What a jerk...
I stagger to my feet, wearily, slowly. My nose still itches, but I manage to suppress one last tickle before telling Flint:
"Why the heck would you use a kid for your scheme?"
"Excuse me, princess?"
Just ignore it. Just ignore it.
"Why. The heck. Would you use. A KID. For your scheme?"
"And who told you to talk to me like that, eh, scoundrel?!" - Seconds later, I see him right near my long-suffering nose, seemingly ready to punch, but I... I don't know how this happens, but I manage to shove his fist away from me, while giving him one hell of a death glare.
"Flint, this isn't a game. You almost ruined that boy's life by capturing him here and making him suffer for hell-knows-what. He didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve this either. While you got to enjoy your captive's fate being sealed in your ghostly little hands." - I chuckle, loving that pun, but things take a serious turn again, as I go on, - "This is not how you treat yor vessel, Flint. Just not-"
But before I can continue, Flint swiftly runs up to me and tosses me to the ground, screaming:
"And that's not how you talk to your superior, maggot! If nobody has ever taught you at school, superiors are to always be trusted and respected, no matter the case!"
"Well, there are some-"
"There are some naughty, arrogant kids, who simply wouldn't listen to reason! I can't believe one of them crossed my path!" - he presses his body into mine. He presses his body into mine, Jesus!
I barely hold back a scream as he tries to crush me, but manage to teleport just in time:
"You know, Flint-"
"CAPTAIN Flint!"
"You know, Flint," - I continue through gritted teeth (if only this guy could be gone!), - "your attitude is rather telling. I can't help, but think, just how many people you betrayed like -yeeshoo! - just like this. You really don't seem like the Miraculous-"
"SHUT IT!"
Holy... I... I don't know how, but I manage to cover myself from the spear that he sends flying at me, that.. crazy jackal. I barely manage to dodge, when he says something I... honestly, that I wanted him say in a long while:
"I can't believe I got you on my team, of all people! Who knew that a person you trusted most would shoot you for nothing!"
"I was just defending the map." - I stare at him, to gauge his reaction. Nothing. -"Is doing orders a bad ide-"
"Silence, mortal!"
Uh... what was that? Did he just... call himself a God?
"...And if you think of yourself as more superior than me, then you deserve to suffer like the weakest link you've always been! You deserve to be down in the lowest pits of this Earth for this! And remember, I never liked you, scumbag! Never! Understood?!"
I can barely concentrate, when he zaps me and, just like that, teleports into nothingness.
***
Silence.
That's all I can hear.
I am shaken, alone, in pain, utterly devastated.
Maybe I truly didn't deserve to be on the team? What if I'm truly the weakest link? Why did this all have to happen? WHERE ARE THE ANSWERS??? I am close to sobbing when I hear a familiar voice:
"Oh, there you are, Billy. At last. So, where's the map?"
Oh, great. So my suffering isn't over yet, is it?
I crouch, trying to understand, whether it truly is the person I have heard, or if it's a hallucination of my sick mind. Yes, it is him - a tall, burly mountain of a man with a huge black, for some reason, 'stache crossing over his face. A striped shirt, torn khaki pants, barefoot. Black Dog.
"Yeah, so, Captain called me, saying there is a problem I had to deal with, so... we meet again."
I am silent.
"What, have you lost your voice, too? Cool, really cool. Fitting, I must say."
I see him roll up his sleeves. NO. NOT AGAIN.
But it doesn't happen. Instead he starts circling me, like I did Jim just a few minutes ago. He is so big I feel like a mouse in comparison. I am a mouse, after all.
"Hey, Billy, got a secret for ya."
I look up at him, a tear rolling down my seeing half. What is it now, sucker? What do you want, jerk?
"Ya know, all this creativity of yours, all this bravado you put on - is it all that useful, accordin' to ya?" - He flies up to me and then, back to his route. - "You seriously think people valued ya because of your originality and ideas? Well, no one has ever cared."
Wait, what?
"Captain has always prided himself in his ability to rule over anyone and anythin'. But he didn't manage to rule over you. Had he not promoted you, things would have been much calmer. Knowing you," - he points to my nose, like he'd always do when we were both alive. Pain. - "there would have been an even bigger riot had an upstart like you gained power over the ship. He's gettin' old, our Flint, gettin' old."
"But hey-"
I finally manage to break the silence, half crouching, half lying down.
"Why couldn't you just talk it out with me or Flint befo-" - a fist flies to my face:
"It's Captain Flint to you!"
I whimper: "Why couldn't you talk it out with Captain Flint before it all happened? We could've sorted things out together, like friends and teammates..."
"Oh, friends, you say?" - Dog unsheathes his sword, - "then how do ya call what ya did at Benbow, eh? Is this how you treat your friends? We just came to visit you, and that's how you received your dear guests."
"Well, if you call cornering people for a useless piece of- GAH!"
A knife flies into the wall. It... bleeds... eugh.... The world is spinning before me. However... a thought pops in just in time. If that's a duel he wants, he'll get it. Where is my trusty pistol?
"Hey, Dog! Or, should I say, Samson?"
I immediately catch his gaze:
"Oh, you want to fight, eh? Didn't know you were so protective of that little boy Jim, who lost all his whims to our man!"
"Jim is way stronger!" - I swing my hand at him, prepping my gun. It is now or never. My apologies to David...
"Oh yeah? Prove it!"
And so, the shoot-out starts. Good thing I have been visiting the Theater back in school. Those tiny little glimpses into the life of the rich taught me something. You have to be fast when delivering a point to a dangerous criminal, like here.
"Jim is -khhyew! - the best fighter out there!" - I squeak, trying to aim at that mound of flesh before me, - "He'd try and pump you into tiny little pieces, had he been there!"
"Oh, really?" - Dog dodges my hits spectacularly, though he's not as fast as I grow to be, - "Then why didn't he hear of your sniffy-fit out there? He could've-"
"Weh-hyew!"
"-come to your rescue just in time before you ruined the whole place to the ground! Like you always do." - the bastard cackles at my plight.
"What?!" - I can barely find words for that, but - "That's not- that's mostly your fault!" "Yeah, yeah, go on," - he swings a couple of hits at me, both misses. But he manages to display his back to me that way, allowing me to score a couple of shots. Heh, I know he's a ghost, but it still makes me happy I can kick this dummy's butt with ease.
"Well, he is an amazing fighter! My friend Xander can tell you-"
"Who the hell is Xander?"
My voice grows stiff as I prepare a release: "The most just captain in the world and Jim's friend! Excellent fighters, brilliant tacticians, and they both can score free kicks when given the opportunity-"
"Eh? Then why don't you score a free one and get out of here-"
A thunderous sneeze flies out of me. Minus a mirror... and that mountain is still standing there. That. Big. Damn. FREAK!
"Like I said, why don't you score a free one and get out of here now?" - Dog stares at me, seemingly bored, - "Come, get a cookie."
That smile. It... is so... weird. It's oddly... familiar... I keep standing there, thinking: what would Jim do?
How would he behave?
What would he say??
What have I done to deserve this???
No.
NO.
This has to stop. NOW.
I close my eyes and prepare to shoot the dolt once and for all. A deep breath, a couple hitches, (pretty big ones, thanks, Dave) and here goes: one! two! three! four!
One! Two! Three! Four!
Dog, everybody knows you're wrong! Four!
You're the stupidest boor there ever was! Four!
I wish I hadn't ever met you! Three! Four!
I am on the side of justice!
And you're not! Four!
I am on the side of justice! And you're not! I am on the side of justice! And you're not! I am on the side of justice! And you're-Ya-haaaAAAAAA-