Disclaimer: I do not own OP or any of the characters involved.

Low Town

{Undisclosed}

{09:47}

"Called it."

"Oh, will you just shut up about it? Stop shoving it in my face. I get it already, you called it. Big deal."

"It's a huge deal!" Paper slammed onto the table, a smack as it made contact with wood. "Why is no one else paying any attention to this guy? According to Luffy, he dropped down from the ceiling, melted the locks and lead them out, all without running into a single guard. You don't find that at all bewildering?" Fingers wove through blonde curls, exasperated sigh slipping into the air. "We've been trying to get into that place for years with only marginal success and this- this... Fuck, we don't know anything about this 'Spade' but he does it effortlessly. Repeatedly."

Koala glanced up at him, evident amusement lingering in her gaze. "What's wrong, Sabo...? Jealous that Spade's getting more time in the spotlight? Watch out. Maybe Dragon will run off and adopt him too."

A finger pointed angrily in her direction, irritation like a second skin. "You know that's not the reason." He took in a deep breath, hands dropping to grip at the corners of the table. His knuckles were nearly white with tension. "We don't know anything about this person aside from what Luffy's told us. Hell, we didn't even know if this joker was a guy or girl until today. He hides his face like some sort of renegade."

A sigh reached his ears, Koala finally giving up on her book to raise her eyes to meet with blue. "And are we any different? Are you any different?"

A growl in reply. "At least I don't hide my face like a coward."

"You wear a top hat that hides most of it-"

"Shut up."

She shrugged, small smile tugging at her lips. She picked up her book once more, thin finger flipping yet another off-white page. "Hey, you brought it up. If it's really that annoying, then go."

He blinked, staring back at her a moment. What? "Go where?"

She didn't even bother glancing up this time, half lost in the time-old-tale already. Beauty and the Beast. "Go find him. It's obvious that you want to, so do it. Just don't get caught." She paused, glancing up at Sabo who seemed to be staring at her as if she had just grown another head. Lovely. "You could always talk to Luffy. I know you two are close."

"...Talk to him about what?"

"Oh, for the love of- Spade, you idiot. You want to know who he is? Go find him then. Just stop pestering me about it when I'm reading." A motion of dismissal with her hand, Koala turned in her seat to face the other way.

Only a brief moment of silence passed before digits darted out to snatch the daily paper once more. In the next, Sabo turned and he was gone.

Spade Strikes Again

An Ace of Spades was found upon the early morning scene, local enforcement enclosure

break in releasing a number of dangerous individuals into the open streets of upper Mid

Town. Citizens advised to stay inside and remain calm while Hood forces work to remedy

the situation at hand.

Local renegade under the alias of 'Spade' is to be apprehended at all costs and brought

to justice. Any knowledge of such actions may be brought forth before any court of law.

Citizens are reminded that this is a dangerous and wanted criminal. Information regarding

either location or identity may be rewarded.

It went on of course, thorough investigative report travelling by way of mouth and paper before dawn had even fully set in. Though, the Resistance had known long before. Seven out of the nine had come straight here after escape, one of which a familiar face among the crowd.

His chatter was heard long before Sabo ever turned the corner to lean against the makeshift door frame. Dark, messy raven hair was cut rather short, sticking up in odd places from beneath a rather iconic straw hat. The familiar (if irritating) scar shown just beneath his left eye, dark ebony storms that were now fixated upon a older boy before him. It was a chaotic room, clothes and random junk spewn about both floor and wooden surfaces. To an unaccustomed eye, it seemed as if a tornado had passed through recently. It was just how Luffy was though. Anything different would be cause for worry.

Knuckles rapped lightly at the wood of the frame, dark eyes rising to meet with Sabo's as Luffy's voice cut off. There was a short window of silence, eyes widening at the sight of the blond before a slow smile spread across his face. It was far from his usual smile and Sabo frowned. "Mind if I borrow him for a bit, Zoro?"

A reply met the question in the form of a short grunt, Sabo glancing at the moss-haired swordsman as Zoro folded his arms behind his head in the picture of carelessness. Luffy was already up and moving, a faint bounce to his step that nearly pulled a smile from both Zoro and himself.

Had this kid really been in captivity only a few short hours before now? Well if anyone could bounce back so quickly, it would be he. The kid had this knack about him, always the first to volunteer for whatever mission was at hand. Most called it recklessness, but Sabo saw it as more an insistent crave for adventure and excitement. He had certainly gotten what he wished for this time.

There was a silence of sorts between the two at first, Sabo lost in thought and Luffy content to walk besides him, pace matching that of who had become a sort of brother to him. The Resistance was the only family either had now, well the only family that mattered in Sabo's eyes at least.

"You okay?"

The question was nearly immediately followed by laughter, familiar grin spreading across the young features of the raven. "A few bruises but nothing serious. Chopper says I was lucky."

Hands gripped tightly at the blond's sides, white with tension and then slack only to repeat the gesture moments later. There was a tension in his jaw though Sabo was quick to push aside the nagging anger that threatened to derail already jumbled thoughts. He'd have time to get back at the Hood's later. Now was not the time to run off and cause unnecessary chaos.

"It wasn't luck though. Not really." The grin was still in place though faded slightly. A grim seriousness rested in dark pools, a look rarely seen upon the male's features. Luffy was not typically the serious type. Though a worthy adversary in battle, the Gifted young man was not known for his quick thinking. To see such an expression was enough to solidify Sabo's resolve.

Hand darting out to grip onto his shoulder, Sabo was quick to steer the two of them away from the main hallway, not speaking a word or pausing in his steps until the two stood before another door. Wooden barrier sliding open, Sabo shut the thing behind them both before leaning up against it. A sigh as his hand passed over his face before the blond glanced up once more. "I know you saw him Luffy. We all do. I need to know any details you have on him, anything that can help us track him down-"

Luffy seemed far from caring at this point, flopping back onto a neatly made bed before he turned his head to look at the other. The grin was gone now, replaced instead by an almost thoughtful expression, as if the youth was filtering through information, deciding what to voice and what to-

"Tall, dark hair, similar build to yourself or Zoro. He didn't speak, so I don't know what he sounds like.." There was another pause, Sabo already rapidly filing away any information that could be used later. "He's a gifted."

That caught his attention. Sabo's head shot up, eyes widening slightly at the flow of new information before his brows knit in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "How do you know?"

And there was the laugh that Luffy was so famous for. The raven shook his head and Sabo frowned in response. "I don't know how no one noticed it before. Everyone else was asleep other than me. That's probably why I noticed." He sat up now, hands folding in his laps as he leaned forward eagerly upon Sabo's bed.

"He melted the lock, Sabo! There wasn't any trick to it, not that I could see at least. If anything it seemed as if his hand burst into flame. I've never heard of an ability like that before! I mean, you know how I can stretch my limbs? Maybe he's the same except with fire!" There was a giddy excitement in his eyes, Luffy practically bouncing upon the bed as Sabo watched him silently.

If Luffy was right, which he normally was, then that explained far more than he could have hoped. It made sense that a Gifted would be able to break their way in like that. There was still something bothering him though. "Okay, that explains how he opened the cell, but what about after that?" His frown deepened. "You guys had those damn cuffs on, didn't you?"

Luffy waved a hand in dismissal, smile fading though it was still prominent across his facial features, illuminated in stormy eyes. "He had a key. And no- Before you say anything, I already think I know how he got it."

Sabo's lips snapped shut, irritation flashing through him, especially given the question he had just been about to voice.

"That's the part you're not going to like though."

Sabo threw his hands up, indignation and curiosity a plague in his veins. "I'm going to be honest here, Luffy- I don't like any part of this situation. I don't trust him and i don't see why everyone else seems to believe that he's some sort of-"

"He's a Hood."

Shock like a blow to his gut, Sabo stared at him, mouth slack in surprise. How he wished he could blame some form of hearing imparity for those three words. That was never the case though. Instead, the words slid like ooze through the air, heavy and slow to sink in.

He's a Hood.

Spade is a Hood.

"What?!"

Mid Town

{Barracks}

{13:22}

"You're an idiot."

"Some support would be nice, you know." Ace sighed, leaning back into his chair. A hand of cards set in his grip, nimble fingers selected one before tossing it towards the center of the table.

A hand reached out to select it, folding the card into an entirely different hand. "What is this, the second time so far this month? You're cutting it too close. How long until they start suspecting one of their own? You know what'll happen if anyone catches you."

"They're not going to catch me. I've been doing this a while now, Marco." Fingers tapped across the table, foot striking out to kick at an unfortunate shin. Thatch jolted upwards, scowl twisting into a smirk as he grabbed at the card Marco had tossed away.

"I think it's nice. What you're doing I mean. if you're not going to get them out of there then who will?" Thatch voiced, the crazy haired male leaning forward with a whistle before discarding a card face down. "That's gin boys."

Ace threw the remainder of his cards onto the wooden surface, groan slipping past his lips. "Why is it that you always seem to win? I call bullshit."

"A game for another day, Ace~" Thatch chuckled as he reached forward to grab a small pile of bills from the corner, tucking his winnings into an overstuffed pocket. Marco just sighed, folding his cards together neatly before setting them atop the stack of discarded cards.

"All I'm saying is that you should cut it back a bit. Strike every other month or something instead of each and every time a mission comes back successful." The blonde crossed his arms in front of him, leaning back leisurely though icy pools were irritatingly fierce. These two might be the only people Ace was willing to listen to. Not that he planned to do so in this situation. Each day that passed sent another group of Gifted on their way to either the slaughterhouse or slavery. How did either of them expect Ace to just lay back and let it happen?

"No promises." Words that slipped past his lips in a harsh mutter. Ace waved his hand at the table lazily as he stood, not bothering to pick up the mess that had been caused. "Say what you will, but you know this is something I have to do, Marco. Don't spend all your cash in one place Thatch. You still owe me that drink." He tossed the words over his shoulder before meandering towards the door that would once more carry him out the the main hall- A hall in which he would have to don the Hood persona once more. It was a tired old act by this point.

Marco merely sighed, Thatch chuckling beneath his breath. "Just at least try to be safe. There's no guarantee that any of us will be safe if they catch you, Spade."

Ace paused at the door, hand upon the handle. A smirk slowly spread across freckled cheeks as he glanced over his shoulder at the two. "...Now where would be the fun in that...?" Even after the door slid shut behind him, he could hear Thatch's laughter and the muffled curses of a certain blond.

A/N: you guys are free to leave reviews. I'd love to hear what you think so far. Next chapter should be out either tomorrow or the next day. I'm going to take a break and work on Tick Tock first.