Shadow will be waiting for you outside." Doomsday added.
Rob bowed formally. "Thank you." Then he turned to join his friends outside as they prepared to head into the heart of the Rebellion.
Outside...
"Brr..." Annie shivered. "Are we gonna drive to Nuvema? It'll take weeks! And plus, there are road robbers, traps, randomly placed tree trunks..."
"You do realize that we can teleport?" Yubabah asked.
Yubabah was a shiny Honchkrow, while Shadow was a white Gengar. They were both frank and sarcastic, which made them good buddies with Jazz.
"Sure." Jazz rolled her eyes. "Do any of us look like Psychic types? Nope!"
Yubabah laughed and let out a shrieking wail. Immediately, a Gothitelle appeared.
Rob recognized her. She was one of the Pokemon that bullied Charnette and Amethyst back at the hideout.
"This is Mina." Shadow introduced, "She's a messenger that brings news from Outpost to Outpost. She can teleport us."
"Nice to meet you." Mina said politely, "I think I've seen you guys before." she added, "I'm just not sure where. On the road, perhaps?"
"Sure," Rob said cautiously.
She shrugged. "Anyhow, hold on." The Pokemon grabbed paws and formed a ragged circle. "Now, teleport!"
Although teleporting was most likely normal for a Psychic or Ghost type, Rob did not find it fun. Imagine all your molecules dissolving into nothingness. Then imagine them suddenly solidifying in a completely different environment, and your stomach seems to have teleported the wrong way and ends up upside-down in your tummy.
And then you puke.
"Yuck..." Annie yelped as Rob nearly threw up on her, "If you're gonna throw up, do it on someone else!"
"Sorry..." Rob retched, "Okay, I officially hate teleporting. What's next?"
"Fixing this busted wall, I guess?" Shadow said, "Wow. What happened?"
"They happened!" A familiar wail reached Rob's ears. Mali staggered over, looking completely defeated. "I swear, just twenty minutes ago, we had a dozen perfectly good war vehicles! But then... but then... those... those scumbags snuck in and s-s-s..."
"Stole all the vehicles, ran over your officers, and broke through the wall and escaped and are are now using those vehicles to take down the Nuvema Police Force." Annie guessed, surveying the battered stronghold, "Well, that's just wonderful. But let's worry about that later."
"Later? Later?" Mali screeched, "They took my beauties!"
"Mali, nobody cares about your 'beauties'." Jazz told him flatly, "They're just a combined lump of metal, rubber, gas, oil, and electricity that are the foundation of pollution. Now if you'll clean your filthy ears, smack yourself in the cranium and help us clean up this mess, it will be much appreciated."
"Just a combined lump of metal?" Mali gagged, "How dare you..."
"There's a levèe en masse, our outposts have been breached, and you're weeping over stupid little scraps of four wheeled metal?" Annie snapped, literally, as the giant jaws that represent her hair clamped together, "Okay, let's make a deal: you fix wall, I don't eat you. Got that?" Her hair snapped aggressively.
Mali eyed the giant black steel clamps. "Um..." She didn't sound like she was kidding. "... fine." he grumbled.
"Good." Annie said, "Gran, Demo, come with me to haul building material. Mali, Yubabah, and Shadow; go and round up the officers here. Jazz and Rob... well, do whatever you want. Just try not to get killed."
"Hey―what makes you think you can order a lieutenant around?" Mali growled.
Annie looked at him scornfully. Her jaws snapped. "Do you happen to have a problemiski there, friend?" Her glare made it clear that Mali was not going to win in a verbal battle against her.
"No." the Zoroak sighed, "I guess not." Yubabah and Shadow laughed and darted away.
Jazz glanced at Rob. "Well, I don't know what you're gonna do, but I'm gonna go raid―I mean, help out, at the supply storage room." she sauntered off.
Rob sighed and went off to help some workers heave the building blocks into place.
Hours later...
"The roof's been stabilized, and the walls are pretty much patched up." Gran reported.
"The supply room's full of food, too. We got another delivery of White Gummies―yum." Jazz licked her chops. Judging from the roundness of her belly and the content look in her beady eyes, she'd also been taste-testing the Gummies.
"We've round up all the Pokemon. Everybody's present." Yubabah reported.
"Not everybody―my poor cars are still missing!" Mali complained.
"Nobody cares, idiot." Annie snapped.
"We have bigger problemos." They all jumped as General Blobby slimed over. "Really, really, big ones."
"What problems?" Rob asked.
"What problems are bigger than the fact that our vehicles are gone?" Mali demanded.
General Blobby stared him straight in the eye. "The assault on Nuvema Town has failed. Nuvema Town is now completely under the rebels' control."
On that cheerful note, they began ordering an immediate counterattack.
"It's crucial that Darkrai doesn't hear about this." General Blobby said severely, "We'll all be put to the sword if he hears that we lost Nuvema. We need to take it back as soon as possible."
"Got it." Rob said, "But how did the rebels win in the first place? They don't have that much fighting force."
"From what I've heard, they secretly switched the citizens with former protesters." Blobby replied, "I don't know what happened to the citizens, though..." He trailed off. "But I suspect..."
"Please don't tell me they're dead." Annie muttered.
"... that the rebels have executed them." the purple gelatin monster finished.
Rob stared angrily at his paws. Another heap of innocent lives taken just because he wasn't fast enough. Wasn't smart enough. Didn't prevent the battle. "How many innocents are they going to kill for their own selfish needs?" he spat out.
"We'll take revenge." Blobby vowed, "In an hour, I'll summon all the fighting force within our range and ambush those rebels under the cover of the night!"
Mali cleared his throat. "Um, you do understand that it takes about an hour to walk from here to Nuvema Town since we don't have our vehicles?"
"The other Outposts do." Blobby determined, "The Accumula Shadow Force Outpost just got a new shipment of battle jets. We can use those babies and bomb voyage!"
"I don't think that's how you use bomb voyage." Annie said.
"Whatever!"
"No matter how great your little flying babies are, they're never going to replace the good ol' cars!" Mali argued.
"Oh? Are you dissing my jets? Are you punking me, pal?" Blobby clenched his chubby fists.
"You wanna go at it, buddy? Bring it on!" Mali threatened.
Group R left them to their very―err―interesting vehicle... debate and went off into another room to rest.
"I've always wanted to fly a jet." Annie said dreamily, "Do you think they're gonna let me?"
"You wanna know what happens if a Metal type gets in a flying vehicle?" Jazz asked, "Vehicle gets too heavy, malfunction, Annie falls down, goes KABOOM!"
"Thanks for helping my self-esteem." the Mawile grumbled, "I'm only twenty-five pounds or so. Plus, I'm part Fairy type."
"Oh, yeah. You can totally evolve and sprout butterfly wings and flutter away at the last second." Jazz snickered.
"Oh yeah? You know what you're gonna evolve into, best friend? A fuzzy, huggable furry snake with an attitude." Annie snapped.
"Hey! Mean girl's snapping her jaws at me! Why don't you Mega Evolve? Then you'll get two metal jaws!"
"You're dead meat, sister." Annie growled.
"I thought you were vegetarian, sis!"
"That's it!" Annie hurled herself at the Linoone. The two rolled out the door.
"Are you two gonna argue too?" Rob asked, glancing at Gran and Demo.
"Nah, it's impossible to argue with Demo." Gran said easily, "Watch!" He walked up to the huge Exploud. "Hey, weakling!" he boomed.
"Rawf?" Demo looked down at him.
"Whoa, man. Who are you calling weak?"
"Rar?"
"Are you insulting me? Is that an insult I heard, buddy?"
"Raff...?"
"Not cool, bro! Not cool! You don't wanna fight me, I swear."
"Rawww...?"
"Okay, you've got yourself a battle!" Gran roared, "Prepare yourself, you little good-for-nothing son of Muk!" He started pounding away at Demo's stomach.
"Rawr?" Demo tipped his head ninety-degrees to the right and asked Rob with a look that said: What exactly just happened and why is this little Pokemon massaging my tummy? I don't have a tummy ache...
Rob stifled a laugh. "Gran, only you can get in a fight with yourself."
"Hey, didn't you hear him writing me off?"
"Frankly, no."
"Cahoots! You're in cahoots with him! Double-crosser! Backstabber!" Gran shrieked.
Rob smiled to himself and went off to Psÿche with Lily.
"Silence!" General Blobby thundered as they revved the engines of the new vehicles that had arrived at the outpost not many moments before. Everybody ignored him.
"KINDA HARD TO BE SILENT!" Mali screamed over the roar of the engines as they rumbled down the road.
Rob placed his paws on the steering wheel and surveyed the battle force grimly. Annie had gotten her wish and was now flying one of the battle jets. Jazz had stayed behind in the infirmary after a rough tangle with Annie. Demo, being rather dense and could not get into the jet nor move without Annie, had also been left at the Outpost.
Behind him sat Mina the Gothitelle, Ero the Malamar, Yubabah, Shadow, and Gran. Several Banettes had also strapped themselves to the seats in his van.
"THIS IS EPIC!" Mali whooped from two cars over, "Whaddya say, Rob? Aren't these new cars just awesome?"
"I think those jets look way cooler." a Sableye driver muttered, "Too bad I got stuck driving this metal junk."
"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL THAT SHÈVY-MTZ 1000?" Mali roared.
Rob stifled a splutter of laughter and drove on.
"Oh, man. This is gonna be epic!" Ero pronounced, "In your little faces, rebels! We're gonna crush your bones into da dirt and set your little stronghold on fire!"
"They totally deserve it for killing so many innocents!" Gran declared.
"Personally, I'm hoping I get to fight that Lucario." Yubabah said, "The leader of the rebels got to have some moves, don't you think, Shadow?"
"Meh. I honestly don't care, but since we're a team, I guess I'm coming along with you." Shadow grunted.
"I wonder why Nuvema Town, though." one of the Banettes mused, "It's a tiny town, barely over 20,000 citizens, and pretty much separated from the rest of Unova. It's got no specialities, no trademark items―nothing! Pretty much the worse place one could start a rebellion."
"Agreed." Gran said, "But again, that means it's also harder for us to keep our eyes on it. Most of the generals and such are watching over big cities, like Castelia or Mistralton."
Some ranks back, a car started blasting out music from the Tribal Ages.
"Holy mother of Giratina!" Shadow shouted, "That song is lame! Dude, turn off the music!"
"CAN'T―ACKK!" a scream sounded.
Rob glanced back quickly and found out that the last three ranks of the armada had been breached. Several Pokemon in dark robes were shouting and looting the trucks.
"AHHH!" A flaming Seedot flew over Rob's van and smashed into the windshield.
"WHAT IS THIS INTERFERENCE?" General Blobby screamed from the head of the line.
"I'll take care of it! You guys go on!" Rob shoved Shadow the wheel and snapped at the Banettes. "You guys! Come with me!"
"What about the rest of us?" Yubabah yelled, "We can help!"
"They'll need you at the battle! I'll just take care of this quickly!" Rob spun around and charged towards the burning wreckage, followed by five Banettes.
"Holy Unovia." one of the Ghost-types cursed, "It's the rogues again!"
The rogues. Rob almost skittered to a stop, remembering the strange message that Zamza the Serperior had left for him, and that gold-eyed figure's notes.
No. He couldn't think about that now. He had to focus on his current task, which at the moment was keeping the three lines at the back of the armada from imploding.
"Hey―STOP!" he howled as he charged towards the battlesite, "What in Arceus's name is happening here?" he gaped as seven robed figures darted among the burning pieces of car, smashing the engines and robbing the officers of their food and weapons.
"Hey―NO! That's my doughnut! Thief!" a Duskull screeched.
"Totally uncool, dude!" a Houndour officer yelped as the buttons of his uniform were stolen straight off his jacket, "Hey! What do you want those for?" he complained.
Rob leaped straight into battle and bowled one of the figures straight over. He found himself staring face-to-face with a familiar face.
"Gala!" he snarled.
"Oh, for heaven's sake!" she cursed and shifted shape into a Poochyena that looked very much like Lily, "Leave me alone!"
Rob fired a Shadow Ball straight into her face. The Zoura screamed with pain. "Nyx! You good-for-nothing idiot! Come save me!"
The Seviper charged over, but Rob ducked under her body and bolted up, flipping the huge snake neatly over like a pancake and slamming her to the ground.
"Lieutenant! Help!" A Houndoom wailed with pain as another rogue―a Delcatty―raked her claws across his face.
Rob sent Nyx and Gala flying with a well-aimed kick. "Arrest them!" he shouted at some Banettes and charged over to help the Houndoom. He knocked the feline aside with a Dark Pulse, careful not to touch her just in case she had Cute Charm for her special ability. The Houndoom groaned and slumped to the ground.
Filled with rage, he quickly paw-cuffed the Delcatty and jumped over her to intercept a Staraptor flying by overhead. The Staraptor screamed, almost crashing to the ground, and used the momentum to shift into a Brave Bird attack. Rob jumped off just before the bird did his kamikaze dive and use the extra force to slam into a dark-cloaked Ivysaur. The Seed Pokemon yapped and darted into the forest. Several Banettes charged after him.
Panting, Rob tried to pinpoint the leader. If he could find the leader of this pack of rogues, maybe he could arrest the entire troop of road robbers.
There were no more rogues to be seen. Out of the seven that had attacked, four had been intercepted and paw-cuffed. The other three were gone.
"Get down, Streamline!" Nyx hissed as the Staraptor struggled against his chains.
"I have to break through! I have to destroy them!" the Staraptor screeched, "I have to take revenge for Cloud!"
Take revenge. Rob froze. It jarred his memories of Zamza.
Had the Shadow Force actually... done something to... to make those Pokemon hate them? Had they actually... murdered those rogues' family members? Was that why there were rebels against them?
It can't be. he told himself calmly. Some Pokemon just want to take advantage of others' soft points for their own foolish needs. Don't let them get to you.
But even as he said those words to himself, a shiver raced up his spine. He didn't believe himself. Not at all.
"Lieutenant! What do we do with them?" A Sableye asked.
Rob tried to clear his head of thoughts. "Um... put them in the squad cars for now. We'll deal with them after the battle." he decided.
"You don't lay your filthy paws on me!" the Delcatty spat.
The Houndoom officer dragging her ignored her spats and hauled her over to the van.
"Hey―HEY!" Nyx cursed, "Ow! I got cut over there! Metal plus fresh wound equals hurt... OWWW! Don't yank it that way!"
"Sorry, ma'am. Can't please everyone." the Banette officer replied.
"Help!" Rob turned to see a Houndour struggling in chains. "That cursed rogue! Tricked me into freeing her and tied me up!"
The Sableye cursed. "Sorry about that, Lieutenant. I'll take care of it." He raced over with a ring of keys and tried to help the others free the trapped officer.
"Instead of tossing me into that rank trunk of yours," the Delcatty purred to the Houndoom, "what about cutting those chains and letting me go?"
Rob rolled his eyes and took exactly three steps before he realized what was happening. He whirled around and yowled "NOO!" just in time to be met with a Night Daze. It tossed him thirty feet back, right into a squad car.
Rob should've been keener. He'd been so wrapped up in thoughts that he'd forgotten about the Zoura's special shape-shifting abilities and the Delcatty's charm. He staggered to his feet just in time to see the four rogues struggle out of their chains and make their escape.
"Losers!" Gala yelled back just before they disappeared into the forest, "Hah!"
"Lieutenant! Should we go after them?" one of the Banettes yelled.
Rob shook his head reluctantly. "No. Don't." he commanded, "We don't know if there are more rogues in the forest. Get into the remaining patrol cars and head towards Nuvema Town. We've got a rebellion to put down."
At Nuvema Town...
"Holy Darkrai." Rob cursed as he surveyed the scene.
A full-fledged battle had started. Jets with blazing guns fired into the mob of rebels. Cars and armored vehicles roared along the now-destroyed town. Battered bodies of Pokemon twitched on the ground.
Then, a magnificent BOOM shook the battlefield, accompanied by shrieks of "MUNNA!" and a "MUSHAAA!"
Before his disbelieving eyes, an entire herd of what seemed like pink bubbles rose into the air, screaming bloody murder, and charged into battle.
At first, Rob thought they were going to help the officers. After all, the rebels had destroyed their home, right?
Instead, the Munnas tackled officers, bowling them over, and charging wildly at the vehicles. The Mightyena lieutenant was assaulted by seven Munnas at once. He staggered backwards, almost losing his balance, as they started swarming him, head-butting and suffocating him.
Rob didn't want to hurt the adorable Munnas. They were rare, helpful creatures that controlled dreams and ate nightmares. But he had no choice. They were helping the rebels, which meant he had to fight them.
He used minimal strength and knocked the swarm attacking him out with one deadly accurate Quick Attack. Above his head, a flaming jet spiraled out of the air and crashed to the ground. Farther on, he saw the pink and white blur of Yubabah and Shadow as they fought together.
Rob fought his way towards them, but was almost immediately engaged in battle by a Blaziken. He recognized him as the driver that had helped the rebel's leader escape several weeks ago. With a growl, he lunged and bowled him over―no easy task, being almost three feet shorter than the giant chicken.
The Blaziken screeched a warcry and toasted him with a Flamethrower. With fur blazing and eyes burning, Rob took him down with a mixture of Shadow Claw and Take Down.
There was the roar of an engine, and Rob dove for cover and gazed up in amazement as Mali, in all the splendor of his maniacal driving mode, rammed his way through the mobs of rebels. At either side of his vehicle were two familiar Pokemon―Charnette and Amethyst.
But they weren't accompanying the Zoroark. Rob watched in horror as Amethyst blew a tire with an accurately aimed fire stick, and Charnette slash through two wheels on the other side of the car. Mali wailed and darted out just before the car imploded. Rob staggered up to help him, but was carried off his feet, literally, by a mob of Munnas. They carried him through the sky as he writhed and fought, wanting them to drop him yet not wanting to be dropped in case he smashed into the ground with too much force and end up as a melting black puddle of tar on the battered streets.
The Mightyena struggled helplessly. He saw Mali squaring off with Charnette and Amethyst. He had to go help his friend. He lashed up at the dream creatures, but there were over twenty surrounding him now, carrying him in a bubble of Munna-made walls.
He blacked out, probably due to the lack of oxygen as the Munnas carried him up, up, and away...
Sometime later...
Rob blinked black spots out of his eyes and staggered to his paws to see a completely different landscape. The ground before him was spiral-shaped, as if someone had used a drill gun to punch the ground... or a tornado of some sort.
He staggered down the lumpy landscape, looking around desperately at the fallen officers. But he was only interested in one Pokemon...
He found Mali at the center of the pit, along with Mina and Ero. The Gothitelle and Malamar were alive, barely breathing, but Mali...
"Oh, Mali... what have they done?" he whispered.
Mali's sightless eyes stared blankly off into space. Rob lowered his head, hiding the tears. He was too late. Again.
Mali was dead.
"RETREAT!" Rob jerked his head up as General Blobby screamed the hysterical order. "RETREAT! RETREAT! MOVE IT, LUMPS!"
"You three!" Rob snapped at a couple of Banette officers. He gestured at Mali, Ero, and Mina. "Get them to the cars!"
The rebels let out a deafening roar of triumph and surged forward. The Banette officers shrieked and staggered with their load, tripping over the other fallen officers. Rob turned and lashed out with a Wide Slash, knocking the rebels in the front ranks down and making the others bunch up behind them. "Hurry!" he yowled at the officers as they climbed into the vans. Overhead, the jets wailed and screamed away, trailed by some Munnas.
He launched a Shadow Ball into the rebels' ranks, momentarily causing confusion, but it wouldn't last. He dashed into one of the armored vehicles as soon as the rebels reformed their ranks and rumbled away on the road.
The rebels stopped chasing them after several minutes, so Rob had time to turn around and surveyed the occupants inside the van. Somehow, they'd all gotten stuck together again; Mina, Ero, Gran, Yubabah, Shadow, and the Banettes... and Mali.
"Those fiends!" Gran cursed as he applied a healing paste to one of his burns, "Blasted me right into the air... cursed traitors!"
"I can't believe Amethyst would turn against us." Ero managed weakly, "Charnette I can understand, but a shy Pokemon like Amethyst..."
"Forget about the traitor, I'm gonna punch that Lucario in the snout!" Yubabah cursed, "Merciless! Completely merciless!"
"How'd he fight?" Rob asked, glancing warily around the road, looking for attackers.
"He kept hitting me even though I was already downed!" Shadow swallowed a Lum Berry, wincing at the bitter taste. "I respect the mercilessness, but hitting defenseless Pokemon on the ground is just wrong!"
"You're forgetting the point here!" Mina's voice was a strangled wail. "Charnette and Amethyst are rebels now... and... and Mali's dead!"
The effectively discouraged all further conversation as the Pokemon in the van turned to look at the black body bag containing the slain lieutenant stuffed into the back of the trunk.
At the Outpost...
"Hey, how'd it go?" Jazz asked as she walked over with Demo on her side, "Nice hairstyle, Gran!"
"Shut up, Jazz." the Shifry grumbled, his pants still smoldering, "That Houndoom hit me with a Blast Burn right on the behind!"
Jazz fell backwards with a howl of laughter. "Awesome! Where's Annie, anyhow? Did she get to fly her jet?"
"Of course she did!" Gran told her, "The jets are taxiing now. Let's go meet her!" He turned to Rob. "You coming, Lieutenant Shaw?"
"I'll be right behind. Just got a business I need to take care of first." Rob promised, and turned to Mina and Ero, who were carrying Mali's body, "Take him to General Blobby's office and don't let anyone touch him, got it?"
"G-Got it." Mina sniffled, and teleported away with Ero.
Rob let out a long, depressing sigh, and slowly followed Gran, Jazz, and Demo.
There were a dozen fighter jets to start with, but only ten were remaining. Rob's heart tightened at the meaning. He remembered seeing the blazing jet crash into the ground when he'd arrived at the scene.
Annie's gonna be fine. he told himself, forcing his hackles to relax, Out of twelve jets, what are the odds that the two that fell had her in it?
"Rob! She's not here." Jazz hurried over, her usually smug face wiped out by a worried frown. "She's got to be here, right?"
"Don't worry." Rob said shakily, "She probably just hasn't gotten off the jet yet."
"Lieutenant Shaw!" A Mandibuzz darted over. "Our reports say that the rebels have locked up all the officers that were left behind in the Nuvema jail. Should we go save them?"
"That will be taken care of." Rob had a bad feeling. "We'll find Annie later." he promised Jazz, "I'll call a meeting." He whirled around and jumped onto the platform. Place a paw on the megaphone there, he turned it on. "ALL OFFICERS IN OR NEAR THE OUTPOST, PLEASE REPORT TO THE MEETING PLATFORM FOR A BODY COUNT! I REPEAT: ALL OFFICERS IN OR NEAR THE OUTPOST, PLEASE REPORT HERE FOR A BODY COUNT!"
Soon, the officers had swarmed around the huge auditorium, carrying scars and bruises from various types of attacks. Jazz and General Blobby stood by Rob's side as they watch them filter in. For once, General Blobby wasn't in the mood to talk. His face was shadowed and drawn with grief.
"Unit 127!" Rob called. He kept on going through all the units. Most of the officers were there. Two units were completely missing in action. Mali... well, the dude was dead and gone, obviously. Rob's throat seemed to choke him as he barked out "Group R!"
Gran, Jazz, and Demo raised their paws.
"Where's Annie?" he demanded shakily. The officers below jostled each other, but the Mawile didn't appear.
"Lieutenant Shaw." A Mandibuzz with an eyepatch raised a wing. "Our aerial reports show that one of your specialized bodyguards, Annie, was in the first jet that went down. We have marked her MIA so far, but since she is a Steel type..."
Jazz let out a horrible wail like she was being lashed, and charged out the door.
"Gran! Go get her!" Rob yelped, "Stay together! We don't know if the rebels will attack here!"
"Got it!" Gran darted away.
General Blobby took the stage. "Mina, Ero, you two will be in charge of overlooking this Outpost. We will send in another lieutenant soon. Lieutenant Shaw..." the Swalot faced him grimly, "We've got an appointment with the Dark Lord."
Rob almost choked on his own lungs. "Lord Darkrai wants to see us?"
General Blobby nodded nervously. "Some idiotic officer told him about the battle." He glared pointedly at the mass of officers below him. "So now it seems that we're both gonna lose our heads."
"This... just gets better." Rob muttered, drowned in grief and anxiety. Annie was gone. Mali was dead. Charnette and Amethyst had betrayed them. And now his own life was on the line.
Would there be no end to this chaos?
At the Northern Kingdom, after a quick teleportation...
Rob was surprised to see Hyper-Nova there, free and out of her chains.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her as she swooped around the huge room, laughing delightfully.
"Hmm? Oh hey, Robert!" she cheered happily, "Lord Darkrai allowed me out of my chains a week ago! Isn't it awesome?"
"That's great, Nova." he said half-heartedly, thinking about his friends, who'd he left back at the outpost, "Must feel good to be able to fly again, right?"
"Are you kidding?" she shrieked, "It's AWESOME!"
"Yeah..." Rob stiffened as Her Highness glided towards them. "Well?" he asked, trying not to whimper as the Nidoqueen stopped in front of them.
She eyed them distastefully with her sharp black eyes. "Darkrai has reached judgement." she said coolly, "Please report to the meeting room immediately." Then she swept off, her silk gown flowing behind her.
"WHOO-HOO!" Nova cheered and darted for the room. Rob followed her nervously.
Darkrai held court in a dark throne at the head of the long table. His arctic blue eyes were unfriendly and severe. General Doomsday sat at his right hand, watching the others with an intense azure stare. General Ranark scowled as he sat down at Darkrai's left hand side. Her Highness sat down in a gilded white throne at the other end of the table. Nova happily flapped down in a simple wooden chair, while Rob sat down more carefully, eyeing the others.
Darkrai clasps his hands, signifying the start of the meeting. "General Blobby has retired, and Xiawa has returned... with a loss of memory and badly beaten up." he announced. Her Highness shot him an uneasy look, but he stared back. "And Nuvema Town has fallen into the rebels' hands. We must accept that the Rebellion has already begun, and do our best to... secure the other towns." He fixed his stare on Rob. "Lieutenant Shaw, please report the damage done."
Rob stood up anxiously. "Two units have been captured, and two jets have been destroyed in the Nuvema Rebellion." he reported, "And... and Mali is dead. Char―"
"That part I know." Darkrai cut him off firmly, "We'll deal with those two traitors later. Mali will have a formal burial in the Northern Kingdom, right here in the palace. General Doomsday and Ranark, you two will stay here until things get worse. Meanwhile, I have an announcement to make." He stood up. "Maiden Hyper-Nova, please rise."
Nova chattered excitedly and got up from her seat, toppling the wooden chair over in her frenziness.
"Hyper-Nova, supporter, fighter, and adviser." Darkrai announced, "It is to my great joy to promote to the rank of―a general!"
Ranark let out a hiss of rage, while Doomsday shifted uneasily. Her Highness's eyes flicked between the two generals. They were obviously not happy that this psychotic bat girl was now of the same rank and power as them.
Rob ignored the two generals and focused on Nova. "Congrats, General!" he grinned happily, "You're gonna do a great job!"
"Not likely." General Ranark growled. Darkrai shot him a stinging glare.
"Let's party!" Nova whooped.
"Let's not!" Her Highness grunted.
General Doomsday let out a little laugh. "Well, this sure is getting interesting." he said, and rose from his seat, "I will be expecting much from you, General Nova." He turned and walked out the door, his robes swinging around him.
Ranark snarled and stomped out as well. Her Highness, obviously either distressed or angry, followed the two.
"Lieutenant Shaw." Darkrai called, "Together, along with General Nova, please head on out to Accumula Town. We must secure it before the Rebellion reaches it. Try not to destroy the town while you're at it."
"Aye, aye, captain!" Nova agreed cheerfully.
"We need a plan." Darkrai said, "Those rebels obviously have some up their sleeves. We can't be outwitted by those twits again."
"Hmm..." Rob stared thoughtfully at the wooden table, "What if we turn their own trick against them?"
"Interesting way of putting things." Darkrai said cautiously, "Whatever do you mean?"
Rob tried not to feel unnerved by the Pokemon's stare. "In the Nuvema Rebellion, they swapped all the citizens with rebels, right? What if we do the same? But instead of switching the citizens with rebels..."
"We switch them with officers!" Nova finished, "That's brilliant!"
Darkrai nodded approvingly. "I knew I made the right choice when I made you lieutenant, private. I'll send the order to the Accumula Police Station right now. You two can rest here for two weeks and head for Accumula after that."
"Roger that." Rob agreed gratefully and walked out. Nova stayed behind to chat with Darkrai, presumably about her new position.
Rob stared at the computer as he waited for Psÿche to load. He had a mixture of sadness and happiness inside his heart. Mali was dead. Annie was gone. Jazz and Demo were pretty much out of commission, with Annie gone and all. And Gran was the only one who could keep the team from breaking apart, which meant that even the Shiftry wouldn't be able to help Rob in the upcoming battle.
On the other hand, Nova was finally recognized for her hard work. She had been promoted to her well-deserved position of a general.
"Hi, Dad!" Lily's voice, accompanied by static, floated over the intercom. "How's it going? I heard what happened to Nuvema Town. Are you hurt? Is Group R okay?"
"I'm not hurt." Rob said reluctantly, "Annie―not so lucky. Also, one of the lieutenants, Mali, is dead."
Lily was silent for awhile while she digested that. "Oh my gosh." she finally said, "That's horrible! Why would rebels kill innocent Pokemon?"
Rob shrugged helplessly, "Anyways, I'm heading to Accumula Town to secure it from attacks soon... you just stay safe, okay?"
"Please, Castelia City is the safest place in Unova, Papa!" Lily teased, "There are tons of police officers over here. I'll be just fine!"
Rob pursed his lips. She sounded so much like her mother, Kona, who had been a police officer. Kona had said something like that right before heading to Hoenn, and she had been killed in the Mossdeep Space Station explosion. "Don't take any risks." he told her, "And don't talk to strangers, okay?"
"Please, you're being a fussyfang." she chided, "Everything's still normal here. Don't worry about me! Sheesh. I'm not a pup anymore, remember?"
"I know." he said reluctantly, "I guess I'll be going to sleep now. I'll talk to you after the battle."
"Stay safe, Papa!" she bided,"Have a good night's sleep!"
"I will." he promised. Then the screen went dark, and he turned in for the night.
Some weeks after...
Rob stood alone at the entrance to Accumula Town, trying not to throw up. No matter how many times he'd teleported, he still feel like puking his guts out immediately after.
The Accumula citizens had been sent to a safe place during the two weeks he'd been resting, so there were only officers pretending to be citizens loitering about. General Nova had headed off with a note from General Ranark to give to the officers taking care of the citizens.
He wrinkled his nose as the sweltering sun shone down on the dusty road. Mirages danced in his eyes, and he blinked several times to get rid of them. He kept thinking that he saw the dark silhouette of a caravan of vans driving towards them at top speed. But as soon as he did, they disappeared again.
The caravan turned out to be real―just a group of trading cars with Evolution Revival printed neatly on the sides of the metal-plated vehicles. Everything seemed normal about it―the smell of spices, the clinking of dream catcher as they clattered against the window, and of course, the familiar Blaziken at the wheel of the lead car with a murderous look in his eyes.
Wait a second... Metal plates? And that Blaziken... Rob recognized him immediately. He was one of the rebels.
"They're coming!" he shouted at the officers, "Go out and fight!"
With a roar, the officers surged forward to meet the vans. The rebels darted out of the vans, shouting insults and throwing shards of pottery at the waves of officers.
Rob darted forward and rammed head-on into the nearest rebel―a Snivy. The Grass type cursed and screamed something about Pecha Berries before Rob bowled him over with a hefty paw and sent him flying. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a nifty Treecko unloading half a dozen Garchomp-styled cannons out of the vans. He tried to charge towards him, but a huge Rhyperior rebel stopped him in his path and sent him flying with a Rock Blast.
Rob compacted his fall into a somersault and roll straight into the huge Pokemon with a Rollout. He almost blacked out as soon as he made contact and bounced off the Rhyperior's chest.
Naturally. The Rhyperior was a Rock type. And rock types were not exactly good targets to ram your head into.
Rob cursed him roundly and blasted the Rhyperior with a Dark Pulse. The Rhyperior returned fire with Surf that wiped out half the armada of officers. Rob was carried off his feet and barely managed to keep his balance as he slammed against Riolu. The Riolu yelped in surprise and started throwing a mixture of pastry items and berries at him.
"Rob!" Then Nova was there, flying beside him. "Let's take down that ol' rock dragon together!"
Together they charged like a well-oiled machine, dodging the Rhyperior's blows, and counterattacking again and again. Soon, the Rhyperior started to stagger under the sheer amount of deadly attacks. Nova put him down with a final Body Slam. The rock dragon toppled over and crashed down, making a crater in the dusty clearing.
"That wasn't so hard!" Nova cheered, turning around to look for her next opponent. "Okay, what's ne―"
Suddenly, the smell of ozone drifted through the air, and Rob only had seconds to run for cover before a huge lightning bolt ripped free from the sky and blasted Nova. She screamed as the shocking Thunder coursed through her body, and she dropped to the ground.
Rob lunged at the Pokemon who had attacked―a Manectric, before it could launch another electric attack, knocking him out quickly. Then he dashed over to the fallen general. "Nova! Are you okay?"
"No―humanity―!" she gasped. Her pupils suddenly turned slitted and glowed with a mad light.
Rob remembered what Mali had said about her Berserk Mode. "Nova! Calm down! It's all oka―"
"NOOO!" she screamed and charged wildly into the air, her wings spread wide and her eyes dancing with a crazy light, "BEHOLD!" she screamed, her voice completely different from her cheerful tone moments before, "I AM THE GREAT HYPER-NOVA, THE GREAT GROWL! THE SCREAMER, THE―"
"Scally subwoofer?" the Riolu yelled as he knocked a Murkrow out with a Tamato Berry.
"YES! YES! THANK YOU!" she screamed, staggering in the air, "BEHOLD THE GENERAL HYPER-NOVA! I COME TO DESTROY YOU ALL!" She let out a mad laugh and dove down.
"Nova! Stop!" Rob howled and lunged after her as she carved a trench of destruction with a Hyper Beam across the battlesite. He stumbled blindly after her, tripping over the fallen rebels and officers alike. Nova dove down wildly, knocking aside both officers and rebels.
"Hey, wolfy!" He turned around to see the Riolu with arms crossed. "She's your friend, right?"
"Yeah..." Rob gazed, horrified, as Nova slammed a Bisharp officer into one of the rebel's vans.
"Can I get a quick, temporary coalition?" the blue Pokemon asked.
Rob scowled. "Why would I help you?" he demanded angrily, "You little―"
"Hold it with the insults, brother!" The Riolu stuffed a poffin into Rob's mouth. He gagged, choking on the pastry. "Let's work together and... calm her down before she kills anybody else, okay?"
Rob wanted to pound the little guy into the dirt, but he knew he had to calm Nova down first before she went on a mass genocide and possibly get herself hurt. "Fine. What do you want?" he growled through gritted teeth.
"Okay, just toss me onto her back." the Riolu ordered, "The next time she sweeps down, stop her from going back up until I'm on her back."
"Why do you want to get on her back?" Rob yelped as Nova shrieked and blasted the ground with an earth-shaking Solar Beam.
"You gonna help me or what?" the Riolu yelled as Nova dove down again.
"FINE!" Rob darted forward, weaving his way in and out of the crowd of confused officers and rebels alike. He engaged her in battle just as she dove down again.
"YOU DARE TO DEFY ME?" she screamed.
Rob raked his claws across her face and slammed her to the ground with a Take Down. The Riolu dashed over and hopped onto her back right before she blasted Rob into a van, where he crumpled down, woozy and blinking black spots out of his eyes.
He watched in amazement as the tiny blue pup cursed and stuffed waffles and poffins into the bat's mouth. Hyper-Nova screamed shrilly, spitting bread crumbs, and started spiraling out of the air.
"Yeah, POFFINS AND WAFFLES!" the Riolu shrieked. Then he pulled out a metal brick out of the blue and dropped it on Nova.
Rob staggered towards her as she fell, screaming. Curse that Riolu! Rob felt like facepawing himself. He should've never trusted that mangy pup!
Rebels and officers gathered around the collapsed Pokemon.
Mali... he thought dizzily, Annie. Now Nova...
He watched numbly as the rebel leader shone light from an Aura Sphere into the fallen general's eyes.
At first, she didn't react to the light.
Then her pupils vanished completely and her eyes turned into a sphere of glowing gold.
And the world promptly exploded.
Rob dove for cover behind one of the rebel's van, breathing hard as the dust rose up. He heard Nova struggling up from the carnage, caterwauling with rage.
There was a sudden movement that caught his eye. He turned around to see a Breloom rebel hiding behind the van along with him. Before he could react, the rebel grabbed and laundry pole and brained him with it. His vision turned black, and he crumpled to the dirt.
By the time Rob woke up from his little blackout, officers and rebels were engaged in a fierce battle. Nova was nowhere to be seen. He staggered up just in time to dodge a flaming Banette officer as he was thrown over his head.
"What's happening?" he demanded.
The Banette gasped for breath. "General Nova was sent flying by their cannons! We're being pushed back!"
"Cannons?" he asked.
A BOOM sounded across the plain, and the Banette suddenly disappeared, knocked flying by a huge contraption half the size of a Rhyperior.
That was all Rob needed to see. He shook his head and stumbled over to join the fray.
The officers were desperately trying to fight their way past the mobs of rebels. Although the rebels were outnumbered something like five to one, they were all over the place; tripping officers, whacking others over the head, and blowing things up. Or, in Amethyst's case, yelling "I'm on your side!", then whomping them in the head with her fire stick.
"ATTACK!" he yelled desperately. The officers heeded his order and charged forward, shouting defiantly. The rebels backed up for exactly two seconds before surging forward again. Officers were sent flying. The rebels' cannons knocked other officers out of the air.
Rob eyed the rebels frantically. He needed to find the rebels' leader.
There! He caught sight of the Lucario lashing out a barrage of slashes and punches at the officers. Letting out a roar of anger, he jumped over a Chandelure and tackled the Lucario. They went rolling away. He sank his fangs into the rebel's shoulder, and the Lucario howled with rage. Rob flipped him onto his back, pinning him down, and dove in blindly for the kill.
He never got there. Right before his fangs sunk in, a force sent him flying. He skidded across the battlefield and rolled aside right before a jagged tail slammed into the ground where he'd been second before. He looked up to see a Treecko with a blue bib and a Raichu charging at him. He hissed and lashed out, swiping his claws across the Raichu. The mouse screech with pain and counterattacked with a Thunderbolt. Rob recoiled, snapping his jaws, and sank them into the Treecko's tail. The Raichu yelled and slammed him aside with an Iron Tail, and the Treecko hit him with a Leech Life. Weakened, Rob wobbled on his paws, his reflexes slow as the Treecko hit him in the side with a barrage of Bullet Seed.
He couldn't defeat them. He reeled away from the two and lurched forward, trying to make his escape. The Raichu shouted with triumph and blasted him off his paws with a jolt of electricity. Rob careened into a fallen officer and crashed to the ground.
Rob shook his head angrily, his paws swaying beneath him as he got up again. His officers needed encouragement. He let out a defiant yowl. "Stand up! We are greater in numbers!" he shouted, "We can't give up now!"
The officers channeled all their strength into their last charge and rushed forward. For a second, it looked as if they might win.
But the rebels weren't done with their tricks yet. They locked and loaded their cannons, and sent the officers flying back with a wave of forceful bullets.
It was hopeless. Rob needed to keep his officers alive for the next battle. Besides, the citizens were safe. So what if the rebels took Accumula? There weren't any citizens for them to kill.
"Retreat!" Rob clamored, "Hurry!"
The officers stumbled away from the rebels, who let out whoops of elation. Rob felt like shredding them all, but there wasn't much he could do. He barely had the strength to walk, much less run.
"I'll be back." he promised the rebels darkly, then whirled around and raced away.
At the Outpost...
Rob was surprised to see that Nova was in chains again. He stormed up to the officers who were standing around her. "Why's she in chains?" he demanded.
"That's what I asked." Nova grumbled. Her fur was charred, but at least she was back to normal.
The officers looked startled. "W-We had orders from General Ranark..."
"Listen up, fool." he snarled directly into the officer's face, "Unchain her this moment or I'll make sure to have you shredded into a pile of pastry!"
The officer hurriedly fished out the keys and unlocked Nova. Then they scurried away.
"Are you okay, General?" he asked worriedly.
She shook her wings. "Kind of. Just lost my posture for a moment there." She looked embarrassed. "I guess I need to work on that more."
"Yeah." Rob grinned tiredly. "You do."
"We'd better send a report to Darkrai." Nova said reluctantly, "He'll be mad."
Rob winced. "Yeah, he will." he said sadly as he turned to start the video conference.
Surprisingly, Darkrai was neither mad nor disappointed.
"That's fine, soldiers." he said, "We'll stop them at Straiton City. Head there ASAP."
"You're not mad." Rob blurted out.
Darkrai looked surprised. "Why would I be?"
"We... We failed you!" he said, "We lost to a couple of mangy rebels!"
"That's okay. There are losses and wins in a battle. We can't expect to win everything." Darkrai assured them confidently, "We'll win next time. You'll see." he grinned mischieviously. Then the screen went black.
Nova let out a huge sigh of relief. "Great Lord Darkrai!" she exclaimed, "Wow, that guy is totally cool." She bobbed her head at Rob. "You should go to sleep now. I'm gonna fly around for some time to check out the rebels."
Rob nodded warily in agreement as he retired to his chambers. He greeted the gold-eyed guard standing guard next to his bedroom and crashed onto the soft bed, utterly exhausted.
If Lieutenant Shaw had been fully awake, with all his senses keen and sharp, he would've recognized the guard's golden eyes, and basically have a lot of questions. But since he was so tired, he didn't notice the obvious at all.
The gold-eyed guard did not belong in the Outpost. She did not work for the Shadow Force. She did not work for the Revolutionists. She wasn't even supposed to be alive.
She was in leagues with the same spy that had been tailing the Revolutionists ever since the first sparks of the Revolution had been ignited.
Credits:
alpha2275: LoG Representative on Fanfiction and Fanfiction Manager
MarcusUCOD: Dialogue Writer
Esther Hung: Chief Writer, Editor, Video Maker, and Character Creator
Anisa Krieg: Writer, Artist, Character Creator, and Tweaker
(More TBD...)