Chapter 25
I don't own one piece…. Probs a good thing
Warnings for blood (not serious!) and implied pain, ALSO – lots of Marty's back ground (little bit boring but hey – that's what I felt like writing)
… I apologise I went off onto a tangent
/
"Purple," Ace called taking step towards the pile of upended weapon stands. Beth eyes snapped between Ace and the mess.
"She's under there?!" Beth gasped shooting to her feet. Ace made a shushing motion, moving towards where he thought Marty was.
"Purple?" He called again, "Where are you?" Ace wanted to start ripping stands off, but there was a chance he could hurt Marty by shifting the wrong one. He waited for a few second of silence, deciding if Marty didn't answer within the next minute he would start hurling furniture regardless.
"Marty!" Amber yelled stepping up beside Ace, hands on her hips as she surveyed the damage. She had what Beth thought was a slightly annoyed look on her face, "Ya dead?" Marco stared at her, trying to decide if she was joking, just as a groan came from under a particularly large rack which once held guns the size of single beds.
"…Ya mon," Ace flung the oak furniture away from the floor so hard it hit the opposite wall and splintered into tiny pieces. Pushing several large guns out of the way Ace revealed Marty where she was still wedged between two racks.
"How'd you manage to end up under there," Amber asked scornfully, crossing her arm's as Ace wrenched the cabinets apart. Marty sat up slowly wincing as Ace's hand went under her chin tipping her head up gently. Crouching in front of her, Ace pushed the hair back from her face, hissing in sympathy at the gash across Marty's forehead. Marty blinked blood out of her eyes as Ace gently ran his fingers over her face, before probing into her hair searching for injuries.
"My foots … got stuck," Marty muttered gazing blearily at her ankle which was still trapped under a display cabinet. Ace glanced down before returning to his task.
"Marco do you mind?" Ace said fingers now probing down her neck.
"Ow, ow, stop that," Marty complained as Ace prodded a sore spot on her shoulder, Ace ignored her. Marco was gently lifting the cabinet away when Beth returned from a back room with a first aid kit.
"Bring her over here Ace," Beth ordered pushing the debris off a bench top with a swept of her arm. She placed the kit down gently before opening and rummaging through it.
"Right," Ace said, slipping one arm under Marty's knees and another around her back, he carefully lifted her out of the wreckage.
"You should wear a shirt, they are easier to hold on to," Marty said, leaning her head tiredly onto his shoulder. Ace snorted.
"And cover up these goods? Would be considered a travesty."
"I'll say," Amber agreed wandering over to watch Beth rummage for Band-Aids.
"I cover up my good," Marty muttered as she was lowered, Beth laughed.
"Yeah, sometimes," Beth looked quizzically at the gear in front of her, "Ok so I'm not the best at bandaging people up but I can do the basics." Amber looked at her as if she were mad as she picked up a bandage and moved towards Marty. Ambers hand shot out to latch onto Beth's wrist. The look Beth sent her way could have peeled paint
"What on earth are you doing," Amber said scornfully. Beth opened her mouth to reply, but Amber charged on cutting her off, "Unless she wants an ugly scar across her head for the rest of her life she will need stitches." Beth blinked. "Tell me you have a needle in there somewhere, or at least disinfectant? What were you planning to do? Throw her in the ocean and hope it was enough to ward off infection? For god's sake, how are you people alive with this kind of shoddy first aid?" Beth's surprised look fell off her face as she bristled
"Well excuse me-"
"You're excused, move," Amber ordered, swiftly tying her hair back off her face, she rummaged around in the first aid box pulling out bottles to read their labels, "And for goddness's sake go boil those bandages, or wash them at least if you don't have hot water." Beth pulled herself up looking like she wanted to break her hand on Ambers face.
"Doctor Amber has arrived," Marty chuckled. Marco looked at the bossy girl surprised.
"You're a doctor?"
"No, shut up Marty, your lowering IQ of the whole street. Which is saying something," Amber said absently still sorting through bottles, "There are no numbing agents, so there will be pain. Find something to bite that isn't a person."
"She's training to be a doctor – there's an accelerated course at our school which knocks of some of the crap and exams people have to go through just to get into med," Marty said cheerfully struggling with her belt, "You guys may need to hold me down so Amber can work. Beth I know she's a bitch, but she will be worse if you don't listen to her at the moment. Unless you want to help hold me down." Marty got her belt undone and ripped it out enthusiastically, nearly punching Ace in the nose. Beth frowned.
"Marty are you seriously going to let the Cow stich a needle into your forehead."
"Like you can do better cabbage patch," Amber said scornfully.
"Beth, we need to go find what caused that explosion, and since I can't get off this table till my heads fixed, and you lot sure as hell aren't going without me, we need to get this done," Marty insisted with an apologetic shrug. Beth sighed then crossed her arms.
"Fine, but I want to be here."
"I'll wash the bandages," Polo offered stepping forward.
"This is going to hurt but try not to scream like a baby," Amber said after Polo had darted outside, "Boy's use those big muscles of yours, if she thrashes I'll end up making her face uglier." Marty bit down on the belt lying back on the bench top, "One person on each arm, her legs, and her head." Amber instructed. Beth moved to hold Marty's head down when Amber stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah I don't really want you near me, I'd prefer you take something else like an arm," Beth met her gaze with a level glare.
"And I'd prefer your head on a pole and you ass in an oven but we can't all have what we want," Beth slapped her hand away, putting her hands on either side of Marty head.
"I'm so popular with all these pretty ladies fighting over me," Marty said to Marco conspiratorially, muffled by the belt in her mouth. Jack laughed as pinned Marty's legs down, taking care to avoid her ankle.
"You should probably check for a concussion while you're up there," Marco said dryly. Marty grinned closing her eyes as Amber began to descend with the needle.
"Jealous."
/
Pain, Pain, Pain, Pain. Marty groaned as Amber secured the patch on her forehead.
"I never ever want to do that again," Marty muttered reaching up a hand to feel the bandage. Amber slapped her hand away.
"Then don't get injured idiot," She snapped, packing away left over material, "Hopefully that shocked some sense into your tiny, tiny brain." Amber scrubbed absently at a spot of blood on her palm as she glanced over at Ace and Marco. They, along with Beth and Jack, had moved away once Amber was done with needle and thread. They had been standing out in the street for the past five minutes, hopefully discussing which direction the explosion had come from, instead of say, the weather.
"Is it just me or…" Amber trailed off frowning.
"What," Marty asked, taking advantage of Amber's lack of attention to scratch gingerly at her bandage.
"Does Ace and Marco look familiar?" Amber asked snaking her out to grab Marty's wandering hand. She dug her nails in to the fleshy parts causing Marty to squeak, "Scratch it again and I will tape your arms to your sides," she warned, then frowned at Marty's grin.
"Ok I'm sorry."
"… Marty what are you hiding," Marty blinked.
"I'm not hiding anything," Marty protested. Amber crossed her arms.
"Don't lie to me," Amber snapped, "I'm insulted you tried. Why does Ace and Marco look familiar to me, and why does it have you up in arms and diverting the subject."
"Amber I don't know what you talking about-," Amber glanced between Marty and the group.
"Whatever it is they don't know either do they. You don't want them to know."
"Amber seriously-."
"You have thirty seconds before I call them over to help get it out of you," Amber said raising her eyebrow. Marty snorted.
"Pushy as ever."
"Twenty, nineteen, eighteen-."
"Alright!" Marty exclaimed throwing her hands up, "Jesus Christ," Amber tilted her head to the side waiting.
"I don't know how you know about it," Marty muttered," Or were you seen it, but this … "world"? "Universe"? Back home it's a TV show." Amber blinked.
"A TV show," She repeated, her voice level.
"Well, an anime," Marty clarified with a shrug.
"… You watch anime, I thought only losers-"
"That is seriously what you got out of this?" Marty said in disbelief, "We've trans-dimensionally hopped into a TV show and what you care about is that anime is "lame". You should be calling me a liar, not question my taste in TV." Amber rolled her eyes, before turning them back to the group still in-depth in discussion.
"I can tell when you're lying, and you're not. So you recognise them all from an… anime," Amber said scornfully.
"Well not all of them, Ace and Marco, but even then they are background characters," Marty murmured watching Ace, Amber looked at her sharply.
"There's something else," It wasn't a question.
"Amber for gods sake-."
"Marty, I will beat it out of you," Amber cautioned.
"Urgh! Something bad is going to happen alright," Marty snapped. Amber raised her eyebrows as Ace glanced over at Marty raised tone. Amber smiled, winked and wiggled her fingers in a small wave.
"Bad?" Amber's quiet, serious tone was at odds with the flirtatious smile on her face.
"That's all you're getting," Marty said stubbornly picking at her nails, Amber levelled her gaze on her, "I mean It Amber."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to know," Marty said quietly, "People are going to die Amber, Ace is- I don't know if I can stop it."
"Ace is going to die?" Amber asked shocked.
"No!" Marty threw up her hands, "I don't know, I wasn't that far into the show yet, I know he gets captured but – the anime isn't focused around them you know." Amber raked her eyes over Marty in a piercing gaze.
"Fine, do what you need to, but try not to go full retard," Amber said finally with an annoyed sigh. Marty smiled slightly.
"It'll be fine, you'll be here to patch me up if I break right," Amber flicked the uninjured part of her forehead.
"Don't get injured dumbass," Amber stepped back, watching as Marty jumped off the bench, landing awkwardly on her injured ankle, "Am I splinting that or-?"
"Marty!" Beth called walking over to the pair, "Cow," Beth said in acknowledgement to Amber who nodded back, "Were leaving. Now. Cake and I think we know where the fire, and then the explosion came from."
"And where would that be Cabbage Patch," Amber asked watching Marty take a few steps forward to test her ankle. Beth glanced over her shoulder at Cake who voice had gone up an octave since Beth had left the group.
"That would be Cake's Family's Mansion, or at least somewhere very near it," Beth said meeting Marty's eyes. Amber snorted.
"Is anyone going to explain to be why the girl is named after a pudding?"
/
"This is where you live?" Amber asked shocked. Cake visibly puffed herself up with pride.
"This is the Mayor Mansion," She said proudly, quite a bit at odd with the fact that at that moment they were all hiding under a bridge. A bridge to the "Mayor Mansion" but a bridge all the same.
Also what looked like a giant hedge Maze, smack bam in the middle of the back lawn, was on fracking fire. At least what was left of the Maze was.
There were people milling around, but none of them were even attempting to halt the spread of flames. Marty could swear she saw someone using blaze to warm their hands. Marty swung her legs, leaning forward slightly from her perch on Jacks shoulder. After getting into a heated fight with Beth and Ace over her wellbeing, and being told flat out she wasn't in a state to be running around, let alone near fires, Marty had thrown up her hands in defeat and told them she wouldn't walk. They weren't nearly as happy when she had then turned to Jack and ordered to be lifted up. Marco had finally settled the whole thing by reminding everyone what tended to happen when Marty was left alone.
"Seriously, your dad's the Mayor of an island, and this is where you live?" Amber repeated turning to Cake. Marty sighed when she realised what was coming next, drawing a questioning look from Jack. Amber snorted causing the smile on Cakes face to go from smug to questioning, "Gees, Marty's house is at least twice as big." Amber shook her head scornfully, as everyone turned to look up at Purple haired girl.
"What?" Cake snapped, disbelief written all over her face. Polo tipped his head to the side.
"Marty has Money?" Polo asked in disbelief.
"Are we going to try and put out the fire?" Marty asked resigned.
"Her parents are International Diplomats of course she has money," Amber scoffed.
"She doesn't look like she has money," Ace said his eye rakeing over his ex-trousers and the tank top that had replace Jacks tatty old shirt.
"Seriously though, there is a field on fire," Marty said raising her eyebrows.
"She's not the only one either," Amber purred, shooting Ace a smile, "That's the fun thing about having politicians for parents."
"You're rich too. Why am I not surprised" Beth said with a sigh, "Am I the only girl here not fed with a silver spoon?"
"Anybody? Fire?"
"Jealous cabbage-patch?"
"Nobody?"
"Money means squat when with a personality as rotten as yours," Beth said rolling her eyes.
"How is the house twice the size? Why would Marty and her folks need that much space? Where does it even fit?" Marco asked measuring Cakes house with his eyes.
"It's on top of a hill, and they have a massive garage that takes up at least a fifth of the space. But generally it's only Marty who lives there," Amber said with a shrug as her audience gaped at her.
"Well, if no one's going to help, I can try and put out the fire," Marty said to herself, throwing up her arms she shifted so she was facing the fires. Before she could say another word though, Amber's audience turned to glare at her as one.
"NO!" Marty was impressed at the synchronisation in which everyone yelled at her. Amber on the other hand looked confused.
"Don't even think about it," Marco said warned.
"My house may be tiny compared you and Ambers houses, but I prefer it un-exploded, thankyou," Cake sniffed crossing her arms.
"You never mentioned you were loaded," Beth said, smiling at Cakes obvious annoyance.
"Or that you had a mansion to yourself," Ace said shaking his head.
"Oh for the love of…," Marty huffed angrily, crossing her arms, "My parents are rich, not me. And I live in a giant ugly house by myself because my Parents are constantly overseas working," Jack glanced sideway at his young friend, who looked like a very angry kitten who had been chased up a tree by chickens. Amber snorted.
"That's one way of putting it," Amber said dryly, "Another is they are assholes who won't come back from vacation even when their daughter goes "missing." Since when are you known for exploding houses?"
"My hair ain't the only thing that's changed since I left home," Marty said with a smile, before noticing the looks of shock on her friend's faces, "Oh don't look at me like that. It's not like this was only sprung on me recently. My folks have been AWOL for years."
"… it doesn't bother you?" Jack asked quietly, Marty rubbed the top of his head affectionately.
"Sure, but I figure, you might as well laugh at your problems. I mean," Marty turned and jumped of his shoulder before anyone could stop her, "Everyone else does right?" She said staggering slightly as she hit the ground. Beth grabbed her arm to steady her.
"Marty you said you wouldn't walk," Beth protested, Marty grinned.
"Look at that, I have all the mothers I need," Marty said cheerfully, managing to take one step before Ace picked her up, "I can't fight from up there!"
"I wish that was true," Ace muttered passing her carefully back to Jack. Marty stuck out her tongue at him.
"So if Ambers is rich and is still a "scholarship kid", what does that make Marty?" Marco asked curiously.
"Actually-" Amber began grinning.
"Amber if you don't shut up I am going to light you on fire."
"From up there?"
"Exactly Amber, please, please, keep talking," Beth agreed cheerfully as Amber swung a half annoyed, half confused looked her way.
"Returning to the fact that there is a Maze is on fire, which I will attempt to fix if anyone asks another question about my life or money. We should probably do something about it right?"
"I want to know why they set the maze on fire and nothing else," Polo said cheerfully sticking his head out from the bridge. Jack shrugged, taking Marty along for the ride.
"To stop people hiding in it? Or to drive out anyone who was already doing so?" Jack suggested.
"Not just a pretty face are you," Ace said with a grin, "We need to get into the house, since that's obviously were everything's happening. So decision time, are we sneaking? Or are we breaking down the front door?"
"Front door," Beth and Marty said in unison, looking unnervingly excited about the possibility of destroying Cakes front entrance.
"Sneaking," Marco said with a raised eyebrow, turning to Cake, "Is it possible?"
Cake smiled slowly and smugly.
"Oh it is, and it's something I can bet Marty's house doesn't have."
/
BWAAAHHH
I may have gotten the med stuff wrong(I sense I may cop flack for it but oh well I WANTS IT)
Why does no one like Amber? I like Amber. I know several people like Amber – they grow on you, slowly, till they become impossible to remove. XD
