[Centaurea: Contestation Arc] [Part I] This Home Isn't a Home... Yet

The island in the distance was quickly growing closer and closer causing the uneasy feeling to grow in Miku’s chest. The young captain was currently at the helm of the Scorned Lady, a course set for the home of her crew and herself. The plan was very vague at the moment but she had a feeling it would come to her the closer she got to home, of course now that she was simply hours away it still hadn’t formed in her mind. It was nerve wracking and she couldn’t let it show otherwise her Kids would begin to doubt her leadership. The young woman took a deep breath and steeled her nerves, she couldn’t doubt herself now. In the end this is what she wanted and her crew had her back, it was time to stop running away.

At that thought her eyes naturally shifted towards the ‘guest’ on their ship, the ‘independent contractor’ Horus B. Vespa. The man was a major pain in her ass but he wasn’t the worst kind of person, not that she liked him very much. A part of her was simply allowing him to come along to show him how wrong he was about herself and her crew, they weren’t whatever he believed they were. They were more than what everyone thought they were, they would prove themselves to the world. “And this is our first step in doing that.” Miku said to herself as her eyes drifted back to her home island.

Centaurea, a kingdom of ruin that consumes the lives of everyone on the island, leaving only the wicked that thrive upon the despair of those beneath their boot. It was such a relief when she finally managed to leave that damned island and be free of it, little did she know at the time that she still wore the chains of that island. Those chains dragged her back to Centaurea and forced her to face her past along with the horrors that were involved. After conquering a piece of her past she set back out with more determination and allies at her side.

The events that followed made her realize that not only was she a small fish in the ocean but that she wasn’t nearly as free of her past as she thought. It still haunted her and all her crew who were from there. It was a few chance encounters after the events of Las Camp that made Miku realize what she was still running from her past and dragging her own crew with her. To truly earn all of their freedom she needed to destroy the shackles and chains that bound all of their hearts. She had to return and make their home a real home, one that no one would feel trapped by or kill to get away from.

‘A place that won’t create another batch of us.’ Miku thought somberly to herself as she looked over her crew who were all either milling about and even gazing back at their home just like herself. The Rascal was completely lost in her thoughts and didn’t even realize that Cedric had asked her a question just a moment ago. “What did you say, Cedric?” Miku asked as she turned her head to look up at the taller boy.

“Are we actually going back to the same cove where we all met for the first time? Don’t you think it might be watched by some of the local enforcers, after all you made quite a scene in that part of the island.” The young man had obviously been in deep thought himself and wasn’t criticizing her plan but rather trying to understand her reasoning. “We’ll deal with that when we get there.” Miku said with a casual dismissal. “That’s where it all began for us as a crew and it’ll be where we start the end of the chaos that rules our home.” A small smirk appeared on Miku’s lips as she looked back towards her home. “Don’t you think that makes sense? I like it, it reminds me of some of those adventure stories I was told as a kid.” Cedric simply sighed and let out a smirk of his own. “I can’t argue against that, I guess it’ll be good for everyone’s morale stepping back onto the same beach we departed on. A real homecoming, right?” Cedric said as he stepped away from Miku.

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A certain ramshackle inn on Centaurea

“Who ordered the lunch special?!” A booming voice shouted from beyond a doorway that seemed to be the source of smoke and various other chopping noises. A large woman burst through the doorway with two plates of smoking meals that looked as if they were literally fresh off a grill of some kind by the way they were still sizzling with grease. The main dining room was full of shoddily repaired tables and chairs with random guests filling the seats. The bar that was against the far wall still had bullet holes that were ignored for the most part and it’s shelves had been restocked with bottles of several different types of alcohol, though there were still obvious gaps on the shelves.

The woman in question had an obvious limp and would occasionally grunt as if she strained something as she served her food. “Oi, Henrietta! We’re still waiting on our food!” “Ah shuddup, come cook it ya self if ya are so damn hungry. Damn ungrateful…” The woman, Henrietta, mumbled under her breath. She would usually refuse to serve any food to such ungrateful customers but she was desperate for money and had some local thugs pushing her for protection. They acted as if she didn’t know who had attacked her months ago and that they could possibly return without protection. Of course the woman knew that those who had attacked her were no longer breathing thanks to Fran and Miku. It didn't stop the local thugs from taking credit and threatening her however.

The injured and tired woman simply lumbered back to her kitchen and leaned on a counter once she was out of view. ‘Hopefully this lunch crowd doesn’t grow much larger, she can’t handle all this alone and that new boy doesn’t actually have to start helping until later tonight.’ After wiping some sweat from her forehead with a random rag she tossed it back on the counter and got back to cooking several more dishes.

The sound of chains rattling followed by a loud splash echoed along the hidden cover where so much had been spilt before. The Scorned Lady had once again returned to the shores of Centaurea bringing the Meddling Kids back home. Miku walked up to the railing before hopping up over it and sitting on it in contemplation. She brought her knee up to rest her chin on as her free leg swung with the wind. The wind blew her blue locks across her face with the rest of it being hidden beneath her cap. Her sleeves were unbuttoned and hung loose around her wrists as her pants clung tightly to her lithe legs disappearing into a pair of boots she had salvaged from somewhere. Even with all the Berries she’d made on her travels she never saw a need to splurge on herself, instead saving it all up without much thought.

Miku’s blue eyes roamed over the sands and she could almost see the ghostly images of all those men she had defeated in an attempt to save Fran. The memory brought Jude to mind as she remembered him being one of the prisoners on this beach. Her eyes slid to the side to find Jude further down, his face blank with a far away look to them. ‘Right, he killed every one of the bastards I left alive.’ The Rascal remembered as she saw his hand slowly reach for the handmade sheath for his secondary weapon. She never asked about it but noticed he only ever used it in emergencies. There were a lot of memories on this beach, nearly every one of them bad. The atmosphere overall was tense as none of her crew had moved beyond the safety of The Scorned Lady. As if they were all scared to return to the lives they ran from. That wouldn’t do.

“Quit lazing about and let’s secure the beach! Cedric, Nick, you two grab a few hands and start setting up a camp. Jude, Wilder, and Jonny, you three are with me. We’re going to go greet an old friend of mine.” As the Rascal started barking orders the tension was broken and activity came to life on the deck of The Scorned Lady. “Emi, once a camp is set up and secured, bring a few of the boys back to Henrietta’s to meet back up. Have either Nick or Cedric show ya the way, they know it.” The young woman then stood on the railing and looked as if she was about to jump off and into the water before pausing and turning back to the sole ‘actual adult’ on the ship. “You can do what ya want, old man. Just don’t be creepy or try telling the Kids what to do just cuz I’m not around.”

With this said Miku immediately dived off the ship and into the shallow waters, allowing the momentum to carry her underwater and keep her hat firmly on her head through the dive. Once the momentum from the dive started to slow she opened her eyes and started swimming towards the water while holding onto her hat. A couple minutes later she broke the surface and was able to stand on her own two feet. The refreshing feeling of the sea on her skin and the wind cooling her from the hot setting sun was wonderful. It was past noon several hours ago and the sun was beginning to hang low in the sky. As she turned around she saw her three Kids following suit by diving in and joining her on the beach.

“That’s the spirit!” Miku said with a large grin as she began to walk onto the beach. She could never understand how some people chose to give up being able to swim for those strange Devil Fruit abilities. She loved the ocean and would hate giving up being able to swim in it. Then again she understood how desperate people can get for power. She was no stranger to that. These thoughts cast aside she trudged on with her landing party onto the beach. Only turning to wave at the rest of the crew, plus Horus, before climbing up a steep path to the top of the cliff.

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A couple hours later at a certain ramshackle inn

The Rascal stood in front of the same inn that she found Fran in just a few months ago, the memory of gunfire, shattered bottles, and cryptic messages flashed through her mind. These mental images were quickly replaced with the same bullet hole riddled walls before her, though the windows seemed repaired and the doors had been replaced as well. Though that was it, no real improvement was visible from the outside and it irked Miku to see that. With a frown she advanced forward signalling her three Kids to follow. Jude seemed to have a small smile on his face as he had his own memories of the place but the other two seemed indifferent.

“Let’s see how the old hag is doing.” Miku said as she pushed the doors open, it was officially evening as the sun was nearly set and it showed. The tables, which had been repaired but not replaced, were all spread out along the dining hall. Most were filled leaving no real empty tables, the bar had a few stools open but not enough for her and her boys. Surprisingly the bar was actually being tended to by someone who wasn’t Henrietta. That appealed to Miku since it meant she might be able to get a proper drink but that could wait. Plus a small voice in her head told her that it would simply just activate her curse of causing a ruckus somehow. The voice sounded annoyingly like her First Mate Emi.

“Jonny, Wilder, why don’t you two go sit by the bar and relax. Jude and I are gonna see if we can’t surprise the old hag.” With that said Miku moved away with Jude following right behind her towards the kitchen. The other two simply shrugged to one another and took to stools at the bar. Miku stuck her head in the kitchen for a moment before immediately ducking back out and nearly jumping to side to avoid the surprisingly fast projectile that was a knife that impaled itself into the doors frame. “NO ONE BUT ME IN THE KITCHEN YA DAMN UNGRATEFUL GITS!” Henreitta yelled with fury enough to shake anything not bolted down in the inn, which was everything.

“YA OLD HAG, THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT YOUR SECOND FAVORITE CUSTOMER?!” Miku yelled back into the door without actually offering any part of her body as a target for the boisterous woman.

Back at the bar Wilder had ordered himself a simple beer while Jonny had ordered himself a shot of vodka with any kind of citrus fruit as a chaser. “Chasers are for wimps, Jonny.” Wilder teased as he leaned on an arm, his free arm resting on his metal Baston that was on his hip. “Shut up, asshole. You’re just too chicken to drink real booze and not that watered down shit.” Jonny retorted as he waited for his drink. Neither paying any real attention to the bartender they threw their orders at without much thought.

Wilder grunted his thanks as the mug was planted before him, quickly reaching for it and taking a long swig of it. The foam resting on at the top stuck to the top of his lip but he obviously didn’t care as he drank a good few gulps before placing it back down on the bar’s counter. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips as he savored the drink. Jonny on the other hand waited impatiently for his own drink, his fingers drumming on the counter top and his brow furrowed. Though his annoyance was visibly lessened when instead of two shot glasses only a single one was placed before him. Just as Jonny opened his mouth to complain about it his nose caught the scent of the drink that the tall blonde started pouring expertly before him. It had a strong odor that was common with strong spirits but also had a citric tinge to it.

“Huh, I ain’t never had anything mixed with vodka…” Jonny said with uncertainty despite already reaching for the shot glass. “Guess it’ll do.” He said as he threw the contents of the glass to the back of his throat and swallowed. The liquid hit roughly and his face visibly reddened but instead of discomfort a smile spread on his face. “Ooh, that’s good.” Jonny said as he felt the liquid burn down his gullet rather smoothly, surprisingly the aftertaste was pleasant and his desire for a chaser was unnecessary. “Man that’s great! Let’s do another, my man!” Jonny said with a raised voice that matched his expression of satisfaction.

Wilder looked over at Jonny as he simply continued sipping at his beer and his eyes actually moved to the bottle set aside but still within view. “What’s in that stuff that got ol’ cueball here so excited?” The nickname was obviously in reference to Jonny’s shaved scalp. The question was directed to the bartender. “Usually he just whines about how disgusting the stuff he likes is.” There was a smirk on his lips as he spoke. Jonny simply narrowed his eyes once again as he gave a side eye to Wilder but decided to let the last few quips go.

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Back with Miku, Jude, and Henrietta, there was still hostile pressure in the air as the two Meddling Kids were each on one side of the doors frame. Both too scared to peak in lest they become living pincushions. Though after a few seconds of rummaging and heavy footsteps Henreitta emerged from the kitchen with several trays of food on her hands. She immediately put the trays into the hands of both Miku and Jude.

[color:e579=#ff6600]“Take these to the far table by the bar, I’ll deal with you damn rascals once I’m done serving all these wonderful customers!” She shouted the last two words with malice as if she expected everyone to start acting as she described from her one threat. There were several patrons who laughed used to the woman’s boisterous threats, a scattering of confused and worried looks were mixed in as well. Jude simply continued smiling and got to work, Miku on the other hand actually began to grow red in both anger and embarrassment. Jude gently pushed his captain from behind as the two made their way over to the table, Miku was too in shock by being relegated to a waitress and simply allowed him to push her as she tried to process it in her head.

It was only moments later after the pair had deposited the trays that Jude then directed his malfunctioning captain to the last available stool beside Jonny at the bar. He sat her there, patted her shoulder,  and turned to the blonde bartender with a kind smile on his lips. “Could you get my captain here something strong, please? I fear if we don’t get her to calm down she’ll blow the roof off of this place. Thank you.”

With that said Jude made his way back to the Kitchen, tying his hair into a ponytail and seemingly materialized an apron from somewhere whilst pulling up his sleeves. The other pair were instead nervously looking at their captain who was simply sitting there, a mixed expression of anger and confusion on her face. The two looked back to one another before Wilder slid his half empty mug of beer to Jonny who then continued passing it down to rest in front of Miku. The woman instinctively grabbed the mug and started chugging whatever contents remained. This took a good few seconds and multiple consecutive gulps before she slammed the mug back on the table causing it to crack slightly.

“I am NOT A BAR GIRL!” Miku shouted at last before realizing she was at the bar and several other patrons were all staring at her in a mix of annoyance, entertainment, and in one particular corner of the room, recognition. She then proceeded to duck her head and lower the brim of her cap over her head. Sulking though no one who knew her would dare accuse her of such an act.

With Jude now aiding Henrietta in running orders and serving patrons, this left Miku, Wilder, and Jonny at the bar to their drinks. As soon as Miku received her new drink she sent a grateful nod towards the bartender without making eye contact as she was still slightly embarrassed about her outburst. As the minutes passed patrons around the dining room began to leave back to whatever patch of Centaurea they claimed as home after finishing their meals and drinks. One of these individuals was the same man who recognized Miku via her outburst earlier. This man's features were covered by his cloak making him non-descript but he was rather tall and lanky standing at 6’10”, 208 cm.

Within that hour Wilder had continued with his drinks and attempted some small talk with the bartender out of boredom. Jonny had downed another two shots and was nursing a mug of beer as he rode out his buzz, a grin on his face as he simply allowed his gaze to wander over the room and take in whatever random thing caught his attention. Miku was on her third drink as well, a strong whiskey that she didn’t usually indulge in. Her own buzz was nice and she was simply waiting for either Henrietta to finish with her work or for Emi to catch up with her. It was as she was sipping the drink that she noticed Jude take the seat beside her that had recently been vacated.

The young man had a light sheen of sweat on his head with his pony tail still in place, but he seemed in good spirits as he shared a smile with her. Miku simply smirked at him and waved over the bartender. “Hey, buddy, can we get a cool drink over here.” The bluenette requested as she continued to grin happily, simply being alongside some of her Kids was enough to lift her spirits. Jude turned to the bartender with a shy smile to the man. “I’m sorry if my crewmates gave you any issues, sir. I’d appreciate something light.” Jude requested as he feared getting served whatever Miku was drinking. “Ah, and your name. I like to know the name of those who are serving me so I can properly thank them.” Jude added after he realized none of his fellow Meddling Kids had done so apparently, if their constant use of hey and buddy were any indication.

“I was gonna ask… eventually…” Miku tried to defend herself as she took another sip while looking away. Shortly after this exchange an announcement from the side of the room boomed suddenly. “Kitchen is closed! I’m done with mothering all you ingrates!” Henreitta was covered in sweat and had a rag hung over her shoulder that she would occasionally dab her forehead with. The large woman lumbered over to the the bar, behind it, and pulled a stool she reserved for herself to sit across from Miku and Jude. “Thanks for the help, Jude. You’ve always been a real sweetheart.” Henreitta said this with a large smile as she reached out and pinched Judes cheek for a second which made him blush.

“Not that the same could be said for the little Rascal you call a Captain.” Henreitta said as she narrowed her eyes and turned her gaze to Miku. The vertically challenged woman in turn simply raised a middle finger to Henrietta as she finished her third glass of whiskey. This got a laugh out of Henrietta that was quickly shared by Miku. After the two stopped laughing a comfortable silence overtook them as Henrietta served herself some water and got settled in. She then turned to Karl. “Don’t know if introductions have been made but this here is my newest helping hand, Karl Friedrich. He helped me get this bar back up and running and properly stocked after you helped solve that mess last time you were here.” The large woman then reached out to Miku’s head and ruffled the hat on the girls head.

“And this here is Centaurea’s own homegrown pain in the ass, Miku ‘Rowdy Rascal’ Sato.” Miku swiped angrily at Henrietta's large meaty hand as she began simmering in her seat once again. Henrietta simply laughed again before drinking her water. “Anyway, what has you back here again? I coulda swore I’d never see any of you bunch again.” The woman asked as she looked at the crew sitting around the bar. “Though maybe since you’re back you could help me again…” The woman said with a more somber tone this time as she leaned on the bar. “Things have gotten a lot worse since you left, Miku.”

This caused Miku to stop fuming and look towards Henrietta with a serious look on her face. “How could things be worse? Centaurea has always been a dog eat dog place, plus we stopped the Harvest. That was one of the worst things that happened to us.” The Meddling Kids all began to grow serious as they stopped drinking and focused on the conversation. The air growing heavy at the topics being broached, especially Jude who began to grow slightly pale at the mention of the Harvest. All this was being said low enough to not be easily overhead by whatever patrons remained but easily heard by the bartender actually working the bar.

Henrietta exhaled a sigh that shook her frame as the woman’s face seemed to grow older before the eyes of anyone looking. However before the owner of the ramshackle inn and bar could explain a loud entrance by none other than Miku’s first mate. She hadn’t picked up on the tension it seemed but it could simply be her personality that simply refused to dampen even with the drab environment. Miku smirked at seeing her excited smile and overall demeanor. A veritable ray of sunshine that belonged to the Meddling Kids.

The bluenette turned her attention back to the bartender, Karl Friedrich, and noticed his accent wasn’t native to Centaurea. Too formal and controlled compared to the loose speaking way of anyone who grew up on the island. Especially if he was asking for permission to smoke indoors. Most people simply put out their lit cigarettes on any surface available, the burn marks on the bar counter attested to that.

“Smoke all ya want, I ain’t got a problem with it.” Miku said dismissively to the tall blonde man and signalled Emi over to pull up a stool and sit beside her. The captain noticed her two second favorite Kids trailing behind Emi, Cedric and Nick. They seemed to have picked up on the tension at least as they were more somber. Though that could be because of what happened here before they all became the Meddling Kids.

“Now what were you going to say, Henrietta? What the hell has happened since we’ve been gone?” Miku asked once again, turning to the large woman who seemed to be only too willing to allow the distractions to keep coming. Henrietta looked at all the young people in front of her with a look of pity before deciding to come clean.

“Croft is back.” Henrietta said with a low tone but everyone in the bar seemed tense with the name being muttered. A glass could be heard shattering and the source was none other than Jude who had dropped the mug he’d been bringing to his lips. His face which was normally already fair turned pale and his eyes widened. Miku’s eyes narrowed and a snarl ripped from her throat as she slammed a fist on the counter trying to control her sudden wave of rage at hearing that the slaver scum had survived their fight.

“That bastard. Where is he? I’ll make sure he doesn’t get back up this time.” The Rascal said as her eyes burned with a fury. Jude was simply shocked in his stool, Cedric and Nick already at his sides and whispering to their adoptive brother. Jonny and Wilder simply had grave looks on their faces but no explosive reactions to the news.

“It ain’t that easy, girl. He isn’t the same man you once fought. He got these strange powers now and has crushed anyone who has stood up against him.” The woman poured herself a drink from a nearby keg and took a long swig with several gulps. “He’s rallied the worst the island has to offer around him, it’s a grim time for Centaurea. More so than before.” The woman then began to regal in detail how Croft's influence had spread to nearly all the island, how his gangs started collecting ‘taxes’ for the restoration of Centaurea, and made an example of anyone in public fashions to crush the hopes of everyone.

As Henrietta told her story the atmosphere in the room darkened and several patrons got up and left. A few simply nodded to themselves and continued losing themselves in their mugs. Miku was shaking with rage at hearing the details of how her home was once again being ravaged and by someone she had thought she had taken care of for good. “I’m not going to let him get away with this.” Miku said to herself but loud enough for those around to hear.

It was as Miku said this that a tall lanky man entered the bar, a cloak hiding his figures by the low light of the room revealed a smirk. “We’ve been looking for someone like you, Rowdy Rascal.” The proclamation was spoken loudly across the dining hall and all attention turned towards the man at the entrance. Behind him a small mob of men and women could be seen through the windows, though it was too dark to see much more detail. “If you’d be willing to hear us out then maybe we can strike a deal.” The man then pulled back his hood to reveal a messy head of dark blue hair, thin framed glasses being pushed up the bridge of the now revealed nose causing a flash to glint off the lens.

Miku heard Karl’s question and her head snapped to face him. “Who is Croft?” The bluenette asked with a scratchy voice. “I’ll tell you who the fuck Croft is. That monster was responsible for the Harvest.” The last word was spit out with venom from Miku’s mouth, she even took a drink from her mug to try and wash the taste of it from her mouth. “He would come once a year during the winter to kidnap the children of the island, mostly orphans, and sell them into slavery. It was known by everyone on the damn island and no one did anything about it. Not the adults, not the gangs, not the Marines. No one!” Miku said as she slammed her fist on the bar.

The Rascal took a few deep breaths to calm herself, her crewmates in the background all either nodding their heads or attempting to calm Jude who was still pale as a sheet. “Until I came back home that is. I killed that bastard. Killed all his men. Took his ship and made it mine. Made it a home.” Miku said in a lower volume but all the while staring straight at Karl. “At least I thought I killed him. I should have made sure he was dead by crushing his head into a pulp.” It was after this comment that the arrival of the mysterious blue haired man and his declaration happened.

Miku turned her attention to the man and quickly to the mob standing outside. Immediately her eyes narrowed and she hopped off her stool in anger. “You here to cause trouble for Henreitta?” The Rascal asked as she approached the man, the man in question quickly grew nervous and raised a hand. “No, no no, Rascal, these people aren’t here to cause trouble! They’re here for you!”

The short woman tilted her head as he continued walking towards the much taller man. “Oh? So all of you think you can take me?” She asked as she stretched her right arm in a wide lazy circle. “What?! No, you misunderstand! We came here to ask you for help!” The man finally said, dropping the pretense of formality he had before. Miku stopped right before him with a confused look on her face. “What do you mean?” She asked as she decided to walk past him and out the front of Henrietta’s. Outside was a mob of men and women, all wearing shabby clothes and hopeful, if nervous, looks on their faces. Miku took them all in slowly recognizing a lot of the faces as locals from all around the island. The Rascal was confused and simply continued taking them all in wondering what in the world was happening.

Suddenly Wilder brushed past Miku and walked straight to a pair of adults that resembled him. “Ma, Pa? What are you doing?!” He asked in worry and frustration seeing them as part of the mob. The three began to conversate and the tall lanky man stood beside Miku looking at the crowd with Miku. “They’re all here to ask you to help them. Croft conquered nearly all of the gangs on the island and has been oppressing the people ever since he reappeared with those strange powers of his.”

The man pulled out a journal and flipped it open, “I’m a self taught scholar who has dedicated my life to learning all about the lost history of Centaurea. I was attempting to discover what happened to the royal lineage and even considered starting a group to restore the monarchy in hopes it would lead to Centaurea coming back to life. However,” the man shut his journal with a snap, “my research led nowhere but I still think the idea of a revolution is needed now more than ever.” He turned to look down at Miku, “What we need is someone strong enough to lead us and for us to stand behind. When I brought this up they all thought of you, it seems they were right to think so because here you are back when we need you most.” The man said this with a smile on his face.


“So, will you help us? Will you join our revolution?” The man asked stepping away from Miku and standing in front of the mob. Everyone behind him all looked at her with hopeful looks on their faces and Miku’s mouth dried up completely. She licked her lips and looked left to right, seeing them all staring at her. “I.. uh- I’m not…” Suddenly the sound of footsteps drew her attention and Miku turned her head to see her crew behind her, all with looks of determination on their faces. Nick and Johnny grinning, Cedric nodding with a firm look, and even Jude taking deep breaths and steeling his gaze at her.

“I.. I guess I wi-” Suddenly a gunshot interrupted her sentence and drew everyone’s attention. Another mob of people were walking down the street, all wielding various weapons and led by a tall built man wearing a green coat and wielding a sheathed blade. His eyes were cold and he seemed to be the leader of this small group. “Found you.” Was all he said as he pointed his sheathed blade at Miku. “Kill her and her followers. Destroy the building for association.” He then lowered his blade and the men behind him all charged ahead down the street.

The crowd of villagers paled in comparison to the size of thugs now occupying the street, there were easily over two hundred thugs and Miku could feel the bloodlust oozing from each and every one of them. The Rascal heard the words and realized that this time Henrietta’s home and business was once again under attack. This time it was most definitely her fault however. The Rascal grit her teeth and pulled her cap down tightly before taking a step forward, though she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. It wasn’t a strong grip but it was enough to prompt her to stop and see that it was the spectacled man who was attempting to stop her.

“What gives?” Miku bit out but as she asked she heard the bartender, Karl, walking past her towards the mob with an intimidating tone mixed in with a question. Behind him was the familiar backs of Jonny and Wilder, who was waving down his parents in the crowd behind them. Suddenly Nick brushed past her with a playful smile and wave before catching up to the three, leaving Cedric to stand beside her with a serious look on his face.

“Let us take care of these guys, Captain. This is our home too, so we’ll fight to defend it and those who back you.” Cedric said this all while staring down the crowd, but he stole a peek down at Miku to see her staring up at him. He immediately looked away with a cough, a slight reddening visible on his neck and cheeks, and started to advance on the gang of thugs.

A low murmuring could be heard from the crowd of Centaurians behind Miku but her eyes were focused on her Meddling Kids all slowly walking to meet that group of two hundred thugs along with Karl. “There’s too many of them, they’re going to need my help.” Miku said in a low voice so only the bespectacled man beside her could hear. He simply nodded and looked along with her.

“You aren’t seeing what the rest of us are, Rascal.” Miku looked up at the man with a scowl on her face, annoyance at being held back for what she perceived as no good reason quickly growing. “Look, you didn’t even utter a single order and your crew are already carrying out your will.” Surprise registered on Miku’s face for a moment before returning to a scowl and looking back towards her Kids. “So?”

“So, that’s not something most people can claim to be able to do. You inspire those around you, especially those who feel as if they’d lost all hope.” As he continued speaking out loud Miku couldn't help but take a quick look around at the crowd behind her. The frightened faces she had been expecting to see were instead replaced by angry faces full of rebellious spirit. Several of them even gripped makeshift weapons firmly while others began pushing those unable to fight to the back of the crowd and moving to the front themselves.


“Your rebellious spirit is quite infectious.” The scholar said Miku was taking in the crowd behind them. ‘It seems my theory was correct.’ The man thought to himself with a smile, the flickering of nearby flames causing his glasses to flash momentarily as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose. It was after this that Miku finally recollected herself and looked back towards the taller man.

“Who are you?” The Rascal asked, realizing she had once again forgotten to gather important details. The man looked at the rumble that had started in front of them with an analytical eye, “I’m no one important, but if you mean what you can call me then Lukman will do. Now let’s see how far you’ve taken your crew.” As Lukman said this he pulled out a pen along with his journal, flipping to a fresh page and quickly jotting down notes. “I’ll humor you, but I’m jumping in at the moment I feel my crew are in over their heads.” Miku conceded, crossing her arms and locking her eyes on the battle.

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“About time you caught up.” Nick said once Cedric finally caught up to their advance, the group of thugs all rushing to meet them. “Wilder, Jonny, you two go help the bartender with the leader. Leave these punks to us.” Cedric said with a completely serious look on his face which was mirrored by Nick who was beside him grinning the whole time.

The two split off from the trio heading towards the leader, seconds before the mob of thugs reached them Nick raised a fist to his best friend. Cedric rolled his eyes but reciprocated and bumped fists with the overly cheerful blonde, they were then instantly surrounded by a wave of thugs that started taking pot shots at the two. The pair simply went back to back and started exchanging blows with the various thugs that came at them. Dodges, parries, counters, and even a few clean knockouts occurred in the first few seconds of combat. Nick and Cedric were back to back, each of them already showing slight bruises and small grazes but in high spirits.

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“There they go, you think they’ll be okay?” Jonny asked looking at the absolute mosh pit that was Nick and Cedric versus at least two hundred other thugs. “They’ll be fine, focus on what we need to do.” Wilder said, drawing his bokken and holding it at his side. “Fine, fine…” Jonny said while pulling out a small dagger and patting his pouch full of random knick knacks he used in fights.

“We’ll go in first and try to get a feel for the guy, we’re used to fighting together, just try not to get in our way.” Wilder said to Karl before dashing at the Apathetic Gang Leader and slashing at the man. The man looked bored and simply dodged the blows rather easily. “Ah man, this sucks.” Jonny whined before dashing in and tossing a handful of dust at the leader as his opening move. This allowed the bald teen to actually land a slash on the man which caused emotion to flicker across the Apathetic man’s face, he then quickly retaliated by drawing his blade and slashing a large gash across Wilders chest. Jonny tossed himself in front of Wilder and took a kick that was meant for Wilder, allowing the blonde a chance to retreat and recover from the deep slash.

(With Karl, Jonny, and Wilder)

The slash burned sharply causing Wilder to release controlled breaths as a hiss through his teeth. His golden eyes were solely focused on the Gang Leader before him, Jonny at his side pulling him back and examining his wound. The bald teen was instead focused on making sure his friend was okay. “Okay, this doesn’t look too bad.” Jonny reported while trying to remember what Jude taught him months ago. He was secretly regretting blowing off anytime Jude wanted to share even the most rudimentary knowledge on first aid.

“I’m fine, out of my way Cueball.” Wilder grunted while shoving Jonny aside. The teen hopped on one leg before regaining his balance. “Fine, not like I care if you live or die anyway, asshole.” He retorted back before bringing his dagger back up and refocusing on their opponent. Though he was surprised to see Karl dancing around the man alone and using some kind of gas attacks on the man. “Hell yeah! Get the bastard bartender!” Jonny yelled in a rallying call until he saw Karl take two hits. The teen gasped but was soon shaken from his over dramatic reactions by Wilder bumping his shoulder roughly as he ran forward.

“Stop gawking, Karl needs our help.” Wilder dashed in after the stumbling Gang Leader, who was wheeling from a heated exchange with Karl, aiming to capitalize on his stunned state. “Take this ya bastard!” Wilder yelled as he slashed with his bokken, a cracking sound emanating from the side of the Gang Leader where he struck. Wilder then struck at the Gang Leaders elbow with a blow that threw his guard wide open while damaging the joint.

With the Gang Leader wide open Jonny dashed in underneath Wilder’s last swing, taking full advantage of the opening. He grabbed the hilt of his dagger with both hands and stabbed for the man with all his strength. The Apathetic Gang Leader couldn’t do anything to defend himself and simply moved his body at the last second to ensure the wound wouldn’t be fatal. Despite this Jonny managed to sink the full length of his dagger into the Gang Leader’s side, leaving it inside and simply running past him with a depart kick to his back. The bald teen stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry as he did this and got out of range of any retaliation.

“I… I can’t believe this.” The Apathetic Gang Leader said in a pained monotone as he looked down at the dagger sticking out of his side. He grabbed it with his free hand and pulled it out, a stream of blood following the arc of the blade through the air. He then looked toward the three before him and readied both his own blade as well as the dagger.

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(With Cedric and Nick)

“So, when you going to tell the cap’n?” Nick asked as he deflected a punch aimed at him while dodging a swipe of a sword from someone else. “I don’t know what-” Cedric said before dodging a deadly gunshot and flipping off the gunman quickly, “-you’re talking about.” He then proceeded to knock out a brave thug who thought could get the drop on him. “Oh, you know, THAT.” Nick said as he focused on defending Cedric’s back and deflecting what he could. The blonde even occasionally grabbed someone’s weapons to block another’s attack before disposing of it immediately.

“We aren’t talking about this right now.” Cedric said in disbelief as he rolled with a punch to his face and returned with a haymaker knocking the person out. He then grabbed the unconscious man and tossed him into the crowd of thugs all waiting for their turn with the duo. “Look, all these people are here because they care about you.” Nick said in a mock serious tone of voice as he took a kick to his rib on purpose to grab the thug’s leg and snap it before pushing him back into two of his comrades.

“This isn’t an intervention about my feelings fo-” Cedric stopped as he realized he’d been yelling at Nick and inadvertently admitting there was something to talk about. “Shut up.” Cedric said as he slammed his back against Nick’s once again to continue the violent mosh pit they were the epicenter of. “Ha, I’ll get the truth out of you-” Nick was interrupted by a kick to his gut, “Ah, maybe later then…” He conceded as some blood dribbled out of his ever present smirk.

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(With Miku, Lukman, and co)

“It seems to be going well so far, wouldn’t you say Rascal?” Lukman said with a knowing grin on his face, his pen documenting the events in his own personal shortwrite. Behind him Henrietta emerged from the front entrance of her establishment with a meat cleaver in one hand clenched tightly. Jude came out immediately after her and seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with the large woman.

“I don’t care, they aren’t touching my livelihood once again! I’m done playing the victim!” Henreitta roared as she shoved her way through the crowd, which all were echoing her sentiment. “Where are they? Why ain’t none of ya doing nothing?!” She yelled once she finally got to the front of the crowd but stopped when she saw Miku and Lukman standing in front of them.

“Girl, you shouldn’t be the one fighting this alone.” Henrietta said as she walked up beside Miku. The Rascal’s fist curled hearing that come from Henrietta, it only reaffirmed what Lukman had told her despite what she wanted to do. “I’m not doing anything, those are the sons of Centaurea fighting. Plus I’m pretty sure your employee is out there too.” Miku bit out despite not being happy with the situation. Henreitta scanned the battlefield only to see that her bartender was in fact fighting alongside the Meddling Kids.

“I understand that this isn’t only my fight, doesn’t mean I like it.” Miku said while refusing to look away from the fight. “I hope you’re all watching!” Miku raised her voice so that those behind her could hear her. “Watch as blood is spilled in the name of Centaurea, and recognize that starting today that you’ll be the one spilling that blood in the name of our home!” Miku wasn’t sure where this was coming from but the boiling frustration inside her was causing her to speak. “This is what it will take to make this island our home again! This is the true price of freedom and pride!” Miku yelled, all whilst remembering the first time she had to take a life out of desperation.

“This is going to get ugly…” Miku said in a hushed tone, thinking back to the events of Las Camp. Would her homecoming result in her own home turning into such a chaotic battlefield? Miku cast aside her doubts and made sure that nothing but determination showed on her face, there were too many watching her for her to show any doubt at this moment.