Pokémon PrismGold

Chapter Forty-Eight: "In The Arms Of The Enemy"

Mark was the first one to his feet, stepping forward to stand defensively in front of Nate and Sean. He could feel sweat dripping from the ends of his hair, but he tried to stand strong and look like he had a lot of fight left in him. The men standing to the sides of the older man withdrew pistols to point at him. Mark inhaled deeply but didn't stand aside. The older man in the center stood tall in a nice tailored black suit with a rainbow R stitched beautifully over the left breast of his jacket. The man's hair had been cut short and there was a colder expression on the man that intimated Mark. This man had power and he knew it. The man slipped the little bell into his pocket, then adjusted his shiny silk red tie over his grey shirt. Giving Mark a grin, he casually told Mark. "Step aside, boy. Unless you want your life to end right here in this elevator?" Mark didn't move, but Nate got to his feet and stated out in a rush. "Don't! This is between you and me, Giovanni. They have nothing to do with... whatever you want from me."

Giovanni's eyes drifted to Nate as he said stoically. "I know that. But I've learned that the best way to keep people from interfering with my plans. Is to gun them down early on. Saves me the trouble later." The men beside him cocked their guns with loud 'clicks', waiting only on Giovanni's command. Nate slipped in front of Mark, causing Giovanni to gesture for his men to lower their guns. Mark grabbed Nate's arm, giving it a squeeze that showed how worried he was. Nate leaned back into him, telling Giovanni firmly. "Why did you come back? What did I ever do to make you obsess like this?" Giovanni smirked, giving him a shrug as he said coolly. "You're the one that got away. And though you haven't done it yet... Your older self did something that really got my attention. Made me realize that I had made a mistake. I want you back. This is me hoping you will give me a second chance." Mark felt Nate's arm shake a little as he asked softly. "And if I don't?" Giovanni locked hard eyes on him, relying in a low menacing tone. "You don't want to find out. But I'll give you a hint what you WILL do."

Giovanni waved one of his men back to gesture another member in with a small decorated black box with red glowing markings. Lifting the latch, Giovanni revealed a red orb sitting on black silk. Mark's heart sank when he blurted out. "How did you get that?!" Giovanni closed the box, waving the man back again as he answered proudly. "Same way I get everything. I paid for it. I exchanged game changing information to Candela. Which is why, she is going to win this war before it even has a chance to really start." Giovanni extended a hand out to Nate, telling him seriously. "Come, Nathan." Mark held Nate's arms closer to himself, reluctant to let him go. Looking over his shoulder at Mark, Nate asked Giovanni. "What will you do with them?" Giovanni gave him a shrug, replying curtly. "Nothing. I just want you. You can come with me or be hog tied and carried. Your choice." Nate gave Mark an expression that said he didn't have a choice, but Mark refused to release him. Forcing himself from his grip, Nate told Sean and Mark in a shaky voice. "I have to..."

Mark took a step after Nate, causing Giovanni's men to raise their guns to aim at him. Nate stepped into the line of fire, forcing one of them to lower their gun. Giovanni reached out to snatch Nate's arm, yanking him out of the line of fire and up against his chest. Mark was almost stunned to see the difference between Nate and Giovanni now. Giovanni had grown taller and as his arms wrapped like snakes around Nate, Mark could see the large muscles beneath his jacket. Nate struggled against him a bit, grumbling out. "Lighten up! You're suffocating me!" Giovanni pointed one of his men toward the bags. The man quickly stepped in with his gun trained on Mark and Sean, snatching up the bags. Mark shook his head with distaste. Even as a powerful rich man, Giovanni was still stealing from others. Old habits died hard, he guessed. Over Nate's shoulder, Giovanni purred into his ear while staring Mark down. "Say goodbye to your friends, Nathan." Nate leaned as far from Giovanni as he could, unable to resist being pulled back from the elevator.