o Chapter 2 o
"Thanks for that. Awesome experience. And to answer your question I'm immortal." she grinned sitting down between Wire and Heat.
"You what?" most of them asked looking at her wide eyed.
"Sorry but that's physically impossible." Wire said.
"No. It's not. That blow should have killed me, but I'm alive and well, like it didn't even effect me." she grinned.
"How is it possible?" Kidd asked with his eyebrows furrowed and sat back down.
"How did all those wounds just disappear?" Killer asked shocked.
"How it works is that if I die, whatever caused my death completely heals up without a trace. If I get a bigger more threatening injury or a broken bone, that will heal up pretty quickly too. But surface wounds like these heal at a slower rate. And I don't scar. See, my eyes, nails and skin tone are a result of this shit as well." she explained smiling and brushed her now dry fringe out of her eyes.
They just watched her amazed and dumbfounded.
"How I became like this is a long story." she grinned.
"Spill it." Kidd said giving her a mean look.
"You don't scare me." she said unamused.
"But I'll tell you because I like you. You're power is super cool too." she grinned.
"Let's see. I must have been 15. I'm 21 by the way. So I lived in this town with my foster parents, they died a while ago. Disease or something." she said smiling. She was awfully calm and cheery about it but they guessed she was okay with the whole ordeal so just listened quietly.
"I was kidnapped by the scientists that had laboratories under the asylum. It's up in the mountains. I was experimented on for about a year, until results showed. Then I was tortured to no end to test how well it works. Fell asleep in my own blood and tears every night for a few years. I think they were planning to sell me to the government as an immortal weapon against pirates or some bullshit. That's why I was trained in several martial arts. The weapon-smith trade I learned from my foster father." she explained gesturing a lot with her hands as they took all the information in, finding it hard to believe.
"They eventually managed to damage my pain receptors with something, so badly that I can't feel pain anymore and my fear was killed long before that. When I got what I wanted out of the training, I killed everyone in the facility and set fire to it todestroy all the evidence. I accidentally burned the asylum down too. My bad." she said scratching the back of her neck.
"How did you become so hated here?" Killer asked.
"I'm unnaturally pale and my eyes creep them out. It only took a moth for an idiot to push me too far and for me to react pretty badly to them. I killed, they tried to drive me out, I just keep coming back cause it's fun and it pisses them off. And I think I'm homeless now." she said in though.
"I thought you lived in the ruins of the labs." Gray said raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, the entrance to it collapsed and I can't get in. I've been sleeping in trees and stuff for a while now. That's what our argument with the bear was about. He didn't like me sleeping there." she shrugged.
"So you're immortal." Kidd said looking her in the eyes and she nodded with a lazy smile.
"A weapon-smith." he said and she nodded.
"A devil fruit user. Where did you get that anyway?" he asked.
"I found it in the forest. It tasted nasty as fuck." she said pulling her nose.
"But it's the most useful power I've seen. Well for me anyway." she grinned.
"Join my crew." he said grinning and most of his crew looked at him surprised.
"Why?" she frowned.
"Because I fucking want you to." he growled.
"But I don't like taking orders." she pouted.
"Tough shit." he glared at her.
"You will get to see the world and harass new people. Besides you're running out of things to entertain yourself with here aren't you?" Gray asked with a smirk on his face.
"That's true." she said in thought.
"What is it like out at sea?" she asked grinning at Kidd.
"Come with us and you'll find out." he grinned back.
"Okay. I can't swim though." she said.
"You're a fruit user. That's normal." Killer said.
"No. I know what it does and I don't get weak in the sea or by seastone. My immortality somehow cancelled that out. I just simply can't swim." she said with a shrug.
"You're serious?" Heat asked her and she nodded.
"You're cool looking. Love your dreads." she grinned up at him.
"Thanks." he smiled at her.
"You're all pretty cool looking." she grinned and let out a big yawn, rubbing her eyes.
"Go up and sleep. You need it." Gray called.
"I should." Noah nodded and stood up.
"Why are you so nice to me now?" she asked glaring at him.
"Because you're going with them in a week and I won't have to deal with your shit anymore. Now go." he said crossing his arms.
"Love you too old man." she chuckled and walked up the stairs.
. . .
In the morning, the Kidd Pirates all managed to get down and Gray was waiting for them with breakfast. It was only around 11 or 11:30 that Noah wobbled down as well.
She was in the same clothes as last night but the shirt was a bit more open. She swayed and her eyes were half lidded as she made her way to the bar.
"You're not a morning person, are you?" Gray asked amused as she leaned on the counter with her head on the surface of it.
"Coffee?" he asked as she just let out a noise.
"Noah." Killer called walking up to her.
"Who the hell are you and what the fuck do you want form me?" she asked glaring at him, after she turned her head to the side.
"My name is Killer. I'm the first mate of the pirate crew you just joined last night." he said, sitting down beside her.
"Hi." she said and sat up straight when Gray got back with a mug of coffee.
"Thanks." she finally smiled at him after a few sips of the hot beverage.
"So what did you want Mr Stripes?" she asked smiling at Killer. He raised an eyebrow at her under his mask but ignored the new nickname.
"I want to show you the ship and we'll set up a room for you. I don't think you should sleep in the bunks with the rest." he said.
"Thanks. I don't really mind where I sleep. I wont be in my room for long anyway. I just need a room to set up my workshop to work in." she smiled.
"That can be arranged." he smiled under his mask.
"Those are cool. Can I have a look?" she asked gesturing to his blades.
"Sure." he said lifting his arm for her to see.
"Can I?" she asked looking up at his mask with a smile. He nodded and as they stood, he turned it on for her to look at.
"Oh wow." she grinned and moved around him to get better angles of it. He turned it off and sat back down as she started to poke at it muttering some incoherent things about metal and how it could be lighter and more balanced. Killer could have sworn he saw the same look in her eyes as the one Kidd has when he's working on one his trinkets as well.
"I think I can improve it if you let me. I can make up new blades for it that wont only be more flexible and hold it's sharpness for longer but it will be lighter and more efficient." she grinned up at him after letting go of his arm.
"If you don't mind." Killer smiled under his mask.
"I'd love to. Making weapons is a passion of mine so don't hesitate to ask me whatever you want made. I'll do it." Noah grinned.
"Will do. I'll tell the other that too." he said making her smile more.
"Alright. I'm going to get dressed now." she said and took off upstairs.
When she got back down she was wearing a clean pair of black ripped skinny jeans with her grey ankle boots, a clean loose dark grey tank top that reached down over her butt and a long thin knitted cardigan that had a big hood and went over her knuckles loosely, it was the same light grey and blue but it was fully intact with no arm missing. She also had a black leather string tied around her neck as a chocker and another longer necklace with the same string that reached down to under her chest with a metal bird's skull that had two goat horns curling down and forward.
"You like baggy clothes I see." Killer smiled under his mask as she walked up to him.
"Yup. I love it when a shirt goes over my knuckles." she grinned while Gray put food in front of her.
After she ate, Killer took her to their ship to show her around. She told him to go on while she followed him on the roof tops in order to avoid the town's people. She said she doesn't want get in a fight now.
"Noah." Killer called as he walked onto the ship.
"I'm here." she grinned jumping over the railing and landing in front of him.
"I see you're quite acrobatic." he said impressed. She was flipping off buildings like it was child's play.
"I had good training." she smiled and looked around the dark ship.
"I love your style." she grinned in awe.
"Thanks. You'll be living here. I suggest you get along with people and stay out of Kidd's way. He has a short fuse." the blond advised.
"Kay. Can we see the inside now? I've never been on a ship." she grinned excitedly.
"Let's go." he smiled under his mask. He found her quite interesting, she was a smart person and a very well trained one by what he saw, but then she can be very childish and impulsive, not to mention unpredictable and fearless. She will do well on the crew, if she behaves and Kidd won't throw her overboard that is.
It was interesting to show her around as she regarded everything with great curiosity and awe. From the galley to the bathrooms and bunks. Her room ended up as an old storage room and she said she only needs to turn it into her workshop and refused a bed.
"So where do you plan to sleep then?" Killer asked as they stood in her room that was pretty close to Kidd's and his own room.
"Dunno. The crow's nest or maybe I'll just join you." she smirked and walked out. Killer didn't know if she meant it in a joking way or in a suggestive way, but he shrugged it off as her weirdness and followed after her.
She met a few of the crew mates and she was pretty nice to them. He didn't see why the people hated her so much but then again he saw how she killed and the expression she held while doing it, but he wasn't any different so he guessed she'll fit in here.
"So when did you meet Kidd?" Noah asked sitting on the railing, facing the sea and swinging her legs as Killer leaned against it.
"When we were children. We came from the same island back in the South Blue." he said.
"What made you stick with him. You're the navigator as well right?" she asked looking over at him. He noted how she usually always had a lazy smile on her face and it was a nice change from all the mean looks or bored frowns from the crew.
"I am and we've been friends for a long time now. I promised him that I will make him the Pirate King." he said grinning under his mask.
"That's great. Is friendship nice? What does it feel like?" she asked and he could tell that it was a genuine question. It surprised him a little actually.
"Have you never had a friend before?" he asked curiously.
"No. I was always the creepy foster child that nobody liked. Then I became the island's demon. So I never had a chance to make friends. You're the first one that I had such a civil conversation with." she said grinning at him. That was a little sad to hear, even merciless pirates had each other to call friends. She must have been very lonely.
"Friends can rely on each other to have their backs. They travel together and go through all the hardships and the good. It is a very nice thing. Friends are loyal and honest to each other." he explained.
"So a pirate crew is made up of friends that live together and travel doing whatever they want, not caring about the consequences. Must be fun." she smiled looking up at the sky as a bigger grin took over her face.
"That's right. You're part of the crew now. I'm sure you'll make friends with the rest of the crew as well." he said smiling under his mask.
"As well? Who am I friends with already?" she asked looking at him confused.
"Me? We've been together all day and chatted. We got to know each other a bit. I consider that the first steps of a friendship." he said chuckling.
"That's great. Thank you." Noah grinned and jumped back onto the deck. She stepped closer and pulled Killer into an unexpected hug. It was warm and he could feel that she meant it, with how she was holding onto him. He rested his arm around her shoulders and patted her head smiling.
"You smell good." she giggled.
"Thanks I guess. You're very strange." Killer chuckled as she pulled away.
"I get that a lot. But it's rare that I get to be this close to a person. It only happens when I kill them." she smiled up at him with bright eyes. That would be a little unsettling to others but Killer just took it as a good thing for her.
He watched her close her eyes, enjoying the gentle breeze as it ruffled her straight black hair and the sway of the ship.
"Haha. Let's go before the ship lulls me to sleep, standing." she laughed and ran off the ship, towards town.
"Wait up." he called after her and caught up pretty easily.
"Where could Kidd be hiding?" she asked herself while they walked through town. She had a half skip in her steps that made her cardigan flutter behind her a little and amused Killer.
"Either a bar, restaurant or he's exploring the island." Killer said, knowing him well.
"Let's check the forest." Noah grinned and ran off in a random direction.
They walked around for a bit, well Noah was running around, climbing trees and stuff but Killer managed to keep up with her. She was happy that he did and even challenged him to a race. She had home field advantage but he was pretty close to beating her.
"That was awesome. Thanks Stripes." she grinned, jumping down from a tree.
"It was fun. What's up with the nickname though?" he asked amused.
"Well I dunno what you look like under there so I refuse to call you by name until I do." she grinned knocking on his mask a few times.
"Is that so?" he asked with a smirk under the mask.
"Yup. I'm only calling Kidd by his name cause he's the captain. And he radiates grr. I have a feeling I would be lobbed overboard if I were to call him what I want to." she said in though as she smiled lightly.
"Is that right?" Killer asked laughing.
"Well, you're not wrong. What would have been his nickname?" he asked.
"Fluffy." she grinned, making him laugh more.
"Why?" Killer asked finding her nicknames more than amusing.
"Cause he has that big fur coat and his hair is gravity defying and very fluffy looking." she grinned, gesturing to her head.
"I see where you're coming from. Just don't call him that, he wont thank you for it." he chuckled while they walked back to town.
"I'm sure. But he can't hurt me or kill me. So I'm not sure how he would be able to punish me for it." she shrugged.
"Oh he'll find a way. Kidd can be very creative when he wants to be." he said ruffling her hair amused. It was actually very soft and made him grin under his mask. Having a female on the crew will be a nice change, and having this particular one will ensure that they won't be bored.
"I think I see him." she grinned and ran off with Killer close behind her.
"Kidd. We were looking for you." Noah grinned as she caught up to him. Heat and Wire with him with another guy that had a blond mohawk, round sunglasses and a furry vest.
"Well you found me. Did you show her around the ship?" Kidd asked turning to Killer.
"Yes. She doesn't want the bed though." he said.
"I just need a workshop. Where and how I sleep is irrelevant." she grinned.
"Not my fucking problem. Jut stay out of my room." he grumbled and turned around to resume walking where he was headed.
"I'm Jin. Don't think we met yet." the new guy said smiling at her.
"Hi, I'm Noah." she grinned at him.
"You sure this is the one who killed a guy with cold blood? She's awfully smily and nice." he asked Heat.
"I'm sure." he nodded amused.