The ECRUTEAK Team (PLOT)

"Welcome back, your highness."

As the brilliant light faded, marking her release from that accursed spherical prison, the Direyena's face twisted in rage at the sound of those words. While normally their sarcastic banter was a simple game of station she was not in the mood for Kyoya's obvious accusation of her status to her human. Her fur bristled angrily, hackles raising all down her back as she slowly marched on the Ampharos. Her crimson eyes bore into his as her lips slowly curled back into a snarl, a low growl growing in intensity with each step closer she drew. Using a nearby fallen statue to give her a boost she made sure she was as close to Kyoya's height as she could be before she began. "Do not dare," she said with a snarl, eyes narrowing as she stopped mere inches from his face, "assume your social status before this madness puts you even close to me. I grow tired of your games. And when I get bored, I get violent. Do keep that in mind."

Zenyt simply watched in amusement as his beauty challenged the male for authority, feeling no guilt for putting her in her place before the ovine. She was going to have to accept having him back in charge before long, once they found Rocket again and the Admin took his rightful place within its inner circle once more. He kept only one ear on the biting words of his girl until she let slip a seemingly harmless detail about Kyoya's family. The human's mouth slowly curled upward in a triumphant smirk, knowing exactly how he and his beauty could topple the Ampharos if he made a play for power within the group. How many of them would want to follow a Pokemon his own family had abandoned in favor of their lives? That his life of growing up looking down on others would come back and take a literal bite out of him?

Slowly rising from his perch on the railing the human gracefully extended his legs and moved to stand beside Tisiphone, resting one hand delicately on the back of her neck. "I think that is quite enough, my lovely," he said softly, but was unprepared for Tisiphone's quick response. She whirled on her trainer and soundly bit his hand, teeth sinking into the delicate flesh of his palm and drawing blood. Choking back a cry Zenyt quickly drew his hand to his chest and cradled it there, barely peeking to observe the damage before turning his wide eyes to his precious Direyena. She had never, in all their years together, even attempted to harm him. Now she had outright attacked him. He felt his heart clench in disappointment as she gave him the same snarling face she gave the Light Pokemon, not even bothering to wipe his blood from her lips as she glared. "Do. NOT. Touch. Me." she snarled angrily, whipping her tail back and forth angrily. "You lost that right the instant you put me back in that monstrosity, you fucking liar."

The Admin was cut by her words, head turning in shame as he acknowledged that he had indeed broken an oath to her that he would not use the bauble on her without it being part of a plan they both agreed on. He had felt himself in the right by reminding her that she was his but it seemed he had forgotten he was as much hers as well. He hung his head and slumped to the floor, blood seeping between his fingers as they grasped desperately at the flowing wound in his other hand and painting his shirt red. "Forgive me..." he whispered pathetically, fearing losing his only companion in this dark world. Even within Rocket Tisiphone was his anchor, his soulmate, and he dared not risk losing her even then. Losing her now would be unthinkable.

The female merely stood there before him, eyes cast down at him huddled form as she weighed her options.




((It was agreed we would continue after the Zoroark attack and this is the location we had run to and begun to regroup. Any newcomers since then will be easiest to introduce from this point.))

Plagues' ears rose sharply as the shocking sound of a Pokeball rang throughout the building. The bright light temporarily blinded the vulpine, but as he looked on, the Direyena appeared, looking downright livid.

"Welcome back, your highness." The ram sneered, arrogance and condescension saturating his words and form. Plague cringed, his eyes snapping to the canid. The fur spiked along her back and neck, her face a twisted entanglement of rage and hurt. He shuddered as she marched towards his friend, large fangs glistening among her ferocious snarls. This wasn't just the regular standoff these two usually had; this was something else. Without thinking, the fox jumped to his feet and meekly limped to Kyoyas' side. The pain shot through his arm and chest, searing and sharp. Darkness was encircling his vision. He knew he'd be absolutely dead if Ty wished it. Staring at her large fangs only made scenarios of the sharp bone crushing his neck flood his mind, but there was no other choice.

Ty climbed a fallen statue with ease as she rose to the rams' height and stopped, her bristling fangs inches from his unphased maw.
"Do not dare assume your social status before this madness puts you even close to me. I grow tired of your games. And when I get bored, I get violent. Do keep that in mind." She snarled, her narrowed eyes burning with the rage of hellfire. A shiver went down his spine as he watched with a fearful gaze. He had come to like something in the Direyena, despite the sheer bitchiness that she wore proudly, like a badge of honor. There was a vulnerability behind all of it which somehow made him want to stand by her side. But after seeing her face- that terrible face, he was genuinely frightened of what she might do. Kyoyas' tail began to glow a pale blue, sparks jumping from the orb as it swayed back and forth in a slow rhythm.

"I think that is quite enough, my lovely," The human said, trying to ease her back and defuse his ticking time bomb. In a flash of a dark fur and teeth that was too quick for him to follow, the human let out a choked cry, pulling back his hand and cradling the bloodied appendage with obvious pain in his eyes.  
"Do. NOT. Touch. Me." she snarled angrily, whipping her tail back and forth angrily. "You lost that right the instant you put me back in that monstrosity, you fucking liar." Plagues' eyes were wide with shock as he watched the two converse, the human shrinking at her words. But as he offered a meek apology, the foxes' eyes shifted and stayed on the beaten trainer. Realization flashed across his masked face. But before he could process that fully, a quiet but mocking laughter began to rise from the creature beside him. He had seen Kyoyas' mouth twist into a snarl at her words before the human intervened, but to his surprise, the Ampharos' dark countenance somehow intensified more and more as he continued to laugh.

"Oh, clever, clever!" He mockingly crooned, clapping slowly as his hooves took him a few steps away from the bristling canine. "And here I thought you would disappoint me completely!" He chuckled, the unsettling grin on his face making the fox retreat a step from his side. But as silence fell, so did the grin, instantly warping to a condescending snarl. "Of course...you're right. I am nowhere near close to you or your status..." His glasses flashed white, concealing his chilling stare. His tail rose higher, the sparking orb now flashing with pulsing, deadly volts of electricity. His head rose as he looked upon her, his slate eyes boring into the Direyena with an unreadable intent. "I AM YOUR SUPERIOR!" The ram roared, startling the fox as he jumped back from him, his eyes wide with a growing fear.

"...I'm glad that you recognize my name and what it should mean to you and your...pet." He snarled, regaining his control. "Because you are still and always will be a Rocket," He spat with a commanding air, the sound of his hooves echoing loudly as he boldly walked towards her. "The ranks have been decimated. Your commanders are dead or missing. Giovanni left you all for dead, while he fled the country to save himself. So as the sole survivor of the Ootori lineage...I own you."

The Ampharos glowered at the female, their faces inches away from each other. Seeing the full extent of Kyoyas' shadowy side, he looked just as threatening as the vicious canine. And undoubtedly, the battle would be without mercy or restraint. Plagues' mind raced as he thought of the others and himself, caught in between these two forces of pure malice.
Limping forward with a pained grimace on his face, he nudged the ram with his head and neck, trying again with more force when it was ignored.
"...Kyoya...Kyo...." He half-whispered, looking up at the ram endearingly. Kyoya snarled, his leg tensing as if he was about to release a powerful, cloven kick upon him. But as he stared at the unmoving fox, his slender form relaxed, his biting gaze returning to the canine. "Stand down, Rocket." He commanded, his posture collected and cold once more. Plague whimpered as he turned with reluctance to the lethal Tysiphone. The small fox said nothing to the towering wolf-dog, but cautiously padded a few steps up the statue. He stopped, just a few steps from her crushing teeth, before gazing into her eyes. He silently pleaded for her to stop, his head tilting and lowering, accompanied by his large ears. His wide, crimson gaze was locked on hers, his chest pounding as he awaited a flash of teeth to fling his frail body into eternal darkness.

Since the violent screaming came from inside of the building, he retreated back to his hiding place. Well, he had been sitting there for the past hour as the fighting raged on in the center of the town. It'd been a while since he had ran away from the worsening scene at... that snowy place - Snowpoint? At least it wasn't so horribly cold now, he supposed. Though the bloody grass and sharpened branches of the bushes wasn't any better. Felt as if anything could come up and grab him viciously before he could make a scream. Or maybe it was just the eeriness of the echoing screeching of the undead and survivors. He had actually heard them stampede into the building from the little hollow under a tree he managed to find for cover.

Catalyst peaks out, just allowing his muzzle to catch a scent of anything near by. It seemed the yelling had died down well enough for a solid minute, enough to start peaking out. These Pokemon seem to be alive and not some of the undead that seemed so damn prevalent in this city. ... He knows that he simply can't survive on his own. As much as he wants to since Snowpoint; his real first encounter with other Pokemon since he was younger that wasn't finished by bloodshed. They were all jaded by the primal and instinctual desire to keep their cells processing energy despite the bleak screaming of their dead counterparts and possible past teammates like Hera. ... Quite honestly, he couldn't imagine the suffering they must have been through to put their old team members out of their misery. But, survival must go on, he guesses, like there's some point to it now that the world is in utter hell with a not likely chance to ever get better. Hah, it always could, right?

The big, blue eyes of the ghost-hound scans over the field as he slinks out, wispy and shadowy, in-hiding under the tree's towering silhouettes. He couldn't even sense his own numb existence, physically or mentally, as he treks up the steps and into the building, still melding into the shadow on the door and around it seamlessly. It was right then when he heard the enraged screaming of what he could guess was an Ampharos, face to face with some creature that looked like a mutated form of some Pokemon, like Dante was. He could sense the faint glowing of the Umbreon in the back of the room, who was so intimidated he could practically smell his fear from where he was thirty feet away. ... Though he couldn't quite tell if it was the smell of fear that was familiar. Or the smell of blood that could practically soak the air itself or the rotting wood that threatened to avalanche down at a wrong step. He can't tell what seemed reminiscent of something he had known before, but chooses to absently shove it into the back of his brain.

"I AM YOUR SUPERIOR!" the Ampharos bellows, the air vibrating, "...I'm glad that you recognize my name and what it should mean to you and your...pet. Because you are still and always will be a Rocket. The ranks have been decimated. Your commanders are dead or missing. Giovanni left you all for dead, while he fled the country to save himself. So as the sole survivor of the Ootori lineage...I own you."
Yeah, definitely sounded like a group of Pokemon he didn't want to fuck around with. But frankly, they were the only ones here, and seemed ferocious enough to fight off anything that came by. Body guards, maybe make some closer acquaintanceships. He wasn't hunky-dory about it anymore.

"Stand down, Rocket."
They are face to face, and the tension still thick enough to cut with a knife. He stays uncannily still, making sure they can't sense him. Maybe if he doesn't look at them so intensely ... but his eyes stay glued to the purple Umbreon cowering in utter fear.

-----

[OoC: Since he is practically invisible, the others can sense his presence, but I would like him to remain undiscovered for now.]

"I AM YOUR SUPERIOR!"

Oh dear. This wasn't good.

Did they really have to stand here arguing -- far too loudly for Arthur's comfort -- over authority after what had just happened? Did none of these Pokemon have priorities or even, indeed, a heart? Arthur felt slightly sick with disgust as he stood back in the shadows, hoping that Ty or Kyoya didn't suddenly have the idea to include him in their little conflict.

"The ranks have been decimated. Your commanders are dead or missing. Giovanni left you all for dead, while he fled the country to save himself. So as the sole survivor of the Ootori lineage...I own you." What the heck was he talking about? Giovanni? Ootori? Kyoya might as well had been talking a foreign language. Clearly this was one of the many things in life that he didn't know squat about thanks to Elijah. The Feraligatr growled to himself, aggressively twisting one of his fingers as he began to realise just how much he hated his former 'Trainer'.

"Stand down, Rocket." Rocket? OK, Arthur had heard that term before. Weren't they a group of criminals or something? He wasn't sure, but it did ring a bell. Arthur cast a wary look at Zenyt; had he been a Rocket?

His head was spinning with all the possible theories that he could think of. It didn't matter who was who or why or when; what was important was that they collected themselves after the Zoroark attack. All that was happening was that they were all frightened and tense after witnessing such a scene and that they would soon calm down and start acting like rational beings again. That was how people worked ... right?

"C-Can we just cut it-it out?" he mumbled pathetically from his corner. He sounded like a child telling a bully to give back his lunch money. There was no way in hell these guys were going to listen to a word he said. He had no purpose or authority in this group; he was just there. "N-Now's a really b-b-bad time to fight..."

"Welcome back, your highness."

Levi's eyes groggily opened to the sound, confused. A voice? Here? Maybe he'd already lost it... But as he blinked away the sleep in his eyes, he skimmed his surroundings quickly to find that he, in fact, did have company. From his bed and perch in the rafters, however, it looked like they weren't aware of his presence. They looked healthy, as well --maybe save for that weird umbreon. How nice to be woken up to entertainment instead of him having to seek it. Careful to not make a single noise, he watched eagerly as the terrified and upset pokemon below turn on each other.

What Levi could only assume as a demon wolf took its claim on a fallen statue to angrily address an ampharos-- the pokemon who had likely woken him. "Do not dare assume your social status before this madness puts you even close to me. I grow tired of your games. And when I get bored, I get violent. Do keep that in mind." the horned wolf snarled, her viciousness dripping from each malicious word. Even if the words weren't directed at him, Levi felt goosebumps beneath his scales. All this talk of "status"-- looks like we have ourselves a real Queen B over here.

"I think that is quite enough, my lovely," Oh, he hadn't noticed the human there. Well, that was certainly new. He tilted his head, intrigued to how well this human would tether his dog. Levi's eyebrows raised as she fluidly and without hesitation bit the ever-living shit out of the man's hand. Not very, apparently, the dragon mused.

"Do. NOT. Touch. Me." the bitch snapped with such disdain and hate, Levi could feel it up in the rafters. Oh, if he only had popcorn. "You lost that right the instant you put me back in that monstrosity, you fucking liar." Obviously, Levi was missing part of the story here, which he somewhat lamented, but he stayed quiet in hopes that in the escalating drama, someone would be kind enough to give some exposition. Didn't that happen in soap operas? One character stepped in and explained everything that happened in the last ten years or something? Ah, he hoped so.

"Oh, clever, clever!" Levi's attention went to the ampharos once more as he actually started clapping with so much sarcasm it could have drowned everyone in the room. The golden draogn's face broke out in a wide grin-- ooo, he liked this guy.  "And here I thought you would disappoint me completely!" The strange sheep chuckled to himself as Levi nestled into his seat eagerly, excited for what was coming next. His instincts said it was gonna be big. "Of course...you're right. I am nowhere near close to you or your status..." He took a moment to let the silence settle in and frankly, Levi had to hand it to the guy for his dramatic flair.  "I AM YOUR SUPERIOR! ...I'm glad that you recognize my name and what it should mean to you and your...pet. Because you are still and always will be a Rocket," The ampharos fearlessly strode toward the snarling canine, confidence oozing from every fiber of his being. What the fuck was going on between these two?! Were the others aware? Was he the only on in the dark? UGH IT WAS GETTING TO BE TOO MUCH.  "The ranks have been decimated. Your commanders are dead or missing. Giovanni left you all for dead, while he fled the country to save himself. So as the sole survivor of the Ootori lineage...I own you."

More silence settled on the group as the words echoed mockingly around the wolf, which Levi could tell was about to fucking EXPLODE. He really wished there was popcorn. However, the first one to move wasn't the wolf ripping the shit out of the ampharos' neck, but the strange purple, masked umbreon to the ampharos' side. "...Kyoya...Kyo...." It was a gentle plea, likely one to restrain the electric-type's brashness, which, to Levi's surprise, actually seemed to work. The ampharos' rage and manic manner seemed to lessen some, but he held his ground firmly. "Stand down, Rocket."

"C-Can we just cut it-it out?" the feraligatr finally spoke, almost just barely getting out a sentence through his thick stutter. "N-Now's a really b-b-bad time to fight..."

Aww, don't make up just yet-- at least have some angry make out session or something, Levi whined inwardly, watching from his perch with absolute silence.

[[please don't spot Levi just yet  d:]]

Instead of intimidating the female, Kyoya’s display of power coupled with his words of superiority merely intensified Ty’s adrenaline. She could feel her skin crawling with the desire to fight, the desire to wrap her jaws around that slender throat and make him bend over in front of everyone before she clamped them down with a satisfying crunch. Her mouth was drooling over the imagined richness of the Ampharos’s blood and how warm it would be coating her tongue, the sensually thick liquid pouring out of his veins as he was finally dominated.  So lost in her imaginings it became easier for her to ignore his pathetic insults until a small, black figure appeared in her peripheral to stand at the maggot’s side.

The masked Umbreon.

She couldn’t forget that sickening face she had glimpsed beneath the skull, the scarred and tattered remains clinging to life. Lips curling back in a grimace she allowed her eyes only a moment to dart to Plague as he muttered to Kyoya, the ovine looking back at her sharply and ordering her down. "Stand down, Rocket," he barked commandingly, and Tisiphone couldn’t help barking out a laugh. Did he really think that she was going to back down to someone like him? A pathetic cast off with no real ties to the family that fled without him? Her laugh turned sinister quickly as she gave Kyoya a feral grin, puffing out her chest and raising her head higher in response to his ‘order’.

It was then that Plague stepped forward cautiously, lowering his head and peering submissively up at her from beneath his skeletal disguise. She eyed him cautiously, cocking her head to the side to meet his gaze while not giving any ground up in her stance against Kyoya. He seemed…genuinely frightened of her. She could hear the rapid thudding of the Umbreon’s heart as it pounded against his ribcage, the hitched breathing as he struggled not to whimper. It was beautiful. Flashing him an ominous smile Ty soon felt a swell of pride being able to cow Kyoya’s pet, but the smile would be quickly felled when she heard the watery reptile add in his stuttering pleas for attention.

"C-Can we just cut it-it out?" Her grin slowly began to melt into a frown. "N-Now's a really b-b-bad time to fight..." His stumbling over the simplest of words and desperate cries soon turned her frown back into a vicious snarl. “SILENCE!” she barked angrily, claws digging dangerously into the statue upon which she stood, pieces of the rock cracking and crumbling under the pressure. “You have no right to question when and where your betters speak you miserable wretch!” Turning her cold glare from Arthur to Kyoya she once again pulled her head high and looked down her nose at the only male who might actually pose a threat to her authority. “And as for you…”

Zenyt simply watched in horror at the altercation between Kyoya and his beloved Tisiphone, and only the intense throbbing in his still bleeding hand could convince him that this was real. They had only been apart a couple of months before Tisiphone tracked him down. How could she have changed so much? Or had she always been so dominant? Had he only convinced himself that she belonged to him? Was she simply using him their entire relationship together? Questions upon questions burned in the intellectual man’s mind and he couldn’t take the way each one screamed over the other, bringing his hands up to his ears and crushing them into his skull to make the voices stop. Tisiphone was his other half, his most precious one, the only creature who ever was worthy of being called his equal. But now it seemed that even that had been a lie. Just like everyone else, his beauty had used him. Like Giovanni had used him.

Tears stung at his eyes as the Rocket Admin sunk into his thoughts, shaking his head violently to try and make them stop. Shifting his hands to his eyes he buried the heels into his eyes until it hurt, fighting with all his might to keep the Ampharos from seeing them. Even if the Ootori had left him, the creature was still powerful in his own right. And he, like Tisiphone, had grown up thinking he was truly better than any peon put before him. Zenyt himself had seen to it she knew she was better, because he was better. Smarter. Never underestimate the intelligence of one who doesn’t need brawn to kill you, which was always his way. He taught it to her. And now that she had found her own path it seemed she didn’t need him anymore. He, not her, was truly the pet. And now she was done with him.

Tisiphone could hear her human shifting pathetically behind her, his body practically reeking of fear and confusion, and simply let out a simple scoff. He was acting like a child. Before her was a man, one who thought he was in charge, and that simply could not be allowed. “If you truly think yourself above a Rocket, little Kyo, then maybe you should think of this. To whom do you think your family went to when they sought to flee this ravaged land? Whom do you think would seek a profit even from the end of the world by using his smuggling vessels as escape charters? Did you truly think the ‘no Pokemon’ rule was first implemented by the government when the Epidemic broke out? Or did you not realize that it was Giovanni himself…” She bared her teeth in a wicked grin as she inched herself closer to Kyo, dark and sultry voice whispering her final say in his ear. “Because he knew?” Leaning back she smiled at him, watching and waiting for whatever reaction would play across his face. However subtle.

“They abandoned you, Kyoya, because you were never an Ootori. You were a pet. An expendable pet they left to die.”

"C-Can we just cut it-it out?" the feraligatr finally spoke, almost just barely getting out a sentence through his thick stutter. "N-Now's a really b-b-bad time to fight..."
Plagues' ears perked a bit, surprise showing underneath the intimidating skull as he gazed at him.
The gator was certainly brave, especially in the face of both Kyoya and Tysiphone, the brains and brawn of this group. He realized he was staring- with embarassment, he offered a small smile, which could only be seen in his eyes.

“If you truly think yourself above a Rocket, little Kyo, then maybe you should think of this. To whom do you think your family went to when they sought to flee this ravaged land? Whom do you think would seek a profit even from the end of the world by using his smuggling vessels as escape charters? Did you truly think the ‘no Pokemon’ rule was first implemented by the government when the Epidemic broke out? Or did you not realize that it was Giovanni himself…” She bared her teeth in a wicked grin as she inched herself closer to Kyo, dark and sultry voice whispering her final say in his ear. “Because he knew?”

Kyoyas' narrowed eyes widened, taking a step back as the realization of the Rocket Executives' involvement feeling like a sledgehammer to the chest. He...he couldn'tve...no...No. The family would have known...He was under oath of death to report everything...
And then a boiling rage began to simmer within him, knowing full-well that the vile, human monstrosity would indeed do something so devastating for his own selfish desires.
"The..." Kyoya rasped, his throat suddenly dry. "The whole country...HE...he did this..." The ram shook his head as his eyes grew frantic and wide. "No, no, nononono!" He cried out, his paws gripping the sides of his head. "Don't you realize what he's done!" He roared. "It's not the country anymore that will be overrun by these THINGS!" His ears fell against his head as he frantically stalked back and forth.

The Ampharos bowed his head in a storm of emotions.
How could he have possibly gained access to the geneticists? The Biochemical departments? I had known about some of the bio warfare projects that had been in the works but those ones that were whispered about in fearful huddles...If ever unleashed, they would never be stopped. The virus components would make virtually any virus too contagious, too adaptable, and infinitely more powerful than any weapon humans possessed. No, those were deemed too dangerous, even for them and were shut down. They were powerful enough to eliminate all life, leaving no one to gather the riches. What good was there in such a thing?
And why did father give him access? Could he have been more of a monster than even Kyoya imagined? Or did Giovanni do this in secret? He must have. He must.

Giovanni! That short-sighted bastard! He has no idea the level he's taken this too!
And this...this grunt....they knew?... Kyoyas' twitching gaze turned to the human. "You all...knew?..." He whispered to him as he drew closer. "And you were all so...blindly and pathetically obedient that...you didn't even try to stop him?..." The ram was barely able to contain himself as a vicious snarl was darkening his face. Grabbing the humans' throat, he pulled him up to his height, looking him in the eyes. "You've doomed the whole planet..." He shakily snarled, before thrusting his free fist hard into the humans face, launching the human into the far wall.

"Tysiphone, you're a sad little fool! You don't SEE the big picture do you?" He cried as he approached her, his voice thick with emotion. "Jeering about my family and gloating over Giovannis' triumph, while this... your leader...the one you so eagerly obeyed and admired...he doomed you to become a walking corpse...along with the rest of the planet...! Possibly even further..." He whispered, his trembling paw going up to his face as he walked away from her.

Plague limped towards him, pausing in his shadow. "Kyoya...what...what do you mean? What is going on??" He asked, breath baited as the weight of the situation seemed to get heavier by the moment.
Kyoya sighed heavily, his shoulders slumped in despair. "If this virus' origins were manufactured in the Ootori labs...If Giovanni stole that research..." He trailed off, his tormented gaze falling to the wounded Umbreon.

"There is nowhere we can go now where we won't be hunted by the walking dead. Even if we find a way to leave...it's already too late..." He said in a hushed tone, turning to the canine.

"...Everything carries the virus..."


(im a bit loopy from meds si of any mistkes will fix tomorw)

More squabbling comes from the group of Pokemon. He still doesn't move.

"C-Can we just cut it-it out? N-Now's a really b-b-bad time to fight..."
“SILENCE! You have no right to question when and where your betters speak you miserable wretch! ... And as for you…”

The dripping venom in her voice felt like a vicegrip on his throat and keeps his lungs from wanting to breath.

“If you truly think yourself above a Rocket, little Kyo, then maybe you should think of this. To whom do you think your family went to when they sought to flee this ravaged land? Whom do you think would seek a profit even from the end of the world by using his smuggling vessels as escape charters? Did you truly think the ‘no Pokemon’ rule was first implemented by the government when the Epidemic broke out? Or did you not realize that it was Giovanni himself… Because he knew?... They abandoned you, Kyoya, because you were never an Ootori. You were a pet. An expendable pet they left to die.”

An expendable pet... left to die. Catalyst looks to the Ampharos, 'Kyoya', his features plastered with awe, and seems to mentally receed. ... The black beast's paws twitch rhythmically on the ground.

"The... The whole country...HE...he did this... No, no, nononono! Don't you realize what he's done! It's not the country anymore that will be overrun by these THINGS!"

The air must have distorted with his full-body shiver - at least it felt like it. He could feel every individual root of his hairs lifting at the thought of this truly being a never-ending hell. Most times his stoicity to everything was extremely worrying the moments he did become self-aware, but he wishes in this moment it'd come back like usual. He did not want to hear about this anymore. But yet. wait... how do these Pokemon know so damn much about this plague? Maybe he was gullible enough to believe the ramblings of insane Pokemon? Then again, look who's talking....

"You all...knew?... And you were all so...blindly and pathetically obedient that...you didn't even try to stop him?... ... You've doomed the whole planet..."

In shivering rage, he grabs the human up with his fins and wallops his face to send him slamming into the the wall other way. Catalyst scrambled away from the beams above him, lumber from the roof threatening to fall right on top of him. Wouldn't be a really terrible way to go, in retrospect. But he can feel the warm feeling of dread threaten to wash over him.

"Tysiphone, you're a sad little fool! You don't SEE the big picture do you? Jeering about my family and gloating over Giovannis' triumph, while this... your leader...the one you so eagerly obeyed and admired...he doomed you to become a walking corpse...along with the rest of the planet...! Possibly even further..."
"Kyoya...what...what do you mean? What is going on??"
"If this virus' origins were manufactured in the Ootori labs...If Giovanni stole that research... There is nowhere we can go now where we won't be hunted by the walking dead. Even if we find a way to leave...it's already too late... ...Everything carries the virus..."

The feeling of familiarity the Umbreon brought him didn't last at all enough for him to really acknowledge it, not before Kyoya's words. This guy... seemed so knowledgeable about this situation. Ootori? Giovanni? Was there really so much of a loop than he had thought.... Rocket? As in... Team Rocket? Catalyst's breath releases suddenly as if it had been trying to claw out of him; his muscles felt stiff and fibrous over the overwhelming sensation of recognition. Wasn't that... the gang Rosco wanted to go into? Rosco.... No, he was part of that gang - wasn't he? Arceus, it was so far in the past that he couldn't even possibly remember anything about Rosco besides his 5 o'clock shadow and calloused hands. The contemplation made his brain want to stab itself to stop it's racing. It... would have to wait. He needs rest. And until he could rest, he'd have to continue listening. ... Focus on listening.

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[OoC: Sorry for my slight lateness, life is busy! Just now finding that out for real, as I'm getting older.... lol]

((Skip me please. I've had to work over tonight and I simply haven't got the time [nor energy, to be frank] to work on a decent post. Arthur isn't up to much anyway; he flinched when Ty snapped at him and is still just standing nervously in his corner.))

Queen B, to Levi's utter delight, didn't for an instant contemplate shutting the argument down. Oh no. She puffed her chest, revealed her deadly fangs in a cruel grin and stood against the Ampharos almost triumphantly. But to the timid lizard, she was almost outright hostile. “SILENCE!” she snapped viciously, pulverizing a small part of the statue she stood upon. “You have no right to question when and where your betters speak you miserable wretch!” With the blue reptile effectively silenced, she turned back to her prey and continued. “And as for you…”

“If you truly think yourself above a Rocket, little Kyo, then maybe you should think of this. To whom do you think your family went to when they sought to flee this ravaged land? Whom do you think would seek a profit even from the end of the world by using his smuggling vessels as escape charters? Did you truly think the ‘no Pokemon’ rule was first implemented by the government when the Epidemic broke out? Or did you not realize that it was Giovanni himself…” Levi's brows furrowed at the mention of the government and epidemic, confusion quickly replacing the giggling excitement for drama. He leaned closer in tandem with the she-wolf, not wanting to miss a word. “Because he knew?” What did these pokemon have to do with the Epidemic itself?

But the wolf wasn't particularly forthcoming with answers to Levi's silent questions. She merely reveled in the Ampharos' slowly shattering mind, cocky grin wide across her face. “They abandoned you, Kyoya, because you were never an Ootori. You were a pet. An expendable pet they left to die.”

Ouch. Even Levi could feel that one, and he was at least a dozen feet above their heads. But he didn't have much time to mull over the wolf's vague words as the electric sheep had a small mental breakdown, which was now slightly less satisfying than he'd originally thought. "The..." he began, horrified, "The whole country...HE...he did this..." The ram shook his head as his eyes grew frantic and wide. "No, no, nononono!" Levi's neck instinctively flinched away from the sudden spike in volume. "Don't you realize what he's done!" He roared. "It's not the country anymore that will be overrun by these THINGS!"

He was quiet for a while, Levi wasn't sure for how long, however, his words still ringing in the dusty air. Levi watched with uncertainty-- was this bitch's boss... responsible for the apocalypse? Levi hadn't really even thought as to why it was all happening-- he'd always been more concerned with living through it. But if what they were saying was true... that someone actually did this... His eyes narrowed as he felt something churn in his chest. Something that didn't often stir. But before he would allow himself to act upon it, he needed confirmation. His eyes went back to the struggling Ampharos waiting for more information.

"You all...knew?..." His voice was barely a whisper, but thankfully, no one else dared to speak over him.  "And you were all so...blindly and pathetically obedient that...you didn't even try to stop him?..." As his words trembled with raw rage, he stormed over to the simpering, whimpering human and picked the poor bastard up by his throat.  "You've doomed the whole planet..." It seemed his rage proved too much as he unleashed a merciless fist into the man's face as Levi found himself too stunned to move. This... These Rocket people... they really did it? They made the world end?

"Tysiphone, you're a sad little fool! You don't SEE the big picture do you?" The Ampharos snapped as he approached the she-wolf again, completely livid. "Jeering about my family and gloating over Giovannis' triumph, while this... your leader...the one you so eagerly obeyed and admired...he doomed you to become a walking corpse...along with the rest of the planet...! Possibly even further..." The rage that had been fueling him seemed to dissipate into unadulterated horror and sorrow as he turned from her and the weird Umbreon approached him instead.

"Kyoya...what...what do you mean? What is going on??" Yeah, please, for the benefit of us all... Levi thought grimly.

"If this virus' origins were manufactured in the Ootori labs...If Giovanni stole that research... There is nowhere we can go now where we won't be hunted by the walking dead. Even if we find a way to leave...it's already too late...

"...Everything carries the virus..."

..."Everything"? What did he fucking mean by "everything"? Levi gave a quick, worried glance over his golden scales and found nothing but perfection, as usual. His eyes narrowed into a firm glare upon the players below as he contemplated the fascinating idea of just eviscerating the human and his bitch, but maybe that was just a little much. After all, he could be extremely distraught by the news. But if they were already sick, if they were all already infected, what was the point? How would life beat such unrelenting death?

Unfortunately -or maybe fortunately- there was a slight rustle of noise outside before a purple serpent nearly fell into the building with them, his entryway closing behind him. Levi's eyes lit up happily at the familiar sight-- such dismal scales and the odd evolution and the sour expression! That could only be one dragon in the entire world.

"Sorry," Anton grumbled, shaking off some errant feathers and ridding himself of a few bits of someone else's coagulated blood. "Got caught up." He lifted his head and actually took a look at everyone, tail soon twitching nervously. Anton hadn't felt this kind of tension in... a very long time. Kyoya was on the brink of tears, the dumb human was cradling a wound, looking pathetic, She-Bitch was, well, normal, but Arthur looked like someone had castrated him and the gross Umbreon, well, had a face mask, so outward emotions were kind of out of the question. But something was probably off about him too, if Anton cared enough to actually try to figure it out. "...I'm... guessing I missed something."

His breakdown was glorious. Ty could not have been more pleased with herself as she not only got to see Kyoya's resolve crumble but she drove him into near hysterics. His voice, barely above a whisper, couldn't hide the terror running through him as realization dawned. Rocket, as well as his precious high born family, worked together for this monstrosity. This hell they all lived in, he was part of it. Guilt by association is a powerful thing, Tisiphone knew it well from her years working with Zenyt under Giovanni, and soon Kyoya would know it too.

"And you were all so...blindly and pathetically obedient that...you didn't even try to stop him?..."

Ty's ears perked up a bit as her mind, which had begun to wander in her delight, sharply drew back to the utterances of her deranged companion. "You've doomed the whole planet..." She watched, not even a shred of compassion in her eyes, as Zenyt was violently hit across the face and thrown a good distance across the floor. He yelped in pain like a kicked pup and Tisiphone's chest rumbled with a dark chuckle. "Grunts...are we?" she remarked with a saucy grin, glancing over to Zenyt for a moment to see him covering one side of his face with a bloody hand.

"Tysiphone, you're a sad little fool! You don't SEE the big picture do you?" Oh this was too rich. Now he was begging her, trying to get her to see reason where there was none to be had. What was done was done. It wasn't like they didn't know what they were doing when Giovanni set them up with their side of the project. They were strategists, analysts, it was their job to find the areas most vulnerable for deployment of the virus. It was their job to calculate the numbers of potential casualties and innocents that would be left to the slaughter. And still, they did it. Because the nameless and faceless masses didn't, and don't, matter.

"Jeering about my family and gloating over Giovannis' triumph, while this... your leader...the one you so eagerly obeyed and admired...he doomed you to become a walking corpse...along with the rest of the planet...! Possibly even further..." She began tuning him out again in time for Plague to try and placate Kyoya's shattered world image. She stepped over to Zenyt and gave him a once over, the human flinching at her approach even as he rose to meet her. "Look your part man, a simple punch shouldn't have you shriveling like a coward," she scolded.

Zenyt's eyes narrowed as he straightened his spine, the distaste for Tisiphone's new attitude still apparent but he knew she was right. They were Rocket Admins, they were not meant to look weak. But even as he stood with his Direyena, the female's side nearly touching his leg, the image was not to last. Both of their demeanors switched rapidly as the Ampharos utter one short phrase..."...Everything carries the virus..."

Zenyt's eyes went wide as numbers rapidly began calculating in his mind, the percentages and critical chances crashing in his brain as he tried to figure out their chances of survival if those words were true. A mild panic seeped into his heart and began a slow, crushing grip, the human not seeing an out if truly the whole of the Pokemon world was infected. Tisiphone, however, displayed an entirely new attitude. She too was putting together the puzzle in her mind but she had drawn quite a different conclusion. If she was already infected, than that meant she was capable of the power of the so called 'super' carriers. The Harbingers of doom. She had the potential to become one of them and her power would expand exponentially, possibly infinitely. The whole world cowering at her paws as she reigned supreme over all of human and Pokemon kind...

She threw back her head in manic laughter, red eyes wild and empty as she retreated into her mind to play out the scenes. Zenyt stepped away from her cautiously and looked to the others for some sort of answer, for even he couldn't figure out why she was acting so strangely. It was then a familiar figure entered their haven with a short grumble and quick glance at the fractured group gave the dragon pause. "...I'm... guessing I missed something." he asked, disinterested. It wasn't even a question, just stating the obvious as he moved into the room. But Zenyt had no time to react as Ty's laughter became a quiet chuckle.

"Anton darling~!" she practically purred. "I'm so glad you could join us! Come, we were just getting to the part where Kyoya finds out that not only did we work for Giovanni and Rocket, but we are actually Admins responsible for much of the test virus's distribution! Grab a seat!" Zenyt's mouth dropped open in shock as he quickly backed into a corner. She...she...

She was going to get them both killed.

(god i can't write right now. my whole body feels like theres electricity running through it. ill just give a summary of what i wanted to write. When kyoya tells them that everything carries the virus, he notices both of their reactions passively, until ty starts acting like a crazy bitch. He'll back away from her, with despair and astonishment and fear in his eyes. He'll slowly collapse to his haunches and just stare emptily at nothing. Meanwhile, Plague is kind of freaking out, overwhelmed by all the things said. He looks at Zenyt for a good long while with utter heartbreak in his gaze, and he becomes terrified of Ty as shes a fucking harpie at this point. And finally, when Ty said that stuff to Anton, he just starts twitching and breathing irregular and ragged, with his face to the ground. Maybe setting it up to where Plague pounces on Zenyt, half crazy? Up to you Phoe dear. Or someone else could take him, I dun care)

When the doors bang open and Anton comes barreling in, Catalyst skitters back from the steps to avoid detection. Thank Arceus he has the ability to shadow-meld.
"Sorry, got caught up."
Just that cut in his resolve, enough to get his heart racing, suddenly woke him up more than before. He looks back to the main floor where Kyoya is curling into a ball of distress and that Umbreon is looking so terrified that it could practically implode by it. All the tension finally started to slam him again, as if the area that was slapped started to sting and remind him it was there. Everything carries the virus.... Arceus, Diagla, and Palkia, the knife finally stuck into his chest and twisted. ... That means all of us can't escape infection? ... We're all doomed to die?... Catalyst begins to visibly tremble, debating believing them - how they could know so much? But... they seemed to really know what they were talking about. It was possible it was delusion. But if all of them were sharing the same delusion... that seemed so unlikely. ... If they were all doomed to die.... All that time spent fighting for his own life - was it useless? Was it useless to even keep up anymore like he had been trying to convince himself into doing for so long? Well, fuck....  What do I have left to lose? Despite his own stellar life. Just when he would have thought it would have paid off to leave the life of killing behind him, to start new... to a new life. The dog was too tired to realize how far his mind was shattering through the haze of his own adrenaline and exhaustion.
"...I'm... guessing I missed something."
"Anton darling~! I'm so glad you could join us! Come, we were just getting to the part where Kyoya finds out that not only did we work for Giovanni and Rocket, but we are actually Admins responsible for much of the test virus's distribution! Grab a seat!"
... Disgusting. How could she be so gleeful and snide at a time like this.
She says her last sentence so utterly unperturbed that the lack of anguish makes his entire coat stand on end. She was a monster. A monster. Unconsciously, he rumbles out lowly through his teeth in brewing hatred, but silences it almost immediately. What a vile bitch. An inhumane piece of garbage. Embracing her bloodlust and destruction so happily; Arceus, the amount of selfishness that took. He has been fighting so long to regain fragments of his own civility and she just tossed it to the birds so carelessly. It stirred at his inner desires to violently kill.
His upper body lurches forward in an urge to vomit just from the familiarity of the feeling. No, never again experience blood on his paws whether the creature was innocent or guilty; he promised that to himself. The repercussions would be incredibly self destructive.
His head shakily turns to Kyoya again, shifting his entire focus onto him. Yes.... He really did have nothing to lose. His own life, his past family's life, everyone's lives, were doomed anyway no matter what happened. His fur started to wave faster like it was spurred by some invisible wind until he fades into existence, sitting on the stairs in plain view. His stomach still continued to flip inside of him.

-----

[OoC: Go ahead and discover him if you want, doesn't matter who. haha]

"...Everything carries the virus..." The sentence, as ambiguous as it was, still sent a flurry of shivers down Arthur's back. It felt as though he had Articuno's breath drifting onto his neck. 'Everything'...? What did he mean by that? The Feraligatr's mind was on overdrive, every possible scenario, every theory, speeding through it at once. 'Everything carries the virus' ... why do I already feel as though I know exactly what that means...?

He didn't want that scenario to be the right one. No, no, anything but that. It wasn't true; Kyoya was lying. He had to be. There was no way that 'everything' had the virus. That meant he had it. And so did Ty, and Anton, and Kyoya himself. Did that mean ... did that mean that if he dropped down dead at that moment he'd soon rise up as one of those ... those things? Even if he hadn't been bitten? No ... no ... then that means...

There is no escape.

Arthur felt faint. He staggered backwards into the wall behind him just as Ty greeted Anton back into their ranks. "Come, we were just getting to the part where Kyoya finds out that not only did we work for Giovanni and Rocket, but we are actually Admins responsible for much of the test virus's distribution! Grab a seat!" She seemed to enthusiastic, so boastful, about such a terrible, heartbreaking situation. For one moment, Arthur had the urge to snap his jaws around her neck. Shut up ... please just shut up...

He didn't notice Zenyt backing away until the man's back hit the wall just a few feet from where he was. He looked almost as terrified as Arthur felt. Even if Ty considered this entire conversation a joke, he certainly didn't look like he shared her opinion.

Arthur crept slowly along the wall towards him, trying not to startle him. Holding out a hand to Zenyt's arm, he whispered, "Is ... what sh-she saying true?"

Say no. Say that it's all a lie. Please, please for Arceus's sake please say it's a lie.

Anton hadn't been back five seconds before the insanity came crashing back down on him. Ty was completely and utterly pleased with herself, but his eyes strayed back to Kyoya for a split second, his face furrowing only slightly as he realized the extent of the damage that had been dealt to the Ampharos. Not that he particularly cared, the guy could choke on flaccid cock for all Anton minded, but it was still... alarming to see such a suave, cool presence in the group so completely and utterly smashed.

Thankfully, She-Bitch was more than happy to explain herself. "Come, we were just getting to the part where Kyoya finds out that not only did we work for Giovanni and Rocket, but we are actually Admins responsible for much of the test virus's distribution! Grab a seat!"

Anton couldn't help but balk a little at the information Ty figuratively slapped him across the face with, and for a small moment, he wondered if she was bluffing. But with another look at Kyoya, as well as the horrified human backing away and Arthur about to openly weep, (Plague looked moderately distressed, but who the fuck knew, he had a goddamn mask on) Anton quickly dismissed the idea. Arthur was near the human, trying to get a confirmation from the man. "Is ... what sh-she saying true?" It had to be. She was enjoying this too much to be a lie.

His eyes returned to Ty; he knew she put him on the spot. His next words would solidify whether or not he was on her side, as she always fancied him there. His face darkened slightly as he locked eyes with her for a moment; he hated the Undead, the plague, the fact that he was constantly running, but... he knew that his brother was in the same boat. Maybe even injured, or dead, or turned himself.

And that was a very comforting thought.

"Color me surprised," he snipped sourly as he slithered his way opposite of the human, glaring at him and Plague's back as he passed to sit on a shadowed crate. "Should've known you'd be behind all of this bullshit." He curled, coiling much like a snake, eyes still on Ty, but not completely hostile. He knew better than to defy her outright.

Levi on the other hand, was surprised in Anton's underwhelming reaction. Surely he hadn't been in on this information prior? The reaction he saw on the umber dragon's face not moments prior was genuine, he knew that much. But then again, maybe Levi shouldn't have been surprised; Anton always took the path of least resistance. Snaking his way to the shadows with his scowl and non-committal comments seemed very much like him, now that the golden dragon thought about it. Irritated that his friend didn't do more in the face of such an overwhelming bit of news, Levi turned his attention back to this "Ty" with disdain.

He couldn't hold it in anymore; he had to say something. "Yes, we're all so glad to see you so proud of yourself, darling," Levi snapped from above, his perch barely visible to those below. Anton's head snapped up, eyes wide with recognition, almost angry. Levi gave a small chuckle and a small, delicate wave with his elegant fingers down to his dumbfounded friend before looking back to Ty. His voice was so saturated with sarcasm, disdain and sneer, it almost actually sounded sweet. Almost. "Little girl got to destroy the world. Tsk, oh. So very proud-- not many get to do that, you know. You know what, you get a gold star, sweetie. Here-- I just shed this." He took an old, frayed scale from his form and let it fall down to her face, her stupid, stupid face with too many points.

"Levi?!" Anton snapped in a harsh hiss of a whisper, drawing the said dragon's lazy attention. "How the fuck did you get here!?"

"I flew, duh," Levi replied easily, turning back to Ty. "Really, Anton, you can use your face meat more than once a day, you know."

Zenyt watched in horror as the group reached a turning point. In his head a million scenarios flew by in in only about seven percent of them did he come out of this alive. What was Tisiphone thinking? His beauty had never been anything but loyal before, but somehow this transformation was too smooth. How long had she truly been this maniacal? Was it only her loyalty that was the act and not this new persona she had adopted? The human could feel his heart clenching tightly in his chest and when his back hit the wall behind him he nearly jumped at the unexpected touch. He was about ready to set off in a full blown panic attack when a soft voice called out to him.

"Is ... what sh-she saying true?" Zenyt turned his fearful gaze to Arthur, who without him even noticing had crept up beside the Rocket. He swallowed hard and shot nervous, rapid glances between the gator's face and outstretched hand, reaching his own up to his chest to ball into his shirt. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack at this rate. Looking into the worried gaze of Arthur made Zenyt's guilt suddenly overwhelming and break eye contact to look at the floor before slowly nodding. "Yes," he whispered pathetically. "It's true."

Tisiphone could hear the conversation behind her, even as she watched Anton take his perch, and her grin got a little bit wider at Zenyt's confession. Naturally her dragon friend let the information roll off of him in his usual way, preferring to just accept that fact that the world was hell. She was quite content with the situation they found themselves in, enjoying the nearly broken Ampharos being comforted by his disfigured pet, but her good mood was quickly soured when a strange voice sounded from the rafters.

"Yes, we're all so glad to see you so proud of yourself, darling,"

Looking up quickly she snarled loudly when she spotted a golden dragon lazily draped over the wooden beams. Who the hell was this freak and when did he get there? He continued to run his mouth, none of which Ty bother to pay attention to as she tried to figure out how to kill the newcomer, and her attention only returned when a single shimmering scale landed on her nose. Eyes sharply moving to stare at her muzzle a growl built its way from her chest to her throat, gaze boring into the shining speck as if it would burst into flames with the sheer force of her anger. Shaking her head violently she was ready to snap at the ponce until Anton's voice shouted a name in surprise. "Levi?! How the fuck did you get here!?"[/i]

Shit.
Shitshitshit.

Anton knew this fucker?! She watched the witty banter of the pair for only a moment before barking at Levi in anger, wanting to silence the blathering idiot. She looked to Anton before flicking her gaze back to this Levi, giving him a lip drawn snarl before returning her attention to Anton. Her gaze was hard, cold, and left no room for argument. She didn't care how Anton knew this idiot or why, so long as Anton remained on the right fucking side. But once again the she-wolf was denied her right to challenge the newcomer when a wisp drew her attention from her peripheral and she turned to see some kind of ghost sitting on the stairwell across the room.

"THAT'S IT!" she roared, fur completely bristled and fangs bared to the entire group. "I have had enough of this bull shit. How much fucking filth is in this tower? A golden fop and a shadow mutt, what next? A rainbow pony? Get your asses over here NOW. We need to have a little talk." Her group was already in a fragile state of mind, the introduction of two newcomers who weren't properly put in their place could spell trouble. She needed to get this straightened out quickly and viciously. Violently if needed.

"Yes, It's true."

Plagues' body shivered so hard, his skull mask rattled and threatened to fall off as he stared at the man. His brain had gone into overdrive- everything that happened to him, his home, his friends...Tullie...and Tysiphone and her human were to blame? They had distributed the virus here?
Flashbacks tore through his head, the undead Honchkrow towering over him. Enormous talons digging into him and shredding and slicing. The overwhelming stench of fear and death. The screams of the countless Murkrow could barely be heard over his own.
The pain ripped through his body once more, as he felt that birds' claws tear into his chest and face. The impossible weight of the thing, threatening to crush his rib cage as he screamed without breath.

"Yes, we're all so glad to see you so proud of yourself, darling, little girl got to destroy the world. Tsk, oh. So very proud-- not many get to do that, you know. You know what, you get a gold star, sweetie. Here-- I just shed this."

Kyoyas' gaze rose dazedly from the floor to look towards the ceiling, where the voice had come from. Above them was a golden dragon, openly disgusted of the bitch before him. His claw dropped a tattered scale upon her nose, to which she reacted the only way she could.

"THAT'S IT!" she roared, fur completely bristled and fangs bared to the entire group. "I have had enough of this bullshit. How much fucking filth is in this tower? A golden fop and a shadow mutt, what next? A rainbow pony? Get your asses over here NOW. We need to have a little talk."

Tysiphones' outburst, he realized, had no affect on him whatsoever. She had no effect on him anymore. Not her snarling, not her vile secrets nor her pathetic boasting, as if she were the one who had started the road to creating worldwide genocide in a test tube. She was not the intriguing thing he had wanted to dissect; she was nothing but an empty void, with an illusion of grandeur. He began to drown her screeching out, his slate gaze sharpening with every second her mouth flapped on. All that needed to be done now is to silence the delusional mutt. He wanted to see the blood pour out of her eyes as electricity blew out her veins. He wanted those snapping teeth shattered. The Ampharos rose to his feet, the scraping of his hooves loud against the floor. The sunlight that poured through the cracks shimmered across his lenses as his head tilted ever so slightly. As he pondered on where he wanted his hoof to connect to first, he heard an unexpected sound.

"Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmm...."
the Umbreon sniggered beside him, his crimson eyes glowing and uncannily wide as they bore into the canine. The usual brooding and soft demeanor was gone from the fox, and replaced by a seething, twitching thing, ready to snap at any moment. His once frail body was now tightly strung and rigid and his claws were unsheathed and digging into the ground. His rings pulsed as the eerie violet light enveloped them, casting dark shadows as he moved.

"Heeheheeeheehe...oh, I'm sorry! I just thought I heard a tiny pooch yipping." He sneered as his gangly frame lurched to its' feet, lightly padding around the dog with his hackles raised and ragged tail high. Blood dripped freely from his shoulder, spattering the dusty floor in ugly pools. A large grin lay under the pale bone mask, as if all the gashes didn't even exist.

"It really is cute when pups think they're master! Except when they shit in the house."
Plague paused, giggling.
"Then it's hilarious! 'Cuz then you get to rub their nose in it!" Almost prancing, the fox came around to face her, his masked face nearing hers. The eyes within the dark hollows of the formidable bird were wild and glowed with the promise of hellfire. "And I hate to be the bearer of bad news pup, but I think you shat yourself right into a corner..." His voice dripped with a jagged blood lust, cutting like a serrated knife.

As he drew nearer, his voice fell, deepening.

"...And masters' not here to save you..."

The stench of death and decay was upon the fox. Bone glared out from beyond one of the empty eye sockets, while the gleaming eye above it was consumed in damaged nerves, blindly staring at her through a black haze. His wide-eyes stared emptily, holding her gaze before his tiny pupils slid slowly to the others behind him. Slinking back with a quiet chuckle, his crazed eyes flickered to Kyoya. His frigid resolution and piercing gaze assured the Umbreon. Yes, he's ready.

If it wasn't for his sensitive hearing, it would have been quite impossible to hear the Feraligatr and the human in the corner. It was closer to him, but still covered by the deck next to the stairs.
"Is ... what sh-she saying true?"
Catalyst tensed as he couldn't see them, but could faintly hear the human's breathing. That human... was with Rocket, right? Surely... it was a real organization. Rosco had been part of it, he knew that wasn't a delusion--
"Yes, it's true."
The words numbly soaked in - but again, it wasn't enough time to truly mull over before something else happens.

"Yes, we're all so glad to see you so proud of yourself, darling, little girl got to destroy the world. Tsk, oh. So very proud-- not many get to do that, you know. You know what, you get a gold star, sweetie. Here-- I just shed this."
Catalyst shoots up to look at the dragon on the roof, seemingly just appearing there.  How long had he been there?... As long as he had it seems, since he gathered just as much. The golden sparkle that fell from the roof plinked onto the hyena's nose.

"THAT'S IT! I have had enough of this bullshit. How much fucking filth is in this tower? A golden fop and a shadow mutt, what next? A rainbow pony? Get your asses over here NOW. We need to have a little talk."
The black dog flinched at the initial uproar from that infernal bitch made him flinch, but as she started barking orders he only turned incredibly sour to her temper tantrum. Like hell he was going to take orders from this psycho. It seemed childish and like elementary sass, but hell, he didn't even have his life anymore. If they made him leave, so what.
"I don't have to do shit for you." he said cooly but quietly baritone, seemingly quite collected despite his stomach churning. He was cut off half way by the Umbreon's sudden, disturbing, humming laughter.

"Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmm...."
Catalyst's fur crawls, watching the fox raise up. The blood that poured from the luminescent ring on his shoulder made bile and acid gurgle into his throat but he had no will to swallow it down.
"Heeheheeeheehe...oh, I'm sorry! I just thought I heard a tiny pooch yipping. It really is cute when pups think they're master! Except when they shit in the house.... Then it's hilarious! 'Cuz then you get to rub their nose in it!"

He prances to her, face to face. The shadow hound's body was so tense it felt like even a saw made out of diamonds couldn't cut through him. The smell of the new, living blood hit him strong, and it made him start to violently tremble in recollection. It was unlike undead blood, which to him smelled distinctly different even compared to old blood - it was pure and raw. In an instant, didn't know whether his body wanted to run until it stopped or whether he wanted to feel someone's blood drip down his throat. All he knew at this rate is that his vision was searing white with stars and he wanted it all, this entire thing, to definitely end. His legs were crumbling under him but the insatiable rage threatened to take him whole. Blood brought back too many things about death he would not like to remember. Heart-stopping, blinding pain suddenly laid into his own body and slashing out eyes in retaliation. Flesh hanging in large slices off of his opponents body, caused by him. Blood torrenting from the corners of his mouth and onto the ground from arteries he's ripped out of necks with his own teeth and feeling the tips of his fangs hit bone. It was too overwhelming to comprehend anything other than that right now. His breathing started to become panicked and the dog leans over pitifully as he almost has to lay down from the nausea.

"And I hate to be the bearer of bad news pup, but I think you shat yourself right into a corner... ...And masters' not here to save you..."

-----

"Yes. It's true."

Arthur felt sick. He felt hot, breathless and very sick. He snapped his jaws open and gagged, his empty stomach heaving up only a thick blob of bile. He gasped, shaking his head, and turned back to Zenyt. Looking at the man staring pathetically at the floor, he felt what could only be a mixture of sympathy and blinding hatred. One half of him wanted to try and console him, to tell him that, yes, he'd made a terrible mistake but that it was all right, and that somewhere, along the line, he'd find some way to make up for it. But the other half wanted him dead; he wanted to rake his claws through his flesh; punish him for what he and his Pokemon had done. They'd contributed to this plague; brought the world to its knees and almost wiped out all of Pokemon and humankind. It was unforgivable; a disgrace. They'd taken the life Arthur had had before and crushed it as easily as a foot could squash a bug.

But then again ... I didn't exactly have much of a life before, did I?

That one thought, as random as it was, changed everything. If being kept in a Poke Ball for days at a time, neglected by his Trainer, picked on by other members of the team and only occasionally thrown into battle to act as a meat-shield while Elijah tended to his "good" Pokemon ... if that was what was called a 'life' then Arthur didn't miss it much at all. In fact, as awful as it was, this new world was just what Arthur needed to start living up to his species' name. He was a Feraligatr, for Arceus's sake. His kind were big, brave and strong, not ... not whatever the heck he was.

Arthur was so deep in thought he barely noticed the arrival of the golden dragon, perched on one of the wooden beams above their heads. He jumped, however, when Ty suddenly screamed, "THAT'S IT! I have had enough of this bull shit. How much fucking filth is in this tower? A golden fop and a shadow mutt, what next? A rainbow pony? Get your asses over here NOW. We need to have a little talk."

"No." The word was out of his mouth before his head had even fully processed what she'd said. If she thought a vile, cruel creature such as herself was going to get compliance from him, she had another thing coming. "I-I-I won't do-do anything for-for you. N-Not after what you've d-d-done. And not ... no-not while you talk to us li-like slaves."

He stayed firmly by the wall, hoping that the hateful glare he was attempting to give her was working. He certainly felt enough anger in him, but somehow was beginning to think that he'd made a mistake by opening his mouth like that.

Dear legends, what had he done? She was going to kill him.

"Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmm...." The incredibly eerie snicker came from Plague, whose demeanor had suddenly taken a dramatic turn. He pranced right up to Tysiphone, mocking her in a voice quite unlike his own. The way he spoke ... Arthur shuddered from snout to tail as he was reminded of the Zoroark that had killed Vortex.

"What's w-wrong with him?" he asked no one in particular, knotting his fingers together anxiously. "Why's he tal-talking like that?"

"THAT'S IT!" the bitch roared from below, her snapping and snarling only causing Levi to giggle -yes, giggle- from above, her violent temper and raised hackles only bringing joy to him as his dear Anton stared up at him in horror and shock. "I have had enough of this bullshit. How much fucking filth is in this tower? A golden fop and a shadow mutt, what next? A rainbow pony? Get your asses over here NOW. We need to have a little talk." Though he was sure that "fop" was supposed to be an insult, he tilted his head upward in thought. "'Fop'... I think I like that, actually." It was a mutter to himself, merely musing aloud as the others erupted down below.

"I don't have to do shit for you," the other eavesdropper, a strange ghostish dog-thing spat from his own perch near the window, not budging an inch for the howling madwoman. Levi grinned brightly in a show of sterling approval, signaling the other -despite the high probability of the ghost not even bothering to look his way- a thumbs-up with his small, slender hands. But the rebellion wasn't over just yet, as the timid feraligatr even made his choice clear, despite struggling through his stutter. "No." Levi's grin grew as his fellow dragon's fell in horror, eager to see the ignorant, bull-headed bitch get her pretty head mounted on a spike. "I-I-I won't do-do anything for-for you. N-Not after what you've d-d-done. And not ... no-not while you talk to us li-like slaves."

"Uh oh, Missy, whatcha gonna do now?" he teased from above, watching the proceedings with delight. He saw Anton's head snap back up to him in his peripherals, but he didn't care. Obviously, Anton had run with the wrong crowd in Levi's absence and well, that just wasn't going to fly. No sir. But then the air around them changed as another chuckle infected the air, one that sent a chill down his perfect spine.

"Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmm...."

Both dragons turned to the masked Umbreon shaking beside Kyoya, his mask rattling with each shuddering, guttural snicker as the rest of the room fell quiet. Anton recoiled from the stench that rose out of the Umbreon, his wings flaring on instinct. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. "Heeheheeeheehe...oh, I'm sorry! I just thought I heard a tiny pooch yipping. It really is cute when pups think they're master! Except when they shit in the house.... Then it's hilarious! 'Cuz then you get to rub their nose in it!"

The filthy Umbreon nearly danced around Ty, Anton's sharp eyes once more spotting strange, disturbing details that quickly flashed beneath the bobbing mask as he moved. It hadn't been long since he saw Plague's face in full, an image that scarred the mind. An ice beam began to chill his throat as he watched, his body ready to spring into the fight that was sure to happen now. "What's w-wrong with him?" Arthur, the coward, trembled in the corner. "Why's he tal-talking like that?"

"Because he's a fucking freak, you stupid stuttering moron," Anton snapped back in a harsh whisper, his eyes not leaving the Umbreon, the threat. It didn't matter that Ty was fucking insane-- there was something far more insidious about the masked bastard. But the mutilated, stinking beast before him wasn't done talking to Ty.

"And I hate to be the bearer of bad news pup, but I think you shat yourself right into a corner..." The tension rose more, almost suffocating them, but it didn't matter to Anton. "...And master's not here to save you..."

Anton bit his tongue; at this rate, they were going to blow. Maybe they'd take each other out-- he wasn't fond of Ty in the least, but she was alive, at the very least. Flashes of Plague's horrible, half-eaten face only told Anton that there was nothing worth saving. Whatever Plague had been once, whatever Kyoya was holding onto still was long gone, because there was nothing that could have a face like Plague's and still be alive. He was dead. And the crazy, prancing bastard needed to be reminded of that.

"No."

Of all the wastes of flesh before the Direyena's eyes the battered wimp of a Lizard was the last one she expected to hear back talk her. And not only did he, but he was the first to raise his voice. "I don't have to do shit for you." Another. Soon it was a chorus of voices speaking out against her authority and each new voice only added to her rage. "I-I-I won't do-do anything for-for you. N-Not after what you've d-d-done. And not ... no-not while you talk to us li-like slaves." Snapping at Arthur with a ferocious bark Tisiphone made her anger clear. "Don't talk back to me, you big blue lout!" she seethed, watching as Zenyt skittered like a panicked mouse to hide behind the Feraligatr. "Uh oh, Missy, whatcha gonna do now?" a voice taunted.

Dead. They were all dead. The fury in her mind was turning her vision red, her muscles so tense she felt as if one snap could make her body implode on itself. She could hardly breathe her chest was so tight, with her teeth were clenching so hard her jaw ached from the pressure, threatening to crack her elegant fangs. She was not going to take this kind of insubordination and her eyes narrowed dangerously at Anton, waiting to see if he too would add his rebellion to the mutiny. "Hmhmhmhmhmhmhmm...."

The low groan of a chuckle was barely audible through Ty's pressure filled ears, her head pounding from the blood beating to get through to her brain. She turned away from her only possible ally to see the mutilated little shit of an Umbreon stalking towards her, his eyes a glowing red to match her own. "Heeheheeeheehe...oh, I'm sorry! I just thought I heard a tiny pooch yipping. Tisiphone clenched her jaw tighter, mentally begging the moon rat to get closer so she could personally rip out his throat. "It really is cute when pups think they're master! Except when they shit in the house.... Then it's hilarious! 'Cuz then you get to rub their nose in it!" He inched closer, eyes meeting her own and the female felt her claws digging into the ground, ready to pounce.

She heard Anton snap at Arthur and felt a small twinge of satisfaction through her rage, pride at knowing Anton was likely still hers. He was the only one in the group with enough sense to realize Plague wasn't normal, that he was corrupted by the gift he couldn't wield. Couldn't master. But she could. All she had to do was take it from him. Plague continued his taunt but to Tisiphone it was all white noise, the blood rushing through her head making everything sound like distant ocean waves. When Plague finally came close enough her vision went white, pure instinct taking control as she launched herself at the Umbreon in a blur of teeth and fur.

Zenyt cried out in horror as he watched his Pokemon try to tear out the throat of the masked one, sheltering himself behind Arthur's massive form. He had never seen her like this, he had to stop her. Fumbling around in his coat the Rocket produced his lone Pokeball, struggling to get it to enlarge so he could call her back. This tower would be a blood bath otherwise and anything that didn't already know they were there surely would once fresh blood painted the area. He peeked out around the reptile before him and quickly mapped out the room in his head. If he was going to be successful he would have to plan this very carefully, and quickly, or else he would get himself caught in the fray and easily perish under their combined power.

He was only going to get one shot at this. He needed to make it count.

Her fangs flashed towards his neck as he was tackled, his slender frame hitting the ground with a thud. Exhilaration and adrenaline dashed through his veins as he narrowly escaped her lethal attack, only to feel her teeth sink into his shoulder. He let out a yelp that quickly turned into a deep snarl. His black claws slashed over and over into her neck and chest, warm blood splashing over him as he wrenched himself free. In a flash of purple and black, the fox shrieked, snaking over her shoulder and onto her back as his claws dug deep into her skin. He clamped down onto the back of her neck, viciously ripping at her as he threw his head in wild abandon.

(skipping kyo. anything needs to be changed phoe, lemme know <3)

His body visibly jolts at Plague's screech of pain, and strains as it immediately descends into violent convulsions - he can only stare blankly.  His blood was fire. Every square inch of his body that held the toxic concoction of living hellfire simultaneously screamed out in agony. It hurts.... It burns so much.... Static envelopes his seering white vision and electrically pulses through his skin. The pungent scent blood hits him like a sack of bricks and the scraping of the claws on the hard wood are sand on glass to his seemingly bleeding ears. The pupils in his blue eyes were dilated like saucers as he could only help but fix his eyes on the gruesome scene going on right in front of him.

Stop.... Stop.... Please.... Arceus, please stop.... he could only sob out in his mind for saying it would take too much breath - too overcome with sensation to say something so... dull; without edge to it. The blood wasn't on his paws now, but they had never been clean. Stop, stop! Arceus, I'm sorry-- Legends, Arceus, forgive me!-- Forgive me!-- the mantra echoed in his mind, taking all the effort he had left in him not to allow his stomach to turn inside out and cover the floor with his bile. He could handle letting this go longer without his brain physically cracking in half. But no matter what, he had to refrain from getting involved in this bloodshed. He absolutely had to.

-----

[OoC: Left it open for everyone to get at least one hit before I possibly throw fire next round, as Phoe requested Ty could possibly get burned to slowly force her out.]

It all happened so quickly. Within seconds the two canines were literally at each others' throats; biting, snapping and snarling at one another as they tumbled around on the floor. Arthur jammed his fist into his mouth as he watched them, wide-eyed, as they tried to murder each other. Zenyt was behind him, fumbling around in his pockets for what could only be the Direyena's Poke Ball.

"Qu-Quickly! Do it now-- wa-wait, not yet," he stammered, watching as Plague leaped his way onto Ty's back and sank his fangs into her neck. "No-Now, try-- wait." They were both moving far too quickly for Arthur to barely tell them apart, their black coats and the darkness of the room combined to conceal the fighting canines in shadow.

"E-Even if that doesn't wo-work, w-we need to stop them," Arthur fretted, scratching furiously at his scarred hands and wincing at the battling pair as they tumbled around. "So-Someone's going to wind up g-g-getting killed..."

[[skip; they're just kinda sitting by, both watching carefully]]