][Malice][ =One Piece=

:: Chapter Forty Five ::

Nearly two months had gone by since Malice had chosen to live. Her wounds no longer bled, though due to the toxins looked as fresh as the day she’d received them. Pain was her constant companion. The Kid Pirates had taken their beloved crew member back and parted ways with the Red Hair Pirates after a month long stay.

“Are you sure about this, Malice?” Killer asked uneasily, always the voice of reason.

“Just shut up and do it already.” Malice hissed as she gripped a simple rapier in her hand.

“The captain won’t like this.” Titan noted in a childish manner as he stood watch near the hatch leading below deck.

“Shut up, Titan.” Killer and Malice snapped simultaneously.

After another moment of hesitation, Killer activated his spinning blades and darted toward the scarred girl. It had been nearly a year since she’d trained and had been eager to pick it back up once she had been discharged from her father’s care. She moved as fluidly and graceful as ever, but she was far slower than she ever was. Each step caused her a great deal of pain.

“You look like you’re hurting.” Killer paused.

“You wouldn’t take pity on your foe.” Malice glared.

“You’re not my foe. You’re my friend.” Killer attempted to reason with her.

Malice grit her teeth whether to keep from voicing her pain or in anger Killer could not tell. “I told you not to hold back.” She hissed.

Titan looked uneasy.

“I won’t tell you again.” Malice glared at Killer.

Killer sighed and activated his spinning blades once more. He launched himself at the scarred girl, his movements were cautious, and he could tell by the narrowing of her revealed eye that she had caught on.  Malice bit her lip and rushed forward. Every step had to be agony; he could only imagine it felt as if she were running barefoot through a field of glass.                                                                                                                                                               

Her hands were trembling; the rapier in her hands shook unsteadily. Killer paused once more and threw the shaking girl a sympathetic look. “Give it more tim-.”

Malice shrieked in frustration and swung the rapier at the masked man. Killer effortlessly caught the blade between two fingers without so much as a scratch. “I’m not weak.” She seethed.

Killer gently eased the blade from her hands and dropped it to the deck, “You are by far the strongest individual I have ever met.” He held his arm out inviting her to lean on him for support. Her entire body was trembling now from the pain, the endless pain.

Malice’s glare softened and she inched closer lightly gripping his extended arm as she moved toward him. Like a toddler needing to grasp the edge of a surface to stay upright she used the support of his arm to pull herself closer to him until she was able to collapse against him. She hissed in pain as her body softly fell against his and bit her lip once more in a meager attempt to silence herself.

“EEP!” Titan suddenly squealed.

“What’s going on here?” Kid’s deep voice barked from the hatch Titan was supposed to be guarding.

“Jus’ out fer a stroll.” Titan smiled ruefully.

“And weapons were necessary?” Kid asked skeptically as he noticed the fallen rapier a few feet away from his first mate who was currently cradling a trembling Malice against him.

“I wanted to train.” Malice noted dryly.

“What?!” Kid was livid.

“I’m a little rusty.” Malice shrugged.

“What the hell did you think we brought you back for?! “ Kid snarled his feral eyes blazing with rage.

Everyone pondered that for a moment.

Malice turned to Kid curiously. “If it wasn’t to be a member of this crew, then what was it?” She challenged him.

Kid’s face reddened. “You will always be a member of this crew.” He said in a surprisingly calm voice, “but you don’t have to fight anymore.”

“I hope you don’t expect me to cook, you’ll all probably die.” Malice shot.

“You don’t have to do anything.” Kid glowered.

“So what, you want me to be the crew’s invalid?” Malice glared.

“If that’s what you want to call it.” Kid shrugged.

Titan flinched as Malice’s hellish single revealed eye blazed with fire and determination.  She took a shaky step away from Killer and advanced on the captain, she was beyond livid.

“I. Will. Not. Be. Dead. Weight.” Her eye was practically glowing as her rage burned furiously.

Kid waved away his subordinates without a word.

Titan squeaked incoherently and jumped through the hatch thinking the two were going to let loose their unbridled rage. They both had wicked tempers and despite Malice’s injuries she was still intimidating.

Killer hesitated for the briefest of moments before picking up Malice’s fallen rapier and disappearing more gracefully below deck.

Once the two were alone, Kid reached out with his right arm and tenderly cupped her face in his hand. He took in her scarred and broken appearance, the simple white eye patch covering her right eye and the fire burning in her left. “I don’t want you to have to fight anymore.” His voice was soft as he gently stroked his thumb across her cheek.

Malice leaned into his warm touch and shakily reached up to clasp his hand in hers. He allowed her to steer his hand away following her guiding touch as she slowly brought his hand to her lips and brushed a kiss over the back of his fingers. “I know I don’t have to. I want to fight. I want to protect you.”

Kid tightened his grip on her hand causing her to wince at the pain, his feral amber eyes were wild with fury, “I’m supposed to be the one doing the protecting!” He snarled.

Malice opened her mouth to protest, but Kid cut her off abruptly with a menacing glare.

His gaze softened after a moment, “I wasn’t strong enough before; it’s been over a year since then. I’m strong enough now and I’ll continue to grow stronger until there’s no one else who can challenge me, so I can always keep you safe.” He released her hand from his hold, “Just leave everything to me.”

Malice felt tears welling in her good eye struggling to break free. All her life she had to fight, struggle and kill to get by, it was all she ever knew. But now, she had a chance. A chance to start anew. She didn’t have to fight. Though pain would always be her constant companion, she didn’t have to struggle anymore.  Her gaze lingered to the various scars Kid had accumulated in her absence and she found her resolve. “I won’t stop fighting.” She said after a long moment. “But, I won’t be as reckless or fight as often. It’s a part of who I am, and who I will always be. So for now I’ll allow you to take care of me, but when the time comes, I will fight.”

Kid sighed; it was the best answer he was going to get. She was too stubborn for her own good. He lightly swept his arms around her gently cradling her frail body against him and bent his head down to steal her lips in a tender kiss.

Her thin arms entwined around his neck trying to ignore the constant ache and the never ending throbbing pain radiating throughout her body as she hungrily kissed him back. It was agony, pure blissful agony and it took all she had to keep from crying in tortured ecstasy.

“Stay with me.” Kid breathed as he broke their kiss first afraid he’d break the fragile broken girl in his arms.

“Forever.” Malice vowed with a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.