Task:

This morning had a strange feeling to it, the slowly bluing sky seemed a little different then it usually did. Skyla hugged herself and leaned on the metal railing overlooking the sea. Today would be the day of the first mission that the marines had assigned her to. Maybe it was the particular lens of the unknown future that awaited her that changed her perception of the morning. She held doubt in her mind as to if this was the best option for her but looking out into the never ending sea, she realised that she could no longer go on as the small time vigilante that had consumed the last seven years of her life. She would only ever have access to the rabble that hid in corners, she only had a dustpan and brush by which to clean the world. It was a risk but a calculated one. Skyla hoped that her future career in the marines would open doors for her and give her access to more power and greater hammer by which to smite the unjust. A wry smile appeared on her lips at the acknowledgement of her own melodramatic thoughts. It quickly vanished and was replaced by her natural blankness. Her large blue eyes were empty. There was only one thing she lived for, as long as she was able to press forward, her life would have purpose.

She was to meet some experienced marine captain before they started, he would be the first face to face meeting with someone that shared her new occupation and her first impression of them. Skyla had run into marines occasionally but usually they stayed out of her business if she stayed out of theirs. They were often working towards the same goal, when they would do a large scale raid, she would be there to clean up the specs of unsightly scum that remained. It was through elbow grease and tireless toil that she managed to get to where she was at the moment, she would ascend to something greater or die trying. The young lady would commit herself fully to this endeavor.

She stood and waited in the spot that had been decided as the gathering grounds for the marines that were to attempt this task. Turquoise green bracers were strapped to her arms and legs, her preferred weapon. A barbaric tool turned graceful by her style. Skyla knew she was strong, she knew she had potential, who else would be there to help her realise it or maybe take advantage of it?

While Damocles had spent quite a bit of time around South Blue, he had never really stayed too long on Baterilla. He had heard that the island itself was beautiful and serene with nice towns and pleasant people. Yet for some reason he had never really been interested in the place that much. Maybe it was because nothing really interesting usually happened around this island, or rather because he simply had no reason to stay. However, it seemed all of this would change. As of late, notices of a pirate threatening the island had become prominent on Damocles's base and so after being dispatched by his commanding officer, the ambitious and young Marine set out without any question. Oddly enough, he had heard rumors that their was a potential rookie marine lurking around, but Damocles did not know of her identity or physique. He did however gain a note that stated where to meet this new recruit, should he decide to do so, which he grudgingly did so after one of his colleges talked him into doing it, much to his chagrin.

Upon arriving before the destined place, the Marine made his presence well known. It wasn't that he used any abilty or anything. Instead the reason people began to look at him was because of his outfit. Damocles looked like a giant amalgamation hidden by a massive cloak with thick large sleeves and a huge hood that covered his face. The Marine also walked hunched, further giving an aura of mystery and somewhat danger to himself. His eyes set up to a girl who leaned against a metal railing. He walked dragging forth his form. The sound of heavy metal clanking about was heard about, provoking interested individuals to gossip about what was it that the hooded figure was exactly. After dragging on his heels, Damocles began to speak to the person who looked similar to what he had been told was the general description of the person he was too meet.

"Hey, are you Skyla? If so come with me and don't ask much questions. Understood?" said Damocles with a deep and somewhat demonic voice, something he did by lowering his pitch. He enjoyed dressing up like this and using said voice in public, it made him appear even more mysterious. He however made his origins known by grabbing a loose Marine cape with the words justice inscribed in them, which he threw to the woman without discarding his hooded robe. "Further proof of my affiliation, if you need it. Now move it! We don't have all day, little girl." mocked Damocles intentionally wanting to see if she was of quick temper or of cool demeanor.

Damocles's current appearance:

The newly assigned marine's ears twitched as she heard the approach of some strange creature from behind. Lightly turning on her heels, she turned her attention to the newcomer. Skyla was initially surprised at the size of the figure behind her, the large hooded stranger didn't match the clanking scrape  that brought it closer. The massive hunched over figure slowly made it's way closer. As it drew near, she could see a little of the man's face as the morning sun cut through the shadow cast by his hood. She made a mental note to watch this one's actions, his reach and strength would no doubt be incredible. A morning breeze blew a tuft of hair in front of her eyes but she would not bother to give it attention. She noticed that the odd man was drawing the attention of passers by, a middle aged couple with their toddler exchanging whispers before carrying on with their day. Clank, clank. The dark stranger came closer. She had assumed that this was who was to meet her, someone from the marines. She straightened up and wiggled her gauntlets into place. Her years of solitude had conditioned her to be ready for any occurance. With a stranger such as this, it was common sense to remain wary.

Only as he drew up could the girl appreciate the stature of the male in front of her, he towered over herself and seemed to cast a shadow on the cobbles darker then natural.
Hey, are you Skyla? If so come with me and don't ask much questions. Understood?
A few men had tried this particularly aggressive line of courting on her in the past, that was before they knew the pain of ten broken fingers. Although she doubted that this man was here under such intentions. As she had already decided, she would go along with whatever game the marines wished to play, if that meant diving in the deep end without any information then so be it. His voice even had a particular weight to it but the young lady was not affected by it. She was stronger than any man she had ever met and was confident that she could handle any situation. The man flicked a marines cap at her and she caught it one her finger and twirled it around before placing it on her head. She was not a fan of hats but she assumed that is what the nameless man wished her to do.

Further proof of my affiliation, if you need it. Now move it! We don't have all day, little girl.
She stood straight and still while looking the man in the eye. Skyla had no idea on marine protocal or any of their mannerisms so she just decided to be polite and to go along with whatever the man said. Damocles's mocking was lost on the girl as she took his words at their individual worth. It was true in a literal sense that she was little compared to her new acquaintance, but it was false in that they did have all day as it was still only morning. And as to where she should 'move it', the girl had no clue. The thought occured to him that he may be waiting for her reaction.
Yessir. I shall trust that you have my orders as to my job, mister...? He had said no questions but she decided to risk it by drawing out the downward inflexion at the end of the sentence to coax a name out of the man. Skyla would follow the stranger if he was to lead her somewhere.

Damocles did not respond to her in a verbal way, but in a physical one. He simply nodded at her question, replying swiftly to her inquiry. He made no effort in talking to the girl. Instead, once she agreed to come with him, he turned around and began dragging his form across the wooden floorboards. It wasn't so much a sense of danger that came off him, but rather uneasiness. The disturbing secretiveness of the huge hooded figure, the resounding crash of metal that came as he moved, the stern, cold and even dismissive tone of his stentorian voice. It was all a good sense to give the girl a warning of his design. While he made no effort to forcefully frighten anybody, a child had stepped on his way, to which Damocles responded by glaring down on the small, innocent kid with his heavy blue eyes, one of the few things that were ascertainable from his otherwise clouded face. He wasted no words with the kid, for his stare was enough to make the brat run away in clear fear of the ominous figure. Light-heartedness would not return to the area until the slow-moving Damocles and Skyla left the area. Once they were way from the masses, Damocles turned and addressed the girl.

"What information do you have on our target?" said Damocles in his deep and dark voice. He wasted no time in turning his head to hers, rather he continued walking with his metallic orchestra following in close pursuit. Once she replied, Damocles raised a hand and pointed a finger, the only clear fact that he was human or at least partially human, to a sign. It was a simple division of roads. Nothing large or extraordinary. Yet for some reason the dark figure stood still and pointed.

"Choose!" Said Damocles forcefully. Of course this was a test. If she picked the northern side she would head straight to the town where the pirate was located. Yet if she chose the north they would head to the sea where the pirate's ships were docked. He was going to see if she was either strategic or bold. Cautious or headstrong. Once the choice was made, Damocles dragged on and followed the girl without raising any voice regarding her decision.

The pair made an odd couple, walking down the street, one was a large hidden mass emitting clanks and scrapes, the other was a girl with large chunks of metal strapped to her arms and legs and a marines cap on her forehead. Once they were outside the seaside village, the strange man/machine or whatever he was turned and questioned her. What information do you have on our target? Skyla was a bit surprised and dissapointed. She was hoping hat she could get away with just following orders but it seems like this man wanted her to jump through hoops. She realised that the man probably had access to the marines' intel and would know more then she could be expected to know. She didn't know any more about the situation then what was described in the briefing. And the briefing had been rather, well, brief.
Umm, nothing much, just what the marshal told-
Choose! He pointed to the sign that stood at the end of the street and signalled the forking into two paths.

She decided to mull over the decision out loud. Well, Keith Braus is holed up in town somewhere and their ships are stationed out that way.. Skyla realised that this was the reason that they needed to choose which direction to go. If we went to his ships then we could cut off their escape route but then were would be leaving them unchecked. Also he has that noble hostage and there would be no guarantee that we could get back to the town before they start getting troublesome. But maybe they are keeping the hostage at their ship. No, we should go to town and try to get information on his whereabouts before making a planned attack. In her mind, there was a larger probability of the noble being held wherever the boss was. If they did it right, he would not have a chance to escape anyway.

She glanced up at the hulking mass to try to see if there was any acknowledgement about her choice and then started down the path that would lead them into town. It would take them about an hour's walk to reach the town. As she walked, the green metal gauntlets on her feet tapped lightly on the stone. It was a strange situation for her with this unknown man, she was used to working alone and only relying on herself.

-Timeskip to when the two appear before the pirates-

The town burned down. Flames consumed the once humble and welcoming adobes of the innocent. The once cleaned and well-sprouted streets, in their heyday a center of bustling activity concerning the island, was deprived of all semblance of joy or people. Shrilled voices rang in desperate cries, hoping, searching for a faint glimmer of a blessing. It seemed Fortuna had not been kind to these good people. All was too violent, all was too ruinous. It was naught like the port Damocles had met with Skyla where humans at least remained somewhat optimistic. By his part, the hooded individual simply continued walking towards a pirate-infested area where he could at least get down to business. Yet before doing anything, he did two things. The first was mount a crossbow to his metallic arm and the second was to turn and face the girl one last time before fighting.

"Two rules. Don't get in the way. Don't die. Got it?" said Damocles as he veered himself forward, hunching his figure further. After imparting those rather cold and distant words, the Marine jumped up, dropping before a crowd of hired thugs who were targeting a woman. A string of three bolts were fired off, clashing hard against skin, muscle and bone, forcing that sacred river of red to spew out after impact. Afterwards another fool tried to attack Damocles by swinging a sword at the back of the hooded man, but upon metal clashing against metal, the Marine pushed his back, throwing the other off-guard. Further, after the shock, the Marine tacked down the other and proceeded to take advantage of the other's fall. A heavy metal boot slammed down against the naked face, smashing down the rather unappealing visage. Lastly, while still fool cloaked, Damocles fired off a metal chain with a hook at the end that proceeded to latch upon another criminal before forcing said criminal against a wall. Yet while it was somewhat impressive how a hunched and clocked figure moved. However, the impression soon died out. A sword struck through, ripping through the cloak. A shallow groan was heard and down went the figure.

Yet...instead of dying, the cloak was thrown off. A large hole was still noticeable, but instead of piercing skin, the metal just pieced through the cloak. A shame since it was one of Damocles's favorite ones. Yet he wouldn't give over it. Afterwards a huge man standing over seven feet in height sprung up and returned back to Skyla's side. He was youthful in appearance, looking no older than twenty five years of age yet with a set of scars and bruises. Most noticeably, the strapping individual was missing one of his forearms, which had been replaced by a metallic arm. Instead of a common Marine uniform however, the tanned man with dark hair and blue eyes wore a set of black plate armor with leather padding underneath, hence the metallic sounds that came off him. Damocles smirked wickedly, enjoying the revelation himself far too greatly. A massive sword was strapped to his back, which he proceeded to unsheathe and hold firmly with both hands.

"Well...I guess my secret's out. Sorry for being rude kid, but I had to play the part . It's part of the character and all though." Said Damocles with a much less gruff voice, albeit it was still deep. He took an offensive stance and smiled eagerly.

"Ok, listen closely newbie. I still have the same rule, don't die. But...you can ignore the other part. Though I highly recommend going against such proespect. Now, without further ado, let's get cracking!" said Damocles as he ran once more towards the frey. This time however, instead of going against random bandits, Damocles was set on going for the pirates. Yet before rushign off, the Marine said one last thing. "By the way, I never told ya my name. I'm Damocles, nice to meet ya." And with that the real fighting began.

OOC: since Deep hasn't made contact with me...I am going to finish this task by myself.

After finishing with the bastards that had ran amok the place, the grinning Damocles smirked to himself, proudly displaying his satisfaction at his work. Afterwards, he called out for the name of the man who had been responsible for the whole thing and face him. However, instead of having appeared himself, the coward had his two main subordinates appear before him. One was  an attractive, tall, slender Kuja with wavy blonde hair, which she tied into two pigtail buns and wore revealing yellow clothes with a purple fur coat with pink spots on it. She also wore red high-heels and a fishnet stocking over her right leg. The woman equipped herself with a trident and laughed arrogantly at the man who appeared before her.

"Well, aren't you the surprise. And here i thought I had to face some ugly cyborg. What a shame though. I guess I'll be sad that such good-looks are wasted on a deadman." said the woman with  adultery tone to her voice as she ran towards Damocles with her trident. Her first swing was aimed at his chest, but was easily countered. Her second swing was a backstab she attempted to strike with the spike that protruded at the end of her weapon. Upon seeing the spike, Damocles moved back a bit, barely dodging the attack. She was fast and quick with her weapon. Further, her slender body made it hard for him to strike her. Yet Damocles would rather commit suicide than having to bear the humiliation defeat of losing to such an indecent woman. So while the woman frenzied around trying to strike Damocles, the Marine either dodged or parried. Yet as much as he moved and dodged, it was only a matter of time until one of her hits landed. A hard single stab wound at his left shoulder. It wasn't deep, given that the armor absorbed most of the attack, but ti was enough to make him bleed. Despite this, the woman lit up in her accomplishment.

"Ah ha! My how delicious! Now it's only a matter of time before I make mincemeat out of you!" proudly said the woman as she stepped away from Damocles in order to see the product of her handiwork.

"Hey cupcake, why don't ya come over and actually give me something to enjoy? What's wrong, too scared that daddy's gonna chop you up into nice even slices of ham?" said Damocles who flexed his index finger at her, prompting the reckless woman to find a sense of anger that made her rush off towards the man. She now moved somewhat faster, but it didn't matter. Damocles took a defensive stance and waited for her to attack him. She lunged forward and it was then over. "First Commandment: Wrath!" said Damocles as he successfully parried her attack and continued his move by proceeding to use her confusion against her. In one quick burst of time, thousandlimb ran straight through her chest. Yet it wasn't enough to just pierce right through her. Hence, after stabbing her with his blade, Damocless grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to the edge of the blade, only for him to once again sheath his blade against her already agape chest. He continued to do this until it was clear that the woman was dead. Her body was only connecting by a few strands of flesh, muscle and bones that had not been struck, but for all intents and purposes she had been eviscerated into two.

Chaos and entropy. The town had been consumed whole by the fires that raged through the streets. The pirates' lust for the people's wealth fueled their rampage, wreaking havoc to unrightfully take what they desired. Skyla had seen too much of this sort of problem in her time, but this was about as bad as it got in these parts. The sky was filled with billowing smoke and the firelight cast violent images onto the heavenly canvas. The pair walked down the street amidst the happenings, all too casually. Skyla wouldn't usually take this approach but for some reason she felt safer with this large stranger. She watched him equip a crossbow onto his arm from the corner of her eye. He turned to her and spoke, warning her about not getting in the way. That was fine by her, she didn't want to be anywhere near this man while he fought until she knew what he was capable of. And as for not dying, well she always seemed to have an unnatural tenacity for survival. Like a cockroach that scuttles away into the cracks. It may not be the most glorious of actions but she had learnt through sheer experience how to keep herself alive.

Then the man started forwards. She saw that he had taken the gang of thugs in front of them as the first objective. Skyla stayed hot on his heels, ready to give assistance should he need it. The large figure was surprisingly agile, dropping into the crowd of goons. As he went into battle, Skyla spotted headed towards the woman, trying to help her out from underneath their assault. There were three of them surrounding the woman, it would have been harder if it weren't for the distraction that her new colleague was creating. The surprise of his attack drew their heads to the side just as Skyla came at them from below. She went low, rolling into a two legged kick at the back of the first man's knees. He shouted out in alarm as he crumbled to the ground, his joints smashed. As his two buddies looked over at him, they released their grip on the woman. She took this opportunity to spring upwards and smack their hands off her with the heavy metal gauntlets. They both stumbled backwards but were quick to recover.

This was about to get a lot harder. She had a civilian cowering behind her that she was to protect, Skyla could not just dodge an attack if it were to hit the poor woman. They drew knives and charged simultaneously at her, hoping to overwhelm the female. Much to their surprise, Skyla flipped onto her hands and bent her elbows and knees so she was almost in an upside down fetal position. Then as they neared, she sprung up and kicked outward with both feet, hitting them both clean on the jaw. She rested comfortably with her legs spread in a large V as the two men sailed in a small arc away from them. Perking her head up to the sound of the initial target trying to regain his footing, she fell on him, heel dropping the metal weights onto his skull. As she rose, the noise of the encounter had mostly subsided. The new marine recruit looked over to the man mountain to see his cloak slashed away to reveal a great suit of armour. Just like a modern day knight, he stood over bloodied corpses of his fallen enemies and started to speak. maybe the bloodshed had calmed him or at least brought him out of his shell a little but Skyla noticed a difference in the way that he talked to her. And apparently his name was Damocles.

---
She once again followed Damocles through the upturned town. This was where the pirates were supposed to be housed, she wondered what exactly the man had in terms of a plan. So far it looked like something of the frontal assault variety. Skyla wondered how that would fare for the hostage, or if they had any choice. Maybe it was a better idea to tackle this trouble as quickly as possible so that the marines could restore order to the town once again. Maybe that was more important then the possibility of a dead noble.

Two figures exited the building in front of them, one was an attractive female that called out to Damocles. The other was a smaller and more reserved man that stood beside her. The woman engaged the knight marine with gusto. Skyla watched briefly as they engaged each other with gusto. She didn't have long before the man had drawn his sword and had started to run at her. The blade was a skinny pointed one, much like an oversized needle. As he drew in, his feet flicked outwards into a fencers pose. A quick jab came at her face and the young lady managed to dodge that and the downward swing that came next. She could tell that this man had skill, he used the weapon to strike at distance to protect himself from her melee range hits. Getting past his guard would take a few tricks.

She was not used to tackling professional fighters so this was out of her comfort zone. But that is what she came for, upward and onward she would keep climbing and this little man would not get in her way. Trying to keep up with the combo of jabs and thrusts was a dangerous game to play, the point glancing off her guard and just past her face. She had to make a play or she was going to end up skewered. She waited for the start of the next jab and then she suddenly spun her forearms together into a vice to trap the sword. This was to stop it from cutting into her while she tried to gap close. The male officer was ready and about to retreat but Skyla was already halfway through her movement. She simply sprung forward while she locked in the sword and smashed into the man's nose with her forehead. Blood ruptured from the nasal orifice as he stumbled back in surprise. It was the strange and unconventional tactic that caught him, not the pain. Skyla continued forwards and drove him to the ground. She stomped on his sword arm and kneeled in his chest.

With her opponent pinned, the young marine looked up at Damocles and took note of his derogatory banter with rolling eyes. She then watched without a movement as he cleaved through her. Skyla was used to the sight of gore and it did not affect her, a droplet of blood splattered against her cheek. When she noted that he was done, she looked up at the man and spoke. What would you like done with this one? She meant the man on the ground beneath her. Now, all was left was the head of the snake, Captain Braus.

OOC: damm brah, u really outdid yourself. Though I am not posting 2000 words.

"I would have you quell your fury." said Damocles surprisingly. He walked towards the girl and threw her a napkin so she could clean herself up. "While your work is...admirable, I have plans for this foppish swine." said Damocles as he sheathed his blade and knelt down. He had amicably asked her to remove herself from him. Afterwards, the Marine in black gripped the injured man's hair, nearly ripping his scalp from his crown. Damocles then threw the man against a wall and glared at him with a blazing stare. "You'll run along to your boss now and tell him if you can transport the noble back to the ship. If your boss refuses and motions to kill said noble you will convince him that their is merit in letting him live. Tell him you can profit from him or something. I don't care. All that matters si that you bring the noble to the ship. There, you will hand over the noble to my partner here and she'll handle the rest. Got it." said Damocles with the same tone he had when he was cloaked. The injured man whimpered and cried out, but was arrogant enough to actually throw a punch at Damocles, who instead of gracing the blow with a response, took the blow to his jaw. His azure eyes then turned to scorching infernos and a blast of danger too hold of the man. The marine in armor did not harm the other, but in sight alone had made the bastard pipe down. Once he calmed down, he sighed and released the man.

"Who knows, if you do your part accordingly, maybe my partner here lets you go off your merry way so you can go back to a life of whoring and pestering." said Damocles as he turned to Skyla with a grim face. He bent down so he could reach her, and whispered something to her ear. "I care not what you do with him, but make sure Justice is delivered. Do this and I will see to it that you are welcomed with more than a warm reception." With that, Damocles sat back on a makeshift chair and jerked his neck, signaling the pirate to go run to his master.

An hour or so passed before Damocles moved out to where the pirate, Keith Braus was located. It seemed his plan had worked out since the Captain was by his part sitting on a chair. Keith Braus is a thin, rather ugly man with slicked back black hair, big gouging crystal blue eyes and a gaunt built complete with pale almost translucent skin. True to his epithet, the man wore a suit of snake-like armor that was heavily plated in gold decoration with claws on the tops of the gauntlets and an armored hood that looks like the head of a cobra. He was also equipped with a halberd that he had in the middle of his being like an old man with a cane. The snake-like man however had allergy been expecting Damocles. Without any prior notice, the Snake man fired off three bullets from a pistol. Of cours,e the shots were countered by Damocesls's arrows, but this wasn't really fight, rather the start of an encounter.

"Nice to see you...Mr. Marine"

Skyla caught the paper napkin and wiped her blood streaked cheek with it. Damocles called her work admirable, she would have said that fight was lucky and nothing more. A risky move to beat him quickly, thankfully it paid off in the end. She would have to get stronger so that she did not have to resort to such measures in the future. As the giant of a man bent down to the much smaller grounded officer, Skyla slid off his chest and let the marine have at him. She continued to watch with an unblinking gaze as Damocles intimidated the man into doing his bidding.

After hearing her new acquaintances last words, she responded with a simple yet resolute "Roger". With that she set off in a forced march jog back the way they came. Passing back through the chaos stricken village, she pounded a few lurking idiots on the way. When she reached the town gate, she took the path that would lead her out to the port in which the ship of the pirate named Keith Braus was anchored. She kept up the jog, uninhibited by the large metal weights on her arms and legs.

Entering the port, she searched the docks for the ship that matched the description that she had been provided. Upon sighting the ship, she crept around the side of it and observed the location a little before advancing. It seemed that there was two grunts on board, just to watch the ship. They did not seem too strong, she felt like she could catch them by surprise. It wasn't long until they gave her an opportunity, one fat bald man and a very ugly young man cheered for their discovery of a stray booze bottle and retreated into the cabins to have at it. Skyla snuck up the gangplank and crept over to the cabin door. She could hear them on just the other side braying like disturbed donkeys.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself for her dynamic entrance. The crowd is cheering, calling for an encore. Shoulder barging the wooden door in, she rolled onto her upper back and kicked the little table that they were leaning on so that it flew with the alcohol and smashed against the back of the room. Then she twisted her core and snaked her feet around, spinning like a breakdancer. Her steel feet smashed into the surprised pair and sent them down onto their arses. Regaining her feet, she conked them both on the head to induce concussion and then bound their arms and legs with some rope that was hanging around.

Now that she had secured the boat, Skyla would wait patiently for the officer to arrive with the hostage. Sitting in a shadow on the main deck, she would not be easily discernible from those below. In one hand she took a sip from one of the pirate's cups. It was a disgusting hard liquor that was probably more suited to thinning paint then for drinking.

OOC: I apologize for this very late reply... If you want, end it after this reply since I'm ending the boss in this one post.

The polearm struck down, slicing through the wooden compose that rose from behind. A single take of such tool would mean a most certain death. The snake-man was a man who could prove his metal. Hiding by sneerful assaults and shadowy strikes, he was indeed a difficult one to grasp. Of course, the battle had already gone by the stage of beginning encounters, for Keith Braus had already turned from human to beast, his size increased greatly, the Great Snake, resembled a massive king cobra with long, muscular arms and legs. His entire body was coated in hard scale and the only feature left from his human form was his face situated within the mouth of his cobra head with the snake-tongue protruding from where his mouth should be. Furthermore, the grotesque being grasped firmly his weapon, slithering through the floors of the burnin city, while tactfully calculating his next attack by encircling the marine armed with his soul sword. It would be little to call the monstrosity sub-human.

Regardless of such, Damocles kept calm, despite his uneasiness. He had no particular fear of snakes, but was not at ease around them. The fact that he was fighting less of a human and more of a gargantuan titan wreathed in disgusting features was however disturbing to his eyes. Despite this, he had managed to wound the bastard a few times, striking hard against the sides and even leaving behind a single cut wound. Yet it wasn't much to celebrate about. Of course, the Marine was still holding fast to his post, gripping the behemoth sword with both hands, pressing his elbows to his sides tightly and bending his knees ever-so slightly, standing in clear wait to a frontal attack. The opportunity then came forth.

The Pirate rushed forward, dragging his scales down the floor at amazing speeds raising his halberd and positioning it for a downward strike. Damocles by his part had managed to see through the attack and muster up a swing, clashing both sword and pole arm hard against one another. It was hard metal and the weapon carried behind it the might of a kaon-users augmented strength, but it was in state and origin, just a stick connected to a head. Therefore ought countering the downward swing, Damocles swung his sword downwards and met the point of connection between the two weapons, snapping the pole arm in two and rendering the great snake-man weaponless, yet not defeated and as a quick counter Keith launched a connecting punch straight at the swordsman's breastplate, sending the other back a few feet. Worst of all, the impact of the punch was of such magnitude that a terrible fate had befallen Damocles, his sword had been separated from him, landing close to the snake-man's side.

"You are skilled, Master Marine. But are much so? Fight me as I am, with no weapon at hand and only might to prove." snarked Keith Braus as he extended himself forward by thrusting his chest so he could again land another heavy punch at the other, this time smacking Damocles against the renmants of a wall. The body crashed hard against the ground and for the first time in quite a bit, the Marine was damaged so much that he was actually coughing up blood. "You can still move?" mused the Pirate as the Marine saw that his sword was not far from reach, despite his injuries. He attempted to grasp for it, but was met by a slam of the other's tail against his bare arm, reducing the muscular man of justice to agonized screams. If not to add further salt, once Damocles crutched his arm so he could stop the trembling, his back was again struck by the other's tail, sending another hoarse yell from his mouth.

"How quaint! Is this the man who killed my men? Pathetic!" haughtily said Keith as he grabbed Damocles head with little resistance from the other who could barely now even muster up a wink. Or some the other through, in a quick flash, Damocles fired one of his arrows that he had noticed on his hand beforehand, knowing that he might have to fight in a slightly less honorable light. The projectile worked, striking down on the other's left eye, forcing the snake man to a withering mess of agonized scream. In retaliating the snake man threw Damocles to his side, but failed to notice that by doing so, he sealed his face. Although he took more damage by the snake man's hands, he was now back with his sword. Anger and resolution couded the pirate's mind as the antagonists rushed to Damocles who happily grabbed his sword again. The following sound was blissful in it's inception.

Keith's remains fell down, being bisected down from the shoulder down to his waist. The barely alive Pirate attempted to crawl away, a humorous sight that made Damocles smirk up. Yet the Marine would not give the other a proud warrior's death. Instead he grabbed the hood of the other's remaining head and threw it against one of the burnin piles of wood and stone that still held burning flames. Now that the deed had been done, Damocles rushed dot collect a trophy as compensation for his work. A fine prize would be given to him after slaying such a beast. He cut off one of the hands of the remaining body that had not been scorched down and afterwards walked away. He wasn't tasked with making sure that the city was rid of it's flames. That was the duty of the authorities of the place. He had however ended the dangers and thus would leave knowing that despite the consencaquences of his fight, he had managed to end the feuding and bloodshed. Now he just needed to contact that new girl so they could go back to the base.

She sat there, hidden for longer then she would have liked, waiting for the hostager and hostagee to turn up. Hugging the side of the deck, she watched the shadows cast on the deck slowly rotate like a sun dial. She was starting to wonder if he would come at all, maybe he had done a runner.. she figured it wasn't too likely, the way Damocles had scared him witless. There was a little commotion coming from further up the dock. Sure enough when she checked, there was the officer, slowly making his way down to the ship. He had the little noble boy at swordpoint, hold him close to his chest as he passed jeering seamen. Now that he didn't have his crew around him and had been reduced to a droopy figure, desperately trying to grab back control of the situation.

Skyla waited as he approached the gangplank. She was looking for her opportunity to intervene. She did not trust that the man would hand the prisoner back so easily. A drunken sailer stumbled up to the officer, rambling something incoherent. He was making it hard to pass and the officer started getting annoyed, trying to get past. He was clearly anxious and couldn't help but get flustered. Skyla would make use of this scenario, jumping atop the ledge of the ship. A moment later, the officer brandished his sword at the drunk warding him off. The new marine recruit jumped and dropped onto the pirate officer, crushing him beneath her weight. The metal feet smacked into the man's right shoulder and he crumbled to the ground, his knees not expecting to, nor being able to, deal with the sudden impact. She could hear the crunch of his joint as it fractured and became wrecked. He fell on his back and clutched at it in agony. Skyla stood there over him deciding what to do with the wailing man.

The noble boy quickly jumped back from the situation and watched the scene. He was a nervous wreck and had not handled the kidnapping well. And why would he? He was not much more than a kid, raised behind the high walls of his family's estate and fed three meals a day. The boy reminded her of her younger self, the broken mess she had been in the weeks that passed after that night.

... make sure Justice is delivered.
That is what the large marine man had said. By the look of how he mercilessly cleaved through his foes, she already had a good idea what exactly his definition of justice was. Justice... It seemed like an imaginary concept. There was no justice here, only fire. Fire and chaos. Skyla jumped atop the pirate and slammed her large metal fist into the throat of the officer, crushing his throat. The boy let out a squeak as this happened, watching in awe as the girl kicked the slowly suffocating man into the sea. Hopefully this would satisfy her superiors and lead her down the path that she was looking for. Come on, let's get you back to your family. The docile kid obediently followed her as she returned to where she had left Damocles to report back to him.