maki is no stranger to culling the weak. she's known since she was a child that if she showed any vulnerability, she would be cast aside. only those who can be of use to her family have value; judgment of her worthiness has always been the name of the game, as the only one of her siblings with any promise for this type of work. her brother may be the public-facing heir to the throne, but he's not the one with the most expectations foisted upon him.

tonight, she's come disguised. with a wig and a mask covering her face, no one but zev should be able to tell who she is. maki has to keep her public persona and her 'true self' separate, after all.

she has her froslass out, the ghost type lurking alongside zev's gengar. she's right on time, though she still gives zev a small, apologetic bow. "i intended to be here earlier," she explains, "but i decided it was best to avoid public roads." too many people might take note of her with the mask on, and with the mask off she might inevitably be recognized.

maki pulls out her phone, humming over a map she'd acquired of the shipyard. "it seems likely she's chosen a block right in the middle," she says. "we'll have to surround it so there's no avenues of escape. after that, it should be easy." they may even be able to get her to give up the location of other defectors, if they play their cards right.

[Zev Harcourt ]
[OUTFIT REF]

formulating a plan, maki asks her froslass to use snowscape as it flies over the roof of the warehouse. it does so, and snow starts to accumulate on the ground on the other side of the building.

the warehouse itself is dark and foreboding. if she sets foot in there without being careful, she'll easily land upon a creaky floorboard or stumble over some debris, giving away her position. she nods to zev once she's ready to go in, and she takes her time as she goes, picking her way through carefully with just the light from her phone's dim flashlight. if she had to guess where the traitor would be hiding, it'd probably be in one of the large cargo bins that had been left behind...

she gets closer. and then, with little warning, there's an explosion of activity as the target rushes out. all maki can see is a dark shape hurrying towards the other end, where the pokemon lie in wait.

the figure reaches the exit, and skids on the accumulation of fresh snow there. maki keeps a steady pace as she approaches, and the escapee slips, tumbling to the ground, unable to save herself. by then, maki is there, looking down upon the woman.

"please don't resist. that will make this easier for both of us."

[Zev Harcourt ]

it was almost too simple. her prey gave her no challenge, and was begging for her life within seconds of maki's arrival. maki looks down impassively, thinking it would be better to rid the world of scum like this as soon as possible. but she doesn't let that thought show on her face; instead she kneels down, and her eyes crinkle as if she's smiling under her mask.

"of course, if you give me the names and locations of your cohorts, i will show you mercy," maki says to the defenseless woman. her tone is deceptively pleasant, as if she really is going to take pity on her.

but then maki angles her head slightly and catches zev's eye, still smiling. though very little about the expression has changed, he'll still likely sense the intent behind the gesture. 'mercy' does not mean maki will let her quarry live. 'mercy' simply means she won't have to waste her time on torturing the other woman.

[Zev Harcourt ]

the woman is nearly incoherent in her desperation. maki doesn't hold any sympathy, but she allows pity to seep through to the surface, since the two can often be mistaken for each other. still crouched, she looks the woman over. it's time for a little manipulation.

"...that's a shame," maki says softly. "because it was some of your cohorts who betrayed you... you didn't honestly believe you have a bond, right?" she bluffs carefully, hoping that by pitting the woman against the others, she'll be more willing to give up pertinent information. "you'll risk yourself for them, but they wouldn't do the same for you..."

maki's froslass returns to her side, drifting on the wind. it waits for its next orders, just as cruel as its trainer.

[Zev Harcourt ]

weak-hearted, petty, and easily manipulated, maki reflects as she stares down at the woman. it's no surprise to her that a traitor would have so many negative qualities. watching zev's rotom return with the information it found, maki considers how to dispose of helena. if she brought out her houndoom, she'd be able to burn her away, leaving remains that are near-impossible to identify. but burning a live victim takes time, and her screams might draw attention.

instead, maki looks at her froslass and gestures toward helena. the froslass floats over, takes a breath, and releases a blast of extremely cold air. the attack hits helena, and freezes her within seconds, making it impossible for her to move or scream in the final moments of her life. it's a quick but painful end.

but maki believes she held up her end of the bargain. she showed mercy by not tormenting the woman any longer. she never promised she would let her live, after all.

[Zev Harcourt ]