Ch.07 Family Matters

 

Secret Base of Alphonso Haures

 

Andzral sat in her room looking over the data they had acquired and checked it against what they could actually confirm. She trusted in Evelyn’s abilities; the fact that she was visibly upset by her discovery was really all the confirmation she needed. Her plan to fight back against Readman had been successful enough but Campbell couldn’t hold up his end of the bargain. None of them had expected the pokéwomen though. Oddly he didn’t seem too broken up about the loss of his girls and did manage to pokéball one of the Readman females. The young Breaker had a lot more maidens where those came from and was actually quite fortunate that the ones he lost were from his mid range set of experience and power.

She was still dully looking over the reports when she felt a hand glide past her ribs from behind then roughly clutch one of her breast through her leather suit. She inhaled a sharp breath and gripped at the hand before letting out a sigh. Alphonso let her go then took a seat in the chair behind her. “That was great work today.”

Her eyes were fierce with lustful hunger and she turned slowly to look at him. “Everything your Huntress does is for you.”

“Good to hear.” He glanced over her shoulder and at the papers she was looking at. “What are those?”

“It’s the data Angelica was being sent when she was heading the breakers. I guess as a token of friendship she decided to have it transferred to me. I’m also going over the data we’ve collected on Readman.”

“Finding anything of interest?”

“Some things, I’m trying to figure out our next move, but…”

“But what?”

“But I can’t really do that until he makes a move again. I don’t think he’s ever been pushed like this so we really have no idea what direction he’ll jump to next. The attack on his family was more or less successful even if there weren’t any casualties on his side and he’s forced to deal with the girl I sent back.”

Haures nodded then gave her a questioning look. “You never did explain why you had her level-fived and gave her back. It seems like it would have been better to keep her.”

“That’s part of my plan for when he comes back into the open. Looking at his profile…” She started and grabbed a few of the papers. “Chances are that he’s not going to get rid of her just because she got level-fived. He’s going to keep her around and try to get her back to whatever they consider normal. That’s going to leave me an opening for when he comes into the open again. Quinn will call when they make a move and I’ll be ready.” She explained then tossed the papers back on to the desk before climbing into her master’s lap and lowering the zipper at the front of her suit.

He grabbed the zipper and lowered it a bit more before sliding a hand inside and around her back. “I think it’s about time you took a break and were rewarded for your hard work.”

“Whatever you think is best master.”

_____

 

Avalanche Office, Alexis’s personal office

 

Marco hadn’t been himself since the day Campbell attacked his family. Normally the ladies of Avalanche could count on him to be at least a little light hearted but things were just stacking up on top of him. He had moved past self destruction but settled into a lovely pit of self-hatred, anger, doubt, and fear. He was still functioning but not at the level he needed to be at. Alexis knew that it was time that he needed but the problem was that he wasn’t taking it. He had his self imposed mission of revenge and that was just one of the things clouding his mind.

Despite their reservations and objections Marco insisted that his family move into the office, at least until the house was fixed. Between fire damage, water damage, wind damage, shrapnel damage, and the police pretty much setting up their own residency on the Readman front lawn, their home was uninhabitable. Eric suggested they get a hotel and take a vacation of sorts but that plan fell through the second Erica was let out of the hospital. The poor girl had been quite traumatized by the event and her big brothers bad mood as of late wasn’t helping matters. Even though she knew he was angry out of concern for her and the others his acting that way was starting to make her feel worse.

Marco wasn’t the only one trying to handle things though. Alexis had things to keep her busy as well. The older Readmans had years of experience to help them cope with what had happened so they wouldn’t be a problem for the Cherub. Her colonel on the other hand was on the razor’s edge, Erica was suffering from PTSD, Nadia was in a neck deep pit of denial over being a pokégirl, Nikki was still trying to figure out who she was, and even Kelly was acting strangely. She could only handle one thing at a time but she knew if she went in the right order it would all get easier.

First on the Cherub’s agenda was mending Kelly; which meant fixing the wall that had been put between them by Marco’s actions. She sat in her chair tapping her foot against her desk and looking at her watch. She let another few minutes go by then picked up her phone and sent a message. Kelly entered the room moments later, reading the message in an aggravated tone. “’ You’re late! You have ten seconds to get into my office or I’m inviting the Colonel to this session as well!’ What the hell Alex?”

“It’s nice of you to make it Major, please, have a seat. I’ll put on some tea and coffee.”

“I’ve been very busy, can’t this wait until later? General Butcher has been sending inquiries and I really need to word these responses carefully.”

The Cherub made her way to the small burners she kept in her office and started the water for both drinks. “Right, we wouldn’t want the big boss heading over here to find out our Colonel spent the week… extracting information out of a Team Rocket trainer for no other reason than spite and built up frustration. And speaking of built up frustration, when was the last time you slept with Marco?”

Kelly eyed the Cherub and tried to figure out what she was getting at. It was true she hadn’t slept with him since before the day of the attack but she wasn’t at risk of going feral anytime soon. “I’m fine Alex. And why do you call him Marco, he’s still your Colonel.”

“You’re not fine, and no changing the subject.  Have to make sure everyone is mentally stable enough to do their jobs; but no one is ever going to feel right if you two aren’t working together anymore. He hurt you, and I know it’s not the physical pain that keeps you away from him right now. I got to watch what happened from several different angles of those who witnessed it too. But you knew this about him, you’re lucky enough to be delta bonded, I have to feel him out using my own invasive methods. He cares about me, but it will never be to the point where he’ll let me in like he does with you and the others. And after what happened with Quinn… I don’t think he has that kind of trust left in him.”

The Duelist decided she was starting to feel exhausted and took a seat on the couch. “I know, and we were lucky the get the bonds we did. I’ve talked to the others and they say he’s been through so much stress and turmoil that the bond feels weaker… I feel it too. But I can’t approach him. There is a problem approaching, something that needs to be done, and while I have the solution I know it’ll make him mad. I… I don’t want to be on the receiving end of that again.”

“Let me ask you something.” Kelly nodded nervously. “Are you avoiding him or is he avoiding you?”

“What difference does that make?”

“From a psychological point of view it makes one hell of a difference. It’s a lot easier for us to hide from him than it is for him to hide from us. He was the only guy at one point so he stood out, though with Eric here, getting the two of them mixed up can happen. But us, hell you and I can be mistaken for each other from far enough away. My point is that it’s much easier for you to know he’s coming and run than for him to see you there and catch up. What is this issue that is going to send him over the edge?”

“Nadia… in a few more days she’s going to start going feral. None of us are going to touch her unless she asks and the Readmans are one stubborn family if nothing else. Eric and the other older adults won’t do it, that’s their child and they actually love their kids; pretty sure my dad would have tried to fuck me if I stayed around long enough. Marco and Tasha won’t do it, that’s their little sister; things would never be the same between them again. None of us could ask this of Chris and I’ll be damned if some unknown tames my sister in law for the first time.”

“So what was your solution?”

“My brother Terrance… he was a good kid when he was younger and was still happy to see me when we ran into each other during Sadie Pokén’s Day. I’m sure he would treat her right… but…”

“But you would have to run it by Marco and the others to make sure they don’t gut the poor boy. I’ll warn you about this though and you can pass it on to the other four of them. People don’t like it when you make decisions for them behind their backs. Nadia is in denial and doesn’t like the fate she’s been forced into, but she’s a smart girl and deserves to be informed and be part of the decision.”

Kelly sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “At least she still looks the same. I lost height, my breast got smaller, and I’m going to look like I’m fourteen until I’m fifty.”

“True, but you found a man who loves you in spite of all these supposed shortcomings.”

The Duelist couldn’t help but smile at the comment as she stood up. The way things had gotten out of hand she had forgotten that he really did care for her. “You’re right, thanks for the reminder.” She said as she began to walk off.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Alexis asked before Kelly could get out the door. “We’re not done yet.”

“I thought we were done.”

“The drinks aren’t even ready yet, you just wanted to bail on me before I got to the really hard questions and hit on your personal issues.”

Kelly turned back around and plopped down in an angry huff. “I don’t have any personal issues.”

The soft whistle alerted Alexis to the water being done and she made her way back to pour the drinks. “You have trust issues and at times don’t feel comfortable in the power you have. But not your power as a pokégirl; your power as the Alpha.”

“What do you mean I have trust issues?”

“You don’t trust us. When something goes wrong you should know you can rely on us to support you no matter what. When Ari prepared to storm off, one order would have had us detain her until she came to her senses. She’s good, Ari is a great fighter, but she can’t take us all at once and if you’d put your foot down as the Alpha, the position we all voted you into, then she would have done as instructed.” Alexis explained as she handed the Duelist her coffee.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you and the others… it’s that I shouldn’t have to rely on you all to do what needs to be done. I should be able to handle anything that happens and I just can’t at times.”

“But those times are when you should know you’re not alone. We’re a family, what affects one of us affects everyone. Don’t think you’re the only person who was hurt and disturbed to see Marco acting like that. We were all there in his mind when we went to get him out of the coma; Mina knows the kind of darkness that lies in him. I’ve felt his rage and know the intentions he’s fighting when he’s angry, it was turned on me as well.”

“And what did you do?”

“Slapped some sense into him, sometimes that’s what it takes to set someone straight.” Alexis said with a curt smile. “But never mind him; can you do your part? Call on us when you need it, trust us to pick up the slack, and put your foot down when things really get out of control?”

The Duelist couldn’t help the confused look she gave Alexis. “Is it really possible to do all of those at once?”

_____

 

Avalanche Firing Range

 

A stiff breeze passed through the area but given the weapons and distance it wouldn’t be much of a problem. Much like Alexis, Henrietta was also quite busy. Nikki had qualified with a wide range of weapons but thanks to her memory being cleared she had to be qualified again. This also meant that as the Range Master, Henrietta would now have the time to do the same for Tam, Ilene, Chris, and Ariel. The two detectives were registered to use basic firearms and shotguns but didn’t have experience with the weapons their SWAT teams would run.

The Ghost Rider was proud of the Sexslash. In real world time they had spent hours in Dream Time, getting her up to date and trying to repair her memory as best as they could. She was still pretty confused about little things and found it very difficult to believe she was as old as they claimed. Never the less they made sure she understood who she was, who they were, and how important their job was. Naturally she had several questions about the two men she’d seen walking around and after it was thoroughly explained why the older one was off limits and the younger one seemed to be pissed off all the time she took the hint and let it drop.

While it was Henrietta’s job to make sure everyone qualified and she took it seriously she also didn’t mind making a competition out of it. Given some of the girls in attendance it was going to be quite the competition at that. Bets were being placed and all the smart money was going to Kitty who had been asked to join by Henrietta. Of course the Ghost Rider and Lawfoxx were to be tied for placements, Chris would be forth and everyone else was anyone’s guess.

After all was said and done Kitty had come out being victorious and walked away with several thousand in SLC and not having to help clean up the range. Everyone qualified and that was the main goal, but now was the time for reflection. Henrietta had instructed the others to continue to practice disassembling their weapons while she swept up. The happy tune she whistled was interrupted by Chesra and Isabella teleporting in. The Mecha Mesune looked exhausted and waved to them as she started on her way towards the office building.

“How was the flight?” Henrietta asked in complete seriousness.

“It was excruciatingly long, but the job’s done.”

“Right, did he ever explain why we couldn’t use the volcano at Cinnibuns Island?”

“There’s a power plant there, remember?”

Henrietta blinked a few times as the information reregistered in her head. “I had actually forgotten all about that place… how did I forget that? Not important though, the room with the female was scrubbed clean of any trace she was there. So… how’s he doing?”

“Getting better with every passing day. Honestly I was against him torturing her but it appears to have helped… now if he’d decided to tame her then I would have had an issue with that.”

“I don’t think we need to worry much, he’ll do a lot of things but raping and abusing women for entertainment is right off the list.”

“Really? I’ll be sure to remember that if he ever hits me like he did Kelly.”

Henrietta’s grip tightened on the push broom. “Let’s just say they were both out of line and leave it at that. But don’t you start questioning how you feel about him. You said yourself that I had deserved to get hit, had Kelly told him what was going on I would have finished that Elfqueen in seconds. A few of the others had told her to contact Marco the moment it happened and she kept putting it off, she said she would take responsibility if he got mad and she did. It was just a lot worse than she imagined.”

Chesra sighed and flapped her wings once. “I know; it’s not that my feelings are changing, but I’ve never felt such raw anger. He’s strong but his mind can only take so much, this time it was just too much at once. Nikki, Erica, Nadia, his parents and aunts, Quinn… it finally broke. But, after all this… will he ever be the same?”

Henrietta spoke grimly as she handed Chesra an extended dustpan. “Everyone handles loss differently. Yes, Nikki is back and no one in his family died but Nikki’s memory was wiped and those two girls will never be the same again. Nadia… I want to load her down with every T2 possible and train her past the extent of her normal abilities, for her to surpass any one of us in a fight. If she’s going to be a pokégirl then I’m going to make sure she’s the best there is.”

“You are aware that she will resist, and even after that’s over it would take years for her to reach our level.” The Archangel spoke as she lowered the dustpan in front of the shells on the ground. “On the other hand… Dream Time will give us the opportunity to impart our vast amounts of wisdom and experience on the girl. Her muscles will need training on their own to perform the techniques but her body will get there eventually.”

“… She’s going to hate us in the beginning. Marco and her parents will understand what we’re trying to accomplish and that it’s for the best. Still, I need to check and see what Kelly is up to. I heard her talking on the phone to someone and she specifically mention Nadia, lord only knows what that could be about but she hasn’t talked to Marco or the other Readmans about it yet.”

“Knowing her she’s biding her time until she has all the proper information first.  But Nadia will grow into her role as pokégirl no matter what decision is made. Erica is the one I’m more worried about. She’s afraid to be around Zianna because of her being a very large wolf and hasn’t been sleeping due to nightmares; she’s also been rather restless, doesn’t like to let her dad out of her sight, and has infrequent panic attacks. Alexis has been working with her to slowly remove her fears but Master needs to do his part as well, just… no one really sees him right now except in passing.”

Henrietta finished sweeping up the last of the shells then put the broom back in the range closet. She checked over her shoulder to make sure the others were still working then crossed her arms and leaned against the door. “I’m going to work with her too. She’s kind of pent up right now and needs an outlet for her frustration.” A thought popped into her head and with it brought a smile to her face. “Could you find Jean and then Erica’s parents, I want to run an idea past them before I do anything. I need to talk to Alex as well and see if what I’m thinking of is even a good idea.”

Chesra’s eye’s hardened and she reached and took Henrietta by the shirt. “That child pulled me out of a state of depression I’ve never felt before. No harm had better come to her by whatever you’re planning.”

“She must be very important for you to risk what you just did.” Henrietta said gently, Chesra realized what she was doing a let her friend go. While the outward appearance of the unit would suggest Kelly was the strongest and the three Betas were near equal to each other in power, that just wasn’t the case. Henrietta never fought her teammates seriously or most of them would have been killed long ago; but because of that she oftentimes lost to Chesra, Kelly, or a few of the other high powered members. Of course the others knew this and the fact that the only one to surpass Henrietta in ruthlessness or cold-bloodedness was Alexis. “I said I would talk to the others first and get their opinions on my idea, less I get slapped by multiple people.”

~~~~~

 

Nadia was still trying to familiarize herself with the layout of the building. She’d been there several times but never really stayed for any kind of extended period. Now that she had the chance to really look around there was a lot more to the places she could gain access to than she ever realized. Little areas like the common room and media areas had a certain ascetic to them that made her feel at home.

As she continued her rounds and snooping, if she were being perfectly honest, she picked up on a strange sound. There was an odd rhythm to it, several quick thuds then a pause followed by another series of thuds. She poked her head through a set of double doors and spotted Tam striking a heavy bag. The Catgirl was peppering the bag with quick strikes before backing off and attacking again.

Tam’s enhanced hearing registered the sound of the door opening and closing but didn’t respond until she heard the footsteps going across the training room floor. Her head jerked to the side and paused when she saw her colonel’s young sister. “Miss. Readman, good afternoon.”

The teen laughed to herself for the first time in a while. At her age being referred to as Miss. was quite the compliment. “It’s Nadia, afternoon Tam. Working-out I see.”

She went back to the bag and started hitting again, though angling her ears to hear the other girl speak. “Yes ma’am… Nadia. I had some extra energy to burn off and I didn’t feel like going for a jog. What about you, still feeling restless?”

Nadia continued to make her way in and stood in front of another bag. She was still coming to terms with the fact that she was a pokégirl but even she found the irony in which one she turned into. She’d gotten a reputation for being a tomboy and always hung out with the guys, now she was a Tomboy pokégirl. “Trying to cope, everyone’s been great and understanding and all that bullshit. I feel fine though, I don’t feel different at all…” She growled before rearing back to punch the bag. Tam saw her out the corner of her eye and remembered what breed she was, just as she was about to tell her to stop the teen struck and blew a hole clean through the bag.

The bags they used were rated for the various strength levels of pokégirls. Bags made for pokégirls without strength enhancements weren’t reinforced like bags made for girls with higher enhancements, but they also carried a lower risk of injuring themselves on them. The sand spread out over the floor and floated around the room. Tam wasn’t mad or anything but before she could tell Nadia everything was fine she had run off in a fit of tears. She was about to run after her but a figure stepped out of the shadows and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Let her go, lets clean this up.”

“Sergeant?”

Mina went to the closet and pulled out a couple of brooms. “She ran to the left didn’t she?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Then she should be fine.”

Tears were stinging at Nadia’s eyes as the shock started to wear off. She’d asked about the giant crack in the kitchen wall at their home and when asked if she remembered what happened she thought the worst. So much had gone on that day and it all felt like a jumble. Not paying attention where she was going she ran headlong into someone else and knocked them down.

Kelly quickly got back to her feet and looked up at her. ‘God, all of them are tall.’ “Nadia, what’s wrong?”

The teen stammered for a moment before relenting and holding her head down. “I… I broke one of the punching bags.”

“Oh, still trying to get a handle on your strength… don’t worry about it.”

The once pitiful look turned into a fierce glare focused on the Duelist. “How am I supposed to not worry about it? I used to be normal; I could barely do ten pull-ups, now I can take a door off its hinge if I’m not careful. I’m… afraid… I’m afraid to hug my own dad because I’ll hurt him. How am I supposed to get use to this?”

Kelly sighed internally; she remembered that feeling all too well. At least she had time to come to terms with what was happening to her body. Nadia had been forced into the life of a pokégirl without warning. “Come with me.” She said before starting towards her office. She changed clothes, out of her military uniform and into her casual wear, then pulled a small box from her desk and handed her the watch that was contained inside. The watch was originally meant to belong to Quinn but the Arimaiden was gone before it was finished. Kelly waited until the watch was on then grabbed the girls hand and teleported.

Nadia looked around the new area she was in, fresh air and the sun was shining. Winter was officially over and though the wind carried a slight chill the sun had it beat hands down. “Where are we?”

“VerMuffEatin’ City, my home town.” Kelly explained as she stuffed her wallet in her pocket. “Let’s take a walk.”

It was mid-morning and there weren’t too many people around. The soldiers who didn’t have duty were out taking care of personal business and tamers were walking around while waiting for the gym to open. Their travels took them through most of the town until they came upon a nostalgic sight for the Duelist; the prestigious Buzz Academy.

Nadia stared at Kelly’s back as the Duelist tried to psych herself up enough to take the first step through the door. She could tell there was something up but didn’t want to pry just yet. Finally Kelly willed herself through the front door and they started towards the office. Once inside she smiled pleasantly at the secretary, it was the same woman from when she started the academy as a child.

“Good morning, is the Duelist Miss. Tiffany still in charge of seniors Strategic Thinking and Tactics class?”

The older woman favored Kelly with a smile. She’d seen many children pass through the school over the years and had a gift for memorizing faces. Even though it had been almost a decade since Kelly was there she remembered her as well and knew the story of the girl going through threshold. “It’s good to see you’re ok Ms. Tanner. Tiffany is still teaching the class and I’m sure she’ll be delighted to see you.”

Kelly smiled and nodded again. “Thank you.” She spoke quickly before leaving the office and starting down the hall.

“Ms. Tanner? That’s right, I met your mother back in Dogpatch… you… you went through threshold.” Nadia stammered as it came back to her.

On their walk they came across a digital board that displayed class pictures, the Duelist paused and flipped back a few years to bring up her class. “That girl with the black hair and silver eyes, that was my best friend, Kelly. She was an appalling academic and a bit of a prankster but still my best friend. She was there for me when I finally finished threshold, I ran away from home to keep my father from sending me to the hunters guild. It was… an experience, all of it. Staying in a pokéball at night was scary but I learned to get used to it, like your brother does for us she got me a pokéball without a conditioning cycle. I was free to be myself. Taming…” Kelly stumbled with her words. “We had always been friends, close friends, but that was a new experience for us both. I’d held it off for as long as I could but I realized I would be a danger to her… she was very understanding, never forcing anything I didn’t like.”

Nadia swallowed hard as she continued to listen. She would have wanted to turn her ears off but Kelly was sharing something personal about herself. The Tomboy knew that her little sister always had a special relationship with Kelly and Chesra, she herself preferred to be around Henrietta and Arianna. She always found them to be rather cool in a particularly badass sort of way. Never the less it was the Duelist that was helping her right now and she appreciated it. She really was paying attention but one question from Kelly caused a train wreck in her thoughts. “Exc… excuse me?”

Kelly shook her head and waved it off in apology. “I’m sorry if that was too personal. I know you’re old enough but until that night with Kelly… I had never touched anyone like that.”

“You did just ask if I’d had sex.” Nadia exclaimed quietly before heaving a sigh. “… No. Never really had the opportunity, most of the boys at my school just didn’t see me that way. It was almost like they were scared of me or something. Fuck, never even been on a date.”

“Well your parents raised you to be strong and self-confident. Most young men don’t know how to handle someone like that, it doesn’t stop them from being interested but if they can’t get over their fear then you’re better off. You’re a pretty girl, and they know it… you’re just a bit tough for them.” Kelly explained with a slight chuckle.

The pair continued to walk down the hallway until they finally came upon her old classroom. Kelly could hear Tiffany on the other side of the door and cracked a smile. They were just a few weeks away from starting the SCS exams and she was going over the structure and what they should do to prepare.

“As you all know, our academy has an excellent reputation when it comes to the exam. You, our students, go on to become some of the best tamers, tradesmen, and researchers the league has to offer. While this exam is optional I want all of you to try and do your best. Never the less you aren’t just competing with each other; you’re competing with other academies as well. For those of you who do well enough there’s no telling what doors may open for you.” Tiffany heard the knock at the door but didn’t lose place in her speech. “Enter! You could end up being…”

“…One of the first pokégirl officers in the Indigo Military.” Kelly said with a broad smile as she entered the room. “Or at least that was my experience.”

Tiffany’s jaw dropped as she stared at the girl who entered the room. She had been around long enough that not much fazed her anymore, but now she was clearly in a state of shock. “Clarissa?”

“Good morning Miss. Tiffany… and it’s Kelly now.”

The older Duelist regained her composure and held back the urge to rush to the door and hug the girl. “Class, this is one of my favorite former students. Ms. Tanner here was in my class several years ago, an excellent student, and had the top score on the SCS exam.”

There was a beeping coming from one of the students who promptly raised his hand with a quizzical look. “How can that be true, she’s a pokégirl? I thought pokégirls weren’t allowed to be educated.”

Tiffany was about to tell the student to remain silent but Kelly stepped forward. “I wasn’t a pokégirl when I attended class here, you’re in my seat by the way, I was just a normal girl. Then I went through a late threshold, I thought I lost everything. But everything happens for a reason, now I’m a military pokégirl, an officer at that.”

One of the girls raised her hand next. “What did you threshold into, you look like you’re my age.”

Kelly bit back her anger at the question and took a breath. She had presented herself to the class and answered a question; now that the door was opened she just had to deal with it. “I was a Tarot and later evolved into a Duelist like Miss. Tiffany here.”

The bell rang and the students started getting their stuff together to go to lunch. Tiffany waited until they had left then ran up and scooped her into a big hug. “My god it’s good to see you. I was worried after I heard about Ms. Ross.”

Kelly slid her fingers across the silver chain and nodded. “Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her, even if I think about her less and less. But, I’m glad to see you’re still here.”

“My mission in life is to shape the future minds of our League.” Tiffany looked past Kelly to the doorway Nadia had decided to hold up by leaning against it. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Nadia Readman, she’s my… fia, tame, mast, … Colonel’s younger sister. Nadia this is my teacher and mentor Miss. Tiffany.” The two waved to each other but didn’t say anything.

“I heard the beginning to fiancé in that barely coherent jumble of speech. Congrats in advance, now, aside from taking a weight off my chest and a few years off my life what can I do for you?”

“Nothing really, she’s had a rough couple of days and is coming to terms with recent changes in her life. I’m taking her around to some of the places I used to visit when I was her age… before I became a pokégirl.”

Tiffany nodded, understanding the semi coded speech pattern that was being used. The girl had become a pokégirl recently and was having a tough time transitioning. “I wish I could say I understood or had some special wisdom I could have used to help you in the past or her now, but I was born a pokégirl. I guess there will always be a defined difference between being born one and being safe then changing into one. But as I told you eight years ago and will tell her now, the world is changing for the better for pokégirls. There is proof of that in this very room.”

Kelly knew she was the one being talked about and nodded in agreement. “Thank you, for everything back then, if it weren’t for you who knows where I would be.”

“Clarissa… I’ve had dozens of girls threshold on me during my career as a teacher. Sometimes it was sad, other times it was pretty much deserved. But not one of them showed half the promise you did back then. You made your own way and I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you again Miss. Tiffany.”

“You’re welcome future Miss. Readman was it? Why does that name sound so familiar?”

Kelly smiled as she started towards the door. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Avalanche, right?”

“Yes, retired military do like to gossip. Just like a bunch of mother Chickenlittles. Wait… Colonel Readman of Avalanche, I guess that would make you the Duelist, Major Kelly I’ve also heard about?”

“All thanks to one great teacher.” Kelly remarked as she exited out the door.

As the two girls continued down the hallway Nadia was oddly quiet. It wasn’t really bothering her but it was something she was curious about the more she thought about it. “Um Kelly… I have a question for you.”

“Go ahead, you can ask me whatever you like.”

“Alright then…” She said in a way that suddenly made the Duelist start to worry. “Taming… you said your first time was with your best friend and she was your tamer. My brother said he rescued you from a feral and you joined the unit not long after that…”

“Yeah…”

“Is my brother the only guy you’ve ever had sex with?”

Kelly stumbled for a second as she thought about it. It was true that for a while Avalanche had handlers who would tame the girls as needed before they started taming each other. There were two males and one female but she had never slept with the males. Their interest in her young appearance didn’t seem quite healthy as far as she was concerned so she would only tame with the female. “Yes… he is the only guy I’ve ever let… poke me so to speak.”

“Oh… ok.” The girl replied as they continued walking. “What… what was it like?”

Now Kelly froze in place, she had no idea how she was supposed to answer that question or even if she should answer the question at all. The girl deserved some kind of answer though, if nothing else it would help to prepare her for inevitability. “Um…, …, let’s take a walk while I try and figure out exactly how answer that.”

_____

 

Following Morning, Avalanche Office, Operation Control Room

 

Marco sat at the computer looking through all the information he’d acquired. Files, papers, Evan’s pokédex, the female tamer’s pokédex, Quinn’s phone, and police reports; all of them sitting on the table/computer and waiting to be meticulously entered into the system. The computer was running overtime trying to process everything and run its checks. All the while his mind was plagued with thoughts of everything he had done and that had happened over the last week.

Finally he sat back in his chair as his head went to his hands. “I let my family be attacked, I attacked Kelly, Nikki got level-fived, my sister almost died, Nadia got turned into a pokégirl, my father almost died, and I killed Quinn with my own hands.” He said slowly to himself. “Kelly is pissed at me, Carrie is afraid of me, Chesra… I swear she’s losing faith in me, hell even the whole unit is avoiding me. Maybe I should just retire… give up and put a bullet through my head.”

“You can’t lose faith Colonel; we’re strong because you’re strong.” Said the voice from the unknown location.

Marco looked around quickly and didn’t see anyone. Activating his Aura Sense he scanned the room again, expecting Alexis to have snuck in, but in the back of his mind he knew it wasn’t her voice he heard. Finally he spotted three glowing flames coming from inside the computer, the hatch lifted and the miniature Ilene made her way to the top. “Sorry Colonel, I didn’t mean to snoop. I was just doing maintenance on the computer and overheard.”

He put out his hand and she grabbed on to climb out. After setting her on the edge of the table she reverted back to her normal size. Her tail curled around her waist and she looked up at him with confidence. “Maintenance you say? What kind of maintenance do you do on a computer?”

“I was replacing RAM and installing back up processors. Isabella said the ops computer would be working overtime and then assigned me to install the upgrades she developed. I was hard at work then… I sort of fell asleep.” She said with her head down.

“Isabella ordered you to do that?”

“Yes sir, she said that you would be working as hard as you could to find the ones responsible for what happened to your family. Everyone is supporting you… even if we are trying to stay out of your way.”

“I’m not just going to flip out and start killing them! But… I guess after what happened with Quinn they can’t be certain about that.”

Ilene shook her head. “It’s not out of fear or anger that everyone is giving you space. It’s because we don’t want to be a distraction. If you’re afraid that you may lose it and hurt one of us then we’re not around to let that happen. I haven’t been around that long but I know that if you call, they will answer. We’re still looking out for you.”

Marco massaged his scalp for a moment then stood up. “That’s good to know. I want to relax and let things get back to normal but I can’t. After what they did I’m not going to stop until I know it’s all over and done with.” He hit a few buttons on the keyboard and glanced at the screen. It was an overlay of the entire league with miniature blips scattered all over the place. “Each one of those dots is a Team Rocket affiliated location and I don’t care if I have to go to each and every one of them. I’m going to find Chuck, Andzral, Haures, Angelica, and this Mr. G fuck; each one of them is going to pay for going after my family.”

“Sir… you know we support you, but there’s more that just us. You’re a Colonel; you have other resources at your disposal. Why not call on them?”

“I could have before, hell I still may be able to now, but things have changed. I guess it’s always been personal for me but I’ve never felt it until right now, for them it was just business. Now, it’s going to be personal for them too.” He looked at the overlay again then hit a few buttons, the screen split off into three different views. One was the league view while the other two were taken from the pokédexs. Between the two of them it was clear how much higher up on the chain Evan was than the female tamer. He had dozens more location markers than she. The ones they shared were in remote locations and Marco was betting that those were route outpost to ambush tamers. “Some of these I can hand over to the military without a problem, other ones are going to require aid from the government agencies… and they can fuck off. Sending this information to my General is the best option, it will get to who it needs to from there, the people we can trust.”

Ilene nodded like she understood what he was talking about but really didn’t have a clue. She’d met Hiyori earlier and understood that he had connections but it was still over her head. “Sir, I’m not going to pretend to understand what you’re talking about. But as I said, we’re all behind you.”

“Yeah, but you all don’t have to be. I mean I wouldn’t follow me anymore. Then again, you may not have an actual choice anymore. Who knows how many of you I may have bonded. It should be your choice whether or not you want to follow an idiot like me.”

“All of us are indebted to you one way or another. I should be in a pokéball attached to the hip of some mage or still learning my new name while attached to the military. Instead I’m sitting across from you, getting ready to get some lunch then come back to work on this computer. But if you asked me to stay and help you input this data then lunch could wait.”

He felt the urge to smile but held it back. “Go ahead and get something to eat, I’m not going to be going anywhere for a while.”

She nodded and left then made her way into the kitchen. Vana was at the stove along with Chesra working on lunch while the others were out. Until the unit received word from Marco there was nothing to do outside of training. Ilene took a seat at the table before looking at the others. “He’s still working on inputting the data that he’s collected; coming around slowly but… there wasn’t much I could say. What I overheard before I spoke up still isn’t good.”

“Whatever you said must have helped at least a little bit. I can feel lightness through the bond.” Chesra spoke as she continued chopping vegetables. “What was he talking about?”

“How to say… it was turning into an endless spiral of self deprecation in the form of a list of all the things that had happened. He blames everything on himself as well as fearing that he’s driven you, Kelly, and Carrie away. I wish I understood what he was going through. While the mages treated us well enough, we weren’t family to them.” She glanced to Chesra who was staring back at her, her eyes asking a question she wouldn’t ask vocally. “I don’t consider you all family yet either… but there is a closeness, of that there is no question.”

“Closeness is a start, at any rate get something to eat then hurry back to him. The rest of us have a very intense day of training ahead of us. There isn’t much you can really add to the combat but if things take a turn for the mage route then we’ll come and get you.”

“Are you all sure you want to take the time out to do this?” Vana asked with a slightly frustrated sigh.

“You know what the world is like for a pokégirl Vana; all we want is to give her the best chance we can. Sooner or later… she will have to live her own life, grow up, and experience the world. When we’re done she will be ready to take that journey when she chooses, and any that stands in her path won’t stand for long.”

It was rare for Vana Readman to be uncertain of what to do and she hated the feeling. Her world had been turned upside down in an afternoon; home attacked, children injured and transformed, and her son was changing. She put on a brave face but if not for the support of the unit and his harem she would have been lost too. “I can’t properly express how much I appreciate everything you all are doing for us. Everyone here wants the best for the girls and that’s why there are no objections to the methods you’re willing to use. But I also think your time would be better spent looking for the ones responsible.”

“Marco has taken direct control over that process, when he’s done we’ll all get copies of the processed data as well. The computer will show us any patters that arise and we can make plans from there…” Chesra could feel the intensity and aggravation coming off the Lady Luck, it was the same feeling she had gotten from Catherine and Kitty as well and knew what they all wanted. “If you and the others would like to be included in the plans all you have to do is ask.”

“Thank you Chesra; while it appears that none of us have lost our touch for battle I’m not sure if Markey would want us tagging along.”

“It’s just as much your concern as it is his and ours, if you want to join us when the time comes to strike then you will.”

“Thank you Chesra.”

~~~~~

 

Out at the range a confused Erica was standing by while Henrietta finished stripping and cleaning a handgun. They had gone over the parts of the handgun as if they were just making small talk. The 9mm was small enough for the young girl to handle, though she didn’t know she would be just yet. Henrietta’s talk with the others was met with normal line of questions but with Alexis’s praise they agreed it would be very therapeutic. Gun cleaned she handed the girl some safety glasses and a set of protective earmuffs.

“So… what are we doing out here?”

Henrietta removed the magazine from the pistol and handed it to her. “That’s a standard 9mm pistol, Smith and Wesson, 16 rounds per magazine. You were watching me and paying attention, right?” Erika nodded yes before looking back at the gun. “Good, take it apart and put it back together.”

Erika just starred at the pistol then back to Henrietta. “What are we doing?”

“I’m teaching you how to shoot. The first and most important rule about handling firearms is safety. Loaded or not, never point one at anything you don’t intend to kill. You already know it’s not a toy, accidents can be just as deadly as shooting with intent.”

“Okay, why are we doing this?”

Henrietta took a seat at the table and motioned for the girl sit down. “You have a lot of frustration built up. I want to give you the opportunity to let some of that out, teach you how to protect yourself and the ones you love.” A smile crept across her face as Erica removed the slide and barrel. There were slight hang-ups as it was her first time but eventually it was taken apart.

Erica sat there staring at the pieces of the weapon; she could feel a tightening in her chest as the memories surged back from that day. Her hands shook as she picked up the barrel and slide, tears welled up and she put them down again. “I couldn’t do anything… I tried to help and all I did was get in the way.”

“You bought time, your father was in trouble and you acted. That is a whole hell of a lot more than anyone else in your position would have done.” She said with pride. “Put that on hold, get up.” As they made their way to the starting line for the range Henrietta removed her .45 from her holster. “Here, this one is a bit heavier than yours and has a little more kick.” She explained before removing the magazine and the round in the chamber. “Ok, let me see your stance.”

Erica had seen plenty of movies and police dramas and it showed in how she stood. By Henrietta’s recollection she was using an isosceles stance used by standard law enforcement. Her feet were the right distance apart but her grip looked loose and her elbows were bent too much, it appeared like she was fighting what felt natural and that just wouldn’t do. As Erika pulled the trigger Henrietta could see the jerk of her hand, it was hair trigger so the movement was on Erica’s part.

“Ok let’s see what we can do about this. Your stance isn’t bad if you’re a cop but out in the wilderness you’ll make a pretty wide target. In combat situations you want to be the smallest target you can. I know Marco’s taught you a little bit about how to fight so let’s try this. Take a side stance like you’re about to fight someone, you’ll have a slight bend in your elbow which will help with the recoil. Your other hand will come around your main hand for stability.” Henrietta gave her the basic explanation and watched while she followed her instructions. As she watched Erica move into the stance she could see her relax into it. “Good, you need a little more bend in your knees and when you get ready to fire I want you to squeeze the trigger not pull it. Take a breath and as you squeeze I want you to exhale slowly. You’ll want to lean back or move away as you fire, don’t. Lean slightly into the shot when you’re ready to fire and be prepared for the shock.”

“Like this?” She took a moment to relax then moved into the stance on her own. It felt more natural this time around; her body moving into positions that felt comfortable for her while maintaining the stance she had been instructed to take. She inhaled a deep breath and lined up her sights then squeezed as she exhaled, firing in a smooth motion. “Was that better?”

“Nearly perfect,” Henrietta nodded in approval and handed Erica the magazine. “Do you know how to load it?” Erica took the magazine and slammed it in through the bottom before pointing down and pulling the slide back to chamber a round. “Very good, kept it pointed in a safe position. Range is clear and there’s a target fifteen yards down, let’s see what you can hit.”

Erica moved into her stance and shut an eye as she focused on the target. Fifteen yards seemed a lot closer than she realized as she stared down range. After taking a few breaths she held one and exhaled slowly, remembering to squeeze the trigger but turning her head in anticipation and fear as she did so. The force of the gun was a little more than she was bargaining for but she held on tight to keep it from flying out of her hands. Henrietta didn’t need binoculars to see that she had landed the round in the five ring around chest level, enough to puncture a lung if she were shooting at a person. “How was that?”

“Don’t turn your head when you shoot. That’s not bad at all for a first shot, but do it two more times and I’ll see where you stand from there.” Erica nodded, accepting the praise from the hardedge range master and moved into position again. She concentrated on her sights this time and fired twice more. Once again Henrietta checked the shots, one landing next to her first in the five ring and the other striking slightly higher but in the seven ring. All three shots had drifted towards the left side of the bull’s eye. “Drifting a little but still pretty damn good for your first shots. Most beginners get a lucky bull’s eye or nine ring shot, think they’re naturals and don’t need to improve. But you can clearly see that you’ll need to put more work in.”

Erica lowered the weapon and looked slightly dejected as her gaze went to the ground. “I have to admit, I was hoping to hit the center mark, ya know… just be a natural at this.”

“I’m happy you’re not, people who are naturally good at something rarely know how to take advice. But you, you’re already wondering what you could do to get better aren’t you?” Nod accepted Henrietta shook her head. “Improving is all well and good but it’s not important right now, what’s most important is how you’re feeling. What did it feel like when you fired?”

The teen thought about it for a few seconds then blushed in embarrassment. “The first shot was a little scary… but I… I couldn’t wait until I could fire again. When I fired the second shot I felt an exhilarating rush, it was like my whole body was tingling.”

“Good, now remove the magazine and then the round from the chamber. Always remember to take the magazine out first or you’ll just chamber another round.” Once again Erica did as instructed and Henrietta took her weapon back. “Now put the other one back together, take it apart, then put it back together again.”

Now that she had fired a few shots her hands weren’t shaking anywhere near as much. While Erica was busy with her task Henrietta had teleported away and came back with two boxes. The larger box was filled with full magazines while the other had another ten 9mm handguns. She went down the line placing a gun at each station and ten clips to go along with them each weapon.

Erica had finished her assignment long ago and waited patiently for Henrietta to finish setting up. “What are we going to do now?”

“Increase your comfort level.”

~~~~~

 

Back in the office members of the unit had gather in the common room along with Nadia, Kitty, and Catherine. The plan was for them to spend as much time as possible teaching her the ins and outs of combat. Nadia’s time spent with Kelly had helped to reassure her that her life wasn’t as over as she thought it was. While she didn’t exactly welcome the session she did understand what they were doing and why. Still, it was the praise and approval from her mother and father that set her mind at ease. She wanted Henrietta to teach her as well but it was explained that she was working with her younger sister and that she would spend real world time training with her.

Since Chesra was the most battle proficient they used her mind as the base for the Dream Time ability. The Archangel’s conscious mind had created quite the atmosphere for them to work with. Various weapons lined the walls of the large dojo they had been gathered into, each a preference of one of the girls in attendance.

Trying to get Nikki back up to par had been quite the learning experience. They had discovered that while her brain’s memory had been completely cleared her muscle memory had been retained. Learning fighting techniques had been a quick process since her body had preformed them time and time again. All she really needed was to be taught the form again. Nadia would be starting from scratch for the most part so it would be interesting to see how well everything translated in the real world with her.

The Tomboy stood around and looked at everyone she would be learning from. With a heavy sigh she looked at Chesra. “So, where do we begin?”

Arms crossed, Chesra’s gaze passed over everyone in the room before stopping on Tam. The Catgirl nodded once then leapt from where she stood, flipping once then coming down with an axe kick. Nadia was frozen in place; she didn’t expect to be attacked just like that. At the last second she jumped backwards and avoided the kick but stumbled and fell down. Tam paused for just a second before lunging forward and pouncing on the Tomboy, pinning her to the ground.

“Footwork, just to start.” Chesra spoke softly. “Get up; we’re going to be at it for a while.”

A few hours had passed in the real world when everyone finally emerged from Dream Time. Even though none of them had physically moved a muscle mentally they all appeared to be exhausted. Nadia’s eyes held a hardened expression, she had no idea how much time had passed in either space and didn’t seem to care either. They had pushed her to learn everything they had to teach but now they were going to see if the mental training would bear fruit.

“God, I feel a little dizzy.” Nadia griped as she stood up and stretched.

“Yeah? Well get over it. Outside, we’re going for a run.” Arianna said in a commanding tone.

Nadia had shot her a harsh look that got returned in equal measure before relenting and heading out the door. Everyone but Chesra and Mina followed her out participate in the physical training. The two betas were going to be busy setting up different training exercises for the teen to run though the next morning and with what they had planned it was going to take a while.

Just as they were about to leave Eric stopped them. “How’d she do?”

Chesra gave a big stretch of her own. “Fiery and rebellious little thing but she’s a good student at heart. Before she goes to bed we want to start inputting the T2 information. That way she can rest on it and wake up fresh tomorrow. We won’t really know how much she’s learned until she has to fight physically.”

“Thanks, I’m really sorry for all the trouble we’re putting you through by being here. We really appreciate well… everything.”

“No Erric…” Chesra said while struggling to use his first name. “Thank you all for agreeing to stay. It may not seem like it but your being here brings Marco a form of comfort. If you’re all around where he can respond quickly it makes him feel like he can do something to protect you when you need.”

“I guess I need to talk with him. We aren’t children and apparently did a good job of protecting ourselves.”

“Yes you did sir, but it makes him feel better. If it’s his fault that you’re being targeted then he wants to take care of it.”

Eric relented, kissing her on the forehead. “You’ve always been one of the good ones Chesra, never forget that.”

“Thank you sir. As for Nadia… we’re not going to take it easy on her tomorrow. You’ll be more than welcome to watch her trials but I ask that you and Mistress Vana not interfere, even when things look to be overboard.”

“Oh you don’t have to worry about me.” Eric replied with a laugh. “You know how Marco loves his little sisters, he’s your tamer and you’ll have to deal with him.”

Mina cleared her throat and looked towards the ceiling. “We’re hoping that he’s still going to be busy and unable to attend while we put her through the grinder.”

From the other side Kelly approached them along with Vana. The Duelist was still holding the phone but had a rather broad smile plastered on her face. “Don’t wear her out too much, she has a date tonight.”

Now it was time for Eric to look surprised. “A date you say? Does she know about this, hell, does he know what he’s getting into?”

“No and… not really. You remember my younger brother Terrance, right Eric?”

“Yeah, I got to know the young man after you and Marco left. Seems like a nice respectable kid… and you’re going to send him on a date with Nadia? I thought you loved your little brother.” He laughed for only a moment before his face became stone serious. “And what are the intentions behind this ‘date’?”

Vana took a healthy gulp of the wine Kelly had given her when they started the conversation and sat on the love seat, patting the open cushion next to her. She waited for her husband to get situated then rest her head on his shoulder. “Nadia’s going to go feral soon hun. She’s family to everyone here and they can’t do what needs to be done, not that we would feel good about it either. Terrance is a nice boy…”

“Vana…” Eric attempted to cut her off but her pressing her finger against his lips made him pause.

“He’s a nice boy hun. We’re not telling him to tame her and we’re not expecting her to just give herself to him. But if it happens it happens. I would rather it be with someone I can get my hands on eventually than some stranger. Nadia talked with Kelly and she understands what’s going to happen eventually.”

Kelly looked at the phone and thought on what she had set in motion. They were taking things better than she had expected but it was still a tender subject. “I’m not sure if it’s going to make either of you feel any better but I talked with him the night everyone met. She intimidates him but he likes her, said they have a few things in common and he wished he’d gotten more time to get to know her. I haven’t asked her opinion of him, rather it be a bit of a surprise.”

“That does make me feel a little bit better; being a pokégirl doesn’t seem to change how he views people. I guess we can thank you for that small miracle.”

“Well it certainly wasn’t my dad’s doing. Though I like your suggestion, Foreplay Island is a nice pokégirl friendly location that we can get to if something goes wrong. Not that I think anything will go wrong.” Kelly thought while looking back and forth at the two parents. ‘I am so completely screwed if something goes wrong.’

~~~~~

 

Out at the training field Nadia had finished her run and was now prepared to start her training in the real world. The plan was to progress up the ladder so to speak. She would be fighting the more battle hardened members of the unit starting from the bottom and working her way up to taking on Henrietta. The girl had been warned well ahead of time that they wouldn’t be taking it easy on her and to her surprise she was actually looking forward to the challenge. She’d always been mildly competitive beforehand but now that she was a pokégirl she felt as if she needed to challenge herself more.

Tam was set to be Nadia’s first opponent and everyone was eager to see how well the Dream Time training transferred to reality. Both girls stood on their starting lines and waited for Arianna to start the match. The teen was fortunate that Mina had been around to teach her some the Normal element attacks but wished the Kunoichi was around to watch her fight.

The War Hound stood between both girls looking back and forth. “First person to get knocked down and stay down for five seconds loses; anything goes combat. Any questions?”

Neither girl moved a muscle, just stared at their opponent. Between the two of them most of the money was going towards Tam to win in the long run. While she wasn’t as strong as the Tomboy she was a great deal faster and had a lot more battle experience. On the other hand Nadia had more drive and determination than could be expected of someone her age. In the end it would all come down to who wanted it more.

Arianna signaled the start and moved out of the way. Tam started with her trademark jumping axe kick, going high into the air and preparing to come down with a vicious strike. Strangely Nadia stood her ground, watching Tam spin in the air. Just before the Catgirl landed Nadia took a quick step to the side and upon landing struck back with a massive blow to the side of the head. The feline stalled for just a moment before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she hit the ground and stayed there.

  Arianna let out an aggravated sigh as she made her way between them. She distinctly remembered telling the downed girl that that was a horrible move to open a fight with and it left her opened to a variety of counter attacks. Reaching down she picked the girl up and slung her over her shoulder. “And here I thought you were the one who needed the training; that was pathetic.” Growled the War Hound. “Well we don’t have any Ghost-types besides Rietta and you’re weak against fighting types…” She said as her eyes roamed across the group to find a suitable opponent. From the side she saw Kelly walking up and smiled grimly. The Duelist was more Magic than anything else and because of that she didn’t take part in the Dream Time session, never the less she was a quite skilled fighter and would be able to test the teen with little chance of killing her. “Major! You mind giving us a hand?!”

“Certainly, as a matter of fact she and I can place our own little private bet.”

Nadia couldn’t help but blush as she looked at Kelly. The talk they had, the things she’d explained, the detail they had gone into; it all came rushing back in an overflow of embarrassment. “Ok, but what are we going to bet? I don’t have much money or anything else you would really want.” Kelly had gotten close and whispered into the girl’s ear for a few seconds. After she was done Nadia just continued to stand there slack jawed. “Ok… you have a deal but I would have said yes anyway.”

“I know you would have but this way I get more control.”

Nadia moved into her stance; determined to make her future sister in law work for the win. “I’m not going to make this easy ya know.”

“You’ll try not to at least. What are the rules Ari?”

“Anything goes battle, first to fall and stay down for five seconds loses.” Arianna said as she began to move out of the line of fire. “Begin on my mark.”

Arianna dropped her arm and the two girls began to circle each other. Nadia was the first to try striking, coming in fast and punching towards the shorter girl. Kelly wasn’t going to let things happen so easily, stepping to the inside of the hit then rotating into a hip toss. What she wasn’t expecting was for Nadia to continue holding on and rolling with the throw, pulling her to the ground and into an attempted arm bar.

Not to be outdone Kelly rolled, bringing her knee down into Nadia’s side with a crack. The pain was sharp and excruciating, giving her no choice but to release the hold. Kelly’s next maneuver put her behind Nadia, locking in a sleeper hold. The Tomboy’s physical strength was assumed to be far above that of the Duelist but Kelly had made up for it with extra strength training. The result of this was the two of them being fairly even in strength.

Nadia stood up as quickly as she could, putting more pressure on her neck but taking Kelly off the ground then throwing herself backwards to slam her down. Bracing with one knee her Nadia’s back the other leg hit the ground and kept them from falling all the way back but jamming the first knee into the middle of her back. After the backbreaker Kelly released the sleeper hold, flipped back several times to gain some significant distance then summoning a set of cards.

“Do you give up?!”

Nadia stumbled to her feet holding her back but moved into a stance again. “I haven’t stayed down for five seconds yet. I thought you weren’t going to take it easy on me?”

Kelly’s smirk could only be described as sinister as she turned and began walking away. This action infuriated the Tomboy and in her haste she charged for the Duelist. Just as she was in striking distance she was floored by the heavy hit of a shield. Cassandra and Sofita seemed to appear out of nowhere, swords and shields at the ready. She quickly scrambled back to her feet in a bid to make it past the two warriors but got sandwiched between them, taking several hard hits to the head and torso.

Kelly’s internal control of the cards made sure they weren’t using their swords to inflict lethal injuries, focusing on battering the girl around for the most part. She was proud of how well the teen was fighting, lesser willed pokégirls would have called foul the second the cards entered the field but she fought a terrific fight. It all came to an end though in the form of a devastating shield uppercut that took Nadia off the ground and the downward slam that sent her back. She laid there weakly well past the five seconds needed to lose but she was still breathing so no one was too worried.

“Impressive work.” Kelly praised as she helped her back to her feet. She wanted the girl to grow strong and from the looks of things she was well on her way to being an excellent pokégirl. Turning back to Arianna she recalled her cards. “Get her healed up then keep at it. Emaline, I’ll need to see you for a moment.

As the two girls walked off towards the office the FireMaiden held a questioning look. “What do you need me for?”

“She’s got a date tonight and you two are about the same size. Maybe you can help her find something to wear?”

“It’d be my pleasure.”

_____

 

The training and beatings intensified and continued well into the evening with Nadia gaining more and more control over her abilities. By the time all was said and done the girl was finally gaining a true appreciation for being a pokégirl. Nearly every one of her limbs had been broken at least once and she was pushed to exhaustion; but healing treatments and recovery drinks had her back in the game in no time.

Her memory was retaining the information she’d gained in Dream Time and her body was performing to the peak of its ability. All of the battle hardened members had taken their shots at the teen and even a few of the not so battle savvy had done so as well. She’d done well enough but once Henrietta arrived she got a full taste of what combat against her mentor was like. Suffice to say she was beaten quite soundly then knocked for a loop and put into the pokéball.

Later that evening she was all prepped for her date. Getting her ready was a challenge all its own for the more fashion oriented members of the family and unit. Not that she was making it easy. Dresses and skirts were right out and she threatened to learn ignite on anyone attempting to touch her with make-up. In the end she had kept her natural tomboyish look and attitude to go with it. All she had to do now was wait for Kelly to retrieve her brother.

Her mother and father were waiting around as well, much to her dismay, and were greeted to quite the sight when the door opened. Erica made her way in; covered in oil and grime, with a bandaged hand, and an absurdly large smile on her face. Of course her father was the first to run up and give her a once over. “What happened to your hand, are you ok?”

The cheerful girl pushed him away and waved it off like it was nothing. “Henrietta called it a snake bite.” Vana took her hand to remove the bandage but she snatched it away. “I don’t want it healed through magic. It’s my mark as a shooter.”

“HENRIETTA!” Vana yelled.

The Ghost Rider was quick to teleport into the room and looked around to see what the problem was. Upon laying eyes on Erica she got a stern look. “Did you finish cleaning the weapons?”

“Yes Ma’am; disassembled, cleaned, reassembled, and put back where they belong. I even refilled the Magazines with the ammo I found.”

  Henrietta’s hard look broke and she ruffled the young teen’s hair. “How could anyone not love this kid? Now what’s the problem Vana?”

“You let her get hurt and didn’t take her to get it healed?”

Not thinking anything of it, Henrietta raised her hand and turned it to show the two scars she had in the exact same spot. “It’s an occupational hazard when one learns to shoot. Eventually they will grip too high and the slide will give them a little cut. As your son reminds us when we make a mistake and get injured, ‘If it didn’t hurt then you didn’t learn anything.’”

Eric wrapped his arms around Vana’s waist to keep her from lunging towards Henrietta. She was still worked up over Nadia going out and seeing her youngest injured again wasn’t setting well with her. Eric on the other hand knew there was no harm intended, the wound wouldn’t be serious and a little scar was a small price to pay to see his little girl smiling the way she was. “It’s ok hun. Sweetie, how did you do?”

“Oh I suck something fierce, but I’ve never felt better. And I love the smell of gun oil!” She explained, never once losing her smile.

Henrietta pulled her closer. “Nowhere near as bad as you think. After firing 1603 rounds I say you did rather well.”

“Was it really 1600, it didn’t feel like that many.” Erica’s attention then turned to her older sister. She’d never really seen her sister all dressed up. “Going somewhere special sis?”

Nadia looked herself up and down again and fought the urge to let loose a string of obscenities. “I knew this was overdoing it! Going on a date with Terrance.”

“Terrance? Terrance, Terrance… Kelly’s younger brother?” Erica asked, accepting Nadia’s nod for reply. “Oh he’s cute. Where ya going?”

“Showing him around the island, maybe catch a movie? I have no fucking clue.”

“Nadia!” Eric warned in an authoritative tone.

“Sorry dad… I’m just nervous is all, first date jitters I guess.” She apologized. “He is cute but seems like a bit of a weakling.”

Vana rolled her eyes then straightened Nadia’s shirt collar. “Hun… I think it may be best if you keep opinions like that to yourself.” The door began to open again and they could hear Kelly’s voice on the other side. “Here we go dear.”

When the Duelist entered Nadia held her breath in nervous anticipation. Terrance was shorter than she was, not that it really bothered the Tomboy, she had gotten used to being taller than the boys she went to school with so this was par for the course. Their eyes met for just a second then broke apart again. By Kelly’s suggestion he wasn’t over dressed for the occasion either and wore a casual outfit.

“Hey Nadia...” He greeted while holding back his nervousness. “Mr. Readman, Mrs. Readman.”

Eric waved then started towards the kitchen, not wanting to show too much interest or worry over his Daughter. “Quick, let’s get going before everyone comes in and decided they want to ask questions.”

Kelly gave a light laugh and started towards the outside but the stern throat clear of Eric brought them to a halt. “She’ll be out after we talk, if everyone would give us a moment.” Kelly, Terrance, and Vana went outside leaving Nadia standing in front of her much larger father.

“Do we really have to do this?”

“Yep,” he said with a serious look. “you’re my daughter. You’re age and you being a pokégirl now are all completely irrelevant. You’ll always be my daughter; I’ll always love you and want what’s best for you.” He reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet and handed her his credit card. “Have a good time and be safe. If anything happens and you feel like you’re in trouble, call or hit your emergency beacon and someone WILL be on the way.”

“What if we… if I decided to…” She started then turned her head and blushed.

“I said I trust your judgment, and as much as I hate to accept it I know you have new and different needs now. It’s your choice and you have my card so you can be comfortable.” Reaching out he pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the forehead. “Whatever your decision, remember that if no one else loves you your parents always will.”

Nadia rest her head on his chest for just a moment then gave him a peck on the cheek. “Thanks daddy.”

As she rushed out the door Eric took a seat at the kitchen table. Moments later his wife returned as well and took a seat next to him. He could tell she was trying to hold it together but she was on the brink of tears. “Don’t start hun, it’s hard enough accepting that she’s growing up.”

The face that once threatened tears were now threatening anger. “Well you’re mighty composed for having daddy’s little girl heading off on her first date… Or do you have something up your sleeve?”

“Well you’re not the only one who knows how to maintain in a crisis. And yes, I do have something up my sleeve. Ladies,” He called over his shoulder. From around the corner Mina, Emaline, and Jean walked in. “If you would all be dears and trail my daughter. Stay out of sight and don’t intervene unless you have to.”

The three girls never said a word, just nodded and left the room. Vana’s eyes cut to her husband in what was almost disapproval. “… Smart ass.”

_____

 

Edo League, Oran Residence

 

Angelica continued to pace back and forth, pausing for the fifth time to read the report she’d been sent by Andzral again. The more she thought about things the more some of it started to make sense. Marco always did tend to be a step ahead of them most of the time and now she had her answer for why that was. She was being given a chance to dodge her punishment; all she had to do was figure out a way to deliver the Dark Queen Delilah to Mr. G. as impossible a task as trying to capture Avalanche was to begin with.

She hadn’t gotten to spend much time with the Dark Queen but it didn’t take much to get a read on how intelligent she was. Over a week had passed since they tried to ambush Readman so it was safe to assume that any and all parties attached to him had been warned. That meant that Delilah was probably well aware that her cover was blown and would keep her distance. Anyone with a sense of self preservation would do as much.

Finding the pacing to be of little use to calm her nerves she took a seat in the leather armchair and poured herself a vermouth based Negroni cocktail. Her finger slid around the rim of the glass while her other hand held the card Delilah had given her. She recalled the last words of the Dark Queen before she disappeared; ‘I also don't side with losers, that card I gave you is still good should you ever need my assistance. You'd be surprised at the friends I have.’ “Well you’re right about that, I’m quite surprised at the friends you have.” Taking a sip of the drink she settled back into the chair. “I can hand her over and maybe take the gun away from my head… I can continue to be unreachable, but that really does nothing for me. Or I can contact her and she what kind of deal we can work out.”

The smooth feel of skin and fur caressed her neck before sliding back and working the muscles in her shoulders. Croma had slid out of bed unnoticed and went to her mistress’s side to help her find comfort. “Option C really is the best one. Even if we were able to capture Delilah and hand her over to Mr. G. there’s no guarantee that it will save you from his anger.”

“I know that Dear. I also know that it’s impossible to capture Delilah. When you strike against someone’s family; succeed or fail the word is spread rather quickly. My instincts tell me that any and everyone connected to Readman has been warned about what’s going on, especially if they’re connected to the security and intelligence communities.” Taking another sip of the cocktail she pulled out her phone and entered the number. “She’s either going to ignore me completely or attempt to bait me into a trap. Actually this is a pretty good scheme on Andzral’s part.”

“What do you mean?”

Taking Croma by the hand she pulled her around to face her. “They’ve kept me out of the loop since my little act of insubordination. Now suddenly I’m getting information on what happened with Delilah and an offer to regain my trust by bringing her in. Facing the Dark Queen in combat would be a death sentence, which would be my punishment. If we got lucky and brought her in then I would be in their good graces again. If I do nothing then I’m still in the same position with the same problems.”

Croma’s hand rest against the thigh of her mistress and began to massage her way inward. “And the idea of teaming up with her and Colonel Readman?”

“That would take some extra planning on my part and an agreement on theirs. But it’s not impossible.” As she thought on the subject her mind began to drift and embrace the feeling of the massage. A sigh passed her lips as she lifted the phone. “Go on back to bed, I’ll be along soon.”

“I’ll be sure to make it warm for you Mistress.”

With a simple nod Angelica pressed send and lifted the phone to her ears, hoping more than waiting for the line to be picked up. It had rang a few times then clicked, there was an awkward silence then an aggravated groan on the other end. “Who is calling me at this ungodly hour?”

“Delilah, it’s Angelica… we need to talk.”

The Dark Queen was instantly awake but hid her surprise. “Angelica, I didn’t expect to hear from you. This obviously isn’t a social call, what do you want?”

“As I said, I want to talk. Is there any chance we could meet?”

“I’m no fool Angelica and neither are you. After what happened with Readman we can be honest with each other.”

Angelica had to choose her words carefully. If Delilah was trying to gauge where she stood then one slip up could close the door completely. “Everything that happened after I told off my boss was ordered by Andzral, but you were there for that. They didn’t read me in for what happened until recently but it was a bad move on her part and Campbell got lucky.”

Delilah made her way into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee and took a seat at the table. “Indeed he did, I read the reports about what happened. The danger level for dealing with Readman has gone up exponentially.”

“And who did you get that kind of information from I wonder? Was it straight from the source, or a contact you have?” Angelica asked in haste.

“I see the warning I got was well founded, not that my business with Team Rocket wasn’t already concluded. No, I don’t believe I’ll be willing to meet with you. You’re a smart girl so I don’t have to tell you to tread carefully. If you thought what he did last time was bad then you’d better brace yourself, a storm is on the way.”

“WAIT!” Angelica could sense the Dark Queen was through talking and about to hang up.

Finger poised over the end call button Delilah put it back to her ear. “Speak quickly.”

“Look… you’re not the only one who can play both sides of the field.”

“My sexual preferences are of no concern of yours.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it. I… I wasn’t lying when I said I thought he was a good person and that I want nothing more to do with his capture. If I didn’t have my son to think about I would have left long ago. So…”

“So?”

“So what kind of deal can we make? Is there some sort of compromise we can come to that will get us free… my son if no one else?”

The Dark Queen closed her eyes and began formulating plans. There were several ways things could go wrong, but if done correctly they would surely have everything they need. Still there were doubts; there was at least one thing she needed to be clear on. “I have one very important question for you and your answer will decide your fate.”

“Go ahead.”

“… The attack on Readman’s family, did you have anything to do with it, any idea that it was going to happen?

“Not in the least. I had told Andzral to either give the girl she had capture back or get her out of the city. To stop with the one girl she had capture and pull the remaining forces back. Once she was made the leader all orders given were hers and hers alone.”

There was a long silence between the two of them and for a moment Angelica feared that what she had said wasn’t enough. That her life time of causing pain and suffering to others was finally going to catch up with her. She took Delilah’s sigh as a bad sign and prepared to hang up. “… Let’s see what we can do.”

 

 

 

Delta

Echo

Indigo

 

Beta- Chesra- Archangel	Beta- Henrietta- Ghostrider	Beta- Mina- Kunoichi
Arianna- War Hound	Field Beta- Selena- Caphoochie	Zianna- Wolf Queen
Kim- Bombshell	Rebecca- Smokey	Renae- Ice Princess
Nikki- SexSlash	Alexis- Cherub	Isabella- Mecha Musume
Emaline- Fire Maiden	Lily- Belle Awesome	Tam- Catgirl
Ilene- Imp		Leona- Lamia- KIA

 

Harem

Chesra- Co-Alpha

Henrietta- Co-Alpha

Carrie- Mistress (M)

Ashley- Peekabu

Jean- Kyubi

Bernadette- Piratit

 

Handler

Christina Reynolds

Ariel-  LawFoxx