When A Plan Comes Together
Shaad nervously looked into Raine's eyes. He was hesitant to proceed despite every fiber of his being screaming at him to do so. Shaking his head and muttering to himself, he took a half step back, but his foot landed on a slippery spot in the shower and he lost his balance. Sprawling forward, Shaad ended up where he began: his strong body pressed against Raine's supple curves, right thigh parting her long legs.
All thought flew out the window and Shaad claimed Raine's lips in another kiss, this one more passionate than hungry but every bit as aggressive as the last. Raine returned the kiss with equal fervor, her hands grabbing his head and pulling him in as her tongue probed his mouth. The kiss was filled with lust and passion but eventually they again pulled apart, this time with Raine lightly holding Shaad back.
Shaad so hungrily eyed the delectable curves just barely hidden from view before him that he missed Raine biting her lower lip and the look of uncertainty that accompanied the subtle action. Raine's fingernails gently clawed at Shaad's firm chest, drawing his eyes back to hers and his gaze turned from one of hunger to confusion as Raine turned away and slipped out of the shower without a word.
Left alone in the spacious shower, droplets dripping off the hard edges of his physique, Shaad was as lost and confused as his exposed manhood, jutting proudly toward the spot where the object of its current affections scent still lingered.
Raine had quickly discarded the towel, tossing it onto the chair just outside the shower and at the same time revealing she had never actually been as nude as she appeared to be with it wrapped enticingly around her voluptuous figure. In no time, she was alone on the dimly lit roof, staring out over the bright and bustling cityscape that made up the core of Blackwood. The star-filled night sky was clear, but her mind was not.
Silently, Shaad emerged from the staircase that connected the penthouse to the roof. Having hurriedly gotten dressed in a tank top and shorts, Shaad now watched Raine, wearing only a barely there bikini, watch the people hustle below.
The highest point of the entire island, the view from there was unparalleled, but that also meant it caught the full brunt of the chill in the air on that night. He knew it wouldn't be good to dawdle too long under the conditions, but Shaad dared not bother Raine in that moment.
"Apologies for the intrusion," an attractively meek young woman bowed as she stepped through the pair of large, gold-emblazoned doors into the bedroom of a beautiful, statuesque brunette. Without waiting for any type of acknowledgment, the woman continued. "The young master has been located."
The taller woman, dressed in a flowing white nightgown, then gave the first sign of even noticing the other woman's presence, spinning on her heel and demanding, "Where?"
"In West Blue, but-"
"Continue," the woman demanded as the messenger cut off her own statement.
"He seems to be traveling with someone and apparently he has a bounty as well. There's no name or clear picture, but it's identifiable nonetheless."
Wrinkles marred the older woman's age-defying beauty as her brow creased in anger. "And, where's that no good Baron or whatever he's calling himself these days?"
The messenger was caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, but was trained enough not to let it show. "He's still about a week out, ma'am."
". . . Good. Have all available commanders meet me at my palace tomorrow."
With that edict, the meek, young woman humbly bowed and turned to leave, bowing to a new entrant that paid her little mind.
The newcomer wore a scowl. Wiping away a strand of the dark orange curls that fell to her shoulders, she released an exaggerated sigh. Dressed in a simple black bra and tights, her wild demeanor contrasted the elegant surroundings in much the same way the clearly defined muscles of her arms and abs played against the more subtle strength the proud woman before her exuded.
"So, does this mean we're going after the brat?"
A light, bemused scoff came as the immediate reply. "That's still my son you're talking about, Freya."
"Sorry," Freya spoke, a hint of playfulness to her softening tone. "Should I ready the crew to bring back your son, Captain?"
"My dear Rashaad was born on a night just like this one," the brunette spoke softly, letting her thoughts wander as she gazed at the red moon dominating the skyline. "As you know, I opposed many of his father's so-called training methods, but this may actually be good for him. So, no; Chan'll keep watch, but maintain a comfortable distance. However," Freya, sensing the slight change in the air about her captain, smirked ever so slightly. "Hiding my son from me for the better part of four years isn't so easily forgiven. I think it's time Shaad's father and I 'spoke' again."
"I'll get started on preparations and strategies immediately." Freya openly smiled at the prospect of what was sure to be a lively bout.
"No, this should really be a heart-to-heart," the brunette clarified, a darkness descending over the room as thick clouds drifted in front of the ominous moon outside as if reading the alluring woman's very thoughts.
"As you wish," Freya bowed, an excited smirk pulling at the edge of her lips. "But, really, Chan? The boy's not even in the Grand Line yet. Isn't that a bit much?"
"Go, I'll speak with you and the other commanders tomorrow." Hearing the door close, the woman resumed looking out over the lapping waves as the dark clouds had again rescinded from view. 'It's a mother's duty to protect her child,' she thought with a smile, remembering her gentle little boy. But, total relaxation evaded her as she sensed a presence behind her. "What now," she growled, more than a little agitated.
"Is that any way to greet an old friend," an upbeat voice spoke cheerfully as a lean man began to take shape from a vortex, sporting a Cheshire grin that flashed his pearly whites from the shadows of the room.
"Friend might be a stretch," she commented, visualizing the mock hurt on the man's face even without turning around. "Get on with it; I'm tired."
"Pushy as ever, aren't we, Leanne? Anyway, -
It was early morning when Raine finally came back in, wrapped in a blanket Shaad had laid on one of the chairs situated around the rooftop pool.
"Thank you," she stated softly, a gentle smile on her lips, before planting a light peck on Shaad's cheek. The moment was quiet and peaceful. Raine chuckled quietly as a small smile spread across his lips. He was quite the deep sleeper, but he seemed to be having a pleasant dream. The morning's silence, though, was interrupted by the ringing of the bedside den den mushi.
"Who's calling this damn early," Raine scowled after letting the snail ring enough times to assure herself it wasn't an accident.
"Whoever it is better have a damn good excuse," Shaad groused, visibly aggravated about being stirred from his sleep.
Rolling over and grabbing the receiver from the snail's shell after a few blind grasps of air, Shaad answered with an involuntarily frustrated, "What?"
"Sorry to disturb you at this late hour, Mr. Cornelious." It was the petite, blonde manager and she sounded almost edgy. "But, I would be remiss if I didn't inform you immediately that Mr. Sangre will be returning from his trip sooner than previously expected."
Shaad's cheeks flushed red, and Raine, looking on with an irritated expression, was puzzled as to why. If Sangre showed up before their plan was set in motion, they'd be in trouble. Shaad didn't mind upsetting and double crossing either of the other two Kings on the island, but he was being completely honest when he said he wouldn't want to go against Sangre (certainly not when the imposing man was close enough to do something about it).
"We'll need you and your partner to vacate the room within the week. If you still require board, we'll be more than happy to accommodate you; of course, adjusting the rate of your prepay."
They had at least a week to spare. Shaad exhaled the breath he'd inadvertently been holding in. "No problem; we were actually leaving in a couple of days anyway."
"In that case, come see me tomorrow and I'll refund your change."
"No need; consider it gratuity for exceptional service. Bye, now." Shaad hastily hung up. He hoped the extra money would at least go a short way towards curtailing Sangre's eventual rage at losing his champion fighter (not to mention all the people they'd have to go through just to get to that point).
"What was that about," Raine inquisitively questioned.
"The start of a countdown," Shaad answered vaguely, mentally accounting for the preparations and variables surrounding the happenings to come.
Shaad approached the mountainous expanse that encircled most of the island. With high cliffs overlooking jagged rocks and choppy waters, it was no wonder this place was called the 'Ridge of Corpses'. It was a nearly perfect natural fortification. The mountains were too high to scale by any typical means and there was only one path into the secluded valley, blocked off and isolated by a strong river that went about halfway into the island and provided fresh water.
As Shaad grew nearer the place Big G had told him to look, he saw with his own eyes that the natural defenses weren't his only challenge. Two men stood guard at the lone entrance while, according to the information, a total of eight snipers watched over the area from hidden nests in the mountain's crests. But, Big G's information couldn't tell him the snipers' locations; they were too well covered. It was a testament to the quality of G's network to get that much as Shaad's eyes barely saw any hints of four, at most five, snipers.
While he'd thought long and hard about this plan and what steps to take and moves to make, Shaad had somehow managed to overlook arguably the most important aspect: how to get past the guards. There was no stealthy way to do so with the midday sun high in the sky illuminating the area. Sure, he could barge right through the front or, given his powers, expend the energy to zip up the mountainside and ambush a sniper, moving from there. But, he didn't feel like it.
Instead, Shaad merely strolled up to the front entrance, swords in their sheaths, and walked openly up to the guards who had almost literally seen him coming from a mile away as he didn't even try to hide. 'Raine should be to the ship by now,' he figured as he got close enough to hear the guards' warning shouts.
'He better not make me wait too long; this cargo ship looks boring as fuck.'
Dressed in her traditional casual attire of a tank top and jean shorts, Raine could see the port as well as where a large ship that dwarfed the smaller boats in port had docked. Dozens of men moved crates onto the ship and even more off, but aside from the size nothing identified it as anything more than a typical merchant vessel. In other words, completely and utterly boring.
Moving her eyes from the ship down, she noticed a small group of thugs hanging at the end of the docks. Nearing them, she cleared her throat, signaling she needed them to move. But, as opposed to complying, the apparent spokesman, unsurprisingly, just looked at her with a lascivious grin as the others spread out and surrounded her.
"Well lookie here, boys, quite the treat indeed," he whistled obnoxiously.
"I take it that means you're not going to move then," Raine tiredly remarked.
"Sorry, babe, but we're going to need you to come with us. Big G's orders."
"If he wants to speak with me, he'll have to come here; I got other plans."
"That wasn't a request," one of the other men called out, stepping out of line from the rest of the group.
Raine ignored the overzealous youngster's outburst - he was probably only a year or two her junior - and addressed the main man with her response. "Neither was mine."
A malicious smirk crossed the lips of the man directly in front of her and he barked out a chilling laugh. "Well, you heard her boys."
Those words drew hoots and hollers from the others while onlookers backed away from the scene or ignored it altogether, smart enough not to get involved in someone else's business.
"Six strong men against lil' ol' me? However will I. . . Yea, no, I don't play damsel in distress very well," Raine declared, snapping open the extendable baton kept on her right thigh just as one of the men in front of her pulled out a thick, heavy chain.
As the man swung that chain around and raised it above his head, Raine slipped down and took out both of his legs with one swing of her baton. The attack shattered his shins and toppled him, his uncontrolled chain taking out another man who decided that was a good time to attack Raine from behind. Rising and twisting simultaneously, a third attacker fell to one of Raine's vicious swings, this one colliding with the man's open jaw.
Raine's quick dismantling of half their number in such short time gave the remaining three pause, though the most vocal one held his confident expression still. Meanwhile, the other two each flipped open a switchblade. The first one to come was a shorter man, and, using the superior reach of her baton, Raine put him down with a simple overhead strike that cracked his skull and sent him crashing face first into the ground. To his credit, the fifth man moved faster than Raine anticipated, forcing her to step back and disarm him before crumbling him with two clubbing blows to the torso and a knee to the groin that had him go down in the fetal position.
Out of the corner of her eye, Raine only barely saw the last one slip a translucent red pill into his mouth before he began laughing maniacally.
"Oh, this feeling really is euphoric."
Raine frowned at the man's increasingly manic behavior, but didn't lower her guard though she still never took up any obvious fighting stance. He charged without warning, reaching out for her. She simply leaned back out of reach. Snapping her leg out at the same time, she caught the man with a hard kick to the balls.
The man was stunned but did not fall, lowering his gaze down to where he'd been struck and back up again, an ever widening expression of glee plastered on his face. "That didn't hurt at all. . . In fact, I kinda liked it."
Raine was put off and puzzled by the man's strange behavior. She recovered quickly, though, equipping a disarming smile while creating some distance. "Then you'll love this," she declared, spinning the metal baton in hand before moving to meet the man's reckless charge. Just as she dipped under a lightning fast strike ready to counter, though, someone else interfered in their clash, a large man's fist appearing from behind her and colliding head on with the attacker's own fist.
Raine could hear the bones in his arm crunch from the impact and rolled out of the way of the subsequent blood splatter. Whether the attacking man was truly numb to pain or not, he helplessly fell to his knees, the fractured ulna piercing through the flesh of his arm. Raine's eyes went from the gruesome scene to the man responsible as she stood up, poised and confident as always.
"Thanks for the assist, Tiny. I'll leave cleanup to you; I've got a ship to catch." She tried to turn and leave the two men, but her path was suddenly blocked by the now mangled body of her adversary, eyes rolled back with the imprint of thick fingers embedded around his head.
"Your presence is called for at Paradise. . . Now."
"I'm assuming that's not a question," Raine coyly commented, prompting a serious scowl from the imposing bodyguard.
For the first time, Raine adopted a fighting stance, holding the metal baton in front of her like a sword. "I think I'm gonna have to refuse anyway."
After a brief skirmish, the dust settled and onlookers watched as Tiny dragged a bruised and rowdy Raine by her hair along the rough, uneven ground. In between curses and thrashing about, Raine found time to demand answers. "Don't think you're gonna get away with this! I'ma get you and your bitch of a boss! Don't worry, though, I'll keep you both alive long enough to explain the reason behind this shit to me before tossing your dumb asses into a tiny, shallow grave! You hear me, you quiet muhfucka!? I'm gonna -"
Raine's struggling and shouting, though, even as it drew no shortage of stares from curious and intimidated individuals, garnered no reaction from the stoic Tiny even as she hit and clawed at the hand firmly gripped around her scalp. But, no response was necessary from the formidable man as Raine's angry threats were interrupted by the ringing of a baby den den mushi in Tiny's pocket. Recognizing Raine's voice, the person on the other end quieted her by speaking without even waiting for Tiny to speak. "My dear Raine, please calm yourself. Neither Tiny nor I want to have to hurt you."
"Shove it, bastard. The only thing I want from you is goddamn answers, you fucking asshole. Then I'll make you choke on my baton until the Devil himself pries me away from your fucking corpse."
"There's no need for threats," Big G informed. "I'll gladly explain everything; you've just been caught in the middle of a very dangerous game your little friend is playing."
"You calling anybody little must be a joke, short stuff," Raine defiantly shouted, the remark receiving an angered snarl and scowl from the transponder snail. "Oh, the lil' pup don't like that, huh," she pushed, further infuriating the unseen gangster.
"That's it," Big G growled. "I was gonna offer you a job in my club or maybe let you go after you acted as bait to get that headache Shaad here, but now you'll be lucky if I don't make you the star attraction in my newly minted prostitution ring."
"What!?" Raine's exclaim was filled with a mix of revulsion, apprehension, and anxiety, not only at the threat, but at what else was said and implied.
That reaction earned her a condescending chuckle over the receiver. "Yes, maybe now you'll show me the proper respect," he stated, his tone taking on a darker, more serious tone than usual. "After your boy pissed off the BMF, their leader and I worked out a little deal. In exchange for capturing Shaad and handing him over, I get to expand my territory and my business by taking over a portion of their domain and operations. And, with your little extracurricular activities in recent days, I'd also be able to procure an agreement with Sangre for the people responsible for almost bringing a war to this island."
"Sounds to me like your stature isn't the only thing that's small," Raine goaded, the haughtiness of her voice incompatible with her current situation. "You can't hand him over to two separate sides."
"Oh, but that's the beauty of it; I wouldn't actually have to turn him over to anyone. If he just happened to die. . . while escaping the gladiator prison camp, for example, I'd simply recover his body, provide proof of death to both sides and then turn his head in to the government for the bounty. 20 millions not much, but it's pretty good for an upstart."
Raine had almost ceased her struggling entirely as she listened to G lay out his entire plan. As he got to the end, though, Raine allowed herself a contented smirk before remarking, "That's actually not a horrible plan. Too bad for you it'll never actually happen."
"Oh; and why not?" Raine's continued resistance, knowing there was no escaping Tiny's grasp, was actually beginning to amuse G.
"Like I told the men you sent to stall me, I don't do damsel in distress."
As the words left her mouth, Raine was somehow able to lift herself off the ground, performing a feat of athletic excellence by jumping up and twisting Tiny's arm back at an irregular angle, loosening the vice like grip he had on her just enough to turn her body, wrap her strong thighs around the offending limb, and take Tiny to the ground with a skillful armbar.
However, the hulking example of a man couldn't be felled for long with that move. The inexplicably named Tiny lifted himself to his feet with nary a grimace even as Raine wrenched his arm with all her might in an attempt to break or, at the very least, dislocate it. Unfortunately for her, Tiny was built of sturdier stuff than anyone else she'd ever been up against. Faced fully with the futility of her efforts as Tiny gripped his hands together and lifted his arms over his head - all while Raine's hold was still applied - the gravity of the situation crashed down on her just as her back crashed into the ground from a vicious one-armed powerbomb.
Raine's head bounced off the solid ground with abandon. As her wits were slowly returning, Tiny lifted her up again to put her out completely with another merciless brain and body wracking powerbomb. But, as Raine's weakening body was lifted to the peak, something unexpected happened: a four winged raven with plumage dark as the sky before dawn flew towards them at a rapid pace. The large bird crashed into Tiny's face, and although the impact didn't hurt the powerhouse in black, the surprise of it allowed Raine to slip from his grasp, landing in a crouch behind him. While there was no time to completely gather her wits about her, she was in control of her mental faculties enough to run from the silent brute as fast as she could.
Struggling just to stay conscious and survive a physical confrontation with the muscled man, Raine was easily faster than him, especially in a straight foot race. With only the need to slow down enough to pick up her dropped baton, there was nothing standing between Raine and the pier, where the large merchant ship waited idly with no concern for the commotion erupting in the surrounding area, while Tiny lumbered behind in pursuit.
[Meanwhile]
"Tiny. . . Tiny, what's going on?" 'Dammit, he must've let the call end. Aargh. Whatever; there's no way she could escape him. For now, I need to work on pushing Shaad towards the warehouse, and the first step in that. . .'
Big G, surrounded by an entourage of 20 strapped guys, strolled confidently and in domineering fashion through the front doors of the Onsen Hotel. As they did this, all of the action in the upscale bar that acted as the hotel's lobby came to a screeching halt. From the first person to notice the intruding King to the last man to catch on, the whole thing took only a few seconds. Some of the guest moved to the bar's perimeter, but most only got out of the way long enough to let the group pass before rushing out the front door. One thing was certain, no one wanted to be too close when one of the island's three Kings confronted the acting head of an opposing group in broad daylight.
The manager of the Onsen Hotel and acting head of the Sangre group, flanked by the buxom bartender and just under 15 organized security, swiftly moved to meet Big G in the center of the room. Despite losing out to Big G in terms of both raw power and show of force (on her territory), the petite blonde carried herself with an admirable, scene-stealing aura of confidence and swagger. She was only about as tall as Big G, but with her heels even she looked down on him, leather booklet in hand.
"I'm sorry, Mr. G, but we don't have you scheduled for a meeting today. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Her voice was strong and professional, but - his men parting to let him through - Big G stepped forward with a smile of casual indifference. ". . . Winona, was it? I came to speak with your boss. Be a dear and fetch him for me. And, I'll take a Shine Supreme since your beautiful bartender is here as well."
G's blatant disregard for where he was and to whom he was speaking angered both women, but the blonde quickly composed herself and stepped in front of the brunette, her head held high. "Sangre's not here at the moment, so you're just going to have to leave willingly or be escorted out."
In time with her words, the security force stepped forward in unison, but G's men wasted no time in answering the subtle challenge, each man drawing and pointing a gun at their suited counterparts. In the same instant, the bartender had an ice pick at the King's throat and both sides seemed to be at a stalemate with the advantage unclear.
Big G, though, merely kept a calm smirk. "I didn't come here to fight, just talk."
"We have nothing to talk about," Winona spat.
"What if I said someone's making a play on your boss's position?"
"Bastard. You dare come here and threaten us?" The blonde manager's calm demeanor was replaced by an increasingly angered snarl the longer Big G stood across from her, chuckling softly in a condescending manner.
"Watch yourself, girl" one of G's men warned only to be answered by a sharpened hairpin through his throat. However, before the tense situation exploded into a bloodbath, G raised a hand and loudly cleared his throat.
"What my man was trying to say before you so rudely interrupted him," G coolly remarked despite the gurgling, dying man near his feet, "was while you stay content attracting all those high-brow leeches to your daddy's giant, glowing phallus, I'm the one with the most diverse, widespread information network this side of the New World. And, some interesting morsels have appeared on my plate. Would you like a taste?"
Winona made clear her frustration with a vocal grumble, but nonetheless commanded her people to stand down, demanding simply, "Explain."