PETALBURG SCENARIO B-6

FIRST WAVE

“HOFFMAN.”

a measured hand pities the circumstance that brings them all together. he has no qualms with the ex-gym leader otherwise, but fernando bows to no when when the choice is between his neck and someone else’s. at least, almost nobody.

“stand down,” is as close of a plea as his orders will echo. “we can still get you stitched up.”

words of concern try to deescalate a feud he has no part in. for he stands above them, as the only person who knows the scale of the attack at a high level. he’s the only engineer proficient enough to man the machine that spools plans within plans. that’s why he defends.

why he prefers peace in the face of vengeance.

but when derek wields his makeshift shank, tension starts to creep along his skin. he can feel every bump of the goosebumps riding against his skin tight SYGNA SUIT. his SYNC STONE blinks with a quicken flash. his face may remain neutral but the tether to his soul radiates anxiety.

“hoffman!”

watching the man’s tenacity overpower his ZYGARDE’s GLARE is commendable. a testament to his willpower. a warning to fernando that his convictions will not be dissuaded. which means there’s no way out. their path is set in stone.

which puts elisabeth in a precarious position. when derek enters striking range, fernando’s fear begins to seep into his bones. he cannot risk losing her. not with so much on the line. he has to save her.

it’s everything his life has ever amounted to. this moment. this task. this promise made on what should have been his deathbed.

he can’t trust this to anyone else. not to fate. not even his pokemon. so, instead of another pokeball, fernando reaches for an unused piece of equipment he seldom considers: a traditional firearm.

he brandishes it with decisive precision. the fact fernando loathes weapons almost seems amiss with how he lines the sight sorely onto derek’s head, unfazed, unwavering. however, his hands can’t help but rattle, shaking uncontrollably as he teeters between trusting even himself with elisabeth’s fate.

he can’t fuck this up.

and when he sees the blade touch her exposed throat, the world bleeds red.

“don’t you fucking dare!”

for the first time in his life, fernando dirties his own hands with a tool he considers beneath all other tools.

BANG.

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Elisabeth Fiorelli DEREK HOFFMAN

PETALBURG SCENARIO B-6

FIRST WAVE

“…”

the uncertainty of his aim dissipates the moment the bullet leaves the chamber. like derek, fernando too shows his resolve by committing to the trigger. that, in itself, is enough to steady his arm. he slips the weapon back into his suit jacket, tucking it away as one would a wallet, or some other trivial knickknack.

hesitance, or weakness, is only shown in the moment up to execution. now that it’s done, fernando silph wears his apathy with certainty—as he always knew it to be. the image of him exuding emotion just a moment ago is snuffed like a flame, bottled for later, when he can process it.

“tch.”

only when fernando confirms the kill, unable to leave the visceral imagery of elisabeth so close to death, does he let derek flounder into the background.

he extends a hand, mimicking a point of view he’s only dreamt of. this time he pays what is owed.

“are you alright?”

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Elisabeth Fiorelli

PETALBURG SCENARIO B-6

FIRST WAVE

“HM.”

her reaction grounds him. she does not see him as her savoir, much less partner. she sees him for who he is: fernando silph.

can he say the same about her?

regardless of her trepidation, he has his answer. no matter how close death may come for her, it will never have her. not while he lives. TAPU FINI may not longer grant him access to the souls of the departed but that only makes his task that much more important. should he lose her, he’ll lose her for good.

instead, he closes in on derek’s still warm body. regret sits on his tongue but he would repeat the action in a heartbeat.

he pays his last respects by closing his eyes. the grudge isn’t personal. just business. something fernando chalks up to an unfortunate encounter.

“i told you,” he whispers with a dull rage. the embers of his heart crackle with his SYNC STONE, insignificant to the whirlwind of burning trees around them.

“what are you doing, el?”

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Elisabeth Fiorelli

PETALBURG SCENARIO B-6

FIRST WAVE

“NO,” he almost shouts. “not that.”

i don’t fucking care about that.

her anecdote forces his interjection. not because of the context, but more so the history. it is the life of elisabeth fiorelli. a fact fernando wants to erase despite knowing full well both the reality and the subsequent gravity of their situation.

“what if i didn’t make it?”

he turns to her.

“what if i wasn’t here?”

his voice rises with the smoke.

“and all of this for what, el? to scourge around and sacrifice everything? for someone else’s orders?”

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Elisabeth Fiorelli

PETALBURG SCENARIO B-6

FIRST WAVE

“I DON’T DO THIS FOR THEM—”

his words are stern. moreso than he had ever dared to confront her when he grew up. servitude comes in many ways. healthy debate rattled where their convictions diverged but he had never fought her head on. after all, he belonged to her.

“—i do this so that this region, this world, continues to exist. for you, for me. for existence itself.”

frustration breathes between mildly parted lips. he’s at a loss for words, caught in the heat of the moment, before he relents.

“i want more for you, el. whatever route that takes, it should be you at the top. not under the knife for an organization, or anyone, that won’t protect you.”

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Elisabeth Fiorelli