[attr="class","beck"]the HEAT WAVE continues.

"i hear merlino cares."

he tilts his head and meets the invitation.

"but you're avoiding the question."

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"I did learn from the best."

The Grimmsnarl collapses. He's called back quick. The Clefable trembles.

"I don't know how I feel about you."

The inviting look melts away, something ugly and unsure hidden away underneath.

His smiles have always been for show.

"You made me into something ugly and terrible that I never wanted to be."

But that was all of them, wasn't it?

"But I realized over time that you did what you could to keep me alive, too."

[attr="class","beck"]"you kept yourself alive."

he watches as choi's team begins to succumb to the pain.

"but i did my best to help."

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"I was a child who bit off more than I could chew."

A sigh.

He calls the two remaining pokemon back.

"Beckett, what do you think an Underbosses job is?"

[attr="class","beck"]again, a click stops the HEAT WAVE.

the question is odd but he thinks little of it.

"to help lead, i suppose."

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"It is. But how do we do that? What do you think Gavin or myself spend our time doing?"

Twist. Circle. Lead him into it.

[attr="class","beck"]"training, conditioning," are the first two that escape him, naturally. he adds another just to balance it.

"planning."

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"And part of those things are ensuring that we have people, Admins, who will follow orders when we're not there ourselves to give them."

It slumbers, but still it wants. It wants so badly.

[attr="class","beck"]"i trust our admins know better than to disobey orders."

his eyes drift to choi.

"unless?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"I would certainly hope they do."

Another smile cuts his face like a knife.

"I wouldn't know. The last two I've only found out they were promoted after the fact."

[attr="class","beck"]is it resentment? spite?

"something the matter, choi?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi

"Ple-"

He winced, a cough cutting off his words. A hand raised to his head, pain stabbing through his skull.

Blood dripped down his chin, leaking from his nose. Thick, round drops splattered on the floor between them.

[attr="class","beck"]"choi."

uncertainty is what closes the distance between them.

"what's happening?"

[attr="class","noodles"]Chu-e Choi