The next day, after the initial night and threat of breaking his neck at take off, Bounty Hunter and debatable ex-knight Colt was called to the captain's chamber.

Jeremy right now stood by the window gazing at the clouds floating lazily by, occasionally sipping the liquor, complements of the captain. Johnny himself was seated on his plush couch, playing with his own glass, one leg dangling over another, and one arm thrown over the back his throne. The rest of the massive room was a real captain's room, which meant it reeked of narcissism. Every framed portrait hanged on the wood paneled walls consisted of Johnny or something related to his face. A decidedly Japanese walking cane looking implement was hung and displayed along the wall as well. The couches, desk, an emperor sized bed, and a glass coffee table by the couches, and hundreds of pirate-y looking knick-knacks like maps and other lame props were scattered around the room in an oxymoronic state of messy cleanliness.

All in all, a real captain's room.

"So… enjoying your stay so far?" Johnny asked with a grin.

"Survivable, apart from your psychotic 'Princess'". Jeremy stated without turning around, meanwhile he dropped a few aspirins into his drink and threw back half of the liquid, the coat flaying off to the side to show off his gun shoved in the back of his pants.

The captain didn't seem affected by the extra comment, "Anyways, I asked you here cause I just wanted to ask you a few questions."

Jeremy turned to stare at the captain, who held it until the former folded his arms, still holding his drink, and leaned against the wall, "Sure."

"You've been staying at that village long?"

"No."

"Really? Why did you leave so soon then? The village is pretty nice tourist spot once the world finds out."

"But it isn't, so there's really only one thing that could be of interest there."

"And what's that?"

"The second self-reliant Gear."

"You're a little late."

"I figured that out when I got there."

"Yeah, the bounty's been claimed for about two weeks now."

"By who?" A man more powerful than a Gear? Possibly. Plan change? We'll see.

"Not too sure about the details. Apparently some chef in China."

"A chef."

"Yeah."

The only thing that Colt could follow up with was a blink.

"A… chef…"

"Yeah?"

"What did he do? Stab it to death with a spatula?"

The captain shrugged, "Like I said, the details aren't exactly clear to me."

"Whatever." Jeremy snorted and downed the remaining rich liqueur, "Anyways, what's the deal behind that Dizzy chick of yours?"

Johnny tried to keep the surprised gag from surfacing, covering it up with a raised eyebrow. "Dizzy?"

"Yeah, Dizzy."

"What deal?"

"People with weird eye and hair colors I can understand now, since it's era of magic. But what are you protecting her from?"

Crap. "How do you know I'm protecting her?"

"She told me that a lot of people wanted to hurt her…" Jeremy let an amused lip curl. "A girl so young, and half the world already wants to kill her… Why aren't you trying to kill her too?"

Johnny smoothly half-lied, "She had a bad childhood and mixed up with the wrong people. I happen to not care about what she used to be or do in the past. I just help whoever I can."

"And it just so happens that most of these people happen to be underage orphan girls in need of a shelter?"

Johnny frowned, "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not that sort of person."

"So said the butcher to the cow."

There was a groan before a chuckle and the Captain waving it off, "Get out of here! You're just impossible!"

Impossible indeed. Everything about me is impossible. How long has it been since Tylon? Still twenty-five after all these years? "Sure, sure."

Dropping his empty glass on a small table full of crap that was by his path, Jeremy slowly made his way over to the door like the sick old man he was. Throwing open the door, a surprised yelp came clear from behind.

From Johnny's vantage point, he could see Jeremy look in the direction the door swung, one hand on the door itself. He had a sneer across his face.

"Well, if it isn't the psycho again." Colt closed the door then, but Johnny heard muffled screams through the door, obviously meaning May again.

"Not again…" was the captain's only hopeless sigh.

-

-

-

"So you're not only annoying, stubborn, and dumb, but you're also an eavesdropper as well." Colt teased with a grin

"Well, you're annoying, stubborn and dumb too! And I bet you eavesdrop as well!" May accusingly pointed back.

Which is unfortunately true. "Well at least I'm not a helium induced psycho bitch like you."

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME!?" Was the resounding shrill cry.

"I called you a helium induced raggedy mutt." Colt firmly answered.

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM!? WE TAKE YOU IN AS A FAVOR, AND WE FEED YOU AND EVERYTHING, AND ALL YOU DO IS MAKE FUN OF US!"

Colt sighed, "Firstly, the only favor you're doing is nothing, on account of your captain who's doing it for the money. Your feeding me is also on account of your captain, and me making fun of you is because you leave so many opportunities, it's irresistible."

"You're a jerk!"

"Your mother."

"I'm an orphan!"

"It's a comeback, you idiot. Just treat it the same as fuck you."

-

-

-

And so the two stubborn, annoying, dumb eavesdroppers continued to argue, bicker, quarrel, and get in trouble over the course of several days. Never had each other met a person so annoying. For Jeremy it was like having a screaming shouting leech that followed your every step and slowly made his headaches get worse from the constant noise. May's interpretation was that of a landmine. Run into it, and you get into trouble. Every time she met that accursed so called Knight, he was always managing to find a way to ruin that moment of the day, just with his mere attitude, lack of respect, and just him talking to her.

Just by TALKING to me! May stabbed her dinner with a fork at the thought.

April sighed from across the cafeteria table. "Jeremy again?"

May grumbled at the name. "The jerk…"

"Yes, May, we've all heard you call him that at least twenty times today already."

"And it's true! Where is that stupid Zepp already? I just want that stupid jerk off this ship already! It's not like that floating island moves at light speed…" May let the rest of the sentence die away with more mumbles while shoving a piece of pork into her mouth.

"Well it's not like you two try to go out of your way to kill each other." April responded thoughtfully.

May snorted, "What are you talking about?"

"I seem to notice that both of you are trying to avoid each other like the plague."

The young captain scrunched up her nose at the thought that the Mayship's insensitive jerk would actually try avoiding her. "Explain that to the fact we already fought three times already today."

April gave sheepish shrug. "Well, considering how fast you two walk around, I wouldn't be surprised if you two kept running into each other. The ship is only so big, you know."

May was a little silent at the thought before making a 'hmph' noise, and returning to her meal. "I still don't like him."

April gave a sly grin. "Well, it's true that opposites attract, so it'd be only logical that those who are alike should repel."

May gave a blank face before she realized what April was implying. "ARE YOU SAYING HE'S LIKE ME!?"

"Joking! Joking!"

"YOU'D BETTER BE JUST JOKING!"

-

-

-

Jeremy, leaned against the railing of the exposed hallways of the airship, stared upwards into the orange mist sky they were traveling though, an empty aspirin bottle held between his teeth, since being finished but not yet being disposed. The cool air brushing against his head, and the gentle thrum of the engines gave an interesting sense of peace.

She is so annoying. Bitch. His conciseness continued to affirm

The question is why you won't just kill her… or maim her or something. Then responded his mental sense of reason.

Obvious. It's too troublesome. Then I'd have to kill the captain, then everybody after that, and I wouldn't be able to get to Zepp.

You're going to kill them anyways.

Yes, but not in MID-FLIGHT.

I think you're just soft on kids.

When the hell did I come up with that? I killed plenty of children in the past.

Well, you're not squeamish about killing them if it's necessary. But I don't see you mass-murdering everyone you see either.

I still kill them.

But you don't like killing them.

This is a stupid train of thought. Everything would have been simpler if that dumb Gear was still alive, but no. That goddamn chef…Well, I'll just have to wait for life to drop another Gear or something into my lap. There's really nothing left in the planet that can-

"Jeremy?" came the quiet voice. Colt twisted his head slightly for his eyes to notice the girl with the blue hair inside the darkening halls.

"Huh, yah?" Jeremy made the noise through his open mouth that was still holding the medicine bottle.

"Umm… you know that right now it is dinner, right?"

Jeremy straightened out and got back on his feet. Removing the bottle from his mouth and throwing it off the balcony and into the air, he replied. "Yeah, I'll eat later."

Dizzy still seemed concerned. "But you're going to be by yourself."

"So?"

Dizzy had a surprised look. "You like being alone?"

"No. It's a horrible life. You get desensitized from being human."

"Then… why do you try to be alone when you don't like it?"

Jeremy, seeing this was going to take a while, leaned back against the railing again. "It's safer this way."

"Safer?"

"For myself, mostly…" Why the hell am I talking about my social life? "I'm sure your friends appreciate it as well, not being around an insensitive monster like me." Jeremy added on with a cheesy chuckle after.

"Do you really think you're a horrible person?" Dizzy asked.

"It helps me stay alive."

"I don't think you're a bad person."

"Oh?"

Dizzy walked over to Colt's side. "Whenever we pass by each other, you look more angry than you are bad. Like I said, many people used to think I'm a horrible person. For a long time I lived alone. For a while I also used to think that the only way I could live was to be alone…"

The blue haired sailor then smiled warmly. "But look now. I have friends, and I get to see the world."

Jeremy smirked and looked back at his companion. "So people thought you were a monster?"

"Just like you think you are one."

"Not quite. Monsters are renowned because they kill humans without remorse. Tell me, have you ever kill…no, murdered anybody?"

Dizzy's eyes widened, "What?"

Jeremy imitated a gun with his fingers and pointed at the opposite side of the hallway, imagining the escaping child that stole one of his bullets. "Have you ever spilt anybody's blood… see the regret on their face well up as they realize… their time to repent has already passed… have you ever done that?"

"N-no." Was the stammered reply.

Jeremy saw the kid's back he was aiming at explode in a shower of blood. "That's why you can make friends and see the world. You were never even a monster to begin with, merely… misunderstood."

"A-and you killed people?"

"Lots of them." Jeremy calmly replied. "All my friends and family are dead. All that's left are enemies and memories…"

"You never regretted killing them?"

"No. I often look into their twisted faces of death to remind myself…"

"Of what?"

"Perhaps today…"

"Perhaps today?" Dizzy was confused by the meaning.

"Perhaps today." Jeremy confirmed, not bothering to explain.

"And us?" Dizzy managed to ask, a certain fear gathering in her stomach.

Jeremy hummed in though while giving a once over of Dizzy. "Don't know any reason why to kill any of you…"

"What about the second self-reliant Gear?"

"It's already dead."

"But saying it were still alive, you'd try to kill it too?"

"…Maybe, but then again it all hangs on the 'Perhaps today' thing."

"Oh…"

Jeremy's calm exterior broke into a smile that felt a little too false for Dizzy. "Anyways, we shouldn't go on about my boring life. I think you better go to dinner. I'll catch up later, okay?"

"Ri-right!" Dizzy again stammered before Colt, now knowing a little more than she needed too. She raced off quickly. As soon and she left his sight, Jeremy stared back up into the sky and groaned. Meanwhile his hands automatically reached to unscrew another aspirin bottle, as the pains began to grow again.

"Come on people, it's been only ten years after the biggest World War ever, why is me killing such a big deal?"

"Whenever we pass by each other, you look more angry than you are bad. Like I said, many people used to think I'm a horrible person. For a long time I lived alone. For a while I also used to think that the only way I could live was to be alone…" Dizzy's statement echoed back to Jeremy's ears.

She thinks I can be redeemed. Bah, exactly like Boss Commander before I left…

Jeremy spun around on the railing to look down towards the earth now. Here, once proud grasslands of the past were now large wastelands, gaping scars criss-crossing the dirt from his view, and giant blasts and craters scattered across the browned soil.

Oh yeah…here… I remember here…if we wanted to repel the Gears, we had to get them out of…Kansas was it?

"Don't die! I've lost too many friends, I won't lose you too! Somebody find a doctor!" He yelled. A Gear's handiwork was bored through my side.

"Why? I may not be a Gear like the rumors say… but I'm a monster none the less… I deserve and want to die…"

Cough, cough. Predictable puking of blood.

Damn, I got his shirt screwed up.

"Don't say that! I don't care what you are or what you did! You're still under my command! I order you to try and stay alive!"

"That…might be…problema…tic…"

Jeremy finished the bottle of aspirins, and tossed that one over the side of the balcony as well.

Redemption at the price of humanity? Jeremy snorted at the thought, and began to walk to the cafeteria under the blue night, the ceiling lights giving a friendly glow to the ship's interiors.

"Tonight's lasagna night… hmmm…"

-

-

-

It was the next morning when "it" happened. Jeremy, seeing that he had run out of aspirin bottles finally, decided to find the medical area of the ship and raid its stores of whatever headache removing miracle drug that managed to survive up to now. At this Jeremy tucked his gun into his pants again, and slung his travel sack over his shoulder, headed out in search of the infirmary. Leaving before breakfast, Colt was hoping to get what he wanted before whatever nurse finished her morning meal, thus the hallways were empty, the baby-blue morning lighting up the halls in a sort of sleepy atmosphere.

A resounding boom went out throughout the entire Mayship, rocking the frame to and fro with such force, Jeremy fell and crashed against the opposite side of the hallway.

"What's that supposed to be?" Jeremy managed to say while he shut one of his eyes and gritted his teeth from the pain in his back from hitting the wall. Alarm klaxons started to sound intermediately. Though there were several different tunes to signify the trouble befalling the ship, Jeremy was not exactly learned in this fact, leaving Jeremy only one option.

Run to where the trouble is to see if he can save his ride, and guess on the way.

Fire? Enemy attack? How? I thought this crap ass ride would at least be able to protect itself. What's going on? Jeremy charged towards the other side of the aircraft, seeing that if it were his side of the ship that actually got hit, the explosion would have done more than knock him down.

Up ahead, the sounds of steel against steel rang loud, telling Jeremy of combat. Entering the smoke scattered corridor, destruction layered everywhere, he saw several pirates trying to deal with a new threat, both captains involved as well.

In the middle of the trouble was a woman Jeremy had never seen on the ship before, obviously the intruder, by whatever shape or form. She was a curvy and well-busted slut, wearing an array of red leather that showed of her every angle without being completely naked. Shoulder length black hair fell from out of her red pointed hat, which looked similar to Jeremy's own, with the exception of the ghoulish face design on the front. Also somehow latched onto her back was a blue-green electric guitar. Deep blue eyes were matched with her arrogant grin.

"Geez, you're all such irritating pricks. No wonder He hates you all so much, don't you agree, you hybrid bitch?" The woman growled excitedly. Using her one arm, Jeremy noticed she was pinning an acquaintance of his against the wall by her neck, allowing her a choked gasp as the reply.

"Let Dizzy go, you witch!" May shouted from her safe distance, Jeremy noticing momentarily she had an anchor easily held in her grasp while Johnny was holding that Japanese Cane thing.

Dizzy? Hybrid bitch? What? This is troublesome, guess I'll have to do something as well, considering she's delaying my trip.

Jeremy began to raise his free palm and arm to prepare to get his sneak hit in first, but then he realized people he needed still alive were around.

Damnit! I don't need eyewitnesses of my abilities! Aggh…now I have to waste a shot… Jeremy then pulled his magnum out from behind him, releasing the safety and pulling back the hammer.

The musician whore seemed to hear the following click, and understood what it meant surprisingly, for someone existing in this age. Immediately, she dragged Dizzy off the wall and held her in front as a human shield. Now that her back was unobstructed by the wall and in full view of Jeremy's sight, his eyes widened in shock.

"What?!"

May and Johnny then turned, surprised at Jeremy's seemingly sudden arrival, while the older captain frowned at the new problem arising, based on the Knight's claims.

"This isn't good." Johnny murmured.

Though his gun was kept trained on Dizzy's back, Jeremy's mind was racing with the new information. Hanging out from the back of Dizzy's shirt were two frail wings, one black, the other white. Following out from where the spine usually ended, a thick black tail came out, and continued into a tip that reached to the girl's ankles. There was a yellow bow tie on it as well, but screw that!

Two wings… and a tail… but that means… but it should be…how…why would the pirates keep her? That's why they all seemed edgy about my wanting the second Justice… why she was hunted…why she talked that way… she…it is the second Justice…My efforts were not wasted… I still have a chance to…but that guitar slut's in the way.

"Oi, red bitch, I want the Gear." Jeremy coldly called out to the sneering figure behind the Gear, his spirits brighter again, even if he didn't show it. Half of the musician's face peeked out from behind her cover, the eye purple this time.

"Oh what's this? Not a pirate of course…" She mused.

"Expensive cargo. Give me the Gear."

"Hmm, Let me think about that-no."

Jeremy growled something unintelligible. The musician's lone eye studied Colt for a few moments before speaking again.

"Say, you don't act like a regular bounty hunter, considering you haven't shot this Gear yet. Why do you want her alive?"

"None of your business."

She looked back up at Dizzy then and grinned. "Well, if you don't have a good reason, I guess I should go and kill her now." Increasing the pressure of her hold, the she began to slowly crush the Gear's neck. As Colt heard coughs, he frowned as he tried to quickly think of something.

Okay, crap, she's dying faster now. The closer I get, the faster she'll choke. Umm…that whore looks like she think I won't shoot, so I have a free shot…I need that Gear alive and in good condition, otherwise I've wasted my time. What's there to shoot and distract the slut?

Umm…

Hmm…

There.

Jeremy noticed that they all had the fortunate luck of having the entire commotion situated right next to an emergency escape hatch, in case of some dilemma that needed everybody off the ship. The entire hatch was only held closed by a simple flimsy lever handle that one would swivel to open.

Jeremy immediately shifted his aim towards the handle and with a trained arm, squeezed off a shot with no problem. The thundering smaller explosion of the magnum shocked everyone, leaving them with a ping of a handle snapping off, before more hell broke loose.

The hatch swung to the side slowly before being caught in the wind outside, and was thrown open, the smoke now kicking up everywhere, and the wind nearly blowing everybody off their feet. Predictably the musician used her free hand to cover her face from the wind.

Got to get her! Jeremy dashed in with surprising speed, and the red woman was thankfully surprised that Jeremy's cold face was suddenly beside her, next to the open hatch. Since his one arm still held the travel bag, Jeremy used the hand holding the gun to swing it towards the woman's temple. Though she was able to block the attack, her face grimaced in controlled pain.

Defiantly not a regular bounty hunter. His attack pierced my arm, but there's no blade. I can feel something inside my arm. Annoying bastard. "Fucker. If you're so damn obsessed over the bitch, then HAVE HER!" Snarling, she used her grip on her hostage and swung her around with amazing force, catching the Dizzy club's lower body across Colt's face, knocking him down and scattering him across the floor with his objects. She left her back open the Johnny and May, though, from which the older captain capitalized. Before the red woman knew it, she felt something lightning fast smash into her back, threatening her balance while she saw Jeremy quickly rushing back to a standing position, his gun at ready.

Damn. I wasted too much time messing around. Better finish this quick and get out of here. The red woman thought to herself as she landed on top of her hostage, whom served as a winded cushion.

From her lying position, she planted her foot in Johnny's stomach, as the pirate was trying to take further advantage of the opening by rushing in, only to be kicked back by the attack. Before Jeremy could attack either, the Red woman was already up, and thrusting Dizzy's face into the gun barrel.

With the Gear shield between her and Jeremy, while she kept and eye on the downed captain being supported by his flunkies, the musician gave an animalistic grin.

"Well, then this has been fun, fucking up your little toy boat, but I've got things to do, and this hybrid bitch has got to go." She concluded in a smart manner, jerking her head to Dizzy when she mentioned her.

There was a blur of motion before Dizzy began screaming on the outside of the Mayship that slowly dwindled away, while the Musician disappeared in a fast moving red blur of her own.

"Dizzy!" was the combined cries of the pirate crew as they gathered around the open hatch.

Jeremy, gun still raised, blinked as he finally caught up with the sudden motion. "What the hell?"

No! I can't only find out now to see my best chance of freedom turn into street pizza like this! She's mine! SHE'S MINE!

A sense of purpose, and a sudden energy of violence engulfed Jeremy at this thought, grabbing the travel bag of the floor and hoisting over his shoulder once again, he paced rapidly over to the crowd.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He gave a snarling hoarse shout, as he thrust his foot into the side of the first pirate beside him, with enough force to bowl the entire group over. Before anyone could react, Jeremy as well jumped out of the hatch and dropped out of view.

As if problems were a candy a child could not stop eating, another dull explosion gave a tremor throughout the ship.

"Johnny! One of the engines exploded!"

The captain was up with authority again, "Emergency landing! Everybody to their stations NOW!"

Several loud shouts of confirmation followed as the hallway emptied in seconds, leaving Johnny to stare down towards the woodlands below.

This is bad. One bounty hunter is enough, but now we have a lunatic musician, and a heartless monster with a gun.

We don't have enough time.