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denkoarts · 6 months ago

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Visitor: 9

X.x.X

The run to the freight elevator was mostly uninterrupted. There were a few guards here and there, but far from the dozens they had been expecting. In addition, they all seemed to be going somewhere...

Something was up, and he wasn't sure if he was a fan. Still, all they could do was keep going.

Coming to the big industrial doors, he had to wonder just how he'd actually override the drive motors to send it further down. No time to ponder it, though. Just have to try. For Jake. He sets the fox back down to his feet and begins to feel the walls of the cab. There must be a hidden panel somewhere, how else would they activate it?

The visitor, too, got to work, employing Haywire to scan the other half of the walls. Denko wasn't really sure what exactly they were doing - maybe scanning for electrical activity - though it wasn't really the time to inquire. As long as it worked, then he needn't pry.

. . .

"Fwee! Bloboop bwow!"

Judging by the unmistakable beeps and boops of Haywire, they'd just found something. The feline pulled away from his side of the lift to check in on the other.

"There's a sizable power supply five meters past the back wall which seems to connect to the mechanism of the lift," Jake explained. "The system's a little primitive if you ask me-" Not exactly the hidden control panel that Denko had hoped for, but they look to be on the right track either way.

"Input source?"

Jake shot a puzzled glance at Denko. "...It's a power supply. You don't parse commands through a battery, it's only either on or off." He responded with a roll of the eyes.

"Well, maybe we could get down there quick," he offhandedly suggested. He wasn't being serious, really, as he thought it unlikely for a lift to simply drop to the lowest floor after a possible outage.

To his surprise, Jake was considering it. He waltzed over to the small gap between the cabin and the rest of the facility, before steadying a small hexagon-like device over it and turning it on. The device flashed to life with flickering bursts of blue energy, the waves making its way in the crevice and...

SSZZZCH-

"FREIGHT LOCK FAILURE. VACATE CABIN IMMEDIATELY."

At the same time as the announcement, the two of them felt the floor drop a meter before the power supply kicked in to keep the lift from plummeting further. Jake brought the peculiar device back to his belt before looking back at Denko and flashing a smug grin.

X.x.X

Wasn't expecting that, was he?

Sarcasm or not, it wasn't an awful idea. Gravity was far more forgiving here, and there was the added crutch of a floor falling along with them. Besides, the current situation justified any sort of discomfort. "We really should hurry up," he spoke, approaching the back wall again. "Think you can shut it down?"

Denko shook himself out of the brief funk he was in and joined Jake. "Probably," he muttered, placing both paws onto the wall, positioned close to where he could feel the power supply. "How much, or do you not mind a fall?"

"Do you?"

Seems that was all he needed to hear. The incandescents lighting the cab flickered, Denko starting to trace the lift's energy back to the source. Soon enough, the lift goes dark, only lit up by the Zeraora's yellow electrical tufts. They could hear the car straining to stay put, fighting a losing battle against gravity and Denko's thirst for energy.

Not long after, a victor was determined: Denko. Just as he finished, gravity took over and sent the lift plummeting to the bottom of the shaft. If not for the banisters, nothing would've kept them from experiencing weightlessness for the next couple of seconds.

Of course, up until they strike the bottom, sending Jake sprawling. Lesson learned, the floor falling with you does not always mean it's a better landing-

Shoulda just listened to his gut and jumped…

"Cats always land on their feet, huh," Jake quips, seeing how unfazed Denko appeared by the impact. He was already at work, trying to figure out how to pry open the bottom floor's door.

Oh well, he's had worse landings. All they could do now was keep trucking along.

"I'm not finding circuit flow, or any macroscopic fields at all," Denko sighed. "Guess they really don't want to risk intruders finding out what goes on beyond this door."

Brandishing Haywire once more to scan the surroundings, it confirms the cat's words. "N0 unr3g1ster3d 4ct1vi7y f0und." Other than the unpowered components for the lift, the area was dry of electronics.

"Must open by hand then," Jake replied, dismayed. "I can cut through, but it'll take some time." He was never able to learn how to deal with these doors in any other way. Lockpicks and panel hacks he could do with his eyes closed, but this?

A memory of someone he knew who had a tool for this passes his mind, but it's too hazy to make out.

Denko stretched his paws above his head and yawned. "Well, you do that." The idle gesture was somewhat irritating, but Jake could hardly blame him. He'd probably just spent the past few hours running around and beating up grunts just to save his skin. The thought lets him grow a faint smile, continuing to work at the metal barrier.

X.x.X

This may be a temporary reprieve, but Denko was still thinking about the mission. Something was still bugging him: the lack of guards on their way to the elevator. An order to not engage could've been issued, but that wouldn't explain the few that were running elsewhere. At the same time, if they were supposed to attack and just had to arm themselves first, why hadn't anyone been properly geared.

"Haywire?"

No response. They were busy right now, after all-

"Was there anything else on the map that would change a user's elevation, other than the lift?"

"Why are you asking that now," was all that Jake said.

"I just..."

The fox stopped to face the other. "We'd have used it if that was an option. But we didn't, because there weren't any other options we could see on the map."

"'On the map', so it's possible that other options did exist, they just weren't marked."

He paused, before facing his handiwork once more. "I guess that's true. Still, why bring it up here?"

All of a sudden, the two halves of the metal door began to slide apart. For the brief moment that Jake could see the other side, a large group of guards aimed automatic rifles right at him. One gunshot is followed by another, before a flurry of bullets prompts Denko to yank him behind cover.

"That! They knew we were coming," he blurted out, still gripping onto Jake's arm. "Give me a second, and we can slip by and-"

Jake wrenched his arm free, fluidly yanking his gun from his vest as an intense light shone within the muzzle.

X.x.X

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!!" He shrieked as his fur flared. Before Denko could stop him, Jake rushed out of cover and fired into the crowd of armed humans, spraying blood from the powerful shot. For a moment, all was still. Each side held a different emotion. The surviving guards were frightened by the sheer power of the alien technology, whereas Denko was caught severely off guard by the vengeful act.

As for Jake, he was just glad to finally be able to release such pent up rage.

The inaction lasted for merely a second, the sounds of continuous gunfire cutting through the brief silence. Jake was undisturbed by the bullets, barreling forward with supernatural wrath and throwing aside as many as he could before they could have the chance to fall back. He didn't care anymore if these "Plasma Corp" fodder lost their lives opposite his wrath.

Though, in his outburst, he forgot - or maybe just didn't care - about someone who would…

A familiar paw grabs at his dominant forearm, another reaching out to rip away his firearm. The next thing he knew, his back was shoved against the wall with an incredibly agitated Denko sneering right in his face. "What the FUCK are you doing?!"

He...

The rage quickly melted from his eyes.

Why? Denko was only his tour guide for this planet, things just went awry. Jake's been telling himself that he wasn't anything special, that he'd be left behind like everyone else he's come across. Hell, hours earlier he'd already abandoned him to pursue the Ion's captors. So why did he feel so damn ashamed? “I…” He couldn't tell if the burning in his eyes were tears or a burst blood vessel.

...!

His consciousness suddenly fading away indicated that he wasn't about to find the answer anytime soon. Both he and Denko collapsed onto the ground, struck by one tranquilizer each.

X.x.X

Denko is the first to shake himself out of dreamland. Where were they? What was going-

Attempts to move his limbs were halted by some kind of psychic hold. No matter how much he struggled, breaking free was out of the question.

At least his upper body, save for his arms, were unaffected, allowing him to scan the large room they now appeared to be in. There were a few humans around, more just behind airtight doors on each side of the room. Most of them appeared to be unarmed. Jake was unconscious next to him, likely immobile as well.

A human made eye contact with him, before performing a hand signal to seemingly nobody.

One of the doors steadily opened up. Another human walked in, looking at Denko. One-sided windows must populate the walls.

"My name is Dr. Valeri, head of the EID, Extraterrestrial Investigations Division," the human introduced himself. "Zeraora, can you speak on behalf of Subject 4-A1B5?"

"No," he quickly answered, shaking his head. "His name is Jake." He spares a glance at the fox. Even if he wanted to, humans couldn't normally understand him. Untrusted psychics couldn't pick his mind either, meaning they had no choice but to get answers out of the reluctant subject in question.

"Understood." Valeri approaches the unconscious Jake and lays a hand on the back of his head. "Wakey-wakey..."

Suddenly, Jake's eyes shot open. Instinct took over as he tried to attack the unfamiliar presence, though the invisible force holding Denko also kept them still. After a moment of struggle and biting at air, he calmed upon catching sight of the cat.

"Our meeting was intended to occur later, but all that was left was minor preparations and confirmations from the higher-ups." Valeri then repeats his introduction for Jake. "If you would, please indulge me in a few of my questions. You do not need to go into detail, this is just to satisfy my own curiosities."

A low growl comes out of Jake, refusing to make eye contact with the human. Nonetheless, he nods.

"Your physical appearance bears resemblance to that of members of the Zorua line, though examination of your DNA indicates that you are unrelated. Can you tell us a bit about why your species could resemble one of our own?"

Initially, Jake's silent. Valeri was just about to repeat himself when his mouth began to move.

"...don't know."

"I see." The researcher writes something down, as if the answers still had to be recorded. So much for 'my own curiosities'.

"What is your relationship with the Zeraora you seem to have allied yourself with?"

Again, no answer right away. Denko was holding his breath as well. "He's..."

His voice trails off. Valeri writes something else down.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have asked something so obvious," he spoke, dismissing the previous question. "Then, please answer this one. Are you affiliated with the sentient plantlike lifeform that accompanied the Zeraora during his intrusion?"

George.

Jake hesitates. Not out of noncompliance, but out of fear.

"...y-yes," he manages to spit out. "Where is he...?"

The two intruders are rotated 180 degrees. They catch sight of the distinct potted carnivorous plant in some cylindrical container, not conscious. The humans seemed to be running tests on him like a damn rattata. Though, something else grabs their attention as they complete their shift in orientation.

The Ion.

"My ship! What are you doing to my baby?!" This is the loudest Jake's gotten since regaining consciousness, rightfully so. The end was right there, just out of reach.

"Don't worry, we fixed what we could from the initial impact," Valeri attempted to reassure them. "We wished to negotiate a treaty with you in order to further our own interstellar reach."

Denko growled, tired of the seemingly false reassurance. "Stop, do you think we actually believe that?"

To his surprise, Valeri looked over at Denko with a look that indicated complete understanding of his words. "History may have ruined the public's perception of our organization, but I assure you that we wholeheartedly intend to benefit the evolution of humans and Pokémon.

It gave him complete pause. The fact that Denko was understood and that, even behind the scenes, they continued to stand by their goals.

Both intruders are released from their psychic holds.

"This is your decision, Jake. Please consider-"

"No," he immediately spoke. Surprised by the sudden answer, Valeri tried to elaborate before Jake kept going. "Why would I even think about helping you after taking me captive, treating me like I'm some research subject, and... and..."

He stammered, failing to get his final thought out. Denko saw this as an opportune moment to step forward.

"The Ion will be returned to Jake and George, and I will be reporting Plasma Corp for mistreatment of life and attempting to obscure such a violation," he decreed. Denko wasn't sure if those were legal international crimes, but there's a chance that Plasma Corp wouldn't know either. Besides, intimidation played a crucial role as guardian of Earth.

Valeri was silent, unsure how exactly to respond. Though eventually... "Okay."

He glanced over to George, sighing. "Unfortunately, we cannot release Subject... George, until-"

"No."

"-we verify the... I'm sorry?"

Jake was furious, even more so than earlier. "I am NOT leaving him behind." He begins marching towards the capsule containing George, intent on freeing him. Denko felt the same way, but he thought there was no way Jake could free George in this environment himself.

So, Denko decided he would be the one to do it. His eyes flashed a vibrant blue, and all surrounding movement ceased. Not wasting his breath, Denko dashed past Jake and the researchers, their current states preserved like a photo. He almost felt sorry, knowing that they were still helpless to prevent George's rescue.

They ripped George's container from the compartment, took Jake's hand, and rushed them over to the Ion. Just in time, as the energy reserved for this power was running dry, prompting the flow of time to continue as normal.

Confusion arose among the researchers, in addition to Jake.

"...What'd I-"

Denko interrupts his puzzled reaction. "I'll explain later." He then steps forward to address the humans.

"As I explained, the Ion will be returned."

Seeing Denko bracing the plant on his torso, Valeri rushed up to the Ion to reclaim him. Well, it would be more accurate to say that he tried. George was quickly passed to Jake's arms before Denko grabbed the human and pinned him down to the ground.

"Do not intervene, this situation is in our control now." The human attempted to pry his paw away, but a mere researcher would never be able to accomplish such a task. Why were they prolonging a battle that they've already lost?

Suddenly, the human's attention shifts. "H-hey!" He reached an arm out, towards another human rushing past them into the Ion.

Shit, he... He can't let them reach Jake.

"Stay," Denko ordered Valeri, releasing him and pouncing at the other human.

THUNK!

Ack! Ow ow ow... Denko palmed his forehead in pain. How'd he just ram into the wall like that...? He had to use the railing to keep upright. Looking back at the situation, he sees Valeri managing to stand back up, and no second human. In fact, something had seemed a little off just before Denko leapt at them.

"This ship is not taking off," Valeri barked, entering an animalistic battle stance. Blinking, he disappeared from Denko's view. The pain starting to subside, he pushed himself to his feet and tried to anticipate his next move. Was Valeri a Zoroark? What was going on here?

A few seconds passed without an attack, before Denko realized: Valeri was likely attempting to stop the Ion from taking off, as he had just said. Shit, he probably knows where some emergency shutdown switch was or something. Jake likely knew how to override it, but Valeri would still be on board.

Fully recuperated, Denko raised the access ramp closed and rushed off to find the intruder.

...

The hell was up with this place? Denko was sure the exterior was only the size of a truck. He must've ran the length of, like, ten trucks trying to find the damn scientist. It didn't help that the main corridor was host to an array of other paths that only made Valeri's location harder to snuff out.

He was close to giving up the pursuit and waiting for Jake at the front of the ship (where he figured the cockpit would be), but a familiar voice ringing throughout the Ion changed his mind.

"He's heading towards the emergency deck!" The speakers belting out Jake's voice were hardly configured, certainly because of disuse. "Go into door 2F and follow the white pathway."

Yeesh. With so much space in here, Denko wonders why Jake even agreed to stay in his apartment. Not that he minded his stay, and he would've still been stranded had he chosen to reside here, but at least it would've been an environment he was more familiar with.

...Granted, he wasn't seeing much outside of the bare essentials.

No time to let his mind wander, he's through 2F and now has to focus.

. . .

There! Denko could sense his heat signature, scrambling around a room. It didn't take long to approach and confront him. "Valeri!" Startled, the researcher vanished from his sight once more. This time though, he wasn't escaping from Denko's radar. His paw stretched out and grasped Valeri's neck, his body becoming visible once more in reaction.

"Did I not make myself clear, we're leaving." He stared daggers into Valeri, his rage palpable, as if one twitch away from crushing the human's neck like glass. At this point, he very well might. The three of them have gone through hell in order to get here, and frankly he's had-

Ghk-

A sharp pain punctures through his thoughts. Instinctively loosening his grip, Denko looks down to see that an arrow had been shot into his torso. No, not just any arrow.

A Terastal Dart.

With a huff, Valeri is shoved to the other end of the room as Denko carefully takes out the dart and covers the injury with a paw. "Bastard..."

Valeri quickly looks over their side of the room and catches sight of a red button encased in a bolted-down glass top. The button itself read SOS, so of course he'd shatter the glass and press it to call for backup.

X.x.X

“Okay, okay, he should have a handle on that quack until I can getcha back online…” Jake mumbled to himself, flipping switches and dialing knobs in the cockpit. “F1N411Y…1 W45 s0 51CK 0F tH4t 7H1Ng5 Pr0C3551Ng p0w3r.” Haywire whistled from his PROPER body, a gold droid roughly the size and shape of a soccer ball, resting in its slot in the central control panel.

Jake didn't have enough sass left in him for a witty retort, settling for a quiet scoff as his digits continued to dance through the tiny space, prepping to blast his way through a mountain if it meant getting the HELL off the ro-

“0UT80UND 51GNAl!! 0UT80UND 51GNA1!!” Outbound…? No, no, he definitely didn't accidentally trigger a comm. That was on panel A37, not 1004... “... What's the status of the natives? Bring it up front.” “1nN3r C4M3r4s 5T1L1 D0Wn, s1r.” “Rrrrgh…FUCK!” Jake's fist met his armrest, and he leapt over the back of the seat and made for the second level.

He never used the emergency deck, but ships were required to have them to be used for even marginally legal stuff, like courier work. It was more of a formality than anything, but he still at least kept it passing inspection. Even if there was the possibility of…

No. No, that wasn't possible. On this backwater planet in the space boonies? No way.

Regardless, he wanted to make sure there wasn't any funny business going on.

...!

Something rushes past him, an unfamiliar presence. Perhaps a little antsy, Jake whips his gun around and fires at the open air.

"NO!" The cat's yell rang out from behind. Valeri appeared where Jake had shot, the metal shaving missing by a hair. "Don't," Denko spoke in a calm tone, obviously wanting to diffuse the situation.

...Well, he could at least ask about that signal.

"What happened?"

"We fought, he pressed a button, and then tried to retreat."

A... button?

He was beginning to waver. There was only one thing he could think of, and the possibility made his fur stand on end.

"What button?"

Valeri's response confirmed his greatest fear; Three letters: SOS.

Daddy's coming.

"N-No…No, you didn't." The paw gripping his weapon began to tremble as the reality of the situation set in. "You CAN'T have! I…there was nothing left of tha-" Suddenly, the gun dropped onto the floor and Jake quickly stepped back from the two. If his fur wasn't going crazy before, it REALLY started to freak out now. Strands of it reached out and clung to crevices in the steel hall as he began to hyperventilate.

"Wha…Oh nononono…!" He grasped at his chest like his charm was just buried underneath his dancing fur, but even as blood darkened it, no avail. It was gone. His ears rang with alarm bells, and then something grabbed his arm.

Without thinking, he screamed and pulled away. He didn't get far before the floor buckled and wobbled like rubber underfoot, ripping the assailant away and flinging Jake into a wall. But instead of the hard impact of steel beckoning him to unconsciousness, it tore like fabric, leading not outside, but…into a darkness deeper than the void of space.

And he fell. Deeper and deeper into suffocating blackness, dark laughter echoing throughout his whole body.

X.x.X

Denko and Valeri, however, were spat entirely out of the vessel. The Ion began to rattle and twitch from the ethereal darkness thrashing about within.

"Sir, the energy readings are approaching dangerous levels!" One of the scientists off to the side exclaimed. "We need to abort, get away from the ship."

Though Valeri quickly obliged, all Denko could do was lay on his back frozen, his gaze fixed on the foggy void beyond the hanging ramp into the Ion. What was happening, he didn't mean to... He just wanted to see what was going on!

"Zeraora, come with me," the hybrid spoke, trying to lift him up. "You must leave, we've set a contained implosion to go off in 30 seconds!"

What?

#denko.arts #ao3 #pokemon #story #screenreader unsafe

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