[WAR] Role Play: Terminus

[The Nonexistent Tazz]

Yarvick "The Raticate" Xelsez
Team Aqua
AMS Deathwing, Mirage Island, Hoenn
Affected RPers: N/A
Devastation

Yarvick waited patiently just outside the medbay. Team Aqua hadn't started really attacking yet or doing much, so it was mostly deserted, though due to the meteor still being on Yarvick's person and still possibly a valuable item to fence, Greaser had accompanied Yarvick, in all of his drunken glory. Eric could, for the most part, coherently think while completely stoned, but his ability to move was worse than a regular drunk. His 'walk' to medbay was better described as Yarvick dragging him around like a sack of potatoes to his intended destination.

Once there, the medical experts gave a quick check-up on Yarvick, Greaser and Hyperion for any signs of illness, but thus far only Hyperion seemed to have symptoms, which ran the gamut from a runny, stuffy and bloody nose, to extreme stiffness that bordered on total paralysis and a drastically increased blood pressure. Yarvick and Greaser, however, were totally fine. They concluded, quite logically, that the meteor was the source of the virus, and demanded it to remove it of the disease the hard way-taking only a small sample for skunkworks and otherwise leaving them be. At this stage, Yarvick and Greaser were shown outside while the group tried to heal Hyperion. It was NOT a standard illness that regular Pokemon medicine could remove...

Hyperion legitmately cared for Yarvick, perhaps more than his mother even. Yarvick had only caught him as a thief's aid, yet as he grew physcially and mentally, he also grew more concerned for the klemopatric growing within Yarvick, and had often asked him, politely, to stop, reconsider, and use his skills to turn his life around. Yarvick never considered the arguments for too long, if even at all, and even if he died he probably would not reconsider. It was still an obvious proof that Hyperion was more than a good friend, to be concerned, even if Yarvick wouldn't believe him. Hyperion was also the first to make a safe plan, the only one to arrange his Pokemon when regular words would never work, the first and final consultant on any heist's execution. He could move objects with his mind, offer instant getaways, and was powerful against things that several of his Pokemon were worthless against. Hyperion was a part of his success, a hyper-competent sidekick, practically a blessing for a man who's ability to capture Pokemon was all of s**t, and Yarvick made sure he was treated right for his considerable aid in his plans, even though at this point Yarvick could realistically start doing it on his own. Obtaining the Meteorite itself was proof-it would have been a hell of a lot harder, if not impossible, without Hyperion. Losing him severely crippled Yarvick's abilities. He could still do it without him, but Hyperion was still incredible. He was a friend and an ally, far too good to lose.

Let no man say that Yarvick was heartless to those that cared.

Even when sober, Greaser was not exactly the guy to go to for comforting words. "Maybe it's just tha' flu?" He queried.

"Isn't a d**m flu strain, Greasy, they said this was definitely not a familiar disease they were working with..." Yarvick responded.

"Oh, d**m...Are you 'fected?" Greaser asked.

"We're both clean, he said." Yarvick said. The 'he' was referring to Doctor Harland Volso, the medical expert for people and Pokemon aboard the Deathwing. Even pirate terrorists needed doctors.

"Oh, good, wouldn't wanna catch 'dat." Greaser responded.

"Eric, I don't really want to talk right now. This is pretty stressful s**t I'm going through." Yarvick said, putting his left hand on his face. There was suddenly more activity-more voices-in the medical room, and the conversation got a bit more intense. Then, the doors opened. Yarvick stood up, expecting Harland.

It was not Harland. That was Tyrus "Titanius" Hale, king of the skunkworks, flanked by two of his skunks. It was undoubtable that what was going on here was...Special, somehow. Tyrus did not leave the skunkworks for many reasons. It was a good thing, too, Tyrus was known to be a big-a** prick. Being Raidon's closest friend made him practically invincible.

"Um, sir?" Yarvick said, having utterly no idea on what question to ask. He was braced for anything.

"I will be curt," Hale said. "The disease your Alakazam carries will kill it. It also will not spread, sadly...Only Psychic-type Pokemon can accept the virus, and we cannot get the virus to infect other Pokemon. Considering what we are dealing with, that is more of a shame than you'd realize..."

Yarvick did NOT like the idea that Hale wanted the sickness to spread, but whatever was preventing him was likely a good thing. As for his issue with being the smartest man on board, Yarvick just shut up, to not make a fool of himself and to let Hale talk his a** off.

"...Are you familiar with Deoxys? The Pokemon that came to be when a virus from the depths of the void we call 'space' crashed down to earth and mutated? This virus that gave it birth was almost a total enigma, as was the process of its mutation-But researchers did, in fact, manage to create what we believe to be a facsimile of the unmutated virus, just in case we would need to vaccinate it. Though I myself was never involved in its creation and the facsimile lacks key properties to mutate into Deoxys, the fact remains...The meteor you stole seems to carry an almost flawless match for that facsimile, with only a few errors off of it. This indicates that this could just be the unmutated form of Deoxys, and a form of the virus capable of mutating into it."

OK, Yarvick had not heard that one before. He's seen a few movies on such crazy things ever since Deoxys was discovered, but he never really understood the hard science behind it, while Doctor Hale here stood there, going on about it as if he studied it most of his life. Yarvick just stood there doing his best impression of a block of cheese while Titanus went on, unable to intelligently respond. Hyperion might have had an enlightening conversation with him, but Yarvick could not raise a finger against Titanus'es mighty words. Titanus realized this and kept an undertone of smugness about him, looking down upon the mentally inferior Yarvick like an Alpha wolf to his pack.

"...Why this concerns you. Aside from the fact that your Alakazam caught the Proto-Deoxys virus and is dying of it, if my theory is correct, we can mutate your Alakazam into a new Deoxys, saving its life and giving us access to a Pokemon as strong as mewtwo."

THAT got Yarvick smiling again, a genuine smile. The news that not only would Hyperion remain alive, but be quite truly better than ever, was possibly the best news he ever got.

"That being said, no matter how fascinating the chance may be...Well, do not expect to keep it, or at least not as you know your Alakazam. The nature of the virus itself is still quite an enigma. Though I am almost one-hundred percent sure that we can easily mutate the virus, what effects the virus may have on your Alakazam are...Undetermined. Likely, what comes out of this project of mine will be a blank slate, and your Alakazam will ultimately have died, only in a different manner."

Oh.

"So, you know your choice: You either allow your Pokemon to slowly die and I miss out on critical research opportunities while it is alive, or you donate it to my care with some adequate compensation and we'll see if we can't turn it into a hyper-lethal sapient space virus."

Yarvick didn't really see a good side of either option, but he was NOT about to argue with Titanus. He was practically invincible. It was one or the other in this case. He either let him die slowly and painfully, or gave him over to mad scientists for experimentation to turn him into an alien.

That, and maybe, just maybe, Hyperion's mind would be left intact afterwards.

It was a slight benefit-and it might just mean Hyperion came back better than ever. And, it was money. It was hardly wonderful news, but it was SOMETHING.

"I'll give Hyperion to you. Being that he's an Alakazam, I'll just tell him what's going on..."

Titanius rolled his eyes. "Yes, I suppose he deserves to at least know what's happening...Granted, the Alakazam's psionics are currently unusable due to the virus."

Yarvick nodded and walked into the room ahead, where Hyperion laid on a bed. The medics had stopped doing anything the instant Titanius came in.

"...OK, Hyperion, I had two options. The virus isn't possible to be cured...So, either I let you die here for no reason, or I give you over to titanus and see if we can't make an alien out of you for some financial compensation...Crazy," Yarvick said. "I understand you can't really respond to me right now, but I chose the latter option. It seemed like you'd die either way, you get to be a Space alien, I get money...And...There's a chance your mind won't go. Slight, but it's better than nothing. If you don't agree, then I'm sorry, Hyperion, but...The choice is kind of Binary." Yarvick said. He kept from tearing up. "Let's hope all goes well."

Yarvick have Hyperion a pat on the head. "If not...Well, we'll know where we'll meet." Yarvick added.

He hardly considered himself religious. In fact, didn't at all. Hyperion wasn't very religious either. They believed in an afterlife and a creator-that was it.

Titanius walked in at the end of the display. "I'll be taking them over to the science wing-you too, Yarvick. Your compensation will be...Different from just money, if you would like." Titanus said. "Have you heard of Wolverine?"

...Hoo boy. Hopefully Titanus was referring to the regeneration powers rather than the painful adamantine skeleton or the claws.