“It’s confirmed, Michael.” Constance said as Michael shook his head in disbelief. “They’ve landed on that island.” Constance pointed to the island on the map display.
Michael shivered. “We all know what was there.” He said gravely.
“The Resort.” Constance confirmed. Michael nodded. “What the hell are they doing there? And what are they doing with a body? None of this makes any sense!” Constance said in frustration.
“I know, I know!” Michael replied, sounding angrier than he meant to. With a deep breath, he turned to Cynthia. “Could you find a way to land on the island?” he asked.
“Possibly with the hover engines, but it’d be tight.” Cynthia replied.
“All right, do your best.” He said as he turned back to Constance.
“Michael, are you going to be all right?” she asked with concern. Michael looked worse than he had in a long time.
Michael sighed. “Yeah. I will. I’m sorry, Connie… it’s just that… a lot of this isn’t adding up.”
“I know.” Constance answered. Michael reached to her shoulders and massaged them gently as he realized his partner was trembling.
“Connie?” Michael asked cautiously.
“I’m sorry, Michael. I should be stronger than this. It’s all just so strange… first a body, then they head out to the Resort… it all sounds like something out of a bad horror movie. I know this is going to sound ridiculous… but… could they be trying something, I don’t know, mystical?”
Michael looked at his partner oddly. “I never knew you to be the type to believe in magic, Constance.”
“I’m not, really.” Constance replied with a chuckle. “I guess this is all just… just jumping into my mind.”
Michael smiled. “Don’t worry. I’m sure whatever those two are up to, it’s all reality and flesh and blood. I just wish I knew what it was.”
Constance smiled at him “Thanks, Boss.” She whispered as she squeezed his hand.
“No problem.” Michael assured her as he returned the squeeze and reached for the intercom to address the Rockets on board the plane. “Attention. Our quarries have landed on an island we all know of. It’s the island that used to be home to the Resort. Now, we are going to circle over the island a few times as Ms. Conway and myself survey what we can from above. When we land, you will follow our lead and stay close. Remember, nobody acts without my orders.” With that, he replaced the microphone and turned to Cynthia. “How long ‘till we can circle over the island and get a look at what’s going on?”
Cynthia looked at her instruments. “E.T.A. five minutes, sir.” She replied.
Michael sat down again in the co-pilot’s seat and grabbed a pair of binoculars from a bag by his feet. “All right. Keep on.” He said as he sat back and exhaled a deep breath.
Virginia, Li, and Dominique climbed out of the helicopter and shoved some of the growth out of their way as Virginia led the trio. “You seem intrigued, Mistress.” She said as she looked over her shoulder at Domino.
Dominique considered trying to deny the charge, but she knew it would be fruitless. “Well, maybe I am.” She said in a tone that surprised her. “This island… I don’t remember ever being here before, and yet… this place seems more familiar than anything I’ve seen yet.”
“Really? That’s great!” Li said excitedly. Both the females looked at him oddly at this outburst. “Uh, this way.” He said simply as he pointed toward the remains of the Resort. The three of them trudged down a narrow paved road that was slowly being overtaken by vegetation with no crews around to cut the plants back.
After a short while, they walked through a break in the road and found a large clearing. In the middle stood the charred remains of a foundation of a building. Inside the outline of the foundation, the ground on which the building had stood was sunk down in a deep hole, which revealed that the building had once held many basement levels. This was all that remained of the place most Rockets feared more than any other, a prison/asylum for Rockets who had broken down, betrayed their Team, or had in general displeased Giovanni enough to warrant a hellish existence of torture. It had been jokingly called the Resort, and the most unspeakable of horrors had occurred inside its walls. A term there had seemed the ultimate punishment, a fate worse than death, and yet it had been destroyed by its only prisoner to defeat it, Red Rocket Annie Masterson. Working with Kyle Ketchum, she had managed to plant the bombs that had wiped it from the face of the world, taking Giovanni and his ways in flame with it. It had been that day that Domino had lost her memory, and Michael had taken over with the support of a number of Rockets.
If only the memories of this place would return, then perhaps… just perhaps… Domino could come back. This was the reasoning of Li and Virginia as they led Dominique to the edge of the foundations and let her stand by its ruined walls again. Calmly, the assassins told her to look around, think, explore, and live the experiences again. Dominique wandered to the edge of the pit, drawn by an unexplainable power that she could neither resist nor understand.
Overhead, Michael Morgan peered through his binoculars down at the island as his mouth gaped open in disbelief. He turned breathlessly to his partner, and motioned her over without a word. Constance stepped forward and walked to the window. Taking the binoculars from Michael, she peered down at the clearing in the middle of the island, and gasped. “Michael- Is- is that….” She asked in utter shock.
Michael nodded. “It’s Domino.” He whispered.
“But- but she had amnesia! How could she be here now? How could she know to come here?”
Michael glared through the window. “That wasn’t a dead body Virginia and Li were carrying, it was a drugged one. They must have brought Domino here.” He said with a rough edge in his voice.
“To try to bring back her memory?” Constance asked, still staring down at Domino and the two assassins who stood a distance back as the blonde woman wandered around the perimeter of the Resort and finally sank to her knees as she stared down into the pit that had once been the sub-levels.
“I’m sure of it. They’ve never been happy with the changes, but they’d never act without their leader.” Michael said disgustedly. He turned swiftly to Cynthia. “Greenway, we have to land on the edge of the island, outside of the clearing, as softly as we can.”
Cynthia nodded. “Can do, Sir. I’ll use the hover vents to lower us onto the beach.”
Michael then turned to the intercom microphone and addressed the Rockets in the plane. “Attention, everyone. We’ll be landing in a few moments. Your orders are simple. Take your weapons and fan out along the edge of the island in the plant growth. Move silently and carefully. No action is to be taken without direct orders from myself or Red Rocket Conway.” Michael’s hand shook as he replaced the microphone and straightened his red tie.
“What are we going to do?” Constance asked, more than a little nervous about the situation.
Michael reached to his shoulder holster and produced his revolver, still his favorite weapon after all this time. Quickly, he opened the cylinder and checked to ensure that it was fully loaded. Satisfied that it was, he jerked the gun back and the cylinder snapped and locked into place. “We’re going to go apprehend Li and Virginia before they succeed. I don’t think Domino will have her memory back yet, and if we get to her before it comes, we can convince her that Li and Virginia were only acting out of deluded desperation. Then she can go back to her new life, and we can avoid a war.”
“War?” Constance asked in a whisper as Michael holstered his weapon. “Isn’t that a little strong?”
“Do you doubt that that’s what the Crandalls want?” Michael asked her softly.
Constance shook her head and looked to the floor. Michael looked at her sadly, and said to her reassuringly, “Look, Connie, whatever happens I am still their leader. And we have a whole unit of Rockets. We outnumber two renegades and an amnesiac. Let’s go nip this in the bud before it gets worse, huh?”
Connie looked to him with a half-hearted smile. They felt the plane touch down on the beach with a quiet thunk. “Cynthia, stay with the plane, please. Have it ready to take off if need be.” Michael said.
“No problem, Boss.” Cynthia replied as she switched off the hover engines.
“Let’s go.” Michael said as he strode to the cabin door.
Behind him, Constance crossed herself silently with her eyes closed, and stepped forward. “Right behind you.” She replied.
The Rockets were quick and efficient, silently filing around the edge of the growth that encircled the clearing where the Resort had once stood. As quietly as they could, the Rockets began to advance through the heavy island foliage as Michael and Constance marched without a word down the main path, steeling themselves for the confrontation that was about to come.
On the inner edge of the clearing, Virginia and Li stood with their arms folded, intently watching Dominique and not sensing the presence of others on the island. “Think this is doing anything?” Li whispered, not wanting to distract Domino.
“Well, we forced her to look at everything else. This is by choice for her, so it must be doing something.” Virginia replied. “I think she’s onto something. I mean, she’s been staring into that spot for-“ Suddenly, the assassin stopped.
“What?” Li asked, turning to look at his sister and finding with surprise that Virginia was standing with a gun to her head. His face scowled as he reached for his own gun. “Conway.” He snarled.
The quiet click of a revolver’s hammer being cocked behind Li told him that the use of his gun was not a wise choice. “And Morgan.” Michael said with a stony expression.
Li raised his hands and turned to face Michael with a smirk. “Never figured you to be the type to shoot a guy in the back, Mikey. What’s the matter? Afraid we’ll get her back again?”
“You’re tampering with things that shouldn’t be tampered with, Crandall. Stand down.” Michael commanded.
Virginia chuckled as she turned to face Michael, Constance’s gun still trained on her head. “Heh. No, I don’t think so. You see, we’ve taken your orders. We’ve done your goody-goody crap. We’ve done your charity, your goodwill, all your shtick. We’ve watched you whittle away at the most feared organization in the world. But it ends here. You want us to stand down, you’ll have to kill us. Thing is, I don’t think you can do it. You have no ambition, no taste for blood, do you? Domino does. Or at least she did before you did whatever you did to her. Time for it all to come back.” Virginia narrowed her eyes to slits. “And time for you to pay.”
Michael nodded to Constance. “ADVANCE!” they yelled in unison. The concealed Rockets stepped through the vegetation and walked forward, their weapons at the ready. At the sight of Domino, they froze in surprise, but held their weapons ready all the same. Some trained their weapons on Li and Virginia, some on Domino, who continued to stare into the pit, oblivious to everyone around her. “Mistress?” came a disbelieving voice from one of the Rockets. There was no response from Domino.
“Real brave leader, coming with enough troops to ensure we’d never make it back, Morgan.” Virginia snarled.
Michael glared at her as he motioned for two trusted Reds to come by his side. “Watch them.” He said simply. The two Reds guarded the Assassins as Michael stepped forward cautiously behind Domino. “Dominique?” Michael asked cautiously as he holstered his revolver and Constance covered his back.
There was no reply from the woman who sat in an upright fetal position, clutching her legs tightly to her chest.
“Domino?” Michael tried again. There was no answer, no indication that the woman had even heard him.
“Mistress?” Michael whispered as he stepped behind her and reached for her shoulder.
The
revolver was pointed at her as she stared defiantly at Morgan.
“I should kill both of you right now.
You’ve hurt my family, stolen Annie’s baby, and had me tortured in
this place. You are my enemies.
I should annihilate you two here and now, on the spot.”
Michael said through clenched teeth.
Domino felt a shiver run through her being.
Was this really it? “But
I’m not like you. I’m going to
get you out before The Resort is destroyed.”
Domino felt her face relax as she heaved a silent sigh and Giovanni
stared through narrowed eyes at Morgan, his
mind filled with hate. Suddenly
Domino realized that he was right. Morgan
would never offer to save them… why
should he? After all,
she certainly wouldn’t in his position.
The realization of this came too late, Domino realized,
as a large Raichu ran into the room and let loose with a thunderbolt
attack. Even through her rubber
boots, Domino could feel the
searing pain of the electricity shoot violently through every part of her being.
For a moment, all she could feel was the jolt,
then her world went dark as she collapsed to the floor.
The
darkness was all she could see, but
she could hear the noises… the
obscenely loud BOOMS of explosives going off.
Domino’s body suddenly felt a tremendous pressure on top of her,
and her mind screamed for her body to come back around.
Slowly, so slowly it was
agonizing, Domino’s body
recovered from the shock. First she
felt the pressure, then the heat, then her eyes opened to see the flames all around her and
Morgan’s frame on top of her. What
kind of perverted assault was this??? She wondered for a second before realizing
that Giovanni’s unconscious form was on top of Michael. Suddenly it was clear. Morgan
had lied. She was his cushion,
Giovanni his shield. Outraged,
Domino opened her mouth and screamed.
Her throat burned with the acrid smoke from the flames that she could
feel getting closer and closer to her as she struggled to free herself from
under this self-serving coward…
A
flaming chunk of the support beams fell from the ceiling and missed her head by
inches. Domino made a decision.
She may be lost, but her dying breath would order Morgan to save the Boss at
least. In a choked voice,
she screamed as loudly as she could into Michael’s ear, “Save him!
You fool! Save Giovanni!
Do you hear me, you insolent-“ Then
her head was filled with pain and the world went dark again.
“Mistress?” a voice whispered. Domino felt something- a hand on her shoulder. Was it Giovanni? Had all this been a nightmare? Domino turned her head slowly, and looked at Michael for a moment, her eyes blinking rapidly.
“Dominique?” Michael tried again. Domino’s eyes narrowed in hate as she jumped to her feet, shoving Morgan’s hand away roughly.
“You killed him!” Domino screamed spitefully. “You killed him after you said you’d save him!” The Master Class Red, her memory fully restored, pointed her finger at Michael accusingly, a scowl on her face. Li and Virginia smiled at each other wickedly as the Reds guarding them stared at Domino in utter amazement.
Domino turned to face the mass of Rockets who looked at her strangely. Could such an accusation be true? “You have decided to follow Morgan as your new leader. But let me tell you the truth of what happened in there.”
Michael watched with a sense of dread as Domino stepped forward with the determined, confident swagger that had been her trademark for years. “First, he claimed he was intending to save both of us. Then, when the explosions started, he used me as a shock cushion under him and Giovanni’s body as a shield for himself! As if that wasn’t insult enough, he ignored a direct order from me to save Giovanni!” Constance stood numb, knowing the truth and yet unable to speak. Michael’s eyes followed Domino as she walked along the line of Rockets with all the manner of a prosecuting attorney.
“He knew that if he came out with me, he’d look the hero and win your trust, but I’m telling you now, Michael Morgan is a treacherous, lying snake! He betrayed both Giovanni and I, and I promise it will only be a matter of time before he does the same to anyone who follows him!”
Michael’s voice shook as he tried to compose his thoughts to retort. “I- I tried to save him…” the Red Rocket began.
“LIAR!” Domino screeched, jabbing her finger at him. “You merely wanted him out of the way so you could seize the power that was rightfully his!”
Domino then turned to again face the assemblage of Rockets. “Anyone of you who felt loyalty to Giovanni, to his principles, come stand by my side now before Michael kills you as well.” Li and Virginia were the first to step forward, their guards numb with shock. Not a hand was raised to stop the two assassins.
The Rockets of B Unit looked at one another in confusion, unsure of what to believe. Suddenly, a Red Rocket shoved his way through the crowd and marched to Domino’s side, his submachine gun gripped tightly in his hands. She turned to address the Red rocket with a stern face and a tight handshake. “A wise choice, Agent Kipe.”
Red Rocket Richard Kipe looked at his new leader with respect. “I never doubted his judgment, Mistress Domino.” He said in a deep voice as he turned to stand beside her and face the others.
“Any others?” Domino demanded. Slowly, about 20 of the Rockets began to walk to her side, while others walked to Michael, while still others stood in the middle, unsure of which leader they should trust.
Domino regarded the Rockets by Michael’s side with a hateful glare. “No more?” she spat. Her eyes settled on one Black rocket in particular. “Collins?” she snapped.
The Black Rocket looked to her. The respect that had been programmed into him won over immediately, and he answered her cautiously, “Yes, Mistress Domino?”
“Collins, place your hand over your heart.” Domino ordered. Collins complied, and instantly knew what she was doing. “Collins, you may recall that you were gravely wounded in the field some time back. When that happened, Giovanni ordered a Green Branch doctor to place a small experimental microchip in your heart. That chip, Collins, keeps your heart beating. Giovanni is responsible for that chip and that heartbeat you’re feeling. Are you now using that heart to betray him?” she asked him gravely.
Agent Collins looked at the ground. “The old ways can’t last, Mistress.” Collins began slowly and softly. “I am grateful to Giovanni for the help he gave me, but the betrayals, the killing, the deceit… it has to end. If you’re asking me if I hate my former leader, then the answer is no. If you’re asking if I will follow you on a mission of vengeance, the answer is again no.” With that Collins marched to Michael’s side. The new ways are here, Mistress, and- well- I for one think… that things are better.
Domino glared at the separate faction of Rockets by Michael as more of the undecided Rockets joined him. “You all sicken me.” She said spitefully. “Those who are not by my side now will forever be branded our enemies. Join me now or suffer the consequences!” Not a single Rocket moved to join her. “Then your fates are sealed.” Domino muttered as she turned to the Rockets of varying ranks who had come to her side. “All Rockets- all true Rockets! Ready to exterminate these traitors!” Domino’s corps raised their guns and trained them on Michael’s faction.
Michael’s loyalists instinctively raised their guns in defense, and Constance raised her own handgun to aim for Domino’s head.
“Open fi-“ Domino began when Michael suddenly ran between the two factions, the gun barrels of both groups trained on him.
“STOP!” Michael yelled loudly. “A battle now would do nothing but spill blood needlessly! Nothing will be solved!”
Domino snorted. “Coward!” she yelled spitefully as she stepped forward.
“Maybe so.” Michael began. “But look, Domino! The numbers alone… all we would do is slaughter each other!”
Domino stopped to consider this for a moment. “If we fight like animals, we’ll die like animals.” Michael said softly.
Domino looked at her enemy with hate. She stepped over to one of the B Unit Rockets, and pulled a bowie knife from his leg holster. Holding the knife in front of her, Domino walked to Michael. “I should kill you now. I should shove this blade in you and gut you like a Magikarp. One cut, from sternum to groin, and then slowly rip out your organs.” she snarled. “But… I wouldn’t get off this island alive, would I?” she said, posing the question to nobody in particular. After a moment, Domino looked at Michael and said her next words in a quiet, determined tone. “Consider yourself lucky, Morgan. I’m allowing you escape. “Run home. Run back to Viridian with your tail between your legs, and hide under that desk behind that power that you stole, because we’ll be coming for you- don’t doubt it.” With that, Domino turned to her followers. “Comrades! Let these fools go. Do not despair, you will all get your chance to watch them die. But for now… let them run home like the scared pups they are!”
On Michael’s side, a Red Rocket stepped forward, his gun raised. “Scared pups?!?” he yelled as he leveled his gun at Domino.
“Anderson!” Michael snapped. “We are leaving. Stand down.”
“But, Mr. Morgan-“
“Stand Down.” Michael repeated firmly. Grudgingly, Anderson complied. Michael’s Rockets began to file to the waiting plane as Michael radioed to Greenway to be ready for takeoff.
When the Rockets had cleared, Michael and Constance stood side by side. Michael looked to Domino. “It doesn’t have to be this way, Domino. Think of what we can accomplish- the good we can do- if you and I were to be allies.”
Domino glared at the ground. “Do not test the limits of my willingness to allow you escape, you traitor.” She growled.
Michael sighed quietly and began to walk away to the plane with Constance as Domino’s voice addressed her new unit. “Friends! The True Rockets of Giovanni’s vision have returned! This island that saw the murder of our leader will also see our rebirth! There is much to be done! Will you follow me?”
Domino was answered with cheers in unison as the Rockets raised their fists in the air. “Long live the truth!” Domino screamed as Michael’s plane hovered in the air and took off in the direction of Kanto.
“And death to all those who oppose us.” Domino stated to unanimous support as the Rockets before her cheered.