Lacewood Week 2018 Day 5
Prompt - Heroes/Villains
Word Count - 9.4k
Warnings - Blood/ Violence, Language, Length
Wrote this in just over 9 hours, in a car, on alarming amounts of Gravol on a road trip. Forgive spelling errors and the like, I’m a very drowsy woman.
Team Flare was perhaps too aggressive.
Augustine stood above Vaniville, watching it burn from a safe distance from a nearby hillside in the dead of night. There was pain echoing around. Screaming from the residents. The destruction burned the professor to his very core but he couldn’t show it. Not with Lysandre right beside him, staring off to the carnage with mild approval.
Fear overtook Augustine, staring at his oldest friend, who had been many things in his life but right now it was Leader. The professor never dreamed it would come to this, he never dreamed that Lysandre would become this tyrannical madman. How had his dream of beauty and preservation become this warped caricature of death? Perhaps the red visor he was given to wear just made everything seem so much worse.
An explosion brought Augustine’s gaze back to the devastation. The flames burned brighter. If anyone had stayed behind, they would certainly be dead. Calem’s parents were certainly alive, they were out of the country but Grace… she was still here. Who knows if she made it out alive?
Vaniville was only a target because Lysandre claimed that his student, Serena, was a threat. Too big of a threat to ignore. If Augustine dared speak against Lysandre about anything, he would be exposed. Lysandre would know he didn’t believe in his ideals and he would lose his advantage to help those in desperate need of it.
Right now, Team Flare had descended their force to Ambrette and Couriway. Both towns lacking in gym leaders and proper protection. Ambrette had scientist and Couriway had an escape route, the train, it only made sense to attack those cities first. The Power Plant had yet to be destroyed. Lysandre told him Aliana was there, set to take the facility.
He told Sina and Dexio about Lysandre’s plans so they could limit the destruction. It seemed to do nothing. His attempts to save those of the small town were fruitless as most certainly, the death toll would likely be staggering. He couldn’t allow for this to continue. He couldn’t stand for this but he had no choice… He could not fight Lysandre on his own.
“There’s a strange beauty in destruction, is there not?” Lysandre’s baritone pulled him in, he sounded so blasé over the death of possible hundreds. It was terrifying.
“I imagine it suits your tastes very well.” Augustine answered quietly. He couldn’t see it. There was no beauty in eradicating the innocent.
“You sound disappointed.” Accusatory. So quick to jump to conclusions. As always.
Augustine turned his gaze over, staring right into the icy blue eyes of his comrade. “I always thought Vaniville was incredibly beautiful.”
A slow nod of understanding. “When this is all over, we’ll rebuild it. Make it even more beautiful.” Lysandre was so sure in his statement, so confident. Augustine wished he could try to convince Lysandre this wasn’t the way to preserve beauty, he was becoming that which he despised most but he couldn’t say it. Lysandre was committed.
It was sudden when the taller man swiveled on his heel to turn away from the destruction. “Come. Perhaps this will draw out your student.”
Augustine couldn’t breathe over the fear in his heart. He was already targeting Serena so closely and if she didn’t know they were coming for her, she could be killed before she even had a chance to bargain for her life. “I’m sure she’s on her way here.” Serena was smarter than that, she wouldn’t be lured out so easily but he was trying to buy time.
Lysandre nonchalantly waved his hand. “No, she’s too clever. She must be in Lumiose City.” Even Lysandre understood his student, he thought with a grimace.
Augustine finally descended the hill to follow his friend. Attempting to keep his pulse, breathing and cringing under a tight hold. He was not ready to do what needed to be done and the more time he wasted, more would die. “Will we dominate Kalos city by city? Like this?”
Lysandre’s helicopter came into view and he put an arm on Augustine’s shoulder, pulling him close. “Vaniville was merely a prevue. A warning to the rest. We will send a message to everyone in this country and to those who still reject us… will burn.” A deep rumble from within the man told Augustine there was more to this than purifying the world, for beauty. Something far more sinister than he ever could have betted on.
Augustine managed a curt nod. “The more that see your message, the better.”
Lysandre ignored his answer. “Where’s Diantha?”
The professor shrugged, Diantha was always on the move. “I don’t know. I’ve tried contacting her but there’s been no connection.”
Lysandre hummed and narrowed his eyes. “Interesting,” a thoughtful murmur. “Let’s go.” He commanded, climbing into the helicopter.
They were in the air. It was a quiet ride, and Augustine had to stop himself from trying to turn in his seat to see the pyre that was previously Vaniville. There were sixteen major towns and cities in Kalos and he just watched as that number was dropped to fifteen. If the other teams succeeded, the count was down to thirteen. Would they be the only casualty? How much more could he stand to witness? How long could he last before Lysandre figured out his ploy?
Lysandre pulled out a tablet and read through a few messages and apparently one piqued his interest as he straightened in his seat.
The taller man laughed, a deep menacing rumble. “I know where Serena is.”
Augustine whipped his gaze from the window to look at him. “Where?”
“She’s on South Boulevard, let’s make some time for her in our busy schedule.”
Augustine had to find Serena first. He had to. If Lysandre found her, something terrible would happen to Serena. Lysandre was not shy over telling him the plans he had. The destruction he was going to inflict on those insufferable, useless fools of the world were greatly detailed.
Lumiose City was in view quickly enough, the largest difference being that Prism Tower was lit up in a deep red. Lysandre had already taken over the city and that was his claim. The Holo Caster was his, connections and communications were frozen, only those with a Team Flare clearance number could communicate. Lysandre was kind enough to offer Augustine a direct line of communication with him.
They exited the helicopter. “Look for her, she’s nearby.”
Augustine nodded and sprinted off. It would hopefully show Lysandre that he was eager to help and not the other way around. He searched in between alleys and café’s that were closed down and in some of the office buildings that weren’t shut down yet.
Serena didn’t seem to be anywhere near here. Which was fantastic. It was all he hoped for. Augustine turned on his communicator to talk to Lysandre but was cut off from the other side.
“Did you think you could hide?” The malice in Lysandre’s voice made him freeze. Did Lysandre already figure him out? The professor couldn’t work his mouth. Terror filled him.
A feminine voice replied distantly in fear. “Lysandre!” That was Serena! He found Serena first! Merde. Where did he find her…? His lab. He was so blind. Serena must’ve been hiding in his lab and Lysandre figured her out first dammit, he didn’t think Serena would be so obvious!
Lysandre replied lowly. “Don’t be scared. Not of me, child.” Augustine took off running from inside the office building and the moment he left its doors, called out Charizard and jumped onto the Pokémon’s back.
“Home.” Augustine muttered, away from the open communicator. His fire Pokémon flew off into the sky.
Serena argued with Lysandre, anger dripping out of her voice. “What did you do to my home?” Augustine prayed she didn’t press too hard too quickly so that Lysandre was pressed to hurt her.
Lysandre scoffed at her, mimicking sympathy. “An unfortunate accident.” He could see his lab, where could they be inside? It had to be his office, it had to be.
“How could you!?” Serena shrieked at him, she sounded so hurt in that moment. Augustine willed Charizard to go faster.
Lysandre was silent for a moment before replying. “Necessity. The weak and the useless must be destroyed for this world to flourish.” There was more silence. Then a struggle, he could hear Serena cry out in pain.
Lysandre sighed extravagantly. “Serena, don’t fight me,” He murmured sympathetically. “Come with me, join our ranks. Augustine would be positively euphoric to have you join us, share in our ideals.” Dammit, Lysandre! Serena wasn’t supposed to know. He was supposed to find her first so he could lead her out of the city and to safety. This was going so wrong.
“The Professor?” Serena’s heartbroken disbelief killed him. Charizard finally landed at his front steps and Augustine ran up the steps and yanked his lab’s front doors open.
Lysandre chuckled. “He watched beside me as your home was destroyed.” There was a sudden zapping noise he couldn’t place and a fearful gasp from Serena.
Serena screamed. “No-!” Another struggle. There was a sharp jarring sound and Lysandre growled in pain. Serena hit him for sure. Why didn’t she call out her Pokémon?
“Join you? You!? My answer should be obvious!” Serena howled loud enough that Augustine heard her through the walls as he ran to his office. Augustine opened the door and ran in from around the partition just fast enough to hear Serena’s final statement. “And if it isn’t, fuck you.”
Lysandre pulled out a taser, a weapon he’d had one of his scientists develop, it was a useful item and good for taking hostages, he said. Augustine froze, Lysandre was gripping Serena by her neck and had lifted her off the ground. He pressed the taser to her skin and let go of her neck.
It worked only too well. Serena fell to the ground with a pained cry, her limbs weak while spasms wracked her body. Lysandre knelt by her and cupped her cheek, she glared back unable to move and the fury that swirled in her eyes was captivating. In the corner of the room, Serena’s travel bag. Of course, Lysandre couldn’t chance failure now. He was never going to give Serena the slightest chance of victory. Or survival.
Lysandre sighed and brandished a knife. “You had so much potential.”
“Don’t!” Augustine shouted. He needed to think of a plan, buy Serena time to escape but she was injured now. What could he do for her without giving everything away? He couldn’t dare bring his gaze to look at Serena who was so distraught at seeing him. She was probably thinking the worst. Seeing him dressed head to toe in Team Flare garb.
“Augustine…?” Lysandre rumbled in anger. Augustine glared right back at Lysandre. He had an idea.
The professor outstretched his hand to Serena. “If you’re going to kill her, give her to me.”
“Are you serious?”
Augustine swallowed thickly and nodded. “I told you, I believe your ideals. I will do anything to make sure you reach them.” Augustine approached from the back of the room, standing before the leader of Team Flare. Lysandre paused but nodded, offering him the dagger he had brandished.
When Augustine reached down for his student, he had hoped Serena would be docile so he could exact his plan but the moment he grabbed her arm, Serena reacted violently and scratched his face. The visor saved his eye thankfully but her nails dragged down his cheek, jaw, and neck. It stung the instant she made contact.
Augustine lurched back, no words came out of his mouth. He deserved that and so much more. Lysandre pressed the taser into her side and Serena cried out. Only then Augustine grunted, pained from Serena’s shrieks.
The man with red hair brought a hand up to the professor’s cheek and regarded him in surprise. “She is certainly a fighter, look at your face.”
Augustine tilted his head away slightly. “It will be worth it.” He said passively, Lysandre smirked, looking down at the girl with cruel contempt.
“Why…?” Serena struggled to speak.
Lysander shook his head. “This world is beautiful and it needs to stay that way. I shall preserve this state eternally.”
Serena huffed in an effort to push herself up but the taser had done its damage. “You destroyed so much already… You’re ruining everything you’re fighting for!” Serena cried to the both of them. The professor agreed internally, Lysandre sighed in annoyance.
Augustine finally directly acknowledged his student. “Serena.” he began slowly, calling attention of even Lysandre to look at him.
The professor sighed at her. “You don’t understand. This is bigger than you could imagine. You’re young, and it seems like the world is ending but this is just the beginning.”
Serena shook her head, gasping in pain. “It’s wrong! How is everyone guilty of the crimes you committed as well!? Who judges you!?” She exploded on them both. She was right but Augustine shook his head.
“I wish you agreed to our terms. So you could see what is truly possible.”
Serena couldn’t stop the tears as she stared at him and Augustine clenched his fists to stop himself from falling to the floor and comforting her and hugging her and telling her it was a ruse, a ruse! He had to hold his breath in fear of giving himself away and crying in pain over hurting his beloved protégé.
Lysandre stood beside the professor and knelt down, gripping Serena’s chin. “Perhaps… we don’t have to kill her immediately.” His murmur was sinister, causing Serena to clench her eyes shut in terror and jerk away. This was her nightmare. The professor seemed to be at her rescue regardless.
“We don’t have a lot of time, we should get moving.”
Serena decided to keep her mouth shut, she was afraid that if she was too aggressive, it would entice Lysandre to make good on his promise. “Hmm, you’re right. How unfortunate, if only you could see the truth.” He grinned viciously at Serena and she shrunk back on the floor, gritting her teeth. She couldn’t even fight back.
“Let me have this, she is my student.” Augustine’s words surprised them both.
Lysandre nodded gravely, staring at his friend. “You know what needs to be done,” Augustine brought himself to stare in return with the same intensity. “Kill her.” Serena stared at both men in pure horror, mentally begging and pleading that this wasn’t happening but… what could she do? She was already so weak from the taser.
When Augustine nodded slowly, Lysandre turned to Serena again. He grabbed her by the hair forcefully, causing her to cry out in pain as he lifted her off the floor by her blonde tresses. Augustine had to squeeze his eyes shut, not wanting to see Serena be hurt like this.
“So beautiful.” Lysandre murmured softly to her, almost kindly. “I don’t think I would have been able to defeat you myself. I would have loved to have you for Team Flare, but your passion has led you down a different path.” The large man squeezed his grip on her hair to enunciate his words. Serena could barely struggle she was so injured.
“Augustine has allowed me the privilege of being merciful towards you. I was going to make a spectacle of you but Augustine requested you personally.”
Serena now stood before Lysandre and Augustine, leaning back on his office desk for support, she was shaking and weak. She couldn’t stop her tears as she stared at Augustine, who readied his blade. They weren’t out of fear or grief, they were out of hatred, disbelief, and loss.
The professor understood that, and hoped this would be enough to placate Lysandre, who was watching, and simply thrilled that his best friend shared his ideals. Augustine stared long and hard at his student. Then he marched forward with purpose stopping just a step away from her.
“Adiue, mon coeur.”
And the blade was thrust into her. Serena jerked and shut her eyes, the pressure on her stomach felt nothing like a blade but she let out a choked gasp and sob anyway. She opened her eyes and stared down. That pressure was Augustine’s hand and that hand was protecting her from the knife just hairs away from piercing her.
There was blood everywhere suddenly, she felt faint. Serena sobbed and looked up to Augustine and that was where she saw the regret, the sorrow, the sadness, the unshed tears as he kept the blade in his own hand. She didn’t want to faint, she weakly brought her hands to grasp at his knife, desperate for this to be a nightmare.
Serena could see the words ‘I’m sorry.’ mouthed by him, he jerked forward and Serena cried in surprise. She brought her fingers to his face, her shaking hands slipping over the blood that coated her fingers. “N-no.” Serena managed to whimper out trying to tug the knife out of his hand, Augustine tore both his hands away from her, causing his blood to splatter across the carpet from the blade leaving its fleshy sheath.
Blood was everywhere and not a drop was hers but it was all over her. Serena collapsed onto the floor, the professor made no move to catch her. She hit the ground and struggled to keep conscious, the world leaving her as her vision faded. She could hear Lysandre and Augustine talk. “She got blood on me.” Came Augustine’s disconnected voice.
“Such a tragedy for such a creature. She loved you until the very end.” Serena choked as she struggled to stay awake. Lysandre dutifully ignored her, pretended she wasn’t even there, feigning death. Blood made her nauseous.
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Augustine dropped his deep red Team Flare trench coat on her body. “Let’s go. We’re done here.”
Lysandre chuckled darkly. “Good, to Geoseng now. I have an idea on what to do next.” His voice was far away, they were walking away from her.
“Lead the way, mon amis.” Her world was fading but just before she closed her eyes she caught Augustine’s heartbroken expression thrown at her as he rounded the partition.
Both men were quiet. Lysandre was livid that he lost a potential soldier and Augustine felt sick and his hand was burning, but ultimately hopeful that his subterfuge worked. With the Lysandre’s helicopter, Geoseng was just another short trip away. They touched down and the professor wondered exactly what they were doing here. Objectively, there was nothing in this town.
“Follow.” Lysandre commanded.
Augustine trailed wordlessly. At the far edge of the town, at the northwest corner was a secret entrance. Lysandre always did have a lot of flare, pun intended. The stairwell down truly felt like a sinister villain’s base and with the deep red walls and the steel doors, Augustine had to wonder how Lysandre didn’t see himself as a villain. Surely, when he was building this all, the thought must’ve crossed his mind once.
The professor could see scientists and grunts marching about, getting work done. This place was certainly greater than he had ever bargained it to be. Side channels and backrooms and labs. Lysandre could have done so much more with all of this. He could have made such advancements in Kalos. Apparently, people were no longer up to his standard, this only proved that all humans were destructive monsters. The irony.
Augustine investigated what he could, at one point he found a map of the HQ and found it looked like a train map, routes webbing off into exits and secret passages. He tried to remember what he could and paid attention to other happenings. Grunts piling in from the outside and Lysandre ordering around the scientist. The final weapon was here but Augustine didn’t see it anywhere. He didn’t even know what it looked like.
Lysandre interrupted his thoughts by placing a hand on the professor’s shoulder and it took everything in him to not scream in terror. By pure instinct, Augustine hid his left hand behind his back, fearful that Lysander knew. He had lost himself entirely in his own thoughts. Lysandre didn’t notice and instead forced Augustine to face him. “I should tell you…”
As offhandedly as possible, Augustine answered. “What is it?”
The taller man turned away for a moment but suddenly gazing back to the professor. “I had my grunts go to your lab and dispose of Serena.”
His heart pounded in his chest hard enough that he swore Lysandre could hear it. He had to keep calm no matter what. “Really?” He questioned his friend passively.
Lysandre seemed regretful for moment. “Yes, they accidentally destroyed a portion of your lab and for that I apologize but I needed to ensure Serena was truly dead.” His gaze returned with severe intensity. “It’s not that I doubted you. She is strong. One stab probably didn’t kill her.”
Augustine tilted his head, answering him nonchalantly with a shrug. “It was a lot of blood…”
“I had to ensure she stayed dead.” He answered tightly.
Augustine nodded slowly, suddenly feeling the world sway under his feet. He turned back to the map on the table he had found and rested his hand on the tabletop and prayed, just prayed he looked natural. “I understand. No possible retaliation. You had to do it.”
Again, Lysandre replied with regret. “I know you held strong feelings for her.”
Augustine laughed, he didn’t want to. It was a visceral response to his pain and it exploded outward in a chortle and it hurt so badly Augustine thought he was going to break, instead he squeezed Lysandre’s shoulder in what was assumed to be a comforting gesture. “It seems my feelings for you were stronger.” His words spilled out of his mouth like malicious saccharin but it was the truth for once. If he felt nothing for Lysandre, he wouldn’t have left his friends to stand here, regardless of his intent.
Lysandre’s expression softened in a way that left Augustine torn. Lysandre was switching between his old self and this new vicious satire of his ego so often the professor had trouble grasping reality.
Augustine’s feelings for the Leader of Team Flare were certainly intense but he felt them change in this very instance. Not when he threatened to kill him, not when he burned Vaniville, not when he threatened Serena but when he admitted he had his student killed for insurance.
This was the instant everything shattered for him. Lysandre was irredeemable. If only he could have saved Serena, contacted her before to stay away. It was too late. They killed Serena while she was unawares, all that pain and for it to be so empty and worthless…
Still, there was a smile, as small as it was. “I have something to attend to, try not to get lost.” Lysandre offered as he walked out of the room. Augustine turned back to the map. Unfocused and blank. Lost. Serena was still alive when they left his lab, how much more pain did she go through when Team Flare found her?
Everything went blurry as the tears came, pooling out of his eyes and streaming down his face. Serena was the only person he had wanted to protect and he failed at that, too, just like everything else.
Augustine collapsed to his knees as a sob escaped him. “Oh, mon diue, Serena. Forgive this coward,” he pulled out her mega ring, he was going to return it to her but he never had the chance. He had nothing else from her. “I’m so sorry. I’m so, s-so-.” Augustine’s words were stuttered from his whimpering. The room was cold and offered no comfort, it was alien and wrong. Augustine choked on a sob. It was all wrong.
“Please, let this be a nightmare.” He begged, not to anyone in particular, just another broken prayer in a godless place where no one could hear him.
He had to fight back. Serena didn’t deserve death. No one deserved death for this. He couldn’t contact Diantha, Sina or Dexio which only means that they were either captured, injured or dead.
It was time he clashed against his oldest friend, by himself. Not with his Pokémon, either. He would be defeated embarrassingly easy. No, just him and Lysandre and it was most likely going to end in his death but at this point, he lacked fear.
Augustine rubbed his eyes, he needed a few more moments to collect himself. His tears had left him feeling renewed. There was something he could do. Sabotage the entire HQ. Stop the Final weapon. Anything. He had to act now that Lysandre was dealing with something else. His hand flared up in pain and the professor realized that he should probably deal with that. Thankfully he was wearing black gloves. The blood didn’t show.
Augustine took off his bloodied glove and threw it out in the bin nearby. Lysandre had given him another pair, anyway. His hand was red but mostly numb. The gash on his palm would scar and leave behind a reminder what he failed. The professor only had a thin scrap of cloth wrap in his pocket. His actual supplies were in the Team Flare jacket he left on Serena. He left a communicator and some small necessities should she need them. A useless gesture.
Augustine wrapped his hand up and pulled out the spare pair of gloves from his back pocket. He took a few calming breathes, gathering himself. His visor would likely hide any redness in his eyes.
So he left the room he was situated in. And went about his business to sabotage the base. It began with going to the control room and looking around. He met some admins there. Aliana had returned from the Power Plant, and chatted with Bryony, Celosia and Mable along with Xerosic, who was handling the computers. From the looks of the security cameras, which were about 2 dozen screens on the right wall, Lysandre had merged Lysandre Labs with his headquarters here. Perhaps having everything in the café was a poor idea.
Augustine listened to the others, willing them to divulge something mentally that he could use to stop this madness. He didn’t feel out of place anymore. Augustine knew he had to destroy this control room. The format of the system were similar to his own. Lysandre had programmed the systems at the lab, that was possibly how he found Serena, he knew what to look for.
Even the interface was similar. He wondered if he sat down at a terminal and checked through the system, if anyone would become suspicious but when Augustine turned to walk out, he almost walked face first into Lysandre.
“To the Situation room.” Lysandre announced and his admins walked out, including two he hadn’t seen prior in white outfits. Augustine wondered if he should follow but when all of the people in the control exited and Augustine was about to follow the crowd, he was stopped by their Leader.
“I am not trusted?” Augustine questioned, a little betrayed. After all he’d done…
“It’s merely for the next part of the plan. I won’t bore you with the details, stay here and enjoy a look through our systems.” Lysandre seemed genuine, he trusted Augustine and it was killing him, he was making this so much easier. His entire system was his, for the next however long. Augustine almost grinned over the havoc he was going to wreak on Team Flare’s headquarters.
Regardless, Augustine smile and nodded at the Team Flare leader amicably. “I will, thank you.”
Lysandre turned and exited the control room and Augustine claimed a terminal to use the moment the door swished closed. He was going to be meticulous about breaking down every barrier he could. Lysandre perhaps assumed he was going to betray him and would kill him the moment he logged in?
Augustine turned to the door a few times in paranoia as he typed in his username and password. With the help of the card Lysandre gave him, he found he was an admin to Team Flare, a high ranking one along with… Malva. Ah, she was always a big supporter of Lysandre. Her true identity should’ve been obvious from the very beginning.
He could easily see the levels of clearance he was passing through. He had clearance to Level 4, there was another level and he assumed that only Lysandre and his trusted head scientist, Xerosic, had clearance. The professor opened as much of the security detail as he could. He unlocked doors, interrupted systems and changed the security cameras to have a 20 second delay. He avoided all the level 5 access. He imagined an alarm would be set off if he attempted to use those.
Lysandre had given him so much free reign. His trust would be his downfall and Augustine was left so conflicted. He was succeeding in his sabotage but Lysandre would surely end him. The Team Flare leader killed Serena for just being a threat, after all.
At the very end of the list of commands and room options, there was a room marked ‘Legendary’. Augustine saw the options were either On or Off. And it was off, so Augustine turned it on. For a brief instant, some of the lights seemed to flicker.
He hoped he did damage. He hoped that all of this blew up in Team Flare’s faces. Augustine stared at the security cameras and thankful to see no one heading in his direction, even with the delay he saw nothing, but then he spotted a room filled with tubes and wires. It was all leading up to a stairwell and there was a throne.
The final weapon. It was in there. It had to be. Or at least something that controlled it. A swift look at the route he had to take and he was out the door. He walked swiftly and encountered very few grunts. A few more turns and he had arrived. The door opened for him.
Augustine marched in and found himself on a high balcony. The throne he saw was right in front of him, though turned ahead and faced the tubes and wires he’d witnessed earlier. This entire room was even larger in person. At the far end of the area, on his right side, was an elevator. Not important right now, Augustine turned to the throne and found there was a small control panel linked to it.
It had all sorts of options on it. Three of the options were already selected. Two were faded, inaccessible. Showing that there was 0% power on the grid. Interesting, he saw the same thing for Level 5 clearance in the control room… but clearance was not needed here. So the professor turned it on. The energy bar at the top of the screen loaded a bit. The tubes and wires at the left side of the room, climbing up the wall, lit up. They were transferring energy somewhere.
Instead of leaving it like that, Augustine deselected all the prior three options and got a notice on the panel. Use the control module to confirm. Augustine sighed. Where the hell was that? A blinking light caught his eyes and at the bottom of the steps, was a small, standing terminal. With a blinking red button.
Well, now he had to press it.
Augustine ran down the steps and pressed the button in an almost gleeful defiance. He honestly expected nothing to happen but then the entire base shook hard enough to drop him to his knees. He blew something up? Oh, he was a dead man now. Everyone would know what he had done. Especially Lysandre. He didn’t exactly hide his tracks.
The tubes and the wires changed, they stopped moving and turned red. Honestly, he had little idea what he was doing. So he walked to the wall by the organized mess and turned a valve. This caused the wires to shut off completely. They tubes weren’t red anymore. Augustine had trouble gauging if this was really good or really bad.
“Augustine.” The voice of true rage travelled to him and caused him to freeze in terror. Alright, monumentally bad. Augustine turned to see Lysandre standing at the top of the steps and staring down on him. He was decorated in tech. He had a transparent red visor on his face and metal appendages strapped to his back.
“You lied to me.” Lysandre’s voice was venomous in its tranquil fury. The Team Flare boss stalked down the stairs to his former comrade. Augustine knew he was caught but he would not cower before his friend. It was too late for such frivolities.
“It was easy.” Augustine replied, though his heart thudded in his chest, he was scared but he would not hide now, there was nowhere to run. His stable reply affected Lysandre, a small visible twitch in his eye as he approached the professor with intent.
“How noble of you. Leaving your friends, your position and harming your beloved student for something so utterly trivial. We’re at the end. It’s over and you failed.” The taller man gestured animatedly at the weapon he had built, the wires on the wall, the money he pooled into it. His dream.
“Was it worth it?” Lysandre’s sneer transformed into something truly terrifying as his glare and wrath were exposed. “Did you really think you could have bested me, Augustine? I was your student! I know you better than you know yourself.”
Augustine thought at one time that maybe he would have been spared by his friend but it wasn’t so. Lysandre’s metallic limbs arose and grabbed him tightly by his shoulder, yanking him into the air. He cried out in pain. Lysandre barked out a laugh, his eyes wild. “Amazing, you truly thought I’d let you live?”
Augustine shut his eyes. “No, I thought I could stop you or we’d die together.”
Lysandre cackled at his statement. Suddenly reaching out and grabbing the professor’s hand, yanking it to his face, he tore the black glove off. Augustine cringed as Lysandre inspected his hand, the gash had barely begun healing. It was deep red, irritated, bleeding, just barely scabbing over. Lysandre knew, conclusively, Augustine had covered for Serena. He didn’t kill her. The haphazard bandage that covered the front and back of his palm was irrefutable proof that Augustine never stabbed Serena.
“You went so far for that child for absolutely nothing. Did it hurt, mon amis?” Lysandre pressed hard into the wound in the professor’s palm with his thumb, causing Augustine to scream in agony as pain shot up his arm. Lysandre continued to cackle.
“Answer me, was it worth it? The sacrifice you made? The irreparable harm done? Is this worth it!?” He almost crushed the professor’s hand in his grip as he laughed maniacally, almost drowning out the professors screams.
Augustine heaved in anguish, opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling, trying to focus on something, anything but the pain and the fear. The metal limbs digging into his arm, neck and legs were excruciating but he managed to reply to Lysandre’s question with a rage of his own. “I had to stop you, this madness has gone too far!”
It wasn’t what Lysandre wanted to hear at all, the metal limbs responded as such and threw Augustine into the ground violently. Augustine skidded hard across the floor and had him heave in pain. Lysandre marched towards him with a twisted smirk on his. “Oh ho, stop me? Augustine, you couldn’t even stop me from hurting your own student.”
“It was necessary. I had to help the others.” Augustine wheezed on the floor, desperately gasping for air through the pain.
Lysandre almost seemed sympathetic as he stood before Augustine. It passed quickly as he knelt before the professor and grabbed his chin tightly, forcing the professor to stare into Lysandre’s eyes. “You were the one who was leaking our battle plans?”
“I had to.” Augustine replied with a bit of sorrow. “It had to be done, you don’t know what you’re doing. I had to try and save others from your insanity.” Lysandre had become too engrossed in his plan for revenge, it didn’t even reflect his original ideals anymore.
Augustine was suddenly filled with rage. “And Serena!” He shouted at his friend, for once making Lysandre flinch with his intensity.
“She was just a girl and you had her murdered! I did what I did to get you away from her!” Augustine bared his teeth to his oldest friend, feeling the betrayal between them both, the lies and the inevitable end that was approaching.
“And it was all working so well…” He finished pitiably, his heart still not recovered from losing Serena and Lysandre had believed him so readily, there was guilt at that but he had to do it. He regretted it but it had to be done.
Lysandre let go of the professor’s face, nodding desolately as he rose slowly to full height. “It truly was.” The red haired man confessed solemnly, before lifting his leg and slamming it into Augustine’s shoulder, kicking him so hard that Augustine felt his collar and shoulder crack under the force Lysandre had bored down upon him.
His face slammed into the ground, god, he hurt so badly. The visor on his face crushed on impact. Lysandre was truly vicious, he thought as blood pooled out of his mouth and nose. Lysandre would really kill him, surprisingly, he didn’t mind all that much. There had been nightmares about this and slowly over time, they had turned into an expectant vision of the future as Lysandre lost his mind to his plans more destructively.
Augustine had made his choice and knew this was always a possibility. Lysandre grabbed him by his hair and lifted the professor by his head. Augustine felt true despair at seeing his friend’s blank face. Lysandre was not the man he once knew, who had travelled with him and supported him. Who he had taught so much to. There was nothing left of the Lysandre he’d grown up with and that’s what hurt him most.
“This ends. The lies, the deceit, you’re farcical attempts at ruining my plans. It’s over.” Lysandre growled to him, murder manifested in his eyes.
“Stop it!” A shout cut through the room and before Lysandre could react, an electrical shock slammed into him and pushed him back, forcing him to let go of Augustine’s hair and stumbling back to keep upright and out of danger.
Augustine began to collapse to the ground but two arms encircled him and cushioned him, his head rested on something soft and it took a moment to realize that someone was holding him tightly. Who on earth would be foolish enough to fight Lysandre and try and save him? Augustine lifted his head slightly and saw blonde hair. His eyes widened. It couldn’t be.
“Serena…” Augustine managed through the blood that coated his mouth in pure awe. She wasn’t even looking at him, instead her eyes were trained on Lysandre, holding their own brand of fury. He gripped her shirt, his head swam, how did this happen? How was she here? Regardless of how he felt about the woman gripping him right now, Serena was very powerful, if anyone was going to defeat Lysandre, it would be her.
“You’re alive….?” Augustine choked out. He couldn’t believe it, she survived the ambush at his lab. Her Luxray beside her, the one that attacked Lysandre and saved him. Augustine cried out, too weak to hold himself in her arms and slid down her body, his head resting on her abdomen as he fell to his knees. Serena still held him securely.
“Do you really think you can save this country now? You’re too late, though I do admire your tenacity. You were so ruined at the lab, so heart broken. Yet here you stand. Death from his hand would have been much easier, no?” Lysandre seemed almost too happy to remind them both of the professor’s actions at the lab.
Augustine pressed his face into Serena’s stomach. Goddamn him, how dare he insult Serena, his eyes snapped to the woman when she answered the taller man. “You don’t understand. I’m not here for this country. I’m here for you.” Her firm response shocked both men in the room, Serena seemed to be made of pure steel in this moment.
“You said so yourself, you didn’t think you could defeat me. We’re going to find out together. Prepare yourself, Lysandre.” Serena’s voice was strong, and Augustine hated himself for feeling so proud of his student in that moment.
As if Lysandre didn’t hear her, he gestured to Augustine and beckoned him. “Hand Augustine back to me, he needs to pay for his crimes.”
To Augustine’s utter dismay, Serena hugged him tightly and covered his head delicately with her hand, the professor honestly never felt so safe in the face of adversity before. “This isn’t about Augustine, this isn’t about you. This is about me and how I’m going to make you pay for all of the fear and destruction you’ve caused. I’m here to get revenge for Vaniville. My home.” Lysandre laughed coldly but even Augustine could tell it was hollow, there wasn’t the bite to it that Augustine knew. Lysandre was running out of time.
“Laugh, keep laughing. Until you decide to stop fucking around and battle me, we’re stuck here.” Serena was so confident and blasé that Augustine wondered where her bravado came from. Lysandre glared down at her with malice, possibly from the crude words or the fact that she was in the way of his plans.
“This will be an interesting battle.” Lysander commented as he released his Pyroar. “Enough of this. You want to stop the ultimate weapon, and I refuse to do so. Let’s end this...”
Serena recalled Luxray and released another Pokémon. Augustine expected Greninja, her first choice Pokémon but when the air turned thick and the lights dimmed from power exposure, Augustine realized that she didn’t call out Greninja. Massive red and black wings surrounded Augustine and Serena and a loud shriek shattered the air, Augustine knew that Lysandre was finished. Serena had tamed Yveltal. The legendary beast was not happy.
Lysandre stepped back in shock, his face contorting in anger. “You’re seeking help from a human? That’s truly pitiable. Now we have a reason to fight, I’ll be taking back that Pokémon.” His demeanor changed as the metal appendages attached to his body whirred to life, the red visor was back on his face and covering his eyes.
Serena spoke. It was steady, loud and unwavering. This was the part of her he loved and knew this was the part of her that Lysandre feared. Her battling prowess. Her strength. “Yveltal. Oblivion Wing.”
The resulting shockwave was too much. Augustine struggled to keep conscious but it was fruitless. There was so much pressure and he was already so injured, his eyes rolled back and he slumped in Serena’s embrace.
Augustine’s eyes snapped open hearing a garbled scream. Lysandre was across from Serena, saturated in fury, she must’ve defeated him. The entire base was falling apart, everything was cracking and screeching and collapsing. Serena was calling to the taller man, reaching for him, trying to save him. The ceiling buckled, debris and earth plummeting right on top of Lysandre. In an instant his old friend was no more. Serena wailed, dropping to her knees and shaking her head in defeat.
The professor could barely understand what had happened but none of it was good.
More of the ceiling crumbled, forcing her back, away from the impromptu grave of the Team Flare Leader. Augustine pushed himself off of the floor, he felt like hell. Serena must have set him down during their battle. The professor swayed on his feet.
Serena was beside him very suddenly.
“Professor, we have to go.” Serena stressed, her eyes filled with tears and anguish. He nodded fervently to her and turned to the main exit, the elevator up. As he walked forward, the entire elevator section was destroyed by rubble falling from the upper levels.
For a moment Serena and Augustine could only stare in muted horror. There went their escape route. Serena huffed in fear and all at once the professor remembered that he was going to save this young woman whether some divine entity wanted him to or not.
“I know another way out,” Augustine held his hand out for her to take. “We’ll have to run but you can make it.”
Serena took his hand. “We’ll both make it out.”
Augustine didn’t answer, instead turned and ran down one of the many connecting halls. Team Flare HQ was massive and Lysandre had many entrances and exits for his grunts to use. He prayed he remembered the route he had seen on the map.
The halls were empty, save for the deafening noises of the ground collapsing and the cement and metal making contact. The rumbling was lessening, possibly they were getting away from the epicenter of the destruction. Augustine pulled Serena down another hall and found the elevator he was looking for, once they made it to the top, it would be one long hallway to the exit.
Dashing inside, the professor nearly punched the button for the top floor. The doors closed and the elevator moved upward. Augustine sighed in relief. Even if they made it two floors up, they could make it out easily. He tugged Serena close, in return she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him fiercely. The elevator shook and Augustine braced himself on the wall, moving Serena to the corner to protect her with his body in case something happened. He couldn’t even think of anything to say, it was quiet besides their heaving breaths.
The doors opened. Augustine dragged Serena out with him. Sprinting down the hall, he could see the light from the emergency exit stair well, they were so close. Just as Augustine was about to shove the doors to freedom open, the entire base collapsed at once, the force of inertia slamming into them and forcing them to crash through the doors.
For the second time today, Augustine snapped his eyes open, but was greeted with the crystal clear skies of Kalos. There wasn’t even a cloud above him, it was beautiful. And incredibly quiet. Then panic hit him, he pushed himself up off the ground with a pained moan as his gaze fell upon the destruction of Geoseng. Rubble surrounded him and he was nowhere near the town, he was all by himself.
“Serena!” Augustine cried out. Silence returned his shout. No, Augustine thought, dread filling him. He couldn’t lose her again!
“Serena!”
“Professor!” Blonde hair popped up from behind a rather large piece of cement. Serena hopped over the debris and ran to him, stumbling over the ruined terrain.
The professor sat back on some rubble for support and opened his arms wide, wanting to hug her so badly it hurt him physically. Serena dropped to her knees over the wreckage and threw her arms around his neck with a pained cry, the professor had never felt so thankful before. “Oh, mon coeur!” he cried, hugging her middle desperately.
Serena snuggled him tightly, holding her breath as she dropped her head to his chest. “You’re alright…” She whispered in awe. Barely, the professor thought to himself. He was in a lot of pain but none matched the absolute torture of thinking that he lost the woman in his arms again.
Augustine smiled, a little brokenly to her. “Thanks to you. You saved me, Serena.” Somehow, the nightmare was over. It ended before he even knew it.
“Professor,” Serena began, lifting her head to meet his gaze. “Thank you so much for everything.” She said quietly as she cupped his cheeks delicately with her hands.
His face crumpled, remembering Vaniville and what happened in his office. Tears leaked out, he was so ashamed. “I did nothing, I failed so many.” He muttered weakly, removing her hands from him.
In turn, she grasped his hands in hers, willing him to understand. “It’s not true!” She began, her voice wobbling.
“Your transmissions reached us all. Diantha saved Couriway while Sina and Dexio evacuated Vaniville. Calem, Shauna, Trevor and Tierno all saved Ambrette Town. It’s all thank to you professor, you sacrificed so much but so many survived.” She pressed, placing her lips on his knuckles.
Augustine was awed, from both the information and her careful regard. “Truly?” He quietened, almost unwilling to believe her.
Serena’s eyes lit up and nodded her head eagerly. “Yes! You were so brave, you’re my hero.”
Serena laughed and to her credit it did sound genuine but she couldn’t hide the pain that easily from him. The professor closed his eyes, remembering her tears before at the lab, they haunted him. “I hurt you so badly. Je suis profondément désolé, ma chere.”
Serena’s expression changed to something pained. She grasped his left hand and kissed the wound on his palm so ardently, the professor gasped in pain even though it wasn’t a physical ache. Serena then brought her hand to his cheek, where she had scratched him and leaned forward to kiss him there where she wounded him. With her lips on his skin, he wondered just what he had done to deserve such open affection.
Serena was quiet as she responded sadly. “I’m sorry I scratched you. You were just trying to help me.” The guilt and shame in her features were agonizing him.
Augustine held her hands this time, gripping them and shaking his head at her. “I deserved it.” He pressed firmly.
“No, you didn’t. I didn’t understand, I should have seen how badly you were hurting.”
The professor was suddenly struck with a thought hard enough that it derailed the conversation. “What were you doing in my lab? You knew how dangerous it was.” He admonished her.
“I was protecting Lumiose City. I had to draw Lysandre away while others escaped.”
That explains everything, why Lumiose was so empty and why Lysandre had found her so easily. It all made sense now. “I see. Désolé.” The apology was for being upset, she had done the work he should have done.
“You shouldn’t be. You saved me. If you hadn’t done what you did, Lysandre would have killed me. You’re a very convincing actor though.” Serena tried to make light of the situation but it didn’t quite work as the professor squeezed his eyes shut at the memory.
They were quiet for a few more moments before Augustine spoke again. “…How did you survive the grunts?”
“Calem found me first.” She assured him, her confidence a welcome shift in tone. “He helped me fight the grunts and one defected, offering to report to Lysandre that they succeeded.”
Augustine fixed her hair gently. “Well done,” He praised honestly with a smile. “You’re my hero too, you know. Rushing in to save my life like you did. I’m very thankful.”
She hugged him tightly and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He returned her gesture with a hearty sigh, melting in her embrace. He was afraid that he would never have this again. She was so warm, so kind and alive and he was so grateful. He was being too overbearing, he thought, when he heard her quiet whimper.
“A-ah, right, this is yours.” Augustine panicked, pushing her off with a lopsided smile while pulling out her mega ring from his pocket.
“Oh, and this is yours.” Serena giggled while pulling out his own mega ring, though this was actually a ring and never used. That’s right, he left it in the coat he dropped on her unconscious body.
They both exchanged the items, Serena put his on his finger and Augustine slipped her bracelet back on her wrist. They shared a quiet laugh and slowly stilled, entirely aware of what they almost lost and how much they saved together. Her eyes were shining and beautiful and reflected the very sky above his head and he was so thankful he could live for this moment.
Serena leaned in slightly, and the professor pulled away in apprehension. His eyes flickered between her gaze and her sweet lips a few times, wondering if this was right, if he should, but seeing the hurt in her eyes, he gave in. Pulling her to him to give a searing kiss. He pulled away and he saw agony in her expression and kissed her again, willing that pain to go away.
The professor stopped when Serena sobbed into the kiss. “I thought I lost you.” She cried, gripping the lapels of his team flare uniform.
Augustine drew her slowly into a tight embrace, he pressed his cheek to hers, wanting to feel the warmth of her skin on his to ensure she was still alive. “I should be saying that. I feared the same. I was so distraught...”
They stayed like that for some time, enjoying their new found freedom with each other. Until Serena sniggered at her own thoughts. “Well, we did something right. We both survived.”
Although Augustine agreed with her, they were both injured. How seriously, they’d figure it out after. “This is true, though we should probably seek medical attention.” Augustine winced in pain as his shoulder and collar felt like hell. His face, too. Scratch that, his entire body.
Serena seemed to empathize with his pain and rubbed his shoulder where she had seen Lysandre kick him. Augustine leaned into her touch as she consoled him. “Paramedics and stuff should be around here somewhere, I heard sirens.”
The professor couldn’t stop the scoff that escaped him. “Ah, we are incredibly far from the town center, it will take them time to find us.”
Serena rested her head on his chest. “I can live with that.” Her tender whisper made his heart clench tightly. A little more time with the both of them alone was honestly all he wanted right now, too. Augustine suddenly remembered vividly crying his heart out in the room when Lysandre had told him he had disposed of the woman in his arms. He truly feared her dead. It was a nightmare he never wanted to live through again.
Those thoughts encouraged him to be a little bolder in his actions. He was in pain but he grabbed Serena by her waist and placed her in his lap. “With you here, I can live through anything.” Augustine moaned dramatically to her, getting her to giggle happily but when Augustine tried to breathe deeply, his uniform was too tight. He groaned instead. “Except these clothes.”
Serena nodded her head sagely, scrutinizing the crimson regalia he wore with profound eyes. “It’s awful. Honestly, I really just want to rip them off of you.”
Augustine’s dispassionate face suddenly perked up, a surprised smile emerged on his face. “Is that so? Could you arrange for such a thing?” His mischievous tone may have been too much as she reeled backwards.
Serena’s expression was scandalized the moment she realized what she said, a mortified blush exploding on her cheeks. “T-that’s not what I meant!”
Augustine snickered softly, finding her shock to be entertaining and cuddled her in good humor. “I know what you meant. Red doesn’t suit me at all.” He chuckled, pressing his lips to her hair.
“As long- as long as you know...” She stuttered in embarrassment, he hummed his agreement into her hair lovingly.
Augustine sighed deeply and pulled back. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Serena nodded with a shrug. That was the best answer he was going to get from her, it seemed. “Then would you like to stay with me, in my lab… my home?” It was a significant offer, he knew, but he wanted to be with her.
The blush on her face dimmed a bit, but still colored her cheeks a sweet rose. “You wouldn’t mind having a stowaway?” She teased playfully.
Augustine shook his head. “I’d love one.” He assured her, tipping her chin up and pressing his lips to hers. A calming kiss for the both of them as they relaxed and waited to be inevitably found by their friends and return to Lumiose City. Together.
