The hospital was abuzz with activity as Markus stepped into the elevator. His ride to the twelfth floor was gracefully quiet, but as the door opened and he stepped into the hallway, his blood began to boil. "You've got some nerve, Giovanni." He said as he stepped up to the window. Giovanni looked at his wife through the window and sighed.
"I didn't order them to do this. In fact, I told them that she shouldn't come to harm." He let his arms fall to his sides. "I guess we have something in common, Vaughn." It took every ounce of willpower Markus had not to take a swing at Giovanni. He instead let out a sigh.
"Maybe you shouldn't bring up the fact that you killed my wife to my face for any reason, lest I turn around and beat you to death." Markus looked back at Giovanni's wife. "She was always in danger with you in the picture. You had to know that. Your daughters were the same way, and you failed them too." He saw Giovanni's demeanor falter out of his peripheral vision.
"Ah, so have you met Amara?" Giovanni snickered. "I'll bet you're the one who gave her the document that started all of this." Giovanni turned. "You're not a police officer anymore, Vaughn. How about you just sit back, enjoy retirement, and stay the fuck out of my way?" It was Markus's turn to snicker.
"I'm just doing what I think is right, Giovanni. This job has nothing to do with my police days." Markus saw Giovanni's wife stir but didn't mention it. "Besides, your daughters need support after the shit you put them through. If you can't stop being a shitbag, I'll have to pick up your slack."
"Do you know why I run Team Rocket? It's the only thing I'm good at, and I need to pay this medical bill, so shut up and let me do my job." Giovanni saw his wife stir this time and his demeanor faltered again. "Madi, I hope you're going to recover." He turned to Markus again. "Listen, you won't be turning my daughters against me. I made sure of that. They have no idea how many people are living in that body of theirs. Just, suffice it to say I planned for this eventuality."
"I know, I read your contingency report. Doc 385AM: What to do if I lose Madilyn. I have to say, that's some of the most outright evil shit I've read. What is Procedure 235 Beta?" Giovanni put his hand up to Markus as his wife's eyes opened. Giovanni turned and called for a nurse then, a few minutes later, Giovanni's wife was conscious, the ventilator removed, and staring daggers at Giovanni. As Giovanni stepped into her room, Markus heard a loud "I want a fucking divorce!" After a few moments of conversation Markus couldn't hear, Giovanni stepped out of the room and turned toward the elevator.
"So, is your plan to destroy my family as petty revenge for White?" He asked over his shoulder. "Because if so, you win, asshole." Markus burst out laughing at Giovanni's words, then just smiled.
"I just try not to be a piece of shit. Maybe next time you don't torture your little girl into developing dissociative identity disorder and hiding it from your wife for fourteen years. I feel like this is the consequences of your actions." Giovanni turned and raised his fist. Markus smiled. "Go ahead, give my former colleagues a charge that'll stick. I'm sure the horrified nurse at the end of the hall will testify." Giovanni lowered his fist.
"Fuck you, Vaughn." He turned and stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed, Markus stepped into Giovanni's wife's room.
"Hey, how are you holding up after all of that?" He asked as she motioned to the chair at the end of the bed. Markus took a seat and the woman in front of him introduced herself as Madison, "And I'm so happy you're helping my daughters." She coughed twice, so Markus passed her a cup of water. "Thank you, now, what else do you know about my soon to be ex-husband?"
"I mean he killed my wife." Markus said with a shrug. "I've been pissed at him for that for the last couple of years, then there's what he did to your daughters, so I'm sure you're in the 'beat that man with the nearest blunt object' queue." Madison took another sip from her cup.
"So, the agent he took down in Lavaridge town was your wife?" She sat the cup down. "I'll be honest, I don't know much about Team Rocket, and after meeting Amara I'm starting to realize that was deliberate. I find this very upsetting." Markus just sighed. "Welcome to the club. We have patches and we're doing a fundraising drive for a pizza party in June." Madison snorted. Then looked at Markus with a gleam in her eye.
"I want to help get rid of him, for my daughters' sake."