Black Bone Tower Part 34

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They had to put them in Rinji's bed. Both Usagi and Lee lied beside one another. Ellis started Gonzo Lee on units of whole blood, and stitched up the grievous wound on his chest. For Usagi, she started her on two whole bags of saline to get her hydration back up to par, and started her on oxygen. They were both sleeping peacefully, and Ellis was sitting beside Gonzo, making her rounds on occasion by checking their breathing and their pulse, which was beginning to stablize nicely.

Chio sat beside Usagi, his hands rested on his hands, and gazing off into space, occasionally glancing at her. Seeing her like that, wrapped in bandages because of her terrible burns, especially the one on her shoulder which reached the third degree. It only added more and more scars to her already palpable collection which rivaled his own. Yet he could not stop thinking how beautiful she was. He knew she would recover soon, and her grace would not die down in the least.

Ellis: You can go rest for'a bit if ya want Chio. They're gonna be out for a while.

Chio: Yeah, here in a minute. [His eyes didn't leave Usagi.]

Ellis: S'what you said thirty minutes ago.

Chio: Yeah, so just give me another.

Ellis nodded, and went back to reading her book "The Body of a God", Author Unknown.

Chio: Think I should go help Rinji?

Ellis: Dunno, should you?

One glance at him and she knew his mind was swimming with that question and many others. His eyes were jiggling so badly with frustration, he looked like a planet that was about to erupt.

Ellis: Looks like you could use an enema.

Chio closed his eyes and smiled big, that little comment brought him a little out of his funk, just enough to smile.

Chio: I hate waiting.

Ellis: Yeah, well, it's ninety percent of my job there, pal, so I find ways to keep my interest up. Like a good book. If your girlfriend would let me read hers, I'd be happier.

Chio: Girlfriend?

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Ellis: Oh, was that a secret? Ya really coulda fooled me. The way you guys go at it in the shower, it's a wonder either of you stay clean.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Chio's eyes widened a little bit, and his cheeks went completely flush.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Chio: But... we...

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Ellis: Oh, please, spare me. I'm a doctor for God's sake, I know how this crap works. It doesn't take a medical mind to figure out that you two are like white on rice.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Chio: How long have y--

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Ellis: Hahahaha! Really? I've known since I laid eyes on the two of you. Hell, I knew when she was fighting that damn giant and you were giving her the puppy dog eyes. Wow, you would have to be pretty dense to miss something like that.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">That's when the laughter really started. Ellis closed her book after she put the bookmark in and leaned over in her chair, trying to catch her breath between sobs of uncontrollable laughter.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Chio's face was still a bright red, and he cracked a small smiled as he looked down at her.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Little did Chio know that in the distance, there was a looking glass pointed directly at him, and on the deck of a ship, in the shade created by a roof that sat on top. There, a black-furred Nekojin looked through with his piercing, green eye.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Sion: It does not seem like he will be coming back anytime soon. I saw them enter the ship with two wounded, and two others. Beyond that, it looks like they will be waiting for quite some time. Shall we take the ship as we wait?

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Female: No. Patience.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Sion: You've waited a long time for this, Madam. I would have expected you to be a little more excited.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">He spoke to a female in the deeper shadow under the roof. She was very hard to see, and liked to keep it that way for the most part. Her blue eyes glared back toward that ship, and scowled a little bit. It was true, she had waited so long for this.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Female: Wait.

<p style="border-style:nonenonesolid;border-bottom-width:1pt;border-bottom-color:rgb(0,0,0);padding:0in0in0.03in;">Sion: [Nodded.] As you wish.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">As the gigantic doors opened in front of Rinji and Dala, both of their eyes widened and wondered. The dark room lit up quite brightly at first, but then it dimmed down as several of the old, rusted out lightbulbs flashed and went out. Some of them actually burst. The room was, indeed the same black metal as the rest of the tower, but it was, in fact, the oldest room in that entire building which had been around for generations. It was also, quite clearly, the least explored room of the whole place. It stank of horrible carbon buildup, rust, and pitted out metal grates that released a horrible-smelling moisture throughout the air. When realization finally hit them both, their mystified expressions slowly melted away and disappointment steadily set in.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji: Well, that's a buzzkill.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Dala: Yeah, I wasn't exactly expecting cash or treasure, but I sure didn't expect a big rusted mess.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">They both started into the very large room, with how big the doors were, it was about as big as you'd expect. As they walked through the room, they started to notice a large screen on the other side of it. This screen took up a large amount of the wall, and underneathe it was a keyboard mounted up to the wall with big buttons that looked like they would light up, but they were all off, as well as the screen was.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji: Okay, this strikes my curiocity.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Dala: I've never seen a screen like this [Closely examining it.] Where's the Den Den Mushi?

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji: Good question, and where's the on button?

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Voice: Yes, do tell.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Both of them turned to see two eyes, a pink one and a purple one. Then there came walking in a well-dressed man with short black hair, and a very narrow, focused face. He had a grin on his face that Rinji sneered at.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Dala: I remember him [Eyes narrowed, whispering to Rinji.]

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji: As do I. Lobster, was it?

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Marcus: Close, Marcus Loster Esquire.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji paused for a moment, then glanced at Dala, who shrugged.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji: So you're a lawyer?

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Marcus: What? No, just higher classman, as it were. I see you two made it to the very top of the tower before us, and for that I am envious, but the spoils only go to those who actually live to tell about it.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji: Spoils? [Looked side to side.] I can't seem to grasp the spoils you're talking about.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Marcus: Merely surviving the whole tower is spoils enough to double your fame. As few pirates have ever done this. Of course, as you can see, those who did cleaned it out decades ago.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Dala: Then why not just go and we'll say you made it to the top? Quite honestly I don't care about fame as much as Kimi. So you can be the honored Marcus who reached the top first.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Marcus: I like the ring of Captain Marcus Loster better.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">They both stopped and thought about his little statement for a moment. Dala could deduse what he meant, but only the most blatant opportunist and/or mutineer would pull a stunt like that. Just by looking at him, she figured he was the type.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji: So, since Ronald Dipps is dead, you're going to take over his crew, and kill me to get yourself a nice little name. It's a good plan, I suppose with someone of my bounty, you'd be known pretty far and wide. But really, wouldn't that bring nothing but trouble? Would you really want that many bountyhunters coming at you?

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Marcus: I relish the thought of it. In fact, I kind of look forward to taking your cute little head, and putting it on the arm rest of my throne. That way I can pet it when I get lonely, or bored. Perhaps it can be something to talk to when I am sad. Make me forget all about my pink eye. [His finger pulled down the skin underneathe his left eye, with the iris seeming to glow just a little bit of that sharp pink color.]

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji and Dala both grew scowls on their faces, Rinji's pupils grew to the size of needle points and his claws beared out from his paw fingers. However, it was Dala who made the first move, in the blink of an eye.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Dala: You sick sadistic PIG! [Seemed to disappear from sight, and appeared directly behind Marcus's head with a spinning kick straight to the side of it.]

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Dala knocked him to the side as he slumped over, but she was already in front of him with a whole barrage of claw slices all over his upper torso and shoulders, as she worked them like blenders. He backed straight up with two steps, but there she was once again with her claws slicing the backs of his ankles, causing him to grimace. To her surprise, though, he did not fall, in fact her claws did not even seem to penetrate the skin at all. Very little blood could be seen coming out of his chest where her claws destroyed his suit jacket. Dala panted from all of the attacks she exerted.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Dala: Wha-- [She could only watch as he reared up for a blink-of-an-eye attack.]

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji: Dala look out! [Jumped in front of her as he chopped his iron-hard fist toward her. He caught it, his hand painted black with haki.] Errrrr! [Struggled against his strength.] You're not human, are you?

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Marcus: Not anymore.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji pointed his fist straight for Marcus's face before he could rear up for another attack.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Rinji: Rinji Shogekiha!!!! [A powerful shockwave emitted from Rinji's paw, point blank into Marcus's face.]

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">The shockwave sent Marcus across the room, flip-flopping through the air at a terrible speed as he bashed into the rusted, brittle wall made of black metal. Rinji panted, looking back at Dala, nodding his head to her, and she nodded back. As he expected, Marcus stood back up. He stumbled forward, tripping over the ground as his head shook furiously from the attack.

<p style="border-style:none;padding:0in;">Marcus: HmMmMmMmM... NoT bAd KiTtY CaT... [His voice vibrated as his head did with a metallic sound.] My TuRn...[His grin spread wide across his face as he gazed at him, his pink eye visibly glowing.]