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Butch slowly opened his eyes and sat up.. He looked around and was a little surprised to see he was lying in the middle of a green, wide open field..
He wondered how he'd gotten there..
As he stood up he saw that he seemed to be in a valley, and the green hills appeared to roll on for many miles before being met by the clear blue sky..
Butch felt confused as he remembered being ambushed by team rocket back in lab34. He wondered how he'd gotten all the way out here..
A light cool breeze blew against his cheek... It all felt so surreal as he turned around to see no roads, or other signs of civilization in view..
"I'm sorry, Butch."
He spun around to see Raina standing a few yards away.
"What are you sorry for?"
"I'm sorry that I had to do that to you.."
Butch remembered being clubbed on the head by Zack..
"Why did you do it? and why are you here now?"
"Because it was the safest way... I was trying to help you.."
"Safest way?"
"To get you into team rocket headquarters, of course..."
Butch thought about this for a moment... He knew that eventually he'd have had to go there..
"How'd we get way out there then? and how did you sneak up on me like that?"
Raina merely laughed as she walked up to Butch.
"Didn't you realize? this is a dream." Raina smiled as she stood before him and ran her fingers through the side of Butch's hair.
It sure felt real for a dream..
"Then how am I talking to you?"
Butch felt confused..
"There's no time.. you have to go now.."
Raina's eyes wandered down to the ground as she stood in front of Butch.
"and Butch.."
"Yeah?"
"Please kiss me.."
Butch had never been a romancer like James.. and he was always unsure of himself when it came to women, after all, he'd only kissed one other girl.. Raina looked back up at him, disappointment in her eyes..
Butch put his arms around her and gave her a long kiss.. When he let her go he could see her smile, but she didn't look back up.
"Butch.."
"Yeah?"
"Lives are like roads.. they cross and curve, sometimes they split.. sometimes they merge with others.. but every road has an end.. and you can only see as far as the next fork."
"..."
Raina still had her head turned down, and Butch lifted it up to see the tears on her face. She just turned a slight smile and said, "You've got to go now... when you wake up look for a loose panel on the ceiling.. it's your escape.."
Butch reached up to wipe a tear from her cheek as everything slowly faded to black.
"Be careful, Butch... The future is clouded..."
He had a splitting headache.. His vision was a little blurry, but it cleared after he'd sat up for a few seconds.
He was sitting on a cot in a rather cramped cell, about 7 feet high and 8 feet wide, with metallic walls, floor, and ceiling.. The only light intruding in came from outside the bars that comprised the entrance.
His clothes had been changed.. he was wearing a prison uniform that seemed more like white cotton pajamas.. and his feet were bare.
Remembering what Raina had told him in the dream he stood up looking around on the ceiling, and found a loose panel near the back of the cell.. He felt cool air rush in and past him as he pushed the panel open.
'Must be a ventilation duct' Butch thought to himself as he climbed in.
It was rather large for a ventilation duct, at least being 4 feet high and 3 feet wide.. However, Butch was grateful for the extra space as he began crawling through the darkness towards what appeared to be a grate ahead.
As he crawled he wondered where Jessie, James, and Meowth had been taken.. He hoped they were ok.. Then something else hit him. This should be the place where they were keeping Cassidy.. If only he could find her..
The cool air flowing past Butch was giving him goose bumps. It was rather cold, and he was wearing very few loose clothes..
When he reached the grate at the end of the tunnel Butch was presented with a choice..
He could see through the fins in the large grate that if he got out now he'd still be in the cell block, just out of his own cell. The duct also veered 90° to the left, and continued on in darkness..
Butch could see the cells in front of him were all empty, and there didn't seem to be any guards around. However, he decided to just stay in the cover of the duct for the time being, after all, if he got out of it, he'd be locked in the cell block instead of just a cell.
Butch continued on down the dark tunnel, it was very cold, and he hurried, making a little more noise than he wanted to..
Up ahead he made out a faint light though.. He hadn't been able to see it before because the grate he was next to was so bright.. but he could definitely see light about 50 yards ahead.. He continued to crawl on his hands and knees until he reached it, and looked out. It was a locker room.
He could barely hear a voice from the locker room as cool air rushed over his ears, but he made out something about payback for the bitch that hurt his knee over in r-45..
Butch didn't like the sound of it, but he waited until he saw the two men dressed in rocket guard uniforms exit the locker room..
As soon as he was sure they were far away, Butch pushed open the grate and slid out onto the white tiled locker room floor.
After several minutes of searching, he located an unsecured locker. "Jackpot.." Butch pulled out the black and red rocket thug uniform, black riot helmet, and combat boots.
Butch Managed to squeeze into the uniform, though it was a rather tight fit in some places.. and he thought he might have ripped a seam or two.. The boots, however, were just too small.. a size 10.. Butch wore a size 13. He tried to fit into them, but found walking to be extremely painful and decided to just put on the black socks instead and hope no one would notice.. Finally he put on the riot helmet, which fortunately was 'one size fits all'..
Butch had never worn a rocket thug uniform, as he and Cassidy were placed straight into a command position on team rocket so long ago.
Butch checked himself in a mirror.. He was almost passable, but he was missing his club. He searched around for one, but to no avail.. Butch finally decided to exit the locker room.
He walked out into the silence, the fluorescent lights flickering noticeably in places.
Butch didn't know where he was heading.. He walked along, looking at the sparsely distributed team rocket prisoners rotting in their cells..
Butch rounded a corner with a red stripe painted on the floor, and saw two guards further up the hall.
He was just about to turn around and head in the other direction when he saw them signal for him to walk over..
Butch walked over, trying to appear as normal as possible.
"Hey man... um, what happened to you boots?"
Both of the guards now gave Butch a looking over as they said this..
"Oh, I.. got them wet this morning.. soaking wet.. so I'm letting them dry... you won't tell anyone, will ya?"
The two guards just looked at him for a moment then laughed.
"What a drag," and added, "don't worry, we won't tell, we just need you to come over here for a minute and keep lookout for us."
"Oh? well.. all right." Butch realized they were the guards he'd heard talking earlier in the locker room, and he followed them to cell r-45.. Butch realized when they got there that the 'r' must stand for 'red' since there were red stripes periodically painted across the floor.
They arrived a small cell much like the one that Butch had been in, and he could see someone curled up in a green army blanket on a cot inside.
"Ok, you just stand out here, and watch.. if anyone comes you tell us, see?"
Butch nodded and the two guards quietly opened the cell door.
Butch looked down the hall then turned back to watch them as they pulled out their clubs. One of the guards stood in Butch's line of sight to the figure that appeared to be sleeping on the cot.
Butch saw the farther man lean down and could hear him say, "wake up.. it's time to die."
They kicked the cot over and Butch saw a young woman scramble to her feet, struggling as the first guard gripped her neck and lifted his club high to strike her.
A shock went through Butch's body as he quickly rushed into the cell. He grabbed the first guard's raised club jerking it out of his hand, and kicking the other guard as hard as he could in the kidney leaving him sprawled out on the floor in pain.
Then the first guard let go of the girl's neck and whipped around with a hook, but Butch easily caught his arm and punched him as hard as he could in the stomach, then chop kicked him in the back of the neck as he hunched over.
Butch looked down at the other guard, who was rolling around on the ground moaning as he held his kidney... "You're lucky I didn't kill you for what you were about to do..." Butch said, his voice trembling a little.
He finally turned his attention to Cassidy, she was sitting on the floor, her back against the cold metal wall, and she just looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
Butch knelt down beside her.. the guard still moaning on the floor only a few feet away.
"You ok?"
Cassidy just nodded and wrapped her arms around him, still crying.
"Why are you crying?" Butch put his arms around her, noticing she seemed to be a little skinnier than he remembered.
Cassidy pulled back a little and he could see her smile as her tears continued.
"Because you rescued me.. just like I knew you would.. just like i dreamed."
Butch smiled back at her.
"We should get out of here you know..."
She nodded and Butch stood up with her. She finally let go of him, and he searched the guards. They both had key cards. Butch stuffed them in his pocket knowing they'd probably need them. Then he shoved one of the clubs in his belt and stood back up. "Come on Cass," Butch said as he walked out of the cell.
When they were outside he locked the two guards in and they ran down the hall, Cassidy holding Butch's hand so he wouldn't run too fast for her.
"Is it always this empty in here?" Butch asked as they ran.
"No... not always.." Cassidy got out between breaths..
Butch knew she'd need a break soon, and they stopped when they found a door they could get into.
Butch used the key card and the lock popped open, granting them entrance.. to a surveillance room..
A wall of 25 black and white monitors greeted them.. each one displaying a different set of cells, periodically changing, apparently there were cameras everywhere that Butch hadn't even noticed.
"Hey.. is that Jessie?" Cassidy said pointing to monitor in the second row from the top.
"It sure is..." Butch looked at the readout on the monitor.. 'b-block'
They waited for several more minutes to see if James would show up on any of the screens as well, but once the camera shots repeated they gave up on it.
"You all right to go again?"
"Yeah.. just a little cold.." Cassidy said, hugging her arms..
Butch took off his rocket thug jacket and slipped it on her. Whereas it had looked much to small on him, it looked rather loose on her, but at least she was warm Butch thought to himself as they peered out the door and into the metallic hallway.
They continued down the hall, now with a destination, cell block B, even though Butch had no idea where that was..
Butch felt the solid cold steel floor under his bare feet, he'd also given Cassidy the socks he stole to keep her small feet warm.
He started to feel as if maybe he'd taken a wrong turn, however, as they seemed to run out of cell blocks and into what appeared to be a laboratory area..
Everything was still solid steel, but the barred cells had been replaced with doors. Every door had a small window in it, about ten inches on a side.
Cassidy seemed to be getting tired again, and Butch stopped so she could rest. They slipped into one of the unlocked doors and Cassidy gasped at what they saw...
Tanks of a milkish white liquid filled the room.. tubes and instruments running down into them.
Butch could see the outlines of human figures in them as well..
"What is this?" Cassidy said as they walked out into the room for a closer look.
"It must be the clones..."
"The clones?" In the short time that Raina had been talking with Cassidy, she had neglected to mention any clones..
"Giovanni.. he's not just cloning.. he's making human pokemon hybrids.."
Butch looked down at the outline of one figure in a tank and saw what appeared to be horny growths out of it's skin..
"Lets get out of here.." Cassidy pleaded as she pulled on his arm.
"Ok, lets go..." Butch said as he turned around..
"Too late!"
Zack was standing in front of the door with 5 rock-men like the ones that Butch had fought with back at lab34..
Butch and Cassidy stood there for a moment, then quickly turned towards the back of the room and ran past the many tanks that filled it.
"Stay behind me, Cass.." Butch looked around and could find nothing to use as a weapon except the club he'd taken from the guards, but he knew it wouldn't do much good against the opponents..
"Butch, in here!"
Butch turned around and saw Cassidy holding open a flap that said "emergency escape" on it.. 'Better odds than staying..' Butch thought to himself and Jumped in, and she quickly following after him..
Zack laughed, "They won't make it far.."
Cassidy landing on him, combined with the impact of hitting the floor knocked the breath out of Butch for a moment.
"You ok?" Cassidy asked rolling off of him.
"Yeah.. I'll be fine.." Butch said sitting up next to her..
Butch looked around and felt a chill run down his spine..
"Deja vu.."
"What?"
"Nothin." Butch looked around him.. he and Cassidy were sitting in what appeared to be a dark metallic hallway.. the only source of light were two small strips of lights that ran on either side of the floor as far as his eyes could strain to see.. The ceiling was high and dark.. so dark he wasn't sure if he was looking at the ceiling or just the darkness.. and it was deathly quiet..
Butch and Cassidy stood up and started walking down the hall, their feet making almost no sound at all..
"Did you hear that?"
Butch stopped to listen..
"No.. what was it?"
"It sounded like footsteps.."
"Well then let's keep going."
Cassidy held onto Butch's arm and they continued walking down the seemingly endless hall..
Then Butch heard it again.. this time clearer..
"Did you hear it that time?"
Cassidy just nodded with a scared look on her face..
It seemed a little strange to Butch just how scared she was..
"Come on.."
Butch and Cassidy began to run down the hall, their feet falling against the cold metal floor was now audible.. and they continued to hear the footsteps.. They sounded like dress shoes on the cold steel floor.
Butch heard the footsteps stop and felt a slightly relieved as he and Cassidy continued to run straight ahead..
Then a shock went though his body as Giovanni himself stepped into their path from a side hall. Giovanni quickly struck Butch in the chest, knocking him to his back.
Cassidy tried to attack him, but he shrugged her weak punches off and backhanded her hard against the side of the hall.
Giovanni pulled out his handgun, and pointed it straight at Butch.
It was like a dream, and Butch tried to scramble away as Giovanni pulled the trigger in slow motion.. an evil smile on his face..
Then something happened that Butch would never forget as long as he lived..
As Butch sat there on the floor.. The funeral shot awaiting him, Raina flew out of the same shadowy hall that Giovanni had.. Taking a bullet that was meant for him.
Giovanni's face was awash with confusion for a moment.. then slumped to his knees, his expression twisted in pain, as he bent over Raina.
"My God.. what have I done... my only daughter..." Giovanni said as he held his face in his hands...
Butch was numb.. the whole thing had only taken a couple of seconds, and he'd never seen Giovanni show any hint of emotion. But the thing that confused Butch most was what he'd said.. "my only daughter.." The words rang over and over in Butch's head as he sat motionless on the floor.
Then Giovanni slumped forward. Instantly dead from a bullet in the heart.. Butch looked past him to see Zack standing about ten yards away..
Zack was trembling as he walked up to the bodies.
Zack said nothing, but bent down to touch Raina's cheek then turned his gun to himself, and that quickly, there were three.
The whole time he'd watched in shock.. helpless to do anything...
Butch crawled into the pool of blood and pushed Giovanni's corpse off of Raina.. He was surprised to feel a slight pulse when he touched her wrist.
"Raina... can you hear me?"
Raina had been shot in almost the same place as the Cassidy clone had.. and Butch knew she didn't have long..
"Raina.. why'd you do it?"
"Don't worry, Butch.. they're all free.." Raina spoke in a soft voice.
"Why'd you save me?"
"You must leave... there's a bomb.. don't worry.. I freed them all" Raina said as she slowly pointed her left hand towards the side hall she and Giovanni had come from.
Butch put a hand on her cheek, "Why, Raina..?"
"Because I love you." she formed a weak smile on her lips and closed her eyes...
Butch closed his eyes too and pushed back his guilt as he stood up.. He had to get Cassidy out of there..
Cassidy was still lying where Giovanni had left her, unconscious. Butch picked her light body up in his arms as he remembered doing several days prior, and ran down the dark hall..
After about 150 yards it ended in a T with another hall... Butch looked to his left and saw what appeared to be a red glowing exit sign. He turned and ran towards it.. and he noticed Cassidy waking up in his arms.
"Are you all right to run?" Butch asked between hard breaths.
Cassidy just leaned her head against his shoulder and said, "can't you carry me just a little while longer?"
Butch smiled as they approached the exit and he kicked the door open.
Butch remembered walking the same path with her years earlier when they'd first joined team rocket. It seemed like another lifetime thinking back about the two children they were when they'd joined..
Butch also thought about Raina.. and how she'd given her own life to save his.. and about Zack.. The look on Zack's face..
Butch sighed, but felt Cassidy's hand in his own, and saw her smile up to him. Butch smiled back.
Butch wondered about what Raina had said to him back in that dark hallway.. He knew he didn't really love her..
The lights were on in the motel room, and the familiar red van was outside.
Butch knocked on the door and a few seconds later Jessie threw the door open with a joyous squeal.
"You two are alive!" she said as she hugged Cassidy. James appeared behind her with a smile on his face.
"Sure you've got the real one?"
"Huh?" Cassidy said as Jessie let her go.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Butch said to James as the two walked in to see Mondo and Meowth smiling from the back of the room.
"Well guys, Butch and Cass must be pretty tired.. why don't we let em get some rest?" James motioned everyone towards the door.
"We'll be right next door if you need anything." James said with a grin, and winked at them as he leaned back in the door for a moment before he slid out.
Butch and Cassidy sat there in silence for a few moments, then Butch asked if she'd like to take her shower first. Cassidy accepted the offer, then remembered that she didn't have any clothes except what she was wearing.
"Here, these are for you." Butch smiled as he pulled Cassidy's bag out from under the bed.
Cassidy looked through the clothes for a minute and hugged him, "Thanks"
She got up and took the bag into the bathroom. Butch heard the shower start and he got up to walk outside. He knew she'd be awhile.
As Butch stepped out the door he saw James already there, leaning forward resting his forearms on the rail.
"Everything all right?" James asked without turning around.
"Yeah.. just fine," Butch responded as he leaned his back against the rail a couple of feet away from him.
"What happened to Raina?"
Butch sighed and answered slowly, "She's dead... she took Giovanni's bullet.. the one that was meant for me.."
James turned around to lean back on the rail like Butch was, "But you're all right?"
"Yeah.. I'm fine.. but I almost wish she wouldn't have done it.."
"Why's that?"
"Because I don't think I would have done it for her.."
"Well, Butch.. Maybe she knew that.."
Butch didn't respond..
"Maybe she just loved you enough that she wanted you to live and be happy.." James though a moment then smiled and adding, "Maybe she knew that if it had been you that had died in there, there'd be two beautiful young heartbroken women.."
Butch sighed, James always seemed so right about things like these.
James balanced on the rail a little so he could put his arm around Butch's tall shoulders.
"She bought your life back with her own, Butch.. Make sure the price she paid was worth it.. She'd want you to be happy."
Butch smiled and put his arm around James' shoulder too, friends like Butch had didn't just drop out of the sky, and he felt truly lucky to be alive.