Ameena stared at the multi-monitor set up she had lovingly co-opted from the two guards currently unconscious in a puddle by the door. As a scientist, observation came naturally, but she found herself teasing a nail with her teeth as she followed Zev's movements. The manor wasn't excessively kitted-out with cameras, so she had a few moments of blindness. [break][break]

She followed Zev's eyeline as he reported Kaur was surrounded. Unfortunately, it was true. "He loves to talk about himself, so that must really be him. He is either separated from his Zoroark or it is near him on the floor." She looks over the people, but she doesn't have multiple angles of the center of the room; there are too many faces she can't assess. She can't tell if someone's expression isn't matching their body language or even the tone of the conversation. [break][break]

Kaur laughs, and the crowd around him follows suit. Her lip curls at the sight of him enjoying herself, but she forces herself to focus. "If we cannot locate his pokemon and separate it, it might be best to create a reason for the crowd to split. The older woman in the pearls has snuck a Dachsbun in her bag, there on the peripheral of the circle. No one is supposed to bring pokemon inside the manor, so enticing the pup out could cause a scene."

It was a security risk to have others' pokemon there, but whether the guards would accost the woman before the Zoroark reacted territorially was uncertain. Whatever the outcome, it would narrow down where Kaur's support was.

TAGS – Zev Harcourt [break]
NOTES – [break][break]

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Zev's gaze flicked from Kaur to the older woman Ameena described. Sure enough, he caught sight of tail fluff poking out from the large tote bag she carried. She stood out like a sore thumb with such a huge personal item. Zev was surprised the manor's security hadn't looked through or checked in her bag upon her arrival. [break][break]

"Copy that." [break][break]

He moved in the guest's direction, glad that his tray of canapés contained an assortment of meats. As he passed his target, he surreptitiously removed one and dropped it into her open bag. Without missing a beat, he kept walking without a backward glance. [break][break]

He was rewarded with a startled yelp as the woman's bag started to writhe. The Dachsbun had snapped up the treat and was jumping out for more. Shouts from guests and staff filled the large chamber, originating from the circle of Kaur's peers. The yelling spread as the Pokémon raced after more food. [break][break]

Zev felt the full weight of the Dachsbun slam into his legs. He allowed himself to stumble, knocking into a table and dropping the tray. It clattered on the floor, scattering the hors d'oeuvres. The little dog scarfed up some of the treats, only to bolt off when it saw two security guards running toward it. [break][break]

No guests bothered to ask Zev if he was okay. Another member of the waitstaff did approach with a concerned look, but he waved them away. He removed himself from the chaos and immediately searched for Kaur, finding the general standing alone.

TAGS – ameena abadi[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

The distraction goes off perfectly, though the older woman's flustered reaction to the escaped Dachsbun has her turning her face in the direction of Ameena's cam. "Arceus, that woman is his mum." Her surprise quickly transitions to bitterness; how nice for him to get to keep his family close. "Should put her out of her misery while we are here." But the indulgence of dark fantasies only lasts a moment. She pulls herself together and scans the scene. [break][break]

Kaur is alone, but there's no guarantee the scene with the Dachsbun will last long enough. She isn't sure he can escort the general out of there fast enough, regardless of if he maintains his disguise. "Kirlia can teleport in and cause a greater scene," she offers, knowing the psychic won't have the same protection as Kaur's mother's pokemon and that it spells out execution. But it would make all guards draw their guns, and if Zev gets Kaur away, his window of time is far slimmer due to their high alert.[break][break]

As she thinks of an alternative to secure his window of opportunity, Kaur's mum picks up her pokemon and refuses to give way to the security guards trying to pull it out of her hands. "Unhand me, you fiends! Leave 'im alone!" She fought to twist out of the guards' grips as they swarmed her. The other visitors were eating the drama up like the hors d'oeuvres.[break][break]

"Might be the best window," she commentated. She viewed the other monitors. A closet was closest, but it wouldn't have a camera inside for her viewing. "The door at your 8'oclock will lead you to a hallway for the help. You can get into one of the kitchens from that hall." The catering staff should mostly be out and about serving the food, but there might be a chef or two. Then again, the cooks were long-term staff of Raju Kaur for his safety, so she was confident they held no warm feelings for the insufferable man.

TAGS – Zev Harcourt [break]
NOTES – [break][break]

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Don't send in your Pokémon yet," Zev muttered. "There's a chance we may need her later." [break][break]

As the scene unfolded with Kaur's mother and her Dachsbun, Zev approached the general from his blind spot. While he extended one gloved hand toward the other man, he flexed his other hand, preparing to release the knife hidden up his sleeve. [break][break]

"Excuse me, sir," Zev said to Kaur as he grabbed his target's shoulder. [break][break]

Kaur whirled around, confusion coloring his face. [break][break]

Zev's Gengar, hidden in his master's shadow, whisked them out of sight and into the kitchens with PHANTOM FORCE. Chefs preparing a line of bite-sized desserts jumped in surprise. [break][break]

The assassin's hidden blade sank deep into Kaur's jugular. Blood spurted from the wound onto Zev's hand and wrist.

TAGS – ameena abadi[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

She held her breath as Zev's hand landed on Kaur's shoulder. The duo disappeared, and Ameena's eyes flickered over the monitors until they fell on Zev in the kitchen. The sight of the blade biting into the man's neck was instantly burned into her memory; she wet her lips as if she could taste the blood that surged outwards. [break][break]

The chefs scurried out. She paid them no mind, except a figure came from the direction everyone was fleeing, and Zev should have had more time before a guard response- [break][break]

"Four o'clock!" She called into the mic, summoning her Kirlia from her pokeball as the Zoroark charged at Zev with Night Slash. Ameena scrambled for the words to instruct Kirlia on what to do and where to teleport to, but her voice tipped into a scream instead as a bullet ripped through her shoulder. One of the crumpled guards had woken and pulled his firearm without her notice. [break][break]

She clutched at her bleeding shoulder as Kirlia turned to the guard with mystical fire instinctively, though having a conscious and unconscious guard on fire drastically shortened Ameena's ability to stay in the closed room for long. "Keep them back," she ordered Kirlia, turning her face back to the screen. She would need Kirlia to teleport him out for exfil or remove the Zoroark if it was too much; regardless, the window to act and leave without being apprehended was closing.

TAGS – Zev Harcourt [break]
NOTES – [break][break]

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Four o'clock!" [break][break]

Zev whirled, shoving away the still-warm corpse of General Kaur and brandishing his knife, every muscle tense with anticipation. Thankfully, his Gengar intercepted the Zoroark, smashing it across the face with BRICK BREAK. Its master, a man in the black uniform of Kaur's security team, stopped short of the clash and pointed a gun at Zev. [break][break]

Shots fired, both in the kitchen and in the assassin's earpiece. Ameena screamed as Zev slammed backward into an industrial refrigerator. The bullets had torn his uniform but shattered on the crystalline caparace beneath. [break][break]

The guard stared, flabbergasted, as Zev coughed and simply righted himself. [break][break]

It was time to leave. [break][break]

Zev whistled a sharp, high note. Disengaging from the Zoroark, Smoke yanked himself and his master out of the kitchen with another PHANTOM FORCE. This time, they were outside of the mansion, the security shed in view. Zev dashed toward it, but Smoke took them to the door of the small building in the blink of an eye. [break][break]

Without missing a beat, the man threw the door open.

TAGS – ameena abadi[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

The slow-building smoke and overwhelming scent of burning flesh flooded her senses as the door slammed open into the two guards. As she clutched her bleeding arm, she couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. For her professional demeanor all the way through promoting to brigadier, there was something dark and visceral and satisfying about a good fight. She hadn't wanted a face to face showdown with Kaur; for his cowardice, there was something far more satisfying about seeing him bleed out where he thought he was safe. [break][break]

She spared a glance at the screens beside her, seeing a swarm of activity in nearly every room. She wanted to relish in the panic and uncertainty, but their own fate was uncertain if they overstayed their welcome. She would have to see if the footage could be captured, if the remaining guards hosed down the burning shed and salvaged the data. She wanted to see Kaur's mother's reaction. It would be worth far more than any emblem or medallion marking her presence. [break][break]

The clock was ticking. "Exfil, Kirlia." She stepped closer to the door to be in effective range as Kirlia summoned the psychic energy necessary to teleport all of them out the shed and miles from the property.

TAGS – Zev Harcourt [break]
NOTES – [break][break]

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Zev took stock of the situation inside the security shed with a quick, sharp glance. One guard groggily coming out of consciousness, a second guard screaming as flames consumed him. Ameena bleeding from her shoulder, her Kirlia glowing with psychic power. [break][break]

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the trinket she'd given him prior to their arrival. He neither knew its meaning nor cared to find out; he simply tossed it onto the body of the security guard who wasn't on fire, moments before teleportation took him away. [break][break]

Now safe, Zev turned to Ameena. "If that was to your satisfaction, then I expect the second half of my payment within three days," he said. "Send it to the same account as the first half." [break][break]

Once he had her confirmation, he started off to the nearest human gym, where he'd stashed a change of clothes. There, he'd also shave off his beard and wash the gel out of his hair. [break][break]

Within thirty minutes, the man who'd killed Raju Kaur had disappeared forever.

TAGS – ameena abadi[break]
NOTES – mission

[attr="class","pkmn"]

It was going to take a while to sink in: she had toppled the first domino of her warpath of revenge. There were more people to torment and eventually kill, but as it was, the beginning was excellent. She was more than satisfied, though she couldn't help but wonder if there was a different execution that could have wrought more emotion from Zev. She had expected a little more sadism, but that was also... almost definitely projection. [break][break]

"Of course," she said simply, returning to a more business-appropriate demeanor. She would save further celebration for her return home. [break][break]

They went their separate ways. Ameena used Kirlia's life dew to stop the bleeding, though it would need to be properly cared for to avoid complications. She didn't want it to heal perfectly; she had few scars from her time in the military, but this was one she really wanted to savor. It was, in a roundabout way, its own vanity, but she wasn't no stranger to sin.

TAGS – Zev Harcourt [break]
NOTES – [break][break]

[attr="class","pkmn"]