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 Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:29 pm
"Well I think we've lost the competition for now," Naos shot a glance at his superior officer, "care to give me a pointer now, or shall I just head onto The Pulse in Campheron?... Though really I think you could do with more than a stiff drink after that attack."
Star's whole outfit was baggy under the coat, that was what was making the sleeves look fat; not weight gain, clothes. Why was Star wearing something so unflattering all of a sudden?... Okay so ten years wasn't so sudden, but he knew that it would take more than a millennia for the Commander forget his vanity and wear something that didn't flatter his sleek form. What exactly was going on here? He tried to steal another look at Star's clothes but was forced to focus on a bendy section in the dirt road. Something wasn't right, that was for damn sure.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:36 pm
Star didn't know where to tell Naos to go. Certainly not back to HQ.. and clearly not to the HQ Naos thought they'd be going to. He had no desire to head into town.. and Scream was still unconscious. He shook his head, looking tired and frustrated. It was fortunate he didn't realize what close scrutiny his outfit was getting, or he'd be adding mortified to the list. "Just pull over."
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:40 pm
Oooookaaaaay?
Another 'StarScheme' as he'd always thought of them?
Maybe, but in any case he had little choice. Naos shrugged. "As you wish, commander." So saying he slowed to a halt again and - after a glance in the rear-view mirror - looked over at Star. "So why here? What now?" There was... something about that outfit under the coat, which was kept half closed. Definitely something.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:46 pm
Grunting, Star fussed with the door, a little awkward with his one free hand. "Now I'm going to wait for Scream to wake up, then I'm going to leave."
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:00 pm
Something was wrong with Star's clothes. Something was now a bit wrong with his attitude too. Some people might say the clothes clue was petty, think it was stupid and discount it but Naos was vain and as such he knew vanity. Vanity didn't change, and Star wouldn't wear something so shapeless by choice.
Leaving?
Uuuuh....
No.
He reached out and grabbed hold of Star's coat, his teeth showing in a grin that was not quite so deferent now. "But we haven't finished catching up yet!" A jerk of his arm pulled the coat open and... and....
He stared.
"Sooo, Galactic went through a pretty significant re-branding since I left, Herr Commandant?"
Red R on shapeless black.
This.
Was.
Priceless.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:10 pm
Star gasped as Naos grabbed his coat and yanked the fabric from his clenched hand. He reacted quickly by yanking it closed again, wincing. After a moment of awkward silence he seemed to realize this hadn't really undone what Naos had seen. He shook his head and forced the car door open, "I'm undercover. It's a long complicated story that you couldn't possibly understand. I thought you wanted my help, Naos; you're doing a terrible job of showing it!" His voice had gone so screechy and high pitched that he couldn't have been more obviously lying if he tried.
Looking upset, he climbed out of the car and started walking away, one arm still wrapped around his singed midsection. The mostly-healed gunshot wound in his calf ached.. like some cruel reminder of Tethys and how she'd be laughing at him now.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:21 pm
....Woah.
Naos, or K.O. or whoever he decided to be climbed out of the car and released Duke again.
Team Rocket.
Star was just a grunt.
A grunt!
Mmmmmmh. This could work to his advantage too actually, he had been expecting to work back up from the bottom as it was so he supposed really there was no harm. "Duke, Quick Qttack. Get his pokeball."
Duke grinned. "Chuuuuuuuu." Shooting forward almost faster than human eyes could see he grabbed the desired object from the thin thing and shot back to his master.
The red-eyed man tossed the pokeball into the air once and then rolled it in his open palm, smirking like he was born to the expression. "It seems we're dealing on different terms than I imagined, Herr Commandant! I'm willing to negotiate if you are; it could work well for both of us. As a sign of good faith, here," he tossed the pokeball back at Star, "I couldn't possibly part the two of you."
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:29 pm
As Star stalked away through the grass he was alarmed by the sudden blur of movement at his hip. He felt Scream's ball click free of his belt and inhaled sharply as he spun around. While KO spoke, holding Scream's pokéball, he looked on the verge of a hysterical fit, eyes wide, teeth bared, hands tensed into fists.
When the ball came sailing back toward him he stumbled forward and caught it. Holding the object tightly, with no intention of losing it again, he fixed a glare on KO. "....what could you possibly offer of benefit to me?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:42 pm
Knockout grinned and swept an elaborate bow. "Myself, of course! Bring me in, Star, and bring in what I offer. It will benefit me, and your new friends, and they will admire your good judgement in selecting me for consideration!"
Star. Team Rocket. Grunt. It was really, really hard not to collapse into laughter... he failed in resisting. He laughed; briefly, but hard. He had no idea how or why it had happened, but Star was a Rocket grunt. Suppress the laughter. A grunt!
"I'd love to stay and chat all day," Knockout gasped, recovering is aplomb, inspecting his nails and buffing them on his shirt, "but that persistent blue b***h is still hot on our tails so really I'd like to know if you want to get back in the car, or if I'm going solo from here on?... Do you really think Jenny would be without a Full Heal or three? If you really want I can talk over my offerings while we drive, I've been doing a lot of work since I split from Galactic."
A grunt!
Ahahahhaa!
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:49 pm
Star seethed as KO laughed at him. Sadly, he made a good point. Jenny would show up and he didn't know how long it was going to take Scream to awaken. His eyes drifted in the direction he'd come from as he considered his options... or lack thereof. He hated the idea of returning to KO's car but he hated the idea of prison even more. With a tight sigh, he returned to the waiting vehicle, climbed in and slammed the door after him. Then he glared ahead, looking furious.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:57 pm
Grinning to himself Naos or Knockout or whoever it was most profitable to be climbed back into the car and set off at a relatively easy pace. "Juuuust tell me when you want me to turn Herr Commandant," he drawled. "The way I see it you can bring me in and take a bit of credit or I can seek recruitment myself! Not too much different to me, but you lose a touch of prestige... ever hear of Synth, Herr Commandant? Even if you and your new friends have I'll bet anything you don't have the formula... would you like to be the man that brings in the man that does, Star?" A grunt! He had to hear this story.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 5:04 pm
"Stop calling me Herr Commandant." Star snapped, eyebrow twitching. He still had Scream's pokéball in his hand. He eyed it several moments before letting his hands drop to his lap. "What are you even talking about?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:21 am
It was all he could do not to burst out laughing again; bereft of power Star's indignation was hilarious! "But it's a sign of deference Star, if you're still calling yourself that!" he replied, eyes flicking around for any sign of pursuit; clear so far but that wouldn't last. Maybe he should make for Ambergris; there would be plenty of places to lie low in a ghost town.
A rocket grunt... and he'd kept the coat! That was so pathetic it was almost adorable; he really was going to have to find out more about how the mighty Commander Star had fallen so far.
"And I said Synth," KO went on, "it's a performance enhancing drug I've been developing over the last several years: better endurance, sharper reflexes, higher pain tolerance; just the sort of thing Team Rocket need to pump up their soldiers, wouldn't you agree?" No need to go into the side effects right now or to mention that if you got the formula slightly wrong people tended to die horribly; Star wasn't a chemist after all, the details would just bore him!
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Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 6:41 am
"Of course I'm still calling myself that.." He muttered, glaring out the window, "It's my name."
As KO spoke, Star started inspecting the damage from his arcanine encounter. Light burns across one side of his abdomen.. those would have to be dealt with. Nothing serious though. He winced as he inspected the damage to his coat. It wasn't severe but it was still singed... marred by a faint dark patch. Who would fix this? He never thought he'd miss Mneme...
He looked up again, eyes flashing to the redhead beside him, "I suppose it might be useful... assuming it actually works. If your experimentations kill any Rockets Temero will string you up..." His eyes narrowed and drifted back to the window, "If you're endeavoring to make both of us look good and keep your head in the process, you'd best keep that in mind." He was still undecided on bringing the other ex-Galactic in. If he did he certainly didn't need KO causing trouble that would reflect poorly on him by proxy.
Still.. if KO had made some sort of breakthrough that he could take some credit for by being the one who brought him in.....
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Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:28 am
No it isn't, your name's Ian.
KO grinned to himself. "Right you are, Star, and I promise you that so long as it's made correctly it won't kill anyone." So long as they didn't have an allergic reaction, but that could easily be tested for before any one person was given a full dose. "Not that I expect to be taken at my word," he went on with a glance and a smirk at his passenger, "but I'm sure your people have the resources to secure some test subjects if that's what your boss wants... thanks for giving me his name by the way."
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