A/N: Story is going through some serious editing because let's face it, it could be so much better. Do not be alarmed people, I changed my pen name from FallenAngelx3 to PurpleLemonadex3 so it's still me.
New Wings
Chapter one - Introductions
"Oh Jim there's our ship the R.L.S. Legacy." Delbert pointed excitedly to the ship in front of them.
"Let's get this over with." Jim said clutching his backpack tighter.
"Aren't you excited Jim! We can see so many things that other people aren't able to. The Black Lagoon Nebula, the Milky Way, the –"
"Yeah Doc" Jim interrupted as they arrived on the ship. "I get it… I get it." Mesmerized as the crew prepared the ropes and materials Jim walked away from Delbert to get a better look. "Wow… how cool is this…" Jim murmured.
"Well…" Delbert huffed watching Jim walk around the deck. "Don't mind me then I'll just look for the Captain." He muttered. Looking around he found a tall man with gray skin in a red coat barking orders.
That wasn't so hard Delbert thought approaching him, "Good morning Captain, everything in tip-top shape?"
The man turned slightly to him. "Tip-top shape sir but I'm not the Captain. The Captain's aloft." He finished looking up as the Captain came down from the top of the ship in a series of acrobatic tricks and landed right on her feet. Delbert jaw dropped at her performance.
"Mr. Arrow, I've checked this miserable ship from stem to stern and as usual! It's… spot on. Can you get nothing wrong?"
He cracked a smile "You flatter me Captain" and tipped his hat.
She walked over to Delbert and looked at him with big eyes. "Ahh… Dr. Doppler I presume." He started stuttering trying to find his words but she interrupted him. "Hello! Can you hear me?" she asked loudly knocking on his space suit.
"Y-Yes I can! Stop that banging!" he yelled irritatedly. She looked at him curiously, "If you don't mind doctor this works so much better if its right way up" She turned him around taking out the plug, "And plugged in." Turning him back around she plugged the wire in the front socket of his suit. "Lovely, there you go!" she smiled.
Delbert took off his helmet "If you don't mind, I can manage my own plugging!" he glared unplugging the wire and waved it at her. She shook her head ignoring his outburst. "I'm Captain Amelia late of a few run-ins with the Protean Armada. Nasty Business but I won't bore you with my scars," she spoke quickly then took a quick breath. "You've met my first officer Mr. Arrow; sterling, tough, dependable, honest, brave and true."
Arrow looked embarrassed causing Captain Amelia to smile. "Please Captain."
"Oh shut up Arrow, you know I don't mean a word of it."
Delbert was about to speak until he was interrupted by a crew member. "Hey Captain, do you know where Alex is?"
She turned around looking down at him. "No I haven't. Well not yet any way, Alex is probably in the kitchen so look there." She turned back to Delbert, "Alex is rather… popular on this ship, a big help really. I would like all of you to meet but maybe not until later."
"That's fine Captain, but may I introduce you to Jim Hawkins…" Delbert looked to his side then rubbed his eyes when he noticed Jim was still on the deck looking at the stars. "Jim!" He shouted motioning him to come over.
"Yeah?"
"Jim… this is Captain Amelia. Captain this is the boy who found the trea-blgg!" Amelia's senses sharpened and with a quick glance around her she had a hand over Delbert's mouth.
"Doctor… Please!" she looked around her again watching as the nearby listeners gave her a nasty look but went back to working. She took her hand off of Delbert's mouth "I'd like a word with you in my state room." She said quietly.
Inside the Captain's room she advised that Delbert and Jim not talk about the treasure map in front of this crew because that could spark a few problems. Before Delbert could argue she quickly asked to see the map. "Here." Jim said indifferently throwing it to her.
Amelia looked at it with big eyes but quickly locked it away. "Mr. Hawkins, in the future you will address me as Captain or Ma'am is that clear?"
He sighed in disgust.
"Mr. Hawkins." She said sternly.
He looked at her, "Yes, Ma'am."
"That will do."
"That woman that, that… feline! Who does she think is working for whom?!" Delbert hissed.
"It's my map! And she's got me bustin' tables." Jim scowled shoving his hands in his pockets.
Arrow rested his massive hands on their shoulders. "I'll not tolerate a cross word about our Captain! There's no finer officer in this or any galaxy!"
Looking away from the pair Mr. Arrow eyed the cook. "Mr. Silver?"
Silver raised his eyebrows and turned to him. "Why Mr. Arrow sir!" he said cheerfully cleaning off his knife on his apron. "Bringin' such fine and distinguished gents to grace my humble galley! Had I known I'd o' tucked in me shirt!" he chuckled stuffing his apron into his waist band. He looked over to Delbert, "Love the outfit doc." He said using his laser eye to examine him.
"Well… er… thank you um…" Delbert fidgeted crossing his arms over himself. "Love the eye." He grabbed Jim from behind him and pushed him forward causing Silver to stop. "This young lad is Jim Hawkins."
Silver stepped forward and put out his hand for Jim to shake. "Jimbo!" When Silver notice he still had blades and tools for a hand he grinned sheepishly and quickly changed it to his usual hand. Jim merely stared coldly at it then glared at Silver.
Silver just shrugged and turned to continue cooking. "Ah, don't be too put off by this… hunk o' hardware!" He quickly sliced and chopped up some seafood, tossing them into a bowl then pretended to cut off his own hand, "Whoa!" he chucked revealing his hand from inside his sleeve. Laughing to himself he continued talking as he added more ingredients to the bowl. "These gears have been tough getting used to, but they do come in mighty handy from time to time." He switched his hand to a flamethrower, quickly heated the ingredients and dumped them into a pot. Giving it a quick stir he tasted it with a calculating expression then smiled to himself.
"Here now! Have a taste of me famous Bonzabeast Stew!" he beamed pouring a bowl for his guests.
Delbert sniffed it cautiously then hesitantly took a sip. "Mmm!" He smiled slightly. "Delightfully tangy! Yet… robust."
Silver grinned, "Old family recipe."
"Agh!" Delbert's eyes went wide when he saw an eyeball in his soup.
"In fact, that was part of the old family!" Silver laughed loudly plucking the eyeball from the bowl and into his mouth. "Oh just kiddin' doc!"
Delbert looked down at the bowl doubtfully trying to figure out if it was a joke or not.
"Go on Jimbo, 'ave a swig."
Jim hesitantly picked up a spoonful and looked dubiously at it. Suddenly his spoon ate the stew and turned pink. Silver frowned as Morph turned into a straw to suck up the rest of the bowl. "Morph! You jiggle-headed blob 'o mischief! So that's where you was hidin'!"
Morph peered up over the edge of the bowl with a small burp then flew out of the bowl and rubbed against Jim's face like a kitten causing the teen to laugh. "What is that thing?" Jim asked poking the pink blob. Morph expanded into ten small blobs then changed himself into a miniature Jim and landed on his finger. They both looked at each other curiously as Silver attempted to explain.
"He's…a morph." Silver said bluntly.
"Care to elaborate a bit?" Jim said as Morph changed back to his usual pink self and licked Jim's face causing him to laugh again.
"I rescued the little shape shifter offa Proteous One." Morph left Jim and went back to his master. "He took a side to me." Silver smiled at the pink blob when it rubbed affectionately against his face. "Aw, we've been together ever since."
There was bell ringing from above causing Arrow to turn to Jim and Delbert. "We're about to get underway. Would you like to observe the launch Doctor?"
Delbert grinned excitedly. "Would I?! Does an active galactive nucleus have super-luminal jets?!" He smiled but it quickly faded when everybody just stared blankly at him. "I'll follow you…"
As Delbert made his way upstairs Arrow blocked Jim from following. "Mr. Hawkins will stay here in your charge Mr. Silver." Silver nearly choked on a spoonful of stew. "Beggin' your pardon sir but uh - "
"Captain's orders!" Arrow interrupted. "See to it the new cabin boy is kept busy!" Both males protested trying to speak over each other but gave up when Arrow started walking back above deck. Both rubbing their hands over their faces they glanced at each other awkwardly until Jim walked over to the counter.
"So. Captn's put you with me, eh?"
Jim shrugged.
"Eh, who be a humble cyborg, to argue with a Capt'n."
"Yeah…" Jim responded distractedly. He grabbed a purp from the huge barrel and began tossing it between his hands. "Ya know… these purps are kinda like the ones back home…On Montresser. You ever been there?"
"Ah, can't says I have Jimbo. Once but a long time ago, I can't really remember it"
"Come to think of it," Jim said "Just before I left I met this old guy. He was kind of looking for a cyborg buddy of his."
"Is that so?" Silver asked as he sliced through a piece of fruit.
"Yeah…" Jim answered. "What was that old salamander's name…? Oh yeah. Bones. Billy Bones…?"
Silver glanced at Jim pretending to remember. "Bones? Booooones? Mmm mm, taint ringin' any bells. Must have been a different cyborg. There's a slew 'o cyborgs. Roam in this port." He turned his head as sounds came from up above signaling the launch was drawing near. He smiled. "Eh, off with ya lad. An' watch the launch. There'll be plenty o' work awaitin' for ya afterwards." As Jim stumbled up the steps Silver turned to Morph, "We best be keepin' a sharp eye on this one, aye Morph? We wouldn't want him stayin' into tings he shouldn't."
"Cool" Jim smiled to himself watching as the crew got ready for takeoff.
"Hey kid" called a voice from above.
Jim looked up as a tall figure landed in front of him. The first thing he noticed was her dark grey almond eyes and how they peeked out from under her fringe. She was tan but then again where he came from everyone was; she had on a tight white shirt and long black pants with bandages on her right arm and scar starting from the bottom of her neck and disappearing under her shirt.
"So you're that new kid that came with the doctor?" The stranger asked.
He looked at her surprised, her voice was stern almost like Captain Amelia but unlike the Captain her eyes held a playful glint. That's when it finally registered that this stranger was a girl. He blinked at her. "You're a girl."
She raised an eyebrow at him, "Good going there Captain Obvious. Want to tell me something else I know about myself?" She deadpanned.
He frowned, "Sorry. It's just I've never seen or heard of a girl who is interested in sailing."
"Don't worry about it, I get it all the time. You got a name?"
"Jim."
She looked him over, "Jim, huh? Is that supposed to be short for something?"
He hesitated. "Uh yeah… James." He said slowly coughing in embarrassment.
She smiled at him. "Well that's a nice name no need to be embarrassed Jim and loosen up. I'm not going to throw you overboard."
"…Thanks… Well now that you know my name, what's yours?"
As she opened her mouth to answer Silver bellowed "Jimbo!" causing both of them to turn to him. "I've got two new friends I'd like ya to meet." Jim looked around Silver excitedly. "Say hello, to Mr. Mop." Silver threw a mop towards Jim. "And Mrs. Bucket! Hahaha…" Then threw a bucket at him.
"Yippee." Jim deadpanned causing the girl next to him stifle a laugh. Silver looked at both of them and left shaking his head. Jim sighed already cursing the very being who put that map in his hands.
"Don't hate it too much Jim, I mean it's bad at first but it gets better." The stranger said.
"Yeah sure it does… so are you going to tell me your name?"
The stranger blinked at him. "Oh jeeze where are my manners" She cleared her throat. "Names' Alexia but everyone calls me Alex." She stuck her hand out, "Nice to meet you James."
Jim shook her hand, "So you're Alex. Huh. I thought you'd be a boy."
Alex laughed uneasily, "I feel like I should be insulted but I understand. It's not often you see a female on a ship unless it's the Captain and even then that's rare. Like I said before I get it all the time."
"So you work with the crew right?"
"Yup" She confirmed popping the 'p'.
"But you look like you're my age… shouldn't you be in school?"
Alex laughed, "Yeah I should but" She shrugged, "I'd rather live in the skies you know." She hoisted herself to sit on the edge of the ship. "I love it here don't think I could be a land lover for too long."
"Hey watch out there" Jim warned watching her warily, "You don't want to fall…"
"Why James are you worried about me?" She purred smirking at him.
"Oh uh… erm… well I don't want you falling to your death if that's what you mean." He said trying to concentrate on his moping.
"That's sweet but don't worry. I'm an old pro at this."
"So uh Alex… any reason you're not doing any demeaning chores like I am?"
"Well yes… you see you're the cabin boy so this is what you do. I'm part of the crew so I make sure everything on deck is in order. Plus you're new and fresh meat always gets the shitty jobs."
Jim scowled. "Seriously? So I'm like the bus boy here? Great. So is it always going to be Hey Jimbo I want you to meet your new friends Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket?" He asked doing a poor imitation of Silver.
"Yeah…" Alex laughed. "Pretty much."
"Pfft… Mr. Mop and Mrs. Bucket… hmpf…Yeah I got your Mister mop…"
Alex stifled a laugh. "Chill, it gets better…"
Jim gave her a deadpanned look. "…Sometimes…" She finished smiling warily at him.
Jim rolled her eyes at her and went to a different part of the desk to mop. As he shifted his stance a member of the crew bumped into him purposely and pushed him to the side. "Watch it Twerp!" he said in a deep bass holding a fist up.
Jim straightened and glanced around noticing a few other crew members who were whispering animatedly. When one of them saw Jim was looking he quickly motioned the others to stop talking.
The one with the long brown hair crossed his arms glared at Jim. "What are you lookin' at weirdo?" The head crawled off, leaving the 'stomach' to open its eyes and speak. "Yeah… 'Weirdo'."
Seeing the new cabin boy getting a little nosy Scrupp climbed down from the ropes to confront him, "Cabin boys should learn to mind their own businesssssss…" he hissed.
"Why, you got something to hide bright eyes?" Jim asked with a cocky grin on his face.
Alex narrowed her eyes at both of them in warning but neither of them saw. Scrupp hissed again and grabbed Jim by the front of his jacket lifting him up in the air. "Maybe your ears don't work sssso well?" he hissed into Jim's face causing him to turn away coughing "Yeah. Too bad my nose works just fine!"
Scrupp let out an angry hiss, "Why you impudent little….!" He shoved Jim against the main mast.
"Any last wordssss, cabin boy?" he hissed bringing his claw fatally close to Jim's throat. The crew began to yell eagerly egging him to finish the job.
"Alright children settle down." Alex said walking into the middle of the crowd.
"Stay out of thiissss you little girl." Scrupp warned.
Alex glared daggers at him. "Now Scrupp… Put. Him. Down. Now." She said sternly. He hissed at her tightening his hold on Jim. "Or what?"
"Well if you want to be like that…" She punched him to the other side of the boat causing him to drop Jim. She then turned around to address the rest of the crew, "PARTY'S OVER. NOW BEAT IT!" She yelled.
"Indeed it is." Arrow agreed at the top of the stairs watching them with a scowl. "What's all this then?"
The crew scattered back to their posts. "You know the rules. There'll be no brawling on this ship! Any further offenders will be confined to the brig, for the remainder of the voyage."
He paused in front of Scrupp his scowl setting deeper on his face. "Am I clear Mr. Scrupp?"
Scrupp began to hiss but stopped when he noticed Alex giving him a look that promised pain if he did not comply. Grimacing unhappily he turned back to Arrow. "Transparently."
Arrow stood back for a moment looking at Jim and then Alex. "Thanks for you're help Alexia." Then began walking back to his former post.
"No problem!" She hollered looking at Jim. "You okay tough guy?" She asked helping him up.
"Yeah I'm fine except for my pride…"
"Yeah… First rule about living on a ship: Mind your business especially if the crew does not like you. Oh and no mouthing off to guys who can kick your ass."
Jim scowled picking up his mop again, "Thanks for the tip. I'll remember that the next time some bug thing is sizing up to me." He said sarcastically.
"What's all this then?" Silver huffed walking towards them.
"Uh-oh trouble! See y-"
"Oh no Alex! You stay right there!" Silver wagged his finger at her.
"I thought I gave you a job to do Jimbo."
"Hey I was doing it until that bug thing got – "
"Belay that!" Silver interrupted shouting in Jim's face. "Now I want this deck swabbed spotless! And heaven help ya if I come back and it's not done…!" he trailed off glancing towards Morph.
"Morph! Keep an eye on this pup. Let me know if there be any more distractions." He walked back to the stairs.
Jim sighed and began to mop again. As Jim turned Morph made his eyes huge staring obediently at Jim who just raised an eyebrow.
Silver turned back around, "Oh yeah! Alex! I want to talk to ya!" he headed back down the stairs. Alex frowned and followed.
"So…We're all 'ere then." A very short, many-eyed creature scrambled in, sitting on the table next to Alex.
"Hey there." The creature winked his many eyes causing her to make a disgusted face and move.
"Fine." Silver began to walk forward. "Now…If you'll pardon my way of speakin' gentlemen…Are ya all…" his mechanical hand switched out to a deadly sword. "Stark RAVIN', TOTALLY blinkin' DAFT?!" he swung the sword dangerously close to their heads, making everyone duck and cry out in terror except Alex. "After all I went through getting us hired as an upstanding crew, you want to blow the whole mutiny before it's time?!" he yelled in Scrupp's face.
"The boy wasss sniffing about." He hissed.
"You just stick to the plan ya bug-brained twit! As for the boy…I'll run him so ragged he won' have time ta think…"
Alex rolled her eyes she couldn't take anymore of this nonsense. "Silver, I'm going back upstairs to look after Jim, with Morph around he's more likely to goof off than pay attention." Silver looked at her and nodded her off.
"Hey get off me you pink blob!" Jim swatted his hand at Morph as the playful creature continued to pester him.
"Get of me! Get off me!" Morph mimicked giggling merrily.
"Arg!" Jim held the mop like a baseball bat and started to swing, "Just wait till I hit you!"
"Ahem." Alex cleared her throat watching Morph dodge the angry teen.
"Alex! Alex! Alex!" Morph cheered floating over to her. "And what's this. Jim don't you have a job to do?"
"I was doing it… until Morph got bored and starting bothering me." He grumbled going back to his moping.
"Now Morph Silver gave you a job to do, that means no slacking off." She poked the blob causing him to giggle.
"Don't worry about it. I'm done." Jim smiled a little shrugging his shoulders. "I was almost finished anyway."
"That's good you don't want to get in trouble in your first day do ya? Oh wait… you already did my mistake." She snickered.
He rolled his eyes, "I wasn't in trouble. The situation was completely under control."
Alex snorted, "Yeah controlled when I came in. Which brings me to the second rule: Don't act cocky if you don't have the moves to back it up."
"Hey I can fight alright I don't need you looking after me."
"Forget where you are already James? You're sailing the skies now which means you're on my turf now land lover. If you piss off anyone they can toss you over board. Know what that means? You're gone, poof, forever. Face it if you want to survive this voyage you need me." She crossed her arms over her chest with a smug smirk.
He scoffed, "Yeah right. I don't need a little girl looking after me. Thanks but I'll pass."
Alex glared at him, "This little girl managed to stop the top baddie on this ship from ripping out your vocal cords."
"I told you I was handling it."
"Very badly! Scrupp was inches away from taking out your throat."
"I would've handled it."
Alex huffed in frustration, "Fine then. Continue to act like a rebel cabin boy just don't expect me to save you next time."
"Well!" came Silver's laughing voice. "Thank heavens for little miracles." He was carrying a pot of garbage and threw it over to throw over the edge of the ship.
"Up her for an hour an' the decks still in one piece." Jim turned his attention to his mop.
"Tch later cabin boy." She turned her heel and headed off to the sleeping quarters.
Silver looked at Alex's ridged form then Jim's scowling face. "Uh-oh. What'd ya say Jimbo?"
"Nothing!"
When Silver gave him a hard look Jim rolled his eyes. "Nothing… just… stupid stuff."
Silver shook his head, "Two moody teenagers? Heaven help me. Anyway Jimbo! You best be heading off. Early start tomorrow! The Captain's put you in my charge so I'll be poundin' some skills into that thick head o' yours to keep ya outta trouble!" Silver said with a smug grin on his face. Jim blinked owlishly at him. "From now on, I'm not lettin' you outta me sight…"
"You can't do that!"
"You won't so much as eat, sleep or scratch your bum with out my say so."
"Don't do me any favors!" Jim yelled back. Silver just laughed, "Oh you can be sure of that my lad, you can be sure of that."
A/N: Long chapter yes I know but I think it would've been awkward to break them up. Let me know what you guys think :)
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