More Dane Cook references. Also raise your hand if you've seen Fast Times at Ridgemont High. You are my people.
Chapter 2: Mayhem
Through an alternate passageway, we escape to the floral foliage that is the castle gardens.
"I wonder what walking feels like" I say snarkily from over Roberts' shoulder. "Quit your clamoring!" he says. The damn pirate then proceeds to throw me down on my back as if he were wrestling me or something. (cue John Cena music)
"Heh. You fell on your butt" Black Roberts says, his laughter as innocent as a child.
"Thanks pal" I say as I sit up. His mood changed instantly and straightaway, he comes back with "No problem, buddy. Now come on!"
"I'll be right there, chief."
N rolls his eyes. "Can you two be quiet? There's someone coming." He then pulls me and Roberts down into hiding behind a rose bush. "Its one of Lord Andrea's men" I say, peeking through the thicket of thorns.
"Probably looking for us" N says. I hold my breath and try to be as still as possible.
"Let's flee" I say decisively while looking for an easy way out.
"What? You don't think I can take him?" Black Roberts whisper-yells at me. I give him a look.
Sure, he may be the toughest pirate around, but he is definitely not the smartest. Man, after years upon years of experience you'd figure he has some sort of idea as to what strategy is, but nope. No, he doesn't think about the fact that getting into it with this guy would attract more attention. But I decide not to piss him off; the only thing on my mind is getting the hell out of here.
"No, but if it can be avoided. . ." I say, trying not to rile him up.
"If you wanted to be rescued by a coward, you've got the wrong guy" he says obviously insulted.
Rescued? Really? Again, I decide not to get into it with him.
"Fine, you're right. Do whatever you think is best" I say finally.
"Here they come" Nagisa says, interrupting us. He pulls out his sickle (makes decapitation easy) and readies himself. Black Roberts, however, does nothing but raises an eyebrow in anticipation. He better damn well know what he's doing . . .
Luckily for me, the guy unknowingly approaching us isn't who we though it would be. As soon as the guy sees us and sticks his head through the bush with a big goofy smile on his face, I know it's not one of the guards. Before us is a ginger with yellowy-brown eyes and tough, yet young-looking face.
"There you are, Captain! We've been looking for you everywhere" says the ginger. I look at Black Roberts, and then back to the ginger.
Captain. More like Cap-taint.
"Heyyy! Avalon, how are you doing?" asks the ginger. At first I'm severely confused, but then it all comes back to me.
"Yo, Yoh" I say. He always hated my puns. Yoh, the ginger, shuts his eyes in annoyance. "You have not changed a bit" he says when he opens them.
It was a little more than slightly embarrassing having Yoh see me in such a revealing outfit, which was basically stripper-garb. Yeah, a short bustier corset dress and thigh-high fishnet stockings weren't all that appropriate for a childhood friend to be seeing me in. After all, we played together almost every day back when I lived on Amamiku Island. He had always wanted adventure . . .
"Good to see you, Yoh" N said.
"Hey Na-WAIT!" Yoh said, eyes going wide suddenly. "What are you guys doing with the Captain? And, I've joined Roberts' crew by the way."
"Yeah, so I gathered" I said smiling as I gestured towards the ornate R tattooed on his right shoulder. Yoh turns away awkwardly. "A lot has changed, and I haven't been home in years."
"I'm sorry" I say sympathetically. I haven't been home in years either after all.
Though Yoh was always one who sought out adventure, I'd have never thought in a million years that he'd end up a pirate. Yoh had always been the victim-type; he used to get picked on a lot when we were younger. While I was proud of him for finally being able to stand up for himself, whatever led him to becoming a pirate couldn't have been anything good.
I was so distracted with Yoh, I didn't even notice the man approaching us. He looked older than Yoh; he dressed in a more formal manner and a softer-looking face. He wore glasses and his eyes spoke of wisdom, even though he looked to be around the age of Roberts.
"Have you found the Captain?" He asked. Despite him obviously being part of the Black Pirates, he had a surprisingly mild demeanor.
"Ey, Eyes, he's over here!" Yoh said, gesturing toward us.
Just then, Roberts scoffed. "You even brought Eyes with you?" His shoulders slumped as if Eyes' arrival had taken the wind out of Roberts' sails if you know what I mean. It seemed as though Eyes might maybe have some sort of authority over Roberts. I had to admit I liked the idea of there being someone to put Roberts' in his place.
"You wouldn't come with us without him" Yoh answered his Captain.
When I look over to this man known as Eyes, he's looking at me. "You two must be his rescuers" he says. Oh, how the tables have turned. I bet Roberts loved hearing that...
I nodded smugly.
"And you actually got him to come with you" Eyes said. "I bet this stubborn son-of-a-B said something about not wanting to be rescued, hm?"
"Yep. Pretty much."
I couldn't help but smile at the man. His not swearing had a sort of elderly man style charm to it.
Upon seeing me smile, Black Roberts elbowed me. "Don't give him the satisfaction" he scolded me. "Hmph, you must know nothing about me."
Then Eyes, with the most bitch-faced smile, said "You're right; she'll probably never know how much of a violent, stubborn felon you are."
"Shut it, Eyes!" Roberts says.
The apparent equality between the pirates surprises me. You'd think the crew would fear Roberts, but they don't. So that must mean there was some side to him I wasn't seeing.
"Well, I don't imagine you left the dungeons with them quietly" Eyes says to Roberts, still with his award-winning bitch-faced smile. "Just what kind of a deal did these nice people strike with you?"
Black Roberts chuckles. "This" he says, twirling my rosary around his finger. "The woman's gonna tell us where we can find a hell of a lot more like this."
"I see" Eyes says, satisfied with his answer.
Suddenly the sound of boots running along the path come into earshot.
"Shit, they're here!" my brother says.
"Hey! Stop where you are!" yell the Saint Cross men. Roberts scoffs. "The annoyances are here."
The one wearing red draws his sword towards Roberts. "You're supposed to be locked up!"
"I'm sorry, who the hell are you?" I say as I stand up, stepping in front of Roberts. No way in hell were these guys gonna put him back in jail after we've come so far just to get him out. Plus I would end up in there too with him for stealing from the house's stash of cash.
The man before me squints as he examines me. "Who do you think I am?" he asks.
But before I could respond, Roberts pushes me aside. "You're not from Saint Cross, so I'm guessing you're a tag-along with blondie here" Roberts says, gesturing toward the other man.
"You better watch what you say!" the man in question warns, taking a step closer to Roberts, egging him on. "Your death will not be merciful, Black Roberts."
"Try me" he responds in a snide manner, a vicious grin on his face.
A slight burst of wind sweeps around me when Black Roberts unsheathes his sword. "Come and get me!" he taunts.
The other man immediately lunges forward with his sword in hand. All the men in our group ready their weapons, and I the dagger I kept strapped in my garter.
"Loose your arrows" The blonde one commands the archers, who all follow suit. However, Yoh is able to knock them all to the ground.
"Avalon! Hide!" Yoh yells to me.
"Like hell I will!" I yell back as I lunge towards one of the archers, stabbing him straight in the jugular.
Meanwhile, Roberts is laughing hysterically. Even Nagisa stops between decapitating people with his sickle to ask him what the hell he was laughing at.
"I was just think how stiff I'd gotten, cooped up in that cell, so this is good exercise!"
"Then why are you taking a break?" I shout to him. But he's too distracted by the cigar in the breast pocket of one of the soldiers. With his sword, he slices the end off. He stops, realizing he doesn't have a light. I notice Eyes off to the side silently watching the fight with his signature resting bitch face. He obviously had no intention of helping out. When he notices me looking, his smile widens and he waves. And then I know that everyone here is deranged.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see an officer getting ready to take a shot at Roberts.
"On your right!" I yell to the Black Baron. And before any bullet has even been shot, the man's arm has been impaled by Roberts' knife. Despite how dense he seemed, he definitely had skill.
"Ok, playtime's over! Get to the ship!" Black Roberts yells to the crew. And in obvious disregard to my show of my physical ability, Roberts strolls over and throws me over his shoulder again. Sexist prick.
A sudden whistle rings through the air, and in an instant Robert's body shields mine. And then I notice the arrow piercing his shoulder, the opposite one to where I was hanging off of. Roberts feels me moving to look up at him. "Stop moving" he says, and pulls the arrow from his shoulder. "Iron plating, babe" he reassures me. "Learn it. Know it. Live it."
Then he notices the hole the arrow's made in his clothes. "That was my favourite shirt! I'll kill them all!"
"Now, you scurvy scoundrels! To the Black Swan!" he yells to his crew.
I giggle. "Isn't that a ballet?"
"Shut up."
Yoh races up to us before throwing what I can only guess to be a bomb of some sort towards the enemy. Sure enough, thick black smog erupts upon impact.