Into the Shadows: A Pokemon fanfic (R)

[donotlookatdiagram]

Ok, I bought a new laptop, and it should come in the mail by the 20th. Then I start writing Chapter 9. It'll be up soon after that, I have a very loose summary of the chapter nearly complete.

EDIT: Lappy came in the mail today. Turns out I got express shipping and didn't realize it.

 

[donotlookatdiagram]

WARNING! This chapter contains gratuitous use of a certain four- letter word that rhymes with "duck". YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Now you can't sue me!


Into the Shadows
Chapter 9- Resistance

Andrea sat at her desk, sitting in front of a screen which was currently showing Maxie's face as he was conversing with the woman. His expression was slightly tense.

“So, the plans have succeeded this far?” Andrea asked expectantly.

Maxie nodded, his face still tense. “Yes.”

“And Archie's dead?” Andrea leaned slightly forward in her seat.

“Y-yes. I just killed him.” Maxie stuttered slightly, glancing down to the dried blood on his hands. He didn't know what came over him when he killed the man. He simply took a dagger and stabbed Archie several times. Why is this bothering me so much? He was my enemy. I should be celebrating. I have led Team Magma to victory. This is cause for celebration!

“Maxie?” Andrea asked, snapping Maxie out of his thought.

“Oh, sorry. I just... can't help but feel a little guilty.” Maxie said regretfully.

“This is your first time killing, I take it.” Andrea replied casually, chuckling to herself. “It gets easier.”

“How?”

“If you do it enough, it just doesn't faze you anymore.” Andrea smiled. “I've killed at least fifty people, I think. After about ten, it just became as natural as breathing, I guess. Tell you what. The next nine people to be executed are yours to kill. I'll watch. Maybe give you some tips on how to make it truly painful.”

“I'm sorry, but I cannot agree to do that. I couldn't live with myself, even if killing more people would make me feel less guilty.” Maxie shook his head, his eyes drifting down to the blood on his hands for a brief moment.

“Oh, no, I'm making you do it. After a while, it just becomes fun.” Andrea giggled.

“Fun!?” Maxie scoffed. “How, pray tell, is killing fun?”

“Their screams of pain, the blood spilling out on you, the sound of their bones breaking... All of it.” Andrea began giggling once more.

“That hardly sounds fun.”

“You've got to do it much more before it becomes fun.” Andrea smiled. “I can get you a few victims right away. Since you can't kill with your mind, I'll get you a few weapons. Or would you like to sample what it's like to kill with your mind? You know what? You'll try both.” Andrea began to shift in her seat impatiently. “Get on the next flight to Gateon from Mauville. I'll buy you the ticket. Terra will be waiting for you to bring you to Headquarters. Come prepared to stay for a few days. Got it?”

“Yes...” Maxie groaned.

“Great! See you in a few hours!” With that, Andrea cut the communications.

***

“Wesley!” A voice all too familiar called to the man lying on the table.

“Venus...” Wes groaned.

“Ardos told me that you needed some healing. I brought Blissey with me!” Venus said, her high pitched voice already beginning to grate on Wes' nerves. She indicated the Pokemon standing next to her, its face locked in a perpetual smile.

“Really? Ardos has no business with me. Besides, I'm not in too much pain.”

“Well, he told me to come heal you!” Venus said in a singsong voice.

“Whatever.” Wes said flatly.

“...You're such a downer, Wesley.” Venus giggled.

“Just heal me, Venus.” Wes groaned, anger beginning to surface in his voice.

“Why? You in a hurry to get somewhere? In your state? I doubt it!” Venus laughed. “Well, I guess you might want to go thank Ardos soon...” She added after a moment of thought.

“Do it, Venus...” Wes gritted his teeth.

“Okay, okay. Don't get your panties in a bunch.” Venus turned to the Blissey next to her and nodded. The Pokemon's paws glowed white as touched Wes. After a few moments, the Blissey removed her paws, with Wes healed completely. Venus wasted no time in removing the bandages around Wes' limbs. “There. You happy now?” Venus asked, frustrated.

Wes stood up for the first time in months. “Yes. Thanks. I'll go to Ardos now.” Wes began walking rather clumsily out of the office. He eventually regained his balance, making his way to Ardos' office. He knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Came Ardos' voice through the door. Wes entered the room, closing the door behind him.

“Oh, Wes. What do you need?” Ardos asked knowingly.

“I want to thank you.” Wes sat down in a chair across the table from Ardos.

“For what?” Ardos smiled.

“Having Venus heal me.” Wes said, smiling faintly.

“Oh.” Ardos smirked. “Well, actually, I was planning on using you for something.”

“What?”

“Remember what happened nine years ago?” Ardos asked.

“Why wouldn't I?” Wes said wryly.

“I want you to do that again.” Ardos stated boldly.

“You are fucking kidding me.” Wes spat. “Andrea's already all over my ass. I can't. It's too risky.”

“Yes. I know. This will probably be one of the most dangerous things you will ever do.” Ardos stated, retaining a calm expression.

“Then why don't you fucking do it?” Wes said scornfully. “You're a fucking coward, you know that, Ardos? Nothing but a fucking coward.”

“Wes, Eldes and Rui have already agreed.” Ardos was struggling to retain his composure.

Wes scoffed. “Oh, that makes it so much better, Ardos. Fucking terrific. So, basically, if I agree to do this, it's three against, what, two thousand? No, probably more than that. You're a fucking genius, Ardos.”

“Wes-”

“And also, Eldes has been alive for what, two weeks? Yes, he'll be a great fucking help. I suppose next, you're going to say that Ashley just hasn't agreed to help us yet.” Wes spat, his eyes full of rage.

“Wes, please, calm down. You took on Cipher nine years ago. What makes this time any different?” Ardos asked, still maintaining his calm mood.

“Cipher was just starting out then. Now it's huge. Hell, it's Orre's government. Not only that, Rui, Eldes and I are technically Cipher's property. Cipher will stop at nothing to get us back once we're gone, and once they have us back, I wouldn't be surprised if Andrea killed us on the spot.”

“I won't allow it.” Ardos replied, still calm.

Wes laughed. “What, now you have power over Andrea?” His gaze narrowed. “Funny.”

“No, I do not, but I will do everything in my power to prevent your deaths should you be caught.” Ardos said, trying to sound reassuring.

“And what will that be? Aren't you leaving Cipher?” Wes asked, suspicious.

“No. I'm staying.”

“Isn't that going against every single fucking thing you're trying to do here?” Wes asked angrily.

“I won't be helping-”

“I don't care if you're doing Andrea's fucking laundry, Ardos.” Wes interjected. “You're still helping Cipher's cause.”

“Wes, please. I need you to do this for me. Please.” Ardos pleaded.

“Why, you afraid that Andrea's going to kill you?” Wes sneered.

“Well, yes, but-”

“What the fuck, Ardos. You expect me to risk my life for you?” Wes spat. “You should be doing this. You're the one who wants to do it in the first place.”

“Yes, but I really have no means of going about it. If I decide to defect from Cipher, Andrea kills me on the spot. I know too many secrets. I cannot leave here.”

“You could sneak out.”

“How? Andrea comes here nearly every day. If I sneak out, it'll be at most a few hours before she realizes I'm gone. Then she'll find me, and kill me. Besides, you do have something to gain from this.”

“What would that be?” Wes asked, suspicious.

“You could purify yourself.” Ardos stated boldly.

“I see.” Wes said, feigning interest. At this point, he was willing to do anything just to get Ardos to shut up.

***

Maxie walked aimlessly through the airport, carrying his hastily packed luggage in a small bag. The walls and ceiling of Gateon International Airport was mostly made of glass, allowing the travelers to see the sunny sky over the nearby ocean. Maxie mostly ignored the view, not wanting to be reminded of the man he had recently killed.

“Maxie?” A familiar voice called. Almost immediately, Maxie recognized the voice as Terra's.

Maxie turned to face Terra, a slight smile on his face. “Terra. Hello.”

“Andrea told me to meet you?” Terra asked, smiling.

“Yes.” Maxie's face relaxed.

“Okay. Shall we?” Terra gestured for Maxie to follow her as she made her way through the large airport.

“Certainly.” Maxie replied with a slight reluctance.

Eventually, the pair made their way out of the airport, to be greeted by the hot Orre sun. They continued walking towards the entrance to the city. “So, Terra, what exactly is your job for Cipher?” Maxie asked.

“I'm part of the Intelligence Department. I'm Ardos' secretary.” Terra explained.

“Do you enjoy the work?” Maxie asked hopefully.

Terra sighed. “It's okay. I liked Magma more.” She paused. “Less death.” Terra chuckled to herself.

“Well, I can't guarantee that it'll stay that way.” Maxie added casually.

Terra laughed. “You wouldn't hurt anyone even if they were begging you to. Tell Andrea she's got the wrong man if she expects you to kill.”

“Andrea brought me here to desensitize me towards death, I believe.” Maxie retorted.

“Huh?” Terra tilted her head.

“You see, we've defeated Team Aqua.” Maxie said, his voice slightly regretful.

“We have?” Terra asked excitedly.

“Yes. However, Andrea forced me to kill Archie.” Maxie looked down at the sidewalk.

“What?” Terra asked, trying to laugh off the statement.

“Yes. Archie is dead.” Maxie confirmed, sulking.

“And you killed him?” Terra asked in disbelief.

“Y-yes.” Maxie muttered.

“What?” Terra gasped.

“And I believe that that is why Andrea is bringing me here. To desensitize my mind to the concept of killing.”

“Hm. Sounds like Andrea.” Terra sighed dismissively as the pair arrived at a white car. Terra politely opened the car's door, motioning for Maxie to get inside. After Maxie was in, Terra followed.

***

Wes sat casually in his chair across from Ardos, who had just finished explaining his plan to take down Cipher. Wes had been uninterested at first, but as Ardos explained the plan, Wes had decided one thing:

He would do this. He would take down Cipher again.

“...So, are you on board?” Ardos asked, expectantly, snapping Wes out of his thoughts.

“Yes.” Wes boldly replied.

Ardos smiled. “Good. Go get Rui and Eldes. We will start preparations now.”

***

Maxie arrived, luggage in hand, in Andrea's office. Andrea was calmly sitting at her desk, levitating two small spheres, her back to Maxie.

“A-Andrea?” Maxie called tentatively.

“Maxie.” Andrea responded, her back still turned to Maxie. “Glad you could make it. Let me show you to where you'll sleep before we get down to business.” Andrea turned around in her seat, dropping the two spheres in the process. Cipher's leader walked calmly over to Maxie, taking told of his hand. Maxie and Andrea were enveloped in a bright white light, which eventually faded to reveal a rather lavishly decorated room with a large bed. “Just put your luggage on the bed. We've got some work to do.” Andrea giggled. Maxie silently did as he was told, then nervously grabbed hold of Andrea's hand. Another bright light enveloped the pair and soon they were in a room lined with several glass chambers, each with at least one person inside. “This is where you'll choose your first victim. I'll be waiting outside if you have any questions.” Andrea smiled and turned around, leaving Maxie in the room.

 

[The Great Butler]

Responding to this as part of the Review Game. I apologize if this is more robotic than my usual reviewing style, but I have a lot to do so it's more convenient to just work with a topic-by-topic approach.

I will be honest, I really did not like this story. I'm sorry, but I have to be honest.

One big problem I need to point out right away is that I find the characters to be largely out-of-character. The swearing I can overlook (though I'll get to that on another note in a minute), but things like Ardos breaking down crying over his brother I just can't swallow. This is Ardos, the man who was perfectly willing to force said brother to blow up Citadark Isle and kill countless scores of henchmen in order to eliminate Michael and save Cipher, but here he's breaking down crying over Eldes's death and suddenly deciding to defeat Cipher? I just couldn't buy that. The former heroes joining Cipher is also something I find very hard to believe, but you at least introduced the serum subplot that at least explains some of it.

Speaking of the serum, I'm finding it the high point of the plot, and I do think the story would be quite a bit more compelling if that plotline was focused upon more. It is actually a good idea, a Shadow Pokemon-esque serum that can induce a transformation of a human subject, and the scenes involving it are, to me, the most stand-out parts. On the whole, however, I think you're having some troubles with the plots you are focusing on. One thing I noticed very early on is that you focused quite a lot of attention to "punishments," first with Eldes, then Ashley and others. You're also having characters die a little too abruptly; I was starting to like Ashley and the plot you were developing with her and Eldes, but then you threw that away. Honestly, that could have been a good thing, to subvert the expectation of what the story would be about to set up the second story with Eldes and Alex, but then they ended up dead too. I suppose that if you're setting up the real plot this time, it could be interesting, but at this point it's hard to tell. I do think the whole clone thing was delivered a bit clumsily though.

The description, on the other hand, is one of your stronger suits. While there are a bit of weaknesses (one of them being Archie's death, which came way too fast) the only complaint I could have on description overall is that individual people sometimes don't have enough description to picture them. Also, Andrea's psychic powers could stand to do with a bit more description, if just a glow enveloping the victim or something instead of simple telekinesis with no visual cues.

Finally, I just want to point out that it would be a good idea to run your chapters through spell check or get a beta reader before you post them. I noticed several easily-corrected errors - for example, in the entire first section, Ashley's name was misspelled, as were several other ordinary words throughout the story. "Eclo Canyon" was also misspelled several times in Chapter 2. It's important to use a reference source to make sure canon names are spelled properly.

 

[donotlookatdiagram]

Into the Shadows

Chapter 10- Test

Maxie walked deeper into the cell room, observing the various prisoners locked in the small glass cells, each of them eying the man with a mix of suspicion and fear. Startled, he heard the door slam behind him, leaving him alone with the group of disheveled prisoners. Looking around the room, he couldn't help but feel sympathy for them.

"W-W-What the hell do you want?" one of the prisoners stammered.

Maxie paused, "...I-I'm here under direct orders. I've been ordered to..." He trailed off, his lips forming the word 'kill', but no sound came out.

He could tell they understood him perfectly by the looks amongst all of their faces.

"We know," another prisoner began defiantly, "Andrea brought you in here."

"Please, you have to understand..." Maxie pleaded, "I never wanted to do this."

...It was all because of that foolish mistake. I should have seen it coming, the way she talked, the way she stared into my eyes, it was as if she was... manipulating me.

"Yeah, well, that's a lot coming from one of her loyal employees."a nearby prisoner sneered.

"I never agreed to this!" Maxie shot back. Quietly, he added, "She told me... she would help Team Magma achieve their goals..."

"Team Magma, you say?" responded an older prisoner. The prisoner squinted and took a long look at Maxie before exclaiming, "M-Maxie!"

"Y-Yes..." Maxie nearly ran over to the prisoner's cell. "How do you know me?"

"I was-"

He was cut off by the door opening with none other than Andrea standing in the doorway. As they noticed the woman, all of the prisoners shrank to the back of their cells, trying to get as far away from the imposing woman as possible. Casually, she walked towards Maxie. "So, you found someone?" Andrea didn't wait for an answer. "Great! Let's get started." Cipher's leader stepped up to the cell, inserting a key into the door, which promptly slid open. Andrea quickly grabbed the prisoner's arm, dragging him out of the cell. After the prisoner was out of the cell, Andrea picked the man up with telekinesis, occasionally sending waves of pain racing over the man's body as she walked out of the cell room, with Maxie still inside. "Maxie? You coming?" Andrea giggled.

"Oh." Maxie groaned to himself as he left the room.

"Okay." Andrea sighed as she began walking, "The room I'm taking you to is the armory. It contains all of the weapons that Cipher owns, ranging from melee weaponry to biological weapons."

Maxie smirked. "So, you have things like poisons?"

"Yes."

"Perfect." Maxie chuckled to himself.

Andrea laughed. "Oh, so you think you're going to use some on me? Ha. Funny. If you even try, I can deflect the syringe back to you. Inject you with it. Don't think I won't."

"What if I wasn't going to poison you?"

Andrea laughed again. "I know how you think, Maxie. If you know what's good for you, you'll just stick to your business here."

"Fine, then." Maxie groaned. "Now, tell me, who is this man?"

"Oh, his name is Eric Huluda, I believe."

"And what was he imprisoned for?"

"I don't really remember." Andrea dropped the man she had been lifting with her telekinesis. "Hey, Eric, what were you in for?" She demanded.

"Apparently, I was conspiring to overthrow Cipher." Eric groaned.

Maxie bounded over to the man on the floor. "How do you know who I am?"

"Do not connect emotionally with anyone you want to kill." Andrea interjected. "It makes it easier when you first start out."

"I don't want to kill this man, Andrea. You're forcing me to." Maxie indicated.

"I don't care. Do not connect emotionally with him." A faint glow enveloped the man as he was lifted off the ground once more. "Now, you said that this man knew you?" Andrea asked, continuing to walk down the hallway.

"He knows my name, at least."

Andrea turned to the prisoner. "How do you know about this man?"

"I-I was a member of Team Magma."

"What? When did you come to Orre?" Maxie asked in shock.

"When Terra and Ashley didn't come back from their mission here. About two months ago."

"How did you know they were missing?"

"I was under Terra's command. I believed it to be my obligation."

"And you did this without authorization?"

Eric cringed. "Y-Yes..."

"What makes you think you could do something so rash?" Maxie asked, calmly.

"I-I... don't know. I guess I thought it was my job."

"If a member disappears, it is my job to send out a search party to find them."

"Yessir." Eric said inwardly.

"What got you in trouble with Cipher?" Maxie asked.

"I-I snuck into the room where the prisoners are held."

Maxie turned to Andrea. "This is punishable by death?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yes. We can't simply imprison someone who has a way out." Andrea indicated. "Killing them is simpler."

"You successfully kept him prisoner here for two months. You don't need to kill him."

"True. I don't need to kill him. You do." Andrea chuckled. "Besides, he lands under your jurisdiction, with him being a member of Team Magma."

"Can I exercise my power over him, then, to allow him to live?"

"Yes, but I'd still have you kill him. I have the power to override any decisions you make." Andrea smiled as she arrived at a door. She retrieved a key from her pocket and unlocked the door to a rather large room, filled wall- to- wall with various weapons. Each of them looked as if it was well- used, with the large selection of guns showing wear on their triggers, and the various blades bearing dried blood along their lengths. "Here we are. Cipher's armory." She sighed proudly. "Let's get to business."

***

Wes, Rui and Eldes walked into a long hallway. There was little light in the area, forcing the three to grope their way through the darkness. The only thing Ardos had told them about this place was that the old Snag Machine was kept here. After finding the machine, Wes, Rui, and Eldes could finally leave this place to defeat Cipher. After feeling his way around for a few minutes, Eldes found a bump on the otherwise smooth wall.

"Hey, I found something. I think it's a doorknob." Eldes called to the others.

Wes and Rui walked over to the man's voice as he turned the knob, revealing another room, still dimly lit, but noticeably brighter than the hallway. The room was empty besides a small pedestal with a small, sleeve- like device placed on a stand.

Wes smirked. "This is it. The Snag Machine." He took the device and placed it carefully where it had resided nine years before.

"So, are we done here?" Eldes began to walk out of the room.

"It appears so." Rui responded, following the man.

"Wait. They might have alarms connected to this thing." Wes cautioned.

"If they did, then wouldn't they go off immediately?" Rui retorted.

"I guess." Wes dismissed, before walking out with the others.

***

Ashley sat quietly on the table she had become so familiar with over the past months. Ein had used it time and time again to allow himself to examine the girl's mental state. However, this time, Ein had walked into the room with a syringe in addition to his usual clipboard. Ashley had been injected with the liquid just a few minutes before, and Ein had connected Ashley to various machines to monitor her vital functions. "Um... E-Ein?" Ashley tentatively asked.

"What?" Ein responded, not bothering to look away from the display he was observing.

"W-What was that stuff?"

"Oh, that. It is a medicine that evens out the mind. Shadow humans are much less stable emotionally than Pokemon. I'm just seeing what will happen to your mood." Ein replied, writing something down on the clipboard. "Why? Are you feeling ill?"

"Oh, no. I just wanted to know what was in my veins, that's all." Ashley replied, a slight hint of anger in her voice.

"Ah. Why? Do you not trust me?"

"I don't believe trust should play any part in this. Cipher gave me my life. It's my obligation to them to let them do whatever they want with me. I can disagree all I want, but I owe too much to Cipher to betray them."

"You're taking the fact you are a clone remarkably well." Ein muttered to himself.

"I guess I just got over the initial shock. I was angry at first, but now... I guess I don't care. I'm still human, no matter how I came into this world." Ashley responded with confidence.

"It doesn't faze you at all?" Ein asked, scrawling on the clipboard.

"Not really."

"Okay. Well, I have a few more tests to run before I can send you back to your room." Ein put the clipboard down onto the floor as he left the room. After a few seconds, the man returned, carrying several syringes, each filled with a small dose of a liquid. He hurriedly cleaned Ashley's arm with an alcohol swab, before administering a total of six injections into his subject's arm. "Okay, in about half an hour, you are going to experience a burning sensation at each of the injection sites. Swelling may also be present. During this waiting period, I will keep you under observation. Afterwards, we will begin testing." Ein turned away from Ashley, observing one of the various monitors his subject had been hooked up to.

***

Wes, Rui, and Eldes were greeted outside by the hot Orre sun. "So... Here we go..." Wes muttered, the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

"Wes, we should probably find someplace to stay." Rui said.

"Don't worry about that. We'll stay in the Relic Forest." Wes responded after a brief moment of thought.

"What? The most heavily guarded place in Orre?" Rui asked in disbelief. "Cipher will kill us!"

"They only have one entrance guarded. There's a different way in. We just go in the other way."

"But why? Cipher can just waltz in there anytime they want!" Rui exclaimed.

"Not where we're staying. The Relic Forest is larger than you think, Rui. I lived there for a few months after we beat Cipher. We can find food easily there, as well as water. Not to mention, there's shade there as well."

"True, but, that was after Cipher was gone. You don't know if they've found out anything about that part of the Relic Forest."

"Well, Rui, we'll have to find out for ourselves, won't we?" Wes sneered.

"I'd rather not die."

"The part of the forest I was in was far away from the Relic Stone. The only reason I even knew it was the Relic Forest was because I found the Relic Stone while I was walking around one day. Besides, Cipher has no reason to guard the whole damn forest." Wes started to walk away from Rui and Eldes.

"Rui... It's best not to cause problems. Let's just follow him. If we get killed, it's his fault." Eldes quietly urged, beginning to follow Wes.

Rui silently agreed.

***

Ashley entered her room, exhausted. She took the small trashcan next to the desk and placed it next to her bed, concerned that she was going to vomit.

After a few minutes of laying down, the door opened, revealing Terra.

"Hey." Terra casually sighed.

"...What do you want?" Ashley responded, her voice weak yet harsh.

"I just wanted to talk. You feeling alright?"

"No... Ein gave me seven injections today. I just feel like something's off..."

"Oh, don't worry. Ein cares too much about your welfare to kill you, at least on purpose."

"Certainly doesn't seem like it when he's given you seven... injections..." Ashley tried to position her face over the trashcan as she vomited, missing the basket slightly.

"Oh, so you really are sick..." Terra remarked. "Uh... I'll get Ein." The young woman rushed out of the room, neglecting to close the door behind her.

***

Maxie and Andrea stepped into the armory, with Eric being dragged along by Andrea's telekinesis. Maxie scowled at the display of countless weapons, while Andrea looked at them with pride.

Andrea donned a bulletproof vest she had placed at the entrance. After she was sure it was securely placed on her torso, she put on a pair of thick gauntlets and a pair of leggings. After those were secure, she placed a thick, tight- fitting metal necklace around her neck. After she was satisfied with her armor, she rushed over to a pair of dimly lit tables in the center of the room, allowing full view of each weapon. The tables were obviously meant to hold a human to it, if the well- worn leather straps attached to them were to be believed. Each table had its fair share of blood spattered on it. She dropped a trembling Eric onto one of them, adjusting the straps in order to hold the man securely to the table.

"So, I have the perfect thing for this guy." Andrea remarked after she was finished strapping Eric to the table.

"Oh, please, do tell." Maxie's voice was brimming with sarcasm.

Andrea giggled happily as she ran over to the rack of swords on the other side of the room. After examining the swords on the rack, she picked out a rather large one, the worn handle plated with gold and silver. The large blade was dyed a deep brownish color from the sheer amount of blood it had drawn out of its victims. She rushed the blade over to Maxie. "Here you go." She said excitedly, handing the blade off to Maxie. "I used this to make my first kill. My father started me out with swords. He says they are the hardest weapons to master. I'm starting you off easy. Just stab him. Straight through the heart. Shouldn't be too difficult, especially given how heavy the blade is." Andrea smiled as she gestured for Maxie to follow her. Maxie reluctantly began to walk over to the table.

"Maxie!" Andrea called, her voice suddenly frantic. "Get over here! Eric has escaped!"

"What!" Maxie gasped, a slight smile on his face. He bounded over to the table, careful not to stab himself with the sword. Sure enough, both tables were empty.

 

[donotlookatdiagram]

Into the Shadows

Chapter 11- Kidnapped

Wes walked through the sweltering desert, with Rui and Eldes following close behind. They had been walking for about half an hour and the Shadow Pokemon Lab was just barely visible over the horizon.

"I still don't know how this isn't going to get us killed." Rui remarked to herself.

Wes stopped in his tracks. "Rui... We went on something like this before. The only difference now is that Cipher's more dangerous then they were nine years ago. Sure, we might die. But it's not a fact. Yet. We just have to be a little bit more careful than we were nine years ago. Besides, you seemed pretty trusting of me in Phenac back then."

"My life wasn't at stake then!" Rui shot back.

"It was. Cipher could have killed us just as easily. They just weren't as open with it as Andrea is. It was really only known to Cipher members at the time, but Nascour was like Andrea, if not even more sadistic. Not as trigger happy, though." Wes paused. "Gonzap and Dakim took care of that..." He cringed slightly.

"Who's Gonzap?" Eldes interjected.

"Wes' old boss." Rui replied flatly.

"It's more complicated than that." Wes sighed. "He was more like... a..." Wes trailed off, recounting the painful memories of his childhood with the man. "...A father... of sorts."

"What do you mean, 'of sorts'?" Eldes asked, confused.

"He wasn't the... best... father." Wes began walking, feebly hoping that this would shut Eldes up.

"What did he do?" Eldes quickly caught up to Wes. Rui quickly stepped in when she noticed Wes' aura flare up at the question.

"...Perhaps this is not the best time to ask that..." She chuckled nervously, turning to Wes. "So, when are we going to stop to rest? The Relic Forest should be pretty far away from here..."

"We stop when we get to the oasis surrounding Agate. Shouldn't be more than a few hours longer."

"Wait, don't we have Pokemon that can fly us there?" Eldes asked.

"Yes, but they won't obey us outside of battle. Or unless we tell them to attack." Wes said dryly.

"What about Espeon? Can't he teleport us to the Relic Forest?" Rui chimed in.

"No, Ein got a hold of him while I couldn't move for those few months. Umbreon as well." Wes groaned.

"I guess that means the only pure Pokemon we have, then, is my Plusle." Rui stated. "Which is of no use right now."

"Well, then, we'll just have to walk. We can be there before sundown if we move fast." Wes stated as he continued walking.

Eldes looked off into the distance, back towards the place they came from, smiling as it disappeared over the horizon. However, his relief was short- lived as he saw a blurry figure appear over the horizon, advancing towards the three.

"W- Wes? Rui?" He called, his voice wavering.

"What is it?" Rui sighed as she turned around, also noticing the advancing figure.

"I- I think there's someone coming for us."

"Oh, don't worry. We have our Pokemon." Wes smirked.

"What if they have a gun?" Rui asked.

"They won't use it."

"Why?"

"I don't think Ein was done with us yet."

"And? What does that change?"

"Ein still wants us alive. Andrea probably wants to keep Ein happy, so she'll bring us back alive for him. That's why you're still alive, Rui." Wes began to get agitated.

"Ein can still clone us."

"Yes, but he needs our blood. Not going to do him much good if our bodies are out here. Especially if our blood is leaking out from bullet wounds. Look, if we get captured, we use our Pokemon to escape. Shouldn't be too hard seeing as it's three against one."

"What should we do?" Eldes interjected.

"Wait until they get here. Then we see what they want."

"What if they kill us on sight?" Rui demanded.

Wes chuckled. "Wouldn't they do it right now? We're practically inviting them to kill us. Besides, I think they've seen us, so killing us on sight is out of the question."

Rui sighed. "Fine. If they kill me, it's your fault."

The figure was finally close enough to allow Eldes to distinguish its features: It was masculine, with rather lean facial features. The man looked tired, but determined. Eldes began walking towards the man.

"Eldes? What the hell are you doing?" Rui asked in disbelief.

"I'm going to see what he's doing out here. If he kills me, so be it."

"What? Are you out of your ****ing mind?" Rui snapped.

"No." Eldes said, before walking over to the man, now only a few feet away from the three.

"Who are you people?" The man asked, out of breath.

Rui laughed. "Like you don't know. Surely you've seen us around Cipher's headquarters."

"I'm sorry, but, no... I've never seen you." The man heaved.

"Funny." Rui's eyes narrowed, suspicious of the man.

"I've never seen any of you three. I've only recently... encountered... Cipher." The man said.

"What's your name?" Rui imposed.

"Eric Huluda." The man stated.

***

Ein sat next to Ashley's bed, examining the injections on Ashley's arm while she lied awake, occasionally vomiting into the trashcan beside her bed, which was nearly a third of the way full of the bile that had accumulated of the past hour. Terra stood at the other side of the room, a concerned look on her face.

"Is Ashie going to be alright?" Terra asked, her eyes watering slightly.

"It's too early to see. It really could go either way at this point." Ein stated.

Terra ran over to Ein. "How likely is it that she dies?"

"I would say that it is about fifty- fifty at this point. I just need to figure out what is causing this." Ein turned to Ashley. "What other symptoms do you have?"

"Nothing really... I've just been throwing up..." Ashley's voice was weak.

"Okay." Ein turned to Terra. "Terra, I need you to observe Ashley for a little while while I go get something."

"...Okay." Terra said, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

***

Eldes, Rui, and Wes stood facing Eric, with Wes being sure to keep one hand on a Poke Ball at all times. Eric had been explaining what transpired between himself, Maxie, and Andrea.

Rui eyed Eric suspiciously. "So, you're saying that Andrea didn't tie the straps tight enough? I find that hard to believe."

"She didn't. I was able to get out of the straps rather quickly. Didn't help her that they were worn down either. I just needed to get one hand free, and I got out of the ropes easily."

"Okay, Eric." Rui sneered. "If you're here to take us back to Headquarters, just do it now."

"I'm not!" Eric snapped. "I was just trying to find my way back to Hoenn. It was pure chance I even encountered you three. Now, if you would kindly step aside, I'll be on my way."

"No." Wes stated boldly. "You're coming with us."

"What the hell!" Rui and Eric said, almost in unison.

"He can help us. We need all the help we can get." Wes retorted.

"And what if he is really part of Cipher?" Rui asked harshly.

"Simple. He tries anything funny, he dies."

"Why the hell don't I have a say in this?" Eric asked, a worried look on his face.

"Because, if you go back to Hoenn, you go back to Team Magma, who will ask you about us. Word gets back to Cipher, we're dead. And, if you're a Cipher member, you go back to Andrea, and she kills us. Also, if you're telling the truth at all, once you go back to Team Magma, they'll extract every bit of information that they can from you. Then they kill you. Then word about us gets back to Cipher, and we're dead." Not giving him any time to react, Wes walked up to Eric, tightly grabbing one of his arms as they began walking into the desert again. Eric resisted, out of a desire to see his home once more, as well as a fear for his life. However, Wes' grip was proving to be tighter than the ropes he had been bound in earlier. "Hey, anyone have some rope?" Wes asked casually, already beginning to grow tired of Eric's squirming.

"No, sorry." Eldes responded, just as casual.

"Isn't this, you know, illegal?" Eric asked, trying to wrench his arm free.

"Orre has very little laws." Rui indicated. "Besides, according to you, you were an enemy of Cipher. Since they're the government around here, I don't think they care about you so much, aside from wanting you dead."

"Okay, we can save all of this talk for when we get to Agate." Wes said, still maintaining his grip on Eric's arm. "Hey, Eldes? Could you grab onto his other arm? We've got a while to go, and I don't want to risk him escaping because I let my grip slip."

"Yeah, sure." Eldes did as Wes told him.

"Why the hell are you so damn adamant on making me come with you?" Eric spat, giving up on trying to escape.

"Because you can't be trusted." Wes replied flatly.

***

"How could he have escaped? I did the damn straps tight enough..." Andrea groaned, examining the worn leather straps attached to the table.

"Perhaps they are too worn down?" Maxie replied, testing the straps, finding them to be slightly elastic.

"How extensively do you train your grunts in escaping?" Andrea asked, dismissing Maxie's statement.

"Usually not too much. Team Aqua never really captured anyone unless they needed to find out something."

"Okay, so, what would one of them do in a situation like this?"

"It depends on how easy the situation is to get out of. Usually if the situation is hopeless, we tell them to give up. Obviously, Eric had some confidence in his escaping abilities."

"Okay." Andrea thought for a moment. "Now, this man was under Terra?"

"I believe so."

"Okay, you wait here. I'm going to get Terra." Andrea said as a pink glow enveloped her. After she disappeared, Maxie glared at the display of weapons before him in disgust.

***

Terra sat on the floor next to Ashley's bed. "You'll be fine, Ashie. I know it." She said, though she did not believe it fully.

Ashley acknowledged the statement with a weak nod.

The door swung open as Ein hastily entered, carrying two vials of liquid as well as two syringes. He walked over to Ashley and hastily drew liquid from one of the vials, quickly injecting it into Ashley's arm. Immediately an intense wave of pain shot over Ashley's body, causing her to let out a small whimper, all her body could manage in its current state. Noticing this, Terra shot up off of the floor.

"Ashie? You okay?" She asked, a concerned look on her face.

"She's fine." Ein replied. "Just in pain. I just injected her with a chemical to neutralize the compound that is causing this. The only downside is that it causes extreme pain once it enters the body."

"Don't you have a less painful alternative?" Terra retorted.

"This is the only thing I had on hand. I developed this a few years back with Andrea. She used it for interrogations. It causes pain, but there is no lasting damage. It just happens to effectively neutralize the compound causing Ashley so much distress."

Ashley whimpered again as more pain wracked her body.

"Are you sure she'll be okay?" Terra asked gently.

"Yes. She will." Ein reassured. Then, a flash of pink light appeared in the room as Andrea materialized in front of Terra. She wordlessly grabbed onto Terra's arm as the two were enveloped in a pink light, materializing in Andrea's office.

"What the hell?" Terra questioned harshly.

"Terra, I'm sorry for taking you here on such short notice." Andrea said, insincere. "But I need to talk to you about something. Does the name Eric Huluda seem at all familiar to you?"

"Yes... He was one of my grunts." Terra said bitterly. "Why do you ask?"

"What was he like? Did he ever cause trouble?"

"He was a little... overenthusiastic sometimes. But other than that, he was okay."

"Okay. Would it surprise you if I said that he came looking for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, a few months ago, a few Cipher grunts intercepted a man named Eric Huluda. I was intending to have him killed today-"

"What!" Terra interrupted. "What the **** did he do?"

"He was attempting to overthrow Cipher." Andrea replied flatly.

"How do you know he was going to do that?" Terra spat.

"The grunts said that they intercepted him in the records room, reading something."

"And? Did they ever find out what he was reading?" Terra demanded.

"No. Grunts are told to assume the worst when they see suspicious activity."

"So you kill someone because there was a small chance that they could be conspiring against Cipher?"

"It's better to err on the safe side." Andrea paused. "However, that's not why I brought you here. Eric has escaped."

Terra chuckled. "He escaped? From what?"

"I strapped him to a table. Maxie said that I didn't tie him tight enough."

"Now what do you want me to do about it?"

"You're the reason Eric came here in the first place. After you didn't come back from your mission with us, he became worried and came here. Then the grunts intercepted him in the records room. I need you to bring him back, so that we can... clear things up between us."

"How? I don't know where he is."

"You lure him back. He obviously wants to know if you're safe, so, we'll put you in a staged dangerous situation, and Eric will come running back to save you. Then we proceed as planned with him."

"Fine." Terra said after a long moment's thought.

"Great. Come with me." Andrea smiled as she got out of her chair, exiting her office. Terra followed closely behind.

 

[donotlookatdiagram]

Into the Shadows

Chapter 12- Prisoner

After several hours of walking in silence, Wes, Eldes, Eric, and Rui finally stumbled on a large patch of grass surrounding a small lake, signaling that they were getting closer to Agate. The full moon shone brightly, its light reflecting across the clear waters of the lake.

"So, is this where we'll be staying for the night?" Rui asked, sitting on the lush, green grass below her, relishing the feeling of the soft grass.

"Yes. We'll stay here until dusk. Then we leave for Agate." Wes replied. He had loosened hid grip on Eric's arm slightly, but the prisoner didn't seem to notice.

"And what will we do about Eric?" Eldes asked.

"We could have one of our Pokemon watch him, provided we treat the situation as a battle. I have Umbreon, but he won't be able to stay awake all night."

"Wes, I have Ariados. We can use its web to tie him." Rui indicated.

"Wait!" Eric yelled. "Before you do whatever you were going to do, would you at least tell me what the hell you plan on doing with me?"

"Well, right now, we just want to keep you away from Cipher." Wes replied dryly.

"Why?" Eric asked harshly.

"Because they would kill us if they found out what we are doing."

"What are you doing that would get you killed?" Eric snarled.

"We are tying to overthrow Cipher." Wes stated.

"I see." Eric responded, suspicious. "And why can't you let me go back to Hoenn?"

"Because then Team Magma will find out about us. They'll tell Cipher. Then Cipher tracks us down and kills us. Also, if Cipher finds you, you're dead. It's just in everyone's best interest." Wes explained, attempting to reason with Eric.

"How would Team Magma find out about you?"

"They are part of Cipher. Cipher has... rather unpleasant methods of finding out what they need to." Wes cringed, remembering his time in the torture room with Andrea. "It would make sense for Team Magma to interrogate you to find out how you escaped. They might even turn you over to Cipher so that they can interrogate you."

"Why the hell would they want to interrogate me?"

"To find out what exactly you were planning on doing before you were imprisoned. Also, why you escaped in the first place." Wes answered, his voice even.

"I was going to free Terra from Cipher before I was imprisoned, and the reason I escaped was just out of fear for my life." Eric stated, barely able to control his anger at Wes.

"Okay, but that still doesn't mean Andrea would torture more information out of you."

"How? I just told you all that Cipher wants to know about me." Eric growled.

"She did it with me, Eric. I ended up telling Andrea information that I just made up on the spot to get Andrea to lessen the pain." Wes broke his gaze with Eric to turn to Rui and Eldes, gesturing for the two to set up a campsite. After Wes's gesture, Rui and Eldes began unloading their backpacks.

"What kind of information did you end up making up?" Eric began to calm down.

"Anything I could think of. Every time I gave Andrea any sort of information, real or fake, she would lessen the pain I was experiencing. In the torture room, I was strapped to a table and hooked to a machine by two needles. One needle injected me with a chemical designed to cause pain, and the other neutralized it with another chemical. The worst part about it is that there are no scars to show for it, because there is no damage that is caused." Wes slowly ran his hand over his right arm, cringing as he recalled where the two needles had been inserted into his skin.

"So I can't die from it? It's just painful?" Eric asked.

"That's if she decides to use the same method of torture on you. She has other methods, mine was just the least bloody. Andrea is a master of techniques ranging from medieval methods of execution to modern methods designed to cause the most pain with the least amount of damage. When it came time to extract information from Rui, well, she wasn't as lucky. She has some scars from her interrogation-"

"Wes, what are you trying to do?" Rui interrupted, looking away from the tent she and Eldes had been pitching. "Eric has no business knowing what Andrea did to us. He's probably not worth it to Cipher to torture. Yes, they may interrogate him, but they certainly won't turn him over to Andrea if he needs any information to be tortured out of him. The Admins can take care of that."

"Okay. Whatever." Wes dismissed, not wishing to rouse Rui any further.

"Rui, just out of curiosity, what did Andrea do to you?" Eric asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Rui sighed, turning back to the half- pitched tent.

"I'm just wondering. If I end up getting tortured, I'd like to know what I'd be put through."

"Well, if you absolutely must know, she used a few knives to cut my arms and legs. Not necessarily the cleanest cuts, either. Or the cleanest knives. A few of them ended up getting infected. Every time I withheld information from her, she rubbed salt in one of the wounds, sometimes cutting open a fresh one and rubbing salt in that, too. If I gave her any information, she would clean and numb one of the wounds before she sutured it shut."

"Sounds like Andrea wanted you dead." Eric chuckled.

Rui laughed the statement off. "Wouldn't be surprised. She's threatened to kill me a few times. Worst she's ever done to me after she interrogated me was knock me unconscious, though. But what Andrea put me through is much harsher than anything you'd be put through, since you're not posing any major threat to Cipher. Yet. She'd probably not even bother with torturing you."

"So, If I need to be tortured, who would be doing it in Andrea's place?"

"One of the Admins, probably."

"And what sort of methods of interrogation do the Admins know?"

"Basic things, maybe something along the the lines of 'stab them until they talk'. Wes would know more, but, if you come with us, you won't have to worry about Cipher as much." Rui tied a short string around a stake, the tent now set up. "If you've decided to stay, come with us in the tent. If you haven't, well, Ariados can take care of that."

Eric tentatively walked into the tent.

***

Andrea was sitting in her office, with Terra sitting across from her. "So, are you sure this will work? It seems a little complicated." Terra asked, slightly nervous.

"Well, if it does not, you certainly have my most sincere apologies." Andrea replied, a fake smile on her face.

"How long will I be in the cell?"

"Well, depends on when Eric comes back to get you. I'll try to speed up the process as much as I can. Just do what you're told, and everything will work out."

Terra shifted uneasily in her seat. "O-okay." Suddenly, the door to the office opened, revealing two male Peons. The men advanced in unison, almost acting as one body, towards Terra, seizing both of her arms. Andrea got out of her chair, closely following the three out of the room.

"Andrea?" Terra called to the woman, struggling against the two men. "What the fuck? I'm not-"

"Shut up." One of the men spat, tightening his already tight grip on Terra's arm, causing Terra to wince in pain.

"Just play along, Terra. It's part of the illusion." Andrea giggled as the three walked into a room lined with glass cells, most of them occupied by one or two prisoners.

"Andrea, what do you want us to do with her?" One of the men asked.

"Just the tracker." Andrea stated.

"Okay." The men led Terra through a door on the other side of the hallway, with Andrea following close behind. The door led to a small, brightly lit room with a chair in the middle. The chair had straps on one arm, meant to restrain the prisoner. Terra was led to the chair and strapped into it. One of the men pressed a small red button on the chair. Almost immediately, Terra cried out in pain as she felt a sharp blade cut into her arm. It began to slide along her arm, making its way towards Terra's elbow. Blood began to spill out onto the arm rest, eventually dripping onto the pristine white floor below the chair. Terra felt the blade retract from the wound, and felt a long, thin object enter the wound, guided by a robotic arm. The object was lodged in between the skin and muscle. The arm exited the wound, leaving the device inside. Then, several staples were driven into the wound.

"What the fuck was that!" Terra screamed as the men unstrapped Terra from the chair.

"Just a tracking device." Andrea smiled.

"Why the hell did you need to do that?" Terra shot back, running a finger along the wound, a small amount of blood leaking out from the staples. "Aren't tracking devices small enough to put in through a syringe?"

"Yes, but we use larger ones so that they cannot be cut out. Don't push yourself too hard, though. Rest for a while until the wound heals."

Terra gritted her teeth. "And why the **** did you need to do that? I'm not going to fucking escape."

"Yes, but, it's standard protocol." Andrea stated.

"What about Eric? Doesn't he have one of these things then?" Terra snapped.

"It's not protocol in the wing he was in." Andrea stated calmly, turning to the men. "Put her in with Leah. I'll be back in a few hours to check on her." She began to glow, teleporting to another room, lined with more glass cells.

***

Maxie was sitting in the armory on the bloody table, the sword sitting on the other table. Andrea had been gone for a while, leaving him to look at the various weapons. He had mainly been examining the swords, finding many of their lengths to be bearing large amounts of dried blood, some of which seemed fresh. Running his hand along one of the blades, he found only the surface of the larger blood droplets had dried. Suddenly, Andrea appeared in a flash of light, with a woman at her side, bound in metal handcuffs. "So, you ready?" Andrea said with a light sigh.

Maxie reluctantly got off of the table, picking up the sword off of the other table. "About as ready as I'll ever be." He groaned.

"Good." Andrea smiled, her eyes glowing slightly. "Let's get started."

With almost no expression on his face, Maxie suddenly lifted the sword, aiming it directly at the woman's chest. With a soft grunt, he thrust the weapon into the woman's skin, meeting resistance from bone and muscle. The sword eventually stabbed through the bone, piercing the woman's heart. As Maxie applied more pressure to the sword, the blade stabbed through to the other side, blood leaking out from around the blade. Maxie removed the blade, the woman's blood splashing onto his expressionless face. The woman collapsed onto the bloodstained floor below her, taking a few shallow, ragged breaths before dying. Maxie dropped the sword to the floor, his face remaining expressionless.

Andrea smiled, pleased. "So, your second kill. Good job."

Maxie dropped to his knees over the woman's lifeless body. "W-What have I done? What came over me?"

"You did exactly what I told you to do." Andrea smiled, picking up the sword. The woman's blood dripped off of it as Andrea put it back in its intended location. "As to what came over you," Andrea chuckled, "I did that."

"What?"

"I had to. You wouldn't kill this woman without any provocation. So I just used some mild mind control on you. Nothing special at all." Andrea smiled.

***

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