A Lethal Display #184

The tempestuous battleground fell into a momentary hush as all eyes pivoted to the sudden intruder. Kid's incredulous rage was palpable, his finger pointed accusingly at Cedric, a red-hot ember of irritation dancing in his eyes. The atmosphere quivered with tension, the air thick with a mélange of emotions ranging from surprise to resentment. The abrupt interruption had forced the combatants to a halt, a sudden break in the rhythm of conflict.

Recognition gradually dawned on Kid's features, fleeting moments of joy and nostalgia punctuating his otherwise indignant façade. The trace of a smile was swiftly extinguished, replaced with a scowl that masked any hint of sentiment. "Who you calling a dumbass, you degenerate?!" 

His voice was a harsh retort, laced with an undercurrent of underlying camaraderie. The animosity in his tone did little to smother the sparks of familiarity that danced in his eyes, a testament to a shared history that had somehow forged a fragile connection.

The spotlight remained on Cedric, a figure suspended in the air with an air of nonchalance that contradicted the volatile situation on the ground. He weathered Kid's accusation with an almost amused demeanor, his response a casual deflection. "Who do you think you are anyway?! Suddenly showing up and interrupting someone's fight?!" 

Kid's outburst was met with a hearty chuckle from Cedric, an expression of mirth that oozed amusement in the face of Kid's fiery disposition.

Cedric's voice carried an undercurrent of lightness as he addressed Kid's aggression, the tension between them rendered almost comical by Cedric's effortless charm. "It's good to see you too, Kid..." He turned his attention to the rest of the combatants, his smile radiating genuine warmth as he acknowledged each of them in turn. "Killer, Wire, Heat, It's good to see you all as well..." The air seemed to thaw, the weight of the moment lightened by Cedric's casual demeanor.

Killer, unclasping his blades, offered a respectful nod in Cedric's direction, a silent recognition of their shared history. Wire's reaction was notably more subdued, his acquiescent nod a testament to his dispassionate disposition. Heat, on the other hand, greeted Cedric's grin with an unabashed display of his own, his open expression a testament to the camaraderie they shared.

Kieran, who had been observing the proceedings in a silence of his own, voiced his curiosity. "You know these people, captain?" His question hung in the air, an inquiry that hinted at the complexities of Cedric's past and the relationships that colored it.

Amid the charged atmosphere, Cedric's response was laced with a teasing grin, a glimmer of mischief dancing in his eyes. "More or less, I used to take care of them when we were kids," he quipped, a tone of camaraderie woven into his words. 

A visible vein pulsed on Kid's forehead, his fiery disposition ignited by Cedric's words. He retorted vehemently, his words almost bitten off, "Who took care of who, you damned ingrate?!" The memories of their shared history seemed to fuel the fire of their exchange, a blend of resentment and camaraderie that only old friends could understand.

Kid's attention shifted from Cedric to Kieran, his accusatory gaze leveling on the newcomer. Suspicion colored his voice as he demanded, "These people are with you, aren't they?!" Cedric's response was a nonchalant shrug, a gesture that spoke of his indifference to the brewing conflict. 

Kid's frustration found a new target, and he continued his tirade, casting his judgment upon Cedric's leadership. "You should keep these dumbasses in line! You fail as a captain!" Kid's voice, tinged with exasperation, carried a note of familiarity that belied their history.

Cedric's chuckle rolled through the air, his amusement unwavering in the face of Kid's accusations. "And what do you want me to do exactly?" he queried, his tone laced with playful insolence. His eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint as he gestured toward Kieran, a sly grin curving his lips. "I can always just leave and let my friend here kick your asses..." The challenge was palpable, an unspoken invitation to test the mettle of his crewmate.

The swelling vein on Kid's forehead appeared to be on the verge of bursting as he shouted in exasperation, "You goddamned bastard! You're still the same smug bastard you were before you left Four Clover!" The air crackled with tension, an impending eruption that seemed inevitable. The trio of Killer, Heat, and Wire exchanged wary glances, sensing the imminent storm in their captain's temperament.

With a swift and fluid movement, Kid conjured a colossal robotic arm, metal scrap coalescing into a formidable weapon around his wrist. The atmosphere was charged with kinetic energy as he lunged at Cedric, his voice carrying a mixture of fury and determination. "Someone ought to teach you a lesson!"

Cedric's exasperated sigh seemed to echo through the charged air as Kid charged at him with unbridled fury. Cedric's demeanor remained composed, a quiet confidence emanating from his stance. 

He cocked his fist back with practiced ease, readying himself for the impending impact. The clash was inevitable, the culmination of years of rivalry and pent-up tension. Kid's colossal, metallic arm and Cedric's clenched fist were on a collision course, a collision that resonated with echoes of their shared past.

The moment arrived, an intense convergence of forces. The clash of their fists was a fleeting spectacle, the kinetic energy reverberating through the air. The juxtaposition of the small, human hand and the gargantuan, mechanized appendage created a surreal tableau. 

For the briefest instant, their power seemed evenly matched, the struggle locked in a tenuous equilibrium. But then, a burst of fire erupted from Kid's mechanical creation, a sudden explosion that tore through the air like a cataclysmic force.

The detonation shattered the colossal arm into fragments of molten metal and sent Kid hurtling backward through the air. The ground bore the brunt of the explosion's aftermath, littered with melted remnants of the once-imposing armature. 

Kid's impact with the ground was both jarring and ignominious, the shock of the collision evident in his wide-eyed gaze. As the residual flames danced around the smoldering ruin, Cedric's hand swept through the air in a fluid motion, dissipating the flames with practiced ease.

Cedric's voice cut through the dissipating smoke, its tone colder and more distant than any of them remembered. "This isn't South Blue... you should really keep that temper of yours in check..." His words carried an air of stern authority, a demeanor none had witnessed from him before. 

The gravity of the moment was palpable as he continued, undeterred by the shock etched across Kid's features. "It would get you killed sooner or later..." The words held a weight beyond their literal meaning, encapsulating a deeper truth that hung in the air.

As his gaze shifted from Kid to encompass Killer and the rest, Cedric's expression retained its newfound seriousness. "You and everyone else..."

Kid's clenched teeth seemed to grind against each other, an embodiment of his simmering frustration and the simmering retort he struggled to utter. The tension in the air was thick, palpable, almost suffocating. Cedric's words, the embodiment of controlled authority, hung in the atmosphere like a heavy fog.

Whispers wormed through the gathered crowd like a contagion, carried by those who relished in the spectacle. Among them, Cedric's keen senses picked up on a particularly scornful remark aimed at Kid. 

The words reached his ears like an echoing gong, and without hesitation, Cedric's hand moved with swift precision. A revolver materialized in his grip, its metallic form glinting ominously in the ambient light. A single gunshot cracked through the air, a testament to Cedric's pinpoint accuracy, and the offending voice was silenced as its owner crumpled to the ground.

Silence followed, a silence pregnant with the weight of Cedric's lethal precision. The world seemed to hold its breath as the implications of the gunshot rippled through the onlookers. Cedric's demeanor remained unchanged, a veneer of detached calmness masking his intentions. 

"Anyone else wanna die?" A surge of flames erupted behind him, a searing pillar that licked at the edges of everyone's vision. The heat emanating from the flames was an undeniable force, causing even the boldest to retreat involuntarily.

In that moment, Cedric's eyes bore into the crowd like twin embers, a silent challenge that demanded recognition and obedience. The spectators dispersed with haste, like rats fleeing from a sinking ship, the remnants of their bravado evaporating under the weight of Cedric's aura. 

And as the last of them hurriedly exited the scene, the tension seemed to dissipate like a retreating storm, replaced by a familiar, leisurely grin that tugged at the corners of Cedric's lips.

Cedric's gaze shifted to Killer, his tone light as he addressed his old friend. "Patch up Princess Red's ego and come see me on my ship when you have the time... we have a lot to catch up on..."