[attr="class","monty"]He spotted the jangmo-o in the grass, throwing a Poke ball at the small dragon. Looking back at Robin, Montgomery raised his brow.

"Aside from war and dread..." Because that topic was too depressing.

"Whaddya do 'round here, Miss Robin?"

[attr="class","montytag"]robin coello | capture attempt jangmo-o

[attr="class","monty"]Montgomery huffed at Howard. As much as he hated it, he agreed with him. The feeling he harbored, he had pushed down so incredibly hard that it hurt, had risen to the surface in the past few months of turmoil in hoenn.

Rage. Lust for blood. Anger.

Revenge.

Navy hadn't picked Montgomery for any of those qualities. He saw that he had a chance to change. But, he hadn't truly changed, had he?Montgomery wouldn't voice these concerns aloud, not to the likes of Howard fucking Slayte.

"Go ta hell," he replied instead.

Shifting uncomfortably in the bed, he grunted. "No. But, if ya gonna yap and tell me lore, at least untie my restraints so I can get comfortable." He was tired of leaning forward to try and look at him.

"S'not like I can do much right now."

He was silent. Perhaps, Howard was right. He couldn't leave Rocket for his own safety. But... "Ya don't haveta cause this turmoil 'n strife, though. The attack on Dewford."

"Why."

[attr="class","montytag"]howard slayte

[attr="class","monty"]Montgomery's eyes rolled. Whatever. Fuck kyurem, fuck hoenn, fuck whatever. He'd try as hard as he could to be the one to end Howard's tirade.

Be it death or otherwise.

"Then why'd you stay? Ya had a chance to leave when ya thought I was dead. Why didn't ya?" he asked in genuine curiosity. "Surely you'd have thought yer ticket out was given."

He didn't understand why he was so curious. Perhaps it was the inexplicable tie they had to each other, bound by the red string of fate.

Montgomery would never be able to unwind himself from Howard, no matter how hard he tried.

"The hell you mean? Bring that woman to me. For what?" he asked with a bite in his tone. Though his eyes narrowed. "Don't bring Navy into this. He ain't got nothin' to do with me 'n you."

[attr="class","montytag"]howard slayte

[attr="class","monty"]"And what's it matter to you if I know someone on yer side? That woman: she's a criminal. I just needta bring her in. Then justice can reign. Evil needsta be punished."

He smirked. "Doesn't it, Howy?"

Montgomery's face returned to a more serious aspect, clicking his tongue in annoyance. For someone who'd been so timid, Howard had a fuck ton to yap about.

"And, you, Howard?" Montgomery's head sagged to one side. "You say I tossed ya aside. That I findya worthless. Why does it mean so much to you? I'm nothing more than a stranger ya never got to know."

The reality was, Howard thought he'd known the Montgomery of team Rocket. Not even Montgomery could tell him who he truly was. But, he could tell him why he did what he did.

"Do you love me? Find me so fuckin' fascinating that ya can't get me outta yer head?" He laughed, pulling against his restraints. "Was I somethin' like a brother to ya, and ya can't get over the fact I faked my death to come here?"

It was the first time he'd admitted to someone he'd been the one to ignite his home in driftveil city, removed his existence, and fled to hoenn.

"My ending ends with you."

[attr="class","montytag"]howard slayte

[attr="class","monty"]The incessant beeping was silenced. Montgomery eyed the unown h with a look that could bring down the levitating Pokemon. Despite that, it still floated.

He laughed, though his throat felt like it had shards of glass in it. "Yer really somethin', comin' to see the man you nearly pummeled to death justa mock 'em."

He rested his head back, huffing in a deep breath as he seemed to relearn how to breathe. And then he spat in Howard's direction.

"Ya hate me, Slayte. Ya hate me more'n anyone I know. Butcha know what?" Montgomery dragged his gray eyes back to him, his lips a fine line.

He saw red.

"Yer the same as me. I might've fallen from grace, but yer no different. You had a chance, butcha ruined it. Hmm?"

Montgomery raised his eyebrow. "I don't know what yer talkin' 'bout, with the Rocket scientist. I ain't have nothin' to do with y'all," he lied.

[attr="class","montytag"]howard slayte

[attr="class","monty"]Montgomery wanted to spit at Howard's face. He wanted to grab his head and shove him down into the ground and crack his god damn skull like he'd done to him. His feet kicked weakly against the four point restraints, unable to reach more than a few inches off the bed.

"Rat. Piece of shit. Coward."

Those were all the perfect things to describe Howard Slayte.

Montgomery only stopped trying to kick when the phone was practically shoved into his face. His vision swam as he tried to focus, biting on the tube as a way of cursing from his intensifying migraine. He froze.

ameena abadi?

What did she want with howard slayte? Why did she want him? What did she—

Nausea crawled through his stomach to his throat, but nothing came up. Instead, he was left with the horrible feeling of needing to vomit.

He nearly did when Howard all but yanked the tube from his lips.

Montgomery's body rose up as he coughed, blood coagulating around his mouth as he gasped for air. The ventilator beside his head pinged with concern. If Howard was smart enough, he'd silence it.

"The fuck... ya doin'... here?" he heaved, his voice shot and gravely from underuse. "The hell... ya want?"

[attr="class","montytag"]howard slayte

[attr="class","monty"]A defiant glare was given to the admin. However, he stopped reaching, pausing as if to say:

"What do you want?" Or, more appropriately: "get on with it."

[attr="class","montytag"]howard slayte

[attr="class","monty"]What an asshole.

Montgomery didn't care if Howard called him names or slandered him. He deserved that much. But to openly smoke in a sick person's hospital room?

Not even he would do that.

The scent of nicotine was addictive and something Montgomery craved. But the harsh smell of cigarettes burned his throat around the intubation tube, causing his eyes to water. Not only that, but he was very much so aware the highly flammable oxygen being pumped in and out of his lungs.

Did Howard have a death wish? He surely seemed to.

But, then again, Montgomery hadn't been in his right mind since hospitalization. For all he knew, this was simply an illusion. A nightmare, conjured by the sedation medicines that were continuously pumping through him.

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes at him. What was his point? He knew that he wasn't able to speak. So, was he forced to hear this endless yapping? His eyes flicked to the side, where there was a red call light button on the side of his rail.

With a strangled hand, he attempted to push the button. And, he would think he'd do it easily and gracefully. But it was quite the opposite, jerking and noticeable.

[attr="class","montytag"]howard slayte

[attr="class","monty"]From the outside world looking in, Montgomery seemed to be in much better condition than the day that he was brought into Mauville City's hospital. However, from the inside—

He felt like shit.

The words couldn't even properly describe what he felt like. The drifting into and out of consciousness was often dictated by how rowdy he was when he was waking up from sedation. And, often times, the nurses would sigh at him and titrated his sedation back a few tenths of a milligram to ensure his safety.

Right then, Montgomery was beginning to drift back into consciousness. It was a guarantee that he wouldn't remember much, if any interactions at all, but the tube in his throat was something he'd become much too acquainted with.

They'd placed him on his back, and they were sure to be coming back in two hours to shift him uncomfortably to his side. But, for now, he was content with his placement.

Though he mouthed around the plastic in his mouth: "Ameena. Ameena."

No sound. Just silence. And no one came to his side. Had ameena abadi even come to visit him? Did she know he was alive?

He blew over the ventilator, a small beeping indicating that he was breathing at least a few breaths on his own. Until a figure loomed above him.

His nurse? No... this illusion looked like—

howard slayte.

The monitors ran wild as his heart rate spiked, adrenaline pumping in his body. Montgomery's head screamed as his hands attempted to reach out to grab the man- to no avail.

He was still secured.

However, his anger was evident.

[attr="class","montytag"]howard slayte

[attr="class","monty"]Montgomery's anger and fury was quelled by Ameena. The tight feeling he had been carrying since his skirmish with howard slayte all near faded away.

Almost.

In a post-orgasmic bliss, he nearly forgot about him. His hand was stroking through her hair, the other holding her close as her own fingers trailed across the multitude of scars upon his body.

The question shocked his system like an ice bath. Montgomery hoped that she didn't feel him tense up. Though her question was valid.

What did he do next?

"I dunno," he admitted softly, staring ahead at the wall in front of the bed. "I hadn't thought that far ahead. Honestly, I don't think much 'bout the future anymore."

Somewhat a lie. He thought about a future with her. But he didn't want to admit it. Not when he had tipetoed over the line of "merely using her as a means" with the text message he'd sent her that day.

"'Bout Howard?"

[attr="class","montytag"]ameena abadi

[attr="class","monty"]"Every night?"

Before he met Ameena, Montgomery didn't dream at all. But, now, he had many dreams, and often she was in them. Good dreams. Bad dreams. Utter nightmares...

But, mostly, his dreams with Ameena were sweet. The type of dream you never wanted to wake up from.

What did that mean?

"I do. I'm prolly a bit rusty at it now, but," he trailed off, guiding his fingers across the strings. "Seems like I'm damn perfect here."

[attr="class","montytag"]ameena abadi | get in sygna

[attr="class","monty"]For a moment, he wondered if Ameena was going to confine him to bed and make him resign the inability for some fun tonight. However, as she jabbed a finger into his bare chest, he smirked.

"I'm takin' it? Someone's bossy." Not that he minded one bit.

He answer to her suggestion was to take her to bed, setting her down and relaxing back on the mattress. Montgomery tried to appear nonchalant and cool — but anticipation thrummed in his veins as he watched her.

"I'm very good a beggin' if I need ta."

[attr="class","montytag"]ameena abadi