Black Hearted

Part 67

Mark adjusted his shackled wrists more comfortably on his lap, dryly asking no one in particular. "You talk like you know who this Kai is... Anymore secrets you want to keep to yourself." Devon lost it, whirling around to smash a lantern against the wall by his cell as he yelled out bitterly. "GO FUCK YOURSELF! We've shared everything we know with you! You're the one who could destroy EVERYTHING we stand for!" Granny sternly yelled out Devon's name in warning, but Devon ignored her. Storming forward toward the bars of the cell, Devon pointed at him and hissed out coldly. "I knew I couldn't trust you! Luka was right, wasn't he?! This was all apart of your and Nate's plan to take the throne! You're as vile and disgusting as the humans you share blood with!" Mark lunged toward the bars, causing the chain to his neck shackle to rip out of the wall without him realizing it. Grabbing the bars, Mark squeezed them, growling out inches from Devon's terrified face. "Listen to me you gutless little shit! I'm having a REALLY bad day!"

Reaching through the bars, Mark snatched Devon by the neck and yelled back at him heatedly. "And if you think that not knowing who I am I will stop me from kicking your ass, your wrong! I may not be some pampered pure strain of whatever the fuck you are, but that won't stop me from tearing out your god damn throat! And you wanna know why...? Because I'm one FUCKING PISSED OFF PIRATE!" Mark yanked Devon toward the bars to whack his face against them. Devon hit them so hard that he toppled to the ground after to groan in agony as he covered his bleeding face. Mark then glared down at Devon, hissing back just as bitterly. "I was never shown any mercy or fondness from people. Why would I expect your kind to be any fucking different?! You want someone to blame for your fucking problems like everyone else! Maybe for a change you should get off your own ass and DO SOMETHING!" From the back, Hector chuckled out with a smirk. "I knew there was something I liked about him."

Granny rolled her eyes, ordering both Devon and Hector seriously in a cool tone. "Both of you... Get out." Hector raised an eyebrow at her, but she merely lifted her head to look at him and order him again. "Go. Now." Hector uncrossed his arms, reluctantly strolling over to help Devon up. While escorting him out, Hector muttered to her grimly. "I'll take him to the nurse sharks then..." Granny waited until they had vanished up the steps, before calmly saying aloud. "It has come to my attention that we don't know each other very well." Mark lifted his shackled wrists, darkly muttering out. "You think? It's a little late to roll out the red carpet now. So, save your breath." Mark tried to stand up, but only made his long tail thrash in the water. Slumping against the cell's wooden doorframe, he banged his head back against it in frustration. He didn't know how this new body worked at all. Granny moved closer to sit casually down just outside the bars. Despite everything he knew about her... He didn't see her as a threat to him. She had a weird way of making him feel calm.

Granny rested her arms on her crossed legs, telling him in a gentle motherly voice. "I grew up cautious of humans. It's silly but I'm afraid of them. Their cruelty. But every now and again... I see them do the most beautiful things. I know you've seen it too. The human that raised you. They took you in without a second thought. I always sensed something about you... but my own fear of you kept me from seeing it. But from the looks of you... you're used to people being afraid of you. You're used to being their target of aggression. You get your strength from pain. You wear it like armor." Mark turned his head to glare at her with guarded eyes, sneering out. "Do you have a point, because I'm not in the mood for your crap. You have no idea what I'm dealing with right now." Granny didn't flinch or change her tone. She just stared back at him with those big heartwarming eyes. Eyes that without a word cut him to his core. Quickly looking away from her, he inhaled to strengthen himself back up.

He refused to let himself open up to her. He didn't need her help or anyone's. He could do this on his own. Granny's voice turned softer and more comforting as she told him. "My point is that everything that happened to you isn't a curse. It's been developing you into the person you were always meant to be. Who you were is only a small piece of who are. Each of us is a picture with all kinds of pieces from other cultures and upbringings. We grow stronger from what we are forced to endure." Mark huffed, grumbling out through his teeth. "Don't talk to me about enduring shit... I've endured more than my fair share. This isn't my fight! I came here to get my fortune and live my life away from everyone! I didn't come here to fight YOUR battles!" Granny reached out to turn his jaw with her gentle fingertips. When their eyes met, she told him seriously. "Now I see it. I see you and I hear HIM. Did you know that two days before Atlantis sank, Poseidon pleaded with Oceanus to help him?"