Chapter 32: Walls - Part 3


GALANT'S POV

It wasn't the smoothest plan ever, but it worked somehow. Zantai and Vince's distraction on the south wall was just enough for Sammy to leave the cage without anyone being alerted.

However, there were a few things bothering me. About an hour had passed since the plan was initiated, which meant that things should be concluding soon. Yet, both Vince and Sammy haven't returned.

Everyone's efforts were somewhat useless, as it was impossible to check on them without potentially alerting Sam of our presence. Leon's first attempt was to sit in front of the hidden door Sammy had entered, trying his best to detect any familiar aura on the other side. The inhibitors on his sensors wouldn't help him much, though.

From what I could tell, Zantai was still at the south wall looking for Vince to the best of his abilities. That Greninja managed to slip into the narrowest of cracks, which meant that following him inside was nearly impossible. The only thing we could do now is trust that he knows what he's doing.

It really sucks, though. Having to wait with nothing else to do but pray to Arceus.

Almost everyone is hoping that we find Hydra alive, but I'm not sure why. Even if he's survived this whole situation, it doesn't help the fact that we're stuck here. Not even a Pokemon as powerful as him could save us from this—especially if he's being taken advantage of by Sam. I wouldn't be shocked if she was using him the whole time.

Bringing my thoughts to a much lesser scale, something new had just happened.

Next to Leon was Sherwood, who had walked up to the jackal and presumably checked up on him. Seeing those two get along makes me feel conflicted; like we're nearing the end of a road. I don't know how to describe it other than that.

"She hasn't come back yet, huh." I heard Sherwood mutter as I approached the two.

"No, but it's not like I can sense very far through this wall." Leon painfully sighed and ran a paw along the steel border. "I must wait."

"I'm sure she knows what she's doing." I reassured the jackal before crossing my bladed arms. "It's not like Sammy to do something stupid."

Leon only gave me a hopeful gaze before getting back on his feet.

"The kid's right." Sherwood shrugged and patted my back with a spread talon. "She'll prolly come back soon, 'kay?"

I sure hope I'm right about my intuition. Sammy hasn't failed one of these expeditions before, so I trust that she gets through this safely.

From the distance I could see both Rayne and Luster leaving the mansion together, seemingly headed towards the south wall. Deciding to follow them, I jogged forward to try and call them.

I had a bit of a run ahead of me but after picking up the pace I managed to reach them before they traveled too far.

"Where are you guys headed?" I questioned with a heavy pant.

The Luxray only turned to me with a determined gaze, his tail flicking to motion behind him. "We're going to check out the electric energy we felt."

"You can still sense it?" I hummed in curiosity.

"Somewhat...it's null right now but it's not hard to guess where it came from." Rayne cleared her throat and turned to continue walking. "No more distractions before I lose the trail."

"Right, sorry." I frowned and debated whether following them was a good idea or not.

However, a convincing factor was seeing Zantai still towards the south wall—with Vince nowhere to be seen.

It took us a few minutes to approach the other end of the cage, but upon arrival, Zantai was quick to speak.

"He's not back yet if you're wondering." The Blaziken muttered lowly. From his demeanor, it was pretty easy to tell he was upset.

"Hmm, that's odd." Rayne sat on her haunches to focus. "The energy is coming from...in there."

I turned to look at where the Manectric was pointing. With her paw, Rayne had directed us toward the large crack in the wall.

"Huh? You mean it's in there?" Zantai tilted his head before scoffing at the electric-type. "Good luck getting in there, though."

"Yeah, it looks tough to break too." Luster ran his claws down the hole.

"No matter how big we make that hole it probably won't fit any of us." I heaved a small sigh before crossing my arms. "I sure hope Vince knows what he's doing."

"The dude's an escape artist, I'm sure he'll make it out." Zantai reasoned. His face said the opposite, however. I can tell the Blaziken is really worried, he just refuses to admit it.

"I can fit." A smaller voice chirped bravely from behind us.

The voice caught me off guard for a little bit until I turned around. Grace was staring up at us with a determined gaze.

"U-Uh..." Zantai stammered lightly. "You sure, kid? I don't know how safe it's gonna be in there."

"How long has it been since he was in there?" Grace frowned.

"About an hour and a half." The Blaziken crossed his arms before leaning against the cold steel. "I don't want you getting lost too."

"Don't you guys want to know what's in there? I'm sure there's some way to open that crack wider." I suddenly mentioned. I can't believe I'm rooting for this plan, but it might be the only option we have. Maybe Sammy was found, or even worse, Vince is lost.

"We can't do much from the outside. Whatever plan you got, it has to happen from inside the hole." Zantai shrugged and motioned the Eevee towards the wall. "You better stay safe, okay?"

"I will." Grace nodded in affirmation.

With those words, the Eevee trotted up to the hole and leaped inside. She struggled for a bit before barely managing to squeeze past toward the other side.

A small thump was heard before her voice called back, "I'm good!"

"I don't know how good of a plan this is." Zantai frowned. "But I'm waiting here until they both come back."

I can sympathize with the bird in that regard. I trust Grace a lot with plans but the main issue now is her safety. She's smart, I can tell...but I don't think she's capable of defending herself.

Only time will tell now.





THIRD PERSON

"Hello..?" A timid voice echoed through the long hallways of the inner walls.

...

No response.

A defeated sigh was enough to make the Eevee continue her walk forward, which seemed to be quite the gamble after making it here. The inside of the wall was nothing but a straight and narrow hallway. Both sides of the halls were curved to make room for the cage's structure, making any objective guess of which direction to take completely impossible.

Even though the area was utilized with cables and pipelines leading to numerous places, the inner walls were nothing more than glorified cave systems. Which got the small fox thinking...

"We're underground..." Grace muttered to herself.

Everything they saw in the sky was nothing more than an illusion. The wind, sunrise, sunset...

It all couldn't happen if they were this deep in the caves.

The Eevee came to a sudden halt.

The path ahead was dimly lit with lanterns that were deteriorating. Not only that, a fork in the road was approaching the fox.

She had to make a very difficult decision if she wanted to meet with her friend.

"Huh..?" The Eevee hummed lightly as the glimmer of something on the left path caught her interest.

After walking closer, Grace eventually caught a break in her worries, as the object was a small water kunai jabbed into the dirt.

"Vince, you genius..!" She yipped before tugging the blade out of the ground and resting it in her maw.

Now knowing which way to take, Grace picked up the pace to a small jog.

The path ahead had grown quite rugged, and whatever light source she had to work with was nothing but dim torches on the walls.

Along the way she had lost her confidence in speaking out loud, as the ambience frightened her. A low rumble filled the air and nearly shook the cave walls. Could you even call this part of the mansion cage anymore?

"More kunais..." Grace was now down to a small whisper as she sighted numerous water blades jabbed into the dirt. She dropped the one in her maw in a small panic after realizing something.

This was beginning to look more like a battlefield than guiding symbols. Luckily, the path ahead continued to be straight, but the sights also persisted in the same ominous feel. There were water kunais in the ground, walls, and even the ceiling.

Finally, the breaking point had arrived.

A loud screech reverberated around the cave, halting the Eevee completely.

Ahead of her was a creature moving blindingly fast, and before she knew anything, it had launched towards her.


...

...


But she didn't feel any pain. Instead, it felt like she too was moving at a rapid pace. After opening her eyes once again, Grace realized that she was in the arms of someone.

"You have to get outta here." A familiar voice muttered before she was eased back down to her feet. Directly in front of her was Vince, covered in cobwebs and bruises.

"W-What? Are you okay?" Grace stammered in dread. "Are you hurt?"

"You have to get out of here, I mean it." The Greninja practically ordered. "Whatever's down here is a pain in the ass."

Before the Eevee could contest, the sight of something moving in the shadows made her understand the frog's worries.

About six eyes glared back at the small fox from the darkness. The feeling of despair soon washed over her, causing her to instinctually back up.

"I-I...w-what is that!?" Grace shuddered lightly next to the frog.

"Hell if I know. It shoots webs and screams, so I wouldn't fuck with it." Vince muttered and cleared his throat. "It's deaf, though."

"It's deaf?" The Eevee turned to the creature once again, still standing completely still.

"Yeah, it didn't hear me messin' around with anything until I accidentally stepped on it." He muttered.

Grace only continued to stare at the gleaming red eyes across the tunnel, her body completely frozen. "W-Well, what the hell are we gonna do now?"

"We might have to make a run for it..." Vince frowned.

Before they even knew it, the creature had lunged forward.




LEON'S POV

Outside was a lot more peaceful than I had given it credit for. It was nice to feel somewhat warm, especially since the mansion had been growing colder every day.

It has been a while since I last meditated, I'm almost a little too rusty for it. My mind has yet to feel clarity, but can I blame myself in a predicament such as this one? Many have died, a few have slaughtered, and all have suffered.

The thought of escaping still gives me hope, however. There will be no happy ending to this, but it's the least we can do to try and survive.

Something's off though. I might be hallucinating, but somewhere in these walls, I can feel a familiar aura.

Suddenly, the steel barrier in front of me started to shift. Standing up to get a closer look was enough to notice that the hidden door was opening.

I was about to be relieved when I noticed Sammy on the other side, but her expression was numb. Not only that, her emotions were emanating sorrow. Nonetheless, I rushed towards her in worry before halting a few feet away.

"You're back." I huffed lightly, earning a small nod from the younger Braixen.

"Yeah...I'm sorry I took so long." Sammy frowned, her eyes having trouble making eye contact. "Something unexpected happened."

"It is of no worries so long as you're safe." I reassured before swiping a few layers of string off her fur. "Cobwebs..?"

"I had to go through some vents." The fire fox mentioned. "And yet I still couldn't find Hydra."

"Ah..." I realized the reason for her emotions now. While she failed, what's most important is that she returned unharmed.

"There's so much that happened in there...I can't explain it all myself." Sammy stated before ruffling through the fur on her chest and slipping out a small memory gem. "I'd rather show it to everyone from this. Maybe it could help you all understand."

Not wanting to question her too much, I decided to ask simple questions. "Was everything okay in there?"

I could tell Sammy wanted to think before speaking by the look on her face. It took her a few seconds before she managed a reply.

"No, it wasn't actually." The Braixen sniffled lightly, clearly resisting the urge to cry. "A lot of what I used to know is a complete lie."

I watched as she took a long breath and shook her head in realization. The fire fox was quick to reclaim her bearings and trudge past me. "I'll meet you inside." She huffed.

Color me dense, but I feel as if something went wrong in there.




GRACE'S POV

"I could have sworn it was here!" Vince exclaimed in distress at the sight of a broken path ahead of us.

We had been running for a while now. Whatever the creature was, we're lucky it wasn't as fast as us. The fact that it's deaf helps, but it doesn't hinder its ability to smell—stopping for too long will get us killed.

"We would see a steel wall if that was the case." I panted lightly before needing to take a small break from sprinting. "Wait up...please..."

Vince quickly halted, his body turning to face me. "We're close, I can tell."

"Yeah." I nodded in affirmation.

The thing chasing us definitely wasn't a Pokemon. I've never seen something like that, it reminded me of the Mingle. Maybe that creature in itself is a different species? I wouldn't know the science behind that, unfortunately.

I wasn't hearing it anymore though, so that's a relief.

The path ahead was starting to look familiar; the dimly lit lanterns and cave systems leading to a steel hallway were a dead giveaway.

"Thank Arceus..." Vince whispered at the sight of the familiar crack in the wall. "How did you fit in here?"

"I don't know, I just kind of made it work." I shrugged. "Let's get out of h—"

A loud hissing noise made me freeze in my tracks. Something just barely whizzed past my head, and turning to look made me realize that we were being silently followed.

I finally got a good look at the creature chasing us, and in hindsight, it was quite obvious this was a Mingle. The body was different, however, as it was composed of more spider-like mandibles.

"U-Uhm...Grace?" Vince stammered from behind me. Turning around only filled me with dread as I witnessed the Greninja sprawled on a machine with layers of webs enveloping him. "What the fuck did that thing just shoot at me?"

Whatever shot past my head were webs, and they were terrifyingly effective.

"C-Can you move?" I backed up closer, making sure to continue eye contact with the Mingle.

"No, and it's all over my scarf tongue, too." Vince gagged violently. "Fuck! It tastes like dirt!"

This is a horrible situation to be put in, and I'm not sure what to do anymore. I can't fight a creature like that, but I also can't rely on Vince now. I don't know if I can get him out of that web...

I...


"We can't do much from the outside. Whatever plan you got, it has to happen from inside the hole."


Wait, Zantai was right! I have an idea, but it has to be perfect.

"Vince, whatever you do, just don't move." I ordered before charging an attack.

I haven't had much of a reason to use any Pokemon move, but I think right now is the perfect time to try it. With my best efforts, I managed to power up a good Swift before launching it in the direction of the Mingle.

The stars made contact with the chest of the creature, and surprisingly enough, it sounded hurt from the impact.

Now it was furious—which was just what I wanted. I patiently backed up near the crack in the wall, watching as the Mingle quickly charged its way to me.

"Grace!? What the hell are you doing!?" Vince struggled from the spot he was at.

"Just trust me!" I called out as I waited for the right moment.

The instant the Mingle was a foot away, I reeled myself back into the hole. The impact and sheer weight of the creature was enough to shatter the wall from the inside. I let out a small whimper of pain but managed to save myself from any major debris—just as I wanted, the steel broke!

After leaping out of the rubble I witnessed the Mingle standing dead still, but I don't blame them. Not only was the other side very bright, but the Pokemon on the other side looked quite intimidating.

A group composed of Zantai, Rayne, Luster, and Galant all connected glares with the spider-like creature.

"Oh-ho...you are so fucked." Zantai flashed a wide grin as his leg was enveloped with a swirling flame. Before the creature could even retaliate the Blaziken had slammed its face in with a Blaze Kick, the fire roaring around the torn steel.

The Mingle let out a horrifying screech as it was sent deeper into the cave, and quickly scurrying on its own feet to disappear into the darkness.

"Is everyone okay?" Luster rushed over to make sure I was alright.

"A bit dusty but I'm okay, don't worry about me. Vince is inside." I reassured as everyone was quick to rush past the wall.

Following with, the group was quick to notice the Greninja stuck in the cobweb.

"This is bad." Luster's eyes widened at the sight in front of him.

"Yeh, I know. Can you guys just get me out already?" Vince whined as he squirmed in the trap.

"I'm already on it, dumbass. This shit isn't easy." Zantai quickly retorted as he clawed away at the strings.

"N-No, like this is a lot worse." The Luxray stammered.

"Luster, just say it." Rayne stated before placing a paw against the machine under Vince. "We don't have much time."

"What are you guys on about?" Galant narrowed his eyes at the two while simultaneously swiping away at the webs with his blades.

"This was the machine we were sensing, it's like an important generator or something." Luster frowned.

"Important?" I tilted my head in confusion.

"Indeed, if we could sense it from the mansion then it has enough electricity to kill Vince." Rayne shut her eyes, seemingly to focus harder. "It's off right now, but it's definitely on a timer of some sort."

"T-Then get me the fuck out of here!" The Greninja resisted harder against the string.

"Stand still, idiot! I can't free you if you're moving!" Zantai hissed.

This is all so sudden, but I couldn't have predicted it no matter what. This was the energy they were talking about? What the hell is my luck?

Suddenly, a small light emitted from behind the blue frog.

"F-Fuck! It's turning on!" Luster exclaimed before attempting to reach his paw onto the machine. He was quickly shoved away by Rayne, along with both Zantai and Galant.

"Everyone stay away." Rayne ordered as she stomped both paws onto the generator. "I'm going to absorb it."

"Are you crazy!? You could die too!" The Luxray exclaimed.

The Manectric only turned to shrug at the other electric-type. "What's there to live for here, anyway?"

And then, a bright light enveloped her.




THIRD PERSON

As the energy settled and the room regained its composure, the group was finally able to see again.

On the machine were both Vince and Rayne, both still alive—albeit, one was breathing way harder than the other.

Zantai was the first to pull the Greninja out of the web while Luster rushed over and placed a gentle paw against the Manectric. He felt a strong electrical current flowing through her mane, and he decided to take it upon himself to absorb some of it.

"Are you okay?" The Luxray worriedly muttered.

Rayne took a shallow breath before nodding her head. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just give me a second."

After a nod of understanding, Luster backed away and motioned Grace to follow. At the very least everyone left this situation alive.

A small sniffle was heard, which alerted Galant and made him turn to the Eevee. "It's okay to cry, Grace. You were very brave." He offered her a small smile.

"I wasn't crying..?" Grace tilted her head in confusion.

"Huh..?" Zantai stopped walking to turn around in surprise. "Then who...was..."


After finding out who was crying, everyone seemed to halt in their tracks once again.


"R-Rayne...how are you crying?" Luster's eyes widened at the Manectric, who was currently a fountain of tears.

"I-I don't k-know!" Rayne sobbed harshly, trying to wipe the salty water off her fur. She held her damp paws up to see the tears drop against them—which was completely foreign to her. "It j-just happened out of nowhere! I-I'm scared!"

"Scared?" Zantai echoed in complete shock.


The once 'emotionless' bounty hunter now had a new thing to worry about, as leaving the situation alive does not mean you get to leave it unchanged.

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