NINE

Chelsea and and Justin watched as all the cannons on the ship targeted their boat. At the same time, humanoid forms leaned of the boat and trailed guns on the. A rope ladder dropped down the side.

"Climb before we pump some holes into ya." A course voice called.

Chelsea turned to Justin. "What do we do?"

"What we're told." He said solemnly, going to the ladder. Chelsea gulped and did same. Once they reached the deck they were surrounded by large fish people, almost like the ones that attacked her but these ones were more human.

Chelsea pulled out her sword which had appeared back in her pocket.

"Drop your weapons." The voice belong to the only woman who could be seen among the crew. Fair with long green hair which had strands as thick as horse whips. She smiled evilly and her deep green eyes glinted with life reminding Chelsea of Captain Scott.

"You're Rouge, aren't you?"

"Why aren't you the smart one." Rouge said pulling out her own sword and pointing it at Justin. Some men came over and held him in place. "Now I repeat, drop your weapon, or I harm your friend."

"Chelsea don't." But she did. In fact, she threw Magesty into the ocean.

"You just threw away your weapon." Rouge scrutinized her for a full minute before instructing her men. "Tie them up below deck."

Chelsea's eyes were fixed on the water. Nate. She felt like crying. It just couldn't be. Justin looked depressed also as they were led down.

"Where's the third one?" They heard Rouge ask.

"We... we don't know." Justin replied coolly.

The captain grumbled something but quickly added. "No key, no problem. It's still a good night." She cackled. "Men, sail towards the gate. Today, the dark oceans will flow into the Earth once more."

Her words were accompanied by deafening cheers.

"I can't believe this." Justin said hitting his fish against the wall of the room where they were chained. "Nate."

Chelsea fought the bonds around her wrists. Hopeless. She began to weep silently. "What are we going to do?  Guards are just outside the door, we're out numbered and Nate..."

The door swung open and Nate was led in by a guard.

"Miss me?" He said with a small smile.

The guard shoved him in after cuffing him. Chelsea threw herself on Nate.

"What happened down there? " she asked.

"The key was a lot farther than we thought. I had to take breathers in underwater caves before-"

"Interesting story. Where is the key?" Justin cut in.

Chelsea shot him a venomous look.

"Rouge took it when she caught me sneaking on board." Nate turned to Chelsea. "I saw something down in the ocean. A small ball thing where those monsters attacked you."

The smoke screen, she thought. She could free herself then the guys. Her sword was back in its place now but her cuffs were preventing her from reaching it. She wondered if she could reach Nate's pocket.

She tried and successfully pulled out the smoke screen.

The ship rocked dangerously. She stared at the ball, thinking. Things had gotten bad fast. She wondered if they might get off this boat alive. She approximated the freezing period to fifteen seconds and calculated how long it would take Justin to yell at her.

It all snap back to universal time right after. She remembered Father Time say.

She hoped universal time was fifteen seconds after. She looked up, they were both staring at her.

"Chels, what is that?" Justin asked.

Instead she said. "I have something to tell you... I... looked through your phone."

Nate gasped and Justin frowned.

"Caves how dare yo-"

Before he could finish,  she smashed the smoke screen. Immediately, all movements seized. No sound was heard. Everything was frozen.  She removed her hands from the cuffs and pulled out her sword. She broke the guys chains, ran outside and took care of the guards just as the screen effect wore off.

The boys stepped out of the room, looking very confused.

"How did we..." Nate began to question but she hastily cut him short.

"Its a miracle and we've got bigger problems."

They made their way to the main deck. Justin was quiet although. Chelsea guessed he was still mad at her, but that was the least of her worries this moment.

The instant they stepped on deck they were taken aback. The ship was surrounded by some sort of whirlwind, engulfing it like a bubble.

They turned to the stirring wheel and heard Rouge's mocking laugh. "You're too late Keepers, my ship can now pass through. The remaining monsters of the Storm dimension will follow."

"We've got other plans." Chelsea said keeping her voice from shaking. "Like kicking your arse."

"You want to try child?"

Her men armed themselves.

"Can you two hold them off so I can get the key?" Nate pointed at the key which hung like a chain around the woman's neck. She was twirling it like a pendant.

"I think we can." Chelsea answered her grip tightened on yhe swords hilt. Its now or never. "Let's do this." She nodded to Justin.

He charged at weakest looking pirate and disarmed him. Now arming himself with the man's guns Justin was able to take out the pirates in Nate's path.

Chelsea busied herself covering Justin. She dodged bullets like they were water balloons and sliced through pirates like they were foam dummies. The strength she felt anytime she held her sword flowed through her, sweeping away most of her fears.

She tackled a large muscle bound pirate, side stepping before his mace met her. She struck back.  But he blocked, pushing her back with such force she stumbled and faltered. Scratch that, it was the ship that was shaking violently.

It was like being tossed in a storm. The winds rushing from every direction.  Water flying from all angles. Everyone except Rouge looked bewildered and hit the deck. Chelsea held on to a loose floorboard as the ship began to flip. Most off the crew sailed through the air, thrown off board. Even the big guy Chelsea had been fighting.

She too began to have the fear of slipping when all of a sudden, the vessel lurched forward. Righting itself. The whirlwind that had been around the ship dispersed. The sky was visible once more.

Chelsea got to her feet and felt dread flow through her as her mind registered where they were. They were back on Earth, right where the S.S. Clara had encountered the storm. Worst of all, the cruise ship was still there, but in very bad shape. She could see smoke from fires, screams penetrated the night air and the waves looked terribly unforgiving.

Like capsizing standard unforgiving.

Chelsea forgot the plan and ran towards the captain herself.  She used some barrels to jump over the fight and reach the stirring wheel. Rouge backed up.

"What's happening to the ship?" She asked.

The captain chuckled. "My brother is making its demise look like an accident." She drew her sword. "Yours will be swift and painful sixth Keeper."

They engaged in a long play of sword fight. Rouge was clearly the better fighter but Chelsea was quick on her feet also. She parried.  Rouge blocked. Counter strike followed counter strike until at last Chelsea had Rouge exactly where she wanted her. Back to a wall.

"Nate now!"

Nate emerged from the shadows and hit the Capt. over the head with a club. She was dazed, he spun her round to face him and put his hand around the key. "You're so lucky I don't like hitting girls."

"Charmed." She grumbled pulling herself from his grip. She kicked him in the gut. The key fell from his hand and slid out of view. She as about to do some more damage when something sharp sailed past her face, stopping her. She looked in Justin's direction. He was holding a dagger.

Chelsea stared. Where had that come from? She had little time to ponder over it because Justin signalled to her. The both of them closed in on Rouge, she was weaponless now. They could take her.

They were so wrong.

"Its not good to corner a cat." She said with a smirk, taking off her pirate hat. Her hair began to move. The strands sticking out like the tentacles of s giant hydra.

Two acted like legs and lifted her from the ground. Two others grabbed Chelsea and Justin and began squeezing the like they were python food.

"Don't struggle son of chaos, it'll only worsen your situation."

"I don't see how it could get worse." He spat at the fiend.

"Death. But it can be avoided if you stop backing these filth."

Chelsea wished so bad that she could understand, but story for another day, if they made it. She looked around and grinned all of a sudden. "Hey Captain, you're about to get a bad hair day."

A flat circular object flew by, slicing the strand that held Justin captive. Rouge shrieked. The object then flew back into Nate's hand. It was a shield.

He looked around at the men that had gathered him. "Now who wants some m********rs."

Woah. Chelsea thought.

"I love this kid now." Justin said picking up Magesty and slicing at the tentacle that held Chelsea. It was tricky but she eventually fell. Chelsea that is. "Get up lazy butt."

She took his hand. "Thank goodness you're not made at mad at me anymore."

"Who says I'm not?" He frowned,  then it became a toothed grin. He handed her back her sword. As their hands touched in the exchange, she felt something she just couldn't explain.

Now, two things ruined the moment. First one was a swipe from a really large tentacle which they ducked. The second, was the boom of an explosion,  no, multiple explosions in the distance.

Chelsea stumbled to the side of the ship in time to see the burning ruins of the S.S. Clara sink into the navy blue waters. She felt her legs wobble as if she was about to collapse. That did not just happen. She stared feeling like she herself was sinking.

Her mum's journal was in there, not to mention those who could have been killed. They say a captain always goes down with his ship, but she was 100% sure Scott was elsewhere.

A laugh echoed in the back of her mind, slowly bringing her back. She turned to face Rouge who was eyeing her with a smirk now. Justin was tied up fighting of the men because Nate had swam down to deal with the gate.

"So Keeper, how does it feel? Not being able to save the innocent, I mean."

Chelsea's eyes glinted like bronze fires. "Let me show you."

They locked in another fight. Chelsea more empowered now. They went at it until Rouge tired and opted for another way. She shoved the girl aside and made a run for a rope ladder that led up to the mast.

Chelsea went after her but not before Justin held her back.

"Justin I've got to do this."

"Don't be stupid, that's just the adrenaline talking."

"If you care for my safety hope it keeps talking." She tried to pulled away but his grip was firm.

"No one gives a damn about your safety,  you're my reward ticket." He said with the hint of a joke. She smiled.

"Find a way to sink this floating monstrosity. I can take care of myself."

He nodded and navigated his way to the explosives room.

Chelsea climbed after the captain.

"You're a pretty determined girl Chelsea Caves." The woman said as she reached the horizontal beam holding up the sail.

"Believe me, I'm as shocked as you are." She said pushing thoughts of falling from her mind. Her brain was pretty good at picturing her own death.

She made it to the beam. It was wider than she had imagined but still narrow. The tossing of the ship did not make her anymore confident. Nonetheless, she found her footing.

"Women like us aren't meant to fight. We're meant to compromise."

"I don't make deals with killers Rouge. Quit trying." She thrust her sword but the woman dodged flawlessly and counter attacked. Chelsea nearly tripped but maintained her balance.

"This is a one time offer, once you slip up, you can't change your mind."

"My mind is made." She went in for another strike but was  blocked again. "The one thing about you bad guys is that you always think you'll win."

"And the thing about you heroes is that you don't know when to quit." Rouge lashed. Chelsea staggered back in time to the ship tilting forward.

She caught the beam with her free hand, now she was dangling over forty feet.

"When I said slip, I didn't imagine this." Rouge scorned coming over. "Any last words darling?"

Chelsea looked down and saw Justin just as he yelled. "Let's blow this wreck." She could see smoke rising from different parts of the ship. Rouge just seemed to notice too.

She turned to Chelsea, her face a mask of resentment.

The girl grinned. "My last words: sink ya later." She remembered something she had seen in a movie. She let go of the beam and drove her sword into the sail in effort to slow down her velocity.

The wind that rushed by made her feel so alive. So triumphant. The coolest thing ever. She couldn't help but squeal in delight.

When the sail came to its last seam, she felt yhe short free fall before she landed in Justin's arms.

"Terrible pun." He said.

"You heard that?"

He nodded. "You look like hell."

"Tell me something I don't know." The ship lurched again this time it was sinking into the water.

A scream as heard as Rouge plummeted from the mast. She landed on the deck with a loud crack. She was still struggling to get up when Chelsea came to stand over her sword poised.

"I thought you hated killing." The  woman said after coughing up some blood.

"You were dead before I even picked up my sword." Chelsea scowled driving Magesty into the heart of the sea tyrant.

Rouge gasped and wheezed. "Don't count yourselves lucky just yet..." her voice was far beyond coarse now. "I'll come back and you Chelsea will be my target."

With that she closed her eyes and fell silent.

Chelsea pulled out her sword turning to Justin. "Let's go."

He led her to the side of the sinking vessel. "Take my hand."

She did, reluctant.

"Now jump."

She did that far more reluctantly. They fell straight into a row boat.

"How did-"

Justin shot her a smirk. "Its a miracle."

She laughed and looked around for Nate.  He'd better not pull another disappearing act. Justin spotted him not far off from the wreckage that had been pulled down by a mysterious whirlpool.

He swam over.

"Well done man." Justin patted him on yhe back as he settled in boat.

"Please tell me its over." He said, flashing the key before them.

"I'm afraid it's not."

Chelsea knew that voice from anywhere.  It was one of the many that haunted her in her sleep and she was going to take care of it tonight. "Show yourselves you cowards!"