Smoker the White Hunter (One Piece crossover) I
- Thread starter Krieg Schnee
- Start date
- Crossover Superhero
3.1
Smoker was busy with some paperwork when someone knocked on the door to his office. Hmm, he didn't have any meetings lined up today. Last he heard, Tashigi had taken it upon herself to personally train their newest recruit, Weaver. The girl had killer instincts, a unique power, but little to no skill in hand to hand combat, or any kind of combat. Tashigi would be fixing that soon. Despite being a swordswoman foremost, Tashigi still knew the basics in hand to hand and would thrash the other Marines, mostly. Tashigi was the best swordswomen in Smoker's crew, and was easily stronger than all of them, except Smoker, but Gunderson had more technical skills in unarmed combat. Smoker would have prefered letting Gunderson take charge, but allowed Tashigi to take on her new protege since she kept bothering him.
The person behind the door seemed to have gotten tired of knocking and simply barged into the smoke filled room, revealing a tired Amy Dallon. She simply walked in and jumped onto his couch. Smoker gave her a weird look, but continued working at his desk. Stupid paperwork and online forms.
"I like what you've done with the place." Amy said, taking out a cigarette box she had stashed somewhere in the room from her previous visits.
"It helps me keep my focus." Smoker said simply, blowing some smoke from his mouth. He looked up slightly. "You don't usually arrive till after your hospital shift." Panacea usually came after school or her hospital shift to 'destress'. In a sense, Smoker was a glorified therapist. Honestly, he didn't mind. She seemed to have a lot of problems. Hina would have made fun of him.
"Had another fight with Carol. I didn't want to hangout with Vicky and Dean, so I decided to come here instead of school." She replied, smoking cigarette in hand. Smoker simply nodded and went back to work, a silence filling the smokey room. She played with her phone for a bit.
The Protectorate was going to be out of town for a few days, which meant New Wave, the Marines, and the Wards were going to be in charge of keeping the peace until they returned. Hellhound had been causing a ruckus, attacking Empire dog fighting rings. The ABB were surprisingly quiet, but Smoker was sure the silence wouldn't last long.
"Shit. I need to go to the bank in a few days."
Smoker simply grunted his response. Patrols needed to be organized. Squad One and Two would take over the Protectorate patrol's, which left eight more Marines beside himself and Tashigi. He supposed he could deploy two Marines to the Boardwalk to assist the Wards. The other six would remain at Marine HQ. Tashigi would lead Squad One, and Smoker would transfer Squad Two to Gunderson, with Weaver joining him. Yes, that would work well.
"You can control any type of smoke right? Not just the one you can make." Smoker heard Amy ask. She was getting...bolder when it came to asking questions, mostly about back home.
"Yes. If it's smoke, I can use it."
"Cool. So say if there was some type of knockout smoke, could you just…" She made some weird hand signs. "Control who it affects by preventing it from entering friendlies?"
That was...actually a good idea. He would look into that when he had time.
"Most likely."
Amy swelled up with pride. "Im so smart."
Smoker nodded and went back to his work for the hundredth time. The Undersiders were also surprisingly quiet after breaking into that casino. Smoker would catch them, and make sure that they stood trial to the full extent of the law. Tattletale would have to learn when to keep her mouth shut. In a fight, you always take out the thinker first, by any means. Causing some smoke to make spiral formations, Smoker spoke up.
"I know you're the one who took the kite video."
"Shoot."
-----
"One, two three, one, two, three. Catch up Weaver." Taylor took deep, deep breaths. Tashigi was making her do a workout more intense than anything Taylor had ever done. Currently they were in Marine HQ's workout room. They were doing jumping jacks for a whole hour now. Nonstop, jumping jacks.
"I-" Taylor started. "I'm trying." She knew she wasn't this unfit! Tashigi was wearing a simple tank top as she worked out next to Taylor, without breaking a simple sweat. Taylor tried to avoid looking at her.
"The body must be in shape if you're going to learn how to fight." Was all that Tashigi said. Wearing her mask made it harder.
"Remind me-" Deep breath, "Why do I have to wear my costume while doing this again?" Another deep breath. This made Tashigi pause for a second, causing Taylor to follow her example.
Taylor still hasn't revealed her identity yet. She wasn't sure how Tashigi would react to her neighbor being the Marine's newest recruit. Smoker, like he said, didnt care if she chose to reveal it or not. Taylor really appreciated that, though he seemed stricter than she thought he was.
"So you'll be used to fighting in it of course." Tashigi stretched for a few seconds before turning to Taylor. Taylor made sure she made eye contact.
"Our next workout, I want you to also focus on your swarm. Bother Alby with it or something. We're going to focus on you multitasking today." Tashigi really loved to bother Alby for some reason. What an overused gag. What is this? Some Earth Aleph comic book?
"Sure. What's next anyways?" Taylor bent over and stretched too. Her costume was going to smell like sweat and ass by the end of the day. Dad...didn't have to know. He was barely home anyways.
Tashigi walked over to a stand with some wooden swords, apparently an upgrade from clubs. She threw one to Taylor, which she barely caught.
"We're going to try out different styles of fighting to see which one fits you the most." Tashigi gave her sword a few practice swings. "Every Marine has their own unique style. Captain Smoker has his jutte, Gunderson has his fist…"
Tashigi entered a foriegn stance with her sword.
"I have my sword."
Shoot, Taylor wasn't going to like this. Tashigi kept a smile on her face.
"I want to see what you know before teaching you some stances."
Taylor definitely wasn't going to like this. No wonder that Kazuki guy cackled like he came out of an Earth Aleph cartoon when she told him Tashigi was going to train her.
Apparently, Tashigi used to serve as a drill sergeant before her promotion to Master Chief.
Attempting a pitiful imitation of Tashigi's stance, Taylor lunged at her.
This was going to hurt her more than Tashigi...literally.
A/N
The plot thickens. What types of Rokushiki do you guys want to see Taylor eventually learn? I have an idea for Tashigi, but it's not concrete yet. I have a lot of plans for the Undersiders, and Dinah. I hope they don't disappoint.
I'll write as much as I can as I'm currently unemployed. I didn't get to have my graduation or prom back in May but that's ok.
The person behind the door seemed to have gotten tired of knocking and simply barged into the smoke filled room, revealing a tired Amy Dallon. She simply walked in and jumped onto his couch. Smoker gave her a weird look, but continued working at his desk. Stupid paperwork and online forms.
"I like what you've done with the place." Amy said, taking out a cigarette box she had stashed somewhere in the room from her previous visits.
"It helps me keep my focus." Smoker said simply, blowing some smoke from his mouth. He looked up slightly. "You don't usually arrive till after your hospital shift." Panacea usually came after school or her hospital shift to 'destress'. In a sense, Smoker was a glorified therapist. Honestly, he didn't mind. She seemed to have a lot of problems. Hina would have made fun of him.
"Had another fight with Carol. I didn't want to hangout with Vicky and Dean, so I decided to come here instead of school." She replied, smoking cigarette in hand. Smoker simply nodded and went back to work, a silence filling the smokey room. She played with her phone for a bit.
The Protectorate was going to be out of town for a few days, which meant New Wave, the Marines, and the Wards were going to be in charge of keeping the peace until they returned. Hellhound had been causing a ruckus, attacking Empire dog fighting rings. The ABB were surprisingly quiet, but Smoker was sure the silence wouldn't last long.
"Shit. I need to go to the bank in a few days."
Smoker simply grunted his response. Patrols needed to be organized. Squad One and Two would take over the Protectorate patrol's, which left eight more Marines beside himself and Tashigi. He supposed he could deploy two Marines to the Boardwalk to assist the Wards. The other six would remain at Marine HQ. Tashigi would lead Squad One, and Smoker would transfer Squad Two to Gunderson, with Weaver joining him. Yes, that would work well.
"You can control any type of smoke right? Not just the one you can make." Smoker heard Amy ask. She was getting...bolder when it came to asking questions, mostly about back home.
"Yes. If it's smoke, I can use it."
"Cool. So say if there was some type of knockout smoke, could you just…" She made some weird hand signs. "Control who it affects by preventing it from entering friendlies?"
That was...actually a good idea. He would look into that when he had time.
"Most likely."
Amy swelled up with pride. "Im so smart."
Smoker nodded and went back to his work for the hundredth time. The Undersiders were also surprisingly quiet after breaking into that casino. Smoker would catch them, and make sure that they stood trial to the full extent of the law. Tattletale would have to learn when to keep her mouth shut. In a fight, you always take out the thinker first, by any means. Causing some smoke to make spiral formations, Smoker spoke up.
"I know you're the one who took the kite video."
"Shoot."
-----
"One, two three, one, two, three. Catch up Weaver." Taylor took deep, deep breaths. Tashigi was making her do a workout more intense than anything Taylor had ever done. Currently they were in Marine HQ's workout room. They were doing jumping jacks for a whole hour now. Nonstop, jumping jacks.
"I-" Taylor started. "I'm trying." She knew she wasn't this unfit! Tashigi was wearing a simple tank top as she worked out next to Taylor, without breaking a simple sweat. Taylor tried to avoid looking at her.
"The body must be in shape if you're going to learn how to fight." Was all that Tashigi said. Wearing her mask made it harder.
"Remind me-" Deep breath, "Why do I have to wear my costume while doing this again?" Another deep breath. This made Tashigi pause for a second, causing Taylor to follow her example.
Taylor still hasn't revealed her identity yet. She wasn't sure how Tashigi would react to her neighbor being the Marine's newest recruit. Smoker, like he said, didnt care if she chose to reveal it or not. Taylor really appreciated that, though he seemed stricter than she thought he was.
"So you'll be used to fighting in it of course." Tashigi stretched for a few seconds before turning to Taylor. Taylor made sure she made eye contact.
"Our next workout, I want you to also focus on your swarm. Bother Alby with it or something. We're going to focus on you multitasking today." Tashigi really loved to bother Alby for some reason. What an overused gag. What is this? Some Earth Aleph comic book?
"Sure. What's next anyways?" Taylor bent over and stretched too. Her costume was going to smell like sweat and ass by the end of the day. Dad...didn't have to know. He was barely home anyways.
Tashigi walked over to a stand with some wooden swords, apparently an upgrade from clubs. She threw one to Taylor, which she barely caught.
"We're going to try out different styles of fighting to see which one fits you the most." Tashigi gave her sword a few practice swings. "Every Marine has their own unique style. Captain Smoker has his jutte, Gunderson has his fist…"
Tashigi entered a foriegn stance with her sword.
"I have my sword."
Shoot, Taylor wasn't going to like this. Tashigi kept a smile on her face.
"I want to see what you know before teaching you some stances."
Taylor definitely wasn't going to like this. No wonder that Kazuki guy cackled like he came out of an Earth Aleph cartoon when she told him Tashigi was going to train her.
Apparently, Tashigi used to serve as a drill sergeant before her promotion to Master Chief.
Attempting a pitiful imitation of Tashigi's stance, Taylor lunged at her.
This was going to hurt her more than Tashigi...literally.
A/N
The plot thickens. What types of Rokushiki do you guys want to see Taylor eventually learn? I have an idea for Tashigi, but it's not concrete yet. I have a lot of plans for the Undersiders, and Dinah. I hope they don't disappoint.
I'll write as much as I can as I'm currently unemployed. I didn't get to have my graduation or prom back in May but that's ok.
3.2
"Ready for your first official patrol?" Tashigi was leading Weaver towards the garage, where Captain Smoker had called Squad One and Two for a pre-patrol meeting. Weaver was...nice! A little standoffish, and in need of some confidence, but Tashigi liked her! She worked hard whenever they did training, and refused to back down when losing. Weaver even managed to avoid a strike or two, not that Tashigi was going all out. That would be unfair, but Weaver seemed more confident afterwards!
"A little." Weaver replied nervously. She was wearing her grey uniform, with a standard Marine cap on her head, obviously looking out of place. They didn't want her to be confused for a criminal after all! Tashigi understood why she wore her mask too, they need to earn each other's trust.
Tashigi placed a hand on the taller yet younger girl's shoulder and smiled. "You'll be fine. Gunderson is an excellent Marine, just like you."
Weaver seemed to perk up a bit after that. Not long after, they arrived and walked up to the small group gathered around Captain Smoker.
"It seems that everyone is here now." Captain Smoker started speaking. Everyone stared straight at him. He stared back, smoking his two cigars casually. "Squad One led by Tashigi will take Protectorate route 1. Squad Two led by Gunderson will take route 2."
Tashigi and Gunderson nodded. Captain Smoker had given Gunderson the brevet rank of Staff Sergeant.
"Squad One will drop off Kazuki and Spencer near the Boardwalk to handle the Ward's normal patrol." The two Marines nodded.
"I will be on standby should any emergency arise." Captain Smoker made eye contact with every single Marine. Weaver seemed nervous under his gaze.
"One last thing before we depart." Tashigi gripped Shigure.
"Back home, many of our fellow Marines would preach to follow the rule of Absolute Justice…" Tashigi had told Weaver about the truth of their arrival. Keeping secrets from her would only alienate Weaver from them. She took it...surprisingly well.
"To eradicate all evil, by any means necessary. To fight evil, with evil for the greater good. Some even preached Thorough Justice, that evil must be burned down to its roots…" Captain Smoker made eye contact with Tashigi. It was true, many of their fellow Marines followed these interpretations.
"Some would even say that evil must be cleansed from the hearts of villains." Smoker paused and looked at Weaver. "Do you know what I say?"
Gunderson looked at Mifune who shrugged in confusement.
"I say...follow your own personal justice." Smoker said with conviction. "Follow the justice that's in your heart! FOLLOW THE JUSTICE THAT YOU CREATE." Kazuki had a tear running down his eye, with Weaver taking a deep breath.
Tashigi saw Captain Smoker's determined eyes soften slightly. "Stay safe out there and don't do anything stupid. Dismissed."
They all saluted. It was time to make Captain Smoker proud.
-*-
Shortly after dropping Kazuki and Spencer at the Boardwalk, Tashigi's squad followed their GPS to their patrol route. Mifune was driving the van, while Tashigi sat in the passenger seat. The other five sat in the back.
"Mind if I play some music?" Mifune asked. He kept begging since they left Marine HQ.
Tashigi sighed and nodded. "Fine, but not so loud. We need to be on guard."
"Yay!" He turned on the radio, and some song in a language Tashigi didn't know started playing. A tapping took Tashigi out of her thoughts. Private Seo had opened the tiny door that allowed those in the back to talk to the front.
"Mifune put something else on, your music is ass." Seo said dryly. Mifune bristled at that and simply turned up the volume.
Tashigi sighed and ignored them. This was going to be an extremely long patrol.
"Hey Master Chief, do you see that?" Mifune said pointing at something with one hand, with the other firmly on the wheel. Tashigi looked up, and saw a young girl being chased by some men dressed in black suits. Suspicious indeed. The young girl caught sight of them, and started running in their direction. That was...worrisome.
"Keep the engine running. I'll go and check it out." Tashigi quickly got out of the van and ran to the young girl, her sheathed Shigure in hand. She didn't notice the vans radio come to life as dhe got off.
"Please help me Miss!" The young girl said quickly as she slammed into Tashigi's legs with tears streaming down her face. Kneeling down, Tashigi patted the young girl on the head, keeping an eye on the men in black suits.
"Slow down. Who are they?" The young girl looked up at Tashigi, her face wet from tears.
"There's an 80 percent chance that if I go with them something bad will happen to me." What? Was she a parahuman?
The group of men got closer to them. Keeping her hand on shigure, Tashigi stood up, standing in front of the young girl.
"Please step away from Miss Alcott. Her family had contacted us that she ran away." The one standing in front said, his hand on his holster. Tashigi quickly glanced down at the girl who shook her head.
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Tashigi replied firmly. These were kidnappers then. Their leader quickly pulled out his gun, but Tashigi was faster. Slicing his pistol in the same motion as she unsheathed Shigure, Tashigi placed the tip of Shigure at his throat. The men next to him pulled out their own guns, but simply pointed them at Tashigi.
The footsteps behind Tashigi told her that she wasn't alone. Private Seo finally decided to come help.
"Step away from the Master Chief." Private Seo said, pointing his gun at a kidnapper. The other Marines, except Mifune, had joined them. Their guns and cutlasses aimed at the suited men. Tashigi had to admit, they hid their nervousness well.
"95 percent chance that you'll win." Miss Alcott mumbled softly. Tashigi smiled softly. She liked those odds.
The Leader of the would-be kidnappers pressed a finger to the weird device in his ear, and quickly barked orders, telling his men to lower their weapons.
Tashigi glared at them as they ran away. Turning back to the young girl, Tashigi knelt again.
"I'm Tashigi. What's your name?" Tashigi gave her a comforting smile as Private Seo and the others formed a protective circle around them.
The little girl hugged her and whispered in Tashigi's ear. "I'm Dinah Alcott." Tashigi patted her head and picked her up.
"We'll take you someplace safe." They quickly walked back to the van, with Private Seo sitting in the front with Mifune so Tashigi could sit in the back with Dinah.
"Do you want us to take you home?" Tashigi asked, Dinah still holding onto her. She simply shook her head.
"96.73 percent chance that they'll get me."
"Police station?"
"99.88 percent chance they'll get me." Tashigi's eyes widened. Why were they after this sweet young girl?
"And if we take you to Marine HQ?"
"99 percent chance I'll be safe." She must be a parahuman. Tashigi nodded and opened the tiny door to the front.
"Take us to Marine HQ and contact Captain Smoker." Tashigi ordered. Seo handed her the radio as Mifune changed course.
"T-This is Weaver." Weaver's voice answered instead of Captain Smoker. What was going on here?
"Weaver, where's Captain Smoker?"
"The Undersiders are robbing the Brockton Bay Central Bank, Captain Smoker just went in."
This wasn't good. He must have left Weaver with the radio since her bugs allowed her to control the battlefield.
"Ok. Tell Captain Smoker we prevented an attempted kidnapping and are heading back to base." Weaver confirmed on her side and the connection suddenly went out. Tashigi looked at the other Marines and Dinah, who simply looked back at her.
"Step on the gas Mifune." Tashigi said calmly. She felt the van speed up.
"70 percent chance they'll try to attack your base." Dinah said softly. Tashigi cursed internally and called Marine HQ.
"Contact Quartermaster Shoko. I'm activating Siege Protocol: Loguetown. Be ready for our arrival."
"Bravo-Delta-Zoro."
Tashigi got a good look at the side mirror from her spot at the door.
A few unmarked cars were following them at a distance.
If they want to get Dinah, they'll have to step over Tashigi's cold dead body.
This is the justice that she would choose.
"A little." Weaver replied nervously. She was wearing her grey uniform, with a standard Marine cap on her head, obviously looking out of place. They didn't want her to be confused for a criminal after all! Tashigi understood why she wore her mask too, they need to earn each other's trust.
Tashigi placed a hand on the taller yet younger girl's shoulder and smiled. "You'll be fine. Gunderson is an excellent Marine, just like you."
Weaver seemed to perk up a bit after that. Not long after, they arrived and walked up to the small group gathered around Captain Smoker.
"It seems that everyone is here now." Captain Smoker started speaking. Everyone stared straight at him. He stared back, smoking his two cigars casually. "Squad One led by Tashigi will take Protectorate route 1. Squad Two led by Gunderson will take route 2."
Tashigi and Gunderson nodded. Captain Smoker had given Gunderson the brevet rank of Staff Sergeant.
"Squad One will drop off Kazuki and Spencer near the Boardwalk to handle the Ward's normal patrol." The two Marines nodded.
"I will be on standby should any emergency arise." Captain Smoker made eye contact with every single Marine. Weaver seemed nervous under his gaze.
"One last thing before we depart." Tashigi gripped Shigure.
"Back home, many of our fellow Marines would preach to follow the rule of Absolute Justice…" Tashigi had told Weaver about the truth of their arrival. Keeping secrets from her would only alienate Weaver from them. She took it...surprisingly well.
"To eradicate all evil, by any means necessary. To fight evil, with evil for the greater good. Some even preached Thorough Justice, that evil must be burned down to its roots…" Captain Smoker made eye contact with Tashigi. It was true, many of their fellow Marines followed these interpretations.
"Some would even say that evil must be cleansed from the hearts of villains." Smoker paused and looked at Weaver. "Do you know what I say?"
Gunderson looked at Mifune who shrugged in confusement.
"I say...follow your own personal justice." Smoker said with conviction. "Follow the justice that's in your heart! FOLLOW THE JUSTICE THAT YOU CREATE." Kazuki had a tear running down his eye, with Weaver taking a deep breath.
Tashigi saw Captain Smoker's determined eyes soften slightly. "Stay safe out there and don't do anything stupid. Dismissed."
They all saluted. It was time to make Captain Smoker proud.
-*-
Shortly after dropping Kazuki and Spencer at the Boardwalk, Tashigi's squad followed their GPS to their patrol route. Mifune was driving the van, while Tashigi sat in the passenger seat. The other five sat in the back.
"Mind if I play some music?" Mifune asked. He kept begging since they left Marine HQ.
Tashigi sighed and nodded. "Fine, but not so loud. We need to be on guard."
"Yay!" He turned on the radio, and some song in a language Tashigi didn't know started playing. A tapping took Tashigi out of her thoughts. Private Seo had opened the tiny door that allowed those in the back to talk to the front.
"Mifune put something else on, your music is ass." Seo said dryly. Mifune bristled at that and simply turned up the volume.
Tashigi sighed and ignored them. This was going to be an extremely long patrol.
"Hey Master Chief, do you see that?" Mifune said pointing at something with one hand, with the other firmly on the wheel. Tashigi looked up, and saw a young girl being chased by some men dressed in black suits. Suspicious indeed. The young girl caught sight of them, and started running in their direction. That was...worrisome.
"Keep the engine running. I'll go and check it out." Tashigi quickly got out of the van and ran to the young girl, her sheathed Shigure in hand. She didn't notice the vans radio come to life as dhe got off.
"Please help me Miss!" The young girl said quickly as she slammed into Tashigi's legs with tears streaming down her face. Kneeling down, Tashigi patted the young girl on the head, keeping an eye on the men in black suits.
"Slow down. Who are they?" The young girl looked up at Tashigi, her face wet from tears.
"There's an 80 percent chance that if I go with them something bad will happen to me." What? Was she a parahuman?
The group of men got closer to them. Keeping her hand on shigure, Tashigi stood up, standing in front of the young girl.
"Please step away from Miss Alcott. Her family had contacted us that she ran away." The one standing in front said, his hand on his holster. Tashigi quickly glanced down at the girl who shook her head.
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Tashigi replied firmly. These were kidnappers then. Their leader quickly pulled out his gun, but Tashigi was faster. Slicing his pistol in the same motion as she unsheathed Shigure, Tashigi placed the tip of Shigure at his throat. The men next to him pulled out their own guns, but simply pointed them at Tashigi.
The footsteps behind Tashigi told her that she wasn't alone. Private Seo finally decided to come help.
"Step away from the Master Chief." Private Seo said, pointing his gun at a kidnapper. The other Marines, except Mifune, had joined them. Their guns and cutlasses aimed at the suited men. Tashigi had to admit, they hid their nervousness well.
"95 percent chance that you'll win." Miss Alcott mumbled softly. Tashigi smiled softly. She liked those odds.
The Leader of the would-be kidnappers pressed a finger to the weird device in his ear, and quickly barked orders, telling his men to lower their weapons.
Tashigi glared at them as they ran away. Turning back to the young girl, Tashigi knelt again.
"I'm Tashigi. What's your name?" Tashigi gave her a comforting smile as Private Seo and the others formed a protective circle around them.
The little girl hugged her and whispered in Tashigi's ear. "I'm Dinah Alcott." Tashigi patted her head and picked her up.
"We'll take you someplace safe." They quickly walked back to the van, with Private Seo sitting in the front with Mifune so Tashigi could sit in the back with Dinah.
"Do you want us to take you home?" Tashigi asked, Dinah still holding onto her. She simply shook her head.
"96.73 percent chance that they'll get me."
"Police station?"
"99.88 percent chance they'll get me." Tashigi's eyes widened. Why were they after this sweet young girl?
"And if we take you to Marine HQ?"
"99 percent chance I'll be safe." She must be a parahuman. Tashigi nodded and opened the tiny door to the front.
"Take us to Marine HQ and contact Captain Smoker." Tashigi ordered. Seo handed her the radio as Mifune changed course.
"T-This is Weaver." Weaver's voice answered instead of Captain Smoker. What was going on here?
"Weaver, where's Captain Smoker?"
"The Undersiders are robbing the Brockton Bay Central Bank, Captain Smoker just went in."
This wasn't good. He must have left Weaver with the radio since her bugs allowed her to control the battlefield.
"Ok. Tell Captain Smoker we prevented an attempted kidnapping and are heading back to base." Weaver confirmed on her side and the connection suddenly went out. Tashigi looked at the other Marines and Dinah, who simply looked back at her.
"Step on the gas Mifune." Tashigi said calmly. She felt the van speed up.
"70 percent chance they'll try to attack your base." Dinah said softly. Tashigi cursed internally and called Marine HQ.
"Contact Quartermaster Shoko. I'm activating Siege Protocol: Loguetown. Be ready for our arrival."
"Bravo-Delta-Zoro."
Tashigi got a good look at the side mirror from her spot at the door.
A few unmarked cars were following them at a distance.
If they want to get Dinah, they'll have to step over Tashigi's cold dead body.
This is the justice that she would choose.
3.3
Shortly after Smoker's speech, Taylor boarded the van that Squad Two was assigned to, ignoring that Kazuki guy's jealous stare. Now she was sitting in the back of a van, surrounded by men she had only seen in passing. Most were about her height, if not slightly taller, and despite looking goofy in their uniform, all kept the face of a professional.
Taylor made the wrong assumptions before she joined up apparently. At least she won't be mistaken for a villain with the Marine cap sitting on her head. It looked stupid and out of place on her. Taylor leaned her head back and sighed.
Her first official patrol with the Marines. Hopefully she wouldn't mess it up. After a minute or so, someone else got on and off they went.
Gathering her swarm quietly, Taylor started marking the Marines, did that guy really have ticks? Apparently he does.
"First time right?" A voice to her left said. Turning her head slightly, Taylor saw Gunderson with a small smile. He was...about above average if it came to looks, with shoulder length blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His hair didn't seem like it belonged in hand-to-hand combat.
"Yeah."
Gunderson nodded and sat back relaxing. "You must be something special since Captain Smoker and the Master Chief seem interested in you."
Taylor blushed softly. How come everyone was saying that?
"Really?" Taylor asked. Gunderson nodded his head again.
"Yup. Captain Smoker may seem all tough on the outside, but he's a big old teddy bear on the inside." Gunderson said simply. The Marine to Taylor's right started snickering.
"I'll let him know you said that Sarge." He said with a grin. Gunderson's face dropped as fast as lightning.
"Please don't. I don't want to be the next Alby." They argued for a little bit before calming back down.
Gunderson turned his attention back to Taylor. "Captain Smoker may seem all strict, but he cares about each and every one of us." He smiled again. Taylor nodded. Everyone seemed to be telling her this.
"Patrol route starting now." The driver said from the front. Taylor closed her eyes, and focused on her bugs, spreading them out, while keeping a swarm ready to respond if needed.
Gunderson simply cracked his knuckles, while the Marine on her right prepped his pistol. Taylor had seen their firearms from their world...and they were a bit old fashioned. Smoker had the Marines upgrade their arsenal with modern weaponry, but kept their swords and stuff. Taylor was stuck with her baton and pepper spray until they were sure she wouldn't accidentally hurt someone.
"Attempted mugging in the alleyway to our right." She directed a few dozen roaches up the man's pants. He quickly freaked out and dropped his gun when a few butterflies dropped a spider on his hand.
Their van stopped, and Gunderson immediately started shouting orders.
"Kilpatrick, Ichiro go assist. Jiro, call the police."
The Marine to Taylor's right immediately jumped up and ran out the van. The man surrendered as soon as he saw the Marines approach him. Not even five minutes later they were on their way again, the police taking over from there.
"Good job Weaver." Taylor felt Gunderson pat her on her shoulder. It was surreal...being called Weaver. Taylor simply nodded quickly as she spread her bugs out again.
She would have to build more hives. Maybe that could be a project in her off time.
Suddenly, their radio came to life.
"The Undersiders are robbing the Brockton Bay Central Bank. Hostages confirmed. The Wards have been deployed, but further assistance will be needed." The PRT agent on the radio said. Taylor froze slightly.
"Smoker enroute." Smoker's deep voice said over the radio. Gunderson grabbed the radio.
"Marine Squad Two enroute."
Taylor gripped her baton.
It was time to be a hero.
---
Smoker narrowed his eyes as he saw the scene that was unfolding before him. PRT officers had formed a defensive line behind a cloud of darkness. The Ward's were in there fighting the Undersiders, a mostly unknown yet elusive group of criminals.
This darkness was produced by the one known as Grue. Well, it wasn't darkness, but more like a special type of smoke.
Smoker grinned as he raised his smokey fist and slowly had part of the darkness swirl.
This cloud of darkness was made of smoke. Turning to the PRT officer next to him, Smoker opened his mouth.
"When my men arrive, have them cut off any route of the Undersiders escaping."
The officer nodded, and Smoker walked into the darkness. The Officers never noticed him making a pathway clear of the black smoke. The darkness that protected them would prove to be their downfall.
Smoker started spreading his own smoke and kept grinning.
The Undersiders were screwed.
---
Lisa didn't like taking hostages. She prefered her jobs being simple, in and out with a load of cash. Just like the Casino job, but the Boss said take some hostages in broad daylight and cause a lot of attention, so she did just so. It's not like Lisa had a choice anyways.
Now she was stuck here, a gun aimed at Glory Girl, while Alec had a knife at Panacea's throat. For some reason Brian had decided to cover the front of the bank in his black stuff. Fighting happening outside. Trainwreck is beating Kid Win's ass, Clockblocker managed to freeze one of Bitch's dogs. Gallant's armor is being chewed up by another one. Shit, that wasn't good. This would have been easier if they had bug girl instead of Trainwreck. Maybe Lisa shouldn't have texted her in her civilian identity.
"Get in the vault Glory Hole, and I won't pull your family apart." Lisa said with her signature grin. It was fun getting on people's nerves, it made them angry, which meant they made more mistakes.
"What are you talking about?" Glory Hole seethed as she stood there. Not willing to risk the safety of her sister. Lisa gave Panacea a sideway look. Is desperately in love with her sister. Wants to give me cancer and acne.
"The truth about your sister's adoption of course."
"Can you guys hurry it up? I wanna go home." Alec whined, though he never moved the knife away from Panacea's throat.
"Everyone knows, it's a public record."
"Tsk tsk tsk. I don't mean that." Lisa eyed both of them.
"I mean the truth of her parentage." Panacea's eyes widened. Wants to know, but not know at the same time. Glory Girl seems confused.
"Your daddy dearest was a villain who was Birdcaged by the Brockton Bay Brigade." Lisa started, all while keeping her grin. Panacea in shock. Never expected father to be criminal. Now understands why her adopted mother treats her that way. Damn this girl had problems. "They raided his home, and found his daughter hiding in a closet." Lisa stared at Panacea who looked away uncomfortably.
Glory Hole took a step forward, when Lisa fired her gun, the bullet easily bouncing off of her forcefield.
"We both know the next bullet will go through so get in the damn vault." Lisa said slowly. She wants to punch my organs in.
"Want to know who daddy is?" Glory Girl stood her ground, while Panacea simply stared at her reflection on the floor.
"Amy Dallon's father is-"
They were interrupted by a body smashed through the window, and the darkness suddenly disappeared. Trainwreck's mangled body unconscious on the floor. Trainwreck got his ass beat. What! By who-
Smoke started flooding the room. Not tear gas or tinkertech. Only one hero in the Bay is associated with smoke. Smoker. Oh shit.
Alec was then thrown against the wall by the smoke . Can control the density of the smoke. Lisa had to get out of here. Glory Girl quickly flew towards her, but paused when Lisa fired off two more bullets. Where was he?
Then, Lisa went flying and slammed against the wall. That was going to hurt tomorrow. Groaning, Liss tried standing up, only for the dense smoke to be circling around her like a snake. Smoker has fine control over smoke. Took over Grue's darkness to keep me occupied. Grue's darkness was a form of smoke. This was bad. Struggling against the smoke, Lisa's lack of strength failed her.
"Hehehe." A familiar face started forming in the smoke. With two cigars, a large grin that easily matched Lisa's own, Smoker's face stared back at her. Is angry that I approached Bug Girl in her civilian identity. Easily defeated Trainwreck, Bitch and her dogs. Gallant and Kid Win defeated Grue. Restrained Glory Girl from spilling my guts. Wants me to stand trial. Well that was comforting at least.
Reforming his body, Smoker stared down at her.
"Tattletale, you're under arrest."
At least she would temporarily be safe from the Boss. Now if she could only stop Glory Hole from killing her.
A/N
Better fight scenes will come soon. Smoker vs the Undersiders would be extremely one sided. be extremely one sided.
Taylor made the wrong assumptions before she joined up apparently. At least she won't be mistaken for a villain with the Marine cap sitting on her head. It looked stupid and out of place on her. Taylor leaned her head back and sighed.
Her first official patrol with the Marines. Hopefully she wouldn't mess it up. After a minute or so, someone else got on and off they went.
Gathering her swarm quietly, Taylor started marking the Marines, did that guy really have ticks? Apparently he does.
"First time right?" A voice to her left said. Turning her head slightly, Taylor saw Gunderson with a small smile. He was...about above average if it came to looks, with shoulder length blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His hair didn't seem like it belonged in hand-to-hand combat.
"Yeah."
Gunderson nodded and sat back relaxing. "You must be something special since Captain Smoker and the Master Chief seem interested in you."
Taylor blushed softly. How come everyone was saying that?
"Really?" Taylor asked. Gunderson nodded his head again.
"Yup. Captain Smoker may seem all tough on the outside, but he's a big old teddy bear on the inside." Gunderson said simply. The Marine to Taylor's right started snickering.
"I'll let him know you said that Sarge." He said with a grin. Gunderson's face dropped as fast as lightning.
"Please don't. I don't want to be the next Alby." They argued for a little bit before calming back down.
Gunderson turned his attention back to Taylor. "Captain Smoker may seem all strict, but he cares about each and every one of us." He smiled again. Taylor nodded. Everyone seemed to be telling her this.
"Patrol route starting now." The driver said from the front. Taylor closed her eyes, and focused on her bugs, spreading them out, while keeping a swarm ready to respond if needed.
Gunderson simply cracked his knuckles, while the Marine on her right prepped his pistol. Taylor had seen their firearms from their world...and they were a bit old fashioned. Smoker had the Marines upgrade their arsenal with modern weaponry, but kept their swords and stuff. Taylor was stuck with her baton and pepper spray until they were sure she wouldn't accidentally hurt someone.
"Attempted mugging in the alleyway to our right." She directed a few dozen roaches up the man's pants. He quickly freaked out and dropped his gun when a few butterflies dropped a spider on his hand.
Their van stopped, and Gunderson immediately started shouting orders.
"Kilpatrick, Ichiro go assist. Jiro, call the police."
The Marine to Taylor's right immediately jumped up and ran out the van. The man surrendered as soon as he saw the Marines approach him. Not even five minutes later they were on their way again, the police taking over from there.
"Good job Weaver." Taylor felt Gunderson pat her on her shoulder. It was surreal...being called Weaver. Taylor simply nodded quickly as she spread her bugs out again.
She would have to build more hives. Maybe that could be a project in her off time.
Suddenly, their radio came to life.
"The Undersiders are robbing the Brockton Bay Central Bank. Hostages confirmed. The Wards have been deployed, but further assistance will be needed." The PRT agent on the radio said. Taylor froze slightly.
"Smoker enroute." Smoker's deep voice said over the radio. Gunderson grabbed the radio.
"Marine Squad Two enroute."
Taylor gripped her baton.
It was time to be a hero.
---
Smoker narrowed his eyes as he saw the scene that was unfolding before him. PRT officers had formed a defensive line behind a cloud of darkness. The Ward's were in there fighting the Undersiders, a mostly unknown yet elusive group of criminals.
This darkness was produced by the one known as Grue. Well, it wasn't darkness, but more like a special type of smoke.
Smoker grinned as he raised his smokey fist and slowly had part of the darkness swirl.
This cloud of darkness was made of smoke. Turning to the PRT officer next to him, Smoker opened his mouth.
"When my men arrive, have them cut off any route of the Undersiders escaping."
The officer nodded, and Smoker walked into the darkness. The Officers never noticed him making a pathway clear of the black smoke. The darkness that protected them would prove to be their downfall.
Smoker started spreading his own smoke and kept grinning.
The Undersiders were screwed.
---
Lisa didn't like taking hostages. She prefered her jobs being simple, in and out with a load of cash. Just like the Casino job, but the Boss said take some hostages in broad daylight and cause a lot of attention, so she did just so. It's not like Lisa had a choice anyways.
Now she was stuck here, a gun aimed at Glory Girl, while Alec had a knife at Panacea's throat. For some reason Brian had decided to cover the front of the bank in his black stuff. Fighting happening outside. Trainwreck is beating Kid Win's ass, Clockblocker managed to freeze one of Bitch's dogs. Gallant's armor is being chewed up by another one. Shit, that wasn't good. This would have been easier if they had bug girl instead of Trainwreck. Maybe Lisa shouldn't have texted her in her civilian identity.
"Get in the vault Glory Hole, and I won't pull your family apart." Lisa said with her signature grin. It was fun getting on people's nerves, it made them angry, which meant they made more mistakes.
"What are you talking about?" Glory Hole seethed as she stood there. Not willing to risk the safety of her sister. Lisa gave Panacea a sideway look. Is desperately in love with her sister. Wants to give me cancer and acne.
"The truth about your sister's adoption of course."
"Can you guys hurry it up? I wanna go home." Alec whined, though he never moved the knife away from Panacea's throat.
"Everyone knows, it's a public record."
"Tsk tsk tsk. I don't mean that." Lisa eyed both of them.
"I mean the truth of her parentage." Panacea's eyes widened. Wants to know, but not know at the same time. Glory Girl seems confused.
"Your daddy dearest was a villain who was Birdcaged by the Brockton Bay Brigade." Lisa started, all while keeping her grin. Panacea in shock. Never expected father to be criminal. Now understands why her adopted mother treats her that way. Damn this girl had problems. "They raided his home, and found his daughter hiding in a closet." Lisa stared at Panacea who looked away uncomfortably.
Glory Hole took a step forward, when Lisa fired her gun, the bullet easily bouncing off of her forcefield.
"We both know the next bullet will go through so get in the damn vault." Lisa said slowly. She wants to punch my organs in.
"Want to know who daddy is?" Glory Girl stood her ground, while Panacea simply stared at her reflection on the floor.
"Amy Dallon's father is-"
They were interrupted by a body smashed through the window, and the darkness suddenly disappeared. Trainwreck's mangled body unconscious on the floor. Trainwreck got his ass beat. What! By who-
Smoke started flooding the room. Not tear gas or tinkertech. Only one hero in the Bay is associated with smoke. Smoker. Oh shit.
Alec was then thrown against the wall by the smoke . Can control the density of the smoke. Lisa had to get out of here. Glory Girl quickly flew towards her, but paused when Lisa fired off two more bullets. Where was he?
Then, Lisa went flying and slammed against the wall. That was going to hurt tomorrow. Groaning, Liss tried standing up, only for the dense smoke to be circling around her like a snake. Smoker has fine control over smoke. Took over Grue's darkness to keep me occupied. Grue's darkness was a form of smoke. This was bad. Struggling against the smoke, Lisa's lack of strength failed her.
"Hehehe." A familiar face started forming in the smoke. With two cigars, a large grin that easily matched Lisa's own, Smoker's face stared back at her. Is angry that I approached Bug Girl in her civilian identity. Easily defeated Trainwreck, Bitch and her dogs. Gallant and Kid Win defeated Grue. Restrained Glory Girl from spilling my guts. Wants me to stand trial. Well that was comforting at least.
Reforming his body, Smoker stared down at her.
"Tattletale, you're under arrest."
At least she would temporarily be safe from the Boss. Now if she could only stop Glory Hole from killing her.
A/N
Better fight scenes will come soon. Smoker vs the Undersiders would be extremely one sided. be extremely one sided.
We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
M: We're very happy that you didn't drag this scene out for ages.
3.4
Cleaning up the aftermath was left to the PRT. Smoker already did most of the work after all. It was clear that the Wards were losing the battle, until Smoker arrived. Unsurprisingly, the Undersiders weren't much of a challenge for the White Hunter.
Their team was built around one thing, escaping. From Smoker's research on the Undersiders, they specialized in robbery. They were in and out before anyone could respond.
So why take hostages now? Why change the pattern of making a move during broad daylight? Smoker stood silently as the Undersiders were loaded up onto the PRT'S vans. Trainwreck was coated in containment foam, Hellhound was in cuffs, with her dogs being returned to their normal form trying to bite Animal Control, with Grue and Regent still unconscious.
Tattletale was being led to a van by two officers and Vista, when she caught sight of Smoker, and gave him a huge grin.
"I'll see you later Smokey." She shouted as they pushed her in. Smoker felt a slight shiver go down his spine. That...didn't sound good. Stupid thinkers. Amy excited the bank with her sister, and avoided his gaze when she saw him. What happened there?
A bloodied Aegis, wearing Clockblockers costume, slowly walked up to Smoker, with Kid Win and Browbeat with him. Hellhound dogs must have gotten to him. Smoker had to admit, their plan might have worked if it wasn't for Tattletale being a thinker.
"Thank you for the help sir. They would have gotten away if you hadn't stepped in." Aegis said ignoring the large bite mark on his arms and legs. Smoker gave them an approving nod. They did well with the cards that they were dealt, despite not being up to his standards.
"You and your team did well." Smoker said simply. Aegis nodded and extended his hand.
"It's an honor to meet you." Smoker took his hand and shook it.
"Likewise." They said their farewells as they met up with their fellow Wards.
Gunderson, Weaver and the other Marines started walking up to him. Gunderson jogged up to Smoker and saluted, with the other Marines following his example. Weaver stood there awkwardly, but Smoker nodded his head.
"Good job cutting off their escape. It would have been annoying to hunt them down individually." Gunderson smiled. Smoker then turned his attention to Weaver who was holding their squad's radio in her hands. Raising an eyebrow, she caught his silent message.
"Tashigi and Squad One prevented a kidnapping and headed back to Marine HQ." Weaver said. Hmm, this couldn't have been a coincidence. "Quartermaster Shoko has deployed Siege Protocol: Loguetown under Tashigi's orders." That bad?
Smoker narrowed his eyes. This helped him piece the puzzle together. Were the Undersiders a distraction? Or was the kidnapping a distraction?
The Undersiders usually avoided confrontations according to the reports Smoker studied.
He would have to investigate this more carefully.
"I see. Return to base for now." Smoker ordered. The Protectorate would most likely cut their trip short after hearing of this. Smoker spotted New Wave arriving out of the corner of his eye.
"Can I talk to you and Tashigi when you get back?" Weaver asked softly. Smoker gave her his full attention.
"Of course."
They all saluted, even Weaver and went to their patrol van. Amy was acting suspicious. Smoker turned around just in time to see her slap Brandish before running off. Glory Girl tried to chase after her, but was held back by Gallant.
Smoker turned his back to them and made his way to his Billower Bike. This wasn't any of his business. He wasn't her father, just an acquaintance, one who she seemed to feel comfortable around. This was a family matter that he shouldn't involve himself in.
Yet, Smoker didn't know why he drove in the direction she ran off.
---
Tashigi gripped Shigure tightly. They had arrived at Marine HQ shortly after her order to activate the siege protocols. No one could enter or leave without express permission from herself or Captain Smoker. All Marines were to be armed and on high alert, lethal force authorized. Chokepoints were set up, windows were closed shut.
Siege Protocol: Loguetown was only to be used in extreme emergencies, so Tashigi didn't hesitate. Dinah was sitting next to Tashigi on a coach in one of the barracks. Mifune was standing outside the door with Seo on guard.
"Squad Two is returning Master Chief. Weaver has confirmed the clearance code." Quartermaster Shoko's voice brought the radio to life. Tashigi loosened her grip on her beloved blade.
"Let them in. Are the unmarked vehicles still there?" Not long after their arrival, several unmarked vans and suvs showed up on their CCTV.
"No Ma'am. They left as soon as Squad Two's van entered their sight." That was good. Tashigi relaxed slightly and turned to Dinah with a smile.
"Everything will be ok." Dinah returned the smile with a small one of her own. Apparently, using her power took a lot out of her, causing headaches and migraines.
"Is Captain Smoker with them?"
"Negative. Sergeant Gunderson said he saw the Captain drive off somewhere."
Tashigi slapped her forehead. They were in the middle of an emergency and Captain Smoker decides to wander off!
"5.67 percent chance that they will return." Dinah said softly. That was...not as good as Tashigi hoped, but it would have to do for now.
"Begin lifting the Protocols, confirmation code Plume-Plume-Zero."
Captain Smoker had come up with these protocols himself, with some help from Tashigi of course.
"Contact the PRT and Dinah's parents. They need to be informed of this situation."
Dinah was about to open her mouth when Tashigi opened her mouth.
"Stop using your power! We are here to protect you."
Dinah simply gave a weak smile, and started munching on one of Alby's crackers. Tashigi leaned back on the couch, and sighed deeply. Who knew that she would have prevented the kidnapping of a little girl who happened to be a parahuman the same day the Undersiders decide to rob a bank.
Tashigi was going to need a whole pot of coffee after this.
---
Amy didn't know where she ran, she just chose to turn randomly. She didn't regret it, slapping Carol that is. Amy didn't mind being called the adopted one. She didn't mind working until the verge of exhaustion at the hospitals. Actually, Amy did mind. She did all of that, hoping to one day get Carol's approval.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
Amy worked hard to hide the true extent of her powers. She worked hard to gain Carol's approval. She worked hard...to be a hero.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
She never expected in her wildest dreams, to be the daughter of a villain in the Birdcage. It explained everything so clearly, why Carol detested her very presence.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
Amy needed her mantra and rules. The very moment she stopped...she would become just like her Father, whoever he was. Only the worst villains got birdcaged after all.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
So Amy ran. She ran not being able to see through her tear soaked eyes. She ignored Vicky calling her name while Dean held her back. She ignored them all.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
Amy ran, until she hit a dead end. A dead end, just like her. What type of person was in love with her own sister? Adopted or not...it was a taboo. Amy was about to turn around to keep running, when a familiar cloud of smoke obscured her vision.
"What would you do...if you were told that your Father was a criminal. A criminal so horrible, that he was sent to the Birdcage." Amy said, forcing herself not to sob in front of him. She finally turned around, to see Smoker's impassive face. He simply took out a lighter and lit one of his cigars.
"You are not your father if that's what you're asking." Smoker said bluntly. Amy let out a hoarse laugh.
"You wouldn't get it." No one could ever understand her.
Smoker simply stared at her, his face never changing before speaking.
"You're right, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong."
Amy simply glared at him.
"Just because he's your father, doesn't mean you're his daughter." Smoker took a step forward. "Did he raise you? Did he make you become the person you are today?"
Amy took a deep breath.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
"No." She said confidently.
"You are not your father, and you never will be. Just because his blood runs in your veins, doesn't mean you will become just like him."
Do I have your permission to heal you?
Smoker patted Amy on her head.
"Congratulations. You are a better person than he will ever be."
Amy felt her tears start flowing again, so she hugged him. Smoker froze slightly, but kept patting her head.
Yes.
A/N
I'M DONE EARLY. I wasn't planning on writing this weekend, but I kept dreaming about the next chapter so I had to type it up. I hope it came out as emotional as I wanted it to be.
Damn this was a fun one to write.
Has everyone been enjoying the story? I'm having a lot of fun writing this.
What do you guys want to see in the future?
Their team was built around one thing, escaping. From Smoker's research on the Undersiders, they specialized in robbery. They were in and out before anyone could respond.
So why take hostages now? Why change the pattern of making a move during broad daylight? Smoker stood silently as the Undersiders were loaded up onto the PRT'S vans. Trainwreck was coated in containment foam, Hellhound was in cuffs, with her dogs being returned to their normal form trying to bite Animal Control, with Grue and Regent still unconscious.
Tattletale was being led to a van by two officers and Vista, when she caught sight of Smoker, and gave him a huge grin.
"I'll see you later Smokey." She shouted as they pushed her in. Smoker felt a slight shiver go down his spine. That...didn't sound good. Stupid thinkers. Amy excited the bank with her sister, and avoided his gaze when she saw him. What happened there?
A bloodied Aegis, wearing Clockblockers costume, slowly walked up to Smoker, with Kid Win and Browbeat with him. Hellhound dogs must have gotten to him. Smoker had to admit, their plan might have worked if it wasn't for Tattletale being a thinker.
"Thank you for the help sir. They would have gotten away if you hadn't stepped in." Aegis said ignoring the large bite mark on his arms and legs. Smoker gave them an approving nod. They did well with the cards that they were dealt, despite not being up to his standards.
"You and your team did well." Smoker said simply. Aegis nodded and extended his hand.
"It's an honor to meet you." Smoker took his hand and shook it.
"Likewise." They said their farewells as they met up with their fellow Wards.
Gunderson, Weaver and the other Marines started walking up to him. Gunderson jogged up to Smoker and saluted, with the other Marines following his example. Weaver stood there awkwardly, but Smoker nodded his head.
"Good job cutting off their escape. It would have been annoying to hunt them down individually." Gunderson smiled. Smoker then turned his attention to Weaver who was holding their squad's radio in her hands. Raising an eyebrow, she caught his silent message.
"Tashigi and Squad One prevented a kidnapping and headed back to Marine HQ." Weaver said. Hmm, this couldn't have been a coincidence. "Quartermaster Shoko has deployed Siege Protocol: Loguetown under Tashigi's orders." That bad?
Smoker narrowed his eyes. This helped him piece the puzzle together. Were the Undersiders a distraction? Or was the kidnapping a distraction?
The Undersiders usually avoided confrontations according to the reports Smoker studied.
He would have to investigate this more carefully.
"I see. Return to base for now." Smoker ordered. The Protectorate would most likely cut their trip short after hearing of this. Smoker spotted New Wave arriving out of the corner of his eye.
"Can I talk to you and Tashigi when you get back?" Weaver asked softly. Smoker gave her his full attention.
"Of course."
They all saluted, even Weaver and went to their patrol van. Amy was acting suspicious. Smoker turned around just in time to see her slap Brandish before running off. Glory Girl tried to chase after her, but was held back by Gallant.
Smoker turned his back to them and made his way to his Billower Bike. This wasn't any of his business. He wasn't her father, just an acquaintance, one who she seemed to feel comfortable around. This was a family matter that he shouldn't involve himself in.
Yet, Smoker didn't know why he drove in the direction she ran off.
---
Tashigi gripped Shigure tightly. They had arrived at Marine HQ shortly after her order to activate the siege protocols. No one could enter or leave without express permission from herself or Captain Smoker. All Marines were to be armed and on high alert, lethal force authorized. Chokepoints were set up, windows were closed shut.
Siege Protocol: Loguetown was only to be used in extreme emergencies, so Tashigi didn't hesitate. Dinah was sitting next to Tashigi on a coach in one of the barracks. Mifune was standing outside the door with Seo on guard.
"Squad Two is returning Master Chief. Weaver has confirmed the clearance code." Quartermaster Shoko's voice brought the radio to life. Tashigi loosened her grip on her beloved blade.
"Let them in. Are the unmarked vehicles still there?" Not long after their arrival, several unmarked vans and suvs showed up on their CCTV.
"No Ma'am. They left as soon as Squad Two's van entered their sight." That was good. Tashigi relaxed slightly and turned to Dinah with a smile.
"Everything will be ok." Dinah returned the smile with a small one of her own. Apparently, using her power took a lot out of her, causing headaches and migraines.
"Is Captain Smoker with them?"
"Negative. Sergeant Gunderson said he saw the Captain drive off somewhere."
Tashigi slapped her forehead. They were in the middle of an emergency and Captain Smoker decides to wander off!
"5.67 percent chance that they will return." Dinah said softly. That was...not as good as Tashigi hoped, but it would have to do for now.
"Begin lifting the Protocols, confirmation code Plume-Plume-Zero."
Captain Smoker had come up with these protocols himself, with some help from Tashigi of course.
"Contact the PRT and Dinah's parents. They need to be informed of this situation."
Dinah was about to open her mouth when Tashigi opened her mouth.
"Stop using your power! We are here to protect you."
Dinah simply gave a weak smile, and started munching on one of Alby's crackers. Tashigi leaned back on the couch, and sighed deeply. Who knew that she would have prevented the kidnapping of a little girl who happened to be a parahuman the same day the Undersiders decide to rob a bank.
Tashigi was going to need a whole pot of coffee after this.
---
Amy didn't know where she ran, she just chose to turn randomly. She didn't regret it, slapping Carol that is. Amy didn't mind being called the adopted one. She didn't mind working until the verge of exhaustion at the hospitals. Actually, Amy did mind. She did all of that, hoping to one day get Carol's approval.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
Amy worked hard to hide the true extent of her powers. She worked hard to gain Carol's approval. She worked hard...to be a hero.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
She never expected in her wildest dreams, to be the daughter of a villain in the Birdcage. It explained everything so clearly, why Carol detested her very presence.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
Amy needed her mantra and rules. The very moment she stopped...she would become just like her Father, whoever he was. Only the worst villains got birdcaged after all.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
So Amy ran. She ran not being able to see through her tear soaked eyes. She ignored Vicky calling her name while Dean held her back. She ignored them all.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
Amy ran, until she hit a dead end. A dead end, just like her. What type of person was in love with her own sister? Adopted or not...it was a taboo. Amy was about to turn around to keep running, when a familiar cloud of smoke obscured her vision.
"What would you do...if you were told that your Father was a criminal. A criminal so horrible, that he was sent to the Birdcage." Amy said, forcing herself not to sob in front of him. She finally turned around, to see Smoker's impassive face. He simply took out a lighter and lit one of his cigars.
"You are not your father if that's what you're asking." Smoker said bluntly. Amy let out a hoarse laugh.
"You wouldn't get it." No one could ever understand her.
Smoker simply stared at her, his face never changing before speaking.
"You're right, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong."
Amy simply glared at him.
"Just because he's your father, doesn't mean you're his daughter." Smoker took a step forward. "Did he raise you? Did he make you become the person you are today?"
Amy took a deep breath.
Do I have your permission to heal you?
"No." She said confidently.
"You are not your father, and you never will be. Just because his blood runs in your veins, doesn't mean you will become just like him."
Do I have your permission to heal you?
Smoker patted Amy on her head.
"Congratulations. You are a better person than he will ever be."
Amy felt her tears start flowing again, so she hugged him. Smoker froze slightly, but kept patting her head.
Yes.
A/N
I'M DONE EARLY. I wasn't planning on writing this weekend, but I kept dreaming about the next chapter so I had to type it up. I hope it came out as emotional as I wanted it to be.
Damn this was a fun one to write.
Has everyone been enjoying the story? I'm having a lot of fun writing this.
What do you guys want to see in the future?
Foxfax
Verified Unverified
TBH, watching Tashigi try to stop Taylor Escalating once Coil does a Coil should be fun. Well, either that or watch her join in. As we saw at Punk Hazard, no-one hurts kids on G-5's watch, if they have anything to say about it. We know both Smoker and Tashigi learn Armament by the timeskip, with hints that Smoker has Observation too. So seeing them earn that and teach Taylor and Amy in various things should be good to see.
My more cracky desires are to see Squealer as shipwright, Miss Militia as gunner and Mouse Protector as lookout. XD
And yes, enjoying it so far. Watching the Marines vs Parahuman (vs Arby) battle is fun.
My more cracky desires are to see Squealer as shipwright, Miss Militia as gunner and Mouse Protector as lookout. XD
And yes, enjoying it so far. Watching the Marines vs Parahuman (vs Arby) battle is fun.
3.5
Coil had always thought of himself as a patient man. Today, he did not feel like being patient. He ordered his Tattletale and his Undersiders to rob a bank in the middle of the day, in broad daylight. They specialized in escaping, which was why Coil left them to their devices while he focused on acquiring a new asset, a power precog. It didn't matter if the Undersiders were caught, he only needed his Tattletale after all, and he had several moles planted in the PRT, ready to spring her, or put a few bullets in her should the need arise.
Everything was going according to his plan. The Protectorate were out of town, New Wave was busy dealing with Purity, so he had his mercenaries chase Miss Alcott through some mostly deserted streets. Those that stopped his men were told the cover story that Miss Alcott had run away from home. Coil had multiple squads, all ready to corner her when that van full of Marines arrived.
He split the timeline. In one, he immediately ordered his men to start shooting, while in the other they cautiously walked up to his new pet. In the first time line, a woman armed with a blade quickly sliced her way through his mercenaries.
He closed that timeline and split it again. Miss Alcott was now hiding behind the Swordswoman in a tropical shirt with a blue jacket. A few of her fellow Marines started approaching, armed with pistols and swords.
His men reached the Swordswoman first, and they exchanged some words. His Lieutenant pulled out his gun, only for his Pet's Savior to slice it in the same motion as she unsheathed her blade. In one timeline, he ordered them to hold fire, and in the other, they fired.
Somehow, the Swordswoman managed to dodge the bullets and managed to cut down half of his men, before her fellow Marines quickly managed to evacuate his Pet.
He collapsed that timeline and ordered his men to retreat. Coil opened another one. In one, his men retreated to their vehicles, and feigned a retreat in the other. That attack failed too.
The Swordswoman and her Marines easily killed all of his men. Coil snarled and collapsed that timeline too. It wasn't supposed to be this way!
"Follow them Lieutenant." He ordered. He split the timeline again. Calls to other men were made, and Coil opened up his PRT database. Coil may not have much information on these Marines, but Thomas Calvert might.
Lets see, Marines. What? Only Emily, Armsmaster, a few Directors, and the Chief Director had access? This was...not what he expected. Not at all.
Coil turned his attention back to his men. Three vans, two suvs, and four cars full of men who owe their loyalty to him. A quarter of his forces that he currently had on hand. In any other situation, this would have been overkill. Here, it might not be enough. They surrounded the Marine base.
"Beta Squad, Alpha Squad, breach the garage. Sigma, Delta, begin assault." He ordered in one timeline. His men started their move. Not even a few seconds after they began, gunfire started coming from opening in their defences.
Three mercenaries went down within seconds, the others attempting to rush the Marines defences.
None managed to reach the building's interior. Balling his fist, he smashed his keyboard and collapsed that timeline. Another timeline split.
"Sigma, Delta, Foxtrot, flanking maneuver. Epsilon, Beta, rush the front door." Coil will expose all of their tricks.
Another failure, another timeline collapsed. Cape support would be needed to breach the building. Hmm, maybe if the Undersiders escaped in time he could manipulate their way towards this location.
He turned his attention towards the Bank robbery, using his cameras he had installed beforehand.
What!
All of them captured? There's no way that-
Coil let out a frustrated scream. These 'Marines' were more of a nuisance that he thought they would be. He should have planned in case they got involved.
His negligence just cost him his Tattletale and new Pet.
It was time...to be patient again.
Marine reinforcements were arriving when he ordered his men to fallback.
Coil needed to make a few calls.
---
They stood in that position for a few minutes, with Amy's arms still wrapped around him, Smoker felt only a little bit uncomfortable. Eventually, she pulled away and wiped away a few tears with her sleeves. Her bloodshot eyes met his own.
"Sorry about that." She said, her voice hoarse. Smoker simply gave her a small smile and patted Amy on her shoulder.
"Dont worry about it." She gave a weak smile back, before her face formed one of horror.
"I-I don't think I can go back home tonight." She pulled out her phone, most likely filled with missed calls and text messages.
"You can stay at Marine HQ if you wish." Smoker said, causing the smoke around them to disappear. "Im sure Tashigi wouldn't mind if you stayed in her old room." Plus it could also give Weaver a chance to socialize with someone else close to her age. She stayed at Marine HQ when she wasn't dealing with issues in her civilian life.
Amy nodded slowly. "That...would probably be for the best for now."
"You can stay as long as you need to." Smoker said as he led her to his Billower Bike.
The drive back to Marine HQ was in silence.
-*-
Once Amy was settled in Tashigi's old room, Smoker made his way to his office to receive Tashigi's report.
Three figures were sitting on his couch when he walked in.
"Captain Smoker sir." Tashigi stood up with a salute. Weaver remained seated with a little girl napping on the couch, her head on Weaver's lap.
"Tashigi, Weaver." Smoker nodded.
So this was the kidnapping victim.
"Did you call the PRT and her family?" He asked. Tashigi nodded. Apparently, the young girl was a thinker.
"Director Piggot has been informed and is waiting for our arrival with Miss Alcott's parents. Armsmaster has already returned."
That was good. Smoker turned to Weaver.
"There was something you wanted to tell me?"
"I-It can wait!" Weaver held Miss Alcotr's head. "She should be safe first." She said softly.
"Very well." Smoker looked at Tashigi from the corner of his eyes. "Gather Squad One." He looked back at Weaver. "You can come if you want." It has been a long day after all.
Weaver nodded. "I'll go."
Smoker smiled. At least she was getting more confident. Tashigi was being a good mentor it seemed.
"Let's bring Miss Alcott home."
A/N
I never thought I would have written this much when I decided to start writing again. It's more...fun to write than chimera. Whenever I see Chimera, I see all of the mistakes I made.
For those questions about whether anyone else from the One Piece universe will or will not arrive, that's some spoiler territory.
Feel free to guess or theorise, but I doubt anyone will get it. Cookie if you do manage tho.
That's if not lying about anyone else coming.
I hope my writing has been enjoyable so far.
SV is close to catching up to date with SB
Everything was going according to his plan. The Protectorate were out of town, New Wave was busy dealing with Purity, so he had his mercenaries chase Miss Alcott through some mostly deserted streets. Those that stopped his men were told the cover story that Miss Alcott had run away from home. Coil had multiple squads, all ready to corner her when that van full of Marines arrived.
He split the timeline. In one, he immediately ordered his men to start shooting, while in the other they cautiously walked up to his new pet. In the first time line, a woman armed with a blade quickly sliced her way through his mercenaries.
He closed that timeline and split it again. Miss Alcott was now hiding behind the Swordswoman in a tropical shirt with a blue jacket. A few of her fellow Marines started approaching, armed with pistols and swords.
His men reached the Swordswoman first, and they exchanged some words. His Lieutenant pulled out his gun, only for his Pet's Savior to slice it in the same motion as she unsheathed her blade. In one timeline, he ordered them to hold fire, and in the other, they fired.
Somehow, the Swordswoman managed to dodge the bullets and managed to cut down half of his men, before her fellow Marines quickly managed to evacuate his Pet.
He collapsed that timeline and ordered his men to retreat. Coil opened another one. In one, his men retreated to their vehicles, and feigned a retreat in the other. That attack failed too.
The Swordswoman and her Marines easily killed all of his men. Coil snarled and collapsed that timeline too. It wasn't supposed to be this way!
"Follow them Lieutenant." He ordered. He split the timeline again. Calls to other men were made, and Coil opened up his PRT database. Coil may not have much information on these Marines, but Thomas Calvert might.
Lets see, Marines. What? Only Emily, Armsmaster, a few Directors, and the Chief Director had access? This was...not what he expected. Not at all.
Coil turned his attention back to his men. Three vans, two suvs, and four cars full of men who owe their loyalty to him. A quarter of his forces that he currently had on hand. In any other situation, this would have been overkill. Here, it might not be enough. They surrounded the Marine base.
"Beta Squad, Alpha Squad, breach the garage. Sigma, Delta, begin assault." He ordered in one timeline. His men started their move. Not even a few seconds after they began, gunfire started coming from opening in their defences.
Three mercenaries went down within seconds, the others attempting to rush the Marines defences.
None managed to reach the building's interior. Balling his fist, he smashed his keyboard and collapsed that timeline. Another timeline split.
"Sigma, Delta, Foxtrot, flanking maneuver. Epsilon, Beta, rush the front door." Coil will expose all of their tricks.
Another failure, another timeline collapsed. Cape support would be needed to breach the building. Hmm, maybe if the Undersiders escaped in time he could manipulate their way towards this location.
He turned his attention towards the Bank robbery, using his cameras he had installed beforehand.
What!
All of them captured? There's no way that-
Coil let out a frustrated scream. These 'Marines' were more of a nuisance that he thought they would be. He should have planned in case they got involved.
His negligence just cost him his Tattletale and new Pet.
It was time...to be patient again.
Marine reinforcements were arriving when he ordered his men to fallback.
Coil needed to make a few calls.
---
They stood in that position for a few minutes, with Amy's arms still wrapped around him, Smoker felt only a little bit uncomfortable. Eventually, she pulled away and wiped away a few tears with her sleeves. Her bloodshot eyes met his own.
"Sorry about that." She said, her voice hoarse. Smoker simply gave her a small smile and patted Amy on her shoulder.
"Dont worry about it." She gave a weak smile back, before her face formed one of horror.
"I-I don't think I can go back home tonight." She pulled out her phone, most likely filled with missed calls and text messages.
"You can stay at Marine HQ if you wish." Smoker said, causing the smoke around them to disappear. "Im sure Tashigi wouldn't mind if you stayed in her old room." Plus it could also give Weaver a chance to socialize with someone else close to her age. She stayed at Marine HQ when she wasn't dealing with issues in her civilian life.
Amy nodded slowly. "That...would probably be for the best for now."
"You can stay as long as you need to." Smoker said as he led her to his Billower Bike.
The drive back to Marine HQ was in silence.
-*-
Once Amy was settled in Tashigi's old room, Smoker made his way to his office to receive Tashigi's report.
Three figures were sitting on his couch when he walked in.
"Captain Smoker sir." Tashigi stood up with a salute. Weaver remained seated with a little girl napping on the couch, her head on Weaver's lap.
"Tashigi, Weaver." Smoker nodded.
So this was the kidnapping victim.
"Did you call the PRT and her family?" He asked. Tashigi nodded. Apparently, the young girl was a thinker.
"Director Piggot has been informed and is waiting for our arrival with Miss Alcott's parents. Armsmaster has already returned."
That was good. Smoker turned to Weaver.
"There was something you wanted to tell me?"
"I-It can wait!" Weaver held Miss Alcotr's head. "She should be safe first." She said softly.
"Very well." Smoker looked at Tashigi from the corner of his eyes. "Gather Squad One." He looked back at Weaver. "You can come if you want." It has been a long day after all.
Weaver nodded. "I'll go."
Smoker smiled. At least she was getting more confident. Tashigi was being a good mentor it seemed.
"Let's bring Miss Alcott home."
A/N
I never thought I would have written this much when I decided to start writing again. It's more...fun to write than chimera. Whenever I see Chimera, I see all of the mistakes I made.
For those questions about whether anyone else from the One Piece universe will or will not arrive, that's some spoiler territory.
Feel free to guess or theorise, but I doubt anyone will get it. Cookie if you do manage tho.
That's if not lying about anyone else coming.
I hope my writing has been enjoyable so far.
SV is close to catching up to date with SB
Foxfax
Verified Unverified
The only option is, of course, current anime spoiler Kozuki Oden. The CHAD has to flex on this world too. He was born to boil, and Brockton Bay sure looks like it's bubbling nicely. On slightly more sensible "people just entering the Grand Line about this time" speculation, we have the rest of the Supernovas, Hina, Ace and (GOda help us all) Garp with Coby and Helmeppo in tow. But we all know the man, the myth, the lurking legend himself, Buggy-sama is the choice for the connoisseur. XD
Edit: And it's perfectly fine to look at your other work and see the flaws! That shows you that you've improved. Take those flaws as impetus to drive the plot bunny-Minks. Spot a plot hole, use it as a Chekov's Gun. Spot a dead end, use it as a barrier for the bad/good guys to bust through. Spot a misspelling, get wrecked in the comments. (Sorry, can't think of anything from a motivational poster for that one.)
Edit: And it's perfectly fine to look at your other work and see the flaws! That shows you that you've improved. Take those flaws as impetus to drive the plot bunny-Minks. Spot a plot hole, use it as a Chekov's Gun. Spot a dead end, use it as a barrier for the bad/good guys to bust through. Spot a misspelling, get wrecked in the comments. (Sorry, can't think of anything from a motivational poster for that one.)
Last edited:
3.6
The trip to PRT Headquarters was normally a relatively short one. It felt like forever in Smoker's opinion. Squad One was loaded up in one of their vans, along with Weaver and Miss Alcott. She had woken shortly before they left, obviously in pain from overusing her power. Smoker drove his Billower Bike in front of the van, acting as their escort. Smoker noticed a few unmarked cars attempting to follow them, but he used his smoke to obscure their vision.
Only a monster would attempt to kidnap a young girl, even a parahuman one. This monster seemed to have a great amount of influence. Smoker tightened his grip on his bike's handlebars. They obviously weren't ABB or Merchants.
That left the Empire, or Coil. They didn't seem like skinheads, and Tashigi did not report seeing any swastikas or iron eagles. Smoker narrowed his eyes as he took a right.
This left Coil. The secret fifth power in this city after the gangs and the PRT. The PRT only had a few reports on him, mostly involving sightings or mercenaries. They didn't even know what type of power he had.
The enemy you didn't know about was more dangerous than the one in front of you.
He was taken out of his thoughts when he caught sight of the PRT's headquarters. With a few puffs from his cigar, Smoker drove closer.
-*-
They were quickly led inside the building proper after they drove into the garage. Smoker decided to leave Squad One with their van, taking only Tashigi, Miss Alcott, and Weaver. A squad of PRT agents, and Miss Militia were waiting for them. Just like Smoker predicted, they ended their trip early.
"This is for Dinah." Miss Militia said as she handed the young girl a simple mask, most likely to help conceal her identity. Dinah cautiously grabbed the mask and placed it on her face. It...didn't help much. Most masks seemed to be just for show in Smoker's opinion. If you knew who you were looking for, masks were useless.
It was either that or people in this world were blind. Probably the latter in all honesty.
They were led down familiar hallways. Smoker had lost count how many times he walked down these halls. Tashigi continued to carry Dinah, with Weaver quickly walking behind her.
Eventually they reached Director Piggot's office. The squad of PRT agents took their positions outside of the room, and everyone else went in. Director Piggot was sitting behind her desk with Triumph standing off to the side. There was also another couple-
"DADDY!" Dinah jumped from Tashigi's arms and ran towards her parents. Embracing each other, her Father looked up at Tashigi.
"Thank you…" Her Mother repeated the same thing. Tashigi simply smiled in return.
"I only did what anyone else would have done." The reunited family were full of smiles. Weaver leaned side to side awkwardly. At least she was opening up a bit.
The family reunion was interrupted by Director Piggot coughing.
"As wonderful as this is, we have a lot to discuss." She said simply.
That they did.
Weaver took a seat off to the side. Smoker wanted her here to prove that he had complete trust in her. Actions spoke louder than words after all.
A few minutes later, they were all seated except for himself, Triumph and Miss Militia, who stood beside the Director's desk. They all listened carefully as Tashigi gave her report on the events of the day, with Dinah adding some additional comments.
The Alcott's seem horrified that someone would actually attempt to kidnap their daughter during school. They were even more horrified to find out that their beloved daughter had triggered.
"What should we do?" Mr. Alcott asked with shaking hands. Triumph seemed like he wanted to speak, but kept silent.
"97.89 percent I'll be safe with the Marines." Dinah said with a wince. Smoker took a deep breath. They were not equipped to handle a situation like this.
"And what about the Wards?" Miss Militia asked with a soft voice, her eyes full of compassion.
"98.76 percent that I'll be safe with the Wards." Dinah said weakly. That would be for the best. The PRT knew what they were doing, mostly.
"The Wards are here to help children like Dinah Mr and Mrs Alcott." Miss Militia started. "And I'm sure Vista would love to have another girl on the team." It was obvious that she was smiling under her mask.
Mr. Alcott started nodding slowly. The man loved his daughter. Mrs. Alcott seemed a bit more cautious, but eventually agreed with her husband. Smoker took another puff from his cigar.
At least he wouldn't have to deal with another new recruit.
---
"Meeeemorrry, all alone in the moooonlight-"
"Will you just shut up!"
"TOUUUUUCH MEEEE-"
Lisa smirked when she heard the muffled sound of Brian stuffing his face with their PRT issued pillow. Alec had woken up about a half hour ago, and decided that he would sing some showtunes, just to annoy them. They were all stuck in separate PRT containment cells, with Alec's being right next to Brian. Trainwreck was still covered in that foam stuff, and Rachel was snarling at any agent that walked by.
Rachel wants her dogs back. Is worried for their safety. Her dogs are at a PRT funded dog kennel.
Speaking of PRT Agent, another one walked by and gave Lisa a weird look. Works for Coil. Has orders to help bust me out or kill me, whichever he decides to do.
Lisa just kept smirking. She already had a plan on how to escape Coil's greasy pedo hands. She let her power run wild on Smoker right before she was brought to her cell.
The muscular hero had a soft spot for broken things. Lisa would just say the truth, plain and simple. Being in the Wards would mean she would still be under Coil's thumb, but the Marines would allow her to finally be able to breath without him knowing. She just had to push the 'I was forced to join the Undersiders at gunpoint or else I would have been a drugged up slave' point.
Eventually, a famous figure stood at the front of Lisa's cell. The leader of the Protectorate opened her cell with the press of a button, and two PRT officers walked in with cuffs. Armsmaster wants to interrogate the thinker first. He believes that I'm the brains of the group. He was only half right.
Lisa was then dragged to an interrogation room, all alone with Armsmaster. She saw a one way mirror to the side. Two agents observing the conversation. The Deputy Director is watching. Another member of the Protectorate? Possibly Dauntless. Aegis of the Wards also observing.
"Tattletale, you are being charged with…" Armsmaster started. Lisa ignored most if not all of what followed. Is simply following his procedure. "How do you plead?" Hmm, if Lisa asked for a lawyer, Coil would simply manipulate one of his people into that position and she would be back where she started.
"Guilty." Lisa said smiling. Armsmaster is surprised at my honesty. "In fact, let's cut to the chase.' Armsmaster jaw tightens. He is annoyed that I interrupted him.
"You're about to say blah blah, underaged, blah blah, go to juvie or join the Wards." Lisa said bluntly. Isn't surprised given that I'm a thinker.
"Let's cut a deal. I'll spill the beans on how you can get most of the others to join your little boys club, some secrets you're definitely going to want and I get to name some conditions." Armsmaster is thinking about it. Will need to talk to the Director. He is very interested in it.
"Go on." Has a lie detector on him. Tinkertech, no way to get past him. Half truths might work.
"Grue will be the easiest to convince. Just make him some probationary Ward until he turns eighteen, with the condition that he gets custody of his sister when he graduates to the Protectorate." Brian's Dad was a good man, but he wasn't ready to raise a teenager like Aisha. That's not even mentioning their Mom. "Send him to Boston for all I care."
Armsmaster simply listened silently.
"Just give Regent a couch, a TV and some games and he's all yours."
He's going to pause me in the middle of the next statement.
"Bitch's going to want-"
"What do you want from all of this?" Armsmaster asked. Lisa grinned in response.
"Make me an honorary Ward if you want…" Lisa paused for effect.
"I want to join the Marines."
Suck it Coil.
Only a monster would attempt to kidnap a young girl, even a parahuman one. This monster seemed to have a great amount of influence. Smoker tightened his grip on his bike's handlebars. They obviously weren't ABB or Merchants.
That left the Empire, or Coil. They didn't seem like skinheads, and Tashigi did not report seeing any swastikas or iron eagles. Smoker narrowed his eyes as he took a right.
This left Coil. The secret fifth power in this city after the gangs and the PRT. The PRT only had a few reports on him, mostly involving sightings or mercenaries. They didn't even know what type of power he had.
The enemy you didn't know about was more dangerous than the one in front of you.
He was taken out of his thoughts when he caught sight of the PRT's headquarters. With a few puffs from his cigar, Smoker drove closer.
-*-
They were quickly led inside the building proper after they drove into the garage. Smoker decided to leave Squad One with their van, taking only Tashigi, Miss Alcott, and Weaver. A squad of PRT agents, and Miss Militia were waiting for them. Just like Smoker predicted, they ended their trip early.
"This is for Dinah." Miss Militia said as she handed the young girl a simple mask, most likely to help conceal her identity. Dinah cautiously grabbed the mask and placed it on her face. It...didn't help much. Most masks seemed to be just for show in Smoker's opinion. If you knew who you were looking for, masks were useless.
It was either that or people in this world were blind. Probably the latter in all honesty.
They were led down familiar hallways. Smoker had lost count how many times he walked down these halls. Tashigi continued to carry Dinah, with Weaver quickly walking behind her.
Eventually they reached Director Piggot's office. The squad of PRT agents took their positions outside of the room, and everyone else went in. Director Piggot was sitting behind her desk with Triumph standing off to the side. There was also another couple-
"DADDY!" Dinah jumped from Tashigi's arms and ran towards her parents. Embracing each other, her Father looked up at Tashigi.
"Thank you…" Her Mother repeated the same thing. Tashigi simply smiled in return.
"I only did what anyone else would have done." The reunited family were full of smiles. Weaver leaned side to side awkwardly. At least she was opening up a bit.
The family reunion was interrupted by Director Piggot coughing.
"As wonderful as this is, we have a lot to discuss." She said simply.
That they did.
Weaver took a seat off to the side. Smoker wanted her here to prove that he had complete trust in her. Actions spoke louder than words after all.
A few minutes later, they were all seated except for himself, Triumph and Miss Militia, who stood beside the Director's desk. They all listened carefully as Tashigi gave her report on the events of the day, with Dinah adding some additional comments.
The Alcott's seem horrified that someone would actually attempt to kidnap their daughter during school. They were even more horrified to find out that their beloved daughter had triggered.
"What should we do?" Mr. Alcott asked with shaking hands. Triumph seemed like he wanted to speak, but kept silent.
"97.89 percent I'll be safe with the Marines." Dinah said with a wince. Smoker took a deep breath. They were not equipped to handle a situation like this.
"And what about the Wards?" Miss Militia asked with a soft voice, her eyes full of compassion.
"98.76 percent that I'll be safe with the Wards." Dinah said weakly. That would be for the best. The PRT knew what they were doing, mostly.
"The Wards are here to help children like Dinah Mr and Mrs Alcott." Miss Militia started. "And I'm sure Vista would love to have another girl on the team." It was obvious that she was smiling under her mask.
Mr. Alcott started nodding slowly. The man loved his daughter. Mrs. Alcott seemed a bit more cautious, but eventually agreed with her husband. Smoker took another puff from his cigar.
At least he wouldn't have to deal with another new recruit.
---
"Meeeemorrry, all alone in the moooonlight-"
"Will you just shut up!"
"TOUUUUUCH MEEEE-"
Lisa smirked when she heard the muffled sound of Brian stuffing his face with their PRT issued pillow. Alec had woken up about a half hour ago, and decided that he would sing some showtunes, just to annoy them. They were all stuck in separate PRT containment cells, with Alec's being right next to Brian. Trainwreck was still covered in that foam stuff, and Rachel was snarling at any agent that walked by.
Rachel wants her dogs back. Is worried for their safety. Her dogs are at a PRT funded dog kennel.
Speaking of PRT Agent, another one walked by and gave Lisa a weird look. Works for Coil. Has orders to help bust me out or kill me, whichever he decides to do.
Lisa just kept smirking. She already had a plan on how to escape Coil's greasy pedo hands. She let her power run wild on Smoker right before she was brought to her cell.
The muscular hero had a soft spot for broken things. Lisa would just say the truth, plain and simple. Being in the Wards would mean she would still be under Coil's thumb, but the Marines would allow her to finally be able to breath without him knowing. She just had to push the 'I was forced to join the Undersiders at gunpoint or else I would have been a drugged up slave' point.
Eventually, a famous figure stood at the front of Lisa's cell. The leader of the Protectorate opened her cell with the press of a button, and two PRT officers walked in with cuffs. Armsmaster wants to interrogate the thinker first. He believes that I'm the brains of the group. He was only half right.
Lisa was then dragged to an interrogation room, all alone with Armsmaster. She saw a one way mirror to the side. Two agents observing the conversation. The Deputy Director is watching. Another member of the Protectorate? Possibly Dauntless. Aegis of the Wards also observing.
"Tattletale, you are being charged with…" Armsmaster started. Lisa ignored most if not all of what followed. Is simply following his procedure. "How do you plead?" Hmm, if Lisa asked for a lawyer, Coil would simply manipulate one of his people into that position and she would be back where she started.
"Guilty." Lisa said smiling. Armsmaster is surprised at my honesty. "In fact, let's cut to the chase.' Armsmaster jaw tightens. He is annoyed that I interrupted him.
"You're about to say blah blah, underaged, blah blah, go to juvie or join the Wards." Lisa said bluntly. Isn't surprised given that I'm a thinker.
"Let's cut a deal. I'll spill the beans on how you can get most of the others to join your little boys club, some secrets you're definitely going to want and I get to name some conditions." Armsmaster is thinking about it. Will need to talk to the Director. He is very interested in it.
"Go on." Has a lie detector on him. Tinkertech, no way to get past him. Half truths might work.
"Grue will be the easiest to convince. Just make him some probationary Ward until he turns eighteen, with the condition that he gets custody of his sister when he graduates to the Protectorate." Brian's Dad was a good man, but he wasn't ready to raise a teenager like Aisha. That's not even mentioning their Mom. "Send him to Boston for all I care."
Armsmaster simply listened silently.
"Just give Regent a couch, a TV and some games and he's all yours."
He's going to pause me in the middle of the next statement.
"Bitch's going to want-"
"What do you want from all of this?" Armsmaster asked. Lisa grinned in response.
"Make me an honorary Ward if you want…" Lisa paused for effect.
"I want to join the Marines."
Suck it Coil.
Foxfax
Verified Unverified
Preach it, sister!
So it's high-level Thinker with Marine backing vs high-level Thinker with tinkertech merc backing. Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets!
We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
C: Fixed. Please remember that there are now two high level Thinkers who really like the Marines.
Foxfax
Verified Unverified
Yeah, but only one joined the Marines (so far).
The next bit is just me thinking out loud (in text form).
Current Marine deployment is:
Umpteen normal Marines (Brute 1)
Two or three Sergeant level marines (Brute 1 or 2)
Two new Chore Girls (Master 5 and Thinker 7)
Arby (Ecchi 6)
Tashigi (Cute 7, with all the strength, skill and speed of an anime swordwoman, I think the PRT are lowballing her Brute rating)
Smoker (Abs 12+, and as far as we know utterly unhittable by anything short of shard haxx)
The next bit is just me thinking out loud (in text form).
Current Marine deployment is:
Umpteen normal Marines (Brute 1)
Two or three Sergeant level marines (Brute 1 or 2)
Two new Chore Girls (Master 5 and Thinker 7)
Arby (Ecchi 6)
Tashigi (Cute 7, with all the strength, skill and speed of an anime swordwoman, I think the PRT are lowballing her Brute rating)
Smoker (Abs 12+, and as far as we know utterly unhittable by anything short of shard haxx)
3.7
"I'm afraid that the PRT and Protectorate have no say in the Marine's personnel." Armsmaster said simply. It didn't take long for him to pull up Tattletales records. Tattletale, aka Lisa Wilborn, born as Sarah Livsey. It was standard protocol to do research on underaged villains that entered PRT custody. She apparently triggered after her brother's suicide. Quite tragic, dying so young. Dragon was silently listening in on the conversation, sending him messages on his visor.
They couldn't risk Tattletale's thinker power from figuring out that Dragon was listening in. Armsmaster wrote some random words on a sheet of paper in front of him to get Tattletale to focus on that.
"We both know that the Marines owe the PRT a lot of favors so I'm sure you can get it done." Tattletale said casually. She eyed the one view mirror. "Can we talk alone?"
Armsmaster wrote down another word. "We are alone."
"Cut the bullshit Armsy." She pointed her thumb towards the window. "I know you got like half of Headquarters there." That was an exaggeration.
Hmm, what was so important?
Nodding slowly, Armsmaster sent a message to Dragon, she would be able to scan the room for any bugs. With the press of a button on his gauntlet, a metal wall covered the window.
'All clear.'
"What is it?" Armsmaster said, keeping his face neutral. Tattletale just grinned and leaned back in the metal chair she sat on.
"I'm sure you probably know this, but the PRT is full of traitors." This caught his attention. "But what if I told you, that someone is using their clearance for their own personal gain." Armsmaster was aware of this. Quite a few PRT officers had connections to the Empire, others to the ABB surprisingly. He had brought this up to Director Piggot several times, but she simply waved it off saying that it was better to have an enemy you know than one you didn't.
Armsmaster didn't trust her as much after that. The PRT ENE needed a purge of all traitors. It was obvious that was the reason so many villains managed to escape their custody. So many lives lost due to corruption. His jaw tightened.
"I'm aware." Armsmaster said dryly.
"What if I told you that a villain holds a high rank in the PRT?" Truth.
….what.
Armsmaster's eyes widened. That...should have not have been possible. Dragon was silent still, though he could sense her shock.
Tattletale smirked and smacked the table.
"Get me a position in the Marines to guarantee my safety and I'll tell you who it is. I don't care if I have to be an honorary probationary Ward or some shit." Her eyes turned serious. "I was forced at gunpoint to be in the Undersiders. The other option was to be drugged up so often I probably wouldn't be able to walk…" Truth.
"I just know that if I stay in PRT custody, I might not be alive tomorrow." Truth. Tattletale's eyes fell. He wouldn't allow that to happen. Armsmaster won't allow another life to be taken, not on his watch. Dragon asked him his Master-Stranger code which he gave. He was doing this by his own volition.
"I'll personally advocate your terms to the Director once she's done with her current appointment."
Colin couldn't trust anyone around him. At least he had Dragon with him.
---
Tashigi, Captain Smoker, and Weaver left Director's Piggot's office soon after. It wasn't their business what happened from now on, but at least Dinah was safe. That made Tashigi happy. Now they were sitting in the PRT's mess hall. It was a long day, so Tashigi missed lunch. Miss Militia always did say that the PRT cafeteria served some decent food.
Captain Smoker simply closed his eyes as he continued to smoke his cigars. Weaver had brought some books, so Tashigi was the only one eating some...food that was definitely not decent.
Even Tashigi could cook better than this! Taking a bite from the 'pizza', Tashigi shuttered. This was basically a piece of cardboard with cheese! Times like these made her miss food from home.
Sighing, Tashigi saw Weaver eyeing Shigure, which Tashigi had placed on top of the table they occupied.
"This is a Meito sword." Tashigi said. Weaver gave Tashigi her full attention.
"Meito?"
"Well, they're basically some of the best swords back home." Tashigi said with a smile as she grabbed Shigure. "Shigure is a Grade sword though, so she's not as strong as the Supreme, Great or Skillful Grades."
Tashigi's dream was to go and reclaim those famous blades from criminals. That was never going to happen now.
Stupid Roronoa Zoro. If she couldn't even beat him, how could she defeat stronger pirates in the Grand Line? She had to get stronger, even though Tashigi might never be able to go back home, she had to get stronger.
"She's beautiful." Weaver said as she admired Shigure. Tashigi just smiled again. Talking about swords brought back bad memories.
"Thank you Weaver."
Captain Smoker woke up from his nap.
"Ready to go?" He asked as he waved the smoke away from the air.
Shoot, Tashigi completely forgot about Squad One waiting for them in the van. She gave her plate of food one last disgusted look before nodding.
"Sure. Weaver has something to tell us back at HQ anyways." Captain Smoker nodded.
They were leaving the cafeteria when they walked into Armsmaster.
"Captain Smoker." The armored hero said simply. Captain Smoker simply gave him a blank stare.
"Armsmaster."
Armsmaster turned to Weaver, who fidgeted slightly under his gaze, her Marine cap looking less out of place now.
"We meet again. Do you have a cape name now?"
Weaver nodded slightly. "I'm Weaver."
Armsmaster did what Miss Militia said was impossible.
He smiled. "A pleasure to see you again."
He turned back to Captain Smoker.
"There's something I would like to discuss with you and Director Piggot."
So much for going back to HQ. Squad One had better packed their playing cards.
-*-
They were led back to Director Piggot's office. Miss Militia had already left to introduce Dinah to the Wards, and her parents were with Deputy Director Renick signing paperwork. Tashigi sighed softly as she sat back in the same chair next to Weaver.
Hard to believe that all of this happened in one day. The PRT worked pretty fast when they wanted to. There was only one problem.
A certain blonde fox that was in the form of a human. Weaver stiffened when she saw the Undersiders' blonde thinker. Tashigi simply sighed.
"You want me to basically be this criminal's probation officer." Captain Smoker said slowly, his face hard. Tattletale just grinned from cheek to cheek.
"In a sense, yes." Director Piggot said, her hands intertwined with her own. Armsmaster nodded as well. "Allow her to join the Marines. I would offer her a place in the Wards, but given her personality she would simply aggravate them. We believe that...someone more disciplined will be able to handle her."
"Hey! I'm still here you know." Tattletale pouted. Judging by Weaver's reaction, Tashigi did not doubt that she had several bugs on Tattletale.
Captain Smoker just gave them a cold stare. Tashigi knew he had no choice but to accept. The PRT had helped them out since their first step in this foreign land, and have not asked for anything major in return. Until now that is.
Tattletale's grin got bigger upon seeing their reaction.
"Miss Livsey was forced into villainy by her employers at gunpoint." Armsmaster commented.
"Wilborn actually. I don't go by Sarah Livsey anymore." The blonde fox added onto Armsmaster's comment.
To anyone else, Captain Smoker's face appeared to not have changed, but Tashigi had known him for a long time. She saw his eyes soften slightly.
"On paper she will officially be a member of the Wards, but will make her debut with the Marines. We will provide her with a new cape name and costume. Since Miss Li-Wilborn has already gotten her GED, you will simply be in charge of making sure she stays out of trouble." Captain Smoker simply sighed before nodding.
"Very well."
"Thank you Captain." Armsmaster seemed happy. Heh, probably happy he didn't have to deal with a crazy thinker.
"On one condition."
Armsmaster and Director Piggot looked at the Captain expectantly. Turning to Tattletale, Captain Smoker pointed to the silent Weaver. Tashigi didn't notice until now, but Weaver was holding her hand.
"Apologize to her."
Everyone's eyes widened. Tattletale looked confused for a second, and turned to Weaver.
"I'm sorry I approached you in your civilian identity and broke the Unwritten Rules." She even bowed her head slightly.
Weaver also seemed confused, it wouldn't have taken a thinker to know that.
"I-I accept your apology."
With that, Captain Smoker grinned for the first time since they walked through the door.
"Report for training at 0500."
Tashigi wished she took a picture as Tattletale's face morphed into one of horror.
A/N
Wrote this one yesterday night to try and get ahead. What's everyone's favorite One Piece character?
If I decide to bring in more characters, they're definitely going to be Marines. I already have an idea who.
They couldn't risk Tattletale's thinker power from figuring out that Dragon was listening in. Armsmaster wrote some random words on a sheet of paper in front of him to get Tattletale to focus on that.
"We both know that the Marines owe the PRT a lot of favors so I'm sure you can get it done." Tattletale said casually. She eyed the one view mirror. "Can we talk alone?"
Armsmaster wrote down another word. "We are alone."
"Cut the bullshit Armsy." She pointed her thumb towards the window. "I know you got like half of Headquarters there." That was an exaggeration.
Hmm, what was so important?
Nodding slowly, Armsmaster sent a message to Dragon, she would be able to scan the room for any bugs. With the press of a button on his gauntlet, a metal wall covered the window.
'All clear.'
"What is it?" Armsmaster said, keeping his face neutral. Tattletale just grinned and leaned back in the metal chair she sat on.
"I'm sure you probably know this, but the PRT is full of traitors." This caught his attention. "But what if I told you, that someone is using their clearance for their own personal gain." Armsmaster was aware of this. Quite a few PRT officers had connections to the Empire, others to the ABB surprisingly. He had brought this up to Director Piggot several times, but she simply waved it off saying that it was better to have an enemy you know than one you didn't.
Armsmaster didn't trust her as much after that. The PRT ENE needed a purge of all traitors. It was obvious that was the reason so many villains managed to escape their custody. So many lives lost due to corruption. His jaw tightened.
"I'm aware." Armsmaster said dryly.
"What if I told you that a villain holds a high rank in the PRT?" Truth.
….what.
Armsmaster's eyes widened. That...should have not have been possible. Dragon was silent still, though he could sense her shock.
Tattletale smirked and smacked the table.
"Get me a position in the Marines to guarantee my safety and I'll tell you who it is. I don't care if I have to be an honorary probationary Ward or some shit." Her eyes turned serious. "I was forced at gunpoint to be in the Undersiders. The other option was to be drugged up so often I probably wouldn't be able to walk…" Truth.
"I just know that if I stay in PRT custody, I might not be alive tomorrow." Truth. Tattletale's eyes fell. He wouldn't allow that to happen. Armsmaster won't allow another life to be taken, not on his watch. Dragon asked him his Master-Stranger code which he gave. He was doing this by his own volition.
"I'll personally advocate your terms to the Director once she's done with her current appointment."
Colin couldn't trust anyone around him. At least he had Dragon with him.
---
Tashigi, Captain Smoker, and Weaver left Director's Piggot's office soon after. It wasn't their business what happened from now on, but at least Dinah was safe. That made Tashigi happy. Now they were sitting in the PRT's mess hall. It was a long day, so Tashigi missed lunch. Miss Militia always did say that the PRT cafeteria served some decent food.
Captain Smoker simply closed his eyes as he continued to smoke his cigars. Weaver had brought some books, so Tashigi was the only one eating some...food that was definitely not decent.
Even Tashigi could cook better than this! Taking a bite from the 'pizza', Tashigi shuttered. This was basically a piece of cardboard with cheese! Times like these made her miss food from home.
Sighing, Tashigi saw Weaver eyeing Shigure, which Tashigi had placed on top of the table they occupied.
"This is a Meito sword." Tashigi said. Weaver gave Tashigi her full attention.
"Meito?"
"Well, they're basically some of the best swords back home." Tashigi said with a smile as she grabbed Shigure. "Shigure is a Grade sword though, so she's not as strong as the Supreme, Great or Skillful Grades."
Tashigi's dream was to go and reclaim those famous blades from criminals. That was never going to happen now.
Stupid Roronoa Zoro. If she couldn't even beat him, how could she defeat stronger pirates in the Grand Line? She had to get stronger, even though Tashigi might never be able to go back home, she had to get stronger.
"She's beautiful." Weaver said as she admired Shigure. Tashigi just smiled again. Talking about swords brought back bad memories.
"Thank you Weaver."
Captain Smoker woke up from his nap.
"Ready to go?" He asked as he waved the smoke away from the air.
Shoot, Tashigi completely forgot about Squad One waiting for them in the van. She gave her plate of food one last disgusted look before nodding.
"Sure. Weaver has something to tell us back at HQ anyways." Captain Smoker nodded.
They were leaving the cafeteria when they walked into Armsmaster.
"Captain Smoker." The armored hero said simply. Captain Smoker simply gave him a blank stare.
"Armsmaster."
Armsmaster turned to Weaver, who fidgeted slightly under his gaze, her Marine cap looking less out of place now.
"We meet again. Do you have a cape name now?"
Weaver nodded slightly. "I'm Weaver."
Armsmaster did what Miss Militia said was impossible.
He smiled. "A pleasure to see you again."
He turned back to Captain Smoker.
"There's something I would like to discuss with you and Director Piggot."
So much for going back to HQ. Squad One had better packed their playing cards.
-*-
They were led back to Director Piggot's office. Miss Militia had already left to introduce Dinah to the Wards, and her parents were with Deputy Director Renick signing paperwork. Tashigi sighed softly as she sat back in the same chair next to Weaver.
Hard to believe that all of this happened in one day. The PRT worked pretty fast when they wanted to. There was only one problem.
A certain blonde fox that was in the form of a human. Weaver stiffened when she saw the Undersiders' blonde thinker. Tashigi simply sighed.
"You want me to basically be this criminal's probation officer." Captain Smoker said slowly, his face hard. Tattletale just grinned from cheek to cheek.
"In a sense, yes." Director Piggot said, her hands intertwined with her own. Armsmaster nodded as well. "Allow her to join the Marines. I would offer her a place in the Wards, but given her personality she would simply aggravate them. We believe that...someone more disciplined will be able to handle her."
"Hey! I'm still here you know." Tattletale pouted. Judging by Weaver's reaction, Tashigi did not doubt that she had several bugs on Tattletale.
Captain Smoker just gave them a cold stare. Tashigi knew he had no choice but to accept. The PRT had helped them out since their first step in this foreign land, and have not asked for anything major in return. Until now that is.
Tattletale's grin got bigger upon seeing their reaction.
"Miss Livsey was forced into villainy by her employers at gunpoint." Armsmaster commented.
"Wilborn actually. I don't go by Sarah Livsey anymore." The blonde fox added onto Armsmaster's comment.
To anyone else, Captain Smoker's face appeared to not have changed, but Tashigi had known him for a long time. She saw his eyes soften slightly.
"On paper she will officially be a member of the Wards, but will make her debut with the Marines. We will provide her with a new cape name and costume. Since Miss Li-Wilborn has already gotten her GED, you will simply be in charge of making sure she stays out of trouble." Captain Smoker simply sighed before nodding.
"Very well."
"Thank you Captain." Armsmaster seemed happy. Heh, probably happy he didn't have to deal with a crazy thinker.
"On one condition."
Armsmaster and Director Piggot looked at the Captain expectantly. Turning to Tattletale, Captain Smoker pointed to the silent Weaver. Tashigi didn't notice until now, but Weaver was holding her hand.
"Apologize to her."
Everyone's eyes widened. Tattletale looked confused for a second, and turned to Weaver.
"I'm sorry I approached you in your civilian identity and broke the Unwritten Rules." She even bowed her head slightly.
Weaver also seemed confused, it wouldn't have taken a thinker to know that.
"I-I accept your apology."
With that, Captain Smoker grinned for the first time since they walked through the door.
"Report for training at 0500."
Tashigi wished she took a picture as Tattletale's face morphed into one of horror.
A/N
Wrote this one yesterday night to try and get ahead. What's everyone's favorite One Piece character?
If I decide to bring in more characters, they're definitely going to be Marines. I already have an idea who.
3.8
The trip back to Marine HQ was an extremely awkward one. Not for Smoker though. Good thing he didn't have to ride in the van with their newest...cadet. She was probably bothering Tashigi and Weaver. There was however, one major problem with their newest recruit. Aside from her criminal background.
Amy was going to kill Lisa, Smoker was sure of it. The sun was on its way down, so today had been a pretty busy day. Amy's wounds were still fresh and bloody. Hopefully she was still asleep when they got back. They stopped at a red light. Hina would definitely be laughing at him now. Smoker wondered what she was up to now. She was probably still a captain, if not a commodore. She was competent enough for it.
The light turned green and off they went. A few camera flashes later, they arrived back at Marine HQ. Alby was scrubbing the garage floor when they arrived.
"Captain Smoker sir!" He jumped up saluting, accidently slapping himself in the face with the dirty towel. Smoker simply glared at him, as Squad One exited their van with their new guest. Weaver jumped off first followed by Tashigi and Tattletale with the rest of the squad.
"Mifune, escort Cadet Wilborn to her new quarters." Smoker ordered as Lisa looked around in wonder. Mifune saluted and was about to grab her when she spoke.
"Damn, the PRT really paid a lot for this huh." She caught sight of Alby who stood frozen in his salute. "What! You're the one who drew on the van?" Alby blushed softly and nodded.
"Yuppers." What the hell? Brockton Bay seemed to be turning his men soft. Who talked like that?
Lisa just grinned as Mifune dragged her to her new room. Smoker sighed for who knows how many times he had today. Squad One started to disperse.
"Weaver, Tashigi please come to my office." It was time for the talk that Weaver wanted. Withthat, Smoker turned around and started walking, not waiting for their response.
A few hallways later they were now seated in Smoker's office. He sat on one couch with Tashigi, while Weaver sat on the couch across from them.
"There was something you wanted to discuss?" Smoker asked. Weaver squirmed in her seat nervously. Tashigi just smiled like always. He could tell that they both were tired, most likely mentally.
"Yes." Weaver said after a few seconds, summoning all of the courage she had. Smoker simply raised an eyebrow and kept smoking. Weaver slowly raised her hands to her mask, and pulled it off along with her marine cap in one motion.
"I'm Taylor." A pretty young woman with curly hair and large eyes stared back at them. Smoker smiled, just like Tashigi. They finally gained her trust it seemed. This was good.
"It's wonderful to meet you Taylor!" Tashigi exclaimed, pulling Taylor into a hug. She really needed to be more professional.
Taylor's eyes widened in confusement once Tashigi let go of her.
"You don't remember me?" Taylor asked slowly, her eyes wide. Tashigi seemed oblivious and shook her head.
"I'm your next door neighbor."
"WHAT?" Tashigi's face turned red from embarrassment. Despite having her eyesight cured, she was still extremely clumsy.
This was...interesting in Smoker's opinion. Fate must have brought them together. Why else would such a coincidence happen?
Smoker took in a few more puffs of smoke. So many things were happening in one day. He was going to need that expensive liquor he bought.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" They were cut off by the screaming of a very familiar voice. Amy was awake.
Smoker was definitely going to need that whole bottle.
---
After Mifune dragged Lisa to her new room, she went to work. No bugs have been placed in the room. No one is listening in. Lisa grinned and jumped on the simple bed. She was finally free! Sitting up, Lisa gave her new room a good look. A bit spartan for her personal taste, but she could always fix that.
And she was going to need some new clothes. There was no way in hell that Lisa was going back to her old apartment, as nice as the clothes she had. She felt a pang of guilt about her former teammates, but Lisa did what she had to do. She loved herself more than she liked her teammates after all. Rachel barely tolerated her, Lisa only managed to communicate with her with her thinker power after all. Alec didn't care about anything and Trainwreck was only there to keep an eye on her. She felt sorry mostly for Brian.
He was a decent leader, but it was time to jump ship. She would never become Coil's slave. Still, joining the hero team of a group from another Earth was new. It was pretty easy to figure out. She did spend a few hours in her cell, and while mildly shocking, they were her best shot at survival. Captain Smoker is a hard man, but will follow his heart when needed.
That was all Lisa needed to know. Dang, there wasn't a computer in here, and she didn't have her cell phone anymore. Time to explore her new home then! Standing up, Lisa stretched her legs and left her room. Wow, no guard at her door? Nice.
Smokey never said she wasn't allowed to wander after all. With that, Lisa allowed her power to guide her to something interesting. Lets see.
Men's showers on the right and left. Women's shower is only available in one room. Not mines. She took a right down a hallway full of sweaty Marines dressed in workout clothes, all of them giving her weird looks. They're confused why I'm here. Training room is at the end of the hall. The youngest one thinks I'm cute. Around my age. Most likely has the rank of Chore boy.
Well that was interesting. He was...weirdly shaped in Lisa's opinion. Just a slight tad too muscular at the top. She kept walking. Mess hall is near the center of the building on the first floor. Second floor has a few rooms. The front of the first floor serves as Marine HQ's visitor center. Most barracks are on the first floor. This place was pretty big.
It seemed pretty defensive too. Walking past a window, Lisa got a good look at the Marines ship. Design is not from this Earth. Yeah no kidding. Did they still make boats with sails here? Yes. Well that was fun.
Walking up some stairs and lazily saluting another confused Marine with shoulder length blonde hair, Lisa continued her tour. He looks like a male version of myself. Is not a standard Marine grunt.
Too busy with her thoughts, Lisa accidently bumped into somebody.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Nah, I should have been looking where I was going." A familiar voice said. Wait a minute. Fuzzy brown hair, average height, bloodshot eyes, has been crying, that voice. Oh shit. Panacea.
Both of their eyes widened and Lisa made a prayer for the first time in years.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
A/N
Basically, I have decided I will bring in more One Piece characters. Won't be saying when, how or who, but quite a few people managed to mention them in their comments. Here you get a cookie, you know who you are. More people than I thought mentioned them. I would write some omakes, but they'll distract me from the main story since I'm trying to update every day.
Amy was going to kill Lisa, Smoker was sure of it. The sun was on its way down, so today had been a pretty busy day. Amy's wounds were still fresh and bloody. Hopefully she was still asleep when they got back. They stopped at a red light. Hina would definitely be laughing at him now. Smoker wondered what she was up to now. She was probably still a captain, if not a commodore. She was competent enough for it.
The light turned green and off they went. A few camera flashes later, they arrived back at Marine HQ. Alby was scrubbing the garage floor when they arrived.
"Captain Smoker sir!" He jumped up saluting, accidently slapping himself in the face with the dirty towel. Smoker simply glared at him, as Squad One exited their van with their new guest. Weaver jumped off first followed by Tashigi and Tattletale with the rest of the squad.
"Mifune, escort Cadet Wilborn to her new quarters." Smoker ordered as Lisa looked around in wonder. Mifune saluted and was about to grab her when she spoke.
"Damn, the PRT really paid a lot for this huh." She caught sight of Alby who stood frozen in his salute. "What! You're the one who drew on the van?" Alby blushed softly and nodded.
"Yuppers." What the hell? Brockton Bay seemed to be turning his men soft. Who talked like that?
Lisa just grinned as Mifune dragged her to her new room. Smoker sighed for who knows how many times he had today. Squad One started to disperse.
"Weaver, Tashigi please come to my office." It was time for the talk that Weaver wanted. Withthat, Smoker turned around and started walking, not waiting for their response.
A few hallways later they were now seated in Smoker's office. He sat on one couch with Tashigi, while Weaver sat on the couch across from them.
"There was something you wanted to discuss?" Smoker asked. Weaver squirmed in her seat nervously. Tashigi just smiled like always. He could tell that they both were tired, most likely mentally.
"Yes." Weaver said after a few seconds, summoning all of the courage she had. Smoker simply raised an eyebrow and kept smoking. Weaver slowly raised her hands to her mask, and pulled it off along with her marine cap in one motion.
"I'm Taylor." A pretty young woman with curly hair and large eyes stared back at them. Smoker smiled, just like Tashigi. They finally gained her trust it seemed. This was good.
"It's wonderful to meet you Taylor!" Tashigi exclaimed, pulling Taylor into a hug. She really needed to be more professional.
Taylor's eyes widened in confusement once Tashigi let go of her.
"You don't remember me?" Taylor asked slowly, her eyes wide. Tashigi seemed oblivious and shook her head.
"I'm your next door neighbor."
"WHAT?" Tashigi's face turned red from embarrassment. Despite having her eyesight cured, she was still extremely clumsy.
This was...interesting in Smoker's opinion. Fate must have brought them together. Why else would such a coincidence happen?
Smoker took in a few more puffs of smoke. So many things were happening in one day. He was going to need that expensive liquor he bought.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" They were cut off by the screaming of a very familiar voice. Amy was awake.
Smoker was definitely going to need that whole bottle.
---
After Mifune dragged Lisa to her new room, she went to work. No bugs have been placed in the room. No one is listening in. Lisa grinned and jumped on the simple bed. She was finally free! Sitting up, Lisa gave her new room a good look. A bit spartan for her personal taste, but she could always fix that.
And she was going to need some new clothes. There was no way in hell that Lisa was going back to her old apartment, as nice as the clothes she had. She felt a pang of guilt about her former teammates, but Lisa did what she had to do. She loved herself more than she liked her teammates after all. Rachel barely tolerated her, Lisa only managed to communicate with her with her thinker power after all. Alec didn't care about anything and Trainwreck was only there to keep an eye on her. She felt sorry mostly for Brian.
He was a decent leader, but it was time to jump ship. She would never become Coil's slave. Still, joining the hero team of a group from another Earth was new. It was pretty easy to figure out. She did spend a few hours in her cell, and while mildly shocking, they were her best shot at survival. Captain Smoker is a hard man, but will follow his heart when needed.
That was all Lisa needed to know. Dang, there wasn't a computer in here, and she didn't have her cell phone anymore. Time to explore her new home then! Standing up, Lisa stretched her legs and left her room. Wow, no guard at her door? Nice.
Smokey never said she wasn't allowed to wander after all. With that, Lisa allowed her power to guide her to something interesting. Lets see.
Men's showers on the right and left. Women's shower is only available in one room. Not mines. She took a right down a hallway full of sweaty Marines dressed in workout clothes, all of them giving her weird looks. They're confused why I'm here. Training room is at the end of the hall. The youngest one thinks I'm cute. Around my age. Most likely has the rank of Chore boy.
Well that was interesting. He was...weirdly shaped in Lisa's opinion. Just a slight tad too muscular at the top. She kept walking. Mess hall is near the center of the building on the first floor. Second floor has a few rooms. The front of the first floor serves as Marine HQ's visitor center. Most barracks are on the first floor. This place was pretty big.
It seemed pretty defensive too. Walking past a window, Lisa got a good look at the Marines ship. Design is not from this Earth. Yeah no kidding. Did they still make boats with sails here? Yes. Well that was fun.
Walking up some stairs and lazily saluting another confused Marine with shoulder length blonde hair, Lisa continued her tour. He looks like a male version of myself. Is not a standard Marine grunt.
Too busy with her thoughts, Lisa accidently bumped into somebody.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Nah, I should have been looking where I was going." A familiar voice said. Wait a minute. Fuzzy brown hair, average height, bloodshot eyes, has been crying, that voice. Oh shit. Panacea.
Both of their eyes widened and Lisa made a prayer for the first time in years.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
A/N
Basically, I have decided I will bring in more One Piece characters. Won't be saying when, how or who, but quite a few people managed to mention them in their comments. Here you get a cookie, you know who you are. More people than I thought mentioned them. I would write some omakes, but they'll distract me from the main story since I'm trying to update every day.
We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
T: Classic anime misunderstanding time.
@Krieg Schnee Well, I feel like a dolt for not jumping on this with both feet when you first started posting this story. I am sorry and I will now be an active member of thread.
Foxfax
Verified Unverified
Marines joining?
I hear that Vergo guy is really swell! Great officer, really cares for his men.
Hina wants all to know that Hina is just friends with Smoker. All evidence of Hina dating Smoker is merely conjecture. Hina would bring along Jango and Fullbody for sweet dance-offs, however.
Garp would be outright overkill. Any being short of Scion would be flattened. Dude took on Roger through sheer strength. I think it says a lot that the acknowledged mightiest pirate and mightiest Marine have no Devil Fruit. Mind you, if he's post-Marineford (might be, depending on how you plan the timeline out), he'll bring along Sengoku and Tsuru for elderly adventures in asskicking.
Speaking of which, there's a lovely old instructor on an island off in the Grand Line, pity about the arm.
Mind you, if the entire timeline is available... Bell-mere shows up in a storm with two young girls in tow... Or Jaguar D. Saul washes ashore. The former due to her formidable skill (the lady was the first Captain level shown) and the latter mostly to terrify the heck out of Brockton Bay.
I hear that Vergo guy is really swell! Great officer, really cares for his men.
Hina wants all to know that Hina is just friends with Smoker. All evidence of Hina dating Smoker is merely conjecture. Hina would bring along Jango and Fullbody for sweet dance-offs, however.
Garp would be outright overkill. Any being short of Scion would be flattened. Dude took on Roger through sheer strength. I think it says a lot that the acknowledged mightiest pirate and mightiest Marine have no Devil Fruit. Mind you, if he's post-Marineford (might be, depending on how you plan the timeline out), he'll bring along Sengoku and Tsuru for elderly adventures in asskicking.
Speaking of which, there's a lovely old instructor on an island off in the Grand Line, pity about the arm.
Mind you, if the entire timeline is available... Bell-mere shows up in a storm with two young girls in tow... Or Jaguar D. Saul washes ashore. The former due to her formidable skill (the lady was the first Captain level shown) and the latter mostly to terrify the heck out of Brockton Bay.
3.9
Amy had spent most of the time crying in Tashigi's room. Well, it was her room now since she couldn't exactly go home. Not with Carol there. After crying, she would just lay there in the silence. Then maybe cry again if she had any tears left. Now she was staring at the roof of the room. She raised her right hand, and stared.
Her powers were a curse. Amy was forever destined to burn herself out, trying to save one more ungrateful person. She needed to get back to the hospital.
But...Vicky might already be there...waiting...searching for her. Amy appreciated Smoker for allowing her to stay here. She had only known him for a few weeks, but to Amy's surprise, they bonded. He never judged her when she decided to rant to him, he never gave his opinion unless Amy asked for it, and when he did give it, Smoker was always blunt and honest.
He was basically like the Dad she never had. Mark had depression so he was usually never there. Sure he smiled at her, but most of the time, he doesn't even look at her. She didn't even know who her biological Father was...and deep inside...Amy did want to know, if only to get closure.
She sighed and allowed gravity to let her arm to fall back on the bed. Curling up on the bed, a loud rumble shook her silence. What was that-oh…
That was her stomach. Amy hadn't eaten since breakfast this morning. Slithering out of bed slowly, Amy approached the door that led out of her new room. Grabbing the door handle with a shaking hand, Amy took a deep breath and walked out.
Only to accidentally run into somebody. Quickly gathering herself Amy looked away.
"Oh I'm sorry." Said a very...very familiar voice.
"Nah, I should have been looking where I was going." Was Amy's automatic response. Suddenly, she got a good look at who she bumped into. Blonde hair, green eyes, that infuriating resting bitch face, Amy felt her anger blaze up.
Tattletale, the girl who ruined her already pitiful life.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Amy screamed as she attempted to lung at Tattletale who simply tried backing away. Amy allowed her anger to take over. Amy was inches away from touching Tattletale's skin, to give her something that she would probably regret later, when a familiar, comforting smoke appeared, and she stopped into her tracks.
Amy couldn't move as the smoke swirled around her and Tattletale. That didn't stop her from trying, and suddenly, she was floating in the air away from Tattletale.
A pillar of smoke formed in between them, and Smoker was in their midst. He truly deserved his mover rating and name. Reforming his body, he kept it smokey and mist-like, almost like a ghost.
"I see that you're awake now." Smoker said simply as he floated Tattletale next to Amy, but just out of arm's reach. His eyes met Amy's own and he slowly lowered her to the floor. It was...gentle almost. "Don't do anything you'll regret later."
With that, he released her from the smoke and Amy's feet were now on the floor. Taking a deep breath, Amy glared at Tattletale, who simply looked away from her, and turned back to Smoker.
"What is this Bitch doing here?" Amy seethed. She was going to give the blonde whore delayed obesity and acne. All of her food was going to taste like bile. Amy felt her knuckles turn white.
Smoker's impassive face simply stared back at the both of them, and sighed.
"Director Piggot requested that the Marines take in Miss Wilborn." Smoker...didn't sound happy. "She cut a deal with the PRT and they called in one of the many favors that we owe them. Basically, I'm to act as her probation officer." He grumbled. Smoker definitely wasn't happy with this.
Amy relaxed her fist slightly. Smoker continued.
"Rest assured that she will however, receive punishment." Smoker grinned, which kinda creeped Amy out. It wasn't a happy or confident grin, it was a 'You're going to go through hell' type of grin. That made...Amy feel a little better. Giving the older girl a glance, Amy smirked when she saw her horrified look. That definitely made her feel better.
Smoker lowered Tattletale as well, albeit not as gently. Motioning his head towards Amy, Tattletale nodded with a pained smile.
"I'm sorry for ruining your already bad life."
Scratch obesity and acne, Amy was going to turn her hair an ugly shade of green.
"Wilborn." Smoker growled, smoke swirling around all three of them casually, yet threatening. Tattletale flashed her a sheepish grin. She was lucky that Smoker probably had faster reflexes than herself.
"I'm sorry I was forced to be a villain and ruined your life even more." Smoker sighed. Tashigi and that Weaver girl then ran up to them.
"Whatever." Amy seethed. Everyone had problems.
"It seems that's all you're going to get out of her." Smoker said simply. He turned to Tashigi. "Escort our guest back to her room. She's going to need all of the sleep she can get." There was that grin again.
Tashigi nodded, flashed Amy with her signature smile and grabbed Tattletale's arm. This left the three of them now.
"You should follow Tashigi. She'll take you home." Weaver nodded and did her best imitation of a salute and went off to follow the short haired beauty.
Now Amy was alone with Smoker who completely reformed his physical body. She stared at him silently until a grumble from her stomach shook the silence.
Smoker simply chuckled.
"Hungry?"
With her cheeks red from embarrassment, Amy nodded. Smoker simply gave her a real smile and pointed down the hall.
"Let's go get you some food."
Amy smiled for the first time today.
---
Natsuko eyes opened, only for a bright light to force them shut again. He had already forgotten how long he had been imprisoned here. Days...weeks…months...all he knew is that leaving Captain Smoker's side was the second worst choice of his life. The first was volunteering to join him on their doomed voyage.
Natsuko was just...angry. He was angry at Captain Smoker for bringing them into this unknown world, for taking him away from his beautiful Rose. Most of all, he was angry at himself. When the PRT made their offer, Natsuko took it without hesitation.
It was a chance to start over. To start a new life...without constantly being reminded over what he lost. They transferred him to Los Angeles, and gave him the name of Fidelis along with a new costume. The first two weeks were amazing! Natsuko became a local celebrity as soon as he debuted.
He was treated with the respect that Natsuko deserved. Until one day, he woke up to find himself in a cell. A strange woman wearing some hat would drop off food...whenever they felt like it. He started missing his fellow Marines.
Trying to move his left arm, Natsuko found that he couldn't. He tried with his right, the same result. Forcing his eyes open despite the pain from the bright light, he got a good look of his surroundings.
He wasn't in his cell anymore, but some weird looking lab.
"It appears that the test subject is awake." An unfamiliar voice said. Natsuko opened his dry mouth to speak, only for nothing to come out. He couldn't even turn his head to see who was speaking.
"Mmmmm." Something was wrapped around his mouth! He started struggling with his restraints, when he felt a sharp needle pierce his skin.
"A stronger dosage is needed to keep him sedated. Bring Hero here."
Another voice spoke. "The path says not yet."
"Hmm very well.This…'Marine' shall be the finishing touch for his experiment."
Natsuko's eyes closed until sleep overtook him again.
A/N
SV is officially caught up to SB. Wish I could say the same about FF and Ao3 but its almost there.
Her powers were a curse. Amy was forever destined to burn herself out, trying to save one more ungrateful person. She needed to get back to the hospital.
But...Vicky might already be there...waiting...searching for her. Amy appreciated Smoker for allowing her to stay here. She had only known him for a few weeks, but to Amy's surprise, they bonded. He never judged her when she decided to rant to him, he never gave his opinion unless Amy asked for it, and when he did give it, Smoker was always blunt and honest.
He was basically like the Dad she never had. Mark had depression so he was usually never there. Sure he smiled at her, but most of the time, he doesn't even look at her. She didn't even know who her biological Father was...and deep inside...Amy did want to know, if only to get closure.
She sighed and allowed gravity to let her arm to fall back on the bed. Curling up on the bed, a loud rumble shook her silence. What was that-oh…
That was her stomach. Amy hadn't eaten since breakfast this morning. Slithering out of bed slowly, Amy approached the door that led out of her new room. Grabbing the door handle with a shaking hand, Amy took a deep breath and walked out.
Only to accidentally run into somebody. Quickly gathering herself Amy looked away.
"Oh I'm sorry." Said a very...very familiar voice.
"Nah, I should have been looking where I was going." Was Amy's automatic response. Suddenly, she got a good look at who she bumped into. Blonde hair, green eyes, that infuriating resting bitch face, Amy felt her anger blaze up.
Tattletale, the girl who ruined her already pitiful life.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Amy screamed as she attempted to lung at Tattletale who simply tried backing away. Amy allowed her anger to take over. Amy was inches away from touching Tattletale's skin, to give her something that she would probably regret later, when a familiar, comforting smoke appeared, and she stopped into her tracks.
Amy couldn't move as the smoke swirled around her and Tattletale. That didn't stop her from trying, and suddenly, she was floating in the air away from Tattletale.
A pillar of smoke formed in between them, and Smoker was in their midst. He truly deserved his mover rating and name. Reforming his body, he kept it smokey and mist-like, almost like a ghost.
"I see that you're awake now." Smoker said simply as he floated Tattletale next to Amy, but just out of arm's reach. His eyes met Amy's own and he slowly lowered her to the floor. It was...gentle almost. "Don't do anything you'll regret later."
With that, he released her from the smoke and Amy's feet were now on the floor. Taking a deep breath, Amy glared at Tattletale, who simply looked away from her, and turned back to Smoker.
"What is this Bitch doing here?" Amy seethed. She was going to give the blonde whore delayed obesity and acne. All of her food was going to taste like bile. Amy felt her knuckles turn white.
Smoker's impassive face simply stared back at the both of them, and sighed.
"Director Piggot requested that the Marines take in Miss Wilborn." Smoker...didn't sound happy. "She cut a deal with the PRT and they called in one of the many favors that we owe them. Basically, I'm to act as her probation officer." He grumbled. Smoker definitely wasn't happy with this.
Amy relaxed her fist slightly. Smoker continued.
"Rest assured that she will however, receive punishment." Smoker grinned, which kinda creeped Amy out. It wasn't a happy or confident grin, it was a 'You're going to go through hell' type of grin. That made...Amy feel a little better. Giving the older girl a glance, Amy smirked when she saw her horrified look. That definitely made her feel better.
Smoker lowered Tattletale as well, albeit not as gently. Motioning his head towards Amy, Tattletale nodded with a pained smile.
"I'm sorry for ruining your already bad life."
Scratch obesity and acne, Amy was going to turn her hair an ugly shade of green.
"Wilborn." Smoker growled, smoke swirling around all three of them casually, yet threatening. Tattletale flashed her a sheepish grin. She was lucky that Smoker probably had faster reflexes than herself.
"I'm sorry I was forced to be a villain and ruined your life even more." Smoker sighed. Tashigi and that Weaver girl then ran up to them.
"Whatever." Amy seethed. Everyone had problems.
"It seems that's all you're going to get out of her." Smoker said simply. He turned to Tashigi. "Escort our guest back to her room. She's going to need all of the sleep she can get." There was that grin again.
Tashigi nodded, flashed Amy with her signature smile and grabbed Tattletale's arm. This left the three of them now.
"You should follow Tashigi. She'll take you home." Weaver nodded and did her best imitation of a salute and went off to follow the short haired beauty.
Now Amy was alone with Smoker who completely reformed his physical body. She stared at him silently until a grumble from her stomach shook the silence.
Smoker simply chuckled.
"Hungry?"
With her cheeks red from embarrassment, Amy nodded. Smoker simply gave her a real smile and pointed down the hall.
"Let's go get you some food."
Amy smiled for the first time today.
---
Natsuko eyes opened, only for a bright light to force them shut again. He had already forgotten how long he had been imprisoned here. Days...weeks…months...all he knew is that leaving Captain Smoker's side was the second worst choice of his life. The first was volunteering to join him on their doomed voyage.
Natsuko was just...angry. He was angry at Captain Smoker for bringing them into this unknown world, for taking him away from his beautiful Rose. Most of all, he was angry at himself. When the PRT made their offer, Natsuko took it without hesitation.
It was a chance to start over. To start a new life...without constantly being reminded over what he lost. They transferred him to Los Angeles, and gave him the name of Fidelis along with a new costume. The first two weeks were amazing! Natsuko became a local celebrity as soon as he debuted.
He was treated with the respect that Natsuko deserved. Until one day, he woke up to find himself in a cell. A strange woman wearing some hat would drop off food...whenever they felt like it. He started missing his fellow Marines.
Trying to move his left arm, Natsuko found that he couldn't. He tried with his right, the same result. Forcing his eyes open despite the pain from the bright light, he got a good look of his surroundings.
He wasn't in his cell anymore, but some weird looking lab.
"It appears that the test subject is awake." An unfamiliar voice said. Natsuko opened his dry mouth to speak, only for nothing to come out. He couldn't even turn his head to see who was speaking.
"Mmmmm." Something was wrapped around his mouth! He started struggling with his restraints, when he felt a sharp needle pierce his skin.
"A stronger dosage is needed to keep him sedated. Bring Hero here."
Another voice spoke. "The path says not yet."
"Hmm very well.This…'Marine' shall be the finishing touch for his experiment."
Natsuko's eyes closed until sleep overtook him again.
A/N
SV is officially caught up to SB. Wish I could say the same about FF and Ao3 but its almost there.
We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
Z: Because of course it's Cauldron. It's always Cauldron.
@Krieg Schnee Another good chapter. Keep up the good work.
Can we anticipate other characters from One Piece showing in this story.
Can we anticipate other characters from One Piece showing in this story.
Last edited:
4.0
Eventually
Lisa was very confident of herself. Sure she might not have been the most in shape, but she was fit enough to start running when she needed to. You needed to be able to run if you're going to rob Lung after all. Lisa was more of a sprinter in all honesty.
Marine training was brutal if what her power said was true. Some dude named Kazuki woke her up at five in the morning. 'Captain Smoker's orders.' The stupid Chore Boy said. Lisa needed her beauty sleep for goodness sake! Captain Smoker was already in the training room when she arrived all sleepy eyed. Kazuki was also there all happy.
Lisa forced herself to not use her power. Yesterday had taken a lot out of her. Dressed in his normal clothes, Captain Smoker simply stared at her as he smoked his morning cigar. He can't get lung cancer. What did I say power? She didn't need to know that boring stuff.
"Good morning Cadet." Smoker said between puffs of smoke. Kazuki looked at his superior with a shocked face. Jealous that he's still a chore boy, while I'm a 'recruit'. Hehe, now if she could only get her power to shut up.
"Morning." Lisa yawned. She only had enough time to change into some PRT issued workout clothes. A trip to the Boardwalk to buy some clothes should be planned soon. Maybe she could force Tashigi to go with her. The young woman needed to expand her closet to more than tropical shirts and skinny jeans.
"Kazuki here will be your partner during training. If you're going to be a part of the Marines, you need to be able to stand up for yourself in combat and every day operations." Smokey grumbled. He knows that I perform best away from the front lines. He wants this to be my punishment. Well that was reassuring.
"Okey dokey. So what's first? A warm up?" Smokey boy just grinned. Down brain! Lisa didn't need her power to tell her everything. She had to take some painkillers last night once her adrenaline wore off.
"You'll do twenty laps around this room with Kazuki." All of this before breakfast? Yes. Grrrr-
How many miles would that be? It was a pretty big room after all. Ten miles.
Shit. That was way more than she ever did. Lisa's thoughts were cut off by the sound of a whistle. A grinning Smoker had blown it with a cigar in his mouth.
"Start running or I'll make it thirty." Oh hell no. Lisa started running with Kazuki right behind her. There was no way in hell it could get any worse could it?
-*-
It definitely got worse. She almost tripped several laps in, and was starting to breath heavier. Her lungs burned with every breath she took. Kazuki's bitch ass simply passed her up several times as Lisa's pace slowed. After an eternity, Lisa finished her laps.
Drenched in sweat, Lisa walked up to the now shirtless Smoker who was drinking a cup of coffee in a recliner some Marines brought a dozen laps ago. Her legs felt like they were on fire, and Kazuki kept that stupid look on his face since he didnt even break a sweat.
"Am…I..." Deep breath "....done now?" Lisa asked, even though she didn't need her power to answer the question for her. Smoker looked up from his phone. He's reading an article that talks about dealing with moody teenagers.
"No. Drop and give me forty." He wants to see how far I can get before giving me food and to see how determined I am in joining the Marines. That's just plain cruel. Still, Lisa wasn't going to let Smoker win. With a sigh, Lisa started doing her push ups next to Kazuki.
Now her arms were burning alongside her poor legs. After her last push up, Lisa's arms gave out and gravity took over.
"Soooo tired." Lisa groaned from her spot on the floor. Ignoring Kazuki laughing, Lisa slowly sat up and looked at Smoker. Her new boss simply took a sip of coffee and leaned back in his chair.
"Go shower and get breakfast. You stink. Combat training begins once you're done." Smoker was testing me, still part of my punishment. Forcing her power to shut up, Lisa stood up on unsteady legs and started walking.
"The others have been ordered to stay out of the shower on the right for your privacy." Smoker said as Lisa forced her legs to walk. He does feel bad about my past. Shut it brain. Lisa just formed a victorious smile as she finally went to shower.
Which shower was on the right again? His right, our left. How did that even make sense? Lisa was going to need stronger pain killers.
This was still better than being Coil's slave. Funny how low Lisa's standards have dropped. Suddenly, she heard Smokey order Kazuki to start picking up some weights.
Time to get out of his view while she had the chance. Lisa wasn't that stupid. Wait a minute? Combat training? You're screwed. Kazuki has been training relentlessly. He won't hold back just because he finds me attractive.
Scratch getting vicodin, Lisa was going to need morphine.
---
Taylor got home just in time last night. Dad had...gotten home early and was wondering where she had been. She came up with some lie that she was out with some friends. Dad simply smiled and went back to watching TV, a beer bottle in his hand. Well...that showed how much he cared about her. She knew that he loved her, it's just...he wasn't all there.
This morning he complained that the school had been calling him about her absences. Taylor did skip a lot of school to go hangout with the Marines. She used her period card and he backed off. Taylor felt...only a little guilty. Today was a Saturday, which meant Taylor was alone since something came up at work and Dad had to leave. Climbing up to the attic, Taylor opened up her work bag. Her Marine cap stared at her from the bags opening. She felt...like she belonged with them. Maybe she could come up with an excuse about interning for them! Nah, an after school club was more believable.
Sure the training might be a bit brutal, but Taylor had never felt better! She was even starting to grow abs, which helped make her feel confident...slightly. Placing her cap on her head, Taylor checked in on her spiders. Yup, production of her spider silk was still steady. She might even be able to make a second costume since her first one was kinda starting to smell like sweat.
Taylor placed the cap back in the bag and left the attic, bag over her shoulder. It wouldn't hurt to be prepared if she was called in early. Smoker said to take today off since she worked so hard yesterday. She remembered his grin when she finally decided to reveal her identity. Gunderson was right, Smoker was a big softy.
Walking past a window, Taylor got a good look at Tashigi's backyard. Man...Tashigi's backyard was bigger than hers! Speaking of Tashigi, it seemed she hadn't gone to Marine HQ either. Wearing a blindfold and wielding a wooden sword, Tashigi was surrounded by training dummies.
'Hya!' She struck one on the head, and quickly slashed another one behind her. Fighting her invisible enemies, Taylor just watched. Despite being pretty clumsy, Tashigi always performed to the best of her abilities. In a way...Tashigi reminded Taylor of her Mom. In fact...if you squinted your eyes and looked hard enough, you could see a resemblance. After taking off her blindfold, Tashigi started stomping her feet extremely fast, and jumped several feet, but seemed disappointed. She tried it again several times, only to look even more disappointed. Taylor felt a pang of jealousy. Tashigi was still pretty, even with a scowl on her face.
Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Taylor kept walking. Tashigi seemed happy that Taylor was her neighbor. Maybe Taylor should pay Tashigi a small visit? Tashigi was in charge of training her after all. Taylor didn't want to be a bother though.
After a few minutes of arguing with herself, Taylor found herself knocking on Tashigi's front door, hoping that she wouldn't notice or hear since she was in the back.
"I'm in the back! Come on around." Taylor heard Tashigi shouted. How...was she able to hear her? Dang...there went Taylor's plan. Walking around to the fence, there was a door that led directly to her backyard. With a deep breath, Taylor pushed the wooden door and walked in. Tashigi was in the middle of some weird looking book, and quickly placed it behind her back when she caught sight of Taylor. Heh, must've been porn.
"Taylor! How are you?" Tashigi smiled as she placed the book on a desk she brought outside and hugged Taylor. It has been...a long time since anyone hugged her. Taylor hugged Tashigi back softly when the gorgeous woman released her from her embrace.
"I'm good. Thank you for asking." Taylor replied politely. While Smoker acted like the badass cool uncle, Tashigi acted like a mother hen, doting over Taylor. When they weren't training that is. The others were pretty cool. Kazuki was a bit annoying, and Gunderson was always polite, he even gave her some tips.
Tashigi smiled and motioned her to a lawn chair. Sitting across from Taylor, Tashigi wiped away a bit of sweat that had formed on her forehead. Tashigi wasn't wearing her normal outfit. She didn't wear her blue jacket, or a colorful shirt. Instead she wore jogging pants and a simple crop top that concealed her...ample assets. How a woman could have a waist like that was beyond Taylor's imagination.
"That's great! So what brings you over?" Tashigi took a sip from a water bottle she had off to the side.
"I saw you training, and I didn't have anything else to do….so I thought you might need a partner?" Taylor felt stupid now, and probably looked like a stalker now.
"Sure." Tashigi smiled again and grabbed her wooden sword.
Time to learn how to kick ass.
-*-
Correction, it was time to learn how to get your ass kicked. Tashigi was brutal when it came to training. Armed with a wooden short sword, that was around the same length as her baton, Taylor easily lost every round she fought Tashigi.
"You're getting much better." Tashigi stated as she casually swung her sword. Using some flies Taylor had placed on her, she was able to get a few warnings, but Tashigi was too fast.
"Really?" Taylor backed away from the strike, but Tashigi was already moving her wooden blade and struck Taylor on the thigh. Ouch…
That was definitely going to hurt later on. Silently crawling some ants up Tashigi's legs, Taylor went on the offensive.
Clack! Thunk! Their wooden blades met each other and Taylor disengaged from that battle of strength.
"Yup. You're starting to anticipate some of my moves." Tashigi was obviously going easy on her. They slowly entered a rhythm. Taylor would attempt to strike, and Tashigi would easily block any attacks Taylor would try.
"How's school going?" That made Taylor miss a strike and Tashigi easily took advantage of her distraction with a few slaps to Taylor's legs and abdomen.
Seeing Taylor hesitate afterwards, Tashigi lowered her blade slowly. Heh...was she that obvious? School was horrible...it was worse than hell. She never should have followed her ex best friend.
"Is everything ok?" Tashigi asked, concern written all over her face. No...it wasn't. Not since Emm-
Tashigi hugged her again more...carefully.
"I hope you know that we're here for you." Tashigi whispered. "If you ever want to talk about it...I'm here for you." That...was comforting.
Taylor never noticed that her cheeks were wet from her tears.
A/N
I wanted to start off with a chapter that was a bit longer than normal for this arc. I hope the quality was consistent throughout. I have a few fun chapters planned until drama starts. Friendships need to be built, not rushed.
One thing that I will confirm.
Garp is not the Marine that will be coming. While he's a great character, it'll basically turn into a curbstomp. Same with the other admirals though they sound very interesting. If I hit a writer's block I'll write an alternate what if chapter.
Vice Admirals (that arent Garp) all the way down to chore boys might make it in. How many Marines and who will not be revealed for a few more arcs.
Who is your least favorite One Piece character?
