HOME | DD

Description
In the wee hours before the sun rose, the Bodyguard known only as the Kid took much pleasure in sharpening her daggers before the disgruntled eyes of the Black Wind's lone prisoner.  Perched off to the side in the dank part of the hold, her appearance wasn't particularly menacing. Her mismatched clothes and bare feet declared nothing more sinister than a street urchin. Border rolled his eyes at his diminutive, blond, blue-eyed guard. But both of them knew the truth.

He was terrified.

The gentle scrape of the whetstone sliding over hard steel didn't help his nerves. Again. And again. And again. A pause as she tested the blade on her skin; then back to work.

"We both know you're never going to actually use those on me. The Captain likes me with my skin in one piece." He wished his voice hadn't wobbled at the end of that declaration.

"Well, then. I guess you don't have anything to worry about." She raised the blade to her eyes; turned it slightly so that the meagre torchlight in the ship's lower decks glinted off the cold metal. Chilly blue eyes met brown. "Until she grows bored with you, that is. Then, Border, I get to play."

A flash of blue caused his eyes to flick past his guard; it was all the warning she needed. Diving off the barrel that had served as her throne, the Kid ducked low just as something flew past where her head had been seconds before.  Arcing not far off, it spun back into the shadows beyond the torch's flickering light and disappeared.

Silence reigned as the Kid spun to face the lone doorway.

"Come to rescue your friend, have you?"

"Of course we did," a male voice responded. The shadows shifted, and he came into view. The Kid's eyes widened. "You didn't think we'd leave him in your hands?"

"Well, we were expecting someone to come. But I expected that actor he usually hires - not you." Sokka looked taken aback.

"Aww! How did you know it was the real me?"

"I didn't. You just told me." The Kid grinned as Sokka's hand crashed against his forehead and two heartfelt groans filled the room.

"Nice going, buddy."

"Is that any way to talk to the guy who came to rescue you?"

"Now you see, you seem to be forgetting something." The Kid slid into an open position, ready for the headlong charge she knew was coming. "To get to him, first you're going to have to get past me."

The sound of a battle being fought brought a figure clad in a purple hat and long matching coat sprinting out of her cabin, where she'd been holed up with a good book. A muffled female cry brought her attention swinging round to the brig.  In an instant two loaded silver pistols appeared in her hands. She approached the entrance on silent booted feet, unaware that as she crept up on the escapees, a small figure prowled behind her.

Blinding pain exploded as something struck the back of her head. She slid down into a boneless heap, pistols clattering to the floor.

It was there that her cabinmate found her seconds later, still dazed and holding her aching head still as the ship spun.

"Slick! What happened?"

"Stop screaming at me, Doc. It seems we have a couple of intruders trying to rescue Border. Wait!" She grabbed her friend's arm before she could run off. "Don't take them on your own. I didn't see them, but one of them moves like a ghost and packs a mean wallop. Go raise the alarm- I'll check on the Kid."

"No, you don't. You're not going anywhere till you stop looking like you're ready to keel over all over again."  Doc moved away and, opening a gun cabinet just outside the cabin, pulled on the alarm. A shriek rent the silence and, with a satisfied nod, she headed back towards her patient.

Slick held her hands over her ears.  "And I thought my head hurt before.  Who decided that thing should be so loud anyway?"

Doc stifled a giggle.  "You did.  You designed it."  Kneeling beside her patient, she checked Slick's pulse and breathing, then stood when she was satisfied there was no permanent damage done.  "Just stay here for a minute.  I'll see to the Kid."

Slick nodded, only too happy to comply.

Description
In the wee hours before the sun rose, the Bodyguard known only as the Kid took much pleasure in sharpening her daggers before the disgruntled eyes of the Black Wind's lone prisoner.  Perched off to the side in the dank part of the hold, her appearance wasn't particularly menacing. Her mismatched clothes and bare feet declared nothing more sinister than a street urchin. Border rolled his eyes at his diminutive, blond, blue-eyed guard. But both of them knew the truth.

He was terrified.

The gentle scrape of the whetstone sliding over hard steel didn't help his nerves. Again. And again. And again. A pause as she tested the blade on her skin; then back to work.

"We both know you're never going to actually use those on me. The Captain likes me with my skin in one piece." He wished his voice hadn't wobbled at the end of that declaration.

"Well, then. I guess you don't have anything to worry about." She raised the blade to her eyes; turned it slightly so that the meagre torchlight in the ship's lower decks glinted off the cold metal. Chilly blue eyes met brown. "Until she grows bored with you, that is. Then, Border, I get to play."

A flash of blue caused his eyes to flick past his guard; it was all the warning she needed. Diving off the barrel that had served as her throne, the Kid ducked low just as something flew past where her head had been seconds before.  Arcing not far off, it spun back into the shadows beyond the torch's flickering light and disappeared.

Silence reigned as the Kid spun to face the lone doorway.

"Come to rescue your friend, have you?"

"Of course we did," a male voice responded. The shadows shifted, and he came into view. The Kid's eyes widened. "You didn't think we'd leave him in your hands?"

"Well, we were expecting someone to come. But I expected that actor he usually hires - not you." Sokka looked taken aback.

"Aww! How did you know it was the real me?"

"I didn't. You just told me." The Kid grinned as Sokka's hand crashed against his forehead and two heartfelt groans filled the room.

"Nice going, buddy."

"Is that any way to talk to the guy who came to rescue you?"

"Now you see, you seem to be forgetting something." The Kid slid into an open position, ready for the headlong charge she knew was coming. "To get to him, first you're going to have to get past me."

The sound of a battle being fought brought a figure clad in a purple hat and long matching coat sprinting out of her cabin, where she'd been holed up with a good book. A muffled female cry brought her attention swinging round to the brig.  In an instant two loaded silver pistols appeared in her hands. She approached the entrance on silent booted feet, unaware that as she crept up on the escapees, a small figure prowled behind her.

Blinding pain exploded as something struck the back of her head. She slid down into a boneless heap, pistols clattering to the floor.

It was there that her cabinmate found her seconds later, still dazed and holding her aching head still as the ship spun.

"Slick! What happened?"

"Stop screaming at me, Doc. It seems we have a couple of intruders trying to rescue Border. Wait!" She grabbed her friend's arm before she could run off. "Don't take them on your own. I didn't see them, but one of them moves like a ghost and packs a mean wallop. Go raise the alarm- I'll check on the Kid."

"No, you don't. You're not going anywhere till you stop looking like you're ready to keel over all over again."  Doc moved away and, opening a gun cabinet just outside the cabin, pulled on the alarm. A shriek rent the silence and, with a satisfied nod, she headed back towards her patient.

Slick held her hands over her ears.  "And I thought my head hurt before.  Who decided that thing should be so loud anyway?"

Doc stifled a giggle.  "You did.  You designed it."  Kneeling beside her patient, she checked Slick's pulse and breathing, then stood when she was satisfied there was no permanent damage done.  "Just stay here for a minute.  I'll see to the Kid."

Slick nodded, only too happy to comply.