The Captain - Garycato (Final Space AU)

Chapter 14

"This is the life..." Gary sighed as he finally washed himself. The water was freezing cold but it felt great to wash off the salt from his hair and skin, removing the dry feeling.

He was currently washing himself in a river, using a cheap comb he bought (yes he actually bought it instead of stealing) for the time being- he'd get a prettier one later on.
He brushed through his hair carefully as he sat upon a rock, humming to himself as he loosened the knots caused by the sea water.

Behind him, was a horse tied to a tree that was drinking some of the river water as well eating the food the blond had provided for him. The horse had a pretty brown color that would shine  in the sunlight into different oranges, a small white patch on the left side of his hip.

"Calm boy" Gary called once the horse started becoming impatient "We'll be on the move soon enough" he smiled as he turned to look at the animal.

Luckily, Gary had managed to find a small job of 'delivering' the horse. He had been gone to the stable the bank-great-mustache-man told him to go and upon arriving he got asked if he was "Timmy the Baker's son".

"Excuse me?"

"Are you Timmy? The boy that came pick up the horse for his father?" The man asked

"Oh yes! I am- sorry, recently I've been going by Tim" he lied easily which got him a free horse to ride.

Gary would deliver the horse if he could but he really needed to get as far away from America as he could so he decided he'd sell the horse instead- although it had to be to a good person....Gary wouldn't want the horse to be mistreated.

Standing up, Gary began to dress as his body had mostly dried by itself, making sure to clean his feet properly before putting on his boots.

"From now on you'll be known as Tim the uuh..." Gary thought outloud as he uproached the horse and pet him "the Baker's son!" Gary nodded "do you like it? Came up with it myself! All by myself- not stolen from anything or anyone" he chuckled as he climbed up on the horse, comb placed in his boot before he undid the rope from the tree.

Gary let his hair stay loose in order to dry properly, laughing as the horse ran through the river and he felt his hair in the wind when he began to race through the small forest.
This was what freedom felt like, this was what his life was supposed to be like. Flying freely, wings spread instead of cramped in a tiny cage.

However, upon arriving to a larger town closer to the border of Mexico, Gary had began hearing disturbing rumours.

"Have yer heard?" A lady whispered to the other while Gary tied the horse next to a bar where other horses were drinking water "apparently that fearsome pirate had been caught"

"You mean that devil?" The other lady whispered back as she entered the bar with her lady friend, Gary following close behind, listening to the rest of the story

"Yes, yes!" The lady sat with her friend on a table, the chatting nearly masking their conversation "him and his whole crew! They will all be getting executed Thurday afternoon"

"Thursday afternoon?" The other repeated in shock "they should just get on with it!"

Gary couldn't help but nod as he listened to the conversation and sat down at the bar, gesturing for a drink. He knew pirates- had been captured by them not long ago even. His whole experience with pirates hadn't been all that great...
If these pirates were anything like Bartolomew then they certainly had it coming

"What's the name of these monsters anyway?" The woman asked

"What you lot talking about?" A waitress came by, placing Gary's drink in front of him before coming over to their table and giving out theirs

"The pirates" one woman answered

"The ones that have been captured recebtly" the other continued

"Oh- yes..." the waitress nodded, hugging the tray "Bartolomew's crew" she whispered

At that moment Gary chocked on his drink, earning confused and worried glances from the ladies and he began to cough loudly.

Bartolomew had been caught?!

"Good for him" Gary rasped as he chugged the rest of his drink. The man really had it coming--

Wait....If Bartolomew got caught then that wpuld mean the others did too...
They were pirates but in the crew there were kids...Gary didn't wish death upon anyone way less them.

"Oh well..." Gary sighed as he stood, deciding he had heard more than his share and that his horse had plenty rest already "what can you do" he shrugged as he walked out, making sure to leave quickly before they realized he hadn't payed.

"Come on Tim" Gary sighed as he took the rope in hand and began leading the horse away. He was already so close to Mexico, just one ride away to relaxation.
As Gary got on the horse's back, he decided he'd have some fun as soon as he were in Mexico. Some parties and dancing, getting blackout drunk and maybe get some good moisturiser...

Quickly, he made a torch from scraps he found around, lighting it up on a candle from outside someone's house.
Clicking his tongue, the horse began to move, trotting into the night to find somewhere good to set up a camp.

"It's such a shame..." Gary sighed as he held the torch to light up the way "Little Cato...Evra, Ash and Fox too...they were all such nice kids" he said as he sadly pat the horse.

"You should've seen them Tim, you wouldn't even believe they were pirates" the blond continued "Fox was so kind, while I was in the barrel I heard him crying over a fish he accidently killed- he was sad because he killed him while fishing and it wasn't even good for eating so it had died for nothing....tried to eat it actually- even though the others said not to...he got food poisoning later that night" he sighed with a smile.

"Ash is overprotective over the others" he chuckled "though mostly over Evra...in a way. She likes to make sure everyone is safe and feeling alright- comforted Fox when he accidentally killed the fish even though it might have been silly" he nodded, turning down the road.

"Evra, sweet little girl- she's very energetic but so naive" he laughed "you can tell she hasn't been tainted by the world....guess you could say Ash did a good job protecting her..." he thought outloud, coming to a stop and jumping off the horse "Once she came to visit in her cell and opened it fully- I could have escaped but instead told her what she's done- was so surprised by it but looking back it was actually funny" he began to set out camp, gathering some wood he could burn.

"As for Little Cato..." he stopped and looked up at the night sky, it was harder to see the stars as it was masked by the far off smoke from the capital "He's a curious and cute kid, nothing like his dad" he said as he pet the horse "thought he'd be worse, you know? Being the Captain's son and all.... but when he found me he was quite cheeky but still showed mercy and fed me, kept me secret as long as he could...."

The silence was only evident in the lack of talking as the wind began to whisper among the trees, leaves shivering ever so slightly and the quiet bugs singing.
Gary stood in the dark that was lit by nothing but his torch and the moon's light, feeling a heavy weight in his chest at the thought of those kids, that live so freely, getting trapped in a cell like he had been and most likely terrified of the death sentence that was to come...

But what can you do, right? It's not as if a single man, like Gary, had any power to stop it all... and even if he did...they were still pirates...

It was then Gary let out a loud frustrated groan that could have been heard from the town he had just left and had scared Tim put of his very skin, had the human not held onto the rope- the horse would've most likely ran away.

"Gosh darn it!" He shouted as he jumped on the back of the horse, whipping him with the rope "Hiya!" He yelled as the horse began to dash out, sprinting towards the direction Gary had promised himself to never return to.