Disclaimer: I Do Not Own One Piece or Axe
(Warning: If information is wrong on here, I'm writing while half awake… ZZzzzz)
Chapter 42: The Sand Labyrinth III
Kit put her hands up as the Sand Shark lunged at her. "NO!" She shouted.
"Kachi Kachi no Crush!" Axe's leg shot out from the corner of her eye, made of stone, and connected with the Sand Shark, sending it flying into the far wall. Kit slid to the ground, legs feeling too weak to hold her up. "Get up." Axe growled at her. She struggled to her feet.
"Axe, with Sand Sharks and the Scorpion, now can the two of us win?"
"By not giving up." He watched the Sand Shark struggle for a bit then slip back into the sand. "I got a plan, but I need you to focus, alright?"
"Got it." She nodded. Axe put one hand to her ear, quickly whispering it into her ear. "Why are you whispering, Mr. Axe?"
"We don't know how smart this thing is, best not to risk giving away our plan." He pushed her back slightly as the tail stabbed the ground between them. "Quickly, go!" Kit didn't need to be told twice. She jumped on the tail and ran along it until she was at the very top. "Can you do this, Kit?" He asked, watching her shake slightly.
He's counting on you, Kit! Don't be afraid! A voice in her head told her. "Tell me when!" She shouted with a thumb up, but quickly held on as the tail prepared for another attack.
"Go!" Axe shouted to Kit as he sidestepped the stab of the tail. Kit jumped down on the back of the scorpion. She slipped her finger into the ring hole, and flicked the wire around one of the back legs. It easily wrapped around the base of the leg. She gave a small tug, found it tighten slightly and grinned. The tail pulled back and the pinchers launched at Axe. "Hurry up, Kit!" He pulled his fist back, "Kachi Kachi no Bazooka!" His arm quickly turned to stone and he punched the pincher down before it could close around him. In the sand, the pincer snapped shut, causing Axe to be shot lightly into the air. Kit took a few steps forward then did a back flip with a spin. The wire tightened around the leg, filling the air with the sound of cracking shell. There was a sudden rattling sound and the tail whipped down to Kit, point facing away from the main body.
"Oh no!" She gasped, the tail hitting her into the hard shell of the back. With a whip-like crack filling the air, the tail pulled back. The wire came loose from her hand, falling onto the back with the smallest—if any—sound.
"Kit?" Axe took a step forward. Jaws suddenly shot out of the sand, mouth wide. He jumped back, hands up for a return attack when he blinked. The Sand Shark's body lay lifeless on the ground. Two black stubs stuck out of the sand, twitching slightly. "Aro?"
Her hand shot out of the sand, scythe in hand in it's extended mode. Her other hand came out, groping the air for something to grab. She started to slowly sink again. Axe grabbed her free hand and gave her a sharp pull, bringing the gasping Aro out of her sand trap. She sat on her knees, gasping for air. "Couldn't… breathe… or find… board…" She wheezed.
He looked up at the scorpion as she was catching her breath. "Explain later." He grabbed her around the waist, picking her up and jumped out of the way as the tail came down for an attack where they were once standing. "God, you two are pathetic… What happened to the Oni I heard about after you left Drum?"
"Good question…" She said, pushing his arm away from her so he dropped her on the ground. "I think she got a little out of practice…" Shakily, she got to her feet, holding onto her scythe's staff part tightly while using it as a kind of crutch. "Besides, you be buried down there, fighting off Sand Sharks while trying to get to the surface to get air and get out while in a shocked state of some hottie pushing you off a block." Axe's only reply was a frown. "Where's Kit?"
"Out cold on the back of the scorpion."
"What ha—GAH! I'll find out later!" She ran off to one side while Axe race in the other direction as the pincher of the scorpion came at them. Aro ducked along its arm as it started to pull its pincher back. She held her scythe to the side, dragging the tip in the sand lightly. Axe kept to the wall, keeping ready to reflect any attacks that came to him. He figured Aro was in its blind spot and going for an attack. He grinned, using Kachi Kachi no Bazooka on both of his arms so he would be ready for the coming pinchers.
Aro jumped up onto the top of the arm, spinning the scythe to cut quickly and cleanly through the space just after the 'shoulder'. The scorpion reared back, causing Aro to tumble down its back, struggling to find somewhere to grab hold. "Kit!" She suddenly shouted, looking below her where Kit slid down to the curl at the base of the chair. She let herself slide down then stuck her scythe in the back, bringing herself to a sudden stop as she held to the head's handle. Another shriek sounded filled the air. She looked down at Kit as she slowly pulled her scythe out so she slowly slid down the back.
The tail ran into a wall, causing the small space between the tail and Kit to shrink greatly. Aro slid down faster, keeping her scythe at the ready. "Come on…" She put her other hand out to help support her so she could keep an eye on Kit as she lowered herself. That's when something sharp caught her hand and caused her to shout. She grabbed on to what cut her and looked at it quickly. Kit's wire? She followed the wire to the leg and blinked. Cutting off the legs? It made sense to her. She gritted her teeth and let the scythe go to its smaller mode. Quickly sheathing it, she shifted her hold on the wire and slid down quickly to Kit, tightening the wire as she went.
The scorpion stumbled to the side, causing Aro to swing towards Kit. She shot her hand out, catching Kit's collar, and pulled her into a fireman's carry. "Hold on, Kit!" she muttered, kicking off the back of the scorpion and feeling the hold of the wire suddenly go. The scorpion collapsed on the cut-legs side, pincher going wild. Sharp cracks filled the air and Aro slid down to the ground, using her feet to stop her from rolling into the wall. She rolled her head and eyes to look at Axe, watching him attack the 'shoulder' of the other pincher. The exoskeleton was cracking, giving to the punches. Aro smiled, and felt her feet slowly raising. She looked at her feet now, and blinked rapidly. The walls were raising quickly.
Aro scrambled to her knees, screaming to Axe, "We're about to hit the drain! Axe! We've got to get out of the sand! The drain is HUGE! HUGE!" She quickly rolled the wire up, shoving it in Kit's carrying case, and paused.
"Aro!"
She turned quickly, still crouching down and drew her scythe. A Sand Shark shot at her, jaws wide enough to eat both of them. She held one hand out towards the center of its mouth, scythe spinning quickly behind her. Sand picked up and the three were lost from Axe's view on the other side of the Scorpion where he just took out the pincher. He shouted to them, but was drowned out by the sudden shriek of the scorpion as it slammed against the wall, causing the blocks to shake violently. The sand started to settle, but with a red stain that made it seem unreal. Axe dashed along the wall, keeping as far from the thrashing scorpion as he could. He ducked under one of the wild swings of the tail, stumbling slightly on something in the sand. He spared a glance back, catching sight of a struggling Sand Shark. "What the hell?" He muttered as he jumped over a random leg that shot out towards him. A second one followed right behind that, causing him to tumble the last few feet to them. When he stopped, Aro was standing up right; scythe sunk deeply in the head of the Sand Shark. He blinked once and noticed blood running down her arm. "Aro?"
"I'm starting to get sick of being on the bottom of the food chain…" She pulled the scythe free and wiping the blood on her pants leg. "Get Kit for me?"
"She's given up."
"No she hasn't."
"She said so herself, Aro."
"She lied to you and herself, Axe." She put her scythe up and knelt down next to Kit. "But fine, you make sure those sharks don't get us while we try to find a way out of here, alright?" She felt her bones twitch and watched her hands grew fur. Once in her large panther form, she scooted herself under Kit, getting her in a rider-like position. "Come on." Her voice came out furry, growl-like. She ran off along the wall, moving quickly even in the sand. Axe followed, careful of the sand she was kicking up. A loud crash came from behind them as something hit the wall.
"Aro, what do we do about the drain?"
"Um…" She slowed down slightly, looking for a way out. "Just try to stay out of the ungodly large whole that is going to swallow us." She used her head to push on one wall, struggling slightly. "Can you move these?"
"Don't know but I don't think so. Too much sand for good footing." He looked at the still struggling scorpion body. "But that thing is starting to get pulled down. Will it clog the drain?"
"No. It's too large…" Aro growled, pushing again. "Come on…" wined, pushing harder. "We have to at least try…"
"… Alright." Axe put his shoulder on the wall and pushed. Both stumbled, sinking in the sand. "Like I said, too much sand." He looked at Aro as she kept pushing with her head. "Come on… there has to be another way…"
"The sand falls down into a large container where the scorpion crawled out of. The container is full of those things."
"And you know this how?"
"I nearly fell in."
"Hey! Over here!" A voice suddenly called to them. Aro looked over her shoulder and scrunched up her nose, growling softly. Axe looked as well and blinked.
"Pretty? What are you doing here?"
"Ugly said something was going on here and I came to look. Having trouble?" His gurgled as he laughed. On the far wall, Pretty stood with a small rope ladder.
"Giving a hand?" Axe asked.
"No one's lived through this particular pit, so I would hate to see the ladies be killed." He gave another of his gurgle laughs.
"Come on, Aro." Axe started along the wall towards Pretty.
"Can we trust him?"
"Do we have a choice?"
Aro hesitated, but followed. When they arrived, Aro put Kit down on the ground by letting her slide off her back gently. Then, she shifted back, feeling a pain start to form on the back of her neck. "No more wall pushing for me…" She started up the ladder. Axe picked Kit up with one hand and threw her over his shoulder. Just as quickly, he climbed up the latter.
"Quickly," Pretty beckoned, motioning with his hand. "Got to get you out of here before Ugly catches me… oh, he'll kill me if he sees this…" He hurried them along with a wave of his hands, "Go, quickly… I can hear him coming… he'll kill you, I know he will…"
"Aren't you suppose to be one of the bad guys?" Axe asked, frowning.
"Oh please…" Pretty shook his head, "I don't like fighting… just eating… Now please, hurry."
"Why are you helping us?"
"I was the one that took the other twin to my brother, but he didn't follow his promise to not hurt her, and now I feel bad, so please go!"
"That solves part of the mystery." Axe muttered, running off.
Aro looked Pretty up and down, "Thanks, even if you did try to eat me." She took off after Axe. "… OH HELL!"
Axe glanced back at her, "What?"
"I never found my board!"
"Oh well, can't go back now…"
"THIS SUCKS!" Aro shouted.
Pretty turned away from them, wringing his hands slightly. "I did as you told me, Ugly…"
Ugly's voice rang out from around him, "Good brother… you can live a day longer."