Welcome to Gaia! ::

Karina walked into the dimly lit room. The man she was here to see had his face hidden in shadow, and their voice modulated. In fact, she couldn't even be sure it was actually a man. "Ya called?"

The distorted voice cut straight to the chase. "Operative Kriemhild Gretchen. The information you retrieved in your infilitration has proven extremely helpful. As such, we have decided to grant you a reward. There is a new mewtwo close to completion. We want you to have it."

The woman's stomach sank at his words. A mewtwo. Well wasn't that just ******** fantastic. She thought about reminding him what had happened ten years ago, but decided against it. They knew. This was their way of getting back at her for botching the infiltration, just like when they left out the fact that Walpurgis wasn't meant to get close to his targets that he was unaware of. Bastards.

Swallowing, she grinned. "Ah'm glad tha information was useful," she lied through her teeth, holding back the rage she felt. She wasn't going to let them get their way, not this time. "but ah think Walpurgisnacht'd be a better choice than me."

The silence lingered in the air for a moment, before: "Why?"

Karina shrugged, but inside she was laughing. She hadn't gotten to stay on the Motterosa Police Force by being a terrible liar. Once she got started, she could keep a lie going for as long as she needed. "Ah just think that he'd be a better choice. 'Sides, ya guys finally promoted him, why not give him somethin' to respect that?" And ******** you, anyways.

"Alright."

Karina had to fight to keep her calm - they had agreed far too quickly, something was wrong. "Glad ta hear it." Thinking quickly, she smiled. "Ah'll go let him know, if it's okay? Ah mean, it was originally gonna be my responsibility, and all."

Another silence. "Very well."

With a perhaps-too-exaggerated salute, Karina left the office and closed the door.

s**t.

"Hey, Ti - Charlotte, we got a mission finally!" Karina came bounding up to the blonde with the note in her hand.

"Really?! Omigosh, I hope it's exciting!" Tiffany saw her partner's excitement, and raised it. "What is it, do you know?" She asked, her face the epitome of joy. They were finally being given an actual mission, without a higher ranking member doing most of it for them.

Karina shook her head, grinning as well. "Ah thought we should read it together." As the other girl nodded vigorously, Karina unfurled the note.



Karina blinked a few times before turning to Tiffany. "Isn't this somethin' that one of the higher ranking members're usually assigned? Ah mean, ah'm glad they think so much of us, but still."

Still grinning, Tiffany shrugged, folding up the note. "Who cares? We got a mission, let's go!" She grabbed Karina by the hand and dragged her to the exit. Although she was still confused, Karina couldn't help but laugh jovially as she was lead forcefully through the base.

The mewtwo spoke to them telepathically, sending a shiver up Karina's spine. It was an unnatural feeling, like something was inherently wrong.



Tiffany was the first to respond. "We... We can't. We have to bring you back with us. Can you just get in the ball? No one has to get hurt." She lifted up a master ball as she spoke, and the mewtwo's eyes flashed a bright purple. The master ball was ripped out of her hand, and then it was crushed by sheer telekinetic power. The blonde yelped in surprise, and Karina's hand went to her gun. The mewtwo glared at them as he realized they were part of Team Rocket.



The two were flung backwards, and Karina hit a tree hard. Spots filled her vision, and Tiffany got to her feet and ran to her side. "Karina, are you okay?!" Karina nodded, and got to her feet shakily. She turned to look at Tiffany, and frowned. Tiffany's face was void of any emotion, as if she were asleep, but her eyes were open. The mewtwo's voice entered her thoughts again.



Karina looked at the mewtwo, confused, before she heard the cocking of a gun. Turning to face her partner, she stared down the barrel of Charlotte's gun. "He... hey, Charlotte, this ain't funny, man. Put the gun down, please." She spoke quietly. Tears welled in Tiffany's eyes, but she didn't lower the gun.



"C'mon, Charlotte, it's me! It's yer partner! Tiffany, stop!"



Tiffany's mouth moved almost imperceptibly. "No... No...!" She whispered. The gun in her hands shook violently, as if the girl were fighting with herself to decide whether to pull the trigger. And that was exactly what was happening, Karina realized. She steeled herself. "Sorry about this, Tiffany..."



The mewtwo's voice was cut off as a gunshot filled the air. Tiffany crumpled to the ground, and Karina turned her weapon on the stunned mewtwo and fired again. The bullet made its mark, and the psychic type fell to the ground, dead.

Breathing shakily, Karina turned back to Tiffany. "Alright, Tiff, don't move - ah'm gonna go find help, just wait here. Ah'll be back, ah promise." She paused. "Tiffany...?" She looked down - blood was pooling far faster than it should have been. Looking back at her partner, she noticed there was no bullet wound where she fired at.

She'd missed. The bullet had hit an artery.

Tiffany was dead.

Having reached Walpurgis' room, Karina shook her head free of the memories. She sighed. s**t. She ran her hand through her hair and put on a facade of happiness. Knocking on the door, she felt the facade slip a little at the sound of his voice. "Coming." She could talk about it with him. He'd no doubt be willing to listen. But she couldn't talk about it, not yet. Especially not after having passed off that creature to him. She knocked a few more times. "I said I was coming." She forced herself to grin. He didn't need to worry about her right now. The door opened to reveal Walpurgis, and she found herself wanting to throw herself at him, to just hug him and make sure he was still there, and would be there. But she resisted. Instead, she forced herself to continue the facade. "Yer slow, Walpurgis."

As she continued speaking, she found that the sinking feeling in her stomach was leaving, bit by bit. s**t, Walpurgis, are ya a goddamn magician? Makin' all my worries disappear? "What's wrong, Karina?" s**t, man, don't ask me that right now. She feigned disappointment and turned her face to the side, partly to sell her "disappointment" and partly because she thought that if she saw his face, she'd break down.

And she couldn't afford to do that.

With an exaggerated sigh, she continued speaking to her partner, feeling her spirits rise with each word, despite the fear of what was to come.