Chapter 14: Revealed
May woke up like she had been hit by a thunder bolt. She knew that last night wasn't a dream but a part of her wished it was. She lifted the covers laying on top of her, yes, she was completely naked. She slowly looked over her shoulder, yes, Ash was resting next to her still asleep, confirming that everything that happened last night was not some lust filled illusion.
May placed her head back on her pillow and gripped the bed sheet, she had really done it. She and Ash had slept together, no she couldn't try and censor it to herself, she had had sex with Ash Ketchum. The boy she had travelling with eight years ago, had barely seen for the last six and who had randomly appeared after her first mission with Team Magma was sleeping right next to her after they had banged the night before.
What really had her mind reeling was how she didn't question it last night at all, as soon as she kissed him it felt so right that she didn't even think about anything else as if he had put a trance over her, and she wasn't going to deny that what she felt was good. Not just good it was fantastic. No one had ever made her feel so alive as Ash had done last night, so blissful yet at the same time so at peace. Of course that was all over now, as if the sun rise had cleared her head. Except it hadn't, she couldn't wipe away what had happened, their displays were littered all over the floor in the form of their clothes.
Not wanting to lay there and reflect all morning May decided the best thing to do was get some fresh air so she could figure out what to do. May carefully pulled the covers off of herself so she didn't wake Ash, fortunately he was a heavy sleeper and didn't even stir as she left the bed. May put on her bra and panties as well as her bandana, noting that her groin hurt a bit. Groaning at the fact that Ash had done a number on her, but then she saw the Terracotta ribbon on the desk by the door. May didn't bother to pick up any other clothes, something drew her to the ribbon, when she picked it up she knew what it was.
'This ribbon was as symbol of our friendship when we left each other, but now it's more than that.' May thought to herself. 'It's now a symbol of when he first kissed, of when we first…" May paused as if the act was forbidden. 'The first time we had sex.'
'What happens now, I can't form a life with him and have all these secrets at the same time. Dammit what am I going to do?" May asked herself as she gazed back at Ash. There was one positive and that was that New Magma had no idea that any of this had occurred.
As if on cue May's phone began to ring. Jumping in near shock May grabbed it and nearly jumped again when she saw it had no ID. Ash was still asleep but May couldn't take the call with him in the room he'd surely wake up. May moved to the door that connected her room to Ash's, fortunately it was still open and while making double sure Ash wasn't awake entered and closed the door behind her.
May turned around and instantly saw Pikachu a metre in front of her staring wide eyed at her mostly naked body. Momentarily stunned May realised the electric type must have either been looking for Ash or waiting for him to return, obviously he wasn't expecting to see May come through the door in the state she was in.
"Pikachu I have to take this call but its private so can you please go into the other room?" May asked quietly.
Pikachu continued to stare at her blankly, the only response he seemed he gave was when he tilted his head slightly. The phone was still ringing and May was getting more anxious.
"Pikachu please I really need to take this call." May insisted as she opened up the door behind her.
Pikachu looked at the opening, then back to May briefly before granting her request and ran into the other room before May closed it.
When the door closed Ash stirred in the bed, as he woke he turned over expecting to see May but instead saw Pikachu staring at him with both arms crossed. Ash burst backwards in surprise hitting the back of his head on the wall. Now completely awake Ash rubbed his head while Pikachu continued to stare at him.
"What are you so uptight about?" Ash asked wondering where May had gone.
Pikachu unfolded his arms pointed back towards the room he was in, he then walked up to the wall and banged his fist against it, Pikachu then crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow. Ash had completely forgotten Pikachu was right next door last night, factor in his sensitive hearing and his clearly irritated expression Ash got why he was so cross. There was also the fact that Ash had denied having feelings for May plenty of times before.
"Ok, ok yes that happened I'm sorry you had to hear all that." Ash apologised raising both hands in the air.
Pikachu grinned slyly, he then ran up taking advantage of Ash's hands being in the air and kicked him square in the groin. Ash's eyed nearly burst out of his head he had not expected that, a thunderbolt maybe but not a kick in the crown jewels.
"Arrrrr! Pikachu why!" Ash wailed as he rolled on the bed.
Pikachu just smiled, feeling that his actions both spoke louder and were more appropriate then zapping his trainer with lightning.
While the commotion was happening with Ash May was finally able to answer her phone.
"Agent Maple reporting." She spoke into the phone.
"Agent this is Captain Gregson this call is to be a video call so switch to your projector." Gregson's voice instructed.
May couldn't take the call while in her underwear and none of her clothes were in Ash's room. Looking around May saw one of Ash's jackets, seeing as she could just show from the waist up May grabbed the jacket zipped it up and was happy to find it covered down half her thigh. She then positioned the phone so that the image on Gregson's side would appear on the wall, as she turned the camera on her top half appeared in the corner and Gregson appeared on the main screen. Behind him however was Fane sitting behind his desk, May guessed that it was his office as she had never seen it before and couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Miss Maple I've read your latest report, I do hope your injuries are healing up?" Fane asked rather caringly.
"I am back one hundred percent sir." May responded. Something didn't feel right, Fane wouldn't be here just to give her his best wishes.
"Very good however that is where the pleasantries end I'm afraid." Fane's expression took on a more serious tone. "The captain here has brought to my attention a very, concerning report."
May froze, had she done something wrong, going through all the events since she last spoke to either Gregson or Fane she couldn't think of anything.
"Thank you sir, originally it came from some footage of the agent and Ash Ketchum who you know Maple was charged to watch over." Gregson spoke as he pulled out a remote and turned on a large computer screen so all of them could see.
"The footage was of the two of them 'playing' in a lake." Gregson clicked his remote showing multiple overhead shots of May and Ash when they had stopped at Lake May, making the coordinator breathe slightly heavier.
"I didn't think too much of it at the time until I received video footage from one of our drones that caught our agent and her 'assignment' engaging in some, interesting activities." Gregson drew out his sentence.
May's heart nearly stopped, surely they couldn't have seen that, how could they have possibly gotten into her room?
May's question was answered when Gregson clicked his remote again which played a recording. May recognised the device taking the footage, it was the same model that she used to hack the cameras at the Devon Corp, but this one was crawling along the hall outside her room and then manoeuvred under the door. May saw herself and Ash on the screen, it was when he was taking off her bandages. Gregson fast forwarded the tape as the drone positioned itself in the corner of the rooms ceiling so it had a perfect view of May's room and it occupants.
May watched as Gregson played the part where she had gotten her half of the Terracotta ribbon and was standing in the doorway with Ash. 'This can't be happening.' She told herself, but it was and it was being played back to her before her very own eyes and not only hers but Gregson's and Fane's as well.
The moment she saw herself kiss Ash and push him against the door May lost something, she wasn't sure if it was her privacy, her pride or her hope but it was gone and the tape still kept playing. Gregson hit fast forward again, playing it when Ash and May were on the bed taking each other's clothes off.
"It gets worse sir." Gregson uttered never taking his eyes off the screen, fast forwarding to the point where Ash was eating her out, her naked body fully in view.
May wanted to turn away or somehow grab the remote and stop the tape but she was powerless to do so. 'Why are you doing this to me, please stop.' May internally begged, Gregson had what he needed why was he still showing more and more of it? He skipped to the part were Ash was on top of her, what made it even worse was the audio, May felt her whole body tense at the sounds of her own screams and shouts. This was meant to be a private beautiful moment between herself and Ash and now it was tainted, used against her in the sickest of ways. May felt the very energy inside her being sapped away as if Gregson had taken the one good thing that had happened to her and crushed it in front of her eyes.
When the footage came to when May was on top of Ash Fane spoke up. "Thank you Captain, I've seen quite enough." The older man said as he turned back to May.
"Well agent as you can imagine I'm quite curious about all of this, you claim to have just been friends with Mrs Ketchum however from what I've seen you two are much more than that. So do you have anything to add?" Fane asked placing one fists under his chin.
May had never been so humiliated in all her life, her time with Ash put up on screen like some cheaply made porn. It took a lot of strength but May pushed aside her emotions and went with the only angle she had.
"Sir this was all an act." May answered confidently.
"An act? Do explain." Fane instructed.
"I was ordered to watch over Ash Ketchum, he no longer wanted to travel with me so I seduced him so he would stay with me willingly, until the time in which that specific order is revoked." May explained, it was a blatant lie but May had delivered it well she didn't think Gregson would believe it but the only person she needed to believe it was Fane.
"I see." Fane uttered still watching May reaction. "And this ploy of yours worked?"
"Confirmed sir." May responded, she then waited to see if it worked.
"Well that's quite something wouldn't you say Captain?" Fane looked over at Gregson.
"Sir?" Gregson responded rather unsure of his leader's reaction.
"I've never known anyone to go that far for a mission especially one that isn't even directly related to our cause, people have put their bodies on the line but not quite what Maple has done." Fane explained.
May couldn't believe he bought it, she thought for sure she was done for but her quick thinking had gotten her out of it. The look on both Gregson's and her own face showed they were both a little shocked.
"Now that that's cleared up let's inform our agent of the new updates." Fane moved on. "Your next target has been taken care of as our plans have been moved forward in light of the discovery of Groudon's location. This is all on a need to know basis so for now continue to travel with Ketchum." Fane revealed.
May had so many questions, when was it all taking place, where was the Groudon found, and what was she meant to do with Ash. But as Fane said it was on a need to know basis and she doubted New Magma cared what she did with Ash so she was forced to simply be happy with the information she got.
"Acknowledged sir I'll await new orders." May said as she stood up straighter.
"Keep up the good work Miss Maple." Fane addressed May before signalling to Gregson. The Captain walked up to the camera to turn it off as Fane turned around on his chair.
"I'll be looking forward to any more of those 'ploys' of yours agent." Gregson smiled wickedly before cutting the connection.
As soon as the video stopped May fell to her knees fighting back the tears that threatened to pour out of her eyes. She was off the hook but everything was still so wrong, that footage of her wasn't going to simply disappear. All it would take was one more slip up by her and someone would post in on the net and ruin her life outside of Team Magma, they had dirt on her now and she knew them well enough that they would use it.
As she sobbed May realised she still had her half of the Terracotta ribbon in her hand, as she looked down on it she couldn't help but feel that last night was a mistake. Through all the lust, passion and pleasure, was it worth it?
"Ash…" May whimpered holding the ribbon close to her chest. "What am I going to do?"
Back at New Magma headquarters Gregson was not too pleased with how his report had gone, he could tell that May's actions last night were not a lie, he could tell from the look on her face both on the tape and from her reaction upon seeing it.
"Sir I am still concerned about Agent Maple's attachment to her target." Gregson tried his luck at swaying Fane's mind.
"That's quite enough Gregson." Fane spoke as he turned around in his chair.
"May Maple has done nothing but good for this organisation. She donated to our cause before it took off then trained for months to become our best field agent. It's about time you gave her a little respect." Fane spoke sternly.
"Also your overall conduct towards women is downright unacceptable, so let me make this clear, this, shit, stops, here." Fane made it very clear to his second in command how he felt.
"Yes sir, it won't happen again." Gregson said as he came to attention and stood up straight, though he had concerns with May Gregson never went against his superior.
"Right, now that that's out of the way is your team ready to move on time?" Fane moved on.
"Yes sir my men are prepped and we will be ready at location in a few hours." Gregson reported.
"Excellent work Captain, is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" Fane asked.
"Well sir I'm just concerned that the equipment might not be ready, it hasn't even been properly tested yet." Gregson admitted.
"That is of little concern we have been given a great opportunity Captain let's not waste it." Fane spoke as he stood up.
"Of course sir." Gregson acknowledged.
"Just to think, by tomorrow we could have changed the face of Hoenn, forever." Fane uttered as the final steps in New Magma's master plan began.
Everything's really starting to happen now isn't it? On a side note I saw 'Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction' in the cinemas on the weekend, which as an Australian I never thought I'd be able to. As I said this is the start of the second Act of the story so stay tuned things can only get more exciting from here.