Tenmei fearfully stepped back, the wall of freights behind him meeting his back and further inducing the notion he was indeed trapped. The tall figure leering down at him with a sinister grin added to the accumulating dread burrowing its way deeper into his stomach, like a mole digging a tunnel in someone's backyard. His mind was thoughtless, halted like gears with a wrench wedged between them. Should he run? Cower? Kneel in surrender? He didn't quite know. Honestly, he wanted to do none of those things, but fighting was also something he didn't believe he was capable of doing. The chilling air was clinging to his airways, making him shiver and rub his arms in a futile attempt to keep warm.
"Awww, what's wrong, little buddy?" Canneberge mocked. "Are you cold?"
"W-w-who are you?" he managed to ask in spite of buckling in absolute fear.
Canneberge flicked the brim of their hat then pointed to themselves. " Moi? Well, I'm Sony Canneberge, that's who!" They let out a clamorous witch's cackle and leaped to the opposite freight above Tenmei, performing a front flip and landing in a crouch. They reigned their fear evoking gaze below at the cowering boy, causing him to scramble away from the freight they were perched on and stare back with worry consuming his being.
"Relax, man. Take a load off. Chill."
"Angus!" Tenmei shouted. Still no answer. The glimmer of hope he was desperately holding onto was flickering out with each second that passed. Getting no response in return after calling for the boss and Avdol was beginning to make his situation more grim since the moment they'd climbed aboard the cargo ship. He heaved up sobs, failing to keep it together as he pressed his hands against his temples in despair.
"Sheesh, what a bummer. You're not making this fun at all. Hey, kid! I know what'll make ya feel better. You like games? How about a little test of character?"
Tenmei retreated against the freight beside him, sobbing. He had never engaged in a one-on-one fight with a stand user personally. Avdol and Léon were usually the warriors in that regard, not him. Angus rarely ever let him embark on missions to take down Motorhead, let alone defending their territory. Tenmei was always left at the quarry for headset communication and digital reconnaissance. This was an experience stretched far out of his comfort zone. And he'd give anything to take back his enthusiasm from earlier about aiding Avdol and Angus on their mission.
I want to go home! I don't want to die!
"Look, dude, it's simple." Canneberge explained, waving their hand forward. "When the timer starts, all you gotta do is find the key to get that collar off your neck and you're free as a bird."
Tenmei sniffled, his sobs becoming breathy. "Key?"
"Yeah, that's right. You find that key and I'll leave you alone. When you feel your body temperature decreasing, that's how you know you're close to finding it. Piece o' cake!"
Could he really trust them? They'd really let him go if he found it in time? It wasn't like he had any other options. Tenmei gathered his wits and listened to Canneberge's instructions. "W-w-what happens if… if I don't find it?"
Canneberge's lighthearted demeanor darkened. "If the timer reaches zero…" they made a slicing motion across their neck with their pointer finger and punctuated it with a, "...khh!"
Tenmei's heart dropped, forming a ball of lead in his body. He went numb, his face painting itself in a pallorous shade of opaque white at the bone chilling revelation. Death. "Whe-when does the timer start?" Oh, drill bits! What am I going to do?! I don't want to die like this!
"That's up to you," Canneberge answered, "the second you take a step forward, the countdown begins."
I can't move. I can't move! Oh, god, I don't want to do this!
"I will warn you, though… if you stand there for much longer, the cold chill running up your spine will make you cuckoo for cocoa pops."
"What do you mean?" Tenmei asked anxiously.
"I mean it's gonna make your brain go haywire, man. You'll start turning into a mindless zombie. Let me tell ya: this one guy, he started eating his arm like a steamed ham. Then he ate his buddies. Woooo , that was a show! I got that memory stored on my BMD back at the warehouse. Damn, I should watch that tonight."
Whaaaat?! I don't want to turn into a zombie!
"So, like, it's either that or play the game. Your call."
Tenmei swallowed hard. God, I don't know what to do… either I sit here and start eating myself, or I find that key. It doesn't seem like I have much of a choice. Okay, so, all I need to do is pay close attention to the shift in my body temperature, and I should find it. But where do I even start?!
The tension in the moment intensified. Canneberge's sinister stare locking with Tenmei's fearful gaze, the freights and the collar inducing a sense of claustrophobia, the air shifting, and the sense that time was not on Tenmei's side. He trembled, the decision of whether he should walk or remain put battling for first place in every corner of his mind. And then he realized something. The moment the collar snapped to his neck, he ran like a madman.
If taking a step is what activates the timer, then…!
Canneberge's pointer fingers made a back and forth motion as he taunted, "Tick, tock, tick tock…"
Tenmei screamed.
Bold, vibrant tangerine numbers in digital clock format counted down on his gloved wrist with 48 minutes and 05 seconds remaining. Nausea caused by a surge of emotions welled up in Tenmei's stomach. In a matter of seconds, he retched, vomiting up dissolved chunks of the croissant he'd eaten that morning. The acidity scalded his throat and nose as he heaved, trying with all his power to breathe.
It's over… it's all over… I'm doomed.
"Come on, what're you waiting for?" Canneberge cheered mockingly. "Thirteen chimes on a dead man's clock!"
Why even try? I'll never find it in time. There's no way. For all I know, there's no key. There's no way off this boat. Angus and Avdol could be…! Gaaah, I don't want to think about it! Why did I have to be so eager to come? Why did I think I stood a chance, that I'd be going home in one piece once this was all over? I'm so stupid. Maybe Angus is right. I'm not cut out for this.
He choked back tears, his once cheery smile contorting into a wide, quivering frown as tears beaded in his eyes and trickled down his cheeks. He was right. He was always right. I'm just a boy lugging a bag around. That's all I've ever been good for, isn't it…
"Well, if you insist on sitting there, I guess, fine." Canneberge groaned. "I'm down if ya want to be a zombie."
Salty air wafted into Tenmei's face as he sat on the deck, leaning forward with his palms pressed against it and staring hopelessly into the bile splattered below him. Reveries of his childhood swept across his mind crystal clear. For as long as he could remember, he lived in the quarry with Angus. In contrast to how his parental figure was now, Angus back then was much kinder and much more patient with him. Though with time, and with Tenmei growing up and wanting to feel that he was a part of the gang, Angus became colder. Stricter. Every request Tenmei would make to embark on a dangerous task was immediately flung into oblivion.
In his boredom and dismay, he'd rummage through piles of junk, rotating the nuts and bolts between his thumb and pointer finger. And when that didn't do anything to cure it, he'd get the bright idea to use the parts for art sculpting. The trinkets he made were uninspiring, but it gave him something to do nonetheless. Angus had seen him messing around with it one night and took up a seat beside him, showing him what the parts were for and where they went. Tenmei took up a fascination for what Angus was teaching him instead, rather than going nowhere with the art that did little more than uninspire him.
The more he learned from Angus, the more he began to understand that mechanics in and of itself was an art. It took skill and know-how. And with Angus, a skilled mechanic as his teacher, the doors to inspiration were wide open. He cooked up ways to make the gangster's lives easier. Whether that involved annoying contraptions in the kitchen, or drones going for a crash test while people were trying to watch TV, his intent was pure. He wanted to help make the lives of others around him more convenient and offer any aid to Angus's cause when he could. Of course, that was always met with disapproval.
His inventions were getting out of hand, some would say. Angus needed to let him down easy, another suggested. But it wasn't like he wanted to shatter Tenmei's hopes and dreams, so he let him be, and in place of breaking his heart, gave him one of the rooms in the quarry to commit to his work. Away from everybody else. And it didn't take long for parts to get strewn about the cavern floor, making it difficult for anyone to walk in, including himself. Scores of nuts and bolts littered the ground, bulky transmissions took up a quarter of the room, car parts were disassembled, and the list goes on.
Amidst the clusterfuck of a mess, there was a metal table he'd put together himself, where he'd spend countless hours digesting information on a computer. With each creation came new excitement, something he just had to share with someone else. The other gangsters, however, showed little interest and almost always never came to speak to him. That stuff was too boring for them. In his dejection, he'd return to his cave and work alone. He was always alone. The only one that faintly seemed to understand him was Angus. But even with the complex designs Tenmei came up with, his intrigue was almost distant. Like he couldn't comprehend them and wasn't about to wrack his brain trying to.
By the age of 13, Tenmei had rebuilt his first transmission and gotten one of the cars outside the quarry up and running again. The gang applauded him for this, as they'd never heard of a kid his age doing such a thing by himself. It was Tenmei's spirit that kept him going. Urging him to keep doing what he loved even when he felt others couldn't care less. Besides, it didn't matter anyway. Creating new things was his passion, and the burden he carried wasn't about to snuff it out like a light. This was his. And whether anybody came along and showed appreciation or not, it mattered greatly to him in ways he couldn't express in words.
One of the biggest blunders of all this wasn't so much the lack of gratification, but the lack of having space to place his tools as well as the junk he hauled from the junkyard. It would've been nice to be able to haul a thousand pounds, he thought ceaselessly. He knew he'd have to move things out of his room sooner or later, which never failed to make him bang his forehead on the table repetitively, groaning about not wanting to get the job done. Still, he persisted to work, screwing up his sleep schedule even further. But that didn't matter, he was strong willed. Caring only about what he loved doing, and the people he did it for.
Eventually, Tenmei began to notice a lingering nausea and persisting headaches that just wouldn't go away no matter what medication he'd take for it. The wave of symptoms that came with it worsened over the course of a few days, then a week. Soon, he was confined to a bed in another room, rife with night terrors, the chills, and a fever fluctuating between 38 to 40 degrees celsius. He'd toss and turn, whining about the discomfort and speaking to hallucinations. That being his backpack responding to him in what he heard as his own voice. This was the moment, the hour, and the night that Tenmei awakened his Drive, the very manifestation of his soul — he'd awakened Never Enough.
Sorry, everyone, guess this is goodbye. Goodbye, Léon. You know, you and Avdol were one of the first real friends I ever made. I'll always be grateful for the first time you and I met… people were being mean to me on the train, dumping my stuff out of my backpack. I couldn't do anything. I didn't want to hurt them…not the way they were hurting me. But you showed up and… you helped me. You seemed kind of annoyed when I started following you, but I couldn't help it. The way you handled those guys… you were so fierce!
As long as I've known you, you've never backed down in a fight. My only regret is that I could never have the perseverance that you have. I could never be as fearless or as strong. But because of you, I was inspired to push forward, even on my bad days. And Avdol, he… he's so supportive of me and my efforts, whether he understands my work or not. I'll always be grateful for that. For you guys.
Thank you.
As he lamented, he revisited a particular memory that etched itself in the walls of his mind. He was hearing Avdol's words from their trek through the sewer, and though his level of despair was at its highest, it rekindled something special. Something he needed now more than ever.
You guys just seem to have it all figured out. You're the calm, cool, collected one that knows exactly what to do — like a leader! Léon's strong and fierce, nothing scares him, he's just so… so…! Courageous, I guess. I wish I could be those things. All I am is a caddy carrying a bag of junk.
You are all those things. Having a stand with an ability like yours isn't a bad thing, you know. Like Never Enough, you're a mystery gift to yourself. You never know what you're lugging around until you take the courage to look inside and dig up all the things that make you… well, you.
Can't really be a mystery if I put it there to begin with.
For you it's different. You just haven't discovered it yet. People don't possess only one defining quality, they have many. A lot of them just aren't aware of what those are. But if you take time to look, you'll be surprised. You may learn something about yourself that makes you special.
Those words reverberated not only in his head, but in his spirit. "I am those things. I am strong. I am fearless." Tenmei's fingertips dug into the deck. Taking Canneberge by surprise, he climbed to his feet and met their addled gaze with fire. "You know what? You're nothing but a big bully! You don't scare me!"
Canneberge cackled. "Then what're you waiting for?! Clock's ticking, bro!"
It's strange, but all of a sudden it's like this person's a cherry pie… and I wanna… no, no! I can't listen to those thoughts! I need to find that key! Angus, Avdol, I'm comin' for you.
Taking the first step to freedom, he raced off, determination flowing through him. I'll find that key no matter what. The time was ticking. Tenmei darted through the maze of cargo haulers, keeping his eyes peeled as well as a close check on his body temperature. Still the same as before.
"This I gotta see." Canneberge said as they took running leaps from freight to freight.
"Avdol!" Tenmei shouted, his lungs burning from running. Finally. His ears perked at the sound of his name in the distance. It was Angus! "Angus! Where are you?!" He came to a halt in front of freights walling him in. Unsure of what he should do, Tenmei scoured his surroundings frantically. "Darn it! I'll have to go back."
Just then, Canneberge hopped to a crouch in the middle of his path, making Tenmei slide on his heel and stop immediately. "Trick or treat!"
Tenmei's eyes wandered up the towering figure before him. He screamed, recoiling with his feet steadfast to the deck.
"Come on, pick one."
"Wha…?"
"Is it trick… or treat? Hell or paradise?"
"Y-y-yo-you're not making any sense!" Tenmei stammered.
"Look, it's simple. Which one do you choose?"
Tenmei trembled. "Sorry, but y-you're wasting my time!" With his brow furrowed, he attempted to dash past them, but Canneberge quickly cut him off by side-stepping in front of him. Every effort to move around him was met with them playfully blocking his path.
"Oop, oop, gotta be quicker than that."
"Grrr, stop ittttt!"
Canneberge cackled, throwing their head back and letting out a high-pitched, musical AAAAAAHHHH to the tune of E5. Materializing at their side was a humanoid figure, its body painted jet black like the shadows of night. A deep orange, tattered cape with gold keys along the neck swayed even in the absence of wind. The rest of its body was a jet-black horse with no other features, except for the eyes glowing a fluorescent orange. As for the humanoid's head, it simply wasn't there. The temperature around Tenmei gradually decreased until frost began to form on the freights.
Beholding the ice form around them sent Tenmei into a panic. He glanced at his wrist with worried eyes, the numbers now reading 37:13. He screamed again, knowing there was no way he'd be able to find the key in time, what with Canneberge seeming as if they planned to thwart his advances at every turn. He shivered, clasping his arms around his body.
I thought so… they're a stand user. So, it emits freezing temperatures. That has to be the trigger! That's why this collar appeared! I was in proximity of it, so…
"Thought you'd like to meet my li'l buddy, Helloween." Canneberge posed with their legs parted, the toes of their boot pointing up on one foot as their hand splayed across their chest, only the thumb touching them with their fingertips angled downward. Their other hand was balled in a fist against their hip while the headless, blackened stand reared its front horse legs behind them. A bone-chilling horse whinny echoed around them, making Tenmei believe lightning would strike behind Canneberge at any given second to complete the show of terror he was looking at.
"That scream I just performed is the trigger to summoning its presence," Canneberge explained, "not that it matters, I just thought it'd be fun filling you with fright. Heheheh."
Tenmei checked his wrist again. 35:56. He glowered at the display in front of him, not appreciating Canneberge's methods of distraction one bit. What would Léon say in a moment like this? He tapped his chin with his finger, thinking. "Oh, right, right! He'd say, uh…" He cleared his throat and shot an adorably funny, mean look at Canneberge. "Go f…! Err, that is, I… d'ohhh that word's so vulgar, I can't say that!"
Canneberge arched a brow, tilting their head in bemusement. "What… what is he doing…"
"Go flame yourself?" Tenmei questioned, his eyes wandering up to the sky in deep thought. "Ahh, no, that's no good. Ummm… ooh! Go…! No, that's not very smart, either. Hmmmm. Oh, perfect!" He faced Canneberge and inhaled. The words were just on the tip of his tongue, about to be utilized as a vocal weapon. "Go screw yourself!"
Canneberge stared in baffled silence.
Reaching into his pocket, Tenmei held up a metal screw and pointed to it with a wide, open smile on his face. "Huh? Huh? Get it? It's a screw!"
"What the… it took you that long to come up with something that lame?"
"What's wrong with it?" Tenmei asked, his smile turning into a scowl. "I made it up just now."
"That insult is over a thousand years old, man! Get some new material! Or better yet… get to finding that key, unless you don't want to live. In that case, waste what precious time you have."
Tenmei jolted. "Aaaah!" He immediately took off, darting past Canneberge who dismissed their stand, amused and cackling like a wicked witch.
"Uh-ohhhh!" they called out with their palms cupped around their mouth to amplify their voice. "Run, shorty, run! Hahahahaha!"
Darn it! I've already wasted thirty minutes! I didn't know their stand made things super cold, now how am I going to know whether it's the key I'm close to or them?! This can't be happening to me right now!
After running around in random directions through the maze, he eventually rounded some of the freights, finally finding his way out into the open. The ocean met his view, the salty breeze wafting in his face. Seagulls flew overhead, and the realization that he needed to hurry was beginning to overwhelm him more. "I know I heard Angus. Where is he? Angus!"
Not wanting to waste the time he had left, he ran up the deck, passed the freights, and towards the bow of the ship, where he discerned low groaning from around the bridge. Staggering towards the starboard bow was Angus, his form droopier than usual and the time on his wrist reading roughly 30 minutes remaining, accompanied with a collar, just like Tenmei's, around his neck. Tenmei's eyes went wide.
"Angus!" He hurried over to him, reaching out to his shoulder to grab his attention. "Angus, I'm here! Are you —"
When Angus turned to look at him, his normally warm complexion had been traded for an ashy cinereous shade, and the skin around his eyes were sunken in. Tired eyelids rested over rolled up eyes, and his mouth was agape as he made a low, eerie moan.
"Angus, what's wrong with you?! Why do you look so sick?"
In a disoriented manner, Angus's hand lazily clamped over Tenmei's shoulder, making him flinch. It was as if he had no awareness of his actions, nor any recollection of who Tenmei was. Getting the notion something was way off, Tenmei swallowed hard. "Angus?"
Angus let out a shuddering moan, and when Tenmei least expected it, his face lunged for his shoulders with his jaw dropped. As his teeth sank deep into his trapezius muscle, Tenmei howled loudly in total pain. In a flurry of panic, his hand scrambled into his pocket, rummaging around for something he could use in retaliation. Come on, Never Enough, give me something good! After sifting hurriedly through the trenches of his pocket, he whipped out a ratchet, clutching it tightly in his shaking hand. "I'm so sorry for this, boss!"
Wedging it between Angus's lower mandible and his shoulder muscle, Tenmei wrenched it around until it poked out the other side, and with both hands, and all his might, he began forcing his jaw out of his flesh. He pushed back with enough force to loosen his lower teeth, but not enough to pry him completely loose. Tenmei regretfully sent a swift kick to Angus's upper thigh, sending his boss hard on the ground in front of him. Pain burned in his bloody shoulder as he clamped a hand over it and sucked in breath with his teeth grit together.
"Ow, ow, ow…! It hurts so bad!" The fibers of his green, hooded vest were blood-stained as he retreated towards the bridge and assessed his surroundings. In front of him was the bow of the ship, to the right, the starboard, and on the left was the port. No way was he going towards the starboard with Angus groaning like a zombie, and rising up from the deck like he was climbing out of his own grave. Tenmei's breath quickened. He darted for the port, calling for Avdol. After shouting for him a third time, a familiar face appeared from the main entrance to the bridge.
"Tenmei!"
Overwhelmed that he was in one piece, and not at all a zombie like Angus, Tenmei's eyes flooded with tears. "Avdol!" He dashed over to him and squeezed his arms tightly around him. "You're okay!"
Avdol smiled and patted his back, giving consolation. "You are, too, thankfully."
Tenmei sniffled and wiped his teary eyes on his gloves. "I called for you. Have you been hiding this whole time?"
"Not exactly," he said, "I had to take care of a few goons. Tiny and Husselhoff were onboard."
"Oh, that explains the gunshots… they didn't… you know… shoot you, did they?"
Avdol laughed. "No. My Drive served as a perfect distraction for the big guy. Angus and Tiny went at it with their rifles, and that's when I took matters into my own hands and put a stop to it. They're incapacitated for now, but the boss…"
Tenmei looked at him knowingly. "...he stayed put in one place for too long, didn't he…"
Avdol's expression grew stern. "Could that be why he's so hostile?"
Tenmei peeped over his shoulder, watching Angus stagger towards them with the speed of molasses as he dragged one foot awkwardly. His attention whipped back to Avdol with urgency in his eyes. "Avdol, listen to me. Whatever you do, you can't stay still for too long. We need to keep moving. How much time do you have left?"
"What do you mean?"
"Check your wrist." He pointed to his glove, holding it up for him to see.
Avdol's gaze wandered to his forearm and what he saw made him freeze. Numbers counting down from 25 minutes and 48 seconds. "Dammit! There's a time limit?! How did I not notice this?"
"I guess you were too busy creating a diversion."
"Yeah… alright, so how do we beat the clock? Any ideas?"
"We're supposed to find a key," Tenmei explained with his palms upturned, "it'll unlock these collars around our necks and the timer will stop."
"Have you found any?"
Tenmei shook his head. "No. The user has a stand that keeps putting off cold temperatures, which I assume is going to make it harder than it should be. He's really mean, Avdol! He kept getting in the way! It's like he's toying with us."
Avdol clapped a hand to his forehead and sighed heavily. "Fantastic…"
"The only way to find it is to pay attention to our body temperature. If it gets colder, that means we're close."
"Then what're we standing around here for? Let's go!"
Tenmei gave him a curt nod with the look of determination. Together, they set off in a race against time, both hoping to find the three keys that would grant them their freedom from the wicked menace. They scoured the portside with no luck, then the bow. Nothing. Their temperatures remained neutral the entire search. Their fates were beginning to look more grim as they continued. Not a shred of hope to be found… until…
"Tenmei, get over here!"
"What is it?" He power-walked over to the bow where Avdol had his back facing him, and looking down as if he'd picked up something from the deck.
"The clever bastard hid it in plain sight. It was just on full display, blending into the boat." Shifting from the color of the boat to silver was a key with bat wings for the head, shimmering in the morning sun. "Here," Avdol said, handing it to him, "use this on yourself and get out of here while you still can."
Baffled by how well it blended into its environment, and tempted by his offer, Tenmei reached out reluctantly to take the key, but something was nagging him in the back of his mind. This was the coward's way out, the easy way. If he took the key now, and left Avdol and Angus onboard, he'd only face the flames of regret more. Besides, he had to prove one way or another that he had it in him to fight — to save the only family he had. Even if it meant his own life. The time to see what qualities he had hiding in the depths of his soul was right now. This was his moment. He withdrew his hand and shook his head in refusal.
"What?! Tenmei, come on, take it!"
"No, Avdol. You use it."
Avdol shot him a look of bewilderment, rendering him absolutely speechless.
"I'd rather you get off this ship safely. You go, and I'll stay."
"What the hell are you talking about?! Tenmei, this is your chance! You should take it!"
Tenmei once again shook his head, giving him a slight smile. "I have to stay."
"What are you trying to prove here?!" Avdol shouted. "Come on, we don't have much time left. Take it!"
"You told me that I have the potential to be fearless like you and Léon, that I have the will to be more than I already am. You were right. I'm tired of feeling like all I ever do is just one thing. I want to help out in other ways, too."
Avdol looked at him in surprise.
"You're like my big brother. I'll always appreciate you and Léon looking out for me, but right now… it's my turn to look out for you guys. To fight back."
Avdol placed a firm hand to his non-injured shoulder and looked him square in the eye. "Your nobility is admirable, but I can't allow you to make this foolish decision. What happens if you get killed? Do you think I or Léon could live with that? What about Angus?"
"Angus is a zombie, Avdol." Tenmei furrowed his brows. "I'm sure he won't care if we keep wasting time talking like this, because he'll be dead in a few minutes. I've made my choice, I'm staying. One way or another, I'm getting you and Angus off this ship."
"Tenmei, please. Take. The key."
"No!" He swatted it away and bolted up the deck and past the bridge.
"Tenmei!"
Alright, enough games. I'm ending this once and for all! Running back to the foredeck, his eyes scanned the area as he paid close attention to the drop in temperature around him. "I know you're here, you… jack a-word! You can come out!"
Leering down from atop the cargo haulers was the same tall person clad in a gaudy Halloween costume. They snickered at the poor, defenseless boy and leapt down from the freights. Standing a whole foot higher, and four inches more than Tenmei, Canneberge looked down on the waning expression of confidence, making Tenmei feel as small as a mouse in their presence.
"You rang?"
He couldn't allow himself to buckle in fear, not now. Not when there were less than 12 minutes ticking ever closer to his doom. Tenmei swallowed his fear, perspiring as he lifted a shaky pointer finger at Canneberge. "I'm n-not scared of you," he said, whilst also trying to convince himself, "I'm gonna kick your… err, butt… really hard. Right here, right now!"
Canneberge snorted and threw their head back, cackling until they were in tears. "What, you want to go one-on-one with me? A shrimp like you?!"
Tenmei scowled, his irritation climbing as well as his tenacity. "Alright, listen up!" he snapped. "My friend found one of your keys."
They clapped their hands mockingly at his success, the grimace on their face making it more evident they didn't care in the slightest. "Well, good for you, but you're kind of a dipshit for not using it."
"I had a chance to free myself," Tenmei continued, "but I chose not to."
"Tch, wow, you really are stupid..."
"That's where you're wrong, meanie!" he barked. "I'd rather let my friends escape with their lives intact than free myself and leave them to die. If anyone's dying in their stead, it's me. If this really is the way I'm going to go out, then I'd rather do it making sure you never hurt another soul again."
Canneberge laughed. "Aww, and what're you going to do? Insult me to death?"
Tenmei smirked. "Not exactly."
The smile on Canneberge's face faltered as Tenmei brushed his palm against his pocket and held his wrist against his chin, flashing the symbol etched in a glowing kelly green; a cherry with a stem.
"What you're looking at," he explained, "is half of my stand."
"...Okay?"
Nine minutes remained. Tenmei saw his chance and took it. Slapping his palm to the container next to him, the green glow of the cherry symbol radiated until it faded into a jet black. With the weight of the items in his backpack added to the weight of the items in the shipping container, Tenmei could feel the twinge of pain in his muscles — they were beginning to tear. He yelped in pain, but pushed himself. He refused to lapse and let his pain hinder him further. Reaching into his pants pocket, he whipped out one of the machine guns from the freight and took aim at Canneberge, whose jaw dropped.
"Bro, what the fuhhh …?!"
"Usually," Tenmei said, eyeing him with knitted brows, "I only keep the other half of my stand attached to my pocket with the other on my backpack. You know, for convenience in case I need to grab something real quick. Consider this a special occasion where I don't."
"Dude, put the gun down, you're not even holding it right. I can see through your bluff clear as day." The corner of Canneberge's mouth contorted, jeery laughter escaping their lips. "How sad. A frightened little wuss like you thinks you can scare me? I'm the lieutenant of fear, little man; true, unadulterated fear."
"What does that even mean?!"
"As if I'd tell you. Well, come on! If you're gonna shoot me, then shoot me! You've only got, what, seven minutes left? Why waste that standing around yapping my head off?"
Drill bits! They're right… I'm… I'm too afraid to shoot them… I just… gosh darn it! Alright, bravado isn't working. He tossed the machine aside. So, I'm going to take the time I've got left and try something different. Something this dooderhole won't be expecting!
Tenmei reattached Never Enough's symbol to his palm and scanned the area frantically for something he thought could be of use. Thus far, only more cargo haulers. Gotta choose wisely. If I place this on something carrying too much, I'll be dead by my own hand. In that instant, a peculiar thought crossed his mind, deepening his curiosity and intuitively pushing him to lean into his next option.
I wonder… what if …
Canneberge yawned. "Look, you're boring the shit out of me. Just hurry up and die already so I can get back to work."
Tenmei shot him a mean look, his gaze darkening. "Alright," he said, "fine. I give up. But as my dying request, I want you to come over here and bring your stand out while you're at it."
"Wha…? Damn, the tinglies in your spine are starting to make you cuckoo, huh? I know I look delectable to most of my zombies, but nahhh. I don't feel like getting eaten today."
Tenmei held his hands up, with one fist balled to obscure Never Enough from their view. "Look, to prove I'm not up to anything, I've got my hands up in surrender. See?"
Canneberge hummed in thought, then smirked. "Pfft. Whatever. Kind of an odd request. Then again, me being the last thing you see is kinda entertaining for me, so sure. Why not? I guess I'll be happy to oblige ya."
As they stepped closer, Tenmei carefully rotated his forearm and peeked at the numbers counting down from 4 minutes and 21 seconds. Nuts, I hope this works. His solemn gaze averted back to the incredibly tall person. They were standing mere feet from him, grinning like the wicked witch they assumed themselves to be.
"Well, little buddy," Canneberge said, "it's been fun. Thanks for bein' a good sport and making it worthwhile. AAAAAAAAA!" The same headless, midnight black stand from before materialized before his eyes, the horse whinnying and the cape still flowing in spite of there being no breeze wafting through it.
Tenmei kept steadfast where he stood, feeling unsure his maneuver would work the way he planned, and was ready to accept death at any cost. As long as Avdol and Angus got away unharmed, that was all that mattered to him. But in order to free either Angus or Avdol, whichever hadn't used the key, their freedom relied on this one trick.
"Well, now you've seen it," Canneberge said, crossing their arms across their chest, "so what now?"
Taking a deep breath into his nose, and shivering from the intense cold Helloween was putting off, Tenmei stepped closer, his forehead meeting Canneberge's solar plexus. "Well, looks like this is it…" his voice dropped to a murmur, "...what's yours is mine…"
"Huh?"
Before Canneberge could anticipate his next move, Tenmei struck the stand in front of him, clapping the cherry symbol across the wither of the horse's shoulder. The radiant green light faded into obscurity on the stand as it began to rear its legs. Canneberge spun on their heel, a deepened confusion plastered across their face.
"What the hell did you just do?!" they shouted.
Tenmei quickly slipped his backpack off and knelt beside it, digging into its seemingly abyssal chasm.
50 seconds.
"If my assumptions are correct…" he rummaged some more.
47 seconds.
"...I'd say that these keys are part of your stand…" Muffled clinks sounded from the open pack as he continued to reach around for something. "Oop, not that. That's my extra underwear."
40 seconds.
"...and from what I can tell, there's three collars you used on us. Which means there's a possibility that there's more than one key, right?"
35 seconds.
"What the hell are you droning on about, twerp?! God, you're annoying! What makes you think there's more than one key anyway?! For all you know, that was the only key and you're just wasting your time blathering. Heh! That's what it is, huh? You're in denial, little man. Aww, what's the matter? Don't want to die? Well, too bad. You're seconds away from your demise as we speak."
23 seconds.
"Simply put," Tenmei theorized, pulling out an alarm clock and tossing it over his shoulder with a loud crash, "there is also a possibility that it was the only key. But! For all I know, you're bluffing me . Say someone uses the key, well, what happens to it after that, huh?"
Canneberge's face blanched.
12 seconds.
"Waitwaitwait, WAIT…"
Tenmei glanced up, faintly smiling as he stood up with something in his right hand.
8 seconds.
"You're right, meanie head person, whose name I don't know. I'm too much of a softie to hurt people. And no, I don't know how to use a gun. You got me there. Also it doesn't help that my mind is way too scrambled to try out anything nifty, too, since I don't have much time left. And yet, with only five seconds left… I believe I've just called your bluff."
Lifting up his hand to show what he'd retrieved from Helloween's possession, seven silver keys fanned out like a deck of cards, coloring Canneberge's face an opaque white.
3 seconds.
"Wh…! But…! …the fuck?!"
Smiling, Tenmei lifted one of the keys to the skull lock, jamming it in place.
1 second.
The instant he turned it, the collar erupted into scraps, falling away from his neck and into thin air all around him. The key dissolved and the countdown was as good as over. The midday sun shone down on Tenmei, basking him in a warm, summer brilliance. Victory. The freezing temp was gone; death looming over his head was shattered to fragments and the boy went on smiling like he was never lingering in Death's shadow.
"How the fuck did you figure that out, you scrawny little weasel?!"
"Honestly? It was just a hunch. I just thought since your collars had locks, maybe you had other keys, and maybe you weren't playing fair. I mean, you haven't been this entire time, right? So, it makes sense you wouldn't play by the rules and hide three keys for each collar, either. Which means only one of us were going to be the true survivor, while the rest got their heads cut clean off. That's when I got the bright idea to attach the other half of Never Enough to your stand. Because where else would the keys be if they're a part of it?"
Canneberge shook their head in denial. "There's no way in hell you're that smart…!"
"Well, hate to burst your bubble, but looks like it's game over." Tenmei shrugged with the keys still gripped in one hand. He beamed at Canneberge, which sent them into a fiery tizzy. Their breath quickened. Their apathetic gaze glowed a searing, hot red with one eye twitching.
"Salaud agaçant! Helloween!"
Dual sabers manifested from black orbs in the headless stand's hands, radiating an outer purple glow, and taking the colorless shade of Helloween. As it charged towards Tenmei, Canneberge leapt into the air, cheering and howling with laughter on the sidelines. "Kill him, kill him, kill hiiiiim! Reeehehehehehe!"
Seeing a pair of swords and a silhouette blazing a ferocious trail towards him, his feet became glued to the deck. His heart dropped into his stomach. Moments before the saber could rend his head from his shoulders, Tenmei felt a jarring slam into his side, causing him to collide into the freight beside him. The weight of someone on top of him made it feel as if his organs were being crushed.
What the heck just happened…? Opening his eyes, he beheld the man who raised him — the man holding a familiar, cider colored nail gun.
"Angus?!"
The collar around his neck was gone. The cinereous color of his skin had vanished, giving him back his standard sandy beige tone. Strands of gray hair that had come loose from his braid flowed on the salty breeze as he looked down at Tenmei, the sunken lids now back to their original state. "Keep out of the way, kid. I'll take care of this."
Tenmei's eyes welled with joyful tears. It was him, and not at all a zombie. "Angusssss!" His arms and legs wrapped around Angus's left leg in a tight embrace. "You're not a zombie anymore!"
Angus jerked in an attempt to get him to loosen his grip. "What in god's name are you doing, Tenmei?! Get… erghh … off… me…!"
"Hey, weren't there three of you…?" Canneberge questioned.
Just then, a figure leapt down off the freight behind them, delivering a red-streaked kick to their back. Avdol looked momentarily unfazed, but the pain of his kick's impact on such a lengthy individual began to set in and he leaned down, rubbing his knee. "Almost locked up my kneecap. Bad move."
Tenmei's face lit up, the flicker of hope growing brighter in his eyes. "Avdol! You're okay!" No time was wasted as he rushed over to him, panting heavily and handing him one of the keys.
Avdol's eyes were downcast as he frowned and began his heart-wrenching goodbye speech. "Tenmei, I'm sorry, I…" he choked on the lump forming in his throat, "I —"
"Here," Tenmei said, his voice urgent, "use this."
Avdol's eyes went wide at the key. "You found one! How did you… nevermind." He smiled. "Thanks."
Nearing mere seconds from death, Avdol procured the key and twisted it in the jaws of the skull lock, triggering the mechanism and releasing him from Helloween's damning hold. He eyed the other keys in Tenmei's hand in curiosity. "I'd ask how you got those, but we can talk more once the fight's over."
Tenmei nodded. "Right!"
Canneberge groaned, wearily lifting their hands and pressing them against the deck for support. They wheezed as they propped themselves up. " Ough! My back…! " Both Tenmei and Avdol's gaze met his form, but were interrupted upon hearing Angus's curses from across the foredeck. Rounds of nails fired one after the other, some missing, and others being deflected by Helloween's sabers, fueling his already flaming aggravation. By the looks of it, the fight was exhausting him, mostly because evading Helloween's swift attacks took a toll on him due to old age.
Avdol and Tenmei exchanged knowing looks, giving each other the nod of approval as if they knew what the other was thinking. In haste, they ran over to Angus's side and slipped into a fighting stance, ready for what might happen next.
Angus spoke through labored breaths, "I thought I told you to let me handle this, Tenmei. Knucklehead, you're just asking to get killed, aren't you?!"
"And leave you to die? Get real, boss. Besides…" he side-glanced him, smiling, "...who's gonna carry all the goods back to the quarry for you?"
That remark got him. Having no response, Angus simply nodded and resumed the fight, his nail gun aiming directly for Helloween's human torso. "Alright. You know the risks. Just stay out of my way and avoid getting slayed by this thing at all costs. Got it?"
"Sheesh, you don't have to say it like that…"
"I'll get its attention." Avdol said. He zoomed off at a rapid pace, the color red streaking behind him. With all of his focus on getting Helloween's attention, he failed to grasp one thing.
A spine-tingling chill drowned out the summer heat, causing ice to form on the freights, deck, and even their own bodies. Avdol had run right into a trap. A collar snapped to his leg, neck, and arm, halting his advances and making him hit the deck in a painful barrel roll. His arms hugged his icy body as his eyes were winced shut.
"Oh, no you don't, you bastard." Angus shivered from the intense cold and fired a nail into Helloween's front shoulder as one of the stand collars fastened to his neck.
It whinnied in agony, losing control of its right leg completely. Upon hearing pained grunts behind him, Tenmei's head snapped around to find that it had also affected Canneberge, who's head slammed into the deck as they lost control of their arm whilst trying to get up.
"Fuckin' geezer!" they spat.
With Avdol momentarily incapacitated due to the freezing temperatures, and Canneberge down for the count, Tenmei glanced at the keys in his hand then to the stand mirroring its users actions (or lack thereof). Yet another stand collar closed shut around his neck. Glowering, he ran to Avdol and knelt beside him, unlocking each of the collars clamped around his arm, neck, and leg. The keys disappeared. Though he wasn't worried one bit with where they reappeared. Soon, they'd be back in his possession in no time.
"You alright, Avdol?" he asked.
The summer sun once again warmed Avdol's body as he sat up and looked at him. "Yeah. The air stung me like a thousand needles just now."
"I can imagine." He extended a hand to Avdol, helping him up. "Come on."
SCHOOPF
Another nail zipped through the air and into Helloween's other front leg. Canneberge was just beginning to prop themselves up again, only for their head to meet the deck a second — well, third — time. "Oh, come on!"
"This fight's gone on for far too long!" Angus bellowed. A hail of nails shot into the stand's ribcage, back legs, and neck. Immobility consumed Canneberge's entire being, their eyes widened, and their words caught reverberating in their throat and chest due to one of Angus's nails being lodged in Helloween's neck.
Tenmei got a good look at the aftermath and took a deep breath of relief. The fight was finally over. Looks like I won't die today after all. That's a relief…
With one of the remaining keys in his hand, he unlocked Helloween from both his and Angus's necks. Freedom at last. "Do you think they can still make the cold air?" Tenmei asked him, pointing to the unmoving stand.
"Doesn't matter," he replied, "I'm not sticking around to find out." He sauntered over towards the maze of freights, motioning for him and Avdol to follow. Tenmei couldn't help but stand there and look back over his shoulder.
Should I detach Never Enough from the stand? I dunno… what if it acts up again? He took a second to think about it. Then again, I could just reattach Never Enough to it if need be. Heck, I already figured it out, so it's not like we'll be falling for its tricks again anytime soon.
Partially relieved by that thought, he walked over to Helloween, the cherry symbol's green glow fading in from obscurity as he came closer. Tenmei pressed his palm to it and the job was done. Never Enough was removed and he pressed on, patting the other half of his stand to his pants pocket where it belonged.
Once all the high grade firearms were stashed into Tenmei's backpack, as well as Avdol and Angus, he made his way towards the gangway in hopes to make a quick getaway. Without being caught by the Motorhead gangsters scouting the area. He definitely didn't want to endure another fight — anything but that. As he began his departure, Canneberge's throaty, incoherent cries for help and reconsideration caught his attention. Tenmei stopped and turned to look back in pity at the helpless individual that plagued him with so much fear in the beginning.
The only thing capable of movement on Canneberge's body at all was their eyes, and they were following Tenmei along as he sauntered onward. Standing there, all Tenmei could do was feel sorry for them.
"Sorry, I'm not supposed to help the bad guys." He waved a hand up with smiling eyes. "With all these weirdos skulking around, someone should be by to help you in no time! So don't worry! Hope you don't stay frozen for too long, it's pretty hot out today." And with that, he snuck off the ship and was gone from sight.
