[BATTLE] LESSA VS FREDRIK

[lou]

ROUND 1
LESSA VS. FREDRIK
BATTLE COMMENCE

[fredrik]

Unbelievable. For all of the boasting about Lux's sophisticated security system on the Seafoam Islands, it sure hadn't lived up to that billing. At least from Fredrik's standpoint. He had recently been conscripted for an infiltration mission, after the Nox regime which governed Olivine City, had learned about him being good with electronics, and their inner workings. He had his reservations about going on this mission, considering he was a radio host, not a saboteur. He didn't have a choice however. Nox was having trouble locating and hiring professional saboteur for various assignments, and for whatever reason, Fredrik was the best they could find.

Over the past few days Fredrik had been able to evade Lux security, after he had secretly passed the Lux security checkpoints (with the help of Nox agents who were actually professionals at infiltration and sabotage). The task that he himself had been given was to locate, and shut down the Seafoam Islands security camera system, which he had only been informed was located 'in a cave, towards the northern part of the islands.' Because of the lack of credible information, Fred had been searching for days for the security room, and had only just found it an hour ago.

Now, he was siting at the chair staring at over 100 different screens, each showing a different room in the vast cave network of the Seafoam Islands. He was feeling anxious because such a vast network of cameras meant that the panel which operated all the cameras was huge. There were countless different buttons and switches, most of which weren't labeled with anything to indicate their purpose. Clearly to Fred, one needed to go through some sort of training before being permitted to operate this camera system. This wasn't good for him because it meant that it would take a while for him to figure out how to shut all the cameras down. During this time, he could very well be discovered by a Lux agent, and it wouldn't take long for them to figure out what he was up to.

Of course, if he was discovered, Fred did not plan on being taken alive. He had already spent 2 years wallowing in despair within one of Lux's prisons, and he had no intention of ever going back. To this end, Fred had brought along cyanide capsule with him, which was now in his pocket. If he were to face certain capture, he would quickly take the pill, and would be dead within minutes. He would sooner die, than be taken prisoner by Lux a second time!

[lessa]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;] A woman's country is not a certain area of mountains, rivers, and woods but it is a principle and patriotism

[/u][/size]

is loyalty

to that principle.


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[td][rs=2][atrb=vAlign,top]

Centralized control was something Lessa had railed against. It was inefficient, ineffective, and a security risk. And, indeed, under her guidance, Lux had begun to move away from it. Seafoam island had hundreds of cameras in the various labs, all of which were viewable from assorted screens. Including in the labs themselves, as seeing failures of important equipment, or the invasion of Nox members, was urgent.

They’d listened to her, then. Back in the days when she was a sentinel, a light in the night, one of Lux’s faithful. But those days were passed, and she now stood before proof they hadn’t been terribly obedient even then. They had neglected perhaps her most important piece of advice- to get rid of the control room designed for internal security. Lessa had scoffed at the idea that any one person needed to view all the cameras at one time, but apparently, her demand to dismantle the room had been ignored. A room with a visual link to all the cameras remained, open and operated by the internal security agent on duty- who apparently had abandoned or been forced from his post.

And now someone whose name and face weren’t on the roster, weren’t on the listing of members of Lux working in the area, was in the control room. Had access to visuals of any number of important, confidential labs and experiments.

Sitting in the office above the security room, eyes on the screen showing grainy footage of it, Lessa knew she’d be expected to confront the man. Find out if he was a traitor, a stranger, a terrorist. But the most important thing, in her eyes, was getting him out of the room. And getting rid of the security risk the room of screens presented.

The good thing about the caves was that they were enormous, that they were open, that they were porous. In many areas, the only thing keeping a person from falling through various sized holes in the ground were hastily-laid flooring arrangements, which were easily enough to remove. Plucking two pokeballs from her belt, she called the Pokemon forth. Neither the Kingdra nor the Tentacruel stood taller than her shoulder, but she wasn’t looking to physically destroy the cave. There’d been enough of that lately. All she needed was to short the computers in that one room, and flood the man out.

A hydro Pump and a Water pulse combined, the pressure enough to knock away the weakly-attached boards and tiles covering holes in the natural cave surface. Water began to pour down into the room below, and Lessa watched, waited. When the time was right, she’d pull open one of the larger holes, she’d let herself down into the room below. But not now, not before she had a chance to hit him with the element of surprise, and not before the electronics were destroyed. She didn’t want to risk electrocution.

[/td][/tr]

[tr][td][atrb=vAlign,bottom][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;]

Sentinel

[/td][/tr]

[tr][td][/td][td]

✲ AMB Tanz
Notes:

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[fredrik]

Fredrik was now starting to feel a bit anxious about his current predicament. He knew that he would be discovered soon, if he didn't figure out how this system worked. Perhaps on a temporary lapse of judgement, he suddenly began to press a bunch of buttons at once, blindly hoping that one of them would shut down the camera system. However only seconds after he had began his button mashing, Fred felt something small hit his head. He looked up and noticed with dread that water was now apparently dripping down from the ceiling. Fred's face became filled with fear. The amount of waterboarding that he had endured while imprisoned by Lux, had traumatized him so much, that he didn't even drink regular water any more, and now here he was in a room that had apparently sprung a big leak, and water was now dripping down from the ceiling all around him, and it was only getting worse. It didn't take long for the water falling into the room to change from simple drops, to a steady stream, and finally to a raging flood.

Panicking with fear, Fred frantically continued his button mashing for about another minute in desperation, but by then the water pouring into the room was now coming in like a raging rapid, and was now up to his knees. He could see that the water had nearly reached the control panel of the camera system. If he was still in the room when the water finally would reach it, he would risk electrocution. Even in his panicked state, Fred was able to realize this due to his general familiarity with electricity.

Fred knew that he needed to get out of the security room now. Jumping up from the chair, he made a mad dash for the exit. Unfortunately, the water was still rising fast, and he found himself slowly wading through waist deep water. By this time, Fred was nearing a panic attack. All of the memories of the waterboarding sessions he had gone through were now flooding (no pun intended) through his mind, causing him to suddenly stop dead in his tracks, and shiver with fear. He was now essentially a sitting duck for anyone who encountered him.

[lessa]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;] Carry the battle to them. Don't let them bring it to you. Put them on the defensive and don't ever apologize for anything.	[rs=2][atrb=vAlign,top] The screens slipped into static one by one- perhaps some sort of emergency shutdown- but Lessa no longer needed them. She’d pulled up one of the larger 'ceiling' panels, and was able to simply look down at her target as he fled, or tried. Suddenly, the target came to a halt. That wasn’t how it was supposed to work. She’d played enough games of cops and robbers to know the rules of the chase. The best way to surround a man with one, two, or three accomplices on your side. The best way to approach, to assault, and to capture. And she’d played enough games, during summer vacations at the shore, to know how to play pirates and navy. To know how to use the tides to her advantage, to flush the pirates from their caves as they hastily tried to bury their treasure. Fierce fiends they might be, but the rush of an early tide into their caves routed them more surely than even a head-on assault. Her tiny fists had been no threat then, but Flynn had always taken her side, and despite being the second oldest he was the largest and strongest. His hands had carried weight, but they’d been nothing in comparison to the crushing ocean currents. And yet this man, despite his initial panic, now seemed to be simply ignoring the rising waters. Very well. She could not pursue him directly, not yet. There were too many ways he could escape if such an attempt failed. Up through the holes she’d left between the stories. Through the door. Through the walls- the desperate could sometimes pull off such feats, and she was taking no chances. She wanted the man alive, so with a sharp motion, she gestured for Takhi and Akando to stop. The waters were lapping at the man’s waist, and some part of her was tempted to let them climb a little higher, but she let her ‘halt’ stand. Rather than continue to wait, however, she hissed a brief instruction to Akando, recalled Takhi, and swept from the room. It wasn’t in her nature to wait, and it wasn’t in the ways of a sentinel to be caught flat footed, as could happen if the man had accomplices. Left behind, Akando stretched his tentacles out, reaching through the hole. He couldn’t quite reach the man from that angle, though that was the intent. He wanted to drive him forward, not to actually take hold of him. On land, the pokemon’s movements were slow and awkward, but he dared not create too much of a puddle on the upper level. He didn’t want to risk a collapse. Meanwhile, a different set of Pokemon were summoned forth as Lessa headed towards the lower level. She’d accomplished the ‘shock’ portion of her task. Now, came the awe. Beside her were a pair of dogs, a Mightyena and a Houndoom. Rimbaud and Verlaine. The two were aptly dubbed, as the lot were, to put it as her youngest brother had, ‘moody bitches’. Yes, that’s right, despite being named Verlaine and Rimbaud, they’re female. And Dickens is a male, and yes, he’s named for that Dickens. Said Lillipup, was currently sitting in a pokeball she’d palmed, because she didn’t want to risk him drowning or getting trampled if something went wrong. Rimbaud and Verlaine, on the other hand, were more than capable. As usual, the two found each other’s presence to be a spark, and were practically dancing around each other as they warmed up for battle. Verlaine stretched her long tail, shook her horned head as if to rid it of cobwebs, and made her way rapidly down the hall, a tiny puff of flame emerging from her lips. Beside her, Rimbaud let out a load roar, though there was likely no one there to witness it. Still, it did what she intended- announced her presence. The cavalry were coming. “One unknown, possibly hostile,” she informed them as they jogged along down the corridor, “submerged to the waist in the control room-“ she ducked around the corner, her dogs beside her, she was almost there now- “but likely armed.” As soon as she managed to reach the door, she could go on to the missing half of the game. Awe.
[atrb=vAlign,bottom][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;] Sentinel
	✲ AMB Tanz Notes:

[fredrik]

As the terrifying memories of waterboarding continued to race through Fredrik's mind, the water suddenly stopped pouring into the room. Even so, Fredrik was so panic stricken, that he didn't even notice for a few seconds. When he was finally able to gather his thoughts in a somewhat relaxing manner, he was quite surprised to see that no more water was flooding into the room. Even so, he was still unable to put two and two together, and realize that the water flow into the room abruptly stopping couldn't have been caused naturally. Someone, or something was certainly responsible for flooding the room, but Fred was still too panic stricken to come to such a conclusion. His only thought was that he needed to get out of the room, lest the water start pouring into the room again.

Fred once again began to wade towards the door, and was making relatively fast speed. At least for someone submerged in water up to their chest. More than likely it was some sort of a adrenaline rush, which, if that was the case, wouldn't last for very long. A few seconds later, Fredrik finally reached the door, and was about to turn the handle, when he heard a loud roar coming from just outside the door. To Fred, that sound could only mean one thing, that word of the flood had reached the Lux base commanders, and now they and their Pokemon were coming to investigate.

Fred realized that he needed to escape from the room now, or he would almost certainly be caught when they arrived. He grabbed hold of the handle and the door swung open. Suddenly, all the water in the room began to pour out through the door, the current was so strong that it swept Fred off his feet. His body was carried out of the security room, and crashed against a nearby cave wall. He winced for a few seconds after the impact, but discovered he hadn't sustained any serious injury, after moving his legs and arms for a few seconds. He slowly got to his feet, and looked around. He immediately noticed a woman just a short distance away, with a Mightyena, and Houndoom at her side. Realizing that he had been found out, Fred instinctively could only let out two words and said, "Oh crap!". He tried to reach into his pocket, and pull out the cyanide capsule that he had been carrying, but was having trouble fitting his hand into his tight pocket. The motions which Fred was making could potentially mislead the woman into thinking that he was reaching for a weapon, though this was not intentional on his part, and he was not carrying any sort of weapon on him. After all, he was a radio host, not a soldier!

[lessa]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;] the end justifies the means The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar	[rs=2][atrb=vAlign,top] Before she could reach the door, it was flung open. Lessa had no time to complete her original plan, to call out her Torterra to drain or stem the flood. Instead, she was forced to scoop up Verlaine, thankful that the dog was small enough to be held out of reach until the waters ebbed. She set her down again carefully, and rather than call out a Pokemon, took a different tack. Because this man hadn’t called out a single Pokemon. This man hadn’t fought back. She knew jumping to conclusions was dangerous, but he didn’t seem like a fighter. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” If he was a substitute janitor or somesuch, she might feel a lick of- well, not guilt or remorse. Annoyance at the man in charge of seafoam for failing to follow the rules and keep an update roster with the names and pictures of all assigned to the area, perhaps. It was necessary to keep the area safe, to keep order, and she wouldn’t feel guilty for doing her duty even if the man turned out to be one of their own. Besides, the scare aside, she’d done him no serious harm. At her side, Verlaine had settled herself, staring unflinchingly at the man. Rimbaud, however, was less easily distracted. A quick glance at him, and then she trotted off to examine the recently-flooded room, assess the damage.
[atrb=vAlign,bottom][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;] Sentinel
	✲ AMB Tanz Notes:

[fredrik]

By this time Fredrik had finally been able to grab the cyanide capsule out of his pocket. Of course it was very small, and the woman likely wouldn't have been able to see it as he fished it out of his pocket. He clutched it in the fist of his hand, and was preparing to swallow it. He figured that he was as good as dead anyway. Here he was, face to face with a probable Lux member who likely knew why he was there and what his purpose was. She would likely try to kill him anyway. The only thing left for Fredrik to do was deny her the satisfaction of killing him herself.

Or so he thought.

Fredriks eyes went wide with surprise as the woman did nothing more than question his presence here, even suggesting that he might be a janitor of sorts. Was this some sort of trick? If she was serious, it would mean that she wasn't sure what Fredrik was doing here. Perhaps she was just trying to play with his mind, attempting to torment him mentally before she did away with him. Of course the possibility did remain that she was serious about not knowing anything about Fred. He figured that he had absolutely nothing to lose at this point by trying to deceive her now, so he figured that he'd might as well try.

Fred clutched the cyanide capsule ever tighter in his hand and said to the woman, "Yeah, sure, I'm a substitute janitor, let's go with that." Unfortunately for Fred, he was still quite stressed out from his near-drowning ordeal, that the lie came out of his mouth worded in such a way that practically gave it away. He might as well have said, 'Yes, I'm the replacement janitor. By the way that's a lie.'

[lessa]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;] the end justifies the means	[rs=2][atrb=vAlign,top] Any thoughts that this man might be a civilian were dispelled the instant he spoke up. Somehow, he’d known exactly what she was thinking. There had to be a psychic type, and the fact that she hadn’t even felt it prying into her mind….. “Take him down.” Verlaine and Rimbaud charged as one, claws skittering on the floor as they leapt to try to knock the man down. She doesn’t call for backup, because ex-sentinels don’t need it, she doesn’t need it. Psychic type or not, she hsd no doubts in her ability to subdue him. Moments after the dogs take off, she’s following them, arm out with an intent to clothesline him if he somehow dodges them.
[atrb=vAlign,bottom][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;] Sentinel
	✲ AMB Tanz Notes:

[fredrik]

Unsurprisingly, Fredrik's lie hadn't fooled the woman in even the slightest manner. Only seconds after his shaky lie, the woman ordered her Mightyena, and Houndoom to subdue him. Fred tried to back away as quickly as he could, but he never had a chance. The two Pokemon quickly ran him down and forced him to the ground. He landed face first on the floor and winced in pain. Although he hadn't realized it at first. The impact had loosened his grip on the cyanide capsule. The hand that Fred was holding the capsule in slowly unfolded and dropped the capsule to the ground right beside him.

Although Fred hadn't lost consciousness, he lacked the strength to get back up. His traumatic near drowning experience had mentally drained him, in addition to having just been subdued with little effort. He just lay there, barely moving and waited for whatever was next.

[lessa]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;] the end justifies the means	[rs=2][atrb=vAlign,top] He was down. Rimbaud settled herself on the downed man, while Verlaine stood nearby, paws on the man’s legs, watching Rimbaud intently. The Houndoom let out a low snarl, but once Lessa saw the man was done, she saw her chance. Leaving the two dogs to manage her captive, she stepped over him, and made her way into the room. The ground was still damp from the recent flood of water, but many of the machines were untouched. She’d suspected as much, her captive’s condition- alive- showed that the machines had been untouched. Otherwise, the current would surely have conducted the electricity and shocked him…. Slipping a hand into her bag, she pulled out a pair of disposable gloves, sliding them on. The cameras were turned off- her work from earlier- so it was the work of a moment to begin yanking on wires and cracking open cases. Centralized security was a stupid, stupid notion, and she intended to show Lux just how dumb it was. How easy to infiltrate, how easy to sabotage. The destruction was simple enough, she’d blame it on her captive. Years as a sentinel had taught her that it didn’t particularly matter whether a man was charged with the right crimes so long as he was charged, charged and put away. His very presence, with no excuse, was enough to tell her he was guilty. Let him be put away longer with more crimes to his name. She cared little for the fate that likely awaited him. With a grunt, she finished the destruction. It would look bad to ruin everything, it would look like she hadn’t caught him soon enough, hadn’t done her job. But she’d taken out all the essentials. The odds of Lux rebuilding in the same setup was quite unlikely now, since she’d demonstrated its weakness, stripped away all of the expensive equipment. She walked back to her captive. Without a word, she dropped down beside him, crouching as she tried to dig through his pockets. Time to see what incriminating evidence he might have on him.
[atrb=vAlign,bottom][atrb=style,border-left: 5px #5784bc solid;] Sentinel
	✲ AMB Tanz Notes:

[The Crash Man Ω]

VICTOR: LESSA

+ 500 to Lux