Catching Akane

Yuuki was tossed through the air by Alexander's hard as iron punch. Yuuki landed twisted on the ground, knocked unconscious by the seriously life-threatening fist of Alexander. Alexander quickly rushed over to Akane, ignoring the referee who was going over to congratulate him. "Akane!" shouted Alexander as he skidded forward and wrapped his arms around her, spinning her about in the air. "I thought you left us! Now that you are back, you can join our crew as well!"

"Alexander..." said Akane with a downtrodden voice as she hung her head and pushed Alexander away and out of his arms, "I'm sorry...but...I can't accept your offer." She turned her back to him and took a few steps. She was dressed differently rather then her normal flashy clothing, she was wearing a black suit that clung to her body. Her entire being seemed different. She seemed depressed and sad.

"If its about Specter, I can fire him and hire you instead," declared Alexander as he took another couple of steps forward for Akane. Specter growled and took out his Pop Grenade Launcher and took aim at Alexander. Rina quickly pressed it away. Alexander pivoted around and in front of Akane, but Akane twisted away.

"Its not about him..." she said with a heavy sigh, "I've decided that I'm going to my absolute best to help your investigation...even if that means being away from you...er, you guys. I'm going undercover for the Marines in the Taka organization. I haven't done any flashy missions since joining up with the Marine, so they shouldn't know anything about me and the Marines. I'm going to join up with Taka and gain as much information about them as I possibly can! Hopefully, with that information we will be able to take them down and, maybe then...if the offer is still open I can join your crew!" Akane turned back and faced Alexander, the depression was still in her voice, but there was a twinge of hope there as well.

"Are you serious?" asked Alexander with a serious tone. He hadn't seen Akane fight, but he didn't feel safe with her going to join Taka. "That's just ridiculous! What the heck are you expecting me to say about something like that? Its one of the worse ideas in the world!" Akane looked shocked and backed away slowly. Alexander continued shouting at her, "I mean, what would make you think I would let that happen?"

"I...I thought you wanted me to..." began Akane a little bit side-tracked. She had no idea that Alexander had instead decided to reply to the proposal of her going and joining up with Taka rather then her joining his crew after that. She had thought that everything he had said was trying to get her not to join his crew.

"Why the heck would I want that?" replied Alexander with a huff, completely oblivious to the fact that he and Akane were on two separate subjects. "Its irresponsible and just plain stupid!" Akane cringed as Alexander took a step forward.

"FINE!" she shouted as she stepped forward and launched a punch directly into Alexander's face, knocking him backwards and onto his butt. "Don't ever come and talk to me again, you...you...YOU ASS!" Akane turned around and raced out of the room, she didn't even stop when Specter or Rina shouted at her.

Alexander stood there dumbfounded as he watched her run out. "Was it something I said?" asked Alexander as he walked forwards toward Rina. Rina looked over at him and shook her head in pity. "No?" stated Alexander misunderstanding Rina's head shake, "then why did she run out? Hmm, maybe it was something you did?"

Rina brought her palm to her face. "Alexander...I think Akane thought that all those mean things you said were in response to her asking you if she could join the crew after she got done in Taka, not when she was in Taka." Rina had understood the exchange of those two after the first couple of lines. She hated to admit it, but it was probably partially due to the fact that she KNEW that Alexander was going to royally screw it up.

"...crap..." muttered Alexander as the final pieces fell into place. Absolutely everything he did say did kind of fit into the idea of her joining the crew. Not quite, but taken in the wrong context and if Akane was emotionally off-balance like due to a fight or leaving the Marines, when she didn't want to it made perfect sense. "I got to go catch up to her." Alexander was about to bolt off in the direction after Akane, but Specter quickly stopped him.

"Wait, a moment there captain," said Specter with a broad smile as he politely patted Alexander on the back. "Since you royally suck at talking to women...and more then likely men while we are the subject, I feel the need to give you some pointers, okay?" Alexander nodded. He had already gained some pointers from Veri Fresh back at the Marine base, but he definitely needed more. "There is one sure-fire way to win over a woman. What you need to do is get down on one knee and say 'will you marry me?' It'll definitely calm..." Rina pulled Specter back and down onto the floor. She quickly stepped on top of him and placed one of her shoes over his mouth to silence him.

"Ignore everything he just s-said," muttered Rina with the utmost serious expression on her face. "Ignore everything he just said. Ignore everything he ever told you about g-girls before and just go out there and say...just say...say the exact opposite of what you would normally say!" Rina shouted with the utmost pride of figuring out the perfect way to make Alexander into someone who could win Akane back. Then again... "no wait!" shouted Rina as she grabbed onto Alexander's shirt and pulled him back. She knew Alexander and he was say something like 'I hate you' with that information. "Just...say something that comes from...your heart?" She let go of Alexander. There was nothing she could say that would make Alexander talk intelligently to Akane. She just gave up and gave Alexander the go ahead.

Alexander nodded and raced off to find Akane. He thought of all the places Akane would go to. His first thought was the harbor. If she was going off to join Taka she'd need to get on a ship and leave immediately, but was she still going to? She said she was going to join Taka to help Alexander's investigation, however, with her now hating Alexander would she still go? His next thought was the hotel he had rented for Rina...Akane could go there and sleep, bury her head in the pillow and the like with no more prying eyes. Maybe to the diner where they met? Several of the locations on the island came to mind, but none of them seemed to be more likely then the previous one.

Alexander ran to the first place his mind thought of, the docks. He barreled past the innocent bystanders forcing them to the side as he made his path to the docks. He still wasn't sure about the chances of her being there, but if she was then she could leave any second...as long as she didn't get on a ship, he could find and apologize to her whenever. He just needed to find her.

Alexander arrived back at the dock. It was just as busy as it was when he first had arrived. Numerous shopkeepers all boasting about their jewels were gathered around. Alexander was stopped in his tracks as he watched a near infinite wave of people come in as a new ship came into dock. The people were all shoulder-to-shoulder, there no room for him to run through. Alexander's eyes locked onto the passenger ship that came into the dock...it would be the best way for Akane to escape off of the island, especially if she wanted to meet with a Taka member. There would be a lot of different and diverse people on the ship, an assassin from a dangerous organization would just blend right in and never be found. If they met now who knows what Taka could do...use a smaller boat to ferry her away...blow up the ship...there was an endless list of what they could do that would make it impossible for Alexander to see Akane again.

Alexander continued to stare through the crowed. He charged through regardless of the bystanders, he continued to shout 'Marine Business' charging through. The crowd soon parted and allowed him to get through. Alexander didn't slow even as he finally stepped foot on the ship. He looked around him, frantically trying to find Akane. Finally, his eyes locked on her. She was on the ship, her back turning on him.

"I WANT YOU TO JOIN MY CREW!" shouted Alexander as he took another step forward looking up at Akane, "when you are done with whatever it is you are going to do! You should join my crew! Me, you, Rina, and Specter! We'd be the number one Marine crew out there. No matter what!"

Akane never turned around nor did she acknowledge him. Even though she wanted to turn around and say something back, she didn't. Anything she did know could be seen by Taka. Any movement could sell her out as traitor, a spy, or an informant. She kept her eyes forward and disappeared into the ship's hold. As soon as she got into her own room, she dropped to the floor and shouted "Its a deal!" While the doors definitely muffled the sound somehow Alexander got it.

Alexander smiled and flipped his beret around. "Yes, it is." Alexander turned around, but he bumped into someone. Both of their hats came off and onto the floor. Alexander rubbed his head and looked over at the person who had bumped into him. The man was dressed in a white suit and even the hat that came off of his head was white. Alexander quickly stood up and handed the white hat to the man. "Sorry, about that. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

The man dressed in white accepted the hat and placed it back on his head. He then handed Alexander's hat back to him, "don't worry about it. It was my fault completely, you had your back turned to me there was no way you would be able to see me." He was being followed by another man who kept his head down and a large hat pulled down over his face. The man in white smiled and quickly boarded the ship without much else to say. Both of them quickly disappeared into his own room.

He leaned back against his bed and smiled. "Marcus...you are fine now. Remove that ridiculous hat from your face." His partner nodded and removed his hat. "Talk about your bad luck. We didn't count on a Marine arriving here, much less one that saw your face. I guess we are lucky that we noticed him and that one of the nearby stalls was selling a hat that could hide your face."

Marcus muttered something beneath his breath as he tossed the hat into the trash and stomped on it. "I understand all of that, but why did you have to freakin' bump into him. I mean, we are taking a big enough of a risk just by walking around! We are both wanted criminals!"

"Don't lump me in with you and your brothers," said White as he sat down on the bed. He opened up one of his bags and produced a small Den-Den Mushi. "I am an elite assassin. I have killed over 100 men with my bare hands and another 500 with guns and rifles and, yet, I have a bounty of zero. How is that possible? Simple, I have never been caught. Several members of Taka boast a similar repertoire of skill, so its not too surprising, but only one of us was a criminal and he was hiding his face."

Marcus shrugged and sat down next to him. "So, what's up with the Den-Den Mushi? Got to call in and tell them how this mission went or something?" Marcus leaned over closer to White's Den-Den Mushi and looked at it.

"I'm telling them to come pick you up," stated White. "I have found me another target to eliminate. He was an unwanted piece in my mission. If my calculations are off by even as much as one person, my plan can fall apart and I don't want that. So, it makes sense that I would have a certain amount of hatred for him." White's expression turned completely serious, "But more importantly then that...he is a danger to Taka."

Seriously, this was a long arc. I mean, its over 20 chapters long! That's like two or my other arcs. Anyways, Akane is leaving to join Taka, but the question is will she come back alive? And now White seems to have taken an unhealthy interest in Alexander (unhealthy for Alexander anyways). Oh, well, with that this Arc is over and the next Arc shall begin soon!