Kelly was actually beginning to worry about her missing Beta. It had been seven weeks since she had disappeared. The War Hound hadn't even decided to call in to let everyone know she was alright. On top of that Marco still hadn't awakened from his coma. The only good news was that Chesra was out of her funk and back to training. The Fallen Angel was pushing herself harder than ever, trying her best to make up for her brute strength being taken away. It took some work but she was able to pry Carrie away from Marco's bedside long enough to get some tutelage on Dark powers. Magic ability was something she would have to work on by herself though.
In place of Chesra coming around Jean had locked herself away with volumes of text and information. She has spent the last month and a half studying and teaching herself some of the most difficult of psychic abilities. Finally she emerged from one of the private research rooms. Her hair was a tangle mess, both of her tails hung lazily to the side, and she looked like she was in need of a hot bath and a warm bed. Or at the least a gallon of coffee. None the less she wore a huge smile of excitement as she burst into the common area. "I got it; I think I can wake Master up!"
Alexis looked up from her book, as far as she was concerned Jean looked delusional. "I'll bite, how are you planning on doing that?"
"It's going to take a lot of work and I'm going to need you, Vana, and Leona to make this work. Though everyone else can be present also. I’m not sure how well it will work with the dark-types though. If this does works then we'll have him back in no time."
Henrietta had just finished dying her hair back to its original color and was letting it dry. She was actually starting to feel a faint sliver of hope. She still didn't really know the man she had feelings for and wanted to meet him. "How soon can we start?"
"I'm going to get cleaned up and we need to get everyone and Master into one open spot. The sooner we can get started the better."
"I'll go inform Kelly, we'll come and get you as soon as everyone is assembled."
An hour and a half had gone by and the entire unit plus Vana had assembled in the common area. Marco sat motionless in a wheel chair at the center of the room and the others had gathered in a circle around him. Many of them were trying to figure out what the Dark Kitsune had planned. Whatever she had come up with had raised the hopes of the others and if it failed all that would be left was disappointment.
"Ok, we all know that Master is stubborn as all hell and built up considerable mental defenses against psychic manipulation. In our fight with the gym leader we used an ability that gave me complete access to his mind. I think if I do it again combine with the powers of the other psychics in the room we can all go in and wake him up from the inside. As far as I would know, Carrie, Mina, and Chesra won't be able to come along since they are dark-types, but their presence won't hurt anything either."
Alexis understood what Jean was planning to do, but it seemed far too simple. Then again the simplest solutions were normally the best ones. "I'm in, what do we do?"
"Have a seat on the floor and join hands. Chesra, Carrie, I'm going to need you to keep you minds as open as possible. Vana I need you to take the spot in the circle directly behind him, I'll be across from you. Alexis you have his right side while Leona will be on his left. This way all of our psychic powers should be focused in the center point and on him." They all began to shuffle around and take their positions. Carrie and Chesra took their seats by the more powerful psychics in the room. Chesra sitting next to Vana and Carrie to Leona then joined hands and waited. "Leona, I need you to start first. Use your information transfer to start the chain."
The serpent pokégirl unleashed her powers and slowly they all began to get links to those around them. Bonds between Chesra and Carrie were loose at best but they were connecting all the same. Each time the bond would get to another psychic in the chain she would attune her energy to match the bond then amplify it. Finally the chain was complete and they were all sharing freely. "Ok Jean, the chain isss complete. What'ssss next?"
"Concentrate on Dream Time, I have a base understanding on the technique but could use more instruction. We psychics need to use that ability on my mark."
"Ok, Dream time." Alexis had picked up the technique lone ago considering how much it helped with her medical treatments. Vana and Jean were picking up the ability even quicker thanks to the connection.
Jean shivered for a moment as the missing prices of the ability connected in full. "It's my turn now, Perfect Synch!" Her powers pulsed forth and a drop of blood dripped from her nose. Finally her mind linked with his. "Now, use Dream Time."
"Dream Time." The four psychics spoke in unison.
Suddenly everything went dark then they all found their way into an open white space. It was a stark white empty void with nothing standing out. They all looked around cautiously, too afraid to move.
Ashley was the first to break away from the group and looked around nervously. "Um where are we?"
"I believe we are in the Colonel's mind." Spoke Alexis.
Mina chuckled and nudged Emaline in the side. "See, I told you it would be empty. (smack) Sorry Vana."
"Well that just confirmed that pain is still transferred on some level. This is the Colonel's mind and there for an exceptionally dangerous place to be."
The soft and disturbingly sweet voice was heard from the back of the group. "But master would never harm us." All eyes turned to Carrie who slapped her hands over her mouth in wonder. "I can talk? I can talk!"
"Is that what your voice use to sound like?" Asked Kelly, eyeing the Penance.
"Um... La la la laaaa!" She sang an paused for a second to try and catch the pitch then shook her head. "It's close but a little bit higher."
"That must be what he thinks your voice would sound like, since you're here I guess you can talk freely. If it’s only a little bit off then then it really is sweet." Explained Chesra.
A worried expression passed over Alexis's face. "This is very dangerous. In his mind he has the ability to alter our abilities to his perception of us. Our powers may be more destructive here or may not work at all."
"You are correct Alexis. In his mind he rules everything you see and can change the rules at will." The unknown female had appeared from out of nowhere and greeted them with a smile. Her features were remarkably similar to Marco's but feminine in every way.
"Wow, who are you? How did you get here?" Asked Ashley in surprise.
"I'm Marco Readman, well part of him. His more accommodating and polite side. The Nurturer as Alexis called it during her evaluation of my mental wellbeing."
"But why are you... a girl?"
"I am his inner perception of that part of himself."
Mina was almost rolling on the floor with laughter. "Vana, this is your doing isn't it? You've scarred him for life."
"Shut up Mina." Vana commanded.
"She is correct though, I am a direct result of your applications of gender dust from when I was younger. Your questionable need to change my gender and take me to parties as your other daughter was quite disturbing. But that's not important right now, why are you in my mind?"
"Master... Marco... um... you, you've been in a deep coma for two months and we are here to wake you up. Can you help us with that?" Asked Carrie.
The female Marco shook her head in disappointment. "I cannot, I'm just here to greet you." She clapped her hands together and a computer console appeared beside her. " If you are looking for further help or instructions you can use this. There are areas that are locked though and attempts to enter them without the proper codes will be met with extreme punishment by one of the others." With that she disappeared as if she were never there.
They all looked around and confirmed they that did indeed all see the same thing. Renae crept up to the console and gave it a look over. "Is it just me or does the Colonel make a pretty hot girl."
The voice echoed throughout the open space. "Thank you Renae."
Kelly took her spot before the console and gave it a cursory glance. It appeared to be nothing more than a keyboard and a holographic screen. "That was fairly creepy. She said that there were more parts of his personality wandering around but..." She looked at the holo-screen that had a side scrolling border with text reading [Welcome to the Subconscious]. "That's cute."
Alexis peeked over her shoulder and read the screen. "It makes sense, many studies have compared the subconscious mind to a giant computer that houses all the information the brain holds. What we need to do is try and wake the conscious part of his mind. If we come across other parts of his personality they can prove useful... We must be cautious should we come across his id though, it could be the most dangerous thing here."
"What's his id?" The Peekabu asked, though for those who hadn't studied in psychology it was a question that was on all their minds.
"It's his base drive without reason, fear, or negotiation. It's his libido with nothing to hold it back, it acts on instinct alone and it's only goal is to pleasure itself. It will take what it wants without consequent, question, or mercy."
"But we're pokégirls, we can easily beat Master in a fight. Why worry about it."
Leona knew the full extent of the danger the id posed and elaborated for Alexis. "In the real world yes, any of us could beat the Colonel. But we are currently in his mind, where he makes the rules. Even a legendary would be forced to bend over and take it like a big girl in here."
Mina still didn't comprehend the danger. "All things considered I think I would rather like to meet that portion of his mind. Sounds like a good time if you have the right attitude about it."
A low rumbling growl was heard all around them. The whole area that was once almost blindingly white started to darken. Soon inky blackness covered as far as they could see and the rumbling got louder. "So the right attitude is all you need to sate my appetites? We'll see then." The image of Marco appeared next to the Kunoichi. This one was clad in nothing but black and his eyes bore into the back of Mina’s head. She tried to dive and get away but found herself suspended in midair. "No need to run now my nimble fuck toy. You've had this coming for quite some time, enticing me the way you do. That goody two shoes just kept me locked away, too bad he’s not here to stop me now."
Mina was starting to panic. She couldn't tell what was keeping her suspended and as he edged closer she could feel his breath tickling the back of her neck. "Can we schedule this for another time?"
"... NO." And with a snap of his fingers they both disappeared.
Carrie was clutching Vana as tightly as she could. No one there had ever seen that part of their leader and quite frankly it terrified all of them in just that short amount of time. As quickly as the area darkened it cleared up, with the exception of one area out in the distance.
"No reason..." Emaline
"No fear..." Kelly
"Nothing to hold it back..." Chesra
In front of the console appeared another Marco. This one sitting in a comfy looking leather armchair, wearing a soft rob, reading a book, and sipping at a cup of tea. "Yes my lovelies, ghastly brute that id. Poor Mina is in for the time of her life. Good or bad? Well that's all a matter of perspective."
This version of their master was easily far more likable than the previous one. Kim slowly made her approach and turned her good ear towards him. "Who are you, is she going to be ok?"
"My dear Kimberly, I'm Marco, his thinking personality. Will Mina be ok? Probably, you never know with that guy. Ten years of keeping ones base impulses as bay will do strange things to a man." He tipped his tea cup and a screen appeared over his head showing Mina contorted in a position that had everyone's head tilting to the side. Her eyes were glazed over and her face was twisted in a mixture of emotions. "Not sure how she's feeling but you may want to get a move on. I think he's going to take his sweet time with her."
Carrie waved her hand to get his attention. "Are you going to help us to find his conscious?"
"Dreadfully sorry sweetheart, I'm far too busy to go looking for him. I'm just here to tell you not to bother looking for her. She's in id’s territory and will remain there until you wake the old boy up. Cheers." He lifted his cup of tea and took a sip before disappearing, never once looking up from his book.
Renae looked lost in thought for a moment, and then she spoke. "That one was... kind of a prick. That must be the personality he uses when he's debating something with us. How are we going to find the conscious mind?"
Kelly sat back at the console and pressed the A key. Files began to pop up on the screen and suddenly the floor began to rumble. Doors sprung up from the floor and stretched as far as the eye could see. "This is interesting. The files on the screen are a representation of his memories corresponding to a single letter. I guess the doors are a physical representation of the files." She clicked the file that was accessed the most 'Avalanche'. The extra doors disappeared and the one marked Avalanche separated into a series of new doors. Next she clicked the file marked as Unit Members, once again the extra door disappeared and another set emerged. Each or the remaining doors had one of their names over top of it.
"Is it just me or is mine the only door that appears to be normal?" Asked Selena.
"Really? Your door is grayed out to me, mine appears to be normal though." Stated Isabella.
Kelly looked at the screen then looked at the doors. "When the files were being brought up I noticed that certain ones had locks on them. I guess unless you have the code or it's your own information you can't go inside."
Jean searched around but couldn't see a door with her name on it. "All the doors are grey to me and I don't see one for myself, Carrie, or Ashley."
"Give me one sec then," Kelly began typing at the keyboard, seconds later a door marked Harem appeared then separated into another set of doors. "I guess since you’re not an official part of Avalanche you have your own folder with the rest of the harem. Huh Chesra each have two doors. I can't open the files though, Chesra, try to open one of your doors."
The Fallen Angel nodded and proceeded towards her door only to stop when a figure appeared next to it. It was the female version of Marco that had appeared when they first entered. "My poor Chesra, you've been through so much. Come this way and discover what he really thinks about you."
Chesra stalled for a moment. The idea of finding out exactly what her master thought of her was very tempting. All the same it also frightened her, what if he thought less of her than he had let on after all these years. “I’m going to decline. But thank you for the opportunity.”
“Very well then, if you change your mind I’ll be around…” The female Marco looked around at each of the girls, finally her gaze stopped on Henrietta. “You, what are you doing here?”
“Me? I’m here to try and get Marco back just like the others. Is there some kind of problem with me being here?”
“I would say so, as far as I know you’re supposed to be dead.” Her eyes lowered and a single tear fell. “Just seeing you causes so much pain.”
Henrietta shrugged and took a step towards the image. “I was dead but I was brought back to life. I wish I could explain why that is. I know the man we are looking for is important to me but I don’t understand why. It’s all fuzzy.”
“I can see that you used to share a link with me, similar to the one those three have. I need to get one of the others to help with this. He hasn’t been well lately so I need to wake him myself.” She vanished and everyone started to feel a pulse in the energy around them. A few minutes had gone by then female Marco reappeared along with a male. This one was dressed in white and wore a look of exhaustion on his face. “Caregiver, this is Henrietta. She’s alive but she has no memory of you.”
Immediately his eyes perked up and he made his way to the Ghostrider. “Is, is it really you? I thought I had lost you forever."
"Yes Master, I have returned to your side." She began to weep softly and threw her arms around him. "It feels as if it had been an eternity since I was last in your arms Master."
The Caregiver looked her up and down; her attitude and mannerism were starting to concern him. "Master? You aren't the same as the last time I saw you. You never call me master."
"I lost most of my memory, all I know is that I care a lot for you."
His eyes shifted and began to glow green instead of their usual purple. "I'm going to fix that right now!" He threw his arms her in a tight hug and the two of them disappeared.
Lily looked around after the two of them vanished then turned to Alexis. "Hold on a second, does the Colonel suffer from multiple personality disorder?"
"No, I did his psychological evaluation after what had happened on the beach and he's normal. What we're seeing are the separate and distinct parts that make up his personality as a whole. Since Caregiver was damaged I think that he's one of the primary parts."
Even though she barely understood what the Cherub was talking about she nodded like she got it. "How many more are there?"
"There are said to be sixteen main personality types. Actually being here proves a personal theory that I had while I was in school. That being, even though a person has one particular personality, the capacity for the other personality types are still active. Just active to a lesser degree."
Leona nodded in agreement. "That sssseemsss perfectly reassssonable. I think that by waking hissss Caregiver we may have awakened part of hissss consssciousnesssss."
Alexis snapped her fingers as the idea popped into her head. "If that's the case then we need to figure out what his main personality traits are. Vana, he's your son, what do you think."
The Lady Luck was still in a huff after dealing with his Nurture and sat idly by since she didn't have a door to go into. "We don't talk like that; I wouldn't be surprised if you knew more about him than I do. He's always been very guarded around me. Sometimes I think he resents the fact that he has a pokégirl for a mother."
"But he thinks the world of you Mistress, and I'm certain that if it weren't for your influence he wouldn't be the kind and loving man we are trying to get back." Stated Chesra.
Vana beamed with pride at Chesra's words, it felt good to hear that he was turning into the man she had wanted him to be. "Thank you Ches, I believe you may have just hit on one of his main personality traits."
"With the exception of Vana, Chesra has known him longer than anyone else here. If you had to truthfully describe him to somebody who has never met him what would you say?"
"I would say that since the first day I met him I never wanted anyone else as my Master. He's kind but firm, considerate and understanding but diligent and driven. He gives 100% to any task and expects the same from anyone he commands. If you have a problem, not only will he listen but he'll try and help however he can. You'll never find a more loyal human on the face of the earth and he would put everything on the line to keep you safe and make you happy."
The harem members and Kelly all nodded in agreement while the rest of Avalanche looked to Chesra in wonder. They hadn't gotten to know their leader on such a personal level but part of what she said they also knew to be true.
"Really now? I always figured most of you saw me as a bit of a hard ass." Energy around them pulsed again and two male forms appeared. The first was in his military uniform and had a stern look on his face, the second was dressed casually but smiled and waved at the group.
"Two? How did we get two?" Asked Nikki.
"ATTENTION!" Yelled the one in the uniform, causing every member of Avalanche to jump right into formation. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
"You cut that out! That's the Executive, he likes to overcompensate. I'm Giver, I take up a much larger portion than he does so don't worry about him. Those were some very kind words you have for me. Somehow I don't think I really live up to them."
Kelly sucked in a tense breath when she laid eyes on the two images. Combine they made up the majority of how she felt about him. "You always were modest, but forceful when you needed to be. Giver, you look exhausted."
"I haven't been feeling well lately, I guess all that coma business is pretty draining. You all are looking..." He stopped and gasped when he saw Chesra. "Ches, what happened to you?"
The Fallen Angel shivered under his gaze. Her mind began to race with panic, the tone of his voice was one of concern and disapproval. 'What if he hates how I look... what if he hates me?' "I... I evolved into a Fallen Angel aff after I almost killed you." She said meekly.
"YOU DID WHAT, HOW COULD YOU!" Screamed Executive, causing Chesra to burst into tears and back away.
Giver stomped his foot and the other image disappeared. "He was not helping matters and that's not how I do things. Chesra, come here." She slowly walked towards him and lowered her head before taking a knee. He replied by lifting her up and hugging her tightly. "I know it wasn't your fault, I can feel your guilt and shame and neither of them should be there."
Chesra was initially surprised by his strength but didn't care, letting her head rest in his chest and crying her eyes out. "I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. I failed to protect you, I almost killed you, I don't deserve to be your pokégirl anymore."
"Shhh, it's ok. I forgive you, you carried this burden all this time and I apologize for being the reason behind such a thing." She had continued to cry the whole time and he was content to let her do just that, vanishing and taking her with him. Seconds later there was another pulse of energy.
Kelly stomped her foot down on the nothing that was beneath her. "Damn it, I wanted to talk to that one?"
"Look at it this way, if it brings our original Chesra back then you can put her back as the Beta for Delta team. We still don't know when Arianna will return to the unit."
"She's right, but we can deal with that later. That last pulse was even bigger than the first one; I think we are making progress. I guess that Giver and Executive work together, it would explain why they showed up at the same time."
The area around them began to pulse again and color started to fill the areas that were once blanketed in white. Doors started appearing and opening themselves before shutting again and disappearing only to summon newer doors. The group huddled together and looked around, hoping to see either another image of their master or one of the girls that had been taken to return. Finally all the activity slowed and yet another vision of Marco formed. This one wore heavy looking armor and carried a sword and shield. Each item was one that Chesra had forged for him and the entire outfit made him look like a mythical knight. His eyes could hardly be seen through the visor of the helmet but looked weary and dazed. "I am Guardian and Protector, what is this I heard about Arianna being missing?" He bellowed in a regal tone.
"Yes, Sir Guardian, after we had an inspection at our base Arianna picked up on the faint scent of the pokégirl that attacked you coming from one of the people there after they had left. Then she went off on her own and hasn't come back yet." Replied Kelly.
"And you just let her go? Why didn't you try and stop her?" He asked in an accusatory tone.
"I couldn't stop her, she was in no mood to listen to reason and teleported away before we could calm her down."
"I leave you in charge because I trust you to take care of everyone when I can't. And you just let her go?" Guardian snapped at her.
"Oh this is bullshit, the one that finally wants to talk to me never says that he's happy to see me or ask how were doing. No, I get the one that chastises me because I couldn't reign in one of our team members. Don't you try and pin this on me Guardian, who was guarding us when the inspection team wanted to implant a new colonel?!" Kelly vented at the image.
"Butcher?" Replied Nikki to the amusement of a few of the others.
"Shut the hell up Nikki, and as for you! Don't you pop up all of a sudden calling yourself the guardian and protector when you can't do a damn thing to keep us safe! You want to be helpful, wake this fucker up so I can yell at him in person!"
A soft plea of laughter surrounded them then quieted down as a pair of hands settled onto the raving Duelist shoulders. The thumbs gently started working their way into her tense muscles causing her relaxed and lean in. "It would be hard to explain how you two aren't related, you and Guardian I mean. If you feel like you failed in your duty to protect someone you always end up taking it out on some poor bystander. My dear Kelly, of course he knows it wasn't your fault. He blames himself for not being around to stop her. Just like you blame yourself for not being able to protect him when he needed it."
Kelly was about to get upset again, despite how accurate this particular image was, but he had found a sweet spot and she lot out an exasperated sigh. "Ok, you I like, what's your deal?"
"Me? I'm Visionary, but don't let the name fool you, I see things the way they really are. You took out your frustration on a lot of people, especially Chesra, that's water under the bridge though. It's how you deal with pain. The irony is that everybody knows it but the only one who could comfort you was the one you were in pain over."
Kelly moved away from the image and stared at him with angry and pain filled eyes. What was returned to her we're the same gentle eyes she had almost forgotten about. "I hate you so much! Why can't I just be mad at you?"
"You can be as mad as you like, doesn't change the fact that I love you. Regardless of what any of you may think, I do indeed care for each and every one of you."
Guardian made his way over to the Duelist and took a knee. "I'm sorry if I made it seem as if you were to blame for Arianna going AWOL. It is true that I trust you with everybody's safety... because I know I'm actually powerless to protect them. It is a cold truth I must come to terms with." He lowered his head in disappointment.
"Pick me up you fool." The image lifted her off the ground and held her at eye level. "I am your weapon, your sword n shield. All you have to do is point the way."
Renae stiffed an aww at the sight while Emaline laughed to herself. "I don't think Chesra is going to like that."
"Shut it." Snapped Kelly, the image lowered her back to her standing area before vanishing again. Visionary on the other hand was still standing there and didn't appear to be leaving anytime soon. "Aren't you going to leave like the others did?"
"Nope, just wait for it." A few moments went by and nothing happened, then there was a large boom as another pulse rippled through the area. "Ahhh, yep that's the good stuff."
"What are those pulses?" Asked Alexis as she franticly looked around. The place was blooming with color and the console disappeared.
"That was another jump in brain wave activity, suffice to say, he will be awake soon and you all will be ejected from his mind... oh yeah, that reminds me." He snapped his fingers and a drooling, soaked, ravaged, mess that vaguely resembled Mina dropped onto the floor. "Bet she and Marco are going to have a lot to talk about when all is said and done."
"You're not Visionary, the Colonel may have a lot of lofty ideas but he's too practical for you to be his inner visionary."
"Oh? Well then Alexis, who am I?"
"His Ego, and by proxy part of his consciousness."
He snapped his fingers and summoned an office chair before taking a seat and crossing his legs, his fingers holding his chin as he gave her his attention. "Please, go on."
"As I said he's too practical for you to be his idealistic visionary, but all the same you are way too laid back and mellow to be his super-ego. He has um... questionable morals at times but is only strict when he has to be." He nodded and she continued. "Then there is how you introduced yourself. You called yourself Visionary but then said that you see things the way they really are as opposed to seeing them how they should be. That means you look at things realistically, something most visionaries don't do."
"Give this girl a gold star, I would say that you're smarter than you let on but I'm not that bright so it would be an insult to how smart you really are."
"What?" Replied most of the unit.
"It was a compliment, I'll leave it at that. I am his Ego, Super-ego would love to join us but he took the most shock when I got taken down. No surprise really, he was trying to get everything under control after Carrie went down. Then the shock of almost being killed was... rough to say the least." He looked over to the groaning Mina and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have a lot of damage control in my future."
Ashley cringed as she got closer to the Kunoichi. "We've only been here for maybe a half an hour, why does she look so warn out?"
Alexis looked her over and held her nose, apparently Mina had been the participant in a wide range of activities. "Different parts of the brain run at a different speed, who knows how long she may have been away."
"Six days, six days of... well... not going to get into that." Explained Ego, just then another image of Marco appeared where the console was. This one was wrapped in a cocoon of sorts and snored lightly. "Ok, careful, this requires a delicate touch." He strolled over a calmly as could be then preceded to back hand the sleeping image. "WAKE THE HELL UP DAMN IT!" Instantly his eyes opened and flashed a full spectrum of colors before pulsing and vanishing.
Chris had just wandered into the common area after hearing the yell of 'Dream Time' to see the entire unit gathered in a circle around Marco in some strange ritualistic fashion. She was just getting ready to shake Kelly when everyone fell back as if they had been pushed. Jean was the first one onto her feet and almost charged up to the chair Marco was seated in. He still hadn't moved from the position they placed him in when they started and her ears and tails went flat. The others looked on in disappointment then settled back to their seated positions.
"Well it was worth a try, I guess we just have to wait a little bit longer." Said Ashley in a comforting voice. Her ears perked up as she picked up on a faint low groan.
"I'm... starving, (slow soft lip smacking) ewwww, and I need to brush my teeth." Groaned Marco. The cries of master and colonel sounded as they nearly mobbed him on the spot, then they backed away as he did in fact need to brush his teeth. One didn't care though, the Duelist making her way to the chair and planting a full force kiss on his lips.
"Good to have you back."
He cracked a bloodshot eye and smiled. "Love you too."
_____
It had been a week since Marco was revived and he was finally moving around on his own again. He had lost a little weight and felt much weaker after not moving for so long, but his appetite was healthy and little by little things were coming back to him. After the ongoing in his head there were going to be a lot of issues to account for.
Marco groaned and pushed his legs out one last time then eased them back before throwing his head back, finishing his last leg press. As part of his regimented physical therapy ordered by the tyrannical dictators known as Alexis and Kelly, he was rebuilding his lost strength. Not that he really cared; he just couldn't believe that he was out of commission for so long. His muscles were burning after the workout and he was actually starting to feel normal again. The whole unit was relieved when he started walking in the first few days. Thanks to the surgery and healing treatments he had avoided being paralyzed. Now he just had to get back in his fighting shape.
He made his way over to the weights and grabbed a pair of twenty-five pound dumbbells before making his way over to the slanted board for sit-ups. Mina strolled in just as he was getting started and was looking for a good time to interrupt. After the fiftieth repetition and him showing no sign of stopping she decided to cut in.
They still hadn't had a chance to talk after he came around and she needed to clear some things up. "How ya feeling?"
Marco still wasn't completely aware of what had happened to her in his unconscious mind. He would just get snippets of images. "Sixty-seven, sixty-eight, feeling... the burn... Something... I can... help you... with?"
Her train of thought had been derailed as she continued to watch him. The smell of sweat and testosterone was thick in the air. "I wanted to talk to you... about what happened in that lust filled death trap you call a mind."
"Eight-eight, eighty-nine, ninety..." He huffed out a few times and let the weights drop to the ground before laying all the way back. From his position he would have been able to look up her shirt had his eyes not been closed. "I'm honestly not sure what to say about what happened. I get short flashes but nothing stands out."
Mina was only a little disappointed, it had occurred to her that he wouldn't remember what happened. "I guess we really don't have anything to talk about then. Sorry I bothered you." She turned and started to walk away when his hand grabbed her around the ankle.
"No, we have plenty to talk about. Just because I don't remember doesn't mean it didn't happen. First and for most, I want to apologize."
"What do you have to be sorry about?"
"That it happened."
"I'm not, it was the most... Will you stand up or something, it's hard to talk to you when you're laying like that."
He groaned and removed his feet from the bar before rotating and laying back on the board. "Fine, but I was enjoying the view." She looked down then crossed her arms over her chest and blushed. "First time I've ever seen you blush."
"Shut up, as I was saying. I'm not sorry it happen, even though it was in your mind it was one of the most pleasurable experiences I've ever had. You were so... forceful, so hungry..."
Now it was his turn to blush, that was a part of himself that he kept under lock and key. "You do know that's not how I am, right?"
"I know that some part of you is like that. Somewhere in there is a hungry sex fiend that doesn't get much attention." She smiled and took a seat on one of the free-weight benches. "Maybe we could work on bringing that part out."
"I don't even want to think about that. It's not easy to keep things professional with all of you. I've collected and surrounded myself with a staggering amount of beautiful women and quite frankly I don't know how I keep sane."
Again Mina was blushing, she had been after Marco for upwards of eight years and now that she had finally gotten a taste she didn't know how to preceded from there. "Why, why can't you just let yourself go? You could do whatever you want to me, but you keep me at an arms distance."
He shifted uncomfortably under her questions and tried to think up some proper reasoning. "Do you remember our first official meeting?"
She grimaced to herself as it came back to her. She tried to crack his head open against the wall and would have succeeded if it weren't for Chesra. She had been so afraid, the horror stories about what happened to confiscated criminal pokégirls weren't for the faint of heart. The lucky ones were killed or level-fived, if they were rare and unlucky then they were sent to the Hunters Guild to be 'reformed'. "Yeah, I don't know if I ever said I was sorry about that but I am. You gave me the opportunity of a life time and I'm glad I took it... in fact I would say that's the problem we all have with you."
"Excuse me?" The bewildered look plastered across his face.
"You give. You give and you give, and you keep giving and you never ask for anything in return."
"You guys do your jobs and do them well. You're the premier unit in the Indigo Military. What more should I want."
"Something! Anything! You don't want us getting you anything, you don't want us doing anything for you, and you don't want to sleep with us because you want to be fair. What in the hell do YOU want?" By then she was off the bench and pacing back and forth.
"I want to be fair."
"Well it's not, it's completely one sided."
"So what, would you all feel better if I bent you over a table and fucked you senseless at my leisure?"
"Me personally? Yes that would make me feel better. If you didn't give a damn about us you would be easier to deal with. Hell if we lived in fear of what would happen if we screwed up, that would be easier to deal with." She sighed and sat back down on the bench. "And I did, it took me almost a year of being scared witless before Chesra hammered in the fact that you wouldn't hurt me. So then I focused on trying to find a way to show my appreciation, maybe a good taming to show my gratitude. Nope, he won't sleep with anyone in the unit because he wants to be fair to everyone. Was I angry, yes. Then I saw pokégirls in the other units and divisions, saw how they were blindly loyal because they were screwing their superior. How they never had options, choices, freedom. It was what I was use to, it was all I knew. But there I was on the other side, able to do things that I wanted, that I wanted. Making my own choice, being my own person, being able to just be happy. You gave that to us... to me." Mina started to weep softly into her sleeve.
He pushed off of the board where he had been leaning and made his way behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "Then you got what you deserved and I got what I want."
"All you wanted from us is to be happy? What the hell is wrong with you?"
"You've been in the darkest part of my mind, there's a whole lot wrong with me and you know it."
"I did get to know your darker side quite well, now I want to know your more gentle side. The loving and passionate side, the side you share with your harem and Kelly at night." She turned around to look him in the eye. "I want the real you to make me feel like I deserve all the things you have given me." Her breathing caught in her throat as he ran a finger through the short hair on the back of her neck. Her eyes closed and lips parted, waves of pleasure coursing through her body as their lips connected.
"Then I have more giving to do."
It was still night and the two of them were reveling in the afterglow pleasure. Mina had found the passionate side of her colonel and it didn't disappoint. She was surprised to find that she preferred that part of him more than what she had found in his head. Marco was equally surprised at how submissive she was under his touch. Her normal attitude was more cynical but now she lay comfortably with her arm draped over his chest and a content smile on her face.
"Eight years..." she cooed.
"Hum?"
"Eight years of trying, wanting, and wondering. And you didn't disappoint me."
"I aim to please."
"And even when you're not trying you always do..." Her mind started to race. Things were going to be different now. "Where do we go from here?"
"To bed." He said jokingly.
"Hey, I'm supposed to be the funny one. I've been far too serious for one day... But really, what happens to me now?"
"Do you want to join the harem?"
She thought about it for a couple of seconds then shook her head. "I've gotten comfortable as the Beta for Indigo and I don't enjoy traveling that much... All the same I hope this isn't just a one time thing."
Marco ran his fingers through her hair and massaged her scalp, an action that recived a low moan. "Same as Kelly then, I'll mark you as an auxiliary to the harem and agree to spend at least one night a week with you."
The Kunoichi snuggled deeper into his chest as her eyes started to drift closed. "It's a deal then."
_____
Henrietta sighed, took another sip of her beer, and flung a dart towards the bull’s-eye. She had been drinking by herself for the last hour and was trying to collect her thoughts. The time she'd spent with Caregiver was intense, not only had her Delta Bond been restored in full but her memory as well. It didn't even feel like she had been gone all that long but a lot had changed. Jean evolved, Chesra evolved twice, they got another gym badge, and Chris became a part of Avalanche. Most of those things happened while she was away and she didn't quite know how to handle it. The thought that they carried on without her and accomplished that much was aggravating to the Ghostrider. Another dart flew across the room and stuck next to hers.
"Wise man says, 'never drink alone, but if you drink enough you'll never be alone." Stated Marco.
"What do you want?" She replied harshly.
"To see my favorite gunslinger, you seem upset?"
She slammed back her drink then poured another without turning to look in his direction. "Your favorite huh? You didn't seem to have any issues moving on after I was gone."
"Excuse me?"
"You just kept going; you continued on your path as a tamer and left me behind. Then I come back and nothing feels like it’s the same. There's a new girl in the unit to replace me, Ches and Jean evolved, and you got another badge. You didn't need me for any of it; you did it without me, that means you don't need me around. You didn't care that I was gone."
His hand moved on impulse alone as it made contact with her face and knocked her off the stool. Instantly he regretted the action but that wasn't going to stop what he had to say, neither was the way she held her cheek and looked up at him. "Don't you dare say I didn't care! I had to watch you be taken from me, I could feel every bit of pain that you went through, and I had to suffer with the knowledge that I was too weak to keep someone I love safe. I didn't want to move on, but I couldn't drag the others into my own personal mission to exact revenge in your name! I... I... fuck it!" He stormed out of the room clutching his hand.
"Fucking idiot..." She said softly to herself.
"Him or you?" Asked Chesra, she had been listening through the door from the other entrance and figured she should talk to her sister. She made her way back behind the bar and began tossing ice into a bag before handing it to her. "Here ya go."
"You know you could just heal it for me."
"I could but I think you need to let that sting sink in. Never thought you would be the first one to get hit. Back to my question though, who's the idiot?"
She winced as she placed the bag on her cheek and took her seat back on the stool. "Can it be 50/50? Maybe I overreacted, it just all feels so different. You all did so much."
"Do you know why I evolved into a Warrior Nun?" Chesra asked in a gentle tone. "My partner and friend had died and my Master had been taken away. So I evolved myself into a celestial, something he doesn't like, so I could have what I needed to get him back."
"You know he doesn't care much for celestials, why would you do that?"
"Because I wanted to get him back, in the grand scheme of things it was pointless and has brought me nothing but misery. We traded to get back the man we lost but he was already gone. What we got was a man stricken with grief over the loss of a loved one. For a while all he was consumed with was revenge, but then he realized that getting his revenge would put the rest of us in danger."
"So he gave up on that to keep everyone else safe... he would do something like that."
Chesra shook her head. "No, he pressed on with the secret hope that whoever was responsible for your death would take another shot at him. And they did. All it cost him was the near death of practically everyone from the harem, himself included." Henrietta pulled the icepack from her cheek and set it down. "He and Ashley, Carrie, Jean, and myself, we all fought that battle in your name, and we all almost died in your name. Lucky the one he lost came back just in time to save his life, all of our lives."
"I... I didn't know, I felt like you all had moved on, but you carried me with you every step of the way?"
"So sister, who's the idiot?"
"I get the picture, now I just need to go find him."
The Fallen Angle pulled a small velvet box from her pocket and handed it to her. "He went to the viewing room, when you find him give these back to him."
She cracked open the lid to see the two rings he had used in his fight against her along with another object. It was a bullet from a rifle strung up on a chain, closer inspection revealed an engraving. [Four inches closer and it wouldn't have hurt as much] "... Jackass."
"We couldn't figure out what it meant, but that came from your rifle."
She snapped the lid closed and slid back off the stool. "I know what it means, that's what counts. Thanks... and I'm sorry about what happened. You becoming fallen and all."
"It was the price I had to pay, the experience wasn't a waste though. He loves us both no matter what we are."
When Henrietta made it to the viewing room she had thought that Chesra was wrong. That was until the screen started flipping through video files. It stopped on one that was taken two years ago on Foreplay Island. He, Kelly, and Henrietta were sitting around a picnic table laughing while Chesra was trying to get his oldest sisters baby to let go of her earrings. Henrietta did remember it being quite the site to see Chesra nervous. "Good times."
"That they were... I'm sorry I hit you." He didn't turn to like directly at her.
"I had it coming, I had it coming, I only have myself to blame." She sang in an off tune.
He couldn't hold back a laugh. "Cell Block Tango, nice ice breaker, have a seat." He watched her slide around the back of the couch and she took a seat on his left side before snuggling up to him. Instantly his arm wrapped around her and pulled her closer. "You were talking to Chesra weren't you?"
"She always did have good advice, this time though she was filling me in on what had happened while I was gone... and she wanted me to give these back to you." She handed over the box and settled back in while he opened it. Marco looked over the box's contents then shut it again before putting it in his pocket. "Anything you want to tell me about that engraving?"
"Those were the words of a man neck deep in grief and looking for a way to go on. If I were gone then you died for nothing, so I kept going and after your sendoff I kept that round as a reminder. That I would endure that pain because you gave me the chance to feel it." Henrietta ran her hand over his arm and felt the scars that he wouldn't get healed. "A reminder of why I was fighting, a permanent mark left until I exacted my revenge."
"Well you can get rid of them now," She held up the loop of Gwyneth's hair. "I got your revenge for me myself."
His mouth gaped for a second, then closed, then opened again. He was told that they had settled things with Richard's harem before they lost custody of them but he didn't know what to expect. "You took the hair of a Dark Lady?"
"I beat her ass, in front of Spencer, then I made her cut it herself. Her hair or her life. Then I crushed her pokéball."
Marco laughed until his sides started to hurt, apparently he thought it was extremely funny. "As far as most Dark Ladies are concerned their hair is their life. And it wont come back when she's healed, well played. A little vindictive, but well played."
"She did kill me after all." Though she didn't show it the fact the he approved of how she did things made her feel whole. There was another need that she was having that she hoped he would fulfill. Her hands quickly found themselves busy trying to get underneath his clothing and surprisingly he wasn't doing anything to stop her. Normally he would want to be somewhere more private but her emotions were affecting his own judgment. "I need you, right now!" He didn't say a word, instead rolling them both onto the floor. Quickly clothing was cast aside, both parties searching for the intimacy of the others they had missed.
From outside Chesra reached in and flipped the privacy light then slid her master key that locked the room. Emaline and Kim just happened to be walking up in time to see the light go on and gave Chesra a speculative look. "Sorry, rooms of limits."
"Dibs on the surveillance room." Chanted Emaline.
'Damn it.'
_____
Chris was busy moving the last of her clothes into her dresser. Marco had already moved the little bit of stuff he had there back to his apartment so she finally didn't have to worry about stumbling onto something strange. A soft knock on the door alerted her to Kelly coming in.
"So it's official, you're in until you want to leave."
"Really? I didn't expect to still have the position after he got better. Surprise surprise."
"He likes you, you like us, and we all work well together. How's the department treating you?"
"That's going well I guess, ever since they heard about my helping bring down the pokégirl smuggling ring in Prussian things have been on the up and up."
Kelly leaned against the frame of the door and crossed her arms. "We're not taking up too much of your time are we? I mean it can't be easy trying to juggle both jobs."
"No at all, living here full time makes things a lot easier and none of you really make a lot of request from me. If anything I feel like I'm taking advantage of you."
"Don't, beside a request is why I'm here."
Chris closed the dresser drawer and turned around. "Really, what ya got for me?"
"Oh you're going to love this, get some workout clothes on... and a firm sports bra."
Chris eyes the Duelist, Kelly normally wasn't one for being vague. On top of that the mischievous smile she had made the detective wonder what she was getting into.
"COME ON, TWO MORE!" Yelled Alexis. She had been monitoring Marco's progress and was trying to force just a few more reps from his bench press. It was set at 250 and his arms were buckling under the pressure. He finished the last ones and let his arms flopped to the sides. "Good job, how ya feelin?"
"Sla... Slave... Driver..." He managed to huff out before sitting up.
"I learned it by watching her." She motioned over to Chesra who was busy setting things up in the sparing circle. "Time for your cardio."
"No rest for the wicked."
"That's weary."
"I like mine better. Cardio sparing, something I enjoy."
Henrietta had been watching from the sideline and saw Kelly come out of the locker room with Chris, the detective sporting headgear and martial arts gloves. "We'll see how much you enjoy it in a second, I think your chivalry is about to get tested."
Marco and Chris shared the same look when they saw each other then turned to Kelly. "It's just a friendly match, we don't think he's quite ready for a pokégirl opponent yet and we knows you're a good fighter. It seemed like a good fit."
Chris shrugged and adjusted her gloves. "I don't see an issue here. You don't have problem hitting girls do you?"
Marco plastered on his best smile. "As a matter of fact I do, but pretty as you may be you’re not a female once you’re in the ring. You're a fighter, same as them."
"Good, then you better not half-ass it on me."
"Fine, Kel, what's the R.O.E.?"
"Simple rules, best out of five falls. Anything goes but try not to hit below the belt... that's for both of you."
Chris paused her warm-up and had a stunned look. "He wouldn't?"
Every member of Avalanche had convened in the gym and gleefully nodded. "Yeah he would!"
Marco smiled again. "Equal opportunity, ain't it great."
"Anyway, striking and grappling is legal, you hit the ground and stay down for three seconds and don't more or you tap out and that's a round. Any questions?"
Chris raised her hand and still had the same perplexed look. "Would he really?"
"Yeah, I would."
~~~~~
That night found Chris sitting at the bar alongside Henrietta and Emaline. She stared at the drink and shook her head in disappointment. She was so close to beating him she could taste it. "Ugh I can't believe I lost."
"I can't believe you were close." Retorted the Firemaiden. Chris gave her and unfriendly glare while Henrietta laughed. "What, that man's been fighting us for years and even we have a hard time... well those of us lacking strength enhancements."
"I guess I could have warned you he was a southpaw but you got the hint after he tagged you with the first one." said Henrietta.
"Thanks for the pep talk." Chris groaned and rotated her neck.
"No a problem, it's a good thing Kel mentioned no low blows. That kick of yours looks pretty nasty but it leaves you wide opened. All and all you're just as good as ever; you got him to tap-out."
"Yeah but he had already been working out, I had a clear advantage and I still lost."
Emaline took a sip of her coffee and sat back. "He also has sixty pounds on you and a six inch reach advantage. The fight was his from the start."
"Again thanks for the pep talk. Where did he learn to fight like that?"
Kim took the bag of melted ice and replaced it with a fresh one before pouring Chris another drink. "From us. Colonel trains and fights alongside us so he's learned a few things here and there. Still, you put up a good fight. We've all had to fight him at least once, welcome to the club."
Chris placed the icepack on her shoulder and sat back. "How often does he win?"
"Almost never." Said Marco, he had just finished getting changed and stopped off to have a drink and relax. "Kim I'll have your special."
"One Boa Bomb coming up sir."
"Good fight Marco, I haven't had a workout like that in ages."
He took his drink and nodded. "Same to you, how's that shoulder treating ya?"
Chris lifted her arm then let it rest again. "Still a little sore." Her eyes shifted to the drink he had. A strange shade of reddish pink liquid settled into the blended ice in the cup. As she watched the Bombshell mix and pour she noticed the drink looked rather thick. "Looks good, what's in it?"
"Lemonade, fruit punch, citrus soda, and gin blended together. Here have a sip."
She took a drink then eyed the concoction in an attempt to gauge the alcoholic content. "You can't taste the alcohol," She took another longer drink and slid the glass closer to herself. "I think this may count as a health hazard."
"Kim, can I get another. I believe mine was just confiscated, and from the look of things she's about to conduct a thorough investigation."
"Very funny, thanks for the drink. Now that I think about it this is the first chance we've really gotten to talk... outside of an operation I mean."
"Yeah... you may not want to drink that too fast, it sneaks up on ya. Thank you for helping out while I was down. I really appreciate it."
"Don't mention it, as far as I'm concerned it doesn't begin to make us even but Kelly insist that we are."
Marco took his fresh drink and smiled. "You're right, it doesn't make us even. I owe you big."
"You gave me a job and a place to live, rent free." Chris began to giggle, the drink finally going into effect. "Then you beat me up, we're square now."
Marco looked her up and down; she didn't weigh all that much and it was a really stiff drink. "You got some pretty solid shots in and a stiff side-kick. Thought you broke my ribs."
"Captain of the girls’ varsity martial-arts team." She giggled.
The two of them continued to laugh and talk throughout the night. Chris telling him about her time in the police force and Marco going into some of the non-classified missions Avalanche had conducted. All the while the pokégirls were watching them and holding their own conversation.
"That's the second time she touched his arm, she's definitely interested." Said Jean.
"Yeah, but she's drunk. Chris was always a touchy-feely drunk." Replied Henrietta.
"You think Marco would take advantage of that fact?" Asked Ashley.
Ariel shook her head. "No, he doesn't seem like the type, way too professional for that. Now maybe at a later date they could hook up."
Zianna was at the bar mixing her own drink and glanced at the two humans before joining the table of gossiping pokégirls. "Not a chance, she works with him now. The Colonel has a strict rule against sleeping with co-workers."
"True but it wouldn't be the first time he broke that rule." Chimed Mina, she had been insufferably chipper since her night with Marco and everybody was hoping she would go back to normal soon.
"You have a point, but those were pokégirls he had known for years. Also, only our Alpha and the Betas have gotten so lucky."
"I give it two months before she lures him up to her room." Grinned Emaline.
"Are we just talking getting him up there or must it result in sex?" Laughed Mina as she waved an SLC card. "I got 10k that says it never happens."
"I say she can get him in two weeks." Retorted Emaline and put down a SLC card.
Ashley placed down her own card. "I'm with Mina, no chance in hell. What about you Ariel?"
The Jenny looked back at the pair just in time to see Chris let the latest arm touch drag a little longer than last one. "I'll give it two weeks like Ema."
_____
A stiff breeze blew by as the snow began to fall and collect on the ground. Marco and Chesra sat at the rifle range enjoying the sight of the orange sunset in the distance. The two huddled close together and were genuinely enjoying each other’s company. They had spent most of the day together reaffirming their relationship. She told him about her talk Erica and how much she had grown since the last time she had seen her. It wasn't too surprising when he mentioned how much the younger girl looked up to her.
"Why is it that when I'm around you everything in the world feels right?"
"Because you're delusional?"
"As Henrietta would say, 'Jackass'." She chuckled and snuggled deeper into his arms, tightening the blanket around them.
"Yeah, but you love me despite that fact. Just like I loved you despite the fact you evolved yourself into a celestial."
"What do you have against celestial pokégirls? I mean you grew up on Foreplay, you aren't accustom to them?"
"It's not a matter of being use to them. The fact that I see them as uppity, self-righteous, stuck-up bitches would be my main issue with them. They generally think they always know best while in reality their ideals only work in a black and white world."
She shifted slightly and rest her head on his shoulder. "Do you feel that way about Alex?"
"No, Alex knows better. She's seen plenty of grey in her time with us and accepted the fact nothing in life is clear cut. It's the same with you, even though you were a celestial you were on the outside first and you know how the world really is."
"I guess you're right, enough life experience can change anyone's perspective. It was really hard having you out of commission like that. Then there was that business with the investigators."
Marco was still trying to get use to her hair being so dark, in the back of his mind he felt responsible. If she didn't care so much about him then she wouldn't have evolved the way she did. "Are you adjusting well to that new form?"
"Yes, though the lack of strength is going to make things harder than they use to be."
He grabbed her left hand and maneuvered so that their fingers were interlocked and on top of the blanket. "Well we just can't have that." He took the box out and looked at his two rings before taking them out and sliding them on her ring finger.
Chesra didn't know what to say, it was an action that she was sure would never happen to her. Though the reasoning was different the sentiment felt the same. 'He could have picked any number of fingers or the other hand entirely, but he chose my ring finger on my left hand.' "I can't take these from you, what if you get attacked again?"
"Then like the last time I trust that you will take care of it. I have this for you too, though I don't think it will last long.” He produced the Dawn Stone from another case. It gleamed dully in the light of the sunset, it’s inner light pulsating slowly. Before he could place it against her she reached out and took his wrist.
“No, not yet.” She released his wrist and took a deep breath. “We both know that they're still out there, the people hunting you. Sooner or later they will find out that you’re not dead, assuming they don’t know already. When they do, that elf will return to finish the job… and when she does I will be ready.”
“So until then you want to stay this way?”
“I… I need this, you gave me your power to fight with. You can change me but I’m asking you to let me stay as I am, until I can prove to myself I can fight as I am now. That I’m worthy of your trust.”
“You’re not doing this for me... fine. When you’re ready I’ll will be too.”
“I found them, over here!” Yelled Ashley while she ran up to join them. The rest of the harem was following closely behind her and appeared to be in high spirits.
“Evening ladies, what has you out in the snow?”
Flames began to cover Henrietta’s body and she grinned childishly. “I’m comfortable, anyway tomorrows the big day and everybody is packed. We hit the road first thing in the morning and start towards… where are we going again?”
“VerMuffEatin’ City, to the gym of Colonel Guile. The city is border line anti pokégirl but it's also a military city so you can all be out."
"If I remember correctly Colonel Guile runs some pretty hardcore training."
"Yep, he's a hardass but an all-around good guy. We're going to need to be on the top of our game, his harem is brutal."
Jean ignited her own heat field and squatted down next to Marco, letting her own heat warm the two by the blanket. "They can't be all that bad."
A fiendish grin passed over his face. "Where do you think I got my training regimen from?"
_____
0830, Avalanche Office, Breakfast Table
The entire table was bustling with activity in preparation for Marco heading out again. The entire unit was in attendance, eating and enjoying the conversations as they erupted. Chris and Ariel wouldn't need to go in for another few hours and someone from the unit would teleport her to the station so she decide to enjoy the meal before they left.
Chris took a sip of her juice then looked over to Marco. She had been there for almost two months but one thing was bothering her. "Hey, I have a question for ya."
He finished chewing a swallowed before turning his attention to her. "Sure, what it is?"
"I've been around here a while, got a tour of the building and everything but I can't gain access to the vault room. Why is that?"
"That's nothing personal; the vault holds a lot of secured items and equipment. Such as this." He pulled out and opened up the locked box holding the Dawn Stone.
"That, that's a Dawn Stone! I hear those things are rare and almost priceless. Where did you get this one?"
"Confiscated from a criminal team." In actuality they had taken it from Asylum the night they went to get Chris and Elise, but he didn't think it was a good memory to bring up. It was part of an ever growing collection of stones taken during their operations.
Ariel gave him a stern look from the other side of the table. "You're supposed to log and turn stuff like that in."
"I know what I'm supposed to do with them; and the vast majority of the things we come across on missions are turned in. Evo Stones on the other hand can be pretty common, very useful, and aren't missed. The ladies you've surrounded yourself with are free to use these stones to evolve as they see fit and I want to make sure they have the ones they need. The only reason this one is out is so I could evolve Chesra, she declined for her own reasons so I'm holding onto it until she thinks it’s time."
"But that doesn't change the fact that you're in possession of stolen property and property taken during an investigation." Warned Ariel, all of the talking ceased at the table and they looked to their colonel for his reply.
"As much as I like most Officerjenny this is why I prefer CalamityJane. Henrietta, if you please." He said before taking another drink.
Henrietta nodded and cleared her throat before turning to face her friend. "With pleasure, Ariel, we both know the truth behind how this works but I'll explain in full for the benefit of everyone without instinctual law knowledge." She took a short pause then continued. "While what we do is technically illegal it is also completely unprovable. We don't log the stuff we take, that would just be stupid. We also don't take entire crates of Evo Stones, which would be equally as stupid. Take the operation at the airport, there were hundreds of pokégirl in that warehouse but they didn't take 'em. Those were girls that needed to be returned to their tamers. We aren't thieves, though some of us used to be."
Chris interjected before Ariel could get started. "The law isn't supposed to be opened for interpretation, all things considered I understand. To keep the unit adaptable you acquired the stones so they could evolve. Ariel this isn't the same as taking drugs from the crime scene or cover..."
Marco chucked to himself when he picked up on what she was going to say. "Covering up a murder? Look I told you where some of the stones came from because we're supposed to trust each other. If you wanted to evolve into a Lawfoxx then we would have a Fox E-Medal for you to use."
"Is it a stolen medal?" Asked Ariel, she actually did want to evolve.
"I have no idea," 'probably.' He thought to himself. "It's just sitting there in the inventory and you're welcome to it."
"Why would you just give it to me?" She asked flatly.
Henrietta gave her a pat on the back and smiled. "Cause you're part of the team, just like Tam."
Kelly cleared her throat and glared at her Beta. "Well I guess that surprise is out. Tam, or are officially a member of Avalanche, congratulations."
Everyone began to clap and cheer as she blushed beet red. They did her vote in secret and like all the others it came back in a unanimous decision. Now she was going to be properly trained and fully educated, though she wouldn't get a rank until she had finished her classes.
Unlike Chesra who had taken a very wide range of very specific courses, Tam would be sent to a specialized school for military pokégirls. The course would take three months after which she would take her military aptitude test. The majority of Avalanche who had taken the test came out as Corporal or above and would only rise from there.
The Catgirl had gotten used to being around everyone in the unit and was glad to be accepted. "Um what team will I be placed in?"
Marco sighed as he thought it. Delta had too many openings, with Chesra with him and Arianna missing. All the same Tam didn't seem to be suited for the type of work Delta did. "You'll be in the Indigo fireteam."
"Sweet, I get my own cat-burglar." Joked Mina and earning several exasperated groans around the table. "Come on, like you didn't see that coming."
"Yeah I did kind a toss that one up there. I was told that she had been training with the harem but I need to see just what she's made of, and I know just how to do it."
_____
|
Alpha- Kelly- Duelist |
|
Delta |
Echo |
Indigo |
|
Beta- Chesra- Fallen Angel |
Beta- Henrietta- Ghostrider |
Beta- Mina- Kunoichi |
|
Emaline- FireMaiden |
Field Beta- Selena- Caphoochie |
Zianna- Lupina |
|
Kim- Bombshell |
Rebecca- Smokey |
Renae- Ice Maiden |
|
Nikki- SexSlash |
Alexis- Cherub |
Isabella- Mecha Musume |
|
Arianna- War Hound- MIA |
Lily- Gloomy |
Leona- Lamia |
Harem
Chesra- Co-Alpha
Henrietta- Co-Alpha
Carrie- Penance
Ashley- Peekabu
Jean- Dark Kitsune
Handler
Christina Reynolds
Ariel- OfficerJenny
Auxiliary
Tam- Catgirl