[Because I don’t know if the two unnamed crew members of the Kid Pirates are ever going to be named…. I’m giving them names and if their names are revealed later on whilst I’m writing I’ll fix it, but the ginger with the Mohawk shall be called Titanium “Titan” for short and the muscular blonde guy that I think has a scar over his right eye shall be called Spike… I’m tired of describing them as the crew members Malice doesn’t know very well and I’m going to develop my own personalities for them since we haven’t seen much of them yet]
Nerve wracking, finger nail biting, crippling silence filled the room as the conscious Kid Pirates anxiously waited to see what would happen next. They were currently sitting around a large luxurious dining table in plush chairs that looked as if they’d been carved from oak barrels. Malice had claimed a seat between Killer and Kid as they were the only ones still conscious after what she could only assume had been a burst of Haki from her father, the captain of the Red Hair Pirates. Fear and anxiety gripped her heart as she waited impatiently, fidgeting in her seat between her captain and the first mate.
“Will you stop that?” Kid growled as she tapped her foot causing the heel of her sleek black boots to clunk against the base of her chair repetitively.
What if he’d only sought her out to end her existence? Perhaps this was a test to see if she really were a disgrace. He was just trying to finish cleaning up his mess. Malice’s brain worked in overdrive jumping to every possible horrible outcome as her nerves got the best of her.
“I don’t think she heard you.” Killer muttered as he looked over to the cryptic young woman. Her face was at least two shades paler than usual, worry lines were etched into her forehead, her lips were a bright bloody red from habitually biting them every few seconds in an attempt to keep herself composed and the backs of her knuckles were white from how tightly her fists were clenched in her lap.
Kid looked over at the crumbling girl in concern. He hadn’t told the other’s about her father, if she wanted them to know she’d tell them. “You’re making me look bad.” He grumbled at her trying to sound tough and indifferent hoping it would give her some kind of strength.
Her deep garnet eyes flashed in his direction and he held his breath at the torn look in her eyes. On the outside she looked stressed, but on the inside he knew she was a hysterical mess. Her eyes were filled with terror, uncertainty, rejection and a familiar heartbreaking loneliness. Kid sighed and looked away from her as he dropped his hand into her lap to cover her trembling fists.
“We won’t let them take you away, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He scoffed as he tried to avoid meeting her gaze. The trembling in her hands ceased and Kid stiffened as she slipped a small hand in his. Her hand fit perfectly in his, it was so small and delicate, almost childlike in a way and he fought off the smile that threatened to worm its way onto his lips as their fingers intertwined.
Titan, a somewhat scrawny pale man with a ginger Mohawk, atop his otherwise shaved head, and a pair of small circular black sunglasses covering his beady dark eyes, jolted from his unconscious state and ended up tumbling out of his chair and onto the floor. “Oy, wot the hell?” He grumbled as he scrambled back to his feet and dusted off his oversized white fur jacket. “What ‘appened? I was fightin’ dis bloke an’ next thing I know ’s lights out. Bloody wanker pulled a fast un on me.” He spat in a somewhat understandable cockney accent. When he was pissed off, drunk or disoriented it was impossible to tell what he was saying, usually his accent was almost nonexistent.
Malice cracked a small smile and struggled to keep in a laugh as her overworked brain finally snapped.
Kid looked over at her curiously as he felt the slight quiver in her hand as her body shook with silent laughter, “What’s wrong with you?”
Malice released his hand and wrapped her arms around herself gripping her sides in an attempt to hold back the laughter as she doubled over and laid her head down on the table. Her body continued shaking from silent laughter alarming the others.
“Are you hurt?” Kid asked worried.
“I think she’s ‘aving some kinda fit.” Titan noted as her shaking became more violent as it became harder and harder to hold back her laughter.
“Are you having a seizure?” Kid prodded her lightly.
Malice fell out of her chair laughing uncontrollably.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Kid snapped in anger as he’d suddenly jumped out of his chair the moment he saw her fall and now looked foolish as he stooped over her laughing form half holding her in an attempt to keep her from hitting the floor. He released his hold on her and she fell to the floor with a soft ‘thunk’ and proceeded to roll around laughing hysterically.
Titan cracked a grin as Malice’s soft melodic laughter filled the room.
“Don’t you dare join in this lunacy.” Kid warned the ginger haired man as he fought off the urge to smile; her sweet laughter was too infectious.
“Can’t ‘elp it mate.” Titan laughed.
Heat woke to the sound of laughter and hurriedly shoved his pale white hair out of his face to survey his surroundings. “What’s going on?” He asked perplexed as he looked to Kid still partially standing over a hysterical Malice and Titan who was now pounding his fists on the table in laughter.
“They’ve lost their damn minds.” Kid barked as he continued trying to resist the urge to smile as he looked down at Malice’s beaming face.
Heat chuckled softly.
“Don’t you even think about it!” Kid snarled uselessly as yet another of his subordinates started to laugh. “You’re all mental!” He raged.
Spike, a burly man with short unkempt blonde hair, and faintly tanned skin with a slash scar across his right eye, guffawed in his sleep.
“Blokes not even bloody conscious!” Titan howled as he slipped off his chair laughing.
Kid leaned over Malice and gruffly pulled her up by her arms, “Get off the damn floor, you’re going to get sick!” He growled causing everyone to stop laughing all at once and stare at him.
Killer choked up on a laugh, finally deciding to join in the hilarity and sent the others into hysterics.
“WHAT IS SO DAMN FUNNY?!” Kid snarled and regretted it instantly as Malice stared up at him with huge terror filled deep garnet eyes.
“Nothing.” She breathed softly looking as if she were about to completely collapse into a pit of despair.
“Then laugh if you want to.” Kid grumbled in an attempt to keep the desolate look from her hypnotic eyes, but the damage was done, he’d snapped her back to reality and she folded into herself once more as her mind worked in overdrive running through all the horrible possibilities.
Killer watched the girl curiously for a moment as she silently slumped into her chair and brought her knees to her chest.
“What are we here for?” Titan asked smoothly with no trace of an accent on his voice now that he was calmed down.
Killer looked to his captain wondering why he’d told Malice he wouldn’t let them take her away, what could the Red Hair Pirates want with the girl?
… Meanwhile…
Benn Beckman, a late middle aged man with graying raven hair and an x shaped scar across his upper left cheek, smiled to himself as he watched his crimson haired captain pace back and forth outside the door where their guests were waiting. The crimson haired man was no more than 38 years of age whose strong chiseled facial features were normally calm and relaxed was now a frantic mess. The first mate chuckled to himself, his captain got like this at times, especially when dealing with children he cared about.
“What do I say? What am I supposed to call her, she doesn’t even have a name.” He panicked, “It’s my fault.” He raked his right hand through his crimson hair smoothing it back for all of five seconds before a few stray strands fell back into his deep garnet eyes.
“You could start with a hello.” Yassop, a middle aged man with shoulder length dark blonde dreadlocks, interjected trying to ease his Captain’s frantic pacing.
“What if she hates me?” Shanks stopped pacing momentarily and threw a curious look to the door as he heard an outburst of laughter from within. A small smile wormed its way onto his lips and he finally found strength as he heard a beautiful feminine laugh, it was melodic and lilting and somewhat reminded him of songbirds. At least he hadn’t completely ruined her, she could laugh, which gave him hope that he could atone for being unaware of her existence and abandoning her.
“Perhaps she’s worried about the same thing.” Benn noted drawing his captain away from the infectious laughter.
The laughter in the room suddenly cut off and Shanks looked to the door curiously before another burst of laughter roared from within. He chuckled to himself softly, it sounded like she was having fun.
“WHAT THE HELL IS SO DAMN FUNNY?!” A deep voice boomed from within the room causing the laughter to die instantly. It was the surly captain of the Kid Pirates. Shanks didn’t understand their relationship at all from what he’d witnessed from afar. They seemed almost intimate at times, protecting each other and fighting together harmoniously in battle, but they bickered and in the presence of others the young red haired captain seemed distant and even offensive toward her.
Shanks strained to hear her response but it was too soft.
“Then laugh if you want to.” Came the reply of the young captain his usually gruff voice now soft and tender.
“What are we doing here?” An unfamiliar voice asked from within the room and Shanks strained to listen for a reply, but there was none.
Benn and Yassop threw their captain a curious look as he reached for the door hesitantly. He nudged open the door slowly while holding his breath half expecting to find her smoldering glare staring back at him. Everyone jumped to attention around the table their eyes all zeroing in on him, everyone but her. Her head was resting against her knees looking to the young red haired captain while her arms hugged her legs close to her chest. Ebony dyed hair spilled down her delicate frame in beautiful waves. Her petite frame and silken ebony hair reminded him of the dancer he’d met twenty years ago. His garnet eyes swept over the young red haired captain and was surprised to see his hand linked with hers beneath the table offering her strength and support.
The silence creeping in the room was absolutely agonizing. Titan, Heat and Killer looked between the famous Pirate Emperor and the strangely withdrawn Malice curiously as they noticed the intimidating man’s gaze trained on her. A single thought coursed through their minds, what was going on?
Malice slowly lifted her head afraid of the look of disgust and hatred she’d see in her father’s eyes. She truly was unwanted, she was never meant to exist. Hesitantly she turned her gaze to the doorway stopping at his sandal clad feet before slowly raising past his revealed hairy calves, pausing at the hem of a long black cloak, to the plain dark trousers and the loose fitted white shirt before finally stopping as she reached his sharp chiseled face. After a deep breath to calm her nerves, she met his gaze and held her breath as she was met with a pair of smoldering garnet eyes, eyes like hers. He offered her a smile and she felt a strange sense of elation in the pit of her stomach. He didn’t hate her! Hot tears burned behind her eyelids and she struggled to maintain her cool composure.
“Well this is awkward.” Titan piped up only to fall out of his chair with a yelp of pain and cradle his bruising shin due to Kid’s bulky biker boot colliding into it with enough force to shatter a cinder block. “What the hell, captain?!”
“We’re going back to our ship.” Kid responded gruffly giving Malice’s hand a reassuring squeeze as he realized she’d be fine.
Killer, Titan and Heat looked to Shanks tensely expecting some kind of retaliation or refusal, but the older red haired captain merely shrugged and stepped away from the doorway. Titan and Heat quickly grabbed the two remaining unconscious Kid Pirates and headed for the door. Killer hesitated at the doorway as he realized Malice was still in her seat.
“Malice are you-?”
“She’s staying.” Kid said simply before dismissing his first mate with a wave of his hand. He turned his attention to the delicate girl completely ignoring the big shot in the room in an attempt to seem completely unfazed by his presence. “Just yell if you need me to save your sorry ass.” He said gruffly as Malice met his gaze, but his feral amber eyes were soft and he offered her a tender smile.
Malice smirked slightly at this, “That goes double for you.” She murmured softly.
Kid rolled his eyes and gave her hand a final squeeze before exiting the room leaving her alone with the man she once believed never wanted her in existence.
[lol so if you couldn't tell, while writing this I got hit with a crazy laughing fit and just couldn't stop.... yeah..... so that's what happened... hahaha.... next chapter will probably (maybe) be more serious.... who knows....]