"Get your hands...off my girl..."
I had heard Kid angry before. Furious. Deathly, so. But this time, however, his voice was dripping with a venom that no great doctor or scientist could ever hope to combat. His tone was so low, so blood-curdlingly vicious, that even I felt my veins turn to ice.
Despite his wide grin, Livewire's body was tense against mine, so I could tell that he at least felt a little threatened by Kid.
"Or what? The second you sorry lot made a deal with us you became our property! She doesn't belong to you anymore, Eustass. I can play with her all I want."
I kept my eyes on Kid, even as the scoundrel caressed my face, blurred red creeping into view within my peripherals as blood dripped down from my impaled wrist. There was a wild intensity in his glare, split halfway down the middle. Untamed rage towards our enemy, and what seemed to be genuine concern for me.
Your girl..? Normally I'd be going crazy over that, but I can hardly think straight right now...
Extending his arm, fingers flexing in preparation, Kid replanted his feet on the floor.
"Attract!" He shouted, the air around us crackling with a different kind of static than the bastard who had me pinned had created.
Nothing happened.
The red-head looked confused for all but a moment before Livewire began to laugh, again swinging out from my body, like he was having the time of his life.
"Aw, what's wrong, Eustass, buddy?! Wondering why you couldn't rip me away from my toy?!" He cackled, reaching to flick his fingers against the length of his spear. "I only use the finest copper! Nothing magnetic here, man!"
Shit...He's really a lot smarter than I gave him credit for...
Copper could only be considered magnetic when it was introduced to insanely strong magnetic fields. Whilst Kid was indeed strong, his ability wasn't enough yet. Not only that, but copper was one hell of a conductor. Kid's power could actually increase that, if he wasn't careful.
Shaking himself out of his initial puzzlement, Kid began to drag more metal from the surrounding debris, forming a weapon that likely wouldn't do much good.
"Quit your big talkin' and come fight me, you bastard! I'm waiting!"
The invitation seemed to steal Livewire's attention fully, and with a harsh yank, he pulled his spear out from my wrist and jumped down to fight, leaving me to fall to the ground.
The significant fall wasn't at all helpful to my bruised and battered state, and my head throbbed as I recollected myself, climbing to my feet and trying to shake the after-shocks out of my system.
"M..Miss..? You're bleeding..." Hearing that meek voice from somewhere behind me nearly scared me half to death at first, but when I turned my head, my relief was tainted with pity.
There were two terrified looking women, one equally as scared man, and a young boy, likely no older than five years old. He had been the one to address me.
"I'm...fine..." I lied, almost losing my balance as I crouched to his level. The last thing I wanted to do was frighten him more. "You guys should make a break for it. See that big, scary red-head over there?"
My big, scary red-headed bastard.
"That's my friend. He and all our other friends are gonna get rid of these awful people. Then they can't hurt you anymore, or send you away." I knew for a fact that Kid likely didn't give two shits about anybody else held within these four walls, but they didn't need to know that. For all they knew, we were the good guys.
"Y..You're kidding, right?" One of the women spoke up, voice crackling from lack of use. "Can't you see who's out there? They'll kill us..." I turned to try and get a better grasp of the situation and saw her point.
The Kid Pirates were powerful, but we were all tired and not in the best of health. I could see Heat going toe to toe with Barley-Bree, and both Wire and Boogie against the two busty bimbos I had cursed before. They were struggling.
We need back-up...
"Okay, uh, just hold tight, guys...I'm gonna try and get us some more help." I tried to offer them a smile, but I could feel my face twitching, still not quite recovered from the shock I had been given just before. Much to my dismay, the small child latched onto the back of my shirt, showing no sign of releasing me. "You're gonna follow me no matter what I say, aren't you?"
"Mmhmm." He nodded once, his confidence wavering a little, and I groaned to myself. The last thing I needed was a little snot nosed brat trailing after me. Now I'd find out how Paulie must have felt when we were growing up.
"Fine...but stick close. See that dead guy over in that cell there?" I pointed to the torn open cage that had been beside Kid's. "Well, he actually isn't dead, just sleeping. We need to go and wake him up. He's my best friend and he's super duper tough."
This is all I can do to help without my damn pistols...I really need to work on being of better use...
Keeping as close to the walls as possible, we set off towards the back of the warehouse. I felt pathetic, not being able to jump in and help my crew, who were fighting with all they had, but I couldn't dwell on it. Not yet.
Once we reached Killer, I knelt down beside him, shaking his body left to right, even though it caused my bleeding wrist to sting.
"Killer..! Oi, wake up, man..!" I called to him, but he wasn't moving. He was out cold.
"What if we take his silly helmet off..?" The boy asked, but before he could even reach for it I shook my head, placing a hand over the cool surface over my friend's covered face.
"Nope. Can't. He accidentally, uh, glued it to his head when he was younger. You'd rip his face clean off." My excuse seemed to horrify the child, but that wasn't my fault. I was horrible when it came to children.
I need to wake him up, and fast! Before-
"I spy some troublemakers..!" The second I heard that deep, almost gargling voice, I shoved the boy behind me and crouched over Killer, even though there was no way I would ever be able to protect him.
It didn't take me long to fully focus on who had addressed us and calculate just how much trouble we were in. Tall, broad, and dressed like an absolute imbecile, I could tell pretty quickly we were pretty screwed.
Franklin 'Nightcap' Joolz. Thirteen million berry bounty, no devil fruit, but with a natural brute strength that any grown man would cower before. The guy didn't have many functional braincells, but that didn't matter. If he wanted to hurt us, he could. Easily.
It's hard to take him as seriously as I need to with that stocking over his ugly mug...
"Don't worry! I'll keep your faces in tact! Bodies don't matter!" Nightcap pounded his fist against his palm repeatedly as he approached, and I frantically reached for whatever part of Killer I could grab as I crouched over his thighs, which was his legs.
"K..Killer..! You gotta wake up now..! Please..?!"
Unsure of what to do, but wanting to help, the small boy who had insisted on following me moved up to Killer's side and placed his hands on his chest, grabbing a tight hold of his nipples and twisting.
With a startled yelp, Killer flew upright, one of his arms curling around my middle and dragging me into his lap to both steady himself and stop me falling flat on my face.
"What the fu..?! (Y/N)..?! What's...Wait, that bastard, he-"
"No time to fill you in, man!" I held the arm he had around me as I retreated further into his chest, Nightcap stalking closer and preparing to launch his attack. "Sorry to ask you after nipple crippling you awake, but could you fight?!"
For a split second, Killer's arm squeezed me impossibly tight before he pulled me off, pushing me behind him and springing to his feet. Grabbing the nearest thing that could be used as a weapon, which happened to be a warped scrap of what used to be the bars of his cell, he prepared to fight.
"Don't get used to being awake, blondie! I'll put you back to night-night land real quick!" Nightcap's goofy laugh still seemed threatening, and I threw my arm around the little boy beside me, pulling him close into my side.
"You're welcome to try." Killer welcomed the challenge, bursting forward to try and land the first strike. As much as I wanted to witness how the massacre soldier fought, I knew I had to get the boy, and the rest of the innocent prisoners, out of there.
As we ventured back the same way we had come, I kept my eyes on Kid, who was in what seemed to be a complete stalemate with Livewire. Kid was obviously much stronger when it came to natural physical strength, but Livewire was faster, and the fact that he was completely non-magnetic didn't help any.
If we didn't get out soon, they were going to bring the whole warehouse down, and that would likely result in more casualties. I wanted to help him. I wanted to be able to stand up and fight, just like the rest of my crew, but I knew my place in this battle.
"Guys, seriously, you need to buck up and haul ass. If you stay here, you'll get crushed to death, or worse." I didn't sugar-coat it once we made it back to the others, but they still didn't seem convinced.
"B..but they'll kill us..!" The young man chewed at his dirty nails, and I was about ready to punch the lot of them square in the noses.
"Fine!" I hit my fist into the concrete, instantly regretting using my injured side. "Stay here and get buried by rubble for all I care! I tried! Bunch of cowards..."
This is why I looked out for myself, and only myself...People are idiots...
Before I could turn to leave them to their fate, one of the women grabbed my shirt, just as the little boy had done.
"Wait..! Please...I want to see my family again..! Tell us what to do..!"
Well, now I couldn't just ditch them. Heaving a sigh, I turned to scan the enclosed battlefield, perking up when my eyes fell upon a tear in the large metal door at the opposite side of the building. Something had hit it, and even though it was small, it would likely be enough.
"Okay, follow me, then...Keep low, and if any of the Tankard bastards see you? Book it. Fast." Motioning my head, I started off in a crouched slink, following the rows of busted cages. As we moved, other prisoners joined us, and by the time we neared the jagged hole, there were at least thirteen people lined up behind me.
What a pitiful conga line I've created...
I stopped a few metres away from the escape route and waved my hand, silently telling the others to get a move on. Like frightened little sheep, they all passed me by and, one after the other, disappeared through the hole.
"Miss?" I looked down when I felt a cold hand on my arm, the little boy's eyes filled with more than just concern for his own skin. "Aren't you coming?"
I was stuck between looking down at him, and looking out across the chaos we were up against. Weeks ago, I would have turned tail and escaped without a second thought, but things had changed.
"Not just yet, bud." I smiled at him softly, ushering him towards the hole with my boot to his ankle. "You go on ahead. I need to help my friends, okay?" His concern didn't waver, but he did as he was told, sparing me one final look before he too disappeared.
Now, I just need a long range weapon of some kind...
"Oi! (Y/N)!" I nearly fell flat on my behind when someone sprinted towards me, but immediately relaxed when I realised it was just Wire. He had a few open wounds to his shoulder and hip, but otherwise seemed to be alright.
"Did you get shot or something?!" I wanted to help with the bleeding somehow, but I was filthy. Tearing off sections of my clothes to patch his wounds would do more damage than good.
"Yeah, those stupid bitches were pretty handy with their guns, but we managed to take them down. Heat's tying them up as we speak. What about you? Why are you still here?" He questioned, but I completely ignored the last part of what he said, locking my sights on my tall stitched friend a little ways away.
"You should go help Kid, or anyone else who needs it..." Brushing the man off, I started off towards Heat and the two bimbos, who were back to back, struggling as he bent a thin beam of metal around them.
"Let go of us, you lumbering freak!" One let off a pitchy screech, kicking her legs about wildly. Sip. Two million berry bounty. I hadn't even recognised her earlier when she had been all up in Kid's business.
"The boss'll have your balls for this, you ugly piece of shit!" The other, Nip, shouted, spitting towards poor Heat and getting him in the eye. Same bounty as her companion.
Nope. Not on. I already hated you guys enough already before I even knew who you were...
"Oh, no no no, ladies. Did you just say what I think you just said? Did you seriously just insult my darling Heat here?" I placed a hand on my hip as I reached them, trying to calm my boiling blood. I could tell that the man was a little hurt by their insults, and that just wasn't okay. Ever.
"(Y/N), you should get out of here..." Wire murmured, taking my arm in his hands and inspecting my injury, which was still bleeding.
"They had guns, right? Can I have them?" Brushing off his concern, I waited as he fetched them for me, hesitating before handing them over.
They weren't all too dissimilar from my own pistols, albeit heavier. Good quality weapons, and I liked the feel of them in my hands. Shoving one into my waistband, I turned my attention to the thrashing girls and crouched down so I was right in Nip's face.
I should be mad about what they're doing right now, but what I'm really mad about is what they were doing earlier...
"You've got quite the set of balls, don't you, sweetie? Insulting Heat, of the Kid Pirates? That in itself is unforgivable, but y'know what really pisses me off..?" I used the barrel of the gun to tilt her chin up, and when her eyes met mine they were filled with terror. I wasn't sure how mine looked, but I was sure my anger was easily read.
Heat, block your ears, man. I don't need you relaying this and feeding Kid's ego...
"The fact that you had the nerve to put those dirty little hands of yours all over my captain. Hands that you use to do unspeakable things to innocent people? Children? Selling them off to god only knows who?" I jabbed the barrel harder under her chin, and it bobbed along with her throat when she swallowed, unable to speak. "Do you know what happens when you dare to touch my captain, Nip, honey? Do you want me to show you?"
I hadn't felt like this before. I wasn't sure if it was just Kid rubbing off on me, or something that had just always been there, dormant, but I had reached a whole new level of anger, and over something so trivial. Jealousy? That wasn't what was important, yet it was what was driving me.
When she didn't answer, I decided for her. I didn't even hesitate in pulling the trigger, and that was what would likely end up scaring me the most once the adrenaline wore off.
It was just like I had done back in that bedroom those few weeks ago, except this time I had the full intent to kill. Blood and brains sprayed across the cement and myself, and all over the back of Sip's head. I didn't feel a thing.
"N..Nip?! Oh my god, Nip?! What the fuck did you do?! You bitch! I told that fat boozer he should have killed you!" Sip began to scream at the top of her lungs, and that caused my pounding headache to amp up.
Standing, I rounded to her side so she could see me, a hand moving to rub at my temple as I pointed the gun to her face.
"Shut up. You're too loud." From a longer distance away, her death didn't make as much of a mess, and her head fell forward after impact, blood dripping down into her shirt.
"(Y..Y/N)..." Heat hovered a few feet away from me, shocked by what he had just witnessed. I couldn't blame him. It was wildly out of character for me. Releasing a shaky sigh, I let my arm drop, softening when I turned to face him.
"Kid would've killed them anyway, right? I didn't like the way they spoke to you, man. You're the best, and I won't stand for it."
And they had it coming...
Heat's cheeks flushed a little from my declaration, but he quickly shook himself out of it when a few chunks of metallic debris flew over our heads. Kid was still fighting tooth and nail, and he needed back-up.
"We can talk about it later, yeah? You go back Kiddo up. If you see anybody else that's able, get them to as well." I didn't mean to sound like I was ordering him about, but he didn't seem to mind, preparing to race off before pausing, looking down to me from his greater height.
"What about you..?"
"Me? I think I might try my hand at sniping again..."
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***This could have been better. I should have waited until I wasn't dog tired from work to write, but I really wanted to. I have to do a 9 hour close shift tomorrow, too 🙃 I am not thriving at the moment.
Honestly, most of the characters aside from Livewire and Cognac are pretty irrelevant. I don't know what I was doing. Bleh.
Next Time: Fault***