From: Adrian Tymes <wingcat@soca.com> Subject: Re: [PW!] No place like home Date: Thursday, June 17, 1999 11:21 PM Dreadite wrote: > Mimic started to blurt something out, and was silenced by a swift blow > from a wing. Dreadite raised his hand, and a sheet of fire shot across > the floor, searing the corpses on the ground. Seth and Aerie jumped, and > grabbed each other. "Yana kanji!" > > Dreadite watched the two as they landed. "Pathetic. But you have all > the time in the world to improve, ditto. But all of you will eventually > fade away, anyhow. They all do." > > Seth blinked. "How did he..." > > Mimic shook, and looked at Seth. "Mimic think you overestimate Dreadite. > Mistake to overestimate." > > Seth looked back. The empty halls echoed with the retreating footsteps. > The last thing Seth said before the power cut of was, "Where did he go?" Even in the darkness, Aerie watched Dreadite go. "Who *was* that guy?" "Dreadite," Seth growled. "No way. *The* Dreadite? Giovanni's right hand man?" "The same. And judging by what we just saw, I'd say he won't change much in the next twenty years." Aerie started to shake. "Aerie?" "That bastard...wanted to send a 'message' to Doppler once...so he followed me home from school one day. He watched the spot I was teleported home from, and next morning, ambushed my friends as we arrived. I arrived while he was distracted; I thought my friends just all went on a trip, until their bodies started showing up around mid- day." Aerie closed her eyes. "Ten of my best friends...sons and daughters of Doppler's top aides...I swore I would never forgive him for that. I knew I could never kill him, but when I joined Team Rocket, I hoped at first that I could humiliate him, cause him to be cast out and rejected, and maybe that would be enough..." "Aerie..." "But now...maybe I *can* kill him. If he is Darkness, then let me be the Light...HYPEEEEEEEER..." Seth moved to stop Aerie, but Mimic transformed into a "STOP" sign with post in front of him. "...BEAM!" Golden, furious radiance shot down the path Dreadite had taken, obliterating walls, beds, corpses, and everything else in its path, leaving a tunnel leading through many walls to the outside. Even the air itself became void before her rage; unknown and unseen to her, the beam continued out of the building and into the nearby forest, where it carved a path through the foliage all the way to the alien Bottle itself, missing the structure by mere centimeters. When it was done, Aerie collapsed into Seth's waiting arms. Mimic morphed into Seth to help him carry her. "Hope feel better." "..." Seth positioned Aerie so that one of her arms was around each 'Seth's' neck. "I don't see him...do you think she got him?" "No. Mimic see Dreadite exit before Aerie fire. Besides, no make difference if *did* kill. Dreadite recover from serious wounds before. Suspect no have heart." Seth snickered. "Dreadite? Heartless? *That* goes without saying." "No, *literally* no have heart. Can stab right through, no matter. No think Hyper Beam can kill either. But make Aerie feel good, so let do." "Makes her easier to carry, anyway." Seth grunted. "Although I'd almost say she's put on some weight." He tensed... ...but the expected retort from Aerie never materialized. "Aerie? Aerie!" "Mimic think Aerie put all into that beam." "Yeah, but just one? C'mon, Aerie, wake up! This isn't funny!" "No worry, Seth. Aerie still alive. Just use much much energy." "I'll say. But if her 'programming' drives her *this* far...that isn't safe. She might not survive her own attacks before long." "Agreed. Is danger. Should get to Sabrina with haste." "Right. Slasher! You scout the way, make sure there's no 'suprises' waiting for us." "Sian!" This was still a Rocket base, even if most or all of the inhabitants were apparently dead; any that were still alive would undoubtedly have heard the ruckus and be on their way. Slasher took point as they made their way out through the tunnel Aerie had made. TBC?