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| - Knave’s eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the light from a small lamp that hung above him. He raised his hand, covered in thick bandages and feeling a little moist from some kind of lotion, then placed it over his eyes, shielding them. Thankfully, this movement attracted some attention. “Gao!” the doctor Shroomian said, rushing over, Stormy right behind him. “Knave, you okay?” Stormy asked, leaning over him slightly. Knave coughed a tiny bit, then said the first thing that came to his mind. “...Hungry.” There was a loud thump as both Stormy and the Shroomian doctor faceplanted on the hard wooden floor of the clinic. “You idiot!” Stormy barked, chopping Knave lightly on the forehead, “do you think of anything besides food at a time like this?!” “What else would I think about?” Knave asked, exposing one eye only for the purpose of narrowing it. “Oh, I don’t know,” Stormy responded sarcastically, “how about a ‘Thank you, Miss Doctor, for healing me in my state of near-death’ or maybe a little ‘Thanks so much, Stormy, I owe you one’, or, I don’t know, some form of gratitude!” “Give me food and I’ll give you grati... grati-something,” Knave replied, picking his nose. “IT’S GRATITUDE YOU SELFISH BRAT!” Stormy barked again, delivering yet another chop to Knave’s face. “Kuhh....” Art groaned, grabbing futiley at Limey’s hand, which was gripping his neck tightly. Blood was stained on the Majin’s face, and even more was pouring from various wounds on his body. “Is that all?” the Fishman asked, bored, “you started out with such PROMISE too...” He tossed D’Artagnan’s body to the side like a ragdoll. “Disappointing.” Sid lunged from the grass, ignoring the bruises and deep cuts on his own body in favor of launching an attack at his opponent. “Tekkai Ke-” Limey whipped around, delivering a kick to the side of the navigator’s face. Sid flew across the ground, crashing into a nearby rock. He dropped to the ground, coughing up blood as he did it. The Fishman began walking towards the village again. “Still,” Limey said a bit philosophically, “they weren’t all bad.” He gently rubbed the massive bruises that covered his body, ignoring the blood that also dripped from his mouth. “If they could’ve stood up a bit longer that would have been a fun fight.” But, no matter. They had driven far enough from the village, and he still had to remind the residents of the fruits of hard training, in his own “special” way. So, with that happy thought, he began running towards the village again, eagerly anticipating what awaited him. “Gao!” Gopher cried happily, taking a flying leap and wrapping his tiny arms around the front of Knave’s neck, hugging his new friend happily, “Gao, gao gao!” “Ciaosususususu!” Knave laughed happily, petting the Shroomian cook on the head, “it’s okay, it’s okay, I’m fine, fine, fi- GAH! Laughing hurts...” “Gao’n gao!” Gopher said, waving his arm towards a door on the wall. Knave’s eyes brightened, an expression of eager anticipation appearing on his face. “Food?!” he asked hungrily, “gimme!” The cook nodded, then dashed into the room. There was the sound of pots and pans being shifted and moved around, and Gopher leaped back in, carrying a large bowl full of the most succulent stew one could imagine, the tastiness almost appearing physically in the steam rising off it. “UUWWWOAAAH!” Knave gasped happily, his eyes looking exactly like stars, “DELICIOUS!!!” He immediately seized it, releasing incredible amounts of saliva from his mouth as he stared eagerly at it, then tilted it up to take a long slurp. Gopher moved quickly, jumping up and waving a spoon in front of Knave’s face. “Gao!” he protested. “F*ck spoons!” Knave cried happily, continuing his motions, “I can’t wait another-” Limey crashed through the wall, laughing maniacally, immediately launching attacks at anything that moved. Stormy and the doctor took flying leaps, ducking behind the nearby desk, while Knave stood in frozen in shock as one of the fishman’s kicks knocked the bowl from his hands, sending it spilling all over the floor. Gopher had a very similar expression on his face. The fishman straightened up, looking around. “Hm?” he asked, “I wasn’t aiming here...” He continued pivoting around, taking in the entire hospital, “where the hell is this place?! This doesn’t look like the-” He paused, whipping around as a truly murderous aura struck him. Knave and Gopher stood, both of them clearly enraged at the food being spilled, though for somewhat different reasons. “Bastard,” Knave growled, “I’m gonna have to wait even longer for food now!” “Gao....” Gopher contributed, “gao gao!” “You won’t forgive me for wasting your food?” Limey asked, raising an eyebrow, as Gopher stepped back in shock, “that’s a bit petty-” “NAGA NAGA NO HEAT CANON!” Knave cried, lunging forward and delivering a massive punch to the Fishman’s face. He flew back, crashing through the wall opposite the one he came in through, skidding out into the village square, the Shroomians around him backing away quickly. Knave leaped through the newly made hole, his white aura flaring around him as he cracked his knuckles. “How the hell did you do that?!” he asked. “You mean speak to a Shroomian even though he wasn’t my counterpart?” Limey asked smugly, “well, you see, if you-” “WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I CARE?!” Knave barked, punching Limey from his current position into the house just across from the one they had just left. Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
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