The Doctor's Heart

Shades

Rex stared at Riza and his grin turned feral. "Fuck, a fuckin' fuckton of fuckin' berri."

"Nice... You kiss your mother with that mouth."

"No but I kissed yours with it."

"Have at, maybe she'll catch something and finally die."

"Too dark, Riza..." Rex mumbled and sat back down. "I want to go out and shake some other trees."

"Not tonight." Benn snapped. Rex didn't question the first mate, only waited for an explanation and more information. "Hell, I knew the island was rich. Had to be to survive and thrive on a desert island. If the rest of the trees are like this then the crew be set for a while."

"Years and a new ship."

Benn shared a satisfied smile with Shanks. "Good... Now.... Back on the issue at hand. These shades. They are invisible creatures who are native to the island. The mayor says here that they are mainly active at night. Mainly, set off by bloodshed and linked to the blood of whoever's blood was spilled. The shades enforced peace on the island."

"Couldn't the islanders kill these shades? I read here that they used armament to harvest the trees. They had haki." Shanks waved the file he was given to analyze.

"I dunno. Maybe-. Maybe, these shades are immune. That's why we couldn't sense anything." Benn suggested, flipping through the file again when he looked up his eyes honed in on Riza's hand. "What happened? Riza, your fingers."

"Huh?" Riza frowned, holding her bandage wrapped fingers up. One of the easiest things to do to treat small cuts. "Nothing. Just a couple of cuts from those- those trees... Fuck..."

She stared at Benn with blood draining from her face. She didn't want to experience a shade, first hand. Shanks lunged out of his chair to watch out of the window. The sun had sunk out of sight and night and the moon officially taking over the sky. Her stomach drop out from her, leaving a gaping hole. "What do we do?..."

"Get you back to the ship. Come on, Riza!"

"No!" Riza surprised herself with a shout. She remembered all too well, the split skull of the mayor. And how clean the bones were cut. The implied speed of the slices. What could they do to the crew? Shanks spun around to stare at Riza like she lost her mind. "The shades will follow me there, won't they? Why put the rest of the crew at risk? I could barricade myself in the office. Stay there until morning."

"Like fucking hell! We are not leaving you here alone." Shanks growled. Riza jerked back in surprise at the harsh tone from Shanks. She stared up at him in shock. The disappointment she saw flickering in his eyes stung her worse than his frustrated shout. Shanks sounded angry at her. Not annoyed but properly furious. "Would you risk your life for Stormy or Roo? Or Benn?" Shanks demanded. Riza could only nod her answer. "For your captain?"

"Of course!"

"Then, why can't you accept we would do the exact same for you?" Shanks pivoted her into a corner and all she could was look away, embarrassed. Riza ducked her face down to hide her shame burning her face.

The chill swept up her spine along with the feeling of being watched. The chill chased the burning red away. "I think, it's here."

"Benn, Rex. Get her to the office. Stormy, Nat, looking for a better position. One entrance and one exit. Come on! Let's get a move on, crew!"

Benn waste zero time in roughly grabbing Riza by the collar and shoving her in front of him. "Move! Office!" The first mate stood sentential at the start of the hall while Riza and Rex retreated. Rex burst through the office door. Something grabbed the heel of her boot and Riza fell with a hiss. Her hand flew to her pouch to defend herself.

Teeth sank through her boot and tickled her foot, not piercing her skin. Jarring to feel some thing there but not be able to see it. Rex grabbed her and drug her towards the office. Her boot slipped off and the jaws tightened. The thick leather boot crunched like a can. The boot was dropped and that chill swept through her. Claws whispered past her foot and Riza scrambled up. "Benn! Come on!"

Riza screamed as razor sharp claws found purchase on her leg, raking down the back of her calf. The shade yanked her out of Rex's grip. Teeth found her thigh and ripped viciously. The shade had enough strength to throw Riza against the wall with a furious shake of it's head. Blood splashed on the stone leaving her own stain to the bar's floor. Riza lashed her free leg and shoved something lean off of her. Shock replaced hot pain and she moved the staunch her bleeding wound. Too much blood. Her trembling hand was slick in her own hot, sticky blood. Benn was there in an instant. His boot stomped down on what Riza hoped was the head and his rifle swung down at the neck and blew a hole through the beast. Dark blood and flesh splattered out. Benn looked pissed and yet satisfied. Shades could be killed.

"Shanks! Focus your haki on the air! On the displaced air!" Benn shouted. Griffon sang through the air and another shade fell. Rex pulled her in the office and Benn followed. Dimly, Riza was aware of being placed in a corner and the guys pushing the desk against the door. She needed to stop the bleeding. "What do you need, Riza?"