PART ELEVEN - CHERISH

Michael and Constance stared uneasily at Annie. Despite his father's assurances, Michael and his partner still could not shake their distrust of the Red who had all too recently tried to murder them all.

"Domino?" Annie scoffed, recalling the 15 year old Black Rocket who had kissed butt and clawed all the way to power. "That pathetic little upstart has my baby?"

Michael and Constance exchanged knowing looks. "Maybe she was an upstart then," Constance said, not really believing it at all, "but she's not anymore. She's as lethal as any of us, if not more so, and she's a Master Class Red Rocket."

"Giovanni's favorite, lethal, cunning, destructive… the logical candidate to take on the Rocket mother role in Project Conquest." Michael added contemptuously.

"Project Conquest." Annie snarled. "As if life is a mission. Damn that Giovanni."

"Annie, we know where Domino lives. She has a big house in a rich neighborhood on the southwest side of Viridian." Constance said.

Annie looked at her with determined eyes. "Then we move in tonight." She said authoritatively. The former Red picked up her .45 from the dining room table and checked the clip as Michael and Constance's hands hovered over their own side arms. It was pure reflex. Annie noted it instantly with a sense of discouragement. She set her gun down on the table again as Jessie and James watched a trace of regret pass across her face like a fine mist. "I realize you are less than happy to be working with me." She said softly, avoiding Michael's hard glare.

"I have a very difficult time working with people who try to kill me and my parents." Michael said in a low voice.

Annie exhaled a deep breath and walked to him. Michael visibly tensed as she did so. Annie placed her hands on his shoulders. "Michael," she began in a calm voice, "I could never hurt you, your family , or your partner ever again."

Michael looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Why should I believe you?" he asked her.

Annie's face clouded, and she released Michael's shoulders. "Michael, I was teamed with your father years ago. We did one mission together. A mission he ruined." Annie stated. James looked away and whistled nervously.

"I've heard that many times." Michael countered.

"That blown mission ruined a perfect record that had been my obsession for years." Annie continued in a calm, quiet tone that she had never once used before when discussing this subject. "The result of this was that I felt so angry, so devastated, that I kidnapped him in order to have my revenge on him. Your mother ruined that plan, of course." Annie's tone still remained strangely light despite the subject matter.

"I've heard that story as well." Michael replied.

"Your mother's interference, coupled with a second defeat, led to a nervous breakdown, and over 25 years in the Resort. I hated your parents with a passion there, Michael. In fact, I filled many days and many nights with dreams of how I would destroy them if I ever had the chance."

"And Severin gave it to you." Constance interjected.

Annie looked at the floor. "Yes. Yes, he did. Severin Salyavin got me out with a forged release, seduced me, helped me plot your deaths, and then-" Annie trailed off for a second. "–he betrayed me." She finished solemnly.

"So?" Michael spat. "All you've done is rehash history. What does it mean to me now?"

"As you'll recall, I let you all go that night. It was because I admired you, the unity you shared, the loyalty I felt I could never touch no matter how hard I tried. I thought a lot that night after I left you. I re-examined a lot of my life and the choices I've made in it. A month later, I learned I was pregnant by Severin. That was when it I understood… I had been blessed by it all. This was my chance to love and be loved, to care and be cared about, to feel the joy your parents know, and I realized…"

"What?" Constance asked.

"It never would have been so without Michael's father. The failure, the revenge, the Resort, Severin, my baby… None of it would have happened without James Morgan. Now, he, your mother, and you are all willing to put the past aside and help me despite it all… I am more indebted to you than you could ever know."

Constance smiled. Michael stared at Annie, his face like stone. "What if you're lying?" he asked coldly. Constance shot her partner a stern look. Michael ignored it.

"Do you think I am?" Annie asked him softly.

Michael looked at her with steely eyes. "I don't know what to think. Part of me does, part of me doesn't."

"Which is more?" Annie asked.

"I want to believe you. It's hard." Michael admitted.

"Allies, then?" Annie asked, extending her hand.

Michael hesitated for a second, then shook her hand. "Allies." He agreed with a tight smile. It was a forced alliance, and Michael had severe doubts, but… all he could do was pray for the best.

The rest of the evening held a tense air. Jessie tried to lighten the silent, serious mood by cooking a pasta meal for everyone, but only she and Constance ate any. Annie kept pacing around, anxious to reclaim her child, while James watched her with a mix of concern and pity. Michael sat in a chair in the corner, his back to the wall and his .45 on his lap as he watched Annie's every move with a quiet, distrustful glare.

When enough time had finally passed and the moon was high in the dark night sky, Michael, Constance, and Annie climbed into Michael's red jeep while Jessie, James, and Meowth followed closely in their own, leaving Annie's car behind for fear that it would be recognized. Michael asked Constance to drive, and sat in the passenger seat, keeping a close watch on Annie in the backseat in the rear view mirror.

It took about 30 minutes to drive across the dark expanse of Viridian. Most stores and shops were closed at the late hour, and only the City's Pokemon Center and Gym gave off any real light from inside. The lights from those two buildings in the center of town faded away as the two-vehicle convoy approached the southwest side of town and began driving past big, dark houses, some three stories tall. This was the affluent side of town, and held homes far removed from the simplicity of Jessie and James' cabin, the small space of Butch and Cassidy's apartment, or even the modest luxury of Severin's apartment in the center of town that Annie remembered all too well.

Constance turned onto the street that held Domino's home, and parked at the far end, away from the house. Jessie and James followed suit.

Michael and Constance each drew a .45 automatic from under their seats and holstered the weapons at their sides before getting out. Annie followed them, her own .45 tucked into her coat pocket. Jessie clutched Virginia's gun tightly in her fist as she climbed out nervously, looking up and down the dark street. It was about 2:15 AM, and not a soul was in sight. If Giovanni had any clue where Annie was, he was taking it very lightly. There was no sign of an ambush at all, just Domino's obnoxious pink 1957 Cadillac parked in her driveway. Ahead of her, Jessie watched Michael, Constance and Annie wait for them as James turned the car off and climbed out. She noted Michael and Constance's .45's, then looked at her husband. I don't need one, he had said. I'm a lousy shot and besides, I hate guns. Jessie sighed to herself as she looked at James' choice of weaponry: a single red rose. Some things never change, she thought. As the group crept along the side of Domino's three-story house, Jessie could only pray that Annie was not one of those things…

The five agents and Meowth crept silently up the path to Domino's yard, where Michael knew a patio door was likely to be unlocked. As their forms disappeared into the darkness, three sets of eyes watched them from behind thick glasses.

"There they go." The owner of the first pair of eyes said. The two girls accompanying her giggled.

"Rocket Jeeps always have the best parts, Hope." The first girl said.

Hope and Charity Ivy smiled at their sister, the eldest by 2 minutes. "Well, naturally." Charity chimed in, ever the encyclopedia of automotive knowledge. "They have to be equipped for any terrain, and be able to outrun Jennies."

"These two oughta fetch a great price." Hope agreed, eyeing the two custom Jeeps lovingly.

"Then let's go." Faith grinned cunningly. The three sisters stood up, each one clad in a black skintight outfit that had only one distinguishing mark, a patch on the shoulder with a picture of a strand of ivy. The thieves silently moved to the jeeps, each one clutching a small black toolbox…

As Michael had predicted, the sliding glass patio door at the back of Domino's house was unlocked, and slid open soundlessly. "Humph. Pathetic." Annie whispered as the group silently entered the darkened house. Michael looked around cautiously, but the first floor appeared deserted.

"I wonder where the baby is." James whispered. Michael looked around in the darkness, his .45 automatic raised and one eye constantly on Masterson.

Annie suddenly raised her hand, and motioned toward a cracked door in the far wall. A soft glow could be seen from the room beyond the door, and the quiet, tinkling strains of a lullaby tune wafted out.

Annie raised her gun, and walked deliberately to the door. Michael and Constance followed her closely, side by side. Jessie, James, and Meowth followed behind Michael and Constance, forming a triangle. Everyone except Annie kept looking all around the house, watching the stairs and the balconies in particular, but the house remained as dark and quiet as ever. Not a soul appeared to stop them.

Annie reached out to the door, and gave it a gentle push. It swung open soundlessly, revealing a small pink bassinet silhouetted by the soft glow of a single nightlight. The sound of the lullaby floated through the air from the bassinet, emanating from a small speaker in the hood. The quiet tune held the innocence of childhood, soft and music-box like. It wasn't until Annie stepped closer that she realized the lullaby also contained words, softly sung to the music by Domino: "It's a high-rise, black sky, four- lane, play the game, buy a thrill, God's will, bottom's up, blood, smut…" Annie stood in shock, sickened by the coupling of the insane lyrics with the lullaby tune her baby was being forced to listen to. Michael and Constance stood on their guard behind her as Annie stepped closer to the bassinet so that she could finally see her real baby with her own eyes as the evil lyrics continued; "...beat your neighbor, don't do favors, change your name, insane, accumulate, learn to hate, Rocket's rights, win or fight, scratch and win, love the sin, sell your future, screw the school kid…" Annie took a deep, steadying breath and looked into the bassinet with a blissful smile that instantly vanished when she saw that the bassinet only held a small white card that had but two words on it in simple black printing: GAME OVER. Annie gasped, and spun around in panic to face Michael.

At that moment, the door through which the group had entered slammed shut, and bright, high-watt bulbs bathed the room in brilliant light. Giovanni stood in front of the closed door clutching a .357 Magnum in his fist, an odd choice of weapon, it seemed. Domino stood at his side dressed in full Red uniform, holding a small newborn clad in a pink one-piece sleeper close to her chest with one hand. The other hand hung at her side, and held a single black tulip.

Giovanni smiled coldly and soullessly as his eyes pierced through Annie like two flaming stilettos. "Welcome back, Annie." He said viciously.

Annie glared at him, her surprise replaced by pure hatred. "You bastard. Give me my baby." She growled. Giovanni stood there, still smiling and never flinching. Domino followed his lead, her tulip still harmlessly at her side. "Now, mother fucker!" Annie screamed in desperation, her own gun shaking as she aimed it at her former employer.

"So vulgar." Giovanni sneered. "You're still all that you were, Annie. A soldier and a killer. I must say, though, I'm rather disappointed at your choice of allies. I mean, the Morgans? Even James?"

"Give me my baby." Annie repeated, not deterred or intimidated in the least.

"You went behind my back. You betrayed me. You murdered a headstrong but competent Red. But all that I'm willing to forgive, Annie, for one simple reason. You have proven that you are still the soldier you were. You are still the Red you were. Therefore, I have a proposition to submit to you." Giovanni said smoothly.

Annie's gun never moved from his chest, and yet the respect for her employer that had been ingrained in her for years won out. "Proposition?" She repeated.

"Come back. Stand by my side. Once you do, together we will rid ourselves of this treacherous, betraying slime-" he motioned with the gun casually, pointing out her comrades, "-and you will be free to raise little Conquest as the Rocket she can be with Domino."

"And if I refuse?" Annie said defiantly.

"Ever the gutsy one, eh, Annie?" Giovanni smirked. "How reassuring it is to know that your spirit is still intact, even after the Resort. I wonder if your technical expertise is as well." He raised the .357 in the air. "Tell me, weapons expert Masterson, what kind of a gun is this?"

Annie raised an eyebrow. What was he up to? "That is a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum. A very powerful handgun not typically used because of its size and cost." Annie recited from rote.

"Very good." Giovanni said in a slightly amused tone. "Now that I know you know what type of gun it is, I am doubly sure you know the damage it can do to human tissue."

"I've seen it firsthand before." Annie said. It was no lie. She had, in fact, seen the damage it could to the human brainpan when she had been a young trainee. It hadn't been a pretty sight.

"Now that I'm sure we all understand what I'm talking about, let me tell you what will happen if you refuse my proposal. Your little friends will die. Jessie, James, Meowth, Michael, Constance… They'll all die, and you will watch. That will be followed immediately by your own execution. But first-" Giovanni's face became that of a stone gargoyle now, emotionless and evil. "First I will show you exactly what this hand cannon can do to an infant." Domino held the baby away from her chest without a word, and Giovanni pointed the gun at Conquest's underside. He cocked the hammer back. "Your move, Agent Masterson." Giovanni snarled.

Annie's eyes raged with emotion. She struggled to keep her voice calm. Michael and Constance exchanged scared but determined looks. Neither one knew exactly what was going to happen.

Jessie, James, and Meowth all huddled together. None of them had any ideas. It all rested on Annie now. Annie stared at Giovanni, hate raging like a storm inside her. "You're a rotten bluffer, Giovanni." She said in a cold, stony tone. "You've gone through too much for this. You'd never jeopardize Project Conquest like that."

Giovanni smirked. "You fool! Do you think I learned nothing from the Mewtwo experiments? The years of cloning research and development? All I need is a single cell sample from little Conquest, and she'll be mine all over again. A perfect copy for my purposes, and the last thing you'll get to see before you die will be the bullet tearing through your baby." Annie felt sick as Giovanni taunted her. "A single shot to a body that small… I imagine it'll rip her internal organs clean out… possibly even travel through one end and out through her skull, taking that tiny brain with it…"

Domino smiled coldly as she stared at Annie with triumph. "You don't want that, do you, Annie? Join us, and you can save little Conquest. You'll even get her back, and we'll raise her together!" Domino offered.

"You have to the count of three. Then, bang." Giovanni said darkly. He held the gun in place, the barrel pointed between Conquest's legs. "One." Annie's mouth quivered, the .45 trembling in her hands. WHY COULDN'T SHE FIRE?! "Two." Giovanni stated, then hesitated. "Thr-"

"Wait!" Annie yelped. Giovanni looked at her. "You win. I'm your agent." She said softly.

Giovanni grinned coldly. "Stand by my side." He ordered. Annie complied as Jessie and James' faces fell.

"Annie! Please! He's lying to you! Just like he always has!" James begged.

Annie looked at them with eyes that were as cold as they had been on that first day at Base Camp Delta. "Shut up." She said icily.

Michael glared at her and trained his gun on Annie. "I knew I couldn't trust you, you bitch." He snarled.

An energy bolt from the side knocked Michael's gun out of his grip, and it clattered harmlessly to the floor. "Uh, uh, uh, Mikey." Domino taunted. "She's on our side now." Constance aimed her gun at Domino, but the blonde quickly fired another blast from her tulip and Constance's gun was blown out of reach.

Giovanni aimed his .357 at Michael. "Those who would turn against me are worthless."

Michael closed his eyes. It was his fault. He should have been far more on his guard. The shot rang out with a deadly, echoing boom. He heard a gasping noise, and a thud. That bastard shot someone else! Michael thought. He opened his eyes, dreading the sight of Constance or one of his parents dying.

No Morgan was harmed. Giovanni lay on his stomach, gasping and convulsing. A bullet wound in his back- from a gun fired at such close range that powder burns could be seen around the wound- spurted dark blood. Domino stood in shock, staring at her fallen employer. Annie pointed her smoking gun at the ceiling, and snatched the baby out of Domino's grip.

Realizing Conquest was gone, Domino glared at Annie and raised her black tulip. She aimed it squarely at Annie, and depressed a small red button on the stem. The tip of the deadly artificial flower crackled with excess energy. "You're gonna pay for that, Masterson!" she screamed. Her gloved finger reached for the firing button when Michael and Constance suddenly plowed into her side, knocking her to the ground. Michael grabbed the upper stem of the tulip, and yanked it away. He ran to the other end of the room, holding the flower tightly but unsure of exactly how it worked. With a loud growl, Domino threw Constance off of her and ran to a table by the door, where a clear glass vase full of black tulips sat.

Domino yanked a tulip out of the vase and clutched it tightly as she spun around and found herself face to face with James. James looked at her with wide eyes, and raised his own real rose in desperation. Domino sneered at him. "And what the hell good is that?" she scoffed.

James' mouth quivered, and he was suddenly overcome with a memory of Annie at Base Camp Delta, taking her revenge on him. James raised the rose in the air, and swiped Domino across the face with it. The thorns in the stem scratched her cheek and drew blood. James smiled at Annie in the midst of it, and said with a laugh, "A good weapon, right?"

"Moron!" Domino yelled as she fired a blast from the tulip. The energy bolt threw James back five feet, and he crashed into the bassinet, dazed but unharmed as he heard the words of the lullaby continue unabated, "Are you threatened by me? Are you threatened by me? You look so small with your fist so tight…" "Enough of this crap!" Domino yelled, aiming her tulip at Annie. Her finger brushed the top of the firing button when she suddenly felt it. A sudden crashing impact, then a flash of light, then the image of a bunch of black tulips falling around her as she fell to her knees and lost consciousness. Behind her, Jessie held the remains of the glass vase she had just broken over Domino's head. She was breathing heavily.

Annie looked at her former enemy with wide eyes. "Thanks." She said simply.

Jessie nodded, and turned to James. "Are you all right?" she asked him as Meowth slapped him to try to bring him around.

"That was like being thunder shocked by the twerp's Pikachu all over again." James said in a daze.

Michael chuckled. Only his father could get attacked and wax nostalgic about it. Constance stayed by James' side as he walked to where Annie stood, holding her baby close. "I- I'm sorry, Annie." He said softly.

"I understand." Annie said quietly, rocking her baby close.

Constance spoke up. "We gotta get out of here. Domino may not be out for long." Michael nodded, and helped Jessie get his father on his feet as James mumbled incoherently, "Blast speed at the light of off…"

Annie stood there, not moving. Constance walked back to her. "C'mon." she said quietly.

"Cherish." Annie said simply.

Constance looked at her curiously. "What?" she asked.

"My baby. That's her name. Cherish. Not Conquest. Cherish." Annie whispered, a smile on her face and a tear in each eye.

Constance smiled. "It's a beautiful name… just like her."

"Yes, she is." Annie said softly as she and Constance began walking to the door. When the two Reds reached the front, they were surprised to find Michael, Jessie, James and Meowth all stopped on the front porch. Michael looked furious.

Constance stepped to him. "Michael? What is it?" she asked.

"Look." Michael said simply. Constance looked outside, and saw the chassis of their Jeep, stripped of its parts. Jessie and James' Jeep was nowhere to be found.

"What the hell…" Constance began.

"Ivies." Michael growled.

"Now what?" Jessie asked desperately. She looked back at Domino, but the blonde still wasn't stirring from her spot on the floor.

"Just leave it to Me-owth!" Meowth said suddenly, and he ran back inside. He returned a second later with a set of keys on a ring with a large gold "D".

Michael looked at the keys. "What…" he asked.

"I believe dese are da keys to Master Agent Domino's ride?" Meowth said as she flicked the keys up to Michael.

The Red Rocket chuckled as he looked at the big pink Cadillac. "You heard the Meowth. Everyone in!" Michael said as the group climbed into the car. Michael jumped behind the wheel and gunned the engine. Soon, the classic car was tearing away through the quiet, wealthy neighborhood.

Ninety minutes later, little Cherish was asleep on Jessie and James' bed, surrounded by blankets and pillows. James sat at the ding room table, holding a bag of ice to his head. Jessie watched over him as Meowth slept in the corner. Annie sat on the couch, silently praying her thanks to any benevolent spirit that would listen.

Outside the cabin, Annie's car pulled up, and Michael and Constance climbed out. The two Reds walked inside. "All taken care of?" Annie asked quietly.

Michael grinned. "Domino's car is so deep in the Zubat caves they'll never find it."

Constance laughed. "And I think the Zubats were already very happy with their new pink toilet." She added.

"Thank you. Thank you all for what you've done. But we still have a problem." Annie said. All eyes turned to her. "What do I do now? Where can I go? Domino's not going to just give up, not after what I've done."

Jessie looked up, worried. She hadn't even thought of this. Michael and Constance's faces held the same look. At the dining table, James set the bag of ice down and stood up. "I have an idea…" he began. All eyes turned to him as he stepped toward them.

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE RUNAWAY ROCKETS