Lair of the Madman(?)
It was over in an instant. It seemed as though all it took was a blink, and then all of the madness that was happening around them instantly disappeared. Instead, Penance was there, and surrounding him was a team of other psychic Pokemon, who seemed to have been holding the illusion in place. It took Zane a few moments to figure out everything that had happened. He still didn't understand why he had done it. He didn't understand a lot of things that involved Penance now. But the same fact that remained in the illusion seemed to be the same here: Penance was the Madman. He recalled a conversation he had with him, one which seemed so long ago now, just before the failed ambush that ended in Dark Lightning's death. He remembered how he told him that he used to sneak out of his house after his mother died, and hang out with other Pokemon. The way he described it made it sound a bit criminal in nature. But...this? This was on an entirely different level.
As Defender leaped down, he commented on the need for action. For plans to be constructed. Yet with everything that had just occurred, he wasn't sure if he could trust him. He looked around the room to get an idea of what the others were thinking. Gallant held an expression of pure disdain for Penance, the likes of which Zane had never seen his old teacher show before. He probably held this because of the actions that the Madman did to the Gold Tribe before the invasion. Others, like Guardia, Speculum, and Sword and Shield were more surprised than anything else, and perhaps didn't quite get over the shock at everything that had just happened. TrueStriker seemed to be angry at the entire situation too, throwing a punch upon Blitzkrieg's shoulder to relieve some of the stress that was no doubt building. Then he noticed the Golurk, who still seemed to be on the ground even after his event in the illusion, and the Ninetales who stood above him, beckoning him to wake up. Zane watched the Gold Tribe Ninetales begin to panic as her friend did not come to like the others did. But what took him most off guard was the title she used.
Paladin. He knew a Paladin! Before the war, he was a member of the Gold Tribe, same as Zane. The two of them were friends once, but the war had separated them, and he had assumed that the Golurk had not survived. Apparently, he was wrong. Zane strutted over to the Ninetales, placing an arm on her shoulder as he attempted to calm her down. "It's alright, sister," He began. "I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a tough one. Believe me, I know." Zane smiled at her, just as the Healer rushed over to check up on Paladin. "How is he?" Zane asked. The Gold Tribe medic to a moment to check over him, before looking up and answering.
"He should be fine. He's just unconscious, but I don't see any permanent damage. Although this odd color on him is unusual..." Zane nodded in agreement. It was something new on Paladin. But it didn't seem like it was something that Penance had caused, as he recalled seeing it on him before the illusion began. But he took the diagnosis as good news, once again smiling at the Ninetales to comfort her.
"You see? He'll be alright. My name is Zane Tyrael by the way. Known as Vigil. We should talk later some more when we get the chance." Zane turned away from her, and back to the one now called the Madman. "Penance...you've got a lot to answer for, and a much explaining that needs to be done. I'm sure you know that. But you also know, like almost everyone else here, how pressed for time we are. We came to you for help, and although we didn't know who exactly it was that we came to, we still need that help. If you're still our ally, prove it and help us. Help us free this city from the Silver Tribe's control. Help us put a stop to the death that goes on here. Help us find a way to plan an attack here with the Alpha Alliance without risking the lives of the citizens. But before that, help us find what you and I both know is down here, somewhere deep in the sewers: the Gold Crystal."
He eyed the Golduck, seeing his reaction to see what he will do. "You were there in the Golden Catacombs. You know we need it. Guardia says she knows where it is down here."
Guardia, who was still recovering from the shock of everything that had occurred, snapped out of her trance at the sound of her name. "Y-yes. I can probably lead us there, but it takes us far too close to Old Cape City, which we all know is filled to the brim with Ancients. I wouldn't know a path there where we won't get caught..."
"But," Zane interjected. "I'm betting that you do."
Cape City
It was another Sentinel. Scar read over the note from Auron, recognizing his seal to confirm it. He passed it around the other Sentinels so they too could see. It was a strange thing, about that entire situation with these new Sentinels. For almost two years, Auron added no outsiders to their force. Then all of a sudden, something had changed, and he began choosing those he found exemplary, and giving them the titles of Sentinels. It began with Sovereign, and then after was Snype, and now this new Jolteon, known as Levina. The new additions were strange to him. He didn't know how to react. It just didn't seem typical of Auron. Yes, they had lost a few Sentinels in Ignitus, Frost, Beserker, and Noxious. But the remaining Sentinels were more than enough to combat the Alpha Alliance, and the Gold Tribe. They didn't need them. So, Scar concluded instead that Auron wanted them. The question that he was wondered was: exactly what?
To Scar, the three of them were a bit like outsiders. They didn't go through the same experiences the others did. They weren't formerly of the Gold Tribe. They didn't come from...where did they come from? Scar's head began to hurt as he attempted to recall, as if to pull a memory that was so far inside, he had to navigate his own head. He could feel a headache beginning to form, but tried anyway to push through and reach that memory. Then, as if something switched in his brain, a voice echoed through his head. It was one he did not recognize, but he knew to obey. Without any hesitation, the Mienshao let go of his thoughts, and instantly stopped probing himself.
"Enough, children!" Scar heard Genevieve shout, snapping back to reality. He noticed Levina and Snype apparently getting comfy with each other, and shook off the thoughts he previously had, placing his mind back in the current situation. Sovereign protested against the extermination, while Genevieve wanted it to happen. The two newest Sentinels, Snype and Levina, seemed content with whatever were to occur, though Snype seemed to be a bit more hesitant with the kill all order as well, figuring it would be too early for such a grand battle. Yet Scar new the other Sentinels, especially those that had been in this war for long, would protest. Surely Genevieve would, as she endorsed the kill all order. The new Sentinels had yet to be apart of the conflict for very long, a conflict in which the last few battles had resulted in them losing, even if they had the superior numbers. Scar pondered the options in his head as Deluge floated around, silently observing the two new Sentinels joking with each other. Something had to be done.
"My lord Sentinel?" A Kabuto spoke to Scar, bowing before him as he held a paper (or rather paper) within his hands. Scar stopped his thinking as he looked down upon the lesser creature below. The Ancient held up the papers to Scar. "This was found on the front of the Stoneguard. We...believe it is from the perpetrators of the attacks." Scar hastily grabbed the papers from the ancient, not bothering to glance over the Kabuto as he began reading it over. It was a list of demands. Scar did not bother to read through the most of it, only to see who it came from. And so he was able to decipher the origin.
"So the Madman is behind the attacks...I had assumed the Gold Tribe had killed him years ago..." He said, glancing briefly over parts of the rather lengthy demands before scoffing at them and ripping them up. The bulk of the demands were so ridiculous, Scar did not even bother the other Sentinels with reading them. He thought that doing so would invoke laughter at perhaps not the best time. He spoke to the Sentinels around him. "The Madman. I assume most of you have heard of him from before this war. If you have not, know he could potentially be quite a nuisance. But nothing we shouldn't be able to handle. Now, with this new information at hand, how shall we proce-" A sharp pain. A sharp, intense pain inside of his head interrupted him. He held his head with his hands as the pain washed over his body. He felt a chill travel across his back, as if an ice Pokemon dragged their finger upon his spine, all the way up to the stem of his skull. He kept his eyes shuts, as if to do so would somehow remove the pain, but no such luck was brought to him. He opened them for mere moments to witness Genevieve and Deluge going through a similar pain. A similar reaction.
Then they heard it, the voice he had heard earlier. The voice traveled through his skull with the discomfort of a knife pressed against his back, like a pair of large arms, squeezing his skull together tightly, as if to crush it in half. The voice seemed out of place, as if it were not supposed to be there, as if it traveled far to reach his skull, and then began picking at his brain until it found the path to reach his thoughts, and display them in sounds he could comprehend. The voice spoke words, and Scar felt drawn to these, as if these words were his life, and as if he could not deny them neither his fully attention nor his rejection. "Yes...yes, I understand. It shall be done." He said finally, as he felt himself be lifted of the voice in his head, at the same time so too were Genevieve and Deluge. He composed himself, taking in a deep breath, before he faced the Sentinels. He gave them all a quick look, before gazing upon the marble ground, and pacing back and forth.
"We...we have our orders. We can begin investigating the city in search of the Madman and the Gold Tribe, if they are here. I'm betting they may be somewhere in these houses. Or maybe underground. I've sent Ancients down there, but we can turn our attention to the fear of the citizenry if you like as well. Do whatever we must to get control of the situation now. But...," He stopped pacing, and faced the other Sentinels.
"...by day's end, no matter what, we issue the kill-all order."
