[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

”I only stole from people who had more than enough to go around. I always studied my targets before stealing from them to make sure they weren’t struggling to get by. I see no point of kicking someone when they’re already down,” they told the older male. Though it wasn’t something they would put past their parents, they had always looked down on people who didn’t have as much as them.
[break][break]
It was probably that line of thinking that had landed their parents in hot water. It ashamed them that they hadn’t seen anything wrong with that line of thinking. They hadn’t thought that way themselves, but they hadn’t understood why so many people seemed to have a problem with the their parents. They had to learn the hard way the kind of people their parents were.
[break][break]
”Just don’t get caught,” they said as they came out of their thoughts. ”A good thief knows how to avoid capture. But I suppose mistakes do happen, no one is safe from slipping up.”
[break][break]
Seemed like Howard was having bad luck. ”Hmmm….no it was only after I got hurt I had to do that. Couldn’t exactly go home. As for school my parents didn’t let me attend figured it would be better if I learned at home,” they explained with a shrug, keeping what information they gave him vague.
[break][break]
Hearing his next response they shook their head. ”Its not about any of that. I just think it’s weird to feel guilty over something you had nothing to do with. The only ones who should feel guilty are the ones who hurt me. You have to sink pretty low to intentionally hurt a kid after all.”
[break][break]
As far as they were concerned only cowards went out of their way to hurt kids. They had nothing to do with what their parents had done. To be honest they weren’t sure what that person was thinking going for them instead of their parents. It wasn’t like their parents would pay for them to stop or do anything to stop them.
[break][break]
Hearing the others question he began to look around. Finding the light switch he flipped it. The light came on and stayed on but was flickering. ”Wonder if the lights about to go out or if there’s a problem in the wiring,” they mused before responding to Howard’s question.
[break][break]
”No Axel is someone I met a few years ago. His full name is absalom steel. He’s three years younger than me and was born with underdeveloped lungs. If you want to talk rocks with someone he’s probably the one you want to talk to. I’m pretty sure the kid is a little genius, and I know he reads a bit about everything. Fair warning though he goes off on tangents about stuff he’s read about. I can’t be his friend anymore but I still try and keep an eye on him.”
[break][break]
Having turned to face him they watched as he swapped the knives. ”You don’t have a whetstone?” they asked leaning back against the wall.[break] howard slayte

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

They wondered what they should tell him. They’d already come to the conclusion that the older male was around for the long haul. That he wasn’t like the former rocket members who had turned traitor. Probably using the excuse of being captured as a reason for them having switched sides. Yeah some loyalty.
[break][break]
”You remember that I was in the final stages of recovering from injuries before I got here?” he inquired as he worked on getting another Shellder separated from the Slowbro it was attached to. With a knife it wasn’t to hard and he tossed the Shellder into a bucket.
[break][break]
Once they’d gotten confirmation they continued as they reached towards another Slowbro. ”Long story short parents cross the wrong person and I pay the price. And instead of helping me like the spineless cowards they are they ran, left me for dead. And for now I’d like them to think I’m dead,” they told the older male. They couldn’t come out as being alive just yet, they needed to get some things done first most of which involved their twin.
[break][break]
”As for why I hide even when I’m here. Well there’s a simple answer to that. I know there have been defectors. It’s to make sure those traitors can’t tell the league of my true identity,” they said. That and they looked just like their twin it wouldn’t take a genius to put two and two together.
[break][break]
Speaking of their twin they had decided not to mention them. Maybe one day they would talk about their twin. If Cillian didn’t somehow manage to run into their twin before that happened.[break] Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

It wasn’t long until their partner joined them. ”Not a clue. I have some theories about what it could be but I’m afraid theories are all I have. All I know is where the sounds are coming from. So I guess we’ll patrol those areas and see what it could be,” they told the older male.
[break][break]
”Were you told to do this? Or did you volunteer?” they asked as they started the patrol. They had been told to do this. But it they had learned of what was going on before they had been told they might’ve volunteered. It would be something to do, and a change of pace from what they normally did.
[break][break]
They really hoped it really was something and that people weren’t just imagining things. Though the idea that more than one person was imagining things was slim. And considering it was coming from more than one location they figured it was something that could move. Which is why they figured it was another person or a Pokémon.
[break][break]
They would just have to find out what it was. Until then they would keep their guard up. It wouldn’t do for whatever it was to catch them by surprise. Poseidon would also keep an eye out along with his partner.[break] bryan delarosa

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

The sound of footsteps reached them and they got up from their meditative pose as the older male approached. Upon seeing how nonthreatening the guy was coming off they had Poseidon stand down from where he had been standing guard near them. The ninja Pokémon immediately fell back upon having his orders.
[break][break]
The fact he wasn’t a litterer was a surprise. But it was also a good thing. Humans ruined the earth enough with just their presence without going out of their way to make it worse. ”Probably for the best,” they agreed moving past the older male and into the safe house.
[break][break]
Once inside they would face Gavin their mask helping to obscure how they felt. They figured that to start things off they would be questioned. Probably questioned on their decision to join. It’s what they would do if they were inviting someone into what was considered a criminal organization.
[break][break]
They would answer to their best ability. Though they hoped he would respect that they were entitled to some form of privacy. They doubted he would inquire about their whole life story though. So as long as that didn’t happen they should be fine to answer any question that was asked of them.[break] Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

”I don’t really get what’s so bad about stealing if it’s the only way one can survive. I was doing so before I joined, only stole food though. For reasons I couldn’t go into an orphanage and an orphanage isn’t much better. I’ve heard the stories of orphans having to steal due to there not being enough food. It was either steal or dumpster dive,” they explained this like they were just discussing the weather.
[break][break]
Hearing what he said they tilted their head to the side. ”I wouldn’t go that far. Sure I believe that. But my main driving factor is to keep those I care about safe. I’m just willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish that,” they told the older male. ”As for what to call me either Sage or Morgan will suffice, I’m fine with either,” they said with a small shrug.
[break][break]
Hearing what he had to say they nodded. ”True, no one can make it on their own. No matter how much one thinks they can. I found that out by trying to live own my own,” they commented, watching as the older male made his way to the bench. They weren’t to surprised when the bench gave way from under him.
[break][break]
There was no telling how long the furniture had been down here. ”You do realize you could’ve kicked it to see if it was stable?” they asked turning their attention to the bunk bed. ”Enough dust here to be a problem for Axel,” they said absently as they inspected the bunk bed.
[break][break]
Being careful not to sent up a cloud of dust they reached forwards to feel along the mattress only to quickly withdraw their hand. ”The mattresses aren’t any good the springs are poking through,” they told Howard not really having paid attention to what he had said about benches.[break] howard slayte

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

So he had money problems? That was the main point of him joining? Because what they were getting from he had said he had sold out his belief’s because he needed money. When they hadn’t had any money they had immediately resorted to stealing to get by, it made them wonder why they hadn’t considered stealing.
[break][break]
Sure stealing was wrong. But if it was survival it was understandable. Probably would’ve been better than him joining a criminal organization. But then again they didn’t have any room to talk as they had joined said organization themselves. But their reasons were much more complicated and darker than that.
[break][break]
”If you were low on fonds why didn’t you just steal? Or was it not about survival? You had enough to cover food so it wouldn’t have been about survival. Was that what it was?” they inquired, talking more than they normally would. They just wasn’t sure they understood money being a leading factor.
[break][break]
They listened as he spoke of team rocket and only team rocket liking team rocket and about being tools and shrugged. ”It’s just the way of the world. People using people. Some do so without realizing it while others are completely aware of the fact they’re using people. Humans are notoriously selfish creatures, some are just better at not allowing it to show.”
[break][break]
Yeah team rocket weren’t filled with the best of people but not everyone in rocket was evil while not everyone in the league were good. ”There’s good and evil in everyone. The league aren’t a bunch of saints, they have their own share of bad people. Though they would probably like to claim otherwise,” they said with a shake of their head.
[break][break]
Hearing what he said they opened their mouth but couldn’t think of anything that probably would’ve come off as anything but an insult. So they shook their head and closed their mouth. They didn’t really understand being guilty over something you didn’t do.
[break][break]
Since Poseidon was standing guard they decided to check out the furniture that was already in the secret base. ”We should make sure this furniture is actually still useable,” the teen told the older male.[break] howard slayte

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

Night patrol. It wasn’t something they had been tasked with until now. They wondered if they had run low on volunteers or something. Not that it really bothered them. They often stayed up pretty late while managing to somehow wake up pretty early. It’d always been hard for them to sleep for the recommended amount of hours though.
[break][break]
Usually they would just read a book until they were too tired to continue. But if they needed them for this that was fine as well. And it wasn’t like they would be alone either. Apparently the higher ups had found someone else to saddle this duty with as well. Hopefully it would be someone that didn’t mind and wouldn’t complain about having to patrol.
[break][break]
To be honest they didn’t think there were night patrols. It would be quite foolish after all to try and sneak into the secret base of a crime organization. That would be stupid and just asking for trouble. Though they were aware that there were some pretty stupid people out there.
[break][break]
They did hope that no one was that stupid though. That the reported noises wasn’t because people were sneaking into the base. The most logical choice was that a Pokémon had gotten loose in the base. Maybe one of the Pokémon they kept in reserves had gotten loose somehow.
[break][break]
Then there was the idea that maybe it was just someone sleepwalking. That was an amusing thought. Their amusement would be hidden by the mask that covered the top half of their face. Anyone who passed them would be unaware of their amusement not that they thought anyone would pass them.
[break][break]
They were sure most everyone else had already headed to bed. Hopefully their partner wasn’t one of them. They leaned back against the wall Poseidon, their greninja, helping him keep an eye out for anyone as they waited in the planned meeting spot.[break] bryan delarosa

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

The teen figured if anyone would understand it would be Cillian. He had been the one to recruit them but back then it hadn’t been Cillian he had gone by but Gavin. For them it wasn’t as simple as them wanting to hide from other criminals. Though they supposed that would be a good reason. No their reason was to keep their family in the dark about them being alive, more so their parents.
[break][break]
It was hard not having at least their twin know. But it was too dangerous. They didn’t think their parents would come after them themselves. No they were much to cowardly for that. But they wouldn’t put it past them to pay someone to silence them permanently so they wouldn’t tell anyone what they had done, or what they hadn’t done they should say.
[break][break]
”Oh no nothing like that,” they said when the older male mentioned being disfigured. When Cillian brought up dahlia goode he made a show of looking down at where their chest was. ”Hmmm…..nope still not a blond woman,” they said a joking edge to their own tone.
[break][break]
When it was clear Cillian really wouldn’t breathe a word they took off the mask. Like they’d said not horribly disfigured. Though anyone who’d ever seen their twin would’ve easily been able to recognize them. Aside from different hairstyles they were a carbon copy of their twin. Of course when outside the base they deepened their voice since otherwise they would just be recognized by the sound of their voice, with it being so identical to their twins.[break] Cillian Quinn

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

As the older male waved the cigarette around as one would a wand they wondered what the appeal of smoking was. They didn’t get it. Why would one endeavor in something that could potentially ruin their health. Well they supposed they didn’t really care that much. If Howard wanted to do something that would ruin his health than that was on him.
[break][break]
Hearing the other males comment they resisted the urge to sigh. ”Why did you even join team rocket? You don’t seem to care for Team Rocket,” they said, keeping their face turned towards the older male. To them his reaction seemed more fitting to a kid being made to do their homework or chores.
[break][break]
The older male put the cigarette out which they were thankful for. Seriously they weren’t trying to get smoke lung. Yes they supposed that could’ve happened. It was either the finished what they had started, ran out of funds, or the third option being that something had happened to the workers.
[break][break]
They really hoped it was one of the first two. ”I hope you’re right,” was all they said. They figured they didn’t have to explain the third option. ”And I suppose it would, though I’m not sure if I’d be a fan of the subway. Of course I’ve never been on one to know for sure if I would be a fan or not.”
[break][break]
The incredulous look they gave him upon hearing what he said would be impossible to notice with their mask. ”Or they had already gone out before we came. Or the noise could’ve drawn anything towards our location,” they pointed out their tone practically monotone as the stated facts. Jeez hopefully he wasn’t going to completely let his guard down.
[break][break]
When the older male apologized he tilted his head to the side. ”Why? It’s not like you’re the one that hurt me?” they pointed out. ”Yes well I’m sure they had some way of knowing that something had happened to me. Probably some intuition, but yeah I suppose I am lucky in that regard.”
[break][break]
They regarded the other male wondering what they should say. ”Yeah, if I had to hazard a guess I would say I was in the final stages of recovery.” While they would admit to having been injured they wouldn’t go into detail about the injured state they’d been in when they joined.[break] howard slayte

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","header"]YOU’RE GONNA GO FAR, KID

[attr="class","setting"]

Yeah best he cover the report stuff. As the older of the two Howard would probably be expected to do it anyway. ”Good, though I don’t think I’ll be spending much time here myself. I prefer the regular base,” they told the older male. Besides while they didn’t mind Pokémon battles they weren’t to keen on walking into one every time they left.
[break][break]
Of course that’s not to say it would happen. But considering where they were it was a definite possibility. They supposed if they were into geology it would be a different matter, but to them a rock was just a rock.
[break][break]
Okay so the older male tells them not to talk talk about getting killed only to pull out a cigarette. ”Says the guy with the cancer stick,” they pointed out dryly, clearly meaning the cigarette. Seriously those things could damage someone’s lungs leading to lung cancer, and eventually the death of the person.
[break][break]
It didn’t concern them when Nightwing returned alone. They’d given the Crobat clear instructions. Because of this he strolled into the hideout immediately spotting the knocked out zubat on the floor. He moved over to expect them but saw no bite marks to show Nightwing had been out for blood. They were just knocked out.
[break][break]
Telling Poseidon who had since rejoined them to throw the rest of the zubat out of the secret base they stood back up and took in the rest of the base. ”Workers must’ve built this base. It looks like the kind of place one would live in if they wanted to be close to their work. Probably abandoned it when they stopped working the tunnels,” they said as the took in the bunk beds against one wall and the other stuff around the base.
[break][break]
Hmmm….yes. Maybe a little too easy. Was it possible that something else could’ve made it’s home here and it was just out? Or were they just being paranoid because of how smoothly everything had gone.
[break][break]
Unsure rather they were just being paranoid they decided to keep their guard up just in case. ”Don’t get too relaxed. It’s possible that something worse was here and is just out right now,” they pointed out gesturing for Poseidon to stand guard once he had returned.
[break][break]
”I’ve had Nightwing and Poseidon since I was pretty young. When I got injured a few months ago they were able to track me down. I wasn’t expecting to see either of them again,” they explained unsure if he knew they had been recovering from injuries when they had joined a few months ago.[break] howard slayte

[attr="class","oocnotes"] + ooc notes

[attr="class","pokeclass"]