Instant Family (SWSH Fanfic)

Interlude: Bait 'n' Switch (part 2)

The stench of smoke filled Marnie's nose as she clutched onto Gloria's body. Her muscles felt stiff as her fingers dug into her charred competition uniform, tears streaming from her eyes. She squeezed her harder, causing Gloria to wheeze a bit, breaking out into a cough. Marnie forced herself to pull away, Gloria stumbled backward as she hacked weakly into her elbow. Her face was smudged with turf and dirt, her cheek and knees scraped. Marnie's heart squeezed.

"Shit— Gloria—" she tentatively reached her hand to her, Gloria's singed hands wiping away tears from her reddened eyes, "are you alright?" Gloria gave her a stiff nod, batting away her hand gently as her eyes gazed up at the sky. Dark, violet clouds began to swirl over Wyndon as a strong wind whipped her bangs from her face. Her expression was complex. She turned to Leon, walking to him angrily.

Gloria's fingers clutched the front of his shirt, yanking his towering figure to her eye level. Her eyes burned with rage, the glowing purple of the sky reflecting off of her usually warm irises. Leon struggled to hold her gaze. "You knew." Gloria hissed through clenched teeth. "You knew." She let go, shoving him away from her, clicking her tongue to beckon Cheep to her. She caught Hop and Marnie's gaze, wiping her grimey cheek with her sleeve. "I need to go. I need to fix this..."

"No way—" Marnie stepped forward, reaching out once again to Gloria, "do you even know what's going on?? Where will you go?" Marnie's hand wrapped firmly around Gloria's wrist before she could mount Cheep's back. Gloria shot her a glare, attempting to yank her hand back to her. She paused, looking deep into Marnie's confused and concerned eyes. For a moment, Marnie thought her face softened. Her eyes quickly shot back over to Leon, who was beckoning his own charizard back to him. He sighed in shame.

"I don't know Marnie. Why don't we all ask Leon."

Leon patted charizard's neck heartily as he approached Gloria. "Look," he removed his snap back and patted out the ashes, "I didn't know he'd take it this far..." his golden eyes met Gloria's, "and I don't know much— but it has to have something to do with the power plant..."

Marnie's head perked up. "Hammerlocke." She snapped her fingers, approaching Gloria and Leon tentatively. Hop cocked his eyebrow as he made his way over as well. "Gloria—" she flicked her bangs from her eyes as she turned to face her, "that guy, the staffer. I heard him take a call from someone— I think Oleana. He mentioned Hammerlocke—"

"Then that's where we'll go!" Hop butted in, nudging his brother's arm. "Leon and I can go— we'll fix this!" His enthusiasm was lost on the group. Leon knit his brow and stroked his goatee.

"I mean— what choice do we have?" His voice was solemn as he kicked debris away dejectedly, "it was my massive oversight that caused this to happen..." his charizard bent down and extended its massive wings, tilting one wing down in an invitation to Leon. "Are you coming?" He combed his hair back as he replaced his cap on his head, tugging at the bill and turning to Gloria.

Gloria's face was enraptured with the Wyndon skyline. Her face was illuminated by the violets and pinks of the raging storm. The wind whipped in her hair as she turned to face the group.

"I'll catch up with you."

In an instant, she hoisted herself up onto Cheep's back, the wind whistling as his wings beat down against the ground. The group watched through their fingers, bracing themselves against the dust in awe. Hop turned to his brother, punching his arm as he pointed south.

"Leon—" he walked backwards and adjusted his denim coat, "I'm not sure what she's on about, but every second we spend staring, something horribly wrong is happening in Hammerlocke—" he activated a pokeball in his right hand, "—we need to go!" His thumb pressed the button on his pokeball and he disappeared behind a brilliant flash of light, his own corvinight stretching in the ominous sunset. Leon struggled to take his eyes off Gloria's disappearing figure as he swung his leg over charizard, patting him to signal he was ready to go. He took one last look at Marnie, her face plagued with confusion.

"Find her," charizard beat its wings, sending a puff of wind through Marnie's outfit, "she might be onto something..."

Marnie shook the dust off her outfit and walked over to Piers and Nessa, their eyes locked on Hop and Leon's disappearing silhouettes.

"Some fucked day, Marn..." Piers's tone of voice was inappropriately aloof amidst the thunder, lightning, and fiery hell he was coexisting in.

"I kno— OOF—" Nessa's boney knuckles jabbed swiftly into Marnie's solar plexus as she recalled her drednaw.

"THAT'S what you get for fucking up my figure—" Nessa's free hand clapped Marnie's back heartily as she walked in the direction of the monorail entrance nearby the stadium. "That's the last time I try to save your flat ass..." Marnie clutched her stomach, heaving for air and following Nessa's lead toward the monorail.

"Hnnnnggh— sorry—" she straightened up as they approached the tube's doors. "Why did she head toward the tower...?" Her fingers brushed the steel door.

Nessa let out a huff, "you noticed that too huh..." she placed her hand next to Marnie's preparing to push the doors open. Piers's voice called from behind them.

"Uhhh—" his voice was uncharacteristically loud, "good deducin' and all, but—" Nessa and Marnie's heads turned to look at him, their jaws dropping. "Did you detectives notice this?"

Piers started to back away, Nessa and Marnie braced themselves against the door. What appeared to be a dozen Wyndon gym staffers were closing in on them in a semi-circle slowly.

Each of them reached for their poke ball belts.