(ELITE) The MAHOGANY Team

"Well that was a waste of fucking time."

Archer closed his eyes to the world as he leaned his back against the sturdy wall of the Mahogany Gym, trying to shut out Ariana's nonsensical bitching. The entire trek to Mahogany had been a nightmare in the first place without her psychotic need to either torture or emasculate him, what with the world having ended. Arms crossed, Archer stayed perfectly silent as his Houndoom sat against his leg, watching the other former Rocket Administrator once again lose her mind.

"I can't believe the old bastard didn't have some sort of stash in his gym-- what sort of codger doesn't have all his shit right where he needs it at all times? Have you SEEN sick old people? They can't walk three steps without shitting their diapers. WHERE IS ALL THE FUCKING LOOT?!" Ariana took a rock and smashed it into the already wrecked glass doors, shattering it further. Her own Houndoom paced around her, eager to set something else on fire.

Traveling all the way across Johto had not been easy on either of them, quickly exhausting their supplies to what would soon only last a couple of hard weeks. They had passed through Mahogany and cleansed it for the most part, hoping to find non-perishable food, tools, potions and more and instead had found just about nothing. The town looked like it had already been picked clean, even the stash the old man apparently had hidden away in his personal office in the Gym. "Maybe he got out," Archer quietly offered, not really expecting to be heard. "He may have been old, but he was still--"

"Fuck off with that, Archer," she snapped, once again interrupting him. Not that Archer was surprised. "Time waits for no fucking man, especially not one that already had both feet in the fucking grave! He wouldn't have made it out unless a fucking angel came down and airlifted him all the way to that FUCKING plateau!" She kicked a Swinub corpse that her Houndoom had just disposed of ten minutes prior, turning it into a fuzzy football careening back into the Gym. "Fuck. Garmr, torch the place. I'm tired of looking at it."

Though the Houndoom was eager to comply, Archer finally opened his eyes to glare hatefully at his companion. "You're going to tell all of the Undead around here -moreso- our location with a giant pillar of smoke? With the Lake of Rage right on our doorstep? Stop throwing a tantrum and let's just do what we came here to do."

Ariana paused in her round of kicking things to quirk an eyebrow at Archer, obviously amused and intrigued by his little outburst. She slowly, confidently sauntered to him, either ignoring or enjoying the sounds of her insane mutt torching the place from within. "What was that, little man?" she cooed, putting her hands on her wide hips. "You wanna repeat yourself, a little louder? If I can't hear you from all the way up there, I'll have to ask you again--at my level. Don't forget, I know how to get you on your knees."

Archer remained still, expression unchanging. This game was common now, its results well-known by the two players. Spoiler: Ariana won. But this was getting ridiculous. "I said that making a giant pyre out of the Gym was a bad idea. We're strained enough as it is without an army of the bastards on us. Let's just go to the Hideout like we were planning."

The woman licked her teeth as she grinned maliciously up at him, knowing she'd won another round against the taller man. Though she reveled in the cat-and-mouse game they were constantly trapped in, Archer knew that now wasn't his time to strike, so just let her keep thinking she had him. It was the safer option to be the pet rather than the prisoner. Her grin morphed into a playful pout and she turned back to the Houndoom causing chaos nearby.

"Archer's right, Garmy. Let's keep the smoke to a minimum." Eyes ever on Archer, those predatory eyes, she stalked off, Garmr running after her with a tongue of fire leaking from his open, panting maw. Sin, his own faithful Houndoom looked up at him, awaiting command. Archer patted the canine and gently pushed himself from the building, following Ariana as he heard the icy construction within collapse from the heat.

This was going to be a long road ahead...

Flynn sat casually on the small counter as he watched the blonde female angrily pace a trench into the floor, an amused smile permanently upon his face. Fenix had been an interesting companion since his rescue, the passionate woman never ceasing to surprise the Sylveon yet still somehow staying almost predictable. Humans were strange. Almost as if hearing his thoughts she suddenly stopped mid-pace, head turning towards the strange and out of place cabinet that sat in the middle of the far wall of the shop. The antique clashed horribly with the smooth, country-modern theme of the store and strange smile broke out across Fenix's face. "If I spent all this time thinking they weren't that predictable..." she muttered with an amused tone, walking towards the ugly piece of furniture.

Traveling with the wild human had been a new kind of adventure for the aging eeveelution. His life with Gregory had been full of battle and travel, Fenix's life was literally adventure. She fought beasts, befriended dragons, rescued lost and injured Pokemon like himself, and even survived an erupting volcano. Flynn longed for her kind of free spirit, but his meticulous mind often jarred him away any time he tried to absorb some of Fenix's particular flare. But despite it all she had been a resounding influence on him, one that the Sylveon was very grateful for. And while he knew she would never admit it, his influence over her was becoming more apparent every day as well. Especially in how her quick mind was currently chastising itself.

The smiling Sylveon stretched himself on the long counter before walking to the edge of the wooden surface, stretching his neck to where the blonde knelt on the opposite side of the cabinet, studying the floor. Fenix rubbed her fingertips gently over the wooden planks, noting the random transitions from smooth to rough, then back to smooth. Scratch marks, multiples of them. As if the cabinet itself got moved several times but only by a few feet each time. "And here I thought Rocket was supposed to be the intelligent ones," she muttered, annoyed that she hadn't tried the stupid cabinet upon arrival. She had noticed it straight away but had convinced herself that no one was stupid enough to hid a secret entrance in the most glaringly obvious place in the building, and now she was proven wrong. They were that stupid.

Rising from her crouched position Fenix stepped back around to Flynn's side of the ugly furniture and put her right shoulder against the side, planting her feet slightly apart and bending her legs to get the most force as she started to push. The large wooden piece shifted and groaned but did in fact start to move with her efforts. She would pause every few moments if the scraping sound got too loud or too sharp, Flynn's large ears scanning for any sounds that something had heard them, and resumed pushing once the all clear was given. The slow pace annoyed Fenix but she knew that she wasn't in friendly territory anymore, that anything that heard them was going to be a threat, so unfortunately it took a few minutes before the stairwell was revealed. But when she heard the barely audible 'click' of the cabinet locking in place she knew that this was it. Flynn jumped off of the counter to join her as she peered into the darkness. "Shall we?" he offered politely, though secretly he was as anxious as the human to get to their goal. Fenix turned and offered him a confidant smile. "Let's."

The trek to the shop wasn't long-- at least it shouldn't have been, if Ariana wasn't busy strolling around the ruined city like a celebrity. Archer watched in distaste from behind as she and her Houndoom flaunted themselves in the streets, occasionally kicking away some debris or loose rotting piece of body. She rambled on about something inane and vapid, as she usually did, which Archer naturally filtered out so his sanity could last just a little bit longer.

"But enough about that, we're nearly-- Garmy?" Archer perked at the odd infliction of her voice and spotted almost immediately that her Houndoom was on point. A glance down at his own revealed that Sin, too, had noticed something. "Oooo, what did you find, boy?" Ariana asked in a hushed, excited whisper. "Someone else here?" The two hounds traded looks and sped off together, leaving their trainers to run after them.

The two Rocket admins soon found themselves at the shop entrance. Garmr had found a human to corner and Sin had his entire body on top of a Sylveon, his snarling maw inches from the Eeveelution's jugular. Ariana barked out a triumphant laugh as she waltzed in, noticing the opened staircase with an eager eye. Archer fanned to the opposite side, pulling his gun and pointing it at the fiery-haired woman. "Well, well, well, who're you? Oh, dearie, where the fuck do you think you were going? This is our town." She gestured to herself and Archer, the other keeping his gun leveled at the stranger. "Does the big-tittied blonde have a name, or do I just get to call you 'Sex Doll'?"

They weren't two steps into the stairwell when a loud snarling could be heard from outside, Flynn reacting to jump in front of Fenix just in time for two very pissed off Houndooms to come bursting in through the door. There wasn't even time for a proper scrap because within seconds the first Houndoom had Flynn pinned underneath him, belly up and fangs dangerously close to his throat but pausing just before the final strike. Fenix herself barely had enough time to jump out of the hole and put her back against the wall to prevent flanking before the second horned canine trapper her, the female pulling her dagger swiftly and bracing her arm in a defensive position in front of her with the blade facing out. If the dog that trapped her even flinched in her direction it was going to get a slash to the throat it wouldn't soon forget.

But, neither of them moved.

They stood there, snarling and growling, but didn't move in for the kill. It was if they were waiting for something, someone, to give the order. They weren't dead, they were trained. And when a disgustingly high pitched voice filtered in from the doorway Fenix's face fell into a frown as she realized exactly who these two beasts belonged to. "Oooo, what did you find, boy? Someone else here?"The shadowed figures at the door came in confidently, the female of the pair eyeing Fenix and Flynn like they were a treat to be eaten. Flynn bared his teeth at the woman while Fenix just glared, frown evolving into a grimace at the sheer arrogance radiating off of the other human."Well, well, well, who're you? Oh, dearie, where the fuck do you think you were going? This is our town."

Fenix didn't even blink at the gun pointed straight at her, instead rolling her eyes at the redhead's obvious narcissism. She pulled her blade arm tighter as she mentally dared the bitch to get close enough for a strike. "Does the big-tittied blonde have a name, or do I just get to call you 'Sex Doll'?" Blinking in surprise at the random turn into insults Fenix couldn't help but bark out a laugh, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she replied. "Oh? Want me to spread eagle for you and hang my mouth open? Or would you prefer I just bend over for your mutt like you obviously do?" Flynn looked at Fenix's smirking face in horror as she taunted the two humans whose Pokemon not only were inches from killing them but had guns trained on them as well. But in the back of his mind he couldn't help but be a little impressed by her balls considering her options.

Fenix took note of their clothing quickly, smirk slowly drawing back into a disapproving frown at the glaring red 'R' emblazoned on the front of their clothing. It seemed that by 'theirs' the cocky bitch meant Rocket, and obviously this shithole little shop that so poorly hid their 'secret' base. But Rocket was the entire reason she was here so maybe if these asshats were here that meant there was something worth finding after all. Training her eyes on the blue haired male she studied him carefully, noticing the subtle shift of his body to keep him a distance away from his companion. She cracked a small smile at him before turning her gaze to Flynn pinned on the ground. The hound that had him was impeccably trained, the fire trainer in her very impressed by the specimen, but she also noted that it was better trained that the one that held her. It was more....volatile. It had been allowed to much free reign over its power and now had a touch of madness that came with allowing your Pokemon to enjoy a kill. Pity. It could have been a great battler otherwise.

Sighing in boredom Fenix rose from her crouched position and lowered her knife casually, hanging her arm by her side but shifting the blade into a new position in her hand to allow for an upward thrust if attacked. She locked her gaze onto the blue haired man and his gun one more time before lifting her chin defiantly. "You actually got the pair to use that?" she questioned sarcastically. "Go ahead then. Shoot me. Tell everyone and everything in a five block radius exactly where you are and how to find you." Her eyes narrowed as gave him a level stare, mouth twisting into a dangerous smile. "I dare you."

Ariana's eyes brightened as the stranger scoffed and laughed away the insults, shooting some of her own right back at her. "Oh? Want me to spread eagle for you and hang my mouth open? Or would you prefer I just bend over for your mutt like you obviously do?" Ariana barked out a tremendous guffaw, simply tickled at the woman's ferocity. They hadn't found many humans on their way up to Mahogany, but none of them were so... feisty. She clapped her hands together once, face sporting a giant, malicious grin. This was better than all the entertainment she'd had in years.

"You actually got the pair to use that?" the blonde snapped, sarcasm dripping from every syllable. Archer merely quirked a brow in reply, not willing to begin a conversation with his captive. "Go ahead then. Shoot me. Tell everyone and everything in a five block radius exactly where you are and how to find you." As she narrowed her eyes and formed a dangerous grin, Archer found himself suppressing an eyeroll. Like he didn't have extensive experience with dangerous, batshit crazy women.  "I dare you."

"Did that already," Archer supplied in a low voice, devoid of fear or anger. He simply kept the gun leveled at her, his expression not shifting. But Ariana didn't seem to appreciate the fact that the captive now was ignoring her. A quick glance to her showed her glee at finding a new plaything melt into an angry, irate smirk. Either way Ariana displayed herself, Archer didn't react; he knew she'd take her frustrations out on someone else now, at the very least.

Three gunshots loudly rang out as Ariana shot into the air, her eyes alight with madness. Archer's glare narrowed against the abrasive noise, but managed to keep on his target. "Did I say you could talk to him, honey? No, I didn't. And don't worry about scary zombies finding us-- we've cleared out the town. At least of the ones that are threatening. So, back on the subject: give me your name or I shoot your dumb fairy fuck on the ground."

"Did that already,"

Fenix raised an eyebrow at the monotone voice and deadpan stare he replied with, smile shifting from devilish to one of amusement. This guy was just a fucking blank wall, wasn't he? His icy stare never left hers, his weapon arm incredibly steady even though he had been holding that gun at her for some time now. Wasn't that bitch getting heavy? Guns were so bulky, Fenix hated having to use them. No grace, no proper speed except for whatever bullet was fired, just lots of noise and mess. But for just a moment his gaze was broken as he flicked his eyes towards his companion, prompting the blond to do the same. Lady Rocket looked almost offended by something and pointed her weapon up, firing three times. Fenix frowned at the showboating display of 'dominance', making a mental note to see how tough the redhead was once she took that toy away from her.

"Did I say you could talk to him, honey? No, I didn't. And don't worry about scary zombies finding us-- we've cleared out the town. At least of the ones that are threatening. So, back on the subject: give me your name or I shoot your dumb fairy fuck on the ground." Oh come on, really? That was what had her so pissy? Letting out an annoyed sigh Fenix decided a new tactic was needed, giving Flynn a quick nod before replying. "No need to get your panties in a twist," she said with mild annoyance. "Obviously I misjudged how competent Rocket could be after seeing how shitty they are at hiding a 'secret' entrance. My apologies." She slowly started stepping to the side, closer to Flynn, but kept her back to the wall so she could monitor the two Houndooms reactions.

She knelt back down as she got closer to the one pinning Flynn and the Sylveon slowly reached out a ribbon to her, brushing it across her hand to reassure her that he was alright. "You two are amazing specimens," she cooed randomly, admiration and affection in her tone for the fire types. "I would have loved to have such strong Houndoom in my Gym back home. You can practically feel the power radiating from them." Her fingers itched to stroke the ebony fur of the one pinning Flynn, the male never even twitching in response to her approach. She looked back at the one who was still staring her down, mentally adding her pity about its flawed mental state, and easily traced each Houndoom to its owner thanks to that shared defect. The crazy Houndoom obviously belonged to the other crazy in the room, and for once it wasn't herself. Chuckling she moved to rise again but felt a tug at her wrist, looking down to see Flynn's ribbon wrapped around it.

"Don't..." he whispered, concern for her written on his expression despite the fangs still perilously close to his throat. He shifted uncomfortably beneath the large canine and tried pulsing his aura toward her to keep her from doing something that would get her killed. But she just smiled sadly at him and carefully unwrapped his ribbon from her wrist. Standing up she looked at the redhead once more and slid her dagger back into place behind her back, raising her hands in mock surrender. "You asked my name? I'm genuinely surprised my hair didn't give me away right off. It usually does. The name's Fenix, Fenix Vulkane. Pre-Epidemic leader of the Cinnabar Gym. And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't shoot the fairy, he's too old for this shit." Flynn never wished so hard for the freedom of movement to smash his head into the nearest firm surface.

Archer shouldn't have been surprised when the woman relaxed her stance and merely seemed annoyed by Ariana's little power display. After all, this stranger was proving to be more and more obstinate. Not that it wasn't at least entertaining to see someone else ruffle Ariana's feathers, but Archer still didn't take much revelry in what was inevitably going to happen to that new toy. "No need to get your panties in a twist," the blonde scoffed back at Ariana. "Obviously I misjudged how competent Rocket could be after seeing how shitty they are at hiding a 'secret' entrance. My apologies." Ariana gave a small chuckle at the tiny barb as her smile slowly darkened. Though there was an apology -albeit extremely sardonic- this woman still defied the Rocket admin by refraining from giving her name.

The woman knelt and Archer's gun traveled down with her, her bright yellow head its target. But as she silently consoled the Sylveon trapped beneath Sin's powerful jaws and body, she seemed to... admire him? Confusion briefly passed over Archer's face, even as his mind ticked the seconds down that measured Ariana's temper. There wasn't much longer that Ariana would be patient. Hell, he was surprised she'd stayed her hand so far. But he resumed his blank expression, keeping a trained eye on the armed woman that was now very, very close to his Houndoom. "You two are amazing specimens," the woman finally spoke, which managed to catch both Rockets off guard. Archer merely managed to blink in response while Ariana's brow arched high on her face. At least that bought the stranger some time. Flattery almost always won. "I would have loved to have such strong Houndoom in my Gym back home. You can practically feel the power radiating from them." Though Sin was currently in a position to immediately kill her Sylveon, Archer watched the woman's eyes almost lovingly go over his Houndoom, who in turn never took his eyes from the human before him. He knew Sin wouldn't move unless commanded, but Garmr on the other hand... The other Houndoom was almost jittery, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Even now, he was snapping lightly at the air, drooling in anticipation of biting down on warm, soft flesh.

"Don't..." was the Sylveon's quiet plea, to which Sin bit down ever-so-slightly on his throat to dissuade further speaking from the pinned pokemon. The woman took a small moment and then stood once more as she finally put her knife away. Still aware that because of the sheath's location and just how knives worked in general, Archer kept the gun trained on her just in case this was a ruse. She put her hands up in surrender -even the gesture seemed sarcastic- and finally gave Ariana what she wanted. "You asked my name? I'm genuinely surprised my hair didn't give me away right off. It usually does. The name's Fenix, Fenix Vulkane. Pre-Epidemic leader of the Cinnabar Gym. And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't shoot the fairy, he's too old for this shit."

Both Archer and Ariana's brows raised at the name, as it immediately rang bells in their memory. Who in Rocket, especially so high up, could forget that name-- Vulkane? Blaine. The madman scientist who had been a front-man for the Mewtwo disaster, the man that disappeared from Giovanni's -and their own- sights for so long. Well, at least Archer now completely understood where the stubbornness came from. And the crazy. Ariana giggled -or at least Archer suspected it was supposed to be a giggle because it really didn't sound like one- and slapped her knee, completely blown away and utterly delighted.

"How fucking precious!" she cried, beginning to pace slowly in a half-circle around the woman, Fenix, as a predator would cornered prey. Her laughing died down enough for her to continue speaking at a normal volume. "I didn't think Blaine a family man-- maybe he was just really careless with a call-girl. But what a wonderful surprise! You must have gotten your looks from your grandmother's side, then," she commented, her eyes darting up and down Fenix's body, assessing her. "Blaine was, after all, a bald ugly fuck. You certianly didn't get his hair." After her eyes landed on Fenix's once more, she stopped to consider something for a moment.

"Well, then. So you're a Gym Leader-- Grandpappy must be so proud of you. Competent enough trainer, I'm guessing, if you took over where he left off. He wouldn't pick a simpleton or a weak little wallflower, either, so you must have your wits about you as well as the team befitting a Gym leader. Unfortunately, sweetie, all of that makes you a threat, and I don't suffer threats." Ariana held her gun up to Fenix's head and strode forward a couple of steps, closing the gap between them, but not quite close enough to be at arms' length. Archer moved in slightly as well, keeping his focus instead on Fenix's hands. He ignored the slight burning in his arms; he'd been holding this position for a while now.

"So, since I like you, I'll give you a chance: Why should I let you live?"

Flynn whimpered as the teeth around his neck increased their pressure, the forced calm he had been putting himself in starting to crumble at the very real possibility of Fenix not getting them out of this in time. In his worried state he naturally began to exude his species' calming aura, unaware that he was even doing it as his eyes were locked on to the horned beast above him. His ribbons were his only freedom of movement, one of them finding his companion's ankle and wrapping around tightly in a silent plea to help him while the other began to wind around the foreleg of his captor. There was no intent behind the gesture other than a near plea for his life, the ribbon-like feelers gently resting upon the dark fur. But, just as Fenix did, Flynn knew that any real begging would fall on deaf ears for this well trained hound.

The gym leader felt the pressure around her ankle, wishing she could soothe the fears of her newest companion but not wanting to show the crazed woman any weakness she simply kept her eyes trained on the redhead. "I didn't think Blaine a family man-- maybe he was just really careless with a call-girl. But what a wonderful surprise! You must have gotten your looks from your grandmother's side, then," The insult to her lineage rolled off Fenix's back because truly, she never met her grandmother. She had died when even her own mother was a child so it was hard to be offended about someone you had never met. The comment about hair though was a typical one though, everyone who ever met her compared her impossibly long locks to the utter shine of her grandfather's head. The joke was old and worn out, this chick just seemed to think it was the greatest thing though. Pity that such a lovely Houndoom had such a stupid owner.

After a few more gloating remarks she finally made her move, advancing on Fenix with her gun held high, pausing just out of arms reach for her to swing her blade. No matter, her needle darts were still within reach and Fenix's aim with them was as good as any sharpshooter. She just had to be faster. Sadly she had never expected the next remark out of the other female, and it threw her off guard. "So, since I like you, I'll give you a chance: Why should I let you live?" Liked her? Liked her?! All she had done was mock the bitch since she showed up! Who likes that? It took a few moments of her staring and blinking before Fenix finally kickstarted her brain into a response, shooting a few rapid glances down to Flynn as she carefully chose her words.

"Well, you Rockets are known for your technology," she began, sounding more confident than she actually felt. "I'm sure it has been quite some time since anyone was down here to maintain any of it, especially after all the power went down across the country. I bet whatever you are here for won't be easily accessible without power. That is where I come in." Fenix felt her confidence growing once she was in her element, thankful once again that Blaine had raised her after her parents passed. "I'm not just the heir to Grandpa's Gym, I was raised by that fruitbat. I know more than most Rockets ever had the chance to learn about their own equipment. Especially since a lot of it Grandpa and his friend designed personally. Whatever is in there, I have the know-how to get.

The real question is, do you?"

It seemed that Ariana's strange, warped sense actually managed to dumbfound Fenix, if only for a moment. Archer couldn't help but feel satisfaction at the small, insignificant vindication-- it was always good to know that you weren't alone in an opinion. But she quickly recovered, gathering her confidence and exuded it in buckets. "Well, you Rockets are known for your technology," she began, her voice sturdy. Archer had to commend her for the obvious amount of balls she apparently possessed.  "I'm sure it has been quite some time since anyone was down here to maintain any of it, especially after all the power went down across the country. I bet whatever you are here for won't be easily accessible without power. That is where I come in."

Ariana quirked a brow at her tenacity, but Archer couldn't help but feel slightly exasperated. He'd told Ariana that the Hideout was a long shot but nooooo... Technology worked whenever she wanted because she was the Queen or... something. It had been a hassle to get her to understand that there was a high chance that they may not even find what they were looking for, even if they managed to get any of the equipment working. Because four-year abandoned equipment in the middle of an apocalypse had absolutely NO chance of breaking down. Nope. Archer's eye twitched slightly as the train of thought continued in his mind. "I'm not just the heir to Grandpa's Gym, I was raised by that fruitbat. I know more than most Rockets ever had the chance to learn about their own equipment. Especially since a lot of it Grandpa and his friend designed personally. Whatever is in there, I have the know-how to get.

The real question is, do you?"

Ariana licked her lips as she took in Fenix's well-delivered speech, even if she was more fond of actions more than words. "That's funny; Archer here has been talking on and on about how we'd be lucky if any of it still works-- but you can get it working, can you? That's... very interesting." She glanced to him, triumphant glare smacked across her face as she kept the gun pointed at Fenix. Of course, her carelessness had to be covered, so Archer kept his gun trained on the woman as Ariana berated him. "See? Look at that can-do attitude. Maybe if you weren't always such a fucking stick in the mud, you'd accomplish more."

Archer let out a long breath in a bid to keep himself calm in the face of her unrivaled, endless ineptitude. He managed, of course; he'd been doing this for a very, very long time. "She's also bargaining for her life. Please keep that in mind."

"Quiet. I didn't ask your opinion." She turned back to Fenix and took a few steps back, lowering her gun. "Either way, I'm very intrigued. I like you, Fenix-- I really do. So instead of shooting you, I'm going to take you hostage and you're going to fix that junk down there. Sound good?" She put her gun back in her holster and snapped her fingers, recalling Garmr to her side, even if he looked disappointed. "I'm Ariana and that's Archer over there. Since he has some very intimate knowledge of the base, you and he will be doing all the... nerdy... tech things together. And he'll be able to tell if you're sabotaging us or not." She gave Fenix one more smirk before looking to Archer, suddenly looking very... smug.

"Archer, frisk her. Take any weapons you find, and make note of how many pokeballs she has."

A shudder of disgust went up Fenix's spine as the unhinged female licked her chops, eyeing her like a piece of meat. She could see where the Houndoom got its table manners, the dog also smacking its chops and looking all too similar to its trainer. This woman was a disgusting human being, and the sooner she and Flynn got away from her the better. "That's funny; Archer here has been talking on and on about how we'd be lucky if any of it still works-- but you can get it working, can you? That's... very interesting." Archer huh? Well at least now she knew what to call one of them instead of the unpleasant nicknames that had been filtering through her head for the last five minutes. "See? Look at that can-do attitude. Maybe if you weren't always such a fucking stick in the mud, you'd accomplish more."

Archer seemed un-amused by his companions childish antics, letting out an exasperated sigh before addressing her. "She's also bargaining for her life. Please keep that in mind." Fenix couldn't help but offer a knowing smirk at Archer, intrigued by the stoic man's choice in partner when he seemed so done with her behavior. She quickly chastised him for his sass but even she seemed to miss the fact he was talking down to him, amusing Fenix to no end. This chick must have thought she was in complete control because she soon lowered her gun and stepped away. Dangerous move.

"Either way, I'm very intrigued. I like you, Fenix-- I really do. So instead of shooting you, I'm going to take you hostage and you're going to fix that junk down there. Sound good?" There was that word again. Like. Who does that? But the nutjob was offering her and Flynn an out so the blonde considered her options carefully. The ribbon around her ankle pulsed gently, the calming sensation washing over her as she closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to project her own assurances back to the Sylveon struggling on the floor. The sharp snap broke her concentration and Fenix opened her eyes to see the mad Houndoom retreating to the redhead's side, almost upset it didn't get to eat her. Yet again another sign of poor training. This woman had better watch her Houndoom carefully, because one day it was libel to get tired of her interference and eat her instead. Looking back down to Flynn she let out a heavy sigh and nodded. "Fine."

The female nearly bubbled with delight. "I'm Ariana and that's Archer over there. Since he has some very intimate knowledge of the base, you and he will be doing all the... nerdy... tech things together. And he'll be able to tell if you're sabotaging us or not." At the name Ariana the blonde immediately realized exactly what she had been dealing with. Blaine had warned her as a child about certain Rockets, told her many times who to avoid and who to watch out for because of the danger they posed to their family. Ariana was near the top of that list. Giovanni's Whore, that's what Grandpa called her. A power hungry deviant who used any means necessary to climb to the top, including bedding the boss to get knocked up. Wincing Fenix knew she was in deep shit for agreeing to help this madwoman.

"Archer, frisk her. Take any weapons you find, and make note of how many pokeballs she has."

Stiffening slightly Fenix pressed herself further into the wall, eyeing Archer dangerously. Her hands clenched into tight fists, but not at the idea of some random man's hands trailing over her body, no. She was pissed that she was going to have to play nice while he was disarming her, and if he took her pokeballs she was going to be seriously pissed. Anastasia would probably pop out on principle for being touched by an 'unworthy' and then were would she be? No. The only way to get through this was to play their game, but maybe throw in one of her own on top of it. With a game plan in mind her nervous tension melted away and a smooth smirk replaced her expression, practically inviting the male Rocket over.

Flynn was a mess with Fenix's random emotions filtering in through his vain attempts to calm her. The Houndoom above him still hadn't moved despite his packmate being called off and Flynn was starting to panic. Wrapping a second ribbon around the other foreleg of his captor Flynn increased the calming aura in a desperate attempt to at least get the beast to ease off on the pressure. His legs shifted nervously as he tried to not push them up, in fear of antagonizing his captor instead. The Sylveon was a wreck. He had never been so powerless before and it was driving him nuts that he couldn't properly defend Fenix. She was bargaining their lives to spare him. It wasn't right. And now some man was going to violate her and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Of course she'd ask HIM to frisk her.

Archer was not a sexual man. Really. He never took much pleasure in flesh of any kind and on just about every occasion he'd been offered, he would have much rather be doing just about anything else. If the choice was there, he would have absolutely chosen abstinence. But this fact seemed to be absolutely wrong and false in Ariana's eyes, and so she'd done everything in her power to try and... correct that sentiment of his. Everything. Shockingly, her... "practices" only convinced Archer his initial thoughts were more correct. But being intimate in just about any way made him squirm, and that was what she liked to see. "The Great Wall cracking" as she liked to put it.

So that was why he got to frisk the captive woman.

Letting out another long, exasperated sigh that was full of frustration and disappointment, Archer steeled himself as he finally put his gun down and away. There would be no arguing with her, and any sort of distraction would be an opening for the woman to attack and flee. The only reason she hadn't was likely because Sin still had her Sylveon-- apparently Ariana thought her amicable enough to call off Garmr. Stupid bitch. He cast a glance to her, annoyed and frustrated, but Ariana merely soaked it up like a sponge. A horrible, horrible sponge. Sure, laugh it up now. Just remember you can't fuck computers into submission, you miserable cunt, he spat at her in his mind before going to Fenix.

At first she seemed alarmed at the very least, defensive. Not scared but, you know, not comfortable with the idea. But now, as he approached and stood before her, she was... considerably different. Confusion once more passed over his face before he motioned to her arms. "...Raise your arms up and outward."

"...Raise your arms up and outward."

Fenix had to catch a chuckle at the pure discomfort written on Archer as he directed her movement, obviously not pleased with being given this task. This was her chance to start her version of the game, and she wasn't going to waste this opportunity. Dutifully complying she raised her arms upward, palms out and giving Archer and inviting smile. "All yours big boy," she cooed, shooting a glance to Ariana to test her reactions. She seemed like she might be the possessive type so Fenix would have to play this carefully.

"Though given how thrilled you seem I would almost have to guess girls aren't really your thing." She shivered as his arms reached behind her to grab her dagger, the sensation almost ticklish. It had been a long time since anyone touched her that didn't have fur or scales. It also brought him uncomfortably close to her chest, which just to be aggravating she puffed out to press against him to see how he would react. This was going to be almost fun.

This easily had to be one of the worse days of his life.

Archer's face fell slightly, irate that their captive was giving him an inviting, almost lustful grin and practically dancing for him. "All yours big boy," she purred, eliciting an involuntary gag from Archer. Too familiar to all the horrible times Ariana "seduced" him, the man had to settle his nausea as Ariana burst into laughter behind him, apparently very amused by the turn of events. At least someone was having a good time.

Archer was about to begin when Fenix spoke again, voice still sultry and smooth even as she insulted him. "Though given how thrilled you seem, I would almost have to guess girls aren't really your thing." Ariana's louder guffaws did little to cause Archer to react; instead, he simply stared Fenix in the eye for a moment, face almost expressionless except for a hint of irritation. Without a word, he stripped the knife obviously perched on her hip, tossing it to the ground. He didn't give either of them the satisfaction of an answer before he roughly took a hold of Fenix's shoulders and began his search, despite how she nearly thrusted her breasts out at him. Awesome. Just what he needed.

Whatever. He needed to just get this over with.

Shoulders. Shoulder blades. Spine. Ribs. Abdomen. The dagger on her hip was already gone, but there was apparently something else. He opened it, spotting something needle-like inside. Medicine? Venom? Drugs? Carefully, he removed the pouch, putting it with the knife as he continued. He'd find out their contents later. Hips. ....Eugh, butt. Pelvis, thighs, calves, feet. He frowned as his hands lingered on her legs-- where the fuck were her pokeballs? His eyes went up to her face, mind trying to calculate just where on her lithe form she could hide up to six small spheres.

Ariana seemed to be losing her patience again, however, as the game had gotten boring, apparently. "What's taking so long? You already forget your way around a woman's body?"

Despite the obvious insult, Archer stood and studied Fenix for a moment before answering, "Her pokeballs are missing." He heard the angry scoff behind him, but didn't react-- instead his eyes continued to go over where he could have missed so much. If she was hiding that much, what else was there? He reached to the things adorning her upper arms, the fishnet weirdly firm. He quirked a brow at the needle-like things hidden within, the small bits almost invisible otherwise. While it was good that he found them, it still wasn't what he was looking for. He took them out and tossed them down to the rest of the pile as he continued to look.

"You haven't checked her tits yet, moron," Ariana chimed. Archer visibly flinched, really not looking forward to what was going to be suggested. "With a shelf like that, she could hold an entire stadium of balls in there." She chuckled at the double entendre she may or may not have intended, leaving her compatriot with the inevitable. "Imagery isn't necessary," he commented dully. He really didn't want to stick his hand in there.

As annoying as the sound of Ariana's barking laughter was it sent a wave of reassurance through Fenix with the knowledge that she wasn't as possessive of her 'toys' as she had thought. As long as it was all teasing she seemed to get a fair amount of pleasure in Archer's misery even if it was at Fenix's hands instead of her own. Archer, however, seemed less than thrilled with her antics as his face twisted in annoyance before roughly grabbing her shoulders and pushing her steady. "Oh, like it rough huh?" she teased through a throaty chuckle, eyes meeting his for a brief moment before he resumed his task. But he ignored her well.

She could practically see the mental checklist in his head being ticked off as he worked his way down her form, the blonde's smile growing bigger and bigger with each inch that he got further from his goal. By the time he reached her feet and Flynn's ribbons her face was split in a full on toothy grin waiting for him to come back up to eye level. He peered up at her from the floor as Ariana's obnoxious voice called out to the pair. "What's taking so long? You already forget your way around a woman's body?" Fenix's eyes sparkled with mischief as she looked back at Archer, waiting for the words she knew was coming. "Her pokeballs are missing."

Oh she was reveling in this.  Ariana seemed less pleased about it but Fenix could no longer hold back her own laughter as she unintentionally already outwitted the pair. It was just standard procedure for her and he missed both of them. "You haven't checked her tits yet, moron," The wince that Archer displayed couldn't be hidden, the very idea of rummaging through Fenix's impressive bosom somehow offensive. Maybe her jest had been closer than she thought, if he was that averse to copping a free feel. "With a shelf like that, she could hold an entire stadium of balls in there." Ok even to her that was in bad taste, but her smile never faltered as she waited for Archer to look at her again. "Balls aren't the only thing you missed doll," she offered helpfully. "If you like I can help you out a bit. Tell me where you think they are and I will tell you if you are close. Sound fun?"

Archer was less than enthused to see Fenix's face alight with mischeif and laughter. Really, he was just the butt of the joke here. Great. "Balls aren't the only thing you missed doll," she offered helpfully. "If you like I can help you out a bit. Tell me where you think they are and I will tell you if you are close. Sound fun?" His deadpan glare didn't waver as he stared her down, clearly unamused unlike everyone else in the fucking room. But with Ariana giggling up a storm behind him, well, there was little else to do. Exhausted, exasperated and just done with life for the day, he shook his head and moved forward, feeling the ample bust while trying to keep what little he'd rationed in his stomach.

"Do what you want, but I can't just take your word for it," he growled out under his breath, feeling around and under the flesh as quickly as he could. While there was some room, he didn't feel anything other than what little dignity he had completely fall away to the whims of a madwoman. Stumped again, he withdrew his hand and looked to her hands, both gloved. Eyeing them suspiciously, he could tell there weren't balls in there, but the possibility of more of those dart-things was high. He reached to her left, pressing against the wrist lightly to see if it was hard like the other spots or was just a wrist.

As he coldly examined her chest, a deep frown set into his features, Fenix started to feel a little bad for the guy. His irritated tone as he addressed her had her rethinking the extent of her game, because avoiding the wrath of one to earn the ire of another was probably not the best trade. And it was his Houndoom that had Flynn.... Maybe she should start playing a little nicer. "Do what you want, but I can't just take your word for it," Yeah, definitely needed to dial it back a bit.

Reaching into her shirt had Fenix let out a small eep of surprise, Archer's hands nearly ice cold against her naturally warm skin. She knew he wasn't going to find anything in there but she didn't get a chance to tell him so before he withdrew on his own, eyeing her hands next. As he gripper her forearm and pressed against her wrist she decided to take a little pity on him. "Warm," she said softly, with a far less mocking tone. As his hand moved slowly up her arm she smiled and offered another hint. "Warmer." When his hands finally reached her bicep and the band of netting she wore around it she cocked her head to the side and gave a small breath of a laugh. "Hot."

Archer hadn't really wanted to play in the game that Fenix was playing, even if he was no longer sure what the game was in the first place. In a moment, her demeanor had completely shifted into one far less annoying, but it still send red flags and alarms blaring in his mind. People didn't just shift like that for shiggles.

Still, her temperature game was all he had to go on, and he just had to roll with it. Thankfully, it seemed that, for whatever reason, Fenix decided to actually be somewhat cooperative and led him to... more fucking needles. Attached to another thing on her arm were more of the damn things and Archer's brow furrowed with confusion as he took them off as well, tossing them into the ever-growing pile. What the fuck were those things? Nothing to sneeze at, likely, but there were still the missing pokeballs he needed to worry about, not a drug den's supply of mystery darts.

A deep frown settled as he concentrated and stepped back just a little to get a better field of vision. His eyes wandered from the floor up, his checklist from the first frisk in his mind's eye as he carefully studied her features for possible spots missed or odd bulges. As he traveled up, however, he quickly ran out of possibilities as he reached her face once more. But his eyes went up once more, studying the large amount of flowing, bright yellow hair that cascaded down all around her. His glare narrowed, unbelieving, but... it was his only option left. "...No..."

She suppressed a giggle at the confusion on his face when he found her last few throwing needles, probably not even sure what they were for. If she hadn't run out of venom to dip them in a few months back there would have been a vial in that pouch he threw away earlier, but for now they were good for pressure points and immobilizing foes. But after a moment of hesitation he stepped back to stare at her, leaving Fenix feeling somewhat exposed. She watched him as carefully as he was watching her, each pass of his eyes as they studied her body making her feel more uncomfortable than when his hands had been doing the same thing. His hands were clinical, this was infinitely more intense even though all he was doing was looking for her Pokeballs.

When his eyes once again reached her face Fenix couldn't stop the faint blush that ran across her cheeks and quickly turned her head, clearing her throat in an attempt to hide her fluster. Could he just figure it out already and stop making her feel like she was on auction? A glance back at Archer showed him staring at her hair in growing disbelief, showing near anger at the possibility he hadn't considered. "...No..." Phoenix shot him a wry smile as she tilted her head to the side, sweeping a large dip of hair over her shoulder. "Ding ding ding, you've won the scavenger hunt." All that remained now was for him to free her tie and find the three pokeballs nestled safely within.

Ariana frowned as Archer fumbled in searching for the girl's pokemon. Though it'd been funny in the first few minutes, the longer he lingered on her, the more Ariana found it to be taxing and annoying. Why couldn't he just find the damn things? Why were they so elusive? As he shut himself off from his own anxiety, Fenix seemed to change her stance as well. At first, she was maniacal and flaunting and funny. But as her compatriot stared the other woman down in critical analysis, Ariana caught the flush of red in Fenix's cheeks, clumsily hidden with a turn of the head and cough. That little whore. Not like Archer likely caught it, or at least its meaning, but the gesture didn't escape Ariana.

But it seemed that Archer finally figured things out as he apparently guessed the right spot, earning praise from the hostage. "Ding ding ding, you've won the scavenger hunt." Relieved, Archer sighed and reached up to her hair, eager to get the ordeal over and done with, pulling free a strap, three pokeballs attached to it. He showed the strap to Ariana and put it on the pile of the other weapons before kicking them away a ways.

"Off," was his simple, soft command to Sin, not having forgotten his Houndoom still pinned on the Sylveon. The hound happily obeyed, eager to flail and kick off the ribbons that had wrapped around his forelegs to return to his master's side. Archer stood in front of the weapons as Ariana approached Fenix again, still keeping just out of arms' reach.

"So. Quite the needle collector, huh?" She made her way to the pile, picking up the pokeballs by the strap and considered them a moment. "If you're going to help us down below, I can't have you completely unarmed. If anything works down there, it'll be the traps. But on the other hand, I can't let you have all this power to oppose me." She glanced to Fenix and snatched a pokeball from its mount, tossing the rest back to their owner. "I keep one. Leverage, for everyone involved to keep our word. One Pokemon and your weapons. You help us, and at the end of this, we walk away unscathed, you get your things back and we all part ways like normal people. Sound good?"

Archer seemed completely finished with their game, reaching up to tug at her leather hair ties and pulling free her pokeballs. He took the strap of leather with him to Ariana leaving Fenix's hair to fall down the further six inches it had been hoisted, letting the red ends trail on the ground behind her feet. She lowed her arms and shook them loose, trying to rid herself of the tingling sensation that came with holding them out too long and Archer called to his Houndoom.
"Off," One word, not even an accompanying gesture, and the creature removed itself from Flynn, leaving Fenix once again impressed at the level of training the fire type had.

Flynn wasted no time in pulling himself out from under the creature that had trapped him so long, pulling his ribbons off of its legs and rushing over to where Fenix stood. He pushed his side up against her legs firmly to reassure himself that she was fine, his head becoming lost in her golden tresses. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around him, Flynn lifting himself up on his hind legs slightly to rest his paws on her arm and rest his head on her shoulder, sighing in relief that they were both alive. But judging by the snarling face of the one called Ariana they may not stay that way. "So. Quite the needle collector, huh?" She mocked, rummaging through Fenix's things like she had any right to. "If you're going to help us down below, I can't have you completely unarmed. If anything works down there, it'll be the traps. But on the other hand, I can't let you have all this power to oppose me."

Fenix and Flynn watched as Ariana plucked one of the pokeballs from its perch, pocketing it for herself. Fenix stood up angrily and shot Ariana dirty look when she carelessly tossed the rest back at her. "I keep one. Leverage, for everyone involved to keep our word. One Pokemon and your weapons. You help us, and at the end of this, we walk away unscathed, you get your things back and we all part ways like normal people. Sound good?" 'No you stupid bitch, that doesn't sound good.' she thought to herself bitterly, barely catching her Pokeballs before they hit the floor. She carefully checked them over to see which balls was missing and breathed as small sigh of relief that it wasn't Anastasia. The Absol would not have tolerated someone like Ariana touching her ball. "Fine," she hissed through gritted teeth, still pissed that, true to a Rocket, Ariana acted like she had some right to take someone else's Pokemon. "But I will warn you, that one is not to be trifled with."

Still grinding her teeth she tucked the leather strap between her fingers gently, pulling her hair back tight and leaning back until her spine curved and made her head nearly parallel with the floor. From this position she was able to get the top where it needed to be, tying it tightly with the leather cord and bringing herself back up again to let the weight of her hair settle in its usual position. "So since I'm stuck with you, until I get my Pokemon back, can we get going now?" Flynn wrapped his ribbon around her right wrist in a comforting gesture, bracing his side against her leg possessively as he stared at Ariana and Archer. If they were willing to kill him and take one of her other Pokemon, then Fenix was likely going to find a way to screw them over. It was just how she was. And Flynn had learned by now that whatever she did they wouldn't see it coming, because even she wouldn't know until it happened.

"Fine," Fenix hissed, seething with barely controlled rage at Ariana's confident, condescending "deal". It was rare to see Ariana suffer someone so ardently volatile and rebellious-- usually, she didn't wait in trying to torture and break them. That was her favorite part. But maybe she really did worry for the equipment's state down below; otherwise she would have completely derailed their path and gone to messing with her new toy. "But I will warn you, that one is not to be trifled with."

Ariana scoffed at the idea as Fenix pulled her massive amount of hair back into its high perch. Archer frowned at the sight; it made his neck hurt from watching. What was that, thirty pounds of nothing but bright yellow hair? He could only conclude that she had a miraculously strong neck. At least she'll be safe from anyone trying to choke her. Well. Safer. "So since I'm stuck with you, until I get my Pokemon back, can we get going now?"

"Your hair must be straining your pretty head for you to assume I'm actually going to try and use your pokemon," Ariana taunted as she tucked the ball safely away in her bag, zipping it closed. She also glossed over Fenix's impatient complaint, eager to rub her authority in someone else's face. "Like I'd send out a pokemon loyal to you. No, sweetie, that's not how Rocket operates-- we stole and sold those pokemon after sedating them." She gave a dark chuckle as she strode to the entrance of the stairwell, looking down into the gloom. "Taking others' pokemon and using them-- that's what Cipher was for."

"We should look for flashlights," Archer spoke evenly, not wishing to allow Ariana to gloat about company secrets. Not that he feared Fenix getting their information and running to Indigo Plateau with it-- carrying on like that was just tacky and dumb. "It'll be dark and cramped--"

"Shut up, Archer. You two look for flashlights. I'll keep sentinel." Of course, Garmr took to the doorway as she stared at the both of them, disgusting coy grin plastered on her repulsive face. Archer took in a deep breath, pushing his anger back down as it attempted to crawl back up his throat like emotional heartburn. He couldn't sass back, couldn't do anything. His eyes trailed to Fenix a moment, his mind calmly taking in possible assets from the young woman before he turned his attention back to Ariana. No, he couldn't do anything. Not yet.

Wordlessly, he turned and began to rummage through the debris and garbage, fully expecting fiery young woman to do the same. Ariana, glad that her little puppet danced as normal, turned to her new toy, expression unchanging. "Go on."

"Your hair must be straining your pretty head for you to assume I'm actually going to try and use your pokemon," Long since used to quips about her impressive hair length Fenix didn't even acknowledge the pathetic attempt at an insult from Ariana, instead she simply eyed where the woman slid Bonfire's pokeball in case she had to make a dash and grab later on. "Like I'd send out a pokemon loyal to you. No, sweetie, that's not how Rocket operates-- we stole and sold those pokemon after sedating them. Taking others' pokemon and using them-- that's what Cipher was for." Fenix couldn't help but bark out a laugh, arms wrapping around her gut as she nearly burst into hysterics. "Loyal! Ha!" She choked out between gasps of air. The idea of Bonfire being loyal to anyone but himself had thrown her into a fit of giggles that brought tears to her eyes as she forced herself to try and calm down. "Oh you are precious. Loyal...what an idea. You obviously have never met any of my pokemon."

Archer tried to talk some reason into the two females but Ariana it seemed still wanted to throw a little weight around, snapping at him like misbehaved pup. She stood over the stairwell with her Houndoom and just watched the both of them, Archer glancing over to her for a moment before beginning to search for the ordered flashlights. Fenix quieted her chuckling and simply shrugged, walking over to her duffel and rummaging through it for a second before pulling out a small case. "Jacked these earlier," she said, opening the tin and tossing two long packages to Archer. "Not exactly flashlights but might come in handy later. Emergency glow sticks. Just crack and shake for instant light. For about four to six hours anyway." She gathered the rest of her gear that Ariana didn't keep for herself and slung the duffel bag over her shoulder, but not before hearing the other bitch from behind her. "Go on."

Sighing loudly Fenix made her way to the other side of the shop from Archer, digging through shelves to try and find something that they could use other than her emergency lights that had a better glow. Light sticks only put off enough light to see right around you, nothing distant or anything you needed detail for. 'Like wires and circuit boards,' she thought bitterly. Flynn, however, saw his friend moving and refused to let Fenix simply turn her back on these people so he took up position between her and everyone else in the room no matter where she moved to look. He kept his ribbon tied snug around her wrist so that he would be alerted any time she was about to move and if he felt a tug would step to the side or backwards to keep his eyes fixed on the rest of the room. His gaze especially trained on the Houndoom by Ariana, as she was the most likely to sick her pet on his friend, but not failing to let it trail across the room to make sure he knew what the other two were doing.

Despite Fenix's casual air the room was full of tension, setting the Sylveon on edge. Fenix was tense about the Rockets. The male Rocket felt tense about the female Rocket. The female Rocket felt tense about Fenix. All in all it was just a jumble of emotion he was having a hard time picking through and he really wished they had just stuck with their original plan of finding Blaine rather than detouring for this stupid hideout. Really, it was their own fault they got caught. He was about ready to just Hyper Voice the group and drag Fenix out when suddenly a loud cry of success from behind him startled the eeveelution back to reality. "Aha! Found something!" Fenix crowed. "There's only one but at least we can use it." She stepped away from the shelf she had been crouching near and turned back to Archer and Ariana, grinning and holding up her free hand to show an LED headlamp dangling from her fingertips. "The batteries were even still in the package." Flynn sighed and dropped his head, shaking it in defeat. He should have known that nothing with Fenix was ever going to be easy.

"Sweet! Flashlight! An Ariados announces. He's peering under a bed, and shoots out a web and yanks the device towards him. He could attempt to wedge himself under there to pull it out normally, but he really doesn't want a repeat of getting stuck. Unfortunately this led to the flashlight rolling and getting webbing stuck all over the handle, but he could get it off later. He picks the object up in his pincer-like mouth, and goes into the hallway to see where his human is. He sees the orange light given off by the Ponyta coming out of a room further down the hall and ambles towards it. When he gets to the entrance, he can see his human crouching as she digs through the cabinets for something with the light from the fire horse's mane allowing her to see into the darkness. He places the flashlight down before asking, "Wat'cha looking for?"

"Hair ties and a brush," is the curt response from Lynn... No Max. It is important that he remembers to call her by her nickname now. Even though he has officially known her by her nickname now for longer than he had known her by her real name, it is sometimes hard to remember... He definitely doesn't envy Melody who had known the human for years with her original name.

"It's why we're in a bathroom of all places, Spidey," Misty, the Ponyta, adds. She turns her head to look at him, and notices the flashlight, "Oh nice!" The vague but positive tone grabs Max's attention as she stops her intense search of the cabinets under the sinks to properly address Spidey.

"Nice find!" she praises him when she realizes what the object is. "Were there any batteries with it?" she asks.

"Nah, it was under a bed. Think someone kicked it on accident."

Lots of things seem to get lost that way, huh, buddy, Max thinks for a second. She notices the webbing he obviously used to drag it out wrapped around the handle and asks, "Uh, do me a favor and and get that gunk off before you go hunting for batteries."

"Gotcha," he agrees before gnawing on the webbing.

Max goes back to her original hunt under the cabinet, and, after pulling out way too many old bottles of perfume, she sees a basket in the far back that appears to hold what she's looking for. "FINALLY," she says a little more loudly than usual as she pulls the basket towards her. The basket is full of loose bobby pins and hair ties, and for the moment she stuffs all of them in one of her cargo's pockets. Almost near the bottom, she finds a rat-tail comb and a brush with old hair still stuck in it. "Ugh... beggers can't be choosers," she mutters while she pulls the old hair out. These two items she stuffs into her camoflage backpack, and when she looks back over to Spidey's location, he has already finished his task and left the flashlight at the door.

She stands up and stretches her back until it pops before picking up the flashlight and testing it. Remembering to point the end of the flashlight away from her eyes, she presses the button and the hallway fills with the white light. "Good, at least it has a little power. That way you don't always have to rely on me or Holly," Misty comments. At the mention of the Pumpkaboo's name, Max instinctively reaches behind her head to feel her hood and finds that there is still a little fluffball asleep there. At the touch, the Pumpkaboo nuzzles her hand, but she doesn't wake.

"Let's find some batteries first before we say things like that," Max warns. She hears Spidey in one of the bedrooms and decides to help him scour the place. He doesn't look up when the human and Ponyta enter, and soon, all three are digging around the place for batteries. Max is looking through the drawers, Spidey is digging through piles on the floor that other scavengers likely left, and Misty is trying to scent out the acidic smell of batteries. Luck is again on the group's side when Max finally pulls open the bottom drawer and finds one of those absurdly large packs of double As. Unfortunately as soon as she pulls it out, there are three gunshots.

All three beings stood completely still except for Misty's ears which are trying to locate the direction of the sound. Spidey is almost cowering, he knows what happened to his old friends, and Lynn has a sudden memory of Tohjo falls. Almost too slowly, the two try to get closer to each other out of instinct, before Misty's ears finally stop moving. "Towards the town."

Max shoves the pack of batteries into her hoodie pocket with the flashlight, and she pulls out three pokeballs. Misty and Spidey shake their heads vehemently at the unspoken offer, for they worry about their human running into something she couldn't handle. However, she does recall the sleeping Holly and places the pokeball back into her hoodie pocket. She should have known better than to leave her bat near the door of the house, but that is a worry for another time. She grabs the wooden weapon before crouching and slowly creaking the door open and looking outside. Misty is keeping her ears trained as well, and she slowly shakes her head to indicate that she doesn't hear anything else. There isn't anyone else outside from what Max can see, and they take this as a chance to run. Max opens the door wider to let the Ariados and Ponyta out, and then shuts it quietly as she also leaves.  

Going towards the center of town is out of the question, so that only leaves heading towards Mt. Mortar to hide it out. As much as Max hates that place for more than one reason, she can't see any other option. She quickly waves her right arm to indicate the direction she wants Spidey and Misty to go and runs. Both of these pokemon have no trouble keeping up with her, and Misty even takes the lead. Unfortunately, when she looks back to make sure she isn't leaving Max and Spidey behind, her hoof catches on uneven pavement and causes her to stumble straight into a metal trashcan with a loud CLANG.

"SHIT! Misty, are you okay?" Max asks louder than she means as she skids to a stop beside Misty. The Ponyta is already on the ground and dazed from the collision, and the question only makes her look up at the human in confusion.

Spidey is standing between his allies and the direction of potential danger, and dread pools in his stomach when he feels the vibrations of two quadrapeds coming towards them. "We've got company!" He shouts as he tries to make himself as intimidating as possible. He erected the two limbs on his back to their full height and prepared a Sucker Punch for anything that came at him.

At Spidey's warning, Max tightly grips her bat and shifts from crouching to standing. She can hear the heavy pawsteps coming towards them, and while everything is screaming to run, she can't. Not with Misty dazed like this. There isn't enough time to recall her, and if they run now, whatever it is would hunt for them.

Placing the glowsticks Fenix had found on the floor beside him, Archer went to work in trying to find batteries and flashlights. The Sylveon stayed almost glued to his trainer, the delicate ribbons wound around her limbs in a bid to stay attached to her despite any movement. Archer wasn't really sure what to make of the kind of display of protection-- he was fairly sure the blonde was capable of fending for herself. Regardless, Sin kept a careful eye on the Fairy; he was trained well enough to know that he would only have an advantage on that kind of opponent if he managed to get the first move. Any other situation would spell disaster.

However, soon there was at least some good news. "Aha! Found something!" The woman cried, victorious. Archer turned his head slightly to see her find, Sin watching for any tells of a surprise attack. "There's only one but at least we can use it." She took a few steps toward Ariana to show her findings-- a headlamp. It even looked to be in decent shape. "The batteries were even still in the package."

"Good job, sweetie," Ariana noted, her tone lightened with an air of genuine surprise. "Go ahead and keep that for yourself, since you're going to be--"

"Wait," Archer interrupted, causing Ariana's eyes and nose to flare. But he didn't care; his own attention wasn't on either of the women. It was on Sin, who had perked and was now standing on point. Ariana, of course, didn't notice and thus started trying to wield her dominance around again.

"Don't you fucking interrupt me, Ar--"

"Look at the dogs, Ariana. There's something nearby," he snapped back, watching his own Houndoom carefully. Garmr was impatiently pacing at the door, eyes locked on something outside in the same direction Sin was so intently staring. Ariana finally looked down and saw what Archer had seen, then grinned.

"You hear something, boy?" she asked as she stepped outside. "Go fucking get it, baby." At her command, Garmr raced out, barking out a few times, Ariana hot on his heels. Archer snapped his fingers, releasing Sin and stared at the two hostages. He knew he couldn't leave them here, not alone. But whatever the dogs sensed might need more than just two Houndoom and Ariana. And besides, Ariana needed him to anchor her down. Silently taking two pokeballs out from his belt, he released a Persian and Tauros, who stared down the hostages with the same intense focus Sin possessed.

"No funny business. She's a fire-type Gym Leader. Keep her there." Justice, the Tauros, snorted his response, lowering his head a little to better aim his deadly horns at the prisoners as Tyranny slinked to the other side, putting herself between them and the stairs while Justice blocked the direct path to the door. Archer raced out, gun in hand, following the trail left by his companions.

The two Houndoom, in the meantime, quickly found the source of the noise to be a fallen Ponyta and her trainer, who looked completely spooked. The boys circled the small group, fire licking at Garmr's teeth as he drooled in anticipation of a possible battle. He snapped a few times at the new prisoners, but did not outright attack. But soon enough, Ariana strode onto the scene, laughing at her luck. Mahogany was really proving to be a much more interesting place than she remembered.

"Well, well, well! Lookie what we have here-- more fucking prisoners!" She pulled her gun and looked down at the trapped trainer, snickering at her baseball bat. "Put that down before you hurt yourself, sweetie, or I start shooting."She motioned to the ground with her gun, smug smile plastered on her pale face. Soon after, Archer arrived, planting himself opposite Ariana and effectively surrounding the newcomers. Though he was completely confounded by the fact that there were suddenly so many damned people in Mahogany, he focused on the task at hand: detaining the new hostages.

"Good job, sweetie," Fenix's expression twitched slightly at the praise, imaging Ariana's mind observing her like a pet who had performed their first trick. "Go ahead and keep that for yourself, since you're going to be--"
The red-headed monster was quickly cut off by Archer and Fenix looked down to see the two Houndooms at rapt attention but only one of their masters seemed to notice. Ariana immediately began snapping at Archer for interrupting her but once again was cut off by Captain Obvious, and the angry expression melted away to a murderous glee as the psycho knelt down to her Houndoom.

"You hear something, boy?" She cooed at her slavering beast, the thing almost ready to jump out of its skin for a chance at blood. "Go fucking get it, baby." The tragically trained Houndoom raced off, followed by his mistress, and Fenix found herself alone with Archer for just a moment. Wondering if the pair might actually be stupid enough to let her go without realizing she just eyed him and waited. His snap to bring his Houndoom to attention was all the answer she needed, the second hound racing out after his companions while his master remained. "Much better trained, that one," she offered casually, but was seemingly ignored as the blue haired male revealed two more Pokeballs and summoned a Tauros and Persian before her.

"No funny business. She's a fire-type Gym Leader. Keep her there." Fenix burst into laughter as she realized he meant these two to guard her and Flynn, the Sylveon much less enthused than his partner and pulling her wrists tightly to stop her. He knew that normal types were much more versatile than they were given credit for and didn't want one of them to gain the advantage by having a move-set that proved difficult to overcome. After a moment she finally calmed down and realized that Archer had already left, leaving them alone with the two normal types. Flynn saw the rather aggressive posturing of the bull and stepped in front of Fenix, ribbons uncurling from her wrist to once again flow beside him. "No funny business also means no attacking without provocation. Back off," Flynn warned.

The blonde female chuckled at Flynn's protectiveness, appreciative of his efforts but more than aware they weren't necessary. "Relax Flynn," she said with a chuckle. "These two belong to the competent trainer. They wouldn't make a move without his say so." She smiled at the Tauros and stepped casually around the bull, making her way back over to the counter and pulling herself up on top of it to sit down. "But that doesn't mean they wouldn't be justified in attacking us if we attacked first. So chill out and come sit down with me. Unless you just feel like staring at the pretty Persian all day." Flynn blushed furiously at the strange comment and cleared his throat to try and hide his embarrassment, to no avail. The Sylveon sighed and warily made his way towards Fenix to hop up and perch himself next to her, all the while praying that she knew what she was doing.

"So. Who wants to play a game?"