Writing Prompt Response #2: Coffee Pirates

My second flash-fiction prompt response. This one took a bit longer because I wasn't so sure where to go with it, and it came out a bit longer as well (~3k - I don't really feel like the length did it justice, because I wanted to explore the characters a bit more, but any longer and it really wouldn't have been flash fiction anymore).

Instead of listing it at the end, here's the original prompt: A band of “pirates” in Seattle frequently raid coffee shops as part of an international coffee bean heist. But they're terrible at it.



Captain Marie Robinson shook her long black braid and shifted her hat on her head, looking down at the crew gathered on the deck below her. She had on a dark coat which reached to her knees with a red and white striped bandana tied at her neck, as true to the fashion as she could manage. There was no sun to shine off her dark skin, but had there been, Thomas was sure she would be striking an impressive figure to her crew.

He, on the other hand, felt less impressive. The rain had slicked his short hair awkwardly and he was too nervous to climb on top of the large rooftop mechanical unit in the light drizzle, where he should be standing beside his captain as first mate. Instead, Thomas stood below her, wearing a boring windbreaker and facing the crew at eye level.

"I know you're all a bit unsettled about this," their captain was saying, hands on hips, "but this was our town first, wasn't it?"

A halfhearted cheer answered.

"So we should be able to win it back easy! We have the advantage of having lived here longer! We're familiar with the layout of our city, and how it works, and we're respected as pirates!”

Thomas didn't want to argue that last point, but a small hand snaked upwards from the crew gathered on the makeshift wooden planking. He shook his head sharply but Marie had called out "Yes, Little Maxwell?" before there was time.

"But Cap'n Robinson," Little Maxwell said innocently in his too-high pitched voice "weren't you just sayin' last week about how no one respected us?"

Thomas could hear Marie shuffling awkwardly. "Well, that was just to move you guys along, obviously. Encourage you to work harder. We didn't have a rival a week ago."

Thomas wanted to drop his face into his hands, but refrained. No one seemed to realize how embarrassing a situation this was for a pirate crew. Ron had only appeared in town last week, and already he'd formed a crew smart enough to rival them at their own game.

Not, Thomas could imagine, that 'smart enough' was a hard thing to accomplish in this case, but still.

However, Marie's crew seemed to assume gaining a rival was only natural, despite the circumstances, and Thomas didn't want to spoil their self-image. They were proud little pirates - little pirates - pleased to be part of the crew chosen to represent the Seattle branch of the coffee scandal.

A loud sound interrupted Marie's speech, just as she began talking about plans for their next raze (on an actual major chain, instead of one of the small neighborhood coffee shops). Everyone froze at the sound, looking around to find the source. The access door, which connected the roof to the apartment tenants below, was blocked during the crew's meetings by a large heavy crate, pushed into place by three or four of the strongest pirates. It shifted as something pushed against the door again.

"Hide!" one of the pirates yelled - Rosie, Thomas knew that voice anywhere. There was a mad scramble as everyone turned to find cover, and Marie ducked behind one of the exposed units. Thomas sighed and didn't move, resting his back against the uncomfortable stucco of the unit to wait; the roof, he already knew, was practically bare.

Little Maxwell quickly crouched behind a small pot, effectively disguising his feet.

The door finally opened partway and out walked a tough looking kid, who flexed his muscles and looked around with a smile. He eyed Thomas and gave him a wave, which wasn't returned, then went to stand by him with his arms crossed.

"Rethunk our offer, scrawny?" the brute asked. Thomas said nothing.

Following through the door was another kid, taller than average, especially for his age. He looked skinny compared to his companion but Thomas knew that the kid who'd managed to wring together his own crew in not a week - and such a crew - must have some sort of horrible, worse power.

Ron laughed when he saw Little Maxwell, who blushed a bright red.

"And what are you doing here?" Captain Marie said toughly, springing from her hiding place to confront the enemy. Thomas heard her stumble in the residual rain, and wondered if she'd intended to make a dramatic appearance or if she was just coming in rescue of her crew. He was impressed she hadn't stayed in hiding.

"Boarding ship," Ron replied with a sneer, "as it were. Pretty rotten 'ship' if you ask me. This all you got?"

"I'm ignoring that," Captain Marie said, obviously peeved at the remark. "Don't you have your own dingy to sail on? Why don't you sail it back to Chicago or wherever it is you come from?"

"Portland. And no need to be rude, Marie," Ron said with a cheeky smile. There were times - most of the time, really - when Thomas just wanted to punch him.

"That's Captain Robinson to you, rat,” she said darkly.

"Why don't I just call you Mrs. Yellow-bellied Guppy and we'll call it even?" There was a collective gasp from Marie's crew, still scattered around the roof in their all-to-visible hiding places, and a laugh from Ron's goon.

"Is there anything you wanted specifically?" Thomas cut in to ask, trying to play peacekeeper.

"Hey, Thomas," Ron said, as if noticing him for the first time, "Still shipping with this crew? Seems beneath your level of... competency." Thomas said nothing, so Ron continued. "I just wanted to see your hangout, formally introduce myself to the neighbors. Remind you there's a new captain in town, so you're no longer needed, if you want to give this up. Why don't you just play amongst yourselves and leave the big city to us professionals?"

"You have a stupid pirate's name," Marie retorted. Thomas wanted to groan.

Ron ignored her, and quietly said to Thomas, "And my offer still stands. If you ever want to start playing with the big boys-"

"Thanks but no thanks," Thomas replied, almost in a hiss. Ron nodded with a regretful look and turned away

"Well, I'll be seeing you around - maybe." Ron's goon backed  into the doorway, and closed it behind his captain with one last sneer.

A relieved sigh escaped from somewhere on the roof, and the pirates stepped out from behind the chairs and planters they were hiding behind. Little Maxwell stood up reluctantly, still red; Thomas could understand Ron's reluctance to recognize this as a professional pirate crew.

"We can't let that stand," Captain Marie said with a dark note. Ironically, the rain just began to let up and at that moment a ray of sunshine poked through the clouds.

Freed from their enemy, the emboldened crew murmured loudly in agreement and started to share fervent revenge ideas. Marie leaned over the edge of her perch and cleared her throat to catch her first mate's attention. She gave Thomas a look. He returned it with a confused expression. She narrowed her eyes then raised her eyebrows quickly.

"Oh, no, don't-"

"I've got an idea," the Captain said loudly to her crew, standing up. Thomas buried his forehead into his palms.

***

They gathered the next day to carry out the plan. It was drizzling softly again, a sort of almost sunshine attempting to break through the clouds, and across the street sat one of the nicer neighborhood coffee shops, half-filled with adults who had lost their piratey dreams long ago.

"You can't do this," Thomas mumbled, but to himself, as he knew no one was listening. No one listened to the first mate.

They listened to their captain, who said, "Listen up, mates, we're going to do this." Thomas could feel the crew bustling with excitement. It was their first major plunder - and it was in Ron's neighborhood.

"Maxie, you're our distraction. Get in there and cry or something."

"Check." Little Maxwell was too young and manipulative to complain that pirates don't cry.

"Cracker Jacks, you lead the first team in. I want you and Will and Rosie in there with no problem and no one noticing.”

"Got it, Cap'n."

"I'll lead the rest of us in - we're going straight through the back into the storage room with the biggest load. Cracker, if you guys get caught, don't worry about it and just get out of there before the big ships can pinch you."

"The police," Thomas translated quietly for the newer members of the crew. When Captain Marie was really excited, she started falling into her own version of made-up pirate slang.

"Little Maxwell, if you get into any heat just find Thomas an' say he's your big brother. Thomas, I want you sitting by that window there-" she pointed "-so you can see the street and the kitchen door too."

Thomas looked at the seat indicated through the shop window, judged how likely he was to follow Marie's advice, then glanced down at Little Maxwell. Thomas' hair was dark and straight while Maxie's was light and curly. His nose was also too small and his mouth too big and his eyes too green. They didn't look alike at all.

"You were adopted," Thomas said in all seriousness. No one seemed to have heard him.

"OK Thomas, you're first." Marie gave him an expectant look, and he sighed and nodded.

"I'm going." Thomas glanced both ways, then ducked into the street behind a stalled cab ran and across to the coffee shop. The door made a ringing sound as he pushed it open, the little bell on top bruised from daily abuse. He ordered from the counter – hot chocolate and a muffin, since he was a coffee pirate and he felt it would be counterproductive to pay for their plunder to be destroyed.

Thomas sat at a window seat with a good view of the street on his left and the kitchen door just behind him to his right, not the same seat Marie had pointed out. He was uncomfortably close to a young adult couple who gave him strange looks for the next few minutes before finally leaving.

There was nothing Thomas could do but wait; he hadn't thought to bring a book or anything to make him look part of the crowd. He blew on his hot chocolate and sipped it awkwardly, watching the other patrons and then the street, still faded in light drizzle.

The front door of the shop chimed again several times before Thomas saw Little Maxwell enter. He looked away, preparing an excuse for why he didn't notice his 'little brother' coming in. A few seconds later Cracker Jacks and his group came through, and at that moment a loud wail ripped out of Little Maxwell's throat.

Thomas felt like he wanted to cry too; right behind Cracker Jacks entered an older man who Thomas instantly recognized as his father.

Thomas watched with dread as his father went up to the chop counter, accompanied by someone who must either be a business partner or an adult friend. The line was slow as the employees tried to deal with the crying child, but not slow enough to stall the grown men for long. When they both had their drinks, Thomas's father turned to see his son watching him.

"Son!" he said, surprised.

"Dad," Thomas agreed, reluctantly. He noticed Cracker Jacks and the others slip into the back door while everyone's attentions were turned elsewhere.

"I thought you had school today."

"Short day," Thomas answered, wondering briefly what time it actually was and if that lie would even work. His father seemed to believe him in any case, and sat down at the table, introducing the man with him as his friend, the head police detective in this district. Thomas gulped and shook the man's hand.

Little Maxwell was still sniffling and keeping up a fuss somewhere else in the shop, and Thomas was trying his hardest to ignore him despite feeling super aware of every detail around him. He was sure somewhere around back Marie was sneaking into a side door, probably pretending she knew how to pick the lock and setting herself up to get caught.

Nothing seemed to happen for a while. Little Maxwell was sitting behind the counter with the manager, who would no longer be watching over the bean store room, and Thomas' father attempted to explain some nuance of his work to his son. Thomas pretended to understand.

Then outside the window Thomas recognized a figure coming down the street. Ron was jogging through the rainfall to get to the shelter of the coffee shop, and Thomas' inward groan verbalized.

"Is something wrong?" his father asked. The question was followed by a ringing of the door bell and a simultaneous crash from the shop kitchen. Little Maxwell started crying again, though his hiccups had become nervous, and the rival pirate captain entering the shop noticed Thomas almost right away, the recognition in his eyes turning slowly into contempt.

"Come back here!" someone yelled out in the kitchen. Cracker Jacks burst through the door and started weaving through the tables to get to the door, his jacket torn off by a pursuing employee and a bag of coffee beans ditched back at the counter. He stopped short when he saw Ron, who still stood by the doorway, and was easily captured by the chasing employee and dragged back to the counter to be dealt with. Thomas could see Little Maxwell now, red-faced and flustered, and shook his head sharply when the little kid started to point to his 'big brother'.

Thomas could stop Maxie from following the failed plan, but he couldn't stop the men he sat with from noticing what was going on. His father stood up to help and stopped when he noticed the police detective wasn't joining him.

"Shouldn't we help out somehow?" he asked. Thomas silently willed that they not, noticing Will and Rosie sneaking out unobserved, having also abandoned their loot.

"Not my division," the detective replied, "Nothing I can do, technically. Just wait for...." his voice trailed off as he looked around the shop again and caught sight of something he recognized.

"Ronnie!" the senior partner said in surprise. The pirate captain's expression fell, and he hardly noticed Cracker Jacks breaking free of the coffee shop employees and dashing past to the door with a startled Little Maxwell in tow.

"D-dad," Ron said, his voice catching, "W-what are you doing here?"

"We're on lunch break. What are you doing here? Oh, it's a short day, right? Do you come here often?"

"I... uh..." Ron didn't seem to know how to reply, and his father didn't seem to register the look of horror on his son's face, or the total surprise on Thomas'. Thomas' father sat down next to his son to leave room for the detective's son to sit down next to his father, and Thomas slowly realized it would take much longer than a week for someone to become head detective anywhere.

Feeling bold now after seeing that look on his rival's face, Thomas smiled and introduced himself with a pseudo-innocent "hello." Ron said nothing, sitting down as he was introduced to his father's friend again as 'Ronnie'. He refused to look in Thomas' direction until the adults were once again discussing their work.

Marie ran past the window Thomas was sitting at, clutching a large bag of coffee beans, and Ron's eyes flashed in anger. There was nothing he could say with the adults present, but Thomas knew that as soon as they were alone he'd get to discover what had made this kid powerful enough to earn the respect of his brutish crew.

"Well, we've got to head back," Thomas' father said after a minute, "Why don't you two stay here and chat? I'm sure you've got lots in common."

"A ton, I'm sure," Thomas replied. Ron stood up to let his father out of the booth, and stood with his back to Thomas as he watched the two men go. He was shaking slightly, and Thomas wasn't sure if it was from cold or anger.

It was in fact anger, he discovered when Ron turned to glare at him. "You stole. From my shop."

Thomas grinned and fought back a quip about how it was technically someone else's shop. Ron only became angrier.

"This is war, you understand. We've never liked each other, you and I -"

"We've known each other for a week."

"I will destroy you." Ron threatened, palms on the table now and looking down his nose with a fierce glare. Thomas just leaned back against the plasticy seat and smiled some more, surprised by how bold he felt.

"Does your father know?"

Ron's eyes narrowed and Thomas knew he'd hit a spot.

"Does yours?"

"Of course," Thomas bluffed. He didn't think Ron would believe him, but it wouldn't hurt to try. "Somehow I don't think yours would be just as understanding."

If anything, Ron was shaking even more now. His fingers were white against the table and he balled them into fists, his face flushed in a look of hatred Thomas had never seen. He was having trouble keeping up his nonchalant act.

"If you dare -"

"I'll cut you a deal," Thomas stood up, matching his rival's eye level. "You let this go, and we'll never come back. You keep your turf and leave the rest of the city to those of us who don't mind admitting to living here. I say nothing - not to your father or Captain Marie. Your secret is my secret. This sound good to you?"

Ron said nothing, but Thomas could tell he was starting to think about it.

"I'm a better pirate than you, all of you," Ron finally retorted.

"I don't know about that, but you're certainly one with more to lose. By the way, does anyone on your crew know about you, Ronnie?"

The rival captain visible bristled. "We have a deal," he practically spat, "Granted you say nothing."

Thomas stuck his hand out to shake on it. The two pirates stared at each other as they shook and then stepped back.

"Enjoy your coffee," Thomas said, and left the shop, pulling his coat tighter around him before he entered the rain.

***

"What took you?" Marie whined when Thomas finally returned to the apartment roof. The pirates were huddled under a sort of makeshift canopy, the water running off the sides forming a sort of wet screen. A tarp had been draped over another crate, which Thomas assumed must be holding their loot.

"Dealing with a problem," he said vaguely. He took his customary spot under the roof unit, in the rain, soaking wet, while the captain scrambled up to her perch.

"Well mateys," she said, face flushed from both the cold and excitement, "We did it - we pulled it off! Our first heist in Ron's neighborhood, a success!"

Thomas mused silently about how rare it was for any of their heists to be a success, regardless of neighborhood. The shivering crew raised an excited cheer to their captain's speech, and Thomas decided not to mention his chat with their rival. He would pull Marie aside after she had dismissed the crew, he decided, and lightly suggest the not provoke their rival any longer. She may not want to listen, but he had his ways of convincing her.

At least, Thomas hoped he did.

((In the time between getting this prompt and finishing it, I wrote a flash fic for another friend (previous post), a quick unedited second-person narrative about living in the desert, a BS English essay, and a 100-200 word piece fanfic for a Tumblr friend about what would happen if she met the Doctor - so I've been staying busy with my writing. One more prompt currently to fill, and open to receiving more!))