Chapter 6
Once again, the courthouse was silent, waiting. The quiet that engulfed the room was almost choking, yet no one spoke. Tension lay thickly over them, preventing the actions, and straining their nerves.
"This is the third day of the trial Giovanni Oak versus the state of Kanto," the bailiff suddenly broke the silence, to the relief of the people in attendance.
"Will the prosecution give their closing statement?" Snype's roaring voice seemed to crack at their skulls, pounding noticeably.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Tress rose slowly, taking in the moment, feeling victory. "Over the past days, I have fought to prove that Giovanni Oak is indeed guilty of being the head of the organized crime group of Team Rocket, and must be punished. What you have heard from the defense were statements, but we had the hard facts on paper. In closing, I would like to add that he is most obviously guilty, and, if not punished, will continue to ruin the lives of innocent citizens everywhere. Thank you." Sitting down, Scott looked toward Dan and smirked knowingly. Trapped, Dan would have no way out. The evidence was clear, and he had proved it.
Clearing his throat nervously, Dan stood up. He had heard Tress, and he knew that what had been spoken was right. Knowing that the fate of Team Rocket possibly rested on the case didn't help much, either…
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we have been in this courtroom for what seems to me like an endless amount of not; not three days. During this time, we argued endlessly, each trying to prove our side correct. I believe that the evidence I have given is sufficient enough to put reasonable doubt in your mind about the fact that my client was the head of Team Rocket. He was only an unlucky man who, when attempting to catch the criminal, was convicted. Consider the doubt, and consider our facts. Thank you."
Closing his eyes, he sat down, unable to look up. He had tried, but there was no way…
"The jury will recess to decide on a verdict!" the judge's voice boomed, shattering his thoughts and causing him to pop his eyes open in time to see the twelve men and women file through a large oak door.
As the door shut, small lines of conversation began to float around, and in the next minute, conversations sprouted. People stood up and stretched anxiously, chatting with their neighbors to pass the time.
"You did a good job."
Dan looked to his left, and saw Giovanni smiling strangely. "The man's about to be sent away and he's smiling," Dan thought, than spoke, "Not really. It didn't help…"
His boss shrugged. "Maybe not, but everyone was impressed."
"Really?"
"Yeah," Giovanni looked into his eyes. "Especially Tress. He got a strange look on his face, and trust me, it wasn't because he was glad."
"Thanks…" Dan realized that not looking at the members had actually helped him think.
One look at Tress told him that Giovanni had been right, though. The man was glaring at him jealously. Dan almost laughed. "Imagine, he's jealous of me…"
Shadow glanced down the row and sighed, turning to Trae. "I wish I knew what the jury was saying," she confessed. Everything was too secretive. Everything dragged on in this case, it seemed. If the jury didn't decide soon, she felt that she would go insane.
"I don't. I really don't want to know what they'll say," Trae bit her fingernails nervously, a sign that she was truly stressed. She felt the pressure of being a Rocket, of the organization falling… And she hated it.
"Well, at least Dan gave a good closing statement," Shadow pointed out, defending their friend.
"He tried," Ginger agreed on her other side. "But I doubt that it worked." Fear showed in her darting eyes, tearing at her insides. She didn't want this to be happening. She didn't like it at all…
"We'll just have to wait and see," Mike sat back in his chair. He could see why everyone was worried, but stress wasn't going to help at all.
"Whatever happens, happens," Felicity added, looking over from the end. She couldn't see why everyone was worried either. Fate was unstoppable, and nothing could help that. Choosing to be panicked was their choice, choosing to be calm was hers.
"Let's just hope they decide soon…" Shadow ran her fingers through her hair, sighing.
"All sit!" Snype barked sharply, watching in pleasure as everyone jumped into the seats. "The jury has made their decision," he nodded toward the box where the people had returned.
Suddenly, the wave of silence reappeared, and the crowd hushed. No one moved, no one dare to.
"Ahem," the leader of the twelve members stood. "We have come to the conclusion that the defendant, Giovanni Oak…"
Anxious eyes and ears waited for the verdict, some happily, others anxious.
"…is guilty of the crime of having been the leader of the notorious group of criminals known as Team Rocket. He is therefore guilty of all past crimes committed by the group, from the murders to the thefts, and is given a lifetime sentence of prison. Thank you."
"The verdict is decided. The defendant is guilty," Snype looked at the paper in front of him. "As is custom, he may speak."
Dan looked questioningly at Giovanni, who was already standing up. "God, what is he going to say…" Dan thought, knowing how angry the man could get.
Keeping the anxiety out of his voice, Giovanni spoke, "I have been sentenced to a lifetime in prison. I find it doubtful to believe that any one of you members of the jury actually listened to our side of the case," he glared icily at the group, "Or that the judge wasn't unfair," he shot the look at Snype, "So this will be relatively unclear to you. However, I would like to tell anyone in my family that happens to be here that I appreciate any effort they might have made to attend the trial."
With that, he sat down quietly. He had said only part of what was on his mind, but the rest was inappropriate. Having known that this fate would eventually come, he was prepared to unhappily yet calmly accept the consequences. To go out with dignity.
Yes, he was done for, but that didn't mean the Rockets were dead. No, they were just beginning. All they needed was a new leader…
"Take this," he handed Dan an envelope beneath the table. "Open it when you get back."
When Dan just stared, Giovanni sighed. "This world is harsh on judgment, and quick to act without thinking. Remember though that the hardest working will come out on top, and will survive. We cannot be wiped out, we will fight until the end."
Looking straight into the young man's eyes, he shoved the paper at him. "Take it."
Nodding in a confused manner, the younger man took the paper and pushed it into his pocket as Snype spoke. "Dismissed!"
"Good day. You did a commendable job," Giovanni walked out with the escorts coolly, keeping his dignity.
"Take that," Tress laughed, walking by the other lawyer.
"Shut up," Dan muttered, walking into the crowd.
"What?" Tress struck up a whiney voice.
Dan waved him off, heading toward the door, and was about to head out when something caught his eye.
"What the hell are you talking about?!?" Geoffrey Oak's voice could be heard above the roar of the crowd.
"She said, 'You're fired,'" John Orested grinned.
"But, I…" Geoffrey strained to explain.
"Look, Oak, we don't tolerate people like you in this organization," a thin, blond young woman with suspicious green-brown eyes and a hard face spoke, an edge of anger in her voice. "You were on the side of the opposition, with the head of Team Rocket, who we have been working against!" Now she was shouting, not noticing anyone who stopped to stare. "I don't care what you say, you knew he was! I can't prove it in court, but I CAN fire you!!!"
"Amy!" Geoffrey's eyes were widening. "You're not serious…"
"I damn well am!" the anger was sharp and biting by this time. "I don't care WHAT you thought you were doing, it was against what we're working for, and it was against orders," she paused for a breath, than shouted even louder, "YOU'RE FIRED!"
Under the stares of the people who still lingered, she quieted a bit. "You can never go back to headquarters. You can never go back to the office. You can never work for us again. You are banned from the Pokemon Intelligence Agency, Geoffrey, and I'll see too it that you aren't allowed to work for any other government agency, either!"
She looked down at Oersted, taking a paper and handing it to Geoffrey. "What's this…?" he asked, though he knew perfectly well. The slip made him cringe inside…
"Your discharge," she snarled, her voice back down to its normal level. "I hope you're happy with your choice." She turned toward the door, "Come on, Agent Oersted." Without another word, she walked off.
"Told you," the shorter man grinned, walking past.
"Good God…" Geoffrey quickly shoved the paper into his pocket and headed in the direction of the door. "That damned Oersted…" he muttered.
"Hey…" he felt someone tap him on the elbow, and he turned viciously.
"What?!?"
It was that kid, Dan. "What do you want?" he repeated, exasperated.
"I saw what happened…" Dan began, ready to apologize.
"Damn," Geoffrey turned, and walked out, not even looking back.
"What…" Dan thought, but shook it off. He had too. It was time to go back home…
Chapter 7
Opening the creaky door, Dan realized immediately that the air of the house was, and would be for the rest of the night, heavy with gloom, anger, uncertainty, and even bits of hopelessness. Cloudy and shady, the emotions blocked out anything positive given off by the more optimistic inhabitants.
Quickly rushing up to his room, Dan pretty much tore off the suit, pulling on casual clothes. Having no wish to be reminded of his recent failure, the young man tossed the other outfit into a box, and walked out of the room, down to the kitchen. There, he found a pot of boiling coffee, poured some, and sat down at the table in an attempt to enjoy the brew.
Sighing, he realized that the attempts were futile. How could he enjoy himself after that? How could he, after seeing his client, the head of Team Rocket, sentenced to a lifetime in prison? Why had he agreed to be the lawyer? Why hadn't he pushed for a better one?
"Hello," Shadow's soft voice managed to penetrate through his thoughts as she sat down across from him, a mug of coffee in her hand.
"Hey," Dan looked up and replied in a gloomy voice that reflected his feelings.
Shadow looked into his face, a worried expression in her deep eyes. As much as she felt the defeat of the trial, she was more torn apart by the moods of everyone else. Feelings of traction and tension seemed to be creating electric sparks, ready to start a fire of either anger or anxiety. Heavily, she felt that it was her responsibility to keep everyone together, no matter how hard it was.
Gazing across at Dan, she felt a wave of pity for her friend. Still young, he had been thrown in as a lawyer for an important case. Though he had tried very hard, the evidence had been incriminating, and he had been thrown against the rocks. "You did a really good job on the trial."
Shrugging, he replied dully, "We lost. It was all my fault." Cringing, he felt the pain of his defeat like a knife. All of the arguments and witnesses… he had messed up somewhere along the line, and ruined it all.
"Don't blame yourself," Shadow attempted to provide rest for his soul. "You gave it your best shot, and did a great job. I mean, think about. You're a nineteen-year-old lawyer, against an experienced thirty-two year old lawyer. Think of all of the good evidence you gave, of the good fight you put up. It was a hard battle, and no one could have one. You were the best choice for the job."
"Well…" Dan's tone was uncertain, though he was very grateful to Shadow, and pleased, that she was comforting him. "Thanks a lot."
"You're wel…" Shadow began, but was cut off by Ginger's sharp voice.
"I can't believe you!" the girl was obviously angry.
"What? All I was saying was…" came Mike's frustrated reply.
"Why don't you be a little more sensitive?"
"Why don't you lighten up?" Mike yelled even louder.
A door slammed, and the two in the kitchen both heard the sound of footsteps pounding into the kitchen as Mike entered, his face red in exasperation.
"What was that all about?" Dan's eyes were wide with wonder.
Mike shrugged, popping open a can of Coke. "Just Ginger over-exaggerating again."
"She really needs to lighten up," Felicity half-mumbled as she walked by, reading a newspaper.
"That's what I said, and she slammed the door in my face! I was just trying to make her feel a little better…" Mike took a swig of Cola eagerly, feeling the refreshing twinge it sent through his body.
Shadow sighed. "Mike, you might want to leave her alone…"
"Don't think I won't," Mike snorted angrily. Not only was he mad at Ginger for pushing him away like that, he was mad at himself for letting his anger show. "You know I hate getting angry, but she… oh."
"So… where's Trae?" Shadow winced at her pathetic attempt to change the subject.
"Upstairs, sleeping in her room," he didn't seem to notice the change. "Or at least, she WAS."
Felicity's voice cut into the tension. "Hey, anyone wanna watch a movie?"
"What one?" Mike walked toward the entryway.
"Um…" there was a pause. "Apollo Thirteen."
"Sure," he walked out as Trae appeared.
"What's happening?" she rubbed her eyes.
"Just a little disagreement," Dan knew that what he had said was grossly under-stated, but didn't really care. He, like Shadow, wanted to keep the place peaceful as long as possible.
"Hey, Trae, want to watch a movie?" Felicity walked in as the first sounds of the video floated in through the house.
"Sure," the girl turned and walked toward the room sleepily, in a manner that revealed that she didn't care about anything at the moment.
Grabbing a handful of ice cubes and dumping them into a glass of water, Felicity turned towards Shadow and Dan. "What's up?" the question was casual, typical of her.
The two smirked at her attitude, and Shadow just shrugged. "Not much."
"I hope those two'll start getting along a little better," Felicity referred too Ginger and Mike. "If things keep happening like they've been, we'll be here for awhile."
"I'm sure they'll get over it," Dan waved as she walked out.
"Well," Shadow began, but couldn't think of an end to the sentence.
"It's been a long day," Dan sighed. "I think I'm going to go to bed."
"All right," Shadow watched him walk out, than sighed at the actions of the inhabitants. With Mike and Ginger fighting, the tension only grew. She had to get them to get over it, somehow…
With a start, she realized that her brain was beginning to tire. Picking up her cup, she headed towards the living room, where the television was blaring. Reclining on one of the couches, it wasn't long before her eyelids began to get heavy, and she felt herself drifting off…
Chapter 8
Rising slowly out of her bed, Ginger stared out at the night sky, watching the gleaming stars remorsefully. Everything outside seemed so calm. So direct was the contrast between the quiet and the turmoil in her heart that she wanted to scream out loud, pleading for mercy. How was she expected to stay calm under such terrible circumstances?
Walking over to the window, she sighed heavily in the darkness. How had this all come to happen? Why to her? Why was so much pain forced upon her? She hated it.
First, her mother had gone off to God-only-knew where, leaving Giovanni to take care of her, their only daughter. Then came all the pain that went with being a member of Team Rocket. The stress of assignments, hardly seeing her father, knowing that he and everyone else she knew was in constant danger.
And now this.
Of course, she had expected the danger with the Rockets. But… the police breaking in? Arresting almost everyone? Condemning her father?
It was almost too terrible to think about. As it was, tears were beginning to swell up in her eyes.
What could she do to ward off the terrible pain? Everything hurt, and she didn't want to be alive…
The answer hit her like a bolt of lightning.
There was one way to take the pain off of her.
Take it out on someone else.
Hard eyes darting around, she picked up her glinting dagger and slowly slipped into its sheath. The way out of pain was inflicting it, and she realized that she had no problem with that as she quietly slipped out the door.
Darkness surrounded the girl's shadow as she slipped silently along the back routes of the city towards a group of dark houses. Everyone was obviously asleep. "Easier for me," Ginger thought with a smirk, walking up toward number three.
Shaking the knob, she realized with a start that it was open. "My God, could they make it any easier?" she muttered, walking in.
Of course, there could've been an alarm. There could've been guards. But there weren't. "The fools," she thought. Didn't they know they were exposing themselves to danger?
After all, Jessie and James had gone against the Rockets. They'd been with the organization long enough to know about the strong sense of vengeance, hadn't they?
Well, if they had, they obviously hadn't taken it into consideration.
Slipping into the next room, she saw something moving on the couch. A large blanket was partially draped over the top, and she realized that one of the two was sleeping in there.
Quietly, she stalked over, and saw the fiery red hair falling over the shoulders of the young woman who lay in front of her. "This is the end, Jessie," she muttered, drawing the blade quietly.
After a quick observation, Ginger decided that a quick kill would be best for the situation, and, swift as a rattlesnake, struck the soft throat.
Bolting up with a small yelp, Jessie widened her green eyes, than spat blood onto the floor. Her face immediately turned white, and the eyes glazed over as she fell back, clutching her neck.
Ginger looked on without compassion. Yes, the task had been accomplished easily, but it had also been strangely fulfilling.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps, followed by, "Jess, are you okay?"
It was James. How had he heard? "No matter," Ginger thought, walking toward the entry to the room.
"Jess…" James walked in sleepily, and Ginger saw that he had been awake, as his hair was still combed back, and his eyes were red with weariness.
"Hello, James," Ginger stepped out quietly, holding the dagger.
"Who…" James stammered, than stopped. "I knew it. I knew you'd come and get us…"
"Of course you did," Ginger edged forward, knowing the resistance would be little. This was inevitable. She felt it, and was sure he did, too.
"Please…" James began to back up.
"You betrayed us," Ginger's voiced was calm yet sinister as she advanced with the gleaming weapon.
"Oh," James whimpered as he found himself backed up against a wall.
"Goodbye, traitor," Ginger raised the blade, and plunged it into the man's chest.
James opened his mouth to scream, but Ginger was faster, shoving the dagger into the side of his neck, watching coldly as the blood spurt out onto the floor as he fell, a look of horror frozen on his white face.
"Sweet dreams, you two," Ginger laughed bitterly; sliding the knife back into it's cover, unmoved.
It was time to get out of there, before anyone came back, before anyone suspected anything…
Closing the door behind her quietly, Ginger realized that the actions had helped sooth her soul. Now she felt calm. Calm, and unafraid.
Chapter 9
Shadow was awakened suddenly by the light sound of the coffee maker dripping the brew into the pot. Rubbing her eyes, she saw that the time was seven in the morning, and wondered why the quite sound had woke her up.
Standing up, she stretched her arm muscles back, yawning and walking over towards the window as she did so. Her back ached strangely, and there was an odd stiffness in her wrists, but she managed to ignore them and peer outside.
Gray, looming clouds covered the usually blue sky, sending a strange sensation of gloominess through her already upset body. Of course, the correspondence of the weather with her feelings seemed a bit uncalled for, but she decided it was better than being upset on a sunny day.
Looking down at herself, Shadow suddenly realized that she hadn't changed out of her clothes the night before. Shrugging it off quickly, she opened the door and headed down the stairs quietly, not sure of who was awake and who was asleep.
Peering into the kitchen, her eyes caught the full coffee cup and the mugs sitting next to it with a sense of pleasure. One thing had gone right; there was fresh coffee. Pouring herself a cup, Shadow took a sip of the liquid, decided she liked it, and walked quietly out of the kitchen.
Faint voices floated out of the living room, and Shadow wondered who was up, as she didn't quite recognize the voice. They sounded strangely metallic, and almost distorted.
Looking in, the girl nearly laughed.
Throwing soft light over the furniture, the television gleamed quietly while two newscasters discussed some issue or other. Nearly hitting herself over the head for being so stupid, Shadow seated herself in the soft velvet chair, feeling the comforting material with her fingers.
"Hey," Felicity barely looked up from the newspaper she held in her hands, absorbed in the article her eyes darted across. Lying down on the couch, she took a sip of the cappuccino she had set on the floor, savoring the vanilla flavor.
"Hi," Shadow turned her eyes toward the screen, and saw Ginger sitting quietly on the couch, a strangely empty look in her eyes. "What's with that?" she wondered, but brushed it off as the television broadcast caught her eye.
"Today, Jessica Ross and James Pike were found dead in their rented house early this morning," the woman began to read off her paper in a surprisingly dull voice for a murder story.
"Jessie and James?" Shadow thought, as the woman continued.
"The two were obviously stabbed to death, as the medical professionals have confirmed." A picture flashed onto the screen, showing the two bodies, the blood trickling down her neck and their haggard heads rolling lifelessly. Shadow cringed, and looked at the two others in the room. Felicity was paying no attention, too involved in the paper. Ginger, however…
The girl was staring quietly at the screen; the yet somehow intent look plastered on her expressionless face. She showed no signs of disgust, no signs of anything…
The television called her back. "As of now, the case is believed to be murder, though no fingerprints are apparent."
"Well, of course," Felicity muttered. Obviously, she had been paying a bit of attention. "A good criminal always wears gloves."
A shudder went through Shadow's body at this remark, but she recovered quickly. "Why did I do that?" she wondered.
"The murderer is believed to have been involved with the recent trial against Giovanni, who was sentenced to a life in prison, as well as occasional torturing." A few clips of the trial appeared on screen, showing the two on the witness stand.
"Occasional?" Ginger muttered, shaking her head. "She calls every Saturday occasional?"
"Most officers believe that a Rocket member, angry over the fall of their organization, attacked the two for turning against them Though this has been unconfirmed, it is easily accepted," the woman shuffled her papers, and Shadow heard a cough behind her.
"What's goin' on?" Mike flopped into a cushioned chair, and looked towards Shadow.
"Hey," Dan sat in chair near the blue-eyed girl.
"Hey, guys," Shadow nodded her head toward the program. "Take a look at this…"
"All we know about the murder is as follows…" she paused to look at her notes and adjust her suit.
"Who was murdered?" Mike's eyes gleamed with interest, and, though he knew it was a bit odd, he didn't mind. Deaths like this always managed to catch his attention.
"Jessie and James."
"Our old friends?" Mike exaggerated the last word, drawing it out ridiculously.
"Yeah, them," Shadow nodded, half grinning.
"Well, who did it?" Dan asked, rubbing his eyes, and forcing himself to stay awake. He wasn't exactly an early riser.
"Take a look at what they know…" the girl's blue eyes looked toward the newscast.
"The two victims were stabbed to death in their house at about midnight last night. Both evidently died immediately. The wound from the murder weapon was almost definitely caused by a Veneblade, which is uncommon and should be easier to track down than any other type."
"Fools," Felicity thought, looking up for a moment. "Most people would dispose of the blade after using it!"
"A Veneblade?" Shadow's mind was hit with a thought. "But isn't that the kind of knife Ginger uses…?" She shook her head. Of course, Ginger did. That didn't mean anything.
Then again, she had wanted Jessie and James to suffer for what they did… "No," she told herself. "I'm being silly. Of course Ginger didn't do it."
Sure, she was used to seeing people killed, but that was when the other was also armed. Never had she seen anyone killed in cold blood… In fact, the only person she would have expected to be able to do that was Felicity. So of course Ginger hadn't…
She couldn't shake the thought off her mind, and the image of the blade on the screen provoked her anguish further. "All right," she finally thought, and stood up, catching a glimpse of Ginger. The girl looked so cold, so empty… She didn't look like she normally did.
"Where are you going?" Dan looked up at her.
"Getting a drink," Shadow motioned toward the kitchen and headed out, leaving the others to watch the television.
"God, why am I doing this?" the question turned itself over in her mind. "Why am I going? Even if she did kill them, I shouldn't care. I should be used to the murders by now…"
She stood in front of the doorway to the library.
Ginger's room.
"Should I?" she asked herself, but was already in the doors before she could think further.
Shadow's first reaction was that everything was fine, as she quickly looked over the room.
On second glance, however, she saw something glint on the desk.
Without second thoughts, she knew that it was the knife.
Walking over, she picked the weapon up by the handle and gasped.
Even though the clouds covered most of the light, she could see through the faint grayness. What she saw was blood.
Covering the blade, the crusted, dried-up body fluid sent an eerie sensation through her mind, and she knew perfectly well who the blood belonged too.
"What the hell are you doing up here?" Shadow whirled around and found herself looking at Ginger's cold, green eyes as the girl stood in the doorway.
Sighing, Shadow set the knife down on the desk. "Might as well come out with it," she thought, and then spoke. "You did it."
"What?" Ginger attempted to look innocent, but Shadow could see that she was perfectly clear as to what was being referred too.
"You killed Jessie and James," Shadow looked down at the gleaming knife blade.
"No, I didn't," Ginger stared straight into the glassy blue eyes, her mind rushing. How did she know…?
"You really should clean your knife after you kill someone," Shadow pointed to the weapon, and Ginger realized now.
"T-that was for something else…" She wanted to hit herself for stumbling over the words so foolishly.
"Don't lie. I know you did it," the younger Rocket folded her arms.
"Well, so what if I did?" Ginger's voice became irritated. "It's not as if I haven't before!"
"Never in cold blood." Shadow replied coldly. To her, the killing of an unarmed individual was senseless and inappropriate, even for a Rocket.
"No…" Ginger replied slowly. "But now I have."
With that, she walked out the door, than turned around. "I'm going back downstairs. If you want to come, go ahead. However…" she paused. "If you don't want to be anywhere near me, then stay up here." Having said this, she started down the stairs.
Shadow stood, stunned. Ginger had know precisely what to say, and had struck something… "She's right," Shadow's mind raced. "Of course she's right. I shouldn't let this bother me…" With that, she walked out, though she knew full well she would not forget.
Chapter 10
Mike flipped through the channels, tiring of watching the dull woman drone over what was happening in Pokeworld. Kids programming, another newscast, and a paid advertisement program zipped by, and he sighed as he looked at the next channel.
A young, battered-looking woman was yelling angrily. "…and I found him with her under the bed!"
"Great," Mike thought, switching the channels as the crowd began to yell, "Jerry! Jerry!"
"The junk they put on," he shook his head, finally stopping at a made for television movie.
"What's on?" Felicity looked over the paper.
"Some movie," Mike replied with a shrug, and turned his attention back toward the screen.
"Ah," Felicity nodded with a grin, than looked back down at the sheets in front of her. The headlines had been quite expected, she thought.
'TEAM ROCKET: NEVER TO BLAST OFF AGAIN'
"What's that supposed to mean?" she rolled her eyes and looked at the next one.
'BOSS IN JAIL'
"Straightforward and stupid," she observed, shaking her head. When did the reporters actually think?
'TWO DEAD'
"Was that supposed to catch my attention?" Felicity muttered under her breath, but looked at the column anyway. Just as she had thought, it was the article about Jessie and James.
Looking over it, she found that the information was basically the same as that of the newscast, which proved her point that all media was the same information in different wording. "Wonder who did it," she thought. "Good for them."
In fact, if the anonymous murderer hadn't made the move, she would've 'taken care' of the two herself.
Turning the page, her eyes were met by another wave of dull headlines. "News is news," she sighed, and began reading.
Ginger walked silently into the room and practically fell onto the couch by the television, which she looked toward but basically ignored. Her mind was in too much turmoil for that.
So Shadow knew she had done.
So what?
The only thing that worried Ginger about that at all was that the girl had appeared shaken, almost, by the fact. Why? She had seen plenty of deaths, and she should've known damn well that Ginger could kill.
So what was making her so unsettled?
Closing her eyes, Ginger shook her head. "How should I know?" came her reply to her own question as she attempted to quiet the hurt in her mind as she heard footsteps walking in.
Dan and Felicity looked up at the same time to see Trae walk in; Mike was too attached to the screen. Obviously, the movie wasn't as bad as he had initially thought.
"Hi, Trae," Felicity waved slightly, than went back to the paper.
"Morning…" Trae dropped into a chair, yawning.
"Tired?" Dan smiled slightly, in spite of the fact that he himself was obviously exhausted.
"Yeah," Trae nodded, looking at him.
"He has such sweet eyes…" she thought to herself, looking into the deep gray-brown pools and admiring his warm grin.
"Same here," he sat back, and she noticed the rings under his eyes.
"What's happening?" Shadow walked in with yet another cup of coffee.
"Haven't you had enough?" Dan joked, taking a sip from his own mug.
"Never!" Shadow replied in mock drama. She could see that Dan was attempting to shine some light in the room, and, as much as she felt lost, she knew enough to help instead of resisting.
"Besides, maybe it'll occupy my mind," she reasoned, sitting in the chair next to Dan.
Trae watched silently, jealous of how well Shadow could get along with the boy. "Why can't I do that?" she thought wistfully, than wiped the thoughts away, replacing them with, "If I just stop thinking about him, I won't care." Then, forcing her eyes in the other direction, she attempted to keep herself intent on the movie.
Shadow looked into Dan's eyes and saw that the humor was definitely a mask, covering the confusion he too felt. "Poor guy…" she thought, wishing there was something she could do to comfort him.
Dan looked back at Shadow and saw that she had not only a pleading look in her eyes, but also an air of worry and weariness. He wanted so much to put his arms around her, to comfort her, to tell her everything was fine…
But no, that would never do.
She was Shadow, and Shadow never let her guard down like that.
"I wish she would…" he thought quietly. "I wish for her sake she would."
That was when he felt something inside his pocket. Reaching down, he found that it was a folded-up piece of paper…
The note.
"Of course!" he thought. The night before he had shoved it into the pocket of his pants so that he would remember it.
Well, now he had it, and everyone was in the room…
"Hey, guys!"
Everyone turned and looked at him.
"Yeah?" Felicity had set the paper on her lap and set a strange look on her face, raising her right eyebrow.
"Huh?" Mike turned from the television, pressing down on the 'mute' button.
Ginger turned and looked at him plainly, not revealing anything about how she felt at the moment, and not saying anything
"What, Dan?" Trae felt her heart nearly jump out at the sound of his voice, and had to concentrate on keeping herself quiet. Why did she feel attracted like this? She never had before…
"Hmmm?" Shadow turned towards him.
"I have a letter that Giovanni gave me before he was taken off…" Dan unfolded the paper. "He told me to read it to all of you."
The others stared in shock for a second; they obviously hadn't expected this. "Giovanni?" Shadow finally managed.
"Yes," Dan nodded in confirmation.
"Well…" Trae searched, but couldn't find anything to say.
Mike spoke up. "I don't think any of us were expecting him to write a letter in jail!"
Ginger shot him an angry look, than stated what all of them had been thinking. "Go ahead and read it."
"Right…" Dan looked down at the flowing handwriting, and began to read clearly what was written.
"To Ginger, Shadow, Daniel, Michael, Felicity, Trae, and any other faithful Rocket," he began, clearing his throat. "What we have feared has happened. The police have control of the files, the information, and, so it appears, my life. They have captured a large portion of the other agents, and turned many against our causes and us. I know what will happen, and I know my fate will be, eventually, death. I shall be surprise if that is not the penalty, though I know I will be kept in a filthy cell if it is not. During these two days of trial, I have had two of my own agents testify against me. I have also, however, had two individuals lie under oath as witnesses for me, and I would like to thank them. Yes, I would like to thank my brother, as much as I hate him. And I would also like to thank the rest of you for being there." Dan paused, looking around at the faces, feeling their intent stares and astonishment that their former Boss wasn't writing angry accusations.
"I know that you may feel the Rockets are finished, but do not despair, the Rockets will never die. True, the police broke into the bases. True, they broke into the files. True, they have captured many agents. However, what they do not know is that we have an immensely strong power. Willpower. Make sure you can work together, than begin to gather agents at a location chosen by you. Decided on a new Boss. Gather any sort of weaponry you can. And make sure do everything right; you must never make a mistake."
"Now I must go, I have no more time to right. I hope you read this, and understand what I mean. Carry out the operations. And one more thing. Long live Team Rocket! Signed, Giovanni Oak."
They looked at each other, the impact of the instructions driving into their minds. For a few seconds, though they seemed like hours, no one spoke.
The silence, however, was interrupted by Felicity. "Holy shit," she muttered simply.