I really wanted this chapter to fit in the other but that would have been waaaay to long. Anyways this is the setup chapter for the characters. The next chapter should flash forward four years showing Ace, Sabo and Luffy in their current situations, thus starting the story. Sorry for all the times skips, but it should be the last one. I am also going to put in chapters of the original story idea: how Luffy won over Ace and Sabo and started talking again. That would have been a good story, maybe a little boring. But it didn't really have a plot.

The three boys tore through the woods, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Behind them flashlight rays illuminated the dark woods, like a sea of light.

Sabo grit his teeth but kept running. After he had heard their intention to send the boys away he had woken up his brother and barricaded the door. While the adults struggled to get in the three of them slipped out the window and into the forest. To their reluctant surprise the adults wouldn't give up. Sabo remembered the crowed of army offices who stood silently in Dadans living room while she talked to that man. He must have ordered them to find the children. The three of them were fast but not fast enough to outrun army men. They needed a plan.

He looked down absentmindedly at Luffy. He could understand why they wanted to move Ace, but why Luffy.

"Luffy who are your parents?"

Luffy and Ace both shot him confused looks.

"I told you already,I don't know." Luffy said looking at him curiously.

Sabo bit his lip but stayed silent. Either Luffy was missing something or the Foster system was. Either way it didn't matter now, he doubted they could all sit down with a cup of coffee and talk things over.

Just then, when he thought things couldn't get much worse a shot rang out. The three froze for a moment in silence praying it wasn't intended for them. Instead a scream of pain came from far behind them. Had one of the army men gotten shot?

"What the hell." Ace breathed fear mixing with anger in his face.

What the hell indeed Sabo thought. First a group of army men show up in the middle of the night with intentions to separate them. Now their chasing them like a manhunt and someone just got shot. None of this made any sense, they were missing something.

Sabo grabbed his brother's arms and tugged them off the path. This wasn't going to work, at this rate they were going to get caught and by the trigger happy people.

Another shot rang out followed by a pained scream. The three boys instinctively ducked down pressing their bodies against the tree. Luffy clapped his hands over his ears not willing to hear the screams of the dying.

"Are they shooting each other?" Ace asked angrily glancing around the tree.

Sabo frowned, he had no idea what was going on anymore. The only explanation that made sense wasn't a good one.

"We aren't alone here."

Ace looked at him like he was insane.

"No duh, you could have fooled me." He said sarcastically.

Sabo shook his head slightly irritated at his brother. "I meant I think those army men are being hunted."

Luffy looked up at Sabo. His gaze was hard to read but Sabo could see fear in his huge brown eyes. He put his arm around him tugging him closer.

"Don't worry, it will be ok." He promised pulling Luffy to his side.

He stood, pulling Luffy with him and Ace reluctantly followed. The sea of light was gone now. The men must have turned them off to avoid being human targets. Another shot rang out, this one closer. Treading carefully the three boys continued running, they had to get as far away as they could from these people, they were insane. Who starts a war for foster kids?

The three were so preoccupied in escaping they didn't notice the man until they ran strait into him. He defiantly did not look like an army man.

He grinned deviously at the three boys raising his gun warningly.

"Don't move."

The three stared frozen at him for a minute. He turned his head to call for the others, his concentration wavered. That was the moment Ace lashed out and kicked him in the shins. Getting a satisfying crack. The man screamed in fury, toppling to the ground.

"Split up," Sabo yelled, shoving Ace away from them. He grabbed Luffy's hand leading him in an opposite direction. The man screamed in fury and twisted around firing shots at them.

Luffy gave a surprised yelp as one of the bullets whizzed past his cheek grazing him. But he continued running. Sabo hoped Ace would be okay by himself.

The two of them raced through the forest not pausing when gunshots rang out.

Without the flashlights he had no idea where anyone was. But the yelling was steadily growing closer. He squeezed Luffy's hand tighter.

Just then another shot sounded. This time the bullet hit the tree right next to Luffy's head. Both boy froze turning around slowly as another man smirked evilly at them. Like the other he was not with the army. He pointed his gun threateningly at the two of them. Luffy's grip on his arm tightened painfully, but Sabo had bigger problems to worry about. He squeezed his hand reassuringly before shoving him away.

"Go." He yelled before charging the man. He punched his jaw harshly attacking him as he fell, clawing his face with fury and hatred. Why were they doing this, why couldn't they just leave them alone, hadn't the universe hurt them enough yet?

A second shot rang out, this time however there would be no warning. He screamed as he fell over holding his side as wetness poured out of the wound. He could only watch as the man stood up, spitting blood. His nose was black and one of his eyes was tightly closed. He was glaring down at Sabo in rage.

"You little brat." He took out his knife and knelt before the kid slowly scraping it over his left cheek.

He could feel the wetness as blood flowed freely from the knife trail replacing the skin. There was nothing he could do, he couldn't focus on anything but the burning pain in his side and the increasing effort it took to breath. He was going to die, by this insane man. He closed his eyes praying his brothers would be okay.

But nothing happened. Cautiously he opened his eyes.

The man was slumped over, blood ran freely down his face. Luffy stood behind him a bloodied rock clutched in his hand. He had caught the man by surprise to save Sabo.

Sabo chocked, a mix of relief and horror at seeing his little brother.

"Your moron! You were supposed to go." He coughed again a blood fell from his lips.

Instead of answering Luffy ran to him pulling him up into a sitting position against his chest. He stared at the growing blood spot panic in his eyes.

Sabo tried a different approach. "Luffy you have to go find Ace, I will be alright."

Luffy shook his head again. "No."

Sabo sighed, it was pointless. Luffy never listened, not to him or anyone.

"Please don't die." He begged holding Sabo tighter.

Sabo smiled despite himself, but the pain turned it into more of a grimace.

"I won't die." He lied convincingly.

Luffy shook his head in response.

Sabo smiled to himself. Luffy would be okay, he was a tough kid. Ace had gotten away. The two would find each other again. Everything was okay. He remembered what life used to be like, back with his parents in their stuffy estate. He was glad he wouldn't have to go back there anymore. He was so much happier now that he had people to protect, a reason to live. This way even if he died a part of him would go on living in Ace and Luffy. Everything was okay. Smiling Sabo fell asleep, the sounds of Luffy's heartbreaking sobs didn't reach his ears.

Luffy pulled his Brothers head to his chest hugging the boy's shoulders furiously. He could feel the blood spill onto his lap.

"SABO LUFFFFY."

Luffy's head shot up glancing around in the darkness. That voice belonged to Ace. He dried his tears with the back of his hand.

"ACE HELP ME." He screamed desperately. He knew Ace was just beyond his line of sight. If he could just run over to him. But that would mean leaving Sabo alone and he didn't want to do that. So he sat there holding his brother close to him as Ace's screams got further and further away.

Luffy shielded his eyes from the harsh light as a flashlight was trained on them. He looked up at the faces of the army officers. There was an old man staring at him with pity.

"Where is Ace?" He asked in a gravelly voice, his eyes sad. Despite himself Luffy smirked hugging Sabo tighter.

"He's gone." He was safe, they wouldn't be able to catch him. Ace was free.

This chapter made me really sad. I kept trying to weasel out of shooting Sabo and separating them. AWWW Luffy choose to stay with Sabo and get caught so sweet. Ace managed to escape but he gets injured in the process. Anyways I'm glad Sabo is older so he can order Ace and Luffy around. In the next chapter the real story starts but the three of them have been separated for four years.