Chapter Seven: Goodbye, Cruel World


Annie lay against the wall, a good seven feet from James. Her gun lay between her and James, and she was in shock and disbelief. For the first time in 11 years, she had not been able to dodge the bullet. Blood poured from her upper right arm, but she barely felt the pain. All she could do was stare ahead, somewhat blankly, as Jessie helped her partner to his feet, keeping the rifle she had fired trained on Annie.

James rose somewhat unsteadily, very shaken from his brush with death but otherwise unharmed. Annie’s gun had never even fired. Jessie looked at James and smiled. James returned the smile, and hugged Jessie from the side. At last, the ordeal was over. He looked at Annie, and realized she had a look about her that he had never seen a trace of, not even when they had failed at their mission together; it was a look of defeat.

Jessie looked at Annie. "Call the boss." She said quietly. "Tell him you’re letting James go. Or I’ll finish you off right now."

Annie didn’t say a word. She stood up and walked to the door, clutching the wound in her arm. "This way." She said quietly.

Jessie, James, and Meowth followed Annie to the main camp head quarters building. Annie opened the door and led the way to a door marked. "Communications"

Once inside, Annie walked to the large video screen and began to punch in the codes to contact Giovanni.

The image of Giovanni’s face appeared on the monitor after a moment. "Yes, Annie?" he asked curtly.

"Sir, I…" she paused, glancing over at Jessie, who still had the rifle trained on her.

"Yes?" Giovanni asked impatiently.

"I’m finished with James. His training is complete." She said quietly.

"He’s left with that insipid Jessebelle?" Giovanni asked.

"No, sir."

"He’s dead, then? Was it you or suicide?"

"No, sir." Annie replied. "He completed the training. He survived and Jessebelle… lost interest in him."

"What?!?!" Giovanni asked, unable to believe what he was hearing. "He survived and completed Red Rocket training?"

"That’s correct, sir." Annie replied meekly. Again, she looked over at Jessie, who still held the gun level with Annie’s chest.

"But he can’t be a Red Rocket! He just can’t!" Giovanni roared.

"That’s your call, sir." Annie replied.

That was when Giovanni noticed the blood on Annie’s shoulder. "What is that blood, Annie?" he demanded.

"Er-" Annie began, glancing nervously at Jessie. "A mishap. One of the new Reds was cleaning a weapon and it went off."

Giovanni looked at Annie suspiciously. "I see." He replied. "I don’t suppose you know that James’ old partner Jessie has gone missing?"

"Uh- I wouldn’t know, sir." Annie replied cautiously.

Giovanni looked at her and scratched his chin. "Where is James now?" he asked.

"Right here, sir." James said, stepping forward and looking battered but feeling much better than he had an hour ago.

"Look, James, we both know a fool like you couldn’t complete the training. It’s impossible, Annie would have seen to that. I don’t know for certain why she’s releasing you, but I can take a fairly good guess. Therefore, I’m releasing you back your old assignment. You will not be a Red Rocket. Report back to Viridian City by morning, and see if you can’t locate Jessie and Meowth while you’re at it."

James smiled. "Thank you, sir…and I don’t think I’ll have trouble locating Jess and Meowth."

"I suspected as much." Giovanni growled. He raised his voice so everyone in the communications room would hear him. "Try not to crash the balloon, Jessie, or I’ll take more out of your paycheck!"

Out of reflex, Jessie ran closer and into the view of the screen. "Oh, but sir…." She began.

"Aha!" Giovanni snarled. "I knew it. Drop that weapon." Jessie obediently dropped the gun, cursing her reflexes.

"So the truth comes out. Annie! James is still yours. Jessie! You and Meowth will be punished severely for this!" Meowth slapped the charm on his head and Jessie’s eyes dropped to the floor.

Jessie looked at the screen with pleading eyes. "But sir…"

"Silence!" Giovanni snapped.

"Sir, I have to let him go!" Annie suddenly blurted out. All eyes immediately turned on her.

Jessie, James, and Meowth all stared at Annie with disbelief. Giovanni looked at her too, showing surprise for the first time in quite a while. "What? Why?" he asked Annie.

"I- I- I’ve gotten my revenge. He has to go back with Jessie." Annie finished shakily.

"Are you feeling all right, Annie?" Giovanni asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Of course I’m all right!" Annie yelled. "I’m Annie Masterson, a rocket for 11 years! I’ve carried out 119 successful missions! I’ve even killed for Team Rocket and never been caught! And now the two most incompetent agents I’ve ever met, both White Rockets at that, have beaten me! I’d say I’m all right, wouldn’t you!?!?!?!?!?" With that, Annie dropped to her knees, and looked down at the ground, her body shaking with tears and laughter at the same time. Jessie, James, Meowth and Giovanni all stared at her without a word. They all looked at her with wide eyes as words poured out of her mouth to nobody in particular….. "11 years… a perfect record… then one failure, one idiot…. then a partner… I- I- I- oh…. ARRRRRRRRGGGGHHHH!"

Annie looked at the ceiling, grabbing her hair tightly in her fists and screaming.

Giovanni looked at her, completely shaken. Jessie and James looked at their Boss, knowing they had never seen him at such a loss before. Giovanni swallowed and looked at Annie through the monitor. He had never seen one of his elite have a breakdown like this… it could be a dangerous loose end if it was not snipped off right away. "Agent Masterson, I think you’re in need of a long rest… a nice long rest."

Annie looked up at the face of her Boss with tired, defeated eyes. "Yes, sir… I think that’d be best….." she said shakily.

"I’ll send a transport for you at once. You will… rest… at a Rocket Headquarters base on the Orange Islands." Giovanni knew that the base he was referring to was practically deserted, on a small, closed off island in the area, and was just a place where he sent the agents he felt too valuable to fully dispose of, yet too dangerous to have out in the open, but he didn’t care. Annie would soon be there, happy in her insanity… perhaps that blind rage she possessed would come in handy one day….

Giovanni’s thoughts were brought back to the present by James’ voice. Giovanni looked at the monitor, and saw James’ face. Jessie and Meowth were in the back ground, looking at Annie, who was now curled on the floor in a fetal position, babbling incoherently.

"Sir? What about me and Jessie and Meowth?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah. Well, Annie seems to think her revenge is complete, and I guess it is for all intensive purposes it is…All right, you’re back with those two." He said, dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand.

Jessie smiled at James, who returned the smile broadly. "With a pay cut for Jessie and Meowth." Giovanni added.

"What? Why, sir?" Jessie asked.

"Insubordination, unauthorized travel, theft of supplies… I think I’m being rather generous." Giovanni said in a threatening tone of voice.

Jessie glared at the ground. She knew she had no choice. "You are, sir." She muttered.

"Good. Wait for the transport and make sure they get Annie. Then get out there and get me that Pikachu!" Giovanni’s final words to them echoed in their minds as the screen went blank.

They looked over at Annie, who was now curled up in a ball and rocking on the floor. They were in no danger of her running anywhere, or attacking them… All they had to do was get within three steps of her and she would start to scream with fear, as if the mere presence of Jessie or James would destroy her.

Revenge Epilogue: Back in the Balloon