The Crafting of the Midnight Tiger (Sea Tigers)

[Quincy]

“Come on you lazy pricks! Pick up the pace.” Another order shrieked to two Fishmen from an irate mermaid, who was busy herself trying to make wit’s end of what goes where when building a ship. She's a gunsmith for goodness sakes, how was she supposed to know what to do?! However, out of the three Sea Tigers present, she was the most qualified for the job of shipwright. Peche had never set foot on a ship unless it's destination was a prison. Vanos had once lived near the sea, yet he was a Fishman. He didn’t need a ship for ocean travel, as well as the fact that no ship would actually let him aboard willingly. Still, despite her underqualification, Brandy was doing the best she could. She had gotten it to be the right shape, but it just wouldn’t stay floating… Frustration burned inside the redhead. “I need a smoke break. You goons just go get whatever is left. Peche, you got the list?” she asked with a puff from her already lit cigarette. Peche replied with a groan while he too took a break. All of them were exhausted from a week’s worth of work put towards finding a secluded place on Duantaun, steel capital of the South Blue, and gathering the necessary materials for their ship. As for the list, Peche raised up a wrinkled scrap of paper with handwritten instructions from the captain; Berk may be illiterate, but he knew what he wanted and the crooked cook sure could write quick, a trait he picked up from years in the food industry.

Their captain had expressed the very clear need for a ship after the entire crew, bloodied and exhausted, had to swim away from the destruction they laid down on Yeste, all why keeping certain valuables safe from the salty waves that carried them away. Needless to say, it was a unanimous decision between every Sea Tiger that getting a ship was urgent. However, none of them knew a thing about ship building, or really ships for that matter. When you could swim through the seas faster than anything a human could make, why bother to learn about ships?

“Yeah, yeah. I got the list right here!” The squat Gyojin eventually shouted out, a long face plastered upon his ironically long face. Peche then turned to his crewmate, who was preoccupied with moving the last of their steel towards Brandy, and cried out, “Come on, I need your arms to lift the stuff. I am tired from working all day.” Vanos shot the crooked cook a look of incredible doubt. It had been Peche who had “volunteered to supervise” Brandy and himself, while Vanos had lifted steel part after steel part for the mermaid’s attempts at welding. It wouldn't be correct to say that the Seahorse-man wasn’t useful. He drew up decent ideas for the ship’s layout, room and galley designs, all from Berk’s descriptions. Still, to say that he had done any actual labor today would be an understatement. The first mate of the Sea Tigers spoke up “Oi, Peche. Let me see that list.” The short chef was at first very defensive over the subject, yet a sly grin worked its way upon his lips. “Sure. Akakaka” the cook blurted out and the Eel-man could quickly see why he had been so eager to fork over his precious list; it was completely illegible. Vanos couldn’t make heads or tails of the wild squiggles that marked all over the crumbled yellow parchment, much to the continued delight of the squat Seahorse-man. “Typical,” the ‘Sea Wolf’ finally muttered, “We should just get a bloody ship builder or something!”

Silence permeated throughout the small construction site. Had they really been so daft as to not look for professional help? They certainly had the Beri for it. A shriek broke through the silence. Brandy was fuming! “You asshats better go get me some real help right now, or so help me… I will put a bullet through both of you!” Vanos and Peche didn't need to be told twice as they both began sprinting out of range of Brandy’s rage and rifle, well aware that she didn't make empty threats.

[Creek]

The foggy air came into his lungs, the grey buildings like copied one after the other all around him, the mildly wet and damp floor under his bare feet, Hollis walked around Dauntaun feeling like home. The giant Snakehead fishman was marveled by the town, he had arrived swimming not knowing where to go until he casually and only by mere luck arrived to the island.

He had been wandering the city for hours, marveled by the grey sky and the big crowds that had more people he had ever seen in his entire life. He was too shy to meet them head on so he moved trough the shadows, jumping from one corner to the other. He stopped for a second in front of a shop to admire the quality materials of steel and metal then he rushed to the next and so on.

For an entire day he had been wandering oblivious to everything else, his stomach grumbled once in a while for some food but he was used to go without eating for a couple of days so it was no big deal. His huge body was difficult to hide but he managed to keep his profile low enough to avoid any trouble as he walked trough a huge gate. He felt the world was huge and wonderful.

Meanwhile heads turned as the rumbling of a machine passed trough the dim lighted streets not so far away, the sound was something new to those around. It was not so far away from the Heart of the City yet it was a place where the elite rarely went out for a walk. The people gathered there were mostly merchants and traders, people that searched steel materials and part for their factories or personal projects. 

"Mommy I want to go, I'm bored"

The girl was not more than 6 years old, her clothes were of nice fabric and a pair of golden locks kept her hair in a stylish bun above her head. She was holding her mother's hand while she was shopping around, the woman was tall and skinny, with an air of dignity and arrogance only reserved for those that dreamt to have more than the others. 

"Shush! Mommy is busy" 

The girl pouted and looked away in disdain, she hated going out, the outside world was so gray. Then she heard the sound, it was a big noisy rumble that came up the street, the people around turned their heads awed by the new noise and wondered what kind of machine could make that much noise. The eyes of the little girl then stopped at something else, on the other side of the street on a big apparel was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen, it was white with light blue, the ruffles on the skirt were so fine she was eager to touch them. 

Before she knew it she was already crossing the street, her eyes fixed on the dress and her little feet eagerly trying not to run. That's when she heard the horrible screeching, it was a sound that hurt her ears and the fear rose up inside her like boiling water as she heard it coming closer, her little muscles tightened while on the corner of her eyes she could see a strange machine coming down on her. Too fast to stop the automobile tried to turn in order to avoid the little girl but it was too late. 

In the next seconds so many things happened the witnesses were barely able to tell it without some kind of mismatch in the stories, all of them heard the scream that came out from the woman's mouth barely covering the sound of the crash as the automobile ran trough one of the market tents. The smell of burnt tires lingered for a few seconds as everyone was astounded by the scene, when they saw the little girl was going to be run over by the machine everyone froze unable to react, yet a dark blue figure came out of nowhere and hurled itself against the girl an instant before the fatal strike. 

The fishman's body hurt like hell as he stumbled into the floor, the machine had hit him on the hip barely grazing him yet causing him a great pain. He was curled on the floor with his big arms tightened across his chest, as he rolled over and kneeled on the damp floor he opened them revealing the little girl. Hollis' body had shielded the frightened girl as he covered her with great tenderness. 

The woman rushed to her daughter's side and held her in her arms when Hollis let her free. The girl was still in shock, her eyes watered with tears as she looked around trying to understand what had just happened. The silence was complete, no one had ever imagined something like this could happen.

A little crowd had gathered at the place of the accident, everyone so shocked staring at the giant fishman, not so much surprised as of what he had done as of why he was there, it was almost unthinkable to see a fishman all bruised up and with cloths so tattered in that part of the city. Even the girl's mother was left without anything to say, she was grateful yet ashamed to speak to him.

Hollis felt awkward as everyone stared, he was oblivious to the stigma that was being a fishman on that island, so for him saving the girl in need had been the only thing to do. He stood up with a groan and was about to walk away from the place when someone shouted from behind. 

"You dumb fish! See what you've done to my automobile?" 

A medium sized man came out of the machine, he was wearing a top hat and an expensive looking suit. He was a middle aged man and as he stepped out of the machine he showed an air of dignity and power.

"You better have the money to pay me back, or else... this would've been the worst mistake of your life"

[Quincy]

Peche stifles a cough as he and his crewmate emerge into the city district of Dauntaun. The thick smog of “progress” hung in the air. It cuts any sunlight to the city streets below, giving it a permanent feeling of depression and an overall bland grey tone. Between the two Fishmen, neither were too happy to be in town for a multitude of various reasons. Peche had always been sensitive in terms of his senses. While it was a very large boon when cooking or trying to survive gunfights, it was not well suited for the constant exposure of smog in Dauntaun. He would hack and cough and tear up in the eyes, drawing the gazes of the people around the duo. The few Fishmen that were grouped together as they made their way to the mills, no doubt to work ungodly hours for little pay, cast him looks of sympathy while the humans looked on with spite at the “noisy” Gyojin.

Vanos was still despite his general willingness to bash any fool who would look at one of his mates with contempt. The Eel-man was busy unsuccessfully holding back the wave of memories that were washing over him as he walked down the cobbled, dirty streets. From the sharp contrast between rich and poor to the treatment of Fishmen and a few of the more down trodden humans like trash, he found himself empathizing with the masses of Dauntaun very easily. Which, as far as he was concerned, was not a good thing. The social stigma that the poor held when the wealthy were acting arrogant around them, which was ever present in their daily lives and interactions, was the thing Vanos hated the most in this world. It had once drove him to hate himself for being born poor, until he wised up and realized the true source of his rage: those who had done nothing to deserve their posh lifestyles yet flaunted their wealth as if it was something they struggled to achieve.

“Hey, what’s the-ackah!-commotion over there, eh?” Peche spoke out, a cough breaking his speech momentarily. Vanos pulled himself from his thoughts to see what appeared to be a finely dressed human harassing a bruised Fishman in front of an odd machine with four wheels massively dented in. Stranger still, it seemed that everyone around, both rich and poor, were either shocked or turning an eye away, trying their best to avoid being dragged in to the mess. However, a certain Eel-man didn’t share their sentiment. “Oi, Peche. Go an’ grab whatever ya need on the list. I can grab the steel.” If Peche was confused, he didn’t show it, but did feel the need to ask “And then what? Just go back to Brandy and her pissy self without the steel!? Screw that!” Vanos turned to inspect the squat cook. He was serious about not wanting to leave, and the Fishman was thankful his companion had brought more than just the list. “A’ight mate, but you’re gonna need that.” The Eel-man pointed towards Peche's back.

“Akakakaka,” the Seahorse-man laughed before his chuckling turned into a fit of coughs, “Just be quick about it!” A sinister grin worked its way onto the first mate’s face as he walked towards the shouting human, drawing forth a spiked shield on instinct. “Oi, everything cheery ‘ere gents?” he spoke out to the fuming man and the downed Fishman on the ground, his fist already beginning to spark with electricity.

[Creek]

The man in the suit turned his head as the 2 fishmen walked trough the little crowd. He buffed looking down on them with a grin.


"Oh really? More fishes? Where are the guards when we need them? They should teach your kind the place you belong is down at the docks"


Hollis stood up slowly, his eye fixated towards the man. He slowly rose up to his 2.5 meters tall body and gave a step forward. The man looked up at the fishman and felt the fear bite him inside like a bug.


"What are you doing? Step back!"


The fishman walked right pass the scared man and hovered over the dented machine on the side of the road.


"Amazing..."


The big hands grabbed the edge of the hood and pulled up forcing it to open with a screech of the metal as it slightly bent. The dark blue giant was amazed by the machinery, the pipes, the fans, the pistons all working together in an amazing craftsmanship.


The man saw both fishmen slowly approaching and their glares showed him they were not friendly. He turned around about to scream for help but saw none was going to step up to help him.


"If the authorities don't keep you were you belong I'll have to teach you myself"


As Hollis was oblivious watching and analyzing the masterwork that was the engine of the automobile he didn't saw the man in the suit approach him from behind. The cane he was holding opened on top revealing a little arc of electricity.


"I told you to stay away from my automobile!"


The man rammed the stun cane into Hollis' body who felt his muscles tense as the electricity ran trough his body, his throat releasing a powerful and hurtful roar. Red flashes of pain crossing his body, he was weak after going a few days without a descent meal or rest and unable to withstand the pain he knelt on the floor trying to hold himself from fainting. His weak body crumbled as he clenched his teeth with pain.


"That will teach you! and you 2! You better don’t give one more step or you'll end like him! There's a million volts of electricity running trough this cane, more than enough to deal with you scum!"


The man spoke to the 2 fishmen coming at him, a grin of conceit on his face. He kicked the giant on the floor, that would at least give him enough time until the guards arrived, or so he thought.

[Quincy]

Vanos clenched his fists tighter as he saw the merciless way the richer man was handling the massive Gyojin before him. His fury and electricity were further amplified by the act, though not without a hint of confusion; the Fishman was massive, and without a doubt strong as all hell. Would he really let the old chump beat on him like that? Regardless of the answer, both of the Sea Tiger pirates grinned from ear to ear at the man’s threat. The Eel-man continued his pacing towards the scene before him undeterred, further unnerving the wealthy human.

“I told you to stop right there, you stupid Fish!” he barked out, shaking slightly when his threats fell upon deaf ears. Vanos’ eyes never faltered from the terror stricken man’s face and his toothy grin was dripping with intimidation, much like a wolf and its prey. Like most human’s would when they are faced with something they fear, Vincent Steele lashed out. His strike wasn’t bad by any mean considering the stun cane connected with the Fishman thug-turned-pirate and sparked wildly. Success marred Vincent’s face, until a cackling echoed out from farther in front of him. Peche was laughing heartily, trying his best not to cough out during his hysteria. The Steele man was confused until he realized the problem; the “fish” in front of him was still standing!

“Oi, ya bloody git! I got my own shocker right ‘ere.” The ‘Sea Wolf’ announced proudly as he brought his fist to bear into the man. Again and again the Eel-man pounded into Vincent’s torso with reckless abandon, oblivious to the world and just how far he was going. It would be a lie to say that Vincent deserved such a brutalizing, but it would also be lying to say Vanos didn’t have flashbacks to Illusia and just how the pompous nobles and wealthy had treated him, his gang, his neighbors, and even his own beloved mother. Gunshots ripped out from behind the Fishman, ceasing his assault on the old Steele. It was Peche and his trusty rifle that were the cause of the commotion, and it certainly was a commotion. People were scrambling away from the site, both in fear of the crazed Gyojin with a gun, yet also what would occur should the Marines arrive.

“Hurry it up, eh! We don’t have all day.” The squat chef yelled hoarsely to his crewmate. While the car crash hadn’t gotten any major attention, the gunfire sure would! Worse, the Sea Tigers still needed to get the supplies; Marines are one thing, yet Brandy's rage was a whole other level of fear. However, Vanos was stuck in place. While he was all for running, he was torn about what to do about the Fishman on the ground. It wasn’t like he had entered that fight to particularly save the bloke, only to really rough up a rich prick. Still, could a heartless former street thug really just leave a man hanging high and dry? The answer was an obvious 'hell yeah!' but his mind still struggled as it further delved into his past. He looks at the downed behemoth, seeing every person he had ever let down in the past, from when bar brawls went sour to seeing his mates being gunned down by the Marines. Would he really condemn an innocent man to such a fate? That was a much easier answer for the Eel-man.

Despite his aching shoulders from days of labor, Vanos hefted the downed Fishman onto his back with a grunt, and called out to Peche, “Let’s lay low with this bloke, try and get the steel, then get the hell back to Brandy.” The cook looked skeptically at the first mate, partially due to the display of morality, something Vanos is not very famous for ever displaying, and also as to why they had to help the guy out. “Alright,” the gunslinger finally spoke up, “But when he comes to, he is carrying everything!” Vanos smiled a devilish grin at the thought. “Oh definitely mate.”

Vincent groaned as he rolled to his side. He was thanking his lucky stars he had thought of wearing his chainmail undervest, otherwise he would be in a far worse condition. The older human sat up, looking about for any signs of the long gone Fishmen that had attacked him, only to come across something far more troubling. His car bent and broken, his fine suit in tatters, and his special cane broken against the ground greeted his weary eyes. For the second time that day, anger surged through Vincent Steele. He would have his revenge on those lesser beings, and he knew exactly how to do so. “They are definitely getting Wrecked…”

[Creek]

The world was a blur as Hollis forced his eye to open, his muscles felt numb and his stomach ached with hunger. He barely managed to remember what happened after he was electrocuted. He managed to open his eye when Vanos and Peche were carrying him away from the crash before the marines arrived and noticing he didn’t need to walk by himself he went back to sleep.

It was when he started to snore that Peche dropped him to the ground, the seahorse fishman's face bulking up with rage.


"Hell with this chump! We are here carrying him and he's just sleeping like a log!"


Peche started kicking Hollis in his sleep but the giant snakehead fishman didn't react to it which made Peche's rage increase exponentially.


"I hate you, eh! Why are we even helping this guy? Let's just get the stuff Brandy needs before she cuts our heads and use them as parts for the ship"


It was no coincidence they had arrived to the marketplace of the island and the Seahorse fishman walked away grunting. That was when Hollis started to rise up, he yawned loudly and then looked around sleepy. His stomach growled and he slowly walked toward the first stand that had some fresh fish, the vendor was a young woman who screamed the moment he saw the huge fishman grab the fishes and start eating them with gluttony.


"No! No! Please! This is all the merchandise we have! My husband spent all day fishing this! Don’t do this to us! I beg you!"


Tears running down her dirty cheeks as Hollis ravaged the entirety of the catch, the young woman saw pounds of fishes go down his throat like watching her dreams shatter like glass. When Hollis finished eating he burped and feeling satisfied he was going to walk away when he saw the young woman on her knees sobbing.


The sound of metal squeaking came from behind her and Hollis saw a little boy no more than 7 years old push himself on a wheelchair towards the young girl, the boy was wearing tattered cloths and the wheelchair was no more than a bunch of steel pipes welded together with 2 bent wheels on the side.


"Sis? Are you okay? What's happening?"


"Ben! Don't get near!"


But the giant fishman felt guilt boiling inside him, he looked at his hands covered still with the smell of fresh fish, fish that he had just stolen. His eye stared at the boy with determination, in 2 steps he covered the space between them and towering above the kid he reached to him with his hand.


"Don’t hurt him! Ben!"


The woman screamed again but stopped when he saw Ben sitting on top of the fishman's shoulder, the little boy surprised by the huge smile Hollis was giving him. The fishman then took the wheelchair and started going around graving a hammer here, some bolts there, a pipe from a rusted wall. Everywhere he went he took debris and forgotten items, plates, wood planks, some old cloth and as he went around gathering them he joked and laughed with the kid on his shoulder.


Then he threw the whole pile of debris and items onto the floor, looking satisfied with it he took a hammer on one hand and the wheelchair on the other. His mind already planning and forging before his hands even moved, he remembered how the automobile worked, how the pipes bent from one end to the other, the way the pistons pushed and the gas ignited so the wheels could turn.


"Craft!"


For anyone watching the huge fishman it seemed he was just hammering and bending random shapes, he had no organization, just creating what his mind told him was right. A pipe connected there, a plank of wood cut this way or that way, his mind just rushed from one shape to the next, always working ahead of his hands.


After a while he wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand, in front of him was still the wheelchair but it was completely changed, from a tattered poorly made wheelchair now stood a bulky plated chair, the wheels were big and completely round, the chair was patched with cloth and wood, on the back a little poorly made engine that connected a direction bar from the wheels to a stirring wheel on the front.


Hollis smiled glad as he sit Ben on the chair again, the little kid fascinated by what his new wheelchair looked like.


"And this is the best part!"


The fishman said with excitement, he knelt in front of the wheelchair where a little lever surfaced from the plates, he took it and gave it a few cranks. At that moment the engine grumbled and started to shake, after a few more cranks it gave a little explosion and then started roaring steady. It was a poor imitation, barely enough to make the wheels turn but he had managed to craft a little working engine.


"You just need to fill it with fish oil once in a while and it will keep working, youngster"


"Thank you nice guy"


Hollis smiled at the little kid and then walked away proud of himself, he felt he had paid his share of food with that. The young woman approached her little brother horrified by what she was seeing, the giant fishman had eaten their merchandise so they had nothing to sell, that meant no money for them that day. She knelt beside her brother worried about their future but then saw the smile on his little brother as he played with the weird wheelchair and wished with all her might the wheelchair was edible, otherwise they would have to spend a hungry night.

[Quincy]

Vanos stood in awe as he observed the giant Gyojin’s interaction with the fish peddler and the smaller boy. While he had missed the part about the bloke eating all the fish the girl had to sell, as he was busy getting the steel, he could tell by the flowing tears that the Fishman had done something he shouldn’t have. While the Eel-man would have generally scoffed at the tears of a poor unfortunate soul, he couldn’t help but view the gentle giant’s good intentions with mixed thoughts. Sure, he had done wrong; eating a ton of fish if Vanos’ hearing was good, which he knew it certainly was, but that was just the way the world worked, right? Bad things happen for no reason sometimes and you have to get over it. So why did the Fishman care about this starving family?

Whatever the answer, what the jolly Fishman did next was surprising to say the least. Taking the little boy upon his shoulders, which warranted more stares and murmurs in the crowded bazaar then it should have, the Giant Snakehead Fishman known as Hollis went about collecting and appraising seemingly random items lying around in a frenzy. As he worked, everyone was entranced by his hurried hands as they bent this pipe a certain way or tightened the screws on this part just right. Slowly, but quite surely, Vanos began to see the genius in the madness that Hollis was crafting. On the back of the chair, the large Gyojin had constructed what looked like the very reason his troubles had begun, only miniaturized: an engine. “Blimey, what’s with this bloke?” the Eel-man thought as he was astonished by the craft-savvy Fishman’s finished product before him. The ratty old wheelchair looked polished now, and was now a work of modern machinery.

A bright thought flashed into Vanos’ head, and he was suddenly very glad that he had found the larger Fishman out on the streets. All he needed to do was find Peche and get back to their clearing with the engineering Gyojin in tow. A sharp pitched voice that rang out over the constant chatter of the market told the Sea Tiger that he wouldn’t have to look for the cook for very long. Muttering curses and threats for the more vertically-inclined shoppers to move out of his way, the Sea Tiger’s squat chef burst forth from the crowds towards his crewmate with a smile. “Good, you got the steel. Let’s get outta here before of these punks piss me off, eh?” Peche muttered as he eyed the taller members in the crowd with malice. He began walking away, giving Vanos just enough time to tell the Fishman both Tiger’s had saved to come with them, and stop as he passed the weeping fish seller.

The little boy beside her was excited about the new chair he had received, painting the sister’s expression with a large smile and tears, yet the Eel-man could see the young girl was struggling to maintain the guise of happiness. It was an expression he had seen his own mother make many times after Vanos had gotten into particularly bad street fights back on Illusia. She would greet him with a smile and what appeared to be tears of joy at her beloved child’s safe return, but said child could see the pain tearing at her inside the depths of her eyes. Vanos found himself dragged to the present as his hand moved over his wallet. He had managed to haggle, though it was truly mere intimidation of the foreman, the price on the steel down, saving himself quite a few beri. He felt somewhere inside of him wanting to give the extra money he had saved to the family in need, but why!? He didn’t know these people, much less care about them, so why was he unmoving, unable to simply turn a blind eye to their struggles. Was it because they needed the money far more than he did? Was it because he felt responsible for Hollis’ appetite? Was it because they brought back bittersweet memories of his beloved mother? Was it because ‘Sea Wolf’ Vanos was finally growing a heart that held compassion and humanity within itself?!

Regardless of the reason, the weeping human girl’s tears ceased and she and her family would indeed eat tonight.

[Creek]

The roaring laugh of the giant fishman rumbled in the market as he saw Vanos give the money to the young woman. His giant hand grabbed the fishman by the shoulder patting him with a little bit too much strength.


"You are a kind soul youngster, and I would be glad to find a way to thank you for helping me out back there on the city"


The giant snakehead fishman said with a smile on his face, he also wanted to keep forward in order to find adventures but before that he needed to repay their kindness. He saw both Vanos and Peche had brought forth a huge deal of materials, with that an idea came to him.


"If you want I think I can craft a chair like the one the kid has, not sure if I can make it the same but let's give it a try"


Without malice he took a piece of steel and his mind started flurrying with ideas in order to create something amazing. On the other side Peche saw the giant guy they had just dragged there take their steel, he was still steaming as he had to push his way out of the crowd while yelling some obscenities to the people on his way.


"Hey! Stop right there you block head!"


With a couple of steps he jumped delivering a flying kick aimed at Hollis' head but when his feet collided with the giant fishman's head he felt as if he had just kicked a block of concrete. The pain on his toe doubled as he fell to the floor cursing.


"What da hell?! What is your skull made of,eh?"


This was enough distraction for Hollis to come out of his crafting trance, with Peche on the ground he approached trying to help him up.


"Oh I'm sorry boy, I didn’t meant to hurt you"


"You didn’t hurt me"


The seahorse fishman said with a buff, he looked back at Vanos and grabbed him by the arm.


"Let's get out of here before this guy does something to our stuff, Brandy ain't gonna like if we come back empty handed and you know what that means"


The image of Brandy's fury burned into Peche's mind with horror as he tried to rush Vanos into leaving.

[Quincy]

Despite the heavy burden of steel bars upon his shoulders, Vanos was smirking at what the larger Fishman had just told him. While most would think it would have been at the compliment, which the Eel-man contemplated violently refuting immediately, it was actually Hollis’ promise of a favor that caused him such joy. He would be certain to capitalize on it when the time came, and while the Giant Snakehead Fishman had seemingly read the ‘Sea Wolfs’ thoughts, he wouldn’t settle for just a new chair for Brandy. He had learned from years filled with promises and I-owe-you’s that you should make them count when you cash them in. However, thinking of the fiery mermaid, Vanos had to agree with Peche that sooner really would be better than later with her and her rifle involved.

Deciding their supply run had been successful in getting steel, tools, food, and possibly someone to lend a helping hand, the Sea Tigers and their giant guest exited from the crowded bazaar into the smog covered streets. The walk through streets far less crowded at high noon than they had been in the bustling morning hours was still a saddening sight to the Eel-man. With all those who were capable to work already doing so in crowded and sweltering factories, any poor souls he passed were either unemployed, unfit to work, a child, or worse, all three. It seemed that the young boy from the market wasn’t an uncommon sight, and had actually gotten off rather lucky in regards to what could have happened. The sight of a particularly marred and disheveled child struck at the Gyojin’s heart. He couldn’t quite explain why, but he felt a call to arms the more he saw the injustice rampant on this island. ‘One day…’ he silently vowed to himself.

The trip through the country section of Dauntaun was fairly uneventful, but that was just how Vanos had wanted it. He was ready to get back to camp and get Peche working on some fish and chips, and from the sound of Hollis’ stomach, so was he. The Eel-man had gotten the chance to talk to the larger Fishman he now knew as Hollis Noble, and he had to admit that from what he had heard so far, Berk and this bloke would get along just nicely. Their pasts, while different, were fairly relatable to one another. The thought of his captain and the rest of his crew were prevalent during his quiet walk back to Brandy and their small encampment. He wondered how Old Berk, Shio, and Manuke’s ‘get allies’ plan was going for them; the ‘get a ship’ plan was certainly working out pretty well, especially with what the Eel-man had seen his larger friend do with scraps of metal. He was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by the constant sound of Brandy's hammer and frustrated curses.

---

Vincent paces around his well-furnished office, courtesy of his relatives with actual claims to the family inheritance, impatient as ever and foaming at the mouth. First the immense disrespect he had received today in public at the hands of a Fishman no less, and now they were late! They were always late when he needed them, the last few ‘jobs’ he had tasked the pack of morons had either been extremely overdue or were handled far too sloppily for his tastes. He was a Steele for pete sakes! He shouldn’t be forced to manage such scum.

To the older gentleman’s surprise, said scum had decided to enter into his tidy office, tracking all manner of dirt and other questionable matter in with them. “Sorry for the wait, boss, but we got ‘em! Dino! The bag!” The shortest of the three men called out to the one even bigger than Hollis behind him, who was carrying a rather bloody and rough sack. “Ok bro.” the larger one blurted out in a deep, rolling drawl, and emptied the sack’s content—two bruised and unconscious Fishmen—onto Vincent’s formerly clean and stain-free carpet. The older Steele would have partially overlooked the now ruined patch of rug, until a quick glance at the three men’s cargo threw him over the edge.

“You idiots!” Vincent cried out, “These aren’t the insolent fish that wronged me! I said leather jacket with a mohawk and his companion would be short and angry looking!” All three present men flinched at their bosses rage. Truth be told, they had only heard and understood ‘Fishmen’ when their employer had summoned for them in a fit of rage. The most fidgety and shaking of the men, who had previously been fidgeting and shaking though to a far lesser degree, brightened up and patted the shorter man’s shoulder with a sense of urgency not exactly fitting for the situation. “Bro! Bro! I saw someone like that at the bazaar earlier! He was carrying steel too!” While the lanky man was talking a-mile-a-minute, the shorter one shot his hand back in annoyance, decking the man square in the jaw with a “Shaddup!”

Vincent looked at his three goons with utter shame. While they got the job done, eventually, they were unbearably stupid. Still, if Sam Wreck had indeed seen his perpetrator, he wouldn’t waste a second longer. “You Wrecking imbeciles! Don’t just stand here, go apprehend them!” The shortest, yet oldest Wreck brother wasted no time as ringleader to move his brothers out on yet another job. “Righto boss! Wrecking Crew, let’s go wreck em!

[Creek]

The dock was a big abandoned warehouse the Sea-Tiger Pirates were using while working on the ship, on the inside the half done ship was suspended on a dry dock by several pulleys. A lot of pieces were laying around, many of the pieces of the ship half assembled or left unfinished due to Brandy's lack of patience. In the entrance the mermaid was on her wheelchair in front of Hollis, her tiny figure towered by the gentle giant yet her eyes piercing him with anger. Hours of working on the ship without achieving great progress made her feel exhausted, putting her in a bad mood. Both Vanos and Peche had stepped back to a safe distance, they knew what could happen if Brandy didn't approve of Hollis, and they didn't wanted to be near if things started to fly towards them.


"So... Hollis, right?"


Brandy raised an eyebrow as she scanned the giant snakehead fishman standing in front of her. The huge guy had the muscle and body necessary for hard work, she had to give him that, yet something on his eyes made her feel he was completely lost in regards of building a ship, he kept looking around at the workshop like if everything there was new to him.


"Vanos and Peche seem to think you can help me, but can you? Do you have any experience building a ship? or something at least? Because you don't seems to have much gray matter in that thick head of yours, do you feel me? Yet again those two block heads couldn't differentiate the main mast of a ship from the rudder, but can you?"


Hollis muttered a little before answering to the barrage of questions the mermaid was shooting at him. This was his first time seeing a mermaid and was dumbfounded by her, she was brash and tomboyish yet Hollis couldn't stop noticing that beyond the fierce frown there were delicate and beautiful factions. Her wavy red hair restrained by the bandanna and goggles let a few bangs fall to the side of her face, her little body still feminine below the simple orange blouse.


"I.... yes, I think, am... no I have no experience, I don't know what you mean by gray matter, I don’t... ahem... feel you and I don't know what a rudder or mast is either..."


Hollis' mouth spoke as fast as possible and then his eyes fell on her face again, he blushed when she kept staring at him with those fierce eyes. Then without been able to sustain her gaze he looked away with his blue face as red as a tomato.


"Great! I told you to bring me someone who can help me build this ship of ours and you bring me this?!"


Brandy's anger towards Vanos and Peche had just started to surface, he yelled at the two fishmen who started to doubt if bringing Hollis was a good idea at all. Meanwhile Hollis' attention had shifted toward the huge work in progress that was the ship, it was hanging on huge pulleys and the crafting fishman was able to see the rough idea of what Brandy had been working at, yet... something was amiss, the whole concept was right and she had done a great job putting everything together but something was wrong.


Hollis' mind geared up, he started to notice some parts were off, he remembered how back in the forge they used to assemble those same pieces just a bit differently. The ship he had in front of him was not a normal ship, the stirring wheel was in a different place, and the overall design of the ship didn’t seemed to be so it could navigate above water.


"That's it!"


A cheerful grin appeared on his huge mouth, he had found out what was amiss! The ship was not designed to go above water, the hull's design seemed to break the buoyance force instead of maintain it, also the half done mast was segmented so it could fold down. It was an incredible idea, a ship that could go both above and below water, it would need to have something to pull it down, something like segmented compartments on the ship that could be filled with water at will so it can submerge, and in the same matter by releasing pressured air into the compartments it can float again.


The idea was rough and Brandy's lack of knowledge and experience with ships had made the task impossible to accomplish for her alone yet Hollis already had everything working out in his mind, his hands knew the right tools and places to work on, his body moved by intuition and forced learning. If Brandy weren't so busy screaming at the other two fishmen she would be astonished by what was happening behind her.




"There!"


The youngest of the Wrecking Brothers yelled as they sneaked around the dock where Vanos and company where arguing. The 3 brothers had been scolded by Vincent but now they were almost sure they got the right fishmen.


The oldest brother grinned with malice, now that they had found them the rest would be like taking a candy from a kid. There was four of them but that was no problem for him, the biggest fishman seemed a bit dumb and he guessed if necessary "little" Dino could handle him without much trouble.


The other two could be a little bit more problematic but he already had a plan to deal with them, he just needed a distraction to split them up and they could pin them one by one. He barely paid attention to the mermaid, as long as they kept her out of water what harm could she do?


"Ok, brothers, let's get ready, Mr. Vincent wanted fried fish sticks for dinner so that's what he's gonna get"

[Quincy]

“What the hell is this stupid lunk gonna do! He doesn’t know a damn about ships! All the ships that come out of this island and you couldn’t find a sure-fire expert!” Brandy shouted at his two crewmates, both of which were taking the earful quite differently. Peche was indignant about the whole thing! Why should he, the self-proclaimed “foreman” of the entire operation, be subject to such complaints from the ‘Psycho Lass’ herself?! Vanos, however, was seemingly unaffected by the mermaids fury. It wasn’t that he didn’t hear her in all screaming glory, but that he was more-or-less rather forgiving of Brandy. Was she able to walk all over him? Hell no, but would he hold her rants against her? Another hell no. He would let her say her piece, let whatever was bothering or irking her be said and then get her a cup of coffee and a gun to break apart and put back together. The surge of energy from coffee and the delicate tinkering of guns never failed to ironically calm the Mer-lass down.

“Ahh, come off it lass. Jus' let the bloke do what 'e is good at.” The Eel-man spoke up, attempting to calm the fuming mermaid and defend every Gyojin "at fault". If she had only seen what Hollis had done earlier at the bazaar… Alas, the only thing Brandy saw was the aforementioned gentle giant quickly rending apart all of her hard work! A whole week’s worth of work; completely wasted in seconds. The fiery redhead was at a loss of words, and Peche was quite frankly inching away every moment he could, intent of separating himself from the increasingly likely massacre to come. Just when it looked like her fuse was out, however, the mermaid wearily sighed. She wheeled herself over to the pack of cigarettes on her workbench, and in record time, was out the front entrance of the small warehouse without a word.

Peche was utterly baffled by the display before him. He had never seen Brandy storm off so silent. However, he had to admit one thing; he sure could get used to it. Releasing the breath he had unknowingly held, the Seahorse-man cackled obnoxiously, the way people would when an incredibly tense situation is instantly dissolved. This did not sit well with Vanos, who mistook the squat chef’s laughter for something negative. A swift smack to the back of the head quickly silenced Peche, who, almost like a reflex, returned to his old, violent, mobster self. “Nyeh, what’s ya problem punk.” The cook responded quickly, only to be met by a favorite stare of Vanos’. It was the stare that told Peche to go and do literally anything other than try and pick a fight with the easily stronger Gyojin, who had proved time and time again just how much stronger.

Defeated, the chef retained his usual grumpy demeanor, grumbling some inaudible curses and arguments about "who the real boss is". Vanos watched as his shorter crewmate moved to a corner of the rusting warehouse the cook had designated as the “Deli”. The Eel-man hardly cared what it was called. So long as Peche made the meals there, the name didn’t matter to him. Seeing the squat Seahorse-man get to work on what was without a doubt supper, the ‘Sea Tigers’ first mate looked over to Hollis, who was undoubtedly making progress, yet in his own unique way in his own hyper-focused world. Sighing at how everything had seemingly been lost on the larger craftsman, the Eel-man turned his attention to the final member on his ship-building squad.

To his credit, Vanos was stubborn when he needed to be, and the situation he was currently facing certainly required just that. Brandy was currently pointing a pistol directly at the Gyojin’s vulnerable chest, threatening to shoot if he didn’t leave her to her cigarettes, but he was undeterred by her threats. To her credit, the redheaded mermaid certainly lived up to her ‘Psycho Lass’ moniker. Amber orbs met with unwavering blue eyes, and for a split second, she faltered. She had wanted to cry, simply give in to the tidal wave of emotions and stress the young gunsmith was struggling to push back, and just get the disaster that was today to end as soon as it possibly could, which still wasn’t fast enough for her tastes.

However, Brandy was also known for her own stubbornness and tried her hardest not to let a single tear form and cascade down her flush cheeks. She wouldn’t let herself be seen as weak, not even for Vanos or even for a fleeting moment. With all life at thrown at her, from nearly being sold as a slave, to running across the Blues for her very life, and all the years wasted on Yeste, she had been forced to stay strong and stay guarded or be doomed to fall to the world. Brandy would never cop out and bow to the ways of the world, especially with a crew that genuinely needed her. Not since meeting the ‘Sea Tigers’ had she felt any sense of safety, happiness, or hell, even like she was a member of a family.

So in that fleeting moment of her faltering, Brandy felt the years flow down her face in a sweet release. She hardly cared about her surroundings or if Vanos saw what was unfolding before him. She doubted he would tell anyone, but a few threats about losing his manhood in an “accident” wouldn’t hurt just in case. After all, she still had to be strong; if not for herself than for her crewmates. While Brandy was a mix of emotions at the moment, she couldn’t help but smile at Vanos’ attempts to cheer her up. A witty joke, talk about having a day off, or breaking open another bottle of rum all went to soothing the gunsmith. Ultimately, however, it was the promise of a nice cup of coffee and a fresh meal that eased the mermaid’s exhausted heart most. Hurriedly wiping away any evidence of her crying with the sleeve of her blouse, Brandy and Vanos made their way back into the aged warehouse they were calling home at the moment, completely oblivious to the three sets of eyes that monitored their movements.

A skin crawling laugh emanated from the oldest Wreck. He was overjoyed at his luck. Not only had he found the Fishmen, and during a vulnerable time to boot, he had also successfully cornered them. While the Wrecking crew weren’t the fastest or brightest mercenaries around, they could certainly do some damage if their targets couldn’t run, and with his suspicions confirmed about the mermaid being no trouble, he had already made a plan to deal with the remaining three Fish. “Alright boys, let’s have some fun here! Khuahaha!”

[Creek]

"That fella sure is amazing"


The cook gave a bowl of soup to Vanos as the three of them took a rest from working. The sea horse fishman looked back at where Hollis was still working on the ship taking a bowl for himself, the soup was a simple shrimps and vegetables soup yet with the right touch of garlic and some salt and pepper even such a simple soup had a refined and plentiful taste.


"Hey yo! Vanos! Did you knew he had this under his sleeve?"


The sea horse fishman chuckled when Vanos shrugged while taking a sip at the soup.


"He's not half bad"


The mermaid's voice was a little bit out of pitch as she tried not to show her slight feeling of inferiority, she swirled the bowl of soup she had at her hands looking at the pieces of shrimp go round and round.


"He's not half bad? You mad?! We've been working on this thing for a week now and this pal just starts working and makes it all look so easy to do"


Peche stumbled as he had to catch the bowl of soup half handed half thrown at him by Brandy, she stopped herself from glaring at him and started to pull her wheelchair towards where Hollis was working tirelessly.


"Thanks for the soup Peche, it was tasteful"


As the mermaid made some distance the sea horse fishman felt Vanos's piercing gaze upon him. He was going to reply as he felt the urge to get angry build up inside him but he stopped when he noticed how Brandy's movement seemed a little bit less energetic than usual.



"Hey big guy! Do you need help with something?!"


Brandy was not going to let something as petty as a sense of inferiority take a toll on her, she knew she was not the best shipwright but still she didn't liked when her work was just discarded, she had suffered too much disdain already.


The snakehead fishman stopped hammering one of the few overlays he had been working for as he heard the mermaid's voice. His eye saw the mermaid on a wheelchair looking at him from below one of the pulleys and he jumped off the ramp he was in order to stand a few steps from her.


"Well... the thing is... I don't really know"


The rough laugh that came from his mouth irritated Brandy a little bit. She was unsure if he was just mocking her or he was really as dumb as he looked, he had been working nonstop for a few hours yet he still claimed to be clueless about what he was doing.


"You see... I just craft so everything feels right, like this part and this part, they just like fit... or they don't... am..."


He was trying to show that motion of fitting with his hands closing one and fitting it into the open other. Hollis noticed Brandy was clueless about what he was talking about so he just laughed, he was easy going and his laugh was innocent.


"Well if you need something, you just need to ask"


Hollis nodded with a huge grin on his face then walked toward a big cannon, the giant piece of weaponry was the only thing Brandy was proud of doing for the ship, she had spent her sweet time making sure the cannon was topnotch, going down to every single detail. She urged herself to ask the giant not to touch the cannon thinking he was going to pull it apart just to assemble it back again but it was not necessary.


The giant snakehead fishman grabbed a hook attached to one of the many pulleys and started tying the canon around so it could be lifted. Brandy pulled herself toward Hollis and curiosity started to crawl inside her.


"You are not going to modify it first?"


"Modify it? Why would I do that? How the rings merge with the cannon, and the place on the back first perfectly... what I can do couldn't even compare to this, this doesn't just fit, this harmonizes, when this cannon fires it will make music... mayhem music"


Hollis was unable to see the slight smile on Brandy's face, she puffed her chest and her face colored slightly, she may not be the best shipwright yet her pride and joy was not on ships but on gun smiting and it was reassuring to know she still had the knit of it. Then something lighted in her head, she hadn't noticed before maybe because she was too stressed.


"Yo! You really don't know how any of these is called right? I noticed, you always say 'this' and 'that' but have you the slightest notion of why everything works the way it does?"


The giant head of the snake head fishman shook in negation, back when he was a slave on the forge there was no need for him to know, only to craft.


"Oy, I'll make a deal with you big guy, I teach you the names and the whys of this stuff and you teach me a thing or two of how things should be done"


"Deal!"


The mermaid smiled as she pulled her wheelchair towards Hollis, as she approached the giant fishman felt something warm get a grip inside of him, he had never relied on anyone, even back on the forge the closest he could get to that feeling was with his deceased teacher. He remembered how the old fishman had told him about relying on others, how in hardship and celebration other people could share the moments and make them better.

How did his teacher call them? Friends.

[Quincy]

“Wait bro!” Sam Wreck, middle child and nervous Wreck, cried out. This, of course, warranted a quick glare from the oldest brother, who was adept in terrorizing his younger brother. “Shaddup!” Johnny “JJ” Wreck hushed back as he tried, with pitiful success, to sneak up to the warehouse’s opening and gaze in. Sure enough, his three marks were assembled together inside.

The two who had assaulted his boss were sitting at a table, both engaged in a hilarious conversation and their hot soups. The larger fella who had ruined Mr. Vincent’s sweet ride, as ‘JJ’ had so eloquently put it earlier, was taking a break from his tinkering to try a bowl of soup. He was astonished by the soup’s flavor; it was apparently very good soup if his continual slurping was anything to go off of. Johnny, despite actually trying to shush himself to solve the problem, couldn’t keep his stomach from uttering a loud growl of hunger.

Quick as a flash, he dived away towards the crowded tree line that bordered the abandoned warehouse. From his well hidden position, he gazed back to see if any of his bounties had come to investigate the strange sound, yet instead saw his two brothers still quite visible and still near the warehouse’s opening. ‘Little’ Dino was standing against the wall of the storeroom, scratching his head in confusion, with Sam laying on the ground, a heaving mass desperate for air once again.

“What’d ja run over ‘dere for, big bro?” the youngest Wreck slurred out after he had given up on trying to figure out JJ’s motive for hiding. The simpleton simply couldn’t grasp the concept of subtlety as his heavy frame waddled over to his brother, completely in the open, with Sam in tow. The poor man had suffered another surprisingly frequent panic attack thanks to Johnny’s sudden movement towards the trees.

Ever since the middle Wreck had been born, his older brother had constantly bullied him. This had alleviated slightly with Dino’s birth, but once the boy had outclassed the oldest brother in height and width, Sam was once again the main punching bag. The result of such an upbringing was the jittery Wreck that laid before Johnny and Dino.

“JJ—” the middle brother huffed out between breaths, “—we can’t just walk in there. We need to separate ‘em.” Johnny Wreck sat contemplating on his brother’s words. While a Wreck generally followed their gut, even if it was outrageously wrong, ‘JJ’ decided he could see why a 4 vs 3 would be a bad idea, even if one was a frail girl. However, if he couldn’t have his plan, then he would at least make the new plan have a little bit of “fun”. Grabbing a few of the bombs his younger brother carried, which elicited another panic attack from Sam, he lit and threw one near the warehouse with a sinister smile. “Dino! Punch whoever comes out.” A goofy grin was all the cruel brother received but he assumed it meant that his youngest brother understood his orders.

Surely enough, a Fishman with a wild mane of blonde hair came out in a fit of rage. “Oi! Who’s bollocks are gettin’ kicked fo’ that!?” Vanos cried out, though he was surprised when a cry was what he heard in response. Charging from the bushes was a hulking man with by far the biggest gut the Gyojin had ever seen. If he wasn’t so dazed from the whole surprise of ‘Lil’ Dino emerging from out of nowhere, he would have easily dodged the lumbering strike that was heading straight for his face. However, the youngest Wreck’s blow struck true against the Eel-man’s now further-chiseled jaw and sent him flying towards a quite painful impact with a nearby tree.

While the tree was still in one piece, Vanos certainly did not feel like he was. A groan escaped his lips as he hefted himself back up to his feet, eyes already keyed in to the escaping form of the larger bloke who had snuck one on him. Without a second thought, he was up and after Dino, unwilling to let anyone get away with a quick sucker punch on him.

As the Eel-man chased after the heavier Wreck, Johnny let out a hoarse laugh at his sudden success. Dino would, hopefully, lead the foolish fish towards all the traps he had painstakingly made scattered all throughout the area around the warehouse, and if not then at least keep the Fishman away from him. Johnny had never seen anyone take a hit from his younger brother so well and certainly wished to avoid such an encounter himself if it could be helped.

Pulling himself back to the matter at hand, Johnny grabbed a hold of his shaking younger brother and with a wide smirk said “One down, three to go. You’re up little bro.”

[Creek]

"May I repeat?"


Peche's joy was hard to hide as the giant snakehead fishman asked for his 4th bowl of soup, the gentle giant was eating with great pleasure and with each sip of the soup he complimented more and more the culinary skills of the cook. With his chest puffed out Peche kept the soup coming happy and proud of his skills.


He was still tending to the pot of soup when he saw a young boy out the window, the little dude was staring at the pot of soup and he was clearly hungry. Peche's stomach swirled in pity and since he was in such a good mood his mind rushed to help the young man. He took a little bowl and served the soup prideful, then as he exited the warehouse and turned to where the young boy had been before he found no one.


The fishman was startled but before he could step away the rope that had been laid out below him tightened around his ankles rising him up into the air upside down, the strength of the pull disoriented him and also made him drop the bowl of soup.


As Peche was trying to make sense of the whole situation he saw a tall skinny man grinning as he swung a bat at his head. Pitch darkness engulfed Peche as he fell into unconsciousness.

When Hollis returned for his fifth bowl he couldn’t find the cook, he looked around for a second then shrugged, maybe he had to go to the loo or something. He also needed to go back to work, filling his stomach could wait for another time.



"The place is too quiet..."


Brandy finally noticed some minutes after, both Peche and Vanos had left without saying anything. She approached Hollis, maybe the big guy knew where they had left to.


"Hey huge guy! Do you know where those blockheads went to?"


Hollis was on the second floor of the dry dock welding a pair of metal planks and because of the noise made by the torch he was unable to hear Brandy as she shouted at him. The mermaid frowned as she saw her words wouldn’t reach the shipwright so she decided to search for her companions by herself.


The sound of the wheelchair seemed a bit ominous as she started to get farter away from the dry dock, she saw the boiling bowl of soup unattended and knew Peche was not someone to left his kitchen alone. She also noticed some things were out of place, there were strange artifacts here and there, little boxes near the main pillars of the warehouse.


She approached one of the boxes, her heart started to beat faster as her eyes made sense of what she was watching, from both sides of the boxes a couple of wires were connected to a little ticking clock. She felt a drop of sweat running down her forehead as she made sense of the whole picture.


"Shit... shit... shit...!"


From the edge of her vision she saw someone moving, her reflexes kicked in and in a swift movement she turned her wheelchair with one hand while drawing her gun with the other, she aimed at a young man who was tiptoeing his way along the wall.


"Stop right there!"


The young man jumped startled and raised his arms, a little grin on his face as he started shaking. He was wearing a backpack and belt full of those little ticking boxes. Brandy smiled confident, she had found the culprit, then the cold touch of an edged blade appeared right at her throat, a swift whisper coming from behind her ear.


"Hey cutie pie, why donch'ya lower yer gun and we'all become friends"


The fear swirled inside her, how could that man sneak on her? and why were they trying to bomb the place?



Hollis turned off the torch as he barely saw Brandy's wheelchair moving alone on the first floor of the dry dock. He frowned as he stepped up, he had been too focused on his work to notice the calm that had engulfed the warehouse in the last few minutes. The sound of a gun shot made his heart skip a beat as he ran down the stairs.


As he rushed toward the lone wheelchair he saw Brandy struggling against an unknown man on the other side of the warehouse. Johnny had managed to drag the mermaid across the room but had not expected for her to struggle and now the giant fishman had taken notice of them.


"Stay still you damned fishhead!"


Brandy had bitten his hand when he tried to grab her before, also the girl had reached one of her guns with amazing speed and managed to shot at him, as he managed to react he felt an increasing pain and warm feeling running down his ear.


"Hey! Leave her alone you..."


"Sam! Blow him to bits!"


Hollis was barely able to react as he saw a younger man quickly throw something at him, he turned as the little box exploded in mid air, the strength of the explosion pummeling him against the wall. 

[Quincy]

The ‘Sea Wolf’ froze mid-step in his search for the portlier man that had assaulted him when he could hear a faint explosion in the distance. While an explosion normally wouldn’t be entirely out of place for the Gyojin, with his current location—the more rural areas of the industrious Dauntaun—and the sound resonating from the location of his crew’s warehouse, his senses began to pull him back to his comrades. Nothing bad could have happened, right? Brandy was hopefully just tinkering with something rather volatile again, or she had left some spare gunpowder aside that had suddenly caught a spark or something. The longer Vanos tried to rationalize the explosion in the distance, the more it seemed that he was grasping at straws for a ‘safe’ ending.

A low chortling in a nearby bush caught the Eel-man’s attention. The bulkier human he had been chasing after since their initial conflict was having a roaring good time snickering away in the bushes, but why? Had he wanted to give away himself after hiding, quite expertly considering his stature, for so long? “Hyuhuhuhu! Big bro sure is showing the Fishies!” Dino Wreck muttered out between giggles. He too had heard the explosion, yet where the Sea Tiger had heard distress, he had heard a clear success.

The poor Wreck wouldn’t be laughing for long, however, as Vanos savagely wrapped one of his chains around the fatter bloke’s neck. “Oi, porky,” the Gyojin hissed as the youngest Wreck struggled to breathe against the tightening chain around his throat, “Jus’ what is ya ‘big bro’ showing the Fishies, eh?” Despite the lack of air in his lungs, Dino still managed to choke out a short response; “Wrecking!” Anger and electricity flooded out from deep within the Eel-man as he used his signature finisher, ‘Shocking Girote’, to jolt the huge man into an unconscious mound of flesh.

“Hmph. Bloody tosser.” Vanos snorted out at the fat prone man before him. Besides being an overall annoyance, the youngest Wreck brother had managed to lead the Gyojin on a wild goose chase as far away from the warehouse as possible. The trek back would be exhausting but when his mates are in danger, the ‘Sea Wolf’ could do the impossible. Starting with a huff, the Fishman started in the direction he believed would suffice, yet before he had seemingly ran 50 feet, he felt his ankle give way and himself be hoisted upside down and up into the branches of a nearby tree.

“Hyuhuhu, not bad Fishie. My turn!” Dino excitedly shouted as he sprung up from the ground. Vanos hung helpless, mouth agape as the large man swung into the Gyojin with another heavy fist. His mind was racing a mile a minute as he tried to wrap his head around what had just happened. He was upside-down due to a simple, well concealed snare, that much was obvious, but how had Dino not been out cold from his shock? Almost on cue, or perhaps because he had a bad habit, the young Wreck voiced his thoughts aloud, “Hyuhuhu, Mama always said I had thick skin. Now I get to have a new toy to play with! Big bro sure was smart when he made all those traps!” The Eel-man groaned both from the consecutive blows he was receiving and at his luck; of course his entire route back would be booby-trapped and he would be stuck fighting the one guy he couldn’t shock into submission.

“Wrecking Ball!” With both fists clenched together, Dino swung hard into the Fishman’s side. The resulting impact sent Vanos flying, along with the tree limb connected to the snare. Pain racked the Gyojin’s brutalized body as he landed a good distance away from the Wreck. He struggled to rise from the dusty ground and hobble into a nearby bush as Dino gleefully charged past him, all the while calling out “Fishie! Fishie! Where are you!?”

The ‘Sea Wolf’ hid and got the dust out of his good eye as he formulated his next moves against the jolly giant. He needed to act quickly, for his mates’ sake. Who knew how his crew and Hollis were holding up after the explosion he heard?