A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! *Blows out kisses* Keep em' coming my babies and remember no flaming! Oh and to answer your questions Jflower no Lyra will not get pregnant by Proton. She's way too young and I don't think that her getting pregnant will fit into my plot. As for Silver and Gold they will not be around to rescue her because Proton's house is in a foresty, secluded area. And none of Proton's former Rocket associates know of his obsession with Lyra…well…Petrel may know a thing or to but that's just about it. And also Proton kidnaps Lyra after she disbanded Team Rocket. Unfortunately she didn't get the chance to fight the Elite Four because Proton took her away.
*Phew* So there ya' go!
Enjoy this chapter!
Ciao!
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Lyra suddenly knows what it feels like to be trapped and burned alive.
She awakes to flames. Her room is already heated, the acrid stink of burning rubber and synthetic fabrics assaulting her more savagely than even the blazing heat.
Lyra screams for help, but knows that no one will aid her…not even her beloved pokemon.
The fire's roar is like that of a roaring Charizard, or an angry Gyrados intent on destruction, louder than any cry for help she could try to make.
Only her bed remains untouched by the flames. She pulls her sheets up around her as if they could protect her from the fiery fangs. She watches in horror as her carpet becomes enfulged in the flames, her television melts like butter, her yellow curtains catch fire and explode.
Lyra screams again. Only this time her scream feels artificial, as if she weren't really screaming at all.
She stares out into the flames that dance in seemingly sadistic glee, teasing her with their plumage of orange and gold.
'There's something out there,' she thinks. Something in the fire.
Even in her terror, she tries to see what it is.
The shape is dark and shifting, but it is there. Is it a person—the person who started the fire? Lyra pulls back further behind her sheets as the fire begins to lick her bedposts. She struggles to see. What is out there?
Something large. Something enormous, something dark, lurking behind the flames.
Come, it says.
Lyra whimpers. The voice and low but loud enough to hear, its hissing and snarling makes up for the sultry purr and the sounds are enough to make Lyra's ears thrum with an intense pain.
Come join me, it calls.
"Who—who are you!"
The heat is stronger now, bearing in on her. The fire seems emboldened, invigorated, by the exchange of words. It surges forward and Lyra shrieks.
Feel the heat of the flames.
"Stop it!" Lyra screams.
Come join me my sweet.
"No," she whispers feeling helpless.
Please, I need you.
Lyra begins to cry.
Join me.
"Never," she whimpers
It is only painful for a moment, and then there is such pleasure…
"No," Lyra says again her voice filled with fear and determination.
The fire roars in anger now, furious at her frightened refusal. Malevolent sparks hop onto her blankets like hungry Raticates, determined to take her. Lyra swats at them, trying to put them out, as if such action mattered when her room was already living hell.
She feels the presence in the flames more strongly now. It looms in toward her, a giant shape—not exactly human but seemed to be one. No, not normal at all. Some kind of monstrous humanoid. Enormous—with arms, or tentacles, or wings—spreading out as if to claim her. It is so close now she can hear its breathing.
A shadow passes over the bed.
You cannot fight me, it tells her. Go ahead. Touch the beauty of my flames. See how they dance? Aren't they lovely?
Her sheets have caught fire now. The conflagration is upon her.
Lyra screams.
Join me.
And just before the fire devours her, Lyra sees its face: huge and overpowering, awesome and terrible, with burning eyes and a forked tongue.
The monstrous face of Giovanni.
Lyra screams again.
"!"
…
"Lyra! Lyra wake up! LYRA!"
Struggling frantically against the restraints that tie her arms to the bedposts, Lyra screams and curses at a desperate and pissed off Proton who wearing the black boxers he had been sleeping in.
"Damn you girl wake up!" the snarl in his voice is evident and against his better judgment he backhands her hoping that she'll wake up from her hellish nightmare.
The force of the blow makes her whole world go white and Lyra's eyes flicker open, a tiny cry escaping from her dry throat.
"Lyra…," he whispered lightly slapping her cheeks to get some color back into them and to keep her from passing out. "Forgive me my sweet but I had no choice," he said lowly while unlocking her restraints and pulling her shaking body onto his lap.
Shivering from fear and cold Lyra snuggled into him making small frightened whimpers that escaped her pale lips. "G-Giovanni….Giovanni," she moaned going limp in the green-haired male's arms. "Giovanni…"
"So he's been in your nightmares to huh?" Proton asked stroking her hair and kissing the top of her head. "He's always been a hard guy to forget…I'll admit that he's scarier then me. I fought him once and lost…had trouble sleeping for weeks."
"…"
"My guess is that you fought him to huh?"
"…"
"Did you win?"
He had been expecting to hear a soft "no" but she surprised him by nodding her head and looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. Smirking down at her he gently licked the tears away and nuzzled his cheek against hers. "How'd you win?"
"…"
"Well?"
"…Ender….my Typhlosion used Fire Blast on his last pokemon," Lyra murmured and used the back of her hand to wipe away the sweat that decorated her brow. "After that he…gave me a look of such hatred and desperation. Silver has his eyes…its scary."
"Like father like son yes?"
"I guess," she said finally looking up at him and wincing at the sharp smirk that donned his devilish features. "You know my sweet, for a little hero you sure do act like such a child."
"That's because I am one Proton." Resisting the urge to get up and from him she crawled off his lap and back onto the bed feeling light-headed and dizzy. Turning over on her side she snuggled into the covers and clutched a second pillow to her chest hoping to relieve the ache in her chest.
Feeling put off by her actions Proton frowned and snorted before standing up to go back upstairs but was stopped by his captive's soft voice.
"Proton…what do you want from me?"
What do you want from me?
The question had burned itself into the depths of the piece of lump he would call a heart and without his mind's consent the green-eyed male felt his body move on its own.
The bed creaked softly from the weight of the former Rocket member and Lyra was surprised to feel strong arms wrap themselves around her middle to bring her closer to a cold solid chest.
"Proton—''
"Go to sleep."
"But-''
"Please Lyra."
The politeness in his voice was laced with a small edge and the little brunette had no choice but to obey and settle into a troubled sleep leaving Proton to silently go over tonight's events.
What do you want from me?
The child was an enigma, a ticking time bomb that was ready to explode from the confinements that he placed her in.
What do you want from me?
He loved her.
What do you want from me?
He wanted her
What do you want from me?
He needed her.
What do you want from me?
'Whatever you have to offer,' he thought to himself and within moments he began to drift off leaving an unanswered question hanging in the darkness.
To be continued…