The Mask Maker

Please Don't Let It Be Them

Morai shot awake with a gasp as if she had been trapped underwater. She had broken out into a cold sweat. She immediately got up and frantically looked around. It all still seemed like some twisted dream. The room was nearly spinning, but she couldn't miss the red and black uniforms around her. She was ready to attack anyone around her. She had been trapped in another terrible nightmare. 

Wait, stop it. Be calm.

Morai took a deep breath and glanced around. She wasn't seeing clearly. She wasn't moving normally, either. She felt sluggish and dazed. She staggered up to a Team Rocket grunt, who put her hands up out of apprehension. Morai grabbed the grunt's shoulders to steady herself. 

"What was in that?" she asked with gritted teeth.

"I-I Don't know," the grunt stammered. "I mean, we use it on Pokémon all the time...Why?"

Morai turned to stumble out of the room. The grunts eyed each other, but let her go. 

I have to get out of here. I'm taking that trip to a far off place so I can be alone with my Pokémon and my mind. I'm tired of being constantly attacked. I'm tired of everyone.

"Two Face? You okay?" Proton asked.

Morai snapped her head around to look at the source of the voice with anger in her eyes, though no one could see it. She attempted to charge the Executive, but she didn't make it that far. She was so tired, everything seemed to take more effort. 

"....Morai?" 

"Don't talk to me like that. You...you...sigh. Never mind."

"I know you're probably mad about what happened in whatever town that was, but things didn't go as planned on my side," Proton said, offering her a hand. 

"You were about to try to hurt him, Proton."

"Have you seen that guy and his Pokémon? His giant dragon would've sliced me in half before I even got to him. I was just trying to distract him," the Executive argued. 

"Then what were you going to do?" Morai asked. 

"...Politely convince you to come back here with me?"

"I'm sure. If you'll politely show me to the exit, I'm leaving and I'm not coming back for a while," Morai said breathlessly. "I'll be out of Team Rocket's hair, far away from here." 

A more serious expression spread across Proton's face. He was about to say something he didn't want to. 

"Morai...you know why you're here right? You went out and attacked two International Police agents, started a fire, then escaped into the subway station full of people. Then you became involved with the important-looking tall guy and told him you'd join his elite army of train people or whatever."

Train people?

"THEN, you—"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Morai said. "I was just trying to get some fresh air. Those police agents were dressed as Team Rocket Grunts."

"So you attacked them thinking they were on your  team?"

"Team Rocket isn't my  team, it's—"

"Morai," a different voice called. 

Morai jumped and looked around. Giovanni had appeared in the hallway, and she was wondering how long he had been there—more importantly, how much he had heard. He didn't look happy, but it's not like he walked around with a giant smile on his face anyway. He nodded his head in the direction of his office. 

Here we go again.

The Mask Maker swallowed and started to follow him down the hallway, deliberately staying behind him. She didn't like him, but she knew he was dangerous. The moment something was no longer of use to him, he got rid of it.