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No. 1080
ID: f56f02
I really need to throw something out to prove I've been writing, so here goes.
The clearing was very still, and very quiet. The sun was high in the sky and the rocky stream sparkled merrily in the light. A waterfall some hundred yards away rushed steadily while Flying-types sang in the broad, dark trees. The air was cool and humid, with a barely perceptible warm wind descending from the heights of the waterfall. The forest had moved in when the glaciers left some ten thousand years ago, and the new ecosystem was like none this planet had ever beheld. It was an environmental gem, bearing a diversity of species rivaled only by the shallows of the ocean.
A Ralts-class forage group, a Gallade and two Kirlia, emerged from the thick of trees, their white and green bodies making them surprisingly difficult to see in the dappled light. They approached the stream and the Kirlia drank while the Gallade kept watch. This Gallade was young, and Dr. Moriarty had observed that he was caught up in the throes of youth, walking with a swagger that he had not earned. An older Gallade would have immediately scanned the innocent patch of bushes across the river upon entering the clearing, as it was such an obvious hiding spot. But Moriarty had correctly expected the young one, whom he had designated Sigma-27 "Tony," to draw forage escort duty for this sector at this time of day. The animals were highly organized, making them highly predictable. Moriarty knew that he could only get away with this hiding spot because his target that day was young and dumb. If a more experienced animal was working escort, he could never do it. For example, if the Gallade was, say, Upsilon-05 "Philip," then Moriarty would have been cut to pieces before he even saw the pair of Kirlia. Or Lambda-13 "Ellen," who would not kill him but would throw river rocks at him until he got the point.
S27 was not an imbecile, but he was overconfident, and today he would learn an important lesson. Tony looked around the clearing, striding about slowly, gracefully waving his arm blades about and enjoying how much his fast, lean body impressed the Kirlia. He strode slowly into a shaft of sunlight, and nonchalantly waved to the Kirlia to move with him.
Wait for it, thought Moriarty.
The Kirlia finished drinking and followed into the sunlight, and the effect was immediate. They began to dance, twirling and spinning through the air, performing dance moves in impossible slow motion using their powers to hold themselves aloft. Tony paused to watch them, and for a moment his attention to his surroundings was entirely gone.
Tony felt a thump on his neck and reached up to brush away the bug, but was surprised to find some sort of object clinging to his skin. He pulled it off and examined it. It was metallic, with an incredibly sharp point that bore a drop of blood. He made to turn his head, but his body was becoming rigid, and it was all he could do to throw his arms in front of his face to break his fall to the rocks. The Kirlia had stopped dancing and were looking at him with concern.
"What's wrong, High Leaper?" little Crescent Moon asked him.
"I can't move!" he responded, allowing more panic to cross the mental stream than he had intended. "Teleport away immediately!"
"Someone approaches!" Falling Star cried, and Moriarty was wading across the river at top speed with a dart rifle over his shoulder. He ran up to the fallen Gallade even as the pair of Kirlia growled and bristled at him.
"Port away right now!" Leaper said more insistently. He was becoming quite frightened by the fact that though he did not feel tired at all, his body simply refused to respond. Breathing came easily, but it was as though all his muscles had fallen asleep at the same time. He felt the distinct pull of psychic power being used nearby, and from the flashing lights figured that his companions had both tried using Confusion, and that they had either both missed or his attacker had simply shrugged it off.
Moriarty rolled Leaper over onto his back and pulled a measuring tape and clipboard from his bag. He began taking measurements - height, length of blades, length of fins, even the length of his hair. He then pulled a strange fixture out, a piece of tarp attached to several ropes, almost like a tent without a roof. He dragged Leaper's body into the tarp, and straining heavily, picked up the juncture of the ropes. The needle on a dial at the rope juncture spun to reveal Leaper's exact weight, and Moriarty made note of it.
Leaper heard his attacker cry out in pain, and he could move his eyes just enough to see that Crescent Moon had sunk her teeth into the human's forearm. Moriarty, having been bitten by more than a few of their kind, handily dealt with it by reaching down and pinching the nerve than ran down the edge of a Kirlia's jaw, causing Crescent's mouth to immediately snap open.
As suddenly as it had started, it was over. Leaper regained the ability to lift his head, and his other muscles were quickly recovering. Moriarty had crossed the river again and vanished into the trees, and the Kirlia were kneeling by Leaper's side, visibly frightened.
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