AN: Just want to thank everyone for following and keeping up with the updated chapters. To my older audience, as soon as I finish editing these chapters, I'll be releasing the next episode. Have a good evening!
Episode II:
A Test of Blood
"Start moving these crates! Let's go!" A man yelled impatiently, startling the redheaded girl.
"Yeah, I heard you the first three times," she muttered under her breath, hoisting a long, wooden crate into her arms from the back of a truck.
The dazzling moon hid behind the clouds, and the terrifying echo of an unknown pokemon roared from somewhere far beyond the dark forest that surrounded the grassy half-clearing. The side of a great mountain loomed over them, where an opening inside led into an inky cave. A black cargo truck was parked in front of the opening, its intense headlights exposing the dust in the air to human perception.
Around six people, including Moxy, were hauling wooden crates into the cave. Her dark red combat boots crunched against the grainy dirt, and the red, long-sleeved turtleneck that was tucked into her red slacks warmed her throughout the bitter night. Her black utility belt was wrapped around her waist, and her gloved hands tightened around the box she held. A red military beret rested on top of her head, and sweat trickled down her now short, crimson hair. The beret fashioned the letter M in black, which signified who she worked for.
Team Magma, she thought as she glanced at her comrades. They all wore the same thing as her, except one person who also wore a red hoodie with the M printed on the front. Protruding from the sides of his donned hood were two, black spikes, which was an odd piece of fashion, but Moxy learned to respect those horns. That was also the person barking orders from his car seat, like a king speaking to peasants.
"Come on, pups! Haul faster!" he shouted again, his coarse voice echoing across the clearing. Moxy grimaced when he said 'pup'.
A disgraceful word, but that was what all the higher-ups liked to call initiates like herself. Just whelps looking to take a larger bite out of the cake. Sure, he was just a grunt, but Moxy was just a trainee. Compared to him, she was a crumb. One of many looking to officially join Team Magma, who were extremely cautious with who they employed. Therefore, there was little she could do to defy the grunt's orders.
"Hey, red! Stop messing around and get a move on!" Moxy, still standing with the box in her arms, was startled by the grunt.
With a grumble, she lugged the heavy box through the mountain crevice, and her shoulders burned with soreness. A few steps inside was a large metal detector and beyond that a metal, two-panel door. As she passed through the invisible laser, a light above the door flashed green, and the door slid open for her.
The ambient sounds of a crowd greeted her upon entry into the domed, spacious cave. Fluorescent, yellow lights illuminated the stalactite-filled ceiling, their wires naked for all to see. She had to ascend a few steps to reach a raised, steel-plated foundation surrounded by a railing. Computers and server stations sang their electronic tunes, and the foundation continued into two, wide tunnels opposite of each other. About two dozen people were either working behind computers, talking about some data on a tablet, or cracking open the crates she brought in. Some of the initiates she could identify wore hoodies like the man outside, except their hoods were hornless.
The thing that made it stand out, however, was the orderly chaos. In Moxy's eyes, they looked like soldiers, each completing the task they were responsible for, like a hive. And each one was motivated by the red flag that hung in the back of the room, the large M printed on it exposed for all to see.
Moxy could no longer bear the weight of her load, and she dumped her crate onto one of the many piles littering the edge of the foundation. The others helping her unload the truck followed suit. Outside, the loud gurgle of the truck engine fired up, and soon after a crunch of tires against the dirt as the Team Magma operative drove away.
"Alright, let's start unpacking," one of the other initiates announced as he cracked open the top of a crate with a crowbar. Moxy, still catching her breath, peered inside and saw the glossy exteriors of half-a-dozen, black assault rifles.
Despite repeating this routine every week, the guns always made her uncomfortable. Aiden had promised her that Team Magma was one of justice for mankind, yet they harbored weapons built to harm men. It seemed contradictory, but Aiden told her it was to protect them. She wasn't naive. She knew they hurt people. If she examined the guns, they would most likely be stolen from some factory, or at least lack a serial number.
She was aware it was an evil organization. However, she was also aware it was all she had.
She thought back to that day when she was framed. Six long, boring months ago. From the first day she had set foot in the cave, Aiden had put her through her paces. Training, testing, and filling her head with a mentality she was somewhat skeptical of. How to blend into a crowd, how to reassemble a pistol, and even learning how to change her accent to hide her voice. That last one was the hardest to learn since the only accents she could do was Unovan snob and high-pitch annoying.
In the end, all of the training was to help her. If she decided to leave Team Magma, she would at least have the skills to survive and not get caught. The news outlets made it clear they wanted her head on a pike. It wasn't because she stole a ruby, but because her alleged crime was of a political nature. She disrupted a peace treaty between the two nations. If not Hoenn, then Unova would send her to a prison made for hardened criminals as a political statement, no matter her age. She wouldn't be able to survive on her own, so moving weapons like a good girl was her only option. For now.
Moxy took out two of the rifles, slinging one across her shoulder and holding the other by its handguard. They were cold in her grip. She walked to the armory, a steel-walled room closed behind a grated door. With her free hand, she opened the door, put the rifles on racks, and left to get more.
It was a grueling task, and it took her and the other five people helping her about an hour to finish unpacking everything. It wasn't just weapons either; Moxy had to store food, supplies, and gear from the crates. By the time she and her group were finished with the last box, it was about eleven at night. Her legs ached, and her tired eyes scanned the emptying room. Most of the grunts were either leaving the base or heading off to the sleeping quarters.
Moxy was also about to call it a night when some grunts at the entrance made way for a group of people.
Her heart was ecstatic when she saw Aiden enter. He was dressed in the same Team Magma outfit, and he wore that red hoodie with the black spikes. His hood was down, and his droopy, black hair was exposed for all to see.
Moxy was about to wave her hand to grab his attention, but she was discouraged upon seeing the wiry man walking beside Aiden. His head was held high enough that the dark edges of his shallow, black beard were visible. He was dressed in the same attire as Aiden, but the hood he donned had two, large yellow horns. The tiny bits of black hair sticking out from under his hood were speckled with dandruff as if he hadn't showered in days.
Quinn, Moxy thought, biting her lip. He wasn't looking at her, but his presence was still overwhelming. It wasn't that he was one of the bosses. An Admin, as Aiden liked to put it. It also wasn't the fact that his resting face was always fixed into a condescending expression, like a Tyranitar staring down the Rattata's that made their home in his nest.
His bold eyebrows furrowed as he scanned the room. His wiry right hand was fiddling with a snag in his hoodie. And Moxy's hairs stood on end when his narrow, jet-black pupils darted in her direction. They never blinked, as if he were waiting for someone within her little group to make a tiny error of some sort.
After a few seconds that seemed like hours, Quinn went back to his inaudible speech with Aiden, and a wave of relief washed over Moxy. Following behind them was a woman much taller than Aiden or Quinn. 'Model' was the word that came to Moxy's mind. Her pale waist and legs were exposed, and she fashioned thigh-high shorts and a cropped Team Magma hoodie. Platinum blonde strands coursed down the right side of her head, almost hiding one of her ice-blue eyes. In her red-gloved hand, she hoisted a rectangular, silver briefcase by the handle.
The trio turned into the left tunnel before disappearing behind a corner.
It had been a week since Moxy had last seen Aiden. He and Quinn were running an important errand. So important, that Aiden didn't say a word about it to her. And now they were back with a mysterious woman. What happened? Where did they go?
Curiosity got the best of her, and Moxy casually walked into the same tunnel and turned the corner. She looked behind her, making sure no one was following her. Even before reaching the first door in the empty tunnel, she could easily make out Quinn's brazen and harsh voice from behind it.
'MEETING ROOM. ONLY AUTHORIZED MEMBERS ALLOWED' a sign spelled out above the door. A voice in her head told her to just turn around. If Quinn caught her, he wouldn't get angry. He would get furious.
But her heart rate spiked, and a smile grew on her face as she planted an ear on the door. What could possibly go wrong?
"I'm not going," she heard Quinn complain. "If I have to talk to another sissy politician, I'm going to shoot myself. Have one of your lackeys do it. Hell, let Natalia go."
"Hyun? What's the harm of shaking hands with some of the higher-class?" an equally loud man asked, his voice sophisticated but nasally. There was static in his voice like he was speaking through a machine. "Even so, Natalia is scheduled for another mission."
"More mission?" the other female, presumably Natalia, questioned. Her foreign accent was thick and nothing like Moxy imagined her to sound, but Moxy subconsciously smiled at the way her R's rolled off her tongue, "I just come back from last mission. Give me break, Tabby,"
"Yeah, give her a break, Tabitha," Quinn agreed. "Let me handle her mission while she plays dress-up and tea party."
"I can't believe you're actually entertaining this!" Tabitha complained. "Natalia has as much personality as an, erm... rock!"
"What is phrase? No offense taken?" Natalia deadpanned.
"This is really, really important, Quinn. Set aside your feelings and enjoy the night. Drink some champagne. Greet the other guests. Try to get this new mayor on our side."
A deep exhale came out from someone. "Alright, whatever," Quinn acquiesced.
"Atta boy," Tabitha said. "Now that orders are concluded, did either of you receive any information from Devon?"
"Nothing from the bugs we planted. We talked to our contact, too. Whatever they have in there, either it's being kept secret or there's nothing to hide."
There was a moment of silence. Moxy pushed her ear up a little closer, thinking they were speaking in hushes.
"Very well then. Put some of the other grunts on it. There's something else I want to talk-"
"HEY!" a voice echoed. However, it didn't come from inside. Moxy swiveled her head to the other end of the tunnel. A grunt had his angry eyes set on her, and the metal floor reverberated with every stomp her way. His large chest was puffed out like he was trying hard to imitate a Machamp.
"What do you think you're doing, rookie?!"
She shot onto her feet from her crouched stance. The startled shuffling from inside the room made Moxy's heart thump so rapidly she thought it would explode out her ears.
"Nuh-nothing, sir. I was j-just picking something off the ground and-" she cut herself off when the planning room door swung wide open.
"What the hell is going on out here?!" Quinn yelled in the doorway. He loomed over Moxy, and the anger plastered all over his face paralyzed her. Aiden peered from behind his shoulder, his eyes showing an amalgamation of confusion and worry.
"Admin Quinn!" the grunt saluted, pounding his left fist against his chest while his other arm shot high to his right. "I caught this initiate spying through your door!"
Moxy looked wildly between Quinn and the grunt. "That's not true! I was just-"
"Shut your mouth!" Quinn barked. He focused his sharp gaze on the grunt. "Good job, but next time try not to wake the whole place."
"Yes, sir!" the grunt replied loudly, drawing out a grimace from Quinn. The grunt gave the Team Magma salute once more before marching away robotically. After a sigh, Quinn brought his stalwart attention back on Moxy. She stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
"You stupid grunt!" Quinn seethed, taking hold of Moxy's shirt with both his hands.
"I-I'm sorry sir!" she cried. Her eyes shot desperately at Aiden behind him. She hoped he would jump in to aid her, no pun intended.
"Didn't they teach you any fucking manners at that school, princess!? What the hell are you doing here!?"
Moxy opened her mouth to respond, but all she could form were incomprehensible stutters. Moxy tried to stay tough, but the pressure from Quinn was too much for her to handle. Her vision became blurry with welling tears, and her shoulders heaved in random spurts.
"You're going to have to speak up. I can't hear you!" Quinn yelled, his canines exposed in a grin. Suddenly, the voice she so desperately wanted to hear spoke up.
"Cut it out, Quinn. She was probably just looking for me. She's had enough."
Quinn's eyes darted at Aiden. His grin was gone the moment it came. "Eh? She's had enough until I say-"
"Besides," Aiden jerked his head behind him, "the meeting isn't over."
Inside the room, Moxy could barely make out the dark silhouette of a large man fizzling behind a television screen through her teary-eyed vision. The blonde girl from before was also staring at her, an inquisitive look behind those blue eyes. Quinn growled before releasing his grip on Moxy. She stumbled on her feet and fell unceremoniously on the floor.
"Make sure she receives the full Magma punishment for her insubordination. She went to the academy. Maybe she'll learn to mind her damn business." Quinn said before retreating inside the room, and Moxy jumped at the loud slam of the door.
"Oh..." Moxy whimpered. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve before looking up at Aiden. His hands rested on his hips and her fear returned.
"How much of that did you hear?" he asked. His demeanor was calm, like always.
"Barely anything, Aiden, I-I swear!"
Aiden lowered his voice. "Calm down. I don't mind that you heard any of what we said. Hell, I would expect you to listen in anyway."
"W-what is that supposed to mean?" she asked as Aiden helped her up from the floor.
"It means you were doing great. Until you lost focus of your surroundings and got caught."
A weight was lifted from Moxy's shoulders. At least Aiden wasn't angry with her.
"Don't worry about it. Let's just get you to bed."
Moxy was wide-eyed again. "Didn't Quinn say-"
"Quinn says anything when he's angry. It's not like you killed someone."
Aiden wrapped his shoulder around Moxy and led her out of the tunnel. Aidens embrace was warm like a fireplace on a cold night, and Moxy wanted to stay and never let go. They made their way through the lobby and then into another tunnel. A sign saying SLEEPING QUARTERS was located at the entrance. Unlike the other tunnel, multiple fluorescent lamps bathed them with light, each throwing their shadows across the rocky wall every few steps. Further in she saw an initiate and his Mightyena patrolling their way. The initiate had his hand on the pokemon's back, and there was a smile on his face when he saw Moxy and Aiden. The pokemon perked up, its tongue lolling out as if it expected something from them. Aiden gave them a wave before continuing onward.
The sleeping quarters were six rows of bunk beds under dim, yellow lights. About half of the beds were filled with people. Some members were playing cards between beds. Others were chatting in whispers, and most had blankets over their heads, resting after a long day.
They made their way to the farthest bed in the corner, where Moxy found her furry, pink friend sprawled out on the bottom bunk. Besides her small and adorable appearance, Sylveon had grown a few centimeters. Her pink fur had a more vibrant color, and it was thicker where the top of her head was. Her fluffy tail wagged eagerly at the sight of her trainer, but as soon as she saw Aiden, her ears flattened.
"Hey there," Aiden greeted Sylveon. He tried to pet her, but she kept her eyes locked on his spidery hand and backed her head away.
"Sorry," Moxy apologized for her. She kicked her boots off before shimmying onto the bed, and Sylveon noticed her trainer's puffy eyes. The pokemon whined and nudged Moxy's hand. She scratched a spot behind Sylveon's ears, and the pokemon cooed.
"It's nothing," Moxy assured her before turning to Aiden, who was kneeling beside the bed.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I hate him, Aiden," Moxy whispered all of a sudden, not wanting any of the other grunts to hear her. "Why couldn't you take me to another hideout or something? Somewhere I wouldn't have to deal with his incessant mockery of me. So what if I went to the academy? It probably means I'm smarter than him."
"Calm down, alright? He's dealing with a lot of problems right now."
"Well, he's going to have one more to deal with," she seethed with a balled fist. Sylveon was quick to wrap a feeler around Moxy's arm, and a warm, soothing feeling overtook her angry emotions.
Aiden sighed, "You have to learn to control your anger, Moxy. It wouldn't matter if Quinn killed Skitty's for a living. He's your boss. You want to move up in the ranks, don't you?"
Moxy glanced away from Aiden. As much as it pained her, he was right. Her mind boiled just thinking about having to put up with Quinn, but alas there were things more important than her anger.
"Besides," Aiden continued, "you were the one who snuck around in the first place. So if anything, Quinn has a right to get angry."
"He was more than just angry," Moxy explained as she brought her legs close to her chest and hugged them. "I saw the look in his eyes. He liked humiliating me."
Sylveon licked Moxy on the cheek, and she put a paw on one of Moxy's legs before turning to Aiden. Sylveon was glaring at him like it was all Aiden's fault Moxy was feeling this way.
"Hey, just sleep it off. You'll feel a lot better tomorrow morning," Aiden said, reaching his hand out to Moxy's shoulder. Sylveon growled, but Moxy gestured her to stay calm.
"I should get going," he finally said.
"W-wait. You just got here! You have to tell me about your trip! Where did you go? What did you do?" Moxy gushed, any feelings of sadness replaced with her unsatisfied curiosity. "Who was that other girl who came inside with you guys? She looked important."
Aiden brought a finger up to his lips. "Shh. Relax. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."
"You're so lucky," Moxy pouted like a child while getting her legs underneath the bedsheets. "You get to go out and do all kinds of fun stuff. Meanwhile, I'm stuck here training and doing menial tasks."
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Nobodies trapping you here. You can go out if you want."
Moxy gave him an unamused stare. "Yeah, I'm not stupid, Aiden. I know I'll get caught as soon as I set foot inside a city."
"Not every city."
Moxy tilted her head, but before she could get him to elaborate, Aiden shook his head.
"I'm not saying another word. Except that I have a big surprise for you tomorrow."
"Give me a hint?" she asked rhetorically.
Aiden smiled and stood up. "Good night, Moxy."
"Good night," she sighed, and with that Aiden walked back to the tunnel.
"Come in here, Sylvie," Moxy called, patting a spot between her feet. Sylveon quickly set her feelers along Moxy's legs and curled up into a ball. Moxy ran her hand through Sylveon's ruffled fur.
"Thank you for being here for me. Good night," Moxy whispered. She leaned forward and kissed Sylveon on the forehead. Her pokemon yawned happily, satisfied with her trainer's affection.
Moxy laid herself flat, and she winced when her back struck a loose spring in the bed.
'By Arceus, this bed sucks,' she fumed in her head. Her body ached from both her chores and the rock-hard bed. This was one of those times where she missed the orphanage simply for her comfortable mattress. She focused on Sylveon's deep purrs and the shuffling of cards, and fortunately, both put her to sleep.