Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If someone had told Fit even just two years ago that one of his main duties was to instruct children on fighting, he would have laughed in your face.

Hard. Multiple times.

If someone had told Fit even just two years ago that he would have a son, he probably would have personally sent them to a mental asylum.

Or something along those lines.

If someone had told Fit that this would be the peak of true joy in his life, he would have killed them.

Because killing was where his previous joy had come from.

Yet here he was, a now ex-mercenary responsible for the devastating destruction of an entire nation, unable to conceal that fond grin as he adjusted the small hands that currently held a spear.

“Like this, Lullah, you want your thumb underneath,” he guided the small hand, pushing it more towards the middle, “like when you play your flute, you don’t wrap your hand entirely around it. Even with weapons, finger placement is important.”

“There’s better things to do than training right now,” the young girl pouted, “we already had a session earlier!”

“But dad wants us to get all the training we can get,” the girl’s elder brother piped up, “and what are you talking about! Training is fun!”

“For you,” Lullah huffed, but hadn’t yet dropped the spear, “I need to focus now, so shhh!”

“You talked first!”

“Take it easy, kids,” Fit chuckled, but not all too seriously breaking up what was about to turn into a regular sibling bout, “you got this Lullah, only so much longer. I know you struggle a little more but I’m doing this for you. I want you kids safe, as long as the Federation is out there—”

“We’re in danger,” she sighed, yet rather instead of allowing dread to consume her, she used the reminder of the dangers and threw the spear as hard as she could, and Fit couldn’t hold back a cheer when she was just two inches shy of the bullseye.

“Nice going, kid! You may be more of a fighter than you think, Lullah.”

“You did better than me! No fair, Fit I want another throw!” came the high pitched voice of another one of the children in the room.

“No way! I got that fair and square—”

“Quiero otro turno—”

“No no no!”

“Kids, kids kids, you already had your turn Bobby, you can try again next round—”

“No es justo, pendejo!” the boy muttered the last part, crossing his arms like the child he was while he was taken off to the side.

“Your throw was still really good, Bobby,” Chayanne comforted the boy, the two exchanging some stuff in Spanish that Fit didn’t understand, yet seeing some of the other kids giggling he assumed it wasn’t some of the kindest words. At least it wasn’t towards him.

“Alright, who’s left? Trumpet and Leo,” Fit called the two over, the boy having his grip adjusted by the other girl so Fit could ‘relatively’ keep the other kids from killing one another.

It was such an interesting concept to grasp a few months ago, the general behavior of kids, his boy especially. Ramon, his beautiful baby boy, he couldn’t believe he wanted nothing to do with the boy all that time back, trying to pass him onto his partner so he wouldn’t have to deal with him. The shock lingered to this day, what he used to think of the kid to how he was now. Ramon deserved so much more than to just be ‘dealt’ with, he deserved love, hugs, his lullaby, explosives…

Kids weren’t ever Fit’s thing, he wasn’t raised and didn’t train for years to be a parent, he was trained to kill and destroy.

He sought it, he craved it.

Desires like this didn’t simply vanish into thin air, but Fit knew that destruction he craved wouldn’t have to be done alone anymore. Thank the heavens above that his boy had instantaneously developed an obsession with explosives once he got his hands on them, actively vowing to one day bring more chaos to the seas than even Fit himself.

He’d have a ways to go, but Fit had a feeling he may live long enough to witness such. Ramon’s got a head start and an advantage, Fit hadn’t gotten his hands on dynamite until he was in his mid teens, Ramon couldn’t be older than maybe 11 or 12 and he’s got a whole exploded building already under his belt.

Somehow that destruction felt even more special from when he’d melted that turret back in 2B2T—

“Fit,” the ex-mercenary’s attention was quickly grasped by a wonderful voice and a certain someone tugging on his pants, “while the other kids are throwing spears, can Dapper and I spar with the wooden swords?”

“As long as you two don’t interfere with the other kid’s learning,” Fit used his best ‘teaching’ voice he could, even with his son, “and no use of powers,” he added, only to be met with a scoff from the other boy next to his son.

“That’s no fair, just because Ramon hasn’t discovered his power shouldn’t mean I can’t use mine.”

“You discovered it on accident,” Ramon fired back at his cocky twin, “just because you’re going to lose doesn’t mean you can cheat.”

“It’s not cheating, what is cheating is using your wings to keep me from attacking you!”

“Not my fault I can move them quicker and generate enough power to keep you away. That’s something we both can do, you just can’t!”

“You can’t even fly yet!”

“I’ll be the first to fly—“

“Boys boys boys,” Fit wasn’t sure why he was entertaining this—well he did, he wanted all these kids to learn to defend themselves so they’d never have to go back to where they came from. He was sure that only one other pirate in this base could wrangle all these kids together at once, and it usually involved quite the heavy bit of negotiation.

“Fine, I won’t use my powers and Ramon won’t use his wings.”

“Deal,” the boy relented, the two giving Fit a gracious look before running to the further side of the room, Ramon just barely dodging his twin’s ‘surprise attack’ before they actually started fighting.

Even on the day Fit and all the other pirates had found the kids, Ramon and Dapper were at each others sides more than anyone else’s. Their interests were similar, and as much as Fit wouldn’t want to admit out loud, he couldn’t help want to learn the many secrets Dapper’s father possessed.

Captain BadBoyHalo was rumored by the other pirates at the base to have lived at least 1000 years, and was by all definitions clearly not human. It was him who possessed and crafted most of the magical items that the pirates all used to reach their base’s hidden location, having gained the knowledge from the past likely centuries. As paranoid and cryptic as the man (creature?) was, he was the quickest of all the pirate captains and pirate alike to grow attached to the boy he adopted as his son so quickly. Then when the French pirates found Pomme, she’d quickly become as much of his kid as Dapper was.

He was the only one who could wrangle all 11 of the kids at the base together, and quite successfully too. Perhaps it’s the many years of experience, not like the man would ever divulge any clear information about his past.

Fit hated the word ‘metaphor’ simply because of said captain.

However if it hadn’t been for these magical kids, the chance for quite possibly the largest and most secure pirate alliance never would have been made. The knowledge of BadBoyHalo would have remained in his mind and never used to the advantage of protecting the kids from where they found them.

Most days it was unfathomable that anything related to a dragon was real, and to find out that someone, or something had somehow created a hybrid of both dragon and human… Fit predicted it would be years until their collective crews would ever come close to solving the mysteries of their children.

“Tio Fit,” another new voice was by his side, the shortest of all the kids but such a fact would never be made for certain since the boy had quite the extra height from his wild hair, “can I ask you something!”

“Of course, Richarlyson, this isn’t anything mischievous is it?” Fit had no doubt the son of all the Brazilian pirates was up to something, whether it was teasing someone or switching up his prosthetic leg for hatchet to attack his siblings. But the boy, no matter how much he denied it, had more love for his parents and every pirate at the base. Fit was and always will be honored to be called ‘Tio’ by the boy.

“I would never Fit!” the boy cackled in his signature laugh, loud and boisterous, but that was his signature charm. Maybe that was the boys power, infectious laughter to defeat any opponent who faced him, because Fit couldn’t remember an occurrence with the boy where he hadn’t ended up laughing his ass off.

“But I am curious about something, don’t let the other kids know I’m asking this,” he gestured for Fit to kneel down to his level, his normal smirk dropping for a genuine frown of concern, and Fit truly had no idea what the boy was trying to get from him, “but why don’t you let any of the other pirates watch our training sessions?”

Fit couldn’t help sighing, trying to figure out just how nicely he could word it to the boy, who he knew meant no actual harm. He got this question a lot, at least at the beginning a couple months back when he proposed to everyone that he would train all the kids in combat. No loot or anything required, but the only catch was that no parents were allowed to attend said lessons.

There was dissent among all the other captains when he had proposed this at one of the base’s council meetings, but Fit needed this. Not that he’d ever voice this out loud to anyone besides maybe one other pirate here—well maybe two, but Fit was not a team oriented type of person. He’d spent almost a decade on his own, taking contract after contract, working alone to take down the kingdom of 2B2T. It was his life’s purpose, and even after he’d discovered perhaps he had another when it came to to his son, he needed a way to bridge the gap between himself and the other captains, along with their crews.

Captain Bad had been alive for a millenia, Captain Philza and Captain Vegetta were about as deadly as they came, but none of them carried the title of legend as Fit did. The destruction they had altogether caused—well maybe Bad had more but he was awfully cryptic about any of his past actions, couldn’t amount to what Fit had done.

Most needed to die before they became legends, Fit had already acquired his fame.

He had concluded it was an unhealthy mix of intimidation from those around him, as well as the fact he’d never had a crew before, that made it difficult to fit in around the island. Protecting kids from higher powers wasn’t like anything he’d done, performing tasks, chores even, to everyone’s mutual benefit was certainly quite the change from his past, but he didn’t want to be dead weight at the base.

And it hurt Ramon just how isolated from everyone he was, so he proposed he’d teach the kids what he was best at: fighting. The pure joy he got from his first lesson with all the kids had been astronomical, something he’d never come close to witnessing in his life, and the distrust from everyone at the base fell significantly.

The intimidation was still there, but Fit wasn’t necessarily upset by that. He had his boy and the kids, he’d teach them to protect themselves, but that didn’t mean he needed to be friends with everyone here. They were allies, and at least for missions and raids, he worked better alone. Having others around was too much of a distraction.

“None of you kids would concentrate,” what he had been actually thinking was not what Fit was going to tell the boy.

“But you’re Ramon’s pai?”

“That’s different Richarlyson, I just…” something about the way Richarlyson was pleading in his eyes for a real answer started breaking him… these kids and their ability to completely break down any guard he’d built up over his entire life, “I don’t really get along with anyone here, I feel like… I only have one purpose here, and that is to train you guys, teach you things so you can protect yourselves. I don’t need to do anything else.”

“Just because you don’t need to doesn’t mean you can’t, and you’re awesome for more than just fighting! I couldn’t imagine not having my friends, my siblings around all the time,” the boy held one of his arms in his hand, a solemn expression across his face as he looked at the floor, “do you ever get lonely?”

“This is just how I’ve lived my life, Richas, I’ve always been on my own. I had a partner for a year and it just… it never worked out.”

“Yeah but Spreen was a bitch and he sucked!” the boy’s fiery response had Fit boisterously laughing, “he literally left Ramon, like the coolest kid here, and look how well that turned out for him!”

“I mean you’re not wrong kid,” Spreen’s death had definitely shocked Fit, the word having got back to him after the man had left one day mysteriously at the base, taking a small reserve ship only to end up in a questionable situation and get himself killed. Fit couldn’t say he felt sorrow upon receiving the information, but he knew Spreen had left a mark on Ramon and now that he was gone, he had to step up after that.

He was thankful for it at this point, how he never had to deal with the man ever again and now he loved Ramon with all his heart. But Spreen’s impact on Ramon wasn’t exactly positive, and it had Fit sometimes wishing he could go down to hell where he knew the man now dwelled for just a day to give him payback for the damage he’d done to his poor boy.

Rest In Piss, you fucking asshole—

“You also weren’t very nice to my pai earlier,” Richas frowned, “it’s not his fault he hasn’t been around and didn’t know your rule. You could have been nicer about it.”

Another thing he admired and hated about Richas. He was willing to call anyone and everyone out on their shit. And he made you pay for it.

Fit hadn’t meant to lash out so much on the man he didn’t even know was one of Richarlyson’s other dads (forgive Fit for not being able to keep up with the what… 5 or 6 dads the kid had. Maybe it was 7? And didn’t he have a mother too?). It had been pent up frustration from the night before when the other captains had proposed an island raid where Fit would lead multiple others. Fit was vehemently against missions with others, yet it seemed the other captains wanted to end his solo habits.

Maybe they were tired of their crew members being so intimidated by him and thinking he was going to kill them. The thought was funny—

“I didn’t mean to, Richas. I didn’t even know he was one of your dads, I’ve never even met him before, maybe I’ve seen him around once or twice but that’s it.”

“You wasted a chance for a good impression, though,” the boy argued, “you’re lucky he’s nice, because my other dad now hates you.”

“Why does Cellbit hate me for this?” Fit guessed which of the ones, but was clearly wrong when Richarlyson blanched at the guess.

“Pai Cellbit? No, I mean pai Mike,” the kid scoffed as if it wasn’t hard to keep up with his absurd growing number of parents here.

“Right, because I’ve met both Pac and Mike,” Fit couldn’t hold back his sarcasm, which had Richarlyson cackling again.

“I have the most parents on the island Fit! And I want you to apologize or I’ll never come to another one of your training sessions again!”

“Richarlyson, please,” Fit sighed, exasperated at the boy’s dramatics, “your parents will first off, not allow it.”

“They can’t make me do it, they can’t make me take baths!”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Fit muttered as he rolled his eyes, which Richas caught onto as much as he didn’t wish for him to.

“What if Ramon tells you to apologize, I know you’ll listen then?”

“Now that’s playing dirty.”

“You think I’m beyond that? I’m a pirate Fit,” the boy grew a devious grin upon his lips, “I thought you’d figured that out by now.”

“Hmm, that’s not the only dirty thing about you.”

“Hey Ramon! Can you get Fit to—”

“Ay ay ay I’ll do it!” Fit stopped the boy, thankful Ramon didn’t even hear him since he was still dueling with Dapper, “and I do genuinely feel bad, Richas. I responded more harshly than usual, but you can’t tell me your dad didn’t make it a bigger deal than it was?”

“Pai Pac is dramatic like that, you have to respect it. He also doesn’t go down without a fight either,” that Fit could tell, since it had apparently been… what was the name Richas had said, Mike who had dragged the man who’d wanted to watch the training session today—Pac he guessed his name was from what Richarlyson had just stated.

“That’s a redeeming quality, kid, can’t promise we’ll get along though.”

“Just apologize to him, please,” Richas pleaded, “I haven’t seen him in over a month, that’s why he was fighting for this so hard.”

Well shit, Fit really felt like a dick now, the guilt he normally would never feel, certainly wouldn’t have even a year ago, was now filling his veins and for once, actually influencing him to take action on it.

“I didn’t know, Richas. I promise I’ll do it as soon as I can.”

“Good, that’s all I wanted!” and just like that, the young boy was practically skipping away so he could take his turn throwing the spears, his little yellow wings with green outlining fluttering behind him as he made his way over.

Well Fit had his work cut out for him, he was pretty sure he’d never apologized to anyone in his life before finding Ramon, and even now he’s only done it a few times at base, so to now do it to a complete stranger… but he feels he owed it to the man, even if he’s never met him. He couldn’t believe he was having an easier time teaching the 9 kids who were here right now how to throw spears than pondering an apology.

Next thing he knew, at this rate, Fit was going to have to go on that raid tomorrow with every single person at this base as fate’s punishment.

The lesson was over the second the sun hit the horizon, and after making sure he praised the kids for their hard work, some parents had come to take their kids back to their rooms, either missing them or not wishing for them to wander around the caves alone. The base was a masterpiece, a work of art thanks to Captain Vegetta and his first mate, but even Fit would occasionally find himself lost in the tunnels.

It was perfect for if in any event someone found their base and tried to kidnap the kids, the very reason they’d decided to take Captain Bad up on his extra secure location and building a permanent base for them all to call home. Fit had been one of the first to agree, since his own boy had been almost been taken back to those monsters that held him captive before, performing experiments or whatever dark magic they were on him and the others.

Fit was sure that while he spent a decade fighting to slowly take down the 2B2T monarch, his hatred for the Federation ran so much deeper. He will remember it in both his dreams and nightmares, being the first to break into what he thought was a vault full of treasures, only to find malnourished, dragon hybrid children in cells. It may have taken him a while to warm up to Ramon, but the sight on that day had made him sick to his stomach.

And that’s coming from the man who wiped out an entire island full of people.

Even when 2B2T was at its end, before Fit and Spreen had killed the king and severed any last bits of hope the nation could still one day live on, Fit had gotten word of a new sort of government that had been taking over kingdoms. It wasn’t a monarch though, a line of kings, it was more a government that kingdoms could either accept or decline (however, Fit found it odd no kingdom ever seemed to decline the offer) that would help govern the states.

It was like the many Royal navies who 2B2T had called upon to try and stop Fit, but worse. The Federation would train soldiers but also instate the same policies wherever they’d go, like a virus jumping from host to host until all were infected. The common folk loved it, since the Feds cracked down much harder on pirates, mercenaries, criminals, even the market. They kept an invisible hand on everything, and not a single person besides the pirates that were allied could see it.

Some pirates had fallen for so many of their lies, and suffered greatly for it.

It was likely something of that caliber that resulted in Spreen’s death, not like he was going to put in the effort to find that out.

Rest in Piss…

By the time Fit finished placing everything back where it had been previously, swords with swords, knives with knives, it had just been Ramon and Richarlyson who were left with him. He hears Ramon mention something about how Fit’s going to let Ramon use his gauntlet on their mission tomorrow and he can’t help fondly rolling his eyes.

The runes on his gauntlet glowed a light purple when Fit used them to dislodge a spear Bobby had somehow gotten lodged so deep in the wall even Fit couldn’t pull it out with his right hand. All he had to do was touch the stone and the small area began to melt enough for Fit to pull it free, now with the slightest bit of melted stone upon its tip.

The silver gauntlet was one of his two treasures he’d acquired from what was now a wasteland. An old relic his contractor had claimed was hidden somewhere on the island, with the power to manipulate the temperature of anything he touched. Fit had melted even the strongest of stones and metals with the gauntlet, even an entire castle turret had turned into a pile of melted stone on his command.

There was no way in hell Ramon was going to be allowed to use it regularly for another few years. Fit had allowed the boy to use it once, only to carve into stone the letters that spelled Fit’s Fitness above the cave opening for this training center. Of course though, it got twisted into a ‘Fit always lets me use it’ type of thing, but he wasn’t going to embarrass his baby boy in front of Richas.

He may let Ramon use his trident tomorrow though if he takes a bath tonight…

The other treasure he kept on him at all times, one he could throw with either hand but preferred to keep in his left with the gauntlet. Fit had come to the conclusion that the two were crafted using the same magic or runes, or by the same person since they complimented the other. If Fit threw the trident with his left, with the gauntlet, it would soar much further and faster, then all he would have to do is hold out his gauntlet and like a magnet, the trident would fly right back.

This one he was more than willing to let others use, especially because if he truly desired for the trident back, all he would have to do is hold his hand out in a certain way and the runes within the gauntlet would activate, sending the trident back into his hands from wherever or whoever possessed it. It would simply pass through walls as if it were an apparition, so unlike the gauntlet, he could be much less careful with this particular weapon.

Plus it was a fantastic bargaining chip to make sure the kids focused in training, since usually he’d allow the winner for the day keep the trident until the next lesson.

“Not using the gauntlet, Ramon,” Fit denied his son, “and since Richarlyson had the best throw today, just slightly better than Lullah, he gets to keep the trident.”

“Unfair! Dapper made me mess up my throw!”

“Ramon, you’re the one kid here who has my trident more than anyone. Let Richas enjoy his win,” Fit consoled his son, “do you want to help Tubbo again tonight with his new invention? Because once he finishes that, he’s promised to help you build that explosives cannon you’ve been talking about.”

He couldn’t ever conceal his joy when his son’s eyes lit up bright as the sun, curiosity and excitement dancing in his hazel eyes. Fit swore his little maroon scales across his cheeks and the ones that laid above his mouth, making it look as if the boy had a mustache despite being a tween, started sparkling. Or at least that’s the age the rest of the pirates predicted their children to be. Truthfully, they had no idea.

“Yes yes yes! Tubbo’s gotta get that invention down, what does he call it again? A chainsaw to cut through the Federation’s armor?”

“You’re right, my boy,” Fit had to shield his eyes when he turned to face the sunset, the oranges and yellows and reds illuminating the three still left in the room, the children’s scales glowing in the beautiful light, their smiles still never shrinking from the day they claimed to have first seen a sunset. Fit almost refused to believe that these kids, until they had gotten free, had truly never witnessed a sunset either at sea, on an island, or any at all.

He remembers how the kids started panicking that day, Ramon hiding behind his leg and burying his face in Fit’s leg as the sun dipped down and the sky was painted. They thought the sky had been on fire. Bobby in particular of all the kids never looked away for a second, and Fit swears the kid didn’t blink for a full five minutes, entranced by the sight Fit and the others sometimes took for granted.

The Federation would one day fall just like 2B2T did, and that was Fit’s promise.

“Tio Fit, can you throw the spears!” Richarlyson piped up next to him, while Ramon was still gazing at the horizon, “you’re the one teaching us, I want to see how well you can do it!”

“Well I didn’t want to show off, Richas,” he affectionately mussed up Richarlyson’s hair with his hand, taking two spears, one of which had the melted stone from the wall, “plus I need some sort of way to get rid of this stone.”

“Do it! Do it! Do it!” Ramon had started cheering with Richas, the two boys shuffling towards the entrance so they had a clear view of Fit and the two targets he was likely going to throw each spear at. Fit, no matter how legendary he knew he was, wasn’t actually one to boast about his skills. If anything, he’d show them as little as possible, something he learned from 2B2T, never showing an opponent all your cards, as well as just how good said cards were.

“One for each target,” Fit set both spears down, each one closer to their intended targets, then he used his foot to cleverly sweep up one of them, jumping and practically twirling before throwing the first, not even looking to see where it would have gone before he was tucking and rolling to pick up the second, masterfully sweeping his legs around and sending the second towards it’s intended target. Only then did he actually look up to see where they had gone.

Not like he needed to. He already knew.

Both spears, dead center on their intended targets.

“That was AWESOME dad!” Ramon whooped in celebration, and Fit chuckled as the warmth bloomed in his heart at Ramon referring to him as ‘dad’. So commonly it was just ‘Fit’, which meant he must have really impressed his boy, or something he wasn’t exactly sure of.

“Pai! Pai! Did you see that, wasn’t that awesome!” Fit’s heart dropped to the floor and he visibly tensed at Richarlyson’s word, because sure enough when he turned around to face what he thought was just the boys, there stood the man Fit vaguely remembered as the one he so rudely dismissed earlier. The one Richarlyson demanded he apologized to even if Fit didn’t necessarily want to.

Fuck.

“Pai, pai? Hellooooo?” Fit hardly noticed Richarlyson trying to grasp his father’s attention, as he was frozen in place, almost shamefully grazing upon the man who was apparently one of Richarlyson’s dads.

But I’m not sorry, one part of Fit’s head tried to reason against the other one that demanded he apologized (for some reason), and at least in this moment, it was what was able to snap him out of his daze.

Thankfully it was now that he had snapped out of it, he noticed the man across from him was in one of his own. His mouth hung lightly open, his eyes glazed with a few mixed feelings Fit had a hard time trying to decipher. One was shock, perhaps mixed with a bit of contempt (maybe he deserved that?), but the last ones he couldn’t truthfully tell.

Was that… excitement dancing in his eyes?

“Huh… oh, descuple descuple Richinhas,” the man snapped out of his gaze when his son had resorted to slapping his arm, yet he didn’t really seem to register the pain or even scold his son for it, instead opting for getting down on one knee so he was now level with his son’s gaze, “como você se saiu no treinamento?”

“INCRÍVEL! Eu chutei a bunda de todo mundo!” Richas replied in what Fit had to guess what Portuguese, with his signature little cackle at the end.

“Awww bom bom… saudade de você filho,” whatever he said must have been sweet with the way he hugged his son afterwards, and Fit couldn’t help that small, small part of his brain that was trying to show he felt guilty for his previous actions.

“I’ve grown up a lot since you’ve been gone!” Richarlyson reverted back to English, pulling away from his dad and smiling Fit’s way, “and my training’s gotten so much better thanks to Fit. Guess what! I won and now I get to keep Fit’s trident until tomorrow!”

“Wait wait wait, his what?” the man grew confused, but couldn’t gather an answer before his son was running to the other side of the room to grab the trident. Now that his son was distracted though, his eyes turned back to Fit, unreadable once again as Fit felt more on the spot than he had since… well he couldn’t remember ever feeling like this.

Though just as his lips formed to say something, Richarlyson was back in front of his dad, a trident just slightly to big for him wrapped up tightly in his arms, “Fit’s trident! It’s enchanted, look at the runes!” his little fingers grabbed his father’s so they could run across the engravings, which weren’t glowing since Fit wasn’t the one holding it.

But perhaps Fit needed a way to break the ice, and what better way than to grant the two the pleasure of witnessing the sight?

“It’s only enchanted for a certain user,” Fit opened up his left, fixing his fingers into the correct position so both the runes on the gauntlet and the trident lit up, and within a second, the trident slid out of both their hands, as if it had turned to dust before Fit grasped it in his left, “and if Richarlyson is to misuse the trident, this exact thing will happen again.”

“No fair, give it back!” Richarlyson complained loudly before snatching the trident back out of Fit’s hand, who obviously let him, even if it was at that moment the other man decided it was time to share his thoughts on his son’s behavior.

“Maneiras, Richinhas,” he said something else Fit didn’t quite understand, but he found the man’s gaze back onto him, yet it wasn’t focused on his eyes, instead trained on the gauntlet in Fit’s left, his eyes popping wide before he spoke his first words his way, “wait, is that a prosthetic hand?” he asked with an underlying bit of excitement once again in his voice, even if his face remained with a surprised expression.

“Oh uh… it’s not,” why the actual hell did Fit seem sad replying to that, like he was disappointing the man? His own response shocked even him, and he couldn’t hide it once the words escaped his lips before he cleared his throat, “it’s a gauntlet actually. Well technically, this hand’s pretty useless without it so in a way it is—” WHY DID HE JUST ADMIT THAT????

“Aww, that’s a shame, you could have matched us,” the man now had a pout on his face, but his son spoke up before he could say more.

“Yeah Fit, we both match!” and it was at that moment Fit’s eyes went down to the prosthetic he knew Richarlyson always wore and sure enough, on the man’s left leg was not one of flesh but one that looked just as advanced as Richarlyson’s, if not just as so, made of wood and metal. It wasn’t just a peg leg though, even through the fabric of his pants he could tell the leg stopped around his mid thigh.

“Damn, sorry to disappoint,” Fit chuckled lightly, but found the man again with a more far off look, his eyes gliding down and up again as if to size Fit up, and Fit couldn’t help the odd ball of discomfort in his gut, not from the man sizing him up, but rather the prolonged silence left in the air. He didn’t really mind this man’s eyes on him—

“Fit, I don’t think that’s the only thing you have to apologize for,” thank and curse the child for breaking the silence, because while relief was short lived, the ball of guilt laced with the discomfort, and Fit felt the heat rise up into his cheeks at being called out (deserved though).

“Right… uh…” Fit was stuck again, his brain having short circuited because yes yes he hadn’t truthfully ever talked with the man besides earlier, no matter how many times Richarlyson had said it earlier, Fit couldn’t for the life of him remember his name, “sorry we’ve never talked, I can’t remember your name?”

“Pac,” you know maybe Fit deserved that straight forward answer, and the slight glare the man—Pac— was giving him. Maybe he didn’t, the Brazilians came to the base later and Fit kept to himself, plus this guy—PAC DAMMIT—had supposedly been away for a month or so, maybe he wasn’t in the wrong…

“Pac, alright. I’m Fit,” even if Richarlyson had said his name multiple times, he thought he’d be cordial and share his name as well, since he hadn’t been earlier, “look, I shouldn’t have lashed out at you earlier. I keep to myself around here and I still don’t really know everyone on this island, and Richarlyson said you’ve been away for a month—”

“Kidnapped,” another one of Pac’s short, concise, and to the point answers cut Fit’s crappy justification for his behavior off, “Mike and I, another one of Richarlyson’s dads. Just over a month ago we were raiding a Federation base and next thing we know—” Fit couldn’t help feel even more awful when Pac turned away from him, clenching his eyes shut and taking a deep breath before turning his steel gaze back to Fit, “did anyone in the base even notice we were gone?”

“Everyone did, pai!” Richarlyson decided it was his turn to butt in, and Fit would have given the kid his gauntlet and thanked him 1000 times if he didn’t have a reputation to uphold here, “Fit’s just dense and he doesn’t socialize with anyone.”

“Richas!” he couldn’t help but shout in offense, but Ramon butt in before he could defend himself.

“It’s true, Mr. Pac,” Ramon wasn’t ready to defend his dad, likely on Richarlyson’s side on this, “my dad is a big scary macho man around everyone else and tries to be super intimidating so he doesn’t make friends—”“I have friends, Ramon,” Fit tried to get his words in, “I just don’t need to ramble about my entire personal life to everyone on this island.”

“You need friends, Fit,” Ramon huffed, turning his attention from his offended father to the newest guest, “I don’t think we’ve ever met, Mr. Pac, I’m Ramon!”

“Hola Ramon,” Pac got back down on one knee with the boy, “you’re the last one I needed to meet, it’s an honor. Dapper talked all about you when he and Richas had a sleepover, said you were good with machines?”

“I’m the best! Well Dapper and I, Tio Tubbo too is really really smart,” Ramon seemed to pick up on Pac’s question, “are you good with machines?”

“Mike is better with inventing, but I know a little as well,” Pac chuckled, which only caused the dread in Fit’s chest to sink even further. Great, if he hadn’t been such an ass to Pac, inevitably getting this Mike to hate him, Ramon would have more friends to make inventions with.

He loved Dapper and appreciated Tubbo, but Dapper was at the same level as Ramon, and Tubbo could not focus on the same project for too long before moving onto the next, leaving past inventions unfinished.

“Really!” Ramon sounded more excited than Fit had almost ever seen him, “can you show me! Please!”

“Ramon, Ramon,” Fit halted his boy, “you can’t just invite yourself in, Pac here needs to invite you,” Fit had already been rude enough to Pac, so he understood if Pac would be hesitant to let anyone with ties to Fit go to their quarters, as well as study their inventions.

“I would love to Ramon!” Pac gleefully answered, keeping his smile even as he turned to Fit, “that is if it’s okay with your dad?”

“With me? Of course it’s okay,” Fit couldn’t help being taken back by Pac’s kindness. He was an asshole to the man earlier, then concocted some half assed apology (still can’t blame him he’s basically never apologized to anyone), and here was Pac offering kindness to both him and his son.

Was Pac even a pirate?

“Yeah uh…” Fit couldn’t help his awkwardness, laying a hand on the back of his neck as he looked just under Pac’s eyes before his bravery returned and he gazed upon them, “Ramon loves these kinds of things, loves seeing everybody else’s inventions and ideas. He takes note of everything—”

“You’ll love Ramon, pai!” Richarlyson butt in, “but I’m hungry! Can we go get dinner PLEASE! I’m going to DIE!” the dramatic flair was back as Pac started laughing, Fit huffing and rolling his eyes with a smirk on his lips.

“Yeah I’m hungry too Fit—” Ramon’s previous pout slowly morphed into a devious grin as he looked between Pac and Fit a few times, then grabbed Richas’s hand, “we can go together!”

“Race you there!” Richas cackled as the boys fled into the tunnels, Richas still running full speed even with the trident in his right hand. Fit couldn’t help but stare dumbfounded.

How dare his own son abandon him, betray him in this cruel way.

“My own son abandons me,” Fit huffed dramatically as he stepped out into the hallway, unable to spot the boys since they turned a corner, “oh how could this happen?”

“They hate us!” Pac was even more dramatic than Fit, even taking the blue bandana that was holding his hair back to ‘wipe’ his eyes, “I haven’t seen him in a month and he leaves me!”

Fit wished he could have understood what Pac had said next, unsure if he had been speaking in Portuguese or English, as his attention had been shifted to the wild, raven hair that had sprung free with the bandana gone. Fit couldn’t help grow a little jealous he didn’t have luscious hair like Pac, the way the locks accented his eyes—

“They’re clearly plotting against us, Fit,” Pac had lowered his voice, which snapped Fit out of his staring.

“Won’t be the last time, sorry to say it,” Fit chuckled, and then the awkward silence became their guest, and the two started their journey towards the dining area of the base, where they were hoping their kids would have ended up. Fit trusted Ramon enough, he knew the boy could navigate every tunnel in this base—well except Bad’s tunnels to his room, but not a single person in this base besides Dapper and Pomme could, as they were his children.

“Listen Pac, I…” Fit needed to make a better apology than earlier, not even so much for his sake but for Ramon’s, “I come from a place where apologizing and guilt were what got you killed, and even if that’s still true with most pirates both on and off this island, I still shouldn’t have acted the way I did to you, and—”

“It’s okay Fit,” Pac stopped him from rambling with that way too kind smile upon his lips, “it sounds like this isn’t the first time this has happened,” he still sounded much too forgiving in Fit’s mind, “I talked to Bagi after and she explained… well you and your rule. I understand, and I’m thankful you’ve been teaching Richarlyson to fight when Mike and I couldn’t.”

Bagi was one of the people Fit would often see in the morning working around the base along with Tubbo and Captain Philza. Many of the pirates here were not early risers whereas Fit was used to waking up right at sunrise. It turned out beneficial since Fit did not prefer to socialize and there were only so many people working about the same time he did.

She was Richarlyson’s mother, a masterful detective, and Cellbit so happened to be her twin. Apparently the crew had been assembled when she broke Cellbit out of prison, the other three tagging along and they became a crew. Fit only knew this because he was forced to attend a council meeting when the Brazilian crew and Richarlyson joined their alliance.

Pirates didn’t care for formalities, so it wasn’t a surprise the crew wasn’t also introduced when Bagi and Cellbit introduced themselves as co-captains.

Or maybe they were and Fit wasn’t paying attention. He hated council meetings.

“So, you might have an idea of what I do around here,” Fit coated his words with sarcasm, which seemed to make Pac chuckle, “you said you and Mike were inventors?”

“Mike more than me,” Fit found it funny that this was now the second time he was giving most of the credit to this Mike guy. Typical pirates would sometimes lie and more likely boast about their abilities even if they weren’t nearly as advanced as others. Then again, that may be Pac’s strategy.

Fit was good with strategy.

“You must be the better fighter out of you two then,” he took notice of the way Pac shrugged, the small tilting up of his lips that wouldn’t have been noticeable unless you looked really hard for it, “so what are you good with? Swords? Spears? Bow?”

Fit hid his victorious smile when he saw Pac’s eyes widen ever so slightly at the last mention and he shrugged his shoulders again, “I’m good with a bow, love being up in the Crow’s nest, even if it’s difficult to get up there in any other ship than the Favela.”

It seemed the strategy was still in play as Pac admitted to yet another one of his weaknesses.

“So you’re an archer?”

“I wouldn’t call myself that, I’m better at sneaking around and stealing. The only reason Mike and I got kidnapped is because we were set up. We’ve escaped prison more times than I can count, even Alcatraz,” Pac laughed like that had been a fun experience, “but do you want to know the real reason Mike and I got locked up?”

“You weren’t raiding a Federation base?” he remembered that was what Pac had told him back in the training room—

“No, the Federation was just looking for the same thing we were,” Pac had lowered his voice, that devilish grin on his lips that urged Fit to listen closer, “Mike and I found it first, then buried it. It’s likely it’s still there now.”

“What? What is it?” Fit questioned, eager to know as it seemed this wasn’t a secret many in the island knew. Maybe Fit had been the first person besides Mike who knew what Pac was referring to, and something about that made it so much more enticing.

“It’s a map to a special treasure, a legendary weapon.”

“What kind of weapon?” Fit asked again, only instead of giving him the answer, Pac chuckled as he laid a hand on his chin, just as the two turned the corner to the dining hall.

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know, Fitch,” Pac fluttered his lashes as he stepped in front of Fit, walking backwards instead of at his side, yet Fit was still caught up on how Pac had pronounced his name, “fofoca like this can be dangerous if it falls in the wrong hands. What’s that saying in English? Something about a cat and curiosity?”

Fit knew the saying, but it didn’t matter as he was too confounded with how Pac had turned the tides. Here Fit thought the ball was in his court, he was delving into Pac’s strengths, figuring out more about who he was only for Pac to pull him in and rapidly cut him off. Sure he found out a little about Pac, but now he was the one dying to learn more.

Unsatisfied.

Perhaps Pac was more dangerous than Fit had believed.

“You’re crafty,” Fit couldn’t hide his awe as much as he wished in his voice, but with one look over to the boys across the hall, where Richas still gripped the trident in his right and ate with his left, a brilliant counter was formed.

“You couldn’t have expected me to tell you, I’ve only known you for a few hours. We’ll need much more time together,” Pac remarked, stopping Fit in his tracks as he laid a hand on Fit’s chest, not worried one bit about how Fit would react, “you’ll have to do a lot better than that, Fitch.”

Oh how Fit wished he could have been as suave as he’d hoped, because he knew what do to at least get closer to Pac talking, but the second that hand had landed on his chest he blue screened. Normally if someone touched him he’d twist their wrist and throw them to the ground, but Pac had him completely frozen in place.

“Wha—I—” his jumbled response only worsened the grin on Pac’s lips, and that hand remained on his chest… not like that was a problem, Fit hadn’t really wanted it to move—

Wait. WHAT?

“You called me Fitch?” Fit finally got at least one sentence that made sense to escape his lips, and it was only then Pac’s eyes widened and he pulled his hand away, looking almost embarrassed.

“Sorry, sorry, it’s just my accent,” Pac apologized, but the only thing Fit could wonder was how in the seven hells did Pac go from sultry and seriously deadly to bashful and quiet in a matter of seconds—

Wait, SULTRY?

“No, no that’s—” Fit was going to say fine, because he wasn’t going to reprimand someone for speaking how they normally do, but he’d retained the upper hand over Pac and remembered what his previous counter had been before the man rendered him a sputtering mess, “I’ll say it’s fine if you tell me what it is your map leads to?”

“No no wait!” Pac looked almost offended for a moment before he started chuckling again, “this is different!”

“I guess you’re right,” Fit pretended to surrender, putting his right hand over his heart, “and saying Fitch is alright, it’s actually kind of—” Fit had to shut his mouth before he dared let the word cute slip out, so he cleared his throat before he continued, “unique, it’s unique.”

“Oh… well thank you Fitch!” Pac breathed in relief, but Fit wasn’t allowing him to rest just yet.

“But I want to know what that map leads to,” Fit grinned as he called out to the boys at the table, who just now noticed the two in the room, “hey Richas!” he yelled before raising his left hand in the air, opening the gauntlet and calling the trident back. The offended look he got from Pac was completely worth whatever revenge Richas would ensue.

“HEY! GIVE IT BACK FIT!” thank goodness it was just the four of them—well, Pol might have been back in the kitchen cooking more food, but he wasn’t present at the moment, to hear Richarlyson’s scream that promised violence.

“Sorry Richas,” Fit held it out of the boy’s reach, both Richas and Ramon having run over to the pair, “your dad has a map leading to a treasure and I want to know what it is and you’re not getting this back until he tells me.”

“A treasure map! Pai what treasure!” Richas yelled to his dad even if he had been right next to him, then the boy took it a step further and started tugging on Pac’s pants.

“Richas, I was going to tell you—” Fit would savor the betrayal in Pac’s eyes for days as he guffawed at his demise, or in other words, verbal assault from his son.

“Treasure?” Ramon butt in, looking up to Fit to ask kindly instead of practically tackling their dad to the floor.

“Well Ramon, Mr. Pac here has the location of a map that leads to a special weapon,” Fit then put on his best pouty lip and leaned against his trident, “too bad he won’t tell any of us where it leads to or what it is—”

“OKAY OKAY! Calma calma, Richinhas!” Pac tried scolding his son, but he couldn’t help laugh along with his son’s shenanigans, though the smile turned lopsided when he witnessed Ramon’s curiosity, which Fit was able to pick up on. Though Fit had no idea what any of the strange emotions that crossed Pac’s eyes were, he couldn’t hide his surprise when Pac sighed and took one of Richarlyson’s shoulder in his hand, then beckoned Ramon with his other. Fit wasn’t able to hide his surprise when Ramon willingly let Pac hold his.

“What kind of treasure?” Ramon voiced what Richarlyson had been wanting at a much lower decibel.

“The treasure is some kind of magical weapon, even Mike and I don’t know what it’s capable of. The map that we found had clues in an ancient language we couldn’t even read, but it’s likely Cellbit, Bagi, or someone else here could. These will likely tell us exactly this weapon is and what it’s capable of,” Pac explained in detail, grinning as the two boys looked to each other as if Pac had told them they could stay up all night.

“Hmmm, you may not even need to tell Bagi or Cellbit about this,” Fit decided to speak up, “I know a little something about ancient languages and stuff. Had to learn to find some weapons myself,” he tightened his gauntlet around his trident, causing the runes along the two to emit a bright purple light.

“So you’re assuming I’m still going to tell you any more about this map?” Pac challenged him, hand on his hip and brow cocked, but Fit stood his ground this time.

“Well you’re clearly ready to let my son in on your little conquest. Where he goes I go.”

“Yeah! When do we leave Pai! Can we go tomorrow! Let’s go tomorrow!” Richarlyson jumped up and down as Pac shook his head a few times.

“Richinhas, Mikey and I just got back. We’ve missed you and the rest of the Favela,” he rubbed his son’s hair affectionately, “they’ve had to make up for our absence here around the base. It would be better for us to settle down for a while, plus the Federation might get suspicious if we go back so quickly now that we’ve escaped.”

“You’re right, laying low is a good call for now,” Fit actually agreed with Pac’s logic, even if it was possibly a ploy for him and Mike to sneak off the island and find it without anyone noticing, but something in his gut told him that even though most pirates would lie their way out of this, Pac was genuinely concerned for the safety of the kids. He wanted to lay low so they could actually involve the kids in this quest. Even Ramon, who was not his own.

Something about that was remarkable in Fit’s eyes.

“Mikey and I had an idea for our newest project for the base. We had Foolish and Vegetta carve out this massive room on the North side of the cave, almost like a big arena,” this rang a bell in Fit’s eyes, having walked by the dark room many times but not having questioned it.

“What’s the project?” Ramon questioned.

“It’s going to be like a Hide ‘N Seek arena, to teach you guys how to properly evade the Federation if you ever need to,” Pac took almost as much delight as Fit did excitement as he spoke about the project, “plus you can possibly practice your flying if you need, there’s going to be big structures and elevated areas so everyone can practice tough terrain as well.”

“Who cares about PRACTICE! This is going to be so FUN!” Richarlyson would have flown around the room, bouncing off the walls like a pinball if he could fly.

“We do want it to be fun as well,” Pac chuckled, pretending to whispers in the kids’ ears even if he was looking directly at Fit, “that’s just how I’m selling it to the other parents.”

“Eh you didn’t even have to include the training aspect,” Fit shrugged, “get the kids a place they can all hang out to have fun without destroying the base or trying to kill each other with swords and the parents will love you. The kids too, this sounds pretty cool doesn’t it Ramon?”

“Better than cool!” Ramon beamed with his fists put together in front of his chest, “when are we starting!”

“Well Mikey and I were going to start tomorrow, and it’s probably going to take a while…” Pac drifted off, the gears clearly spinning behind his eyes before he turned directly to Fit, a scheme clearly ready to be set in place, “but would be quicker if I had more hands.”

“I can help!”

“I will too!” both Ramon and Richarlyson nodded aggressively, and Pac momentarily took his attention off whatever plan he had for Fit to thank the boys.

“You can all help, because you want to. Fit however,” Pac took Richarlyson’s hand and made his way so he was just a few feet from Fit, facing him directly, “I’ll make you a deal: you help us build the Hide ‘N Seek arena so we get it done quicker. Once it’s finished, you can join us on our quest for the weapon. Maybe I can let you and Ramon use it every once in a while, or take the other treasure that’s likely there too. So, Fit,” Pac held out his other hand not grasped by Richarlyson’s, that cocky grin Fit was starting to hate and share—as much as he hated to admit, fondness for, replacing his kindness just offered, “do we have a deal?”

Ramon had the kindness to not say anything, as he was just about as strategic as Fit was, but his eyes were pleading for Fit to agree. This could all be for nothing, and Pac could be tricking him into manual labor so they could sneak off for the weapon… but then again, Fit knew by this point Pac was smart enough not to fuck with someone as powerful as he was. If they left, Fit would vow revenge and run his mouth to the entire base about the weapon. Then Pac and Mike would be screwed.

But if Fit was to take advantage and steal this weapon all for himself, no matter how loyal Ramon is, he would not forgive Fit and they’ve have an enemy with the Brazilians. That could cause a tear within their alliance at the base and Ramon would then be in danger. He didn’t want his baby boy on his own.

Fit could handle it. Ramon shouldn’t have to.

Plus, Fit had his way of bonding with the kids through his training, maybe this Hide ‘N Seek arena could help Fit bridge the gap between the rest of the adult pirates here, help gain trust. These pirates were different then the people he dealt with on 2B2T, they were willing to raise children to protect them from the Federation. The ‘protecting’ part quickly developed into parenting and love even Fit couldn’t help but feel for his own son. Perhaps he could actually become friends with some of the pirates here. Perhaps this was his chance.

Plus, going back and forth with Pac was actually rather entertaining, but of course he’d never admit THAT out loud, or accept it in his own mind.

“Pac, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

Chapter Text

“Fit, are we really going to help Mr. Pac with his project?”

“If you want to, I will Ramon,” Fit nodded, shifting his hold on Ramon so he could lay him down in his bed, “I haven’t taken you on a proper treasure hunt yet, this is my chance to.”

“He’s nice, I like him,” Ramon admitted, snuggling a little further under the thin blanket on his bed. The caves were sometimes a bit chilly even if it was very warm outside, and Fit had been promising Ramon a new blanket but the next shipment of materials to their base (stolen items from a raid) weren’t supposed to arrive until tomorrow, “I know I’ll say that for most of the pirates here and you won’t listen, but I do really mean it with Mr. Pac.”

“Very funny Ramon,” Fit playfully pulled the blanket up over his son’s face, but then pulled it back so he could talk seriously, “I just… I have a lot of trust issues because of 2B2T. I’m still having a hard time accepting that we’re all working together as a crew here. Sure we can all have our own missions, treasures to find and such, but the main objective of everyone here is you guys,” he ran his thumb under Ramon’s chin, where some of his scales laid on his face, making it look like his boy had a mustache, “we want to keep you as far from those Federation pricks as possible, but we also don’t want to lock you up here like you were there just to keep you safe. You deserve to have a life like we all have.”

“And even if you hardly gave him any choice, he did seem like he would actually want us to join him on his treasure hunt,” Ramon added, “and help make the Hide ‘N Seek arena.”

“Using a space that large, you are going to want some help getting it done. Can’t imagine what him and Mike have planned,” Fit had walked by the area again after their dinner before he decided it was time for Ramon to hit the sack. It already looked spacious, and when he took a torch in with it, he realized just how massive the arena would be. They were likely going to build various little structures on the inside, have Foolish come build ledges, or now, even just have Fit carve out spaces in the stone. With his gauntlet, it would save Foolish a hefty bit of work, if the two inventors could even find him.

Foolish had a bit of a reputation for going MIA when he was needed, but not having hailed from land, it wasn’t surprising he was often out at sea more than he was around the base. Either that or he was locked into a project… or multiple. He had a bit of a reputation for procrastinating when it came to his personal projects. There are a few different Leo statues that have been built while the stone dragon head at the top of their base remains unfinished.

“I need to sleep,” Ramon’s voice broke Fit from his internal Foolish slander, “so we can make tomorrow come faster and start the project.”

“Now now Ramon, you don’t want to immediately drop everything you’re doing to work on this, it may not work out,” Fit was still trying to look out for his eager son, “remember you still wanted to help Tubbo out with his chainsaw?”

“Remember the pirate captains still want you to lead the next raid?” Ramon fired back, grinning mischievously when Fit started sputtering. Right… maybe he really was in the same boat as Ramon. The thought of staying here and working with Pac was much more pleasing than leading a group on a raid.

“This is different Ramon.”

“How exactly?”

“Building an arena with other pirates is not something relatively close to what I’m used to in the past, so I’m going into this completely blind. Missions are something I’ve done, something that I’ve always done alone,” he pointed out, “look… I don’t want to have to be held accountable if someone fucks up and does something stupid, someone that isn’t myself. The Federation is going to use any weakness they can squeeze out of us, the stakes are even higher for us then they were for me on 2B2T. I wanted to destroy that monarchy, but now we all need to destroy the Federation.”

Fit grew worried about how long Ramon stayed quiet for, contemplating what Fit had said for a full minute, and just when he thought maybe Ramon was just falling asleep, his boy spoke up, “are you worried you’re going to let everybody down?”

Now as much as Fit wanted to laugh it off, dismiss the sentence because he did not care about what any of the pirates thought about him or how he performed, because Fit was a legend and had destroyed a whole nation… the thought of others suffering under his guide, some of these kids potentially losing their parents because Fit wasn’t a good leader—“I haven’t cared about what anyone else has thought of me all my life, Ramon. But stakes are higher now, it’s not just myself I’m looking out for.”

“You’re worried if someone gets lost or even dies, that it’ll be your fault?”

“The Federation isn’t holding punches Ramon, it’s getting worse,” Fit sighed, eyes falling to a bear carved into the stone by Ramon’s bed, one put there by Spreen, “truthfully I don’t know how Pac and Mike were just held hostage for a month. Likely because they know the location of this weapon the Federation clearly wants to get their hands on, but they’re doing whatever they can to eliminate pirates, trying to find our base to locate you guys,” Ramon was smart enough to know if Fit was hiding information, so he knew it would be pointless to try and sugarcoat this for him.

“But this isn’t 2B2T anymore, Fit,” Ramon sat up, hugging his dad’s left arm around his gauntlet, “we’re not alone, and if someone messes up even when you’re leading, or even you mess up, you won’t be killed for it. I think it’s the reason Mr. Pac forgave you so easily today, because he knows you’d do anything for us kids. For me.”

“In a heartbeat, Ramon,” Fit meant it, he meant it more than anything he’d ever declared before.

“I know, and so does just about everyone here,” his son gave him one last squeeze he could barely feel because of the metal, but he knew the love was present, even as Ramon got back under his blanket, “okay sleepy time, can I have my lullaby please?”

“Of course my boy,” Fit re-positioned himself on the side of the bed, then took a deep breath before singing, “la cabeza, me duele la cabeza, la cabeza necessito un doctor,” he took joy in seeing he way Ramon lazily tilted his head side to side to match the tune, and smiled when Fit ran his thumb over his scale mustache and then ruffled his hair, “te quiero mucho, mi huevito,” he whispered at last before pressing a kiss to the crown of Ramon’s head, then closed the small curtain leading to his boy’s room before beginning to settle in his own.

Fit still wasn’t sure how he was blessed to have such a sweet, caring, intelligent, badass son. He didn’t deserve it, he’d spent his whole life destroying and killing solely because he desired it, and to be gifted with a son who didn’t care how high his kill count was? Even this base, a roof as safe as this over his head, and he hadn’t really had to give anything besides his independence up for it. All the pirates had to.

He was even lucky enough to have a room where he had a window to the sea, Ramon having one too in his room but the drapes were always shut at night. They could both fall asleep listening to the waves that crashed against their island, and if for some reason the water decided to rise another twenty feet or so, in a storm or tsunami, Fit could easily seal those openings with his gauntlet.

Such a thing hadn’t happened yet, but he was prepared.

It had been Fit who requested to have a room on the edge of the base, much to the dislike of Spreen, who wanted to be closer to the heart of the base for more protection. He argued if someone were to find the base, their room would be the first to go, but Fit knew he wanted more protection for other reasons than that. They were partners for almost 2 years, one during 2B2T and then one after. After Fit caused that volcanic explosion that left the kingdom a wasteland.

Now while the two threatened to murder each other on a weekly basis, Spreen was the first person Fit ever let himself become close to. The first other person Fit ever cared for besides himself, and his talk with Ramon tonight only intensified that feeling he wished to bury as far down as the hell Spreen now dwelled in: that his death changed Fit’s perception of the future.

Sure he didn’t get along with many people here, which was his own fault as he never socialized, but knowing it was extremely likely that if any pirates here were captured, they would die a painful death and there would be nothing he could do about it.

He wasted one of his chances on Spreen, only for the man to die months later. And Fit pretty much HATED the man. So when he did use up one of the three chances, his… past employer sure gave him a hard time for that (and by hard time he means he laughed for 3 weeks straight at Fit’s foolishness). If Fit was to allow himself to get close to anyone else here other than Ramon, who he wasn’t letting it touch, he may become foolish enough to use another one on someone that wasn’t himself, something he vowed to NEVER let happen again.

It wasn’t much later when Ramon had decided not to sleep on his own, a typical occurrence, and Fit dozed off with his son under his right arm, awaiting the new day.

~

“They’re not even going to be there, hardly anyone here wakes up as early as we do!”

“Well then we can scope the place out first, my boy,” Fit chuckled, nearing the last corner before the soon to be Hide ‘N Seek arena, “Richas went to bed around the same time as you, so it’s likely he and Pac will both be up.”

“Richas never actually goes to sleep early. His dads or tia Bagi will put him to bed and then he sneaks out to mess around with tio Bad.”

“That doesn’t discount the chance Pac will be there.”

“Maybe it does. Why does it matter? Are you hoping Mr. Pac is there?” his son’s expression grew increasingly more suspicious the more steps they took, yet Fit did not catch onto what Ramon was hinting to.

“Well yeah, so I actually know what the fuck I’m supposed to do for the arena,” he answered factually, still blind to the way his son grinned and didn’t necessarily shrug off Fit’s answer, just as they turned the last corner to be met with the large opening to the arena.

Up above the entrance was a little sign with blue and green paint spelling ‘Pac E Mike’, sort of how Ramon carved out Fit’s Fitness above his training room. Fit couldn’t help his lips quirking up at the similarity, but the grin vanished the second he noticed three figures about twenty feet away on a small ledge.

Two were much more familiar than the third, Pac holding a wooden plank in place while the more unfamiliar man instructed Richarlyson how to hammer it in correctly, or that’s what Fit predicted. They were speaking what he guessed was Portuguese, at least until the unfamiliar one, who Fit guessed was Mike, turned their way, the frown creasing his brow much differently than the big smile on Richarlyson’s face.

“BOM DIA RAMON! AND TIO FIT!” the boy yelled joyously as we waved his hand, dropping the hammer to jump down the about ten foot platform.

“RICHAS!” Mike yelled too late, but grew relieved as Richas used his green wings to cushion his drop—well as decently as he could. The kids still haven’t mastered their wings, so instead of landing gracefully, Richas came down pretty roughly, tucking and rolling once he hit the floor so he wouldn’t hurt his one good leg or damage his prosthetic.

“I’M OKAY!” Richas laughed, dusting himself off before standing back up like nothing had happened, “are you guys excited! We’re finally starting today!”

“Yeah,” it was Fit who spoke up, fist bumping the boy as he skimmed his eyes over the place, noticing first the very dim lighting from the few torches set up. He knew this place had a lot of work, but with the wood, he wasn’t sure how exactly they planned on keeping the place fully illuminated. Plus built, because even with the new dim lighting, he realized just how massive the arena was, “and it needs a lot of work.”

“Judging already, lenda?” Fit’s head turned quickly at the sharp tone Mike took, and the name that was likely Portuguese for something. Whatever it was, Fit didn’t take it as kind and tightened his left fist with his gauntlet.

“Believe it’s fair to, just stating how it is,” no longer was there any warmth in his tone, his gaze calculating as he watched Mike traverse down a rope instead of jumping like his son, the Brazilian pirate making his way so he stood face to face with Fit, but Fit decided to put the attention back on him, “and what did you just call me?”

“Lenda, means ‘legend’ in Portuguese,” he shrugged, sizing Fit up as Fit’s eyes quickly flitted sideways, unintentionally meeting Pac’s slightly worried yet perceptive gaze before looking back at a once again speaking Mike, “so you’re FitMC? Legendary mercenary that melted a castle with his bear hands, killed King Rusher, then laid waste to whatever was left of the land?”

Now most of those details were true, and Fit wore his title with pride… but not arrogance, “believe that’s me. And I don’t regret a single ounce of destruction I caused.”

“Hmm, I’d hope not,” Mike grinned but only with one side of his mouth, the distaste still evident upon his face, “yet I still wonder what a man such as you is doing here. You’re not a pirate.”

“MIKEY!” Pac cut in hastily, but he didn’t move from his platform above the two, and that was when Fit had noticed Richarlyson and Ramon had clambered back up to him, almost like they predicted a fight was going to break out.

And with the tone Mike was taking with Fit, it was more likely than they believed.

“It’s true, Pacey,” Mike brushed the other pirate off, then looked back to Fit, “and it makes me wonder, if the money ever runs out, when he’ll take our kids back to the Federation,” Fit would have been more impressed with Mike’s willingness to stand up to someone like Fit, to not cower as just about every pirate and man would when Fit grew upset, but the thought of him turning in Ramon destroyed any chance for admiration.

“I would never sell my son to those pricks, or anyone else’s kid here for that matter,” and as much as he wanted to be angry at Mike for his accusation… it was a little accurate. At least if you only knew Fit by his legendary status, not at all as a person, “and especially not Richarlyson.”

“And what if they were to offer you a hefty sum? That is not what encouraged you to destroy an entire kingdom?” Mike was again fair in his accusation, because that’s what Fit told everyone: that he did it for the money.

Money was offered but unnecessary for Fit’s drive to take out the king, but that fact was only known to both his past employer and Ramon. Why should he have to reveal he actually cared about punishing the truly evil to a man who seemed to both admire and hate him?

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you it wasn’t, or that I’m not being paid to be here.”

“You’re right, I won’t believe you,” Mike huffed, both their glares intensifying when a different voice spoke up.

“But will you believe me?” and that was the voice of Fit’s beautiful baby boy, who he was not forced to care for, not paid to protect, and not paid to love, “will you believe if I say Fit has not taken coins from anyone one here, even for his multiple times a week training sessions he’s offering for everyone, including your son, my brother?”

Fit wasn’t sure who looked more proud: him or Pac. Richarlyson was rather bashful, as most siblings were when they were defended, and Fit was more stunned by the way Ramon so eloquently debunked Mike’s entire hypothesis. Maybe Pac was the winner in looking proud, plus in general—

Wait… how had his mind averted to THAT?

“I’m no fan of monarchy or governments in general, but King Hausemaster was about as good as you can get. He was selfless, cared about the people’s needs, and improved the kingdom immensely, only to be killed by a power hungry tyrant who sought to bleed the people dry. And what did these people do? You’d think they’d riot against him?” Fit gave both Mike and Pac a second to let this sink in, “no, they let this disgusting man who’s name I won’t even utter take everything from them and Hausemaster was forgotten within less than a year. Anarchy runs in my veins, it was just barely quelled by Hausemaster’s kindness and my youth. Once I finally grew old enough, I sought to make both the king and the ungrateful people pay.”

Just talking about his fast gave Fit so much more pride in what he did, because while some may call it a weakness, he saw it as a strength to admit his desire for destruction ran far deeper than just money. That was the true reason he withheld telling others the real truth, even if it would leave people thinking he’s much more deadly than they already believed, “leaving that kingdom a wasteland was the second greatest day of my life, behind the day Ramon called me ‘dad’ for the first time,” he took a second to look up and see Ramon’s smile practically breaking off his face, “I may be here because I want part in your little treasure—” and something about Pac piqued his interest but he wasn’t admitting that even to himself, “but I am also here to help make this place for the kids, for Ramon. I want to make this work, so if you can drop your hostility, then I can drop mine.”

Mike was left stunned, any last bits of anger seeping out, leaving room only for his admiration, and after about ten seconds, a smirk came back to his lips and he crossed his arms, “did you really melt the entire castle?”

Fit grinned at the change of direction, chuckling to himself as he crossed his arms back, “the cannons first, then a turret. Then a wall one day, and then the entire castle days before everything else.”

“And the houses of any living nobles before the castle!” Ramon butt in as Fit rolled his eyes fondly.

“I almost forgot, thank you Ramon,” he genuinely thanked his son, even if his tone came off as slightly sarcastic, because having his son giving him high praise always felt greater than just about any of his past destruction, “I regret how I treated both you and Pac yesterday, and your behavior is fair today. Are you alright with leaving it all behind if I do as well?” now yes it was framed as a request, Fit made sure Mike knew he was still hardly given a choice.

Not like that mattered with the manic delight in Mike’s eyes as he held his hand out to shake, “Mike Craft, prison escapee and soon to be most feared inventor across the Quesadillian seas.”

“FitMC, but Fit is fine,” Fit shook the hand back, knowing that even if pirates shaking hands at least on deals meant nothing, Mike’s felt incredibly authentic. Maybe Fit could get the hang of making friends here, getting along with other people—

Speaking of other people, their handshake was broken up by the sound of bubbling water right before there was a large splash and sound of joy about ten feet away, the five in the room having to shield their eyes as a golden glow illuminated the room. It was only once the glow was gone they realized who was now here, especially since the glow was followed by another smaller splash, the new guests making themselves present.

“Foolish! Great to see you, you have the goods?” Mike averted his attention to the green eyed man adorned with gold, followed by his daughter whose scales were turning back to purple from their previous multi colors.

“Yep! Leo and I scrounged up this stuff for 3 hours, she did amazing!” he rubbed his daughter’s wet scalp affectionately as she happily soaked up the praise.

“And I found this pretty necklace!” the girl proudly showed a necklace with a big purple gem on an intricate golden chain.

“Es muy bonita, Leo!” Mike cooed as she grinned massively, while Fit stood awkwardly a few feet away, not sure if he should join the conversation.

“Perfect for the princesinha do mar,” Pac climbed down from the platform with the other kids, who all greeted Leo with as much happiness as she showed at Pac’s nickname. Fit had to guess princesinha meant ‘princess’, and maybe mar was… maybe sea, since it was her power after all. Sea Princess…

He had to admit that was very affectionate.

“You’re so lucky your power is that you get to be a sea dragon!” Ramon huffed, but there was no ill intention in his voice, because she was still his sibling, his other ‘triplet’ as she, Ramon, and Dapper referred to each other as.

“I was the first to discover my power, and it helps that my papa is from the sea too. I got very lucky with that,” she hugged her father’s leg as he chuckled, then started making a noise that must have been happy, even if he couldn’t necessarily define what it was. Fit was going to blame it on Foolish’s special aquatic species so he didn’t question it further.

“And so did I. Sure Vegetta is awesome, but only you can breathe underwater with me.”

“Can we go see him! He’s coming back with everyone who went on the supplies run!”

“He’s not back yet, but soon,” and then he made that happy noise again, “he’s bringing you more flour so you can keep making bread for us.”

“And Chayanne can breathe fire and turn it into toast!” Leo squealed, setting down a crate that looked to have a slightly teal glow before turning towards Fit, having just noticed he was there too and waved happily, “buenos dias tio Fit!”

“Buenos dias Leo,” he nodded with a smile as her dad also noticed he was there.

“Sorry Fit! All the adrenaline from swimming and gathering this shit, plus Vegetta coming back today has me all excited! So much energy,” Foolish’s apology seemed sincere as he then took a second to take a few deep breaths, clearly out of energy like he stated.

But Fit enjoyed pestering the man.

“No big deal,” he chuckled, eyeing the crates curiously, “so you spent three hours collecting that stuff, now when was the last time you said you were going to work on the dragon?” he asked innocently even if his intentions weren’t, taking pleasure in the way Foolish spluttered before guffawing.

“Hehe you bastard, you bald headed bastard,” Foolish laughed, challenging Fit as he put his hands on his hips, “makes me wonder what you’re doing outside your training room?”

Oh two could play that game.

“I’ll have you know I’m here to help Pac and Mike build the arena,” Fit smugly stated, placing only one of his hands on his hip, pointing to the crates with his gauntlet hand, “by the way, what’s in the crates? Better not be any of that rainbow jelly shit.”

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it again, and I’ll say the same about my famous kelp recipe,” Foolish countered like he was just partly offended, but Fit was right to hate the jelly. It had been off a dare from Spreen for him to try it… he couldn’t hold a sword normally for at least a day because of the speed his head was spinning. Sure the stuff tasted like sweet candy, but his weak state and hallucinating made that detail irrelevant.

“You kelp is fantastic,” Mike chuckled, but Fit noticed the way Pac huffed and rolled his eyes, now standing next to Mike.

“At least someone appreciates it. But as for the crates,” Foolish and Leo both opened a crate at the same time, and Fit was stunned to be met with what looked to be some sort of algae, but it emitted a beautiful teal light that looked even brighter than the torches in here, “we can get more if you need more, but this stuff sticks as well as barnacles to a boat. You wanted more light, and here you have it.”

“Whoaaaaa!” both Richarlyson and Ramon’s teeth now glowed blue from the light, as their mouths were left wide open.

“Pretty cool, isn’t it? This is what lights up my village under the sea, since obviously we can’t have fire there. And with the wood in here, this will work perfectly,” now while everyone was still impressed by the algae, Ramon was the one who quizzically questioned the supplier.

“Won’t this algae die off once it’s out of the water for too long?”

“You’re right, Ramon, but this isn’t algae. Yes it looks exactly like bio luminescence, but this isn’t alive. We aren’t exactly always creative down below, so we call it ‘lantern jelly’. If you go down mine and Vegetta’s hallway you’ll see the teal lamps, it’s all made with this. And don’t worry, it’s not poisonous if you eat it!”

“And why do you know that?” Ramon lifted a brow as Fit stifled a snort.

“You and your dad, both bastards,” Foolish didn’t seem that offended, or ashamed he admitted to eating this stuff, but more upset Ramon called him out and that Leo was giggling, “well I’ll leave you guys to it. Just tell me if you need any boulders crushed or more lantern jelly and Leo and I will handle it!”

“Thank you Foolish, goodbye Leo!” Pac got down on one knee to wave, but his surprise was evident when Leo ran over to give him a hug.

“Bye tio Pac, I’m so happy you’re back. I really, really missed you, and so did Lullah,” she pulled away with a soft smile, “we loved that time you took us flower picking, especially when we found the big amethyst cluster in the cave near that field!”

“Really?” Pac looked even more stunned than previously, and Fit could have sworn the man’s pause was not a normal shortness of breath before he spoke again, “if I have time between making the arena, I’ll take all you girls there. I promise! Pomme, Flippa, Tilin, and we won’t have to sneak off from a mission to do it.”

“That did make it more fun,” Leo whispered before taking her dad’s hand, “bye tio Mike and Tio Fit. And Ramon and Richarlyson!”

“Thank you again!” Richarlyson waved as the two quickly ran out, clearly excited for Leo’s other father to return, though Fit was not focused on either of the two leaving out the door.

He remembered the way Pac reacted to Fit not knowing where he had been for that month he was kidnapped, the comment about nobody in the base realizing he was gone. No wonder he sounded even just a little choked up when Leo had told him otherwise, and claimed Lullah felt the same way. She was pretty selective in her company too, so allowing Pac to take her and Leo flower picking was much more than she had most people interact with her.

Fit may not know most adults here, but he sure knew the kids.

Lullah was much more reserved and hardly ever asked for more than she thought she could have, very similar to Tilin who’d always hope she ‘wasn’t a burden to train’ during Fit’s sessions. Lullah just wasn’t demanding, but Tilin’s burden issues were rooted much deeper.

It wasn’t Tilin’s fault for her father’s stupid decisions and misjudgments. It was much better when Luzu was around, but he was so often missing from the base. Fit didn’t know him well enough to question it, but he knew minor details for Tilin’s sake. At first it was so funny witnessing Juanaflippa, with more energy than just about any kids here, was best friends with the quietest child here. It was only as time went on he realized they both shared similar issues with their parents, and when Tilin came out of her shell, she could rival Bobby’s and Richarlyson’s mischievous chaos.

She also hardly ever bragged about being the second kid here to discover her powers.

But back to the situation at hand, because Fit realized he’d been staring with a far off look in his eyes and Pac had noticed, though Fit wouldn’t brush off the way Pac’s cheeks were dusted with pink before he started talking, “what is it?”

“Oh just…” what defense was Fit really going to use for his blatant admiration, “nothing. You’re just… really uhhh… good with the girls,” wow, if he’d have stuttered this much around likely anyone here and especially in 2B2T, he would have never heard the end of it. Or anything at all, cause he’d be dead. Thankfully Pac didn’t seem to mind as he chuckled a little, looking Fit directly in his eyes.

“I always thought I’d have a daughter,” Pac admitted as he stood up from the ground, looking to Richarlyson and Ramon, who were picking up handfuls of the lantern jelly and needed Mike to make sure they didn’t start throwing it at each other, “I love Richarlyson and would let myself die before he even came close to dying, but I always felt destined to have a daughter… maybe I will one day.”

“I mean who knows,” Fit shrugged, half serious and half… well he guessed he just hoped it would come true for Pac’s sake, “for all we know the Federation could have more kids someplace else, and we just haven’t saved them yet.”

“Do you really think so?” Pac looked so hopeful as well, and Fit was glad he could still use facts to help this argument.

“I mean Richarlyson, Pomme, and Lullah were all found in separate places, thanks to Cellbit and Bagi,” well technically Lullah was on the same island but had been about to board a boat that Captain Philza and his crew crashed before it could leave the docks. It had been Missa who found her hiding by the docks as the boat went up in flames and Tubbo, a member of Philza’s crew, to break into the office finding documents on the kids in another language.

A few connections and two captains familiar with Federation coded language later, the Brazilian and French crews were frantically sailing to distant islands to rescue the two other children. At least this was the story Chayanne had told him, as he was present the day they discovered Lullah. There were likely more details but Fit would have to ask about that another day. So truthfully when they thought about it, it was highly likely there were more kids out there.

“We’ll find them, if they are out there,” Pac stated with full confidence, as Fit nodded confidently to agree.

“Every last one of them—”

“Pacey, leave your namarado alone. We need to get working,” Mike loudly interrupted the two, and was lucky Fit was hardly listening to the first sentence and only heard the second one. Only he was suspicious why Richas had burst out laughing as Pac walked over to shove Mike.

“Cala boca, Mikey!” though he wasn’t aggressive, and neither was Mike because he was laughing almost as much as Richarlyson, “sorry Fitch-FIT. You can…” Pac looked around for a few moments before his eyes landed on the jelly crates next to their feet, “would you be okay using the jelly to light the place up? It’ll help us get a better picture of what we can do here,” he asked with nervousness in his tone, like he was afraid Fit was going to think ‘lantern duty’ was boring and he could do more. Truthfully, Fit thought that was the best thing he could while the others worked away. Maybe Ramon wouldn’t find it as fun but it would help.

“No problem, you’re the inventors and designers. I’m here to help, though I do wonder,” Fit held out his gauntlet hand, leaving it open for about two seconds before his trident was summoned from who knows where in the base, likely Richarlyson’s room with the way he gasped.

“NO! I had Dapper put a spell on it so you couldn’t take it back!”

“Well his spell didn’t work,” if Richas was with Dapper, then maybe Ramon was telling the truth that Richas snuck out to hang out with Bad, “can’t mess with millenias old magic,” he teased the boy, but then got back to his desired idea, dipping his trident in the jelly before he flung it as hardly as he could onto the nearest stone wall. It appeared to work as the jelly stuck together mid air until it hit the wall and all stuck there. Only a few stray bits splashed the ground that could be easily cleaned up, “oh this is going to be fun.”

“Splashing on the wall like that is perfect, especially the roof,” Mike seemed to approve as Pac nodded his head furiously in agreement.

“Very unique, oh but for the pathways, could you just outline the edges? For now, the best thing to do is line the walls and roof so we’re sure how much space we have to work with?”

“Sure, like I said, you’re the bosses here,” he did emphasize the last word before motioning Ramon over with his head, “let’s get to work Ramon—”

“Actually,” Pac stopped him, looking to Ramon who was now in between the two, which was still only a few feet, “would you be alright if Ramon helped us draw up ideas and build? You said he’s an inventor, and we want all the kids’ opinions on how they want this place to look. I think he’ll be really good at it… if you allow it that is,” Pac gave him the option to say no, which Fit hadn’t necessarily been giving to Pac with his demands of the previous day and even today, but that wasn’t what influenced his decision.

Ramon wasn’t offered like the rest of the kids to go on missions because nobody really wanted to ask Fit if he could. Sure the boy has snuck on a mission or two with Bad but people here weren’t often brave enough to offer Ramon things because of his father. Here once again, Pac was proving himself unique and special in Fit’s eye, “if you would want to help Ramon, I’d gladly let you—”

“YES I DO!” Ramon yelled with such energy not often seen from him, “I want to—uhhh sorry Fit to leave you with the boring work,” though his son didn’t sound sorry, so Fit had to be dramatic back.

“You hate to see it, my own son betraying me and leaving his old man to do the hard labor—” though he could hardly continue before laughing again, “I’m just a silly bald boy trying to help out,” he dramatically sighed as he took more jelly and instead threw his trident up to the ceiling this time, the entire jelly sticking while his trident flew right back into his left hand, amused that both adults and both kids found his joke humorous.

“I won’t steal him for long, or so you think,” Pac used that deep voice again at the end like he did yesterday when he was messing with Fit, but even if the threat was a joke, Fit found himself still in the joking mood. Or at least his kind of joking.

“Try that and see what happens,” he remained dead serious before scrounging up more jelly, and with his gauntlet hand this time, threw the trident so it soared faster only a few feet from where Pac was standing, still not getting even a drop of jelly on the man, “oh, my mistake,” he hoped he sounded in no shape or form of apologetic before he casually turned the other way, instead using his trident to lightly mark a pathway with the jelly while allowing Pac and Mike to resume their work.

He didn’t need to stay turned around for Pac’s reaction as the silence was enough, and he took his crate to keep lining the path further down. Though if he stayed, he would have seen Pac’s initial shock turn into a smirk, or have listened to the muttered ‘você sabe que ele é gostoso’ from Mike that had Pac slapping him before they resumed their work.

Fit couldn’t help admitting as the day went by that he was enjoying himself. At the beginning, he was still awkwardly quiet and just did what he was supposed to, working at an exceedingly quick rate before he began getting roped into conversations that he enjoyed more. Whether it be Pac or Mike, they’d just talk to him random things, while Ramon and Richas would sometimes even ask for his opinion on their ideas, in terms of functionality or not, and he was content with it all. It even got to a point where he was the one distracting the four from their work by either showing them a cool trick with his trident or carving a message into the rocks and filling it with the lantern jelly.

The first of the messages was just Ramon’s name, then a poorly drawn gear next to it, and then in other random places he started writing the other kid’s names. It was… relaxing, comfortable, safe, feelings Fit wasn’t all that familiar with but that he welcomed, at least for the most part. His senses were still heightened if danger occurred, but for now… he could mess around like most pirate crews did together.

Crew…

The word sounded nice in his mind, like he was finally accepting it, but openly this time.

As time passed, occasionally other pirates could come around to check out how the construction was going, say hi to the pirates and kids, but they remained short interactions. After a while, they all practically inhaled lunch before returning back to their work and everything continued as normal, until one girl with braided pigtails greeted Fit as he worked on a path by the entrance, “why hello Flippa, what brings you around here?”

“Hi tio Fit! I have something to show you!” the girl grinned before bringing out what she was hiding behind her back—no way—

“Is that a Federation pistol? What?” pistols had lately become hard to get your hands on with the Federation controlling most of the seas, even for pirates. Most in this base owned one or two but this base also consisted of the most legendary and powerful pirates around. What Juanaflippa was doing with the latest top of the line pistol was beyond him. No matter power or fame, this was one he had not seen from anyone yet, “where did you get that?”

“Papa Mariana stole it for me! It was a while ago but he just gave it to me today after he did my hair. But back to the pistol,” she waved it around confidently as her other hand readjusted her glasses, “I wanted to ask if you could train me with it in our next training session?”

“No mames, he’s letting you keep it for yourself?”

“And me too!” Fit jumped at the voice behind him, but as soon as he turned around and witnessed another pistol floating in mid air, his guffaw was absolutely shameless, and continued for about ten seconds before he could catch his breath.

“Told you we’d get him!” the voice of Tilin laughed before turning visible again, having been using her power, “I hope you’re not mad, but did we scare you?”

“Startled me for sure,” Fit gave them the win they were looking for, “and yeah, I’d love to train you guys with these. Can I see one?” Tilin obliged and handed the pistol over, smiling with her hands behind her back with her sleeves that were just slightly too big for her. It seemed she was wearing one of Quackity’s shirts again.

“They’re super nice and shiny. Mariana stole one for me and Roier took the other one for Tilin,” Flippa explained as Fit examined the one pistol. It looked like it had never even been used, almost like it was just for looks, the small detail bothering Fit much more than it should have. They’re leaving innocent people defenseless so they can carry these guns for looks…

“Roier didn’t give it to Bobby?” Fit wondered as Tilin sneakily giggled.

“No, he was mad at Bobby because he hasn’t taken a bath in a week and smells bad, plus he already has a cool sword, so he gave the gun to me!” now Fit had only talked to Roier a few times, but knew his words were probably much meaner and included more curses than what Tilin relayed. Whatever the case, he was staying away from their hallway to avoid Bobby’s likely future tantrum over that.

“Well that was very nice of Roier, make sure to keep these safe, lots of sneaky pirates around here who’d want to swipe these,” he warned the girls, who nodded simultaneously in agreement.

“We won’t! Come on Tilin, we need to see if we can trick tio Bad before everyone else gets back. Bye tio!” and the girls were off, Fit relieved that Flippa had found a way for Tilin to enjoy using her power. The circumstances the kid had discovered her powers were… not the greatest, and that was why even though she was second in the base to discover her powers, she didn’t brag and didn’t use them often. But as usual, Flippa looked to the positive route and found a way to bring happiness to her sister.

“Did the girls just come in showing off pistols?” Pac’s voice almost startled Fit, but he was too happy to really notice, staring off to where the girls ran off, Tilin invisible again so it was just a floating pistol following Flippa.

“Just a regular day at the base,” Fit said was too casually, because he definitely didn’t just have two little girl dragon hybrids come to him specifically to show off stolen pistols and now one was running around invisible. Typical day for FitMC.

“You’ve gotten a lot of the jelly up on the walls, two crates already empty and a third nearly there,” Pac commented, and it was true. Foolish was going to need to scrounge a good bit more up if this was going to be Fit’s new routine. Sure he had barely scratched the surface of being complete, as the entire roof, most of the walls, structure, and paths still needed more jelly, he’d gotten a lot done today.

“I’m a fast worker,” though Fit didn’t care just about himself here, “how’s Ramon doing? He’s not getting overstimulated or anything?” his son did tend to sometimes get too many great ideas at once and would sometimes need a good bit of time to cool off, so he hoped this was not one of those times. His poor boy would get so embarrassed even if it wasn’t his fault.

“Not at all, and his ideas are amazing! Mike can sometimes be the same, so I’ve learned how to make sure it doesn’t happen,” that was such a relief to hear, “Ramon had an awesome idea for a catapult and a net that will both be fun and help the kids learn to glide, it will go somewhere over there. Once the new shipment comes in today, I think I’ll try and snatch some more parchment for him to write down his ideas…” it was still unbelievable how someone who’d known Ramon for less than a day did 20x more for him than Spreen ever had. Not like he was holding Pac and Spreen on the same level, but Pac was still infinitely better.

“You’d… do that for him? Give that up?” parchment and paper wasn’t necessarily easy to get your hands on and very expensive. It wasn’t always guaranteed on the shipments and if it was there, people would usually take it pretty quickly. Typically the French as Pomme loved to journal.

“Why not? Yes sometimes the shipment can be… what’s that saying in English? Where you get what you can grab or something?”

“First come first serve,” Fit finished for him, “yeah I’m really not that sure at all how taking from shipments works. We’ve only all been here for around two months and they come once a weekish, sometimes less depending on weather.”

“When we were still here, I hope it hasn’t changed, but basically you get a few minutes when the ship docks to grab a few things you want before they kick you off and make you help take it all to the storage room,” Pac explained, which Fit believed because it was once a week he would go to the storage room as quickly as he could once supplies arrived. Though he didn’t know he could sneak a few things first. Maybe that was how he’d get Ramon a thicker blanket for his bed.

“Maybe I’ll have to head down there early as well,” Fit grinned, “Ramon had been asking for a thicker blanket, plus it would be nice if he had two people fighting for his parchment.”

“It’ll be more than just us, we can all go down there as a team! Mikey too wants more paper for drawing up ideas,” something about Pac referring to their little crew in here as a team settled differently in Fit’s mind, not for bad but not necessarily all good. Crew was one thing, but team… was more intimate. Was he really ready for—

He was not allowed to finish his thought though, as the pool Foolish had swam up through in the room began glowing purple, a tell tale sign that warp stone magic was being used in their water, which meant—

“The shipment is here!” Mike appeared practically out of thin air behind the two, eyes beaming at the pool before he noticed Pac and Fit had been right next to each other. For some reason, he stared for a few moments before his eyes narrowed and smile widened. He then made a show of running in between the two and grabbing Pac’s arm, “we need the parchment, let’s go!”

“Yeah, come on Fit! Richas come too, and Ramon!” Pac didn’t seem too bothered by Mike’s interruption, but for some reason when Pac had turned his head away from him, Mike looked back at Fit with a self satisfied grin. Something about it spelled trouble, almost like Mike had said ‘I stole him from you’, even if that wasn’t necessarily the case. They had just been conversation… yet something about Mike’s look and intervention had Fit unsettled and unsatisfied.

He’d been talking with Pac, why did Mike have to steal him away? Wait…

STEAL? It’s not like Pac was his or anything—

“We need parchment, Fit!” Ramon snapped Fit from looking at Mike, yet when he turned his head towards his son, Ramon seemed unsettled, “are you okay Fit?”

“Oh, just fine Ramon, why wouldn’t I be?” he hadn’t noticed the problem, he was just internally monologing—

“Maybe I saw wrong, I thought you were glaring at Mike,” he said that quietly so Mike wouldn’t hear, yet Fit’s sputtering certainly wasn’t and caught the attention of the Brazilians who were about to leave.

“Fitch? You alright?” and Pac just had to have his accent when he called out for Fit too. Thankfully Mike was back to smirking and that snapped Fit out of his stupor so Mike wouldn’t feel like he’s won.

“Yeah, let’s go steal some paper!” that was a sentence Fit never thought he’d mutter in his life, but the excitement was there as he led the way through the caves, Ramon at his side with the Brazilians behind him. The arena wasn’t too deep in the caves, but the five of them did practically shove past other pirates in the base so they could get past them and down to the docks quicker. Normally Fit’s adrenaline came from combat, yet he loved how it felt as he turned that last corner, scouting out the docks as he was the first to reach the entrance.

The others weren’t far behind, and the only other person waiting just a bit in front of them was Captain Philza. Fit recognized his ridiculous striped green and white bandana anywhere, as well as the emerald earring that hung from his right ear. He almost felt bad that their little crew was going to rampage past him so they could be the first to take what goods they sought. It was likely the captain was waiting here to blow the conch horn that was technically the second signal that a shipment had arrived, the first being that purple glow only so many could notice inside the base if they could see any ocean water.

He was quickly proven right as Philza lifted a white conch with tan tips and a pink inner shell to his lips, which signaled whoever was on duty at the top of the base to blow one as well. Once one at the top was blown, there were a few others that had access to openings in the base that would blow theirs so the whole base knew to come help and unload. Or you know, tell pirates they could come grab what they wanted shortly from the storage room. Most came to help at this point, as more people here continued to accept they were all one big crew.

The conch was only blown just as the ship docked, the collective crew aboard ready to tie the ship down and the sails up just as the rest of the Brazilians and Ramon caught up, “come on, you guys want the parchment or not?” Fit teased, just as Philza had finished blowing the conch for the second time, making eye contact with Fit for just a moment before his crew all ran out the exit, beckoning Fit to slow down so they could keep up. In that second Fit could see the confusion on Philza’s face, but not confusion that they were all running, more like they were all running with Fit.

Whatever Philza was going to say, Fit would have to wait because now the ship was docking and supplies was almost ready for the taking, “race you there Fit!” Richas called out cheekily as Fit joined the group again, the five practically barreling their way to the edge of the dock where the ship was docking.

“Need a hand?” Mike called up to the crews, and Fit noticed both Pac and Mike running to different beams on the dock, different positions as ropes were thrown their way. Fit felt oddly out of place since he didn’t know exactly where he was supposed to stand or how he should help. He hadn’t been a pirate as long as just about everyone here, so he couldn’t really be blamed, but thankfully nobody seemed to notice. The board to the boat was thrown down and Fit was the first on, quickly followed by the others.

For that one second, the crew members expressed their shock upon seeing Fit of all people aboard, even more so when he was flanked by four others laughing along with him. Deciding other pirates would also be here soon, Fit turned to the closest pirate near him to ask about supplies, which happened to be someone Philza was rather close to, “hola Missa, how was the raid?”

“Fit! Ho—Hola!” Missa waved shyly, elbows tucked into his sides with a weak smile on his face. He wasn’t really good at hiding he was intimidated, “what can I do for you?”

“Just wondering if your shipment contains any… parchment? Empty books or any type of paper? I would like to have the first look,” he said casually, and thankfully Missa nodded furiously instead of trying something else, or even calling to Philza at the edge of the docks.

“Oh, you’re in luck, Fit!” Missa started scrounging around some crates up on the main deck, and Fit had to stifle a snort when Missa let out a yelp upon spilling a crate of apples, having been trying to reach the crate next to it, “stole these right out of a Federation office itself. They’re all new, never been written in,” that was when he opened a decent sized crate, and inside were stacks of what he at first thought were written books, but if what Missa said was true.

“No mames… Ramon! Pac! Check this out!” he called to his few who were scavenging the other crates on the main deck, the five all gathering around with glimmering smiles.

“This is perfect!” Ramon grabbed a book that was about two inches thick, completely unused with multiple pages ready to become his blueprints, “whoa it’s huge!”

“Now, I’m not sure if you usually ask for this or not,” Fit grinned as he snatched a good three books, Ramon grabbing two and the others a couple for themselves, “but we’ll be taking these. We’re working on a project.”

“Project?” Missa quickly became intrigued, but remained more on the shy/intimidated side, “what kind?”

“Hide ‘N Seek arena!” Richas butt in, two books in hand, “Fit’s helping us too, and so’s Ramon!”

“Fit is doing what now?” the snarky voice of Captain Philza made himself present, coming up behind Mike as Missa gasped, his eyes carrying no audience but Philza’s, and his smile became so meek but utterly joyous.

“Philza…” he said in such a quiet voice, like he was trying to contain his excitement, unlike the captain.

“Missa,” he parroted the man by uttering his name, a signature grin on his lips before Missa jumped up in the air.

“Philza!” and instead of jumping in the air again, the two immediately embraced each other, Philza’s head resting on top of Missa’s for a second before he pulled away, keeping one arm around his shoulder.

“Missa!”

“I missed you and the kids so much! But guess what!” Missa excitedly gripped Philza’s shirt before pulling away, bumping into the crate of apples again and spilling a few he frantically started picking up within two seconds, hoisting the crate up to the man, “I found a crate of those special apples you like! The ones Chayanne likes for the apple tart!”

“Oh the kids are gonna be thrilled!” Philza looked at the crate like he’d struck gold, and while Fit withheld chuckling at the way Missa had presented everything like a shy little boy hoping Philza was proud of him, the captain didn’t hold in his laugh, hugging the man’s shoulder again, “you wet cat, you didn’t need to go through the trouble.”

“But I wanted to! And I know you like them too—but mainly for Chayanne! Yes Chayanne and Tallulah, mi hijo y hija!” yeah the poor man wasn’t hiding that he went out of his way on a dangerous raid to find something as rare as apparently this kind of apples.

Fit imagined himself in the same scenario for a moment, going on one of these raids and finding special gears and metal scraps for Ramon, knowing they were special to him. The idea settled warmly in Fit’s heart, and the idea of bringing Pac new top of the line arrows as he’d told Fit earlier he wanted more—

Not like that idea settled just as contently in his mind as the last. Definitely not.

“Speaking of kids, hello Ramon. Richas,” Philza saluted the boys with two fingers, but then turned back towards Fit, a smirk evident on his lips and a Missa under his left arm, “FitMC of 2B2T. Now just what are you doing outside your training center?” this was clearly meant to be a jab at Fit’s usual distance from social gatherings, so Fit needed to take a jab back at the man.

“I was about to ask where your cane was, you old asshole. Surprised you could actually walk all the way out here, you might get heat stroke,” he grinned at the way Philza lost it in laughter, cackling like he normally did just about anywhere. Fit had insulted lots of old people in 2B2T, older mercenaries who tried taking down the crown and failing, so he was used to this.

“Motherfucker, I am confident we are the same age,” Philza fired back, Missa looking more offended he said anything negative about Philza, but confident in Philza’s way of countering it.

“Sure old man,” Fit huffed jokingly, chuckling once before talking again, “and I’ll have you know Ramon and I have decided to help Pac and Mike with their Hide ‘N Seek arena.”

“No mames, the island hermit is finally socializing? Never thought I’d see the day,” and the man was back to laughing at his jokes, but Fit was actually enjoying it. He hadn’t interacted with Philza a ton here, but he’d heard of the man for the past few years. You didn’t earn the nickname ‘Angel of Death’ by being a kind, merciful pirate. In ways, he and Philza were very similar, completely different people once you got to know them but very deadly reputations. Even the few times they’ve talked, he’s actually enjoyed the man’s company.

Maybe he could continue doing such…

“Yeah yeah, very funny, we’re all laughing,” Fit rolled his eyes as Philza’s flitted over to the Brazilian pirates.

“Pac and Mike, huh? They’re a fun duo, sneaky as hell but creative fucking geniuses. They’re much more active in the morning like I am, like you as well,” guess Fit hadn’t noticed when they would all complete chores around the base. Or maybe he was off the hook, as the two were inventors and were likely working on a project before they were kidnapped. Hopefully it was the latter.

“Yeah us old folk, those who need to be in bed by 5,” Fit joked, grinning towards Pac, who was trying to finesse his way into stealing a few strawberries from Niki, one of Philza’s other crewmates. She looked to be humoring him, yet Fit noticed the few strawberries already in Pac’s right hand before he slipped them into a pocket on his pant’s leg.

“See the two haven’t stopped thieving, not like we want them too,” Philza snickered, clearly having seen Pac’s work, and the way that while he had Niki distracted, Richas snuck a few in his mouth, stem and all, “so you’re really helping them with that arena?”

“It’s not that hard to believe,” okay maybe that wasn’t true, “but yeah, they’re letting Ramon help design the place, bring up his own ideas. I’m more on the hard labor side but… I actually enjoyed myself,” he admitted with no shame, curious as to why the captain questioned it again, “why ask?”

“Just saying,” Philza shrugged his shoulders, but his lips were still slightly turned upward, “the other captains proposed you lead the next raid as a way to get you out of your training room and interacting with others,” Fit internally cringed at the reminder. Now that this ship was back, they were likely going to leave again within days or even less than that. This raid was much more food based, the next would probably have to do more with weapons or even information.

“And what about it?” Fit tried to make it seem like it didn’t bother him, but Philza’s deadpan look snuffed that out.

“I know you wanted nothing to do with it. But seeing how you have a project you’re working on, and seem passionately into,” now Fit was drawn into whatever the old man had to offer, “Vegetta’s just across the ship. He sees this, and I see this too, we just might be able to convince the others that perhaps you don’t need to go on a raid, as you do kind of have a job here.”

This was probably the best news Fit had been given in years. Sure he was having a good time and was comfortable around Pac and Mike (Pac more but he wasn’t saying that) and was technically working with them to get a piece of an ancient treasure (which Philza didn’t need to know either), but a raid with multiple others still sounded like hell. Especially with the way Ramon talked to him last night about being held accountable for someone’s mistakes…

“If you could, that’d save someone’s head here. Listen old man, I’ve worked alone my whole life on dangerous missions. At least let me keep doing this, plus… I wouldn’t want to leave them only after a few days,” he gestured to what he thought was both Pac and Mike, but it was just Pac who now given the strawberries back and was apologizing to Niki for taking them… which ended up with her giving him more than he had taken.

“So what is it about Pac and Mike that makes them better to work with?” well for one they had a treasure Fit was dying to learn more about and Pac… well he wasn’t telling Philza of all people that something about Pac intrigued Fit and he loved his fire…

“And Richarlyson. You know, their son,” Fit decided to make fun of the man to hide his lack of a good answer, “how dare you Phil, forget about their own son.”

“Mhm, yeah, sounds like deflecting,” well that didn’t work as well as he’d hoped, the old man eyeing the two but Pac for much longer, “mhmmm,” he hummed for longer than Fit was comfortable for, but thankfully he was saved by another loud voice as another arm came around Philza.

“PHILLLLLL, my brooooo,” was the voice of one of the island’s most skilled warriors, also completely different under his warrior exterior from what Pomme has described, but his attention too was drawn to the open crate of books, “ohhhh are those empty books? Please Missa I need one!”

“No! I can’t just give more away, Fit and his accomplices have taken half! You can wait like everyone else,” Missa sounded more tired than angry, as the French pirate looked around and instead of asking Fit, he noticed Ramon a little ways away.

“Ramonnnn my petit frère, are those empty book? Can I have one? Please?”

“Hi Etoiles!” his son greeted him politely before shaking his head and keeping the books close to his chest, “sorry, but I need these!”

“Me too! Sorry!” though Richas and his baby boy didn’t sound sorry as they snickered to themselves, practically giving the French man a heart attack.

“WHAT? Richas I’ve given you like 20 different swords and daggers your dads know nothing about and now you hate me? I just need one book for Pomme, PLEASE?” he was practically begging at their feet, but the boys sniggered more and kept the books to themselves, “oughh, the betrayal? Do you guys want me to jump in the water and swim down 30000 feet and die? Or sail away and never come back????” okay maybe he did not know Etoiles was so sensitive, or at least acting like he was, but Fit was living for it and almost felt bad.

“That’s it, Ramon, you tell him,” Fit complimented his son in his antics as Etoiles looked at him with the most betrayed look of the day.

“FitMC I live like 3 hallways down from your gym, all I need to do is not be sad and walk for like 2 minutes to go beat your ass,” Etoiles stated as a matter of factly, yet Fit guffawed at the threat and the way it was spoken. Something about Etoiles’s manner wasn’t at all serious even though he could kill most pirates here, but had Fit wanting to see it even more.

“Here’s a little trick,” Philza beckoned Fit closer to whisper in his ear, “just tell him you’ll do a stick fight and he’ll forgive you for anything.”

“A stick fight?” Fit said out loud on accident, but was surprised to see Etoiles offended look drop for an eager grin.

“Stick fight? Fit will you finally not be depressed and hate all of us enough to come fight me?” while this was meant to be a taunt—

“Bold of you to say, King. You leave your dojo for like 2 hours a week—”

“What is this, Phil! You help me build my awesome dojo and insult me like this? Do you want to fight this out later?” though later seemed to be now with the way he pointed his sword at Phil

“I’d be honored to fight the GOAT,” Philza calmed his friend, grinning back to Fit, “you up for a dojo night? It’s been a while, we’re all due for some fun. There’ll be rum and Bad always agrees to put the kids down if you join?”

Now normally Fit would have said no, but his interacting with Pac and Mike today, and even this ship encounter has led Fit to believe that by keeping himself in his gym, he’s actually missed out on connecting with some great people here. Sure he likely couldn’t trust any of them as far as he could throw them, but a night to show off his skills even just for fun… now he didn’t feel like turning it down. Plus, he’d hardly ever had rum because yes he loved the taste, but he’d become slightly less vigilant and that was not something he could risk.

It was different here.

Plus, when Fit turned his head to see Etoiles greeting Pac and Mike, he figured Etoiles would want them to join the dojo night. He knew Pac was an archer, but it would be good to figure out what Mike too was good at if he was going to go on a dangerous treasure hunt with them, against the Federation of all things. Plus, for all he knew, Pac and Mike may want others on the mission too. This could be an opportunity for them to discover who was capable of joining them, plus Fit would socialize.

It was a win-win.

Plus he trusted Bad to take good care of Ramon, keep him safe in his quarters nobody but him and his two kids could find.

“I’ll be there, when does it all start?”

“The second any orange in the sky vanishes,” Philza responded, chuckling once before slapping Fit’s shoulder, but in a friendly way, “looking forward to seeing what the legend is made of.”

“Can’t wait to watch you get wasted after 1 sip of rum,” he knew a pirate like Philza could likely tank a whole bottle, but egging him on was becoming his new favorite thing.

“FitMC of 2B2T, wanting to get me wasted? Usually you’d take me out to dinner first.”

“Haha you wish, you old geezer,” Philza was definitely not his type, and it was definitely not what he meant, but Philza insinuating such was hilarious.

“I thought so,” Philza shrugged, before taking two crates in his arms and leaning closer to Fit, “and take a bit of advice mate. If you don’t want your name being the subject of everyone’s gossip around here, make your engrossment with the Brazilians less obvious,” Fit couldn’t even hate the way the man looked so self satisfied, because his mind had halted and he became a sputtering mess before trying to piece together an answer. How dare this Philza call him out on what was—well technically he said BrazilianS, not just the one.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Philza.”

“Bruh, just call me ‘Phil’ mate,” the man huffed, and Fit decided if he wanted to talk more without anyone being suspicious, he needed to grab a few crates himself to take to the storage room, “and I’m not saying you are, it’s just what I’ve seen. You seem like the guy who doesn’t want everyone running around telling each other about your business.”

“That’s right,” Fit confirmed, “my personal life is nobody’s fucking business on this island! Hey you hear that, assholes!” he yelled towards the giant base, “try and talk about me and see where that leads you!” he laughed along with Phil before lowering his voice, “my life will always be NYFB.”

“Let me guess, none your—”

“Fucking business!” Fit finished for him, about to say something more when he heard a giggle behind him.

“None your fudging business,” Pac repeated, even if it wasn’t fully correct, and he giggled to himself a little before peeking his head from behind a crate he was carrying, “it’s very funny, I like it! No fofoca on FitMC,” he lowered his voice for Fit’s name, and as much as Fit liked it, he wasn’t familiar with that one word.

“Fofoca?”

“Fofoca, it’s gossip in Portuguese,” Pac answered kindly, Fit’s head still turned back towards him as he furrowed his brow for a moment, looking at the ground before he decided his feelings towards the word.

“Fofoca, I like it. Sounds better,” he chuckled, testing the word in his mind before he had to look forward so he didn’t crash, and hopefully his slight misstep when he turned around wasn’t obvious, especially since Phil—

“Yeah mate, you’re fucked, especially if he shows up tonight,” the old man cackled, meaning he did notice and Fit rolled his eyes.

“What did I just say about fofoca about me, Phil?” Fit asked in a tone that he made sure sounded way too calm as to unnerve the man, to drive him off his clear as day trail.

“You’re already using his word,” he sniggered, the two turning the corner to set down the crates in the storage room, granted only seconds before Pac would enter, “you know FitMC, I think this may be the start of a beautiful friendship!”

“Philza, in the least kind way I can possibly ask: Shut. The. FUCK. UP.”

Chapter Text

“No way you’re actually going to go tonight.”

“Ramon,” Fit chastised his son with a sigh that could have been heard for miles, “you know why I’m so cautious about everything here… and why especially after the last two days, I wouldn’t hate a dojo night.”

“I know, but it is more fun teasing you,” his son grinned before hugging his father around his waist, even if he didn’t reach very high, but it was a sign for Fit to get down on a knee to talk with him at eye level, “I’m happy you are.”

“You sure you’re good sleeping in Bad’s quarters tonight?” Fit knew his son would often wake up in the middle of the night to curl up with Fit, not at first admitting it was because of nightmares, but Fit suspected long before the boy actually admitted it. It took a week with Ramon, and even if he wasn’t the best with his baby boy at first, he realized he would too have the same nightmares if he’d been held hostage and malnourished by those Federation pricks.

Spreen would tell Ramon to go back to his own bed, and once Fit realized he’d done, he threatened to slit the man’s throat.

Rest in piss…

“Sleepovers with tio Bad are the BEST! He has these cool creatures he’ll show us. We get to play around, and then we put all out beds together to make one MASSIVE bed,” Fit’s eyes softened at the joy in his son’s voice, at least before Ramon’s voice dropped to a whisper, “it reminds us we aren’t separated in cells anymore like we were before. That we can actually all be together.”

“Oh Ramon,” Fit’s arms were around Ramon before he could blink, hugging his son not so much tightly, but firmly, to show that he wasn’t going anywhere, “none of us are going anywhere, you never have to be separated from me or your siblings again. And if you all want to sleep in one big pile, all eleven of you,” that got his son chuckling again, “then you are more than welcomed to,” he truly couldn’t wait for the day he burnt the Federation to the ground and sent whoever their leader was to the deepest pits of hell…

“Not all on top of each other, I’d be crushed.”

“Can’t have you getting crushed on my watch,” Fit assured his boy, pulling away from the hug but his hand lingered on Ramon’s shoulder, all traces of his smile vanishing as he studied his son with a small frown. The kids hardly ever talked about their experiences with the Federation, claiming they hardly remember any of it, but Fit wanted more than anything to have just an inkling of how his son came to be the way he was. Was he once a normal human boy? Was the Federation the reason the kids had such a hard time figuring out their powers?

Only a few kids in the base had figured out their powers, Ramon not having found his yet, but not a single kid could fly yet, even if they all had wings. Was that another thing the Federation did to them?

“Ramon… are you sure you don’t have any idea of how long you were stuck there?” his boy had around the same build and size of around a ten year old, but then again he was part dragon, so he truly had no idea what to think from there.

“Every day was the same, they just kind of blurred by,” his son held his right arm tightly with his left hand, head falling down to the side, “time worked strangely there. I don’t remember how I got there, how old I am. How… anything happened, up until the day you all saved us.”

“Sorry that I still ask,” Fit sighed, trying to lighten up the conversation, trying to not think about if Fit hadn’t been so adamant on destroying 2B2T, if he could have found those kids anytime sooner, “anyway, you have your new blanket for Bad’s tonight?” though the change didn’t necessarily not work, because Ramon set his own hands onto Fit’s shoulder, with a new confident smile on his lips.

“You know we’re going to destroy them all, right? We’ll make them pay for what they did, and I’ll figure out what my power is and be the first here to learn to fly. I promise dad-” and it hurt that Fit couldn’t enjoy the sentiment as much as he could, because he felt the presence behind them a few seconds Ramon looked behind his dad to the new figure present with them, “right uncle Bad! We’re going to burn the Federation to the ground!”

“And eat all their soldiers!”

“NO!” Ramon yelled before he started boisterously laughing, breaking up the sadness as he pat his dad’s shoulders before running into a now kneeling Captain Bad, “we’re not eating any of them, that’s gross!”

“Maybe just a little snack, depends if I’m in the right mood,” the captain answered cryptically as he picked Ramon up flawlessly, holding him on his left as Ramon grabbed a fistful of his black hood. Truthfully, Fit had no idea what exactly Captain BadBoyHalo was, but he knew it wasn’t human. The man always wore his black hood with his even darker black horns protruding from holes within it, and the only thing that could be seen from inside the hood were glowing white eyes. At least when Bad had his mouth closed, when open, his mouth looked human minus his two fangs that sat within his top layer of teeth. All of them looked a little more sharp than normal when Fit really thought about it.

On his back was his signature scythe, which was unusual for a pirate, but then again, Fit’s main weapon was his trident so he had no room to talk.

“You sure you’re good taking all the kids tonight?” while Fit said all the kids, he really just meant Ramon, but it was still pretty hard wrangling them all together and wondered if the man was really up for the task.

“Yeah! We’re hatching phoenixs tonight, Richas has been waiting for a full moon to hatch a special type, and some of the others including Ramon haven’t gotten a chance to hatch one,” the captain explained as if they weren’t hatching creatures Fit didn’t think actually existed.

Then again, he didn’t question it. His son was half dragon and he had two enchanted weapons… and he was heckling another pirate for a chance to help find another one.

“Sounds entertaining. You just have phoenix eggs lying around?”

“Have had them for years and never saw a use for them, but the kids like having them as pets. It requires a complicated process to hatch them, but with that many kids and Chayanne’s fire breathing it’ll be easy,” Bad replied casually, adjusting his grip on Ramon, “I guess I’ll see you later at dojo night.”

“Wait, I thought you were watching the kids?” Fit didn’t like the idea of Bad leaving the kids in—

“I am, but I can leave for a bit once they’re asleep. There’s hardly any place safer than my room or anywhere under Pomme and Dapper’s protection,” Bad explained while Ramon nodded in agreement, “my kids only got up a few hours ago, so they’ll stay awake far long enough before I get back there. If you want me to stay in there though, I understand—”

“No no, I get it. Your two kids are… well they’re incredible fighters,” basically all the kids were natural fighters, but Pomme and Dapper hardly ever struggled with anything Fit taught them, “and besides, I… I need to get used to trusting other people around here,” Fit admitted with a sigh, leaning against his trident, “we’re all here working together as a team.”

“Distrust and being cautious is not a fault,” Bad countered, which got Fit to perk his head up a little more, “you wonder why our base is so hard to find and why nobody besides my kids can’t navigate their way to where I dwell. You can become friends with whoever you want, but that doesn’t mean everyone here shares all their secrets openly. You just need to find the perfect balance.”

“Do you not trust me?” Fit asked before he could stop himself, and grew surprised when he saw a smile form on Bad’s lips, only to be followed immediately with a head shake.

“You’re teaching all the kids here how to fight, which mirrors your own fighting style. You’ve taught Dapper and Pomme more than I could have on my own, but that alone is much more than really just about anyone here has offered,” this quickly took Fit back, because he was the one who’d avoided socializing and yes he helped with chores around the base, he’d always do the minimum he had to, but Bad was claiming he was offering more than anyone?

“You’re saying I’ve done more than anyone? Even you? You were the one who led us to your home and we’ve made it our base, created the warpstone spell that allows us to travel here quicker, you’ve done—”

“I said just about everyone,” the man joked, which had Fit scoffing with a smirk, “but really, we’re the only ones who can wrangle all the kids here into one place and have them behave.”

“That’s right,” Fit answered much more confidently, because he knew it to be true. Especially after he had many kids come from all over the base to say hi, especially Tilin and Flippa who specifically asked him to teach them how to use their pistols, he was given a newfound confidence he hadn’t noticed before, “but what does that have to do with trust?”

“Nobody here needs full trust in anyone. You just need to know if they’re going to have your back or not if anything goes south, or that they’ll lay down their lives if it means keeping these guys safe,” he gave Ramon a big squeeze that had the boy giggling again, “further trust from there is something you can decide if you want or not. It isn’t necessary, though. Take it from someone who’s seen almost every kind of pirate to live: you’re a unique case, Fit, and everyone here knows that. Nobody’s pressuring you to change that.”

“Really? Then why’d the other captains propose I lead a raid?” this was still irking Fit, because if Bad was really telling the truth, then—

“Maybe I should say they shouldn’t be pressuring you, but then again, they know you’re one of the best fighters here and you lead the kids like nobody else can. Having someone like you on raids could make risk of capture much lower. Had you been with let’s say Pac and Mike, they wouldn’t have been captured for almost a month,” he pointed out, which had Fit sighing again against his trident. He still hardly knew anything about Pac and Mike’s mission, whether they were trying to steal Federation information or solely finding that treasure… really he had no idea if they had gone alone or if someone had left them.

That thought pissed him off a lot more than it should have, but Fit quickly realized here he was doing everything he could to not go on missions and here he was blaming someone else who did.

“I’m not a leader, Bad. I’ve always worked alone.”

“But you didn’t today, and have you since you found Ramon?” Bad questioned, and for the first time in this talk, Fit was rendered speechless. He couldn’t even try to counter what Bad was saying, and he didn’t want to. No matter how hesitant he was to father Ramon at first, since the second he laid eyes on his boy in that Federation testing cell, no matter if Spreen had been with him or not, it was Fit & Ramon against the world.

From there on out, and as long as he lived.

“You saying I have a chance to change?”

“It’s up to you to decide that, Fit. And trust me, if it’s everyone being intimidated that keeps you away, just talk with them in the vicinity and they’ll realize you’re not all that scary.”

“WHA? You saying I’m weak, asshole?”

“LANGUAGE!” Bad yelled back, causing Fit to break out into laughter again, as he did when he poked the man’s buttons with curse words. It really made no sense in Fit’s mind: Captain BadBoyHalo was known for mercilessly destroying anyone in his way, made jokes about eating literally everything including people which Fit was starting to believe weren’t really ‘jokes’, has a kill count in the thousands, his ship is called the Graveyard, has lived for probably something like 1000 years, is a pirate, but would never in his life say even the word ‘sex’.

Priorities people…

“Heh heh, I’m glad someone sees it a different way,” Fit rolled his eyes but not with rude intentions, smirking as he approached Ramon in Bad’s arm, “make Bad’s life miserable and cause as much chaos as you can. Te quiero mucho mi huevito,” he gave his son one last shoulder pat before Bad chuckled once and then left the room, giving Fit a moment to at least mentally prepare himself for tonight.

Maybe Bad had a point, trust didn’t necessarily mean telling someone everything about yourself. At least for here, all that was really needed was the ability to lay your life down for these kids and do your best to have each other’s backs. Really anything else… that was anyone’s choice. And for once, Bad didn’t try speaking in his metaphoric language Fit had seen him do a few times with Foolish. Anytime the two were in the vicinity of each other they’d be arguing, though it was always pretty entertaining. Who knew how old Foolish was being from the sea, maybe he and Bad have known each other longer than anyone else.

Knew how to get on every single one of their trillion nerves.

It’s not like Fit needed a whole lot to take with him to Etoile’s dojo. He’d skipped out on eating dinner with Pac and Mike, wanting to take a small break and went to dinner much later than everyone else, like he usually did. Rivers always tended to make an extra plate a little later just for Fit. The two weren’t necessarily friends, but they had a mutual understanding that they both tended to shy away from big crowds. Typically Roier was making dinner for everyone here with another one of his crewmates, Polispol, during normal dinner hours. Rivers, Captain Jaiden’s second in command behind Roier, cooked in the later hours for any stragglers or sometimes just for herself.

Rivers was one of the few names he’d actually heard about before he officially met everyone here, known as one of the deadliest duelists across the seas . Rumor had it she’s never been injured in a fight, but he decided that was her own business and never actually asked her about it. She’d be a fun guest for the dojo night, but he wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t come. Fit himself was one small inconvenience for an excuse to be created and have him not go.

Though if he didn’t go, he wouldn’t be able to crack more jokes with Phil and insult him for being old…

That was the thought process that engineered his mind and the reason he was now turning the corner into the French hallway, where French flags mixed with the traditional pirate flag hung above many rooms and lanterns had colored covers to create the flag in lighting. He’d never entered this hallway, so hopefully Phil was actually correct about the location of the dojo and not leading the man on a wild goose chase. Knowing Phil he probably would find it funny.

Thankfully though, it wasn’t a ruse as Fit started hearing what sounded like wood crashing against wood and cheering just down the hallway, then a loud cackle that could only belong to Phil, so he knew he was in the right spot. So taking a deep breath, Fit tightened his grip on his trident and took the final steps needed for him to enter the room.

There were a lot more people than Fit thought would be in the room, but his eyes were immediately drawn to the fighting in the middle, where Roier was using what looked like a wooden sword to fight another one of the Brazilian pirates, their co-captain Cellbit. Cellbit and his twin sister Bagi co captained the crew of the Favela together, neither declaring one or the other captain and agreeing to lead together. He could imagine it wasn’t easy, but he supposed they had to make it work.

Thankfully everyone was too focused in on the fight so they didn’t notice he’d come in yet, up until he felt himself being watched to his right. When he looked, he was surprised that it had been Pac who was staring, the man immediately smiling before waving Fit over.

“Hi Fit! I hoped you were coming!” he bubbled, and Fit couldn’t help the smile growing on his lips as he decided to make his way over. Mike was not with Pac, but Bagi was on his right with Phil and Tubbo on his left. Besides Bagi, he was pretty familiar and friendly with all of them. He just hadn’t talked to Bagi a whole ton yet since she was always busy with chores, and he didn’t want to talk.

Until now.

“Someone had to remind the crippled,” he looked directly a Philza for this one, “why they need to stay out of fights.”“Geez fuck off mate,” Phil rolled his eyes, though Fit hardly noticed because Tubbo started bursting out laughing.

“You call him old, too! Another W from FitMC, following another behind you actually being here. Glad to see you, king,” Tubbo greeted the man happily, much to the chagrin of his captain, “dude, where the fuck were you today? I missed Ramon helping me with my chainsaw, don’t tell me your bald ass kept Ramon in your Fitness room training all day.”

“My bald ass was not in my training room once today—”

“Bullshit!” Tubbo called as he slapped his own knee, still laughing, “you need to learn to touch the fucking sea man—”

“Oh bold of you to say asshole, you once spent a solid 24 hours working on your last project you abandoned. What was it, some duplicating cannon that shot two at once?”

“It wouldn’t have even been possible,” Tubbo shrugged him off, “unimportant details, at least I’ve gotten off this base more than just once since we’ve been here.”

“I’ve been busy here, working on actual productive things I won’t abandon when I feel like it, dickhead,” Fit was starting to grin, only for Phil to slap his right shoulder with his jaw wide open.

“One time you’ve left? Mate I need to be on my boat at least 5 times a week or I’d go fucking mad,” Philza’s shock was clearly obvious now, “yeah I’m with Toby on this one, sail the fucking sea, you hermit,” and that set off another round of cackling from both Philza and Tubbo, Fit trying to hide the slight blush of embarrassment on his cheeks as he looked to the other two present, Bagi looking like she was trying to be courteous and not laugh while Pac was wearing the most downright brazen smirk he could.

He wished he could stay mad at the two laughing, but his challenging nature switched onto the Brazilian man.

“Fuck are you grinning about? I was in the arena helping you all day, care to back me up?” it was almost like Pac was enjoying the display of Fit being at the center of pestering from the British pirates. But just seconds ago he greeted Fit so kindly, and now he was being a bastard?

“I don’t remember you helping.”

“WHA? I spent HOURS—”

“Get his fucking ass Pac!” Tubbo lunged behind Fit to wrap his arm around Pac’s shoulder, then maneuvering himself so he was actually sitting next to the man, squeezing between Fit and Pac, “he lies because he knows—”

“Oh great, you two are good pals?” great, two of the most persistent trolls in the base were great friends with the one person Fit enjoyed being around the most—

BECAUSE Pac was a great worker and was kind with Ramon. Yes, and who said anything about favorite, who even has favorites anyway—

“Duh, Pac’s a fucking genius, he’s awesome with machine weaponry, sucked that those Federation semen stains kidnapped his and Mike’s asses. We still need to do a project together, king,” he was now giving Pac what Fit could define as puppy dog eyes as Pac started chuckling, hugging Tubbo back with one arm.

“Yeah, we still need to make an advanced crossbow, or cooler arrows that can come back on their own…” Fit’s feeling about the betrayal were now quelled as Pac and Tubbo started talking in machine terms Fit couldn’t understand, and since Phil was distracted by the fighting, Fit’s attention was drawn by Bagi clearing her throat.

“Sorry, don’t think we’ve ever formally talked. I know who you are but only because of your legacy,” she seemed slightly nervous, and while Fit would normally be more calm, that was Pac’s strategy and now look at what Pac was doing to him. He would be nice, but remain vigilant.

“No apology needed… Bagi right?”

“Yes!” she pumped both her fists in the air just once, smiling widely before she composed herself, “yes, co captain of the Favela. You’re helping teach Richarlyson to be the best Brazilian fighter ever.”

“That’s right,” Fit grinned, but decided to mess around, “you know I said no apology, but maybe I need one for your asshole of a crewmate!” he turned right around to look at Pac, who immediately stopped conversing with Tubbo to start laughing again. Fit wished he could be more mad but Pac’s chuckle was too pleasing to be upset about.

Stupid Brazilian pirate.

Even Bagi started snickering a little before she talked again, “but Richarlyson did say he had fun with you all day in the Hide ‘N Seek arena, especially with Ramon. Believe it or not, I know you’re not lying.”

“You see that, I was there. Two can play this game!” Fit started boisterously laughing, too busy doing so to notice Pac’s smile turn into a frown as he fired back at Bagi.

“Como você pôde fazer isso comigo!”

“Por que você estava mentindo, Pacey? Você gosta dele?” Fit wasn’t sure what she said, but with the way she raised a brow and grinned, he thought it be best he stay on her side.

“Ele é fofo e é divertido,” Pac seemed to wave her off while laughing, Bagi sighing deeply but still fondly laughing.

“Você é um desgraçado,” she shook her head a few times, reverting back to English as she looked at Fit, “he’s hopeless, but I do know that he likes teasing you—”

“Não não Bagi! Cala a boca!” Fit noticed how Pac’s cheeks became dusted with pink, likely from embarrassment as his hand looked like he was going to cover Bagi’s mouth before she shoved his hand away. Fit didn’t feel sorry for the man, because he knew what Bagi was saying was true and it was satisfying watching the man crumble under the exposure.

Two can play this game.

“It’s true, Pacey! Fit teaches Richarlyson all about fighting and you treat him like this!”

“Yeah, you get what you fucking deserve!” Fit cackled, and it was only when there was a sharp gasp that all five of the pirates broke from their laughter, looking to see who had done so their way.

“No mames, FitMC the fucking legend is here!” it was Roier, who now stood victoriously as Cellbit laid on the floor, “good to see you, man. Decided to switch up your training room, eh? You’re almost in there as much as Elotes is in here!”

“Hey at least I left my training room! I wasn’t in there at all today, unlike Etoiles over there,” Fit started pointing his fingers, and the French man didn’t seem to take it as he stood up from across the room.

“FitMC I invite you to my super awesome dojo and you hate me? I didn’t even notice you come in, you sneak in like-like some snake and then insult me!” while Etoiles looked near another heart attack from the insult, Foolish decided it was a great time to enter the room, immediately noticing Cellbit on the ground and pointed at him as his face lit up.

“You lost! HEH HEH you dumbass!” the man adorned in gold held his ribs as crude snickers left his mouth and Cellbit rolled over from off his stomach, frowning up at the man as Fit couldn’t help grip his trident. Were the two going to start fighting now? Fit would if he was insulted like that—

“Fuck back off to the sea, Foosh,” Cellbit, instead of challenging the man to a fight, starting laughing as he stood up, going to grip Foolish’s hand and hug him with his other arm, “good to see you, and Tina too,” he greeted the woman who’d come in just behind Foolish, who was making a show of looking at her hand instead of him before she spoke.

“Hmm, I only speak to winners, scumbag,” she huffed, but Fit could see her smile as she turned her back on him and waved happily to Roier, “hola Roier!” and then actually approached where Fit and his crew were all sitting, though her previous confidence seemed to vanish once she laid eyes on… Bagi, right next to Fit while Foolish strolled over to where Etoiles was.

Interesting…

“Oh ho ho Tina! She got you again, Cellbo,” Roier bumped shoulders with Cellbit, though the two did not wear a single ounce of contempt for each other.

“I would fight better if my opponent wasn’t so distracting,” Cellbit didn’t try to make his defense strong, which only egged Roier on.

“But I suffered far worse, fighting the hottest pirate here and yet I still won,” he guffawed, which only made Cellbit blush just a tad before he shoved Roier away from him, “your shitty excuse won’t work, mi amor.”

“Not true Guapito, see when I look at you—”

“Get a fucking room!” Philza yelled, laughing as he stood up, “and I want a turn to fight.”

“Oh yes Felipe,” Roier handed over his sword, Cellbit still holding his but he looked ready to hand it over since he lost, “I want to hold mi amor while he cries after his loss, who do you want to fight?” now this interested Fit, his grip loosening on his trident as he realized a fight wasn’t going to break out. Still different to adjust to people here not killing one another for insults, that it was just bantering between friends. Fit did it with a few people who he sat with now, maybe it was just a shock as the two bantering he didn’t know too well.

“Foolish, since you so kindly decided to insult Roier’s fiancee, I want to make you pay for it,” the blond man challenge, devious grin on his lips as Foolish chuckled lowly, eyes narrowing in what Fit thought was manic delight.

“Oh you’re going down, old man,” the shark man immediately took Cellbit’s offered sword, “I’ll even use the loser’s sword and still win.”

“Let’s go Foolish! I love you man!” Fit’s head turned sharply at the familiar voice, where one of Quackity’s crewmates, ElMariana, called out with his hand almost longingly reaching out for Foolish, who turned to the man with a cynical laugh.

“Oh fuck off! You had your chance, you had your chance,” Foolish brushed the man off, who though was now laughing as he kept his arm wrapped around Quackity’s other first mate. Fit got a kick out of the time Flippa explained that Quackity has always told both his crewmates, ElMariana and Slimecicle, that they were his first mate, which led to all sorts of fighting between the two. It wasn’t great for Flippa, but when she wasn’t there, she had to assume the two were pretty funny.

“Mariana, do you think the Federation does divorce cases?”

“Ah Slime, you know I love you more man,” Mariana seemed to quell Slime’s comment, holding his face with both his hands, both looking pretty languid… must have both been drunk on rum. Such was confirmed when Fit saw the half empty bottle of rum next to them, “Foolish… es un pendejo, no guapo como tu.”

“Bold coming from you, mi bonita puta esposa, ma pute femme, my bitch fucking wife,” Fit was sure Slime just insulted the man in three different languages, “Baghera taught me how to say that in French, fantastic isn’t it?”

“Oh Slime, es broma, es broma, you hurt me,” Mariana dramatically flopped down so his head was in Slime’s lap, “I know you don’t mean it, because you call me beautiful,” he whined, making some high pitched noise along with it as Fit realized what Flippa had said was completely true, meaning other things she said about her parents were likely true… these two were toxic as hell.

“At least I didn’t accidentally knock our daughter out of the ship.”

“You are a bitch man! Why Slime!” Mariana started whining again, but the two still had just about everyone in the room laughing, except Phil who held his forehead in his hand like an upset parent.

“You ready Foolish?” he was ready to move on, as was his opponent who readied his sword, both waiting for Etoiles to raise his hand and lower it to start the fight.

“Those two are terrible for each other,” Fit’s attention was taken by Pac’s chuckle, who was now just an inch or two closer to him, Fit just realizing that Tubbo had gotten up and was talking with Quackity next to the arguing couple and Bagi was talking with Tina.

But Fit wasn’t letting him off the hook so easily.

“I don’t remember them being terrible for each other,” Fit threw Pac’s words back at him, dramatically turning his head to face Pac before dramatically moving it back to face the fight.

“Oh, very funny, Fitch,” Pac made sure to lay his accent on thick with Fit’s name, but as much as Fit wanted to crack at it, his pure spite had him refuse to.

“Yeah, and I even have some fofoca on Mariana and Foolish that only myself and Ramon know about. Too bad I only share it with people I work with during the day,” he crossed his arms to add to the dramatic flair, “but I was training in my room all day—”

“Wait wait! You have fofoca?” Pac immediately tried defending himself, but couldn’t hide the way his eyes started to glow at the mention of fofoca—maybe Fit shouldn’t have used Pac’s language if he was acting mad at him, but the word flowed so well—

“Mhmm, exclusive fofoca too, too bad my lips are sealed.”

“Please Fit! I need to know, you can’t mention fofoca and not tell me,” oh so Pac was a little gossiper? This only worked in Fit’s favor, because he was one too, so he knew what would irk the man even more.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me more about your treasure map.”

“Quieto!” Pac looked around, sighing in relief when he noticed Bagi hadn’t heard, seemingly too engrossed with Tina, “quiet, I don’t want everyone knowing it exists.”

“And I don’t want everyone knowing about Foolish and Mariana. Your game isn’t so fun when it’s played on you,” Fit challenged, though grew slightly tense as Pac completely froze, seeming to zero in on Fit’s eyes with a blank stare, almost questioning as one of his brows lifted ever so slightly.

He became even more tense when Pac’s grin returned much more casually, though his eyes were much darker as he positioned himself a little more in front of Fit, leg and prosthetic strewn to the side as his arms held him up, head tilted slightly back before he spoke, “my game is far from over, Fitch,” he whispered in a deep, much more gravely voice that had Fit gripping his trident in his right much tighter, and he knew he couldn’t hide the blush on his cheeks from this one. Fucking hell Pac’s voice was seductive when he spoke like that—

“Um… uh—yeah?” Fit could hardly spit anything out, surprised with himself that the word was coherent enough to be understood. Gosh he needed to snap out of this, what happened to ‘two could play at this game?’

He thought the game was over.

“Please share the fofoca,” Pac pleaded, remaining in that same, seemingly vulnerable position even if Fit felt he was much more vulnerable here, sitting up straighter and using the back of the cave walls to stabilize himself, “I won’t tell anyone, it can be our secret,” oh mother of the sea Fit could not have admitted to even himself he didn’t tense again when Pac licked his lips before putting on the poutiest look Fit had ever seen. It took him a few seconds for something to come out of his mouth.

“Map… details,” Fit would have to thank the pure spite in his veins and anything else that he was still talking.

“What about just one? I mean, I’m sure you have more fofoca on more than just those two,” he said so innocently, and Fit pushed his back even further into the wall as Pac shifted up, practically crawling so he was even closer to Fit, his prosthetic touching Fit’s left leg as Pac’s left hand went to lay delicately on Fit’s right peck, “a small little detail for another small little detail?”

Negotiating, huh? Now Fit could play this game, his confidence coming back just a bit despite how warm his chest felt with Pac’s hand, “you first, then me,” there it was, anyone could have missed it, but all Fit had hoped for was just the slightest bit of hesitation in Pac as he continued to play his game with him. So when he felt the tiniest tightening of Pac’s hand on his shirt fabric and momentary hesitance in Pac’s eyes, his confidence resurfaced and he took the back of his head off the wall to lean it closer to Pac, who did not back down even with Fit just inches from his own face.

“That’s… that’s fair,” Pac nodded just slightly, his voice quieter than it’s been all evening, though the stutter was new, though Fit couldn’t rejoice because he thought for sure Pac would back down once he got close enough… but he didn’t.

Yet he wasn’t upset Pac didn’t.

“It is,” Fit’s voice was shaky at best, but he couldn’t pull his head away. Pac’s eyes were so much darker than before, any of the hazel in his irises long gone and his breath fanning over Fit’s face. Fit wanted to close his eyes, bask in the unique feeling, but there were others present, others he still knew nothing about and he wanted to keep his business private. But was he going to be the one to pull away?

He saw the deliberating in Pac’s eyes, the same stubbornness that was both scared yet challenging, the other waiting for the other to pull away yet they both continually refused. Until he realized that it wasn’t Pac’s eyes that he was looking at anymore, his eyes traveling down until they landed on—

It felt like days, but it must have only been a few seconds before they couldn’t handle it and they both pulled away simultaneously. Both wouldn’t argue the other did first, both their cheeks red as they tried chuckling it off. Fit used his gauntlet hand to hold his green necktie bandana up over his cheeks as Pac not so subtly used one of the ends from the bandana that kept his hair in a ponytail to breath into before he broke the ice, “you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. The weapon though, it’s a bow, a special bow… I wanted to tell you earlier anyway, to thank you for your help, which you did provide,” he grinned slightly at the last part, to which Fit quietly chuckled at before shrugging.

“You didn’t have to tell me… but thank you,” Fit thanked the man, who now just sat at Fit’s side, both watching as Philza seemed to be wearing Foolish down, “what makes the bow so special?”

“The legend tells that any arrow shot will become engulfed in a shadow like power, and summon multiple arrows to where it was shot,” Pac explained, “so instead of shooting one arrow, it’s like shooting ten or more at once.”

“Whoa, that sounds badass,” Fit breathed in awe and excitement, “it sounds really cool.”

“It will be, when we find it,” Pac agreed, and Fit was genuinely surprised when Pac didn’t mention anything more about Mariana and Foolish. Sure he looked at Mariana and Foolish back and forth with a squinted gaze, but he still didn’t ask for it. He was respecting Fit even if he had said both admitting their fofoca would be fair and that wasn’t what was happening.

Fit didn’t feel like he was being guilt tripped, yet… he wanted to let Pac in on the little secret, just because… he could. Who was going to stop him, really?

“You really wanna know what it is between the two of them?”

“Fit you don’t have to—”

“No no, no worries Pac, it’s funny and you should hear it,” Fit dismissed the man trying to apologize, still slightly in awe that Pac could go from super kind to extreme bastard and then to sultry and back to kind within the span of a few minutes, “don’t tell anyone, got it? This is exclusive knowledge from Juanaflippa herself.”

“I won’t,” Pac grinned, and while Fit took him for a gossiper, he had a feeling Pac knew when to keep his mouth shut.

“Alright, so basically,” Fit lowered his voice and looked at the two targets, “Foolish and Mariana are exes.”

“What!” Pac whisper yelled, smile growing as Fit continued telling him more.

“Yeah, so Foolish and Vegetta, you see how close they are? They met only two weeks before we found the main batch of kids,” this detail still shocked Fit to this day as much as it just did Pac, “and before that, even a little when we first got here, Foolish and Mariana would mess around every so often. Flippa one time said they were going on a ‘romantic’ walk on the beach after my first training session with her… so I watched from my window to confirm and it was true.”

“NO WAY, even when he was with Vegetta?”

“Foolish and Vegetta weren’t… exclusive back then as they are now. Vegetta may still not know it happened but he knows Foolish is down bad for him as he is for Foolish, but it’s still something to remember.”

“That’s so funny,” Pac giggled to himself, “and aren’t Mariana and Slime married?”

“Now that I have no fucking idea about. It might be a joke between them, might not be, they may have gotten drunk on rum and made it official on accident, but I know they’re still together solely for Flippa’s sake,” Fit admitted, which was sad to think about in a sense but he knew it to be true.

“Still is crazy. Not the fofoca I expected!”

“You’d be surprised the things the kids will tell me in the training sessions with zero shame,” Fit answered with a small chuckle, both their eyes drawn to the loud ‘thump’ against the floor, where Philza now stood with a sword pointed on Foolish’s chest, clearly having won.

“Good fight, but try fighting like that underwater, you bastard,” Foolish conceded though as Etoiles ran over to hold Philza’s hand in the air, declaring him the winner of the match, “who you going to fight now?”

“What, so they can try and beat my ass because you can’t?” Phil teased as Foolish glared while walking over to where Roier was sitting with Cellbit, but then the old man started looking around the room slowly, as if he was debating every option he could. His eyes lingered on Quackity and his crewmates for a few seconds before moving to more of the French pirates, Etoiles looking like a little kid with his hand raised high in the air next to two other French pirates, their Captain Baghera and Aypierre. Though he made sure to give Etoiles a very unapologetic pout before he turned his head away, Etoiles pretending to be wounded at the same moment Philza’s eyes met Fit’s.

Fit wanted to look at Etoiles’s unique… display, but he couldn’t look away now that Phil had locked eyes with him, his smirk growing the longer he continued looking at Fit. Within a second, Pac had gasped, realizing exactly what it was that Philza wanted at the same moment Fit did.

“I wanna see what the legend is made of,” Philza swiped Foolish’s sword from the floor and tossed it in front of Fit’s feet, “if he has the guts to,” he challenged, as Fit’s eyes swept across the room, noticing how just about everyone sat up just a little straighter, leaning a bit more forward in anticipation. Philza and Etoiles were known most places across the seas, yet the special attention they were giving Fit was unique. New. Exciting. Even Pac was giving Fit an encouraging look from what he saw out of the corner of his eye.

He didn’t respond immediately, allowing for the excitement to peak before Fit grinned back, standing up before kicking the sword up with his foot, catching the hilt gracefully in his right hand before swooping it down to his side, “you’re on, Angel of Death. I’ll go easy on you to ensure it’s a fair fight,” Fit was obviously joking, but trash talking was something he perfected in 2B2T. And that sword trick, that was months he spent in his young 20’s that thankfully didn’t go to waste.

“Oh ho ho, I’ve been wanting to humble you since we met, cocky bastard,” Philza tightened his grip on his sword as he got into position, “and if you’re asking, there are no rules except don’t kill or wound each other, which is pretty hard to do with these anyway,” the captain scoffed, which only egged Fit on more. Even before becoming a pirate, he never played fair and never desired to.

Rusher didn’t when he bled the land dry and Fit didn’t when he melted his castle.

“Do we just start fighting or is Etoiles going to—” Fit expected he wasn’t going to be able to finish that sentence as Philza lunged for him, but Fit was fast enough and used the sword to block Philza’s attack that was aimed for his left, pushing the man back as he chuckled, “easiest trick in the book, old man.”

“Arrogant prick,” Philza laughed before lunging in for another attack, and the fight was on. Fit didn’t think this fight was going to be easy and Philza only proved such. The sound of wood clashing against wood filled the room for multiple minutes, mixed cheers rooting for both sides sounding out, and Fit revelled in it. In 2B2T, his attacks were met with screams of terror aside from the very select few, but here, everyone was praising him. Not like he needed the cheers to fuel his aggression, but it did fuel his pride.

What surprised Fit the most was an attack where he acted like he was going to strike down on Phil, but at the last second kicked his foot up and hit the hilt of Philza’s sword, knocking it to the side. Where he thought he had the man, Phil only grinned and dodged the next two attacks Fit used to try and pin him down, using his longer robes to even tangle Fit’s sword up for just a moment before he did a somersault to grab his sword back.

This was what he had heard about Phil. Not his combat skills like Etoiles or swordsmanship like Rivers, but the fact that the man was cunning, moved so quickly and gracefully as if he was a bird. From Fit’s knowledge he’d attained at a pirate filled bar before he found Ramon, apparently Phil had been captured ten different times aboard military vessels, but not a single one of those vessels ever made it to shore with him still locked away.

It was likely he had purposefully let himself be captured, wanting to kill whatever military general was aboard the ship… or the man was just stupid.

As the fight progressed, Fit noticed that Phil was attacking much more to his right rather than Fit’s left, likely because of the gauntlet, believing that to be Fit’s weaker side. Phil didn’t really have a weaker side, incredibly talented with both hands so much that he would switch which side he had his sword in constantly. It actually messed with Fit’s head, as he hadn’t really faced someone with this particular talent. He’d have to compliment Phil on it after they stopped fighting—

Though before he could finish his though, Phil came down with a hard attack and snuck his boot in to kick Fit in the stomach, sending the man staggering back a few paces as Fit hissed at the pain. Many ‘ooos’ echoes around the room commending Phil on his hit, while Fit remained slightly hunched over, arms spread out wide to balance himself before he shifted his hand with the sword in it to grip his stomach. Philza saw this as his opening and lifted the sword high to strike Fit’s out of his hand, but he clearly didn’t realize Fit’s greater weapon still remained available.

As Phil struck down, Fit acted quick and grabbed the wooden blade of Phil’s sword with his gauntlet, because he would do that in regular fights, and used it to pull Phil towards him, the force throwing the captain off balance as Fit shifted his feet and swung around so he was now behind the man. With the new position, he planted his left foot to hold Phil’s left leg back, twisting Phil’s left arm that remained on the sword while holding his upper right arm in a firm grip, keeping it in a lock that would snap out of place if Phil continued to fight.

While to the normal viewer it would look almost like they were dancing, but both pirates knew that this was a clear pin.

“Fucking hell,” Phil huffed, both fighters panting as they caught their breath, Phil nodding once as to admit he was pinned, while Etoiles ran over and held Fit’s right arm in the air to declare him winner, “you fight rough, mate.”

“You’re not exactly an easy competitor either,” Fit knew it wasn’t time to be arrogant, because Philza had really given Fit the best fight anyone had in years… maybe ever. The fight had to have lasted for over five minutes, maybe not ten but somewhere close to it, and Fit could admit it winded him, “that trick when I disarmed you, I thought I had you for sure.”

“That gauntlet you have is busted. Do you actually grab metal swords with that in fights or do I have to say it’s cheating?”

“I do,” Fit admitted with a stern nod and a grin, “swipe the blades right out of their fucking hands. Anyone’s faces when I do it is hilarious, so no, you can’t say my gauntlet is cheating. You try hunting for this for years, finally attain it, then see what happens when someone wants you to take it off.”

“Can you deflect a sword swinging down on your wrist?” Phil asked next, to which Fit nodded again with a shrug.

“Yeah but it hurts like a bitch for a few seconds, it gets all tingly but if it saves your life, it’s worth it,” well sometimes it didn’t if Fit blocked correctly, but you had to know how to use it properly for that.

“Alright now, Mr. Gauntlet. I concede,” Phil thrusted his wooden sword into Fit’s gauntlet, but then got a little closer and lowered his voice, “and I’ll save you the humiliation by not mentioning what I saw you and a certain Brazilian up to earlier,” Fit froze, cheeks darkening as every expletive he knew echoed through his brain while Philza of course laughed away, “so FitMC, who do you want to fight next?” and the smug bastard just moved on like nothing had happened while Fit took a few seconds to recollect himself.

Fuck, the man who was busy handing Foolish his ass noticed Pac’s… taunting he could call it, yet it seemed like nobody else did. He thought he was safe… he should have known better with Phil in the room.

Once after clearing his throat, Fit took a deep breath and started his sweep around the room, trying to find who exactly he wanted to face next. He had to admit he was still pretty winded from Philza’s fight, but he wouldn’t ever back down from a challenge. Truthfully in his mind, he had his sights set on Etoiles, but wondered if that was a fight for another day… and he couldn’t help but halt when he locked eyes with Pac, who had moved over to where Bagi and Tina were, surrounded by people closely on all sides.

Pac was grinning his way, playing with his hair even as Fit looked his way, clearly trying to mess with Fit’s thinking. It would be some nice revenge if he could beat Pac in a fight, make it even after Pac turned him into a frozen mess earlier.

But Pac would want that, so Fit was going to do the opposite.

Plus Etoiles would probably have a heart attack if he wasn’t allowed back on the floor, so Fit decided to slightly narrow his eyes as if he was delighted, smirking as he took a step towards Pac, locking eyes with the man as his mouth opened, “I want to fight—” and just as Pac leaned forward just a tad, Fit swiftly shifted towards Etoiles and dropped the sword in front of the French man’s feet, “the dojo owner himself.”

“Yes! Finally nobody hates me!” Etoiles picked up the sword and held it up like it was a bar of gold, “ohhhh thank you, big boy!” the nickname had Fit laughing more than he already was after his trick on Pac, Etoiles slapping his shoulder as their chuckles died down. Yet before Fit decided to start fighting, he made sure to turn only his head around to face Pac, whose jaw was practically on the floor before he morphed it into a childish pout. In that moment, Fit didn’t care about who (Philza) was looking, and took a page out of Ramon’s book. Sometimes his baby boy would give Fit this look if he was being smug, and it drove Fit insane, so he mimicked it best he could.

Looking at Pac, he narrowed his eyes and grinned wider, feeling the childishness but as well as the giddiness when he too raised his brows just for a moment before turning to Etoiles, “fight’s on, French beast.”

“Finally,” Etoiles pointed his sword at Fit, raising it at the same time Fit did as their fight began. Fit wanted to focus on his snub to Pac, but fighting Etoiles was no easy task. He found a few times to look out of the corner of his eye but only for a moment. Etoiles was incredibly quick, not switching hands like Philza but Etoiles kept striking and striking so quickly Fit had to shift all his focus into defense.

He supposed Etoiles would wear out, but the second Fit switched to the offense, Etoiles was blocking each one of his hits before Fit could even strike. His hits were just a tad stronger than Philza’s, and having already been a bit winded from his previous fight, Fit couldn’t focus on anything else as much as he desired to continue teasing Pac. Philza had chosen a side to attack more, but Etoiles continually targeted both sides with merciless persistence. Next time Philza fought him, he’d likely do the same.

Fit felt his confidence surge when he ducked under a side swipe, delivering a punch that was meant for the French man’s stomach, but the man moved too quick and he only nailed him in the shoulder. The hit sent the man off balance for only a moment but Etoiles’s sword collided with Fit’s before he could aim it at the man’s neck, pushing it down with enough force it then sent Fit slightly out of balance, sending him onto one knee and onto full defense as Etoiles struck down.

Fit had to use his gauntlet to block the hit, but Etoiles knew not to leave his sword near Fit’s gauntlet for long and slid on the cave floor, using his knee pads to cushion the slide so he too was on one knee with Fit. Both swords met in the middle as both used their strength in their legs to try and sent the other down, but the offset balance only allowed both to stand on their feet again.

“Get his ass, Fit!” Fit was surprised to hear Tubbo in the background cheering him on as he took an upward swipe on Etoiles, who blocked it swiftly while eyeing Tubbo with contempt.

“Shut up, Toby, I’ll beat your ass next,” that had Fit guffawing again, both competitors caught in a stalemate as they pushed against each other once again with their swords.

“That’s if you manage to beat me,” Fit countered, grinning as it seemed a switch had been set off on the French man. Now they had been fighting for a few minutes, so Fit assumed the man would start taking some strength powered shots that allowed him to regain his stamina, but Etoiles started moving quicker than he had the whole fight. Fit could admit the British man and French man had properly winded him, and he could only keep up with Etoiles’s new burst of energy for so long.

He had to commend the man on saving his energy like that, the proper pacing that Fit had built up for years himself. But two fights this difficult within like a minute of each other were starting to wear on him, though he wasn’t giving up that easily.

Etoiles continued switching rapidly from right to left, right to left, left to right, and eventually took a low swing as he stuck his foot out and tripped Fit, but Fit made sure to stick his own foot out and it sent both fighters tumbling to the ground, Etoiles rolling over Fit’s body as the two grunted at the pain of the fall. Though Fit was not the lucky one as Etoiles had landed on his right, foot on top of the right hand Fit held his sword in and put his strength on the arm before Fit could move it. And before he could move his gauntlet, Etoiles had his sword pointed at Fit’s neck.

Both of them were almost completely out of breath, but Fit knew when to admit defeat and laid his head flat on the ground, closing his eyes and surrendering, “damn it all to hell!” it was Tubbo’s voice that broke the silence from everyone’s awe at the display of fighting, but Etoiles didn’t even pay it any mind and took a deep breath before standing up and offering a hand to Fit.

“Gave me a hell of a fight, big boy. I loved it,” Etoiles admitted, and while Fit was at first cautious that Etoiles would slip his hand away, because most pirates would, both knew that the fight could have gone either way and Etoiles even said such. So with full confidence, Fit gripped his hand with a smile and grew thankful Etoiles did in fact help him back to his feet.

“Can’t underestimate the French beast,” Fit shrugged, holding out his gauntlet hand to summon his trident so he could lean on it, and to still show off, “I’ll beat you soon, though. Don’t get too comfortable on your podium yet.”

“Don’t plan on it,” Etoiles laughed as Fit handed over his sword, the french man’s eyes falling to the man who’d been the only one to loudly cheer against him, “time to get obliterated, Toby.”

“Fucking dammit,” the younger man groaned as he made sure to complain his entire way to the center of the room, while Fit decided to take Tubbo’s previous seat, Brazilians and Roier on his left with Phil on his right.

“Dude that was awesome, nobody usually lasts that long in a fight with him whether they win or lose,” Philza slapped him on the back, “can’t blame him, think he’d been waiting to fight you even before you two met.”

“Is that so?” Fit chuckled, “now I can admit a good fighter when I see one. You and Etoiles both, can’t wait to face everyone else here.”

“Never would have thought I’d hear those words from your mouth, mate,” Phil conceded, and it did get Fit to pause for just a moment. All that adrenaline from fighting, even the cheering from everyone had him wanting to come back here, not just for the fighting… but for the people. It… was an experience he hadn’t felt before. Taking a look around, he saw Baghera and Slime laughing about something with themselves, Roier and Cellbit making gooey eyes at each other, Bagi and Tina whispering in each other’s ears, something that would have never been thought possible months ago.

Just about everyone here was on different crews and looking how far they’d all come… even himself.

He could get used it this.

“Ah Fit!” Aypierre had made his way over to the few of them, pulling a bottle from under the thick cloak he was wearing, “I’d bet you’d want a drink after those two fights.”

“That rum, I’m assuming?”

“Yes, my famous recipe made right here in the base,” the man grinned with pride as Fit’s brow furrowed.

“Wait a minute, we make rum here?” that had almost every pirate turn his way in shock, Fit feeling even more on the spot as he fired back, “hey, means I don’t have a drinking problem like all you assholes. Mind your own damn business!” and everyone was back to laughing as he took the bottle from Aypierre.

“Yes, sugar cane and melons are the only crops we grow here as they’re most important,” the man explained as he took a seat, “melons for special healing spells and the cane for rum.”

“Huh, seems like we have our priorities straight here.”

“Yes yes, of course,” Aypierre nodded slowly as Fit lifted the flask to his lips. Truthfully, he hadn’t actually had rum many times, so he didn’t know what a quality rum tasted like, but the second it hit his lips and slid down his throat, Fit couldn’t help the satisfied noise that escaped his lips.

“Oh that stuff’s amazing.”

“Dude I know, Aypierre knows his shit,” Philza agreed, making grabby hands at the bottle as Fit handed it over, the British man drinking much more than Fit had, “we can see his farm tomorrow if you’d like.”

“Can’t, I’ve got a session with the kids at the sun’s highest point and I’m still working in the arena,” though when Fit looked over at Pac, the man quickly caught his eyes, frowned and turned away from him with his arms crossed, wearing that same childish pout from earlier.

“Shit man, trouble in paradise?” Phil leaned over his shoulder with the bottle in hand as Fit swiped it out of his hands.

“Fuck off, what I did was funny,” Fit laughed, blissfully unaware of just how hard Pac could hold a grudge.

~

“Tio Pac says he wants you to keep lining this path.”

“Can’t he tell me himself!” Fit was incredibly fed up, yelling at the man who refused to even turn his way, who was also only ten feet away helping Mike secure a rope to a structure.

“No, he’s mad at you,” Ramon shook his head as Fit rolled his eyes to the sky. It was almost dusk and Pac had been like this the entire day. Mike was getting a kick out of it and so were the kids, who Pac had been taking turns sending over when Fit would ask him something. But Fit wasn’t apologizing for what he did last night, they were even, Pac was just being unbelievably petty.

“Come on, Pac it was a joke!” and at that moment, Ramon ran back to the man, who whispered something in his ear, glaring at Fit before turning away again while Ramon ran back to Fit.

“He says it wasn’t funny.”

“Hey! Quit making my son your messenger boy!” at the beginning of the day, Fit was laughing about Pac’s whole little charade. Now that it was almost dusk, it was driving him mad that the man wouldn’t even talk to him.

It’s not like Fit needed the attention, in fact he completely and totally didn’t care. It was Pac’s fault that Phil was likely going to tease him even more since he saw the two of them awfully close last. He didn’t even want to talk to Pac.

But yesterday was such a great day with their little crew of five working together. Foolish came in pretty early to drop off even more crates of lantern jelly with Leonarda, so Fit would have a little under two to work with tomorrow since he left for a few hours to train the kids. It was a rather entertaining session with the kids, training Flippa and Tilin with their pistols plus the other kids talking about how their parents, those at dojo night, loved to hang around Fit. Chay and Lullah had no ill will towards him for beating their father and Pomme told him not to tell but apparently her dad was raving for an hour about how fun it was to fight him.

Etoiles made that obvious but he was going to keep her secret.

“He says he’ll talk to you again,” Richas joined Ramon in front of him, but as Fit opened his mouth Richas held up his hand, “under one condition: you come to dinner with us this evening.”

Now Fit was comfortable with eating late as he usually did, but looking down Ramon was giving him these big sweet eyes and he found it hard to immediately deny the offer. Yes Ramon would sometimes go with Bad to eat with everyone else, but often he wasn’t able to hang around everyone at the regular dinner time. Ramon was getting along really well with Pac as well as Mike now, even Tubbo’s comment about missing Ramon yesterday had the bald man taking back his initial answer.

If dojo night really wasn’t all that bad, actually pretty enjoyable even after Fit stopped fighting, then maybe dinner wouldn’t be either, “you know what, alright. Today’s been a long day, I’ll do it.”

“Really? YES! Thank you dad!” Ramon hugged Fit around the waist, and was quickly followed by Richas which did shock Fit, but the ‘dad’ sentiment warmed his heart as he hugged both boys back.

“Alright alright, you guys want to call it a day?” it seemed like a good time to end, he had to guess the sun was pretty close to setting anyway, plus the two Brazilians had seemed to be winding down over the past hour or so.

Not like Fit was staring his way or anything.

“Food sounds good,” Mike agreed and dropped all his tools, sliding down the rope and was quickly followed by Pac, who still made a show of crossing his arms and turning away from Fit.

“Race you there, Richas!” Ramon decided to speed things up, grabbing Richarlyson’s hand and before Pac’s feet hit the floor, the two dragon boys were out of their sights. Guess the chase was on.

“You two aren’t getting away that easily!” Fit called out tauntingly, only looking at the two adults behind him for a moment before he was sprinting after the kids. Pac and Mike kept a good pace behind him, laughter escaping as they ran through the halls like the day they ran to steal the paper from the shipment. Again, Fit thrived in the feeling, especially as he caught sight of the boys and continued gaining ground, “keep running boys! We’re coming for you!” he yelled in a playful voice as the children started squealing, giggling as they tried outrunning the adults to the dining hall.

Too bad Fit was faster, and just before the last turn, he scooped up both boys in his arms, who squirmed but not in a desperate way, more of a ‘they couldn’t stop laughing’ type of way, “guess it’s confirmed neither of you will have a super speed power.”

“You’re just super super fast!” Richas panted, still winding down from his laughter before Fit used his gauntlet hand to hoist Ramon onto his left shoulder, keeping Richas in his right arm, “can I go up to? Please!”

“Sure,” Fit quickly agreed, unable to keep the pride from swelling as Richas and Ramon gave each other a fist bump above him, still giggling as they puffed out their chests.

“We’re the tallest here now! Not even Foolish can top us here!” Richas yelled, while Fit obviously slowed his waling so he could keep the boys up, allowing for the other adults to catch up just before they entered the dining hall. Quickly Fit looked behind at the other two parents just before they reached his side, then gave them a look asking if it was alright if he kept holding Richas and their grins gave him the answer.

He couldn’t admit he felt powerful with the kids on his shoulders and Brazilians at his sides as they entered the hall.

There were even more people here than dojo night, but the difference was all the kids present, parents and their respective aunts and uncles were playing and eating, everyone seemingly engrossed in their separate conversations. Most people were sitting at the giant table in the middle, kids playing on the benches and most socializing, but Mike and Pac caught the attention of one of the tables on the side where Cellbit and Bagi had been sitting. The two quickly caught Richarlyson’s eye, but as Fit went to set the boy down so he could see his other parents, Richas grabbed his head in an iron grip.

“No! I wanna stay up here until we sit down!”

“Richinhas, it’s rude to—” Mike began but Fit held up a hand to assure him it was alright.

“It’s fine by me, as long as Ramon can grab my plate,” he looked up at his boy, who nodded firmly as they wiggled on his shoulders, “shall we?”

“Yes,” it was Pac who answered, the first time he’d spoken to Fit all day, “and I suppose I can talk to you now, I guess.”

“Petty bastard,” Fit huffed, trying to hide his smile as he bumped Pac’s shoulder with his own, but he knew he failed as he took himself and the boys over to where everyone was cooking. He supposed he’d see Roier and Pol, perhaps a few others back there, but upon arriving at the usual spot all he could hear was Spanish arguing. To his shock, it was Roier and Rivers who were arguing, with Pol on the sides looking like he was trying not to laugh.

Rivers was never around at this hour, and some little voice in the back of his mind wanted to take credit for it. Maybe Roier had convinced Rivers that if Fit of all people could be around crowds, maybe she could be too.

“Everything good back here?” Fit joked, nodding as a wave when Roier came over complaining.

“Muy fantastico, Rivers is just a pendejo and added the wrong spices—”

“Callate, cabron! I added the better ones, the ones everyone likes more,” she smirked, but then went back to the stove as Roier rolled his eyes and groaned.

“I trust Rivers’s cooking, she’s top tier,” Fit defended his… well they weren’t exactly friends, but they shared that mutual understanding with each other and he was honoring it, “but I’m sure yours is good too, I guess.”

“Chingas a tu madre, you’re an ass Fit. I like it!” Roier laughed, presenting five plates that Fit got onto a one knee to let the boys grab, Ramon grabbing two for them, “tell Cellbo that Rivers called him a pussy because he won’t eat the spicy—”

“CALLATE PENDEJO!” she threw what looked like a spatuta Roier’s way and the two got into another what Fit guessed was cursing fit before their group made it to where Cellbit and Bagi were.

“Richas! Saudade de voce, meu filho!” Cellbit held out his arms as Fit finally let the boys down, Ramon making sure to take extra caution as he was holding two plates.

“Hola Ramon,” Bagi instead waved to Ramon while her son was busy, “I don’t think I’ve ever spoke with you, I’m Bagi,” she even leaned down a bit as Ramon shyly smiled, waving back once before gripping Fit’s pant’s leg, a sign that he wanted Fit to help take over.

“Ramon’s a bit shy sometimes, but once you get to know him, he’s one of a kind,” Fit praised his son as she should, allowing for Pac and Mike to sit down before him so Fit was on the end with his son. For now, he was sitting next to Mike, who started taking over.

“Yeah, Ramon’s helping with our designs for the arena. It’s coming along very well.”

“It’s true,” Pac added as well, “his mind is amazing. You know, he’s helping even more than you, Richas,” he teased his son who glared across the table, mouth full of the tamales they got tonight. Fit had taken one bite now and was this close to devouring the three he had as quickly as he could.

“I’m the entertainment!” their son defended himself, but took a few seconds to take another bite of his tamale, “everyone would be bored without me!”

“You are always the excitement, Richas,” Bagi hugged her son as he returned the sentiment back, but Fit saw her grin even as she ran a hand through his hair, “but you can’t be so lazy in there.”

“Mamae!” he whined before pointing at Fit across the table, “this is all your fault they turned against me!”

“I haven’t done a thing,” Fit denied with his hands in the air, taking a bite of his tamale to avoid further arguing with the child.

“We’re kidding Richinhas,” Pac softly smiled at his boy before taking him in his arms, Richas holding his last tamale in his hand, which was likely going to be eaten in less than a minute, “your design for the swinging rope at the very top is one of the best parts.”

“I’m going to have to finally take a look at this arena, sounds like it’s going to be sick,” Cellbit grinned, “how are you progressing on flying? Both kids, I suppose.”

“It’s hard! I can’t control it correctly!” Richas loudly complained, “I want to so badly too!”

“I just need to keep practicing, but it’s very tiring,” Ramon sighed, one elbow on the table to rest his chin on, “I need proper balance, it’s not so much just flapping my wings as fast as I can, but I haven’t figured it out. Yet.”

“Boldly predicting and will be correct when I say Ramon will be the first here to fly,” Fit affirmed his son, patting the kid on the back, “we just need more ways for the kids to practice.”

“I had an idea,” Pac spoke up as Fit turned to hear, still chewing his food, “we would use the—”

“We could just build a giant ladder structure over the beach, landing on the sand won’t hurt as bad,” Cellbit interrupted, leaning a little forward and using his hands to vividly describe his idea, “can’t be hard to build.”

“Mikey and I could easily do something like that!” Pac didn’t seem to mind the interruption, though Fit noticed Mike scowl for a moment before shrugging along with it, “though sparing wood will be tricky.”

“We could always ask the next supplies run, they leave tomorrow,” Bagi offered.

“I can do it!” Pac offered with a smile, “though I think we may not need the sand—”

“But how do we make a secure ladder just on the sand?” Fit couldn’t help frown as Cellbit yet again interrupted Pac, “something like bricks and mortar is not easy to attain,” this time, Fit looked towards Pac, who he noticed looked upset but only for a split second before he was nodding, once again smiling. It eased Fit to see that he didn’t seem bothered by the rudeness, and Fit’s own smile returned noticing the man was content. Though he was curious to hear what Pac was trying to say.

“Get it between two palm trees?”

“Even so, they still can’t jump from very high if they don’t glide at all. Don’t want to risk someone else needing a prosthetic,” Mike stuck his tongue out at Richas who giggled, “even if they would, it wouldn’t be as cool as yours Richinhas.”

“We can’t jump from the top of the base and see what happens?” Richas wondered.

“NO,” every parent at the table echoed, just as Fit eyed Pac once again, since he still hadn’t shared his answer.

“The rope swing is a good idea but they still can only fly so high under a roof,” Mike frowned, Pac taking a second to look around before he opened his mouth again.

“It is, especially if the kids get a big force so they can swing off fast enough, so—”

“No no wait, we should have them walk a plank—” Cellbit started laughing but Fit’s last nerve had been pulled. It didn’t seem anyone else at the table was going to say anything, so he was. Allowing others to speak over you and take control without saying anything was what led 2B2T to become the wasteland it was, because Fit didn’t tolerate it. Especially this time, Pac looked so small, huffing but only shrinking down in his seat with a frown. Cellbit may have been Pac’s captain and that may be why he didn’t say something, but Cellbit sure as hell wasn’t Fit’s captain.

So he acted on it.

Yes Trumpet may yell from across the room, currently eating with Leo, Foolish, and Vegetta, but Fit opened his gauntlet hand and summoned his trident. It took only a second since it was close and Fit gripped it hard enough so the runes upon both artifacts lit up, the display catching everyone at the table off guard as they all silenced themselves. Though Fit had to cover himself and made a shocked face at the trident, “oh, my apologies, it does this every so often,” he laughed it off, but kept it gripped hard enough to continue glowing as he gave Cellbit not a glare, but a stern look before looking more softly at Pac, “anyway, what is your idea Pac?”

Pac just stared his way in awe before he cleared his throat, chuckling a little before he spoke again, “yes, the rope swing. I wanted to get the tallest of all our ships here and take the kids up to the crows nest. If we have someone up there, they can help the kids swing around so they fling off into the sea. We can do it just outside the base, the water drops off enough so they’d be safe.”

“We could even get Foolish in on it, have him throw the kids back,” Mike was grinning manically, clearly as invested in the idea as Fit now was too. Wait, maybe he could help—

“I can use a whole training session for it, it’s a way to get all the kids together at once. Plus Leo would be a huge help being a sea dragon,” the more he talked about it, the more he enjoyed Pac’s idea, “it’s brilliant, Pac.”

“Oh! Well thank you, Fitch-FIT!” he corrected himself, scratching the back of his neck before looking to the side, Mike taking over more of the talking as Fit relaxed a little more in his seat. The rest of the crew continued talking, though after Fit watched Richas run off to the beach area, immediately pushing Chayanne into the sand while him and Leo started throwing sand at each other, he looked back to the crew and noticed Pac was giving him a sweet smile. He gave it back to the man who mouthed at first a word Fit wasn’t sure of, but then it was like the man realized he may have said it in Portuguese and then mouthed ‘thank you’.

He was thanking Fit for allowing him the chance to speak up… he shouldn’t have to for something like that but he was. Trumpet ran up to Fit with a pout as Fit apologized and gave the trident back, though he didn’t join the other three kids on the beach that were being supervised by Phil.

Trumpet was always such a sweet boy, both his parents having been members of Quackity’s crew but they were killed on a mission within only a week of everyone being on this island. Since then, he was like Foolish’s and in a way, Tina’s other kid. Trumpet and Leo were best friends and even if Foolish was never a part of Quackity’s crew, he tended to care for the boy as his own, as did Tina.

So after Fit watched the boy run back to Foolish and Vegetta, his eyes landed again on Pac, switching from members of his crew but it mostly remained on him. It was unbelievable how much of Fit’s attention he stole when he could be such a bastard like he was all of today.

Ramon was now playing with Dapper in the middle of the room, laughter sounding around and Fit couldn’t help bask in the warm feeling. The sunset, the laughter, the homeliness, even the company around him, this was what Fit had deep down always dreamed of. It was… peaceful. In the moment, it was perfect.

But not all moments lasted forever.

All of a sudden, the sun dipped down completely as the dark night took over, the moon rising within seconds and placing itself at the highest point in the sky, engulfing the island in darkness. Fit sprung into action immediately, opening his hand for his trident as he watched Chayanne light a large branch Phil had on the beach to make a torch, “Ramon, Ramon, stay inside!” there were screams from children and shouts from the adults, nobody able to define why time moved hours ahead in just seconds.

He got his answer as he ran to the edge of their base, able to see a little better since the moon was full tonight when a large beast emerged out of the water. Fit wanted to call it some sort of kraken, but nothing about it looked any sort of natural. The suction cups on the bottom were a lime green, lots of lime green accenting the dark as night beast, the monster itself almost looking like a bunch of cubes bunched together with a big body and many tentacles. And most sea beasts remained in the water, while this one actually leapt up onto shore.

“Oh fuck off fuck off!” Phil unsheathed his sword the second it raised one of it’s strangely squared tentacles towards Chayanne, the boy using his fire breathing to ward it off before his father began attacking it, “Chayanne get inside! Leo, where’s Richas!”

“Que porra essa!” was what Fit believed Richas yelled, seemingly frozen in fear as the probably fifteen foot creature crawled around the sand.

“Stay the FUCK away from them!” Philza screamed with all his might, and that was when Fit realized that somehow this creature was wielding a sword, raising it Leo’s way but Phil was able to block the hit, “the fuck are you!”

“LEO!” Foolish and Vegetta had just realized their girl was down there and taking their swords out, they started running towards the beast just as Fit saw another little figure to his left—shit more kids—

“FLIPPA! NO!” was followed by the voice of Slime, but they were behind and Fit was closer, so he took off without even thinking.

“Flippa wait!” he made a beeline to a spot where he would meet her before she ran into the monster, but about twenty feet away, she stopped and pulled out her gun, directly hitting a tentacle that had been going for Richarlyson, and then another shot was fired immediately after from another gun Fit saw floating—TILIN.

“Where’s Tilin! Has anyone seen Tilin!” Quackity sounded on the verge of tears as he gripped Slime’s shoulder, while Fit made sure not to stand in front, but directly next to the girls as he called up to the captain.

“They’re alright, I’ve got them here!” he assured the few, but a loud shriek shook Fit to his core as the creature maneuvered and grabbed Richarlyson with one of its tentacles, “shit shit SHIT! Don’t shoot you could hit him!” he held his arm in front of the girls just as Leo, whose fathers were only feet away from her, squirmed out of their hold and bolted directly towards the beast to dive into the water, where half of its body was situated. After a second, the creature jolted and paused its movement but didn’t drop the shrieking boy, though it opened up enough space for Fit.

“LEO NO!” Foolish then ran ahead of Vegetta and jumped into the water, the glow illuminating the beach as he transformed into his sea form, but Fit had to focus on the shot while Philza did everything he could to keep Chayanne held back.

“Richas watch out!” Fit yelled as loud as he could before he used his gauntlet hand and threw the trident as hard as he could, the shot piercing the monster enough that it dropped the boy, where Phil quickly scooped him up with his other arm at the precise moment Foolish jumped onto the beach with Leo in his arms.

“Take her too!” he called for Phil, who guarded her before Vegetta quickly took her into his arms, though it left Foolish vulnerable on the beach since he didn’t have his legs back yet. The creature, however, took no interest in him and right when Flippa and Tilin started shooting the beast again, it retreated back into the sea, leaving nothing behind but a trail of glowing green bubbles.

The island was finally able to breathe for a few moments, the rest of the Brazilian pirates running out to all collectively embrace Richarlyson, Foolish and Vegetta holding Leo as tightly as they could on their knees in the sand, with Phil gripping Chayanne for dear life in an embrace. Fit made sure to attend to the girls before Slime and Mariana ran down to grab them, signaling up to Quackity that Tilin was in fact there as Fit ran back up to the inside, “Ramon?” thankfully his son had listened, huddled under one of the stone tables with the rest of the kids, though he was one of the ones at the front protecting them all, “good job staying away, my boy,” he sighed in relief, getting onto a knee and hugging his son for a moment. Now that he knew his boy was okay, he could focus on whatever the fuck just happened.

“All kids accounted for?” was the first thing Phil asked as he reached the inside with Chayanne, the other kids having run back up away from the shore.

“Everyone’s here,” Captain Baghera confirmed with Captain Jaiden at her side.

“Does anybody know what in the fucking seven seas that thing was?” Quackity asked, echoing what he knew everybody was thinking. Everyone lacked confidence as they looked at each other, Cellbit and Bagi looking so utterly defeated as they shook their heads, and Fit was able to spot Bad who was frowning at the sea.

“You know what that thing was, Bad?” Fit asked since the man had walked over to him, since Dapper was there with Ramon, making sure his voice wasn’t too loud.

“No… I don’t,” well if Bad wasn’t sure what something was they were screwed—“but someone else might. I can look at all the old sailor logs I’ve stolen throughout the years, see if anyone had written about them,” that at least gave Fit some bit of confidence.

“Everyone’s gotta know about this,” Jaiden spoke up, now that everyone present was inside, all the captains giving each other a knowing look that Fit understood within moments. As much as everybody hated doing this, as much as Fit hated doing this, he knew there was no choice after what they just witnessed.

“We have to call the Court together.”