Lost in their Past

Chapter 86:- The Poison Tooth

"I'll hold it!" Serena said, her eyes fixated on the unconscious body of Ash, "he needs immediate attention, leave!"

By the time Serena and Gary left the surveillance room, hell had broken loose. Not long after, someone had walked in and seen their rouge operation. Red alarms blazed through the laboratory as the two of them walked towards the room Ash had disappeared in.

"Ash!" Serena fell on her knees, right next to the bloodied body of her boyfriend.

"What the hell happened?" Gary cried, "Ash! Ash! Wake up, you son of a bitch!"

Ash didn't wake up but a groan escaped his lips. That sound was enough for them.

"Come on... let's leave!"

They had many questions but the only one capable of answering them was lying half-dead on their shoulders.

"Fuck!" Gary swore as they stepped into a corridor filled with arm guards.

"How are we going to get out?" Cried Serena.

"You've studied the blueprints a hundred times! You should be the one to know!"

A part of Serena always knew that her plan was going to come crashing down like a building after being wrecked by a wrecking ball. She ransacked her brain, trying to find the perfect escape route but there was none. Nothing they could use, especially with Ash dangling over their shoulders.

Serena did eventually come up with one, but it too had armed shields. In the end, they fought their way out.

Gary was severely hit in his arm more than twice but he powered through.

In the end, they reached the exit. Followed by tens and twenties of their nemesis.

The worst was when they found the hatch to be closed.

"We'll have to manually open it," Dawn said, "there is the lever, the hatch closed as soon as the alarm went off!"

"How?!" Serena couldn't help but scream, "this area is cut off!"

Dawn shrugged, "We'll think of something, come on."

That's when Serena boldly said that she would hold the hatch open.

A furrow creased up on Dawn's forehead. Never leave behind a fellow partner, her mother had said before she left for Hald Fest, I had to learn the lesson the hard way.

"I'll stay!" Dawn argued as footsteps grew louder.

"Gary's arm is injured, he can't get out without help," she sighed, "Ash isn't in any condition, you're the only hope."

"You're not staying here alone!" She replied, her voice heavy with emotions, "don't do this, I... what do you expect me to tell them?"

Serena's throat was clogged up with emotions. She wasn't doing this on purpose, she had no choice.

She had grown up alone, a family was all she ever dreamed of. Serena couldn't let go of the thing she'd fought so hard for... she couldn't.

She looked at Garry, tending to Ash's massive injuries in a hurry. Serena had found a brother when she'd least expected it, it didn't matter how stupid or stubborn he was, he was family. And then there was Dawn, her stubborn friend who followed orders without a question yet here she was, defying a direct order... all for her.

And Ash... she couldn't even begin to describe how much he meant to her. Serena never thought she could love anyone so selflessly until she met him, she couldn't help but fall in love with his crooked smile and elevated ego.

He was her first love... and probably her last.

Serena had found her big family, perhaps not in the way she'd ever expected. A set of annoying elder siblings, a lover, and a father. There was so much she wanted to achieve... complete her album, apologize to Ash for being such a... bitch, talk with her father, the real one.

But she couldn't have it all, she never had it all.

Being a part of a family meant sacrifice... her sacrifice.

"Leave," She ordered.

"Not without you,"

She didn't want to do it, but Serena had no choice. "That's an order."

Dawn's heart crushed into a million pieces as the words circled her brain.

That's an order... the words circled her mind.

"I can't," she emphasized, "Serena I can't leave you here."

"You have to, I'm the only word whose arm isn't damaged, I have to do this! Now go!"

Dawn nodded, her throat clogged up with emotions as she slowly backed towards their ride. 

Serena ran towards the big lever, wrapping her hands around the rusty metal, preparing to give all that she had when she was interrupted.

"Serena," Dawn said as she was about to step in. "You're the best person I've ever met."

Those words were how Serena knew she had made the right choice.

A cry escaped her lips as she pulled down the lever, the ceiling above them opened simultaneously as the blades started rotating.

"Where is Serena?" Gary asked, panicking. "Why isn't she coming?"

Her silence was answer enough for him.

"I'm going for her!" He screamed as the helicopter started taking off, "Serena!"

A shot echoed in the air, a cry of pain erupted from his lips as he collapsed on the ground right next to his friend.

A single tear rolled down Dawn's cheek as she put the taser back in her pocket. She had already lost one friend, she wasn't going to lose another, at least not today. It took a great deal of patience and control to avoid looking at Serena... for the last time.

The footsteps of the mercenaries died down under the voice of the take-off, Dawn didn't hear the shots fired from the guns nor Serena's cries.

She soared the jet out of the hidden base, with Ash, Gary, and the blasted unown that created this trouble in the first place. She left behind a part of her family on the Island of Bade Khen.

Serena's hands gave up as soon as Ila took off, she let go of the lever, her muscles were strained to their last resort.

"Shoot her!" The mercenaries said from the other end of the tunnel.

She picked up her gun, taking cover behind the wall. Shots were fired as they emerged from the tunnel, the empty shells covered the scarred battlefield as men dropped dead like raindrops around them.

A cry escaped her lips as a bullet pierced her good arm. She dropped down on her knees, her body overflowing with pain from every major sector.

She wanted to crawl back into her bed, not in Vaniville or Lumios city. But the one in the Hald Fest, next to Ashton as sunlight pierced through the window blinds they forgot to close.

When there was nothing but their love, so simple and pure.

But she was her mother's daughter, she wasn't going to die... at least not from a foreign bullet. Their backup was going to come soon, she was going to be riddled with bullets.

Her rifle fell on the floor along with her, she knew what she had to do. It wasn't going to be pleasant but Ailsa had promised it was going to be quick.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she took out the poison teeth, her eyes were closed with her hand on her stomach, she swore to protect her family... and she was going it, in her twisted way.

"I'm sorry mom," she said out loud, "I... I'm as strong as you are."

She thought the poison would be bitter and acrid full of sadness and distress.

But it was peace and fullness.