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Stormy's breaths come deliberate and deep, drinking in the salty air and the refreshing wind against her cheeks. They're flushed with colour, the wind having snapped life into them. Her hair did not, however, billow in the wind. Tied back into another bun to prevent it from clouding her vision, it has only just begun to fall to pieces. Tendrils whip around her face occasionally. [break][break]

Beneath her, Wadjet's muscles push and pull rhythmically as her wings beat and then hold, beat and then hold, keeping them at a constant height and speed. She's comfortable and familiar, confident in her movements. [break][break]

Something buzzes uncomfortably in her ear as their connection grabs hold, and the familiar voice of Remiel floods her thoughts. Warmth, and not from the wind, flushes her cheeks at his question. For a long while, she remains quiet as she clears her throat.[break][break]

But she does finally press the matching button in her ear to respond.[break][break]

"Very mature of you. Proceed."[break][break]

Her voice comes across formally and tense, but it's a hoax. Before the line can cut - probably because she forgot to click off her mic immediately after - he can probably hear her giggle.

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Stormy's quiet giggling promptly cuts out, both because she killed the connection and because they were already seen. Goofiness was replaced with stone-cold severity as Wadjet pulled up. Her wings beat heavily as she maintains her position, hovering in the air.[break][break]

Instead, she sucks in a breath and holds it in the pit of her stomach, using that momentum to help her strengthen her focus. Their mission had turned more dangerous. She figured she would be the one to board the ship, but the thought of putting herself in that sort of danger was.. frightening.[break][break]

But someone had to rescue the swimmer that had been kidnapped. Stormy wasn't going to leave this ship without her.[break][break]

Remiel's Salamence dives and tumbles, coming into view for the pirate ship. She can hear a booming voice bellow, and as she guides Wadjet into a descent she is floored to see they've brought nets. Almost as if they were expecting an aerial attack.[break][break]

The blood roars in her ears as adrenaline begins to kick in, as the severity of the situation begins to sit heavily on her shoulders. Wadjet bellows in a rage as another dragon is released. This one's skin is green and great - and he's charging Remiel.[break][break]

However, before she could find the words to call out, to warn him, or to help, she's covered in what feels like hundreds of Wingull. The glorified rat birds slap at her face and muddle her focus, spraying both her and Wadjet with water. [break][break]

Stormy is suddenly alone in the sky as Remiel veers off to draw the Hydreigon away. With a great show of effort, Wadjet causes several of the Wingull to fall into the ocean with crispy feathers. Stormy slaps aside another and they stare, wide-eyed, into their doom.[break][break]

"No!"[break][break]

The woman's scream echoes as the net is fired. It grabs hold of Wadjet's legs and tail, the weights forcing her down. With great effort, and Stormy's deft hands, they manage to remove it before they fall into the ocean. But in doing so and in their fight for control, another net has been fired and envelopes Wadjet entirely.[break][break]

They plummet.


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Fear grips her with hands like ice. They crash into the water and Wadjet's bellow of fear and pain echoes in her ears as water consumes them. The net drags them through the water and she's trapped, desperately reaching for the surface so she doesn't drown before the pirates inevitably kill her.[break][break]

Wadjet keeps struggling despite the odds, pinching her wings against the rough ropes and aggravating old muscle wounds. There's a crack, like she's dislocated something or tweaked something important, and Wadjet screams.[break][break]

As does Stormy, when she breaks the surface just in time to witness Remiel and his Salamence crash into the water several lengths away. The hyper beam that blasts the water sprays in all directions, and her friend and his mount do not reappear.[break][break]

The net is suspended in the air and bumps painfully against the hull of the ship as they're reeled in. When Stormy gathers her strength to fight back, she's promptly hit over the head with something heavy and then there's nothing.[break][break]

TIME SKIP[break][break]

When she comes to, it's to the sound of Wadjet's rage-fuelled snarls. Flames curl from her teeth as she lunges at any who get close to her, but it seems that in their slumber, the beast has been tied down. Her wings are pulled back painfully, so any movement she makes pulls on them awkwardly.[break][break]

Stormy feels dried blood on her scalp, and blinks painfully. The light filters in from her hold and blinds her, and her one hand lifts and jingles. She was tied to something with rusted metal clasps, it seemed.[break][break]

In the confusion, it seems that the communication device had been broken. It buzzes with painfully loud static when she taps it, but is otherwise silent.[break][break]

Blood stains the deck from some unlucky pirate getting too close to Wadjet, and they curse and shout about putting the damn thing down. But other argue that her unique colouring could fetch a pretty penny and to dare not mar her appearance.[break][break]

Stormy moves to stand and finds that she's too dizzy and weak to do so. There's a voice to her left and she startles, glancing over to see the unlucky swimmer trapped in a similar situation to she.[break][break]

"Be careful, you took a nasty blow to the head. Don't push it."[break][break]

The swimmer informs her, gesturing to the woman's head. Fingers reach up to inspect the wound and she winces, the sting nearly blackening her vision. Her lips are cracked and her mouth parched, so she says nothing - not that words could form a sentence in her head.


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Something moves in her peripheral, but it's honestly almost too painful to shift her eyes. She's likely to have a concussion or a head injury almost as serious, and it prohibits her from twisting quick enough to see it.[break][break]

But then a bag clatters to the ground in front of the Dewpider as it manages to squeeze itself and the sack through such a tiny crevice - and Stormy sucks in a breath as the familiar glint of a pokeball peeks in the dark of the bag.[break][break]

Stormy kneels down for the bag, picking it up delicately. The pokeballs tumble inside, a sound that immediately provides her relief. [break][break]

Unfortunately, that relief is short-lived as her reflexes toss the bag behind her, against the bars of the swimmers quarters. Someone had arrived, spilling light down the steps and into her eyes. She nearly sobs, the light of the sun so painful given how dim it was below deck.[break][break]

Her migraine swells and she chokes, literally, as the man in question moves on past the swimmer and instead to her. He fumbles to unlock her cage and, normally, a more alert and prepared Stormy would have taken advantage of that situation, slamming his head against the bars and getting on with it. Instead, she's shellshocked and in pain and fear prevents her from moving.[break][break]

When the man enters her cell, she's helpless to stop him as he wraps his gritty, dirty hand around her throat, squeezing. Her fingers scratch and pull against his grip, but he's trapped her like a vice, dragging her down a hall and away. The sickly Inkay hovers behind in tow and Stormy gasps and wheezes in horror of whats to come.


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Halfway through the trip the jailor's hand moves to her hair. He's gripping it with malice, every sharp tug causing her to cry out in pain. But it's better than fingers leaving bruises at her throat. Purple marks already blossom on her pale skin.[break][break]

And then the ship shakes and the man wrenches her hair as he fights for balance. She gasps, hands flying to her head and wrapping around his wrist, desperate to make him loosen his grip. [break][break]

But it only lasts moment because he's knocked backward and she is free. She, too, stumbles back in her surprise, only coming to her senses when a Dewpider appears with the bag lifted to her fingertips.[break][break]

She reaches for something, anything, and finds that her random choice had brought forth an Arbok. Upon release it spits venom, lashing out and striking the first person it sees: the man who had hurt her.[break][break]

And she takes off running, not choosing to linger any longer than she needed to. It was time to leave. In the heat of the moment she's dazed, still in disbelief and horror that their mission had gone so wrong, that Remiel had died.[break][break]

Unbeknownst to her, he's alive and well just above her. But she just assumes that they're in a storm and the crashing and roaring above is the sound of water and thunder. [break][break]

As she runs, the jailor screams in agony.

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