fierybluebird | [voice]

[voice]

[Marco's voice starts off cheerfully enough.]

Hey everyone, I think I found the place where the cave-in for the train-thing is. The currents here are pretty weird so if we can get ... some ... strong swimmers then...

[He starts trailing off, obviously seeing something.] Pops...? [His voice is quiet, barely audible. It's not possible, he knows it's not, he watched the man die. So it's just like Luffy's food and an illusion. Has to be. But then it gets stronger.] POPS!! [He starts running, sandals hitting the wood of the deck.] Pops... [This time he just sounds anguished. And then suddenly there's a splash. Uh where did Marco go?]

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[His voice is low, drawn out with snarls of anger. He wants to rage and never stop. His arm still stings with phantom pain.]

M---my father... th-the day... I l-lost... my aarm...

Henh... I'm gonna kill someone, Marco. I feel it. The itch.

Gonna find who did this... who dug in my head and made me relieve it again...

Could be the scientists, or it could be the natural fucked up nature of this whole damn world. It doesn't exactly respect the laws of death, eh?

N-No... no it... doesn't...

[He pants, taking a deep breath, then shakes himself slightly, trying to force his mask back into place... but it's difficult. And he's still so angry.]

I can't go back into the house. I can't. Can't see him there again.

Fheh. Kinda pathetic.

[Growls.]

It's not pathetic. Your father meant a lot to you.

He meant... everything.

[Was that a voice crack?]

Exactly.

And no one can take that away.

...you saw your father too.

Yes.

[One word, but it's slightly less unsteady than before, at least.]

How do you stay calm like this.

I tried for years to push it downward, to focus myself, become a better ninja.

And it all cam rushing out of my like water from a broken bottle. I---I was back there. I was a kid again watching him die.

Why---how... [He pauses for a moment.]

How do you pull past it? Even if it's an illusion...?

[Kicks a bunch of bodies forcibly overboard.]

Do you think I'm calm? Half of my father's head was taken off by the same man who killed my best friend. Then our old enemy, someone who used to be a friend, a nakama, used every dirty trick in the book to kill him. And I couldn't do a thing because he ordered me to stay back. I am not calm.

But I have people to protect. My brothers need me. I refuse to break.

[Michelangelo is thoughtful a moment before speaking.]

I could learn a lot from you, Marco.

I will do what I can not to break further. I need to be strong for the one brother I have here... so we can make amends and save our world.

That's right.

[Sighs and calms back down, perching somewhere, and his tone is a little hollow, but certainly calmer and less explosive again.] We live for our friends, eh.

[Michelangelo gives a heavy sigh.]

Yes. Live and fight for them. For them and their memory.

Even so... I can't help but want to make someone hurt for this.

[The voice feed cuts out a moment before returning.]

I need to bury him. Marco, I'll keep my head on my shoulders from now on.

And I'll try to be there for you instead of you always settling me.

Aye. And it's all right... I've got my nakama to pull me back from the brink, eh? [Swallows the lump in his throat.] Go look after him.

Marco...

[He softens his voice.]

I'll be here for you too.

Thanks Michelangelo. I'm counting on it.

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