9… Scarlett Isn't Just a Color
I followed her to the far end of the cave, and I almost ran into the wall. I was so focused, and I didn't know why. I hated this planet, what it did to me, what it made me feel. She grabbed me by the collar of the shirt with the tip of her hook before I ended up face first on the iron door. She didn't say anything, but she got a serious face I hadn't seen on her, ever. She entered a code, and I tried to memorize it. 4, 1, 8, 6. I counted. She pulled open the door and pushed me inside, and she shut the door behind her.
"My crew told me that you've got an idea about who I really am. And you're right. You're very clever." She unzipped one of her sleeves, and pulled it off. Her tattoos were more complex than any i've seen yet. "I knew it! 'Why else would you want this stuff if someone on the crew wasn't a Siren?' I asked myself. And I was right." She took the book out of the bag. The smile returned to her lips. Her tattoos were on the left arm, but her left hand was replaced with the hook.
"So, what do we do now? Your a Siren, and your commanding pirates. Wait until Lil and Maya hear about this!" Her face fell again, but quickly heightened. "No, please don't tell anyone. Ever wondered why I keep my marks covered?" I sat on the floor. "Oh, ok. Your secret is safe, until you authorize me otherwise, Captain." She nodded. I lay on the floor for a good long while, in quiet. Scarlett read her new book, and I noticed that it wasn't her first. I lay, thinking and tracing my tattoos with my fingers. Her tattoos glowed green- yellow. They reminded me of the forests I saw in the picture on her desk.
Much later, I got a call from Brick and Mordecai. Scarlett listened more intently than she wanted to show, but her eyes stopped moving over the pages and her fingers stopped tapping the cover. "Hey, Alice. Uh, we got a big problem." Mordy definitely sounded like he needed help. "One of the town shield has broke, and were sorta being invaded by Hyperion. Guess they didn't take us killing their boss lightly." Brick chimed in. "Alice, it's punchin' time!" I heard a cough in the background. "Uh, you might wanna hurry. Your sis-."The com went dead.
I began to panic. "My sister what!" Scarlett put down her book, and got on the floor next to me. She comforted me by rubbing my shoulder. "Hey, sounds like they need help." Her marks flashed in excitement. "Let me help, please. I'll see if I can't make it up to them by helping save their behinds. I'll be a good kitty, I swear!" I laughed. She was trying to cheer me up. We had a short conversation, and she persuaded me to let her along. We marched through Wurmwater, and made it to the edge of Oasis. I bust through the door of the little Kitty Kream bar, and almost put my hand on the neck of this 'Shade' character. "Let them pass, or it'll be your skin lost. I'm not in the mood for an argument." My arm glew in his face, he nodded, and I shot a bullet in the air. The pirates flooded the streets and we all left for Sanctuary. Shade yelped as I faded away with them.
