Complete Mess

Chapter 17: If Only

TW: Ingo gets his ass handed to him, Fighting, blood.

Complete Mess

Chapter 17

If only

Dinner had lulled Lake into a soft sleep. It had quieted down in the tavern below and they finally began to drift off to sleep. Sleep had begun to feel like a friend lately rather than a thing she did in between horrible days. She had to say even though the reasons for her departure from her previous horrors her life here felt so nice.

Lake slowly opened her eyes. She gasped as she realized something slightly off and also weird. She looked from one side of her to the other. Ingo was on one side and Emmet was on the other and they were curled up around her like she was a teddy bear. She never had anyone do that. Although she discovered the reason why when she tried to crawl out from around them. The room was freezing.

She heard the soft voice come from Emmet.

"Wassamatter?" He asked, rubbing his eyes. Lake turned around to look at him. A soft yawn as he pulled the blankets back.

"I have to go to the bathroom." Lake admitted. She had no idea where it was, the only door in the room was from the outer door. Emmet jumped to attention and turned around shaking his brother lightly.

"I'm going to take Lake to the restroom." He told his brother. Of course, safety checks. Always tell someone where you're going. At least that's what they told her.

"Al...Alright..." Ingo threw his arm over his head covering his eyes from the hallway light. Light snoring could be heard right after.

"Big brother must be exhausted. Neither of us had any sleep the last two days taking care of you." Emmet admitted. "But that's okay, it's not your fault. The good lady Sneasler did scare you pretty good."

"Is that what that pokemon was?" She yawned as she watched Emmet open the bathroom door. It was a shared lavatory.

"Indeed...it's the one you have in your pocket. She's agreed to watch over you if something were to happen." He watched as Lake walked into the bathroom, closing the door.

Lake sunk her hand into her pocket and pulled out the small pokeball. It grew in size. She could barely hold it in one hand much less two. She had such small hands. She put it back into her pocket.

"So she's...not going to hurt me?" Lake asked Emmet who waited just outside the door.

"Nah, she's a mothering type. She'll protect you, but mostly she'll answer to Ingo. She's his...I believe he called her a noble? He's her Warden. Warden Ingo the Subway Boss." he chuckled as he heard the toilet flush and then moments later the water running.

Yawning as she dried her hands.

"I'm afraid we are going to miss our window in the morning though. The snow is making the ridges impossible to pass. So we'll have to go by sky bucket." Emmet told her as they walked back toward their room.

"Sky bucket?" Lake asked.

"Yes it's like a gondola that goes up the cliffs via cable train car...it's an odd thought. A flying train.." He almost looked excited. Of course he did...it was a train.

Emmet reached out and pulled the door open. A rush of wind pushed Emmet's hat off his head and onto Lake who stood behind him.

The window was open and the bed was empty. The room was in complete disarray. How did they not hear this fight going on? The chair at their feet had been broken and the wood burning stove had been toppled. At least the fire had gone out throughout the night.

Emmet ran over toward the window. Down below they spotted a man with Ingo over his back. His limp form told Emmet that the fight was not in Ingo's favor in the least bit.

The man turned back and looked up at the horrified twin.

"You can get him back...when you bring the girl." He laughed as he unceremoniously threw Ingo into the back of the vehicle. "Until then, your brother will experience our...hospitality. See you at the observatory." He laughed climbing into the back seat. Shoving Ingo off to the side rather forcefully.

Emmet turned to run his fingers through his hair. He spotted Lake on her knees clutching something to her chest.

(0)

Five Minutes Earlier

The window opened with a soft click. Casting the room into instant cold. Ingo turned over curling tighter around himself.

"Emmet latch that window. The doctor said that Lake can't be cold for at least two more days. She's going to get Pneumonia." He slowly sat up when his brother didn't heed his warnings.

Ingo watched as a heavy set man pushed a chair under the door knob effectively blocking it. The man pushed the table against the wall separating Ingo from his belt full of pokeballs.

"So you're the ones causing all this trouble?" The man popped his knuckles. Ingo slowly got up out of his warm spot and glared at the man before him.

"I am. Keeping that child away was what her mother wanted." The man chuckled and shook his head.

"That kid's mother...is a bag of secrets that no one seems to understand except the boss." Ingo looked puzzled and slowly started trying to make his way toward the window.

"What do you mean?" Ingo asked, stopping his escape attempt as he listened.

"She's alive. He's the boss's spy. Always has been. Even when she was with that kid's dad. She was spying on him to get the map. Kids happen you see." the man held out his hand to Ingo. "Now...be a good boy and give me that map." He must have just seen the bag behind Ingo. Ingo looked down at the bag horrified.

"Never." Ingo wasn't a physical man, but he knew that if he let this man have that bag Lake would be horrified.

"You're funeral." The man's foot falls caused the room to shake. Ingo dove for the bag to at least attempt to push it further under the bed. He succeeded, but the man grabbed him and threw him against the wood burning stove.

The force of the throw told Ingo he had no chance to fight the man. He was obviously way stronger than him. He had to think of something else. He stood up grabbing hold of the chair that had been fit under the door knob. He hit the wall rather forcefully. The man had chosen to back hand him. He didn't even look like it took much effort. Ingo knew he was lanky, but wow. He could taste blood in his mouth. He spat it out, and tried to glare at the man. He was going dizzy from that hit.

Ingo lifted the chair to put distance between himself and the man.

"I saw that look on so many people. 'I can hold him off until reinforcements arrive.'" the man smiled at Ingo as he held up the bag and fit it over his shoulder. "You haven't got a chance." He chuckled as he grabbed the chair and threw it at the wall. It shattered into many different pieces. The man stepped forward grabbing Ingo by the throat and smiled at him.

To Ingo his breath was horrible.

"Guh...your breath smells like..." he didn't get a chance to finish the sentence. The man rammed his knee into Ingo's ribs. The air left his lungs so fast that he struggled to get a breath.

"Ah, you look like a magikarp." He chuckled, letting Ingo's prone form fall onto his shoulder. "Don't worry...I'm sure your brother will take care of that little jewel well." He patted Ingo's back.

With the last bit of consciousness Ingo reached into the back pack. Picked up the map...and dropped it.