Chapter 216: Scizor's Judgment
Just as the security team moved to apprehend Kiba, the chaotic situation took another unexpected, violent turn. One of the men standing behind Kiba – ostensibly part of his entourage – suddenly lunged forward.
With shocking speed, he grabbed Kiba, yanking him back, and simultaneously threw a Poké Ball as an Arbok materialized with a menacing hiss, its powerful coils forming a defensive barrier. The man had Kiba in a chokehold, using the idol as a human shield.
"Don't move!" the man shrieked, his voice cracking with desperation. "Anyone comes closer, and he dies!"
The security guards, caught off guard by the sudden escalation, froze. They quickly began ushering the remaining panicked civilians further away, clearing the immediate area around the hostage-taker.
The lobby, which had just begun to calm, emptied rapidly around the new focal point of danger.
Xiu, however, remained unmoved, standing his ground a mere five or six meters from the desperate man and his hostage. He spared a quick, almost imperceptible glance towards the red-haired woman and her Jynx. She was still there, watching the unfolding drama with that same faint, detached smile, showing no inclination to intervene. Just an observer huh.
Knowing no help was coming from that quarter, Xiu refocused on the hostage-taker, his expression unreadable. "And what exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked, his voice surprisingly calm.
"Stay back! I said stay back!" the man screamed, dragging the terrified Kiba towards the main entrance. "Let me go, or I'll kill him!"
"Kill who?" Xiu asked, his tone deceptively mild. "Take a good look at who you're holding."
The man hesitated, momentarily confused by Xiu's strange response. "I have Kiba! The famous Kiba! You let me walk, or he gets it!"
"Ha!" A humorless laugh escaped Xiu. The sound was cold, dismissive. "Go on then. Kill him. If you have the guts."
A collective gasp went through the remaining onlookers and security personnel. Even the hostage-taker stared at Xiu, dumbfounded. What kind of bluff was this?
"What are you waiting for?" Xiu taunted, his voice dripping with scorn. "Do it!"
"No! No, please! Don't kill me!" Kiba, completely losing his composure, began to blubber incoherently, eyes squeezed shut, tears streaming down his face. "I'm not a real Trainer! I didn't sign up for any of this! I'm just an idol! Please, I don't want to die!" He was shaking so violently he almost slipped from the hostage-taker's grasp.
Xiu watched Kiba's pathetic display with utter contempt. "See?" he called out to the hostage-taker, his voice carrying clearly. "Even he knows he's worthless as a shield. And you expect us to care? Your little stunt just proves what I said – you're all in this together."
The hostage-taker looked utterly bewildered. This isn't how it's supposed to go! Anyone in their right minds are supposed to value the hostage!
Xiu pressed his advantage, his voice hardening. "You have two choices," he declared, pointing directly at the man. "Kill him now, prove you're serious. Or surrender. There's no third option."
The words had barely left his mouth when a black and gold blur erupted from beside Xiu as Scizor moved with terrifying speed, closing the distance in an instant.
Before the Arbok could fully react, Scizor delivered a devastating punch to its head, slamming it against the tiled floor with enough force to crack the marble. Then, with brutal efficiency, Scizor's massive pincers snapped shut around the Arbok's neck, severing its spine with a sickening crunch. The snake's body went limp, twitching spasmodically, its head lolling at an unnatural angle.
Scizor shook the blood from its pincers and advanced slowly, deliberately, towards the now completely terrified hostage-taker. Its cold, multifaceted eyes seemed to glow with predatory intent. It wasn't just a Pokémon; it was an executioner.
The hostage-taker stared at the approaching Scizor, then at the headless Arbok, then back at Xiu's implacable face. He understood. This wasn't a negotiation. These people weren't playing by any rules. The creature advancing on him wasn't like any Pokémon he'd ever seen; it was a killer.
He shoved Kiba away from him, the idol collapsing to the floor in a whimpering heap. The man threw his hands up in surrender. "I give up! I surrender! Don't kill me! Please!"
Xiu raised a hand. Two security guards immediately rushed forward and apprehended the now compliant operative.
Kiba, realizing he was safe, cautiously opened his eyes. He saw Xiu standing over him with Scizor as a silent, menacing sentinel at his side. The remaining onlookers were staring, not at him, the famous idol, but at Xiu and his terrifying Pokémon, their expressions a mixture of awe and fear.
"So handsome!" a young woman whispered.
"Who is that guy?"
"Way cooler than that Kiba crybaby."
"Kiba who? I only see him."
The murmurs rippled through the crowd. Kiba, hearing them, felt a fresh wave of humiliation wash over him.
Xiu looked down at the trembling idol, a smirk playing on his lips. "All that money your fans spend on your merchandise, your concerts, your autographs… and for what? An idol who cries and begs when things get rough?" He glanced around at the crowd, then back at Kiba. "Honestly, if you were in real trouble, you'd probably trip over him trying to get away."
"You—!" Kiba spluttered, his earlier arrogance completely gone, replaced by a volatile mix of fear and impotent rage. He looked almost schizophrenic, his composure utterly shattered.
Xiu dismissed him with a wave of his hand, his attention already elsewhere. "He's probably another Team Rocket operative, or at least deeply entangled with them. Take him away for investigation as well."
The waiting security personnel moved to escort the dazed Kiba away.
Xiu then addressed the remaining crowd, his voice ringing with authority. "This hall is now under lockdown! No one leaves until they have been identified, questioned, and cleared by security. All licensed Trainers present will report immediately for verification. Anyone found attempting to evade this process will be dealt with accordingly!"
He issued a few more curt orders, quickly coordinating with the Pokémon Center staff, bringing the chaotic situation firmly under control.
"That was… terrifying," Xiaoyuan finally managed, coming to stand beside Xiu, her voice still shaky and her heart still pounding.
"It's fine," Xiu said, his voice surprisingly calm, almost detached.
He had intended to use the confrontation with Kiba to draw out any hidden operatives.
He had noticed them lurking and sensed their intent with his tingling sixth sense. His plan had been to isolate Kiba, create a public spectacle, and then have the security apprehend them simultaneously.
The sudden appearance of the Weezing, however, and then the hostage situation with Kiba's own associate, were unforeseen complications. One operative nearly slipped the net, and another panicked. Fortunately, Scizor's decisive intervention and his own willingness to call the hostage-taker's bluff had resolved things quickly, if brutally.
He mentally reviewed the sequence of events. The initial plan to quietly apprehend the lurking operatives had gone sideways, but the outcome was acceptable.
His thoughts drifted back to the red-haired woman and her Jynx. He scanned the thinning crowd, looking for her, but she was gone. Vanished as silently and mysteriously as she had appeared. He frowned, a flicker of unease returning. Who was she?
He pushed the thought aside for now. He turned to Xiaoyuan. "Come on," he said. "Let's go."
There were still loose ends to tie up.