It’s hard to fly under the radar when you’re good at your job. That’s the sort of thing that got Lex tangled in the cobwebs of Rocket in the first place. When you got results, others noticed. That also meant that when you failed, they scrutinized it even harder.

Another reason Lex actually feared her promotion. She’s been victim to the wrath of upset underbosses. Perhaps it made her stronger, but it certainly shattered her trust. There’s only one person she trusted: Killian Decker. All the others she thread around with caution. Parker would be no different.

That why when she speaks of getting the information from the target himself, Lex smile, quirking a brow in interest, “Oh really? I’ll just sit back and watch then,” A joke, obviously. Fine. She’d be ready in case Parker failed – standard protocol.

Lex pushes off the wall she’s leaning on, moonlight casting shadows over her hardened features, “I’ll take the back, you take the front. We’ll work our way up. If they make it to the roof, I’ll have measures in place to ensure they don’t escape.”

parker jones

Lex offers Parker a small nod as she turns to leave, “See ya,” it’s likely too late for the woman to hear her, but Lex doesn’t make an effort to repeat it. Her amber gaze locks on as the woman disappears, catching a glimpse of the Corvisquire as it flutters after the trio.

As Lex makes her way to the back, she only finds one grunt taking his smoke break. He leans beside the warehouse’s back door, white smoke curling up into the dull light barely clinging to life.

In stark contrast to Parker’s approach Lex has always favored stealth, perhaps that’s why she had a penchant for ghost-types and her other pokemon were used sparingly, mostly in the underground battle scene.

Dark mist dances around her ankles as she moves forward through the shadows. Before the man is able to recognize Lex stepping out into the light, he’s hit like a freight train by the Haunter’s SUCKER PUNCH. The ghost materializes into this plane, her tongue hanging freely like a panting dog, “Good, keep going,” just like the obedient ghost she is, the Haunter phases through the brick and begins terrorizing the few that remained inside. Most had been drawn to the front by Parker’s violent entrance.

By the time Lex enters the back, Wisp the Haunter is already hovering over a sleeping female and her Houndour. Drool drips from the edges of the haunter’s mouth, starving for a taste of its prey, “Sure,” she gives it permission to feast as she moves past the pokemon and towards the front of the building to see how Parker is fairing.

Wisp digs in, devouring their DREAMS and sanity.

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Parker puts on quite the show and Lex is not disappointed when she walks into the front room to see the mess she had made of the poor lackies that got in her way. A brief visual sweep tells her they’re knocked out cold which gives Lex some solace.

“Impressive,” the Beast’s nod of approval is quickly stripped away by an annoyed scowl. Beastie. “Don’t call me that,” she hisses before she turns on her heels to move back towards the stairs.

The shouts are hard to make out, but there’s no mistaking they are the sound of panic. As they cross through the threshold the Haunter greets them, drool pooled at the corner if its lips, “Wipe your face and get up there,” her hand motioned towards the higher levels. A rogue hand smears the drool across her face. Instead of the stairs, the Haunter floats up, phasing through the ceiling and out of sight.

A brief flash of light release another ghost to the party. The floating sword quick adjusts, bringing a shining gold shield in front of it’s more vulnerable core, “I don’t expect a warm welcome,” the ghost agrees, being the first to climb the stairs, a shimmering WIDE GUARD protecting them from the onslaught of attacks they are likely about to face.

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The screams are music to Lex’s ears. It makes her smile as her gaze shifts up to the ceiling. Wisp was doing an excellent job for simply being a Haunter. She, admittedly, expected less from the ghost as they had not had too much time to train together. Luckily, she’s a natural.

A blast flames nearly makes her flinch, but the known WIDE GUARD offers protection to the small group. Parker’s Blaziken easily dispatches the Charmeleon in an impressive CLOSE COMBAT. Perhaps Lex should have her own Blaziken train with Parker’s. The fire-type could use more one on one experience from a seasoned fighter.

“Hmph,” she scowls as the screams die. That either meant Wisp was finished, of she was now engaged in her own combat and couldn’t terrorize them any longer. Either way, Lex rushes past the Aegislash to peer over the ledge of the stairs. She sees one body lying on the floor, assumingely the trainer of the Charmeleon. Another humanoid figure, a GALLADE, has the Haunter pinned to the ground with PSYCHIC. The Gallade’s trainer points a gun in Lex’s direction before she quickly dips back down, “Down!” she warns.

POP. POP. POP.

The wood above her head splinters with the impact of the bullets, “Get,” the ghost phases into the floor, it’s SHADOW SNEAKING across the wood until it rises behind the man. A cold, ghostly force explodes from its glowing eyes, sending the man hurling forward towards Parker’s pokemon.

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In a similar fashion, Lex’s face twists in discomfort at the sickening crunch of the grunt hitting the floor. The powerful kick of the Blaziken no doubt crushed a few bones which is what he deserved for shooting at them.

After a moment of silence and no warning from the pokemon, it seems safe to continue upwards, “Hmph,” she grunts, casting a glance towards the man on the floor. Her Haunter floats towards her as she rounds the staircase. It seems tired, a drip of ectoplasm slowly streaming from the corner of her mouth. The thought of switching pokemon crosses her mind but she doesn’t act on it The Haunter needed the experience and needed to learn to keep going despite the discomfort.

“Not bad at all,” the red head smiles, casting a glance down the hall after Remus. Lex could feel her heart pounding in her chest. It’s quite exhilarating.

Her gaze turns up towards the ceiling as the pounding of feet thunders down the hall above them. It seems the ‘boss’ is on the move, “We better get to the roof,” her gaze shifts to the Haunter. She understands what Lex asks and drifts up again, phasing through the ceiling towards the upper most floor then, eventually, the roof where another Lex's ghosts waits.

parker jones

All Lex can do is grin at the mention of ghosts. Misunderstood creatures, they were. Lex had learned to love them. She didn’t start out preferring them as partners, that came with time. It was Killian Decker that gifted her the first ghost on her team, Smoke, when he was still a little Gastly. The two have been inseparable since. They worked well together, valuing the same tactics: stealth, speed, and the element of surprise.

“Good,” she grinned. Surprisingly, it had a hint of playfulness in it when she glanced back at Parker. The Beast found it mildly amusing when her ghosts made other uncomfortable, that meant they were doing their job.

The Aegislash stays close to their side, ready to defend if the need arises, which is doesn’t. The grunts on the roof are already flustered in confusion – quite literally. The Haunter can be seen floating, cackling in amusement at the effects of its CONFUSE RAY.

Parker immediately lunges towards a grunt and Lex pauses to assess the situation. Three grunts, four including Parker’s latest victim. Three seem confused, and past them Lex spots the retreating figure dressed in a more business-like suit. The boss?

He ducks behind an air vent.

A confused grunt tries to grab the Haunter, but she strikes first with a SUCKER PUNCH. Idiot.

“The boss is getting away,” likely with the information they need. Lex stalks forward past the two remaining grunts that seemed to be petting each other’s cheeks in wonder and confused amazement, “Take care of ‘em,” she orders the Haunter, always preferring to clean up her loose ends so they don’t haunt her later.

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