Chapter 4: Pirates.
To Mello's relief, the pirates set a much slower pace than the Lost Boys had as they made their way through the jungle. Despite the greater ease of keeping up, however, he couldn't help but feel scornful of the way Taki and Teru bashed through the vines, getting needlessly tangled at times in greenery that wasn't even in their way, unlike the wild boys slipping barefoot through the brush and leaving only the slightest traces of their passing. Although he wouldn't have minded having a sword to swing around and destroy stuff, the way they went about it was just clumsy and without style.
The trek across the long arching beach was a lot worse—without the obstacles of the jungle impeding them they strode briskly across the damp sand. Teru only had to taunt Mello once as he began to slow—not wanting to appear weak in this precarious situation, the boy made sure he kept up. Although he played outside a lot more than Near and Matt, a game of kickball was not really quite the same as half-jogging in black pajamas under the hot tropical sun with a blade-happy pirate right behind you.
No matter. He would put up with this for now, deal with Captain Kira, somehow get a hold of Matt and Near, and they'd be back in no time. Telling himself this periodically made him feel a lot more confident.
By the time they reached the place where the ship was docked, Mello's skin felt like it would peel right off and his shirt was soaked with sweat. Taki led him straight for the long timber dock, passing a few clumps of gaudily dressed men and women picking fruit in the treeline, cooking fish over fires on the beach, or just lounging around talking loudly and drinking from large round bottles. They hailed Taki and Teru, laughing coarsely and shouting questions about their 'prisoner,' which Teru parried with an evasive, "Captain's business."
Loftily avoiding the avidly curious stares of the pirates, Mello examined the ship appraisingly. Three gleaming masts towered over the decks amidst a maze of lines and net ladders. A dark row of gunports striped the side. The decks shone whitely under the sun and the rails were intricately carved in what the boy realized with an unpleasant jolt were the hunched and twisted shapes of humans in obvious agony.
That macabre detail in what was otherwise a clean, polished-looking ship shook him a little.
"Go on up," Teru said, gesturing as Taki led the way up the gangplank. Mello followed her, schooling his face into a scowl. The main deck was mostly empty—apparently most of the crew was on shore. The scrubbed wooden planks were hot under Mello's bare feet but he hid his discomfort, determined to give a confident impression.
He followed Taki all the way to the stern cabin, where she straightened her shoulders and knocked firmly on the cabin door.
"What is it?" demanded a girlish, irritating voice. Mello started in surprise and tried to remember if anyone had explicitly said that Captain Kira was a man or if he had simply assumed it.
Taki made a face at the door. "It's Takada, Misa. Is the Captain too busy to handle the affairs of his ship?"
Misa began to respond but was halted. "Ah, Taki. Please, come in!" an exasperated-sounding man called.
Pushing the door open and standing back, Taki indicated with her scimitar that Mello should go in ahead of them. Standing straight, he strode into the cabin.
His eyes had to adjust; after the blazing sun, reflecting off the white sand and white deck and bright water, the cabin with its high stern windows seemed oppressively dark. Slowly through the gloom he began to make out the details of the room. The whitewashed walls were nearly covered in large maps of the island and surrounding water, with detailed charts showing the the underwater topography of the lagoon and reefs. Heavy wooden shelves and tables around the edges of the small cabin were neatly arranged with collected treasures, carven masks, jewelled boxes, and several dozen leatherbound books. In the center of the room was a large desk wih an enormous chart spread over it, the corners of which were held down with a china teapot, a small ornate chest, a flickering lamp, and what appeared disturbingly to be a human skull. Large rubies set in its eyesockets glittered in the lamplight.
Behind the desk a man leaned over the chart with his palms flat on its surface. His cleanshaven face looked surprisingly young even to Mello's nine-year-old eyes. An abundance of gold braid adorned his scarlet coat and a waterfall of white ruffles spilled out at the collar. Mello couldn't help but admire his dashing style, though perhaps the sweeping white feather in his tricorn hat was a bit much. As he looked up, however, Mello noted that like his ship and cabin, Captain Kira's debonair appearance had an almost incongruously dark detail. His first startled impression was that the man's eyes were two different colors; but almost immediately after he realized that the pirate was wearing an eyepatch, and over the place his right eye should have been a baleful red eye was embroidered. The effect was extremely unsettling, giving you the the impression that you were constantly being stared at.
"What is this?" a woman standing at Kira's shoulder demanded imperiously. Mello guessed that she must be Misa. He wondered how on earth she moved about (or breathed, even) in her corset. She didn't look like much of a fighting pirate.
"This child—" (Mello bristled) "claims to have a deal to offer, Captain," Teru said smartly, pointedly ignoring Misa.
"Is that so?" the captain said, standing straight and examining Mello. "And what would a Lost Boy presume to offer Captain Kira?"
"I'm not a Lost Boy," Mello said firmly, crossing his arms and staring boldly into Kira's hazel eye.
"I do beg your pardon," said Captain Kira, leaning forward and peering at him. "You'll forgive me, with one eye it is sometimes difficult to see in this dim light. A Lost Girl, then."
Taki and Teru sniggered and Mello fisted his hands in outrage. "I'm a boy!"
"Ah, again, my apologies." Captain Kira's voice and expression were so sincere and conciliatory that Mello couldn't tell if he was being mocked or if the mistake was genuine. He flushed. Did he really look that girly? "You mean, then, that your loyalty does not lie with Pan and his Lost Boys."
"Yes, that's right," Mello said, hoping he sounded as gruff and masculine as a prepubescent boy could.
"And you have information regarding them that you think will interest me?"
Mello wasn't about to let this Captain Kira simply take control of this whole situation. "I'll deal with you directly, but I won't say a word in front of them—" he jerked a thumb back at Teru and Taki, "or your wench there."
"Wench?! I'm the first mate of this ship!" Misa screeched huffily. The captain winced, and Taki's laugh was hastily turned to a cough.
The boy ignored her, keeping his eyes on the captain. Kira looked at him appraisingly, then nodded. "I'm sure the boy means no harm," he told his first mate coolly.
"You're just going to let this runt talk to me that way?" Misa demanded, flipping a long blond braid angrily over her shoulder.
Taki stifled another laugh as Kira frowned at Misa, his single eye narrowing. "If I say it's not a problem, it's not a problem," he said coldly. "All of you, please leave us now, so that I may speak with this young man."
"Yes Captain," Teru and Taki said crisply, and Misa flounced after them, shooting Mello a nasty look as she went. The door snapped shut behind them, making the room even darker.
"Please, sit," Captain Kira said, his cold, intimidating expression melting into a disarming smile as he gestured to a chair in front of the desk. "I'm afraid we were not properly introduced—I am Captain Kira, captain of this ship and commander of this island."
"Mello," he said shortly, dropping warily into the chair. The wooden seat was hard, and put him in mind of a rather recent time he had sat in a similar chair in front of Roger's desk (being lectured for gluing the pages of Near's algebra textbook together).
The pirate settled gracefully into his own velvet-cushioned chair. "May I offer you some cacao, Mello?" He lifted the teapot, pouring the brown liquid into a delicate china cup. The thick scent of chocolate teased at Mello, and his mouth immediately began to water. He perked instantly.
"Ah—if you insist," Mello replied in what he hoped was a careless tone. So there was chocolate to be had on this island! He had been right in coming to Captain Kira. The pirate handed him the steaming cup and began to pour one for himself. Mello took a cautious sip.
Oh.
The smooth cacao was much richer than the instant cocoa they sometimes had on cold nights at Wammy's, almost like drinking liquid chocolate. Mello could actually feel his frayed nerves relaxing as the sweet taste flooded his mouth.
"Like it?" Kira asked casually, watching him intently over the rim of his own cup.
Mello put the cup down abruptly; he had downed half the cup in one swallow. Cursing himself, he reminded of the tentative situation he was in, that he needed to be on his guard and not give Kira any advantages. It took him a moment to remember exactly why he had come. "It's ok."
The pirate smiled charmingly, and Mello found himself thinking that he didn't seem half bad of a fellow, freaky eyepatch and overly dramatic hat nonewithstanding. Trust a wild half-crazed kid with feathers in his hair like Pan to be enemies with a civilized person who actually had some style and access to proper food.
"So then," Captain Kira said, setting his cup down on a saucer with a soft clink. "What is the nature of the information you wished to give me?"
"Not give," corrected Mello. "Trade. I have information that I understand you want, but I want something from you too."
"Oh?" A questioning eyebrow invited him to continue.
"Passage. Out of Neverland. Back to…" Mello paused. Earth? The real world? England? Where was Neverland in relation to Wammy's anyway?
"Ah…back to your real home, in the world outside Neverland?" Captain Kira supplied. Mello nodded, scowling, and Kira looked curiously amused. "Interesting…so Pan is taking children from the outside and bringing them here against their will now, hm?"
"…sort of," said Mello, wondering how many Lost Boys had been to Neverland and gone back. "There are two others who need to come too."
Captain Kira took a sip from his cacao. "Siblings of yours?" he asked, his voice gentle with compassion without being sappy.
Mello hated claiming any sort of relation to Near, but on the other hand he didn't want to give any more information away than he had to, and didn't think it was necessary to explain the orphanage. "Yeah. Can you do it?"
"Certainly," the captain said, spreading his hands generously. "Pan can be childish and impetuous…certainly no one should be forced to come to Neverland against their will. I am a reasonable man, and willing to help any honest person who asks it of me…. Although," and his left eye sharpened, though his smile remained easy and relaxed. "It is strange that you come on the behalf of three, alone, looking for an escape. Are your siblings held hostage?"
Half-consciously Mello picked his cup back up and swallowed a large mouthful of cacao. They were, in a manner of speaking, weren't they? Kira did not seem to be the heartless dealer Mello had imagined. Would he be willing to help Mello force them to return to Wammy's if they kept up with their stupid childishness? If he made it sound like they were being held against their will, perhaps a "rescue mission" could be arranged in which they could be seized without time to ask questions. "Yes," he said.
"Do you have a plan to extract them, or in addition to passage are you asking that we assist you in freeing your companions?"
"That would be appreciated," Mello replied. He was beginning to feel like perhaps this was not the even deal he had meant to offer. But this Kira seemed to be the altruistic type, and they were easy to use. And he had offered, after all.
"It is odd," Kira said, his voice smooth as chocolate, as Mello took a cocky swig from his cacao. "Pan alone could not have managed to forcefully kidnap all three of you, could he? Just how many Lost Boys does he have right now?"
It was odd, the thought struck Mello like lightning, that the pirate was asking so many questions about Mello's end of the deal and seemed so interested in accomodating him, but had made no mention past his initial question of what information Mello was willing to trade for all this help. Looking over the top of his cup, the cruel stare of the crimson eye caught his gaze. With an effort he wrenched his eyes away from it to Kira's living eye, which was wide and innocent.
How would such an innocuous-seeming person keep a shipful of rowdy pirates under control?
This man, he realized, was not Roger. Mello was being manipulated. And not only was he smarter than Mello had given him credit for, but he had a crew of fighters at his disposal. Suddenly the walls of the cabin seemed uncomfortably close.
Captain Kira was watching him expectantly. He had to say something—more importantly, he had to get out of here. If he could get outside at least, he could escape by air easily. "About a dozen," he invented, "and we might not have much time—if we could go as soon as possible—"
Suddenly there were shouts outside, and pounding on the door. Mello nearly jumped out of his skin.
"What is it?" Captain Kira called, not taking his eye off Mello.
"It's the monster, Captain—" Teru shouted urgently. "Ryuk is back again—he's coming into the lagoon now, and coming fast—"
The abrupt change in the captain's demeanor was shocking. His chair clattered back as he leapt to his feet, a savage snarl twisting his face into an inhuman mask, the act of patient benevolence shattered. "That damned overgrown sea slug! You—" he thrust a finger at Mello, who sat back in his chair in alarm at the transformation. "Stay right there!" Coat flying, Kira wrenched open the door and slammed it shut so hard the masks and figurines on the shelves rattled.
Mello jumped out of his chair, dropping his cup of cacao as he ran to the door, but the lock clicked before he could get his hand on the knob. With a growl of frustration he shook it uselessly. He looked wildly around the room. This was the perfect opportunity to escape, now, while he was by astounding luck alone for a few moments. The high stern windows were made to withstand brutal tropical seastorms, narrow with thick, bubbly glass. Mello wasn't sure if even his thin frame would fit, but options were a bit thin on the ground.
Desperately he cast about for something he could use to smash the windows. But the objects displayed on the shelves were all either too bulky for him to easily wield, or too delicate to break through the thick glass. His eyes came to rest on the small chest on the table—it was small enough for him to pick up in two hands, bound and decorated with ornate but heavy iron fastenings.
As he seized it, he noted with brief interest that a small wooden model marked the position of the ship on the chart spread on the desk, and outside the lagoon sat a carved onyx serpent, with a heavy dotted line behind it marking a trail that looped and meandered around and around the island. Apparently Kira was tracking Ryuk's movements. Mello hefted the box—it was heavier than he expected—and something inside clattered.
There was a heavy lock on the side of the chest, which was rather undermined by the fact that the key was in it. Had Kira been using it right before Mello had come? Curious, Mello flipped the box open as he hurried to the table under the window. He would take a quick look and toss out whatever it was so the shifting weight wouldn't make the box harder to swing.
He stopped in his tracks, entranced.
Carefully he lifted his prize out of the chest. It was the largest gem he had ever seen (not that he had seen them in any other context than pictures). Perfectly round, the smoothly polished stone seemed to somehow have been faceted on the inside so that it glittered and caught the narrow sunrays that lanced through the dusty window so that it seemed to burn from within. Mello cradled it in his palm, mesmerized by the sparkling fire.
Hadn't he told Matt that real treasure would be somewhere safe, where the pirate could keep his eye on it? Seemed that he had been right after all.
Mello was startled out of his trance by rattling at the door—someone was coming in. On impulse he began to cram the jewel into his pocket, but his pocket was already full of his crumpled socks. Yanking out a sock, he stuffed the ball inside it and then put the whole thing in his pocket—it wasn't much, but it was some sort of protection for the precious object. He dove for his chair just as the door swung open—he didn't want anyone to notice he had taken anything immediately.
It was Misa. She didn't seem to notice anything amiss as she strode into the room and grabbed him by the arm, yanking him unceremoniously out into the chaos on deck. "Hey!" he shouted, struggling. The woman was stronger than she looked despite the bustles and corset.
"Taki, help her!" Kira yelled. Drums were rumbling loudly, calling all hands to the ship. The captain was standing on the stern deck, holding a long brass telescope to his eye so tightly Mello wondered if he had punched out the first one doing that. Pirates were running about the deck, some watching the dark shape looping through the water of the lagoon, others running about doing who-knew-what, all of them shouting. The pirates still on shore were putting out their fires, running across the beach to board the ship. Thinking he could easily escape in all this uproar, Mello kicked Misa savagely in the leg. With a shriek she dropped his arm, but before he could run Taki seized him from behind.
"Watch what you're doing, Misa," she said coolly, wrenching his arms painfully behind his back. The first mate scowled at her, grabbing Mello a little more violently than necessary, her long nails digging into his shoulder.
"Take him below!" Captain Kira ordered, clattering down the steps to the main deck, clapping the telescope closed. "Pan'll come sniffing around for our little runaway eventually, no doubt. But right now we have other things to deal with!"
"Shall we weigh anchor and take evasive action, captain?" Teru shouted.
"No, damn it! Ryuk can move ten times faster than we can through the water, he'll be on top of us before we even set the sails! We're going to fire!" Kira barked, his eye wild. "I want you to blow that damn piece of slithering sushi out of the goddamn water!"
Despite the fierce desperation of his thrashing, Mello couldn't break away from the two pirates. He froze abruptly as he felt the cold touch of Taki's scimitar at his neck. "Now now, play nice, little boy," she chuckled.
Mello snarled in inarticulate rage, humiliated and furious at how easily Kira had handled him. He had never meant to deal with him at all, had only tried to get information from him and then use him as bait to attract Pan. He gave Taki the most poisonous glare he could muster.
She ignored the glare as the two women forced him down the steep ladder-stair, past the gundeck with its double row of 24-pounders in their heavy carriages, down into the murky gloom of the cargo hold. They hauled him unceremoniously past the high stacks of bales and crates to the brig, a sort of room barred off from the rest of the hold with a thick iron grate that reached from the ceiling to the floor. Taki held him firmly, the notched blade pricking at his skin, as Misa opened the padlock with a large black key from a keyring at her hip and slid the jangling chains free.
He stumbled and fell as Taki shoved him into the prison, then scrambled to his feet and charged the door—but they held it fast against his slight weight and the chains rattled and the lock snapped and he was trapped.
"Let me out!" he screamed, shaking the bars in panicked fury.
"These wild boys really are just unbelievably uncivilized," Misa sniffed as the two women sauntered away.
Mello was left alone in darkness, beside himself with rage, thinking that he would never attempt any sort of deal again unless he had it infallibly planned out ahead of time.
The ceiling rumbled as pandemonium broke loose on the decks above.
.oOo.
AN: This is actually one half of a chapter in my original plotline, but I separated it bc a. I was worried about it getting much longer than I wanted and b. I have a lot of difficulty writing Mello, and I wanted to actually focus on this part of his perspective. Let me know if he comes across as ooc…and also if the pace/plot was difficult to follow... Hope you enjoyed