Chapter Text
Creak...
Creaaaaak...
Creaaaaaaaak...
Your eyes shot open to examine the odd, yet excruciating noise. Pain blossomed within your skull as you gazed upon your surroundings. Where… where were you? Metallic, cold and oddly empty. This was, without a doubt, a subway cart. You pushed yourself up from the uncomfortable plastic seating beneath you and looked outside the windows just above.
Concrete walls and dim lighting greeted you but gave no further information to your situation. Any attempt to recollect what had happened previously left you in a vicious spiral of pain and blurry sights. All that truly came to you was your name. Suddenly, your balance shifted, and the subway began to move. Panic was immediate and harsh, yet there was no way to stop whatever happened.
Getting off the seats finally, you decided to explore the carts. Surely, you were not the only person on board. Another person could clue you into you what was happening. You move to the door and went to open it, but something made you hesitate. It felt familiar, much too familiar for any level of comfort. You ripped your hand back.
Frigid air seemingly bled from the door, and you knew something awful awaited you on the other side of the door. You turned your attention to the other end of the cart, but you noticed there was no door. Only two viable paths lie before you: sit and wait, or dare to venture beyond the door. You were no dog, however. In a situation like this, actions always produced more results than patience.
Filled with a strange sense of determination, you slid the door open. On the other side was… a bedroom? Your head raced to figure out how this even worked. It was a bedroom contained within the area of the cart. A door was also located across the room. The room brought forth strange, phantom sensations on your skin. An intangible pain sprung forth on both of your shoulders. Had you been prompted to describe it, you would likely have said it felt as though someone had bitten you.
The bed was large enough to fit a few people on in it and many objects laid upon it. Your stomach dropped as you recognized them: handcuffs, ribbons and a black cap. Feeling nauseous, you dashed for the next door and ripped it open. A bathroom followed the bedroom; everything about it seemed normal. The absurd thought that this was someone's house crossed your mind. Did you live here? That thought made your heart clench. This was not your home, and you knew that much.
A note was taped to the next door, and a heart-shaped box of chocolates leaned against it. With shaking hands, you pulled the letter from the cold metal. “Darling, you decided to stay! Now, we will be together forever and ever and ever.” Bile burned your throat as you rushed to the toilet to vomit. Shame, failure, and anxiety creeped down your spine.
Pressed against the porcelain as you threw up food that you could not even recall eating; you felt unseen eyes burning through your thin t-shirt. You noticed a strange bruising around your wrist, too. The handcuffs crossed your mind. Yes, you were held hostage here. That much could easily be determined. Now the question arose as to whom. Who had held you here? How long until they returned? Perhaps they had already. The feeling of being watched was certainly not helping.
You did not dare even flush the toilet. If there was even a chance they were not aware you were awake, then you would not dare to bring more attention toward you. Carefully and quietly, you slid the next door open. The next area was a living room of sorts. A television was awkwardly again the side of the subway and the couch just looked uncanny sat as it was. A bookcase was lined with books, but you did not give it much mind. A white coat was laid out on the back of the couch. Terror rose upon laying eyes on it. You knew whose coat this was, yet you could not even picture a face in your mind. Another note rested on the coffee table that sat between the television and couch. You picked it up and read once more:
“You look so confused. Are you afraid? If you want this to end, then you only have to call our names. This is a losing game, dear.”
Our names. Our. Plural. You did not have a single captor. This was a game, you realized. Had they drugged you with something to cause a state of amnesia? Goosebumps blossomed across your skin. They were definitely watching. How could they expect you to call their names? You barely knew your own! Frustration and fear mixed and resulted in you tearing the note until nothing of it remained. You needed to get out of here and as quickly as possible.
Running, you slid open the next door. A kitchen and dining area were next, but you ignored it and rushed to the door. Your hands grasped the icy metal handle and pulled it to the left. Alas, this time it did not budge. No amount of pushing and pulling you attempted could result with a small amount of movement. Distantly, you heard someone laugh. Stopping your attempt instantly, you turned to look behind you.
Sat at the table with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake was a man, a nearly identical white cap to the one you had spotted earlier sat on his head. He stirred the cup and took a drink of it. A smile sat comfortably on his face as he turned to you, "Darliiiing, I think you should just give up! I swear that the door will never open for you," his voice was strangely monotone while his face expressed his emotions eerily. "C'mon, this tiramisù is super good. I promise!"
You swallowed dryly as you considered him. He seemed friendly and approachable, but you knew he was one of your captors. What... was he? He had not been there when you had entered and you were certain you heard nothing change until he laughed. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't even if I wanted to. I don't know who you are," honesty probably would not do much here, but lying seemingly had no benefit either. His eyes went wide and he smile temporarily shifted in a frown. Still, it perked right back up and he giggled. "Mmm, you don't remember one of your soulmates? Big brother will surely be verrrrrry upset by that," his eyes turned harsh and cold. It clearly bothered him much more than he would allow himself to admit openly.
The concept of soulmates flew over your head as you rushed away from the creature. Humans did not have the level of discomfort he exerted. You zoomed back toward the first cabin you awoke in. You should have stayed there. The gut feeling was absolutely correct. You could hear him trailing behind you slowly.
Practically ramming the door so fast that sparks flew, you rushed into the bedroom cart. Hurriedly, you approached the last door. Hand met metal for what you hoped was the last time. Pushing it as you had the last, you felt your very soul freeze when it refused to move. No, no, no, no- a mantra that repeated endlessly within the folds of your brain as you tried fruitlessly to escape. You had lost the game the minute you stepped foot in this room. Falling to your knees, memories broke through the shell and haunted you.
Once a normal pokemon trainer, you decided to try the Battle Subway on a vacation to Nimbasa. Despite managing to meet Ingo, you ultimately lost to his team. The burn of shame came, and you forced a smile and thanked him for the opportunity. Yet, before you could leave he grabbed your arm and you felt a strange burn. He apologized for his abrupt actions and let you go. It was weird, but perhaps he was just concerned for how upset you looked.
For the rest of your vacation you kept trying- and failing- to beat him and his brother, Emmet. One your final attempt, you had a laugh about it all and thanked them for bothering with you. You chatted with them as you had a few times before after losing to them and let it be known that this was your last trial.
Emmet's face dropped at your words, and he practically started begging you to stay. This completely weirded you out and as you made a poor excuse to leave, something shifted and changed. The world become odd and impossible to comprehend; a door just did not function as a door. You fell back from the sudden onslaught of it all. Ingo caught you and looked mildly distressed. His words did not make sense, but you still understood them, "Emmet reacted a bit too strongly and I apologize for how you must feel. We cannot let you go, however. We have been waiting for our soulmate for too long." Your conscience fell off not long after that.
Waking up handcuffed to the headboard in the odd bedroom, you knew something bad happened. It was soon revealed to you, through both words and observable fact, that the twins were not human. You never asked them; they never told you, but your best guess was something demonic in nature. Not that you had ever seen them with horns and tails, you just had a hunch from how they seemingly bent and shaped reality around them.
Often, the twins apologized for leaving you alone while at work. They still took care of you and provided you plenty of entertainment. A favourite of them being any sort of game. It was then you learned how competitive the two truly were. Acknowledging that, you made a deal with them that if they took your memories and left you in a room that you would not leave it. You had lost that game without even realizing it.
Arms wrapped around your waist and pulled you away from the door. Warm, fat tears fell from your eyes. Lips kissed your neck and trailed up to your ear, "Say our names, dear." Ingo's voice was quieter than usual. You hiccuped and whispered their names just under your breath.