Chapter 10: Cyllage City Showdown
Dee passed by the big sign that declared itself the entrance to Cyllage City. Dee paused as she entered the town and looked around. Most of the town was in ruins, which wasn't that unusual except that most the buildings, intact and demolished, were wooden and the damage looked recent, or at least more recent than the stone and metal pre-war ruins everywhere else. Dee made her way to the only intact building, a bar that showed signs of recent repair.
The inside of the bar could only be described as a saloon and was mostly empty except for the bartender and two NKR soldiers seated at the bar. As Dee sat at the bar the bartender, a Pyroar-man, turned to her with surprise. "Well now, I haven't had a new customer in ages."
One of the soldiers, both Rattata-men, spoke up, "Civilians aren't supposed to be in here."
The other turned and grinned when he saw the stacked shiny Lucario-woman at the bar, "But we sure ain't complaining about that." He got up and moved to sit on the stool next to Dee, "so what brings a sexy lady like you to this end of the Kalos hellhole?"
Dee recoiled slightly but quickly collected herself, "I'm looking for someone, a Persian-man with a group of Rockets. I was told they passed this way."
"Not much here since the NKR Rangers blew the place up during the first battle of Gaiva Dam," The bartender sighed, "Stopped the Kogun and wiped out a good chunk of their troops. My bar was the only place that survived. Now all the business I get is soldiers stopping on their way back from the front."
"Rockets? You mean like those gang members we got pinned in the ruins?" the first soldier asked.
Dee jumped to her feet, accidentally knocking the second soldier from his chair as he'd been trying to lean closer, "They're here! Where?!"
The first soldier just pointed out the door, "Just a little past the memorial, hey!" Dee took off before he could say anymore. After he watched her go he got up to check on his squad-mate, "You OK?"
The second soldier just grinned up at his squad mate despite being dazed, "She smacked me with her tits, I'm good."
His companion just smacked himself in the face then hauled him to his feet, "OK, we're going back to HQ."
Dee ran past a stone memorial that had been placed in the center of the city ruins and saw a squad of NKR soldiers at the entrance to a pile of rubble that looked like it formed a crater on the inside. The one at the door, a Growlithe-man, turned in time to see her and held up a hand to tell her to stop.
"Whoa there!" Dee stopped in front of him as he continued, "We got a hostage situation with some of Team Rocket in here, can't let a civilian wander into a fire zone. We're just waiting for the orders to take them out."
Dee held up her hands bouncing in place, "I need to talk to those Rockets, I think they stole something from me I need to get back."
The NKR soldiers looked a bit conflicted, "I'm sorry but I can't put any more lives at risk, they already have two of ours captive. Once we take them out you can pick through their stuff and see if they still have it."
Dee peered through the small opening and saw the rest of the NKR squad crouched behind a makeshift barricade of rubble as her mind raced. She had to at least talk to them especially if the Persian-man was there so she gulped and made a proposal, "How about you let me talk to them, a neutral party, and make some sort of deal to get your people free?"
The squad leader eyed her warily, "Maybe that could work, I don't think they'd be so eager to shoot someone as… attractive as you who isn't holding a gun," Dee could tell he was struggling to stay professional. "I just don't want to risk you ending up another hostage, or worse."
Dee cracked her knuckles which sent a spark across her hands, "I can handle myself."
The NKR Squad leader nodded, "I can see that. Alright, just don't do anything reckless." He walked to the edge of the door then shouted out across no man's land, "ROCKETS! WE'RE SENDING SOMEONE ACROSS TO TALK! SHE'S NOT FROM THE ARMY SO DON'T SHOOT!"
There was silence for a few seconds before the hissing reply came back, "SSSSEND THEM OVER!"
"All yours now miss uhh…"
"Dee," Dee stepped past him and hopped up over the makeshift barricade then marched towards the other line. She could see the Rockets, all poison-types, crouched behind cover with their guns aimed at her. She focused her aura sight on them to gauge the situation: first it was apprehension, then lust as she got close enough to see the big red Rs painted on their armor and they could see what she looked like but once she was close enough to make out their faces a wave of fear and confusion spread through them. If the NKR was worried about Dee being taken as another hostage that worry evaporated as Dee reached them and checked the group of 8 or so: a couple Ekans with just tails and no legs, Nidoran of both sexes, a Grimer, a pair of Croagunk and a Seviper also with just a tail instead of legs.
"Where's your leader and the hostages?" Dee kept her voice calm but didn't let her guard down.
A Crogunk-woman pointed wordlessly at the door of the only intact building in the ruins and Dee nodded in thanks before making for the door.
Inside was an old storefront, tied up at the side of the room were a Pidgey-man and a Sentret-man in NKR fatigues and behind the desk were the Nidorino-man and Arbok-man she remembered from the night she was shot.
The Nidorino-man stared at Dee in complete shock, "What the hell! You're that courier Benny wasted back in Vaniville. You're supposed to be dead!"
Dee just stared back, "After everything I've been through, I should be dead from a lot worse than a bullet in the head."
The Arbok-man gulped and started to shake, "Sssso you're here for revenge?"
Dee could feel the fear that filled the whole room, not just from the two Rockets but the prisoners as well. She clenched her fists, feeling the same rage she felt back when she confronted the Think Tank at Big MT. It took a moment for her to remember Frankie's words and she let out a deep breath as the red mist cleared from her vision. "No. But I do want answers: why did you ambush me and tie me up? Who was the Persian-man who shot me and why did he want the platinum chip?"
The Nidorino-man's eyes narrowed and his voice became harsher, "His name's Benny, some bigshot from New Lumiose. He hired us to escort him to the ambush spot and the pay was too good to pass up or bother asking questions. As for the platinum chip, no idea what that's about but Benny said something about 'holding Lumiose in the palm of his hand' or some shit."
"Jesssssup, sssshould we really tell her all thisss?" the Arbok-man hissed.
"Benny double-crossed us, McMurphy, she might as well know." Jessup shot back.
"Where's Benny now?" Dee folded her arms as best she could under her breasts.
Jessup snorted in anger, "He said he'd pay us when we got back to New Lumiose, but once we cleared the Kogun's raiding areas I guess he decided to stiff us. Snuck away in the night and probably tipped off the NKR we were here and left us to die. Lucky we woke up before the shooting started and managed to grab those two," he pointed his horn at the two tied up soldiers, "No one's died yet but it's a standoff."
"Which isss the other reasssson you're here," McMurphy looked from the captive then back to Dee, "You're here to negotiate for the NKR?"
Dee nodded but couldn't help but ask a question, "Why do you have a problem with the NKR?"
"Long story, too long for here and now," Jessup shook his head, "So what's the deal? You asking us to surrender, because we ain't going to no labor camp or jail and we're not dying here for nothing."
Dee looked back and forth from the prisoners to the two lead Rockets. She didn't need aura sense to tell that tension was running high so she tried her best to propose a solution, "You know you're not getting anything out of this, right? If you let the captives go maybe I can convince the soldiers to let you out of their territory safely."
"Bullsssshit!" McMurphy literally spat acid, a small glob landed on the counter which left a burn mark, "If we try to walk out in peace it will be Bitter Ssssprings all over again!"
"Bitter Springs?" Dee was confused.
"Another time, if there is another time," Jessup looked at McMurphy as they seemed to be conversing with just their expressions. Then sighed, "You're right about us not getting anything out of this except our lives. Since you didn't try to kill us, even though most would say you have the right, I'll trust you to get us out of this alive." He nodded to the two prisoners, "Set them free and tell the soldiers to let us go."
Dee breathed a sigh of relief and quickly freed the prisoners with slashes from her Metal Claws as Jessup went outside to tell the other Rockets the plan.
Dee could feel the tension pouring off everyone as she escorted the two freed prisoners across the no man's land. As she reached the NKR soldiers she heard their leader arguing over a radio.
"But we just… hold on," he turned to see Dee as she and the two now freed captives were just reaching the barricade, "the negotiator we sent just came back with the prisoners, I'll contact you again in a minute, Sir, over." He lowered the radio and walked to meet Dee as she helped the two freed captives down from the barricade, "I don't know how you did it, miss, but it's not a moment too soon. I just got the order to take out those Rockets."
Dee's eyes went wide as she heard guns being checked all around her. In a snap decision she jumped backwards up over the barrier and a meter into no man's land, arms spread. "No!" her shout made everyone pause, "I promised them they could walk free if they released the captives."
"Monroe!" A harsh female voice shouted through the radio, "What the fuck's going on! have you started the engagement yet!?"
Monroe sighed, "She never says over," the Growlithe-man raised the radio, "Yes, Colonel Moore, engagement about to proceed, over!"
"Then get it over with! I want those Rocket's corpses stinking in the sun before it goes down!" the voice cut off.
Dee just stared, then her expression hardened and she took up a fighting stance, "You can't do this, what if everyone hears the NKR just kills anyone after a negotiation?"
Monroe looked conflicted, then turned to his men. Only a couple were still eager to fight and the rest just looked tired, "I suppose wasting ammo here and maybe getting ourselves shot would be bad. Damnit! I don't want to let them go but it wouldn't feel right either just shooting them in the back. They'd call it Bitter Springs all over again."
"They said the same thing," Dee relaxed slightly, "What was Bitter Springs?"
Monroe sighed sadly, "A big mistake, long story short the NKR found the Rockets holed up there making raids against our caravans, so we attacked the place. Heard they were going to sneak soldiers out and attack our battalion from behind so rangers and first recon were sent around to ambush them. They fired as soon as they saw them emerge but when the smoke cleared it was just children, elderly and injured, an evacuation. No one was happy about it except my CO you just heard on the radio; she gave the battalion leader a medal and he felt so bad he resigned and went back to NKR."
Dee put a hand to her mouth, "That's… I don't know what to say."
"I'm guessing you don't know the Rockets much then," Monroe shook his head, then switched off the radio in his hand and stuck it on his belt, "Forget about it, they can go free as long as they don't attack any NKR citizens on their way home."
Dee put a hand on her chest and breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you." She turned and shouted back at the Rockets, who were waiting with apprehension, "I made the deal! You can all go free!"
The tension rose as the Rockets crossed no man's land, guns still ready in case someone got nervous. Thankfully no one did and Jessup stopped next to Dee, "Thanks, girl, I'll let the rest of the Rockets know about this when I get back to Red Rocket Canyon." The way he said it so casually, Dee figured the NKR already knew where that was, "Oh and take this," he pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to Dee, who easily caught it
"Huh?" Dee looked at it, it was an engraved flip-top lighter, recently made and obviously personalized.
"Benny left that behind, might help you track him down. Gotta get moving before either of our sides forget the ceasefire," as Jessup left, McMurphy paused alongside Dee.
"What wassss your name?"
"It's Dee," She pocketed the lighter, "Thanks for telling me about Benny."
"Give that bassstard what he hasss coming," McMurphy slithered along and left with the rest of the group.
After everyone else had left Cyllage City, Dee asked the bartender if he had a room to rent. He offered to let her stay the night for free for solving the situation so peacefully. As Dee lay in bed she stared at the lighter. So the Persian-man's name was Benny and the platinum chip was some sort of key to New Lumiose. She could go there right now, make him pay! But… she reflected on Frankie's words again.
"Make peace, heal hearts, mend souls. I guess I made peace today and the other two…" she set the lighter down on the side table next to her bed then looked at her Rotom-boy map. The bunker Frankie had marked was a day or two's journey south of Cyllage City, if that was where she had to go then she would. It might have sounded weird following the trail of a psychic but these days psychic-types were rare and their special gifts hard to understand, but she trusted what he said. The next day, after buying breakfast at the saloon, Dee set out south to find this strange bunker.
It took three days to find the bunker, two days of travel fighting off both poison and fire Gecleon that inhabited the region along with the occasional band of Bug-type raiders while barely getting any sleep, and one day searching the area for the entrance, which was a small manhole expertly camouflaged against the landscape.
Dee descended into the bunker only to be greeted by an empty landing room with stairs leading down and the words "Sierra Madre" graffitied on various spots on the wall. Dee squinted through sleep-deprived eyes and saw a decapitated corpse lying on the landing opposite the top of the stairs. She shuddered and quickly walked down the stairs to get past the sight.
Right by the bottom of the stairs the hallway split off to the left and ended at a door locked by a computer. In her sleep-deprived state, Dee wasn't able to focus enough to hack the door so she decided that at least this would be a safe place to sleep, even if it was on the floor. She looked down the other hallway and saw what looked like a barracks bunk room. Deciding that was better than the floor, Dee practically stumbled down the corridor towards the beds, not paying attention to the radio broadcasting a message to anyone in the bunker.
Dee didn't notice the trigger plate on the floor until it was too late. The click made Dee pause for a moment before a black ribbed poke ball fired at her from a small cannon at the side of the doorway and struck her in the side of the head. Dee only briefly registered what was happening before her body was converted into black energy and she was sucked into the poke ball, leaving her clothes and gear to collapse in a pile on the floor. The ball shook a couple times before stopping.
Sometime later, someone came and retrieved it then began a long trek back the way they came.