Ash and his group arrived at their destination: An appartment complex facing the milti-tiered parking lot where the race would start, the Lumiose City Hall building but a stone's throw away, Hilda's mother and Lumiose's current Governor, Yancy no doubt in her office.
This whole thing seemed off. The race was bizarre enough, but Ash had no clue if Xavier would hold true to his word. Regardless, they felt it necessary to do after the man pulled his stunt by walking right into Viper HQ and threatening them by holding Calem hostage.
With a tricky ghost like Banette at his side, there's no telling what he could have had it do if they declined him. Ash knew that regardless of opinions, they had to abide by the terms set by Xavier. Getting onto a rooftop, Ash and co scoped out the parking lot with a pair of binoculars, making sure no treachery was afoot.
"You see any Prospect creeps?" Ash asked as Trevor and Clemont surveryed the site.
"Not a one beside the truck that went in eariler." Clemont shook his head. "If I had to guess, that was Xavier, transporting his hovercycle inside to avoid suspicion."
"Little weasel doesn't want to send up red flags until after the race has started then." Alain assumed. "Well, Ash. What do you think of all of this? You met the guy on the Chateau. What do you think he'll do?"
"If I had to guess off his patterns, he likes to gamble on people he takes an interest in. But he's also a sore loser." Ash reflected. "When I beat him at his own game last time, he didn't want to uphold his end of the deal until some intervention occured. Last time it was the Chateau casino staff that urged him to abide his rules. We don't have that luxury this time. But one thing I think I might get about him is that he won't cheat."
"How do you figure..?" Trevor asked.
"When we met, he had me pick the table for the game. Had he wanted to, he would've picked a table he think he could have rigged."
"Wouldn't he need to have done that in advance before meeting you though?" Clemont questioned.
"Yes, but there's also the fact he didn't even bother to sabotage our hovercycle. He easily could have." Ash replied. "He also went out of his way to challenge Hilda, putting precious intel of his faction on the line, just like last time. His group would not take such an oversight of their security to go without punishment if they knew he was responisble for giving us info about this Gala Event on top of giving us info used in raiding their truck and stealing that mind control headset."
"Are you saying he's some sort of double agent?" Alain asked. "Some sort or rouge entity dismantling their operation from the inside?"
"I can't possibly imagine a motive, though." Ash shook his head. "Sorry, I'm really only speaking conjecture. Let's get back to it."
Suddenly, Ash's cell phone rang, Rosa's number on it.
"Hey, its me..! We're arriving at the parking lot." Rosa stated. "Hilda and Calem went ahead in the moving truck for the hovercycle. Me and a couple other Vipers are keeping our distance in the van. I'm using that drone Ms. Lusamine gave us for that mission to steal back Silvally to scope the inside of the lot."
"What'd you find?" Ash asked.
"One truck, and its only Xavier. Heat signature from the Drone's heat sensor only shows him." Rosa informed, the brunette teen sitting in the back of her sister's suped up van, her moniter set up's display showing her the drone's camera feed.
"Tell Hilda she's good to enter then. We'll keep an eye outside." Ash instructed.
"Right. Sis has an earpiece in her ear that will begin transmitting when she enters. You'll be able to hear what's being said once I link your phone to it." Rosa confirmed, hanging up.
On Hilda's side of things, the Viper's leader was sitting in the passenger seat of the moving truck, Calem behind the wheel. As the duo pulled in, they saw as Rosa informed them, the parking garage completly empty, save for one other truck: Xavier's.
"Can I trust you to not start up any trouble, Calem?" Hilda asked.
"At this point, I see no reason to." Calem shrugged, reaching for the handle.
"I got to admit, I expected you to put up much more of a fight with me like usual, but you've been uncharacteristically aggreeable." Hilda noted, Calem's hand stopping as she finished that sentance.
"I guess I recently have just reached some newfound clarity on things..." Calem shook his head, refusing to turn to meet her gaze.
"Well, I guess that fight with Ash put things into perspective then." Hilda chuckled shortly before exiting the truck.
"More than you know." He muttered under his breath before exiting himself.
As Calem went towards the back of the truck, fetching the hovercycle, Hilda approached Xavier, the white haired man leaning again the side of his own, its massive engine block hovering above the ground as its back wheel rested on the ground. Standing up proper, the man casually stretched before walking to meet her halfway.
"Ah, Hilda. I'm glad you saw fit to uphold my request." He smiled coyly.
"I think the word you're looking for was 'threat'." Hilda bit back, not willing to share the man's aloof demeanor. "Let's just get this over with."
"Oh, you're no fun, little Litten..!" Xavier pretened to pout, wagging his finger in a condescending manner. "We're going to have a race that will be remembered in Lumiose city citizen hearts for years to come."
"Cut the crap, I know the plan is to have the police to chase us around the city." Hilda scoffed as Calem approached the duo with her bike. "My only question is why all the theatrics? You weren't this grandious the last time we bet on something."
"Oh, sweet little Hilda. You have no sense of creativity." Xavier chuckled. "Back on the Chateau, I was briddled with my station as an Executive Lieutenant of Prospects. Here, I race you not as a member as a member of Prospects, but as a master gambler! As you already know, these bikes are quite dangerous to even drive, no less have on public roads. One or even both of us could very well die today! But what's more precious and valuable to gamble than our very lives?"
"Fucking lunatic." Calem growled.
"Oh don't worry, darling. You aren't my type." Xavier mockingly gestured to the teen before pulling up the sleeves on his arms, revealing the scarred names of Ash and Hilda carved into his arms by his Banette. "They are."
"What the fuck..?" Hilda gasped, taken aback.
"As an master gambler, I take every loss with a grudge. I refuse to accept a loss to an opponent until I've deemed them worthy of my title." Xavier sickly grinned, licking his self inflicted wounds. "You should be proud. The only person who ever beat me at my own game was the boss. He approached me one day, roughly 9 years ago. He and I made the ultimate gamble, and I lost. Ever since, I've been a Prospects member, waiting for my chance to finally see if I can finally beat him in a match."
"Cute story, but we don't care." Calem bit.
"Nine years ago..." Hilda murmered, the timeframe jogging a memory in her head.
Back on the Chateau, Hilda opened her heart out to Ash, shortly before he claimed her as his slave. About 9 years ago, prior to when Rosa was adopted into her family, Rosa's mother, a masterful programmer, medical practitioner in mental health and all around genius, fell ill to a terminal illness, a mysterious, untreatable sickness that ravaged her, robbing Rosa of her last blood related family member. Hilda remembered that her research had also been reported as stolen, the thief having never been found.
She remembered how her father had initially coordinated a private investigation into the event, the man having admitted once it seemed off for her surrogate sister's perfectly healthy mother to suddenly fall ill. Not long after the man began looking into the ordeal, an invitation to the Chateau arrived in his possession. Hilda remembered the night her father brought her and the rest of the family onto the massive cruise ship, his demeanor completely changed, dropping the investigation altogether as soon as they returned from the ship.
Hilda at the time believed her father to simply stop caring, but over time, after she found out more and more about Prospects, she came to the conclusion he was coerced into silence. Even after her parents separated, with her father staying in Unova while Yancy took the two sisters, Hilda believed that Rosa's mother and Prospects had to be connected in some way. Her trip to the Chateau with Ash confirmed her suspicions. All that now remained was why Rosa's mom had to die.
A few years after Rosa's mom's death, Hilda began to piece together just exactly what the woman had worked on: hypnotherapy tech that would, among other practical uses, have revolutionized the ability for people to overcome trauma, stress, and mental disorders, through mind control. Such technology she was developing was not too dissimilar to what she and Rosa discovered during the Prospect truck raid, the mind control headset they gave to Ash. Was all this some crazy coincidence, or was there truly some sinister plot that connected Rosa's mother the the nature of Prospects?
She knew none of this, but she realized that the man right in front of her, the man who claimed to join up right around the time her family was plagued by the group, that man could very well give her the answers she had been craving for years.
"When I win, I have some very pertinent questions to ask of you." Hilda grinned, her determination to win even more than before.
"Then why don't we cut the chit chat and begin then?" Xavier grinned, handing Hilda a tablet showing a map of lumiose city from a bird's eye view, a line traced over the streets going counterclockwise around the city before exiting north into the badlands. "This is the route you'll be taking. Unless you have a knack for memorization, I recommend you have your buddy here ride in the side car and relay you those instructions as we race."
"Fine. Calem, that work for you..?"
Calem glared at Hilda first before looking daggers at Xavier, the eccentric gambler having been the one who shamed him in front of his fellow Vipers by using his Banette to hold him hostage with his own weapon. The ragged teen clenched his teeth and fists, forming them into a vindictive smile.
"Gladly..!"
"Excellent. Starting line's here, kiddos." Xavier pointed at a line drawn with chalk, planting a starting timer clock on it before hopping on his hovercycle. "We start in 2 minutes. Let's make this look good..!"
Taking that time to prepare herself, Hilda noticed as Calem walked away to their moving truck for a short moment before returning to her, sitting in the side car, tablet in hand.
"What was that?" Hilda asked. "I need you in the game if we're gonna win this."
"Don't worry about it. Just had to send a text." Calem replied, clipping his seatbelt as he discreetly closed the livestream taken from his Kecleon, the footage taken from before showing Calem the same transformation Ash used to beat him just the day prior. "You sure you know how to drive this thing, or do I have another reason to doubt you..?"
"What the hell's that mean?" Hilda bit back.
"It means I'd prefer to not end up a red pile of viscera if you take a turn too quickly." Calem muttered underbreath.
"Just shut up and be my navigator!" Hilda spat at him.
"Good point. One of us has to lead us to victory after all." Calem returned fire.
"What a wonderful team you two make! With friends like yourselves, why even make enemies with Prospects?" Xavier snortted arrogantly.
"Shut up!" Hilda turned to the white haired man before looking at Calem. "Dude, I know you didn't just say all that shit in the truck, just to start crap now. Get your head in the game and stop being an obstinate dick for just this once!"
"Trust me Hilda, we won't be having issues with each other for much longer." Calem replied, putting his face in the tablet screen.
Hilda had little time to even process whatever he said meant, the starting clock set up by Xavier began counting down as she put on her helmet, closing the sunshield over her face. The millisecond the clock hit zero, a bright green lit blared at the top. Throttling their accelerators, Hilda and Xavier burst out from the parking lot, taking a head left turn onto the main road, cutting off other vehicles, causing them the brake violently as the duo blasted through, bobbing and weaving through more traffic.
"They're on the move! Let's go too!" Ash ordered his group of friends, the group rushing to Clemont's car. "Rosa should have eyes on them from the sky, but I have no idea if that drone can keep their pace"
"Doubt mine will either, but let's try!" Clemont grinned, throwing his car into drive, pulling out of the alley he parked in.
As Hilda and Xavier remained in close quarters with each other, woth Xavier edging out a lead, Calem called out to Hilda, relaying instructions.
"Turn left here!" He signalled, Hilda making a knee jerk reaction and turning hard right in the intersection, the illegal vechicle's agility proving easy enough to steer, thanks to her programming.
Meanwhile, as numerous distressed pedestrians and motorists alike began sending calls into Lumiose Police, the Commissioner Ratcliff Braun was sitting at his desk in his private office as LCPD HQ, together with his brother, Ian, Head Detective of Interpol.
"So the situation in Alola closed up nicely, huh brother?" Ratcliff asked, whiffing a pair of cigars he pulled from his suit's breast pocket, handing one to his brother. "I take it our 'benefactor' tipped you off before hand? Normally I'd never see you take a case that quickly."
"Boss needed someone shut up, so Gale was sent to handle it. That guy knows how to stage a crime scene. Didnt even need to get Looker off my back as much this time." Ian replied, lighting his cigar, huffing it in before puffing out a few rings of smoke. "He also told me I'll be taking a few of his guys to serve as police officers for the Gala. Just because he has his own private detail doesnkt mean he wants to skimp on the basics. The Gala marks the tricentennial anniversary of Kalos's monarchy's dethroning, after all."
"Ah yes, the beginings of our wonderful democracy, or whatever the fuck... what buffons. Even if the public, the lemmings they are, are able to see the event from beyond its gates, they couldn't see the forest for the trees." Ratcliff chuckled.
"Didn't that Lysandre fellow intend to do a campaign stunt during the event?" Ian asked. "Clever of the boss to use the man's campagin rallying event as a front for the auction..."
"You think he's in on it?" Ratcliff asked, setting down his cigar. "Lysandre, I mean?"
"The hell does it matter to us, we already got our spots there secured. Only a matter of time before the next stage signals us to the next stage." Ian shrugged, flicking his ashes into a tray. "I heard the boss intends to finally reveal himself there, among the 'aquainted' guests."
"About god damn time, I say! This man behind the curtain schtick is getting tiresome." Ratcliff spatted before a police officer burst in.
"Sir-!" The man said before recognizing he had intruded. "...My apologies, sirs, but we have a situation in the West district."
"What sort of 'situation'?" Ratcliff asked, nonchalantly taking another puff from his cigar.
"Reports coming in from multiple alarmed citizens! Some sort of street race is going on downtown!" The officer replied. "A pair of illegal vechicles are careening through the city streets! We've already deployed 5 squad cars and a helicopter. Theyre en route as we speak!"
"Do we have any sort of ids on them?" Ian butted in, despite the officer being in Ratcliff's charge.
"N-no, but the citizens reporting the incident claim it to be another form of turf war between the Viper gang and Prospects!" The officer answered, his sentance raising eyebrows.
"Well what are you waiting for?! An invitation to leave? Get out of my office now!" Ratcliff ordered him, the officer quick to depart.
Making sure the door was shut, Ratcliff turned to his brother.
"Unless I'm mistaken, I wasn't informed Prospects was scheduling another crisis event." Ratcliff sweating, unsure of what was going on.
"I'll try and get in touch with someone. In the meantime, you make sure your officers continue giving chase!" Ian ordered his younger brother, pulling a cell phone from his suit pocket. "What the hell is going on?! This wasn't part of the plan!"
As police cars spilled out of the precinct, the Braun brothers left to make calls to their benefactors, the duo unnerved by such an unplanned event.
Now in the South District, Hilda and Xavier began to pass through many neighborhoods that dotted the city sector. Suddenly, Hilda noticed their street led to a cordoned off road, a group of construction workers having barricaded the work site.
"Oh you got to be kidding me..!" Hilda grunted, noticing as Xavier hit the accelerator, fully commited.
The white haired man blasted through the barricade, nearly running over a pair of construction workers as he did.
"No way around! Just go through!" Calem advised his driver as the duo drew closer and closer.
"But!" Hilda began to protest.
"No time! NOW!!" Calem yelled.
With little time to change her course, Hilda reluctantly commited to doing the same thing Xavier did, throttling through the work site.
"FUCK YOU, ASSHOLES!" Hilda heard a construction worker yell at the racers, throwing his helmet in vain frustration.
"SORRY!!" Hilda apologized, doubting they'd even be able to hear her.
"Pick up the pace, he's way ahead of us!" Calem barked.
"Don't backseat me!" Hilda spat back, increasing her speed as a straight road now opened up to her.
Meanwhile, just at the entrance of a park in the heart of the South District, Lusamine and her political rival Lysandre, were hosting a political rally, the duo having a specifically designed platform with sound equipment to allow them to address their constituents from the sidewalk, the entire block having been quartered off, with both Lusamine's and Lysandre's security detail overseeing their safety.
As the duo partook in their public debate for the public, a nice, healthy portion of the crowd cheered Lusamine as she finished her statment, Lysandre took to the stage, clapping respectfully to his rival as he took to the microphone.
"Well said, Ms. Aether." The tall man smiled as he turned to the audience. "You made valid points toward putting resources into the betterment of our school system and troubled youth, but I believe we as a people must look toward the real problem. The problem that the current cabinet has failed time after time to address: rampant organized crime that troubles the safety of our good citizens."
The people clapped and whistled loudly as the man made his statement, Lusamine sitting off to the side of the platform, the Aether President having made her case about the needs of their youth, that they were the city's future.
"No longer should the good citizens of this fair city-NO-this fair nation, suffer from the heinous acts of crime commited in our very streets! Businesses harassed and attacked, citizens extorted, our possessions stolen! It doesnt matter if they are the group of street urchins people came to call the Vipers, or the deplorable gangsters we've come to know as Prospects, such kind of behavior cannot be condoned any longer! That's why I ask you to vote for me, Lysandre Fleur-Da-Lis, so that we can 'Put the Underworld Underground!"
After finishing his statement with a slogan the man used, the phrase an undecided voter may have heard him say throughout his campaign, the people cheered loudly, the favor of the crowd seeming to favor Lysandre at the moment. Lusamine felt undeterred, however, for she staunchly believed that her rhetoric would prove right in the end. She would make that point to many political backers she could at the Gala event, the woman and her family having been invited in good faith by Lysandre to attend.
She knew for a long time that the leader of Prospects would be there, somewhere, entrenched in the crowd of high society types, using the Gala Event as a smokescreen. Considering Lysandre's entire platform for getting voted into office was centered around anti-Prospect sentiment, Lusamine had begun the believe that the Prospect leader very well could take that opportunity to spy on Lysandre...or worse. Regardless of the intentions the Prospect Leader had at the Gala Event, the truth was growing closer and closer, and knowing it was her best shot to help her Master, she took up Lysandre on his offer.
Suddenly, Lusamine was shaken from her rumination by one of her security staff shaking her shoulder, whispering into her ear.
"Ma'am we have a situation! The perrimeter has been breached! Two illegal street vehicles broke past our barrier and may well be here any second!" The stern and burly bodyguard advised. "We must evacute you, just in case. Follow us."
Looking from the corner of her eye, Lusamine say one of Lysandre's guards approach him, no doubt telling him the same thing, the man's smile suddenly curving downward. Rising from her chair, Lusamine began to follow her guard when all of the sudden, Hilda and Xavier sharply turned the corner, the crowd of people in the streets screaming in panic as the tried to escape the quickly approaching vehicles.
"Shit!!" Hilda gasped, realizing what they were just led into, and realizing Xavier had no intentions to slow his pace.
As the crowd of people fled in panic, a woman with her baby carriage, her once sleeping infant still inside now crying were swarmed by the panicing masses, knocking the mother over and separating her from her child, the runaway baby carrige now careening right into the path of danger.
"No! Oliver! Somebody save my baby!" The mother screamed, trying desperatly to fight agaist the tide of the crowd.
"Pyroar, stop those bikes! Protect that child!" Lysandre sprung into action, tossing a pokeball containing his Pyroar, its mane flickering with embers, the Lion Pokémon putting himself between the helpless babe and the hovercycles.
Opening his maw, the Fire type released a controlled Flamethrower, ensuring it didn't hurt any of the fleeing pedestrians or buildings. Narrowly avoiding the heat, Xavier sharply turned 90 degrees to avoid getting hit by Pyroar's attack, leaving the venue down a road, even as droves of security personnel pitfully tried to chase the speeding vehicle on foot. As the masses finally calmed down, realizing they were no longer in danger, the mother finally broke free from the crowd, running to the carriage.
"My baby! Oh my gosh my baby!!" The mother gasped, rushing to the baby carriage to check on her child, only to notice that Pyroar had poked his head inside, consolling the child with a soft nudge of his nostrils, the baby now giggling as the Fire type tickled the child's belly.
"You did splendedly, Pyroar." Lysandre approached, petting his partner on the head as he approached the mother. "Are you ok, miss? I understand their fear, but I hope they didn't injure you in that stampede?"
"N-no! Thank you, sir!" The mother smiled, shaken up from the ordeal, but still more than able to share her gratitude. "Thank you so much! Oh my dear Oliver!"
"If it would make you feel better, miss, I could assign one of my guards to you, at least to make sure you get home safely." Lysandre consoled the shaking woman as his eyes glared coldly down the street Hilda and Xavier took down. "This is exaclty as I had feared. These criminals grown bolder and bolder by the day. If you would like some assistance returning home, you've only but to ask."
"I don't live too far away from here...I think I'll be fine. But thank you for the offer." The woman smiled, her shaking finally calming down.
"Sir, those people may have left, but we still must follow procedure." A bodyguard approached his charge. "We must get you to safety."
"Agreed. I think its high time I asked those incompotent police were doing about this anyways." Lysandre whispered back before following.
As Hilda and Xavier cut through the city, a few cop cars had made their mark, but none of them were able to keep the pace with the modifed illicit vehicles. Not even the helicopters were able to keep chase for long. Hilda and Calem now realized they entered the industrial sector of the City, the North District. Realizing Xavier still had a significant lead on the duo, Calem took note of the path remaining before the race exited out into the Badlands.
"Hilda, I think I know a shortcut through an area nearby." Calem advised. "And underground service tunnel my gang hung out in back in the day. Pretty sure this thing will fit through it, and it will spit us out near the end of the city. We won't have to worry about having to dodge any more traffic, neither."
"All right. I'm trusting you on this here!" Hilda agreed, trusting Calem's judgement.
"Turn left on my mark...now!" Calem shouted, Hilda making a hard left through a processing plant, Xavier looking through his rearview mirror in confusion as to why his competition just went off the designated path.
Noticing a ramp leading underground just beyond the plant, Hilda floored it. As Hilda sped through the dimly lit tunnel, the two teens finally saw the light at the end, the tunnel spitting them out right around the edge of town, just as Calem said. Looking over his shoulder, Calem noticed Xavier in the back, their single tire on the hovercycle kicking up dirt as it sped over the desert ground.
"Nooo!" Xavier gasped, realizing that his opponent somehow got in front of him by a significant margin, hammarinf the throttle.
"Step on it, he's gaining!" Calem warned.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Hilda shouted.
The finish line drew closer and closer, with Hilda begining to realize where they were.
"This is!" She pieced together as the racers began approaching a familar building to the brunette.
It was the compoud she and Ash infiltrated when they had to steal Silvally back for Lusamine. But something was off. Even from a distance, the place looked abandoned. No guards whatsoever. As Xavier drew closer, his teeth gritting in desparation, Calem had one last trick up his sleeve. Right as Xavier came close enough to be neck and neck, Calem clutched the tablet Xavier gave him.
"Thought you might want this back!" He snarkly grinned, throwing it at Xavier's face, distracting the man and causing him the swerve away, losing momentum. "Take that, you prick!"
"FUCK!!" Xavier screamed.
But it was too late. Hilda had already crossed the finish line, the gate leading into the compound. Stopping sharply, Hilda got off the bike, ready for Prospect people to jump her.
But there was nobody there. No guards, no vehicles, not even the group of people she and Ash saw trapped in cages.
"What happened here?" Hilda asked aloud as Xavier crossed the finish line, the man jumping off his motorcycle, charging Calem and Hilda.
"You cheated!" He shouted, his fist shaking.
"You said we could follow the road map. You never said anything about us leaving that path to take shortcuts." Calem smuggly grinned, arms folded proudly.
"You..! You!!" Xavier grinded his teeth in fury before relenting. "Whatever. I suppose you beat me here. I qdmit defeat."
"Really? Just like that? You weren't nearly so accepting the last time." Hilda reminded the man.
"I have my reasons to admit defeat. When I challenge you next, the victory will only be sweeter." Xavier smirked, his arrogance still as present as ever. "Very well, as I said, I will divulge information. You have the opportunity to ask me 5 questions. Whether or not you believe what I say is all on you though."
"For starters, what hell happened here?" Hilda asked, realizing that the man actually offering to meet his end of the deal, even if sje was only going to get so much out of it. "When my friend and I broke in here, it was crawling with Prospects and people in cages. Where did they all go?"
"They we're relocated to a more...permanent facility underground. We no longer have need for such exposed bases, now that our plan has moved into the next phase." Xavier answered. "You get four more."
"That was far too vague to be worthwhile!" Calem yelled, pointing accusingly at the man. "Give us something worthwhile!"
"Hold on Calem, I think we might already know more than you think." Hilda reminded the young man.
Hilda remembered something Xavier said when he confronted them in their hideout. The Viper's HQ, being a seemingly abandoned subway station platform always did seem a bitt off. Why was it not connected to the surface, and why did the Prospecrs already have a good idea they we're stationed there. The subway station wasnt just a seemingly abandoned urban development project, it was very well an entrance to something.
"That's why you knew we were down there, all along, isn't it? Your facility, whatever it is, is down there." Hilda stated.
"I take it that is your second question? Quite a waste of a question, but very well. We-" Xavier began to speak.
"No. I'm not wasting valuable opportunities to know more. I'll come to my own conclusions. "Hilda stated before posing a new question. "What is the purpose of the Chateau, that cruise liner we met on? And do the silver and gold Glameow key chains have any significance?"
"That question is a two parter, so I will take it as two questions." Xavier grinned, taking an extra question away from Hilda. "The nature of that vessel is the play an international role. Prospects uses the illustrious status of a luxury cruise ship to entice, well, prospective candidates that our Boss finds worthy to join, pun entirely intended. The silver glameow key chain signifies a candidate we've yet to vet for clearance. Any gold key chain holders are one of the chosen ones. After looking into you myself, I found that your father happens to be one of our Gold members. I heard he may even be attending the Gala Event, like many other wealthy patrons who wish to see the events in Kalos take place. You get two more."
Hilda began to piece the puzzle together. The Chateau's entire existance was to bring in wealthy elite types, all so Prospects could bring them into their fold. But for what? Money? Perhaps political bribery? Or perhaps something else entirely. Her family had been wrapped up in some sort of vetting system for nearly ten years now. Hilda didn't know the significance of it when she was little, but as it turns out her father was wrapped up in this far more than she realized.
But one thing Hilda still was trying to come to grips was Rosa's mom's death. Initially her father doubted it was normal, natural causes, but after he was brought aboard the Chateau, his entire viewpoint changed instantly. The trail between Rosa's mom and Prospects was feint, but it existed. If Prospects could influence Faba, a man in a country beyond Kalos, who's to say they couldn't do similar to Rosa's mom in Unova?
Hilda had kept this close to the chest for so long, information she collected from her own personal investigations that she neglected to even tell her own Master and even her sister regarding the research Rosa's mom did, not wanting to distract her Master or dig up bitter memories for her sister. If she could learn what she had to know here and now, perhaps it could help link many threads together.
"My surrogate sister, Rosa. I'm sure you lot know about her already. To my knowledge, her mother was doing research into the human mind, how the utilization of hypnosis could he used to better the lives of people." Hilda began to speak, her revelation even catching Calem by surprise. "Roughly 9 years ago, she fell prey to a mysterious, terminal illness, and her research was stolen from her laboratory in Unova shortly afterward, any traces remaining destroyed. I want to know if that has anything to do with the mind controlling headset we stole from your convoy."
"What? I don't remember there being anything like that in the-" Calem began to say before a revelation hit him, stunning him. "So that's how he does it..! That means back in the auto shop..! That case Ash gave to Rosa. They were so vague in their talk, I had barely noticed..! Was that this so called mind control helmet?!"
"What are you babbling about..?" Hilda asked before returning her attention to Xavier, the white haired man beginning to speak.
"And if I were to say yes to that, would you believe me?" Xavier grinned sadistically.
"You son of a bitch!" Hilda growled. "You bastards murdered my sister's mother, and you have the nerve to use her inventions for your sick games?!"
"Easy now, I ain't finished yet. If you don't remember what I said eariler, I joined up with Prospects roughly around that time. I wasn't involved in such a job, but I could tell you who it very well could have been." Xavier coyly grinned, still hardly showing sympathy for the Viper leader, if any. "But before we address that, that headset you stole was only a prototype. The boss wasn't even that broken up about it when it was taken. We've long since updated and expanded the technology beyond such a crude method. This facility we currently are standing in was the testing grounds for that technology, all for our Boss' grand design. When he learned about the fundemental benefits of Mind Control to manipulate a wide group of people, he knew it would suit his needs."
"Mind control... It's so obvious now that I think about it..!" Calem thought to himself, remembering seeing all those women in the penthouse fawning over him, as well as Hilda being uncharacteristically attached to him, the young teen knowing Hilda's personality to have been much more standoff when it came to guys beyond professional relationships. "But when could he have brainwashed Hilda?! When they did that job for Lusamine? No, I doubt it. On the Chateau? No, that was before the truck raid. So then how?! How could he have done it?"
"And that leaves us with one last question. The big one. What do you want to know about? The Gala Event, perhaps? The Boss' name seems quite obvious. Or maybe you would like more...personal info as to who may have bumped off your sister's mother..?" Xavier sarcastically began asking her.
Hilda realized that all three options were important, the last one least of all on a personal not. But she couldn't afford to let personal feelings get in the way now. Her Master was counting on her. The name of a man's who's been for all intents and purposes been behind the curtain or the purpose of this Gala Event? The name sounded promising, but if it turned out to be someone so far off the grid she couldn't be able to investigate, it would be pointless.
Seeing as how this Gala event was supposed to be a massive deal, the boss of the Prospects could very well be somewhere in the crowd, along with all the Chateau members hiding in plain sight among the crowd of folk tending the open Gala. Wrestling with the choice to make, Hilda finally made her call.
"The Prospects are having a business meeting at the Gala Event. I want to know just what is so special about this thing." Hilda asked, forgoing on the name of the leader in exchange for more pertinent info.
"The people who were invited onto the Chateau, the ones cleared for Gold clearance, anyways, will be discreetly located to a more quiet area in the back gardens." Xavier informed her. "There, an auction is set to take place, where these high rollers will bid their billions on plots of...something. A place where I believe they intend to move all their personal valuables as well as themselves. But that's only a working theory."
"You're holding back, aren't you?!" Calem growled.
"No. In fact, I find it surpirsing how I, one of the four lieutenants, wasn't briefed in detail on what's going on. Security has been tight, ever since truck raid." Xavier admitted, Hilda strangly enough believing what he was saying. "One of the other lieutenants directly believes I had a roll to play in that, though to his credit, I suppose I did. You want a little piece of free advice: Stay away from a man called Gale. He's dangerous. He traveled all the way out to Alola to whack one of our contractors, who you probably already know as Faba. I live life on the edge, and even he gives me a sense of dread I've never felt elsewhere."
Checking his watch only to realize he was running short on time, Xavier began to pace backward to his hovercycle.
"Well, its been a gas, but its about time I got leaving." He cockily waved, hopping onto the bike, revving its engine.
"Wait!" Hilda asked the man. "Why did you even tell us this stuff? And why warn us about this guy you mentioned?! We're enemies! What do you owe us?!"
"Don't get any ideas we're pals. If Gale gets the better of you, then I'll never get my rematch." Xavier remined her. "Remember this: the only one who beats you is me! And when I beat you next time, you and Ash are mine!"
And with that, Xavier took off, leaving the two teens much to contemplate, strangly enough leaving well enough alone.
"We weren't able to get as much out of him as I was hoping, but this is better than nothing. Now we just have to prepare for this Gala event." Hilda said to her fellow gang member, her mind turning to the fact that Xavier claimed her father would be at the Gala. "This just got a whole lot more personal for me."
"Hilda." Calem began to say.
"What?"
"What exactly is this Ash guy to you?" He asked, keeping his cards close to the chest. "This guy seems to be Mr. Perfect. Even that Xavier guy seemed to expect him to be the one racing him. It's almost as if you worship him if you were willing to race in his name."
"What, are you jealous?" Hilda playfully teased, a facade meant to derail Calem from trying to ascertain her allegiance and connection to her Master.
"You've been different ever since that Chateau job. And I'm not the only one in Vipers who sees that. Far from it, in fact." Calem warned her. "I don't know what he did to you, or how, but you've gone soft lately. Every attempt I've made to make sure our group survives this overwhelming threat, you've stopped me at every turn. And after what that man just said, I think I'm seeing the bigger picture."
"If you've something to say, then spit it out." Hilda began to grow cold, the duo starring daggars once more.
Suddenly, in the corner of their eye, Hilda and Calem notice a familar van and another vehicle beside it. Recognizing it as the car Ash drove off in after leaving the auto body shop, as well as Rosa's modified van, Calem realized confronting Hilda now held no purpose.
"Fine, Hilda. Have it your way." Calem muttered as he walked toward the hovercycle, hopping onto the driver's seat. "But sooner or later, the others are gonna realize what I've realized. You're in for a rude awakening."
"Wait, don't!" Hilda warned Calem. "You don't even know how to drive that thing!"
"Watch me!" Calem shouted, starting the engine.
As the vehicle violently jerked, the electro mangetic plate beneath the engine block allowing the fromt to remain suspended, Calem hastily corrected his momentum, the vehicle swaying due to the amateur pilot. Despite his novice knowings of the machine, having only learned from watching Hilda during the race, Calem was able to miraculously not only center the vehicle once more, but drive it away and out of the compound, leaving Hilda to herself as her allies joined her.
"That was pretty touch and go there, Hilda. I'm glad you did crash or hurt anyone." Ash smiled at his slave, patting her on the shoulder. "We heard bits and pieces of what was said over your earpiece, but it wasn't coming out so clearly in the end, so we thought to just meet up where you stopped."
"We saw everything from the drone Lusamine gave us, too!" Rosa smiled, hugging her sister. "I'm so proud of you, Sis! Congrats on winning!"
"Thanks, Rosa. But I really should tell you all what I learned." Hilda replied, turning their attention to more serious matters.
After Hilda finally finished divulging everything, the group was left to contemplate on their next move. Rosa, upon hearing that her mother had a hand in developing the mind control tech Prospects now possessed, was shocked and disgusted.
"So after all this time, I find out my Mother's own research was being abused by those villains..." She shook her head in contempt.
"I suppose it makes sense, though." Ash admitted. "You seemed to have quite a knack at looking over its schematics and programming it for me. I suppose you have your mother's knack for programming."
"She taught me quite a few things when I was little. I forgot most of them, but the stuff I do remember will last woth me forever." Rosa smiled warming, thinking fondly of her departed mother.
"So now we kinda know why Prospects has an interest in your lair. Its probably their entrance into this theorized facility." Alain spoke up.
"Right beneath the city. Under our very noses." Hilda sighed. "Our base, and the tunnels for the Lumiose City subway are already 50 feet beneath the surface, though. Why woukd they need to dig so deep? Just what is down there, and how big are we talking here?"
"All I can say is we'll need to devise a way to infiltrate that Gala." Ash advised. "I think I have an in through Lusamine. Im already been picked as her daughter's groom. But we'll need to find ways to sneak more of our people in. This kind of operation will reauire more than just Rosa, Hilda and I this time."
"I'll try and get into contact with Perrin. She'll have a press pass to the event, I wager." Rosa spoke up. "I'll look into more options as needed, but time is limited. We're just barely over a week away from this event, so we will need good teamwork amd even stronger people. Should the need arise, we might need to fight Prospects, if things get rough."
"We'll do all we can to train ourselves up. You girls in the meantime start planning us a strategy, and I'll make sure Lusamine is kept in the loop." Ash adivsed.
"Sounds like we've got a plan, then." Hilda smiled, turning to Ash. "What do you say, Master. I may he Viper's leader, but you're the true vision for the group. Have any words of inspiration for your humble troops?"
As all turned to Ash, the young man thought of something inspirational quickly.
"The days of Prospects controlling the city are numbered. We're gonna take their little secret meeting, and flip it on its head. We'll expose them, and their partners to the world. The people will know of their crime and rally for justice. And we will be the ones who will see that justice served."
"Yes!" The group cheered.
As Hilda and Rosa left Ash and his group, both parties went their own was, with Ash realizing that, not only did he need to fet stronger as a trainer, he needed as many allies as possible in order to oppose such a massive threat. And more allies meant more slaves for him to toy with, and his school was teeming for buxom teachers and seductive students. It was just a matter of finding which one piqued his interest next.
Hello dear readers. YaBoySteven back again with another new chapter, or in this case, two chapters. That's right. As a means to convey my appreciation for you loyal readers, I will be dropping two chapters, back to back, in quick succession. This chapter featuring a deadly race around this city in the pursuit of knowledge will feature tonight, whole the second chapter will be posted the day after, featuring a new slave girl for Ash to break. If you wish to see who he breaks next, don't worry, you won't have to wait long.
Once again, thanks you all, this story has picked up more traction than I ever could have foresaw. It's all thanks to you that I make it this far as a writer, and I hope thos double chapter upload will help show to you just how much I appreciate you all. To those who may have PM'd me in recent weeks, I'd like to just inform you I have already responded. Just remember that PM's can only be seen by me if you send them through the mobile version of this app. If you can't see my response to your PM, that might just mean you can only read my PM's through the mobile app as well.
Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I hope you enjoy the next one posted the day after this drops! Happy reading, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year's to you all!!