The MEETING Team (PLOT)

"Oh, uh-" Everyone seemed to lean in to hear the next words from the youth's mouth. Ever since Eldes informed them of what Ardos had revealed that day on Citadark, it had been bugging and ensnaring their imaginations. Who had formed the "Resistance"? Was it his colleagues? League authorities? Who had survived to actually make a government?

"Well when Headquarters went to hell, everyone kind of scrambled. The department heads issued a warning through local PokeNavs and sent emails with coordinates to an evacuation site." Eldes gave a small, quick sigh. Well, that explained things. His own had malfunctioned after he'd fallen on it when the Shadow Honchkrow attacked. He never heard any of his leaders calling. "Took me a bit but we managed to get there, though I lost my Growlithe to the hordes..." The companionable air dampened with the news, Atticus' head turning down for a moment to offer a silent prayer for his young friend. Much as Eldes had taken Michael under his wing, Atticus had felt a similar kinship with his younger evolutionary kin. She would have made a fine Arcanine... Eldes silently placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, giving what little support he could to the young man. "When we got there, I checked in with the heads and went looking around for you guys and a couple of the guys said they saw Eldes take off after things went sideways and never showed up. So I came looking for you."

Eldes frowned as Ardos' sneering accusations replayed in his mind, mentally checking between the old and new information for corresponding details. "Where did you evacuate to?" Oasis queried, her elegant neck leaning in on Michael's other side. "We've been traveling so long, but we haven't seen any settlements or..."

"She's right--" Eldes continued once the Flygon's thought trailed. "We've been walking all this time and have found next to no one. Anyone we do find typically tries to rob us."

Koikoi let out a prideful chuckle. "'Tries' being the key word here."

Eldes couldn't help but give a small laugh at the sentiment. "True, but still."

"Even those Cipher bitches know to stay the fuck awa-- OW!" Eldes turned in alarm to the name and the cry of pain, spotting Banny glaring daggers up at his Torterra friend. She snorted angrily at him in return. "The hell was that for?"

Eldes swallowed hard as the two argued; he hadn't thought of telling Michael about Ardos or Cipher's involvement, or even the suspicions that had led him to chasing his brother in the first place. Hell, the boy didn't even know about Looker. He hadn't even had the heart to tell him, since it had occurred so close to his graduation date. And it was after Looker's death that everything had gone to pot so quickly. "Guys, please stop bickering," he called to them, mentally trying to scramble for a way to avoid discussing Cipher with Michael.

"Where did you evacuate to?" Chirped the startlingly vibrant Flygon beside him, looping her neck behind him to peer at him from the other side. "We've been traveling so long, but we haven't seen any settlements or..." Michael smiled and bopped her small head with the tip of his finger when she trailed off, thinking her too cute. "She's right--" he hear Eldes finish, the younger red head turning to look at him. "We've been walking all this time and have found next to no one. Anyone we do find typically tries to rob us."

Michael frowned, nodding along slowly. He'd encountered a couple of thugs himself but most of them had been outside of Orre. Eldes was the first human he had seen inside his home region. The playful banter continued and Michael laughed along until the word 'Cipher' slipped from the lips of the female tortoise who had so generously helped him across the bridge. He looked at the grass type in shocked confusion before turning back to Eldes, the guilt splayed across his face all too telling even as he tried to corral his pokemon. "Eldes..." Michael began in a warning tone, really hoping he only misheard. "Please tell me I didn't just hear the C word."

"Eldes..." The named redhead grimaced at the tone of Michael's voice; it shouldn't have felt like the young man was scolding him. Yet... "Please tell me I didn't just hear the C word."

He let out a small noise of distress as it naturally accompanied a heavy sigh. "Michael, I..." What could he even say? What should he say, better yet? He glanced at the boy, but then, unable to hold his gaze, he turned to look at his bare feet. His hands began to fidget and worry his shirt, his leg began to bounce. Oasis cleared her throat, attracting her trainer's attention, and scowled down at him. Mildly shocked at the expression, he asked, "What?"

"He should know," she spoke, her voice stern. "He has a right to know."

"Oasi--"

"You tell him or I do," she snapped as she put her clawed hands on her wide hips. "Everything, Eldes." The two stared at each other, pain flecking across the man's face as the silence stretched between them. Oasis had never liked the secrets that had been kept from the boy regarding Looker's death or even about the mission they'd last been put on. Eldes hadn't told him anything, really, or truly spoken to the boy from the time they accepted the mission to right that moment in the lighthouse. It seemed that the Flygon was at her patience's end with the secrets, however, and there was little Eldes could do to stop her, short of returning her to her ball. Which would only make Michael more inquisitive and if Eldes was completely honest with himself, he still was still entirely too weak to have another fight like the one he'd endured on Citadark.

"Yes, Michael..." he began with a long, heavy and defeated sigh. "She said Cipher. They're... active. They've been active for years now." He braced himself for the onslaught of questions that were sure to come.

Eldes had always been an open book, emotionally speaking, for as long as Michael had known him. It was one of the reasons they had become such close friends, since he could always trust Eldes not to lie to him simply by reading his face. So when the other ginger stalled and let out a pained sigh, he knew that this was going to be a difficult conversation. "Michael, I..."

"He should know." Oasis's stern glare and commanding tone brooked no argument, despite the pleading looks the older male was giving her. "He has a right to know."

"Oasi--"

"You tell him or I do. Everything,[/i] Eldes." The serious turn in conversation had the younger male growing concerned, with Lucky growing stiff beside him at the heavy atmosphere. Something was not right.


"Tell me what?"  Michael asked quietly, head turning to the shining Flygon as his eyes softened, almost afraid of the answer. "Yes, Michael..." The defeated sound of his friend's voice left the younger red head wanting to hug him, the tone reminding him of the empty, hollow emotion that had filled Eldes back in prison. It frightened him. "She said Cipher. They're... active. They've been active for years now." Michael's eyes went wide as he sputtered, nearly crushing Lucky as he stood up abruptly, much to the feline's displeasure. "Ye...Years?!"

Michael began to pace rapidly through the middle of the round room, one arm curled around his chest as his other hand covered his mouth. His mind worked overtime to try and come up with exactly how something like that was possible. Eldes had made it his mission to cut Cipher's legs out from under them so exactly this wouldn't happen, Michael himself had kept careful watch on any strange Pokemon after moving to Gateon, dozens of people worked tirelessly to clear any trace of Cipher from the region after their final defeat. And now...now he finds out it meant nothing?!

"How?" he finally asked aloud. "I can understand them trying to get back up and running, but fully operational for years? How? When? Who's in charge? Where are they? What have they been up to? Why has no one heard of them this entire time if they are full scale? What the hell is going on?!" Each question gained more speed than the last, his voice climbing higher and higher until finally his throat clenched and not another sound could be released. He coughed and tried to clear his throat, a hundred questions still burning in his mind but only one being important enough to voice before he got his answers.

"And, when and how exactly did you find all this out?"

Eldes' eyes followed his poor friend as the boy nearly stomped on his own Espeon, reeling with shock. "Ye...Years?!" Eldes could only sadly nod in confirmation, the memory of his own horror at discovering all his efforts had been for naught slapping him in the face. Michael began to furiously pace around the room, his sharp mind likely arming itself with a whole quiver of questions to shoot. However, as much as Eldes didn't want to have the conversation that was looming so horrifically near, all he could see in his mind's eye were the haunting images of his twin's face plastered on banners and tapestries. Of Cipher's sigil glowing in gold on the backs of the new "graduates".

"How?" Michael's frantic voice finally sounded, to which Eldes lifted his head to tiredly look at his friend. "I can understand them trying to get back up and running, but fully operational for years? How? When? Who's in charge? Where are they? What have they been up to? Why has no one heard of them this entire time if they are full scale? What the hell is going on?!" As Michael spoke, his words grew faster and higher pitched until his throat simply boycotted. He struggled a bit as everything seemed to bottleneck, and all Eldes could do was silently sympathize. The questions were the same, and frankly, so were the emotions. He'd just had to smother all the panic and rage when he was taken into the Isle.

"And, when and how exactly did you find all this out?"

And there it was. Michael had never looked on Ardos with a gentle eye, that much was common knowledge. He typically refrained from outright insulting him unless Eldes himself worked himself into a tirade, but it didn't take a genius to know what Michael's opinions of Ardos were. And with everything else Eldes had to tell Michael, talking about what Ardos had turned Cipher into would not be an easy feat. He stood, his exhaustion coming off of him like the waves that pounded the pier outside, and sighed as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Take a seat, Michael," he began softly, gesturing to the seat he'd just abandoned. The young man merely glared at Eldes, but the latter didn't falter. "You're going to want to sit for this. Trust me." Once Michael finally obeyed, Eldes closed his eyes as he pulled at his memories, looking for the last time he actually had shared any Cipher news with Michael.

"I'm going to need you to not... interrupt me, ok?" he began softly, staring Michael down as he slowly paced in front of the fire. "There's a lot to get through and... getting derailed only makes this longer and more painful than it has to be. So please. Don't say anything until I'm done."

He took in a deep breath and slowly let it out, bowing his head as he collected his thoughts and the timelines. He needed to be objective. To treat it like a report. Otherwise, he wasn't going to make it through. "You remember when I went quiet for a while, right? When I was on that big mission I couldn't talk to you about. I had found new activity in Cipher, troubling activity, and Looker and I set out to dig it out and stop it. I wasn't allowed to travel to Orre, however, and so Looker went alone. We were on the verge of finding something big, something horrible, when..." His eyes went down to Michael's feet, unable to keep eye contact. "Looker went MIA. I, and my superiors, could only assume he'd been found and killed."

Eldes straightened as he stopped moving, standing at ease as his mind fell more into the role of reporting the past few years, his emotions sliding away from his words. It was something Ardos had always had perfected, but for once, it seemed that the old habit finally came through for him. "Not long after, the attack on IPF Headquarters happened. The attack was carried out by what could only have been a Shadow Honchkrow. I saw it summon a Shadow Sky and destroy the building before I had to run. Not long after was when the Epidemic took hold, so I made the connection that Shadow Pokemon and this plague were connected.

"I spent the past couple of years traveling here, to Gateon Port, to see if I could find my way to Citadark Isle and get the answers I sought. Upon entering the city, I was discovered by Cipher scouts and brought into the Isle itself two weeks ago. There, I found--" His voice faltered a little as his brother's joyous face flashed in his mind. "Ardos was still alive and leading Cipher  in Greevil's stead. There's hundreds, if not thousands of turned refugees there, mingled with the older recruits. The island is a now a self-sustaining fortress run by a criminal organization turned cult.

"I eventually confronted Ardos about the Shadow Honchkrow and Looker's death and found that..." He took in a deep breath. This wasn't going to go well. "Ardos had partnered with Rocket. In an effort to overcome the damage I had done to Cipher, Ardos bartered Ein and the Shadow Serum in exchange for goods, manpower and money. Rocket scientists and Ein took the serum and somehow made it into what the plague is today. After a... very... long argument, I was banished from the island and... have stayed here ever since." Only then did Eldes chance looking up at Michael, trying to brace himself for the onslaught about to come. "As for how no one knew; Cipher has always dealt in sleuth and secrecy. It's not surprising that they managed to do it again."

All of this was overwhelming him, and every second Eldes waited to figure out how to tell him was adding more and more strain on his already pounding headache. He needed answers, answers only his best friend could provide, and he felt like the older man was waffling about whether or not he was supposed to even know. "Take a seat, Michael." At the request Michael could only glare at his friend, daring him with a staring contest to make him sit when his body was too anxious to do anything of the sort. "You're going to want to sit for this. Trust me." After glaring a few moments longer Michael finally conceded, breaking his gaze with a heavy sigh and trudging over to a small stool and sitting down on it to await what he hoped would be some clarity.

"I'm going to need you to not... interrupt me, ok? There's a lot to get through and... getting derailed only makes this longer and more painful than it has to be. So please. Don't say anything until I'm done." Michael didn't like the rule very much, but nodded slowly and waited for Eldes to get his bearings. He was obviously distressed as well judging by the way he was pacing a hole into the floor, and so he knew he had to be patient and let Eldes get everything out.

"You remember when I went quiet for a while, right? When I was on that big mission I couldn't talk to you about. I had found new activity in Cipher, troubling activity, and Looker and I set out to dig it out and stop it. I wasn't allowed to travel to Orre, however, and so Looker went alone. We were on the verge of finding something big, something horrible, when...Looker went MIA. I, and my superiors, could only assume he'd been found and killed." Eldes looked like he was starting to choke up near the end, and when Michael heard the last part about Looker he gasped lightly, hand covering his mouth as he struggled to not jump up and hug his friend. He had teased Eldes mercilessly about Looker, and to know that he had been there when the man was possibly killed...

"Not long after, the attack on IPF Headquarters happened. The attack was carried out by what could only have been a Shadow Honchkrow. I saw it summon a Shadow Sky and destroy the building before I had to run. Not long after was when the Epidemic took hold, so I made the connection that Shadow Pokemon and this plague were connected." That explained a lot, actually, especially in how Headquarters was hit so hard and so fast. No one recognized a Shadow until it was too late unless they were, or had, an aura reader.

"I spent the past couple of years traveling here, to Gateon Port, to see if I could find my way to Citadark Isle and get the answers I sought. Upon entering the city, I was discovered by Cipher scouts and brought into the Isle itself two weeks ago. There, I found--" A little pause, almost as if Eldes was choking on emotion. "Ardos was still alive and leading Cipher  in Greevil's stead. There's hundreds, if not thousands of turned refugees there, mingled with the older recruits. The island is a now a self-sustaining fortress run by a criminal organization turned cult." Michael's eyes went dangerously narrow at the name of the one person he hated more than anyone in the world. And not only was said asshole alive, but running a cult made up of poor survivors just trying to escape the epidemic? Fucking cock-sucking, back asswards, son-of-a...

"I eventually confronted Ardos about the Shadow Honchkrow and Looker's death and found that...Ardos had partnered with Rocket. In an effort to overcome the damage I had done to Cipher, Ardos bartered Ein and the Shadow Serum in exchange for goods, manpower and money. Rocket scientists and Ein took the serum and somehow made it into what the plague is today. After a... very... long argument, I was banished from the island and... have stayed here ever since." Rocket? ROCKET?! Of all the asinine....Rocket? What the hell was that mop head thinking, going to a snake like Giovanni? Michael was barely even out of training and he knew all about what a conniving cunt Giovanni was. And Ardos went to him?! Fuck maybe he deserved the slow death that would come to him when Michael found him.

"As for how no one knew; Cipher has always dealt in sleuth and secrecy. It's not surprising that they managed to do it again." Michael nodded, more than aware at how silent Cipher could be. Their spy networks had spanned regions the last time they secretly rose to power and before anyone realized it they had a full scale assembly line pumping out Shadows like candy. It had taken a lot of work to bring them down again, and this time they had longer to cultivate and more resources than just Orre. It wasn't good.

"So then," he asked as Eldes came to a close. "What's the plan? You can't just sit here and expect something to get done. We need a solution. HQ should be notified, first off. We also need intel: What's going on inside, who's in charge, how many people they have, pokemon, any Shadows. This shit is serious. Things are bad enough without another power play coming in-" He paused as something came to him mid thought. "Wait...were you seriously just going to sit here by yourself and hope to sneak back across?"

Eldes let out a long, heavy breath as his tale ended, glad that he wsa able to get it all out in one go. "So then," Michael began. Eldes' mouth pinched together a little at the tone of his friend's voice. That didn't bode well. "What's the plan? You can't just sit here and expect something to get done. We need a solution. HQ should be notified, first off. We also need intel: What's going on inside, who's in charge, how many people they have, pokemon, any Shadows. This shit is serious. Things are bad enough without another power play coming in-" He interrupted himself as he didn't seem to notice the frown that had formed on Eldes' face. "Wait...were you seriously just going to sit here by yourself and hope to sneak back across?"

"Don't insult me, Michael," Eldes grumbled as he crossed his arms. "That won't work. Nothing short of a highly skilled and extremely delicate covert operation is going to get us over there. Aerial and boat won't work because of the storms. Teleportation is our only real option and there's cameras -working security cameras- everywhere. And they've amped the security up lately, as you can tell." He gestured upward, indicating the ferocious gales and waves outside. "I'm working on a plan, but I've been exiled. I don't doubt Ardos will hold to that if I show back up, and I know he wouldn't hesitate to kill you himself if he had the chance." The comment, though said callously, sent shards of pain into his soul. His brother and his best friend... he couldn't handle that confrontation. No matter who won, he would lose.

He sighed and sat back down beside Michael. "Really, I've only camped here because the Cipher scouts won't go after me. They can't. Ardos told them not to harm me as long as I'm not trying to get back to the island and I'm not. So I'm using that to my advantage to try and come up with a plan. But as soon as he sees you, as soon as he knows you're here, he'll send more. Assassins. Trained killers." He shook his head. "I don't know what you mean by 'HQ', but... maybe you should... go back to them. You can't risk being here."

"Don't insult me, Michael."

That one sentence both offended and deeply cut the young man, hurt that Eldes would even think such a thing of him. He had only been thinking out loud, not intentionally belittling his friend, and at the admonition his face fell away into a reflection of pain. "That won't work. Nothing short of a highly skilled and extremely delicate covert operation is going to get us over there. Aerial and boat won't work because of the storms. Teleportation is our only real option and there's cameras -working security cameras- everywhere. And they've amped the security up lately, as you can tell."

"I'm working on a plan, but I've been exiled. I don't doubt Ardos will hold to that if I show back up, and I know he wouldn't hesitate to kill you himself if he had the chance." Michael's pained expression slowly twitched into a frown, Ardos's name tasting like bile on his tongue. The elder ginger sat down beside him once more, defeated and utterly exhausted. "Really, I've only camped here because the Cipher scouts won't go after me. They can't. Ardos told them not to harm me as long as I'm not trying to get back to the island and I'm not. So I'm using that to my advantage to try and come up with a plan. But as soon as he sees you, as soon as he knows you're here, he'll send more. Assassins. Trained killers."

"I don't know what you mean by 'HQ', but... maybe you should... go back to them. You can't risk being here." There was only one argument to such a plan of action, and it was blindingly simplistic. "How about no?"

Michael got up and stood in front of Eldes, fists resting on his hips as he leaned down over his best friend to scold him. His face was one of worry and determination as he struggled to not thwack his best friend upside the head. Right now he needed to use his words to get through to him. "I'm not going anywhere unless you are going with me. Eldes, most of HQ thinks you're dead. I broke the rules coming after you and the snag machine, but I promised myself I wouldn't go back without you. So say whatever you want, I'm not leaving my best friend behind."

"How about no?"

Eldes should have known that answer was coming, and yet the indignant reply still managed to surprise him. It didn't show, since his exhaustion had settled too far into his expressions, but he closed his eyes against the brewing argument as Michael stood in front of him, hands on hips, to scold him. Yeah, he wasn't ready for this. "I'm not going anywhere unless you are going with me. Eldes, most of HQ thinks you're dead. I broke the rules coming after you and the snag machine, but I promised myself I wouldn't go back without you. So say whatever you want, I'm not leaving my best friend behind."

Emerald eyes went up to Michael, undaunted. "And I'm not going to let mine stay here and get himself killed for no good reason." He pushed himself up, looking his friend in the eyes as he gathered what little of his strength remained. This wasn't for him, this was for Michael's sake. He couldn't falter. "I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad you're safe. But you won't be if you stay here. Once the storm ends, you need to get out before the scouts spot you. I'm not joking."

He was prepared for Eldes to be defensive, or so he thought, but he had forgotten how stubborn the older man could be. "And I'm not going to let mine stay here and get himself killed for no good reason." Eldes stood up and confronted Michael, the two practically equal in height making neither of them very intimidating to the other when standing. "I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad you're safe. But you won't be if you stay here. Once the storm ends, you need to get out before the scouts spot you. I'm not joking."

Michael threw his hands up and groaned dramatically, twirling away from his friend as he continued to argue. "We can go in circles all night if you want but the fact remains, I don't go if you don't. You need me, and I need you, that's how friendship works. And let your brother's minions try to get close to me, just let them, I've got a lot of frustration built up over the last couple of years I could use some good punching bags."

He stopped in the middle of the room and crossed his arms indignantly, daring Eldes with his glare to try and move him.

Eldes let out a laden sigh as Michael continued to be dramatic, tossing his hands in the air and stomping around the lighthouse while the pokemon watched, silent and more than awkward. They knew this wasn't their fight, but there wasn't anywhere else to go other than to continue to spectate the fight between the two humans. "We can go in circles all night if you want but the fact remains, I don't go if you don't. You need me, and I need you, that's how friendship works. And let your brother's minions try to get close to me, just let them, I've got a lot of frustration built up over the last couple of years I could use some good punching bags."

A small huff of anger escaped Eldes as Michael flippantly tossed away the very real threat his brother's new army now posed and he found himself stomping over to Michael, his hands now curled into fists. "My brother's minions aren't target practice for your pent-up anger, Michael," he warned in a low uncharacteristic growl. "You dealt with my father's lazy approach to Cipher. This is Ardos' Cipher, and it is far, far more terrifying and efficient. Those people work like a hive. There's no laziness there. No waste. While the world fell apart, Ardos built a wasp nest, and I am not about to let you go swatting at it with a fucking stick!" His face pinched with fury and fear; the more Michael argued against leaving, the more real his death became.

He poked at the young man's chest as he continued. "The moment you underestimate them is the moment they kill you, Michael. Ardos will come after you the instant he sees you and without abandon. They have guns. They're highly trained with them. And I don't doubt they would disable and hold me back while they executed you and left your corpse for me to bury!"

"My brother's minions aren't target practice for your pent-up anger, Michael."

The growl that came from Eldes was the only clue Michael needed to know that this had gone from a heated conversation to a full blown argument. Neither red head was willing to give up his ground, that the other was the unreasonable one. This was going to be a long night. "You dealt with my father's lazy approach to Cipher. This is Ardos' Cipher, and it is far, far more terrifying and efficient. Those people work like a hive. There's no laziness there. No waste. While the world fell apart, Ardos built a wasp nest, and I am not about to let you go swatting at it with a fucking stick!"

The older male's casual dismissal of Michael's intelligence struck a nerve, causing the younger male to huff, straightening out his spine as he moved into a more aggressive posture. "I'm not an idiot, Eldes, despite what you may think. And it's not like it would be the first time Ardos has tried to kill me. I know the man is frightfully intelligent, but you seem to forget that so am I!"

"The moment you underestimate them is the moment they kill you, Michael. Ardos will come after you the instant he sees you and without abandon. They have guns. They're highly trained with them. And I don't doubt they would disable and hold me back while they executed you and left your corpse for me to bury!" Michael's brushed away the hand poking into his chest with an angry snarl, all but smacking the probing digit and its bearer away.

"Do you even care happens to you?" He snarled, words hissed between clenched teeth as he struggled not to simply punch some sense into the man before him. "You say that they aren't allowed to touch you, but is that really true? Or is there some guideline you don't know about hiding within their orders? What if some of them are as corrupt or stupid as Cipher has been known to have and go back on their orders without permission and fuck up by killing you. What's going to happen? What do you care, you'll be dead! How much intelligence did you really gather while you were over there?"

Michael was panting with anger, his arms sore from the grand gestures he had been making while trying to prove his point, but he would not back down. His kept his firm gaze on his best friend and struggled to find the right words that would persuade the stubborn man to see any other option but his own. "What kind of plan could you possibly come up with that wouldn't require other people to help you accomplish? Come back with me, give your report and let us help you. All sticking around here is going to do is make you miserable and angry because you don't have enough power to take this on by yourself, and you know it."

Michael slapped Eldes' hand away, nearly making the latter pop a gasket. "Do you even care happens to you?" the younger man snarled back, earning more and more of the older man's ire. "You say that they aren't allowed to touch you, but is that really true? Or is there some guideline you don't know about hiding within their orders? What if some of them are as corrupt or stupid as Cipher has been known to have and go back on their orders without permission and fuck up by killing you. What's going to happen? What do you care, you'll be dead! How much intelligence did you really gather while you were over there?"

Eldes took in a sharp breath, his lip curling as Michael berated him like a child. His hands flexed as his rage flared and burned as his friend continued to scold him. "What kind of plan could you possibly come up with that wouldn't require other people to help you accomplish? Come back with me, give your report and let us help you. All sticking around here is going to do is make you miserable and angry because you don't have enough power to take this on by yourself, and you know it."

"You do not talk to me that way, Michael," Eldes snapped back, taking a step forward. "Cipher was my life for over thirty years. It was my family. It IS my family, and I know it better than you ever will. I may not have the power to do this on my own, but instead of condescending to me and telling me that I can't do it without others, remember that NO ONE, not even YOU, can do it without me." He advanced more, his back straightening as he did. "So I suggest that, maybe in lieu of belittling me, you should remember that I'm your superior, Michael. And I'm telling you that once this storm lets up, you need to leave."

"You do not talk to me that way, Michael." The confrontation was set, Eldes advancing on the younger red head as he all but snarled his response. "Cipher was my life for over thirty years. It was my family. It IS my family, and I know it better than you ever will. I may not have the power to do this on my own, but instead of condescending to me and telling me that I can't do it without others, remember that NO ONE, not even YOU, can do it without me."

Michael refused to budge an inch even as Eldes stalked increasingly closer, merely arching his back to allow his vision to not be crossed as they were now mere inches from each other. If it came to blows he would also need the extra leverage to put any power behind a punch. "So I suggest that, maybe in lieu of belittling me, you should remember that I'm your superior, Michael. And I'm telling you that once this storm lets up, you need to leave." Nope, nuh uh, that was the last straw. "Really? Because from your attitude it seems to me like you think you are my father, not my superior."

He and Eldes had fought before but it was never anything like this. Their very lives were at stake in this argument and it was generating a level of desperation and anger that Michael couldn't quite control, his words spilling out before he even had time to process if they should even be said. "In case you forgot, I not only have done this before without you, you were on the other side when I did it! I haven't done anything to belittle you, or mock you, or any of these perceived insults yet you seem to have no problem treating me like crap today. I have only asked you what your plan is because, so far, you have told me nothing that construes a plan. I'm worried about you! I nearly killed myself to find you, and you don't even seem to care. All you can think about is yourself!"

His hand clapped over his mouth as he realized what he said, and who he said it to, his eyes softening in apology as his mouth stuttered to say the same. "I- I didn't- I'm sorry...."

"Really? Because from your attitude it seems to me like you think you are my father, not my superior."

They were both near their breaking points. Something was about to happen, and Eldes was mildly aware that neither of them likely knew what that mysterious, foreboding thing was. But Eldes chose to ignore it, chasing his anger rather than listening to the quickly softening voice in his head to stop the argument. There was no need for him to apologize-- he had done nothing wrong. And with the past few years of being tread upon by his fellow humans, he was very, very done with being the first one to break. "Maybe it seems that way because you're acting like a petulant child!" Eldes growled back, but there was no stopping Michael on a tirade.

"In case you forgot, I not only have done this before without you, you were on the other side when I did it! I haven't done anything to belittle you, or mock you, or any of these perceived insults yet you seem to have no problem treating me like crap today. I have only asked you what your plan is because, so far, you have told me nothing that construes a plan. I'm worried about you! I nearly killed myself to find you, and you don't even seem to care. All you can think about is yourself!"

The last few words were a slap to the face and Eldes' initial reaction was to lean away and process whether or not Michael had actually said that. The boy clapped his hands over his mouth, instantly regretting the sour, bitter words. Even as he stammered out his apology, Eldes' face began to contort with fury and pain.  "I- I didn't- I'm sorry...."

Not only had Michael's entire spiel been utter bullshit, he had to... He said that. Even if it was in anger, he said it pretty readily. How long had Michael secretly thought Eldes was nothing but a selfish coward? The knife in his soul twisted as disgust took control of his expression and he leaned further away from the younger ginger. For so long, he'd tirelessly fought and battled everything he'd ever known, everything he'd ever cared about because of the pain he had caused others. Just two weeks ago, he'd been prepared to kill his own twin brother because of the crimes Eldes had thought him guilty. He had sacrificed everything in the name of justice-- his security, his power, his inheritance and legacy, his family, his fucking dignity... His lower back flared as the horrific memories of prison filled him again and the shame that had haunted him for over a decade.

No. All of that meant nothing to Michael. Eldes was selfish.

So many angry words filled his mind -how wrong Michael was, how naive he was, how petty and childish his rant was- but it all stopped at his tongue and he remained gridlocked into silence. His pokemon stared on in shocked horror at the scene, no one brave enough to cut the silence that began to stretch between the two trainers.

His emerald eyes narrowed and he slowly shook his head in angry disappointment as he stared at Michael, the expression and small gesture far more verbose than any words Eldes could say. He finally turned away, repulsed and wounded, picking up the can of beans he'd placed by the fire not moments before Michael barged into the lighthouse. "Fine. Do what you want," he bitterly muttered, not sparing the youth another glance as he stormed up the stairs to the higher floors. It was easy to tell that the words were essentially "Fuck you."

Oasis shook her head, a similar expression on her face. "What the hell has gotten into your floppy head?!" she cried, smacking her tail on the ground to vent her frustration. "You call yourself his 'friend'!" She pushed past him and flew to the stairs, pausing in the middle to glower down at him. "Don't you dare come up here. I mean it. You've done enough." She soon disappeared after her trainer, leaving the others in a tense, uncomfortable silence.

The fallout from the bomb he dropped was to be expected, but despite the rainbow of emotion playing on the other man's face Eldes simply shook his head and walked away. Michael reached out for him but his hand fell just short of grasping his coat as he turned, his own shame halting him as he stood there silently watching his best friend fall apart by something he had said.

"Fine. Do what you want."

The words were hollow, bitter, and uttered with such a tone that Michael knew he had more than fucked up. Even Oasis, the sweetest Flygon he had ever met, was done with him. "What the hell has gotten into your floppy head?!" The younger male flinched at the heavy sound of her tail striking the floor, her anger justifiable but still terrifying. She had been with Eldes his entire life, her standing in Michael's eyes was one of extreme importance, and he had failed her too with his callous words. "You call yourself his 'friend'!"

His shame welled up inside until his guts began to turn, the acrid taste of bile and stomach acid rising up in his throat and threatening to double him over with sickness. He hated himself in that moment, as he was sure Eldes hated him. Could he really have just destroyed years of friendship in a single instance? Judging from the atmosphere, it was entirely possible. "Don't you dare come up here. I mean it. You've done enough." Michael swallowed hard and refused to meet her gaze, turning his head away as he began to cry silently.

Lucky had risen at the sound of their fighting but even he would not go comfort his trainer after those words, instead the purple feline shook his head in disappointment and returned to the fire hoping that the two would work it out in their own time. But Michael didn't see that time coming. He stepped closer to the stairwell and could hear his friend sobbing above him, causing his own tears to grow thicker and hot as they streamed down his face. He slid slowly to the floor and rested himself on the second step, burying his face in his hands as he too began to cry uncontrollably.

Both of them were too stubborn to surrender their viewpoints, both too afraid of the people they cared about suffering, and when two people were willing to kill themselves to meet opposite goals no one won. Lucky sighed heavily and pulled himself away from the warmth of the fire and Eldes's team, dragging himself over to the stairs and stopping in front of his partner. Michael didn't even acknowledge his existence. He sighed again and padded his way softly upstairs, to try and not disturb the other crying ginger, and called out to hovering Flygon through his mind. ~Oasis, they need to talk. Or else they are both going to shut down.~

Why?

Why did he ever leave?

Why did he bother to do anything on his own? It always just ended in pain or miserable, horrible failure. Why was justice and righteousness so fucking important to him that he cast away anything he'd ever known to be saddled with a life that was merciless and cruel to him? It was anyway, if Eldes was being honest with himself, but at least in the past he'd been able to have Ardos share the burden of his abysmal luck.

Michael's stinging words brought up deep-rooted fears and nightmares, including the self-loathing that had preserved itself and thrived on his soul since Father murdered all of those innocent pokemon in retaliation to Eldes' own indignant rebellion. They were killed for his selfishness when he'd simply thought he'd been exercising the right of living his own life. He'd abandoned his brother in pursuit of his own ideals, convinced he was in the right and because of that, everything would be ok. Instead, Eldes got nothing but humiliation, hate and even some prosecution until he proved himself useful to his peers. Was all of that suffering he'd endured in his hard four decades of life deserved? It sure felt like it now.

He felt hard talons against his back, gently poking into his shirt as he wept. He knew it was Oasis, but the fact that she was trying to console him as he regretted every single decision he'd ever made somehow didn't help. He shook his head as his hands clutched at his forehead and hair, elbows propped on knees as he sat in the only ruined chair in the building.

"Why did I leave...?" he whimpered pathetically at the ground, his voice barely even audible over the roar of the hurricane outside. His departure from Cipher had been more of a detriment to not only himself, but the world rather than any sort of positive influence. If he'd stayed with Ardos, sure, he likely would have Michael as an enemy, and Looker... but they would be alive. He and Ardos would still be together, though. There wouldn't be an impassable rift between them. Maybe Cipher was rebuilt, but really, Ardos' cult was fairly non-threatening as it was. Self-sustaining and eager to keep to themselves. The plague wouldn't have broken out, since Ardos would have ever needed to sell Ein and his knowledge. None of this horrible situation would be in place.

Richard... wouldn't have happened.

None of that would have ever happened.

A flash of a city below, the wind whipping at his tear-streaked face mercilessly as he gazed down at the golden hue. Weeping. His grip faltering. His legs shaking from strain. A single voice trying to call out to him over the gales...
 
                               ....the thought of letting go...

                                                                         ....that....
        .....wouldn't have happened either....


The claws shifted as Oasis wrapped her arms around his shoulders, doing her best to hug him as was possible with their positions and her being a Flygon. "Oh, Eldes..."

~Oasis, they need to talk.~ The Flygon turned her elegant head to see Lucky perched at the top of the stair, her grimace still on full. ~Or else they are both going to shut down.~

Sparing not a moment to give the Espeon a glare of disapproval, she nuzzled her trainer before quietly making her way to him. "Right now?" she snapped in an angry whisper. "You see him, right? Lucky, they're already shutting down. Eldes isn't in any position to speak to him or anyone, really. He can't handle this. Not now." She shook her head and advanced more, aiming to cause Lucky to back away. "He crossed a line, Lucky. You heard it yourself. So Eldes needs time to recuperate from that wound. If you don't respect that, I will make you leave personally."

"Right now?" The female's harsh whisper was akin to the hiss of a venomous serpent, her dangerous glare as she watched the feline pause at the landing of her trainer's floor. "You see him, right? Lucky, they're already shutting down. Eldes isn't in any position to speak to him or anyone, really. He can't handle this. Not now." As she spoke she encroached upon his waiting place, a mother protecting her young, but Lucky merely cast his eyes downward and shook his head. "They need each other. When was the last time either of them coped with something this potent alone? Without the other by their side? Eldes is the only friend Michael has left in the world and if we let that fall to the wayside because both of them are being irrational then that friendship could suffer."

"He crossed a line, Lucky. You heard it yourself. So Eldes needs time to recuperate from that wound. If you don't respect that, I will make you leave personally." The Espeon tensed up at the accusation, knowing full well that Michael was at fault but not willing to let the younger male take all of the blame. "He wasn't the only one who did. Michael only said what he did because Eldes toed the line first, not to be intentionally malicious. He felt attacked so he responded. Michael isn't hateful enough to have said that intentionally."

~^^~

What was he going to do? He couldn't hear the other over his own sobbing and the storm against the stone walls, but he knew full well that Eldes was suffering as well. The older man had always kept his emotions very close to the surface but his fears were buried deep down inside, it had taken nearly a year for Michael to convince the man to tell him what was happening while he was in prison. Even as he endeavored to free Eldes from his incarceration Eldes took forever to trust him with the knowledge of the abuse he was suffering, because he was so scared of being rejected or told he deserved it. He didn't.

Eldes deserved none of the trials and tribulations he had endured most of his life. He was a kind, open soul that had become timid and meek for always being beaten back when trying to find a way out into the world. It wasn't his fault. Yet still Michael had used that fear against him to try and win an argument that was pointless to begin with. "I'm no better than they are..."

All his life he had wanted to be the hero, the one who helps everyone he meets and puts the bad guys away. But even as he was being manipulated into tracking Cipher and taking down their empire he had discovered the world wasn't nearly as black and white as he had imagined as a child. Despite his superior intellect in most things he was retarded when it came to other people, often saying or doing the wrong thing and ending up alone with his thoughts. Eldes was the first person who understood that about him.

And he just ended up fucking that up too.

Of course Lucky didn't back off. Even as her trainer questioned every decision he'd ever made for himself in his long, miserable life, Lucky refused to allow things to rest. Much like his trainer. "He wasn't the only one who did. Michael only said what he did because Eldes toed the line first, not to be intentionally malicious. He felt attacked so he responded. Michael isn't hateful enough to have said that intentionally."

"Oh, so it's Eldes' fault? she growled, her eyes flashing with anger. It was funny how many other people blamed Eldes for his own bad luck. "Of course it is. You wanna know the last time he went through something traumatic without Michael to comfort him?" Oasis snapped in a low voice, advancing more on the Espeon until her face was inches from his. "Two weeks. That's when he found Ardos, they argued with each other and then Eldes got exiled. By his brother. Twin brother. Something he's still recovering from, by the way."

She bared her fangs in the most aggressive way she possibly could, flaring her wings and arching her neck as she poised herself to strike. She meant business. "You don't dictate when my trainer is ready to speak. Get. Out. Of. This. Room."

"Oh, so it's Eldes' fault?

Lucky stared at the pink dragon incredulously, mouth hanging open in shock at the pure audacity of the female to put such awful words in his mouth. That wasn't what he said at all, but she continued on her soap box rant when he failed to correct her. "Of course it is. You wanna know the last time he went through something traumatic without Michael to comfort him? Two weeks.[/i] That's when he found Ardos, they argued with each other and then Eldes got exiled. By his brother. Twin brother. Something he's still recovering from, by the way."

"And Michael is still recovering from the death of his mother and his sister's pokemon, whom he had to kill by the way. He witnessed them eating her. Tell me, how a kid is supposed to get over something like that? Michael was terrified he was going to find Eldes in the same situation and now he's being told to leave while still suffering from that mental image. The need to talk this out!"

His words fell on deaf ears as the female hissed and threatened him, Lucky rolling his eyes at the effort before shaking his head in disappointment. Despite all he had been through Oasis was quite possibly the worst thing to happen to Eldes right now, simply because her over-protective nature was going to kill him. Emotionally, at least. "You don't dictate when my trainer is ready to speak. Get. Out. Of. This. Room."

The Espeon sighed heavily and once again shook his head but finally sighed in defeat. "You're killing them both. I hope that makes you happy." He turned away slowly, taking a few steps down the stairs before turning his head over his shoulder to get one last look at the fuming female to hope that she would call him back. She didn't. Lucky felt his heart breaking as he left one crying male to find another waiting for him at the bottom of the steps.

Michael didn't even notice the psychic cat's presence until the feline nuzzled his head underneath one of the red head's arms and lay down, swishing his tail languidly to periodically bump against Michael's back. He started letting out a low, constant purr to hopefully soothe his distressed trainer but it didn't seem to help. The tears kept flowing and the silence was only broken by the occasional sob as Michael struggled to breath through his constricted chest. And it was like this they stayed, for the rest of the night, the lifelong companions of their trainers offering solace to broken hearts when the true solution lay only one floor away.

The night did not go well.

Eldes' self-worth and esteem had reached a breaking point that night and the morning came too soon to see it returned. He offered no apology for his words or actions to Michael the following morn and did not accept any the young man offered him. Once more, Eldes' soul had been ripped apart again and once more, he had little want or strength to sew it back together. For a solid week, Eldes was very nearly mute.

He essentially ignored Michael and the others, only keeping to the main portions of his routine. He made little eye contact, ate little, slept little. The first few days of his personal boycott were more fueled with anguish and self-loathing. But as Michael's stubbornness kept him there in the lighthouse with him, the anger slowly began to radiate out toward the other man, his bitterness poisoning the air between them. Any words toward Michael echoed his distaste, though all replies were to be kept as short and concise as possible. For the most part, he kept to himself in the lookout room, watching the storms.

The storms were the peculiar part, really. They didn't stop. Eldes hadn't been aware that Ardos' equipment was capable of producing hurricanes. But something was wrong with that line of thought. These storms looked different. Felt different. Colder, fiercer, wilder. Ardos was not someone to unleash something he couldn't control-- Ein being the exception. So... ruling out Ardos, what could it be?

Instead of focusing on his own shattered, pulverized self-image and his now very fragile friendship with Michael, Eldes poured himself into the mystery of the storms. This was something his mind could work on. Not himself, not Michael-- those were tasks far too great for him to handle. So why bother trying?

When did everything become so complicated? It was a question Michael had poured over for the last several days, and as the time crawled forward he found himself with more than enough quiet to reflect over the query. It didn't start out that way, but as the days turned to a week, and that week continued as though impervious to the pleadings of the younger male, Michael found himself alone far more than he would have liked. Especially considering the fact he was in an enclosed space with another human being and several pokemon.

The first morning had been the worst. Michael had eventually cried himself to sleep on the stairs, much to his body's protest the next morning, but when he saw Eldes making his way downstairs the pain didn't matter. He jumped to his feet and immediately began pouring out multitudes of apologies, following the silent man as he bypassed him in favor of moving the kitchen, the restroom, outside, anywhere but where Michael was. But still he persisted in following his friend until his apologies were heard.

They were not.

After three days he gave up apologizing, simply trying to stay around Eldes as much as the man could tolerate and help where he could. For the most part he was ignored but whenever his attachment became beyond the point of annoying Eldes would snap, ordering him away harshly and forcing Michael away for a few hours. But inevitably he would return and try to get back on the man's good side, but it was for naught. After a week, he finally stopped talking all together.

It seemed to work, at least. Eldes stopped snapping at him but in return they now lived in a monotonous silence that threatened to shatter at the slightest provocation. Eldes was content ignoring his very existence, except for a few brief nods or sighs whenever they crossed paths, and Michael was too scared to break the last shard of their delicate friendship. So here he sat, chair pulled up to the window as he watched the storm continue to roar on the outside, wondering if he would ever get out of this mess he put himself in. One brief glance over his shoulder at Eldes told him that he probably wouldn't. At least not today.

Eldes focused on the barely visible shadow on the horizon, squinting through sheets of rain and staring past the rolling, seething waves the ocean was churning. He didn't know if it was simply his mind or eyes playing tricks on him, but if he stared long enough, he could make out small flecks of light coming from the island. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there that particular day, as the past fortnight had been nothing but storms, but he did note that the sky had gotten darker than when he'd last paid attention.

Not that the time mattered. The only thing that mattered were those tiny flecks of light in the distance and how to get to them. It didn't escape Eldes that it was possible his twin was doing the same, leering at the coast and lighthouse. That possibility helped root Eldes to his seat on an unconscious level; if he were somehow mimicking his brother despite miles of ocean between them, maybe he would feel that connection again. Feel closer to his brother again.

Because no matter how different their views were, Ardos was a part of Eldes and vice versa. All he wanted now... all he had ever wanted was to feel whole again... and frankly, the only way Eldes saw that being possible was with his brother. His other half. His frayed, wounded mind yearned for the kinship and love he'd been showered with when he arrived on Citadark. How would he ever find that again? How would he ever find purpose again? What the hell was he doing with his life?

A sigh behind him caused him to flinch and turn, his eyes narrowed in an unintentional glare from hours of squinting. There, he saw Oasis, the only one who really understood the twins, standing in the doorway. "You're going to ruin your eyes by doing that," she admonished gently, but the words did not procure a response from her silent trainer. As he wordlessly turned back to stare out at the storm, she sighed again and walked to her trainer's side, placing a hand on his back. "Eldes..."

Again, he did not respond, but he did look up and make eye contact. His face looked far more worn, his emerald eyes glassy, his skin pale. She swallowed and grasped his shoulder a little firmer. "Come on. You need to move. Eat. Tend to the plants. Ardos isn't going anywhere." Eldes' gaze fell away from his Flygon for a moment, returning to the shape in the distance, before they closed in thought. Oasis anxiously waited a moment, watching him inwardly deliberate. She didn't like being a spectator to her trainer shutting down; she'd seen it too many times. As a child, in Cipher, after prison, at work... But she knew that he couldn't be pushed. He had to do it himself.

A small smile managed to grace her face as his hands gripped the chair's arms and he pushed himself up. His first few steps were stiff, as he literally had not moved most of the day, but he did tend to the plants in the room. However, it seemed that he'd forgotten about Michael and he paused in his path to stare at the back of his fellow ginger's head before resuming his ritual.

With the plants watered, Eldes turned to Michael, his face stoic and emotionless with a voice to match. It was soft, as it hadn't really been used in a week, but that didn't stop the residual pain and anger from leaking through the emotionless facade. "The storm is beginning to let up. Once it ends, I still expect you to leave."

He didn't really notice when Eldes began his routine, too used to the silent movement of the older man as he worked around Michael like he was an unseen spirit rather than his former best friend. Former. That's what he was now, wasn't it? A familiar burning sensation began prickling behind his eyes as the buried truth threatened to resurface for what would only be the first time that morning. Michael had ruined everything by coming here, even when all he had wanted was to find his friend and bring him home.

But the truth was that Eldes didn't want him here, likely never wanted him to begin with. He had forced himself into the older man's life after bringing down Cipher. The young red head had seen the pain and regret in the older male and felt a kinship with him, of a fate being forced upon you that you were unaware of and unwilling to pursue. He shoved himself into Eldes's life to try and prove that neither of them could be manipulated, that they were capable of more than those above them thought, and despite being downright stalkerish in his attempts to persuade the older man a friendship was born. Yet it seemed a friendship built on sand was destined to eventually slip away into the sea.

"The storm is beginning to let up. Once it ends, I still expect you to leave."

Michael was unused to hearing actual words coming from his companion any longer so he startled a moment when the gruff voice accosted him, turning to see Eldes standing behind him with a sour expression. The young man sighed and ignored the order, instead turning back in his chair to once again resume his position of staring out into the storm. "Unlike the clock, a broken record is never right," he rasped, boredom for the repetitive argument tainting his graveled voice. His throat was raw from disuse and crying himself to sleep every night, but he had little care for his tone any longer. Eldes may not consider them friends anymore but that didn't mean Michael didn't still care enough about the man to keep at his side.

Whether he liked it or not.

"Unlike the clock, a broken record is never right," was Michael's crackled response, one that caused the bitter anger to rise again like bile in Eldes. The older man's hands flexed as he considered whether or not it was worth restraining his anger at this point. Apathy had a firm hold of them both; it was obvious and he knew it. But even as he saw Oasis shake her head slightly in his periphery, he didn't care. He couldn't feel the need to stop the fight that had been fermenting for a week, he couldn't hear the little voice pleading to just end the anger.

"Stop. You're leaving and that's the end of it." His voice didn't raise, but there was certainly more venom in his words.