The distant sound of Adelaide's violent hissing makes him grin.
He knew she'd be down for this.
He just wish he could be enjoying it with her-
"You have a job to do, Little Spider; later we can play."
Right, he nods as his grin widens.
He shakes his head before he turns back to Uma, waiting for her signal.
"Go!" She orders before they all take off running.
Beam, James, Deez, and Gil would be checking for food this time, leaving him, Uma, and Harry as rescuers while Addy played distraction.
It was different being on this side of it.
Not that he was complaining.
He loved scaring people, more than he would have thought-
What are you talking about? You've always loved traumatizing people through terror. Who are you lying to?
Or, are you simply that stupid that you've forgotten the glee you've garnered through the years for every time you've made someone curse your existence for startling them?
Or is it just pure ignorance of your own feelings? I'm dying to know.
I said I was sorry.
No. No you didn't. Not once, in any variation of the word or its sentiment, have you genuinely felt guilt for any action you have taken this eve.
What?
He scoffs, I taught D that fire can be healing-
Oh, is that what we call guilt-tripping now, teaching?
I mean, when you put it like that-
Which I do, so by all means go on.
I got Harriett promoted, I'm pretty sure-
Yes, by nearly forcing her into killing us, which-
Fucking Christ, is nothing ever good enough for you woman? You're the one who wants her to move up ranks-
Not by forcing her hand in our murder you idiot-God, how has no one actually killed you?
Huh.
That was…
Luck?
I hate you.
"Holy shit there's a lot here." Uma says when they clear the last building standing between them and the cages.
He stares.
There were a lot, because these cages were barely half the size of the ones they'd seen so far.
He'd missed it.
"They be forced ta be standin'," Harry grimaces.
He scowls.
T-
A pit drops in his stomach at her tone.
Great.
What?
The smell-
A shiver runs down his spine.
You're fucking with me, right?
Dear brother, do you think me so delicate and in cognizant that I would cry wolf at the slightest of unpleasant odors? This entire Isle has wreaked a miasma of insidious scents since the sky went black, yet I have bitten my tongue and choked silently. Something of which you have no concept, you whiny, insubordinate, little cretin.
He resists the urge to hold up his hands to ward her off.
Got it, got it, got it, my mistake.
Fucking psycho.
Excuse me?
"We be needin' ta split up," Harry interrupts as he grabs Uma and him by the shoulders, "I be ah havin' these rows, be seein' ya on the other end."
"Yer faster than me, take the far side," Uma orders, but he stops her before she can run off.
He shakes his head, "something's off." he frowns, "stay with Hook. Meet in the middle. They can stand an extra couple o' minutes. They'll be fine."
Uma pauses, but nods, "be careful then."
"Stay close ta Hook," he repeats, "seriously Umes."
"Got it," Uma grins before she taps her hand to her head, "aye aye."
"Funny," he rolls his eyes.
The thought of you as a leader? Very.
Oh, be a good bitch an' keep your nose to the ground.
Crass, but understood.
He grins as he starts on the first cage.
Her listening to him? Now that he could get used to.
Get nailed to a cross.
He smirks as he races to his start position.
"Hurry." The girl inside the standing cage whispers urgently, "please, please Shadow."
"Don't run." He pops off the lock and gestures behind him. "Wait over there."
"I can pick." She holds her shackled hand out palm up.
He nods as he pulls another set out of his bag, "knew I liked ya for a reason, Weasel."
"Ya remember me," Weasel grins, "haven't seen ya in ages."
He snorts, "ain't like it's been years. Now get." He nods to the next cage. "Quicker we move, the better."
"Got it," Weasel nods as she scrambles to the cage next to him.
He loses track of how many cages he opens.
After the first couple of locks, he lets Faustina handle the shushing.
At some point, he ran out of his back-up picks.
But, they were making good time.
"Hey!"
He sighs in relief at the familiar demand.
Thank god.
"No-" He shakes his head at Ginny, "you let her out, you lose a finger."
Ginny's eyes widen to the size of saucers as she drops the picks.
T! Don't threaten-
Don't care.
She ain't getting away again.
"Everyone, go round the other side an' help Uma and Hook. They'll get you out."
"Don't you dare leave me!" Mimi hisses as everyone already free runs off, "T! Get me the fuck out!"
"Oh, so now you want my help?" He asks as he leans against the side of the cage and crosses his arms. "Say please."
"Fuck you?" Mimi grins as she tilts her head to the side.
"Sorry?" He grins as he moves to the cage across from her and pops the lock. He opens the door, "others now."
"Kay," a young boy squeaks before he runs off.
"Are you kidding me?"
He shrugs as he opens the next lock, "ya heard me." He states as he watches the kid run off.
Something smells off again.
Great.
"PLEASE!" Mimi cries out, "please, let me out. I'm sorry. Please, I- I know something you need to know. Please, take me with you, I'll tell you everything."
He drops the next lock, before he walks over, "enlighten me."
Mimi throws herself against the door, "it's my Grandmother. She, they haven't caught her. She's planning something big on the next no moon."
He frowns as he lifts his eyes to the sky, "well it ain't tonight then. What else ya got?" He asks as he returns to unlocking cages.
You are being incredibly cruel. She is only a child.
She, is a cunt.
"It's about the demi!" Mimi reaches her hands through the bars as far as they'll go before the shackles around her arms clang, "the Fire Princess."
He pauses, "what 'bout her?" He gestures for the boy to join the others.
Grateful, the row had fallen silent.
T-
But he didn't need her to tell him something was wrong.
The full moon was growing dark, as if someone were sliding something over it.
He nearly falls to one knee as a cacophony of screams pierces his ears.
"No!"
"Not again!"
"No!NoNo!No!"
"Fuck! T! T! She's after the Fire Princess!" Mimi screams.
Shit, he drops the lock in his hand before he scurries for Mimi's crate.
"What does that mean, you little brat?" He demands as he grabs the bars and glares down at the short pink haired hell spawn.
"Yes," another voice chimes in, "what does that mean, little witch?"
"Atilla-" Mimi murmurs, her eyes wide with fear.
He slowly looks up at the sky in betrayal.
Seriously?
T- this is hardly the time to be questioning the universe's sense of humor.
"The moon has been eclipsed, I can only assume it is in preparation for a larger spell," Atilla walks up behind him, "what does Mim want?"
A shiver runs down his spine.
Never.
Not once had he stood by Atilla's side.
But now that he was-
There was nothing he wanted more than to get away.
He felt like he was in the shadow of a predator-
Caught unaware.
You choose the oddest times to realize our mortality, dear brother, and though I appreciate your sudden understanding, do shut up.
"She, she wants what everyone wants, to get out of here," Mimi explains, forcing her voice to work with every wispy breath.
"And how does the Fire Princess Hyades fit into that goal?" Atilla stoops beside him, putting his face closer to Mimi while the girl had nowhere to run, "explain, and I will break the lock, so you can go where you will."
His eyes narrow into a glare.
Who the fuck did this-
"H-"
Shut. Up.
"I- I don't know." Mimi stands taller, though the girl was pale white under her pink hair, "I- the last time I saw her she just said she needed the brat for her strength. A god's strength. She, she said Hades would be better, but she dare not go up against the god unless she had more power."
Atilla frowns before he pulls out his sword and smashes it against the lock, "go." He barks before he turns.
"Stay." He demands at the same time.
Mimi looks between the two with fear and frustration.
"Are you going to go take care of this or what?" Atilla demands, ignoring Mimi entirely.
He snaps his mouth shut with a snarl as he yanks Mimi out of the cage and steps between her and Atilla.
"Would it help if you had all the witches from here freed?"
He eyes the other boy suspiciously, "I-"
Motive later, help now. Something is terribly wrong. So, just-
"You're fuckin' kiddin' me."
"That is what these attacks against the camps are? Right? Reclaiming VKs and everyone else born here?" Atilla presses before he turns on his heel and strides around the last cage in the row.
T, don't-
"Don't know, jus' a lackey." He shrugs, "Spider's callin' the shots."
-open your damn mouth.
"The Spider, huh?" Atilla's jaw clenches as he walks down the next row of cages before he starts cutting through the air, slashing back and forth as he continues walking.
Seriously, T, as fascinating as this is, and as tempted as you are-Shut up. You're so bad at handing out information.
You take that back, you dirty whore.
Atilla pauses when he reaches the end of the row, "you have no reason to trust me, but I know she trusts you. Go stop whatever that fucking old bitch is up to."
"Like fuck, do I take orders from daddy's boy," he scoffs.
"I once asked for a conversation we don't have time for now," Atilla gestures to the opening cages, "take them and go, but swear you won't let her come to harm."
"No, no, no-" He glares, "you don't- No. I ain't lettin' shit happen to- It has nothing to do with this. Or you. Or the stupid fuckin' lock tricks. Or any of it. It's cause I want to. The end."
Some lackey.
"Shadow," Mimi tugs on his sleeve, "people are coming."
"What the fuck!"
He groans at the sound of Uma's voice.
Shit.
"Catch," he shoves Mimi at Uma
"Kraken," Atilla nods.
"Soldier Boy," Uma pulls Mimi to her chest in a protective stranglehold.
"Inform the Spider that there is a plot against the Fire Princess, one that seems to involve the eclipsing moon." He points his sword into the darkened sky, "I will do what I can on my end, but understand that she is the key to everything and nothing must happen to her."
Uma blinks, before she shakes her head, "we don't have time for this," she scowls, "Harry-"
"On it, Cap'n." Harry pulls Mimi from her grip before he turns, "time ta be ah goin' then."
He slides in front of Uma, daggers drawn, "keep 'em tight Kraken."
"Aye," Uma presses a hand to his back, "we be ah leavin',"
Atilla's amber eyes slide over the two of them, "you must hurry, Shan Yu was on his way here."
His eyes widen, "like fuck, I'm stupid 'nough to fall for whatever the fuck this is."
Now, I just want you to shut up because you're embarrassing me.
"Believe me, this is not how I desired this meeting to go either." Atilla sighs, "but we are here, and there is something only you can do. I am man enough to acknowledge I am unable to run off to save the Isle's Fire Princess."
He studies Atilla seriously for a moment before Uma yanks him by his hood, "then if that's the case, looks like we'll call it a draw or whatever. Thanks for the assist, Soldier Boy."
Atilla nods, "may we meet again under better circumstances, Kraken."
"Oh, shove the pleasantries up your ass an' go eat a dick." He snaps.
"Shut. It." Uma snarls as she yanks the hood harder.
He watches Atilla stand there as Uma half drags, half carries him away.
What. The. Actual. Fuck?
What!?
No.
No.
I have spent years, dedicated years of my life for that tone-
And that prick earns it in five minutes?
T, I seriously don't know what to think right now. That was unnerving in all the most perturbing of ways.
His jaw drops.
I can barely make you speechless, and he gets to fucking break you?
Seriously?
What type of bullshit-
"What the hell was that all about?" Uma demands once they clear the cages.
"I'll get back to you on that-" T scowls, "apparently," he rolls his eyes, "since someone's just so unpredictable, where's Mimi?"
There's nothing wrong with being predictable, it means you have a sense of stability-Now get over yourself and focus.
"Harry knocked her out with a dart."
"Fuck," He groans before he races to catch up with Hook.
T she's just twelve you can't Rush her-
Tch, next you're gonna be tellin' me I can't Push her either.
Wha- No! What is wrong with you?
Is the scent still lingering.
You're the worst, you know that. Not more than a sip. Understand? And we're staying until she can stabilize. No one's ever had all three at once.
He grimaces, nope.
Desperate or not-
He could feel the Dragon's breath scalding the back of his neck.
The coin was gonna have to do.
Her stomach was starting to eat itself with worry.
She hadn't wanted to acknowledge it.
The ringing.
The constant, dread-inducing ringing.
The ringing that brought death and evil of the foulest kind.
And now, here they were, still waiting for the armory to explode.
That alone told her everything she needed to know.
She hadn't needed fucking Atilla adding to her already mounting anxiety that something was wrong.
Which, what the fuck had that been?
She'd just frozen-
Like some yellow-bellied cod when Atilla was standing so close to T-
-in shock.
She'd known the more camps they hit, the higher their chances of running into him or his father-
It was inevitable. But she just-
He'd been so close to her Problem Child.
Her Problem Child, whose only defense had been lock picks.
And then for Mimi to start spewing out everything, putting the nail in the coffin-
She was just proud of herself for busting out orders.
"Uma," Harry shoves the notebook under her nose, "Yensid be sayin' they be together just west o' the camp."
"Why are we waiting, then?" She snaps.
"Aye, Cap'n." Harry nods before he runs a hand over her hair, "I be ah seein' ta the Isle Borns an' then we be off."
"James an' Beam can take 'em an' meet up with Big Murph," she swipes a hand through the air, "lets go."
"Uh, Captain?" James steps in front of her as she turns to lead, "I think I should be ah stickin' with you."
"Yeah Umes," Beam crosses his arms over his chest, "I can handle this lot, but if something is wrong with Brute or Lil' Writer, you're gonna need muscle."
"Then come on," she looks up at the darkened circle that was the moon, "just, be careful. Who the fuck knows what this is all about."
"Same Kraken." Beam waves before he turns back to the group sitting on the ground.
"If you're comin', move it," she orders the rest of her family and Bo'sun.
"I be havin' the notebook, Umes," Harry takes her hand, "I can be checkin' in with the Ol' Man ta be leadin' us."
"Want me ta hold the little witch?" James asks as he walks over to T.
"I mean," T shrugs, "if you're offerin'-" he shrugs the girl off his shoulder and into his arms, "jus' know she aim's for the nuts everytime."
"Heard," James adjusts his grip on the smaller girl to cradle her against his chest, effectively pinning her arms and legs, so she can't move.
"Thanks," T sighs as he pulls out his daggers and starts fidgeting with them as his eyes dart in every which direction.
At least she wasn't the only one at a loss of what to do.
Though, she wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse.
She takes a deep breath.
It was so hard to think of anything with all the ringing.
And luckily, her eyes sweep over the others, none of them knew, or appeared to be affected.
Or suspected she was having difficulty.
If they knew, she was sure she would've been sent back, unanimously, to her own ship.
"Anything?" She asks when her eyes land on Harry's.
"He says we be nearly there," Harry squeezes her hand, "just ta keep headin' north-west."
"Motherfucker," T curses as he brushes past her in a blur.
"T!" She snaps before she freezes.
Orange smoke.
It was faint, as if it were clearing, but she could still see the tint.
"No-"
She breaks into a run, Harry at her side and James watching their backs.
"T? Do you see them?" She begs when he vanishes behind a dirt mound.
"Found Gil," T calls back, "but no D."
"Sweet Boy!" She cries out before she falls to her knees at his side, "Sweet Boy," she pulls his hand to her face, "answer me, right now."
Gil groans as he blinks up at her in confusion, "Uma?"
"T don't'cha be darin'-!" James snaps.
She spares a glance over her shoulder to find T pulling back his hand.
Well, apparently that was happening, and Sea Gods, she hoped he had a good reason.
She takes a deep breath before she turns back to Gil, "it's okay Sweet Boy, we're here. What happened?"
"Wha-" His brow furrows in confusion before his eyes spring open, and he scrambles to his feet, "Treasure!?" He looks around frantically.
Harry frowns as he holds up Deez's bag.
"No-" Gil shakes his head, "we gotta go. Someone was-Someone did somethin' ta Deez. She couldn't stop. It didn't matter how many times-We need to go."
She jumps to her feet, "what do you mean?" She tugs at Gil's hand, "Sweet Boy, what happened to Deez?"
"This lil' witch knows," T huffs as he glares up at James, who had his hand pinned in his grip. "But someone won't let me wake'er up."
"T!" Gil snaps, "ya can't hit a little girl."
She pulls a bottle of water from her bag as she walks over to the three.
"Sure I can-" T glares, "I just need my fucking hand back."
"I got it," she snaps as she upends the entire thing in Mimi's face.
Mimi gasps before she coughs and spits, then looks around, "what happened?" Her eyes land on T, "you!"
"That's right, me. You pain in the ass lil' shit. Where the fuck is your granny." he turns to Harry, "Hook. Ask it."
Harry walks over and stands in front of Mimi, "Look-it-"
"Madam Mim has her lair in the mountain, near the top." Mimi quickly explains, "It's a cave in a bowl. When you start to feel sick and paranoid, you're in the right place. Can I please not get dead?"
T snorts as he pulls a dart from his bag, "fat chance."
"No! No, wait, where is Deez?" Mimi holds her hands up defensively.
"Gone, so seriously-"
"What happened?" Mimi screams as she attempts to climb James.
"Will you sit the fuck still? You're makin' me twitchy."
"You're the one with the fuckin' dart!"
"An' you're a fuckin' runner."
James snorts, "no irony there or nothin'."
"Captain Uma, what happened to her? Maybe I can help! Please!"
She blinks.
And now her ears were ringing for two reasons.
"Holy shit-" T drops his hand, "are you crying?
"I don't wanna die." Mimi begs, her face drenched in tears, "everyone says the Spider kills witches. I didn't know you worked for the Spider."
"You think-" T frowns as he follows her eyes to the dart.
"Can we please find Treasure?" Gil snaps, "she's not okay."
"Right," T shakes his head. "You," he looks at Mimi, "Mountain. Cave bowl, right?"
Mimi nods.
"What'd'ya mean she ain'nah okay?" Harry frowns.
"She was fightin' it. Her. The song. But it kept gettin' louder no matter how many times I pulled her out."
"That's the Witch's Lure." Mimi explains frantically, "my Gran Mim is summoning her, the closer she gets, the more under the spell she'll become, until she's nothing more than a puppet." She frowns, "I guess that's why she blocked the moon."
She stares at the little girl in horror.
Mim.
Fucking Mim.
Orchestrator of that-
Massacre they called a ritual-
A brick drops in her stomach.
"An' she be in the mountain?" Harry asks as he holds out Deez's bag to her.
"Yes, can't miss it, if you know what to look for. Just, don't let it turn your mind away."
"Yeah," Gil nods as he stands.
"James, ya be gettin' 'em back to the ship?"
"Excuse me?" She places a hand on her hip, "what did you just say?"
Harry smiles sadly before he downs a bottle in his hand, "that ya be-" he starts coughing.
She turns when Gil's coughs joins Harry's a second later.
"Holy Neptune fuckin' Posiedon," Harry exhales sharply, "no wonder ya be killin' sharks on this."
No.
No no no no no!
"Uma, you know what that means," James slips up to her side.
"That the three of you should get back to the ship, so we can go get my Treasure? Right? Yes. Right. So we all agree? Good. Great," He grabs Harry's wrist, "let's go."
"T!" She looks around with a scowl.
"He be gone already," Harry calls over his shoulder, "we'll be ah updatin' ya when we can."
She watches as her Sweet Boy and Pretty Boy run off, moving faster than she'd ever seen either of them move.
"An where ya think you're goin'?" James scolds.
"I am your Captain!" She screams as she turns, "If I want to go with them-"
James blinks as he looks up from where he was holding Mimi by the collar.
"Oh." Heat radiates on her cheeks.
"Please don't kill me!" Mimi cries out as she shrinks in fear.
"We ain't gonna kill you, we're trying to save every Isle Born."
"And if that's not good enough for you, why don't you ask Maddy to explain?" James adds.
"Maddy?" Mimi blinks up at them from behind her tears, "you-Maddy's- She's still alive?"
She takes a deep breath before she holds out her hand for the younger girl, "aye, she's alive an' on' my ship. We found her yesterday at a different camp."
"But-" Mimi furrows her brow, "the Spider kills witches. I've seen him do it."
"T's the Spider, and he only kills if they try to get him dead first."
"Tch," Mimi scoffs, "T ain't scary."
She takes a deep breath as she drops her hand to her side, "look, I know you hero worship the Dragon. I promise not to hold it against you, but why don't we get you to Maddy, so she can answer all your questions?"
Mimi purses her lips together, "is that a shut up?"
"I see yer better at emotions than your heroine."
"Oh." Mimi nods as she falls quiet.
"And because I promised-" James plucks her from the ground and resumes carrying her, "Captain? Mind leadin' the way?"
She looks back over her shoulder.
Fucking assholes.
All three of them were fucking assholes.
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh-
Uma is fucking pissed-
Though, can you blame her?
Her boy's abandoned her-
And not just physically.
All four of her family members are going off against Mim-
Without Yensid to help protect them-
She's fucking terrified.
But, snorts, she isn't the only one.
Fucking bet you forgot about Mimi. Unless you didn't-
In which case, let me know.
Everything about this camp was a complete and utter shit show.
Deez just got fucking like, hacked or brain controlled or some shit-
By a fucking-
No, the fucking, Witch that orchestrated the ritual that fucking sacrificed dozens of children and babes-
Which-
My fucking god-
What the fuck is going to happen to her? She's already endured so much-
Forced to watch the first ritual-
Pivotal to the second-
*shivers* not good.
Not good at all…
And the fuck is up with Atilla?
Much love and shit.
-Twisted