Quick Escape
Nova rushed forward. She had no idea how much longer it would be until Mario was found or until he retained consciousness. However, if either one of those two came true, then thanks to the ink she had inadvertently left back there she would be fingered as the culprit, even without the ink she was the last person to be seen with him. She was the guilty party without any thinking required.
Nova got to the room and immediately slowed down, stopping right outside of the door. She had forgotten. Mario had set her up as the person who shot her own father. She couldn't go in there unless things were calm. If she screwed up and barged in there and was immediately arrested, she didn't even know if James could escape any more. It was probably his plan to escape now with her during the commotion.
She decided to risk it, walking into the room and keeping her head high. James and Coureal both glanced her way causing her to jump slightly especially as they narrowed their gazes at them. "Where's Mario at?" asked James seeing as Coureal was busy dissecting the layer of smells.
"He left," Nova stated as she quickly came up with an excuse as well as a way to tell James to get, "come to think you should be leaving soon, too, right?"
James perked up at that noticing a hinting tone to her voice, "I'm just getting a few last minute things in order. Got some of my men working on it."
Nova had to resist the urge to laugh at that. His 'men' could be summarized as two women, Kelda and Olivia...and maybe her now? She supposed she still needed to clear some facts up about their escape. "I think leaving now would be for the best. Especially with everything going on."
She seemed awfully adamant about this. James paused and looked at her, it took him a few seconds to piece everything together. Mario. Mario was missing and why? He may have left, but more than likely he had his butt kicked by Nova. James smirked. That was nice to know his new shipwright could beat the pants off of a Marine...but still there was a time and a place for everything! Now was definitely not the time to get themselves into an even worse place! They needed to book it and fast!
"I guess you are right, I do need to get going," James admitted, "I just need to talk to you for a minute...you know procedural stuff." James stepped forward and immediately began to walk Nova out. Once they were in the hallway a mad break for it would be easy. Besides the more distance he could put in between him and the other two Marines the better.
"The smell of gunpowder," Coureal stated as he peeled away another layer of scents. "The steel of the bullet...and the strong scent of the perfume. The same kind you're wearing," growled Coureal turning to face James and Nova.
"I'm wearing cologne not perfume," explained James, "oh, and I didn't shoot him either."
"He means me," explained Nova causing James to jump back briefly and look at her. He blinked once, opened his mouth, but found himself with a lack of word.
"Uh...did you know about this?" asked James, Nova nodded causing James to let out a surprised gasp, "did you do this?" Nova shook her head, looking a little ashamed that he even thought of something like that. James shrugged, "See? She didn't do it."
"Oh, gee, that's nice to know that we can trust a killer," retorted Coureal as he opened his hand wide and wiggled each finger separately. They each cut through the air at their own rate, but each time it was just as deadly. It was obvious Coureal wasn't just this island's blood hound. He was also an incredibly strong fighter.
James jumped in between Coureal and Nova, spreading his arms wide as he blocked Coureal off from Nova. "Coureal, think before you leap!" shouted James, "you don't have any definitive proof that Nova did do the shooting."
"I trust my senses," offered Coureal, "I can smell her perfume on the bullet, I can see her sweating, I can hear the slight pitch in her voice, and if you got out of my way I'd check everything out just for you to see."
"She's also the Vice Admiral's daughter," James offered trying to slow Coureal's cruel streak down, however, his logic didn't seem to have the slightest impact on Coureal.
"That doesn't give her the right to shoot him," Coureal countered, shutting down James proposal. "So just get out of my way or do you want me to haul you in for obstruction of justice?" James backed away slightly. He really didn't need all of this trouble right now.
"What about you Vice Admiral Baer?" James asked, he never thought HE would be asking a Marine (much less a Vice Admiral) for help. However, he found himself basically pleading with him...not to make this mistake. "She's your daughter! Say something!"
"She's also a criminal," explained Baer as he moved forward, struggling to stand. "And I'm sorry to say it, but Justice takes priority over everything. She shot me, so I'm afraid its the death penalty for her."
"Death penalty?" exclaimed James, "that's way too harsh! You're still alive! Even if she did shoot you-" James was promptly interrupted by Nova replying with her own shout.
"I didn't shoot him!"
"Hypothetically speaking in an alternate universe where this exact scenario is being played out in one of the million universes that isn't this one if-IF!" James pointed out, expanding upon his string theory explanation to make sure Nova knew he was still supporting her. "If she did shoot you it was probably because she was scared of being transported by Marines to a new place, being buzzed over, and everything else! At the very least she deserves a trial and only twenty years in prison or something along the similar line, right?"
"Attacking a Marine officer is punishable by death," Coureal stated, "did you even read the Marine handbook? Due to the overcrowding of prisons many laws had their punishments increased. Attacking a Marine officer especially with the intent to kill was one of the first ones to see the increase."
"Figures. Since you guys can't fight on a fair playing field," mocked James causing both Coureal and Baer to turn and gape their jaws at James. Coureal was shocked that despite his whole dancing around with each other and here he was brazenly declaring his intention to be a pirate. Baer was just took for a complete surprise. James reached over, grabbing Nova's waist and pulling her close to him.
"In a couple of weeks when I'm King of the Pirates, sitting on a mountain of treasure and telling the whole bloody world how awesome I am you can brag to your friends how you were fooled, beaten, tricked, and lost to 'Heaven's Hurricane' James Foreman captain of the latest Skywards Pirates!"
"And you plan to escape...how?" asked Coureal as he opened his arms and looked around. "You can't outrun me! You can't escape all of the Marines on this island!"
"Maybe I just need a head start!" James shouted, bringing his Flash Dial out and briefly blinding everyone around him. Nova was promptly swept off of her feet as James kicked his Hover-Board on and the two of them rocketed off. They blasted past both Coureal and Baer who were both still reeling from the sudden flash of light and over the balcony and quickly escaping into the night sky just as James had planned, a little earlier then he had planned.
He had no idea on whether or not Kelda and Olivia had taken over the ship and had it running. Worst-case scenario they still didn't have things up and running so they arrive there and get stuck waiting as every Marine on the island is alerted to their positions and come charging at them. He had everything planned out from start to end and yet one detail would screw him over. The best, most intricate, well-laid plans often failed due to the a loose screw.
"Don't worry about it Nova that's only flash blindness it won't last forever, just you know hang on tight so you don't fall off!" shouted James as he felt Nova stand up.
"Now don't you worry...I can already see again," Nova scoffed. She stood still for a few more minutes, she paused turning around for a brief moment to see what was behind her. "Crap! We got company!"
"What?" shouted James pivoting around as much as his hover-board would allow him, which was just enough for his head to pop up around his shoulder. "How the hell is he doing that?" shouted James as Coureal leapt from building top to building top in pursuit. "He should be blind as a god-damn bat! How is he still chasing us?"
"He can't see..." muttered Nova.
"Look at him!" shouted James, "he's making clear movements from one building to the next, he's even jumping on the lamp post! Don't tell me he's got this entire place freakin' memorized cause I ain't buying that load of bull for a second!"
"That's not it!" shouted Nova, "he can't see with his eyes, he's seeing with his nose and his Devil Fruit powers." James looked at for her a second baulking until he pieced it together himself. He was actually feeling pretty stupid himself. The Nioi-Nioi no mi had replaced his eyes for the time being. He'd follow his nose all the way after them.
"Can he catch up with us?" asked James as he dared to cast another backwards glance. It took him a few seconds to lock onto the incoming Marine.
"I think he already has," Nova stuttered as the Marine was already on one of the nearest buildings. James was about to shout something back to her when the hover-board was suddenly swatted at causing him to lose control quickly. The hover-board spun slightly as he was struck.
"He's fast!" shouted James as he applied more power and speed, accelerating him forward and further away from the Marine...or so he tried. The Marine wasn't being shaken. He kept up on them, increasing his speed as well. Suddenly the Marine came shouting down towards them like a missile. James twisted his hover-board around trying to avoid the blow, but found himself too close for comfort once more as Coureal smashed into the back of the board.
Coureal didn't fall this time, digging and sinking his claws into the board and keeping it tightly bound to the board despite James' frantic shaking. Coureal stuck fast, refusing to budge despite James' frantic movements. "You pirates are not getting away!" Nova summed her axe once more, lifting it above her head.
"You're not stopping me!" shouted Coureal lashing out with one of his hand, jabbing one of his fingers straight into Nova's heel, digging straight through flesh and bone, "Shigan!"
James turned around to see what was going on, but found himself quickly forced to right themselves. He had to focus on keeping the board under control with Coureal back there messing things up... "Crap! Take control Nova!" James shouted as he quickly swung around to Nova's back. "Just drive to the ship, don't hit any buildings and make sure you guys wait for me!"
"What are you going to do?" asked Nova as she uneasily took control of the board.
"What do you think?" James asked as he crouched down and looked Coureal in the eye. "I'm going to prove that I'm the man who's going to find the One Piece and take down the Marines!" James cracked a smile and Coureal responded with his one, "starting with this one!" James flipped down, locking his legs around Coureal's arms and suddenly turning the Jet Dials he has on his feet on, sending him shooting downwards with him. Both of them were thrown free from the hover-board and sent twisting down to the pavement.
James had already planned the moment of impact out. His Jet Dials would save him, but Coureal had no such measures...he would hit the ground at full speed and the victory would be his before the fight even started!
Head-On-Head!
I always love it when I'm writing a chapter and I'm starting to feel all down cause I have no idea how to continue it so I say 'screw it' and I just do character development or world-building and it turns into a great chapter (in my mind). Just had like three of these back-to-back writing sessions at like Chapter 108.
Saying that I really do want to thank everybody who submitted OCs, while I may not be introducing them as fast as I would like I really do like a lot of them. I feel like I've gotten a lot fewer than I did with Saga and Iron Hammer, but maybe its just my eye for them has gotten better or something cause so far despite having (from my point) added three OCs I have not regretted a single one of them yet. So thank you everyone!
This is by no means me saying 'I have all the Ocs I need'. No, please send in more. The more you shoot in the more variety and imagination I can get my head revving up on. Seriously if you could get a buzz from OCs I probably would.
