Story Notes:
This story is set on EARTH. our earth, you and me earth. you get the idea.Pokemon copyrighted to nintendo, blah blah blahdy blah blah
Chapter 8
Everyone made their way back to the garage, hoping to leave the memories of the morning behind when they left. Tom stopped over the body of the fallen youths, now stinking bloated corpses in the shadows. He raised his arm in the motion of a cross and uttered a small prayer over the bodies, strange to do when it was you who killed them, but obviously he felt remorse over what he had to do. They all took their places in the car, Michael and melody in the front and Tom and Will in the back. Michael started the engine and drove out of the car park, back onto the open road. Hoping to keep travelling for as long as they could and reach some place safe, Tom didn't say a word throughout the ride, lost in thought and staring out the window. Michael supposed that a sudden reversion to a forgotten life could do that to a man. Wondering just how many the man had killed in his lifetime, and how many he may have to kill next. They eventually hit a dense forest with a main road carving its way through it. Large trees and bushes lined the road, towering over the car.
It wasn't until they were roughly twenty miles that they encountered other people, walking along the side of the road, following each other like blind servants. They looked grimly at the car, a slight hope in their eyes that was dashed when Michael drove by, continuing to plod on their endless trek. One boy was holding a small purple rat, a Pokémon he must have befriended, seeming harmless enough. Michael wondered if that boy had befriended a Pokémon, would there be others. A group of people who thought them just lost and confused as they were in this new world. It was a double edged idea, the hope of a normal life in a group like that, yet the hatred of the other group of xenophobic humans. Michael hadn't seen many other Pokémon in the world say far, he guessed they were hiding from humans, the natural thing to do in such a situation, especially when they may kill you. Melody looked out at the people too, not many of them noticed her, too enthralled by the hope of rescue. She felt their hope, their fear, and their emotions of being in such a helpless state. It was a horrible thing to witness. She knew they felt as she did when she first entered this world, lost and confused, scratching anywhere for a way out. Sorrow struck her like a lead weight as she was reminded of everything that was happening, taking in what this all really meant, what it could cause. Michael drove past them and continued for nearly three more miles before spotting something up ahead. Vans parked over a small bridge to the other side of a river, camouflage covered draped over them. A few of them sported large looking guns attached to the railings. It was the army. They had finally mobilized, but everything looked slightly mismatched. Truck where haphazardly parked, men where wandering with confused looks, apparently they weren't very organised yet. One of men waved them down.
"Shit" Michael muttered "Melody, hide under the seat"
Melody whimpered slightly in fear as she hastily slid under the gap between the seat and the dashboard, trying to hide from sight. Michael slowly pulled up to the man who was waving them down. He was dressed in a camo suit and carrying a nasty looking M16. He walked over the open car window and leaned in slightly
"Sorry sir, can't let any civilians past this point" he said in a rather stern voice
"Why not?" Michael asked tenderly
"Government scientists may suspect that unknown bacteria was brought through those portals that keep popping up" he explained, standing slightly "This area is under quarantine protocols. No one is allowed out"
"Have they found any bacteria yet?" Michael asked, probing further, trying to sound innocent
"That information is..." he was cut off by a sharp cry of pain, they looked over to see one soldier rubbing his head where there was a large welt. A small purple monkey creature was throwing stones from the braches of a tree along the road. One of the soldiers by the blockage angry grabbed a gun and aimed for it, pulling the trigger. Three loud bangs echoed as the bullets were launched from the chamber, a high pitched squeak as they impacted and a thud as the creature fell to the ground, dead. Melody sharply gasped as she heard this
"Damn little buggers have been us trouble since they arrived" the soldier said, Michael watched in disgust as one of the soldier kicked the corpse of the small Pokémon "but we can deal with them. To be honest they're more monstrous than any bacteria can be, now you'll have to turn back and find some place to stay, we have orders not to let anyone through"
Michael glared at the soldier before putting the car into reverse and leaving the area, the scene still fresh in his mind. Melody came up from under the seat as she panted slightly, fear slowing losing its grip on her mind. She shakily asked
"Where do we go now?"
Michael sighed as he drove a look of defeat on his face; they had to get past that blockade. Why? He didn't know, but there was a niggling idea to get as far as possible from anyone else. Find a safe place that could never be lost to them.
"We can camp in the woods and think about what to do" he said, turning off onto a dirt road that looked like it hadn't been taken in years. The gravel dinged against the car as it a thrown up by the wheels, Michael constantly surveying the scenery for some spot to camp. He realised after a while that the road was following the river, twisting and turning with it. This could prove useful. He pulled over the side, rubbing his tired face, turned to face everyone.
"We can sleep here tonight, it's out of the way enough, plus we have a fresh water supply" he said "and we could use a wash anyway" he chuckled hollowly
They spent the rest of the day sitting by the river, thinking of different plans that would help them. Tom was coming up with most of the ideas, being the most experienced in these sorts of 'planning's'. Most of his plans involved trying to separate the soldiers and to ram their way through the barrier, but the soldiers had guns which could cut the car up within seconds. They couldn't sneak past the point and leave the car; it was too valuable right now. And even if they did manage to make it past, what then? Being chased by armoured vehicles and men with rifles bent of killing the "monstrous" creatures. They would be hunted endlessly. Every plan led to failure, despite the armies' disorganisation right now, brute force always seemed to triumph in the end. It was a cruel idea but a true one. As the sun set, tom leaned back on a tree, trying to think of something he hadn't thought of already. His pants clinked as he leaned back, making him straighten up slightly. He removed the items from his pockets. Four explosive grenades, he must have forgotten all about them when they were driving. A new plan slowly formed in his mind, twisting and scheming. The odds were still low, but better than everything else.
"That just might work" he muttered, returning to the group by the river. Michael was idly throwing stones as he approached. He spoke up
"I think I've got a plan that'll stop them from following us, and get us through along with the car" he said confidently, commanding a certain respect. Michael looked at the metal object he held.
"Oh please don't say it..."
"We blow up the bridge after driving through" he said, ignoring Michaels protest "If I can get under the bridge without them noticing and I place these on the bridge supports, we can detonate them after we're over, giving us enough time to escape and make sure that they don't follow"
Michael groaned, not liking this plan already. Melody looked slightly cautious about it all, but she tried to calm herself and hear it out, if it would help them get away. Will was giving the man an odd look, as if he was questioning if they we're trying to get killed now, Michael spotted the flaw in the plan immediately.
"How can we detonate the grenades when we have no one to pull the pins?" he asked, tom smiled slyly, having thought that part out a well.
"When we we're fighting off that mob, I saw Melody levitating objects, and doing the same to us to get us off the roof" he said "If she can pull the pins as we drive over the bridge, we'll have about five seconds to get away before the bridge goes down"
"I can do that" melody said, saying the next words softly "but...will anyone be hurt?"
"It's doubtful that they'll run after us, and even more so that they get the trucks running before the grenades go off. I'm sure no one will be hurt"
"What about the guns?" Will asked "They could cut us down in a matter of seconds!"
"A man can't aim that fast, and if they can..." he stopped there, swallowing a lump of fear "then I can shoot faster"
Melody looked away slightly. She didn't want death, only peace for herself and Michael. It was odd that the one thing that could send her home was now tearing apart this world and trying to separate her and Michael. A spiteful fate to be sure. The sun was just starting to set now, darkness peaking at the edges of the water. Tom spoke again
"If we want to do this, we'd best do it at night, that way they won't see us well and won't know our faces. So try to get some sleep now, because tonight we're going to have some fireworks"
Michael drove up to the checkpoint, where most of the guards were now sleeping or playing card games, not much else to do in a remote point like this. His job was to distract the main captain so Tom could rig the grenades. Tom was waiting for the sound of the car at the base of the bridge, knowing that was the time to strike. The soldier flagged him down again as he approached, Michael pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car. The captain approached him with an exhausted look on his face; he had been turning people back all day despite wanting to leave himself.
"I've told you that we can't let anyone across sir" he said to Michael, his voice slightly strained from fatigue
"Are you sure?" Michael asked "That bacteria thing sounds pretty farfetched"
"It's not my decision, it's the governments" he said
"But wouldn't I be sick otherwise?"
"Wouldn't I be too?" the captain said, sighing deeply "sir, even I don't believe in this whole bacteria deal but the rules are the same, we can't allow anyone out for security reasons"
"What reasons?" Michael asked persistently "We're just trying to get away from that thing!" Michael pointed to the now faint spot of blue on the horizon, the original super portal, still raging in all its glory. Spewing anything it brought in, out onto the unsuspecting town. God knows how the other world was dealing with it.
"Look sir, I'm sorry, I would rather be home too" the captain said, lines on his face growing deeper "But those creatures are running everywhere and people may do something stupid" he removed his gun and leaned on of the military jeeps, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"To be honest, this whole thing is a joke to me" he said "These creatures don't seem to mean any harm, they're just attacking cause their scarred, we're doing the same". The soldier pulled out a cigarette and lit it using a pack of waterproof matches, stamping the match out on the ground.
"You don't want them dead?" Michael asked slowly, trying not to arouse suspicion.
"No, hell, some of them are kinda cute when you look at them" he said "I got my orders and have to follow them even if I disagree, that what soldiers do"
Michael leaned back on the car bonnet, letting himself relax a little, feeling less nervous now than when he had arrived
"So what do you think they'll do about it?" he asked
"Probably capture 'em, study 'em, and maybe try to exterminate them" he said, a grim look on his face "But if they do, I think it's going to erupt into an all out war. Have you seen what some of those things can do? I heard about of them melting a tank with its breath, everyone's gonna be scrambling to get that power"
"So, world war three over weapons basically" Michael said, running his hands through his hair
"Yeah...And to make things worse, if someone does get that power, then the death toll will be even worse. Soldiers and civilians being killed left and right. I remember one boy brought one purple rat like thing here when his group tried to get across. It was pretty docile, but it chewed through one of our tires, that takes some strong teeth to do. And that's only the bottom of the chain. There ones out that can blow things up with their minds or shoot razor sharp blades"
"Do you know what they are?" Michael asked, the soldier chuckled and brought out a game boy from his jacket pocket, obviously it had travelled quite a bit, having dents and smudges on the plastic. The game inserted was Pokémon Emerald.
"It's damn crazy, but I know they're basically Pokémon. I mean its fiction yet here we are, living the nightmare" he said laughing slightly "I bet kids all over the world are celebrating while adults are wondering what's going on"
Michael nodded slightly in agreement. It was crazy when you looked at it like that, he'd been normalised to it thanks to melody.
"Heck, maybe some people will come 'outta that thing" he said "It'd be interesting to meet someone who's lived with them, must be a shock to them for us to not have them. Maybe they could help without causing a new war"
"I doubt that'd be impressed if they ran into the military" Michael said, looking over the men, tired and restless.
"As long as they don't try shoot us, we won't shoot them" the captain said "But I'm more afraid of what my men will do if they see another human with one of 'em"
Michael felt a pit in his gut, it would be nigh impossible to find sympathisers if Pokémon were looked on as freaks, they'd all be too scared to come out. It was normal of course, that humanity feared the unknown, but when it doesn't just fear but lashes out, that is when the hammer of war will fall.
Michael checked his watch cautiously, five minutes had passed, more than enough time to lay the grenades. Michael handed the captain back the gameboy and got back in his car.
"Yeah, this whole thing is...crazy" he said. The starting of the car calmed him as he began to pull away from the captain "Stay safe"
"You too sir" the captain said as Michael drove off, back to the camp. The captain didn't know how much weight those words actually carried. He would find out soon enough though and Michael hoped he would heed them.
Melody slipped off her dress and entered the water in a small area of the river away from the others. She gasped at how cold the water was, although it didn't surprise her, the water back at her home had been about the same temperature. She began to wash her skin, ridding it of the dirt and sweat that had built up over the days of running. In a way it was refreshing, but she'd much rather have had a warm shower back at the house, sighing at the fond memory of the place. It was where she had met Michael, and fell in love with him over the two weeks they were there. He was caring and protective, not like the Gallades back home who tried to impress with strength and power. She remembered the beautiful song they had sung together back on that hill, overlooking the village. Her ears perked up as she realised that she wasn't hearing a memory, but Michael's voice singing a soft tune. She turned to see him ten measures way, looking up at the stars, apparently oblivious of her presence. His hair curled into its natural shape even though it was wet, twisting and turning in all directions, like a lion's mane. He wasn't built like a Machoke, but was rather lanky. Arms showing but the tiniest fraction of muscle under the skin. Despite this, she remembered how strong he felt when he held her. To her, he was perfect, inside and out
"...Michael?" she called out, snapping him out of his trance, he blinked once then looked over. She embarrassedly put her arms over her front, forgetting she was nude. He stuttered a bit then looked away. She cursed herself for creating the awkwardness.
"Sorry Melody" he said "I didn't realise you were there"
"That's okay" she said "I actually like listening to your singing" Michael chuckled slightly. She moved closer, dipping beneath the water to cover herself. The darkness wasn't enough due to the moonlight reflecting down onto the water. She moved beside him and let out a tired breath.
"Where are we going to go?" she asked hopelessly "It's like the world's fallen apart since I joined you"
"It's not your fault..." he began, but she kept talking
"Yes it is, when I got here, everything went downhill. These stupid portals, the worlds colliding, if I hadn't appeared, you'd all still be safe with your life" she said sadly "If hadn't shown up, no one would have died, you'd be happy living back in that old house and I'd have continued to be safe in my world"
She placed her head in her hands, everything up to this point seemed a blur, but now that she had some time to stop and think about everything it all seemed so much. The death, the threats, the running. It had all stemmed from her arrival. Michael took a hold of her hands and gently moved them away from her face
"This isn't your fault" he began again "you did nothing to cause this. Even if you hadn't arrived, it would have still happened" He placed a hand on her cheek "But I'm glad you did arrive. I love you melody, you give me purpose in life. Before you came along, I was depressed and hated life completely. I locked myself away from everyone and everything. But you are the one person I can open up to, the one person I can really feel love for, and I would do anything to protect you. We will find a place where we can be together, and then I'll show you just how much I really love you"
Melody smiled, fear and self loathing forgotten, Michael seemed to have that effect on her.
"Thank you" she said softly. Without thinking, she moved closer and pressed her lips to his. Michael was slightly taken back, but did the same. They put everything they could and more into that kiss, enjoying the feeling of warmth and compassion they got from it. Michael drew melody in close and held her as they kissed, feeling the love flow through the mental link. It felt like a great warm blanket spread over both of them, entwining their minds and thoughts. As they broke, they stared tenderly into each other's eyes, as if looking into their souls. The mental connection lingered on the deepest level even after they broke, making them feel more together than ever. Michael embraced her tightly, feeling that she'd drift away if he didn't, like she was his only anchor to this world now. Melody savoured this calm moment in a now hectic world, she loved him, and she didn't care what the world thought or what he looked like. She loved him for the person he was, and that was all Michael ever wanted in a woman. Slowly they pulled away; knowing the time to move was fast approaching. They made their way back to the shore, parting before the water exposed them, and gathered their clothes.
When they had returned to the car, tom was sitting on the ground, back against a tree. Will was snoozing in the back of the car, woken the noise Michael made as he rapped on the window.
"The grenades are set by the pillars of the bridge, it was dark so I didn't have much trouble placing them" Tom said, loading his pack back into the boot of the car before taking out a rifle and taking a seat in the back. Michael and melody got in the front and started the car, the iron beast shuddering as they left the gravel road, like a bad omen. Tom told them the details quickly, trying to get it done before they got there
"The grenades are placed on the pillars bases, so when melody pulls the pulls out, we'll have five seconds to get off the bridge" he said, cocking the rifle with a ominous clack "Melody, pull the pins when we're halfway across the bridge, we'll make it over that way and not give them time to chase us"
"What do we do then? Michael asked, always trying to think ahead, watching carefully for any potential openings in their plan. One wrong move could spell death.
"We drive, simple as that" tom responded plainly.
Michael felt fear in his gut, he wasn't a fighter, and he had never wanted a life of running. But now things had changed, trading his calm life for the love of his life, it was an exchange he would have to accept. As they drove, Michael looked up through the windshield at the stars, admiring their majesty. The light omitted from them and the moon illuminated the road ahead, casting shadows that leapt at the car. Eventually they reached the bridge, with only four explosives and some wooden blockades between them and their path. The bridge glowed from the floodlights that shone over the area. Michael slowed the car and drove as quietly as possible until he was just out of range of the light. The soldiers would be blinded by the light right now, not able to see him, but he saw the area perfectly. Tom counted down form three. Michaels heart boomed in his ears in time with the calls, melody felt this too. Their connection was strong, held together by fear, for each other and the others.
As tom hit zero, Michael floored the car, hearing the tires screech as they shot out of the darkness. Two men jumped out of the way of the car as they saw he wasn't stopping, yelling out obscenities at their luck. The captain's face flashed in Michael's mind, time pausing as they passed, taking in the detail of their expressions. The car shuddered and jolted as the wooden barriers smashed under a tonne of force propelled into them, sending wooden fleck everywhere. Michael looked back and saw the captain raise his gun, aiming through the iron sights. His aim quivered for a minute before he adjusted the gun a minute amount to the left and fired. Melody ducked as she saw the mirror by her window shatter and spark. He had intentionally missed them; Michael thanked his luck that he had felt something for them. Halfway over the bridge, only a few seconds had passed but it felt like an hour of slow crawling. Melody gained a faint blue outline as she mentally plucked the pins from the grenades, now Michael really drove, knowing they would go off within seconds. Will was bumped up and down in his seat; he turned to see one man lifting one of the trucks mounted machine gun, Will wanted to duck but he was frozen in fear of the large weapon. Tom leaned out the window and fired a spray of bullets at the man, none hitting, but sparking the gun enough to make him duck. Beneath the bridge, the spring of the grenade drove the fuse down into the chemical glycerine mixture, setting off a fiery chain reaction. Time stood still as the shockwave shook the car as bricks from the pillars erupted from behind the car, sending the soldiers scattering at the sudden blast. Three more precisely time explosions followed, sending rock and shrapnel flying everywhere, gravity beginning to take its toll. The bridge creaked as it was pulled down into the fast flowing river, folding under its own weight. The noise rattled the surrounding land as fire consumed the area, licking at the rocks and sending clouds of smoke and steam cascading upwards into the cool night. The car was well off the bridge now, and with the explosions dying down, silence engulfed the car. A serene calm after the storm now turned into an adrenaline aftershock. Tom shuddered as he leaned his head towards the window, crying into the night, half in anger, and half in sorrow
"Lord, my God, why dost thou test mine spirit! Is thou hand so hard of absolution?" he broke down in tears, feeling the pain of the fire burn at his soul. Forgetting a life past was not easy when it rode on your back at every turn, now it was taking the reins. He ripped his collar from his neck and threw it out the window, cries echoing into the night sky
Michael looked back up at the stars staring down at them, little dots of light to guide them, but they would fade with the coming morn. Eventually everything would fade. This world, the stars, and the people. But would this new life of his ever fade? It was hard to see the dawn, when the night captivates you so.
It wasn't until they were roughly twenty miles that they encountered other people, walking along the side of the road, following each other like blind servants. They looked grimly at the car, a slight hope in their eyes that was dashed when Michael drove by, continuing to plod on their endless trek. One boy was holding a small purple rat, a Pokémon he must have befriended, seeming harmless enough. Michael wondered if that boy had befriended a Pokémon, would there be others. A group of people who thought them just lost and confused as they were in this new world. It was a double edged idea, the hope of a normal life in a group like that, yet the hatred of the other group of xenophobic humans. Michael hadn't seen many other Pokémon in the world say far, he guessed they were hiding from humans, the natural thing to do in such a situation, especially when they may kill you. Melody looked out at the people too, not many of them noticed her, too enthralled by the hope of rescue. She felt their hope, their fear, and their emotions of being in such a helpless state. It was a horrible thing to witness. She knew they felt as she did when she first entered this world, lost and confused, scratching anywhere for a way out. Sorrow struck her like a lead weight as she was reminded of everything that was happening, taking in what this all really meant, what it could cause. Michael drove past them and continued for nearly three more miles before spotting something up ahead. Vans parked over a small bridge to the other side of a river, camouflage covered draped over them. A few of them sported large looking guns attached to the railings. It was the army. They had finally mobilized, but everything looked slightly mismatched. Truck where haphazardly parked, men where wandering with confused looks, apparently they weren't very organised yet. One of men waved them down.
"Shit" Michael muttered "Melody, hide under the seat"
Melody whimpered slightly in fear as she hastily slid under the gap between the seat and the dashboard, trying to hide from sight. Michael slowly pulled up to the man who was waving them down. He was dressed in a camo suit and carrying a nasty looking M16. He walked over the open car window and leaned in slightly
"Sorry sir, can't let any civilians past this point" he said in a rather stern voice
"Why not?" Michael asked tenderly
"Government scientists may suspect that unknown bacteria was brought through those portals that keep popping up" he explained, standing slightly "This area is under quarantine protocols. No one is allowed out"
"Have they found any bacteria yet?" Michael asked, probing further, trying to sound innocent
"That information is..." he was cut off by a sharp cry of pain, they looked over to see one soldier rubbing his head where there was a large welt. A small purple monkey creature was throwing stones from the braches of a tree along the road. One of the soldiers by the blockage angry grabbed a gun and aimed for it, pulling the trigger. Three loud bangs echoed as the bullets were launched from the chamber, a high pitched squeak as they impacted and a thud as the creature fell to the ground, dead. Melody sharply gasped as she heard this
"Damn little buggers have been us trouble since they arrived" the soldier said, Michael watched in disgust as one of the soldier kicked the corpse of the small Pokémon "but we can deal with them. To be honest they're more monstrous than any bacteria can be, now you'll have to turn back and find some place to stay, we have orders not to let anyone through"
Michael glared at the soldier before putting the car into reverse and leaving the area, the scene still fresh in his mind. Melody came up from under the seat as she panted slightly, fear slowing losing its grip on her mind. She shakily asked
"Where do we go now?"
Michael sighed as he drove a look of defeat on his face; they had to get past that blockade. Why? He didn't know, but there was a niggling idea to get as far as possible from anyone else. Find a safe place that could never be lost to them.
"We can camp in the woods and think about what to do" he said, turning off onto a dirt road that looked like it hadn't been taken in years. The gravel dinged against the car as it a thrown up by the wheels, Michael constantly surveying the scenery for some spot to camp. He realised after a while that the road was following the river, twisting and turning with it. This could prove useful. He pulled over the side, rubbing his tired face, turned to face everyone.
"We can sleep here tonight, it's out of the way enough, plus we have a fresh water supply" he said "and we could use a wash anyway" he chuckled hollowly
They spent the rest of the day sitting by the river, thinking of different plans that would help them. Tom was coming up with most of the ideas, being the most experienced in these sorts of 'planning's'. Most of his plans involved trying to separate the soldiers and to ram their way through the barrier, but the soldiers had guns which could cut the car up within seconds. They couldn't sneak past the point and leave the car; it was too valuable right now. And even if they did manage to make it past, what then? Being chased by armoured vehicles and men with rifles bent of killing the "monstrous" creatures. They would be hunted endlessly. Every plan led to failure, despite the armies' disorganisation right now, brute force always seemed to triumph in the end. It was a cruel idea but a true one. As the sun set, tom leaned back on a tree, trying to think of something he hadn't thought of already. His pants clinked as he leaned back, making him straighten up slightly. He removed the items from his pockets. Four explosive grenades, he must have forgotten all about them when they were driving. A new plan slowly formed in his mind, twisting and scheming. The odds were still low, but better than everything else.
"That just might work" he muttered, returning to the group by the river. Michael was idly throwing stones as he approached. He spoke up
"I think I've got a plan that'll stop them from following us, and get us through along with the car" he said confidently, commanding a certain respect. Michael looked at the metal object he held.
"Oh please don't say it..."
"We blow up the bridge after driving through" he said, ignoring Michaels protest "If I can get under the bridge without them noticing and I place these on the bridge supports, we can detonate them after we're over, giving us enough time to escape and make sure that they don't follow"
Michael groaned, not liking this plan already. Melody looked slightly cautious about it all, but she tried to calm herself and hear it out, if it would help them get away. Will was giving the man an odd look, as if he was questioning if they we're trying to get killed now, Michael spotted the flaw in the plan immediately.
"How can we detonate the grenades when we have no one to pull the pins?" he asked, tom smiled slyly, having thought that part out a well.
"When we we're fighting off that mob, I saw Melody levitating objects, and doing the same to us to get us off the roof" he said "If she can pull the pins as we drive over the bridge, we'll have about five seconds to get away before the bridge goes down"
"I can do that" melody said, saying the next words softly "but...will anyone be hurt?"
"It's doubtful that they'll run after us, and even more so that they get the trucks running before the grenades go off. I'm sure no one will be hurt"
"What about the guns?" Will asked "They could cut us down in a matter of seconds!"
"A man can't aim that fast, and if they can..." he stopped there, swallowing a lump of fear "then I can shoot faster"
Melody looked away slightly. She didn't want death, only peace for herself and Michael. It was odd that the one thing that could send her home was now tearing apart this world and trying to separate her and Michael. A spiteful fate to be sure. The sun was just starting to set now, darkness peaking at the edges of the water. Tom spoke again
"If we want to do this, we'd best do it at night, that way they won't see us well and won't know our faces. So try to get some sleep now, because tonight we're going to have some fireworks"
Michael drove up to the checkpoint, where most of the guards were now sleeping or playing card games, not much else to do in a remote point like this. His job was to distract the main captain so Tom could rig the grenades. Tom was waiting for the sound of the car at the base of the bridge, knowing that was the time to strike. The soldier flagged him down again as he approached, Michael pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the car. The captain approached him with an exhausted look on his face; he had been turning people back all day despite wanting to leave himself.
"I've told you that we can't let anyone across sir" he said to Michael, his voice slightly strained from fatigue
"Are you sure?" Michael asked "That bacteria thing sounds pretty farfetched"
"It's not my decision, it's the governments" he said
"But wouldn't I be sick otherwise?"
"Wouldn't I be too?" the captain said, sighing deeply "sir, even I don't believe in this whole bacteria deal but the rules are the same, we can't allow anyone out for security reasons"
"What reasons?" Michael asked persistently "We're just trying to get away from that thing!" Michael pointed to the now faint spot of blue on the horizon, the original super portal, still raging in all its glory. Spewing anything it brought in, out onto the unsuspecting town. God knows how the other world was dealing with it.
"Look sir, I'm sorry, I would rather be home too" the captain said, lines on his face growing deeper "But those creatures are running everywhere and people may do something stupid" he removed his gun and leaned on of the military jeeps, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"To be honest, this whole thing is a joke to me" he said "These creatures don't seem to mean any harm, they're just attacking cause their scarred, we're doing the same". The soldier pulled out a cigarette and lit it using a pack of waterproof matches, stamping the match out on the ground.
"You don't want them dead?" Michael asked slowly, trying not to arouse suspicion.
"No, hell, some of them are kinda cute when you look at them" he said "I got my orders and have to follow them even if I disagree, that what soldiers do"
Michael leaned back on the car bonnet, letting himself relax a little, feeling less nervous now than when he had arrived
"So what do you think they'll do about it?" he asked
"Probably capture 'em, study 'em, and maybe try to exterminate them" he said, a grim look on his face "But if they do, I think it's going to erupt into an all out war. Have you seen what some of those things can do? I heard about of them melting a tank with its breath, everyone's gonna be scrambling to get that power"
"So, world war three over weapons basically" Michael said, running his hands through his hair
"Yeah...And to make things worse, if someone does get that power, then the death toll will be even worse. Soldiers and civilians being killed left and right. I remember one boy brought one purple rat like thing here when his group tried to get across. It was pretty docile, but it chewed through one of our tires, that takes some strong teeth to do. And that's only the bottom of the chain. There ones out that can blow things up with their minds or shoot razor sharp blades"
"Do you know what they are?" Michael asked, the soldier chuckled and brought out a game boy from his jacket pocket, obviously it had travelled quite a bit, having dents and smudges on the plastic. The game inserted was Pokémon Emerald.
"It's damn crazy, but I know they're basically Pokémon. I mean its fiction yet here we are, living the nightmare" he said laughing slightly "I bet kids all over the world are celebrating while adults are wondering what's going on"
Michael nodded slightly in agreement. It was crazy when you looked at it like that, he'd been normalised to it thanks to melody.
"Heck, maybe some people will come 'outta that thing" he said "It'd be interesting to meet someone who's lived with them, must be a shock to them for us to not have them. Maybe they could help without causing a new war"
"I doubt that'd be impressed if they ran into the military" Michael said, looking over the men, tired and restless.
"As long as they don't try shoot us, we won't shoot them" the captain said "But I'm more afraid of what my men will do if they see another human with one of 'em"
Michael felt a pit in his gut, it would be nigh impossible to find sympathisers if Pokémon were looked on as freaks, they'd all be too scared to come out. It was normal of course, that humanity feared the unknown, but when it doesn't just fear but lashes out, that is when the hammer of war will fall.
Michael checked his watch cautiously, five minutes had passed, more than enough time to lay the grenades. Michael handed the captain back the gameboy and got back in his car.
"Yeah, this whole thing is...crazy" he said. The starting of the car calmed him as he began to pull away from the captain "Stay safe"
"You too sir" the captain said as Michael drove off, back to the camp. The captain didn't know how much weight those words actually carried. He would find out soon enough though and Michael hoped he would heed them.
Melody slipped off her dress and entered the water in a small area of the river away from the others. She gasped at how cold the water was, although it didn't surprise her, the water back at her home had been about the same temperature. She began to wash her skin, ridding it of the dirt and sweat that had built up over the days of running. In a way it was refreshing, but she'd much rather have had a warm shower back at the house, sighing at the fond memory of the place. It was where she had met Michael, and fell in love with him over the two weeks they were there. He was caring and protective, not like the Gallades back home who tried to impress with strength and power. She remembered the beautiful song they had sung together back on that hill, overlooking the village. Her ears perked up as she realised that she wasn't hearing a memory, but Michael's voice singing a soft tune. She turned to see him ten measures way, looking up at the stars, apparently oblivious of her presence. His hair curled into its natural shape even though it was wet, twisting and turning in all directions, like a lion's mane. He wasn't built like a Machoke, but was rather lanky. Arms showing but the tiniest fraction of muscle under the skin. Despite this, she remembered how strong he felt when he held her. To her, he was perfect, inside and out
"...Michael?" she called out, snapping him out of his trance, he blinked once then looked over. She embarrassedly put her arms over her front, forgetting she was nude. He stuttered a bit then looked away. She cursed herself for creating the awkwardness.
"Sorry Melody" he said "I didn't realise you were there"
"That's okay" she said "I actually like listening to your singing" Michael chuckled slightly. She moved closer, dipping beneath the water to cover herself. The darkness wasn't enough due to the moonlight reflecting down onto the water. She moved beside him and let out a tired breath.
"Where are we going to go?" she asked hopelessly "It's like the world's fallen apart since I joined you"
"It's not your fault..." he began, but she kept talking
"Yes it is, when I got here, everything went downhill. These stupid portals, the worlds colliding, if I hadn't appeared, you'd all still be safe with your life" she said sadly "If hadn't shown up, no one would have died, you'd be happy living back in that old house and I'd have continued to be safe in my world"
She placed her head in her hands, everything up to this point seemed a blur, but now that she had some time to stop and think about everything it all seemed so much. The death, the threats, the running. It had all stemmed from her arrival. Michael took a hold of her hands and gently moved them away from her face
"This isn't your fault" he began again "you did nothing to cause this. Even if you hadn't arrived, it would have still happened" He placed a hand on her cheek "But I'm glad you did arrive. I love you melody, you give me purpose in life. Before you came along, I was depressed and hated life completely. I locked myself away from everyone and everything. But you are the one person I can open up to, the one person I can really feel love for, and I would do anything to protect you. We will find a place where we can be together, and then I'll show you just how much I really love you"
Melody smiled, fear and self loathing forgotten, Michael seemed to have that effect on her.
"Thank you" she said softly. Without thinking, she moved closer and pressed her lips to his. Michael was slightly taken back, but did the same. They put everything they could and more into that kiss, enjoying the feeling of warmth and compassion they got from it. Michael drew melody in close and held her as they kissed, feeling the love flow through the mental link. It felt like a great warm blanket spread over both of them, entwining their minds and thoughts. As they broke, they stared tenderly into each other's eyes, as if looking into their souls. The mental connection lingered on the deepest level even after they broke, making them feel more together than ever. Michael embraced her tightly, feeling that she'd drift away if he didn't, like she was his only anchor to this world now. Melody savoured this calm moment in a now hectic world, she loved him, and she didn't care what the world thought or what he looked like. She loved him for the person he was, and that was all Michael ever wanted in a woman. Slowly they pulled away; knowing the time to move was fast approaching. They made their way back to the shore, parting before the water exposed them, and gathered their clothes.
When they had returned to the car, tom was sitting on the ground, back against a tree. Will was snoozing in the back of the car, woken the noise Michael made as he rapped on the window.
"The grenades are set by the pillars of the bridge, it was dark so I didn't have much trouble placing them" Tom said, loading his pack back into the boot of the car before taking out a rifle and taking a seat in the back. Michael and melody got in the front and started the car, the iron beast shuddering as they left the gravel road, like a bad omen. Tom told them the details quickly, trying to get it done before they got there
"The grenades are placed on the pillars bases, so when melody pulls the pulls out, we'll have five seconds to get off the bridge" he said, cocking the rifle with a ominous clack "Melody, pull the pins when we're halfway across the bridge, we'll make it over that way and not give them time to chase us"
"What do we do then? Michael asked, always trying to think ahead, watching carefully for any potential openings in their plan. One wrong move could spell death.
"We drive, simple as that" tom responded plainly.
Michael felt fear in his gut, he wasn't a fighter, and he had never wanted a life of running. But now things had changed, trading his calm life for the love of his life, it was an exchange he would have to accept. As they drove, Michael looked up through the windshield at the stars, admiring their majesty. The light omitted from them and the moon illuminated the road ahead, casting shadows that leapt at the car. Eventually they reached the bridge, with only four explosives and some wooden blockades between them and their path. The bridge glowed from the floodlights that shone over the area. Michael slowed the car and drove as quietly as possible until he was just out of range of the light. The soldiers would be blinded by the light right now, not able to see him, but he saw the area perfectly. Tom counted down form three. Michaels heart boomed in his ears in time with the calls, melody felt this too. Their connection was strong, held together by fear, for each other and the others.
As tom hit zero, Michael floored the car, hearing the tires screech as they shot out of the darkness. Two men jumped out of the way of the car as they saw he wasn't stopping, yelling out obscenities at their luck. The captain's face flashed in Michael's mind, time pausing as they passed, taking in the detail of their expressions. The car shuddered and jolted as the wooden barriers smashed under a tonne of force propelled into them, sending wooden fleck everywhere. Michael looked back and saw the captain raise his gun, aiming through the iron sights. His aim quivered for a minute before he adjusted the gun a minute amount to the left and fired. Melody ducked as she saw the mirror by her window shatter and spark. He had intentionally missed them; Michael thanked his luck that he had felt something for them. Halfway over the bridge, only a few seconds had passed but it felt like an hour of slow crawling. Melody gained a faint blue outline as she mentally plucked the pins from the grenades, now Michael really drove, knowing they would go off within seconds. Will was bumped up and down in his seat; he turned to see one man lifting one of the trucks mounted machine gun, Will wanted to duck but he was frozen in fear of the large weapon. Tom leaned out the window and fired a spray of bullets at the man, none hitting, but sparking the gun enough to make him duck. Beneath the bridge, the spring of the grenade drove the fuse down into the chemical glycerine mixture, setting off a fiery chain reaction. Time stood still as the shockwave shook the car as bricks from the pillars erupted from behind the car, sending the soldiers scattering at the sudden blast. Three more precisely time explosions followed, sending rock and shrapnel flying everywhere, gravity beginning to take its toll. The bridge creaked as it was pulled down into the fast flowing river, folding under its own weight. The noise rattled the surrounding land as fire consumed the area, licking at the rocks and sending clouds of smoke and steam cascading upwards into the cool night. The car was well off the bridge now, and with the explosions dying down, silence engulfed the car. A serene calm after the storm now turned into an adrenaline aftershock. Tom shuddered as he leaned his head towards the window, crying into the night, half in anger, and half in sorrow
"Lord, my God, why dost thou test mine spirit! Is thou hand so hard of absolution?" he broke down in tears, feeling the pain of the fire burn at his soul. Forgetting a life past was not easy when it rode on your back at every turn, now it was taking the reins. He ripped his collar from his neck and threw it out the window, cries echoing into the night sky
Michael looked back up at the stars staring down at them, little dots of light to guide them, but they would fade with the coming morn. Eventually everything would fade. This world, the stars, and the people. But would this new life of his ever fade? It was hard to see the dawn, when the night captivates you so.