Port Dark Water

[Meeky]

When she got back home with the unopened letter the first thing she noticed was the lack of life. Neither of her new crew where there, which was odd....

Even if Kethean stayed out for most of the night he was always there in the morning. And Rusty....he usually didn't go out except with either herself or Kethean.

"Maybe they went for a walk?" She shook her head. "Ah well, they'll be back eventually. Should enjoy the time I've got." She walked to her study, opening the letter carefully as she went.  

[Midnight-Hustla]

Ace drives in his doombuggy along the streets to find a hotel with a half empty tank of gas. During the midnight passing dark ally ways, riding on wet grimy roads. As he says "I need to sleep...Now". He said as he turns left on an intersection, altough the street trafic lightwas long dead and unused. When he is not even paying atention to any of his surroundings driving along  

[Meeky]

Rusty shook himself awake, wondering when it was he had fallen asleep. But more curious then that was the sound that had woken him up.

It sounded like an engine....a vehicle? here? That was a rare thing in Port Dark water. It was worth investigating. He crept out from behind teh bozes he had used as cover and perched on a broken barrel by the road. By the sounds he could tell that the vehicle would be coming this way.  

[Midnight-Hustla]

Ace gets bored from the cold silence, so he puts a rock CD in his CD player and it blairs out loud "Welcome to the Jungle! We got fun and games! We got anyth!....." Ace pauses the the CD and gos in pure silence after to singing to song. At a far distance he notices he is about to pass another person, but it is so dark Ace is just guessing from the shape of Rusty's shabow. Although he could just speed by if its another carjacker or a drunk armed guy out in the streets...he pulls over thinking its a lost tourist on the wrong side of town. Ace closes in at 5 MPH at 20 feet just about of distance. Ace makes sure his hand gun (Desert Eagle) is in reach and he is getting ready to confront Rusty thinking its a tourist or some regular every day citizen.  

[Meeky]

Rusty finally sees teh vehicle and was correct in assuming it was coming his way. He watches as it slows down, tensing up in case it's another a*****e like the one he ran from the day before. Not many people come to the Port and when they do, they usually aren't friendly.

After all, this was once a den of pirates and thieves and the thieves were still here....

He stands up and slowly makes his way to the vehicle. Maybe it was just someone lost? He didn't know how much help he could be in giving directions, but he'd try anyways.  

[Midnight-Hustla]

Ace stops right be side of the kid, so close Ace could conversate to Rusty almost whispering. "Hey dude, what ya out at this time of night?...Well anyways you know any places where I could sleep at?" Ace asks as in the end, he flips a Silver Ace Coin with an image of Ace's face on the top and on the back of it is another of Frosty Mountain surrounded by clouds on the top of the peak as a souveneer to the kid.  

[Meeky]

Rusty catches the coin, not sure what it is was, but positive Meeky could tell him the value of it later.

Now what had he asked? Oh yeah, a place to sleep. Rusty looked the man over. he definately was new to Port Dark Water, there was a certain 'clean' look to him that non of the residents now had. Even his two Pirates had been tainted by the atmosphere here. He wondered if he was the same.

Probably.

But he'd think about that later.

The man was staring at him impatiently and Rusty really didn't want to cause trouble. The nearest hotel was about two roads down if you turned left and then right. But how to say that without words? He shrugged and then pointed towards the ground, hoping the man would look out the window as he wrote out the directions in the dirt. It was the best he could do.  

[Midnight-Hustla]

Ace concentrates to the ground, confused, Ace says the first thing that came to his mind. "The ground!?....Now I know that will definately the last place I'll sleep..Or do you mean there's an under groung hotel?" Ace continues to look at the ground.  

[Meeky]

Rusty stares up at the guy and then back down at his directions. They look readable to him, but maybe this guy can't read? It's possible, there were alot of people in the area who couldn't read or write.

So if the guy couldn't do either, what was he to do....

He sighed and then gestured with his hands.

2 roads down.

Left.

Then Right.

Hopefully he understood that.  

[Kethean]

It was late in the night and Kethean had followed the shadowed figures into one of the warehouses that belonged to one of Byako's clothing departments. He had found it odd that they would break into the warehouse for new clothes but when he overheard their conversation he quickly realized the truth of it.

"Hargh!" came a loud grunt from one of the men as they took a crowbar to one of the crates. "Hurry, get it open! Yeah! There we go, yeah!" said another thug excitedly.

Kethean watched from the shadows as the men tore the clothing out of the box and threw them to the floor and then watched them open a smaller box within the crate that revealed heavy weaponry.  

[Kethean]

The thug reached in and grabbed the butt of the gun and held the rifle up to pose to his friends and they all laughed at the thought of the power and respect they held in their hands.

"Oh yeah, boss will be happy with these!" said the thug. "Yeah, maybe then they'll accept us into the Cutlass Gang!" said another. "For sure, they have to now, we did as they asked so now all we have to do is get these back-"

The thug didn’t get to finish his sentence as Kethean had heard enough and had proceeded to take action. Of course throwing a crate full of clothing wasn’t the most subtle way of stopping them but it seemed to keep the thug down on the ground for the remainder of the fight.  

[Kethean]

Kethean charged forward after one of the thugs that screamed out in fury at first and then rage as he realized the gun in his hands was lacking ammo.

"You don't realise who you're messing with man!! The Cutlass will have your he- umpf!" groaned the thug and flew back never getting to finish his sentence due to Kethean's boot kicking him in the chest.

Kethean felt the vibration and snap of ribs being broken through the impact of his boot and stepped back for balance with a slight grin which quickly left his face as he felt a sharp pain in the back of his left knee.

"Hah! You shouldint have messed with us!" sneered one of the thugs holding a peice of pipe swinging his arm back ready to bring it across Kethean's face.

When he swung wide Kethean grabbed his wrist before impact and with both hands pulled himself forward with his head down he impacted his skull into the thugs face who yelped as he felt his nose being crushed and passed out falling to the floor as Kethean rose to his feet in one fluid movement. He wiggled his leg as if it were asleep and then looked around the room.  

[Kethean]

Kethean rolled the thugs into one pile and held a serious look on his face as he thought of who could possibly be shipping the arms and what he would do about it. He felt he could outright accuse the clothing department but that wouldint be the source of it all, he had to do something though... but what?

He looked up at the ceiling lost in thought and tilted his head in surprise as he saw a black robed figure staring down at him. He couldint see if it was a man or woman but as he blinked trying to focus the figure seemed to have disappeared.

"What the hell was that?" asked Kethean furrowing his brow in confusion.  

[Midnight-Hustla]

Ace looked at Rusty's hand signals and under stood them, regaurdless of the fact that the kid was trying to write the diretions in the dirt of the dark shadows of his winter army camoflauge painted doombuggy used mostly at Frosty Mountain. Ace held up a thick shiny gold coin with an Image of Byoko City on it while Rusty can't see the back the coin and said "If ya know any dude who's got thing they want done for cash and this is your reward." Ace burns out for 5 seconds then zooms out into the the dark streets of the docks two blocks and then makes the back 2 tires squeeling on a sharp left turn disapearing as the litter scatters from the wind of the doombuggy.  

[Meeky]

Rusty watches the man speed off and then looks down at the coin in his hands. He smiles.

Finally he can add some treasure to their stash! He knows Meeky will be proud of him when he shows her. Speaking of which, he should head back. The fox pirate was probably worried about him.

It was a shame he hadn't found Kethean since he still wasn't sure what to do if Meeky was still feeling unwell. Hopefully treasure would help.

Where did Kethean get to anyways? Ah well, the man could take care of himself. Turning, Rusty headed home.