TorrentBoy ducked to avoid a massive blue claw, feeling a whoosh of air as it swung where his head used to be. He grabbed David by the arm and pulled him, too, toppling over the edge of the ship and into the water.
But down there, there were even more crabs! David was hugging Charlie with all his might, and the little crab seemed to be hugging back. TorrentBoy rolled his eyes, then yanked David back onto the ship.
The pirates were fighting as hard as they could against the crabs, but they were outnumbered. One of the biggest pirates got grabbed by his leg and thrown high in the air, landing with a sploosh in the water.
“Double up, lads!” called Captain Cornficker. “Back-to-back, stop them crabs ‘fore they get aboard!”
But it was too late! The crabs were all over the ship, claws snapping, legs scratching, backing the pirates (and TorrentBoy and David) into a tiny clearing, surrounded on all sides.
TorrentBoy bumped into one of the uglier pirates.
“Arrr!” yelled the pirate. “It’s the landlubber!”
“Arrr yourself,” said TorrentBoy. “Aren’t there more important things to do right now?”
“Like what?” said the pirate.
“I dunno, picking flowers, dancing the jig, or maybe fighting proton crabs?”
The pirate looked around him and his face went from angry to scared.
“Ah, now I remember.”
Just then, he was grabbed by a crab and thrown into the water. He splashed around before sinking out of sight.
“TorrentBurst please?” TorrentBoy asked Rezzit.
“I keep telling you, we’ll run out of air.”
“How much air?”
“All of it.”
“But if I don’t do something, we’ll be dead, and we won’t need air anymore.”
“I see your point.”
“So what can I do?”
“Tell your friend to ditch the baby so his family goes away.”
TorrentBoy glanced over at David.
“That’s the most useful thing you’ve said all day.”
“I’ll pretend that was a compliment.”
“David,” TorrentBoy gently, “do you think we could let your freaky baby—”
“His name is Charlie!”
TorrentBoy looked at Charlie. He was a freaky baby crab. But okay…
“All right. Do you think we can let Charlie go back to his family?”
“But they’re scary!”
“Yes they are. They’re freaky and scary, but so is Charlie.”
“Charlie is cute!”
“Do you need glasses, David?”
“He’s cute and cuddly!”
TorrentBoy thought really hard about what to say.
“David,” he said carefully. “You know how, when you were a baby, everyone said you were adorable?”
“They did?”
“Pretend they did.”
“Okay. That sounds nice anyway.”
“Right,” said TorrentBoy. “But even though you were adorable, nobody would’ve said that about your dad, right?”
“Why not?” said David, eyes watering with tears.
“Because he was old and… you don’t call grown-up men ‘adorable’, right?”
“I suppose.”
“So even though you were adorable and your dad wasn’t, you still loved each other, right?”
David looked down at Charlie for a second and sniffled. The pirates were getting thrown away really quickly now. Time was running out.
“Are you saying my dad is ugly?” asked David.
TorrentBoy smacked his forehead with his hand.
“Listen, David—”
Just then, Captain Cornficker shoved them aside and fought a massive crab with his sword, fighting like they were sworn enemies in a duel to the death. The crab tried to stab David, but the Captain blocked the blow, keeping David safe.
“Th-thanks!” David stammered.
“M’pleasure!” said Cornficker. “Now ditch yer crab or we’ll ditch the two of ya!”
Before anyone could do anything, Captain Cornficker was grabbed by the leg and thrown into the air! But instead of landing in the water, he was passed from crab to crab, down into the darkest parts of the whale’s guts!
“Cap’n!” screamed the remaining pirates. “Cap’n! Come back!”
“That’s it!” said TorrentBoy. “I’ve had enough! Rezzit, how much air would I use for a really simple TorrentBoost?”
“Not as much?”
“Good, let’s do it!”
“How is that going to help?”
“Watch and learn!” said TorrentBoy. “TorrentBoost on!”
The blue energy swirled around his arms and legs like cyclones, and he felt himself get stronger and faster! He put one foot back, held his arms ready, and grinned at the closest crab.
“Time for some TorrentBoy karate!” he said, and leapt at the closest crab. The crabs were big and strong, but not very quick. TorrentBoy dodged each blow, grabbed the crab by the leg, and flipped it off the ship.
Two more charged at him, and he ducked down, planted his feet on their underbellies, and did a hurricane kick up and into the air, and the crabs crashed away.
But just as he landed, something caught him off guard. Something terrible. Something awful.
“What’s that smell?”
David looked ashamed, whistled to himself.
“David?” gagged TorrentBoy. “Did you just f—”
But just then, a giant grab landed on top of David, and dragged him and Charlie back into the water!
