Part Two: Payback


The next two weeks remained pretty uneventful for Butch and Cassidy. Due to Cassidy's broken arm (and Giovanni’s own bad mood), the two had been temporarily assigned to modified duty working in the HQ laundry. Butch continued to silently form his plan as Cassidy growled about their new duty. She was obviously still depressed, but now her she was feeling a little better. However, Butch saw that her former sadness had given way to anger, an anger that became crystal clear one day…

Butch and Cassidy were in the back room of the laundry, folding white and black uniforms when they suddenly heard the ringing of the bell on the counter, telling them another rocket was there to pick up or drop off their laundry. Butch and Cassidy had already done this kind of thing at least twenty times today, and it was barely noon. With a sigh, Butch looked at Cassidy and said, "Your turn."

Cassidy nodded and walked to the front to find an all-too-familiar Rocket standing at the counter with a basket stuffed full of dirty and singed clothes….

Jessie’s face lit up with a malicious grin. "Why Cassidy… I’d heard you were on modified duty, but I had no idea it would be a duty that would suit you this well."

Cassidy scowled. "Shove it, Jessie."

"Now Cassidy, is that any way to talk?" Jessie smiled. She shoved the basket of laundry across the counter at her. "Now, I want those uniforms clean, pressed, and looking their whitest- if you haven’t used all the bleach on your hair, that is." She laughed.

Cassidy glared at her with hate in her eyes. "You’ll be lucky if you get them back in one piece, you little slut." She growled.

Jessie looked at her with amused eyes. "What, you want the Boss to get reports that you can’t even handle the laundry now?" she asked.

Cassidy glared at the counter, her fists clenching as she spoke. "They’ll be ready tomorrow." She mumbled.

Jessie laughed a satisfied laugh and turned to leave as Cassidy grabbed the basket and stomped to the back.

"Another load?" Butch asked.

"Yeah. From Jessie, of all people." Cassidy stuffed the clothes into a machine, added the detergent and bleach, and started the machine. She then climbed on top of the washer and sat down, looking at Butch as he folded one of Mondo's white top shirts. Butch had been such a comfort to her over the past two weeks, but she was reaching the end of her rope.

"I swear, Butch… this is all because of that Jenny. God, I hate her."

Butch nodded silently, allowing himself a small smile as he thought of how wonderful it would be when his plan came fully together, when it would be carried out, and when he could dry Cassidy's tears and once again see her spirit intact. Soon, it would be done, this duty would be over, and this dark time would be forgotten.

The day dragged on as Butch and Cassidy continued to wash and fold clothes and deal with the insults of other rockets… even the ones they outranked… Rockets whose toes they had stepped on in the past. When the day finally ended, an exhausted Cassidy trudged back to her room with Butch in tow. Once they arrived, she collapsed on her bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Butch gently pulled her boots off as Cassidy murmured and smiled in her sleep. Oh, she was so special and amazing… Butch reached to the foot of the bed and pulled the folded blanket up over his sleeping partner.

Cassidy rolled onto her side and smiled in her sleep again. Butch looked around the room for a second, half wondering if they were really alone, and suddenly leaned down and kissed Cassidy on the cheek. She stirred slightly, and an embarrassed Butch rushed out of the room before she could come to.

In the room, Cassidy's eyes slowly opened, and the dreamy smile faded from her face. It was just as she had feared… she had dreamed that kiss. Disappointed, Cassidy fell back on her pillow. Normally, she never gave romance- particularly with Butch- a second thought. Cassidy had always seen it as stupid, unnecessary, a sign of weakness. But lately… well, lately, things had changed. Butch was suddenly more special than he had ever seemed before, and she didn't know why… All she knew was that her feelings were shifting. Strangely, it didn't make her feel weak as she had always feared. Rather, it gave her a joy, filled her with a hope she hadn't felt in what seemed like forever.

Sighing, Cassidy rolled over and fell back asleep, dreaming of her partner. She was dressed in a flowing green gown, and he was dressed in a shiny black tuxedo. They danced in beams of moonlight in her dream, high above the rest of the Pokemon world, with not a care or concern in the world to weigh them down, only living for the moment and the sheer joy of being with each other.

Meanwhile, Butch was in his room, pacing in circles as he gritted his teeth and prepared himself for the night that lay ahead. Tomorrow was Sunday, the day when HQ laundry didn't open until noon. Butch knew that Cassidy would sleep in tomorrow… Lord knows she was exhausted enough, working all day with that broken arm.

Butch, on the other hand, had something of the utmost importance to do the next morning… a mission with no partner. He had planned it all so carefully over the past two weeks, sneaking around HQ after hours using his security clearance to sneak into the computer center and access the stolen records, painstakingly searching for what he needed. He knew that Jenny's badge number, it had been burned into his mind indelibly when he saw the badge as she had led him to the police van that day.

Oh, what he had found in the stolen Police records… He now knew that Jenny's service record, her past commendations, and, perhaps most valuable, her duty schedule. He knew the number of her bike, her beat, everything he needed.

Butch smiled malevolently as he lit a one of his unfiltered cigarettes and walked to the mini-fridge in his room, a perk enjoyed by the Black Rockets. He pulled out the first can of high-caffeine soda he had bought yesterday and chugged it down. He'd need the energy to stay up through the night and do what he had to do the next morning. The hours began to run together as Butch spent the night chugging soda, smoking cigarette after cigarette, and popping the occasional caffeine pill.

By the time morning came, Butch's heart was racing and he was wide-awake. Somewhat shakily, he opened his door and leaned against Cassidy's door. Inside he could hear the quiet snore she would never admit to. He smiled and walked quickly down the hall.

Mondo sat behind his desk in the weapons storage room with an eager smile on his face. He had just opened the room for the day, and he was ready for the day's duty that lay ahead. He heard the footsteps approaching, and straightened up in his chair. He was surprised when Butch walked into the room.

"Good morning, Butch. What can I do for ya?" he asked cheerfully.

Butch scowled at him, somewhat irritable from his caffeine and nicotine rush, and snapped, "Who do you think I am, that blue-haired boob you worship? I am a Black Rocket, and you will call me sir!"

Mondo looked at Butch, surprised by his outburst. "Sorry, sir. What can I do for you?"

"I need a class J-R rifle." Butch replied, already having figured out what he would need and selecting his supplies by computer in advance.

"I thought you were on modified duty, sir." Mondo replied.

Butch glared at him. "I was, but the Boss needs me for a mission. Get the gun."

Mondo shifted nervously in his chair. "Uhm, you really need a release signed by the Boss to get one of those…" he began.

"It’s coming down later!" Butch snapped, his hand shaking from the caffeine. "Now, the Boss wants me in the field, and a 14 year old pipsqueak like you is not gonna hold me up!" Butch slammed his hands down on the desk and leaned close to Mondo’s face. "Get it?" he growled.

Mondo trembled, scared by Butch’s temper. "Ye- yes sir. Just sign here." He pushed the clipboard on his desk toward Butch and stood up to get the gun and bullets. Hastily, Butch scribbled James’ name on the form, knowing he’d be in major trouble if Giovanni saw his name on the form while he was still on modified duty. Mondo returned a minute later with the gun and ammunition, and Butch grabbed them and stomped out of the room, heading to the motor pool to get a vehicle.

Mondo sat back in his chair and sighed. Butch wasn’t normally like this, as if the whole world rode on him obtaining that gun… Mondo shook it off and tried to relax as he filed the paper Butch had signed, never noticing that the signature line actually held the name of one of favorite seniors…

20 minutes later, a black Jeep pulled out of HQ. Butch pushed the pedal down hard, pushing the Jeep to its top speed, as the J-R rifle bounced on the seat next to him. There had been a new White Rocket on duty in the motor pool, a 13-year-old girl named Anya. She had been even easier to intimidate than Mondo, a simple-minded twit who saw his Black uniform and questioned nothing. He had his Jeep within 10 minutes of walking in. Thank heavens for the Team’s tendency to put these kids on that kind of duty… It made it all the easier to get just what he needed.

The Jeep’s engine purred like a cat as Butch drove on, drawing ever closer to that quiet stretch of road that ran parallel to a public park and was a central part of the beat of Officer Jenny Morgenstern (amazingly enough, each one managed to have her own last name despite the ridiculous relations).

Butch pulled into the park and looked around. As he had expected, the park was pretty much deserted and quiet this Sunday morning. He parked the Jeep at the far corner of the small paved parking lot and climbed out. After a quick cautionary look around, he pulled the rifle out with him and walked across the large field to the big clump of bushes that separated the grassy hills of the park from the road. The rifle felt cool and solid in his hands – a perfect tool for the job. Butch crouched down in the soft bushes and checked the view behind him. Perfect. He was practically invisible from the park or the road, thanks to the thick bushes. Confident he was safely hidden, Butch placed the gun in his lap and looked it over.

Butch had never held a J-R rifle before, but he had learned enough about it from the Team Rocket Weapons Database over the past couple weeks to feel like he had used it for years. Laser sighting, rapid firing, accuracy to 1000 yards, a telescopic sight with magnification, the J-R rifle was a tribute to Team Rocket’s scientific ingenuity when it came to making already deadly weapons even more deadly. Of course, Butch’s intent wasn’t really murder – just payback. He had planned it all so carefully… selected this section of her beat, a quiet area he knew she’d patrol. When she came by, he’d fire low, blow out the tire on her bike, and make her wipe out. Break some bones, humiliate her, break that cloned bimbo the way she had broken Cassidy.

The best part of the plan, of course, was that nobody but Butch knew about it. What a grand surprise it would be for Cassidy… perhaps it would even enable him to finally tell her the truth about how he felt.

With that thought embedded in his mind, Butch loaded the rifle and sat down to wait for the appearance of Jenny Morgenstern’s bike.

As it turned out, Butch didn’t have long to wait. After a mere seven minutes, Butch’s ears perked up to the sound of a motorcycle engine in the distance. Squinting, he looked down the road and saw the approaching form of what was undeniably a cop bike. He smiled darkly and got ready for the moment of payback.

Officer Jenny Estelle Morgenstern smiled and took a deep breath. It was beautiful spring morning, and nothing at all had gone wrong so far in the hour she had been on duty. She loved this part of her beat, a quiet, relaxing parkway that she could spend hours driving on. To her left, quiet homes and cottages were laid out, full of families of Trainers out on their journeys. To her right, the lush green grass and plants of Westwood Park. It was all so peaceful and relaxing. With nothing ahead but the empty parkway, Jenny Morgenstern closed her eyes and took in a full breath, smelling the sweet scent of the roses that dotted the bushes along the parkway.

The next moment lasted forever.

Butch hit the small switch for the laser sight. As promised in the records, the laser sight was bright and easy for him to see. It hit the road and moved with the gun. Butch looked through the telescopic sight and moved the small spot of red light quickly to the front tire of the approaching motorcycle. His face tightened and his finger wrapped around the trigger, pulling it all the way back.

None of the records Butch had accessed had mentioned the powerful back-kick of the J-R rifle. Bullets sprayed out of the modified gun, throwing Butch slightly off balance but finding their mark - and more.

Butch's eyes opened wide and his face broke into a gleeful smile as he watched the result of his actions. Butch watched with joy as the front tire on Morgenstern's bike blew out and deflated in seconds. The motorcycle pitched forward as Jenny's eyes flew open, her face filled with panic. Sparks flew as the rim of the front wheel scraped the pavement. Out of pure instinct, Jenny squeezed the brake and the body of the motorcycle flew forward, catapulting her off her seat with violent force. Jenny screamed as she flew over the handlebars of her bike and saw the asphalt rushing toward her. Then, nothing.

Chuckling, Butch walked from the bushes to where Officer Jenny lay still in the road, the wreckage of her bike laying on its side behind her. He stood over her triumphantly, pointing the J-R rifle harmlessly in the air. "Remember me, Officer Morgenstern?" he cackled. "How does it feel to have your tires shot out, huh? Pretty humiliating, huh?" Butch glared spitefully at her. "Oh, too proud to answer?" he snarled. Still no response. Butch kicked her roughly. "Come on, you cloned pig! Answer me!" he yelled, angered by her stubborn, defiant silence.

Then it hit him. No answer? No movement in response to his kick? Butch went pale as he knelt down for a closer look. Could she really be… dead? Butch had killed a few people in the line of duty in the past, but never like this… never where he could see it happen.

A quick check confirmed it… Jenny Morgenstern was indeed dead. Her neck was twisted, and Butch correctly guessed that she had snapped it when she was flung from her bike. Butch looked around nervously, suddenly wishing he hadn't selected this area for the attack. Nobody was in sight, but- those houses- and the noise from the gun- somebody would know!

Butch ran to his Jeep as he heard the sound of sirens in the distance. Running across the grassy field, Butch silently cursed the designers of the park for making the parking lot so damn far from the road. He was just reaching the Jeep when the first two cops arrived on motorcycle, stopping their bikes abruptly by their fallen sister, and spotted Butch holding his gun. "Stop right there!" one of them yelled, drawing her sidearm. "You're under arrest for the murder of an officer of the law!"

What exactly happened there, Butch would never know. His mind told him to jump in the Jeep and take off, the distant voice of Agent Masterson told him to turn and fire, but all his body could do was drop the J-R rifle, turn around slowly, and stand there in humble silence.

A Police van pulled up beside the two stopped motorcycles as the first two Jennies ordered Butch to lay down on the ground. From the back of the van., a Jenny and two Growlithe emerged. "Growlithe, retrieve that weapon and guard that criminal!" The Jenny commanded.

The two dog-like Pokemon rushed over to Butch. One carried the J-R Rifle back to Jenny while the other guarded Butch, growling and snarling at him. With the J-R rifle safely in their possession, the first two Jennies moved to Butch, handcuffed his hands behind his back, and pulled him to his feet. "You must really think you're something, Team Rocket." The first Jenny sneered.

"Killing our sister… You'll pay for that." The second one added as they led Butch away to the Police van. Butch's mind reeled back to the last time he and Cassidy had been caught. He climbed into the van and looked back at Morgenstern, whose body was now being covered with a white sheet by a Nurse Joy. Butch's eyes shot wide open and his mouth dropped. That wasn't Morgenstern laying dead in the street- it was Cassidy!

Butch jumped out the back of the van, savagely knocking Jennies out the way as the ran to what he was sure was Cassidy's corpse.

Knocking Nurse Joy over, Butch kicked the sheet aside and saw… Morgenstern? Butch was numb for a minute as he stood there trying to make sense of what he had seen, then he felt himself being pulled back to the van by the Jennies. "Just had to see her again, huh? You make me sick." One snapped.

The Jennies threw Butch into the van with the two snarling Growlithe and slammed the door shut. One then climbed into the front seat and started the van, driving back to the Police station. The other two followed closely on their bikes, anxious to get this murderer in jail where he belonged, as still others helped Nurse Joy load Morgenstern's body into the ambulance.

In the back of the van, Butch sat silently, watching the Growlithe nervously and at the same time hardly caring if they did attack him. It wasn't supposed to be this way… It was just supposed to be a simple little payback and humiliation, that was all… That's all it was ever supposed to be. Butch stared ahead, only wishing he could get that picture out of his head… that nightmarish image of Cassidy lying dead in the road.

Part Three: Hold On, Hold On