During the next week Kate was not once seen without Kidd's jacket on her body, the bottom of it trailing behind her like a train of a dress. Heck if Kate wasn't seen practicing her acrobatics or asking to fight with one of the crew members, or during an occasional meal she was hardly seen at all. There had yet to be much screaming, bellowing, cursing, giggling and all of the things that a fight between the captain and the small blonde entailed. Killer nor any of the other Kidd Pirates had yet to find any unconscious forms on the deck or in the halls below the deck.
"Oniichan." Kate whined bouncing to a stop in front of him, the sleeves flopping around and the jacket settling around her quietly. He didn't answer, just tilted his head towards her, waiting for her to tell him what she wanted. Kate's tone of voice suggested that she wanted something, whether it be for him to do something for her or just for him to answer one of her questions. "Where is captain?"
It was rather surprising that Kate was bouncing around at this time of day especially after how horribly she had slept last night, after all of the tossing and turning and of course keeping him up in the process. He hadn't asked her why she couldn't sleep, she was a big girl and he had thought that if she managed to go to sleep then she'd just sleep in later than usual today. However he had been incorrect and she was up bright and early, only minutes after he had left their room. "Sleeping." He answered. It was hardly dawn and Kate was up and awake- it was simply mind blowing, she was not a morning person. "But I thought you were avoiding him." Killer had witnessed Kate walking down the hall, see Kidd and then turn and run the opposite way, duck into the nearest door or down the nearest hall. The only time her and Kidd had really tied into it was during meal times, in which tempers flared, arguments were shouted, and if silverware wasn't being flung then Kate was being dragged across the table by the jacket she refused to take off, even when sleeping. When sleeping Kate simply didn't have her arms in the sleeves.
"Oh trust me I still am."
"Kate." Warned Killer. He was quite concerned as to why Kate needed to know where Kidd was if she was still avoiding him.
"What?" She 'innocently' asked him. Killer just shook his head at her. "Do you know if there's any markers on this ship? Maybe in Kidd's office, chart, map, room place?"
He shrugged. "You'll have to check." Killer's mind was spinning, working hard to figure out how a sleeping Kidd and a marker fit together in Kate's eccentric, erratic mind, something that she could come up with on a seconds whim. But then he stopped, no never mind, he didn't want to now. There were just far too many possibilities, too many things that Kate could plan and decide with Kidd and a marker.
"So you're telling me that you don't know? Well how about a pen? Are there any pens in this god forsaken ship?" She huffed at him crossing her arms.
"Yes I believe so." Killer answered, not returning her attitude.
A smile spread itself across her face and she happily said, "Ok then, thanks. I'll see you later." And with those words Kate dashed into the as she had put it 'Kidd's office, chart, map, room place'. She didn't appear without something clutched in her hot little hand. "Perfect!" she exclaimed closing the door behind her. The red ink incased in clear plastic was just perfect for Kidd. Looking up she said a cheerful farewell to her big brother before skipping to the door that led below deck and disappeared.
When she was gone Killer inwardly groaned asking himself why Kate needed a pen, why she was going to bother Kidd it. Well he'd see the outcome soon enough.
Unfortunately after twenty minutes or so of silence, or the crew slowly coming out and going about their business Kate burst out onto the deck, giggling like a crazy little child who had done something wrong- and knew it- but hadn't been caught yet. She returned the red pen to its proper place. Upon coming out and seeing him she came to a stop and solemnly said, "I did nothing." Before continuing her way up to the quarter deck where she quietly settled into the throne like chair of Kidd's, wrapping the jacket she had 'stolen' around her body, her legs spilling over one arm of the chair, the other arm acting as her headrest.
When Killer checked on her a few minutes later to ask her what she had done and to check their course he found that Kate was sound asleep. So he decided not to disturb her, to let her get what sleep she'd be able to manage to get before Kidd charged out onto the deck with the mission of finding an harming if not killing Kate, and simply check their course. After doing so he turned around and wound up lightly brushing some just long enough strands of hair away from her face, muttering the word stupid as he did so with a shake of his head. He supposed that it was about time that she did something to enrage Kidd, that it was about time that he found her unconscious form laying crumpled and bloodied somewhere on the ship, that the shouting and fighting was weeks over due. But even then he wasn't too keen on or thrilled with the idea of finding his baby sister beaten into an unconscious state on the ship. He'd rather not have to pick up another one of her messes.
Kidd woke up but took a while to actually decide to get up and out of his bed, to get up and to want to do anything. After all Killer was probably taking care of whatever so he needn't worry about that. But eventually he sat up and swung his legs around to the side of his bed and rested his elbows on his knees as he wiped the lingering sleep from his eyes before getting dressed.
Each day that went by without incident was grating on his nerves, wearing down his already thin and subtle patience, and to be frank it was starting to piss him off. It wasn't as though he needed a reason to beat the little blonde bitch, hell he had pillaged villages, burned entire islands and massacred people for the hell of it, because he was in the mood and because he felt like it. But for some unknown reason Kidd felt that he needed more of a reason then just because to lay a hand on Kate with more than violent intentions. Something must be wrong with her, she wasn't getting on his nerves like she used to, like he was used to her doing.
Her silence, the way she was blatantly ignoring him, the way she ran the moment she laid eyes on him, the way she blushed and lowered her eyes during the meals they both bothered to show up to, it was too unnatural for Kate. Her actions and words should practically be begging for him to do something. She should be bothering him with her damn questions, talking his ears off until he smacked her or told her to shut the fuck up- and even then continue- but she wasn't. And Kidd was ready to explode the moment he found a reason to do so. God he'd make her suffer for her silence, for running away from him every time she was him after he had gone back to save her sorry ass. All he needed was one half ass reason to do so.
Letting out a quiet growl of annoyance at the last two weeks or so Kidd stood and walked out of his room and went to the bathroom. Passing the mirror that hung above the sink he had to do a double take when the sight of red in his reflection (that wasn't his hair) caught his attention. Despite the words 'I LOVE KATE BUT AM TOO DAMN STUPID TO ADMIT/REALIZE IT!' printed in red ink across his forehead, on each cheek, on his chin and currently bare and weaponless chest a smile cracked across his face- one that would leave most people running, scrambling and begging for their lives, as well as leaving his crew wondering what in the name of hell he was up to.
He had just found that one good reason he had been searching for.
Killer could hear Kidd storming about the ship before he could see him. And it wasn't long before his captain burst out onto the deck, obviously on a manhunt for his little sister, who was sleeping peacefully on the throne like chair of his, bound to be found by Kidd rather soon.
He began searching for the little whore but he didn't find her sleeping innocently in Killer's bed or eating in the galley. Kidd didn't find Kate skipping jovially throughout his ship with a goddamned care in the fucking world. With no luck below deck Kidd stormed onto the deck, there were only so many places she could be here. He thought to himself.
When Kidd threw open the door Killer got a good view of the damage that Kate had done to his captain. Even though the words were more or less true- on both ends- they still appeared to enrage Kidd.
Finally he found her curled up in his throne looking like the poster child of guilty. His jacket was pulled up over her shoulders being used as a blanket, the only part of her that was visible other than the tips of her toes was her face. Kidd was aware of Killers presence on the stairs leading up to the quarterdeck, watching him as he reached forwards and wrapped his large hand around her small throat before none too gently jerking her out of his throne, her misty with sleep and incomprehension blue eyes popped open as his jacket hit the deck between them with a heavy thump.
Fear was supposed to fill her no longer sleepy eyes, to make her start trying to get out of his strong grasp. She was supposed to realize how screwed she was, how stupid deciding to take a nap in his throne was after drawing on him like the child she mostly was as she dangled there a foot or so off the ground, at his eye level. So he was surprised to say the least- though in all honesty he shouldn't have been- when Kate threw her head back and began laughing despite the air suppressing hold he had on her neck.
"Kidd." Killers warning voice hardly reached his ears, let alone registered. His name was simply a reminder that the whore's life rested in his hand, that there were numerous things he could do to end her fragile life, to get rid of her, to finally be free of her.
"You should see your face Captain." Kate stopped laughing and started gasping when his grip tightened, but even then the smile did not falter, waver or drop off of her face. "You can hardly see the ink you're so red." If she wasn't so amused then she'd be concerned for her safety. This was soooo not funny, if he kept squeezing she was not only going to be dead but also Neptunian food. Or maybe Kidd would keep her head on a pike, an 'I finally got rid of the bitch' trophy type of thing. Yet despite the situation and its lack of humor Kate couldn't help but laugh.
And after her comment the red ink was nearly invisible as he growled, "And I thought I fucking wanted you back." before he launched her over the rail of the quarterdeck. It wouldn't do well if he simply threw her into the water because then he'd have to fish her out, though watching her flail around in the water, trying to stay afloat with some kind of angry expression as she shouted god only knows what at him might serve as some entertainment.
Killer was surprised when Kidd didn't throw her into the ocean. He was thankful, relieved and glad, but he was still surprised ever the same.
When Kate's body slammed into the lower deck Kidd expected her to get up, to start laughing like an insane maniac, to get up and say that the impact didn't hurt at all. He expected her to criticize the rather time manner in which he had handled her this time, how she had already seen this trick before, how he should really shake things up a bit and try something other than choking and throwing her around just because he could, because she was light enough and he was strong enough to do so. But when she didn't move Kidd marched down the stairs, pushing past his first mate and coming to a stop only about a foot or less away from her defenseless body. Standing over her was just like before, he could shoot her, he could stab her, he could crush some major and/or vital organ with his boot or he could just his devil fruit power. But killing the bitch, where the hell would that get him?
Nowhere. Killing her would put an end to his entertainment.
So just like last time he pulled back his foot and kicked her away from him. Kidd would have opted for kicking her in the head but that was more than a surefire way to kill her, to give her brain damage at the least. Impaling her with the golden spikes on the jacket that she loved so much would kill her just as well. "Wouldn't that be fucking ironic?" Kidd sneered aloud to the slowly coming too girl. Kidd let Kate stagger to her feet; she wasn't fucking laughing anymore he noted gleefully as he said "Reject."
"Stop denying m-" she cockily began before being jerked away with the necklace he had noticed that she had somehow gotten back before they had gotten her back, and any other metal that was on her. Her head slammed back into the wood of the mast with a small cry and a cough of blood.
When her head hit the whatever the hell it had hit Kate could have sworn the world had gone black, and how the hell did she end up on her knees. After hitting the whatever, the next thing she knows is that Kidd is coming her way, more than likely feeling all macho and satisfied with the way she tasted blood. So what she had deserved what Kidd was dishing out to her, who cared that she was afraid for her life this time, being choked and then thrown about had been the worse way to be woken up. And why was Killer just watching? Shouldn't he be protecting her? All three of them knew that she wasn't going to be able to fight back efficiently enough. After all she still didn't quite know how she ended up on her hands and knees.
Killer watched his captain kick his sister around in her unconscious state until some instinct in her body or a hard enough kick forced her to regain unstable consciousness. But Kidd was far from done with her after the words she had written on him in ink, and she had really been asking for it this time which was why he was making no move to stop Kidd as of yet. She dropped to her hands and knees, staining the deck and one of her hands with blood. As she knelt there Kidd stalked towards her, like a cat playing with its wounded prey, knowing that it wasn't going to escape no matter how much time it gave its prey. Kidd was also grinning widely as he held one arm up. Killer knew that the next word out of his mouth would bring Kate to him, to her feet at the least. Killer was fairly sure that Kidd wouldn't kill Kate, just teach her a lesson, one that she wouldn't learn. After all she had said so herself, she'd never learn.
But he didn't know how much longer she could keep on taking Kidd's abuse. With a sigh Killer jumped over the rail of the stairs leading up to the quarterdeck and slid between his captain and Kate, both very important people in his life, both people in whom he was very loyal to. "Captain." He said cutting off the word and stopping Kidd in his tracks.
"What? Get the fuck out of my way." His slowly calming down captain growled at him, looking around him and at Kate, as though all he wanted to do was to get through him and to get to his sister.
"I cannot permit you to do anymore damage to my baby sister." True had had done a hell of a lot more damage to her himself but that had been different. It was for a good cause, not for his cruel and twisted entertainment, and not for extracting revenge as Kidd was doing now.
Things could go one of two ways right now. One Kidd could get all 'I'm captain, you're the first mate, she fucking wronged me not get the hell out of my way before I make you'. Or he could back down- which was unlikely. Killer was betting on the first of the two options, so he slid into a defensive stance in front of his sister. He didn't want to fight his captain, who was at an advantage with his magnetic devil fruit ability, but if he chose the first of the two roads to travel down then simple words would not satisfy him and he'd be damned if he didn't try and protect her. If she wasn't on her knees still hacking up a lung behind him he wouldn't be half as defensive, but it appeared those few kicks when she was unconscious had taken their toll.
"Oh shove it big brother." A voice said as a force pushed him aside. "I love you too but if he's got a bone to pick with me let him pick it." She then turned her attention to Kidd and walked- no sauntered- up to him, not stopping until she had to look up at him. She stood there glaring up at the redheaded man, blood covering her hands, lips and the surrounding area. But before he could react she scoffed and said, "I hate to break it to you Captain but you never wanted me back. I know that Killer somehow pressured you into coming back for me and to save my sorry handcuffed to a damn marriage bed, ass."
"Bullshit!" Kidd exclaimed. He wouldn't let Killer pressure him into anything, especially something like returning to an island and saving a girl in which he absolutely detested.
"Then you came back so that you could beat me whenever the mood struck." She snapped at him crossing her arms over her chest. Let's see him deny that one. She thought to herself.
Kidd reached forwards, chuckling a bit when Kate flinched away from him. He unbuttoned the first few buttons on the shirt of Killers that she was wearing and said, "That's getting warmer but you're still incorrect." Maybe it would be more entertaining to do nothing, not to break a single bone in her body and to watch her astonishment as he didn't do anything more to her. It would satisfy Killer too, three birds with one stone. "Not only have you been hiding form be but you've also been hiding my handiwork." His thumb traced over the fading scabs of a bite mark with a smile. Everything was fading, but the marks and bruises were still there, plenty visible but not near as much as they were after the first few days. "Do you regret it?"
"No." Kate whispered, standing rigid under Kidd's touch, waiting for him to A) rip off her shirt because he could and he thought she was hiding his marks- which she was. B) To start choking her or deliver another blow to her body. The heavy tangy taste of blood was still strong in her mouth.
Killer was standing off to the side; in the place Kate had pushed him to, ready to defend his sister; even with the strange turn of conversation and events. Kidd and Kate both acted on whims, making them both unpredictable but there was one question that kept popping into his mind, one that was surely spinning around Kidd's mind as well. To continue or to not continue punishing Kate. But Killer didn't know which one his captain would choose, if his sister would go flying or not.
Kidd laughed. Her reactions to seeing him every time she saw him, the way she had the shit buttoned all the way to the top button and the way she blushed, it all begged to differ, it all contradicted her answer. "Then what are you trying to hide? It's not as though the entire crew didn't hear us." He pointed out to the blonde no longer glaring up at him.
At those words Kate turned an amusing shade of pink, looking towards and holding up her arms as if asking him where was the help now that she wanted it. But he just stood there; she had gotten herself into this mess so she could get herself out. The only reason he would intervene is if Kidd were to make any more moves to physically harm Kate.
"B-b- because it's embarrassing!" Kate finally managed to exclaim.
"What the fuck is embarrassing?"
"Facing Killer." She whispered then silently added, and the rest of the crew. Kate was still waiting for that blow to come, for him to 'turn on' his devil fruit power and to strangle her with her own necklace. If Killer weren't her brother, if she didn't care what he thought then she wouldn't be bothered keeping those two nearly suffocating buttons buttoned, keeping most of the marks out of Killers sight. And by simply covering the marks meant that she didn't have to avoid Killer too, after all avoiding one person was exhausting enough. "But why are you bringing it up now?" Even though she was avoiding him, even though she had skipped a lot of the meals they would have shared, there had been a few times where they were face to face.
"Does it matter?" He asked her.
"I suppose not King Kidd. But do you mind? Stop undressing me." Kate grumbled, glaring at him but not moving, not swatting his hands away from the second button on Killers shirt. Kidd's hands slid down to the third one, knowingly pushing his limits with a smile. He was waiting for a reaction, anything more than the glare she was giving him at the moment would suffice. "Kidd." She quietly growled at him, merely shifting her weight. He only hmmed at her, not bothering with a coherent response. "I'm warning you." Kate said just above a whisper. But when he didn't stop at that button Kate couldn't help but react. For god's sake they were on the deck, in broad daylight, in front of her brother! She slapped Kidd, not very hard but hard enough to make him pause and return the glare. "Next time I'll reduce you to a whimpering mass on the floor." She grumbled at the man as she rebuttoned the third button. It was in the middle of her chest and she didn't have any undergarments and there were eyewitnesses now. Like usual anyone who came onto the deck during one of their exchanges ignored them, but Kate still didn't want to flash them, none of them needed to get an eyeful.
Before she could walk away Kidd grabbed her upper arm and slammed his fist into her face, hitting the bone under her eye. She didn't cough out any teeth or anymore blood, just silently held the already bruising place on her face as he growled, "And I fucking thought I wanted you back." before storming away.
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Thoughts? Opinions? Feedback?
All three greatly appreciated.
