Chapter 49
A Place to Belong
"ARE YOU THE ONE THEY CALL ENEL?!"
Nami let out an ecstatic, strangled, squeal and ran to the side of the Ark and peered over.
"Luuuffy!" she squeaked out a happily.
Hawke moved to join her at a slower pace, but soon she was looking down at the tattered blue pants, the ragged red vest, and the scuffed and dirty straw hat. Something sparked in her chest and began sizzling through her veins. A renewed energy, a rush of adrenaline, a wave of happiness and relief. Coupled with the fear and confusion that were already swimming around in her mind, Hawke almost felt nauseous. It was overwhelming. She could feel her lips twitching upwards as her emotions rocketed up and down as if they were on a roller-coaster.
"Luffy," she wanted to shout but it escaped in a whisper.
"What did you do to my friends?!" Luffy roared up at Enel.
"Which of the trash do you mean?" Hawke looked over to see Enel's scornful and immensely irritated glare.
"Stay right there!" Luffy shouted and he began running towards the great ship, "I'm coming up to beat your ass."
"Watch what you say! I am a God!" Enel spat.
"What makes you a god?" Luffy retorted back as he approached the hull.
"Wait Luff-!" Nami shouted before clamping a hand over her mouth and leaping back from the rail. Her fingers closed around Hawke's wrist and she cowered behind the scout as Enel cast a stern look at the both of them. But then he smirked.
"Yahaha! I can hear the angel's dancing," he laughed, "How far do you think they can run before they lose their foothold?"
"Hm?" Hawke cocked an eyebrow and turned her face slightly to Nami, "Dancing angels?"
"Eh? Just how much have you been spacing out?" the navigator frowned, "Enel intends to use his devil fruit powers to completely destroy Skypiea and send everything crashing down to the Blue Sea! This ship we're on, Ark Maxim, is his way off. It's supposed to be able to fly."
Hawke's eyes widened and she jerked her face around to glare at Enel. This was horrifying news. She felt her heart rate increase as she thought over what those words actually meant. So why then…? Why was she smiling? Why did she want to laugh?
Because Luffy's here, so everything will be fine now. Right?
Hawke stared for a moment before smiling and nodding. "Oh I see, cool."
Nami's frown deepened but she didn't speak again.
"I SAID: WHAT MAKES YOU GOD?!" Luffy's shout echoed around the valley and drew the girls attention to the upcoming fight.
"You will soon find out," Enel muttered, looking down his nose as the rubber man stretched out his arm and grabbed onto one of the propellers.
Hawke watched with anticipation as Enel discovered Luffy's devil fruit powers. Her faint smile returned at his first 'miss', and became wider and wider with each new attempt. The jets of lightning being launched across the ship passed harmlessly through her brother and wreaked their havoc on the wall of the cave behind him, leaving Luffy at first confused, and then irritated.
"Quit messing around!" he shouted as Enel hit him at point blank range.
The lightning user tumbled back and tried to get a handle on the situation. Hawke could see him shaking his head, his ear lobes swaying wildly around his shoulders.
This is just too funny!
Hawke's smile grew even wider. Her cheeks ached with the strain but she couldn't stop. And then the laughter came.
"Hahahaha! The look on your face!" the scout was bent double and clutching her waist from the force of the laugh.
Nami had collapsed onto the deck beside her and stared wide-eyed as Luffy landed his first punch and sent Enel sprawling.
"Of course," she mumbled, "I would have realized it before if I'd thought about it."
"Rubber completely nullifies electricity!" Hawke howled as the supposed god skidded across the planks in front of her, "HAHAHAHAHAHA! PFFFHAHAHAHA!"
Oh god, why did it hurt? Why was she laughing? She shouldn't be doing this.
"Um, Hawke?" Nami tugged on her pant leg.
"I doubt Enel ever considered there'd be a human with such powers. Luffy is probably his only natural enemy," the words tumbled from her lips like a waterfall. She couldn't stop it. Excitement was tingling along her limbs, encouraged by the rush of adrenaline brought on by Luffy's arrival. She turned her eyes to her brother as he walked over to Enel's collapsed form.
"Are you feeling alright?" the navigator's voice filtered into her manic mind.
"Aha-haha! I've never felt better!" the scout wiped a tear from her eye and then thrust her hands into her jacket, "Now let's beat this guy's ass! Aah!" Her fingers clenched and pain shot up her arm.
She looked at her hand to see black and purple bruises had spread over her knuckles, her pinky and index finger were swollen, and she turned her hand over and splayed her palm to see many circular red marks scattered over her skin, marks suspiciously reminiscent of a certain pearl.
"What was I thinking trying to destroy it with a rock? I'm such an idiot," she giggled, manipulating her knife so it was clenched firmly between her thumb, ring and middle fingers.
As Luffy came bounding over the deck, Hawke plunged her knives into the boards at her feet, narrowly missing Enel as he leapt out of the way.
"I see now," the man panted slightly as he made his narrow escape, "Those must be made of that sea prism stone." He cocked an eyebrow at Hawke as she leered up at him, "You are not as powerful as I thought."
"Like I give a FUCK!" Hawke cackled as she pried her knives out of the wood and took aim once again.
Luffy skidded to a halt at her side, his fists clenched and raised.
"Hey Hawke," he said, giving her a serious glance, "What's wrong?"
The scout let out another maniacal giggle and shook her head.
"Nothing, brother dear. I'm on cloud nine!"
And with that she leapt forward and brought her blades down on Enel.
His golden staff came up and blocked her attack, but Hawke smirked when she saw his arms straining. She jerked her body back and then came running around from the side, raising her one arm to aim at his head.
"Vengeful-!" she shouted gleefully as Enel leaned back and she whirled around, readying to plunge her knife into his gut, "-talon!"
But Enel suddenly vanished. Hawke's momentum knocked her off balance and sent her sprawling.
"I don't know what has come over you," the lightning user appeared a few paces ahead of her, a disappointed frown on his face, "But even with your strange muffled voice your actions are obvious."
Hawke smirked up at him but couldn't dodge the fist that hit her square in the chest. Her body was flung back and something cracked as she hit the rail.
Her mouth opened and an unhinged giggle left her lips before her eyes rolled back and she passed out.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Burn it! Burn everything to the ground! I want nothing to be left of this island!"
"But Sir, shouldn't we search the wreckage for anything useful? Wasn't Zhivago a great scientist?"
"Great is not the word I would use. He looked into things Vegapunk wouldn't ever touch. It would be a worldwide disaster if anyone got a hold of any of these experiments. Trust me, this is not the kind of information that should be used. Don't worry, I'll take full responsibility."
"Sir, yes Sir!"
ooooo
"Are you alright, dearest?" a large hand came down on her shoulder and Hawke flinched away alarmingly. She opened her mouth and let out an animalistic screech, swiping at the air.
There were figures scattered around behind her, flitting about as the ship under her feet began shifting. But at her outburst, everyone froze. Hawke still couldn't see clearly, but she could FEEL their eyes on her. She waited for the shouts and insults to come. Her arms came up around her neck to block the blows she knew would follow.
"Hawke," the deep voice drew closer and the girl cowered back against the rail, "You're safe now. There's nothing to be afraid of here."
The words washed over her and Hawke's eyes widened as her back pressed against the rail. Her back… something felt different about her back. The girl straightened and brought her fingers to her shoulder, hesitantly poking at her skin. Her smooth flesh spread unbroken across her back ad her arms fell loosely to her sides.
"He said he could make me belong," her whisper was almost blown away on the wind, "I can belong now."
The large shadow before her shifted but didn't say anything. Hawke turned and stared wide-eyed over the rail as the flames grew ever higher. Tears poured freely down her face as the beams collapsed into ash and the cages were consumed by the personification of her pain. Scattered explosions erupted across the island, most likely the reactions of some half finished concotions that had been spilled during whatever had happened while she'd been unconcious.
"Hawke!"
She whirled around and saw her brother bounding across the deck.
"L-Luffy!" Hawke gasped and took a step forward, but as her foot hit the planks something pierced her clouded mind.
Wait… Luffy hadn't been there. She'd gone to live with her grandfather.
This… is this a dream?
The rubber boy was fast approaching, but he didn't seem to be paying her any attention. His fists were flying around but weren't hitting anything and he kept bouncing around as if he were trying to dodge an invisible enemy.
A hard lump in her hand drew Hawke's attention and she looked down to her clenched fist. All her focus went into uncurling her fingers and she stared at the dark pearl sitting in her palm. The smoke on the island grew black and began crackling with electricity.
Hawke frowned as her vision blurred for a moment, revealing a vast sea of green below her now empty palm.
That isn't right either. This isn't real. She grit her teeth and clenched her fingers.
"I do NOT want to see this!" she shouted over the side.
"Hawke!"
The scout's eyes widened and she whirled around.
"Lu-!" Holy crap!
All she saw was the bottom of a sandal a split second before it collided with her face. Something cracked and pain radiated across her cheeks. The world flipped over and then slammed back down, forcing the air painfully from her lungs. Hawke lay on the deck, staring up at the white sky above. What just happened? She let out a groan but didn't move. Something warm flowed over her tongue.
"Wah! Sorry Hawke, this guy's fast!" Luffy's voice called from somewhere.
The scout lifted her hand and held it above her face, focusing all her attention into bending her fingers into a thumbs up sign. The pain receded and other than the blood in her mouth and a growing headache she felt okay. Her head was a little clearer and less… fuzzy.
There was a patter of feet and the sounds of a fight could be heard. Hawke continued to lay on the hard planks, her eyes fixed on the black clouds billowing out of a smokestack on top of the giant airship. She got the feeling that if that darkness covered the entire sky, no one would be able to escape.
"You can't escape either way."
Hawke shivered and sat up with a groan, spitting a few drops of blood onto the planks. The noises of battle drew her gaze to the two figures dueling it out all over the deck. Both Luffy and Enel were finding quick ways to adapt to each other's fighting styles, with Luffy attempting to fight using only his instinctual reflexes and Enel molding his staff into a sharp trident and using brute strength to land hits on the rubber boy.
"Hawke! What's wrong with you?" the scout flinched as Nami crouched down beside her and gave her a concerned frown. The aggression in the navigator's voice had shifted to sincere worry.
"I- I don't know," Hawke stammered as she accepted Nami's helping hand, "I thought now that Luffy's here I'd be okay but… I don't know what came over me… I keep zoning out and... I keep seeing Zhivago everywhere," her fingers wove into Nami's and she couldn't stop trembling. "He… he keeps saying things…"
The navigator's eyes widened and her lips pressed together. Shame flickered through Hawke's chest and she quickly turned her eyes back to Luffy and Enel. As her brother's limbs stretched around the deck Hawke couldn't help but feel the renewed burn of adrenaline mixing with the guilt in the pit of her stomach. Oh so now that Luffy's here I want to fight?! she snapped inwardly.
"It's only natural," the gas mask hissed in her ear, "You cling to him like a tick on a dog."
Hawke whirled around and threw her battered fist out, only for it to connect with the rail with a loud thud.
"Shut up!" she let out a growl as the pain served to focus her mind a little.
"What? I didn't say any-," Nami's eyes flicked from the scout to the space she had punched.
A series of thumps approached rapidly from behind and both girls whirled around. Enel let out an extremely pained grunt as Luffy's foot collided with his gut and sent him flying across the deck. Hawke grabbed Nami's shoulder and pulled her to her chest, shielding the navigator's body from the woody debris exploding out from the impact area. Once the dust had cleared the lightning god was revealed lying in a barely conscious heap on the planks. There was a moment of silence in which no one moved.
"You-you did it!" Nami panted, stepping away from the scout as Luffy trotted forward. "But the Ark is still flying…"
The ship gave a lurch as it disentangled itself from the forest around its hull and rose into the sky. Hawke kept herself between Nami and the prostrate Enel. She caught the twitch in the tall man's neck and stepped back.
"This is nowhere near over," she muttered as the lightning man pushed himself up.
Those light blue eyes faded to a greyish hue as they settled their glare on the scout. Hawke met his stare as fear rolled through her gut. She should be fighting with Luffy, she knew that. But her legs wouldn't move.
"I see you've come back to your senses. Do you still wish to accompany me?" Enel stifled a cough as blood dripped from his lips, "Have no fear, little bird. I'll finish with this annoyance presently."
"Leave my sister alone!" Luffy shouted as he flung a rubber fist at his enemy. Enel zapped out of the way and the punch passed harmlessly beside him.
"Fool," the lightning user panted through gritted teeth, "Once I'm rid of you, I will be supreme again. Once again, all shall fear me, worship me, and revere me!" He stood, gathering his breath and regaining his composure, "You cannot hope to defeat me! For me, nothing is impossible! I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD!"
"Damn you!" Luffy growled and launched his fist back, "Gum Gum-!"
A shiver ran down Hawke's spine as a dark smirk lifted Enel's lips.
"I have no reason to fight you. I would be remiss if I allowed you to interfere with my plans again," the man suddenly thrust his hand behind him, splaying his palm on the golden statue and sending waves of electricity through it.
"-Pistol!"
"Luffy! Watch out!" Hawke saw what was going to happen a second before it did. Which made it all the more painful when Luffy's arm was encased in a scalding ball of molten gold.
"UUWWAAAAAAHHHH!" the rubber boy screamed as the gold began to solidify and trap his stretched limb, "HOT HOT HOT HOT!"
Her brother's cries finally roused her cowardly legs to action. Hawke sprinted over and clenched her hands around Luffy's shoulders, pulling at him with all her might. "Come on! Get out of there before you're stuck for good!" she panted as his body began stretching, stretching, stretching.
"Hawke that is not helping!" Nami shouted.
The scout looked back to see Luffy's arm stretched almost fully across the deck, his fist still stuck fast in the golden ball. Enel had pleased grin on his lips and was moving the pointed trident towards the vulnerable limb.
"Dammit!" she hissed and released her grip on her brother.
Luffy shot back across the deck and Enel had to dodge out of the way before the rubber boy collided with him.
"Hmph!" the lightning user frowned but then his dark smile returned, "I think that it is time to say goodbye," he lifted his foot and rested it on the golden ball, "This golden trinket will be your reward for your valiant struggle. Consider it yours!" And with an almost casual kick, he sent Luffy rolling across the deck.
Hawke moved to intercept the ball but it caught her shoulder with surprising force and sent her crashing to the planks. She looked up to see Luffy hit the rail and smiled in relief when the wood remained strong.
Not strong enough.
Her eyes widened as cracks spidered out around Luffy and then the rail shattered into a million splinters. Her captain gave a shout of anger as he toppled back, dragged off the ship by the huge weight attached to his arm.
And then he was gone.
"LUUFFYYY!"
Hawke heard the scream, she felt her throat vibrating, but she didn't recognize her voice. She was up and her legs were pumping, taking her closer and closer to the edge. Her wings began to stretch out from her back.
Get him. Catch him. He's the only one who can-
"Hawke! Wait!" a voice from behind broke into her thoughts.
The scout pulled up short, hitting the remnants of the rail full on and scrambling to keep her footing. She swallowed her pain and peered over the rail to see a flash of gold and then… nothing.
"LUFFYYY!" she shouted down into the abyss, "Eh?" she squinted as something else moved below the air ship. Is that Aisa and Pierre? The pink horse, with the little Shandian girl riding on his back, flew out from under the Ark and plunged into the chasm below. They're going after Luffy!
"How irritating," Hawke's wings flared out in alarm as she heard the tap of bare feet on wood. Enel jumped onto the rail beside her and scowled down, "So those are the voices who've been sneaking around. They will be punished."
Hawke's lip quivered as she stared up at him. Luffy… Aisa… Pierre… Enel lifted his arm and blue shocks of electricity ran up it.
"God's Judgement!" he sneered and thrust his finger down at the three figures below, "El T-!"
There was a pause in which the air on deck grew cold as ice.
Hawke let out a quivering gasp. Electrical currents ran through her hand as she pressed a blade against the tip of Enel's outstretched finger. Her eyes fixed on the place where the black obsidian met the white flesh, then she slowly dragged her gaze up his arm and met those cold blue eyes.
"P-please," the scout stammered as her heart beat its imprint onto her ribs, "Let them be… please, my Lord Enel."
The man's icy glare morphed into an amused smirk.
"Oh?" he lowered his arm and got off the rail, "I suppose I can since they'll all be dead soon. What's wrong?" He reached out and trailed his finger through the tips of her wing, sending a shock through it and into her spine. "You managed to survive this long. Forget those inferior fools."
Hawke stared at him without responding. After a few seconds Enel grew bored and returned to his throne, surveying the deck and the two girls before him with something akin to scorn.
"You have a future that you desire, do you not?" he asked, "The only way you can obtain it is to join me."
Hawke found herself shaking her head.
"No-no-no!" her hands were trembling and it was all she could do to keep the bile down, "Luffy's not… I-I can't… without him…"
A great pain tore through her chest and Hawke felt her mind balancing on the edge once again. Something was stretched almost to the breaking point. She teetered dangerously out over the maddening abyss. All she needed was a little… push…
"You suck your reason to live from him like a parasite!" Zhivago surged up out of nowhere and hovered over her. His lab coat flared out and seemed to swallow the entire sky. "You have no idea what you're doing, do you? You want people to accept you? How can that happen when you think yourself unnacceptable!? You want to know what you are but you push every piece of information away! You say that you love and believe in your brother, but there's always that doubt in your mind that he will fail you! Have you ever truly trusted him?"
Her heart beat against her ribs so hard she was sure it was going to burst from her chest. Enel's sneer followed her down as her knees buckled. Her wings drooped around her face and slumped across the planks around her, surrounding her in darkness. Nami was gaping at her, her face frozen in terror. Hawke's fingers wove into her hair and yanked her head back, scratching at her scalp so hard she felt blood under her nails.
"I KNOOOOOOW!" she screamed to the sky, "I KNOW! I'M A COWARD AND A WEAKLING AND A MONSTER! I DON'T DESERVE ANY HAPPINESS! I DON'T DESERVE ANY FRIENDS OR LOVE! I SHOULD JUST DISAPPEAR!"
Tap tap tap. SLAP!
The scout felt something connect with her cheek and let her body's momentum carry her down onto her splayed right wing.
Everything rushed out of her, leaving an empty husk behind. Her eyes stared blankly forward as a pair of sandals stepped into her field of vision. A hand came down and yanked the remnants of her shirt collar, tearing it even more in the process. Feathers tickled her exposed calves as her feet dangled in the air.
"Now listen to me, Hawke." Brown eyes were boring into her. Furiously burning brown eyes. "I have no idea what's going on in your head, but you need to stop listening to whatever you think you're hearing."
The scout let out a whimper and tried to turn her face away, but another slap pushed her gaze back to the navigator.
"HAWKE!" she flinched at the force of Nami's voice, "You don't need Luffy here to fight for yourself. You're strong! I saw you sparring with Zoro. We all did! Out of the two of us here you're the only one who can land a hit on this guy! I'm not about to die here! I'm counting on you!"
Hawke blinked. Nami was counting on her? On her?
A smirk ghosted over the navigator's lips as she saw the spark return, however feebly, to the green eyes.
"I don't know exactly what that scientist put you through. But it must have been hell, and I can relate to hell… So trust me when I say… you belong on this crew. You're our nakama! And as long as there's one of us still standing we have to keep fighting! For the sake of the others! For the sake of our idiot captain!"
Hawke slowly nodded and felt her feet touch back on the deck. Nami was still giving her a firm glare so the scout lifted a hand to her cheek and lowered her eyes. Her gaze caught on the straw hat hanging from the navigator's belt. Did Luffy give her his hat? She wondered, he trusts her with his treasure too…
"Sorry about that," the scout mumbled, feeling strangely light, "Ouch! Hey!"
Nami smirked as she flicked Hawke between the eyes. "That was to make sure you don't forget what I just said."
Hawke let out a sigh and gave a faint smile. Warmth was slowly filling up the husk that wasn't so empty anymore. "Thanks, Nami…"
"That's it! Now go kick his ass!" the navigator smiled and then immediately turned and ran for cover.
"What?!" Hawke gawked after her for a second before she hear that telltale sound.
Ssssshhhhhhhhhh
She spun around just in time to dodge the bolt of lightning barreling towards her face. Dropping to the deck, she used her wings as a cushion and rolled over, plunging a hand into her jacket. By the time she was on her feet again she had three knives clenched painfully between the knuckles of her left hand and two more in her right.
"Yahaha, what a touching scene," Enel's voice poured over her like ice water, "Does that mean you no longer wish to join me, little bird? Surely you know the consequences of such a decision?" When she made no reply he smirked and leaned back in his throne. "Now that the Ark Maxim is airborne the screams and pleas of the people will do nothing. Sky Island will fall from the sky and I, the Almighty God, shall ascend to the boundless land, Fairy Vearth!"
Still Hawke made no move, her eyes slowly traveling over the lightning man's face. Nami emerged from her hiding spot and came to stand just a little behind the scout.
"Ah, I mustn't forget," Enel's hand came up to stroke his chin, "There is a treasure that I must retrieve before I ascend. The Golden Belfry. It is truly befitting to me, the ruler of Heaven itself."
Hawke stiffened and her wings flared slightly in alarm. The Golden Bell?... the one in the City of Gold?... it's up here? A sudden flurry of images flashed across her brain.
Cricket and his monkey friends laughing and dancing around their golden statues.
Cricket reading from Montblanc Nolands log book.
The massive ruins hidden under the clouds, solemn and empty.
Hawke's eyes flew to the massive golden statue encircling Enel's throne, then the gold rods and wires stretching out behind the throne and across the deck. All this gold… Enel got it from…
"What's wrong?" Enel fixed a firm stare on the girls, "Are you still considering abandoning God?"
Hawke heard Nami shift around behind her.
"You asked if there was a future I desire," the navigator's voice was strong despite Hawke sensing how terrified she was, "Yes, there is. But if I go with you then I would be alone…" the scout shot a glance back and met Nami's determined glare, "What's the point of having what I desire if I can't share it with anybody?" the navigator stepped forward and brought her hand up to Hawke's shoulder, brushing against the feathers of her still exposed wings, "The truth is, there are a lot of things I want to do and to have… but if I have to abandon those guys and go with you to get them, then I Don't WANT A DAMN THING!"
The scout's eyes widened slightly as she turned back around. Nami was giving up her gold?... Because she would have to leave the Straw Hats?... "you belong on this crew."
A frigid shadow crept onto Enel's face.
"You want nothing?" even his voice had lowered a few degrees. "I trust that includes your life?"
Hawke stiffened and raised her weapons as a shock of electricity burst from his clenched fists.
"Brace yourself, Nami," she muttered as her grip tightened around her knives.
Her bruised hand protested against the tensing of its muscles. But Hawke used this pain to keep her senses alert and ignore the glinting lenses and fluttering white cloaks she could see out of the corner of her eye; she was not going to zone out again!
"I would hardly call this a smart decision," Enel cautioned, "And you, little bird? Even though you whisper, I can readily see what you have chosen."
A growl thrummed down Hawke's throat.
"I am not going to lose the only friends I have just because of my stupid demons!" she hissed, "You may have tempted me with your words of belonging, but I can see I'm only a curiosity to you. I don't need another Zhivago in my life."
Enel cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. "I do not know what this Zhivago is, but it doesn't matter. You have now lost your sole chance of surviving."
Both girls stiffened and lowered their heads.
"We will survive this!" Nami whispered and squeezed Hawke's shoulder.
A thrill passed through the scout, sparking a foreign feeling inside her chest. A strange warmth radiated from her friends palm and into her heart. In that moment, she made her decision. She turned and gave Nami a wide smile, trying to fight the stinging in her eyes.
"Yes, to sail the sea with everyone again, just one more time!" Hawke whispered back.
She caught the glint of a blue tube from behind the navigator's shoulder and nodded. Nami returned her nod and withdrew her hand.
"Luffy," Hawke heard her friend whisper as she turned back to face Enel, "I'm going to borrow some of your courage."
The scout took a breath and forced her thoughts to settle into the simple fighting mindset that had been ground into her during training.
Identify. Point of attack. Strike. Follow through.
She lifted her hands and squared her stance, scanning the man before her for any weak points. Remember he can see whatever moves I'll make, she reminded herself, but knowing what I'll do doesn't matter if it's too fast to dodge.
"Well, with that statement, I expect you understand that you won't be leaving this Ark safely," Enel gave them a smug smile, "Or will you place all your hopes on the two rats that have snuck aboard?"
Two rats? But Hawke was already on the move. She sprinted forward, approaching the throne at an angle as she drew back her right arm.
"Foolish," there was a flash of lightning as the shoulder she had been aiming at vanished just before she struck, "I suppose God is destined to be alone. A fitting situation when none are my equal."
Hawke whirled around as the gold trident was brought down on her head. She blocked it with the three knives in her one hand and lunged her free arm at Enel's ribs. A grunt escaped the lightning user as one of the blades embedded in his abdomen. His eyes widened as they fell to the object intruding under his skin and pain twisted his features. The smirk was wiped off Hawke's face before it had fully formed as Enel abruptly burst into an angry ball of sparking electricity.
Hawke tugged her knife free and leapt back, taking to the air to avoid most of the shocks. With two flaps she was above him, her hand slicing down on his white bandana.
Not fast enough.
Obsidian met gold with a loud ringing and Hawke bent backwards just in time to avoid the finger pointed right at her forehead. The shot of lightning exploded up into the dark clouds above, sending ominous rumbles throughout the sky.
"It seems they really intend to save you two," Enel frowned as he pressed a hand to his wounded abdomen, "Fools to the bitter end."
"Who?" Hawke panted, taking the opportunity to put some distance between them.
A shadowy figure flitted around the edges of her vision. "No one is coming for you."
"Dammit!" Hawke shouted and lost the fragile control she'd had over her concentration. She drew back both arms and launched her knives towards her enemy, frowning when he simply zapped himself out of the way. Her blades landed with light thuds, some getting embedded in the deck and others skidding away across the planks.
"Even if they do come rescue you, none of you will leave alive," Enel lifted his arm, "Accordingly, I have no obligation to wait for them."
Hawke successfully leapt out of the way of the first bolt of lightning, but she didn't see the second one coming right behind it.
"Shit!" she growled and tensed, readying for the white hot pain.
"Thunder Ball!"
Hawke's vision was suddenly filled with orange as Nami popped up right in front of her. There was a flash of blue and a golden bubble emerged to greet the lightning. Both girls held their breath as the bolt hit and then seemed to bounce and veer off over the rail.
"I-it worked," Nami gasped, her arms visibly trembling, clacking the tubes of her climatact together.
"Nami… why?" Hawke gasped. Why had she put herself between the scout and death?
You're our nakama!
Hawke shook her head as a warmth flooded back into her, clearing her mind and settling her emotions. "Nami, I am very grateful for that. But what are you STILL DOING HERE?!"
"EH?!" the navigator shouted, "What do you mean? I just saved your life!"
"I know. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!" Hawke panted, "But the whole reason I'm fighting here is to give you time to get off this thing! I won't last much longer! GET DOWN!"
The scout grabbed Nami by the shoulders and thrust her to the ground before flinging herself after her. An even larger beam of lightning barreled overhead, blasting a hole in the far rail of the ship.
"Yaahahaha!" Enel shoulders actually bounced up and down as he laughed, "You are very interesting young ladies. They have very unique weapons down on the Blue Sea. Creating a path for the lightning to follow is a clever tactic. It displays a commanding knowledge of the nature of weather."
"Of course it does!" Hawke snapped as she leapt up and rounded on him again, "Nami is the best navigator in the world!"
She brought out her remaining knives, loosing three towards his chest. She knew that she was being wasteful but she was beginning to get desperate. As Enel ducked out of the way Hawke quickly dodged to the side and brought another knife down on his left arm, managing a moderately deep slice.
Enel let out a hiss as he lost grip on his trident. It fell to the deck with a clang and Hawke kicked it out of reach.
"You try my patience, little bird," the lightning user growled as waves of electricity began washing over his body, "Perhaps I will take away what you hold dear before I dispatch of you. Let me see your despair before God."
The sparking ball of lightning around Enel grew and he lifted his hand to point directly at Nami. Shit! I'm too far away! Hawke drew back her arm to throw her remaining blades, only for there to be an explosion.
Explosion?!
The scout skidded to a halt as black smoke enveloped Enel's head. Wait, something's different… was that door always open? The smoke around him cleared and Enel turned menacingly towards said open door.
"I- I'm so-soowwy."
Hawke stared. She knew that voice!
"Usopp!" she couldn't believe the sniper was standing there in the open doorway, much less that he had actually landed a shot on Enel.
There was a pause as everyone's attention turned to the figure in the doorway.
"W-w-what?! Sanji isn't here yet?!" Usopp's eyes bulged out of his head.
"Sanji-kun?" Nami smiled, "He's here too?"
Usopp's eyes flit from the navigator, to Hawke, and then settled on Enel.
"I see," he said solemnly.
Hawke smiled, maybe the three of them could hold out until Sanji got up here!
Then Usopp closed the door, leaving her and Nami to face Enel alone again. Seriously!? Hawke grit her teeth.
"HOLD ON A SEC!" Nami roared.
But Enel wasn't waiting for them to have a pleasant reunion. Hawke thrust off the planks and flipped her body through the air. She stretched out her leg and brought it down right on Enel's extended wrist. There was a crackle of static and her foot passed right through him, but it did divert his attention from frying Nami to a crisp. Hawke bit down on her lip to silence her cry of pain as the current ran through her body, making her twitch spasmodically. Flaring her wings out, she managed to switch directions in mid air and instead of landing right in Enel's grasp she flew up and landed behind him.
It was all Hawke could do to dodge the bolts being shot at her as she flit around the deck. He's not giving me the chance to think, she realized as she bent back and limboed under a large stream of energy.
Another painful spasm rocked her muscles and her head jerked even further back. Oh! Her eyes widened as she saw an upside-down beanstalk rising alongside the Ark. Ignoring the scientist lurking along the rail, an idea flashed through her brain as she drew herself up and ran along the rail. Where'd Nami go?
Hawke leapt out of range of another incoming attack and spotted the navigator throttling a very terrified looking Usopp behind a strange light bulb apparatus near the bow. The sniper must have gathered what courage he had and came out while she was busy dodging Enel. Hawke's eyes strayed to the waver resting forgotten near the throne. Perfect.
The scout then focused on gathering her scattered knives. I really need to think up a system to get these back to me after I throw them, she scowled.
Another explosion of lightning prevented her from picking up one of her lost blades, burning the back of her hand as she reached down and sending Hawke into a panic. She had one knife left in her hand and didn't think twice about sending it flying towards Enel.
Perhaps it was because she hadn't really thought about her actions, or perhaps it was coming in too fast, either way a true look of fear flashed across the god's face as her knife closed in on his head.
But Hawke didn't stop to see if her attack landed. The moment her weapon left her hand she sprinted across the deck, skidding behind the lightbulb apparatus and coming to a stop beside her friends.
"Nami, Usopp, listen," she panted, leaning heavily against the glass bulb, "I'm going to keep Enel distracted. You grab the waver and get off the ship."
"You're right," Nami frowned, releasing her stranglehold on Usopp's neck, "We'll have to leave our fall to luck. We'll die for sure if we stay here."
Hawke nodded and pat the straw hat dangling from the navigator's belt.
"Keep borrowing that courage and you'll be fine. I'll try and hold him off until Sanji gets up here and then I'll fly us out. But you two need to leave now, before Enel starts sensing what we're planning. Usopp, with me!"
"W-what?!" the sniper wailed as Hawke grabbed his arm and dragged him out from behind the bulb.
"Nami get going!" Hawke barked, refusing to glance back in case she saw Zhivago again.
"Right!" the navigator sped off towards the waver.
Enel was still standing in roughly the middle of the deck. His hand was lifted to his face and Hawke saw a new scratch mirroring the very first one she'd put on his cheek. Damn it, he managed to dodge just in time.
"Come on Usopp," she panted, "Help me out here."
The sniper sent her a fearful stare before visibly finding his resolve and nodding. She watched as he scaled the strange light bulb with amazing speed and perched on top of it.
"Hey God!" Usopp shouted at the top of his lungs as he spread his arms and squat down, "Take this! USOPP! Speeeeelllllll…. a needle embeds itself under the skin of your nail!"
Hawke shivered at the thought and watched in fascination as the cowardly sniper used psychological horror to try and incapacitate Enel.
Well it's doing what it needs to do, she thought as she snuck around behind the lightning user, picking up her scattered knives as she went. She flicked a glance over and saw Nami had lifted and boarded the waver. She shot the navigator a thumbs up before turning back to see the lower half of Enel's body had formed into lightning and he was rising up to get closer to Usopp.
"Even if you're only trying to escape me, it will not be easy," Enel smirked evilly.
Usopp paled considerably but continued his mental onslaught. "Five ulcers on your gums!"
Hawke couldn't help but shudder as she picked up the last of her knives and pelted full tilt towards the light bulb. She flexed her wings and rose to meet Enel's back as he got level with Usopp. Both of her arms shot up and then jerked down as fast and hard as she could manage.
"GACK!"
God made a very ungodly sound as two red lines disrupted the glowing blue lightning on his lower back.
"NOW USOPP!" Hawke shouted as the revving of the waver was heard and Nami came speeding up the deck.
The sniper swan dove off the light bulb and landed with a heavy thud behind the navigator as she made a beeline for the rail.
Enel whirled around and glared at Hawke as they both descended to the deck. The scout watched over his shoulder as the waver hit a piece of debris and shot up over the rail. Zhivago stood by as Nami and Usopp vaulted out towards Giant Jack.
"It's too late for you to be saved," Enel's blank expression was betrayed by the frown that ghosted over his lips.
"A mind that cannot be controlled by fear really is troublesome"
"That's okay," Hawke let out a sigh and then smiled, "I'm not afraid."
If her the people she truly belonged with had escaped then it was worth it. She closed her eyes as Enel's hand descended on her.
Thump thump thump, swiff.
Hawke frowned. That isn't what lightning sounds like… then she let out a gasp as something connected with her side and she was set sprawling on the deck. Her eyes snapped open and she saw a blond man standing in her place before Enel.
"I apologize for being so rough, Hawke-chan. But Usopp and Nami-san have just jumped," Sanji panted around his cigarette, "Now you have to go too."
"SANJI NO-!"
Enel's attack discharged and the cook was enveloped in a colossal beam of energy. No! Not again! Hawke couldn't believe what she'd just seen. She thrust herself back to her feet and ran headlong into the attack as it began fizzling out. There he is! She skidded to a halt right behind the miraculously still standing Straw Hat chef. Hawke stared at the still smoking shirt inches from her nose.
"S-Sanji?... Why?..."
Why were these people doing so much to save her? Why did they keep saving her life?
"A-anything for… my… beloved… friend," the cook stammered out.
…
…
The pirate flag, its yellow straw hat sitting boldly atop the skull, flew strong and proud in her mind's eye and Hawke couldn't stop the smile that stretched from ear to ear.
"Sanji-kun," she wrapped her arms around the man's chest and pressed herself into his back, wrinkling her nose slightly at the intense scent of burnt flesh. She felt the thrill that moved through his muscles, but also the moment when his strength gave out and he collapsed into her arms. "Let's go."
Her feathers snapped as they were thrust up and she leapt backwards, pulling the cook along with her as they toppled over the rail. The wind began whistling through her hair as she heard Sanji muttering something.
"Hey god… get ready to cry…"
