David woke the next morning in time to see Silver donning his signature tricorn hat and preparing for his second day away from his ship. His anxiety of being in port and having his captain gone had long since ebbed and thoughts of the Laelaps were being pushed to the back of his mind. It was a strange relief not to worry about Jacobs or the fear of being hunted like a wild animal. When the boy asked why Silver was going out again he smiled. "I got one more t'ing ta take care of and t'en we'll be gone before nightfall."

"And then we go straight to Crescentia, right?"

"Aye pup, and if we make good time we'll hit port in 'bout a week."

"I can't wait!" He yelped, nearly jumping in excitement. Seven days and he would be back with has family, sitting through Miss Spouts' exhausting lectures and sleeping in his own bed. He walked the cyborg to the gangplank and was surprised when Silver laid a hand on his shoulder and leaned in close. "Now, ya make sure ta be waitin' on me w'en I get back. Yes?"

There it was again. The stare that made David want to fall to his knees and confess every sin he had accumulated in his young life. He could only hope that his clever Captain had not somehow discovered his leisurely trip into town the previous day. "We will," He promised. "I'll get everything ready so we can go as soon as you're back!"

Silver nodded and with another light pat he was gone. Ripleigh staggered up not long after, still grumpy and looped from his binge the night before, and after he downed four cups of stale coffee the two attended to their chores. Their work kept them busy until lunch and they spent their break eating sandwiches while sitting on the railing, watching the other sailors scamper around on the docks like frantic insects.

"Do you think they're looking for me?"

"The privateers? I'll bet my last flask they are."

"I know for a fact that's not your last one – and I meant my parents. Do you think they're looking for me?"

Ripleigh licked a fresh coat of whiskey from his chapped lips and ran his hand over his bald scalp. He stared off into the distance as he answered, "Well, sometimes parents don't live up to what they should. A few of them fall short of the mark when they're needed the most."

"But," He continued. "Folks like yours? Yeah, they're probably tearin' their hair out over you, for what its worth."

David glanced at his harsh profile. "Then why haven't we seen them yet? Or why has no one asked about me? Everyone I met seems to know my parents, but no one knows about their son."

"Cut them some slack! It's a big ass galaxy and they don't have any clue of which direction to go in. Trying to find one person, especially someone as shrimpy as you," He added with a teasing smirk, "Is like trying to find a virgin in a shanty town whorehouse."

"Do you even hear what comes out of your mouth?"

"You asked, mutt. I'm just tryin' to make you feel better." He appreciated the effort, but David could no help but think about his parents – both very connected and widely known through their professions – and yet he had not seen even a single flier with his missing face on it. Then again, he had shamefully yelled at his father and he had practically said he hated the man only to then run away from his family's carriage in anger. For all his family knew he was not missing but had simply run away. They finished their meal in silence and David was not surprised when Ripleigh swung his legs over the railing and announced that he was leaving. "Don't tell me you're going back to that bar."

"I won't tell you, then."

"Pfftt. Will you at least promise to drag yourself back before Silver comes back? He ordered us not to leave, you know."

"Wrong! He ordered you not to leave. Just keep yourself busy and I'll be back before you 'know it."

But nearly six hours later Ripleigh was still not back. David kept himself busy anyway he could think of, he even went so far as to organize the spoons down in the galley, but every moment that the lanky bird was gone made his anxiety intensify until he felt like he would be sick from the mere thought of Silver returning to a half-empty ship. When he could stand the gnawing fear no longer David charged down the streets and burst into the bar, ignoring the sting in his eyes that was growing more familiar and cemented his thought that he would never take up such a horrid habit as smoking. Ignoring the smoke and fleeting glances from the curious – and more sober – clients he struggled past waves of knees before finally finding his crewmate.

"Ripleigh! You've been gone too long; Silver could come back any minute – he could be there now for all I know! We need to go now!" Ripleigh laughed at something the bartender said and downed another drink, oblivious to the boy's words. "Ripleigh!" He shouted and punched his ribs as hard as his nine year old muscles would allow.

Finally Ripleigh's red stained eyes turned towards him, but David was not sure if he was looking at him or through him. "Sssebastian?" He slurred, loose drops of something much stronger than whiskey flying from his lips. "That you, boy?"

Sebastian? David had earned many nicknames during this strange trip, but Sebastian? Where did the man pick up that name? "How drunk are you?! It's Davi – !" Without warning the sailor locked onto his shoulders and began shaking him viciously, his tone suddenly cracked with anger. "You damn boy! Where you been hidin' from me, huh? Where you been hidin', Sebastian!?"

David's head whipped back and forth like a bobble head toy and he could barely hear himself speak. "Let go of me, I'm not - ! It's David, Ripleigh! Let go of me! Let go!"

David brought his foot down on the man's toes as heavily as he could and instantly the talons receded from his skin long enough for him to jump back. Without even realizing it his hand had strayed towards his boot and the hilt of the small dagger, but a moment's hesitation was all Ripleigh needed; his eyes found David's again, clearer this time but full of rage. "You – you filthy, rotten mutt! You flea-bitten mongrel!"

"I'm a mongrel!? You're so far in that bottle you don't know which way is up, you brain rotted lunatic! I ran all the way here to drag you back so Silver wouldn't get mad, but you know what? I don't care if he knows you left! In fact, I'm going back to the ship and when Silver gets there I'm going to tell him…." David's impassioned declaration trailed off as he noticed that Ripleigh's eyes were no longer angrily focused on him, but had slid off to stare high over his head and when the sound of clicking and whirring filled his ears the boy had a sinking feeling as to why.

"Finish w'at ye were gonna say, pup. Ye'll tell me w'at?"

The boy gulped. "Maybe ye were gonna tell me how I can't trust me own crew ta follow an order simple as 'stay on te damn ship'!"

"Hey, for the record you only ordered him to – " Ripleigh began, but Silver lurched forward and grabbed the unsteady man by his collar. The surrounding patrons dove out of his path as he dragged Ripleigh to the back door and threw him out without another word. David ran up just as the cyborg stepped outside. "Silver, I'm sorry! We were going to be back on time, but – !"

When Silver's gaze fell on him the boy readied himself, expecting to be tossed out like Ripleigh, but the man merely growled to him, "Ye stay right 'ere!", and slammed the door shut. David knew from his parents what that meant. It meant that on the other side of the door grown-up words were being used and it was not long before the two pirate's shouting grew loud enough to confirm his suspicions. The child turned and walked back into the bar, his stomach was still sick from his nerves and the sound of them fighting did nothing to calm him. Why had he not just stayed on the ship like Silver ordered? Why did he have to chase after that boozer of a bird…

"Eh, dat's 'im! Dat's da one ya were askin' 'bout!"

David stopped. The hairs on the back of his neck were upright and prickling as he turned towards the shouting bartender; the man was pointing directly at him and next to his side, a sadistic smile on his face, was Glib. "Hah ha! I've been lookin' all over for ya, lil' rat!"

It took David less than three seconds to bolt out the back door.

"Silver! Ripleigh! Glib, he's here! He's inside - he saw me! They – they could all be here!"

The two men stared down at him for so long that David was afraid they had not understood him, but in the next moment Silver released his hold of Ripleigh's collar and stepped forward. "Rip, get him back to te ship and get ready ta launch!"

Ripleigh latched onto David's arm, looking instantly sobered. "Wait! What about Silver?"

"He can handle his own damn self, now come on!" The man pulled him along with no gentleness and after a few tugs David had no choice but to obey. They ran through the twilight gloomed streets together, every sudden sound or sharp corner raising the boy's fear to near hysteria.

"How the hell did they find us," Ripleigh growled as they ran. "We've been off the grid for days, how the hell – "

David ran smack into Ripleigh's legs as the man stopped short. He turned slowly, his gaze fiery and burning straight down at the stunned boy. "What – did – you – do?"

"What?"

"What did you do?! Yesterday – what the hell did you do when you were by yourself?"

"I…I bought those presents for my sisters and I sent a telegram to my family…"

"A telegram!" Ripleigh looked as shocked as though David had just confessed to murder.

"You said yourself they were probably pulling their hair out worrying! I just wanted them to know where I was and that I was safe!"

The sailor clawed at his sunken face. "Telegrams can be intercepted you stupid little - !"

Ripleigh's head snapped sideways, his body smacking against the cobblestones and David couldn't stop the scream that tore from him. "No!" He lunged to help the man but suddenly fell backwards and frantically scooted away from the figure stepping forward from the darkness. "Nicholas," Crag cooed almost soothingly, "Enough runnin', laddie – "

He wanted to order the privateer away from, wanted to demand that the be told how the crew had found them, but all he could do was croak in fear. "Don – don't – don't touch...me!"

Crag defiantly moved to step closer but a clawed hand shot out and wrapped around his fat ankle. "Go David!" Ripleigh shouted. "Get to the ship -grnnn!" His cries dissolved into pain as the privateer landed a powerful kick to Ripleigh's chest and another one square on his face. The sound of bones snapping tore David's fear from him and was replaced by a wave of pure instinct. In the next moment, before Crag could land another kick, he had jumped onto the man's back and frantically began clawing at any part of his face the boy could reach. "You stay away from my friend!"

His bravery did not last long. With one wrench of Crag's arm the world flipped, giving him kaleidoscope eyes before David's head hammered against the ground like a thrown brick. The pain paralyzed him and the made the world go dark; he could barely breathe when Crag knelt next to him and almost tenderly placed a hand on his chest. "Sorry Nicholas, I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I've been worried sick about you, you know, runnin' around with this filth. Lucky we got that message, or we would'a never found you – but now we can take you home to Jacobs and forget about this."

No...No, it couldn't be...

Suddenly Crag's hand was gone, his entire silhouette jerking out of David's misty vision. The boy blinked and tried to focus on not throwing up as the inverted scene unfolded above him. Silver and Crag squared off like enraged stags, their bodies reduced to grappling shapes, pushing and throttling each other in smeared blurs that resembled one of Ruth's messy watercolor paintings. Only when the boy finally managed to push himself to his knees did the clouds behind his eyes clear just in time for David to watch Silver land a devastating blow on the side of Crag's head. The force sent the smaller man straight to his knees with a fat crack.

"Ya alright David?" Silver finally gasped after several deep breaths.

"I'm okay, but – but Ripleigh's hurt bad. I don't know if he's awake; Crag kicked him so many times and – " The boy's throat was caving in and becoming drier than sandpaper, making every word painful to speak.

"See if ye can hoist Rip up and get ye both back to te ship." David tore his eyes away from Crag's knelt, unmoving form and sank down next to his friend. "Ripleigh," he whispered, "Ripleigh, please say something! Say you're okay."

A thick gurgle was his only response. David moved to roll Ripleigh onto his side when Silver's arm began clicking, gears rotating to replace his metal hand with a short barreled pistol that immediately leveled at Crag's forehead. "Silver, what are you doing?! You can't shoot him!"

His captain glanced over, surprised by the outburst, but quickly turned back to the privateer. "Do as I say and get back to te ship."

"Wait! Don't! Please, let's get Ripleigh to the ship and get out of here before the others find us!" If Silver heard him it didn't stop the man from willing the hammer to pull itself back - not until David dashed in front of the barrel. "Move, Davie!" Silver ordered.

"No! This isn't right! You can't just kill him!"

"Wha – t'is beast," He threw the word out like mouthful of spit. "Would 'ave killed ya and not missed a wink of sleep tonight! Ya wanted t'ese men off yer back and ya wanted my help ta do it – so move."

"He wasn't going to kill me, Crag is the only one who actually wants me back!" David felt like a total fool, standing there with his arms splayed out like a protective bird guarding a nest. Defending his attacker from the man who had fought to save him. "All I wanted you to do was get me home, I never asked you to do this! Killing him is wrong; you know it is and I – I won't let you do it!"

Silver's mechanical eye was the exact color of the blood streaming from a cut on his cheek. David stared into his gaze, forcing himself not to look away even when shiny spots began to bounce around his vision. He felt aware of everything: Ripleigh's shallow and ragged breathing, Crag's rapid trembling and the thoughts that David could almost literally see flying through Silver's mind as he debated whether or not to simply shove the boy out of the way and finish his business. It took several long moments for the cyborg to slowly rotate his hand back into place. He reached past David and gripped the back of Crag's neck like a disobedient pet. "Ya hear t'is? Te boy ye've beaten' like a slave and hunted down is beggin' me not ta kill ya! I think t'at deserves some praise. T'ank him!"

"Th-thank you, Nicho – "

"Use his name!" Silver bellowed.

"David." Crag whispered. "Thank you, David." It was the first time Crag had used his name – his actual name; not the perverse alias that Jacobs had shoved on him the first day they had dragged him out of the barrel. Their eyes met and in that moment the boy saw what he thought might have been actual gratitude. Gratitude, that the man who had given David his first taste of death had just been spared from his own. Before he could decide for sure Silver swept David up, collected Ripleigh with his other arm and carried both the unconscious man and the squirming, complaining nine year old back to the ship where they began their second escape.

To be continued