Mission #32 (It came to this...)

[hellcats]

The day was like any other. Calm seas, vast blue sky, the occasional sound of seagulls over head as the Marines drifted closer to their destination, and of course the ever present Seakings. Oh the Seakings...

At first it was a good distraction, a sizable sea creature here or there would swim along the side of the ship. Would help break up the monotony of watching the waves roll in and out. A cannonball or two, and it would get the message. That was until they ran into a third one, which didn't quite seem to get that the Marine's weren't its meal of the day. A few cuts from Lieutenant Abbot scared it off well enough. Then came the fourth, and the fifth. Quickly boiled down to one Seaking being driven off, followed by it being eaten by another soon after, which would of course notice the Marine ship and follow suit.

So here he was, raging at the seas on the deck of his ship. Every manner of curse and slander being shouted into the heavens as crew and passengers alike avoided him, with good reason. Chris was generally a very quiet and introverted person, only talking when needed. This wasn't one of those occasions however.

"That damned sardine grabbed my freakin' coat! What the hell does a fish need a coat for? Its a fish!" His shouting echoed as he stormed about the deck, throwing a rather immature tantrum for one of his rank. None the less, his crew was smart enough not to point that out, less they be tossed over the side for the next Seaking that passed by. "And where the hell our my sell swords," shouted Chris as he stomped down into the lower decks to meet with his newly hired mercenaries.

Chris had never liked the idea of working with those he would usually spend his time hunting down, but it was a necessary evil he would put up with, if only for today. He had received word that a man by the name of Frilly Beard or something of the like had been spotted on an island not far from where Chris himself had been stationed. Hunting down lone pirates was something Bounty Hunters were for, but do to several budget faults Chris had found himself in need of Beri. Beri that which, to his chagrin, the Marines had no interest in lending.

"Okay people listen up, were just about to arrive on shore. I need you split into teams of two. So get ready, and No screw ups! Do you hear me?" His enthusiasm and patience with people of their kind was limited, but he knew that for the right price, they would perform well enough. Either way, he didn't plan on leading them all personally. They would earn their pay, and that meant doing a job without his constant babysitting.

Looking over the group, he spotted several that stood out. One of which, for all the wrong reasons. She didn't exactly look strong, though looks were deceiving. Her hair color and attire though was, for the lack of a gentler word, ludicrous. She looked like something out of a bizarre painting. This was somebody he didn't need running about causing trouble. "You there," he shouted as he pointed in Skellette's direction. "The chick in the orange outfit. Your gonna be tagging along with me. The rest of you can pair up as you see fit, but get it done fast." With that he turned around and began to head back to the upper decks. Stopping for a moment, he peered over his shoulder. "You best hurry up girl," were his last words as he left the door a ajar on his way out.

[shisha]

She was a little lost in a sea of testosterone and frayed nerves, a small girl in the middle of an Ocean of overly Muscular weapon brandishing men. A few women too, but not enough to make a difference. As the Boat rocked around she felt like she was in a mosh pit of types, being bumped around by bodies knocking into her in response to the boats movements. So for a while she leaned against the side of the hull, using her hammer as a weight to keep her anchored in place. That wasn't the worrying part though. She was on-board a Marine vessel. The same people that would in a second arrest her if she caused any trouble at all. Even the slightest sign of it. She was nervous. And it showed to anyone who cared to look at her. She looked around whilst she had time to waste, checking all the possible threats to her, not too many. In fact she could count them all on one hand, missing a finger.

Exactly how she'd ended up doing this was beyond her small brain, actually it was all a mistake. Whilst at the port back where the boat had sailed from, she had been caught up in the crowd boarding the ship, swept along in the tide as it were. When she was able to move, the ship had already launched. But soon the ship started to slow, land was getting close. She could feel it in her bones. Speaking of bones. "You know they'll ruin this day right. They always do..... Your a magnet for trouble".

The voice in her head belonged to the gloves on her hands, or more exactly, the right glove. In her little world, they both talked to her, they even had their own personalities. Of course it just seemed cute to passers by, watching her talk to her hands like that, dismissing it as a form of play or a joke. Then again, she was only a kid. It was only natural for a child like her to conjure up friends of imagination. Nothing strange about that at all.

"Oooooh don't be mean!. Its a nice day you know"

"Yeah i did notice, so has everyone else. Talking to yourself. Your Craaaaaaaaazy" it said in a mocking yet somewhat serious tone. "Look sharp kid, Suit's is talking!". She turned and listened as a man gave a short but direct speech to the group, he must of been the man in charge. He didn't seem all to happy to be traveling with the group, not happy at all. Skellette was a happy person, people who were angry all the time confused her, after all why get angry. It wouldn't solve anything. Once the speech was over, she picked up her hammer and upon doing so, could of sworn the ship rocked as she did so. A voice caught her attention, the Marine if he was one spoke to her. In a hurry she stood to attention and made a salute at him. Smiling broadly as she did so with a slight Giggle.

"Yes Sir Sir!.... Ready for Duty!". But as she opened her eyes, he walked out of the room, leaving her looking rather stupid. She frowned and walked towards the door a little hunched, stopping to punch outwards at the arm of a man, who then collapsed on the ground cradling his now injured arm. A few tears followed.

[hellcats]

He could hear the sound of the girl he ordered close behind him. Wasn't hard, what with the massive hammer dragging along his ship. A quick glance and he noticed that she had knocked out one the of men, who now rolled about the floor blubbering like a fool. Shes got spunk at least.

Stepping out near the center of his vessel, he could see the island's dock coming into view. At first it seemed fine as Chris walked over and leaned on the ship's railing. What he soon noticed though was the odd shape of the buildings as they came into view. His lips pursed and face flat in an almost comedic fashion. "What the hell is with the Grand Line. Cant ever have a simple dock with ordinary towns."

Turning about to see the oddly dressed girl, he quirked an eyebrow as he sat down and rested against the rail. "So, whats your name anyhow? I cant imagine why somebody like you would be a merc'. Though I cant exactly question your strength, that mallet looks none too light." Reaching into his vest he withdrew a cigarette. "So long as you can do your job though I don't exactly care."

[shisha]

It was the first time she'd been anywhere near the grand line, so she was rather excited. In a flash she pushed her way past Chris and out onto the docks, smiling and slightly swooning over the buildings and the landscape itself. It even smelled different. She found herself staring like a wide eyed puppy at the scene before her, her hips swaying from side to side. The comment by Chris behind her snapped her back to reality, exciting a small giggle from her. He was crazy not to like the sight of the docks, but he had a point. In his own warped way anyway. As he asked of her name the skull on her left began to speak up for once.

"Your just going to tell him?...what if you get in trouble, they'll know who you are, they'll track you"

"Your Paranoid, why do you even talk to her?"

"Hush you two!" she said out loud by mistake, looking at both the skulls on her hands. It was then she noticed she'd spoke openly like that, freezing on the spot, her eyes creeping upwards to Chris. Her face looked like one filled with dread and morbid fear. Quickly she shook her head and managed to blurt out a response. "S-Skellette Sir!". Again the salute was used, with again a wide grin. Hopefully Humour would mask the awkwardness of the situation.

[hellcats]

Her voice was full of hesitation and fear, much like her posture. It was evident that she was worried, if not outright frightened by the situation at hand. This of course peaked Chris' curiosity, which was never a good thing by any means. Skellette, odd name befitting an odd chick.

The ship slowed as it made its way closer to port. Taking notice of this, he quickly made to light his cigarette before standing up again. Well there goes my beauty rest, thought Chris as he looked over the grinning child youth before him. "You can lose the salute. Your not a marine or a boot lick like the rest of the scrubs here."

The sounds of folding cloth filled the boat as masts were closed and looked over for repair. Everyone went about their business as the footsteps of Abbot's hired men filled the boat. A mixed feeling of stress and anticipation hung over the boat as Chris looked over his private army. The men under his command were some of the worst he could ask for, but the means Justified the end in his book.

"Now listen up! You are all here to do a job, and I expect a stellar performance. From this moment, you are considered under my command, and there are several things you need to know when being under my leadership," his voice boomed as he shouted out to the men aboard his ship. Smoking cigarette sitting in the hand that hung limp at his side. "If you retreat from battlefield, I will kill you. If your actions endanger the mission, I will kill you. Most importantly, If you fail to do your absolute best, I will kill you. I have no intention of repeating myself. Now lets go."

The sites of Noro Island were strange to behold. Almost more so then the sheer emptiness of the island itself. It seemed that either Chris and his entourage had everyone hiding away, or that they had already been scared off by the pirate who loomed in these parts. "Okay," shouted Chris over the sound of his group's marching. "This is where we split up, each of you will take the partners you chose while on board and cover the island. If you come across anything remotely related to our target 'Frilly Beard' then you will report back to the ship and wait for us. If you run into the man himself, engage him until others arrive. Dismissed."

Finding himself annoyed and alone with his tag along of choice, Chris turned around and spoke to the odd looking girl. "Well since I'm paying you, go ahead and lead the way. I got a smoke that needs tending to," one hand lighting the cigarette in the corner of his mouth as the other attempted in vein to pick a scab from the top of his head. He could tell how much Skellette was bothered by everything. "Unlike a mercenary to be so afraid. Grow some guts," he said as patted roughly on her back. "Its not like I'm gonna skin and you alive and make a funny hat." His voice was somewhere between humorous and menacing, leaving no real assurance one way or another.

[shisha]

Salute lowered, her "Friends" attached to her wrists began chattering away in her head, but she did not flinch or try to drown them out. The voices in her head were a normality to her, she was used to them. She watched Chris walk ahead with a slight smile, mixed with disappointment. He didn't seem like the kind who joked very often, or really thought about it. Unlike her, she was always happy and full of jokes. Even if they were almost always bad ones. Again she found herself in a sea of people and again a speech was thrown their way by the Cheerful one himself. This time though she played a joke on the large man near the back of the crowd, tapping him on the back and while he turned to investigate, jumped up onto the top of his head and sat there with her legs crossed. He looked up at her and just shrugged. Good sport.

Once the speech was over she patted the top of his head and made a pointing motion with her hand, effectively ordering him like a slay dog to go where she indicated. He simply reached up and plucked her down from atop his head, gentle lowering her to the floor before walking off. A happy smile and a wave from her hid Chris from her sight, standing behind her. After being quite shocked at how quietly he moved, she found herself pulling faces at him when he turned around for a "Smoke", or so he called it. Poking out of the tongue, lower eye lids being pulled down, moose horn gestures with her hands. The whole nine yards. Of course when he turned, she was smiling sweetly. Until he called her afraid, so she understood it anyway. With another poking out of her tounge she turned and marched onwards, in a mood obviously.

"I'm not afraid... and...and your heads too big for a hat anyway!". She shouted back at him, Marching like a soldier with her Hammer being twirled around at her side with one hand.

[hellcats]

A rather noticeable vein protruded from Chris' forehead, a deep throbbing that looked ready to erupt from beneath the skin. His anger was barely kept in check, if only by the cigarette in his mouth and the desire to get the task at hand over with. This girl is going to drive me up a wall, I know it.

His pace quickened as he tried to catch up with Skellette. All the while a feeling of paranoia begin to creep up onto him. He wasn't sure what it was, possibly a combination of the strange forest and his imagination getting the better of him. The goosebumps on his arms and the hairs on his neck that were now standing on end were real enough to him though. Something was going to happen, he could feel it in his bones.

That's when it appeared. Cigarette falling to the floor, hands trembling as Chris' eyes practically leaped from his skull. His shaky hand raising to point into the branches of a nearby tree as his voice came out in hysterical gasps, "Its... its...."

Atop a malformed branch sat a large animal. Roughly two feet in height and length, glistening pale blue feathers lining its underside with a royal blue crest above its head. The animal seemed to be just like any other tropical bird, with one very noticeable difference, "Symmetrical Bird!!"

The booming sound of Chris' shout echoed miles around into the very depths of the woods. The animal before his eyes wasn't just any bird, but one with a triangular shape. Its body, wings and tail took on a perfectly angled form, something between an Isosceles or Scalene triangle. Even its head and beak took on a sharp Rhombus like shape. How any of this was even possible was anybody's guess.

"Bird, shape, want," his voice and words were coming out in hesitant gasps. His curiosity for such a creature had gone far and above normality. It was now an instant obsession. "Skellette," he shouted to the girl, as though on the other side of a mountain. "New mission assignment! Catch bird! Catch bird now!" The face of Chris Abbot had become slightly demented when compared to his usual stoic appearance. A grin stretching from ear to ear, eyes bugged out as his whole body trembled with excitement. "For glory," he screamed as he took chase after his prey, which now soared above the tops of the trees.

[shisha]

Despite her best efforts to remain in an upset mood with the man behind her, her classic good mannered and almost always happy personality pushed to the surface. She once again found herself looking around with her hammer rested upon her shoulder, Making amazed sounds as she took in the sights of the forest. In actuality, she wasn't so used to Flora like this, tending to be in busy area's such as town or cities, even Marine bases. Never thick vegetation like this. For a brief moment she didn't know what to think. The worst part was the heat. The heat or moisture in the air made it humid. she wasn't used to it. So her arm wiped the sweat from her brow, followed by her hand becoming a make shift fan to cool down her face.

A smile shot onto her face though, remembering the bag on her back. The bag filled with all the things she needed to survive on, including a fresh set of clean clothes. As Chris looked around, she sneaked into the undergrowth and placed the bag in a clearing. Here she could change without prying eyes. Other than the animals that lived there. In mere moments her strange attire was gone, replaced with a simple shirt and a pair of shorts. Her feet hidden inside a pair of boots, but the overall look still worked. More practical one could say. Now re-clothed she walked back out into the clearing Chris was in, only to see him gawking at a bird, having trouble speaking in actual sentences.

"The bird?... Alrighty". She said so cheerfully, as though the request was that easy. She placed the hammer down, a small rumble in the ground followed. It was heavy after all. She casually walked up to the bird and waved at it happily, smiling like a moron. "Hey Birdy!, come here already!". The bird looked at her, probably stunned by her brashness, before squawking and flying up into the tree's. She stood at the base of the tree looking up with a pout, wondering how she'd get up there to grab it. She nodded and ran over to her hammer, lifting it up quickly she ran back to the tree. And like a lumberjack, she hacked at the tree with the hammer, but only succeeded in breaking through it on the first swing, splintering wood in all directions. Her happy face never left, even as the tree fell with the bird looking rather horrified at its situation. She really was having fun.

[hellcats]

Things were going well. At least in the mind of the now crazed Marine, who found himself drawing his sword ready to do battle with the block shaped bird. His eccentric personality getting the better of him, he watched as Skellette's hammer turned the tree before him into mulch. The bird though seemed to have now moved to another tree, as though taunting the two down below. Chris would have none of this.

Drawing the blade from its hilt, Chris quickly lashed out and launched a wave of air at the mocking animal above. As if reading his thoughts, the feathered monster merely stepped shortly to the right as Chris' technique sliced through the branch next to it. "What?! I.. I don't even," stutters of anger and disbelief were all he could manage to say as he sheathed his sword for another go.

As much as Chris seemed to try, he simply couldn't land a single hit on his target. Simply assuming the first try was a fluke, he had given it another go. Resulting in the bird casually fluttering to safety one branch above. The other four tries that followed didn't seem to fair any better. With his stress levels reaching new heights, he began to get desperate. "Skellette," he whispered to his partner, eyes blood shot and teeth clenching. "Its reading my mind! We need to remove all its defenses! Trees must go!" His tone left no room for argument, though it also gave great insight to the mans lack of mental stability. Clearly, Chris was not having a good day.

[shisha]

She watched as Chris also tried and failed, but didn't seem to phased. Even as the bird overhead continued to seemingly taunt the two of them by evading capture. She was about to give chase, her plan was to swing wildly until the bird was tired, or something along those lines. Actually she was in mid swing when Chris informed her of his "Plan". Skellette thought for a moment, finger on her chin looking around at the layout of the trees. In that brief moment a spark of intellectuality shined through in her mind, involving the trees and her signature hammer. The bird watched her move and probably dreaded what she'd do next. She placed the hammer face down on the ground then brought her hands up and cupped them. Spitting into her palms she rubbed them together before picking up her hammer, leaning backwards slightly, then throwing the hammer away like a projectile.

The hammer span vertically as it sailed through the air in an arc, hitting tree after tree in its path. One by one each wood tree fell like a, well, mighty Oak. A circle was being drawn in the tree line by the hammer which, when it returned to her hands, had made a circle around the area of felled trees. A Perimeter one could say. She gave her hammer a large hug when it was back in her possession, hopefully the trees falling like that had distracted the bird long enough for Chris to do something. Otherwise more drastic measures would have to be taken. Direct measures by her.

[hellcats]

Skellette's technique was a sight to see. Tree after tree toppling down around them. The young girl was even stronger then she appeared if she was able to do something like this, almost made him think twice about ordering her around. Almost that is.

Watching the plant based holocaust around him, Chris quickly noticed that the feathered demon he had been trying to catch was now making its move. As Skellette's hammer was returned to her, he found himself dashing forward with extreme speed. Abruptly launching himself over the young girl's head, he began to draw his sword with tremendous speed as the bird before him came into view. With a large horizontal swipe, the tree before him was cut in twain, as the bird on it began to moved to the next one near it.

"I will end you," his voice trailing off into an indescribable roar. His grip tightening enough to drain his hand of color. With inconceivable speed, Chris began to launch a tremendous volley of air waves into the surrounding area. Trees, boulders, animals, even Skellette were not above being struck by these as Chris' blind rage took over. Within minutes the patch of forest surrounding them had been reduced to a field of freshly cut logs.

Sweat dripped from his brow as the Souba he healed dropped to the ground. His body was aching, left arm sitting numb at his side. Confidence swelling in his chest as Chris stood proud, knowing he had gotten his mark. The deed was done with. His usual cocky attitude returned, until he witnessed a sight that nearly broke his spirit.

Chris and Skellette sat now in a wide open field, nothing like the dense woods they were in moments ago. There, in the center of the massacre, sat a single tree. Every leaf in tact, every peace of bark untouched. It was a perfectly shaped and colored tree, without a injury or malformation to be see. Upon the highest branch of this wondrous marvel, sat the demon. The feathered menace that would forever torment Chris. Surely, this was an abomination.

[shisha]

Like a fabled Kung fu master of the far east the girl stood her ground as the action went on around her. Her Hammer now routed in the ground like an Anchor took the blows of the waves and any wood or dislodged pieces of lumber that came her way. She didn't even realise this herself, in her own little world watching in slow motion as Chris moved around weapons flailing. Her eyes were as large as Dinner plates, three times as shiny and smooth, if her hands were not resting on the Hammers head, they would be clutched together in front of her chest in Awe. Once the motions had stopped, she picked up her hammer and jumped around like, well, a happy shcool girl. Until a small piece of wood dropped down on her head, bouncing harmlessly off of her crown.

Her smile faded for a split second as she reared her Hammer back and, like a golfer, took a mighty swing at the wood. Sending it hurtling into the sky and quite possibly much further than that. But now she looked at what Chris had in his gaze, the tree. And the bird. However she didn't quite understand how Chris was looking at it, walking up to him and like a dog, tilting her head while making a slight whiny sound. It was a tree, there was a bird. Just catch it already. Is what she wanted to say, but instead opted to do it herself. She span her Hammer around in one hand at speed, slamming it into the ground. Like a Sumo Wrestler she took the classic stance, breathed in a mighty breath and then. She patted her knees with her hands and gently whistled towards the bird, as calm and friendly as possible.

"Come on Birdy. Please come down, for me?". The innocence of the voice coupled with her cute personality was hopefully enough.

[hellcats]

He watched on in horror as the best he had to offer was wasted on such an innocent animal, and yielded nothing in return. His hopes were all but shattered, the final tree standing before him like a grand monument to his failure. Truly, should he strike the tree now would it even fall? Would he dear tempt fate and slip into an even further depression by failing at even that simple act? Was life even worth living at this point?

With Skellette now approaching the bird, using the charm that only a young girl had to try and lure the cubed menace into her arms. A glimmer of hope? Possibly! This was his chance, indeed the young woman was not phased by any of this, and if this was not enough to shake her then what could?! She will be the one to succeed where I have failed, he thought courageously. All the while never realizing just how much he was blowing the situation out of proportion.

The bird above watched on as Skellette tried her best. The girl's soft voice and gentle words falling deaf on the clueless animal, or had they? With a soft coo, the bird began to flap its wings. Gracefully lifting itself off the branches as it glided to the log covered terrain, it began its cautious approach. The animal hopped, from diced tree to the next, before stopping just out of reach from Skellette. It seemed the unorthodox approach had worked, slowly creeping to the girls side as it sad town before her.

Chris was in awe. This child, this woman, had done the unthinkable. The monster he craved was within arms length now, sitting carelessly at his young partners feet. It seemed to be looking up at her, pondering something or other. Whatever it was, Chris couldn't care less. The object of his short lived obsession had fallen into Skellette's hands, and by proxy, his own. Chris' train of thoughts had completely shifted, a positive demeanor filling his cold heart.

"Grab it," he tried to whisper in Skellette's direction, managing only to sound as if an object was lodged in his windpipe. He pointed furiously at the child, waving and moving about to grab her attention. Making various strange hand signs in order to communicate, as if a single word would scare away the object of desire. Freakin' grab the dumb thing you wierd girl. His thoughts quickly reverting to his usual glum attitude as he tried desperately to communicate to Skellette.

[shisha]

He was beginning to worry her, the man who'd apparently bought her services, the man who'd told her to catch the bird at her feet. Chris was standing a distance from her, acting strange. Flailing his arms around franticly, she wondered if he'd lost his mind, or lost his loaf as she liked to say. The only thing she could just make out was two words, "Bird" and "Catch". After pondering she looked down at the bird, staring at it with seemingly the same expression it had on its face. It seemed the bird was worried too. For a moment she just stood there, looking at the bird, the two staring at each other. A staring contest had been started. She dropped to its height level, staring intensely into its eyes.

The bird stared back with just as much gusto, but as time went on, the bird watched as an insect landed on Skelette's face. It watched without looking away from her eyes as the bug crawled up her face, to her nose, then further up. It watched as the bug walked onto her eye, walking right across the surface to the other side, flying off her from her forehead. Skelette's stare never faltered, if anything her stare became more intense. The bird began to, well, freak out. Its eyes twitching as its urge to blink became too much. Just as the bird was about to blink, Skelete sprang forward with an almighty jump, arms outstretched with a massive grin on her face. The bird didn't have time for a take off, so instead ended up in the girls vice grip, a bear hug. And like a small furry animal, she proceeded to hug the poor thing with a little too much enthusiasm.

[hellcats]

He couldn't believe it. Skellette had done the impossible! "Bliss," he screamed with is arms thrown wide. It had all payed off in the end, every bit of embarrassment and near suicidal depression had lifted from his mind. Today was a day to celebrate! The fiend that would plague his nightmares was caught, and he could finally examine it, feel it, and when all was done, eat it! "Hazzah!"

Running to Skellette's side he quickly began to look over the small bird that sat firmly in her arms. It looked rather frightened, as if finally realizing its fate. Caring not for its struggles, he quickly asked for Skellette to hand it over. His face was lit up like a... like a lit up face. His expression of joy and excitement lasted as Skellette stretched out her arms and presented Chris with the bird. As he leaned in to grab it, the bird took its chance of freedom and lifted off the air. It was only a second or two, but the bird was now soaring in the sky, and off into the horizon.

Not a sound, nor a movement left Chris as he stayed in perfect stillness. His hands frozen inches of Skellette's own. His eyes and posture unmoving, almost statue like. Had anybody laid eyes upon him, he would seem no more a man then a mannequin. The only sign left to determine his existence as a living being was his shallow and rather accelerated breath.

His head shifted slowly upwards to meet eye and eye with the woman before him. His face still stuck in his original joyous expression. "Well," he choked out in a low monotone. "Shall we be on our way." His voice, though devoid of any obvious emotion, was clearly that of a man holding back his emotions with great effort, his desire to lash out at everyone around him being stronger then even he could comprehend.

Turning around slowly, he proceeded in the original intended direction. He kept a steady pace as he walked through the yards of downed trees. Not a word was spoken, for some time after the event, be it in response to a question or a remark towards the surroundings. Chris seemed to have lost the will to speak, let alone acknowledge his surroundings.