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''Doesn't mean you have to deal with it alone. I'm not going anywhere.''

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THE DOCK CREAKED beneath us as we gathered around the newly acquired ROV. JJ leaned down to touch one of the buttons. 

''What's this right here?'' he wondered aloud, his finger hovering dangerously close.

Pope's hand shot out, smacking JJ's hand away before he could press anything. ''Don't touch that,'' he grumbled. ''I'm trying to figure this thing out, and you're not helping.''

JJ rolled his eyes and let out a chuckle, lifting his hands in surrender. ''God bless geeks, Pope. Truly, man,'' he said with a grin. ''What would we do without you to control the drone?''

I raised an eyebrow, glancing up from the screen Pope was studying. ''Probably destroy the ROV and ruin the entire plan?'' I replied, smirking.

''Okay, whatever, smart ass,'' JJ quipped back with a grin, nudging me with his elbow. ''It's a drone.''

''It's not a drone. It's an ROV,'' Pope corrected.

JJ groaned, his hand moving to his forehead. ''Shut up. Shut up,'' he insisted, turning to Pope with an exaggerated grimace. ''It's too early for that right now.''

Meanwhile, John B. emerged from the water, his damp hair clinging to his forehead. ''Look, once we get footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim,'' he explained.

JJ frowned. ''It's such bullshit. Why do we have to do that?'' he asked, irritation evident as he tapped his foot on the wooden planks of the dock.

Pope sighed, leaning closer to JJ with an almost fatherly tone. ''Well, there's maritime salvage law, you know? You can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a bunch of stuff up. It's complicated.''

''I know. I know,'' JJ muttered, shaking his head. ''It's just... lawyers aren't cheap, bro.''

''As soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a cut,'' John B. assured, like he'd rehearsed this line a hundred times in his mind.

Kiara, who had been floating near the ladder, tilted her head, looking up at him. ''How do you know all that?'' she asked, squinting slightly against the sunlight.

John B. gave a small shrug. '''Cause my dad said it, like, a million times,'' he replied quietly.

I watched him, noting the brief flicker of sadness that crossed his face before he hid it with a focused look on the ROV. 

Kiara's gaze shifted to the tether attached to the ROV, eyeing it with a small frown. ''This tether is, like, really long. If we get the wrong weather, it could get pushed around.''

John B. didn't miss a beat, nodding in agreement. ''Then we'll go at dead calm.''

''At slack tide?'' Kiara added, pulling herself up slightly on the ladder.

John B. nodded, looking up at the sky as if willing it to cooperate. ''Exactly.''

Pope leaned against the dock railing. ''So now we just have to wait around for the right weather,'' he remarked, casting a critical look up at the scattered clouds above.

I met JJ's gaze, and he grinned, giving me a small nod. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THE BOAT ROCKED gently on the waves as Pope and I waited for JJ. The sun was starting to dip, casting a warm glow over the water. Suddenly, footsteps and low voices sounded from behind us. Turning, I froze as Topper and Rafe walked down the dock toward us making my blood run cold.

Pope immediately stepped in front of me. Topper just laughed, his eyes glinting with amusement. ''Oh, look, it's the tough guy. What are you going to do, dirty little Pouge?'' Before I could react, Topper shoved Pope backward, sending him stumbling. I tried to move, but Rafe's grip was suddenly around my arm, tight enough to make me wince. He pulled me back, his face way too close for comfort, as I struggled in his grasp.

''Let me go, Rafe,'' I spat, twisting my arm, but he held me tighter, a smirk curling at the corners of his mouth.

Meanwhile, Topper shoved Pope again, harder this time, and he fell back against the side of the boat. ''Stay off our side of the island, or this is what happens,'' Topper sneered, looking at Pope with disdain.

Rafe chuckled, loosening his grip just enough for me to jerk my arm free. ''Consider this your last warning, Pouges,'' he murmured. I glared at him, my heart pounding with anger, but I kept my mouth shut, knowing that arguing would only make it worse.

The second Rafe let me go, I bolted toward Pope, who was already trying to push himself up, wiping a bit of blood from his split lip with the back of his hand. ''You okay?'' I whispered, dropping to my knees beside him, my hands hovering uncertainly over his bruises.

He tried to shrug it off, giving me a weak smile that didn't reach his eyes. ''I'm fine, Mavie. It's nothing.''

I wasn't buying it. ''Come on, let's get you on the boat,'' I whispered, helping him up and guiding him back to his seat. I grabbed a cloth from one of the compartments and started dabbing at the cuts on his forehead, my heart twisting every time he winced.

''Mavis, it's really not that bad,'' Pope insisted, attempting a chuckle, though I could see the pain in his eyes. ''I've had worse.''

''Doesn't mean you have to deal with it alone,'' I replied softly. ''I'm not going anywhere.''

Before either of us could say anything more, JJ's voice broke through the quiet. ''Dude, you guys are not going to believe what just happened to me, man!'' He jumped onto the boat, his usual energy radiating as he grinned, clearly not yet noticing the bruises and cuts on Pope's face.

Pope started the engine, casting a glance over his shoulder at JJ, who leaned forward to get a closer look at him. JJ's smile faded, replaced by a look of concern. ''Bro, you good?'' he asked, his voice serious as he examined Pope's face. He even lifted his cap, squinting as he took in the damage. ''Yo, what happened to your face, dude? Jesus!''

Pope reached up, instinctively trying to pull JJ's hat back down to distract him, but JJ wasn't having it. ''Are you good?'' he asked, glancing at me. I looked down, giving a quick nod, feeling a lump form in my throat.

Pope sighed, a tear slipping down his cheek as he finally spoke. ''Rafe and Topper jumped me,'' he admitted ''They said no Pogues on their side of the island.''

JJ's eyes darkened. ''What are you gonna do?'' he asked, his jaw clenching as he looked between me and Pope, his fists curling at his sides.

I swallowed. This wasn't just about us being on the wrong side of the island—it was a message, a reminder that they had control over us anytime they wanted.

''We're not letting them scare us,'' I murmured, meeting JJ's gaze. ''They don't get to decide where we can go.''

JJ nodded. ''Damn right. They want a fight, we'll give them one.'' he said taking a seat next to Pope changing the course of our ride.

Standing on Heyward's boat, we huddled together, watching the luxurious white boat docked a few feet away. The sleek Malibu gleamed under the midday sun. JJ grinned, a wild excitement sparking in his eyes as he looked over at Pope and me.

''2020 Malibu, 24-MXC,'' JJ announced, nodding toward the pristine boat like it was some sacred artifact. ''The world's finest wave-setter.''

Pope gave a wry grin. ''Number one in quality, luxury, and performance.''

We were about to cross a line, but with what happened earlier, I couldn't bring myself to feel guilty. Topper and Rafe deserved this.

''I don't think this is a good idea,'' Pope mumbled, glancing nervously at the boat, then back at us.

JJ's grin only widened. ''This is war, Pope. They hit us, we hit them.'' I knew JJ enjoyed the adrenaline, but there was something else behind it—payback for all the times the Kooks had pushed us around.

I folded my arms, nodding firmly. ''They took advantage of the fact there were only two of us. They deserve it.'' My voice was steady, though I felt the tiniest pang of nerves in my stomach. Still, the memory of Rafe's grip on my arm, the mocking way he'd laughed, fueled the fire. Pope gave me a small nod.

Without another word, Pope took a deep breath, slipped off his shoes, and climbed over the boat's edge into the water. JJ and I leaned over the side, watching him quietly swim toward the Malibu. The seconds felt like hours as we waited, holding our breath while Pope ducked under the boat, his figure briefly disappearing. My heart pounded in my chest, each second dragging until, finally, he surfaced with a triumphant grin, holding up a small piece of the boat's engine—a crucial component, one that would stop Topper's boat from starting.

JJ let out a whistle, clapping Pope on the shoulder as he climbed back up onto our boat, water dripping from his clothes. ''Wow, you did it!'' JJ crowed. ''I'm so proud of you right now. Holy crap.''

Pope chuckled, trying to downplay it, but I could see he was pleased with himself. ''You can't tell anybody,'' he warned, looking seriously between the two of us. ''Not Kie, not John B, nobody.''

''Oh, no, yeah. Totally, dude,'' JJ replied.

''Oh my god,'' Pope whispered as if realising JJ can never keep his mouth shut.

Before any of us could say anything else, JJ grabbed the component from Pope's hand and tossed it overboard, watching it sink into the depths with a satisfied look. ''My lips are sealed. Now they won't find anything,'' he announced, smirking.

I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. ''Don't worry, Pope,'' I said, nudging him lightly. ''I'll make sure he doesn't spread the information too far.''

Pope gave me a grateful smile, one that felt like an unspoken promise. The three of us glanced back at the now-crippled Malibu, knowing full well this wasn't the end.

words: 1653

A/N

the foreshadowing is crazy in this one bro