manbehindtheshadows​:His fist tightened around the lowball, audibly creaking as it threatened to...

manbehindtheshadows​:

His fist tightened around the lowball, audibly creaking as it threatened to crack. That bastard was still persistent in pinning all the blame on him, of course he was. None of these incompentnet shitstains wanted to take responsibility in this damn mess– just pin it on the scientist. He may had been forced to take the blame from Evice and Nascour, but no way– no way in hell would he take that spiel from someone significantly lower than him.

He eventually loosened his grip, not wanting to spend another night picking glass out of his palm.  “Feh…” A bitter smirk curled on Eins lips, “Always th’ same wid you,. Always– Always sayin’ the dumbes’ shit.” The inebriated scientist spat, “Th’ only reason I’m here wid th’ rest of this trash,”  his hand gesturing towards the crowd of the Deep Under before slamming the glass onto the rusty table. “‘S’cause you, and–… an’ those ‘udder useless bashtards couldn’ handle a single arsh–… Arkeus–nn– fug…” Ein cursed under his breath as he struggled with his words. His fingers roughly combed through the remaining hairs slicked back, some falling back into his face.

“Y’all couldn’ tage on a single goddamn kid. An’ fer some reason, I’m th’ one egspechted t’clean up after all yer messes!” Ein took a long swig, nearly choking on the bite of the cinnamon whisky as he coughed into his shoulder. “An’ fer whad’ever reason Nashkour an’ tha’ fat. fuck. wanna pin this all on me!” Ein was ready to take another swig before realizing the glass was empty. He grumbled as he slammed another wad of crumpled pokedollars in front of the concerning number of empty glasses before him.

“Oh no! Nod th’ goddamn’ barbie-doll who blew a hole in m’lab an’ gave tha’ kid access to my lab. Not tha’ brainless gian’ who despide all tha’ muscle, couldn’ get a goddamn flude from–uh— from… whoever. I dunno. Doesn’ madder now.” Ein shook his head in his stupor, trying to keep his thoughts in check, despite the increasing rage, “An’ you–” He spun towards Miror, wobbling in his barstool before forcefully (and rather sloppily) prodded his finger into the other ex-admins chest, “You had th’ simplest job. Dish– distribute Shadow Pogémon an’ keep erryone in’ cheg! So-so-so please, enlighd–… en- enli– fuck.” Ein pulled himself closer to Miror, his rage and contempt fogging up his shades, “So tell me, Miror B.– how th’ hell are your guyses downfall my fault?! I’m jes’ dyin’ t’know.”

“The simplest job? Ah, yes, because you don’t know the precursor to my gaining responsibility for this so-called oh-so-simplest job,” Miror B. scoffed with a roll of his eyes before popping open his own drink again and taking another swig, a bit more than a swallow like before. He capped it and shuddered as it went down, feeling the heat of the alcohol spreading through him. “It’s so easy for you to just dismiss everything that the rest of us had to do to get there, while you’re sitting pretty in that stuffy old lab of yours, now, isn’t it, Einy?”

He carefully turned himself around on the stool, leaning against the bar and fidgeting with his bottle of Cacturn Needle; tilting it around and watching the liquid inside swirl. He lightly tapped his heel to the floor in a steady rhythm, and seemed to be grinding his teeth a bit. For just a brief moment, Miror B. appeared to be in a state not seen often of him. He was actually thinking!

“Dakim was probably the absolute best intimidator and bodyguard Cipher could have dreamed to recruit. Whatever his goals were, he was invaluable to us, keeping busybodies out of our business for a long as possible. Especially the stronger trainers over on Mt. Battle.” He paused and his mind wandered. Whatever was Dakim going to do with himself now that Cipher was in shambles? Surely the police wouldn’t even think about approaching him. He stopped tilting the bottle around and let the liquid swirl with its own momentum.

“I may have never liked Lady Venus, but there was no one more charismatic than she within our ranks,” Miror B. continued with a flamboyant flick of his free wrist. “She had the entirety of The Under wrapped around her dainty little finger. A shadow in this region where murder, human and Pokemon trafficking, drug abuse, every blighting activity imaginable happens every single day. But even the most disgusting of criminals would stop and look to the screen with stupid goo-goo eyes the moment she went live, indoctrinating everyone to not only repeatedly participate in the colosseums for Shadow Pokemon distribution, but ready to be at her beck and call should something go wrong. For that, I respect her.”

He glanced at Ein through the corner of his eye. The drunken man was probably wondering what his point even was in talking about his now former colleagues like this. Another pop of the bottle, another drink, and Miror resumed tilting it around upon recapping it. His entire face was feeling hot from the alcohol already. Perhaps he was downing it just a little too quick for his lanky body to handle.

“These people… they had unique builds, mindsets, skills, and personalities,” Miror B. continued. “Not just anyone could have been them. You don’t find very many people like Lady Venus in this region. One who understands how to control even the most hardened of criminal mind. I’d pay you to see if you can find another human being who’s trained as hard as Dakim to become the mountain he was. You can’t find either of those here.”

He turned on the stool, but not to face the bar, but to face Ein. His face was already getting bright red and he could feel himself just on the border between tipsy and drunk. He gave a crooked smile at Ein.

“Why is our downfall your fault? You underestimated and disrespected your own co-workers,” he taunted. “You are so caught up in your ego as the “head scientist” of the Shadow Pokemon Project that you thought yourself above literally everybody. Even Master Nascour himself, most likely. You can’t stand the thought of being on the same level as anyone else, can you? Of course you can’t.” His head tilted just a bit. Yep, he certainly drank a little too fast. His balance was already failing him.

“It drove you mad, didn’t it?” he giggled, still with the silly toothy grin he always sported when feeling especially full of himself. “The day I was brought in to Cipher not as another common peon, but as an Admin. Wearing clothes you’d sooner throw in the trash, tailored and patched to fit my unique body type, scruffy and filthy, but still holding an energetic aura. A rat from the streets with seemingly no talents to speak of, not that you see talent in anyone except your own reflection.”

He leaned in just a bit. He could smell the concoction of booze on Ein’s breath, but managed to resist gagging at the powerful scent.

“I was sought out because of my reputation of having never once been caught by the police for my petty crimes. I was desired for my skills held in the Pyrite Colosseum; using Pokemon completely unsuited for this harsh, unforgiving land, yet reined supreme in battle. I was recruited for my knowledge of the ins and outs of Pyrite Town and how to wrap it around my own little finger; not with charisma like Lady Venus, but with underhanded tactics and intimidation. Pyrite Town ended up being an absolute gold mine for Cipher to begin their primary distribution. But they needed the perfect man for the job.”

“I spent my young life learning every nook and cranny in Pyrite Town, to hide in, to run through, to lose anyone who’d try to catch me,” he continued. “I learned who had power, and those who were nobody. I studied the actual threats versus the fools in uniforms. I gained the appeal of the underhanded in style with a hint of threat of harm to those who challenged me. I survived. I grew. I gained power. For the time, the very mention of my name was one that instilled fear, not laughter. People know what I’m capable of. Even that muscle-head mayor fears what I may do on my own, now that I know his delicate weaknesses.”

He chuckled a bit, glaring at Ein through his shades. “Do you see something in common with myself, Venus, and Dakim? We were brought in because we had certain capabilities you couldn’t find in just anyone. We had specific qualities of mind or body that Cipher needed, that literally no other person could fill in the blanks for. The underhanded thief who survived a hellscape for years, the goddess in the shadows who puppeteered her following, and the mighty behemoth that no sane man would challenge. You though? You’re just a scientist. There are many of you in this region. Far more of you in the whole world. Literally anyone could have done your job and done it far more effectively without having so much ego in the way. Anyone else could have done your job while still respecting his fellow colleagues.”

“I earned my position in Cipher, Ein. Did you?”