From: "William Rendfeld" <warendfeld@aol.com> Subject: Re: [PW!] Dewford Delights Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 10:40 PM >> Any further celebrating was cut off by a flash. It wasn't a flash of >light, so the >> dark cave stayed dark. It was a flash of fear. The terror that something >was >> about to go down that was really bad. The responses varied. >> >> One response remained though, the four males headed for the exit as fast as >> human (or Blastiose-ily) possible > >> "If that's the way you want it, Miss Masters, I'll make this quick," the >> elder man said to her. His pistols clicked and he took aim, one at Alex, >the >> other at Nori. Both girls looked at the weapons nervously, and Nori gave >Alex a >> quick glance with a mix of anger and worry in her eyes. > >(snip) > >> "So sorry, but that's not a topic open for discussion." >> >> "If you're not afraid of the gun, I can just take your helmet off." >> >> "Er..." Beads of sweat formed around the man's face. Three girls now >stared >> at him, two of them holding guns and one of them with a mind that could do >much >> worse. Who could blame him if he at least considered telling them who had >hired >> him and his older partner? > >It was at that point that the three male members of the party comically >screeched to a halt next to the panicked assasin. They glanced in every >direction, before giving the man at their feet a long, appraising >glance, and felt pretty stupid. After a long moment of silence, Ben >spoke up. > >"Hey Tsunade, I didn't know you had a gun. If I did, I wouldn't have..." >Stopping himself, (for his own safety) the teen changed tack, "I guess >you're busy here...so we'll just sit back and enjo...watch. I said watch." > "Wise," Nori noted. She turned to Alex and said, "Well, you're the one they're after. You'd better do the interrogating." "Makes sense to me," Alex replied. She turned her attention to her conscious stalker and began, "Now, I'm going to ask a few questions. I'm going to ask that you answer them truthfully." "How will you know I'm not lying?" the blond man asked. "There's the fact that my friend still has her Feraligatr out," Alex reminded him. "Not to mention the fact that I know a liar when I see one. I've dealt with lawyers long enough." She stepped forward, looking intently into the young man's eyes, and asked, "Now, who are you?" The young man darted a glance towards his unconscious comrade, and answered, "Walter. My name is Walter." He gestured to his comrade and added, "He's Grand." Alex raised an eyebrow; "Walter and Grand?" "You've heard of us?" Walter asked. "No, but apparently fate enjoys playing tricks," Alex replied. "Now, I'm willing to bet this isn't just some case of corporate espionage. The person you're working for obviously wants me captured, and he doesn't care who he goes through to do the job." "You sure about that?" Nori asked. "The old guy here pointed loaded guns at us." "The one pointed at me was loaded with tranquilizer darts," Alex replied. "Three of them. You have that one in your hands." Nori quietly looked at the ammunition, and confirmed, "You're right. How did you...?" "He specifically said 'capture' back there," Alex reminded her comrade. She turned back to Walter and added, "It's pretty damn clear that your employer wants me alive because of what I am." Walter saw little reason in debating this point. "Do you want to know who he is or something?" Alex's mouth twisted into a disgusted frown. "I already know everything I need to know about him, with or without my telepathy. He's a coward, a rich man who somehow knows my secrets and isn't even brave enough to go after me himself. I'm also willing to bet that you two have a couple partners; more hunters with more money going to them." "Well, there are four of us, yes," Walter replied. "But what are you going to do? Even if you kill the two of us, he'll still send them, maybe more." "Who said anything about killing you?" Alex asked in reply. She grabbed the man by his shirt collar, roughly brought him close, and said, "I want you to leave me, and my associates, alone. The same goes for your unconscious friend. While you're at it, give your boss a message." She drew him closer, close enough for him to smell her breath, and finished, "I don't like to play games. If he wants me, he should come and get me himself. Clear?" Walter was a professional; the look in Alex's eyes more than confirmed that she meant what she said. "Crystal." "Wonderful," Alex said, letting go of the hunter's shirt collar. "I suggest you get going then. Now." Walter nodded, a bit disturbed by the sight before him, then half-dragged his partner away. Those gathered looked at the retreating hunters, then at Alex. "You could've killed them," Carol noted. "I could've," Alex admitted. "But I didn't. That's not who I am." She looked to the five trainers gathered around her, to the Pokémon with them, and said, "Everyone, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you've gotten involved in all this. You're in danger thanks to me. If anyone wants to speak up about that now, I don't mind what you have to say. I'm more than ready for it." TBC [NS: Oh, I can't wait to hear the reactions...] William Rendfeld Creator of Echowarrior and Alex Masters 178,000 Excellent Author Points 1 'I knew odd pokefacts that confused a bread crumb' point. 20 Y2Tech Points