][Malice][ =One Piece=

:: Chapter Fifty Three ::

Malice woke with a start as she felt the ship lurch. She could hear voices around her some appeared to be crying out in agony others were talking in hushed tones. It sounded like she was in the infirmary. The rancid smell of blood, bile and decay confirmed her suspicions. Her eyes took a long moment to adjust to the dim lighting of the infirmary. One quick look and she realized everyone around her was in dire condition.

She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Where was Kid? That asshole knocked her unconscious and was spitting stupid words about being a martyr. There weren't any familiar faces in the infirmary around her, they must all be part of Hawkins' crew.

"Hey where do you think you're go-?!" A man in a lab coat approached her but cut off with a choked gasp as she easily caught him by the neck and lifted him off his feet.

"Where's Kid?"

The man uselessly flapped his gums but no sound came out, he wasn't getting enough oxygen and instead shook his head to signal he had no idea. Malice released him from her hold and stormed past him. There were more voices above her, people were scrambling about on the deck, it seemed like they had dropped anchor and were preparing to board longboats to row to shore. Apparently, they'd reached an island.

She hurried up the stairs to the main deck and spotted Killer talking to Hawkins. There were a few other familiar faces. Spike and Titan were leaning against the hull of the ship; Titan was nursing a bad head wound and Spike's right arm was wrapped heavily in bandages. Her heart fell as she realized she didn't see Kid anywhere.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Malice snarled causing everyone on deck to jump and turn to her. Everyone looked somber and avoided her gaze.

Heat and Wire approached her and tried to calm her down but no one was offering her any answers. She hurled them away from her and raced to where Killer and Hawkins were conversing.

"Ah! Malice, you shouldn't be up-." Killer cut off as his heart stuttered in his chest as her hellish eyes narrowed into a glare.

"Where's Kid?" She clenched her fists at her sides.

Hawkins reached out and clapped a hand on her shoulder, "We're coming up with a plan to get him back, now." He attempted to reassure her.

Malice felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach and her stomach begin twisting into knots. Kid was captured! That idiot really stayed behind so they could get away.

"Malice? I'm sure he's still alive. I don't think Kaido would kill him without you." Killer attempted to shake the girl from her sudden comatose state as she stared blankly in a panic. He couldn't tell if she was going to scream, cry or start killing every living thing in sight. The first mate feared if they didn't get their captain back soon, no one would survive, no matter how well she got along with any of them, without Kid she'd become the murderous ghost once again. He feared what would happen if Malice descended into a mindless murderous madness, there would be casualties all across the world. "We're going to get him back. I promise!" He tried again to shake the girl praying he'd see some sense of clarity in her hellish ember eyes.

"What's the plan?" She growled impatiently.

Hawkins flipped through his tarot deck hurriedly and blanched at the ominous card glaring back at him. The Tower. Depicted on the card was a tall tower with lightning striking the top, flames engulfing the upper part of the tower near where the lightning stuck and people flinging themselves off of it to escape. The tower represented chaos, danger and destruction. He looked warily to the crimson haired girl at his side. If they did not quell her rage soon, she'd start taking lives.