Chapter 87: Frayed threads of destiny
Glug
Glug
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Misty glumly stared at a stream of water swirling down a black marble basin and disappearing into a sink inlaid with gold, she looked up to see a disheveled female staring back at her. The image in the mirror resembled a woman with ginger hair, smeared make-up and most prominently, puffy, bloodshot eyes. Misty blinked and her image reflected her action, strands of fire red hair plastered on her forehead and on her face, drops of water slid down and dripped off the ends of her chin, each droplet raced faster than its neighbor and soon she tasted salty water on her lips. Her eyes and nose stung and after muffling a sob, she opened the taps and vigorously scrubbed her face with more water. A commotion broke out in the courtroom and she heard voices, echoing like distant thunder. When Red's execution ended, she barreled past the police and crowds in the room and left drops of tears in her wake. Locating the nearest bathroom, she filled a basin with water and repeatedly washed and tried to stem her tears. The tumultuous echoes grew closer and she inhaled deeply and hiccupped. With a soft creak, the door to the ladies bathroom opened a crack and she vaulted over to bury her face in a fluffy grey towel. For several moments, the new occupant uttered no sounds and finally, the ginger haired female gathered enough courage to dig her face out of the downy mass of cotton and look up. A yellow rodent sat on the floor; half of its face remained obscured underneath a red cap. Confused, Misty took a step towards it and Pika angled its face upwards, it quickly rubbed its face with a paw and flicked away a glistening drop of moisture.
The water gym leader's knees grew weak; Red's pikachu possessed a surprising amount of intellect. Did it seek her out in order to exact revenge? The sharp tint of antiseptic surrounding the bathroom, suddenly grew oppressive and the sable tiles decorating the walls, exuded a deathly chill. Pika studied her with a scrutinizing gaze and its beady eyes bore down with tears. Articulating a weak squeak, it sprang up and clambered on to her. Startled, she held her hands out and the rodent buried its face in the crook of her arms and clutched Red's cap closer to it, it then sniffed and uttered a series of heartbreaking squeaks which Misty had no trouble translating as the mouse grieving for its trainer.
A few moments later, the bathroom door smacked open, the ginger haired female rooted to her spot and witnessed a multitude of vines scaling up the walls. Another female burst into the room and Misty shrunk under the brown haired woman's acrimonious stare. A few tendrils vines wrapped around Blue's wrist as she struggled against the sinewy tendrils of Red's venusaur. After Red and Green's beheading, their pokeballs were brought out in order to be distributed. To the noble judges' concern, Pika burst out of his capsule and streaked after a rapidly disappearing policewoman. Leaving Gold to choke the life out of Lack-2, Blue untangled herself from her brother and marched after the electric mouse, at this point, two other balls ruptured open and out popped scizor and venusaur. The plant type shot out several vines and secured them around her whilst the insectoid flashed next to her and put its guillotine like pincer in front of her. For a moment, the sight of scizor's gleaming appendages induced an ear curling scream and she looked up to see charizard soaring through the air and landing with an enraged snort next to Yellow who remained unconscious on the wooden pews. Saur, who ambled to a stop next to its new owner, soothed Blue down with a mixture of sweet fragrances whilst the rest of Red's pokemon divided themselves up between the members of Execution. Still securing Constellate's leader with a few vines, the two monsters meekly tailed her as she followed Pika's trail and ended up in the bathroom. Pika snuggled in the arms of a young woman who bore an astonished expression.
"Give him back." Blue fought to keep the venom in her voice under control, the Cerulean gym leader sported a crisp police uniform and the navy blue color brought on a wave of nausea. "You...Have no right touching his pokemon when you and your gang of police ultimately lead to his execution." Misty's eyes watered and Blue quashed down the urge to smile maniacally. The Kanto native caught her twisted expression in the mirror and stared dumbly...was she really this ugly? From Misty's arms, Pika stirred and sat up, it peered at Saur and the plant type grunted. The humans stared at the pokemon and the three beasts launched into a full debate. The more Pika squeaked and gesticulated wildly, the more Blue gritted her teeth in disbelief. "What do you mean you want to stay with that woman?!" Blue waved her arms and the seed pokemon instantly looped a few more shoots over the raving commander. "Pika! Stay with Yellow and Chuchu-"
"I will take good care of him." The police officer interjected, she looked Blue dead in the eye and her gyarados squeezed its serpentine bulk in the chamber. "I'll look after them both...You have my word." Very slowly it dawned on the brown haired female that this was the person Red secretly used to visit. She choked back a laugh, Red and Green shared so many things with themselves and kept her out of the loop. Blue blinked and exhaled. She imaged her life leaving with her breath. "I...Am sorry..." Misty continued in a wavering voice, "I never knew...I didn't...I helped him escape the first time the Police sent him to Valora." The red head reported and a small amount of gratitude bloomed in Blue's chest. "Red and two others...Green and I think...Gold. I was really upset when I found out he was the lynchpin of the Dex Criminals, I still do not understand why..." The gym leader clasped Pika closer to her chest and the rodent whimpered. "Why?" She asked Constellate's leader and fixed a questioning pair of azure irises on the brown haired woman.
Blue shook her head. "I never know what those two are thinking..." she admitted, "and now I never will."
"That's a lie..." Misty countered, "You are their closest friend and they trust you enough to remain strong without them." Venusaur pulled its vines away from its new mistress and spied clarity gleaming in her sapphire-esque eyes. This time, Blue slowly nodded and a gentle smile inched across her face. Striding over to the inert gym leader, she picked up Red's cap and twirled it in one finger; Pika woke up and grunted furiously.
"Pardon me Pika, but I'm taking this cap. If you want to see it, you will have to come visit me." Blue cheekily delivered and grinned shakily. "That goes for you too swimsuit girl." Misty flinched at her nickname and the brown haired female giggled. "Both of you can drop by at Viridian when all this is...Over" Blue frowned, "and provided I'm not placed under house arrest or restricted in legal shenanigans." Throwing Misty another curt smile, she waved the cap in the air, confidently squared her shoulders and made for the door. "Now if you excuse me...I have a final murder to commit."
Pika squeaked and tucked its head into Misty's trembling arms.
Good luck with the murder, he said.
Early evening
Ransei
Dragnor
Cold fingers wrapped around his throat and his vision blurred into white. Voices undulated, loud and soft, conveying distress and fighting each other in discordant tones. An ominous buzzing resounded in Lack-2's head as he desperately scrabbled at the murderous grip on his neck. The fingers squeezed tighter and the officer gasped for air, his nose watered and his vision tunneled, giving him a perfect view of a pair of golden eyes swimming with hate. The sheer pain prompted tears to well up in the teen's eyes and if possible, Gold choked him harder. Smaller fingers felt around bigger ones and the Unovian managed to scratch the criminal's fingers open, he caught the metallic whiff of blood. A girl with indigo and brown hair pulled and screamed at Gold to let go however, the amber eyed man's face remained devoid of any form of emotion, no, through the haze, the officer noticed the breeder smile. Gurgling, Lack-2 tried to kick out and felt a pair of strong hands cover the Johto native's pale ones. Just as Lack-2 wondered if Gold would strangle him to death, Surge forced the two apart. Not one to give up, the breeder snatched at the collar of Lack-2's jacket and furiously tore a button off. The blue and brown haired lady turned out to be two people, Crystal and Whi-2; the older woman forced her screaming best friend apart whilst Silver tried to calm Gold down. The raven haired man screeched expletives and wailed. Trembling and touching the bruise forming on his throat, the russet eyed superintendent stumbled backwards and collapsed on to a bench. At the back of the room, a vein pulsed in Nobunaga's temple.
The courtroom erupted into a spectacle. Lack-2, unable to stomach the result of the execution, promptly strode up and down the aisle as the rest of the viewing gallery watched the beheadings with morbid fascination or mild disgust. None of the beheaded commanders uttered a noise of pain, not even a grunt or a soft exhale of misery. Stewing in his thoughts and unobservant of his surroundings, the Unovian continually quashed the arguments his mind cooked up. His hand repeatedly lifted up and brushed over the lapels of his pocket, making sure the envelope tucked in there won't miraculously disappear. A deathly hush descended and he heard the cleaners kick up a fuss, they commented on the amount of blood the second commander spewed on the floor. The teen swallowed nervously and nodded to the noble retainers standing guard next to the wooden benches. A pair of amber irises followed Lack-2's every move and he tried to brush the queer sensation off.
And then, the trap sprung.
The word murder thundered in his ears and strength deserted Lack-2's legs. Gold squeezed hard and cut off his air supply. Was it possible for someone to hate so much? The boy wondered and struggled to get his mentor's hands off his windpipe. Rationality seemed to have abandoned the breeder as he hissed and wrapped his fingers tighter around the officer's throat. Silver merely watched, his face twisted into a cruel sneer, Blue waltzed after Pika who left in a blinding flash whilst Crystal tried to hammer reason into her best friend who simply grinned sadistically and pressed harder. Now Gold thrashed akin to an enraged gyarados with Crystal, Silver and Sapphire holding him down. Pearl and Diamond were dragged away by their parents and Vee followed the indolent teenager, he solemnly dipped his head at the uproar and passed over the threshold. A few minutes later Blue walked in and a guard barred her way.
Blue's body trembled, despite the bold front she displayed in front of Misty, her thoughts melted into a jumble when she stepped out of the bathroom. She came back to displeasing scene; a squadron of police and noble guards formed a line between a hysterically sobbing Gold, who clawed the air; and Lack-2 who quaked violently and clutched himself. The boy's deathly pale face assured Blue her co-worker almost snuffed the life out of the brat. Shivering in his disheveled coat, the brown haired teen looked grief stricken; like a person who lost the will to live because he had been informed that his loved ones passed away. Blue bit her lip and blinked rapidly; she stared arrogantly at the stone faced sentinel and motioned him to move aside, she needed to secure the documents...Then...She could allow herself more time to grieve.
A troop of sword wielding guards swarmed through the door and made for Gold. Roughly shoving the sentry aside, Blue clenched her hands and marched, she flipped her hair backwards and glared; the soldiers paused and reluctantly gave her a wide berth. Surrounded by a ring of Ransei officials, Gold, his fingers tangled in matted hair, clutched his head and howled on the floor, he hiccupped and fumbled with the plastic button in his hands. Tears and mucus ran down his face and irritably, he wiped them away on his sleeve. Crystal crouched next to him and talked soothingly whilst Silver scrabbled with the chain around his neck and cast bitter glances at the barricade of police. An officer gingerly moved forward and declared Gold would be brought in for attempted murder. The other Dex Criminals froze, slowly, Yellow woke up and charizard pushed his head in her arms, seeking comfort for the death of its trainer.
"Attempted murder..." The amber eyed trainer slurred and sniffed. "I'll give you a deal..." his lowly voiced, "how about you allow me to send that brat six feet under and then you arrest me? I'll make it quick." The retainers shifted backwards and Surge shouldered through the ranks and glowered at the grimy form of Gold. The breeder sat on the marble tiles and gasped for air. Face twisting into a leer, the he flicked the plastic button in the blonde soldier's face; the grey disc bounced of Lt. Surge's eyebrows and fell back to the floor. "The heck are you doing here scum?" Gold swore and bared his teeth, "I didn't kill anyone...Red and Green..." his voice cracked, "offered up their lives so the rest of us can get immunity...don't look at me like that, I'll tear your eyes out!" Hissing, the raven haired man trained his gaze back to the floor.
"We...did not warrant this." Surge spoke and Gold twitched. "That brat you tried to strangle always retained information from us; according to his health advisor...He suffers from Stockholm's syndrome." Sitting next to Cynthia who draped a kimono jacket over his quivering form, Lack-2 jolted and quickly eyed the blonde woman, she simply squeezed his hand in reassurance. "There was an agreement to punish all of you equally for your crimes. Life sentences or forced into unpaid civil service...However, your three commanders cooked up a different scheme-"
Gold shot up. "OH! So it's their fault now?" He bellowed in Surge's face and the older man wiped the spittle flying out of the breeder's mouth. "You're gonna tell me you could not force the alternative on them and thus they had to die? Will this get that stupid brat a promotion? Is he going to be the chief officer for being able to finally capture the Dex Criminals when you old timers couldn't? Heh..." The Johto native leaned back and toppled. "Well done Surge." he sneered. "And well done...Lack-2. Congratulations, as of now, I hope to never see your face again. I might end up next to Silver's father if I do." The red head grimaced and reached out when his companion swayed backwards. "Get outta my face, I'm taking Poli and I'm going to spend a nice, quiet life in Johto."
Lt Surge nodded slowly, wary of Gold swaying unsteadily on his feet. The black haired man turned around and threw himself over Silver who staggered under his weight. His shoulders shook as he dissolved into another bout of weeping. Blue averted her eyes and turned to Anabel who watched the events with cold detachment. The Constellate commander demanded for the agreement and the fuchsia haired female handed the gold tipped parchment over. "We...I apologize-" Blue irritably waved a hand. "...I am sure you are aware of the contents of the document and the price of your best friends'..." Anabel trailed off
"Heads?" Blue finished icily. "Yes I do, please, spare me the sorrow; I've had enough for one evening."
Anabel closed her eyes and opened them again. "Your friends struck a grave deal..." Blue smirked knowingly and the chief resisted the urge to groan. "They transferred the right to limitless research over to the nobles of Ransei and...They left you and the rest of the Dex Criminals unsupervised. Clearly you are not a problem for the Ransei officials...You are a problem to the rest of the regions." Anabel smoothed out her sable kimono and continued, "We agreed on another issue, you and all the other Dex Criminals shall be branded for the safety of the regions." The earlier smirk left Blue's face and wrath seized hold of her normally mellow features. "You are not in a position to be angry, understand it is a way of preventing the disaster currently plaguing Sinnoh. The Dex Criminals are extremely dangerous and if left alone, you will gather the remnants together and build a new organization...After all, this is why they insisted that you do not die...right?"
The Kanto native believed her friends might have left her alive for a more emotional purpose, however, the chief's words made much sense. Blue ruminated on the officer's words, her companions left her the perfect building blocks to create a devastating Organization...no doubt, a vengeful Gold would be more than an excellent commander for the passion and battle fuelled Team Execution. Unfortunately, Anabel caught on the plan and quashed the fickle flame before it had a chance to bestow light. "I suppose you are right." Constellate's leader shrugged, "but by all means, my friends are human...And I believe they did not want to see me beheaded...Because they care about me." Her tone wavered and she brushed a tear off her face. "Not sure about your group though. Nice work with Lack-2...If we think of converging, let him loose, he'll sniff us out and deliver us nicely into your hands." Flipping her hair back, the brunette spun around and moved off. Anabel gritted her teeth and let out a breath she held. Already, she held two resignation letters and the thought made her blood boil. Misty handed hers this morning, Falkner, unapologetic, thrust his into Anabel's hands before the execution began.
Seated at the back of the room, Mitsuhide folded his arms and coolly stared at the drama unfolding between the courtroom's oak paneled walls. Two seats away from him, Warlord Nobunaga clutched a sheaf of papers and the corners of his lips lifted into a self-satisfied smile. He possessed the rights to unlimited research; whatever happened to the Dex Criminals was of no concern to him. If the scientists could coax Zekrom out of the Dark dragon stone, the war on uniting Ransei shall tide into his favor. Onyx irises shifted and the Nixtorm Warlord came into view. Nobunaga clenched his jaw, the pale man's impassive visage unnerved Dragnor's Lord on many levels. Mitsuhide constantly expressed his distaste for the way Nobunaga did things and once threatened to break away from the alliance. He was a wild card and the dragon tamer did not know whether to trust the icy retainer or not. Straightening up from his position on the black marble throne, his presence forced a hush inside the room. The other Warlords followed his lead and the cleaners hastily scrubbed the floor and dried it. Haughtily, the Lords descended and their private retainers cut a swathe amongst the crowds. Nobunaga motioned to the Dex Criminals and a member of the army hastily bowed.
"Make it quick" The Lord's gravelly tones diffused in the tension clogged air. "I want to meet the scholars as soon as possible." Standing near the entrance with Pearl, Diamond glared distastefully at the procession as they glided out. His lazuline irises pinned the man donned in black silk and golden threads. The Sinnoh native exhaled and bunched his hands up into fists, an indescribable emotion coursed through his veins and he tried to name the feeling. Too sheer to be called hate and too shallow to be described as sadness. He accepted the fact that Red was gone and despite Pearl's jeering, the blonde stared rivetedly at an opposite wall, his mouth opening and closing like a feebas. Diamond swerved his attention at Yellow and he meditated on her form. Unlike the others who wallowed in pity, she seemed to try and control the pain of losing someone dear to her.
Sorrow...
It clicked, his feelings could only be described as half-accepting. An emotion he was not well acquainted with. A few meters away, his mother and Palmer argued with the guards. Apparently, the Dex Criminals were not allowed to leave. Grabbing a petrified Pearl's hand and dragging him inside the courtroom, Diamond weaved his way through people and came to a stop next to Blue. She focused her attention in an intricately penned scroll and on seeing them, she hastily rolled it up and smiled sadly at him.
Sorrow...
Diamond noted on her face. Vee comfortingly winded its forked tail around his leg and Pearl irritably swatted at a machamp flexing its muscles. Undeterred, Green's pokemon moved closer to its new owner and used one of its many hands to ruffle the human on its head.
"What do we have to do?" Pearl mechanically spat out a question and trained his gaze to the floor. "...I hoped to see Platina-"
"Platina?" Blue and Diamond simultaneously spoke up and exchanged worried glances. "Pearl...Why would Missy be here?"
The flame eyed teenager spent a moment internally cursing at himself. "That Warlord in royal blue silk and armor pleats hails from Nixtorm...He's Platina's...Father in law." More crushing sorrow expanded in Diamond's chest, tears welled up and coursed down his cheeks. Gold's broken sobs sung a mournful tune and the black haired teen invariably turned to Blue and sought for a hug. She did not disappoint him, sweeping her graceful arms around his less than chubby form, she embraced both him and Pearl, Dia buried his face in her chest and stifled his cries.
His future loomed up black and shapeless and he wondered if he and Pearl would ever make jokes again.
Awake and groggy, Yellow fumbled with the pendant, next to her, the fisherman Uncle remained deadly quiet. His gnarled hands rubbed over each other and his breaths came in laborious gasps. A few seats in front of her, Sapphire quietly rocked in her father's arms and the man gently soothed his distress stricken daughter with consoling words. Ruby sat sandwiched between his parents and he fiddled with his hat whilst eyeing his father out of the corner of his blood red irises. Norman rapidly typed into his PokeNav and the device vibrated as countless messages poured in. Ruby's mother folded her hands in her lap and pressed her eyes shut. The adolescent bit his lip guiltily, his father was not a gym leader anymore and the man traded the position for his son's freedom. A retainer wearing a mask strode up to them and exchanged a few words with Norman, nodding stiffly; the retainer helped the cripple man up and proceeded to escort them out of the courtroom. Pairs of accusing eyes followed the fashionista as he shrunk under vindictive stares. Blue and Sapphire's celeste gazes stabbed him, questioned him and wondered who gave him the right to hobble out of the courtroom without being questioned. Norman eased himself into his wheelchair and Ruby gripped the handlebars much to his mother's astonishment, he trained his eyes to the floor and pushed. The plastic grips felt rough on his palms.
But they were nothing compared to the pain and ache in his heart.
Yellow turned the jeweled pendant over in her fingers and examined the bright red shard nestled in a sophisticated lattice of gold. Next to the ornate piece, Green's pendant looked painfully unornamented, two pieces of polished ovals set into one another and the tag hung on a fine, silver chain. Grasping her necklace, she pulled it off her neck and pensively held it out to her family figure. The old man grunted an incensed, animalistic growl of misery; he wiped his face and shook his head. "Keep it...I gave it to you and I'm not taking it back." Charizard snorted softly and used a milky white claw to poke at its owner's possession. Reaching up, Yellow, with some difficulty, threaded the pendant around its neck and the beast quieted down. It curled up, folded its wings and brought a feebly flaming tail closer to its body. The once proud dragon emitted an odd rumble and gingerly kept on poking the thread of silver around its neck.
"I don't deserve it Uncle." Yellow watched the Dex Holders gather around and knew that sooner or later; the nobles will summon her as well. "Please...Find it in your heart to forgive me. For now, take it back, I will reclaim it once I manage to redeem myself." She got up and dropped the pendant in her Uncle's lap; fraught with the pain of betrayal, his whole body trembled when he gently picked the piece of jewelry up and pocketed it. "Stay safe uncle, I will be back shortly." Patting the charizard rumbling charizard, she joined the rest of her friends as they marched out into the decorated hallways.
Past midnight
Dragnor
Palace interior
The clamor inside the courtroom dimmed into a buzz. Near the back, the cleaners scrubbed the tiles, polishing them to a white, mirror-esque sheen. A cold breeze wafted from beneath the doors and tendrils of icy wind seeped from the cracks of glass windows. The sun had long dipped behind the range of Dragnor's craggy mountains and the room bathed in the warm glow of overhead flame chandeliers. People, guards and police jostled about, running up and down to complete last minute requests and orders. Gripping the thick kimono jacket closer to him, Lack-2 stared straight ahead and willed his body to stop shaking. The bruise on his throat grew so worse, it hurt to swallow. He waited for chief Anabel to finish her business with the Lord Nobunaga and the Dex Criminals. Near him, Lt. Surge nonchalantly flipped through a magazine he borrowed from the plane. The glossy cover showed a gun and a bouquet of roses but to Lack-2, the red flowers resembled a dark stain of blood. Thankfully, the blonde soldier refused to comment or jibe at the younger superintendent. Drained and fatigued, the Unovian would not have the energy to spit a few words should the older man taunt him. A blanket of cold descended in the gigantic chamber and the space grew exponentially larger when the servants packed the execution platform away.
Lack-2 tried to erase the image of a grinning Red from his mind.
Even worse, Gold would never forgive him.
Joints stiff and painful, Lack-2 heaved himself up from the bench and the Kanto native peered at him, waving dismissively, the teen dragged himself through the long aisle and straightened up his collar, he did not want people ogling at the finger marks encircling his throat. Outside the courtroom, the air grew frostier and he beheld Falkner holding a conversation with Nobunaga's most trusted retainer. Ranmaru's dragonair, full of pride and dripped with bands of gold, slithered irritably on the polished wooden floor and flicked its tail angrily. Warily skirting around the serpent, Lack-2 sauntered to a hidden alcove directly in front of a flight of stairs and crouched into it, hiding himself from view. His behavior made him snort; this is exactly the type of pathetic mannerisms he abhorred.
A faint clicking noise grew louder and he identified it as Anabel's heels clacking on the tiled floor. Straightening up, the pulled the kimono off his shoulders and gave it an experimental sniff. The perfume coaxed tears to his eyes and the scent unearthed his quashed loneliness. He thought of his parents and then violently buried his emotions. Folding the jacket carefully, he squared his shoulders and strode out in the open. Chief Anabel hailed to a stop before him and he gestured to one of the lacquered pillars holding up the domed ceiling. Handing the kimono jacket over, Lack-2 briskly treaded to the secluded spot and a knot formed on the Kalosian female's eyebrows. Wearing her jacket, she followed him and he abruptly halted in the shade cast by the pillar. The teenager held out an envelope and Anabel stared, her eyes open wide. Neatly scrawled in Lack-2's immaculate handwriting, the cover bore the words: Resignation letter. The chief did not want to believe another superintendent would be retiring today.
"Are you kidding me Lack-2?" Anabel fought to keep her breathing even. "I'd like you to ponder on your actions before-"
"I do not kid." Lack-2 answered monotonously. "I'm resigning, I'm tired and I'm done playing chase. Wire my last payment directly to my account and we will call it even. I do not want anyone of you to call me up for favors. I'm washing my hands clear of this fiasco. Please..." his strident tone wavered, "let me go."
Suddenly, the chief saw him as a younger teen, the one who stumbled in the International Police headquarters all those years ago. Young Lack-2 clutched a gun, identification papers and a badge belonging to his father. Scrawny but brimming full of vengeance and a will unmatched by others, Lack-2 swore he will cleanse the world of corrupt people and put each and every felon in their place. And for the next few years he climbed the ranks like none before him, hammering primordial fear, hints of jealousy and igniting competition in his co-workers. He became the pride and joy of the International Police force and with each new accomplishment to his name, the smiles from his eyes faded. Anabel and accepted the envelope from his hands. "I will honor your decision. But, what are you going to do after this Lack-2? You are not exactly safe if you venture outside. If you decide to at least stay with the local police we may be able to grant you some sort of protection, however, if you cut all your ties with us..."
The corners of his lips lifted subtly, "I want..."
What do I want to do?
For the first time in his life, the voices in his head stopped arguing.
He looked up, "I want to be friends with the Dex Holders..." he replied and the superior gawked at him. The superintendent pulled out a pale blue device from the folds of his clothes. "I was part of them and now I want to take a break from policing activity in order to investigate the dimensional scar hanging over Mount Sinnoh, with any luck, I'll try to fix the problem. As a side job, I want to be an investigator." A playful smirk danced on his parched lips. "I'm available for hire...provided you pay the right price." The previous spark in his russet eyes died and he stowed the electronic encyclopedia away in a pocket. "I am very serious in my future, chief. You can keep a tab on me, but I will not do you any favors..." he trailed off and inhaled deeply. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to make new living arrangements. Goodbye." Chin tucked in the collar of his jacket, Lack-2 slinked down the hallways. A troop of people poured out from a side door and he trained his gaze on them. The Dex Criminals paraded out and winced in pain, some cursed; others held their hands and faces. Spying Gold, a throb of fear flared in Lack-2 before he calmed down and continued to stride forward. Upon passing the breeder, the teen heard him snarl and to his horror the handsome man's cheek was marred with burnt, parallel scores.
The ebony haired man looked up and their eyes met. Copper on gold. However, Gold did not smile.
His burning, amber gaze conveyed nothing other than distilled hate and an insane spark of sadness.
A/N: The end. Much thanks to MassXP and brtnvm for alerting the story, I hope it was an entertaining read for all. Words cannot really describe how happy I am to see people actually reading and commenting on my story, for all those who read from beginning till the end, you have my gratitude, it's thanks to the reviews that I didn't give up. Virtual Devil's food cake to all.
At Magic111: The alternative storyline…when my laptop crashed, I lost all my planning and notes for the alternative line, not to mention I'd have to re-write huge chunks of the fourth arc…and… You know what? I'll do it! I'm all fired up! (and I'll start as soon as I finish the current story I'm on). At HeyYouYaYou: And here is another, final, ka-boom. At AceTrainerLeaf: What have I done? I've become a murderer! Yes, they are dead and it's no dream. But hey, they'll be alive in memories right? At Silver: You know, I'm kinda sad I won't get to read any theories for this story since its finished :( Eh, though, I will look forward to your next chapter. At Jack54311: I have this niggling feeling that the overdue showdown with Lack-2 and Gold was a bit one sided…oh well.
I have a question: Is anyone else interested in Lack-2's alternative storyline? Just curious.
And don't go away, there is an epilogue coming up.