Task 1:

The Gold Leopards ship had been sailing for what felt like days but was truly no more than a couple since leaving the west blue. The ship was still silent and full of uncertainty as Leparo's life hung in the balance. The crew was full of emotions, some scared, some sad, and some angry. Angry with whom? None other than their vice captain, and current stand-in captain, Kash.

"It's all her fault. I knew it was only a matter of time before she turned her fangs on the captain," said one of the crew mates under his breath to another.

Kash could hear them clearly but she didn't care to confront them. Her mind was elsewhere as she stared toward the shore of Dawn Island. This was their first stop in the search for a healer for Leparo. She felt like this was a good place to find help.

Sure it was Kash's fault for injuring Leparo so severely, but let's be honest. He brought the entire situation on himself when he started acting like an untamed beast. She felt no regret for injuring him. She was just frustrated with him for making her do it at all. She never got to truly express her rage at the disrespect he showed her prior to Illusia, and now she was forced to take care of him.

"Set the anchor," she would say to the crew , not even turning to look at them. They knew well to do as she said, especially when she was their best chance at getting their captain back.

They had arrived to Dawn Island.

With the ship anchored on the shore of Dawn Island, Kash prepared to head into town, alone. She had gathered her belongings from her quarters, dressed in her usual attire with Dom and Levy at her waist. The crew lingered in anticipation, wondering what role they would play in saving their beloved captain. However Kash had no use for them, not with her at least.

"I'm going into town. You all stay here and watch the ship until I return," she would say before making her exit from the ship. She could hear the moans, groans, and ramblings as she left the crew behind. She just made it easy for them to hate her honestly.

But Kash couldn't have any more attachments to this crew. Leparo was enough as is and look at how that was playing out. As she marched though the sand to the dirt path that would lead to Foosha Village, Kash began to think about why she stayed with this group so long. She wasn't even sure if Leparo was the same Leparo anymore. Things felt like they weren't going to be the same and that her departure from this crew was soon to come.

Once in town, noticed how quiet and humble it was. An eerie peace was all about and Kash wasn't feeling it. She would spot a small merchant shop and proceed inside to ask a few questions. Inside there was a silver haired, older woman at the sales counter and a younger brunette busy about the shop.

"Oh wow, another new face. Welcome to Foosha Village!" The older woman said excitedly.

Kash couldn't match the woman's excitement, any other time she could bring about a pleasant smirk but today was not a good day. "I'm looking for a doctor or a medic of some kind. Do you know where I could find one?"

"Oh...well, we don't really have many doctors in these parts. Healers pass through often, or may stay temporarily. However I believe...OH NO! LEAVE! LEAVE!" The woman began before suddenly shouting in a panic like she had seen a ghost.

Kash turned her head slightly toward the open door to see a gang of men, dressed the same in leather outfits approaching. How cliche, she thought.

"Knock, knock. Mrs. Yoshiro, looks like your shop attracts the best customers. Hey cutey, you look new here. My name is Von, leader of the Rebel Dogs, protectors of Foosha Village and all its visitors," A man said upon entering the shop, while his 4 goons waited outside. He would extend his hand in greeting to Kash, which she would pay dust and simply look him in the eyes with a blank expression on her face.

"My, my quite the cold shoulder you have there. Look, you look like you can take care of yourself but trust me when I say this, you want to have us on your side. You see, my men and I run a smooth business here and provide protections from some nasty individuals. For about 100,000 beli, you won't even have to turn around to see what a sound was at night."

"No! Now get, leave you-"

*BANG*

The sound of gun fire as the man would shoot in the direction of the shop owner, not hitting her but being damn close. Kash looked out of the corner of her eye and could see the woman paralyzed with fear, shaking. The younger woman running quickly to her side, hugging her. Kash felt for them, but at the same time understood the man's hustle. Kash has been around tougher men though and seen her share of innocent bloodshed. However, she felt all of this was a waste of her time. Besides, the woman already gave her an answer. She'd have to keep searching if she wanted to find a doctor. So Kash decided to walk right past the man and out the door. Before she could get too far, the 4 goons would stand in a line blocking her path.

"I highly insist you consider my offer mam. After all, we're the best protection around. And believe me when I say this, there are some...nasty, NASTY people around here.

Kash could feel her anger rising, she was very annoyed with this man's persistence and didn't have the time to toy around like she usually would. Curse Leparo for making her put up with all of this. The urge to kill was so irresistible right now, and not in the usual fun way. Kash couldn't even fight it, grabbing the hilt of her her blade quickly and unsheathing it with a rush of fury. In one swift motion, Kash had unleashed her blade and now held it out at her side in the air. Blood dripped slowly to the ground.

*Thud*
*Thud*
*Thud*
*Thud*

The sound of the heads of all 4 men that blocked her path dropping to the ground one after the other, followed by their bodies collapsing.

"YOU BITCH!" Von shouted, beginning to aim his gun at Kash. However before he could get a good shot, Kash would spin and use her whip, Dom, to lash out at his hand knocking the gun away. Von stepped back, holding his hand which was beginning to bleed from the lash. "Okay, you wanna go toe-to-toe with the big dog. Let's go!"

Von would put his hands up in a fighting stance similar to a street boxer while Kash still had both Dom and Levy in hand. Her face still with the same bored expression as Von would quickly charge at Kash unleashing a series of punches desperate for a hit. With each strike, Kash would back away and lean from side to side just out of reach. She could see the frustration welling in Von's eyes and couldn't put up with such a pathetic display any longer. The next punch Von threw would be his last as Kash's whip would wrap around the arm and she would pull him into her blade, which would impale his abdomen, just below his rib cage. Everything came to a halt as blood spilled down Von's chin and his other hand grabbed at the blade.

"You couldn't have thought this was going to be a fair fight," Kash would say plainly before pushing Von away to the ground.

Kash was annoyed that she had to use her blade for such an annoyance but she was fed up at the moment. Everything was frustrating her easily. As she put her weapons away on her person, she heard footsteps briskly approaching her from behind. Her hand rested on the hilt of her blade in case she needed to draw again.

"I hope these weren't friends of yours," Kash would say casually before even turning to see who it was.

"No, not at all," a man's voice spoke. A voice Kash could never forget which would cause her eyes to widen with disbelief as she turned around quickly to see who it was. "It's been awhile Joker."

"Niles..."

Task 2:

"What are you doing here?! How?!" Kash was completely shocked to see Niles here. So many memories and emotions were beginning to flood her right now. The last time she had seen him was after their gang's base had been raided by local authority. Niles had been captured and imprisoned. Their little gang disbanded and everyone went their separate ways.

"Heh, let's call it good behavior. It's nice to see you again. I never forgot about you," he would say while walking closer to Kash and gently placing his hands on her hips. Kash's heart was beating in her ears right now and her hand slipped from the hilt of her blade as she quickly hugged Niles. Everything left her mind for a moment as she found herself back in a time where he was her world. He was one person Kash could always be vulnerable with, he understood her feelings more than anyone.

"If you keep squeezing, I might be the next victim here," he would say fighting for air. Kash would snap out of her daze and quickly let go, stepping back a moment embarrassed. Kash was acting like one of the cliche girls in manga when they get around their crush, she hated it but couldn't fight it. He did this to her.

"I don't think I've ever seen your face so red. Oh wait, there was that time you got drop kicked by that girl when we were robbing her dad haha."

The memory and him laughing quickly snapped Kash from her little mode and she punched him in his chest on reflex. "Shut up! I still buried that bitch in the end." Kash looked away as if she was unphased by his joke.

"True, true. Anyway, what are you doing here? I heard something about you being in the west blues, it was everywhere. You're a pirate now? Thought you hated the whole pirates and marines thing," Niles would say with curiosity. His words bringing Kash back a moment to her reality.

"I. Well, things have changed," she would start to say, looking down at the ground. Once upon a time, Kash did say she would never be a pirate or a marine because they were all that dominated the world these days as if people weren't free to be anything else.

"I see. Hey, while you're here, wanna help me with something? I actually feel lucky to have found you again. You're probably the only other person I can trust," he would say, desperation lingering on his voice.

How could she say no to him?

Niles had taken Kash to a local bar to discuss what it was that he needed of her. It was a stale place, everything wooden and lacking any kind of creative flair. The perfect place for good drinks however, these types always were. Niles and Kash would sit at a table in the corner with a couple of drinks.

"So wait, they let you out and you're just right back to the same old, same old. Wow, can't call you stupid," Kash would say laughingly before taking a sip of her drink.

"You know me, I never learn my lesson. They're just gonna have to catch me again."

"Well, let's hope that doesn't happen. Cause you know, they're not going to let you out again."

They both would laugh and clink their glasses. Kash found herself getting lost in Niles's eyes and all of her stress washing away.

"You know, this is like we were never apart from each other. I can't tell you how many times I thought about holding you again. You were my right hand Kash," he would say, reaching for her hand to hold. Kash felt a shiver down her spine hearing her name come from his mouth. He would always call her Joker when they were out running the streets, but when they were alone or being intimate, he would say her name with such a softness to it. She melted each time.

"You have no idea how much I've missed this. Things have been so, weird since those days. I can't even begin to explain," she started to say before leaning back in her chair and drinking again.

"Well, I'm here. You can tell-" Niles's words would be interrupted by the sound of loud boots approaching their table. They would look up to see a sizeable group of men had filled the bar. It was entirely different crowd from before.

"Sorry to interrupt, but you're Niles right?" A man would ask, while Niles would look at Kash who simply chuckled and began to sip her drink.

"Oh right, this was part of that problem I needed help with," Niles would say casually.

*CRASH*

Kash had thrown her glass into the face of the man next to their table without missing a beat. She had picked up on the vibes of everyone and knew what kind of help Niles needed. The kind that meant people had to die. The large man stumbled backwards, holding his face full of glass and blood. Niles quickly got up and would use his chair to hit the man, knocking him out cold. On that note, the other men began to charge for the two, knocking over tables and each other. A large group such as there's couldn't fight effectively in such limited space as this bar.

Kash would jump from table to table, drawing her blade to begin cutting down some of the brutes. She would give one a good slash to his face before kicking off his chest and bringing her blade down on another. Niles on the other hand was starting off hand to hand, decking guys in the face and the gut with beautiful punches and kicks. The two were dancing the dance of death with a full audience. They were a remarkable pair.

*SMASH*

Niles came down on a man right into a table, standing on his chest as he would pull his pistol to shoot 2 more goons. "You know what this reminds me of?" he would shout at Kash.

"Don't!" Kash yelled back while impaling 2 men at once with her sword and then using her whip to strangle another.

"It's like our first date!" he yelled while he finished beating a man's face in as he sat on his chest.

"I told you before that wasn't our first date! Just when we first met." Kash would say cutting down another man.

The two were in a full out brawl and still able to continue reminiscing about old times. A beautifully dysfunctional pair they were.

Kash was crouched over a guy that she had stabbed in the chest with her blade as Niles tossed another body over her head and sent him crashing into the bar. As they had fought, the once sizeable gang of men had dwindled greatly to just a few left. Kash would stand up and swing her blade out to the side causing much of the blood that covered it to fly off. Niles would stand next to her as they both would stare down the remaining brutes. They were both covered in blood and looked like hungry wolves. However the remaining men didn't seem too afraid, in fact they seemed even more riled up in the face of so many fallen.

"So you want to tell me, why you're involved with so much drama?" Kash would ask while cutting a man by the throat who charged at her.

"Well, you see I've been doing some trading and there's this guy I'm competing with. Real greasy fellow, not too fond of me. Anyway, he's been hitting my people hard to the point that I can barely operate," he would say while strangling another man. "I tried to be civil, for once, and construct a deal where both of us could work. But this man, he doesn't do well with reason or words. He's been into some shady trading, which I hear is connected with slaves."

Kash's mouth tasted so bitter and not because of the blood that occasionally sprayed her. She really detested the slave trade and slavers. So whoever this guy was that Niles was having issues with, he was already on her shit list and not because of Niles.

"Anyway, deal went south and he hit us harder than ever Joker. He's a nasty individual and has had it out for me since. You know how this world goes...kill, or be killed, Niles said coldly while snapping a man's neck.

After a few more minutes of fighting, there was only 1 more man left in the bar to take out. There were 15 bodies that littered the bar along with broken tables and chairs, glass, and blood. The bartender could finally be heard behind the bar shaking and mumbling what one could only assume to be prayers. The last man looked like he had finally shit his pants. Niles and Kash slowly began to walk toward him. However Kash would sheath her blade leave the last kill to Niles who would grab the man by his throat and lift him up off the floor. He would hold that man by the neck, feet twisting and turning as he slowly suffocated. The man would claw at Nile's arm, digging into the skin out of desperation. Once his last breath was drawn, Niles dropped the man like a sack of potatoes.

"I really need a shower now because of all of this," Kash would say.

"Sorry about that. You used to like being covered in blood. You were a real weirdo about it actually," he would say laughing. Kash would just roll her eyes and begin to walk out of the bar. "My bad, sensitive topic. Anyway, I've been staying at a place close by. We'll go there, clean up, and start planning how to get this guy out of the way for good."

The two would both walk out of the bar, leaving a blood bath in their wake.

"Oh yeah, bartender sorry about all of that. Just use whatever money they have to fix this up," Niles would say lastly before leaving.

Task 3:

Niles would take Kash to a secluded, cabin-like place he had been staying in just outside the village. It was very quaint and humble, which was odd to Kash. This didn't seem anything like his style. Niles, as charming as he was, was very dark and mysterious at times. So this little "no place like home" shack he was staying in caught Kash off guard.

"Oh, this is different for you,"[/color=green] she would say as she stepped inside behind him, touching the furniture that had looked like it was taken right out of little red riding hood's grandmother's house.

"Don't," he would say giving Kash a simple look before heading into a bedroom.

"What? I was expecting to go back to your vampire lair...oh my... Kash started to say before she was silenced by the tied up, elderly couple in the corner of the bedroom. "You have got to be shitting me, really Niles. Heh, I don't even know why I'm surprised. Kash would shake her head and walk past him into the bathroom.

Niles didn't say anything, he just began to remove his clothes until he was completely naked in all his glory. His body chiseled to perfection with a light tan. He would walk into the bathroom behind Kash and close the door.

The shower water would run for what felt like hours. The two washing away their sins under the hot water while indulging in the ecstasy of each other's bodies to create new ones.

"Wait this tattoo," Niles would say, his eyes level with Kash's thighs, bringing a halt to her pleasure. "Things really have changed. So tell me, you the captain or is this the brand of your new love?" He would question her, looking up at her with eyes that told her she had better give the correct answer.

Both. Is what Kash wanted to say, but she didn't want to ruin the moment. It was true, she was the captain, for now at least. And it was the brand of her new love, but that wasn't the crew or Leparo for damn sure. It was the thrill that being a pirate brought to her life.

"What do you think?" Kash would say, looking down at Niles both literally and figuratively considering the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes that could tame any beast.

"I think anything less would be beneath you. You don't take orders from anyone, except me of course." He said with a greedy smile on his face.

Kash rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she would say, forcing his head back down. She wasn't about to lose this moment because of a tattoo. Though, it reminded her of why she came to this island in the first place. She needed to get back to the search for a medic, but she needed to finish business with Niles first. She hated for it to end but just knowing he was free gave her hope that they could pick up things again.

Steam expelled from the bathroom like a volcano as the two criminals walked out. They would get dressed, still ignoring the bound couple in the corner, and walk out leaving the cabin.

"Okay, so we're going to go to his base and we're just going to strong arm him?" Kash asked as they walked along a pathway in the forest.

"Got any better ideas? Besides, I wouldn't really call it a base. This is more like his front."

"His front being a black market arms dealer. Wow, talk about levels to this shit. Slaver uses black market as a cover. I wonder what the cover to his cover could be. Farmer?" She said, looking toward Niles who would simply confirm with a raise of his brow and smirk. "Wow..."

The two had arrived to an open field at the base of Mt. Colubo, which honestly didn't look like it was worth farming. Kash shook her head upon seeing it. It was a terrible front, but she saw the barn like building and assumed that was the arms dealer's base. Her and Niles really were strolling toward it as if they owned the area, no fear in sight. This truly was the worse plan by perhaps the most creative criminals on this island.

The closer they would get to the barn, the more still the air became. The tall grass only moved because they moved it. Before they could reach the entrance, a large husky man would walk out.

"Reno...?" Kash would ask in disbelief of what she was seeing. Reno was also an old acquaintance of Kash's. But not of the romantic sort. Rather he was the leader of the first group she every really ran with. He kind of taught her everything she knew about the underworld and how to conduct herself. He was a hard skinned man with little empathy for anyone, everything was "just business" which he always reminded people.

"Well, didn't expect to see you running with someone like him Kash. I have to say I'm disappointed, thought you had more sense than this," were Reno's first words. He recognized Kash immediately and spoke in his typical condescending, father-like tone of voice. It was enough to irk anyone, but especially Kash considering everything she had heard from Niles.

"You're disappointed? I think I deserve the right to those words considering what you've been up to lately. I knew you had it in you, but to see you go so low," Kash said, disgust lingering on every one of her words.

"I don't know what this scum has been feeding you, but the air stinks of bullshit right now. Besides, I can't be talked down to by people that can't smell their own shit. So whatever it is you two have come to do, let's get to it. Otherwise, leave because I have a business to run," Reno would say coldly. There was never any talking with this man, Kash knew that well. However she'd be lying if she said that it didn't hurt a bit. It felt like months of comradery had been tossed into the wind, like it was nothing. But that didn't change the fact that someone she knew was involved something that Kash absolutely detested. It was like her brother all over again, but worse because this was someone she somewhat admired.

"Well, now that you two have caught up. I suppose we should get to business," Reno would say in a sarcastic manner in a poor attempt to relieve the tension in the air.

"Yeah, I guess so. After all, it's just business right?" Kash said, drawing her blade and looking Reno in his eyes.

"It's always just business baby girl," Reno would say, drawing his own blade.

The wind finally would pick up in a strong gust as the three stood in a triangle formation, waiting for the first move. Kash's bloodlust was rising but for some reason she couldn't move. This was a hard pill to swallow. She knew it had to be done and as bad as she wanted to end it, this man was like a second father to her.

"Oh for fucks sake, get it together Joker!" Niles yelled. Reno had already made his move while Kash was lost in a sea of memories and he was gunning straight for her.

Niles would intercept and catch Reno's blade with his bare hands. Reno would quickly use one hand to draw his pistol and aim for Niles head who would duck out of the way to the left at the last moment. The bullet whizzing just by Kash's head, her hair blowing with the force of wind from the bullet. Her eyes widened in disbelief, this was happening for real. She had to get it a grip or she would die. Her face would go from shock to rage in that instance and she would charge forward swinging her blade toward Reno and begin her relentless assault. Each clash of their swords releasing a shockwave of wind disturbing the tall grass around them. Kash's eyes staring into Reno's which stared back, both of them fighting as if trying to recover what they lost. They seemed to understand each other at a time where they seemed to be in two totally different places in life. Both giving it their all for what they believe in.

As the two fought ferociously, Niles was getting up off the ground and dusting himself off. He would watch the two clash for a few moments before drawing his own pistol. "Good girl,", he would say under his breath as he aimed his gun at Reno and releasing two shots.

The first shot would hit Reno's side at the same time his blade would clash with Kash's again, his brow furrowing more. The 2nd shot would hit him just above the first, piercing a lung, causing his mouth to drop open and his movements to freeze. Kash was so caught up in her feelings toward Reno that she barely noticed why his movements seemed to halt. All she saw next was an opening and she gunned for it. She would spin in one direction, throwing her weight into her blade as it would cut through Reno's neck and also knock his blade away. But that wasn't the end, she immediately reversed her spin and swept low cutting through both of his legs. The once more the spin reversed and she would cut through his abdomen to end it. She stopped with her blade held tight in her hands, breathing heavily and her eyes closed. Reno's body then dropped to the ground, divided. The fight was over, but for some reason Kash couldn't look.

*BANG*

Another gun shot, but this time Kash was the one to get hit. The bullet would hit her from behind and pass through her abdomen. She would fall to her knees, clutching her stomach in disbelief.

"Well Kash, I really have to thank you for all you've done. You truly are the only person I could ever count on. But now, this ends our relationship," Niles was now standing over her with his gun aimed at her head. He was turning on her, but why?

*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*

More gun fire seemed to explode in the area. Someone else was here and firing at Niles, which would cause him to retreat and take off. Foot steps would approach Kash and she wasn't sure what to expect.

"Shit, bastard got away," said the voice of an unfamiliar man. Kash would look up to catch his gaze which looked down on her with frustration. "I don't know whether to thank you or shoot you."

Kash didn't know what to make of the man's words right now as she held her hand over the hole in her abdomen, trying to endure the pain. Her mind was all over the place right now, what had just happened? Nothing was making sense and it just added to her overall miserableness at the moment.

"Let's go with thanks," Kash would say struggling to get up to at least one knee.

*click*

The sound of the man's gun cocking, ready to be fired as it was pointed at Kash. "Now why would I thank the girlfriend of that slave trader? Or rather, ex-girlfriend I suppose."

Kash's eyes would widen in horror as this strangers words fell down on her like a ton of bricks. All she felt was sickness in the pit of her stomach. Her body started shaking as his words unlocked the puzzle and sent her emotions into a whirlwind.

"No. No, no, no. What did I do?! No, no, NOOOOOOOOOO!" Kash roared, slamming her fist into the earth. Her eyes finally catching sight of the mess she made of Reno's body causing them to burst into tears. This was probably the first time in a very, very long time that Kash had cried. In front of a stranger at that? She was truly hurt and angry at herself. If she had been a part of one of those popular mangas, this was probably the part where she would awaken her super ability. But nothing that spectacular was in Kash's future, not now at least.

"Ahh, shit. You didn't know did you? Fuck," the man would say realizing the betrayal. He would put his gun away and offer a hand to Kash. "Look, I'm sorry your life has apparently fallen apart. I guess the least I can do is patch that wound up for you, I guess you could say I'm a doctor."

Kash looked up at the man, teary-eyed and all. It was like a light has shined down in the pit of darkness she was dropped in. He was a doctor, exactly what she had been looking for this entire time. She would grab his hand and he would help her up, throwing her arm over his shoulder and walking her into Reno's barn. There, the man would begin to patch up her wound better than any street claimed doctor she had ever been to.

"So, I guess I can introduce myself. My name is Luther Vash," he would say while applying gauze to her wound from a medical kit that was already in the barn. Luther could see the look in Kash's eyes, wondering how he knew where things were here. "I had been working for Reno to pay off a debt owed. The man was a hard ass and I wasn't trying to bail out on a debt to him."

Now his earlier question began to make sense to Kash. Thank her for relieving him of his debt. Then thoughts of Reno rushed back, causing her heart to ache. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid and blind. She didn't ask enough questions, she didn't say enough. She just believed in everything Niles said 100%.

"Judging from how you reacted, I guess you knew Reno well and that snake Niles had you against each other. He's an evil son of a bitch. Reno had been trying to rid this island of him for months. He's been stirring up trouble ever since he arrived, proclaiming himself the new Slave King."

Kash couldn't believe it. Niles, the new Slave King? She knew he was ambitious but slave trade? Why? Her anguish was shifting into anger because Niles knew how much she detested slave traders. So he used it against her. She was going to make him pay for this.

"Look, Luther I appreciate you sparing and saving my life," Kash would say with new found determination in her voice.

"Well, it was through and through so your life really wasn't in that much danger but okay." he would say nonchalantly

"Yeah, I guess. But I need another favor. Could you come with me to my ship?" Kash would ask, desperate in her request. She didn't try to hide it.

"You not gonna sell me to the slave trade are you?" he joked but seeing the look on Kash's face he quickly looked down and finished patching her up. "Okay."

Fast forward, Kash and Luther would return back to the Gold Leopards ship at the shore of the island where the crew waited and were surprised to see them. Kash would lead Luther to the captain's quarters where Leparo would lay, still holding on to life with the deep gash across his body.

"Damn..." Luther expressed.

"Can you help him?" Kash would ask.

"I can handle it."

Kash was relieved to hear those words and would let Luther do what he did best. As he would be at work repairing Leparo, Kash would sit quietly in a chair meditating on what she was going to do to Niles when she saw him. He was going to pay with his life for what he had done.

Task 4:

Hours had gone by right into the next day. Kash had fallen asleep right in her seat in the Captain's quarters as she waited for Luther to finish with Leparo. When she opened her eyes, the morning sun just beginning to rise, she noticed a blanket thrown over her shoulders.

"Ah, so you are awake. Morning," said Luther who was sitting across from Kash with a bright smile on his face. Kash couldn't imagine what he was so happy about when she was so far from anything remotely close to a positive emotion.

Kash looked over at Leparo who looked clean and bandaged and still breathing. He looked, healthier than he had in days. She would be relieved but her mind was ready to jump to the next thing she had to do. "Thank you," Kash would say before standing and preparing to leave back for the island to seek out Niles.

"Wait! Where are you going? I haven't told you about his progress plus I have a request of my own," Luther would say hurriedly as he too would stand to his feet. Kash would just stop in her tracks and look at him, waiting to hear what it was he had to say. "Okay, so your friend Leparo will be fine. The wound looked much worse than it actually was, it was just the lack of immediate medical attention that made things bad. He should be awake and walking around today I'd assume of someone his size and nature, I just wouldn't have him getting into any brawls any time soon though. Might aggravate the wound. However, I have something to ask of you..."

"Well, what is it? Payment?" Kash would assume.

"You could say that. I want to join your crew." Luther would say, looking almost embarrassed to ask.

Kash had to admit, it was an unexpected request and she couldn't see why he would want to join but honestly she didn't care right now. "I don't care. It's not my crew anyway, it's his," she would say nonchalantly, looking over at Leparo.

"Oh...thought it was yours. You seem like a good strong person to follow so I figured why not. But if he's the captain, I guess...I guess I'll just have to ask him when he wakes up. Luther said with obvious disappointment while looking over at Leparo as well. "This is gonna be a bit awkward. What's he like?"

"He's an ass," Kash would say plainly, looking toward Luther. She didn't know how else to describe Leparo considering where they left off. But that would have to come later. Now she had business to handle. "Anything else? If not, I need to go and find Niles."