Rightful Theft

"Don't worry. Stick to the plan, and it'll go as smooth as an eel," Ray gave a confident thumbs-up.

Marlin snorted. "The only worrying one here is you. I've never sweated in my life."

"Why are you always so cold? One day you'll make me cry. Again."

"Shut it! I need to concentrate," his fingers darted over the switches on the hacking box as the lights in the top row changed color.

They huddled behind a stack of metal crates, flanked by a smelly fishing ship. Their own submarine swayed in front of them, a pair of guards stationed at both its bow and stern.

Ray turned to Koi. "Are you absolutely sure? No one will complain if you sit this one out."

"I will," Marlin whined in a sing-song manner.

"Don't be stupid, you won't pull it off without me," Koi frowned. "And my hands aren't shaking anymore, I won't miss. Just buy me enough time."

Ray chuckled. "Looks like I'm the least suitable for this new criminal lifestyle."

"All ready," Marlin punched Ray on the shoulder to get his full attention. "The door will open in twenty seconds."

With a nonchalant wave, Ray slipped away from their makeshift barricade and circled to a spot where Marlin could clearly see him. He stopped across from the ship he intended to steal again and flashed a dazzling smile at alerted guards.

"Long time no see, gentlemen! Or was it not you who ground my face into that squeaky clean floor? Sorry, can't tell you apart. Guess your company-issued arms and uniforms can be a bit misleading."

Confused and irritated the guards exchanged glances. Finally, the man closest to Ray stepped forward, raising his cybernetic hand.

"Move along! This area is off-limits to the public."

"Oops, you don't know my face," Ray scrunched his lips. "That somewhat complicates the plan."

The door of the ship slid open with a soft hiss. Snapped to attention, the guards surveyed their surroundings and turned the outer rings on their arms, preparing to fire.

"But that explains why Vulcan couldn't find me for so long," Ray mumbled to himself and drew a deep breath to yell at the guards. "Ahoy, you lagging sparkers. It is me, Ray! The guy that sabotaged your stupid anemone plans, evaded you for weeks with ease, broke out of your puny fishbowl prison, and now will take this ship back, thank you very much. Your bosses will be outright furious when they'll learn you let me escape again."

He turned up his smile to shine brighter and waited for his words to sink in. The guards whispered to each other, discussing whether there was any truth to this proud and scandalous declaration. Their eyes were no longer focused on the unlocked door.

"Hmm, I wonder, what kind of reward you might get for bringing Vulcan my precious head," Ray chuckled.

One of the men bolted toward Ray, aiming the gun at his legs. The others hesitated, but soon followed, spreading out and trying to encircle him.

Ray held his breath and eased into a crouch, muscles taut, gaze sharp, the world around him slowing down.

The closest guard drew his arm back. Ray threw himself behind a nearby submarine, avoiding a barrage of bullets. There he ran into another guard that immediately took aim. The ship's projector turned on, blinding him. Ray mentally thanked Marlin and dove into the water.

He emerged from under an adjacent ship, behind the smallest guard. Ray yanked the man's ankles, slamming his face into the asphalt before dragging him under the surface.

Catching his breath, Ray pushed himself onto the walkway. A whoosh and a volley of shots rang out behind. His shoulder stung. He winced and looked back.

An opened door shielded him from the majority of the bullets. Only one hit him, leaving a shallow gash. Ray silently vowed not to lose patience with Marlin for at least a week and slipped into the craft. Heavy footfalls followed him inside. Ray flattened out on the floor, ready to roll out of the way.

An alarm blared through the docks three times and went silent. Rattled by the sound, the guard halted in place. Ray lurched forward, kicked the man's feet from under him, and leaped out of the ship, trusting Marlin to shut the door behind him.

Racing toward his ship at full speed, Ray glimpsed the remaining two guards. One chased after him while the other kneeled and prepared to fire. A harpoon flew into the opening in the cybernetic hand, followed by a small explosion.

Koi leaned out of the ship, her harpoon gun already reloaded. Marlin popped out of his hiding spot and, making an ugly face at the guard, scuttled behind Koi.

Both hands outstretched, Ray quickly joined them. "High five!"

Marlin smacked Ray's palm with enthusiasm, grinning ear to ear, while Koi didn't even glance in his direction.

"Hey, don't leave me hanging."

"Stop blocking my line of sight and go do your part. I'll keep watch here. If the last one gets too close, I'll shoot his mechanical arm off," she said matter-of-factly, her eyes trained on the guard.

"Sorry, madam. Your line of sight is the last place I want to be," he patted Koi on the shoulder and hurried inside.

After checking that the animals were alright, Ray switched on the control panel.

He gasped. "They erased all my custom settings. It's not on manual anymore."

"Never thought I'd say that, but Vulcan can be useful. Occasionally," Marlin plopped on top of the system block, kicking his feet against it.

"Do you know how long it'll take me to get it back to normal?"

"How do we get you to normal?" the boy scowled. "We don't have time."

"I know, I'm not doing it now," he grumbled, inputting the coordinates. "What about the gates?"

"Taken care of ages ago. And you're doing it never!" Marlin swung his leg toward Ray. "It slows the ship and puts me in danger."

"Fine, I said I won't tune the systems. For now," he pushed the boy's leg away. "Be ready to shut the gates after us. We're leaving."

***

After five suffocating days of being confined to the small submarine, they were eager to reach their final destination. Supplies were dwindling, the quarters reeked, and Marlin's antics were edging dangerously close to sinking the ship.

"Any luck with the chip?" Ray asked, chopping up the food.

"I tried a new method to decouple it from the engine, but it's another no-go. I'm not risking it while we're moving," Koi yawned and twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

"Not the seaweed again! I'll jump off the ship. I'll do it!" sprawled across the table, Marlin pummeled it with his fists.

"Well, even if we find a way to get the tracker off now, Vulcan will easily figure out where we're going. The path we took was basically a straight line," he served half-empty plates. "No use worrying about it. Let's put all our efforts into planning the next move."

"I won't move until you give me pancakes," Marlin whined while pushing the salad around the plate.

"But Marlin, you're getting the lead role. I'd like you to scout Driftmoor Exchange for a certain someone."

"While you shop for food? Edible food? Not like this hoax of a meal."

"Materials for Koi to disconnect the tracker come first. Then your food. We're not exactly swimming in shells."

"Not fair! I'm scouting myself some snacks first," the boy finished his plate and snatched Ray's.

"And, Koi, once you've dealt with the tracker, the ship's all yours. Sorry I don't have anything else to offer. I'm also sorry for the arm negotiation: my mere presence botched it up," he smiled meekly at her. "And for almost drowning you when you're afraid of the ocean. And for stealing your first kiss."

"Do you purposefully keep on bringing it up every day?" she shot him a disapproving look.

"Really? I didn't even notice!" his expression softened. "Back to the ship: might be risky to sell it, but with your skill should be easy to dismantle it for parts. It won't be enough to compensate for all the emotional damage I caused you, but should cover the new prosthetic."

Koi chewed on her lip for a while. "Won't you need a ship to run away after you rescue your sister?"

"I stole one ship, can always steal another," he shrugged. "Well, actually, I can't. But I got Marlin. So you don't have to collude with us any longer. I'm sorry for ruining your life."

Ray locked eyes with her, his brows furrowed, tears welling up. She looked away, her expression unreadable.

"You're right. Just one ship won't be enough. You own me a lot more," Koi turned back to face Ray and rested her chin atop her folded hands. "I'm staying until you've paid me back in full."