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Cassius Sinclair
The Kraken
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Cassius paced about the office, his pupils were training hard today, focused and hungry for another raid. He looked down from the windows of the office, watching them train and spar, eager to be selected for the next clean up job. The streets of Galloon Town were becoming safer by the day, their acts were having a serious impact on the people of Fishman Island. With each successful raid, his students became more and more motivated. Word of their accomplishments spread throughout town and everyday new fishmen and women were lining up requesting to join.
He turned away from the windows and back to the table, where Raina and three of his most trusted students sat studying a map of Fishman Island. One of them, Regi, spoke up as he tapped a marker on the desk in thought,
It seems like these gangs are at least moving out of Galloon Town, becoming more populated in the slums. So as far as that's concerned, I'd say mission accomplished.
Yes, but it's not enough to just MOVE the problem to a different district. We need to completely rid the island of this crime problem. Which means more raids in more dangerous, higher enemy populated areas.
Shouldn't be much of a problem considering how many new members we keep getting every day. The line is out the door somedays when I open up. Regi said with an amused snort.
Cassius pulled at the tendrils of his beard, deep in thought.
Raina is right, it's not enough to just be content with cleaning up the streets of Galloon Town. If the Abyss Slums are where this infection is festering, then we need to hit at the source.
The others all nodded in silent agreement, staring at the map, particularly the slum district. Cassius walked up to the table, placing his hands on it as support and stared down.
Still, he said, picking his head up and looking at each of them, what we've accomplished, what YOU'VE all accomplished, is something to be celebrated. So we shall, tonight we'll have a celebration for everyone. Even those of us who haven't been on raids have worked hard these past few months and I have no doubt will continue to do so. The others smiled and cheered in acceptance, and even the cold hearted fishman felt a smile touch his lips.
What in the seven hells? Is that smoke? Raina asked, suddenly standing up and looking out through the office windows. Cassius turned immediately and indeed white smoke was rising from the training dojo below. He moved to the windows, looking down the entire area was blanketed in thick white smoke. Shots rang out, the upper windows of the warehouse began to shatter. Without hesitating, Cassius moved from the windows and down the stairs into the smoke below.
It was so thick he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, but he had walked these floors hundreds, if not thousands of times. He knew the layout like the back of his hand, better even as he made his way towards the front entrance. His pupils remained calm, but they were clearly frightened and confused. They bumped against him, trying to find their way in the smoke and delirium. He tossed them off carefully, his foot striking something metal. Reaching down he picked up what felt like a small smoke grenade. More shots rang out, penetrating the outside of the building as his pupils screamed, some had clearly been hit, others simply allowing the confusion and terror to get to them. Crushing the canister in his hand, Cassius moved even faster towards the door.
The broken windows at the top of the warehouse were now leaking the smoke, allowing it to escape and lifting the darkness. It was now more of a thick haze, shadows and shapes could be seen if one looked carefully. This wasn't some random attack of retaliation, this was a well planned execution. They had confused and disoriented Cassius's people, then, like trapped fish in a barrel, began gunning them down. If he could just get outside, he could at least see what they were up against and start retaliating. Finding the door handle he pulled, opening door and allowing fresh air to woosh in. The smoke quickly began exiting through the open door, pullout out into the outside air. However, as Cassius stared through the escaping smoke, he could make out a figure across the street on one knee holding something on his shoulder. There was a small explosion, a spark of flame as Cassius suddenly realized what was going on and hit the deck.
The rocket wizzed by him, screaming through the air and going right through the window of his office above the warehouse floor. It exploded, deafening those still trapped in the warehouse and creating a large fireball. Broken glass and metal rained down on the warehouse floor, causing the students to run in circles in panic. By now the smoke had diluted to a thin fog, Cassius was able to make out faces of his poor pupils, terrified. He jumped to his feet and screamed,
No! As he realized Raina and the others had been in the office only moments before.
Immediately he began running back towards the stairs, towards the inferno above him. Just a few steps away, someone grabbed his arm,
Cassius wait! It's okay, we're all down here. As soon as you ran down we followed to help calm the others. It's bad, some of them have been shot...a few... She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence but Cassius saw the blood on her hands and already knew.
Hello Cassius Sinclair and friends. I am Jack Silvergill and you all have been a thorn in my side long enough, welcome to your day of reckoning. A voice boomed from the front entrance as Cassius turned to see a fishman standing just beyond the door. As he finished his announcement, gang thugs rushed in behind him, armed with military grade swords and guns. They took no time attacking the first of Cassius's still confused pupils, cutting them down in a flash.
We're under attack! Use what you've learned, this is what we've been training for. Do not let this be your last day, fight for your life! Cassius declared as he ran straight towards the fray. He jumped over a large cluster of people and dropped onto one of the thugs, feeling his ribs snap beneath his weight. Another one turned as he saw Cassius join in and pointed his rifle at the fishman, but Cassius was faster and launched a small shockwave towards the thug, throwing him against the far back wall. His students watched him attack and quickly became motivated and invigorated. The tides quickly turned from an execution to a true battle.
Cassius locked eyes with Silvergill who at first looked a bit nervous, uncertain, before smiling and pulling out a sword of his own.
Well then, let's have at it. You've killed enough of my men and disrupted my business, it's time to finish this mono y mono. Silvergill said, goading Cassius into attack.
I don't know who you are, but thank you for telling me your name so I know what to have them put on the headstone. Cassius said before running straight at Silvergill.
The street lord swung his sword horizontally, but Cassius ducked under it and brought a devastating punch into Silvergill's stomach. The man coughed and wheezed but was not down for the count as he delivered a hard elbow to the back of Cassius's neck. Cassius dropped to one knee, wincing in pain but bracing himself from falling.
Die! Silvergill declared as he brought the point of the sword down towards Cassius's back.
Cassius swiped at the man's knees, knocking him off balance and to the floor. Silvergill fell hard, hard enough to let go of the sword in sudden surprise. Cassius kicked the sword away before descending on him with a flurry of angry blows.
How dare you come into my dojo, into my home and attack my people? The people that are merely trying to clean up the streets from scum like you. They are doing the right thing, protecting, serving, the jobs that these pathetic royal guards refuse to do. You dare stand in the way of that, you dare punish that just to make a quick buck? You. Are. Scum. Cassius said with a final blow to the man's throat, listening to him choke and gasp for breath. Cassius rose from Silvergill and walked off into the fray, spitting near the man's head in disgust as he did so.
As he gazed upon the battle he smiled for the briefest of moments. It had been dark at first, his people surely losing as they succumbed to their panic, but rallying they fought hard. Some lay broken and bleeding, but he noticed far more thugs in that state than his own people. It was far from over, but it was clear they were making the winning push. He went to join in and assist in any way he could when a sudden, shrieking whistle pierced the air. For the briefest of moments, everyone in the fight paused, confusion on the faces of Cassius's people, and what looked like dread on the faces of Silvergill's. Cassius turned around to see Silvergill, beaten and bleeding, propped up on a single elbow and staring at Cassius with complete hatred in his eyes. In his mouth sat a long, thin, silver whistle.
What is that, your rape whistle? Cassius asked as one of the side walls suddenly exploded. Cassius raised his hands in reflex, blocking out the bright light of the ensuing fireball and shards of flying debris from the warehouse wall. The explosion had engulfed some of his people, but Silvergill's had been victim to it as well. Clearly this was not a man who cared for the well being of his own. As the smoke and dust settled, the shape of a military grade tank rolled through the new hole in the warehouse wall.
No. Cassius said in horror, his face paling and his hands quivering. It couldn't be, he had seen this before, he had been shown pictures of this exact model of tank by Crowley.
Where? Where did you get this?! Cassius demanded, turning to Silvergill who only smiled and chuckled before laying back down,
It seems your friends in high places aren't as friendly as you thought Sinclair.
Cassius turned back to the tank as it swiveled around, it was preparing another barrage of fire, literally like shooting fish in a barrel...with a rocket launcher. He had to do something, and quickly, but he felt frozen in place. His brain was still trying to work out just what was happening, why Crowley had supplied these lowlifes with a military grade tank. It was beginning to make sense now, truth be told. The assault had been methodical, well planned and surgical in precision. This wasn't some turf war attack, but the thugs still fought like thugs. They had been given a plan but not trained like soldiers. This whole thing had been put together very recently and for what? To wipe Cassius off the map? To spread more fear through Galloon Town during a time of budding hope?
Then he saw why the tank was swiveling rather than firing, it was taking aim at something specific. Raina appeared from the fray, running towards it in a zig zag pattern to keep it from getting a solid lock on her. It was a smart strategy when facing a gunman, but a tank was no gunman. It had splash damage capabilities that a regular gun simply didn't. It seemed the driver of the tank had realized this as well as the turret suddenly stopped swiveling and simply aimed at the center of Raina's path.
No! Cassius exclaimed in horror as the tank belched flames and a shell exploded right beside Raina as she dipped to zag after her zig.
Her body was thrown several feet, rolling like a ragdoll. It was burned and blackened from the explosion. Cassius felt the blood drain from his face, his mouth slacked open in sudden, complete fear. The turret swiveled, swinging around and aiming at the unmoving Raina to finish her off. Cassius began moving quickly, running towards her, anger filling his entire being. Deep down he knew it was already too late, but he refused to allow these monsters to disrespect Raina anymore than they had, to desecrate her like some throwaway trash. As the turret once again belched fire, Cassius leapt in between the tank and Raina. He knew this very well may be the end of him, these could be his final moments and yet he simply didn't care. He felt a new feeling come over him, power him, something to replace the anger and hatred. He genuinely cared about Raina and his students, he wanted them to live, to survive.
He felt the skin on his fist harden as he swiped at the incoming shell, causing it to explode to his left and sending a shockwave across his body, but he stood firm. Fire licked at the left side of his body, charring his skin and burning away some of his clothes, but when he looked at his left hand, the one that had deflected it and surely should have been blown clean off, he didn't find so much as a scratch. However, he didn't have time to focus on such a matter as he turned his attention to the tank as it began to reload.
Sprinting towards it, Cassius slid under the barrel of the turret, out of harm's way and brought his fist back before delivering a devastating punch.
YAAAARRGHHH!! He cried out in defiance.
The metal around his fist crinkled and split like tinfoil, caving in on the driver and crushing him within the metal. The treads of the tank buckled inward, towards the point of impact and the metal split all the way to the turret, causing it to cave in and slouch forward uselessly.
Cassius pulled his fist from the wreckage, content that the tank wasn't going anywhere or of any danger to his people. He stepped out from between the buckled treads and gazed upon shocked and silent faces. Without a word he moved towards Raina, the thugs putting down their weapons and simply leaving, after that display and the resistance they had met with Cassius's students, they had completely lost any morale or vigor they once had. It didn't help that their boss was currently unconscious and bleeding on the floor, his face more like shredded tuna than an actual face.
As the thugs left, Cassius kneeled down beside the unmoving body of Raina. It was clear she was gone and his heart ached far more than the burned flesh on the side of his body. She had wanted nothing but the best for her community, for her people. She wanted to fight for them, not for herself. There was no reason for such a young, beautiful life to be snuffed out so easily and Cassius knew, deep, deep down that Crowley would pay. That he'd burn the entire Royal Palace down if he had to, but this wasn't the time for anger or revenge. This was the time for mourning and burying of the dead.
A week later they held services for Raina and Cassius's other pupils. In total they had lost eight, twelve more had been seriously injured and still recovering. It had been a horrible blow to not only what they had built over the last few months, but to their morale as well. However, as they marched the caskets of the fallen through the streets of Galloon Town, the citizens of Galloon Town came out in droves. They brought flowers and trinkets, joined the procession all the way to the cemetery. By the end the line had amassed well over three hundred fishmen and women, all wishing to pay their respects to the people who had devoted their lives to protecting their community.
Cassius looked out over the sea of faces as Raina's casket was lowered into the ground. Tears welled in his eyes, a feeling he hadn't experienced in years washed over him. Support, compassion, community. These were all things the very same people of Galloon Town had denied him throughout his youth, now they recognized him as a protector and a server of the community. They looked to him now for guidance, for hope.
This is a time for remorse, for mourning and for reflection. This was not a defeat however, but a victory. We lost, He trembled for a moment before regaining himself, we lost a great number of wonderful, selfless people who had dedicated their lives to serving this community, to ridding the streets of the very people who ultimately took their lives. They became Galloon Town's protectors and will continue to serve Galloon Town. We will only grow from this, we will rid Fishman Island of such crime from the lowest of the slums to the highest office on this island, the Royal Palace. Someday, someday we'll have true equality on this island for fishmen, women and merpeople alike. That is our promise to you because that was the promise these brave people made before they left us. Thank you.
There was silence for a moment before a wave of applause and cheering washed across the funeral procession. Hundreds of hands cheered and shouted words of encouragement as Cassius looked down at Raina's casket and smiled,
You sparked a fire of change, now let's watch it rage across this island and expose every corner of darkness.
[/end]
WORDS: 2970
NOTES: ###
DORIKI: +5 S&P & +5 S&A (In water);+5 E&D (Pugilist); +8 E&D
GEAR: ###
SKILLS: ### |
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