no.

if this had been further along the timeline, maybe barnaby would've been spared the pain of what's to come. of what happens when orders aren't blindly followed.

shades of kanto come to fruition.

after pinching the cigarette between his lips, freeing his hands, he snaps forward for the back of barnaby's neck to slam his head down against the trunk.

he inhales, exhales, and lets the cigarette fall to the ground.

"give me the gun."

BARNABY FINCH
mission!

☉

He'd expected a rebuttal of some sort, of course. Maybe a verbal reprimand or further discussion. In Kalos, this is what his superiors had done when Barnaby had challenged them in some way. He realized early on that his family's position in ROCKET had granted him leeway in the organization for years. And he'd taken advantage of it.

Here in Hoenn, however, his father's influence did not reach. It was a lesson he would learn the hard way.

Reacting to THEO BECKETT 's sudden movement, Barnaby shifted his stance and took a step backwards - ultimately, though, he wasn't quick enough to escape. Flesh met metal with a sickening thud.

A second of disorientation, then almost immediate, throbbing pain. It was a sensation heightened by the grip holding him against the trunk of the car.

Reflexively, Barnaby's free hand reached up and clamped around the admin's wrist. His other hand still held the gun. A passing instinct willed him to use it on Theo. But the repercussions of such a thing weighed on him too much for that instinct to win over.

Instead, he replied to the admin's demand with one of his own. His eyes were wild, his voice a seething growl as the words left his lips.

"Let. Me. Go."

THEO BECKETT
mission: RECRUITMENT: ACT I

☉

resistance is to be expected. it's natural, after all, to fight back against a threat unfamiliar. where some would concede, barnaby stands his ground, stubborn and defiant even in the face of death.

"things are different here than they are in kalos. there are consequences to disobedience. step out of line and pay the price. the sooner you understand, the better."

despite barnaby's hand clamped around his wrist, his own grip tightens, squeezing. he kicks at barnaby's ankle to strengthen his hold.

"give. me. the gun."

BARNABY FINCH
mission!

☉

Barnaby felt Theo's fingers strengthen their hold around his neck and, with it, the partial restriction of his breathing. His own grip tightened in response, but was soon forced to loosen from the suddenness of the admin's kick. His foot was knocked from under him, leaving gravity to further pin him to the car.

"step out of line and pay the price."

An indignant fury burned inside of BARNABY FINCH.

But as much as he wanted to escalate the situation, he knew that the consequences of doing so wouldn't be proportional to the satisfaction of seeing THEO BECKETT doubled-over on the ground. God, it was tempting, though.

Inevitably, logic won out and Barnaby conceded. With a begrudging sigh, he lifted his arm and placed the gun on top of the trunk.

"There."

He almost spat the word out.

"Now get your hands off me."

THEO BECKETT
mission: RECRUITMENT: ACT I

☉

finally, the situation begins to level out with one side conceding. the ever-changing scale of control and power tilts in his favor, and with submission blooms obedience. or at least it should.

in barnaby's case, however? theo doubts it.

but he relents his hold, fingers slowly lifting off barnaby's precious neck. his other hand reaches for the gun. he lifts it, presses it against barnaby's head.

"good."

and pulls the trigger.

BARNABY FINCH
mission!

☉

As the barrel pressed against his head, Barnaby's entire world collided into a milliseconds worth of time. Before he could even react, without even being given the chance to beg for his life, everything froze all at once. His breath caught in his throat, his eyes widened, then—

Click.

The sound echoed in his mind, deafening.

Click...

Click...

Click...

Death did not come for BARNABY FINCH on this day. Instead, he flinched against the cold metal of a gun, unloaded and unable to take his life. Seconds passed, feeling like an eternity, as realization set in. This had been a ruse. A sick test.

What a misguided way to introduce him to Hoenn ROCKET. It left an acrid, metallic taste in Barnaby's mouth. Actually, part of that was from swallowing blood after being slammed against the car. Already bruises were beginning to bloom along his left cheekbone and eye socket.

A hand went to shove the admin's arm out of the way, to try and put much-needed distance between them. If possible, he'd right himself before striking THEO BECKETT with an enraged glare.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Accusatory. Disbelieving. Incensed.

THEO BECKETT
mission: RECRUITMENT: ACT I

☉

quite a number of things, depending on the person being asked. but since it's theo himself, he shrugs a shoulder, letting the gun fall back down to his side.

"when orders are given, you listen. you obey. the sooner you understand, the better."

his other hand slides into his coat to pull out a magazine. he slides the existing one out, swapping it before loading the gun.

"because the next time, the gun will almost definitely be loaded, and i'd hate to see your life come to an end this early."

theo points the gun at the trunk and fires twice.

"am i understood?"

BARNABY FINCH
mission!

☉

As THEO BECKETT reached into his coat and pulled out a magazine, Barnaby's body instinctively stiffened. As he slid it into the gun, he took an involuntary step back, bumping into the taillight of the car. As the admin levelled the barrel toward him, everything inside of Barnaby told him to react. To do something.

Even as the trigger was pulled he found himself stuck in place. Frozen. Fearful. Pathetic.

Barnaby flinched. Again. Because how could he not? The sound of gunfire so close made his ears ring in a suffocating cacophony. With the ringing came the realization, too, that Theo did not make idle threats.

Through gritted teeth, BARNABY FINCH gave his final concession of the night. For a man who'd built his career on empty words, somehow this one was painfully difficult to utter.

"... Understood."

THEO BECKETT
mission: RECRUITMENT: ACT I

☉

understood.

about time.

too numb and indifferent to care otherwise about the body in the back of the car, theo simply steps away, pocketing the gun in his blazer before looking at barnaby.

"take care of the body. keys are in the ignition."

a light scratches, igniting another cigarette before he turns and makes his exit.

"welcome to rocket."

BARNABY FINCH
mission!

☉