Ch.07 Making Waves: Struggle for Control

 

            Marco's Team finally arrived at the end of the tunnel and were amazed at what they found. The opening was massive with its high ceiling and off the dock they could see four ships. One appeared to be a normal sailing ship made of wood but the other three were huge in a way that put pre-war Carriers to shame. Whatever they were looking at was obviously Forbidden tech, the cannons were still covered and from the looks of those that weren't had never been fired. The area was extremely well lit and there were dozens of pokégirls moving around. The last of the prisoners were being taken down a separate tunnel. Dragged would be a better way to describe things, they were still in the chained net that was used to capture them.

 

               "Mina, make a note to take at least one of those nets with us when we leave." Marco stated.

 

               "What do we need those for?" Kim asked.

 

               "They are apparently strong enough to hold the Baleena that is being drug along in it. That's no small feat. If they can do that then we can find a use for them too." He could hear a grumble from Ariel and shook his head. "It's a net, what's the problem?"

 

               "Those are supposed to be turned in and cataloged with everything else we find here. It's evidence." Ariel stated in a harsh whisper.

 

               "This isn't a mission we're on, this is favor were doing to get Mera off Renae's back. As it stands anything we find we could keep... I am a tamer after all. Who knows how these things can benefit my harem?" Marco replied sarcastically.

 

               Ariel wasn't amused and hissed back. "Those ships are obviously forbidden tech, it's your duty to turn it in!"

 

               "Well, Know It All, do you know how to work that ship?" Ariel glared back at him then shook her head. "Didn't think so, Berne can you pilot one of those things?"

 

               "No sir, only the electric girls and High Captain Victoria are capable of running the ships." She quickly responded to avoid his growing aggravation. "I think if I evolved then I could run them."

 

               "It’s fine, I don't expect you to do so. Who's Victoria?"

 

               "The three ship captains are commanded by High Captain Victoria, a She-captain. The others follow her orders and she gets those from the three strange girls that started this mess. She really hates them but as I be saying earlier, those cunts be havin strange powers."

 

               "Well there you go Ariel, those are our options. The tech girls or the She-Captain, which one of those am I going to try to coax into sailing back to Port Articunt while I'm being attacked. Because I tell you now," He moved to stand in front of her and glared into her eyes. "I will first purge this entire base of all life before I attempt to do something as stupid as try to drive one of those back."

 

               During his approach and subsequent aggressive tone Ariel had backed against the wall and was suddenly feeling warm all over. "I only bring these things up because I want to keep you out of trouble."

 

               The slapping sound his hand made against the wall when he placed it next to her head caused her to jump. "Understood and acknowledged, but I find it really irritating and I mean celestial level of irritating. Find a way to do it that doesn't make me mad or don't bring it up."

 

               Ariel's voice caught in her throat as she tried to respond then let out a held breath when he backed up. "I'll work on it." She let out a soft moan when he took his hand off the wall and drug a finger against her jaw line.

 

               They all had watched the display and said nothing when he turned his attention to them. "Are there any other issues I should be aware of?" Came out in a menacing tone.

 

               'It’s worked for Carrie.' Thought Ashley when she reached forward and tugged his arm, looking at him with soulful eyes. "You're being scary."

 

               Marco shook his head rapidly and shut his eyes tight. "Wow, sorry about that. Cool Head must have gone off duty." He looked to Ariel who still appeared to be shaken. "What I said still stands but I'm sorry about how I spoke to you."

 

               "I'm going to work on it, or at the very least pick a better time to do it." She choked out.

 

               "Fair enough... there they are."

 

               Out on the dock there were dozens of pokégirls moving around, then there was another group standing by and issuing orders. The easiest to pick out was the She-Captain, her large black and gold hat being a dead giveaway. She was flanked by three more pokégirls. First was a Tesladama in a pair of form fitting pants and blouse, she wore an eye patch but it appeared to be for practical reasons. Number two registered as an Ivywhore, the trademark bulb on her back giving her away instantly. The last one was a Grand Elf, her long flowing hair, pointy ears, and relatively tall stature being common for her breed.

 

               Each of them held a glowing disk of sorts and handed them over to the three pale, but tanned, S. Goths they stood before. Off to the side were the heavy hitters Marco was worried about: four Dameosaur, three Nessidame, one Pterodame, and a single Tyrannodame. Each evolution was more menacing than the last and the Tyrannodame was easily the most vicious.

 

               They continued to watch the interactions between the two groups and things looked rather one sided. The center S. Goth appeared to be the one in charge and was giving an earful to Victoria. There had been some kind of disagreement in the low number of captives they had brought back and both sides were arguing. The Ivywhore had said something the S. Goth didn't like and was backhanded by the closest Dameosaur. Victoria summoned a shotgun and put it to the back of the dino's head then suddenly fell to the ground clutching her own along with the other captains. The She-Captain was able to fight her way back to her feet then went down kneeling before the S. Goths.

 

               "Bernie," The mention of her name caused the Piratit to jump and turn to Marco. "What are the chances that Victoria would want to get rid of those girls?"

 

               "She be overjoyed to be rid of that lot. Nothin but trouble since they came aboard."

 

               "Would she be willing to hold her crew while we take care of them?"

 

               "You'd be needin to take it up with her, not sure how she be takin the death of her crew though."

 

               "If I put two in her head and take over as captain she won't have much to say about it."

 

               "It be an easier task to put a stiff one in her crotch. She be a Limbec through and through but she doesn't take men just for the ransom."

 

               He thought through his options then looked back out. Victoria and the other captains had gotten back on their feet and watched the Sanctuary group walk away. "If I send you to talk to her am I going to come under attack?"

 

               Bernadette shrugged and turned to look back out. "She be in a foul mood at the moment. Not sure if it be the best time to be strikin deals. It couldn't hurt though."

 

               "I think if they start shooting at us then it could hurt a lot." Just then his headset beeped and a message came up. [In position at the end of the dock] "I'm going to send you to talk to Victoria, if she agrees to meet with me then come back. If she doesn't and starts attacking us then that's not your fault. If you help them then I'm saving you for last, we clear?"

 

               "Aye, crystal sir."

 

               They all moved against the wall to be out of sight when she opened the door and walked out. "Are you sure we can trust her?" Mina asked and removed her sniper rifle from her assault pack.

 

               "Of course not, I want you on the rafters with a clear view of the whole area. Things go south then you cover the door the Sanctuary girls went in. I want the S. Goths wounded not dead. Alex, can you make yourself unseen enough to eavesdrop on their conversation?"

 

               "You know I can, I don't see any dark-types out there so I should be fine. If anything goes wrong then I'll teleport away."

 

               "That's the spirit, move out. Kelly's team is set at the end of the dock and ready to strike if they need to."

 

               Mina let Alexis walk out first then teleported onto the rafters overhead to get set up. From her position she could make out Kelly's group but a few of them appeared to be missing. She activated her Dark Goggles and could see Carrie and Chesra in another spot on the rafters. Mina was always amazed to watch the Cherub in action, she could walk through an entire battlefield without batting an eye and no one would notice her until it was already too late.

 

               Alexis and Bernadette had made in up to the four captains just in time to hear the end of their conversation. Victoria was furious and whipping blood from her nose as she addressed her subordinates. "How dare that whore force me to bow to her? She'll get lashed at the mast when I be gettin my hands on her." She turned abruptly to see Bernadette and spoke harshly. "What ye be doin here, supposed to be standing watch topside... and where be the others?"

 

               "Dead captain..."

 

               Before Bernadette could speak again Victoria cut her off. "What do ya me dead, where be the sullen wench responsible?"

 

               "That's why I be before ye, twas no wench twas a male. He would like to speak to ye."

 

               "Since ye be before me I guess he's bed you down?"

 

               "Unfortunately not," She said with enough want to make Alexis laugh internally. "But he would still like to meet. He has a proposition for ye, fair and true."

 

               "He intends to make amends for killing part of our crew?" Asked the Grand Elf.

 

               "No ma'am, he intends to remove that group of pokégirls from the continent. As for what happens to us I not be sure."

 

               Victoria's eyes lit up at the very idea of being rid of the Sanctuary Goth and the dino girls. "Fine, I be meetin with this man. What be his name?"

 

               "Marco captain, I was told that if ye agree to go back and let him know. I figure he be settin the time and the place."

 

               "And what if I didn't want to meet?" She asked with a sly grin.

 

               "Don't know, he said I would be fine as long as I didn't help you attack him. The man has a temper fit to rival a tempest so it probably wouldn't be good."

 

               "I like em already, he be havin a deal, and we’ll see him when he's ready and be ready to greet him."

 

               Alexis appeared behind the four captains and smiled as she spoke, her wings had been enlarged, darkened, and worn over her shoulders. "No funny business."

 

               They all turned abruptly and were startled to see her there. "How long ye be standing there?"

 

               "I've been here the whole time. This is going to be a peaceful meeting, no aggression from either side. You attack us and you'll be dead before you realize you made a mistake." The Cherub stated plainly while maintaining her smile.

 

               The Tesladama lifted her patch to reveal both electric blue eyes. "That's pretty big talk coming from someone so tiny."

 

               "Considering I could have slit your throats before you knew what happened, talking big is a luxury I can afford. Let's go Bernie." Alexis twitched her wings and walked past them then motioned for Bernadette to follow, leaving the four captains to talk.

 

               "What the hell was that?" The Ivywhore asked in irritation.

 

               "That be a Cherub, a celestial, and any man who can do that to a Cherub ain't to be taken lightly. We'll have his meeting and see if he can hold true. If the whores from Sanctuary can be removed then it twas worth the two lives it cost us."

 

               "Aye captain and what about after he's done?" The Grand Elf asked.

 

               "Depends on what we agree to."

               ~~~~~

 

               Alexis and Bernadette walked back through the hatch and closed it tightly behind them. Marco was waiting patiently against the wall with his arms crossed and looked up when they entered. He seemed deep in thought but Alexis didn't mind interrupting him.

 

               "It went well; they are waiting for you to set the time and place for the meeting... something wrong?"

 

               "I've come to the conclusion that this is one of Sukebe's research or tech facilities. As it stands we have to deal with the S. Goths, the dinos, and watch our backs for the pirates. None of this is looking great, and after this is over Kel and I have the reports that need to be filed after this cluster fuck is done. What a mess."

 

               Renae bowed gratefully to Marco. "Thank you for putting up with this and helping to get the colony free."

 

               "You really owe me for this." He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "But you're welcome. Alex, did they seem willing to negotiate?"

 

               "I didn't get anything out of the norm for a group of pirates. You don't have Selena to coax you into a fair trade so play it how you like." Alexis stated and shrunk her wings. "I made it very clear that it would be a peaceful meeting, no violence on either side. Try not to make me a liar."

 

               "Great, so in return for Selena not swaying my hand you decide to tie them." He laughed to himself. "Fine, no killing, but if they start it first then it's not my problem."

 

               "The High Captain is very honor bound. If she agreed to a civil meeting then that's what it will be."

 

               Marco clicked his receiver and contacted Kelly. "I have a meeting with the pirate captain to negotiate. All goes well we'll only have the Sanctuary girls to deal with."

 

               "Sounds good Colonel, we'll stay in position until we hear from you. What are our orders if the pirates start to attack?"

 

               "If it looks bad then kill them all and do it quick, once this starts it's going to go downhill quickly."

 

               "Copy that sir."

 

               "Bernie, tell them to meet me here in twenty. They’re pokégirls so I know there's no such thing as unarmed but if they make a move against me then things are going to get bloody. Please make that fact very clear."

 

               "Yes sir."

               ~~~~~

 

               Victoria and the rest of the captains had secretly made it to the tunnel leading to the surface and Marco. Things had already been prepared to deal with them since the time had been set. Mina and Ashley were waiting in a shrouded corner to ambush and as far as they could see Alexis wasn't there.

 

"So, ye be the one planning to rid us of our problem? Not much to look at as far as I could see." Victoria said in a rich piratical accent.

 

               'Just great, she's even worse than Bernie.' "Good thing I don't wish to sleep with you." He replied sharply. "On to the matter at hand. You've managed to do some things and have pissed off my employer. My main job is to return the pokégirls you've taken from the Wet Elf colony near the Indigo League. Nothing was mentioned about removing the source of the problem but I'm sure Queen Mera would appreciate it if I did just that. Just based on what I've seen around here that would be quite the task, but one that I could perform." The cheerful smile he wore and the mention of the infamous Wet Queen was enough to unnerve the captains. "But you appear to have your own problems to deal with. I saw what happened on the dock and can't help but think we can help each other out... so, suggestions?"

 

               It took a few seconds for Victoria to grasp the gravity of the situation as she looked to Marco and the girls to his sides. Emaline and Renae each looked prepared to do battle while Kim, Ariel, and Henrietta had their weapons down. Rebecca let out a puff of smoke that wafted with the breeze in the tunnel. "I doubt ye be able to deliver but let's talk. I want those girls from Sanctuary gone, never to be seen again. What will it take to make that happen?"

 

               "You pull you're forces and leave the Goths to me. You can keep the things you've stolen and the wooden ship but everything else stays here. The girls taken from the colony go back with me, what's left of Sanctuary goes with me, and you get to leave with your lives. Bernadette is welcome to come with me if she wants; she's held up her end of our deal and deserves that option." He said with crossed arms.

 

               "You've done a lot of threatening for only having six girls with you. Pretty brave for a tamer." The Tesladama chuckled.

 

               Marco snickered back at her to their surprise. "We've yet to really introduce ourselves. Your names please?"

 

               The Tesladama was the first to step forward. "Captain Starri."

 

               Next was the Ivywhore. "Captain Leah."

 

               Then the Grand Elf. "Captain Carla."

 

               "And I be High Captain Victoria." She said with a bow and the removal of her hat. The dark red hair was hidden underneath her skull and bones bandana but he could see micro-braids going down her back. "You be natives of Indigo from what I've gather. But Indigo's never been big on naval forces by my account. Just ya bein here raises some questions. Ya be too good to arrive on me island and be Hunters Guild, they lack tact. So who be ye besides Marco?"

 

               Marco favored her with a genuine smile. "You're pretty sharp Captain Victoria. Colonel Marco Readman, Indigo Military, Avalanche unit." Their faces went pail at the mention of Avalanche. Unknown to Marco the name of Avalanche had gone around and gotten to the various outlaw groups giving them a level of infamy. "There are more than just six of us and we are prepared to wipe this whole island of life if need be. Not my first option mind you, but if it comes down to it we can make it happen."

 

               "We've heard of you and this isn't a pleasant meeting anymore. You're group alone has been responsible for a number of our ships being taken down, the one my sister was on included." Carla griped.

 

               "Hold your tongue, it be part of our life to duel with the forces of the leagues we attack. This be a rare chance to meet with an equal from the other side. As a colonel his rank be even with our own, show some pride and some respect." Commanded Victoria. "Colonel Readman, while I can't be saying it's an honor, it certainly be a pleasure."

 

               "And the same to you, though I haven't heard of you, Bernadette says you believe in honor. And since you've been very pleasant I can refrain from further threats. Threats and promises are two things I hate to make; when I do I always carry them out."

 

               "Aye Colonel, I guess at least one of the rumors about you is accurate."

 

               "There are rumors?" He said with a hint of skepticism.

 

               "Tall, good looking, and is always on the front line with his team. That last ones always bothered me; you'd think someone would have enough sense to kill ya by now."

 

               "I never make it easy, come on out ladies." Mina dropped her shroud and Alexis appeared next to them. "As you can see I'm very careful about how I meet people."

 

               Victoria and the others didn't like the idea of being surrounded but stayed calm. Then she got a better look at Mina. "She be a ninja, I demand six damn good reasons that I should work with her."

 

               "I'll give you one; she's part of my team. If that's not enough then we have nothing more to talk about. She could have killed each of you six different ways since you set foot in here and it's by my order alone that she hasn't." He raised a hand to stop Victoria from speaking. "Not a threat, merely stating a fact. Attacking her is equivalent to attacking me and it won't be tolerated."

 

               Mina left her position on the wall and stood next to Marco. "Names Mina, Beta of the Indigo team and master infiltrator. I'll make you a deal, after we are done dealing with your problem then you and I can have a friendly duel."

 

               "No deal, I know a bad idea when I hear one and this surely be one of those. Ye don't seem to be bearin a grudge like most ninja I've seen though."

 

               "Don't get me wrong, the rivalry is in my blood but I have a mission to complete. That's why I haven't done anything to Bernadette."

 

               Marco cleared his throat to get their attention again. "This is going nowhere, now back to the deal. Do we have one or not?"

 

               "Aye, ye have yourself a deal. You can take whatever ya want and Sanctuary is yours to deal with as ye see fit."

 

               "Good, will your crew be willing to go along with this?"

 

               "They be my crew and will do as told... but..."

 

               Marco took a step forward and in return they took a step back. "But what?"

 

               "If one of the whore Goths be gettin in range they can supersede me orders and the crew will do what they say instead... us included. If that happens what will ya be doin to us?" Victoria asked in an attempt to gauge Marco's trust.

 

               "We will try our best to take them down before that becomes an issue. If it does happen then I can't promise your safety but I'll try to keep you four alive at the very least. It's the best I can offer given the circumstances. How does that sound?"

 

               "A lot better than what I was expecting to be honest. The more we talk the more I be believing the other rumors. Ye be an honorable man like they say, I'll see to the crew." Victoria stated and turned to leave only to find Alexis in the way. "Be there something more?"

 

               "Yes, one more thing. If you have acquired any human captives during your raids then we will be taking them as well." She said with the same cheerful fake smile she always wore.

 

               "Be that a request from you also Colonel?"

 

               Marco craned his head to the side and scratched. "As embarrassing as it is that it slipped my mind, yes, I'm tacking that on to the list of things were taking with us."

 

               "Fine then, there aren't many but they are welcome to go with you if they please. If they don't want to?"

 

               "I'll figure that out later. Thank you for your time and I'm happy we could come to a mutual agreement. When the battle starts try and keep yourselves safe."

 

               "We appreciate the chance for the meeting; most would have just tried to kill me first."

 

               "And I'm sure most would have failed. You're too smart to be taken easily."

 

               Victoria removed her hat again and bowed. "I'll take the compliment. I hope we never be meetin again after today. If we do then I hope ya take it easy on us."

 

               "Let’s hope that day never comes, it's something neither of us want to deal with." Marco waited for them to close the hatch then clicked his receiver again. "Kelly, have Brandy attach one of the beacons to the wooden ship. The deal with the captains went through and Victoria will be holding the crew back. There's a chance that when the S. Goths strike they will try to control the crew through the captains. Those four aren't to be killed if that happens."

 

               "Copy that, everyone's been given ice element ammo to combat the dino girls and the dark-types we have should be more than enough to combat the S. Goths."

 

               "Good, make sure everyone is ready and we'll start the infiltration in a half an hour." Bernadette moved around to stand in front of Marco and looked up at him shyly. "Something wrong?"

 

               "Did ya... did you mean it when you said I could come along with you if I wanted?" She stammered and got her accent under control.

 

               "Of course, you've been a real sport about this and have been exceptionally helpful considering the circumstances. You said yourself that you didn't want to be in the Limbecs so the least I can do is take you away from them."

 

               "I'd like that... but can I go back in the ball till things are settled. I'd rather not be around if you end up having to fight the crew. I some of them are like family to me now and I don't want to see what happens to them." He ruffled her hair and gave her another kiss on the cheek before toggling the pokéball.

 

               Now was the time when things were going to get interesting. Staging an assault in an urban area was one thing, doing the same in one of the hidden lairs of the mad scientist was something else entirely. With no proper layout of the structure or access to any surveillance cameras they would be fighting blind. It wouldn't be the first time and they adapted quickly to changing circumstances but this would be tricky. First things first they would have to regroup and form a proper plan on staging the assault. This was done rather quickly considering the amount of teleport capable girls at their disposal.

 

               "Yes sir." They replied after hearing the plan and rules of engagement.

 

               "Ice is our primary weapon against them so check your ammo. Kel, I know it's asking a lot but do you have those cards ready?"

 

               "Yes, Mina and I can use them. Renae, how much power have you lost since the evolution?"

 

               "Not as much as I figured I would. I feel about the same as when I just evolved Major, special request?"

 

               "Only that no one die out there. Don't fight the dames alone and no one is to go head to head with that Tyrannodame. Physically she far stronger than anyone here can handle by themselves and the other dames are faster, so above all else we need to be careful. As a matter of fact, everyone change to spiked boots. We'll want to decrease their mobility and traction as much as possible and Ice Floor can do that." Kelly stated and dug into her pack for her spiked combat boots.

 

               "Good idea, but we should save it for right before we go into combat with them. Otherwise those things are really loud and our traction is even worse than normal." Marco countered.

 

               Kelly though for a second then put her boots back. "Good point. We can switch after the hostages are taken care of. Is everybody ready?" They all nodded.

 

               "May our enemy’s blood run cold in our presence." They spoke in a stern voice.

 

               Marco looked out to check the dock then motioned for them to start. They moved slowly along the edge of the wall in a tight formation and checked around for any visible forms of security but couldn't find any. On one of the massive ships Victoria watched them and tipped her hat before turning around and addressing her assembled crew. They reached the door that the girls from the colony were taken through first and stopped. Attached to the side of the wall was a keypad with a card reader attached. The light flashed red and the digital display was requesting an access code.

 

               Mina didn't hesitate and moved right up to it. "I have no idea what the combination could be but I can bypass the lock..." Alexis appeared beside her and started pressing buttons on the pad. A second went by then the light flipped green. "How did you..."

 

               "I plucked it from Victoria's mind when the Colonel mentioned the hostages. Good news, it's the same code all around this building."

 

               "Remind me again, why was she taken off my team?" Mina asked sarcastically.

 

               "Because she requested it." Kelly replied quickly.

 

               Mina looked down at the shorter girl with a rueful smile. "It because I'm a dark-type, Echo is the only team without a dark-type on it." She slid a keycard that copied the code and stared through the door.

 

               Alexis shrugged. "I could apologize, but I wouldn't mean it."

 

               "Quiet you two." Kelly commanded in a harsh whisper.

 

               Mina motioned for them to follow when she slipped quietly through the door and started down the hallway. Marco's earlier guess that they were in one of Subeki's hidden labs must have been at least partially correct. Though the labs and stations they passed by were empty they could envision dozens of brilliant pokégirls working around the clock. Busy coming up with ways to combat the stubborn human forces that wouldn't just lie down and die quietly. But they could worry about that later; right now they needed to find the members of the colony.

 

               Tracking them down was far easier than expected. Thanks to them being drug along in the chain net there was a fine line of scratches leading down the hallway to a large set of metal double doors. There were no windows for them to see through and it had an air tight seal to keep it completely isolated. Despite that they could hear voices coming from the other side and through the ventilation system overhead.

 

               "That vent is too small for me or Kelly to fit through. But if this is the room where they're keeping the colonist then there are probably more than a few guards on the other side. These are hydraulic doors too, so once I open them they open all the way and we'll be clearly visible to who or whatever is on the other side." Alexis warned.

 

               Marco took a look around to properly access the situation then motioned to Rebecca. "Give me a small puff of smoke at the vent." The Smokey sent a plume of smoke towards the vent and it was instantly sucked in towards the direction of the room. "That's an intake vent; we can cloud the room with smoke from the outside and force whoever is in there to come to the door."

 

               "If there's an intake then there should be an outlet too, wouldn't that vent the smoke?" Asked Chris.

 

               Kelly nodded in agreement. "It would but it's also going to provoke an action on their part. If you're in an enclosed room that suddenly starts to fill with smoke then you’d want to figure out where it's coming from. They'll open the door and we can catch them by surprise. I suggest we set up down the hall with Carrie, Mina, and Henrietta as the snipers. When the door opens they open fire and drop whoever is on the other side."

 

               "I like it but I'm replacing Henrietta with Chesra. We darken the whole hallway and they can use Dark Goggles to see while the enemy is completely blind and caught off guard. I'm looking for kill shots so no holding back." Commanded Marco.

 

               Ariel stepped tensely in front of Marco and put her hand up. "What if it's one of the pirates?"

 

               "Then that falls onto the long sad list of not our problem. I never agreed to sparing every single member of her crew that I came across, only that I would try to keep the four of them alive if the S. Goths took control of them." He could see the tension in her shoulders and backed away to give her space. "Look, I don't mind questions like that and you can question my actions just like anyone else. Just don't try and force procedures down my throat, we aren't always in a position to follow them to the letter."

 

               "Understood."

 

               "Good, everyone get in position, silencers on."

 

               The majority of the team took cover in the closest lab while Chesra, Carrie, and Mina setup midway down the hall. Marco signaled a go and Rebecca began to float near the intake vent and released a thick plume of smoke from her body. It was part of her more toxic variety and looked as if it could clog the vent as it passed through. Seconds had gone by and they could hear the faint sound of coughing coming towards the doors. Finally with a loud hiss the hydraulic doors opened and a pair of pokégirls came stumbling out, coughing and rubbing their eyes. Once they had visual conformation on weapons the trio opened fire, each scoring a shot center mass.

 

               As soon as the bodies hit the ground the rest of the unit stormed through the doors. Around the room were multiple containment cells holding members of the colony. Thankfully the chambers were sealed in a way that kept the smoke from getting to them. The remaining guards were still stumbling around blindly when they entered. Henrietta and Ariel were quickly on the move, firing a series of burst that dropped the last two then checked to make sure the room was clear.

 

               The smoke was quickly starting to clear by being sucked up into an overhead vent and those held in the cells were becoming aware of what was happening. For the most part they appeared to be okay but startled to see their captors killed as quickly as they were. Marco surveyed the area and waited for Carrie, Chesra, and Mina to enter before hitting the button to close the massive doors.

 

               Kelly lowered her SMG then looked around to make sure everyone was covering the entrance they came through as well as the secondary one they discovered further down. "Rooms clear, check the hostages. Alex, Renae, Brandy; their all yours."

 

               In one of the cells one particular elf was banging on the see through material to get their attention. "Brandy, Renae, over here!"

 

               The pair of them approached with Brandy taking the lead. Instantly the Wet Elf recognized her as one of the Wet Queens from Mera's court. "Sandy? How did you end up being captured?"

 

               "I allowed myself to be captured under Queen Mera's order. She said that you may not be able to keep everyone inline and I was to assist you."

 

               Renae scoffed and turned away. "You assist her? It wasn't the other way around?"

 

               "Renae, yes I was told that she would be taking orders from Mr. Readman and that I was to do as he commanded if it came to that. Though honestly I didn't expect such a swift rescue."

 

               Marco approached from the side and nodded to her. "Did Mera do anything else I should be aware of?"

 

               Sandy looked him up and down then shook her head. "You're the only man here so I guess that would make you Mr. Readman. No sir, she just said I was to keep everyone calm and help escort them back home when the time came."

 

               "Good to know, how is everyone doing?"

 

               "A lot of them are dehydrated and unable to fight. Most are just plain frightened, they have no idea what's going to happen to them next."

 

               Mina made her way over and got started on the keypad to unlock the cell but motioned over to the corner. Marco glanced over to see Ariel scooping up the chain net he was talking about earlier and shuffling it into a poképack. That he was fine with but the large pool of blood in the corner was bothering him. "That blood is fresh, where did it come from?"

 

               The cell door activated then slid up into the ceiling releasing Sandy and the dozens of girls that were detained with her. "They had captured a Baleena and we're going to put her in a cell. But then decided it was easier to beat her to death and take her away to be eaten."

 

               "Yeah, we heard they were doing that." He tapped his foot on the metal floor and looked around. "Nikki, can you dig through this?"

 

               "I can't break through the metal but if someone else can cut that part away then I should be able to work something out." She replied. "A small hole and an explosion would be enough for me to get going... but there might be water underneath."

 

               "The idea is for you to tunnel from here to the dock and open up a water passage for them to swim out of. If you go deep enough then the water should start to fill the tunnel." Marco was about to continue on but noticed Carrie removing her sword from her newly acquired sheath. Chesra and Selena had finished its construction a while back but the Enchantress said it would take some time to enchant properly. Its main purpose was to act as an indicator for her current mood to gauge her attack as well as suppress the psychic energy that pulsed from it. The sword was glowing with dark power and waves of heat could be seen wafting off it as she stabbed down into the metal floor. They couldn't tell if it was due to the heat or the sharpness of the blade but it sank right through the metal floor and showed little resistance as she carved out a large circle.

 

               "That works too." Chesra remarked as she began to pry the metal disk out. Underneath the metal flooring was a slab of concrete that was also quickly removed and under that was dirt. "Nikki should be able to dig through this with no problems."

 

               "Nice work; I want Rebecca, Brandy, and... I didn't get your name."

 

               The Wet Queen bowed and introduced herself. "Sandy."

 

               "... Brandy and Sandy? Never mind, you two are to help lead them out when Nikki returns from her dig. Rebecca, you stand guard overhead and be ready to create cover if need be. The rest of us are moving to phase two, the capture or eradication of the Sanc... other forces." He quickly corrected. "After you're done be sure to catch up. Zianna, you're up again. We're tracking the blood trail left by the Baleena."

 

               Zianna took a big sniff of the air around the blood spot and nodded. "Got it sir, the trail is heading down the second set of doors."

 

               "Good, form up people." The unit split into two groups and lined up on the sides of the door. Due to Deltas battle prowess they took the front spots and as a former Delta member Zianna felt right at home.

 

               The door opened and they started down the hallway in a tight formation lining the walls. Once again they came to a large set of hydraulic doors. Overhead was a set of signs leading them in different direction. One would take them back to the docks while the other one would send them towards the cafeteria. The doors slid open and they continued on their way. As they got closer to the cafeteria the fine fur on Zianna's neck began to stand up and her ears lowered. She knew they were closing in on their targets and was shifting to her battle form. She took another sniff of the air and an ominous sense of dread began to wash over her. Something didn't feel right and she held up a hand to stop their progress.

 

               "What's wrong?" Kelly asked.

 

               Zianna sniffed the air again before putting a finger in her mouth and sticking it up. The air was being pulled towards the direction of the cafeteria's air duct and she discovered the smell was coming from Marco; it was the scent of testosterone. On the other side of the door she could hear the thud of absurdly heavy footsteps and a commotion being raised.

 

               The doors leading to the cafeteria flew open violently and before them stood a Dameosaur. "You bring a new pet for the mistresses?" She bellowed out before taking full stock of what she saw.

 

               Before the Dameosaur processed what she was seeing Zianna dropped to the ground and she was met with a hail of gunfire. Between her tough skin, speed, and resistance to the ice ammo she was able to survive the first wave of attacks. Chairs and tables were quickly overturned in an effort to gain some cover as the Sanctuary forces scattered. Marco's team could hear the alarm going off throughout the installation but continued to try and advance. Their progress was quickly halted when blade like spikes shot up from the ground and pointed towards them. They began to back away and regroup to the sound of magazines hitting the ground as they reloaded.

 

              "What the hell do you want?" Yelled one of the S. Goths

 

               "Your complete and unconditional surrender! Lay down your weapons and prepare to be detained!" Marco shouted back. "Kel, set up the jammer. I don't want them leaving the area."

 

               From their position they could hear the sound of metal being bent and things being thrown around. A quick glance into the room had shown that the floor was being pried up to act as a defensive barrier against their gunfire. Now that the ground underneath them was opened they would be able to make better use of their rock and ground powers.

 

               Marco looked up and fired a single round from his rifle at the barriers and watched it strike and hit the ground. "Ches, how thick was that plate you pulled out earlier?"

 

               "I'd say about an inch and a half thick. You have the largest caliber here, so if you can't get through most of us can't either."

 

               "It's you should surrender! You have about ten seconds before the pirates overrun you! Give up now and I promise we'll treat you good, pet! Ten... Nine... Eight..."

 

               Henrietta had apparently lost her cool and snatched the sniper rifle away from Chesra. "ONE!" She shouted and fired the larger sniper rifle. The round punched a hole through the metal floor and nearly ripped the arm off the S. Goth kneeling behind it. She was quickly yanked back down by a furious Kelly and glared back at her. "What?"

 

               "Don't what me! If that's the only ammo we have that will make it through the metal then we need to make every shot count."

 

               A string of obscenities in a language none of them understood came from the cafeteria and Henrietta gave the Duelist a toothy grin. "See, I hit her, one for one."

 

               "Shut it! Both of you!" Snapped Marco. "That was just a warning shot! Surrender now and no further harm will come to you!"

 

               Alexis grabbed him by his vest and pulled him down to avoid a stone that had been hurled down the hall. "We need to get out of this confined space. We're sitting ducks."

 

               "Agreed, lets fall..." Before he could finish the ceiling behind them began to cave in and blocked their path.

 

               "FIRE THE HYPER BEAM!" They all looked down the hallway and could see the Tyrannodame glowing with power and charging her attack.

 

               If they didn't get out of the way they were going to be killed for sure. Thinking quickly, Henrietta and Chesra knocked the glass wall into the lab they were standing next to and started helping those that couldn't teleport get inside. They just barely made it in time to see a beam of light blow through the hallway and clear the debris that had blocked their path moments before.

 

               A soft beep sounded in Marco's headset and Rebecca's ID appeared on his display. "What's happening over there? The hydraulic doors just got blown in and are jammed. We can't get to you this way."

 

               "Stay where you are, do not attempt to go around through the docks! We're pinned down!"

 

               "We're on the way!"

 

               "NO, I said say put!"

 

               "I heard what you said. (Click)"

 

               "Rebecca? Rebecca! I'm going to strangle her! Get ready for a counter offensive! Renae, Lily, Mina, I want that room dusted. Leona, Alex, Jean, and Carrie, the S. Goths are up to you. Everyone else is to deal with the Dames. Move out!" Marco commanded.

 

               Mina tightened the straps on her vest and began to use Light Drain to darken the area of the hallway. Everyone moved as far to the back of the room as they could to give Renae and Lily the space they needed to work. Even though Renae didn't have any actual wind powers there was plenty generated by the use of her ice powers. Lily's petals shook violently as she began to release massive clouds of poison powder into the air.

 

               Inside the cafeteria the Sanctuary forces were starting to get organized when the one closest to the doors started coughing violently. Their attention turned to panic when the purple haze enveloped her completely. The Dameosaur fell to her knees in a matter of seconds and started vomiting and convulsing. The haze was getting closer by the second until the Pterodame began using Gust to try and push it back down the hallway while the remaining Dameosaur used Dust Absorption to neutralize the powder that was in room.

 

               The lead S. Goth poked her head up over the table and glanced down to the darkened hallway. "Get her back up! Where in the hell are the pirates?"

 

               The second one was still seeing to her mending arm and put her back to the overturned table. "I have no idea but when Victoria gets here I'm going to make her lick my blood up off the ground."

 

               "I'm going to pick my teeth with the bones of the one responsible for harming you mistress." Spoke the Tyrannodame. She took a sniff of the air and roared. "They carry the captain’s scent but not their blood!"

 

               A wave of fire shot through the hallway and crashed into the barriers they had set up. The fire blazed over the first S. Goth's head causing her to duck down. "Kamahi, go find them and bring them here! We'll deal with the traitors later."

 

               Avalanche was quickly storming into the room and Ashley heard the command in time to see the S. Goth teleport away. "Marco, she's going to get the pirates!" She managed to get out before being hit with a flying rock.

 

               Marco caught her before she hit the ground and moved her to the side. "Mina, Chesra, go to the ships and intercept."

 

               "On it, Kelly, the sword?" The Kunoichi replied sharply then summoned a Dark Barrier to keep them shielded until the Duelist could finish.

 

                The Duelist pulled two cards from her equipment deck and began to concentrate. Everything from the game those cards came from were incredibly taxing to summon and put a great deal of strain on her powers. "Souten ni zase, Hyourinmaru!" Strong winds picked up as the sword manifested in her hands. She handed the weapon to Mina then gave her the corresponding card. "Take it easy with that thing."

 

                "I will, let's go Ches." She gave her Alpha a pat then grabbed Chesra and teleported out.

 

               The fighting quickly got intense against the Sanctuary forces. Attacks and abilities were being thrown in every direction and though Avalanche was forcing them back, the Dameosaur were much faster than they had expected them to be, running by and landing quick attacks as they passed. But for all their speed and ferocity, the coordination and varied powers of Avalanche were hard to overcome.

____

 

               Back on the dock the S. Goth had teleported onto the middle carrier and found the crew. There was a large commotion after the Hyper Beam blew the doors out and welded them onto the hull of the ship. She didn't expect to get a warm welcome from the start, but the hatred they had for her on sight was very unnerving. Victoria and the other captains were already standing by and a small portion of the crew was waiting as well.

 

               "What are you doing standing around? Can't you hear that alarm? We’re under attack!" The S. Goth shouted in frustration.

 

               "Aye, we know, we just don't care." Victoria spoke defiantly and summoned her sword. "We be sick of your lot and if all be going according to plan we be rid of ya soon." She turned her back to the S. Goth and addressed her crew. "Everybody get down below, we ride this out below deck."

 

               The crew quickly got moving towards the nearest hatches leading below deck. The captains started to follow but soon fell to their knees clutching their head. "Well at least I know who the traitors are." She began to use her Aura of Command and the captains rose to their feet. "You're going to help us whether you like it or not. And after you're done you will be punished by the council."

 

               "Now now we can't have that, the Colonel already has enough on his plate." Mina spoke softly.

 

               "Yes, Master doesn't like it when enemy reinforcements join his battles. Release your hold over them and surrender, if you do then we promise not to harm you." Chesra commanded in an authoritative tone.

 

               The S. Goth turned to face them with resentment in her eyes. "You poor misguided fools, you take orders from a human when it is you that holds true power. It is he that should bow to you and you who should rule over him. Take your rightful place above him and show that pet you're in charge!"

 

               Mina chuckled and tapped her shoulder with the magical sword. "Well I can't speak for Chesra but I don’t think he minds when I'm on top. Then again I love it when I'm underneath."

 

               Chesra shook her head and drew her sword. "Preach to someone who cares. Stand down; this is your final warning."

 

               The aura the S. Goth was projecting intensified as she glared at the duo. "Since you don't mind taking orders you can take mine then." She waited for them to fall in line but was disheartened when they didn't bow. "What? Why aren't you bowing to me?"

 

               "What can I say; your powers are useless on us. Prepare for battle."

 

               The S. Goth backed up until the pirate captains were in front of her and intensified her aura. "You'll have to go through them first."

 

               Victoria's arm shook as she pointed her sword at Mina then summoned a second one. "Remember our deal." She growled out.

 

               Mina nodded. "We will, you just try not to enjoy yourself." She retorted then gripped the sword with both hands. "May our enemy's blood run cold in our prescience." The sword began to glow with power as ice and water started to pour from the blade. As the water swirled around her body the end formed into the head of a dragon.

 

               Leah was the first to try backing away from Mina's display of power. She had seen Ice Blade, Water Blade, and even Dragon Blade preformed on occasion, but what Mina was using had her terrified. The dragon form rose high above her head then crashed onto the deck, freezing everything the water touched on contact. Starri began to build up her electricity then launched an arching bolt at the duo.

 

               While the attack was closing in Chesra flew into a series of hand gestures then placed her hand on Mina. The Kunoichi pulsed with energy for a moment then stopped as the electric element symbol formed on her forehead. The arching bolt shot right for Mina then dissolved when it made contact, doing no damage at all.

 

               "What the bloody hell did you just do?" Starri asked.

 

               Chesra repeated the hand signs again and the same mark appeared on her head. "Elemental Ward, you've got the most range and power so I'm taking you out of the game right now." She sheathed her sword then pulled her war hammer from her poképack.

 

               Chesra launched into the first attack, engaging the three lower captains by herself. Her first attack with the hammer struck the Ivywhore and sent her rolling across the deck. Starri summoned her armor and advanced quickly on the Fallen Angel, with her electricity having no effect she would have to fight head on. Her sword attacks came in fast and heavy, backed by the brute force she could bring with them. But thanks to the rings Chesra was just as strong and slightly faster.

 

               Mina was locked in her battle with Victoria but found it hard to enjoy herself. Normally a duel with a pirate pokégirl was something to look forward to but the circumstances behind this battle were different. Both Mina and Chesra could feel it in the way the girls were fighting. Because they were being controlled and didn't want to fight, their movements were slow and powers were weak. Never the less they would crush them if they had to.

 

               Victoria on the other hand was just plain frustrated. She knew that under normal circumstances it should have been a no contest win against the ninja. But the strange sword she was wielding was making things bothersome. Even then, if she could fight the battle under her own terms things would have been different. Her dual cutlass fighting style was swift and precise but she wasn't able to land a decent shot. All the while she wanted to turn around and cut the head off the S. Goth that had made her into a puppet.

 

               As the fight raged on they were all too busy to notice the dense smoke creeping across the deck of the ship at foot level. Mina pulled a second katana from the sheath on her back and locked blades with Victoria. She glanced over and spotted Carla lined up with Leah then launched an attack from the magic sword. The ice dragon bore it's fangs as it passed through both girls and froze them instantly. Victoria seized the opening that was created and dismissed both of her blades before summoning them again and slashing in a cross pattern across Mina's chest. She thought she had scored a direct hit when the Kunoichi backed off and covered her chest with her arm. That was until the arm few out and launched nearly a dozen kunai in her direction. Victoria sank into the deck to avoid the blades then reemerged.

 

               Mina stuck a finger in the slash marks to reveal the chain mail she wore underneath. Several of the links had been cut through but it was still doing its job. "If I didn't know better I'd think you just tried to kill me right there."

 

               "Heat of the moment?" Victoria joked then shared the same worried expression as the others when they heard the massive explosion coming from the cafeteria. 

 

               "Strikes one and two." Mina scolded before launching back into the fight.

 

               The mysterious smoke that had been covering the deck had gotten thicker and higher. Chesra was still engaged in battle against the evenly matched Tesladama and with the other two out of the way, was able to give the girl her undivided attention. With her electricity not working and Chesra being a much better fighter, Starri was losing ground quickly. She spun to the side and thrust forward, landing a glancing blow against Chesra's armor. The Fallen Angel countered in the most brutal fashion, throwing her hammer directly into the girl’s foot then striking her with several open handed strikes to the chest.

 

               Suddenly the smoke picked up and clouded the whole deck, obscuring everyone's vision. They could all hear a muffled struggle then things got quiet. "STOP FIGHTING, STOP FIGHTING, WE AREN'T BEING CONTROLLED ANY MORE!" Victoria yelled.

 

               "You attack us and I'll crack your skull like a watermelon." Chesra bellowed from the smoke.

 

               "Fine, just give me a chance to clear the air." Victoria summoned her wind powers and slowly the smoke began to dissipate.

 

               Once the deck was visible again they all looked around to get a handle on the situation. Carla and Leah were still frozen in place where Mina had left them while Chesra was clutching Starri by the collar and preparing to punch her again. Mina and Victoria regarded each other then looked back to where the S. Goth had been standing only to find a smoking mass on top of her.

 

               Rebecca was a full on support member of Avalanche and as such had one of the lowest body and capture counts in the entire unit. All the same, if she ever managed to sneak up on a target she could dispatch them just as quietly as anyone else. The smoke she could emit ranged from fun for parties to lethally toxic and it was the second type she would breathe into her targets from a forceful kiss.

 

               The S. Goth had almost stopped breathing completely when Rebecca finally floated off her. She nonchalantly dropped the pokéball on her head and captured her without a fuss. "The Colonel was right; they don't struggle when you catch them off guard." She grinned cheerfully and blew a purple smoke ring. "Think this will make up for me disobeying orders?"

 

               Mina ran over and threw her arms around the Smokey. "Not a chance, but I'll speak on your behalf before he gets his hands on you."

 

               Victoria started to approach but the glare and puff of smoke from Rebecca stopped her dead in her tracks. "I be apologizing for that unpleasantness we just went through. If ye don't be mindin we'll just take our leave."

 

               Chesra picked up her hammer and placed it back in her pack. "Get a fire-type up here to thaw them out and be on your way."

 

               "Aye, may the wind be to your backs."

 

               They were just getting ready to leave when a broken transmission came in through their radios. "Team... Down... Sit... Cont... stat... Ort..."

 

               Rebecca picked up the ball and handed it to Chesra. "Nikki and Brandy should already be there, we need to get back now!"

=====

 

               While Mina and Chesra were fighting on the dock Marco and the rest of Avalanche had their own problems. The Dameosaur were easy enough to deal with in their human forms but their dino forms brought a lot of blood and carnage to the fight. A few of the team members had been hit by Acid Spit and received severe burns, their eyes being spared by their visors.

 

               Marco was taking command and giving orders as best as he could. That was until the Pterodame came swooping in from above. She was on a direct course to strike at him when she was hit by a blast that had ripped through her wing, leaving a gaping hole in her and continuing through the next six walls.

 

               At the other end of the beam stood a blood and heavily damage Ashley. "Fuck you and fuck your fucked up elements!" She spat before collapsing on the ground then being recalled.

 

               The Pterodame was somehow able to stave off shock and death before continuing her air strikes against Avalanche. Selena, who had been getting hammered with every single one of her weaknesses, had gained a decent line of sight on the flyer and fired a series of quick Ice Beams to move her into a better position. She was just getting ready to land a hit when she was struck by several high powered Water Gun attacks and knocked flat.

 

               Kelly quickly activated the Caphoochie's pokéball and removed her from the field. The Duelist pulled the other prepared card from her pouch and started to concentrate while Ariel, Chris, and Henrietta kept her covered with gunfire. She knew that the first thing they would have to deal with would be the flyer. "Mae, Sode no Shirayuki."

 

               Cold winds blew around her and a blade of almost blinding white formed in her hand, its long silk ribbon curling around her. Though Kelly could assign her cards to anyone from the unit and they would work, only she could unleash the full power they held. She took a single step into the middle of floor and eyed the flyer. The Pterodame came down in hard dive bomb and fired off several waves of Feather Shuriken.

 

               With great precision the tiny Duelist dodged around the attacks then slashed her sword in a circle around her. "Some no mai, Tsukishiro." Pail light started to glow and a circle formed in the center of where she stood before she moved out of it.

 

               Both the Pterodame and a Dameosaur passed into the circle to attack her and were instantly frozen in a blinding light and pillar of ice. As the light dimmed two perfectly frozen statues were left where the circle was. Henrietta shot forward and punched through both statues shattering them in a blast of ice, frozen bones, and blood. The shattered fragments sparkling like a cloud of diamonds in the sky.

 

               Before the dust settle they were under attack again. Three simultaneously fired Hydro Pumps were headed right for them and neither had the time to get out of the way. Kelly summoned another one of her cards and a stone wall appeared in front of them, shielding them from the blast of water. Despite the walls incredible defensive stats it was quickly demolished by the waters force and pressure. Just as they were about to run out of cover a beam of ice shot past them and crashed into the Hydro Pumps, freezing them instantly and creating a large barrier to shield them.

 

               The destruction of her card had drained a good deal of Kelly's life energy and she dropped down to a knee. Alexis appeared next to her with the Recovery dispenser in hand. She was just about to apply the injection when they suddenly came under fire from their own side.

 

               The S. Goth that had been shot earlier was fully recovered and intent on taking revenge. She had taken control of Chris and preceded to open fire on the three pinned down behind the ice. Though Chris was trying her best to keep her aim off target it was only a matter of time until she hit one of them. Knowing that her Alpha and the Ice Princess were critical to the battle Henrietta threw herself on top of them. Jean teleported behind Chris and began choking the girl out in an attempt to make her stop. The S. Goth saw that her puppet was being taken down she quickly found another target to take over. Henrietta was just getting back to her feet when she was hit by a series of ice rounds and fell to the ground clutching her leg.

 

               Marco saw Lily trembling and fighting with everything to she had. The Gloomy gained enough control to release the magazine from her rifle and fire the last shot into the air. "Leona! Stop that Goth right now!" Marco yelled in frustration. 

 

               The Lamia didn't waste a single thought, slithering up to the S. Goth and hitting her with a blast of telekinetic energy that flung her back to the other side of the room. Instantly she was under attack, rocks and water coming at her from all sides. Before they could impact everything crashed against the psychic barrier Alexis erected around her. Both S. Goth poked their heads up and focused their energy on Leona, hell bent on bringing her under their control. If they had known what a huge mistake it was they would have left her alone.

 

               Lily rushed over to Henrietta's side and began to look over her wounds. Even though they were ice rounds they had gone through her leg and frozen both the entrance and exit wounds. Henrietta was clutching her leg so tightly that it looked like she would squeeze it right off. "OhmygodI'msosorryIshotyouIdidn'twanttoitjustallhappenedsofast!" Came out in a strung together blur from the Panicked Gloomy.

 

               Henrietta's reply was much harsher than she expected, backhanding and grabbing the plant-type all in the same motion. "SHUT! THE FUCK! UP! I know you’re not a man but grow a pair anyway. If someone gets hurt while you're trying to play nurse maid to me, you don't even want to know what I'm going to do to you!"

 

               "But... But!"

 

               Henrietta's other hand ignited and she reared back. "What are you still doing here?"

 

               Lily gulped nervously and backed away. "Going."

 

               If the pirates were around they would be delighted at the sight they saw. After trying to invade to mind of Leona both S. Goths were on the ground clutching their heads and screaming in agony. The wounded S. Goth looked up with fury driven eyes. "Kill her!"

 

               The Tyrannodame had been dealing with Avalanche members as they came to her but dropped everything when she heard her mistress’s command. With a savage roar she transformed into her battle form and leapt towards the Lamia. The shadow of the Tyrannodame loomed over the much smaller girl but she didn't back down. Heavy footsteps crashed around her as she quickly slither around and used haze to distort her image. She was doing fine until she was hit from behind by several waves of water. The Nessidame were just starting to close in when the floor underneath them turned into a sheet of ice and they fell over.

 

              Renae was rushing to get to her dazed teammate, dodging around flying rocks and debris when she saw a Dameosaur and Nessidame sweep around the outside of the room and heading straight for Marco. At the same time the Tyrannodame was closing in on Leona. She was only going to be able to save one of them and the choice was obvious to her. She teleported in front of Marco and placed her foot firmly against his chest before pushing him out of the way. The Dameosaur leapt towards her, mouth wide open and ready to take her head off. Instantly her limbs were incased in dense ice and she threw her arm up to be bitten first. Her vest was shredded clean through thanks to the strength and razor sharp claws of the battle formed Dameosaur. The Nessidame was on her just as quickly, tackling the Ice Princess and knocking them down.

 

               "Anything to say before we rip you apart?" Snarled the Nessidame.

 

               Despite the attacks and injuries Renae's composure never faltered. In a low bone chilling voice she called out. "Diamond Dust." Intense cold radiated from her body and everything around or touching her froze instantly. The next thing she heard was the electric crack of the APALM rifles being fired and the girls being captured. She scurried back to her feet and looked to Leona only to watch a horror unfold.

 

               The battle formed Tyrannodame launched herself high into the air, flipped once, then came back down on a Dynawave powerful enough to knock everyone flat. Leona was helpless as the giant head came down over her body. When it rose back up all they could see was the squirming tail of the Lamia that dropped to the floor when she bit down, swallowing the other half whole.

 

               "LEONAAA!" Marco cried out then looked to Kelly. "Kelly! Return her!"

 

               The Duelist clicked the ball repeatedly and had to fight the urge not to crush it when it didn't work. "It's too late."

 

               Carrie seemed to appear out of nowhere and dashed up to the Tyrannodame. Her sword was glowing with eerie black energy and her rage was being fueled by her master’s grief. She was just about to attack when the Tyrannodame spun sharply, its tail gleaming with power and striking the Penance. For a moment the tail appeared to almost stall when it made contact with her body, then the full force of Diamond Tail attack kicked in and she appeared vanish into nothing. All that was left was her sword, flipping in the air then stabbing itself into the ground. Once the sword hit they heard a loud explosion and saw a giant hole in the far wall.

 

               The main S. Goth pulled the Black blade out from the ground and seemed to visibly quake with power. “Go and bring me their heads.” She commanded, pointing the sword at Avalanche.

 

               Marco had had enough and was going to do whatever it took to bring the battled to an end. "Kim! Level Five!" The Avalanche members heard his command and instantly began looking for cover and forming multi layered barriers for protection.

 

               Kim yanked the pin out of the lever attached to the side of her head and handed it to Emaline. "Get clear." She said before running and vaulting over obstacles to reach the Tyrannodame. The remaining Dameosaur and Nessidame didn’t understand or care about the order Marco had just given, all the saw was a meal running head long into their grasp. The S. Goths on the other hand were smart enough to see the opposing force diving for cover and figured it was a good time to do the same. All but the Tyrannodame were converging on the Bombshell and lunged to her just in time to see her release the lever. Everything went still and silent for a brief moment then the blinding flash of the Self-Destruct attack.

 

               Anything that was in the center of the room was either instantly vaporized or thrown around room as the blast searched for an exit. Nikki and Brandy were just rounding the corner when the mental scream of “STOP!” echoed in their heads. Thinking quickly Nikki grabbed the Wet Lass and threw them both to the ground. A flash of hot wind blew out the hallway carrying burning debris alone with it.

 

               Melted metal lined the walls where it had been pulled up from the floor and cast aside. Smoke was still pouring off anything that didn’t have to decency to be properly disintegrated. Small glowing domes could be seen lining the walls and for a moment all was calm. One by one each dome shattered to reveal members of Avalanche huddled together. They had run through the scenario hundreds of times over the years and even preformed it twice before today, all the same it was a dangerous tactic to perform.

 

               Marco had been pulled back by several of the others and finally let go to survey the scene. He clicked his malfunctioning visor to bring up the list of active members. Those that had gone back into pokéballs had a comparable symbol next to their name while all but two of the others were coming up, Leona and Carrie. He knew Leona was dead, that much he was sure of; when they found Carrie’s body they could see to her. A quick glance near his feet revealed Kim’s spine and he gladly ran his fingers along its curves to speed up her reformation.

 

               The pieces of the Bombshell quickly started digging themselves out of the ground or where ever they had imbedded themselves and her body took form again. “Ugh god that felt amazing. Is everyone ok Colonel?”

 

               He clicked his headset again and waited for the flickering to stop. “Everyone that could be accounted for has been. That was good work in there.”

 

               Kim’s eyes still appeared to be glazed over but she tried to focus. “That blast should have been enough to knock them out, their all yours sir.”

 

               “Get some rest.” He placed the pin that Emaline had handed him back in the lever attached to her head and recalled her. Looking around Marco started to notice ash covered bodies on the ground. “We have enemies to recover, then we head home and …” He looked around and took a quick head count, there were bodies missing and the very least one large one. “Where’s the Tyrannodame?”

 

               Almost as if the sound of her name had summoned her the Tyrannodame teleported and reappeared in the middle of the floor. She was back in her near human form and locked eyes on Marco. Her first instinct was to lunge towards him and attack with as much ferocity as she had left. She almost had him within reach when she dropped to her knees bowing before him. Marco was startled for only a moment until he saw Kelly by his side. Apparently her Call Me Queen was more than enough to bring the dinogirl in line, but the look on the face of the Duelist didn’t appear pleased at all.

 

                The pure white blade of the magical sword rattled under her tightening grip. “Colonel, can I put her down right here?”

 

               “Get her in the ball before I decide to truthfully answer that.” He grumbled and turned his back on the kneeling girl. The sound of the ball activation was music to his ears and he turned back around. “We are not keeping her.”

 

               “The brass would want them anyway, no need to get attached.”

 

               Marco pulled his helmet off and adjusted the headset. “She’s much safer out of my hands.” He attempted to adjust the frequency then clicked it again. “Teammates are down but the situation is under control, give a status report.”

 

               The lead S. Goth shimmered as she came down from above in an attempt to take Marco’s head off with Carrie’s sword but missed when she connected against Kelly’s counter. A wave of intense steam blasted between the two of them and they all separated. The S. Goth looked much different than before, the tattoos lining her face appeared to pulse along with the sword and the sclera of her eyes had gone black. Her accent was thick when she spoke. “You will release that which does not belong to you. Then make amends for those of mine you have harmed.”

 

               “You have no idea how bad of a mood I’m in right now.” His eyes flashed purple and he looked around the room to find the other S. Goth. “The blood of my subordinate in on your hands.”

 

               “Don’t you be blaimin me for that, I didn’t give the order that caused her demise. But your messengers of death killed my family and I will have my retribution.”

 

               Marco pulled his pistol from the holster on his thigh and fired a shot to the back of the darkened kitchen. A faint scream was heard then the sound of something crashing around. “Don’t kid yourself, Kelly, subdue her. And you in the back! You’d better hope I manage to cool off before I find you back there!” He moved to the outside and proceeded towards the kitchen.

 

               The Duelist twirled the sword once and began to summon more of her powers. “Consider her subdued sir.”

 

               More of the dark energy began to course though the S. Goths body as she clenched Carrie’s sword. She shot forward and clashed against Kelly in another blast of steam. What she thought would be an easy fight with her new found powers was turning out to be a struggle against a well-trained opponent. The two clashed once more and were pushed apart by the explosion of their powers. The S. Goth appeared to tense then shot forward in a new found burst of speed, striking Kelly with a kicked that knocked her back towards the rest of the Avalanche.

 

               Kelly’s hit the ground once then slid back onto her feet, stabbing her sword into the ground and leaving a trail of ice until she stopped. The rest of Avalanche moved to take position behind her but she put a halting hand out. “Stand down; this is just between the two of us, leader to leader. I will reclaim Carrie’s sword.” Just then Mina, Chesra, and Rebecca teleported in. “You three, stand by with the others.”

 

               “We have the Goth from the boat and the pirates are ok. Where is Master?” Chesra asked and tossed the pokéball in her pack.

 

               A string of gunshots and another crash was heard from the kitchen. “Hunting.”

 

               The S. Goth glared at Chesra and eyed the pack before lunging into another string of attacks. Kelly met her half way and the duel between the two of them renewed. Though the bulk of the Duelist powers came from her cards she was also a former member of Delta, combat was her specialty. On top of that she had also read Carrie’s report on the workings of the sword and knew what the look for. The Penance had stated that the infernal powers were the easiest to use because they could be accessed through anger and hatred. The celestial powers were stronger but took more concentration to access.

 

               The unlocked abilities of Carrie’s sword were formidable but against someone who had been trained to fight by Arianna, Chesra, and Zianna they meant nothing. The S. Goth swung the sword in a wide arc, releasing a blast of flames toward Kelly. She teleported further back and held the blade straight out. “Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!” She struck the ground several times and shimmering orbs formed at the tip of the blade before firing out in a wave of air and snow. The two powers collided against each other and exploded in a flash. Everyone had to shield their eyes and when they looked back the pair were clashing in a blaze of strikes.

 

               It was times like this where the Duelist small size was to her advantage. She could Move in and out of attack range with relative ease and counter attack just as quickly. Due to her summoned sword’s cold nature the near misses of the Hell Fire imbued sword did nothing to faze her. The S. Goth had missed one too many times and Kelly struck back, slicing the attacking arm and freezing it. With that arm frozen she launched into a full force assault, striking the girl several times over with her fist then kicking her into a far wall.

 

               With the proper distance established she poured more of her energy into her sword then stabbed in into the ground. “Juhaku!” A frigid trail of ice snaked its way up to the dazed S. Goth and began freezing her from the ground up and stopping at her neck. Kelly was quick to seize the opening and pulled Anti-Teleport collar out of her pack then strapped it around the girl’s neck. “You’re finished.”

 

               Kelly turned and started back to the rest of her troops when the S. Goth broke free of the ice and began to close in on her. A simple hand wave sent a pulse of energy rippling through Kelly and caused her sword to vanish. The S. Goth was almost with in arms reach when she was hit by a massive blast of dark energy that sent her flying and Carrie’s sword flipping into the air. It had spun several times then came tip down and into the sheath its owner held up. The Penance had emerged from five rooms over after somehow living through the Diamond Tail attack of the Tyrannodame and had an expression mirroring Marco’s grief stricken animosity.

 

               Jean ran up to the girls and threw her arms around her. “Thank god you’re ok; I thought we lost you too.”

 

               ‘Where is Master?’ The Penance signed and wiped her tears. The all heard a sudden scream and then saw the other S. Goth tumbling out of the kitchen.

 

               Apparently between Marco’s delta bonds and his intense rage her aura attacks weren’t affecting him, and with her substandard pokégirl abilities he had been beating her senseless. She was clutching what was clearly a broken arm a looked up at him in fear.

 

               Jean teleported to him taking Carrie along with and tried to stop his progress. If everything Kelly had explained earlier was true then she had to stop him from doing something he would regret. “Master, you have to stop. We can get her in the pokéball from here.”

 

               Marco looked down at the pitiful girl and held his hand out to Jean. “Knife…”

 

               “What?” She had to get closer to hear what he was saying in his low a menacing tone.

 

               “Give me a knife.” He demanded. Jean’s hand shook as she pulled one of her ring blades from the bottom of her vest.

 

               Kelly shook her head and motioned to Chesra. There weren’t many people who could get away with following the order she was going to give, but he had to be stopped. “Chesra, detain the Colonel until he calms down.”

              

               Chesra appeared behind Marco and pulled him into a hug, taking him off his feet. "Let me go this instant!"

 

               She could tell that he had exhausted his entire reserve of the Cool Head blood gift and if given the chance would murder the girl where she lay. "I can't, we have to keep them alive. You know this."

 

               "I don't give a damn! We have the leader and we have an extra. She gave the order for them to kill Leona and she's going to join her in death."

 

               Kelly made her way over to the quivering S. Goth and kicked her onto her back. "I'm going to ask one time and one time only. You hesitate or if I even think you're lying to me, I'm going to tell her to let him go and we're going to leave while he does whatever he wants." The S. Goth looked back at Marco who was still struggling to get free and nodded as best as she could. "Where are the Life Disk for those Video Girls you have?"

 

               "We put them in a chest in the back."

 

               "Very good, is there anything waiting for us back there?"

 

               "No, nothing, all we wanted was to..."

 

               "Shut up, none of us care and quite frankly hearing an explanation will just piss me off more. Now roll over onto your stomach."

 

               The S. Goth attempted to shift over then laid flat on her back. "I can't."

 

               "Ok then." She pulled back and kicked the girl again rolling her onto her stomach. From there she placed her in restraints and an Anti-Teleport collar then pokéballed her. She put the ball in her pocket then turned to face the wrath of her colonel. "I'm sorry, I really am, but they have to be turned in."

 

               Chesra let him go and he stormed up to the Duelist. "We are handing over a secret base, three ships, three Dameosaur, three Nessidame, three Video Girls, and a Tyrannodame! I think we could be missing one of the three Sanctuary Goths and the brass would still be happy!" He shouted, causing Kelly to back up and flinch away from him. He was prepared to continue his tirade but stopped when he felt a pair of arms slip around his waist. Flowing silver hair passed to his side for a moment and he could hear Carrie sniffling. He turned slowly then pulled the girl into a tight hug. "I didn't even ask if you were ok."

 

               She knocked on her head as if to say it was hard enough then pulled him into a kiss. Kelly let out a sigh of relief and made a note to use Carrie to calm him down next time.

 

               Marco kissed her forehead then turned back to Kelly. "Find the life disk for the Video Girls, make sure everyone is accounted for, then we go and talk to the pirates. After that we pick up Isabella, anyone who wants to go home can go while I speak with Mera. Move out... and good job."

               ______

 

               Readman Residence, Foreplay Island, 0430

 

               Marco, Renae, and Vana sat along with the harem and waited for the arrival of Mera. None of them had bothered to get cleaned up after their mission and they were all exhausted. The large bell had been disconnected to keep from waking the rest of the family. The lights were still activated and flipped on to signal Mera's arrival. Instead of swimming up she was let off at the dock and accompanied by an Aqua Rider.

 

               "Mr. Readman, I was informed about the loss of one of your friends, you have my condolences." Mera stated and bowed deeply.

 

               "She was more family than friend, but thanks. How did you hear about it already?"

 

               "Between magic and skilled teleporters, most of my missing colony has been returned. Once again I am grateful for your help in this matter." She paused then looked to Renae. "Sandy said you wanted to speak with me?"

 

               Renae shook her head. "It's not important anymore."

 

               The Wet Queen held a puzzled look the turned her attention back to Marco. "And what of those responsible?"

 

               "Taken care of, I can't tell you anything beyond that."

 

               "I won't pry then. As we agreed I will release Renae from and all ties she made with my colony and if I can ever assist any of you in any way, please don't hesitate to ask."

 

               Marco stood and nodded. "I would shake your hand but I haven't gotten all of the blood off it yet. You two have a safe trip home."

 

               The pair departed, leaving them to do whatever they had planned next. Vana's gaze passed across the weary fighters only to stop on her son. "So, what happens now?"

 

               "Kelly and I have reports to file..." He took a deep breath to keep from ripping the armrest off the chair. "Then tomorrow we hold a service in the memory of Leona. After that we're going to be very busy and unreachable. I'll call when it's taken care of."

 

               "Are you sure you'll be ok?"

 

               "I just need a few days... let's go." Marco nodded taking Chesra’s hand.

 

               As if they had never been there they vanished, leaving Vana to watch the glow brighten in the horizon. "If only he knew how much he was like his father."

________

 

 

 

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	Tam- Catgirl- School
		Leona- Lamia- KIA

 

Harem

Chesra- Co-Alpha

Henrietta- Co-Alpha

Carrie- Penance

Ashley- Peekabu

Jean- Dark Kitsune

 

Handler

Christina Reynolds

Ariel- OfficerJenny