Vaughn's body stiffened, his sharp eyes darting toward Charlie, who stood nearby. Sensing the tension, Charlie cleared his throat and stepped forward, his demeanor shifting to one of cautious diplomacy. He extended a hand to Sabo, his grip firm but polite as he shook the revolutionary's hand. "It's good to meet you, sir. To what do we owe the—" His words faltered as the bushes rustled again, and a towering figure emerged.
Hack, the "Hundredth Dan" Fishman, stepped into view, his sage-green skin glistening under the sunlight. His imposing frame was matched by his dignified presence, his flowy silver hair and imperial mustache giving him an air of authority. His sharp eyes scanned the group, assessing but not overtly hostile. Beside him, Koala stumbled slightly, brushing dirt from her frilly short skirt and adjusting the ruffles on her blouse. She fixed her short ginger hair under her Newsboy cap, her movements quick and efficient, before straightening her posture and pulling her shoulders back. Her bright eyes flicked to Vaughn and Charlie, a small, friendly smile playing on her lips despite the tension in the air.
Vaughn's grip on Light Cleaver tightened instinctively, his gaze flicking between the newcomers. Sabo, Hack, and Koala—three members of the Revolutionary Army, standing before them. The air grew heavy with unspoken questions. What were they doing here? And, more importantly, what did they want?
Sabo chuckled softly, his hands raised in a gesture of goodwill. "Like I said, no trouble. These are my companions," Sabo gestures to them, "Hack and Koala."
Charlie's jaw drops as he points, "You're a Fishman." Vaughn makes an audible sigh.
Hack stands a little taller, "Why yes, I am."
Charlie blinks, "I have so many questions."
Sabo chuckles when Vaughn pinches the bridge of his nose. Placing a hand on Charlie's shoulder, "Before you get any more invested." He turns to the three of them. "What is the Revolutionary Army doing here?"
Sabo is about to reply when Hack coughs and shakes his head. Ignoring him, he continued, "Maybe we should talk about this somewhere a little more out of the way."
"Sabo," Hack growls.
"It will be fine. We can trust them."
Vaughn crosses his arms, "What makes you think that?"
Sabo smirks, "Well, I have a gut feeling." Hack groans. "Am I wrong?"
Charlie clears his throat, straightening his back. "While your observations may have allowed you to conclude that we could be potential allies, what prompted you to assume our goals would align so everyone involved would benefit?"
Koala covers her mouth, chuckling, and Hack raises an eyebrow. Sabo grins, "We overheard your conversation and came up with the same conclusions. But you were able to send someone inside undetected."
Vaughn curses, looking over his shoulder, "I forgot. How long has she been gone?"
"Relax," Marya materializes. "No one noticed me, but we should move from here."
"Why is that?" Vaughn asks.
Taking a tiny video transponder snail from her pocket, "Because the perimeter is being monitored. I was able to scrub the footage of us, but they will eventually notice the missing feed."
"We should get moving," Hack grumbles.
Marya points her thumb, "Who are they?"
"I am Sabo," he beams. "That is an interesting power you have."
"They are with…"
"Later!" Vaughn interrupts, "Let's move!" Sabo's group rushes after as he follows them.
"What are you doing?" Koala calls out.
Ignoring her, Sabo walks in step with Vaughn. "I am sure we can help each other out if we work together. "
Charlie is about to respond when Vaughn cuts him off. "Not here, not out in the open like this."
"He's right," Hack reaches for Sabo, "We are too conspicuous."
"You should come with us," Sabo maneuvers to be out of his reach. "We can talk without anyone listening in. We have a place."
"Sabo," Hack growls.
"Um," everyone gazes in the direction Marya is pointing, "I think the Marines are coming." Nervously holding the back of her neck, "I guess they noticed faster than I thought they would." Vaughn curses. "I can…"
"No," he snaps. "We don't need to draw any more attention to ourselves." Turning to Hack. "I will consider working with you on one condition."
Hack's eyes narrow, "What is it?"
"You cannot ask any questions about who we are or where we are from." Hack strokes his finned jaw.
"You, there!" A random Marine calls out.
"Fine," Hack agrees.
"This way!" Sabo takes the lead as they sprint into the woods.
They buckle over, panting as they file into the abandoned farmhouse. Its weathered wooden planks sagged under the weight of years, the paint long since peeled away to reveal gray, splintered wood. Vines crept up the walls, their tendrils curling around broken windows like nature reclaiming its territory. The roof, patched with moss and missing shingles, groaned in the wind. Inside, the air was thick with dust and the faint scent of decay, the remnants of furniture scattered like bones. Silence hung heavy, broken only by the creak of floorboards and the whisper of the forest outside.
Koala closes the door, "I think we lost them."
Sabo sits on the worn wooden bench at the kitchen table. "So, what did you see when you were inside?"
Marya glanced at Vaughn, who sat on the hearth of the cold fireplace, his expression calm but focused. When he gave her a reassuring nod, she crossed her arms and leaned against the windowsill, her gaze sharp and calculating. "There's heavy surveillance inside," she began, her voice low. "Everything's monitored with video transponder snails. That's why there are no guards posted." She paused, her eyes narrowing as she considered the next hurdle. "The vault's going to be a problem. It's made of sea-prism stone. I can cut through it, but it'll…" Her voice trailed off, the unspoken consequences hanging heavy in the air.
"Trigger surveillance," Vaughn's finishes.
"Yeah," Marya crosses her ankles, "Even if I block their view, it will still trigger."
"Yeah," Vaughn grumbles, "I get it."
"Damn," Hack's eyes meet Sabo's as he sits. "We will need one hell of a distraction."
"So," Marya's tone is pitchy, "Who are all of you?"
"They are with the Revolutionary Army," Charlie straightens in the wooden chair. "The young lady is Koala, the Fishman is Hack, and he," he points, "is Sabo."
"And we are working together, now?" Marya lifts a single questioning brow.
Vaughn takes an audible breath, "Based on what you have just said, yes. We will need additional support."
"Same," Hack nods.
"So," Marya's eyes shift around the room, "What are you doing here?"
"Hm," Hack hums, "If we are going to work together, we will need to know each other's objectives."
"Well," Vaughn folds his fingers over crossed legs, "if you couldn't figure it out. We are here to retrieve something from their vault."
Hack nods, "We are looking for information. We think this Noble has connections with an arms dealer supplying weapons and chemicals to foreign nations. We want to get inside and find out who his supplier is."
Charlie erupted from his seat, his sudden movement drawing everyone's attention. He began pacing back and forth, his arms folded tightly across his chest, one hand tapping his chin in a rhythmic, almost frantic motion. The room fell silent, all eyes following his restless strides. Vaughn's brow furrowed as he watched, his voice cutting through the tension. "What is it?" he asked, his tone low but urgent. Charlie didn't answer immediately, his mind clearly racing as he muttered under his breath, piecing together some unseen puzzle. The air grew thick with anticipation, the group waiting for whatever revelation was about to come.
"This could benefit everyone," Charlie begins to prattle. Sabo is about to ask a question until Marya shakes her head and waves at him to stay silent. "This island's distribution and logistics network would make it an ideal location. The shipping port is undoubtedly robust enough. The question is: how are they getting it in and out with the Navy being a predominant presence on the island? Unless!" he stops dramatically, "The Navy is involved."
"Tha Navy," Koala looks to Sabo. "We had not considered they would be a part of this."
"It does make sense," Sabo ponders. "But we still don't know how they move the weapons around."
"Hm," Charlie cocks his head. "We did not see any Navy ships at the commercial port, but they are here."
"Another port," Hack interjects. "I wonder if they are being moved through the navy port?"
"This is all speculation," Charlie returns to his seat. "I have no proof. I am merely stating what should be obvious." Marya smirks, shaking her head.
"Yes," Hack agrees. "That is why we are here. We are looking for proof to find the weapons' source."
"Damn," Vaughn leans forward, bracing folded elbows against his thighs. "This is getting more complicated. We are going to have to plan this out." Looking at Hack, "Do you know where the Navy Base is?"
"It cannot be that hard to find," Sabo interjects. "There are Marines everywhere. We just have to follow one of them."
"True enough," Vaughn agrees.
"The biggest challenge," Sabo crosses a leg over, "Is going to be getting into the mansion."
"Someone had mentioned a distraction," Vaughn taps his lips. "We have to figure out the timing and what that distraction will be. What would be enough to get them to leave the mansion?"