the roar was deafening, even beneath the water. heavier than sound above, it brought waves in waves that rattled their bones. bruxsire was sent off like a leaf in the wind, or perhaps a sad piece of kelp, fading into the blue.[break][break]

squinting through the salt in her eyes, lulu grabbed onto theo, the storm of panic in her heart giving way to hope. zarude was also relieved, desperately wrapping arms around the heroic underboss’s shoulders.[break][break]

then, in deceptively calmer water, all three would witness the terrifying stare of kyogre's massive eye. her hope sank.[break][break]

but just as the god prepared to swallow them like captain dross and many tatsugiri, a hurricane sent them speeding towards safety. lulu let go, carving through the water, while zarude held on tighter, riding atop theo like a jetski to the surface.[break][break]

the shadow of kyogre disappeared into the depths. lulu broke the surface, taking a huge gasp of air, and how good it was to see the sky again.[break][break]

"theo!" she coughed. "i thought it ate you!"[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]mission: the lawless sea[break]
THEO BECKETT [break]

zarude held on tight until forcibly pried off the underboss’s back with a protesting shriek of terror.[break][break]

as lulu returned it, she decided she should probably get more water pokemon before going out to sea again. in fact, she would avoid going out to sea altogether if she could help it. it had been enough violence for the time being.[break][break]

she stared at theo, knowing the sadness he’d shown her. was it the kyogre that had gotten away, or the poetic end?[break][break]

”indeed.”[break][break]

good fucking riddance.[break][break]

after a moment, she asked, ”are you alright? sorry about the monkey. sorry about the boat. i’ll buy you a new one.”[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]mission: the lawless sea[break]
THEO BECKETT [break]

billed to team rocket. that wasn’t much better. hopefully, it’d just look like an enthusiastic effort to score more power.[break][break]

he didn’t seem angry. at least there was that.[break][break]

”fine.”[break][break]

she considered a lie when he asked why.[break][break]

”because i think it killed skyler dross.” a pause. ”she was a kind of friend i think – or maybe that's not the right word. don’t get me wrong, we fought many times. i think i nearly killed her once.” she’d regretted the stabbing – on both occasions.[break][break]

she thought on it for another moment, before trying to explain, ”maybe she was an enemy. maybe sometimes an enemy’s too good to lose to something else.”[break][break]

it left them with a game perpetually unfinished. pieces scraped off the board with no winner.[break][break]

”i knew i wouldn’t be able to kill kyogre. i was just saying that.” she wouldn’t have brought him along of all people if she’d meant it. surely, if they’d managed to weaken it so much, underboss beckett wouldn’t let it go to waste.[break][break]

"still felt good.”[break][break]

some small distance away, a ditto!bruxish popped up to the water’s surface, still alive.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]mission: the lawless sea[break]
THEO BECKETT [break]

her place on the battlefield did not feel like a circumstance beyond her control. she could choose to die. she could choose to run. she could have chosen not to seek rocket’s refuge at all in the first place.[break][break]

but she’d never quite wanted to be the captain’s friend, anyways. within their conflict, when they’d both been powerful, there had been a sense of balance.[break][break]

perhaps, then, dross’s death was for the best. it was a death she believed in, regardless of his consolation.[break][break]

”maybe you’re right. or maybe he’s dead, too.”[break][break]

she returned her ditto as it swam closer.[break][break]

”well, that's enough fishing for me today, i think.” time to get back to the labs, but she'd let him make that call, considering rank and that his boat had just sunk.[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]
THEO BECKETT [break]