Luffy wasn't sure what to think the moment he stepped in a puddle of blood. His eyes moved to Doflamingo and his other opponent, his eyes taking in the details of the state of their bodies. They held no serious wounds, none enough to cause this much blood to flow out. So where did it come from...?

Following the path of the blood, his eyes landed on the sight of a shredded coat sleeve. "Wha...?" Then it dawned on him on what exactly he was looking at. The puddle of blood pooled beneath Law's unmoving body, and he couldn't help the scream that left his throat. He dropped to his knees at Law's side, his eyes widening at seeing the extent of injuries the man received. Bullet holes decorated his body beneath all the blood, and his entire right arm was missing.

"TRAFFY! What the hell is all this blood?! What happened to your arm?! Hey, get it together!" There was so much blood, and he couldn't help the memory of seeing so much blood pooling under Ace's body back in Marineford. He lifted Law's head with one hand, the other hovering over the man's body. He wanted to try to stop the bleeding, but there were so many wounds and so much blood.

Luffy looked down at his hand and noticed blood covering it.

His brother's blood.

His heart clenched at the memory, and his hand couldn't get any closer to the bleeding wounds on Law's chest. "L-Law, come on! Wake up!" This wasn't how things were supposed to turn out...! In the back of his mind Luffy berated himself because maybe, maybe, if he had actually listened to Torao's plan, maybe this wouldn't have happened. The man would still be standing there smirking, acting as if he wasn't injured and telling Mugiwara to fuck off because he was going to be the one to kill Doflamingo.

"Traffy is–"

"Dead," Doflamingo answered, and the word brought unwanted memories of Marineford to Luffy's mind. "You should be able to see that plain as day, no?"

"You're lying!" Luffy all but screamed, his body instinctually leaning over Torao in order to protect him. How did this happen? Why had this happened? Those two years he spent training day in and day out, that was to make sure he'd become stronger so he could protect those he loved and held dear to him!

And Torao... Damn it, Luffy had fallen in love with the guy. Something about him just drew the Straw Hat captain to him, and the younger male just couldn't bring himself to pull away; too hooked on the feeling of loving someone with all his heart to just walk away. He swore to protect the male... But there he was, once again losing someone he loved so dearly. His frantic and angered eyes ran over the man's body, but he couldn't see that tattooed chest rising and falling like it should have been. Had he...

Oh God, had he failed again?

"That guy... He sure put a lot of faith in you..." And Luffy knew Law did. He put an unbelievable amount of trust in Luffy despite the constant threat of killing him and calling off the alliance. Law wholly trusted Luffy with his life and plan of revenge. And Luffy let him down.

No, there was still the task of bringing down Doflamingo. And Luffy would not fail in doing that.

"He said you'd show us a miracle, Straw Hat. Fufufu! You don't seem like all that much based on that display back there. But, nonetheless, come. There's two of us standing here just for you." A miracle?

"A miracle? Don't be ridiculous. Such things...don't exist in this world..."

Law once told him he didn't believe in such things. So why had he told Doflamingo...? To anger him? Or was it because... Yes, he truly believed Luffy could accomplish the impossible. So Luffy would do the same, and believe Law would make it through this because he was damn strong and too damn stubborn to die. Luffy's hand clenchd and unclenched, and Doflamingo's annoying voice made Luffy want to break his neck. He gently set Law's head down on the ground.

"Ne, Torao... I really, really like you! After I kick Doflamingo's ass, I'm gonna make you mine."

"Hn. I'm the one who's going to kill Doflamingo, so stay out of my way."

He had made no objection to Luffy's confession, and the man had smiled when Luffy had spoken the words. Law's feelings for him were just as true. Luffy's heart clenched again at seeing the man's current state. Dead? No, he wouldn't allow Torao to die. Then why? Then why did that thought keep popping into his mind over and over and over again? Because it was true. Wasn't it?

"Time for this game...to end."

The thought repeated again, like an echo, throughout his entire mind.

"YOU BASTARDS! I'M GONNA-"

'I failed...again.'

A/N: I wonder what Law told Luffy when he was leaning over him! I mean, I THINK he was telling Luffy something. He was, right? Because at the end of the chapter, it has that bubble that says, "Listen closely, Straw Hat-ya...!" Or is he just simply remembering something Law told him a long time ago? Or- LE GASP. WHAT IF LAW SECRETLY PERFORMED THE EVERLASTING SURGERY ON HIMSELF WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER TO CURE THE AMBER LEAD DISEASE?! ER. MAH. GERD.

Okay, I'm done ranting. Sorta. But really, that was the first thing that popped into my mind; that Luffy kind of failed again in saving someone close to him. (It's only a fail if Law actually dies, which he better not. I mean, all my favorite characters end up dying but Law is where I cross the line. Seriously. He's the first I've really truly utterly cared for with all my heart. Ace comes next in that line and I was DEVASTATED over HIS death. I can't even begin to IMAGINE how broken I'll be if LAW dies.)

So tell me what you think please! It's short, but...eh. Oh well. It sucked. XD

Your shy ice elemental,
~»roo the psycho«