Confrontation

Kaumi gazed across the helicopter space at Dark. Surely it wouldn�t be long before they arrived wherever they were being taken� Cass glanced at Kaumi, then Dark, then back to Kaumi. She sighed, and leaned back against the wall.

Dark looked up and saw Kaumi. "What�?"

He smiled at her. "Oh, nothing." Dark raised a brow in a skeptical look, and Cass got a catty expression, seeing the tenderness in Kaumi�s eyes. She giggled.

Dark flashed her a puzzled look, and her cousin ceased. At the same time, Kaumi slid across the floor and over to Dark, leaning back against the wall where she was. It had been almost completely silent since Kadabra had left on him mission, as no one dared to speak.

Kaumi put a hand on Dark�s shoulder. "You�re nervous, aren�t you?"

She sighed. "I can�t help but be a little�"

He moved his hand from her shoulder and put it on her opposite hip, pulling her into his arms. "Hey, look. I don�t know what�ll happen from here on out." He rested his chin on the top of her head. "I want you to know�how much I really love you� The moment we met, Shiki, I was in love� You�re so beautiful, and even though you try to hide your feelings, I�m attracted to your personality and courage� You�ve known how I�ve felt, but I�ve never known about you�"

He loosened his embrace slightly and Dark looked up, studying his face. "What are you-? You�re acting like something�s going to happen-"

He put a finger to her lips for a moment. "Just answer me. I need to know; do you feel the same way about me�?"

She moved closer to him and touched her lips briefly to his. Kaumi grinned; she was acting shy�

He pressed his lips to hers. Away from them, Cass beamed. When the lip locking was over, she spoke. "Hey guys, I�m happy for you two an� all, but I think we�ve landed."

Dark grabbed her bag and stood up with the other two. The pilot and co-pilot opened a door and stepped down the short staircase. Cass went next, then Dark, then Kaumi.

Cass looked around and saw that they were on the roof of a building somewhere� God only knew where; but the city was large and bustling, that was for sure. There was a small shed standing up on the roof that apparently contained stairs to the lower levels. The Shadow Gang logo was painted proudly on it. She also noticed three people standing before them; Kain was on the left, Myuka on the right, and in the center�none other than Roxy Miato.

Roxy smirked when she saw the final member of the party step out of the helicopter and eyed her nervously. She dismissed the two men who�d brought the trio there with: "Domo. Ima itte."

When they left, and only then, she looked back at Kaumi. "Welcome home, boy."

The cousins were shocked at these words. "Shiki�Cass, this isn�t what it seems�"

Cass rolled her eyes and replied, "Isn�t that what everyone says?"

"You set us up?! For how long?" Dark�s words stabbed at him. "Everything we�ve known about you�so they were all lies?!"

Roxy gestured with irritation for Kaumi to follow her into the stairwell. "No, I wasn�t lying! Not a word I said...!"

"Why should I believe that?! You�re one of THEM!"

Myuka and Kain gave him looks of annoyance, and he began to walk forward. "Nothing� Shiki, nothing I said in that helicopter has changed now�"

Dark was shocked; stunned. She couldn�t think of anything to shout back at him as he went down the stairs with that�that girl! Soon after the four had vanished, a few other Shadows charged out of another stairwell and seized the girls by the arms.

"C�mon, we don�t got all day," one said in a guff tone. "Da boss wants ta see da two of yous."

As they were hauled off down the stairs, terror struck Dark. It was just she and Cass, and they were on their way to meet with the boss of the Shadow Gang! Kaumi wasn�t there to help her, and there was no telling what would happen when they met this person.

After a short time of being dragged roughly down a couple flights of stairs, the Shadows opened a large door and tossed the two in. "Boss, here�s the little snakes you requested."

"Very well. You are dismissed," a stern voice said from the opposite end of the large room. The door was closed.

They were inside an office; there were artificial trees lining the walls, and at the other side of the room, a large desk where a chair sat, the back of it facing them. Behind that, there were carved marble and glass shelves that held awards, seemingly important documents, and some odd-looking pokeballs.

"Do come here, don�t stand there in the doorway, ladies."

The cousins cautiously approached the desk, and stopped about five feet in front of it. The chair swiveled around instantly, revealing a somewhat aged man, looking to be in his forties. "Well. I see you are the ones who distracted Kaumi on the job, weren�t you? You�ve aided me a great deal in my search for the stones." He laughed a deep and cold laugh. "Come then. I have much to discuss with you."

"What will happen to us?" Cass asked defiantly.

"You have courage to speak, girl. However, after seeing my face, I don�t know if I�ll be able to let the two of you live. You see, I try to keep very confidential my identity."

Dark stammered, "Y-you�re�G-gary�Gary Oak�"