Keith sighed, they were hopeless. He watched as Ember battled the flareon, Cruz hanging back drinking more alcohol.
"Is this some kind of ambush attempt?" the flareon asked.
Cruz and Ember exchanged a glance. Then Ember looked straight up at the flareon. "Guess you could say that."
Keith frowned. They're giving themselves away. Security will be after them if they even manage to get away. What the hell are they doing?
The flareon growled. "Then I'll be glad to beat you all in battle."
Ember breathed slowly. "We'll see about that."
It was going downhill. And already? He couldn't stay. He wasn't going to put himself in security's watch. Not like his brother.
Silently, Keith stalked away, leaving the others to do whatever they were doing. They got themselves into that. Not him.
Suddenly, a light flashed him in the face. "AGH!" He stumbled backwards.
"What's happening here?!" Someone yelled.
Keith opened his eyes. They widened as he recognized who he was looking at. Security.
"You! Answer!" one of them ordered.
Keith hissed and stepped back.
The security guard glared at him. "Answer. Now."
* * *
Rivulet and Camille walked down the underground tunnel.
"Where are we going?" Camille asked.
"I need to check on my friends," she replied. "They're fighting for their life right now. I know it."
Camille tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
Rivulet sighed. "My friends are fighting some flareon."
"Daddy?"
Rivulet stopped abruptly and turned to Camille. "EXCUSE ME?"
"That flareon is my father!" Camille said.
"Oh."
They continued walking, Camille humming quietly.
Rivulet paused. "Wait. Be quiet."
Camille stopped. "Why?"
"Shh. I can hear something." Rivulet looked down the tunnel. "It sounds like lots of yelling."
"Maybe someone made daddy mad?" Camille asked. She held up a paw, and swiped at the air.
Rivulet frowned. "Don't I know it. Come on." They continued down the tunnel quietly and slowly.
Camille struggled to keep up, though kept quiet through the journey. "I wonder if daddy's okay."
Rivulet finally saw the exit of the tunnel. "Here, wait here."
Rivulet padded towards the opening slowly, every step increasing her anxiety. The yelling was starting to get louder. But the longer she waited, the more the words started to blend together. Okay, Rivulet, it's just fighting. Why are you getting anxious? You don't get anxious. How have you been perfectly fine until now?? GO!
Rivulet froze up when she felt a paw touch her shoulder. She turned and looked at Camille, who was tapping her. "Why are you standing there?"
She didn't know how to respond. "Umm-..." She looked at the wall. Then she took a deep breath. "No reason. Come on."
Rivulet finally took the step outside. She gasped. Security had caught on. Keith, Ember, and Cruz were being circled.
"So, you wanted to steal a map from this mansion, because of this map?" One of the security held up their map. "What kind of stupid madeup excuse is that? Are you really this desperate for stuff?"
Cruz laughed. "You BITCH! It's a map to the EVOLUTIONS TONE!"
"Evolutions tone?"
"Evolution stone," Ember corrected. "But yes."
Rivulet's high hopes fell. Not that she had any from the very beginning. Slowly, she stepped back. "No, no, no, no...no!" She turned around and fled from the scene.
Camille was frozen. "W-wh-wh-..." She tried to look for Rivulet, but she was already gone. Her view was spinning aimlessly. Then she lied down, and blended herself with the dirt below.
The security gathered up the trio. "Whatever high mission you were on, you're done for." Then the street lights flickered off.
