Outside, the ship creaked and groaned as it swayed with the ocean waves. Heavy boots thumped against the wooden planks above them, muffled voices calling out orders. Somewhere on deck, a drunken pirate burst into laughter, followed by the clinking of bottles. The sea whispered against the hull, its endless expanse stretching in every direction.

Yet, inside the dimly lit storage room, all of that felt distant.

Mk stood rigid, his breath shallow, his mind still reeling. His fingers clenched and unclenched at his sides as he stared at the stranger—this reckless, grinning lunatic who had just fried a pirate without a second thought.

And now he was talking about… we?

Mk blinked rapidly, unable to process. "We!?" he repeated, voice cracking.

The stranger—Jack—stretched his arms lazily and nodded. "Yeah. You, me. The monkey, too, if he's up for it." He casually pointed between the three of them, as if this was the most natural suggestion in the world.

Mk gawked. "Wait—no. You can't just—just decide something like that!"

Jack raised a brow. "Why not?"

"Because—because I never agreed to any of this! I don't even know what you mean! I don't even know who you—"

"I'm Jack," the man interrupted smoothly.

Mk faltered. "Huh?"

Jack leaned back against a stack of crates, hands behind his head, perfectly at ease. "Jack Storm," he repeated. "Now you know me. What about you?"

Mk opened his mouth, then hesitated. His throat felt tight. His mind screamed at him that this was a trap, that trusting strangers never ended well. But at the same time, something about Jack's relaxed posture, his unbothered grin, made it hard to think straight.

Before Mk could decide how to answer, there was a sudden rustle.

Gego, who had been watching from Mk's shoulder, let out a soft ewk before hopping onto Jack instead. The monkey perched himself comfortably on the man's shoulders, flicking his tail as if he had already made up his mind.

Jack laughed. "Aha, nice to meet you," he said, lightly patting Gego on the head.

Mk's eye twitched. "That's it? He just—chooses?"

Jack smirked. "Guess he likes me."

Before Mk could retort, the atmosphere outside shifted.

The shouts of pirates grew more agitated.

"Oi! Where the hell did Grim go?"

"Wasn't he down here looking for the cabin boy?"

"Damn bastard better not be slacking off—CAPTAIN'LL HAVE HIS HEAD!"

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Mk's stomach clenched.

The pirates were looking for the man Jack had fried.

His skin went clammy.

Jack, on the other hand, barely reacted. He simply rolled his shoulders, tilting his head toward the door as if mildly curious. "Huh. They're getting antsy," he mused. "Wanna bet how long before they come knocking?"

Mk's heart pounded. "This isn't a joke!" he hissed.

Jack shrugged, utterly unfazed. "Relax, kid. You panic too much."

"That's because I am the one they'll kill when they find him!" Mk snapped, pointing to the still-smoking pirate at their feet.

Jack chuckled. "Then I guess we better get moving, huh?"

Mk's breath caught. He hadn't actually agreed to any of this. But as the shouts outside grew closer, the reality of his situation became suffocating.

Mk swallowed hard, his pulse thrumming in his ears.

Jack met his eyes, still smirking, but this time there was something else beneath it.

A challenge.

An invitation.

Mk exhaled shakily. His legs felt locked in place, not just from fear—but from something deeper, something that clenched around his ribs like an iron grip. The last time he trusted someone…

His fingers curled into fists. His body still remembered the bruises. The dull ache in his ribs never quite left.

He glanced toward the door. The shouting was getting closer.

If he stayed, he was dead.

If he left…

His breath hitched.

Jack tilted his head. "Well?"

The choice lingered, heavy in the air.

And Mk hesitated, but eventually sighed

"Fine.."

The voices outside the storage room grew louder. Boots thumped across the wooden deck, and the gruff voices of pirates filled the air, cursing as they scoured the kitchen.

Jack, unfazed, leaned back against a stack of crates. His staff rested lazily against his shoulder while he absentmindedly toyed with Gego, the small monkey perched on him. Gego chattered, occasionally swatting at Jack's fingers as he flicked the little creature's ears, grinning at its annoyed squeaks.

Mk, on the other hand, sat stiff and tense, hands gripping his knees as his ears tuned into every sound beyond the door. Every thud of boots, every chair scraped across the floor made his stomach twist.

Jack glanced at him, then spoke as if they weren't being hunted down. "Alright then, since we're a team now—tell me, what are we dealing with?"

Mk blinked. "Huh?"

Jack smirked. "The ship, the crew—how many?"

Mk hesitated, but at this point, what was the harm? He sighed. "Twenty-four," he muttered. "That includes… y'know, your 'victim.'"

Jack let out a low whistle. "Small crew."

Mk shrugged.

Jack twirled a finger through Gego's fur, making the monkey huff. "And the captain?"

"Smollet. Captain Smollet."

Jack paused, then squinted. "Smollet… Smollet… Nope, doesn't ring a bell."

Mk shook his head. "Well, he's pretty good. Uses a cutlass."

Jack scoffed. "That's it?"

Mk shook his head quickly. "No—uh, it's got poison on it."

Jack's fingers stopped playing with Gego. "Poison?"

"Yeah, Equ… Equdors poison, I think."

Jack tilted his head. "And what does Equdors poison do?"

Mk frowned, thinking. "Uh, well… it's bad."

Jack snorted. "I figured."

"I mean—it makes people, like… really sick," Mk continued, rubbing his arm. "And, uh… if it's not treated fast, it kinda… melts you from the inside."

Jack's brow shot up. "Melts?"

"Yeah." Mk nodded, avoiding his gaze.

Jack let out a low chuckle. "That's nasty."

Mk didn't respond. His mind was elsewhere, fingers idly gripping his sleeves.

The air inside the storage room was thick with tension. Outside, the voices of pirates grew louder—closer. The heavy thud of boots stomped against the wooden floor as they neared.

Jack, still toying with Gego, smirked. "Alright, so. Twenty-four crew members, a poison-swinging captain…" He cracked his knuckles. "This will be good practice."

Mk blinked. He tilted his head. This guy is nuts.

Before he could voice that thought, the door to the storage room burst open with a violent slam. A flood of light washed over them as at least half a dozen pirates rushed in, their faces twisting in confusion.

They looked at Jack. Then at their fried crewmate on the floor. Then at Mk.

The moment dragged on in silence.

Jack gave them a friendly wave. "Hi. How's the weather?"

The pirates snapped out of their stupor, immediately shouting in alarm—though the words were more panicked and garbled than anything coherent. A mix of "INTRUDER!" "WHAT THE HELL?!" and something about gutting them both.

Mk instinctively stepped behind Jack as Gego scrambled onto his shoulders, clutching his hair.

The pirates brandished their weapons—cutlasses, pistols, even a rusty old harpoon.

Jack whistled. "Wow. Cool toys." He lifted his right hand, fingers crackling with electricity. "Did you know metal is a great conductor?"

A bolt of lightning shot from his fingertips. The air snapped with heat as it arced forward, striking one of the pirates square in the chest. The man barely had time to scream before he was flung backward like a ragdoll, colliding with two others and sending them sprawling across the floor.

The remaining pirates froze, wide-eyed.

Mk, less stunned but now definitely more reluctant to stay near Jack, inched further back.

Jack stretched his arms lazily. "Alright. That was fun." He stepped out of the storage room, casually striding into the open deck where more pirates stood, now gaping at him with sweat beading down their brows.

"D-Don't just stand there!" one pirate barked. "Go warn the captain!"

One of them hesitated before nodding and bolting toward the captain's quarters.

Jack raised a hand. "Oh! Tell him to bring a compass, would you?"

The pirate paused for half a second before snarling, "SHUT UP!" and continued running.

Jack chuckled. "Alright then." He reached behind his back, pulling out a sleek metal rod. He spun it once in his hand, the steel glinting under the lantern light. Then, planting his feet, he flashed a grin.

"Let's dance."