The Show Goes On Chapters 1-5

[eiahmon]

Title: The Show Goes On
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Wishing-Fire's AU 100 Themes Challenge. Braig is a gummi ship pirate; Ienzo is his first mate. Let the fun commence!

1-5

1. Smile

His smile unnerved people.

Even as a child, Braig was said to have a evil looking smile, and his older siblings whispered that his very first smile as an infant had sent shivers up their parents' spines. Neighbors talked quietly about the sinister way the Hickman's youngest child looked at people, as if he was contemplating the best way to go about engineering their demise.

That smile was upon his face as he eyed his latest prey, a cargo ship, traveling sedately through the Lanes Between, unaware of the danger sneaking up on it from astern. He turned to his crew and gave the order, shouting over the hum of the engines.

“Ready the grapple, and load the cannons!”

The crew scrambled to obey, and Captain “Slasher” Braig Hickman, the most feared gummi ship pirate in the known universe, turned back to look at their intended target, and his smile widened.

2. Eternity

Nine year old Braig sat slumped at his desk in the back of the classroom, paying scant attention to the teacher's lecture. His parents wished for him to finish school, get a good job, and raise a family, not that he gave a damn about their wants. As if! He cared only for himself, and he was counting the days until he turned sixteen, when he could leave this too perfect, too peaceful, too happy world behind. He sure as hell didn't want to rot here forever.

The teacher's voice droned on, and Braig nearly yawned from boredom. Boys were considered men at age sixteen on Radiant Garden, and his sixteenth birthday seemed like an eternity away. He slumped down further in his seat and mentally scratched another day off of his calendar. Only 2,143 days to go.....

Why did time have to move so slow?

3. Rivalry.

There were many pirates out there. Many were under Braig's thumb, and he took a share in their catches. There was one, however, that made Braig's hand itch to draw his blade every time he saw him.

Xehanort controlled the Destiny Islands and the space around them, and he repeatedly invaded Braig's territory and made frequent snatch and grab runs. Some wanted to join him, some feared him. Braig simply wanted to slit the bastard's throat and take the Destiny Islands for his own.

Xehanort's orange eyed gaze landed on him as Braig slammed the doors to the fucker's posh study open and stormed in along with several members of his crew. The old man simply smiled at him, and Braig knew that his body only looked old and feeble, so he had to settle for furious demands to “Keep your goddamned ships out of my fucking territory!”.

4. Judgment

The man on the platform looked coolly over the crowd, and then a corner of his mouth curled upward in a small sneer. Like everyone else, eleven year old Braig watched with morbid curiosity, though if he mother knew just where he was, and what he was watching, she would have grounded him for life. After all, children didn't belong at executions.

The condemned man with the noose around his neck continued to survey the crowd for a few more minutes, before he sniffed in disgust and turned away from them, as if they were no longer worth his time. Even as the lever was thrown, and the man dropped through the trap door, he kept that disgusted, disdainful look upon his face, and when he finally went still, Braig had the strongest feeling that it had been they that had been judged and found wanting.

5. Laughter

Nearby adults smiled at the sound of a child's happy laughter. The whispered to themselves about how young Braig Hickman seemed to be so happy today, as the boy in question ran by with the largest, most genuine smile they had ever seen on his face and laughter bubbling from his lips. The child had an infectious laugh, they said. He needed to laugh more often.

They wouldn't have been so approving if they had known the reason behind the laughter.

Braig ducked down in an alleyway behind the baker's shop, cackling to himself. It had been pathetically easy to lift the money purse from the pocket of that blond haired dolt. He would have a hard time explaining the loss of the purse to Lord Ansem; maybe the know it all prick would get booted from the castle for it!

The thought made Braig crack up again.


 -- Chapters 6-10
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