For Her Hand

Chapter Fifty-One

The clock struck seven as Enzo waited patiently at the station. He stood under a street lamp and looked down at his watch. Melody slept soundly, unaware of where she was or what had transpired within the past hour. Enzo tapped his foot impatiently. Waiting was something he detested, especially when it came to something as important as this. Every remark Seth had made made him boil with anger all the more. Even a comrade—Charles—had said something similar which made him even more agitated.

"Unskilled am I? I'll show you, Seth. And you too Charles!" Enzo growled, clenching his fists out of irritation. "I'll show you all that there's only one person deserving of Allie's affection!" 

The sound of hurried footsteps soon caught his attention, prompting him to look in the direction they came from. They grew louder with each passing second and soon he could see a silhouette of a man running—sprinting—into view. Seth's sprint came to a screeching halt as he stopped about twenty feet away from Enzo. The crimson clad youth looked up with a look of satisfaction at what he saw in Seth's eyes. Fury. The same kind of fury he felt after being declared unskilled, second rate, tenth on the list when he should have been higher. 

"Congratulations, you've found me. I must admit, I didn't expect you to so quickly," Enzo said with a grin. 

Seth remained silent, his cold sapphire hues fixed on his sister's unconscious body. Seth reached a hand down to his sword and slowly removed it from its scabbard, the metal gleaming under the light of the moon as he held it high over his head before pointing it directly at Enzo, the tip aimed for the jugular. Enzo held his ground, using whatever will power he could conjure up to remain callused on the exterior. 

"Ah, ah, not so fast," Enzo warned, holding out a hand towards Melody, drawing Seth's attention to her body. 

Seth's eyes widened as he observed a circle of violet flames erupt around her body. Surfacing from the shadows was a Chandelure. 

"Put it back or the flames will get closer. I'm sure you're familiar with what happens when a Chandelure's flames touch the bodies of its victims, no?" Enzo chuckled darkly. 

Seth slid his rapier back into the scabbard and pinned Enzo with a murderous stare. Enzo continued to laugh as he saw the expression on Seth's face become desperation intermingled with pure, unadulterated hatred. 

"I've seen what you're physically capable of. I'm not foolish enough to try to take you on in hand to hand. That's what the others are for," Enzo said with a snicker. 

"But you are foolish enough to kidnap my sister. A mistake you'll be regretting shortly," Seth spat, his tone laced with venom despite the calm face he was now pulling. 

"Is that so? I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree. The only thing I'm regretting is not doing this sooner. The others had so much trouble trying to find out how to get to you. Who knew I'd be fortunate to find out you had a sister? you're her favorite person in the world and yet here you are, about to let her down. I can't wait to watch you suffer," Enzo snarled. 

"Shut up," Seth snapped. "Just tell me what you want so we can get on with it."

"Isn't it obvious? I want to repay you for the humiliation you caused me in our last battle!" Enzo roared as he reached down for his first teammate and launched him onto the battlefield. 

Emerging from the sphere, Medicham struck a fighting pose as he prepared to do battle with whatever Seth had in store for him. Seth said nothing as he reached down to his belt and snapped off a sphere. Expanding it he fired it with a shout of "en garde!" 

Bursting forth from the sphere in a blinding flash of light was the Soldier Bee Pokémon. A powerful wind current picked up, heralding the arrival of Vespisol. Enzo furrowed his brows in confusion. He'd never seen a Pokémon like this before. Though if he had to guess, judging by the markings, it was a variant of Combee's final evolution. A wave of disbelief washed over him upon realizing that very fact. This Combee was male. It was impossible—or so he thought—for them to evolve. Regardless of this baffling discovery, he knew that it had the same weakness.