|
Post by Atticus on Sept 17, 2011 21:45:14 GMT -5
Ellie winced as she was put at gunpoint. At least she was stalling them. When she heard Note speak up, she cursed under her breath. If he was busy shooting her to a pulp, they could get away... maybe. The other two grunts by his side had guns. There was basically one gun for each of them. How the hell was that supposed to work?
Hannibal, creeping down the stairs, noticed Donetello sulking over the body of a Houndour. What was he doing? The Furret made his way over to the dark canine and cocked a brow, glancing at the young Pokémon and back at Don. The Houndour had a thick notch in his ear and a crack in his skull, but they didn't look fresh... at all. "Ei ther'..." he greeted quietly, his deep eyes still trying to process what was going on.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Sept 17, 2011 22:03:57 GMT -5
"Vivian, no," Note said quietly, the blood roaring in his ears soloud that he was not even sure if the words had formed. "No!"
EV ignored him, taking a step i to the doorway. Her eyes locked with Giovanni's and she was instantly enraged by the arrogance, the self entitlement that she saw there. A vicious snarl ripped from her throat and her tail lashed.
Giovanik's eyebrows rose curiously, a childlike fascination forming on his face at the sight of the strange Pokémon. It was quickly replaced with a more mature look of bemusement. "A hybrid?" He said softly. "How have you done this? What is that thing?"
Note's eyes shifted from Vivian to Giovanni quickly and he quickly sought another chance ag stalling. "Her? She's my creation," he lied.
Giovanni's eyes narrowed at the boy. "You're a bad liar, young man." He raised the gun again, aiming it for Note's head. "Tell me where it came from."
Donetello slowly looked at the Furret, his eyes hollow with sadness. "Hey..."
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Sept 17, 2011 22:16:11 GMT -5
"Whas' wrong, mate?" he questioned, concern sweeping over his gaze. "Ai feel bad for 'em, too. You sfink dis' was a good one, hu?" he chimed, blinking curiously at the Houndoom. Thinking his plans over, the Furret finally inquired, "Flora sent me down heya. Ellie, Note, and Tunes are at gunpoint, mate... We thought we could revive some Pokémon that wer' forced to beh' on Team Rocket, but Ai'm having trouble making guesses. I could use some help, since Flora's too big to sneak back here unnoticed," he shrugged.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Sept 17, 2011 22:32:01 GMT -5
"I bought her from a breeder that way," he tried again, the lie sounding a little more legit this time. "Really, I did."
Giovanni's eyes narroqes suspiciously, his gaze shifting between the three teenagers critically. Finally his gaze rested on Ellie. "Do you know anything about this?" Though he did not seem to completely believe Note, his curiousity was irreverably sparked and he was willing to listen to thwm now, despite the questionable sincerity of what they had to say. All the time he kept glancing at Vivian, who stood rigid in the doorway, unsure of what to do.
Donetello perked up at the talk of revives. "This one, Hannibal," he whispered excitededly. "Revive this Houndour."
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Sept 17, 2011 22:47:20 GMT -5
Ellie shook her head. "I met him when he already had her," she confirmed. Her voice was shaky, but that was only because she was nervous. He statement was the truth.
Why was Giovanni so interested? Because she was a new breed...? He hadn't even seen Vivian's power, yet, and hopefully the only time he would, would be when Vivian scorched his face into ashes.
Hannibal pricked his ears but said nothing. He took out the revive and pressed it against the Houndour. Why Don seemed so excited, he couldn't tell, but it was obvious that reviving this Houndour would please him on some level.
Solitaire felt a rush of warmth seer through his body. What was going on? It'd only been a few moments ago, or at least it felt like a few moments ago that he felt the empathetic look of a Meganium burn into his eyes before he collapsed beneath his own weight. His vision was blurry; he'd never fainted that vitally. It was scary, he had to admit.
Through the mist of recovering, he noticed a lean dark shape accompanied by a scruffier, brown-flecked shape looming over him. Wh-What? Solitaire quickly rolled onto his stomach and forced himself to his paws, growling. "Back off!" he ordered, his fur bristling out of intimidation and fear. Solitaire never showed weakness; if he did, he'd die. But he wasn't in the city anymore...? Where was Nikki? Or the rest of his gang? He squinted his eyes at his enemy, one of which looked very confused until he noticed something familiar about the Houndoom... Something...
He caught his breath. "Don? What..." he was terribly baffled.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Sept 17, 2011 23:24:17 GMT -5
Giovanni's eyes fixed on Vivian again, and she let out another visious snarl that made the fur on Persian's shoulders prickle. "Where was this... breeder?" Giovanni asked doubtfully.
"I didn't get a name," Note replied, his lies flowing more easily as he began to piece the fake story together. "It was more of a transaction."
Giovanni frowned. "Then there are more of these things," he murmured, more to himself than anyone in the room. "I want details, boy. I want to know where these things come from."
Note swallowed the lump in his throat. There was no way he could keep this up. "I don't have details, I probably couldn't even find the guy again! I paid... my entire life savings for her. So I have nothing to give you. They don't know anything either."
"Unacceptable. I want a name and a location. If you can give me one, I might just spare one of your friends."
Note's face fell, and he looked down at Vivian desperately. She loked up at him for a moment before looking back at Giovanni. Where would he go from there? He couldn't give him a fake name, they would all be dead of he did that. And he was not going to choose between his sister and his best friend if he could fool Giovanni somehow.
Donetello looked down at the Houndour, relief and confusion clear on his features. "Solitaire, why are you here?" he asked.
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Sept 17, 2011 23:31:30 GMT -5
Ellie felt the hairs on her neck rise pin-straight. The lies had gone so smoothly til now... What was Note supposed to say? She didn't have anything to add; plus, she'd already said she'd met him while he had Vivian, which was true.
She wanted to help him but she could find nothing else to say.
Solitaire shook his head rapidly. "Man, I dunno," he replied casually, frowning. "Last I recall, I was out chilling with the guys and Nikki... and then I got separated from them somehow and uh, next thing I knew I was behind metal bars with a collar around my neck," he growled, venom jarring his tone as he mentioned the collar. "I hate collars; just as much as I hate people," he growled, trying to scratch the black leather off, but the red spikes only nicked his paw-pad.
Hannibal glanced back in bewilderment between Don and this so called Solitaire. "Donetello, mate," he got the Houndoom's attention quietly. "Who's dis?"
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Sept 18, 2011 0:21:14 GMT -5
Note stared at him blankly, a bead of sweat sliding down his temple. He had no idea what to say.
Giovani's patience was running short. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the table. "I'm waiting.
Note shook his head insistantly. "I can't tell you anything! I don't know the guy, I just met the grunt that gave her to me, and he didn't tell me his name!"
Giovanni sighed irritably, but seemed resigned. "Call the hybrid forward. I want to see it."
Note looked down at Vivian. "Come here," he said unevenly, gesturing with his hand.
EV gave her trainer a wary look before glaring at Giovanni.
The Rocket leader frowned thoughtfully. "So it has no sense of authority. Is it even a natural object, or some type of machine? Shoot it."
"No!" Note yelled as one of the grunts started to raise his gun. "She's real! She is! She's organic!" He dropped in front of Vivian, putting himself between the grunts with the guns and his Pokémon. Vivian stared at him, rigid, and Giovanni frowned disapprovingly.
"I don't believe you," he said flatly. "Shoot it."
One grunt raised his gun, and with a deafening pop both Note and Vivian sunk to the ground, the boy's arms wrapped around the hybrid's neck. A pool of blood streamed from under them, its source unclear, and Tunes let out a horrified shriek as she stared wide-eyed at the still forms before her.
"His name is Solitaire," the Houndoom replied, taking a step forward and pulling experimentally at the collar around the Houndour's neck. "He's an old friend." There was no time for the long story.
Donetello's jaws snapped, cutting the collar in two, as he heard the gunshot and the scream from upstairs. His head shot up, his eyes widening in horror.
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Sept 18, 2011 1:10:36 GMT -5
Ellie cupped her hands over her mouth, feeling as if her insides were twisting in knots -- she wouldn't doubt it if they were. Her eyes exploded with tears and she had to stop herself from bawling; only soft, agonized moans escaped her lips. With her left hand still covering her mouth and her whole form visibly arched over, she reached towards Note with a shaky hand. It looked more like she was pointing, though, since she made no effort to go near him. It wasn't because she didn't want to be near him she was just paralyzed. A distant "No..." escaped her, feeling as if someone had jabbed their claws directly into her heart.
She looked at Tunes. This was her fault. This was all her fault. She'd never forgive her for letting her brother get shot.
Solitaire stretched, feeling the tug of the collar removed. "Yeah... that's niicce," he grinned, flexing his claws. The fact that the collar had been torn off almost made him feel free again. He was about to open his mouth and ask Don a question, but he was stopped short by the shot of gunfire upstairs. The sound rung in his ears; there was no mistaking that someone had been shot. Gunfire was all too familiar to the stray but all he could wonder was who had been shot.
The look on Donetello's face answered his question before he even had the chance to ask it.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Sept 18, 2011 1:30:26 GMT -5
Tears cascaded down Tunes's face as she struggled to get out of the Rocket grunt's hold. "No!" she sobbed. "Let me go! Eli..."
The grunt holding her looked at Giovanni, wondering if he still wanted him to shoot her, but the Rocket leader waved his hand dismissively, his eyes fixed on the still forms of Note and Vivian. "Which one is bleeding? Both of them?"
The grunt that had shot him lowered his gun and walked over to the bodies. He pushed Note away with his foot and saw a pulsing wound on the hybrid. Through foggy eyes she glared up at him and a weak growl rumbled in her throat. "It is bleeding, sir. Organic."
Giovanni clasped his hands. "Excellent.... And the boy?"
The grunt's gaze shifted to Note, who was face-down on the floor and unlike his Pokémon, was not moving. A pool of blood was forming under his chest and as the grunt watch it widened a bit, telling him that he was still alive. He turned to Giovanni. "Dying, sir."
"No!" Tunes screamed, her futile fight with the Rocket grunt growing more violent. "Let me go!" She dropped her head, tears pooling at her feet as she sobbed uncontrollably at the futility of her fighting. This couldn't be happening. Not to Note, not like this, not anywhere. It had to be a hallucination, or a dream...
Donetello bolted for the stairs without looking back, his heart pounding. How could he have let this happen? He could never forgive himself if Note was the one shot up there. He just couldn't. His trainer had trusted him with his life; had he let him down? He couldn't live with himself if that was the case!
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Sept 18, 2011 2:13:10 GMT -5
Ellie's breathing got heavier and more rapid and she got down on her knees next to her friend. She ever so carefully moved him onto his back and into her arms. "How could you shoot a kid?!" she screamed in fury, hot tears streaming down her reddened cheeks. "You're a monster, Giovanni!" she hissed, biting her tongue. She looked back and Note and completely wrapped her arms around him. He couldn't die! Not like this.
The blond lifted her head to bravely look Tunes into the eye and murmur quietly, "I'm so sorry..."
Hannibal bolted up after Don. Hell, if that had been Ellie... He couldn't bare the thought. He swiftly dodged past the Houndoom as he ran to his Trainer's aid, only to find her sitting on her feet, clutching a dying Note. "Oh, hell no."
Solitaire scrambled up after the two, still confused on what the hell was going on. "Don, wait up!" he demanded stubbornly.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Sept 18, 2011 2:47:16 GMT -5
Note's his eyes were closed, as he had long ago drifted into a state of deep unconsciousness. His breathing was coming in short uneven breaths as both the the color and heat faded from his skin. Crimson still streamed weakly from the exit wound on the left side of his chest.
Tunes looked at him and Ellie despairingly, words evading her in her muddled state of horror. She could not bring herself to look away as she caught the barely detectable rise and fall of his chest.
Beside Note EV worked to get to her paws. She finally stood, her limbs trembling slightly as she snarled at Giovanni bitterly. She was completely aware of Note's life draining out on the floor in front of her, and it enraged her to the point where she did not even know how to begin to rip him apart. How dare he do this. She thought that humans were only so cruel to Pokémon, but now she saw that that was far from the truth. A thick, unpleasantly hot black mist started to form around her feet and blanket the floor as murderous rage darkened her eyes.
Giovanni eyed the spectacle boredly. He sighed. "The carpet is ruined.... I believe we're done here. End them all."
"Yes sir," a couple grunts muttered at the same time. One took aim at the back of Ellie's head, and the other angled a gun at Tunes' temple. The girl's eyes never left her brother as she heard the click of the gun the moment before he pulled the trigger.
The sound was not, however, the last thing she heart. There was a vicious snarl as Donetello leaped into the room, throwing himself at the grunt and sending him to the ground. He cried out as he fell to his side with the Houndoom on top of him and his gun went off, the bullet ricocheting against the ceiling. Tunes fell to the ground with him and rolled away as Donetello pinned him to the ground, his teeth around his neck.
As she fell Lemondrop jumped from her pocket, and the tiny pikachu turned to the grunts near Giovanni. The room filled with dazzling light and sparks as she electrocuted two of them, and he fell to the ground, but not without sending an unaimed pulled flying through the room.
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Sept 18, 2011 3:06:06 GMT -5
Ellie felt the gun press against the back of her head and knew that this was it. At least she would go out with Note in her arms... But that was not to happen today. A snarl rippled through the room and thundered against the barren walls.
Hannibal rushed into the room along with Don, releasing a Giga Impact straight to the temple of the grunt who had their filthy gun pointed to her precious head. The connection of his attack to the grunt's head made a sickening splitting noise and the human crumpled to the ground like a kicked puppy. Whatever his latter status would be, he'd deserve it whether it would mean being a vegetable or simply death. No one ever threatened his Trainer. Ever.
Solitaire leaped up directly onto Giovanni's table and just stared the slick-haired man down. What a sorry son of a bitch, he snickered to himself, smirking at the Rocket boss. Observing him, he noted, This is the kind of person who locks up Pokémon and uses them for his own world-dominating purposes? Looks like just about everybody else in the world.
Being in the same room as the humans was already gross to begin with, but to know that this one had chained him up and forced him to fight his companions? Oh... he was going to pay.
|
|
|
Post by subtleAssiduities on Sept 18, 2011 3:21:00 GMT -5
The room exploded into electricity again as Lemondrop let out another Thunderbolt that sent two more Rockets to the ground. She turned as Donetello rushed past her and tackeld the last remaining grunt to the ground. A bullet from the man's gun hit the floor near the tiny Pikachu so close that she could feel the sparks shoot off of it as it bounced up, and her fur prickled in surprise.
Tunes crawled across the floor, tears still streaming down her face as she came to Ellie and Note. Unsure if the girl had been shot during the explosion of confusion in the room she looked at them both as if they were already dead, her hands balled to fists by her chest. Oh, there was so much blood, and he was so pale.
Giovanni stared back at the Houndour, wide-eyed as his perfect control fell to pieces around him. It seemed distant as he read the thoughts swirling in the young dog Pokémon's eyes... the humanity in those eyes stunned him.
A threatening hiss erupted from behind his desk and Persian arched his back, baring his teeth at Solitaire. Giovanni put his hand on the cat Pokémon's head almost subconciously, his gaze still fixed on the Houndour's.
"He's mine, Solitaire," EV growled darkly, her voice taking on a demonic right in her rage.
|
|
|
Post by Atticus on Sept 18, 2011 3:50:33 GMT -5
Ellie hardly acknowledged Tunes as she joined next to her brother. "We need to find a hospital," she whimpered, her full attention still focused on the bleeding boy as if chaos wasn't exploding all around her. "A human hospital... but those are so rare," she croaked, her voice breaking with each sob.
"I'm so sorry, Emily," she squinted, warm tears misting her eyes. "I'm so sorry!"
"Aah, Viv," Solitaire mused, raising his brows. "I could only guess you'd want in on all the action. Go ahead, I'll just stare at the old guy and see how long it takes until I break him," he ended with a snort of laughter, ignoring the temper-tantrum Persian. He knew Vivian would take care of him. Stupid cat would regret even looking at him! Peh, serves him right!
Solitaire returned his menacing, yet almost blank gaze on Giovanni. He felt almost obliged to start a conversation, like, 'So. How have your plans been this weekend?'. Oh, the entertainment he could be served if only he would be able to return the babble of noises human's believed was dialect. Pfft, yeah right...
|
|