Static Pieces

[The Honeless Beard]

"Yeah, sure. Fuck, dude, she nearly destroyed my knee again."

Max stared after the stairs that Akeno had fuckin' bounded up like a gazelle, then shook her head, braids swinging. Focus on the small things. Compartmentalize. File it all away and duck your head in the filing cabinet to block out the glare of the light.

"I didn't get massaged by a Russian with meathammers for hands for four months to have some giraffe come by and fuck it all up again. Shit, did you see her jump-kick off the wall? What- who does that?"

She was talking too fast, Max knew. She always talked too fast when she was upset. But she thought she saw Sergio needing words and she had a surplus.

[Courtography]

As Sergio began to climb the stairs he started to laugh, then cough, at Max's comment.

"She's been preparing to be a henchman in a Kenny Yamana flick."

Jumping off walls and kicking guys in the throat? If Sergio didn't have to be involved he'd watch it, especially with some slow motion shots and a great one-liner. Especially since Akeno's body was pretty nice when she wasn't kicking his friends in the knee. He liked that kind of thing in SOTF before he was cast too, but it wasn't seeming as fun now. His thoughts were interrupted by the realization that he should have been helping his friend.

"You need help with those stairs, cripple?"

She was tough and probably didn't need the help, but deep down he did care enough to help carry her up, even if he had to give her shit about it.

[The Honeless Beard]

In response, Max rolled her eyes, making a point skipping up the stairs and burying the wince that tried to form on her face deep. She knew Sergio'd slow down and offer her a shoulder, but she'd blow her dad before she allowed that to actually happen.

"I had Borgov work my glutes for four months," she reminded him, "so I think I can handle a few stairs."

At the lower deck of the schooner, she paused, looking out at the massive sprawl of connected ships and ramps around them. The crow's nest of what her map described as the Clipper Ship rose above all, a clear day on the water with the lapping of slow waves and rocking of ships to meet them.

Max fucking hated it.

"So," she began, but the words died in her throat before she could force them forwards. The so hung between them, limp and dead.

[Courtography]

"So," he responded.

So this situation fucking sucked. Sergio usually tried to look on the bright side of things, but that was really hard in this situation. There were choices the two of them needed to decide on and if the two childhood friends wanted to both make it out alive they had to make them quickly.

"So uh, what's the strat, coach? Do I need to hit a few grand slams or are we taking this slow?"

He was sure she'd get his metaphor. Sergio still wasn't sure he could fight any classmates that didn't start things with him first, but it had to be on the table. Max was one of his closest friends and the idea of ending her at the end so he could go home was abhorrent to him. So that eliminated a team victory, but ten kills was a lot. It would get you the death penalty in Florida if it wasn't related to SOTF.

He let out a small cough. If she asked he'd blame his throat.

[The Honeless Beard]

And there it was. Fucking Sergio, saying the thing that she couldn't quite make it towards, the capital-T, italicized Thing that lay between them like a pierced garbage bag, rotting in the sun. When she'd woken up, she'd tied a blue and green bandana around her wrist.

His had been pink.

"Right," Max said, looking down the schooner's railing and towards the rest of the flotilla. She drummed absent fingers on the old wood, keeping her gaze locked on that Clipper.

"I mean, grand dingers can't be scored without some base hits," Max said, finally sliding her gaze towards his.

"I was always better at base hits than you, slugger."

[Courtography]

This was the problem with speaking metaphors. Mainly that he wasn't good at keeping up with them for long. It's why his humor typically went for the obvious. Well part of it. People laughed enough at the obvious. Only the real stars managed the complex. But he wasn't sure exactly what Max meant. Was she going to go for double digits? Was she suggesting keeping their alliance? Would she help him get to ten?

She had to be considering it. There was no way they could turn on each other.

"Well uh, sucks they didn't give us anything better to do this with."

He knew they didn't have much in the way of useful weapons. They would have used them otherwise. He kneeled down and then rolled over on his back on the deck. He needed to chill out for a moment. This was too tense.

[The Honeless Beard]

"Nah, that's quitter talk," Max replied, hesitating for a moment as Sergio plopped down, right in the middle of the deck. She shook her head at him bemusedly before also sliding her back down the railing and sitting cross legged on the wood.

"Okay, stock check," she said, "like, of where we're at. I don't think I could kill my classmates, and I'd probably be shit at running away."

Max tapped at her braced knee.

"So like, two options. Either you do it for both of us, or..."

She cleared her throat.

"We blow this popsicle stand. Just get straight the fuck out."

[Courtography]

The reasoning made sense in Sergio's mind. Between the two of them Sergio was the best choice to take on the rest of the class. If this was just a normal conversation during lunch about who at the table would win at SOTF, Sergio would have teased Max mercilessly about admitting this.

Sadly, those times were over.

He popped his neck against the deck. Maybe there was swelling throughout from that kick. He wasn't sure. Sergio had not gotten a look. He didn't think his pack had a mirror and part of his neck was covered by the collar anyway.

"Ugh, but that's the worst part of the show," he responded. He stopped when he realized how stupid it sounded in context to call escapes stupid.

Even though they usually were. It's not why he watched the show, that's for sure.

"How would we do it anyway, hot shot?"

[The Honeless Beard]

"No idea," Max responded, frustration making her vocal chords wobble, "but I think it's worth-" thinking about.

"It's-" the only way we both live through this.

"I have no idea," she finished, leaning further back to stare upwards.

Silence but for the gently lapping waves extended for a moment.

"Hey Malcolm," she said suddenly, snapping her head back forwards, "any insight on escaping to share?"

[Courtography]

Sergio hadn't considered asking his mentor. When he watched the last couple seasons they hadn't seen very useful. Plus his mentor insisted on dressing up like a pirate, and while he was more of a baseball fan, he always had to support the Dolphins over the Buccaneers.

He started drumming his fingers on the deck. There was not much point in talking while they waited. Things hadn't gone anywhere.

Not yet anyway.

[Cactus]

"Nothing that's been shared with me, if that's what you're asking."

The voice coming through the collar was apologetic, though he didn't stop there.

"I mean look — escaping from the area isn't rocket science. Detach a boat or craft a raft and paddle away. That's easy. Getting the collars off? That's a whole other thing entirely. There's a way; no doubt. Unfortunately they decided not to share that with me this time around. Something about me having a big mouth."

There was a pause, and one more piece of advice.

"Bodies are going to drop, it's a natural part of the game. If and when you decide to fuck around with the collars? Maybe try and find someone who isn't using their neck anymore, if you catch my drift."

The collar goes silent.

[The Honeless Beard]

"Morbid," Max said, leaning her head briefly against the railing.

"Okay, well, I guess that's what we need to do. Maybe we can start by following Akeno - she's crazy enough that she might actually fucking kill someone."

She walked over to the prone Sergio, offering her hand to help him to his feet.

"Come on, cowboy. Place is dead, anyway."

[Courtography]

So they would have to use their brains. This wasn't Sergio's preferred method of succeeding in life, but sometimes it was needed.

He coughed again before answering Max.

"Fine, champ, but you owe me twenty bucks if I get kicked in the throat again."

He took her hand to stand up. A chill went through his body.

They started to walk off.

"Can you believe they grabbed me when I was pumpin' iron?"

(Sergio Gallo continued in Sink Or Swim)

[The Honeless Beard]

"Absolutely."

((To Sink or Swim))