Missing Piece

Chapter 14

Charlotte had been framed. Or at the very least wrongfully accused. Her interrogation had failed in supplying them with any useful information yet oddly useful at telling the huntress exactly what she was suspected of doing. The town's treasure was stolen, and she was suspected of having stolen it. Why she would steal or how didn't seem to matter to them. When she told them that she had only arrived earlier today while the core went missing a few nights ago, they didn't believe her though.

"Oi!" She called and the guards jolted to a start.

"Y-yes?" He stuttered, eyes following the little wisps of dark aura wafting from her.

"Why am I the only one here? Don't you guys have more criminals? Surely, I can't be the only one behind bars."

The guard scoffed at the question. "All criminals are sentenced to die in Vhils. You'll learn all about it soon enough once your trial sentences you to exile."

Charlotte settled back onto the bench in her cell. Vhils? They don't keep them here? Her thoughts were interrupted when her Haki picked up the two pirates that had been tailing her since her captured. Why? She wasn't a quite sure. But she wasn't going to stick by to find out. Especially now that there was a distraction she can leverage to escape; a small round ball rolled into the centre of the station, fizzling smoke quickly.

"What the—quick, grab your mask!" One of the two guards shouted, slipping on his wooden mask, while the other panicked next to him. "No! It's a bomb, we have to get out of here!" He shouted instead, grabbing his buddy and rushing out of the room.

Charlotte stared at the fizzling ball for a moment more and then the unguarded prison station. Her lips stretched into a grin. Charlotte had spent enough time in her life locked up to stay locked up behind some stupid bars.

Rike and Cole stared at the not-so-subtle hole in the cell that once held the person they were here to rescue. "Why the hell isn't she here?" Cole asked, voice strained and far too tight. He had used one of his special pseudo-bombs just to get them in here to rescue her and she was no where in sight!

"I-I think she may have escaped herself during all the chaos." Rike swallowed thickly while Cole gripped at his head and groaned loudly, bending backwards in frustration. He stilled suddenly and jerked back into an upright position. "Oi, do ya think she's finally out of our hairs?" He beamed, grin far too wide to be hidden. She said she'd leave on the next island; this was the next island. He was finally free from the Blasted Witch! "WOOHOO!"

"In here! I heard noises!" A voice sounded not too far away and Rike quickly slapped the other to be quiet. But it was too late, the guards had returned with their strange trumpet-shaped guns and in the next moment Rike and Cole were both arrested for helping the criminal escape.

Back at the clothing store, Charlotte grabbed the scrawny shop clerk, lifting him up by his shirt collar. Her karambit spun out around her finger, the curved end pointing dangerously along his neck. "You have three seconds to tell me how the police found me or never speak again. Decide."

"Y-your cuffs!" The clerk spat out quickly and as promised, Charlotte dropped the other instantly. "Only criminals are handcuffed." He coughed and Charlotte blanched. Then glared at the chains between her wrist blaming the inconvenient misunderstanding as Law's fault.

I told you they'd bring unwanted attention! She hissed, yanking her scarf from her neck. She re-wrapped it around her wrists, covering the cuffs. "For the record, I am not a thief, and I did not steal the Remedial Core!" She corrected as she strolled out after another glance of her new outfit in the mirror. "I'm a hunter." And she'll hunt down the real thief tarnishing her name.