(Untitled)

[sandlogia]

Who: Crocodile, Fujiko, Smoker
What: Traps/Fight/Discussion.
When: Feburary 19
Where: No name outdoor eatery.
Why: Cause Fujiko and Smoker have a PLAN.

Comments

[doubleppk]

Fujiko grunted as she slung Smoker in dog form over a shoulder. The splint was a little haphazard but it looked real and that was the important part. "Hope this works," she frowned. Her heart was racing as she carried the fake-struggling wolf along like a huntress taking home her prize.

Luckily the streets weren't crowded and while meeting in a public made her nervous, the idea of meeting him somewhere he could more easily trap was far worse. A chill ran down her spine as spotted the scarred man sporting a hook and waiting casually. He was confident and definitely sure of himself, everything she was not. She threw Smoker on the ground, a little more harshly than necessary.

[justicesmoked]

Smoker snarled, teeth baring as he kept up his end of the bargain. He had made sure to stay up a little later than usual, just to give him more of an edge on his act. He tried to snap at Fujiko as she carried him to the reptile, but he feigned weakness and stopped after a few tries.

When he hit solid earth was an audible thump, he mentally reminded himself to introduce the woman to a White Snake or two when this was all over. But for now, he rested on the ground, mouth open and panting, eyes like fire as he glared at the two before him. His hair bristled across his back and the Commodore tried to stand, only to fall again with a groan, a grunt and a series of snarls that would have been swears, had he had the vocal chords to produce them.

[sandlogia]

The problem with being obsessed was that it blinded a person from attacks. Crocodile forced himself to ignore the bond and still struggling (of course he was fighting he was Smoker-kun) to smile at Fujiko. He suddenly had the urge to tap his bare feet against the ground impatiently but resisted.

"Thank you for the delivery Miss Fujiko. I believe I can handle it from here"

[doubleppk]

"Right," Fujiko nodded, backing up. If he could sense the seastone on Smoker's collar he'd be able to sense the bullets in her guns and the multitude of handcuffs she'd stuck wherever possible. "The dog tags haven't been inscribed yet. If you want to keep him as a pet even when he turns back, keep in mind they're seastone. They'll take a lot of heat to carve."

Her head said she should just turn and walk away leaving it at that but she continued backing up, refusing to turn her back on someone she was so blatantly terrified of. Her fingers slipped into pockets on either side in a casual gesture of nerves. If she attacked now the whole street could erupt. Timing was everything.

[justicesmoked]

The fur on Smoker's neck raised and his ears fell back. Teeth shot out between drawn gums and his tail bristled. Crocodile was right there, right there. He didn't want to wait, he didn't want to pause. His target was right there and justice was calling out to him.

But Smoker regained himself, told his instincts that there would be time to sink his teeth into the reptile. For now, he had to act on the plan. So, again, he tried to push himself off the ground with effort. He groaned, paws grinding into the earth.

Thick ears fell to the sides of his head as he feigned a look of pain; of course, the drop to the ground had helped matters. But before he knew it, Smoker was back on the ground, muzzle and chest smacking into the earth, sending it flying into his eyes.

[sandlogia]

Crocodile waited till she was a nice distance away before shooing Hufflelump off his lap and standing to walk over to Smoker.

His eyes softened as he carefully ruffled Smoker behind the ear, fully prepared to yank his hand away.

"Hello to you as well Tone," Emil said fondly, "Time to bring you to a nice veternarian I know. I think you would actually like this one as he is an upstanding citizen as far as I could research."

[doubleppk]

Fujiko's heart was pounding. The plan was to wait for Smoker to make the first attack and whip out the water pistol still tucked safely in his scarf but fuck the plan. Fujiko's instincts were screaming that she had a clear shot to his shoulder. She couldn't get at his legs but so be it. Smoker would be mad but better than if he was did. Maybe he was a fantastic actor or maybe he was being a stubborn idiot and had lied about there being too much seastone in the collar.

"Please don't flinch," Fujiko silently prayed as she took two seastone shots at Crocodile's shoulder.

Luck was on her side as they hit the shoulder, not anything vital but enough to make him pause. "Next one I won't miss," Fujiko called threateningly, bluffing that maybe she'd been trying to hit something more vital like his head. Her voice was hoarse with tension, heart pounding with excitement and fear but at least her guns hadn't failed her yet. "Surrender now and I'll take you in alive. If you're lucky you still might escape with that."

[justicesmoked]

It was a sinking feeling in his gut that woke his senses; that feeling of regret, that feeling of mistake, that feeling of don't go back there. His little dog heart raced with the beat of a conflicted man as the hand fell at his head. Smoker was torn.

But as bullets cut the air and the familiar smell of gunpowder tore through his nostrils, the Commodore's instincts kicked in. He willed himself to his feet, teeth out as he tried to tackle down Crocodile.

Crocodile; a man who had tried to kill him, a man who had betrayed him and a man who had formerly been his lover.

Smoker wouldn't hesitate to bring him to justice.

[sandlogia]

Crocodile's lips tightened and his face paled a bit as the seastone slammed into his shoulder. Smoker then put lie to his hurt leg, that must have been Miss Fujiko's idea, and staggered up, teeth bared.

"A moment if you will Smoker-kun," Crocodile crooned smiling as he stood back up. At which point a great many things happened.

First Hufflelump went berserk and attacked Fujiko. Second the waiter and chefs of the restaurant stopped working and came out, weapons with drawn and aiming at Fujiko. Third, Crocodile stepped away from Smoker and bowed slightly, smiling as his hand held his wounded shoulder.

"Even if it was only for a few seconds it was nice to see you again Smoker-kun. I really did luck out finding a perfectly nice veternarian, able and willing to help humans. Good day to you!"

Crocodileturned and walked off before pausing and saying behind him, "Oh and welcome to the Sharp Coffee shop. They pride themselves on being able to defend themselves and their customers. Good day to you as well Miss Fujiko!"

[doubleppk]

Strangely, now that Crocodile was leaving, Fujiko wasn't quite as scared. A multitude of people didn't frighten her nearly as much as that one man. Many people she'd fought dozens of times before, people made of sand... well that was unique.

Hitching her skirt up as she'd done many times before, she rolled to the side switching PPKs for Thompsons. It might use up the last of her rounds but one shot at a time was a hassle she didn't want to deal with. She kicked the cat away with a bemused shake of her head and opened fire towards her enemies legs. She didn't mean to kill anyone but she wasn't going to die for it either.

Unfortunately she wouldn't be able to yank the collar off of the commodore but maybe he'd been bluffing its effects. Crocodile didn't seem completely worn down by the bullets yet so maybe Smoker wasn't either. She didn't know how things worked in this world but maybe enough was similar. "Marine in pursuit of a suspect! Throw your weapons down! Smoker go!" she yelled needlessly to the smoke wolf already in

[justicesmoked]

Smoker's teeth ripped through the splint, turning into to shreds with a few quick jerks of the head. When he heard Fujiko bark orders, he merely growled to himself - great, now everyone knew he was, quite literally, a Marine dog.

Whatever.

Paws met pavement and Smoker was at a full scale run, making use of his new size by sliding under and between the legs of Crocodile's men. He weaved and vaulted, jumping onto a table or two before continuing his foot pursuit on the pavement below.

Crocodile wasn't going to get away. Not a second time. Not when he was this close.

[sandlogia]

The pain from the bullets had changed from sharp stabs to a dull numbing ache by the time he got to where Greg was waiting.

"I got shot. With seastone. Think you can dig them out in two minutes and 30 seconds?" he said blandly walking into the room.

Crocodile filed the answer under no when Greg started freaking out over the bleeding.

Ah well. Smoker catching him wasn't that bad an event.

[justicesmoked]

His lungs ached, but he ran, ran until he couldn't see straight. The world around him blurred as he took off like a rocket, nose picking up that smell. Blood and sand; it mixed together so well.

Skidding a bit, the Commodore slid down another side street. When he did so, he found his target. Again, the hair upon his back bristled and his teeth poked out from his gum. Smoker growled and slowly advanced.

[sandlogia]

Crocodile smiled and waved at the growling wolf dog.

"Ignore him, he is just inraged," he advised Greg who has paused in digging out the bullets. Greg finished pulling out the first before looking at Smoker and then back at Crocodile.

"What the HELL is going on here?" Greg demanded to know scowling as he eyed the growling wolf warily.

[justicesmoked]

Smoker advanced, hair rising off his neck. If he could only speak; if he could only say exactly what he wanted to say, it would be all over. Instead, he paused. Lowering his body to the ground, he tried to slip the collar off. If he could get full control of his logia, this? It'd be all over.

And with Crocodile temporarily incapacitated, Smoker thought he had a window. So he jumped. Paws pushed at the thick band of leather and his ears flattened.

The lack of thumbs was proving to be more and more annoying.

[sandlogia]

Crocodile looked up at the ceiling and stifled the urge to laugh. Smoker-kun looked utterly adorable trying to get his collar off.

"Kindly hurry Greg, before the dog's back up gets here or he gets the collar off," Crocodile reminded.

"I *am* Emil. It is rather- got it!" Geg said grinning as he worked the second bullet out.