high_seas | Sending a Message

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Sending a Message

Who: Spades & anyone who hops over
Where: The quickly ruining ashes of what once was a naval base + at sea with the Spades, Luffy, and anyone coming back with Logan and Rogue // AKA: THE SUN, THE MOON, AND THE STARS!
What: Coldly angry Marco lets all the navy men go free and makes sure they have enough supplies to sail with, but makes it clear he's burning the base down into the shape of a spade "to send a message"
Warnings: UH VIOLENCE? JUSTICE LECTURES? At least he's not feeling too bloody and murderous, but maybe that's worse, oops.
Status: Open!

See also this post and remember that Marco's usual reasons for holding in check (ie: Thatch, Nico Robin, Namur, Roxas) are gone or, in Marco's opinion more reasons to cut loose. Feel free to smack him upside the head, he won't retaliate.

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[Another nod.] My thoughts exactly.

And we already have ghost guardians if you count Davy Jones. And making a key like that, well in my world we have a wax devil fruit user who was able to do that... Here, who knows, eh?

[A small sigh.] Let's be careful, eh? Anything that strikes you too much as similar, you let me know, and I'll follow my instincts.

[He closes his eyes as though listening to something.] They haven't led me off yet.

[Rogue gives a sharp nod.]

I'll be sure t' tell you.

[And. Well. If they're sharing. It's... It's worth saying.]

There's...

The other person I mentioned? Who know what sounds like th' same Apocalypse?

She tol' me somethin', an'... I think she's right. It makes sense.

But...

[It was fair. She'd made her promise, after all.]

Y' can' tell Logan. Or anyone who shows up an' knows 'bout the X-Men.

[He nods right back.] Agreed, since you promised not to scare my brothers, eh? [Or anyone else from his world.]

The other person who knew 'bout 'im? Told me how he's s'posed tt' be able t' fall.

If his oown powers are used against 'im.

[Somethign her power allowed her to do. Equipped her to do better than a lot of other people.]

...An' they said it'd prob'ly kill th' person who does it.

[Marco arches an eyebrow at her.]

[He more or less suspected she'd have to use the same powers back on him, but killing her too...]

[He drags a palm down his face, just barely avoiding messing up his cigarette.]

Heroes and martyrs. Just once I'd like to make an ally of someone more selfish than myself.

[He shakes his head, and folds his arms.] I can't stop you, of course, but hear me out first, eh?

In my own world, in our world, I've already lost Ace, Thatch, and my father to death. The three most important people in the world to me. And yet, Ace and Thatch are alive here.

I thought that was strange, but I'm not about to start questioning that kind of good fortune as rare as it is. And it's a time thing, eh? Ace remembers almost dying, but it doesn't work quite right here, eh?

I said before we have the ghost thing in Davy Jones, and that is not an exaggeration. We've lost some of our younger kids before to what should have been death by all rights, and Davy Jones just sent 'em back here. Shook up, scarred in the head for life, but back alive all the same.

If your Apocalypse friend isn't around yet, finding him might be all he needs to wake back up. Maybe with that gem, maybe with powers, maybe with Leanne or Nami's healing, maybe to force you to borrow those too and restore him back to full strength. Maybe not, maybe he'll get restored no matter what we do about it. But don't throw your life away until you exhaust all other options.

[A sigh again and he looks away.] You have no idea what it does to the ones left behind. But if you know Logan even a little, it should give you a good idea of it. He's shook up just from-- [Marco pauses and shakes his head again. It's not really his place to say, and he's not sure how much Rogue knows, but if she already does know it, she'll be able to figure it out herself. He chooses the rest of his words carefully.]

For those of us who out-survive others, it's a constant trial of endless separation. One after another, after another, and giving up is never an option either.

On the topic of things I haven't told Ace, the only thing I can't tell him is that I'm stuck in a half-life now. [He taps the stairs with the toe of his sandal.] He's alive here, but it's not our world. In our world he was supposed to take our Pops' place, so I wouldn't have to. So I wouldn't get stuck in the endless war consuming our world. [Finally he turns his head to look at her, though quite solemnly.] If I had my way, I'd only go back when I can change all of that. That's why Chandra promised to take me with her. So I don't have to go back until I want to.

Ace is alive here, but part of me still can't shake the fact that it's only here. And here means a lot, eh? [His eyes narrow.] But that is just all that much more reason not to waste it.

I won't stop you, I can't. It's not my place to say, and we're pirates. We prize freedom above all else. [Which was why Ace's decisions ate Marco up from the inside out every day.] But try to make sure you really exhaust all other options. Including letting him sleep instead of seeking him out to kill him, eh? [His jaw clenches, and he looks back out at the ocean.] My Pops' final order to me was not to get revenge for him, for Thatch, for Ace, on our old betrayer. He ordered me to live and protect my brothers instead. I'd love nothing more than to die and take Blackbeard with me, because that would protect my family from him... but we have more than just one enemy.

So you see, for all that I'd love nothing more than to risk myself as you seem willing to do yourself, unfortunately, I'm the obedient son. [He tosses the cigarette over towards the spade ashes, and looks up at the sky.] Maybe that's why I envy Ace. [He laughs a little bitterly and rests a hand over his eyes.] Envy, is that really the word for it? [He leans an elbow on the railing and his head into his hand, looking back at Rogue once again.] I failed him, eh? I wanted to be the one trying to avenge Thatch, but I was worried about losing Pops. Even now, Blackbeard has enough power and stupidity to destroy our world, and he wouldn't even do it on purpose, just because he's careless, but all the same, I can't bring myself to disobey the final words of a dying man out of what... respect? Fear? Because in my heart, following my Pops was the only thing I've ever done right.

[He taps his own temple.] Intellectually, I know it was his own selfishness. That he just wanted me and my brothers to live and be free and happy, and that it ignores all the realities of what we have to deal with. But all the same...

One more day... All I ever want is one more day with them, and pretty soon, it's a lifetime, and it's never enough. How can I leave them? Without me they'd fall apart. And that's not just my selfishness, they're all like little baby chicks, pretty hopeless sometimes.

[He hovers a hand over her head, before switching it to a furled wing and gives her the slightest inclination to brace herself before he rests the wing tip on the top of her head.] Never doubt your importance to others, eh? I love a lot of idiots and martyrs, but I hate that side of them too. If you ask me, that's the most selfish part of them. Maybe I can only say that because I'm not allowed to die to protect them all, and maybe it's just bitter jealousy. I don't even know anymore. But all the same, don't be so ready to risk yourself. Because it's not just yourself you risk, it's the future with your friends that they wouldn't get to have.

You can only die to save your friends once. At least make sure it's at the end of a long happy adventure, yoi.

Edited 2014-08-21 19:20 (UTC)

If he keeps sleepin'? He'll wake up again. Eventually.

[She heard it all. It wouldn't process immediately. She'd wait, digest it over the next few days and weeks. But she heard it all. Took it in.

One of the things she'd realized was that with her powers? Even without using them? Her retention was pretty good. Not right away. But bit by bit. She could process all this later.]

I don' know how many people are in your world. But from the sounds of your brothers? How many you said there were? Lots of people.

My world? Billions.

An' with all the worlds he might be able t' go to? Billions of billions.

I know people care 'bout me. I've... I've had that proven t' me. Even when I don' deserve it, even when I don' want it.

But--

Y'know...

That many people? That many worlds?

If it takes givin' up one life t' protect 'em?

That's an acceptable loss.

[He shakes his head.]

It's not.

There are billions in my world too. I'm not exaggerating about Blackbeard. He has the unheard of...

[He cocks his head to the side.] Mutants in your world, are they ever born with more than one power? In my world, a second devil fruit will make you explode. But Teach... Blackbeard, he has a special kind of body. He did the impossible. That's how he could destroy the world, and entirely on accident. He's not even trying to wake up those weapons I mentioned, but if this Apocalypse needs to be woken with keys and one of them is to charge him with powers... then Blackbeard would the idiot to charge him. Because he's running around stealing devil fruits and giving them to his own crew in the future I'm told and...

[A heavy sigh.]

Aye, I have sixteen hundred brothers in my crew. Not to mention some fifty thousand allies Pops called his sons and daughters all the same.

And several dozen islands of millions and millions of people he used to protect from slavers and the like, but even keeping my own family alive is a trial and a half. [He traces the giant tattoo on his chest.] This used to protect us, but now it's a target on all of us, and I'm supposed to turn it back into protection. [Gestures out to the ashen spade.] That's why I'm so dramatic, eh? [Switches the arm back to human to point to the spade tattoo.] Because it's a lot easier for me to promote my family's name than my own.

But no matter how many lives you think you're saving, no many how many worlds you think you'll save, you can still only do it by dying permanently once. If he's somehow in every world with signs of him, then who is protecting all those worlds? It can't just be you alone. If we still have all these stories of it, and all these dots to connect, then it might unravel things all the same. Time is a mess. And...

At least talk to Ikki first. He's actually died and been through hell itself more than once, because that's what phoenixes are cursed doing, eh? And he's promised me we'll beat up time itself together to get it where we need. And he connected the gods name thing for me, and knows more about that kind of fight than... anyone else. He hasn't traveled multiple worlds other than this one and his own yet, but he doesn't have my centur-- decades of losing people to color his vision either, eh? [Although he did also have brothers who willingly threw themselves into reckless martyrdom without the blink of an eye, but Marco doesn't share that, since he figures if anyone can talk Marco himself into letting Rogue do as she plans, it'd be Ikki.]

[Centuries.

She can't talk about mutants with more than one power. Because it's hard to tell with mutants. Because there are layers of powers, secondary branches. Jean comes to mind, but those are connected.

Still. It doesn't really matter.]

Apocalypse ain' the real problem. Killin' him? Prob'ly won' do much. Not if he's all I think he is.

[All he's been shown to be capable of. All that power. That's not what she's worried about. That's not how to stop him.]

Me killin' him?

That's more a distraction than anythin' else. Keep 'im busy.

'Cause what needs t' be done?

The Eye of Ages.

[She turns to look at him, focused.]

That's how he does it. How he moves. Between worlds, between times.

That's what I need. If we find 'im here. If I draw 'im out.

I can take 'im down. I ain' afraid of that.

But I can't take out the Eye.

[She takes a step forward.]

If I find 'im, I need you an' whoever's with you t' take it out. Destroy it.

[He focuses on that, and nods solemnly.]

But you have to let me and the others try to destroy that before killing him, eh? At least if you're sure it'll require your death in return.

And I'll warn you now, if Chandra wants to use it to travel herself, I already promised to let her. I'm selfish, eh? If it means sending Ace and Thatch and the others I care about back to their deaths, I won't do it. Not while I can still try anything else.

You don' want anyone you care 'bout usin' the Eye.

[She paid enough attention to everything talked about with it -- and her own success in trapping Apocalypse again -- to know that.]

It works off life force for anythin' more than a short trip. That's why Apocalypse is easy t' trap in it.

Because it uses his power t' power itself.

[Plus, well, not knowing much about Chandra... there might be another problem to someone else using it.]

An' she'd need t' be a telepath t' use it.

That is a relief then. It means it can't entirely be the reason we're all here, nor the only way to get people back.

We'll just destroy it then. Chandra says she uses other things for her power sources. "Mana," something like that. She said Leanne's island was a well for order mana, so I think it comes from worlds, and lands, and the structures between chemical bonds more than up here. [He taps his own temple.]

But no recklessly dying, eh? I can't stop you from dying entirely, but at least make sure you're really ready.

I'm willin' t' die for this. [She smiles, though, as she says it, meeting his eye and giving a nod.] Doesn' mean I'm in a hurry to.

[Not that there aren't times she wants to. Moments when her feelings are too much and she hates her powers and despises what she does. But she's not in a hurry to die.

She's simply an acceptable loss if it comes to that.]

I jus'... I need someone t' know. If it comes t' it.

That I can do it. That I will.

[He sighs again and looks back at the ashes.]

Like I said, I can't stop you, eh?

But I've known a lot of damned martyrs. Loved all of them. Still do, most days. But sometimes I hate them too.

[He looks back at her again with a small frown.] You're too much like Ace. If it came down to it, I've no doubt that you would jump in the line of fire and never think twice. My only job as his first mate here, it seems, is to drag him away from trying to do that again on every single island we run into.

[He waves a hand.] Bad enough that Thatch still does the same thing, damned bastard. The more I think about it, the more I become convinced that the only reason he's caught by slavers at all is because he wanted to sacrifice himself to free the others. [Clenches his jaw.] When you meet them, you'll understand. Not even a phoenix's luck or the Will of the D itself seems to be enough to keep them alive.

Even if loved life, it's still because of the people you want to protect in it, eh? And I don't get nearly a selfish enough vibe from you that have anything to worry about kiddo.

I ain' that good a person.

[She believes it.

She wouldn't put herself in the line of fire. Not for most people. Not for the Spades. Not yet. They aren't her family. Now, for Logan? For Scott? For Jean? For Kitty? For Kurt? Yeah. Every time.

But Logan didn't need that from her.

But for billions of people who can't fight for themselves? Just like she'd fight for her fellow Institute kids. For the ones she needs to protect.]

I'm jus' willin' t' do what I have to.

'S what I know. Been told it several times, an' I know it.

We all do what we have to.

Ace thinks the same of himself. ["Good-for-nothing" and "mostly worthless" in Ace's case, but tomato, tomahto. Don't even get get Marco started on Thatch's self-image issues, he could go on for days about that one.] And Thatch considers himself darkness itself personified and somehow the one who holds us all back. Because he's an idiot, but aside from that flaw, he's not much what he thinks he is at all.

You aren't convincing me, eh.

I been taught t' think 'bout the greater good.

[One of Xavier's lessons had gotten through. Acceptable losses. Greater good.]

I'm what I was taught t' be. An X-Man.

Any of my team'd do the same.

Same as Ace and Thatch would say. On the last part, eh.

Not so much on the greater good. We're pirates, we're allowed to be selfish. They just convince themselves it is selfish... and they're half right anyway. It's still bothersome, yoi. But like I said, maybe I'm just jealous.

...You remind me a lot of someone.

[She can't help but smile. Because, well, it's just something she can't help but think. Especially all of this.]

I just can' decide who.

[Sly grin.] A good someone? Because if you're going to remind me of my two favorite people I'd hate it to be someone you hate.

[Then again, he wouldn't be surprised either. Marco makes terrible impressions on people all the time.]

No one I trust.

[But, then, a look at her -- at her face when she says it -- and it's a good bet that list is pretty small.]

But no one I hate.

[Because he's talked like Magneto. Reminded her a lot of him. But not in a bad way. Made her feel like maybe, just maybe, Magneto had the right idea.]

Might've changed my mind 'bout someone, actually.

Good enough by me. [Definitely a grin about that.]

To be fair, I wouldn't trust me either.

[Which is OBVIOUSLY reassuring, right?]

[But Rogue smiles nonetheless.]

Hey, better than someone sayin' they can be trusted. Those? Y' never know.

Exactly.

The only times Thatch and Ace say to trust them is when they're about to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous that they know I'm going to have to rescue them from.

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tactilelearner - 2014-08-21 23:02 (UTC) - Expand

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fierybluebird - 2014-08-21 23:03 (UTC) - Expand

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Sending a Message

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1/2

2/3 I was wrong

3/3

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