(no subject)
This is the beginning and the end of a fic that's been gurgling in the back of my head for a while. Finally decided to write it down. Obviously, it is literally the Beginning and the End (or at least most of it). I have a whole series of events planned out, but no specifics yet. I'm hoping to get some help. Don't even have a title yet!
Just on general principal, Eustass "Captain" Kidd enjoyed terrified screaming. It always felt so good to know one had power over another.
However, it was a different matter entirely when one wasn't the cause of said screaming.
Ok. So that wasn't entirely true. There was plenty of screaming going on behind the group of pirates, given the mass amount of chaos and destruction they'd left in their wake. But the screaming they were hearing now was coming from in front of them, so they couldn't possibly be the source. The voice was female, which made Kidd wince when she hit a particularly high note, and held all the pent up desperation of a hopeless situation.
Coming round a rocky outcrop near the beach, the Kidd crew found the source of the screaming.
For them, it was an intensely pleasant sight.
A scantily-clad, thin young woman straddled the prone body of an unknown man.
She was currently engrossed in bashing the man's face in with a rather large rock. Blood splattered all over her arms. A well as the restraints around wrists and neck. The chain that connected them all jingled in jarring merry counterpart to the scene.
The screaming finally stopped when she tossed aside the rock and threw herself to the side. "... won't ever go back," they heard her say. "Would rather die. Would rather kill."
"Oh, I'd say he's pretty well killed, girlie," chuckled Kidd malevolently, gazing down at the bloody scene with appreciation.
Squeaking, she jerked her head up to stare uncomprehendingly up at the Kidd crew, fear in her dark blue eyes. She shifted a little, and Killer knew she was getting ready to run.
"A little barbaric, though, to kill him with a rock, don't you think?" Kidd continued.
"What?"
Kidd cocked his head at her, wondering if she was perhaps a little slow. Crouching down to look her in the eye he grinned at her, pleased with the way she flinched back. "A rock isn't the best weapon to kill with. It's dull. Messy, as you can see. Unless one gets lucky, it never kills with one blow." He pause and looked at the face of the unknown man. "Although in this case I doubt you were looking for quick," he mused thoughtfully. Shaking his head, he looked back at her. "Try a knife, next time."
She gaped up at him and stammered "N-n-n-e-ext t-t-time?"
"Think there won't be a next time?" He snorted at the thought. "Bullshit. Once you've killed, you can never go back." Rising, he glared down at the girl consideringly. He dismissed the fright in her eyes and moved on to the familiar chains and skimpy clothing. Nodding to himself, he grinned suddenly. "Join me."
Silent, she continued to stare up at him.
A few mutter came from behind him. "Captain, are you sure? She'll be useless!" griped one in particular. Kidd made a mental note to gut that one at some point. "Well?" he demanded. "Make your choice. Do you want your freedom? You'll only get it if you come with me, 'cause otherwise, I'll leave you here for your 'master'."
She flinched and shivered at the threat, eyes downcast. Then slowly, she held up her bound wrists.
Kidd smiled. And reached out one hand. "Those chains ain't made of seastone, so this should work," he commented. "Hold still. Repel."
From somewhere within the mechanism around her neck and the cuffs on her wrists came a faint "click" and suddenly the restraints fell away. She looked at her hands, then looked up at Captain Kidd in wonderment. "Thank you."
"Yeah. Whatever. Just get on your feet and get moving." Turning on his heel, Kidd strode away, the rest of his crew falling in behind him. Killer watched the girl for a moment.
She bit her lip and hesitated for a moment, then wobbled to her feet. Looking down at herself, she flushed. "Umm ..." she began tentatively. "Could I ... maybe ... get something ... better, to wear?" she forced out, shuffling her feet along behind the pirate crew.
A few steps ahead, Kidd stopped and looked her over curiously, not much surprised by the question. Grunting, he took off his furry coat and tossed it at her. "Take that for now. We'll find you something better on the ship."
The heavy coat landed on her with a heavy thump and sent her crashing to the ground from the weight. Much to her surprise, the man in the mask stepped over to help her wrap the massive thing around her so she wouldn't trip over it. "Best get moving," he advised her quietly. "Boss Kidd doesn't like being kept waiting."
She staggered along in their wake, stumbling over the hem of the too-long coat every once in a while. Her eyes kept going back to her hands, and the ring of scar tissue around her wrists. Free. She was free. Tears welled up in her eyes and she swallowed them down, figuring this crew wouldn't have much patience for hysterics.
A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A
"So," she whispered dully. "You wish me to give up my freedom, to give them theirs?" She shook her head, unwilling to meet the mirror-like surface of his sunglasses. "They'd never want me to do that." Without letting so much as a flicker of her intent slither across her mind, she fingered the hilts of the kodachi that had been Killer's gift to her when she'd finally passed his "test" and was allowed to use live weapons. She smiled at the memories of the near-hellish training the Kidd crew had put her through. "I'm afraid, Mr. Don Quixote, I must refuse," she stated flatly to his back, and drawing one always-sharp weapon from its sheath, kept the swing going to neatly remove the Shichibukai's head from his shoulders.
She stared down at the still twitching body as she picked up her weapons from the side table they'd been left on and returned them to their place on her hip, coolly unconcerned with the blood pooling around her feet. For a long moment she thought about what she should do. Then, with a barely audible sigh, she bent down and ran her fingers through the rapidly cooling blood. Stepping over to the wall, she painted the characters for "truth" and "justice" on the brilliantly white walls.
She glanced again at the severed head, and smiled grimly. Hopefully the message would be taken to heart, since she didn't really have the time to write an explanatory note. Rifling through the pockets of the Shichibukai's clothing, she found the set of keys she was looking for, and left the room without so much as a backward look.
Her crew needed her, far more than she needed further vengeance. He was dead, and could not harm another living soul as she had been harmed. It would have to be enough.
AAAAAAAAA
From his cell three doors down, Killer could hear every last snarling curse his Captain was throwing at their jailer. He was getting pretty colorful too, even for Kidd. His Captain was working himself into a fine temper; had been ever since Briseis was taken away. If he were honest, he wanted to do some cussing himself, but felt it was mostly a waste of time and breath. Shifting, he tried once again to work his hands free of the cuffs that chained him to the wall. No luck. Their captor was well aware of their ability, had made certain there was no way out. He could only hope Bri wouldn't be held in similar confines. It would, undoubtedly, bring back certain unpleasant memories.
Just on general principal, Eustass "Captain" Kidd enjoyed terrified screaming. It always felt so good to know one had power over another.
However, it was a different matter entirely when one wasn't the cause of said screaming.
Ok. So that wasn't entirely true. There was plenty of screaming going on behind the group of pirates, given the mass amount of chaos and destruction they'd left in their wake. But the screaming they were hearing now was coming from in front of them, so they couldn't possibly be the source. The voice was female, which made Kidd wince when she hit a particularly high note, and held all the pent up desperation of a hopeless situation.
Coming round a rocky outcrop near the beach, the Kidd crew found the source of the screaming.
For them, it was an intensely pleasant sight.
A scantily-clad, thin young woman straddled the prone body of an unknown man.
She was currently engrossed in bashing the man's face in with a rather large rock. Blood splattered all over her arms. A well as the restraints around wrists and neck. The chain that connected them all jingled in jarring merry counterpart to the scene.
The screaming finally stopped when she tossed aside the rock and threw herself to the side. "... won't ever go back," they heard her say. "Would rather die. Would rather kill."
"Oh, I'd say he's pretty well killed, girlie," chuckled Kidd malevolently, gazing down at the bloody scene with appreciation.
Squeaking, she jerked her head up to stare uncomprehendingly up at the Kidd crew, fear in her dark blue eyes. She shifted a little, and Killer knew she was getting ready to run.
"A little barbaric, though, to kill him with a rock, don't you think?" Kidd continued.
"What?"
Kidd cocked his head at her, wondering if she was perhaps a little slow. Crouching down to look her in the eye he grinned at her, pleased with the way she flinched back. "A rock isn't the best weapon to kill with. It's dull. Messy, as you can see. Unless one gets lucky, it never kills with one blow." He pause and looked at the face of the unknown man. "Although in this case I doubt you were looking for quick," he mused thoughtfully. Shaking his head, he looked back at her. "Try a knife, next time."
She gaped up at him and stammered "N-n-n-e-ext t-t-time?"
"Think there won't be a next time?" He snorted at the thought. "Bullshit. Once you've killed, you can never go back." Rising, he glared down at the girl consideringly. He dismissed the fright in her eyes and moved on to the familiar chains and skimpy clothing. Nodding to himself, he grinned suddenly. "Join me."
Silent, she continued to stare up at him.
A few mutter came from behind him. "Captain, are you sure? She'll be useless!" griped one in particular. Kidd made a mental note to gut that one at some point. "Well?" he demanded. "Make your choice. Do you want your freedom? You'll only get it if you come with me, 'cause otherwise, I'll leave you here for your 'master'."
She flinched and shivered at the threat, eyes downcast. Then slowly, she held up her bound wrists.
Kidd smiled. And reached out one hand. "Those chains ain't made of seastone, so this should work," he commented. "Hold still. Repel."
From somewhere within the mechanism around her neck and the cuffs on her wrists came a faint "click" and suddenly the restraints fell away. She looked at her hands, then looked up at Captain Kidd in wonderment. "Thank you."
"Yeah. Whatever. Just get on your feet and get moving." Turning on his heel, Kidd strode away, the rest of his crew falling in behind him. Killer watched the girl for a moment.
She bit her lip and hesitated for a moment, then wobbled to her feet. Looking down at herself, she flushed. "Umm ..." she began tentatively. "Could I ... maybe ... get something ... better, to wear?" she forced out, shuffling her feet along behind the pirate crew.
A few steps ahead, Kidd stopped and looked her over curiously, not much surprised by the question. Grunting, he took off his furry coat and tossed it at her. "Take that for now. We'll find you something better on the ship."
The heavy coat landed on her with a heavy thump and sent her crashing to the ground from the weight. Much to her surprise, the man in the mask stepped over to help her wrap the massive thing around her so she wouldn't trip over it. "Best get moving," he advised her quietly. "Boss Kidd doesn't like being kept waiting."
She staggered along in their wake, stumbling over the hem of the too-long coat every once in a while. Her eyes kept going back to her hands, and the ring of scar tissue around her wrists. Free. She was free. Tears welled up in her eyes and she swallowed them down, figuring this crew wouldn't have much patience for hysterics.
A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A_A
"So," she whispered dully. "You wish me to give up my freedom, to give them theirs?" She shook her head, unwilling to meet the mirror-like surface of his sunglasses. "They'd never want me to do that." Without letting so much as a flicker of her intent slither across her mind, she fingered the hilts of the kodachi that had been Killer's gift to her when she'd finally passed his "test" and was allowed to use live weapons. She smiled at the memories of the near-hellish training the Kidd crew had put her through. "I'm afraid, Mr. Don Quixote, I must refuse," she stated flatly to his back, and drawing one always-sharp weapon from its sheath, kept the swing going to neatly remove the Shichibukai's head from his shoulders.
She stared down at the still twitching body as she picked up her weapons from the side table they'd been left on and returned them to their place on her hip, coolly unconcerned with the blood pooling around her feet. For a long moment she thought about what she should do. Then, with a barely audible sigh, she bent down and ran her fingers through the rapidly cooling blood. Stepping over to the wall, she painted the characters for "truth" and "justice" on the brilliantly white walls.
She glanced again at the severed head, and smiled grimly. Hopefully the message would be taken to heart, since she didn't really have the time to write an explanatory note. Rifling through the pockets of the Shichibukai's clothing, she found the set of keys she was looking for, and left the room without so much as a backward look.
Her crew needed her, far more than she needed further vengeance. He was dead, and could not harm another living soul as she had been harmed. It would have to be enough.
AAAAAAAAA
From his cell three doors down, Killer could hear every last snarling curse his Captain was throwing at their jailer. He was getting pretty colorful too, even for Kidd. His Captain was working himself into a fine temper; had been ever since Briseis was taken away. If he were honest, he wanted to do some cussing himself, but felt it was mostly a waste of time and breath. Shifting, he tried once again to work his hands free of the cuffs that chained him to the wall. No luck. Their captor was well aware of their ability, had made certain there was no way out. He could only hope Bri wouldn't be held in similar confines. It would, undoubtedly, bring back certain unpleasant memories.