The Gutter Runner

by Sundered Heart

Having been robbed of everything dear to him, a young teen flees into the deepest and darkest depths of the city, where a whole different kind of struggle awaits him... A Grimdark take on the Pokemon Universe. An OC fiction: submissions welcome.

8. Baptism by Fire - Part 1

Baptism by Fire — Part One

---

Despite its name, nobody really used the briefing room for briefings. Announcements were usually made over breakfast in the dining hall, and any large-scale meetings were held in the courtyard. Rather, the "briefing room" was an informal hangout where small groups could meet and relax without having to observe the gang decorum. Old rickety chairs were liberally strewn across the room. Its corners were dominated by a sturdy foosball table, a broken vending machine, and a battered white screen used on movie nights. Nicholas was intimately familiar with the place, having scrubbed and swept every inch of it for weeks. Even after a thorough cleanup, the floors always smelled like buttered popcorn and cigarette butts. Tension was the last thing he was expecting to find here.

Until today.

Seated on one of the chairs, Nicholas looked on as C.J. fiddled with a machine sitting on top of a low table. Roughly the size of a large cushion, the chrome-and-plastic device was beginning to hum softly with power. Further push of a few buttons set a green light blinking.

"What in hell's going on, you reckon?" a voice softly spoke up to Nicholas' right.

Aside from Nicholas, C.J. had managed to gather four other teenagers who were remaining behind at the headquarters. Ever since the Grim Reaper's intrusion, one of the countermeasures Ibrahim had put in place was to maintain a small number of Silver Wing gangers to guard the premises and alert him of any urgent developments. Nicholas did not know any of them. All four, though, had that tight and hungry look typical of the Undercity youths.

"Dunno," a heavy-set teenage boy with a shaved head and golden earrings shrugged. He half-turned to look at his friend who had spoken up—a lean red-headed and golden-eyed teenager with a wolfish grin. "I know just as much as you, Liam."

"Me neither," said another teenager next to him, an awkwardly gangly boy with limpid brown hair and a prominent nose. "I just got back from my patrol five minutes ago. I have no freaking idea what we're up to."

"No kidding," Liam drawled sarcastically, "Since when did you have anything original inside that pea-sized brain of yours? I'm amazed you still remember your own name."

"Well, at least I remember what I was doing with your mom last night!" the gangly boy retorted.

"Aw, snap!" the heavy-set teen chortled.

"Will you morons give it a rest?" the last member of the group—a blonde girl with a wavy perm and a red head scarf—hissed. "You guys are acting like a bunch of babies!"

"Sorry," the boys collectively mumbled.

"Anyhow, whatever's going on here has to be important," the girl continued. "C.J. wouldn't just turn on the holo-projector to show us the latest Lady Violet music video, would he?"

As on cue, the machine C.J. had been tinkering with began to whirl loudly as a burst of light spilled forth from the lens set on top of it. A large 3-D shape slowly solidified midair, the static greatly distorting the image it was supposed to show. C.J. scowled, and promptly slapped his meaty hand onto the side of the projector. The image flickered once or twice before properly focusing into what appeared to be a layout of a cityscape. The four gangers let out a mock cheer at the success.

Something about that layout seemed quite familiar…. With a start, Nicholas realized the image was showing the map of an entire Undercity level. He thought he could recognize some of the streets from his earlier foray.

"Now that that's been taken care of," C.J. slowly started, "I'm sure ya'll are wondering why we've gathered here."

"Right as always, C.J.," Liam called out. "You mind telling us what this is all about?"

"I really wish I didn't have to say this," the lieutenant said grimly. "But we have an emergency situation at our hand. Code Red."

All merriment immediately drained from the teenagers' faces at the very mention of the phrase, replaced by alarm and tension. Nicholas stared, bewildered. Code Red….? What could be so serious enough to spook them so much?

"About five minutes ago," C.J. growled. "I've received an urgent distress call from the Gamma and Eta squads returning from the government commissary with our monthly food rations. Apparently, they'd been waylaid by a large group of gangers. The truck has been totaled, and now they are stranded in hostile territory fighting for their lives."

The blonde girl gasped loudly. The boys stared openmouthed, dumbstruck by the news.

"Is it the Reapers?!" Nicholas asked breathlessly.

C.J. shook his head. "Believe it or not, it's not the Reapers this time. The Paradise Square near 13th and Syracuse….It's the Midnight's Children."

The gangers collectively groaned, followed by a string of curses.

"Not those religious nut-heads…." the lanky boy muttered. "Of all the loony gangs infesting this whole damn place…."

"But I don't understand," Liam exclaimed. "Paradise Square is smack in the middle of The Midnight's Children territory! There's not a single reason for Gamma and Eta to be there in the first place! They were supposed to stick to their designated route like they've done before, weren't they?"

"Apparently, they've let their good sense go to their head. From what I've heard, some of the lads decided to save time by taking a shortcut through the Midnight's Children territory. They thought they could make it through before anyone caught onto them," C.J. replied coldly. "But I'm sure at some point some dunce made a dare that no idiot could refuse."

"I can't believe this bullshit!" Liam roared as he leapt to his feet in anger. "Have they really…? Are they—seriously has everyone lost their freaking minds?! What were they thinking, pulling this stunt with a cargo that important?! Who's the pinhead in charge of this disaster, anyway?"

"Roger Billings, squad leader of Gamma."

"I knew that prick was trouble from the beginning," the heavy-set teen growled. "Always boasting, trying to show off himself every chance he can. I'm surprised he managed to last this long." He followed his comment with a string of curses that would've made the most hardened killer blush.

"Does Ibrahim know?" the blonde girl asked. She too looked anxious, but was still displaying more restraint than her compatriots.

"Do you think I would be up here without letting him know first?" C.J. asked. "I've notified him already. Ibrahim's making his way back up to the Undercity with the Alpha and Beta squads as we speak. Not only that, he has issued a gang-wide command over the communications channel a minute ago. Any squads otherwise unoccupied are to immediately converge on the position of Gamma and Eta."

"Even so…," C.J. added grimly. "I would estimate that even the closest squad out on the field will take at least two hours to arrive. By then, both squads will have been overwhelmed and our food supply lost to the Midnight's Children."

Even before anyone else could speak up, a coin dropped in Nicholas' head. He instantly knew what was coming.

"That's where we come in, isn't it?" he asked softly. "Others may be too far off…but we aren't."

C.J. slowly nodded, his mouth drawn tightly across his jaw.

"Correct," the lieutenant said. "If we take the jeep out, we'll be able to make it to the borders of the Midnight's Children territory in less than twenty minutes. As of right now, we are the only group of Silver Wings available to provide immediate aid."

"You can't be serious!" the lanky teenager exclaimed. "There are only six of us here, against Arceus-knows how many feral savages crawling across Paradise Square! And one of us is merely an untested….guest." He quickly stole a glance at Nicholas. "No offense intended," he added sheepishly.

"None taken," Nicholas replied.

"Look, I know how ridiculous this sounds. I am aware of the odds of a single squad-sized group taking on an entire gang. Under any other normal circumstances, I wouldn't even try it, much less consider it. But here are the facts," C.J. said, "This is not about testing our strengths as gangers. Those beleaguered boys and girls out there? Those are our fellow Silver Wings, our comrades who have bled and fought alongside us for years! And I will be damned before I leave them to the mercy of some two-bit savages!

"But more importantly," C.J. added in a hushed tone. "Our comrades of Gamma and Eta are all that are standing between the Midnight's Children and our month's supply of rations. And what do you suppose will happen when they get their hands on the supplies? I'm not going to lie. If nothing is done, the whole Silver Wings will end up without anything to eat for a whole month. And you know how that story will end, don't you? Hunger will lead to dissension, dissension will lead to weakness, and if our enemies choose to take us on right then, we'll be finished. No more Silver Wings, and no more protection for the Heights."

Heavy silence settled in the room as the teenagers tried to absorb the difficult situation lain out before them. The blonde girl was chewing her lips incessantly. The heavy-set boy began wringing his thick fists over and over.

"So what do we do?"

Liam had straightened up in his seat, his golden eyes fixed directly at the lieutenant. Nicholas could almost see intensity raging inside the ganger, making him look like some predatory beast about to be let loose from its leash.

"We all know there is very little we can do if we took the Midnight's Children head on. Even I will be hard-pressed with all those numbers directed against us. And we don't have any resources available to extract our comrades at the moment, let alone all those food supplies. Even if we wanted to, we'll need to wait until other Silver Wing members arrive at the scene."

"So then what?"

C.J. turned to the holo-projector and pressed a few buttons. The 3-D image shifted and zoomed in again about three miles up north. A red dot began pulsating on a street position.

"As of right now, the Gamma and the Eta are pinned down in the open ground, right over here," he gestured at the red dot. "The Midnight's Children have them completely surrounded and directing heavy fire using their Pokémon. Luckily, our friends have erected a serviceable barricade out of food crates and the remains of the truck. The Midnight's Children have tried to storm it once, but have been repelled. Still, the picture is bleak….the Silver Wings are reporting casualties already, and many of their Pokémon have been badly hurt. If the assault continues on like this, then the barricade will eventually fall."

"As I have said, we cannot extract the squads and our supplies at the moment. But….what we can do is to make sure their defense holds out long enough for our main forces to arrive. In order for that to happen, they'll need extra batches of medical supplies and potions to patch themselves and their Pokémon up."

"Ah," the thick-set teen exclaimed, realization dawning on his features. "You're talking about infiltrating the Midnight's Children cordon!"

"Precisely. We may be few in number, but that will give a good chance to pass by our enemies' perimeters undetected. So, if we actually manage to slip past with medical supplies and join up with our besieged comrades….then we may be able to last just long enough for the rescue party to bail us out."

"The Midnight's Children have always been sloppy and undisciplined," the blonde girl muttered. "Their lines will be like a sieve. If we are careful, then this might actually work."

"Dunno…sounds a bit…reckless to me," the lanky boy chimed in, scratching his hair.

"If you have a better idea, then by all means let me know," C.J. snapped. "I assure you, this is the best plan we've got considering the time we have left. The Midnight's Children will be tightening their cordon by now. And I'm betting they have recalled every single one of their members out on the mission fields to reap this unexpected windfall. And if any of their Lieutenants or the Leader himself arrive on the scene before we do….you can bet we'll be feasting on rags and shoelaces before the week is out."

None of the gangers spoke up, their eyes solemnly fixed upon the lieutenant. Nicholas could feel his heart beating faster. Now that the mission parameters have been made clear, he could understand why C.J. had offered the deal in the first place. It was, without a doubt, going to be a hell of a mission. If what he had heard about the Undercity gang warfare was true, then he was going to be initiated into it from the sharpest end.

As if noticing the intense looks amongst the teenagers, C.J.'s expression softened a little bit.

"I won't lie to you," the lieutenant spoke. "This mission will cost us much, and I frankly can't guarantee everyone's safety. So I won't be forcing anyone to come with me on this one. If anyone wishes to stay out of this, I won't label him a coward. Right now, I'm merely asking this as a favor from a Silver Wing to a fellow Silver Wing."

The four gangers briefly shared a glance. When they looked back at C.J., Nicholas was astonished to see all of them grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you really need to ask?" Liam said. "You already know what we are going to say."

"We knew the risks when we all joined the gang," the blonde girl piped up. "This is more important than just a few of us. For the Silver Wings, we are more than ready to step up!"

"Eh, what the hell. I won't sit back while my friends are out there fighting! Count me in!" the lanky boy exclaimed.

"And besides," the thick-set teen drawled. "How in hell am I supposed to beat the crap out of Roger Billings if the Midnight's Children get to him first?"

C.J.'s mouth broke into a grim smile. "So ya'll are in then."

"'Till all hell freezes over," Liam intoned.

The Lieutenant's gaze quickly darted over to Nicholas. "And you, Nick? Now would be a good time to change your mind."

Nicholas felt all eyes fall on him. This was it. If he broke here, then there would be no going back for him. But he had a greater cause to work for, and he simply couldn't give up here. He slowly and deliberately drew in a deep breath.

"I'm in," Nicholas replied, forcing a smile he didn't really feel. "As a matter of fact, I think this mission has gotten more interesting already."

His reply drew a spatter of chuckle from the four gangers. C.J. remained impassive as always.

"Alright then….now that all the details have been settled, it's time to gear up! Everyone, prepare yourselves and gather at the garage within five minutes! By the grace of Arceus, we ride out for Paradise Square!"

---

With a rusty creak, the metal door of the vast garage rose up ponderously. From its dim innards, a super-charged Navajo 5GS surged forth with a throaty roar. Battered and scratched, the utility jeep had seen rough days since its assembly in the Shadowgrave Automobile Plant up in the factory levels six years ago. Countless scorch marks and dents had accrued on the vehicle's hull like battle scars since its acquisition by the Silver Wings. Still, meticulous maintenance by the dedicated engineers of the gang meant the compact jeep still retained the powerful acceleration and handling it was renowned for. Turning the curb with a screech of tires, the Navajo hurtled down the road trailing black exhaust behind.

C.J. with his usual confidence sat behind the wheels, his hands steering the vehicle as easily as he breathed. The rest of the gangers sat crowded in the rear compartment, trying their best to maintain their balance. The spring-suspension of the vehicle dampened the worst of the bumps and jolts, but the jeep still swayed fro and to like an antique sailing boat. It took Nicholas, sitting with his back against the side, supreme effort to clamp down the nauseating feeling in his stomach. Having to smell the gas exhaust and endure the roaring noise of the engine didn't help at all.

The four gangers sitting with him did not seem nervous in the least, despite the nature of their mission. With calmness that belied their brutality, the teenagers merely smoothed their Pokeballs strapped to their waists and checked their battle kits. In what little time they spent together, Nicholas had at last managed to learn their names. The heavy-set Barry Kowalski was lovingly wiping his wooden baseball bat with a grimy rag, while the lanky Milo Viggs studied a street map as he constantly rubbed his nose. Clara Morris, the blonde girl, was busy reorganizing her Pokeballs on her belt. She would occasionally lift one to her lips and mutter some encouraging words, as if her Pokémon could hear her from the inside.

Liam O'Grady merely stared out into the passing streets in silence. A sheathed machete hung comfortably from his belt along with his Pokeballs, its polished leather handle gleaming under the afternoon light.

"So how many Pokémon you got?" Barry suddenly spoke up. It took Nicholas a moment to realize the ganger was talking to him.

"Um," Nicholas looked down at his belt and gently patted the Pokeball that contained his loyal companion Shade. "Just the one. A Sneasel."

Barry and Clara stared at him, their eyebrows raised. Even Milo looked up from his map with a confused expression plastered on his face.

"Just one?" Clara asked, making no effort to hide her incredulity. "Seriously?"

"What are you, a Pokémon prodigy or something? One of those geniuses who can take on dozens with just one Pokémon?" Milo said, his nose scrunching with scrutiny.

"I….don't think so," Nicholas mumbled, embarrassed. "I've been practicing against the critters infesting the headquarters, though."

"You realize you're pretty much screwed right?" Barry deadpanned. "Especially if one of those maniacs comes at you with a fighting-type…. Do you even own a weapon of your own?"

"And yet, he still volunteered," a smooth voice cut in. "Reckless, but bold…. That in itself is something, I guess. But I've got to ask, why? Is this because you want to earn favor with the Silver Wings?"

Liam had turned around, joining in the conversation.

"I….want to be stronger," Nicholas slowly spoke. "I'm sick of being bullied around by people stronger than I. It's time I grew some spine."

Barry, Milo, and Clara stared at each other quizzically, but Liam merely shrugged.

"Well, if this is how you want to do it, then whatever. I've seen people pulling off some crazier stunts for crazier reasons. Best of luck to you."

"Ha!" Barry suddenly laughed. "At least this one has commitment. I'd like to see the likes of Roger sporting the same sort of guts he has!" Chuckling, the teen leaned forward and heartily slapped Nicholas against his shoulder. Despite the numbing pain arcing down his arm, Nicholas grinned.

"So who are these Midnight's Children anyway?" he asked.

At the mention of the name, all four Silver Wing gangers grimaced.

"A gang of scavenger-raiders operating out of the northern districts," Barry growled. "They specialize in hijacking freight shipments and stealing supplies from rival gangs. Like rats!" Emphasizing the last word, the teen hawked and spat a gobbet of phlegm out the side of the jeep.

"A bunch of painted religious nuts is what they are! Apparently, the Midnight's Children think this whole Undercity is some sacred goddess who watches over them. And for them, worship means purging this whole city of the unworthy—that is, everyone else," Clara chimed in.

"One on one, they are pathetic," Milo added. "Poor fighters and even worse trainers, the whole lot of them. Undisciplined, uncoordinated, and reckless. But what they lack in abilities—"

"They make up in sheer numbers and fanaticism," Liam finished. "Mark my words. They may not look much, but they are dangerous. I've seen them throw themselves at the toughest gangs without a single regard for safety. And as for their barbaric practices….well, let's just say it is far better to die at their hands than to be taken alive."

Nicholas shivered involuntarily. "And I thought the Reapers were the crazy ones…."

"Oh, Reapers are still a whole lot worse," Clara laughed. "At least the Midnight's Children don't discriminate when lashing out at someone. You won't see some evil intelligence directing their activities, like for the Reapers."

"Any advice?"

"Just watch your back and try to stay alive by whatever means necessary," Liam said. "And are you familiar with the standard rules of Pokémon battles?"

"Yes?"

"Well, forget everything you know about rules. They'll only get you killed."

Nicholas was just about to ask what Liam meant, when the jeep began to slow down. The roar of the engines whined away into silence as the vehicle pulled up against the sidewalk.

"This is it," C.J. called out from the front. "We're right at the edge of the Midnight's Children territory. This is as far as we can go without giving away our presence. From here on, we go on foot."

"Alright, who's in a mood for bashing some heads?" Barry growled as he clambered over the side of the jeep. His polished bat hung from his back by a strap.

"We'll have none of that," C.J. snapped as he turned off the ignition and climbed out of the driver's seat. A backpack and a fanny pack, filled to brim with medicines and potions, hung from his enormous frame like flimsy paper lanterns. "In case you've forgotten, this is a rescue mission. We'll need to be stealthy here, and contact with the enemy is to be avoided where possible. Understood?"

"Okay," Barry mumbled, glancing back at his weapon with a wistful look.

"Listen up then, gang. From here on, we'll be on full alert. Keep your voices down, no shenanigans, and use hand signs whenever you can."

"Which route do we take?" Clara asked.

"We'll go up the alleys and side roads for about four blocks to the north. We cannot afford to run into any civilians, either. The less eyes on us the better. There are plenty of abandoned warehouses further into this area, so the bulk of those buildings will hide up from view once we reach there."

C.J. gestured at the series of corrugated metal roofs peeking above the rest of the buildings in the distance.

"According to my research, one of the tenements adjacent to the warehouses has a fire escape leading up to the roofs. That will further allow us to make half of our trip traveling from rooftop to rooftop, all the way to Paradise Square."

"Which means we'll just have to watch ourselves for four blocks before having a free run to our destination," Liam added.

"That's exactly what we'll do," C.J. nodded. "Let's set off then, shall we? Milo, you have the sharpest ears and eyes out of all of us, so take point. Be on a lookout for any Midnight's Children on the prowl."

The lanky teen nodded, and immediately scurried to the front of the group.

"I'll follow right behind, with Clara and Barry coming up next. You two keep your eyes on the rooftops, make sure no one is looking down on us. Nick, you just stick right behind these two and keep up. Liam, you'll cover our backs. Let us know as soon as you hear anything or anyone tailing us. Understood?"

"Got it," the gangers chorused, and immediately formed a rough single file according to the arrangement.

"Then let's go. We don't have much time left."

Without further word, the Silver Wings took off into the labyrinth of alleyways.

---

The first things Nicholas noticed were the warehouses. Built out of corrugated aluminum sheets, the giant buildings rose all around them, boxing the gangers in as they quietly but steadily moved forth. Streaks of rust covered the sides so much that the warehouses looked more like naturally-formed rocks than artificial constructions. Age and disrepair has left holes and dents in many of them. The unwelcome smell of corroding metal stung at his nose in a wave of reek.

"So many of them," Nicholas quietly muttered to himself.

"Apparently, this whole place used to be a storage depot for shipping companies centuries ago," Liam whispered behind him. "Products churning out of factories would be piled up here before being shipped out by trucks and river boats."

"River boats...?" Nicholas frowned. "But….there aren't any rivers around Shadowgrave City for miles!"

"Like I said, this was centuries ago," the ganger replied. "Now, these buildings serve only one purpose: to house the Midnight's Children while they sleep at night. Rumor has it they have built torture chambers and meat lockers in them….for their victims, if you know what I mean."

"Stop scaring the kid, Liam," Clara hissed. "And shut your pie hole. You want to bring down the whole gang on us?"

Each of the warehouses was indeed quite sizeable. Supposing each of these structures could hold a hundred gangers... Nicholas shuddered. Even by Undercity gang standards, the sheer number of the Midnight's Children was staggering.

Fortunately, for all their infamous numbers the Midnight's Children were curiously absent from the area. It made sense, Nicholas thought, that like any other gangs, the majority of them had gone out into the Undercity to scrounge for resources and wreak general havoc. Thus far, he reckoned they had traveled for about two blocks without running into trouble. Milo led from the front, his feet gliding across the pavement with surprising dexterity and fluidity. The rest of the gangers barely made a noise with each step, even the hulking form of C.J. producing only the minimum noise. Though Nicholas thought he too was doing a decent job, the sound of his own footsteps irritatingly kept standing out above the rest.

The party had traveled further for another block when suddenly, Milo froze and quickly held up his hand. The rest of the gangers stopped where they stood. They had come to the end of an alleyway by now, rows of warehouses interrupted by a stretch of rundown tenement houses.

"What is it?" C.J. urgently whispered.

Wordlessly, Milo swept his hands out before him and gestured at the cluster of overflowing garbage bins in front. The Silver Wing gangers immediately scurried over and crouched behind the messy pile. Nicholas closely followed, his senses suddenly alert. He managed to level his gaze through a gap between the bins, just in time to see a gaggle of individuals emerging into view.

Without a doubt, the gangers before him had to be the most wretched and bizarre- looking bunch Nicholas had ever laid his eyes on. There were a dozen of them, sauntering up the street with easy confidence that came from their ownership of the territory. Emaciated to the point of looking malnourished, most were dressed in raggedy clothes made up of poorly stitched cloth strips and tanned leathers. Couple of them were dressed in long, dirty hooded robes that stretched from their wiry frames like loose skin. What truly galled Nicholas, however, were their faces. Blue and crimson war-paints rendered their faces into monstrous visages, augmented by plethora of tattoos and piercings. Those whose hair hadn't shaved their heads had fashioned their mane into outlandish Mohawks, dreadlocks, and top-knots festooned with beads and fetishes. Bloodshot eyes shone out from their painted faces like lamps as rusty tools of violence swung loosely from their hands.

"Midnight's Children," Liam growled next to him. "Looks like we've reached their cordon at last. That's got to be one of their patrols."

"Can we take them?" Barry whispered, tightening his grip on the baseball bat.

"Remain where you are," C.J. replied. "We wait until they pass, then we will sneak past. We can't let them know we are here."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a fresh commotion broke from the other end of the street. Another group of Midnight's Children strolled from an alleyway, their numbers at least twice as greater than the patrol group. Raucous laughter and shouts broke out as the gangers greeted each other. Compared to the patrol, the new arrivals looked better nourished and better armed. At the sight of them, C.J. cursed quietly.

"Not good."

"What's wrong?" Nicholas whispered.

"That ganger over there," the lieutenant muttered, nudging his chin towards a particularly vicious looking Midnight's Children ganger, whose bald scalp was entirely inscribed with miniscule scripts and vile-looking symbols. His black robes were decorated with what appeared to be bone fragments and—to Nicholas' horror—a genuine-looking skull. It was obvious that the ganger was in full charge of the new arrivals.

"That's Erasmus Fell, a lieutenant and one of Midnight's Children's raid leaders. I've had a misfortune of running into him in the past. Strong, for a gang of such poor caliber. His lot usually makes forays into the abandoned levels, preying on other gang members returning with their scavenged goods."

"Then if he is here…" Clara started nervously.

"That means the stronger members of Midnight's Children have begun to return from the field, as opposed to the wimps who are besieging the Gamma and the Eta squads. I'm guessing those gangers are on their way to join the assault on our friends. If Erasmus and his lot reach the barricades, the tide will likely turn in their favor, no matter what we do. Their numbers will become too great for us to handle."

"What do we do?" Milo asked.

For a moment, C.J. was silent, an intense look of concentration overtaking his face.

"We must go to our friends before they do. But still….we can't let those bastards go any further," the lieutenant finally spoke at length. "The only way to weather further assault on the barricade is to keep the Midnight's Children divided. Erasmus and his lot must be neutralized here and now."

"Finally, time to get down and personal," Barry snarled, unlimbering his baseball bat from his shoulder. C.J., however, firmly placed his hand on the eager ganger.

"Yes….and no. For all your enthusiasm, you are still no match for Erasmus. Nor any one of you. The only person who can make a difference here is me."

The Silver Wing gangers gaped at C.J. as the implications of his words dawned on them.

"You don't mean….?" Milo sputtered.

"A new plan," C.J. spoke calmly. "Whether you like it or not, I am going to engage those Midnight's Children. The five of you, meanwhile, will loop around this building and wait. When the fight breaks out and all of their eyes are on me, you all must run past the melee and make your way to the barricades. No matter what happens, you don't stop. These medicines must be delivered at all costs."

"We're not leaving you behind!" Clara protested.

"You are, and you will. Those are my orders, and I expect them to be followed to the letter. And let's not forget the stakes are greater than any one of us here. For the Silver Wings, we must do what must be done. Understood?"

Despite the grim look on their faces, the gangers reluctantly nodded. C.J. quickly detached the backpack and the fanny pack from around his body and handed them out to Liam and Milo respectively.

"Besides," the lieutenant smiled. "Do you seriously think I will lose to those savages? I've been through a lot worse before, and trust me, this is cakewalk in comparison." The comment managed to bring out a few strained smiles.

"Liam, I'm putting you in charge in my absence. Again, wait until the Midnight's Children are fully occupied before taking off. The fire escape would be only a block away from here. So make sure you all stick to the route across the rooftop as we planned. Arceus willing, I shall make my own way to the barricades after I'm done with these fools. Is that clear?"

"Yes," the teenagers solemnly replied.

"Then go. And good luck. May Arceus watch over your every step of the way."

Without further word, the five teenagers hurried back the way they came, looping around to the left corner until they had come to the opposite side to where they were earlier. Silent, the gangers hid themselves behind derelict remain of an automobile. The Midnight's Children still remained where they were, now seemingly caught up in some petty dispute. The screeching voice of Erasmus Fell echoed up to the sky as he gestured wildly into the air to make his point.

"This still feels wrong," Barry murmured. "We shouldn't leave C.J. to fight by himself."

"We do as we are told," Liam admonished. "Remember, we must reach the barricade as quickly as we can. We don't stop….no matter what happens."

"Any minute now…," Clara whispered. "Those poor wretches are in for a nasty surprise."

Nicholas looked up with bated breath. The Midnight's Children were still caught up in their disputes, with no immediate sign of moving on—

When the assault came, it was as if a hurricane had lashed out at the gathered gangers. Faster than Nicholas could have believed, the huge bulk of C.J. charged out of the hidden position straight into the Midnight's Children. Just before he tore into them, the Silver Wing lieutenant let out a mighty roar that set Nicholas' ears ringing. Before the Midnight's Children knew it, C.J. was in among them, wreaking havoc.

The sight of the enraged Silver Wing lieutenant beggared belief. Rather than to use a weapon, C.J. swung his meaty fists like a pair of wrecking balls. A couple of brutal hooks to the right and left saw two Midnight's Children grunts instantly mashed to the ground, their noses and teeth caved in by sheer force. Between his assaults, C.J. deftly released a pair of Pokeballs clipped at his side. A wry Hitmonchan burst into reality and immediately launched a Sky Uppercut at a nearby ganger. Another flash of light solidified into a ferocious-looking Granbull whose clamp-like jaws crushed an arm, eliciting an ear-splitting scream. All this took place in a span of five seconds. Taken by surprise, the Midnight's Children reeled from shock. A half a dozen of them had already been dispatched by the brutal attacks of C.J. and his Pokemon.

Erasmus screeched in anger, then, and pointed his wry fingers at the intruder among them. Midnight's Children had at last gathered enough wits to react to the danger. Howling with fury, the remaining gangers lunged at the giant lieutenant with their weapons raised high. Several flashes of light heralded the release of more Pokémon. Far from being dismayed, C.J.'s rampage only seemed to grow intense. Bellowing ferociously, he tore into the attacking gangers with impunity, his fists creating a whirlwind of destruction around him. More bodies fell to the ground, their bones crushed and limbs brushed. His Hitmonchan and Granbull also did their worst, their fluid movements indicating long years of training. The Midnight's Children were many, but the Silver Wing lieutenant seemed to hold on his own.

"That's it. Let's get moving while C.J. has their attention!" Liam whispered. "Remember what C.J. said. We keep moving, no matter what happens!"

Without further ado, the five teenagers broke from their cover and dashed across the open street as fast as their feet could carry. Not a single shout of alarm rose from the Midnight's Children, so focused they were on trying to bring down their giant foe. Nicholas, frantically chasing after the backs of the Silver Wings, managed to look back at the unfolding fracas as they rounded the corner. The last sight he saw was that of C.J.'s muscled bulk flailing through the crowd, Midnight's Children gangers clinging to his limbs like stubborn monkeys.

---

Nicholas and the four gangers ran as fast as they could down the street without looking back. Though their legs were already beginning to tire, none of them dared to slow down. They had barely reached the end of the block, when they heard a screeching tire behind them. Nicholas took a quick glance behind and saw to his horror, a battered pickup truck rounding the corner. Despite the distance, it was bearing down on them with alarming speed. The flatbed of the truck was full of whooping Midnight's Children and their Pokémon. He could make out an Ariados and an Electrike clinging onto the roof of the cab, starting to spray bursts of poisonous barbs and electrical sparks in their direction.

"Oh damn it all!" Liam cursed. "Run faster, lads! They're gaining on us!"

A long burst of Poison Sting stitched across the asphalt ahead of Nicholas and riddled Barry's left leg with razor-sharp needles. The teenager fell hard to the ground, screaming in agony and clutching his leg as the venom flowed into his bloodstream. Nicholas skidded to a halt to help the stricken ganger back up, only to be pushed back.

"Go! Leave me!" Barry half-cried, half screamed as he batted Nicholas away. "I'll hold those bastards off for as long as I can! Just go!"

Barry's eyes were already bloodshot and bulging, the poison's insidious effects already taking place. Thick veins had popped all over his face as his body strained to cope with the pain. A thin rivulet of bubbling saliva was foaming at the corner of his mouth. Despite all, the ganger was fighting against his condition with sheer rage and determination.

"But I can't just-"

"GO!" Barry screamed, even as his body was seized by an involuntary convulsion. "The mission! Get to the others!"

Nicholas shakily nodded, and forced his reluctant feet into a run. The truck was much closer now, slowing with the intention of disembarking its deadly cargo of rabid gangers. Still, Nicholas could not look away from the impending tragedy. He just couldn't.

Incredibly, Barry was slowly rising back to his feet, using his baseball bat to steady his shaky legs. As the first of the Midnight's Children eagerly climbed down the pickup, the Silver Wing ganger weakly tapped at the two Pokeballs by his side, releasing a Marowak and a Makuhita. Together, the three braced themselves like the heroes of old as the mob of Midnight's Children descended upon them.

Even as the first of the gangers collapsed onto the ground from the brutal swing of Barry's bat, Nicholas knew the fight was going to be short-lived. The poison had fatally crippled the teenager, robbing him of most of his strength and skill. Barry drunkenly lurched into the throng, roaring incoherently as he swung his weapon. For all his strength, there was very little coordination or focus in his movements. A few unlucky Midnight's Children fell back clutching their heads and bloody noses, though most leapt back in time to avoid the blow. Around the embattled gangers, Barry's Marowak and Makuhita fought a losing battle against their Pokémon opponents who surrounded the duo from all sides.

Barry swung once, recovered, and swung again….before losing his balance and falling forwards. Then it was suddenly all over, with a skinny ganger darting in to plunge a knife into the Silver Wing's side. In a flash, the mob of Midnight's Children were swarming all over Barry, cackling gleefully as they hacked and bludgeoned their quarry with pipes and knives. Similarly, Marowak and Makuhita finally vanished under the crushing weight of their foes. It was a terrible end, a fate that no one ought to have deserved—least of all someone as valiant as Barry. To their credit, neither the Silver Wing ganger nor his Pokémon cried or begged for mercy to the bitter end.

Nicholas's gaze was mercifully snatched away from the gruesome sight by three shapes darting out from behind the truck. Barry's death had not stalled all of their pursuers. Three outriders, two of them on motorcycles and one on the back of a squawking Dodrio, rapidly closed on the rest of the fleeing Silver Wings. Clad in leather jackets and dyed Mohawks, the riders wielded lengths of heavy chains and long batons with murderous intention. If anything, these gangers were much faster than the pickup truck, and there seemed no way of outrunning them at the pace Nicholas and the Silver Wings were going.

Nicholas's Pokeball suddenly burst open at his side, and the bristling form of Shade materialized behind him. Before Nicholas could slow down, the black weasel Pokémon puffed up his chest and exhaled a blast of Icy Wind that coated the road with glistening sheet of ice. His task completed, Shade nimbly ran up towards his trainer and smugly latched on his shoulder. Nicholas gaped as the pursuing outriders panicked and struggled to slow down. The one on the Dodrio managed to snatch his reins sideways, awkwardly tripping and toppling both himself and his mount onto the ground in time. His two companions weren't so lucky. Traveling at breakneck speed, both motorbikes swerved on the ice with catastrophic results. One flipped over and broke apart as it skidded across the road, pulping its rider into a meaty mulch. The other simply hurled headlong past Nicholas and exploded against the building ahead.

"Well done," Nicholas said breathlessly as he took off after the Silver Wings. Shade just chuckled nastily.

The three Silver Wings meanwhile had turned corner and disappeared into an alley ahead. Nicholas followed them in to find the teenagers scaling an old fire escape ladder set against the building wall. Momentarily forgetting any reservations about heights, Nicholas grabbed the lowest rung and began to climb after them. The gangers were climbing fast, their affinity with urban settings imbuing them with confident agility. Liam had almost reached the top already, with Clara and Milo closing in behind him. It took all of Nicholas's strength just to keep up.

A brilliant fork of lightning flashed right past Nicholas and exploded with a loud crackle that almost drowned out a howl of pain. Blinking off the afterimages that danced across his eyes, Nicholas was horrified to see Milo's body slowly toppling back from the ladder above him. A large charred crater was burned into back, small flame already licking at the ragged fabric of his jacket. There was no need for a second glimpse to tell that the attack had been fatal. Nicholas yelped and flattened himself against the ladder as Milo fell past him onto the pavement below like a discarded sack of flour.

Loud whooping shouts and laughter filled the alleyway, signaling the arrival of Midnight's Children pursuers. Pikachus, Ariadoses, and other assorted Pokémon were now directing all their firepower towards the Silver Wings. The bricks around Nicholas were quickly riddled with burn marks and gouges.

"The pack! The pack!" Liam frantically shouted from above. Nicholas stared in confusion until Liam's gestures prompted him to look down. Looped around the waist of still-lying form of Milo was the fanny pack that held half their medicine supply. With the demise of its carrier, the invaluable potions and salves lay abandoned on the ground….fully within the reach of the Midnight's Children streaming into the alleyway.

There was only one thing to do, whether he liked it or not.

Forcefully clamping down on panic surging through him, Nicholas quickly clambered down what few rungs he had managed to climb. He leapt the last few steps and landed awkwardly on all fours. Scrambling up, Nicholas quickly made his way towards Milo's body.

Up close, the sight was even more horrific. Wisps of smoke wafted from the body, giving up a stench of burnt meat. Milo's expression was forever locked into one of agony, his eyes wide and his mouth stretched open into a silent scream. Patched of his clothes were torn and burnt, revealing reddened and blistering flesh where the lightning had done its worst. Gagging, Nicholas frantically pawed at the clasp that secured the fanny pack around Milo's waist. It was a simple mechanism, and yet his hands were trembling so badly that he was having trouble undoing it. From the mouth of the alleyway, jubilant shouts rang as the Midnight's Children spotted Nicholas crouching by Milo's body. Four gangers stepped forward and sent forth their Pokémon, while the rest directed their attention to Liam and Clara on the edge of the roof above.

Snarling fiercely, Shade leapt off from his trainer's back and bounded swiftly to meet the attackers. The first Pokémon to face the dark weasel was a mangy-looking Poochyena that barked and lunged with its teeth bared. Shade coiled at the last minute, then leapt upwards to deliver a powerful Slash attack into the canine's jowls. Howling with pain, the Poochyena was sent hurling back towards its trainer, only to make room for a larger Ledian. The ladybug's six limbs blurred into a flurry of Comet Punches that sent the weasel staggering. Against the speedy attack of the insect, Shade was forced into a defense, weaving and backpedalling as the Ledian aggressively fluttered forward.

Despite Shade's efforts, not all of the attackers had been dissuaded from approaching Nicholas. While the Sneasel was being kept busy with the Ledian and the Poochyena, the remaining two Pokémon made a straight beeline for the vulnerable teenager. Nicholas gasped in fear as a hissing Venipede leapt towards him, a sharp stinger emerging from its fat tail. A sheen of venom coating the barb glistened ominously.

With a screeching cry, a red and cream blur tackled the Venipede midair, engulfing the bug Pokémon in fire as it did so. The insect squealed as it bounced hard against the alley wall, its body smoldering and covered in burns. The remaining Pokémon, a Croagunk, looked up bewildered only to see the flying form coming back for a second pass. With is crimson feathers and colorful plumage, Nicholas quickly identified the Pokémon as being a Fletchinder.

"Tinidh! Use Acrobatics!" Liam's strident voice rang out.

The crimson bird quickly began darting towards its foe, making zigzagging motions almost too fast for the eyes to follow. Dazed and captivated by the movement, the Croagunk reacted too late before the Fletchinder swooped on it with blinding speed. Laid low by a powerful flying attack, the fighting toad was violently punched from its position. Further back, Nicholas could see that despite the initial difficulties, Shade had managed to gain the upper ground. The dark weasel was clinging to the back of the Ledian, gleefully shredding its back with his wicked claws. Despite the ladybug's frantic efforts to shake him off, the Sneasel clung on fast.

Seeing their Pokémon taken out so quickly, the four Midnight's Children cried out in outrage and reached out for their second Pokeballs by their side. Before they could go any further, Liam's Fletchinder darted forward once more.

"Flame Charge, Tinidh! Burn those suckers to crisp!"

At Liam's single command, the red bird swooped amongst the four gangers, its nimble form bursting into brilliant flame. A curtain of fire trailed behind its body, setting hair and clothes alight. Howling with pain, the Midnight's Children dropped or writhed on the spot, desperately trying to put out the fires licking at their clothes and flesh. Chaos had not been confined to the four who had attempted to attack Nicholas, either. Screams and panicked cries now echoed from the rest of the Midnight's Children packing the alleyway behind them, as a stream of star-like energy projectiles tore through their ranks. From the top of ledge above, Clara was commanding an Espeon as it rained a Swift attack onto the crowd below.

In any other circumstances, the Midnight's Children would have quickly overwhelmed the Silver Wings with their superior numbers. An ordinary swift attack, of course, would not have posed much of a threat. Here in the alleyway, however, the terrain worked against them. The choked space of the alleyway meant that the gangers could not bring their numbers to bear at once, while the elevated position of their foe made it difficult for their Pokémon to target anything. Even worse, the enclosing sides had forced the Midnight's Children to cluster tightly, presenting themselves as vulnerable targets. Clara on the other hand suffered no such disadvantages, allowing her Pokémon to effectively suppress the gangers with impunity. At her clipped command, the Espeon psychically broke apart a sizable part of the ledge into concrete chunks size of fists. The deadly shards fell upon the Midnight's Children, adding even more to the panic.

Emboldened by the support, Nicholas attacked the clasp with added vigor. The plastic catch finally came apart with a click, and the teen gratefully yanked it out from around Milo's body. As he did so, a glint of three spherical objects on Milo's side caught his eyes.

Milo's Pokeballs….

Without thinking, Nicholas clicked open all of them in succession, releasing a Pidgeotto, a Machop, and a Kricketune. The critters cried out in surprise and anguish upon seeing the ravaged body of their beloved trainer.

"The Midnight's Children!" Nicholas gasped out. "They killed Barry! And now they've killed Milo!"

Shrieking with rage, Milo's bereaved Pokémon charged into their trainer's killers with a vengeful fury. Harried by Clara's Espeon above, the Midnight's Children had no time to brace before the three creatures plunged into their flank. A confused and brutal close-combat ensued, both gangers and Pokémon tangled in a confused scuffle. A few gangers even attacked their comrades, convinced that they had been betrayed for some reason.

"Anytime now, kid!" Liam called out from the rooftops. "We don't have all day, you know!"

With the fanny pack newly secured around him, Nicholas stepped onto the first rung of the ladder and called out to Shade. The weasel, having busied himself by thrashing the now-unconscious Ledian, reluctantly detached himself from the chaos and climbed up to his back. Aware that the Midnight's Children could recover from the confusion at any moment, Nicholas ascended the ladder as quickly as he could. As on cue, Liam recalled his Fletchinder and released an Arbok in its stead.

"Naer! Cover our escape with Haze! Let's make sure we have lost these idiots properly."

The serpent Pokémon nodded its sinuous neck, and opened its fanged maw to release a plume of purplish smoke into the alleyway. Even as Nicholas climbed higher, the scene below him slowly became obscured, the noise of battle the only indication of the damage still being wreaked. His calves were burning with exertion already, feeble muscles cramping from this sudden burst of activity. Nicholas dared not stop, though, instead focusing on stepping from one rung to the next.

Without warning, a jarring blow landed on the side of Nicholas' head, sending him reeling. Only a desperate reflex kept him hanging onto the ladder instead of plunging back into the alley. Shaking off the stars dancing in front of his eyes, Nicholas felt something sticky running down across his eye. He freed one hand to wipe his face, only to find it bloody.

"Watch out!" Clara yelled from above.

Nicholas turned his head and instantly ducked to avoid a gray bird Pokémon lunging towards him. Free from the fracas below, one of the Midnight's Children Pokémon had evidently decided to turn its ire on its true enemy. Letting out a piercing cry, the Tranquill banked around and dove once more with its talons gleaming.

"Shade! Help….!" Nicholas cried out.

He needed not have worried, for his weasel companion was ready this time around. Vaulting onto his trainer's shoulder, Shade puffed out a jet of Icy Wind straight into the Tranquill as it closed in. The bird Pokémon hooted in protest, which quickly turned into one of panic as it found its wings frozen solid. Shrieking, it dropped helplessly from sight into the smoke-choked alleyway below.

"I like the way how you handled yourself down there," Liam chuckled as he and Clara roughly hoisted Nicholas up the last few steps. "Especially where you released Milo's Pokémon. Arceus bless his soul, Milo would've been so proud to know how much they loved him."

"Shouldn't we get them out of there?" Nicholas said, cautiously looking over the ledge. "You know they'll be overwhelmed at some point."

"No," the red-haired ganger shook his head. "You've given them what they wanted after all, to go down avenging the death of their trainer. A grieving Pokémon in Undercity could not ask for any less. Besides, they'll buy us enough time to make a clean getaway."

"And Barry…?" Clara ventured. A single look at Nicholas' face told the gangers all they needed to know.

"Damn," Liam cursed quietly. "Now those bastards will really pay for what they did to us. But that will come later. For now, we must hurry to the barricade before anything else happens. By the way, are you alright? It's a nasty blow you took from that Tranquill."

"I'm fine," Nicholas lied, wincing as he wiped away more of the blood from his forehead. "Just a flesh wound."

"Good. Let's move out. We don't have too long to go now."

After recalling their Pokémon into their respective Pokeballs, the three surviving teenagers began to jog across the roof heading due northeast. The gaps between the building roofs in the area were narrow enough for them to leap across, though Nicholas was quickly reaching the end of his adrenaline-fueled stamina. If the Silver Wings were suffering likewise, they certainly showed no sign of it. To Nicholas' relief, the Midnight's Children showed no inclination of following, and none of their crazed members showed up behind them during their passage. It was only after traversing across the roofs further into their territory for about twenty minutes when the teenagers hear a fresh racket ahead of them.

"Hold here," Liam muttered as he picked his way towards the edge of the warehouse they were standing. After scanning the perimeter with a battered binocular, he nodded with satisfaction.

"We found them alright. 2'o clock, about twenty meters ahead of us. It looks like they're still holed up in that barricade. There are constant barrages coming in from north and northeast corners. The whole situation looks dangerous, so we'd better move in quickly."

"Aw crap! At this rate, those bastards will burn down all of our food!" Clara exclaimed.

Nicholas crept forward to take a look himself. Stretching in front of him was a large open square ringed by several old dilapidated cafes. Dominating the center of the area was a haphazard barricade of wood and cardboard boxes stacked against a half-destroyed pickup truck that lay on its side. Signs of struggle were startlingly fresh, evidenced by limp bodies scattered around the barricade and scorch marks that riddled the crates. Even now, regular stream of lightning bolts and fireballs were pouring into the redoubt from the opposing windows. Response from within the barricade was sparse and irregular. Even from the distance, Nicholas could make out panicked shouts and darting figures that manned the crude barbican. At the very edge of the square, shadowy forms of the Midnight's Children lurked, biding their time.

Liam took out a thin coil of rope from inside his jacket that he used to create a makeshift ladder to climb down onto the roof of a nearby shed. Few more minutes of shimmying saw the teens safely make their way down onto the ground. Having recovered, Liam, Clara, and Nicholas pushed themselves flat against the warehouse wall. The refuge of the besieged Gamma and Eta squads lay straight ahead.

"We must move quickly onto the redoubt now," Liam hissed. "Those nut-bag Midnight's Children will start firing down on us as soon as they figure out we aren't with them. We make this passage in one go, got it?" Clara and Nicholas nodded grimly in return.

"Three…two…one…now!"

The three teens darted out from the warehouse and began dashing across the square towards the barricades. The first burst of attacks that greeted them however, came not from the besiegers.

"Hold your fire, you morons!" Clara yelled on top of her voice as a burst of fire sailed past her shoulder. "We're on your side! Silver Wings! Silver Wings!" Running beside her, Liam tore off his gang armband and began to wave it frantically. Such necessary but open display of allegiance however had an adverse effect of redirecting the attention of the Midnight's Children to the trio. Withering fire from across the square now splashed all around them, forcing Nicholas, Clara, and Liam into a weaving run. On the bright side, the attacks from behind the barricade gradually diminished until it completely stopped. Panting furiously, the Silver Wings almost slammed against the side of the barricades out of the killing zone. One of the crates in the bottom was pulled back, and the teenagers gratefully crawled into the hole into safety.

No sooner had they straightened up did the trio come face to face with a gaggle of gangers staring with undisguised surprise and suspicion. Despite the same Silver Wing armband around their arms, the rabble looked ready to tear the newcomers apart.

"What the hell is going on here?!" A surly looking teenager with a sleek brown hair and a cowlick pushed himself past others to the front. "Who are you?"

"Relax, Roger," Liam growled "It's us, Liam and Clara from the Theta squad, plus the janitor kid. We've come bearing medical supplies and to provide further support here."

The mood of the surrounding teens brightened noticeably and brought many smiles and laughter of relief. Lingering suspicions melted away into a gathering jubilation.

"A rescue! By Arceus, that's the best news I've heard in hours!" Roger exclaimed in relief, almost appearing on the verge of tears. "We're finally getting out of here! So, where are the rest of you?"

"Sorry, Roger," Clara said apologetically. "But we're it, and there's not going to be any rescue for now. We've merely come here to brace up your defense until the main relief force shows up."

Smiles disappeared as fast as they came. The gangers fell silent and stood thunderstruck, their wide eyes filled with disbelief.

"No rescue?" Roger stammered. "But…but why? We can't hold our position any longer by ourselves! We're not going to last another hour!"

"CJ's on his way, too. He's just being delayed a little," Nicholas ventured, but Roger no longer seemed to pay any attention. The teenager began pacing back and forth restlessly, tearing at his hair in distress as he began to hyperventilate.

"We're all going to die!" Roger cried out. "Don't you get it?! We've all been abandoned! There's no hope for us now! Those monsters out there are going to eat us alive!" Roger's voice now bordered on frantic mania. His fear began spreading around him, agitating the gangers around him into fits of nervousness.

With one swift, fluid motion, Liam stepped forward and caught Roger's face with a brutal right hook. The ganger collapsed with a shrill cry, clutching at his bloody nose.

"Oh, shut yer bloody mouth, you miserable piece of shit!" Liam roared. "It's your fault we're stuck here in this hellhole in the first place! You think any of us is any less afraid?! But unlike you, we're all going keep our asses out in one piece or die trying! And if you keep prattling on with your whiny bitchin', I'm going to haul your sorry bottom out into the open, got that?"

Roger looked up with fear-filled eyes, forced back a whimper and nodded meekly.

"Right then," Liam straightened up and took a deep breath. "Everyone listen up! We will need to defend ourselves for an hour or so before the main rescue party can get us out. I know you all are exhausted and spent, but just remember that this all will be over soon! We've brought potions for the Pokémon, so if anyone needs them just form a line in front of me!"

The besieged remnants of Gamma and Eta squads, though still forlorn, were galvanized enough to reassert some measure of control amongst themselves. Many formed a queue to receive much needed supplies from Liam, while those remaining tended to their positions on the barricade with renewed vigor. The teenagers were all sodden with sweat, grime, and blood, their hard eyes staring out defiantly from their exhausted faces. Many of them sported fresh wounds that had been hastily patched up by pieces of rags, some injuries serious enough to warrant a limp or a makeshift sling. Various weapons of different qualities hung limply from their hands—baseball bats, pipes, long poles, and knives. The Pokémon that defended the barricade along with their trainers weren't faring better, similarly bruised and wounded in the battles in the past hours. From time to time, the crate barricade trembled and rocked as steady stream of fire rained down on the defenders. The Silver Wings returned the favor whenever they could back towards the invisible enemy.

"In the meantime," Clara turned to Nicholas and pointed at the fanny pack around his waist. "Take those supplies to our medic by the corner. We need to patch up our injured as best as we can."

Nicholas nodded and carefully wound his way through the teenagers towards the more secluded corner of the redoubt. There, he found a familiar figure tending to several gravely wounded teenagers lying on the ground.

"Amber?"

The red-headed girl wearily raised her head, and Nicholas was taken aback to see the hollow look in her eyes. Amber's usually pleasant face was a mess. Her lips were cracked and taut with tension, and splashes of motor oil streaked parts of her hair into a glossy black sheen. Her Pikachu sat perched on her shoulder, while her three other Pokémon—a Flareon, a Buneary, and a Poochyena—prowled around the perimeter, alert for any intruders. It took Amber a few seconds before a look of recognition entered her face.

"Nick? What on earth are you doing here?" The girl muttered blankly.

"Thought I could help. The relief force was a little shorthanded," Nicholas replied. He quickly remembered that as a member of the Gamma squad, Amber had been a part of the convoy. "Here, we brought some medical supplies for the wounded."

Amber took the medicine as if in a trance. Her fingers slowly rummaged through the contents of the fanny pack. She merely stared at the vials and bottles without acknowledgment, her lips moving silently as to sound out some words she didn't know.

"Um….Were they not the ones you needed?" Nicholas ventured.

"Somno-morphine," Amber rasped. "Burn creams and bandages…. If only I had them at hand in the first place…they could've lived. I might have even saved them all."

"I-I'm….sorry," Nicholas said hurriedly. "We tried to get here as quickly as we could. If we had known how urgent this was-"

"It's not your fault," Amber shook her head. "It wouldn't have made any difference even if you got here earlier. I knew it was too late the moment we were hit. If I can't administer the medicine right away, then nothing else would've done them any good. I should have—I should have brought my emergency kit with me. I'm a medic, for Arceus' sake!" She cursed bitterly, her voice cracking with anger and grief.

"It wasn't your fault, either, Amber," Nicholas replied. "There was no way you could've known this was coming." Amber did not seem to have heard the comment, perhaps too caught up in her personal regrets.

"But still….I guess I have do what I can. At least, it's not too late for some of us," the girl muttered. Screwing open a tin lid of a burn cream, Amber proceeded to apply a generous scoop onto one of her patients, a semi-conscious young girl with a severe burn on her left arm and shoulder. The patient groaned and jerked in pain as the cool ointment touched her skin.

"Look…you've got to rest easy, Amber. You're not obviously well right now."

Amber let out a bitter laugh, topped by a sharp hiccup. "You think?! Look at me, Nick. Here I am, unable to do shit while my teammates lie suffering. In what universe would I be okay?!" Taking a deep breath, she remained still for a brief moment. A light shudder went through her body.

"But there's no need to coddle me. I will be alright," Amber continued after a while, now sounding a little more settled. "The question is…are YOU going to be alright? We're in a middle of a gang war, for heaven's sake, and you only have your Sneasel to protect you!"

"I had my reasons to be here," Nicholas smiled faintly. "I'll try to take care of myself as best I can. Besides, there's nothing I can do about it now, is there?" Amber nodded slowly before taking out a roll of bandages from the fanny pack.

"I can't say I fully approve of you being here," she sighed as she carefully wrapped the bandage around the patient's burned arm. "This is ugly business, Nick. Just look at them! It took all my mediocre skills just to keep them going. Even now, I can't say for sure whether they'll make it. And of course, I couldn't do anything for some." She sadly pointed out two bodies lying apart from the rest, their faces mercifully covered with their own jackets.

"They were my friends, Nick. Just this morning, we were laughing and chatting about things we were going to do with our earnings after we finished up. And now, they are just….bags of meat, dead and still like bricks or this truck."

"I'm so sorry about your loss," Nicholas said quickly. "I understand what it is like to lose someone. It's….never easy."

"That's not the worst of it," Amber said. "This isn't the first time I've lost a friend, you know? The very first time was the hardest. I remember crying my eyes out back then. After a while, as more and more of us were taken from us, I've learned to stay cheerful, keep the smile on if only for the show. It actually makes it much easier to bear the pain."

"But then after a while, I began to realize all these deaths….weren't making me feel as sad or hurt anymore. It's as if my heart is hardening as more and more memories of my friends fade away. So now….I sometimes have to force myself to feel sad, to make sure I don't die inside. And that, Nick, is the worst thing about losing someone….to not feel anything when tragedy strikes, to lose the ability to mourn."

A depressing shadow stretched over the girl's face, leaving Nicholas uncomfortable. Despite her words, Amber did not stop even once in her ministrations, continuously bandaging the girl with practiced ease.

"What happened here anyway?" Nicholas quickly changed the subject, hoping to lighten the mood. "It would've taken a lot to total the truck this big." Indeed, the large truck was not in a good shape. The vehicle was flipped onto one side, its tattered tires dangling uselessly in the air. Several parts had come loose, creating jagged seams through which gasoline slowly dripped out. The left side of the front cab had been crushed, littering the ground with shattered windshield fragments.

"What happened? Roger Billings and his friends happened, that's what!" Amber spat venomously before glaring towards Roger's direction. "Those idiots wanted to impress one another in some stupid bet. Thought they were ballsy enough to cut through the Midnight's Children territory. The rest of us said no, but would they listen? A bunch of immature morons…. Thanks to them, my friends are dead! You hear me, you jackass?!" The girl whipped her head around, her voice abruptly ring to a high pitch. "YOU. KILLED. MY. FRIENDS!" In the distance, Roger's shoulders stiffened, then sagged.

"Anyway, the Midnight's Children saw us coming from miles away. So they rigged the road with a bunch of Voltorbs and made them Self-Destruct as we passed by. I should know, this is not the first time that tactic has been used in the Undercity. I recognized their distinct sound of explosion as soon as they went off. Mickey over there was killed right away, thrown off the truck as it flipped." Amber nudged her chin at one of the covered bodies.

"Then those freaks tried to rush us as soon as our truck broke down. But we managed to rally fast enough to see off the first wave, before building this…sad shelter," Amber paused. "What the hell happened to your forehead?"

"Oh, this?" Nicholas gingerly fingered the wound, flinching as a sharp pain erupted at the touch. "Got into a bit of a scuffle on the way…. I made it out alive, two us didn't."

"Here, let me look," Having finished bandaging, Amber took out an antiseptic spray from the pack and rose up to Nicholas. "Nasty….but lucky for you, shallow. This will do the trick." Without warning, she brought up the bottle and sprayed once onto the wound. Nicholas yelped involuntarily as the sting brought tears to his eyes.

"A little warning next time?" He grumbled as he blinked the tears away.

"Don't be such a drama queen, Nick," Amber deadpanned as she carefully stuck a large patch of Band-Aid over his wound. "We'll all need to be on our best if we are to survive the next hour."

"Ibrahim's coming. He'll be here in no time with reinforcements. Hopefully, he'll come up with a way to get all of us out of here."

"Oh, I don't doubt it. I know Ibrahim. He'll never leave one of us out here to die. The real problem is….do we have hours to spare? A lot can happen it that time, Nick, and I'm not naïve to believe we all get to have a happy ending."

---

"Ware, ware!" One of the gangers manning the barricade suddenly cried out. "Movement to the north between the buildings! The enemy is gathering for another assault!"

"How many?" Roger asked, his eyes wide.

"At least two dozen gangers, and half again that number in Pokémon!" A fearful mutter swept through the defending Silver Wings. The Midnight's Children outnumbered them by two to one, promising a daunting fight ahead of them. A flurry of activity overtook them as the gangers finished tending to their wounds and their Pokémon.

"Everyone to their positions! Man the barricades!" Liam roared confidently as he strode forth to the walls. "Bring out every Pokémon that can thin their numbers from the distance! We can finish them off before even one of those sons of bitches gets to us! To arms!"

"Yes, well…whatever he said!" Roger exclaimed as he anxiously followed the teenager up the walls. With practiced ease, the Silver Wing gangers began stepping up to the battlements to face their enemies. Gripped tightly in their hands were long poles, baseball bats, cudgels, and other various fighting implements that promised cruel punishments to whoever got close. One or two Pokémon stood in front of each ganger, their eyes grim and alert just like their trainers. Sparks and flickering fire flashed through the gloom amongst them in anticipation.

"I should be up there," Nicholas muttered, half to himself. "We're going to need all the hands we can get on this one. Besides, it would be better for me to see what's coming for myself." With a tap, Shade materialized from his Pokeball onto his shoulder once more, growling in eager anticipation.

Amber opened her mouth as if to protest, but instead sighed in resignation. "Well, I know I can't stop you, so I won't. But here, I'll have my Flareon accompany you to the battlements." At the mention of its name, the fiery canine Pokémon eagerly stepped forward.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave here undefended," Nicholas said.

"I'll be fine. I have my other friends to help me out," Amber smiled faintly. "Besides, I know your Sneasel prefers getting close and personal with his opponent. I'm sure my Flareon's talent for ranged combat can complement him nicely. You won't even need to command him or nothing. He knows what he's doing, don't you Flareon?" The fire Pokémon happily cried out in response and coughed up a wisp of flame from its mouth, prompting Shade to cringe uneasily.

"Thank you."

"Just take care of yourself, okay? Oh, and don't forget to pick out a weapon for yourself from that pile over there. You don't want to leave yourself exposed, do you?"

Nicholas turned to see a small haphazard assortment of weapons heaped against the far wall. For a brief moment, the alien idea of actually wielding a weapon befuddled him.

"How on earth am I supposed to use that?" Nicholas said dumbly.

"Just grab one on one end and hit the enemy with the other. Pretty simple really. You'll get a hang of it once you get started."

Nicholas gingerly stepped up to the crude tools as if he were approaching a nest of vipers. Never in his life had he ever picked up a weapon, much less use it on someone else. To him, violence was solely in the realm of the adventure novels he read. He took a glance at the rest of the gangers and noted how those same weapons rested so easily in their hands. But then again, if it came down to choosing between fighting and being killed… After some thought, Nicholas finally picked up a long wooden pole that was not unlike the mop handles he had gotten used to. Though not the most lethal weapon in the lot, familiarity with such an object would give him a better chance of survival. Or so he hoped.

Freshly equipped, Nicholas fell into place along the barricade, into to a thin line of gangers guarding their respective positions. Though he was standing behind a two sturdy crates stacked up on top of one another, Nicholas didn't feel any safer than he was before. Shade didn't seem to share his sentiments, however, and quickly climbed down his shoulders and on top of the crate. He was quickly joined by Amber's Flareon, who playfully slapped a paw across the weasel Pokémon's head—to Shade's immense displeasure—before taking up a guarded stance next to him.

All along the line, the gangers were muttering uneasily even as their keen eyes pierced into the gloom. On the far side the square, silhouettes of the Midnight's Children were emerging slowly from the distant shadows like fearsome beasts from the deep. Under the dim streetlights, their tattoos and piercings gleamed with unhealthy glow, making them look fiercer than ever. Silver Wing gangers around Nicholas began to mutter self-affirmations or prayers to ward off the creeping terror. Nicholas noticed to his relief, however, that Erasmus Fell or any of the gangers he was with were not among them. Perhaps C.J. had managed to best them…..?

"Hold the line! Do not fear them!" Liam's steady voice rang across the battlements. The ganger had unsheathed his machete, which he brandished before him threateningly. "Beneath their disguises, those wretches still bleed and scream like anyone else. We've kicked their arses before and we can do so again! So pick your targets carefully! Remember what the Lieutenants have taught us...bring down whoever or whatever comes closest, but be mindful of the type advantages and disadvantages. Make sure your Pokémon makes each attack count."

"And when those bastards get within your reach…" Liam's voice suddenly took on a savage tone. "Give them hell, and let them know what it means to mess with the Silver Wings!"

A ragged cheer rang up from the defenders, heartened by the encouragement. Nicholas smiled despite himself. The gangers seemed to know what they were doing. Perhaps this whole mess will be done with without him having to lift his pole?

Even as the Silver Wings readied themselves, the mob of Midnight's Children began marching into the square. Only a few steps were taken however, when the painted gangers suddenly stopped in their tracks and slowly parted to either side to reveal a large gap. A slow, dreadful chant began to echo from their ranks, gangers' feet stamping and hands clapping with the beat. Several Silver Wings looked to each other in alarm and fear at this strange development.

"What fresh hell is this?!" Clara hissed loudly.

"Oh, Arceus! Look at that!" Roger suddenly shrieked beside him and pointed ahead.

A humongous form was lumbering forward through the path that the Midnight's Children had cleared. Though squat in a conventional sense, its vast, armored body was bulging with horrific strength and anger that was barely restrained by its masters. Lamps shone upon a mass of thick stony plates and thorny ridges, surrounding a pair of baleful eyes and snarling maw.

"No…" Nicholas breathed, feeling his knees grow weak as he did so.

It was a Rhyhorn, and an enormous example of its kind at that. Gleefully goaded by its handlers, the stone rhino Pokémon lumbered forward to the head of the mob. Its cruel eyes flickered towards the wooden barricade erected far ahead of him, triggering an inevitable, primitive instinct in its small brain. The Rhyhorn snorted, pawed at the ground, then threw back its head and bellowed. Its trumpeting roar was deafening, and more than one ganger reared back with his hands clamped to his ears. Before the Silver Wings could recover from their surprise, the Rhyhorn lowered its head and surged forward. As on cue, the gathered Midnight's Children shouted a mighty cheer and began pouring out towards the redoubt.

The Rhyhorn came charging across the square like a runaway train, the ground shaking with each thundering step it took. The horde of various Pokémon belonging to the Midnight's Children followed in its wake. Some stopped every now and then to send projectiles, bolts of lightning or streams of fire towards the defenders, but the great majority closed the distance with impunity, their combat expertise lying in close quarters fighting. Coming right behind them was the ululating mob of Midnight's Children gangers, wasted and feral urchins daubed in terrifying war paints. Crude cudgels, knives, and makeshift spears were clutched in their hands, one ganger carrying a tattered gray banner emblazoned with the gang sigil: a baleful crimson eye staring out from an indigo hand.

"Oh shit! Bring them down! Bring them down!" Roger screamed frantically. The Pokémon defending the barricade opened up without further encouragement, their trainers hollering out targets. Although the distance was still too great for Shade's Icy Wind, Amber's Flareon belched out a stream of Flamethrower that caught a Sandslash fully on its side. A spatter of fire directed from the defenders rippled through the mob and fell several Pokémon. Still, even Nicholas saw that the defense had gotten off on the wrong foot. Many of the Silver Wings had been caught off guard at the sight of the Rhyhorn, and in their panic had forgotten to pick their targets carefully. Too many sprays of fire, acid, and lightning bounced harmlessly off the stone Pokémon's sturdy armor, inadvertently freeing other more vulnerable foes from defensive fire. Type weaknesses and strengths were quickly forgotten as many teenagers resorted to mindlessly lashing out at the first enemy they laid eyes on. Nicholas saw one ganger who, oblivious in his panic, was commanding his Drowzee to use Confusion on a Mightyena over and over despite the obvious ineffectiveness of the attack. Nearby, a Pachirisu had accidently stumbled into a Gothita belonging to another ganger, resulting in a heated exchange that ended in a furious brawl as their respective owners egged them on despite the ongoing battle. In the face of terrifying adversity, what little discipline the Silver Wing gangers had was quickly breaking down.

The Midnight's Children came charging in with frenzy, their whooping war cry and shouts growing louder by the second. The Rhyhorn had come so close by now and nothing had been done to dissuade it from its unstoppable momentum. The stone rhino snorted and lowered its fortified head in a bracing position. In that brief second, every single Silver Wing ganger knew exactly what was about to happen.

"Oh shit! Everybody get off the barricades, now!" Liam screamed. Without hesitation, the gangers and Pokémon threw themselves from their positions barely before the Rhyhorn reached the redoubt. Against a Pokémon known to send trailers flying, the stack of crates was like paper to it.

The Rhyhorn rammed through the crates with a titanic force, creating large breach in the barricade in a blinding storm of debris, cans and protein bars. A couple of unlucky Pokémon were brutally thrown into their air like rag dolls. In its fury, the Rhyhorn continued straight on its path of rampage and sent more Pokémon hurtling off to the side.

A terrified shriek pierced the air. Through the rolling cloud of dust, Nicholas saw Roger, having been knocked off his feet, frantically trying to scrabble away from the Rhyhorn bearing down on him. His valiant Vigoroth leapt in to protect his trainer, only to have his stomach caved in and hurled into the crates by the charge.

"No! No! Stay away! Stay away!" Roger wailed helplessly as he met his doom. A dark wet spot was quickly growing in his crotch when the super-heavy Pokémon trampled him underneath its feet and utterly broke the teenager's body. Without as much as backward glance, the stone rhino stubbornly plowed past until it broke past the back wall and disappeared from sight altogether.

Dazed by the catastrophic assault, the uninjured gangers and their Pokémon barely had enough time to recover. Screaming like banshees from hell, the Midnight's Children and their Pokémon poured in through the breach and savagely descended upon the stricken Silver Wings.

---

R&R!