[SEASON 2] The Stalkers RPG - Main Action and Team Status [ENDED... FOR NOW]

[Neo Emolga]

17. Penelope the Aurorus has been murdered by the Stalkers.

Location: The back of the Cloudrise Tower building.
Cause of Death: Fear-induced trauma and heart attack.

The news struck hard. As soon as there had been an emergency call about another suspected Stalker attack, Pormalu and Sequintia had arrived on the scene to discover the body of Penelope the Aurorus, twisted and contorted as though she was squirming and struggling in horrible, macabre fright. Pormalu's heart sank when he saw the traumatized face of the Aurorus, locked and frozen in screaming, nightmarish agony as her heart locked to a stop. It bothered the Arcanine terribly to know the old librarian didn't die peacefully.

"This is how you found her?" Pormalu asked Bere the Typhlosion, who had made the call.

"You kidding!?" Bere exclaimed, looking surprised Pormalu would even ask that. "I sure didn't do that to her face! God damn, I have no clue why they'd target her! She had nothing against anyone."

And that was just it. The Stalkers... they had no qualms about killing anyone. Man, woman, or child. Young, adult, or elderly. It didn't matter if they were the darkest of Pokémon or the most kindest of souls.

"She didn't deserve this," Sequintia muttered.

Bere took one more look at her.

"I really don't want to know just what the hell did that to her," Bere remarked, looking at the horrified Aurorus body once more.

---

As paramedics arrived to take the body away, Pormalu and Sequintia felt their heart sink as Lephley the Tropius came rushing toward the scene like it was the end of the world. It was clear the horrible news was relayed to her, and tears were already streaming down her face. Before they could take the body away, there was another darker matter that had to be attended to.

"NO!" Lephley screamed, rushing to Penelope's covered body. "IT CAN'T BE! No, no, please... please... for the love of Arceus, there's no reason it could have been her! She wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone!"

"Lephley," Pormalu stated in a firm voice, trying to fight off the urge to just break down, "you're Penelope's closest contact and as Penelope has no next of kin within Silvercoal, we need a positive ID on the body."

Pormalu always hated this part.

Trembling, Lephley nodded, but only because she believed they had it wrong it wasn't Penelope they found. She believed with all her heart and soul that this had to be some other Aurorus and they had a mix up. She knew she wouldn't be able to breathe until she confirmed it, never mind sleep ever again. Slowly, carefully, and trembling all the while, she used her mouth to pull back the sheet that was covering her face.

In that moment, she saw what became of Penelope. She saw her horrified face with eyes that were locked open, frozen in ungodly fear and fright. And all Lephley could do was just scream. Scream in a way she had never done before.

It was a sound Pormalu and Sequintia were quite sure they'd never forget...

Doom Tracker:
2/40