Clock Tower Brawl! Part One

Taeko, the Honorable Thief

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece. Taeko and "Tick Tock" belong to Crazy-Fishie.

Kilnorc: Hello everyone, I'm back with another update of my surprisingly (and so far) successful Thriller Bark arc. I've decided to do something a little different with certain chapters, much like my friend Shidyk D. Shade does with Rayo's Journal Entries, something that he sort of got from BLEACH. I won't do journal entries, but quotes that I see fit that would fit the chapter/battle chapter. What made me think of this, you may ask? An excellent crime drama I watch that have interesting quotes that seem to fit every episode.

Axe: What show's that?

Kilnorc: Criminal Minds. Good show, now on with the fic! Let's start with the first quote!

"Even a thief takes ten years to learn his trade" - Japanese proverb

Taeko stared at the zombie that stood in front of him. She was not exactly a normal looking zombie, that's for sure. Yes, she had rotting decaying flesh that was stitched together, but unlike many of the zombies he had seen on Thriller Bark, Tick Tock had green skin that had a few brown patches of skin sewn together in various places. She had a pair of cold, grey eyes, a head of short, dark green hair and even wore a bronze-colored ensemble of boots, a hat, a corset and skirt...all of which seemed to have been covered in cogs and gears. Speaking of cogs and gears, Tick Tock had a large gear sticking out of her back.

"So...should we get started?"

"The hell do you think?"

Taeko couldn't help but grin at his zombie's reply. The two of them looked at each other for a few moments longer before darting from their spots and colliding into one another, their staves clacking loudly as they tried to overpower one another.

"Not bad," the thief nodded a little bit, "Not bad at all,"

"Thanks. Wish I could say the same for you!" Tick Tock hissed before suddenly pushing Taeko off her own staff before taking a low swing aimed for his legs.

Crap! Taeko jumped back to avoid the attack.

Tick Tock grinned, Fool... she pushed off the floor and leapt straight at Taeko, aiming her staff right at his stomach.

Double crap! Taeko saw the attack coming at the last second and barely managed to turn in mid-air in order to avoid the attack. He landed roughly on his feet and hopped back, stunned at his zombie's abilities. Stunned, but not entirely surprised. He gripped his staff and scowled behind his mask, Speed and agility are the same! Looks like they were telling the truth.

-Flashback-

"I'm giving you all one last chance to cut me down from here, or else I'm gonna kick your asses, each and everyone one of you!" Taeko shouted as he trashed around, hanging from the ceiling with Spider-Mice webs, "I'm not kidding around, bastards!"

"Fosfosfos!!" Hogback roared with laughter as more zombies carried in another casket, this one closed, "You got quite a bit of energy in you, don't you?" he turned to a very large figure in front of them, "Moria-sama, I'm sure you can have a lot of use with this one's shadow,"

"Kishishishishishi!" the figure laughed as a bright light flashed on behind Taeko, forcing him to cast a long shadow in between them and the huge Shichibukai.

Taeko growled and kept trashing, "I don't care what you are, you're dead if you don't let me go!" he glared down at Hogback, "What the hell you all want with my shadow, anyway?!"

Hogback chuckled, "I suppose there's no harm in telling you, since there's nothing you can do about it. With your shadow, Moria-sama will be able to make the corpses of strong warriors that I created into stronger soldiers for his zombie army!" he poked Taeko roughly through the webbing, "Since you'll most likely lose consciousness when he plucks it off of you, I'll tell you how this works. Moria-sama takes your shadow, puts it into a corpse and that corpse comes to life! It'll mimic your behavior, your talents, and your abilities!"

"Kishishishishi! Let's get this over with, already!"

-End Flashback-

So, I guess since she's my zombie and she's got my shadow... Taeko ducked under a hard strike and countered with a swipe of his own, which Tick Tock dodged rather easily, She'll also know how to do my technique set...knowing what I know and after seeing some of it in action, I wouldn't be surprised if she stole some stuff from this place like I did awhile ag-OH SHIT! Taeko quickly pressed another hidden button on his staff and thrust his weapon upward. The hook attachment suddenly detached itself from the shaft and shot into the air, grappling onto something. Taeko pressed the button again and reeled himself into the air just as Tick Tock came at him with a powerful looking combo.

That was close... Taeko swung himself onto a wooden ledge of the clock tower, partially hidden by the cogs and gears that filled the area, Glad I still have my staff. Then again, if I didn't, I'd go berserk on these freaks!

Tick Tock looked up at the cogs and gears above her, scanning the area for Taeko, who was crouching behind one to avoid being noticed. The zombie slowly moved around the lower area, "You shouldn't have come back, thief. Moria-sama was gracious enough to let you live, and you spit in his face by coming back. That was a foolish mistake,"

Taeko scampered along the ledge he was on, "Live? How can a guy live without his shadow? How can someone be forced to live in darkness all the time?!" he demanded, "Answer me that, zombie girl!"

Tick Tock laughed, "Don't all thieves live in darkness? They work in the shadows of the world, they stalk their marks along the alleyways and streets of cities...the darkness is their home!"

The mask wearing thief grit his teeth, You have no idea...!

"They prey on the weak, they creep from the shadows and slit the throats of their victims," Tick Tock added, "You're all the same!"

"Stop talking about that shit!" Taeko shouted from his hiding place, "How can you be my shadow and not remember the honor we have, the Code we follow?! If you're really my shadow, then remember! Remember home, remember Bandit's Keep!"

-Flashback-

How the hell does that undead bitch not remember what I...what we, had to go through! I was alone at such a young age, I would've died if it wasn't for the Code!

"Where's your family, Little One?"

Taeko turned and looked up to see a kind woman kneeling down in front of him, smiling warmly. He rubbed his arm and looked off to the side, his face smudged with dirt and grime, "They're gone...,"

"Gone?" the woman tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"Gone, as in dead," Taeko said bitterly, "I'm an orphan,"

"Aw...," the woman reached out and pulled a surprised Taeko into a tight hug, "Not anymore. You're coming home with me to mee the rest of your new family, right now!"

My birth parents had left the world of the living and left me an orphan, all alone on the streets of Bandit's Keep. I probably would've been killed or died of hunger in any other place, but Bandit's Keep had a special Code that all inhabitants were meant to follow. I later found out my new step-mother's name was Forta, and she had a family: a grandfather called Hakiem, her son Kenton and her daughter Maya. As time passed by, she met and married a man named Barry and had two more daughters, Kita and Anika. They were the only biological offspring Forta and Barry had, the rest of us were adopted. I stayed with them from that day, but I was still so young, I didn't understand why they did take me in...until my new grandfather told me the reason.

"You wanted to see me, ojii-san?"

Hakiem, an older man in his fifties, beckoned Taeko to him, "I did, I did, Taeko. Come and keep an old man company," he waited as Taeko stopped just a few inches away from him, "How are you liking your new family?"

Taeko shrugged, "They're alright...I'm just glad I'm not in the gutter somewhere,"

The old man laughed, "So young, yet knows many possiblities of the world,"

"I don't get it, ojii-san," Taeko put his hands behind his head, "I keep asking the others why Forta pulled me off the streets, but no one will tell me! It's kinda pissing me off!"

Hakiem grinned, "Got a mouth on you, too. Well," he cleared his throat, "The reason Forta saved you and brought you into our family is because it's the law,"

Taeko raised an eyebrow, "The law?"

"Despite your age, you still don't know the Law," Hakiem shook his head, "Well, no time like the present, hm?" he reached over and opened a small chest, pulling out a scroll, "This is our Code, Taeko, this is our Law," he tossed the scroll to the young boy. Taeko quickly caught it and looked up at his adoptive grandfather, "...now what?"

"Open it up," Hakiem urged, "What else do you do with a scroll?"

"Alright, alright, don't have a stroke on me, ojii-san," Taeko slowly unfurled the scroll to see a simple set of sentences written in fading ink.

CODE OF BANDIT'S KEEP

ABSOLUTE LAW AMONGST THIEVES

1) Help those incapable of helping themselves

2) Whatever is taken, can make it's way back

3) Do not take what cannot be returned.

Hakiem nodded slowly, "This is our Code. Everyone on this, our island of thieves, follows this, for it's our absolute law we must live by. That is the reason why you were adopted by Forta and this family, Taeko, because of this code. As you grow older, you'll understand how important this Code is to all of us, and if you follow them like we do, you'll become a good man,"

-End Flashback-

That Code stays with all of us, and it's stuck with me all these years, Taeko looked around a large bunch of gears to watch Tick Tock slowly make her way around the interior of the clocktower, 'Help those incapable of helping themselves', I got that down more than once...hell, I did that just by freeing and arming that mute pirate kid awhile ago. 'Whatever is taken, can make it's way back', that's usually true with material things, but looks like I'll have to test that with my shadow being stolen from me. Finally, 'Do not take what cannot be returned'... Taeko sighed quietly and gripped his staff, These Bloodless Vampires make me sick! I can go around stealing stuff too, that's easy, but I never take the lives of innocents! Maybe I'll do those kids a favor and help take a few of them down when I'm done with this.

Taeko scanned the clock tower to find Tick Tock was missing, "Hey, where the hell she go?" he murmured to himself.

"Right here!" a cold hiss reached his ears just before a sharp pain, followed by a bright flash in his eyes, filled his senses. Yelping, Taeko flew into the air, hung there a few seconds, then came crashing down onto the ledges as Tick Tock flipped herself onto said ledge, grinning from ear to ear, "You left yourself open, thief,"

Still seeing stars, Taeko staggered to his feet, feeling a great pain in his head. A light cracking sound was heard and the next thing Taeko knew, his mask fell to his feet, split into two pieces. He reached up and felt something warm and sticky on his forehead. Pulling his hand down, he saw that his fingers were covered in blood, which was now trickling down his face.

"You fuckin' blind-sided me, you undead bitch!"

Tick Tock giggled and spun her staff around, "I wouldn't call it 'blind-siding', I'd call it 'seeing an opening and taking it'...," she glanced down at the broken mask, "Oh, and I'm very sorry for breaking that," she added, sarcasm dripping off every word.

Taeko glared at her as blood continued to trickle down his face, "I got more. Still, little surprised you actually did that," he scowled, "Even if you're an undead bitch, you're still my shadow and you should still remember what that mask means!"

Tick Tock raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Why should I? More importantly, why should I even care?"

"I'll tell you why...,"

-Flashback-

"It was during and after that whole 'marriage' bullcrap that Noir got roped into, remember? Her nakama asked us to help them, but we would only do it if we got paid. You were there with me every step of the way! You were with me when we fought, you were there when we ran, when we hid, everything! You were even there when they asked us to become one of them!"

Taeko groaned as he took a seat, still feeling banged up from the confrontation he and the others had to go through. He was sore, but more importantly, he was paid. Grinning, he reached over and opened up the suitcase filled with Beli dollars, "Hello there, beautiful,"

"People see you talking to money, they're gonna think you're crazy," a voice chuckled softly behind him.

"If they think I'm crazy, then they think I'm crazy, not like I give a rat's ass about that or them," Taeko turned to see a beautiful young woman with long, white hair, "Hey, Noir,"

"Hey, yourself," Noir plopped down next to him, looking up at the sky, "So, you all were able to pull it off, hm?"

Taeko nodded as he counted the money, "Yep. Told you those guys would come through for you. I just showed them the way. So, tell me," he glanced at her, "You're no longer forced to marry anyone, you got yourself a decent group of friends over there," he jerked a thumb to a large group of people behind them, "Tell your big black friend over there that if she tosses me into a tower window again, I'll make her life a living hell!"

Noir laughed, "Kameki was only helping from what I hear, she meant well,"

"I don't care, she could've broken my damn neck!" Taeko rubbed said body part, "Shit...,"

Noir gave him a nudge, "So, where are you going to do now?

"Pfft," Taeko shrugged, "Do what I always do: wander around, steal stuff, run like hell,"

"Huh. Well, how about something better than just running around alone like that?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Noir grinned and wrapped her arm around Taeko's shoulder, pulling the thief close to her, "Here's the deal: Kagura, Isaac, Mary, Kameki, Eric, Aka and I are gonna split apart from the Red River Pirates and become our own crew. We could use a scout and with you're thief talents, you'd be a great asset to us?"

Taeko cleared his throat and pulled free of Noir's grip, "You want me to become a pirate?"

"Mhm,"

Taeko looked back at the group, spotting the people she had mentioned a short time before. He saw Kameki, the rather tall, dark skinned woman, Isaac and his sister Mary, a cute blonde girl with a bizarre birth mark on her face, Veda D. Kagura, a woman who ate the Kanga Kanga no Mi, Aka the red-head with tribal tattoos, Doc, who was an okama gunslinger with a pair of wings growing out of his back, and finally Eric, another blonde male with pale skin and dark rings under his eyes.

"Interesting group, I'll give 'em that," Taeko went back to counting his money, "You honestly think you guys can survive the Grand Line?"

"Hey, you were the one who told met to have faith in my nakama when you came to me, and I do. Besides, we're already in the second half of the Grand Line, the New World! I think we can handle it," Noir slapped him upside the head, "We're gonna go across this world and see tons of stuff," she inched herself closer to him, "I bet there's just tons of treasure out there, waiting to be looted....,"

Taeko momentarily stopped counting his money, then started counting again, "...good treasure?"

"Oh, I'm sure of it!" Noir gave a sharp nod, "The legendary treasure of Captain John, Gold Roger's almighty One Piece...HELL, I even heard there's an island in the sky with a City of Gold just waiting for people to come find it! So, how about it? Wanna join up?"

Taeko had stopped counting since she mentioned Captain John. He cleared his throat, placed the money back into the suitcase, closed it and rose to his feet, "You guys are useless without me, ya know that?" he shook his head and started to head back to the others, "I'm coming, but only to help you all out and keep you all alive!"

Noir laughed, "Suuuuuure,"

-End Flashback-

"Don't just stand there and tell me that you don't remember that!" Taeko snapped, "Look, even if you have some odd sense of loyalty to the bastard that stole you from me, you and I are meant to be together! From birth to death, that is our journey!"

Tick Tock just stared blankly at him.

"I haven't been gone long, there should be some memories of our time together still with you...," Taeko continued, "Just find them, and you'll know that I'm speaking the truth here. You don't belong here, you belong with me, shadow, and no one else!"

The female zombie slowly lowered her staff.

There we go! Taeko nodded, "Alright, you remember, right?! You know who you belong with!?"

Tick Tock nodded slowly, "Yes...yes, I do,"

YES! Jackpot!

The zombie raised her staff and glared at Taeko, "I belong to Moria-sama! I am his soldier, loyal to him and him alone!" she broke into a run, her eyes locked onto Taeko, "I am forever his to command!"

Taeko sighed, "...fine, then. I gave you a chance, now I have no choice,"

Tick Tock suddenly stopped running at Taeko and seconds later, she was sent flying to the bottom floor of the clock tower, creating a large network of cracks as she landed. Taeko slowly walked to the edge of the platform, glaring pure hatred at the zombie that was already climbing to her feet. The green-skinned zombie glared back up at him, "Where'd that come from?!"

The bleeding thief smirked and hefted his staff over his shoulder, "I guess the time we had together isn't the only thing you can't remember. Strange, since you're supposed to fight like me...oh well, makes me kicking you rotting ass that much easier, and that much more fun. You think that you can kick my ass, zombie girl? Huh? You have no fuckin' idea who you're messing with!"

"I do too, you tattooed asshole! When I get the chance, I'm gonna take this staff of mine and shove it right up your ass!!"

"Hehe...is that so? Well, come and try it, then, I'm waiting for ya!" Taeko shot back, "C'mon, I"ll show you the real way to fight with a staff!"

Kilnorc: Okay, that chapter's FINALLY done. I spent a few days on this one, talking to Crazy-Fishie about Taeko's past and stuff, so...yeah, here's hoping I did good!

On the next chapter of Endless Nightmare...

Taeko: I've wasted enough time toying with you. I'm getting my shadow back now!

Devon: WHERE THE HELL IS MY SWORD?!

Tick Tock: How did-?!

Hogback: WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

Clock Tower Brawl! Part Two

Austin: JUST HOW MUCH CRAP IS THIS GUY HIDING?!