I'M ALIVE and so very, very sorry this came so late.
Universe One
Cat and Mouse
I skidded several feet back as yet again, Killer blew away the attack I had made. We had only been sparring for fifteen minutes and I was already on the losing side, my breathing laboured and several nicks and cuts in various places on my body
Nii-Killer stood in the centre of the deck, one of his blades spinning on the motor of his hand guards while the other was motionless at his side, a small nick on the collar of his black and white polka-dotted shirt. I had gotten one lucky hit on him earlier in the spar, but since then he hasn't lowered his guard and I haven't been able to hit him. I swore I could feel him smirking at me from under that blue and white mask.
Gripping my onyx blade, I maintained focus as I ran around strafing him, my eyes pinning him where he stood although to the man it made no difference. Then I called up purple fire in front of me before running through it, coming out the other portal I formed directly behind him for another attempt at hitting the guy.
What greeted me was his blade coming at my neck, and coming fast. My eyes widened and I barely had time to twist down and dodge it, landing flat on my back on the deck. It knocked the breath out of me and my concentration broke as well, finally letting the wave of exhaustion I had been holding back roll over me.
Nii-Killer stopped and loomed over, looking down at me as I lay there panting. *You're very predictable when you use that technique."
I just nodded and tried to get my breathing back under control as the masked man took his blades off his motors and put them back in their sheaths. Kid had been watching us spar but now he went down below deck, having finished cleaning and polishing his gun.
Killer crouched next to me and examined the nick I had made in the collar of his shirt. "You surprised me the first time you did the portal thing, but then you got repetitive and kept going behind me, which was what made you predictable. It will get you killed in a real fight."
"Gee, thanks for the real pep talk." Frowning as I sat up, I put my black katana back in it's pearly white sheath at my hip. "It's a little hard reorienting myself after going through, I'm not used to it yet."
"Orient yourself before going through," he told me. "Be ready for it instead of taking the extra second doing that."
"Easier said than done," I grumbled as he stood, putting out a hand. I pouted and pursed my lips a bit before taking his hand, letting him pull me up and support me as I stumbled for a moment in my fatigue.
"You need to train more in stamina to keep up with your powers," Killer stated before I snapped a look at him.
"I know that Nii-Killer, I don't need you stating the obvious." I crossed my arms and pouted again, the masked man staring at me silently for an oddly long time. To be honest it was starting to creep me out since I could see his eyes. I huffed and turned away from him, giving a wave as I headed towards the door that lets me below deck.
"Run."
Freezing at the dark tone of his voice, I turned my head back to see him holding my sheathed katana. My mouth gaped open and I reached to my hip where it should be but nope, he had it and I had no clue as to how I didn't notice him taking it. I blanched as I sensed a menacing aura around him, watching as my brother tossed my weapon down to the side before he repeated what he had said a moment ago.
"Run."
I was frozen, staring at him wide-eyed as his aura only became darker. He took a step forward and I was halfway to the other end of the ship, doing exactly as he told me to. Fast footsteps followed me now and I skidded to pivot and turn when I had reached the end of the ship, sensing him rebound off the railing and jump high above. Killer landed right in my path and my heart jumped in my throat as I ducked his hands, changing direction again and running to where he discarded my sword.
He appeared in front of me and I stopped dead in my tracks, the taller, deadlier man between my weapon and I, shaving a finger at me in disapproval. "No weapons."
"Why?!" I shouted and he only stepped toward me, making me start running away from him again.
I ran around the ship's deck a couple times with him in pursuit before I changed direction again and headed for the door below deck. In the back of my mind I knew that Killer was much faster than this, but I was too startled by his presence and the chase that I didn't pay that thought any mind.
Leaping down the short flight of stairs past the door, I nearly crashed into another member of the crew in my rush to get away from my pursuer, giving them a quick apology as I zipped down the hall.
On the deck above, Killer could catch me at any time, but down here I could slip into one of the many rooms and maybe shake him off, giving me time to catch my breath. The only downside: He knew the ship better than I did.
Almost skidding as I turned the corner, I spied an open door and ran into it, quickly and quietly closing the door and leaning against it as I fought to control my breathing and silence the pounding in my chest from the rush. I heard fast footsteps running down the hallway and I smiled, sliding down the door to sit on the floor as exhaustion set in again.
It really wasn't long before the masked man burst through the second door that led into the kitchen I was hiding in, making me jump up and rip open the door behind me, continuing to run as he insisted on resuming the chase.
When was he going to stop?
Penguin's POV
"We're gonna get our asses kicked..." I mumbled as I looked at the pile of clothing on the floor of the cluttered room Shachi and I shared. To be more specific, it was Aeona's clothing. Pants, shirts, underwear, all of it.
"Yeah but I figured we needed to get back at her for not telling us she had to go to the other ship." The pink-hatted man grinned and rubbed his hands together. "I've got a plan~"
I shook my head in disbelief but I couldn't help a grin at the thought myself. "What do you have in mind?"
He held up a hand then started for the door to exit our room. "First we're gonna need to call everyone."
~~~ And so...
Everyone was gathered in the kitchen of the submarine, save for Jean Bart and Cap, who stayed in their rooms and refused to come. But everyone now knew of Shachi's plan and most of them agreed, a few of them not wanting any part of the idea.
Once everyone on board knew what to do, the gathering broke up and prepared for Aeona's return. Whenever that might be.
Walking back to our room, I turned my head to my best friend and pulled a grin despite what I was going to say next. "We are going to die."
Shachi nodded in agreement but he had an expression identical to my own as we returned to our room, an empty spot on the floor where the pile of feminine clothing was previously.
Aeona's POV
I lost track of how long this game of cat and mouse had been going on. The only things currently in my head being where I was, where Killer was, and how utterly drained I was.
In yet another room I leaned heavily against the wall as I panted, my shirt clinging to me by the sweat I worked up in the constant chase. Sensing Killer making his way toward where I was, I pushed away from the wall as I watched the only door into the storage room open, the tall and lithe silhouette in the doorway. The shape lurched forward and I pooled whatever was left of my energy to create a portal out of the dead end room.
Once through it and appearing up on the deck, I was hit with a wave of nausea and dizziness, making me stumble and fall facedown, my cheek resting on the wood. I was too exhausted to move anymore, and I didn't even mind my spot on the hard floor as I felt myself losing consciousness. He really did run me until I passed out...
I didn't know how much time passed when I woke up again, but I was still pretty tired as I glanced around blearily. I slowly realized that I was back in my room, but with no memory of what happened to land me here. Thankfully I soon remembered as I sat up, groaning and stretching my sore legs.
Spying a glass of water next to my bed, I quickly grabbed it and guzzled the cool liquid down, feeling extremely dehydrated from the chase.
When I had finally regained enough to focus to listen to whatever was happening on the ship, I heard shouting and loud booming sounds from up above on the deck. Grabbing my katana from where I found it leaning against the bed, I strapped it onto it's rightful place at my hip as I hurried out of the room, heading up to see what exactly was going on.
What greeted me was a sight I did not expect.
My eyes widened at the sight of fire, another pirate ship sinking into the ocean in a brilliant blaze while it's crew lay either sinking into the waters or strewn about the Kid Pirates' ship. Heat and Wire were kicking bodies over the railing along with the other crew members who were in different areas of the deck. I jumped as I heard a gunshot ringing out, staring at the smoking gun in Kid's hand before I watched the redhead kick away the man he shot, a maniacal laugh ringing through the air.
The slicing sounds of blades meeting flesh reached my ears as I flicked my eyes to where my brother had slain the last members of the opposing crew, spinning his blades to fling off the blood that had gotten on them. I stumbled back against the open door, horrified at the sight which made me remember why the Kid Pirates had such a terrible reputation for needless destruction, why both Kid and Killer were among the highest bounties of the Eleven Supernovae, why many people were afraid to even speak of them.
Killer glanced up when he heard my scuffling steps away from the scene, a splash of crimson blood decorating the front of his mask as he looked back at me so shamelessly. "Aeona?"
"Oi! Pull yourself together," Kid rudely interrupted, walking toward me as he put his gun back in it's holster on the strap crossing his torso. With a wave of his hand, he made a sword fly and stab a body on the deck to slide it out of the way as he came toward me. I took a step back and stared at him wide-eyed as he got closer. "You've killed people too, seeing this shouldn't be a problem."
"Kid." Killer's low, warning tone made me glance over at him before my eyes flicked back to Kid. I took another step back before turning and running back below the deck and to my room. I didn't want to see that anymore, and I didn't need to be reminded of what I had done.
Heat's POV
"-ing her that was completely unnecessary," I heard the First mate saying to the captain as I threw yet another body overboard. We were sailing away from the burning ship that belonged to the other pirates, I didn't care much for them so I enjoyed setting them alight when Kid ordered me to.
Jackson, a smaller member of the crew with orange hair, green cargo pants, and a grey fur-lined vest, was having trouble lifting a guy bigger than him. I sighed as I walked over and just kicked the body over the railing, earning a glare from the one I helped.
"I coulda 'andled tha'!" Despite his height only reaching my shoulders, he puffed out his chest in annoyance and I halfheartedly rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, in half an hour you'd finally drag him all the way to the ladder, we'd be waiting on you," I grumbled as I turned away, letting the light of the setting sun hit my back. "Just get Cork and start cleaning up this mess, Kid'll be mad if any of it stains."
Glancing to where Killer was, I saw him rubbing the front of his mask with a sleeve before he went into the ship. Probably to talk to the chick, Aeona. I had listened to them running throughout the ship for three hours straight earlier today. Wonder what was up with that. Ah well, none of my business.
So like I've said in previous chapters, I really am motivated by reviews and feedback. To get myself out of this writer's block I had, I read every single review this story has gotten at least three times.
Please leave a review, it always helps!
Thanks from Qudirl Rider Aeona!
