//------------------------------// // What Could Possibly Go Wrong? // Story: A Cybernetic Life // by AxtontheMechanist //------------------------------// After we purchased our items at the market (Octavia brought a sapphire necklace for Vinyl, who (surprisingly) blushed when receiving it. Hammerfist didn’t buy anything as he stated ‘Minotaurs don’t shop; the only time they do is for battle and food resource’. Trixie however, brought a new magic book called ‘Luna’s Illusional Encyclopaedia’, which detailed all magic attacks, defenses and tricks to do with the illusion magic school. We headed along the docks, supplies in hand; I hadn’t bought anything mind, sans some odd parts here and there. And by parts, I mean giant sheets of metal. And no, I won’t tell you what they’re for. We quickly found the ship we were looking for; after all, it was quite hard to miss. It stood proud at the third dock, moored in place by eight thick ropes that clung to its heavy and dark hull like writhing tentacles. The ship was made primarily of a shining skin of mahogany wood, which had glowing bright blue runes in it, which lit the ship up like a beacon, even in the morning light. On the side of the hull read the words ‘The Prince’s Plan’. Although it was a bit of an odd name, I disregarded any suspicious thought protocols and climbed a ladder which had dropped down from above deck and climbed aboard, the others quick to follow me up onto the spit-shined deck. Sailors and workers of all shapes and sizes toiled away on deck as they got ready for the long voyage ahead of them; they readied the sails, which unfurled, revealing the white crown upon the black sails. Oddly, this gave me the sensation of an electrical charge spanning my metallic spinal cord. Once we were all aboard, Fenrir strolled up to us, garbed in his usual black leather, which almost made him seem invisible against the dark brown deck. “Speak of the metal-clad devil! Welcome aboard The Prince’s Plan.” He paused to call over a tiny little boy, probably only about 10 or 11 years old “This is Archie, my son, although he insists on being called Pipsqueak.” He chuckled, ruffling the kid’s hair, said kid quickly readjusting a black pirate bandanna on the scruffy mess of brown hair atop his minuscule head. “Aye Aye, Cap’n!” Pipsqueak grinned, then dashed off towards the below deck stairwell and shouted “With me, landlubbers!” He stumbled halfway through his mad dash for the lower decks, but picked himself up continued running. Octavia looked at Vinyl as if to say ‘Can we keep him?’ to which Vinyl only laughed and mouthed ‘Maybe’. Hammerfist nodded to us, placed our packs down on the wooden deck and proceeded to lumber off to the kitchens, all the while murmuring about ‘Could do with some good old fashioned chicken.’ With ourselves settled later in our rooms, The Prince’s Plan set sail upon the endless oceans, sails unfurled and anchor risen up onto the deck. Later, Octavia’s and Vinyl’s Cabin... Vinyl and Octavia sat in the cabin of the ship (cabin 419 to be specific) and had quickly begun a conversation between each other. It was a rather close conversation which consisted of very close... proximity. “Vinyl,” Octavia asked, as she moved slightly closer to her blue-haired friend “I was gonna ask...” She was interrupted as Vinyl leaned in and kissed her full on the lips, leaving Octavia to blush as she melted into the kiss. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until both pulled away, both panting for breath. Two blushes had spread across their cheeks, their demeanor both flustered. “That... was amazing, Vinyl.” Octavia let out, still short of breath. Before she could go any further, however, a resounding ‘BOOM!’ filled the cabin. They both turned and jumped out of the way, just in time to see a cannonball rip apart the roof to their cabin as it tore through the hull of the ship, a rune glowing on it. Shouts came from above deck, and yells filled the ship, ranging from ‘All hands on deck!’ to ‘Not the ostrich!’ The two agents nodded to each other, and dashed to the upper decks. Back on the upper decks... “FIRE ALL THE MAIN CANNONS!” Fenrir yelled and pointed his leather-clad arm at the enemy pirate ship, which rounding on them fast; they were in a losing battle and he knew it. Those enchanted cannonballs would tear through his hull, if he didn’t do something about it. Meanwhile, Trixie was doing her best to reflect cannonballs from the enemy ship back at them; she was doing well, but it wasn’t enough. Hammerfist was shooting cannonballs at them left right and centre, but to no avail, as most of them missed. I watched all the carnage and racked my archives for a solution as all around me, carnage erupted. Cannonballs flew past my head, as an idea sprung to mind. “Captain!” He looked across at my call as I yelled at him “Get all the cannons over to me, I have an idea! And bring as many powder kegs here too!” He nodded and began yelling orders, as I prayed my idea would work. Upon the other ship, ‘The Pirate’s Wrath’... The pirates yelled and dashed about as they faced ‘The Prince’s Plan’ in hopes of getting some sweet booty for their hoards of gold upon the ship. All of them failed to notice the giant transformation happening in the middle of the enemy ship, as their musket shots rang clear, hitting royal troops. Cannons were currently being reloaded, and thus were out of use for now. One of them, however, stood stock still as the pirate manning one of the cannons paled, his skin turning a papery white in a very comical fashion. His comrade walked over to him and asked “Oi, Rat, you ok?” only for ‘Rat’ to raise a shaking finger at the behemoth that was the monster made of moving cannons and powder kegs. The monster that was aiming at their ship. Rat’s comrade suddenly comprehended what was happening, and also paled “Ah, shite...” ‘KRAKA-THOOM!’