CH - 44

Halcen peeked around the corner one more time to see the hall covered in a thick fog. He didn't waste time, but raced down the hall, through the fog. Thankfully, his planned had worked. The gun's sensors were blinded, and he was able to ambush it without being hit. He ran towards it and began to tear the thing apart. There were cords and wires and whatnot that all looked pretty important. After a few seconds, the gun powered down and dropped its muzzle towards the ground.

Fuck yeah!

Then Halcen took off down the other hall the gun was trying to protect. Halcen was wearing down; his body was sore, Haki worn down, and in need of a breather. So he pushed up against the wall and sank to his butt. He sat, uncomfortable and sore. I don't have time for this… but I'm just… so exhausted.

He let his Haki fade as he dug through his pack and pulled out a bottle of dark liquid. He needed a refresher. The tea helped as he downed it. He could feel its revitalizing effects almost instantly. On top of it, he pulled out some poorly crafted rice balls. They were falling apart in their wrappings. Halcen had had to make them himself since he and Grey weren't on good terms. Halcen shook his head to refocus. He forced the far-too-salty rice balls down his throat and choked as they tried fighting back.

Halcen waited a few minutes until he was sure he had digested his snack enough to get back up. He started back toward the wall and wandered through the building. Luckily, it was not very large. He reached the end of a hall and it led him to some stairs that he began to ascend. They curved back around and sent him wandering in the same direction, just a level higher. This was where he was sure to find who he was looking for. He could feel two small energies coming from a distance now. They were here.

Halcen walked slowly, trying to make sure he didn't set off any more traps. This place was a maze of chaos and death. Their fun little playhouse of hell.

He continued on until he finally came to an open room. It spread across a few dozen feet. It had a high ceiling that went up two stories. And across the way was another window, on the second floor, where he saw the two silhouettes again. He took a minute to gain a little familiarity with the area. It was definitely odd, a random large room there, with nothing in it. He could tell this deception was only going to bring more problems.

He took a deep breath, sighed, and then started walking slowly through the room toward the window. He made it about halfway when he stopped.

"Who are you?" a voice came from speakers ahead of him. The man had a deep, smooth voice. It was almost calming.

"Just a man looking for his place in the grand scheme of things…" Halcen answered quietly.

"I mean, why have you come here? To our base?"

"I was sent."

"By who?"

"Max."

"You're not the first he's sent. But I'll give you that you are the most persistent."

"You should feel honored," Halcen said loudly. "That whyhe sent me. Apparently nobody else could cut it."

"We can confirm that," another man said. This one had a raspy, kinda scrappy voice to him. "We've got the bodies to prove it. Our collection of skeletons just keeps growing."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I won't be joining that number."

"And what makes you so special?" the first one asked.

"Why don't you come down and find out?"

"Not my style," he said.

CLANG!

Halcen turned to see that a gate had dropped down over his exit.

"You may be the first to have gotten this far, but you're still no match for what comes next."

Four holes opened up in the floor in the far corners of the room, with four more giant machine guns attached to them.

Oh fuck.

And in the same moment, a small door opened up underneath Halcen. It was only a few feet wide, but that was enough to fit him. He dropped down into a small black hole, but his body reacted instantly, refusing to get stuck in another trap. His arms and legs shot out, pushing against the sides of the small hole. He grimaced and ground his teeth with the struggle of not going down. "I can't let this… be it," he told himself. "I won't… go down."

Think, Halcen. You need to get out of here. There are four guns waiting for you. There are probably more traps laying about the room. You need to get out without dying. You're tired, sore, injured, Haki draining… How do I get up there without getting blasted?

A small round object shot up into the air out of the hole where their pirate invader had dropped. The sense of accomplishment and security drained from the men who watched on.

And the guns began blazing. They fired thoughtlessly at the little round bomb. And…

BOOM!

It exploded, showering the area with a layer of smog. And then there was nothing to fire at.

Halcen jumped out from the hole, landed on the ground and began running. The smog was barely enough to cover him in the large area and it was dissipating fast. He had to get this done quickly.

But another trap went off. A bomb under Halcen's foot. In his rush, he didn't think about the minefield. He was sent flying toward the wall he was running toward. He slammed into it without prejudice. His body flailed and crumpled.

Of course they would have mines in here too. Damn it!

He struggled to stand up, and saw that the nearest two guns were already tracking him. He didn't have time to recover. He just bolted towards the one in the far right corner of the room. He ducked behind the weapon as the other one began firing at him. In its confusion, the sensor gun kept blasting at the one he was ducked behind, tearing it apart. But once it could no longer detect Halcen himself, it ceased. But the first gun was already destroyed.

One down.

Halcen stayed hidden behind the broken gun, but peeked out for a moment to gaze upon the still standing three. He had an idea. He began tearing apart pieces of the gun to strap them together. He took a few longer chunks of metal and used the wiring to tie them around his arms, legs, feet, and chest.

Alright, let's fucking do this.

Halcen ran out from behind the torn apart gun, his body clanking in his MacGyver'd armor. He was a little slower, but the extra protection paid off. A bomb went off underneath him as he was running, and the metal armor coated him from taking any actual damage. Then, he took control of the blast and aimed himself, and he rocketed toward the next gun. It was already firing on him, but Halcen had his arms up, shielding himself from the bullets. They ricocheted around the room.

He ducked underneath this gun as well, while the other two across the room were still firing. Little metal pellets tore into the machine as its own kind took it out, just as it had taken out the previous one. Halcen was tricking them into destroying each other, one by one, and taking little damage himself in the process. And that was all he needed.

He waited for the gun he was hidden behind to power down after taking numerous shots and the room to go quiet after the other two realized he was no longer in sight.

Now there's only two left. They're on the far side… right across from each other. I gotta cross this whole room to get to them. I'm gonna be extremely open. Halcen sat for a moment, pondering his next move. He looked down at his makeshift armor. It was already worn way too thin. If he went out with it now, it was going to tear, and the bullets and bombs would just hit him anyway. It had worked the once, but now he was going to need something else.

Halcen pushed his Haki into his knife and dug deep into the metal of the floor and pried a large piece of it out. It came out with a loud shriek. A couple feet wide by a couple feet long. It was ragged and jagged but it would work well enough. He didn't need anything fancy right now. It just needed to work.

He rushed out from the corner, holding the metal ahead of him like a shield as the guns began to blaze. He saw the mine ahead. He threw the shield down and jumped on top of it, exposing himself to the bullet fire for a brief moment, but then he was launched high into the air. He soared up over toward the next corner, and descended as the guns tried to get a fix on him. He took out his knife and came down upon the turret with the might of a Haki spear.

The gun exploded with fury as Halcen's Haki was poured through his knife. He rolled off the top of the weapon as the other turret continued to fire.

This is it, Halcen told himself. One last gun. Now! Get in there!

Halcen ran. No shields. No armor. Just him and his Haki. He took a few shots to the chest but they ricocheted off him and he dodged the rest. He grunted with the pain but it was barely enough to make him think. He just ran. And then he was there in front of the gun. He came at it from the bottom, and shoved his knife into it, tearing apart the cord and important pieces. He stabbed it again and again. With barely enough Haki to keep himself covered.

The gun began to freak out. It twitched and jittered until it officially gave up.

Halcen sighed in relief and sheathed his knife. That's it. And then he began to laugh, uncontrollably like a madman. He laughed so loud and hard that it put the men who watched from safety on edge.

"I can see why Max sent you," the smooth voice said over the speaker.

Halcen turned to look up at the window. It was so dark that he couldn't make out their features. Halcen was very tired, so he let his Haki fade. He began to stalk towards the stairs to the side that led to their private room. He knew this was going to be bad. He wasn't in the shape to do anymore fighting.

Halcen finally managed to stagger up the stairs and turn into the room where he finally met the two men he was sent after, that had derailed his plans in Loguetown. These two men had been trying to kill him since he set foot on their island.

The one in front was a couple inches shorter than Halcen, but about a couple inches taller than the one behind him. He had short, spiky white hair and slightly tanned skin. His face was very sharp. He had a sharp nose, sharp chin, sharp ears, sharp yellow eyes, and sharp teeth. He looked to be in his late teens. He was semi-muscular, but not as much as Halcen. He seemed to be a lot more lean muscle than bulk. He stared hatefully at Halcen, standing protectively in front of his friend.

The one behind him looked to be maybe a year younger than the first one. He had semi-long, straight dark blue hair that hung down over his blue eyes, and pale skin. His face was a bit more round. He was slightly overweight, but not by much. He definitely wasn't a fighter though. He must have been the brains behind the tech in the fortress.

Halcen took a quick look around the room. It was about thirty feet across with a high ceiling. It looked like another control room, but bigger than the first one, and with much more equipment scattered around. There was another door on the far side. He wondered why they hadn't used that as an escape.

"You're not taking Jin," the one in the front said. This was the one with the scrappy voice. Halcen was a bit surprised.

He took another look at the boy in the back. That must be Jin. Which means this… He looked back to the one in front, …must be Fein. "Actually," he said out loud, "Max wants you both."

"He had nothing to do with this!" Jin said, pushing Fein out of the way, finally speaking up. This was the one that had done the majority of the talking. His voice really didn't match his body.

"Doesn't matter to me, kid. Whoever's on the list, goes. And you're both on the list. Let's go." Halcen took a step forward.

Fein jumped in front of Jin again. "We're not going anywhere with you!"

"Listen," Halcen said sternly. "You need to calm down. I'm not here to hurt you, but I will if I have to. I have a schedule to keep, and you two and throwing all kinds of wrenches in my plan. Now… let's go!"

Jin gulped.

Halcen was knocked off his feet before he knew that he had been hit. His body spun and his face hit the wall next to the door he had just walked through. He turned with abject confusion in his eyes to see Fein standing in front of him with left arm out. He had been hit. He didn't even see it coming. Halcen pounded the wall with an iron black fist in anger, denting it. Then he turned, stood full height, and came at the kid.

Fein threw up his left arm to deflect the incoming attack, and then turned to slam his right shoulder into Halcen's side, displacing the headhunter from his footing. And while the pirate stumbled, Fein threw his right elbow into Halcen's face, knocking him off his feet and down to the ground on his back.

Halcen could feel his nose bleeding. He hadn't protected himself with Haki. He thought he could handle this fight without it. But this kid… whoever he was… was good. Halcen was pissed. He seethed as his body coated black once more for this final fight. He threw himself back up onto his feet as quickly as he could and swung at Fein.

Fein was too fast. He dodged again and then threw a left punch into the side of Halcen's face. Instead of being flung again, Halcen remained standing in the same place, but his body did twist… only for him to turn back to Fein with a smile.

"Now we're cooking."

Jin gulped again.

Halcen and Fein locked in combat. Fein was too fast to hit, and Halcen was too strong to take serious damage. Neither could get the upper hand on the other, and they continued to trade blows. Halcen grew frustrated. "LET ME HIT YOU!" Halcen shouted as Fein dodged another swing.

Halcen angrily stomped the ground, causing a small quake, Fein was thrown off footing, and Halcen saw his shot. He hit Fein in the chest with an unrivaled left, throwing the young man across the room and crashing into the counter of computers. Halcen took the moment to grab Jin by the arm and began to pull him toward the door. "LET'S GO!"

Jin struggled against Halcen's grip. He was clearly not a strong boy.

"Let me go!"

And then Fein flung himself onto Halcen. Halcen may have gotten a good blow in, but it wasn't enough to take him out. And Fein was quick. He broke Halcen's hold on Jin, then wrapped his arms around Halcen's arm, swung his legs off the ground and around Halcen's neck, trying to strangle him. The hold was tight, and Halcen was being pulled to the ground.

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE HIM!" Fein shouted as he grunted to maintain control.

Halcen choked and grunted as the man's legs squeezed harder. His Haki was fading. This fight was getting to him. He grabbed Fein's ankle with his free hand and began to pull with all the strength he could muster, and finally broke free of Fein's grasp. He slammed Fein down on the ground, still holding his ankle, then pulled him up until the air and released his ankle, but grabbed ahold on Fein's neck with the same hand. He held him up high, with Fein's legs dangling off the ground, and began squeezing.

Fein struggled in vain to free himself of the pirate's grasp. He was stuck. His face became red as his oxygen diminished.

"I TOLD YOU! I didn't want to hurt you!" Halcen shouted. "I was only sent you get you! I am tired! I didn't want to fight! But here we are!" He stared into Fein's eyes and he watched as the light began to fade.

And then, standing behind him, he could hear Jin say "Let him go!"

Halcen turned his head to look at the little man. He was holding a large black machine that looked like a rifle of some sort, pointed at Halcen.

Halcen sighed. "Didn't you see what little those turrets did?"

"I did," Jin nodded. "But this isn't a normal gun."

"Jin," Fein struggled to say. "Run."

"I can't do that," he said, getting choked up. "You know I can't!"

"You... bitch."

"Jerk," Jin responded, eyes tearing up. And then he turned his attention back toward Halcen. "This is an experimental energy rifle. I made it myself. It's powerful enough to kill everyone in this room. I know that Haki of yours is resistant to bullets, but I promise this will go through."

Halcen stood for a moment, contemplating. "And you're willing to die, here and now?"

"If we go with you, we die. If I do this, you die too."

Halcen nodded. Smart fucker. "I like you," Halcen chuckled.

Jin gave him a confused look. "Excuse me?"

Halcen loosened the grip on Fein's throat for a moment, so he could breathe again, and talk. "I think I have an idea."

"What the hell are you doing?" Fein asked in confusion.

"Hear me out. The two of you… are willing to kill and die for each other. Clearly you have a very deep friendship. You're smart," he said to Jin. "And you," he said to Fein, "are a very good fighter. So let me propose an idea: join my crew."

"What the fuck did you just say?" Fein blurted out.

"Yeah… I'm lost," Jin added.

"I could use people like you: dedicated, smart, strong. I'm building a crew, and I know to recognize talent when I see it."

"And why would we do that?" Jin asked.

"Yeah… you were just trying to kill us!" Fein added.

"I actually never tried to kill either of you. I was just trying to get you to my ship."

"Okay...?"

"I can settle your debts with Max. He's an old buddy. I have plenty I can use to schmooze this over."

"Are… are you actually being serious?" Jin asked.

"Yes." Halcen looked them both in the eyes and then let Fein go to prove it.

Fein dropped to his knees and began rubbing his neck.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Jin asked. "This could just be a trap to get us to your ship peacefully."

"You are smart," Halcen nodded. He took a moment to think. "I guess I can't really prove my intentions. But I am serious. You two are exceptional people and I need people like that in my crew. I'm going after Whitebeard, and you two are perfect for my team."

"The Yonko?" Fein asked, astonished. "You're gonna try to take on… Whitebeard… a Yonko?"

"That is correct," Halcen nodded again.

"We'd be better off just dying at Max's hands."

Halcen shrugged. "If that's what you want. But I'm offering you a way out of certain death. I know Whitebeard, personally. I know his weaknesses. I know his strengths. I know everything that one would need to take on a Yonko. And if you would rather us all die right now, then pull the trigger," Halcen said to Jin.

Jin stared Halcen in the eyes. This kid had nerve. He never wavered as he held the massive rifle. "Alright," he said, lowering the gun. "We're in."

"Jin!"

Jin looked to Fein. "This is the most logical option. Either we all die right now, you and I die soon, or we all face a 99% chance at dying later." He looked back at Halcen. "Personally, I'd rather take the chance."

"Fuck," Fein sighed. "Alright, fine. We're in."

Jin walked to Halcen and reached out his hand. A handshake. Halcen respected that.

Halcen took it gratefully. He had just gotten two new members for his pirate crew. With Grey leaving soon, he was going to need all the extra help he could get. Fein was a good fighter and Jin would provide invaluable tech support. Things were starting to look up.

"Good. Let's go," Halcen said. "Grab your shit."

Jin motioned to the closed door on the other side of the room. "This way."

Halcen followed the two through the door and down a set of stairs that led to another room. It was dark down there until Jin turned the lights on. It looked like a warehouse. There were crates and toolbenches and miscellaneous stuff thrown all over the place. It had a high ceiling with steel shelves going to the top.

Here, they began their rummaging, and packing. Jin brought out a dolly and started stacking a few boxes full of important equipment.

Halcen interjected. "You do realize we have to climb our way down the mountain? I'm not carrying that crap for you."

Jin laughed. "How do you think we got it all up here?"

Halcen looked stunned. He had gone through all this trouble without being able to find it. "A secret entrance."

"There you go."

"Hey!" Fein called from across the room.

Halcen turned to see him carrying, in his arms, a full-grown white wolf, like the ones he had been fighting earlier that day. It was a bit big to be carrying, but Halcen shrugged it off. It had a bandaged from right paw. "What… are you doing with that?"

"This is Shira. She comes too."

"She tried to kill me. I don't think so."

"She's not part of the pack. She wasn't out there cause she was injured. She's been in here recovering since the incident."

"Wait what?"

"Shira isn't liked by the others. All wolf packs have an omega, but this pack takes it a little far. They torture and abuse her. So we had to separate them. She's coming with, cause she'll die if she stays here."

"What about the other wolves? Won't they die without someone to take care of them?"

"No, they're indigenous to this island. That was part of the reason we chose it. They'll be fine."

Halcen nodded. "Alright, let's go."

The two men gathered the rest of their stuff, and then Jin led them to the far side of the storeroom, where two large steel doors opened up to expose an elevator. They got in, and it began their descent.

"How far down does this go?" Halcen asked.

"All the way to the shore," Jin said. "We needed something sturdy and stable to transport our stuff. It was the first thing we built."

Halcen shook his head in amazement. I can't fucking believe I had to climb all that way.