Author's Notes: Hey everyone. I want to thank everyone who has been following the story so far. It's been a blast to see the constructive and gracious reviews.

A lot of you have probably noticed how the story is getting darker. I'm trying to move away from the spongy joy of the game and insert some reality to it, but rest assured, there will still be jokes and some mild humor. Some things are going to shock you and others are not.

Remember, you, the readers are all knowing, but the characters are not.

Book 4 is almost finished and I'll be starting Book 5 soon.

Anyway, enough rambling. Back to the story.

Ch. 15 A Moment to Relax

"My home is gone." Adam laid on the deck of the ship while Bonnie tried to pull shards of the dark energy lance and spark bullets from his body. He is in more agony than he has ever been in. He groaned as the tweezers Bonnie was using pulled the fifteenth shard out.

"Our home," the fox responded. She pulled out another piece of shrapnel. "It looks like there's still a piece of the lance right below your knee cap." She touched the tiny tool to the weapon fragment, but as soon as it made contact, a surge of dark energy burst from the wound. Adam screamed in pain.

"Give it to me." Blaze took a hold of the tweezers. "I've got this. Go check on Lenora." The fox stood up and left to check on the swashbuckler. "Just hold still, little brother. I've got you." Blaze held his left hand above the wound and moved the tool with his golden arm. He controlled the burst of dark energy and safely removed the shard from Adam's leg. "I'm sorry. For everything." Adam shifted his head away from his brother.

"How did you break free?" Blaze winced at the question. "It couldn't have just been what I said that snapped you out of it."

"No," Blaze answered, "But it was the last push I needed." As he pulled out another piece of shrapnel, Blaze admitted to his way out. "It was mom. She helped me escaped." Adam propped himself on his elbows. "I was lost, wandering around in my own subconscious. She found me and guided me. Then we found Tauros, we were winning, but he revealed a secret that our mom was too ashamed to admit."

"What was the secret," Adam asked, "If you don't mind me asking?"

"It's the reason I can remove these pieces of dark energy shrapnel from your leg." Blaze stopped momentarily and stared at his hand. "Flint raped mom before her and Avery met and nine months after that night, I was born. He's my biological father." He turned and noticed his brother staring in shock. "We're not truly brothers. Only half." A small smile crossed Adam's face.

"You're wrong," Adam stated, "You're here, now. You ARE my brother." A smile started to creep across Blaze's face. "What happened next?"

"I hit my lowest point and gave up, but Alexis kept fighting. Then I heard you." Blaze plucked out another piece of shrapnel. "I realized that I couldn't leave my mom to fight my battle for me. I found an opportunity and fought back. I kicked Tauros out of my mind and broke free." Extracting the last piece of shrapnel, Blaze grabbed a roll of bandages and proceeded to wrap the wounds. "And now we're here. On the run from a monster."

"We're not running." Blaze faced Lenora. "We're regrouping. We're going to take back Skull Island. Maybe not today or tomorrow or the day after that, but we will." Blaze nodded.

"And I'll be with you when you do." Blaze and Lenora lifted Adam up and took him to his cabin.

"I'm sorry for shooting at you." The three pirates looked at the door and saw Riley standing there.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about," Blaze replied, "You were protecting Adam from me; it was the right call." Riley walked to Adam.

"Are you alright?"

"I've been better, but I think I'm good, all things considered." Riley held something in her hand. It looked like a necklace.

"Do you think my dad made it out?" Lenora could see the tears building up in her eyes.

"He made it out." The swashbuckler put her hands on her shoulders. "We'll find him again. Along with everyone else."

"She's right." Bonnie stated. "We're on course for El Dorado. With luck, everyone will have made it."

"Not everyone," Adam sighed softly. "Will followed my lead, almost without question. He could be annoying at times, but he was family." Adam activated Sagittarius.

"What's up?" The golden figure hovered over the empty chair.

"Is there anything that I could have done to save him?"

"No," Sagittarius answered, "The shot wouldn't have hit anyone, but Brave shooting Jillian shifted its trajectory enough to make the bullet hit. It was an accident that couldn't be prevented." Adam laid his head back down.
"I'm going to rest." Adam closed his eyes. Everyone left except for Lenora.

"I'm not leaving you."