Reedited 7/22/22
A/N: Woo! Chapter 10! These are essentially my version of One Piece's hundred chapters if I can help it! Please enjoy!
Chapter 10: Three o'Clock Lunch
The world this baby was born into was cruel and awful. One soldier that was all too aware of this fact, Douglas Grey, could not let a child in such a perilous situation. It would be heartless, merciless…wasteful. So, he brought the child into his fold, his unit – one of many in the war-torn state of Galzberg.
The child was small and very quiet, but his superiors were afraid he would be a hindrance, something that ultimately would die without any purpose. Grey promised he would raise the child to be their deadliest asset; that his size would make him prone to show how useful he could be. When older, Grey would give him assignments that would put him in enemy weak spots…a Bullet to their unprotected backs.
Hook woke up, gently rocked by the ocean's waves, he smiled as he looked around, loving the new captain's quarters!
…Yeah, that's not what happened. Hook did wake up, but the ocean's waves rocked him right out of his hammock to kiss the floorboards. As a certain long-nosed sniper snored like thunder, Hook was also reminded that he was now sharing a room… 'And not even the best room!'
"Whoa...so sweet!" Hook looked around the room in awe of how well decorated it was. A nice big couch that doubled as a bed, a bookshelf filled with quite a few novels, and a desk…well, the wood looked polished. Smiling at his new digs, the teen took one step into the room-
Well, he was about to, until Nami intervened. "Whoa! And just where do you think you're going?" the redhead accused, hands raised to prevent entry.
"Um... Captain's room," Hook said with a raised eyebrow.
Nami crossed her arms, tapping her foot. "Nice try! You are not taking the more comfortable hammocks and the desk!" You look at her trying to see her point. "I'm a navigator! I might need to dr – read a map now and again!"
Hook scratched the back of his neck, considering Nami's argument. "Well, I guess...it does make some sense..."
Nami nodded, much cheerier. "Glad you see it my way!" That was Hook's only warning before the door was closed (and locked) right in his face!
In conclusion, the cabins were divided: Women's Quarters and Men's Quarters. Silk, trying to be the peacemaker, tried to wheel a deal where a sulking Hook could nap in there during the day, but Nami wasn't having, quote, sweaty knuckleheads ruin her only oasis, unquote.
'What's her malfunction – there were only two guys here!' Hook groused. Although, after hearing Ussop fart in his sleep and scratch his ass, Hook was begrudingly a tad inclined to agree with the redheaded witch.
Over a hearty breakfast of sausages and eggs, because God bless Kaya for installing a working stove in the kitchen, the group convened in the kitchen. Ussop was sketching something on some loose paper when Silk leaned over, eating some toast. "Hey, Overalls! Whatcha drawin'?"
Ussop frowned at the new crumbs on his paper, pushed Silk's face away, and answered. "I figured, because we have a ship, we should have a jolly roger too!"
Nami, who was drinking some coffee, drew a glare at Ussop. "We're not pirates…why would we paint a target on our backs with that symbol!?"
Ussop frowned a bit. "I mean…"
"Name one pirate that isn't a heartless monster!" Nami demanded.
"Ussop's dad," Hook pointed out, swallowing some eggs. "Unless you've heard of a long-nosed scourge of the seas?" Nami struggled to argue the point of that.
Ussop beamed! "Exactly! Besides, just because we fly the roger, doesn't mean we're going to turn into absolute bastards like Kuro-"
"Or Gally!" Silk cut in.
"…why do you have a problem with it anyway?" Ussop earnestly asked.
"Uh…w-well," Nami wilted under the attention.
Hook noticed her nervous fidgeting and frowned internally. Almost instantly, he came up with an idea with a face-splitting grin. "What kind of Jolly Roger did you have in mind?" The teen ripped the paper out of Ussop's hands, walking away from the table with it. "Is this supposed to be your face?"
Ussop, completely dropped his train of thought to try and get his paper back. "Hey! Give me that!"
Hook ignored him, and instead chose to play a game of keep-away. "And what's this? Doodles of Kaya? Miss her already, Cassanova!?" It was a three-way tie between what made this little distraction more heartwarming: Ussop's face going as red as a tomato as he sputters more and more excuses, Silk falling out of her seat, laughing her ass off on the way down, or Nami, silently giggling, but shooting Hook a thankful smile all the same. As the room recovered from the amusing antics, Hook glanced at the paper, noticing a particularly interesting jolly roger. "Hm. You drew this?"
Everyone looked at the image of a metal skull, grinning back mischievously with a full set of gold teeth. The left eye socket had a sapphire in it, while the right had a ruby. For crossbones, a cannon and a familiar golden ax sat perpendicular to each other. Ussop nodded. "Yep! I think I could do better, but…"
"The jewels and metal skull are okay," Nami begrudgingly muttered, mostly to herself.
Silk's signature beam was out in full force! "Whoa! Is that Dorado!? Overalls, you're the best!" She grabbed Hook's arm, practically glowing! "Please, can we use it!? Please, please!?"
'She like a little kid,' the rest of the room mused mentally.
Hook shrugged with a smile. "All in favor?"
Silk's hand was up before the sentence was finished, Ussop's following after. Tentatively, Nami's came up last. "I'm outvoted anyway." Her grin did not convince anybody she was upset about that. After breakfast, it took some doing, but with everyone pitching in, the new jolly roger waved proudly over the Going Merry by the afternoon, on the flagpole in the crow's nest as well as the mainsail.
As everybody took a break from the exertion, Nami rested in a lawn chair on the aft deck, staring out at the water, scratching idly at her arm. Hook, thinking about her reaction in the galley earlier, left Silk and Ussop to their own devices (They'd brought up the cannon from below deck, Ussop fiddling with it for whatever reason) and went over to the usually on-guard girl. "Hey, Nami…" Hook spoke up, startling Nami. Rubbing her face and eyes did not distract Hook from being reminded of a caged animal looking for the nearest escape route.
In the blink of an eye though, her usual mask is firmly affixed back on, fake smile and all. "Oh, hey! Sorry, just wanted to spend some time by myself. What is it?"
The young man paused at that, mulling over how he should breach his thoughts. Finally, he settled on, "Do you have a…personal thing against pirates?" That was certainly the wrong thing to say, as Nami's mask cracked a little, already looking like her back was against a wall.
"W-what!? Just because I made a deal of the flag business?" She got up, almost like she was getting some visible distance to match the emotional distance. "I just voiced an opinion – what's wrong with that?"
"Absolutely nothing," Hook quickly amended, even as Ussop fired the cannon in the background. "I'm just concerned for you, and want to help you if something's wrong!"
Nami paused at that, then cradled half her face in one hand, chuckling lightly; it was a very sad and quiet chuckle. "Of course, you are…you're just concerned…" She stayed like that for a bit, before looking back at Hook. "I get it. You solve a few people's problems; you think everyone has problems. I'm not some damsel – if I'm in trouble, I can handle it!" Hook said nothing, letting her breathe and collect herself. "I've been…doing what I've been doing for a very long time. If I ever needed help, I would have asked for it!"
Hook frowned deeply at that as he stepped forward unconsciously, putting one hand over his heart. "That's just it! We're your friends! You don't need to ask!"
In response, Nami also stepped back, a surprised look on her face. "Friends... You're...really dense, ya know? In case you forgot, this is an alliance at best. This is an agreement to find as much treasure as possible, and that's it!"
"Yeah! We are working together! That's why I think of you as my friend!" Hook countered passionately. "After all we've gone through, I can't look the other way while you're clearly upset by something-so just tell me! I promise you, if anything – anyone! – is putting you in danger, we'll all be there in seconds to tear it up!"
Silence fell over the pair, Nami's mask close to shattering, and Hook panting from his emotional outburst; only the waves against Merry made any sound. Finally, Nami opened her mouth, emotion threatening to spill from her eyes. "I-"
"SCURVY DOGS! I'LL MURDER ALL OF YOU!" Whatever was about to be said was completely forgotten, as Hook and Nami raced to the main deck to see a crazy screaming man with a tattoo on his face waving a sword around. "You want to kill us!? You better try harder than that!"
'Who is this clown? Whatever, he's too loud,' Hook snarled, hating being interrupted from earlier. Resolving to end this quickly, as the stranger swung his blade around, he rushed in and grabbed his wrists. As he's pinned, Hook said, "Ok, calm down! Why are you-"
"GO TO HELL!" Johnny swiftly kicked Hook between the legs…and screamed bloody murder at his new bruised toes! New technique: Iron Loins!
"Huh," Ussop mused. "That was easy."
"So, are you good?" Hook asked his distraught opponent. He still struggled for a moment, before he just broke down crying.
"Hmm," Silk mused. "And now he's crying."
"D-damnit!" Johnny yelled to no one in particular. "First, Yosaku, now this! Why are we cursed!?"
"Yosaku?" Hook blinked at the sobbing man. "Who is Yosaku?"
"Why would you care!? It was you pirates that made it worse!" he whined, his anger seemingly washed out of him by his exhaustion.
"Hey!" Silk stepped forward. "We would never harm someone we've never met before!"
Ussop nodded. "That's right! Captain Ussop only hurts those that attack his friends!"
Johnny roared – right in Hook's ear no-less, "Then who shot the freaking cannonball at the plateau me and my brother were on!"
"It was him." Silk pointed straight at Ussop.
"You know, actually, he's the captain, so any complaints you have should go through him." Ussop tried to make himself look very small as he sold Hook up the river. Truly a strong-willed crew.
Hook glared at the man daring him to yell again before he said, "Look, we are not your enemies! I'm going to let you up, and if you attack again, I'm tying you up, got it?" Tentatively, Johnny nodded, and Hook released the still weeping man as they both stood up. At the same time, Ussop noticed Nami looking over the ship's railing.
"Nami, what are you looking at?" Ussop looked over with her and screamed immediately. "Oh my God! Why is there a dead body in that boat!?"
Nami rolled her eyes. "He's not dead. I don't think anyway…" She turned to Johnny. "Hey, Weepy! What happened to this guy?"
Johnny, clearly still trying to pull himself together, rubbed his drippy nose. "T-that's Yosaku! He was fine just a few days ago! B-but then he passed out and went pale, his teeth began to fall out his old scars opened, and I-I…I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO-HOO-HOO-HOOOO!"
"Do you…want a hug, man?" Hook asked reluctantly, then almost stumbled back as the wreck crashed into him. While he was leaving a trail of tears down Hook's back, Silk had helped Ussop bring the ill man on board, Nami apparently having stepped into the kitchen. "Okay, you feel better?" He nodded into Hook's very damp shoulder. "Good," was all he said before putting him at arm's length, and shaking him for good measure!
When Hook stopped, at last, the dizzy man staggered in place. "Why…did you…do that…?"
"You had catharsis, now have some reality! Your friend's not dead, so pull yourself together, or next time, I slap you. Got it?" That served to really sober the man up; by the time he had tidied himself, Nami came out with an entire barrel of limes, much to everyone's confusion.
"What's with the limes?" Silk mumbled before her face lit up. "Ooh! Do you want margaritas!?"
Nami just gave her a look. "Oh, for the love of – does anyone here know about Scurvy?"
"Maybe…" Hook muttered. "I recall something about it, but not much. It's bad, I think?" As for the rest, Silk, Ussop, and Johnny all shook their heads, causing Nami to facepalm.
"Of course…Scurvy is what happens when sailors go too long without proper nutrients! Anybody on the sea should know this! Now help me squeeze these into that moron's mouth." And for the next few minutes, everybody was taking turns juicing the citrus over Yosaku's mouth; Nami was careful, Ussop was hyper, Silk tried a bit too hard ("So, swallowing the whole lemon is a bad idea?"), and Hook just coated his arms in metal and liquified the suckers. Johnny and Yosaku were not prepared for that, but a quick explanation calmed them down.
Nami commented that in three days Yosaku would fully recover…then he jumped up and did a dance with Johnny! Even Silk and Ussop joined in! "I said rest! You're not better yet!" She turned to Hook. "Will you please do something!?"
Hook winked at her. "I'll handle it." Walking over to the group, he began...to join in the merriment while singing completely off-tune:
There once was a ship that put to sea
And the name of that ship was the Billy o' Tea
The winds blew hard, her bow dipped down
Blow, me bully boys, blow
Turns out the other four heard the song before because they immediately joined in:
Soon may the Wellerman come
To bring us sugar and tea and rum
One day, when the tonguin' is done
We'll take our leave and go!
"Oh my God..." While Nami did groan at the goofiness, she made no attempt to stop it…
As they met in the galley later, Johnny and Yosaku introduced themselves properly as bounty hunters – the best in East Blue apparently. As Yosaku puffed on a cigarette, he addressed his earlier ailment. "I don't know how to thank all of you. I was sure a goner." He coughed up a bit of blood.
Frowning at his state, Hook took the cancer stick away from him and jabbed it out. "Smoking can't be good for you when you have scurvy. You trying to choke on your own blood!" The graphic idea stopped him from pulling out a second one.
Silk hummed as she sat in her chair backward, her head resting in her arms. "Who knew sailing came with such a danger? That was really observant, Red!"
Johnny, for what felt like the hundredth time, bowed. "Thank you so much, Big Sis Red!"
Yosaku followed Johnny's lead! "Indeed! I'm in your debt, Big Sis Red!"
Nami, temple pulsing more and more, began to raise a fist…
Hook leaned over to Ussop and muttered, "3…2…1…" BAM! POW! ZOFF! Sure enough, three new speed bumps now decorated the floor.
"THE NEXT PERSON WHO CALLS ME BIG SIS RED IS TOAST, GOT IT!?" Nami snarled.
The three downed idiots, welts growing on their smoking heads, gave her a thumbs up. "Yes, ma'am!"
She sat back down stretching. "Anyway, please tell me you learned something, guys?"
Ussop nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I see. Before we sail farther, we need someone really particular…"
"A chef," Hook voiced. "A damn good one, too."
Nami nodded pleased. "Glad you understand. A chef is going to make sure we get the nutrients we need, plus ration out food properly since some people eat like they're starving!"
Silk nodded sagely. "That's right. You and Ussop eat too much."
Ussop chopped at the blonde's head, reminding her she's part of the two who eat the most, while Hook defended himself. "I can't help it! My power burns through calories! I didn't eat like this before!"
Nami jabbed her finger at both of them. "And that's why we need one! Even if it's not either of your two's fault!"
Johnny shot to his feet. "Ah-ha! This is how we pay you back! We know of a place to pick a great chef!"
Yosaku, coughing around another cigarette, smiled. "It's only three days sail from here! We would be happy to lead you!"
Hook smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Johnny and Yosaku. Now…GIMME THOSE CIGARETTES!" The next few minutes were spent chasing around Yosaku. Minutes because when his scurvy acted up, the Comboman was able to hide the carton in his hammerspace.
Three days later...
With Nami's announcement that they were close to the place they would find a worthy chef, the group, minus Silk, meet her at the upper deck railing, where Yosaku, looking much better, was chatting with Johnny. "Sorry, I'm late!" Silk turned out of the bathroom to meet the group, drying her hair. She had changed to a black-grey sleeveless top with blue knee-length shorts and her brown shoes. "My clothes were filthy, and I needed a shower." She wrapped the towel over her shoulders. "So, we're here?"
Johnny pointed excitedly. "You bet, Big Sis Silk! There she is! The mighty ocean restaurant – Baratie!" While it was shaped like a fish, Hook admitted the grand floating restaurant did look mighty with a silent head nod and smile. Going by the "Wow!" (Nami), "Cool!" (Ussop), and "Holy mackerel!" (Silk), the whole crew was in agreement
As they admire the view, a slightly larger boat pulls up next to the Merry; blue and white with a seagull(?) on the sails and flag. More notably, the word "MARINE" was painted on its side. Nami took one look at the vessel and paled. "The Marines!? Here!? Shit!"
Silk blinked at that. "What's the problem? Were just sitting here."
Ussop reeled on her. "The Marines hunt pirates! Pirates have jolly rogers! We have a jolly roger! Do the math!"
Johnny and Yosaku quickly ducked down. "We're not pirates, so we should be fine, right?" Johnny was sweating, looking at all the other ship's firepower.
As the ship pulled up parallel, a pink-haired man (Coby? …Naw, can't be related.) wearing brass knuckles hailed the Merry and its crew. "Unknown pirates, I'm Lt. Fullbody of the Marines. Who's the captain of this tub?"
Said captain of said tub walked forward to greet the man on the other ship. "That'll be me – James Hook."
Fullbody took one look at him and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Yeesh, you? I guess it's true what they say at HQ…no names come from East Blue!"
'Well, that was offensive.' Hook, and everyone on deck, took that personally, but none more so than Silk. "Oi! Who do you think you are, insulting people you just met!?"
Fullbody took one look at the blonde's face– actually, he was looking everywhere but her face- and smirked lecherously. "Now what's a pretty thing like you doing on that rig? Why don't you come over here? The Marines are heroes! It would be a personal pleasure to…guard that body."
Silk gave Fullbody an unimpressed look. "And here I thought Gally was the biggest creep in East Blue." As Fullbody flushed, the brown-eyed girl made it clear she wasn't done. "The last two guys who thought they could handle me needed stitches when I was through with them. I could bring up the last guy – but he might not recognize you. His vision just isn't the same anymore."
Fullbody, looking a little pale at how casually a girl said she maimed two men, moved his focus onto the hitchhiking bounty hunters. "You two look familiar…Ah!" He snapped his fingers, clearly remembering. "Johnny and Yosaku…you lame ducks got captured by pirates, eh?
Johnny huffed through clenched teeth. "Is this two-bit dog insulting us, brother?"
Yosaku took a deep drag from his cigarette. "I think we should teach this guy some manners!"
They leaped in unison across the gap to cut down Fullbody…and ended up back on Merry in two seconds, battered and dazed. "We were…this close to winning…"
"You guys should train more…" Hook shook his head at their sorry state, kicking some of their spilled-out wanted posters all over the deck.
A giggle from behind Fullbody distracted him. "Fullbody, let's go. I've heard great things about the food here."
He gave what one must assume was a suave smile. "I'll be there in a minute, my dear." He turned back to The Merry with a dismissive air. "It's your lucky day, scum. It's my day off, so I will not be crushing you personally." With that, he turned and walked off.
A bit of silence falls on the group. At last, Ussop chuckled. "Well, that's over, at least."
Instead of being relieved, Hook frowned at the phrasing. "How he said that..."
"Hm?" Silk blinked. "What about it?"
Nami gulped nervously. "He said…personally…" The minute that left her lips, one of the cannons was redirected. Right at Merry. Shit.
"Ahhh! A cannon! I tried to warn you!" Ussop panicked. (Big surprise.)
"Silk, Hook, do something!" Nami lamented before suddenly glaring. "And NOT Rock-Paper-Scissors!" Both Silk and Hook tried to look innocently to the side.
"Alright, then. I've got this!"Hook ran forward, planning to catch and absorb the bombardment. As the cannon went off, he activated Consume to catch it with his torso! While he is successful in catching it...
…the momentum carries him right off the ship…
BOOM!
…and right into the sea restaurant's second floor. Double Shit.
'Well' Hook thought as he laid on a pile of wood that had been a wall, 'maybe I was launched into an empty room…'
Some coughing arose as the dust settled, to reveal an old man…who was now sporting a head injury. "What in the Sam Hill!"
Suddenly, three chefs poured into the room. "Head Chef Zeff! Are you ok!? We felt the commotion from downstairs!"
Oh. This room was occupied…by the head chef…Triple Shit.
Putting on his best affable smile, Hook greeted the room. "Hello! If I could just explain…" was as far as he got before being smacked into the floorboards by the man's very tall and very sturdy hat. Ow.
"No excuses! You bust into my room, take out my wall, injure me, and then expect to talk your way out of it!?" the head chef...Zeff roared.
"I do! See, I got blasted-"
BONK! Ow! The hat came down again! "I don't care if you get wasted in the morning! That ain't no excuse crashing into old men's rooms!"
"JUST LET ME FINISH! I WAS SHOT HERE BY A CANNONBALL!"
"AND WHERE IS THIS ALLEGED CANNONBALL!?"
"RIGHT-!?" Hook suddenly remembered he'd Consumed that volley…so it really did look like he had come crashing here of his own volition…
"Well, pipsqueak! Where's your proof!?" Chef Zeff demanded.
"Summon!" Using his hands instead of his chest, because now he was a little sore where the shell had hit, Hook dropped the iron ball right on the floor.
The other chefs paled in shock at the sight while Zeff just looked thoughtful. "Interesting…So you might be telling the truth…"
'Might be, my ass!' the offended teen thought.
Zeff continued, "…but just one question…how do I know you didn't just create this cannonball? Or is this isn't one you've 'eaten' earlier?"
Hook's jaw dropped. 'Are. You. Kidding me!?' Rubbing his head, Hook battled a growing migraine as he began to talk. "Ok. While I do have some cannonballs…" His glare intensified as he raised his voice! "WHY WOULD HAVE COME THROUGH YOUR DAMN WALL UNLESS SOMEONE SHOT ME!?"
The Chef's face was about as red as his in reply. "I DON'T PRETEND TO UNDERSTAND HALF OF WHAT YOU WET-HAIRED BRATS THINK IS FUNNY OR COOL! WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT THERE'S A HOLE IN MY WALL, A GASH IN MY HEAD, AND THE RUGRAT WHO MADE BOTH WILL BE PAYING FOR IT!"
'Pay!? If Nami saw this price tag, she'll turn me in with Kuro!' Trying not to shiver, Hook asked, "C-couldn't I work it off!?"
Zeff smiled…sinisterly. Uh oh. "Of course, you can…going just off the top of my head, which I remind you is damaged, I suspect you'll working off this debt for the next year!"
"Fine!" Hook barked, eager to end this, and added, "but the real jerk is still downstairs, he shot me here! I give you him, I work off that head wound only!" Zeff seemed to mull that over, but eventually, he did agree to it. Just in time for another chef to come in screaming!
"Owner Zeff! It's Sanji! He's beating up the clientele!" the man with a five 'o clock beard cried.
"Again!" Zeff huffed indignantly. "Better go see what's happening. You come too, kid!" He barked at Hook. "Not leaving you alone with my valuables."
'There's something valuable in this heap,' the teen thought to himself as you exited with the group of chefs.
Coming down to the dining room, it looked like a back-alley brawl broke out! Fullbody was fully bleeding all over the place, while an irate blonde man, with a swirly eyebrow and smoking a cigarette, was kicking the air, screaming about creaming the asshole, as he was held back by two chefs.
"Sanji!" Zeff reprimanded. "Attacking customers again!?"
Another chef, with big beefy arms, was fuming at the held-down chef. "He sure is! A Marine Lt., this time!"
As Zeff kicked Sanji for being violent in front of the customers, Hook looked over to Fullbody, who shared a scared, pleading look with the pirate. Seems he's having a bad day, not that Hook was overly sympathetic to his plight.
As Zeff turned around, he greeted the beaten Marine. "I apologize. That eggplant always acts on a hair-trigger."
"Screw you, Crap-Geezer!" Sanji was not disproving his case.
"What seems to be the trouble?" Zeff continued.
Before Fullbody could even say anything, his date spoke up. "He…there was a fly in the soup, and – he got upset, so he broke the table-!"
"WILL YOU SHUT UP!" Fullbody roared at the emotionally distraught woman. Zeff's response was to kick him across the room, cracking plaster on impact.
"DON'T YELL IN MY RESTAURANT, OR BREAK SHIT!" the old man screamed as Fullbody's face left a dent in the wall. Hook and the rest of the room look back and forth from the argument among the chefs and back to the sniveling man crawling to the door.
"Lt. Fullbody!" A Marine grunt ran in, looking like he was in a battle all his own. "He escaped the brig! That Kreig pirate is loose!"
'Kreig pirate? What's a Kreig pirate?' Hook wondered. Judging by everyone's reactions, it didn't seem like a good thing.
Fullbody just looked miffed. "What!? We captured him three days ago! He was starving then, and we haven't fed him since! How is that possible!?"
Hook scowled at the jerk as he began to wonder if these chefs didn't beat him hard enough. "You haven't fed him after you found him starving!? For three days!? The fuck's wrong with you!?"
Fullbody turned his glare on Hook, his beaten form a far cry from his holier-than-thou attitude from earlier. "You don't understand! You weren't there! The man is a monster, Kreig's very own lieutenant - !" Fullbody got cut off by a gunshot. He was still fine if still bleeding; it was his soldier that dropped. A man of unfathomable menace and terror stumbled in – and stumble is the right word; even with his vicious aura, the man looks haggard and lethargic as he carried the still smoking pistol.
"We have a customer…" The beefy arms chef said.
"He better not make a mess!" Zeff groused, while Sanji just exhaled a cloud of smoke.
A/N: So, new flag, new allies, and a new location! Oh, and some serious foreshadowing...
