The Mask Maker

Revenge

"How are you so sure?" Anabel asked. 

"Olympia told me so. My fate is sealed, but it's not quite time for that yet. You're still going to try and catch me today, as you should, but you will fail."

I just have to figure out how I succeed. 

"Hydreigon, use flamethrower!"

While her opponents dove from the path of Hydreigon's attack, Morai had Metagross use Meteor Mash to break through the ceiling above. Colress scrambled to stop her, but she used his own Pokémon to take her up to the main level above. She still found herself surrounded by Interpol agents, but she had open grounds to escape. Hydreigon followed her out of the commotion in the labs, and they made their escape attempt with Morai still kneeling atop Metagross. 

The Aether Foundation had come to the International Police's aid in trying to stop her, but Morai was managing her escape quite well from the air. She had switched to flying on top of Hydreigon and using Metagross as a heavy duty shield and weapon, and had called out Zoroark to create confusing false targets. 

"Well, that was easy," she said to no one in particular as she flew away from the artificial island. She sent Metagross back to its true trainer and headed toward the Team Rocket HQ. She started to feel the same fiery stabbing pains as before, and she knew she was running out of time. 

If they don't have it there, I won't make it, Morai thought.

Breaking in wasn't particularly difficult. The International Police agents Morai had just escaped from were diligent in not looking her in the eyes, but it was much easier said than done for most of the population. She snuck around in the shadows, and if anyone happened to see her, she simply fought them off or added them to her collection of pawns and used them to trick their unassuming teammates. This made getting to the lab easy, at least until she got to the door and realized it wasn't accessible to any of the grunts she had captured. 

Morai was feeling it to see if it was possible to break it down with the combined effort of her and her Rocket drones when another sharp pain travelled throughout her body, temporarily paralyzing her where she stood. She struggled to remain silent, and in the process she lost her hold on the 4 grunts she had collected. They all stumbled faintly in the darkness, and her newest victim managed to grasp what was happening. 

"You!" he shouted, pointing a finger at her and covering his eyes. 

"You idiot," Morai said. "You all make the same mistake of looking me in the eyes before realizing who I am. Where's the doctor?"

"Why should I tell you?" he argued. Morai regained her composure and grabbed him by the collar, staring at him with glaring red eyes. 

"Because if you don't, I'm going to—"

"Two Face!...Or should I say 'One Really Mean Face!"

Morai turned to see Proton standing in the newly lit hallway. She walked up to him, grabbed his collar and went to claw him. When he blocked her, she kneed him in the floating ribs then carried out her original move. 

"How could you," Morai asked, putting her boot on his arm as he lay on the floor, "Ever think that I would treat you with any sort of camaraderie after what you and Team Rocket did to me?"

No one tried to stop her. 

"I-I"m sorry," he stammered.

"My memory may be terrible, but I think you've said that before. Even my word means something," she answered, digging her metal-rimmed boot into his bicep. 

The Mask Maker knelt down and took his keycard, using it to open the lab door. She shut and locked it behind her. Morai couldn't find the lights, but she didn't have to. The glowing red vials stood out among the darkness. She urgently grabbed one of them and considered it in her trembling hand. It seemed just a little brighter than she remembered, but time was running out and her judgement was clouded by desperation.