Chapter 14
Shadow felt his heart racing, for once not because of his anger building, but genuine worry. He had led the three creatures down a nearby alleyway, attempting to lead them away from the hospital. Despite his speed, the Aberrations were keeping pace with him, and not allowing any distance to grow between them.
The Darkrai came to an abrupt stop, turning in place and clotheslining the Zoroark and krookodile, only to be slammed hard in the gut by the Charmander.
"Shaaa"
"Aaad"
"Doooow"
The Darkrai glanced around them as they each stood up once again, their bodies crunching and snapping as they did. And yet most unsettling was the scarred Charmander, who rose like a vampire, arms outstretched at the sides, straight into a standing position.
"Well. Fuck."
*Elsewhere*
"Clear the room, incinerate the bodies if you have to!" Mare demanded as he hung up his phone.
"As you wish, but I warn you. Housing more than one Aberration at a time could be problematic."
"Then I suggest you find a way to kill them!" The violet Darkrai demanded. "And ensure Anelace remains unconscious, i'd rather not deal with her while such pressing matters are at hand."
"I will handle it."
"Good." He vanished.
*With Shadow*
Despite their lack of pain, or stamina, Shadow had the three monstrosities held in place, hoisting two into the air with his hands, and pinning the Charmander against his chest in what was a rather violent hug.
When, all of a sudden, Mare appeared.
"Took you long enough."
"I came as soon as I got the call." The older Darkrai closed the distance. "I have a place to contain them." He reached out resting his hand on Shadow. "Let me take you there."
Despite his predicament, Shadow was hesitant, his father's constant bigotry toward Blade had left him, distrustful to say the least. But he resigned, nodding as the two teleported away, with the three Aberrations in tow.
"Okay, I'll take the little one so you can focus on holding these two."
Shadow hesitated again but opened his arms, a motion he almost immediately regretted as the Charmander turned and bit into his shoulder hard.
On reflex Shadow tossed the krookodile Aberration aside and stabbed his clawed hand into the charmander's side, flinging it away, slamming it into the previously discarded krookodile.
The Charmander coughed and spluttered, it sounded like it was in pain, but strangely the scars decorating its body seemed to fade as it made a single loud gulp.
"You have no idea just how good this feels!" The charmander's voice had cleared, he sounded like Pyre, and now without the scars, looked like Pyre, but with a violet flame. He seemed to look over the krookodile he was on top of, allowing some of the darkrai's blood to drip from his mouth into the half jawed creature. But it didn't seem to be enough.
"Clips…"
"Don't worry, Swindle, we'll be together again soon."
Shadow glared "So ingesting your target's blood allows you to speak?"
"Of course it does. Didn't he tell you?" The Charmander chuckled, turning to face Shadow.
"What are you talking about?"
"Wouldn't you like to know!" The Charmander lunged, slamming into Shadow, causing him to drop the Zoroark.
*With Pyre*
Pyre was struggling, his legs felt like they were burning, as did his arms. He had Tin hoisted onto his back, carrying him with immense difficulty. He had to hurry, his parents were on the way, and the closer he got to them the sooner they could help Tin.
"Running so soon? I wasn't done with you yet!" That voice, Xiphos, was back.
"Stay back!" Pyre kept pushing forward, looking around desperately for his parents to arrive.
"Nobody is going to save you. Or him!" There was an audible squelch.
And Tin cried out in pain, the weavile Aberration had stabbed his legs.
In a split second, Pyre dropped the Charmander and tackled the weavile striking his face again and again. "Leave us alone!"
"Hahahahahaha!" The weavile laughed. "Say bye bye brother!"
The weaviles laugh was cut short as the Sableye Aberration went flying past the two.
"M-mom, dad?" Pyre turned but couldn't see whoever had helped him, but he knew it wasn't his parents. A bright golden flash passed his vision, striking the Sableye again.
"You think you can just ambush my bro like that!" Rai's voice came with a crackle of electricity.
"Rai?! How did you…"
"I saw that big burst of fire from across town, and I knew it was you. Something in me told me you needed help, just wish I got here sooner."
"Thanks." Pyre struck the weavile's face again, and again. "you got that one handled right?"
Rai sidestepped an attack, then ducked under another. "Yeah, this thing is pretty slow, I just have to not fuck up."
The Raichu spun on his heel and arched his back, slipping by another stray attack. In that same motion, he dropped to the ground, and windmilled his legs, sweeping the Sableye Aberration and dropping it to the ground.
Pyre, had not stopped his assault, simply pummeling the weavile as it cackled maniacally.
"Who else is gonna die for you, your friends, parents, maybe I'll kill that girlfriend of yours again!"
Pyre felt the rage building inside him, he didn't know what Xiphos was on about, but he knew it was anything but good. Each punch to his face sparked with flames now. "Shut up!"
The Sableye Aberration reached out, nearly catching Rai by his tail, but in one swift motion he wrapped his tail around its clawed hands and pulled it to the ground.
"Hey, I've got an idea! But I need them stuck in place! You got anything?"
"Not really! Can fire spin em!"
"Do it!" Rai, stepped by the Sableye and drop kicked it, sending it tumbling forward, at the same time, Pyre stood off of Xiphos and spit a ring of fire around them.
"Okay, what's the plan?"
"This!" Rai held up his hands as an electro ball formed in his hands.
As Pyre watched on, he felt something fill him, compassion, a need to protect those he loved. The charmander's green eyes flashed a bright gold as did the flame on his tail.
And as he watched Rai, the typically brown patches of his fur turned a brilliant sapphire, and his eyes faded to green. And the electro ball in his hands began to change, the crackling electricity only swarming more as the golden orb shifted hue to a dark purple.
The Raichu swatted the orb away as another formed in his hands, then another and another, each time an orb formed, he swatted it away and it locked in place in the air, almost forming a dome of sorts.
"I've been working on these for a while!" The raichu focused, as one final orb formed in his hands. He held it out in one hand and raised the other. "Plasma Ball Downpour!" To accentuate his words he brought his raised hand down, and the swarm of electric orbs came crashing down around the two Aberrations.
The sudden shockwave from the attack put out the flames and sent the Aberrations flying down the street.
The Sableye vanished, but Xiphos remained, glaring he rushed toward them.
"Grab Tin, I'm gonna send this fucker packing." Rai stepped forward holding the single remaining plasma ball in his hand, as the purple orb vanished into his hand.
And he sprinted forward, dropping to all fours and taking off like a lightning bolt. Rai closed the distance easily. His hand paw crackled with electricity as he jumped into the air, spinning once and slamming his paw hard into the Aberrations arm. "Plasma Flash!"
He stood on the other side of the Aberration, glaring backwards.
It stood in silence before vanishing. As Pyre approached, holding Tin on his back again, the Charmeleon spoke.
"What's? That?" He gestured weakly at the severed arm laying on the ground, there was no blood, but it was unmistakably a weavile's arm.
"His arm came off?" Rai was surprised and disgusted.
"There you are!" The voice of Ferna came as the Charizard landed on the ground beside them. "I came as soon as you called, you should've stayed where you were, that was the first place I looked." She grabbed Tin holding him close as she lifted Pyre onto her back along with Rai. "Come on, let's get you somewhere safe.
*Unknown Location*
"Where are my manners?" The Charmander took a bow in a way similar to how Shadow would. "My name is Eclipse. I'm your son."
"Don't listen to that, thing, Shadow!"
"You've got some nerve calling me a thing. Maybe he'd like to know your big secret!"
"Big secret?" Shadow was intrigued.
"Shadow, we need to get out of this room so we can quarantine them now." Mare seemed afraid of something.
"What's the rush?" Eclipse spoke as a small flame appeared in his hands, and he held it out. There was something visible in the fire, and as the flame expanded it showed the past of Firelink City. It showed Mare, twisted, his body broken and disfigured, looming over a corpse. Eclipse spoke in a sing-songy tone. "Why hide the fact that you're an Aberration just like us!"