AN: YOU PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HATE ME WITH A BURNING, UNSTOPPABLE, FIERY FLIPPING PASSION. *goes to get flame shield* You will see what I mean at the end of the chapter. Just please be nice with your reviews as this has been planned for nearly seven chapters... The authoress of this story would like to live to make it to the epilogue, please.
Also, shorter chapter. Chock full of actiony goodness though. Enjoy.
Keith grabbed the black-clothed recruit by the neck, smacking the back of his head with the brunt of his elbow. The recruit went slack in his grip and he glanced at the fearful scientists staring at him, "You're free." He announced, moving on.
He wanted to get to the top of the building as soon as possible, but even HE was being cautious enough to make sure he had gotten everything on each floor. He was making sure that nothing could hinder the help that was already on its way. He glanced down at the Styler attached to his forearm, biting his lip and wondering what was going on.
He moved to the next floor.
Three recruits hindered his way almost as soon as he stepped from the elevator, and he let Buizel out of its Pokeball to deal with them while he looked around for any strays. The powerful Watergun Buizel used slammed all three recruits into the opposite wall, knocking them unconscious.
"Damn." He looked at Buizel, "You pack a punch." He frowned deeply, "You should be a Floatzel soon. Why won't you evolve, crazy water weasel…"
Buizel sent a water gun into his face.
"Okay, okay!" he blocked the stream of water with a huff, "Touchy…"
--
Christen walked with Noah into the building, looking around at the relaxing workers who looked like they hadn't slept in weeks. They were the retrieval agents… the ones expected to pick up and restrain all the enemy agents in the building. Who, she thought hopefully, had already been knocked out.
It would certainly make things easier for them, the two rookies…
Noah lugged a few knocked out enemies out of the building while she checked on the workers. They had pokemon that would possibly make it easier to take care of the enemies… and she had her partner, a hyperactive Eevee that had just evolved into an Espeon, to help her if she needed it.
She just hoped that they could help some way.
--
Rhythmi shivered in Isaac's arms, feeling the horrible feeling in her chest increasing. Something had happened. Something horrible.
Isaac tightened his worried grip on the shaking blonde, frowning anxiously. His heart was beating rapidly as he listened desperately for any more speaking in the world of the awake. Nothing came to their quiet room, which made everyone even more nervous.
This wasn't good at all.
--
Kincaid was almost giddy at the sight before him, the wounded form of Kate flinching as pain traveled throughout her bloodstream grâce à the poison he had used. The mere thought that he was removing, FINALLY removing the thorn that had been in his side since day one was almost enough to send shivers down his spine. He sneered at her while he stepped into view, victory plain on his face.
He was going to win… for once; he was actually going to win.
It didn't matter if the loathsome little brat Keith showed up, because Kate was doomed. He would use his Gengar on the other pests, throwing all the captives off the tower after the two decimated rangers had fallen to their own doom. The only thing that really mattered now… was gloating to the already dying girl in front of him.
"So close, aren't we?" he sneered at her, watching her shiver in fear as she looked at him. He savored the feeling of victory even more than he had before. It was true that he was going to win. He was going to accomplish what Blake Hall had failed to do.
He was going to remove the last obstacle… and take his throne before a world that would be shrouded in darkness soon enough. And Darkrai would be by his side to help him rule for all eternity.
All was going according to plan.
--
Pain flooded her system in a slow march, moving from her still bleeding shoulder downward in waves of soldiers wearing pointy shoes (Don't laugh, it really hurt and her pain-filled mind was making metaphors that made no sense). She could feel the slowly moving fire as it ate away at her bloodstream, making it hard to breath; she could feel it moving down to her already shaking legs, causing her to quiver as she struggled to keep her footing. Both of her arms were numb with pain.
Still, she stared at the victorious form of Kincaid before her, smirking suavely as he removed the sunglasses from his thin nose. The black hair was slicked back, not unlike how Blake Hall had worn it at one time.
"Still looking like Blake Hall, Mister Swirly Hair?" she asked weakly, wincing as the words leapt from her dry and cracking throat, tasting the coppery iron taste of blood as her already dry throat was attacked by the sound waves. Odd, when had her throat gotten so dry?
Kincaid's sneer widened as he glanced down at the garbs he wore. "Blake Hall formed the look." He muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear, "I improved it."
"Get over yourself…" Kate whispered as the blood flooded her mouth, swallowing it before raising her gaze to his again. She glanced over his clothes, the simple black suit with white lapel and purple handkerchief, once again reminded of Blake Hall. It was almost as if Kincaid had based his entire look off of the former president of Altru.
It was… just a LITTLE creepy.
"I must say I'm impressed with how far you've come, Miss Davies…" Kincaid smirked, using his teacher-scolding-a-bad-student voice as he paced before her. "You've made record time on captures…" his mouth curled into an almost approving grin, "…that would have taken any other exceptional amounts of time to complete.
"You've come so far to the end of your journey when many others would simply have given up…" his grin curled into a leer, "…much smarter, actually.
"You've even come close to completing your little Mission, coming right to the end of the road." He turned his gaze on her, "And I mean that literally. This is the end of the line for you. I'm making sure of it.
"Because no matter how much you've done, I'm afraid I must tell you…" he sneered at her, "You've still failed."
Her breath hitched and she coughed, more blood flooding her throat. The spatter of blood by her feet made her flinch; she knew it had come from her mouth.
She locked her eyes on the pile of captives lying asleep behind him, heads resting on other heads, shoulders, knees, and even chests. They were thrown haphazardly among each other… her gaze traveled to Rhythmi, her first friend in Almia.
Rhythmi's head was toward her, almost as if she was sending silent hopes for Kate. Rhythmi wished her well, she knew.
A quick glance showed Kate that Rhythmi was holding on tightly to Isaac's hand in sleep, a sight that made her smile even in the horrid situation she found herself in. Isaac was gripping Rhythmi's hand just as tightly which made her weak smile widen. About time, she thought morbidly as the pain pulsing through her body made her drop to one knee, flinching.
She had her left hand tightly gripping onto her right shoulder, blood still leaking through her fingers and staining the light tan cloak she wore red. She gasped for breath, her increasingly dry throat protesting every wheeze.
The poison was killing her; she knew it. It was making it harder and harder to breathe and the pulsing pain throughout her body was slowly but surely sapping her strength. Her head swam, her eyes blurring everything into colors.
Her right hand slipped into her pocket desperately, though she didn't know what good she thought it would do. The only things in that pocket were the ten glowing stones… ten… ten captives… ten friends needing her to succeed.
Her eyes widened in realization and her fingers wrapped around four of the small stones. She desperately hoped she had enough strength and coordination to throw them to Barlow and his team…
Her hand extended and her eyes closed, a grunt of pain escaping her already bleeding throat as the stones flew toward the captives. A clatter of crystal against metal and a rolling noise alerted her she had really let go. She couldn't feel her hands anymore. Her vision was graying at the edges, colors blending into each other and moving around.
Another sudden pain in her side came after a muffled voice spoke and she looked down to see more dark red. More blood. If the poison didn't kill her fast enough, the blood loss would.
It was getting hard to think. She was almost mechanically throwing the last of the stones.
Thundering footsteps accompanied her arms falling limply as the last stone was thrown. She could see people moving, people who had been still before… Her eyes closed slightly as strong arms lifted her by her shoulders, the pain a constant throb now. Her head lolled forward and her lungs burned.
She couldn't take it anymore.
She was dying.
--
Her vision darkened and her eyes closed. She slumped forward, hearing the distant thunder of feet and desperate calls of her name. And above all the sound, she could hear Keith.
"NO!"
AN: *hides behind flame shield*
Okay... shorter than usual AND with a really bad cliffhanger. I warned you all that you would hate me. As I said before, please don't kill me with your hatred. *hides again* I REALLY wanna get to the epilogue...
