(This story is based on characters from a TTRPG I'm playing with friends. A lot of context is missing, but I wanted to post it here anyways.)
Everything was a blur. A cacophony of sounds and smells, as King weaved between table legs and heavy booted feet alike. He heard Jean drunkenly grunting, the sound of fist meeting flesh, Ino's angry vulgarity. All around him, feet stomped, cups fell from tables. The mugs of ale resting uncomfortably in his stomach did little to help. There was nowhere safe, and he had to keep moving, keep moving. He could just make out the voice of the captain who'd started the whole thing, ordering his men around, and presumably getting a few good hits on some of King's crew. Thank the Four, he was down here, away from the action. Sure, he'd been getting better at fighting, but, he knew he was mostly useless at a time like this. At least this way, maybe he could get help.
And then, he saw it- the night sky, framed by an open doorway. His vision locked to it, freedom, some form of safety, just a few feet from him. Still on all fours, he took a sharp turn, bolting past upturned furniture and one man unconscious on the floor. The sound of rumbling footsteps filled his ears as he lept towards the open door, and then-
"Oy, where'd'you think you're goin'?" A booming voice echoed above him, and suddenly King felt himself being lifted, grabbed by the collar. He furiously clawed at the open air, praying he might find purchase on some unseen ledge, but to no avail.
More worrying- the sounds of fighting had begun to die down. Craning his neck, King could see the out the rest of the crew, all incapacitated in one form or another. Jean was passed out on the table- though, that might have just been the alcohol catching up to him. Tetsuha was being restrained by no fewer than 6 men, with Lile nowhere to be seen. King hoped she'd made it out in one piece. And Ino- Ino was being held back by another two men, staring daggers at Captain Harlow, who had a gun pressed to her forehead.
The Firefly. Ino's gun.
King had never seen someone so angry.
"Oy, capn', one of em' tried runnin' away-" The orc currently holding King said, stomping over to the captain and holding King up like an impressive catch at the lake. Captain Harlow, still holding the Firefly to Ino's head, turned to see.
"Now, why're you tryin' to do that now, hm?" He asked, leaning closer to King. His breath clung to King's face like a dew, and it took all his willpower not to vomit the dinner he'd just had back up.
"Don'tcha know, we're gonna take goood care of you all, I promise-" he hissed the last word through his teeth, getting spittle all over King. He smelled awful.
"Wait!" King exclaimed. "Y-you don't want me, honest! I'm no good for anyone!"
Captain Harlow grinned a wide grin, full of misaligned, rotting teeth.
"Really now, you don't think I haven't heard that one before?"
"I mean it-" King replied, trying to calm his thumping heart. "I- I'm just some thief. I'm lousy in a fight, I'm not all that smart, I'm not very strong. I couldn't even get away from you and your men. At least the others-" He gestured at the rest of the crew- "-put up a fight, I just turned tail and ran away. All I'm good for is stealing, and, I mean..."
He motioned outside the door.
"Someplace like here? I'm sure you can find better than me."
Harlow looked down at him, expression more quizzical than before. He took King from the Orc's grasp- gods above this guy was tall- before turning to the rest of the crew.
"Y'know, actually, he makes a good point-"
Ino turned back to face King, still holding him by the collar.
"Why the hell do we keep you around?"
"I-" King suddenly noticed his heart had decided to relocate to his throat.
"Y-You need a thief, right? Someone small to, to sneak around in the shadows- I got you the gun! I blew up the fort, I broke us out of the prison boat! Right? I'm useful, I swear!-"
Ino scoffed. She looked at King with all the enthusiasm someone might reserve for a piece of lunch meat that had fallen on the floor.
"You? Blowing up a whole fucking fort? Don't make me laugh. Besides, take a look-"
She turned King to face the Drydocks, the two of them standing on the deck of the Pheonix, still docked.
"I bet there's fucking thousands of thieves in there. And you know what else? I'd bet a whole lot that most of them aren't as spineless, as whiny as someone like you."
King stared out into the city. It was night, and the tall spires cast imposing shadows against the night sky. He could swear he heard the sound of hundreds of little rat feet, running through the streets, off in the distance.
"You wanna talk useful? Jean's even more of a prissy idiot than you, but he can fight. He's got navy ties. I fuckin' hate him, but I can tolerate having him around. But you? Taking space on my ship, hiding my gold, drinking my rum?-"
King clawed at Ino's arm, trying desperately to free himself.
"Fuck, l-let go!! Jean!! Polly!! Tetsuha?? Anyone???"
Ino brought him close, their snouts nearly touching.
"AM I WRONG?" She bellowed. King tried to look away, but all he could see this close was her crimson gaze burning into him. He thought about what to say, and-
"... No," He mumbled.
Before he knew it, he felt the floorboards rush up to meet his back, sliding across the deck and slamming into the wall with a thump. He looked up, groggy, just in time to see all the way down the barrel of the Firefly.
"Then get the fuck off my ship, vermin."
There was an earsplitting bang.
King shot upright, as the flash of lightning illuminated the room. It wasn't until the sound bounced around the room and hit his ears again did he realize he'd screamed. Trembling, he slumped back over, his breath coming out shaky.
"... Aye, King, it'sa middle'a the fockin' night, what're you screamin' about?" Rook asked, blearily opening their eyes beside King. King looked down at them- Rook's presence always managed to calm him down. But he could still hear that scampering. Rhythmic, constant, panicked.
"Just... bad dream, is all. Sorry, go back to sleep."
"Fuckin' hell-" Rook muttered, turning over and closing their eyes again. They laughed.
"Ah swear, sometimes I feel like yer more trouble than yer worth..."
King laid back down, staring up at the night sky.
"... Yeah. Maybe, you're right."
"Maybe." Jean said, and rolled back over so he and King were looking eye to eye. The two of them were on the dingy, floating just besides the Phoenix. The two of them shared the silence for a moment.
"Though, it would seem you're still here."
"... I guess so." King pursed his brow. "Well, what's your excuse, then?"
Jean shrugged.
"Who's to say. Perhaps I'm just too stupid to know better. Maybe I recognize, even a primitive tool needs some care. Maybe you're just that good in bed."
King let himself laugh a bit.
"Alright, I can give myself that one. If there's anything I'm decent at, heh." Jean nodded, smiling.
"Mm, that and running away."
His smile faltered.
"Say, weren't you just in the middle of that?"
King nearly ran off the edge of the dock, as he snapped back to attention. The sound of his footsteps came to a halt- he was at the Pheonix. He cast his gaze back over to the Drydocks, to the Copper Kettle, to wherever Harlow and the rest of his crew was. Where King's crew was.
He sighed. Staggered up onto the ship, and collapsed onto the deck. He stared up into the night sky, hearing the waves crash against the sides of the other vessels docked at harbor.
... He could leave. Find his own way home, let them solve their own problems, deal with Captain Harlow. What good was he, any-
...
He groaned. No. In the morning, he and Polly would figure out... something. They just needed a plan. Until then- the night was quiet, and King's eyelids were heavy, and the stars above vanished as he passed out for the night.