Chapter Twenty: The Aftermath Party
Hawkeye turned away from the eerie sight and tapped his headset to hear the buzz of activity. There was so much chaos on the other end that Hawkeye couldn't help but smile. He listened for a little while making sure all of his boys were all out and alright.
"Didja miss me boys?" Hawkeye stated calmly through the headset. There was a pause in the chaos before it renewed louder than before. Hawkeye chuckled as he listened to their cheers. "Come pick us up, boys." Hawkeye turned to focus on Eckhart once more.
"I presume that they made it out safely?" Eckhart stated calmly.
"Yeah, they're all safe. You alright?" Hawkeye inquired as he leaned against a tree. Eckhart smirked underneath his mask.
"I'm fine. I got what I came for." Eckhart answered as he relaxed his tensed muscles. "Let me guess, you're going to pull out the drinks and food."
"Right on, but since we're kids still I got some sparkling grape juice. It's very good. Maybe you've tried it?" Hawkeye stated calmly as he crossed his arms.
"I have not." Eckhart replied softly as the ship came into view.
"Shame, I'll give you a cup. You'll never drink anything else." Hawkeye said excitedly as the crew dropped down the ladder. Hawkeye motioned him to climb up. Eckhart sighed softly as he was most likely going to get roped into the party. Eckhart climbed up and landed on his feet while Hawkeye followed up after him. "Ello boys! Let's get out of here!" Hawkeye ordered as the crew quickly sprung into action. Eckhart stood back and watched as the crew released the sails to begin their ascent into the skies. Once they were a good distance away and the winds were blowing in their favor, Hawkeye smiled excitedly. "BOYS! Guess what time it is?"
"Party, sir?" A crew member questioned with bright eyes knowing the answer.
"Exactly! Pop out those sparkling drinks! And bring out those trays!" Hawkeye yelled as the men cheered. "To a great plundering!"
"To treasure!" The crew yelled as more cheers went around. The drinks were popped open as food was brought out. Hawkeye leaned against the railing next to the wheel as he sipped on the drink that a crew member handed him and Eckhart. Hawkeye watched them with a small pleasant smile.
"Hawkeye..." Eckhart said quietly as he came up to stand next to him. Hawkeye turned to glance at him with a slight frown once he took in Eckhart's expression.
"Spit it out, Eckhart. You have lots on your mind." Hawkeye stated calmly as he put his cup down on the railing.
"Hypothetical question. If you were asked to assist in something of a higher calling but you had to leave behind the life of piracy would you do it?" Eckhart questioned seriously, nursing his sparkling juice in his hands. Hawkeye squinted his eyes as he thought about the question.
"I dunno, mate. It depends I suppose." Hawkeye replied as he turned around to lean his back against the railing and glanced up at the sky. "What exactly is this higher calling suppose to be, hypothetically?" Eckhart chuckled softly, amused.
"Being a Knight to assist the Empress?" Eckhart stated calmly watching as Hawkeye's eyes went wide with surprise. He shook his head and gave Eckhart a small smile.
"That sounds like a job for someone who hasn't stolen anything, mate. I'm not sure the Empress would want a Pirate like me joining her ranks." Hawkeye replied as he picked up his drink and sipped it. Usually he'd just chug the mug but Eckhart's piercing gaze made him self-conscious. Eckhart swirled his drink, smirking.
"Oh, you never know. The world works in mysterious ways, Hawkeye." Eckhart said softly. "Never say never. But who am I to know, being a thief and all." Hawkeye scoffed as he knocked back his sparkling drink.
"You seem to know more than you let on, mate. I wouldn't be surprised if you were working for the Empress in some capacity." Hawkeye stated as he motioned one of his crew to refill his mug. Eckhart raised an eyebrow underneath his mask.
"What makes you say that?" Eckhart inquired as he lifted up his mask a bit to sip on the drink. Eckhart rolled the flavor along his tongue and tilted his head. It wasn't a bad flavor but the red one might taste better than the white one.
"You knew about this base for one and secondly, why would some normal person think up such a hypothetical question like yours? It was oddly specific if you asked me." Hawkeye answered shrugging his shoulders, nonchalantly. Eckhart chuckled deeply amused.
"Heh, I can see you going pretty far with that brain of yours Hawkeye. Do not doubt that." Eckhart said softly as he pulled his mask back down.
"Always got to stick with the gut in this line of work, Eckhart. I'm sure you know the feeling considering you're a thief and all." Hawkeye pointed out while relaxing and sipping on his drink. Eckhart nodded briefly.
"Yeah, any bit of hesitation and we're usually dead somewhere." Eckhart replied softly, glancing up at the cloudless sky. The moon was high in the sky and the stars were out. The two watched as the crew enjoyed the night as they stood in companionable silence. Eckhart wasn't sure when the next time he would have peace was, but that rowdy crew flying in the night sky was definitely one peaceful night.