The Trip

"Mr. Kassick?" Blitz asked in fear seeing the man's scar colliding with his mouth. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you kid." he chuckled. "I'm going to Bentham. No point in me staying here, can’t let those cops get to me and throw me back in Blightworth. Thought I might help around this ship in the meantime, but listen here."

Blitz gulped at Kassick’s tone. The man was far more taller and larger than him, and that scar made the boy tremble.

“First, you’re not gonna tell anyone on board, and I mean ANYONE, that we’re escaped patients from Blightworth. Understand? We can’t go anywhere if you say it, because if you do, you know what that means?”

“Back to the madhouse?”

“Yes, back to the mad house! You don’t want another trip to the electric chair, right?” Kassick exclaimed, and stopped as he saw Blitz’s eyes shrunk in fear. The boy was trembling harder than he initially was. The scarred man sighed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to remind you of...that thing.” Blitz nodded at him. “Look, just make sure nobody thinks we’re out of place. If anyone asks, just pretend I’m your family member, and we’re heading to Bentham for a family reunion. Got it?”

Blitz nodded again, and he turned to see a man. He might be the captain based on his navy blue and white outfit. "I heard a boy will be joining us on our journey to Bentham.

“Yes sir.” Kassick said. “This is my nephew. Blitz. We’re heading back home, right?” He nodded at the boy, whose eyes blinked as he processed it.

“Yes.” Blitz said in response, before he turned to the captain. “Sir, how long will it take to go to Bentham?"

"About a few hours. It's quite far from here.", the captain said as he noticed Blitz frown. "Don't worry boy, as long as the wind is strong we might get there early. I can guess you have some importance there. What can you do?"

"I can scout out the seas. Um, that's what Mr. Wynard told me."

"Okay then. You do that. All right men!", the captain shouted out to the other workers and sailors. Raise those sails. We set off to Bentham!"

Blitz soon saw the workers set the sails. Big white sheets of cloth hovering above the ship pointing forwards as the wind blew through them. The ship soon began to move, with the boy slightly falling over and a few sailors laughing at the sight.

"Don't worry kid." said one sailor. "You'll get used to it!"

***

Time had passed since the ship at the London docks sailed for Bentham. Blitz was standing above the deck of the ship. His eyes focused on the seas. He looked left and right, trying to see if there's any danger or 'pirates' Wynard mentioned earlier at the docks. No sign of danger...for now.

He looked up at the sky. It wasn't sunny but it sure wasn't dark. He formed his fingers into round circles, connecting them with his eyes in order to look up to the sky and around the seas once more.

He felt a surge of energy within him. He stopped looking around with his hand made binoculars, and looked at his hands.

Electric currency flowing around them, his veins showing the same bluish color back at Blightworth. He reached into his pocket and took out the picture of Little Oliver. One hand rested on the picture. His gaze was at the sight of his younger brother.

"Who's that?" Kassick asked as the boy's long gaze was interrupted by the man's voice.

"My brother." Blitz said as he showed the man the picture.

"He looks like you a little bit...." Kassick. "Is that why you're going to Bentham?"

"And Jacobi."

"Jacobi?" Kassick stopped as he looked at the boy in confusion. "I thought he was taken out at Blightworth?" He saw Blitz shaking his head.

"So he escaped huh? Either that or maybe he left early before the riot happened, but what does Bentham have anything to do with Jacobi?"

"He took my brother!", Blitz shouted, causing the man to be startled a bit.

"..Jacobi. He took my brother to Bentham and my brother's going to be-"

Kassick patted him on the back "Calm down. Calm down. I know you're going to get your brother. You're strong right?"

Blitz before noticing his hands. There was electricity once more. He nodded.

"I'm sure you are strong. Looks like your time in that electric chair granted you something special" Kassick said with a smile that made Blitz still terrified of him, but looked up. "But take my advice. If you're going to find your brother in Bentham, a city which you've never been to, you're going to have to get help."

"How do I do that?"

Kassick folded his arms and chuckled. "Experience has taught me that if you treat people good, they'll do you good in return. It's the same case if you do bad things to them."

Blitz nodded, but something came to mind the more he saw the man in front of him. "Um Mr. Kassick? How did you get that scar?"

Kassick glared daggers at the boy causing him to be scared, but grinned. "Don't worry kid I'm not mad you asked that. I got this when I was in Blightworth. Actually, it was before you came."

"Before I came?". The boy asked as the man nodded. "I thought that scar was the reason you went into Blightworth."

Kassick laughed. "Do you seriously believe that I went into a mental hospital just because I had a scar? No Blitz, it was more than that. This was something that made me who I am now. Originally I was delusional, I believed someone was after me. My family was worried so they sent me to Blightworth, where I met Jacobi-"

"Did he give you that scar?"

"I'm not finished kid. Anyway, Jacobi was kind...to me, but he was an arsehole to others. One time I punched the living daylights out of him when he made a guy scream out of pain so much. That landed me in a cell."

"A cell?"

"That cell was placed for patients who fight with the staff or worse. I was placed there because I fought Jacobi once. Then there was someone else. He gave me this scar"

"W-Why?", Blitz shuddered at the thought.

"Beats me. The guy just picked me up and used a glass shard to carve this scar on the left side of my mouth". Kassick pointed at the said scar, which the red had blackened overtime, though the blood had dried off for a long while ago.

"Said I needed to smile once in a while. Thanks to him I got pissed off as hell and attacked other people, nearly killed a nurse. Goddamn Jacobi believed I was more insane; level 8 out of 10, and I never saw my family anymore. Because he detained me. Then again it all started with that fucker who gave me this scar. Well the guy who did it got what was coming to him. I traded my pillow to some other wacko, Jesper I think his name was, to kill him."

"Doesn't that make you no better?"

"Blitz, keep in mind: I didn’t attack first. I struck him after he struck me. Besides, Jacobi tortured you in that electric chair for months. Months, Blitz. Aren't you a tad bit angry?"

Blitz showed his fist filled with electricity. "Of course I am! He hurt me so I'll hurt him!"

Kassick looked at the boy with a raised eyebrow. "Remind me not to make you angry. One thing's for sure, if you really want to save your brother, you have to take out Jacobi. I'm not saying you got to kill the guy. Nah, he deserves more."

"I'll give him pain!", Blitz claimed with a fist in the air, again it shows electricity. "I have the power!" Kassick could only watch the boy in an energized mode. He grinned.

"I'm sure you will kid. I'm sure you will." Kassick said as he left the boy scouting. Though it wasn't only a second he left him there.

"SHARK!", Blitz screamed.

"What?" Kassick said as he went to Blitz who was pointing at the sea. Panic filled the boy's eyes and his body was trembling.

There was nothing. Nothing at all.

Kassick raised an eyebrow and looked at the boy. "There's no-"

"SQUID!" Blitz screamed again pointing at the sea.

"Oi Kassick! Is the kid alright?", asked a sailor.

"He's fine, he's just a bit delusional", Kassick. "Blitz calm down, there isn't any-"

"OCTOPUS!"

Make that very delusional. Kassick thought. "Kid, listen-"

"GIANT!"

"Blitz-"

"ROCKS!"

"Oh for god sake Blitz! Stop yelling out-" Kassick stopped before he looked into the direction the boy was pointing at. There seemed to be a big object in the sea.

"Oh crap", Kassick said as he shouted towards the man behind the wheel. "Turn the ship! Blitz saw there are rocks in the sea!"

"Turn left or right?" asked the wheelman.

"It doesn't matter just TURN", Kassick replied firmly enough for the wheeler to turn the ship to the right, avoiding the rock. That was close, he thought before looking at the boy again, then at one of the sailors.

"Anybody got a scope?" He asked and was replied with a scope being thrown at him. He handed it over to the boy. "Here Blitz, this will be easier for you to spot things in the seas. Now I'm gonna go to the lower deck, I need some rest."

Kassick proceeded to walk along the upper deck of the ship, heading toward a small staircase leading below.

"ISLAND!" said a very familiar boy's voice so loud it took everyone's attention.

I don't think I'll get rest now, Kassick thought of the boy as he sighed before turning to see Blitz using the scope. While the boy can use it correctly, it wasn't the same case when it came to seeing things in the seas.

"BARREL! No, BIRDS! Wait no. SOUP CANS!"

Accompanying his screaming were the laughs of the other sailors, some amused while others annoyed. Kassick turned to see the pack of monkeys laughing at the boy.

"You think you can tell your nephew to rest now?", the captain of the ship approached Kassick. "I admire his energy but he's just screaming around and making false predictions.”

“He’s been through a lot.” Kassick tried to explain. “Besides, I think he’ll be tired eventually.”

“Seems quite the distance for you two to head back home. What were you two doing before?”

"Let's just say....he and I ended up reunited in the same barrel of business." Kassick explained about Blightworth.

***

The sun had settled down as the majority of sailors with the exception of the wheelman taking control of the ship and some managing the sails. Kassick was asleep in the lower deck with the others, until he heard a distinctive voice.

"MOON!", Blitz's voice roared, causing Kassick and some sailors to wake up.

"Tjat kid sure has a lot of energy", said one sailor.

"How the bloody hell am I gonna get sleep if that little loonie is still awake?", said another sailor.

"CITY!"

"Aw great, now the kid thinks we've arrived at Bentham", said one sailor with a bandanna on his head.

"Actually, we're near" the captain appeared from above. Help the others tidy up the sails boys! You too Kassick."

Kassick followed the other numerous workers vigorously going to the upper deck and noticing the now dark sky. Some were chanting 'We've arrived home!'. Upon noticing the city of Bentham from a distance.

"I wonder what this place is like", Kassick said as the ship began nearing the docks, and soon, he and the other people on the ship saw the view of Bentham.