Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ The Strength of the Soul ❯ Weakness ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: see prologue

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Soft morning light filtered through the gauzy stained curtains of the hotel room, bathing the small room in a sleepy glow. Ash mumbled groggily and flipped onto his side, extending one arm across the bed and snuggling into his pillow. Morning already, huh?

It had been such a wonderful night; he and Misty had spent much of the evening talking in hushed tones while curled together on the bed, just reveling in their closeness to one another. The past five years had just been so painful without her. It was almost a cruel irony that she would be killed just as he began to realize these newly-awakened feelings for the girl who had stood by his side all throughout his journey, and to suddenly have something so precious to him wrenched away allowed those feelings of guilt and loss within him to intensify.

But now they were together again, and they had vowed to die together in their rebellion against the League. Nothing could keep them apart…

Ash's eyes flew open as he moved to wrap his arm around Misty's shoulders and instead came in contact with the cool linens upon the bed. He shot a panicked glance around the room, his eyes falling upon the door, noting with horror that its thick locks had been sawed through. "Misty?" he asked in disbelief, his voice barely a whisper. "Oh my God…"

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I can't move…

With a great effort, Misty opened her heavy eyelids and registered her surroundings; it was a clearing, obviously deep within the forest given the dense foliage surrounding it. She could hear the muffled sound of a lone bird chirping, the innocent sound echoing throughout her drugged mind. The early morning sunlight bending through the trees was impossibly bright, and her eyes fell shut against its severity. Wh…what happened? Where am I?

Panic slowly began to seep into her mind as Misty remembered that she obviously wasn't where she had last remembered being--tucked safely within Ash's protective embrace back in their hotel room. Oh my God, Ash! Where is he? What's going on!? She tried desperately to move her head and succeeded in tilting it a bit to the right--

--only to see a scowling Renjiro leaning against the sturdy trunk of a nearby oak, his gaze directed towards the thin beams of sunlight reaching through the thick forest around them.

Misty felt fear seize her heart as she quickly realized her situation--immobilized, in the middle of nowhere, probably miles away from civilization, and with the man who had forcefully taken her so many times before. No, dammit, please no! Panic coursed through her veins as she tried desperately to move her frozen limbs.

As if sensing her terror, Renjiro slowly turned his disaffected stare to the young woman carefully deposited upon the forest floor, her eyes wide with fear and her body shaking. "You're awake," he said simply, moving to kneel next to her upon the ground. "It's been eight hours; apparently that stuff packs quite a punch." One rough hand moved to rest upon her pale cheek.

Images began to play in a terrible sequence in Misty's mind--that first time two years ago when Renjiro had tied her to that dingy motel room's bed and forced himself upon her, kissing away her tears as he pressed the knife harder against her pale neck; the time he had broken into the Leader's office and raped her on top of his desk, telling her in a breathless voice that it was all about power and making her call his name; and his gentle smile at their first meeting on Yasuragi Island five years before, those chilling eyes actually containing an incredible warmth as his hand moved closer to hers…the same eyes that would later bore into hers as he moved against her, one hand fisting in her hair and the other gently brushing away her tears, an odd mix of caring and malice.

"P…please don't," Misty managed to say in a groggy voice, her tongue thick.

Renjiro's eyes remained soft but now contained a measure of sadness and guilt as he slowly drew the hand rested upon her cheek down her neck. "I'm not going to hurt you anymore," he whispered.

She was crying now, tears flowing steadily down the porcelain skin of her delicate visage. Her hands twitched as a bit of feeling returned to them; it was all she could do in the form of trying to escape. He could see the panic in those tear-filled eyes, desperation and fear overwhelming her. Renjiro bit his lip hard and dropped his hand to the ground, digging his fingers angrily into the soft dirt. "Jesus Christ," he said in a trembling voice. "Just one more thing that I swore I'd never do…"

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The sultry music drifted through the air, mingling with the thick cigar smoke and narrow beams of red and amber light. Renjiro, now fourteen, sat uncomfortably against the wall in the large conference room that had been cleared out for this 'event', unable to tear his eyes away from what was occurring only a few feet away.

She was by all accounts a beautiful girl, with waist-length ebony hair and pale skin, delicate curves well-defined and accentuated by the skintight pants and halter top she wore. She had smiled at Renjiro when she first came in, the corners of her red lacquered lips curving up gently as she patted him on the head. "Are you like your father, honey?" she had asked in a husky voice as her emerald eyes studied him intently.

He hadn't answered; he honestly didn't know. Was he like his father? He had certainly changed over the past two years; his innocence and naivety had melted away, leaving only a blank template that had quickly been imprinted by the callousness and severity of his father and his comrades. Renjiro no longer felt compassion or kindness, as he had since learned that they were out of place in this world. "Such emotions will only hinder you in life, Renjiro m'boy," his father had said. "It's all about power. And through power comes admiration, just as weakness is something to be abhorred."

Weakness is something to be abhorred…He hated her. He hated that woman for her weakness, for submitting to his father. From across the room, her tear-filled emerald eyes pleaded with him for a moment before his father afforded her a harsh slap and turned their desperate gaze back to him. Dammit, don't let him! Stop him; he's not that strong! You can overpower him!

Renjiro clutched the small bottle of ginger ale more tightly in his hands as his father continued to viciously rape the young woman, his thoughts inadvertently drifting back to one of his earliest memories.

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"And what, pray tell, is the justification for this one, Katsuro!?"

"How many times have I told you that the details of my professional life are none of your business, bitch?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm only your wife! What possible justification could I have for wanting to know why my husband comes home with lipstick on his underwear!?"

Three-year-old Renjiro looked up cautiously from the Lego pirate ship he was in the process of building to see his mother and father glaring at each other in the middle of the living room, fists clenched and eyes narrowed. They had been fighting a lot lately, but this one seemed to surpass all the others in intensity. Renjiro didn't know or care why they were so angry; he just wanted them to stop.

"Let me just tell you one thing, Kaminari, in case you didn't understand the conditions I put forth when we were married," Katsuro Nanahara said in a dangerous voice. "Anything that happens while I'm out on business is not to be questioned--especially by you. Got it?"

KaminariNanahara narrowed her eyes and, in one swift motion, drew back her hand and struck her husband across the face, ignoring his startled cry. "Consider that payback," she hissed angrily. "With compound interest. Would you care to explain why the police called me today and asked me if I knew anything about my husband's repeated rapes of young women in towns all across Kanto!? Dammit, one of them is pregnant, Katsuro. Another one just committed suicide. What the hell have you done!?"

Katsuroregained his composure and quickly grabbed his wife by her hair and flipped her onto her back, pressing the sole of his Italian-leather shoe against her neck. "You have no right to question me, bitch," he said simply, applying a bit more pressure and smirking at the choked gurgle emanating from her throat. "And neither did they. I'm executive VP of the League, my dear. I always get what I want."

Renjiro curled against the paneled wall, trying desperately to be strong and stave off his tears. His lower lip trembled at the desperation in his mother's eyes.

Kaminaricoughed violently and rubbed her throat with one hand as she reached for Renjiro with the other, pulling his tiny body towards the door. "I'm leaving," she said in a shaky voice, stopping to grab her coat from the rack. "I can't do this anymore; Mother was right."

Katsurodidn't miss a beat; no sooner had she let go of Renjiro's hand to grab her coat then he had grabbed the boy and pressed the gun that had been concealed in his suit jacket against his temple. "Go ahead and leave, Kaminari," he said simply, pulling back the hammer. "Renjiro and I will be fine on our own."

"Renjiro!" she screamed, lunging forward but freezing instantly as she observed her husband's finger tightening on the trigger. "Y-you wouldn't," she said in a breathless voice. "Y…you wouldn't kill your own son!"

"And what is he to me?" Katsuro said with a shrug. "Just a product of your weakness. And a worthless one at that."

Renjiro shut his eyes tightly as fear continued to race through his body. He didn't know why he was so scared; he only knew that danger was so apparent that his mind had ceased to function. Mommy, he thought desperately, opening his eyes a bit and pleading silently with the terrified woman standing frozen by the door. Mommy, please, save me! Don't let him hurt me anymore! Take me away with you!

"I'm waiting for an answer, Kaminari."

Her eyes had filled with tears; the bruises and scars upon her fair skin that had long since been healed now once again seemed to radiate pain. She could escape, but then her son…her little Renjiro… She shut her eyes against the impending tears and dropped her coat uselessly to the floor.

Katsurosmiled maliciously as he tossed aside the gun carelessly and moved into the spacious kitchen. "So, what are we having for dinner, dear?"

Renjiro remained frozen in his terrified position, noting only his mother's impossibly sad expression as she followed her husband. Why, Mommy?

Why don't you take us away from here?

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You're all the same,Renjiro thought with a scowl, sipping a bit of his ginger ale as the young woman's screams began to echo throughout the conference room, quickly being silenced as a gunshot sounded. Weak little bitches. Don't know when to run. And so you pay the price.

"That was a waste of energy," he distantly heard his father say with a bit of a laugh, zipping his pants and wiping the blood coating his hands upon his handkerchief. "Having fun, Renjiro?" he called across the room.

And I'll make sure you pay, too.

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Renjiro felt his gaze hardening and his mind filling with hate as he watched Misty continue to cry and desperately attempt to crawl away from him, a small bit of feeling having returned to her legs. She's completely helpless, he thought with a scowl, feeling the familiar rage and malice beginning to seep into his conscious. Powerless. Weak. Just like the rest of them.

But just as the hatred and anger began to once again overtake his mind, a long-forgotten memory began to resurface. He could see her clearly, those friendly aquamarine eyes alight with happiness, pink-tinged lips curved into a smile as she continued to regale him with the particulars of her book. He had stared at her, completely mesmerized by her beauty as they sat upon that hard boardwalk bench, his mission all but forgotten as he first met the fiery Misty Williams. Renjiro shut his eyes as the emotion of that moment came back to him in a dizzying rush; her smile had done what nothing else in his life had ever even come close to doing--it had made him happy. Truly happy.

He hated himself for taking advantage her. He hated her for letting him do it. He hated his father for molding him into the monster he was today. But one emotion rose above all the hatred choking his heart.

"Misty," Renjiro said in a soft whisper, pulling her into a tight embrace and resting his head against hers. He breathed in deeply, her hair smelling of rainwater and freesia. "You can't move yet, and I'm glad. If you had control over your body, you'd never let me do something I've wanted to do since I first laid eyes on you all those years ago."

Misty shut her eyes and twisted weakly in Renjiro's embrace, crying and whimpering. She didn't even care that she was doing exactly what he always wanted by showing desperation--and, consequently, weakness. The only thought in her mind was to escape before he once again forced himself on her. Please don't…please, Renjiro…

Renjiro silently tilted her head to the side and, softly brushing a kiss against her lips, whispered, "I love you."

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Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!

Ash ran through the streets of the small town, his mind racing as he considered where the kidnappers may have taken Misty. They could have gone into the ViridianForest…it's always a possibility…

But then, with the League taking such an aggressive stance towards his destruction, wouldn't it be more probable that they had taken her back to League Headquarters in Viridian City? Ash felt a chill run down his spine as images raced through his head of Misty being brutally tortured and raped as the League's agents attempted to force every bit of information she knew out of her already scarred and abused mind. I'll be damned if I let them hurt her anymore! He ran faster as he headed for the train station.

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"Mr. Nanahara?"

Katsuro Nanahara looked boredly at the stern-faced man standing in the doorway of his office, a stack of papers in his hands. "What is it now, Jensen?"

Jensen strode into the office and deposited the papers upon his desk. "Some more information about your son, sir."

"Renjiro? Where is the dear boy?"

"ViridianForest, sir."

"Carrying out Project Waterflower, I assume?"

"W-we believe so, sir. Misty Williams is currently in his custody."

Katsuro scowled a bit and reclined in his office chair, closing his eyes and sighing deeply. "Jensen, enlighten me. Why did we entrust this traitorous little insect with this part of the plan?"

"Because sir," Jensen responded in a flat voice. "You informed me that it would be all the more interesting if we could somehow bring all three of our traitors together, remember? And then when the last stage of the plan is put into motion--"

"Ah, yes, I remember now. A stroke of genius on my part, wasn't it?"

"Indeed, sir."

Katsuro smiled at his old friend--a smile which quickly morphed into a frown as he once again turned his gaze to the small framed photograph on his desk. "Let's just hope," he said in a slightly disturbed tone, "that Renjiro's rather…errant emotions do not once again enter the picture."

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All at once, the numbness faded away, and the feeling returned to her long-since immobilized limbs. Misty flexed her fingers experimentally, then slowly stretched her legs. Her gaze turned back to Renjiro, who continued to hold her tightly against his chest.

"So, you can move aga--" Renjiro's observation was cut short as Misty's fist connected with his jaw, a resounding 'crack' sounding throughout the tranquil forest. Blood filled his mouth, the faintly metallic taste reminding him all-too-well that Ash had dealt him a very similar blow only a few days before. He spat once, then wiped his mouth against his shirt sleeve and noted, "And you've regained your fighting spirit. I have to say I'm quite relieved; I thought you'd lost it."

Misty straightened to her full height, her eyes narrowed dangerously and her body trembling with rage. "I'm going to kill you," she said in a low voice.

Renjiro smiled faintly at the nearly-tangible rage surrounding the furious young woman before him, his blood staining her right fist. "Go ahead," he replied with a slight shrug. "I think you've earned it."

Misty dealt him another ferocious blow that he didn't even attempt to block, then continued to beat his arms, torso, face…any part of his body that he failed to protect. "How could you do this to me!?" she yelled angrily, hot tears cascading down her cheeks. "You can't even imagine how much pain you've caused me! You raped me, debased me, tortured me, mocked me, humiliated me, and now you've stolen me from the one thing in this world I love more than anything!" Her punches slowed as her arms began to tire and weaken. "Why, Renjiro?" she asked in a teary voice. "What did I ever do to you?" Misty's arms dropped to her sides as she fell to her knees. "What did I do!?"

Renjiro carefully moved to place a hand upon her shoulder, quickly removing it as she fiercely slapped him. "Misty," he said softly, pulling his protesting body into a sitting position next to her on the forest floor. "You deserve to kill me. You've earned that right." He drew in a deep breath, then pulled his gun from the holster at his hip. "But I have a job to do."

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Ash glanced impatiently at his watch as he stood in the terminal. Dammit, how long does it take a fuckin' train to get here? He nervously glanced around at the citizens around him, frowning as he observed the headline of the paper one of them carried: 'MASTER ASH KETCHUM REVEALED TO HAVE DEALINGS WITH RADICAL TERRORIST GROUPS IN LIBYA'. They're just having a field day with this, aren't they?

His heart clenched painfully in his chest as Misty's smiling visage once again came to the forefront of his mind, along with their conversation from the previous night. Ash dropped his gaze to the smooth, white skin of his left ring finger, his mind repeating the words endlessly. "I want you to marry me," he'd said. And dammit, she had agreed. He remembered her soft, lilting laugh, the tender light in her eyes as she gently kissed him and told him that he didn't even have to ask.

And it was only the day before that he had promised never to let anyone take her from him again! He'd vowed to protect her! Ash bit hard against the inside of his cheek as the Leader's words came back to him: a wretch, he'd called him. An abomination. Was he anything more if he couldn't even protect the woman he loved?

To hell with protecting the citizens of Viridian City, those treacherous fools who had turned on him the second the media had announced that he was under investigation. The League had manipulated their gullible little minds into believing what ever they wanted. I'll bring those bastards down, he swore, but saving Misty has to come first.

"Hey, Phil, didja see that dame back in the forest?"

Ash turned to see a pair of hikers walking towards him, their heavy gear still slung across their backs. They remained oblivious to his presence as they continued their innocent, casual conversation. "You mean that red-headed chick?" the second hiker asked.

"Yeah, with the really long legs. Man, was she somethin'."

Red-headed chick? Ash felt his heart speed up as he attempted to appear inconspicuous while listening intently to their conversation.

"I'll say. Completely gorgeous. But I think she was with somebody; remember that guy we saw?"

"Boy, do I ever. He had the freakiest eyes I've ever seen in my life, he did."

Red-haired girl…guy with weird eyes… Ash leapt across the train platform and grabbed one of the men by the shirt and growled, "Where were they!?"

"Uh…um…deep in Viridian Forest!" the man stammered, unnerved by the piercing glare of the dark-haired man holding him a good three inches above the ground.

"How long ago!?"

"A-about three hours!"

The man fell to the ground with an audible 'thud' as Ash broke into a furious sprint towards the forest. "What do you suppose that was about?" he asked his comrade in a confused voice.

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Misty gazed silently at Renjiro's hard-set features as he pulled back the hammer of his gun. "So you're going to kill me?" she asked in a flat, emotionless voice.

"I have orders," he responded in what he hoped would be a forceful tone, though a tremor of fear soon crept into his voice. "It's called Project Waterflower--the League is trying to systematically break Ash's spirit. First stage was the whole media fiasco; they're turning the citizens against him. And now, I have to kill you. The League knows that Ash won't be able to stand it if the girl he loves…" Renjiro swallowed hard at the admission. "…is murdered. And that's where I come into play."

He had expected indignation. Fear, anger, rage, desperation, anything. But Misty simply turned her turquoise eyes, filled with what almost seemed like sympathy and understanding, upon him and said, "So what are you waiting for?" She silently wrapped her small hand around the gun and pressed the barrel against her chest. "Kill me."

Renjiro felt his blood pounding in his ears, heart thrumming in his chest. The gun that was usually held so confidently in his hands had begun to shake violently, and he could barely even hold it against her soft flesh. Dammit, concentrate!

Her tender smile…

You have a mission!

That carefree laugh…

Just pull the trigger, you bastard!

Her gentle eyes…

Don't be weak!

The way she made him feel…

Renjiro…

He fired.

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Halfway through the forest, the sound of a gunshot rang out, scattering a flock of Pidgeys into the air. Ash's mind froze as he realized that the probability of hunters being out in the forest at this time of year…

Misty!

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Renjiro's eyes fell to the forest floor as he dropped the smoking gun from his hand. Tears fell from his tightly-shut eyes as he dug his nails forcefully into the dirt. "Dammit…I…can't…."

Misty remained frozen for a second, then, hazarding a glance back at the tree where a smoking bullet now lay lodged in its trunk, placed a hand upon Renjiro's shoulder. "I knew you couldn't," she said in a soft voice. "Do you know why, Renjiro? Why you couldn't kill me?"

Renjiro didn't answer, his body still trembling.

"Because," she said simply, brushing away a few of his tears. "I'm your weakness. You can go on and on about how weak I am, how I'm worthless because I've submitted to you instead of fighting back…I don't understand why, but you can't stand to see anyone laying down and sublimating themselves. But what you don't understand is that you're just as human as the rest of us." She smiled faintly as the sound of someone desperately calling out her name reached her ears. Placing a gentle kiss upon Renjiro's cheek, she said, "And you're just as weak as the rest of us, too. And that's why you'll never be one of them."

"Misty! Misty!"

Misty gave him a relieved smile as Ash, his clothes and body torn and scratched by thorns, burst into the clearing, his eyes filling with relief as he observed Misty standing calmly by a broken Renjiro. "Oh my God, Misty! You're all right!" He gathered her into a protective embrace and fought back tears. "I thought…oh my God, I thought I'd never see you again! I thought that they'd…"

"It's okay, Ash," Misty said soothingly, winding her arms around his torso and resting her head against his chest. "Everything'll be all right."

"Ash."

The serenity of their embrace was shattered by that one syllable, spoken by an angry Renjiro now hauling himself upright and glaring at his rival. "I'm glad you two were reunited," he said in an acidic tone. "But let me tell you this--you're not making it out of this alive."

"Let me tell you something, you son-of-a-bitch--" Ash began heatedly, only to be cut off by a pointed glare from Renjiro.

"You don't know how to take them on. Ash, you may have been the League's pride and joy when you were a Master, but you were just a figurehead. I'm the only one who knows how to make them fall apart from the inside out." He narrowed his eyes. "And if you want to take them down, you can't do this alone."

"What are you saying?" Misty asked curiously.

"You and I have the same goals, Ash," Renjiro said simply. "But we're too weak alone. You have taken absolutely everything from me on this earth--" He shut his eyes against the taunting memories. "--but it's not really time for you to know just how much. The bottom line is we have to combine forces if we want to take those bastards down.

"I'm the Leader's son; you both know that. But there is no one who hates that bastard more. Come hell or high water I'm taking him down. Got it? You guys are welcome to tag along."

Ash and Misty glanced at each other, their eyes both holding an unspoken answer. Could they trust Renjiro, the man who had betrayed them, hunted them down, shot them, and nearly broken Misty?

"Take it or leave it, guys. But you can't win this alone."

Ash sighed, then, nodding at Misty, placed his hand on top of Renjiro's. "We're in."

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"It's all about weakness," Katsuro said to his young son as they strolled through their mansion's immaculately-kept gardens. "You exploit the weakness of your enemies, and through that exploitation comes power. It's practically basic instinct, m'boy."

"But father, how do you get close enough to the enemy to take advantage of their weakness in the first place?"

"Oh, that's very easy, boy. If they're desperate enough, people will believe anything you tell them."

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