Guest- Nami- says so in the little bit before the first chapter. ^.^

This is super long to make up for last week. Fun fact: Vox Pupili means 'voice of the people'.

CHAPTER FIVE: Vox Populi

When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city,
To see a marching band.
He said, "Son when you grow up,
would you be the saviour of the broken, the beaten and the damned?"
He said "Will you defeat them,
your demons, and all the non-believers, the plans that they have made?"
"Because one day I'll leave you,
A phantom to lead you in the summer,
To join the Black Parade."


The entire pub had grown eerily quiet. Eri was still nowhere in sight, probably crawling along the grimy floor on her hands and knees for no viable reason. Raiden had jumped to his feet the moment the man had said the words, and Will was distantly aware that he'd followed. The man turned on them, and moved with catlike grace that shouldn't have been allowable by his large size. He stared down at them, with dark fathomless eyes, and seemed to challenge them.

"You took out King Lucas. One of my subordinates told me," he stated, and looked around them. "I don't quite see your lovely little captain, though. Pity. I saw her wanted poster- she's a beaut." He rustled around with an inside pocket of his jacket, and pulled out a balled up piece of parchement. He shot it at them casually, and jumped over the counter to access the beer. Will caught it, and they unraveled it, distracted.

Eri's grinning face stared at them, though the hat was so big that it nearly covered her dark brown eyes. She was on their ship, leaving Illusia. Below her picture was: ' ERI D. MONKEY, DEAD OR ALIVE: 12,000,000'. "She'll probably find that amusing," Raiden muttered over his shoulder. He then seemed to register that his captain was MIA, for he suddenly jumped around, looking under booths, under chairs, under people. "We've lost her! She'll destroy the building!" he cried dramatically, which freaked out a few of the nearby civilians.

Apparently they hadn't lost her, because Eri popped up directly next to the blue haired girl, scaring a few people. "Who are you? Who's John?" Eri asked, poking the girl repeatedly in the shoulder. She turned her narrowed eyes on Eri, and if anything, they squinted further. "I'm guessing you're the 'lovely little captain' that bastard is talking about." It didn't sound like a question. Eri nodded. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm a captain, yeah,"

The blue haired girl waved a hand. "I have good hearing." Eri poked her shoulder, again, which got her an irritated look. "You didn't answer my questionnn," Eri pouted, seemingly immune to the stinkeye. "It doesn't matter who I am. The townsfolk just refer to me as 'that girl'. And John was the owner of this pub- you did notice the name of it, right?" When Eri shook her head, the blue haired girl wasn't really surprised. Eri didn't look like one of those who was particularly intelligent.

"John was a really nice guy. He's the one who took me in when I arrived in town a couple days ago. But he was really brave, and he said what he wanted. If what that teme says is correct, that's what got him killed," the girl explained. Eri saw the slight tremble in the girl's hands as she concealed them in the pockets of her sweatpants, and wondered. This man must have been very important, considering everyone looked either sad, hysterical, or shellshocked. And the girl with the odd deadpan was no different.

Her face was schooled into a blank expression, but she was blinking rapidly, and staring at her shoes. John must have been a tad more than the girl let on. "And who's that guy?" Eri jabbed a finger in the direction of the intimidating man, who was currently serving himself a tankard of ale from the barrel. Her crewmates seemed to be staring, no, glaring, at him, though they didn't move.

"I don't rightly know. He's not a pirate, doesn't got a crew save for two or three cronies, but he might as well be. He thundered in and started forcing people to pay taxes to him- for living. Anyone who can't provide is tortured in the street. And anyone who rebels is..." she trailed off. They'd probably find John's body somewhere in the morning. It was the man's custom to dump his victims the moment the rooster crows in the morning. "So he doesn't have a name?" Eri wondered, setting her hat atop her head. It was her custom to lower the hat when the owner was in, but if he was dead, than this was just a meeting place.

"He does, but I haven't bothered to remember it. Trash like that aren't worth my time." The blue haired girl turned on her heel and escaped out of the mass into the backroom. Apparently, their conversation was over. Eri went back to her crewmates at the bar, and joined them in staring at the man. He didn't seem too much interested in anything besides refilling his mug. "What dya suppose would happen if I just went over and kicked him in the shin?" Eri wondered.

Having snuck up behind them with the stealth of a mouse, it was no surprise the two men jumped ten feet in the air. Raiden whipped around to glare at her. "Nothing good!" She pouted at that, and made herself comfortable on a bar stool. "OI, I think you've done away with enough of that to down an elephant," she called to the man, gaining the stares of everyone in the vicinity. Including the man. "I think you need to shut your trap," the man retorted, stomping over to her to glare her down.

He didn't look in the least bit drunk, dark eyes boring into her's. He slammed the tankard in his hand onto the counter, and some of the liquid splattered on her face. Eri made no move to swipe it away. "What? I was just sayin'," she replied blankly. Will felt like slapping himself. 'Of course she doesn't understand that he's threatening her. God forbid she has a shred of self-preservation!' Raiden on the other hand, stepped forward, and put a large hand on her bony shoulder.

"He's not a very good person to acquiant yourself with," Raiden whispered, his head craned down to speak in her ear. Eri's eyebrows knit at that. "Well I know that. That blue haired chick told me 'bout him," she whispered back. 'So that's what she slunk off for,' Will thought. "So why're you taxing people if you aren't the king?" Eri said louder to the man, causing him to lean towards her. Close enough for her to smell the alcohol on his breath, and the grease in his hair.

"Because I'm a bandit. It's what I do. And you and your measly crew better clear out before I come in with my friends." He didn't sound particularly angry yet; just irritated. But that was about to change. "Whaddaya mean, measly? Any of us can kick your ass with our eyes blindfolded and our hands tied behind out backs." Eri sounded genuinely confused. And being Eri, she was completely ignorant of the rising panic in the room.

The man's dark eyes sharpened, and seemed to glitter. "You're probably not aware, but you're wanted for 12 million beli." His mouth curled into a malicious, warning smile. "And I'm wanted for 30." She was finally notified of the other patrons' presence when their chairs scooted back roughly and their feet pounded as they flooded the joint. Will looked back, not at all surprised to see it completely empty.

The blue haired girl was looking around the corner in the backroom, her bright eyes wide but her jaw set stubbornly. Will turned around again, pretending that he hadn't seen her. "Ooh, twelve? That's pretty high for just beating that bratty king! Hey, do one of you have the poster? I wanna hang it on the wall!" Eri sang distractedly, looking apprehensively over her shoulder at her crewmates. They let their heads fall to their chests in disappointement. They were really hoping that for once, she would show the slightest inkling of fear from a man wanted for more than twice herself.

"I will not be ignored," the dark eyed man rumbled, hand on the hilt of his sword. Eri turned back around at the sharp sound of his sword being slid out of its sheath, and nearly slit her own neck. His sword rested just above her collarbone, a bright bronze that dazzled the eye and didn't fit in with his dark, mysterious appearance. Will and Raiden, who'd seen the remarkable speed at which he'd drawn his weapon, just stared.

Eri scootched back, frowning. The small cut she'd inflicted upon herself oozed a single drop of blood, that was slowly rolling down her neck and disappearing behind her shirt. She reached up, and rubbed the path clean with the pad of her thumb. It hadn't hurt much, in fact she'd barely felt it at all, but it was enough for her to get a clue- that this man was no good, and that the blue haired girl was telling the truth.

"Nice sword," she said, boldly touching it with her bloodly thumb. She slowly, audaciously, slid it down the blade, and met his eyes with a challenging grin. "Perhaps you'd be worthy of it if you could actually use it." She then jumped back, already anticipating his rage-filled slash for her head. His sword barely kissed her chest, and the stool clattered to the ground. Will and Raiden caught her arms so that she wouldn't fall from her momentum.

The blue haired girl reappeared from her hiding spot, ready to help the strange pirates if need be.

"If you lot don't clear out by the morning's light, I'm assuming you want a fate worse than the guillotine." With his threat announced, the man gathered another barrel under his arm and stormed out, the floor shuddering with each heavy step he took. Once they were alone, Will sighed, and let his death grip on her arm go. "I was sure that was the end," he muttered, thrusting Eri away. "You really just HAVE to start trouble everywhere, don't you?" Raiden added, crossing his arms.

"You're pirates?" The blue haired girl was a great deal closer to them then she had been before, which made them all jump in surprise and whirl. She had a steady, disbelieving look on her face. "What's it to ya?" Raiden growled, leering at her. He didn't like the brazen look in her eye, like she didn't care that they could all cut her head off one way or another.

"Right fine idiots. I bet you don't even have a name." She said the last word as if it were the bane of her existance, and they looked curiously at her. "I haven't made my pirate flag yet," Eri confessed cheerfully, righting the bar stool and seating herself in front of the girl. "And yet, you're the idiots who took out king what's-his-face." Raiden had about had enough of her words. "I doubt you could hit a moving target from forty yards away with a fish hook knife. It's not wise to critisize us." Eri just grinned as he threatened her, like she was watching a television show.

"I know all the pressure points on your body, and can hit each one before you have time to draw your blade. Can you do the same?" Raiden's eyes lit- did he detect a challenge?

"I know 47 ways to kill you with a butterfly knife." The blue haired girl leaned against the table, ankles crossed and a catty smile on her face. "I've killed more than 47 wanted criminals." Will supressed the urge to sigh. Now they were just boasting.

"I can butter my toast in the time it takes you to blink!"

"I can butter your face faster than it takes for you to say, 'Why are you buttering my face?'"

"That didn't make any sense."

"You don't make any sense."

"It gives me character."

"I know cheese that's got more character than you."

"Your voice could put coffee to sleep."

"Coffee is so low in caffeine that it puts ME to sleep."

"Oh yeah? Caffeine is so low in energy that it puts me to sleep."

~~~ TIME SKIP-TO-MY-LOO ~~~

The blue haired girl had stuck around longer than Will had expected. By the time the two were done bickering, it was around one, and the pub was deserted. Eri had tired herself out and made a home in a booth along the far wall, and Will would've joined her, if he trusted the town enough to stay in a place with no door. Raiden collapsed in a chair, his mind thinking along the same thoughts. He rolled his neck to stare at the blue haired girl, curiousity brimming in his eyes.

Will had just as many questions as the knifesman. Eri would be content to walk around with a complete stranger, but they certainly weren't. It was killing him to not KNOW. He didn't want to refer to her as 'that girl', didn't want to converse with her when he had no idea how she'd react, didn't want to fall asleep in her presence. At the same time, he was too polite to ask her any more than Eri had. So he kept his polite distance, wondering in silence.

"Well, I'm hitting the sack. If you wake me up before ten, I'll break off your hands and stick them on your head*," she said bluntly, giving a lazy two fingered salute and trudging into the darkness of the back room. Raiden huffed, glaring in her direction. "Fantastic. Leaves us to fend for ourselves." He stood up, and joined Eri in the back, though he sprawled over a table since he was too big for a booth seat.

And then there was one. What a hypocrite. Will knew this was the knifesman's way of saying, "You have watch duty, you slouching invertibrate." It didn't really matter. Will would get no sleep even if he tried- not when the wind was blowing through the door, not when he could still see a few stragglers waundering about with the terrible clumsiness only granted to a drunk. Raiden would, however, never hear the end of this tomorrow.

Will sat down on a stool, hooking his shoes in the bars, and thought. That was the only thing he could do; the blue haired girl had doused all but one kerosene lamp in the joint a while ago, he would make too much of a clatter if he tried to work out, and he would die from shame if he allowed himself to accidentally pass out from exhaustion.

Somehow, when they'd came prancing into town, he hadn't expected... this. Well perhaps the part about the threatening bandit- Eri always seemed to attract trouble- but not the part where he was stuck alone, in the dark, and watching out for a girl he didn't even know and two pirates that had given him nothing but trouble.

He blew out a large sigh, glancing (yet again) in the direction of his friends. When had he started to think of them that way? Was it when Eri had given him hope, for the first time in years? Or was it when they fought along side eachother, for a cause that they had no real connection to? Perhaps it was when he'd told them his name, his ultimate act of trust. Or when they hadn't pushed it as he'd said it.

Will had also not expected to be in an obscure town on an obscure island at one in the morning protecting people he'd known all of a week. He'd expected to tough it out on Illusia, inherit his father's business, work until he looked wrinklier than a prune, die with contributing absolutely nothing to the world and getting absolutely nothing in return. Sink into a boring oblivion because he'd done nothing too bad, and at the same time, nothing too good for his spirit to go up or down. Half-heartedly, he'd even expected that he'd never find his sister again. Expected that his mother would have died in vain and he'd never have a chance to go after her killers.

Hope was a funny thing. It could grow slowly, build over time just like hatred, or love, or lust, or friendship. Or it could happen all at once, just like hatred, or love, or lust, or friendship. Someone could come along and completely obliterate the growth process, and suddenly, you're left with all this hope that could seem meaningless to everyone but you and the person who created it. You don't know exactly what to do with that hope besides ignoring all else and shooting for that one goal, ignoring the obstacles, but that's okay, because it's your dream and your hope and goddamn it if you can't achieve it.

Will rested his elbows on his knees, leaning his chin on his knuckles as he stared at the dark abyss of the backroom. Unwillingly, he felt stupid resolve trickle into his mind as he thought about how she'd so boldly yelled at that dark eyed man. How she'd willingly argued with Raiden and (arguably) won at each go. She reminded him of Eri- albeit a smarter, sassier version-, and that was (also arguably) a good thing. So yes, he would protect this strange blue haired girl.

At least until he could figure out her actual name.

~~~ TIME SKIP-TO-MY-LOO ~~~

Raiden woke with the sun, though he could testify it was his back. It felt like it did when he'd stayed with Fenny at her 'treehouse' one night. The small of his back ached, as if he'd done too many lunges, and from shoulder blade to shoulderblade, it felt like every muscle was in a knot. He thought about visiting a doctor just to get the kinks out as he hopped down from his makeshift bed, now very aware that he hadn't taken off his knife belt before crashing.

Eri was still sleeping in the booth seat beside him, her hat shading her eyes. She slept sprawled out, with her mouth open and emitting semi-loud snores. One sandal had fled the building overnight, and now resided on a table across the room- conviniently in an empty water glass. Raiden went to retrieve it, and was nearly shocked out of his skin as his wrist was caught in a vicelike grip. He turned, to stare into the red rimmed eyes of the musician.

Will stared dully at him a moment. "When I wake up, I'll shove my foot so far up your ass that the MOON will feel it," he rumbled, voice scratchy, and seemed to collapse upon himself. He passed out on the floor, looking blissfully peaceful. "I didn't ask you to keep watch," Raiden muttered. Though, he did appreciate the sentiment. Raiden retrieved the shoe and returned to Eri's side. He brandished the shoe by its heel in the air, and almost as if it were a cerimony, brought it down to smack her right where her forehead would be.

His captain jolted up, hat falling into her lap. She blinked wildly before calming down enough to stare incomprehensibly. "Need me fer sum'?" she slurred, eyes glassy. Raiden shook his head hesitantly, but before he could elaborate, she'd already dropped off back to sleep. He cursed quietly and was about to slap her with the shoe again when a hand grabbed his arm and prevented him from doing so. 'What is today, national Scare The Crap Outta Raiden day?' he hissed, turning a shocked glare at the owner of the hand.

The blue haired girl blinked owlishly at him, her blue eyes so electrically bright that they seemed transparent. "Let her sleep a bit longer. It's only eight," she said, and released his grip. Raiden's jaw set stubbornly, but he did set the shoe down. "I thought you said to not wake you up until ten?" he said, changing the topic. Usually, when those words are spoken, the person intends to use the entire time for snoozing. Not wake up before.

"And you didn't. I did it myself. Good of you." Her tone was bitingly condescending. She sashayed between tables to the bar, which she hurtled over with the lithe grace of a jungle cat. "Dancer?" Raiden guessed, following her with his own wide gait. She didn't answer a moment, throwing open a small refridgerator in the corner and bustling through it. From the sound of it, Raiden'd assumed the only things in there were bottles, but she came away with a carton of eggs and a bag of frozen sausage disks.

She moved to the oven next, turning up the heat on two of the eyes and setting pans atop them. "No." The answer was curt as she broke an egg over one of the pans. "Well then what ARE you?" he asked- no, demanded. Raiden had hung around this girl for about five hours in total, and was already driven mad by her short answers and nonexistant explanations. She wordlessly cracked three more eggs on the lip of the pan before configuring a response.

"I suppose you could call me a protector."

Raiden blinked at her as she used her long fingernails to break the seal on the baggie. He wasn't quite sure what to say to that, so they fell into another awkward silence for a time. "...A protector?" he said finally, incredulously. The girl was about the size of Eri, and from what he'd seen, the only thing she had going for her were her brave words and her killer sarcasm. Though, he banished his doubts. He'd doubted Eri, and now he wasn't sure he could actually have kids anymore.

"I don't know. It seems stupid, even to me. But I woke up here, and had amnesia, and ever since, I've had this inane urge to protect these people," she confessed, her lips pasted together. She slipped about ten of the pink disks onto a pan after thoroughly coating it in a layer of cooking spray. "Did they know you?" Raiden asked. Though, he didn't particularly believe that they did.

"No. And that's why it's inane. I don't know any of these people, but I'll easily lay my life down for them."

She laughed mirthlessly and slammed the aerosol canister on the counter. Her other hand was gripping the countertop with surprising force, her knuckles white. Raiden kept his mouth shut this time. He was a tad relieved- at least he knew SOMETHING about her, no matter how small. But he was also empathetic. He couldn't imagine losing his memory and then, atop of that, wanting to take care of people he didn't even know. It would drive him mad.

A flash of Eri split across his mind momentarily, and he said, "I don't think protecting people is all that bad a profession."

~~~ TIME SKIP-TO-MY-LOO ~~~

Eri was moping. The blue haired girl was obviously immune to her puppy eyes power, and now, she was being stuffed and crammed into shirt after dress after too-short skirt. "This is stupid," she whined, staring at herself in the full length mirror. Blue hair rolled her eyes from the leather futon she was perched on and waved finger in a circle, the universal sign for 'turn for me'. Eri reluctantly obliged, feeling like an exibitionist as she did so.

They were both in a girls' clothing store, yes, but it wasn't the regular smiley tees and denim skirts. Oh, no. This shop was the whole studs, spikes and hair dye type. Blue hair said this was where she bought her clothing when she woke up, and had loved it. Eri had to admit that the prices were pretty low, but that didn't mean she had to like the black, strapless leather top that currently graced her person.

It was much too tight and Eri felt like an idiot. "I have to admit, you actually look seventeen in that," her companion said, nodding her head slowly. Eri felt a growing panic rising in her. The dark, skin tight skirt would not hold her staff, she couldn't run in the five-inch boots, and she couldn't move in the leather top. "I-I'm gonna go change!" Eri stuttered, and practically flew to the dressing room. She ran into her stall and locked the door behind her, loathing the moment when she'd have to go out.

Eri had to admit, it was shocking when the blue haired girl asked her to go shopping. But as she'd explained later, the girl had done it only because Eri's clothes left much to be desired. And Eri had found out quickly that the girl wasn't a good shopping partner- she was into the entire gothic mumbo-jumbo, and Eri would never have anything to do with it again for the remainder of her life. She stripped the clothes, having a few issues with the top, and dressed again.

She thought her clothes now were perfectly fine. Sure, her skirt was a bit frayed, and there was a hole in her shirt, but there was nothing wrong with them. They had served her faithfully for years. Eri plopped her hat on her head in finality. No way would she ever cloth herself like the blue haired girl did. She patiently folded the clothing, and placed the boots back in their box, and left the room spotless. She was nothing if not a tad OCD.

The blue haired girl was waiting, to Eri's horror, with two gold coins in her hands and a mischievious smirk on her face. "No," Eri grunted, swallowing her fear. "Yes," the girl retaliated, moving as if to take the bundle from Eri. Safe to say, the owner was kicking them out a moment later and threatening to charge them with destruction of property. Eri stood, brushing the dirt off the back of her skirt and glaring askance at the girl.

"Your fault," she accused.

The blue haired girl's jaw slackened, and her eyes popped. "...I think we forgot that little warning that bandit gave us." She gulped.

~~~ TIME SKIP-TO-MY-LOO ~~~

Will was bloody. His shirt had sustained damage and had to be removed, his ponytail had fallen out, and he was practically bathing in his own life source. His right arm was spurting, the man having caught an artery with his broadsword, and he honestly thought he'd have to amputate his left ankle. Large slices criscrossed his torso, front and back, and one large wound slashed the left side of his face from hairline to jaw. That would leave a hefty scar.

Raiden, if anything, was in worse shape. His rotten luck had gotten him the archer, and Will now knew that Raiden sucked at dodging flying things. The back of his shirt was pinned to the wall, along with both of his shoulders. The dark man was torturing him, slashing small wounds anywhere and everywhere that wouldn't bleed much but hurt like a bitch. Will was the lucky one- he'd gotten the weakest of the bunch, and had actually done a very good job- so much so that the man was passed out next to him.

Will couldn't feel any happiness at that, though. All that made its way through his hazy mind was, 'Where the hell are they?'. His pride didn't allow him to yell for her, but inside, he was freaking out. Soon enough, the dark man would go looking for her... after disposing of them. He didn't want to die a young death. And the blue haired girl, he sensed, would be caught in the crossfire. He hadn't seen Eri fight very much- it was all in a fog (literally), behind curtains or just play tussling with the knifesman.

The dark man knew he was coherent. Will sensed this from the frequent sadistic looks the man shot him. So he had no trouble in saying, in a rough voice, "How ya holdin' up, Naifu?". Blood filled his mouth. He'd almost forgot he'd bitten his tongue at some point. Oh well. It just faded into the cloud of pain that was already whizzing through his brain. "Pretty good, all things consid-" the knifesman started, only to break off into a wheezing cough as the dark man wrapped his large hand around his neck and squeezed.

"So this is what the Pirate King's daughter's crew is like. Pitiful." The man sniffed in disdain and cut a long, jagged path across Raiden's thigh. Will could tell Raiden would have shouted if the hand wasn't preventing it. If there was ever a thing he didn't want to hear again, it would be Raiden in pain. He sounded like a dying cow mixed with a screeching veloceraptor. Perhaps Will would tell him about that when they got out of the mess they were in.

'If,' he ammended mentally. He swallowed, blinking blearily. Black spots were performing a show in front of his eyes, and he badly wanted to pass out, but that would be admitting defeat. And he didn't lose. If only he had Raiden's finesse for blades. If he really tried, he could totally fling that sword right between the dark man's eyes. It was literally, a finger's width away.

Will took a deep breath through his nose, and winced as he heard a loud crack. If his ribs weren't broken before, they certainly were now. He would go after the broadsword man. He'd dropped his sword when Raiden'd almost beat him, and had been too lazy to pick it up. Now he was stretched lengthwise in a booth nearby, attempting to wrap his shirt around a heftily bleeding arm wound. Raiden had indeed done a number on him- Will definately thought that it was simply the man's willpower that was keeping him from passing out. Will's fingers twitched towards the blade, and a slash on his shoulder proclaimed its disagreement, but he pushed it away.

Just as his fingers curled around the hilt, there was a loud (and familiar) yell. It was distinctly feminine, yet a bit lower than regular. Eri. Will lifted his head, a cut on his neck stinging, to stare at the two girls. They were framed in the doorway, holding very different expressions on their faces. The blue haired girl looked shellshocked and was staring in horror at the scene before them. 'Odd, I thought she'd be a bit more... umph,' he thought.

Eri was scary. Her hat was on her head, and he couldn't see the top half of her forehead. But from his vantage point, i.e the floor, the two angry veins that were pumping in her forehead were practically screaming 'anger' to him. Her dark eyes were narrowed into a piercing glare, something that would put the dark man's eyes to shame. Her teeth were bared in an animalistic snarl, not the cheerful grin he'd come to expect. (Honestly. He'd assumed she'd come strolling in with that stupid smile.)

He made a note to never make her angry. The black spots seemed to dash faster now, as if fueled by the sudden energy he felt waving off of her. The dark man and his partner turned to look at them, his partner in irritation and him in amusement. Raiden had enough energy to send her a meaningful look before dropping his head to his chest and promptly falling to sleep. If the situation wasn't so dire, Will would have laughed. But as it was, he could probably see his own stomach if he so wished. So he didn't. He released the sword, grateful he wouldn't have to use it.

Eri seemed to murmur quietly to the blue haired girl, who nodded and ducked away. To his surprise, she crouched by him to watch. He couldn't focus on that much though- couldn't really focus on anything. Not even the black dots, which seemed to be multiplying at a remarkable rate. Just before he was going to give in to his injuries, he heard her hardened voice. So different than the girlishly light and blitheringly stupid voice that he'd been used to.

"Don't you DARE, touch my nakama."

'Nakama?' he wondered, closing his eyes.

Eri didn't really see through the haze of red coloring her eyes. But she'd inferred enough. Will was on the ground, unconscious, and covered in fatal-looking wounds. Raiden was pinned like a dartboard to the wall by his shoulders and looked in even worse shape... he'd also passed out. On a brighter note, one of their men was out and another was basically on the verge. The only thing she had to do was take care of that damned dark man.

To add lighter fluid to the flame raging in her stomach, the dark man smirked. "You mean like..."- he poked Raiden right on one of his worser wounds, making the unconscious man wince- "this?" Eri's hands whipped to her back pocket, scrambling for her staff and coming up empty. She shot an angry look at the blue haired girl- it was her fault that she'd changed clothes and probably lost it somehow. Oh well. She'd win this with her bare fists if she had to.

She went for the wounded man first. Not even bothering with her fog. To her, that wasn't a very brave move. She'd realized that when she'd done it in Illusia- she'd hated the cowardly feeling it made her have. Sure, she had no problem doing it to Raiden when it was an unofficial battle. But in a real one, she'd decided she'd only use it as a last resort. And plus, she wanted that man to see this. Wanted to watch his face when he realized that she wasn't dead weight.

Her opponent barely lifted a finger as she jumped above him and smashed a fist into his face. She didn't even use full force. He collapsed limply, head stuck through the hole his head had made when it made impact. Somehow that made her angrier. These bandits had put the people of Orange Town through hell, and had recently killed someone near and dear to the blue haired girl. She didn't fully believe the girl was on board with her plan, but Eri already counted her as one of her nakama. The blue haired girl would come with her. Eri thought she was funny.

The dark man didn't seem to be paying attention. He was too busy slashing another crevice into her friend's arm. "DON'T TOUCH HIM, YOU BASTARD!" she roared, charging. Tables, chairs, lamps, scattered to the floor as she went towards him with an beastlike fury. The corner of a table caught her on the hip and barely jarred her. He turned and raised the bronze sword. That didn't jar her either. His hand was STILL on Raiden's arm, which was mangled with wounds and would take forever to heal.

She dodged the slash he made just barely, and did a roundhouse kick to the side of his thigh. Since he towered over her, she'd have to rely on the brief knowledge of the 'ouchie spots' that Juno-sensei had taught her. That didn't matter. She would shove her foot so far up his ass that the moon would feel it.

He struck her across the face with the heavy hilt of the sword in retaliation, causing her to tip a bit sideways. Though, that didn't cover the wince on his face when she'd connected. Good. She wanted to hurt him. Hurt him like he did to her nakama. She didn't have a sword yet, but she'd get that sword from him and she'd show him how to properly use it. She ducked a sideways blow, and struck out her feet again, this time hoping to trip him.

He barely moved.

'Big men and their issues,' she growled mentally, hopping up and throwing a punch. He caught it with his bear paw of a hand and squeezed, hard enough for her to feel the thin bones begin to bend achingly. She pulled back and rocketed closer, past the perimeter he'd set up with his sword. "You're small. Small people need to get close to their enemy. You don't have the long limbs like a taller person would, so make sure you get in there," Juno-sensei instructed in her mind. She shoved her better fist into his solar plexus, making him stumble back a few steps, and flashed a foot out to jab the area again.

The solar plexus, or the center of the torso, was another 'ouchie spot' that Juno-sensei had told her about. But she didn't stop there. Oh, no. He'd thrown her friends around as if they were ragdolls. So she ignored the sharp pains her back gave when his hastily sawing sword connected, and used all the speed she had to hit every 'ouchie spot' she could reach. Crotch, head, neck, suprasternal notch, armpits, outside of the thigh, kneecaps. She so wished she could reach the kidneys. It was easy to recite all the areas in her head- Juno-sensei had made sure of that.

Now she targeted them with all the rage she'd felt when she walked in like that. She was partly disappointed in herself- the dark man had warned her that this would happen. How could she have forgot? And she'd been gone as well. Left them open for attack. In the exact area where they would look. She had inadvertantly let down her own friends. 'That's ridiculous! You're the captain, dammit! You're supposed to be there for them!' She would kick herself, but it looked like the dark man was doing that for her.

'Wait... what?' Eri flew back and hit the opposite wall, cracking her head against the wood. Blood spurted from her mouth against her will as she felt the sheer force of his kick reverbrate through her entire body and stun her nerves. All he had done was kick her in the stomach and suddenly boom. That must have been the 'Haki' that Raiden had been blabbing about a while ago.

FLASHBACK:

It was a lazy day. The Sonata had only just set off yesterday, but Eri was already bored. She had nothing to do besides lie around and wish the men on the ship would let loose and play tag with her or something. And that was what she was doing- sprawled out atop the leopard and staring at the wide sky above. There were a few puffy clouds here and there today, and while it certainly didn't CURE the boredom, it helped.

"That's a cow. That's a caribou. That's a horse. That's a chicken. That's a fish. That's also a cow. Hey, Will, make me food." She sat up to stare behind her. Will was nowhere in sight, but Raiden was staring at her from his perch atop the rim of the ship. "He's the musician. Not the cook," Raiden said, and dropped into some sort of squat. 'Exercise training. Should've guessed,' she thought. "Well at least HE can make a mean oatmeal," she retorted snidely, though she was grinning.

The knifesman's eye twitched. "Whaddaya mean by THAT, eh?" he growled, hopping down from his spot and stomping over to stare her down. Eri twisted to face him. "I MEAN, you can't cook," Eri said cheerfully, waving her feet in the air childishly. "You lookin' for a fight, Mizetto?" Eri was slightly surprised. She didn't think he was so vulnerable about his cooking abilities. But maybe he had cabin fever too. "Only if you're ready for me to kick your ass," she challenged.

"Puh-lease. I'd Haki punch you into next week," he boasted confidently. "No weapons, no devil fruit, no enhancement of any kind. Just a spar," he added at the excited glint in her eye. She pouted, "That's not even fair. What the heck is a Haki punch? Isn't that a weapon?" Raiden sweatdropped. 'Does she really think a punch could be a weapon?' Nevertheless, it WAS an enhancement. He grinned slyly.

"Not a weapon. It's just a... stronger form of a punch, so to speak." Eri crossed her arms at that. "Enhancement," she declared, and hopped down from her perch. "Show me what it dooooeesssss." Raiden raised his eyebrows. Was she actually offering herself up as a test dummy to see what it was like? He focused his willpower as he spoke, coating his right arm to the elbow in the black shell.

"Well there're three kinds. I use Busoshoku Haki. The others are Kenbunshoku, and Haoshoku. Mine basically helps me infuse my spirit to either amplify my attack or create a shield for my defense. It's also the only way I can beat you." Eri cocked her head. 'Does he really think I'm that good at hand-to-hand?' Her eyes glittered mischeviously.
"Oh yeah, probably. You kinda suck," she taunted cheerfully. Raiden's eyes narrowed and he struck out, his fist gliding through the air to dig into her solar plexus.

'If she wants to see what it does, she's gotta see how it FEELS,' he thought. This was, of course, his way of justifying his actions. She'd honestly been grating on his nerves lately. Eri's eyes contracted in surprise and pain. She flew back into the mast, hitting it with a sickening crunch. Raiden cooled off his fist on the side of his pants cerimoniously.

Eri fell to the ground in a kneel, coughing. Though when she looked up, she was grinning. "My old teacher used to use that on me when we fought. I didn't think Mantra and Haki were connected." Raiden's eyes widened at that. He knew the only people who called it Mantra were people in the storybooks he'd read as a kid. "Your teacher was from Skypeia?" he asked. Eri bobbed her head. "He told me one time. Don't really know where that is, though."

Raiden waved a hand. "Doesn't matter. It doesn't apply to us."

END FLASHBACK

Eri dropped into a kneel, hacking. She wouldn't be surprised if she was bleeding internally. 'Oh, they're using your first mate for knife practice, and you're worried about a few bumps and bruises?' she criticized herself harshly. Eri stood again, wheezing. She'd have to learn how to use it from Raiden when she beat the dark man. It worked quite well; she'd give him that. The dark man smirked, as if sensing her thoughts.

"What, are you just going to give me the stinkeye?" he taunted, holding his sword aloft carelessly. Eri set her jaw and dashed again, winding back an arm. A plan was slowly forming itself in her head. She feigned to the right as soon as she came within swinging distance, and spun her leg backwards, connecting with the side of his ribcage. That was actually not on the ouchie list, but it was damn close. The man stumbled to the side, and she ran to her knifesman.

She was thankful that he was knocked out when she unhinged him from the wall. Still, he grunted in pain as she removed the arrows and picked him up like a bride. The blue haired girl had gotten in position from her spot with Will, him being too heavy for her to carry him any way other than piggyback. Eri and the girl weaved between the tables and out of the joint, ignoring the cries of 'coward!' behind them, or the pounding feet which signaled that he was running after them.

"You really ran away?" the blue haired girl panted as they ducked into an alley far away. Eri rested her crewmates against a large trashcan and leaned against the wall, sprawling her legs out. The blue haired girl sat beside her. "No, I still plan on kicking his ass," Eri grinned at her. The blue haired girl raised a delicate eyebrow. "Then why did you leave?" In answer, Eri pointed at her crewmates. "They're in a bad way."

The blue haired girl shook her head. "You really are a tad ridiculous, ya know?" Eri crawled over to her friends and assessed their injuries, her smile quickly fading as she scanned them. When she looked back, the anger from before was back in her eyes. "I don't think it's ridiculous to want my friends to live, do you?" she muttered, tearing a strip off her own shirt and tying it tightly above Will's still-spurting arm. The spraying decreased dramatically.

"Take me to a doctor," Eri commanded finally, picking up her knifesman again. The blue haired girl groaned, "Up already?" but slung Will on her back again and led the way silently. They ducked from shadow to afternoon shadow, still very aware that they could get seen at any time. Blue hair led her all the way to the edge of town, and promptly slammed her fists repeatedly on the cottage door of some poor soul.

An ancient-looking man answered the door in his nightcap and striped pajamas. "The hell dya want at this ungodly hour," he snapped, wrinkled face set in a grimace. Eri looked up at the noon sun, confused, and back. "It's the middle of the day, doctor. Come help these men. They aren't doin too good." Blue hair pushed her way into the cottage without the man's consent, and Eri hastily followed. The old man locked the door and shut the blinds behind them.

Blue hair sat the musician down on a lumpy couch, and pointed at the one that sat across from it for Eri's benefit. Eri carefully sat laid him down, worried for the couches. "Goddamn. What the hell were you doing?" the man muttered, flitting over to a cabinet in the kitchen across the room. He flipped open a cabinet and started to take out numerous medical supplies- vials of oddly colored liquids, bottles of pills, cotton balls, a bottle of anteseptic, jars of ointment and rolls of bandages.

He rolled up his sleeves and brought the armload to them, throwing them down on the coffee table and assessing both their conditions before choosing Raiden to treat first. Then he hesitated. "Er. I'm going to have to strip him. You're free to wait outside." The girls exchanged red-faced looks before flying out the door and into the bushes beside it. "Hopefully he won't find us here," Eri murmured, wincing as a particularly sharp stick rubbed against her back.

"Oh, I forgot that you got hurt too. Are you okay?" the blue haired girl asked in concern. Eri bobbed her head. "Nothing I can't handle until they're done."

~~~ TIME SKIP-TO-MY-LOO ~~~

The blue haired girl was waiting in the living room, tense. The herbal tea the doctor had set in front of her sat untouched, as she hadn't noticed it. The doctor had came out not a half hour ago and pronounced that both boys were injured more than they let on, and were currently taking drips of morphine via IVs in their arms. he'd even confessed that he was surprised that Will had lived, saying that he'd sustained even more damage than Raiden. "Of course he lived," Eri had growled anxiously, "how long are they going to be out?"

The doctor had said at least a day. And then at her depressed expression, he'd pat her back. Without seeing the scarlet blood that stained it. Being a doctor, he noticed the slight wince she'd given. And was currently stitching her up in his guest room. This blue hair knew from the constant shrieks of anger and roared curses. 'Who would've thought?' the blue haired girl sweatdropped. Eri was different. She sustained all those bladewounds while fighting, and now she shows pain. She got straight back up from that Haki kick the dark man had delt to her abdomen.

Blue hair felt a bit inadequate. All she'd done was sit by and watch Will pass out. Obviously this wasn't her battle to deal with, but she was the protector. Why couldn't she help Eri? Why had she been in such a state of numbness that even Eri noticed and sent her back? When she'd told Raiden that she'd killed 47 criminals, it hadn't been a lie. When she was growing up, she was a trained marine executioner, and had been apprenticing for years under a ruthless man who taught her his ways before fleeing.

What was SO DIFFERENT about that situation, that she couldn't bear to face the dark man? Why was she so... so weak, all of a sudden? Blue hair pounded her fist into the couch cushion, as if it would help her vent her anger. There was something infuriatingly different about that man that made her scared of him. Something that hadn't been present yesterday. Blue hair stood, tying her hair into a knot at the nape of her neck.

She would find out.

A steady stream of curses exited Eri's mouth as the needle went into, again, her back. He was currently closing a particularly nasty gash, that was deep enough for him to see parts of her ribs. "GODDAMN, HURRY THE FUCK UP!" she screeched, pounding her fist into the pillow she was faceplanted in. Not only was the needle painful, and believe her, that man WAS NOT GENTLE, but the stitches he'd just put in were already itching to high Heaven. She felt like doing a roundhouse and booking it.

"If you STOPPED MOVING, MAYBE I COULD!" the doctor roared back, pushing her kicking legs down so that they wouldn't kick. He would be damn sure to inject her with enough cold medicine to kill an elephant the moment he was done. Right now, though, he couldn't lift a hand a moment without her trying to flee. She had surprising force for a 13-something invalid. "GODDAMN OLD MAN, I AM 17!" she yelled. Oops- had he said that outloud?

Suddenly, he tied the knot and broke the needle from the last stitch, wiping his retreating hairline. Before she could run to her friends, like she'd been telling him the past thirty minutes, he beared down on her with a syringe and inserted it into the pale blue vein in her elbow. She narrowed her eyes critically at him as he took the needle out, not seeming to be phased by the four-inch-long needle or that it had opened a hole about the size of the tip of her pinkie.

"What was that?" she growled, watching him flit to his desk and grab a gauze and a large bandage. 'Typical. She only cares about the stitches,' he thought, ignoring her as he strapped the gauze to the streaming injection site with a bandage. She didn't seem to be giving in juuuust yet... he eyed her warily.

And then her eyes dimmed and she fell onto her stitches, on the bed. He grunted something and went to his cabinet to retrieve the bandages to wrap around her torso. When she'd first taken her shirt off, he'd been faced with the ugly foot-shaped purple bruise that was formed on her stomach. And as he came back, bandages in hand, he couldn't help but wince. "He Haki kicked me into a wall," she'd proclaimed blankly.

He'd have passed out from that. Even now, he rolled her over and curled his nose as he worked. He'd prefer to place the cleanly stitched wounds than that ugly blemish that wouldn't fade for years or something. 'Clean...' he shuddered at how it'd gotten to that point. She about took his head off when he'd cleaned the would with the alcohol. He had no doubt she'd do it, either, if it wasn't for the fact that he told her that her raised voice would wake her friends.

Her only weakness. He rolled his eyes, looking across the room at them. His guest room was actually the entire upper floor of the cottage, fill with beds for the patients he took in. And the men took up two of them in the far corner, drips hooked to their hands and cooled rags on their foreheads. He'd of course cleaned their wounds, but he was a bit worried about the redheaded one- the blue haired girl had said he'd been lying on the ground for God-knows-how-long before they came to retrieve them.

Enough time to get infected, regardless of what he'd done after. And his temperature had risen exponentially, as the doctor had half-expected. The only thing he could do was fix up one of his own antibiotics and attach it to his other hand. It was strong stuff, and he knew based upon the way that the girl had responded, that he would live past it. He distantly wondered who they really were to survive such injuries, but his policy was to never ask questions. He couldn't help but think that he'd seen the girl somewhere or another, but it didn't matter. As long as he got paid.

The silver-haired one was just given a rag for precautionary purposes. Just in case the arrows were a bit rusty, he'd also gave him a tetinus shot in the thigh. Damn hard, too- his muscle was so built that it was touch to jiggle the needle in and be wary of not hurting any of the tender cords. And that needle... well. He definately wouldn't want to be on the recieving end of it. The doctor sat on an empty bed next to the girl, sighing.

There was a loud, harsh knock on his door, and he jumped up, leaving the three alone. They all probably wouldn't wake up for a day or two. At least, he hoped the girl wouldn't. He raced down the stairs, worried that there was another patient, and flung open the door. His jaw dropped involuntarily, and he snapped it shut hastily. Framed in the doorway was the bandit that had terrorized the town. Leopard was at his doorstep. The thought was enough to make the doctor die from fear.

He was holding up a wanted poster. "You seen this bitch?" he grunted roughly, resting a thick arm on his doorframe as he loomed over the doctor. The doctor made a show of pretending to examine the picture before shaking his head. "I'm sorry, no." He waited, hackles raised, and let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding when the man growled and stalked away. The doctor closed the door, panting now.

His eyes went to the steps up to his guest room. "12 million beli," he murmured. Then, his eyes went to the stacks of course rope in the corner, meant to tie up the packages of his special antibiotic when he needed to send them out to people but would certainly work well in restraining a person. He looked back at the stairs, and his genius brain began plotting.

~~~ TIME SKIP-TO-MY-LOO ~~~

The blue haired girl ran all the way to the doctor's cottage. She'd accomplished a few things- learned why she'd been so frozen when facing the dark man, gathered her stuff in a backpack that was now bumping against her rump as she ran, and most importantly, figured out something that probably wasn't a good thing. She had her senbon drawn, four needles that were clasped in between her right hand.

The doctor was many things. Genius, yes. Very good at his job, sure. But faithful? Hell to the no. She'd spotted the dark man showing Eri's wanted poster around town, and knew that if there was ever a time for the doctor to get rich, he would do so now. She dropped her backpack in the hedge as she flew through the front door, looking around hastily. Nobody was there. She scaled the steps two at a time, nearly contracting a splinter from one, and thrust open the door at the top of the stairwell.

In this room, her two companions were resting. But she was missing as well. The blue haired girl ran to the two men, and frantically shook their legs. Nothing. She dived for their IVs, tearing the tape off and ripping out the needles. Then, she screamed. Loudly. It took them a moment, but soon enough, they both awoke blearily. Raiden was first to sit up, and he glared at her. "What the hell?" he demanded, "I was sleeping."

Instead of answering, she pulled them both to their feet. Thankfully, they were both power machines, and didn't wobble a bit. The doctor really worked wonders. "He's going to turn Eri into the marines," she informed, and that was all it took. Raiden grabbed his belt from the bedside table and looped it through his cargo shorts, and Will took a deep chug from the water pitcher in between them, and then the trio was running.

"How the hell did he take her?" Raiden asked in disbelief. "He'd just injected her with some kind of sleeping agent. I wouldn't be surprised if she's still out," the blue haired girl said, leading them out the door quickly. There was only one way to turn in a pirate in Orange Town- and that was via a squat brownstone building in the middle of everything.

A few odd marines ran the building, and though it only had about six cells in it, they were all perfectly equipped to hold pirates- seastone barred, concrete enforced walls, nothing to use and nothing in reach, the whole 9 yards. It took three minutes to get there. And it had been ten minutes ago when she saw the dark man scouring the town. For all they knew, Eri was probably already in a cell. Raiden was squeezing his #1 knife in his hand, and Will was still fixing his ponytail when they finally faced it.

And then, everyone fainted and the trio felt like doing the same.

The dark man was no idiot. That stupid old quack wasn't the best actor out there. It was beyond simple to intersect him before he hit the marine building and take the girl from him. A simple fist to the head, and the doctor was head-deep in the town's communal trashcan. The dark man had been finishing the walk to the marine building when the girl he'd flung over his shoulder awoke silently. He'd almost made it when she'd performed an illusion, murmuring a quiet, "Misuto Misuto no Dupe-licate."

And suddenly, Eri was standing in front of him. As he stared, bewildered, she blew a raspberry at him and ran off, laughing. The dark man immediately dropped Eri on the ground, figuring he'd just picked up a fake, and ran after her, the crowd parting like the red sea with scared faces. Then, the brat he'd been chasing disappeared in a poof of smoke. Other people obviously noticed, for they stared from him to the girl who was getting to her feet with a confident set to her chin.

He whirled, and the brat had that damned brazen glint in her eye. Proud, blunt, and unafraid. His Haoshoku had no effect on her, even though he was waving it out and making many passerby faint in the process. What was the point of being one in a million when he couldn't. Fucking. Use it? He yelled an obscenity at her and charged like a bull, hand gripping his hilt and readying to swing it down on her head. The bounty DID say 'dead or alive'.

She dodged to the side at the last moment, and kicked him in the center of the back. He stumbled a few feet forward and whirled, thrusting his sword. She clapped the blade between her palms and twisted, breaking his hold just enough for her to fling it behind her and use the momentum as she fell to fling a sandaled foot towards his face. It connected with his jaw, and he was flung into the air for a moment. A brief moment of weightlessness, during which he could practically FEEL the teeth flying from his open mouth.

She landed on her feet after the kickover, and crossed her arms. "You nearly killed my musician. You pinned my knifesman to the wall as if he was your own personal pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. You scared my executioner to the point of shock. You had the nerve to strip people of their money, of their homes and food and in some cases, family members." Eri cracked her knuckles. This time, she would not run. There was too much riding on his defeat for that.

"I'm going to shove my foot so far up your ass your great-grandmother will feel it!"

The blue haired girl was crouched between the two men, watching Eri face off against the dark man. She looked royally pissed, and to be honest, a bit terrifying. The dark man was expressionless, the waves of sheer strength rolling off him in away that made her want to run away. "Haoshoku Haki," Raiden said, and ran to Eri's side from their hiding spot. The blue haired girl reached out an arm as she went, nearly yelling out at him to come back but realizing that wouldn't be a very good idea.

Will remained by her side, though by his intake of breath she knew he wanted to get out with her. The blue haired girl grabbed his shoulder in warning. "No. You've got a fever, and you've probably contracted an infection, and you'll rip off all your stitches. He isn't going to be up close and personal like you have to." That seemed to convince him, and he sat back against the building, looking a tad worried.

"Are they sure they can take a bounty twice Eri's own?" he asked, craning his neck around the corner to watch them square off. Eri seemed to be whispering to Raiden in his ear, completely ignoring the dark man. "I've no doubt they'll win. The only reason Eri didn't rip that man to shreds for nearly killing you two is because well, you guys were half dead." Will sighed and subconsciously pressed a hand to the cut on his face. "Well at least she didn't just completely forget about us."

The two pirates charged in unison, then, and they fell into a tense silence.

Raiden was very surprised he was standing upright. The dark man was certainly well versed in this field of Haki, and Raiden would like nothing more than to flee the area. But his pride said 'hell no, keep it coming.' So he did. He sped past the dark man and ducked the sword. He was able to land a pretty good cut on the man's side. He turned to stare at Eri, who looked like she was meditating. "The hell are you doing!" he shouted.

She hopped up, expression unreadable. "Becoming one with nature." Raiden looked around. They were surrounded by brick buildings, street lamps and concrete. "Bull!" Eri took her shot at the man then. She kicked at the flat of the blade as it passed by, directing it off course enough for her to land a solid punch in the man's... family jewels. The man grunted and seemed to double over, as much as possible for a giant of his stature at least.

Raiden gave him another soon-to-be battle scar across his back and slammed his foot into his back so that he fell, already off-kilter. Eri stomped the hand that held the sword, and was slightly surprised when it arched up to tear her arm off, or something. The man got up quicker than they'd thought, and seemed to fist fight Eri. Raiden felt a bit ignored. "It doesn't hurt if you can't touch me, you idiot," Eri taunted, and grabbed the man's fist as it flew past her neck.

She twisted it with as much force as she could, then slammed her foot upwards, directing it at his elbow. It bent the wrong way, and there was a sickening crack. The dark man roared like some kind of beast and Eri had to duck out of the way. The dark man turned his back on her and started stalking Raiden, raising his good fist. Raiden ducked to avoid being beheaded and kicked his shin childishly.

Raiden alighted on his feet next to his captain. "I think I'm destroying everything the doctor did," he muttered to her. His torso had already started leaking blood again, staining his shirt. "Then let me do it," she replied, and left his side. The man charged her like a bull, sword aimed straight for her. He hoped to impale her. She jumped, barely dodging the blade, and double kicked his face, throwing him backwards.

But she didn't stop there, she kept going. 'Ah, wonder why this seems familiar,' Raiden thought sarcastically. The dark man was holding up much longer than he had, and was returning with shattering blows just as she was. Thankfully he wasn't as slippery as she was, and it wasn't long before they cancelled eachother out. Both fists, one encased in black armor and one dripping the blood of its opponent, connected with eachother's faces. Both flew back and hit buildings with enough force to blow them through the walls.

Will could feel the girl ripping herself from their hiding spot, and followed, ignoring the wave of dizziness he felt when he stood. Raiden was staring at the two holes in the buildings opposite eachother with wide eyes. "Goddamn. Eri flew into the marine building. I think he used Haki, too." They exchanged looks and simultaniously bolted for the hole. Looking through the fog of dirt, they could see her outline on the far wall, supported on a bed of bricks.

The six or so marines were staring at her, confused. Raiden hopped through the hole and dodged around a few desks to reach her. She was in bad shape- the imprint of the man's fist was imbedded into her cheek, and her eyes were rolled back, blood creating a river from her mouth. He picked her up from the rubble and left the building calmly, though inside he was screaming, "WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO NOW!"

The two on the outside were staring towards the other hole. Nobody was coming out of it, so it was safe to say he was defeated. But then again... "We're gonna have to hide," he said, and started running. Shouts were already flying around from the marines. "Doctor's, or boat?" he asked, panting slightly as they ran down the main street. "Who said I'd go with you, eh?" the blue haired girl demanded immediately.

"Boat. Don't want it to get taken," Will said. Both men ignored the blue haired girl's comment. Eri would get her to join. It was futile to resist.

Will awoke to shouts. Roared, angry words that demanded that they came out with their hands up, that they surrender and leave before things got ugly. He could see his companions' eyes already open from where they laid on the deck. They had expected this, and in theory, he shouldn't have fallen asleep, but it wasn't his fault. The blue haired girl looked scared for once, with her knees curled to her chest. "I don't want to be hunted," she whispered. That was why they'd stuck around- Eri could persuade all she wanted, but she couldn't kidnap her. They were hoping to give her time to think on it.

The two other pirates aboard had disappeared from sight, leaving Will to guard both the ship and the girl in their wake. Soon enough, screams errupted from the multitude of soldiers on the ground. They must have called reinforcements. Suddenly, a hand was gripping his elbow tightly. He looked down, surprised, to see the girl holding onto him as if she'd seen a ghost.

He leaned down, and rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. "What's your name?" The question was partly to calm her, partly to lure her attention away from what was happening around them, and partly genuine curiousity. She looked up at him, with eyes the precise shade of ocean water. Before, they had been deceptively wide and innocent, without her even trying. And now, it seemed like all the deception was gone- she looked vulnerable, for the first time. Her voice wobbled as she whispered, "I don't know."

So she did have amnesia. He risked a pat to her head, worried that she'd go all Karate Kid on him, and said, "Why don't we call you something else until we can find out who you really are?" She seemed to deliberate, eyes staring at the floor in front of her feet. He knew she knew that he was implying that she stay with them. And he hoped that she'd come willingly, because Eri was the type to get what she wanted. To just think about what she'd said to him in the Hub that night...

"I think I might like to be called Delphine. It has a ring to it." Will's lips curled upwards. "Del, then. You do seem like a Delphine." Del smiled, and this time, it wasn't a sarcastic one. It was genuine, even a bit cheesy. "Agreed." She let go of his arm, looking much calmer than before. This time, she actually had a name. She wasn't 'that girl' or 'blue' or some combination of the two. She was Del- at least, for now. She'd regain her memory. That was not a goal, or a dream, but a reality.

The silence told them when the marines were finally defeated.


*- That was a Fullmetal Alchemist reference. A cookie to those who get it~~!

Anyway, I know. Long, right? I just randomly found Delphine's name online and thought hey, if I shorten it to 'Del', it sounds cool. So I rolled with it. R+R~~~?