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  “How am I supposed to apologize?” The Glaceon muttered with a growl. “I’ve never apologized before. Or at least, not since I was a child, and not for something like this. Why does being “civilized” have to be such a pain …?” Axis had spent the entire course of her journey to Cemetrial pondering up ways of saying she was sorry to a couple of someones who had, well, seen a side of her that she had rather kept hidden. It hadn’t been their fault; not really. How were they supposed to know that she feared being touched? The Vulpix didn’t, that’s for sure; and there was no way she could have.

            The confrontation had only happened a couple days ago; the Vulpix, Sapphire, approaching the Glaceon with a friendly hello. Unfortunately for the child, Axis had not been in the friend-making mood; though frankly she was never in that mood to begin with. Still the Vulpix had trotted along despite the Glaceon’s attempts to ignore her, and in trying to get home the ice type wound up caught up in a battle with a less-than-impressive Umbreon because of some grudge it held toward the fire fox. In getting involved Axis had hoped that the dark type would have helped her find that which she sought; but it was a misplaced hope at best, and proved to be just that upon freezing the dark types paws in place and questioning him.

            Axis had become quite downcast afterwards, and in being so failed to notice that the Vulpix had followed her to her small hovel of a home. It was there that the fox wound up falling unconscious from some injury she had received during the fight, and Axis had done what she could to, more or less, take care of her; or at least stop the bleeding. Of course, the smell of blood had almost caused Axis to just bite into her neck; the Vulpix a “meal” that had walked so willingly into her den…

            “ARGH! No!!” Axis growled at herself in remembering that moment. “Why is this such a problem?!” Instincts of survival, not friendliness, not trust, kept clouding her vision and directing her actions. It’s what had made her clamp down on the fox kit’s neck, causing the child to whimper in her sleep. It’s what had nearly ended an outlaw’s life just hours ago.

            Why was it so hard to control these urges? Those feelings that made her react so negatively towards others? That’s what had happened; that’s why she was looking to make an apology. After stumbling across one of the fox’s friends and thus returning her to her team, she had seen the kit again the day after, following her occasional trip to the Notice Board. The Dratini, Talia, or whatever her name was, had thanked her for looking after her friend; but then they began to pry into Axis’ personal life and feelings, and what was probably meant to only be a gesture of sympathy came across as the start of an attack. Only Axis’ mind could be so skewed, so abused by life that even a mere hug drove her away. But how could it not? Axis had not been embraced since the time…

            The Glaceon shook her head. No, she didn’t want to think about it. She was already angry; she didn’t want to be sad too. How could she have been stupid enough to get involved? Hoping that the Umbreon had known where to look; she knew it was impossible, and yet she had acted on it anyway. She usually did so well at keeping to herself and minding her own business. So why then had she suddenly become so desperate? The Glaceon frowned. She knew the answer; because it was hopeless.

            “No, I won’t let it be that,” she muttered. “I can’t afford to.” To drive the thought from her mind Axis took off at a sprint, the arctic snow beneath her paws a welcome and familiar feeling. Had she been in a better mood, she may have smiled, feeling at home. Cemetrial had to be close, and she was looking forward to the task assigned.

            She remembered walking into the Rogue HQ to see if anything special had come up that was more…up her alley, and it just so happened that a job had indeed been posted; one that even a few rogues were uncomfortable with. Being that the topic was of assassination, this was not surprising. Many rogues, after all, were simple troublemakers and thieves, and murder was beyond them. The nature of this quest was exactly why it had been sent to the Rogue Faction though, for keeping it out of the public eye and away from do-gooders was one of the mission’s stipulations. Requests for assistance in unburying the town, fixing broken docks and other labor-intensive tasks had been posted in Sabri Central in full view of the other factions. But this task was meant to be secret, sent privately to those who were known to take on darker jobs. After all, it was illegal.

            Axis had opted without thought to take it while others were sitting about twiddling their various paws, fingers and feathers. They wanted someone sneaky; she could do that. They wanted someone who would willingly kill, and she could do that too. Plus they offered training as well as a reward, and although Axis didn’t particularly care about the reward, she wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to better her skills for free.

            According to the fine print of the request, the mercenary outpost was hidden; tucked away beneath the town’s inn so that they could do their work in secret. All Axis had to do now was find the place and get into it. Alas this was easier said than done once the Glaceon set paw into town. The blizzard described in the help request had been worse than she imagined; buildings having been all but completely buried beneath piles of snow while ice was caked over most of the streets and snow drifts. No wonder most of the town’s denizens were having problems.

            But this set up was just another reason why Axis was glad to have taken this mission; for the ice and snow didn’t bother her at all. In fact, seeing how it was, she was beginning to consider staying here, despite how far away it was from the main Rogue Faction and Sabri Central. She quite liked the thick ice and snow, and had started to miss it now that spring was right around the corner. She wouldn’t get ahead of herself though, for actually moving here would all depend on how this mission went.

            Digging through snow to get to the door, Axis shoved her way into the inn. Inside the wooden structure many random Pokemon were taking refuge; a fire in the inn’s hearth driving away much of the cold from outside. An Ampharos in a thick, furry jacket looked up from behind a check-in counter as Axis entered.

            “Please, shut the door quickly,” he called over to the Glaceon, who nudged the door closed as told. When she approached him, he continued. “Now…what can I help you with?”

            “I’m here to see Vexus about a job,” Axis stated, skipping the small talk. “I just need pointed to him.” The Ampharos was taken slightly aback by the bluntness of the request.

            “A job?” He questioned. Axis frowned slightly.

            “The request said you’d know about this particular one.” Again the electric type paused and looked down at his desk, closing a book that sat open before him and then standing up.

            “Follow me,” he instructed calmly as he stepped around from behind the counter and made his way down the nearest hall. Axis followed along silently, feeling uneasy as a few of the inn’s inhabitants cast curious gazes her way. It only made her feel worse as the hall darkened the further into the back they tread.

            “Vexus,” the Ampharos said as he approached one of the doors, pushing it open with a paw. “Someone is here about your request.” A Weavile looked up from a chair, the light catching a large scar that cut over his mouth.

            “Which request?” He grumbled. “You didn’t bring me another useless Poke to help shovel snow did you?”

            “No,” the Ampharos replied. “I believe this one is here for “that” job.” Vexus raised a brow.

            “Did you ask?” Instead of replying, the Ampharos just stared back. The Weavile sighed heavily and scratched at his scar. “Moron…”

            “No, that is what I am here for,” Axis stated, stepping in. “I am from the Rogue Faction near Sabri Central, here to take on your personal request.” Vexus huffed when he heard the Glaceon and pushed himself up from his seat. Axis instinctively tensed, the fur on her back bristling. She was NOT a fan of Sneasels or their evolved forms, and even less so when they circled her, staring. The dark type snorted, displeased with what he saw.

            “Out of all the Rogues in your faction they send me a scrawny kid with almost no muscle?” His voice dripped with disdain and now, rather than fear, Axis felt contempt.

            “You asked for an assassin,” she growled. “I assumed you had wanted someone with experience.” She paused and looked over at the Weavile. “Or am I wrong?” Vexus huffed again, beaten by the comeback.

            “You’ve got a mouth, I’ll give you that,” he began, walking over to the far wall. “But let’s see if you’ve actually got what it takes.” Vexus curled his fist and began tapping rhythmically on the wood. After a moment a panel slid back, pulled by a series of ropes, and a stairway was revealed. The Weavile gestured for the Glaceon to follow and began leading her down into the dark below. Axis obliged reluctantly, taking after Vexus as the Ampharos departed back to the front. Though not keen on the idea of following a potential threat down into the depths of the unknown, the Glaceon didn’t seem to have much of a choice.

            The trip down winding stairs didn’t last long; a few twists and turns bringing the duo down into a cavern hall dimly lit by small lanterns. “We don’t usually use this place for training,” the Weavile explained as they walked. “But with everyone stuck here from the ice, we’ve had to change things up a bit.”

            “Surely with their “training” your students could easily escape the snow,” the Glaceon began, glancing around warily at the flickering shadows. “So then it must just be too conspicuous for only a select few to be traveling out every night.” The Weavile smirked.

            “You’re smarter than you look,” he jested. The Glaceon was not amused however; she never was when it came to most ‘mon’s “humor”.

            The rest of the trip was silent up until the sound of distant grunts and shouts came echoing down the hall, and soon the two found themselves in a large, hollowed out cavern dug from the rock; possibly the work of an Onix though tidied up by the tunnel’s current residents. In the middle of the room several children were lined up in an orderly fashion, all posed in an attack stance best suited for their body type.

            “Again!” A Froslass shouted out to the lot. “And this time, remember your centers! I don’t want you falling into each other again!” She paused before giving another shout, the children reacting to the command with a strong frontal attack. Falling out of formation a Sentret tripped over his own tail and broke the line, rolling over into a Poochyena who then bumped into an Electrike, causing it to spark when getting stepped on. The accidental attack just made things all the worse, and soon every child was caught up in a yelling match. The Froslass sighed, rubbing a hand over her face and muttering something silently to herself.

            “Having fun, Sierra?” Vexus called with a smirk upon approaching, Axis trailing at his heels. The Froslass looked up at her husband, but just shook her head.

            “The newest, youngest ones are always the most difficult,” she sighed. “I think I shall turn them over to you for a while.” Vexus laughed heartily as though hearing a joke, but Axis was pretty sure that the Froslass, Sierra, had been serious. In the midst of her husband’s guffaw the older ice type noticed the younger, and she leaned back slightly so to get a better look. “And who are you?” She asked. “A new recruit?”

            “If all goes well with my assignment, then that is a possibility,” Axis replied. “But my name is Axis, and I am a member of the Rogue Faction in Sabri Central.”

            “Ah,” the Froslass mused, “then you must be here to end our quarrel with Artek.”

            “Correct, Ma’am.” The woman smirked at that last and then continued.

            “It is unfortunate you are an ice type; you will have to work twice as hard to accomplish your task.”

            “Perhaps, but I excel at taking others down; disadvantage or not,” the Glaceon assured. “This will not be the first time I have had to bring down an opponent larger and stronger than I am.”

            “But the first time you’ve taken on someone with a Mega Evolution,” Vexus barked, cutting into the conversation. “I guarantee that.”

            “You are not wrong,” Axis admitted. “But that is why I am here, is it not? To train with you so that such a hurtle will be easy to overcome.”

            “Precisely,” Sierra confirmed, floating over to the Glaceon’s side, inadvertently putting the girl on edge from being so close, “and your training will begin immediately.” As soon as the words left her mouth the air around the ice types chilled, and in feeling the cold Axis jumped away just as the Froslass released an Ice Beam from her fingertips. But despite her dodge the beam of frost caught the end of Axis’ tail, covering over its tip.

            With a growl Axis slammed the ice on her fur on the ground, breaking it off. Apparently she had been right to feel so paranoid. So much for friendly greetings.

            In retaliation Axis released an Ice Beam of her own; Sierra dodging to her right while Vexus jumped left. The Glaceon pursued the Froslass, for she had been the one to initiate the fight, and dove at the woman with a Bite. Sierra twisted out of the way, avoiding the hit with seemingly little effort. Upon brushing so close to the Froslass though, an all too familiar smell reached Axis’ nose. She shot a sudden Ice Beam toward the ground, pushing herself back and out of the line of fire as Sierra breathed out a Toxic purple smog.

            Upon sliding to a stop Axis snarled, her tail swishing back and forth. Sierra grinned. “Very good!” She exclaimed, surprised. “I had not expected you to see that coming.”

            “I didn’t see it,” Axis corrected. “I smelled it. Poison is not a scent one easily forgets.”

            “Then it is good to know that you have some experience.” The Froslass began floating off, the battle seeming to have come to an abrupt end. Axis was still on her toes however, even though her opponent was leaving. She didn’t trust this unsaid, mutual ceasefire, not until the woman started talking with her husband about sending their young recruits home at least, and even then it took a lot of silent convincing to make herself stand down.

            “Alright kids!” Vexus shouted over the group of little ones, getting their attention before continuing. “I’m gonna lead you out of here. You know the drill: no pushing, no whining and no telling anyone about your lessons, got it?” The children replied with their affirmations and then trotted along after Vexus as he led them out and back to the surface.

            “You! Glaceon!” Another call came, Axis’ ears lifting in response to the shout. She saw Sierra at the far side of the room and walked over as the Froslass beckoned her closer. Upon arrival the older ice type gestured to a cushion shoved into the corner of the next room. “You are to stay here so that we may begin your training first thing tomorrow. I assume you have no objections.”

            “No,” Axis replied bluntly, stepping carefully around the Froslass as though expecting another attack. The Froslass chuckled and shook her head.

            “Fret not, I have no intention of testing you any more tonight.” Axis’ expression didn’t change.

            “That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t trust you,” she stated. “You or anybody else.” Sierra smirked.

            “That is a good thing.” With nothing more to say the Froslass departed right after, Axis watching her go, making sure that she was actually leaving before curling up on the makeshift pillow of a bed. As crude a resting place as this would be for many, it was actually quite comfortable to Axis; more comfortable than solid ground and grass at least.

            “So this is a pillow…” she murmured, curling tightly into a ball and nestling her face into the fabric beneath her. “Feels nice…” It took a while for the Glaceon to fall asleep; her unfamiliar surroundings doing little to ease her into slumber. And all the while the Glaceon attempted sleep the Froslass kept a watchful eye, waiting for Vexus to return. When he did he came right to her, and with Axis having drifted off by this point in time, the two spoke freely.

            “Think this one can do it?” Vexus asked his wife, nodding towards the sleeping rogue.

            “What do you think?” Sierra questioned instead. The Weavile shrugged.

            “I don’t know. I kinda doubt it,” he answered. “Although, I will say this: I don’t know what she was into before, but that’s dried blood on her paws if ever I saw it, and it definitely ain’t hers.”

            “Mm…” the Froslass hummed in reply with a soft nod. “I saw that too. But that may be a sign in our favor.”

            “You got a point. Maybe with our help, killing Artek isn’t as out of reach as we thought.” He paused and looked over at the young ice type, his wife doing the same.

            “No,” she said, tapping her chin, thinking, “perhaps not.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part one of a side mission for Axis. Again, uploading it like this because the image is just as important as the story.

Don't really have much to say about this one other than that I threw in more of Axis' inner turmoil (based on the premise that you guys enjoy looking into the mind of this screwed up kid). Well, sorta. Actually I threw it in because of an RP I did with flygirlll26262 whose ending has been plaguing Axis since it finished. But that's a side thing to be resolved at a later time. For now, we'll just see how well this mission goes when the real heart of this task begins in part 2.

Oh, by the way, that blood on Axis' paws and the scratch on her cheek? That is what remains of the outlaw hunt with Kahlilia. Most of the stuff on her paws thankfully wore off during the trip to Cemetrial.

Anyway, enjoy!

Part 2

Axis (c) me
Talia, Sapphire (c) flygirlll26262
Sierra, Vexus belong to the group

Description

  “How am I supposed to apologize?” The Glaceon muttered with a growl. “I’ve never apologized before. Or at least, not since I was a child, and not for something like this. Why does being “civilized” have to be such a pain …?” Axis had spent the entire course of her journey to Cemetrial pondering up ways of saying she was sorry to a couple of someones who had, well, seen a side of her that she had rather kept hidden. It hadn’t been their fault; not really. How were they supposed to know that she feared being touched? The Vulpix didn’t, that’s for sure; and there was no way she could have.

            The confrontation had only happened a couple days ago; the Vulpix, Sapphire, approaching the Glaceon with a friendly hello. Unfortunately for the child, Axis had not been in the friend-making mood; though frankly she was never in that mood to begin with. Still the Vulpix had trotted along despite the Glaceon’s attempts to ignore her, and in trying to get home the ice type wound up caught up in a battle with a less-than-impressive Umbreon because of some grudge it held toward the fire fox. In getting involved Axis had hoped that the dark type would have helped her find that which she sought; but it was a misplaced hope at best, and proved to be just that upon freezing the dark types paws in place and questioning him.

            Axis had become quite downcast afterwards, and in being so failed to notice that the Vulpix had followed her to her small hovel of a home. It was there that the fox wound up falling unconscious from some injury she had received during the fight, and Axis had done what she could to, more or less, take care of her; or at least stop the bleeding. Of course, the smell of blood had almost caused Axis to just bite into her neck; the Vulpix a “meal” that had walked so willingly into her den…

            “ARGH! No!!” Axis growled at herself in remembering that moment. “Why is this such a problem?!” Instincts of survival, not friendliness, not trust, kept clouding her vision and directing her actions. It’s what had made her clamp down on the fox kit’s neck, causing the child to whimper in her sleep. It’s what had nearly ended an outlaw’s life just hours ago.

            Why was it so hard to control these urges? Those feelings that made her react so negatively towards others? That’s what had happened; that’s why she was looking to make an apology. After stumbling across one of the fox’s friends and thus returning her to her team, she had seen the kit again the day after, following her occasional trip to the Notice Board. The Dratini, Talia, or whatever her name was, had thanked her for looking after her friend; but then they began to pry into Axis’ personal life and feelings, and what was probably meant to only be a gesture of sympathy came across as the start of an attack. Only Axis’ mind could be so skewed, so abused by life that even a mere hug drove her away. But how could it not? Axis had not been embraced since the time…

            The Glaceon shook her head. No, she didn’t want to think about it. She was already angry; she didn’t want to be sad too. How could she have been stupid enough to get involved? Hoping that the Umbreon had known where to look; she knew it was impossible, and yet she had acted on it anyway. She usually did so well at keeping to herself and minding her own business. So why then had she suddenly become so desperate? The Glaceon frowned. She knew the answer; because it was hopeless.

            “No, I won’t let it be that,” she muttered. “I can’t afford to.” To drive the thought from her mind Axis took off at a sprint, the arctic snow beneath her paws a welcome and familiar feeling. Had she been in a better mood, she may have smiled, feeling at home. Cemetrial had to be close, and she was looking forward to the task assigned.

            She remembered walking into the Rogue HQ to see if anything special had come up that was more…up her alley, and it just so happened that a job had indeed been posted; one that even a few rogues were uncomfortable with. Being that the topic was of assassination, this was not surprising. Many rogues, after all, were simple troublemakers and thieves, and murder was beyond them. The nature of this quest was exactly why it had been sent to the Rogue Faction though, for keeping it out of the public eye and away from do-gooders was one of the mission’s stipulations. Requests for assistance in unburying the town, fixing broken docks and other labor-intensive tasks had been posted in Sabri Central in full view of the other factions. But this task was meant to be secret, sent privately to those who were known to take on darker jobs. After all, it was illegal.

            Axis had opted without thought to take it while others were sitting about twiddling their various paws, fingers and feathers. They wanted someone sneaky; she could do that. They wanted someone who would willingly kill, and she could do that too. Plus they offered training as well as a reward, and although Axis didn’t particularly care about the reward, she wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to better her skills for free.

            According to the fine print of the request, the mercenary outpost was hidden; tucked away beneath the town’s inn so that they could do their work in secret. All Axis had to do now was find the place and get into it. Alas this was easier said than done once the Glaceon set paw into town. The blizzard described in the help request had been worse than she imagined; buildings having been all but completely buried beneath piles of snow while ice was caked over most of the streets and snow drifts. No wonder most of the town’s denizens were having problems.

            But this set up was just another reason why Axis was glad to have taken this mission; for the ice and snow didn’t bother her at all. In fact, seeing how it was, she was beginning to consider staying here, despite how far away it was from the main Rogue Faction and Sabri Central. She quite liked the thick ice and snow, and had started to miss it now that spring was right around the corner. She wouldn’t get ahead of herself though, for actually moving here would all depend on how this mission went.

            Digging through snow to get to the door, Axis shoved her way into the inn. Inside the wooden structure many random Pokemon were taking refuge; a fire in the inn’s hearth driving away much of the cold from outside. An Ampharos in a thick, furry jacket looked up from behind a check-in counter as Axis entered.

            “Please, shut the door quickly,” he called over to the Glaceon, who nudged the door closed as told. When she approached him, he continued. “Now…what can I help you with?”

            “I’m here to see Vexus about a job,” Axis stated, skipping the small talk. “I just need pointed to him.” The Ampharos was taken slightly aback by the bluntness of the request.

            “A job?” He questioned. Axis frowned slightly.

            “The request said you’d know about this particular one.” Again the electric type paused and looked down at his desk, closing a book that sat open before him and then standing up.

            “Follow me,” he instructed calmly as he stepped around from behind the counter and made his way down the nearest hall. Axis followed along silently, feeling uneasy as a few of the inn’s inhabitants cast curious gazes her way. It only made her feel worse as the hall darkened the further into the back they tread.

            “Vexus,” the Ampharos said as he approached one of the doors, pushing it open with a paw. “Someone is here about your request.” A Weavile looked up from a chair, the light catching a large scar that cut over his mouth.

            “Which request?” He grumbled. “You didn’t bring me another useless Poke to help shovel snow did you?”

            “No,” the Ampharos replied. “I believe this one is here for “that” job.” Vexus raised a brow.

            “Did you ask?” Instead of replying, the Ampharos just stared back. The Weavile sighed heavily and scratched at his scar. “Moron…”

            “No, that is what I am here for,” Axis stated, stepping in. “I am from the Rogue Faction near Sabri Central, here to take on your personal request.” Vexus huffed when he heard the Glaceon and pushed himself up from his seat. Axis instinctively tensed, the fur on her back bristling. She was NOT a fan of Sneasels or their evolved forms, and even less so when they circled her, staring. The dark type snorted, displeased with what he saw.

            “Out of all the Rogues in your faction they send me a scrawny kid with almost no muscle?” His voice dripped with disdain and now, rather than fear, Axis felt contempt.

            “You asked for an assassin,” she growled. “I assumed you had wanted someone with experience.” She paused and looked over at the Weavile. “Or am I wrong?” Vexus huffed again, beaten by the comeback.

            “You’ve got a mouth, I’ll give you that,” he began, walking over to the far wall. “But let’s see if you’ve actually got what it takes.” Vexus curled his fist and began tapping rhythmically on the wood. After a moment a panel slid back, pulled by a series of ropes, and a stairway was revealed. The Weavile gestured for the Glaceon to follow and began leading her down into the dark below. Axis obliged reluctantly, taking after Vexus as the Ampharos departed back to the front. Though not keen on the idea of following a potential threat down into the depths of the unknown, the Glaceon didn’t seem to have much of a choice.

            The trip down winding stairs didn’t last long; a few twists and turns bringing the duo down into a cavern hall dimly lit by small lanterns. “We don’t usually use this place for training,” the Weavile explained as they walked. “But with everyone stuck here from the ice, we’ve had to change things up a bit.”

            “Surely with their “training” your students could easily escape the snow,” the Glaceon began, glancing around warily at the flickering shadows. “So then it must just be too conspicuous for only a select few to be traveling out every night.” The Weavile smirked.

            “You’re smarter than you look,” he jested. The Glaceon was not amused however; she never was when it came to most ‘mon’s “humor”.

            The rest of the trip was silent up until the sound of distant grunts and shouts came echoing down the hall, and soon the two found themselves in a large, hollowed out cavern dug from the rock; possibly the work of an Onix though tidied up by the tunnel’s current residents. In the middle of the room several children were lined up in an orderly fashion, all posed in an attack stance best suited for their body type.

            “Again!” A Froslass shouted out to the lot. “And this time, remember your centers! I don’t want you falling into each other again!” She paused before giving another shout, the children reacting to the command with a strong frontal attack. Falling out of formation a Sentret tripped over his own tail and broke the line, rolling over into a Poochyena who then bumped into an Electrike, causing it to spark when getting stepped on. The accidental attack just made things all the worse, and soon every child was caught up in a yelling match. The Froslass sighed, rubbing a hand over her face and muttering something silently to herself.

            “Having fun, Sierra?” Vexus called with a smirk upon approaching, Axis trailing at his heels. The Froslass looked up at her husband, but just shook her head.

            “The newest, youngest ones are always the most difficult,” she sighed. “I think I shall turn them over to you for a while.” Vexus laughed heartily as though hearing a joke, but Axis was pretty sure that the Froslass, Sierra, had been serious. In the midst of her husband’s guffaw the older ice type noticed the younger, and she leaned back slightly so to get a better look. “And who are you?” She asked. “A new recruit?”

            “If all goes well with my assignment, then that is a possibility,” Axis replied. “But my name is Axis, and I am a member of the Rogue Faction in Sabri Central.”

            “Ah,” the Froslass mused, “then you must be here to end our quarrel with Artek.”

            “Correct, Ma’am.” The woman smirked at that last and then continued.

            “It is unfortunate you are an ice type; you will have to work twice as hard to accomplish your task.”

            “Perhaps, but I excel at taking others down; disadvantage or not,” the Glaceon assured. “This will not be the first time I have had to bring down an opponent larger and stronger than I am.”

            “But the first time you’ve taken on someone with a Mega Evolution,” Vexus barked, cutting into the conversation. “I guarantee that.”

            “You are not wrong,” Axis admitted. “But that is why I am here, is it not? To train with you so that such a hurtle will be easy to overcome.”

            “Precisely,” Sierra confirmed, floating over to the Glaceon’s side, inadvertently putting the girl on edge from being so close, “and your training will begin immediately.” As soon as the words left her mouth the air around the ice types chilled, and in feeling the cold Axis jumped away just as the Froslass released an Ice Beam from her fingertips. But despite her dodge the beam of frost caught the end of Axis’ tail, covering over its tip.

            With a growl Axis slammed the ice on her fur on the ground, breaking it off. Apparently she had been right to feel so paranoid. So much for friendly greetings.

            In retaliation Axis released an Ice Beam of her own; Sierra dodging to her right while Vexus jumped left. The Glaceon pursued the Froslass, for she had been the one to initiate the fight, and dove at the woman with a Bite. Sierra twisted out of the way, avoiding the hit with seemingly little effort. Upon brushing so close to the Froslass though, an all too familiar smell reached Axis’ nose. She shot a sudden Ice Beam toward the ground, pushing herself back and out of the line of fire as Sierra breathed out a Toxic purple smog.

            Upon sliding to a stop Axis snarled, her tail swishing back and forth. Sierra grinned. “Very good!” She exclaimed, surprised. “I had not expected you to see that coming.”

            “I didn’t see it,” Axis corrected. “I smelled it. Poison is not a scent one easily forgets.”

            “Then it is good to know that you have some experience.” The Froslass began floating off, the battle seeming to have come to an abrupt end. Axis was still on her toes however, even though her opponent was leaving. She didn’t trust this unsaid, mutual ceasefire, not until the woman started talking with her husband about sending their young recruits home at least, and even then it took a lot of silent convincing to make herself stand down.

            “Alright kids!” Vexus shouted over the group of little ones, getting their attention before continuing. “I’m gonna lead you out of here. You know the drill: no pushing, no whining and no telling anyone about your lessons, got it?” The children replied with their affirmations and then trotted along after Vexus as he led them out and back to the surface.

            “You! Glaceon!” Another call came, Axis’ ears lifting in response to the shout. She saw Sierra at the far side of the room and walked over as the Froslass beckoned her closer. Upon arrival the older ice type gestured to a cushion shoved into the corner of the next room. “You are to stay here so that we may begin your training first thing tomorrow. I assume you have no objections.”

            “No,” Axis replied bluntly, stepping carefully around the Froslass as though expecting another attack. The Froslass chuckled and shook her head.

            “Fret not, I have no intention of testing you any more tonight.” Axis’ expression didn’t change.

            “That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t trust you,” she stated. “You or anybody else.” Sierra smirked.

            “That is a good thing.” With nothing more to say the Froslass departed right after, Axis watching her go, making sure that she was actually leaving before curling up on the makeshift pillow of a bed. As crude a resting place as this would be for many, it was actually quite comfortable to Axis; more comfortable than solid ground and grass at least.

            “So this is a pillow…” she murmured, curling tightly into a ball and nestling her face into the fabric beneath her. “Feels nice…” It took a while for the Glaceon to fall asleep; her unfamiliar surroundings doing little to ease her into slumber. And all the while the Glaceon attempted sleep the Froslass kept a watchful eye, waiting for Vexus to return. When he did he came right to her, and with Axis having drifted off by this point in time, the two spoke freely.

            “Think this one can do it?” Vexus asked his wife, nodding towards the sleeping rogue.

            “What do you think?” Sierra questioned instead. The Weavile shrugged.

            “I don’t know. I kinda doubt it,” he answered. “Although, I will say this: I don’t know what she was into before, but that’s dried blood on her paws if ever I saw it, and it definitely ain’t hers.”

            “Mm…” the Froslass hummed in reply with a soft nod. “I saw that too. But that may be a sign in our favor.”

            “You got a point. Maybe with our help, killing Artek isn’t as out of reach as we thought.” He paused and looked over at the young ice type, his wife doing the same.

            “No,” she said, tapping her chin, thinking, “perhaps not.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part one of a side mission for Axis. Again, uploading it like this because the image is just as important as the story.

Don't really have much to say about this one other than that I threw in more of Axis' inner turmoil (based on the premise that you guys enjoy looking into the mind of this screwed up kid). Well, sorta. Actually I threw it in because of an RP I did with flygirlll26262 whose ending has been plaguing Axis since it finished. But that's a side thing to be resolved at a later time. For now, we'll just see how well this mission goes when the real heart of this task begins in part 2.

Oh, by the way, that blood on Axis' paws and the scratch on her cheek? That is what remains of the outlaw hunt with Kahlilia. Most of the stuff on her paws thankfully wore off during the trip to Cemetrial.

Anyway, enjoy!

Part 2

Axis (c) me
Talia, Sapphire (c) flygirlll26262
Sierra, Vexus belong to the group