The Octonauts and the Pirate Ship Predicament (complete)

Chapter Eight

Kwazii had been bouncing around the ship since before six this morning, his excitement painfully evident. The pirate crew had invited the Octonauts up to their ship this morning, as Hector had said that they must return the favour. The young pirate was extremely enthusiastic about seeing a real life pirate ship in depth this time, so he was impatient to go, despite Barnacles' warnings of: 'We don't want to go too early and wake them up, do we Kwazii?' 

Kwazii's defiant reply had been: "Pirates always wake up early," but he hadn't pursued the subject with the Captain.

Now, at around half past nine, he was bouncing around the Launch Bay energetically, knocking over various things in the process of his impatience. Tweak sighed as Kwazii nearly tripped over another of her tools, that he had previously knocked off the worktable for the fourth time. "Seriously Kwaz, just stay still for just a minute, won't you?"

Kwazii slowed obligingly, coming to a halt next to the crouched-down Tweak, who had bent to pick up the tool on the floor. "Sorry Tweak. I'm just really excited."

"Well no one noticed," Tweak said sarcastically. She wasn't in the best of moods, mainly because she had been invited up to the pirate ship along with Kwazii and Dashi, who had both been enthusiastic to go. Shellington and Peso had politely declined, both having work to do on the Octopod, but Tweak hadn't been able to think of an excuse quickly enough, so she had had to grudgingly accept the invitation. She still didn't trust the crew, although she wasn't very sure why. Maybe it was Hector's eerie politeness, or the way the crew seemed to be almost too perfect, liking all the things each Octonaut member did, or maybe even the odd behaviour of Nut earlier, but she couldn't back up her views with any evidence to hold against them. Now she had slept on it, she couldn't help but doubt herself now. Maybe she had just got off on the wrong foot with them, and they actually were perfectly nice people. Maybe.

Kwazii crouched down next to her. "Is everything okay, Tweak? You seem kind of - different today. Kind of quiet."

Tweak considered whether or not to share her suspicions with him. "Well Kwazii, the thing is -"

At Kwazii's expectant look, Tweak quickly reconsidered. He seemed to be so happy and excited about the pirate crew that he had idolized since he was young, and it was perfectly possible - indeed, highly likely - that she had just seen them in the wrong light before. She shouldn't ruin it for Kwazii.

So Tweak looked him in the eye for a full second, then dropped her gaze, sighing quietly. "Nothing, Kwazii. It's nothing."

At this point Dashi and Barnacles arrived from out of the Octo-Chute, both with smiles on their faces. They were excited too, Tweak reflected, and made a mental note to try and change her view of the pirate crew as soon as possible. Kwazii leapt to his feet, nearly hitting Tweak in the face in his haste. "Can we go now?"

The Captain chuckled. Kwazii sounded like an impatient little child. "Yes, Kwazii, I think we're ready now."

"The Captain's escorting us as far as the pirate ship," Dashi explained. "He's got work to do the rest of the morning, but he's coming this far. Just in case we get lost in the hundred metres or so we have to travel."

Barnacles smiled. "You know I trust you, Dashi. It's Kwazii I'm worried about really."

Kwazii feigned mock indignation. "Hey!"

It came so easily for them, Tweak reflected as she opened the Octo-Hatch for them before setting it to shut behind them and swimming out herself. Just chatting and laughing and joking together, the Octonaut crew, simple and easy. Was it like that for the pirate crew? Were they able to do that as well? How similar to the Octonauts were they really? It was hard to tell.

It wasn't long before they were up by the pirate ship, breathing in the fresh salty air of the sea and looking up at the shape of the ship above them. It may have been worn down and old, but it was still a foreboding figure in the sea, tall and proud. Kwazii laid his paw on it almost reverently, when they heard the now-familiar voices above them. "Kwazii! And some of the Octonaut crew, I see. Come on up!"

Tweak went up with Kwazii on the first tyre, holding on tight to the rope in the middle as it rocketed up twenty metres skywards, landing with a dull thud on the deck where the pirate crew were congregated. She couldn't help but feel slightly awkward as Hector greeted Kwazii with a hug, while the rest of the crew stared oddly at her. It was a relieving sight to see the captain and Dashi hopping up onto the deck a few moments later, as the raking gazes of the pirates were momentarily transferred elsewhere.

"I wasn't aware that you were coming, Barnacles," greeted Hector informally. Was it Tweak's imagination, or did his gleaming smile fade slightly when he saw the captain come up with the others? She shook it off. She really had to stop being so paranoid. The crew had been nothing but friendly to the Octonauts.

Barnacles evidently hadn't noticed. "Oh, I'm not staying. I just came to say hi and to make sure my friends got here safely," he said pleasantly.

"Oh right." Did Hector sound relieved? "You're perfectly welcome to stay if you wish."

"No, it's fine. I have work to do on the Octopod, but I'll leave these three with you."

Please don't.

The plea took Tweak by surprise, her mind had just come out with that statement randomly. Luckily she hadn't said it out loud, even though her body ached to follow Barnacles back to the Octopod. 

To safety.

What was wrong with her today? She was oddly reluctant to stay on this ship, her body was automatically tensed, as it did in dangerous situations. Tweak was surprised her ears hadn't twisted up yet.

When she dragged her unwilling mind back to the present, Hector was looking straight at her, his dark eyes seeming to look right through her intensely. Tweak avoided his gaze, while alarm bells were ringing in her head.

Something's wrong here.

"Right, I'll go now," Barnacles said cheerfully. "See you later," And with that he was gone, dropping down the side of the ship while Tweak's mouth was still trying to form the word 'bye'.

Hector faced the three with a smile. "Well I'm sure you're all eager to have a look around. Annabel, you wanted to show Dashi your camera and photograph collection, didn't you?"

Annabel nodded with a sweet smile. Dashi looked excited and fingered the camera she had hanging around her neck. "That sounds great!"

"Kwazii, you wanted to see my scrapbook of pirate memories and adventures, didn't you? As well as the buried treasure we've found," Hector said enticingly.

Kwazii's smile was stretching almost to his ears. "Yar!"

"And Tweak." Hector faced her with the same smile, though to Tweak's eyes it somehow looked sinister. Get a grip, Tweak. They're your friends. "Nut and Kan wanted to show you the mechanics of our ship. Seeing as you're such an expert and all. We thought you might be able to take a look at it."

Tweak saw Kwazii and Dashi looking at her expectantly, and forced a fake smile, though she still felt uneasy. "I'd be happy to."

"Have fun, then," Hector said lightly, beckoning Kwazii over to his cabin, who followed eagerly. Annabel and Dashi were already deep in conversation. That left Tweak looking longingly after her friends. 

Don't leave me alone with these people.

 As both vanished into various rooms, Tweak had no choice to turn where she saw Kan and Nut waiting for her. Kan's face was expressionless as he met her eyes unwaveringly, and Nut's eyes were firmly fixed on the floor. He still looked terrified of her, for some reason.

"C'mon, Tweak," Kan said gruffly, gesturing to a ladder leading down into the darkness inside the ship itself. "Let us show you something."

Tweak had no choice but to nervously follow the two pirates into the depths of the ship, knowing that whatever it was that was going on here, it wasn't right. 

But what did they want with her?