Chapter Fifty-Seven

N brought the mug of coffee to his lips, but he did not drink. The bitter black liquid brushed his goopy, pink lips, and the odor made his nose wrinkle. He hid his distaste behind the illusion he wore.

Meanwhile, the computerized monocle over his right eye filled his gaze with reports on Gregory Mason – his medical history, records of service, recent purchases at a local liquor store, all filed, weighed, and processed slowly enough for the information to settle into his brain. The computer seemed too fast, at first, but over time, it adjusted the output of information to match what he could handle. It even seemed to account for times he was tired or distracted by conversations. N could almost feel the AI digging into his brain.

Commissioner Mason sat across from him, pouring himself a third cup. Coffee stains darkened his lips, and sleepless nights darkened the hollows of his eyes. He had shaved early that morning, but fine gray stubble had grown in.

"You didn't have to come out here for this, sir. I could have called you immediately once we had it."

N shook his head. "I must verify that Giovanni hasn't tampered with the Mega Stone."

Gregory gulped down some coffee and rubbed at his temples. "Do you really think he'd do that?"

The mask he wore smiled, but underneath, N scowled. "He was too insistent on having it not to have something planned. He may mean to render it unusable or even kill the Elder."

Gregory pursed his lips. "About that, sir, should we really be giving them the Mega Stone? I understand it's important going up against Bruno, but what about after? They would've sided with the Knights given the chance."

"The Knights are gone," Ghetsis said, "And the Lucario have as much reason to want both Bruno and the Rockets gone as we do."

Gregory's eyes darted up from his mug. "So, you mean to do something about the Rockets?"

This time, N's smile matched his illusion. "Not now. All our attention must be on Bruno if we are to get through this crisis. The Rockets can be dealt with later."

The Commissioner glanced away. "Uh, I meant to say, you plan on siding with the Lucario against them? I – I don't think that's a good idea."

N frowned at that change of phrasing. He shrugged it off. It's only natural, given what happened to Bruno. "I understand your misgivings," N said, "But their support is vital, especially since Giovanni has Subject Seven. That is why I asked the Elder to be present today."

The Commissioner drew in a sharp breath that hissed through his coffee-stained teeth. "You're giving it to them now? Shouldn't we at least make sure we have some leverage over them first?"

N shook his head. "How? They need the Mega Stone if they're going to help us." He put a hand on Gregory's shoulder. "The Lucario are willing to negotiate. Bruno is not. If we worry about dealing with all our foes at once, we'll find ourselves alone in the fight."

Gregory slumped into his chair. "What has the world come to?" He poured himself another cup of coffee and topped it off with liquor from his coat pocket. "First the White Knights cause trouble, then Stonebough, Bruno getting abducted, two dozen officers dead raiding the WK base, and now this?" He snorted and took a deep swallow of laced coffee. "If I last a month after this shitshow, I'm retiring." He stopped and looked up at N. "That is, if you'll permit it, sir."

N looked up at the ceiling and fingered the monocle over his right eye. The gesture, done out of reflex, started him for a second, but he hid the surprised twitch beneath his mask.

"I suppose you've earned it," N said. "Have a report made for who you think will be a suitable replacement."

The Commissioner's features relaxed, making him look like a weathered marble statue, grayed out and worn smooth by rain, the cracks only showing under close examination. "Can't wait, sir. Nothing but golf courses and card games, it'll be nice." Then he grimaced. "Assuming we win."

"Bruno will be dealt with swiftly. Just one little nuke, and he'll be vaporized. With the Lucario there to distract them, he'll never see it coming."

Gregory swirled his coffee around. Looking down, his face was darkened by shadows. "I know those things are shielded so they only destroy a small area, but couldn't the fallout destroy the city anyways?"

N waved a hand. "The Lucario agreed to help with that, and if they don't, other Pokémon could do the job."

"Then there's still the Lucario to deal with."

"I would be more concerned with the Rockets if I were you," N growled. "I know they're planning something."

The Commissioner studied him for a moment. Doubts lurked beneath his eyes. Then he said, "With all due respect, sir, I think the Rockets aren't as big a threat as you seem to think. Yes, they're a crime syndicate with a lot of dangerous weapons and influence, but they're a parasite. They need a host. Without the power grid, the infrastructure, the agriculture, all the stuff we do, they'd have to fend for themselves." He chuckled. "If they were any good at that, they wouldn't be stealing in the first place."

N was thinking of a reply to that when Gregory drained his mug and said, "But the Lucario? The Pokémon? If they're not predators, they're competition. With us gone, they'd have everything to themselves." Gregory's cheeks were flushed, and sweat trickled down his brow. "We can't trust them, we just can't."

N glowered at him, as Ghetsis would, with a raised eyebrow and eyes as cold as chips of ice. "You've been drinking too much."

The Commissioner gave a start and looked down at his empty mug. He reached into his coat pocket and gave the bottle a quick slosh. "Sorry sir, I won't let it happen again."

The ring of the door chime ended their conversation. A figure in a white robe strode past the reception counter, despite the receptionist's protests, and went straight to their room.

"You're late," N said with a gruffness he didn't feel.

Elder Bayron made a short bow and took a seat. "I apologize. My meditations are taking longer than usual. I will not be able to remain in the city for long."

Gregory stiffened and gripped his chair hard enough to make it squeal. "You're – you're not going to…"

Bayron gave a soft, coarse chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll leave long before that would happen.

N cleared his throat and asked, "Is everything ready?"

The Elder gazed with him at eyes that saw past both his mask and his question. "Everything is ready. All I need now is the Mega Stone, and we will strike tomorrow."

As if to punctuate the Elder's sentence, the door chime rang again. All eyes turned towards the reception area. Though the receptionist's back was to them, his stiff posture and unsteady hands gave away his unease as he greeted Admin Sun. The Admin regarded him with cold, brown eyes and hefted the pouch in his hand.

"Not his, hers," N told himself. "No matter how hard she tries, she can never hide who she really is." He took a look down at himself, at the black robes he had draped around his drooping shoulders. He smothered a chuckle. Ghetsis never showed mirth.

"It's her," the Elder whispered low enough that only N caught it.

N hadn't needed that. He would have known even if it hadn't been the exact disguise Seven wore last time. The way Steven Sun's eyes never changed, the stiffness in his stride and the forced curl of his sham smile, all gave lie to the mask Seven wore.

"The Stone?" N asked more loudly.

"Real, though I'll need a closer look to be sure," Bayron answered. "Not all illusions are works of shadow."

The receptionist gestured towards their room. As he approached, two armed officers flanked the Admin, and a third walked behind him. All three of them remained in the room, fingers on the triggers, safeties off.

Steven leaned back in his chair, but N saw the tension underneath the mask. "A bit much, don't you think?"

N eyed her coolly. The Elder said, "Thirty wouldn't be enough. Now, will you hand over the Mega Stone?"

Steven nodded, but when the Elder reached out, the Admin wagged a finger at him. "There's one last condition that Giovanni asked me to fulfill. He wants me to seal the deal with a handshake from all of you."

N's throat tightened, and one hand curled into a squishy fist. "All of us?"

Steven looked at the guards. Then her eyes went straight to the Commissioner. The AI examined her every gesture, but N didn't need its analysis to know something was off. She barely gave him a passing glance. "He wasn't too specific with the 'all' part," Steven said, "So I guess it means everyone in the room. Just a few handshakes, and you get the Mega Stone."

The guards went first. Steven gripped their hands firmly enough to make bones grind together. Elder Bayron went next. His eyes were on the cloth pouch in Steven's left hand as he grabbed the right.

When Gregory's turn came, he rose unsteadily to his feet, propping himself against a chair. N swore internally, but he showed none of his emotion. As Steven turned towards him, his foot got tangled in the Elder's robe. Arms flailing, Steven tumbled into the Commissioner, and they went down in a heap. The Mega Stone fell from Steven's grasp, came loose of its pouch, and rolled across the floor. Elder Bayron scooped up the cloth and ran after the flecked orange stone. Meanwhile, Steven rose slowly from the floor with three pistols pointed at his back.

"Sorry about that," Steven said with an air of forced casualness. "Lost my footing."

"No no, I should've caught you," Gregory protested, "I had a bit too –" All at once, he seemed to remember where he was and to whom he was speaking. He cleared his throat. "No harm done." He shifted his coat around and slapped a hand over one pocket. "Hey, where did my wallet go?"

Steven pointed. "Over there on the floor, looks like it fell out."

The Admin reached for it, but one of the guards beat her to it. The guard gave Steven a suspicious glare as he handed it back to the Commissioner.

The AI spotted something. N knew from the way its calculations flew into a frenzy the moment Seven tripped. Then it told him that she had intended to take the Commissioner's keycard while picking up the wallet. N made a mental note to pay the guard a compliment.

Then came Ghetsis' turn. Seven didn't flinch when N's hand met hers. She looked straight into his eyes.

She knows. The AI didn't have to tell him that, though it did file a detailed report of all that entailed. Giovanni knows. He knows the White Knights still exist. He will plan for it. He may even expose N to the other Sages.

But for now, that didn't matter. For now, he had the Mega Stone, and they didn't have the keycard they really wanted from this exchange. N allowed himself a smile behind his mask.

When Seven left the police station, she didn't allow herself a smile. That Lucario would still be watching. Not until she reached Rocket Headquarters did she allow herself to take the card out of her hair, the one she had snatched and replaced mid-tumble, and smile at the Commissioner's cold, stony visage.

Changelog

12/27/18 – minor edits