The Bastards [Shanks]✓

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With the help of his Haki he knows she is there before he can spot her anywhere. The already tipsy man jumps up. "Cat is here.", he yells out, making some of the more hungover and not yet seasoned drunkards of the crew groan loudly. "Can't spot her anywhere, Captain. We would see her no matter from what direction she'd sail here.", Yassop mumbles, when they hear a loud whoosh and seconds later something lands right in front of them. A metallic.. thing with a human skull being the most unsettling part of its appearance clicks it's teeth as it moves around the area. They all stare up into the sky, only to notice the rump of the flying ship and more of the metallic things descending from the sky like cannon balls, slamming into the sand. On the back of one of them, standing there with a wide grin, is the person Shanks had known was coming. "Cat!", he yells with a laugh as she smiled back, stepping down into the warm sand. "One second Shanks.. Thank you, Kai..Return to Mothership and wait until I call you all of you.", she coos at the.. thing that had brought her down. It whirrs and clicks, then begins to fly back up into the sky, followed by the others. Gear finds herself being wrapped in a one armed hug and lifted off her feet. Laughing she wraps her arms around the man's neck, taking in his scent she somehow loved, despite most of it being overshadowed by the smell of liquor. "You smell like a whole ass bar, Shanks.", she snickers as he sets her back down, looking up into his dark eyes as he grins. "We've got to party while we still got it. I'm not getting younger, Cat." "Neither am I Shanks.. I'm only six years younger than you, idiot. But you aren't getting much older either if you keep on drinking this much!" He smiles. "You worry too much." "I believe I worry just about enough." Brushing his hand over her soft hair he blinks. "I've never really seen you with your hair open like this..", he mumbles, gently taking out her hair tie, letting her long locks tumble down her back. "Yeah. I've got to let my poor scalp take a break before I rebraid it all. Maybe Benn and Yassop can help me.", she shrugs, taking the hair tie and placing it around her wrist while he still just stares at her, smiling. The two men just mentioned push their Captain to the side, squeezing the mechanic with smiles, quickly turning into frowns as they take a closer look at her. "It's good to see you. Where have you been? And where the hell did you get all those scars from?" Benn was right. She had gained quite a lot of scars in the time they hadn't seen each other. One over the corner of her lips and underneath her one eye, one across her chest and three on her arms. "I've been working a lot for my dad. He wanted weapons and a way to transport people quickly no matter what terrain so.. what better than flying ships and weapons that double as pets and companions?", she smiles, scratching her cheek. "That and I broke into Impel Down." "So it was you. What the fuck were you thinking?!", Rockstar barks at her. "Ace is my baby brother!!" The man immediately backs off her as he sees her glare. "I will never leave him behind and if I can save him I will." "He is not your brother, Cat." "Bullshit! He is my brother. I don't care if we aren't related by blood and I give hardly a fuck if you don't think the same way but Ace is my baby brother who needed me. I'd give everything for him. I made my choice and I'm still alive. Shit, guys. Want to get something else off your chests? Should I leave again right now so that you can get your shit together??" They fall quiet as they stare at the fuming woman. "You know he doesn't mean it like that, Catlyn.", Shanks sighs and the mechanic snaps around, glaring. "Not you too." "We were just worried about you, alright? We haven't heard from you in over a month after you went there..", he sighs.
"I had things to do.. what do you guys want me to do? Give you daily reports or something? I'm an adult woman, not a child.", she says, rolling her eyes.
"What were you doing for over a month?" "I worked on a prosthetic and a mask for two friends of mine.", she shrugs, a soft smile settling onto her face for a moment as she thinks of the two men. Kid would probably tell at her that they aren't friends while blushing, only to, during the night, burst into her room, squeeze the life out of her and apologize while Killer would hug her to his side.
Just as quick as it came the smile is replaced by a frown once more. "Who are your friends? Do we know them?" "Yeah. You are the one who took his arm in the first place." She finds herself staring into Shanks' eyes as he looms over her. "Did they give you any of those?" "The scars? No. Those boys are positively adorable. Kid even asked me to join his crew.", she says with a laugh, "And Killer asked me out. I honestly am considering it. He is a very sweet guy. And handsome too if you take the mask off." She shrugs. The dark eyes, before glaring quickly avert from her gaze and he steps away from her. "I didn't know you had a thing for younger guys, Cat.", Benn says moving closer and ruffling her hair. "I don't. I'm just sick and tired of waiting for someone to love me back when there is a person who would do so without hesitation. It's doing things to my self-esteem that I don't appreciate.", she says, sighing. "Sorry about the terrible welcome.. we all missed you.", Benn mumbles, leaning down to hug her. A gesture she returns with a soft "Over missed you too." "What about Mihawk?" It had been Shanks who had asked her, making her turn to him. "What about him? He likes to flirt with me and although I am very appreciative of his masterful compliments I don't like him in that manner. And I don't think he truly feels that way for me either.", she shrugs. Shanks blinks, then turns away. "Let's welcome out friend back properly! Today we party all day and all night!!" Some men cheer while others groan but still everyone gathers all the booze they can. What they don't really see is the flash of pain in their captains eyes.