EDITED: 6-7-2016
Orange lights.
Orange lights.
Orange lights.
The warning of the dying soldier relayed in his mind and drums beat along to the sound of his own heart. His instincts flared in his chest. Dread seeped into his heart.
Run; run now.
"We have to run now!" he yelled. There was something hot behind him, and he whirled around. The masked figures stood, hunched over, staring them down.
They were surrounded.
Chopper yelped as one of their boney hands found its way around his leg and brought him to the ground, dragging him closer.
"Ahh! Luffy!" he screamed, clawing at the ground in a desperate attempt to break free.
"Chopper! Oh no you don't; leave Chopper alone!" Luffy yelled charging toward them, "Usopp! Hold on to this!" He threw his hat into his friend's hands before rocketing his fist toward the attacker, successfully hitting him square in the jaw.
The figure gave a hiss and slumped against the wall.
"Chopper! You okay?" he knelt next to his friend.
Ugh, I feel like I'm underwater…something's…something's got my leg…"
Luffy glanced at Chopper's leg, "Dammit! It's too dark! Where did Usopp's light sticks go!?" His eyes darted around in the darkness; the glow sticks were nowhere to be seen.
Something was different in the air. Something sinister and foul.
The drums had ceased. The torches of the creatures were now all burnt out and nothing but their sets of glowing eyes could be seen. They loomed in the outer walls of the domed area, some moved slightly every once and awhile.
He blindly looked back to Chopper and felt for what still had his leg. Something hard and cold was curled tightly around the reindeer's foot.
A hand.
"Hey! I told you to let go of Chopper you bastar-uegh," he felt his strength instantly diminish as invisible hands shot from the darkness and curled around his throat. "What the…" he choked out, feeling a wake of fatigue wash over him.
"…Their bones must have…sea-prism stone imbedded in them…" Chopper muttered, "Lu-Luffy…I-I have to do something…"
XXXXXX
Luffy! Chopper! Where are you? Usopp screamed in his mind. He looked out into the darkness from behind his hiding place. The creatures could probably see easily in the darkness. He crept out slightly from the crevice in the wall. A low growl came from his right and he yelped and reeled back. One of the figures now crouched over him, looking him dead in the eyes. The orange lights dimly looked him over. It grew closer, as though it could not see and sniffed at him, mere centimeters from his face. He felt a cold boney hand touch his neck. After a moment, it snorted and then turned and walked away.
"What?" he whispered to himself, "They…can't see…But it knew I was here," he gasped, "They must have advanced hearing! But then, why didn't it attack me?"
He heard a loud yell and something slam against the wall.
"Luffy!" he said in a harsh whisper and leapt from his hiding place, instantly regretting his decision when several of the creatures pointed their 'eyes' in his direction. He froze in fear, and loaded his weapon shaking, "Come on, you…you blind bastards…I'm a brave warrior of the sea! I'll destroy you all with one blow!" They crept closer, "I'm warning you; I'll really do it!"
He felt them sniff the air around him. They then turned and ran.
"Ha…yeah, that's right…" They must have believed me… he smiled at the thought. He heard someone yelling, "That's Luffy!" he looked in the direction of the yell, "Wait a minute…they aren't after me! They're only after Luffy and Chopper! Argh…Maybe it's because they're devil fruit users! Arghh! Hold on guys, The Great Captain Usopp is coming to save you!"
He broke off into a sprint, "Get off of them!" He yelled pulling back his slingshot and then shooting several in the head at once, and then pouncing on another, slamming it to the wall with his fist. He felt the presence of yet another behind him. He whirled around and smiled again pulling back his weapon, "Nice try!" he yelled as he released his hold, letting the metal pellet hit the figure between the eyes, "Heh…Bullseye…You see, none of you can even hope to match the powers of Captain Usopp!" He yelled taking up a triumphant pose as the remaining monsters fled.
"Wow! Amazing Usopp!" Luffy and Chopper yelled in unison.
"Heheheh," he smirked, "that's right, I'm the Great Captain Usopp…" He opened his eyes and sighed deeply, "Now if only I could make it a reality…" he said shaking, still frozen in the place the creatures had left him.
A squeal tore through the air.
"Ah! Chopper!" he willed his body to move forward, "AGH! Common on legs! Dammit! If I don't hurry I'll be too late!" Another yell. "Go!" he yelled stumbling forward in the direction he heard the yell, "Chopper! Luffy! Where are you?!"
"Usopp! Over here!" Chopper squeaked.
"Get down!" he ordered, aiming his slingshot and shooting in the direction he heard Chopper. He heard a hiss as one of his pellets connected with an attacker, exploding into smoke on impact.
Damn, he cursed himself, with how dark it is I can't see what type of ammo I use!
He heard the creatures hiss again and scramble away from the smoke, leaving Chopper behind.
They're afraid of the smoke? He wondered, before shaking his head and running to Chopper, who was coughing from the smoke.
"Usopp… There's a lighter in my bag, I use it to sterilize my tools while away from the ship."
He knelt down by Chopper and rummaged through his bag, grabbing the lighter and flicking it on. The amount of light it provided was miniscule, but it was enough to show that the creatures were gone, and so was Luffy.
"Shit," he muttered, "Luffy!" he yelled, "Luffyyyy!"
"Usopp, we need to get out of here," Chopper said with a thick sense of urgency in his voice. "They're coming back."
