Post by Mr. Moon on Dec 8, 2019 11:22:22 GMT -5
Looking into Darkness I.
In the end, they lost the battle. Both Gabriel and Michael were captured by marines, while Eric was wrapped in cocoon from thorny vines by the white haired bounty huntress. They may lose the fight, but they weren´t defeated. When bound by the vines, Eric used his spare time to analyze his last battle. For him, it was quite obvious that he didn´t do any mistake during the fight. It was much simpler than that, she was simply too powerful for him and Gabriel to handle, which meant that, he was far from his own peak. Now, the question was, how to move forward?
The obvious answer was eating Devil Fruit. Previously, he didn´t even think about such possibility, as he thought that the petty tricks they were offering were not enough to compensate for the loss of the ability to swim but now, when he witnessed it´s power himself, he changed his mind. Petty tricks indeed. In his eyes more than half of her power was coming from her ability to control that weird plants. Meaning that if he could acquire similar power his own strength would significantly increase. Obviously there were some problems with this approach. First of all, he had no idea how to obtain Devil Fruit. And secondly, Eve if he could found one, there was no guarantee that it´s power would be compatible with him, or at least useful. So in the end, he ruled that possibility out, at least for now.
The other things were his own techniques. When he was perfecting his Indestructible technique, he thought that he gained some rare ability from his fight with that agent but as it turned out now, it was more common than he knew. Yes, his mastery over the ability to harden his muscles was greater than Bianca´s as he could move while fully hardened while she couldn´t but in the end it didn´t make much difference. On the spot, he couldn´t think about a way off improving this skill even further so he had to learn new ones and become more versatile. But what were his options? That high speed technique which that agent showed to him back on the Micqueot? That was definitely an interesting option but the problem was that he never was really fast. Speed was Michael´s discipline so why should he meddle into it, especially when he picked that two brothers for his crew, so that they could cover for his own weakness? Fighting in well-coordinated team was their specialty, their greatest strength, so at least now he needed something different. Something that would befit his role in their team, something…he paused the train of his thoughts for a second as he remembered something. That last technique she used against him. Single finger used as a piercing weapon. It was not enough to break through his Indestructible, but still he could feel it´s strength with his own body. Obviously, single finger was not enough for him as using only finger would probably limit his own destructive power, but if he could master it´s basic principles and apply them for his whole hand, that would be something completely different.
Lost in his own thoughts Eric didn´t noticed that he and his two remaining companions were transferred to small prison located in the local marine base. When he came back to his senses he was already sitting in prison cell with heavy chains on his hands and legs.
“Hey, look who is back”
Michael sounded more pleased than sarcastical.
Gabriel turned his head from the small barred window to his captain. As it turned out, all three of them were locked in the same cell, the only difference between their situations was the fact, that their chains were much smaller and lighter than Eric´s.
“We started to worry if she didn´t hit your head to hard or something.”
Eric shook his head in disagreement.
“Nothing like that, I was just thinking.”
“For six hours?”
Michael was shocked, but Gabriel, who knew Eric longer smiled and lowered his voice, so the guards couldn´t hear them.
“So, what did you figured out?”
“Well”
Eric sighted and moved little bit to find more comfortable position as the cold stone wall behind him was poking him in the back.
“First of all we need to incorporate Michael to our team work and create some new strategies. The one with your surprising attack is good, we even injured that white haired girl with that, but we need more. Also I think that we should increase our numbers by one or two other members. I have some ideas about one, than there is new technique I would like to test out and maybe, we should get Michael some Devil Fruit...”
Gabriel rolled his eyes.
“Escape Eric, we are talking about escape.”
His captain frowned.
“Yes, that´s not gonna happen. At least not now.”
“What?”
Gabriel looked at him with a mix of surprise and anger.
“Are you serious? In two days, they will...”
“Transfer us to the Jreum Island, I know.”
Eric nodded, obviously he wasn´t moved be this possibility even in slightest.
“So you were listening the whole time?”
Asked Gabriel surprised as this information was passed to them by their guard two hours ago, when Eric looked like someone who lost his consciousness.
“Of course I did.”
“Then, why?”
If possible Gabriel looked even more puzzled than before.
“Here we are alone. You two are unarmed and that White haired girl is probably still on this island, so what would be the point in escaping from here when we probably can not get even to the port? On the other hand. In the base should be many more prisoners. On the other hand, to the World Government we are only small fry so they will probably not execute as right away. We should probably have month or two to plan as escape. On top of that, there will be probably much more prisoners so if we can force them to move, we can easily hide ourselves and escape.”
Eric himself couldn´t believe that they forced him to say so many words in such short period of time.
“That´s crazy.”
Gabriel sighted, but from his face it was obvious, that he will not argue with his captain. Ultimately, he was the smartest guy in the room so he knew that escaping now would result only in another imprisonment or even their death as right now they were no match for that white haired girl.
“Yes, that´s quite crazy plan captain”
Michael joined their debate.
“But more importantly, why should I eat Devil Fruit? Just for the record, today my ability to swim saved my neck, even if temporally, so...”
“Isn´t it obvious?”
Gabriel couldn´t leave the opportunity to tease his half brother unused.
“You are the weakest one of us so it´s only natural that you should eat it to stop being such hindrance.”
Michael frowned.
“What did you said? If you wish, I can take you on every day in the week!”
Gabriel smiled.
“Sure you can, how many times I kicked your a** on our way here? Twice? Or maybe three times”
Michael snapped.
“Just because I was still recovering from my stay in that sh**y bedlam. With my full strength I would cut you in half before you even noticed.”
“Yeah, yeah, save your excuses for someone who care.”
“You little, I will...”
Michael couldn´t finish his thread as in that time, guard showed up. Big and muscular guy with almost no neck overhead their fight which was disturbing him from the crossword he was just finishing.
“Are you fu**ing kidding me? Shut your mouths up, or I will get there and do it for you with my fr**king fist, understood?”
Eric slightly smiled as situation as this were golden opportunities for escape.
“And why are you exactly smiling like some freaking id**t?”
That guard noticed Eric´s smile and for some reason he felt offended by it.
“Nothing, it´s just that I am glad that you showed up or I think my head would explode from this two.”
Guard frowned, not sure if Eric is serious or if he is making fun from him, but when he looked at his stern face, he decided, that he actually meant it.
“Fine, than we understand each other.”
He muttered for himself, before leaving them to their own devices.
In the next two days, the guard had to calm them down many times as both brothers were trying to hide their unease behind mutual teasing and provocations. Saying that they were afraid would be probably to much, but they definitely weren´t completely cool about their current situation. It was understandable as Michael spend last few months locked down in a bedlam, while Gabriel was technically fugitive, wanted for forbidden historical research who faked his own death to avoid any further persecution from the world government. Under this conditions, only Eric kept his composure, probably because he spend majority of his life in prison, so this situation was nothing new to him on the contrary, for him it was like returning to home. In the end, when the escort finally arrived that poor guard felt freed as his higher-up strictly banned any physical contact between him and the captured criminals. Not because she would be so humane, but because she deemed Eric, even when chained, too dangerous and unpredictable to allow any contact between him and the warden.
And so the escort arrived. Ten marine soldiers lead by their lieutenant took them out of their cell and lead them outside of the prison building to the small courtyard where prison transport was waiting for them. Heavily armored carriage with four wheels drawn by two strong horses.
“You lot are unusually quiet for a pirates.”
The lieutenant smirked, while his subordinates were opening back doors of the carriage.
Michael wanted to say something, but Eric stopped him by warning look, which unfortunately didn´t pass unnoticed by the captain.
“Any problems?”
The uniformed seagull asked ironically.
“Go ahead, do something funny. I heart that you b***ards killed few of our men, so it would be a shame to let a judge to give you life sentence, when you could die during escape attempt right?”
Michael was quiet. So the lieutenant punched him in the stomach.
“Right?”
He asked Michael once again while he was trying his best to keep that tasteless breakfast in his stomach.
Angry, with a hands chained behind his back, Erick stepped in.
“What you want one too?”
Marine growled angrily while he swung his fist against Eric face. That brawler didn´t do anything. Just stopped and tensed his whole body to activate the Indestructible. Lieutenant´s fist hit Eric´s chin with ugly cracking sound.
With a painful scream the marine pulled his hand back, while his subordinates rushed to the scene with drawn swords, obviously confused what happened as no one saw what could that white haired thug do to their leader.
“Sir, are you alright, what happened?”
One of the more caring marines asked his superior, who was violently shaking his hurt hand, while the rest of the soldiers made circle around Eric and his two subordinates.
“F**k, nothing, nothing happened, just get these criminals to the van, NOW!”
He snapped back on his subordinate.
The soldiers immediately pushed Eric and his two friend to the carriage. Inside it was just as austere as from the outside. Cold steel walls, two wooden benches and four rings for the chains. Marines pushed the pirates inside, after which they connected their chains with the rings in the walls. To prevent their escape five marines sat down with them inside the prison car so every pirate was surrounded by two marines. They didn´t resist so the remaining seagulls closed and locked the doors behind them and the whole carriage stared to move.
“I just wonder, where the rest of our crew is”
Michael asked out of nothing thereby he called upon himself vigilant looks of the five marines.
“Rest of our crew?”
Asked Gabriel. From the puzzled tone of his voice it was obvious that he doesn´t know about who is his brother speaking.
“He probably mean that guys we hired for this job.”
Said Eric.
“Oh yes”
Gabriel nodded.
“Isn´t it obvious? The ones who survived the battle with...what was her name?”
He turned to Eric.
“Bianca”
Gabriel smiled.
“Yes, Bianca, so the ones who survived the battle with Bianca exchanged their testimonies against us for their freedom or at least better treatment. Am I right?”
That last question was directed to the tall marine officer with thick mustache, who was sitting next to him, on the right side, but he stay silent.
“Looks like they are not talking to the prisoners”
Remarked Eric mockingly.
“Will you just finally shut up?”
Another marine, short and stocky man in his early thirties snapped at them.
“Or should I just shut them for you?”
Face to face to this thread Eric smirked.
“Yes, because it worked so well for your lieutenant, right?”
Short marine jumped up from his place on the bench, but was stopped by the taller one.
“Relax, don´t let them to provoke you. They are just trying to look tough and all, but trust me, once they will get on the execution platform, they´ll be crying like a little babies. And they WILL get on the execution platform, I guarantee that.”
Eric smirked in response, but didn´t try to taunt them any further. Obviously, he wasn´t planing to get executed by the marines, but it wasn´t the time nor place for escape attempt, so provoking them any further wouldn´t lead to any benefits.
They journey continued in awkward silence for a quarter of hour before they arrived to the port. Once the carriage stopped, it took the remaining marines few minutes to open the door, so the afternoon sun could hit them once again. Obviously, that prison car had windows, but they were so small that it was quite dark inside, so the unexpected sunlight dazzled everyone inside.
“What are you waiting for? Captain is waiting!”
Lieutenant´s angry voice prompted his men to action. Swiftly, they got up and disconnected chains of their prisoners from the sturdy metal circles, after which they led them outside. Once again in the port, Eric looked around himself to see crowd of curious bystanders who flocked around them. Some were shouting curses on them, but most were just looking with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
“Hey, there is nothing to see. Just a bunch of filthy pirates who will face justice soon enough, so disperse.”
The lieutenant urged them loudly.
“Murderer!”
Someone from the crowd threw stone on Eric, who swiftly ducked, so the improvised projectile hit marine officer, who was standing right next to him to the shoulder.
“I said disperse!”
Lieutenant raised his voice so much that he was basically yelling, after which he put his hand on the hilt of his sword. With a hint of amusement, Eric noticed, that it´s bandaged.
Reluctantly people moved and created narrow alley for them, so they could went through on the pier, where one of the smaller marine war ships was waiting on them. Once again, Eric looked around himself, but his old ship was nowhere to be found. The marines probably confiscated it after they were captured and moved it somewhere else, so they couldn´t use it for escape. Too bad, as he grew fond of it. But right there and then it was too late to do something about it. In any case his instinct were telling him that soon enough, he will have much more important problems to solve.
Lieutenant led them up the footbridge to the ship. The deck was quite busy. Fifteen or so marines were running around, preparing the ship to sail. Obviously, their captain didn´t want to lose any time. Speaking of whom, the captain was young man in his middle twenties with surprisingly slender build and soft, almost feminine face. He was wearing standard marine uniform with a Coat of Justice and big nodachi, which he had pinned to his belt.
“Captain!”
Lieutenant stood at attention and saluted to his superior.
“I brought the that criminals according to your order!”
The captain glanced over Eric, Michael and Gabriel with a slight disgusted look on his face.
“So those are the despicable criminals who attacked the port? Weird, I was under impression, that there was more of them. Well, whatever, you may...”
He stopped, when he noticed bandages over his subordinate hand.
“Lieutenant Williams, what happened to your hand? Did you have any trouble with the prisoners?”
Even his voice was extremely soft like a silk handkerchief in the hand of noble lady.
“Oh this?”
Williams looked at his saluting hand and quickly pulled it back to his body, while “stabbing” Eric with murderous look.
“It´s nothing captain, just an accident, nothing more.”
Rightfully dubious, captain looked from his lieutenant on the soldiers, who were maybe too much focused on their dead serious faces, from them to Michael, who was trying to suppress his silent chuckling and back to the lieutenant who looked angrier than ever before.
“Well”
He started carefully.
“If that´s the case please lead them to their cell.”
Still furious, Williams nodded.
“Yes sir!”
After which he turned to Eric and his gang.
“Did you hear that you ba**ards? Move it!”
The rest of their escort pushed them from behind, so they didn´t have any other choice than to follow his lead bellow the deck, and then down the narrow corridor to the prison section of the ship. Hidden behind massive steel doors and two big and muscular marines on the guarding duty was a big room with a four cages made from strong steel bars. Too strong even for Eric to bend or break. Three of the four cages were already occupied so it was quite lucky, that they were alone.
“Look at it!”
Almost toothless old man with a wrinkled face and bald head alerted his few comrade of their arrival. Six of his friends, ugly and dirty thugs with cruelty written all over their faces looked in their direction.
“Well, well, well, what a nice collection. Two white collars and their...dog? What did you do guys? Forgot to pay your taxes?”
One of them ask Eric and his friend mockingly, but was quickly stopped by the lieutenant.
“I recommend you to not speak too much with this ones Gerhard. They are pirates and marine killers, so I doubt that simple misfit like you would like to be associated with them.”
Toothless elder started to laugh, while Gerhard smiled back on the William.
“Right you are lieutenant. Being associated with guys like them could hurt our reputation as honorable burglars and rapists.”
He said while trying his hardest to not to start laughing like his old companion.
Lieutenant William ignored them and instead leaded slayers to their cell.
“Hmmm, comfortable.”
Michael noted with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. But, when Eric looked on the remaining two cages, he noted for himself, that for them it will be rather comfortable. At least more comfortable than for the inhabitants of the remaining two cages, where on the space for five, maybe six people was twenty.
“In that case, make yourself as home.”
Smirked lieutenant, while his subordinates pushed them to the cage. And of course, unlike the other prisoners, he forgot to remove their chains.
When they were inside, one of the marines closed the door and locked it.
“After all, prison cell is the last thing you will enjoy before the execution platform.”
This time, it was him who was laughing, while he was leaving the prison.
After he closed the heavy door, there was a silence, but it didn´t last long.
“So, you guys are pirates?”
Deep, growling, bear like voice emerged from the mass of men in one of the crowded cages. Eric looked that way, but didn´t know where he should focus his attention, until one bulky man in his early forties, with a long, wild hair and beard pushed several of his companions aside to get closer to the bars.
“Yes we are.”
Eric answered reluctantly as if he wasn´t really sure if it´s a good idea to speak with this man.
“And your bounty?”
That bearded guy inquired further.
“None”
Answered Eric honestly, after which that guy start laughing, but it wasn´t really happy laugh.
“Well man that sucks, being caught before you get your first bounty, that´s what I call being unlucky. How did they get you?”
Eric smirked in response.
“You said that, I was unlucky.”
Bearded guy responded with another wave of laughter.
“And you?”
Truth to be told, Eric wasn´t really interested in his story, but it was obvious that they will stay in the cages for several days and boredom could be pretty dangerous in it´s own right.
“Captain Roland “Grizzly” Zuber, captain of the Grizzly pirates, with a bounty of 10 000 000 Beli”
He declaimed proudly.
“And as for why I and my men are in this crappy situation, let´s say that my business partner wanted the bounty on my head more than doing business with me.”
Eric nodded.
“So you was betrayed.”
“Aye, I was. I lost half of my men in the attempt to fight our way back to the ship, but there were too many of that bu**ers.”
Eric smiled.
“Well, that´s what I call being unlucky.”
To great annoyance of Gerhard and his thugs, Roland and his men started to laugh.
“Right you are, brother. That´s quite unlucky.”
Eric and his Slayers joined the laughter.
Their trip was a long one. They spend six days in the cage with only small food supplies every other day which Gerhard and his group blamed on Slayers. Eric couldn´t care less for their opinion, but their constant whining started to get on his nerves on third day and on fifth he was he would exchange his ship for the chance to silence them for the good. So it wasn´t much surprise that when the ship finally stopped he was quite edgy, ready to blow his steam on any poor fellow who would be stupid enough to test his limited supplies of patience. Unfortunately, he wasn´t presented with a good opportunity, at least not right away.
When the door finally opened it was their favorite lieutenant, the captain and several regular marines who were standing in them.
“Good morning criminals”
Captain greeted them with a gentle smile on his face.
“As you probably noticed, we arrived at the B-1 base, which means, that I finally can get you out of my ship. Right now the ones of you, who already aren´t chained”
He looked at Slayers
“Will get their chains from my subordinates. Please, if you don´t want to be buried rather sooner than later, do not resist, understood?”
Grizzly pirated grunted as a sign of agreement.
“Very well then, let´s do it.”
Marine soldiers entered the prison with several dozens of handcuffs and chains which they put on all of the presented criminals, one by one. Then, the captain commanded to leave and with him in charge the whole group started to move. Eric and his accomplices were roughly in the middle of the procession, pressed Gerhard´s thugs in front of them, Grizzly pirates behind and marine soldiers on both sides.
Captain lead them from the ship to the port which was full of different war ships, Eric even saw one battle ship, and marines fulfilling their duties. For the first time they also saw their new home. Marine base B-1, large fortress build on top of reef with it´s two main buildings connected by a stone bridge. The fortress itself was incredibly big. Much bigger than Eric expected, but fortunately, they didn´t have to go too far away as the complex dedicated for prisoners was accessible from the port itself. They just had to go through heavily fortified gate, guarded by dozen or so marines, who checked them for hidden weapons and other banned stuffs, like if the other marines didn´t do that several times over this past week or so. When the personal checks were finally over, they led them through the gate to small courtyard where group of prison guards was already waiting for them. They were led by young women in her late twenties she was rather stocky, yet still pretty lean for her constitution, with shoulder length, dark brown hair and pretty face, which was hiding itself behind her stern look.
“Captain Wraith”
“Guard Hana”
They greeted each other with firm handshake, after which she stepped back a little to inspect their new prisoners.
“So these are the Grizzly pirates and these...”
She looked at Eric and Gerhard´s thugs.
“Are the ones who attacked Notice Island?”
Captain Wraith shook his head in disagreement.
“No, only that three.”
He pointed on Eric, Michael and Gabriel. Guard Hana looked on him in disbelieve.
“Wait a second, you want to tell me, that they attacked whole city in only three people?”
Wraith smiled.
“No, if I remember correctly they had help, they hired ten or so people I think, but some of them died in the battle and the others weren´t really loyal so...”
Hana smiled as well.
“So they attacked whole city with less then fifteen people? Now, that´s no wonder, that they accomplished nothing.”
Eric, who was trying to control his aggressive mood for a while this time couldn´t resist to speak up.
“Fifty seven dead and twice as that injured, from that half of the dead count were marines...yes I think you are right, we accomplished nothing.”
Surprisingly, his words had stronger impact on the marine captain than guard.
“You filthy criminal, who gave you the permission to speak?”
Captain Wraith reached for his sword, but Hana gently stopped him.
“You see”
She addressed Eric directly.
“I like guys like you. When you arrive, you are looking so strong and tough, but than, when the day of your execution is coming closer and closer...you are not so much.”
With every word she took step forward so when she finished, she was standing right before Eric. He answered her provocation with grim smile.
At that time, he couldn´t hurt her, yet for some reason, when he smiled she felt weird uneasy feeling, that forced her to step back.
“Well, that´s enough of these chit-chats. Captain, thank you for escorting them here, but from now on, they are our responsibility, so...guys!”
Single gesture of her hand and group of prison guards replaced marines in their duties. Led by the guard Hana, they headed from the courtyard to the largest building, which was standing right in front of them. What followed behind it´s heavy doors was a web of corridors with many guarded doors. Just this time around Eric counted more than fifty guards until they arrived to the block A, one of the three main block in the prison building.
Block A was huge building, four stores high with a central part composed from common room, where the good behaving inmates could eat and spend time together. On the sides of this space were four stores of galleries where the actual cells were located accessible from one main staircase on the right side of the building. Once they arrived, the guard Hana started to divide them to their separate cells. Gerhard and his thugs went first, then Michael and Gabriel and…
“Eric Irongate, you will be in the cell 135. You will share it with Bob, over there”
Bob was giant of man, towering over three meters with at least two hundred and something kg of muscles. When he overhead their conversation, he got up from his table and headed towards Eric with cruel smile on his face.
“Well, well, well, what a tiny surprise”
He laughed.
“Guard, are you sure it´s safe? It would be shame if I accidentally crushed him during his...welcome party tonight.”
In his mind, Eric silently sighted, before kicking Bob in his knee. Something cracked and Bob went down with a painful scream, there, Eric grabbed his head kneeing it with enough power to knock out some of his teeth and send him to unconsciousness.
“What the…?”
Other inmates started to getting of their seats with a threatening looks on their faces. Hana cursed.
“Guards!”
The single word was more than enough. Group of more than fifty men drew their swords and started to drive the complaining prisoners back to their cells.
“What the h**l was that supposed to be?”
She snapped at Eric right away.
“Hey you...take Bob on infirmary and this guy to Isolation, maybe few weeks alone will teach him how to behave.”
Bunch of low ranked guards rushed to carry out her order. Some went to get stretcher for Bob, while four others took Eric and pushed him through the main building to a narrow and dark corridor, which leaded down to the cellar. There, at the end of the corridor was single cell hollow, carved into the rock, closed by a steel bars.
Eric smirked.
“Home, sweet home.”
One of the guards obviously overhead him, because he asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice:
“What did you say?”
“Nothing”
Pirate replied, while the guards threw him into his cell, locking the door behind him. Just in few minutes, he was once again alone in the shadows.
Next few days passed by rather quickly. Being alone didn´t bother Eric in slightest as he was more than used to it. His mind just retreated into itself as usual, while his body spend most of the time working out and practicing his martial skills. He didn´t have any way for determination of passed time outside of guards who were delivering some poor excuse for a food to him, so he was living by how his body felt. Was it tired? Than it was time for a rest. Was it rested? Than it was time to train.
It was his rest time after the sixth training, when she came. Guard Hana with a light smile on her face with a bowl of rice and meat.
“Hi”
She greeted him blithely and stretched out her hand with the bowl towards his cell.
“Are you hungry?”
Eric opened his eyes. Up until now, he was sitting in the lotus position, concentrating on his breathing.
“No”
He replied without slightest hint of an interest in his voice. After which he shifted his attention back to his own breathing patterns. Although most people he ever fought with thought that Slayer is a crude fighting style without much thoughts behind it, it was far from the truth. In fact, despite it´s simple look, Eric was paying much attention to the internal part of his style and when it came up to understanding the cultivation of one physical body and his aspects he was quite knowledgeable.
Hana sighted.
“You know that you can stop with this pretense, here and now no one is looking.”
Eric was silent, why the noises coming from outside told him, that she started to eat.
“Well, if you want some, you can just ask nicely. I can imagine that a guy as big as you is probably starving on your portions”.
Behind his eyelids, Eric rolled his eyes.
“You know, for a solitary cell, it´s quite noisy here.”
He muttered obviously annoyed by her presence and behavior.
“Well, suit yourself”
She spat angrily.
“Just for your information, you are not a first guy who played tough pirate here, but trust me in the and you will be begging, promising all the imaginary fortune, you supposedly hid somewhere for just another week of your miserable life.”
When his silence was the only answer she got, she turned around and walked away.
After she left the silence came once again and with the silence came peace. It took another eight cycles of training and resting, before she came back again. At the time, he was turned with his back to the bars, going through some punching patterns from the Slayer. Without any haste, Eric finished his set, before facing Hana.
“So the guards were right, you are working pretty hard. Are you planning to escape?”
Slightly surprised by her question, Eric raised one of his eyebrows.
“Isn´t it obvious?”
He answered her with a question of his own.
Victorious smile appeared on her face.
“Well, well, well, aren´t you the rebellious one? Blatantly admitting to be planning a jail breaking?”
Useless monologues were obviously her hobby.
“Maybe I should let the guards to restrain you more? Or maybe I should cut your rations?”
Unimpressed with her threads Eric went back to his training.
“Still trying to play a tough guy? Well, then..”
Eric sighted and turned back to her.
“Look, we all know that you will not do either of these, so why don´t you simply just cut that cr**p?”
Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Being you, I wouldn´t be so sure.”
She hissed like an angered viper.
Eric shrugged his shoulders.
“During the execution, you need to show dangerous pirate to the assembled crowd, not a half dead corpse. Otherwise the people could start to think that you Marines are able to defeat only some weaklings while you are too short for the true beasts of the sea.”
This time, she was the one who remain silent, leaving him alone once again.
She let the guards to cut his portions in half and when it didn´t work, they stopped to give him any food completely. But unfortunately for her, hunger was no stranger to him. He just adjusted the frequency of his training and kept going.
For some reasons, she was visiting him regularly. Coming and leaving without prior notice, she always sat down, next to his cell, silently watching him, during his training times with a mixture of contempt and disgust in her face. He didn´t care. Than, one day, something changed. It took Eric while before he realized, that her usual expression was replaced by a poorly concealed anger. At first, he thought that she is angry on him, but than he realized that it isn´t likely to be that case.
“Bad day?”
Eric asked suddenly, between sets of one legged squats. Hana winced, surprised that he broke their weeks long silence.
“That´s none of your business.”
She replied him angrily, ready to leave, but than she changed her mind and stayed.
“Why are you asking?”
Eric shrugged his shoulders.
“It´s pretty rare to see you this way, so I am just curious, that´s all.”
“Yeah sure...”
She obviously had her doubts and couldn´t decide, if she should leave or stay, but than, she made her mind.
“Well, it doesn´t matter actually as no one would be listening to convict like you, and it´s not a big deal anyway.”
With a look of someone, who honestly cares, Eric sat down, before Hana.
“It´s just that pig...I mean, my boss, director Gordon. I worked really hard on something and he stopped me. Just like that, without any real reason, that´s all.”
Curious, Eric cooked his head to the side asking.
“This director, is he stronger than you?”
“What?”
She looked really surprised and even amused by his question.
“Of course not, he is so fat, that I doubt, that he can get himself from his own chair without assistance of his two bodyguards.”
“So...”
curiosity in Eric´s voice changed into confusion.
“Why do you listen to him?”
“Because he is my superior.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean by why? He is the director, I am the guard, so in our hierarchy, he is standing above me.”
“But if he is weaker than you? What´s making him competent enough, to be your superior?”
She paused for a moment. Obviously forced to think about his question for a while. She was trying really hard to find appropriate answer, and when she didn´t, she just turned against him.
“What´s with this nonsense? “
She snapped at him furiously.
“So what if he isn´t stronger than me? Everything isn´t just about strength. We are living in society. We have rules that we needs to obey…”
“Because?”
He interrupted her.
“Can you just stop with this nonsense?”
She got up angrily.
“God, I am so stupid, why did I even tried to talk to you? So strength is your answer for everything? If so, how did you end up here, locked away like a rabid dog?”
“I met someone who was stronger than me.”
Eric said grimly.
For a moment, Hana was left speechless.
“And that´s it?”
She said after a while.
“You met someone stronger than yourself so now you are going do die? And why did you killed all that people? Just because they were weaker than you? That´s nonsense. And you, you are completely crazy!”
She was on her way out, when he addressed her one more time.
“Guard, do you know the difference between you and me?”
She stopped.
“Of course I do.”
She said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“You are locked in the cage and I am not.”
He smirked.
“No, the difference is, that I know that I am locked in the cage, while you are denying it. That´s the reason why you are so weak.”
If a simple look could kill someone, Eric would be dead dozen times over. But even the most furious one didn´t have such a power so in the end, he staid alive and she left once again.
After another three training cycles, she was back, without any signs of her previous rage in her face. As usual, she silently sat down, near his cage, watching him during his training. Than out of nowhere, she asked:
“Why did you attacked the port?”
“You don´t know?”
Eric asked surprised a little bit as he thought, that marines would put together some kind of report about his actions. And yes, they did, but obviously, even their own people didn´t trust these reports completely.
“Well, of course I read the report. It said that you and your accomplices tried to rob some rich houses uptown, but you were stopped by the collective effort of marines and some local bounty hunters pretty soon so aside of some...lets say collateral damages, you managed to get to only one house, kill the owner and get arrested, before you could steal something.”
“And, what´s the problem with that?”
He tried to fend her off, but unsuccessfully.
“It simply doesn´t add up. If you wanted to rob some rich houses, why did you started your attack down at the port? Why did you attacked the marines and caused all of that rucks instead of keeping as low profile as possible? And why did you attacked during a day instead of in the middle of the night?”
“Maybe I am simply a stupid, overconfident brute.”
He tried to ignore her and finish his training but she didn´t gave up so easily.
“Yes, that´s what I thought, when I read that report for the first time, but speaking with you I am not so sure anymore. Well, you obviously are overconfident brute, but seeing you in person, I don´t think you, or that two sidekicks of yours, for the matter, are that stupid so…”
Eric sighted and sat down as it was obvious, that she will not let him train in peace until he will give her her answers, at least some of them.
“Why are you asking?”
She shrugged her shoulders.
“What can I say, I am just a curious person.”
“Sure...”
Eric sighted dubiously, but still decided to continue, after all, it made no difference.
“Very well then, what if I told you, that the dead noble girl was our true target from the very start?”
Now it was her time to express her doubts.
“Yeah, sure, you attacked whole port just to kill one unimportant noble? Sorry, but I don´t buy that, why would you do something like that anyway?”
Dead serious, Eric answered
“She back stabbed one of my guys so we were taking revenge for that.”
Hana was left speechless.
“You are serious, aren´t you?”
She ask after she was able to speak again.
“Yes”
“But why? Why all of that? Wouldn´t it be easier just to attack her in her house and than run away?”
Eric shook his head.
“Easier in what? She had a whole army of bodyguards. Battling them would be noisy, she would know that we are coming, so she could run away, and even if we got her after all, whole city would know about it and we would be forced to fight all the way back to our ship.”
Her eyes widened in a pure disbelieve.
“So, all these people, you killed all this people just to create diversion?”
He shook his head once again.
“What? Of course not.”
“Than why?”
“I killed them, because they weren´t fighting back”
“What?”
That wasn´t the answer she was expecting at all.
“They were running away, so I killed them.”
Explained Eric in a way, he thought, she could understand better, but obviously, it still wasn´t enough.
“They were trying to run because they were terrified!”
“No, they weren´t treasuring their own lives and lives of their loved ones enough to fight for them. And if you are not willing to fight for something, you don´t deserve it.”
“And...and the marines?”
Hana was obviously trying to find some straw she could grab in that ocean of craziness.
“What about them?”
He asked coldly.
“Well, the report said, that you and your people attacked some marines who were celebrating in a local restaurant, murdering all, without giving them a proper chance to fight back. Why did you do that?”
Eric smiled grimly.
“What would the marines do, If they found me and my subordinates in that very same restaurant?”
“What? Well, they would arrest you, of course.”
“And after that?”
“They would put you into jail and...you would be executed...”
She admitted hesitantly.
“But, that´s completely different situation, because you broke the law and...”
“From my point of view, you guys are the one who are braking the laws.”
She couldn´t find an answer for that, so she just staid quiet. Sitting there with her own thoughts for a few dozens of minutes, before she left.
She came back after only one cycle and this time, she brought some food as well. A big bowl full of strong broth, ideal meal for someone who didn´t eat for a while.
As usual, she sat down next to his cage with it, watching him train for a while, before she asked…
“Are you hungry?”
Honest answer would be no, because after such a long time, the physical feeling of hunger already left him. But it also wouldn´t be a smart answer.
“So it was already decided?”
He asked, while coming down from a handstand to the siting position on the ground.
“You are pretty sharp, aren´t you.”
It was only rhetorical question and for some reason her voice sounded almost regretfully.
“You need a big and scary pirate.”
She sighted.
“Yes, I need a big and scary pirate.”
With that, she opened a small door near the floor of his cell, through which she handed him the bowl, together with a small wooden spoon.
“So, how much time I have?”
He asked, while slowly eating that soup. It was a quite strange feeling to eat something after such long period of time.
“Two months.”
He looked at his arms. They were much smaller than he remembered them, but his strength, didn´t leaved him yet, so it wasn´t such a problem.
“That´s plenty. What about my subordinates?”
She raised her eyebrow, when he said the word plenty, but she swallowed her own question and instead answered his.
“I don´t know. There were no orders up until now and there probably never be. It looks like that both of them have influential father who pulled some strings, so their sentences were changed to life imprisonment. Plus I heard that some men from a World Government were interested in Mr. Moon, but they were turned down by our commanding officer, because they didn´t have any official warrant so...”
So he didn´t have to rush because of them, that was a good to know.
“So, out of curiosity, what did you wrote in your final report?”
For a second, she looked like a puppy, which was kicked by it´s owner for the first time in it´s life, but than she put herself back together.
“You are really sharp, aren´t you? “
Didn´t answered that one.
“How long do you know it?”
“From the beginning.”
She slightly smiled.
“And yet you have the guts to call yourself stupid brute.”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“I am warrior, I have a good instinct.”
“But to answer your question, I wrote there, that you will rather die fighting the guards, than bounded to executive platform.”
Eric smirked, that was quite accurate.
“So why did you bring me this?”
He pointed his now thin finger to already empty bowl.
“Because, my superior, Director Gordon, doesn´t agree with me. In his words, I am unnecessary hysterical and I am overestimating the level of threat that you posses to this facility and it´s employees.”
Eric´s face twisted with a disgust.
“That sounds like something a bl**dy official would say, and not a commander of a prison guards.”
This time, it was her who shrugged her shoulders.
“What can I say, he is more of bl**dy official than a commander, so it doesn´t surprise me. Also, he wants to showcase his abilities before his superiors and they wants a public execution so...”
“So you are going to nurse me back to strength, despite knowing what will happen next.”
She nodded unwillingly.
“I have my orders. And don´t worry, I will not try to poison you, or something.”
“I know.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“You need to ask?”
He looked genuinely surprised.
“Poison is a weapon of the weaklings. And from where I am standing, you are looking pretty strong. Strong, yet for this moment, completely harmless, like a caged tiger.”
She smirked.
“Like you?”
“Like me.”
She said nothing, only smiled gently and for the first time the smile looked genuine. They were sitting like that for a minute or so, before he broke the silence once again.
“But you know, you are quite brave.”
She looked at him surprised by his words.
“Why do you think?”
“Well”
He smiled grimly
“You know what they say, if you will look long enough into the darkness, the darkness will also look into you.”
Hearing these words coming from him, she looked really surprised.
“Philosophy? I wouldn´t expect something like that from you.”
“What can I say”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“I have well educated friends.”
Once again, there was a silence between them for several minutes. But this time, it was Hana who broke it.
“So, you will try to fight?”
“Do you need to ask?”
“Of course I do, just look at yourself. It would be practically impossible for you to escape even back than, but now, after you didn´t eat for a twenty eight days? That´s basically suicide!”
“And how is it different from a waiting for my execution?”
“Well...”
She bit her lip
“Maybe you don´t have to die?”
Eric laughed roughly.
“Well, I am sorry to break it to you, but I don´t have rich father and I don´t even possess forbidden knowledge that is threatening the existence of whole Government.”
“I know but, maybe there is another way…”
“No”
He even didn´t let her finish her sentence.
“But it can be a way...”
“Not for me. Besides, I am not planning to die anyway.”
“I know, and that´s what scares me the most.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, because either way, I will lose.”
“Why?”
She shrugged her shoulders, as she was getting up from the ground.
“I don´t know, maybe I was looking into the darkness too long after all.”
She mutteret silently so he almost didn´t hear that, almost.
After that conversation, she was visiting him regularly, even through she didn´t have to as her mission was technically done. She always brought some food with herself starting with a stronger broth at first and slowly advancing to a bigger rations of simple meals composed of cooked meat and rice. As for a taste, it wasn´t a best thing he ever ate, but together with his limited training, it helped him to regain his strength pretty quickly. Since their last conversation, Hana wasn´t talking with him much, as if she was ashamed for something she said. She always said few words to him, but nothing asides from a regular greeting and some others courtesies phrases. This was continuing for almost two weeks, before out of blue, she started to ask him about his previous life especially on his birth island. Honestly, there wasn´t much to say, but he tried to satisfy her curiosity, as he didn´t have anything else to do anyway. Surprisingly it made some nice conversations, which lead to her work, even personal life and by some unexpected detour even back to his personal philosophy and faith. For some reason, she looked interested in it so in the course of a whole week they covered it to a such depth that even Eric himself found some new ideas he didn´t know he had. Of course at first, he suspect her, that she is just trying to distract him from the passage of time and change mind about his plans, but than something in her eyes forced him to change his mind. Especially when she started to speak with him about the world out there. Not directly of course, but gradually word by a word, he learned about a structure and layout of the prison complex. About the usual daily routine of other inmates and even about stations and routines of other guards. All of this info wasn´t given him directly. Every piece was carefully wrapped up in a some story from her life she was just telling to him, or as a reaction on one of his stories or philosophical statements. It looked completly unintentionally and naturally. So much that after few days, he started to wonder is she is such a genius or so stupid. After several more days, he found a third possibility, but it was so weird and improbable, that he rather pushed it out of his mind so it wouldn´t affect his judgment and decision making. Aside from this discussions, he was doing his best to prepare himself for the jailbreak. Eating as much as he could, training both his body, mind and technique and of course, preparing the plan for actual escape. For that he didn´t need any paper or other tools, his mind was more than enough as usual. So while resting alone after his training, sitting in the lotus position he was making a plans in his mind, based on the information he got from her and several possible scenarios he came up with. Over time, he was refining it with the new information he got from her, until it was ready almost week away from the date of his execution.
As the time was coming closer, Hana looked more and more nervous, almost as if it were her, who was waiting for an execution and not Eric. In the end, six days before the execution she just couldn´t hold it inside herself anymore, so she asked.
“Did you...did you considered what I was talking about before?”
He knew what she was referring to, but still had to ask.
“What do you mean?”
She sighted.
“You know, about that possibility, that you will not try to break away from here and you won´t be executed either.”
“Yes, I thought about it.”
“And?”
For a second she was looking like a lost puppy, which hopes that it finally found a kind owner. With a hint of sarcasm Eric noted for himself, that it´s a good thing that Gabriel is away for now, because he would like to adopt her on the spot.
“As I told you back than, I don´t think that´s option for me.”
She bit her lip and looked at him with a weird mixture of anger and helplessness.
“But I told you already, that I have some friend, who can help.”
“Guard”
Eric´s voice became so hard, that she flinched.
“I killed twenty or so marines just to create diversion for another murder, do you really thing that they would take me in, like if nothing happened?”
“Well”
she whispered uncertainly.
“If we are speaking about marines than no, I don´t think so, but, there are other agencies which can and some of them even would like to recruit you even now.”
“You are speaking about Cipher Pol?”
She nodded.
“Yes, you know about them?”
Eric sighted.
“Of course I do, I met one of their agents few months ago and he was quite persistent in his attempt to recruit me. Blabbing about nonsense such as they tried to recruit me as a kid but that didn´t went well so he would like to try again now, when I am out at the sea. In the end, we beat him up and left.”
“Yes I know”
She admitted reluctantly.
“That agent you met is my older brother.”
“Oh”
At the moment, he couldn´t figure out anything more intelligent he could say.
“Yes, well he isn´t angry about your friend back stabbing him and he is still willing to help you to get out of her and join the Cipher Pol as an agent.”
“Is he?”
Eric asked. He wasn´t angry at her at all, only dubious about the reasons behind it. Did he misunderstood her goals from the very beginning or was there something else? He needed to know.
“Of course he is.”
She said.
“You are extremely talented. Copying Tekkai technique just from fighting against it once? And even push it to the higher level without any formal training? That´s unheard of. He told me that he wouldn´t be much surprise if you make it into high ranking agent in a year with proper training. And...”
She lowered her voice as if ashamed.
“I asked him to help you.”
“Did you? Why?”
Once again, she bit her lip, obviously uncomfortable about her current situation, but in the end she continued.
“Maybe, I looked into the darkness for to long.”
Her eyes were fixated to the floor not giving a chance for a contact with his.
“You know that I killed a lots of people right? Even before I became pirate.”
She nodded.
“Yes, my brother showed me your file. So I know that you were fighting from a young age, but...that wasn´t your fault. You were forced to that, you didn´t know anything else, so...so...”
“Was there written why they locked me there?”
Carefully she looked at him, slowly nodding in agreement.
“I killed eight people when I was six and I don´t regret it, not even in slightest.”
“I know”
She whispered.
“I...I never denied that you have talent for a violence, so without purpose you are capable of terrible things. But that can be a good. If you use your talent for a good cause, instead of terrible things, you can do a great ones and than...”
“That will not happen.”
He interrupted her without any remorse, despite knowing that he will hurt her with this words.
“Because as you know, I already have purpose. And I am not going to gave it up.”
She looked at him on the verge of breaking in the tears.
“So, there is no way?”
He shook his head.
“I am sorry.”
“No, you are not, you are a good man after all.”
With that she got up and left, leaving nothing except few tears on the floor.
Eric didn´t expect that she will come back, so he started to train again, as he didn´t have anything better to do anyway. It was unfortunate, but as he was unable to break his chains nor the bars, he had to wait for the execution day and than kill his escort and escape upstairs to pick up rest of his crew. So he was pretty surprised, when she came back just after few hours and this time without any food, but rather with a spare guard´s uniform and saber. From the way she walked it was quite obvious, that she is extremely nervous, constantly looking behind herself, like if someone should follow her down there. Then, when she finally got to the end of the corridor, where his cell was, she reached to her pocked and pulled bunch of keys from there.
“What are you doing?” He asked even through he already knew the answer.”
“What do you think?”
She asked in return. Unlocking the door to his cell in the process.
“Listen, this is a pretty bad idea.”
“Better than you fighting against all the guards in this building.”
“They will know that you helped me out.”
She smiled slightly.
“Like if you care.”
“And if I do?”
She froze in a place for a second with a key just a centimeter away from his chains.
“Then I want to do it even more.”
With a silent metal clink the chains were unlocked and for the first time in many months was Eric able to move completely freely.
“Here, take it.”
She gave him the uniform with a sheathed sword on top of it.
“It´s half past eleven, it will be midnight soon, so there will be only few guards and they will not be so cautious. And the Vice-admiral Dalmation is away from the base, so there won´t be better opportunity then this. So, after I´ll leave, just change to this uniform, wait for few minutes and go. Go straightly to the port. You remember the outline of the base I told you, right? In the port, there are many small patrol boards, so take one and leave.”
Eric frowned.
“And my crew mates?”
She sighted.
“Look I understand, but they are not in danger, not now, you on the other hand are supposed to be executed in few days so, just take this uniform, don´t speak with anyone and go, please. I promise, that I´ll do whatever I can to keep them safe.”
Without a word, Eric was looking at her face, which was slowly changing from a sad to desperate.
“You, you will not go, will you?”
He stay silent.
“You will fight.”
He nodded.
“They are my men, I can not leave them here.”
She winked several time, to drive away the tears that appeared in a corners of her eyes.
“You will die, all of you will!”
“Maybe.”
“But I...”
“Yes, I know Guard.”
She sobbed.
“Could you...could you call me by my name, at least once?”
“Thank you Hana”
Despite the tears, she smiled. At the same time, his right hand flew forward, knocking her out, with one swift strike. Before she could fell on the stone ground, Eric caught her and gently put down using the coat from his new uniform as a pillow, for her head.
“Thank you Hana, but this way, it will be safer for both of us.”
He whispered, while bending the spoon from his soup several times to create something resembling pick lock, which he left in the lock of his chains, taking the actual keys with him, to give her better chance explaining what happened there to her superiors.
With that, he swiftly changed his new uniform. For a while, he was thinking about leaving the sword behind, but than added it to his belt anyway, as he remembered, that without blade of some sort, Michael is practically helpless and if he wanted to increase their chances as much as possible he needed him battle ready right away.
With that he started to walk towards the exist, finally, Eric Irongate was free again.