Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ The Strength of the Soul ❯ Preparation ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: see prologue

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Hushed whispers echoed throughout the marble hall as the Council members once again met amongst the shadows in the lower levels of the League's headquarters in Viridian City. It had just become known that the manhunt for the fugitive Ash Ketchum had actually intensified from even its earlier fever-pitch; such was yet another installment of good news in a long line of favorable reports.

"Gentlemen," Katsuro said with a slight smile, "things are going exactly according to plan. Of course, there were a few…difficulties earlier on in the program…" His smile immediately slipped back into a harsh scowl at the memory of Renjiro's earlier actions. "…but rest assured that everything is well on-course. Our plans shall not go awry."

"But the original plan was to have Ketchum killed," the youngest member of the League noted with a slightly exasperated edge to his tone. "How the hell can you say that everything's going according to plan when you yourself have changed the plan about forty times?"

Katsuro simply smiled patiently and let out a short, barking laugh. "My boy," he said comfortingly, "you vastly overestimate your importance with us. My plans have always been consistent, have they not my brethren? When did I ever claim that my purpose was anything but to capture Ketchum alive?"

"Never, sir," the shadowy figures chorused quickly.

"Do you recall me ever saying that I wanted Ketchum dead?"

"No, sir."

"There, you see, boy? It must be your own confusion that led you to believe such a thing," Katsuro said simply.

"B--but…" the youngest member sputtered. "I distinctly remember…"

Before he had even finished his sentence, Jensen, Katsuro's second-in-command, had calmly extracted his trusty Colt .45 from his waistband and pointed it squarely at his chest. Katsuro glanced at Jensen, then turned his attention back to the young dissenter. "Any more questions, boy?"

The young man shut his eyes and swallowed hard, then said in a low voice, "No, sir."

With a quick nod to Katsuro, Jensen returned the gun to his waistband and stood by the Leader's side. "Now then," Katsuro continued, "about this year's Christmas party…"

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"This is where you've been hiding, huh?"

Renjiro cast an emotionless gaze around the small hotel room, his eyes finally settling on the creaky bed. He smirked at his now-blushing hosts and wordlessly seated himself on the mattress, the box springs creaking and groaning in protest at the new weight set upon them. "Very glamorous," he observed, running a hand through his ebony locks and stretching. "Just the kind of place I'd expect to be harboring a pair of adorable little lovebirds like you two."

Ash and Misty simultaneously scowled at the man who was now comfortably seated upon their bed. "Get off," Ash said through clenched teeth as he grabbed Renjiro forcefully by the arm. "I don't want to have to boil the damn thing."

Renjiro narrowed his eyes at Ash, angrily shaking off his iron grip. "Misty," he called sweetly over Ash's shoulder, "would you please call off your attack boy here? If you expect us to work together to help take down the League, you're going to have to keep him on a leash, okay?"

Misty clenched her jaw tightly and shut her eyes, a short prayer running through her mind as she struggled to keep from striking Renjiro forcefully across the face for his facetiousness. "Ash," she said softly, placing a hand upon his shoulder, "calm down. Nothing good will come out of killing him."

"Apart from him being dead, of course." Ash gave his rival a hard shove and slumped moodily against the wall, casting a very pointed glare at Misty for good measure.

"Now," Renjiro began, sending a quick sweeping gaze around the room and frowning a bit when he failed to observe anything in the way of weaponry, "what exactly do you guys plan to do to stop the League from essentially destroying the entire region--and having you two break their fall?"

Ash and Misty exchanged a slightly confused look as they realized that they had yet to really make any headway in their miniature rebellion against their former oppressors. "Um…were we supposed to have a strategy by now?" Ash asked carefully.

"What?" Renjiro asked incredulously. "You two have been hiding out here for the past few days, completely isolated, watching the news reports get even more and more ominous, and you haven't done a goddamned thing in the way of strategy!?" He buried his face in his hands. "I'm surrounded by idiots. What the fuck were you doing all this time?" He let out a long sigh, then switched on the small television and sat on the edge of the bed. "The least we can do is see what the President has to say about all this."

"The President is giving an address?" Misty asked, sitting next to Ash against the wall.

Renjiro regarded her in disbelief. "God, you guys are really in the dark with this whole situation, aren't you? Damn shame, really." His eyes narrowed darkly at Ash. "You would have been better off with me, Misty. You're going to die with that bastard."

"I'd rather die with him than be alive with you," Misty responded in a flat voice.

A small smile crossed Renjiro's features. He shot Ash one more glare for good measure then turned up the volume on the TV set. "You guys might want to pay attention to this."

"The recent actions of Master Ketchum are absolutely unforgivable crimes against humanity," the President said in a forceful tone, slamming his fist down hard upon the wooden podium he stood behind. "The murders and absolute destruction carried out by this former paragon of morality and upstanding character shall not go unpunished. It is my understanding that Katsuro Nanahara, the president and CEO of the League, has been doing absolutely everything in his power to capture Ketchum and bring him to justice. I urge every citizen in the entire region to grant the League their full support, just as I place my faith in their abilities to secure this dangerous and wanted criminal."

Renjiro shook his head and switched off the TV, staring evenly at Ash. "Any questions, kid?"

"We already knew that Ash was in major trouble, Renjiro," Misty interjected. "And that everyone essentially wants him dead now."

"But for the President to call upon the citizens to back up the League means that you've lost the support of the government, too," Renjiro said pointedly.

"Don't they know how corrupt the League is!?" Ash yelled angrily as he stood and glared at the now-dark TV screen. "They're the ones who are doing this, not me! They've killed so many people, and the government is just going to sit back and let them get away with it just because they say that it's--"

An exceptionally angry glare from Renjiro stopped him mid-sentence. "Do you honestly think that the government isn't well-aware of the League's transgressions?" he asked angrily. "The problem is that they're receiving some hefty kickbacks from my father and his little friends--the President included. They're not going to do a damn thing to discourage a substantial under-the-table side income, now are they?"

"But that's completely corrupt!" Ash protested.

Renjiro let out a short, humorless laugh and shook his head. "You still don't get it, do you, boy? But I wouldn't lose any sleep over the President; if everything goes according to the League's plans, you won't have to worry about him much longer."

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The streets of Viridian City were eerily calm in the still night, the stars shining brilliantly above the urban high-rises in the midst of the cold air. Two dark-clothed men strode silently down the cracked sidewalk with guns in hand, their eyes set ahead and focused upon the ivy-choked brick of McShain Hall, the primary dormitory of Viridian City University.

Minutes later, the locks to Room 326 had been cut and the room quickly seized by the two men. The young woman sleeping soundly within was roughly roused and immediately handcuffed, her head pressed against the worn carpet. "You're under arrest by order of the League for anti-governmental thoughts and ideas," one of the men said in an emotionless voice. "If you come along without a struggle, your chances for survival will be substantially increased."

The young woman didn't even try to fight. "'Substantially increased'?" she asked with a short laugh as the men escorted her out of the room. "That's a laugh. And what is this, the Thought Police? This whole thing has really become Orwellian."

"That's exactly the kind of talk that got you in trouble in the first place," the other man said simply, extracting a knife from his pocket and wordlessly slicing her throat. He quickly nodded to his partner, and the two of them exited the dormitory, leaving the young woman to slowly bleed to death in the corridor.

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Clack.

Clack.

Clack.

Katsuro stared silently at the perpetual motion toy on his desk, the three silver spheres at the center remaining eternally still despite the two clacking spheres continually smashing into them and attempting to force them into motion. His distorted reflection stared back at him from within the center of the spheres--the graying hair, ice-blue eyes, and sharp features so indicative of his shrewd and ruthless character that it nearly brought a smile to his face.

"Sir? It's Jensen."

The toy's spell was broken as the static-filled voice of the Director of Security echoed throughout the office from the speakerphone upon the desk. "What is it Jensen?" Katsuro asked as he held down a button upon the phone.

"I'm just calling to inform you that Subversive #3485, Lauren Saul, has been effectively neutralized. A total of eighty rebels have been taken care of tonight, making it our fourth successful assassination night in the past few months."

"Thank you, Jensen," Katsuro responded. "By the way, have you heard from that idiot Renjiro yet?"

"No transmission as of yet, sir, but his report is not due for another two hours. Should I attempt to contact him?"

Katsuro turned his attention back to the perpetual motion toy. "No, no. I'm sure he's fine. Thank you, Jensen," he said distractedly, then removed his finger from the button.

Clack.

Renjiro, m'boy, he thought with a dark smile. You could learn a lot from this device. No matter how hard the outer sphere comes down, it will never move the center sphere from its position. The center sphere is immovable, unshakeable…the outer sphere can never win against it. It would be better served to simply give up the fight and accept that it will never conquer the center sphere.

Isn't that right, boy?

CLACK.

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Two sharp knocks upon the hotel room door sounded throughout the small room, momentarily startling its occupants. Renjiro smirked to himself, then rushed over to the door, opening it cautiously and taking a black duffel bag from a shadow-cloaked figure on the other side. "Thanks for your help, pal," he said, still smirking, then hefted the bag into the room and shut the door behind him.

"Who was that?" Misty asked curiously as she peered through the slitted blinds.

"A friend," Renjiro said simply, depositing the duffel bag upon the floor and unzipping it. "Now this is where things are going to get interested. Here, Misty." He quickly threw a small, dark object towards her.

Misty caught the object easily, her mind immediately filling with dread as she realized just what she held in her hands. The smooth metal glinted dangerously in the low light of the hotel room. God, I never wanted to see this thing again… Her trusty 9mm Magnum Research Baby Eagle sat innocently in her hands, completely loaded and ready to be fired. "Renjiro…"

"And here you go, Ash," Renjiro continued, ignoring her. He reached into the duffel bag and extracted a Glock 26, then handed it to Ash thoughtlessly. "Careful, the safeties aren't on."

"Safeties? As in, more than one?" Ash asked curiously, inspecting the gun.

"Three, as a matter of fact. I figured you'd be better off with a safer gun since the odds of you accidentally shooting yourself are pretty good."

"Why you--"

"Now, Misty," Renjiro continued on without paying Ash any mind. "I'm going to need you to be ruthless. Do you think you can handle that, babe?"

Misty shut her eyes and exhaled, her mind racing with thoughts of all the times she had armed herself with the same type of gun, her hands shaking as she fired off round after round until a dignitary or politician--hell, whomever the League wanted out of the way--was dead. She fought back the urge to stuff the gun down Renjiro's throat and tell him to forget the whole thing, then said, "That won't be a problem."

"Good. 'Cause I know you've got it in you." Renjiro gingerly touched his heavily bruised left eye, which had been on the receiving end of Misty's earlier torrent of blows back in the forest. "Ash, the only thing I have to tell you is this--try not to get yourself killed."

"Let me tell you something, Renjiro," Ash said acidly. "I am not this amateur kid that you seem to think I am. Since I started this personal rebellion of mine against the League, I've been shot myself, watched the woman I love nearly die, seen the destruction of an entire organization, and watched half of the city I've lived in for past five years erupt into flames. I am not a child, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop treating me like one, you son-of-a-bitch!"

Misty smiled adoringly at Ash after he had finished his spiel, while Renjiro merely crossed his arms across his chest and smirked once again. "God, that temper," he intoned. "It's a real shame you don't take more after your mother. Nice lady."

Ash's eyes widened at the mention of his mother. He realized that he hadn't even spoken to her since this whole ordeal had begun, and he had no idea as to whether she was safe or not. And now, to hear her mentioned so casually in passing by this, the League's deadliest and most notorious assassin…

Within seconds, Renjiro was pressed hard against the wall, the newly-acquired Glock sticking him in the ribs. "What the fuck did you do to my mother?" Ash asked angrily between clenched teeth.

"Ash! Ash, calm down!" Misty cried as she leapt over the bed and tugged desperately on Ash's arm. He remained steadfastly in his position, one hand pinning Renjiro to the wall by his neck, the other clutching the Glock somewhat desperately and pressing the barrel against his chest.

"What did you do to her, you bastard!?" Ash repeated in an even more dangerous tone. "You killed her, didn't you? Just one more life to add to the pile for you, isn't it? I swear to fucking God, I'll kill you!"

Renjiro's features did not shift from their emotionless appearance, eyebrows only slightly arched. "Ash, would you please calm down?" he asked simply, seemingly ignoring the gun pressed against his ribcage. "Yeah, I was assigned to kill your mother a few days ago. But, like every other order I've been given, I defied it. I evacuated her to Honolulu on the red-eye, where she's probably currently worried to death about you but otherwise fine."

The pressure of the gun lessened a bit as Ash regarded Renjiro skeptically. His hand loosened around the assassin's neck. "Really?"

"Ash, I may be a bastard beyond compare," Renjiro said darkly, "but I'll never let a mother die. Got that?"

"Ash, please," Misty pleaded. "We're in this together. Don't cause any more discord than what's already here, okay?"

Affording Misty a long stare, Ash released Renjiro from his hold and tucked the Glock into the waistband of his jeans. "All right," he said in a slightly defeated voice. He gently took Misty's hand into his own and stroked his thumb across the soft skin. "I'll be good for you, Mist."

Misty smiled at him wistfully, then squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Thank you."

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The youngest League member wrapped his jacket more tightly around his body as he rushed down the sidewalk, occasionally sending darting glances from side to side to ensure that no one had yet discovered him here. Please, God, don't let anyone have seen me drop off those weapons… He tucked his hands into his pockets as the wind whipped around him, a chill starting to run up his spine.

Yet he knew instinctively that it wasn't only the cold causing the chill in his blood. The fear of what he was forced to carry out when he returned to League headquarters had overtaken his mind with anxiety and trepidation. Could he actually be that ruthless, that callous, that fearless?

So much had changed for him over the past three years. The League had just begun their crackdown on gym leaders and other figures working in conjunction with the League when they had decided to begin upping the funding of their genetic engineering program. The purpose was to make genetically-modified Pokemon that were stronger, faster, and just all-around better than any who had come before them, and they had gone about enlisting the best Pokemon researchers and scientists in the field. That had unfortunately meant him, as he was quite a rising star in the scientific community. They had given him a choice, of course--join them or die. He hadn't been brave or strong enough to fight back, or even to seek out that elusive 'Opposition' that he had heard so much about; in fact, he had burned that odd letter he had received in the mail.

I wasn't ready to die…he thought somewhat ashamedly. And I'm not ready now. But to be free…

He and Ash had been rivals for ages, and no matter how hard he tried, Ash always managed to surpass him. Even now, in this miniature uprising against the League, if Ash died, he would at least be free from the corruption and evil that had choked him for the past five years. Whereas he…he was bound to the League unless…

Unless this works, he thought. Lowering his head against the wind, he ran faster as his thoughts began to race. He could be free…dammit, he could be free…

The fear began to subside.

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"You're going to have to trust me."

Ash and Misty shared a skeptical glance from their position seated side-by-side upon the bed as Renjiro held up the small chalkboard from the duffel bag, upon which were countless strategic squiggles and lines. "Neither of you has the kind of notoriety or clout with the League that would endow you with their trust at this point. Ash, you're their fall guy, and Misty, they want you dead just to hurt Ash. Whereas I…well, it doesn't matter about me. All that matters is that I'm the only one here with strong ties to the League."

Ash let out a derisive snort. "And after all they've done to us, that's supposed to be a good thing?"

Renjiro's eyes narrowed. "So you're not going to trust me?"

Ash stood slowly and smirked at the assassin. "Does it look like I am?"

Renjiro returned the smirk, then balled up his fist and went for a quick right hook at Ash's jaw…that was quickly stopped as Misty's own fist slammed hard into the back of his head, sending him face-first into the carpet.

Ash smiled at her. "Thanks, Mis--" His words were cut off as that same fist connected with his jaw and knocked him to the ground in one swift motion.

"I am absolutely sick of this!" Misty yelled angrily, balling her fists at her sides and shooting angry glares from Ash to Renjiro. "All you two do is fight over the most inconsequential things! Nothing is going to get accomplished this way! Now you two assholes are going to work together, and you're going to like it! Or else I'll kill you both here myself! Am I making myself clear?!"

Renjiro's mouth hung open slightly at the display of ferocity from the fiery redhead before them. He turned confusedly to Ash but was met with the sight of him bowing fearfully to Misty, beads of sweat collecting upon his brow. "You gotta get used to the drill man," Ash whispered in an aside.

Renjiro simply smiled and shook his head. "Alright, Misty, I'm willing to work with this bastard here if he is." He retrieved the chalkboard. "Now, as I was saying about the proposed strategy…"

"I hope I didn't hurt you too much…"

Renjiro scowled slightly as Misty bent down to carefully inspect Ash's features to make sure that she hadn't injured him. "Guys…"

"Nothing that I'm not used to, what with you swinging your mallet around back in the day," Ash responded with a slight smile, taking her offered hand and pulling himself to his feet.

"Hey…"

"Are you sure you're all right?" Misty asked seriously, gently brushing his cheek with the back of her hand.

"Yeah," Ash said softly as he continued to hold her small hand in his own.

Renjiro's scowl deepened at the romantic ambience that had begun to permeate the small room. It made him slightly sick to his stomach, truth be told, and he cleared his throat loudly in an attempt to break the two apart. "Hey, you two lovebirds plan on cutting this mushy crap out at any point?"

Ash's eyes immediately narrowed, and he went to make a sarcastic retort before he felt Misty squeeze his hand--hard. "Be the better person, Ash," she said simply, glaring a bit at Renjiro. "He's not worth the energy."

Ash continued to glare a bit at Renjiro, then squeezed Misty's hand in response. "If you say so."

Renjiro's anger only intensified at the tenderness contained within Misty's aquamarine eyes as she gazed lovingly at Ash. It's not fair, Renjiro thought angrily. It's just not fair! That bastard has taken everything! Why does he get to have Misty too? Suddenly, a slow smile filled with an odd glee spread across his features. Oh, but don't worry, Ash; you'll understand what it feels like to lose everything dear to you soon enough.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, back to our plans," Renjiro said with a smile.

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"Our fourth quarter returns were substantially less than we had initially anticipated, owing much to…"

The youngest League member stepped cautiously into the conference room, carefully eyeing the other Council members, who now sat clad in tailored Italian suits rather than the hooded robes that they donned during League meetings. They were all there, save Jensen and the Leader himself, of course. Those two were 'above' such simple proceedings as board meetings.

"Mr. Oak, would you care to join us?" Blomquist, the chairman, said in a haughty voice. "Or do you just plan to stand there in the doorway while the rest of us actually--" He was cut off as a shot rang out through the conference room, a bullet tearing through his torso.

Within seconds, six more shots had been fired, and seven of the ten Council members lay dead in the small room. Gary held the smoking Ruger in his extended hands, his breath coming in sharp pants as he observed the pools of blood forming on the floor and on the long conference table. He quickly shook off the terrible deed he had just committed and broke into a run towards Katsuro's office.

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"Yes, Jensen, the report was due over an hour ago! Where the hell is--"

Three shots rang out. Katsuro's body was pressed back into the soft leather of his desk chair as the bullets tore through his chest.

"I hereby resign, you bastard!" Gary cried angrily, firing one more shot into Katsuro's chest for good measure. He shut his eyes and drew in a shaky breath, then dropped the Ruger to the ground and fell to his knees. "T-thank God…it's all over…"

"Nice work, Oak."

Gary's head shot up as he observed Katsuro folding his hands neatly in his lap and smiling at him. "Y-you…"

"This was your doing, of course," he said, that maddening smile still in place as he motioned to the grayscale monitor upon his desk, the screen alight with rotating images of the bloodied Council members lying dead in the conference room. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "I really must thank you, Gary. I was planning on destroying them as the time came near anyway. You've saved me the trouble."

"How are you still alive?" Gary asked incredulously, his entire body shaking violently with fear and the horrific realization that he had just killed seven people--eight, really, but why wasn't he…why wasn't he dead?

Katsuro merely smirked in response and pulled the Smith & Wesson kept in his desk from its drawer and fired several rounds into Gary's body, one shot catching him through the throat. After a few desperate moments, his body finally stilled, and the office was quiet.

Nearly a minute passed. Katsuro remained silent as he stared at the rapidly bloodying carpet and the now-deceased boy lying at an odd angle upon the office floor. Almost as an afterthought, he carefully removed his suit jacket and observed the metal projectiles lodged firmly in his bulletproof vest.

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The small room was quiet that night as the tension between Ash and Renjiro had finally begun to ebb--if only because the two boys were now sound asleep. A dim light flickered from the small nightlight plugged into the far wall, casting Misty's features in a shadowy glow from across the room. She kept her eyes upon Ash's sleeping form upon the bed as she continued to sort through their dwindling supply of bandages.

Misty sighed and shut her eyes as she leaned heavily against the wall. Apart from a small stack of Band-Aids and some sterile pads, there were still two rolls of gauze, maybe two-and-a-half if they could find the half-unwound one that Ash had angrily thrown at Renjiro's head earlier that day; the assassin had retaliated with a nearby cup of ramen that had thankfully been empty. Her earlier threats against their continuing animosity had done little to alleviate the tension between the two feuding boys.

But still…there petty quarrels had almost a calming effect, Misty observed with a small smile as she set the bandages beside her upon the faded-brown carpet. Through their childish arguments and endless bickering Misty could almost forget that the League was probably closing in on them closer and closer with each passing second, and Ash was their number-one target. If they should find him…

Misty's sorrowful gaze once again settled upon the dark-haired youth sleeping soundly upon the bed, one arm dangling over the side, mouth wide open, a series of sleepy grunts and low snores emanating from his throat. Five years…she'd been apart from the man she loved for five long and desperate years. They'd been reunited for days--mere days against the crushing weight of impossibly arduous years--and already her wounded heart had begun to heal. Just a few days with that thick-headed, stubborn, dense, idiotic trainer who'd been a veritable thorn in her side for twelve years…

Ash flipped onto his side and snuggled a bit into his pillow, his sleeping visage now facing her. Misty could have sworn that she heard her name pass his lips, and she couldn't keep a smile from crossing her face. Ash's sleeping countenance retained a measure of that childish innocence that she had missed so much. Misty dusted her hands upon her olive cargo pants and, carefully stepping over Renjiro's sleeping form upon the worn carpet, laid down silently upon the mattress. The cool linen felt good against her tired skin, and she allowed her eyes to drift shut. Being this close to Ash, having him near her…this was all she needed right now.

Through her exhaustion-fogged brain Misty vaguely felt Ash's hand gently stroking her hair in his sleep, the nearly waist-length auburn tresses now fanned about her head on the pillow like a halo. He had such a fascination with her hair when it was down, she smiled, and continued basking in the warmth radiating from the boy lying next to her.

Ash would never be the type of person to write Shakespearean sonnets, give her expensive bouquets of beautiful and delicate flowers, or for that matter even whisper sweet nothings into her ear. Misty knew very well that if they had a future relationship, it would be one filled with arguments over lack of romantic sentiment. But it was the little things that mattered so much to her, that showed beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ash's feelings for her were inviolable, despite his inability to fully express himself. Such as the sluggish yet gentle fingers combing through her hair. Misty opened her eyes slightly and gently brushed a hand against Ash's cheek, his eyes flickering behind the closed lids at the soft contact.

Misty felt her heart warm even more as she once again noted that it was Ash's subconscious that compelled him to administer such gentle, loving actions to her. "I'm even in your dreams," she said fondly in a soft whisper. "Wonder what you're dreaming abo--"

Her eyes flew open in shock as the hand that had been stroking her hair now pressed firmly against her right breast.

A wistful smile had appeared upon Ash's peaceful visage as he squeezed lightly through the thin material of the tanktop she wore. Misty's cheeks flushed crimson partly at the intimate contact that Ash wasn't even aware he was affording her, but also partly at the way her heart had begun to pound and her lower body had begun to throb at the slight touch, the feelings only intensifying as he slowly dragged one finger across the taut nipple. Her nerves seemed to be on fire, a thrumming in her blood that she had never experienced causing her eyes to flutter shut as she arched into his touch…

"Well, hey, he knows where the hands go. How 'bout that?"

Misty's eyes flew open and an even deeper flush jumped to her startled countenance as she turned her head to see a fully-awake Renjiro smirking at her as he knelt beside the bed. "I'm surprised that he's still asleep, though," the assassin noted with a slight frown as he cocked his head to one side and observed Ash's peaceful features. "Must be having one hell of a dream. Hope you've got some fresh sheets somewhere in here, babe."

"Mind your own damn business, you pervert!" Misty cried, half in anger and half in stark embarrassment, drawing back her hand and affording him a harsh slap. "After what you did to me, can't I enjoy myself a little without fear? Without hating myself for it?" She turned angrily away from him. "I deserve to be able to respect myself again, to be empowered by something like this rather than demeaned. So just go back to sleep and don't concern yourself with my personal life anymore."

"Don't worry, I won't." Renjiro's gaze shifted downward a bit, and he smiled wickedly. "Oh, and Misty? It might be a good idea to take his hand off your tits the next time you launch into a moral diatribe." With one last smirk, he curled back into the pile of blankets and sheets serving as a makeshift bed upon the floor and went back to sleep.

Misty's blush only deepened as she slowly turned her eyes down to see Ash's hand still resting upon her breast, along with the other slowly unzipping her pants and sliding beneath the satin bikini she wore. Casting a scowl at Renjiro, she gently took Ash's busy hands in her own and kissed her sleeping love on the forehead. Resting her head upon his shoulder, Misty whispered softly, "Not just yet, Ash."

Her peripheral vision didn't grant her the image of a wide-awake Ash smiling devilishly from above her.

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