Pokemon Virus Version Chapter 168: Time Before Time: Part 10

-Present Day Prologue-

"You know, I've been holding back my powers too." 15 remarked.

"What do you mean?" Yukiko asked.

"You haven't noticed it?" 15 questioned, "I've yet to use my virus power. As you've witness, I'm able to manipulate concentrations of darkness like Seth. However, I've never shown you what unique powers I possess."

15 was right. He did not use his virus power during their last fight either. When Seth and Froslass were dragged to the Realm Between Life and Death…that was all Dusknoir's powers as a Reaper.

The dark aura surrounding 15 began turning white. This white light quickly spread throughout the entire top floor of Circle N.

"What's going on?" Fear/Seth kept his guard up but was perplexed. The white aura surrounded everything…to the point where nothing was visible in Circle N. Not the equipment. Not the floor. Not the giant window. Not the view of the ruined city of Prypiat below. All that was visible to Fear/Seth was 15 himself.

"The power I possess will lock you within the confines of what Prypiat was 30 years ago. You and everyone you know will live in Prypiat. You will love. You will lose. You will lose what you love. It is up to you to build upon these connections to save Prypiat from the nuclear disaster that will occur. Do you have what it takes to save this town in 7 days?"

"!" The white light became blinding to the point where Fear/Seth and Yukiko had to cover their eyes.

'I hope you will learn to love Rose through this too…' 15 didn't say this out loud. If Seth were to fight his way out of the Prypiat Disaster and defeat 15, this would be 15's parting gift to Rose…

What lied ahead for Seth? Only time would tell. Though time is something Seth will come to wish he had more of. Will Seth be able to overcome Prypiat's impending doom and defeat Commander 15?

-End Present Day Prologue-

Location: Flora's House

Rose had invited Bastion inside. And it was here where the two got acquainted. With Seth and Flora gone, Rose was home alone during the day.

"Sage." Pansage had opened the sliding door to the backyard. The grass looked otherworldly on misty mornings like this.

Rose wandered into the backyard. "Ow!" Only to be hit by a twig.

"Hehehe." Pansage did a poor job of hiding the fact that he threw the twig.

"Honestly, what an unruly monkey you are." Rose kept her ladylike composure for a second before giving into her childish instincts and chasing Pansage around the yard. "I will have to teach you discipline!"

"Hahaha!" Rose chasing after him had Pansage's adrenaline running.

Bastion, who was watching from the back porch, started feeling nostalgic. '26, this reminds me of the old days. You getting into conflicts with Pokemon never changes.'

There was no longer any denying it. Bastion was aware of the false reality before him. The Rose inhabiting this false reality made him long for the days when his 'niece' would come to play with him and Lairon…

'It is unfortunate that you may share Prypiat's devastating fate in 5 days…'

Location: Shinku Secondary School – Auditorium

Seth, Saki, Summer, and Winter had all asked to be excused from class and made their way to the auditorium where Yumi and Haru had been called.

"Empty." Summer muttered.

The auditorium was so empty you could hear a pen drop.

Saki's footsteps echoed as he proceeded further into the auditorium.

There stood a single man on the other side of the room. The man with silver hair wearing a lab coat and glasses – Woshis. He gave Saki a welcoming smirk. "Good day, schoolboy. What a coincidence meeting you again today?"

"Cut the crap." Saki was not here to entertain Woshis' games.

"I must say, I was pretty upset with the way things turned out yesterday. You must be a pretty upstanding student to stand up to an adult like me. I guess that's why you had me and my partner beat." Woshis' smirk turned fiendish. "But this time…this time there are no surprises. You see, I've come prepared to face you again. In fact, crossing paths with you was my direct intention, schoolboy."

"Who are you?" Saki asked.

"What have you done with Yumi and Haru?" Seth added.

Woshis looked to Seth, "My, you look awfully familiar. You seem to favor a very close partner of mine." Woshis continued, "Yes, you must be Flora's son."

Seth's eyes narrowed.

"Yumi and Haru…you're friends with them, aren't you?"

"Why does that matter?" Summer asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Winter questioned.

"It has to do with everything. You see…" Woshis pointed his finger up.

On cue, Malamar descended upon the confrontation. "Mar." And joining Malamar was…

"…" Principal Dart!

Seth, Saki, Summer, and Winter were all appalled by the unconscious look on Principal Dart's face.

"I have but one request. And should you fail, you will suffer the same fate as this one." Woshis explained.

A drop of sweat rolled down Saki's face. "What do you want?"

"What I want is for you to meet me at Albuquerque Bridge with the record of former student Willow in hand."

The eyes of Summer and Winter widened. "Willow?!"

"If you fail to show up at 5pm, Yumi and Haru will die. If you fail to show up WITH THE STUDENT RECORD, Yumi and Haru will die…If you tell any human or Pokemon about this, Yumi and Haru will die."

Saki gritted his teeth.

"Yumi and Haru are your hostages." Seth remarked.

"Bingo!" Woshis happily cheered as he began flamboyantly walking away from the group. "I look forward to our deal being completed, gentleman. I'll see you this evening!"

"Mar." Malamar followed closed behind.

"Erm…" Released from Malamar's spell was Dart, who fell to the ground unconscious. It appeared Woshis had no further use for him.

"Damn it…!" Saki began blaming himself, "Woshis was here yesterday, but I failed to make it to where he wouldn't be a threat to anyone again." Saki failed to finish the job, and now Woshis was back with all the leverage.

"As long as Woshis holds Yumi and Haru hostage, we'll have to play his game by his rules." Seth clenched his fists.

"The record…" Summer muttered.

"Willow…" Winter muttered.

Seth and Saki felt an ominous vibe coming from Summer and Winter.

"What's the matter?" Seth asked.

"Willow…" Summer started.

"The man Woshis has been looking for…" Winter continued.

"He is our older brother." The twins finished in unison.

"So, your brother is the man suspected of the attempted terrorist plot at the Nuclear Facility a few nights ago…" Saki muttered.

So, Willow was the brother of Summer and Winter…that piece of information would change everything moving forward. But there was a difference between being suspected and convicted. There was no proof that Willow committed any crime – just conspiracies. The same couldn't be said about Woshis.

Seth stepped forward, "There isn't any time to lose. We need to find Willow's record and go to Albuquerque Bridge right away."

..

Location: Shinku Secondary School – Records Vault

As the group spent hours searching for Willow's record, Summer and Winter had a question for Saki. "What were you doing at school on the weekend, anyway?"

"Is there anything wrong with coming to school on the weekend?" Saki countered their question with a question of his own.

Summer and Winter smiled coyly.

"You spend an awful lot of time at school. Do you love it?" Summer asked.

"Do you have a life outside school?" Winter questioned.

Saki had a reputation for being a lone wolf at school. At the same time, he was one of the leading students on the Student Council. It would be nice to have some dirt on Saki for once.

Saki crossed his arms, "It's none of your business, but I was making preparations for the Christmas Dance."

"Hey." Breaking through the small talk was Seth, who had a folder in hand, "I found a folder with the name Willow on it."

When Seth opened the record, Summer and Winter identified the long green-haired man as undeniably their brother.

"Will you hold onto the record until 5 pm?" Summer asked.

"No. We're going to Albuquerque Bridge right now." Seth answered.

"Considering Woshi's threat of killing Yumi and Haru, telling anyone that we're leaving campus is not a good idea." Saki explained.

It was agreed. Seth and Saki nodded in understanding, knowing they needed to meet Woshis NOW.

.

Location: Albuquerque Bridge

Ever since his confrontation with the students, Woshis had been at the bridge twiddling his thumbs as he stared into his reflection in the river, "Okay, I'm getting bored. I really shouldn't have given those brats until 5pm."

Yumi and Haru, controlled by Malamar, were sitting on a bench just off the bridge.

Woshis sighed, "What am I gonna do with the rest of the day?

Location: Shinku Secondary School

Sometime after Seth and Saki embarked to Albuquerque Bridge, Flora made her way on campus. She roamed the hallways of Shinku Secondary School looking for Seth, Saki, or anyone else whom Woshis would involve in his scheme. She would get looks from the occasional passerby student, probably marveling at how beautiful she was.

Flora's first stop was the Records Vault where she and Woshis were first confronted by Saki yesterday. Empty.

"Did Woshis not make his way here? Or is he already long gone?"

Flora's stoic disposition kept her from jumping to conclusions too soon. With Woshis not present, she needed to look elsewhere.

She proceeded to Seth's classroom. Teaching said classroom was Seth's teacher: Ms. Beatrice.

"Good morning." Ms. Beatrice greeted as she and the entire classroom stared at Flora.

"Excuse me, I am the mother of one of your students. Seth is his name. Might you know where he went?"

"Seth stepped out of class a while ago. Normally I would object to a student leaving in the middle of class. But Seth…this morning was the first time I've ever seen him express emotion of any kind. He looked alarmed and troubled." Ms. Beatrice explained.

"He may very well be in trouble." Flora thanked Ms. Beatrice, then turned around and returned to the hallway.

She continued to wander the hallways until asking a passing staff member for directions to the Principal's Office. She made her way to Principal Dart's office, however…

"Empty?"

The principal wasn't there. Flora sighed. She returned to the hallway thinking, 'First Woshis, then Seth, and now Principal Dart…why can't I find anyone I'm looking for?'

Flora maintained her emotional control but started becoming uneasy. It couldn't be a coincidence that everyone was gone. She needed to keep looking. Flora opened several doors leading to rooms that would ultimately fail to aid in her search for Woshis. It wasn't until she stumbled into the School Auditorium that she found her first break.

"…" In the middle of the room, Principal Dart lay unconscious.

There were no signs indicating to Flora that Dart may have been possessed. This meant that Dart was free from Malamar's control. His purpose had been fulfilled and Woshis no longer needed him.

"Hey, wake up." Flora kneeled and shook Principal Dart awake.

"Erm…" Principal Dart began stirring. When he regained consciousness and tried sitting up, he laid back down. A huge migraine kept him grounded.

"What happened here?" Flora asked.

Dart didn't answer Flora's question directly. Rather, he clenched his throbbing head and muttered, "Meet me at Albuquerque Bridge…" Those were among the last words that a mind-controlled Dart heard before he was freed from Malamar's control and rendered unconscious.

Flora, observant, narrowed her eyes. "Meet me at Albuquerque Bridge…" She repeated.

Flora had no way of knowing for sure if that was where Seth and Woshis were, but it was her only lead. Flora's maternal instinct kicked in as she told Dart, "Take it easy." She rose to her feet and started on her way to Albuquerque Bridge.

Location: Albuquerque Bridge

Woshis' wish of getting Willow's record sooner was about to be granted, as he saw Seth and Saki approaching.

As the boys stepped in front of him, Woshis smirked, "Well then! I'm flattered you two would skip out on school just for a chance to see me!"

"Let's get straight to business." Seth said.

"Where's Yumi and Haru?" Saki asked.

"What's wrong, boys? No 'Hello' or 'Wonderful day we're having'?" Woshis continued to joke around.

Seth and Saki were bemused.

Seeing that the boys weren't going to dignify his jokes with a response, Woshis decided to cut the act. He held out his hand, gesturing for what he was here for, "The record, if you may."

Seth took out the record, but before he could hand it over to Woshis, Saki had a few questions.

"What exactly lies in this record? It seems no different than any other record at the school. You've told me about how this record can lead to you finding your target, but why…Why would you go through all this trouble just to get this?"

"Don't play dumb with me, schoolboy." Woshis crossed his arms, "It was you who forced my hand. When you confronted us yesterday, I doubt you anticipated coming to Albuquerque Bridge at my demand. I…am a scientist. I am the Lead Scientist in Circle N's Underground Laboratory Department. I didn't get to where I am now by turning the other cheek and giving up when somebody tells me no. I've had to claw my way up and create opportunities that weren't there. It is no different…from what I'm doing now." Woshis took a step closer to Saki and Seth, "What's wrong? Why do you hesitate?"

Seth eyes narrowed, "Where are Yumi and Haru?"

Woshis grinned as he snapped his fingers. On Woshis' cue, Yumi and Haru appeared in front of Seth and Saki.

"…"

"…"

They were cloaked in a hypnotic psychic aura.

Seth dropped the record to the ground and slid it to Woshis, who picked it off the ground. Not 'Mission Complete', but it was looking pretty good. Woshis was now one step closer to finding his lead suspect.

"Let Yumi and Haru go." Seth demanded.

Smiling, Woshis says, "No."

Seth and Saki are confused.

"We held up our end of the deal. What's wrong now?" Saki asked.

"You boys simply know too much now, see?" What Woshis did was low, but he was not above stooping to any level if it meant saving the city. He has stepped on many people along the way to get to where he was today. "Why, the minute this confrontation is over, you boys could snitch to anyone in Prypiat, and I can't let that happen."

"Mar." On cue, Malamar appeared behind the boys, constricting them with his tentacles.

"Ngh…! What are you…! Doing?!" Saki struggled in Malamar's grip.

"I'm going to wipe your memory clean of everything that has transpired today." Woshis answered. "You two should be thanking me. At the end of the day, I AM saving your lives!"

Seth and Saki both struggled in vain to free themselves. In a desperate act, Saki bit the tentacle constricting him.

"Aaaagh!" Malamar quickly retracted his injured tentacle.

Saki was freed and proceeded to tackle Malamar.

"Mar?!" As Malamar recoiled, Seth was freed from his grip as well.

"Oh dear, are you boys resisting?" Woshis playfully asked, "What do you have to gain by putting forth futile resistance?"

"What you did was despicable." Seth explained, "You breached our school, threatened our lives, used our friends as hostages while you threatened their lives, and now you refuse to release said hostages like you promised."

"What can I say?" Woshis smirked, "Aren't I a dastardly villain?" His sarcasm was palpable.

Seth looked to Saki, "Can we stand up to a Pokemon in a fight? We have no Pokemon of our own."

"We have no other choice. Woshis is determined not to let us get away. We have to try SOMETHING to combat Malamar! Ha!" Saki proceeded to charge at Malamar with a clenched fist.

"Mar!"

Malamar dodged the punch, but Saki quickly changed direction. He threw repeated punches at Malamar, with the psychic type dodging every one with ease.

"Mar?!"

But his dodging abruptly stopped as Seth grabbed one of his tentacles. Malamar's eyes widened as Saki grabbed his other tentacle. Together, Seth and Saki used all their strength to throw Malamar over the Albuquerque Bridge. Malamar landing in the creek below sent water flying everywhere.

Seth and Saki looked at their reflections in the rippling water.

"Heh." Woshis still had that smirk plastered onto his face.

"Mar!" Malamar popped out of the water and came roaring back. "Mar!" He launched a beam of psychic energy.

Seth and Saki were able to dodge the first few, "Ack!" But Seth was soon stricken to the ground.

"Mar!" Malamar once again wrapped his tentacle around Seth, binding his body. He promptly pulled Seth in to perform hypnotism.

Though Seth was bound, this time his arms were free. He grabbed the tentacles on Malamar's head.

"Aahh. Ahhh! AAAAGHHHH!" Malamar screamed in pain, but Seth refused to let go. This left the Psychic Type vulnerable.

Saki took advantage of the moment by tackling Malamar to the ground with all his strength.

"…"

"…"

It was a valiant effort, but once again Malamar rose from the ground.

Seth and Saki gritted their teeth.

Woshis chuckled. "It seems you two are having a bit of trouble there. Do you need help?"

Malamar started glowing the aura of Superpower. A physical move? Seth and Saki couldn't stand up to that!

"Mar-" Malamar intended for the fight to end at that moment, but that's not what happened. The Psychic type was intercepted by a great display of fire ability!

"What?!" Woshis was no longer smiling as he looked to where the fire came from.

"Dee."

"Dee."

There, on the other side of Albuquerque Bridge, two Indeedee stood.

"Could they be…?" Seth questioned.

"Yes."

"They are."

They were the Indeedee belonging to Summer and Winter. The twins walked across the bridge with the Indeedee following them.

"Sorry we're late." Summer and Winter stopped right next to Seth and Saki.

Saki's mouth curled into a slight smirk. "Now that there are Pokemon on our side, we stand a chance."

"Deedee."

"Deedee."

Woshis raised an eyebrow upon hearing Saki's comment. His smirk remained plastered on his face as he remained silent. 'Having a Pokemon on your side doesn't guarantee your victory, schoolboy. But if you insist, Malamar and I will entertain you.'

Seth was confident in their victory as well. He thought back to Indeedee using their power, which he experienced firsthand.

Flashback

'Indeedee…you're using THIS of all powers?' Summer thought to herself.

'So…Indeedee is going to bring us all into their room?' Winter was completely oblivious to the threat above her head.

The Indeedee knew that they couldn't control their psychic power, but that was no excuse to allow Winter to sustain an injury. Summer and Winter have always desired friends, and now it was finally happening. It was a dream come true…If Mito and Anju found out that Winter got hurt because of a Pokemon that Seth and Rose brought over, the siblings would never be allowed come over anymore. Summer and Winter…Indeedee were in tune with their emotions, and they knew that both girls were becoming fond of Seth. Indeedee didn't want their dreams to end abruptly. They wanted Seth and Rose to stay…forever and ever and ever…

'Forever and ever and ever…'

The light began engulfing everyone in the room. Summer, Winter, Seth, and Rose…

The next thing Seth knew, he was in some sort of illusionary world.

"Where am I?"

He rose to his feet and taking in his surroundings. This…was not Prypiat. It looked like some otherworldly field that would be on one of the anime Rose watched in the morning.

Welcome to our room. Please make yourselves at home so we can play together…forever and ever and ever…

Forever and ever and ever…

End Flashback

"Once Indeedee send Malamar to their illusionary world, Woshis will be out of moves." Seth remarked.

"Indeedee!" Summer called.

"Indeedee!" Winter called.

"Dee."

"Dee."

Summer and Winter simultaneously commanded, "Send Malamar to the illusionary world, now!"

Like before when Seth and Rose visited their home, the Indeedee collectively created a mysterious light. Unlike before, however, the Indeedee has spent their down time trying to grasp better control over their power. This was no accident. The light had a purpose: Stopping Malamar and Woshis, and saving the lives of everyone involved in this mess.

"Dee!"

"Dee!"

The light began engulfing everyone.

The expectation of Seth, Summer, and Winter was that everyone would be transported to the Indeedee's illusionary world like before.

"…"

But that wasn't the case this time.

"Mar!" Completely unfazed by the Indeedee's power, Malamar lunged at the psychic Pokemon and struck them with a Night Slash attack.

"Ack!"

"Ack!"

The Indeedee were sent to the ground in one fell swoop.

The eyes of Summer, Winter, and Saki widened.

"What happened?" Seth questioned.

Woshis chuckled. "Just like I thought. Having two Pokemon on your side does not guarantee your victory. Please tell me your school neglected to implement a Pokemon Training curriculum. That's the only possible explanation as to how you couldn't have known things would play out like this."

Malamar watched as the Indeedee slowly rose to their feet. It was apparent that the two psychic Pokemon were not accustomed to battling.

"You must know that Pokemon battling is much more complex than number's game." Woshis started. "There are certain nuances you must consider as well. Like type, level, and whether the Pokemon is wild or domesticated. Prypiat isn't exactly a city known for having Pokemon Trainers, so I don't blame them. However…" Woshis watched as Malamar readied another Night Slash. "As a scientist, I've certainly researched the topic of Pokemon battling here and there. For example: As a Dark Type Pokemon, Malamar is immune to any and all Psychic powers emitted from your Indeedee. In other words." He narrowed his eyes as he shifted his glance back to the students, "You never stood a chance from the start."

"Mar!"

Malamar struck the Indeedee with another Night Slash attack.

"…"

"…"

This time, they didn't get up.

"Indeedee!"

"Indeedee!"

Summer and Winter went to comfort their fallen Pokemon.

"Mar!"

"-Ack!"

"-Ack!"

With the Indeedee out of commission, there was nothing stopping Malamar from targeting the students. His first targets were Summer and Winter. He knocked them to the ground, rending them unconscious.

"No…"

Seeing Summer, Winter, and the Indeedee defeated so handedly made Seth uneasy. Was he, Saki, and the group really this overmatched when it came to stopping Woshis and Malamar? Perhaps Woshis was correct; they never stood a chance all along.

"Be a dear and finish the schoolboys, Malamar." Woshis commanded.

Like Seth, Saki was coming to the realization that Malamar was simply too powerful. Damn it, why didn't he call the authorities when meeting Woshis yesterday?! Damn that Woshis…

Malamar charged at Seth and Saki, who flinched.

"…"

"…"

Seth and Saki were not struck. This confused the schoolboys.

"Hm?"

"Hm?"

When the schoolboys opened their eyes, it turned out Malamar was waiting for them! Malamar proceeded to wrap his tentacles around the boys, taking extra precaution to position his tentacles to where they couldn't be bitten.

Struggle as Seth and Saki might, they couldn't not break free of Malamar's grasp this time. Malamar slowly lifted them from the ground, adopting a look of pleasure as Seth and Saki continued to struggle. "Heh!" This prompted Malamar to squeeze even tighter.

It was no longer a question of whether Seth and Saki could free themselves. It was now a question of whether they could survive, as their necks were being crushed.

"Now where were we? Oh yes, Malamar and I were in the process of wiping your memories before we were so rudely interrupted. And don't worry, once I'm done with you two, I'll wipe the memory of the twins and their Indeedee as well."

Malamar slowly lowers Seth and Saki to where they're directly floating in front of Woshis.

First, Woshis glanced at Saki, "This is checkmate, schoolboy. In hindsight, you really should've just handed me the student record yesterday. If you're as intelligent as you say, how did you not see this coming. Hehehehe!" Woshis continued rambling, knowing full well it was hard for Saki and Seth to breathe. Woshis then glanced at Seth. "…" Woshis' smile disappeared. "Why does looking at you tick me off?"

"Erm…!" Seth was able to breathe, but just barely.

"We're now in the exact same situation as before you bit Malamar's tentacle. It really makes your effort seem futile in the end." Woshis noted. "But why? Why would you boys go through all this trouble? Had the schoolboy not tried meddling in affairs that didn't concern him, you students wouldn't be in this predicament right now."

"Erm…" Seth gathered just enough breath to answer Woshis' question. "It became my business when you endangered the lives of Yumi and Haku…"

"You don't understand. None of you do. What I do is for the greater good of Prypiat." Woshis was dead serious he said this. His smile and flamboyant attitude returned as he said, "Now, I believe it's time to erase your memories."

It was inevitable. It was imminent. It was time. Malamar's body began glowing yellow. To Saki, Malamar's body looked like a night sky with glistening yellow stars. To Seth, Malamar was just as bright as the sunset beginning to settle into Prypiat.

"…"

"…"

Saki's eyes became empty. While Seth…

"!"

Seth's eyes widened.

What's going on?

It was as if Seth's vision had been completely engulfed by the confines of his mind. Everything surrounding him became an endless abyss of white.

"You know, I've been holding back my powers too." 15 remarked.

"What do you mean?" Yukiko asked.

I'm having visions…of my neighbor?

That's right, Seth was having visions of his neighbor Bastion.

"You haven't noticed it?" 15 questioned, "I've yet to use my virus power. As you've witnessed, I'm able to manipulate concentrations of darkness like Seth. However, I've never shown you what unique powers I possess."

We're…standing atop a tower…and outside the tower looks to be Prypiat!

Seth took a mental note that the city of Prypiat also appeared to be in ruin.

"The power I possess will lock you within the confines of what Prypiat was 30 years ago. You and everyone you know will live in Prypiat. You will love. You will lose. You will lose what you love. It is up to you to build upon these connections to save Prypiat from the nuclear disaster that will occur. Do you have what it takes to save this town in 7 days?"

No way…

These felt like more than just visions. They felt like memories. Seth was beginning to remember now! His purpose of being in Prypiat was to save it from its impending doom.

No…NO!

Seth clasped his head.

This can't be…These can't be my memories. The only memories I have…are of the life I've lived here in Prypiat. I was born and raised in Prypiat. I've spent my entire life with Mother Flora and Rose…Yumi, Haru, and the twins…THIS is the life I know

Try as Seth might, he couldn't deny the memories beginning to flood his subconscious. Two different lives – two different sets of memories – converging…it was becoming too much for Seth's mind to handle. He felt as if he was going to black out.

Back in the false reality, Woshis was proud of himself.

On the brink of passing out, Seth began glowing a dark aura. It was the aura of Fear from the reality he rejected moments ago. This was it for Seth…

"Let them go."

Upon hearing this voice, Woshis' smile disappeared. He hadn't noticed that Seth had lost consciousness at this exact moment.

"Let go of my son. Now." It was Seth's mother – Flora.

"…"

"…"

With Seth and Saki unconscious, Malamar slowly lowered them to the ground, where they remained motionless.

As twilight set itself upon Prypiat and Albuquerque Bridge, Woshis and Flora stared at each other.

"So you really went down this path after all," Flora said, "You've walked a path in which there is no coming back from, Woshis."

"What are you going to do about it?" Woshis questioned. "I can have Malamar erase your memories at any time.

"Erasing my memories will accomplish nothing. I have already contacted authorities." Flora's long blonde hair brushed in the wind.

Woshis' heart skipped a beat, but before he could make his escape, Flora had something to say.

"Woshis, I've only known you for a couple of days. But ever since I first spotted you, I could tell something was off. I felt that you exuded unhealthy narcissism – Like you're the most important person in the world." Flora explained. "We've spent the last two days searching for suspected terrorists, but in that time, you've bragged about your life little by little. It took no time at all to piece together who you are as a person. I know about how you were given nothing in life; about how you've had to struggle every step of the way, even at the expense of those around you…You've spent so much time dedicated to your job that you lack work-life balance. You have no family or friends…so who are you trying to prove yourself to?"

Woshis gritted his teeth, his eyes becoming intense.

"The only person you have to prove yourself to is…yourself. Because don't have beloved people in your life. You don't understand the importance of loved ones. That is why you insisted that I use my children to find Willow's record even after I forbade it. That is why you took hostage, and that is why my son is unconscious right now."

Woshis thought glaring at Flora and using the presence of Malamar for intimidation would get her to back down…but Flora showed no emotion.

"Just who ARE you?" Woshis asked.

Flora didn't answer this question. Instead, she continued prodding at Woshis' very existence. "You have Willow's information now…so now what? Are you satisfied? That record you hold will be crucial to saving Prypiat, but I'm afraid your time as a Circle N employee will soon come to an end.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?!" Woshis began shouting at Flora. "You're saying I don't understand? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND! It's easy to stand there and point out what I've had to go through in order to get to where I am, but don't you DARE act like you know what it was like living through my struggle! The entire city of Prypiat is on the line here! You and every employee at the Nuclear Facility are intent on using Willow's information to combat terrorism! WHAT MAKES YOU ANY DIFFERENT FROM ME?!"

Flora's eyes remained cold and emotionless as she answered, "You lost the right to ask that question the minute you started threatening innocent lives."

Before Woshis could offer a rebuttal, a loud sound intruded on their conversation. It was the sound of incoming sirens.

"PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!"

These were the sirens of patrol cars. Once the Police officers stepped out their vehicles, they pointed their weapons at Woshi and Flora.

"YOU ARE BEING PLACED UNDER ARREST!"

As the police surrounded Woshis, he began thinking to himself. 'Is this the end of the line for me?' He had to bite his tongue and resist showing anger. 'A lifetime's worth of hard work, down the drain. From running away from home, to stumbling upon Prypiat…to landing a job at the Nuclear Facility…' Woshis could remember the day he got hired like it was yesterday, 'Everyday spent at the Nuclear Facility ultimately got me to where I am today. But I suppose that means nothing now…'

Woshis spent his entire life stepping on people to get ahead. But now karma has finally caught up. With nobody left to step on, this was the end of the line. "…" Woshis dropped to his knees, Willow's folder falling to the ground.

Woshis has been defeated.

Flora watched as Woshis went down without a fight. It was shame. Though Woshis surrendered in defeat, it was unlikely he would ever admit any wrongdoing. Such was the case with any narcissist.

"…"

Flora wordlessly approached her defeated son.

"Yumi…Haru…" Seth muttered.

Flora looked to Malamar.

"…" Seeing his trainer being taken into custody, there was no reason to continue fighting…for now. Malamar teleported the hypnotized bodies of Yumi and Haru in front of him. For a long, drawn out moment, he glared at his two victims. Flora's words struck a nerve in Malamar. 'Understanding the importance of loved ones?' Malamar thought the saying was asinine. He overwhelmed the students and Indeedee by himself. Who was Flora to criticize his power and have Woshis arrested? "…" Malamar's grudge would have to wait for another day when the authorities weren't around. With nothing left to do here, Malamar released Haru and Yumi from his spell and made a swift retreat.

"Erm…"

"Erm…"

"Hm?" Flora watched as Yumi and Haru immediately began to stir.

"Yumi…" Haru uttered.

Yumi opened her eyes. "…" The first thing she saw was Seth down. "Seth!" While she had been hypnotized, she was never harmed in any way by Malamar. Yumi rushed to Seth's side, dropping to her knees to comfort him.

"…" Haru wasn't far behind. He exchanged a brief glance with Flora before approaching Yumi.

"Seth? Seth, are you alright?"

Haru gritted his teeth. "I couldn't do it…" he muttered under his breath. "I couldn't save Yumi…I couldn't save the girl I love…I couldn't save the girl I love, and everyone else got hurt. Seth, Saki, Indeedee, the twins, Everyone…" Tears could be seen coming from the corners of Haru's eyes, "I'm sorry…"

And so, the sun set on Woshis' episode, but there were many issues unresolved. The terrorist plot that threatened Prypiat. Flora solving the mystery of where Willow was. How Summer and Winter would move forward knowing their brother Willow was a suspect. Haru's unreciprocated love for Yumi. Seth's visions of Bastion. Bastion's relationship with Rose. So many loose ends. Perhaps the answers to these questions would be answered tomorrow.

To Be Continued