Welcome to the fourth installment of the Black Glove Pirates. What adventures lie before our two pirates?
Cassandra and Lyn were jolted awake as the Howling Knave ran directly into the island, causing both of them to fall over. Cassandra nursed her head as she sat up, groaning with irritation. She had spent a day with her new first mate and had come to the conclusion that Lyn was either exactly who she said she was or the best actress the world had ever seen. While Cassandra wouldn't disregard the notion that she was being led into a trap, she highly doubted anyone could act so genuinely all the time. Lyn was more open with her emotions than anyone Cassandra had ever met. She truly was a remarkable woman.
That being said, Lyn could never be called responsible.
The pirate captain sleepily shuffled outside to find Lyn sprawled out on the main deck. Upon hearing Cassandra clear her throat, the first mate shot to her feet and spun about. "We hit land, Captain!"
"I'm aware. What I'm wondering is why I am just now learning that we were approaching an island."
"It's not my fault! It snuck up on me!"
Cassandra blinked as her mind tried to process the novice's words. "An island snuck up on you."
"Yeah! It used the dark of night! It's a ninja island!"
"You were supposed to be watching for ships or islands, regardless of how stealthy they are."
The first mate squirmed guiltily as her eyes fell to the ground. "I'm sorry, Captain. At least Knave isn't hurt, right? We were going pretty slowly."
Cassandra remembered how mild the wakening jolt had been. It did seem possible that her ship had simply slid on land without taking any damage. "This is the Howling Knave or the Knave for short. I'll forgive you this time. Don't let it happen again. Come, get ready to investigate the area."
Lyn's face lit up with the most radiant smile Cassandra had ever seen. "Yes ma'am, Captain ma'am!"
"You really don't have to be so formal. I am your superior officer, but you don't have to call me Captain. Cassandra will do just fine."
"Nuh-uh! You're my captain, so I'm calling you Captain! Cassandra's your last name, so I'll just call you that when I'm mad at you."
Cassandra frowned slightly as Lyn sprang from the main deck to the walkway Cassandra was standing on and dashed inside. Shaking her head in amazement, she followed her crewmember into their quarters. Although there were other places Lyn could sleep, the novice had insisted on sharing a room. Cassandra didn't particularly care; she didn't need special treatment just because she was captain. There was a bed on either side of the room anyway, so there was no reason to deny Lyn what she wanted.
The room was already beginning to show the difference in cleanliness between the two women. While Cassandra's side bore some semblance to order, Lyn's half was utter chaos. Cassandra went to the washroom at the rear of the room, only pausing when she saw papers on Lyn's wall that hadn't been there when she had gone to bed. "What are those?"
Lyn was only too happy to explain. "These are some of the kickass people from Alamentia! This is the guard who let me leave the abbey at night because I always shared donuts with him when I got back. This is the merchant who let me hang around his stall and meet all the awesome people in the market. This is the bouncer that punched out the guy who had been following me and got me that unofficial job at the bar. This one is the thief who taught me freerunning. This one…"
Cassandra paid half-attention to the novice's chattering. To her, the past was the past. It didn't matter if she missed her friends; she would never be able to see them again, so what did it matter? There was no use torturing herself by wishing for what could not be. She paused as she pulled on her left black glove and stared at it. She had said her crew was called the Black Glove Pirates. A small smirk spread across her face. Perhaps her past did not have to stay as buried as she had thought.
"Lyn." The first mate immediately ceased her reminiscing and poked her head around the mizzenmast. She was able to catch the glove thrown in her direction, which pleased Cassandra. Sharp reflexes were always good. "We're the Black Glove Pirates."
The novice stared at the glove for a moment before smiling brightly. "Yeah, that's awesome! A crew theme, nice! We should make everyone who joins wear one!"
"Sounds good. Are you ready to go?"
"Yup!" Having escaped Alamentia with only her rapier, her prayer beads, some art supplies, and the clothes on her back, Lyn had had to borrow Cassandra's clothing. Although the two women were approximately the same size, Lyn was much fuller in the hips and chest than her captain. A shirt that looked normal on Cassandra appeared quite suggestive on Lyn. "Why do you dress like a cowgirl, anyway?"
"A woman with two unconcealed pistols is a criminal. A cowgirl with two unconcealed pistols is a woman in costume. Come."
She only managed to set one foot outside before she was tackled from behind and swept into a bridal position. Lyn leapt clear off the ship, whooping gaily as they soared through the air. She rolled the instant she hit the sands, taking care not to jostle her passenger as she sprang to her feet. Her chest heaved with exhilaration as she stared about. "Well, that was fun!"
"Put. Me. Down."
"You got it!" To her credit, Lyn didn't just drop her to the beach, instead making sure she could stand on her own. Cassandra straightened her shirt and cowboy hat. She did admit that jumping down had been much faster than climbing. She couldn't prevent the barest of smiles from gracing her lips before Lyn saw. The novice threw her hands up and ran victoriously around her captain. Cassandra allowed her to have her fun and focused on her environment. She gave a slight frown as she looked around. She put her hand on Lyn's shoulder, halting the woman in her tracks.
"What is it, Captain?"
"Something's not right." This land felt wrong. The air was too still. The trees at the border of the beach were but skeletons. Pushing aside her crewmember, she slowly advanced across the sands. She couldn't see enough, hear enough, feel enough. She needed to know more.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She remembered the thrill of riding the paper thin edge between life and death. She remembered her love of living, her fear of dying. Energy flooded through her body, and her heartbeat sped up. Her muscles ached to fight, to flee, to move. Her naturally keen senses magnified tenfold. Opening her eyes, she truly sensed the island for the first time. "Voluntas Carnae."
The stench of rot filled her nose. Not the slightest breath of wind brushed her skin. The air tasted vile on her tongue. The only heartbeats she could hear were hers and Lyn's. There wasn't a trace of movement in the dead forest.
Cassandra exhaled deeply and released the boost to her system. Weariness seeped through her body, but she disregarded it. She had other matters to be concerned about.
"What's wrong?" Lyn asked, unable to keep the fear from her voice.
"Nothing is alive here, not even birds or rats. I can't speak for the entire island, but we are the only living beings in the area. I must investigate further. Stay with the ship."
"Uh-uh! No way! I'm coming with you."
The pirate captain was in no mood to babysit anyone. "You are not coming. Whatever robbed the land of every creature down to the tiniest mouse is dangerous. It could be a plague or a poison. I specialize in neither. I don't want you contracting an ailment I cannot cure."
Lyn moved closer. "And I don't want you to die too!"
"I wasn't always a pirate captain. Before, I had many enemies who wanted to me dead. I developed a certain immunity to toxins and pathogens."
"That's crazy. Who'd want you dead?"
"I killed a lot of people," she said absently. She glanced over as her first mate froze in place. "Guns are made for killing. I carry them for a reason. If that makes you uncomfortable, I recommend you stay with the ship."
"No. I'm staying with you."
Cassandra gave the ghost of a smile at how quickly and firmly the novice responded. "I will not broadcast our presence, so we won't be using torches or lanterns. Hold my hand. Follow directly behind me."
Lyn instantly grabbed her hand, her fingers intertwining with Cassandra's. The two women made their way from the beach to the dead jungle. They pushed through the brittle undergrowth, their footsteps crunching loudly. The utter absence of life and the stillness of the air gave their surroundings a chilling atmosphere. They crept through until they found a trail choked with dead weeds. Cassandra picked away dry leaves until she could see the path. Any footprints had long eroded, but she could tell the general direction the trail took. She squeezed Lyn's hand as she followed the path away from the ocean.
She halted once more when the woods gave way to an irregular cluster of rocks. She examined one rock carefully, realizing that it was in fact part of a ruined wall. Scanning the area, she realized that what she was actually staring at was the ruins of a village. The dry mortar beneath her fingers indicated that the building had not stood for some time. She moved around the broken wall, only to find a new curiosity.
A skeleton lay in the ruins, broken and charred. Other skeletons could be seen here and there. She crouched by the bones, needing to know what had killed the person and how long ago. The questions were easily answered; the skull was pulverized and no flesh clung to the bones. The remains of clothing flaked away beneath her fingers. She leaned in further, staring at a peculiarity on one of the armbones. It had been broken in half, but what concerned Cassandra was the marking on the intact part. She rubbed it with her hand to make sure it wasn't soot or a trick of the light, feeling the grooves beneath her skin.
There were bitemarks on the bone.
Her head snapped up as she realized the implications. She strained her hearing to its limit, knowing exactly what she was looking for. First heartbeat, hers. Second heartbeat, Lyn's. Third heartbeat, loud and strong. Fourth heartbeat, slow and steady. They were not alone.
"Say here," she whispered.
"What? No!"
"Keep your voice down. There are other things here. They aren't moving, which means they probably don't know we're here. I need to find them before they find us. To do that, I need to go alone."
"Captain-"
"Lyn, I'll be back. I promise. Stay here and hide. Do not make a sound."
With that, she set off down the street. The rubble crunched below her boots as she slowly advanced. Any time she thought her footstep was too loud, she paused and checked for a change in her targets' heartrates. They were in the same location, which made things slightly easier for her. She was fairly certain that one was keeping watch while the other slept. That meant she had one true target to deal with. As she passed the wreckages of houses and desiccated trees, she mentally evaluated the ruins as possible hiding places if she were detected. The last thing she needed was to be caught out in the open.
She stopped as she felt a slight pressure on her feet. She saw that a tripwire had been spread between a broken wall and a charred lamppost. She cautiously retreated and leaned in to get a better look at the trap. She was clearly dealing with survivors of this carnage. She carefully stepped over the wire and directly onto a second wire. She winced, internally reprimanding herself for underestimating her enemies.
A loud clanging reverberated through the still town. A bestial roar followed immediately after, then the sounds of wood breaking and stone shattering. She knew without having to check that the one on watch was heading directly towards her. Their positions had just reversed. She was no longer the hunter. She was the prey.
She immediately bolted off to the side, trying to get away. Her pursuer was fast, much faster than she was. Furthermore, it possessed the strength to plow right through everything in its path, indicating it was something she did not want to directly confront. She was running out of time. She needed to hide.
It was just her luck that she ran directly into a clearing. She needed to find someplace to conceal herself, but she had precious few options given the time she had left. She vaulted over a fallen column and hid beneath it. She tried to slow her breathing and heartrate. She needed to minimize any sound she made. A pistol would help, but if she didn't kill whatever was chasing her, she would be in trouble.
Her hunter crashed into the clearing and slid to a stop. Its head moved back and forth in short jerks as it searched for her. She froze as its gaze passed directly over her hiding place, not even daring to breathe. Growling angrily, it bounded away on all fours. Cassandra waited for a few moments, then breathed a sigh of relief. She rolled out from beneath the column and dusted herself off. That had been close. She closed her eyes to figure out where the beast was going.
Her heart dropped as she realized it was heading directly towards the entrance of the village, directly towards Lyn. She was in no mood to be losing her first crewmember. Gritting her teeth, she fired her pistol into the air twice. The beast reversed direction instantly, charging back towards her. She ducked behind a wall, wanting to get the drop on it despite its knowledge of her general position.
It landed in the clearing again, cracking the street beneath its weight. It gave a roar so loud that Cassandra was forced to cover her sensitive ears in pain. She wasn't ready for the large explosion that rocked the area. The wall she was hiding behind was destroyed, stone chunks slamming her to the ground. She groaned as she shook her head to clear it. If her pursuer had stepped on a land mine, that was its loss. It was a moment before she was able to push herself up and take bearing of her situation.
That was when she realized that her pursuer was still alive.
Her face was driven into the rubble with painful force. She tried to struggle, but she was no match for a beast that could break through stone without slowing. Its claws dug painfully in her scalp as it leaned in. Its hot breath washed over her ear. The last thing she expected it to do was talk. "Fuckin' stupid or fuckin' brave, aren'tcha?"
\\'/.\\'/.\\'/.\\'/.\\
Lyn was scared out of her mind. She trembled as she huddled behind the remains of a wall. She didn't know what to do. Her breath came in short gasps, and the only thing she could hear was her own heart. She grasped her rapier in one hand as she thumbed through her prayer beads. She didn't know what to do. She squeezed her eyes shut as she pressed her glove, Captain's glove, to her lips. She had to be brave. She had to be strong.
She didn't know what to do.
Two gunshots caused her to snap her head around, eyes wide with fright. That had to be Captain. Did that mean she needed help? No, that couldn't be. Captain could handle herself. She said she was good at staying alive. What did she need Lyn for?
A loud explosion followed, and Lyn pressed herself even more firmly against the wall. She knew that Captain could handle herself, but surely she wouldn't refuse help, right? Sure, she could shoot hairs off Lyn's head and Lyn was no swordmaster, but surely she would appreciate help. Summoning every fiber of courage in her body, she detached herself from the wall and crept into the ruined village. It didn't matter how dark it was. She had to go to her captain's side.
"You can do this," she whispered to herself. "You're a pirate. Captain chose you for a reason. She could have just ditched you when she left, but she's not like that. She knows you're worthy of being on her crew. You can do this."
"What can you do?"
Her scream was the loudest she had ever given in her entire life. She spun around, pointing her rapier at every shadow she could see. "W-who's there? Show yourself?"
"I really do apologize. I didn't mean to scare you." A short, portly man slowly walked out from behind a wrecked building. His dark skin and clothes enabled him to easily blend into the shadows. The moonlight reflecting off of his glasses completely obscured his eyes. His hands were held up in front of him to show he was unarmed, but Lyn knew that didn't mean he wouldn't hurt her. Without hesitating, she aimed her rapier at his throat. She couldn't keep the point from shaking ever so slightly and hoped he couldn't see it.
"Who are you?" she asked more firmly.
"I am Alexander-"
"What are you doing here? What's going on?"
"Easy now," he said gently. "I am sorry that I frightened you. I sincerely mean you no harm, though if you wish to keep pointing your sword at me, by all means continue to do so. I'll stay over here, and I won't make any sudden moves. Is that all right?"
More gunshots and another explosion echoed through the streets. "You don't mean to hurt me? Then why's my captain fighting for her life?"
Alexander gave a small grin. "Ah, well, let's just say my companion is not as receptive to new people as I am. We don't get many visitors here, and the ones that do come tend not to be amiable."
Lyn wanted him to elaborate, but more pressing questions came to mind. "Were you following me? How did you know where I was?"
"I set up a trap to alert us if we had unwelcome visitors. As it came from near the library, it was pretty safe to assume whoever was here had come from this entrance. I decided to investigate and saw you walking along. I truly didn't mean to startle you."
She stared at him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth. Although her swordpoint wavered, it never lowered. There were a few things that didn't make sense to her. "Why are you wearing a suit?"
"Simply because my world nearly ended doesn't mean I need to dress sloppily."
She stared at him for a while, but he was clearly waiting for her to continue. The occasional burst of gunfire and burst of flame did little to soothe her nerves. She adjusted her grip on her rapier, trying to decide whether to trust Alexander or not. He looked genuinely harmless, though Lyn knew that that didn't mean anything. Still, this man looked honest enough. She flourished her sword once before sheathing it and wrapping her prayer beads around the scabbard. "You're a little funny, aren't you?"
Alexander laughed heartily. "And why do you say that?"
"Well, I don't know why you'd want to wear a suit in a place like this. Nobody's gonna to scold you for not dressing up."
"On the contrary, my dear. I have every reason to dress like this. This is, after all, the place where my friends and family lie. I wouldn't dare show them any disrespect."
"So you… you're from here? What happened?"
"This? This was the result of a massacre, a vicious and unwarranted bloodbath against an innocent people."
"Was it pirates? Not all of-"
He gave another round of laughter so loud that Lyn grew mildly concerned. "Was this pirates? No! No, I should say not. Pirates didn't destroy this town; pirates built it."
Lyn cocked her head to the side. "Wait, what?"
"Again, the reason I spoke up earlier is that you said you were a pirate. Pirates were the life of this town. Almost every person here was either a pirate or the descendant of one. No, this was by Marines."
"Marines?" She didn't understand. "But they protect law and order."
"Indeed they do. However, there are some Marines who are overzealous in their desire to establish that so-called 'justice and order.' This is one example."
"What happened?"
Alexander paused for a moment. "It's a long story."
"I'd like to hear it."
An explosion drowned out his initial response, and he gave a small grin. "Aren't you worried about your captain?"
More gunshots. "Aren't you worried about your companion?"
He shook his head, and his grin widened. "Fair enough."
A group of children, some older than others, were playing ball in the middle of the street. They were all laughing and having fun in the bright summer sunlight. The streets were not overly crowded, but people were going back and forth to their destinations. Some of the passersby stopped and watched the young boys and girls frolicking around without a care in the world. The sea sparkled in the distance, reflecting the cloudless sky in its mirror-like calm waters.
One of the boys accidentally threw the ball too far and ran after it. It rolled off of the street and down a small hill with the boy chasing merrily after it. The ball rolled to a stop, and the boy halted before it, putting his hands on his knees and panting heavily. He suddenly realized that there was another pair of feet directly behind the ball and ominous shadows being cast.
The boy looked up into the shadowed face looming above him. The glint of swords and guns was unmistakable, and the tall men looked prepared to use them them. The man in front looked down at the boy menacingly, who stared right back. The skull and crossbones of the Jolly Roger was plainly evident on all of the looming shapes present, along with various other nefarious-looking tattoos. The lead man picked up the ball and held it up to the sunlight, examining it carefully. He opened his mouth, showing his slightly yellow teeth, and his followers waited for his word.
"Can we play too?" the man asked jovially. The men all laughed and applauded, smiles breaking out all around. The boy grinned broadly and turned around, gesturing for the men to follow him. He ran back up the hill to his teammates, who cheered at the prospect of having more people playing with them. The watching adults watched on with grins, completely unafraid of the seafarers. Pirates frequently came and went on this island, never coming with evil intentions. The villagers never found this odd, even though tales of barbaric pirates and bloodthirsty sailors reached their ears quite often. They had faith in the pirates that knew of this island.
Just as one of the pirate men lobbed the ball at one of the girls playing, a loud explosion rent the air. Large flaming bits of wood and stone flew every which way, impaling and crushing anything they landed on. The pirates all drew their weapons, but they were swiftly cut down by hidden gunfire. The villagers ran around shouting in panic as they, too, were mowed down. The group of children scattered and took refuge in nearby buildings, screaming loudly.
"Ahahaha!" A tall Marine couldn't contain his amusement as he fearlessly walked through the streets. He pointed at the remaining pirates, and his Marines filled them with bullets. "I am Captain Rickard Slatch! This town has been far too accepting towards wanted criminals, so the Marines have decided to raze it to the ground! For freedom from fear! For the abolition of wickedness! For justice!"
"This is not justice!" a man shouted out. The entire scene froze. Even the birds stopped moving, choosing instead to sit on the roofs and stare down at the lull in the fighting.
Captain Slatch walked forwards, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "What did you say?"
"This is not justice!" A small group of people walked before him, placing themselves between the Marines and the rest of the townsfolk. "You are the ones we fear! You are the wicked ones! You do not uphold justice! Justice is where criminals atone for their sins! These pirates are not sinners, else they wouldn't be here!"
"Oh?" Captain Slatch's dangerous expression still lingered on his face. "And why not?"
The man faltered. Captain Slatch let out a booming laugh and pointed at the man. "You, sir. What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a doctor," the man said.
Captain Slatch nodded. He looked at the slightly shorter man standing next to the doctor. "And you, sir?"
The man didn't speak, but merely glared at the Marine. A small bespectacled boy clung to his hand, staring fearfully at the Marine. Captain Slatch laughed again. "All right, then. And the rest of you?" His finger swept the crowd.
"Doctor."
"Potter."
"Farmer."
"Blacksmith."
"Houseman."
"Teacher."
"Farmer."
Captain Slatch grinned. "Oh, so none of you are Marines?"
"No!" shouted one of the women. "And we never will be!"
"Marines are the only ones who truly know what justice is!" Captain Slatch's face reddened with anger. "All children! Front and center!"
He waited impatiently. After a few moments, four courageous children walked forward. A scowling boy came out from behind the doctor, wearing a bloody hat decorated by a Jolly Roger. The bespectacled boy timidly followed him, still shying away from the Marine Captain. A teenage blonde girl shrugged her way out of her mother's arms, picking up the deflated ball as she strode forward. And finally, a young man, practically an adult, joined his friends. "Yes?" the girl asked haughtily.
Captain Slatch knelt down, beckoning the children closer. The parents made as if to stop him, but the clicking of Marine rifles stopped them in their tracks. "You know why we Marines are doing this?"
"Because you feel like it?" the girl snapped, flinging the remnants of the ball at his face.
The Marine leader adopted a mock wounded expression. "That's not entirely true."
"Captain Neal was my friend!" the hat-bearing boy snarled, ignoring the blood trickling from the tricorne.
"Now, see, that is where you're wrong," Slatch said soothingly. "You see, he was only gaining your trust. He was going to use you to gain leverage over your parents. Children, you must always be vigilant towards this kind of thing. Pirates think of nothing but their lives and their purses. How would you like to come with me and I'll show you how to live more freely than you have in your whole lives?"
The hat-wearing boy opened his mouth to say something, but the young man beat him to it. "Burn in hell."
"Jonathan!" his mother gasped.
"Fiery." Captain Slatch's gaze hardened. "I don't like fire."
A shot rang out. The boy slumped to the ground, staring upwards with sightless eyes. His parents cried out, running towards the fallen boy before they, too, were killed. Slatch stood up, dusting off his pants. "Seize the girls. Raze the town to the ground."
The adults all dashed forward, picking up discarded weapons and confronting the Marines. No matter how many sailors they were able to kill, their losses accumulated much faster. The two boys were too shocked to move. A pair of surviving pirates picked them up and ran some ways before they were mowed down as well. Seeing that they were cut off from all sides, the boys dove into a building and away from the fierce fighting. They stood against the back wall, the bespectacled one holding a small chest that the dying pirate captain had given him and the other holding two flaming torches as if they were clubs. They were watching people running here and there when a Marine appeared in the doorway.
"Well, well, well. What have we here? The two little runts who- ouch!"
The torch-wielding boy ran forwards, twirling the flaming bits of wood. He swung one at the man's face, grinding flaming pitch into the man's eyes. The man let out a scream of pain and dropped to the ground, furiously rubbing at his burning face.
"Alexander, go! I'll hold them off!"
The boy with the chest shook his head in determination. "I'm not leaving you, Damien!"
Damien kicked the fallen man's side hard enough to break his ribs and slam him through the wall. "Go!"
"No! I won't leave you."
The boy grinned and shook his head. "Fine. Do whatever you want." He turned back in time to see the other man charge at him with a sword. He threw the torches at the attacking man while swiftly retreating. The Marine just knocked the torches out of the way and continued charging forward. Alexander suddenly jumped forward and swung the chest he was holding, hitting the man full in the face. The man went down, giving Damien ample opportunity to pounce on him and beat him senseless.
"Come on, we need to get out of here!" Alexander shouted. Damien nodded and turned towards the door. He glanced outside and saw three men hauling a cannon down the road, aiming at their shelter. Adrenaline pumping throughout his body, he bodily lifted Alexander up and launched him through the rear window, just as the men fired the cannon.
"That's terrible," Lyn said quietly.
Alexander nodded, a sad look in his face. "It was indeed. I managed to drag his half-baked carcass out of the mess and into the forest. It took me a day to find the shamans that live hidden in the trees. Only thing I had to eat was the fruit in the chest, and let me tell you, that was the foulest thing I had ever tasted. When we found the shamans, they helped me… reconstruct Damien."
"What do you mean, reconstruct?" Lyn clapped her hands together in surprise. "Is he a robot?"
"Close, but not really. You see, he was smashed up pretty badly. It took a long time before he was even able to move again. Of course, he's always been a fast healer, and now he can punch through metal, so there we go. Anyway, after all that, we teamed up with some of the other survivors and harassed the Marines as best we could while they built a base here. Not all of us made it. Some died; others left. Damien and I are the only ones still here."
"Why are you still here?"
His smile vanished completely. "The man that killed our parents is still here. Now, I'm not here for his head. I want him to be held accountable for his crimes."
"How are you going to do that if you stay here?"
"I can't really. No court in the World Government would try him for his crimes. That being said, Damien wants to rip Slatch limb from limb, and that's why he's here. I'm with him to keep him alive. He's tougher than I'll ever be, but I couldn't leave him on my own. He's all I have left."
Lyn couldn't help but feel sympathy for the man. She walked over and embraced him in a deep hug. He stood stock still for a moment before briefly returning the gesture. When she let go, she couldn't help but giggle. Even in the moonlight, she could see his bright blush. "I thought that'd cheer you up!"
"Yes, well." He took a moment to compose himself. "I'm sorry, I never got your name."
"Oh! I'm Lyn! Nice to meet you, Alex!"
"Alexander." She frowned in confusion. "My name is Alexander. It is not Alex or Xander or any of those other derivatives. It is Alexander."
"Okay, okay. Nice to meet you, Alexander!"
"Thank you. Now, I think our friends have played together for long enough." He brought a trumpet to his lips and blew a single clear note.
As he lowered his arms, Lyn applauded excitedly. "You're a musician? That's so awesome!"
"I can find my way around a few instruments."
"I'm an artist too! I do paintings and drawings and stuff!"
He bowed his head in appreciation. "Well, it's always nice to meet another creator."
Lyn leapt away as something burst through the wall next to them. When the dust settled, she was surprised to see her captain lying in the rubble, blood leaking from various wounds and her clothing torn. A shape Lyn could only assumed belonged to Damien pushed its way through the remnants of the wall. He was a much larger man than his friend, looming almost a full head above Lyn. He was mostly hidden in shadow, but she could see thick dreadlocks sprouting from his head and the lean muscles of his body.
Captain spat to the side and looked over at Lyn. "I take it you made peace with this one."
"I did! His name is Alexander, not Alex. You must be Damien! Nice to meet you!"
He completely ignored her, instead focusing on his friend. "Better 'ave a good fuckin' reason fer interruptin' me fight, shit'ead."
Confused, Lyn leaned towards the shorter man and murmured, "What did he say?"
"He lost part of his tongue. Mate, you took on that band of Marines two days ago. You're fine for a fight."
Lyn gasped as Damien easily lifted Alexander by the front of his jacket and slammed him against the wall. "Aye, an' they were fledgling gobshites. This concubine's a lot more fuckin' fun."
"I am not a concubine," Captain said flatly, dodging Damien's backhand that Lyn could barely see. "I am Captain Cassandra, leader of the Black Glove Pirates."
Unexpectedly, Damien dropped his hostility in favor of amusement. He let Alexander go as he roared with laughter. "Yahahahar! A fuckin' cap'n? Izzat so? Well, that fuckin' 'splains it all! Yer a tough bitch all right! Yahahar!"
"Quite a colorful vocabulary you've got there." Captain dusted herself off as she looked him over. "And I could say the same about you. I don't think I've ever met anyone tougher."
"That's partially my fault," Alexander said. "He was always strong and built like a tank, but after the incident with the Marines, I helped the shamans during his reconstruction by turning his bones to metal. He had to compensate for the extra weight, but you've got the hang of it now, haven't you?"
"Shamans? Reconstruction?"
Lyn jumped in before Alexander could answer. "I'll tell you later. What was that about turning his bones into metal?"
"Didn't I tell you?" He picked up a rock and held it up for them to see. "Eau Magie." The rock dissolved into a clear liquid and dripped from his fingers. "I ate the Transmutation Devil Fruit. I can turn anything into a single pure substance. I guess you could call me an alchemist of sorts?"
"That. Is. Amazing!" Lyn grabbed his hand and gazed awestruck at his wet fingers. "That's gotta be the coolest thing ever! What's a Devil Fruit?"
Everyone eyed her, waiting for her to say she was joking. Cassandra appreciated that Alexander made no derogatory comment, instead explaining, "Devil Fruits, when eaten, grant people powers at the cost of their ability to swim. There can only be one of each kind in existence at any given time."
"Oh." Lyn thought this over. "Why didn't the nuns teach me this?"
"They probably didn't want you to leave your convent. Damien, don't wander off now."
Lyn turned to see that the man was already leaving. "Fuck you."
"I'm serious. This concerns both of us."
"Like I give a fuck."
"Damien-"
The artist jumped as Damien's head burst into flame, filling the area with light. For the first time, she got a good look at him. He was covered in more scars than skin. His entire body showed signs of wounds both old and new. The injuries from his fight with Captain were leaking blood, but he paid them no heed. He slowly turned around, showing the most terrifying set of teeth Lyn had ever seen. She could not truly call it a smile, even if she excluded his four long fangs. He stalked back to them, thunder growing in his chest.
"I ain' in the mood for yer shitty games, pigfucker."
"This is no game. This directly involves both of us. You and I, we can't be here forever, mate."
"Wha's yer fuckin' point?"
"My point is we could go with them."
Captain stared at the shorter man. "Excuse me."
"Look, hear me out. You are a pirate captain with only one crewmember." Lyn looked as innocent as she could when Captain's sharp stare fixed upon her. "Damien and I could join."
"Ain' no fuckin way-"
"Please explain to me why I should accept the two of you."
"Fuck that. Why th' fuck should I go wit' these 'ores?"
"I sincerely doubt that a misogynist brute would fit on my crew."
Alexander lifted his finger to interject. "Now, to be fair, he insults everyone without care for gender. But he's a damn good navigator and, as you've regrettably experienced, an even better fighter. He won't stop until his opponent is dead or he is, and you can see the results of that right now."
Lyn saw. She could hardly believe someone could get hurt so much and survive. She was extremely curious about how his head was on fire, but nobody else was panicking. The mood wasn't right for questions anyway. Captain crossed her arms as she stared at the flaming man. "Interesting."
"Now 'old on a cocksuckin' second-"
"Mate, you and I are pirates, just like they are. Salt's in our blood. We belong at sea, not stuck on this island forever. Neither of us is willing to use a Marine ship, so do we just wait and hope one of our friends returns? No, we must seize this opportunity. We're not captain material, so we'd have to join a crew even if we did miraculously find some way to go to another island."
"I ain' leavin' til those circle-jerkin' minge-eatin' taintlickers're all dead."
"We can help with that." Everyone turned to Captain in surprise. "I'm willing two let you two join my crew on a probationary status. After a week or two, I'll decide whether you become crewmembers or not. In exchange, Lyn and I will assist you in exacting whatever measure of revenge you deem to be satisfactory. I will be your commanding officer, and both of you will serve beneath me. Do we have a deal?"
Alexander winced slightly. "Damien's not exactly the serving type. He'll acknowledge you as captain, but I wouldn't exactly say he'll cooperate."
"I'm curious as to why you're making yourselves appear less attractive."
"Trust me, I want us to join your crew," Alexander assured her. "I just want to be honest with you with the type of person he is."
Captain stared at the large man as she contemplated this. "Most interesting. You'll accept me as captain, but not listen to my orders?"
"I ain' in it fer you," he snarled. "I fight th' strongest mingemunchers I c'n find. Gimme a ship, an' I'll go wherever the fuckers are. O' course, where we're 'eadin', there's only one fuckin' direction we c'n sail."
Lyn had no idea what he was talking about, but she could tell Alexander did. Captain's face was unreadable as she thought about what she should do. "Do we have a deal?"
Damien glowered down at them all, his lips drawing back to bare his vicious teeth. All of a sudden, the flames engulfing his head extinguished, and he let loose a howl of laughter. "Yahahar, a deal we 'ave! This'll be fun!"
Alexander grinned sheepishly. "You're going to have to get used to that too. Never really sure what he's going to do next."
"It's settled, then." Captain looked oddly satisfied considering who she had just allowed to join her crew. "Now, what do you want us to do?"
Two potential new crewmembers. Now things are warming up.