~N's pov~

Paige slept for almost two days straight. She didn't move much, her chest hardly rose and sank with her breaths. None of use spoke much, too afraid of disturbing Paige to try to start a conversation - not even Nichole disturbed her. Despite not wanting to admit it, we knew Paige didn't have long left like this. She needed medical attention. She needed food. She needed fluids. She needed love and attention. None of which she was getting.

I ran my fingers over my grass green hair before looking down the hall at the approaching guard - Nichole as usual - glaring at her with an intense distain. The younger trainer opened Paige's cell, entering it and walking to where Paige lay in the corner, nudging her with her foot.

Grabbing the bars, I kicked the metal in anger - why can't she just go away. "Get away from her! Leave Paige alone!" I demanded in a hushed whisper.

Nichole let out an irritated sigh, keeping her calm as she looked over at me. "Do you want her to die?" She snapped back, raising her chin a little as she did. "The Runt is already starving because of how little I'm allowed to feed her, she'd be dehydrated after sleeping so long, she most likely won't wake up on her own at this point because she hasn't had any water in more then two days - she's weak and exhausted. So, I'll repeat myself, do you want her to die?"

"No..." I replied dejectedly, gritting my teeth as I watched Nichole cautiously. The ravenette sat her up, frowning as Paige remained out cold as she did. Nichole reached into her pocket, the familiar mechanical whirring of the collar loosening slightly. Paige mumbled softly as the Team Plasma Elite shook after a moment of nothing. She stirred, not much but enough for her to flinch at Nichole's touch. She whimpered slightly, trembling fearfully but Nichole simply held the water bottle to her lips.

"I don't care if if you drink it or choke on it but I would suggest the former personally." She stated, giving Paige no more then a few seconds to wake up and process what was happening before tipping the water bottle up.

Paige moved quickly, using one hand to steady the bottle - she spluttered slightly at first but drank it down the water in slow gulps. Occasionally she's push it down to catch her breath but Nichole didn't let up until Paige had drunk the entire bottle at her own pace without choking.

When the bottle was empty, Nichole sat it aside before helping Paige lie back down. My pink-haired little sister pretty much went straight back to sleep, although she winced and whimpered when Nichole retightened the shock collar around her throat.

The hall door opened as Nichole exited the cell, locking it behind her - I noticed the brief look of concern flash in her eyes. Ghetsis walked down the hall as I gritted my teeth, this couldn't be good. He didn't acknowledge anyone as he entered Paige's cell, Nichole frowned but rooted herself in front of Jessica's cell - clearly she'd be of little use here.

I tightened my grip of the bars as Ghetsis nudged Paige with his staff. She let out a small whine but otherwise didn't move or make a sound.

Ghetsis grabbed onto Paige, picking her up by her arm, letting her kick and cry meekly but the weeks of little food, continuous beatings and relentless shocks from that stupid collar had exhausted her strength. She could hardly move anymore. Ghetsis held up her chin, forcing Paige to look him in the eye but she merely squeezed them shut instead. Paige gently shook her head, letting out a soft whine.

He smirked, playing with her bubblegum pink hair. I forced myself to bite my tongue - knowing Ghetsis wouldn't listen to me in I yelled and that it would do more damage for Paige then good.

"I never understood how anyone could care so much for a walking defect." He mused. "You can't speak, you won't grow, you don't even seem capable of maturing, how old are you know Runt, 15 was it?" Ghetsis examined Paige's body from top to toe, a sickening looking twisting over his features.

Paige gave a single nod of her head.

"You're still mine you know." He lightly tapped her shoulder, where her most memorable scar sat. "You always will be because of this. No matter how much you fight or scream or run. You are mine."

Whimpering as she did, Paige shook her head.

"Do you friends know that? That you're owned." Ghetsis forced Paige to look in our directing, her eyes begged up to look away before squeezing shut again. "Of course your Freak of a 'brother' does but what about your other friends?"

Slowly, Paige opened her eyes - utter terror in her bright blue optics - shaking her head again.

Without so much as a word of warning, he ripped her shirt down her arm. Paige screamed, using her unhindered arm to cover her chest and the scar on her shoulder as Jake and Milly both turned away respectfully- Milly letting out a fearful son as her brother shielded her. Jessica turned to her sister, screaming incoherently, clearly very much concerned over what might happen next.

I grabbed the bars so tight my knuckles turned white, unable to allow his abuse to continue. "Put her down Ghetsis, don't you dare touch her!"

Paige trembled fearfully, trying to cover herself as Ghetsis watched with a smirk. "She should be more ashamed then she is by this scar. Besides, friends shouldn't have secrets, right." Ghetsis replied smuggly as if he were innocent. "But to clarify, you mean like this right?"

He stuck his hand up Paige's shirt. She cried out in pain, struggling to both hide herself and fight off Ghetsis's advances. Paige hadn't hit puberty, her chest was undeveloped but he was still hurting and humiliating her regardless.

"Stop that! Stop touching her, put her down!" I demanded, even Nichole seemed disturbed by this, turning away as she bit her cheek. Tears burned in my eyes, no kid should be touched that way, especially not my Paige.

Ghetsis dropped her, Paige collapsed to the ground, hiding herself as much as she could. He kicked her several times, smirking as she cried and whimpered in pain but all she could do was hold onto her broken shirt enough to cover herself from him. "Pathetic." He sneered, spitting on her.

I forced myself not to loose myself to my anger since it seemed like he was going to leave. He did, thank Arceus, Nichole left soon after without a word but someone would be back soon - someone always was.

With an exhausted sigh I sat down, my back against Jessica's cell as I watched Paige sob on the ground, unable to to think of a single word to comfort her about this although it didn't take long for her to seemingly fall back asleep. I don't even remember the last time I'd slept, I'd never wanted to leave Paige unguarded.

A light tap on my shoulder brought me from my thoughts, I looked over my shoulder at Nichole's little sister, looking between Paige and I with sad curiosity. "If you don't mind me asking, what was it that he was trying to show us?" Jessica asked softly. "I didn't want to look because he- I didn't want to..." She fell silent, most likely not knowing how to word the incident.

I ran my fingers through my hair again. "Ghetsis... had her branded with the Team Plasma logo when she was 10. I think it's the single greatest part of herself she hates. Paige has had to fight so hard for her freedom and to have a mark like that permanently etched onto her body - a mark of possession and ownership." I sighed softly, looking at Paige who still lay where she'd crumpled to the ground. "It almost killed her too, it got infected because the bandages weren't changed enough then she kept trying to scratch it off."

Jessica hung her head for a moment before looking back up st me. "Did Nichole know... about anything that happened to her?"

"Most grunts knew of Paige but simply knew not to hurt her. Nichole most likely was aware of Paige's presence in the castle but abused by the rules of everyone else - not to touch her. I doubt your sister knew Paige had been branded but I doubt she didn't know about the abuse with her position as Elite." I explained, looking over at my little sister with a sigh.

"Oh..." Jessica looked away, hugging herself. "I-I umm..."

I reached through the bars, resting a hand on Jessica's shoulder. "You, don't need to worry about it. Your sisters crimes are not yours, weather or not you're the reason she's doing them. You don't need to feel the guilt she does, you've got nothing to do with this."

After a few moments of silence, Jessica nodded, looking over Paige. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

Sighing softly. "Paige, hey, can you hear me?" I called after a few moments of silence.

Nichole re-entered the hall of cells, heading straight for Paige's cell and entering, making me both angry and nervous as she offered Paige whatever clothing item she was carrying. Paige slowly sat up but didn't take it, instead she merely stared at it, shaking like a leaf.

After a moment, the Elite sighed and helped her up. "Come on, I'll help you. No one should be touching or looking at a young girl that way." Nichole gently helped Paige slip her arms into her jacket, zipping it up the front before helping Paige get back to her preferred corner.

The hatch on the air duct burst open with a crash that caused us all to jump as girl with bright red hair partially tumbled out, grabbing an Eevee by the scruff moments before it fell out of reach. "Scruffy, stop running ahead!"

~Oopsie...~ The Eevee barked cheerfully.

Jake jumped to his feet, protectively in front of his little sister before the recognition settled in. "Mikayla?"

"Sup Jake! One moment please." She than popped back into the duct with her Eevee, scolding her softly.

Nichole stormed out of Paige's cell not bothering to lock it - not that it mattered since I doubt Paige could stand right now even if she wanted too. "Get out of there right now kid!" She demanded pulling a Pokéball from her waste while also reaching for her gun.

"Well if you insist." Mikayla burst feet first from the vent, holding onto the rim as she kicked Nichole squarely in the chest, knocking her back several feet. Before swinging back and kicking herself forward once again, landing just beside Nichole and pinning her down. The fiery red-head pulled a white cloth from her pocket, holding it over Nichole's mouth and nose. One of the girls, Jessica I think, screamed as Mikayla fought to keep Nichole pinned down until she lost consciousness.

Kay fell back, breathing heavily before looking up at me with a goofy smile. "Told ya I could do it." Why do I bother working with this child?

"I-is she... dead?" Jessica asked, hugging herself tightly with one arm as she use the other hand to cover her mouth.

After a moment, Mikayla shook her head. "No, it's just chloroform. She'll wake up with a headache at worst." She then proceeded to remove Nichole's X-traciver, gun and Pokéball's before heaving the older trainer into the cell next to Paige's, taking the keys before locking her in.

"What took you so long? It's been nearly a month longer then we agreed." I snapped at the red-head who although flinching slightly at my tone, didn't pause.

"I got held up... I didn't know Paige and co. were here otherwise I would have tried to get here sooner." Kay shrugged, unlocking my cell. I pushed her aside gently and ran to Paige who was out cold once more. I undid the latch on the shock collar, pulling it off as throwing it aside. The thing was designed to shock the wearer if an incorrect attempt to remove it occurred and it was near impossible to remove without knowing what they were doing.

"No one's going to hurt you now." I promised, hugged Paige close. She was too limp for comfort.

I looked up just as Jake and Milly left their cells. "N, we have too go." Mikayla warned. "Come on."

I nodded, picking up Paige gently. Her eyes parted slightly, looking up at me for just a few seconds before she shut them and settled in my arms. I kissed her forehead, watching as Jake helped Kay, then Milly, then Jessica up to the vents.

"Pass her up." Kay encouraged, holding her arms out for Paige. With Milly's assistance, we managed to get Paige into the vent smoothly with little effort from her.

"You go next," Jake nodded since the vent was too high for a single person to manage on their own - especially a group of underfed, scared and tired teenagers. "I think I'd be easier to lift you."

I nodded, anxious to get Paige out of here and to a hospital. Jake gave me a leg up, I grabbed the edge of the vent and hoisted myself up. Kay was settling Paige onto a blanket - at least she could plan a head enough to foresee that Paige wouldn't have the strength to crawl through the vents and that the blanket would make her easier to pull along. I turned back, whispering loudly for Kay's help. We both reached down enough for Jake to reach with a jump. It took a few go's for him to get a good enough grin on the both of us to hoist him up but eventually, all six of us were up. Kay pulled the vent shut and weaseled pass Jake, Jessica, Milly and carefully over Paige.

"I'll lead, Jake you go at the back then Paige, then N and you girls can go in either order."

It took a bit of shuffling but we managed to get in the correct order in the cramped dark space. Just as we were about to start moving, Paige let out a whine, most likely not being conscious enough to know what was going but enough for her to be scared of the sudden environment change.

"Give her this." Kay prompted, passing a glow stick down the line.

I cracked it and handed it to my little sister. The light, seemed to calm her as hoped. I gently stroked her cheek a few times before kissing her forehead. "Stay quiet okay, we're gonna go see your Pokémon but you have to stay quiet."

She nodded against my hand.

"Go to sleep, when you wake, your Pokémon will be right there for you. Promise."

Again she nodded, taking my hand gently in hers and giving it a kiss before settling down, the glow stick clutched tightly in hand. Kay was then hovering above Paige, the chloroform stained cloth in hand.

"I think it would be best if we use this, if she freaks out in here, we'll all get caught." Kay said softly. "She needs to get to a hospital or she won't last much longer."

I bit my lip, looking down at Paige before nodding. "Not a lot, just enough so she stays asleep." I didn't like the idea of drugging Paige but I didn't like the idea of her falling back into Ghetsis's clutches more.

Mikayla nodded, gently holding the cloth over Paige's mouth for a few minutes with me keeping time. Jake, Milly and Jessica waited patiently as the drug took effect. Kay handed me the bottle and rag before turning to move back to the front of the line. "Just in case it wears off but she should be fine."

I nodded as we followed Kay through the darkness, I dragged Paige's blanket with Jake helping and making sure she didn't slip. Every now and then, I would turn and check on my little sister, nothing changed each time. The pink glow stick illuminated her face, sleeping peacefully. The plus of the chloroform drug at the very least was that it was an old fashion painkiller, this would be the most restful sleep she would have had in a while. I smiled at that fact, she deserved to be allowed to sleep - as long as she needed too.

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Word count: 2772

So, Ghetsis is a creep... buuut, everyone is just about out and Kay's back!
I will explain more about what she was doing next chapter but no spoilers yet

Welp... please don't forget to vote, comment and keep on reading on!