[attr="class","rubyw"]

Ruby had never had much of a sleep schedule aside from preferring the cooler Orre evenings and nights, but ever since she'd joined Team Rocket, even that had been thrown out the window. On some days, she was out late doing jobs that the higher-ups wanted to keep out of the public eye. On others, she was stuck under the humid heat of Hoenn's sun either because of a wild Pokémon's habits or because someone had decided that Rocket needed a publicity boost. Tonight would be one of the former types of days, which would be better if the humidity would actually clear out and let things cool down. She didn't think she'd ever stop hating this sticky feeling, no matter how long she lived in the region.

[break][break]Apparently, some Rockets who'd been skimming off the top of the group's profits had holed up in a cabin in the shadow of Mt. Chimney, so it was up to Ruby and her assigned partner to beat some sense into them. And this is why you don't piss off the people you're working for, she thought as she hiked down Route 112 in the growing darkness. Just for this special occasion, she'd decided to bring along her trusty nailbat, which she held over her shoulder with one hand as she walked. Even she had to admit it was pretty impractical for a weapon, especially when you threw Pokémon into the mix, but these days, it was mostly used to show that she meant business. And if she got to hit someone with it? Hey, even better. As long as the nails didn't get caught in her victim's clothes. Or skin. That was always a pain in the ass.

[break][break]She spotted Onyx sitting up from his place on the ground where Ruby had been told to meet up. How long had he been there?

[break][break]"Sleeping on the job?" she teased.

[attr="class","rigidw"]

Onyx heard her walking up before she introduced herself, turning to look at her with glaring, permanently unimpressed eyes. His attention was drawn to the large, gnarly bat she had resting over her shoulder.
[break][break]
“They don’t move much during the day,” he said, by means of explanation, looking away from her and back down to the cabin down the slope. “Or at least, they didn’t.” He bends down to rifle through his pack, pulling out a pair of leather gloves and a silver flask.
[break][break]
“They went quiet, a day or so ago.” He pours some cold water out of the flask and splashes it across his face, dragging at the bags under his eyes. “Dead quiet.” There’s a redness to the bridge of his nose that hints at the beginning of a sunburn.
[break][break]
He knew the signs of a job gone bad well enough. Operations like this don't stagnate to total stillness in the span of a day without something going horribly off the rails.
[break][break]
“I don’t have high hopes for what we’ll find down there,” he says, tugging on his gloves, “but I’m certain it won’t be pretty. Think you can handle it?”
[break][break]
It isn’t out of any false sense of camaraderie or care. He doesn’t work with fainters. Or vomiters, for that matter.

[attr="class","rubyw"]

As someone with a resting bitch face herself, Ruby was unfazed by Onyx's glare. Actually, it was kind of relieving to see such a serious expression. It felt like she'd been stuck with a bunch of goofballs lately, so being paired up with someone who at least looked like he knew what he was doing put her at ease.

[break][break]She followed his gaze to the cabin below as he explained the situation. She faintly noticed the redness on his nose but didn't comment—it wasn't any of her business if he got a sunburn from sleeping out in the open like that. The bags under his eyes told her that it hadn't been a very restful nap, either.

[break][break]"You didn't see them leave or anything?" she asked. "Anyone else go in?" Ruby wasn't an expert on scouting by any means, but going dead quiet could mean a few things. One, they had been waiting for a chance to slip away unnoticed. Doing that in the daytime was risky, even with the watch asleep. Two, they were already gone, and "gone" had a few definitions itself. But Ruby wasn't here to play detective.

[break][break]"Wouldn't have brought this if I couldn't handle that." She shrugged her shoulder to emphasize her weapon. She'd expected to be the one doing the beating, but from the way Onyx spoke, she'd have to prepare to see the worst down there. That was just part of life. A fucked-up part, yeah, but a part nonetheless. "Let's go."

[attr="class","rigidw"]

It was a nice rapport they had, both trying their hardest to look as uninterested and angry as possible, without actually trying. It was comforting in the way death is, when it comes at the end of suffering. In this way, Ruby was right-- Onyx wouldn’t know a sense of humor if it punched him in the face.
[break][break]
“No,” he said, and though his voice was deep and gruff, it wasn’t sharp. Just tired, effective, worn. It was a valid question, not one of his capabilities. He could respect that assessment in anyone just about as much as he respected anyone at all. “We’ve been watching.”
[break][break]
He sticks his gloved fingers in his mouth and whistled-- a shrill, cut-off noise that could be mistaken for a bird call. A second later and a dark shadow catching the last of the sun’s orange light sweeps over them. It circles back, hovers, and then Ziadem lands next to him, rising up to her full height and fixing Ruby with an ominous black eye.
[break][break]
He nodded his assent and walked into the brush at the edge of his camp ledge-- dark brambles and scrub, a pale stone birch jutting up, gnarled and white. He led Ruby to a steep but traversable downward path, taking care to make as little noise as possible. Zia ruffled her feathers and lifted into the air again.
[break][break]
The path led them down the cut of the mountain to the dark earth below, hind right of the cabin. Onyx uncurled a Pokeball in his hand, settling into a crouch, as he crawled closer. The back of the cabin had a smattering of covered windows and a door with a small step cut out of the square of the building-- an extraneous exit, no dormer or circumstance.
[break][break]
He reeled back, preparing to launch the Pokeball, when a flash of silver to his left made him freeze.
[break][break]
The Absol crunched from the brush and stalked across their path, regarding them with a cold, red glare. It paused, there, between them and their target.

[attr="class","rubyw"]

Looking uninterested and/or angry had become default for Ruby at this point. It made her job easier.

[break][break]She nodded at Onyx's answer. She'd figured as much, but she still had to ask to be sure. Poor bastard sounded just as tired as he looked, too, but again, Ruby kept her mouth shut. He could sleep after this mission was done, assuming he was still capable of doing so.

[break][break]She raised an inquisitive brow at his whistling, then looked up with thinly veiled surprise at the shadow that passed over them. A Corviknight landed next to Onyx and rose up to her impressive full height. Ruby smirked. "Nice Pokémon." She meant it, too. Corviknight were strong and intimidating, and this one already looked like it meant business. Even though they were on the same side, Ruby could feel that fight-or-flight tension already bubbling up in her muscles, but it was easily tamped back down. She had to save that energy for whatever was waiting for them down below.

[break][break]As she followed Onyx through the brush and down the steep path, she ghosted her fingers over her Poké Ball belt. She had no idea what to expect of their opponents, assuming they were still around, nor did she know what kind of team Onyx was packing aside from the Corviknight in the darkening skies above. (And there was a thought: She should get a good Flying-type of her own for scouting. Sure, Delphi could fly, but given her battle-hungry nature, Ruby doubted she'd even try proper recon.) After a few seconds of thought, she settled on taking Arachne's Poké Ball in hand.

[break][break]But then Onyx froze, and Ruby followed his gaze to—"You're fucking kidding me," she whispered when she met eyes with the Absol. Absol were a more and more common sight these days with just how much of a shitshow the region had become. But here? Now? Why? Her first instinct was to look toward the volcano. Vaguely, she recalled her sister's sad voice telling her about how Absol were misunderstood, how they were merely sensitive to the changes in the environment that preceded natural disasters but were mistaken for the bringers of those same calamities. But right now, that mattered less than the immediate issue: There was an Absol here, staring right at them, and wherever there was an Absol, there was bound to be a disaster.

[break][break]Unless it was standing guard for the people inside the cabin. She wasn't sure which would be worse. She kept a tight grip on Arachne's Poké Ball, ready to release the Araquanid at the first sign of a warning cry or something.

[attr="class","rigidw"]

He felt the press of air as Ruby pulled to a stop
behind him, heard her exhalation and echoed it himself in his head. He thought, at first, the Absol was an advanced warning sign-- a Pokemon that belonged to
the target, hidden in plain sight, hunting the hunters.
[break][break]
But it was too calm. Too placid. It lowered its head, regarding the pair of them with a sedate intelligence, then emitted a soft growl, low in its throat. In a few strides it was moving, again, clearing the cliff faces and up and away in seconds.
[break][break]
Onyx released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. All at once, like the breaking of a spell, he released Mephites, his Stunky, and continued up to the door. “Ominous,” he said, on the back half of a laugh.
[break][break]
He tried the door handle. It was locked. He sighed, dropping to a knee and pulling a lock-picking kit from inside his jacket.
[break][break]
Mephites hid behind Ruby’s legs, shy.
[break][break]
The doorknob finally came unlocked with a click and Onyx turned it with a slow, steady hand. As the pale-green composite door slid back from the black weather stripping in the doorway seams, a rush of foul, heated air escaped into the wild with a poisonous sigh.
[break][break]
It smelled like rot.
[break][break]
Onyx winced as it rushed into his face; he turned the expression into a scowl as he stood and pushed the door in fully. It opened about ¾ of the way before it hit a snag-- a dead body, to be exact.
[break][break]
Three corpses-- two in view, one behind the door-- lay on the cabin floor, pallid and rancid in death. Sticky blood, blackened with age, congealed beneath them. Smatters of it were on the walls, the furniture (a coffee table, a ratty recliner, and three lawn chairs), the ceiling. It was just the one room-- they could see clear across to the front door. A set up stairs sat on the back wall going up to a second story

[attr="class","rubyw"]

Ruby's muscles tensed at the Absol's growl, but then the Dark-type bounded up the cliffs and out of sight. Okay, so it was wild. Again, Ruby didn't know if that was better or worse than the alternative.

[break][break]"Yeah, no kidding," Ruby said in response, though her words lacked any kind of laughter.

[break][break]At least Onyx had been smart enough to bring a lock-picking kit when it turned out the door was, understandably, locked. She glanced back at the Stunky hiding shyly behind her legs and sighed through her nose before putting Arachne's Poké Ball back and instead sending out Cerberus. Unlike the shy Stunky, Cerberus boldly stood at Ruby's side, eyes closely watching the door. Yet he quickly sensed that something was wrong. There was an unpleasant smell behind the door that made him growl and lower his stance. Ruby tightened her grip on her bat at that.

[break][break]But rather than immediate danger, the stale, rancid air that met them whispered of death that had already passed over and left them far behind. Ruby reflexively covered the lower half of her face with one hand. Cerberus's growl cut off as he was hit with the stench. The source of the smell was immediately evident: two bloodied corpses in view, their blood having run black.

[break][break]"No fucking wonder they went quiet," Ruby muttered.

[break][break]Cerberus's sense of smell was all but useless with rot flooding the air, but he still had his ears, which twitched in anticipation of some kind of enemy. A set of stairs on the back wall went up to a second floor. Someone had obviously killed these people, but who? And where were they now?

[attr="class","rigidw"]

Onyx forced himself to take shallow inhales through a slim part in his lips, the rancid scent of rot and vomit vinegar-sharp in his nostrils. Even faced with such blatant cruelty, his mind was still working, whirling. It was too open for traps or pitfalls. There didn’t even seem to be any electricity-- no generator, no wires. The only light was from the fading sunset outside, streaming in through the windows.
[break][break]
He’s careful to avoid the puddles of congealing fluids as he steps into the cabin proper. “I didn’t see anyone come out,” Onyx said, voice quiet in the gloom, “so be on your guard.”
[break][break]
The blood spatter is uneven, and irregular. Some of it in a long line on the wall, some purple-red starbursts on the ceiling. Multiple weapons, multiple means of execution.
[break][break]
Mephites poked her head in, tail twitching; when Onyx had made his way to the bottom of the stairs, she dashed across the floor, zigging and zagging around the morbid obstacles, until she could hide at his ankles. He pressed his foot onto the first step slowly, so as not to have it loudly creak; then the next, then the next, until he was at the top. Back against the wall, he looked down across the railing at Ruby--
[break][break]
--he and Mephites whipped round the corner, the Stunky pointing her hind end at whatever lay behind it. Nothing jumped out at him or caught his eye. There was a short hallway with an empty room at the opposite end, a tiny, postage stamp of a thing.
[break][break]
He opened his mouth to call out all clear when the ratty recliner thumped once, like something underneath it was trying to get out. A moment later and it went flying as a trap door concealed below it flew open; the recliner hit the ground with a loud crash. Up through the black square of the hidden door came a Sandslash, hurtling out with breakneck speed.
[break][break]
It saw Ruby first, launching itself at her with vicious claws outstretched; behind it was the sound of flooring getting ripped up as the gold-and-red bladed head of a Haxorus tried to follow, but part of its scythed cranium wedged in the floor, too large for the trap door.

[attr="class","rubyw"]

Ruby nodded at Onyx's warning. Nobody had come in or out, huh? So, what, had the whole thing been a trap from the get-go? And were the assailants still waiting inside? Ruby followed Onyx's example and breathed shallowly through her mouth as the stench fully caught up to her. Ugh. Ruby was far from squeamish, but this was something else. She swallowed back bile and forced herself to focus. If she didn't, she'd end up like one of these poor bastards.

[break][break]She took stock of the single-roomed first floor. A third corpse lay behind the front door like a macabre doorstop. Blood was streaked on the walls and even splattered on the ceiling. What the hell had killed these people for that to happen? She held her breath and moved closer to one of the corpses to check their wounds. It almost looked like they'd been slashed open by something thick and sharp. Claws, maybe? Ruby wasn't a pathologist, so she could only vaguely guess.

[break][break]From downstairs, Cerberus heard the thump of the recliner. He perked his ears up and spun toward the source of the sound with a growl, but Ruby had little time to react to the warning. There was a crash, and then a Sandslash all but flew into view and launched itself claws-first at Ruby. Cerberus acted fast, running in front of his trainer and letting out a Roar to knock it back, causing it to tumble to the floor.

[break][break]"Good boy," Ruby said. "Now Beat it Up!"

[break][break]Cerberus tilted his head back and let out a howl that gathered dark energy at his snout. It spread out to cover his body like an aura, but pieces of it broke off to wrap around Ruby's Poké Balls. One by one, Ruby's other Pokémon popped out, aimed a single strike at the Sandslash, and were called back into their Balls. It ended with Cerberus charging forward to deliver the final bite.

[break][break]Upstairs, the Haxorus knelt down and then slammed its head into the floor above, breaking through more of the floorboards until a suitably Haxorus-sized hole was created for it to climb through. It couldn't do much in its current position, but it did flash a Scary Face at Onyx and Mephites.

[attr="class","rigidw"]
[break][break]
Onyx didn’t have time to see if Ruby could handle herself or not. She hadn’t vomited yet, at least, so that was an X in the win column.
[break][break]
No, Onyx was more focused on the angry dragon making short work of the trapdoor, slicing up half-rotten floorboard and scrabbling to hoist its large body up into the room proper, claws leaving gouges in the wood.
[break][break]
It heaved a breath, left foot crushing down on an errant corpse’s skull, and fixed Onyx and Mephites with a scary face. Mephites gave a squeak and backed up, hiding behind Onyx’s ankles; Onyx narrowed his eyes and grabbed Mordekaiser’s ball from his belt, hurling it at the Haxorus’ face.
[break][break]
The Gabite erupted with a fierce roar, landing on the Haxorus from above, hitting it hard in the chest with Take Down. Though lighter, Mord had the impetus advantage, and the Haxorus fell backward to the ground with a crash and a scream. Its tail lashed angrily, knocking the coffee table flying, sending dust and wood and blood splattering and splintering everywhere.
[break][break]
“Mord, dragon breath!”
[break][break]
Mordekaiser screamed, hooked his claws into the flailing Haxorus’ mouth, and pried its jaws open. His spine rolled, chest rising, as he arched up and spat hot, blue fire straight down into the Haxorus’ open mouth.

[attr="class","rubyw"]

Ruby had to cover her mouth and nose and swallow again when the battle adrenaline made her breathe in the rot too sharply. How long had these bodies been here, anyway? Ugh, she was gonna need a long, long shower after this.

[break][break]The Sandslash quickly recovered from Cerberus's assault and put its claws together. Somehow, it spun its body like a drill and aimed it right at Cerberus, who whined in pain and flinched back. Ah, dammit, Ruby knew keeping a Fire-type out against a Ground-type was a terrible idea. Wordlessly, she recalled Cerberus back into his Poké Ball and sent out Arachne.

[break][break]"Drown it," Ruby said, keeping her voice level so she didn't breathe too much again.

[break][break]The Sandslash prepared another Drill Run, but Arachne charged right at it. She raised her head up to catch her spinning opponent in her water bubble, leaving it to flail and splash about inside. She pressed her bubble up against one of the relatively cleaner walls, leaving the Sandslash trapped between it and a pissed-off Araquanid. Every time it tried to swim out, Arachne would move her head so the water bubble continued to encase her prey.

[break][break]Upstairs, there was little the Haxorus could do once Mord's claws were hooked in its mouth. Its eyes widened in fear when it saw the Dragon Breath forming in the Gabite's mouth, and it screamed when the hot blue fire was shot into its mouth. It felt like its insides were melting, and all it could do was thrash about, trying to dislodge its assailant.

[attr="class","rigidw"]
Onyx headed down the stairs as Ruby’s Araquanid bundled up the Sandslash and it Scooby-Doo spun in place. In the middle of the floor, the Haxorus heaved and struggled to breathe.
[break][break]
He walked around the hurling Dragon-type, gaze hopping from that to the bubble that was rapidly driving the Sandslash closer and closer to fainting. He arched an eyebrow.
[break][break]
“Figure this is about done,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder, “I’m gonna check where that trapdoor goes."
[break][break]
He kicked a stray board out of his way as he headed for the opening in the floor. Meanwhile, Mord finished his task by dragging his claw over the downed Haxorus’ neck. Onyx whistled, and Mephites, who’d been hiding at the top of the stairs, dashed down them, ran to the opening in the floor, and backed up her rear end to face down the hole.

[attr="class","rubyw"]

The Sandslash could only struggle for so long before its cruel yet comical spinning wore it out, and it was left floating helplessly in Arachne's water bubble. The Araquanid chittered in confirmation that the deed had been done. It looked like the Haxorus had been taken care of, too, and Ruby couldn't hear any other Pokémon waiting in the woodwork. She let out a sigh and immediately regretted it when she had to inhale again.

[break][break]"We'll be outside," she said. If Onyx asked, she could just say she was making sure nobody was trying to get the drop on them or something. But honestly, with the battle adrenaline wearing off, she realized just how much of that rancid, rotting air she'd been inhaling. It felt like it was nestling inside her lungs, and she wanted it out. Ruby was far from the squeamish type, but she'd never dealt with this much concentrated death and decay before, and her body didn't quite know how to process it.

[break][break]The smell followed her outside, only to be carried off by a tickling breeze. Ruby took a few steps forward and inhaled a big, grateful mouthful of fresh air. Already, she could feel the stench slowly being purged from her body. Arachne followed her out and dumped the unconscious Sandslash onto the ground.

[break][break]The ever-watchful stars stared down at Ruby as she mulled over what had just happened. The troublemakers were dead, murdered apparently days before by someone who had already been inside. Had they been waiting for them? More importantly, who were "they"? It couldn't have been Rocket unless there had been some sort of in-faction miscommunication... or a disagreement. Motherfucker, had they been set up to be the fall guys?!

[break][break]"Finish it off, but keep it intact," she said to Arachne. If this was a setup, she needed as much proof on her side as possible. She didn't know if that'd do any good, but it was better than nothing. Arachne chittered in understanding. Ruby took one last deep breath of clean air before sticking her head back into the cabin and shouting, "Find anything?"