LoRD V: A Legacy's Denouement Chapter 31

A Flaw in the Plan

The next morning on the ranch was much more active than the previous, as the kids were already out and running around right after they finished their breakfast. Napoleon was walking around, after watching his daughter play for a little while, he decided to look for some time to talk to actual adults. He couldn't help but notice Ross and Saria watching Valence and Benjamin play with each other, just sitting on the grass and playing with some dolls that resembled pokemon.

Ross heard the footsteps from behind, and looked. He grinned at the sight of the floatzel. "Oh, hi Napoleon." He said, as Saria also turned her head.

"Hey, guys," he replied. "Why weren't you with us at dinner last night?"

"Benjamin was causing a fuss, as always." Saria said, looking at the eevee. "We felt it was better to not bring him to cause trouble. Nothing to worry about, though."

Napoleon nodded, looking at the chimchar playing with the eevee. "Where's Veruka? Or Vincent, for that matter."

"Haven't seen Vincent at all this morning," Ross commented. "Veruka's over there by the old oak tree." He pointed her out.

Napoleon looked, and saw her swinging on the tire swing, trying to get herself to fit. He didn't see Vincent with her, she was all alone. However, he did see a toxicroak making his way up the hill to greet her.

"Is she okay?" Saria asked.

Napoleon shook his head. "I'm not sure," he replied in honesty. "I think her and Vincent just hit a rocky point in their relationship. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Saria then looked over to Ross. "Hopefully we won't have that problem." She said almost exclusively to herself.

Meanwhile. while they were communicating, Rupert was making his way up the hill to see what Veruka was doing. He made his way up, watching as Veruka silently swung herself back and forth. He was almost tempted to talk to her, but he felt like he had to.

"Veruka?" Rupert asked, as her head lifted up. "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Veruka sighed, as Rupert wasn't expecting the answer she gave. "Sure."

That was all she said, but it was enough to let Rupert talk to her. Rupert walked up to the top of the hill so that he could see her, face to face. He the  sat down on the grass, legs crossed, and looked up to Veruka, as she looked down to him.

"You're not yourself, Veruka. You need to tell me what's going on." Rupert said, feeling like he could help. "Please!"

Veruka shook her head. "I don't know if I can," she told him. "It's Vincent- he just-"

"I can talk to him, I can ask him anything you need from him," Rupert claimed. "I just need an answer. I can't help you if you don't tell me anything."

Veruka stood up from the tire swing, and leaned against the tree. "You can't," Veruka stated. "He's not here. That's what I'm worried about."

Rupert stood up as well. "He's not here?" Rupert sounded shocked.

Veruka nodded. "I looked everywhere at three times over, and I couldn't find him." Veruka said. "He must've left right before I got up."

"Left for where?" Rupert asked. "Veruka, where is he?"

"I don't know!" Veruka shouted, as Rupert tried to ease her down. "I'm sorry- that wasn't me. Maybe the old me, but not... me!" She said, swiping her hand across her face.

Rupert kept on searching for the answer from Veruka. "What's going on? I must be able to help in some way."

"I doubt it," Veruka replied. "No offense, but this is something none of us can handle. Not yet, anyway."

Rupert leaned in even closer, and looked to make sure no one else was coming up the hill. "You know you can trust me with anything, right?" Rupert asked, as Veruka closed her eyes. "We've been friends since the day we met. Nothing has changed, Veruka. Whatever you need me to do, I'll try my best to understand it. If you want me to keep it a secret, I will."

Veruka looked toward him with suspicion. She felt that after what she heard from  Vincent the night before, she thought she couldn't trust anyone.

"Shake on it?" Rupert held out his hand.

Veruka then grinned, knowing that the childhood Rupert was still in him. "Alright. Can't resist the handshake." She said, while shaking his hand.

Rupert then stood back up straight, pushing himself off from the tree. "So, now you're going to tell me what's going on?" He asked. "Trust me, I can help."

Veruka looked behind her, the same as Rupert did, just make sure no one else was coming. "Alright, you won't tell anyone?" Veruka asked yet again.

"Yes, cross my heart, and hope to die," he said. "But... let's not try to replicate that." He joked.

Veruka then tried to find a spot to explain herself. "Over the last couple months, Vincent has been having visions in his sleep of Lumis, who was Alex's original father." Veruka said, as Rupert continued to listen. "But the last time he saw him, which was a couple days ago, Vincent said that Lumis showed him something gruesome. It was the Iron Island Massacre, the same one that David, Milo, and Conner caused- the one they pretty much admitted to doing."

"Yeah, I remember them saying something about that." Rupert replied.

"Well, Vincent also said that he saw a fourth person as well, though he could never make out who it was- until the last vision. Vincent claims that he saw Lucas as the fourth killer in the massacre, according to Lumis."

Rupert's jaw almost dropped to the ground. "Like... the Lucas that we know?" Rupert questioned.

"The same." Veruka said, shaking her head. "And I told him that it was just a dream, and that it didn't mean anything, but Vincent insists that Lumis has never lied to him in the past. I told him that after all the things Lucas has done for us, we need to let it go. Vincent refused."

Rupert then formed a fist, and smashed the side of it into the bark of the tree. "Now he's going after Lucas!" He said.

"Not alone," Veruka added. "That walk yesterday, it turned out that he went to go visit the Red Hand, which were the same guys that operated the Worthington raid."

"Oh, Arceus..." Rupert said, covering his face with his hands.

"I guarantee that they're all going after him. Vincent claims that they're taking him alive, but I don't trust him."

Rupert then looked out to the ocean, and thought about what he could do. "Lucas won't stand a chance against Vincent and seven highly skilled assassins." Rupert said. "He said he took down agents, but these are trained assassins who spent the majority of their lives killing people! There's no way he will make it out of this!"

Veruka then sat back down in the tire swing. "Which is why I don't want you to become involved," she said, her eyes watering. "I don't want to lose anyone else. I'm tired of losing people I care about."

Rupert then came up with an idea, as he looked away from the ocean and back at the infernape. "We can save him," Rupert said, pointing to Veruka. "We can save everyone."

Veruka looked at Rupert with an undenounced look. "How so?"

"Bruce and Mallory," Rupert said. "They're in Hearthome City. They like to visit this flower shop there. Lucas said once that they go there to meet with clients while undercover, which is how we met them. It's a longshot, but it can work."

Veruka then put her hand on Rupert's shoulder. "How are you got got get there?" She asked, taking her hand off. "My dad is- gone, and you have to keep it a secret, there's no way you can make it."

Rupert just looked at her with confidence. "I know a way," Rupert looked over to the rest of the ranch, and spotted the ghostly figure of Edna, as she hovered above the ground. "And I'm looking right at it." He pointed to her.

"Edna?" Veruka asked.

"Master taught her a TM before she evolved, it had Teleport inside," he told her. "I can convince her to send me. The problem is just going to be keeping her mouth shut."

"You can't tell her anything what I told you!"

"And I won't," Rupert promised. "We made a deal, remember?"

Veruka just smiled, as the frog and the monkey just looked at each other, seeing how fast they really grew up. "You don't have to do this."

"I will, because Vincent is my friend," he said. "And I want to make sure he's okay. You just stay here with the kids, keep their minds off of him."

Veruka shook her head with denial. "I'll feel useless here!"

"You're not! You're making sure no one else discovers this!" Rupert said. "No one else can know. If what you're saying is true, this ranch will be thrown into a frenzy. We want this to be quiet, so no one else gets hurt."

Veruka just calmed down, as she took in a couple deep breaths. "What if you don't come back for a while?"

"Give me at least twenty-four hours, and we will see where it goes from there," Rupert said. "But no matter what happens, let's keep this between us." He nodded.

"Not going to argue on that," Veruka replied. "Just... no matter what happens, be careful." She said.

Rupert shrugged. "Not my strongest suit," he said, "but I'll try."

Rupert then walked off and went back down the hill, as Veruka watched him leave. She was left alone again to ponder what would happen from Rupert's confrontation. That is, if he could get to him in time.

---

Vincent found himself in Twinleaf town, as he looked around to find where he was asked to go, all he saw were some houses, and a lab near the southern end of town. The town was very small, and Vincent only saw one or two denizens walking around the large lands that some people owned. He kept looking for this red lamppost that Louis kept referring to, and just couldn't spot it.

Once he walked past the corner of the laboratory, Vincent bumped into an older gentlemen, as some papers scattered onto the ground.

"Crap..." Vincent said, knowing that the man probably couldn't hear him.

"It's alright, my friend," The man replied, picking up the papers. "That corner has now caused me to bump into two individuals now. It's alright, accidents happen."

The old man popped back up, gathering the papers in his hand. He has white hair on his head and face, and had a unique mustache that was hard to describe.

"You can understand me?" Vincent acted surprised.

The man pointed to a communicator in his ear, and then Vincent just rolled his eyes.

"Oh," he said. "Look, sorry about that, erm-"

"Rowan," the man replied. "Professor Rowan. I work at this laboratory, right here. I was just going to visit nearby Sandgem Town to visit a relative of mine."

Vincent then walked out of the professor's way. "My bad, man. Go right ahead."

Rowan nodded. "Thank you very much!" He happily replied, as he started to walk off.

A lightbulb then popped over Vincent's head. "Oh, professor, sir!" The lucario exclaimed, as Rowan turned around. "Do you know where I can find a red lamppost around here? I was, um, supposed to meet a fellow pokemon friend of mine." He grinned.

Rowan pointed toward the left of the town. "All the way in the corner of a fence, can't miss it!" He said. "It's the only one in town as well."

Vincent waved off to the professor, as the two separated ways. "Thanks again, professor!" Vincent shouted, but the man didn't turn around. He just kept walking with his papers gripped together by his grasp.

Vincent walked off to where he was directed by the professor, and continued to the left. And, to Vincent's relief, found the red lamppost he was looking for. He began moving toward it, until he was underneath it. He could also make out the second detail very easily which Louis mentioned, which was a pair of huge, strangely shaped bushes. Vincent quietly jumped the fence, and walked into the bushes.

He was immediately taken down by some force, as he was pushed onto the other side. Someone then pointed a weapon toward him, as Vincent laid on the ground. "Identify yourself!" A woman said, pointing the gun at him.

"Vincent... the lucario!" Vincent identified himself, not knowing how else to say so.

"Relax, Juliana!" Louis's voice was heard, as he appeared from behind a line of trees, followed by Harris and two more of the Red Hand members. "Didn't your mother ever tell you to not point a gun at a fellow friend's head."

"I-"

"Didn't think so," Louis said, as he grabbed Vincent's arm, hoisting him to his feet. For a sixty-year-old man, Louis was very strong. "So... About thirteen hours ago, this Deming friend of yours appeared to check into an inn located at the wonderful Hearthome City. It seems that he perfers to stay at the Butterfree Inn at his getaway location."

Vincent nodded. "How are we going to get there?" He asked.

"Rocky has a car waiting for us just a half a mile that way," Louis pointed toward the opposite side of Twinleaf. "But first, we decided to drop in to this place right here." Louis brought out a blueprint. "This is an underground facility! Your friend of yours dropped it while leaving our HQ, and it seems he forgot about it."

Vincent looked at the blueprint, and his heart stopped. "You- you visited there?"

Louis then whistled, as some rustling came from the trees. "Here, Steve will show you what he found. It's actually quite interesting!"

Another Red Hand member, Steve, dragged something as he walked toward Louis. The body he was dragging resisted, as he wore a gag over his mouth, and had some sort of wire tied around his hand, which were kept behind his back. He was thrown onto the ground, as he looked upwards in shock and fear.

"Does he look familiar to you?" Harris asked, as Vincent inched closer to the man on the ground.

Vincent gazed down at the man, and he could've dropped his mouth wide open. Hg looked fairly young, only about twenty, had long, brown hair, and seemed to have had an energetic personality. The man looked up to Vincent, and Vincent looked down at him. The man stopped moving at the sight of the lucario, and began talking, but his words only got trapped by the gag. "V-unm-ceht!" The man kept mum melting, trying to say his name as clearly as possible.

Vincent had no doubt that the man he was looking at was Kerry.

---

Rupert walked over to Edna, as the spirited ghost wondered why someone was coming over to her. Usually, she had to bother others to get attention. "Rupert? What do you need?" She asked.

"Listen I need you to do me a favor and it's important. You cannot tell anyone else!" The toxicroak said.

Edna smiled, and immediately pointed toward conclusions, but she kept those to herself. "You're doing something bad, aren't you?" She smiled, and tapped two ends of her cloak together.

Rupert shook his head. "Please, Edna, I need you to trust me! This is important!" He said. "Let's go someplace where no one will see us."

Edna wanted to know more, so she listened. The two of them traveled toward the back of the house, where lucky, no one else decided to hang around at the moment.

"Alright, what do you want me to do?" Edna asked.

"Can you still use teleport?" Rupert questioned. "I need you to teleport me to Hearthome City. And, no, I will not tell you more details."

Edna's smile then went away. "Why?" She asked. "Does it concern your lopunny friend?" She then brought her smile back.

"No!" Rupert almost shouted. "Just, please! I need you to do this for me! I'm doing this for a friend who needs help!"

Edna looked around, and then decided to take advantage to the situation. "so, you want me to do this shady deal with absolutely no explanation backing it up! and you want me to keep it a secret?"

"That sums it up, yeah." Rupert admitted. "Why? You want something in return? Oh, you're Edna, of course you do! Come on, name your price!"

Edna thought to herself for a minute. Rupert sounded very promising when it came to an award. She just couldn't wipe her own smile off her face. "Remember that time when I pranked Elizabeth, I replaced the powder in her tabacco pipe with sugar, and she ended up getting an allergic reaction to it?"

"What, you want me to take the blame for it?" Rupert asked.

"That," she said, "and I want to see your ass get beat by Elizabeth when she reacts that. You know, since it almost killed her and all... I personally don't see the big deal, since the two of us could've been best buds in the afterlife."

Rupert nodded. "Alright, sure... that's all?" He asked.

"If there's anything else along the way that I can think of, I'll let you know." Edna said, grinning at Rupert.

Rupert took a deep breath. "Alright, just do it." He said.

Edna hovered right over Rupert, as she started to warm up. There was a purple covering that enveloped around her. "Close your eyes," she said, as Rupert did so. "It might hurt a little less that way."

Rupert didn't like what he just heard. "Great..."

Edna then used two ends of her hovering cloak, and laid each side onto a parallel side to Rupert's skull. She began to glow an even brighter purple. "Alright, here we go..."

The purple light began to envelop around Rupert, as he felt a pain all around his body, he wanted to shout, be he couldn't, since it would gather everyone's attention. He just sucked in the pain by biting into his lip, which didn't help at all. He only screamed in his mind, as the purple light became blindingly bright. Rupert felt his mind shifting, as everything went white, as Rupert felt like he was being sucked into something he would never return from. He felt his body moving very fast, he just didn't know in what direction. He just felt the shift, and he knew that he was teleporting. He just didn't know if Edna knew what she was actually doing.me was able to maintain his consciousness in his kind for a few more seconds, until,

Whiteout.