Chapter 34

"Respond"

"Aaagh..."

"Don't move, okay?"

"I don't think you should take it out...that might make it worse..."

"We can't just leave it in there. I bet it's cutting off circulation to the rest of your arm."

Caleb looked at the piece of shrapnel that was imbedded in his shoulder and watched as the blood flow slightly increased then fell with each beat of his heart. He gave Monty an incredulous look.

"With how bad I'm bleeding? Not likely..."

"Listen, just stay still..."

The moment Monty touched the sharp piece of metal, Caleb screamed in pain. Monty released it, leaning back and sighing.

"Guess it's going to have to stay there...you got it pretty bad."

"At least I'm conscious." Caleb tried to sound flippant, but he knew that he sounded worried. He stared down at Colt. "Unlike this idiot here."

"If he IS unconscious and not dead."

Caleb glared at Monty. "Don't say that. He's not going to die and neither are we."

Monty managed a sardonic smile. "What about Drak and Ella E, hmm? Think they're dead?"

Caleb sighed. "No, they're alive too."

"What about them?" Monty gestured towards the three bodies that remained in the hallway, motionless. Caleb looked thoughtful.

"You know, I don't think they CAN die..."

"Hmmph..." Monty touched his head, wiping away some of the blood that was tangling his hair. "I think you're being overly optimistic. I think we're all going to die."

"Don't you start getting all Drak on me." Caleb pointed at him. "He's the one who's supposed to be depressed all the time."

There was an awkward pause at this, then the two sighed at the same time. Caleb twitched his shoulder and hissed between his teeth.

"Do you think Drak's changed?" Monty spoke after a long period of silence. Caleb would have shrugged if he were able.

"Why would he? Unless they did something to him..."

"Do you think we've changed?"

"What do you mean?"

"...I don't know." Monty shook his head. "I guess...I just feel and do all these things that just don't make sense to me. Would YOU have been here if you hadn't met Ella E? Would you have been here if you hadn't met any of us?"

Caleb was silent for a moment. His voice was soft when he spoke again. "I don't know...why should it matter? We can't change the past."

Monty smiled and closed his eyes, apparently trying to rest. "Just trying to make conversation."

Caleb, despite his situation, managed a smile. "I think conversation is the last thing we need at this point."

The rustling of wings instantly drew their attention to the end of the decimated hallway.
Michelle was moving.

Agonizingly slowly she pushed herself off the metal floor, her wings hanging uselessly around her. She turned to her companion and touched her with one claw, causing her to fall back on the floor once again and Gabriella to begin moving.

"I said you were too optimistic..." Monty mumbled. Caleb didn't even bother to respond.

The two finally managed to help eachother upwards, stumbling awkwardly about the hallway, unable to regain their balance without the help of their presently useless wings. They surveyed the area with their strange, otherworldly eyes and finally stopped on Monty and Caleb.

"You're right...it doesn't feel complete without Drak here." Caleb whispered.

"Nice knowing you."

"You too."

The two stayed silent for a few minutes, staring at the three forms near the wall and the one at the other end of the hallway.

Without a word, Michelle and Gabriella slowly headed the opposite direction, disappearing around a corner.

Both Monty and Caleb were silent awhile.

"That was unexpected." Monty looked confused.

Caleb, however, was not.

"I don't think they ever truly hated us...they just had to remove us...and I guess they think we'll die soon enough, so they left anyway."

He continued speaking as Monty looked at him. "They aren't evil...they're just doing their job."

"Unngh..."

The two turned sharply, or at least as well as they could in their current injured state, towards the source of the sound. Ashstar lifted her head painfully then rolled over slightly on her side. She curled into a ball, silent.

After a short silence, Caleb ventured to speak. "Ashstar?"

She groaned in response.

Monty sighed. "This is just getting worse and worse..."

~~~

At the same time, Cyrus and Kame froze.

Drak jerked sharply towards them, finding himself trembling. His best reason for doing so at the moment was fear. "What? What is it?"

Both of them couldn't move for a few moments. Drak looked towards Dr. Kagakusha and found her to still be unconscious. Glad that she wasn't complicating things, he theorized mentally that it was perhaps her lack of orders that had caused Kame's inactivity. But...

Why would Cyrus freeze as well?

"Can...can y'hear it, kid?" Cyrus' voice was filled with wonder. "Can y'hear it? 'S...'s callin' me..."

"What? What's calling you? What are you talking about?" Drak tried to steady his trembling limbs but found this only increased their unwanted movement. He took a step towards Cyrus, who remained motionless.

"I have t'go." Cyrus turned sharply, startling Drak. He looked and found that Kame had also turned at almost the same time. "I have t'go, it wants me."

"What wants you? Cyrus, what are you doing? What's going on?"

Cyrus simply shook his head and moved towards the wall, his movements echoed by Kame almost exactly.

Drak dashed over to Teishi so quickly that he lost his balance, sliding on the floor into the wall. He grabbed Teishi's arm so roughly that the re-injured boy gasped.

"Teishi, come on. We have to follow them. We can't let them go alone!"

"Drak-sama..." Teishi's voice was soft and hesitant. "Drak-sama, I..."

Drak suddenly felt another voice within him overcome the urgency that he was feeling. He could see Teishi's pain at being forced to be conscious, let alone stand. He couldn't force the boy to come with him, he needed to rest. He couldn't let Teishi just suffer in silence.

But he had to find out where Cyrus and Kame were going. He had to.

"It won't take long, Teishi, I promise. You just have to come with me." He put the smaller boy's arm around his shoulders, holding him upwards. Teishi could barely stand. "I can't leave you here alone."

"Drak-sama..." Teishi seemed confused. He stared at Drak with a strange look on his face, the still-bleeding injuries on his face enhancing their previous output with the use of facial muscles. "Drak-sama, why?"

"We can't just let them walk off by themselves. What if something happens to them? And besides, they may lead us to...to someplace important." Drak looked at Cyrus and Kame, who both had their hands against the wall. The metal was shivering violently, almost looking like water.

Drak began limping towards the two, struggling with the weight of Teishi along with his own, which seemed heavier then ever before. The frantic urgency within him didn't allow him to stop shaking, which he was sure that Teishi must have noticed. However, the small boy didn't say anything. This didn't surprise him.

He had to find out where they were going...

He couldn't let them leave alone.

"Drak..." Dr. Dowasure stumbled towards him, still shocked from his brief encounter with the wall. "Drak, what's going on? Do you know? What happened?"

"I don't...I don't know what's going on. I thought...maybe if I followed them..."

"Drak...don't."

Drak looked at the doctor in surprise, who looked startlingly pained. "Why?"

Dr. Dowasure looked hesitant, then took his long ponytail in his hands, running his fingers through the strands. "I couldn't stop you anyway, could I? You seem really intent on doing this, I think..."

"What are you talking about?" Drak glared at him, impatience taking over his normally passive personality. "I'm just going to follow them. There's no problem with that."

Dr. Dowasure tossed his ponytail idly back over his shoulder. "But...I...I don't remember. I...wish I did, but I can't...I'm sorry. Hurry if you can."

Drak was confused at Dr. Dowasure's behavior, but decided he best not question it. He turned and continued moving towards the two near the wall.

The wall was shaking more and more, it's movements becoming more fluid with each vibration. Both Cyrus and Kame were glowing with their own colored energy, the wall being the recipient of both was fluctuating colors rapidly. With a crunch, the wall collapsed on itself, leaving a large hole, through which Kame and Cyrus quickly walked. Drak struggled to follow them, looking back to find Dr. Dowasure trying to wake Dr. Kagakusha.

"Why would you want to do something like that...?" Drak thought to himself. Resigning it as something he would never understand, he continued walking forward.

He could feel a tingling in his heart and in his mind. Perhaps that was causing his shaking...it must have been Mewtwo. Mewtwo must be close by!

The thought was enough to make Drak sigh with relief. Finally, after all this time, he and his Mewtwo would finally be reunited. Their two seperated minds would finally become one again. He wouldn't be alone anymore...

"Drak-sama, do...do you know where you're going? You...you look like you're talking with someone."

He looked at Teishi who was still trying to walk, although his legs were slow and refused to obey his commands. He had his free hand held against his chest, as if in an effort to seal the reopened wound there.

"I'm not talking with someone..." Drak looked at Cyrus and Kame, who were walking next to eachother as if there had never been any such enmity between the two. "But I will soon...soon I'll be back with who I belong."

"Oh..." Teishi wasn't sure whether or not he should question his master. Not unless he was ordered...he reminded himself. He stayed silent.

"Soon...everything will be back to normal..." Drak struggled with his limp, trying to keep pace with the two who walked ahead of him deliberately, as if they knew exactly where they were going.

Which they did.

~~~

"Mewtwo, what are you doing? The others need your help!"

The Mewtwo barely heard his mother's words. He flashed his eyes once.

"There. They will have their help. I have something that I must do."

Eclipse clung tightly to her son's head, fearing that something may happen which may result in her being taken away from him. "I'm glad you've finally decided to talk again, but that doesn't answer my first question. What are you doing?"

Mewtwo continued walking purposefully down the hallway, taking no notice of his surroundings. "I'm doing what I'm supposed to. I'm answering."

"Answering what?"

"The call."

"From what? Mewtwo, you aren't making sense! This isn't like you!"

He didn't respond, only continuing to walk down the hallway.

"Please, you're frightening me." Eclipse wasn't sure what she could do. Whatever it was that had called her son far exceeded any power she had over him. He was not listening to her...there was no way she could stop him. She just had to stay with him and see what was going to happen... "Tell me who's calling you!"

Mewtwo still refused to respond.

"Please!"

"You wouldn't understand." Mewtwo finally spoke, his voice rough and angry. Eclipse was shocked at this change of tone in her son's voice and was silent. She had never heard him use a tone like that with her. There was something wrong...something that she truly didn't understand. What could she do...?

"I hope whatever you're doing isn't going to hurt anyone..." Eclipse's voice was weak.

"I hope so as well." His voice had softened, but it's effect on her didn't change.

~~~

Prof. Denka was typing busily in his computer.

"Status report on recent project, M-2 Specimen E..." He breathed the words aloud, then sighed to himself. He continued typing, his hands moving remarkably quickly.

"Dr. Kagakusha took on the project with all her usual determination and vigor. There is nothing that interests her more then this field and she is glad to dabble in it once again. Perhaps she wishes for a success to counteract her previous failures..."

He sipped from his cup of coffee and continued typing. "The project has been completed. I can tell because of the information my computer keeps receiving about the cloning area, that certain containers have opened or shut and that a certain fluid has been transferred to a certain creature...more then enough to assure me the project has been completed. Dr. Kagakusha no doubt has taken all the precautions possible with this project against her previous mistakes, such as..."

He paused, his fingers hovering over the keyboard for a few moments. "Such as free-will, a sense of one's self, self-esteem problems, an overflow of pigmentation, and various other defects. I am sure the new M-2 will meet your expectations. As soon as Dr. Kagakusha comes to report to me personally on the status of the project, I will ensure the M-2 for transport and send it to you directly.

-Prof. Denka"

He leaned back in his chair and stared at the words on the screen, bright gashes of black text against a white background. He sighed, looking upwards.

"If only I knew why you wanted this..." He stared at the screen. "You never explain any of your actions to us...only what we are to do. For once I would like to know what doing this to a human being could possibly achieve..."

He smiled to himself. "And I AM a scientist...it's my job to know all I can."

He again poised his fingers as if to add to the report, then put them back on the armrests. "No...no, I can't question my superiors. It could get me fired, for all I know. I just have to do as I'm told..." He sighed again. "I guess me and Teishi have more in common then we would suspect."

iCOME!/i

Prof. Denka nearly fell over at the sudden shock within his mind. He gripped the armrests tightly, looking around for whoever had spoken. He then leaned back and sighed again. That could only mean one thing...

Someone was trying to communicate with him telepathically.

Considering how long Prof. Denka had worked with psychic Pokémon, this wasn't unusual. He closed his eyes and tried to relax.

iCome./i

The voice had softened, apparently realizing that he was listening. He still didn't know how to respond to psychic summons, having no such powers himself, and waited for further instructions, if there were any.

iThe hallway. Where the explosion was. Go there and help them./i

"The hallway...?" Prof. Denka opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "What hallway? There are hundreds, perhaps thousands in this complex. I can't possibly fulfill your commands if you don't tell me where you want me to go, can I?"

He didn't expect a response and he didn't get one. He turned back to the computer and typed a few quick lines.

"There has been some minor damage to the facility. Nothing to be worried about."

With that, he sent the report on it's way and then noticed a bright blinking light in one corner of the screen. Clicking on it, he found a window popping up to greet his eyes.

"Warning! Chamber F12 has been damaged..."

He closed that one, knowing this wasn't where he was being directed to go, staring at the next one to come up.

"Warning! Hallway H2 has been damaged. Please go and restore power to the following sections. Subsection H2-Alpha, H2-Beta, H2-Gamma..."

He stood and walked out of the room quietly. At least he now knew where he was to go.

~~~

Cyrus and Kame paused in front of a door that was locked. Drak paused with them.

"Why won't you guys answer me? What are you doing?" Drak tried to keep his voice from shuddering along with his body.

Cyrus and Kame again touched the wall with their hands, causing the metal again to crumple in upon itself. They walked into the room silently.

Drak stared at the surroundings as he entered the room for a few moments, feeling a discernable shudder break through the constant waves he was feeling. This was...the M-2 Lab...

He limped forward, sensing Teishi's confusion and concern.

"Drak-sama, why are we here again...?"

"I don't know..."

Cyrus and Kame stopped in front of one of the capsules, standing at what almost seemed to be attention. Drak, unsure of what to do, stood between them, fearing that if they inadvertantly touched one another they may resume their previous hostilities. He would be a good buffer in case something like that should happen...

Teishi continued to lean on him, not able or perhaps not willing to protest or ask Drak about his actions.

Floating serenely in the liquid in front of him, Drak stared at the form of M-2 Specimen A, still lacking a heartbeat, a blood flow...

How did he know that...?

"What...are you doing...?" He asked the two beside him, although he knew the question was useless. As he had expected, the two didn't answer.

There was a whoosh, the sound of one of the sliding doors opening, and Drak turned to look. A voice came to him...

"Mew...!"

The Mewtwo took a step towards him, his eyes open wide. The light that shone through the strange fluid within the capsules reflected in his blue eyes, filled with surprise and joy and relief. On his head was the familiar form of Eclipse, clutching her son's head as if it were her last grip on sanity.

Drak turned and felt a wave of relief over him. He extended his mind to rejoin with Mewtwo-

Haah...!

iBroken, sharp...glass...across the floor...

"What are you doing here?"

Blood...black...black...everything...

"Did they send you?"

Dark blue eyes...dark blue...

"They send you here to check on me? To watch me?"

Help...help...they're...hurting me...!

"I'm not scared of you. Am I supposed to be?"

Hur...t...hurrr...t hur...pain...all over...all over me...

"Don't mock me."

What's happening...the world's spinning around me...everything is turning upside down...inside out...my heart...!

"What? You need help?"

I can hear it beating...

"Why would you want my help?"

Beating so loud...so fast...it hurts...! I can feel it shaking my body...my heart...heart...

"I can't do it alone..."

Aaaagh...What are you doing to me...what's happening to me?

"I...I don't know. I guess I should...Maybe...it'll redeem me."

I can feel it...underneath my skin...centipedes...centipedes with razors for legs, crawling all over me...all through me...what's...happening...why...how...where am I...who am I?

"...I...I didn't know. I...I thought they were...I thought they had learned. I'm sorry for acting the way I did...I just don't..."

My eyes...they're burning...my skin...it's melting...I can feel everything...

"I don't relate to people well...It's part of my nature...I'm...not very social..."

Thump...thump...my heart...it's shaking my mind...I can feel things coming loose...

"But okay, I'll help you."

Am I going insane?

"Just this once."

Am I going sane?

"You owe me..."

Sharp glinting light...off of sharp things...it's stabbing my eyes...it's stabbing my flesh...it's stabbing my heart...my body is shaking...what is this I'm feeling...who am I...?

"After all, we types have to stick together."/i

~~~

"What are you doing here?" Prof. Denka wasn't sure what to make of the decimated hallway and it's injured inhabitants. Monty and Caleb stared at him.

"Don't...ask questions. Just help us...I think he's going to die..." Monty gestured at the boy sprawled across his legs.

Prof. Denka looked at the silver-haired girl, still curled in a ball, then sighed. "I don't know who you are and I don't know how you got here, but someone told me to help you...so I guess that's what I'm going to do. Move aside please."

He kneeled down near Colt and stared at him for a few moments, then looked at the two who held him. "What's his name?"

"Colt."

"Hmm..." Prof. Denka stood. "If we're lucky, I think I could save him. Maybe."

He grabbed Colt's arm roughly and pulled him onto his feet, letting Colt lean on him in sorts. Because of Colt's lack of consciousness, he didn't attempt to stand at all. However, Prof. Denka was solidly built, therefore he was not bothered in the least. Monty and Caleb were startled at how roughly he had handled him and decided that he must not have any broken bones after all if the man would pick him up in such a way.

"One of you get the girl. We don't have much time."

Free to move, Monty uneasily got to his feet, staggering towards Ashstar. Both he and Caleb knew that with the shrapnel imbedded in his shoulder, he could barely keep his own arm up, let alone another person's weight. Monty struggled mightily and finally managed to get Ashstar to stand, allowing her to lean on him. Caleb stood shakily and turned towards Prof. Denka, who was staring at the piece of metal in his shoulder.

"Not good, that. Not that bad, either. Must be painful, I would imagine. Well, come on then. We don't have much time."

~~~

"We're lost..." Nick moaned. The whole experience had been a lot for him. He was shaky and nervous. Then again, so was Atelli.

"No, no, we can't be lost. We're fine, okay?" She held onto her younger cousin's hand tightly. "We just have to find Ella E and Drak. I'm sure it won't be hard. They must be where we left Reimia and Tashi and the others."

"That lab place?" Nick looked around. "I don't remember where it was anymore...this place is so big and all the hallways look the same..."

"I know, but I know we'll find her. Don't worry about it." Atelli walked up to one of the doors and tested it. It refused to open. Angrily she kicked it and then turned abitrarily left. She headed down the hallway, not sure of where she was going anymore.

"I don't like this place...why is everyone here, anyway?" Nick's voice was small and frightened. "Why is Ella E here?"

"I don't really know anymore." Atelli mumbled. "It was to save one of her friends and then it just went out of control. I wish this was over..."

"Please...wake up..."

Atelli froze in her tracks. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Shh..." Atelli stood silently in the hallway, hoping to hear the soft voice again.

"Are you okay? Please, you have to get up. Something's happening, I think, and I know it's important for some reason...I think I forgot what it was, though..."

"Someone's talking..." Atelli headed towards the voice. "Maybe it's them! Come on, Nick!"

The two began running at full speed towards the sound of the soft, hesitant voice.

~~~

"Drak-sama! Drak-sama!"

Drak slowly opened his eyes, finding the light stabbing into them almost blindingly. He shut them again quickly, putting his hands over them. Even though the room was not brightly lit, the light harmed him.

"What...happened...?"

"You fainted again...it was terrible, Drak-sama." He ventured to open his eyes, finding that the light wasn't quite as blinding as it used to be. He blinked several times to get the spots from his vision and found Teishi staring at him. He looked worried and frightened. "You gave this terrible noise and then you just...collapsed!"

"What's...going on?"

"Look..." Teishi gestured to their surroundings. "If your eyes are okay, I mean..."

Drak did look.

Mewtwo was standing next to Cyrus, not moving a fraction, apparently at the same strange attention that the others had been frozen into. He was staring directly at M-2 Specimen A, not blinking. Eclipse was still on his head, her eyes closed, shivering.

He himself looked upwards at the dead creature in the tube.

iRespond.../i

He struggled to his feet, finding his breath and heart had accelerated to dangerous levels. Teishi came with him, helping him to stand. Drak was surprised that Teishi still had the strength to do so.

"What?" He couldn't help but respond verbally, as he was subconsciously avoiding mentally communicating after what had happened to him before. For a while there was no answer.

iRespond./i

Drak braced himself and gingerly opened his mental link.

iRespond to wh-/i

A blinding flash of pain burned through his mind, causing him to fall to the floor again. Teishi was at his side.

"Drak-sama, please! Whatever you're doing, stop!" He sounded near tears. "I don't know what could happen to you!"

iRespond!/i

Drak stared at the dead M-2, wondering whether or not that it was the thing that was causing him this pain. "I can't respond unless you let me! Why do you keep hurting me?"

Nothing happened for some time, just a small bubble floating by the dead creature to disappear at the roof of it's capsule.

iCausing self pain./i

The fractured, disjointed speech in his mind sounded as if something had spliced several syllables and had by pure chance created a sentence. He shuddered again and stared at the creature, it's eyes closed.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

iRespond.../i

"I can't!" Drak shouted in frustration. "Don't you understand!"

The dead creature continued to float without movement, it's malformed limbs floating as small eddies went by them. Drak turned to those around him but found they were motionless, their eyes glazed as if within some mental kind of link. Desperate for companionship, he grabbed Cyrus' hand.

"Cyrus, come back! Tell me what's going on!"

Cyrus didn't respond. Drak drew back from him, frightened. Physical contact could almost always bring someone out of mental contact...

iRespond./i

Drak felt anger rising within him. He opened his mental link again without thinking, his power flaring around him. Instantly the pain crippled him again, but not before he was able to get a furious message to whoever was tormenting him.

iI can't respond until you tell me what you want!/i

"Drak-sama, please!"

Drak refused to kneel on the floor again, instead keeping himself somewhat unsteadily on his feet. He stared at the still form in the fluid.

iBrethren./i

Drak responded before he even knew what he was doing. "Why!"

iAll brethren...must come.../i

Drak turned to Kame, shaking her angrily. She didn't move. "Come back! Someone come back and tell me what's going on! Tell me why I can't talk to this thing! Tell me why it hurts!"

Even Mewtwo remained stiffly still, not responding nor reconnecting with Drak's mind. Drak fell to his knees, anger and frustration filling his body. He stared at his hands, watching them tremble.

iMust...link./i

"It hurts!" Drak shouted at the dead creature. "Can't you see? Don't you understand? It hurts me to try and contact...to try and speak...I can't!"

iNo illusions. Link now./i

"Why...you still don't understand! What illusions? What are you talking about!"

Drak gasped in surprise as a sudden pink-bluish light washed over him. Expecting pain, he held his arms in front of him, blocking whatever it was that was attacking him. It proved to be useless as he found himself unharmed. Staring at M-2 Specimen A, he found that it's eyes again had opened, dark holes that burned into his soul.

iNo illusions. Respond./i

Drak clenched his fists angrily. "What was that? What are you trying to do?"

"Drak-sama..." Teishi stared at him with a strange expression. "I..."

"Please...explain this to me." Drak's tone changed without warning from furious to pleading. "Tell me what's going on! I haven't understood anything since I've come here! Can you tell me what's going on? Why am I here?"

The dead creature didn't respond, it's eyes staring into Drak's own with terrifying intensity. Drak dropped to his knees, putting his hands in his lap and fighting back tears.

"I just want to go back home...I just want everything to be the way it used to be."

iNo illusions./i

Drak jerked his head at the sudden voice within his mind. From the corner of his eye he could just barely glimpse something on the inside of his arm, made visible by his sudden motion. It was almost like...writing...

Drak went unconscious.

To Be Continued...