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''I find your lack of self-awareness disturbing.''

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THE HEAT IN the container was stifling, wrapping around us like a suffocating blanket. The metallic walls radiated warmth. Sweat was already pooling at the back of my neck as I tugged off my hoodie, revealing my black tank top. I tossed the hoodie into the corner with a sigh, feeling the heat prickling my skin.

''Nice work, John B,'' JJ started, pacing in the cramped space. ''You know these things lock from the outside, right?''

John B shot him a glare, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. ''Okay, I was just trying to get us on the boat, JJ. I wasn't thinking that far ahead.''

JJ gestured around wildly. ''Yeah, well, now we're stuck in here like rats!''

''It's hot,'' Kie muttered, pulling off her jacket and tossing it beside her. 

''In this death cage!'' JJ exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

''JJ, you're not helping,'' Pope countered, his tone clipped but calm, like he was barely keeping his cool.

JJ turned to him, his expression incredulous. ''You don't have a whole lot of room to talk right now, Pope. You said you had a plan, but what happened to thinking ahead?''

Pope scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. ''I find your lack of self-awareness disturbing.''

''Last I checked, you literally shot an oil container with the gat,'' JJ retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

''Oh my God! Shut up,'' Kie snapped, stepping between them with a fierce look. She stuck her leg out as if to physically separate them, her voice rising above the bickering. ''Shut up! Pull it together.''

The boys fell into a begrudging silence, exchanging annoyed glances before turning their focus to the container. They started pacing the small space, looking for any possible way out. The metallic clanging of their footsteps filled the air as Kie dropped down next to me, leaning her back against the wall.

She let out a heavy sigh, her hands resting on her knees. ''Mave... I'm sorry.''

I frowned, tilting my head to look at her properly. ''For what exactly?''

Kie's jaw tightened, and I could see the struggle on her face as she wrestled with her thoughts. Finally, she let out a breath, her shoulders sagging. ''For everything. For mentioning your mom, for breaking the camera, for yelling at you when JJ left with his dad...'' She trailed off, shaking her head. ''I was stupid. I can't stop feeling guilty every time we're near each other. I was so stressed, and I didn't know where to put it, so I blamed you.''

I stared at her for a moment, letting the words sink in. ''I'm glad you realise it was your fault,'' I said, my tone matter-of-fact but not unkind. ''Not the others'.''

She nodded quickly, her eyes dropping to her lap. ''I know. I do.''

I raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly toward her. ''Would you have apologised if we weren't about to die?''

Kie blinked and let out a weak laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. ''I planned to sooner, I swear. I just... there wasn't time. With the cross and everything going on, I didn't know how to say it.'' She glanced at me, her eyes soft. ''I miss you, Mavie.''

The honesty in her voice caught me off guard. My chest tightened, but I reached out, letting my fingers brush against hers. She took my hand hesitantly, her grip warm and tentative.

We sat there in the oppressive heat, our shoulders brushing as we leaned against the wall. The muffled sounds of the boys searching for an escape filled the container, but for a moment, it felt like it was just us.

''I miss you too, Kie.'' I admitted softly, squeezing her hand.

The heat in the container seemed to seep into every pore, making it impossible to think clearly. My hair stuck to the back of my neck, damp with sweat, and the metallic tang of the container walls only intensified the discomfort. I was still slouched against the wall, deciding it was better to conserve energy. Kie, however, paced back and forth like a caged tiger. I watched her, understanding her need to keep moving, but the heat made my limbs feel too heavy to follow suit.

I missed her, that much was true. Not having a female best friend for so long left a gap that even the Pouges couldn't fill. Her words and actions had hurt, and I wasn't going to brush it off. I'm glad we made thing clear since we were on the same team.

JJ broke the monotony. ''Hey, Pope? How do you kill a snake?''

Pope paused, glancing over from where he stood examining a bolt. ''You go for the head.'' 

''Exactly,'' JJ declared with a sharp nod. ''But the head, in this instance, is the bridge. To take the bridge, we need maximum firepower. And I happen to know there's an armory on this ship in case of pirate attacks.''

''Pirate attacks,'' Kie murmured under her breath.

''So, if we take that—and I'm not just talking pistols here—'' JJ started again, but Kie cut him off.

''You lost me,'' she interjected, shooting him a bemused look.

''I'm talking knives,'' JJ clarified, his tone dropping as if this was some groundbreaking revelation.

I shook my head, wiping a streak of sweat from my brow. ''Killing everybody here is not a plan,'' I muttered, half to myself.

JJ turned toward me with exaggerated exasperation. ''All right, we lost them both,'' he pointed out, gesturing between me and Kie like we were defectors. ''I'm serious. If we get to the armory—''

''Guys!'' Kie hissed sharply, cutting through JJ's rambling. Her tone immediately grabbed our attention. She motioned for us to come over.

''She's got something. Quiet,'' Pope urged, his voice a whisper as he nudged John B toward her.

''Oh, I'm so sorry,'' JJ mocked as he followed, though his expression betrayed his curiosity.

''Just move,'' I mumbled, rolling my eyes as we shuffled over to where Kie was crouched.

Kie pointed to a small opening in the container wall—barely big enough, but a possible way out. ''We can fit through that, yeah?'' she asked, glancing back at us for confirmation.

''Hell yeah,'' John B responded, a grin spreading across his face. ''Nice one, Kie.''

JJ held up his trusty Swiss Army knife, the metal glinting in the dim light. ''What was that about a Swiss Army knife not coming in handy?'' he teased, already crouching to work on the window.

''Okay,'' he announced as he started prying it open. ''We raid the armory, get weapons, roll back here, and plot the next move. The armory is on the third deck, aft, near the laundry room. Let's roll.''

''JJ, hold up,'' Pope interrupted, a firm hand on JJ's shoulder. ''I don't think we should all go out there. It's too risky.''

JJ frowned, pulling back slightly. ''Why?''

John B stepped in, his tone steady. ''I gotta be honest. I think you should stay here.''

''What?'' JJ's expression turned incredulous.

John B pressed on. ''I have Sarah that I'm gonna go after. And Pope has...''

''The cross,'' Pope supplied.

''Yeah, so let's go get it,'' JJ argued, his volume rising slightly.

''Also, if you go out there,'' John B said, lowering his voice, ''there's a 100% probability you're gonna do something stupid.''

JJ crossed his arms. ''I think the correct terminology is 'ballsy.' That's it.''

''Okay, okay,'' Pope interjected quickly, trying to diffuse the tension.

John B reached to pull JJ back down, but JJ ripped his arm away and stepped back. ''Dude, I'm a field player,'' he insisted, his voice rising again as Pope and John B shushed him.

''If we get out there and get in a bind, we need somebody to look out for us. That's what we need,'' John B reasoned firmly.

JJ clenched his jaw but finally relented. ''Okay, I get it. I get it. I'll be on the B team.''

John B frowned. ''I never said B team.''

''Sorry, are you calling us B team?'' Kie cut in, stepping closer, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she gestured between me and herself.

''Hey, JJ,'' Pope began, clearly trying to steer the conversation back.

JJ raised his hands. ''Didn't mean to offend either of you.''

''Did B team not just, like, find our way out, or am I, like, totally tripping?'' Kie fired back, raising an eyebrow.

''JJ, JJ,'' Pope interrupted, his tone more commanding now. ''Look, just hang back. Hold down the fort.''

''Great. Looking forward to it. Mm-hmm,'' JJ mumbled, turning away and plopping himself down against the wall.

I gave him a pointed look. ''It's okay. We'll babysit.''

JJ rolled his eyes dramatically. ''You guys have fun. It's your funeral, your game. I'll be in here, on the bench.''

Kie turned to the boys before they left. ''Hey, don't get shot. That's all I've got.''

''Don't get shot,'' John B repeated flatly.

''That's disheartening and scary,'' Pope added, glancing at me.

I shrugged, smirking slightly. ''Don't die or get injured to the point you're disabled for the rest of your life.''

John B threw a sarcastic grin back. ''Positive affirmations, guys.''

Kie rolled her eyes lightly as John B took the window off, handing it to her. He climbed out first, followed by Pope. Kie replaced the window as best as she could and turned back to me.

''It's just the three of us now,'' she remarked, exhaling sharply.

I leaned back against the wall with a mock-serious expression. ''If Pope gets another allergic reaction out there, I'm gonna lose my shit.''

Kiara let out a small laugh waiting for the others to come back.

The only sounds were our uneven breaths and the faint hum of machinery from outside. JJ was leaning against the wall, fiddling with his Swiss Army knife, a subtle smirk tugging at his lips.

''You guys really think I'm too crazy to be trusted?'' JJ suddenly questioned, his tone light but his eyes scanning each of us carefully.

''Yeah, 100%,'' Kie replied without hesitation, crossing her arms and shooting him a deadpan look.

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch as I resisted a smile. ''No,'' I interjected, shaking my head slightly. ''You're not crazy. You're just impulsive, and you're reckless when it comes to protecting the people you care about. You act without thinking about the consequences.''

JJ turned his head to look at me, the smirk fading into something unreadable. For a second, he didn't say a word, just studied me like he was trying to figure out if I meant it. It was enough to make me shift uncomfortably. ''What?'' I asked, narrowing my eyes.

''No, nothing,'' he finally replied, the smirk creeping back as he winked at me. ''I guess that's just a more poetic way of calling me a psycho.''

I rolled my eyes, brushing a strand of damp hair away from my face. ''That's not what I meant—''

Before I could finish, whispering caught all our attention. ''Hey. Hey.'' The low voice came from outside the container, and we all froze, straining to hear.

''Open it,'' the voice urged again.

JJ was the first to move, springing up and pulling the window free. He handed it to Kie before hopping down, his movements quick and quiet. Seconds later, Pope climbed in, his face slick with sweat but otherwise calm.

''I thought Rafe got you guys for sure,'' Kie said, exhaling in relief as she leaned back against the wall.

''No. We're chill,'' Pope reassured, his tone steady but clipped.

''All right,'' Kie muttered as John B climbed in after him, his hair a mess and his shirt sticking to his back.

''Okay, let's put the grate back on,'' she instructed, motioning toward the window.

''No, wait,'' Pope objected, holding up a hand.

''What? No,'' Kie started, her brow furrowing.

''Hold it,'' Pope insisted, his voice firm.

Before anyone could argue further, a shadow moved in the opening. A female figure climbed through so suddenly that I jumped, my heart lurching.

''Jesus Christ! I kill you, John B!'' the girl snapped as she dropped inside, straightening up with a sharp glare aimed at him.

''Who the fuck is that?'' I asked, taking a step back as my eyes darted between her and John B.

''Yeah, great fucking question,'' Kie chimed in, her arms crossing again as her stance shifted defensively.

''Just relax,'' John B said quickly, holding up his hands in an attempt to pacify us. ''Just relax, okay? I told you I had a surprise, right?''

''Who is she? What's going on? John B!'' Kie demanded, her voice rising as she gestured at the girl.

''Hey, hey, Kie, relax,'' he repeated, turning to face her directly. ''Remember I told you about the girl we met in the Bahamas that saved us?''

Kie blinked, her mouth opening slightly before closing again. ''Uh... Cleo, yeah.''

''Cleo,'' John B confirmed with a nod, glancing back at the girl. ''She's gonna help us, all right?''

The girl—Cleo—crossed her arms and tilted her head, fixing him with a no-nonsense glare. ''Next time, ask me,'' she muttered, her accent thick and her tone dry.

I raised an eyebrow, still trying to process the sudden appearance of a stranger. The faint noise from outside reminded me that we didn't have the luxury of time to debate. Instead, I sighed, leaning against the wall.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

''YOU SERIOUSLY DIDN'T grab nothing? Not one single gun?'' JJ asked, his voice a harsh whisper as he jabbed a finger toward John B. His blue eyes glinted with frustration.

''We tr—we tried, okay? I got attacked,'' John B explained, his hands gesturing in an erratic rhythm.

JJ threw up his hands in exasperation. ''This is why I should've gone with.''

''We were over this already,'' I reminded him sharply.

Before JJ could retort, Cleo cut in. ''Let me get this straight. You five, with no weapons, decided you were gonna hijack this tramp steamer on your own?''

I muttered under my breath, ''Nobody's perfect,'' unable to stop the wry smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

Cleo gave me a pointed look before continuing. ''Do you have any idea who these people are? Eberhemi, if he catch you, he's gonna kill you. Dead. Cut off your fingers.''

''Okay, what about waiting until we get to port?'' Kie suggested, leaning slightly forward as if to emphasise her point. ''At least then, if something goes wrong, we have a place to run.''

''No. No, we can't do that,'' Pope interjected, shaking his head firmly.

Kie raised an eyebrow at him. ''Why?''

''Because I've run the scenario over 1,000 times in my head, and our best chances are on this ship. There's 15 crew members and six of us.''

''Exactly,'' JJ cut in, nodding.

''Three to one odds,'' Pope clarified. ''That's the best it's gonna get. We wait till we get there, they'll trap us.''

''We have no chance,'' Kie argued, her voice rising slightly.

''No, Kie,'' John B began, and there was something different in his tone, something heavier. ''There's something else. Ward's alive.''

The words landed like a physical blow. The group went silent for a beat, our collective shock filling the space.

I blinked at him, my mind struggling to catch up. ''Excuse me?''

''What?'' Kie asked, her eyes going wide as she straightened.

John B nodded grimly. ''Yeah.''

''You gotta be kidding me,'' JJ muttered, his expression hardening.

''Are you serious?'' Pope asked in disbelief, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

''It was all a setup,'' John B explained. ''Blowing up the boat, the confession to Shoupe. Think about it. That was to clear Rafe's name. And he does what? Goes to the Druthers. And what's on the Druthers?''

''Scuba,'' Kie answered quietly, the pieces clicking into place.

''Bingo,'' John B confirmed.

I crossed my arms, the knot in my stomach tightening. ''So, Ward's alive, huh? And he has the gold, the cross and Sarah.''

''Thanks for rubbing that in,'' Kie muttered.

''It was more of a statement of our shitty situation,'' I replied, my tone dry.

JJ straightened as he turned to face the group. ''So he's just gonna get away with everything again, huh? Not happening. We're not watching this movie again, right, Pope? You said we need the win. And with her''—he pointed at Cleo—''we're going to the bridge, and we're gonna take it right now. You with me?''

John B didn't hesitate. ''Let's do it.''

''I'm with you, and I wanna be the one to take that bridge,'' Pope declared.

JJ grinned, clapping him on the shoulder. ''That's what I'm talking about.''

Cleo chuckled from the corner, drawing our attention. ''He's gonna take the bridge?'' she asked, pointing at Pope with an amused expression.

''Yeah,'' JJ replied, his grin unfaltering.

Cleo shook her head, her laugh low and full of disbelief. ''He couldn't even take me.''

''Okay, first of all, I was going easy on you,'' Pope shot back, his tone defensive.

I smirked. ''Pope got beat up by a girl? Shocker,'' I remarked, earning a glare from him.

''I went easy on you,'' Cleo corrected, her confidence radiating from every word.

Before the argument could escalate, John B and Kie both hissed at them to quiet down. ''Relax, all of you,'' John B ordered.

He outlined the plan, detailing how we'd use the knife to take control of the bridge and trap the crew. Pope nodded along, his analytical mind clearly working through the logistics.

''Are you with us, then?'' JJ asked Cleo.

''No,'' Cleo replied bluntly. ''This is stupid.''

Before anyone could respond, a voice outside yelled, ''All right, let's open these things up!''

I stiffened, my heartbeat spiking. ''They're checking the containers,'' I announced in a harsh whisper.

Cleo was already moving, pulling the grate off despite our protests. She climbed out, her movements fluid and purposeful. The grate slid back into place as Kie worked quickly to conceal our hiding spot.

We held our breaths, straining to hear as Cleo's voice reached us. ''Macias!''

''She's gonna tell them. Shit,'' Pope whispered, his eyes wide.

We listened in tense silence as Cleo expertly talked her way through the situation, convincing the crew that the container was clear. When she whistled for Pope to follow, he hesitated only briefly before moving.

''Thanks for that, by the way,'' Pope murmured as he climbed out.

''Yeah,'' Cleo replied, her tone nonchalant.

The container felt quieter than before. Every faint noise from outside had us straining to listen, hoping for the signal. Then, faintly at first but growing clearer, came the captain's voice barking orders.

''All crew to the forward hull! Now!''

John B's face lit up with realisation. ''They did it. They took the bridge.''

JJ grinned, leaning forward with excitement. ''That's our boy,'' he remarked, his voice carrying a note of pride. Without hesitation, he moved to take the grate off. John B crouched beside him, helping shift the heavy cover silently.

JJ turned to the group. ''All right, split up,'' he began. ''Once they're all in the hull, Mavis and I will lock them inside.'' He looked at me with that familiar