piratejournal | [Voice]

[There is a rustle of papers, before an unfamiliar voice speaks up.]

Tell me about this journal. What is it really?

[There's a pause and a small grunt before Roxas' voice comes through.]

I don't know anything about it.

How about that...interesting tattoo of yours? Hm? [There's another beat of silence.] Aren't you hungry kid? [Another few beats.] Got nothing to say? What a shame. Bring him for execution as a worthless pirate.

[There is a click, the sound of a manacle being opened so they can move him, but it's a mistake. It's followed with a scream and then chaos. Another click can be heard and the sounds of a scuffle. The book hits the ground and there's a few other cries. The silence comes full force and there's a smear of blood on the journal as it's picked up and half shoved into a pocket. ]

[The respite is short because they're banging the door in. The sounds of angry shouting, gunfire and the clang of metal clashing fill the air unwittingly. Footsteps on the ground and a smug voice takes over.]

You're surrounded. Give up and die a much less painful death.

[Roxas scoffs. Surrounded? Please. Anyone near this base would see all at once an explosion of light, accompanied with the screams of people who dare stand in his way. Before the litany of escape is over, an onlooker would see another explosion of light and finally, smoke rising as he gets out of the building. He pulls the journal out of his pocket again, fingers smearing more blood on the pages.]

Lea. [Roxas is breathing hard from exertion.] I'm not sure where I am.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Not to scare you, but how do you know an ally will find you first? It might just be more navy.

[That's not scary at all Marco.]

I don't. I'm drawing a lot of attention here, but I'm hiding and I should be able to see them before they see me so I can have the element of surprise. I'm ready.

You sound as reckless as Ace, owlet. The element of surprise alone isn't enough to take on an army when you've been weakened this long, eh? Stay safe a little longer.

We're coming up on a navy base now, but we're too far to tell if there's any smoke. Even for my eyes.

[He lets out a thoughtful noise.]

If I take them by surprise and I'm careful not to get surrounded I should be okay. I could try some magic attacks if I want to stay hidden, but I'm not sure how strong they are. I've only used them against weak Heartless.

Just stay put, all right? Or at least hamstring them so they can't chase you.

What do you mean by 'hamstring them'?

[He's never heard the term, it's pretty confusing.]

Cut the tendons on the back of their knees. Then they can't run.

Marines don't block well, and with your height it'll be their ultimate weakness.

Hmmm, I never thought about that. I wonder if that would hurt less...

Less than what?

[Usually it's more painful, but Marco is a jerk in favor of torturing marines so you know...]

[He thinks it over.]

Well usually I hit people in the stomach, back or side. Sometimes their arm, but they don't really fall down when I do that.

Slice the hamstrings. It won't kill them if you and Lea are still foolishly worried about that, but it's fast and it will stop them for a lot longer time.

And it's easier to reach. Navy men are taught to protect their torsos from all directions because their organs are there. They don't fight monsters so they don't learn how to deal with us.

[He can practically be heard blinking.]

Am I supposed to be worried about that?

[The comment is enough to distract him from the actual answer.]

Fuck no.

But it's more important to hamstring them quickly than to kill them, eh.

Oh. I never really thought about it. I didn't fight a lot of people before I came here, just Heartless. I don't think you can hamstring a Heartless. Maybe a Nobody though...

For now just the navy, and maybe other pirates who aren't offworlders, all right?

Yeah, I can give it a try. I'm really fast.

I have the utmost confidence in you, Kiddo.

[He really does, too.]