Take The Money And Run (Lay the Very Best - Chapter 405)

Brandy wasn't used to seeing Morgan caught off guard. She was nearly always effortlessly on top of things, seeing Morgan seeth like a kettle at boiling point felt wrong. All she could offer was support; a hand reached out and ruffled through her feathers, the tension in Morgan's arm jumping as she kept her eyes locked with Vivienne.

Calcine was around the other side doing the same, but it didn't stop Morgan from being a ball of barely contained fury between them.

Vivi sat on her throne, rolling a casino token between her fingers. "They look good on your wings, sister. You've done well for yourself."

"Don't patronize me," Morgan hissed, glowering from under her hat brim. "You're a leech, Vivienne. Every bit of luck you've ever had, you sucked out of the gang."

It stung Brandy that she didn't know what Morgan was talking about. They'd never really gone into what exactly Morgan had done over in Unova, or what she was doing before Cassidy bonded with her. It felt like a wound that'd only get worse if they'd picked at it, but it had also buried Morgan's past from them. She really should have been open to learning more.

Well, no better time to start.

"Morgan doesn't need your approval," Brandy said, brushing over feathers to find Morgan's hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. "We're here to beat you and get a badge."

Though how she'd give one out was still a bit confusing. They'd said this gym had no gym leader, but that didn't make any sense. Who'd decide they'd learned the lesson, 'Take luck into your own hands', without one?

"You want to gamble?" Vivi trilled from her throne, her voice soft velvet slicing over razor wire. "Then let's make it quick."

She rose in a single smooth motion, wings spreading wide and blocking out half the casino lights behind her, briefly shrouding her in darkness. With each step, her boots clacked with precision on the shimmering tiles, her red cloak billowing out behind her as she tossed the casino token high in the air and then snatched it on the fall with a clap of metal on flesh.

"Only two players for this. Brandy, pick your second."

"Morgan, obviously." Sparky snorted. "Not getting in the way of a grudge match."

"Maybe not," Calcine said, "She clearly wants to face Morgan, we shouldn't just play into that."

"Well, I'm happy to watch," Dani said, "Are we voting? Or uh..."

Brandy looked to Morgan, who tightened her grip on Brandy's hand. "I can win it."

"I know," Brandy said. "You want to? You don't have to prove a thing."

"I want it," Morgan nodded, "We got a history. This is long overdue."

Brandy really wanted to know what the history was, but it'd have to wait. Calcine gave a nod, and Brandy stepped forward with Morgan.

"Perfect. For the badge, then, we're playing the House game," Vivi said. "One round. Win, and the badge is yours. Lose…” Her grin sharpened. "You wait a year for another go."

Brandy crossed her arms. "What kind of gym turns people away for a year? This is ridiculous."

"My Casino, my rules," Vivi said, circling them both, her tail feathers wagging behind her as she sized Morgan up. She wasn't much taller, but Honchkrow had a massive bust that Morgan couldn't hope to match up to. Not that it stopped the Murkrow from puffing her chest up. "You want a backrub? Go back to Motostoke."

"Shame your attitude didn't evolve with you," Morgan sniffed. "You've never gotten anywhere on your own, Vivienne. I pity the poor woman you're taking all this from."

"All talk, no game." Vivi clapped her hands once. The floor lit up beneath them, forming a glowing circle around a simple pedestal. On it sat a silver casino token with a feather design printed on it.

"One flip," Vivi said, picking up the token and showing them a black and red flame on the bottom. "Feathers or tails."

Tail? It looked like a fireball. To Brandy.

"What happens if we win?" Brandy asked, trying to delay so she could think. Something felt off about all of this.

"You get a Dark badge," Vivi said, eyes twinkling with mock innocence. "You're here to make your own luck, aren't you? What's better than a fifty-fifty chance?"

Brandy and Morgan exchanged a look. Morgan's jaw tightened. Brandy reached for her hand and squeezed.

"Morgan gets to flip the token?"

"Sure. One flip," Vivi repeated. "One shot."

Morgan reached out first, laying her fingertips on the token. Brandy laid hers over Morgan's. Super Luck on Super Luck. Two hearts pounding in sync. Morgan was feeling the token carefully, rolling it in her fingertips and testing its weight. She was expecting a trick, so Brandy joined in, trying to feel out something.

All she felt was Morgan's fingers and the cool metal of a perfectly ordinary token. But they both kept searching, until finally their fingers interlinked.

"Feather," Morgan said. "You cheat, and I'm going to put you through that throne."

"Fair deal," Vivi said, and gave a theatrical bow, her peaked witch hat swishing along with the flare of her red cape.

Brandy and Morgan flipped the token when she wasn't looking. Why give her the chance? The rushing energy of Super Luck poured up through both of them and set the token on a perfect arc to land on Feather. There was no doubt in Brandy's mind. They had this.

The token landed on the plinth, bounced on an arc precisely mapped out in Brandy's mind, and landed with a soft clap right atop Vivi's breasts.

The air left the room.

Brandy blinked. "Wait, no. That's not right."

"Try again in a year," Vivi said, smiling as she fingered the silver token with the red and black flame showing.

"No. No way. We have Super Luck. That's not possible." Brandy said, "You cheated."

"Made my luck," Vivi smirked. "That was the rules, and you lost. Please, enjoy the Casino. I insist."

Morgan was dead silent, staring at the token sitting atop Vivi's breast.

Calcine stormed forward. "This was a trick. Illusion? Telekinesis? You have a Gardevoir working here."

Brandy's stomach dropped. Were they really being screwed out of a badge on a token flip? This felt so messed up.

Morgan stepped forward and held out a hand. "Good game."

Vivi looked at the hand like it might bite, then gave it a careful shake. "I got you."

"You did," Morgan said, "I was wrong. You've changed Vivi."

"I'm still pretty awful", she laughed, a little awkward. "Is that not obvious?"

"No," Morgan shook her head. "You're a sister I should have taken better care of. I'm happy someone is now."

She turned to Brandy, "Come on, let's go enjoy the Casino."

"Morgan?"

"It's fine, come on." Morgan put an arm around Brandy. "There's always next year."

They walked together, Brandy glancing back once toward Vivi, who had already turned back to her throne and crossed one leg lazily over the other.

The casino lights swallowed them again, strobing violet and silver, music and laughter echoing through the air like a spell they were all under. Dani was nervously chattering about getting drinks, while Sparky and Calcine flanked them protectively.

"She obviously cheated," Sparky said.

"Obviously," Morgan said. "But she cheated better. This win is hers."

"This can't be how the gym works. A token flip? A year to try again?" Calcine shook her head. "It makes no sense."

"It doesn't," Brandy agreed. "We tried to make our own luck, and she won anyway. How are you meant to win a Dark Badge with rules like that?"

"You can't." Morgan said, "It's impossible. She'll always win her game."

Brandy blinked. "You've worked this out."

Morgan smiled, just a little too widely. "This place is a gift, Brandy. We're going to get to do something that I've always wanted to do. More than anything."

Calcine coughed. "I assume you have a plan?"

"Not yet," Morgan said, adjusting her hat. "But that's all part of the fun."

The lights glinted off her feathers as she strode ahead, already weaving her way into the heart of the Casino. She swept a wing round and offered it out to all four of them.

"I'm putting together a team, and I want you all on it."

"For what?" Dani asked. "But I'm in! But for what?"

Morgan 's eyes sparkled. "She'll never give us a Dark Badge. So we're robbing this Casino."