Eddies

Chapter 47: Destiny.

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_________________

Eddies 47: Destiny.

Sitting in Barklay's office, J.B winced as he set himself into a more comfortable position.  At least as comfortable as his injuries allowed.

The broken arm was the worst.  During his career, he'd earned himself his fair share of injuries, from punches in the face to a rather nasty knife wound in his side.  Some had needed hospitalisation, and some hadn't, but none of them had been as damned itchy as the bloody plaster cast they'd wrapped around his arm from elbow to finger tips.  Bad enough it kept catching on everything and everyone, but it felt like ants were crawling beneath his skin, and he longed to get hold of something to shove beneath the plaster and scratch the shit out of it.

Still, it seemed the least of his worries, as he watched Barklay pace before the large windows overlooking the streetscape below.   The chief wasn't happy and it showed, hands clenched behind his back as he stopped to glare at the distant mountains.

"I cannot let it go, James" he said solemnly, refusing to meet his eyes.

J.B wasn't buying it for a moment.  "Horseshit, Sin.  You know her well enough to understand the events were the trigger for the situation, not anything she herself instigated!"

Spinning, the Ranger's chief scowled at him. "Arceus sake!  She slaughtered two humans, and tore the head off a pokémon!"

J.B returned the glare.  "Yeah.  Two humans who were hell bent on killing us both, thanks all the same!  If she hadn't, it would likely have been my corpse rotting on the pavement!  I can tell you quite honestly, had I not been stupid enough to have left my hand gun behind, it would be me you'd be gunning for, and not her, as I would not have hesitated either at defending myself against those two dirt bags!"

Rubbing his face tiredly, Barklay replied "I know that, James!  But this is not something I can simply cover up!  Damn it, the physical mess left behind took over a day to clear up!  Such a killing isn't something we can just sweep under the table.  The public is calling for whomever did this to be dealt with, and I'm being pressured by the government, too.  What would you have me do?"

J.B sighed, good hand scratching beneath the cast absently.  "I don't know, Sin.  This is your world, not mine.  But I will not let you hurt her.  She reacted in a classic post traumatic manner, and her history is already bad enough without further attempts to curtail her.  Poor kid is a fucking mess at the moment, and even leaving her alone in my room long enough to meet here is likely to cause her further grief."

Barklay nodded, while resting his hand on the glass again.  "I will do what I can for her, James.  You know that.  But in the end, it might not be enough..."

Lips set tight, J.B interrupted quietly "If they place us in a "them or her" scenario, you understand I will not hesitate to protect her."

The Ranger chief turned slowly, eyes watching him intently, although he kept his own face impassive.  "Is that a threat, James?"

J.B stood and walked towards the door.  But as he left, he said "Take it as you like.  If we get a portal reopened, I'll be returning to my home world with her, so she will no longer be your problem.  Until then, she is under my protection."  Hand poised on the handle, still facing away from the Ranger Chief he finished.  "Don't mistake my reply for anything but what it is, Sin.  Your lot gave her to me to protect, and I damned well intend to do just that.  Deal with it as you like, but if they come for her, I'll deal with them."

J.B left the room, closing the door quietly behind him, leaving Barklay to ponder just what sort of repercussions this would cause.  He had no delusions that J.B meant exactly what he had said; that he would protect his ward with everything he had, regardless of the consequences.

Slamming a fist onto the table, he cursed at their luck in encountering a situation that would turn a meek, cheeky juvenile into a killing machine. 

Finally, with a sigh, he returned to his desk, picking up the phone and dialling an internal number.

"Terry?  Inform the others that until I tell them otherwise, the zoroark is off limits on my directive.  Yes, I know, believe me...  I will deal with them."

Returning the phone to its cradle, Barklay leaned back, hands locked behind his head as he stared at the closed door to his office.

"I'm trusting you on this, James." he muttered, before turning back to the large pile of papers on his desk.  "Just don't let me down..."

_________________

It had been just over a week since the attack in the park, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to know the Rangers around him were of two minds as to the incident.  J.B couldn't miss the glances being thrown his way, faces quickly turned as he met their stares defiantly.  Even those within the group who he had began counting on as friends had kept their distance, and J.B was unsure whether it was because they were fearful of getting too near him, and subsequently Zorua, or of the effects it might have on their career if he went down, taking them indirectly with him.

At least some of the blame was his.  After the attack, he'd managed to put through an emergency call on his pokédex, which had sent swarms of Rangers converging on his coordinates.  Still, not a few blanched at what they found, and once Zorua had been coaxed into standing, the congealed gore coating her had set many reeling in shock, fearful to approach her.

Even then she had refused to leave him, as the paramedic rushed him to the Rangers medical facilities, barely conscious.  In the end, her hovering, menacing presence had the E.R team so distracted they frantically called on Barklay to deal with the creature.

After managing to move her into a nearby recovery room away from prying, nervous eyes, the Ranger Chief had taken her under wing after promising her he'd let her know immediately if anything happened to her trainer.

She scowled at him, fists clenching over long claws as she listened to his words, but didn't comment or object as he pushed her gently into a shower cubicle, turning on the water and telling her to try and clean herself up.

When he returned several minutes later to find her still standing mutely under the water stream, not having attempted further to wash herself, he gave an inward groan, but stripped off his shirt, shoes and socks to step in besides her, grabbing a bar of soap to lather the pokémon down gently, but thoroughly.

As the heavy red trails in the water finally vanished, leaving a clean, if drenched and bedraggled zoroark in its wake, Sin reached for towels, calling out softly to his attendants outside to send for more.  While worried for the safety of their chief, they did not hesitate to comply, as he dried her off as best he could, drolly considering how regardless of his station in the Rangers, when the dirty jobs needed doing, everyone had to pull their weight to get the work done, even himself.

With the mess gone, Sin considered the pokémon carefully, noting how she refused to meet his eyes even as he coaxed her into the next room where J.B had been placed on a bed, deeply asleep under the actions of the heavy sedatives he'd been given.  She had rushed to his side, paws outreached to touch his face, but withdrew with a start as her long claws glinted in the dim room lighting.

Barklay watched her carefully, ready for anything, but she simply stood besides James, eyes wet as she stared down at him unhappily.  In her exhausted state, she didn't object when he took her hand, leading her to a bed besides James's own, settling her on the sheets where she curled up, eyes still fixated on her trainer.

It took a long time for her to fall asleep, and Sin kept vigilance on the pair until she did, before stepping from the room to return to his office.

_________________

J.B sighed tiredly, leaving the lift on the dormitory level and headed to his room.  Pausing as he reached for the knob, he instead raised his hand, knocking gently on the timber surface and calling out quietly "Zorua, it's just me.  I'm coming in, alright?"

The room was dark as he entered, curtains drawn to block the sunlight.  Even so, in the dim interior he was able to spot her huddled in the corner of the room, face pressed against the wall and her arms wrapped around herself.

Approaching slowly, he dropped down behind her, leaning forward to wrap his good arm around her chest, resting himself against her back.  His face pressed into her long hair, breathing in the scent of soapy perfume and musk as he held her tightly.

After a time, she stirred, raising her face to look around at his.  Giving her a smile, he said softly "Feeling better, Zorua?"

She started, dropping her face again and whispered into his mind "I am not Zorua.  Not anymore."

He gave her neck a stroke and said more firmly.  "No, you're not.  But that doesn't mean you're not still you.  Your body may be different, but the mind inside is the same."

Shaking her head, she muttered "It is not the same.  This mind; this body; can kill."

Becoming a little frustrated, he said "So can I, and I have, on several occasions.  Doesn't mean I'm planning on going out and slaughtering a whole lot of people before dinner!  I believe in you, and I know you're not planning on doing anything like that, either."

She shuddered and replied in a mental whisper "How do you live with it?"

J.B released her and sat back as she met his eyes again, a challenge in the glowing blue irises.

"I live with it because I must." he said simply, taking her clawed paw into his hand and caressing the long talons with an absent finger.  When she made to pull away, he gripped her hand more firmly, refusing to release her as he continued "I'm not always proud of it, but I know in doing so I protected those who came to rely on me, and those who cared for me.  I live with it knowing it was necessary."

"Was it truly necessary?" she said softly, and he squeezed her hand again, knowing she wasn't talking about his own history.

"Yes" he replied, without pause, as she let out a sigh and twined her claws between his fingers.

After a time, she sniffed deeply, wiping her face on her forearm and wetting her fur in streaks.  Looking up at him, she noticed him smiling softly and returned it, finally understanding that this human, this friend, was not afraid of her, and trusted her still.

Lip quirking upward, he leaned forward and said "Well, if you're not Zorua, who are you?  Zoroark?"

She stared, shaking her head and pulling her hand from his.  "No!  That was...  Mama was...  No, I am not zoroark!"

Nodding slowly, he sat back again and asked "Well, we can't keep calling you nothing.  You will need to choose something, sooner or later.  Any ideas?"

Finally meeting his eyes again, she nodded slowly, and said "Yes.  I know who I am.  I think I've known it since I evolved."

Giving her a knowing look, he waited, until she breathed out heavily and said "I am what life has become of me."

"I am Destiny."

_________________

Her new form took quite a bit of getting used to, for them both.

Apart from having to request a larger bed, as she continued to insist on sleeping besides him, J.B noted she was having some real issues with her coordination, and walking on two legs especially was causing difficulties.  He'd discussed it with the pokémon rehab people downstairs, but they could only surmise that her instinctual, sudden evolution had not given her young body a chance to acclimatise to its new form, and she would likely sort it out herself over time.

So, he'd decided the only way she might encourage the process was to get her out of the room, and mobile.

This had other repercussions, as those they encountered in the halls of the building generally did a double take at her approach, either hurrying off in a different direction, or pressing themselves against the walls as far away from her as they could as she passed.

By the time they'd made it up to the roof tops, this had occurred so frequently he was surprised by a snort of amusement from her, as she leaned against the wall surrounding the roof to stare over the city.

"Is my appearance now so frightening as to make brave Rangers automatically soil themselves at my approach?" she asked drolly, and he chuckled, leaning against the wall besides her to stare down at the street far below.

"You're big and scary now, for sure.  When you're around, I'm tempted to crap my own pants just to blend in to the crowd" he joked, wrapping an arm around her waist to belie his words.

Sighing, she turned to him and asked "You aren't really afraid of me, are you?"

Shaking his head, he reached over to cup her muzzle in a gentle hand.  "No, sweetheart.  You're my friend; the same friend who has so deeply weaselled herself into my life in recent times, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Snorting again, she muttered "How complimentary.  Remind me never to ask you for a personal reference in the future."

He laughed, glad to see some of her humour returning.  Still, curiosity overcame caution, and he asked "Have you tested any of your new abilities?  Certainly your mind speak is much more powerful."

Regarding him frankly, she said "Since I evolved?  No... My mind has been elsewhere..."

Gripping her shoulder, he gave her an open smile and said "No time like the present.  It's not as if it's crowded up here.  Why don't you try that change thing you showed us a while back?"

Raising an eyebrow, she said "Illusion?" and he nodded.  Realising he was serious, she shrugged and said "If you like", stepping away from him and concentrating intently.  J.B watched as her form for a moment blurred, changing into another he recognised quite well; a typhlosion.

This one was quite a bit different than the Ranger he knew, however.  For a start, it was significantly shorter.  Second, it had much less of the sheer bulk that Storm bore, instead being a substantially leaner, and certainly much faster looking creature.

Despite himself, J.B was impressed, and he reached forward to run fingers against her chest to check the depth of the illusion, only noting the implied intimacy of the contact when he became aware that she was regarding him dryly.

Embarrassed, he pulled his hands away as a low chuckle left her lips.  Her form hazed again, this time becoming much larger, as Raikou stared down at him, letting a loud snarl loose right into his face.

He jumped, and she laughed, returning to her own form as he grinned foolishly at his reaction, before staggering back as she lunged forward, giving him a hug.

"You make me feel better!" she said, sighing, and he returned the hug with one arm, wincing as she squeezed against his injuries, but glad her bleak mood was beginning to lift.  When she released him, turning to look over the railing again with a sigh, he said "It'll be alright.  I'm not going anywhere without you, so I'll be there to watch your back, just as you watch mine, alright?"

She nodded, before they returned to staring out at the sunset beyond, sky glowing golden red as it faded into night.

_________________

The returned to their room to find a notice pinned on the door frame, Barklay having requested they meet him in his office at the earliest convenience.

Given it was already after seven that evening, J.B was dubious as to what he may want so late.  Had he received a negative response from the PTB's, or was it something else entirely.

His reaction wasn't lost on Destiny, whose mood had began to darken again, but he gave her a smile, clasping her hand in his as they made their way towards the lift.

Catching a glimpse of their reflection in the stainless surface of the lift doors, he chuckled at the disparity of his current situation.  At her curious look, J.B gestured at their image and said "Three months ago, I was sitting in my office, looking over a dingy street into a world full of humans.  In the short time since, I'm on a different world, getting into a lift with a giant black and red fox, and thinking about what to eat for dinner."

Destiny snorted and said "At least you have the luxury of not having to worry about tripping over your own feet, and landing on your face.  This two leg thing is difficult!"

The doors before them opened, revealing a startled Ranger, who nervously moved as far back from them as possible.  J.B ignored the reaction and whispered "At least you haven't tried riding on my shoulder lately.  That could prove somewhat difficult, not to mention disastrous, broken arm notwithstanding!"

Her laugh resounded through the lift, which had their co-traveller yelp in surprise at the sound.  Thankfully, they made their desired floor moments later, leaving the relieved human behind, wiping sweat from his brow as the door closed behind them.

The main Ranger office was deserted, a dim light slipping below the Chief's closed timber door the only warning someone was still inside.  Releasing Destiny's paw, J.B knocked softly, receiving a gruff "Enter!" in return.  Giving the zoroark a loaded look, J.B turned the knob and they made their way inside.

Surprisingly, the Ranger Chief wasn't alone.  With him was an older human, dressed in worn slacks and loafers, and sporting a patched tweed smoking jacket.  His hair; short, spiky and pure white; gave him a somewhat absent-minded appearance, but there was no missing the intent, amused glint in his worn face as he studied the pair who entered.

Destiny took in the newcomers appearance resolutely enough, even as they were guided to chairs before Barklay's desk.  J.B took one, although she refused the second, choosing to crouch besides her trainer to observe the Ranger Chief and his guest somewhat nervously.

Barklay didn't dissemble, gesturing to the man in introduction.  However, the newcomer beat him to the punch, holding out a hand in greeting, first to J.B who shook it firmly, then to the surprised zoroark, who cautiously wrapped her claws around his fingers as he squeezed against her pads reassuringly.

"I am Professor Robert Hahn, from Johto University.  I've been asked by your commander to fly over and meet you both."  Pausing, he eyed the pair before continuing.  "Frankly, while I find the story of your off-world travels somewhat difficult to believe, the Captain here has assured me that everything I was told is true, and that our existence is now a little bigger than I had been previously advised."

He laughed abruptly, causing Destiny to shoot J.B a confused look, and Professor Hahn continued as if he hadn't noticed.  But J.B, watching him intently, had seen the slight eye narrowing, and wasn't taken in by the casual demeanour of the man.  This was someone who observed and analysed everything.

The Professor continued.  "It seems you've caused a bit of a stir, young lady", which caused the pokémon to begin to shake slightly.  Still, she held her own, nodding slowly in reply.

Leaning forward, the man steepled his hands on his knees, and said "I see no point in dissembling with you both.  I've always felt such false pretences less than positive.  My primary goal is to determine whether you're actually a danger, both to yourself and those around you."

J.B had been expecting this, although the frank nature of the man's reply met with his approval.  Giving Destiny a look, he was cheered by the fact that she was taking in the situation better than he could have hoped.  While clearly nervous, she met his stare directly, and while his subsequent suggestion they hold a discussion privately in the adjoining office had her apprehensive, she meekly followed the man after ensuring J.B was OK with the situation.

He was.  It wasn't as if he had much of a choice, after all.

As the door closed softly behind the pair, Barklay offered him a glass of scotch from the bottle in his desk drawer, and eyed him keenly.

"You don't seem surprised, James" he remarked, as J.B took a long pull, sitting back in his chair with a sigh.

"No, I'm not.  I just hope he can do something for her.  She seemed much improved today, especially this afternoon where there were moments she was almost back to her old self, but she's also smart enough to hide her distress from me, if she chooses."

Sighing, he leaned forward, holding out his glass to the Ranger Chief, who tapped it with his own.

"I'm sorry about this morning..." J.B began, but paused as Barklay shook his head.

"No, you don't need to apologise.  I understand your response, and had already called in Robert for assessment.  Had our positions been reversed, I would have likely acted similarly."

Nodding, J.B asked "Thanks.  She needs a shoulder to lean on, not more pain."

A moments silence wound between the pair, as they sipped their drinks in contemplation.  Finally, J.B wondered "Is he good, this guy?"

Barklay let out a gruff laugh.  "Rob?  He's the leading pokémon psychological expert on the planet.  If you had any ideas how many strings I needed to pull to get him here for this!  Mind you, when he heard all the details about the situation, he volunteered quite keenly.  How many stress evolutions of this magnitude do you get at her age, especially when the trainer is from off world?  It's all we can do to get him to promise to keep that specific bit of news from publication in the pokémon medical journals, I can tell you!"

J.B gave him a keen glance.  "He won't though, will he?" and was unsurprised as the Chief shook his head.

"Not if he wants to keep his current position, he won't!" Barklay snorted, reaching across the desk to top off the police officer's near empty glass.

J.B leaned back, talking another swig from the glass, and said quietly.  "Thanks, Sin.  I owe you one."

Barklay gave him a nod, saluting him slightly with his drink, and replied "She's a good kid.  I think she'll turn out fine.  Besides, she has a good guardian.  It seems Storm is a good judge of character in that regard; I have to give that bloody crazed typhlosion that!"

J.B laughed, and the pair returned to their drinks, making idle small talk as they waited for the professor and pokémon to return.

_________________

"He's really very nice!" the pokémon blurted out as they weaved their way back to the dormitory.

It was approaching midnight, and by the time the pair were done for the evening, J.B and Barklay had polished off most of the bottle.  More than a little tipsy, and leaning heavily on Destiny to keep a straight walking pace, J.B had listened intently to the rather animated zoroark as she gave him a rambling run down as to their discussions.  

"He had me worried at first, but he seemed happy to hear what I had to say.  I even told him all about...  about mama...  I didn't think I could, but I did...  Then we talked about...  that night..."

Destiny wound down, as they reached the door to his room.  Fumbling with the key, J.B managed to get it open, before staggering to the bed where he slumped, still fully clothed, onto the edge of the mattress.  Having difficulty keeping his eyes open, J.B tried to reach down to untie his shoes, but failed, nearly falling to the carpet.  Noticing his dilemma, Destiny snorted, using nimble claws to undo his shoe laces, pulling them off along with his socks, and following it with his pants.

J.B mumbled his thanks, even as he lay back and she pulled the blankets over him, before settled on the bed top besides the human.  In moments, he was snoring softly, and she stared down into his face, an inscrutable look in her eyes, which closed soon after as she lay down with a sleepy sigh, cuddling against his back and whispering a final mental sigh before falling into a dreamless sleep.

"Goodnight, papa..."

_________________

Authors note:

Amazing how a quiet day at the office translates into a lot of writing time.  In between tedium and boredom anyway.

Interesting chapter.  Had to get things rolling back on track, psycho zoroark notwithstanding.

But a pop quiz!  Who remembers what pokémon Captain Sin Barklay owns?

The first to answer correctly gets a virtual lollipop!