(Mission 114) Don't judge a crook by the bounty.

[cremuex]

Mission #114

"Some strange group has begun their own business making... bounty posters?! It looks strikingly similar to the official Marine bounty posters too and they are framing innocent people for the crimes being committed so that they can run away scott-free! Some Marines aren't fact-checking and have even been arresting the innocent scapegoats! As a Marine, get to the bottom of this mystery and bust the fake bounty poster making group before it's too late and they get away."

---

The sun shone down brightly on Maethen, the largest township and the proud capital city of Aityaia island; needless to say, it was a bustling tourist destination with it's perfectly white sand beaches, sparkling ocean blue, clear cloudless skies and pleasant climate. The island was also home to many casinos with flashing lights and tantalizing promises to hit it rich quickly and effortlessly and join the elite in their spiraling high rise tower made of white marble which drew in many that considered lady luck on their side and even more beautiful vixens that would take advantage of the more generous of gamblers before they got too cocky and experienced the inevitable fall and betrayal of the crowds that gathered around the man (woman or any mix between or without) of the moment.

The city was flashy and expensive (more so in some higher end shops then others), a hand in the pocket of every tourist that walked by grabbing one variety of souvenir or another to remember their time by. The restaurants were largely middle or upper class with few pubs but hotels were plentiful, and even the places that sold alcohol were more classy then what she was used to. The shopping district was just as busy as the casinos and the population seemed largely made up of civilians, though a few small groups of three or four marines could be seen patrolling the streets, although pirates didn't seem to be a problem, which was only more of a commendation for the navy if anything. The streets were also suspiciously free of the homeless, poor or downtrodden, though the thought of the island having a less advantaged district never entered the minds of the traveling beri bags.

As sensitive and sympathetic to the needs of others as she was, the blonde haired blue eyed sky person took no notice of it either as she perused the collection of natural rocks found on the island. She wasn't a gambler herself, nor was she a drinker (which she was quite a light weight at for someone raised around so much alcohol) but had come to examine and restock some precious or semi-precious stones, though most were ornate and set into pieces of jewelry.

With a somewhat disappointed sigh she left the store to follow up on a raw materials store that was located in the industrial area a bit further outside of town that she was given some general directions too and told that she 'couldn't miss it'. As she left the store though, she became almost uncomfortably aware of two men that came up behind her, one on each side and began to close in on her. She would have hurried her pace, if it wasn't for two men dressed in marine uniform that held their guns at the ready.

"Stop right there Hilda the Contemptible. You're under arrest, raise your hands so that we can see them and drop any weapons you might have. You are ordered by Marine Captain De'Avris to come quietly or we will use force to apprehend you." The more senior and more firmly built of the two marines in front of her barked loudly, causing a bit of a scene and making the other on lookers clear an area around them.

She knew that that wasn't her name, and she knew that she hadn't done anything wrong, but how directly and confidently they spoke made her feel like it was targeted at her, just as the riffles trained on her were. Still, she didn't want to cause any trouble, so she put her backpack on the ground slowly and stood with her hands raised, palms forward and opened to show that she wasn't going to resist arrest- she could always explain herself down at the station and putting up a fight was only going to make her seem more guilty.

[Konaa]

"Why's it so damn BRIGHT...?"

A hand moved up to shield his eyes, the recruit slowly pondering his way forward down the whitestone street, a dour expression upon his face as always. Konaa's division had docked at this South Blue island for a good reason, he was sure, but it wasn't like they were about to go telling him. Don't want to take the blinders of the horse now, am I right? For the moment, they had no standing orders, and the crew were granted a day's shore leave.

This place was insufferable. It was loud, obnoxious, and in your face. Not a moment of privacy to be found. Vehemently refusing to hit the casinos with his squad, Konaa opted for an activity that wouldn't have him puking his guts out the following morning. Those guys had been howling the moment they were off the ship, given the beach and the general raunchiness of this type of place in general. For his part, Konaa had spared the women his compatriots had been catcalling at one disinterested glance before slipping off into the crowd. What a fine reminder of how much he dislike basically everyone he worked with.

Barely concealed disdain shot out under his bangs, but thankfully his small stature meant that very few people would take notice of him.

That was something to be said for it. Maethen was such an obnoxiously loud place that his comparative lack of presence meant he could slip under the radar. He wasn't even required to wear his uniform, thankfully - a gray t-shirt and plain jeans only added to his nondescript status.

You know what? I should try thinking positively for once. I've got a day off here, and for all that this place is a pain, the air is really fresh...

Determined now to enjoy himself, Konaa strode forward a little more energetically, but-

The bulge in his pack dug into his side for a moment, the young boy wincing. Stopping to recheck what it was they'd foisted on him, he blinked...wanted posters. Right, they'd taken in a fresh batch at port and every member of the crew had been handed a stack of their own. Well, it wasn't like he was gonna try to apprehend any criminal he saw. But- he should at least get a look so he could report it if he did see any...

Slowly, he flicked through one after the other, absorbing their features without any enthusiasm. But as much as he tried to turn his brain off for the joyless task, that annoying part of him wouldn't stay quiet. The part that kept reasoning even when he just wanted to go about his day. They're too...normal looking.

Though it was hardly a rule, most pirates tended to favor intimidating appearances. Anyone who had enough notoriety to have a bounty on their head wouldn't be some no-name, by definition. So...Why were all these posters ordinary looking people??? One after another - there was just no way they were pirates. What the hell was going on, here?

It can't be a fad to look ordinary... As he brushed by one - "Hilda the Contemptible," a charming nickname - something ticked in the back of his mind. Where'd he hear that before...?

Bah! He stuffed the papers forcefully back into his bag, hoisting it up and walking onward. All this thinking was gonna ruin his day before it even started. Today was a day off! All the myriad problems with this joke of an organization were someone else's issue anyway! He'd tell the captain and she'd get some Inspector to take a look.

It wasn't a few moments until he'd passed by yet another casino. That narrowed, cynical gaze of his was back, the cheering of the crowd and the sound of some lucky sod ringing out from within. He found himself gazing on the spectacle of gambling a little more scornfully than he was expecting. There's no such thing as a city where everyone's rich...Where do they shove the rejects, I wonder?

On and on, such dirty little thoughts kept nagging at him. With a grimace, he smacked the sides of his head, shaking it rapidly. "Nrgh. Not my problem!" he grunted, walking faster than ever.

Eventually, he'd entered the financial district, which was sadly no less busy. Grunting and sliding his way through the crowd with practiced skill, the Marine kept his eyes focused forward. There had to be some quiet store he could hold out in...That way, he could shut his eyes and ignore all the awful little blips on his conscience. You couldn't feel bad if you were asleep.

Yeah, he was almost in the clear -

"Stop right there Hilda the Contemptible. You're under arrest, raise your hands so that we can see them and drop any weapons you might have. You are ordered by Marine Captain De'Avris to come quietly or we will use force to apprehend you."

God DAMMIT.

Stopping short, his head swiveled back around to the sight of a face he'd only just seen an hour or so past - that was the face on this island's wanted posters, alright.  Two Marines...and they had her at gunpoint.  Well, that was that taken care of, no need for him, they had it under control.  He lifted one foot upward -

Keep walking, keep walking.  No, there's nothing weird here.  Nothing at all.

Konaa couldn't step forward.  Visibly, he began to twitch.  There was no doubt about it, something was off.  It was nagging at him...and the look on that woman's face - the look of sheer confusion.  What was it about that face?

Wait, that was it.  Of course!

But - it would mean he'd have to get involved in this nonsense.  Surely they'd just release her later?  What was a couple days in the brig, anyway?  He had to suffer through duty for weeks at a time, and that was basically even worse!  Besides, everyone in this city was looking out for themselves.  There was no reason he had to be any different.

Yup.  It all made sense.  Time to go.

...

His foot lowered, carrying him forward.  Shoving his way past the onlookers to the scene, he raised his voice, a jocular and mocking tone cutting through the silence.

"Oi.  I know you look the part, but I'm amazed they actually let a gorilla into the Marines."

God dammit.

Blinking, the heavyset Marine wheeled his gaze toward the plainclothes one, a vein twitching on his temple at the sudden, severe insult.  The silence around them was stunned, the crowd hardly able to even believe what they were hearing.  Both soldiers glared his way, the big one moving a little closer.  "Watch your tongue!  And keep your nose out of this, civilian! Marine business. Move along and I'll forget you said anything.

Scratching the side of his head, the young man grimaced. "Man, your voice is annoying. I'm gonna just do you two a favor now and spare you some embarrassment. You got the wrong girl."

A beat. The two looked at each other, confusion written over their faces. "What?" chimed in the smaller of the two, eyes widening.

With a hefty sigh, the young boy dropped his pack, unzipping the top of it and digging through. "So, you want the...lady here, because of this, right?" Having foregone with an insult in light of her already troubled situation, he hoisted up the wanted poster they were basing their arrest off.

He cut off their reply with a wave of his hand, jabbing a finger at the words. "See, I thought it was kinda weird. Not only does she not looking anything like a pirate, but...The font's all wrong. It's smaller, scratchier. I know a city like this doesn't lack the funds to make proper posters. And this seagull stamp? The ink's so thin it's already fading."

More silence. There was an uncomfortable cough from the surrounding onlookers, the two guards staring at him with blank looks on their faces.

Another sigh. "Okay, so. It ain't a South Blue thing either. Cause look what I've got here." Another hand whipped up - with another poster. Yet this one also read Hilda the Contemptible. Yet-

"Notice anything off, geniuses?"

A grunt of shock came from the heavier Marine, stomping forward to rip the poster out of his hands and stare at it. Without a doubt, this was an official poster...But the woman on it looked nothing like the one before them! She was a hardy, raven haired warrior. At a glance, the truth of the situation befell him. "But...But- How...Why?"

"How's that my problem? Maybe try using your monkey brain for more than shitting." The young boy glared right into the taller man's eyes. For just a moment, some genuine anger was wafting off of his form. Unconsciously, the heavyset man raised his leg as if to take a step back, without even knowing why. Then the moment was gone, and anger plastered itself over his face.

"Shut UP, you stupid brat!" A meaty fist slammed into the boy's gut, drawing out a gasp. Swaying, Konaa toppled over onto the ground, coughing into the dirt. The thinner of the two stepped over, holding up a hand.

"Hask - come on. Too many eyes. Let's just get back. We've got to report this."

Exhaling in anger, Hask started forward, looking as though he'd quite like to step on the young man's fallen form. Regardless, he showed himself to be above at least that, making his way down the street alongside his fellow.

Konaa grimaced, staring vacantly off to the side. Yeah. This is what happens...I never learn, do I?