To Capture a Deity

[Sabaku No Akaiame]

The Staraptor put the assassin and his Pokemon down a couple hundred feet away from the hideout they were supposed to infiltrate. Wearing his usual clothes, and a usual smile adorning his face, the blonde simply petted the Pokemon and let it fly off before ducking into a tree's shadow and proceeding to climb it.

Once on the treetops, with Inazuma following from the ground, he silently worked his way towards his target's base until they were right at the side of the building.

Some guards were patrolling the building's circumference, but it didn't matter. A flick of a wrist, a flash of metal in the moonlight and a couple of choked gasps later, the blonde dropped next to his nearest victim, sombrely closing the latter's eyes and letting him rest in peace.

Instead of dawdling even more, his eyes went to the air vent about twenty feet overhead. Most cliche entrance method ever, and yet the most effective. Knowing the person inside this building was very smart and very important, too, they must have installed security cameras in the air vents. Maybe even outside the perimeter. Who knows, maybe they even knew he was there already.

Clearing the negative thoughts from his head, he let Inazuma climb up on his shoulder and immediately jumped for the first protrusion on the wall, silently climbing the hideout.

As quickly as a shadow in the night, he unscrewed the left screws of the metal vent and opened it wide enough for Inazuma to slip in.

The Pokemon gently got inside and grabbed the pouch his master handed him through the slit. He then tossed it as far as he could with his mouth, waiting for the sound to die before growling lightly.

A heavy mist quickly appeared in the vent. If there were security cameras, the people watching it would probably associate the mist with the fact that it was raining outside. Plus, with the combination of the darkness and the mist, the teen knew he could proceed through the vents without worries, as long as he didn't make any noise.

Then again, he was an assassin, and the silent kill was his speciality.

Noiselessly pulling out the remaining screws, he entered the air duct behind his Pokemon and screwed the metal plate back in before turning to the foggy duct.

No time to lose. His target awaited.

[Zorayda]

Zorayda sucked in breath, the sound making a hissing noise as Elliot pinched a tender spot between her shoulder and neck. She wasn't used to people causing her purposeful pain. She gave the blonde a fleeting glare before rubbing the tender spot.

It wasn't long before she was dragged elsewhere, to watch Kitty and Elliot spar. She wasn't expecting what she saw, however.

Needless the say, the two of them didn't have the same skill level. While Zorayda was impressed with Kitty's flipping, dodging, and kicking, it was nothing compared to Elliot's elegantly cruel grace when he fought. Zorayda winced and actually cried out a few times in response to every punishing blow the girl received, and a couple of times, the older trainer actually flinched in their direction, as if to go and help Kitty. In the end, it was like watching a train wreck. She couldn't look away as Elliot practically molested her friend, and a seething rage built up at the same time as a cold fear emerged.

There wasn't a damn thing she could do about any of it. When it was over, Zorayda realized that she had both hands over her mouth, and she quickly dropped them and tried to make her face more impassive, so as not to hurt her friend's pride, but it was unneeded. Kitty was unconscious, leaving Zorayda and Elliot alone.

She wanted to throw insults him, to hurt him, to make him feel pain, but she knew that she could not. It was the most terrible feeling she'd ever endured. She wrapped herself in her own arms and looked away.

[Sabaku No Akaiame]

The assassin quickly proceeded to following his pokemon to their target's whearabouts. The Luxray, being Pokemon with superhuman eyesight, could practically see through walls for over hundreds of feet. So as a Pokemon accompanying an assassin, Inazuma was the perfect one for the job.

The two companions were quick in sneaking in, the light fog only slightly impeding their vision thanks to Inazuma's guidance.

What actually surprised the teen was the fact that there was no noise under him. He couldn't perceive the noise of people talking, or walking, or simply even breathing. The eerie silence creeped him out and he desperately begged for someone to make a little noise, just to give him evidence of human presence in the building.

Maybe they were all holed up somewhere and waiting for him. That would explain why there weren't any noises... Maybe they wanted to ambush him since they knew he was going for his boss... Did the boss of this building know he was being tracked? And if he did, did he know it was only for pacific reasons?

The questions hurt his head so bad he had to stop and wince for a while, trying to clear his head. No. No 'what if's. An assassin is trained to carry out his mission no matter the costs. His body, his mind, his soul, his entire life belonged to his boss, and what he wanted went.

If the man wanted him to die, he would die. Not like he had any other choice.

Inazuma stopped for a moment to make sure he was okay. The teen simply flashed his Pokemon a smile, which was enough for the Pokemon to smile a little as well, almost as if telling him 'we're almost there!'

And the small light at the end of the vent told them the assumption was correct.

They stopped on each side of the metal grating, giving the blonde enough space to lean down and look through the grating. No one. Perfect.

They would get down in this room and proceed through the shadows. As much as the idea sounded displeasing, he had to do so. Infiltration Techniques 101. Everyone knew the closer you got to the core of the organization, the more security they had. The vents that went further than this room probably had infrared cameras and heat detectors, or lasers. It was best to proceed on foot as it was actually easier to manage in an open space as well.

It only took a moment for the trainer to pull out the grid, and as quickly and noiselessly as he could, he jumped down into a crouch, finally landing inside the hideout.

[Moonlight]

A small smile curved Elliot's lips as he observed Kitty's prone form, sprawled where she fell. Knowing from delivering the prolonged technique many times to different targets, he was unconcerned. But he didn't miss their new companion's sound affects, nor her defensive gesture. Nudging the dark tressed thief's limp body with the toe of his boot, before idly rolling her from her side to her back so she would be able to breath better.

His gaze idly traveling to Zorayda once more, crossing his arms in a bored manner. "Are you going to stand there all night, or are you going to acquaint yourself with the area and its inhabitants? For I assure you, you will be spending quite a bit of time in this room until your basics are mastered," Elliot said, his tone but a lazy drawl. But knowing he had her under his thumb now. Being a ninth degree black belt had its advantages. As much as Kitty Cat was trying to improve, ten ranks was quite a bit. Such a shame. But he enjoyed being the one in control.

His little pet had been far too obstinate for years. And it seemed that they'd finally gotten through to her. Especially upon this last sparring match. Upon seeing Zorayda's equally pale gaze occasionally flicking towards Kitty, he offered a low chuckle of amusement. "Give her twenty minutes."

* * * * *

A faint groan escaped her lips as she awakened, entire form throbbing. Acting as a sharp reminder of the sparring match, of the beating she'd taken. Kitty slowly pulled herself into a sitting position, pressing a hand to her temple. There was no doubting what method he'd used, to make an example of her. But what had he done while she was unconscious? ... To both her, and her friend.

Her jade gaze searching for her companion, concerned. But soon settling on Zorayda once more, a faint sigh escaping the darkly tressed thief. Immediately stiffening upon noticing Elliot was still in the room, the blonde assassin casually leaning against the wall, arms folded across his chest. Bored. Supervising the violet haired trainer as well, although clearly thinking of it as babysitting. His pale gaze settling on her, smiling once more. "Sleep well, Kitty Cat?" Elliot queried mildly, earning a glare as she looked away from him.

Trying to ignore the assassin as she struggled to her feet, almost as shaky as a newborn horse. Her entire body screaming in protest, aching muscles balking at yet more activity. As much as it wounded her pride to do so, especially in front of him, Kitty's hands found the nearest solid object for stability, leaning heavily upon it while her body regained its balance. Head bowing, breath almost shallow. Trying to hide her slight shaking, licking her dry and somewhat swollen lower lip. Bittersweet blood met her senses.

Unwilling to admit that the latest sparring match had shaken her.

Everything complied, almost proving too much for the hardened thief. First blood and the sparring match being among the worst. Zorayda's situation only adding the cherry on top. But for the first time in years, almost crying.

Elliot's voice drifting to her as she heard the door creak open, clearly having something 'more important' to do. "Do make sure Zorayda doesn't hurt herself, Kitty Cat. Once you are steady, I suppose it would be a good idea to rest for the evening. It is almost dawn, after all. Sleep well," the assassin pointed out calmly, before closing the door behind him. But leaving the heavy feeling in her chest that she would be seeing him again shortly. As if he wasn't through.

[Sabaku No Akaiame]

The assassin put his head against the wooden door, listening for any movement beyond it. No noises came, so he figured it was also empty.

He gently put his hand on the handle, and still clutching his throwing knife tightly, he opened it with a slight creak and snuck inside, soundlessly closing it behind him.

It did creep him out that he hadn't met any form of human life yet but somehow managed to convince himself that everyone was waiting to ambush him instead of patrolling like usual. All he'd have to do was to avoid their ambush and he'd be safe. Easy enough as Inazuma could easily see if there was anything dangerous beyond the walls.

The room was dimly lit, but it didn't change the fact that it freaked him out. The darkness had never been his forte, almost laughably ironic as he was trained to be a killer who moved and killed in the shadows. Still, the fact that a couple of lamps lit the room enough to see the next door comforted him, and, making sure that the wooden floorboards didn't creak, he pushed himself as close as he could to the wall and started walking for the door.

Light was showing from under the door. Lots of light. The assassin slowly came to the conclusion that he was getting closer as the rooms got better lit. And... maybe someone was even in the room. He'd have to be careful, maybe ask Inazuma to scan the next room before entering.

What snapped him out of his musings was the said Pokemon's warning growl.

He knew that growl. He knew what it meant. A warning code, a panic button, a way of telling him he should hide.

Then again, the room was too wide and lit for him to do anything.

How could he have been so careless? How had this happened?

The door swung open calmly, and he could only freeze in terror as the newcomer's eyes directly went to his, a surprised look flashing briefly in them.

Ice met fire for a moment, and...

"Well, isn't this just fan-bloody-tastic."

[Zorayda]

Zorayda's eyes followed Elliot's--ice blue on ice blue, except only one had any trace of warmth and life behind it. She dropped her hands at his sarcastic comments and stood with her back pressed against the wall. She didn't drop her gaze from his for a good few seconds after he finished talking, angry and frightened at his behavior and treatment of his, however unwilling, companion.

Kitty stirred and got up, and Zorayda moved as if to help her. However, the older trainer thought better of it, thinking that to do so might have hurt the girl's pride. Zorayda looked on with a concerned gaze. Elliot made his last few remarks before shutting the door behind him, and the purple-haired girl rushed to Kitty's side.

"Are you all right? Jeez, what the hell! How does he expect you to do anything for them if you're in this condition?" She fretted over Kitty's injuries, examining them with a sharp, calculating gaze. Zorayda had had a bit of medical training a long time ago, when she went for a job as a lifeguard and an EMT assistant back home.

"Nothing's broken...I don't THINK you have any concussions...Where are you sleeping? You should probably have someone to keep an eye on you, just in case..." She continued on like this for a few minutes before settling back again, her mouth set in a grim line.

"All right, I guess we should just go and rest, there's nothing I can really do for these...I don't think any of them are serious anyway. But really, Kitty, this is so ridiculous. I can't believe Garret would let him do this to you." She grabbed Kitty's wrist, gently so as not to inflict any more pain on her bruises, and smiled. "Well, come on, you're supposed to show me my room, right?"

She looked away for a moment as she thought to herself. "Well, I won't take any of my Pokemon out tonight...I'll let them sleep til morning and then I'll tell them everything. Poor Soren...I only just caught him, too..."

[Moonlight]

Elliot's brow slowly arched upon recognizing the newcomer, only vaguely startled. And only a sliver of that slipping into his pale gaze - Which was colder than ice. His smooth-as-silk voice belying his threat as he spoke, a tinge of amusement clinging to it. "What a pleasant surprise ... How kind of you to ... drop in," the blonde assassin observed, noting that one of the ventilation duct vents was hanging lopsided. Sleeping gases were due to be installed after this. The vents had only been thought to be too small, apparently.

His eyes flicking towards Sabaku's weapon, seeing it was drawn. "And to what do I owe this pleasure ...?" he asked softly, not expecting any answer. And upon receiving naught, slowly shifting his weight. Only to lash out in attack.

* * * * *

A warm droplet hit the hardwood. She shakily inhaled, eyes clenching shut as the door clicked shut behind Elliot. After having not cried in years ... Twice in one night; the first admittedly for strong reasoning, seemed like more than just another blow. But it seemed like he'd broken more than just her pride, each breath aching as it was exchanged. And judging from the harshness of that sparring match, he'd fractured a floating rib. Not broken, but certainly cracked it. But there was no denying that nearly her entire body would be black and blue in a few hours.

But offering a small, wavering smile to Zorayda to placate her. "... Don't worry ... I'll live," the onyx tressed thief murmured, sighing as she combed a hand through her sweat moistened locks. But she would certainly be sore for the next several days. Her body was soon screaming and complaining every step of the way as her violet haired friend tried to guide the battered martial artist towards the door, but nodding at Zorayda's question. "Mmmhmm. Your room should be next to mine," Kitty returned quietly, a hand pausing on the doorknob as a faint 'thud' reverberated through the walls.

Pushing Zorayda behind her with her arm, the jade eyed thief entering the corridor as she took stance. The whistle of steel sounded to her ears as a blade embedded itself in the wall. Quivering slightly, only a few inches shy of her throat. Her eyes narrowed slightly, only to widen in surprise upon seeing the crimson eyed assassin again.

Both he and Elliot being in the middle of a death-match.

[Sabaku No Akaiame]

"I'm sorry for dropping in without first telling you." the blonde grinned as he bent backwards to avoid a slash at his throat and used one of his hands to steady himself on the ground and throw his legs up, making Elliot step back to avoid the kick as well as give him the opportunity to get back on his feet.

His other hand quickly went under his shirt, where he kept his extra daggers, and he grabbed a couple, flicking them towards Elliot to get him to sidestep again. The blades embedded themselves once more in the walls, thudding dully as they broke the wood.

"I was going to call first, but then I figured a surprise would create a situation where we could get to know each other better." he sincerely grinned, pulling out more knives he stuck in the slits between his fingers.

Using them like claws, he took a step and ran towards the other assassin at such high speed that the other blonde didn't have time to blink before the claw-like weapon came rushing to his face.

"I'm Sabaku no Akaiame, master assassin of the Sinnoh region. I do believe you've heard of me at least once before." he introduced himself with a smile, pushing Elliot back a little more towards the walls.

That's when the other assassin sidestepped and his gaze fell on the open door, his smile disappearing. There was a flurry of clattering noises as the knives inadvertedly slipped from his hands, his eyes widening and his knees wobbling.

He felt sick, uneasy, queasy and nauseous. Disappointed, astonished, confused and lost.

Jade met crimson.

"Scratch all that."

All he felt right now was complete and utter terror.

[Zorayda]

Zorayda's lip trembled dangerously when she saw that a tear had slid down Kitty's cheek. No, no, no, don't cry now...it'll only get worse if you do...

Suddenly, her friend shoved her back, and she let out a rush of air. "What...?" Zorayda protested, automatically pushing the hand away in defiance. Then the door opened, and the trainer looked over Kitty's head to see Elliot and another person fighting with knives and weapons, their movements so fast that it they were nearly invisible.

A second later, she recognized the second face. Crimson eyes, laced with tears--a sad face, troubled and anxious--an assassin, failing to kill. "YOU!" Zorayda roared, furious. She pointed a shaking finger at her would-be assassin. "YOU were gonna kill me!" She suddenly crouched into an angry, fierce pose, glaring at the boy. All of her fear was suddenly gone, replaced by her very quick temper. Her icy blue eyes were flashing dangerously, like a storm, and she gripped the Poke ball that contained Eeve protectively.

[Moonlight]

A wry smile curved his lips. "... I suppose I can overlook your lacking manners. It has been some time since I have had an adequate opponent," he returned softly, advancing. The wayward assassin in his path suddenly lashing out, causing Elliot to jump back. The young man unsheathing both main-gauches in one fluid motion, the sai pair gleaming in the corridor light.

Countering the opposing assassin’s sweeping slashes in smooth motions, only to have blood spatter the pale floor as one of the knives slashed underneath Elliot’s eye. The thin gash bleeding profusely as the duo fought, the exchange of blows faster than the eye could follow. A wry smile curving his lips as distraction struck the invader. Landing a painfully solid kick to his opponent’s ribcage, a loud crack audible as it sent the younger boy rolling. Wasting no time in shifting into an offensive position once more, before the fight commenced.

Kicking the dropped knives away with a sweep of his boot, banishing the assassin’s weaponry from him as they went skittering down the corridor. Impaling themselves into the wood lining with many distinct thuds. Cracks suddenly snaking out from behind him when he slammed into the wall. A strangled curse escaping his lips, pain coursing through his body. Blood dripping onto the shoulder of his shirt, still running down his face. Sharply bringing his knee up into Sabaku’s stomach, causing the opposing assassin to double over.

Clapping audible, causing the quartet’s gazes to snap over towards it. Garret stood in one of the doorways, an amused smile touching his lips. “Bravo. I must say … You’ve had quite the sparring match. Perhaps our alliance will indeed be useful.”