Never Tell Me The Odds

Chapter 25

"Kyly go back inside!" I instruct her, she goes to object but I quickly interrupt her. "Kyly now! RJ go with her!" I jump the small fence to Gil and Kyly's backyard and grab my staff then hop back over.

"But I can help!" RJ runs over to us as I land back on the ground.

"Kyly will keep you safe. I don't need you getting in the crossfire. Go inside!" I push him back with the end of my staff while he beeps angrily at me.

"Come on RJ." Kyly hurries over picking him up runs back inside with him.

"You want your staff?" I check with Qi'ra before we go.

"No I'll stick with the blaster." I nod and start towards where the pirates are at. "Wait! Are you sure you want to use your staff? You've never used it in a fight yet!" She hurries to walk next to me, I can hear the slight worry in her voice.

"Perfect time to test out my staff skills." I look over at him with a small smirk as we continue.

"Leo. Look." She looks forward placing her hand on her holster making me look towards where her gaze is at.

"Shit" I see Gil standing outside his shop with his arms crossed as the pirates all stand in front of him. "We can't let them know about the armor."

"Move old man! Or else we'll make you." The leader laughs at Gil who stands unphased by the pirates in front of him. "Unless you have a death wish?"

I see them grab their blasters, I panic slightly and yell, "Hey!" The 5 pirates in front of Gil all turn to look at me.

"Who the hell are you?" The leader steps out from behind the other 4, eyeing me down.

"I could ask you the same thing." I shrug then stab the end of my staff into the ground leaning on it. The pirates glare at me as Qi'ra gives me a what the hell look.

"I'm Captain Doro. I suggest you and your little girlfriend run along before you get hurt kid." He laughs turning away from us.

I begin laughing, bending over as he turns back around in annoyance. "Was that supposed to be threatening? Man you suck at this" I take my staff putting it in both of my hands. "If you're so confident, that me a mere kid will get hurt... Why don't you try me?" I shrug with a small smirk seeing the amusement on his face.

"Go." He says looking back at his crew. One of them smirks and runs at me, reaching for his blaster.

"Well that doesn't seem fair." I frown as he points his blaster at me and pulls the trigger. Using my staff I jump over the bullet and land a few inches from him. I jab the staff into his stomach then pull up slamming the end of my staff into his jaw knocking him out. "Oops." I tilt my head to the side smiling.

"Cocky little shit. Get him!" He spits as the other three men line up in front of me.

"Three vs one huh?" I raise an eyebrow as Doro begins laughing once again.

"Leo!" Qi'ra yells, I turn around to see to men holding onto Qi'ra's arms and a third one with a blaster to her chest.

"Qi'ra!" I step towards her when I feel a foot kick my back making me fall forward. I stand up slowly gripping my staff tightly. "Get away from her!" I jab the butt end of my staff into the face of the guy who kicked me. Then I jump forward swiping at the man with the blaster pointed at Q'ra. I smack him in the side making him stumble back. When that happens Qi'ra kicks the blaster from his hand then pulls the other two towards her making them knock heads. I smile and spin around feeling another guy coming at me. I spin around swinging the staff at his shoulder. Then I jab the staff into the ground using it to lift myself up and kicking the man back into the other two crewmates. I hear Qi'ra shooting behind me so I turn around throwing my staff at one of the men. The staff hits him in the head knocking him out.

"Thanks Leo." She smiles grabbing my staff, "Look out!" She tosses the staff back to me. In a swift motion I grab the staff, spin around while squatting and swiping the crewmembers' feet out from under him. I stand up and stab the staff into his stomach.

Seeing Qi'ra finished with the ones who attacked her I rush over to her with y staff down at my side. "Are you ok? Did they hurt you?"

"No, no I'm ok. Don't worry." She smiles slightly out of breath. Suddenly I feel a shot hit my shoulder. "Leo!"

I grunt in pain and turn to see captain Doro with one hand around Gil's throat and the other holding a blaster pointed at me. "Let him go!" I shout stepping towards him.

"I wouldn't come any closer if I were you." He smirks evilly and points the blaster at Gil now making me stop in my tracks a few feet away from him. "I don't know who the hell you are. But after I kill this old man. I'll kill you." He laughs maniacally, "Say goodbye old man" He presses the blaster against Gil's forehead.

"Gil! No!" I yell as he just smiles over at me.

The suddenly a blast hits Doro's hand causing him to drop the blaster. "Ah! You stupid girl!" He yells dropping Gil who breathes in harshly. In a panic I use the force to pull his blaster to my hands taking me by surprise. "How.. How did you do that?"

"Gil go inside." I point the blaster at Doro as Gil gets up and hurries into his shop. "This is the last time you ever terrorize this village, captain Doro." I step close to him gripping, "Get on the ground." I jab the end of my staff into his stomach making him bend over. Then I slam the staff down onto his back making him fall onto his knees. "Any last words?"

"See you in hell" He smirks pulling a dagger out from his pocket and jabs it into my lower abdomen. I stumble back hearing Qi'ra gasp. I catch my balance and quickly shoot Doro causing him to collapse, no longer moving.

"Leo are you ok!?" I drop the blaster as she runs over to me. I yank the knife from my abdomen with a painful grunt.

"I'm fine." I groan in pain dropping the knife to the ground.

"No you're not let me see." She pulls up my shirt to see where he stabbed me. "You're lucky his aim is shit. Luckily he missed any vital organs." She pulls my shirt down prompting me to hold my wound with my hand. "Let's get you in the shop." I nod silently in response, so she grabs hold of me and walks me into the shop.

"Leo!" Gil rushes over to us grabbing on to me as I stumble forward. "He got you good huh? I'm no doctor but I can sew the wound shut." He brings me over to a couch he had in the back of the shop and makes me lay down.

I take my shirt off bunching it up and placing on my wound as Gil rummages through his things. Qi'ra sits on the couch putting my head on her lap and moves my hair from my face. "You really need to stop almost getting yourself killed. It's getting old." She teases making me laugh but immediately wincing in pain.

"Don't make me laugh right now." I let out a weak chuckle. Gil walks back over moving my shirt out of the way and begins cleaning the wound. As I bite my tongue through the pain I notice Qi'ra looking at the scars I have along my torso. "Just... adding to the collection." I joke making her roll her eyes a bit.

"You have quite a bit.." She sighs running a finger along one on my shoulder as Gil begins sewing the wound shut.

"Told you, I've been in my fair share of dangerous situations." I let out another weak chuckle. She looks at me with a gentle expression, once I've not seen before. "I'm ok, really. Don't worry. Besides, with the armor Gil's making us it'll be a lot harder for us to get hurt. At least lethally."

"Good. We don't need you dying on us." She smiles leaning down and kissing me softly.

"There we go. All done. If you want I can give you a new shirt. I have some that don't fit me" Gil offers as I sit up still feeling sore.

"I'd like that. Thanks Gil" I smile as he helps me stand up from the couch.

"No problem. It's the least I can do" He smiles back, placing his hand on my shoulder. Now let's get back to the house."

Me and Qi'ra both nod in agreement and follow him out of the shop. "Oh.. We will get rid of these." Qi'ra motions to the bodies of the pirates laid out on the ground. Gil laughs a bit as we contiue walking back to the house. I feel her grab my hand making me look over at her smiling at me. I smile softly back as she leans her head on my arm walking towards the house.