Disclaimer: All I own is Maeris.
A/N: Welcome to the fourth chapter of Becoming a Bandit where Maeris, Jing, Kir and Rose enter the ghost ship and discover the meaning behind the message Postino gave Jing. So without further ado, I turn it over to Maeris. Enjoy!
"You two will make a nice little snack!" announced the anchor as it leered over them.
"Don't you know that nap time comes before snack time!" replied Jing as he and Maeris jumped off the boat and attempted to hit the anchor but their weapons bounced off of it, sending them backwards into the water.
"No, I think you're going to be the ones put to sleep here!" proclaimed the anchor.
"Jing! Maeris!" screamed Rose.
"Relax, Rose. We're not dead yet," Mae assured her as the two bandits resurfaced, scaring the crap out of Rose in the process who screamed even louder and hugged Kir to her chest. "But I kind of wish I was now."
"Hey, give us that bag," Jing told Rose, nodding to the wine skin behind her.
"Bag?" repeated Rose as she turned around and spied the bag, picking it up. "This is wine! I can't allow an underage boy and girl to drink this!"
"If we want to fight with him, we need a way to breath underwater!" Mae clarified, rolling her blue eyes. "So empty it out for us!"
"Oh I get it," murmured Rose as she emptied the bag and handed it to Jing. "I guess I can allow that."
"Let's rock!" shouted Jing as he took the bag and dove underwater.
"Wait, doesn't he need Kir?" inquired Rose to Mae who was shaking her head in exasperation.
"He's cute but not very bright sometimes," she murmured, smiling slightly as Jing reappeared. "Forget something?"
"Kir, I need you!" Jing told the albatross, ignoring her. "Rose, empty out more bags!"
Rose threw him more bags while Mae grabbed Kir and tossed him unceremoniously to his partner before diving underwater to join them.
"You won't need those bags where you're going!" The anchor informed them as Jing launched Kir Royales. "You don't need air if you can't take a breath!"
This isn't working, thought Mae as her chest began to tighten. I need air.
Maeris motioned to Jing to toss her a bag which he did before raising his own bag to his lips. Mae did the same, instantly making her choke since it was still filled with wine. That stupid…Jing told her to empty the bags out first!
Meanwhile Jing was shooting more Kir Royales out of the water instead of at his target.
Don't tell me he's drunk, Maeris groaned inwardly before she understood. Wait, I get it.
Mae swam up to the surface to the piece of wood Rose was standing on as she fired off her gun at the hole the anchor was coming out of. "Hey, let me borrow that."
"Why?" asked Rose as Mae climbed up onto the board next to her.
"Because I have a plan," Mae replied. "Just give it to me already."
"…Alright," said Rose, handing her the gun. "Wait; do you even know how to use it?"
Maeris rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone keep asking me that? For your information, yes I do. Now stand back."
Mae raised the gun and shot at the chain of the anchor as Jing continued to fire at it from below until it was too hot to hold. The hole dropped the chain allowing Jing to finally destroy the anchor, causing a huge hole in the side of the ship.
"Bingo," murmured Maeris as she started to lower the gun before raising it again as something came up from below giving both Kir and Jing a heart attack. "Oh, it's just you two."
"Not that I'm not thankful for your help making the chain too hot for that thing to hold, but can you please give Rose her gun back before you shoot me?" asked Jing, eyeing the gun wearily.
Mae grinned before handing Rose her gun back. They then turned the boat back over and clambered into it before heading to the giant opening in the side of the ship.
"That place looks even scarier than you," noted Jing to Maeris as he guided the boat inside.
"Jing, this is…" breathed Kir before she could reply.
Jing nodded. "Just as I thought, let's go!"
~ Becoming a Bandit ~
"Looks like that rumor was true," whispered Maeris as they headed inside the ship where they found a hallway leading to a set of double doors.
"What do you mean?" inquired Rose.
"Back when we were in the Capital of Thieves, there was a huge rumor going around about a secret gambling boat that appeared in the waters around this area," Jing elaborated.
"Gambling?! That's against the law! Gambling is forbidden!" Rose shouted, lifting her gun.
"Well, this ship is just one big casino," Jing informed her as he pushed the doors open to reveal a massive casino filled with noise and people.
"A casino?" echoed Rose, glancing around.
"Yup," confirmed Jing. "Hiding under the image of a ghost ship is the perfect camouflage for an underground gambling operation."
Rose stared at him with her mouth hanging open. "That means I'm going to have to arrest all of them!"
"Hold off on that for a second," suggested Jing as he offered his arm to Mae. "What do you say we have a little fun first?"
Maeris grinned as she rested her hand in the crook of his elbow. They headed down to the tables followed by Rose who told them she could not let them gamble.
"This is the first time I've seen so many gold coins!" Maeris breathed as she looked around with large blue eyes.
"They're not worth anything though," Jing told her. "They're just chips you cash in to get the money."
"Oh, okay," murmured Mae as a giant pig in a suit of armor walked up behind them.
"Welcome to the Monte Carlo Gambling House!" greeted the pig as he gave them a huge smile. "It's been many years since we've had a gathering of spirits like this to all have a great time together. Won't you join us?"
"A gathering of spirits?" repeated Maeris, cocking her head to the side.
"My name is Grappa, the manager of this casino," the armored pig continued as if she'd never spoken. "I don't care who you are, or where you came from, but I take care of everyone who enters my casino. Please enjoy yourselves."
"What a shady dude!" muttered Rose as Grappa walked away.
"Yeah," agreed Mae before turning to Jing with a mischievous smile. "Shall we play a game?"
~ Becoming A Bandit ~
"Now ladies and gents," said a giant rat wearing a tuxedo as he stood in the middle of a table decorated with symbols upon which he placed an old cat holding a cane. "Place your bets on where you think this disgusting old rat will land."
"What do you think?" Mae asked Jing.
Jing smirked as he laid a stack of gold coins on the crown in front of them that apparently the cat hadn't landed on in over a thousand years.
"Are you sure?" murmured Maeris as the cat stopped right before the crown. "So close!"
Jing smiled as he laid his hand on the small of her back, applying just enough pressure so that Mae hung over the table far enough to show the top of her chest causing the elder feline to take that last step he needed to reach the crown. "Bingo."
Maeris flushed as she straightened back up. "Was that really necessary?"
Jing took her hands and cupped them together before dumping a mountain of coins into them. "What do you think?"
Mae stared down at the gold coins in her hands before grinning at him. "Totally necessary."
Jing grinned back. "Then let's keep on winning, shall we?"
They won and won so much that they were able to take baths in the golden coins.
"Now this is the life," Mae sighed as she lay sprawled out upon them.
"Right?" agreed Jing as he came towards her with more coins but was stopped by a pirate with a barrel for a chest which had swords stuck in it.
The pirate took one of the swords in one hand and grabbed Jing by the collar of his shirt with the other. "I think you got too much pocket money for a little kid! I might have to relieve you of some of it!"
Jing kicked the sword away but the pirate only got another one from his barrel chest. "You're lucky you're just a kid, so I won't beat you down too bad."
"I may be a kid, but I fight like an adult!" replied Jing as Kir flew to his arm and shot a Kir Royale at the pirate's chest. "Bingo!"
"Oh, that hit the spot!" said the pirate, sneering nastily at them.
"We shot clear through your stomach and it doesn't hurt?" inquired Kir incredulously.
"I didn't even notice!" declared the pirate as he charged at them.
Jing unleashed more Royales which proved to be just as inaffective as the first one.
"Jing, my throat is all dried up," Kir told him. "I can't shoot any more for now."
"I think it's about time to put the kids to sleep!" said the pirate as he lunged at them.
Jing released Kir and slashed at the pirate with his hidden blade causing him to disintegrate into a pile of golden coins.
"Wow, his body totally collapsed!" noted Kir, unnecessarily.
"How did you-?" murmured Mae, glancing at Jing who was staring at what remained of the pirate.
"During our fight, I noticed that a gold coin he had was sparkling," he explained. "All I did was aim for that."
"Well, I guess it wasn't a ghoul living inside of him. It must have been the coin keeping him alive," mused Kir.
"This whole casino is full of them," Jing told them as he slashed at one coin after another causing those who wore them to disintegrate. "They're not people playing with money. It's the money playing with the people."
Now I get what Postino meant, thought Mae as she helped Jing get rid of the rest of her coins which appeared to have an effect on the casino as well as it reverted to a dump. So this is what it really looks like.
"Not only did you win at my casino, but now it's your fault that the entire place is ruined!" shouted Grappa as he slowly transformed from a knightly pig into a shower of gold coins. "You have become more than a small nuisance to my business, and for that you will pay."
He's made of gold coins too, observed Maeris as the gold coin shower turned into a full on storm.
"Don't move!" yelled Jing as he grabbed both girls and covered them with his arms.
"You will witness my true power when I combine all of my savings!" Grappa declared as the storm calmed down to reveal a golden monster. "Now then, I think I'll have you pay me back that money!"
"I'm about to turn you into pocket change!" Jing shouted back, releasing the girls.
Grappa snorted. "Impossible, wasteful, reckless! I'm sorry, but you are the one who'll be turned into rubbish!"
Jing smirked as he unleashed his hidden blade and struck out at Grappa, landing neatly behind the golden monster. "See, I'm already chopping you to pieces!"
I need to help him, thought Mae sluggishly as Grappa repaired himself. But I can't move. Dammit, what is going on? Wait, it's the greed of the coins! If only…Shit, it's too strong…I can't break free…Jing…
~ Becoming a Bandit ~
"Are you alright, Maeris?" asked Jing as the girl opened her eyes to see him staring down at her as a rain of coins fell around them.
"Jing?" murmured Mae. "What happened?"
"I beat Grappa," he told her with a grin.
"How did you resist the…?" began Maeris before she understood. "Because you're the king of bandits, that's why."
"Yep," nodded Jing, grinning even wider.
"Makes sense, I suppose," she mused as she realized for the first time that he had one arm wrapped around her waist and that their faces were extremely close to one another. So close that all Mae would have to do was reach up and…
"Are you sure you're okay, Maeris?" inquired Jing as his dark eyes bore down on her blue ones. "Your face is really red."
"Yeah, totally," Mae assured him as the shower ceased and he released her. Totally.
A/N: And there you have it! Hope you all enjoyed! Until next time, read review and show the love! P.S. Happy Olympics!